Shepherd's Crook - 19. Chapter 19

Gibby dropped his satchel onto his bed as he quickly walked across his bedroom to place his ipod into the docking station and turned some music on. He’d gotten used to the music in the background. It also helped to drown out the sound of voices coming from his bedroom.

Glancing around the empty room, Gibby chewed on his lower lip waiting for Tanner to suddenly pop in and scare him like the normally did. Two minutes stretched to five, then turned to ten; before he knew it, Gibby was nervously pacing the floor wondering if Tanner would ever arrive.

“Don’t tell me that you’re the jealous type,” Gibby muttered under his breath.

“Who’s the jealous type?” Jonathan asked from the doorway. The unexpected voice had Gibby letting out a yelp as he whirled around to face his father. He had been so preoccupied with waiting on Tanner that he never noticed his dad leaning his shoulder against the doorframe.

“Dad!” Gibby shouted at his father.

Shrugging his shoulders and faking a look of innocence, Jonathan smiled at Gibby’s embarrassment. “What?” Jonathan couldn’t hide his smile. “Who are you talking about? Are you dating someone…someone who’s the jealous type?” He asked again arching a dark eyebrow.

“I am sooo not having this conversation with you.” Crossing his arms over his chest with a huff, Gibby brought an even bigger smile to Jonathan’s face. “Stop it! It’s not funny.”

“And I’m not laughing. I just want you to know that you can tell me anything, you know that, right?” Jonathan watched Gibby slowly nod his head.

“I know,” Gibby’s voice was barely a whisper, “But…” Some things were too awkward to talk to his father about and how could he even start a conversation about Tanner, anyways? Gibby closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No, that wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t tell Jonathan about this. Gibby forced a smile to reassure his dad.

Jonathan watched his son for another second before turning to leave. “Okay, I won’t press. I just wanted to tell you that I’m turning in early. I had a busy day today, so don’t stay up too late and don’t turn the music up too loud.”

Gibby promised Jonathan that he wouldn’t do either, as his dad headed back downstairs. “Goodnight,” Gibby called out towards the sound of his retreating footsteps, disappearing down the wooden steps.

“Scott Becker of all people?” Tanner growled behind Gibby.

Rolling his brown eyes before turning to face the angry ghost, Gibby let out a long frustrated sigh. “It’s not what you think--”

“Really, Gibby?” Tanner snapped with a flash of red tinting his blue eyes. “Then why have all the secrecy around your little conversation with him? Hmmm? Why didn’t you just tell me that you liked someone else this whole time?” Tanner stood with his arms folded across his chest with his foot tapping on the floor. His body pulsed between a solid form and a shimmery white mist.

“Look babe, you need to calm down. You can’t focus--”

“You’re damn right I can’t focus when the guy I’m in love with, is off canoodling with some jerk.” Tanner shouted. Gibby was thankful that Jonathan wouldn’t be able to hear Tanner’s angry outburst.

“You love me?” Gibby suddenly smiled like an idiot.

“Yes!” Tanner’s voice dropped below a whisper, but Gibby still heard his confession. Stepping closer, Gibby reached out and stroked Tanner’s cheek. The ghost boy’s blue eyes darted nervously to the floor and the muscles flexed in his jaw.

“Look at me,” Gibby commanded. “I’m not interested in Scott Becker.”

Tanner glanced up at him as Gibby continued to feather his touch from Tanner’s cheek to his jaw, easing the tension before tipping his chin up for their lips to be so close, yet separated only a breath away. Gibby pressed their hips together as he inched forward, bringing a moan from deep inside Tanner.

“I love you too,” Gibby whispered before the tip of his tongue caressed Tanner’s bottom lip as it quivered, bringing a sexy shiver that made Gibby gasp for air.

Grabbing at the back of Gibby’s head, Tanner crushed their mouths together. His fingers threaded through Gibby’s hair as he eagerly opened up to deepen the connection. Teeth scraped flesh; their tongues danced making them dizzy.

Tanner broke their contact first. He pressed his forehead to Gibby’s and panted for air. “Then what did he want? What did Scott have to say to you that he couldn’t say in public?”

Gibby sighed. His face flushed red, “It’s embarrassing.”

A chilly breeze blew through the room. The windows and doors were all closed. The icy currents were radiating from Tanner. “Did you go out with him?” He asked widening the space between them.

Shaking his head, Gibby blew out a frustrated breath, “No, Scott wanted to apologize for causing a scene in the restaurant the first time I went there,” Gibby trembled as he recalled the customers’ reactions at the sight of his injuries. “I made the mistake of taking off my jacket in the restaurant…”

Tanner glanced down at Gibby’s bare arms. His eyes roamed the same skin that those people would have seen. “He freaked out over your burns?”

Gibby slowly nodded his head. “But it wasn’t just Scott, there were others there too. I know my scars make people uncomfortable, but the customers got really upset and this one old lady started screaming.”

“Assholes,” Tanner growled under his breath. “What’s wrong with those people?”

“It’s okay--”

“No it’s not!” The feel of Tanner’s fingers brushing over the rippled scars on Gibby’s exposed skin felt good. Gibby leaned into the touch. “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.”

Tanner’s words made Gibby gasp. For the first time since the fire, he felt sexy and desired. His heart raced as the ghost boy’s fingers continued to trace over his skin until they laced through his fingers, holding hands, Tanner slowly led Gibby towards the bed.

“I want to experience everything with you,” Tanner said as he stared into Gibby’s soft brown eyes. Reaching for the hem of Gibby’s shirt, Tanner lifted the fabric up over his head as he started pulling off his clothes. Gibby watched Tanner undress him. First Gibby’s shirt, then his jeans, within moments he was standing naked while Tanner’s eyes and hands wandered over his body, exploring every inch.

The touch was a delicious mix of fire and ice. When Tanner’s lips pressed against Gibby’s throat, chills of excitement raced along his spine, peppering his flesh with goose bumps. He couldn’t stop the shudder that trembled his body. Tanner’s mouth led a trail to his shoulders then his collarbone, dipping lower to his chest until Tanner was sucking on Gibby’s nipples. “Oh my god,” Gibby moaned as he threaded his fingers through Tanner’s hair holding his head to his chest.

Gibby’s body pulsed, his legs were weak as he was losing his strength to stand. With his eyes closed, lost in the amazing feeling, he began to sway. Losing his balance, Gibby tumbled into Tanner’s solid arms. The ghost boy caught Gibby and gently placed him on the soft bed.

“I have you,” Tanner purred against his ear.

Feeling flesh pressed against flesh, Gibby’s eyes fluttered open before he frowned looking down at Tanner’s naked body. “No fair,” He pouted, “I wanted to undress you, like you had done to me.”

Tanner flashed Gibby a mischievous smile. “Watch this.” Focusing on his bare skin, Tanner’s body shimmered for a second then appeared fully clothed on Gibby’s bed. “Not only do you help calm my nerves, but you help me stay focused so I can appear however I want.”

“Well, that’s good because right now I want you naked,” Gibby said breathlessly.

The clothes vanished leaving Tanner’s beautiful body reclining on the bed beside Gibby. His eyes roam over ghost boy’s body. “That’s better. Now where were we?”

Tanner blushed and opened his arms to Gibby. “Right here, in my arms, like you are always supposed to be.”

***

The next day, Gibby didn’t have to try to avoid Amanda. The bitch’s seat remained empty during Ms. Stein’s science class. Gibby really didn’t care why she was missing, he was just glad that she wasn’t there. He secretly wished she had contracted some awful disease like Monkeypox or the Ebola virus, but sadly he knew that it wasn’t true. He’d already seen her before the first bell rang, so whatever Satan-in-a-mini-skirt was up to, she wasn’t home puking her guts up, or thrashing around in unbearable pain, which was too bad.

Amanda never looked at Gibby in any of their mutual classes as the day went on and she even left him alone while he hung out in the library during lunch. It was the only time that he could really talk to Tanner since they were surrounded by classmates the rest of the time, but a few stolen kisses in the library stacks were worth the wait. The rest of the day passed without incident which made Gibby perfectly happy. He couldn’t wait to get home and have the entire house to just him and Tanner for a few hours before Jonathan got home from work.

Gibby couldn’t hide his smile as he walked through the crowed hallway at the end of the day. Memories of last night came crashing back at the most awkward moments, leaving him fighting to calm his raging emotions, but he didn’t care. Not only was he was in love with Tanner, but Tanner loved him back. They made love until the first rays of light flooded the bedroom. Just thinking about the things they had done to each other had Gibby’s erection stirring back to life.

Quickly adjusting himself to keep from bringing any unwanted attention to his crotch only made him smile even more. Gibby had already gathered his books before his last class and had his homework neatly tucked into his satchel, so he was ready to make the mad dash out to the row of buses.

Turning the corner and ready to dart down the stairs, Gibby was unexpectedly grabbed from behind. Strong hands held onto his arms and dragged him back down the hallway from which he had just come.

“What the hell?” Momentarily stunned by the surprise attack, Gibby was still in shock as he was pulled along like a limp ragdoll until he started to kick his feet and suddenly fight back.

“Let go of me!” Gibby shouted as waves of students kept walking in the opposite direction from where he was being taken. There was laughter and curious stares from the other teenagers, but none of them stopped or tried to help him. A few guys that Gibby recognized from the football team pointed at him and his attackers, giving them each a thumbs-up.

“I said let--” A strip of ducktape cut off Gibby’s protest just as the last student past him. His eyes grew wide with fear. Did the other kids think this was some kind of sick joke? Was it some sort of prank, because Gibby didn’t find it funny!

“Hurry up and get him inside before any teachers see us.” A familiar voice said from behind Gibby.

The door to the boys’ bathroom swung open and Gibby was dragged inside before his captors dropped him to the cold tile floor. Scrambling to right himself and get off his back as soon as he was free earned him a hard punch to his left eye.

Falling back on the floor, Gibby’s head connected with the tiles. He struggled for air as he fought through the darkness ebbing in from the corners, battling the bright flash of light in the center of his vision, before everything went completely black.