Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 23:35:02 EST From: DefJamMariah85@aol.com Subject: When Souls Fly Free chpt 7 When Souls Fly Free chpt 7 Morning rose again in the Alabama sky as Marcus and Terell slept lovingly together in each others arms, sunlight hit Terell's eyelids as he gently awakened to the new day dawning. He yawned while his hands still remained wrapped around Marcus's waist, his warm breath caressing the back of Marcus's neck as he exhaled causing him to stir a bit in his sleep. Terell just layed there and watched Marcus for a few moments, taking in the vision of him sleeping peacefully. Suddenly, Terell felt a hand glide over his.... "Good morning Mr. Lovey-dovey" Marcus grumbled while half smiling and trying to get awake. "Who, me?" Terell replied with a smart alek tone. "No, the green two-headed monster laying next to you smart ass" Marcus laughingly retorted. "Oh you wanna play huh?" Terell said tickling Marcus abs making him cringe. "AHH!!!!! UMPH! OK! STOP!! AHAHA". Marcus cried, but Terell continued his playfulness. "OK that's it!" Marcus exclaimed laughing as he pried Terells fingers away from his stomach, grasped his arms and began to wrestle around with him, even if he wasn't as muscular as Terell..he could still hold his own against him. He managed to pin Terells arms by his sides and then plant a light kiss on his full lips. "That felt nice" Terell smiled. "Ya know you love me" Marcus said lifting himself off Terells chest. He hopped off his bed and headed over towards his dresser and began to adjust a lens on his camera while Terell sat back and watched admiringly. "Hey you didn't bring any clothes to change into did you?" Marcus asked. "Damnit no I didn't, I guess I'll just have to go shirtless! Terell joked. "Wouldn't that be a treat" Marcus said "But...the problem is I don't think any of mine would fit you...mr muscle man, just put on the one ya came here with". Marcus said as he tossed Terells shirt from last night over to him and watched him put it on. "So when did ya get interested in photography?" Terell asked curiosly. "Well ever since I was a kid loved cameras so naturally I just picked it up...it's my passion..it's practically part of my DNA" Marcus gleamed. "Cool, so how do your folks feel about it?" Terell asked parental support was always rare in his life with a strict mother and absent father. "They're awesome, they've sacrificed so much for me, they mortgaged this house so I could go to Europe....I'll always be in debt to them for that" Marcus exclaimed glancing over his Pictures "I wish I had support like that..my mom well......never mind and I've never known my dad" Terell said looking down. Marcus paused for a minute in empathy "Oh man, I'm sorry..." Marcus replied "It's alright man...I just wish he stuck around, why didn't just be a man and take care of his family" Terell said sullenly. "Well...I don't know your situation that well so I'm not in any position to comment" Marcus replied "But you can tell me about anything ok?" "I know" Terell smiled."Well......I got a job rakin this guys yard today for some extra dough, I gotta be there in like 30 min" Terell said putting on his shoes and tying them. "Oh I didn't know you had another job?..cool...I'm gonna be goin around takin pictures all day...maybe get some inspiration for my next work". Marcus replied taking out a roll of film. "Ooh sounds fun" Terell said as he stood up "Well I gotta get going" "Let me walk you out babe" Marcus said..Terell following him downstairs. Terell said goodbye to Mrs. Grenier in the kitchen on his way out and said bye to Marcus...he wanted to kiss him goodbye so bad but he knew nobody could know at this point. "Marcus honey could ya come help ovah here with these dishes?" Mrs. Grenier exclaimed as she took a break and exhaustingly sat down at the kitchen table. Marcus headed over with a concerned look on his face. "Momma you look like you been hauling steel beams all night, you don't look so good" Marcus said looking at her face, her eyes began to take on a droopy, energy drained state which troubled Marcus. "I been real tired lately...maybe I'm comin down with something prolly just a bug or sumthin...I'll be alright". Mrs. Grenier replied in her strong southern woman personality. "Well......alright...you rest up though.........I'm gonna go out and take some pictures later..you need me to get ya anything?" Marcus asked as he washed plates. "Nah, I'll be alright...I'll just head up to bed and take a nap for a while" Mrs. Grenier slowly lifted her body from the table and headed upstairs. Marcus finished the dishes and hung the kitchen towel on the stove rod to dry. He headed upstairs again to get his camera and put on his shoes. His head filled with possible photo ideas, rocks...trees...cars, anything that gave him inspiration. Although Marcus knew......a lot of times he found inspiration in the most unexpected places. As he headed out the door and on to the front yard, he was greeted by an unexpected surprise. "Hey you!, I thought you had to go mow a lawn?!" Marcus said startled as he noticed Terell sitting on his front steps. "The guy cancelled on me..he gave me my pay anyways...hey, I couldn't say no" Terell said with a sexy wink. "Well....hmm.........would you like to accompany me on a photographic adventure young sir?" Marcus replied grinning and holding up his camera in a cheesy tv commercial add pose for a laugh. Terell...... giggling...stood up. "Yes of course master hehe" Terell smiled as he approached Marcus. "So.........where we goin?" "Hmm.........wherever we want" Marcus replied. "Hey...we can stop by my old high school football field if you want and you can tell me about all the touchdowns you've made" "Hehe......sure..sounds cool" Terell said shyly as he clearly sensed Marcus trying to get on his good side. The two young men walked side by side in the Alabama summer air together enjoying the moments of tranquility. An unspoken connection was felt by both of them even without them noticing it from the other. The sight of Marcus's old Patterson High School football field came into view. "Well this is it" Marcus pointed as he displayed his old stomping Grounds. "Nice field...grass needs tendin to but oh well" Terell said looking at the field with nostalgia , remembering his football days in high school. Marcus noticed two old ladies walking together and thought it was a really good opportunity to capture the sweetness of the afternoon and snapped a photo of them. "Man you really have an eye for noticing things" Terell said flatteringly. "Yeah...not to mention YOU" Marcus said flirting while taking a picture of Terell before he could smile. "Hey!" Terell shouted chasing after Marcus and trying to tickle him. Marcus ran away laughing. "Gotcha" Marcus joked. "Very funny" Terell retorted. "Hey I got an idea, you want me to take some pictures of you by the football field?" Marcus asked. Terrell,...usually camera shy...hesitated. "Nah..." Terell shyly refused. "Awe come on, I'll make a full photo spread...it's your home! Hehe" Marcus exclaimed burning with desire to get Terells beauty on film. "Oh well ok....where do ya want me?" Terell asked looking around. "Pose over there by the fence!" Marcus stated . Terell obeyingly took his place by the fence, Marcus was inevitably drawn to his muscular physique yet Terells soft and naïve side constantly showed. "Ok so what do you want me to do?" Terell asked. "Spread your arms out and hook both your hands on the fence like your leaning back on it" Marcus said smiling. "Um...hehe ok" Terell posed while slightly grinning at this new experience...no one had hardly took his photo unless it was in a uniform. "Now...look to the side with a serious expression!....that's it...." Marcus snapped the photo of Terrell...who immediately looked like a model. Marcus was captivated by the experience of taking Terells picture. Every frame soaked in those chocolate brown eyes as Marcus's finger clicked the shutter. "Man, seein this field brings back a lot of memories" Terell said. "I bet it does babe" Marcus replied smiling as he was getting to know Terell better. "I just wish my father was around to see this" Terell looked down trying to hide a tear forming in his left eye...he quickly saved himself. "Let's just say he missed too many touchdowns" "Well....that's his loss...whoever he is he missed out on a great relationship" Marcus lovingly replied. "Yeah I know but...." Terell paused. " I missed out too, sometimes I think about it and I get so mad I wanna take a baseball bat and just smash every thing in sight". Marcus put down his camera and approached Terell "I can understand why you'd feel that way babe, but I just hope you don't let that anger consume you" Marcus said...putting a hand on one of Terells shoulder. " I try not to...especially since I have to deal with my mom too...it's like she doesn't know the real me inside, she's sacrificed so much for me and I owe her my life for that...but she too damn strict...she criticizes way too much...it's hard to be close to someone who's like that, she always talks about wanting to be more close to me but she does almost everything NOT too......" Terell exclaimed...kicking the ground with his right foot. "She just loves you a lot babe....ok...enough of this let's do something else ok?" Marcus said trying to change the mood he quickly thought of a diversion. "I know this is immature, but it's summer.......wanna race to that tree at the end of the street?" "Yup but on one condition.." Terell smirked. "What's that?" "Loser has to kiss the winner!!!!" Terell said as he pinched Marcus's arm and bolted off down the street. Marcus gave a slight yelp from the pinch and desperately tried to get a good start off but Terells athletic abilities proved him inferior. Terell rocketed to the end of the street and slapped his hand against the tree as Marcus huffed and puffed trying to catch up about 15ft behind him and dejectedly put his hand on the tree. "Jesus ..."Marcus huffed" you.... ....you run fast man" he continued to catch his breath. "Of course hehe" Terell replied with a cocky expression "I believe you owe me a lil something after you catch your breath". Marcus nodded and winked at Terell as he continued to catch his breath for a few minutes, he knew he was gonna need it. "Ok I think I'm good now..." Marcus said. "Well?..." Terell waited. "I gotcha" Marcus grabbed Terells arm and led him behind the tree out of anyone's sight and pulled him close and began to run his lips over Terell's, then moving in closer to fully and passionately kiss his full luscious lips. Terell willingly received Marcus's affection by wrapping his arms around his waist. A soft breeze blew by as the two young men shared their love together. A few moments later..Marcus pulled away. "Well now you know I'm not a sore looser" Marcus said jokingly " That's always good to know hehe" Terell responded "Heh...well..anyways....wanna go back to my house for a while?..I can show you the dark room my parents helped me make.....and NO I ain`t rich either" Marcus said laughing. "Dark room?.......never been in one....sure let's go" Terell eagerly replied. They both worked their way back towards the Grenier house. As they reached the mailbox of the property, Terell stopped and told Marcus he was going to check in with his mother and let her know he was going to be at Marcus's. Marcus continued on to his front door, he noticed his father's truck wasn't in the carport and was probably out getting supplies for his many hobbies or something. Marcus knocked on the front door only to get no answer, he knocked again....no answer "Hmm.." Marcus murmured to himself as he pulled out his house keys and opened the front door. He was greeted by a chilling silence as he stepped into the house. "Hello?.....mama I'm home!" Marcus shouted as he was answered by complete silence. "Mama you awake?" he yelled upstairs...no answer, he knew his mother could sleep through an earthquake so this didn't alarm him that much. He continued into the living room and made his way over to the kitchen. He almost tripped over his own feet as he stopped suddenly and gasped at the sight of his mother passed out on the kitchen floor unconscious..... "MOMMA!!!" *another cliffhanger guys!...hope you liked this one!...hit me back at DefJamMariah85@aol.com!*