Growing Josh - 1. Chapter 1

"Goddamn it! I'm not wear'n that mother fuck'r," yelled Trent, slamming the door behind him.

Darrin sighed, he had been enjoying the truce between Josh and Trent, but apparently it was over. The fact that Trent was living in a tiny house several feet away had helped with the fighting, but Darrin thought, all good things must come to an end, as they say. He carefully saved the paper he was writing, knowing he was going to be dragged into the fray at some point. Right on cue, Josh stormed through the door, stiff-arming it open and stomping past as it hit the wall with a shuddering crash. He spotted Darrin and made a beeline for him. "He won't do it! He has to wear it. It's just stupid not to!" yelled Josh, his face crimson with anger.

"What won't who do? What's stupid? And please stop yelling, I can hear you fine," said Darrin, trying to remain calm.

"Trent!" yelled Josh. Realizing he was still loud he tried again. "Trent. We're working with the horses but he won't wear a helmet."

"Not gonna either. Fuck'n things look stupid as hell! I ain’t gonna look like a fuck’n dork!" said Trent forcefully from across the room.

Josh turned to him, "It doesn't matter what they look like. It'll save your life if you get thrown and hit your head. "

"Oh that's bullshit. Whitey wouldn't throw me," said Trent in a slightly calmer voice.

"You never know, especially when we're starting with them. It's just stupid to not wear a helmet!" said Josh with a little heat.

"So you think I'm stupid 'cause I'm not a college boy. Is that it?" said Trent, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Josh.

As Josh started to reply, Darrin signed them to stop. "Ok, Trent. You know he wasn't saying you’re stupid. So don't go there. Josh did you explain why, or did you just tell Trent he had to wear a helmet?"

"Well I was gonna—" started Josh.

"No! He just told me I had to wear the damn ugly ass thing," said Trent.

Darrin focused on Trent, "I think it would be a good idea, at least while you're getting the horses use to riders. You don't know what might set them off. Once they're behaving then maybe you won't need the helmet. Besides, no one is going to see it but us. We just want you to be safe and not get hurt. It's not like you're doing the Rose Parade in a bike helmet."

"Fine! But I still think it's stupid!" spit out Trent. With a withering glare at Josh he left the house.

Darrin turned to Josh with a slight frown, "You know, if you would explain things to him, life would be easier."

Josh started to argue then deflated knowing he was in the wrong, "I know, he just pisses me off so bad sometime. He can be so damn stubborn."

Darrin smiled slightly at Josh, but let the comment go. After a few moments of silence, Josh turned and left. As the door shut, Darrin heard from the bedroom.

"Glad my office isn't in the living room," said Mitch.

"Asshole! Next family crisis is yours to deal with," said Darrin.

Mitch appeared at the door, walked over and kissed Darrin. "You betcha buckwheat. Next time is mine," he said with a chuckle.

Darrin swatted Mitch's ass as he walked past, then went back to the writing that had been interrupted.

<><><><>

The fall had been busy for everyone on the ranch, and the frantic season hadn't left Darrin with time to work on his research at the university. To remedy the lack of progress, Darrin had started staying a little later in the evening, but today Darrin had let time slip away as he worked on analyzing his data. He was trying several statistical models, and comparing results to see which were the more accurate. Each one was methodically and carefully studied as Darrin went through the details. Suddenly, a loud male voice coming from the hallway shattered his focus. When he glanced at the clock, he discovered it was much later than he'd intended to stay, and a glance out his window confirmed the time as he was confronted with inky blackness. Realizing the shouting had continued, he moved from behind his desk to see what was happening. As he stepped into the hallway, he was shocked to find Kevin Boorman facing the student, apparently trying to calm him down.

"You’re sick, dude! I don't fuck'n like guys! What the fuck!" yelled the kid.

Darrin stepped up and cleared his throat to get the student’s attention. When he glanced back, Darrin said, "Can I help?" Glancing at Boorman he added, "Do you want me to call the police?"

"No, no! No cops! He just needs to get away from me!" screamed the almost hysterical student.

"Alright, ok, let's just calm down. Did he touch you? Are you in one of his classes?"

"No! He didn't fuck'n touch me. I'm not in any of perv's classes either. Damn it! He's just gross!"

"So what happened?" asked Darrin, becoming a little confused.

"The goddamn perv asked me out! What the fuck!"

Darrin took in the student, and wasn't terribly surprised to find a stereotypical twink standing in front of him. His short spiked hair, thin body and smooth face made him look very young; apparently Boorman liked them young. Suddenly it dawned on Darrin that he was not sure how old this kid was, he didn't look 18, but that was no indication.

"Son, how old are you?" asked Darrin, watching as Boorman's face fell at the question.

"I'm 19! What the fuck does that have to do with anything! Get this queer away from me!"

"Ok, ok. Do you want to file a complaint?"

"No! I just want the fucker to leave me alone!" said the student, starting to calm down.

"I can promise you that Dr. Boorman will not be bothering you again," said Darrin.

The kid looked from one to the other of them, taking Darrin's words into consideration and calmed suddenly. "Ok, good. I gotta go. I got a thing."

"Sure, no problem," said Darrin as he stepped back so there was a clear exit for the student, who glanced at Darrin again, and walked past. Soon Darrin could hear the staccato rhythm as the student raced from the building while Darrin glared at Boorman. Once the sound of the door slamming shut marked the student’s exit, he stepped closer to Boorman.

"We need to talk, Kevin."

Boorman gulped and nodded, turning and leading the way to his office. As they stepped in, Darrin pulled the door shut and scowled at Boorman.

"What the fuck were you thinking? You didn't even know how old he was, did you!" said Darrin in a low growl.

Boorman swallowed once, then again, as he tried to formulate a reply. Darrin tired of waiting quickly and slammed both hands down on the desk and yelled, "Answer me!"

"Yes, god, shit," Boorman inhaled deeply and began again, "No, I didn't know how old he was, I thought he was a student. I don't know what happened, he showed up, I answered a few questions he had, I thought I saw the clues," Kevin took another breath, "But obviously I was wrong."

"Damnit, Kevin! This is a dangerous game," said Darrin, his face hardening as he continued "But I promise you, if that kid was in your class, or underage, or if you were forcing yourself on him . . ."

"You wouldn't like the consequences, the best would be you going to jail or losing this job," finished Darrin.

Kevin shuddered slightly and nodded in understanding.

"Damnit! Your life would be so much easier if you'd just come out," said Darrin in exasperation.

"No! I'm not gay! I don't need to come out. I just haven't found the right woman," said Kevin in a burst.

"Really? You expect me to—" Darrin stopped and saw the look of total panic coming over the other man's face. With a sigh of helplessness, he simply turned and left the office.

<><><><>

Weeks had passed since the blowup with Josh, and he had been wearing the helmet, but it was because Darrin had wanted him to, not because of anything Josh had said. He was still learning to deal with the older boy and his tendency to boss Trent around. Today they had cornered off again, and now the horse didn't want to do things he was performing perfectly just a few days earlier.

Trent held onto the lead rope tightly as his horse reared again. Tugging on the rope, he tried to coax the horse down the alleyway.

"He can tell you're pissed, it's making him nervous."

Trent pivoted to see Mitch standing behind him with his ubiquitous cowboy hat cocked back. With a sigh, Mitch stepped forward, took the lead from Trent, then stood calmly until the horse stopped prancing in place. Once he'd settled, Mitch slowly walked him back to his stall. Coiling the lead, he turned to Trent and handed it to him.

"The feud you and Josh have going is affecting the animals. Even Max is unhappy," said Mitch. With a slight pause he continued, "Fix it. Fix it now."

Trent watched as Mitch left, his lips twisting in discomfort as the truth of Mitch's words penetrated. He couldn't remember the last time Max came to him to be petted, and he didn’t remember seeing Josh get much attention either. He liked the animals, he loved his horse, and Max. Now that Mitch had pointed it out to him, it was obvious that the baggage between he and Josh was having effects that Trent was not willing to accept.

As he heard Josh walking into the barns, whistling some nameless tune, he decided he was going to learn to get along with the dark haired young man, even if it killed both of them.

<><><><>

Darrin walked into the bedroom and fell face first onto the bed. With a moan, he lay there like fresh road-kill, a few twitches but not much else. When Mitch realized the silence had gone on for too long he turned to check on his husband. Seeing that he hadn't moved, Mitch pushed away from his desk, walked over, and sat beside him on the bed. He reached over and began rubbing Darrin’s tense back.

"Oh jeez, you have about a year or so to stop that," said Darrin with a sigh.

"What's up, good look'n? What has you so tense?" said Mitch, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on the back of Darrin's neck.

Darrin sighed at the feeling of his muscles relaxing under Mitch's careful massage, "Nothing really, normal crap at work and trying to plan Trent's birthday party without him finding out about it." Darrin paused and looked over his shoulder at Mitch with an arched eyebrow, "And remember, you promised no cock-shaped anything this time," referencing the penis shaped candle and ice cubes from Trent's previous birthdays.

Mitch chuckled softly, "I promise, the only dicks will be the ones between the guys legs."

Mitch rubbed and kneaded Darrin's back for several more minutes, then he walked over and turned up the heat in the room. Coming back to Darrin’s limp form, Mitch pulled his shirt out of his slacks and pushed it up. His rubbing turned to gentle scratching as he worked to relax Darrin. Once he felt that he had covered the last bit Darrin's back, he gently rolled him so he could access his chest.

Leaning down, Mitch gently kissed the base of Darrin's neck as he opened the first button. Working slowly down his chest, Mitch enjoyed the texture of Darrin's chest hair as he moved lower and lower. As the last button popped open, he slowly spread Darrin's shirt and enjoyed the sight of his husband's muscular chest. Leaning down, he kissed each hard nipple as it protruded from the dense fur. Grinning, Mitch unbuckled Darrin's belt, opened his khakis and slowly slid the zipper down.

Instead of his usual jockstrap, Darrin had taken to wearing thigh length boxer briefs that were very fitted. Mitch had decided that he actually thought they were sexier than the jock, although he did like that he could screw Darrin without taking the jock off. But the dark grey pair of underwear he discovered when he peeled Darrin's pants down were hot so far as Mitch was concerned.

Soon he had Darrin stripped down to those tight briefs and was working on his ass and thigh muscles. Reaching up he smacked Darrin on the side of his hip, "Come on, let's go soak in the tub."

Darrin rolled on his side to watch as Mitch quickly stripped. Soon he was tossing his white briefs into the corner and tugging at Darrin's arm to get him into the bathroom. He pulled him to the tub, then released him and started adjusting the water. Soon there were several inches of muscle-relaxing hot water in the deep tub. Mitch turned to his man, interlaced his fingers behind Darrin's head and kissed him softly. With a smile Mitch let his hands slid down Darrin's torso and hooked his thumbs inside the waistband of his briefs, slid them off his butt and pushed them to the floor with his foot.

Reaching down he took Darrin's plump cock in his fingers and squeezed it gently. "Get in the tub, babe."

Mitch watched with a smile as Darrin's hairy ass scissored open as he climbed into the tub, giving Mitch a peek of his pink hole nestled in the dense hair. He watched as Darrin slowly settled into the hot water, a slight hiss coming from him as the heat permeated his tight muscles. Finally with a sigh, Darrin relaxed against the tub and looked up at Mitch.

"Come on in, the water's fine," said Darrin with a smile.

"Well move your fat ass up and I will," said Mitch with a grin.

Darrin chuckled and slid forward slightly, watching as his husband climbed in behind him, then relaxed into Mitch's arms. He watched as Mitch pulled a thick washcloth from the rack, and soaked it with hot water. Darrin sighed as Mitch ran the wet cloth over Darrin's shoulders and neck, then gently scrubbed his short trimmed hair. Squirting some soap on the cloth, Mitch washed Darrin carefully, chuckling at his reaction when Mitch ran the cloth into the water and over Darrin's genitals. He pushed Darrin forward until he was on his knees, and then gently washed his ass crack, letting the cloth tease Darrin's pulsing hole as he did.

Satisfied that he'd washed every spot on Darrin, Mitch pulled his man back against him and dropped the cloth into the tub. His hands traveled over Darrin's torso, drifting through the water until they found his hard cock. Mitch began biting and sucking on Darrin's neck as he leisurely jacked his cock. Darrin sighed and relaxed, allowing himself to drift as he was surrounded by the warmth of the water and the strong connection to Mitch.

But soon Darrin felt himself reach the point of no return. His body tensed as his orgasm began and erupted his load into the water. Mitch jacked him slowly, watching the white clouds of semen shoot into the bath. The jizz floated lazily around the tub as Darrin's body tensed with each round. As the orgasm released him, he slumped into the hot water, and smiled up at Mitch.

"Oh god, that felt so good. I feel so good," said Darrin with a smile.

The pair relaxed against each other for several long minutes, Darrin fully realizing that the pipe poking him in the back had nothing to do with the plumbing. With a smile, he turned and slid down his husband, took a breath and then pushing his face underwater and over Mitch's cock. Servicing it frantically, he quickly had to surface for air, but then dove again. After a third time, Darrin surfaced and chuckled to Mitch.

"Maybe I'll just stay above water."

Mitch laughed softly, "Might be a good idea."

Darrin twisted in the tub so the pair were facing each other and took Mitch's cock in his hand. As he jacked the hard cock under the cooling water, he could tell Mitch was getting close. Darrin slowed down, wanting to torment his man for as long as possible. But he couldn't resist the little rubs, the gentle teasing as his fingers fell into a well-worn routine. Rubbing hard on the base of Mitch's cockhead he leaned in and kissed him with passion.

"Fuck! Fuck!" yelled Mitch.

Mitch's cock exploded, Darrin watching with fascination as stream after stream of white fluid entered the clear water. The spectacle fascinated Darrin as he continued to play with Mitch's softening cock until he felt a rough hand close over his.

"It's sensitive, babe. But you were amazing, like always."

Rinsing each other quickly, they climbed out of the tepid water and gently dried each other. Their gentle touches and caresses continued under the covers as they spooned against each other. Darrin smiled contentedly, feeling very relaxed for the first time in days.

<><><><>

Darrin was awakened the next morning by a sharp squeal of pain. Looking sleepily over at his husband, he yawned and stretched, immediately yelping as something yanked hairs under his arm. Looking over at Mitch, he drew in his brows as he stretched his leg and another patch of hair was pulled.

"What the hell?" said Darrin.

"I don't know! It's like someone put fuck'n spots of glue on me," said Mitch sounding bewildered, and a little pissed.

Darrin felt another spot on his abdomen, reaching down he scratched at the crusty location and lifted his finger to his nose. Sniffing it lightly, he paused for a moment, and then started laughing.

"What? What is it?" said Mitch.

"It's semen, from the tub. We both unloaded in the water and apparently it stuck to us."

"Well fuck!" said Mitch with disgust, then started laughing. "I think we need a shower to wash off the fuck'n cum! I've got spots of it all over."

"Yeah, me too! Come on, we can wash each other," said Darrin as he pulled Mitch to his feet.

They wrapped their arms around each other, both were soon laughing and cussing as they moved and new deposits were discovered. Soon they were relaxing in the hot shower, cleaning each other while they discussed the upcoming day. Suddenly Darrin froze and Mitch stopped.

"What, babe?" said Mitch.

"Shit! It's today," said Darrin.

"What is?"

"Trent's party. I got confused. His birthday is today!"

Mitch slapped Darrin's bare ass and laughed. "Well, we better get our asses in gear then! We'll take care of it, together just like anything else."

<><><><>

Trent walked into the darkened house cautiously, not sure what was going on. It was early evening, and while he didn't really live there, he spent almost every evening hanging out with the guys. He was actually hurt, and more than a little pissed, that they would leave him here and not even invite him to whatever they were doing. Dismissing them as irrelevant, Trent turned to flip on the kitchen lights.

The room exploded with shouts of surprise and happy birthday. The shock was enough that Trent ran part of the way out of the room when his survival reflexes kicked in and he reacted. Finally getting his emotions under control, he stopped and turned back to see a small crowd of smiling faces as he tried to understand what was happening. Finally Mitch took control and motioned Trent over.

"Happy birthday!”

Trent raked the room with a scathing look, while inside he was elated. Last year the guys had thrown a party for him, but he'd only been at the ranch for a few weeks then. He wasn't sure that he would get another one this year. They had all been so nice to him, but he still didn't trust their motives. He was also surprised to see the sheriff. He was certainly an unexpected guest.

Trent watched with arms folded across his chest, trying to maintain his façade of distain, but the look slowly dissolved into the face of an 18-year-old who was rapidly becoming overwhelmed. He opened each gift, being more and more touched by the fact that they actually knew him; they'd taken the time to pay attention. Mitch and Darrin had given him mostly clothes, but they were the kind he liked even though Mitch was always giving him trouble about the style of clothes he wore. But they were exactly the size and colors that he wanted. He now had more clothes in his closet than he'd owned in his entire life.

He was floored when Josh handed him a shoebox-sized package that had a slight metallic rattle that Trent wasn't sure how to decipher. Ripping open the package, Trent snapped the tape holding the lid in place with several determined tugs, and lifted the lid. Glancing inside he knew immediately it held several new halters for him to use with his mustang. But as he looked closer he realized these weren't the typical halters from the feedmill, the braiding and construction looked, different. He looked up at Josh with a questioning look on his face.

"I made 'em. Mitch showed me how to braid, and I've been working on them for awhile," said Josh.

"How long?" asked Trent quietly.

"I dunno, couple of months maybe," said Josh, suddenly looking shy.

Darrin watched for a moment as the two younger men struggled to put this new information in perspective. Realizing they needed rescuing, Darrin turned to the sheriff.

"Jim, did you have something for Trent?" said Darrin.

"Sure did," said Jim as he stepped forward and held out a tube to Trent.

Trent gingerly took the cylinder from the lawman's hand, examining it carefully.

"Don't worry, kid. It's safe to open," said Jim with a chuckle.

Trent bristled slightly at the 'kid' comment, but quickly relaxed knowing it was just part of the sheriff's persona. He laid the tube across his legs and ripped off the brown paper. Popping off the plastic cap, he gently pulled out the rolled paper. Opening it, he saw it was a collection of graphic images created primarily in black and red. He looked back at the sheriff with a shocked look on his face.

"I told you, native people need to stick together; even ones that are blond," said Jim with a chuckle.

"But . . ." stammered Trent.

"My college roommate was Haida. A friend of his does traditional work. I thought you might like some of the artwork of your dad's people."

Trent slowly unrolled the paper, carefully studying each image as he tried to regain his composure. Trent prided himself on never showing weakness, never letting anyone know they had gotten to him, he was always the badass in every situation. But the sheriff's gift had affected him deeply. Suddenly all the good memories of his father, the ones he had carefully walled away to protect them, came flooding back. The large bronze skinned hand that held his small pale one, the kiss on his forehead at night, the long dark braid that Trent would tug at. It all came back, memories he thought were long lost, as if each of the tribal totems somehow triggered a new surge of memories. By the time he reached the final symbol, a killer whale that was exactly like his tattoo, he couldn't look up, he wouldn't let himself look up, because his eyes were flooded with tears. He couldn't let these men see him crying, he hadn't cried since his father died.

Mitch saw the surge of emotions overcome Trent and caught Darrin's eye. With an imperceptible nod from Mitch, Darrin realized what was happening.

"Josh, would you go bring the ice cream from the chest freezer while Jim and I get the cake. We need some food at this party," said Darrin as he directed attention away from Trent.

As the other three began getting the food together, Mitch walked over and put his hand on Trent's shoulder and handed him a box of tissues. Never looking up, Trent pulled a few out and wiped his eyes. After a few seconds he looked up at Mitch, "It just brought back memories of my dad. I hadn't really thought about him in a long time. Sorry."

"You don't ever need to apologize to anyone in this house for having feelings. I'm glad you have good memories of your dad. Someday, when you're ready, I’d like to hear about him."

Trent finally looked up at Mitch, wiping the last tear from his cheek. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

"Cake's ready everyone!" announced Darrin cheerfully. "Come blow out the candles, Trent."

Trent bounced to his feet, having swept past the sadness as only a teenager can. He walked over to the cake and watched as Darrin lit eighteen candles very carefully.

Trent inhaled, leaned in, and at the last second paused and looked at Darrin with a twinkle in his eyes.

"No flaming dildo's this year?" said Trent innocently, then blew out the candles while Darrin sputtered.

<><><><>

Josh sat nervously at the kitchen table, not quite sure why he was doing this, but understanding that he needed for it to happen. After Zach had dumped him he hadn't wanted to be with anyone. But now he was having feelings again, ones that were different from those he'd had with his first boyfriend Tony, or his recent lover Zach. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't stop thinking about him. It was becoming obsessive; Josh would catch himself staring at his lips while he talked, watching his ass when he walked away. Josh resisted at first, but finally decided he had to try, he knew it could be a disaster, but he had to get it out of his system. His agonizing wait finally came to an end when he heard the door slam shut.

Turning he watched as Trent walked into the room. Feeling Josh's eyes on him, Trent slowed then stopped.

"What?" said Trent curtly.

"Umm, I need to ask you something," stammered Josh.

"What?"

"Would you mind coming over here? I don't really want to yell it across the room," said Josh quietly.

Trent paused, then sighed and walked to Josh, standing across the table with his arms crossed. "Well?"

Josh's words tumbled out, "I was wondering if you wanted to go out, you know, like a date. I'd pay for everything, not that you need me to, but since I asked you I thought—" Josh stopped, realizing he was sounding like a stammering twelve year old who was asking a classmate to go steady. Glancing up he looked into Trent's ice blue eyes, and waited.

Warring feelings erupted inside Trent. Part of him thought this was a joke, but the look on Josh’s face said otherwise. Was Josh just looking for a quick fuck thinking that because Trent had survived on the streets for months by selling his body that he'd be easy? Well if that was the case, he was in for a rude surprise. Two months ago a date with Josh would have been ridiculous, but now . . . now it didn't sound that bad. He looked at Josh, trying to get an idea of why, but saw only a very unsure man who had put himself at risk for rejection by asking Trent out.

"When?" said Trent.

"Whenever you'd like, anything you want to do," said Josh as hope started to grow.

"Saturday night, I want a Sonic burger, onion rings and a movie. One of the action flicks, you pick," said Trent without any outward emotions.

"Yeah. Sure! That'd be great, sounds fantastic," said Josh, as his dream rapidly became reality.

"K," said Trent. Josh watched as Trent turned and walked back out of the house, pulling his leather gloves on as he went.

Trent walked quickly to the barn, knowing he needed some time alone with the horses to settle his nerves. His stomach was in knots and his emotions in turmoil as he tried to work out what he had just agreed to.

<><><><>

Trent sat quietly as the pickup rolled to a stop. He had to admit, it had been fun. Once Josh got over his stammering and stuttering, he was pretty easy to talk with, and he loved to chatter about his art classes and what he was learning. Trent would have thought it would have bored him to tears, but it was actually interesting.

The burger and onion rings had been good too, and the latest comic book adaptation that Josh had picked had held their attention. Josh had also treated him with respect; he hadn't pawed at him or tried anything. Well, he had slid his hand over the top of Trent's while they were watching the film, but Trent had enjoyed the gentle touch. But now they were at the end of the date, and Josh would want something in exchange. One thing Trent had decided months ago, and the attitude of the guys had just reinforced it, no one was taking anything else from him. He would work through his issues eventually, but whoever he was with was going to move at his speed, not at the pace of rampant hormones. He heard a rustle and looked over to see Josh turn to look at him.

"Tonight was cool. I really had a good time," said Josh.

"Me too," said Trent, and with a smile he added, "Damn good burgers too!"

Josh chuckled, "Yeah, Sonic burgers are the best." Josh paused for a moment and continued, "The movie wasn't bad either."

"Nope, it was great, especially the epic fight scene, I mean –" Trent held up his hands with a smile.

Trent saw that Josh was leaning toward him, and suddenly the pickup felt very hot. He wasn't sure what to do. Did he want this? He'd never let one of his john's kiss him. But suddenly he wanted this expression of gentle sensuality, but he wasn't sure he could deal with it. He needed to know; he needed Josh to understand the importance of the act.

"Josh . . ."

Josh paused, concern flashing across his face. "Yeah?"

"I've never let anyone kiss me, not like that . . ." said Trent softly.

Josh paused and thought about what Trent was saying, "Nobody?"

"No, it was too personal. The sex I could take myself out of, but not a kiss," said Trent, suddenly he smiled, "You not ever see 'Pretty Woman'?"

Josh smiled softly, "Yeah, I have. I'd love to be your first, Trent. If you'll let me."

With a slight tremor, Trent leaned toward Josh. As their lips touched, Trent felt passion explode through his body. Josh's lips were hot and moist, and with each press the sensations improved. He felt Josh's hand curl around the back of his neck, and this time the touch felt wonderful. Their lips pressed harder as Josh rubbed Trent's neck. Trent was enshrouded by the passion of the touch. His senses became overwhelmed in delightful ways that he had never imagined. Soon the sensations were flooding his body, his nipples were hard and aching, his cock was stiff and dripping as it sought release. The sensations became overwhelming when he felt Josh pull back slightly. Leaning his head down, Josh rested his forehead against Trent's as he panted for breath.

"Oh god, that was the best fuck'n kiss I've ever had," said Josh with a gasp.

"Yeah. Fuck," stammered Trent.

Trent looked into Josh's eyes, to see lust shrouding them. He felt the hands shift, until Josh was cupping his face between them. Josh turned his head and slid in, their lips again igniting a shower of emotions that ensnared both men. Trent felt Josh's tongue glide over his lips, and in response parted them slightly. Immediately Josh sensed the willingness, and drove his tongue deep in Trent's mouth, tasting and explore his steamy oral cavity. Quickly, Trent responded, and their tongues warred for entry. Pressing hard as they tongue fucked each other's mouths. Trent felt his body tremble with passion, not certain how to deal with these raging emotions.

Josh felt the younger man tremble under his hands, his cock hard as steel and desperately wanting more. But while he thought right now Trent would have little will to resist, Josh didn't want him to have regrets. With almost overwhelming disappointment, he slowly pulled back. Still holding his date in his hands, he could feel shiver after shiver race through Trent's body. Hesitantly he leaned in and kissed Trent on the forehead. Pulling back again he glanced at Trent and was amazed at the power of their shared kiss. Trent was flushed and panting, his body still wracked with occasional tremors.

"You ok?" said Josh softly.

Trent gulped once, then twice, and nodded. He pushed up and moved slowly to the door of the pickup. Josh watched him crack open the door, slowly slide down the seat, seemingly barely catching himself when his boots hit the ground. Josh thought he was going to walk off without a word, but was surprised to see him turn.

"This was fuck'n amazing, Josh. Thanks," said Trent softly.

"Yeah, can we do it again?" asked Josh hesitantly.

"Hell yeah," said Trent with a smile.

Josh watched as Trent walked to his house, making sure he made it inside then backed up the short distance, and parked at the main house. Josh waited patiently, knowing Darrin or Mitch would probably still be awake and he didn't want to have to explain his rampant erection.

Trent leaned against the door as he closed it behind him, still panting. His body was wracked with shock waves of passion as he tried desperately to regain control. He would have never believed a kiss would have the kind of effect it had. He was glad he'd never given that gift to any of the johns. Trent lifted his shaking hand to open the button on his jeans, after several failed attempts, he managed to open them, then pulled out the front of his briefs to see his thick pubic hair coated with massive quantities of cum. The white pleasure was still leaking from his softening cock as his underwear became progressively more soaked.

Trent held up his pants and carefully made his way to the shower. Quickly stripping, he was soon standing under torrents of hot water. As he turned slowly under the steaming hot water, a shy smile crept over Trent's face.

<><><><>

As the mild fall days morphed into winter, Josh and Trent became more and more comfortable with each other. They were slowly getting to know each other, but since both of them had so much baggage, they were reluctant to give over any power, understanding that information was dominance. In spite of the misgivings, the pair progressed, granted it was in short spurts and fits, but becoming more and more comfortable with each other, learning slowly to trust each other. They each gave the other small parts of their hearts. To the careful observer it was obvious that Josh gave his trust more readily though, his love for Trent becoming a very important part of his life.

Their physical relationship developed too, although more slowly. Josh had let Trent set the pace and so far the couple had moved little beyond passionate kissing. Josh was being very cautious and wanted Trent to be ready for each step.

Tonight they were contentedly relaxing on the couch with their legs intertwined, when Mitch came in with a smile covering his face. The boys looked up, as did Darrin from his desk.

"Mom and Dad are coming for Thanksgiving!" said Mitch excitedly.

"The Thanksgiving that's next week?" asked Darrin, his brows knitted together.

"Yup! It'll be great! I can't wait to show them the ranch," said Mitch as he paced the room in excitement.

Darrin turned to the two boys, who self-consciously separated, "You two don't make plans, this house has to be cleaned top to bottom. The barns too, I want everything cleaned up before they get here."

"Where're they gonna sleep?" asked Josh.

Darrin hesitated for a minute, fully aware that the two of them were dating. Sighing quietly he made a decision, knowing full well that he may regret it later.

"They'll sleep in your room, Josh. If you don't mind, you can bunk with Trent. We can get a blow-up mattress if you want," said Darrin

Josh looked at Trent and they nodded without any further comment. Darrin took that as acceptance and moved on to other details. The next hour was a flurry of planning and task assignment as Darrin mapped out the holiday. Soon the boys had gone to their respective beds, with a soft kiss when they thought Darrin and Mitch were not looking.

Darrin watched as Josh closed the door behind himself. He heard Mitch clear his throat softly. "I know, this could be a disaster," said Darrin.

"It could make the Little Big Horn look like a slight misunderstanding," said Mitch with his brows arched.

Darrin twisted his lips and shrugged, hoping he and Mitch were both wrong.

<><><><>

Trent stood behind the other three, not sure what he thought about the arrival of Mitch's parents. The past week Darrin had been on a complete ass bender about getting everything ready for their arrival. The whole drama about them coming already had him wondering, and Darrin's obvious nervousness was just adding to his anxiety. Now that they were standing on the porch watching the car come up the driveway, his concern was almost palpable. Trent watched as the car rolled to a stop, hesitating as Mitch and Darrin hurried to greet them. He watched as the four of them took turns embracing, before he realized that Josh was still standing beside him.

Josh looked over with a lopsided grin, "I've never met them either."

Trent inhaled, his mouth forming an "O" with the realization. As he watched, he saw Mitch turn and wave them over. He and Josh slowly walked over, smiles plastered over their faces. As they got closer Mitch grabbed Trent's arm and pulled him into the small crowd.

"This is Trent. He's been helping out for the past year or so. He's fantastic with the horses, I've never seen anyone with his touch before," said Mitch to his parents, then looking over at Trent he finished the introductions, "Trent, these are my parents, Patsy and Mike."

Mitch's mother made it almost a full second before she wrapped her arms around Trent and pulled him tight. Of course she knew his background, but she didn't care. For some reason he reminded her of Mitch at that age. She felt a slight tremor go through Trent and decided she had forced her affection on the boy long enough. Releasing him, she stepped back with her hands still cradling Trent's arms.

"It's great to finally get to meet you, Trent," she said quietly.

Trent glanced over to see Mitch's dad holding out his hand, and mechanically let his hand be pumped. His arms fell limply to his sides as he watched the introduction ritual repeated with Josh.

“Mom, Dad, this is Josh. He’s the one responsible for the goats, and that crazy red and white dog,” said Mitch with a chuckle. Josh reddened slightly as he shook Mike’s hand and was held tight by Patsy.

Patsy slid her hand in both boys’ arms and beamed at them. Turning to Josh she started. “Josh, we’ve heard so much about you. I really want to see the herd of goats you have, and this new mustang that you’re working with.” She smiled and turned, “Trent, I also want to see this miracle in horsehide that you’ve apparently have working better than a well trained Lipizzaner. Now, if I could get the two best looking guys here to escort me to the house?" said Patsy with a smile.

Both boys grinned back at her, already feeling closer to her than either of their mothers, who had discarded them. Trent was more cautious, but still Patsy was working her magic on him as they slowly walked her to the house, listening to her charming chatter. As the three of them walked into the house, Mitch heard his dad chuckle. Looking over, he lifted a questioning eyebrow.

"I was just thinking. Your mother always was good with wild things," said Mike with a laugh.

<><><><>

That evening was spent in pleasant conversation, with Trent and Josh feeling included in the conversation. Josh told Mitch's parents about the degree he was working on in graphic arts, and Trent was pulled into the conversation as he regaled them with his work with Whitey, his BLM mustang; as well as the tricks he had been teaching Josh's Border Collie, Max and his purchase of some of the goats from Josh's growing herd.

Since Patsy and Mike's home was a modern day homestead, they were very interested in hearing both boys’ experiences. Soon they were telling stories of Feathers, their Friesian horse that wasn't sure if he was a horse, or a dog; and their wandering flock of chickens that made their egg cartons look like a Pride flag. Trent relaxed and was soon laughing along with everyone else.

Eventually the night began to wind down and Mitch's parents obviously needed sleep. After Patsy yawned a third time in so many minutes, Darrin called an end to the evening.

"I think it's time for bed. I know I'm about to crash," said Darrin.

"I'm afraid you're right. We're about to fall asleep in the middle of the conversation," said Mike as he helped his wife to her feet. "Where did you want us? At this point I could sleep on the kitchen floor."

"No, ya'll get Josh's room, he's going to bunk with Trent," said Mitch with a smile toward Trent.

Patsy turned to look at Josh and Trent, "You boys ok with that? We hate to put you out."

Both boys signaled their denial of any inconvenience. Josh finally spoke up, "No, we'll be fine. My blow-up mattress is all ready."

After only a slight bit of discussion, Patsy and Mike agreed. With everyone helping, it took only a few minutes and their luggage was in Josh's room. With warm goodnights from all, the boys quickly found themselves closing the door behind them as they walked into Trent's house. Josh tossed the bag with his clothes into the nearby chair, and then sat on the side of the bed.

"You tired?" asked Trent.

"Nope. You?" said Josh.

"No," said Trent. The quiet stretched out for several moments, until he continued, "Wanna play some Wii?"

"Sure! I don’t play the one the guys gave me too much. That sounds fun," said Josh with a smile.

As they played, they started to relax. Both of them knew what they wanted to happen tonight, but had reservations, for different reason. At well past midnight, Josh was suppressing a yawn and had to look at Trent with a smile.

"I think it's time to get some sleep. We'll need to do the chores in the morning so the guys don't have to," said Josh.

Trent chuckled and said, "Yeah, you old college man. Let's get you some shuteye before you crash."

Josh nodded with a smile, and started stripping to his briefs. He kicked off his boots, pulled the shirt over his head, and quickly dropped his jeans to the floor. Standing in just his briefs, Josh suddenly realized Trent hadn't moved.

"Sorry, I usually sleep in my briefs. But I can put on the t-shirt if I'm making you uncomfortable. I'll have the air mattress inflated in a few minutes," said Josh with concern.

"No," said Trent softly.

"Ok . . ." said Josh looking confused as he reached down to pull his shirt out of the pile.

"No, I mean you don't need to fix another bed. Why don't you sleep in the bed with me? I'm fine with it," said Trent.

"You sure?" asked Josh.

"Yeah, sure. It'll be fine. Just sleeping, right?" said Trent in a rapid flood of words.

Josh watched as the slender young man quickly stripped. While they had been dating for weeks, they had never done more than kiss and a little light petting. The thought of being next to Trent was seductive for Josh, but he wasn't sure what Trent's reaction would be if they went any further. It had been Trent's decision to sleep together though, and Josh was excited to be next to the handsome young man. As he watched Trent finish peeling off his clothes, he admired his body. For 18, he had a nice amount of hair between his pecs and over his muscular abs, dark blond and so short and dense it almost looked plush. The briefs that Trent had received for his birthday came almost to his knees, and were very form fitting. As Trent turned back, Josh got a little weak in the knees at the sight of the huge cock snaking down the leg of Trent's underwear.

As he stared transfixed at Trent's dick, he remembered walking into Trent’s house, to find Trent dancing around in the nude, his long cock flopping like a sexual snake. Josh stopped himself, realizing his obsession was affecting his own cock, which was plumping up nicely in his white briefs. Trying to control his obsession, he studied the tattoo covering Trent's shoulder. He recognized the native designs from Sheriff White Cloud's birthday gift and the blackwork combined to create a wonderful, powerful pattern. As he became mesmerized with the design he unconsciously stepped closer, then reached out and traced his finger over the tattoo. The intimacy lasted for several seconds before he felt Trent shutter under his touch, bringing him back to reality.

"Oh, sorry, Trent," stammered Josh.

Trent looked over at him with a smile, and put his hand on Josh's bare shoulder. "It's ok, it felt good. My dad was Haida, and the killer whale and raven are two of their clan totems. It helps me remember him."

"It's beautiful," said Josh as he studied it again.

"Thanks, I like it."

Trent scrambled into the bed, yanking covers over himself to hide his rapidly stiffening cock. He enjoyed their make-out sessions, but even with all his bravado, Trent wasn't sure that he was ready to go further. His hesitancy didn't keep him from being affected by Josh and his taut body though. As Trent watched Josh taking a leak in the dim bathroom light, he could see the dark hair that was growing on his muscular chest and coating his legs. He loved the definition that Josh had on his muscles too, just a nice cut look from all the work they did around the ranch. Even though they were about the same height, Trent always felt like a little skinny kid around Josh. He knew he'd put on quite a bit of weight since he arrived at the ranch, but he still felt thin compared to Josh.

Trent watched his sexy boyfriend as Josh carefully checked doors and turned off the lights in the room. He squatted down and petted Max, who had snuck into the room, for a few minutes too, which Trent found charming. Once he'd taken care of everything, he walked toward the bed, and Trent ran his tongue over his lips in anticipation as he got closer. He could see Josh's hairy thighs tighten and release with each athletic step. Josh's cock wasn't as long as his, but it was definitely a keeper, and Trent thought it might be really thick, which somehow excited him even more.

Josh stopped at the edge of the bed and gave Trent a gentle smile. "You sure?" asked Josh.

"Yeah, it'll be fine. Just—" said Trent.

"Just what?" said Josh.

"Don't start anything, ok? I mean, if I want it, then . . . But I might not. I just . . ." said Trent with frustration in his voice.

"Anything you want, Trent. And I promise to be a perfect gentleman," said Josh with a sympathetic smile.

Trent chuckled a little, scooted toward the wall and flipped back the bedding. "Come on, you're going to freeze something important off if you don't get in this bed."

Josh chuckled and climbed in front of Trent. They were soon nestled in the covers, with Josh lying quietly on his back while Trent cuddled against his side. Josh waited, running his fingers over Trent's face and tracing patterns through his hair. He hoped Trent would take the initiative, but was not willing to push his desires. Soon the comforting warmth had Josh feeling very relaxed, but determined to stay awake. Then he heard a soft snore in his ear, and a relaxed wiggle from his bed partner, clearly indicating Trent had fallen asleep. Josh grinned ruefully, thinking his hard member was going to make it tough for him to reach the same state.

<><><><>

Trent woke slowly the next morning, glancing around the dim room he realized it was well before sunrise. Trent’s next conscious thought was the realization they had shifted positions, and his body had responded to the change. He was now spooned against Josh, his cock hard as a rock and leaking precum as it lay in the crack of Josh's ass. Trent started to back away, but managed to wedge his dick tighter in Josh's ass crack. Trent let out a soft sigh as his hips started pumping slighting, rubbing himself up and down Josh's butt. The heat coming off Josh felt wonderful, as did the increasingly wet sensations as Trent's cock rubbed faster and faster. As his breath started coming in gasps, he realized what he was doing, and that he was doing it without Josh's consent, freezing Trent in horror.

"Don't stop, that was nice."

Trent jumped at the sound of Josh's voice. Trying to decide what he should do, he realized that Josh had started rubbing his cloth-covered ass against Trent's rigid cock. Trent sighed and tried to explain,

"Sorry, I shouldn't have. It just sorta happened," said Trent with a stammer as a particularly nice wave coursed through his body.

"You never have to ask me," said Josh softly.

Trent moaned at the sound of his deep voice, he curled himself around Josh, burying his face against Josh's neck and whispering, "You might regret saying that someday, college."

Josh's intended reply faded to a soft sigh as Trent began to caress his chest. His entire body was a hotbed of sensations, and he was willing to do anything Trent wanted, but he knew the teasing couldn't continue for much longer, or he would explode. When Trent started rubbing, then tugging and twisting his nipples, Josh's breath began coming in gasps. Josh's other lovers had played with his nipples, and he had enjoyed it, but Trent was somehow rough and loving at the same time, and it was sending barbs of passion racing through Josh's system.

Suddenly Josh realized that fingers were circling his navel, the dense hair surrounding it was magnifying each touch as Trent toyed with him. Josh desperately fought for control, not wanting to climax before Trent reached his goal. He was rewarded when he felt Trent's slender fingers slide under his waistband. He gasped and bucked, feeling a surge of precum erupt from his cock as Trent's hands slid through his pubic hair. Finally the emotions and passion overwhelmed his caution.

"Oh god, Trent. Please touch it! Oh fucking hell, Please!" said Josh in a gasp.

"Whatda you want? Tell me?" whispered Trent in his ear.

"Jerk it, play with it, whatever you want. I just need to come so bad," said Josh as he felt the fingertips glide closer to his rampant cock.

"Like this?" said Trent as he lightly wrapped his fingers around the base of Josh's cock and pulled up slowly.

"Oh. Yes. Fuck. Fuck!" screamed Josh, his orgasm driven past the point of no return at Trent's touch.

Trent felt his lover tense against him, and continued his slow torturous stroking. As Josh shook with overwhelming sensations, Trent rubbed his cock against the fabric of his own briefs, already translucent with precum. With a gasp, Josh erupted, cum shooting through the already wet fabric. Trent teased him slowly, as volley after volley erupted from his nuts. The weeks of carefully controlled passion was erased in a heartbeat by Trent's delicate touch. Even in the dim predawn light, Trent could see cum running down the outside of Josh's briefs. Finally Josh slumped against him, gasping desperately for air.

"Oh shit. That was amazing," said Josh as he tried to recover his breath. Trent held him, feeling close to someone for the first time in a long time. He was not really concerned with his own pleasure at that moment, because he was getting what he wanted, a caring lover.

But Josh could feel Trent's hard member poking him urgently. Twisting in bed, Josh moved face to face with the slender young man. Josh pulled him in for a kiss, and let his hands drift down Trent's chest as their lips slowly separated. Josh gently rubbed his fingers over Trent's nipples, needing confirmation that Trent wanted him to continue. After a few seconds, Trent let out a shuddering sigh and nodded slightly.

Josh smiled broadly as he ran his hands down Trent's chest, enjoying the feel of soft hair under his palms. Running his hand over his flat stomach, Josh let his hand travel over the fabric that was so wet he wondered briefly if Trent had already shot. Finally reaching Trent's diamond hard cock, Josh gripped it tightly, watching precum belch out through the cloth at his touch.

"Oh fuck! Damn, that feels good," said Trent through a moan.

Josh grinned, but he wanted more. Letting his hands trail back up Trent's contorting body, he slid his thumbs under his waistband and slowly slid them down his torso, smiling to himself as his long cock lurched out, slinging a trail of precum as it did. Josh grabbed the writhing monster and lifted it upward, letting his hand travel slowly down its length. He was amazed at the volume of precum leaking from Trent's cock. Josh wanted so badly to lean down and run his tongue through that stream of masculine essence, but instinctively knew that Trent wasn't ready for that, yet.

Instead he focused on the throbbing piece of meat in his hand. He was fascinated with the huge blue vein traversing its length, tracing it with his finger, hearing Trent gasp as he did. Stopping where the vein disappeared, he slowly ran his finger around the ridge of Trent's cockhead.

"Fuck!" screamed Trent.

Josh felt the man beside him shake, but before he could react, the first massive volley of cum hit him on the side of the face. With the first shot barely having arrived, a second followed, completely drenching the side of Josh's face. The next handful of explosive jets hit Josh in the chest as he sighed in contentment. As the last of the semen oozed from Trent's cock, Josh ran his hands over his cum slathered chest. Suddenly Josh recalled his last boyfriend's reaction to touching jizz, and froze in concern over what Trent's reaction might be. Then he felt a hand slide across his chest, helping smear the jizz over him.

"Oh man, you're fuck'n sexy covered with my cum," said Trent sensuously.

Josh suddenly felt a weight lift that he hadn't even realized was there. But he was sure now, this was not going to be the same vanilla relationship he'd had with Zack, and he was thrilled at that discovery.

<><><><>

Darrin and Mitch cuddled against each other, kissing and holding each other, but neither wanting to take the chance that Mitch's parents would hear them if they took it further. That wasn't a problem for them though; they had begun to enjoy these quiet times with just the two of them as much as the lovemaking, well almost as much. This morning they were enjoying the scene of the prairie coming to life as the sun rose outside their window. Darrin leaned over, kissed Mitch and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm so lucky to be with you. And you just keep getting better looking," said Darrin with a grin.

"Oh shit, what do you want?" said Mitch with a chuckle.

"Welllll," started Darrin.

"Come on, spit it out," said Mitch, wondering what was on Darrin's mind.

"Kids," said Darrin hesitantly.

"Yeah, what about 'em."

"Well. Do we want any?" said Darrin as he chewed on his lip.

"I thought we'd talked about this before," said Mitch with a slight twist to his lips.

"Oh. Ok, well nevermind," said Darrin rapidly.

Mitch scooted around in the bed until they were facing each other, "No, not 'nevermind'. Tell me what you're thinking."

"Well, you know a lot of people are having kids with surrogates. I just wondered if you wanted to have a child of your own?"

"I haven't got a burning desire, no. What about you? Did you want a fruit of your loins?" asked Mitch with a smirk.

Darrin chuckled, "Not particularly, but I thought we should talk about it. I didn't want any surprises years down the road when you tell me you regret not having kids."

"I think we're always going to have kids, I just think we're going to get them at the really fun time, after puberty," said Mitch then leaned in to kiss Darrin.

Darrin nodded, looking serious for a few moments, and kissed Mitch in return. "I think you're right, that's going to be our parenting."

Mitch curled up behind Darrin, taking him in his arms, enjoying the feeling of his chest against Darrin's back.

"Satisfied?" asked Mitch softly.

"Oh yeah, very satisfied," said Darrin with a sly smile.

<><><><>

Josh and Trent had enjoyed the visit from Mitch’s parents, both of whom had had been warm and completely supportive of the boys. They had introduced Patsy and Mike to the animals and detailed their plans, with many discussions which left the boys with the feeling there were being heard.

Josh was thrilled to find out Patsy had some background in graphic arts too. Trent had bonded almost immediately with Mitch’s dad. They had worked for hours with Whitey, which not only created the bond between the two of them, but deepened the bond Trent had with the horse. Mike had privately told Mitch that he agreed with his assessment; Trent had a gift with animals.

The goat herd that the two boys were developing was a source of many conversations, to Mitch’s public outrage, and private delight, as he loved that his parents were bonding so well with the boys. But the developing plans for the herd was a source of continual good-natured sparring between Mitch and the younger pair.

Darrin had pulled out all the stops for their last meal together. The roast, masses of side dishes and vegetables, followed by several different types of dessert, had everyone full and draped over the furniture in various states of catatonia. The boys had taken over what was becoming their spot, the couch. Patsy watched as they nestled next to each other and began to cry softly. Mitch climbed out of his chair at the soft sound, shocked to see tears rolling down his mothers face. He walked slowly to her side and knelt, taking her hand gently in his.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” asked Mitch quietly.

Patsy leaned forward and took Mitch’s face in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Mitch. We should have protected you better. You should have been with someone instead of trapped by Steve. Can you ever forgive me?”

Mitch swiped his arm over his face, wiping the tears that had started leaking down his face. The fact that he had never really talked to his parents about the sexual assault at the hands of someone they knew, or the abusers subsequent death in jail when he was arrested at the ranch were scars he still had. But he had never blamed his parents.

“Mom, you didn’t do anything wrong. Steve was just evil. And I’m fine. Look at Darrin and me.”

Darrin walked over and sat on the edge of Patsy’s chair and leaned down to bumped her gently. “You raised an amazing man. Thank you.”

Patsy took Darrin’s arm and hugged it. The young couple had sat up during the exchange and now Patsy was looking at them with a smile.”

“These are two fine men. You’re lucky to have found them,” she said with a smile.

Josh pulled Trent into a hug, then nodded toward Patsy. “Yes, Ma’am. We know how lucky we are to have ended up on the ranch and also to have found each other.”

Trent smiled and nodded, not wanting to upset the sweet lady who he’d come to love over the past few days. But the display of loving affection he had just witnessed only served to create an emotional chaos inside Trent.