Western Skies Ch. 04

Western Skies - Chapter 4: Homecoming (Part Two)

Sorry for the wait folks! This installment is a very slow burn. It's also the longest so far, and was far more challenging for me to write than originally anticipated. I could keep tweaking it for another week, but there's a point when you have to just go for 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

***

Disjointed, malformed visions raced through my head. Unbidden dreams came to me as my subconscious mind sifted though its memory vault, trying to make sense of the last few weeks. First came fragments of my new life in Montana; images paraded haphazardly beneath my eyelids, clear as daylight but just out of reach. I was driving the splendid Beartooth Highway with my dad, the day before I moved into the dorm...then it was my first day at school...and then Luke looking at me over his shoulder, blushing...

The scene shifted again and my blood thickened. I was horseback, on a trail cut into a towering mountain. Below me, an enormous valley lay upon the land, boxed in by distant peaks for as far the eye could see. The valley floor was spotted green and gold, bisected by the shimmering blue of a river that serpentined off to infinity.

A crisp, refreshing breeze rustled over my neck, cooling the exposed skin between my shirt collar and hat. Next to me was Luke, looking serene and beautiful astride his own horse. He grinned, melting my insides with his charming smile and kind, honest eyes. Riding over to me, he leaned across, his lips moving ever closer to mine...

My eyes snapped open. An angry buzz was droning from the alarm clock next to my bed. With a groan, I sat up, whacked the clock, and stretched. Across the room, Evan stirred weakly before turning over to face the wall. As a morning person, waking up at the first sound of the alarm didn't seem like a monumental challenge. Evan, respectfully, would disagree. I chucked my pillow at him, earning an angry glare accompanied by a few choice expletives.

"Come on, dude," I said reproachfully. "You always tell me not to let you oversleep."

Evan rumbled about hating the world, but slid out of bed to dress. Before long, we were walking out of the dorm and into Friday. Game day. Overhead, turbulent iron-colored clouds coiled round one another as they tried to hold back the struggling sun. It was an ominous sign. My insides seemed to be of the same mind as the sky, coiling and churning low in my gut: tense anticipation for the coming game had finally hit me.

We walked groggily to the cafeteria, procured coffee and waffles, then huffed loudly as we sat down next to Danny and Mason. "Weather looks awfully Canadian this morning, doesn't it?" joked Danny. "Hope we don't get rained out tonight."

I grunted in agreement and scanned the cafeteria, watching students trickle in two or three at a time. There was no sign of Luke yet, but Logan was marching straight towards our table with his tray. He looked uncharacteristically alert this morning, and he actually ruffled my hair before sitting down.

"Ready to run like a champ later, Kaden? It's game day!" It usually took all of first period for Logan to fully wake up in the morning, but today he was practically bouncing off the walls.

"How much coffee have you already had, dude!" I laughed, returning my attention to the waffles in front of me.

"None at all!" he quipped. "Morning Luke!"

My eyes snapped back up, watching Luke quietly pick his way between tables as he walked towards us. It took a moment for me to notice Tristan strolling over alongside him. Tristan must've noticed me staring at Luke, because a small, knowing smile slowly tugged at his mouth. My eyes narrowed and I stared back, daring him to say something. He sat down across from me, next to Luke, only dropping his smug grin when he began to chat animatedly with Danny.

Luke himself looked as good as ever this morning, gray eyes soft but alert, his golden-brown hair casually swept over his forehead and tucked behind his ears. Like the rest of us football players, Luke was wearing one of his practice jerseys and a pair of ass-hugging khakis that, in my biased opinion, broadcast his lean, toned physique for all the world to see.

Like moths to flame, more identically-dressed football players meandered over to our table, standing around to trade comments and jokes with Luke and Logan, the stars of the team. It was a long-standing tradition that we all dressed up on game days, boosting camaraderie ahead of day's on-field competition. We bantered, excitedly talking through our plays and the relative merits of the team we were set to go up against that night.

The shrill buzz of the warning ball interrupted the thrum of our conversation. Tristan stretched and fixed me with another smirk as we all stood up to leave.

"Well gents, I'll see you guys tonight." He leaned towards me and lowered his voice so only I could hear. "Eyes on the ball and not the quarterback, dude."

My cheeks instantly burned. I glanced left and right, but no one else heard, not even Luke. Tristan snickered loudly and walked off, leaving me flustered.

I headed off towards class, wondering for just how much longer Luke and I's secret could stay safe.

***

The day passed in a blur. I walked outside after the final bell and was instantly blinded: bright, dazzling sunlight forced me to look down and blink until my pupils adjusted to the sudden change. It was a pleasant surprise after the morning's foreboding clouds and light raindrops. The air was warm but not hot, and slightly moist; breathing deeply, I felt a pang of nostalgia for humid Texas days. Back home it was a discomfort, but up here, the hint of moisture was a refreshing break from the constant dryness.

When the sun angled down towards the mountains in the distant west, Danny and I left the dorm and headed towards the athletic center. A gaggle of giggling junior girls passed us along the way, flashing us admiring smiles as they went. Their wishes of good luck followed us along the path, putting a bounce into our step.

A quick team dinner faded into an hour long coaching session in the locker room. The coaches waxed on and on about the other team's talent and their playbook from last year. For what felt like forever, we reviewed plays, field conditions, and some last minute film. When it was finally time to dress and warm up, my heart began to beat faster and my muscles began to tense. Excited chatter buzzed throughout the locker room. It was time.

Walking out onto the field, my mind cleared. The sun was just above the horizon, though the lights had already come on, drowning out the lengthening shadows with their austere white brilliance. Breathing in deeply, I could smell grass and pine needles. The bleachers were still mostly empty, and the air was quiet and cool. I stood for a moment, surveying the field, as my excited teammates bounded out around me. Noah the linebacker interrupted the moment, slapping my back with a massive hand as he jogged by, chortling, "Run fast, dude, and watch out for their secondary!"

Laughing, I followed behind him as we ran out into the middle of the field to begin stretching.

***

The other team wasn't bad, but we were pretty good. Luke put on an impressive show — a performance worthy of the team star. As the third quarter faded into the fourth, he'd racked up two touchdown receptions and more yards than I could count. We were up 20-17 with a minute to go, our offense in possession on our own 40 yard line. The sideline was tittering, all of us hoping that we could hold out.

With thirty-five seconds on the clock, I watched in abject horror while one of our team's other running backs got hammered by a lineman. The ball popped out in a slow arc, bounced a few haphazard feet along the ground...and ran right into the waiting hands of an opposing linebacker. He scooped up the ball and chugged down the sideline unmolested, passing into our end zone accompanied by the vigorous cheers of the opposing fan section.

Silence emanated from our sideline and from our fans. The cheers from the visiting spectators continued on, echoing garishly into the night. Dread began to well up within me. When they made the extra point, a hard pit formed in my stomach. There would be no option to tie with a field goal...we would need a touchdown to win.

There were twenty-two seconds on the clock when they kicked the ball. Luke was on the kick return, bringing it out to our thirty yard line before getting shoved out of bounds.

Seventeen seconds on the clock. I was in, our other starting halfback having been relegated to the bench, where he sat stony-faced ever since the fumble. Logan completed a beautiful pass to Tristan for his first play, who managed to snag eleven yards before he deftly stepped out of bounds, stopping the clock with fourteen seconds and a first down for us.

Huddling up, Logan spoke. "Okay, running play. I've thrown it to Luke a lot so that's probably what they're thinking we'll do right now. If this doesn't work, it's gonna be back to that. Kaden, their line has been dragging ass on the left side and I think you can push through. If you don't see clear lane, run it out so we have time for a couple throws." He called for a left slant and the huddle broke.

My heart was pounding, adrenaline surging through me as we lined up. A second later I got the handoff, ducked hard left, and quickly outstripped the defensive end and linebacker close behind him. Mentally screaming, I shot forward, angling towards the sideline like the devil himself was hot on my heels. I felt hands on my waist that soon fell away. Ten yards flew by, and I dodged around a cornerback. Twenty yards. Chugging ahead like a thoroughbred at the Kentucky Derby, I saw the only remaining obstacle between me and victory: a safety, angling himself right into my path. He ducked low for the tackle, and my instincts took over. Leaping as high as my legs would allow, my toes brushed his back...and miraculously cleared him. When I landed, the ground hit me with a jarring thud, causing me to stumble. For a brief moment, I felt my panic surging, afraid that I'd fall. My balance stabilized, and my feet kept pounding. Through gritted teeth I pushed myself as hard as humanly possible. My watering eyes glanced away from the rapidly approaching pylon, cautiously scanning for anyone quicker than me who might be right on my tail...

There wasn't anyone close enough to stop me.

Lifting my head, I charged the remaining dozen yards into the end zone, dropping the ball and raising my hands. I had barely slowed down to catch my breath, the deafening cheers of the crowd filling my ears, when a crushing pressure rammed into my side and the world spun upside-down.

Twisting, I hit the ground — hard. An intense pain radiated through my left wrist as my arm was pinned beneath my helmet. Air was driven from my lungs and my mouth opened in a noiseless yelp, unable to utter a sound. Before I could comprehend what was going on, the weight of the bulky body that had rammed me disappeared, and my breathing began to return in short, choppy gasps.

I sat up quickly, dazed. Logan and Tristan were running over, followed closely by a couple of our coaches. I focused on my breathing, slowly regaining control over my lungs. In and out. In and out. As awareness returned, my attention snapped back to the sharp pain in my wrist. I tried to move it but was stopped by a hot bolt of pain that made my eyes water. It was stiff and already swelling up like a walnut.

My ears could make out yells and obscenities being hurled back-and-forth. There seemed to be a commotion about twenty yards away, where most of my teammates stood, facing down a growing group of the opposing team. Coaches and referees were rushing to break players apart before the scuffle grew more serious. Two penalty flags had already been thrown.

"Kaden! You alright?" Coach T was staring at me, ignoring the noise. When I nodded, he smiled. "That was a hell of a run, Kaden, you should be proud of yourself. There's a few seconds left on the clock so we'll kick off and then put this game in the bag." Coach helped me to my feet and we started back towards the bench. By now, the team doctor — a local volunteer— had made it down from the stands. After a brief examination, he recommended a visit to urgent care for a wrist x-ray and to make sure I didn't have a concussion.

My dad was standing behind the bench, his facial expression conveying a conflicted storm of emotions: an amused smile was the most noticeable, but his eyebrows were drawn together in concern. Head spinning, I started over towards him. Before I could make it all the way, a mob of my teammates descended around me to see if I was alright — Luke in front.

His lips were pressed tight in concern, his face pale. A small cut on his lower lip was beginning to ooze blood, but he didn't seem to care. "You alright, Kaden? That bastard knew you were way in but didn't stop, he lowered his helmet and everything...fucking piece of shit..." Luke was practically spitting fire, seething like I'd never seen him before. I was beginning to suspect who'd started the fight with the other team.

Amidst an onslaught of teammates offering congratulations and checking to see if I was alright, my dad pushed through, hooking an arm around my back. He smiled, "Come on. Let's go get that x-rayed."

Luke gave me another squeeze on the shoulder before I turned to leave, the rest of the team dispersing to refocus on the handful of seconds left in the game.

With a sigh, I turned and made my way out to the parking lot with my dad, trying to ignore the fire throbbing within my wrist. This was definitely not how I'd pictured the night going. As I opened the car door with my good hand, a cheer went up from our side of the bleachers. A grin spread across my face...there was a silver lining, after all. We were 1-0.

***

An hour later, I stepped out of the shower at my dad's house and attempted to dry off without using my left hand. We'd spent barely forty minutes at urgent care, which was thankfully empty when we arrived. The verdict was a hairline fracture near my wrist...which meant no football for the next six weeks. That put me in a bad mood the entire way home, which only got worse when I realized how annoying it was to baby my left arm.

Slipping on the splint they'd given me, I wandered out of the bathroom and to my room. It was basically a guest room at this point...I'd only spent a few days in my dad's house before moving into the dorm, and the only personal touch in the room was my pile of abandoned football pads in the corner.

My dad knocked on the doorjamb, drawing my attention.

"How's it feeling? Any better?" he asked.

"Yeah, think so," I mumbled. They'd given me a bottle of prescription-strength Advil, which I gratefully put to use almost immediately. "It's kind of a dull ache now. Could've been worse."

He smiled. "Good. I was thinking, how about we go out and get some coffee in the morning?"

"Sure, dad, that'd be nice." I yawned.

"Alright then. Goodnight, 'Kade." He shut my door and a moment later, the hall light flicked off. I thought about watching some Netflix but felt too sluggish to even move. My eyes slowly drifted shut, sleep threatening to take me into its warm embrace...

A loud ding came from my phone. Annoyed, my eyes flicked open wide. I reached over to silence the cursed device, but froze when I saw it was a text from Luke: "I'm at your house. Open your window."

Springing out of bed, I flipped on my bedside lamp and threw open the curtain. A moment later, a familiar, smirking face appeared outside. It took a minute for me to fiddle with the window latch and pop the screen off. Deft as a cat, Luke clambered into the bedroom.

"I thought I might get shot if I just guessed which room was yours and knocked on the window," he whispered breathlessly, reaching behind me to grab my ass. "Besides, you've already gone through enough today. I could've put on a Scream mask or something and had some real fun."

"Okay, psycho," I laughed. "We have a front door. And a back door, too. I could've come let you in. How'd you know the address, anyway?"

Luke shrugged, still grinning. "Evan. You'd given him the address. I asked if he had it; I said I was gonna swing by in the morning to check on you." He hesitated. "I was actually gonna do that, but I decided you needed company tonight."

"Impulsive, are you?" I teased. I walked over to lock the bedroom door before turning off my lamp and settling back on the bed. Without invitation, Luke stripped off his clothes and hopped in next to me.

"Only when it comes to you," he whispered into my neck, his voice soft as silk. My dick began to harden at his touch. Where things were going tonight, I didn't know...but a small voice in the back of my mind warned me that my father was home. Another small voice reminded me that his room was at the other end of the house...

"Careful," I warned, when he bumped into my arm, causing a shooting pain to snake through the bone. "Gentle on the wrist."

"As long as I don't have to be gentle anywhere else," Luke growled, pressing his lips to mine with sudden vigor. My mouth parted in welcome, picking up our familiar dance where we'd last left off. His tongue flicked off mine and ran along the edge of my teeth. I could feel one of his hands slowly pushing my bad wrist towards the edge of the bed, away from danger, while the other rose to my head. Luke's fingers fanned into my black hair, his thumb brushing a lock off my forehead when he backed off to stare down on me. Or, at least that's what it felt like. The room was pitch black, so my other senses shifted into overdrive to compensate for lack of sight. I could feel Luke's nose gently brush against mine, and each time he exhaled it was warm on my cheek. My ears caught his deep breathing, matching it in time with the feel against my skin. He smelled clean, freshly showered and masculine. The scent of his woody, spicy cologne tickled my nose gently, blending smoothly into him to create the smell that was uniquely, fully, and nothing but Luke. Breathing him in deeply, I went on to indulge my final sense: pressing my mouth back to his, I savored the taste as our tongues spiraled together into oblivion.

Time stood still while his hands stroked my arms and sides, our hearts echoing once more off of each other's chests. Down below, I began to grind my throbbing cock into him, feeling the comfortable squeeze of Luke's larger shaft twisting against mine through our briefs. As pressure began to build in my cock, I fumbled with my right hand to reach around the back of his ass. Luke's fingers clenched around the crook of my back, his breathing coming sharper as my lithe fingers swam closer to his pucker. I slipped beneath the elastic waistband and pressed forward. A tremor racked Luke's lean frame when my middle finger crossed the event horizon, plunging home into his hole.

A millisecond later, Luke stiffened like a board and quickly propped himself up off me. "TOMORROW!" he hissed, whisper-yelling through clenched teeth.

Yanking my hand away in shock, I growled back at him, "The fuck is with you and blue balls?! You started it, anyway." Annoyed, I wedged my shoulder against him, squirming to turn over and look away.

Barely a moment passed before his arm curled reassuringly over me and his sweaty palm pressed firmly against my sternum. Luke's lips tickled my ear and I heard his voice, gentle with reproach. "Sorry, babe. I know...tomorrow..."

"You want whatever you have planned for tomorrow to be special, I know..." I sighed. On the inside, I wondered why we couldn't have fun two nights in a row...but Luke seemed to be dedicated to whatever vision he had for after the homecoming dance.