Jonah's Giant 5

[Rowan]

–Five–

I waited there, by the door, for Jeremy’s return. This was his apartment; he would come back.

The chances of surviving a hostage situation were good. Some statisticians have stated that they can be as high as 85%. Most kidnapers, however, want a ransom of some sort from a party related to the victim.

I had no family, no friends. I was of no importance to the U.S. government. Any government.

It was likely that Jeremy did not want a ransom. He probably wanted something more intangible, which meant the difficulty of meeting his demands would be much higher. It also meant that chances of survival were under 40%, because a man wanting something that cannot be defined is far more likely to kill in an attempt to obtain it.

I shivered, but I wasn’t cold. Was it a fear response?

What did Jeremy want?

Something I could not give him, almost certainly.

I heard footsteps nearing the basement and changed my position, readied myself. Something heavy slid across the floor just outside, and the door opened.

Propelling myself forward, I ran for the light.

Jeremy’s arm wrapped around my waist, lifted me off the floor as he chuckled. “You’re quick, Jonah. I guess that comes from running at dawn every morning, huh?”

His hard biceps compressed my ribs, and I stopped struggling, knowing that I would only cause myself injury.

Carrying me under his arm, he walked down the stairs, placed me on the floor. “Brought you some food,” he said, giving me the plate he had been holding in his free hand.

I took it, then glanced at my watch. “It’s 6:42. I eat dinner at 7:15.”

He frowned. “You eat dinner at 7:15 every day?”

“Yes.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t remember that, and I was in your house a lot when I was younger.”

I looked down at the plate. Grilled chicken, steamed green beans with almond slivers. “Growing boys need food. It’s not good to be hungry.”

“So you changed your schedule for me?”

“Yes.”

“Bet you never thought I’d get this big.”

Glancing up, I realized something for the first time. “You are much taller than either of your parents, Jeremy.”

My observation brought him pleasure, although I didn’t know why. “Yeah, they’re only a little taller than you, and I’m six foot five.”

“You began to call me ‘Jonah’ when you grew taller than me. Is that why you tell your parents what to do, now?”

His pleasure increased. “Hey, I’m the strongest in the house. It’s not my fault they can’t handle me. It’s only right that they do what I say.”

There was a flaw in that logic, although I could not pinpoint it.

I turned and placed the plate on a desk, took note of the algebra homework under the lamp. “Number 4 is incorrect,” I said softly. “Twenty-four problems, so your score on this will be 95.83 percent.”

He walked to me, looked over my shoulder. “You checked that whole page just now?”

His body pressed against my back. Warm. Hard. “Yes.”

“Damn, Jonah. I knew you were smart, but...”

I tilted my head back to look into his face. “I can show you how to do number 4.”

His gaze rested on me a long moment, then drifted to my dinner plate. “You’re really not going to eat until 7:15?”

“Do you want me to eat now?”

He slipped his hand into my hair, twisted me around to face him. “Trying to play me again, Jonah?”

“Play you?” I touched my arm, felt the tenderness there. “No.”

His fingers tightened. “You’re sure? Cause you tried pretty hard to run out of here a few minutes ago, and now you’re acting like you’re more than happy to do whatever I say.”

“I’m not happy.”

He raised an eyebrow. “No?”

“No.” I reached into my collar, scratched an itch caused by dried sweat and grass clippings.

Jeremy smiled. “Maybe you’ll feel better after a shower.” He pushed me toward the bathroom.

I stood in the center of the main room, looking up at him.

He frowned. “Go on.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

I tugged at my t-shirt. “I have no clean clothes.”

He chuckled; the sound was closer to the old Jeremy, the one before today. “You can wear some of my stuff when you get out.”

My gaze traveled over his body. His shirt and pants were stretched tight, but they were obviously very large. “Your clothing will not fit me.”

“True.” He approached, wrapped an arm around my body, and yanked me against him. My head slammed into his chest; my face was buried in the valley between his pectoral muscles.

Sandalwood. Why could I not think of anything else when I was pressed close to him?

I felt his hand slide into my pocket, then he pushed me back, twirling my keys around his index finger. “You’ll wear one of my shirts tonight. Tomorrow I’ll get some stuff out of your house.”

There had been no hesitation when he’d taken them from me, no searching. “You knew where I kept my keys?”

He snorted. “You always keep them in your left pocket. Never fails.”

He’d said that as if I should have known better than to ask, but... “You watch me very closely?”

“It’s not like you don’t watch me just as close.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I thought, perhaps, I had not watched him closely enough; that if I had, I would have some clue as to what he wanted.

Jeremy nodded his head toward the bathroom. “Take a shower. If you time it right, it’ll be 7:15 by the time you’re done.”

I began to follow his instructions, paused when he walked in the opposite direction. “Where are you going?”

He grinned. “Just goin to close the door.”

I watched as he climbed the stairs, shut the door and locked it. He turned, smirked at me.

“Didn’t I tell you to take a shower?”

Was this part of the game? Unsure, I did as I was told.

Once inside the bathroom, I slid open the glass shower door, turned on the water. I waited until it reached a familiar temperature before I removed my clothing and placed it into the hamper against the wall. I stepped in and tilted my head upward, closing my eyes as the warm water cascaded over my body.

Different. Everything. The water pressure, the tile beneath my feet, the scent of the soap he used. I wanted to go home; to my shower, to my soap.

Grass and dirt swirled around my feet and into the drain as I cleaned myself. The pattern entranced me for a little while before I washed my hair. Neither his soap nor his shampoo smelled like sandalwood, so what caused that scent to emanate from his body?

When there was no more dirt, I turned off the water and exited the shower. I removed a towel from the rack and wrapped it around my hips as I left the bathroom. “Jeremy? May I have a shirt now?”

He’d been lounging on a couch, reading a book. At my question, he jumped to his feet. The book slid from his fingers and thumped to the floor as he looked at me.

I glanced down at myself, trying to find the source of his interest, then back up at him. “Jeremy?”

He ran his fingers through his blond hair and went to a dresser. “Yeah,” he said, pulling out a maroon t-shirt and tossing it at me.

It fell to my feet. I removed the towel from my waist, folded it into a square, and placed it on the floor. Then I picked up the shirt and pulled it on over my head. The hem reached my knees, and the neck was so large that it left one of my shoulders exposed. I looked at Jeremy, saw him frowning, saw his fists clenched tight.

He was angry. Again.

“I told you that your clothing wouldn’t fit,” I said, thinking it was the attire that displeased him.

The anger left him, replaced by another smirk.

Arrogance.

“You look like you’re wearing a dress. I’ve never thought of you as quite that small.”

It pleased him, seeing me this way. “I’ve been five foot seven for as long as you’ve known me. Only two inches below average height for an American male.”

“If you say so.” Then, when I didn’t respond, he asked, “I’m above average?”

“You’re well above average, Jeremy.”

This pleased him as well, and he approached me. My body grew tense; I wasn’t sure what he planned to do.

His hand cupped my chin, tilted my face upward. “I don’t think you’re below average,” he said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. “Those dark eyes of yours keep me up at night. Did you know that?”

I tried to shake my head, but his grip—though not painful—prevented any movement. “No.”

His fingers tightened. “I wish you’d stop lying to me, Jonah. Things will be a helluva lot easier if you just admit it.”

The pads of his fingers dug into my cheek as his hold caused my jaw to ache. “Admit what?”

“You <i> know </i> what!” He gave me a rough shake. “I’ve been giving you all the signals. I’ve been practically <i> shouting </i> it to you for a year now!”

“Signals...” I tried to glance away, to make a quiet moment for myself so I could go over the last few months in my head.

Jeremy jerked my chin upward so high that I was forced to stand on my toes. <i> “Look </i> at me!”

I looked at him. There was nothing else I could do.

“You can’t play stupid with me, Jonah.” He lifted his hand higher, and my toes left the floor. “You’re the smartest man I know. Smarter than my parents, smarter than any of my teachers.”

His grip on my face made it impossible to respond, and my inability to respond made him angry.

Jeremy growled and tossed me aside. I collided with his desk, crumpled to the floor. A sharp pain lanced through my arm, and I held it close to my body as I huddled against the desk. I didn’t like feeling this way.

Why was he making me feel this way?

“Oh come on, Jonah.” He crossed the room, crouched before me. “I didn’t throw you that hard. You’re made of tougher stuff than this.”

I moved my fingers, then my wrist, then my elbow. The pain was most prevalent when I lifted my arm, but it appeared that I still retained function. “I don’t think you realize your own strength, Jeremy.”

“You’re the one who doesn’t realize how strong I am,” he said softly. “I’d kill someone on the football field if I lost concentration for a second. Hell, I even have to hold back during sex.”

Sex. An activity in which two people come together for intercourse. I had never participated in it, but I imagined it required a great deal of concentration for a man his size. Perhaps I was wrong. I had been wrong many times today.

He reached out, touched my damp hair. I almost moved away from his hand, but I thought that might violate the rules of the game.

“Jeremy, what time is it?”

Glancing briefly to his desk, he answered without anger. “Past time for your dinner.”

His hand was still in my hair; his fingers were gentle as they skimmed my ear. My voice took on a timber I didn’t recognize. “Routine is important, but so is flexibility.”

Slowly, he leaned forward. “I’m flexible,” he murmured, touching his mouth to mine.

Without command from me, my eyes drifted closed. His lips were so smooth, and held a trace of sweetness. My own lips mimicked his movements and it felt... natural. He slipped his tongue into my mouth. There didn’t seem to be any option but to suck on it, so I did.

Jeremy groaned, and something stirred inside of me.

My body became a slew of paradoxes. Out of breath, but also energized. The muscles in my limbs felt languid and soft, while other parts of my body throbbed wildly. My penis began to move, began to grow hard.

I jerked my head back, my eyes open now and wide.

Stimulation-blood flow-arousal-erection-desire-insertion-lust-pressure-climax-ejaculation-

<i> Sex. </i>

Sex?

Jeremy leaned forward again.

I pressed myself back, into the corner made by the desk and the wall.

He stopped short. “What gives? You’re liking this as much as I am.”

Was I? My gaze drifted to his crotch. The bulge there was much bigger than it had been. But he seemed calm; his body wasn’t trembling like mine. This sensation had never touched me before, and it felt unstable. Maybe even dangerous.

“We can’t do this.”

His long fingers trailed down my arm, grazed over my naked skin of my thigh. “Relax, Jonah. I’m legal. You’re not going to get into trouble for fucking me.”

Swearing. It puzzled me, but I thought I understood the meaning of his statement. The trembling grew more intense. I didn’t know what to do.

Years ago, Dr. Burke had given me a lecture about this. He told me about protection and the mechanics of the act. Then he told me that, if I wanted have intercourse, it would feel right. <i> Never have sex unless you want it. </i> That’s what he taught me. One of the rules that should never be broken.

But I’d never truly wanted anything in my life, except—now— to go home. Given so many unfamiliar sensations, how was I supposed to discern the right course of action?

Perhaps the very confusion I was experiencing held the clue I needed. If I wanted it, then things would be clear. Since they weren’t, then that meant—

I lifted my head, looked into Jeremy’s sky-blue eyes. “I-I’m not ready.”

His expression made me cold inside. “Well, you’d better <i> get </i> ready.” He shot to his feet, towered over me. “And soon.”

I started to ask him how, but thought better of it. I wasn’t sure the answer would improve my situation.

He stared down at me a few moments before turning away. “Go. Eat.” He flopped down on his couch, picked up the book he’d dropped earlier. “I got homework to do, anyway.”

I watched him for a while from the floor. My fingers went to my lips, and I wondered if I had made a mistake.

*****

Jeremy pulled his t-shirt off over his head, balled it up and threw it to a corner. Then he did the same to his jeans.

I stood from the chair at his desk, holding my arm close to my body when the movement made me wince. I had been sitting there for the last two hours. “Are you going to take a shower?”

He glanced at me as if my voice surprised him. “Nah. I usually take one in the morning and one after I work out. I’m just gettin ready for bed now.”

My gaze drifted down his body. He only wore a pair of white boxer shorts. The material was thin, light. Cotton, probably. They were somewhat loose around his waist, but strained to cover his buttocks and thighs. His penis was clearly outlined. Like the rest of his body, it was quite large. Too large for his underwear to properly contain, really. It extended down his thigh, stressing the cotton.

“You done lookin at my cock, Jonah?”

I looked up. My gaze moved slower than I’d intended as it took in his deeply etched abdominal muscles, his hard external oblique muscles, his latissimus dorsi. It paused at his chest, at the rounded pecs that thrust forward from him. My neck seemed frozen at that angle, and I forced it to move upward again, so I could look into his eyes. “You’re uncircumcised.”

I’m not certain why I said that.

Jeremy reached down, adjusted himself. “You only like cut guys?”

It was simple enough to translate his slang. More difficult to decipher the reason behind the question. “I have no preference.”

He let go of his crotch and walked past me, into the bathroom.

I remained standing by the desk as I listened to him brush his teeth. I couldn’t brush my teeth. I had no toothbrush.

When he emerged a few minutes later, I saw that he’d washed his face as well. It was difficult to reconcile him with the boy I had met so many years ago. Gone was all trace of baby fat, which brought his powerful bone structure into sharp relief. There was something transcendent about his face, as if I were meant to gaze upon it.

Jeremy snapped off the light and plunged us both into darkness, which disproved my theory of transcendence.

As my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I could make out his figure climbing into bed.

“Jonah, you comin or what?”

“You... You want me to sleep there? With you?”

“You see any other beds around here?”

I think it was irritation I heard in his voice. Or perhaps resignation. It could be tiring, conversing with me. “It would be improper to share your bed. I can sleep on the sofa.”

There was no mistaking the irritation this time. “Just get your ass in here.”

A shiver went through me and I fell back a step. Something about sleeping so close to him was...

Scary.

“Do I have to remove my clothing?” I asked, tugging at the shirt I wore.

“Fuck, I don’t care. Do <i> you </i> want to take it off?”

I took another step back. “No,” I whispered.

“Then don’t. Now come on, I gotta get up early.”

The clipped tone in his voice made me hesitate, but I eventually moved forward, got into the narrow bed with him.

Jeremy twisted to his side, making room for me. “Damn. Maybe tomorrow I’ll take my parents’ bed and bring it down here.”

I kept myself still as he pulled the blanket over us. His body was unusually warm, and now that warmth surrounded me, brought the scent of sandalwood in heated waves. “Where will your parents sleep?”

“I don’t care.” He draped his arm over me, pulled me back against his body. His hard muscles pressed against my skin. “I’m the one who needs the space.”

“It’s not right to take things that belong to others,” I said softly.

He nuzzled my hair, massaged the tight muscles of my chest. His palm grazed over my nipples and my breath caught. “If I want it, and they can’t stop me from getting it, then it should belong to me anyway.”

Such patterns often arose in the wild among animals. “Your mentality is much like that of an Alpha-male, Jeremy.”

“Alpha-male, huh?” He pulled me closer, compressing my chest and restricting my breathing for a few seconds. “Where did you get that from?”

“I watch a lot of Animal Planet.”

He chuckled, the softest sound I’d heard from him today. “Well, it’s got a good ring to it.”

When I could breathe easily again, I tried to ignore how his body felt against mine, how the hairs on his thighs felt against my bare legs. I’d never shared a bed before. In foster care I often slept in a cot, and at the institution I shared a room with 11 other boys. But I was unused to being so close to another human being.

The rise and fall of Jeremy’s chest slowed and evened, indicating sleep. I pushed on his arm, but it would not move at all. Even at rest, he held me prisoner.

Sleep, for me, would be difficult to achieve.

[Rowan]

The first 4 installments of this story can be found at:


Parts 1-3: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4187
Part 4: http://www.musclegrowth.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4226

As always, comments appreciated.

Have a good weekend,
--Rowan

[mlbjock]

I'm having more trouble getting thru this story than anything else you've written mostly because it's frustrating. If Jonah is a smart as he seems, just w/o emotions, then there would be no reason why he wouldn't ask Jeremy to explain what's going on. And that would save a lot of the trouble; though wouldn't be as "dramatic" I suppose.

[TKnTexas55]

Jonah was never taught about "how he was wired". He was given simplistic rules to live by ... simple coping skills. During his adult life he didn't have anything major to disrupt those rules, he never adapted further. I am enjoying the dynamics ... VERY different plot twist. Only problem I see is the length of time between installments.

[memorex414]

Originally Posted by mlbjock

I'm having more trouble getting thru this story than anything else you've written mostly because it's frustrating. If Jonah is a smart as he seems, just w/o emotions, then there would be no reason why he wouldn't ask Jeremy to explain what's going on. And that would save a lot of the trouble; though wouldn't be as "dramatic" I suppose.

Have you ever known a person who had all the book sense Providence could offer but skipped out on the common sense at the cafeteria of life? That's Jonah. I liken him to Math and Physics majors; smart an anything but can't see the forrest for the trees. Johan, without his emotions, is a logical being. He deals in absolutes not abstractions. If it isn't logical he can't comprehend it very well. He has a routine...it's logical. He can't understand what is wrong with Jeremy (the illogic of the emotions) The bad thing is depending on how this goes these two might slowly begin to evolve or it could be cataclysmic a la matter and anti-matter. Of course knowing ones history you being to know yourself. These two might need a catalyst to get them on the road to the Paradisio otherwise...perdition.

[a_8_in_ruston]

Originally Posted by TKnTexas55

Jonah was never taught about "how he was wired". He was given simplistic rules to live by ... simple coping skills. During his adult life he didn't have anything major to disrupt those rules, he never adapted further. I am enjoying the dynamics ... VERY different plot twist. Only problem I see is the length of time between installments.

Very "Monk"'ish........only hotter!

Keep up the great work

-Matt

[ferro]

This story is moving steadily along, and the failure to communicate continues, though each is learning a bit about the other. Even if Jonah had reviewed his memory for the signals Jeremy's been "shouting", I'm not convinced he would have picked them out, though he would have remembered the encounters. Jonah's profoundly hearing impaired on those wavelengths.

I'm wondering how you're going to avoid Jonah withdrawing like Justin did; given his neurology he's far more likely to shut down. And it's hard to see what, beyond "breaking" Jonah, will shock Jeremy enough to really see how badly he's behaving, how antisocial he's become.

The magic moment for me this time the moment where Jonah puts together what this is about: Sex. Great writing.

As for Jeremy, well, he isn't a very sympathetic character right now. It's going to take a lot to civilize him. Good thing you have him in charge, Rowan.

Ferro

[mlbjock]

Yes I have actually, but don't see how that's relivent. Even someone w/o common sense would be able to ask about why something is going on, especially when they don't have pride that would keep the avg guy from asking.

Either way, this is the first of Rowan's stories I am not really enjoying.

[bobtimbob]

Perhaps you are supposed to find Jonah's behavior a little frustrating? Jeremy certainly does...

[Rowan]

Originally Posted by mlbjock

I'm having more trouble getting thru this story than anything else you've written mostly because it's frustrating. If Jonah is a smart as he seems, just w/o emotions, then there would be no reason why he wouldn't ask Jeremy to explain what's going on. And that would save a lot of the trouble; though wouldn't be as "dramatic" I suppose.

Dude, sorry the story is frustrating you. It is meant to be dramatic. But Jonah's problems are a lot more complex than just being without emotions. He simply doesn't process things the way he should. Jeremy doesn't know that, and Jonah hasn't been programmed to explain it.

I can see the drawbacks of the story, though. It's a challenge writing from Jonah's pov, but it's one I've been enjoying lately.

Originally Posted by TKnTexas55

I am enjoying the dynamics ... VERY different plot twist. Only problem I see is the length of time between installments.

I'm enjoying the dynamic between these two as well. Jonah, who's older but has no life experience, and Jeremy, who has the life experience of an 18 year old man. These two are so ill matched!

Originally Posted by memorex414

The bad thing is depending on how this goes these two might slowly begin to evolve or it could be cataclysmic a la matter and anti-matter. Of course knowing ones history you being to know yourself. These two might need a catalyst to get them on the road to the Paradisio otherwise...perdition.

Matter and anti-matter... I like that!

Originally Posted by a_8_in_ruston

Very "Monk"'ish........only hotter!

Keep up the great work

LoL. Man, I haven't seen that show since they got rid of Shirona. Is it still good?

Originally Posted by ferro

The magic moment for me this time the moment where Jonah puts together what this is about: Sex.

That was my favorite part in this chapter too.

Originally Posted by mlbjock

Either way, this is the first of Rowan's stories I am not really enjoying.

Sorry to hear that, man.

Originally Posted by bobtimbob

Perhaps you are supposed to find Jonah's behavior a little frustrating? Jeremy certainly does...

Boy, does he ever.

[Lover_Boy]

[COLOR=red]....It's not entirely about sex.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]- It's about love. Jeremy loves Jonah, a sentiment that developed because of Jonah's unintentional kindness patience all through the years.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]- And jonah, though he can't identify it yet, loves Jeremy.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]- The problem here is that neither of them has enough info. about the other. Although, Iwas wondering too why Jonah hasn't asked Jeremy to simply tell him what he wants. Then i realized, it's not in his "programming" to ask.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]Ciao,[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000]L_B[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][/COLOR]