Fourth Down - 17. Chapter 17

What is this guy doing? I asked myself as I watched the supposed defense lawyer do anything but try to prove his client’s innocence. If anything he was just making it worse for him. I do have to commend Hunter on how he held himself up there, he did pretty well considering some of the questions he was being asked. I made sure to let him know that the moment he was seated back in his spot next to me.

What is this guy doing? I asked myself as I watched the supposed defense lawyer do anything but try to prove his client’s innocence. If anything he was just making it worse for him. I do have to commend Hunter on how he held himself up there, he did pretty well considering some of the questions he was being asked. I made sure to let him know that the moment he was seated back in his spot next to me.

“How are you holding up?” I quietly asked him.

“Ok I guess. I just want this over.”

At this moment the judge asked for the next witness.

“The defense calls for Dale Peterson, Your Honour.”

***

I watched from my seat next to Dale’s Father, as he walked up to the bench to be sworn in like I was just moments ago. I was a little worried, was he going to ask my boyfriend similar questions to what he had just asked me?

“Can you tell the court your name and relationship with the alleged victim?” Mr Jennings asked Dale.

“My name is Dale Peterson, and Hunter McIntosh is my boyfriend.” He answered the last part with a proud smile in my direction. All I could do was smile back at him.

“So would it be true that you were seeing Mr McIntosh while he was in a relationship with my client?”

“No, it would not be true.”

“Were you aware that they were romantically involved?”

“No, I don’t believe they were involved.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Well for starters, Hunter always seemed reluctant to go home. He would also tell us his friends about how horrible a roommate Mayson was to him.”

“Interesting.” Mr Jennings said with a voice that clearly seemed he was disinterested in the conversation. “Could you please tell the court when Hunter started living with you?”

“That would be the day he left the hospital.”
“So Mr. McIntosh jumped from one relationship to another, and so soon after being sexually assaulted as he claims, and having to be hospitalised for malnutrition due to his sudden need to lose weight.”

“Objection, speculation.”

“Sustained, please ask an actual question Mr Jennings.”

“Once out of the hospital, how soon did you two become an item?”

“A few weeks ago actually.”

“Why not sooner? You two clearly seemed to like each other?”

“After his ordeal with Mayson, Hunter needed to heal, both mentally and physically. Jumping into a relationship so soon would have hurt any potential relationship between us.”

“No further questions Your Honour.”

All of Mr Jennings’ questions left me wondering what his goal was. If trying to prove Mayson and I were in a relationship, would that not hurt his case? And me needing to lose weight is laughable, considering the sport I play.

It was now the prosecution to ask questions.

“Mr Peterson.” Mr Erichson said, standing up. “Can you please tell the court how you found Mr McIntosh the night of his rescue?”

Dale closed his eyes and clearly shuddered from the memories in his beautiful head. “He was chained face down… Naked and spread eagled on a dirty mattress in an empty room. He looked… dead.” His voice had a slight tremor at the last part. “He was dirty, he looked a lot thinner than he was just a month before he disappeared.”

“I would like to hand in evidence the medical records, and the transcript along with the body cam recordings of both the police, and paramedics called to the scene.

Dale was asked a few more questions, then he too was allowed back to his seat. The doctor who looked after me was also called up, and asked questions about my recovery, as well as the medical state I was in on being brought into the hospital. After they were done with all the witnesses, we were done for the day. Tomorrow would be the closing statements, and if found guilty, the sentencing.

It had been a long day and everyone was tired, so one the way home, Mom and Dad stopped by KFC to grab us an easy meal. Once home, we decided to just relax and try and forget about the day's events. So we all sat around on the couches, eating chicken and watching that Rugrats movie where they meet the Wild Thornberrys, which was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid.

“Are you ok?” Dale asked me once we were in bed that night. He was looking into my eyes as he usually does when we talk in bed, and gently moving my hair away from my eyes.

“Yeah, I’m ok,” I sigh. “Just really looking forward to putting this all behind us” I add.

“Well, if today was any indication, I really don’t see Mayson getting off lightly. His lawyer did nothing but make things worse for him if you ask me.”

“Why do you say that?” I ask, intrigued by what he is saying.

“Well, his arguments were mostly trying to prove that you were in a secret relationship with him,” he said sitting up so he could focus entirely on me. “So if he managed to prove that, with all the medical evidence, it kinda makes it worse for him, as that would be considered spousal abuse. He also did not prove that it was consensual. And don’t get me started on him not allowing Mayson up on that stand. If he had, then he would have known that their story, or what ever the fuck that was, would have unwraveld before his very eyes.”

“Yeah, he kind of made things worse for the person he was trying to defend. Wonder why that is?”

“We will probably never know,” he says, as he cuddles into me getting ready to sleep. “Come, let's sleep as tomorrow is going to be a big day regardless of the verdict.”

I got very little sleep that night, as my mind kept racing about whether or not Mayson’s lawyer threw him under the bus on purpose, or was he just really that bad at his job.

All too soon we were back in that courtroom, awaiting the judge and the closing statements from the lawyers.

“Please stand for the Honorable Judge Hawthorn,” called the uniformed man standing next to where the judge sits.

“I trust your closing statements are prepared, gentlemen.” She took her seat. “Mr Erichson, you have the floor.”

“Thank you, Your Honour,” Mr Erichson said as he straightened his suit after standing. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. What we have here are two young promising men. Unfortunately, one of these men, Mr Mayson Priestly, took it upon himself to drug and sexually assault his roommate, Mr Hunter McIntosh, and have it recorded. Recorded all for the purpose of controlling someone with their biggest fear. In Mr McIntosh’s case, it was his fear of being rejected by those close to him. Mr Prieslty used that fear, forcing Hunter into being a slave for his every sexual desire. It was when he saw his control slipping that he took things to the next level, depriving Hunter of his freedom, in which he endured a month of sexual abuse, starvation, and stripped of his humanity. Chained there, like an animal, or an object, for the sole gratification of his captor.

“Ladies and gentlemen, these two young men were not in a relationship, and if they were and Hunter was indeed cheating, that is no excuse for what Mayson did to him. It just makes things worse. How could anyone do that to the person they are supposed to love, let alone care for? If you look at the evidence, and the testimony heard in this very courtroom, you should see beyond reasonable doubt, guilty of the charges placed upon him. Thank you.”

“Mr Jennings,” Judge Hawthorn called, as Mr Erichson took his seat.

“Thank you, Your Honour. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, as you have heard in this very court…” His voice was sickly sweet. “My client is innocent. He loved Mr McIntosh there. And, during a difficult time, did his best to keep Mr McIntosh from further harming himself, when he was fixated on the need to lose weight. My client did not hold him against his will, as Mr McIntosh is still clearly enrolled at their school — it was clearly roleplay. Because of these nasty claims, my client has not only lost the love of his life… He lost his legs, and while he was recovering in hospital, his school decided to expel him on these baseless claims. I ask you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Look into your hearts, and ask yourself whether Mr Priestly deserves to go to prison? For something he did not do. Thank You.”

“Thank you Mr Erichson, Mr Jennings. Court will be in recess until the jury is able to find a verdict. Until then, you are dismissed.” With that, Judge Hawthorn was up and striding for the door she used.

“Well… Now, we wait,” Mr Peterson said. We all stood up. “Let's all go for a coffee across the street. We will want to be nearby, in case they call us back in.”

No sooner had we all sat down with our drinks, my phone buzzed in my pants pocket, notifying me of a text message I had either been sent when my phone was off, or now, when I had just turned it on. Fishing it out of my pocket, a smile forms on my face. Olivia had sent me a message asking how I was, and that she was thinking of both Madox and myself.

“Who's that messaging my boyfriend and causing him to smile so?” Dale asks, pretending that he is jealous. So I show him, and he smiles too, knowing how close Olivia, Madox and I were to each other. “Olivia? Well that’s nice of her.”

“Tell her we say hi,” Madox said from across the table.

“Yeah, tell her I miss my roommate,” Vicky adds in.

“We are good. And everyone says hi. And Vicky misses her roommate.” I type back. “We are just waiting for the verdict against Mayson to come in.”

“That was this week? If I had known, I would have been there. I hope you know that. I miss you guys too.”

“How are things?”

“Things are good.” She typed back. “I have decided to study nursing, and I am also looking at social work. Living with Vicky really taught me a lot about the LGBT, so I want to do something to help those who don’t have that support.”

“That is great news! I just know you’ll make a great nurse.”

And she will. Olivia has always been the one to look out for and care for others.

There was another beeping noise coming from Mr Erichson’s phone this time. “Looks like the verdict is in. Let’s finish up here, then we’ll head to the Courtroom.”

“Hey the verdict just came in, so I’ll have to go. I was great talking to you. We should do this more often.” I quickly type back.

Before I can turn off my phone, I get another message from Olivia. “Good luck. I hope that bastard rots for what he did to you. Talk soon.”

Soon, we were sitting in our seats in the courtroom, waiting for the judge to return. Once she had, she looked over to the jury. “Has the jury come to a verdict?” She asked them.

“Yes, Your Honour,” one of the jury members said.

“And what say you?”

We, the jury for the State versus Mayson Priestly, on the charge of sexual assault, we find the defendant guilty. On the charge of false imprisonment, we find the defendant guilty.”

They found him guilty. I let out a breath. A breath I never knew I was holding till that point. Relief washes over me.

“I hereby sentence Mayson Priestly fifteen years in prison, with a chance of parole.” Her statement was finished with the clap of her gavel.

I look over towards Mayson. His cheeks are wet with silent tracks of tears. His head is down. And while I may feel like celebrating, the image of him slumped there… It saddens me a little. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a man sitting in the back row of the defense side. He had a dark cap over greying hair, his eyes covered in shadows caused by the bill. He was wearing this larger overcoat, and kinda looked like one of those guys in the movies who are trying to not be noticed. Though, here it had the opposite effect. Was he somehow related to Mayson? One thing I did notice though, were the movements of his hands. It looked as if he was wiping away tears.

My thoughts of this man were wiped from my mind the moment I was engulfed by my family and friends, with Dale at the centre. I could not believe how blessed I was to have these wonderful people in my life. People that both love and accept me for who I am, and have stuck by me when I needed them most.

“You ok?” Dale asked as he wiped away the tears that decided now would be a good time to make an appearance.

“Yeah,” I smile broadly at him, then proceed to hold him tightly to me, careful not to crush his smaller frame.

We then spent the evening with a nice home cooked meal at the Peterson’s house. It was quite the snug fit at the table with both parents, and close friends. The conversation didn’t dwell too long on the verdict and Mayson’s sentencing. I think everyone, myself included, were just happy that it was over.

“So, we will be expecting you for Christmas,” Mrs Peterson was saying to us as we were getting in Dale’s car.

“I’m not sure we could afford it,” my mother said with some regret, as she loved being reunited with her best friend from childhood.

“Then, we will come to you! We can work out the arrangements closer to the date.” Mrs Peterson smiled.

Then they talked a bit more, before we were on our way home. The journey, quiet with soft snoring coming from the back seat. Looking back, I saw my mother had fallen asleep on my father’s shoulder. He caught my eyes, and just smiled at me. After returning the smile, I turn my attention back to the dark road, illuminated by the car's headlights. I notice Dale looking at me from the corner of his eye, a gentle smile displayed on his lips.

Once we were home, my mother hugged me for what felt like a minute. Once she released me, she gently took my head in her hands, bringing it down so she could kiss my forehead.

“I love you Hunter. I am so very proud of the young man you grew into.” She then kissed my forehead one last time, before she took my father’s hand in hers and headed to their room.

“Goodnight boys,” they both said, before closing their door for the night.

“I am just gonna grab a quick shower. I’ll meet you in bed?” Dale said, before pecking my lips and disappearing into the bathroom.

I wanted to make this night memorable. I feel I have closed a very not fun chapter in my life. The guy that hurt me is now behind bars. I am with the man of dreams. Who would have thought that I would be with the guy I had been crushing all those months ago? Who would have thought my somewhat conservative parents would love and accept me and my relationship with Dale?

So, while Dale was in the bathroom, I stole to the bedroom and pulled out the stash I had secretly placed under the bed a few days ago. In the bag was a couple of scented candles, a lighter, some condoms, and lube. Evan had suggested the need for lube when I had mentioned my plans to him. When I had told Evan, he just grabbed me in a bear hug and told me how happy he was for me.

So, with Dale still in the shower, I set up the candles in places I thought would help set the mood, and hid the condoms and lube in my bedside table. I then discarded my clothes, placing them in the hamper by the door, and got in bed in just my underwear.

“What’s all this?” Dale asked as he entered the room with just a towel wrapped around his slim waist, and another in his hand trying to rid the moisture from his black hair.

“Hmm?” I ask as I shuffle closer to him so he is in arms reach. “Oh this? I just wanted to see what the room would look like if we ever needed candles. Just in case we ever have a black out,” I say, as I pull him into bed with me.

“Oh? So the store was out of normal candles, and only had scented did they?”

Looking at the candles, I reply “they are scented? I thought all candles smelled nice!” I then break out into a huge grin as I pin him to the mattress, placing a searing hot kiss on his beautiful lips.

“I just wanted to show you how much your love and support has meant to me. Never in a million years did I think I could be this happy!” I added a kiss for good measure, which in turn led to us making out, with me on top and one hand caressing the side of his body.

As my hand passed down his slender frame, I could feel slight shudders caused by my touch. His resulting moan let me know what I need to know, especially with trying to bull his body closer to mine, grinding his hardness into me. As my hand passed over the towel around his waist, my fingers grasped the edges of it. I then flung it away from his body, leaving him naked and gasping beneath me.

“I love you,” he moaned as my lips detached from his, moving them to immediately latch on to where his neck meets his shoulder.

While he was distracted by this and my subsequent kissing down his chest to his stomach, I reached my prize held standing tall between his thighs. My one hand was reaching into my bedside table, seeking the contents hidden within. I took his hard member into my mouth, savoring the sweet salty flavour it provided me.

I squirted a few drops of lube onto my fingers, then proceeded to probe my hole, all in order to get it ready to take possession of my love. This would be my first time... Not the one that was forcibly taken from me. Once I felt I was ready, Dale squirming beneath me with a pillow over his head to try to muffle his moans, I tore the wrapper holding the condom. Then, on my next pull up from his thickness, I placed the opening of the condom over his cock. With my mouth and hand, I unrolled it over his length. He didn’t seem to notice what I had done, until I had positioned myself over him.

“What are you doing?” He asked breathlessly.

“Giving you something I have wanted to give you for a while now. But... Never felt ready for until tonight. I love you Dale.” I added as I descended down him, my ring protesting at the intrusion.

Halting my progress for a bit, I breathed through the pain

“We don’t have to do this, if you are still not ready,'' he said, as he placed his hands on my hips.

“I know.” I tried to smile. “But I want to do this, for b… both of us.” I stuttered as I bottomed out, and felt a wave of pleasure flood me as his cock passed over my prostate.

I lifted myself slightly just to slide down him again, a moan escaping both our lips. Dale pushed himself up so he could wrap both his arms around my waist, holding himself tightly to me as I rode him.

I gasped in pleasure as I felt his teeth gently bite down on one of my nipples, while the other was pinched and carressed by the other. The stimulation proves too much for me, as I am suddenly blasting my seed between us, soaking our stomachs and causing us to stick together. My orgasm seems to trigger his as he stiffens in my arms, his moans muffled by my large chest as he blasts his own seed into the condom deep inside me.

We then cleaned ourselves up by having a shower together, where I brought my beautiful man to another release, this time down my throat.

“Dale?” I say once we are in our usual positions in bed.

“Hunter.” He responds.

“Thank you.” I say quietly, while nuzzling his hair with my nose.

“For what?” He asks. “If it was for what we just did, you don’t have to thank me.” He adds caressing my hair.

“No,” I say, “If it weren’t for you and your love and support, I’m not sure where I would be right now. I love you.”

“Well I am glad I was there for you. You are important to me, and how could I not support the one I love most in this life.” He added, placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

“Dale?”

“Yes Hunter?” He smiled

“Will you marry me?”

Thank you for reading Chapter 17  There will be one final chapter after this. Hope you have all enjoyed the journey so far 😁