Scooter and Malachi

by Nicholas Hall

Chapter 11

"Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot on thee."

(Song of Solomon)

Let me taste you; and feel your warmth

If it wasn't for the sounds of music, people engaged in conversation around us, the laughter of the young and the old when sharing a story, and the rattle of chairs, dinnerware, and the thump of dancer's feet as they encountered the dance floor, the silence at our table would've been deafening! Malachi's eyes bore imaginary holes in Adam Myatt-Chen's face, as Adam waited for some sort of verbal response from Malachi concerning his announcement of being raped in college. Stoic, seemingly unmoved physically, Malachi limited his response to silence; deadly silence, threatening, without overt action, grey-green eyes snapping with electrical energy of distrust, disgust, and raw, barely concealed anger, disguised to all at the table except me! I knew him all too well to think he accepted this stranger's intrusion into his life amicably. Oh no, he wasn't willing to acquiesce the field or making any acknowledgement of the remarks without first reconnoitering the ground thoroughly before embarking on any reactive strike.

The seconds ticked by! Malachi continued to stare while Adam continued his wait. Malachi's arms and legs, both of which I could observe from my vantage point next to his side, twitched with internal, restrained kinetic energy, readying, as an antelope prepares, knowing a lion lurks close by anticipating a meal, to bound up and flee.

Slowly, carefully, furtively, so as not to precipitate any trigger to action on his part, I slipped a hand across Malachi's lap, down to his leg, and let it rest there, offering reassurance to him of my presence and support. Still, Malachi continued to stare, remaining laconic, completely silentious, appearing to be oblivious to all other activities occurring under the big tent. He was aware of my hand, however, easing one of his from a previous position on the table to rest on top of mine, acknowledging my love, support, and presence.

Still, no comment emerged from Malachi's lips as he continued to take the full measure of the two sitting across the table from us. We waited with the patience of a predator in ambush for either Adam or Eddie to break the pervasive silence at our table. It wouldn't be broken by Malachi; his determination, his skepticism concerning other peoples' motives, especially strangers to him, when approaching him on this matter or any other of a highly personal nature, such as his Georgia attack, now quite evidently known by the two across the table in this encounter, only caused him to dig in and outwait those who'd question him or seek more information than he wished to divulge.

No, we could sit here until dawn as far as Malachi was concerned, waiting for the first uttered comment to drift in our direction from across the table. Adam finally broke the silence, evidently discerning the stand-off had gone on long enough.

"My father-in-law, James Chen, Eddie's father, called me last evening and asked if we could come over from our home in Minneapolis and tell you my story."

I took note, he said, "tell you my story" rather than "talk to you about what happened," or "offer you some advice." I also knew, once he mentioned Uncle James, why the gathering of The Chen Family Elders (Grandmother and Grandfather Chen and all of their children) happened the day before and the subsequent meeting of the lawyers in the family. A protective shield was being erected around Malachi and me from intrusion by others, as well as establishing a significant and far-reaching support group.

Adam didn't wait for any acknowledgement from Malachi or me, but stepped right into the crux of the visit to our table.

"I was a sophomore, a transfer student after one year at a two year UW college campus, after deciding I wanted to attend the main campus in Madison. All went well, my first year in Madison until the State Street Halloween celebration. A couple of friends of mine from the LGBTQ organization I joined and I wandered down State Street to enjoy the festivities and all of the nonsense which happens there. They met other friends and I left the group. By chance, I thought, I met up with the guy across the hall from my room and two of his friends."

"I thought nothing other than they were just being friendly when they invited me to join them in an evening of revelry and bar-hopping. The only one of the three I knew was the young man from the room across the hall from mine in the dorm. The other two were strangers, but not to each other. I didn't try to hide the fact I was gay when one of them mentioned the rainbow button, courtesy of the LGBTQ organization I belonged to, on my shirt. For those who couldn't accept it, then fare-thee-well and I'd move on, and these guys didn't seem to care. It was a battle I'd already fought at home."

The battle fought at home was the main reason why he chose to leave the two year university branch in his home town and move to Madison. He'd enjoyed the cost-savings of living at home, but it became untenable to him after he came out to the family. An older brother and sister, along with his father went ballistic! His mother just walked around crying, while a younger sister avoided him like the plague. When he left home, there weren't a great many tears shed on either side.

Adam enjoyed the evening with his three companions. They laughed at people in the parade and the antics of the crowd in general as they traversed the fabled State Street. Each time they entered a bar, crowded to walls, his companions paid for the beer. He was appreciative since he didn't have a great deal of money on him, but didn't think at the time they had nefarious reasons for doing so.

By one in the morning, he was pissed to the gills; full of beer and quite intoxicated to say the least. One of his companions complained about needing to piss and Adam acknowledged he did too. The four of them wandered down a dark alley, fished out their dicks and emptied their bladders. When Adam began tucking his pecker away, he noticed the others did not and were full erect. It was then he figured it all out; they were definitely up to no good. Before he could get away, two of them grabbed him while his dorm mate proceeded to pull Adam's pants and underwear down.

"I tried fighting them off, twisting, lunging, yanking trying to extricate myself from their hold, but a couple of punches to the stomach and one in the face, along with my drunken condition, soon took the fight out of me and brought about my compliance."

"Bent over a garbage can, two guys held me while the third raped me. They kept changing positions until all three had stuck his cock up my ass. The ordeal seemed to last forever. Once they'd finished, I rolled off of the garbage can and received a hard kick in my ribs before they left."

Adam passed out and when he woke, used his cell phone to call the crisis number line at the LGBTQ organization. It wasn't long until a counselor and another student at the university found him, loaded him up in a car, and hauled him to the emergency room at the nearest hospital. He was examined there, had a rape kit used on him, and the police were called. While he waited, he was advised by the crisis team not to speak to the cops unless an attorney was present. Since he didn't know of one in the city, they summoned one for him who did pro bono work for the LGBTQ community.

"Fortunately for me," Adam said, "none of the three were very well endowed, probably average, but it still hurt when they raped me. I wasn't badly injured, some bruises and sore ribs, but a little tearing at the anus, but not enough for stitches. Unfortunately, the bastards used condoms so there was no residual semen and I was not a virgin, something that would haunt me in subsequent days of the investigation."

With the attorney present, Adam answered the questions from the police, identifying the dorm resident by name and the two others by description. Once the main miscreant was named, campus police went to his room, where they found the other two as well. They quickly admitted they'd had consensual sex with Adam, but it was at his urging. According to their statement, Adam said he was short of cash and would let them fuck him for twenty bucks apiece. The police found three twenty dollar bills in one of his pants pockets, giving a certain credence to their claim.

"They must have planted the bills in my pants either during the rape or just after. They had every intention of diverting the blame. At that, I don't think meeting up with them was just by chance either. I think they had it planned all along and dogged my steps on State Street until we 'accidentally' hooked up," Adam conjectured.

"As far as the police were concerned, it was an open and shut case, unless they decided to charge me with solicitation. My attorney convinced them not to and I was released with no charges against the three, a sore asshole, and a case of massive depression and humiliation."

Malachi finally broke his silence after listening intensely to Adam's story.

"Doesn't it just piss you off nobody believes you, makes out you're not the victim, and little more than a common whore? The mother-fuckers who do it walk away scott-free and do it again while you're branded as a fucking sexual pervert, a wanton, promiscuous, giving it up for anyone with a cock?"

Adam nodded his understanding at Malachi's comment.

"Who was your attorney?"

"Kenneth Chen; Eddie's uncle."

This was more than just a little surprise to me. I wondered how in the world Uncle Kenneth became involved with the LGBTQ community and his role in it. I made a mental note to ask Dad about this when I had the opportunity. Eddie solved the dilemma for me.

"A friend of Uncle Ken's, while they were in law school, was caught naked, flat on his belly with another young man vigorously splitting his butt cheeks like a ripe peach with a rather sizable cock, by a housemate, who, along with a couple of friends, arrived home earlier than expected. The young man, faced with embarrassment, rejection by family, and the scandal associated with his rather well-known family finding it out, feeling he had no one to turn to, chose a deadly alternative. Uncle Ken said the last time he saw his friend, his friend hugged him, thanked him for being a friend, went home for the weekend, and blew his brains out."

"Uncle Ken vowed and so did Aunt Val, no one should feel so alone and without an advocate, so they began volunteering their services, while in law school and afterwards in private practice, advocating for LGBTQ students who needed their help. He claimed it never hurt his law practice and didn't care if it did, but it turned out many remained loyal clients of his as well as their families. It didn't stop them from raising four boys and one girl either."

"So what happened?" Malachi asked Adam.

"I decided I could no longer go to school in Madison, knowing the three bastards got by with it and really fucked up my reputation in the dorm. I could've moved to another dorm since it's such a big campus, but I sat down with Ken Chen, now Uncle Ken, and he convinced me to transfer to UW-La Crosse and that's where I met Eddie and eventually, we married."

Malachi smiled slightly, hooked an arm around me, and pulled me tight to him. "I moved here and met Scooter. He didn't give a shit what happened to me or when he first met me he had to clean me up when I shit myself when a bear wandered up on my uncle's doorsteps. Someday, after we're out of high school, I'll marry him, if he'll have me, just like you and Eddie did!"

I almost crapped my pants myself! Malachi was serious in his promise. It wasn't a flippant remark made by some love struck high school teenager caught up in the first lusts of love; this was his commitment to me, his proposal to be with me forever. I hugged him even harder, signaling to him his words weren't taken lightly and I agreed with him. "Of course, I'll marry you and beware to anyone else who even tries to come between us!"

Evidently, Malachi's expressed desire to marry me, his proposal and my response, was the crack in the ice, so to speak, since the conversation among us became more relaxed, open, and inclusive of all four of us.

Malachi gave a brief summary of what happened to him in Georgia, acknowledging having many of the same emotional distress and depression Adam experienced when he was raped, only Malachi had the physical trauma as well. He also admitted, with a loving kiss on my lips, it was me, along with the Chen Family, his Uncle's Cayden and Dave, who continued to bring him out of his sometimes morose moods, and terrible nightmares.

"Scooter is the brightness in my life," he confessed. "Without him I'd be lost in a fog of despair and lost to the world."

"I know how you feel," Adam added, "without Eddie and his family, I don't know what would've happened to me."

"How did you two meet?" I asked, curious how Adam, in Madison, met Eddie who lived in La Crosse at the time as well.

Malachi, having previously described his mother's reaction to him over the years, the marriage and move to Georgia, as well as the way he was treated by his step-father and step-brothers, was curious how Eddie's family reacted compared to his. He missed his father so much after he left, he explained, and in spite of numerous attempts to locate him, failed. I noticed he didn't go into any description of his father's bisexuality, but instead concentrated on the relationship the two had as he grew up.

Eddie and Adam both were enrolled at UW-La Crosse, but with different majors, yet even with the same required undergraduate courses, they had no classes together. If they happened to pass each other on campus, nothing occurred as a result. Adam decided to keep a very low profile and duck into the closet for a while not wanting to call attention to himself and endure another catastrophe such as happened to him in Madison.

Adam ended up with a sinus infection and the free clinic Physician's Assistant called in a prescription to a "pharmacy catering to students and are very reasonably priced." It was near the campus and was owned by James Chen. There were a total of three pharmacists employed there as well as counter help and shelf stockers. By chance, Eddie was working behind the prescription counter, waiting on customers waiting for their prescriptions. He'd locate the order, ask a pharmacist to explain and dispense it, and conclude the sale at the register. When it was Adam's turn, Eddie laid the prescription on the counter and asked for a pharmacist to dispense it. James Chen did so, explaining to Adam how, when, and why he was taking the medicine. Adam admitted he really had no idea what was said, he was too busy concentrating on Eddie, smitten to the core! He feared it was just a case of a gay boy falling for a straight boy and thought nothing would ever come of it.

He was quite surprised and delighted a couple of weeks later when he "accidently" encountered Eddie on campus. Eddie later confessed he's actually been seeking him out. One date led to another and they eventually married. Eddie was currently working on his degree in pharmacy at the University of Minnesota and Adam, a major in marketing and minor in Human Resources, was working for a marketing firm.

Although they found it painful when Malachi told them of the beating he received, they also delighted in Malachi's quickness to lie to the rapists about having contracted HIV.

"Don't you hope they all had just miserable days and nights waiting for the lab tests and then waiting again and again?" mused Adam.

"What I want to know," Eddie contemplated, "didn't the hospital do a rape kit on you? If they did, weren't there samples of semen deposits or other forensic evidence left since the rapists didn't use condoms?"

"The hospital reported to the police the samples were corrupted by what they said was repeated enema's, flushing, and diluting my bowels with some sort of substance. Why?"

Eddie furled his eyebrows in concentration and concern. "It'd cause me to think someone with a medical background was one of your rapists. In order to make certain they might not be discovered, in case you ended up in a hospital, someone went to great lengths to clean you out and make certain there was little if no trail of evidence to any one of them."

"I don't think it was in their plans to ever see me again; I was to be sold!"

Adam finally brought the discussion to a close. "Don't you hope they were mad and scared enough to locate the guys who kidnapped and sold you to them and beat the shit out of them?"

Malachi nodded he'd be pleased if it did happen but also expressed no desire to return to Georgia to find out.

It was time for the fireworks so we wandered out to the beach area with everyone else to watch and enjoy them. The dance resumed afterwards and the four of us continued our visiting interspersed with some dancing. Malachi certainly loved to dance and danced so well. As we visited I noticed how encouraging and supportive Eddie and Adam were with Malachi, drawing out the side of him I saw, giving him more tools to begin rebuilding and strengthening his self-esteem and confidence.

Between a set, later in the evening, as we sat visiting, Terrance, The Minx, wandered over to us, rubbing his eyes. By the looks of him he was all in except his shoestrings and they wouldn't be long to follow. Crawling up on my lap, he murmured, "I'm tired Scooter," and snuggled in, pulling my arms around him.

I thought he was asleep when Malachi asked Adam and Eddie where they were going to spend the night. They thought they'd locate someone with room for them on the floor or a couch. Malachi insisted they spend the night at his house, since there was an empty bedroom. A quick call to his Uncle Dave confirmed his invitation.

"Just watch out for Percy," muttered Terrance from my arms. "He's got a real potty mouth," he giggled sleepily, before snuggling back in my arms and falling asleep again.

Malachi helped me carry Terrance to bed and tuck him in. We left for the resort, after telling my folks we were leaving, and were followed by Eddie and Adam, who also told Uncle James where they were going.

The next morning, Malachi's hard member pressed up against my hip, I lay contemplating whether or not to make a move on him, when Percy whistled and then shrieked, 'Hi yah, big boy!" followed by "wanta play hide the sausage?"

Malachi's Uncle Cayden growled, "Watch it Percy or I'll cover you up."

"Asshole!" mutter Percy.

"Sounds like they found old potty-mouth," laughed Malachi, waking at the sounds.

Well, maybe not so much as Percy's verbalization of something quite naughty waking him, but perhaps me cupping and fondling those nicely sized, smooth, low-hanging, baby-makers of his suspended below his stiff and weeping male member. I loved to play with his balls, they just seemed to quiver in anticipation and delight when I did. They felt so alive, so swimmingly delicious to hold and caress.

Malachi and I arrived downstairs when the others were just finishing their second cup of coffee. The four of them, Eddie, Adam, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Allison were well acquainted by now visiting about Percy and his "potty-mouth" as Terrance so aptly stated.

"Terrance warned us about him," Eddie laughed, "however, we never expected the bird to have such an extensive and explicit vocabulary."

"Believe me, neither did we when we acquired him," bemoaned Mr. Allison.

Percy must have either seen us or heard us come down the stairs.

"Malachi loves Scooter!" he screeched, followed by a whistle, and "Ram that fat cock in deep!"

"Watch it Percy!" Mr. Allison warned, "You're heading for trouble!"

"Asshole!" mutter, mutter, mutter!

Mr. Taylor greeted us as we entered the kitchen. "I understand congratulations are in order. We understand you announced your very honorable intentions last evening for Scooter, Malachi, and he accepted."

I blushed, not from embarrassment, but from absolute happiness and wonder; wondering how someone so handsome, intelligent, and talented as Malachi could want me for his husband! Malachi, on the other hand, although flushed pink (hard to tell on him with his darker color, but still evident) as well, ecstatic, grinning from ear to ear, and so thrilled I'd accepted. We both decided, before coming downstairs, to keep our engagement quiet. I hadn't talked to my folks about it and wasn't really certain how they'd react, but had a good idea. We needed to finish high school first. Eddie and the others agreed to keep silent concerning it until we decided to make it public, outside the family that is. A college education was priority for both of us and we could do it married, so it looked like right after this upcoming school year, our senior year, we'd marry. That's less than a year away! How exciting is that?

Malachi and I stopped on the way home to visit the cemetery and visit with Grandpa Parker and Uncle Grant. We stood by their graves and Malachi announced his intention to marry me, promising to care for me the rest of his life and love me with all of the strength of their love for each other and more to the point of sacrificing himself for me. Listening to him pledge so much brought rivulets of tears down my face. I knew his words weren't idle promises, but ones we'd repeat in the next spring or early summer.

People were slowly packing up readying to leave for their own homes. Most of the campsites at home were empty by nightfall, except those of my uncles and aunts in motor homes or travel trailers. The relatives staying at the resort would remain until the weekend. In fact, Grandmother and Grandfather Chen, as well as Mom's brothers and sisters would stay until then as well. It gave them time to be together without the crowd around.

It fell on us, those remaining, to clean up. The tent rental firm came the next day, tore down the tent and hauled it away. The septic people pumped the motor homes, travel trailers, and hauled away the porta-potties. By Saturday afternoon, everyone departed. Seth would surely miss Johnny. They weren't only cousins but best friends and enjoyed each other's company, mischief or not. I'd miss cuddling up to Malachi at night or waking in the morning with him wrapped over me like a warm, protective blanket. Moving back to my own room seemed strange at first, but we'd have all sorts of opportunity to get together and it wasn't that far across the lake.

We postponed telling my folks about our engagement until everyone left. Malachi stepped forward, announced his intentions, and asked for their blessing or approval. We explained our position on attending college knowing they'd want that as a priority as well.

Dad reacted with a much calmer demeanor than Mom, who really wasn't upset, only realizing her oldest son was grown up now.

"They're about the same age as we were, Leah, when we made up our minds to get married."

Mom just sort of rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

"At least," Dad seemed to ponder, "they won't have to be concerned about getting pregnant!" and laughed.

It earned him a playful swat on the arm.

There was about five weeks before the Parker Family Reunion would occur at our place. It'd be a much smaller gathering and be held on a weekend. It normally happened about two weeks before the start of school. The preparations wouldn't be as elaborate since the only major events would be the Saturday potluck and the Saturday evening fish fry.

Summer was busy; we had lawns contracted to mow, yard work and house work to do at home, wood to split and stack in the wood shed for the outdoor wood furnace, garden to care for as well as helping Mom preserve what we didn't eat fresh, and fish to put into the freezer. The fish were Aaron and Samuel's project when they weren't helping with our lawn care business. We also worked in some swimming, boating, fun fishing, and cuddling (Malachi and me).

Seth received his driver's license shortly after the Chen Reunion so he was able to drive my truck, pulling the trailer with mowers on it, to the various places we had lined up to mow. It freed me up to help Mom and Dad, as well as help Malachi at the resort if needed. There was still maple syrup left to be sold, but James and Terrance handled that as well as working in the garden and around the house.

Malachi and Seth got together a couple of times per week for short sessions on teaching Malachi some self-defense. He'd been fascinated when he heard how Seth and Johnny made short work of the adult males they encountered at the carnival over the Fourth of July. Malachi reasoned if he knew some techniques of self-defense he wouldn't be taken again without one hell of a fight.

The resort was booked full every week until the start of school and even into September. It kept Malachi very busy. Although he'd complain confidentially to me about some of the customers and the hard work, he also realized he was making quite a bit of money in salary and most certainly in tips. He'd never realized how much people might tip for staying in a resort. It really doubled his efforts to make guests feel welcome! Good service and pleasant surroundings would bring those guests back another year.

Toward the end of the second week after the Chen Reunion, after finishing my work at home, on my way to take the boat across the lake to visit with Malachi, I noticed Terrance sitting on the end of the dock, dangling his feet over the edge, sort of looking out over the water. He looked like a pretty lonely little boy. Seth had the truck, along with Aaron and Samuel, off on a mowing job and James was off visiting Scotty. Terrance's look, across the lake, seemed to searching the waters, the sky, the shoreline, and islands for someone or something not there, yet his longing it just might be if he looked long enough. Hearing my footsteps on the dock, he turned, eyes locked on mine, filled with a plea for help from his dilemma, one from which he just couldn't free himself.

"I'm going across the lake to visit with Malachi. If you want, Terrance, and Mom says it's okay, get your life jacket and ride along."

The Minx scrambled up from his perch on the end of the dock, made a hasty trip to the house, and emerged seconds later pulling on his life jacket, running toward the dock, me, and the boat as fast as his short legs would carry him. The smile on his face was clearly visible, excitement bubbling over, thrilled to be doing something with me, or for that matter, anyone.

Terrance untied the boat while I started the motor, settled himself in the front seat so he could look forward and let the wind blow in his face, I kicked the motor in gear, shouting, "hold on," and we took off across the lake. Above the noise of the motor and water sluicing by the bow and along the sides of the boat, my shouts and his answers concerning why he wasn't swimming or doing something with James, as he would usually, was answered with a longing, but disgusted, answer, "That was before he went and got a boyfriend."

"So," I assumed, "two's company, three's a crowd."

Until Terrance could find a friend of his own, Malachi and I'd have to fill the gap. It wouldn't prevent or hinder me from having a word or two with James about other's feelings of being left out or rejected, especially a younger brother who, until most recently, thought of James as his best friend. I'd have to be careful what I said to James since he was so sensitive and tender-hearted. The last thing he'd think to do would be to purposely hurt Terrance.

Almost as soon as we hit the dock and forward motion of the boat ceased, Terrance scrambled out of his seat, jumped on the dock, and secured the boat with a rope. He skipped and sort of danced ahead of me as we headed toward the office. I poked my head in the door; Terrance peeked around from behind me, saw Malachi behind the counter, and received a wave to come in.

"Who's that big guy behind you?"

"It's me, Malachi- Terrance! Have I grown that much since you last saw me?"

"That must be it!" Malachi responded, mocking shock and amazement.

Terrance bopped out around from behind me, made a beeline across the room and around the counter, as Malachi sort of snorted, "I suppose you need a hug?"

"Yep!"

The Minx received his hug and all was well in paradise. I'd promised him an ice cream treat, so he then headed toward the freezer case where they were kept frozen and sold to guests. It took him a few minutes to make his choice. With several different items to choose from, it was a series of decisions, changing his mind, focusing on a different one, and finally deciding of an ice cream "drumstick." I paid Malachi while Terrance carefully unwrapped his choice, licked his lips, and grinned!

"Is Percy awake?"

"Yep! Uncle Cayden is off today so he's putting some stuff in the oven for supper later this evening so he's up there too."

We heard Terrance shout, once up the stairs and into the residence, shout, "Percy, anybody ruffle your feathers today?"

Percy whistled and squawked, "Hey, good lookin'."

I quickly explained to Malachi why Terrance was along. Malachi was more than understanding, adding, "Bring him along anytime; we wouldn't do anything in front of him," wagging his eyebrows, "we wouldn't do in public. Private is another matter, however."

We continued to visit, in between customers and Malachi answering the phone, for about a half an hour. I watched as Malachi waited on people, noting his easy-going, happy smile, personal approach to each guest. It was his personality, outward self-assurance and, I think, his good looks which made people feel comfortable around him. I also credit his father and the introduction to stage life and performances which added to his outward persona.

I hadn't heard anything from The Minx for some time and grew concerned he may be up to no good. My fears were alleviated when he trotted down the stairs with Malachi's Uncle Cayden.

"Scooter, guess what?" he spouted, eyes wide.

"You pooped your pants!"

Terrance sort of frowned, thought a moment, and stroked his chin. "Not recently, although if I pushed real hard I think I could if it'd make you happy."

Malachi just shook his head. "What's he going to be like when he gets older?"

I shrugged and waited for Terrance to inform me on his latest revelation.

"Mr. Allison knows a guy who has horses – riding horses- and he said someday he'll take me there and he thinks the guy will let me ride one. Won't that be just brill?"

Malachi's Uncle Cayden and Terrance must have had quite the conversation since Terrance chattered about it all the way across the lake on the way home. He was off to the house to tell Mom as soon as he made us secure to our dock. On the way to the house, I noticed James' bike was in the bike rack so I figured, since he was home and Terrance would be occupied for a while, it'd be a good time to visit with him.

Amidst a few tears, actually quite a few needing numerous hugs and words of reassurance he wasn't a nasty, non-caring brother in the midst of discovering a young friend of like tastes, James, when we finished our visit, made a bee-line down the hall toward their room. I stepped back into mine, where we'd been visiting, and let them reconcile their differences, fears, or neglect. As far as Terrance was concerned, it wasn't quite as cataclysmic as James might have thought, but one which only caused a few ripples on the sea of life, since a promise to ride horses was made by Mr. Allison. Within ten minutes, they were giggling and laughing.

I did overhear Terrance, The Minx, tell James Percy learned a new phrase. I couldn't quite make out all of it, but it had a familiar ring to it; something about "Little Tommy Tucker."

True to his word a week later, Mr. Allison came by, picked up Terrance, and they left for a day of horseback riding, I assumed. They were on their way to Eric Driscoll's home. Eric's dad, Brian, owned his own small engine marine engine repair service according to Mom when I asked. Terrance arrived home just before supper, excited, wore out, and eager to tell us all about his day.

Eric's house was located on a small farmstead on Bill's Lake, about ten miles or so from our house. Eric went to our school, was in Terrance's grade but a different section, had a younger brother, an older sister, and five horses along with one donkey. The horse Terrance rode was a paint named "Charlie" and Eric rode a bay mare named "Esther." The Driscoll's had chickens and a pet duck named "Dudley" and Mrs. Driscoll baked fabulous chocolate chip cookies.

July turned into August and the Parker Family Reunion. Unfortunately, our bedroom was to be occupied by Seth and me, offering me no chance to sleep with Malachi over the weekend. The gathering would be much smaller than the Chen Family Reunion in July. Dad only had two aunts, who, between them, only had five children. Dad was the youngest of the first cousins. Scott, Great-aunt Adele's youngest of her two, was the next youngest. It was one of Scott's daughters (he had five kids in all) who was Mom's friend and brought Mom to the reunion where she met Dad. Mom was looking forward to visiting with Sue (Meyer) Milford and anticipated them arriving before supper.

Dad figured there's be no more than fifty or sixty in attendance this year, perhaps less, depending on schedules. Malachi would have to work, much to my disappointment since I wanted to introduce him to the family members, but we finagled a deal with his Uncles, if Seth and I helped out Saturday morning, turn-around day, he could come over for the noon potluck and the evening fish fry. Relatives started arriving shortly after one in the afternoon on Friday and Seth and I, along with the rest of my brothers, got really busy.

Dad's Aunt Adele and Uncle Ted Meyer were both deceased as well as his Aunt Rosanne and Uncle Jacob Wright, so it'd be some first cousins of his attending and mostly second and third cousins.

We were pleasantly surprised when Dad's cousin, Jonathon Wright (Aunt Rosanne and Uncle Jacob Wright's oldest) arrived with his husband, Al Martinez. They were both in their early eighties and retired, but drove up from Madison. Since we hadn't anticipated them coming, nor had they until the last minute, they'd not made arrangements for any place to stay, evidently assuming they'd stay at the house. Seth and I quickly relinquished our bedroom, made a quick call to Malachi, and made arrangement for Seth to use one of the extra bedrooms while I shared a bed with Malachi. Happy Days!

The six of us were busy the rest of the afternoon and into the evening helping Dad get motor homes and travel trailers into campsites and hooked up and Mom setting up the small snack table and beverage table on the porch. Dad's relatives were great on beer and Brandy (Old-fashioned Sweet), loving to sit and sip on a beverage and snack. Most brought their own booze, but in case anyone would forget or run out, Dad made certain the coolers were full of beer, soda, and mixes. Mom kept the snack table, with our help, well stocked with such items as smoked trout (courtesy of Aaron and Samuel's fishing trips earlier in the summer), smoked salmon (courtesy of one of Dad's clients), and plates of summer sausage, cheese and crackers, fresh veggies and dips, chips, cooked shrimp, wings, meatballs, small slices of bread, and a couple of some sort of spread I found unidentifiable so I didn't sample them. My brothers and our guests evidently thought they were great and scarfed them down.

Dark found everyone who was going to be there on Friday already there and enjoying the hospitality. My four younger brothers hooked up with cousins about their age, mostly from Scott and Janice Meyer's grandchildren, especially Sue Milford's kids. Seth and I said our goodbyes around nine-thirty and drove over to Malachi's.

He was waiting for us in the residence. Malachi had just finished his shift in the office, reconciling the cash register totals and the cash drawer, as well as totaling the bills for each of the cottage's guests. The cottages were all booked for the upcoming week starting Saturday morning, although his Uncle Dave pointed out as he walked through to the office down below, the incoming guests had all been here many times before so check-in and the week should be relatively problem free, he hoped. Check out time on Saturday morning was eleven o'clock and, if all the guest were prompt, the cabins would start emptying shortly after nine, giving us time to clean and re-supply each cottage with fresh linen. There always seemed to be at least one, however, who delayed until the last minute, evidently not wanting to leave, give up their vacation, and go home.

Seth and I didn't visit with Malachi's uncles very long since we both were tired and needed showers. Seth headed upstairs, taking our overnight bags with him, to shower and Malachi and I volunteered to make the night rounds of the grounds and cottages, just to make certain all was well. It was usually made by one of his uncles, but this would give them a break and us the opportunity to spend some time together. We checked the docks in order to make certain all of the boats were well secured, visually inspected each cabin as we walked by, visiting with guests who happened to be out, and checked the parking lot and dumpsters (to make certain they were secured shut to keep bears at bay), before heading back to the residence.

Our shower together was not only a cleansing experience but an expression of our love and concern for each other; sensuous and stimulating as each washed the other carefully, gently, with delicacy, allowing our hands and fingers to fondly please the other. We were as stiff as a concrete post when we finished and dried each other. My cock pointed upward toward the moon (it's night, okay?) while Malachi's protruded straight out, with just a slight curve up and to the right, like a battering ram poised to assault the gate of the castle and free the lover within.

Stretched out, naked and ready, on his bed, I waited on my back, arms outstretched, legs spread, inviting him to come to me as my lover and life-mate. Malachi settled himself between my legs, his hard cock nudging my balls as he leaned forward, bringing our nude, hot bodies in close contact, bringing an anticipatory shiver from him.

"You're so warm, Scooter; smooth, so soft, so exciting to me," he murmured as his lips made contact with mine. "Just everything I've ever dreamed of and wanted. Seeing you almost drives me crazy with wanting you!"

His soft lips moved from mine, to my cheeks, my eyes, my ears, and my neck where he kissed and licked, tasting each place his lips touched. Lips migrated to my arm pits, then to my right breast, where he suckled for a moment before teasing the nipple with his tongue, bringing it to a hardening peak before giving my left breast the same treatment. I could feel my cock leaking the clear, pre-orgasmic fluid males use to lubricate their paths through warm, wet tunnels, mixing with the copious amounts his own cock exuded, wetting both of our stomachs as I writhed and twisted, arching my back with sexual desire and excitement.

Warm, soft, puffs of breath given from his nose as his lips trailed down my solar plexus, tickled migrating paths across my abdomen, until, Malachi's tongue commenced a thorough and tantalizing stimulating adoration of my navel.

"Oh, my god, Malachi!" I moaned in excited ecstasy, my excitement building. My flesh felt his grin as he abandoned the small indentation and moved farther south, nudging his nose under my stiff cock, using his tongue to bathe my pubic bush to a soft moistness. Usually, at this point in our love making, Malachi would stop, slip on a condom, lube himself and me up, and ease his way inside my love chute, but tonight, he didn't!

Oh, no; his tongue made contact with the slit of my penis, carefully lapping up the leaking fluid emanating from me, tasting me for the first time. Before I could protest, he slipped his lips over the now uncovered head of my cock, using his lips to push my foreskin back behind the glans ridges, locking it in place, and began to suckle, his tongue now dancing its way across, under, over, the end of my penis. I was thrilled but at the same time horrified!

"Malachi, the doctor …….!"

He held up a hand silencing me, pulled off momentarily, and smiled.

"Doctor called today and gave me the all clear," returning to worshipping my cock with his mouth.

He bobbed up and down several times more before I spewed my load into his waiting cavity. Closing his lips over my cock to form a seal, he accepted all I had to offer with each ejaculatory spurt, and swallowed. I collapsed back on my back, trying to catch my breath. I heard him whisper, "There's more!"

The cap snapped on the tube of lube and after lubricating himself, he began to carefully, gently lubricate and prepare me for his love stick. The wide, blunt, spongy head of his penis pressed up against my anal opening and with a push forward, popped through the ring, stopping about an inch or so just inside, held in place by my muscles reaction. As I relaxed and grew accustomed to the intrusion I loved so well, he began a slow unencumbered, flesh to flesh, journey into my inner core, reaching a place where only his protected cock reached before and began the age old rocking motion of intercourse. It was phenomenal; a totally different feeling, instantly bonding us flesh to flesh, gluing our young bodies as one by his baptism of my inner sheath as his sperm rich semen began ejaculating into my bowels to be taken, absorbed into me, making him blood of my blood. It wasn't the last time during the night we joined together. We did notice one drawback, easily solvable, with condom-less intercourse. Malachi exuded such volumes of ejaculate into me, even though is his fat, thick, long cock seemed to plug me securely, the gooey, white liquid would seep around it, slide in rivulets down over my balls onto the sheets. A bath towel solved that problem and didn't hinder our vigorous interaction as he thrust forward and I pushed back trying to take even more of his cock than was possible into me.

Jonathon Wright and Al Martinez were the first of many relatives to whom I proudly introduced Malachi as my fiancé. They were thrilled; not only for us as an openly gay couple but because Malachi is such a handsome young man. His flashing brilliant smile contrasted with his slightly darker complexion darkened by the summer sun. Fresh air, good food, friends and relatives who cared about him, exercise (and lovin'), along with a warm, caring home life with his uncles seemed to have worked wonders on his attitude and physical well-being.

The pot-luck was a bountiful and delicious as always. Mom and Dad insisted Malachi and I join them and Sue and Brian Milford for lunch. I know Mom was proud of us and wanted her best friend Sue and her husband to meet my boyfriend. Their oldest son, Kyle, was my age and someone I'd always enjoyed being with. He joined us and introduced us to his fiancé as well. They were planning a wedding as soon as the school year finished.

Malachi and I wandered around the yard after lunch introducing him to the rest of the relatives present. All too soon we had to head back to the resort, along with Seth, where we worked until supper time. The drive back home was quick. Dad and Brian had the two large gas-fired deep fat fryers going when we got there. They were putting baskets of fish fillets in one and French fries in the other. Mom and Sue, along with help from both our families, kept the serving tables with the sides, desserts, and drinks well stocked. Aaron, James, Samuel, and Terrance were busy emptying garbage into the dumpsters. Malachi, Seth, and I, once we finished our meal, took over for them so they could eat.

Malachi, carrying a sack of garbage to the dumpster, remarked on the contrast between the Chen Family and the Parker Family.

"Dad's family has more of a rural background; some are still active in actual farming, while others ag-related industries. Some are in law-enforcement, retail, factory work, service work, and a few professionals such as Dad and Jonathon and Al. Basically, they're small town people from the southwest and western part of Wisconsin," I explained.

"They tend to be less boisterous or open, tending to be slow to accept newcomers to the community, friendly, but not quick to trust. Perhaps more conservative in today's parlance rather than liberal and gregarious like Great-Aunt Rosanne and Adel were."

Malachi and I had a great time visiting and laughing as the evening wore on. My family was very quick to accept him. It really should've been no surprise since Grandpa was well loved by those who remembered him and he was gay!

The next week, my brothers and I helped Dad and Mom get things back in decent order at home. There was work to do inside as well as outside. The portable electric cables and water lines were rolled up and put in the storage shed cabinets Dad had built to hold everything. The BBQ pit was cleaned out and the grates covered with pieces of sheet metal roofing. The motor and the spit were stored in the shed along with the deep fat fryers and the large griddle. It meant the stands they sat on had to be disassembled and stored next to them so they could all be put together again another year. It was a busy week.

The next Sunday, one week before school was to start, Malachi called to see if Seth and I could come over and give him a hand for a while. His Uncle Cayden had been called in to work because of a family dispute involving children and his Uncle Dave was going to town with an outboard motor with a broken lower unit for Driscoll's Marine and Small Engine to fix. He'd pick up a motor he had repaired previously to replace it. Driscoll's was only open until three on Sunday's during the summer. After school started they weren't open at all on Sundays. Terrance begged to come along since James had the ATV over at Scotty's and Aaron and Samuel were out on the lake fishing, so we loaded him in the truck with us. He really just wanted to pester Percy, but he'd also help Malachi if he was needed.

Malachi was working downstairs in the office, Seth was out either on the docks or one of the cabins, and I'd just finished hitting the bathroom upstairs. I was on my way outside to join Seth when I heard the doorbell chime. I walked out onto the porch to answer it and found an older man and woman standing on the doorsteps. Accompanying them were two other men, dressed in light jackets, white shirts, ties, and dark pants. The hair on the back of my neck began to tingle with distrust and wariness.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, you may, young man," the older gentleman responded. "We would like to speak to Malachi Duranleau."

"May I ask your purpose?"

"No," the woman barked rather sharply. "I am not accustomed to discussing private family business with the hired help." She gave me the same look I'd received many times in the past as someone would see me as "one of those" reflecting on my color and Asian features.

"Oh! May I ask who it is that wishes to speak with him since he's rather busy at this time."

"His Grandmother and Grandfather Taylor!"

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