A Silent Song - 11. Trust

It was Sunday morning. Huck woke up in the little, but cozy bed of his cabin rental and looked at the ceiling. The room brightened slowly as the sun cut through the fog to come in through the eastern window.

Stretching, he smiled. He was comfortable, warm, and things with Rayne were going well. Huck had gone to bed last night, while Rayne had been out and about with the boy, Elias. Though at some point during the night, Huck had heard Rayne come in. So one of his first thoughts centered around his son.

I wonder what time he came to bed. Getting up, he stuck his head around the partition.

Huck's heart jumped into his throat. Rayne lay on his side with his hair wild and sticking up and all over. He had his arm around the blonde boy, Elias. Rayne and Elias were front to back, with Rayne behind the skinny boy.

They both slept. Huck padded over next to the futon and looked down at them. Putting his hand over his mouth, he stared down at his boy.

Finally, Huck took a couple of deep, calming breaths. Carefully stepping back into the bedroom area, he put on a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved shirt. Then he walked back to the futon. With a shake of his head, he bit his lip.

What am I supposed to do? He could see the boys still had on t-shirts, and he hoped their bottom halves were clothed as well. Huck blinked. What do you feel? What's the first thing you feel when you see them there?

Huck looked at Rayne. He slept peacefully. His face was relaxed, and he looked so natural there with Elias.

Blowing out a quiet breath, Huck watched as Rayne shifted, and his son's eyes rolled under his eyelids. Rayne blinked, sleepy and a little confused in that way those first moments of waking usually are. Then he noticed Huck standing beside the futon.

Rayne turned his head to look up at his dad. Huck watched as Rayne nervously worked his mouth. The two looked at one another for a little.

How do I feel? Huck asked himself again. The protective, gentle way Rayne's arm draped across Elias' body stuck out in his mind, and Huck let the barest of smiles pull at his lips. "Good morning, son." The sound of his voice woke Elias, and the blonde young man turned so that he faced Rayne. Rayne kept his arm over him, and he even squeezed himself closer to Elias.

Rayne tentatively smiled at Huck. "Good morning, Dad."

"Good morning, Mr. Yoman." Elias joined in the greeting and grinned as he stretched under Rayne's arm. To Huck's eye, the boy felt no guilt or embarrassment. Elias snuggled up to Rayne. "I don't want to get up."

Huck's smile grew a little. "Well, you don't have to." Then he crossed his arms over his chest, and he forced a stern expression. "That is, so long as you boys are wearing clothes under those blankets."

Rayne flushed a deep red. "Dad!"

Elias smiled, the side of his face lying against Rayne's chest. "We're wearing PJs." He turned slightly so he could see Huck. "We're not going to do anything that we're not ready to do. And we're not ready for that. Not yet."

The boy was so matter of fact and so up front that Huck wasn't quite sure how to react. "Ah, uh." Huck scratched his head. "Well, okay." He nodded. "Good." He stood awkwardly by the futon for a moment longer, then rubbed his hands on his thighs. "So, I'm gonna go get some coffee." He nodded again as if everything that was happening was totally by his choice. "You boys be good. I'll, ah. I'll be back."

Huck left the cabin and turned toward the patio table. He knew Greg and Clay usually started their day there and then migrated over to the kitchen area once breakfast time rolled around. "Oh, thank you, Lord." He saw the men as they sat with their half-full French Press of coffee. They were alone and apparently enjoying their time together in the cool and quiet morning.

Huck started toward them. He approached, and they both smiled as he neared.

"Good morning, Huck," Clay said. "You all right?"

Huck sat heavily in a chair, and Greg wordlessly poured him a mug of coffee. Huck gratefully took it and stared down into the black liquid. "I'm so sorry." Huck took a deep breath and looked up at Clay. "But I really need to talk to you—as a father. I think I need some help."

♬♬♬

Harlan was already up and productive. He knew the guys' schedule and figured he could get to the kitchen, do what he wanted to do, and get out of the way before breakfast started.

He stirred the six strips of bacon around with a fork. Harlan liked his bacon crispy, with a bit of chewy fat left. Since he was the man at the stove, that's how it was going to be.

He thought back to last night and the moment he stood with Bailey outside the his door. He knew what Bailey had said, about a date night with no sex. But he still had to try. He'd made out with Bailey there, under the light of the stoop. They had both sported erections trapped under their clothes while they stood together.

Bailey had pulled back, his mouth open, his eyes a little glazed. Harlan had grinned at him. "You sure you don't want me to come in?" His hand had rubbed Bailey's crotch. The way Bailey's hard, long cock felt under his palm was maddening to Harlan. He very much wanted to lie naked, entwined with his date.

Bailey had grinned at Harlan, gently pushing the insistent man away. He'd shaken his head with a smirk, then stepped inside his cabin. He leaned out, gave Harlan one more kiss, then quickly shut the door. He had nearly caved.

Now Harlan smiled down at the bacon as it crisped in the pan. He pushed at his erection, trying to shift it into a more comfortable position in his jeans. He had big plans for his morning and was not above bribing his way inside Bailey's cabin with breakfast.

He finished with the bacon and soon had french toast sizzling in the cast iron pan. While it cooked, he combined some warmed cream cheese and sweetened whipped cream into a pillowy, creamy, rich mixture. Then he dug in the fridge and found a little package of blueberries.

Harlan assembled a couple of plates. French toast went on, followed by the bacon on the side. A generous amount of his whipped cream mixture went on top of the hot French toast, then he tossed some blueberries on top of the cream and plate.

Harlan leaned over the stove and shoved $20 into the donation jar. He knew Greg wouldn't charge him that much, but he didn't mind paying a little more for a breakfast like the one he had prepared.

He put the plates on a platter, along with a couple of half-filled coffee mugs. Harlan carefully walked along the loop, glancing over at the patio table as he stopped in front of Bailey's door. Greg, Clay, and Huck sat there. They looked deep in discussion, but Greg took time to grin and wave at Harlan.

Harlan gave him a nod of his head, then awkwardly knocked on the door.

About thirty seconds passed before the door opened. Bailey blinked, still sleepy and just awakened.

"Good morning." Harlan smiled.

Bailey gave him and his prepared breakfast a surprised smile. Then he opened the door and motioned Harlan inside.

Entering, Harlan put the platter down on Bailey's coffee table. While Bailey looked down at the food, Harlan raked his gaze over Bailey himself. The tall, handsome man only wore a pair of briefs and suffered from the morning problem many men had.

Bailey tried to be modest, but that was tough when his underwear barely contained things. The long, wide outline of his penis pointed up at an angle, and the waistband pulled away a little as it stretched directly over the head of his erect member. Bailey noticed the attention and smiled, a little embarrassed. He turned to step into his bedroom, but Harlan caught his wrist.

"You don't have to put anything on." Harlan pulled Bailey into his body, and he put his hands on the small of Bailey's back. The black-haired fellow smelled of the healthy, slightly musky scent Harlan had come to associate with him.

His arms circling around Harlan, Bailey's hands rubbed up and down the shorter man's spine. It didn't take long until he was tugging at Harlan's shirt.

Harlan let Bailey peel off the sweater. The men kissed, and the warmth of Bailey's skin only made Harlan want him more. He unbuttoned his jeans as they made out and pushed both his pants and underwear down while Bailey stripped off his own shorts. Then he stepped right back into Bailey's arms.

As Bailey kissed, caressed, and ground himself into him, need and desire ramped up until Harlan barely held on to some semblance of control. Striving for balance, he tried to ride the line between control and desire, though he had never been with anyone who pushed him so far.

Harlan groaned as the men continued to grind together. His eyes began to roll in his head. "Oh man. Bailey, I can't keep doing this. You're gonna get me off." Harlan breathed raggedly as he stood there with the blue-eyed man. Pulling back, Bailey stared at Harlan, and in his eyes burned a wild and intense need.

He dropped to his knees, and Harlan gasped as Bailey took his cock into his mouth.

Harlan rocked back on his heels. "Oh, fuck." His jaw hung open, and his hands gripped Bailey's head. Bailey began an intense blowjob, one hand cupping Harlan's balls while the other worked on his own cock.

Already primed, things were moving quickly. He gritted his teeth. "Fuck. I'm gonna come." There was a desperate, yet certain tone in Harlan's voice. In response, Bailey sped up a little, never pulling away.

Harlan made a strangled sound, and his sensation crested in a tremendous orgasm. He unconsciously gripped Bailey's head as he got off, and his knees tried to buckle on him. Bailey coaxed everything he could from Harlan, then gulped as he finished the brown-haired man.

Bailey stood up. Harlan looked down Bailey's front, where the man's dripping cock lay against his groin. Harlan ran a finger on the underside of the warm, still-hard organ, then gazed into Bailey's eyes.

Harlan stuck his semen coated digit into his mouth. Bailey stared at him. Even after his orgasm, his eyes were still completely feral. The tall man pulled him in, and they kissed. Harlan tasted his own semen in Bailey's mouth and moaned in approval.

Finally, Bailey pulled back. The last time Harlan had another man's semen in his mouth, he had been much younger and much more trusting. He hadn't thought about it. He hadn't even considered if there was a risk to himself.

Harlan's breathing calmed as he looked into Bailey's eyes, and he swallowed, suddenly nervous. What are you doing to me?

Bailey smiled but looked a bit concerned. He raised his hands to sign. "You okay?"

Harlan wet his lips, still nervous, and yet wholly present in the moment with Bailey. "I, I uh ..." He nodded. "Yeah. I'm good." With no idea how to handle how he felt, he tried to put it off. "I'm great, Bailey."

Forcing his eyes away, Harlan nodded at their slowly cooling breakfast. "We should eat. Before it gets cold."

Bailey smiled and released him. Sitting on the futon, messy and naked from their moment earlier, the men settled in.

Bailey picked up a strip of bacon and bit down on the crisp, chewy morsel. All the while he chewed, he wore a fond smile and continued to watch Harlan.

Harlan tried not to notice, but Bailey put a hand gently under his jaw, lifting Harlan’s chin. And as Bailey drew him in for a bacon-flavored kiss, Harlan’s mind thrashed.

Fuck. What are you doing to me?

♬♬♬

After breakfast, Bailey pulled Harlan along with him, and the men now lay in bed together. Harlan moved to spoon Bailey, but the tall man shook his head and grinned. He made a twirling motion with his finger at Harlan, and though the brown-haired man looked a little worried, he rolled over.

Bailey got to play big spoon. He curled around the shorter Harlan, their naked bodies pressed together, his hand slowly rubbing up and down his chest. Harlan was tense at first, and his breathing came rapid and shallow. It was almost as if he bordered on panic. But as Bailey continued to stroke his skin, Harlan's breathing normalized. Gradually, he relaxed.

Sliding his hand up, all the way to Harlan's throat, Bailey left it there. I can feel his heartbeat. Bailey smiled against the back of Harlan's neck. As they lay together, Harlan's heart rate slowed. His breathing became deeper, slower, then he went limp.

A satisfied, comfortable, and sleepy sound came from Harlan. Coaxed by the gentle treatment from Bailey, he drifted to sleep.

Bailey got the impression that Harlan didn't trust much. He had learned some about him during their date, and now that he knew what he used to do for a living, he began to understand a little more.

He truly enjoyed lying with the brown-haired fellow. When's the last time you were the one held, I wonder? Bailey kissed the back of Harlan's neck, then let his forehead relax against him.

Yet doubt is a persistent beast. What am I doing? Bailey couldn't help but ask himself. He says he's broken, but I don't see it. Bailey closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. What does he see in me?

Bailey was beginning to realize that Harlan didn't connect with others lightly. As hard as it was for him to imagine it, Harlan liked him. For two years, Bailey had been busy adapting to his new life. He had nothing to give anyone, not emotionally. But now, a new spark had begun to burn in his chest. Something fundamental had changed in his desire for Harlan.

Yet now, his mind echoed with few lines from one of his own songs.

… They say that words do not contain, and yet I long to hear my name,

Fall like sweetness from your lips, From your love I need to sip ...

Bailey frowned, unwilling to further examine what it all might mean. Instead, he slid off to join his lover in sleep.

♬♬♬

Elias tried to keep a smile on his face. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, and he stood under Orson's reassuring arm as he said goodbye to Rayne. He and Huck had just loaded up their car, and the pair were on their way home.

Leaning against the red hatchback, Rayne had his hands in his pockets, and he looked down at his feet. Elias knew he had mixed feelings about leaving. Rayne had gotten what he'd wanted with his dad. But now, they would miss seeing one another.

"You've got my number, right?" Elias asked. He tried to get a smile out of Rayne, but the youth only nodded, his eyes staying down.

Clay and Huck spoke quietly on the other side of the car, occasionally glancing their way. Elias watched as Clay patted Huck on the back, and the two men walked around to their side. Huck smiled at Elias. "Well, thanks for making my son feel at home, Elias." Huck nodded. "I really appreciate that."

Elias smiled back. "Sure." He looked at Rayne. "I really liked having you around, Rayne."

That brought the dark-haired boy's head up. He even smiled a little. "Me too."

Huck took a breath and then cleared his throat. "Hey, uh, I wanted you to know that you can come to visit Rayne in town if you want." Huck glanced at Clay, and the big man nodded encouragingly at him. He turned back to Elias. "You could even catch the bus with Rayne if you wanted to stay overnight."

Rayne stared at his Dad. "Re—" He blinked. "Really?"

Huck slowly nodded. "Yes. Really."

Elias felt a little thrill go through him. He looked at Orson. "Is that okay?"

Orson smiled at the young man under his arm. "Yeah. I’ve got Huck’s number already. So long as Huck and Rayne are fine with it, then it's okay."

“I’ll always be fine with it,” Rayne said quickly, then blushed.

Elias grinned. “Well, what about tonight?”

Huck laughed. “I should have seen that coming." Clay smirked in response and nodded at Huck. Throwing up a hand, Huck agreed. “Sure!”

Elias didn’t wait. He ran toward the cabin he shared with Orson and Joseph, completely unable to help the broad grin as he packed his overnight bag.

♬♬♬

Huck began the drive to their apartment in Crescent City. The boys chose to sit in the back seat. Their topics ranged wildly—from Elias' art and his cabin plans to Rayne's fascination with insects, space, the microscopic world, and math.

"You really know the difference between a euglena and a paramecium?" Elias sounded critical. The blonde shook his head. "I can't tell the difference. I mean, other than the euglena is a little fatter on one end, sometimes."

"No!" Rayne's voice had that higher, excited tone when he was truly passionate about something. "No, the euglena has chloroplasts! It's one of the few heterotrophs with them! Isn't that crazy?!"

Elias frowned. "What's a heterotroph again?"

Rayne went on to explain the definition of a heterotroph to an interested, or at least to Huck he seemed interested, Elias. And so the conversations went.

Huck glanced in the rear-view mirror a few times as he drove. Rayne's face was animated and happy, while Elias paid careful, dutiful attention to him. He refocused on the road, unconsciously smiling. He's good for Rayne. Huck nodded slightly to himself and took another look in the mirror. Rayne reached to push a blonde lock of hair off of Elias' forehead, and the boys smiled at one another. Huck took in a breath. They're good for each other.

Getting to the apartment, they piled out of the car. The boys took everything upstairs, and soon they were inside. In no time at all everything was put away.

"Dad, we're gonna hang out in my room. Is that okay?" Rayne had his arm over Elias' shoulders, while the blonde boy had his around Rayne's waist. They looked so natural and comfortable.

That didn't make it any easier. Huck looked at them, then sat heavily on the couch. He had talked to Clay for some time about what would happen if he ignored the need for freedom, or denied Rayne agency in his own life. He knew there was no fighting the heart and hormones of a teenage boy. But still, it was hard.

Rayne was quiet as Huck struggled. Elias came over and sat beside him. When Huck looked over, Elias smiled. "Mr. Yoman, I'm never going to do anything that'll hurt Rayne." The blonde's smile turned a bit sad. "I know what that's like, and I'll never ever do that to another person."

Huck stared. In the boy's eyes, he saw knowledge and experience far beyond what should be there. Elias' expression shifted until it was a little sheepish, and his voice dropped so only Huck could hear. "Though eventually, when we're ready," he nodded, "then, yeah. We will do stuff together. But it will always be Rayne's choice. Always."

Again, Huck was floored by this kid. Huck had lost his virginity when he was fifteen. He knew the time was coming for Rayne and for Elias both. Huck bit his lip and smiled, just a little, at Elias. There is no one better for my son right now. There is no one more right. "Okay." Huck felt himself tear up. "Ah." He wiped his eyes. "Just uh," he sniffed, "just be nice to him."

By this point, Rayne had come over to sit on Huck's other side. Rayne hadn't heard everything, so he looked with concern at his dad. "What's wrong?" Rayne glanced at Elias. "What's wrong?"

Huck laughed and waved his hand. "Nothing." He smiled at Rayne and put an arm around his son. Then Huck looked over at Elias, thought a moment, and put one around him too. "There's nothing wrong, boys." He squeezed them. "All I ask is that you're good to each other. Okay?"

Rayne nodded, still a bit confused. "Yeah, Dad." He tried to reassure his father, then seemed to realize why Huck was upset. "Dad, we're not gonna do anything."

Sighing, Huck ruffled Rayne's hair. "Son, I know you might actually believe that." He looked over at his boy and smiled. "But I was your age once. And even though you mean what you're telling me, there will come a point where, well ... where things will happen." Huck never thought he'd have to go through 'the talk' with his son this way. But there he was.

Rayne squirmed, a little uncomfortable, but Huck continued. "Okay. So, the guys from the campground gave me some things. And there are some condoms in your overnight kit, Rayne."

His son grimaced. "Dad!"

"No, let me finish." Huck plowed on. "If you boys decide it's time, then you use protection with one another. And if you don't want to bother with that, then you go to the teen clinic, and you get tested. And if you're both clear, then you can, well you can do whatever you want without them." Huck turned to Rayne who cringed in on himself. "Promise me." He put a hand on each of Rayne's shoulders, turning him so that he had to look at Huck. "Rayne, promise me."

Rayne glanced at Huck's face. He still looked plenty embarrassed but nodded. "Okay, Dad. I promise."

"Me too," Elias said. "I promise too, Mr. Yoman."

It'd have to do. Huck took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. I'm going to trust you, boys." He patted each of them on their backs. "Go on. Dinner will be around five-thirty or six."

The two got up, and in moments the awkward conversation was forgotten. Huck watched as they entered Rayne's room, chattering away to one another. Then the door shut, and their muffled voices continued.

He sat just a little longer, listening, and heard Rayne laugh.

Huck smiled. God, I've missed that sound.