The Gift

Thanks to several readers for their formatting suggestions.

Part 1

He lay there, thinking: "That's all that is left of me...pure thought. How lovely my life could have been. How full, how wondrous, how invigorating." Just a dead corpse. Nothing more. But wait. There definitely are thoughts there. His thoughts.

"And what about me?" It is the voice of another. The deceased would have bucked and hit his head on the lid, if he had any body strength left in him.

"Who? Who are you? Your voice is familiar!" He strains to remember.

"Andrew." The reply comes quickly. It is but one word; yet filled with emotion.

"Drew? Now way! It's been fifty years...you...you left us so long ago." His mind fills with the tears that his body can no longer make.

"Yeah, bud. It's me. I've been waiting for you."

Backstory:

William and Andrew joined the service at the same time. Will from the East Coast; Drew from the West. Their paths first crossed at basic training in Texas, where the two had beds side by side...along with fifty other virile and horny young men.

"Damn, they came on my commode again!" Everyone had a job assigned to them by Sargent Tucker. Drew cleaned the toilets. Every morning, while Will and the others went about their chores, the voice of Andrew could be heard bellowing and echoing from the stalls. It was always the same.

"Cum on the seats. Cum on the walls. Damn it guys! Wipe it up, at least, will ya?!"

No one would admit to the obvious. Everyone knew that everyone else beat off in the stalls. It was just too obvious; what with all those hot men around-and too openly gay, to do it in the showers. But oh, how Will loved seeing Drew in the showers.

"Okay bud, unglue your eyes from my body and let's get some snackables before bed." They laughed together. Drew was nothing if not direct. Will, on the other hand, was withdrawn...quiet, reserved...a bubbling cauldron within an outwardly calm and cool shell. The two had formed a friendship early on. Opposites attract, after all. It was a rather fun time in basic training, despite the rigors and requirements put on the men. Andrew was the popular guy of their squad. Will had eyes only for Drew. William had no idea just how deep their friendship would become. But Andrew did.

Two Years Later

William is now stationed in California. He had graduated top of his class; and he holds the enviable position as assistant to the head of the hospital laboratory. No one will fuck with the head man's assistant. William knew that from the start; and had studied his pert little ass off to get the coveted position.

"The party for the new guys is this Thursday. Come on, Will, we count on you to be there." Teddy leans in and presses his hand on the shoulder of his 'friend'.

"Sure you do - I hold the key to the alcohol lockup." William sports a smirk, that betrays his love of parties, to the man who has become his lover. Will opens the cabinet, and hands Teddy a bottle of absolute alcohol. After checking that no one can see, they share a brief yet passionate kiss, aware of the dangers of being caught.

Thursday

"Let's hear it for the new guys on the team!" William holds up a cup of the punch spiked with his 'gift', as twenty five Air Force men and women toast the five new arrivals. Five newly transferred men walk into the room for the first time. William drops his cup. As they mingle and move about, the five split up, and start to form new friendships. One man seems uninterested in finding new mates.

"Hello, Will." He stands looking down, as the spilled drink soaks into a wad of paper towels.

"Hello." William is at crotch level, and can not help but see the excited state of the new arrival. He stands. Andrew wears a smile as radiant as the sun. He reaches and grabs Wills hand, for a firm and long shake. William is too stunned to speak. Teddy watches from the sidelines and begins a slow, yet deliberate, walk toward the pair; straining to hear the conversation.

"I work in procurement now, Will. Had the chance to pick my new assignment. You and I hit it off in basic. I checked the assignment rosters. It's good to see you again."

"You too, Drew. Kind of sorry we lost touch after my first year here. I never forgot you, though." William beams as he and Andrew lock eyes. Teddy reaches out and puts his hand on his lovers shoulder.

"Will. Don't hog the new guy! Share the riches!" Teddy drills his gaze into Will as he speaks, ignoring Andrew.

"Teddy, this is Andrew...we...we went to basic together." William keeps his gaze on Andrew as he speaks, ignoring Teddy.

The three men sit together; and share as much of themselves as good poker players do. When it is time to leave, all three rise, and Teddy takes the lead.

"See you back at the house, Will. I'll get things ready for our usual Thursday night." Teddy does his best to tactfully 'tag' his lover. Andrew notices.

"Nice to meet you, Teddy." Andrew extends his hand.

"It's Theodore. Yeah. You too." Teddy turns and leaves the two behind.

"Ooh. Winter already?" Andrew feels the chill, as does Will.

"He, uh...we are actually..."

"It's okay, Will. I get it. You and I have a history of our own, though it's not as clear to you as it is to me. Gotta settle in. Let's talk this weekend." Andrew gives William a manly and brief bear hug, turns, and leaves the party. Will watches his every slow motion step. The way he moves. The strength of his muscular back. The swivel of his hips and the sway of his butt. William feels the tightness in his briefs; and looks down at the small wet spot seeping through to his trousers. He thinks of Teddy. He knows there is trouble ahead.

Part 2

"What? Did you two fuck in the closet at basic?" Teddy is red faced.

"No. We were just good friends. Andrew is straight.." Will betrays his words with his innermost thoughts, thoughts that somehow Teddy can sense.

"Bullshit! Everyone saw you drop the cup! And the way the two of you cozied up from minute one - BULLSHIT!" Teddy pushes William, and he hits the floor hard. The two tussle as Teddy connects blow after blow to Wills face, neck and chest. Teddy is shorter by three inches, but more powerfully built. He is hot tempered. He is aggressive. He is possessive. He pushes himself roughly off of the bleeding, and defensively curled up body, of the bruised and battered man.

"Get up! Get the fuck up!" He is furious. Will slowly uncurls and stands. He is shaken, and cowed. Yet he gazes directly into Teddy's eyes. The swollen face gets to Teddy. He retreats.

"Don't hate me, Will. I'm sorry. You know I love you. No one can come between us."

Will listens. He is unmoved. He is resolute. This is over. He begins to think of his way out. Be careful, Will.

"It's okay, Theo. You made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes." William's mind races in a different direction than do his words..

"Let's go to bed, Willy. I'll make it up to you." William is silent and still as he allows Teddy to fuck his aching body. The fullness of Teddy's cock holds no joy for Will this night. He manages to get through the ordeal by thinking of Andrew. He sees Drew in the showers, watches him move closer; feels his hands caress his impossibly needy body. All those thoughts of making love with Andrew fill his pounding head; temporarily making the assault on his ass bearable - if only due to the mental substitution of Drew for Teddy.

The Next Morning

"Tell them you fell after the party." Teddy looks more concerned for his own reputation than for the welfare of Will.

"Yeah." Will leaves, gets treated at the infirmary; and sees Andrew approach.

"Crap, Will. WTF happened?" Will tells Andrew all about his two year subjugation to Teddy's angry and controlling temperament. Andrew looks resolute.

"Stay with me tonight. We need to talk, anyway. Call Teddy and tell him they are keeping you in the hospital for a possible rib fracture with complications." William makes the call.

"It pains me to see you like this. I want to kill that bastard!" Andrew gently embraces Wills now sobbing form; and allows his buddy to cry on his shoulder. The stream of tears knows no end. Will feels a kiss on the side of his head. He melts to the possibility. Tears cease; and yield to the kiss that follows to his neck. To his cheek. To his mouth.

"I told you our history was more clear to me than to you, Will. I knew you had the hots for me in basic, and you never caught on how I felt about you, because I just couldn't come clean then. But I can now." Andrew begins to unbutton Wills uniform. He gently caresses Wills bandaged bruises.

"Let's make up for lost time."

Part 3

Andrew quickly gets naked. He eases Will onto his bed. Will is in no condition for acrobatics; and Andrew is his doting and loving partner this night. Wills' mind floats somewhere between reality and fantasy. He knows that Andrew is going down on him. He feels the sweet tingle of wet lips to his engorged erection. The tongue that explores his manhood sends quivers up his spine. The tightness in his balls becomes unbearable when Drew gently pulls at them. With all the strength of a stricken bull, Will arches his back, and unloads a pent-up torrent of semen into the mouth, throat, and belly of a very willing and hungry Andrew. Tears run down Wills bruised cheeks. He struggles to speak.

"Teddy will..."

"No way. I'll deal with Teddy!" Andrew curls lovingly to Will, and they fall asleep.

The Next Day

"Where were you last night? I called the hospital." Teddy is uncharacteristically calm. He maintains a distance from Will. Will clears his throat to speak.

"Andrew and I..." Teddy does not wait to hear the rest. He bolts off in the direction of the parking lot.

That Night

"William. Please come into my office. Take a seat." Major Connors, Wills boss, sits next to him, in front of the office desk. "I have some news for you."

"My friend, Sargent Tucker and I, we go way back together. He recommended that I accept Andrews transfer here, knowing that he and you were...friendly." Will listens intently. He deeply respects Major Connors. "There has been an accident."

Part 4

The funeral for Andrew drew a good crowd. He hardly had time to form new friendships, but his aura made a good impression on those he had met. William was devastated. Teddy was aloof. The investigation revealed that Andrews motorcycle had been tampered with. After debriefing William, it became clear that Teddy was the cause.

"I just wanted him to crash, not to die." Teddy was dealt with by a military court.

As the years pass, William makes a life for himself, as best he can. He never stops wondering about the possibilities of life with Andrew, a life he holds in his heart, until his own death, fifty years to the day after Drew's.

"I knew you would come. I had faith." The sound of Andrews words resonate inside of Will. He feels only joy. A lifelong believer in the oneness of all creation, William lets himself mentally float toward the sounds of his long lost friend. No, not lost - just temporarily sidetracked.

"I've worn the gift you gave me in basic for my entire lifetime, Drew. I have it around my neck even now." William 'sees' the vision of his Andrew awaiting his passage. He feels himself move toward Drew; and they embrace.

The Gift:

Always remember

you are braver

than you believe,

stronger

than you seem,

and smarter

than you think,

Loved more

than you know.

The End?

It Never Ends