Making Choices

Written By: LJ


“Isn’t she a beauty, D?” Skyy asked as he hopped from one foot to another in uncontainable excitement.

“Weeell…..” Dusty hesitated, not wanting to hurt the other man’s feelings. “I don’t know if ‘beauty’ is an accurate description, Buddy.”

“And I got it for a really great price, too!” Skyy informed his partner as he ran around to the far side of the object under discussion.

“Oh, paid you to take it off their hands, eh?” Dusty mumbled under his breath. He didn’t even want to think about Dennis’ reaction to his youngest Brat’s most recent acquisition.

“I wonder what Den’s gonna think of it,” Skyy commented out loud.

“I’m sure he gonna have plenty to say, kid. None of it good!” This last was muttered in an under-tone in order to keep Skyy from hearing it.

“Lots of colours, huh?”

“Oh yeah, rust being the predominant one.”

“What is going on here and where the hell did that come from?”

Both men turned to see a bewildered Dennis standing by the back gate. The big man walked over to investigate and get some answers. He had arrived home to an empty house and deciding his partners must be close at hand, went searching for them.

“Who abandoned this piece of junk here in the back alley right next to our fence?”

“No one did, Den. It’s mine!” Skyy was too busy checking out the cracked windshield to notice the dark frown crossing Dennis’ handsome face.

“The sun’s going down fast and it’s getting cold. And being as I’m willing to bet I am not the only one who is hungry, I think it would be best if we discussed this inside, Sport.” Dennis’ tone left little room for arguing, so Skyy slowly turned away from his pride and joy to follow his oldest partner into the house.

After removing their shoes and hanging up their jackets, Dennis stirred the pot of chili that had been left sitting on the stove while Dusty and Skyy set the table.

“All right, Sport, I’m interested in finding out how you came to be in possession of that eye-sore,” Dennis commented as he joined his partners at the table and passed the main course to Dusty.

“Hey, Den, it’s not that bad. I bought it from Warren. You know, one of Aaron’s friends. He gave me a really good deal and he even delivered it. His grandfather bought it new in 1974. Volkswagen stopped making Beetles here that year and started making Rabbits, so it is one of the last of its’ kind, Den.”

“Skyy, wasn’t it strongly suggested you not buy a car without all of us first talking it over?”

“Yes, but I had to decide in a hurry because someone else wanted to buy it too.”

“Skyy, you were duped. Your lack of experience made it easy for whoever pawned that old car off on you. Forcing a quick decision is a great way to get rid of something no else wants; which was the reason why you were instructed to talk to us before purchasing a vehicle. Can you remember any other rationale for doing so?”

“So you and Dusty could check it over to see if it was road-worthy and if the price was right.”

“I don’t think that rusty bucket-of-bolts is even operable, do you?” Getting a shrug from his youngest Brat, Dennis further questioned. “Did you even turn it on and listen to the motor?”

“I couldn’t, ‘cause there’s no battery. That’s one of the reasons I only had to pay one hundred and fifty dollars for it. Well, that and the fact it needs new tires and the windshield replaced. It could kinda use a bit of bodywork, too. And I guess a paintjob would make it look somewhat better.”

“Well, I’m afraid you can just kiss your money goodbye, because there is no way that monstrosity is going anywhere other than the scrap yard for crushing.”

“Nooo,” Skyy wailed his objection. “I want to keep it and fix it up.”

“Whether or not you keep it should be the least of your concerns, Skyylar. What you should be giving serious thought to is your disregarding our recommendation to discuss the acquiring of any vehicle before making final arrangements,” Dennis scolded. “You are going to have to learn to make better choices or deal with the outcome. In this case, it resulted in a loss of money unless Dusty thinks there is a remote possibility of the car being restored.”

“Sorry, Buddy. There is not a chance in hell of restoring it; that Beetle is beyond rescuing. The body is shot. Hell, someone even put flattened cardboard cartons under the mats because the floor is rusted out. I wouldn’t be surprised if the motor has completely seized up. You’d just be throwing good money out after bad.” Dusty hated seeing the look of dismay on Skyy’s face.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to call around to find a scrap dealer willing to come and get it out of here, Sport.” Dennis reached over and grasped the younger man’s hand to offer support in facing the disappointment his directive would bring. “You have until the weekend to get rid of it and you may as well be prepared to put out even more money.”

“Man, that only gives me four days.” Skyy sat back in his chair, resigned himself to the inevitable and expelled a deep sigh. Looking up, he hesitantly inquired. “Can I still look for another car, Den?”

“Of course you may continue your search. However, this time I want your word you’ll come to Dusty and me before laying out anymore money. Another purchase like the last one will involve more than a monetary loss.”

“Okay.” Skyy nodded vigorously, having understood the underlying message. “I promise!”

************

Skyy burst through the back door, letting it slam behind him. After toeing off his sneakers and hanging up his jacket, he rounded the table and threw himself into the chair nearest Dennis. “It’s gone!” he merrily announced and plunked a handful of money down on the kitchen table. “You told me I had to get rid of it by today and I did.”

“Thank you, Sport. But where did this money come from?” Dennis inquired as he counted the ten twenty-dollar bills.

“I didn’t just have the car towed away, Den. I sold it.”

“You mean to say someone actually paid you for that pile of crap?” Dusty laughed in disbelief at the idea.

“Yep! I put an ad on E-bay early Tuesday morning that read; Vintage Beetle for sale: a ‘must see’ to be appreciated: needs a little work as windshield has slight crack and tires are starting to wear: could use a new paint job if the present floral motif is not acceptable. It comes equipped with genuine plush seat covers and matching steering wheel cover, and a newly constructed floor of recyclable material. Asking price: $300.00. Bidding closes in two days.” Skyy’s dimples deepened as his grin widened. It wasn’t hard to see how pleased he was with himself.

“You certainly are one for understatements, aren’t ya?” Dusty teased. He was enjoying his fellow-Brat’s satisfaction in what he had accomplished.

“I find it hard to believe someone would pay for that car having once laid eyes on it,” Dennis pensively commented.

“Well, his original bid had been for five hundred but when he saw the Beetle he said he’d only pay two hundred and for me to take it or leave it. Of course I didn’t tell him that I had only hoped to get back the hundred and fifty dollars I was cheated out of. Besides, he knew what he was getting ‘cause he collects old Volkswagens.”

“I still can’t imagine you pulling it off.” Dennis shook his head in amazement.

“You can sell anything on E-bay, Den,” Skyy staunchly informed the older man before a thoughtful expression crossed his beautiful face. “Hmmm, wonder what shit is going for?”

“Skyylar!”

“Fertilizer, Den. Geesh!” Sky’s eyes lit up mischievously as he waved the money in the air. “Wait ‘til Aaron hears about this. He’ll gonna like the idea of me getting one up on Warren. Even though they’re friends, Aaron tried to warn me about the car and he was kinda pissed at Warren for cheating me.”

“We haven’t seen Aaron around much, Sport. How come?”

“Ever since meeting in the course they are all taking together, he likes spending most his time with Calvin, Marty and Warren. But I don’t, or at least not as much as he does.”

“Will he be coming over for Halloween on Monday evening, Sky?” Dusty asked as he got up from the table and carried his dirty dishes over to the sink.

“Nah, he’s hanging around with his friends. I’d rather stay home and shell out with you guys.”

“Well, hate to eat and run but I’ve got to get to work,” Dusty declared as he shouldered into his jacket before grabbing his lunchbox and tool kit. “You’ll have to enjoy your Saturday without me.”

“Remember, Grease-monkey, to leave the shop no later than four o’clock,” Dennis firmly reminded him.

“But, Den…” Dusty started to complain.

“No ‘buts’, Dusty. I mean it. You are to be home by four-thirty and not a minute later. You’ve already worked overtime two evening this week. We have my sister’s engagement party to go to this evening and I’m sure you’ll want to be able to sit comfortably during the festivities.” Dennis knew his non-too-subtle point had been understood and begrudgingly accepted.

“Okay, Den. I’ll be on time,” Dusty unwillingly promised, knowing he had been fortunate enough as it was and didn’t want to push his luck. He kissed both his partners goodbye and headed out the door.

Dennis swallowed down the last of his cooling coffee and picked up the morning newspaper. He was reading the sport scores when he felt the light tapping on the other side of the page. Lowering the paper, he found himself gazing into the beautiful violet-blue eyes of his youngest lover and instantly recognized the look. He folded the tabloid, placed it on the table and opened his arms invitingly.

“Feeling contented, little one?” Dennis murmured as the smaller man nestled into his chest. Getting an “Uh-huh” in response, he further asked with a knowing smile, “Internal bubbles, right?”

“Hmm,” Skyy hummed as he planted small kisses along Dennis’ unshaven jaw and wiggled closer.

Dennis softly chucked as his body responded to the intimate stimuli. He slipped his arms under Skyy’s bottom and stood up. “Hang on, baby,” he whispered. He walked out of the kitchen, down the hall and started climbing the stairs. “Stay still, Skyy,” he begged when he felt his knees buckling. “I won’t last until we get to our room if you keep that up.”

“Am I getting to ya?” Skyy smiled seductively.

“Don’t you always, Brat?”

Dennis gently laid Skyy on the bed and quickly stripped him of his clothing before removing his own. He retrieved the lube from the nightstand and began the process of preparing his lover.

Skyy writhed and whimpered out his frustration at Dennis taking his time. “Please, Den, do it now!” he barely managed to gasp as his head fell back and his eyes glazed over.

When Dennis felt Skyy was ready, he lifted Skyy’s legs and slowly entered the smaller man’s body. Seconds later, the familiar rhythm began and steadily built to a simultaneous, crashing climax for both lovers.

Skyy remained totally limp in the aftermath of their lovemaking while Dennis tenderly cleaned him. Soft violet-blue eyes stared lovingly into warm brown ones. “Thanks, Den,” he whispered. “I needed that.”

“I hope I am always able to meet your needs, baby,” Dennis declared as he placed a kiss on his lover’s forehead.

************

“Now this Jeep Wrangler is really you, Skyy. A perfect fit, kid.” Dusty laughed at the piqued expression on his younger partner’s face. “Just kidding, little buddy.”

“Well it was certainly a lot harder on my bank balance,” Skyy commented as they checked over the new vehicle. “But Den’s a lot happier with my choice this time than the last one.”

“Who’d have thought attending that engagement party last weekend would provide an opportunity for you to buy a car,” Dusty mused and shook his head. “It must have cost Jacob a small fortune for the fancy bauble he put on Laura’s finger.”

“Hey, it wasn’t merely a trinket, D. It was a diamond ring,” Skyy contradicted the other man. “Jacob said he was selling the Jeep because it isn’t an appropriate family car and he’s looking into buying a mini-van. Man, some aspects of getting married kinda suck.”

“Like they say, Buddy, his loss is your gain.” Dusty returned Skyy’s grin of happiness. “You understand the point system, eh Skyy?”

“Yes. We start off with ten points but can lose them for not obeying traffic laws or following safety guidelines. Den decides how many to deduct depending on the infraction. When they are all gone, we forfeit our driving privileges for a month and then start over.”

“It seems like you’ve got it down pat, kid.”

“How many have you got left, D?”

“Seven, cause of running a red light,” Dusty griped.

“Oh yeah, I remember now. All Den said was ‘Two points, Dustin!’ when you thought you’d be able to beat the yellow one.” It was Skyy’s turn to laugh at his fellow-Brat’s piqued expression.

“But I still say I shouldn’t have lost one for parking in a Handicap space. I was in and out of the post office in less than a couple of minutes and the weather was crappy so the likelihood of someone needing the spot was probably non-existent.” Dusty continued to grumble under his breath about over-bearing, nit-picking Tops.

“Well the remaining seven should last you a long time, D, if you drive with Den as little as possible.” Skyy’s teasing comment didn’t help as much as he thought it would. “How about we go for a spin in my new car?”

“Sure. It will help pass the time while Den’s tied up marking papers.”

“I have to get something out of the house first and then we’ll hit the road,” Skyy hollered as he ran towards the back door.

Twenty minutes later, Skyy pulled up and parked at the top of Lookout Point.

“What did ya bring us here for, Skyy? This is where young lovers make out.”

“And just what are we, D?”

“They usually come up at night though,” Dusty pointed out.

“So now we have our choice of parking.” Skyy smirked suggestively and took some lube from his jacket pocket. He waited patiently to see what the other man’s reaction would be.

“What the hell; why not? Front seat or back, Buddy?”

************

A tall brown-haired man quickly walked over to the Sargent’s desk. “My name is Dennis Taylor. I received a request to come down here and pick up my partner, Skyylar MacKay.”

The officer on duty nodded and pointed to an area behind Dennis. Turning, Dennis saw Skyy sitting across the room next to Aaron. Skyy had his feet on the bench, his arms tightly wrapped around his bent legs and his head resting on his knees. He looked so forlorn and frightened, that Dennis’ expression of exasperation immediately softened. He took a seat and placed an arm around his Brat’s shoulders. He wasn’t at all surprised to see Aaron’s partner, Stephen, stroll into the station a few minutes later.

“Gentlemen, I’m Lt. Baines, the investigating officer.” A huge man in street clothes introduced himself. “If the four of you will follow me, I’ll find us somewhere we can talk in private.”

Closing the door behind him, Baines set about informing the older men of their partners’ afternoon activities. “There has been a bit of an accident. Fortunately, no one was injured and the vehicle involved sustained only superficial damage. It has been towed to this garage near your home.” Baines slid a card across the table in Dennis’ direction. Then after glancing through the papers in his hand, he continued. “Accord to the police report, the owner of the car, Skyylar MacKay, was either unable or unwilling to provide any information.”

This did not come as a surprise to Dennis who was fully aware of his Brat’s inability to converse easily with people he did not know well and in particular those in authority.

“It was left up to his passenger, Aaron Cooper, to furnish the details surrounding the event,” the officer added. “According to Mr. Cooper, they vehicle hit some black ice and veered into the guardrail. The officers on the scene were inclined to believe there was more to the story but as there were no witnesses available, nothing further on our part will result from the incident. However, you gentlemen may have better luck in discovering what actually took place.” Lt. Baines looked pointedly at Dennis and Stephen.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stephen followed his partner into the living room and took a seat next to him on the chesterfield.

“Aaron, I want you to tell me everything that transpired this afternoon; preferably without the hedging and delay tactics you habitually employ,” the older man sternly insisted.

“There were no classes this afternoon so Skyy and I went cruising in his new car. You should see it, Steve. It’s a Jeep Wrangler, a red one and only a year old, almost brand-new. Runs like a charm, real smooth and in perfect condition….” Aaron knew he was rambling but was having trouble stopping himself.

Stephen groaned and rubbed his fingertips across his forehead. “Get to the point, Aaron. Exactly what were the two of you doing at the time of the accident?”

“I kinda forget?”

Stephen stretched over the short distance that separated them and dragged the younger man across his lap. He applies half a dozen extremely hard swats to the seat of Aaron’s jeans. “Is this helping you remember?” he asked, setting his partner back where he had been.

Aaron blinked back the tears, licked his dry lips, swallowed the lump in his throat and hesitantly murmured almost inaudibly. “W-we were ghost-riding.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“You were what?” Dennis loudly demanded, glaring at the man sitting with him in his study.

“Ghost-riding,” Skyy nervously repeated in a small voice while keeping his eyes down. “We were driving along outside town limits. I-I slowed right down and we both jumped out of the car to run around behind it and change places. But we slipped and fell on some black ice. We weren’t able to get back to the Jeep in time to stop it from skidding into the guardrail just where the road starts to curve. We were examining the big scrap along the side of the Jeep when the police came around the bend.”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that thrill-seeking activity is? People have been badly hurt, even killed pulling that asinine stunt. What were you thinking?” Dennis scolded. He was having a hard time coming to grips with his youngest Brat’s recklessness. He tried to ignore the pictures playing across his mind of his beautiful lover lying broken and bleeding.

“It was supposed to be fun.” Skyy risked an upward glance but quickly ducked his head at the sight of his partner’s ashen-coloured face. He pushed himself against the back of the leather sofa, drew up his legs and toyed with his sock-covered toes. “Only it wasn’t any fun at all,” he shamefully admitted.

“I guess it is safe to assume it was Aaron’s idea,” Dennis stated. He knew from past experience Skyy would not name a culprit but would answer truthfully when asked directly. The slight nod he received in response wasn’t at all unexpected and he sadly shook his head. “You need to stop going along with these hair-brained schemes of your friends, Skyy,” Dennis admonished.

Reaching to assist the younger man to his feet, Dennis stood Skyy in front of him. He undid the fly on Skyy’s jeans, lowered them and the boxers and lay his Brat face down across his rock-hard thighs.

Skyy squirmed to get as comfortable as possible while taking some small solace in the warm hand that caressed his bare bottom. He whimpered when the hand lifted only to return with a resounding smack. Whimpers rapidly turned to wails of pain as the large hand repeatedly landed on its’ vulnerable target. Sobs of regret and pleas for the punishment to cease filled the room.

When Dennis was sure the lesson had been well learned and would be remembered, he brought the spanking to an end. He gently lifted the sobbing man and gathered him into a loving embrace, taking care not to cause additional suffering to the extremely sensitive backside.

It took an unusually long time for Skyy to stop crying. He could recall only one other occasion when Dennis had spanked him this hard. It was over a year ago when he had once again endangered himself by exploring a cave he had been forbidden to enter.

The softly cooed assurances that all was forgiven and he was going to be fine eventually registered and the chastened man was able to relax in the arms of his disciplinarian. “I’m s-sorry, Den,” Skyy hitched, wiping his face on the older man’s shirt.

“I know, little one.” Dennis tightened his hold and calmly informed Skyy of the rest of his punishment. “You have lost your driving privileges for the next month, Sport.”

“What about my points?” Skyy wailed. “I couldn’t have lost all ten of them in less than a week!” he vehemently complained.

“I’m afraid so as it seems like you’ve set a record of sorts. You’ll be without wheels until the end of the semester. It should give you and Dusty plenty of time to repair the passenger side of your Wrangler.”

“You don’t think Dusty will be too mad at me to help fix it? Maybe he’ll think it serves me right and that I don’t deserve to have my car fixed.”

“Dusty will know we’ve taken care of it, honey. Even though you having behaved so recklessly will upset him, he’ll get over it. He loves you, Sport!”

Dennis hid his smile at Skyy’s long drawn-out sigh of acceptance. “Just think, Sport, you’ll get your privileges back just in time to start your traditional job as a Christmas Elf at the mall.”

Turning serious once again, Dennis firmly instructed. “Skyy, I want you to listen very closely to me. If this is ever repeated, I will paddle you.”

Skyy bolted up and stared at his Top in disbelief. “What about our agreement?”

“The agreement is subject to change as your needs do,” Dennis patiently reminded him.

“But what if I don’t consent?”

“I will consider the repetition of this stunt as you giving your consent, Skyy. I mean it, Sport! Next time will involve a paddle; but for ghost-riding only.”

Sad violet-blue eyes read the resolve in loving brown ones as Skyy’s fingertips lightly stroked his beloved’s cheek. He drew in a deep breath and slowly expelled it as he nodded his capitulation.

“I promise to try harder to make better choices, Den. You’ll be around to help me, right?”

“I plan on being here to meet your needs for as long as possible, little one.” Dennis tenderly thumbed away the remaining tears and gently kissed the still damp cheeks. “I love you with all my heart, Skyy.”

“I love you too, Den.” Skyy sealed his vow with a breath-stealing kiss before snuggling against Dennis’ broad chest.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Aaron rubbed at his eyes with one hand and gingerly felt the pattern on his burning rear-end with the other. He couldn’t believe what had happened. Not only had Stephen soundly hand-spanked his bare butt, the older man had for the first time ever, used a belt. One dozen stripes blossomed on top of an already very sore bottom.

Told in no uncertain terms he was never again to participate in the activity of ghost-riding, Aaron was also informed that he was grounded for the next month. If he could not keep himself safe, then he would have little opportunity to put himself in danger.

“I hate you, Stephen!” Aaron hitched as he nestled closer to the man he loved above all others.

Stephen knowingly smiled and kissed the damp hair on his Brat’s head. “I can live with that, sweetheart!”

The End.