Let The World Go By

By Richard

This is a story that involves sex between males. If such a story is offensive, or illegal for you to read where you live, then do not continue, go and surf elsewhere.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. If there is any similarity to any real persons or events it is entirely coincidental.

The work is copyrighted © by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author.

I want to thank all of you who have sent me comments about the story. I know that I have not answered all of the e-mails — please forgive me.

Part Two

The Years In Between

Chapter 4

Both men were quiet on the ride back to the base. The moon was out, just passed full, and the air was still warm as they rode the short distance from the city.

On Hobbie's mind was how to maintain this newfound relationship. He knew the processes of the military, and he pondered what he could do to change those already set in motion. Perhaps he could influence the squadron commander to request that James be assigned to NCO training school on the base, and thereby ensure that they would not be separated for a while.

"What are you thinking?", James asked.

"Oh," came the response, "I'm just trying to recall every detail of our day together so I won't forget anything."

"You enjoyed yourself today, then?"

"Oh, you know that I did. Didn't you?"

"Of course." James' voice trailed off and was lost in the night air. For a long time neither said anything. Finally it was James who broke the silence. "How are we going to manage to get together again?"

"I'm not sure right at this moment, but we'll manage somehow. It can't be on base though. It's not safe."

"But I don't get a pass until two weeks from today," James protested.

"Oh, yes. I know," Hobbie said quietly. "But there are ways to make things happen." There was a twinkle in his eye.

"I don't know what you mean?" James was puzzled, but then he smiled. "I'm not certain I want to know either."

"Just leave the details to me. Just don't be too surprised by anything that happens, especially if it comes from the orderly-room. I'll try to let you know ahead of time. But just in case I can't, agree to anything, no matter how strange it sounds."

"Okay, I'll remember."

"We're almost at the base now. Give me a kiss. We won't be able to once we're on the base."

James leaned over and they kissed quickly as Hobbie kept his eyes on the road. James took Hobbie's hand and raised it to his lips.

Hobbie drew to a stop at the bus stop nearest to the barracks where they lived.

"It's good night for now, James," Hobbie said smiling as he looked at his new lover. Then he laughed, "And for heaven's sake, don't give me that look tomorrow at drill, or you'll give us away!"

"I'll try to be careful." James laughed back, and then added. "Do you suppose they'd put us in the same cell?"

"Oh! You're terrible!" Hobbie laughed feigning horror, "Get out of here at once, or I'll kiss you right here!"

James got out quickly, and then said in a strictly military fashion, "Thank you Sergeant. Thank you for everything!"

Hobbie laughed again as James marched smartly to the door and disappeared inside.

____________

They had discussed all the places that James was to have visited during the portion of the day he was with Hobbie, so there would be no discrepancy with reality in case anyone really cared what he had done during the afternoon and evening. They had deliberately come back an hour early. That way no one would be likely to have seen them arrive together. And James had a good excuse for being early, as he had just been ill. In that was in case anyone had seen him come back with Hobbie, he'd be able to say that he had been waiting for a bus and that the sergeant had stopped and offered him a ride. They hoped that they had covered everything.

As James got ready for bed he went over in his mind the events of the day. He had indeed had a wonderful time. Hobbie was fantastic in bed, even more than he had imagined that he would be.

Even better than that, he was just plain fun to be with. That to him was more important. After all, he thought, how much time could you spend in bed with someone? Years later, he'd remember that thought, and laugh about it.

Sleep came easily for him, and he was fast asleep when Mac and Lane trudged up the stairs.

"He must have had a good time today," Lane said. "Look at the smile on his face."

"Yeah," quipped Mac, "She must have been something else!"

"Yes, she certainly must have been!" They laughed softly and went about getting ready for lights-out.

Lane wondered who he had been. He wished it could have been him. He had had a good time with his high-school buddy and his friends, but was nothing like it could have been spending the day with James.

Mac too wondered about whom James had spent the day. But he put the thought from his mind as soon as he realized what he was thinking. Being with Jean had been a real treat, and she seemed to enjoy it.

____________

With training entering its final phases, everyone wondered about their future. Depending upon where they went to school and when the classes started, there might be no leave until school was over. If they were going to an on-the-job training assignment, they would get leave, one week now, and then one week at Christmas. There were two groups of men who already knew what their assignments would be: the Air Police, and the Cooks, they would do their on-the-job training first, and then school, if they were accepted to NCO level. Mac was in the Air Police group. But Lane and James had no idea what their school would be, even though they had both put in for the same school, and both had good scores, it was no guarantee that they would get it.

All during the week James waited for something to happen, anything that would give him a clue as to how Hobbie would arrange for them to be together on the weekend. The weather was pleasant, and the training routine. He'd completely recovered from his illness, and had no problem catching up with the rest of his flight.

As they marched to chow on Wednesday evening James noticed that Mac wasn't in his usual place in the formation. When they reached the mess hall he got into line next to Lane.

"Where's Mac?" he asked Lane.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him." They both looked around and could not see him anywhere.

"I'm going to skip on dinner," James said, and he took off back to the barracks. When he got there he quickly climbed the stairs to their bunk area. There he saw Mac sitting on his bunk with his head in his hands. He quickly walked over to him.

"What's up Mac?" he asked.

Mac just sat there shaking his head, almost sobbing into his hands.

James sat down next to him and put his arm across Mac's shoulder. With that gesture Mac broke down into tears and handed James the crumpled piece of paper that he had been holding. James quickly read the short note:"

Dear Mac - I'm writing to tell you that I'm going to be married soon. You don't know him, but I have for some time now. I'm sorry to tell you this in a letter, but I couldn't face you - Jean"

"Shit!" James said softly, "I'm so sorry."

Mac looked up at him. "What am I going to do?" he sobbed.

"I don't know," he answered, "but one thing is sure, you have to forget about her."

"I don't know if I can," he sobbed, "she was everything to me, everything I had."

"Let's go outside," James suggested, "People will start coming back soon; and you don't want to be seen sitting here like this."

Mac got up and ran for the stairs even before James had time to think. By the time James got down the stairs he couldn't even see Mac. He checked both sides of the barracks before spotting him leaned up against the building. He hurried over to where Mac was standing.

"Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" he asked.

Mac nodded.

"Okay, you wait here and I'll see if I can get a pass so we won't have any problems."

"Okay," he said. James hurried back into the barracks to see if Hobbie was there. He knocked on Hobbie's door.

"Yes?"

"It's me, James."

"Come in. What is it, James?" he asked.

"It's Mac. He got a Dear John letter, and I'm afraid he's going off the deep end. Could I get a pass so we don't have any problems with the APs?"

"Okay." Hobbie quickly wrote out a pass and handed it to James, "Try not to be too long though."

"Thanks. I appreciate it. I don't know what I'm going to be able to do, but I hope that I can keep him from going AWOL or anything."

"Okay. Good."

James closed the door and headed back down the stairs just as Lane was coming into the barracks.

"Did you find him?" Lane asked.

"Yes, he was here. He got a Dear John from Jean, and he's about to run. I got a pass so we can go somewhere and talk."

"Okay, good. Need any help?" Lane asked.

"I don't think so, at least not right now. I'll see how it goes."

"Okay. Let me know if there's anything that I can do."

"Thanks. See you later." James hurried outside and back to where Mac was still huddled against the building.

"I'm back," James said putting his hand on Mac's shoulder, "I got us a pass. Let's go somewhere where we won't be disturbed or anything."

"Okay, thanks." The two walked slowly away from the barracks, and away from the area likely to be populated by airmen. Finally they came upon a bus stop bench where James guided Mac and they sat down.

Neither said anything for a long time, and finally Mac looked up at James.

"I don't if I can make it," he sobbed.

"Sure you can, Mac. You're strong, I know you can."

"I don't know," Mac answered softly. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he began to sob once again.

James once again put his arms across Mac's shoulders and hugged him close to himself.

"God!" Mac sobbed, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Shhh," James whispered, "It's going to be okay, I promise."

Finally Mac put his arms around James and pulled him close to himself. "Can you help me?" he whispered.

"You tell me how," James answered, "I'll do whatever I can."

Mac stopped sobbing and whispered, "You remember that other time, when everyone was asleep?"

James was shocked, "What do you mean?"

"You know," Mac whispered again, "when you touched me. . . ."

"Yeah, I remember; but I thought you didn't like that," James wasn't sure where this was going, but he didn't like the sound of it.

"I know," Mac sighed, "it's not that I didn't like it, but I need something like that now."

"You mean you want a blow job?" James made it sound almost disgusting hoping to shock Mac.

"Yeah, I guess," Mac said calmly.

"I don't think that's possible, Mac," James answered. "It's so risky and all." It wasn't that James was averse to doing it, but there were risks involved, and then there was Hobbie to think about.

Suddenly Mac giggled, "But don't you think we could?"

James pushed himself away from Mac, and looked into his eyes. "Of course we could. But I don't think it's a very good idea. We could both go to the brig, and get thrown out of the Air Force. I don't think that either of us wants that."

Mac put his hand on James' crotch, and then took one of James' hands and put it on his own. James started to pull his hand away, but was amazed that Mac was so hard, and ready.

James giggled, "You're really horny!"

"Yeah, I am," Mac answered giggling once again, "And I think I could make you that way too."

"And then what?" James asked.

"Well, I could try to do to you what you did for me," Mac answered softly.

"You really want to do that?"

"Oh I don't know," Mac sighed. "I'd like to find out if I could though."

"Okay, Mac," James started, "there's a lot more to it than that. Have you ever done anything like that with anyone?"

"No not really. Oh I fooled around with a couple of guys in high school, but you know everybody does that."

James was beginning to relax now that he'd gotten Mac to talk. He took his hand away from Mac's crotch and took out his pack of cigarettes.

"Want one?"

Mac giggled, "I'd like something else to suck on."

James giggled too, "Well that's not possible right now."

"I know," Mac answered, "But it's kind of fun to think about." He squeezed James' crotch and felt it beginning to grow a little.

"See, you're getting hard too."

"Yeah," James laughed, "but only because you're playing with me like that. And you 'd better stop that too, or I'm liable to make a mess."

"I'd like to see that," Mac laughed, "You know I didn't get to see it last time, but it felt good, nice and warm and gooey."

"Well," James said, "it was that for sure."

They both giggled at the thought.

"God but you're big!" Mac said, but then remembered what James had said and took his hand away.

"Not so big," James said, "not really."

"Well, bigger than me, that's for sure."

"I suppose," he said, "but it's not how big it is that counts."

"So I've heard," Mac laughed.

There was a pause before either of them could think of what to say next. Finally James decided it was time to explain a few things to Mac.

"Look Mac," he began, "Like I said, there's a lot more to this than just giving and getting blow job. There are feelings about each other."

"You mean like what guys are supposed to feel like with girls?"

"Yes, like that," James answered, "And then there are other things that can happen too."

"You mean like getting fucked?"

"Yes."

"I've only heard about that. I've never even thought about doing that with anyone, and never done it to anyone either."

"There's some," James said, "well, a lot more than just some pain involved with that."

"I can imagine. Especially if someone as big as you are tries to do it to you."

"Yes. And even with someone like yourself it can be painful, especially the first time, and if they don't know what they're doing."

"Then you've done it?" Mac asked.

"Yes I have," James answered, "so I know what I'm talking about.

"You mean both getting it and doing it?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm." Mac said then asked, "You've had a boyfriend? I mean, I guess that's what they're called."

"Yes, that's one way of putting it. Lover is another."

"What's it like?" Mac asked, "I mean having a boyfriend?"

"It's like having a girlfriend, kind of."

"And kissing and that sort of thing?"

"Yes, there's that too."

Mac thought about all that James had said. "I guess there's more to it than I thought. A lot more."

"Yes there is." James paused and then asked, "You about ready to head back?"

"Yeah I guess," Mac answered and then added, "I've got a lot of thinking to do about all this."

"Yes I think you have," he answered. "It won't hurt you any to think about it, and it won't hurt you none to try some things with other guys, but you've got to be careful about who you do it with, and where and when."

They stood up and started walking back toward the barracks. Neither one said anything for a long time. Just as the building came into sight Mac asked, "Do you have someone now?"

James turned to him and answered, "Yes, and that's one reason I don't want to think about doing anything with you."

"I see. I suppose that's good then."

"I wish that I knew someone," Mac said almost wistfully, "someone I could try things with."

James knew where this was going, and said, "I guess I could tell someone who might be interested and you could see what happens."

"Would you?" Mac asked.

"If you want me to."

"Well, let me think about it for a while first, okay?"

"Sure, there's no rush. You might want to think a bit on it first, just to make sure that you're really interested."

"Okay," he said, "Thanks James, for talking to me, and trying to help me see what's involved. I think I would have gone AWOL if you hadn't."

"I know," James said, "that's what I was thinking too."

The two of them headed into the barracks and up the stairs to their area.

"You go ahead," James said, "I've got to give this pass back to Ho... Sergeant Parkinson."

Mac smiled.

James knocked on Hobbie's door to return the pass.

"Everything's okay?" Hobbie asked.

"Yes, I think it's going to be okay."

"That's good, thanks James." He smiled as James closed the door behind him. "So James is a social worker too."

James walked toward his bunk. Lane was sitting there reading.

"Looks like everything's gong to be okay."

"Yeah," James said, "I think so." And he smiled, and wondered if he would dare to suggest it.

____________

It was Friday afternoon at 3:30 when Hobbie's assistant drill instructors, Alfred Stans, came to the group where they were exercising and spoke in hushed tones with Hobbie who was supervising. James shouldn't have noticed, but he'd been secretly watching Hobbie whenever he had the chance. The exercise drill gave him the chance, and it gave him secret delight to be able to watch Hobbie dressed in shorts and tee shirt just like everyone else exercising. He fantasized about what they would do together the next time.

When the drill was over and they were preparing to march back to the barracks to dress for class, Hobbie approached James.

"Airman Arneson, report to the orderly-room for a message," he said crisply.

"Yes, Sergeant." James began to move off briskly.

"On the double!" He called after him. James broke into a half run and moved off from the exercise field and onto the paved roadway toward the orderly-room.

He slowed to a walk as he approached the end of his trip, he didn't want to be breathing hard when he entered the orderly-room and had to report officially to whoever was there at the time.

Airman Third Class Jensen was the orderly-room clerk and was working at his desk just inside the door. On seeing James enter he spoke before James had a chance to say anything.

"The Adjutant wants to see you, Arneson."

"Thank you," James replied and hurried to the door marked Lt. Brown - Adjutant, and knocked sharply.

"Come in!" came the response from inside.

James opened the door and marched in, saluted, and reported, "Air Arneson, James C. reporting as ordered, Sir!"

"At Ease!" Lieutenant Brown was a short dark-skinned officer, young and very military. James had had nothing to do with him before, so he was necessarily uneasy.

Brown was sitting at his disk, and studied some papers before. He picked one of them up.

My God, James thought, something's wrong, very wrong!

"Do you have an uncle in the Air Force?"

"Yes, Sir. Two, Sir." James wasn't shouting, but speaking in strictest military fashion.

"Please, you needn't shout. I'm right in front of you."

"I'm sorry, Sir." James lowered his voice.

"That's much better," Brown said, then he looked at the piece of paper he held in his hand. "Is one of them a Colonel Carl Swensen?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well, he's requested that you be given a pass this weekend, beginning at 1800 hours this evening. You will meet him at the Air Terminal at that time. Do you know where that is?"

"I've never been there, but I have a general idea, Sir"

"Well, there's a map in the outer office, take a look at it before you leave. Airman Jensen has your pass ready. You must be back by 2200 hours Sunday evening."

"Yes, Sir."

"Dismissed."

James saluted, "Thank you, Sir" and started to retreat from the office.

"Arneson," Brown said as he watched, "Have a good time."

"Yes, Sir."

James closed the door quietly as he left, and stopped at the desk to pick up his pass.

"It must be nice to have friends in high places," thought the Lieutenant.

"I had no idea that he was anywhere near here." James was puzzled. Perhaps he was visiting his parents in Houston, he was his mother's oldest brother. James studied the map on the wall beside the door and then turned to Jensen.

"Do I sign out before I go to dinner, or after?"

"It doesn't matter, but perhaps your uncle will be taking you to dinner."

"You're right, I'll be in to sign out just before I leave for the terminal."

"Very well, I'll leave your pass with the C.Q. when I leave."

"If it's all the same to you, I'll take it with me. Lt. Brown said that it was ready."

"Whatever," Jensen seemed annoyed but looked for it, and then to himself more than for James' benefit, read aloud the names of those receiving passes, "Carlson, Parkinson, Donaldson, Temple, here you are Arneson." He handed James the small slip of paper.

"Thank you, Jensen." Airman of his rank could be referred to by last name, unless they were training NCOs.

"You're welcome," Jensen replied and then to himself, I thought that Stans was off this weekend. Oh, well, maybe they switched.

James wasn't sure what all the talking under his breath meant. But he was glad that he'd heard it. He didn't know how Hobbie had done it, but he knew that his uncle was stationed in California on duty at George Air Force Base, near Bakersfield.

He hurried to the barracks, and though he was just a few minutes behind the rest of the flight, he was still late enough that he'd have to hurry to be dressed in time for the next formation, the march to class.

When he came up the stairs, Hobbie was just coming out of his room, dressed and ready to call out the troops.

"You'll have to hurry, Arneson," he called loud enough so that everyone nearby would hear, and then he winked at James as they passed on the stairs. James tried not to smile too much as he went to his bunk and began dressing. He knew that he wouldn't be late, but he also knew that he'd have to hurry none-the-less.

His friends were already dressed.

"Not bad news, I hope?" Lane asked.

"No. Quite the contrary. I've got a weekend pass. My Uncle's in town and wants to see me."

"Wow, what's he, a Senator or something?"

"No, just an Air Force Colonel." Jammed smiled.

"Must be tough!" Mac laughed, "must be tough!"

Tough indeed. It was the first time that James had even thought about the possibility of there being any advantage to having a relative in the military.

The classes that afternoon were lost to James as he could only think about the coming weekend with Hobbie. When the flight returned to go for dinner, James began his preparations for the weekend. Although he had only his dress uniform to wear, he selected it with care, choosing the one that was pressed most perfectly. After he'd finished in the shower and was back at his bunk, he splashed on a bit of his favorite cologne. He used it only on special occasions; usually he used the cologne from the small gift bottle that he'd gotten for Christmas the year before.

Finally he was ready. He straightened his cap once more, then said farewell to his friends who were waiting for the call to march to dinner. He hurried down the steps after pausing momentarily outside Hobbie's door. The radio was still on which meant that he was still inside. He had seen him come up from the shower as he had begun dressing.

He crossed the street and began his trek across the base to the air terminal. He had no idea of what was going to happen when he got there. He pondered the thought as he stepped briskly along the sidewalk. Then he put the thought out of his mind, Certainly, Hobbie will have thought of that, he said to himself.

It was still very warm, even for late May, and beads of perspiration began their trek down his back and soaked into his tee shirt. A slight breeze began to give the promise of a cooler evening after the sun went down. Up ahead he saw the large concrete building that he decided was the air terminal building, and once again began to wonder what he'd do when he arrived. But before he had a chance to get involved in his thoughts, the unmistakable sound of a car approaching from behind him. He turned and saw the shinny black convertible pulling to a stop beside him.

"Hello there, Airman. Need a lift?" It was Hobbie, dressed in casual sport clothes with an open collar. His smile lifted James' spirits to a new high.

"Yes, Sergeant, I surely could." James laughed and jumped in along side of him.

"Did you have a good day?" Hobbie asked.

"Yeah, how about you?"

"It was okay, but it's better now that we're together,"

Hobbie looked at him and smiled.

"Are you sure we won't get into any trouble over this?" James asked.

"Who's going to find out?" Hobbie laughed, "I'm certainly not going to tell them."

"What if my uncle really does show up here one day?"

"Do you really think he will, in the next few weeks?" Hobbie was calm.

"Hardly," James was convinced.

"Anyway," Hobbie said, "We could deal with that too, if we had to. Forget it, enjoy today. Tomorrow will take care of itself."

Hobbie guided the sleek black car through the early evening traffic, and pulling to a stop in front of Lilly's place.

"I seem to recall that you like ribs!" Hobbie joked as they got out and went inside.

Miss Lilly greeted them and showed them to a table where Hobbie could watch his car, like always. It wasn't long before they were enjoying the tangy ribs. Conversation lagged as they concentrated on the food before them, speaking only to comment on the food or to say something silly about the way they each looked with the sauce on their face.

James finished first, and wiping his face with the checkered napkin sighed in contentment.

"Now that's what I call food!"

Hobbie laughed as finished the portion he'd been working on. Then he too leaned back enjoying the feeling of being full of good food and being with someone he felt relaxed with and was beginning to care about more than he thought was possible.

They looked into each other's eyes and neither spoke for a long time. Finally James offered Hobbie a cigarette and they enjoyed the taste and feeling it gave them.

It was Hobbie who finally broke the spell that had come over them.

"I think we'd better get out of here," he chuckled, "I'm beginning to feel real naked with you looking at me that way."

"Are you decent?" James asked jokingly.

"Just barely!"

"I'm ready whenever you are."

Hobbie paid the check and they hurried out to his car and climbed in.

"Now what?" James asked.

"I wish that we could go to a real hotel and be together," Hobbie said wistfully, "But you know how it is here in Dixie."

"Yeah, I hate it too," James said.

"Even if you or I were a woman, it wouldn't be any better. In fact it'd be worse, 'cause we couldn't go where we are going then." Hobbie spoke softly, as he drove to the bathhouse they'd been to on their previous time together.

Bert was on duty again, but didn't comment on them this time, but merely smiled as he assigned them number thirteen again.

They made love slowly and deliberately, savoring each sensation, each tender moment together. Finally, not really exhausted, but more contented, they slept in each other's arms. A sleep born of the love they shared, and a need fulfilled.

To be continued

If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to Richard at ashvguy4u@yahoo.com

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