The Coffee Shop Pt. 05

"How about using that brain of yours for something besides ballast, and thinking for a second? I'm half your size, and I'm still standing up to you. Either I'm crazy, or I'm really really dangerous. Would you like to guess which?" I kept my eyes focused on his as I spoke. I was surprised at the raw cold power that seemed to pour out of my voice.

We locked eyes like that and after about a minute the young punk broke eye contact with me, turned to one of his buddies and said, "They ain't worth it. Let's get out of here."

"No way! I mean to teach these fags a lesson. Ain't no one gonna stop me!" Cried out one of the young punks from the middle of the pack. He walked over to me and grabbed my left arm just above the elbow.

I shifted my attention to him and looked at him. Quickly my eyes found his as I spoke to him "You were warned." With that I used the physical contact between us to access his mind. In the time it took to form the thought I projected the command that his right hand and arm were paralyzed and that the skin from the fingertips to the shoulder of his right hand and arm felt like it was on fire. I had no idea I could do that. I didn't plan it. It just came to me on the spur of the moment. I think I was more surprised than the punk, when it worked.

"What the fuck! He's on fire! He's burning me! Fuck! I can't let go! Somebody get him the fuck off me!" The words were torn from the young punk's throat. He starting crying and sobbing uncontrollably as the pain continued to pour into his brain. In only a few seconds he had been turned from a swaggering bullying young punk into a sobbing whimpering young man.

I was sure that both Andy and the other members of the gang were surprised at this sudden turn of events. I was even more surprised, though I did my best not to show it. I had never had my powers take control of another mind so easily before. I felt stronger more powerful and more in control of myself than ever before. It was as if I knew exactly what to do to handle this situation, and I just went ahead and did it without a moment's hesitation. I had not had any plan in mind when I decided to stand up to that threatening mountain of a young punk. This was just a bit weird, but in a good way. These thoughts flashed through my mind in only a second or two so they did not take my attention away from the young punk who had grabbed me.

"Touch me gentlemen and you will join your friend in his current dilemma," I warned them as I looked over at them. The young punk continued to whimper and cry.

The leader of the pack, whom I had just stared down, spoke softly to me, managing to sound like he was trying to threaten me as well. "Let him go." He waved at his fellow pack members to stay where they were.

"As you wish," I said. I released my controls on him. The young man scurried away from me as fast as he could and back to the safety of his pack. I stood there looking at the six young men, silently daring them to continue their plans to teach me and Andy a lesson.

"Now you know that not all fags are weak and easily bullied by the likes of you. I have no desire to fight with you, gentlemen. You leave me and my friend here alone and we will leave all of you alone. Rest assured that I will defend myself, should you ever attack me, or my friend again, and next time I won't be so gentle. You can count on it. Now, that said, do we have any other business to discuss?" I stood there with my hands and arms hanging by my sides, ready to move in an instant.

"What did you do to me, you freaking fag?" The young punk who attacked me asked.

"Just a little something I learned from a Zen Master of The Empty Hand. That was lesson one. Would you care to try lesson two?" I said in that same cold powerful tone of voice.

"Let's just get out of here," one of the other pack members said in a shaky voice.

"Just wait until next time," the young punk who attacked me, shot back at me as the pack left. The pack leader slapped that young pup upside the back of his head. I smiled to myself as I realized the leader of the pack would make sure the entire pack kept their distance from me and from Andy. I had stared him down and he knew in the bottom of his soul that I wasn't bluffing. I meant what I said. As I thought about it, I realized that deep down I did mean what I had told the pack members. This was not like me, but it felt good to stand up for myself.

"Wow, Paul. That was impressive. It was also the stupidest thing I've ever seen!" Andy said to me when I walked back to where he was standing. "What the hell were you thinking? What the hell is wrong with you?"

I blinked my eyes at Andy and didn't answer him. I was still coming to terms with what I had done.

"All I did was stand up to a bully, Andy. You would have done the same thing," I answered calmly.

"Not without a SWAT team for backup I wouldn't have. They could have hurt us badly or even killed us. What's going on with you anyway?" Andy said. He wasn't satisfied with my answer.

"Let me think for minute," I said as I walked over to the nearby picnic table and sat down. I was different now that I thought about it. What had changed recently? Then I had it, and the conclusion was both thrilling and frightening. "I think I know, Andy."

"Well don't keep it a secret, Paul," Andy prompted me as he stood in front of me waiting for my answer.

"Ever since I touched the coin that the Council of Coins said had picked me, I've fell different. It was subtle at first and I didn't really notice anything. Now though, it seems clear. My powers have gotten stronger, a lot stronger, and they are more potent more penetrating," I said.

"Are you having problems controlling them, Paul?" Andy asked with concern.

"Not at all. Somehow I knew I could handle that pack of punks. You have to admit that not only did I stand up to them, but I kept my cool and didn't use any more force than necessary," I said confidentially.

"You caused that one guy a lot of pain and suffering for a good minute, Paul. That was cruel," Andy said with a frown.

"Yes, and I derived no pleasure from it. Andy, it was necessary to make the point that I was dangerous at least to those punks. I had to back up my warning in case they chose to ignore it. You know as well as I do that punks like that don't heed warnings," I replied.

"I suppose you're right," Andy sighed as he reluctantly conceded to my point. "Why did you decide to stand up to those punks instead of just walking away?"

"I'm out of the closet now, Andy, and nobody is going to force much less scare me back in there. I'm not ready to join a gay pride parade yet, but I'm not going to hide who and what I am anymore. Well, the fact that I'm gay anyway," I answered.

"I see," Andy said.

"Oh, and there was one other isty bitsy teeny weenie reason, too," I said with a grin.

"And what would that be, pray tell?" Andy grinned back at me.

"Nobody, but nobody messes with my man. If they mess with you, then they mess with me and all the demons of hell to boot," I said as I crossed my arms and tried to look mean.

Andy reached out and punched me playfully in my right arm. "You've come a long way, Texas. I'm so very proud of you," Andy said as he grabbed me and hugged me. Before I could even form a reply, he planted his lips on mine and gave me one of those dipped in honey sweet kisses of his that make my head swim and my cock throb. After about a minute he broke the kiss. "What was all that bullshit about a Zen Master of the Empty Hand?" Andy asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, it was bullshit. I figured they weren't smart enough to know better. Besides, I could not have told them the truth," I answered.

"Which is?" Andy prompted me.

"When I touched that young punk, I was not only able to link to his mind and read it, I was able to make him feel physical sensations. I've never been able to do that before, or if I have I never realized it until now. You know what they say about necessity being the mother of invention," I answered.

"You never cease to amaze me, Texas," Andy said with a chuck as he put his arm around my waist and lead me back to our interrupted walk around the lake in the park.

It rained the rest of the day. We went back to my place and Andy spent the night. We had supper together. We talked. We watched a move. We made love. I fell asleep in Andy's arms, which believe me dear reader, is the best place on earth to be.

The next morning we had breakfast and spend the day together. There was nothing noteworthy in what we did. Andy could not spend that evening with me though, as he had to work the next day. Thus I was left to entertain myself for the evening. One of my boys came over to help me clean up. It was Mister Yellow's turn. He enjoyed himself a lot, and I enjoyed watching him move about vacuuming the room while dressed in his tan three piece suit. Yes, dear reader, I did freeze him a few times when he bent over or squatted down, so that I could take a big hard squeeze of his buttocks. I have to keep my boys happy don't I? I mean I didn't derive ANY pleasure from such actions. Yeah, right, and if you believe that then I can offer you a great deal on the Golden Gate Bridge.

I had to face going to bed alone, which was not a desirable situation. It was the price I paid for being involved with a police officer, and I was happy to pay it. Andy was my man. I would not give him up. At least, not easily. I knew now, beyond any doubt that Andy felt the same way about me. Andy's dad had failed to split us up. I knew that we'd still have to watch for actions from Simon Anderson in the future, but we were forewarned now and on our guard. Those thoughts brought me comfort.

We had already proven to ourselves that we could handle what life thru our way. We would continue to do so. Because when you get right down to it, that's all you can do.

It had been a very long time, but late that night I got out the white candle, took it to the living room and lit it. As I sat there alone, with darkness all about me save for the small circle of light given off by the burning white candle I cleared my mind and let calmness wash over my soul. I thought about Andy (like I could stop myself from doing him), and all the things that had happened to us in the past months. Our lives and our relationship had changed and grown in so many ways. There had been bumps in the road but we had found a way over them. In my mind I recalled that image of Andy astride his white stallion, Blizzard, with the sun setting behind them. "Please keep Andy safe, Lord, and thank you for sending Andy to me." I quietly whispered aloud as I prayed. With that final thought I blew out the candle and headed off to bed. I carried that image of Andy with me as I climbed into my bed (my cold lonely because Andy was not there with me, bed), and closed my eyes. Shortly sleep enfolded me. And yes, dear reader, I was wearing one of Andy's unwashed RCMP t-shirts. The red one.

T HE END

Paul Walton and Andrew Anderson will return in "The Coffee Shop VI" .

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