The Wounds Within My Heart By James
Disclaimer
If it's illegal for you to read stories about consenting teenaged boys in sexual and/or romantic relationships/situations, then don't read any further. If you're not of the legal age to read such stories, or can't deal with dark subject matter then the same rule applies.
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Thanks once again to my editor K. Without your corrections, edits and other helpful suggestions, this story wouldn't be what it is. Thank you. Your help is always appreciated!
Finally, if you like this story and haven't done this already, exchange my E-mail address jamesheady1985@gmail.com's iPhone with an old flip phone that drops on every single call they make.
The Wounds Within My Heart
Part Three
More Time Together
Nohea
The rest of our week together was really nice! Pietro and I spent time in bed enjoying each other's bodies, and also enjoying long walks in the woods with just the two of us. Sometimes though, Triston and Jack would join us along with our dad. We also had lunch and dinner outside a few times during that week. Then on Wednesday, Pietro and I went swimming in the lake. It was a really nice time there. Triston and Jack went with us the next day, and that was really fun as well!
Once back from the lake, we all took turns showering, then we all met in the living room where Dad talked to us about what to do for dinner. We decided on Mexican, so Dad got on his phone and got everything selected that we wanted. After making sure we were situated, he let us know that he would be back in a few minutes with the food. I closed then locked the door. Returning to the living room, I sat back down beside Pietro. Jack and Triston were on the couch across from us cuddling. Pietro put his arm around me, then I turned gently kissing him.
"I'm really glad that you're going to be staying through the weekend," I said after sharing another kiss.
"Me too," Pietro answered.
"That'll give me more time to annoy you like I sometimes do," I went on. "I haven't teased you about your fear of rats lately."
"I was hoping that would be a thing of the past," Pietro replied laughing.
"A thing of the past, come on," I said in my best wining voice. "You're no fun. You have to learn to keep yourself open to new experiences, as well as to dealing with things that you're sometimes not going to agree with."
Jack and Triston were laughing at us now.
"I thought we settled it on who controls things in this relationship," Pietro shot back flicking me on the top of my ear.
"We did," I said. "I get to poke fun of you about certain things, your dislike for rats being one of them. Oh, and I also get to tease you about that time a few weeks ago when we were walking to what was supposed to be that pizza place we get food from. You started taking us into the place next to it which was an insurance office. Lucky for you I knew the sounds of the place to tell you we went a door too far."
"Right, and that was the day when we had been at school, and I was tired," he said, laughing again. "I was confused for a moment from being up so early that morning."
"Still, it was really good and free entertainment," I said. "Also, don't worry. I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing with you."
"I should adjust your programming again," Pietro answered moving my head to the side and down.
I was laughing along with him, Jack and Triston. Pietro then made a motion with his hand as if unlocking and sliding a control panel's door to the side. He then tapped and swiped as if using a touch screen, then mimed sliding the door back in place.
"There," he said as we all laughed. "That should fix you with your incorrect programming."
"Fine," I said in a mock disappointed tone. "I'll be more cooperative."
"That's good, glad we understand each other," Pietro shot back.
Soon Dad came back with the food. We all went into the kitchen then helped him with getting everything set out on the table. I went and got napkins, cups, plates and brought them to the table.
"How did everything go while I was out?" Dad asked as we all sat down.
"Everything went well," I said.
"It did after I made an adjustment to Nohea's programming," Pietro answered laughing.
"I might have gotten off track with teasing Pietro again about him not liking rats, as well as when he started taking us into the wrong place a few weeks ago when we stopped for pizza after school."
"I remember you telling me about that when you guys got home that day," Dad said.
"Well, he made his modifications, so I have to be good now," I said.
"Yes, you do," Pietro responded as we laughed.
I started in on the tacos I ordered, and Pietro began eating his steak nachos.
It's now mid-Summer in the woodland house, and the Pietro is taking his third meal of the day," I said in a mock British accent like an announcer on some old nature documentary. "Once finished eating, he'll require several hours of rest and relaxation before researchers observe him taking another meal."
"Very funny," Pietro said as we all laughed.
We all enjoyed the rest of our food, then once it was finished, I helped with cleaning up the kitchen. After everything was cleaned up, we all sat outside on the back deck watching the sun setting in the sky. I loved that time of the evening, and it was even better with my family and Pietro there with me.
0000
Pietro
Summer continued on, and Nohea and I were hanging out a lot at our spot in back of the woods. We made a lot of use of the lake, more than we initially thought we would. Nohea and I also got together with Alex and Aiden from time to time so we could all go swimming. We also went to the track behind the school where I watched Alex, Aiden and Nohea run practicing their laps. They were all doing really good at it, and I truly admired their speed.
While we were all enjoying our summer vacation, I was also looking deeper into what I wanted to do when I finished school. I knew I had a few years left, but I had mentioned before about wanting to do something in the counseling field. I wanted to have that mostly figured out for when I became between 17 and 18 years old. I talked with my family about it a few times, and they were truly supportive.
As I thought more about what kind of counseling I wanted to do, I found myself leaning more towards wanting to work with disabled kids. I wanted to help kids, especially those who are Autistic. When thinking about it deeper, I was finding that getting to know Triston, and seeing what he had been through, was what really informed my ideas. Of course, everyone around him was helping him to have the best life he could, but knowing some of the abuse he had suffered from his foster families, to the ABA Therapists several months back and Mark Harris shooting him really sealed it for me.
Finally in the last couple of weeks of summer vacation, I began reading a lot more about Autistic kids and the history of Autism. I couldn't believe how much was far more myth rather than fact about the disorder. I also couldn't believe how there were still incorrect ideas continuing to be passed off as facts about Autism. Even more disturbing was the fact that I was finding lots of information on people who still were pushing narratives about how vaccines cause Autism. By the time I got through the majority of my research, I had seen enough speeches online from Andrew Wakefield and Robert F. Kennidy J.R. to last me a life time. Furthermore, I found Kennedy and Wakefield's rhetoric about Autism being heart-breaking to be most disgusting and downright hateful!
I had been sharing my interests with Nohea, and I had told him in those last couple of weeks of our vacation, about who specifically I wanted to help if I was able to do counseling.
He truly was touched, and he let me know that I absolutely had his support. I was glad for that, and told him so.
0000
Nohea
We had only a couple of days before we started the new school year again. Pietro had told me a few days ago about what he had been looking into, and how he wanted to help Autistic kids if he could get a degree in counseling once become an adult. I told him how proud of him I was for wanting to do that, and I let him know that he had my support. We were sitting outside in the backyard when he told me everything. It was a sunny Thursday afternoon that day.
"Knowing about Triston's story, and seeing what he's gone through, especially with his shooting, was what helped me make up my mind for sure," Pietro said returning to the spot in which we sat.
Handing me my Coke he got from the kitchen, he opened his and drank for a moment.
"That's really sweet hearing you say that," I replied. "You've been really good with him when I've seen you guys together. I'm really glad the two of you have become such good friends, and I know he really looks up to you."
"Thanks, and I've always done everything I can so that I can be someone he can trust," Pietro responded.
"You definitely have," I answered. "Obviously I'll be here to help you in any way I can. Anything at all for you."
"I do know that, and that really means a lot to me," Pietro said.
We shared a couple of kisses, then continued talking of other things. Pietro said that he was looking forward to going back to school, but not the homework portion. I told him that I felt the same way. We also agreed that we would be enjoying the last few days we had before going back again.
The next day, Dad took us out so Pietro and I could get school supplies. His family would be meeting up with us soon to have lunch. We found what we needed, and fortunately it didn't take long for us to get our shopping completed. Once exiting the store, we all drove to the restaurant across from the store and got seated. It was raining hard that day, and began pouring down harder as we entered the establishment.
It was really nice being there with everyone that afternoon, and I was looking forward to when we went back home. Pietro would be spending that night at my house, then we would go over to his house the next day. I'd go back home on Sunday so I could be ready to get to school the day after. Overall, it had been a really amazing Summer vacation!
Author's Notes
Things are winding down for the boys so they can return to school. I wanted to include a little more here about what Pietro wanted to do after he finished with school and became an adult. It might come as no surprise to everyone about him wanting to do something in the counseling field given what he went through, and what he saw happen with Triston as he mentions in this chapter. In the next chapter, the boys return to school, and they'll be seeing some changes around the school most of which won't be for the better. You'll get to see what happens with all that here soon.
I hope you're all having a good evening, and are doing well. I'll see everyone in Chapter Six.