Lakota
pulled out his pocket watch and frowned. The Bentley twins, Wayne and Wesley,
were nearly thirty minutes past due. The fact that timepieces were at a premium
here had forced him to send Yancey out in search of a few of his patients.
However, he knew both the twins carried expensive gold watches.
Yancey
had offered to collect the young men, but Lakota had told him he’d wait a while
as they were his only appointments of the day and would not be inconveniencing
anyone else. He was about to take Yancey up on the offer when two attractive faces appeared in his entryway.
“Good
afternoon, gentlemen,” he said. “I was beginning to think you had forgotten our
scheduled appointment.”
“Not
a chance, Doc,” one of the twins flashed a grin at him. “We wouldn’t miss it
for the world.”
Lakota
raised an eyebrow, not quite sure if there was some hidden irony in the
sentence, but then decided to ignore it. He gave them a smile. “Let’s begin, if
you would like to take a seat.” He indicated the log in front of his improvised
desk. “I’d like to ask you some questions before we begin the actual
examinations. First question I am embarrassed to have to ask, but would you
mind identifying yourselves so that I am sure of which brother I am speaking
with?”
“I’m Wayne.”
“And
I’m Wes.”
“I
am the older twin,” Wayne informed him, rather
sullenly. He seemed preoccupied and distant.
.
“And
I am the better looking one,’ Wes said with a cheeky grin, his demeanour totally
different from his twin’s.
Lakota
grinned back at the two young men in front of him. He would have to watch it
with these two, especially the younger twin. “Please
understand that though some of my questions may seem very personal, the
information is important for my ability to provide you with the best possible
care. I promise you total confidentiality in what you say to me. Yancey will be
assisting me with the physical exam and taking some notes for me. He is a nurse
and is sworn to your privacy, just as I am.”
The
twins nodded their acceptance of this.
They
quickly covered the usual areas such as age, medical history and current
issues. They answered the questions with confident ease; freely chatting about
their childhood illnesses and laughing at some of the remedies they had been
subjected to, although Lakota could see Wes was more forthcoming with the
stories than was Wayne.
“Now
if either of you have any questions for me please do not hesitate to ask. You
can do that now or if you’d rather, we can wait until the physical part of the examination
is over and you can have a private talk with me. It’s your choice. I want all
my patients to know I can be approached on any matter relating to their health
or well-being and this includes areas of sexuality. Again, whatever you say is
confidential. The one advantage we all have here is in not having to be careful
of someone discovering what we are. Here, men who lay with other men are considered
normal.”
The
medicals were finished quickly, and both the younger men were declared to be in
excellent health. Lakota had carefully examined the burnt area on Wayne’s hand
and found it to have healed more than adequately.
“It
is healthy that you’re both getting involved in some of the physical work here.
It’s good exercise; it will strengthen your muscles and help shed a bit of the
weight you are carrying.”
Wayne
looked indignant and Wes glanced down his trim body in horror. “We are not
fat!” he protested.
“No,
no, I am not saying you are fat. Just that you could afford to lose a few
pounds, plus build up some muscles at the same time. Physical work never killed
anyone, young man!”
Both
twins gave identical scowls and Lakota worked to hold back a laugh.
“Alright, gentlemen, you can finish dressing. Thank you for coming in. Is there
anything further you’d like to discuss?” the good doctor asked.
Wes
shook his head as he straightened his clothes, but Wayne looked at the doctor
hesitatingly.
“Yes?”
Lakota was quick to catch the note of indecision in Wayne’s face.
“Um,
Doc, can I speak with you ... alone?”
Wes
looked up in surprise and opened his mouth to speak. However, Lakota spoke
first. “Yancey, I believe lunch is almost ready. Why don’t you take a break so
you can get yourself and Wesley something to eat?”
“Hmmm,
sounds good. Don’t you agree, Wes?” Yancy replied, taking the younger man’s arm
and gently but firmly leading him outside’
Lakota
turned back to the older twin. “Now, Wayne, please make yourself comfortable.
Let me wash up and I’ll be right with you.” He returned moments later, still
drying his hands as he spoke. “What can I do for you?” he asked kindly.
Wayne
suddenly looked shy and very young. “You said it was okay to talk to you about
… um … “
“Sex?”
Lakota prompted.
“Yes.”
“Go
on,” the doctor gently encouraged.
“Well,
I was just wondering,” Wayne stopped, going a bit red in the face as the doctor
gave him his full attention. He swallowed. “I was just wondering if it’s normal
to hurt so much when we engage in … you know, the sexual act?”
“You
are referring to anal sex?’”
“Yes,”
Wayne said as his blush deepened.
“Anal
penetration can be very painful if not handled properly by the person
performing the act, or if the person receiving it is not comfortable. The first
recommendation I can give you is to be relaxed with your partner. You should be
with someone who cares about you and your well-being.” Lakota spoke softly yet seriously,
and Wayne looked at him with wide, almost unblinking eyes.
“Lubrication
is also very important, for without it you can be badly torn and left bleeding.
Your partner should loosen the passage slowing with lubricated fingers until
the ring of muscles called the sphincter has stretched enough to accept his
well-lubricated member. Then penetration should be slow and measured until you
have had time to adjust. Once you have reached that point, intercourse should
be rather painless and indeed very pleasurable.”
“What
if I can’t take it?” Wayne asked shyly.
“If
it is too painful then you should tell your partner to stop. Then you can either
work on relaxing the passage further or try again another time. This is a
process requiring trust and caring from both of you. Do not rush into it or
hurry it along when you are trying.”
“Thank
you, Doctor. I’ll remember what you said,” Wayne responded as he stood.
Lakota
put a gentle hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Please feel free to talk to me
at any time. I am always available for questions or problems.”
As Lakota
watched Wayne walk across the compound, he began to realise that a large part of
his duties here were going to be as a councillor, as well as physician.
Wes squinted at his twin. “What are you up to?”
he asked suspiciously, having followed him out of the mess hall after they’d
both eaten.
“What do you mean?” Wayne responded with a question
of his own.
“You going someplace? You keep disappearing.”
“Are you spying on me?” Wayne asked, getting a
bit red in the face.
Wes scoffed at him. “You got secrets?”
Wayne was being very secretive lately. First of
all, he hadn’t told Wes about burning himself until Wes questioned why he was
lying down instead of helping with the laundry. Next, Wayne didn’t want Wes
around when he spoke with Lakota after their medical check-up. Plus, he kept
disappearing by himself and acting very strange. True, they had never spent
much time together before nor did they share many secrets, but that didn’t mean
Wayne could not show him some interest and concern. After all, they were
stranded here without family or friends.
Feeling left out and hurt, Wes lashed out at
his brother. Within minutes, the twins were grabbing one another by the throat or
shirt front and cuffing at one another’s head.
Nathan and Samuel ran towards the raised
voices.
Samuel
couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Both twins were giving full vent to their
anger, seriously swinging at one another. Neither had given any indication that
something was wrong earlier and yet here they were fighting like a couple of
wildcats.
“Hey,
you two, break it up!” Samuel shouted, grabbing a twin but not sure which one.
“He
started it!” Wayne hollered back. “You tell him to stop!”
Samuel gave each of them a bit of a shake.
“Both of you are to stop immediately!”
Wayne felt himself shrinking in face of
Samuel’s admonishment. The man was imposing to begin with but riled up like
this, he was rather scary.
“What is going on here?” Nathan demanded
quietly, his voice smooth and clear despite the din.
“Ow …” Wayne cried out as Wes’ fist landed on
his shoulder.
“Take that, you asshole!”
“Wesley!”
Wes’
head jerked up at Nathan’s voice. The usual soft silkiness was gone; in its
place was a stern no-nonsense tone, which made him slightly nervous. He would
have stopped right there and then, but Wayne moved in again and Wes was quick
to reciprocate.
“Stop! That’s enough!” Nathan ordered when he
and Samuel finally succeeded in once again separating the two younger men.
Samuel
helped keep the twins separated by taking hold of the one he was beginning to
consider his. “Wayne ,
settle down now. What’s got into you two?” he asked in a voice that was calmer
and full of concern.
Wayne sniffed. “Just leave me alone! I don’t
want your pity. I don’t need your help. Just leave me the hell alone!”
Samuel
wasn’t fooled by the words. He instinctively knew they meant the exact opposite
of what was said. “Nathan, I think Wayne and I are going to take a walk. You
have a hold of Wes, right?”
“You
go ahead, Samuel. Wes and I will be fine. I have a few words to say to him as
well.”
Samuel nodded and turned the older twin towards
the beach, where he felt they could find a bit of privacy for a while.
Nathan watched the two figures retreating then
turned and regarded the remaining young man solemnly. “Calm enough now?”
“I didn’t do anything!” Wes protested. “Stop
picking on me!”
“No one is picking on you, Wesley. But the
council will have plenty to say if you and your brother are called up before
them for fighting,” Nathan patiently explained, hoping to remind him of the
rules. He lowered his voice and softly invited Wes to walk with him. “I think
we’ve provided our fair share of this morning’s entertainment, don’t you?”
Nathan lightly teased as he led Wes away. He could see that the other man was
hurting and having heard part of the twins’ argument was determined to help him
move past it.
“Are you tired from working in the fields?”
Nathan inquired as he took hold of Wes’ hand.
“No.
We haven’t done much work today ‘cause we went for our medicals,” Wes responded,
he liked the feel of the bigger hand wrapped around his.
“And
how did that go, if you don’t mind me asking?” Nathan knew he was treading into
personal territory.
“It
was okay for me. Doc says I’m healthy as a horse,” Wes said, his shoulders
drooping in a dejected manner.
“But…”
Nathan gently prompted.
“He
said I was fat!” the young man groused.
“I
have a hard time believing he meant anything derogatory by it,” Nathan offered
by way of comfort, not letting the man see his smile.
“Wayne
asked to stay back and talk to Doc alone, something private. I kinda wonder if
… oh well, some people are just so secretive!” Wes
gave a watery smile. “I didn’t mean to. I just felt ...”
“Left out? I know, Minx. It’s going to be
alright. But we have to talk, okay?” Nathan briefly hugged the younger man as
he stopped at the forest’s edge and leaned against a tree to face his
companion.
“Talk about what?” Wes said a little sulkily,
not feeling the slightest inclination to carry on a conversation at the moment,
not even with Nathan.
“We have to talk about the increasing number of
times you and your brother are bickering before you end up doing irreparable
damage to your relationship.”
Wes’ eyes snapped defensively. “We are
brothers. Brothers fight! It’s normal.”
“That’s true enough. But not necessarily on a
daily basis, especially once they reach adulthood,” Nathan gently admonished.
Wes shrugged but a slight tinge coloured his
cheeks. “We’ve always fought. Pa used to warn us that he would take his belt to
us if we continued. But he was bluffing, and we knew it. The most we ever got
were a few swats with his hand.” Wes gave a sudden irrepressible grin.
Nathan shook his head at him. “There are so few
of us here, Wes, and so much to do. None of us have either the time or energy
to fight amongst ourselves. We have to stick together to make this work. Do you
understand what I am telling you?” Nathan asked, his tone compelling enough to
capture Wes’ full attention. There was no accusation in his voice, only mild
exasperation.
Wes sobered at hearing the seriousness in
Nathan’s words. He simply nodded and answered. “Yes.” He did understand. There
was enough quiet conviction and firmness in Nathan’s tone for Wes to
automatically responded to his authority.
“Good! There is one other thing I want you to
be sure of, young man. Unlike your father, if I were to threaten physical
discipline, I would carry it out.” Nathan watched the expressions playing
across Wes’ beautiful face as his words were absorbed.
Wes had to shake himself mentally to let the
thought sink in. “Huh? W-what are you saying?”
“I believe, Wesley, that both you and your
brother would benefit from a little guidance. Do you think boundaries in the
form of rules and consequences would help you?”
“I don’t like rules and I certainly don’t like
consequence!” Wes said sullenly.
Nathan smiled. “Well no one can accuse you of
not being straightforward. However, the more I get to know you the stronger I
feel about this and if we were to further our relationship, rules and
consequences would play an important part in it.”
Wes looked undecided for a moment. He didn’t
think he liked what Nathan was saying, yet there was something about the man
that attracted the hell out of him.
Nathan paused, trying to find the right words.
“Look, I enjoy your company. You make me feel, hmm, different and I find I’m
beginning to care a great deal about what happens to you, Minx. I don’t know if
you feel the same, but I would like it very much if we could get to really know
one another.”
Wes blinked. “You do?”
“Yes, I do!” Nathan said firmly. “Someday in
the not too distant future, if things work out well, I’d like to be in a
position to protect you, keep you safe and perhaps love you.”
Wes peeked at Nathan through his lashes,
batting them ever so slightly. “What was that last part?”
“Oh, you heard me!” Nathan succinctly replied,
squashing the urge to swat the cheeky young man’s backside. He looked deep into
Wes’ eyes and grudgingly acknowledged. “I guess I might be rushing you; maybe
you’re not ready for the type of relationship I’d like to have with you.”
Wes’ face dropped. “Well, like you indicated,
you hardly know me! So you won’t know what I am ready for or want. I think it’s
a good idea to find out more about one another, too.”
Nathan gave a wry smile. “While I’ll admit to
us not having known each other long, I probably have a much better
understanding of you than you do of me.”
“Just from talking to me?”
Seeing the look of confusion on the young man’s
face, Nathan gently explained further. “I am older than you are and have more
experience than you do. I’ve made it my business to study people. I did a lot
of work with the public sector; community projects and that sort of thing. I
have learned not only to hear what was being said but also to read body
language.”
Wes listened closely, almost mesmerised by the man.
Every nerve in him was responding to Nathan’s presence. He had never felt this way about anyone
before. He wanted him physically, their interaction the other night fresh in
his mind. But it was more than just lustful longings. Wes found a certain safety
in the way Nathan behaved with him.
“I’d like you to think very carefully about
this, Wes. I don’t want you making any rash decisions. We have plenty of time.”
Nathan gazed into the dark brown eyes. ‘How easy it would be to fall in love
with you, little minx,’ he thought, even knowing he had to give the younger man
some space. He wanted both of them to be certain and not act on emotional or
physical impulse.
Wes licked his lips and softly inquired, “just
so I understand, are you talking about sex?”
“Not just sex.” Nathan bit back a laugh, highly
amused at the tenacious young man’s one-track mind. “I am talking about so much
more. I’m talking about commitment, fidelity and a life-time partnership.”
“What about what you said just now regarding
rules and consequences? They come along with all these goodies?”
“It’s all part of the package, Minx,” Nathan
tenderly responded to the query. “Like I said, you think it over and we’ll talk
about it again whenever you’re ready, alright?”
Wes bit his lip. “I won’t deny that I am very attracted
to you, Nathan. I don’t know how to
describe it, but I want you.” His voice was low and sensual. “And I really want
this to go further. But I don’t do rules well. That’s just me.” He moved
forward and pushed his hips against Nathan’s thighs
Nathan chuckled and shook his head, seeing
through the actions and words but enjoying it all the same. Without a doubt
what this precious young man needed was a firm hand, but he would not even begin
to know how to ask for it, much less admit it to himself. Nathan’s arms
tightened around Wes as he dropped a light kiss on his forehead. “You’ll need
to accept the whole package, Minx! It’s all or nothing, Wesley. If you don’t
think you could handle me being in charge, then walk away now.”
Wes snapped his head up. Did he have a choice?
The physical attraction was there, but there was also something else. He craved
for a taste of Nathan’s world, for his sense of purpose and self-assuredness.
More so than before, because he was secretly intrigued by Nathan’s promise to
hold him accountable for his actions. What would life with the man entail? His heart beat faster. With his usual
impetuosity he boldly declared, “I can handle it, Nathan!”
Nathan’s eyes opened in surprise. “Aren’t you
going to take some time to think it over?”
“No! I know what I want,” Wes responded, hoping
he sounded as confident as Nathan.
Nathan looked at him silently for a minute and
then smiled. “Okay. We’ll go slow and talk some more about how we want to make
it work. But for now, I need to make this clear. There will be times when it
will be necessary for me to correct your behaviour. Be forewarned, I will do it
and you will accept my authority at those times. I want you to know that while
I may get angry with you on those occasions, I will try my best to be fair and
reasonable. I might be upset or disappointed with your actions, but never with you,”
Nathan assured him, wanting to make sure that Wes understood fully. He strongly
suspected that Wes still harboured the false hope that rules and consequences
would not enter into the picture.
Wes’ stomach lurched at the words. “Okay, I can
live with that,” he answered while trying to suppress the flutter he felt. “Er, how do you correct bad behaviour?”
Nathan coolly hid any sign of amusement.
“Depending on the severity of the infraction; grounding, writing lines,
time-out, with the most serious resulting in a bare-bottom spanking,” he answered
with clear emphasis, “over my knee. Mark my words, Wesley; I will not tolerate
any form of dishonesty, be it in word or deed. Nor do I want you participating
in public brawling.”
There was a moment of silence and then the
irrepressible dimple emerged again. “Oooh! Bare-bottom, huh? Sounds exciting!”
“I am sure the day will come when you will have
the opportunity to find out just how exciting it can be,” Nathan remarked
dryly. “In the meantime, we’re expected in the field to help remove rocks.” He
laughed at the younger man’s disgust at the sudden anti-climax, flicked a finger
at the crinkled up nose and leaned in to kiss it.
Meanwhile, Wayne was kicking hard at the sand
as he trailed along with Samuel. He would have preferred to hang back, not
looking forward to the scolding he was sure he would be getting. Of course, Samuel
really had no jurisdiction over him; it’s not as if they were in a relationship
or anything. But he knew he respected Samuel, and that he wanted the older man
to think well of him. He wished he could turn the clock back and find a way out
of this entire situation, but Samuel’s arm around his shoulders was extremely
strong and he had no choice but to keep up with the man.
Once they were pretty far down the beach,
Samuel turned towards Wayne and calmly inquired, “so you want to tell me what
that was about?”
“What do you mean?” Wayne asked while keeping
his eyes well lowered.
“Wayne, look up please. I don’t want to talk to
the top of your head. I’d like to talk to you. I’d like to know why you two
were fighting,” Samuel said as he waited patiently to see Wayne’s face.
Pulling up his eyes, Wayne swallowed on a
suddenly dry throat before he responded. “I’m sorry about the fight. It’s
nothing really.” Inside, his heart ached. He wanted so much to tell Samuel
about the hole he had dug himself into, but he could not bear the thought of
the older man’s dismay and revulsion.
“Well, that ‘nothing’ looked like something,
Wayne. Is there anything going on between you two?”
The tears threatened to spill, so Wayne quickly
looked away, saying harshly. “No, like I said, it’s nothing!” It was easier to
be angry than vulnerable. “Can I go now?”
Samuel arched his eyebrow at other man’s tone.
“Let’s get rid of the attitude. I’m talking to you calmly and respectfully and
I would like to be spoken to in the same manner. If it was such a big nothing,
I don’t think you two would’ve been fighting. Now, talk to me. Please!” Samuel quietly
requested. He kept hold of Wayne’s arm, having a feeling if he were to let go
Wayne would take off.
Attracted by the tone, Wayne turned his eyes
back up. “Honest, Samuel, there’s nothing wrong. It’s just one of those fights
which don’t mean anything.” He sounded much more respectful.
Samuel studied the young man. “So, you’re
telling me that you two were fighting just for the hell of it then?” The
frustration he felt goading him into being facetious was something that rarely happened.
Wayne flinched, then out of bravado and nothing
else, he challenged. “What’s it to you anyway? What do you care what I do? What
are you gonna do about it?”
Thrown for a moment by the sudden attack,
Samuel stood there stunned. They had been getting along rather well with Wayne
seemingly regarding Samuel in the role of mentor, especially after the older
man’s help when Wayne had scalded his hand. Samuel was shocked by the young man
turning on him now.
Recovering his senses, he shrewdly saw beyond
the mask and narrowed his eyes. “Something is obviously troubling you, but
don’t think you can take it out on me, young man. I will thank you to keep a
civil tongue in your head, m’boy!”
Wayne’s eyes glistened with unshed tears at the
unexpected rebuke.
Samuel continued. “What’s it to me? Is that
what you asked? I’ll tell you then. Crazy as it seems, I happen to think you
and I have some place to go together. God knows there’s something about you
that would be easy to love. Although I don’t want to rush into a relationship too
quickly, I can’t help but feel attracted to you. As to what I’m going to do
about it. Well, I know what I feel like doing about it, but that’s not my place
right now.” He watched Wayne’s face, waiting to see how the younger man would
react to what was being said.
That was the last straw for Wayne. He had lived
through a hellish nightmare of being plucked from his home and family. He had
burnt his hand over a simple chore, proving how useless he was in fending for
himself. He was tired from all the work he was not used to doing. He had stolen
a puppy and was now on the verge of pure panic. He had nothing left in him, except
one thought. Samuel cared about him. Samuel was attracted to him. That was all
he heard. With a strangled cry, he moved forward.
Samuel intuitively wrapped his arms around the
young man and pulled him close. He rubbed his back but didn’t say anything. He
had a feeling Wayne needed the quiet at the moment and was glad to let him have
it.
“Samuel?” Wayne asked after a long while. “If I
ever get into trouble, will you help me out?”
Samuel looked down at the dark head,
anticipating a confession. He responded carefully with a question of his own.
“Help you out how, Wayne?”
“If everyone gets mad at me, will you get mad
too?”
Samuel pondered the query, wondering about the
intent behind it. “Now why would everyone get mad at you?”
Wayne shrugged. “Just if they do, that’s all I’m
saying.”
“Is
there something I should know, Wayne ?”
“No,
I am just asking.”
Samuel
was not convinced but he didn’t see how he could force it out of the young man.
He would much rather Wayne volunteered the information. “Ah, a hypothetical question, is it?
Well, hypothetically then, if you did something to make absolutely
everyone mad at you, I’m guessing I might be angry with you too. But at the
same time, I will help you in whatever way I can,” Samuel reassured him and
hoped Wayne would take the bait.
Wayne’s body sagged against the solid form
holding him. It was comforting to know Samuel was being frank with him and not
just offering false platitudes. He sorely needed that. Even still, he was not yet ready to
reveal all. Lifting his head so he could look at Samuel, he
instead asked, “What would you do if you were mad at me?”
“Well, it would depend on exactly what you had
done. I imagine I have several options depending on where we were in our
relationship,” Samuel said honestly.
“Such as?” Wayne waited with bated-breath.
“First I should tell you of two or three things
I won’t tolerate and that’s fighting, lying or stealing. I also strongly frown
upon disrespect and manipulation. If you were mine, any of those will cause you
to feel my displeasure on your bare backside. Although I believe in discipline,
I want to be fair as well. For instance, should a fight break out and you were
merely defending yourself, then I can see my being a lot more lenient with you,
but otherwise …” Samuel hesitated and watched to see what Wayne’s reaction
would be to this.
“Otherwise?” Wayne prompted rather timidly even
though he knew exactly what Samuel was talking about.
“You will in all likelihood be getting
spanked!” Samuel answered, making it clear on exactly what he would do.
“F-for lying and stealing?” Wayne’s voice was
hollow, his mind cringing already.
“Yes, those infractions will definitely earn
you a spanking as will fighting.”
“What about just arguing?” Wayne squeaked.
“Disagreements happen. That’s life. But it doesn’t
have to end up in a knock-down, dragged out fight. I don’t like it. I
especially abhor public brawling,” Samuel explained, looking straight at Wayne.
“That’s the way I expect our relationship to work, provided we were to have a
relationship to begin with. Is that something you think you can accept? Or do
you feel I am being unreasonable?” Samuel asked, a little anxious despite
himself. He wanted their relationship to progress, but he also knew he would
only go forward on these terms.
Wayne gulped and went a little limp. How much
trouble will he be in when Samuel finds out about the puppy? He didn’t want to
go there. If Galen kept his mouth shut, Wayne thought he may still get away
with it.
With a despondent sigh, Wayne snuggled into the
circle of Samuel’s protective arms. He hid his face in the bigger man’s broad
chest and resolutely pushed all unwanted thoughts away. Deeply breathing in
Samuel’s scent, he gave himself up to the man. “I think I can live with it. I
am willing to give it a try. I do think your terms are reasonable.”
Samuel closed his eyes, savouring the moment.
To have found companionship such as this so soon was remarkable. Mostly he was
just grateful.
Some moments later, Samuel gently kissed the
top of Wayne’s head and murmured, “as much as I enjoy holding you, I have trees
to cut down and there is a field with some rocks calling your name.”
TBC….
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