The Trip

Written By: LJ


“I don’t think you have much of a sense of humour.”

“You are not allowed to talk when you are in the corner, Skyy,” Dennis reminded the young man for the third time. “Your time is starting over again at fifteen minutes.”

“But it’s not fair!” Skyy couldn’t help voicing his opinion.

“You more than deserve the fifteen minutes of corner-time for your activities this morning. I don’t understand how the two of you could have made such a mess while I was out for less than two hours.”

“It wasn’t that much of a mess and we didn’t do it on purpose, so I don’t know why you have to be so cross. We said we’d clean it up.” Skyy was bound and determined to go on arguing.

“There is nothing more to be said, Skyy. Now stop talking before I turn the timer back again. At this rate Dusty will be out of the corner long before you are.”

Dennis kept an eye on his two mischief-makers. Dusty was standing quietly with his head against the wall as was his usual behaviour when serving out any corner-time punishment. Skyy, on the other hand, not only continued to squirm and hop from one foot to another but also struggled with the rule to be silent. When he wasn’t happy, he definitely wanted Dennis to know about it.

Another five minutes passed before Skyy started complaining once again, “I think that timer is broken ‘cause it feels like I’ve been standing here forever.” Hearing the sound of the timer being turned back for the fourth time, Skyy took out his frustration on the baseboard by kicking it.

“Skyy!” Not getting an answer, Dennis repeated himself, “Skyylar!” Fully aware that his Brat was deliberately ignoring him, Dennis said more sternly, “Skyylar Blue MacKay! Get over here! Right this minute, young man.”

Skyy took his time shuffling across the carpet until he stood in front of his now very irate partner. Not saying a word, he merely stared at the older man with his teeth clinched and his eyes shooting daggers.

“You heard me call you, so why didn’t you answer?” Dennis asked, glaring back at him.

“You said no talking in the corner.”

Reacting to that cheeky reply, Dennis reached out and grabbed Skyy’s hand. Pulling the young man over his knee, he delivered two resounding swats on Skyy’s rear-end. “That’s for ignoring me.” Yanking down the shorts and underwear, he silently laughed at the sight in front of him before landing ten more hard spanks on the bare-bottom, eliciting yelps from the young man bent over his lap. “That’s for kicking the wall.”

After rearranging Skyy’s clothing and placing him in the corner once again, Dennis reset the timer.

“He thinks he’s so smart.” Skyy pouted and rubbed his stinging backside. “He can’t even read.”

Dennis checked his watch, walked over to the corner where his other partner was standing and turned Dusty around before pulling him into a warm hug. “Your time’s up. I’d like you to go put all the art supplies away please. When you have that done, I’d appreciate you making up something for a quick lunch. Skyy and I will join you as soon as we have finished here.”

Looking over at his fellow-Brat and then back at his older partner, Dusty nodded his acceptance of the situation and after receiving another hug, left to do as he was asked.

Dennis sat down to work at his computer and waited for the timer to ring. Exactly fifteen minutes later, he and his youngest Brat were walking into the downstairs bathroom. “Take down your shorts and underwear, Skyy.”

While his pint-sized partner was complying with his order, Dennis ran warm water into the sink and got out a bar of soap and a clean facecloth. Turning to Skyy and handing him the wet soapy cloth, he ordered, “Get that paint washed off your butt, young man.”

Laughing at the temporary tattoo, Dennis waited to make sure all the paint had been removed. ‘At least, they used a water-based paint this time,’ he thought, shaking his head at the memory of a past event. ‘The mess they made using an oil-based paint to make abstract art pieces for the den last week, was a lot harder to clean up.’

Once Skyy’s backside was back to its’ normal colour and the young man had replaced his clothing, Dennis said. “Good! Now that the artwork’s all gone, let’s have lunch.”

“You didn’t even read it,” Skyy complained, following Dennis out to the kitchen.

“Yes, I did. I just didn’t follow the instructions. Bottom line, Sport, it didn’t work. Ah, no pun intended.” Dennis laughed as he remembered the message painted across his Brat’s backside. ‘DON’T SPANK!’

~~~~~~~~~~

“Is Skyy asleep?” Dusty asked his partner when Dennis returned to the living room.

“Yes. Ten o’clock every night, you can set your watch by his schedule. Unfortunately, you can also set it again at six every morning when he wakes up.” Dennis smiled. “But it gives the two of us one-on-one quality time every evening and I have at least an hour alone with Skyy every morning.”

“I want to talk to you about something.” Cuddling up with Dennis on the recliner, Dusty said, “Next week I have to take that trip I was telling you about to pick up those new tractors the company has finally decided to purchase. I’ll be away about four days.”

“That’s fine. You’ve done it before. Do you think there is going to be a problem this time?”

“No, but I was wondering if I could take Skyy with me. I don’t think he’s ever been out of the city. It would give him a chance to see other places.”

“Hmm, do you think that’s a good idea? You two have a penchant for teasing each other and getting into trouble.”

“You’re referring to this morning, aren’t you?” Dusty asked. “We just wanted to play a joke on you. We made sure not to get paint on anything. We had every intention of gathering up the newspaper and putting the paint and brushes away before you got home. It just took a little longer for the paint to dry than we had anticipated.”

“Riiight; best laid plans, et cetera,” Dennis grunted.

“I don’t think Skyy meant to act-up or anything; he was just disappointed in your reaction.” Dusty looked up to see how the big guy was taking this revelation.

Dennis chuckled as he recalled his homecoming this morning after he had left them cleaning the house while he did the errands. He had walked in the back door in time to see Skyy pulling up his shorts and Dusty unplugging the hair dryer. There were old newspapers, dirty paintbrushes, a small roller, the blue paint left over from redecorating the guestroom, and what looked like a set of stencils covered in the same blue paint spread out on the kitchen table.

“I never know what he is going to think of next,” Den declared. “But I do wish that if you could not stop him, you would at least refrain from aiding and abetting his antics.”

“He always makes it sound so plausible at the time. I know, I know, I’m older so I should know better,” Dusty chanted in a light singsong voice that earned him a soft warning swat on his hip.

“I understand it’s difficult to refuse him, especially when we both know he rarely asks for anything. He loves to live for the moment and when he gets an idea, he runs with it. Only he likes to have someone running with him and that someone is you. He doesn’t stop to think actions are followed by consequences, so you have to remind him about that whenever he invites you to go along with him on one of his hair-brained schemes.”

“What I can’t figure out is how come he’s not afraid to try just about anything. I mean, you’d think with his background he’d be scared of being beaten or hurt or something.” Dusty couldn’t understand this aspect of his younger partner’s behaviour and he was hoping Dennis might have an explanation.

“Dusty, Skyy was abused but he was never disciplined. He was used as a means for his father to vent his frustration on. After his mother died, Skyy never had a parent who loved him; loved him enough to teach him acceptable behaviour. I can’t help thinking he may be trying to make up for all the things he missed as a kid. He is just letting go, believing we’ll catch him if he falls. He is a part of our family now and it is up to us to help him become the best person he can be. Like you, he needs boundaries and guidelines in order to accomplish that. He loves to fly and we have to let him, but at the same time stop him from crash landing, and all three of us have to work as a team.”

“It sounds like a lot of hard work. Do you think we’re going to be able to do it?”

“Well, I’ve sort of already done it once. This time should be a little easier because I have some help.” Dennis smiled down at the man in his arms and gently reminded him. “I seem to recall working with another young man who I love with all my heart. A young man who had a bad habit of listening to people who didn’t always have his best interest in mind; a young man who almost convinced himself he didn’t really want to become an engineer even though that was what he had wanted to be for most his life. A young man who eventually became the best diesel mechanic I know.”

“You’re talking about me, aren’t you?” Dusty asked, turning on Dennis’ lap until he could wrap his arms around the bigger man’s neck.

“You guessed it, my little grease-monkey.”

“I love you too, Den,” Dusty reminded his partner and reached up for a lover’s kiss. The two men relished their private times together.

After several minutes of just enjoying the closeness, Dusty asked once again, “Can I take Skyy with me?”

“Yes, if he wants to go. Why don’t you find out the company’s policy for taking along a passenger before you mention it to him though?”

“Yeah, good idea,” Dusty softly agreed, looking into his lover’s eyes. “I’d like to go up and take a shower. Care to join me?”

“Try to stop me!” Dennis declared, setting his partner on his feet. After locking up for the night, he accompanied Dusty up the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Dusty isn’t working late again tonight, is he?” Skyy questioned.

“He said he would be home on time.” Dennis sniffed the air appreciatively. “What’s for supper, sweetie.” Dennis stood behind the younger man and wrapped his arms around him, gently kissing the top of his head.

“Homemade spaghetti with meat sauce, a salad and some garlic bread. It’s one of Dusty’s favourites and I know you like it too.”

“I love it when one of you boys gets home before I do and has a great meal ready. Hmm, smells delicious.”

“I like cooking. Besides, if I make the meal then I get to sit back and watch you two guys do the dishes.” Skyy looked up with a happy grin as he put the pasta on the table. “Hey, that sounds like Dusty’s truck now.”

Minutes later, Dusty entered the kitchen and put his lunch box next to the sink. “Wow, something smells good and I’m starved.”

“Did you get anymore information about your trip?” Dennis asked as they sat down at the table.

“Yeah, and I have some papers here for Skyy to sign.”

“Why do I have to sign papers?”

After waiting for Dennis’ go-ahead nod, Dusty started to explain. “Well, I’m going to pick up one of our new tractors and I was wondering if you’d care to come along.”

“You bet! When do we leave and how long will we be gone?” Skyy asked excitedly.

“We leave early Thursday morning and if all goes off without a hitch, we should get home on Sunday evening. We’ll be in one of three tractor-trailers making the trip. We have a load to drop off on the way up but will be bob-tailing home. The other two drivers will not be coming back with us, as they will be picking up new loads. The driver assigned the new tractor I am taking delivery of, is unable to make the exchange because he is having some minor surgery done, so we get to go instead. The company needs your signature on the release forms. They will not be liable should anything happen to you on the trip. It’s just standard procedure, that’s all.”

“Okay! Is this all right with you, Den?” Skyy wanted to go with Dusty but was uncertain of Dennis’ feelings on the matter.

“Yes! You guys should have a great time. I think both of you will benefit from the trip in more ways than one.”

“But then you’ll be home alone.”

“Ahhh, yes. Just think about it….four days of peace and quiet. However will I survive?” Dennis laughed at the matching looks of indignation.

“I guess it doesn’t matter if I miss a day or two of school and I don’t think I’ll have any trouble finding someone to fill in for me at work.” Skyy was looking forward to the trip. “Wow, I can hardly wait.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday morning finally arrived and not a minute too soon for Skyy. Dennis had a hard time settling him down enough to eat breakfast and listen to a few last minute instructions. “Can I please have your attention for a few minutes?” Dennis requested of two, very excited, eager-to-go, young men. “I realize there is little point in my asking you not to eat junk food on the trip, but I want you to have at least one proper meal a day. All right?” Seeing two nodding heads, Dennis continued, “Try not to torture each other. It will only lead to trouble. Skyy, you’ve never been away before so please stay with Dusty and don’t wander off. Okay?”

Throwing his arms around the big man’s neck, Skyy promised, “I’ll behave. I won’t go off by myself and I’ll try not to fill up on junk food. Honest!” Then he softly added, “I’m going to miss you.”

Returning the embrace, Dennis said, “I’m going to miss you too, Sport. I want you to have a good time, but stay safe.” Releasing the younger man after kissing him good-bye, Dennis pulled Dusty into his arms to hug and kiss him good-bye as well. He stood on the front veranda waving as they drove out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Man, we’ve had a great time so far, haven’t we, Dusty. I really like these big trucks.”

“Well after two days in that old clunker, I bet you’re finding this new one rides like it’s on a cloud; and how about that bunk in the back? It’s got at least twice the space that the old one had. We’ll have to break it in tonight.”

“Have you ever been sorry you gave up long-hauling?”

“Nope! I would have been away from home too much. It wouldn’t have worked out at all.”

“Would you tell me again how you and Dennis got together? Please.”

“I was driving some beat-up old crate for a small transport company doing short-haul. One afternoon I was broken down for about the hundredth time on the side of the highway just outside of town. A car pulls over and this gorgeous hunk gets out to see if I need any help. I had already delivered my load so I decided to leave the pile of junk my bosses considered a truck, right where it was. I asked the hunk for a lift into town and he obliged; even offered to buy me dinner. I wasn’t about to refuse no matter how greasy and dirty I was, although I did clean up first. I was surprised when he asked me if I would go out with him again. I thought he’d be glad to see the last of me after I’d talked his ears off. Of course he had also done some of the talking, telling me a bit about himself. He had just graduated with his Ph.D. and was going to start a new job that fall teaching at the university. Man, the big guy has always been a major over-achiever. Anyway, that was over four summers ago. He had just turned twenty-four and I was almost twenty. Three months later we move into his apartment together. We only bought the house a couple of years ago.”

“When did you decide that you wanted your relationship to include…….hmmm……you know?”

“Are you asking about the discipline part?” At Skyy’s shy nod, Dusty explained. “Well, I had quit college. Someone I should not have listened to told me I’d never make it as a diesel engineer. Dennis found out I had wanted to work with the mechanical side of the big rigs since I was a kid. He’s the one who supported me so I could finish college. As much as I wanted to get certified, I couldn’t seem to do it on my own. When I asked Dennis to help me set goals and keep on track, he did it by setting up rules as well as consequences for breaking them. It worked to kept me from crashing and losing my degree. I could never have done it without him.”

“And now he’s helping me!”

“You betcha. You’ll be finishing the last of your high school courses this summer and starting university this fall. Have you decided what you want to study?”

“Not yet. There is so much to choose from and I never thought I’d be going back to school or planning a career. I’ve narrowed it down to three choices, but want to read up on them more before talking it over with you guys. Den says I still have plenty of time to think about it, just like he let me think over becoming a partner.”

“Yeah and you took over a month to make that decision. I thought you’d never decide. I hated waiting but Den said not to push you.” Turning to look at his partner, Dusty asked quietly, “Are you happy living with us, Skyy?”

“Yeah, I really am. I know you wanted to keep me right from the start but it took a little time for Dennis to want me too.”

“How did you know that?”

“Because when Dennis first touched me while I was lying on your big bed, I woke up but was afraid to open my eyes. I heard you talking. “

“Why were you frightened? We weren’t going to hurt you.”

“But I didn’t know that right away. I only started feeling safe when Dennis was dressing me in one of your T-shirts.” Skyy was quiet for several moments before saying, “I’m so glad you guys let me become part of the family.”

“Well I’m more than glad you finally decided to become another partner,” Dusty assured him before asking more questions. “You know something, little buddy? I’ve never heard you swearing. How come?”

“Because he always did. He’d get drunk and yell and curse at me. I don’t want to do any of the things he did.” Skyy started giggling. “Nonna used to call him a garbage-mouth. She’d grumble under her breath thinking I couldn’t hear her.”

“I use to swear a lot,” Dusty confided. “Den hated it.”

“How did he stop you?” Skyy asked.

“He went through a lot of soap.” Both young men started laughing.

“So I guess making a mess isn’t the big guy’s only pet peeve,” Skyy commented.

“That’s for sure. Now that you’ve mentioned pet peeves, I’m telling you up front; I am not taking part in any more of your crazy ideas which end up getting us in trouble. Den and I talked it over and he said the next time I went along with you, in addition to the punishment we earn, I’d get spanked.”

“But what if the punishment is a spanking?”

“Then I’d get it twice.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Yes, it is. I made an agreement about this with Den. If I don’t stick to it, then I pay the consequences.”

“I get it. I never meant to get you in trouble those other times. It just seemed like it would be fun and I thought you’d have fun too.”

“I know but that kind of fun is over!” Dusty said firmly.

“Well if I tell you when I want to do something, will you at least warn me if it will get me in trouble?”

“You betcha!” Dusty promised then softly asked a question that had been playing on his mind. “Skyy, would you object to telling me why your old man kicked you out and what you did to survive when you were living on the streets?”

“Well, I never told him I was gay until I came home one night to find he had been going through my room. He was always accusing me of doing drugs and he said he was checking to see if I had any stashed away. I tried to tell him I’d never done drugs but he didn’t believe me. Anyway, he found some magazines and a couple of letters from my friend at school. He asked me right out if I had a boyfriend and I said I did. Man, you should have seen his face. I though he was going to self-combust. He started yelling and beating on me. Earl had to come and pull him off me. That’s when he told me to get my stuff, get out and stay out. So I did.”

“Why didn’t you go to one of your neighbours?”

“I didn’t want to get them involved. They’re kinda old you know and I didn’t want to cause them any trouble. Besides, they would have probably had to call the police or someone. Instead, I went to my friend’s home for a few days. I couldn’t get a job. I mean, you try getting a job when you can’t even put an address on the application. For a while after I had to leave Aaron’s house, I collected empty bottles to buy a bit of food everyday. Then I moved to another area of town and just learned to hide out and sleep wherever I could. I eventually met a couple of other guys who lived on the streets. They showed me how to earn money by pleasing men who liked boys.”

“You sold yourself on the streets, Skyy?” Dusty was so shocked he could barely get the words out.

Biting his lower lip, Skyy looked at his partner and nodded his head. “Well, sort of. It was cold and I was hungry,” he said in a small voice.

Dusty pulled over to the side of the road, parked the tractor and reached to pull the smaller man into his arms. “It’s okay, Skyy. I guess you felt you didn’t have much of a choice.”

Now that Skyy had started to tell his story, he wanted to finish it. “The reason I ended up near your work is because the bigger boys in the area where I was at first, didn’t like me on their territory. So I moved to the truck-stop across from your work place. I had five or six regular customers and they were all long-haul drivers. I never let anyone touch me and I made sure I was protected. I only offered them some manual release in return for a bit of money. And I wasn’t looking for food when you saw me hanging around.” Skyy’s soft words were spoken against his fellow-Brat’s chest.

“Then what were you digging in the dumpster for?” Dusty asked as he pushed back to see the other man’s face.

“You guys threw out some neat stuff and I found a lot of things for the little shack I built.”

“A shack! Where is it?”

“It is in that wooden area behind the shop where you repair the heavy equipment. I found a couple of old mattresses to sleep on and some worn-out seat covers to use as blankets. Man, I really lucked out when someone threw away that old pot-belly stove.”

“We used to wonder where all the stuff was going to,” Dusty chuckled and after exchanging another hug, started up the engine. “It sometimes seemed to take forever to fill up that dumpster.” Checking his side mirror, he pulled out onto the highway to continue their trip home.

“Shit! It’s starting to rain,” Dusty complained a few minutes later.

“I hope it turns into a storm. I love the wind and thunder and lightening of a good rainstorm.” Skyy bounced as excitedly in his seat as the seat belt would allow.

“No wonder it’s so hard to keep you in the house when it’s raining,” Dusty comment, turning on the windshield wipers. “We’ll stop for the night at the next truck stop, okay?”

“Will we still make it home by tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, we’re right on schedule. We had planned to stop in a couple of hours anyway.”

Looking out the restaurant window an hour later, Skyy whistled and said, “Just look at the rain coming down and did you see that flash of lightening?”

“Like I could miss it,” Dusty grumbled. The young men were enjoying their one good meal of the day in keeping with the promises made to their older partner. “I bet it is going to be hard to sleep with all that thunder. Let’s go have a shower and then get back to the truck.”

“Why did we have to park so far from the restaurant? We’re soaking wet.” Sky stood shivering as he waited for Dusty to unlock the passenger-side door.

“Because I thought it would be quieter over here, away from the trailers with running reefers. Although the thunder is probably louder,” Dusty complained. “You’re the one who was hoping it would storm and it looks like you got your wish. Hurry up and get in the back.” Following Skyy into the truck, Dusty slammed the door. “I’m going to start the heater to get rid of some of this dampness while you get out of those wet clothes.”

Climbing into the bunk area, Dusty told his partner, “The heater isn’t working.”

“But it’s a brand new tractor,” Skyy point out as if the other man wasn’t aware of it.

“I know but these things happen. At least I’ll be able to repair it on Monday before the regular driver takes possession of the truck,” Dusty explained as he started removing his own wet clothing. “We’ll warm up after we’re dry and under the covers.”

Cuddling together under the blankets; the young men gradually warmed up while resting in each other’s arms and listening to the storm.

“This isn’t so bad, is it?” asked Dusty.

“It’s great. Hmmm…you said we were going to break in this bunk tonight. Did you have anything particular in mind?” Skyy propped himself up on his elbow and looked down into his partner’s face.

“You use to do truck drivers so how about showing me what you did.”

“Okay, you asked for it.” Skyy got up and knelt between Dusty’s legs. Then using only his fingertips, he glided gently down the other man’s chest until he reached his navel before heading back to the top of his lover’s chest. Leaning in, Skyy brushed his lips lightly over Dusty’s before returning to the path his fingers had taken, this time using his tongue. He lovingly caressed the body under his, driving his lover crazy. Dusty reached out to grab his tormentor, only to have his hands moved away.

“Don’t touch anything. Let me do all the work,” Skyy ordered. Dusty’s skin was burning and his arousal was very visible. Noticing his lover’s reaction, Skyy lowered his head between Dusty’s legs and started nibbling and licking first one thigh and then the other. “My, are we excited!” Skyy whispered but didn’t touch him there. He merely stroked Dusty’s inner thighs tantalizingly up and down before once again reaching up to brush the other man’s lips softly with his own. Moving slowly down his lover’s body, Skyy took him into his mouth and started the rhythm that was as old as time. Whenever he felt the other man nearing the pinnacle, he would slow down. Only when he heard Dusty whimpering for release did he increase the tempo and begin to make soft, purring sounds until he succeeded in bringing his partner to an overwhelming climax.

‘Holy shit, this kid is talented with his mouth,’ Dusty thought as the stars stopped flashing behind his eyelids and his heart rate gradually returned to normal. ‘I can’t wait until Dennis finds out. It will blow his mind.’ He looked up into violet-blue eyes shining with love and felt his chest swell with the feelings his young lover inspired. “God, that was so hot, Skyy.”

“Liked it, huh?” Skyy curled up against his partner’s side. “This was the best time ever ‘cause I was able to do it just right. And I did it because I wanted to, not because I had to. I felt I was doing it for you, not just to you.” He spoke so quietly Dusty had a hard time hearing all the words.

“Well, we can’t consider this bed broken in until I’ve taken care of you.”

A short time later, two sated lovers lay side by side enjoying the closeness.

“Dusty, are you going to tell Den about what I did?” Skyy asked quietly.

“Do you mean what you did tonight or what you did on the streets?”

“Both, I guess.”

“He should be told, but we can tell him together if you want. Don’t worry. Den won’t get angry, although I bet he’ll be as surprised as I was. You moved into our bed six weeks ago, but you have never once taken the initiative.”

“I didn’t know whether or not you would like it and I wasn’t sure how Den would react. He might not want me around when he finds out.”

“Skyy, Dennis loves you. I love you. What you did in the past won’t change that. Trust me.”

“He’ll probably have dozens of suggestions about what I could have done instead,” Skyy mumbled, resigned for the worst.

“Yeah, but it’s too late now and you didn’t know the options back then, so don’t fret over it,” Dusty tried to reassure his partner. “Let’s get some sleep so we can hit the road early tomorrow,” he suggested.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dennis had kept busy the four days he was alone but by Sunday he was really missing his partners. His reading was interrupted just after seven o’clock in the evening by the phone ringing. He immediately recognized Dusty’s voice in panic mode.

“Den. I-I…thetractorhasbeenstolen. Istoppedforfuelbuthadtousethewashroomfirst,” Dusty paused to take a breath, “whenIcameoutthetruckwasgone.”

“Okay, Dusty, slow down. I can’t make out all what you are saying, love,” Dennis spoke quietly, hoping his tone alone would settle his partner.

“The truck has been stolen. I locked the doors but they broke in and took off with it.”

“It’s not your fault, love. At least, you and Skyy are all right.”

“No, Den! Skyy was sleeping in the bunk when I left. They stole him too!”

Dennis’ heart leaped into his throat. It took an extreme effort on his part to find the ability to regain his breath in order to ask for additional information as serenely as possible. “Where exactly are you?”

“I’m one hundred miles east of town, at a truck-stop on the Trans-Canada highway.”

“Okay, Dusty. Listen to me, please. I’m leaving now but it will take me over an hour to get there. I want you to sit down somewhere quiet and try to remain as calm as you can. Have you let anyone else know?”

“Yes, I contacted the dispatcher on duty. One of my bosses and another driver are on the way here. I expect the RCMP to arrive any minute now. I’m scared, Den.”

“I know, baby. I’ll be there as soon as possible. Go have a coffee and try to eat something while you’re waiting. I love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you, too. Bye.”

Dennis arrived at the truck-stop shortly after Dusty’s employer. He spotted his partner sitting motionlessly in a corner booth. Seeing the forlorn look on his Brat’s face, Dennis politely pushed his way through the throng of people to get to him. He slid into the booth and put his arm around the young man’s shoulders to offer the only comfort a public place would allow.

“Have you heard anything, love?”

Dusty quietly whispered “Not yet” just as the waitress came over to their table. Dennis accepted a fresh cup of coffee while Dusty declined a refill.

Dusty folded his arms on the table and put his head down before expressing his worst fears. “What if something has happened to our little guy, Den?”

“Let’s try to stay optimistic, sweetheart,” Dennis encouraged. Looking up, he saw a police officer approaching.

“Dustin Roberts?”

“That’s me!” Dusty looked up to answer the officer’s inquiry.

“We’ve found the truck. It is in a field about twenty miles north of here. It was abandoned by whoever took it but a young man by the name of Skyylar MacKay was still in it, unharmed.”

Dennis felt Dusty’s body shaking as the knowledge that their young lover was safe sank in and he released the breath he hadn’t even realized he had been holding.

“Let’s go get him, love,” he whispered in Dusty’s ear, using one arm to squeeze him tightly.

It wasn’t difficult to locate the field where the big rig had been left. Several cruisers and an array of other vehicles were easily seen from a distance. Skyy was surrounded by police officers. Catching a glimpse of his partners, Skyy immediately squirmed his way out of the circle and ran towards the only two people he most wanted to see at that moment. He threw himself into their open arms.

“Man that was some ride!” Skyy didn’t appear at all frightened or upset. He was literally bouncing. “They were joy-riding with the tractor in this field. They never even knew I was in the bunk.”

“Are you all right? What happened? Why did the thieves leave you behind? How did the police know where to find you?” Dennis was asking questions so fast that Skyy didn’t know what to answer first.

“Okay, I’ll start at the beginning. I was sleeping in the bunk but I woke up when I felt the truck bouncing up and down ‘cause it was tossing me around. I was just about to call out and ask Dusty what the problem was when I heard strange voices. There were two other guys in the cab so I stayed where I was. I was scared at first and really hoped they wouldn’t look in the back. They were only a couple of years older than me, I think.” Skyy stopped in his narration to be sure of what he was saying. “Wow! They could actually drive that tractor when I can’t even drive a car.”

“Skyy, go on with your story please,” Dennis requested.

“Huh? Oh yeah. Well, they ran out of fuel and just decided to leave the rig right where it stopped. I don’t know where they went after that. I waited a few minutes to make sure they weren’t coming back; then I got out of the bunk and lock the doors. By the way, Dusty, tomorrow you’re going to have to fix the driver’s side lock as well as the heater.”

“Skyy, do you know how the police happened to track down the truck?” Dennis tried once again to get back to the story.

“Uh-huh. I started up the satellite system and sent a message to the dispatcher just like I saw Dusty doing during the trip. It took awhile to figure it out but I finally did it. I guess the dispatcher contacted the police. I already told the officer in charge I couldn’t give him a description of the guys who took the truck because I never actually saw them.”

“So, you’re all right? Nobody hurt you?” Dennis needed confirmation that his youngest Brat wasn’t having any problems with this evening’s events.

“I’m okay, Den. Honest!” Skyy assured the older man. “One of the thieves wanted to look in the bunk to see it there was stuff worth taking but the other one said they had to walk too far to carry anything. Those guys must be nuts. I know I’ve pulled some crazy stunts but I’d never steal anything.”

“I know you wouldn’t, Sport.”

“I really missed you, Den,” Skyy said softly, reaching up to wrap his arms around the big man’s neck. “Can we go home now?”

“That’s a great idea.” Dennis tightly hugged his youngest partner. “I’ll go get the okay from whoever is handling things here. You two wait in the car. I’ll be right back.”

Skyy glanced up at Dusty. “Man, you don’t look too good and you’re shaking real bad.” Taking Dusty by the hand, Skyy led him over to the car and helped him into the front seat. Getting into the back seat, he leaned over and put his arms around his fellow-Brat.

Returning to the car a few minutes later, Dennis noticed the concerned look on Skyy’s face and realized Dusty was having a hard time dealing with everything that had happened. He reached over and caressed his youngest lover’s face. “Skyy, I want you to buckle up so we can leave. Please, honey.” Then he pulled Dusty into his arms. “Dusty, are you going to be all right until we get home or do you need to talk now?”

“I’ll be okay. I just want to get away from here,” Dusty answered in a small voice, trying valiantly not to break down.

They drove in silence for half an hour with Skyy falling asleep in half that time. Keeping an eye on the road and watching Dusty for further signs of distress, Dennis was kept fully occupied. Sudden the man in the seat beside him started to cry. Dennis pulled onto the shoulder of the road, stopped the car, unbuckled the seat belts, and turned to gather his partner into his arms.

“It’s all right, baby. It’s over. You’re safe. Skyy’s safe. We’re all together again.” Dennis rocked and soothed the younger man. It took over ten minutes for the sobbing to change to hiccups and sniffles. Handing Dusty a handkerchief, Dennis gently instructed, “Wipe your face, sweetheart.”

“I almost lost him tonight,” Dusty whispered. “What if…”

Dennis shook his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Forget the ‘what ifs’. You’re fine. We’re all fine.”

“But, Dennis….”

Once again Dennis shook his head. He leaned in to shut the younger man’s open mouth with his lips. Lips that gently teased, waiting for a response. Dusty pressed against his partner and the kiss became more demanding. It felt so good. It was so soft and sweet. Dusty melted and slid his arms around Dennis’ body. Snuggling as close as possible, the two men spent the next several minutes relaxing against each other.

Dennis smiled down at his partner and with a final squeeze, set him back in his seat. “Buckle up, baby. We may yet make it home before midnight.”

“Den, I’m so sorry. Can you ever trust me to take him on another trip?”

Smiling as he looked in his rearview mirror, Dennis asked, “Dusty, what is Skyy doing?”

Dusty turned to look over his shoulder at their younger partner. “He’s sleeping.”

“Now, more importantly, what isn’t he doing?”

Dusty was confused by the question but as he continued to watch Skyy, a grin appeared and slowly spread across his face as his eyes lit up with understanding. “He doesn’t have his fingers in his mouth.”

“That’s right! He’s not frightened or overwhelmed by anything that happened. He doesn’t need that unconscious self-comfort mechanism any longer. He knows he’s safe. You took excellent care of him, love. Putting aside tonight’s unfortunate incident, how was your trip? Did you enjoy yourselves?”

“It’s was great, Den! We had a really good time.”

“Do you feel the time alone brought the two of you closer together? Did you learn anything new about one another?”

“Oooh, yeah! You wanna believe it. And are you in for a few surprises.”

The End