Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 05:43:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Russ Arulo Subject: The Lake House *** What follows is a work of fiction. Richard Carter is based LOOSELY upon myself, and Jerry Lawrence is an amalgamation of two jocks I tutored for whom I had the hots. Some sexing does occur in this story, so if reading about such things is illegal where you live or is otherwise not your cup of tea, ask yourself why you're even reading this warning. This is a continuation of "My Tutor, My Treasure" *** "The Lake House" by Russ A June was fast approaching. Richard wasn't having any trouble in his classes and, so, offered his free time to Jerry to bring his grades and knowledge up to snuff before the finals came around. To his credit, the burlier student was eager to prove himself, as much for his own pride as to prove to the school and anyone else that he wasn't another empty-headed athlete. The Friday night before finals, they were lying in bed together, listening to music from the clock radio. Sounds from the concurrent football game being hosted at the campus stadium drifted through the open window. Even without Jerry, they were slaughtering the visitors, already up by three touchdowns at the half. Jerry said, "Richie?" "Yeah, Jer-Bear?" "Whatcha gonna do this summer?" "More than likely, I'm going to stay here. I have no reason to go home." "What, you don't miss your folks?" "You should know better than anyone how much contact I have with them." "I haven't seen you call 'em or write 'em a letter or nothin'." "Exactly. We're mutually indifferent." "I was thinkin', then, maybe you'd like to come home with me. We got a guest room next to my room, and they both got great views. Nobody'd know ya there, and it'll be easier to get back here from there than it'd be if you /did/ get a wild hair up your ass and decide to go home." Richard chuckled. "I'm all for it, if you're sure your parents wouldn't mind." "Ah, hell no. I grew up with all kinds of /their/ friends crashin' at our place for weeks at a time. It's about time I brought home one of my own." "Sounds good to me." Jerry grinned. "Anything else sound good to you?" The nerd rolled over and straddled the jock, leaning down to give him a kiss, a treat in which the larger student was always happy to indulge. As the kiss went on, Richard could feel Jerry's arousal building beneath him. When the kiss broke, Rich said, "You know what I like, Papa Bear," he said, rubbing his thumbs over the pert nipples under the forest of fur on his chest. Finals came and went; each passing day saw Jerry returning to Rick's place looking very pleased with himself indeed. Each night, he showed his tutor just how pleased he was. Once or twice, Rick wasn't certain he could handle so much gratitude, but at the first sign of discomfort, Jerry responded by slowing down or backing off entirely and showing his pleasure some other way. On the last day of Finals Week, neither of them had any tests to take, so they spent the morning in bed together before getting their packing started that afternoon. They were nearly done getting the essentials packed when the phone rang downstairs. While Jerry was praised for his speed on the field, Richard knew how to get downstairs more quickly; he rode the wall-mounted baluster down, beating his lover by a few seconds and allowing him to answer the phone. "Hello, this is Richard." Whoever was calling was doing so from a pay phone at a truck stop diner. Country music and the sound of silverware on plates were interrupted by the tremendous blare of a long-haul freighter's horn. "Oh, hey dere, Richie. Jerry's been tellin' us aboutcha. He dere?" asked a man with a distinct Minnesota accent. "Uh, yes, just a moment, please." He put his hand over the mouthpiece. "I think it's your dad." Jerry motioned for the phone. "Hello? Hey, Pop. Yeah, dat's the guy I was tellin' y'aboot. Y'don't mind if he comes with, do ya? Great! When should we see ya? Oh, yah, we'll be done by then." He hung up and said, "Pops is about 300 miles out." Richard said, "Oh, yah, sure, you betcha; we should be ready by then, don'tcha know?" He smiled. "Why did you lose your accent?" "You...like it?" "It's cute. Does your dad actually talk like that, though?" As they headed back upstairs, Jerry said, "He was born and raised near the Canadian border, so he's got a stronger accent than me -– than I?" Richard nodded. "I saw your face, though, and when he talked to me, it wasn't hard to figure out why. He does that with folks who've never heard his voice before." "Is anyone else coming?" "Mom; she's half-Que...Quebe..." "Quebeçoise?" Jerry grunted. "I can never get that right, but yeah. You can get in good with her if you speak any French." They resumed packing their things and, about an hour and a half later, their work was interrupted by a knock at the door. Jerry said, "That can't be the folks already." Rick got up and started downstairs. "It can't be the landlord; I paid four months' advance rent on the first." After what had happened the night they met, Jerry had never let himself let Rick answer the door alone. When the door opened, though, he didn't know who he was looking at until he heard his lover say flatly, "Mom, Dad...what brings you here?" The couple stepped in as though they had been invited, brushing past the students, inspecting the state of the place. Richard's mother couldn't suppress a curling lip of disgust; his father simply shook his head. "I'm happy to see that I still meet with your disapproval. Since you didn't answer me before, I'll rephrase: what the hell are you doing here?" "We've come to speak to you about your trust," Mr. Carter said. "Uh, should I go somewhere else?" Jerry asked. "Not at all. Jerry, these are my parents, Randall Carter and Elizabeth Hall- Carter. This is my friend and roommate, Jerry Lawrence." Rick's father focused on the athlete, giving him a curt nod of acknowledgment. His mother said, "J'avespavèrave quave çavelava vavaut lava paveinave, dave gavardaver çave lavourdavaud pavoilavue un bavon ravendavemavent scavolavairave." "It's rude to do what you've done, and that's really none of your concern." "I missed somethin'." "Later," Rick whispered. "So, the trust?" "As you know, we've been setting aside money for you since birth, to be given to you on your 21st birthday." "My birthday was months ago, and it wasn't my 21st." "Be that as it may, we feel that, despite your insubordinate behavior through high school, you should have access to it now." "How kind." Randall and Liz smiled. "But I've had access since my /sixteenth/ birthday." "What?" they asked, astounded. "The family lawyer found me mature and competent enough to have access to the funds the summer before I graduated high school. At the same time, I filed papers, outlining the things you had done of which neither your precious, obliging attorney nor your paid-for judge were informed. They were most intrigued. The ball against you was to start rolling whenever it was you decided to give me access. You're two years ahead of schedule, and 19 years too late." Richard stood, his parents still sitting bewildered before him. "Oh, now, don't lose heart. You're both clever businesspeople; you'll be back your feet before you know it. Now, Jerry and I are leaving soon, and there's still some work to be done, so you'll have to leave now." At the door, he said, "As always, a pleasure to see you, however briefly." When the rental car drove away, Richard let out a heavy sigh. "You were bluffing." "How did you know?" "Your ears wiggle when you fib." "No wonder I can't beat you at poker!" "So, no trust?" "No, that part was true. The rest was a lie." Jerry nodded, letting it all sink in. "Oh, yeah, what'd your mom say?" "I'm paraphrasing here, but 'I hope this hairy oaf has made keeping him from failing worthwhile.'" He frowned. "Don't take this wrong, but I fuckin' hate your parents." "No offense taken, believe me." *** It was a long drive to Minnesota, but Jerry's parents were such a welcome change from his own that Richard didn't mind. It was clear that Jerry took after his father, Jacob, who had grown up playing hockey and doing construction, and was hairier than his boy, though he was blond, with green eyes. In Richard's mind, he was a bruiser version of a teddy bear. His wife, Evangeline, provided his hair and eye color, as well as his love of music. When she saw Richard's cello, she had squealed, "Let's adopt him!" "So, Richie, you live on your own?" "Until this past January, yes. I've never been a particularly social person. Your son has changed that in me somewhat." "He hasn't been distracting you from your studies, has he? I know he can be a handful." Jerry blushed at that, but Rick made his condition worse: "Oh, I know from first- hand experience that he's several handfuls, but nothing I can't handle." Jacob reached back and tousled the nerd's hair, letting out a good-natured laugh. "Jerry said you've often had a lot of company in the past. When we get to where we're going, who should I expect to see?" "Only other guest we have is Jerry's cousin, Lucas. He's coming home from the Army on a month's leave." It was after sunset when they reached the Illinois border, so they stopped for dinner and checked in at a motel, set to make an early departure the next day. Everyone brought along their toiletries as well as a change of clothes; Richard brought up his cello as well. "You boys don't mind sharing a room, do you?" Jerry and Richie shook their heads. "Didn't think so. Here's your key. They didn't have two rooms next to each other, so you're gonna be on your own." Evangeline said, "Oh, Jacob, they'll be fine; leave them be." "Night, Mom, Dad. When do we leave tomorrow?" "8:00 sharp." "Okay. See you tomorrow!" On the way to their room, Jerry said, "We're good 'til 10, then." "I'll be up early, just in case. Hey, your dad didn't talk much about Lucas. Is there something I should know?" Richard had seen that look on his squeeze's face before; he was trying to find the right words. "He's...got some issues with guys like you." Jerry unlocked their room and Rick asked, "Like /me/ or like /us/?" The athlete nodded glumly. "Us." "Marvelous. I'll just lock myself in the guest room, then," he said, setting his personal effects on the drawer and his cello against it. "Look, once I make it clear you're my buddy, he'll ease off." "Jer, my hopes weren't high when your dad said he was an Army guy. All that testosterone and having to deal with who knows what..." Jerry slammed the door shut and grabbed Richard, pulling him into a deep kiss, which rendered the smaller student instantly hard. The former QB's hands were rubbing his lover everywhere, the close quarters in the car having made the need to restrain himself nearly unbearable. Richard slipped his hands under Jerry's shirt and caressed those nipples, almost turning the bearish student's legs to jelly. His smaller lover pushed him onto the bed and jumped on top of him. They said together, "I needed that." Richard said, "You know, we /are/ in a motel." Jerry said, "Yeah?" "How about a little shower action?" "You sayin' I stink?" "We spent the morning packing and rode for five hours in a car with no A/C. We all stink." With surprising speed, Jerry was out of his clothes and off to the shower, Richard following quickly behind, stumbling around half-blind as he had his shirt over his face. He fumbled around for the door frame and no sooner had he found it than he felt his shorts get yanked down sharply. A wet warmth surrounded his cock and his hands immediately grabbed the athlete's head. Jerry had been practicing on his lover at least twice a week and could take his boyfriend's shaft as though he'd been doing it for years. His big hands reached around for the smaller student's buttcheeks and squeezed them firmly. Richard had some tone back there, but nothing like he had noticed on the other guys at the team. He wondered why he had ever taken note of the guys on the team like that before. Richard let go of Jerry's head long enough to take off his shirt. He put his hands back and ran them through the thick black hair and along the firm muscles of his upper back and shoulders. As much as his heart was telling him this was right, a little voice in his head had been trying to reconcile their relationship since January. It made no sense that someone like Jerry would ever, /ever/ want to be romantically involved with someone like him. And it all happened so fast! Rich was hardly going to complain about something like that, but he had to wonder if it was lust or if it was something more substantial than that. These thoughts, however, flew from his mind as his stimulation approached a climax. He gripped Jerry's head and held still with all the control he could manage, his body tense and covered in a light sheen of sweat. He said between ragged breaths, "I'm close..." It was too far along to do anything about it, though. He fired off his respectable load, filling the jock's mouth one and a half times before he was spent. Jerry stood and licked his lips, then gave Richard a kiss. "What do you wanna do, lover man?" he asked with a smile. "Get in the shower and I'll show you." The jock was already hard, his prodigious prong leading the way into the bathroom. He turned the knobs and got the water nice and hot before stepping in. Richard followed him in and put his hands on the thick tool, stroking it slowly. The former QB was always glad of his lover's gentleness. Any girl he'd had was either terrified of its size or so overexcited that they provided more pain than pleasure. Not only that, but he valued the discretion of their relationship more than a girl, who would tell everyone that she was dating a football player. He felt lucky to have this younger genius as a lover. Said lover was scrubbing his chest with a bar of soap and looking into his eyes. /He's the first guy I've ever met who has hazel eyes./ Richard's smile was a knowing one, inasmuch as he knew that Jerry liked being touched this way. The soap and his hands moved down the firm stomach toward the crotch. Richard eased himself onto his knees and lathered up the heavy nuts and heavier tool, his hands certainly skilled in cleaning delicate things. "Oh, Richie..." Richard made quick work of soaping up the firm, hairy legs and rinsing them clean, but remained in his position. He didn't see himself as a lesser man than Jerry, despite the physical superiority. They treated each other with respect and dignity, and trust was the basis on which their friendship and relationship were based. When the jock's cock was rinsed clean, he took the head into his mouth and sucked on it slowly, taking the shaft about halfway to the base before pulling back. "You asked what I wanted to do..." "Uh-huh," Jerry said with a smile. "I want you to relax your ass for a minute." "Wh--why?" "What I'd like to do requires a clean ass," he said while soaping up his hand. "So, please, relax it." Unsure of what he intended, but trusting him all the same, Jerry did as Richard requested. He felt a soapy hand slide between his ass cheeks and wash away all the sweat and funk and remnants of toilet paper that lingered there. To make the task more enjoyable for the man, Richard kissed over the thick tool that bobbed before him. "Now, turn around and brace yourself." "Hey, we agreed that we were gonna wait for you to fuck me back there." "Yes, we did, but I'm not going to use my cock." "Then --" "Just turn around." Jerry looked suspicious, but still gave Jerry the benefit of the doubt. The smaller man put his hands on the firm ass cheeks and spread them apart. The ring was pink, untouched and tighter than a penny-pincher's purse-strings. Still, he leaned forward, his nose in the cleft, as his tongue brushed over the sphincter. "Dude, what the hell?" "That was my tongue. Relax." He pushed his tongue forward again, insistently pressing against the ring of muscle. It was hot against his tongue and showed little sign of yielding. Richard reached under the jock and stroked his cock from below, distracting him from what was being done to his ass. The technique was effective; in less than thirty seconds, his tongue managed to enter that once-secure area. He pushed it in as far as he could, to the surprised delight of the football player. They didn't get to bed until about 11 o'clock that night. *** They crossed the Minnesota border by midday, and two hours later, they arrived at the lake house. As Richard stepped out to stretch his legs, he saw that Jerry had been telling the truth; it was quite isolated, and the nearest house was a mile away, at least. There would be no distractions here. Sure, there were tourists who were enjoying the lake, but they were miles away, the sounds of their motorboats and jet skis barely reaching his ears. Then he turned his attention to the house. It was well-maintained, given the proximity to the water. The sheen on the wood told him it had been treated with some kind of sealant. The Lawrences began unloading as he stepped closer to the house and looked through the window. The interior was very simple in setup without looking spartan or cheap. It was uncluttered, not at all like his home near the university, but it was welcoming, not like his parents' home. He heard Jacob grunting as he reached for his keys, yet trying to keep a hold on his bags. "Here, Mr. Lawrence, let me get that for you." "Thanks, Richie. You can call me Jake while you're here." Jerry's father unloaded the bags into Richard's open arms, causing him to stumble slightly. "You okay?" "Yeah, fine." "Door's open, now; I'll take some of those bags off your hands." "No, no, that's okay. Just tell me where to take them." "End of the hall, on the right; that's my and Evangeline's room." Richard nodded and lumbered his way back to their room, turning sideways in the hall so he wouldn't knock anything over. He had made it about halfway down the hall when a door opened behind him. An arm wrapped around his neck and began applying pressure. "Who the hell are you?" Richard dropped the bags and elbowed his aggressor in the stomach. He might as well have not bothered for all the good it did. "Richard," he finally wheezed. "I'm Jerry's roommate. You're Lucas." The aggressor let him go and chuckled. "You've heard of me." Richard turned around and saw a man, about 5'3", but built like a brick wall. He was like a shorter version of Jerry, but in his mind, not nearly so attractive; his nose had been broken a couple of times and not healed properly; his arms were heavily tattooed; he wore a look of arrogant smugness that seemed to compensate for his relative shortness; and he had had his septum pierced. When he grinned, Richard saw his teeth were stained, though from smoking or coffee, he couldn't tell. "So, what's my cousin doin' roomin' with a scrawny guy like you?" Richard began to pick up the bags, but Lucas put his foot down on one of them, keeping it immobile. "I asked you a question." "No, you phrased an insult as a question, and, in my estimation, you and your buzzcut-adrenaline-testosterone attitude can get fucked. I don't need your approval or acceptance while I'm here at Jerry's invitation and with Jacob and Evangeline's hospitality." With that, Richard yanked the bag out from under Lucas's foot and said "Pleasure to meet you" with a sneer before he resumed carrying the luggage to his lover's parents' room. *** That night, after everyone had showered and changed, Evangeline went into the kitchen to make dinner. Richard made an offer to help, which was readily accepted. The other three men were left in the living room, watching a police drama on TV. "So, Lucas, you get a chance to speak to Richie yet?" Jacob asked. He shrugged. "Yeah, kinda. Didn't have too much to say, though. Maybe cause I had my arm around his throat." Jacob laughed, but Jerry punched his cousin in the shoulder. "What the hell'd you do that for? He's my friend!" "It's how I find out what kinda guy he is. Works in a hostile situation. Fuck, man, quit punchin' me! Startin' to hurt." "Good, Shortcake." "Don't you fuckin' call me that." "Hey! Language!" Jacob bellowed. Lucas rubbed his arm. "'Sides, I figure him for a queer anyway. Usin' big words, cookin', playin' that giant violin." "It's called a cello," Evangeline said, coming into the living room. "Something the matter, love?" "No, nothing wrong at all. Richard has offered to cook dinner for all of us, to let me have some time with my loving family." Evangeline took a seat in Jacob's lap, and he promptly wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss. Lucas sneered at the display while Jerry smiled, thinking on the times that Richard had done the same. "OW! What the hell, Lucas?" "What's with you, lookin' all dreamy and shit? That queer rubbin' off on you?" Evangeline clucked her tongue and shook her head. Jacob looked liable to rip Lucas's head off. "Lucas, Richie is our guest, and you will treat him with respect, do you hear me?" The soldier snorted. "Whatever." Richard could be heard to dust off his hands. He entered the living room and said, "Dinner should be ready in about 45 minutes. Evangeline, I found the recipes you were talking about and followed them to the letter." "Thank you." "Now, Lucas, you think I'm gay?" "Yeah, I do." "Well, I am. If you have a problem with that, tough. You're not my type, anyway, so you don't have to worry about me trying to jump your bones." Suddenly confronted with a blow to his masculinity, he said, "What's not to like about me?" Richard unbuttoned his shirt and revealed the bruising around his neck from where he had been held in a chokehold. "This, for one. Your disgusting machismo, your crooked, stained teeth, those awful tattoos, the bull's ring in your nose...like you're compensating for something...or trying to hide something." Lucas rose from the seat, itching for a fight, but Jacob put up his hands. "Stop. This. Now." Evangeline checked Richard's neck, but he said, "It's OK. It doesn't hurt anymore. It will be gone by tomorrow." Jacob shook his head. "Luke, I'm really disappointed in you. If you keep this up, you can't stay here with us." Lucas glared at Richard, who raised his eyebrows in a "What do you think about that?" sort of way before returning to the kitchen, Jake and Evangeline following soon after. The soldier sat, arms crossed, glancing at his cousin. "He turnin' you or somethin'?" "I'm the same as I ever was." Luke grinned and thumped Jerry on the back. "C'mon. Let's go get somethin' to eat." "Dinner won't be that much longer." "Fuck if I'm gonna eat something cooked by a queer." "Fine. Have a good dinner," he said, going into the dining room. Lucas shook his head and left, driving off toward town in his Land Rover. *** After a dinner enjoyed by all who chose to stay, Richard treated the Lawrences to an impromptu concert, playing a few well-known classical pieces and a couple of pop songs before taking requests. He was in the middle of a Tchaikovsky piece when Lucas returned. Jacob looked to Luke as he came in the door. "You missed a great dinner. And you owe Richie an apology." Luke shrugged. "What for? I didn't say anythin' that wasn't true." Richard said, "That's true, he didn't. If he has a problem with me being gay, that's his problem, not mine. I can only hope that he gets enlightened one of these days." The army boy grunted and went to his room. Richard shrugged as if to say "What can you do?" and resumed playing. That was how the next two weeks of the vacation went. Luke would make some bigoted comment, Richard would brush it off, Jerry's parents would reprove their nephew, and he would leave. He would stay out for most of the day and occasionally wouldn't come home until after the sun had set and the Myers seniors had gone to bed. Even though Richard had a room connected to Jerry's, they didn't have much opportunity to enjoy each other. Luke was a light sleeper and was always on patrol at the slightest sound. The old house made a lot of creaking noises, and anyone else would have ignored them, but the man on leave was ever-vigilant, which proved vexing to the lovers. One evening, the Myers (minus Luke) planned to go to a friend's house. They and five other families held a 4th of July party that was on rotation. The meeting was meant to decide who would get the honor this year and who would bring what; an added bonus was that they got to catch up with each other. "You're sure you don't want to come, Richie?" Jacob asked. "I would rather be surprised by the party. Wherever it's held will be fine, and I don't have any food allergies, so pick what you please." "Actually, Dad, y'think I could stay behind for a while? I'll catch up with you later." "You wanna spend some time with Richie without your folks around, huh?" "We're just used to bein' by ourselves, and Luke's been a real buzzkill." "Yeah, I getcha. We'll leave a car for ya to take to the Emersons' place. You boys have fun." As the Myers drove off, Jerry grabbed Richard and pressed him against the wall, kissing him like he needed the contact to live. The geek was used to his jock lover being rough, but this was like nothing he'd known up to this point. While he understood the reason was lack of contact, he wasn't sure he could handle such passion from the burly former QB. "J—mmph. Jer -– Jerry!" Jerry broke the kiss, a look of anguish on his face. "What?" "Hey..." Richard stroked his stubbly cheek. "Calm down. We're alone, and Luke won't be back for hours." He stroked his lover's hairy arms; Jerry hadn't depilated them since they met, and the hair that grew back felt soft under the nerd's fingers. He looked more like his father each day, which presented its own problem. "Let's go to my room." Jerry eased Richard back to the floor and let the smaller student lead him by the hand to his room. He felt a little silly having let his urges get the better of him like that, but it was tough keeping himself untouched while his cousin was around to spoil their fun. Richard got the jock out of his clothes and had him lie back on the bed. He was almost too big for it, which made the nerd smile. He undressed and laid himself atop Richard, finding him a much more enjoyable mattress than any NASA could devise. He drew his fingers through his lover's thick head of hair and kissed down his nose to the lips. Jerry understood the need to be gentle and returned the kiss in kind. Rick whispered, "Have you even touched yourself since we got here?" Jerry looked like he was about to cry as he shook his head. With balls like he had, they must have been plenty full and aching for release. Richard slid down along his body, kissing through the thick coat of hair on his chest and stomach before coming to the good bits. He picked up the heavy sac in one hand and licked over the loose, hairy skin. He didn't dare suck on them; that would have been torture. Even with his lover's tenderness, the stronger man writhed and groaned as though his balls were being twisted into a knot. All the same, the fact that he was getting any attention down there at all was enough to bring him into a state of arousal. Richard set the balls back on the comforter and tended to the large prong that jutted out over them. With the practice that he had put into taking the organ, Rich swallowed it to the base before it had hardened fully and let it grow down his throat. The lack of action proved to be too much for the big man; he shot watery seed in an abnormally (but understandably) large amount down his lover's throat. He pulled back and let it collect in his mouth before swallowing the last of it. Richard watched as his former tutoring charge's chest rose and fell rapidly from the sudden and short exertion. "I think you probably have more in there, but you're spent for now, so we'll come to that later. What would you like me to do to you?" he asked, smacking his erection against the hair-carpeted stomach beneath him. "I...I want you...to pound my ass." Of all the things he had expected to hear, that was at the bottom of the list. As much as Jerry respected Richard as a person and as a lover, he had been the giver much more often than the receiver, and all receptions had been oral. Richard never complained, because Jerry had a talent for triggering hard, almost painful orgasms with his tongue. "Are you sure?" "Every night since we got here, I've been dreaming of what you did to me with your tongue back in the motel shower. I want you to do that again, and then fuck me." He rolled over in place once Richard moved, the hairy hemispheres deliciously incongruous with the smooth, muscled back above it. The geek was at a loss, but only briefly. Without thinking, he lowered his head to the jock's firm rump and spread the cheeks apart. Even though it was the afternoon, he could smell little funk there, other than sweat and hot flesh. Jerry's hygiene had improved since they met, a fact of which Rick was grateful. Richard pried the cheeks apart and pressed his tongue against the tight ring of muscle while his hands kneaded the muscular mounds they held. He pushed his face forward, attempting to get his tongue inside, but that sphincter wasn't budging. Even though little progress was being made, the low groans Jerry was making let him know he was doing something right. He pulled his head back and crawled back up Jerry's body. He wrapped his arms around the jock and kissed his ear while he pressed his stiffness along the crack of the ass of the man under him. "Jer-Bear, I know you're pent-up, and I want this as much as you do, but you have to relax." "It -– I -– I just remember that when I first fucked you -–" "That was different. You were overeager and didn't have any lube handy." He left the bed and pulled a bottle and a small plastic container from his bag. "Not a problem this time. And, I'm not as big as you down there." "Yeah, but -– I never..." "We don't have to do this if you're having second thoughts." "No!" he said suddenly. "N-no," he said, more quietly, "I want to. I love you, Richie, and I trust you." "You proved your trust in me but not running out my door when you had the chance. The instant you stepped in, I didn't ever want you to leave." Jerry chuckled, "Aw, Richie..." Richard resumed his place at Jerry's backside and found, to his relief, that he had relaxed; his tongue found the ring much more pliable and even slipped inside a ways, causing the bigger man to dig his fingers into the sheets and groan. The smaller man kept this up for a few minutes more, then eased back and popped open the bottle of lube. "I'm going to start with a couple of fingers, get you used to having something back there other than underwear or toilet paper." He smeared the lube over his fingers and stroked his shaft, shuddering a little as he was just as sensitive as his boyfriend had been. Then, he traced his fingers up the hairy crack, the cool of the lube mitigated slightly by the warmth of his hand. Still, it was enough to get the bigger man to twitch. "Damn, that's cold!" "Shh...it'll warm up." As though his fingers were heat-seeking missiles, he found the jock's hole and gently pressed against it, giving him a feel of what was to come. He waited for Jerry to give the nod to go ahead, and when he did, Richard's long fingers sank in up to the first knuckle. The jock clamped down on them immediately. "You doing OK, Jer?" After a few moments: "Yeah...yeah, I'm OK. Jeez, how'd you take me without crying?" "I practiced with dildos and...I just wanted to make you happy." As he said this, he pushed his fingers in all the way, then started to spread them apart, getting a feel for Jerry's ass, as he explained when asked what he was doing. He pulled out his fingers and cleaned them with a sanitary wipe from the plastic container. He put a little more lube on his shaft and wiped the excess onto his balls, causing them to pull up a little. "Ready?" Rich asked as he spread the cheeks apart. "Yeah," Jerry said quietly. Richard pressed the head of his cock against the jock's yielding hole and popped in a little faster than he had expected. He caught himself before he slipped in too far to give his catcher a chance to adjust. A sharp groan told him that he should have tried three fingers instead of just two. "Don't worry; I'm not moving until you want me to." "Richie, I'm a big boy. I can -– AAGH!" "Sorry! Sorry! I slipped!" Jerry bit his lower lip and puffed out a rough exhale through his nostrils. Richard slowly lowered his hips and sank the rest of his cock inside his lover's hairy rump until his balls came to rest between the football player's legs. "Oh, God, Richie...no wonder you didn't complain. After the pain...I've never felt anything like this." Richard flexed his cock inside Jerry, causing it to thicken for a moment before returning to its normal girth. He eased himself up, straddling the stocky man under him and built up a slow rhythm, working with the downstrokes to give Jerry one of those massages he loved so much. Most groans of pleasure were accompanied by a popping of the spine back into alignment. His focus on Jerry's back took his mind off the fact that he hadn't gotten off in two weeks, but a sudden clench brought it right back into his mind. Richard shuddered and gripped his lover's broad shoulders, crying out in triumph as he thrust frantically and shot his long-restrained load into the big man's bowels. He collapsed onto the young Mr. Myers and said, "How was it for you?" "Damn, Richie...you're more of an animal than you let on. I think I'm ready for round two, but let's take it to the shower." "Not just yet. Let me enjoy this, first." Jerry reached back and rubbed Richard's ass. "Sure. You waited for me. I'll wait for you." They had barely moved from the bed when they heard a car pull up to the drive. The students each put a hand on the other's mouth and strained to listen. Two voices were heard, instantly recognizable as Jacob and Evangeline. They rushed to put underwear and shorts on at least and tossed a few things around as though they had been wrestling, which wasn't a complete lie. They also opened up the windows to air out the smell of sweat and sex. The conversation became clearer as the Myers approached. "There's still some time yet; we can figure things out later this week." "It's just not like them to get sick." The front door opened. "Boys?" Jacob called out. "You still here? I thought maybe we could go for a swim down at the lake!" They poked their heads out from the guest room. "Sure, Jake, that sounds fun." "Yeah, Dad. Let's go." "Great! I'll just get my trunks and some towels and we'll head down. Think you can get along without us guys here, Eva?" he asked with a grin. She smacked his arm playfully and said, "I'll manage, somehow," placing the back of a hand to her forehead and feigning despair at their leaving. As Jacob went to his room, the two students ducked back into the guest room. "Jer, I don't have any trunks." "You're a little smaller in the waist than I am...I think I got an old pair somewhere." He went through the connecting door to his room and found a pair for himself and an older pair in his closet. They were still in good condition, though the color had faded considerably; where once they had been a vivid aqua color, time and washings had rendered them a pale powder blue. Still, this was no time to be picky. He and Jerry slipped out of their shorts and underwear and put on the trunks as Jacob came back down the hall. "You boys ready?" "Just need to get our sandals, Sir." "You won't need 'em. The path to the lake is well-worn and smooth. Let's go!" Richard turned around and his breath caught in his throat. Jacob looked like he imagined Jerry would look in twenty or twenty-five years' time, with an extra sixty pounds of muscle and fat...and maybe a pound or two of hair. Those trunks he wore were rather tight on him and showed off more than they hid. A quick glance between the legs showed that he was as blessed as his son...perhaps more so. In one hand, he had three huge towels, and the other had a 12-pack of root beer. "You OK there, Richie? You act like you've never seen a grown man in swim trunks before." "No, no, just...all the hair is kind of a shock. I thought Jerry was hairy, but..." Jacob laughed. The man had a kindly laugh and never seemed to be bothered by anything except harsh words, be they curse words or hurtful insults. "Hairiness runs in my family. Back on the hockey team, they all called me the Sasquatch of Saskatoon." They walked out a rear door to the lake. Jacob was right; the path to the lake was very clear and distinct from the surrounding area, worn smooth by many years of trips back and forth. "And that didn't bother you?" Jacob shook his head. "Nah; a bruiser like me's gotta have some thick skin and a good sense of humor to survive with 25 other guys on a hockey team. 'Sides, I could play with the best of 'em and took us to regional finals three times." "Not the Stanley Cup?" "No, no...real minor-league stuff. But, when I was 22, I met Eva at an away game in Montreal, last game of the season. She was sittin' behind the penalty box, and I got put in there for butt-ending a guy who tripped me. Five minutes, game misconduct. She stood up and dropped her number onto my helmet after I sat down. I turned around and saw her smiling at me." "Love at first sight?" "And second, and third...I almost missed the call back to the game 'cause I couldn't stop staring at her. After the game, we met up, talked, and went to dinner." He put his foot in the water to test it and quickly pulled it back out. "I never played on the ice again, but I've enjoyed my life every day since." "How's the water, Pops?" "Nice and warm in this shallower bit; past the tree, it'll get cold fast." He set the 12-pack down on a picnic table and set the towels beside it. "How shallow are we talking here?" Richard asked. "Five feet or so before you get to the tree. Speakin' of which, there's a rope swing there; wanna give it a try?" The branch on which the rope swing swung was easily thick enough to support Jacob's weight, so he wasn't worried about that. He did, however, question Jacob's definition of "warm"; he did play ice hockey and spent his life near the Canadian border. Warm to him could be frigid to Richard. Still, he thought if he was going to jump anywhere, it might as well be into the deeper area, then he could swim back to the shallower area and warm up. He grabbed the thick, knotted rope and swung out over the dark blue lake. He curled himself into a cannonball and plunged into the water. The shock to his system caused him to open his mouth and swim frantically toward the surface. He breached, sputtering. "Jeez, you weren't kidding!" Richard swam as fast as he could back to the shallow area behind the tree and found it was indeed much warmer. Jake and his son were trying to look sympathetic, but tears from the laughter they were holding back undercut the sentiment. "My turn!" Jacob said, taking the swing at a run, plunging further out than Richard had. He was down for a while longer, and when the boys began to worry, he popped back up, looking upset. "Pops? What's the matter?" Jerry asked as he walked into the shallow end. As Jacob got closer, they could see what the matter was. "Jake! Your trunks!" "Spread my legs too much and they ripped; a branch or a rock or something snagged 'em and they came off." "Hey, no big deal, Dad. Look, we'll just go skinny dipping." His eyes widened at the suggestion and he immediately looked to Richard. "Hey, Richie, you don't mind, do ya? That was my last pair and, I mean, nothin' else I have'd be comfortable." "No, that's fine. I would've done the same if Jer-Bear there hadn't loaned me an old pair." "Jer-Bear?" He laughed. "That's a good name for him. And I thought those trunks looked familiar. Well, go on, take 'em off!" Jerry had already taken his off and started doing the backstroke toward the deeper end. Richard offered silent thanks for his discretion and removed his, with the big bear of a man looming over him. "There, see? Not so bad, eh?" He held out his paw of a hand and offered to help Richard up. The student accepted and was pulled into a firm hug. The feeling of all that hair was like he was hugging someone in a mascot costume, except that there was no clothing of any kind. Richard had to think about something, anything, to keep from throwing wood against Jacob's body. "Sir?" he asked. "Richie, I wanna thank you for what you've done for...Jer-Bear." He chuckled again. "We just got his report card the other day -- I've never seen so many A's. Whatever you're doin' for him, keep it up, eh?" "Jake, I -- Jerry shows a lot of promise, and I think that the guys he was on the team with were a bad influence. Now --" "Was? Were? You mean -- he's not a quarterback anymore?" He turned to Jerry, who had since given his backside a good cleaning and was lounging around in the warm shallows. "Jerry, come here for a minute." "Yeah, Pops? What's up?" "Richie tells me you're not on the team anymore. Is that true?" The tone in Jacob's voice was different, and Jerry responded accordingly. "Yes, Sir." "Why?" "You...might wanna sit down, Dad." Richard and Jerry took turns explaining how they met and everything that had transpired that first day they met. When it came to the part about his former teammates beating Richard up, Jacob had heard enough. "Jerry, if you weren't happy on the team, why didn't you say so?" He shrugged. "I stayed on 'cause I was good at it and I wanted to make you proud." "Jer, you're in college. I'm already proud of you, and Richie here helped you get practically straight A's this last semester." "No way!" He reached over and gave Richard a tight hug, keeing mindful that his dad was present and that he shouldn't do much more. "We were going to celebrate tomorrow night; steaks on the grill, corn on the cob, all that good stuff. We would have gone to the store after the meeting with the Emersons, but they were sick and we just came back home, forgetting all about it." "Hey, I can go with Mom. There's a couple of things I wanna get from the store, too." "You wanna go with, Rich?" "No, I think I'll stay here. I haven't gone swimming in years and this is such a nice, quiet place to do it." Jerry already had his trunks back on and took one of the towels. "OK, I'll see you later, then. Bye, Richie. Bye, Pops!" He took off back to the house at a jog while Richard stepped back into the water, taking long, lazy strokes around the little cove. A big splash signaled that Jacob had jumped in. The big man started a splash fight with Richard, and they were just able to hear Evangeline and Jerry drive off to the store. The two men splashed around in the water for another hour or so before they grew tired and started sunning themselves. Folded into his towel, Jacob had stowed a bottle of suntan oil. "I figured if we were going to be out here a while, we could use some color." "All that golden brown hair on your body, I don't think you need much in the way of protection. From far away, you'd look a healthy tan color anyway." "Eva and Jerry won't be back for an hour and a half at least, and this is the first really clear day we've had so far this summer. Here, you do me, and I'll do you." Richard didn't have a chance to object before the bruiser put an arm around him and popped open the bottle top. He poured the oil into his palm and rubbed it against the boy's back. His hand was rough, but the oil softened the calluses and more scratchy skin. In short order, Richard's back was glistening with coconut oil. He released the student and turned around. He thought to himself, /Don't think about Jerry. Don't think about Jerry. The oxidization of sucrose is expressed as --/ He tried anything he could to maintain his limpess, but his hands on the man's back made it a near impossibility. Like his son, he too had no hair on his back, but it grew rampant elswhere. Richard even noticed a birthmark that Jacob and his son had in common. As he worked the oil against Jacob's skin, he involuntarily started massaging, a fact not lost on the bruiser, who let out a groan of appreciation. "Wow, Richie, no wonder Jer's so happy with you. If this is the kind of stuff you do for him, I wish I'd known a guy like you when I was in school." "You went to college?" "For a year, then I got called into the minor leagues of hockey." He spread out his arms and Richard saw that, even though he wasn't a hockey player anymore, he kept himself in excellent shape, gut notwithstanding. His arms were larger than his son's, as were the wings of his lats. Richard gave them a squeeze and rubbed the oil over the swollen arms before he knelt behind the man to put the tanning aid on his legs. The thick thighs and stone-like calves were covered in a dense layer of hair, but the oil found skin eventually. "All done, Sir." "Not quite. You missed my butt." "I -- I thought --" "We've seen each other naked, Richie. I got yours, it's only fair you get mine." "You're...unusually open about your body." "My parents were hippie latecomers and I was raised in the 60's and 70's. The body's nothin' to be ashamed of." He turned around, concerned. "Hey, I'm not makin ya uncomfortable, am I, Richie?" Richard didn't know what to say or where to go or what to do. He stood, dumb, looking at Jacob. He became aware the father was waving a hand before his eyes. "Richie? Still with me?" "Yeah, I -- Jake...if I tell you something, would you promise not to get mad?" "You've turned Jer around like no one else ever has." /You don't know the half of it./ "I promise I won't get mad." "You are the second sexiest man I've ever laid eyes on." Jacob looked like he'd been punched in the stomach by someone twice his size. "I -- I'm sorry. I should --" One of those big hands grabbed his shoulder, but it wasn't a rough grab. The look on his face was one of curiosity. "You know," he finally said, "I've had a lot of ladies tell me I'm sexy, and when I told them I'm married, they turned cold. Some of the guys on the team gave me looks in the showers after a game, but I never thought anything of it, and no one ever said anything." "I understand why Evangeline has such a physical attraction to you, but I've come to see why she's stayed with you beyond that. You may be a bruiser on the outside, but you're just a huge teddy bear inside. You've defended me against Luke like Jer-Bear did against his old teammates. You've treated me like a son when I've had no such treatment from my own father. I feel...good here." Once again, Richard was on the receiving end of a strong hug, but there was more tenderness to this hug, like Jacob considered Richard the son he never had. The student put his arms around the bruiser, hugging back as hard as he could, but the sheer difference in size and muscular build made a comparable hug impossible. When the hug ended, Richard could see that Jacob had a big smile on his face, framed by his thick beard. "Richie, that's the best compliment I've had from any one of Jerry's friends. You're a good kid, and I'm sorry that your parents can't see that in you." He patted the student's chest and said, "So, who's number one?" Richard bit his lip and looked away. "It's Jerry, huh?" he said with a smile. "Listen, he likes you a lot. I just don't know that he'll ever like you like that. Anyway, are you going to oil up my butt or not?" Relieved that Jake wasn't going to ask further questions, Richard took the oil in hand and rubbed it over the more blocky, padded rump of the older man. They laid on their stomachs with towels beneath them and talked until the warmth of the sun put Jacob to sleep. Even though he had just released a couple of hours ago, Richard felt the urge rising again, only intensified as he looked at the man snoozing before him. He couldn't take advantage of Jake's hospitality like this. What if someone should see? As he looked around, though, there wasn't a house visible for miles and the lake was closed due to preparations for the 4th of July celebration just around the corner. Richard got to his feet and walked toward the water to cool off when he heard Jake stir. The man rolled over on his towel and scratched his stomach, exposing himself. As if drawn by a magnet, Richard returned to the man's side. He tentatively placed a hand against the uncut member, also snoozing, between his legs. Soft, he and his son were about the same in length, though he had an edge in girth. He felt a twinge of pity for Evangeline having to take this thing. Those nuts, however, were like large, ripe avocados, a bit too big for even Richard to handle... /No! No! Stop thinking like that!/ "Jake? Jake?" The big man blinked and shaded his eyes. "What's up, Richie?" "I'm gonna head inside and take a shower." "You sure?" "Yeah, I need...I need to cool off." He picked up his towel and trunks, dusted them off and walked back to the house as Jacob got up and followed suit. His vision was still blurry, but Mr. Myers could swear that he saw an extension on Richard's shadow. The showers were large with multiple heads. Apparently, Jacob's friends were just as open about their bodies as he was. He closed his eyes and turned on the water, setting the temperature just below lukewarm. He closed his eyes and soaped himself up, feeling bits of silt and sediment here and there from his time in the water and on the shore. His member had softened completely and he could breathe easily. He wasn't expecting to hear the shower door open behind him. "Richie?" He turned around and saw Jake there, looking smaller than he ever had in Richard's memory. He was hunched down a little and had a bit of a hangdog look in his eyes. "Listen, I -- I'm sorry if I scared you out there at the water's edge." "You didn't, Jake." He nodded and continued, stepping into the shower. "What have you and my son done together?" Richard faced the shower head. "Sexually, you mean?" He nodded again, soaping himself up, the hair matting to his body. "Because of his size, I've done little more than oral on him; teased his nipples with my tongue, kissed his body." "And has he entered you?" "Only once so far. It was rougher than I thought it would be and, because he doesn't want to hurt me, he's held back from doing it again." "And have you --" "No, Sir." "I wouldn't be mad --" "Jerry is the top here. I do what he wants me to do and what I think he would enjoy." "What would /you/ enjoy? Right now?" Richard faced Jacob again. He had his cock in his hand and started stroking it, the meat swelling thicker and longer; even a ballpark estimation put it at a little over a foot when fully hard. "How did Evangeline manage?" "Yoga," Jake said with a chuckle. "Jake, I -- I can't. Believe me, if I didn't -- if I didn't love your son, I would take you up in a heartbeat." "You love my boy?" "When I met him, I was in lust. When he saved me from the other players, I was grateful. When he stayed with me that night, I felt safe. And when I found him in my kitchen the next morning, ready to make breakfast, I was in love. Until I met you, I believed him to be the most gentle man alive, and even if he never feels for me as I feel for him, I can't...I can't be unfaithful to my heart." He hated lying to Jake about his son like this, but the news of his orientation was best delivered by Jerry himself. Richard was glad the shower was hitting the back of his head; the water that came down his face hid the tears. His voice, however, betrayed him. Jake turned off his shower head and moved toward Richard. His thick cock poked the boy in the stomach and he shoved it down between his legs with a grunt. He then put his hand against the student's face and rested his forehead against Richard's. Richard didn't know a man his size could have a touch so tender with hands that rough. "I almost wish Jer was gay...just to have you with us." Richard didn't know what to make of that. Then, he felt the dampened beard press against his face, a full pair of soft lips against his own. Jake's grip was gentle, in case Richard wanted to get away. He felt instead a poking against his own hairy gut when the kiss broke, which showed that perhaps Richard's resolve wasn't as strong as he made it out to be. "Jake, please...I can't." "I'm not askin' ya to," he said, backing up. "You're a wonderful kid, and if Jer- Bear's the one you want, I won't get in the way. The girls he'd brought home didn't have half as much on the ball as you and only made him worse at his studies. And before you ask, it never got this far with any of them. That'd be improper." "But it's not with me?" Jake smiled and put his arms akimbo. "Well, damn, boy, you act like you've never seen a grown man naked before." "It's the first time such a handsome one has seduced me in a shower." Jake grabbed his towel. "Flatterer. Oh, Jer and Eva are comin' back, sounds like. Get yourself dressed." He finished cleaning himself up and gave his hair a quick shampoo and rinse before getting out of the shower. For as large a man as Jacob was, he was incredibly light on his feet; he didn't even hear Mr. Myers dashing back to his bedroom. He was just going to the guest room when he heard Evangeline fumbling with the keys. "Here, let me," he said, opening the door. "Oh, thank you, Richard. Have a nice swim?" "Yes, I did; I just got out of the shower. Would you like some help?" "No, I have Jerry to help me with that." She had come in with four grocery bags; he had come in with the rest, it seemed. He smiled at his lover, who looked down and away before going into the guest room. Jerry hurriedly put the groceries in the kitchen and asked, "You need any help putting these away?" "I'll be fine, thank you." He nodded and joined Richard, who he found sitting on his bed, his face in his hands. "Hey, Richie, what's wrong?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." "Try me." "Your dad wanted me to...work him over, like I do to you." "What?!" he whispered, shocked. "I didn't. I couldn't. Your dad is hot, don't get me wrong, but you're the one I love." "You think my dad's hot?" he said, unable to restrain a little chuckle. "You're practically mirror images -- his hair and eye colors are different, and he's got more fat and muscle and hair on him than you have, but you have the same nose, the same lips, the same dashing smile...not to mention armpits you could hide easter eggs in. And...he is bigger in the crotch department than you are." "I'm bigger than he was at my age. That'll change. But what started it?" "He had me rub him down with tanning oil. He did it to me first. After about a half hour, he dozed off and rolled over, and I got to look at him...dammit, Jer-Bear, I saw myself kissing him and doing everything I do with you, and I -- God, Jerry, I'm sorry!" "Hey, hey...it was just a fantasy, right? I can't hold that against you. I mean, I've told you my fantasies, but you know I'll always come back to -- jeez, you didn't tell him we --" "He knows what you do to me and what I do for you...not the other way around. As far as he's concerned, you're straight as an arrow. It's not my place to tell him that about you." "What happened then?" "I gave him a measure with my hand, just to compare -- he was snoring so loud, I don't think he would've noticed if I'd straddled his thigh and pressed mine against his to compare. I freaked out when the thoughts kept coming, so I woke him up and told him I was going to shower. He joined me, later, and...he asked about us. I had to lie to him...you understand that, right?" "Yeah, 'course." "Well, he asked what I wanted right then. I wanted you, but he was there, all hairy and hard." "You mean --" "Yeah. You will never know how tempted I was. I was crying, I was so conflicted. He saw I was upset and stepped forward to comfort me, but his hardon jabbed me in the stomach. He pushed it down, pressed his head to mine, and said he wished you were gay, so I could be with your family all the time." "No fuckin' way. Dad's cool with us?!" "Again, he still thinks you're straight, though I'm sure he has his suspicions now. Then, he kissed me. It was like kissing you, if you let your beard grow out." Jerry was stunned. "You know I'm terrible at keeping secrets. If -- if I had done what Jake asked, what would you do?" "It would've made coming out to him easier," he said with a grin. "You wouldn't be mad?" He looked at himself, then thought about something. "Who's hotter: me or Dad?" "You, obviously." "I wouldn't be mad. At least with him, you'd have an idea of what to look forward to when we get older together." Richard smiled. "Don't take this wrong, but you and your dad are fucking nuts. If you were closer in age, I'd swear you two were brothers, twins who want to be different." Jerry hugged Richard and said, "We'll tell them tomorrow...at dinner." *** One of the other families with whom the Myers celebrate Independence Day called and said the meeting had been moved their home. Again, Richard opted to stay behind. "You sure you'll be OK, Richie?" Jacob asked. "I'll be fine. When should you be back?" "About 7:30 or so," Evangeline said. "Dinner will be waiting for you when you come back. Go on now." "Do you want me to stay behind?" Jerry asked. "I've monopolized enough of your time today. Go with your folks." Jerry nodded and, with that, the Myers left for the Parkers' place on the other side of the lake. Richard sprawled on a couch and set the TV to wake him at 6:45. After what had happened that day, he needed a rest. When he woke up some time later, he found Luke staring down at him with a sneer. "'Sup, faggot?" The clock on the wall read 6:32, Richard noticed. "No, faggots are usually down low, around the feet of witches, and then set ablaze." "What?" /Imbecile./ "A faggot is also a type of meatball in Britain. If the skinny jeans you have on and your macho posturing with no one around to stop you are any indication, you've got a small pair of faggots, indeed." A sharp, throbbing sensation appeared at the side of Richard's mouth. He barely had time to register it when he had the wind knocked out of him with a series of punches to his stomach. He heard Luke muttering something about "show you what a real man is like" as his shorts were yanked down roughly and his underwear was ripped apart. Richard felt them pulled away from his body and stuffed in his mouth as a makeshift gag. He knew what was coming and, unfortunately, his body's anticipation of that made it all the more painful when it happened. Luke spread Richard's ass cheeks apart and spit on the hole, triggering a gag reflex he wasn't even aware he had anymore, then shoved two thick fingers into the tight ring of muscle. Richard grunted and shut his eyes tight, whimpering quietly as they moved around roughly. The man on leave then grabbed Richard's hips and, in one harsh motion, hilted himself inside the winded student, snickering. Luke had nowhere near the endowment that Jacob had, or even Jerry, but the fact of the matter was that there was no love here -- only hatred. That and the lack of lube made the pounding he took more painful than Jerry had ever intended his to be that night he tried. Luke was thrusting into Richard as he would the only willing sex partner he imagined Luke would have -- a blow-up doll. Everything in his body was screaming "Fight back" but he had Richard's arms pinned in such a way that moving in any direction would have been more painful still. It seemed like ages, but when Luke finally came, the clock read 6:39. Something felt wrong. "Shit! You're bleeding on my cock like a bitch on the rag!" He grabbed the underwear gag out of Richard's mouth and wiped off his 5.5" cock with it, then shoved it between Richard's asscheeks to stop any more blood getting anywhere. "So what now?" Richard asked weakly. "You wanna make out or something? Cuddle? You want me to fuck your stupid ass and make you bleed too?! I've got a bigger set than you have; let's see how you like it! What the fuck did I ever do to you?!" "Shut up, man!" "Why? No one's around for miles! How about I suck on those walnuts of yours and shove my fist in your ass, huh? That'll /really/ get you off. I think there's some Crisco in the kitchen!" "I said shut up!" "What are you gonna do about it, Shortcake?!" That was it. Luke lunged at Richard and tackled him, taking him to the ground. He latched his hands around Richard's neck and started choking him. Richard reached up and tried to put his thumbs in Luke's eyes, but to no avail. His strength was leaving him; his vision went blurry and before everything went black, he heard, "Burn in Hell, you fuckin' queer." *** Beep. Beep. Beep. "Mom! Dad! I think he's comin' around!" "Mon Dieu...regardez-là...qui voudrait lui faire du mal?" Richard opened his eyes a little and saw the Myers looking at him worriedly. He said quietly, "Lucas m'a blessé, Evangeline." He looked at himself as they took in the news and found he had a lot of bruises on his body. Apparently, strangling him wasn't enough; Luke wanted to give him a boot party, too. "Was he the one who hurt you...back there, too?" Jake asked. Richard nodded as best his pain would allow. They were ready to ask another question when a man with a short, cropped haircut came in, his hat under his arm. Richard spotted the mark of his rank and said, "Hello, Colonel." He gave a curt nod to Richard and then said, "You are the Myers family?" Instinctively, Jacob pulled his family closer. He even stepped closer toward Richard, which filled him with a warm feeling. "We are, yes." "Have you seen Lucas Malone?" "Yes, he's been staying with us. He said he was on leave." The colonel sighed. "My name Arthur Stanton, Colonel, as your friend here rightly guessed. Luke has been AWOL for a month and a half, and has to respond to charges of brawling with fellow officers and CO's." "You may want to add rape and assault to those charges," Richard said, pulling back his blanket to reveal his bruised body. Jacob said, "He also broke a lot our property and...some of Richard's as well." "What?" "He...he smashed your cello." The physical abuse hurt him, but the painkillers were making it bearable, at the very least. Hearing that his cello was laying on the floor, splintered and broken, was what made him cry. He put a hand to his eyes and shook his head. "Richie, I'll give you some money to get a new cello." "No need -- it was insured. It just...upsets me so much that he'd beat me and then destroy my instrument." "He also ripped up your clothes." "Son, I'm sorry, but unless you have proof..." He disconnected some tubes from himself and leaned forward to look at his medical chart. The Myers were too unnerved to stop him. Richard tapped the clipboard and said, "Here, page 10, paragraph 2." Col. Stanton put a pair of glasses on and read: "Patient was admitted with severe forced entry damage to the rectum, consistent with aggravated sexual assault. A pair of underwear was used as a crude plug to stop the bleeding; upon removal, a semen sample was collected for analysis. Identification of the donor has yet to be made." A doctor came in and said, "Are you with the military, Sir?" "I am," said the Colonel. "This is for you. This young man was raped and a member of the military was responsible." "Lucas Malone?" he asked without accepting the paper. "Yes...how did you --" "I need you to forward all this young man's medical documents since his admission to Camp Ripley. Immediately and high priority, if you could." "Of course." The Colonel left and the doctor said, "This young man heals very quickly; already his bruises are looking better than they did when he came in." /They look better? Luke must have worked me over hard./ "...and he should be ready to go in a couple of days." "Thank you, Doctor," said the Myers adults. "Young man, would you like me to contact your parents?" "No. The only people I care about are already here." "Aww, Richie," said Jacob as the doctor left with a smile. "We should let him get his rest," said Evangeline. "Wait, Mom, Pops...I gotta say something." "Jer-Bear..." "No, I want to say it now. Me and Richie are in love." Both parents looked stunned. Even Jacob, who must have picked it up somewhere along the line with all the tiptoeing around that Richard had done, was at a loss for words. They didn't look angry or sad, just...surprised. "Since that night I saved him from the guys on the team who were kicking his ass, I've...I've wanted to protect him. And I failed tonight. I don't want that to happen again, and I don't care what you guys say, we're staying together." Richard said to Jacob, "I told you I didn't need to worry." Jake couldn't speak. He looked at his son and then to Richard, not knowing what to think about this turn of events. Evangeline looked ready to cry, but whether it was because she was happy or because her only son was gay was unclear. *** July 4th. All the families gathered at the Myers' to enjoy the festivities. At 9:00, the fireworks would begin, but until then, the little kids were given sparklers and parents were laughing it up, beers in hand. Jerry and Richard sat apart from all of them, on the steps leading up to the rear of the house. The noises from the party were carried their way on the wind. "You feelin' OK, Rich?" He sighed and leaned against the larger student with a smile. "Yeah. All the bruises have healed and my butt's feeling a lot better." Jerry put an arm around Richard and gave him a kiss. "I meant are you OK up here?" he said, tapping his temple. "It's just a lot to take in, isn't it? I mean, you and I were so happy at college, and -- God, I envy you so much, having Evangeline and Jake as parents. They love you more than anything and have as good as taken me in as a son-in-law. All they want is for you to be happy." "Did you tell your folks?" "No, and they wouldn't care even if I wanted to tell them. That time we spent together back at the house was the longest I'd seen them at a stretch since junior year of high school." "How are you so well-adjusted?" "Not a clue." "Hey, here you are, young lovers!" said Jake, coming toward them with a plate of food and soda each. "Thanks, Pops." "Thanks, Jake." Jake squatted and said, "Richie, I want you to call me Dad or Pops. No more of this Jake/Mr. Myers stuff. You're part of the family now." Richard accepted the food and drink, set them aside, and launched himself at the man, hugging him around the neck. Jacob was caught off guard, but righted himself and returned the hug gently, unsure what prompted it. "Thanks...Dad." "You're welcome, Richie, my boy. Come on, eat up. I want to show you two off to the others."