Growing Josh

There are scenes of unprotected sex depicted in this story. In all cases it was between the main characters, who are in a committed, monogamous relationships and were tested. If you aren't in the same kind of relationship, then you should always protect yourself and wear a condom.

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"You knock. You're enjoying this too much for me to spoil your fun."

Mitch grinned in agreement and reached up to rap his knuckles on the weathered door. He paused and his eyes sparkled when he balled up his fist and started pounding on the door instead.

"Boorman! Open the fuck'n door!" Mitch paused for a second, then let fly another series of thumps on the rattling door.

Darrin shook his head and rolled his eyes, but he was enjoying Kevin's discomfort as much as Mitch. He just didn't want to be as obvious. Mitch winked at him and pulled back his fist to pound again, but the door opened a crack just in time to stop him.

"Jeez, guys! I don't want to draw any more attention."

"Come on, Boorman. Let us in if you want help," said Mitch.

"Okay, you're right. Come on in."

The door opened enough to let them into the cheap, dingy motel room. A threadbare yellow blanket was wadded up on the bare mattress. The room had a faint stench of urine and other odors Darrin didn't want to think about. He had to admit Kevin looked traumatized, and the dingy white sheet wrapping him from neck to ankle didn't help. Darrin held out a beaten-up gym bag.

"Here. We brought a mix of clothes so something should fit. Whatever won't, just donate it to Goodwill or something, we don't need anything back."

Kevin nodded and took the bag. Without another word, he went into the bathroom, firmly closing the door behind him. Darrin studied the cinder block walls of the room painted a color obviously selected for some reason other than aesthetics, and his hearing assaulted by the wheeze of a window air conditioning unit that had seen better days. Darrin wondered why Kevin would ever agree to meet someone here.

Darrin turned at Mitch's snort to find a dressed Kevin Boorman coming out of the bathroom.

"I see you found something to wear." Darrin fought hard to keep from laughing and Mitch wasn't helping with the steady stream of chortles he was making.

"Ok, I know I look like some kind of clown. But this is all that would come close to fitting." Kevin rolled up the sleeves to a flannel shirt that looked big enough to hold Darrin and Mitch both and then tugged on the crotch of a pair of Trent's skinny jeans he'd somehow managed to get his lower half into.

Mitch snorted again. "Do you have any feeling below the waist?"

Boorman slung the bag over his shoulder, headed for the door without a backward glance and climbed in the pickup.

Once they settled into the pickup seat, Mitch twisted to looked back at Kevin. "What about your car? Do you have spare keys?"

"At the house. I can't ask anyone to bring me back though. I'll have it towed back."

"Okay, whatever works for you."

Minutes later they were rolling down the predawn rural highway, the silence in the cab deafening. Curiosity got the best of Darrin. "How the hell did you end up in that... situation."

Kevin leaned forward, and paused before he answered. "I was horny, and apparently my little head was doing all the thinking. We've been emailing for months and he'd been wanting to get together for some fun. It seemed safe, he didn't come across like some nut case."

"So you met him at the motel?"

Kevin let out a held breath. "Yeah, we'd talked about some light bondage. You know, kind of foreplay."

Mitch let out a snort that sounded like air-brakes on a semi and ended with a barking laugh. With a sheepish look on his face he glanced at Kevin. "Sorry..."

"I guess I deserve it."

"So... He stripped you and tied you down?" Darrin could not help himself, this was just too good not to drag out the details.

Kevin's face turned crimson. "Yeah, face down, spread-eagle on the bed. You know, to the corners."

Mitch tried to swallow down his laughter before he spoke, and failed miserably. "So, you were all stretched out on the bed and he robbed you?"

"Umm, not exactly. We sort of-- did it."

Darrin wiped the tear of suppressed laughter from his eyes. "So you had sex?"

"Yeah, he was sort of into leather. And was wearing--"

"No! Wait! Assless chaps! Right?" squealed Mitch, not even trying to keep from laughing hysterically.

Kevin's eyes squeezed shut and he gave a barely detectible nod. He grimaced when Mitch's peals of laughter echoed through the truck.

"Wait, wait...please tell me he had a riding crop! Oh please! It will make this trip worth it."

Darrin started feeling a little sympathetic for Kevin. "Come on, Mitch. Let it go. We don't need to know the details. Kevin's just been robbed."

"Yes, a riding crop and a black leather harness. It was fucking hot, right up to the moment he walked out with my money, keys, every stitch of clothes I had and left me tied up."

Darrin and Mitch both lost control. He pulled onto the shoulder and stopped, laughing so hard Darrin was afraid he would drive off the road. Collapsed across the wheel, he was cackling as hard as he had in months. Glancing over at Mitch to find him in a similar predicament, sagging against the door, his body shaking with mirth. After several minutes had passed Darrin took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"How'd you get loose?"

"I dug at the knots until I got a hand loose. I was there working at it for quite a while. His knots were pretty good. I was afraid at first that it would be housekeeping that found me tomorrow morning."

"Then you called me?"

"Yeah, like I said. I couldn't think of anyone else who would save my ass."

Darrin shook his head at the thought of their archenemy tied to a bed and robbed by a leather daddy.

"Sorry Kevin, it's just..."

"I know. Payback is a bitch, and so is karma, and both bit me hard tonight. I deserve the laughter. Actually if all you guys do is laugh about it that's a lot less than I probably deserve. You could tell the whole department and try to scuttle my career."

"We aren't going to out you. But I would suggest you get checked for STD's. I don't want to know anything else, but this guy isn't exactly someone I'd trust."

Kevin twisted his lips at the unsolicited advice. He slumped against the back seat and got a contemplative look on his face. Darrin glanced into the rearview mirror and gave him a look of concern.

"I know, you're right. I should get tested."

"Not should. You have to get tested. You've been exposed..."

Darrin could see Kevin begin to shake and hoped the enormity of the situation had finally gotten through. Because until this very moment, he had been almost relaxed about the whole incident.

"Boorman. I mean it. Promise you'll get tested. You need to know."

Darrin thought Kevin wiped at his eyes, but the interior of the pickup was dark and he couldn't be certain.

"Kevin?"

"Yes. Okay. I'll get tested. Alright?"

"Thank you. It will make me feel better, I appreciate it."

The rest of the trip was completed in relative silence, with only an occasional chuckle from Mitch.

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Mitch and Darrin walked through the door, to find Trent and Josh making breakfast. Josh waved in their direction with the turner he was holding. "Sorry, we forgot to get breakfast stuff so we came up here to eat. Want some pancakes?"

Mitch sat down and yawned, the excitement and humor of the night wearing off and just leaving exhaustion.

"Where have you been?" asked Trent as he put two more plates on the table.

"Rescuing Kevin Boorman." Darrin's face split by a yawn.

Trent froze and looked at the pair to see if they were kidding. He knew exactly who Kevin Boorman was, he had ended up on the ranch because the sheriff had caught him sucking Boorman. Trent was also the one who made Darrin's work life difficult. But neither of them seemed to be joking.

"You must be shitting me! Why would you help that asshole?"

"He called and needed help. He'd been robbed."

"Tell him to call the fuck'n cops." Trent looked from one to the other, wondering why they were helping this viper.

Mitch started chuckling. "We helped him because his dom had stripped him, tied him to the bed, whipped his ass and god only knows what else before stealing his clothes, money and keys and left him stranded in a crappy motel down by Altus."

Trent's face was struggling with barely suppressed humor. "Naked and tied down."

"Tied to the bed, yup." Mitch relayed joyfully.

"A leather daddy?"

"Pretty much what it sounded like."

"Screwed his ass."

"Well I try not to think of Boorman having sex, but we can assume."

"Robbed him after fucking him."

"Yup."

"Left him tied up and took his clothes."

"You got it."

Trent dropped into a chair and buried his face in his arms, peals of laughter erupting as his body shook.

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"What're you doing?"

Trent wiped the sweat from his face and leaned against the shovel. "Planting flowers, well actually planting anything that might survive the damn summers around here. Anne apparently had a brown thumb because there's nothing but bermuda grass around the house."

"How did we afford all this?" Josh motioned to the rows of plants spread out on the ground.

Trent stomped the shovel into the ground. "People gave 'em to me. Everyone seems to be cleaning up flower beds and they heard somehow that I wanted to plant some flowers."

Josh grinned, knowing how fast word could get around in this seemingly desolate part of Oklahoma. He well knew any news spread like wildfire in this area of widely separated ranches. He walked through the plants that were in bundles of every kind. He'd never helped Darrin with the garden, but he wanted to work with Trent.

"Looks like you have a shit ton of plants. I can help if you'd like."

Trent slowed and then stopped, eyeing Josh with a little suspicion. "Why? You've never helped before."

"It was never our house before. And it wasn't with the man I love before."

"That has a nice ring to it."

"That I love you?"

"Yeah, I know you do. You just don't say it very often." Trent pointed Josh to a large clump of iris'. "Take those and put them in that back corner. Even you can't kill an iris."

Josh hoisted the cluster of dagger-shaped leaves and moved them where Trent had indicated. He grabbed the extra shovel from the wall and quickly dug a hole in the loose soil.

"Make sure you plant them at the same level they've been growing or they'll rot."

Josh grunted in acknowledgment and pushed some of the soil back in the hole until he had everything situated.

"How's this?"

Trent stabbed his spade into the ground and walked over to check Josh's work. He evaluated everything carefully and then wrapped his arm around Josh. "You know, these will be here for a long time. Everything we're planting will come back each year."

"That's cool. So we don't have to redo this every year."

Trent chuckled and rubbed his hand over Josh's velvety hair. "Yes, lazy ass. We won't have to do this every year. It'll be a reminder of this past year."

Josh gave Trent a quizzical look and raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want to remember this last year?"

Trent held up both hands to fend off Josh's budding anger. "Now wait before you get all pissy." Trent smiled and tugged on Josh's ear. "And you almost have Darrin's eyebrow thing down pat."

"I've got you to practice it on for the rest of my life. Now, explain to me why in the hell you'd want to remember this last year."

"Well, if for no other reason than I realized you are the most important person in my life, that's enough isn't it?"

Josh leaned in and kissed Trent. "That's a good reason, but I don't know that I'd want to remember the other stuff--the bad stuff. And there was a lot of bad stuff."

"There was, starting with me leaving. Then you getting hurt. There was a lot of bad." Trent looked at Josh and felt an ominous fluttering in his stomach. "You still haven't completely forgiven me, have you?"

Josh stood still, his eye locked on the ground, and he shook his head. "I've forgiven you. But I can't just erase what happened."

Trent nodded, beginning to work again as they talked. "I can see what you're talking about. But I'm going to be working to help you erase it for the rest of our lives. Because that's how long I plan on being around."

Josh grabbed an enormous clump of ornamental grass someone had dropped off and tried to heave it into the hole Trent had dug. A strained grunt was the main result of his first attempt to move it. "Damn! That weighs a ton."

Trent chuckled and retrieved a machete from the tools he had piled to one side. The knife cut an arc above his head, slicing into the roots. After a few well placed hits, he handed the knife to Josh and worked to pry the roots apart.

"That's the other reason it's good to remember last year. I got over some of my big hangups. I don't think I'm a lightning rod for all bad things that happen."

Trent motioned Josh for the machete and started driving the sharp metal blade into the opening he'd just widened. After a few more whacks, the clump fell into two pieces. He handed the blade to Josh and wiped his face with the tail of his T-shirt. "You can cut those in half and that'll give us plenty."

Josh looked very contemplative as he cut into the grass roots. After dividing the first half, he made his first cut into the second. "You know, I didn't want to live without you. I thought it just hurt too much." Josh toyed with the blade, spinning it in his hand and then cutting into the plant again.

Trent folded his arms over his chest as he listened to Josh. "I'm sorry I made you feel like that. I was just being a selfish shit."

Josh worked on finishing the division. Once the halves fell apart, he looked up at Trent and grinning. "Yes, you were a big shit. But I have no intentions of taking it out on you any more. I meant what I told you." Josh motioned to the house. "Hell, we own a house together. How fucking insane is that?"

Trent stepped closer and ran his fingers along Josh's jaw. "It's not insane at all. I plan on living in this house, with you, for the rest of our lives."

Josh put his palms on either side of Trent's face, trapping him gently. "That sounds like a great plan to me. What else you got planned for us, stud."

Trent grinned at Josh and finished planting one of the grass clumps before he spoke. "Well, you do realized the American dream is a house, spouse and two point five kids."

Josh's eye grew to the size of saucers. "Kids! Like people kids?"

Trent laughed at Josh's qualifier. "Yes, people kids, not goat kids."

"Shit!"

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"God damn, mother fuck'n, mangy, stupid mother fuck'n asshole goats!" Trent screamed at the backsides of the herd that had just eluded them again.

"You're losing your touch, you repeated."

Trent glared at Josh, too frustrated to understand why there was humor on his face. "What?"

"You used mother fuck'n twice, usually you cuss so much better."

Trent started to snap back a reply, but recognized the humor in the situation and smiled. "Yeah, well. Hanging around a goodie-two-shoe pussy like you has taken my edge off."

"Good to know," said Josh with a grin. "Now are you ready to try to drive them again? Maybe if we weren't on horseback? I don't think the best Quarter horses in the world could drive goats, and ours aren't Quarter horses."

"My horse is as good as any fuck'n Quarter horse."

"Which wasn't even my point. Let's try it on foot with Max."

"Fine." Trent spit out, swinging his leg over the saddle and then jumping to the ground. He grabbed the reins of both horses and led them to a small grassy opening in the trees. Leaving the horses grazing, he began the long walk to circle the goats, finding Josh and Max waiting for him when he arrive.

Josh motioned Trent beside the herd and sent Max in to sweep the goats from behind. Josh moved opposite Trent, checked to see everyone was in position, and signaled Max to press the goats from behind. Josh was eager to see Max perform since he'd been working with a local handler to teach Max about herding livestock. They'd had a few chances to work with small groups of cows, but this was the first time Max and Josh had the chance to work the goats. Josh enthusiastically signaled Max to pressure the back animals of the herd.

Josh grinned as Max crept up in typical Border Collie style. The goats turned, watching Max as he crawled closer. Josh could see the dog's presence was beginning to work on the goats, they were getting restless, their ears perked toward him and the ones closest pressed against the animals further away. Josh was squirming with excitement as he whistled the signal to move the herd.

All hell broke loose.

In an instant, Josh got a graphic demonstration why you can't use herd dogs on goats. When Max charged the herd, instead of moving as a group like sheep or cattle would, they shot to the four winds. He and Trent were screaming and running as they tried to turn the fleeing goats in the direction they wanted. The pandemonium increased exponentially when Max broke training and began chasing whichever animals were closest to him, making them even less likely to cooperate.

Trent threw up his hands and stomped off, leaving the mess to Josh. Time slowed to a crawl and the number of ways a goat could demonstrate his escape skills increased with each passing second. Feeling like hours had passed and ready to give up, he heard the rattle of a bucket half-filled with feed. Trent walked past, with an ever-increasing herd of animals following him like the Pied Piper. The patchwork quilt of colors paraded in front of him and his face showed the conflicting emotions. He was thrilled the goats were finally cooperative and moving into the new pen, but he also dreaded the 'I told you so' he was going to get from Trent. He had advised against using Max, and had been right.

Josh managed to get Max back under control, and they watched the insatiable goats follow Trent. Josh hunched his shoulders in defeat and not particularly looking forward to facing Trent as he dropped in behind the final goat. Trent was many yards from the gate when Josh trailed in behind the last one and closed the gate. Josh looked up to see Trent motioning them toward him.

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Trent scanned the herd as he sprinkled the last of the bucket of grain across the ground. He wished they had started with the bribe; it just made better sense for them to entice the recalcitrant animals rather than try to force them. But he knew Josh had been excited about the possibility of having Max help move the goats.

It had been a train wreck from the beginning. First, the horses did not like the goats streaming around them and had made their unhappiness very clear. Which meant the herd had scattered several times before Josh suggested they try moving them on foot using Max. Trent had his misgivings about it, but he recognized it was one of those times when Josh was determined to do something, and come hell or high water he was going to do it.

Trent recognized the impending disaster just from the nervous way the goats were moving. He tried to keep them together, hoping he was wrong--right up to the moment they scattered into the heavy brush. He worked to try to keep some going the right direction for a few minutes before throwing his hands up in frustration. At that point Trent started back to the pickup and trailer they'd used to bring the horses.

Trent tromped across the landscape, wishing he'd done this from the beginning but knowing deep down he really couldn't have. On the walk back, bribe in hand, he thought about the last few months and the discussion they'd had the day they did the landscaping around their house. It had been good to talk it through, and Trent was sure it wouldn't be the last time. He knew they would have trouble, but he was confident they would weather the storm.