Refuge - 3. Chapter 3: Aiden and Casey

Chapter 3: Aiden and Casey

Calvin

Casey had been avoiding me ever since Aiden and the others had returned to Chicago. I knew something was wrong. I’d screwed up that first morning after he and Aiden had first slept together, and it had taken Dike, a powerful god, to smooth that over. I was afraid I’d screw up, again, but I had to do something. Uncle George was at work. Even if he’d been here, there was no way I was going to admit I needed help from anyone to deal with my own little brother. I went into Casey’s room and shut the door.

“Casey? You miss Aiden, don’t you?”

Casey set his jaw in a way I recognized. He was angry. “It’s not fair! You have Uncle George and Kevin. All I’ve got is this!” He raised his right hand.

Oh, I thought. I never had a normal sex life until I met Uncle George. I’d just learned to jack off when Fred-the-Dead began raping me. That pretty much killed any desire I had. Calvin … he was doing it before he met Aiden. And Aiden must have shown him a lot more, those two nights. Of course he misses Aiden.

I grabbed Casey and hugged him. At the same time, I sent reassurance and love. He struggled.

“Stop it! I don’t want to have sex with you. And stop putting stuff in my head! I know that’s what you’re doing!”

I had screwed up, again, but this time, I was going to see it through. I held Casey tightly. I stopped trying to project, and just held him. His struggles weakened, and his complaints turned to tears. I let him cry for a while, and then loosened my grip.

“Open your eyes, Casey,” I said as softly as I could. I didn’t want him to think I was ordering him to do it.

He did, and looked directly into my eyes.

“Casey, look at me. Keep looking into my eyes. Look into my head. See what’s there.” I opened my mind to him. I felt the tendrils of his thoughts come in. I giggled. Well, it tickled!

After stumbling around a bit, Casey found what I’d hoped he would find: the place where I held the memories of him and me growing up on the ranch, of the first time he rode a horse, of skinny dipping in my secret lake, of finding the cave and being scared nearly to death when part of the roof collapsed on us, of how much I loved him.

Now, he was crying, again, but they were happy tears.

“I’m sorry,” he sniffled. “I’m sorry. I love you … and I know you love me. But I do miss Aiden!”

“Come on,” I said. “Wash your face. Put on clean clothes. We’re going for a ride.”

“It’s ten o’clock at night!” he said.

“Yeah, and it’s eleven in Chicago, but that’s where we’re going.”

Casey nearly fell down the steps into our garage. “Wow! Where did that come from? What is it?” he asked.

That was Silver, only now, he was a Lamborghini Avendator LP 700-4, a truly sleek sportster that was rated at over 200 mph. Of course, that was on the road. We made the 1,400 or so miles between the ranch and Chicago in under 20 minutes. That beat even the SR-71 Blackbird’s best record.

I pulled into the driveway of Aiden’s home and pushed his button on my cell phone. We saw a light come on in an upstairs window.

“Hello?” Aiden’s voice was foggy. He’d been asleep. It didn’t take him any time before he was wide awake.

“Casey’s here!” he shouted. I yanked the cell phone away from my ear.

“Yeah, I said. May he spend the night with—”

I hadn’t finished the sentence before Aiden popped into existence outside the passenger door of the Avendator.

I was surprised by what I saw. Aiden slept naked, and either had forgotten that or didn’t care. Casey opened the door and stepped into Aiden’s hug.

“I take it that’s a yes?” I said.

The two boys giggled, and disappeared. I waited for a few minutes, saw the light in Aiden’s bedroom go out, and then went home.

Casey

The first time I saw Aiden was in the lawyer’s office. I knew he was something special, because Calvin and the ranch foreman, who Calvin said to call “Uncle George,” and who was going to be trustee even though Casey was of age and didn’t need a trustee, had brought him in to go over a bunch of really boring legal papers. A twelve-year-old lawyer? Weird. But, he knew what he was doing. Calvin kept a poker face, but I knew him well enough to know he was impressed.

I don’t know why, but I was especially horny that day. I’d jacked off the night before, like I always do, but not in the shower that morning. Maybe that was it. Maybe it was how Calvin and Kevin were acting. I knew they’d spent the night together, and figured they had done more than pillow-fight and talk.

About the middle of the morning, my dick got so hard it hurt! At the same time, Aiden laid down a paper and looked hard at Calvin and Kevin, like he was mad at them, or something. Then, he looked at me, and grinned. We had caught each others’ eyes a couple of times, before and I thought—no, I guess I mean I’d hoped—he was interested in me.

Interested. Yes, that means just what you think it means: I knew I was gay and I thought Aiden was way cute, but I knew any kid who was that cute and that smart wouldn’t be interested in me. But, I could dream, couldn’t I?

Oh, crap! He just winked at me. I was so surprised, all I could do was blush. I don’t think Calvin or Kevin saw. Uncle George might have; he looked at me, and smiled. He doesn’t smile a lot.

Mama gave me a sloppy kiss before taking Susan’s hand and going through security at the airport. Mama had shaken Calvin’s hand. I know she didn’t mean anything by it. I was quite a few years younger than Calvin and even though she and Calvin and everybody said Calvin and I owned the ranch, together, I knew Calvin would be in charge. That was okay with me, because Calvin and I got along real well.

Uncle George took us to a Dave and Busters for supper. There were a couple of folks waiting for us. Some guy named Gary, and a kid about my age named Nemesis. Funny name, but I didn’t have much time to think about it. Aiden grabbed my hand, and took me to the arcade while the others waited for pizza.

“I don’t have any quarters,” I said. I was kind of out of breath. Probably from running to the arcade. Right. Don’t try to fool yourself, Casey. You almost blew your load in your pants when Aiden grabbed your hand. Down boy!

# # # # #

I didn’t understand why Aiden came home with us, that night, ’cause I didn’t know that he and Uncle George and Gary and Nemesis were already friends, but when we got there, and Gary and Uncle George carried us into the house, and we woke up just long enough to ask if Aiden could sleep in my room, I felt real warm and happy.

I don’t remember much about Uncle George and Gary putting Aiden and me in pajamas. I kind of woke up when they stood us at the sink to brush our teeth. I looked at Aiden out of the corner of my eye. He grinned, and toothpaste ran down his chin. I laughed, and splattered toothpaste all over the mirror. By the time we cleaned up the mirror and Aiden’s chin, we were both wide awake, and Gary and Uncle George were gone.

“I don’t usually sleep in pajamas,” Aiden said. “Do you mind?”

He wants to sleep naked. I’ve never done that. My dick was already hard, and I was afraid to take off my pajamas, but Aiden didn’t wait for my answer … he stripped off his pajamas, threw them toward the chair, and stood, naked and hard, beside the bed.

That’s all I needed. I stripped off my pajamas, tossed them toward the bureau, and jumped into bed. Aiden was already there.

I thought I knew how to jack off, but Aiden showed me lots of different ways. And that was just the first night. The second night, we did fellatio, and swallowed each other’s cum. That was after I blew up at breakfast, and Calvin had to call in Dike to explain things to me. Then Calvin told me who Uncle George really was and how Calvin was Assistant Death, or something like that and was Uncle George’s boyfriend. Calvin was worried that I’d feel left out with him and Aiden and the others being gods and all, but Dike had told me I’d get powers, too. She wouldn’t tell me what or when, but she promised and I believed her.

Then, Aiden had to go home. And I was left with nothing but my right hand. Even with the new stuff Aiden showed me, it wasn’t enough.

Dike

“Aiden? School will start in a few days.” Dike sat behind her desk. She didn’t look at all like the grandmother who had comforted Casey just a few days ago. She was at least a foot taller than when I’d seen her in Texas. Her hair was long, straight, and black; her face wasn’t wrinkled. Her eyes were as black as her hair. There wasn’t a smile on her face or in her voice.

“But, I’ve got work to do!” I said. “And …” I didn’t say, “Casey,” although that’s what I wanted to say. How could I go to school, do the job Athena had given me, and spend twenty-four hours a day in bed with Casey? Calvin had promised that we could visit, but reminded me that Casey had responsibilities—and school—in Texas. Weekends, he’d said. It was better than nothing, but still…

“Besides, Athena—”

Dike interrupted what I was about to say. “Athena gave Authorities and Attributes to you; she told you that you had a job to do. However, you are in my city and my country. Therefore, you are my responsibility.

“Do not bother,” she said.

She knew I was going to try to tell Athena, I thought. I was right.

“Athena would agree with me, but would not be happy that you took her away from her work.”

Something in Dike’s face and voice softened. “You are a good boy, Aiden. I know that you have been hurt by your father’s actions … more, perhaps, by his inactions. I know that you are devoted to your job … and to Casey. Do you think I would not consider all these things?”

It was a rhetorical question; I figured that out when she didn’t give me time to answer, but kept talking.

“I need you here, in Chicago. You will live with Gary, who will become your guardian. He will enroll you in a private school near his apartment. You must draw up the guardianship papers for Gary’s signature, and your father’s. Bring them to me. I will notify your father. It will require some manipulation of his psyche, deeper than when you give him other papers to sign. That is not something you should have to do.

“Uh …” I began, but I still couldn’t say Casey, even though she had.

“And, temporary guardianship papers for Casey, as well. I have already discussed this with Calvin and Gary, and they have agreed.”

I gasped. Dike kept talking.

“Once we tell Casey that you will be there, too, I do not expect any reluctance on his part. I expect no more reluctance on your part, either. And, I expect some sterling report cards from both of you.” Dike was serious, but smiled when she said this. I felt a lot better.

Dike

Things were coming together, but there were still huge gaps in the picture. I knew that Casey would come into his powers, and I knew what they would be. It was very hard for me to think of it, and I dared not talk about it.

Casey

I couldn’t believe it when Calvin said I could move to Chicago and be with Aiden. I wasn’t sure about the school part, though, and I told him so.

“And how come Nemesis doesn’t go to school?” I asked.

“You’ll have to ask him, that,” Calvin said. “That’s his story. He may tell you; he may not. Whichever, you must respect his decision. Can you do that?”

Calvin was in his “I’m serious” mode. I respected that, and so I nodded.

“There are a lot of reasons you have to go to school,” Calvin said. “One is to get a good education. The school is run by former Jesuits, but it’s not a religious school.

“The second reason is that the law still says you have to go to school. You know that Aiden is the Patron of Lawyers, right?”

I nodded.

“How do you think he would feel if he knew you were breaking the law?”

“Not good?” I said.

Calvin nodded.

We talked some more about the school, about living with Gary, about coming back to the ranch on weekends, and about my allowance. Calvin hadn’t thought about that, but said he’d set up a check card for me on our account. I asked him how much my allowance would be.

“It’s got to be more than it is here,” I said. “There’s lots of things I’ll need in Chicago that I don’t need on the ranch.”

“Casey?” Calvin said. His voice was low and soft. “Casey, you can have as much money as you need. Just don’t buy things you shouldn’t.”

I was surprised. And happy knowing Calvin trusted me. I ran across the room and hugged him, but couldn’t resist teasing a little.

“I should have a Lamborghini, right?”

Calvin laughed. “When you’re sixteen, we’ll see about that.” Spike might be just what Casey needs, and once Casey gets his powers, we’ll see what Spike can become.

Casey

Aiden and I had moved into Gary’s apartment. He offered us our own bedrooms, but wasn’t surprised when we said we wanted to sleep together. Our room looked over the lake. We could see Navy Pier, which was a huge tourist attraction with arcades, food and stuff. I asked Aiden if we could visit, sometime. He got real sad. I asked him what was wrong and he started crying. I hugged him and held him until he stopped crying. I didn’t ask, again, but he said something that got me to wondering.

“Sometimes, bad things have to happen so good things can happen,” he said. “Sometime, sometime soon, I’ll tell you. I just can’t, now.”

# # # # #

I thought everything was set: I was living in Chicago with Gary, Nemesis, and—best of all—Aiden. I still had to go to school, but the school was pretty cool. The teachers asked more questions than told us facts, and we had plenty of time to try to find the answers on the internet. I got burned a couple of times quoting a wiki site, but once I learned to dig into the site’s references, I was okay.

The best part, of course, was that I was living with Aiden, and he had to go to school, too. I asked about that, him being a high-powered lawyer and all, and he said that there was a difference between his Authorities and the legal knowledge he got, and what he wanted to know.

“I don’t want to be a lawyer,” he said. “But I want to understand the law, and how it came to be the way it is. There’s a lot of important things that brought us to where we are: the Code of Hammurabi, for example. I want to understand all that. I think I want to be an anthropologist of some kind.”

I’m not sure I understood what he meant, but I did know one thing. Well, two, really: Aiden was a god with special powers; Aiden was a little boy, my age, and he loved me. Okay, that was three things.

Aiden had missed school, today. He was in the kitchen when I got back to Gary’s apartment, where we were living. We hugged, and probably raised the pheromone level in the apartment by 250 percent.

“None of the teachers marked you absent, today,” I said. “Where have you been?”

“Where haven’t I been!” Aiden said.

“Kid in California who wanted to be emancipated from his parents. I talked him out of that, but promised to check back on him in a couple of months.

“Boy in Australia who had fallen love with a 20-year-old surfer. He was a couple of years too young for their law, but I made it work. He and the surfer understood. It will be a good match.

“Around lunchtime, I got a call from Nemesis. He was in Virginia with a kid who was being bullied at school. Nem decided to face down the bullies but didn’t want to hurt them. He called for backup, and I gave them the “juvie isn’t the place to be” talk, complete with mental pictures. They backed down. We’ll have to check back there, too.

“Then, I was in Kansas City helping a kid in a wheelchair file an ADA suit against his school. I’m exhausted!

“And what have you been up to?”

“I’ve been at school. That’s what mortals have to do.” It had been a month, and I hadn’t gotten any powers. I wasn’t happy, and tried to show that in the way I spoke. It was the wrong thing to do. Something triggered Aiden, and he blew up.

“Damn it, Casey, I didn’t ask for this!” Aiden said. “I wanted to die … I was about to kill myself … how can you even imagine how I felt? … and I got stuck with this … this job … and the kid today who was being bullied? He wanted to kill himself … like I had, only messier. And I had to talk him out of it. The Australian kid? He knew that if he and the surfer became boyfriends he’d be shut out of his family and friends … like I am, but he still wanted it. The kid in California? He thought his parents hated him because they’d found some girls’ underwear in his bureau. They hated him because he was having sex with girls; then, they hated him because he was running around in girls’ underwear.

“Damnit, Casey, I’ve got enough to worry about without wondering and worrying about you!”

Aiden was crying. I knew they were real tears, and that they weren’t happy tears. I ran across the room and tried to hug him, but he pushed me away.

Now, I was crying, too.

“Aiden? Please, please, I love you. Please let me hug you!” I demanded. Aiden’s response was to turn his back and press against the wall. I stepped behind him, and thought about forcing myself onto him, a hug. Couldn’t be all that bad, could it?

Aiden’s body shook as he cried, and I knew that grabbing him would be a bad idea. So, I just touched him. I put two fingers on his right shoulder, so softly I could barely feel the contact.

“Aiden, I love you,” I whispered. I drew my hand slowly down his back until I reached the waistband of his Dockers. I was afraid to go farther.

“Aiden? Please?” It was all I could do; all I knew to do.

It was the right thing. Aiden turned to face me, and then hugged me. I felt his lips on my face, and turned my head so that our mouths met. And gasped. The kiss was more powerful than any we’d ever shared. It was more even than Dike had suggested. I felt Aiden’s thoughts, and I knew he felt mine.

You are my love now and forever, Casey. I have known you in an infinity of worlds, but in none as closely as this. We are one; we are together; I love you.

All I heard was the “now and forever” and “I love you.”

By the time Aiden had washed his face, Nemesis was knocking on the door asking if we wanted to go to dinner.

“Caden’s back in town, and he’s invited us to supper. He lives two floors down, and he’s a good cook. Okay with you guys?”

I thought it was odd that Nemesis would ask if it was okay … after all, Gary was putting us up in his home and was legally our guardian. He could tell us what to do, and, knowing how Nemesis fit with Gary, I figured that he could, too.

Aiden looked at me and nodded. “Sure, I said.”

Caden was an older dude … perhaps in his fifties … but he looked like he was in good shape. He introduced himself to me, and shook my hand. Then, he invited us into a room full of books. Just like a library. Actually, I guess it was a library. He poured cola into glasses with ice for the kids, and a shot of bourbon with a splash of water for Gary and himself. The bourbon bottle had a horse on top. I remember that Fred-the-Dead used to drink that kind, and was afraid for a minute.

“Casey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. I know you didn’t get along with your late stepfather,” Caden said.

“It’s okay, sir. Fred’s dead, now. He never hurt me much, just a couple of whippin’s with his belt. I never told Calvin ’cause he’d have tried to kill Fred if he knew. Please don’t tell him . . . ."

Caden and the others nodded. Then Caden said something funny. “Casey? Would you set your drink on the coaster beside you?

“Thank you. I’m going to tell you something that might shock you, and I don’t want sticky cola all over you.

“You know that Gary, Nemesis, your Uncle George, your brother, and Aiden have the powers of ancient Greek gods. Dike, who you know to be one of the elder gods, told you that you would get your own powers.”

He seemed to want an answer, so I nodded. And jerked like the time I’d stuck a screwdriver in a light socket. A flash of light jumped across the room from Caden to me. Aiden must have known what was going to happen, ’cause he’d put down his own cola and grabbed me. He was hugging me when I stopped shaking.

“What the f— … I mean, what was that?”

Caden told me, but he didn’t open his mouth.

That was some of the powers, some of the Attributes and Authorities of one of the oldest gods. Artemis had many powers, many roles. When she decided to leave this world, she gave her powers to Apollo, her brother. Apollo gave his powers, and hers, to me when he burned out and left the world. Gary received the powers as Protector of Children. You have received her powers as goddess of the hunt. Of course, since you’re a boy, you are now god of the hunt.

I don’t know what all that means, especially since humankind has driven so many game animals to extinction, or nearly so. Hunting isn’t what it used to be.

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked. “I mean, I know that I’m going to have responsibilities. Calvin’s always told me that responsibilities come with authority and vice versa. All the time, when he taught me to do things at the ranch, he made sure I knew what I was supposed to do, and what I wasn’t allowed to do. If you know what I mean.”

Gary chuckled, and then said, “Calvin will make a good commanding officer with that attitude.”

“He already is!” I protested. “He’s commander of the ranch. Even Uncle George says so, and he’s the foreman.”

“You’re right, of course,” Gary said.

“As far as your responsibilities?” Gary said. “I’ve talked to Caden and Dike. Caden doesn’t know. If Dike knows, she’s not telling. There are good reasons for that. First, she knows that you will learn better if you find out things for yourself. We will all help you look for things that will teach you. Second, she knows that the words of the gods can shape, and change, reality, and she doesn’t want to do that.”

That night, I found the first of my powers: I could open my mind totally to Aiden, and I could see deep inside him, and when we both came at once, and I felt him explode inside me and my cum squirting all over our tummies, I felt like we were floating. And then I discovered that we were.

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