The Summer of 1981, Part 5: Feels So Right

[Padraig]

For those of you who would like to catch up, here are links to the earlier chapters:

Part 1, The Best of Times: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=16216
Part 2, Wasn't That A Party: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=16225
Part 3, The Boy From New York City: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=16229
Part 4, The Voice: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/sh...ad.php?t=16235


Any feedback is very much appreciated - I would love to hear from those of you who have been reading. Thanks!!

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Tug woke up late the next morning, but still felt a little tired. He looked at his clock and noted that it was after 10:00, which meant his parents had left for work already.

He climbed out of bed and walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner. Ignoring the bulk of his shapeless body below, Tug focused on his face – it always perked him up a little to see that he looked a lot like his brother, only with fuller cheeks and a second chin. He was amusingly startled by how messed up his hair had gotten overnight, and decided to start his day with a shower.

Tug took off his t-shirt and tossed it on the bed. He was about to remove his boxer shorts, when a sharp hunger pang suddenly echoed in his stomach.

Must have food!

He changed his mind about the shower and decided to postpone his grooming until after breakfast. He went downstairs and noted it was already a bit stuffy inside, so he took a quick side trip to the foyer to prop open the front door, and then into the living room to open a window. The cross-current always brought in a fresh Puget Sound breeze and cooled off the rooms a little.

Though not as good as an air conditioner would...

Strolling to the kitchen, Tug thought about getting a bowl of cereal, but then spotted the leftover desserts from the party. He unwrapped one of the tinfoil packages, extracted four of the biggest pastries, and resealed the remaining ones.

He picked up two of the treats in each hand and headed back to the living room, gnawing on them as he walked. Feeling carefree and just a bit goofy with his sugared booty, he used his foot to click on the stereo so he could listen to some tunes. As it happened, one of his favorite new songs was playing:

Whisper to me softly, breathe words upon my skin
No one’s near and listening, so please, don’t say goodbye
Just hold me close and love me, press your lips to mine
Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, feels so right, feels so right

Tug ate the pastries as he swayed along to the music in his living room. He could feel his gut bouncing along as he moved, but he didn’t care about his weight or any of his other problems. He was enjoying himself, and during the chorus of “mmmm, mmmm, mmmm,” he belted out similar-sounding “yummy” noises.

Lying here beside you, I hear the echoes of your sighs
Promise me you’ll stay with me and keep me warm tonight
So hold me close and love me, give my heart a smile
Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, feels so right, feels so right

“You feel so right, baby” he repeated after the singer, then took a gigantic bite out of one of the goodies in his left hand. He twirled around to face the front door again, only to be surprised by a stranger standing inside the doorway.

Shit!

Tug immediately stopped dancing upon seeing the beefy, towheaded man and kicked off the stereo. He eyes widened and he wanted to say something, but his mouth was completely full.

The stranger spoke first.

“I’m so sorry to have startled you,” he said in a hesitating manner that indicated he was slightly rattled as well. “My name is Ben Reeves – I’m house-sitting for my great aunt this summer. Kathy Dickerson. She lives in the big red house down the road.”

Ben paused, but Tug didn’t jump in and fill the silent void. He continued to chew his mouthful of pastry, trying to figure out what he should be saying.

“Anyway, before she left on her trip, I asked her if there was a place to work out nearby. She recommended that I ask at the Yates house.”

Tug was able to swallow a little, but still had too much food in his mouth to talk.

“I came over this morning, but your mom said I should come back later and ask you. She said she would leave you a note.”

Still nothing came out of Tug's mouth but crumbs, so the stranger continued.

“When I saw that your door was open, I thought you were expecting me. I apologize for interrupting your…breakfast. Or dancing. Or routine. Or whatever.”

Finally the words came to Tug, awkward as they were.

“Please, come on in. Or rather, wait. I mean, hang on for just one second.” Tug raced back into the kitchen to set the remaining pastries on the kitchen counter, and then proceeded to wash the frosting off his hands in the sink. He also used the water to mat down his hair a little, thinking that it was probably still standing straight up.

He went to the refrigerator to grab the towel wrapped around the handle and dry his hands, and it was then he noticed his mom’s note under the big banana magnet – “Kathy’s nephew coming by for a visit today.”

How could I have missed it?

Tug grabbed a few Dynamints out of the container next to the fridge and popped them into his mouth, hoping to clear out any bad breath. He then hurried back into the living room to greet the guest, picking up a green and gold Afghan blanket from the couch as he walked and wrapping it around his shoulders and stomach.

As he approached the front door, Tug noted that Ben was about two inches shorter than he, but definitely had a sturdy-looking physique. He was wearing a red t-shirt that stretched across his well-formed chest, red athletic shorts with white piping that came down to the middle of his muscled thigh, knee-high white socks, and an old pair of tennis shoes.

Why does he look so familiar?

“I am so embarrassed. You must think I’m some sort of superfreak,” said Tug. “But I promise you that I don’t usually speak so lovingly to my food. Or dance with it.”

“It’s totally my fault. I can come back at a better time," said Ben. He turned slightly in preparation to leave, giving Tug a quick glance at his muscular profile.

With his red shirt, red shorts, and curly blond hair, he resembles a massively pumped up version of “The Greatest American Hero.” Is that why he looks familiar?

“Don't worry about it. What did you say you’re name was again?”

“Ben,” he reiterated as he turned back to Tug and held out his right hand.

“Tug,” replied the host as he shook Ben’s hand.

“Pardon?” asked Ben.

“My name is Tug. T – U – G.” He then waited for the obligatory question that was sure to follow.

“Well, nice to meet you, Tug.”

Tug was pleasantly surprised. “It’s nice to meet you, Ben, and I must say that I am impressed. The usual response is ‘What kind of name is Tug?’”

“It’s a cool name.”

“Thanks. So you said you are looking for a place to work out?” Tug tried to pull the blanket around him tighter to hide his stomach, which had flopped out when he shook Ben’s hand.

“Yes. I am staying at my aunt’s house while she is in Europe, and I was hoping to join a gym in the area, but I couldn’t find any in the phone book. My aunt didn’t know of any either, but she said I should check with the Yates boys.”

Both Tug and Tim had done a lot of odd jobs for Mrs. Dickerson during their youth, earning a few extra dollars by mowing her lawn or shoveling her walk when it snowed, as well as a cold soda or cup of hot chocolate, depending on the time of year.

“Well, the high school lets islanders use its gym during the summer, but unfortunately it’s closed for remodeling. The closest private gym is Vince’s, but that’s a 45-minute ferry ride and a 30-minute drive away.”

“So there’s nothing else nearby? Gee, I can’t imagine three months without a workout,” said Ben. A slight frown appeared on his face, and it looked to Tug like his jaw muscles had clenched a little.

“You sound just like my brother. Sometimes it felt like he couldn’t go three hours without a workout.”

“Is he the one who just signed with the Redskins?” Ben’s facial expression lightened, and the tightness in his jaw disappeared.

“Yep,” replied Tug, waiting for the standard follow-up questions from people who find out that his brother will be playing professional football. Would Ben ask about Tim’s autograph, Tim’s salary, or Tim’s chance at getting extra Super Bowl tickets?

But Ben chose none of the above. “So do you play football, too?”

For the second time in less than a minute, Tug was floored at Ben’s response – in the two months since the draft, very few people passed up an opportunity to find out more about Tim. “Um, no,” he replied. “Football wasn’t really my thing.”

“Well, like weightlifting, it’s a great way for me to stay in shape for baseball. But I guess I will just have to stick with jogging and pushups for the time being.”

Jogging! That's it!

Tug’s brain then made the connection. “That’s why you look familiar! I saw you jogging by the other day, right?”

“Yeah, I was going to come by then, but it looked like you were having a party.”

“My parents had some of their friends over,” Tug responded, just as his brain was making another connection. “You wouldn’t happen to be from New York City?”

“Yes, but how did you know?” asked Ben.

“You made quite an impression on this girl I know. She overheard you telling someone at the market.”

“Hopefully it was a positive impression.”

“Oh, it was. Apparently she plans on marrying you before the end of the summer.”

“Well, super,” said Ben, trying to keep a straight face. “I’ll keep Labor Day weekend open then.”

Tug laughed hard at the joke, no longer feeling embarrassed about Ben seeing him dancing around shirtless and singing to his food.

“Again, I am sorry to have interrupted you this morning. I should get going if I want to squeeze in a run before it gets too hot.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Ben. I’m sure I will see you around the island this summer.”

“Thanks. It was nice meeting you, too." Ben stuck out his hand for Tug, and the boys shooks hands a second time. As Ben's arm moved, Tug watched as his thick bicep bulged in his shirt sleeve and bounced up and down. The bulky stranger then turned, walked out of the house, and climbed down the porch to the sidewalk.

Wow! He must work out a lot! His arm was HUGE!

Tug closed the door, tossed the blanket onto the couch, and went back to the kitchen to retrieve his pastries. He scarfed them down, and then headed upstairs to shave and shower. He felt a little strange – a mix of euphoria and anticipation, perhaps – but was unsure why.

Guess I can chalk it up to too much sugar too quickly…

After getting cleaned up, he decided to drive into town to check on the job applications he submitted. Tug wasn’t expecting any of the businesses to need much summer help, but at least his dad would be happy that he had asked. He put on a clean pair of underwear and socks, and then went downstairs to retrieve the clothes that he had washed last night.

Tug walked into the laundry room, picked up his navy blue shirt, and put it on. It was getting a little snug as he buttoned it up, but it was his biggest dress shirt he owned, so it would have to do.

He briefly considered wearing his nicest pair of jeans, but he was pretty sure that his Britannias would no longer fit, so Tug settled on a pair of gray slacks instead. He picked them up from the laundry basket and managed to get them over his thighs and butt, but unfortunately no amount of tugging could get them buttoned.

He walked out of the laundry room and crossed to Tim’s workout area. He sat down on the bench, reclined back, and sucked in his stomach as much as he could, hoping this effort would allow the pants to be fastened. With a quick jerk, he pulled the ends of the waistband together, but before he could slip the button into the hole, the back of the slacks ripped apart.

“Great,” he said aloud. “Just great.”

Tug let go of his pants and breathed out, not sure of what to do next. He looked up at the empty bar, placed his hands around it, and pushed it off the rack. He lowered it to his chest, and then pressed it as high as he could reach. Tug repeated the motion three times, and then set the bar down its rack.

He lowered his arms, closed his eyes, and tried to think of what he should do.

After mulling his options, he made a decision.

[memorex414]

I'm hooked can't wait for the next installment.

[GoldfishBW]

I'm enjoying this story a lot. You are a good writer and I like the way the story is developing.

-Brad

[Padraig]

Thank you both - I really enjoy hearing from readers, because as I said in an earlier post, it's the first story I have written in five or six years, and I wasn't sure if it would connect with anyone.

I tend to write longer, more involved tales that contain some growth but do no necesarily revolve around it, and also explore the world in which the characters inhabit.

Obviously that's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, so it's very gratifying to hear that you enjoy what I write.

New chapter will be posted soon - either tomorrow or Wednesday.

[muscl4life]

Originally Posted by Padraig

Thank you both - I really enjoy hearing from readers, because as I said in an earlier post, it's the first story I have written in five or six years, and I wasn't sure if it would connect with anyone.

I tend to write longer, more involved tales that contain some growth but do no necesarily revolve around it, and also explore the world in which the characters inhabit.

Obviously that's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, so it's very gratifying to hear that you enjoy what I write.

New chapter will be posted soon - either tomorrow or Wednesday.

Every writer has his own preferences, just make sure you write the story according to your personal style and taste, never compromise your own passion to get more replies or views. Your stories are appealing for many, many guys, the number of replies might be lower than you've first expected, but trust me, the story is very well written, richly detailed and setting its own universe, which is very important. Take your time and remain commited to your own fetishes and fantasies, everything else will be just fine.

Congratulations,

Cheers

[Padraig]

Thanks, muscl4life - I really value your comments!

[ganteugene]

This really is a very cool story.

[philat99]

I'm enjoying the installments of your story because of your deliberate and methodical development including great characterization with appropriate but not overwhelming details. I like your style. Sorry for not responding to each chapter, but I just caught up and see that you already have chapter 6 posted.
Mike