Steve's Tale 6

This material is intended only for an adult audiences who wish to view it, and wherein it is legal to do so at your age at your location in your circumstances.  This work is fictional and intended for entertainment only. If you find homosexual conduct offensive, are a minor, do not wish to view or read such material, or it is illegal for you to do so, WTF are you doing here? Put the browser down and back away.
Other stories are available at Ray's Stories
Thoughts and ideas welcomed at the feedback page located here
I retain all rights and ownership of this material and grant Nifty Archive a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, and non-cancelable license to display the work. You should donate and help keep them up and running.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Steve's Tale

Part Six

The Beginning

Rated: X

"Steve?"

He called my name softly and quietly, but I still woke with a start and a gasp. In that first second, I thought I was at home in my own bed, and that it was about to happen again. Another. Would it ever stop?

That reaction will probably always be there, I thought sort of sadly, once I realized that I wasn't at home, I wasn't in my room, or in my bed, and that it was Jared. That I was in Jared's room, his bed, his arms. That I was safe.

That I was loved.

And that I was a little sore in places. But that only made me grin as I remembered exactly why.

"Steve? Why do you do that?"

"What?" I asked, hoping somehow to avoid the topic.

"Get scared when I wake you up."

"Please, don't ask."

"But... it bothers me. Why?"

I sighed.

"My dad. He... he'd wake me up. He'd... I'd wake up with him hitting me."

I sniffled, hoping that I didn't start crying like a baby.

"That'll never happen again, I promise. I'll always wake you up like this."

He snuggled up close to me and then kissed my ear softly. His warm breath made me shiver in his arms. I rolled over in his arms to look up into his face. His round, perfect face. Dark brown hair with streaks of lighter shades all through it, short, except in back, where it almost touched his collar. His intense, silver-gray eyes with their big lashes. His cute, round nose, strong cheekbones, and firm, almost wide jaw.

We kissed. So long and deep. His lips were so perfect that they belonged on television or in the movies. They were plump and wide, and the upper one had a perfect heart shape under his nose. And the lower one was thicker in the center, and almost didn't exist at the edges. And they moved so wonderfully against mine.

His strong arms around me had muscles, even when they were so softly, yet firmly holding me. His strong chest, with its dark hair and his large nipples, all felt wonderful under my searching hands.

I started growing hard, and I felt his moving, enlarging, between us. I wrapped my legs around his and pulled myself so tightly against him. We began breathing faster and harder. Those wonderful thrills fired up all over and inside of me.

His hands caressed my back, then lower. They spread and then crushed my buttocks together. I scratched at his back, being careful not to draw blood or actually hurt him, but excited by the fact that he liked it so much that it made him groan and nibble my lips.

When he said, "Oh, gawd, Steve, I love that! I love you!" I felt as if the entire world loved me.

He pulled my cheeks apart forcefully. It stung a bit, but I liked it. The instant that one of his fingers found my hole, I shuddered and gasped, and suddenly needed him in me.

I rolled him onto his back and sat up on him. He smiled at me so wonderfully. I laughed. I felt so great! Looking down at his awesomely cute face, his hot chest, his strong arms, I could have just melted.

I wiggled back until I felt his big hardness between my thighs, then reached behind me and pointed it upward. I raised myself, positioned myself, then lowered myself down onto it.

"No lube? You sure?"

I nodded, holding my eyes on his, smiling, as I felt his hard, thick head spreading me open. There was the remains of the lube from last night, so it was enough. Still, it stung, hurt, but it was his dick, so it was wonderful. I let my weight pull me downward, impaling myself with his thickness. I panted and gasped. My legs shook, were barely able to hold me up as I slid so slowly down onto him, filling myself with him. I felt my dick dance and squeeze out pre-cum. That heavy, delightful tingle down there grew more powerful as more and more of him entered me.

The pain was part of it. I liked it. It was nothing like the pain I was used to.

"Shit! Damn!" Jared groaned when I came to rest on his hips. "So fucking tight!"

His wide grin was adorable! I wiggled. He laughed and ran his hands up and down my sides. It tickled and felt great. Then I lifted until I was sure most of him had left me, then dropped. It hurt, but it was so good!

Jared gasped, "Ah!" and jerked.

"Okay?"

"Hell yeah!"

I started raising and dropping in rapid order, as fast as I could.

"Fuck! Steve! Holy shit!"

His huge grin made me feel so good! I leaned my hands onto his strong chest and used that leverage to increase my speed. The feeling of his massive cock moving in and out of me was incredible. I began sweating almost immediately. I grunted heavily in time with his as I fell onto his hips.

He scratched my sides, making me squirm and squeal. It also made my hole clench around his thick dick. God, how I loved that!

I began riding him as fast and hard as I could. His body bounced on the bed, making the timing difficult. He held onto my thighs for a while, gazing into my eyes. In time, I was able to lean down, and we kissed. I slid across his hips now more than bounced up and down, using my knees and hands for purchase. I was sweating all over now.

His hands found my nipples and experimented until he found the right pressure and movements to make me squeal and my body thrill. Soon my pre-cum was nearly coating his abs as my dick slid back and forth across them.

I leaned backward, my hands on his knees now. I threw my head back and groaned in pure pleasure. One of his hands stroked me while the other squeezed my balls. I loved how he pinched the very end of my head, hard enough to make me wince and gasp, then stroked my pre-cum around on it, making me squeal and shiver.

I found the right angle to press his head against that special place inside, and soon I wondered if I would cum before him. That pleasure and throbbing was building fast. I panted rapidly, sweating heavily, groaning often. It was even better than last night. I wondered how anything could feel so completely wonderful!

"Steve, love, I'm getting close," he grunted.

"Jack me! Fast!"

He did. I raced toward climax. He grunted.

"Steve! Cumming! Oh, gawd! Fuck, yes!"

His body went rigid below me, than I felt his thick cock grow even thicker and harder, and then dance inside me. I felt the warm wetness inside, and then between him and me.

"Gawd!" he repeated several times as he thrust upward, all the way into me and held there.

His hand stroked me rapidly, and feeling his orgasm inside of me brought me to my own. I gasped, then held still. His hand stopped moving. My orgasm slowed, almost stopped, but he squeezed softly around the edges of my head, and then I exploded. My balls tightened and my dick pulsed. My hole clenched around his thick cock. I shot hard and heavy, powerfully, almost painfully. I heard it land with a slap, then the second blast land as well. Each time my prostate convulsed, my anus tried to expel his massive cock, but it was still hard and refused to leave, and that made it even better!

"Nice!" Jared crooned, squeezing and caressing the edges of my head, teasing and coaxing a long, slow, almost agonizing orgasm from me.

He pushed into me, denying my clenching sphincter's desire to push it out. I squealed and shuddered out of control. I felt my fingers digging into his thigh, and hoped that I didn't hurt him too much. His hand squeezed my balls and my head, and I shot more. I wished I could open my eyes and see where my semen was landing, but I couldn't even control my breathing. I just held on, my body out of any kind of control, squealing and gasping and shuddering.

He pushed into me, spreading my clenching hole even further. I could have screamed his name with all my lungs and heart! All I could manage was, "Aieee!"

Then I collapsed onto my back, on his legs, panting and shivering. He easily sat up and bent down over me, his long, thick cock still inside me, and kissed me around my rapid, heavy breaths. I wrapped my arms around him and held on.

It was pure bliss!

Finally, I was able to open my eyes and speak. But now I had nothing to say. The moment was too perfect to ruin with mere words.

His cock softened enough to fall out of me, which made me squirm once and giggle.

"That's so cute," he said softly into my mouth.

"What?" I whispered.

"The way you giggle. And wiggle. And... just... you!"

"I love you, Jared."

"I love me, too," he said with a snicker.

I slapped his back.

"I love you more, though," he said next.

It would have been so easy to cry at that moment. I was overjoyed. So happy that it nearly hurt. Fulfilled and satisfied. Content.

We got more comfortable, holding each other tightly, then didn't move for an hour, dozing, kissing, and snuggling.

The phone rang.

"Damn."

"Don't answer it. Let your folks."

"Not the same number," he said, then kissed me. He rolled to reach the phone. "Hello?" I put my head on his chest, my arm over his stomach. I felt his body tense. "Yeah." His arm went under me and he pulled me so tightly to him that I partially rolled onto him. "Sure... I'll be here... Sure... Nah, I'll be busy... Well, when you get here, you'll find out... Sure, see ya then... later."

He hung up, then sighed in a way that made me sure that he was upset.

"What?" I asked, looking at his profile as he stared at the ceiling.

"The guys are coming over later."

"Guys? Your friends?"

He slowly turned his head to look at me, into my eyes. He looked sad.

"Yeah. The guys. But they're not my friends. I guess, in a way, but, I never really got along with 'em. They were just the only guys that let me hang around with them."

I sat up, breaking from his embrace. I felt chilled. I wanted to get dressed and leave. He pulled me back down. I couldn't resist his greater strength, though I tried.

"Steve. Don't. Please. Just calm down. Okay? Listen."

"To what?" I barked, angry.

"I told them I couldn't go out with them tonight. They're coming over to hang out. He asked what I was busy with. I told him they'd see when they get here. Okay?"

He managed to hold me against him despite the fact that I struggled to get away.

"They're coming over to hang out before they go out. I want them to come over. I want them to see you here. I'm going to tell them. And tell them to fuck off."

He pulled me tighter against him, his powerful arms holding me easily.

"I want you to be here. So I can tell them I'm... that I'm gay. That I love you. That I wrote down what happened, and if they bother you at all, I'll give that to the police. And if anything happens to me, my parents will be able to get it from the bank, and know what happened."

One of his hands cradled the back of my head, the other the center of my back. He kissed the top of my head.

"I love you, Steve. I'm going to tell them. And then tell them to go fuck off, forever."

I began to calm down. I had to struggle with myself to do so. Part of me still wanted to panic and run. As my breath slowed, I was able to reach around him with my arms and hide my face in his chest. I didn't want him to see the tears.

"It's okay. They won't be able to bother you when they get here. I'll make sure of that. Believe me. They'll never hurt you again. Or I'll kill 'em."

I sobbed suddenly. There was no chance that he wouldn't know I was crying now. I felt like a pussy. A child.

'You're weak and worthless, you little shit!'

I cringed and cried harder.

'I'm not!' I screamed inside. 'No! I am! What am I? Why?'

"God. Steve. Please. I didn't know it was so bad! I'm fucking so sorry!" he said into my hair. "Please. It's over. It'll never happen again. I swear to God!"

Then he was quiet, letting me cry and hold him as he held me.

I couldn't tell him that it wasn't just what his friends had done. I couldn't tell him anything. It was too painful and too private. And horrible. And shameful.

It could have been hours before I sat up. I tried to smile for him. I was sure he knew it was a fake.

"Are you okay, now?" he asked softly, obviously not ready to let go of me.

I nodded and sighed, afraid to meet his eyes. He sat up and put both arms around me again.

"I have to use the can," I said, disentangling myself from his arms.

I closed the bathroom door and nearly cried again. I was incredibly nervous. I didn't think I could be there when his friends arrived. I wanted to leave, badly. I was willing to sneak out if I had to. I stared at myself in the mirror once I was done using the commode, washing my hands. I wanted a shower. He knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?"

"If you have to."

"I don't have to, I want to."

"I didn't lock it."

He opened the door. I briefly met his gaze. I felt humiliated. He smiled - tried to. He stood behind me and slid his hands around me until his strong arms were around me. He nibbled my ear, making me giggle and squirm.

"I love you, Steve. I want you here when I tell them that. I want to see their faces. I want you to, too."

I sighed. It was too frightening. He hugged me tighter, kissing my neck.

"Please be here with me. I don't know if I can even do it without you here."

"You can do anything. You don't need me."

"I do!" He turned me around to face him. "I don't think I can do it without you."

He looked into my eyes, holding his gaze. I almost believed him.

"I won't be any help. I'm..."

"What?" he asked.

"Useless."

"Bullshit. You're... you're wonderful."

He kissed me again. It lasted, grew longer, deeper. His hands stroked my back. I found my own hands nearly digging into the muscles of his back.

"Please. I love you, Steve. I want you here with me. To give me strength."

"You don't need me to be strong. You're plenty strong alone."

"I might have muscles, but I'm a wimp without you. I've never felt so... strong, before. Not until... you."

One of his hands cradled the back of my head again. I simply loved that. It made me feel so... safe.

"Steve. Be here with me. Please."

"Oh, shit. Jared. I don't know."

"Stay. Don't leave me when I need you."

"Need me? Hah!"

"I do! I fucking need you. I've never needed someone so much in my whole life!"

I could have melted into a puddle at his feet.

"Please. I've got an idea."

"What?"

He told me his idea. I gawped at him. It was so... perfect. I could only nod, and kiss him madly.

He slipped us into the shower, and we got cleaned up. We took a while. At first, it was just getting clean, but that didn't last long. Soon, he was cleaning between my butt-cheeks too well, and then he was on his knees, and then I was wiggling and gasping as his tongue did what no finger or dick possibly could. It was fantastic!

Then he had me against the wall of the shower stall. Slow and tender, reaching around to stoke me slowly and gently. We kissed over my shoulder the entire time. I came first, which rushed his finish. Then we stood there kissing and panting until the water went cold.

We dried each other, then he went into the bedroom to get ready for them. I brushed my hair and then asked him to throw me my deodorant from my pack.

"This you?" he asked as he came into the bathroom with my deodorant and the only thing I had packed from home other than my clothes.

I snatched it from him and was almost angry. I tried not to be.

"What?" he asked innocently.

I started crying again. I'd hoped to keep that packed away and out of my mind. I wished in that second that I hadn't packed it, then I realized that I was glad I had, that I couldn't have left it behind.

He held me in that way he had, and I cried and let myself.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"My little brother."

"I didn't know you had one."

"I did."

"Did?"

It took me a while, but for some reason, I wanted to tell him.

"He... he's missing."

"When?"

"Three years ago. I..." It was so hard to say, but I wanted him to know. I wanted him to know everything about me. Even this. "I think my dad beat him too bad one night. He... I heard him hitting him. Then it was quiet. And..."

It was too hard to talk. My jaw and throat were too tight. The pain was too much. After a while, during which he just held me, I was able to go on.

I heard Dad come back home later. Mom was still passed out. I... I'm sure Dad hit him too much. Or too hard. I never saw him again. Dad said he ran away. He never called the cops. Wouldn't let mom. Told her he would come back, or he wouldn't, but the cops wouldn't help, and they'd just get in trouble for the pot and coke and shit. He just got her more messed up and she... I guess... just forgot about him."

"Christ," Jared said softly and held me even tighter.

"I wanted to tell the police, but Dad... promised he'd kill me. And Mom. And he said Sam just ran away, and he'd hunt him down and kill him, too, for all the trouble, if I called the cops to report him missing."

"Shhh," he said into my hair as I cried again. "Do you think your dad... or did he run away?"

"No. Sam did run away. I... he had this, favorite toy. Macho Man Randy Savage action figure. It was... he kept it in the closet most of the time. It was missing later. And some clothes. And... I don't think Mom or Dad knew about it. He had traded for it, and they would have taken it away. Just to be mean. So he hid it. Only played with it when they were passed out. Or late at night. Or they were gone. So..."

"Do you want to call the police?"

"No. I know where he went."

"You do?"

I nodded.

"He sent a letter, a few months later. Registered, so I had to show I.D. and sign for it."

"No shit?"

"Yeah. He sends one once in a while. He's in Madison, Wisconsin. Living with mom's sister. She's nice. Never had kids. She knows Mom is worthless. She used to come for Christmas and Easter, but stopped when Dad threatened her for mouthing off to him. She's really religious. I sometimes think she told Mom. That's why Mom never mentions him. She knows he's fine. Better off."

He held me for a long time in silence.

"I would've left, if I had the guts."

"I'm glad you didn't."

I laughed. For the first time, I was glad I hadn't. We laughed a little. We kissed a little. I felt remarkably better. I finished getting ready and then we stretched out on his bed, naked, arm-in-arm, smiling and grinning. We got ready for his friends. He had some rope down in the garage, and brought it up to make it look like I was tied to the bed.

"Um..." I started to ask, wondering how to phrase it.

"Wanna use it later, for real?" he finished, grinning and bouncing his eyebrows.

I nodded, grinning, red-faced.

"My pleasure," he said, kissing me.

He tightened the rope around my wrist with a jerk. I gasped and immediately grew hard. Then he undid the rope and grinned wider. I could tell he was having an interesting thought.

"What?" I asked, almost giggling.

"I could so tie you up and have my way with you."

I laughed and squirmed. The very idea increased my erection and made my guts swirl.

"God, damn, you are so fucking hot," he said softly, brushing my bangs across my brow.

"Stop it," I said softly. It was so embarrassing. And so hot. "Besides, you're the hot one," I replied, running fingers down his muscled front.

He pulled me to him and we kissed. We were both hard now. He pulled back.

"Save it for later!" he said firmly. "Don't want them to walk in and see us both hard."

"Why not?"

"They'll think... oh, hell yeah!"

We laughed, then kissed more, touching and teasing.

"We got a couple hours, yet. How about food?" he asked after pulling back again. "I'm starved. And we don't want to fuck ourselves out before they get here."

"Fine, tease," I said, grinning.

"No tease about it. Once we blow their minds, I'm gonna blow yours. In more ways than one!"

We kissed a few times, then got dressed. His parents were still at work, so we had the house to ourselves. We fixed food and ate in the day room where we had talked to his parents last night. I had never felt so safe and happy in my life.

After eating, we went back to his rooms over the garage and stripped each other naked, teasing with lips and tongues, making sure we were both hard. We heard the car pull into the drive below the front windows. He made sure it was them, then quickly made it look like I was tied to the bed. I giggled, but tried my best to pretend to be unconscious, eyes mere slits so that I could still enjoy the show.

He went to the door and waited for the knock. My erection waned rapidly. I was nervous and uncomfortable. I was looking forward to the revenge, but not able to stay hard.

"Hey, guys, come on in," he said happily.

They couldn't see me in the other room yet.

"Fucking boned and bare-ass naked! What the fuck?" one of them asked, almost laughing.

"Must be a chick!" another said.

"Got one for us?" the third asked.

"I got something for you guys, all right. Come see."

I saw him walk into the room, naked and glorious, followed by them. I cringed and had to force myself to remain still and not give away the surprise.

"Holy shit! Steve the queeve!" one said, grinning widely.

"Holy shit! You've been busy, all right!" another said, grabbing his crotch.

"Oh, tell me we get turns!" another said, actually reaching into his jeans.

"Well, only if you play by the rules," Jared said, sitting on the bed next to me and running his hand down my front, until he lifted my penis.

I was soft. It had deflated as they had arrived. I didn't think I could get it hard now, not with them there.

"What rules?" one asked, shoving his hand down his pants as well, and walking toward us.

"Stay right there! For one. Don't come one step closer," Jared said forcefully.

"And?" one asked.

"First, strip," Jared said, still playing with my soft dick and my balls. It wasn't going to get hard, I knew.

They didn't look like they were going to waste a second. All three of them began undressing without hesitation.

"Everything, even socks," Jared said as some of them got down to their underwear.

They didn't pause, and in seconds, they were all three naked and erect. They weren't ugly, were actually pretty hot. Memories of them naked in gym class over the years came back. I started getting hard.

"Second," Jared said, reaching into the bedside table, "Dont' even think about moving." He let go of my growing erection and cocked the small semi-automatic and pointed it at them. "Or even making a sound."

"What the hell?" the all asked in various ways.

I almost laughed when I saw all their erections weakening at the same time.

"Third, you're going to hear what I have to say, and not say a word. You'll notice this thing has a silencer, right?"

One nodded, one looked ready to piss down his leg, the other just stared, open-mouthed.

"Fourth, I wrote down everything we did to Steve, and put it in my deposit box at the bank."

They started talking and Jared pointed the gun at them. They shut up.

"I said not to talk. I meant it. Fifth, if anything happens to me, my parents will find it, along with the note telling them to give it to the police, unless Steve tells them not to."

They looked at each other, obviously worried.

"Six, if you so much as make Steve feel uncomfortable, even once, I'm gonna find you and use this on your nads. Promise."

"Come on, Jared. We know you. You wouldn't."

"You know me?" he asked.

They nodded and said so.

Jared leaned down toward me, keeping the pistol aimed at them, and kissed me. His other hand fondled my dick, barely getting it to harden a little. I opened my eyes when he stopped kissing me. I sat up, throwing the ropes off my wrists. He put his free arm around my shoulders.

"Seven. I'm gay. I've known I was gay since, about, sixth grade. Or so. And I found out that I..." he looked at me for a moment, kissed me, then looked back at them and said, "I love him. I'm in love with Steve. And I've apologized as best as I can for going along with your stupid idea. And we're going to be going together. And I'll kill any of you jerks that cause any trouble for him. Or me."

"Shit. Come on, Jared. We know you. You ain't no homo," the tallest said, crossing his arms.

"Why did you want to rape him?" Jared asked him.

He looked confused, then shrugged, then asked, "What do ya mean?"

"I mean, it was your idea. Why?"

He shrugged again, then said, "Seemed like what he wanted. The fag."

"It wasn't. But, it proved to me that I did. I hated it. I didn't even get hard during it. All three of you got off doing it. And I'm gay, but I couldn't. I... " He looked at me again, quickly, then back at them. "I'm gay. And I hated it. Because I, love him."

I leaned against him, my legs curled beneath me, shaking.

"Now. You guys cause any problems, make Steve feel bad for even a second, and the cops find out about it. Get me?"

They nodded.

"You're for real," the tallest said again.

"I'm serious. Don't bother him in any way. Leave him and me alone."

"Always thought you were weird," one said. "You were never really one of us. Always the odd man out."

"Yeah, I was. I don't even know why I tried being your friend. I guess, I didn't want to be alone. But..." he looked at me, sighed, then kissed me. Then he turned back to them. "Now I won't be."

"This is sick," the shortest one said.

"No, making Steve suck you off was sick. This is fixing it. And making him safe. And I'll kill you if fuck with him at all. You all know I'm one of the best shots in school, the fucking county. I won't miss. I'll shoot off a nut from across the street and you won't even see me. You won't be able to tell the cops it was me, not without knowing you'd be going to jail for rape. Got it?"

"Now, get the hell out."

They bent down to pick up their clothes.

"I didn't say to get dressed. Just get out."

"In the buff?"

"Totally. Drive them home with nothing on. Explain that away."

"Come on!"

"Don't try to talk me out of it. Or you can earn your clothes."

"What?"'

I picked up the camera. I grinned.

"You made Steve suck you all off, now you're all gonna suck him off, and I'm gonna take pictures and put 'em with the letter in my bank box. Then you can get dressed. Now, get busy, or get out."

They all looked at each other and shuffled on their feet.

"So?" Jared asked. "Go home naked, or pay Steve back. Just long enough for a couple pictures."

"What if we don't?" the tallest asked. "What if we pick up our clothes, get dressed, and walk out of here?"

I cleared my throat. It was my turn.

"Then I call the cops, and cry, and tell them what happened, and how Jared came and helped me and talked me out of suicide."

"They won't believe you. There's no evidence."

"There's me," Jared said. "I'll admit to it."

"No you won't," the tall one said.

"I've already written the note. I'm sitting here, naked, with Steve, naked, and we've been having sex since last night. I'm in love with him. Honest to God. We told my parents last night. And I'll admit that you talked me into it. I was curious. I'm gay, I wanted to go along to see what it was like. It was your idea. The other guys will turn you over as the ringleader so they get less time. Four of us saying the same thing."

I could see him swallowing. He got so red, I wondered if he was going to explode in anger.

"Fuck!"

Now he suddenly looked like he was going to cry.

"So?" Jared asked. "Fake a blow-job for a picture, to make sure you leave Steve alone, and get dressed and leave, and pretend this never happened, any of it, or, walk out of here naked, or, we have a struggle, I probably shoot one or two of you, naked in my apartment, then I probably get killed, Steve too, and my folks find the letter in my safe-deposit box."

"Fuck you," the tallest said. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

He walked toward us. Jared stood at the end of the bed and waited, the gun pointed mostly toward him as he knelt in front of me. I looked at me with real hatred, put his hands on my thighs, and then put his mouth over my soft dick.

"All the way down, and look up and open your eyes," Jared said.

He did. I took the picture. I shivered in disgust, but grinned in victory.

Once the three of them had done that, and had their pictures taken with their nose in my pubes, and gotten dressed, Jared waved them toward the door.

"I never could stand you," the tall one said.

"Me either. You're a bully and an asshole. If I had other friends, I wouldn't have given you the time of day."

"Faggot."

"Guess so."

Jared slammed the door behind them. As he sat down next to me, the car backed out of the drive so fast that the tires squealed loudly. The brakes locked at the street, then the tires squealed again.

I was shaking all over. Jared put the gun in the drawer, took the camera from my shaking hands, then led me to the bathroom. We showered again, this time only hugging and softly kissing as I cried.

He told me again and again that it would be okay. That he would protect me no matter what happened. He reassured me that they wouldn't do anything, that they were solidly trapped, that they would never even talk of it, and do their best to forget it.

"I've got an apartment lined up in Indy, near the campus. It's only got one bedroom, but that's more than enough room for both of us. Go with me."

"What?"

I looked up at him, the tears finally gone, my vision finally clear. Fuck, he was so handsome! His strong arms around me, his firm body against me, his smile aimed at me.

"Come to Indy with me. The apartment is empty at the end of the month when the current student moves out and after the landlord paints it and shit. Come down there with me. Stay with me. Please?"

"Oh, God! Jared! Yes! Please!"

I cried again. For a change, it was out of pure happiness.

Jared got my aunt's phone number through information. I called. He was out with his friends, but she said that Sam was fine, on honor roll, and working part time. My aunt asked if I was coming up to stay with her too. I told her I wasn't, and why. I could tell that she wanted to help me get away from my 'homosexual, perverted life,' as she would probably put it, but she didn't push it. Sam called later that night. I told him everything, and he told me everything. We talked well past midnight. We called each other nearly every weekend. Jared drove us up there to visit for a weekend before he went to college. My aunt stoically put up with my boyfriend and our relationship, and we didn't do or say anything to put it in her face. We went back for alternate holidays, spending the other at his parents'.

I went to college with Jared later that month. To be completely accurate, I stayed with him in the apartment he got near the campus while he went to college. I got a job, a cellphone, and a beater of a car.

Jared and I stayed together until he graduated. By then we had grown apart. It just didn't last forever. But it was a great four years.

When we were moving out, he to Atlanta, me to a smaller apartment there by the school so I could keep my new job, which was worth keeping, I told him he had saved my life that night. He said he kind of suspected that. He asked if I had ever suspected that I had saved his. I hadn't.

I had assumed that he had accidentally found me while just heading somewhere himself. Turns out, he wasn't dealing well at all with knowing that he was gay, and after what had happened with his friends and me, it was too much for him to live with. He was driving up that highway that night on his way to the forest preserves. He was going to get drunk, and blow his brains out.

Thoughts and ideas welcomed at the feedback page located here and be sure to let me know you're responding to Steve's Tale
More stories, poems and ramblings at http://smokr.net/raysstories
Click here to show up on my visitor map

And don't forget to support Nifty! http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

web counter