Love that Dare Not Speak its Name, Chapter 1
Beau and Cy stayed together for the whole week of spring break. Cy went home at times during those days to do his chores and be with his sister. However, he didn't have any contact with his mother while there because she always disappeared the minute she saw his truck come up the lane.
Molly, Cy, and Beau went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Marion on Thursday night. The guys treated. They wanted to do something to show her their appreciation for coming to Cy's rescue. She passed it off as "no-big-deal," but they knew it was huge because she had gotten through to her father! Without her intervention, their relationship might have been doomed. Neither could imagine going on with a life that didn't include the other.
"It's gonna take some time with Mom, but I think she'll come around," Molly said. "It took her until yesterday to speak to me. When she did, I didn't feel resentment.
"She still isn't speaking to Dad, but he said she's looked at some of the materials I printed off using Dad's office computer. There's a lot of ignorance in this world on the subject of being gay.
"Did you know there were magazine articles in the late 60's that treated homosexuality as a mental illness? That's the stuff she still believes. But she seems to have made progress. She's at least started to use the word gay' instead of `faggot!' That's a step in the right direction."
"I hope you know what you're talking about, Sis. Either way, I have to live my own life whether or not she approves."
"True. Keep doing that, and don't let yourself get down."
"I won't. Dad says he's okay with Beau and me living together for the rest of the term as soon as my boyfriend turns 18 next month. That is, as long as I pay my way and don't expect the Stephen family to feed me.
"He seems to think I could be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor if I move in before he's an adult."
"I don't think that's how the law reads, and you know Mom and Dad would be happy to provide your every meal. They've totally accepted us and they treat you like another son."
"Yeah, I know. You don't know how good it makes me feel."
Even before school resumed, word about the fire at the Booth's farm had spread around the small community. After sifting through the ruins, as well as exposing a number of inconsistent stories, the authorities were able to piece together what happened. Once they did, several of the kids who'd attended the party amended their original statements. Eventually, a reasonable facsimile of the truth emerged.
The party had included a keg, which hadn't been sanctioned by any adult on the farm where the event took place. When that fact was established, it took a lot of pressure off Tom's parents. Had they allowed underage drinking; they could have been liable for any injuries sustained by the revelers.
There had been another illegal activity taking place that night which had led to the fire. In the rubble, investigators found two clay pipes which had been used for smoking pot. Marijuana was illegal, of course. Most parents considered it to be a gateway drug and thought its use was much worse than alcohol.
It came to light that Todd had provided the weed. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were distraught when the sheriff came with a search warrant and found the boy's stash. They professed to having no idea he was using it.
He was lucky that the quantity in his possession wasn't large enough to charge him with "intent to deliver." He was a user, not a dealer. The thirty-something man who had been his supplier disappeared before the narc squad could question him. His trail was so cold that there was speculation he'd been taken out by a drug lord. Most people didn't think he was connected with a big enough operation for that to be a possibility, but the rumor mill ground on.
Ultimately, something good would come out of the mess. Todd would plead guilty to a misdemeanor and receive a sentence reduced to community service hours. Getting caught would scare him straight. There would be a ripple effect on some of the younger kids who had looked up to him and emulated his "cool" attitude. As a result, his grades would begin to inch back up and his nature revert back to the easy-going kid he'd been in his early teens. He'd been in denial about pot's effect on him.
The burns which had sent him to the hospital had been minor and he wouldn't have any serious scarring -- just enough to remind him of his foolishness.
The second half of spring term went rapidly for Beau and Cy. There were a lot of activities to occupy their minds. While their main focus was their studies, there were always chores involved with caring for their animals, and they had decided to go out for track during their final semester.
Neither kid had participated much in team sports. Unless students were really committed, they found that country living created obstacles which were hard to surmount. It was difficult to fit in practices and meets around chores. Distance made for additional problems in transportation. The condition of country roads during winter and spring didn't help either.
However, the boys had always run, even when they weren't in competition. Thus, they had the stamina and speed needed for a measure of success.
Beau celebrated his 18th birthday on the same weekend as prom. He hadn't wanted a large party, just his parents and his boyfriend. Most of his peers would be attending the last dance of their high school career and there'd be no reason to invite them since they couldn't come anyway. That was fine with him. Graduation was only a month away, and the closer it got, the less his high school associates meant to him.
Cy's father made good on his promise, and Cy moved in with Beau on Saturday morning with his blessing. Of course, Cy would still have to go home to take care of his animals, but the distance was short. For the sake of having their own little nest, the young men chose to set up housekeeping in the camper.
"This Airstream has been so well kept that it's still like new. Do you think we could make it roadworthy?" Cy asked.
"I'm not sure how much work it would take. Obviously, it would need new tires. Possibly the brakes would need replacing. What did you have in mind?"
"I was thinking about traveling with it, not this summer but sometime. Maybe we could even go somewhere and work for the season, like do construction on something in a part of the county we've never been to. I'm sure my pickup would tow it with no sweat."
For appearance sake, Janice thought she would have to attend graduation ceremonies. Not being there would have invited speculation from the community that she wasn't eager to deal with. A plausible reason for missing it came in the form of Aunt Clara in the Chicago area who was ill and had no children to see to her affairs. Janice packed up and drove to the suburbs.
Thus, she didn't host a party for her son. However, Molly, who's term ended a week ahead of public school, came home and helped her father put something together. They didn't want Cy to be disappointed.
Beau's mother pitched in to help too. She simply doubled the order on some of the things she'd planned for her son's party. Cy's dad, Len, was grateful and paid her for them, of course.
Beau had worked parttime in construction for his dad during the past couple of summers. Cy had done his share of farming with his father. They continued those jobs after graduation, filling their days until university classes would begin in the fall.
During that time, they cut down on their 4-H activities. After Cy's championship steer was sold at the county fair, he was basically finished. His father had turned his farming operation into a crop-raising one anyway.
Beau sold off his livestock too. A number of city-dwellers were sad to lose their source for fresh lamb. However, when a younger teen purchased a ram and young ewe from him, it looked like the tradition would carry on for at least a few more years.
In mid-August, Cy was shocked when his mother invited him into the house at the end of a rather short day in the field. Heat and humidity had been such that the men didn't want to chance overdoing it and suffering a heat stroke.
"Well, it looks like I win in the long run." Janice announced.
"What are you talking about?"
"Sarah's pregnant enough to show and her father's going to insist that you two get married," she smirked. "I'll be embarrassed to have a grandchild produced out of wedlock, but it beats having a son who's a faggot!"
"Sarah may be having a baby, but it won't be any relation to you. It can't possibly be mine. We never had intercourse!"
"She told Trudi it's yours, and counting back, it would have been conceived just before you broke up."
Len Stepanek came into the kitchen in time to hear his wife and son in a shouting match.
"What's going on?"
"Our little boy is going to be a daddy in a few months and we need to plan a small wedding as soon as possible."
"It's not true, Dad. She was a tease like you said, but we never did the deed!"
"If you swear that's the truth, I won't let them railroad you into anything."
"I swear it!"
"Are you saying Sarah would lie about a thing like that?" Janice exclaimed.
"Yes," Len responded. "Remember, I saw her flirting with the Kerr boy right before Cy broke up with her."
"We have only your word for that."
"And the word of your husband isn't as trustworthy as that of Cy's ex?"
"I talked to her mother today, and I know what she said. If Donny were the father of the child, why wouldn't they insist she marry him?"
"Hmm... What motive could they possibly have for wanting her to marry Cy?" Len asked mockingly. "Donny's old man is as poor as a church mouse. I'll bet everything that Bill owns wouldn't be enough to buy Cy's pickup. We, on the other hand, have a fortune in prime farmland. Do the math!"
"Well, it boils down to the word of a sweet girl against the word of our sinful son. Whose word do you think a judge would take?"
"No, it's not her word against his. Paternity tests have been around for decades and the current ones are extremely accurate."
"Thank God for science!" Cy exclaimed as he sprinted out the door to his truck.
"What's for dinner," Cy asked, smelling the awesome aroma in the camper.
"Harvey," Beau grinned.
"Damn, I wish you wouldn't have named those rabbits; it makes me feel like a cannibal or something."
"Do you feel like that when you eat my dick?" Beau snickered.
"You know I don't! Besides, nothing gets killed in the process."
"Okay then, get over it. Actually, I sold Harvey and a young doe yesterday to a kid in 4-H. This is just a nameless animal that makes good hasenpfeffer."
"Do I have time to shower before we eat?"
"Nope, it's done,and I'm starved. I thought we'd swim in the pond after we eat and rinse off in the shower before we, um have some fun."
"Sounds like a plan to me!"
The July heat may have made working uncomfortable, but it warmed a shallow place in the pond, so it was almost like being in a bath. The spot was kind of like a separate "tub" carved out of rock. About 80 years ago, a previous owner thought he might be sitting on a money-maker. The outcropping of rock could have become part of a quarry. However, the deposit turned out to be too small. So, the project had been abandoned but the hole had remained and was put to a different use.
The young men stripped and splashed around in the cool water of the main pond like a pair of porpoises. The sweat and strain of the day was soon washed away. Then, they sat waist-deep in the warm section and talked about their day. Naturally, Cy's encounter with his mother was a main topic.
"You should have seen her eyes when she told me about Sarah. It was like some witch in a Disney movie when she thought she had the princess under her spell. I mean, she practically cackled. Here I'd hoped she might come around, but then she called me a faggot again. I think she's obsessed or possessed!"
"It doesn't sound like she's going to change," Beau agreed. "So, are you doing the paternity test?"
"I'm gonna insist on it! Dad says there's a way to get a sample of the baby's DNA without causing any harm to the kid. Sarah probably won't sign off on it, but if I have mine on record, that should shut her up. She knows damn will it's not mine!"
"Are you going to let her know you're getting a test?"
"Not until I do it. I'll call University Hospital tomorrow and set up an appointment. After it's done, I'll dare her to have the baby checked."
Having made a firm plan, Cy's thoughts turned to a more pleasant subject. The two made out for a while; French kissing and becoming harder by the minute.
"I don't think I can wait till after we have a shower," Cy panted.
"I agree! How do you want to do this?"
"How `bout we get butt to butt and balls to balls with your legs over mine like we do sometimes?"
"Oh yeah!"
"Frottage" wasn't a term they would learn anytime soon, but they certainly knew how good it felt. Their cocks oozing precum and their frenula getting stimulated by every gyration and stroke, they rode the wave of desire as long as possible. Then, with gasps and grunts, they baptized each other with their juices.
They cuddled together for quite a while in the afterglow.
The sky was still light as they put their shorts back on and walked up to the camper. Both wore nothing else but flipflops and smiles.
Once inside, they shared the tiny shower, taking turns soaping up and hosing off. Then, they lay in their bed with a sheet pulled up to their waists. Having opened all the roof vents and windows, the temperature would be cool enough for sleeping.
There was a small air conditioner on the roof. However, they wouldn't run it unless the night was stifling. It was easier to work in the heat of the day when one's body was acclimated to it.
Tonight, they didn't snuggle, but they did lie there with their shoulders touching. After a while, they drifted off, holding hands.
The following Thursday, Cy drove to Iowa City to have his DNA sample taken. Beau went with him. Larry encouraged him to take the day off since there was a holdup in materials on a jobsite and the time would have been spent on make-work projects anyway.
After he'd given the sample, Cy asked the intern where he might find a pay phone in the hospital. Upon learning what he wanted it for, the young doctor-to-be let him use the one in the office.
"You're not the first guy to have to defend himself against a false claim. You're welcome to give her the word that you're not playing her game!"
In early August, Sarah Bowersox and Donny Kerr were married by a judge in the Jones County Court House. While the event wouldn't be published in The Gazette, word spread throughout the community within a few days. Beau smiled when his mother told them over dinner one evening. She'd cooked one of Cy's favorite meals to celebrate.
A week before the guys were to depart for Iowa State, their fathers bought them small desktop computers. In addition, they all signed up for email accounts on AOL. It was the coming thing, and it would allow them to communicate in a way that was swifter than the postal service and less expensive than the telephone. It seemed like magic!
Len thought this new technology would stave off homesickness. Larry figured the boys wouldn't get lonely as long as they had each other, but he agreed it would help them stay in touch.
When it was time for the young men to go to Ames for the beginning of their freshman year, Cy's mother again went to Illinois to be with her aunt. Len was certain that she was using it as an excuse not to see Cy off to college. If she continued to turn her back on their son, Len was seriously considering divorcing her. It could cost him financially, but it might be worth it. Besides, he hadn't received any loving from her since the day he'd stood by Cy at the beginning of spring break.
The small caravan bound for Iowa State consisted of three vehicles. Cy and Beau rode in Cy's pickup. Len and Molly came in Molly's little sedan. Jen and Larry drove Larry's shop van which had plenty of cargo space to hold most of what the guys were taking to set up their room.
The load included matching bed lofts which they'd constructed in Larry's shop plus a used futon and a cupboard to house their "kitchen." The latter was made of the same kind of wood as the beds and stained to coordinate with them. It was well designed. Inside this cabinet was a space to hold the dorm fridge, a drawer for silverware, and sliding doors which concealed bins for pans, dishes, and food staples like ramen noodles. The top was covered with a wood-grain Formica which would serve as a workspace and hold a small microwave. There was a pull-out board under the top which could be used as an additional work area.
There were two desktops which attached to the ends of the lofts to provide places for their new Apple monitors and keyboards. The whole room would be very compact and efficient. To complete their study areas, they had two padded, adjustable office chairs to use in place of the uncomfortable wooden ones provided by the school. Their room would look far more home-like than those of their dormmates.
The trip took a little over two hours and it wasn't long before they were waiting their turn for an elevator to start hauling their things to the third floor of Knapp Hall. After getting the futon up to their room, they decided to carry the rest up the two flights of stairs rather than waiting in line again.
Thus, they had their room set up in record time. Fortunately, they'd called ahead to have the twin beds and desks removed so the only furniture remaining in the room when they got there were the mattresses and two chests of drawers for their clothes.
During the moving-in process, Cy and Beau got acquainted with the two young men who would be rooming across the hall from them. They ended up helping Chet and Derek bring the rest of their things up the stairs. The parents of the young men were thankful because they needed to get on the road for their long drive home.
The four young men connected right away because of similar backgrounds. The pair from Illinois had grown up on farms and had been involved in 4-H Club too. In fact, they were enrolled in the agriculture studies program and had come to Iowa State because of its reputation.
By the time their rooms were settled, it was approaching the dinner hour. Len and Larry thought it would be a good deed to invite their sons' new acquaintances to eat with them at the Golden Corral Buffet. It would be their treat and they could fill in for the parents who were on the road home.
Chet and Derek jumped at the chance to get better acquainted with their dormmates but thought they should pay their own way. The men insisted on treating. Soon, the parade of vehicles headed to the restaurant.
After everyone ate their fill, the parents and Molly said their goodbyes at the restaurant. Chet and Derek rode back to Knapp hall in Cy's pickup.
"It must be nice to have your own wheels," Chet commented.
"Yeah, it'll come in handy. The only problem is that as a freshman I'll have to use the lot near Trice stadium. That means I'll have to move it on game days or get ticketed. So, it'll be a hassle until football season's over."
"Still, it gives you more freedom in case you want to go home for a weekend."
"True. However, we probably won't be doing a lot of that because of all the studying we'll have to do. We're hoping to major in engineering and that program is really competitive, though I guess it's not as bad as architecture. They don't let very many people into that major."
"You probably think us aggies have it easy," Derek said.
"Nope, we're acquainted with what it takes to make a go of farming these days. It's getting more scientific every year. In the future, a lot more family operations are going to have to go high tech or sell out."
"Hey, it's gonna be great having friends who understand!"
Author's notes: I heard from the following readers this week: Tony C, Andy R, Ott H, Bill T, GC D, CaryandKen, Jim W, Paul R, Geoff S, Gordon, Ron K, Mendy D, Phil, Frank K, Joe W (2), Dale W, Rod R (Hotrod), Allen S, Si R, Geoff (2), Keith C, Paul F, Jeffrey F, Ken McC. Thanks for letting me know you're enjoying the story.
Author's notes: Thanks for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to contact me a dlee169@hotmail.com and let me know. Your emails are the only reward I receive for writing. Please put the story title in the subject line in case your email goes into the spam folder.
Thanks to David S for editing. He finds the typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions.
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Thanks,
David
Ps: I have a chronological list of all my posted stories which I can email to you if you have an interest.
Pp: I saw an interesting free movie recently on Look Movie. Here's the link if you're interested in such things. It's a romcom lasting under two hours.
https://lookmovie2.to/movies/view/9731598-bros-2022