Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2021 06:27:21 +0000 (UTC)
From: rw6789@aol.com
Subject: "A Trial Of Strength" - Part 564  by Rob Williams

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH – PART 564 by Rob Williams

Chapter 564 – "THE PASSION OF MEN – A KIND OF MAGIC"

IN THIS CHAPTER:

The rugged construction boss Zack, and darkly handsome Hispanic Miguel are
still feuding, their love affair over. But after Miguel gets a lecture from
his own boy, and from the tribe's leader Bob, he agrees to take a
last-chance fishing trip with Zack. But reconciliation seems hopeless until
a traumatic event changes everything, bringing fear, despair, and finally a
rebirth of passion.
____________________________________________________________________

<><> IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER <><>

It was a great love story – until it wasn't.

The passion of Zack and Miguel, two of the most macho alpha-males in the
tribe, began some years ago.  Bob, the tribe's co-leader, related their
story to some of the boys.

"Zack had just broken up with his wife and was drowning his sorrows in a
bar when he met Miguel, who was in exactly the same situation.  They got
stinking drunk, went back to Zack's motel where they discovered a lust for
each other and sucked each other's cocks.  Miguel freaked out, spat out the
cum and left.  Don't forget, these were two macho straight guys who had
never dreamed of sex with a man.  And they hadn't even exchanged names."

Fast forward a few years to when Bob was staying at the Ritz Carlton in
Laguna and got into conversation with the chef there, Miguel.  "He opened
up and described his meeting some years ago with a handsome black guy
getting drunk in a bar. They had sex and Miguel ran away in disgust.  He
said that ever since then he couldn't get the guy out of his mind and he
would jack off daily just thinking about him."

It seemed clear to Bob this was the same guy, and told Zack, who went down
to the hotel, met Miguel and bingo – lightning strike.  They went down
to a cave on the beach and had sex.  And they had never looked back.  Until
now.

Fast forward another few years and now they had quarreled, sniped at each
other and stopped having sex. Inevitably it climaxed in a savage row, where
Zack became irrational and accused Miguel of being a racist and rejecting
his black lover.  Miguel stormed out and took refuge with their friend
Jason, a sexy young fireman.  They had wild sex which only intensified
Zack's rage.

The tribe's leaders, Bob and Randy, tried to heal the breach in their
different ways. Bob reasoned with Miguel, suggesting that Zack's problem
was a fear of losing Miguel.  Bob knew from experience, as his lover Randy,
like Zack, was a passionate action-man who had also nursed an irrational
fear of losing Bob.

Meanwhile Randy tried talking to Zack. Both men were similar macho
construction bosses, almost like brothers – quick to anger and quick
with their fists.  Their talk soon deteriorated into angry raised voices
and a savage fight in the mud of an abandoned warehouse.  When Zack had
Randy pinned down, Randy panted, "What you need, bro, is a good fuck.
Always works for me when I'm mad."

And it worked now.  As Zack pounded Randy's ass he thought of Miguel, of
fucking him and loving him, and after he came inside Randy he fell on him
sobbing.  "I love him, Randy, I love the guy.  I never stopped.  I've been
a damn fool.  Help me, bro ... please help me."  That physical action, and
the brotherly love of his buddy Randy, helped Zack purge his demons and
realize that his fears had been delusional, his accusations false.

"OK, bro," he said, "so now I'm starting to get my own head straight.  But
I'm damned if I know how to start patching things up with Miguel.  I'd be
too embarrassed even to look him straight in the eye." Randy suggested they
should get away together for a while – go fishing or something.

Zack slept alone that night in the bed he had always shared with Miguel.
Several times in his sleep he reached over to touch Miguel and woke with a
start, feeling only empty space.

In the morning he woke early and decided to make an early start and go
straight to work, taking refuge in manual labor and catching up on work he
had neglected.  He pulled on his old black jeans and work boots and was
crossing the lawn as Miguel came in through the gate.

They stopped in their tracks and stared at each other in embarrassed
silence.  To fill the void Miguel stammered, "I, er, came by to check on
the, er, the apartment over the office – Vic and Noah's place."

"Yeah ... right."

"They're moving out," Miguel said in a rush.  "I'm moving in with Finn.
Bob set it up ..."

"Yeah, I heard ... er, I'm going to work ... early start."

"Sure ..."  Miguel saw the bruises on Zack's bare chest and instinctively
reached out to touch them.  "What's this?"  He quickly pulled his hand
back, embarrassed by his own gesture of concern.  "I gotta go ...  those
kids ... waiting for me."

"Yeah, I, er ..."

But Miguel had already gone into the office.  "Damn," Zack muttered under
his breath as he walked out to his truck.  "I should have ... he'll think I
... damn."

As he drove away his thoughts were still reeling with could haves and
should haves.  Why didn't I tell him about going fishing?  Randy's idea
... I should have.  Nah, would sound stupid ... too soon ... but when?  How
am I gonna ...?"

Worse still, the sight of Miguel had made his cock rock-hard in his jeans.
He pounded his hands on the steering wheel.  "Fuck ... Fuck!"

========= CHAPTER 564 =========

<><> TORTURED THOUGHTS <><>

The feuding, separated lovers, Zack and Miguel, were both troubled with
unsettled thoughts – but of a different kind.  Zack wanted
reconciliation. Miguel still nursed resentment.

After a cathartic meeting with Randy that included harsh words and an even
harsher fistfight, Zack had come to his senses and realized that his fierce
accusations of Miguel had all been based on his own paranoia.  He wanted to
repair the damage but had no idea how to begin.

A brief, embarrassed chance encounter between them early that morning
illustrated how deep the wounds went.  After a few halting words Miguel had
left, and Zack saw a chance for the first conciliatory steps slip away.
"Fuck!"  He drove to work more confused and frustrated than ever.

Miguel set about checking out the apartment he and Finn were to share when
they moved out of Jason's house after spending the night there.  He had
told the tribe's co-leader Bob, "Having sex with Jason was probably wrong
of me.  But I felt so neglected and rejected by Zack that I needed to be
lusted after and admired.  But I was wrong to involve Jason in my troubles.
He's such a sweet guy and the last thing in the world I want is for Zack to
take it out on him."

It was Bob who suggested the small apartment over the office that had just
been vacated by the young boys Vic and Noah, who were eager to go live with
their new `big brother' Nate.  So now Miguel had come to look at the
apartment.

His boy Finn had come with him and had gone straight up to their former
permanent home on the second floor to talk to the other boys there –
Darius's boy Ryan and Pablo's boy Tyler, who were having breakfast.  "Hi,
guys, good to see you again.  You got a cup for your old pal?  I am still
your pal, right?" They eagerly made room for him at the table and poured
him coffee.

In the time the three boys had all lived in this suite of apartments they
had become close friends, but their backgrounds were very different.

Finn had been a brash ex-street hustler before being tamed by Miguel.  But
the brashness and street smarts were still ingrained in him and led to
trouble at first as he instinctively balked at Miguel's dominance. The
macho Hispanic had soon dealt with that, and Finn now idolized him.

The other boys, Ryan and Tyler were cut from different cloth.  They had
both been shy at first. Ryan was a sexy young Thai boy who has been in love
with handsome black stud Darius from the first time he saw him.

Tyler had been besotted with Pablo even before he met him.  He had followed
him on the street and climbed a tree to watch him. But the branch had
broken and he fell sprawling at Pablo's feet.  Which is where,
metaphorically, he had been since, worshiping the tough, sexy mechanic.

Since joining the tribe, and encouraged by their men, both shy boys had
come out of their shells, but still looked up to Finn as their leader if
there was any trouble – which there was now.

"Finn, what's going on, dude?" Tyler asked anxiously.  "We've been so
worried," Ryan said.

"OK, dudes, so last night I had a long talk with my man Miguel, after Zack
totally lost it and Miguel stormed out. Took me with him and we spent the
night with Jason and Ben.

"As you know – hell, everyone knows, Zack had a big ol' fight with Randy
and that knocked some sense into him.  Seems he realizes he's been an
asshole and wants to make up, but Miguel is in no mood.  Shit, after
everything Zack said to Miguel who can blame him?  Randy suggested to Zack
that the two guys should hightail it outa' here, go fishing and talk it all
out. Seems like a swell idea to me.  But like I said, Miguel's in no mood
to make nice with Zack."

"Yeah we know," Ryan said.  "We were watching from the window just now when
they bumped into each other in the garden.  It was like hell had frozen
over.  They barely talked or looked at each other and Miguel wanted nothing
to do with him."

"But Finn," Tyler said plaintively, "I'm worried how this affects us.  I
mean, what if they split up?  Can we still be friends? If Miguel and Zack
are not talking, should you even be talking to Ryan?"

"It's a mess alright," Finn agreed, "but whatever happens we'll always be
buddies and stick together, right? I think the time's come for us boys to
take action."

"Oh no, dude," Tyler said.  "Pablo was real firm about that.  He said we
mustn't get involved." Ryan agreed.  "Yeah, Darius told me the same thing."

"Yeah, I know, I know, that's the rule of the tribe," Finn said
impatiently.  But sometimes, dudes, rules are meant to be broken.  Hell, I
should know.  When I was working the streets I broke every rule in the book
and I came out all right. I was king of the walk.

"OK, so look, guys, the problem we have here is Miguel.  Zack's ready to
try to mend stuff but Miguel is resisting like mad.  But him and me talk
the same language and he listens to me.  I'm ready to go over there right
now and tell him where we stand, and how we feel.  But I need you two to
back me up."  T hey both shrank a little at that last bit, but they still
looked on Finn as a leader and tentatively agreed – provided he did the
talking."

"Right, well no time like the present, dudes."  Finn took a last gulp of
coffee and marched to the door, followed hesitantly by his two friends.

<><> THE BOYS HAVE THEIR SAY <><>

The three boys went first to the office where Brandon had just arrived for
work.  "Hey Finn, you looking for Miguel?  He's still upstairs checking on
the apartment."

"Good, `cos we're gonna talk to him."

"All of you?"

"Sir," Ryan said, looking for a way out, "if you want me to start work now
..."

"No, Ryan, you're not on duty for another half hour, you're on your own
time till then.  So go with your friends.  And good luck, guys."

Finn marched determinedly upstairs followed by the boys who felt far less
determined.  Miguel was standing in the living room, which was still partly
furnished, as Noah and Vic had been promised new furniture for their house
with Nate.  Miguel looked up as the three boys came in.  "Hey, Finn.  I
reckon this place will do fine for now until we find a home of our own.
What do you think?"

"Well, sir, that's why we're here."  Miguel looked sexier than ever in
jeans and a sleeveless denim shirt open over his chiseled pecs, and for an
instant Finn lost his nerve.  But only for an instant.  He took a deep
breath and said firmly, "Sir, me and the boys have been talking, and now we
want to talk to you."

Miguel smiled, "This looks like a deputation."

"Kind of, sir.  See, it's about this bust-up with you and Zack."  Seeing
Miguel stiffen Finn jumped right back in before he could object. "I know us
boys are not supposed to say anything about masters having a fight and
breaking up, but we think that's not fair to us `cos we are involved and
we're even wondering if us boys can still be friends if you and Zack are
enemies."

Miguel looked at his boy with admiration.  He knew it took courage to
confront him like this and Finn was behaving exactly the way he had trained
him – to look problems full in the face.

"Finn, my boy, I appreciate your being so up front about this.  That stuff
about boys not getting involved is wrong.  As you say, you guys are caught
in the middle of this, and you know I've always told you you can always
discuss problems with me. You're my buddy as well as my boy."

"Thank you, sir.  See, the thing is, I know Zack said things to you that no
guy should ever say to a friend let alone a lover.  But he has had this big
ol' fight with Randy who hammered some sense into him.  Word is that he
told Randy he kinda lost his mind and feels bad about the way he behaved.
Seems he was scared about losing you and he really does love you – he's
mad about you."

"You seem to be especially well-informed, Finn."

"Well, sir, you know how that goes – everyone soon knows everything
around here.  I talked to Eddie who keeps his ear to the ground and knows
what's happening the minute it's happened."

"Ah, Eddie, yes.  I should have known.  So does Eddie have a suggestions
about all this?"

"I don't think so, sir, but Randy does.  He told Zack that when him and Bob
have had fights he sometimes takes him fishing."

"Fishing?" Miguel asked doubtfully, but with a slight smile."

"Yes, sir.  Randy knows this little lake hidden up in the forest above
L.A. and he says it's a great place to talk things out – a
heart-to-heart he calls it.  Zack wants to ask you to go there with him,
but we think he's too nervous to, after all that bad stuff he said to you.
But see, us boys, we think you should go sir and patch things up."

"Oh you do?  Is that what you all think – Ryan, Tyler?"

"Yes, sir," they said nervously.  They had stayed silent in the background,
letting Finn do all the talking, but now it was their turn.  Ryan cleared
his throat.  "You see, sir, I'm Darius's boy and he's Zack's buddy so I
should be on Zack's side.  But I don't want to take sides.  I love Finn and
don't wanna fight with him.  I want us all to be friends."

"Thank you, Ryan," Miguel smiled.  "And you Tyler?"

Tyler blushed deeply, and stammered, "Sir ... like ... I just want things
to go back the way they were.  Finn and me are pals ... we work together
looking after the house and gardens, and ... well, it was all so nice
before, but if you take him away ... I don't know ... I have to do what
Pablo tells me, but ..."  He choked up and tears came to his eyes.

Miguel stepped forward and wrapped his arms round him.  "Thank you, Tyler.
Thank you for saying what's on your mind, and I hear you.  You too, Ryan."
He hugged Ryan.  "Darius and Pablo would be proud of their boys, hearing
you speak up like that."

He turned to Finn and smiled.  "As for you, buddy, you are exactly the boy
I need.  You've always been a tough guy from the day I met you, and you
still are, never afraid to speak your mind, and I love you for that.  It
took guts to come here and confront me, and I admire you more than ever."
He pulled Finn toward him and kissed him hard on the lips.

When at last they pulled apart, Miguel said, "Guys, I want to apologize to
you all for the worry and doubts I've caused you.  I never meant to, and
would give anything not to have given you grief.  You're a great bunch of
guys and I want you all to stay close friends the way you are now.

"You've leveled with me, and now I'll level with you.  I don't quite know
what happened to start all this with Zack, but I have been deeply hurt by
his words and find it hard to forgive.  But that's between Zack and me and,
frankly, I don't know where we go from here.  But you've given me a lot to
think about, and I'll never forget your courage and your kindness."

"Thank you for listening to us sir," said Finn, speaking for them all.
"Come on guys," he grinned, "our work here is done."  The younger boys left
with relief and Finn followed them.  He looked back over his shoulder and
flashed a smile, "I love you, sir ... a whole lot."

When they got back down to the office Brandon smiled, "How'd it go, guys?"

"Very well, sir, I think," Ryan grinned.  "He didn't shout at us or
anything."

"Well that's a start," Brandon chuckled.

Finn said, "Ryan, Tyler – you did great, guys. Thanks for backing me
up."  He threw his arms over their shoulders.  "Let's go finish our
breakfast."

<><> BOB'S TURN <><>

The boys had only just left Miguel when Bob came into the apartment.  "Hi
Miguel.  So you think this place will do?"  Hearing laughter from outside
he went to the window and looked down at the three boys crossing the lawn,
Finn in the middle with his arms round the other two.  He noticed a jaunty
lift to their stride that he hadn't seen for a while.

"Those three sure look pleased with themselves."

"They should, Bob.  They've just been giving me what's usually known as `a
good talking-to'.  I gotta hand it to them.  Must have taken a lot of guts,
forgetting the master/boy rules and getting involved in my problems with
Zack."

"Never underestimate our boys, buddy.  You'll find that whenever there's a
real problem they circle the wagons and get tough.  That boy of yours,
Finn, has certainly come a long way under your firm guidance."

"He sure has, Bob.  He's still got that grit and determination that he
needed as a street hustler, though now he uses it for good stuff, not for
survival as he used to.  And those other kids look on him as a leader, as
he was just now.  They sure gave me a lot of food for thought."

"Come over to my house, buddy, and tell me all about it."  They walked over
to the Boss House and sat together over coffee.  "Randy's already gone to
work," Bob said.  "He said he's gonna send his assistant Darius over to
work with Zack, support him if he gets distracted by all the stuff he's
going through."

"I often wondered why Darius is Randy's assistant and not Zack's."

"Oh that," Bob laughed.  "That's because our insurance company insisted on
it after Randy lost his temper with a crewman who was mouthing off to him.
Randy slugged him real bad and the guy filed an assault-and-battery
complaint.  The insurance said they wouldn't drop us provided Randy went to
anger management classes and hired an assistant to keep him out of
trouble."

"Wow.  How did that work out?"

"The assistant part, very well.  As you know Darius is a tough but calm guy
and he's good at stepping in and distracting Randy from his rages.  The
anger management bit?  Not so much.  His brother Doc Steve is a skilled
anger management consultant to the Police Department and other agencies, so
Randy went to him for `treatment'.

"But you know Randy – he lost his cool and ended up fucking Steve.
After that they went through the motions of therapy, enough to satisfy our
insurance.  Steve sent them a carefully worded positive report and that did
the trick."

Miguel chuckled.  "Damn, those construction guys all seem to have anger
issues – as I know to my cost."

"Talking of which, Miguel, what did the boys have to say about you and
Zack?"

Miguel told Bob the details of his conversation with them.  "And they ended
with a plea for me to agree to this fishing trip, or whatever it was Randy
suggested to Zack.  I doubt if that's gonna happen, but the boys made me
realize that this is not only about Zack and me.  I see now how we've cast
a cloud over the whole tribe, and really hurt other guys like those kids.
Hell, they're even wondering if they should stay friends if their men are
enemies.

"Bob, I'd give anything not to hurt those guys.  I failed to appreciate
just how close-knit the tribe is.  Trouble between two guys can ripple out
and affect so many others.  But dammit, when Zack flared up I saw another
whole side of him, an ugly side."

"No you didn't Miguel.  You didn't see a change in Zack, not a fundamental
change.  He's still the great guy you fell in love with and he's still
crazy about you.  When Randy would yell and curse at me, I used to think he
had changed, turned ugly, as you put it.  But I came to realize it was
really his rage speaking, saying things he didn't mean and soon regretted.

"I'm sure Zack feels the same.  Randy told me that after their fight Zack
fell on him sobbing that he'd made a mess of everything, that he never
stopped loving you and wanted to apologize and mend the fences.  But being
the tough alpha male he is he doesn't know how break the ice."

Bob smiled, "Oh, the likes of you and me could make pretty speeches,
Miguel, bare our souls and make amends.  But that is not Zack – and it's
not the kind of guy you'd even want him to be.  You're turned on by Zack's
macho toughness, just as I am with Randy's.  Right now it's a safe bet
Zack's beating himself up, kicking himself that he doesn't even know how to
look you in the eye, let alone talk to you."

"Yeah, you're right, Bob.  We came face to face this morning by chance and
each of us was tongue-tied.  I had a feeling he wanted to say something
more but, dammit, I was so cold and distant I didn't give him an opening.
I was still so damn angry at him ... I still am."  Miguel frowned.  "So
what's all this stuff about going fishing?"

Bob chuckled.  "Yeah, that's often been Randy's way of patching up a fight
– with me or Pablo of anyone he's hurt.  He knows this secluded lake way
up in the clear air of the Angeles Forest.

"Last time we went he'd really pissed me off and I wasn't ready to forgive
him.  He drove me up there in complete silence, but, I dunno, there's
something about being in a rowboat with a guy, waiting for a tug on the
fishing lines – it's like meditation, really clears the mind of the crap
we all go through sometimes.  You could do worse, you know buddy."

Miguel sighed.  "Well, seems the boys want me to go, you want me to go, and
so does Zack, it seems.  Personally, I'd rather have a couples' therapy
session with Doc Steve, but I know Zack would never go for that.  He
rejects it as `all that Kumbaya shit'.  He'd never sit still on a couch."

Bob chuckled.  Just like Randy.  As I told you, he lasted a couple of
minutes on the couch, then upped and fucked the doc up the ass.  But
Miguel, it's your call, yours and Zack's.  I wouldn't try to persuade you
one way or the other."

Miguel sighed.  "Well, I've had my `talking to' by the boys and now you,
and I thank you for that, dude.  But like you say, it's between Zack and
me."

Bob said, "If it came to it, could you get time off work?"

"Oh sure.  Recently I've been drowning myself in extra work at the Ritz, so
they owe me plenty of days off."  Miguel's handsome face lit up with a
smile.  "'Course, I could always just hang one of those crooked Huck Finn
signs on my office door – Gone Fishin'"

<><> THIS FISHING THING <><>

It was actually his conversation with the boys that did it.  Miguel
regretted making things tough for them and knew he had to put in some kind
of effort to put things right.  When he came home from work that evening he
sat alone in the small apartment over the office where he had a good view
of the gate.

He heard a big truck pull up and seconds later saw Zack stride through the
gate.  He was shirtless as usual, in dirty back jeans and work boots, his
square jaw clenched, the muscles of his bare ebony torso glinting in the
setting sun.  Miguel almost lost his nerve but, recalling the pleading
looks on the boys' faces, he took a deep breath and went down to the
garden.

When they came face to face neither man was in the mood for pleasantries,
not even hello, and Miguel blurted out, "So, er, this fishing thing."

"Yeah, what about it?" Zack said sullenly, and immediately regretted his
own surly tone.

Miguel winced.  "Well, I mean ... like ... you wanna try it?"

"Yeah, I s'pose.  I guess we could.  Darius has more or less taken over the
work site and suggested I take a break.  So I'm free ... whenever ..."

"Me too.  So, like ... tomorrow morning?"

Zack frowned and Miguel thought for a minute he was going to say no.  But
then, "Yeah, I guess we could.  See you around nine o'clock."  He abruptly
walked away but Miguel noticed an added spring to his step.

Zack was cursing himself under his breath. "Dammit, why the fuck was I such
a prick?  He made the first move, sucked up his pride.  Must've taken a
lot.  Fuck, I love him, don't I?  Don't I?"

<><> A Winding Silent Road <><>

Next morning Miguel and Finn were having an early breakfast in their new
(temporary?) apartment.  "Is it OK if I leave you alone for a couple of
days, dude?"

"OK?  Sir, I insist on it if it brings you and Zack back together."

"Hmm, I don't know about that.  Last evening he only grudgingly agreed to
go – like he was doing me a favor.  For two pins I ..."

"Well I'm sure as hell not gonna give you two pins, sir, or anything else
– except maybe a punch on the face if you don't go.  Oops, sorry sir."

Miguel laughed.  "I'd like to see you try, buddy, though I guess I'd
deserve it.  But kiddo, I really appreciate everything you've done. I
really love you, boy, and hate to leave you alone."

"I won't be alone, sir.  Hell no, in this place?  I've got Tyler and Ryan
who depend on me, plus Ben, Will and the others.  And if all else fails I
can go across the street and listen to Eddie's no-stop commentary on the
state of play."

There was a noise outside and Finn got up and looked down from the window.
"Well I'm damned. Hey, come and look at this, sir."

Miguel joined him and smiled.  Zack, shirtless, was dragging the rowboat
out of a shed.  He hoisted it up bodily, swung it up high and carried it
bottom up above his head to the gate, his shoulders and biceps flexing
hard.

"Damn, like it's no weight at all for him," Miguel said.  "The man's strong
alright.  If only his mind and self-control were as strong as his body."

"Sir, that's no way to start out on a trip.  At this rate you two will
still not be talking when you get back.  Hey, there's Will too."

"What's he doing with all those coolers and boxes?"

"He's doing his chef thing, sir.  Whenever guys go away camping he loads
them up with food and supplies.  You better get going.  Er, cargo shorts,
sneakers and a bunch of T-shirts, I think.  And for the trip, that old
faded Hawaiian shirt that looks so hot on you?"

Miguel laughed.  "What would I do without you as my fashion consultant?"

"You'll never have to find out, sir.  I'm here for you no matter what
happens."

Miguel stuffed clothes in a backpack and they hugged long and hard.  Finn
said, "Good luck, sir," and Miguel went downstairs and out the gate.  Zack
had set the boat on the ground and was arranging fishing rods and Will's
boxes in the back of the truck to make room for the boat.  He glanced up at
Miguel who asked off-handedly, "You want any help?"

"Nah, I'm good."  Zack bent down to pick up the boat and hauled it up high
again.  But he misjudged the weight balance and stumbled a few steps back.
Reflexively Miguel grabbed his arms to steady him, pulled him forward
... and their chests touched.

There was a frozen moment as their eyes met – the first time in weeks
since they looked into each other's eyes or even touched each other.  It's
amazing how many thoughts can race through a man's mind in a few seconds.

As Miguel gazed into Zack's gray eyes his heart leapt.  But immediately he
recalled those eyes flashing as Zack yelled accusations at him and told him
to get the fuck out.

Zack stared into the Hispanic's deep brown eyes, the eyes he had loved so
much, but instantly thought that Jason had also stared into the same eyes
when Miguel had fucked him.

If anything, the moment that could have been the start of reconciliation
only served to widen the chasm of mistrust between them.  Miguel backed off
and busied himself throwing his backpack in the back seat of the truck.
Zack dropped the boat heavily into the truck and focused on tying the
requisite red cloth to the back of the boat that protruded over the
tailgate.

He threw his own backpack in the back seat and the bags lay touching each
other – unlike their owners who studiously avoided any further bodily
contact.

Zack sat behind the wheel, Miguel sat beside him and, wordlessly, they
drove off.

The first few miles were purgatory as they sat in embarrassed silence, each
man battling his own thoughts and, what was worse, the raging hard-ons in
his pants.  When Miguel had grabbed him inadvertently, loading the truck,
their cocks had swelled to rock-hardness and they fought hard to think of
anything that would distract them.

As they sat close to each other – though not close enough for their
shoulders to touch – their boners didn't fade but they learned to live
with them.  They thought of their erections not as signs of love, but as
normal anatomical reactions to the proximity of any good-looking man.  And
they were certainly that, with Zack's chiseled features and bare muscled
torso, and Miguel's handsome Hispanic face and faded old shirt hanging open
over his sculpted pecs.

When their racing thoughts finally calmed down the silence in the truck's
cab became even more oppressive – the airless numbness of warring
lovers.  In the end it collapsed under its own weight and someone had to
fill the void.

Miguel said tonelessly, "Looks like another hot day ahead."

"Yeah.  Be cooler out on the lake."

Another long silence, then, "You ever been fishing before?"

"Er, not since I was a kid." Another silence.  "Most of the time I only
said I was going fishing to get away from my crowded Hispanic family."

That could have been the opening to conversation but Miguel instantly felt
it was too personal for a response from Zack.  And he was right.  Silence
descended again but the sound barrier had been broken at least, and from
then on the silence was not so leaden.

And now they had the views to distract them as they drove along the winding
Angeles Crest Highway in the high forest overlooking Los Angeles.  After
about an hour Zack slowed down and said, "Randy said we should look for a
Forest Ranger Regulations signboard.  The turnoff to the lake is two miles
after that and it's easy to miss."

A short while later Miguel said, "Is that the board up ahead on the left?"

"Yeah, looks like it."  After that Zack went even slower and a couple of
miles later Miguel said, "I think we just past it.  There seemed to be a
gap in the trees."

Zack did a U-turn and they found the small gap hidden by bushes.  They
bumped along a narrow track and began to wonder if this was right, as there
was no sign of the lake.  Then the trees got less dense ... and suddenly
there it was.

They came to a clearing behind a small beach on the shore of the silent
lake, glinting in the sunlight, calm as a millpond.

Zack stopped the truck and they gazed at the placid expanse of water, the
silence broken only by a gentle breeze rustling through the trees.  Randy
had been right, it was a magical place.  And they both had the same thought
– it would take magic to heal the wounds between them.

But in the end it wasn't magic that intervened.  Well, a kind of magic,
maybe.

<><> THE FALL <><>

Such a sight as this would normally have brought expressions of delight,
but not now.  The two men maintained the uneasy silence that had clouded
their trip so far, and they got wordlessly out of the tuck.  They unloaded
their gear and piled it at the edge of the beach near the bushes.

The next step would have been to unpack the tent and sleeping equipment,
but that would have implied they would be sleeping together.  Zack said
tersely, "We don't even know if we'll be spending the night here."

"Right," Miguel grunted.  An uncomfortable `what-next?' silence followed
and Zack took refuge, as always, in action.  "Let's take the boat out and
catch some fish to eat."

"Right," Miguel grunted again, grateful for any distraction from this
brooding hostility.  He was beginning to question the wisdom of the trip in
the first place.  It hadn't helped so far.  If anything it had intensified
the coldness between them.  He would be just as happy to go back to the
city later that day, as Zack had hinted.

Still, he helped Zack lift the boat from the truck and carry it down to the
water's edge.  It was a hot day so they went back to their bags, pulled out
their swim trunks and took off their city clothes, with their backs to each
other in an elaborate display of modesty.

When at last they turned round and saw the other man's near-naked muscular
body their hard-ons bulged again in their trunks.  To hide their
embarrassment they bent down to pick up the fishing rods and tackle and
walked quickly down to the boat.  Miguel got in and Zack pushed the boat
off the sand and into the water, muscles flexing, his dark skin flecked
with water.

For a moment Miguel stared at the erotic image, then caught himself and
pretended to be busy with the fishing line.  His boner grew even harder as
he sat in the stern of the boat, and Zack sat facing him, pulling strongly
on the oars, his sinewy black physique bulging with the effort.  Miguel
thought again, though grudgingly, what a magnificent man he was.  But face
to face though they were, they both made a clumsy effort to look at
anything but each other.

When they were near the middle of the lake Zack stopped rowing, picked up a
large rock with a rope attached and tossed it overboard.  "That's our
anchor – keep us from drifting.  As you've not done this in years I'll
show you how we bait the hook.  It's not fly-fishing out here.  There's
plenty of fish and they seem partial to worms."

This faint attempt at levity, and their mutual focus on the task, lessened
their discomfort and for a few moments they were almost like the amenable
couple they had been before their friendship ruptured.  Miguel watched Zack
bait the hooks and throw the lines over the side into the water.

"Now we just watch, and wait till, hopefully, we get a tug on the line."

`Watch and wait'.  Normally that was the best part of fishing, the
meditative part, rocking gently on the lake in the warm sun.  But to these
men it felt uncomfortable, as if two warring men suddenly found themselves
marooned together, surrounded by water.  This just wasn't working, Miguel
thought – it was the opposite of the reconciliation that should have
happened.  He felt trapped, absurdly tense and on edge in the serene calm
of this beautiful place.

The silence intensified until it was deafening.  For an instant Miguel felt
like diving overboard and swimming back to sanity on shore.  But he tried
to relax, and for a while they were left with their thoughts as they stared
at the line, longing for it to twitch.  A fish-bite would have provided the
distraction they desperately needed.

But it didn't come, and in desperation Zack said.  "Er, do you wanna sit
here next to the line, so when there's a tug you can haul it in?"

"Sure," Miguel said.  Short of diving overboard this would at least provide
some action to relieve the tension.  They stood up and Zack warned,
"Careful.  Don't wanna rock the boat too much."

They moved carefully toward each other and, as they brushed past, their
chests touched and their eyed met for a split second.  Could this be the
start of a thaw?  No – their focus returned to the delicate act of
changing places.

But Miguel had been rattled by this brief encounter and his attention
wandered.  Zack sat down heavily on the seat in the stern and the boat
rocked.  Knocked off balance, Miguel's leg hit the seat in the prow, he
stumbled forward and, under Zack's horrified gaze, he lurched over the side
with a huge splash.

Zack quickly got to his feet.  He knew Miguel was a strong swimmer, but he
had seen his head hit the prow of the boat as he fell forward.  For
agonized seconds Zack waited for Miguel to surface, but the ripples stopped
and the water became calm.

"NO!" Zack yelled, and in that instant he glimpsed the horror of losing the
man he loved and had mistreated so badly.  He dived into the water, swam
strongly down and saw Miguel floating limply.  He grabbed him and
frog-kicked powerfully to the surface.

He looked at Miguel's face which was ashen, his eyes closed, blood
trickling down from a cut on his forehead.  He put his ear to his mouth,
listened, and relief swept over him.  He was still breathing – he had
been underwater only for a few seconds.  But he was unconscious.

Zack's thought's raced.  He had to get Miguel ashore fast.  He could haul
him into the boat but that might add to the trauma.  And it would take time
to haul in the anchor, turn the boat around and ... no.  He would take him
to shore himself.

Using a classic lifesaving move, he rolled on his back, pulled Miguel on
him so he was lying on his back on Zack's chest, and he wrapped his arm
round his chest to hold him securely.  Then he used that same powerful frog
kick to move them both through the water toward the beach.

They were quite a long way out but Zack didn't even think about that.  He
had to save Miguel.  Had to save the man he loved – the love of his
life.  Their savage quarrel and separation meant nothing, now.  It slipped
into insignificance where it belonged.  His only focus now was on saving
his man.

Miguel lay still on Zack's chest, his head on Zack's upper shoulder, his
ear level with his mouth, and Zack panted, "You're gonna be OK, buddy
... you gotta be OK, I'll make sure of that.  Keep breathing, dude ... do
it for me ... I love you, man ... can't make it without you.  Together
we'll make it to shore and get on with our lives.  We gotta, buddy.  We
gotta ..."

<><> KISS OF LIFE <><>

It was a long, grueling effort, and seemed even longer to Zack as his legs
weakened.  Talking to Miguel seemed the right thing to do, and gave Zack
added strength of purpose until, at last, when he lowered his leg, his foot
touched bottom.  Carefully he stood up, chest deep in the water, scooped
Miguel up and cradled him in his arms.

Ignoring his exhaustion he strode out of the water, cradling his precious
burden, and walked up to the back of the beach.  He laid Miguel gently on
the grass then pulled out two large blankets and a towel from their
piled-up gear.  He spread one blanket on the grass under the shade of a
tree and eased Miguel gently onto it, on his back.

He wiped Miguel with the towel, cleaned the wound on his forehead, then
gently pulled down his wet swim trunks.  Having dried Miguel off, Zack
spread the other blanket on top of his naked body to keep him warm and
avoid shock, even though the sun was already hot.  Then he pulled off his
own wet shorts, dried himself and knelt astride the motionless man.

He studied Miguel carefully.  Some color was coming back to his cheeks and
he was breathing shallow breaths.  Zack leaned forward and clamped his
mouth over Miguel's in a kiss-of-life action, breathing deeply in and out
of him.  When at last he pulled away he was relieved that Miguel was
inhaling more strongly.

Not knowing how deep his concussion was Zack wasn't sure what to do next
– except talk.  He had heard that concussed patients could still hear
voices.  "Buddy, I want you to come back to me.  Take your time, just rest
and keep breathing.  I love you, man, I always have, never stopped even
though I ..."  He paused, steering clear of all the negative stuff.

"Dude, we got a great life ahead of us.  All the guys are rooting for you,
especially that great kid of yours.  Finn's crazy about you.  He's trusting
me to take care of you, and I will, always, buddy.  Because I'm crazy about
you too."

He looked down at the stunning face in repose, the chiseled Hispanic
features, dark eyebrows and sexy cleft chin.  "You're so beautiful, dude,
so fucking beautiful.  I was crazy to ... never mind, we'll talk about that
later, after you wake up.  And you will wake up dude ... I'll make you ..."
He leaned down and kissed him again – his cheeks, his eyes and his lips,
gently pushing his tongue between them.

He felt Miguel's chest rise beneath him in a soft sigh.  He pulled back and
saw his eyes flicker.  Miguel coughed once ... and his eyes opened a crack.
"That's it, bro, good, that's it.  I love you, dude.  I love you ..."

Miguel regained consciousness slowly.  He was dazed, disoriented, with no
memory of what had happened or where he was.  All he was aware of was a
voice, one he recognized, and the words, "I love you ... I love you ...
His vison was blurred but as he opened his eyes wider a face slowly came
into focus and he found himself staring into a pair of gray eyes.

"I know those eyes," he murmured, "and that voice ...  aren't you gonna
kiss me?"

"Yes I am.  Oh yes, I sure am, buddy." Zack leaned forward and gently
pressed his mouth on Miguel's, whose lips parted and their tongues touched.
Soon they were sharing each other's breath, the most intimate of gestures
between lovers.  Lovers, yes.  Anyone watching the tender scene by the lake
could not doubt it.  Of course they were lovers.

When Zack finally pulled away he slid under the blanket and lay on his side
pressed against Miguel, his arm over his waist.  Best to let him recover at
his own speed, Zack thought.

And he was, one sense at a time – hearing, sight, touch – what a
touch!  His memory was coming back in snatches too and he frowned.  "I
... I think I'm not supposed to love you ... can't remember why ... but I
do ... of course I do love you, and I can't stop.  Why do I think I
shouldn't?"

"We'll talk about all that later, bro.  For now we're here together, the
way we're supposed to be.  How are you feeling?  Is there anything I can
do, anything you need?"

"I'm feeling OK now you're here – a slight headache.  But I worry about
... about why I shouldn't love you.  You do love me, man, don't you?  Don't
you?"

"More than ever before, Miguel.  And there's no reason on earth why we
can't be in love."

Miguel was still in a fog of confusion and doubt ... and fear too.
Something frightened him.  "Dude, I'm feeling a bit scared ... don't know
why.  So there is something you can do for me to make our love real.  I
need to feel you inside me, like you used to do.  Yeah, that's it.  I want
that, I've wanted it for so long."

"But you're still too weak, buddy.  Later we will, but now you have to
sleep."

Miguel panicked.  "No, now ... it has to be now.  I knew it ... that's it,
you don't want to.  I remember now.  That's what scared me and ..."

"Sshh, sshh ... I do want to make love to you like that, I've missed it so
much.  Can't you feel my cock pressing against you, rock hard?"

"So put it inside me, man.  Please ..."

<><> PASSION AWAKES <><>

Gently Zack turned Miguel on his side, facing away from him.  He licked his
own hand, slid it down to Miguel's ass and eased his fingers inside.
Miguel sighed, "Mmm ... that's it, man, that feels so good."

Zack pulled his fingers out, stroked his wet hand over his rigid cock and
pressed the tip between his lover's ass cheeks.  "You sure you want this,
dude?" He asked softly."

"Yeah, I want it ... I've wanted it for so long."

More tenderly than ever before Zack eased his cock over Miguel's sphincter,
then paused until he heard Miguel's sigh of pleasure.  Gently he slid his
cock deeper and deeper until it came to rest in the warm depths of his
lover's ass.  He stopped, lay pressed against his lover's back and wrapped
his arm over his chest.  He thought he heard Miguel sobbing quietly and
asked, "You OK, buddy?  Is this what you want?"

"It feels perfect.  Please fuck my ass, Zack.  Please ..."

Zack pulled slowly back, then eased in again, and again.  "That's it,"
Miguel moaned.  But I wanna see you ... wanna make sure it's you ...  wanna
watch you make love to me."

Zack pulled out carefully, threw off the blanket and turned Miguel on his
back.  He knelt between his legs, pushed them back carefully and again slid
his cock in his ass.  He was consumed with passion for this beautiful man
as he moved gently inside him and watched tears run down his handsome face.

Miguel gazed up at the smiling gray eyes, the strong square-cut features
and shaved head.  He could hardly believe that a man as rough and tough as
this powerful black construction boss could be so tender as he made love.
It was deeply sexual image.

His gaze traveled down from Zack's face, over his neck and down the smooth
dark flesh of his bulging pecs and ripped abs that flexed as his hips moved
back and forth and his cock caressed his ass.

Zack leaned forward and licked Miguel's lips, then pressed their mouths
softly together.  Miguel reached up, curled his hand round Zack's head and
pulled him hard onto his open mouth, sharing the same breath, in and out.

After long minutes Zack pulled back and Miguel reached up and stroked his
face and chest.  "I remember it all now, Zack.  Are you sure you still love
me?  Are we back ... back together?"  "Yeah, I'm sure love you, buddy.  And
yes we're back ... forever.  You remember how I could always make you cum
without touching your cock?"

"Of course.  Do it now Zack.  Like before ...  Please make me cum ..."

Miguel clamped his palms on Zack's chest, not to push him away but to feel
his flexing pecs. Zack smiled, "Look into my eyes, dude.  That's where
you'll find love.  Come into my world while I cum in your ass."

They gazed deep into each other's eyes and saw their own reflection in
them.  "Yes, we're back, bro.  And now I'm gonna make you cum."  Zack
fucked harder and Miguel dug his fingers in his chest, then fiercely
squeezed the hard black nipples.  Zack winced at the sudden pain in his
chest and howled, "I love you, man.  I love you ... aaagh!"

Yes, they were back together, and they climaxed together as their passion
overflowed.  Tears ran down their faces as Miguel felt the exquisite
sensation of his lover's juice flooding his ass, and his own semen spurted
over his heaving chest.

Their juices spent, they smiled at each other tearfully, then Zack leaned
down and they kissed again, this time with the certainty that their
fractured love had been fully restored, now and forever.  Zack dropped down
beside Miguel.  He pulled the discarded blanket toward them, bunched it up
and put it under their heads as a pillow.  They lay on their sides facing
each other, drowning in each other's eyes, until their eyes closed and they
fell asleep.

<><> AN ABANDONNED BOAT <><>

They slept for over an hour and stirred only when the bushes rustled behind
them.  Groggily they came to their senses and when they opened their eyes
they were staring up at a tall man in uniform towering over them – the
Forest Ranger, Pete.

"Don't be startled, guys, it's me, your buddy Pete.  Sorry to barge in on
you two like this ... you look like you you've already got all the company
you need.  It's just that I was on patrol through the forest at the end of
my shift and I glimpsed through the trees an abandoned rowboat in the
middle of the lake.

"Normally that could mean an emergency, maybe a fisherman had fallen off
the boat and drowned.  But Randy had told me you guys were coming up here
so instead of calling for backup I came here to check.  Good job I did.
What happened?  Are you guys OK?"

"More than OK, Pete, as you see," Miguel said drowsily.

Zack briefly explained the accident, how he had managed to get Miguel
ashore and they had fallen asleep.  He left out the most important part,
the love making, but it didn't take much effort for Pete to imagine the
rest, seeing them entwined in each other's arms.

"Thanks for checking us out, Pete, but as you see, everything's
hunky-dory."

"Except for one thing, guys – the boat.  Like I said, I'm off duty now,
but my Ranger buddies on the next shift are sure to spot the boat.  First
thing they'll do is sound the alarm, call for backup and before you know it
they'll all be trampling around here.  My guess is you don't want that."

"Hell no, Pete.  Thanks for the heads-up," Zack said.  "We'll er, think of
a way to ..."

"No need, guys," Pete smiled, "you look real comfy where you are.  The boat
needs to be brought in right away before anyone spots it, so leave it to
me."  He started to unbutton his shirt.  "Do me good to get out of this
sweaty uniform on a hot day."

Still sleepy, they stared up at the Ranger as he pulled off his uniform
shirt, then the gray T-shirt underneath.  Their gaze intensified as they
saw him stripped to the waist, his bronzed, handsome face, his muscled,
hairy chest and long, sexy waist.  He kicked off his work boots unbuckled
his green uniform pants, dropped them and pulled off his socks.  The rugged
Ranger was a homoerotic sight, near-naked in undershorts.

"Won't take me long, guys, then I'll leave you in peace."  He ran down the
beach, dived into the lake and swam toward the boat with powerful strokes.

The men gazed after him, then smiled at each other.  "Well that's a turnup
for the books," Miguel chuckled.

"And just in time," Zack said.  "Like Pete said, as soon as the boat was
spotted we'd have a whole crew of Forest Rangers on us.  So much for peace
and serenity."  Zack paused and looked uneasily at Miguel.  "You, er
... does it bother you, Pete showing up like this?"

"Nah," Miguel laughed.  "I kinda like it.  Look, dude, you and me are solid
now, aren't we?  We don't have to be uneasy about Pete.  He's a terrific
guy and we both like him.  And, to tell you the truth, Zack, after all
that's just happened I was wondering how we ease back into life.  A little
breathing space would be good, and Pete might be the friendly distraction
we need."

Zack grinned.  "Now you're talking.  I'm glad to hear you say that, bro,
`cos that's how I feel.  I'm glad he's here, and he's done us a real favor,
so we should thank him – perhaps ask him to stick around for a drink and
a bite to eat.  He said he's off-duty now."

After their recent deep freeze they enjoyed the sensation of talking to
each other again like good buddies, seeing eye-to-eye on things, with no
tension about other men.

They gazed out at the lake, where Pete had already reached the boat and
hauled himself in.  He pulled up the anchor stone and the fishing lines and
rowed strongly to shore.  When almost there he stowed the oars, jumped out
of the boat and stood waist deep in the water.

He grabbed the prow and pulled the boat in, water streaming down his sinewy
body that gleamed under the hot sun.  As he splashed through shallower
water his wet shorts clung to his waist and thighs, and outlined the bulge
of his long cock.

Zack grinned, "The Ranger's also real easy on the eyes, eh buddy?"

"You can say that again," Miguel laughed.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 565

Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter turned you on, and I
welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in
planning future chapters.  E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.

ALSO, I invite you to visit my own Web-site www.atrialofstrength.com. You
can read the whole story, with extras including pictures and biographies of
all the characters.

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