The Gardener (Part 11)

[Reeza]

Author's Note: This is another long chapter, so if you're reading this before you go to work, you are at risk of being late. (Hardmuscl4life, Anifanatic10, I'm talking to you!). Please follow Adam and Sam's example and delay your gratification so you don't get fired.

Thanks for another round of great comments on Part 10. I check for readers' comments as obsessively as some of you check for the next chapter. You have been very good to me.

Previously on The Gardener . . . Adam and Sam discovered they had a natural talent for kissing each other as their epic Memorial Day weekend came to an end.


The Gardener
by Reeza

Parts 1 and 2 : Part 3 : Part 4 : Part 5 : Part 6 : Part 7 : Part 8 : Part 9 : Part 10

Part 11

I slept like a rock and woke up earlier than usual, feeling energized enough to go for a run before breakfast. There had been a time when I did that every day without even thinking. This seemed like a good time to get back in the habit. I wanted to be in better shape for some things I might be doing with Sam in the near future. Like swimming.

As I arrived at work I smiled and greeted the people I passed on the way to my office. Some of them looked at me as though they had never seen me before, so I stopped in the restroom to make sure I didn't have something stuck to my face. I didn't. As I settled into my office, my colleague Donna burst through the door without knocking.

"Somebody told me you were cheerful. What's wrong?"

Did I mention that she's sarcastic? I said, "Please come in! And I'm always cheerful around here."

She put on a sympathetic face. "Oh, honey! You actually believe that, don't you? That's so tragic!"

I sighed. "So how was your weekend?"

"It was fun. We went to . . . wait a minute . . . you never ask about me." She wasn't being sarcastic anymore. She narrowed her eyes. "You look different. Were you out in the sun?"

"Yeah, I was gardening."

"Is that all? Did you go somewhere this weekend?"

"No, I just hung out at home, grilled some steaks. So what about your weekend? Where did you go?"

"Did you say 'steaks,' plural? Who was with you?"

"Uff! What the . . . I'm . . . my tenant . . . doesn't know anyone in town . . . so I . . . we grilled some steaks together. Okay?"

"Huh. Aren't you afraid she'll get the wrong idea about that?"

"He. Him."

"Oh." There was a long pause. I believe she was waiting for me to offer more information. It was really quiet in there. It got a little awkward. She stepped over to the door and closed it, but she was still inside the room. There may have been a cricket in there with us.

I couldn't stand it anymore, so I took a breath. "Um . . . Donna, can I ask you something? I don't wanna put you on the spot or anything, but I was wondering . . ."

"What?" Her expression was completely blank.

"Um . . . somebody asked me the other day whether I had any friends at work, and I said I had one. Was that . . . accurate?"

Her eyes looked a little sad for some reason. "Yes, I am your friend, Adam. We are friends."

"Okay. I thought so, but I didn't want to assume." I paused and nodded. "And . . . again, I don't wanna put you on the spot, but, if I were . . . oh, let's say if I were . . . gay . . . would that make a difference?" My heart thumped.

"Yes." Her chin quivered. "I would like you more."

"Oh . . . well . . . that's too bad, because I really like your tits."

Her laugh was so loud it scared a flock of birds off the roof of the neighboring building. As a rule, her sense of humor was so dry I don't think I had ever heard her laugh. Certainly not like that. The secretaries in the outer office stood up from their desks to see what was going on. Donna glanced back at them and said, "Let's put on a show!" She walked over to me, put her hand on the side of my head, and planted a big kiss on my cheek. "They're gonna talk about us for weeks." She turned to go. "I'm taking you out to lunch today. I'll be back at 12:30."

"Don't I have a say in that?"

"No." And she was gone. She was my kind of woman.

***

Accounting isn't the most exciting work in the world, but it was good for me because it required enough focus to distract me from all the other thoughts that tended to swirl around in my head. It also gave me the feeling that I could bring order to chaos. This was especially important to me now that another part of my life was less orderly and predictable. I felt lucky that my workplace could provide me with that kind of refuge.

I was deeply immersed in a financial statement when I was distracted by a tapping noise and realized, too late, that I hadn't closed my door after Donna left. I looked up. Oh, shit. It was that cute guy from the tax department. What's his name?

"Hey, Adam! I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Of course you are. "No, not at all. What's up?"

"Um . . ." He looked at me strangely, squinting as he did so. "Do you know you have lipstick on your face?" He pointed at his own cheek.

"Oh, crap! How long has that been there?" I grabbed a tissue and started scrubbing my face.

"When's the last time you were kissed?" He smiled. I swear his teeth sparkled like they do in those chewing gum commercials.

"Oh, Donna was in here earlier. She did it." I kept wiping the contamination off my skin.

"I'm sorry, are you and Donna . . . ?" He knit his handsome blond brows.

It took me a minute to catch his drift. "Oh God no! She's a married woman, and I'm not . . . interested." Awkward! "So, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing really. I was just wondering if you wanted to grab some lunch later." His ears turned red. It was pretty damned cute, and I was flattered.

"Actually, I'm having lunch with Donna today. But thanks."

"Oh, bummer. That's another great tie, by the way. Where do you buy those?"

I looked down at my bland, neutral tie. "I don't know . . . Sears?"

He laughed. "You're funny!"

Did I make a joke? I noticed the way his tailored shirt hugged his obliques.

"I was hoping to see you at Millie's house over the weekend. Almost everyone from the office was there."

Someone named Millie works here? "Yeah, I'm not very sociable. I'm surprised people still invite me to things."

"Well, you seem like a nice guy. They just wanna get to know you. I know I do."

"Mrowr, fofay." God dammit! Not the gibberish again!

He raised his arm to scratch behind his ear, accidentally flexing his respectable biceps. "So maybe we could grab lunch another day?"

Absolutely not! "Yeah, definitely. Let's do that." What the fuck?!

"Cool." He showed me his teeth again. "All right, I'll see ya." When he left I saw three pairs of secretaries' eyes follow his butt down the hall, then turn back to shoot daggers at me. I closed my door tightly.

***

I'd had lunch with Donna many times before, but this was different. Now that she knew I was gay I felt more relaxed with her. I didn't want to think that my sexual orientation was such a significant part of who I was, but apparently it was. She said she suspected for a long time, but was afraid I didn't know about it yet, so she didn't say anything.

She told me about her weekend with her husband, Kevin, an electrical contractor, and their three kids. It was nice to hear about an ordinary family doing ordinary things. I could tell she was a good mother from the way she talked about each of her children, what she worried about, and what she hoped for. She surprised me by saying how much my parents' death had affected her as a parent. Realizing that she could be taken away from her children at any time helped her prioritize the time she spent with them, and made her work harder at showing her affection in a way that didn't come naturally to her. I thanked her for telling me that.

"I know you're gonna hate hearing this, Adam, but in my mind, I adopted you after the funeral. You and I both have that hard shell that we wear when we're out here in the world, but you crawled so far into yours, I wasn't sure if you would ever come out. It wasn't until these last few months that you started to act like your old self again. So what changed? What's your secret?"

It took me a few minutes to decide how much more I could share with her in one day. "This tenant I have . . . he moved in in January."

"Yeah."

"I really like him."

"Does he know that?"

"He does now. And he is gay."

"That makes it easier. Does he like you?"

"He says he does. I believe he does."

"So . . . is there a problem?"

"I'm afraid it won't last."

"Why not?"

"He's a lot younger."

"How young? He's an adult, I hope."

"Of course he's an adult! Do you think I'm an idiot? He's twenty."

"Oh. And you're what . . . twenty-nine?"

"I'm thirty-two."

"Oh, you seem younger. Umm . . . is he mature? Is he smart?"

"Yes. Both."

"How do you feel when you're with him?"

"Half the time I'm scared out of my mind, and the other half I'm so happy I can barely control my bladder."

"Wow. You've got it bad."

"I'm afraid I'm gonna get hurt."

"Well . . . yes you are. If you do it right, you're guaranteed to get hurt sooner or later. I think it's part of the package."

"I don't understand."

She thought for a minute. "You know how they always show Cupid shooting arrows into people to symbolize falling in love? I didn't really understand that until I fell in love with Kevin. I felt wounded. It actually hurt to be away from him. And after that honeymoon phase wore off, sometimes it hurt to be with him. It's not all sunshine and roses." She paused. "And now I'm gonna tell you something I've never told anyone else. I want you to remember this. It's a terrible thing to discover how much you can hurt someone who loves you. I hurt Kevin badly. But he forgave me. I didn't think anyone could love me that much." She was smiling, but it was tempered by sadness. "Why does it seem like the best things we learn in life have to be learned the hard way?"

I felt like crying. "I was hoping you would say something more encouraging."

"I'm not gonna lie to you . . . it's hard work. But it's the best pain you'll ever feel."

"Yippee."

"It's the same with my kids. I remember the first time my oldest told me he hated me because I wouldn't let him do something stupid. He said I was the worst mother in the world . . . you know how kids say that. I thought I was gonna die. But I knew I was doing what was best for him, and so did he. He never actually said it, but I could tell. He's a good kid."

"So you're telling me I should go ahead and get hurt."

"Yeah, if you wanna put it that way. You know I'm not talking about abuse, but . . . yeah . . . take the risk, be vulnerable. Love hurts, but I highly recommend it. My advice isn't gonna make a difference, though. I have a feeling the arrow is already in you."

I sighed. "I'm glad you're paying for this lunch because it's pretty depressing."

"Oh, don't be such a baby! You can handle it. I can't believe you're thirty-two."

"I should have had lunch with . . . what's the name of that new guy in the tax department?"

"Henry? The guy I told you about?"

"I thought his name was Chad, but yeah. He invited me to lunch today, too."

"I knew he was after you. Did you tell him you're in a relationship?"

"Uhhh . . ."

"Do you want me to scare him away from you?"

"Why do you have to be involved?"

"Let's see . . . we've worked together for eight years and you just figured out that we're friends. So I'm thinking you might need some help with relationships."

"I know how to handle myself. Why can't I have a friendly lunch with him, just like this? Not everything is about sex, y'know."

"You mean you're not gonna put out after I paid for lunch?"

"Bleh! That's gross!"

"Don't play with fire, Adam! Stay away from Henry."

"Don't worry. It's probably never gonna happen anyway. Just forget about it."

"God, you really are gonna be like one of my kids, aren't you? Except they have more sense than you."

"C'mon. We need to get back to work."

***

After a more productive afternoon with fewer interruptions, I drove home in my pretty blue truck and found Sam working on the garden shed. There was already a second coat of paint on it and he was working on the trim. The old laundry appliances from the basement were on the side of the driveway. He turned to greet me as I climbed out of the truck. "Hey boss, how does it look?"

"It looks great. When did you get all this done?"

"Well, it turns out I didn't have to work today. When I gave the manager my two weeks notice, he wanted me to leave immediately. He said he wouldn't accuse me of theft if I went away quietly."

"Theft! What theft?"

"All the food I ate. He said it was worth thousands of dollars. I suppose he has a point."

"I suppose he's a dick! What about the chef? Is he gonna get in trouble?"

"That was my main concern. We negotiated about that, and he won't get fired or get in trouble."

"How can you be sure? What did you have to negotiate with?"

He hesitated before answering and avoided eye contact. "I can be pretty persuasive when I need to be."

That was a cagey response. I considered whether I wanted to know what he was talking about, and decided not to ask. "It was nice of you to protect him. He was good to you."

"Yeah. So I'm done there. I won't get any more paychecks and my health insurance expires in two days. I'm gonna go to the clinic tomorrow to get those tests done. And I can start working for Dave right away."

"I guess things are falling into place. Do you feel okay about all of this?"

"Uh huh. It was time to make a change. Thanks to you, I can do that." He was looking at me rather intently. "Where did you get that tie, Adam?"

"I don't remember. Do you like it?"

"No. I think my grandfather was wearing that same tie when he was buried. How old is that?"

"Uhh, maybe it was my father's. Should I get rid of it?"

"Yes. In fact, let me take it off you right now so I can walk it directly to the trash can." I raised my chin as he reached forward and gently manipulated the knot to loosen it from my collar. It was kind of sexy to have him undressing me.

"Somebody complimented me on this tie today." He drew the narrow tail through the knot and extracted it from my shirt.

"Really? Was this person carrying a white cane?" He smiled and unbuttoned my collar.

"Jeez, feel free to express your opinions!"

He undid one more button on my shirt and briefly twirled his fingertip in the little tuft of hair on my collar bone. "Do you really want me to blow smoke up your ass, Adam?"

"Hmmm . . . kinky."

"Okay, forget I said that. Are you gonna get started on dinner?"

"Does that mean you're hungry?"

"As they say out in the country, I could eat the asshole out of a skunk."

"That's colorful. I'm all out of skunk, so I was gonna make salmon fillets."

"I hope you have a lot."

"How many do you want?"

"How many do you have?"

"I'll go get started." I walked toward the house. "I see you brought those old appliances up here."

"Yeah, I moved my weights to the basement. I thought I would load the appliances on my truck and take them to the scrap dealer tomorrow. Do you want me to get rid of all that scrap wood and metal, too?"

"Sure. Unless you have a use for it, get rid of it. And don't forget the radiator."

"I was gonna leave that down there. I can use it."

I looked at him. "For what?"

"You'll see."

I was intrigued, but I let it go. "Are you gonna finish painting?"

"Yeah, after I burn this tie. I'll come in when I'm done."

***

Dinner was almost ready when Sam came in the back door, freshly showered. He was wearing a snug black t-shirt that made me do a double-take when I glanced over at him.

"I saw that!" he said.

"Damn! You should warn me before you walk in here all sexed up."

He feigned innocence. "What? This old t-shirt?"

I laughed. "Don't pretend you didn't know what you were doing when you put that on!"

He walked up behind me at the kitchen counter and put his hands on my shoulders. "I felt bad that I didn't greet you properly when you came home." He kissed my neck a few times, making it difficult for me to continue what I was doing because all of my blood was rushing to my crotch.

"You'd better turn it down a few notches or I'll ruin your dinner."

He kissed me again. "I could eat you instead."

"Stop it! Seriously! I've got six pounds of salmon in the oven that shouldn't be overcooked."

He pulled away. "Uuurgh! All right. Did you say six pounds?"

"You said, "How much do you have?" so that's what I made."

"I'm not complaining. What else did you make?"

"Jasmine rice and broccoli."

"Is that all?"

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Yes, I'm kidding you." He planted another quick kiss on my neck. "I'll set the table."

"It's already done."

"Well . . . then I'm gonna hafta kiss you until it's time to eat. There are no other options." I turned around to look at him. He smiled and shrugged.

"What got into you?"

"I dunno. Just feelin' frisky. I'm glad to be done with the Harbor View."

"Why don't you put the rice and broccoli in those bowls while I make the sauce."

"Okay. It smells great."

A short time later, after handing Sam the large platter of Salmon to take into the dining room, I brought out a bowl of wasabi cream sauce. He was already piling food on his plate, ready to start Hoovering. "I should get you a pitcher of ice water. This sauce for the salmon might be too spicy for you."

"Whataya mean? Do I look like I can't take it?" He puffed out his chest and did a quick double biceps flex, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. I had to sit down.

"I'm just warning you. Have you ever had wasabi?"

"Wasa-what?" I liked this goofy mood he was in. "Stop fussing over me! I can handle your spicy food." He ladled a generous portion of sauce over the salmon on his plate.

"You might wanna try a little bit before you dig in . . ."

"Shush! I'm hungry." He took a big saucy bite. I watched him quietly. "Mmmm!" He swallowed, doing his best to hide his reaction, but I could see it. He took a forkful of rice but it wasn't enough to counteract the heat of the wasabi. His mouth spread into a grimace, then he gestured towards the kitchen, stood up and rushed out of the room.

I smiled and shook my head while I started eating. Donna was right. I was already in love with him.

After a brief absence, Sam came back to the table with a pitcher of ice water and a box of tissues. In a comical tone he said, "I believe I'm coming down with a cold. My sinuses are draining, and I feel dehydrated."

I played along. "I'm sorry to hear that."

He sat down and mentally prepared himself for the next mouthful of salmon. To his credit, he dove right back into it and continued eating with his usual vigor, gradually building a tolerance for the wasabi.

"Aren't you gonna ask me about my day at the office?"

He looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, how was your day?"

"Interesting. I did something that'll make you proud of me. I came out to my friend Donna."

His face lit up. "Really? I am proud of you! I'll reward you for that later." He winked.

"I'll remind you. So she took me out to lunch and we talked about . . . relationship stuff."

"Did you tell her about me?" He was filling his plate again.

"Yes, I did."

"You really did?" He seemed surprised, and touched. "What did you tell her?" He picked up the bowl of sauce.

"You don't have to eat the sauce if you don't . . ."

"I like it!" he snapped. "Continue your story."

"Well . . . I told her you were a buck-toothed yokel who showed up on my doorstep, and I took you in because I felt sorry for you."

"It's always best to be honest. Did you mention my doughnut addiction?"

"No, I didn't want to turn her against you right away."

"Thank you for that. So what's her story? Is she married?"

"Yeah. Husband, three kids. She has an interesting take on marriage and love and how much work it is. She says it's painful, but worth it."

Sam pondered this, then nodded. "Yeah, that sounds right."

"It does? Why do you say that?"

"Umm . . . everything worth having in life involves some difficulty, hard work, sacrifice. Right?"

"What about pain? I don't like the sound of that."

He finished chewing then swallowed. "That's the risk you take. If you love somebody, they can hurt you more than they could if you didn't care about them."

"That's pretty much what Donna said." I watched him shovel food into his mouth as though he hadn't eaten for a week. I took another piece of salmon before he made it all disappear. "How do you know about these things at your age?"

He looked at me with a flash of annoyance, but he responded with a smile, pointing his fork at me as he spoke. "First of all, I'm almost twenty-one, so I'm not a Spring chicken anymore."

"I stand corrected!"

"Secondly, you're talking as if you never heard about the painful side of love, but you have."

"Where have I heard it?"

"In the book . . . Tess. She suffers more with the man she loves than she did with the guy she didn't love."

I thought about it. He was right. When am I gonna win an argument with this guy? "How much more did you read?"

"I started reading before I went to bed last night and I couldn't put it down. So Angel runs off to fucking Brazil when he finds out on their wedding night that Tess isn't a virgin? What a selfish bastard! But she still loves him even though she's working herself to death since he abandoned her. Then that other jerk, Alec, comes back into her life and offers to take care of her. Thank God she refused. She's better off starving." He shook his head and continued eating.

"Is that as far as you got?"

He nodded.

"I should have given you a different book."

"Why? I love it."

"It's upsetting you."

"That's what makes it so brilliant! I care so much about what happens to her, it actually makes me angry."

"But it's so dark."

"It's real. Real people have relationships like that. They fall in love and sometimes it's painful. Isn't that what Donna was telling you?"

"Yeah, but . . ."

"Then why do you like it so much? You told me it was one of your favorites."

Dammit! He got me again! I had to think about it.

Sam moved the last of the salmon fillets to his plate. In a teasing voice he said, "Well? I'm waiting."

"I'm thinking!" I was admitting to myself that I liked the darkness of that story, and I had many similar books. But why? Does it reflect my experiences? Maybe. Do I expect relationships to be like that? Probably. Probably? Okay, definitely. Then why am I trying to talk Sam out of thinking that way? Good question.

Sam was trying to distract me by performing fellatio on a stalk of broccoli. Even as a child, I don't think I had ever been as playful as he was. He was awakening the long-lost part of me that could believe in the kind of sweet romance and happy endings that I had been rolling my eyes at for so many years. I couldn't bear the thought that he could become as cynical as I was. I needed him to believe in a better Adam so I could believe in him too.

I was ready to answer him. "Are you enjoying that broccoli?"

"Not as much as it's enjoying me!" He bit the head off and chewed it like Bugs Bunny.

"I can't believe you're getting me to admit this, but I like that novel because it reinforces my pessimistic view of relationships. And now I regret giving it to you because I don't want you to become as pessimistic as I am."

He considered this. "It's just a book, Adam. I don't expect our relationship to be like theirs. And let me reassure you . . . no one could be as pessimistic as you are. That's a competition I wouldn't bother to enter."

"Thanks a lot!"

"You're welcome."

"So you're not going to run off to Brazil?"

He looked surprised. "Wait . . . you're trying to compare me to Angel?" He let it sink in. "That would mean you're Tess. There's no way that fits! I'm the young innocent character in this story."

"No! You seduced me!"

"Okay, then I'm Alec. I guess that could work."

I pointed at him. "So you admit that you seduced me!" I got him!

His eyes got bigger. "I . . . no!" He backed his chair away from the table.

"With the ice cream?" I rose from my chair.

He smiled in spite of himself. "That was completely innocent! I just wanted you to taste it."

I approached him while he remained seated and mocked him in a high pitched voice. "Let me put on a tight shirt for you, Adam!"

He was grinning. "A lot of my shirts are tight now! What am I supposed to wear?"

I straddled him in his chair and continued mocking. "I'm gonna take my shirt off in the yard, Adam!"

"Oh, come on!" His protests softened when I started to kiss him. "I'm just an innocent farm boy at the mercy of an evil accountant." He leaned back, put his hands behind his head and flexed his biceps. "I wouldn't know how to seduce anyone." I looked at the balls of hard muscle on his arms, complimented by the full triceps below, stretching the sleeves of his black t-shirt. My jaw went slack and my hands instinctively moved in that direction. Before I could get there he lowered his arms and put his hands on my waist. "Ah, ah, ah . . . no touching!" He smiled. "Shouldn't I get dessert before you take my virtue?"

I exhaled like a deflating balloon. "You're definitely the evil one. But I suppose you need some ice cream to repair the damage done by that wasabi." I kissed his lower lip.

"Not at all. I'd like a bowl of molten lava if you have some." He kissed my throat.

I snorted. "If I had lava, you'd probably eat it just to prove how tough you are."

"I don't have to prove anything to you." His eyes narrowed. "But I can handle whatever you dish out."

"Sounds like I have a new challenge!" I dismounted him and turned to look at what was left on the table. "You actually ate all that salmon. What a stud."

He laughed. "It feels great in here." He put both hands on his stomach. "That might be the most I've ever eaten at one meal, and I'm not even done."

"Yeah, there's still rice here, and some broccoli you haven't sodomized yet. I'll get rid of this sauce."

"Oh, no you won't! Put it on the rice, and dump the broccoli in there, too. I'm in the clean plate club."

I liked the sound of that, so I did as I was told and sat down to watch him eat out of the serving bowl. He made a point of showing how much he enjoyed it. When he was done he set the bowl on the table, sat back in his chair and rested one hand on his firm abdomen, drumming his fingers as he smiled at me. I had to ask him, "After eating all that, you don't feel any discomfort at all?"

"Nope! I wish I could describe how good it feels, not just in my stomach, but my whole body. It's really good this time because I ate so much."

"Do you think it'll make you grow?"

"Probably. But it happens gradually. It's not that noticeable until one day I put on a shirt like this and I can tell it's a little tighter. I kept thinking I was shrinking my clothes in the laundry."

"Hmm. I certainly like the way that shirt fits now. The thought of watching it get tighter on you . . . needless to say, I'm hard. I'd better clear the table before I come in my pants again."

"Uff! Now you got me going. Leave the ice water out. I might need it for my crotch."

I reminded myself to make an appointment with my doctor for the STD testing I agreed to do. I had a feeling things were going to escalate pretty quickly despite my nervousness. We took the dishes into the kitchen where Sam selected a pint of ice cream from the freezer. I chose not to have any, so he ate it standing up while I filled the sink with hot soapy water.

"Adam, I'm wondering . . . where are we gonna make out without breaking any more furniture?"

"Uh . . . wow. That's a question I never thought I would be asked."

"I'm just trying to plan ahead." He wandered around the kitchen, looking closely at pictures and knick knacks.

"Good thinking. Umm . . . I guess it depends on what we're doing. Can't we just let things develop and see where we end up?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Okay, Mr. Spontaneous. I can't believe you said that without having any wine."

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to go all spontaneous on your ass right now, but I'm not sure you could handle it."

He grunted dismissively, too focused on his ice cream and an old photograph on the wall to see me creeping up behind him. I carefully slipped my arms around his waist and planted my hands on his flat stomach, startling him. "Hey!" He jumped and squirmed, but I didn't let go. "You almost made me drop my ice cream!"

"Was that too spontaneous? I just wanna know where all that food went." He managed to twist himself around to face me, with his back against the wall. I slipped my hands under his t-shirt and felt the solid, warm flesh of his abdomen. I looked up to see a little smirk on his lips. He wasn't objecting. "That's amazing!" I said, lifting the hem of his shirt to see what I was touching. He slid down the wall a bit and pushed his hips forward, arching his lower back, offering himself to me while he finished eating his ice cream.

I stroked his compact waist, marveling at its lean muscularity. My thumb ruffled the trail of hair below his navel, causing him to flinch. He crushed the empty ice cream carton in one hand, threw it on the kitchen table, then carefully tossed his spoon towards the sink where I saw it plop into the dishwater. "Show off!" I said. I patted his belly with my open hand, listening to the sound it made.

He took hold of the hem of his shirt and raised it higher while I continued to stroke him. "So, you like my tummy?"

"I love your tummy. I can't believe how hard it is." Without warning, he flexed his abs, bunching them into rows of stony lumps. I swooned. "Oh my God! I never thought I would see anything like this in person, let alone touch it." I noticed a rising tent in his shorts and worried that he would ask me to back off. While I had the chance, I leaned forward and kissed one of his abdominal muscles. He moaned and flexed harder, so I quickly kissed the other five, leaving a sloppy trail of saliva.

"Okay, slow down, Adam! I need to cool off before I have an accident." He palmed my head like a basketball, pulled me off his stomach and covered himself with his t-shirt.

My chin was covered with drool. "Do you know who Sarah Palin is?"

"That dumb lady? Yeah."

"Picture her in your head."

"Okay, but why?"

"How's your erection?"

"It's going down . . . pretty fast. Huh. That's a good trick."

"Dead kittens work, too." I wiped the slobber off my mouth with the back of my hand and smiled. "Thanks for dessert."

He grinned. "I didn't think you had that in you!"

"I surprised myself, but it was totally worth it. I'll be dreaming about that tonight."

He growled quietly. "We'd better get the dishes done before I pounce on you. I'll wash." He went to the sink to get started.

I took a clean towel out of the drawer and stood next to him. "I need to get a dishwasher."

"Why? I like washing dishes with you. It's one of our things that we do together. When I'm washing dishes in my apartment I think, 'I wish Adam was here.' Of course, that's not the only time I think that."

How lucky am I? "Now that you mention it, I always looked forward to doing the dishes when we first started eating together because I could stand close to you like this and watch the way the muscles in your arms move." With the tip of one finger, I lightly traced a line across the roundness of his biceps as he rinsed a plate under the faucet.

Sam put the plate in the rack, then rested his elbows on the counter. "Adam, you're boning me up again. I won't be able to stand close enough to the sink."

"Just one little comment like that is enough to . . ."

"Yes! Even Sarah Palin can't help me when you talk that way."

"Wow. I'm gonna have all kinds of fun with that." I decided to give him a break. "So you'll start working with Dave tomorrow? Do you have any idea what you'll be doing?"

"He said I would need to learn about the stock so I could help people find things, and then I'll move on from there." He stood up and went back to washing dishes.

"Do you know what hours you'll be working?"

"I think he's open from nine until seven o'clock during the Summer. He closes at four on Sundays."

"You're not going to work all those hours, are you?"

"We'll have to work that out, but he wants me there on the weekends and most evenings because that's when it's busy."

"Oh." This was not good news. "I guess we won't be spending as much time together."

He could see I was disappointed. "I know. I'm not happy about it, but I have to do this. Can we eat dinner later? Maybe around eight?"

"Yeah, I suppose so. That'll give me more time to cook after work."

"And now I'll be here every night of the week. No more dinner shifts at the restaurant."

"That's true. But the weekends . . . when will we have lunch with Flora? We were gonna use the pool."

"Maybe we could do a Sunday dinner. Or . . . can you take time off during the week?"

"I don't know. I never take time off."

Sam was quiet for a minute before responding. "We'll work it out. Other people do it."

"I know, you're right. I don't know why I'm so disappointed. I never expected to have someone like you in my life anyway. I should be happy with whatever time we have together."

"We'll make the most of it." We continued doing the dishes in silence for a while. Sam scrubbed the pan I used to bake the salmon while I watched his triceps. He rinsed it and handed it to me, looking at me to see if I was okay. My mood had obviously shifted. "It'll be fine, Adam." He drained the sink and rinsed it out, then wiped off the counter top. When he was done he dried his hands on the dish towel and hung it up. "C'mere and kiss me."

After a nice kiss on the lips, he drew me into a tight hug. I wanted to get back to the playful mood we had going before we started talking about schedules. "You promised me a reward for telling Donna I'm gay."

"That's right, I did. Should I let you choose what . . ."

"Yes. I want a good look at your arms. Brief glances just aren't enough anymore."

"Okay. The man knows what he wants." He took a small step back from me and set his wrists on my shoulders. "Do what you'd like to do."

His arms were stretched out on either side of me so I could see their full length, from forearms to shoulders. Their thickness, even in this relaxed state, disguised the fact that they were longer than my arms. I placed my hands on his elbows and slid them along his triceps. There was nothing soft or loose about them, no excess flesh to hang or jiggle. He tensed them a bit, allowing individual muscles to rise under his skin. I felt these with my finger tips, wondering if I had anything similar in my own anatomy. Sam seemed perfectly comfortable with what I was doing, watching my facial expressions as I explored his body. I stroked and squeezed, moving to the top of his arms, feeling the shape and size of the relaxed biceps. There was more than a handful of muscle on each side, so I grasped his right arm with both hands and tested it like a melon at the grocery store. I wanted to see it in action. I politely asked, "Will you flex that for me, please?"

"Okay. I've never done this for anyone else." Now he seemed self-conscious. Interesting. He stood up straight, pulled his shirt sleeve up to his shoulder and flexed hard, looking at his biceps as he shaped it into a ball. He relaxed it and flexed it again, as if he didn't get it right the first time.

"Oh, that's a beautiful thing, Sam! Wow! Can I touch it?"

"Yeah, I suppose I'll have to get used to this." He was blushing.

I put one hand under his arm and my other palm over the mound of muscle. "You know, for as long as I can remember, I've dreamed of doing this. I . . . oh my God, it's so hard." My thumb traced the separation between his biceps and triceps.

"I've seen guys with bigger arms. It's not like I could compete or anything."

"It's the biggest arm I've ever touched." He straightened his arm and flexed again while I had my hands around it. "Oh, man! That's amazing, the way that feels when it moves. What does it feel like for you?"

"It feels good, and . . . I like the way it looks. It makes me look stronger so I don't feel as self-conscious about my strength."

"It looks fantastic on you, Sam, especially when you wear a shirt like that. Hey, let me pull your shirt sleeve down." He straightened his arm so I could bring the hem of his sleeve to the middle of his biceps. "Okay, flex again, slowly." He obliged. The bulging muscle stretched the soft black cotton. "Oh, look at that! That's what I like to see. Damn, that's sexy!"

Sam had an uncomfortable expression on his face. I looked down to see a big tent in his shorts, bigger than my own. It must have been painful. "All right," I said, "I've seen enough. Put your guns away." He lowered his arm and looked bewildered. Judging from his erection, his brain may have been deprived of blood. I reached up and put my hands on his cheeks. "Thanks, I enjoyed that." I looked into his eyes. "But I want you to hear this - your biceps wouldn't be half as beautiful if they weren't attached to the sweetest, most generous and patient guy I've ever met."

He smiled. "Really?"

"Definitely." I brought one hand down to his chest and gently patted the area over his heart. I'm going to say it. "This is the best part of you, Sam. You're a wonderful human being, and I love you."

His chest expanded as he inhaled sharply. He didn't make a sound, but his eyes searched my face, looking for evidence that I meant what I said.

I said it again. "I love you. I do. You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

I saw tears forming in his eyes. Or were those mine? I don't know . . . things happened quickly after that. The next thing I knew I was in his arms, literally. He picked me up and I wrapped my limbs around him, trying with all my strength to merge our bodies into one entity. We kissed the way we did the night before, hot, urgent and wet. If I had suffocated I would have died happy, but we both managed to stay alive, to come up for air, to slow down and start up again, over and over until we were exhausted.

Did he say it? Of course he did. More than once. But I already knew he loved me from the way he showed it day after day. Still, it was good to hear it. When we said good night and he went back to his apartment, I could tell it was difficult for him to do. He was showing me, again, that he loved me, because it wasn't time yet. It would be, soon, but not yet.

That night, for the first time, as I lay in my bed and waited for sleep, I imagined him sleeping next to me.

*****

Continued in: Part 12

[TKnTexas55]

You did SOOOOO good. You have made them live. I was excited to see a chapter. I knew it was coming, but it was here :-)

[arpeejay]

http://www.facebook.com/arpeejay

[Anifanatic10]

Work... : (
Thanks for the new chapter!
I haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it's awesome.

[flamedelft]

This story just keeps getting better with every addition. Thank you so much.

[rododoro3]

A moment of silence, please.
That.
Was.
So.
Good.
I don't even know what to say anymore.
I don't have words to describe this chapter...

All I can comment about are the individual reactions I had, while reading:
First, anticipation, when I saw chapter 11 on the forum.
Next, happiness, delving into the story like a long lost friend, the events of the past rising in my mind.
Suddenly, anxiety, emphasizing with Adam as he confesses and comes out to Donna.
An unexpected giggle as the gibberish returns, but a wince as Adam accepts the lunch invitation.
Heart-thumping blood-pounding excitement at the return of Sam, and a snort as the tie is taken away to its funeral pyre.
Intensive reading punctuated by smiles as Sam and Adam interact; the feeling of meeting old friends after a long time. Nostalgia.
Sudden heat as the sexiness factor slides up, and frenzied reading as it teeters, tense fingers scrolling down the page.
And finally, the climax, losing myself as Adam and Sam lose themselves in each other.

Fuck.
It's raining outside, but you made me so hot that I'm down to my T-shirt.
Mr Spontaneous indeed... Spontaneous sexy, perhaps.

[xmrr20a]

This is sooooo gooood! Words fail me too. I love every little hint about Sam's strength; the washer and dryer by the curb - holding on to the radiator, the weights moved into the basement and of course, the 'negotiation'. As much as I would love a real strength scene, I am completely going to accept your artistry in how you're allowing the story to unfold.

... and rather than be late to work, I took the day off!

Again, thank you so much. What a pleasure to wake up to seeing a new chapter.

[mario2007]

Another masterpiece. Really, Reeza, how do you do it!!!!! Ditto what everybody else said. Thank you, once again!

Chapter 12, Chapter 12, Chapter 12

[weaknobody]

Uhhhh, I haven't even read it yet and I'm already excited! lol
I'll update this as soon as I finish reading. =)
--------------
Aaaaand once again I'm surprised by how good this is. I know I shouldn't be surprised... It's obvious by now that you're gonna deliver a true experience, instead of just another story. But then again, every time I read a new chapter I can see how much effort you put on it and oh... how it pays off!

I can picture everyone reading this and the little reactions we all have in each paragraph. Like the smirk that showed up in my face with this: (...) I wanted to be in better shape for some things I might be doing with Sam in the near future. Like swimming. and this (...) "Do you know who Sarah Palin is?" "That dumb lady? Yeah." "Picture her in your head." "Okay, but why?" "How's your erection?" "It's going down . . . pretty fast. Huh. That's a good trick." (...). Or squinting my eyes, attentive and comtemplative as you used the Cupid's arrow metaphore. And the corners of my eyes lifting up tenderly when Donna talked about her love for her husband and children.

Well... towards the end I'd rather not tell what my face was like... Let's say other parts of my body were more expressive than my face. And no one needs to know what my sexy face is like. (And no, I did not cry - not even a little bit - when Adam said I love you - damn, that must've been SO hard for him. Ten chapters ago, who would've thought...?) *something fell in my eyes, excuse me a moment*

Reeza, thank you - again - for sharing your talent with us. This was amazing.

[portamivia]

Now, when Hollywood will turn this into a movie, what will they say? "Oh, we just found the story on a quasi-porn fantasy fetish muscle growth website..."

But, more importantly, who should we cast?

[hardmuscl4life]

That was wonderfully done. You've captured the loving banter and small moments beautifully.

I'm also curious if you have the entire story outlined from start to finish or if it grows with your imagination from week to week as you write

Incidentally, I took your advice and was on time for work this morning. Your story was worth the wait...

Thank you once again,
George

[JKT]

Yet another wonderful chapter. I especially loved the humor and sarcasm. How they help each other grow as people, and work to bond enjoying being with each other.

As to the post about casting it as movie I'd say Hunk Chris Hemsworth like when he buffed up for the Thor movie. I am sure there are other ideas. I know an older guy that's huge was hot on big bang theory Brian Patrick Wade like6.5 muscled or Daniel Cudmore 6'8", Tom Harper 6' 6" or taller hunk.

[HugestFuckGod]

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Sooooo cute! I can't wait for more!

[Reeza]

Originally Posted by portamivia

Now, when Hollywood will turn this into a movie, what will they say? "Oh, we just found the story on a quasi-porn fantasy fetish muscle growth website..."

But, more importantly, who should we cast?

Although this will never happen, I would love to hear people's ideas about actors who would fit the roles of Sam and Adam. I'm curious to know who you think they look like. Especially Adam.

[GodlyFratboy]

This chapter as a good!! The feelings wil never end!! You evoke in your audience what can be described as the whole spectrum of emotions in your stories. So thank you for giving us another great chapter.

[Reeza]

Originally Posted by hardmuscl4life

I'm also curious if you have the entire story outlined from start to finish or if it grows with your imagination from week to week as you write.

Incidentally, I took your advice and was on time for work this morning. Your story was worth the wait...

Thank you once again,
George

Congratulations for reading responsibly!

With regard to the story outline, I knew from the beginning how I wanted it to end, and I made a committment to certain plot elements along the way. I was also committed to the very slow development of the relationship, the sexual activity, and the growth. Almost everything else has been developing organically as I write.

This may sound weird, but I don't always have control over the characters and their behavior. They say and do things that surprise me. I know I can edit them, and I do, but the things that get written unexpectedly are often the passages that readers respond to the most. For example, in this chapter I didn't know Donna was going to talk about her husband and kids in that way, but she wanted to, so I let her, and what she said made me cry. So I left it there.

I get to know these characters better every time I sit down to write. I'm sure they will continue to surprise me. I can't even be certain that the story will end the way I wanted it to.

[portamivia]

Originally Posted by Reeza

Although this will never happen, I would love to hear people's ideas about actors who would fit the roles of Sam and Adam. I'm curious to know who you think they look like. Especially Adam.

What about a sweet, young Joseph Gordon-Levitt for the role of Adam?

[TKnTexas55]

An author friend who posted to Nifty years ago told me the characters told him what to right and he could make suggestions. A story with more than a couple chapters was enough for them to come to life.

Those are the stories I love. Donna made me laugh so with some of her quips. And some of the things Sam comes out with makes me chuckle.

I enjoy how their relationship is developing, right pace. I catch myself talking to Adam telling him to stop overanalyzing... bad as me.

You are doing an awesome job recording their story, keep it up, I know they are.

[rairf]

Another sweet/sexy/funny chapter, as always. I love the hints of Sam's strength, can't wait to see more. You are such a tease! I also like the way you're sowing the seeds for more external conflict to add to the (temporarily resolved) existing internal struggles. Well worth the wait

[nvb2]

Wonderful writing as always. I love this story so much! Thank you for continuing to gift us with your creativity.

[umlerian49]

This is a thing of beauty.

[henhu]

I'm hooked on this marvelous story. Give us more.

[HugestFuckGod]

Originally Posted by Reeza

This may sound weird, but I don't always have control over the characters and their behavior. They say and do things that surprise me. I know I can edit them, and I do, but the things that get written unexpectedly are often the passages that readers respond to the most. For example, in this chapter I didn't know Donna was going to talk about her husband and kids in that way, but she wanted to, so I let her, and what she said made me cry. So I left it there.

I get to know these characters better every time I sit down to write. I'm sure they will continue to surprise me. I can't even be certain that the story will end the way I wanted it to.

This I very true for any kind of character, if you create then with enough depth the tell there own story. You can put your characters in any situation and know how they will act because of who they are, then you have succeeded in the creation of your characters. I think you have, I feel like I am reading a non-fiction story (+ a really hot guy with a very rare condition that builds muscle from practically eating) can't wait for more! (I still think this story should get an award or some kind of prize...)

[Gman]

I saw this new chapter a few days ago, but waited until I had time to read it properly.
It was fantastic. Love the idea of the new guy to make things a bit more complicated now that things are going so well.
And the reward of arm flexing was so hot!

[chocomus]

Wow
I
Wow
man, this was
I dunno
I'm out of words
This is so sweet and hot and that coworker of Adam better not ruin it or else!

[funboy]

You have fine-tuned this story to perfection. Absolutely loving it. Adam is so much me, except x2 years alone. This story is incredible.

[xmrr20a]

The anticipation is killing me and I just wanted to ask when you might be ready to release another chapter? I check here almost daily with high hopes.

[Reeza]

Originally Posted by xmrr20a

The anticipation is killing me and I just wanted to ask when you might be ready to release another chapter? I check here almost daily with high hopes.

I certainly don't want to hasten your death.

I was busy working on the story when your message popped up. I try to produce a new chapter about every two weeks, so I should be able to post Part 12 by the end of this week. It's filled with . . . oh, the phone's ringing. Gotta go!

[Machiavellian]

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-conte...9/suspense.gif