Midnight Whispers
QAF Brian and Justin Fanfiction
Author's Chapter Notes:

During dinner, Brian gets to know the Taylor boys a little better...the only question is, which one will he 'sample' first?

5:00 p.m.  - Taylor House


Jennifer hastily wiped her flour-laden hands on a half-apron as she heard the banging of the back screen door leading into the kitchen; she briefly turned away from watching the lemon meringue pie baking in the oven to observe her youngest son shuffling wearily towards her.  She sighed, noticing Justin's denim pants were flecked with slivers of white paint; he even had some smeared on his cheek along with his hands.  "Another pair?" she inquired resignedly.  "Why didn't you wear the same ones you painted in yesterday?"

 

Justin shrugged.  "They were dirty."

 

His mother let out an exasperated huff.  "Justin..."  She shook her head, knowing she was fighting a losing battle.  It wasn't that they couldn't afford to buy him a new pair of jeans, but it seemed so wasteful nonetheless.  "You'd better go shower and get changed; the Walkers will be over in about an hour.  Did you get done with the painting?"

 

Justin nodded, trying to keep his mind off the ‘diversion' he had encountered earlier in the day, because it would just remind him that said diversion would be in their house and in near proximity shortly.  Their dining room table accommodated a total of eight people, more than enough to comfortably seat all of them.  No matter where Brian sat, though, it would still be way too close for his comfort.

 

"Are Jared and Dad back from town yet?" he asked, noticing how quiet the house seemed.

 

Jennifer shook her head as she retrieved a long-handled wooden spoon from the beef pot roast and vegetables she was cooking on the stove and blew on the sample before taking a taste.  She placed the spoon back down in the pot and reached for the shaker of salt to sprinkle some more into the mixture before she told him, "Not yet.  I hope they get here soon, though, or they'll be late for supper."

 

Justin snorted.  "You know what it usually means when they're running late..."

 

Jennifer sighed.  "Yes, I know."  She paused, unable to get the rest of her statement out over the loud rattling they heard directly outside.  "Not another one..." she murmured as she hurriedly placed the pot roast on "low" to simmer and the two of them walked over to the screen door just in time to observe Craig's red pickup truck lumbering up the dirt driveway with an older model vehicle in tow behind it.   Peeling green paint and all, it looked like something straight out of a Bonnie and Clyde robbery from the 30's.

 

"Looks like somebody got his way again," Justin muttered as the truck came to a stop and Jared eagerly disembarked from the vehicle to walk back with his father and inspect their latest project.  He loved his brother - there was no question about that - and his father; but it seemed that too often his older brother got the bulk of their father's attention.  Helping to earn money in the family by being the main jockey in their horse races apparently wasn't enough to impress either one of them.

 

He felt his mother's hand on his shoulder as she gave it a sympathetic squeeze and told him softly, "Better go take your shower, Honey; I'm sure your father and Jared will need to do the same before supper and you know how the hot water runs out really fast around here."

 

Justin watched Jared and his father talking animatedly about what would be their newest restoration project as they stooped down together to examine the older vehicle's tires, each one with a big smile of delight on their face.  Sighing softly as he turned away from the sight, he nodded and silently turned to trudge down the hallway toward the upstairs.

 

Jennifer turned to watch him go, her heart going out to her more tender-hearted son.  It wasn't that Craig didn't love both sons; but sometimes in the dark recesses of her mind, she couldn't help questioning if that love was a little disproportional.  Maybe that wasn't fair; perhaps he did love both sons equally.  But it did seem that her husband spent more time on a regular basis with Jared on their various car restorations and gave him more attention than he did their other son.  Jared had been born after a difficult delivery; he had come into the world with a hole in his heart that had needed to be repaired.  For a time it wasn't clear if he would even survive.  When he pulled through, though, the two of them had decided to name him after Craig's father.  Perhaps that served to bond the two of them closer together.  But at times Jennifer feared that it also caused Craig to sometimes overlook their other son, although she refused to believe it was intentional.  As she watched the two of them admiring the '37 Ford and making plans for what they would do to revive it to its former glory, however, she silently resolved to discuss that concern with her husband at her first opportunity.

 

"Craig?  Jared?  It's getting late," she called out to them through the screen door.  "You'd best be getting in to dress for supper."

 

Craig nodded, not quite looking forward to hosting the Walkers - and their rebellious nephew - this evening, but knowing that he dare not protest to Jennifer; when she had something in mind to do, it was fruitless to complain about it.  Before their son's death, Will Walker had actually been quite a pleasant conversationalist; the two of them had had a lot in common and had spent many a day engaging in talks over the common fence they shared between them.  After Dale's demise, however, the man had shut up tighter than a drum.  Now it was normally like pulling teeth to engage in any sort of discussion with him.  He wasn't looking forward to all the uncomfortable silences that he knew would follow if he tried to talk to him tonight.  Perhaps it was just as well, then, that this Kinney boy was coming with them.  At least that might liven things up a little.

 

Wiping his hands off on his jeans Craig walked over to open the screen door, immediately smelling Jen's signature beef pot roast and noticing his favorite dessert, lemon meringue pie, through the glass door of the oven.    Taking a moment to kiss his wife on the cheek, he inhaled the distinctive citrus aroma.  "Really going all out for this supper, aren't you?" he observed.  "I thought this was supposed to be something informal."

 

"It is," Jennifer told him.  "I just wanted to make sure their nephew felt welcome."  She glanced over her shoulder as the screen door banged open and Jared came loping in, wiping his hands off on a white rag covered in what appeared to be grease.

 

"Jared...You have grease all over your hands!" she told her son in dismay; even his fingernails were black.  "Couldn't you have waited to tinker with the car later?"

 

Jared smirked as he shrugged.  "What can I say?  It's a sickness, Mom."

 

Jennifer shook her head, not amused by the reply.  To her relief Craig backed her up by growling, "Don't disrespect your mother, Jared, and do as she says.  Go get ready for supper."

 

Jared huffed in irritation, but he knew better than to countermand his father's stern order.  "Yes, Sir," he replied glumly as he left to trudge over to the steps to go upstairs, the rag thrown haphazardly into the garbage along the way.

 

Jennifer sighed as she turned her attention back to the stove.  "You coddle him too much, Craig," she told her husband.  "If you keep doing that, he will never learn to have patience or work very hard for what he wants."

 

Craig walked over to the sink to wash his hands, squirting some of the liquid soap into his palm.  "He does work hard, Jen," he told her.  "He's still a kid; he'll have plenty of time to get mired down in a 9-5 job when he gets a little older.   Let him have a little fun with his cars in the meantime; that's hard work, you know," he pointed out as he dried his hands on a paper towel and threw it in the garbage can hidden under the sink.  "Those cars don't fix themselves; there's a lot involved with restoring them.  And we've made some good money off them, too," he hastened to add.

 

Jennifer stirred the pot roast briefly before she turned to face her husband with barely-concealed exasperation.  "Craig, he's not a kid anymore.  He's nineteen years old and doesn't seem to be worried about his future.  He barely graduated from high school - thanks in no small part to his brother helping to tutor him through it - and except for those old cars he's constantly working on he doesn't seem to have any ambition at all.  He needs to start thinking about how he's going to support himself.  We won't always be here to take care of him."

 

Craig placed his hands on his hips as he blew out a weary breath.  "Jen, let's not start on that again tonight, okay?  As much as I'm not especially looking forward to it, we're going to have company soon and I need to go wash up.  Let's put that issue to rest for some other time."

 

How many times had they discussed this subject? Craig wondered.  He just couldn't understand the urgency with their oldest son.  Perhaps his stance was due in large part to his own parents, who practically pushed him out the door the day after he graduated twenty-five years ago.  His mother and father had been so intent on him rushing into agricultural school right after high school graduation that he had found himself taking summer classes three weeks later.  Even now he could remember how much he had resented not being able to relax and enjoy life a little first, at least for the summer.  That no doubt had a bearing now on why he didn't want to pressure their oldest son into making the same mistake.

 

Jennifer sighed, realizing they were not going to see eye-to-eye on the matter.  "All right.  But Craig, he at least needs to be doing more around the farm while he's not working or going to school; Justin's been forced to take on a lot of extra chores while his brother's been fiddling around with those cars and Justin can't afford to do that.  He really needs to be practicing with Headstrong a lot more before the next race.  And Vic's got his hands full lately with getting the fields ready for planting."  Vic was a big help around their 60 acres of land, but in late spring the biggest push was to get all of their fields plowed and their crops in the ground; that was pretty much a full-time job at the moment.

 

Craig leaned up against the double-kitchen sink as he eyed his determined wife.  "Okay," he finally agreed.  "I'll make sure that Jared takes up some of the slack.  I agree that we can't afford for Headstrong to become stiff from not being ran before next weekend's heats at Red Mile."  The Red Mile was the second oldest harness racing course in the country, having been constructed in 1875 in nearby Lexington.  Windswept Farms was renowned for the quality of its harness racing horses and, due in large part to Justin's skill, they had been quite successful in most races they had entered, so much so that their track winnings had been their main source of income for the past three years and had helped to keep them financially afloat.

 

Justin had learned the skill from Vic, who had been quite a good harness racing jockey in his heyday.  But while Vic had the technical skills, know-how and the right stature to be an effective jockey, Justin seemed to have something special.  He had a unique manner with their horses that they seemed to particularly respond to.  He was extraordinarily gentle with them and spoiled them rotten when Vic wasn't around with red delicious apples he picked from the orchard trees that were sprinkled around the grounds.  He would stroke their manes while he murmured encouraging words to them before he hitched them up to the sulky for practice.

 

Craig had initially scoffed at his son's attempt to be a ‘horse whisperer,' never believing in that sort of sappy hocus-pocus with animals, but he had to grudgingly admit that Justin did seem to have some sort of unique bond with them.  Whatever it was, they rewarded his youngest son by frequently placing in most of the races they ran, most of the time not only placing but winning the whole damn thing.  And their average track speed had actually increased in the past few years since his son had begun practicing with them.

 

He glanced over at Jennifer as she nodded, somewhat appeased.  "Good," she told him.  "He can start early tomorrow with cleaning out the stalls."

 

Craig sighed, already anticipating the reaction that would get from his oldest son.  "Oh, he's going to love that," he replied dryly.

 

"I don't care," Jennifer told him as she stirred the pot roast a few more times with the wooden spoon.  "It has to be done and Justin has his hands full.  Just see that he does it, okay?"

 

Craig brushed his hand through his hair.  "Okay," he agreed as he held his hands up in resignation.  "I'll tell him when I go upstairs to shower and change."  Jennifer nodded in satisfaction as she returned to her meal.

 



Same Time - Walker House


"Boy, what are you doing up there?" Will growled at his nephew as he tapped his foot impatiently at the bottom of the steps.  "We are not going to be late for supper!  Get a move on!"  He was already bristling over Brian's lack of productivity earlier.  When he had checked up on the progress of his chores, he had been dismayed to discover that the boy had only managed to milk their cow and sweep out the barn; all the other tasks he had given him had been cast aside and ignored.  He sighed; his nephew obviously had a lot to learn.

 

Sarah walked up to her restless husband and placed a hand on his arm.  "We have plenty of time, Will," she said quietly, attempting to sooth him.  Since their son had died, he always seemed so restless and agitated anymore.  "It's just next door."

 

"That's just part of it," he told her through gritted teeth, trying to adjust the tight collar of his short-sleeved, plaid cotton shirt.  Why did it feel like his neck had gotten thicker lately?  "Our ‘guest' didn't finish all the chores I gave him earlier, Sarah.  I thought I made it plain that either he's going to have to abide by the rules of this house or he will be shipped back up to Pittsburgh.  I don't have time to waste here, and he's got to carry his load."

 

"William...He's only been here a couple of days; let him get used to the routine first.  I'm sure he'll come around."  Sarah still felt obligated to her sister; the least she could do was try and help straighten her sister's son out before just giving up on him.  And truth be told, they needed the help that someone young and strong like Brian could provide them this summer.  The key, though, would be trying to figure out how to motivate him to do it.

 

Will softly snorted his doubt as he looked up to see their subject sauntering casually down the steps as if he hadn't a care in the world.  Brian was wearing a tight-fitting pair of black jeans, black loafers and a clingy type of bronze-colored shirt that seemed at least one size too small for him; he could see the taut definition of the boy's chest outlined through the fabric.  The entire outfit was totally out of place on a farm, but something told him this boy didn't own any other type of clothing - nor would he care if it was inappropriate.

 

"I'm glad you could take time out of your busy schedule to join us," he called out scornfully to his nephew as Brian walked down to join them.  "Speaking of busy schedules, what exactly did you do today, Brian?" he drilled him.

 

"Will..."

 

"No, Sarah, I want my question answered," her husband countered.

 

Brian glared at his uncle as he tightly grasped the round knob of the step's railing.  "What is this?  An interrogation?  I did what you told me to do; I did my chores."  He said the last word as if he were eating something distasteful.  The only good part about his ‘chores' had been the blond assistant ‘milkman' who had come out of virtually nowhere to help him take care of Checkers earlier.  That was the only thing that had been even remotely pleasant about today.  He scowled, thinking about how long it had taken him merely to clean the dirt out from underneath his fingernails; already they were starting to get worn and chipped from doing his ‘manual labor.'  For one brief moment he reflected upon whether he would be better off to have been sent to jail after all, but he dismissed that as stupid; despite his abhorrence for all things ‘agricultural' in nature, it still beat having to sit in a cell twenty-three hours a day for the next decade.

 

He turned his attention back to his uncle as Will corrected him, "No, you did NOT do your chores; there's several tasks you seemed to have overlooked - or should I say ignored?  I thought I had made it clear that this was not going to be a walk in the park here.  I need HELP on this farm, Brian; not some prima ballerina who's afraid to get his hands dirty."  He felt his wife squeeze his arm in a subtle attempt to tell him to back off, but he wouldn't have it.  "You're either going to have to commit yourself to doing what I need done and contribute to the upkeep here or you can just pack your bags now and go back where you came from.  Which is it going to be?  The choice is up to you."

 

Sarah bit her lip, torn between not alienating her sister's son and knowing that Will was right; Brian wasn't fulfilling his part of their agreement.  If he kept on just sliding by in an attempt to do just enough to get by, it would not only anger her husband but also create a lot of stress on all of them, not to mention that Joan would be extremely disappointed not only in her son but also in her for not being able to do what she had promised to do.  "Can we discuss this after supper, Will?" she finally asked softly.  "It doesn't have to be resolved right now."

 

But Will stood there defiantly and succeeded in blocking Brian's way.  "Yes, it does," he insisted as he stared unflinchingly at his nephew who was a few inches taller than he was.  "I'm waiting for your promise to keep your word, Boy; and this time it'd better be a sincere one."

 

Brian bristled at the condescension.  "I told you before, Uncle...my name is NOT Boy!  I am NOT from a fucking Tarzan movie!  If you expect ME to treat you with respect, I expect the same!"

 

"Will...Brian," Sarah beseeched, her eyes pleading as she moved to stand between them.  Why did things always seem to spiral out of control with these two?  "Please..."

 

Will turned to his wife, his jaw set and eyes dark with irritation.  "Wait outside, Sarah.  We'll be along shortly."  She hesitated, the concern evident on her face as he tilted his head toward the door.  "Do as I say," he said with deadly calm.  She paused for a moment in indecision before, giving Brian a slight smile of reassurance, she nodded in agreement and turned to leave.  Will waited several seconds more until he could hear his wife stepping through the back door before he turned his attention back to his insolent house guest.

 

He exhaled a deep breath in an attempt to calm down as he stared into his nephew's stubborn face, feeling furious over Brian's lack of cooperation but also just a little mortified by his own behavior.  He didn't always used to be so difficult to get along with.  He knew his son's untimely, unexpected death a few years ago had changed him in ways he wasn't always proud of.  It had made him cynical, bitter, angry, and a stranger sometimes to others, even to himself.  But this kid succeeded in intensifying those emotions in him and seemed to almost delight in goading him at every turn.  Was his reaction, though, due to how much Brian reminded him of his own son?  Both were fiercely strong-willed and independent to a fault.

 

He shook his head slightly in admission.  That probably had a lot to do with it.  But it still didn't mitigate the fact that his nephew wasn't holding up his end of the bargain.  He sighed as Brian remained standing by the staircase, rigid and silent.

 

Trying the reasonable approach this time, he began, "Look...Brian.  I need help around here - a lot of help.  And I'm sure you don't want to spend the next ten years in jail, which is what's going to happen if you don't start cooperating more.  I thought we had reached an agreement over supper last night that you would keep your promise to help out here.  Sarah and I can't afford to have an extra mouth to feed all summer long without you doing your share; we aren't rich by any means and need all the income we can get.  Surely you can understand that?"  Perhaps he couldn't, Will thought silently.  Perhaps this boy had been coddled way too much by his parents to know what it felt like to live from month to month, although from what little interaction he had experienced with Joan and Jack Kinney, they didn't exactly seem like the nurturing or extravagant types.

 

Brian pursed his lips together tightly; just the thought of spending all summer long doing dirty, filthy chores with four-legged beasts who did nothing but eat, sleep, and shit did not sound like a wonderful experience to him.  But it was preferable to the alternative, though, as much as it pained him.  His hand tightened on the smooth, wooden knob of the staircase as he turned his head to look out at the front yard, noticing one of the tall but spindly trees slowly blowing in the gentle, early summer breeze as he considered his alternatives.

 

Brian turned his attention back to his uncle after several seconds and held his hands up in surrender.  "Okay, okay," he grudgingly grumbled.  "Truce.  I'll do the damn chores."

 

His uncle rolled his eyes; one step forward, two steps backward.  "I told you about the profanity..."

 

Brian brushed his hand through his hair in agitation.  "Fine, whatever," he told him with a huff.  "Can we go now?"  Anything to get away from this boring conversation...


"Will?  Brian?  Please, let's get moving," Sarah entreated through the back screen door, somewhat relieved not to hear some sort of heated argument arising from inside the house.  "We'll be late if we don't leave right away, and that would be inconsiderate."

 

"Yeah, Uncle, that would be inconsiderate," Brian agreed sarcastically.  "Are we done here?"

 

Will shook his head in aggravation as he advised, "Apparently we are," he replied, not rising to the bait this time.  "But I'll expect you downstairs tomorrow at 6:00 for breakfast; better get a good night's sleep tonight after we get back - you're going to need it."  With that, he turned and began to walk determinedly down the hallway toward the door.  "Let's go, Brian; unless you want to stay and clean out the chicken coop instead."

 

Yeah...right...working up to his elbows in chicken shit, or the chance to get to know the Taylor boys a lot better...At least that was certainly a no-brainer of a choice.  Unbuttoning one more of his buttons on the satiny shirt, he paused for a couple of seconds in front of an oval-framed mirror to admire himself.  Hurriedly smoothing back some tousled-looking hair, he nodded in satisfaction.  "Hope you won't fight over me, boys," he said with a smirk as he turned to follow his uncle out the back door.

 


 


Five Minutes Later - Taylor House


Jennifer gratefully smiled at her youngest son as he came into the kitchen, his blond hair a little darker while it was still damp from his shower.  "Justin, would you please go in the dining room and set the table?  Jared and your father aren't down yet, and I'm afraid the Walkers will be here any minute now."  She glanced over the door at their clock, noting the time; a couple of minutes before six.  There was still a lot to do, but at the moment, though, she had her hands full transferring the beef pot roast to a large serving platter while keeping an eye on the loaf of homemade bread she had warming in the oven along with the pie.

 

Justin nodded as he walked over to the buffet in the adjacent dining room to open the top drawer, knowing his mother was wanting him to get out their ‘good' china they reserved only for company; any other time they would be eating out of the more inexpensive, everyday plates kept in the kitchen cupboard to the right of the sink.

 

As he began to place a supper and bread plate in front of each chair, along with silverware and a crystal beverage glass, he thought back to his meeting earlier in the barn with Brian and felt his forehead breaking out into a light sweat of anxiety over their impending reunion.  He hurriedly wiped his brow with the back of his hand as he finished setting the table, realizing how relatively intimate the table was, even though it could seat eight.  Hell, he knew it wouldn't have mattered if it sat twenty-eight; he would still find himself feeling way too close when Brian showed up.

 

He glanced over at the hallway as he heard footsteps lumbering down the stairs; by the heavy-handed sound he knew it had to be Jared.  Sure enough, a few seconds later his older brother appeared in the doorway, leaning against the jamb and smirking at him.

 

"Doing your assignment for Home EC Class, Squirt?" he teased with a lazy smile.  Justin noticed his brother was dressed up more than normal for supper, instantly ascertaining the reason why and finding that he didn't like it.  Typically Jared would come down to supper (late of course) wearing the same scruffy jeans he had been wearing before, along with a simple, plain, form-fitting tee shirt he had rescued from wherever he had last thrown it, or some shirt with an old car on it that resembled something out of American Graffiti.  Today, however, he was wearing one of his dress shirts that was reserved for special occasions.  It was a dark gray shirt with subtle off-white pinstripes; he had paired it with linen slacks in a slightly darker shade of gray, along with his favorite belt that had a buckle shaped like a sterling silver '57 Chevy on it.  He was wearing his black leather Wrangler boots and his black and silver bolo tie.  Justin had to admit - he was dressed to kill and he knew it wasn't because he was trying to impress the Walkers.  No, his brother was after someone much more appealing to him - to both of them.  Damn him...


Why should he be surprised, though?  Jared always did want whatever HE wanted as they grew up - whether it was the same toy, the same type of pet, or their parents' approval and attention.  And normally to his consternation he got it, too.  It was just that this time - this one time when he had found another boy that he was attracted to and really wanted to get to know and hang out with, this one time when he found his thoughts preoccupied with their new neighbor - he had hoped that maybe, just maybe, Jared might by some miracle either look the other way or find someone else to occupy his time and attention with.  Now, however, as he looked at his tall, lanky brother dressed so impeccably, he knew that wasn't going to happen, just as he had feared earlier.

 

"No," Justin replied huffily.  "I'm helping out Mom because she asked me to; maybe you should try it sometime."  He wiped his hands off self-consciously on his somewhat faded jeans, glancing down at his pair of clean but well-loved sneakers that he had slipped on after his shower and feeling decidedly like a poor second cousin.  His royal blue, V-necked sweater was still vibrant in color after multiple washings - thanks in large part to his mother's almost obsessive drive to keep their colors and whites separated in the laundry - but he still felt distinctly bland compared to Jared's appearance.  He could feel some of his self-confidence wavering just a bit as his brother stood there looking at him with an expression that felt like he could see right through him.

 

His brother shrugged as he replied, "She didn't ask me to help her; she asked YOU.  You're the domestic one.  My job will be to entertain our guests."

 

Justin walked over to his brother with a snort.  "Yeah, one in particular no doubt.  What makes you think he'll want to be entertained?"

 

Jared laughed softly at the question and at the hurt, defensive look on his brother's face.  "Do you see the way he looked at me yesterday?  Oh, he'll want to be entertained, all right.  And Mom and Dad always taught me to be polite when company comes."  He affectionately ruffled his brother's hair as Justin glared at him, flushing at the double entendre and imagining all sorts of things he would like to do himself with one particular guest that was arriving.

 

The only problem was, however, obviously he wasn't the only one that felt that way and what Jared normally wanted Jared normally got.  He sighed in displeasure as he stared into his brother's bemused face.  "Yeah...Right," he muttered.  His heart threatened to stop just then as he heard someone knocking on their back door; anyone who had been to their home before knew that they never used the front entrance to come and go, so it must be their next-door neighbors.

 

Jared smiled widely at his brother.  "And right on time," he said.  "Have to go greet our guests," he sing-songed as he brushed past Justin, making sure to nudge his shoulder just a little too roughly for it to be a coincidence.  He took just a second to whisper in his brother's ear, "Better get the napkins out, too, Ms. Homo Homemaker," before he left a fuming Justin standing near the dining room entrance.

 

"Fuck you, Jared," Justin muttered as his brother laughed softly and walked toward the kitchen.  "We'll just see who gets to ‘entertain' our guests."  He stood still as he listened to his mother extending a cordial welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Walker, his heart hammering in his chestas he heard her then addressing Brian.  So he IS with them, he confirmed with part excitement, part apprehension.  He knew any second now they would all be walking toward him into the dining room, and he paused for a moment, wondering if he should just stay put or nonchalantly meander into the kitchen to have a first-hand look at the boy he had encountered earlier.

 

His curiosity getting the better of him, as well as his worry over his brother getting the upper hand, he started to walk the few steps into the kitchen.  His eyes widened as they instantly honed in on Brian like a heat-seeking missile.  If he thought the boy was gorgeous before at the barn, he was downright magnificent all cleaned up.  The jeans he had on seemed to have been custom made for his long, lean body, molding to his legs like a denim glove.  They seemed to go on for miles and miles, ending in a pair of black, leather loafers.  And the bronze-colored shirt, unbuttoned around his neck, complimented the hint of tan skin that was tantalizingly revealed to his admiring glance.

 

His face darkened into a frown, however, as he observed Jared walk right up to Brian and whisper something in his ear before Brian grinned back at him.  When he smiled, Justin noticed, Brian's entire face transformed into something almost predatory in nature; he observed his eyes light up with a particular sort of gleam as he whispered something back to his brother in return and Jared nodded.  His heart threatened to stop as just then Brian's gaze lifted over to meet his and one corner of his mouth turned up into a knowing, lazy smile as he looked over at him.

 

Justin lingered back a few feet, uncertain as to what to do, before that dilemma was taken away from him.  "Justin?  You remember the Walkers, of course," Jennifer acknowledged him as she turned to include him in their little group.  As he nodded at their two neighbors (purposefully avoiding staring over at Brian again as he yearned to do), he noticed that his father had also chosen to hang back away from the others; he was presently standing against the sink facing them with what appeared to be a shot of bourbon in his hand.  Justin knew that his father only drank when he was nervous or agitated about something, so it wasn't surprising that he was doing it now.  His father had made no bones about not wanting to play host tonight.  "Yes," he found his voice enough to say politely.  "Good to see you again, Mr. Walker, Mrs. Walker."

 

"You, too, Justin," Sarah told him warmly as Will simply nodded curtly to acknowledge him.  Sarah smiled over at Jennifer as she explained, "Actually, I wanted to thank Justin again for his help earlier with Checkers."

 

Jennifer replied, "Checkers?  I don't understand.  Did she get loose again?"   It was a common occurrence around their two farms for the Walkers' cow to wander over onto part of their property; in fact, normally if one of the boys or Craig saw her, they would simply herd her back over to her stall without even notifying Sarah or Will that it had happened.  Jennifer peered over at her son for an explanation, noticing what appeared to be a rosy-colored flush on his face; was Justin coming down with some sort of fever all of a sudden?

 

"No, not that," Sarah explained.  "I ran into him earlier near our barn; he had been helping show Brian how to milk our cow.  You know city slickers," she teased.  "It takes them a while to get the hang of that type of thing."

 

Justin thought he heard a dubious snort coming from his brother over the real reason why he was over at the barn, but by the time he looked over at him Jared had plastered an inscrutable-looking expression back on his face.  He had an idea, though, that his brother would be interrogating him later about it.

 

"Oh, I don't know," Brian volunteered from nearby.  "You'd be surprised what sorts of skills you pick up that can be transferable to other tasks," he added as he peered over meaningfully at the youngest of the Taylor boys; a blush appeared on Justin's cheeks in response, along with a look that clearly pleaded with Brian not to divulge what ‘other' sort of activity he was referring to.

 

Brian blessedly decided not to elaborate further on his comment to Justin's relief.  Despite standing next to Jared, he was finding his own thoughts presently preoccupied by the younger of the two brothers, a blond with eyes the color of a calm, blue sky and an almost impossible beauty.  The brilliance of the blue sweater Justin was wearing seemed to make his eyes even more vibrant, and he found himself momentarily entranced by them.

 

While he was attracted to Jared's assertiveness and lack of hesitation in offering to extend his own version of ‘Southern hospitality' to him later, there was still something about this younger brother that was quite compelling.  Perhaps it had more to do with the thrill of the hunt and the pursuit of inexperienced, fresh prey rather than feasting on an easier target.  Justin had certainly proven himself to be curious as well as interested in him - he was certain of that much after their encounter at the barn earlier - but he had a feeling that it would take some more convincing on his part before the younger Taylor brother succumbed to his ‘charms.'  As his eyes met Jared's however, and he thought about how similar they both were, he decided they both had their appeal.  Choosing between them wasn't necessarily a bad dilemma to have, he thought, as a smug sort of smile began to spread across his lips at the notion.  The only question on his mind at that moment, then, as he peered over at the reticent blond and then back to the older, wiser brother, was the same question that had occurred to him yesterday:  which one he would fuck first - the all-too-willing, dark-haired, 'bad-boy' older brother who was undoubtedly well-versed in all the intricacies of sex, or the inexperienced but beautiful blond, younger brother who would be oh-so-trainable and pliant.  Decisions, Decisions...

 

Justin had to turn his gaze away from their cocky-sounding, wisecracking visitor as he felt a quick surge of heat rising across his face and his hormone-driven cock twitching in interest.  Just the sultry sound of Brian's voice caused all sorts of wondrous visions to emerge in his head, some of which he was personally familiar with but most of which he was not.  He inwardly cursed his involuntary reaction and naivety, noticing that Jared actually had the gall to wink at Brian as they looked at each other again, even though his brother had no idea exactly what Brian was referring to.  He had made a point not to even discuss his earlier encounter with Brian to anyone.  Now everyone knew about it - at least part of it.  Fuck.


"You were over at the Walker farm today?" his father asked him as he placed the shot of bourbon down next to the kitchen sink.  "You were supposed to finish up painting the fence, Justin, not while away precious time goofing off over at the Walker farm."

 

Justin huffed.  "I was NOT goofing off," he told him father as he eyed him defensively.  "I was working on the part of our fence closest to their barn and noticed that Brian was having trouble figuring out how to milk her, that's all.  I thought he could use some help.  And I still got the rest of the painting, done, too."  That was more work than Jared could say HE had done, he couldn't help thinking to himself.  But somehow if he said it aloud he knew his father would stand up for him; most of the time it seemed like Jared walked on water as far as their father was concerned.

 

One side of Brian's lips curled up in amusement as he stared over at his earlier bovine helper.  He nodded as he told everyone present, "Yeah, Justin was very informative."   He smiled broadly as he was rewarded with Justin turning an even darker shade of red; on his normally pale skin, it looked quite attractive as well as dramatic.  He liked the fact that this younger boy was so easily goaded and wondered what other reactions he could produce in him.

 

Jennifer watched the entire exchange between Brian and her youngest son with close scrutiny, noticing how Justin had turned red in reaction to what Brian was saying.  She suspected there was something else going on between the two of them, but at the moment it was impossible to tell what it was.  Not wanting the awkward moment to stretch out any further, she asked, "Why don't you all move into the dining room and I'll get our supper?"  She held her hand out toward the other room in invitation.  "Boys, please show our guests to their seats and I'll be right in.  Craig, would you help me collect everything, please?"

 

Jared walked over and grasped Brian's arm near his wrist.  "This way, Brian," he said as he turned and started to lead the other boy toward the dining room.   "I'll show you where to sit."

 

 Justin sighed softly in resignation and fumed over his brother's presumptuousness; he was too polite to ignore their other guests, however.  "Mr. and Mrs. Walker," he said with a nod as he followed Brian and Jared toward the nearby dining room, unable to help noticing how Brian's clothes moved so fluidly with his body.  Stop it, he told himself sternly.  It isn't going to happen...



 

 

Jennifer waited until the others were out of earshot before she turned to face her husband.  "Craig, will you please quit being so hard on him?"  She had wanted to hold off on this topic until later, but she found that she couldn't hold her tongue anymore.

 

Craig looked at her in befuddlement.  "Who?"

 

Using two oven mitts, Jennifer took the squat loaf of homemade honey wheat bread out of the oven and placed it on a medium-sized platter that matched her good dinnerware.  "Justin, that's who," she told him as she reached down to retrieve the pie and place it next to the bread so it would have time to cool before dessert and coffee were served.

 

Craig frowned.  "I wasn't being hard on him."

 

Jennifer shushed him, afraid the others would hear.  "Please keep your voice down.  Yes, you were.  He spent all day out in that hot sun making sure the fence was completely painted while you and Jared went gallivanting into town to pick up yet another jalopy to work on, and then you scolded him when he tried to help our neighbors out."

 

Craig couldn't believe it.  "First of all, those ‘jalopies' as you call them help make a tidy little profit around here when the horses aren't performing up to speed.  And second of all, I think Justin was more interested in checking out the new neighbor boy than helping to teach him how to milk a cow.  I happen to think that boy is a bad influence.  I mean, you heard why he's staying over there!  He's not here as a reward for being an upstanding kid, Jen; he's here because his own parents can't control him!   Do you really want Justin hanging around with someone like that?"

 

Jennifer sighed.  Perhaps Craig was right - she had heard just enough to know that this Brian boy had been in trouble back in Pittsburgh, and the last thing she wanted was for her son to get drawn into some kind of trouble along with him.  But then again, she trusted Justin's judgment and he was almost a man.  Where did you draw the line between smothering a son and protecting him?  Was it possible Craig was telling the truth?  That he was merely concerned over what sort of influence Brian might have on their vulnerable, inexperienced son, and he wasn't really showing favoritism?  She wanted to think so, but...

 

"Maybe not," she conceded as he nodded in agreement.  "But I also know I trust our son, Craig, and he's not a little boy anymore.  He's almost an adult.  He has to make his own decisions - and mistakes.  Besides, it was just a brief encounter at the Walkers' barn.  I hardly think the other boy is going to corrupt him during that time."

 

"Corrupt...That's a unique way of putting it," Craig muttered.  "I still don't like it," he decided.

 

Jennifer glanced over toward the dining room, knowing their guests would be wondering what was taking them so long.  "We'll take about this some more later," she assured him, determined not to drop the subject.  "Can you bring the pot roast and vegetables?  I'll grab the bread and get the salad out of the fridge."

 

Craig pursed his lips tightly together, feeling they had a lot more to discuss but also knowing that it would have to wait.  "Okay," he told her.  "But let's not draw this meal out," he told her quietly as they collected the items for their dinner and turned toward the dining room.  "The last thing I want is to spend all evening with a woman who doesn't know when to quit talking and a guy whose teeth you have to pull out just to get him to string more than a couple of words together."

 

Jennifer sighed.  "Come on," she told him, choosing not to counter his statement.  "Let's just make the best of it."

 


 

 

In the dining room, Jared could barely keep the smile of triumph off his face.  He had managed to steer Brian to the empty space right next to his own seat; Justin had been relegated to sitting across from them, next to the Walkers.  He knew that their mother and father would choose to sit at either end as they normally did when company came to visit.  He used his advantage at the moment while Mrs. Walker engaged in polite conversation with his brother to steal stealthy, admiring glances over at his dining companion.  He had been quickly intrigued by Brian the moment he had seen him out by the road yesterday, but now that he could get more up close and personal with the object of his appreciation, he was even more captivated.  The boy was probably the hottest thing on two long, lean legs he had ever had the pleasure of observing.  He was a few inches taller than he was, and his hair was slightly lighter with glints of reddish tint.  He had a sort of Romanesque profile - strong and angular, with long eyelashes and hints of gold specks in hazel eyes.  And the shirt he was wearing left little to the imagination - it clung to his flat chest and stomach like a tight glove.

 

His only disappointment was that he couldn't view Brian from the waist down.  That didn't mean he couldn't do a little tactile exploring, however, as, keeping his eyes on the Walkers from across the table, he slowly reached his left hand over and gave Brian's thigh an exploratory squeeze.

 

He could feel a slight jolt under his touch at the unexpected contact before he, too, felt Brian's hand slowly trailing a path up his upper leg, only he didn't stop at his thigh.  He bit his lower lip to hold back a moan that threatened to escape his mouth as he felt the other boy's right hand curling around his cock through the slacks he was wearing and giving it a possessive squeeze.  As Brian began to knead it like some delectable loaf of bread, despite his own growing desire he had to take his own hand to firmly remove the other boy's, knowing he would fucking come in his pants if he kept that up.

 

From his place across from the table, Justin's mind was trying to stay focused on what Mrs. Walker was saying about how hot and dry the weather had been so far this year, but his gaze was concentrated instead on his brother and their other guest sitting next to him.  Both of them had these strange expressions on their faces that he couldn't comprehend what they meant, but neither boy was looking at each other; in fact, if he didn't know better he would swear they were purposely trying NOT to catch each other's attention.  Just what was going on?

 

As his mother and father came into the room carrying the dishes for their supper, his gaze remained on Brian as the other boy's eyes caught his and he flushed once more in reaction.  It was as if Brian's eyes could pierce all the way down into his very soul, to his innermost thoughts and emotions, and he suddenly felt barer than a newborn baby fresh out of delivery.

 

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Jennifer said with an apologetic smile as she finally sat down at one end of the table, placing the platter containing the freshly-baked bread and the large bowl of salad down in front of her; Craig followed her lead by sitting down at the opposite end of the table and setting the oval platter of beef pot roast and vegetables down in front of the Walkers.

 

Sarah smiled back at her neighbor.  She had always liked Jennifer for her kindness as well as her frequent overtures to help out any way she could.  She was always having Justin take some honey over to her or some extra cookies she had baked for them, as well as allowing both boys to pitch in at their farm whenever they were in a bind; Justin, however, often wound up being the more giving of the two.  "That smells sensational," she told Jennifer, nodding toward the pot roast swimming in thick gravy with potato chunks, carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms.

 

Jennifer beamed at the compliment.  "Thank you - I hope you like it.  It's one of Craig's favorites - isn't it?"

 

Craig nodded, just a wisp of a polite smile on his face.  He still wasn't thrilled to be entertaining their next-door neighbors - much less their rebellious nephew.  Silently he hoped that his wife would abide by his wishes not to prolong their visit tonight.  He had already had a long day and was eagerly anticipating going to bed early.  He knew he and Jared would both want to start working on their latest project, and it would have to be after his oldest son had done his chores around the farm.  "Yeah," he told them.  "It's one of her best recipes."

 

Jennifer peered over at her husband to say, "Craig, if you'll hand the pot roast over to Will, we can start passing the other dishes around."  As her husband handed the platter to their guest, she noticed all the empty glasses filled only with ice and realized she had forgotten something.  "Jared," she addressed his older son, feeling Justin had helped enough already, "I forgot the iced tea pitcher.  Will you go get it please?"

 

Jared reluctantly scooted back from his chair with a nod, leaving Brian momentarily alone.  As he left the room, Brian watched from across the table as Justin was handed the meat platter from his Aunt Sarah.  He observed in fascination as the blond-haired boy deftly took the serving spoon and with long, graceful fingers placed some meat and vegetables onto his plate before passing it to his father.  As he let go of the dish, Justin's own eyes rose once more to meet his and he could almost feel this palpable, electric shock running between them.  He had to break off their gaze to place a small amount of meat and some carrots - no high carb potatoes, however - onto his own plate before passing the plate back over to Mrs. Taylor as an intriguing idea began to take form.  As the rest of the dishes were passed around, he slumped down ever so slightly in his chair, just enough to slide his foot out of its loafer before he slowly extended his leg out from under the table toward his goal.

 

Justin gasped in startled shock a few seconds later and dropped the platter of homemade bread onto the sage-green tablecloth with a decided thud as he felt something probing his cock and balls from under the table; his eyes flew open in comprehension as he realized it was someone's foot, someone's toes actually groping him!  His heart began to pound furiously as everyone looked over at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

 

"Justin?  Are you all right?" Jennifer asked as she reached over to grasp his wrist, alarmed to feel her son's pulse racing furiously.  Luckily the bread had landed back on top of its platter, none the worse for wear as she looked over at her son's flushed face.  "Justin?  What it is, Honey?"

 

Justin dared to look over at Brian and discovered the other boy staring at him with an amused smirk on his face.  As Jared returned with the pitcher and set it down in the middle of the table, his eyes narrowed at the odd look passing between his younger brother and Brian, while Justin found himself growing both confused as well as irritated by their guest.  Just what did he want with him?  What did he want from him?  First he makes a point of sitting next to his brother, whispering God-knows-what into his ear and leering at him as if he were the tastiest item on the menu, then the moment he's gone he's playing footsie with him under the table?

 

As he pondered what it all meant, Justin realized to his embarrassment that everyone was still looking over at him for an answer, including Brian (as if he didn't already know the reason why); Jared was merely staring over at him with a perplexed look on his face as if he had missed the punch line of some joke.  Pursing his lips tightly together, he took a deep breath and blew it out before he raced to come up with a plausible explanation.  It would serve the cocky - no, Justin, don't even go there, he told himself - the arrogant boy right if he just told them all what he had done, but somehow confessing to the Walkers and especially his own parents that he had cried out because one of their supper guests was fondling his cock and balls with his sock-clad foot didn't seem like the best explanation at the moment.  It would serve his brother right, though, if he knew he wasn't the only fish in the fucking sea when it came to Brian.  He couldn't help thinking, though, that this other boy was merely toying with both him AND his brother and he didn't like being made to feel like just a ‘convenience.'

 

"I'm sorry," he mumbled apologetically.  "The platter was hotter than I thought it would be."

 

Jennifer frowned but kept silent; she had brought the platter in herself without using any oven mitts and knew that was a lie.  But why would Justin make that up?  Once more she felt like a drama was being acted out right in front of her eyes but she wasn't privy to the script; everyone else, however, seemed to take her son's explanation at face value as they all continued to pass around each part of their supper until everyone had their fill.  The last thing Justin saw on Brian's face before they all began to eat their meal was the same sort of bemused, lazy smile he had worn previously as he cast his eyes downward and began to eat, hoping the heat he felt on his face would soon disappear.

 


 

 

For the next thirty minutes, the time passed fairly pleasantly as the adults engaged in polite conversation about ‘non-controversial' subjects, such as the dry weather, the poor price crops had been getting the past few years, the Walkers' chickens' output of eggs this year, and the upcoming county fair.  All the time the three boys engaged in a silent conversation of their own, Justin and Brian exchanging sneaking glances at each other when the other thought they weren't looking, while Jared merely ogled Brian openly, occasionally casting what seemed to Justin to be an outright flirting gesture his way.  It wasn't as if his brother was batting his eyelashes at him or something lesbian in nature like that, but it was more the way his eyes lingered on Brian much too long to merely be a polite smile of interest.

 

All the time, Justin was torn between half-praying, half-hoping that Brian would or wouldn't attempt another round of "footsie" with him under the table, finally deciding it was better that he didn't for fear he would be unable to hold back his response to it.  Merely being in the same room with the other boy was making his insides go crazy with wild dreams of fantasies the two of them could share, and when Brian had actually touched him before...He closed his eyes tightly together as if that would force his mind to think of something else, but it didn't work.  His and Brian's all-too-close encounter in the barn and the other boy's stunt a little earlier had seen to that.

 

"Justin?"

 

He opened his eyes at the sound of his mother calling him.  Damn it.  "Yes?"

 

"Justin, maybe you'd better excuse yourself and go lie down," Jennifer said as she reached over to place one hand on her son's forehead.  He didn't appear to feel hot, though.  "You don't seem feverish, but I really think you're coming down with something."

 

Justin glared over at his brother as he definitely heard a snort this time.  "Something funny?"

 

"Yeah," Jared replied, clearing enjoying his brother's discomfort and seeing right through what his actual problem was.  "You are.  Mom's right - you'd better go lie down, Squirt," he said with a smirk, "to rest." 


Fuck you came to mind again as an appropriate response to his brother, but Justin bit his tongue as he turned to his mother to say firmly, "I'm fine.  Maybe just a little tired after painting the fence all day."  He stared pointedly over at his brother making his insinuation clear, but Jared merely curled a corner of his mouth up and shrugged.

 

Brian was enjoying himself immensely as he watched the Taylor brothers' badminton show.  He had to give Justin credit - the boy was easily embarrassed but he still didn't back down from his older brother who reminded him of himself in a lot of ways.

 

Jennifer bit her lip, still worried over her son's odd behavior, but decided maybe Justin was right - he was merely tired. She glanced down at her son's plate, noting with some relief that at least his appetite hadn't been affected; he had polished off two pieces of homemade bread with butter and some of her honey, most of his salad, and every bite of his pot roast.  "More bread, Honey?" she asked softly with a smile.  "Or more meat?"

 

Just then he felt another probe to his cock with the same talented foot as before and he bolted upright in his seat with another startled gasp.  As everyone stared over at him - except Brian, of course, who purposely looked down into his plate as he stabbed a piece of his own meat - Justin hastily replied, "No...No more meat; I can't handle anymore right now."  He looked over at Brian, who had an amused grin on his face as he rose from the table with the growing beginnings of an impressive woody starting to form.

 

He cursed his body's reaction under his breath as he looked anywhere else but directly ahead.  "Uh...Maybe I should excuse myself," he told his mother.  "Would you mind?"

 

Jennifer cast a scolding glance over at Craig as if to say see, I told you he was working too hard before she turned to Justin with a concerned look on her face.  "Of course, Honey.  You go ahead and get some rest."

 

Justin quickly scooted back from the table and picked up his empty plate and glass, holding it down in front of him and feeling like he couldn't get out of there soon enough.  "Mr. and Mrs. Walker," he mumbled as they nodded at him.

 

"I hope you feel better soon, Justin," Sarah told him with a smile.  "Come over to the house sometime soon and I'll fix you some of my homemade blackberry cobbler that you love, okay?  That'll make you feel better."

 

As he nodded and quickly turned to go, he unexpectedly heard Brian call after him, "Yeah, Justin, you really must come," along with a soft chuckle and with the heat rising up to his neck and beyond, he scurried down the hallway.

 


 

 

A few minutes later, he was outside, leaning his back against the large maple tree located on the side of the farmhouse and savoring the coolness he always found there.  The roughness of the bark against his shirt felt soothing somehow, comforting.  It might have had more to do with being away from the source of his awkwardness, however, than the familiar security of the tree trunk that he had climbed countless times before when he was younger.  He would be the first to admit that his experience with other boys when it came to sex was woefully lacking compared to his older brother's; in fact, it was pretty non-existent apart from a few shared blow jobs and kisses.  But he suspected that even his brother's sexual appetite was nothing compared to that of their dinner guest.  The older boy frankly scared the shit out of him by the way he made him feel merely by being in his presence.  Of course it didn't help that it seemed like Brian was softly mocking his inexperience every time he looked at him - and with his touches, the way he smelled, the way he looked...

 

He let out a long, ragged breath, relieved in one way to be out of the house but also disappointed that he had acted like a scared little child in front of him.  "Shit," he muttered as he closed his eyes in mortification and sighed.

 


 


Meanwhile, inside the house, the tug of war between Jared and Brian waged on, both boys occasionally sliding their hands over to the other boy's body as they secretly explored and mapped out each other's contours and angles while the adults conversed quietly among themselves and the supper began to wind down.  Brian, attracted to both Taylor boys, decided that the most convenient target was the best one at the moment as he took advantage of the other boy's proximity to silently broadcast his wishes for exactly what he wanted to do with him later.

 

Jared was all too willing to encourage his overtures.  "Uh, Brian, my dad and I like to work on old cars.  Want to see the '37 Ford we picked up earlier today?  It's out in the barn."

 

Brian smiled widely, knowing that wasn't all he wanted to check out.  "Sure," he said to Jared's delight.   "I'd really like to see it," he said huskily, making no pretense about just what he was referring to.

 

Jared leered at him in a mirror imitation of Brian's own expression as his mother began, "Jared..."

 

"Come on, Mom, I just want to show it to him, that's all."  Brian had to keep from snickering at his response as the older Taylor brother looked over at his dad for reinforcement.

 

"Let them go, Jen," Craig encouraged her, even though he still didn't quite trust the Kinney boy.  He figured, though, that all this talk about crops and the latest farming utensils wouldn't hold much interest for either boy.

 

Jennifer sighed in resignation and nodded.  "All right, but don't get your hands all greasy again," she warned him.  "And don't keep Brian out there forever; the Walkers have to get up early tomorrow just like we do."

 

"Okay, Mom," Jared told her as he and Brian quickly pushed back from their chairs and rose to leave before anyone else put up a protest.

 

"Uh...Jared...Our guests?"

 

"Oh.  Nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Walker," Jared replied almost automatically, knowing what a stickler his mother was for common courtesy.  The two neighbors nodded at him as he rushed out of the room with their nephew, hardly able to contain his excitement over finally being alone with Brian.

 


 

 

Justin heard the back screen door opening and in the fading daylight poked his head around to see who it was.  Were the Walkers leaving with Brian?  He found that idea disappointing, even though he knew it had been his choice to run off like some little sissy.  Even though it was dusk now, he had no trouble making out who the people were and his eyes narrowed in dismay - it was his brother; his brother and Brian.  Unobserved, he held his breath as the two laughing boys walked companionably down the narrow concrete walkway together, side by side, toward the back, white wooden gate as Jared swung it open to exit.  Just as he suspected, he watched as Jared led Brian toward the barn, probably with the pretense of showing him his latest restoration project.  Something told him, though, that Jared had other ‘hobbies' in mind at the moment.  There was only one way to find out for sure, however.

 

He waited until they had entered the open double doors of the large, wooden barn before he rose from his place behind the large tree and followed the same path as the other two boys.  Taking care to keep to the side of the doors so neither boy could see him, he quietly crept closer and closer, hearing murmuring coming from inside.

 

As he got nearer to the doors, he could begin to hear what they were saying and although not surprised, it filled him with dismay.  He scooted closer to the doors as he listened intently, clearly making out his brother's voice - the one he used when he was trying to get something he really wanted.

 

"You are so fucking hot," Jared was murmuring huskily, his voice an octave lower than it normally was.  "You were making me so hard in there."

 

Justin held his breath as he molded himself to the exterior wall of the barn, making sure he couldn't be seen by the two boys inside; he felt like he was a witness to some gruesome accident scene, feeling uncomfortable standing there as he clearly eavesdropped on something personal but unable to turn away, either.  He held himself perfectly still as he heard Brian speaking this time, the boy's velvety, sultry voice making his pulse speed up in response, even though he wasn't talking to him.

 

"I'm going to fuck you so hard your eyes will roll to the back of your head," he growled at Jared.  "You won't be able to walk with that ass for a fucking week."

 

Justin squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the distinctive sounds of moans and feet scuffling; he risked peering around the corner of the barn's open doorway to observe his brother and Brian rapidly taking each other's clothes off as they groped and kissed, and he couldn't take it anymore; his face showing his distress and heartbreak, he quickly turned and rushed away toward the back of their property, any place where he couldn't hear the sounds of his brother and the boy he was strongly attracted to going at it like two dogs in heat.  As he dropped down onto the cool ground and felt the prickle of tears at the back of his eyes, he knew:  his worst nightmare had come true - Jared had, indeed, triumphed in his bid to capture Brian's interest, just as he feared he would.

 


 


Same Time - Inside the Barn


Brian's demand caught Jared by surprise as he captured the other boy's wrists in a strong grasp to stop their movement.  "What did you say?" he asked Brian breathlessly as he broke off their latest kiss and held Brian's wrists firmly in front of him while he stared into the darkened, lust-filled eyes of his companion.

 

Brian frowned, slightly irritated that his intention to give this other boy a good old-fashioned fuck he would remember into the next week was being thwarted.  Perhaps the hillbillies down here had another name for it.  How much clearer could he be?

 

"I said...I'm going to fuck the living daylights out of you," he reiterated as he struggled to break Jared's grasp.  As soon as he was free, he quickly moved to begin unfastening the other boy's pants, only to have Jared move back from him with a look of annoyance.

 

"I think you've got that wrong, City Boy," Jared told him as reached over and began to unbutton Brian's jeans now.  "The only one who's going to be doing any fucking tonight is me.  I'm nobody's bottom boy."

 

Brian's mouth hung open in amazement as he bristled, his eyes flashing incredulously.   "I think you've been inhaling too many tractor fumes lately; I could have sworn you just said you were going to fuck me.  Well, no fucking WAY, Jethro.  Not going to happen unless it's during your wildest wet dream, because I don't bottom for anybody."  Impatiently he waited for the other boy to come to his senses; knowing he would surely see reason.  All that groping under the dining room table earlier had made him horny as hell and decidedly frustrated.  He still had his rules, however, and it did NOT include being anyone's fuck, no matter how tight his groin felt at the moment or how talented this other boy might be.

 

To his disappointed surprise, however, Jared placed his hands on his hips and stood his ground.  "Well, Slim, we may be out in the hicks as far as you're concerned, but out here I don't bottom for anyone, either, so you'd better adjust your lofty goals downward if you want to get laid tonight."  Secretly Jared wasn't quite as assertive as he sounded; he was nervous as shit, but desperately hoping this gorgeous boy would see reason and decide that being fucked was better than nothing at all, because he was not going to back down.  He never submitted to any other guy and despite Brian's perfection he wasn't about to start tonight.  Once you bowed to another guy's demands, he figured the boy would never accept anything less, and he didn't want it broadcast that he would accept being a bottom for anyone.

 

Brian snorted.  "Well, it looks like the only thing getting laid tonight are eggs, then."  He stared the other boy down unflinchingly, disappointed that his plans for the evening had just been thwarted.  He wondered fleetingly where Justin was before Jared spoke up.

 

"Well, where does that leave US, then?  I really need to get off," he told Brian, his voice dripping with pent up sexual frustration as well as agitation.

 

Brian held his hand out to slowly push the other boy backward toward a horse stall nearby, noting with relief that it was empty save for some straw spread out on the ground.  Thank God there's no shit lying around there, he thought as he continued to urge the other boy ahead.  Jared, his eyes reflecting his confusion, allowed Brian to lead him through the open door of the stall just before he was given a firm push and fell on his back onto the relative softness of the thick, golden-colored, makeshift blanket.

 

He smirked up at the other boy in relief as he realized their playtime wasn't over yet, guessing what Brian had in mind.  His theory was confirmed as Brian sat down next to him and opened his jeans, pushing them down along with a pair of tight, black briefs to display an impressively large-size, erect cock, purple and throbbing.

 

Despite his earlier bravado, Jared licked his lips in anticipation as Brian demanded, "Suck me off and I'll do you the same favor.  It'll be the best head you'll ever have," he promised as Jared swallowed hard at the thought.  It didn't take long for Brian to divest himself of the rest of his clothing as he lay back on the ground next to him, one leg bent at the knee as he eyed the other boy intently and noticed the telltale look of lust in Jared's eyes as his gaze lowered to take in his hardened member.

 

A few minutes later he was coming down the boy's throat as his body arched up in climax and he cried out in release, despite finding that his choice of sexual partner wasn't as talented with giving blowjobs as he had hoped.  It had been adequate for what he had needed, but he found that Jared was lacking in the finesse department.  No matter, he decided; it had accomplished what he needed and there was still one other brother to check out - one that promised to be quite pliant and willing to let him coach him in the proper way of giving and receiving pleasure.

 

As he fulfilled his promise to return the favor shortly afterward - leaving Jared a sated, spineless mess on the straw-covered, dirt floor - he quickly grabbed his clothes and stood up to leave.

 

"What?  You're just leaving?" Jared breathlessly called out to him from his place on the floor, his voice somewhat coarse from the previous, loud verbal reaction he had had to Brian sucking him off.  The boy had been right - that had been the most amazing blowjob he had ever received, and it left him even more determined to convince Brian to let him fuck him.  He could be very determined when he wanted someone - and he had never wanted anyone more in his entire life.  "I was going to show you my car."

 

Brian laughed in incredulity.  "Really?  I thought you wanted to show me some other kind of hot rod.  Maybe some other time," he told him as he finished buttoning up his shirt and snapping his jeans back together, brushing some errant strands of straw out of his auburn hair as he slid his feet back into his loafers.

 

Jared rolled over onto his side and quickly rose to his feet as he hurriedly scooped up his clothes.  Jamming his legs into his jeans - not bothering to put his underwear back on but simply stuffing them into a pocket - he tried to think of a way to keep Brian there.  The boy was the most exciting guy he had seen in a long time - maybe forever - and he found that he didn't want to say goodbye yet, even though he knew he would be next door.  His typical confident nature faltered in front of this dominating boy as he suggested, "Maybe you can come over tomorrow and help me work on it.  Do you know about cars?"

 

Brian guffawed at the crazy question.  "You could say that," he dryly replied.  He shrugged.  "I'll have to see - I have chores I have to do first."  He said the word chores distastefully; merely the word made him want to gag.  He could only imagine after his less-than-pleasant conversation with his uncle earlier just what sort of ‘chores' the man had in mind for him.

 

Jared nodded as Brian turned to go.  "Well, see what you can do," he implored.  "It'll be one sweet ride once it's all fixed up.  It has an 85hp, 221-cu.in. V-8.  Wait until I get it out on the open road!"  His eyes shone with excitement - the same reaction he always had when he was starting on yet another project.  Just like with all the others he always wanted to keep the finished product, but his father was normally able to talk him out of it with the promise of starting on yet another one.  The idea of sharing this latest restoration with Brian, though, riding with him as they cut through the countryside in a blur of speed and power, was enormously appealing to him and gave him hope that he would be able to impress him with his driving skills.

 

Brian nodded casually.  "I'll be around," he said.  "Later."

 

Jared's eyes followed the gorgeous boy - all tousled from their encounter but still glorious even in his indifference.  "See ya," he responded as Brian disappeared into the darkness.  "And it won't be the last time," he softly vowed.  He stood there alone for several seconds amongst the sounds of the crickets, soft moos of their cows, and the occasional whinny of a horse out in the adjacent paddock before, with a sigh, he quickly donned his shirt and walked back toward the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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