Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 19:18:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Deep Diver Subject: Master & Mate - Chapter 40 Master and the Mate By: Deep Diver (Copyright 2006 - 2007 by the Author) Editor: David L. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at... deepdiver_pr@yahoo.com Chapter 40 Coast is Clear The next day Ryan and Kyle showered together. Ryan was still self-conscious about his now scarred stomach, but Kyle's way of caressing him was helping him to realize that in spite of the raised red line starting just above his navel, travelling down and around it and ending just above his pubic hair, he was in fact the same person. Ryan was somewhat disappointed in himself. He'd often thought about what he would say to a client that was dealing with disfigurement, but his intellectual understanding of his pain did not cancel his need for time to cope emotionally. Now feeling Kyle soap his body and gently washing his scarred abs, he began moving further along the road to psychological healing. "Isn't it ugly? Doesn't it turn you off?" Ryan asked, afraid that Kyle was hiding his true feelings. "Ry what turned me off was not seeing you, or sleeping in the same bed or bathing with you. I am not going to lie to you and say that it makes you more attractive. But having a master with a scar certainly seems more menacing." Kyle said, smiling, and then continuing, "So are you saying that if I should suffer an accident and be disfigured, that you will care less for me?" Kyle asked, challenging Ryan. Ryan hugged Kyle and drew him into a tight embrace, not realizing that he was pressing Kyle's tummy against his own. Kyle had missed these naked embraces and just melted into Ryan's clasp. Then Ryan broke the embrace and began kissing Kyle, starting at his forehead and slowly working down his face. He planted kisses on his eyes, his nose and cheeks. He avoided Kyle's mouth and kissed his chin and ears and neck; then Ryan moved lower, down to his shoulders and pecs and then licked down to his navel and toyed with it with his tongue. Kyle threw his head back and entered a sexual trance as Ryan pleasured his body. Slowly Ryan moved closer and closer to Kyle's genitals. By the time Ryan's lips were kissing Kyle's pubic hair, both men were sporting throbbing erect cocks. Ryan was now down on his knees looking closely at Kyle's engorged member, which he kissed from base to the cock head. He then swallowed Kyle's gland deeply into his throat and swallowed several times until Kyle couldn't resist him any longer and fed his lover his hot, bitter-sweet, man-juice. Ryan then stood and they again joined their lips, trying desperately to express feelings for which they had no words to describe. As they dried each other off, Kyle spoke. "Ry, why do you write about us on the internet?" "Because I want the world to know about how wonderful you are and how much meaning you give to my life." Ryan answered. "Oh, cut the crap ... tell me what you get out of it?" Kyle forged ahead with his questioning. "Sorry. Well, as I write, I discover or I begin to understand better the experiences we share. But, I must also confess, I love getting the reader's emails [LOL; he ain't kidding! -- Ed.]. It makes me feel part of their lives in some small way, like I am connected to them more personally. Before I started writing, I hardly ever sent the authors of stories I read on Nifty any messages at all. But now I understand how much they need feedback; now when I check my in box, the first thing I look for is some response from someone reading one of my stories. When there is no response from the readers, I feel like I've failed in some way to touch their lives and I feel less alive myself." * * * When Manny came home from his scouting meeting he was all excited. "Kyle -- we're going camping! We will be sleeping outside in the winter in sleeping bags and tents." "Hey that's great, we'd better buy you some long-johns to keep you warm." Kyle responded. Kyle had mixed feelings about this trip. He really wanted to go with Manny, but the thought of being away from Ryan, even for a few days, was not very appealing. As it turned out, two of Kyle's professors scheduled exams for the Monday morning following the weekend of Manny's trip. Neither Kyle or Ryan were inclined to let him go alone, and were wondering how to tell him that he would have to wait for the next trip. At dinner Kyle broached the subject. "Manny, I know how much you want to go on this camping trip, but I have a problem. I need to stay home and study. I have two exams on Monday and tons of reading to catch up on. I'm afraid I can't go with you." Before Kyle got a chance to say that Manny would have to wait for the next trip, Manny cut him off. "No problem, Kyle, Ryan can take me!" Ryan was so shocked that he almost choked on the food in his mouth. Kyle began to laugh and Mark just stared at Ryan as he slowly chewed the food in his mouth. "Please come camping with us, Dad, please." Manny begged. There wasn't a single outdoorsman's bone in all of Ryan's body; but he felt challenged by Kyle's laugh and dreaded seeing Manny disappointed at not being able to go on the trip. He also agreed with Kyle that he should not be alone with scout leaders that they barely knew. So under the pressure of the moment, Ryan weakened and said he would go along on the trip. * * * Kyle couldn't believe how much he was enjoying the university. When he was in high school he couldn't wait for graduation and to get out of school. To his surprise he was now excited by all the new ideas to which he was being exposed. He was a few years older than most of his classmates who would sometimes tease him by referring to him as the grandfather of the class. Kyle was more inclined to stay after class and continue discussing things with the professors than rush to the cafeteria with his fellow students. He found that being somewhat more mature than his fellow students, far from being a negative, actually made him more attractive to the co-eds. Several of them found it hard to concentrate on the lecture as they fantasized about being seduced by Kyle. At different times, some girls would try to get his attention, but he seemed to always be looking beyond them. One day sitting in the cafeteria, sipping a coffee and reading one of his textbooks, a rather handsome guy came and sat at the long table across from Kyle. "Hey, we have a couple of classes together, don't we? My name's George." He said, offering his hand. Kyle looked up to see your typical college jock, broad shoulders, cute face, light skin and dark hair standing on edge as if he had just stuck his finger into the electrical socket. "I'm Kyle." he responded without any real excitement. "I'm a business major, how about you?" George asked. "I'm a psych major," Kyle responded. "Hey, maybe we could study together for the next exam? What do you think?" George suggested. "Sure, that sounds like a good idea." Kyle said as he began to relax. "You live in the dorms?" George asked, trying to figure where they could meet to study. "No, I live at home, but there are study rooms available in the library. We'd just have to agree on a time and reserve one." Kyle suggested. "Yeah, I suppose we could do that. Where do you live?" George asked. Kyle began to tense up again, not wanting to explain all the details of his living situation. "White Plains." he answered finally. "Hey, I don't live far from there. It might be easier for me to come over to your place or you to mine." George suggested. "Sure that would be OK -- either way." Kyle said, not really wanting to have this stranger come home to his house. George wrote down his telephone number and address on a piece of paper. Kyle then took out a page from his notebook and wrote out his information on it. "How about if I come over on Friday around 6 p.m.?" George asked. Kyle wasn't too enthused, but nodded his head positively. "Great, OK, see you then." George said, before getting up and walking over to another table where he joined a group of jock types. Kyle noticed that he wasn't introduced, nor invited to join the group, but he wasn't that interested anyway. * * * Ryan kept having second thoughts about the camping trip. Yet in his heart he knew he couldn't deny the boys anything that would help them develop. So in spite of his aversion to the idea of spending a cold weekend somewhere in the friggin' woods, Ryan got the gear that Kyle had purchased and after helping Manny pack his duffel bag, got the car loaded up and off they went to the local veterans hall to meet up with the rest of the troop. The scoutmaster gave everyone maps to Pouch Camp located on Staten Island. Ryan agreed to give a ride to another scout whose father was unable to come. The scoutmaster had a small van and was able to accommodate several boys; while two other parents came along, one with a Dodge Caravan and the other with a Honda Van. On the way to Staten Island they crossed the Varrazzano Narrows Bridge. The two boys were awed by the second longest single suspension bridge in the world. "You know boys, this bridge swings more than ten feet in the wind and is so long that they had to take the curvature of the world into account." Ryan said proudly. "Dad, what does curvature mean? Manny asked. "It has to do with the fact that the world is round, so its surface is like one big curve." Ryan said, realizing that his explanation was far from a dictionary definition, but hoping the boys would understand. "I thought Kyle was your Dad?" Tommy, Manny's companion asked. "He is and Ryan is my other dad. My mom died so I have two dads." Manny explained. "Well, my dad died and I didn't get two moms?" Tommy said matter-of-factly. Half an hour after crossing the Varrazzano Bridge they arrived at the camp which was located in the hills of Staten Island, near the highest point on the East coast from Maine to Florida. The Dodge Caravan broke down and they were late arriving; it had something to do with their cheap aluminium motors -- the pistons tend to pop right through the block especially if you drive through water. The scoutmaster checked in at the lodge and then led the scouts down to their assigned campsite. There are no bears on Staten Island, but the scoutmaster made the boys string ropes from the trees and dangle their food anyway. He explained to the fathers that it was better to train them right to keep them from getting into bad habits. The boys set up their tents in small circles around permanent fire pits. Each patrol pitched its tents in its own circle. Ryan was the only adult accompanying Manny's patrol. Most of the work was done by the boys themselves; and the adults tended to form a circle and chat when they weren't needed to help the younger boys. Ryan helped Manny and Tommy get their pup tent set up and then saw to his own. The scoutmaster saw Ryan fumbling with it and came to his rescue. "Here, let me help you with that grandpa." He said, teasing the obvious tenderfoot amongst the adults. After all the tents were set up the boys were sent out looking for firewood. The adults got a fire going and sat around it renewing their acquaintances and getting to know one another better. Ryan sat close to the fire until the heat became more than warm and moved back a pace or two. The boys were coming and going as they lugged fallen branches into neat piles near their fire pits. The men began chatting about the basketball game that was played the night before. Ryan knew as much about basketball as they knew about systemic psychological theories. A heated discussion was under way when the scoutmaster realized that Ryan wasn't participating and tried to draw him into the discussion. "So what sport are you into Ryan?" He asked, but then interrupted himself to introduce everyone. "This is Joe, Hank, Steve and I'm Jim." "Pleased to meet you all, I'm Ryan, and I'm afraid I'm not much into sports unless you count scuba diving and fishing." "You dive, man? I've always wanted to learn that since I was a kid watching Mike Nelson, played by Lloyd Bridges." Joe said. "Funny that's what got me into diving," Ryan responded. "So where have you dived?" asked Hank. "Mostly in the Florida Keys and in Puerto Rico." Ryan explained. "What was your most interesting dive?" Steve asked. "Well, most dives are interesting for different reasons, but there is a beach on the north shore of Puerto Rico where you swim out about twenty-five yards across a strong current and then drop down into a hole and then pass through a cave and come out on the other side of a reef and its full of caverns to explore." Ryan said. "Gees, that would give me the willies!" Jim exclaimed admiring Ryan. "So what do you do for a living, Ryan?" "I'm a professor of psychology." Ryan replied. "Holy Cow! We have a shrink amongst us!" Steve exclaimed. Little by little the group disbanded as the boys finished gathering wood and their dad's supervised the lighting of fires. Say, Ryan, perhaps you've met my older boy? He's a freshman at the University. His name is George Tanner." Jim said. "Well, if he's a freshman, I wouldn't have met him, I usually only give the upper classes." Ryan said as Manny approached. "Dad, can you help me with this pocket knife; I can't get it open." Manny said. "Dad? I thought that other guy was your dad?" Jim asked confused. "Jim we are both Manny's dads. Kyle is my partner." Ryan stated proudly and clearly. "Oh, excuse me ... and here I was calling you gramps, sorry, Ryan." Later Ryan noticed Jim talking to the other fathers and nodding in his direction. He wished he had never consented to coming. That night after dinner no adult grouping happened and Ryan was feeling the rejection as he went into his pup tent alone. to be continued.... I really appreciate your emails as it encourages me to continue when I know that I have readers that appreciate my efforts. Please email any comments to me at deepdiver_pr@yahoo.com Read "Master and the Mate" and my other stories, as well as "The Helping Hand" by Dave L. at: www.tickiestories.us Thanks again to Dave L. for his editorial help.