A/N: Sorry about the delay, readers. Was having some trouble getting this chapter out. I had to work on it in sections. Enjoy!
Warning: Mild lemon and dialogue heavy
Chapter Nine
"So do you have an agenda for the day?" Umeda asked his boyfriend as they sat at the dining table eating breakfast with the girls.
Shizuki looked up from his toast. "Well, I wanted to go over to Alta Bates Summit Hospital to visit my friends. I'd like to take you with me. Is that ok?"
"That's fine. I'm interested to see where you first interned." The doctor replied. He took every opportunity given to learn more about his lover. He was also interested to see what kind of hospital Shizuki had left to come over to Japan. He'd heard a lot of good things about that particularly hospital. "When are we leaving?"
"I figured after breakfast and when we've gotten cleaned up," the blond replied.
"Sounds good. Do you girls have any plans for the day?" Umeda asked as he looked over at the three girls grouped around the end of the table.
Rio and Mizuki avoided his gaze, still to embarrassed from the previous day's incident to look him in the face yet. Julia shrugged in reply. Mrs. Ashiya eyed the girls in confusion.
"Did something happen?" Shizuki's mother asked the three girls.
All of them looked up in surprise before blushing in varying degrees of red. "No!" They all exclaimed.
Mrs. Ashiya looked wholly unconvinced. She looked over at her son and Umeda to see if they had anything to say about whatever weird tension was hanging in the air between them all. Umeda just smirked at their flushed faces as Shizuki ducked his head to stare intently down at his plate.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Ashiya. It was a minor offense that's already been remedied," Umeda replied casually before taking a sip of coffee. Shizuki glanced up and rolled his eyes at his lover.
"Well, in that case…" She trailed off. She felt like she was being left out somehow. In a way she was glad she didn't know what happened. Sometimes it was best for parents to stay out of their children's disputes. Besides if they'd already settled the matter there was no reason she should get involved. "Well, anyways, Gilbert said he was coming over tonight for dinner again."
"He did?" Rio said failing to hide her eager tone.
Mrs. Ashiya smiled. "Yes, once his classes are over for the day."
"Great!" Mizuki grinned. "It's game night too."
"He said he'd be bringing the game for the night," Mrs. Ashiya replied.
"I wonder what he's bringing," Julia grinned, sneaking a glance at Rio. "It'd be fun if he brings Twister."
Rio flushed and hid her face behind her juice cup as she pretended to take a drink.
"I hope not. I'm getting to old to bend myself into weird positions," Umeda remarked offhandedly.
Rio gagged and nearly spit out her drink. Mizuki coughed on her mouthful of toast while Shizuki patted her back and glared at his lover. Julia had dissolved into a fit of giggles. Umeda grinned wickedly in amusement. Once again, Mrs. Ashiya had the distinct feeling she was being left out.
"Good morning all!" Mr. Ashiya came in with a bright smile. He blinked in confusion when he saw the varying expressions on everyone's faces. "Did I miss something?"
"That's what I'm wondering, dear," Mrs. Ashiya remarked as she stood up to clear her plate from the table.
"Anyhow, girls are you busy this afternoon?" Mr. Ashiya asked.
"No." Mizuki replied with a look of semi-dread crossing her face.
Mr. Ashiya clapped his hands together. "Oh good. I have a litter of puppies to de-worm and give shots to this afternoon. I could use some help with the little tykes."
All three girls looked at each other and seemed to be having a silent conversation with their eyes. After a minute, Julia shrugged and Rio nodded. Mizuki looked back up at her dad. "Sure, Dad. We'll come help. Who can turn down playing with puppies?"
"Me," Umeda muttered under his breath. Shizuki kicked him in the shin under the table. Mr. Ashiya pretended not to hear the quiet remark.
"Well, it's all settled then," Mr. Ashiya said happily. "We'll be leaving at 1 o'clock."
"Sounds like everyone's got plans for today," Mrs. Ashiya smiled. "I have my ladies book club to go to this afternoon. I'll see everyone back here for dinner."
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"Are you gonna keep messing with those poor girls about what happened yesterday?" Shizuki asked in exasperation after they got in his car and he began to drive down the street.
Umeda shrugged. "For as long as I feel like it. It's funny. Julia's doesn't mind it."
"You're gonna give my sister a heartache. Your's to probably."
"Ah, Rio's made of sterner stuff. She just wasn't expecting that remark at the time. She's used to being teased anyways." Umeda shrugged carelessly.
"Well, I'd like to forget the whole thing. It's embarrassing."
"It's their fault. They could have walked away. We have nothing to be ashamed of. I refused to be embarrassed about it," the doctor replied evenly. "They'll get over it and so will you. From now on we've all learned our lesson in being more careful. Years from now I bet we'll all laugh about it."
"Or still cringe in embarrassment."
"Either way it'll make for a good story."
Shizuki shook his head and sighed. "You're unbelievable sometimes. I wish I could behave as comfortably as you do about this kinda stuff."
"You only live once, Shizuki. Dwelling on every bad or embarrassing thing that ever happened in your life is a supreme waste of time. We've got better things to do. Like finding better places to fuck when we get the urge," He grinned widely.
"You're a mess," Shizuki smiled at his lover's words. "And somehow you always make sense—in some fucked up way."
"My years have made me wise."
"Yeah yeah, old man," Shizuki rolled his eyes.
"That's right. Respect your elders, you upstart." Umeda smirked.
Shizuki laughed. "That sounded so wrong coming from you."
"You're welcome."
"Just behave when we get to the hospital."
"I believe I can manage to do that for an hour or two."
"Good."
/////////////////
The visit at the hospital was going well so far in Shizuki's opinion. Umeda was behaving very well. He was being gracious and polite to every person he was introduced to—doctors, nurses, and interns alike. The girls were just in love with the fact that the man had somehow managed to rope the blond into dating him. They were enthralled with his good looks and how charming he was acting. They had all given their approval of Shizuki's choice in boyfriends now that he'd turned gay. The guys seemed to like Umeda after they'd tested out his knowledge as a doctor which they found impressive. They were also amazed to find that Umeda was an expert on sports medicine, had written several articles for prominent magazines on the subject, and was a practicing chiropractor. Poor Umeda had been given the 20 plus question interrogation after that and had put up with it better than Shizuki had thought he would. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the chance to show off his knowledge and flaunt his talents.
"Is that who I think it is!"
Shizuki turned when he heard a gruff voice call down the hall. He smiled happily when he saw it was his favorite doctor in the hospital. He walked away from Umeda for a moment to talk to the older doctor heading his way. He figured Umeda would be alright by himself for a moment with the interns and doctors.
"Shizuki! We've all miss you around here, son," the older man shook his hand warmly.
The blond couldn't keep the pleased smile off his face. He respected this doctor a lot. He'd taught Shizuki a lot about compassion and sympathy for patients. He wasn't jaded or cold even after years of working in a hospital. "Thank you, Dr. Gerald. I missed being here."
"Listen, you were one of the best interns to come through here. From what I heard the doctors in Japan thought the same about you at the hospital you transferred too. I made sure to keep an ear out for how you were doing. I have some good friends at that hospital." The older man grinned.
"I appreciate that. You were the one who recommended that hospital. I did my best over there," the blond replied.
"You always do. Shizuki, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Sure, Dr. Gerald," Shizuki answered.
"One of our doctors recently passed away. Fatal car accident. Shook us all up. We didn't open her position to be filled here until just recently out of respect. When I heard they were finally looking to fill it I immediately thought of you," Dr. Gerald paused and reached out to grip Shizuki's shoulder. "I'm offering you the position. You're a damned fine doctor. Patients love you. We'd be lucky and very happy to have you."
Shizuki felt like he'd temporarily stopped breathing. This was the dream job he'd always wanted when he'd started working towards his goal of being a doctor. He loved working at this hospital. He'd liked all the staff he had worked with here. He had helped and learned from so many amazing patients. He'd learned a lot of what he knew about being a doctor from this place. It was amazing to be offered a job here. "Wow, thank you, Dr. Gerald." He stopped, a little overwhelmed as his thoughts began to race. He glanced down the hall. His eyes settled on his beautiful lover, who was now standing alone waiting for him, and felt something settle heavy in the pit of his stomach. Fuck. What about Umeda? He swallowed hard. He glanced back at the older doctor. "I'm very honored you thought of me for this position…"
"But?" Dr. Gerald could see the conflict lurking in his eyes.
Shizuki smiled wanly. "But, I need some time to think about it. Some drastic things have changed in my life recently. Before I would have said yes right away, but circumstances have changed."
Dr. Gerald looked down the hall to see the beautiful Japanese man watching them with narrowed eyes. He realized immediately what the blond meant. These two were much more than friends. He nodded. "It's understandable, son. Just don't take to long to think about it. You let me know what you decide. Either way you choose, make sure it's the best choice for you—regardless of anything else."
Shizuki looked a little relieved. "Alright. Thank you again. I'll let you know in a few days."
"Ok, take care, Shizuki. It was very good to see you. I'm glad you've found someone that makes you happy too," he nodded his head in the direction of Umeda.
"Thanks. Take care too, sir," Shizuki smiled sincerely and shook his hand once again. He turned and walked down the hall to meet his boyfriend.
Umeda stared at him flatly for a moment. Shizuki felt a cold shiver race down his spin. His boyfriend was upset. "Did you hear?"
"I heard," Umeda replied curtly before turning and walking away at a clipped pace.
Shizuki stared in shock for a moment. Was this going to be their first fight as lovers? He hadn't even done anything yet!? He hurried after the other man. He didn't want this to get out of hand when it wasn't necessary for that to happen. "Wait, Umeda!"
Umeda didn't stop, but Shizuki didn't slow down. He walked swiftly until he caught up with his lover. "Will you let me talk about it?"
Umeda slowed down a little so he could look over and glare. "Sure. Go ahead."
Shizuki grabbed his arm and steered him into an empty hospital room before shutting the door. He didn't let go of his boyfriend even after the door was shut. "Dr. Gerald means a lot to me. He was my mentor when I was here. It's a big honor to be offered this job. In fact, it was a dream to work here one day. I won't lie when I say that hearing him offer me a job here feels amazing. But--."
Umeda opened his mouth to interject, but Shizuki kept talking so he couldn't speak.
"I haven't decided what I want to do, because I don't know. Dr. Kiyoshi offered me a position at the hospital in Osaka too. Both of these positions would be amazing for someone like me to start out in. Each of these hospitals are well respected and I enjoy being at them. But I don't even know if working in a hospital is what I want to do for the rest of my career. I came here hoping I could have a few weeks to forget about this dilemma. Looks like it caught up to me," Shizuki sighed, dropping his hand from Umeda's arm.
"But you like working in hospitals, right?" Umeda asked quietly. He had calmed down since seeing how unsettled and worried Shizuki was by this massive decision he was faced with now.
"I do. I liked working in the children's ward best of all. I like working with kids and making them feel better." Shizuki replied softly.
"So you're just torn on what you want to do with your career in general, not with what hospital to go to, right?" Umeda re-clarified.
"Yes. I'm confused and lost about it all. If I take Dr. Gerald's offer I'd have to move back here. And this is my home so the offer is very tempting. But you're my home too. And I don't want to leave you in Japan just to be here, but I can't ask you to leave Japan either. I know you love your job at the high school. It's sort of vice versa with the situation in Japan. I'd be thousands of miles away from my home for months or years on end. It's kind of terrifying. I'd also like to look into being a children's pediatrician. So I just don't know what I want." Shizuki sighed in defeat.
Umeda suddenly felt horrible for the way he'd acted a few minutes ago. He didn't realize how much of this had been burdening Shizuki. The blond hadn't really talked about it until now. He knew his boyfriend had been struggling to decide what he wanted to do with his life. He didn't realize it had been this difficult and frightening for his lover. He reached out and pulled the blond into a tight hug. "Listen, Shizuki. I'm not gonna hold you back and I'm not gonna let you go. Whatever you choose I'll make "us" work. I want you to decide what's best for you. I'll do my best to keep up. Yes, I'm comfortable where I am with my career, but that doesn't mean I can't change too if it comes to that. Ok?"
"Ok." Shizuki hugged him hard in return. He loved this man so much. He was so glad he'd found someone who understood him so well. "Thanks, Hokuto."
"Wish you would call me that more," Umeda smiled against his boyfriend's neck.
"I'll try too," Shizuki replied earnestly.
"Good, because I love you. It's nice to hear my first name on my lover's lips," Umeda leaned back to smirk at the blond.
Shizuki shook his head and smiled gently. "I love you too, Hokuto."
"Perfect," Umeda whispered before kissing the younger man. They stayed that way for a long moment before the doctor pulled away. "I think it's time we got back."
"Yeah," Shizuki agreed. He opened the door and led his boyfriend out of the door, then out of the hospital. He'd had enough of dilemmas for one day. He was gonna have to seriously think about everything the next few days before he left here. He couldn't pretend that none of it existed anymore. He needed to make a decision soon—for his and Umeda's sake. He paused in mid-step. "On second thought, let's go on a date."
Umeda stopped and looked at him. "That's a little random, but alright."
"Well, I'm just not ready to go home. I don't feel like answering my mom's questions about how everyone's doing at the hospital. I'll just call her and tell her we're going to hang out in the city for a while." Shizuki replied.
"Sounds like fun," Umeda replied.
"Good," he smiled. "I know the perfect place to take you to dinner."
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"So what game did you bring to play tonight, Gilbert?" Julia asked with a grin. She glanced sideways at Rio who was blushing faintly.
Gilbert dropped onto the floor in front of the coffee table and folded his legs. He reached into his bag to pull out two decks of cards. They were brightly colored cards though. Rio had never seen a deck of cards like that before.
"What game is it?" She asked curiously.
"Skipbo," he answered with a grin. "It's pretty simple. And it's a lot of fun in a decent sized group."
"I remember that game!" Mizuki grinned. She clapped her hands. "I love this game!"
Julia laughed. "From what I remember you suck at it too."
"I do not! You guys just get all the good cards!" She protested with a scowl.
Rio grinned at her friend's pouting face. "Sounds like a fun game."
"It is. We'll all teach you how to play," Gilbert smiled at her.
She glanced down at the table and folded her hands in her lap. "Alright."
"What about Umeda and Shizuki?" Mizuki asked.
Julia waved her hand dismissively. "Hey, if they aren't here on time it's their own fault."
"They are out on a date," Mrs. Ashiya said from the doorway with a smile.
"I thought they were just going to the hospital," Rio remarked as Gilbert began to deal out the cards and set up the deck.
Mrs. Ashiya spread her hands in defeat. "They need their time together. I'm sure you all have enough players for Skipbo."
"You don't want to join in, Mom?" Mizuki asked curiously.
She shook her head. "No, you're dad decided that since all you kids were busy he wanted to take me out for dessert somewhere."
"Awww," Julia grinned. "That's so sweet. "
"Have fun, Mom." Mizuki was grinning too.
"We will. We won't be gone to long so you kids behave. Don't destroy the house." Mrs. Ashiya advised jokingly.
Gilbert looked up and smiled reassuringly. "We won't. I'll make sure of it."
"Thank you, Gil." She turned to head out the door. "There are snacks and drinks in the kitchen when you want them."
"Thanks!" They all called after her.
They heard the door open and shut. Mizuki got up to turn on the stereo. She put a couple of CDs into the six changer player and pressed play. Soon as she sat back down, Gil clapped his hands together and smirked. "Well, let's get this game started."
"Oh don't act like you're gonna win, buddy," Julia remarked as she set up her cards.
"It's almost certainly a given," Gilbert answered confidently.
"We'll see about that," Rio smiled wickedly.
"A challenge! While then first you need to know how the game works," Gilbert replied smoothly. He began to explain to her the rules of the game…
/////////////////
"You have to be cheating!" Gilbert cried indignantly.
Rio laughed as she won her second game in a row. "I thought you said you were going to win!"
"I would be if I could figure out how you were winning so easily. How'd you do that?" He asked in disbelief.
"I got lucky," Rio replied evenly.
"Cheater," Julia smirked as she threw her cards back onto the pile.
"Is that jealousy?" Rio smirked at the blond girl.
Mizuki laughed at all of them. "Well, I am lousy at this game so I don't mind losing. It's fun anyways."
Gilbert set up the deck and handed out the cards. In a matter of minutes another game was on a roll and it got to Rio's turn. She picked up one card and managed to get rid of five cards before having to stop. She smirked at Gilbert triumphantly.
"Sheesh, you are ruthless." Gilbert grumbled. "I will beat you this time though."
"I'd like to see you try," she grinned.
Julia rolled her eyes. "There are other people playing in this game too, you know."
"Oh right," Gilbert tilted his head and smiled indulgently.
"I should punch you," the blond girl growled, shaking her fist at him. "I nearly won last time too."
"In your dreams," both Gilbert and Rio replied. They glanced at each and laughed.
"Unbelievable," Julia muttered as she took her turn. She only managed to discard three cards.
Mizuki just shrugged as she played her turn. She barely managed to discard two cards. She was just enjoying playing a game with all her friends. She didn't care if she won or not. The game began to heat up fast. Gilbert, Julia, and Rio swapped mock heated insults as they played out their hands. Gilbert and Rio were duking it out like it was a battle not a game. They didn't let themselves get to wrapped up in the competition to lose the fun of the game though. In fact, it was quite funny to watch the two trying to beat each other so earnestly. It was getting pretty close between the two. Julia really wasn't to far behind. Mizuki was hardly a stop in the cycle of the game before it moved on. Then suddenly…
"I won!" Gilbert cried in excitement at Rio. "Ha! I beat you! I knew I could!"
Rio rolled her eyes, but smiled a moment later. "Congratulations."
"Oh, don't be a sore loser," Gilbert grinned.
"I'm not. You won…after I beat you twice." She smirked at him.
He sighed in mock disgust. "Trying to ruin my victory."
"I think it's time for snacks," Mizuki remarked as she climbed to her feet.
Julia scrambled to her feet too. "I'll help you get them."
"Ok, thanks," Mizuki replied, giving her an odd look.
Julia shifted her eyes sideways at the pair still pretending to argue over the game. Mizuki's mouth formed an 'O' of understanding before she turned and walked out of the room. Gilbert watched them go out of the corner of his eyes. Seriously, Julia was becoming one of his favorite people just for the fact that she kept giving him time alone with Rio. He turned his eyes back to Rio to find her watching him thoughtfully.
"This was fun," Rio smiled shyly. She felt a little nervous now that they were alone.
Gilbert couldn't help smiling back. She was so cute when she was shy. He had a feeling he was the only one that had ever really seen this side of her. She seemed to straight forward and blunt to be shy very often. It was a flattering to know that he affected her that much. "Yeah, it was. And you are really good at that game."
"Thanks." She replied.
"So do you guys have any plans for this weekend?" He asked curiously. He had something in mind, but he needed to make sure they weren't doing something already.
She shook her head. "Nope. I think we've all had enough of shopping."
"Well, good, because what I have in mind doesn't involve shopping. You will need a swimsuit though," he replied with a big grin.
"Swimsuits?" She quirked an eyebrow up. "Are you just trying to get a chance to see me in my bikini?"
He licked his lips before replying. "I might be."
"Hmmm." She gave him a wicked smile.
Now, that he liked. The shyness had melted away to the fierce attitude that he knew had been hiding beneath. He liked this vixen side of her a lot. "How would you like to go to the beach?"
"I would love to go to the beach!" She exclaimed with a broad smile. "I've wanted to go since I got here."
"Well, I am more than willing to take all of you to the beach," he said as Mizuki and Julia walked back into the room carrying drinks and snacks. "What do you two think?"
"The beach!" Mizuki squealed happily. "I wanna go!"
"It'd be great to get out and work on my tan," Julia answered excitedly. "I might even be able to scoop out some cute guys."
Gilbert snorted. "Doesn't mean they'll talk to you."
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Jerk."
"So beach it is on Saturday," Gilbert returned to the discussion at hand.
"It's a great idea. I'm sure Mom and Dad would like to go." Mizuki remarked.
"That means we'll have to drag the lovebirds along," Rio sighed wearily.
Julia grinned at the thought of seeing those two hotties in their swim trunks. "It's not that bad."
The two other girls looked at her and shook their heads. Gilbert glanced between them and frowned. He had a feeling he was missing something. He shrugged it off. Probably didn't want to know.
"What are we being dragged along too?" Umeda asked from the doorway as he shrugged out of his jacket.
They all turned their heads to see Shizuki and Umeda standing in the living room archway.
"We are going to the beach Saturday," Gilbert announced.
"Sounds like a great idea," Shizuki agreed. "I'll invite my friends though so you guys don't have to put up with us." He grinned teasingly.
Umeda chuckled. "I wouldn't mind hanging out with your friends again."
"Oh good. Well, we're in for the beach trip just check with mom and dad when they get back." Shizuki started heading for the stairs. He paused and looked back. "Where'd they go anyways?"
"Out for dessert," Mizuki replied. "Are you two going to bed already?"
Shizuki nodded. "It's been a long day."
"Alright, good night then." She bid him.
Both of the guys waved as they headed up the stairs. The girls all looked up when they heard the bathroom door open and shut only once. Mizuki sighed, Julia grinned, and Rio rolled her eyes. Gilbert looked confused. He really felt like he was missing something now. It was forgotten quickly. The four younger adults played a few more rounds of Skipbo—one of which Julia actually won. Mr. and Mrs. Ashiya came back from their little date half an hour later. They sat with the girls and Gilbert for a little while. Gilbert finally announced that he needed to head home. They all said their good nights. Bedtime followed shortly after Gilbert left.
Umeda and Shizuki lay in bed, settling down for the night. They'd both showered—separately—and finished up the rest of their bathroom ritual of brushing teeth and what not. They had gotten into bed a little while ago. They listened to everyone else make their way upstairs and take their turns in the bathroom. Both were getting tired, but not quite ready to fall asleep. They were both lost in thought about the events of the day. Shizuki rolled his head to the side to look at his lover.
"Thanks for putting up with all the questions and everything earlier at the hospital, Umeda. It meant a lot to me," Shizuki said as he kissed his boyfriend's neck.
"You're welcome. I knew it was important to you. I did my best to behave," the doctor grinned. "I actually had fun too; even with all the nosy questions."
"Well, you did sort of seem like you were strutting your stuff like a peacock."
"I can't help it when the opportunity presents itself."
"It was fun to watch. It made me feel like a bit of a girl though. So proud to show off my new boyfriend, who's so smart and talented," Shizuki chuckled.
Umeda pretended to preen for a moment. "Well I am quite the catch."
Shizuki punched him lightly in the arm.
"You're gonna deny it?" The doctor looked at him as if he were offended.
"Cut it out, idiot," Shizuki rolled his eyes.
Umeda bowled him over on to his back and straddled his waist. "Never."
"Hokuto, not now." Shizuki groaned as his dick began to wake up thanks to the handsome man rubbing his ass against it.
"You afraid to be caught again?" Hokuto murmured in the blond's ear.
"I thought you said we should find a better place to fuck than here," Shizuki growled as the older man nibbled his ear sending tingles down his spin. His hips shifted helplessly as his dick got harder, pressing against the crease of Umeda's ass.
"I did, but maybe all we needed was a better time. We know everyone's in bed now. It's safe." The doctor grinned wickedly. "I even made sure the door got shut all the way."
Shizuki glanced over at it. He hadn't even noticed before that moment. "You're prepared huh?"
"Oh yeah," Umeda grinned as he shed his pants before yanking down Shizuki's. "Pre-stretched too."
The blond moaned heatedly at those dirty words and the hot wave of arousal that flooded through him. "Fuck, I'm not gonna be able to talk you out of this, am I?"
"No," Umeda replied as rubbed lube onto his lover's cock. The blond flexed his hips so that his cock thrust up into the tight grip. The doctor stroked him a few more times. "I want you," Umeda whispered in his lover's ear. Shizuki moaned again, desperate sounding as he reached up and gripped the older man's hips. Umeda spread himself open and positioned Shizuki's cock at his hole. He took a deep breath than sank down onto his lover's dick. His head fell back in delight as his body took in the entire length. Everything after that was a mix of sexual sound, pleasure, and movement. They both lost themselves in it. It didn't last long. It didn't need too. They both came with gasps of delight as they indulged in the ecstasy racing threw their bodies. When they were spent they curled up in each other's arms and fell asleep—heedless of the mess. Everything could wait until the morning. There had been enough excitement for one day.
Be a responsible reader and review!
Omg, did not mean for this chapter to get so long. I even went back through it to find some place to cut it back and couldn't really find any. LOL. Well, I hoped you all liked it. I wanted to get some more Rio and Gilbert interaction in. I'm having fun with those two. So cute! And of course I need some sex with our guys. Anyways, drop me a line everyone. I love to hear what you guys think. :D