Growing Josh - 7. Chapter 7

There are scenes of unprotected sex depicted in this story. In all cases it was between the main characters, who are in a committed, monogamous relationships and were tested. If you aren't in the same kind of relationship, then you should always protect yourself and wear a condom.

<><><><><>

Trent paused at the plane exit, the cool moist air of early fall a shock to his Oklahoma acclimated system. There was a bump from behind him, and he glanced to see Josh toss a backpack over his shoulder.

“It’s nice. Not like the hundred-degree days we just left.”

Trent turned and gave Josh a light kiss. “You’re absolutely right. One point for Alaska, it’s cooler than Oklahoma.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it would be too hard for anyone to believe it’s cooler in Alaska than Oklahoma. Come on though, I think some of these people behind you might want to get off the plane too.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Trent stepped forward, only to have Josh lurch against him. He pulled Josh to one side when he started shaking. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine. It was just a little turbulent. I can make it.”

Josh wobbled up the ramp and entered the terminal. They stopped for a minute to get their directions straight, the pair started at a brisk walk toward the exit. Trent noticed Josh was moving slower and slower, and then stopped outside the first restroom. Trent looked closer at Josh and realized he looked the worse for wear.

“Josh, you sure you’re okay.’

“I dunno. My stomach is not very happy right this minute. Just give me a second.”

He wavered for a few minutes, his breath ragged and his face flushed.

“Josh?”

“Oh god!” Josh dropped his bags and sprinted for the restroom.

Trent gathered up Josh’s bags and followed him at a more sedate pace. He stood outside the stall door to hear retching from inside. “Josh. You okay?”

“Oh fuck, I’m so sick.”

Trent gave a silent smile, hoping it didn’t leak through to his voice. “It’s okay. When you feel better we’ll go.”

After a few minutes of quiet, Trent wet a few paper towels and then held them over the stall to Josh. “Here, wipe your face. It’ll make you feel better.”

There was a pause, then Josh flushed and the door opened. “Damn, I haven’t been that sick in a long time.”

“It’s okay, the descent was a little rough.”

“A little rough, hell! It was worse than the crazy rollercoaster you talked me into at the last county fair.”

“Yeah, I think you puked then too.”

“Oh, shut your pie hole.”

<><><><>

Trent scanned the crowd as they moved through the exit. His uncle had just given him the cryptic information that family would know family. Trent wasn’t positive he had enough family blood in him to recognize anyone, much less a great uncle he had never met. So he scrutinized the crowd in hopes something would trigger a long buried memory.

His eyes were drawn to a stately gentleman with obsidian shoulder-length hair who moved toward them. “I think I see who we’re looking for.”

Josh glanced over. “Yeah, I’d say you’re right.”

The pair closed the distance. Trent stepped in front of the tall man. “Thomas Grant?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Trent.” He paused for a moment and gathered himself. “Your great nephew.”

Trent was suddenly engulfed in an embrace. The hold was tight, Trent exhaled, and his spine popped. The arms retracted and two large hands rested on his shoulders.

“We’ve been looking for you for years. Everyone is so happy you’re back.”

Trent beamed back at the man. “I’m glad too. I didn’t think I’d be able to find you.”

Trent turned and pulled Josh beside him. “This is my…” Trent turned to meet Josh’s eyes and felt his heart connect with his soulmate. “Well Josh is my fiancée, but who knows when we’ll be able to get married.”

Thomas took Josh’s hand and shook it. “Glad to meet my nephew’s husband. It’s great to have both of you in the tribe.” He clasped both men’s shoulders and gave them a warm smile.

“Let’s grab your luggage. If we miss the ferry we’ll have to wait for the next one. I was hoping to give you some time to relax before the potlatch tonight.”

Trent met the man’s strides and they strolled down the concourse. “What exactly is this potlatch?”

He turned and shot both men a smile. “One hell of a party!”

<><><><>

The drums stilled and the echoes of the singer’s voices receded into the night. The dim recesses of the longhouse was cloaked in darkness Trent’s eyes couldn’t penetrate. The potlatch had been going on for hours now and he was stuffed with delicacies from cousins he would never be able to remember. His fingers went up to touch the new earrings one of them had given him. They were tiny raven masks carved from cedar. The smoothness fascinated Trent.

He refocused on the events in time to see his uncle and aunt move into the firelight with a highly patterned blanket across each of their arms. The sharp drumbeat began slowly as they swayed toward the two of them. Trent glanced to each side and realized they had to be coming toward him. Trent’s heart gave a flutter when the couple stopped in front of he and Josh.

“Trent. We are blessed to have you back after all these years. Your presence has given a gift that cannot be equaled. In honor of the tradition of the potlatch, we have these for you and your husband.”

He unfolded the first of the blanket from across his arm and opened it for Trent to see. The striking patterns in yellow and black, with an accent of blue, caught Trent’s breath. He looked again to his uncle who nodded to him. He stepped closer to Trent and draped the Chilkat blanket across his shoulders. The long fringe sways with the movement and then settled with a sensual sway. Trent slid his fingers over the weaving, enjoying the texture as it moved under his touch.

He looked up to watch then put a second matching blanket over Josh’s shoulders. His eyes were the size of saucers when he looked at Trent. He felt more was coming when his uncle turned back to the crowd. “We are excited to have these two with us. My nephew tells me they want to be married. The Haida have long recognized the importance of Two-Spirits in the world. I have decided to sponsor their marriage in the Haida traditions.”

Trent’s mouth dropped open, he looked frantically at Josh, hoping he wasn’t offended. But to his delight Josh smiled at him and shrugged. His muscles relaxed as he turned back to the ceremony. He knew they would discuss it later, but was glad Josh seemed okay with whatever is going on.

They turn as the drumbeat begins again. Trent knows this will be an occasion he will never forget.

<><><><>

“You know, this taking care of their critters is a pain in the butt.”

Darrin leaned against the manure fork and chuckled at Mitch. “Yeah, like when we went to Houston, left everything with them and it all went to hell.”

Mitch chuckled and winked at Darrin as he sat the wheelbarrow down between their two stalls. “That was a completely different thing!”

“Because you were the one on vacation and they were left shoveling shit?”

“Exactly!”

Darrin shook his head and tossed the load from his fork onto the growing pile. “It won’t kill us to help them take care of their animals this once.”

“You know if anything happens to any of them we will have to leave the state.”

Darrin grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Oh yeah, you got that right.”

They worked together, enjoying the silence and the satisfaction of physical work. Mitch slowed and then leaned against the stall. “You know they exchanged rings?”

Darrin tossed another forkful into the wheelbarrow. “Yup, Josh told me the story. It’s really sweet.” Darrin stopped and looked at Mitch. “Why? I’ve already explained to Josh what legal paperwork they needed in place to get what protection they can.”

“It’s too bad they can’t get married.”

“It’s too bad we can’t get married.” Darrin observed. “But we live in Oklahoma. They aren’t going to change the laws any time soon.”

“No. But I can check with the sheriff. He might know of some loophole we don’t know about.”

<><><><>

Trent stood as if frozen, afraid he would end up in the cold Pacific Ocean. Somewhere along the way, they forgot to mention a traditional Haida wedding involved canoes and an ocean. He could see the sea of red button-blankets on the shore ahead of him. He was in one of the traditional cedar canoes his people had used for centuries. His uncle said there were only a few people left with the knowledge. Trent hadn’t realized the Haida were one of the tribes almost wiped out by small pox. He found it hard to believe only five hundred Haida were left after the epidemic. Trent had heard stories from Sheriff White Cloud about the Trail of Tears for the Cherokee and the Long Walk of the Navajo, but this was the first time he’d heard about small pox blankets being given to native tribes. He was learning his heritage was not all sunshine and drums. Trent stumbled as the canoe shifted.

“Careful cousin, it’s bad luck for the groom to drown.”

Trent shot the figure beside him wearing the raven mask a grin.

“It might have helped if I’d been born a few hundred feet from the ocean. And there sure aren’t a lot of ocean’s close to western Oklahoma.”

“Oh jeez, how can you live in that miserable part of the country?”

Trent looked around, taking in the view around him. It was beautiful verdant country, and there was a tug of attraction. But as he’d discovered when he ran away from Josh, the pull to the harsh Oklahoma prairie was ingrained in him. It hadn’t taken many days in the continual gray and rain of the northwest coast to miss the baking sunshine of home. He loved finding his family, and he would be back to visit. But this wasn’t home.

“Hey, the button-blanket processional is starting. Brace yourself so you don’t end up in the bay!”

Trent readied himself for the final part of the wedding.

<><><><>

They watched some relative of Trent’s as he worked on a new carving. The traditional patterns developed as the long curls of cedar emerged from his gouge.

“That’s amazing.” Josh ran his finger along the sharp delineations.

“Thanks, it was almost lost to us but there’s more interest in traditional skills these days.”

Josh shook his head in disbelief. “The artwork we’ve seen over the last few days were beautiful. Nothing like I’ve seen before.”

Thomas chuckled and nudged Trent. “Maybe because there aren’t a lot of cedar trees a couple of hundred feet tall in Oklahoma.”

Trent nodded in agreement, as fascinated with the skills of the carver as Josh was. “No, biggest trees we have on the ranch is some big ole cottonwoods along the creek. But they aren’t even close to as big.”

“The beadwork the tribes back home do will blow your mind though.”

The carver snorted in derision. “Show me a hundred foot tall piece of beadwork.”

“They’re different, that’s for sure.” Josh gave him.

<><><><>

Trent’s uncle dropped them back off at the house around mid-afternoon. “I’ve got a few things to take care of in town. Since your flight is leaving tomorrow, we’re going to have a few people over. One of the elders wanted to meet you. But you probably would like to relax a little this afternoon.”

Trent let out a sigh. “That would be great. I’ve really enjoyed meeting everyone, but it would be good to get some time to relax.” He turned and flashed a grin at Josh. “Besides, I’d love to get to explore a little. We really haven’t had time to look around.”

“Sure, I can understand that. Just don’t get lost, this isn’t the wide open prairie.”

“Got it, uncle. We’ll be careful.”

<><><><>

Trent sat on the fallen giant, the damp atmosphere filled the air with the scent of moss and a millennium of growth and death to build this natural cathedral. Without a word he motioned Josh to him, pulled him between his legs.

“You having a good time?”

Josh let out a snort and grinned. “I see where you get your bluntness. Your family is a little overwhelming.”

Trent echoed Josh’s laugh. “Yeah, they did kind of tell us they were having a marriage ceremony. That was a little much.”

“At least they weren’t discussing whether you should wear a button blanket or not.”

“And you didn’t have to worry about falling out of the damn canoe either.”

Josh chuckled. “True, very true.”

“Something else is missing you know.”

“What’s that, babe?”

“Well, we haven’t exactly had a lot of private time.”

Josh clasp his hand over Trent’s denim covered crotch. He let out a soft breath as the fire ignited inside him as it did each time Josh touched him. Trent’s hands slid under Josh’s shirt, and let the hair glide under his fingers. As they glided over the hard nubs of Josh’s nipples and Trent smiled at the rumble that drifted from Josh’s chest at the touch.

Josh’s hand closed on his nuts and squeezed harder. The tinge of pain was a needed counterpoint to the heat filling his system. He leaned back on his hands, opened himself to Josh’s desires.

“So what did you have in mind, love?”

“Well, unless you managed to sneak in lube, I don’t think we’re fucking.”

Trent chuckled. “Nope, and I don’t think even I leak enough precum to make up the difference.”

Josh’s hands slid over Trent’s chest. “I’m sure we can find some other way to release a little tension, blow off some steam, pump up the action—“

Trent clasped his hand over Josh’s mouth. “Enough with the bad puns.” He grabbed Josh by the collar and pulled him in, pressed their lips together. Josh’s scent mingled with the aroma of fertile earth that surrounded them, exciting Trent on an entirely new level. He grabbed Josh’s hips and yanked him tight against his own groin, his hands slid down to his ass and squeezed it in his hands.

Josh broke the kiss and pressed his hands against Trent to separate them. “Damn you’re fucking hot.”

Trent chuckled and squeezed Josh’s ass in his hands. “You’re damn fuck’n hot too. Now lets get you out of some of these clothes.”

Trent slid his hands under Josh’s shirt and delighted in the feel of soft hair as it passed under his fingers. They reached his nipples and rubbed over them softly, eliciting low groans from Josh’s lips.

Trent opened the button on Josh’s jeans and then tugged them open, the faint sound of the zipper a quiet counterpoint to the sounds of nature surrounding them. He reached in, clasped Josh’s hard dick in his hand and squeezed it tight, then stroked it from base to tip through the material.

Josh gasped and grabbed Trent’s shoulder for stability. “Shit, it always feels so good when you touch me.”

“Oh, I plan on doing a whole lot more to make you squirm.” Trent plunged his hand into the front of Josh’s briefs and ran his fingers through the thick pubic hair before he grabbed his silky hard cock. He worked his hand up and down its rock hard length and let his jeans drop to his ankles. Trent gripped the top of Josh’s underwear and slid them down until Josh’s clothing pooled at his feet.

Trent leaned back, drinking in his husband’s beautiful body. He ran the back of his knuckles across his hard nipples and was rewarded with a shudder from Josh. He gripped the denser hair nestled across his sternum and pulled it, eliciting a groan from Josh that reverberated through the forest.

Trent chuckled and swatted Josh on the ass. “Hey, a little quieter. We are out in the great outdoors.”

Josh bit his lower lip, glanced around and then shuffled closer to Trent. “Sorry, babe. But you make it feel so good it’s hard to be quiet.”

“Maybe I should give you something to keep you quiet then.”

Josh grinned and pawed at Trent’s jeans, desperate to strip him. With a few quick movements, Trent’s pants were open and Josh yanked them down. Trent smiled as his cock arched out of its confinement to hit Josh across the cheek. The precum drooled out of his slit, but Josh pressed his lips against Trent’s cock, sucked the clear stream into his mouth. Trent leaned back, the thick green moss felt like he was sitting on velvet. He let his hands run over his chest, found his hard nipples and tweaking them with his thumbs. His eyes drifted shut at the jolts from his nipples and Josh’s tongue ran back and forth across his throbbing cock. His breath came in gasps when he realized his body was close.

“Josh, slow down or I’m going to nut right now.”

Josh ran his tongue over Trent’s slit, sent a shiver through Trent and almost drove him over the edge. He gasp, thinking of anything other than how good Josh made him feel. Once the sensations receded, he opened his eyes and looked down to see Josh’s happy face that Trent slapped with his hard cock.

“What’s wrong, stud. Does something have your attention?”

Trent grinned, grabbed the sides of Josh’s head and pulled him up. His fingers dug into the back of Josh’s head while he pressed his lips hard against Josh’s. Trent shoved his tongue inside Josh’s mouth and explored his hot mouth. Trent loved the slight tang of precum flavoring Josh’s mouth. He released Josh and they broke apart with both of them gasping.

“Damn, that was hot. I don’t think we should lay out here with our asses in the air for too long.”

Trent nodded in agreement, trying to regain his breath. He lunged forward, grabbed Josh’s cock, and squeezed it tight. “Let’s see how long you last.”

Josh let out a quivering sigh. “At this rate it won’t take long.”

Trent slowly stroked up and down, his fist twisting at the top of each stroke, delighting in the gasp that escaped from Josh’s lips. With an ornery grin, Trent stuck a finger inside Josh’s mouth while he worked on the hard cock in his hand.

Josh’s eyes flew open as Trent’s finger slipped inside. But he quickly adjusted and slobbered over it. He tongued it like a small cock, his tongue wrapped around it, and left it coated with spit.

Trent eased it out of Josh’s mouth, he grabbed Josh’s nuts, tugged them down hard, and caused a groan from Josh, who spread his legs to give Trent better access. Trent released his sack, slid his wet finger over Josh’s perineum and slipped the tip into Josh’s hole.

“Ah, fuck.” Josh let out a sigh.

Trent grinned and slipped the spit-slicked finger inside, making certain to press it against his prostrate.

Josh’s body began to shake, his ass clamped around Trent’s finger. Trent squeezed Josh’s cock just as he started bucking his release. Trent grabbed Josh’s hip while he pressed his finger deeper inside his man. Josh let out a garbled scream and the first jet of white shot from his crimson cock. Several more jets exploded from his cock, Trent looked down to see his stomach and thighs crisscrossed with lines of semen.

Trent smile as the final shudder move through Josh’s body and a final glob of cum oozed from his dick to slowly stretch out and then hit the leaf-covered ground. Trent stripped the final bit of jizz from Josh’s dick and caught it in his palm. He smiled at Josh as he smeared cum over his aching cock and began to stroke it and play with his nipples. He knew it wouldn’t last long, but he wanted to shoot while he stared at Josh.

Josh’s hand snaked out and he wrapped his fingers around Trent’s balls and rolled them in his fingers. Trent closed his eyes, the wet sound of his hand flying up and down his cock was pushing him toward the edge. The tug of Josh’s fingers on his nuts, the scent of hot cum covered him, Josh’s heavy breath as he recovered, all formed a delicious combination.

Josh lowered himself and put his lips over the tip of Trent’s cock. Josh’s tongue drill into his slit and was the final piece and drove him over the edge. His muscles locked as the first shot raced through his system. Blast after blast shot out of his dick and ecstasy flooded his system. His senses heightened, twisting and looping. Feeling sensations he’d never experienced before.

Trent clamped his eyes shut, trying to block out what he’d just seen. He opened his eyes as the last rumble of passion traveled through his system, and saw the figure of his father fade into the forest.

Trent’s lips quivered. “Did you see him?”

Josh jumped to his feet, wiped the cum dripping from his lips. “See who? Shit! Get your clothes on.”

“Calm down, Josh. If I saw who I think, clothes or no clothes won’t matter.”

Josh gave his husband a quizzical look.

<><><><>

Trent sat in his uncle’s living room, his fingers played with the edge of the chair. His nervousness was obvious to even a casual observer, but Josh could almost taste his unease. Trent glanced over his shoulder again, checking on his uncle who was moving around in the kitchen. When he started for the living room with three glasses trapped between his hands, Trent flipped his head back around to stare at the rug.

Thomas stopped in front of Josh. “Fresh made lemonade. Well fresh as in I just emptied a can of frozen stuff into the pitcher.”

Josh smiled and accepted the offered glass. “Thanks. That was nice of you.” He lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. “It tastes good.”

He walked closer to Trent and offered him one of the two remaining glasses. It was a moment before Trent came out of his trance, and when he did he took the glass without comment.

Thomas eased himself into the recliner obviously reserved for the head of the household. He leaned back and let out a soft sigh. He raised the glass in a mock toast to the pair and then took a drink. His face twisted. “Dang, that’s sour.”

Josh chuckled a little. “I thought it was just me. Maybe it was suppose to have sugar?”

“Maybe so.” Thomas set the glass down, clasped his hands together and then looked at Trent. “Well, my fine young nephew, great nephew I guess, anyway. I thought you might have a few questions. Since you don’t know much about your family.”

Trent shifted his weight and seemed to consider his words. But he shook his head. “What can you tell me about my dad. I don’t remember a whole lot.”

Thomas reclined against the over-stuffed chair, taking a drink and the tartness never registering on his face. “Well, he was a restless kid. His mom and dad had a lot of trouble. When he was little it was just running away, or getting lost, or just being so absorbed in what was going on around him that he’d forget to come home. Nothing really bad, just like he had one foot in this world and one in another. “

Trent rolled the glass between his palms, watching the droplets gather until they ran down the glass. “So he was a problem kid?”

Thomas chuckled, but there was no humor in the sound. “You know, a couple a hundred years ago he’d probably have been a shaman. Someone in alignment with the spirits. Now they give you medication and poof—the voices go away. But he was an old soul. Like he knew he wouldn’t live very long.”

“What happened then, after he was a kid?”

“Drugs, alcohol, crazy stuff. Like he was trying to quiet the voices. After his parents were killed—well nothing could stop him. It was like he was trying to die, but didn’t want to actually kill himself.” Thomas dropped his eyes to meet Trent’s. “That’s when he met your mother. She was here one summer with her parents. The blond hair and blue eyes, well for your dad she was exotic.”

“How’d they meet? She never would talk about dad after he died.”

Thomas chuckled. “At an illegal drag race if memory holds right. Your mom was after a bad boy, and your dad couldn’t have fit the bill better. A few tattoos, a couple of piercings, shoulder length black hair, he was the image of a bad boy. And your mom loved it.”

Trent thought about his step-dad, and how he abused both of them. He realized his mom didn’t understand the difference between someone who could make you feel alive, and someone who might end up killing you. “How did they end up in the lower 48?”

Thomas smiled at Trent. “Good to hear you pick up some of the lingo. But to answer your question, they left. It was that simple. One morning I got up to go to one of the spring salmon runs, and he was gone.”

Trent sat silently for several minutes. “What would have happened if he’d stayed?”

“I would have left him on an island in the Haida Gwaii.”

“To get rid of him?” Trent’s voice was sharp.

Thomas shook his head. “No, youngster. To save him. I’d hope the raven and the killer whale would talk with him and help him.”

“He’s talking with a crow?” Trent’s eyebrow shot up.

“Not a crow, raven. I know those goofy southern tribes have coyote, well we have raven.”

“The Navajo have Coyote, they’re a couple of states west of us.” Josh chimed in with information.

Thomas waved his aside. “Not quite the same, but similar. Anyway, even if you don’t believe in the spirits visit’s, spending a month by yourself on a small island will snap some sense into a youngster.”

Trent nodded, squeezing Josh’s knee when he started to talk. “Okay, so my dad and mom ran off. What happened then?”

His uncle shrugged, dejection covered his face. “I don’t know. They just disappeared. I tried to find him. After the European diseases almost wiped us out, it became even more important to know where everyone was. So I searched, tried law enforcement, other tribes, everything I thought might work.”

He inhaled deeply, obviously impacted by what he had to say next. “Someone found my address in his wallet and contacted me to tell me he’d been killed in an accident.” He turned to Trent. “That’s when I found out you’d been born. I tried to find your mom and convince her to come back to Haida Gwaii, but she was already gone. I tried to find you, but I was always just behind. I was furious your mother turned you over to Human Services.”

He gave Trent a smile. “It would have been easier if you hadn’t kept running away.” The solemn look returned. “Then you disappeared, I was afraid I’d lost you.” He slapped Trent’s leg and gave him a warm smile. “Then, out of the blue, you call. That was a great day.”

Trent gave signs of the internal struggle for several minutes. “Where is Dad buried?”

“Here on the island. I had the remains brought back.”

“Can I see the grave?”

“Of course.”

<><><><>

Trent stood looking at the headstone. Josh had stepped back, giving Trent some private space, but close enough that in the verdant silence Trent could still hear his quiet breath. He flipped a glance over his shoulder to see his uncle waiting beside the jeep. He looked back to the marker, already wearing a coating of moss like a fluffy goose down comforter. Trent eased himself down, kneeling on the soft ground as he pulled a few stray weeds from around the base of the stone. As Trent patted the lightly disturbed soil back into place, he started to speak, almost in a whisper.

“It’s been a long time, Dad. I’ve really missed you. I can’t even begin to tell you how much. Some nights, when I was little, I’d pretend you were coming to tuck me in, kiss me and tell me to get some sleep. I wouldn’t of course, so you’d read me a story until I would crash. Some nights that kept me sane.

I still remember you taking me camping to the Wind river, and talking about how the salmon came to feed the Haida people. I remembered every thing you said, every totem you talked about.” Trent got a lopsided grin. “Okay, maybe not all of them, I was pretty young. See, I have them as tattoos.” Trent pulled back his sleeves to display his artwork. He touched them gently, and then let the sleeves drop.

“Sometimes I was fucking pissed at you too, Dad. Why did you leave me alone? I needed your protection. There were nights I wanted to die. My body was being used, but my mind was with you. But I remembered you said Haida come back into the newest babies.” Trent shook his head, realizing he was rambling. He took a deep breath, filled his lungs, and then let it out in a rush.

“It’s okay now. Josh and I are married. We’ve already been through some bad shit. So life has to be better from here on out, right?” Trent chuckled. “Yeah, Mitch would tell me I was full of crap too.”

Trent traced his fingers across the face of the stone. Feeling the marks of humanity across the face of nature. “This place isn’t home for me. I already miss the heat and sun of the plains. Apparently the sheriff has turned me into some kind of Kiowa wannabe.” Trent chuckled again, but then became solemn.

“I’m glad I found your people, and I hope you are already reborn and fishing some river around here. I’ll come back and visit—“ Josh’s hands landed on his shoulders. “—Even if my home is in a concrete bunker in a hillside in Oklahoma.”

Josh leaned over and kissed the top of Trent’s head. “And goats, don’t forget the goats.”

“Jeez, who could forget our menagerie?”

Trent rose to his feet, turning to take Josh in his arms. He held Josh tight for several long minutes before releasing him with a tear filled smile.

“It’s time to go home.”

<><><><>

Darrin paced the floor, not certain why he was so upset, but his stomach was churning with the news the boys were married. He understood it was a tribal ceremony. He got the connection it was no more binding than he and Mitch’s ring exchange. But still—

“I don’t get it. You’re gone for a week, and you have a secret marriage ceremony?”

Trent ran his hand through his hair, confusion evident on his face. “It just sort of happened. You couldn’t have flown to Alaska for a day. Why are you so upset?”

Three sets of eyes watching Darrin as he paced the floor. His glance to Mitch yielded only a raised eyebrow. He knew he should think through the entire sequence of events more carefully, but he wasn’t in the mood for being reasonable. Something snapped when Trent and Josh spilled out the story of their trip, and left Darrin in a foul mood.

Mitch slid to the front of the chair he’d been reclining against, took a drink of his beer, then stood and stretched. “I think this conversation can wait. It’s late and everyone is tired.”

Josh and Trent scrambled to escape the confusion of Darrin’s anger. They said their goodbyes and escaped to their own house. The screen door snapped shut, reverberating through the house as Mitch walked to the kitchen, his bare feet making no sound as he retrieved two beers. Walking back he settled onto the couch, handed Darrin his beer and then laid back and put his feet in his lap.

“So what’s crawled up your butt?”

He bristled at the implication. “Nothing. I just think it was fuck’n stupid for them to get married in Alaska.”

Mitch watched Darrin for a few minutes, then tilted the bottle back and took a drink. He sat the beer on the floor beside him and stretched his arms above him, and waited.

Darrin twitched with unease, Mitch’s close proximity always had an effect on him. The relaxed pose he’d taken up this time was classic Mitch, and it made Darrin refocus on the scent of his husband, filling the air around him.

“Stop it. It’s not fair to use your magic powers over me to get me to be reasonable.”

Mitch chuckled and shook his head. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know how sexy you look all laid out like that?”

“Does this make it better?” Mitch grabbed the tail of his tee and pulled it up, exposing his flat stomach and the hair fanning across it. The same peek that had driven Darrin crazy when they first met back in college. Darrin’s crotch tightened as his cock responded to the show Mitch was creating.

With a gleam in his eyes Mitch continued his teasing show, lifting the shirt until his hard nipples protruded above the dark hair surrounding them. Darrin leaned down, put his splayed hand over Mitch’s torso and let his hand explore it. “Yeah, maybe. You are just as sexy as when we first met.”

“Really? What about now?” Mitch flexed his abdomen, lifted himself off the couch and peeled the shirt off to launch it across the floor. Lowering himself in tiny increments, Mitch lifted his arms behind his head, exposing his thick hair of his armpits. Mitch’s mating scent filled Darrin’s being. The sharp pheromone curled through his nostrils, sending electric pulses of lust to his now throbbing cock.

Darrin leaned in, letting both hands trail up Mitch’s muscular body. “Not fair.” Darrin whispered just before he lay across Mitch’s body. The hairs rippled under his sensitive hands as he slid them across Mitch. He lowered his mouth, taking Mitch’s hard nipple between his lips and let his tongue flick out and tease it’s tip. The faint taste of sweat and Mitch flooded his mouth, and fire pulsed through his body. Soon having coated the first nipple, he moved to the second and gave it the same lavish care. The rumbling noises Mitch rewarded him with curled through his system. He wanted Mitch.

Darrin pushed himself off his lover, jumped to the floor and stripped, his clothes scattered around the room. His cock flexed as he freed it, a strand of precum flung from its tip. He attacked Mitch’s jeans, cursing the button when it fought back, but winning in the end. As he slid the zipper down, exposing more beautiful dark hair, Darrin licked his lips in anticipation.

Darrin grabbed the bottom of Mitch’s pants and gave them a sharp tug. Mitch lifted his hips and wiggled down, trying to help Darrin as he undressed him. As soon as Mitch’s bare ass touched the couch, Darrin yanked the jeans off and threw them across the room without another thought.

He looked at his man’s naked body under him and started stroking his aching hard cock. He knew what he wanted, he wanted to mark Mitch as his, and he wanted to work off his aggression and frustration on his husband’s hot body.

“Get on the floor.” Darrin ordered Mitch.

Mitch smiled, loving this facet of his husband like he did all the others. He was fine with Darrin being the aggressor, he knew whatever happened, and they would like it. Mitch decided to make this part of the show for Darrin.

He threw his leg over so he was face down on the couch, he slowly humped the sofa, arching his back and moaning in exaggerated erotism. He glanced over his shoulder to see Darrin toy with his deep red cock, his eyes fixed on Mitch’s ass.

The gyrations of his butt as he slid up the couch cushion held Darrin’s rapt attention. Deciding to up the ante, Mitch reached back and grabbed both halves of his hairy ass and pried them apart. Then he pushed the stakes higher, taking his finger and letting it slide over his puckered hole.

“Oh fuck.”

“Like what you see, babe?”

Darrin fell on him like a starving man and buried his face in Mitch’s ass. The scents and textures that hovered around him drove Darrin harder. He wanted his man, he wanted all of him. He curled his tongue and drove it into Mitch’s ass like a small hard cock. He rubbed his face over each of Mitch’s butt cheeks, his goatee grabbing the whirls of hair lining Mitch’s crack.

Darrin broke his connection and rocked back on his feet, the look on his face, wonton hedonism. Darrin drew back his hand, bringing it down hard on Mitch’s ass. The sound of hand against butt rang through the room. Mitch shook his butt and moaned softly.

“Move it, stud. Over on the rug.” Darrin menaced Mitch with his upraised hand.

Mitch gave Darrin a lustful look, spit from Darrin’s work on his ass dripping down his crack and over his balls. Darrin watched him crawl across the hardwood floor, Darrin wanted him more than he had in years. The sight of Mitch’s act at subserviency, played against Darrin’s boiling lust, was more than he could contain.

He flew behind Mitch, ready to punch his dripping cock into his man. Mitch glanced over his shoulder, seeing what Darrin was going to do, he flipped over, panting with desire as he sat on his butt. Darrin looked down at him, wondering what happened.

“No. Not like that.”

Darrin took a deep breath, his dick jumping with unfulfilled desire. With a nod he acknowledged the mistake he almost made. But the sight of Mitch’s masculine body was more than he could resist. He lowered himself, pressing Mitch’s striated back against the high pile of the neutral rug, until he straddled Mitch’s chest.

“I want this, I want to have you.”

Mitch laid all the way back, interlocking his fingers behind his head and leering at Darrin. “Go for it, college.”

Darrin leaned forward, his teeth gritted for control as his cock scraped against the hair on Mitch’s torso. He kept moving lower, bracing his arms on either side of Mitch’s head. Twisting his pelvis, he pushed his cock through the hair on Mitch’s muscular torso and between his pecs. A sigh escaped his lips and he groaned as his cock completed its first push forward. Two rough hands caressed his butt, driving him forward.

“Mitch, this feels amazing. God, you’re sexy.”

The hands tightened on his buns, almost pinning him into place before releasing him. “Good, It feels great to me too.”

Darrin moved again, pressing his crotch hard against Mitch’s hard chest. His body started slowly, but soon a trail of precum had seeped out of Darrin and his cock was sliding across a well-lubed trail. The heat built, his balls tight as he moved across the muscular planes of his husband. Fingers brushed across his nipples, adding a final burst to ignite his fire.

Cum barreled through Darrin’s system to shoot across Mitch’s chest, his body trembled with each round of jizz added to the white latticework across Mitch’s chest. His arms shook as he held himself barely above Mitch’s head, his body threatening to collapse as the final round fired and left a final pool of white above Mitch’s bellybutton. Hands closed around his face and looked down to see love gather in Mitch’s expression.

“I love you.”

Darrin’s soul wrapped itself around those words, pulling them into himself. He carefully balanced on one arm and caressed Mitch’s face.

“You’re so beautiful, and I love you so much.”

Darrin gave him a quick kiss, and slid down his torso, gripping his thick cock and starting to jack it. With a few strokes, Mitch collapsed against the floor, groans escaping his lips. Darrin smiled as Mitch began to tremble. He flicked his tongue over Mitch’s hard cock.

“Shoot it on me, baby. Shoot on my face.”

Mitch’s body arched with his words, the first jet caught Darrin under the chin, with the next a line of white appearing from his eyebrow to chin. Darrin’s tongue darted out, tasting the translucent gel. With a final tremble and moan from Mitch punched up last of the cum in his system. Darrin took it in his lips, drinking it down.

Once he’d slurped the last bit of cum from Mitch’s cock, he looked up to see Mitch smiling at him.

“What?”

“Better mood now?”

Darrin chuckled. “Mighty big words for a man whose dick is still in my hand.”

Mitch chuckled and stretched, his supple body shifting in the light. “I ain’t afraid.”

<><><><>

“What do you mean Zach is coming? Why the hell would you invite your vanilla ex-boyfriend to visit?”

Josh let out a sigh. “First, I didn’t invite him. And second, who cares? It’s not like I’m going to jump his little twink bones. I’ve had sex with you, why would I want to go back to one scoop of vanilla when I’ve got a triple-decker banana split?”

Emotions flickered across Trent’s face too quickly for Josh to categorize. But he recognized the one it settled on, humorous resignation.

“So I’m a banana split, huh.”

Josh folded his arms over his chest and studied Trent for a moment. “You have the biggest banana I’ve ever seen.”

Trent couldn’t maintain his air of anger and started laughing. Shaking his head, he pulled Josh into a tight hug. “It’s a good think I love you.”

Josh kissed Trent and then grabbed his wrists. Trent cocked an eyebrow. “There’s more…”

“He’s bringing his husband, and their kids.”

Trent began laughing, sliding his hands out of Josh’s he gave a playful slap on the arm.

Josh looked confused. “I thought that would set you off.”

“Why? Zach’s not going to get away with anything. What his husband doesn’t catch, the kids won’t let him get away with.”

Josh nodded in agreement, a smile spreading over his face. “True, very true. This should be an interesting visit.”

<><><><>

Josh stood with Christopher, and watched Trent and Zach play with the twins. Josh had to admit, if someone created children from Zach and Christopher, these kids were them. Light complexion and white blond hair, they looked like smaller versions of their dads.

He smiled at the toddler’s antics. “They’re cute kids.”

Christopher glanced over and then beamed at his children. “They’re great. They’ve sure changed our lives.”

“I can only imagine…”

Josh walked over to the rug the kids were playing on and squatted beside them. “Hey would you two like to go see the horses?”

Timmy stumbled to him and Josh caught him just before he fell. “Horthy?”

“Yup, you can see the horsey. Maybe even pet him. How does that sound?”

“Good! Ammy! Go see horthy!”

Sammy waddled to his twin, falling into Josh’s lap with a delighted giggle. Josh helped them both up, and started outside with them. By the time they got to the door, Christopher had moved to the other side and helped get the kids out. They ambled to the newly rebuild stables. Josh could hear the shuffling inside and then both horses stuck their heads over the stall doors and peered at the kids.

<><><><>

Zach shook his head as they moved out the door. He turned with an odd look to Trent. “I’m not much of an outdoor guy. I changed majors after my first year in college when I realize ag wasn’t for me.”

Trent toyed with his nails for a minute, trying to feel comfortable with his man who Josh had loved, at least at one point. The kids had provided a convenient distraction from each other.

“What’s your major now?”

Zach let out a soft chuckle. “Computer science.” He winked at Trent. “I can help Chris find all the porn he can deal with.”

Trent let out a chuckle at Zach’s humor, feeling his defenses soften. “It is important to keep the porn files straight.”

“Yup!”

Zach looked out the window, seeing the toddlers coming out of the stables and toward the goats. “I can’t believe Josh still has those nasty goats.”

Trent let out a chuckle. “The goats are ours now, I bought half of them. They saved the ranch last year.”

“Saved the ranch, huh. Sounds like a bad plot for a graphic novel.”

Trent moved to the kitchen and began cleaning up from the morning mess. As the hot water filled the sink, he slipped the dishes into the soapy water. As he finished washing the first dish, Zach was at his side and began to rinse and dry the dishes as Trent washed them. They worked in silence until they’d cleaned and stored away the morning’s dishes, once Zach put the twins bottles in the drainer. Trent turned to him.

“You’ve changed…”

Zach chuckled as he dried his hands. “Raising two babies forces you to grow up. And with those two cuties how could you not step up and take care of them.”

“Well, they look just like you two. That’s pretty impressive.”

Zach chuckled and carefully laid the towel across the counter. “Christopher’s sister donated the eggs, the sperm was mine. So they are our kids.”

Trent’s mouth formed an O as implications occurred to him. After a few moments, he turned back to Zach. The conversation suddenly taking on a relaxed tone.

<><><><>

Josh and Trent stood at the front door, waving as the family drove off in their oh-so-suburban mini-van. They enjoyed the time together, going much better than he’d hoped. Zach had a new maturity, and Christopher was the perfect match.

“Who would have thought Zach would have made such a good dad.”

“A few years ago he wouldn’t have. He’s changed. Christopher is a good match.”

Trent looked at Josh. “Sorry you let him go?”

Josh began laughing, taking several minutes to regain his composure. “Christopher confided in me that he thinks Zach is kind of kinky. They’re a great match. We’re a better match.”

Trent wrapped his arms around Josh and pulled him in for a kiss. “Their kids are cute though. Did you know Christopher’s sister was the egg donor and Zach was the dad?”

“Really? Well that would explain a few things. Like how the kids look so much like them.”

Trent kissed Josh again. “I want kids too.”

“I know, babe. We’ve talked about it and I’d like kids too.”

“I have an idea…”

“Oh god, should I be scared?”

“Maybe, it involves Darrin’s sister.”

Josh looked at him and started chuckling. “You better start working on that one!”