The Halls of Academe Ch. 05

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Their enemy is unmasked. Is their ordeal over?
6.6k words
17.5k
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Part 5 of the 7 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 07/10/2006
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I stood stunned for a moment at Drew's revelation. Then I sprang into action. I pulled on my shorts and shoes as fast as I could, grabbed Drew's shorts and started after him. He was already across the paved path halfway up the hill, about to disappear into the wooded ridge above.

"Drew! For Pete's sake, wait up!"

He finally turned around and waited until I had reached him, my middle-aged body panting with exertion.

"Glenn, I'm going to find him," he said. His hair and skin were still damp from our recent swim. His chest was heaving and there was blue fire in his eyes. He looked magnificent. I had to pull myself back to reality.

"Okay, but put your pants on. The way you're going, you'll trip and spear your balls on a cactus somewhere."

That raised a smile, at least. Drew grabbed the shorts from me and put them on in one swift motion, then said, "Okay, let's go."

He started to climb the ridge with sinewy grace, me scrabbling after him. As I tried to avoid losing my footing on the loose rocks on the ridge between the scrubby cedar trees, I wondered just why Drew was so eager to find Nathan. What we would do when we confronted him?

We reached a smoother trail, which led off both to the right and left along the side of the hill. Drew turned to the right.

"I'm pretty sure he went this way."

By now I was out of breath again and sweating, but Drew showed no signs of slowing down. We hiked the ridge for what seemed like a long time, getting further and further away from our spot by the water. We were in a well-known cruising area. A couple of lone men passed us coming in the other direction, naked except for their shoes. They gave us long looks, hoping for some action, but Drew ignored them. His eyes searched the trail ahead and the hill above us.

Suddenly he stopped. "He's up there. And he's with someone."

"Drew, why are we doing this?"

He put a finger to his lips.

"Keep your voice down. You can bet his dad doesn't know he comes out here. But now we do."

"If you're over eighteen it's not a crime," I said, but Drew had already left the path and was threading his way between the trees that were practically the only vegetation on the steep hill. I tried to follow, but slipped on the gravel and almost fell. Drew looked back and offered his hand. I took it. His touch as always sent a jolt through me. I could feel the heat from his body, smell his sweat. The cool dip we had taken a little while ago seemed like ancient history. Despite my fatigue and the doubts in my mind I began to feel the excitement of the hunt.

"Is he--" I started to ask, remembering to whisper.

Drew turned. "Naked? Yeah. And so's the guy who's with him. Look."

He pointed. Some distance through the trees ahead I could see two figures embracing, dappled with the sunlight filtering down through the tree branches. His longish, dark hair told me that the one with his back against a tree was Nathan Lewis. I didn't immediately recognize the other boy, who had shorter, dirty blond hair and fair skin that set off his muscles.

Nathan and his unknown partner were kissing, passionate and lustful. When they broke apart I could see their cocks jutting up between their bodies. We had stopped some distance away so as not to attract their attention, but we needn't have worried. They were oblivious to anyone and anything around them.

I was going to tell Drew we ought to go, that we'd seen enough, but the words died on my lips as I watched the two boys. My breath quickened and I could feel the heat rising between my own legs. I took a quick glance at Drew. He was watching Nathan and his friend with rapt attention, the bulge in his shorts obvious.

"If his father could see him now," he murmured. Neither of us moved a muscle. I told myself it was because I didn't want them to notice us, but the truth was I couldn't tear my eyes away.

The blond was now kneeling and sucking Nathan, whose hands were on his partner's head. His hands were in motion, grabbing and kneading Nathan's butt, roving up his torso and working his tits as his head slid back and forth. Faint moans and gasps reached our ears.

Soon they were both standing again, their tongues wrestling. The blond boy turned Nathan until he was facing the tree. A hand went to his mouth, then to his crotch.

"My god, he's going to fuck him," Drew said. Despite my guilty arousal I was appalled. There was no sign anyone was going to use a rubber.

Nathan bent and grabbed the tree with both hands, arching his back. His partner got behind him, grabbed his cock and guided it toward the target. We saw the quick thrust of the blond's hips and Nathan's head snapped up. His cry of pain rang loud and clear in the warm still air. He whipped his head back and we heard their voices murmuring, probably quarreling over the rough entry.

Nathan must have lost the argument, because he turned back toward the tree and put his head down again. His hair fell in front of his face, hiding it as his friend began to fuck him with quick, hard thrusts. Nathan braced himself with one hand and used the other to jack himself off while the blond hammered his hole. There was nothing tender or gentle about the sex. They were two boys half-crazed with lust, getting their rocks off.

It wasn't long before the gasps and grunts got louder. We saw the blond drill Nathan's ass even faster, his hips becoming a blur of movement. Then he jerked his head back, and I knew he was shooting his load. Spasms shook Nathan's body. Jets of fluid shot from his cock and onto the tree trunk.

We stood frozen, silent witnesses to their shared ecstasy. In a few moments their heads sagged in exhaustion. The blond boy lowered himself toward Nathan, kissing his back and neck, keeping his cock buried inside his ass. Nathan raised his head, smiling. As he brushed his hair back he turned his gaze in our direction. His eyes flew wide open, the look of startled horror in them almost comical.

"Oh shit!"

In a second the two naked boys were racing away through the woods in separate directions, sliding in the gravel, breaking branches in their haste to get away. When they were out of sight Drew turned to me and grinned.

"Guess they weren't into being watched."

I had been totally caught up in spying on Nathan's tryst, but now shame began to overcome my lust.

"We shouldn't have done that."

Drew shrugged. "They had their fun. So they got a little surprise. That'll teach 'em to fuck in the woods." He turned toward me. "Let's go. We've got to get our stuff."

We retraced our steps, trudging back down the hill toward the lake. Drew had a slight smile on his face. Something about his expression made me uneasy. "Drew, what are you thinking?"

"Well, I see us making a little deal with Mr. Lewis. He drops the sexual harassment charge and we won't tell Daddy what we saw him doing today."

I stopped in my tracks. "That's blackmail."

Drew's jaw set in that stubborn way I knew so well. "And your point? Hasn't that creep caused us enough trouble? We can shut him up for good."

"There's got to be another way." I didn't know why I was taking Nathan's side. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I knew how Nathan felt. I knew what it was like to hide, to sneak around, always worrying about getting caught.

"Jesus, Glenn. Are you defending him? After what he did to us? Plastered 'fag' and 'queer' all over our office doors?"

"We don't know for sure he was the one." Something was nagging at me, tickling like a burr at the back of my mind, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I only knew I had to stop Drew from following his impulse to smash Nathan.

"Look, Drew. Suppose you try your plan on Nathan and it backfires. He goes to Elden and tells him you're threatening him. Elden goes to Jon."

"Then I'll tell them what was going on here. You can back me up."

"And the fact that you saw it? Elden doesn't like you. He could make plenty of noise about your just being at a nude beach. And Jon's already let us down once. I wish I didn't have to say this, but I'm not at all sure he'd defend you, especially since you're already under suspicion of sexual harassment." I didn't want to think about what might happen to me as well, tenured or not.

I saw Drew's face change. He saw what I was getting at and didn't like it. His fists clenched in frustration.

"Damn it. I hate that little shit."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "Nathan recognized us. If we sit tight I bet we'll hear from him first."

Drew thought about this. "Maybe you're right. But I'm telling you, Glenn, I don't know how I can just go on teaching him as if nothing happened."

I looked him in the eye. "That's exactly what you're going to do. And promise me one more thing."

"What?"

"If he comes to you, don't say or do anything. Just refer him to me."

Drew opened his mouth to protest, but I shook my head.

"I'm serious, Drew. Let me handle it. That's a request from your chair."

He stared, then lowered his eyes.

"Okay. I guess I did mess it up pretty bad the last time."

Inside I sighed with relief. I could only hope Drew would keep his word and not do anything rash. "We'd better get back to our spot. You want to take another dip? We sort of cut things short."

Drew shook his head. "Nah. All this walking's tired me out. Besides," he said with a leer, "Watching them back there got me kind of hot. Maybe we should go home and try that position ourselves."

I laughed. "One-track mind."

Things happened fast after that.

Nathan Lewis was absent from Drew's class for a week. I called the Academic Dean's office to find out if something had happened to him. There was no report of illness or other emergency. I thought about telling Elden about his son's disappearance from World History, but decided against it. He'd find out soon enough.

Drew got a message that the hearing concerning the sexual harassment charge against him had been scheduled for late March. I was still hoping there wouldn't have to be one.

But the most important thing happened purely by chance.

One day after my morning class I was walking toward the Union building to get a cup of coffee. As I got to the main entrance a student was walking out.

I have to admit I notice attractive male students around campus, though I try not to be too obvious about it. This one wore jeans and t-shirt, pretty much the standard male uniform around campus, but the t-shirt fit like a glove on his shoulders and chest, which were packed with muscle, surprising on his short, slender frame. The Levis were likewise tighter than the loose baggy things that were the style these days, bulging at the crotch in a way that would have caught my eye anywhere.

Trying not to stare at the obvious place I met his gaze, and started. Icy blue eyes glared at me beneath a shock of dark blond hair.

Why would a Steelman student I didn't know look at me with such hostility?

An abstract starburst design was emblazoned on the tanned skin of one bare forearm. In an instant my thoughts snapped into focus.

The tattoo had been only a blotch from fifty feet away in the woods, but the color combination-bright blue on pale gold-was something I'd remembered.

I didn't let my face give anything away as I entered the building, but my heart was pounding, my mind whirling. Nathan's boyfriend was another Steelman student. I'd probably seen him before around campus. That was what had been bugging me when I was trying to talk Drew out of blackmailing Nathan.

He in turn had recognized me as one of the dirty old men who'd been spying on them. What might he do with that knowledge?

I phoned Philip Ramsey that afternoon. For someone so discreet, Phil was pretty up on who was gay on campus and what they were up to. I figured he might know Nathan's friend in the woods.

He guessed why I was calling. "Any leads on the perp?" he asked.

"Maybe. Is your office door shut?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

I described the student I'd seen that morning. Philip didn't take long to hazard a guess.

"Sounds like it could be Paul Heller. You think he did it?"

"I don't know. Could be."

"Hmm." Phil paused. "Well, for what it's worth, Paul Heller deserves his name. Remember me telling you about LEGAL, the gay students' association, voting to endorse outing? Paul's in LEGAL, and from what I hear, he was one of the ones pushing the idea the hardest. Said it was the only way to smash institutionalized oppression on the Steelman campus. What makes you think he's the one?"

I wasn't about to tell Philip the whole story, much as I liked him. "Not sure, Phil, but he certainly has it in for me for some reason. Gave me a look that could've frozen hell over. And I've never had him in class, had no idea who he was until you told me."

"Well, that's not a whole lot of evidence. Maybe you flunked his boyfriend or something."

"Yeah, maybe. Thanks." I hung up the phone and thought. So Nathan's bud was a member of LEGAL. He could have had access to the posterboard. It would make more sense, though, if the nasty signs had appeared after we'd seen them making it in the woods, rather than before. Otherwise, what did he have against me?

I had the feeling that pieces of the puzzle were falling together, and that the key, as it always had been, was Nathan Lewis. I reminded myself of what I had told Drew--it was better to wait, let him sweat a little. Still, it was hard not to seek him out myself and demand some answers.

I got them sooner than I could have imagined.

It was five o'clock the next afternoon. Despite all this hanging over our heads the normal business of Steelman College had to go on, and I was exhausted after a long day of teaching and work. I leaned back in my chair, stretching and yawning, my eyes bleary from staring at the computer screen. I'd just about decided to pack it in and call Drew when I heard a voice at my door. "Dr. Reynolds?"

Nathan must have planned to come when there weren't going to be many people around. I kept my face impassive. "Come in."

He entered the office, shutting the door behind him. I briefly debated telling Nathan to keep it open, then decided against it. Surely he wasn't going to level a sexual harassment charge at me as well. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Nathan Lewis. My father's Professor Lewis, in the English Department."

I nodded, not letting on that I knew very well who he was.

Nathan shifted back and forth on his feet, avoiding my eye. I couldn't help noticing how thin he was, how tired he looked, his hair unkempt and dark circles under his eyes.

"Could I sit down?" he asked.

I indicated the sofa. He sat in silence for several moments, then burst out, "I- I came to see what you were going to do."

"Do?"

Nathan finally looked at me. His eyes were wide and haunted. "About what you all saw last week. At the lake."

I paused a long time before I answered. "Nathan, Dr. Ohlen and I have not said a word to anyone about that. And we have no intention of doing so."

"I don't believe you!" Nathan exclaimed, startling me with his vehemence. He got up and paced the small office, grabbing his hair with clenched fists, then turned to me again. "Please. I'll do anything. Just don't out me to my dad. He'll disown me, if he doesn't kill me first."

I shook my head. "I'm telling the truth. We're not outing anyone." I couldn't resist adding, "Dr. Ohlen and I have been outed ourselves recently. We know how unpleasant it is."

"That wasn't me." Nathan interrupted. "You've got to believe me."

"Okay, then." I held his gaze. "Got any idea who it was?"

"No." Nathan's eyes shifted. I didn't believe him, but decided not to push it for the moment.

"You know, Nathan, Dr. Ohlen and I are concerned about you."

Disbelief appeared in his face. "Why?"

"Well, we couldn't help noticing--your partner wasn't using protection."

"You mean a rubber?" Nathan snorted. "He'd never do that."

"So you and he are monogamous?"

Cynical laughter. "That's a good one. Paul's fucked every gay guy on campus, and some straight ones too."

I sighed. "So he's such a good fuck he's worth risking your life for?"

Suddenly Nathan's face crumbled in anguish. "No," he choked out. "Every time I tell myself I'm not going to do it any more with him. He won't let me break up. Says he'll tell my father if I do."

Indignation rose inside me. "Nathan, that's blackmail. You don't have to put up with that."

He gave me a weary look. "You have no idea what my dad is like about gays. What he says about them. I know I never should have gotten mixed up with Paul. I couldn't help it. He just does something to me. That's how he got me to tell him about Dr. Ohlen."

"That you had a crush on Drew?"

"Yeah. He's hot." Nathan blushed. "I'm sorry. I know you and he--"

I shook my head. "No problem. What happened?"

"From the first day in his class I couldn't think of anything but him. I acted like an idiot. Sent him stupid little notes. I couldn't talk to him. Couldn't even hand in my papers in person. Had to go by his office and slide them under the door when I knew he wasn't there."

So Nathan had been the one who had written those anonymous messages. "But he didn't return your feelings."

"He had no idea. I was just the dweeb sitting in the back, the class screw-up. I got so mad after a while. Why couldn't he see how I felt?"

"So you'd thought you'd get even. That's why you filed the harassment charge."

"Yeah." Nathan brushed his hair out of his face, the same way he'd done at the lake. His hands were fine, pale with long delicate fingers. "Stupid, huh? After a while I was sorry I'd done it. I finally screwed up the courage to go to Drew's--I mean Dr. Ohlen's office. I was going to tell him how I felt, ask him to forgive me. I lost it--started crying in front of him. He was nice, he hugged me. But then--he told me he had someone."

He looked at me again. "I guessed right away it was you. I'd seen you guys together. You can just tell sometimes."

I knew he was right. Dirk and I had tried our best to stay hidden back in that small Oklahoma town-but someone had guessed our secret. It was the old nightmare again. Remembering the despair and anger I'd felt made my voice harsh.

"So you got mad all over again. Decided to get revenge. Make me and Drew suffer for standing in your way."

"You mean the signs? I told you I had nothing to do with that." Nathan's voice rose. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Then who are you protecting, Nathan? You know who did it." Nathan was silent. "Don't you?"

No answer.

"It was Paul, wasn't it?"

My shot had hit home. Nathan's eyes grew even wider, and the color drained from his face.

"H-how did you know?"

He looked ill with fright. A voice inside warned me not to go too far, that this boy could be pushed over the edge real easy. I kept my voice calm.

"Just a guess. Paul's your boyfriend. He'd be jealous of anyone you like. He's a hothead who thinks outing people is social justice. I bet it was real easy to put him up to it."

"But I didn't!" Nathan was on the verge of tears. "I had no idea he was going to do that, Dr. Reynolds. He'd been after me to sleep with him for quite a while. After that meeting in Dr. Ohlen's office I was a basket case. I guess I was an easy mark. After we went to bed he got me to tell him everything. Somehow hearing about you and Dr. Ohlen pissed him off the most, I don't know why.

"When he told me that he'd put up the signs I couldn't believe it. Said I was going to turn him in. Then he got ugly, said he'd go to my father if I told, or if I broke up with him."

He looked at the floor. Despite all the trouble he had caused us I felt sorry for him.

"Nathan, listen to me. You can put all of this behind you."

He turned to me. "How?"

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