Bonds of Love

The strength had come next. Since then,those two powers had been ever-present. And though Matt had nopowers of his own, despite the fact that he transferred them to hissexual partners, a telepathic connection had opened between them,like a psychic telephone line. Even when Vic managed to tune outthe rest of the world, Matt was always there.
Other positions brought with them other powers,bright just after sex but diminishing as the day wore on, untilthey disappeared altogether. Spooned together with Matt behind himgave Vic invisibility. Sitting on Matt’s lap as they fucked madeVic cry out in a range of sound that set neighborhood dogs barking.And once, standing in the shower, Vic grasped the towel rack asMatt thrust into him from behind…the next morning he found he couldfly.
For Christmas one year Matt bought Vic an illustratedcopy of the Kama Sutra for Gay Men, mostly for laughs. Butover time, Vic penciled in which positions gave him what powers,until the contents page read like a comic book line-up of superheroabilities. The book sat on his bedside table, pencil stuck betweenthe pages to mark the last position tried. As Vic carried Matt totheir car, he thought back to the previous evening when his loverhad picked a position at random. It’d been something convoluted andalmost impossible to duplicate, though God knew they’d had funtrying. Matt lying on his back, Vic above him on his stomach,between Matt’s legs, his ass within easy reach. As Matt eased intohim, Vic took one of Matt’s feet in both hands and nibbled hislover’s toes—he loved Matt’s feet, and nuzzled them as Matt slowly,so slowly penetrated him.
They moved together carefully, Vic’s legs cradlingMatt’s upper body as he licked and fawned over Matt’s feet. The sexseemed an almost secondary act; the love was in the intimate touchof their bodies, the kisses focused only on one erogenous area, theunseen hands that caressed and kneaded Vic’s large buttocks. By thetime Matt came, Vic had already climaxed twice, and before going tobed, he dog-eared that page in the book because damn, he loved thatposition.
But he had nothing to write beside it on the table ofcontents.
This morning, nothing had seemed different to him. Noflames leapt from his fingertips, no icy blasts chilled his coffeemug. No X-ray vision, no super speed, no powers at all, it seemed.As the day wore on and nothing happened, he began to wonder ifmaybe, maybe, they’d finally found a position that negatedMatt’s gift. If so, Vic wouldn’t mind. He didn’t need the powers,didn’t want them really—he hated waking to find that in thenight, his body had discovered a new trick, one he sometimescouldn’t easily hide from the rest of the world. Like the timevarious bones in his arms and legs spontaneously disappeared; Vichad to call in sick that day, couldn’t drive a city bus when hiswrist might turn limp and useless at any moment. Thatposition was crossed off the table of contents, definitely. If theyhad found a way to make love without transferring the powers, Vicwould be ecstatic. And he’d enjoyed the position, particularly whenhe could suckle his lover’s toes during the deed.
Yes, if that was the only way they could make lovefrom now on, Vic was all for it.
Still, he wanted to be sure before he said anything,so he kept his thoughts to himself. It was easy to do; Matt was toodrunk to pry into his mind and see what Vic might be hiding. Iftomorrow came without any new powers, then Vic would voice histheory. When Matt was sober enough to appreciate it.
Please let me be right, Vic prayed, weavingthrough the crowds to the parking lot. I want this man and I’lltake the powers if I have to but I don’t need them. Justhim.
Just him.
* * * *

Chapter 2
When they reached the car, Vic backed up to the openpassenger side door and eased Matt off his back to the waiting seatbelow. The hands clutching him relaxed, then disappeared. With ayawn, Matt stretched across both front seats of Vic’s batteredToyota Corolla, legs dangling out the open door. “Matt,” Vicsighed. When his lover didn’t move, he raised Matt’s legs one at atime, propping them up on the passenger seat so he could shut thedoor.
He didn’t expect Matt to sit up as he skirted theback of the car, heading for the driver’s side, and he wasn’tdisappointed. Unlocking his door, he found Matt’s head in thedriver’s seat, smiling up at him. His feet now rested on the closeddoor on the other side of the car. “Hey there, big boy,” Mattdrawled. “Wanna ride?”
Vic shook his head, exasperated. “Sit up, silly.”Matt just gave him a drunken grin. Easing one leg between the seatand steering wheel, Vic warned, “I’m going to sit on you.”
In response, Matt opened his mouth and stuck out histongue, wiggling it as if eager to lick Vic’s ass. “Drop troufirst.”
With a shake of his head, Vic grasped Matt’sshoulders and managed to shoulder him into the passenger side seat.Sliding behind the wheel, Vic got as far as starting the enginebefore Matt’s arms were on his waist, his face leaning againstVic’s warm, bare bicep. Cuddling into him, Matt murmured, “Whereto, Papa Smurf?”
“Home.” Where Vic could give into the desire and loveroiling through him at Matt’s antics and take this man into him.Matt was never this touchy-feely in public; Vic would have toremember to let him drink more often. Every superhero has aweakness. He tried to extract himself from Matt’s tightembrace. His is alcohol, and mine is him. “Matt, let medrive. Sit back—”
His chin on Vic’s shoulder, Matt demanded, “Kiss mefirst, you big lug.”
With a playful growl of frustration, Vic planted aquick peck on his lover’s cheek. Matt laughed. “Is that the bestyou’ve got?”
Vic tried again, touching his lips to Matt’s for achaste kiss. But as he pulled away, Matt touched his jaw and turnedVic’s face to his. “Not so fast,” he murmured, covering Vic’s mouthwith his own.
For a long moment they kissed, lips pressed togetherin a velvety crush. Their heartbeats seemed to slow, and the worldaround them stretched out minute by minute until the secondstrickled by. The crowd