Chasing Rusty Parker – Ch. 54
By Laura S. Fox
Copyright © 2023 Laura S. Fox
All Rights Reserved
Gay Erotica
Intended for Mature Audiences Only
This story will contain graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, strong
language and it is not meant for readers who are less than 18 years of age.
Consider making a donation to Nifty by clicking the little blue button
on the front page, as they help us all enjoy so many great stories, while
aiding authors like me to display their work.
~
Chasing Rusty Parker is the sequel to my story Good Guys Don't Date Bad
Boys that you can also find here, on Nifty.
Chapter Fifty-Four – Only
The Right Things
Now was the time for him
to shine again. Rusty walked up to Connor, while keeping one arm hanging lazily
over Matty's shoulders. His fiancé was not only obviously ready to have his
back, but he could also pull his weight, too. Connor blinked a few times while
observing him with murder written all over his face. Clearly, the guy had no
idea what to expect, and that put Rusty at an advantage, one that he intended
to make full use of.
"Well, chief," he said
brightly and grinned, "how about you bring it on?"
"What do you mean?"
Connor asked and stared at him in disbelief. "Calling me chief won't earn you
any points."
"Since you offered
yourself up to police things around here, I thought it was a good title for
you."
Connor crossed his arms
and observed him carefully. He seemed unable to figure out what this was all
about.
Rusty hurried, quite
gallantly, to his aid. "How about a final confrontation? You and your Implacables on one side, my fiancé and I," – he just couldn't
say that word enough – "on the other?" He would think about the actual plan
later. For now, as the returned king of Sunny Hill, he needed to begin by
putting this scumbag in his place, where he deserved to be.
Connor snorted and showed
his teeth in a derisive smile. "You're only two. Are you sure you're up for a
challenge of such magnitude?"
Rusty shrugged. "So?
We're men enough to take you head on. You and your little army."
"I'll have you know,"
Connor said in a haughty tone and crossed his arms over his chest, "that my
army is not little at all."
"Only the guys who know
the truth being opposite of what they're bragging about do this thing you just
did," Rusty replied and showed his teeth, too.
It took Connor a couple
of moments to understand the insult, but Matty was shaking with laughter. That
only caused the leader of S.H.I.T. to turn his full attention on him. "And you,
Matthew? I thought you were much better than this."
"I really don't
understand what you're talking about," Matty said, offering a big innocent
smile that made Rusty want to force him into a pirouette ending with both in a
compromising position that allowed them to kiss passionately. There was a time
and a place for everything. Later, when they were alone.
"I am talking," Connor
said pointedly, unaware and untouched by the undercurrent of happiness moving
through the people right in front of his eyes, "about putting on that silly
costume and prancing around the campus at night. When do you even have time to
study?"
"Yeah, I've been asking
myself the same thing," Matty replied and bit on his bottom lip since he was
trying hard not to laugh. "But, apparently, I'm such a capable person that I've
managed to juggle everything without any trouble."
"Do your parents even
know?" A glint of malice flared in Connor's eyes for a moment.
Matty, however, didn't
lose his composure for a single moment. "Yes, they ask me about my adventures
as a cat boy all the time. They are highly invested in all my interests and
hobbies."
"You're bluffing," Connor
narrowed his eyes and lifted his chin as if to provoke Matty to launch into a
debate with him.
There was no way his
smart fiancé would take such cheap bait, Rusty thought as he pulled Matty a bit
closer and kissed his temple.
"What do you have against
Preston, Connor?" he asked as he turned his attention to the intruder and moved
the conversation where he needed it to be. "I mean, the guy could have brought
the hammer down hard on you that time when you took Zoey and John hostage. But
he was lenient and let you go, scot-free."
"He had nothing to
condemn us for. Our behavior has always been above board, and to say that we
took those two students hostage is an exaggeration. People like Preston let
people like you taint the life of the campus, and the noble aspirations of the
students within it."
"Oh, damn," Rusty moaned.
"When are you going to come down from the pulpit, man? Be careful. The higher
you climb, the harder you fall. You know that, right?"
Connor puffed out his
chest. Rusty regretted not having a pin on him to make the prick deflate with a
disappointing whine and not with a bang. Well, if a bang was what he wanted, he
would get it. For that, some careful planning was needed but, now that his life
was in order, Rusty was ready to grab the bull by the horns and put all things to
rights.
"Let's do this, Connor,"
he said. "Let's see who the campus and its people want. Us or your
organization."
"A popularity contest?"
Connor seemed to perk up his ears like a hunting dog.
Rusty didn't smile,
although he could smell triumph from a mile away. "Don't bastardize your noble
fight by calling it that. We'll call for a vote at the end of it all."
"A vote? Yes, of course,"
Connor said, suddenly courteous. "I will prepare a speech that will bury you,
Parker." Not so courteous, after all. He walked closer and pressed one index
finger against Rusty's chest.
Rusty stood his ground
and was about to tell Connor a couple of things about boundaries when he saw
the guy's hand being pushed away. By his side, Matty was eyeing Connor with
well simulated anger. He looked cute, especially since he was frowning and fighting
a smile at the same time.
"Hands off my fiancé,"
Matty growled. "I'm the only guy allowed to touch him."
"Oh, babe," Rusty purred
for show and tightened his grip on Matty's shoulder. They moved their faces
close and rubbed their noses together.
"This," Connor squealed
and pointed at them, his arm shaking with indignation, "this is the problem!"
Rusty grinned as he
looked at the scumbag again. "What? That you're not getting any while everyone
else does? Damn, keep that jealousy in check, dude, will you?"
"I'm not jealous," Connor
protested and blinked a few times under the burden of realization. He had to
know he was a prick, but he wouldn't admit it for the world, without a doubt.
"Whatever," Rusty said
and shrugged. "So, are we on? Showdown?"
"Yes, of course," Connor
said. "But I won't shake on it. You don't deserve to be treated like a
gentleman."
Rusty shrugged and looked
at Matty like he couldn't understand an iota of what Connor was babbling about.
Matty offered a similar shrug in response.
"Okay, we'll settle this
once and for all," Rusty concluded. "And once you realize that no one at Sunny
Hill wants you, you'll have to admit your defeat as graciously as your little
mean heart allows."
"While ignoring your not-so-subtle
insults, yes, I agree."
"Another thing," Rusty
added. "You'll drop your vendetta against Preston."
"Why would I?" Connor's
eyes turned to slits. "He's bad for the campus."
"Only because he didn't
kick your ass out when he could have, but his approach is one of peace and
understanding, unlike yours. So, I think the students are better off with
someone like him than someone you'd agree with. Unless, of course, you know
you're going to lose."
"I will not lose," Connor
said with emphasis. "Just watch me, Parker. But we've only talked about what
you want in the impossible scenario where you emerge out of this victorious.
How about we talk of what I want?"
"Shoot," Rusty said.
Matty had one arm wrapped around his waist and was holding him close. All his
life, he had strived to ensure that he didn't need anyone to stand on his own
two feet, and now it felt so good to have such awesome support by his side.
"You'll give up Rybalt.
And you'll give up that silly costume," Connor said and he looked at Matty.
"Sure," Rusty agreed. "Is
that all?"
Connor gave them a shrewd
fake smile. "No, not all. Matthew here will have to go on a date with me."
To say that suggestion
had the effect of a brick dropped on his head would have been too little as far
as metaphors went. Rusty blinked a couple of times, unsure of what the asshole
in front of him was saying.
"What the fuck?" That was
the only reasonable thing to ask at this point in their conversation.
"Yes," Connor insisted,
not for one moment dropping the act. "Your precious fiancé will have to go on a
date with me. I am sure I can convince Matthew of the error of his ways once
he's no longer under your bad influence."
Rusty pursed his lips,
feeling anger flaring. He had thought Connor, despite being a major scumbag,
was on the same wavelength as far as their sparring was concerned. But this was
too much. "Forget it, no way--"
"Okay," Matty said
suddenly. "Since you see me as such a damsel in distress that needs some good ol' saving."
"But, Matty," Rusty
whispered at him, "there's no way I'm betting on you. This fucking asshole won't
make me do a stupid thing like this."
Matty smiled and caressed
his face. "We're going to win, Rusty. And, by the way, don't tell me you see me
as someone who cannot fend for himself."
"No, that's not--"
"Hush." Matty kissed him briefly. "Let him show his true colors."
"You know, I'm still
standing right here," Connor said loudly.
"Yeah, and we don't care
that much," Matty said in Rusty's stead. "But we all want something out of
this, it's true. What I want may be an impossible thing, but I'm going to say
it anyway. Connor, what I want is for you to see that you cannot think for other
people. What you just said confirms it. You think everyone else is helpless and
needs to be told what to believe and what to do. Maybe some people are like
that, and they do need help, but not from you. What I'm asking is that once we
win, no more Implacables. You call it quits, you send
everyone home. Your little horror show is over."
Connor recoiled as if he
just got punched in the chest. "That's cruel, don't you think, Matthew? I mean,
these students that I'm leading, they--"
"It's what I ask. No one's
forcing you into this. You can walk away," Matty continued, and he grew larger
than life in Rusty's eyes. "And you asked us to give up on Rybalt and Slicky.
Don't you think it's fair?"
"No, I don't think it's
fair. For whose sake are you playing around in costumes? Not for the sake of
the students of Sunny Hill," Connor said, raising his voice, and most likely
already practicing his speech to conquer the hearts and minds of those present.
A small crowd had gathered around them, watching and listening to them with
their eyes wide and their jaws slack. Rusty knew the attendance at the
confrontation he was planning between them and Connor's squad in the ring would
beat world records for any kind of debate.
"I beg to differ," Matty
replied. He gave Rusty a small look and a smile. He looked grateful. "We show
them a vision of how life as a college student could be, one of the many. If
people want to spend their time studying, that's great. It's what they want.
And if they want to have a little fun, that's great, too. Just for the record,
Connor, I have nothing against your wanting to bring together people of the
same mind as you. But I do have something against your wanting to impose that
mind on everyone. That's what I'm going to fight against when we cross swords."
"Is it going to be a
sword fight?" Connor asked, aghast.
Matty rolled his eyes.
"Just a figure of speech. You do you. And may the best people win. Agreed?"
Rusty wanted to applaud
Matty and give him a standing ovation when his fiancé offered Connor his hand.
The asshole had no choice but to take it and shake it.
They both watched him
walk away.
"Wow, Matty," Rusty said,
dropping his voice, as he didn't want the audience to hear everything he had to
share with his loved one. "You really put the guy in his place."
"Someone has to," Matty
said and then embraced him tightly. "See you later? I have some things to do.
Calling my mom is on the top of the list."
"Do you need support for
that?"
"I'm prepping the ground.
Trust me, I'm doing it for your sake."
"Thank you, Matty. I have
to admit that I need all the help I can get. I haven't faced a dragon yet."
"You'll be fine," Matty
assured him. "What about you?"
"I'm going to follow your
example. I'm going to call my dad," Rusty said and let out a long sigh. "I don't
expect much from him, but I'm doing it for myself."
"Okay, now I feel like I
should ask you? Do you need me as your support character?"
"Not this time, but I
appreciate the thought." Rusty pushed Matty's hair away from his eyes and
kissed his forehead. "It's high time I put on my big boy pants. And I'll be
fine. I know I will because now I have you."
***
That had been such a
touching thing to say, Matty thought as he watched Rusty heading toward the
house he was sharing with his friends. It was with a light heart he could now
look at the guy he loved walking away, because he knew they were together now
and forever. That hadn't been the outcome he had envisioned for one moment
throughout the years of pining for Rusty; at most, he had imagined a few spicy
encounters that would only live in his imagination. And now, here was the
reality of the beautiful ring on his finger that told him that what was
happening to him surpassed everything he had dreamed of.
And that led him to the
trial at hand. While Rusty had low expectations from his dad, Matty had to
admit that he didn't know exactly what his mom, and consequently his dad, would
say about his sudden engagement. They had spent years teaching him how to be
this no-nonsense, always rational kind of guy, and now he would come to them
with news that went against that sort of upbringing.
No matter what happened,
it had to be done, and Rusty was right. After they let their parents learn the
news, they'd go from there.
All that determination,
however, did nothing for his sweaty hands as he pulled out his phone on the way
to his dorm room.
"Mom?" he asked
tentatively as soon as she picked up.
"The one and only," his
mom replied cheerfully. And then, as she quickly gauged his mood, "Is something
wrong, Toots?"
"No, nothing's wrong." Matty took a deep breath. "Actually, it's perfect. And
awesome." How was he supposed to give his mom the news without bubbling over
with excitement? "I... I'm engaged, mom." The silence at the other end worried
him. "Mom, are you still there?"
"Engaged? Last time you
called, you didn't even have a boyfriend. And it's hasn't been very long."
"Yes, I know." He sucked
in another breath for courage. "He's the one, mom," he confessed. "He just is."
"Is he the boy with the
basketball and secret talents? Do you even know what those are?" his mom
questioned.
"Yes, I know. He's going
to be an opera singer."
Another stunned silence.
"Isn't it quite a leap from basketball to opera?"
"It may be for others,
but not for him. He really knows how to jump," Matty joked.
"And did you just propose
to him?" his mom continued the interview.
"He proposed to me,
actually."
"But it's all so fast!
You've known each other for how long?"
"You told me to go in
with everything I have, remember?" Matty said.
"That's true, but
engagement? It's all so very serious," his mom insisted.
"I'm going to send you a
short video. To see and hear him." It was from the night when Rybalt had saved
him from the angry Implacable mob, and that video had been on everyone's phones
ever since. "And then, we can continue to talk about it."
His mom said nothing, and
Matty waited until she called back after watching the video, his heart in his
throat a bit. Not much, but it was there, somewhere in his chest, climbing up.
"Matty, your boyfriend is
incredibly talented," his mom said right away. "And so very handsome. I didn't
know you would go for that type, though. Is he dyeing his hair?"
"No, that's a wig there,"
Matty explained. "I'm in love with him, mom," he admitted. "And I did tell him
so first. And although we went through a rough patch after I did, he came back
with a ring."
"So dramatic. But that is
definitely his flair," his mom said. "What a voice, though. I haven't listened
to this sort of music very much, but he looks and sounds like someone who
should be up there, on the big stages of the world."
"I think so, too."
"Such a man," his mom
continued, "he must be very popular. And popular people have many temptations
laid in front of them. Are you sure you can handle the competition, Matty?"
"Tell me you didn't just
ask me that," Matty moaned. "You've taught me to be the best, haven't you? And
this is also part of that," he continued, surer and surer of himself. "I aimed
for the best, and now he's mine." He used that sort of language because he knew
his mom would understand. Ambition, as a positive trait, ran in the family.
His mom laughed softly.
"You really do sound like me, Toots. And you're so like me."
"What do you mean?"
"You're saying that you
chased this boy?"
"Yes, that's what I'm
saying."
"And you didn't give up
until he became yours?"
"Yes, exactly," Matty
said impatiently. There was something his mom wanted to say, but she was taking
her sweet time.
"Well, don't let your dad
know I told you this but, in our day, I had to face quite the competition when
it came to the girls who wanted him as their boyfriend."
"But I thought you've
been together since... forever?"
Another soft laugh. "I
made him think that. I bet he's forgotten all the girls he knew before me. But
I won't disclose my strategy, because I have a feeling you had your own from
the start."
"Yes, never give up,
right?" Matty said and laughed, too. "So, you're okay with my being engaged?
Didn't I shock you out of your socks?"
"A bit, yes. However,
since passionate pursuing runs in the family, I'd be a hypocrite to hold it
against you. Also, I know very well that you're old enough to make your own
decisions, without my looking over your shoulder all the time. Still, your dad
and I want to meet this young man. Rusty, right?"
"You remember," Matty
said with delight.
"Of course. You're my
only son. If I forgot the name of the boy you told me you liked for the first
time in your life, what kind of mom would I be? So, when will we be able to
meet him?"
"Maybe at Christmas? Will
that be all right?"
"I see. You want to
squeeze him in among all our relatives so that I don't have time to grill him
properly."
"That was my plan all
along, and now you unveiled it. I'm not good enough at this."
"How about you come for a
weekend? The week after the next? I can barely wait to meet my future son-in-law.
And to hear him sing live. Will he do that for us, or is he shy when he's not
in front of a large audience?"
"He's not shy at all,"
Matty assured her. "Okay, I'll tell him. Still, mom," he said while chewing his
bottom lip, "don't be too hard on him, okay? I really want to keep him."
"Sure thing, Toots.
Anything and everything for you."
Well, that certainly went
well. Matty felt relieved and happy. And he barely got off the phone when the
thing started ringing in his hand. He grinned as he saw who the caller was.
"Zoey," he said happily.
His bestie's voice was
ragged and a whisper. "I come down with the flu for the first time in ten
years, and you get engaged? When were you going to tell me?"
"The flu? Damn. Where are
you? I should have called you," he said, feeling guilty.
"No problem. I'm in the med
ward. They're keeping me on fluids. Treating me like a princess. One in a
hospital gown."
"Oh, Zoey, I'm so sorry.
I should have been there for you."
"And got the flu instead
of engaged? You're forgiven," Zoey rasped out. "I slept through the day and
only just heard the news from Dex. Damn, Matty. Did
you plan this?"
"Rusty proposed."
Everybody thought – well, at least his mom and Zoey – that he had been the one
to pop the question. Maybe they saw him as more forward than he thought himself
to be.
"Even better. Ah, damn,
it's so hard not to be able to get excited."
"Can I come see you?"
"No. I shouldn't go out
in the world until my fever is done for. But save me some cake."
"What cake?"
"You don't know? Rusty's
friends got him – and you – a huge cake. Dex told
me."
"And isn't he saving you
some cake?"
"Yes, but why not milk
two cows if I can?"
"That sounds like you,"
Matty agreed. "I'll save half of it for you."
"And now, you want to
fatten me up." Zoey laughed and then coughed. "I can't talk long. I need my
beauty sleep."
"Get well. When should I
call you again?"
"I'll call you, don't
worry. And awesome job, Matty. You got the boy."
He had surely gone and
done it. Matty was still smiling minutes after getting off the phone with Zoey.
***
The sight of the
horrendous pink thing looking like it was about to spill over the edges of the
table made him stop dead in his tracks.
"My dudes," he called
out, alarmed, "the cake fairy paid us a visit!"
His friends suddenly
emerged from all corners. "Congratulations!"
And if it weren't clear,
Jonathan added. "On your engagement. We thought of getting a bit of revenge on
you for making us learn from Xpress that you got engaged."
"Really? By getting me a
huge cake? Why is it so pink?"
"Because it is the color
your heart must be right now."
"But I'm a boy," Rusty
whined in a high-pitched voice. And then, as a conclusion, in a normal voice,
"I wear blue socks. Do you want me to show you?"
"When you wear socks,
they're never from the same pair," Maddox reminded him. "So, it's hard to tell
what you are, right?"
Rusty grinned ear to ear.
"Totally true. Although Matty threatened that we will
have to be disciplined from now on. So, just so you guys know, I'm engaged.
That's what I am."
Dex
patted him on the shoulder, making sure that he felt it. "Yeah, thanks for
letting us know. Now, we're all waiting to see what's in that cake."
"It looks crazy. But I
hope you don't mind if we wait for Matty for split it
open. I wouldn't want to do it without him."
Kane laughed. "Far from
us to even think that you'd do anything without your fiancé. Damn, Rusty, you
went all in, didn't you?"
"I sure did," Rusty said
proudly. He stood straight, and he felt so happy he needed to walk carefully or
else he would burst. "I need to call my dad, but then, I'll call Matty over,
and this cake is going to be the hill we're all going to die on."
Dex
intervened with a serious look on his face. "I need to save a slice for Zoey.
She's got the flu."
Rusty moved his eyes from
Dex to the enormous cake and then back to his friend.
"Yeah, okay, it's going to be tough to restrain ourselves, but I think we'll
manage."
"Good," Dex said. "I had to let you all know."
Kane, Maddox, and
Jonathan had such composed faces it made him laugh. "Really, no one's making
fun of Dex, though?"
"No," Kane said brightly.
"Also, he threatened us he would eat the whole cake if we opened our mouths
about it."
"Okay, hold that thought.
I just need to do this."
Maddox moved by his side
and gave him a short hug. "Are you going to tell him?"
"Yeah, I have to. Before
I lose my courage," he joked. "Nah, I'm never going to lose my courage again.
I'll let him know, listen to half of his lecture, and then I'll be right back.
Sounds good?"
All the thumbs up from
his friends convinced him that yes, it was.
***
He waited patiently until
his dad picked up.
"She's going to be moved
the day after tomorrow," his dad informed him after exchanging perfunctory
greetings. "There's no need for you to come. After all, you must be busy with
school."
"I will be there,
anyway," Rusty said. "Thank you for taking care of her," he added. "But that is
not why I called you."
"What is it?" There was a
sort of tiredness in his dad's voice he hadn't heard before.
Rusty felt some of his
courage dissolving. However, he steeled himself for it. What kind of man would
he be for Matty if he didn't have the guts to confront his dad over this?
"I got engaged," he said
curtly.
"Engaged? Is this a good
time? And you're still in college," his dad reminded him. "Who is she?"
"I'm engaged to Matty."
"Who?" His dad asked as
if he could no longer hear correctly. "Is that a girl's name now?"
"You know Matty, dad. He
came with me to Gabriel's birthday party."
Stunned silence followed.
"Anyway, I thought I
should let you know," he said since there was no response from the other end of
the line.
"You mean Matthew," his
dad said, as if awakened from a slumber. "That boy in glasses. The one who
studies well."
"Yes, him. Matthew Han."
"Why are you doing this,
Rusty? Joke and prank your way through life?"
Rusty set his jaw hard.
But, after all, wasn't this partially his fault, too? He had let others know
him as nothing more than a clown, someone who entertained without showing a
sign of anything deeper than the surface?
"I wouldn't joke about
something like this. Not now, not ever. Matty is the one I choose."
"Wait, Rusty, make me
understand. God knows parents don't like to hear this about their kids, but
I've heard enough about you being a womanizer. There was even that strange talk
about your getting a girl pregnant."
"I didn't get anyone
pregnant. I'm not joking. I'm engaged to Matty. Once school's over, we're going
to get married."
"Don't expect me to
attend that mock wedding," his dad said, his voice still betraying that he
didn't believe what he was hearing.
"Actually, I don't. I
mean, I don't expect you to come to the wedding."
His dad sighed. "When did
this big awakening of yours happen? About liking a boy? It must be one of those
college experimentation things."
"No, it's not. He's the
one for me. There will never be someone else."
"Are you doing drugs,
Rusty?"
This conversation was
hardly going anywhere.
"No, dad. I know you find
it difficult to believe, but it's the truth. I just didn't want to postpone
telling you about it since it just happened."
"You'll get over it. I
don't understand. How do you go from being a ladies' man to... wanting to marry...
a boy?"
"It looks like it just
happened. I'm in love with a boy, yes. And since I'm calling you to tell you
about my life, here's another one. I started taking lessons. From a vocal
coach."
"What for?"
Rusty sighed and sat on
the bed. "I liked basketball, dad. But I didn't love it. There's something else
I love."
"Besides a boy."
"Yes, besides a boy. I
want to become an opera singer. And I will."
His dad snorted. "Good
luck with that. Things like that don't put food on the table."
"I guess I will have to
see about that when the time comes. Mrs. May believes I have it in me."
"Who's she? The vocal
coach, I assume."
"Yes."
"Of course she'd say
something like that. She wants your money. She has every reason to let you
think you're some Pavarotti."
"Someone else paid for
the lessons," Rusty countered, fighting hard to ignore the rejection in his
dad's voice. He should have been used to it by now.
"Who? Matthew?"
"No, Jonathan's mom,
Francine."
"A woman. An older one if
I understand correctly. Offering you favors. Rusty, what are you doing with your
life?"
"Only the right things,
dad, only the right things. And, just to let you know, it's ludicrous what
you're implying."
"It's hard not to assume,
given--"
"Given that I'm your son?
Philandering runs in the family? Is that what you're saying?"
"No, son. Given your
history with women, I wanted to say."
"You know, dad," Rusty
said slowly, "that would be something I'd expect from a stranger. But I suppose
we've never been close, after all." The sudden emotion choked him.
"We'll talk about this
madness when we see each other the day after tomorrow," his dad warned him.
"I told you everything I
needed to tell you. But I will listen to you, nonetheless. And I will do as I have
decided," Rusty said back. "Goodbye, dad."
"Son," Roy said suddenly,
but then he stopped. "Goodbye."
TBC
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