Western Skies Ch. 02

Western Skies - Chapter 2: Storm Warning

Wow, thank you everyone for the kind feedback! Hope I can keep the story up to your expectations. To that end, the installments will take longer to write so expect some time between them.

Note — No, there's not actually a school like this in Bozeman, but there are some high-end boarding schools in the western US. It's just set in Bozeman 'cause I know the area and love it.

Notice: This story contains male/male sexual activity between consenting individuals who are over age 18. If this is not something you are looking for, leave now! Always practice safe sex (even if not depicted in this work of fiction).

—D.

©2020 Zorse_D

***

Soft, straw-colored light filtered through the window, striking my face. I blinked, slowly coming to my senses. The half-formed shapes of the dorm room solidified into recognizable pieces of furniture, gilded beneath the weak morning light. A gentle, cool breeze whispered in through the still-open window, striking the exposed skin of my face where it peeked out from under the covers.

A shiver ran up my spine, and I hunkered down, snuggling closer to the warm body next to me. The warm body next to me.

My eyes flew open, panic boiling up in my veins. My heart quickly sped up to a manic tempo as the memory of last night rushed back. I glanced to my left. Luke was still sound asleep. A peaceful look had taken up residence on his tanned face, barely a hint of morning stubble grazing his jawline. His golden-brown hair was spread out in a messy swirl over the pillow, but he still looked as good as ever.

My stomach flipped, and my panic was tempered by other residual emotions, coursing through me anew in the golden rays of dawn. My soft cock began to harden as I looked down on him, remembering the feel of his talented mouth around it, drawing unspeakable feelings of bliss from within me. Last night was...unforgettable. Without a doubt.

I wondered what else his gentle lips could do, and what they would say to me when he awoke.

The thought of Luke awake, near naked, and laying next to me caused my cortisol level to spike like a geyser, and logical thoughts that had been dulled by whiskey now rose in the forefront of my mind. Was last night a mistake? Would the light of day make him regret what he'd done? Did I regret what I'd done? It was all too much to process, and my conflicting emotions raged within me unencumbered by the dampening, magical effects of alcohol.

I turned to reach for my phone on the bedside table, automatically seeking distraction from my whipsawing emotions. Spots danced around the edges of my vision and an uncomfortable twinge reverberated through my skull, reminding me once more of the inescapable consequences of drinking.

There were two text messages waiting for me. One text was from my dad, only twenty minutes old, wishing me fun day out boating with Evan. He really had been on best behavior ever since moving me out here, more engaged than in years passed. It was a nice change. I made up a quick reply and moved on to the next message, from Evan, sent at about midnight: All good dude? Where you at?

Shit. It was five minutes before eight, still pretty early for a Saturday morning, but I'd always been an early riser. I hurriedly texted him back: Sorry everything's fine, got sidetracked last night. See you in 45 mins. Can't wait to hit the lake.

After a quick scan of social media, I was out of things to do. I let out a long breath, flipping onto my back and staring at the ceiling. For ten minutes or so, I meditated alone in my mind. My eyes began to trace the grain in the wood beam overhead, enjoying the feeling of nothingness.

Beside me, I heard a quiet groan and felt Luke stretch.

"Morning" he whispered into my ear, a playful tone in his voice.

I twisted my head over to look at him. His cocky smile had made an appearance, and his eyes were dancing with sparks like they had the night before. There was no hint of regret in his expression.

My volatile emotions now soared, and I smiled broadly. "Morning."

Luke's arm reached out, pulling me close to him, his hair tickling the back of my neck. Goosebumps erupted on my skin as a tingle ran down my spine. I was always an independent person, but my body seemed to cave beneath his lightest touch. It was a new, vulnerable, and strangely alluring feeling.

"You smell good," he mumbled softly into my ear, squeezing me tighter. Through his boxers, I could feel him starting to harden against me, pressed against my ass cheeks. Instinctually, I rubbed back against him, feeling his cock slowly spread along my crack. Luke's hot breath intensified against my neck and he let out a groan.

"Damn it, you're just so beautiful," he whispered.

I was rock hard again, but the morning-after doubts were still strong with me. This was so much, so fast, so different. I sat up and turned to face him, breaking our close contact. He let out an audible sigh, disappointed that his cock was separated from me.

"You really think I'm beautiful?" I asked him, staring into his face, looking for the lie I couldn't find.

Luke's eyes widened, the flecks of gold and amber glowing, like tiny boats set adrift in a sea of icy gray. "Yes, I do," he said matter-of-factly, like he was just telling me the weather.

I didn't know what to say. He was better looking than I ever could hope to be, so far out of my league. As a friend. And now...whatever this was. Whatever he wanted from me. Maybe I should've said something back, telling him how beautiful he was, but my voice seemed to be stuck in my throat. So I laid back down, staring at the ceiling once more.

Luke rested his hand on my chest, gently caressing me with his long fingers. Last night I was the one who took charge, telling him that everything was fine. Now, it was his turn to calm me, wordlessly demonstrating that I actually meant something to him.

We stayed that way for almost half an hour, me staring at the ceiling and Luke laying against me, resting his arm on the curved ridges of my pecs.

I could see the clock out of the corner of my eye, showing it to be thirty minutes past eight. Sitting up, I stretched, placing my hands on my hips to pop my back. Luke's hand slipped down to my thigh, where he continued caressing my skin.

"I have to go," I mumbled, not looking forward to leaving him, but also relieved to be able to go and process my feelings on my own.

He sighed. "I should probably get up too and go eat something."

We dressed silently, me slipping on the same clothes I had dumped the night before, Luke into a pair of dark jeans and yet another football t-shirt. I walked over to the door, placed my hand on the knob, and hesitated.

"Luke," I began, planning to thank him for inviting me over. Before I could say anything else, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. Luke whipped me around and pressed me up against the door, his hands resting on my obliques.

My vision barely had time to focus before I felt his mouth against mine, the same soft lips that had nuzzled my neck now pressing against my face, surrounding me with a supple, firm pressure.

A gasp escaped me, but I didn't pull back. My eyes shot open before beginning to slowly drift closed, the feeling of his warmth spreading through me. Luke took my lower lip in his own, the gentle feeling of teeth pulling with a barely-controlled strength. My hands closed on his hips and my head tilted up, pushing into him, allowing our faces to become one.

After what seemed like an eternity, my blank mind was filled with a rush of yammering, incoherent thoughts. Heart pounding, I pulled back and looked up at him.

"I...I have to go now..."

My consciousness seemed to float somewhere outside of my body, so that it wasn't me but someone else who I looked down upon as he opened the door and staggered into the hall.

Ignoring greetings from the few other boys out early, I walked, almost ran, to the stairs, taking them two at a time down to the first floor. It was only when I heard the slam of the door to my room that I felt like my mind and body were once again united in the same shell.

"Kaden? Hey? You okay, bud?" Evan was staring at me in alarm, his shirtless torso propped up against a pillow, textbook in hand. It took me a few seconds to realize someone was speaking to me as I stood next to the door.

"Just a bit out of it," I managed, feigning a yawn as I awkwardly turned away, rummaging in my dresser for fresh clothes. "Had a few drinks last night and ended up crashing over in Luke's room."

I grabbed a t-shirt and my swimsuit, turning back to Evan. He was eying me with a suspicious look.

"Okay...right. You just seem different, is all. Like you're having some deep, existential crisis or something." He's not far off, said a little voice in my mind.

Evan perked up, trading his thoughtful, nerdy expression for a sly one. "Or you weren't with Luke last night. You were actually with his sister, fucking her brains out?"

The tension was broken, and I laughed, loudly. It only took a second for Evan to join me. If only he knew it wasn't Luke's sister.

Evan jumped up, grabbing a backpack and tossing in his swimsuit. "Let's go, the lake is waiting. It's supposed to sunny till some cold front blows in tonight. Even nature is wishing you a happy birthday, dude!"

And it was. Thirty minutes later, we were walking across the neat, tree-covered grounds towards the student parking lot, carrying a Yeti cooler between us. The air had warmed quickly, and the bluebird sky seemed to beckon us with the promise of sun-soaked, carefree fun.

With us were two guys Evan played soccer with — Mason and Cole —and Danny, our neighbor in the dorm and my friend from football. After a brief coffee-and-breakfast detour through the Starbucks drive through, we were headed north towards the lake.

The sun shined in the cloudless sky as we wound up the two-lane road, flanked by towering peaks. I stared out the passenger window of Evan's SUV, watching the fields of cut hay and winter wheat whizz by. My mind was busy sorting through the events of last night and this morning. The result was some sort of internal battle, raging within me. Part of my soul yearned to just relax and go forward, seeing where this new road with Luke would go. But another part of me was scared beyond belief, indecisive and tormented by all the 'what if's' of running headlong into some sort of...fling...or relationship?...with another guy.

Some component of me sensed that Luke was wanting more than an occasional release from another dude. He had called me beautiful...and kissed me. It also didn't escape my notice that he chose to take my cock into his mouth, and didn't even ask me to reciprocate.

There was a twinge by my navel. Yes, he kissed me, and I had definitely kissed him back...before my shock, panic and self-awareness overtook me, driving me from the room like a frightened deer.

I felt terrible at high-tailing it out of his room like I did. Normally, I wasn't one to run away from things. Ever. Another twinge of regret hit me as I realized I didn't even have Luke's phone number, so there was no way for me to apologize until I saw him again.

Should I go meet him at the arena tonight?

I told him I would, but the truth was, I was still on the fence as to whether my see-sawing emotions could handle it.

"He's definitely on another planet right now. Poke him in the ribs and see what he does," Cole suggested.

My attention snapped back to the car. Everyone was looking at me. Evan looked concerned, and the rest amused, like I was some mildly interesting animal at the zoo.

"Poke me in the ribs and I punch you in the face," I tossed back, smirking. "Cut me some slack guys, it was my birthday and I'm hungover." With some grunts and a few more snickers, the conversation shifted to the limited number of girls who attended the school.

"Just think about whichever of the football guys make the big plays next week at homecoming," Mason was saying, "They're the ones who'll get lucky, at least before the rest of us. Hope you're ready, Kaden."

Looking back out the window, I pictured myself making a big play and hearing the crowd roar for me. It was what anyone in my position would want. But it wasn't one of the hot, popular girls' faces on my mind, going back to the dorm with me after the game. It was someone else. Someone who was definitely not a girl.

***

Problems and worries ceased to exist during the hours we spent on the water. The clear autumn weather was as glorious as anticipated, one of those sun-kissed days that you wish would last forever. Montana fall weather was fickle, a churning cycle of cool, wind, and clouds dotted with warm, truly spectacular gifts like today. So far, the alleged cold front hadn't made an appearance, but it was supposed to be darting south later in the afternoon.

For the time we were on the lake, we couldn't be troubled with the coming change of weather. All that mattered was the spray of the surf as we took turns wakeboarding behind the boat, skimming along the top of the water. My skills still needed some work —okay, a lot of work, as I had a nasty habit of launching face-first into the wave I was supposed to be on top of.

By the time three o'clock rolled around, we had given up wakeboarding for eating and relaxing. The boat bobbed lazily amidst the huge expanse of water while I laid on my back, eyes closed, somewhere between awake and asleep. A light breeze had picked up from the northwest, jarring the boat. Annoyed, I sat up to look at the waves that had so rudely interrupted the peaceful day. Daniel looked up from where he was rummaging in the cooler, staring towards the sky. "Yo, I think this is our cue to leave. It's coming over the mountains. Right now."

My eyes followed in the direction he was pointing. Sure enough, swirling dark clouds gathered above the mountains that ringed the far side of the valley. They were growing rapidly, and with menacing fury. As if to underscore his point, a crackling nimbus of lightning encircled one of the peaks.

Evan slipped into the driver's seat, turning over the motor and steering us back towards the marina. "Good with me. I'm starting to feel like shit again anyway."

Danny smirked. "That's what happens when you make out with tier-one sluts. You probably have mono." Evan grunted, not answering as he directed the boat through the choppy surf, on a beeline towards the shore.

Apparently, he had gone to some "get together" back home, as he called it, the night before coming out to Montana. He'd bragged about making out with at least three different girls, so Daniel probably wasn't too far off with the mono diagnosis.

By the time the boat was moored securely in its slip, covered, and we were rumbling down the dirt road back to the highway, the thunderclouds had arrived and Evan was as pale as a ghost. He had wordlessly tossed me the keys and climbed into the passenger seat, letting his eyes close as rolling winds and dark curtains of rain streaked across the windshield.

The drive back from the lake was a much more subdued affair, compared to the ride up. The weather seemed to dampen everyone's spirits, signaling the end of summer fun and foreshadowing the coming winter snows, short days, and an endless parade of homework and exams.

Now absent the distraction of the boat, my thoughts returned to their previous state of torment.

With every rumble of thunder came a new pang inside me, indecision gnawing at me like some starving wolf chewing on an elk carcass.

Luke, that asshole.

I didn't know if I should go meet him or not. It was like my soul was stretching itself in two ways at once, torn between the direction where my deep, uncontrollable urges drove me...and the other where my overly-analytical, problem-avoiding mind tugged. What if our classmates found out about us? Or our families? Luke's dad was the congressman for the state of Montana! What would I be getting myself into?

Only yesterday afternoon I was so sure of myself, of who I was and what I was doing...until Luke decided to jump into my life and push me rapidly out of my comfort zone and across a wild, new frontier. Whether to be furious or thankful, I did not know.

Fortunately, driving was an almost meditative experience. The hum of the tires on the road, coupled with the swish-swish of the windshield wipers, lulled me into a trancelike state of emotional clarity. The storm slowly subsided into a steady, gray rain. A sense of calm brushed away anxious, tense thoughts, replacing them with visceral memories of the past day's physical and emotional pleasures.

I started to stiffen at the thought of Luke's mouth around my cock, drawing me into radiant waves of ecstasy. I remembered the feeling of his lean, warm body next to me, laying lazily in bed this morning. I remembered how my arms had wrapped around him the night before, drawing him close like a human shield against the raging storm. God, maybe the universe is trying to telling me something, I thought, smirking as I stared at the rivulets of water running down the window.

We got back to Bozeman around four-thirty. The day had dimmed into semidarkness, buried beneath the heavy weight of the coiling, steel-colored sky.

"Fuck, some cold front," Cole exclaimed as he jumped out of the car. "Fuck," we all agreed in turn, feeling the frigid air hit us like a frozen whip. The temperature had dropped over thirty degrees from when we left the lake, and the drizzle was starting to look like sleet.

"Think I should head home," mumbled Evan, walking around to the driver's side of his SUV. He looked a bit better after napping on the drive home, but still pale as hell.

"Think you can make it? Want me to drive you?" I asked.

"Nah, it's not far. Happy birthday again, bud. Catch you later."

I watched him drive away, deflected dinner invites from the other guys, and meandered back to my room. It was cold in the dorm, and I hurriedly threw on jeans and a flannel shirt before grabbing my car keys and a jacket.

Here goes nothing.

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up to the equestrian center. I ran through the muddy dirt parking lot to one of the doors, sliding inside and out of the wind-driven sleet.

The smell hit me first — the sweet, musty odor of earth, mixed with the gently cloying fragrance of horse. I took a deep breath in, exhaling slowly as I looked around. It smelled like being back in the arena at home. Only, this arena was three times as big. Here, underneath the bright fluorescent lights, surrounded by the still, warm air...it was the type of place I was meant to be.

Only four riders were out in the middle, minding their own business as they worked through circles, figure-eights, and other riding drills. My scanning eyes paused on Luke. He was across the arena, in a side pen, saddling a beautiful buckskin quarter horse. My eyes caught on the dark, slim fitting jeans he wore over a pair of boots. The collar of a dark red, paisley print button-up poked out from the heather-gray pullover stretched over his torso. A smaller bay horse was standing alongside him, already saddled. For me, I guessed.

My feet seemed frozen, so I leaned up against the inner panel fence, watching Luke as he expertly cinched up his saddle. He mounted and broke his horse into a slow jog to warm up, totally oblivious to my presence. After a few minutes circling at the far end, Luke cued the buckskin into a faster lope and came down the side of the arena, ending with a halfway-decent sliding stop fifteen feet away from me.

He noticed me for the first time, his eyes growing wide and fixing on my face.

"You came," he almost whispered.

"I came."

"I wasn't sure you would. Not after this morning."

"You bribed me with horses...you should've known I'd show up. Nice buckskin you've got there, by the way."