Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2017 21:32:48 -0500
From: rw6789@aol.com
Subject: "A Trial Of Strength" - Part 349  by Rob Willams

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - PART 349
By Rob Williams

IN THIS CHAPTER:

In the budding love affair between middle-aged Mike and early-twenties
Larry, the older man at last yields to the young jock's spirited sexuality
in a defining act of love and lust.  "That settles it kid – you're
coming to live with me."  Then four young mechanics service construction
bosses Randy and Zack.  Randy grins, "Look at them, Zack – kneeling like
pigs feeding at the trough.  Let's give `em what they want."


CHAPTER 349 – "OF LOVE, JOY - & PIGS AT THE TROUGH"


************ In the previous chapter *************

Soon after Larry's arrival at the tribe's house – bitter, confused and
angry at life – he had felt an affinity for the middle-aged friend of
the tribe whom everyone called Uncle Mike.  He had spent the first night in
Mike's room and ended up in the same bed with him, but when, next morning,
Larry had falteringly tried sex, with a clumsy attempt at a blow job, Mike
had recoiled.

Although he felt an affection for Larry, whose desolate home life had been
similar to Mike's early life, Mike felt that Larry's clinging to an older
man might be just a desperate compensation for his hatred of his brutal
father who had physically and sexually abused him, causing him to run away
from home.  So Mike reasoned gently with the disappointed young man.

"Listen, I like you a lot, boy ... like I said before, you remind me of me
at your age.  But if I take you under my wing it'll be simply as a friend.
I know in the past how your dad came on to you sexually so, just to be
clear, there will be nothing like that between us.  Just good buddies, eh?"

The tribe's therapist Dr. Steve agreed with Mike that Larry should not rush
things.  The young man had only just discovered his sexual desire for men
and now found himself like a kid in a candy store, surrounded by the
homoerotic eye candy of beautiful men.  Dr. Steve suggested he should
sample that candy as much as he liked – a crash course on what sex with
men is like.  And Larry took him at his word, having sex whenever it
presented itself (which was often).

When Larry appeared at dinner, Randy said, with his usual lack of finesse,
"Hell, kid, you look like you just hit the jackpot.  That glow can only
mean one thing.  You fucked, didn't you?  You fucked a guy for the first
time ... and Brandon was the lucky recipient, am I right?  The jungle drums
round here have been keeping us up with your sexual exploits all day.
Looks like you've been fucking your way through the clan pretty good.

But when the exhausting day was over Larry snuggled up against Mike for
their second night together and said drowsily, "You know, sir, I did a ton
of new stuff today – all that sucking and fucking – and it was great,
but the thing I looked forward to the most was this – cuddling up to you
in bed.  And I wasn't ever scared `cos I knew you were here and I would
always end up with you."  He laid his head on Mike's chest.  "I wanted to
tell you all about my day but there was so much and ..." he yawned "... and
I'm so tired that I ... I think maybe I ..."

And he was asleep.  Mike looked down at his face, a slight smile on it as
he slept, and stroked his hair gently.  Much later when he looked back he
reckoned that this was the moment where he started to love the boy.

The next few days went well for Larry as he worked for Pablo as temporary
assistant mechanic and spent a lot of time with Mike, their relationship
becoming closer all the time.  Late one afternoon, before the guys came
home from work and Mike came back from the Grady House, Bob had a quiet
chat with Larry.  "So tell me, Larry, how are things going with you and
Mike?"

"Oh, great, sir," Larry smiled.  "I love being with him, talking to him and
especially sleeping with him.  Last night when he slept up at the Grady
House I really, really missed him, but he'll be back soon.  I got real sad
without him, wondering ... well ... you know, I tried having sex with Mike
the first day but he said we should cool it.  D'you think he doesn't like
me in that way, sir?"

"Larry," Bob smiled, "I happen to know Mike likes you a whole lot – he
told me.  But there's something you don't know about Mike.  See, he once
had a lover for quite a few years, a man younger than him but older than
you.  They were very much in love but ... the man was tragically killed in
a motorbike accident and it shattered Mike.  He grieved for a long, long
time.

"And something like that can leave a man with what Dr. Steve would call a
fear of intimacy – a reluctance to allow himself to get close to another
man because he could not bear the agony of losing him like he felt the
first time.  That explains his hesitation in letting you get too close.
But don't despair, Larry, `cos I have a feeling you're starting to break
down those barriers in him."

"You really think so, sir?"  The hope shining in Larry's eyes moved Bob
... but suddenly he saw the eyes widen and the hope turned to horror.
Larry stood up and screamed, "No ... no ... go away!"  It was his worst
nightmare – the father he hated had come to take him back to the home he
had deserted.

Bob interceded, only to meet the thug's fist that sent him crashing to the
ground.  Randy, just home from work, saw the brutal act and hurtled across
the grass like a cannon ball. He smashed against the man in a football
tackle that sent them both down with a crash.

The fight was brutal but Randy soon got the upper hand, landing blow after
blow with his fists, making the man reel backwards, then lashing him with
his belt just as the father had whipped his son.  The wild gypsy would have
done permanent injury if he hadn't been restrained by his buddy
Zack. "That's enough, Randy.  You've made your point.  Now go take care of
Bob."

While Randy tended to Bob a commanding voice said, "What the hell's going
on here?"  The uniformed cop Mark had just come home from work.  His boy
Jamie quickly filled him in and Mark looked down at the defeated man
shivering on the ground.  "What have you got to say for yourself?"

"The man stammered, "I came for my boy ... he ran away from home ... I want
him back.  He's my flesh and blood.  He needs a firm hand from someone.
Who's gonna take care of him and teach him if I don't?"

"That would be me!"  All eyes turned to see Mike who had just come back
from the Grady House, unobserved in all the mayhem.  "I'm gonna take care
of him, I'm gonna teach him.  He's coming to live with me.  He won't be
your boy anymore, asshole.  He'll be mine."

Larry looked up, bewildered at first.  Then he got to his feet, ran over to
Mike and fell into his arms.  Mike stroked his hair.  "It's OK, kid, it's
over ... your life just changed.  You're coming home with me ... assuming
that's what you want."  Tears of relief and joy ran down Larry's cheeks.
"You know it's what I want, sir.  It's what I've been telling you all
along."

Mark looked at Randy tending to a shaken Bob, then at Mike and Larry.  "OK,
guys," the cop said, "I'll take over now.  Mike, why don't you take Larry
up to your room?  I imagine you two have a lot to talk about.  As for you,
Randy, I suggest you take Bob upstairs with you and give him a stiff
brandy.  And whatever else he might need," he grinned.

Mike and Larry went into the house to a smattering of applause from the
boys and Randy put his arm round Bob and helped him upstairs.  In their
bedroom Bob grinned at Randy.  "Look at you, buddy, in your filthy
workpants and ripped tank – covered in dirt, scratched and bruised.
Man, as bad as the situation was out there, I got a massive hard-on
watching you fight.  Damn you looked hot.  Whenever I beat off thinking
about you that's exactly how I picture you."

"That so?" Randy preened.  "Yeah, a good fight gets me all stoked too. You,
er, you still got that hard on?"  And so they made ferocious love, with
Randy alternating savagery with tenderness, an erotic blend of lust and
love ... and fiery passion.  When it was over Randy held Bob tight in his
arms.  "You're safe, buddy, that's all that matters to me."

"Thanks again for everything, Randy.  Saving that boy the way you did was
wonderful, for him and for Mike.  And it sure broke the logjam for those
two ... made Mike come to a decision.  I wonder how Larry will react when
he finally sees Mike's house and the leather bar he owns, and gets a taste
of life in Palm Springs."

"Huh, what I wonder is what's going on right now in the room down the hall.
I mean, when those two look at each other and see their future in the other
guy's eyes ... that's a big fucking deal.  Works for us ... but do you
think it's gonna be the real thing for them too, buddy?"

"Dunno, Randy.  But I'm sure we'll find out."


********************* Chapter 349 **********************

Down the hall in the guestroom there was a lot of uncertainty too.  When
Mike and Larry got there after the trauma of Larry's dad's sudden
appearance and his big fight with Randy, Larry was shivering with delayed
shock, confusion and uncertainty about his future.  Mike took him in his
arms and held him tight.

After his initial euphoria at hearing Mike say, "I'm gonna take care of him
... I'm gonna teach him ... he's coming to live with me," Larry couldn't
quite take it all in and he was seized with doubts at his apparent good
fortune.  "Sir," he said as they hugged.  "What you just said down there.
Did you say it just to make my dad go away?"

Mike pulled back, held Larry at arm's length and looked directly into his
eyes.  "Larry, when you know me better you'll realize I rarely says things
just for effect, especially something as serious at that.  When I saw you
shaking in fear, threatened by your father, the truth suddenly hit me –
like a lightbulb flashed on.  In that instant I realized I had been an old
fool these last few days.  I was denying to myself the affection I felt for
you."  He smiled.  "Here, come sit down."

They sat at the edge of the bed and turned toward each other.  "Here's the
deal, kid ... I'll level with you.  I know Bob told you about my former
lover Ted who ...  Well, when he died I was a total wreck – still am in
a way, though I don't show it.  Anyway, I made a promise to myself that I
would never get close to another guy again, never risk the pain of loss
that was tearing me apart.  And I kept that promise ... until now."

He held Larry's hands.  "See, when I saw you, and especially when I got to
know you a bit, I felt something new that I couldn't pin down.  At first I
thought I was just feeling sorry for you – a kid adrift as I had been at
your age.  But deep down I knew it was more than that – and it scared
me.  And that first morning when you came on to me and I got a hard-on and
you sucked my dick, well that scared me to death, which is why I pushed you
away in a panic.

"I'm sorry I did that, Larry, and hurt your feelings.  But see, when I
swore off love I swore off sex too, but suddenly there you were, this young
guy making me hard and sucking my dick.  I couldn't believe that a guy who
had only just discovered his sexual attraction to men could really want old
Uncle Mike in that way."

"Neither could I, sir," Larry blurted out.  "But I did want you.  I know
you thought it was because my dad was a brute and I'd never had an older
guy to look up to before.  I guess that was part of it, but mostly it was
because I ... I dunno, I liked being with you, listening to you talk and
... and that wasn't the only time I got a hard-on being next to you."

"Yeah, but after you'd had sex with those incredible men – Randy,
Dr. Steve, the twins, Pablo, Darius, Brandon – I couldn't believe that
at the end of the day you would still want stuffy old Mike.  But then, when
you came to bed that night and told me that, even after all that great sex,
the thing you looked forward to the most was cuddling up in bed with me.
Well, that was a clincher.  When you fell asleep I looked down at you and
felt that special heart surge you only feel with a guy you love – or are
starting to love."

Larry smiled shyly at him.  "So what now, sir?"

"Well, kiddo, we take it one step at a time ... and the first step right
now is bed.  Then on Friday I'll take you back with me to the desert and
you can see my house and see if ..."

"... see if I want to live there sir?" Larry said enthusiastically.  "Of
course I will."

Mike smiled at the impetuosity of youth but dampened it down a bit with a
cautious, "Like I said, boy, one thing at a time.  Right now, bed!"

"Aye-aye, sir.  You're the boss."

*************************************

They stripped down to T-shirts and boxers and lay on their backs at first,
but they were both too keyed up to sleep.  They had shared the bed for the
last few nights but tonight was different, with a sense that their
friendship had taken a giant leap forward.  Larry's excitement squashed any
inhibitions that remained and, looking straight up at the ceiling, he said,
"Sir, what I really wanted was to thank you."

Mike too replied to the ceiling.  "You already did that, kiddo."

Suddenly Larry turned on his side and looked at Mike.  "No, sir, I mean
really thank you."

Mike rolled over and faced him.  "What exactly are you getting at, kid?"

Larry's eyes were dancing seductively.  "Well, sir, remember how I told you
that I couldn't think of a way to apologize to Brandon and thank him for
being such a cool guy about what I did to him.  And he came up with the
perfect solution ... he let me ... well ... fuck him.  He was my first
ever.  And I'm dying to do it again."

"So? ... Hey, Larry, you're not suggesting that ...?  Jesus, boy, you sure
have a habit of leaping straight from A to Z and ignoring the alphabet in
between.  Life don't work like that, kid."

"Why not, sir?"

"You have to work up to stuff that big."

"But we already did, sir.  And here we are in bed together.  And I've got a
big stiff boner and ..." he reached across to Mike and laughed a silvery
laugh, "... and so do you, sir.  I knew it."

"Kid, I'm a lot older than you ... young guys are impulsive, I take things
slower.  You know, like step A ...then B ... then C ..."

"Right through to Z?  But that'll take forever, and you don't have to do
that now, sir, `cos you've got me.  You say you're gonna teach me things,
but maybe I can teach you a thing or two ... like how to go with the flow.
And we sure as hell know which way the juices are flowing right now don't
we, sir?"

Mike looked at Larry whose youthful enthusiasm was infectious, and he burst
out laughing.  "God I love you, boy.  Maybe you can teach me to be young
again at that.  But seriously, Larry, here's the deal.  Like I told you,
when Ted died I kinda threw love and sex out the window.  In the last few
years I've had almost no sex, apart from watching porn, or having a quick
fumble with a guy in my office at the bar.  Hell, kid, I'm not sure I even
know how to do it anymore."

"But that's exactly what I said to Brandon and he said not to worry, he'd
show me.  I lost my hard-on the first time but when we tried again it
worked a treat."

"So now you're an expert and you're gonna teach me, uh?"

"Exactly!  Come on, sir.  It'll be fun."

Larry's shining eyes and boyish eagerness were like a mallet chipping away
at Mike's wall of resistance and he felt himself weakening.  "OK, kid, you
win.  But it'll be like an experiment and if it's a disaster, as it will
be, we won't let it spoil things between us, alright?"

"It's a deal, sir.  OK, let's see if I remember... first of all, Brandon
had his shorts off."  Larry leapt up onto his knees and quickly yanked
Mike's shorts off over his feet.  "Right now ... er ... ah yes, Brandon
said you always have to keep a jar of lube by the bed and ... well look at
that ... I bet Nate did that."  There was a jar on the night table and
Larry dipped his hands in it.  "So here's what you do ... first I lube my
cock like this.  You know, when you've done it once it comes as natural as
riding a bike."

Mike should have felt nervous or embarrassed or something, but what he
mostly felt right now was amusement watching the eager Larry earnestly try
to recall exactly what he had done the only other time he fucked ass –
Brandon's.  "Then – here it gets kinda ... well see, I have to ..."  He
reached down and pressed his greasy fingers against Mike's ass.

That intimate act jolted Mike and it suddenly became more serious.  He had
not felt anyone mess with his ass for years ... ever since Ted.  "Wait a
minute, kid, I'm not sure I can do this ..."

But you don't have to do anything, sir.  I'm the one doing stuff ..." he
was the coach now "... see, I'm what they call the top man ... you know
what that is, sir?"

"Yeah," Mike grinned, "I am familiar with the term."

"OK, well it means I'm on top, I call the shots.  And you just have to
relax, like Randy told me to when he fucked me.  Right, so now I pull your
legs up like this and hang them over my shoulders.  `Course Brandon
couldn't feel his legs but he sure felt it when I did this."  Larry eased
his hips forward and pressed the head of his still-hard cock against his
ass.

"Oh, no, I can't kid ... not yet ..."  Mike defensively clenched his ass
tight but Larry said, "No, sir, that's exactly what I did when Randy fucked
me – it's just your nerves – but he told me I had to relax.  And
... and that's what I'm telling you sir," he said sternly.  "Please, sir
... let me do it."

There was something about the boy.  This whole thing was humorous but also
very moving as he watched the boy in his over-enthusiastic way try to take
charge and prove his manliness to his new friend ... to prove his love for
him.  Straining to recall the lessons he had learned from top-man Randy and
bottom-boy Brandon Larry was frowning with concentration, his tongue
pressed between his lips as he eased his cock forward.

And as Mike gazed up at him, at his shining eager eyes, his heart went out
to the boy and a wave of affection swept over him.  And Mike suddenly
wanted it ... wanted to feel Larry inside him, wanted to please him, to
encourage him, to love him.  And then it happened – the head of Larry's
cock entered him and for the first time in years Mike felt a man's cock
inside him.

His first impulse was to push it out but Larry said, "That's it, sir.  We
done it.  A bit further now ... yeah, feels great don't it!"

Mike felt ... great? ... no that was too lame.  It felt ... if felt ... "Oh
Jesus, Larry.  Oh god that feels ... oh, fuck me kid ... take it easy, but
... fuck me ... yeah, fuck me!"

Mike's plea boosted Larry's confidence and he felt empowered as he looked
down at the gray-haired man's lined but still-handsome face and pushed his
cock all the way inside him.  He gasped as he felt a totally new sensation
– the latest and by far the most surprising in a series of new
experiences since he came here.

When he had fucked Brandon, it was fun – two young guys having a party.
But now he was fucking a man he wanted to be with always, a man who had
promised to love and protect him ... a man he loved and who loved him.  It
not only made him feel physically alive as never before, it dazzled him
mentally, launching him into a world of joy he could never have dreamed of.

He leaned forward and rested his hands on either side of Mike, bringing
their faces closer, and fucked gently and deeply. "Oh, this feels awesome,
sir.  It feels like ... I mean ... are we making love, sir?  Is this what
love feels like?"

"Pretty close, I'd say," Mike smiled with tears in his eyes.  "I haven't
felt anything like this since ... since ..." and the tears began to flow
down the older man's cheeks.

"Don't cry, sir.  I want you to be happy.  I want to make you happy.  And I
can, sir, I know it."

"I know you can too, kid.  I know that now."  Mike gazed up at the young
man's shining face, felt his cock sliding inside him, and he reached down
and stroked his own cock that was straining for release.  As Larry fucked
harder and deeper Mike said, "You're bringing me so close, Larry.  Let me
feel you cum inside me.  Let me feel my boy's juice in me for the first
time."

"I want that too, sir.  I've never wanted to cum as bad as I do now.  I
love you, sir ... I'm sure that's what this is ... I'm gonna cum ... can
you cum with me?  Please, sir ... oh man, this is great ... I've never
... oh wow ... I love you ... I love you ... aaaah!"

Larry plunged in deep and his cock exploded in the most breathtaking orgasm
of his life.  Beneath him Mike gasped, his body shook and he blasted jets
of semen over his stomach and chest in the first real orgasm he had
experienced in years.

As Larry took heaving breaths and his heart pounded he stared down at Mike
whose tears flowed even faster now with a strange mix of joy and pain that
startled and confused the boy.  And when the tears became sobs Larry
quickly pulled out of his ass, lowered himself on top of him and wrapped
his arms round him.

Mike's body shook with heaving, uncontrollable sobbing that frightened
Larry ... he could do nothing but hold him tight in an effort to calm him.
And even when the tears stopped flowing Mike was convulsed in dry wracking
sobs until at last his body stopped shaking and he allowed himself to go
limp in the boy's arms while Larry licked the tears from his face.

Startled and inexperienced as he was, Larry instinctively felt that the
intensity of Mike's reaction had less to do with the present than his past.
When Mike had spoken before of his continuing grief over the loss of his
lover Ted, "even though I don't show it", Larry had glimpsed the deep pain
in his eyes and now guessed that, in some way, all that pain had risen to
the surface.

Mike knew exactly what it was, and Larry was right.  Over the years Mike
had comforted many troubled men in his bar and encouraged them to give way
to grief.  But he himself could not take his own advice after the
shattering experience of his lover's death.  Instead he had folded his
grief deep inside him, refusing to face it, instead looking outward,
masking his own pain by focusing on others and redoubling his compassion
for them.

In the depth of the bleak years when men in the community were becoming
sick all around him he had worked tirelessly in the trenches and had come
to the realization that when men were in extremis it took an act of love
toward them by a kind soul to allow them finally to let go and find peace
at last.

And although Mike's own circumstances were far less grave than that, he
knew that the love this boy had shown toward him had at long last
penetrated the wall of denial and allowed him to give way to the pent-up
grief of so many years.

When Mike was lying still in Larry's arms the boy said, "Don't worry, sir.
You've got me now.  I'll take care of you."

Mike looked up and gave him a watery smile.  "I thought I was the one
supposed to be taking care of you, kiddo."

"Well we can take care of each other.  Isn't that what love's supposed to
be all about?"

Mike held Larry closer and grinned, "Boy, for a kid who's only just
discovered love and sex you sure know a lot about them.  Maybe you have an
old soul."

"Well, sir, that kind of makes us even, don't you think?"

As they slept in each other's arms that night Mike had the first
untroubled, dreamless sleep in a long time.  He had finally let go and
found peace at last.

*********************************

The next morning was a flurry of activity downstairs but silence upstairs.
"Not a sound from down the hall," Randy said to Bob.

"I have a feeling they are sleeping in late," Bob grinned.  "This promises
to be a new life for both of them so let's not disturb them.  I'll call the
twins and tell them not to bring them breakfast."

Bob's phone rang – it was Mark.  "Morning guys.  Can you come down and
talk to Zack and me about Larry's dad, Brigg, and what we're gonna do with
him?"

The four men sat round the table by the pool where the twins had served
breakfast.  After the big fight the evening before between Randy and Brigg,
Mark had taken charge and he now gave them an update.

"Right, so I ran a make on the guy with the Missouri cops and guess what.
He's on parole after serving prison time for robbing a convenience store.
Technically he's violating the terms of his parole for even leaving the
state.  His parole officer says that if he gets his ass back there within
24 hours he'll overlook the violation.  After all, his wife just died and
his boy ran away so the officer is prepared to go easy on him."

Zack said, "He spent last night locked in my basement gym across the
street."  He grinned.  "With all that bondage and leather gear in the room
and knowing that me and Darius were upstairs, believe me, all the fight had
gone out of him.  Question is, what happens now."

"He should stay in there and rot," growled Randy, "give me another crack at
him.  Asshole treats a boy like he treated his kid should be made to
suffer."

"Legally," said Mark, "I could arrest him for trespass and making threats
but the most that would happen is he'd be shipped back to Missouri anyway.
What do you think, Bob?"

Bob shrugged.  "I'm all for a quick solution.  There's no permanent damage
here and, if I'm any judge, Larry will want to put this behind him and get
on with his life with Mike.  His dad has to get back home pronto so I
suggest we take care of it ourselves ... get him a one-way plane ticket to
St. Louis, a bit of pocket money to get him started.  There's no excuse for
the life he made Larry suffer but at least we can be forgiving about the
ruckus he caused here.  Like Mark said, the guy's wife just died and he's
all alone."

Bob gazed hard at them.  "I mean, look at us guys ... we're all successful
men, a great life with great buddies and boys who love us.  Who knows what
made Brigg the way he is, but surely we can go easy on the guy, give him a
push in the right direction."

Randy gazed at Bob and realized one more time why he loved him so much.
"Fuck you, man, you'd go easy on Mussolini `cos at least he made the trains
run on time.  Well I suppose as usual you'll get your way.  But I'll talk
to you later, dude, and fuck some sense into you."

"I'm counting on it, big guy," Bob grinned, then called to Jamie who was
walking to the business office behind them.  "Hey Jamie, can you come here
a minute?"  Jamie sat with them while Bob explained the situation and asked
if he could handle it.  "Of course, sir," Jamie said.  "I can make an
airline reservation for this afternoon and print out the ticket."

"And, er, how much you got in the petty cash in there?"

Oh, almost four hundred bucks I think."

"Give it to Larry's dad.  It'll help a bit when he's back home."

So that's how it went.  When Mark confronted Brigg about the parole
violation being overlooked and the other arrangements, the cowed man
quietly accepted the decision.  Mark called the parole officer and told him
when Brigg would arrive back in St. Louis ... Mark and Zack were to take
him to the airport and put him on the plane.  A few hours later they were
all gathered in the garden ready to leave, when Larry appeared with Mike.
Bob had explained everything to them and Larry had asked to see his dad
before they left.

When Larry looked at him now he was struck by the change in his dad from
his mad rage of the day before to the dull submission in his eyes now.  The
boy said, "Dad, you may not care about this but before you go I want you to
know that I'm happier right now than I've ever been before.  This is a new
life for me and I wish you could be happy for me."

He held out his hand, Brigg hesitated, then haltingly shook his hand.  They
clasped hands for some time, gazing at each other, and the father said
softly, "I'm sorry, boy.  Sorry for the way I treated you."  Larry pulled
his father into a tight hug that lasted long seconds.  When at last they
separated Brigg looked at Mike and said, "Take good care of him, sir.  He's
a good boy."

Then he was gone, escorted through the gate by Mark and Zack.  The boy
turned to Mike and fell into his arms, weeping quietly on his shoulder.
Larry too had found peace at last.

******************************

After they had left there was a sigh of relief among Bob, Randy, Mike and
Larry and they all sat at the table for a short while over the snack the
twins had brought out.  Bob congratulated the couple on their new
relationship and promised the tribe's help if ever they needed it, "though
I think that's unlikely judging by the glow around you two right now," he
chuckled.

Randy, of course, had to add his voice.  "Larry, I expect you to behave
yourself from now on, no more rough stuff like before.  Mike's a good buddy
of mine so you'll look up to him, love and respect him and do what he tells
you.  You're a good kid at heart but if I hear any bad reports from Mike
I'll personally come out there and kick your ass – and I don't mean fuck
it like I do to you in the gym, `cos you'd get off on that."

He turned to Mike.  "Old buddy, take good care of the kid.  After the life
he's led he deserves some happiness for a change and you're the guy to give
it to him.  If you need any help with him, or anything else, you know you
can call on me."

Bob and Mike exchanged smiles as Randy asserted his authority over the two
men, as he did over every other member of the tribe.  It could be said, and
often was, that of the two founders of the tribe Bob was the brains and
Randy was the muscle.  But it was also a fact that what Randy lacked in
finesse he more than made up for in masculine strength and charisma.  He
was a born leader, the King of the Gypsies, and the whole tribe accepted
that his word was law.

"OK, I gotta get back to work," Randy said.  "Kid, I know you probably
wanna go back to bed with Mike but you'll have plenty of time for that
later.  Right now you're supposed to be helping Pablo at the construction
site so I'll take you back there with me.  But first ... Bob, I want a word
with you upstairs."

As they went indoors Larry frowned and said to Mike, "Sir, what Randy said
about butt-fucking me at the gym.  He has been doing that at the end of
every workout but I promise I won't do it again – I'll be faithful to
you, sir."

"Nah, kid, that's not the way it works.  See, I think being faithful to a
man means your constant love and respect for him, not necessarily who you
have sex with.  Sometimes sex is given too much importance, though it
sounds strange for me to say that in this oversexed clan.

"Look, kiddo, the difference in our ages really only matters in our
stamina.  I'm pretty mellow these days but you're a sexy young stud and if
I were to cramp you're style you'd miss out on the pleasures of youth and
end up resenting it.  The boys here all fuck around with each other and the
masters encourage that.  I want you to feel free to join in, have fun with
the guys.

"But the golden rule, established long ago by Randy, is that whatever you
do it cannot be outside the tribe."  Mike smiled.  "And I have my own
golden rule just for you, kid.  That whatever you do, at the end of the day
you wind up in my bed and in my arms.  Agreed?"

"Absolutely, sir!"  Larry threw his arms round him.  "You know, sir, I
think I'm gonna love you more and more every day."  Mike chuckled but his
reply was forestalled by Nate, Eddie and Brandon coming out to congratulate
their new buddy.

"Go on ya, mate," Nate said in his Aussie drawl.  "You're a good bloke and
perfect for Mike."  Eddie said in a conspiratorial tone, "And dude, you
gotta let me give you blow-job lessons like I gave all the other guys.
Gotta keep your man happy, you know."  Brandon wheeled himself up and
kissed Larry on the cheek.  "I'm glad my butt-fuck lessons paid off, dude.
I'm honored to be your first, and any time you want a repeat ..."

Meanwhile, upstairs Randy confronted Bob.  "Man, what you did for that guy
Brigg, today, letting him off the hook like that.  I don't agree with it
but it's that kinda stuff that makes me love you even more ... and makes me
damn mad at you too.  I wanted to whip his ass some more but you overruled
me and I can't have that.  So when I get home from work I want you on that
bed, butt naked, so I can teach you a lesson and show you who the real boss
is around here."

"Yes, sir," Bob said obediently, stifling a grin.  "And will you be all
pumped up straight from work, hot and sweaty in work pants and boots and
that greasy tank top?  That always scares me, sir."

"Asshole," Randy growled, trying to stifle his own grin.  "Just be here,
that's all."  He strode out of the house, grabbed Larry and took him to
work.

****************************

When Larry and Randy entered the construction site Larry saw Pablo, Darius
and Ben bending over the engine of a big eight-wheeler truck.  When the
boys heard Randy's commanding voice they stood up and smiled at Larry.
They were all streaked with oil – Pablo in his usual dungarees help up
by one strap, Darius as always shirtless in black jeans, and young Ben in
jeans and a sweaty gray tank top.  Larry's immediate reaction was a
hard-on.

"Hey, Larry," Pablo shouted, "get your ass over here."  There were quick
congratulations from the three, summed up by Darius's "Way to go, dude –
so you and Mike clinched the deal eh?" then work began.  They bent over the
engine and Pablo said, "So here's the problem ..."

They worked hard all afternoon and when the whistle went for the end of the
workday they lingered after the rest of the crew had left the site.  What
kept them hanging around was the sight of Randy and Zack finishing up
preparations on a job for the next day.  They were laboring together,
lifting heavy planks off the ground up onto new scaffolding above head
height so next day's crew could begin right away on the planked
scaffolding.

"Man," Larry breathed, "they look so fucking hot.  Look at those bodies
... wow ... any of you guys got a hard on?"

"Duh," Darius grinned, "of course we've got boners, what d'ya think dude?
We always do when we watch those two studs working together after hours.
They're co-bosses and good buddies but competitive too, so work becomes a
sorta trial of strength – two musclehunks challenging each other to see
who quits first."  He grinned at Pablo and Ben.  "What d'ya say guys –
shall we let him into the club?"

"Sure, why not?" Pablo laughed. "He's Mike's boy now so he qualifies.
Follow us, dude."

Always ready for new experiences Larry followed them as they walked
discreetly round the perimeter and behind a chest high wall.  Larry could
easily see over it and he knew right away why they had chosen this vantage
point.  Mostly hidden out of sight they had a perfect view of the two
shirtless construction workers laboring mightily.  The four boys in unison
reached down, ripped open their pants and pulled out their hard-as-rocks
dicks.

The spectacle was as homoerotic as it gets – a pornographic dream of two
muscle-god construction workers, one a handsome black bodybuilder, the
other a swarthy gypsy with a chiseled physique, the product of a life of
manual labor.  And it was not just the sight of them that roused Larry to
such heat.  It was the running commentary of the awed young spectators."

"This is it, dude," Darius said.  "Welcome to the oglers' club.  We often
do this when those guys strut their stuff after work.  Man, will you look
at those fucking bodies, each one built like a brick shithouse."

"This is one of my favorite things," said Ben, in his shy voice.  "My
master Jason loves it when I jerk off looking at him but these guys don't
even know we're here and that makes it hotter."

Pablo, beating his meat hard, said, "Look at Randy ... those pecs,
shoulders ... see his biceps and abs flex when he strains to lift the
plank?"  Look at his black hair swirling over that face ... remember what
it looks like up close when he's banging your ass with that monster dick of
his?"

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Larry said huskily, and the memory almost made
him shoot so he momentarily let go of his cock.

The two men had their backs to them when they bent down for the next plank
and Ben gasped, "Shit, guys, look at those asses bulging under their pants.
Oh man, can you imagine one of them fucking the other?"

"Zack fucking Randy, you mean," Darius said.  "Bullshit," Pablo shot back.
"Randy could take Zack's ass every time."

Larry's eyes gleamed as he said, "They'd have to fight for it then, the
black stud and the white musclehunk.  They'd slug it out, roll over in the
dirt and the fight would go on and on until the winner had the other guy
pinned to the ground.  He'd yank down his pants, shove his huge dick in his
ass and jackhammer his ass until the beaten construction boss would beg for
mercy and blast jism all over his bruised body."

"Yeah, good one, Larry," Darius panted.  "Now you're talking!  Oh shit,
look at them stand up and raise the plank up high over their heads
... those back muscles rippling like crazy.  And get a load of the hair in
those sweaty armpits."

All four boys were pounding their dicks hard, stopping every time they were
about to shoot, holding back their orgasms as long as possible.  But then
something happened that pushed the boys over the edge.  "Look ... watch,"
Ben said excitedly.  "I don't believe it."

The two men were standing under the scaffolding facing each other and
reaching up high to position the planks just right.  "See," Ben said,
"they're getting closer ... their chests are touching, their crotches are
touching!  Man, their bulges are rubbing together, look at the shape of
those humongous cocks.  You think they're gonna cream their pants?"

But at that moment the plank above then dropped into its correct place and,
suddenly relieved of the heavy weight, they lost their balance.  Zack fell
back against an upright pole and Randy tipped forward against him.  Their
eyes met, they grinned ... and they kissed greedily, their mouths churning
against each other, chests and crotches grinding together.

There was no defense against this.  Wide-eyed the boys watched the
homoerotic spectacle of the two muscle-god construction bosses kissing
ravenously, their sweat-soaked bare chests pressed against each other
... and all four boys lost it.  "Aaaah ... aaaah ... yeah ... fuuuck." Four
blasts of jism slammed against the wall and their shouts resounded across
the site.

"What the fuck !?"  Randy and Zack broke apart and looked in the direction
the howls had come from.  "Who's there?" Randy bellowed as the boys
instinctively ducked behind the wall.  Darius said, "The jig's up, dudes,"
and they slowly stood up and grinned shamefacedly at the men.

"Get your sorry asses the fuck over here!" Zack yelled.  They obeyed
quickly and stood before the two men, their dripping dicks still hanging
out of their pants. "You were spying on us," Randy said.  "And you fucking
jerked off watching us work.  What you got to say for yourselves?"

There was a tense silence, but then unexpectedly Larry saved them.  "Sir,
we can't say we're sorry `cos you told me a boy never has to apologize to a
guy for jacking off looking at him.  Sir, you told me it was a compliment."

Randy looked at Zack and neither could suppress a grin.  "Well fuck you,
kid.  Hell, you're one of us alright ... Mike's just taken on a handful.
But you're right, I did tell you that.  So what are we gonna do with them
Zack?"

"Huh, I don't know about you, stud, but after grinding against that body of
yours I'm hotter than a pistol.  Might as well make use of them, I guess."

"Damn straight," Randy growled.  "OK, boys, on your knees.  Let's see what
you got."

The boys all fell on their knees before them and together unbuckled and
pulled down the men's pants.  Their iron-hard cocks sprang out long and
thick, already oozing pre-cum, and the boys went to town.  They took turns
licking, slurping, savoring the musky taste of sweaty cock, and burying
their faces in the men's wiry pubic hair, breathing in the pungent smell of
their manhood.

Soon Ben pulled Larry round behind the men and they licked the hard cheeks
of their asses, then buried their faces between them and pushed their
tongues inside.  Having their dicks and asses worked on by the eager young
jocks the men moaned in ecstasy.  "Fucking shit, that's hot," Randy
groaned.  "Man that feels good.  Come on boys, eat those cocks."

Ben and Larry came round front again and the four boys feasted on the men's
pulsing cocks, the black hunk of beef and the gypsy's massive rod.  Two
worked on the heads while the others licked the long shafts – sucking,
drooling, slurping, their faces smothered with spit and pre-cum.

"Look at them, buddy," Randy grinned, "like pigs feeding at the trough.
What d'ya say, man, shall we give `em what they deserve?"

"I'm so fucking close, man, after working next to you stinking with sweat,
and now these four jocks working my dick.  Man, I'm ready when you are."

"OK, big guy, let's give it to them.  They pulled their dicks out of the
mouths, grabbed the boys' hair, pulled their heads back and forced their
faces to look up at them.  "You wanna do the honors, buddy?" Zack grinned.
They reached over, grabbed the other's rod and stroked it hard.

The boys looked up in a daze at the rugged faces of the construction
workers, their bare chests heaving as sweat oozed from their armpits and
ran down their sides.  Their flexed bodies dripped sweat down on the
upturned faces and their muscles rippled as they pounded each other's cock
in their fists.  "You ready, man?" Randy panted.  "Let's do it stud."

Four young faces watched the two massive cocks bulge, saw them shudder,
heard the wild animal roars ... and the boys' heads jerked back as jizz
slammed into their faces.  They opened their mouths wide and swallowed the
bitter-sweet juice, gulping it down until the cocks were drained dry.  The
men looked down at the four elated young jocks, eyes gleaming in triumph as
cum dripped from their hair and foreheads, down their cheeks and onto their
necks.

Zack and Randy burst out laughing, reached down, pulled the boys up and
wrapped their arms round them.  "Now that is what I call a perfect end to a
hard day's work," Randy said.  "Come on guys, let's go home and crack open
a beer."

Back at the house Mike was in the guestroom when he heard the din of
raucous voices below.  He looked out the window and saw the two men and
four boys come marching through the gate in a clamor of laughter and bawdy
obscenities batted back and forth.  Larry was in the midst of it, his arm
over Ben's shoulder, Pablo's arm over Larry.  Definitely one of the boys.

Mike grinned, assuming that group sex was the cause of this macho
camaraderie.  The twins, always on alert in the kitchen, came running out
with two six-packs of beer and the disheveled group sat round the table by
the pool.  But Larry soon excused himself, grabbed two of the beers and
came up to the guestroom.  He ran in, put down the beers and hugged Mike.

"Good day's work?" Mike asked, stating the obvious.

"Great, sir," Larry beamed, "and even better after work.  Sir, you won't
believe what happened."  They sat down, opened the beers and Larry began
his eager tale.  Mike was already certain of his affection for the boy but
now, looking at Larry's radiant face as he related his adventure, Mike knew
for sure that he was in love.

**********************************

The next day was Friday, the day set for Mike's return home to the desert
... taking his boy Larry with him.  "So today's the big day, kiddo," Mike
said as they lay in bed early that morning.  "We'll leave this afternoon.
And tomorrow morning we'll be joined in the desert by Mark and Jamie, and
also Jason and Ben.  You haven't had much to do with Jason yet, the hottest
fireman in any calendar," Mike grinned, "so you'll have a chance to get to
know him better.  Should be an interesting weekend.

"But this morning, before we go, I wanna introduce you to my nephew Brian.
He's my only relative, he's in a wheelchair and was living a lonely,
desolate life in an old trailer park in the desert, and I gotta say the
tribe saved him.  He now works up at the Grady House so I'll take you there
for lunch.  But I've gotta say something real important about that first.

"There are certain things in this tribe that have to stay completely
confidential and the Grady House is one of them.  You'll see why when we
get there.  When I was up there I cleared it with Mario to bring you there,
assuring him faithfully of your discretion.  Please don't be insulted, kid,
if I ask you now to promise me that you'll totally respect their privacy."

"Of course, sir, absolutely," Larry said earnestly.  "I'll always do
everything you say.  Besides," he grinned, "Pablo already told me that
`what happens in the tribe stays in the tribe'."

Larry was tingling with excitement as Mike drove them up the hill that
wound up to a secluded spot where old trees hung over large, solid gates
that gave no hint of the house behind them.  Mike reached out to a keypad
by the gate and pressed a button.

After a pause an excited young voice came from the intercom.  "Uncle Mike,
is that you?  Come on in, we were expecting you."  The gates swung silently
open, Mike drove in and the gates quickly closed behind them.  "That was my
nephew Brian," Mike said.

"How did he know it was you, sir?"

"Cameras at the gate and all round the place.  Mark and Randy installed a
heavy security system here.  Look there's Brian."

As they drove up to the house a boy in a wheelchair came spinning out to
meet them.  They got out of the truck and Mike said, "Brian, this is Larry.
Finally you can put a face to the name."

Brian extended his hand and said with a touch of shyness, "Pleased to meet
you at last, Larry.  But I feel I already know you `cos I've heard so much
about you.  The tribe has a real efficient grapevine, you know."

"So I've heard," Larry grinned.  "No secrets here.  Wow, this is some
house!  It's huge."

"Would you like the tour, dude?  Give me a minute and I'll be right back."

He sped off and Larry turned to Mike.  "Your nephew's cute, sir, and real
lively.  I thought you said he used to live a solitary life all alone in an
old trailer out in the desert."

"He did until he came here.  Like I said, when the tribe took him in he was
transformed.  He's the houseboy here, along with his supervisor Danny who's
the chef and house manager.  They work for Mario, who's probably indoors,
and his lover who's still at work."

"But why all the secrecy and security, sir?  Is this Mario famous or
something?"

Before he could answer Brian came rolling back and said, "OK, dude, come
with me."  Mike wandered off to visit Danny in the kitchen while Brian took
Larry indoors for a tour of the house.  Larry looked around wide-eyed
... he had never seen such a big and beautiful house.  They went upstairs
in the elevator and as they walked into the wide corridor a beautiful,
dark-haired man, casually but elegantly dressed, came out of a room and
broke into a dazzling smile."

"Ah, che bel ragazzo.  You must be Larry," Mario said in his lilting
Italian accent, "and I was not here to meet you.  Imperdonabile – mi
scusi, Larry."  He shook the hand of the dazzled boy.  "We have heard so
much about you from Uncle Mike, I think you have quite bewitched him.  And
now we get to meet you."

Hello, sir," Larry said in awe, shaking his hand.

"Grady will be home from the studio soon.  He only had a few short scenes
this morning – they're shooting the sequel already, you know."  Mario
apparently assumed he knew all about this Grady character, Larry thought.
Must be Mario's lover.

"We thought we would have lunch by the pool.  Danny is preparing it right
now and Brandon is coming up to help out.  I believe you know Brandon
already, Larry."  Larry flinched at the memory of how he had attacked
Brandon, but Mario smiled, "Oh don't worry, we know the story, and how
beautifully it has all turned out, that is the main thing.  Come, let's go
downstairs."

Outside Mike was with Danny who was wearing an apron and chef's hat and
greeted Larry enthusiastically.  Just then came the sound of tires in
gravel outside, the gate swung open and in came a jeep with a man behind
the wheel wearing cargo shorts, a loose tank top, a baseball cap pulled low
over his eyes which were hidden behind sunglasses.

"Amico!" Mario shouted and ran toward him.  The man threw off his cap,
pulled off his sunglasses and opened his arms for Mario to fall into them.
Larry's jaw dropped and his heart missed a beat.  "That ... that looks like
the Tarzan guy.  His picture's all over St. Louis."

"All over the country, dude," Brian said with a touch of pride.  "All over
the world probably.  Yup, he's Tarzan alright.  His movie's gonna be real
big."

"But he's ... I mean he's about the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen.  And
he's Mario's lover?  I mean, he lives here?"

"That's why it's called the Grady House, dude," Danny grinned.  "But don't
be nervous.  He's not a bit like a movie star.  He's just one of the guys
here."  As if to prove the point Grady broke free of Mario and shouted
across the garden, "Larry!"

Mario's greeting upstairs had been warm and a touch formal, but Grady was
much more effusive.  He bounded forward, scooped Larry into a tight hug and
said, "Great to meet you you young heart-breaker.  I hear you're stealing
Uncle Mike away from us.  Well, it's about time he found a soul-mate and
I'm real glad it's you."

Grady threw his arm round Larry's neck and looked into his eyes as he
talked about Mike and life in the desert, focusing all his attention
intently on the newcomer.  As usual, Grady had the knack of making Larry
feel he was the only person in the world right now.

"But ... but ..." Larry sputtered.  "Are you really the new Tarzan in that
movie?  I can't believe it."

"Hey, do you hear that guys?" Grady laughed.  "If Larry don't believe I'm
Tarzan the audiences won't either and the movie will bomb.  Only one thing
for it ... I guess I'll have to prove it."  In an instant he pulled off his
tank-top, dropped his shorts and held his arms out dramatically.  He was
wearing only his Tarzan loincloth that he'd had on under his shorts.

Larry gasped at the sight of this stunning muscle-jock with the perfect
physique and handsome, smiling face, stripped down to a loincloth.  "Still
don't believe me, dude?  OK, stand by for blasting."  He cupped his hands
round his mouth a let out an earsplitting Tarzan yell that echoed round the
garden."

Amid the gale of laughter from the group Larry said, "OK, sir, I believe
you.  It's just that I've seen your picture everywhere and never dreamed
I'd actually meet you.'

"Well, if we're talking dreams here I guess I gotta give you something
special to remember.  Hey, Danny, how long do we have before lunch?"

"Oh, a good hour, sir."

"Great, so we have time.  Larry, I'm gonna show you the ritual of the
house.  When I come home from the studio the first thing I do is take a
plunge in the pool to wash off the sweat of the studio.  Then I climb out
and make love to my gorgeous Italian hunk here.  And ... on special
occasions – which this is – we can't even wait to get to our room so
we do it right here in front of everyone."  He grinned.  "We have no shame
– or inhibitions.

"And, here's the kicker.  When there is a guest of honor we even invite him
to join in.  Now, today is a celebration of new love – the love between
you and Uncle Mike.  So guess what?  You, Larry, are the guest of honor.
You get it?"

Grady ran to the pool and the other's followed him.  He paused at the edge
... and dived in, a real Tarzan dive, body stretched, muscles rippling in
the hot sun.  As they all looked on he swam powerful stokes from one end of
the pool to the other and back.

In a daze Larry looked at Brian and said, "Am I dreaming dude, or is this
for real?"

"Oh it's real alright," Brian laughed.  "We've all had the treatment, and
now it's your turn.  You ain't seen nothin' yet."

Grady swam over to them and rested his folded arms on the edge of the pool,
his glorious face, streaming with water, beaming up at them.  "Mario, mi
amore, get naked.  It's showtime."

**********************************

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Part 350


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

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read the whole story, all the many chapters, with extras, including
pictures and biographies of all the characters.  Click on the `Our Story'
tab to read the current chapter, or click on the green button to browse all
the chapter synopses.  Enjoy