A TRIAL OF STRENGTH – PART 469 By Rob Williams
Chapter 469 – "FROM RIVALS TO HEROES"
IN THIS CHAPTER
Pablo and Darius, two muscle-jocks who had once been lovers, are now fierce rivals. Their brutal fight has caused them to be temporarily banished from the tribe, forced to spend a week in a remote beach shack with Pablo's boy Tyler. Their anger threatens to erupt again – until Tyler is in sudden danger and the men join forces fight to protect him – "like superheroes in an action movie," as Tyler says. ___________________________________________________________________
IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER
Pablo and Darius were lovers from way back but everything had gone sour. The muscular, sexy Mestizo and the rugged black jock had become bitter rivals, which caused frequent clashes on the construction site where Pablo was the head mechanic and Darius the site's foreman.
Their antagonism had actually been brewing for a long time, exacerbated by the change in their personal relationship. The handsome Mestizo and the brawny black boy had met as 18-year-olds soon after the tribe's founders Randy and Bob started living together, and there had been immediate chemistry.
They were a perfect sexual fit, with Pablo's stunning bubble-butt and Darius's ten-inch schlong, but more than that they loved each other's company – the laughter and playfulness. But in the years since they met they had inevitably changed – from easygoing kids to tough, opinionated young jocks with big egos – the good-looking mechanic and chiseled black foreman.
Their relationship had changed too. Maybe they still loved each other deep down but there was now a much stronger element of competition – especially on the construction site. They were both bosses' boys – Randy's and Zack's – and as with all the boys they modeled themselves on their masters and their dominant egos. They jockeyed for supremacy at work like rival stallions, each refusing to accept the authority of the other.
Their mutual resentment spilled over to other members of the tribe, and Pablo had become cruelly dismissive of his shy young boy Tyler.
Inevitably, the egos of the two macho studs clashed and a savage fight erupted, ending with the naked mechanic being bound and butt-fucked by Darius's massive cock.
The senior men of the tribe had intervened with fierce condemnation, and a fierce tongue-lashing from the co-leader Bob for the way Pablo had ill-treated his boy Tyler. The cop Mark suggested a novel penance. He reverted to an ancient form of punishment – banishment.
He grinned, "I'm not suggesting we send Darius and Pablo to a remote island, as they did in Ancient Rome, or exile them to Elba like Napoleon. But I think that for a week or so the two rivals should be sentenced to go away from the tribe and spend all their time together in some remote place."
There were nods of agreement and Zack reached into his pocket and tossed some keys to Darius. "The keys to my beach shack in the Guadalupe Dunes. Should be remote enough."
Darius and Pablo nodded their acceptance of the punishment, even though their dislike of each other still ran deep and the idea of spending time together was painful to imagine. Pablo said, "I'd like to make one request. That I be allowed to take my boy Tyler with me."
Bob hesitated, but noticing Tyler's joyful smile, he agreed, extracting a promise from Pablo that no harm would come to him. The two rivals and the boy were to leave first thing in the morning.
In the meantime Pablo asked Tyler, "Will you come and help me get cleaned up, kiddo?" Tyler leapt at the chance eagerly. Pablo began to apologize but Tyler beamed, "Oh never mind that, sir. Just as long as I'm your boy and you love me nothing else matters."
Tyler tended Pablo's bruises in the shower, and then they made love – for the first time in weeks. Tyler was over the moon and as he curled up afterwards in his master's arms he said. "I'm so glad I'm coming with you tomorrow, sir. I can't wait to be on the beach with you."
Pablo sighed. "It's not gonna be easy, kiddo. There is so much bad blood between Darius and me that the wounds still run real deep. It'll be like being trapped in purgatory with an enemy, but it's the punishment the tribe has given us."
"Well at least you'll have me on your side, sir. I'll take care of you."
"Kiddo, you and me are gonna take care of each other from now on. Like Bob said, that's what men and their boys do."
Early next morning Tyler ran down to the kitchen where the young chef Will was already hard at work. "Dude," Will smiled, "I am so happy for you. Whatever happens with Pablo and Darius you'll have a good time `cos Pablo loves you.
"Now listen, Tyler. I have been cooking up a storm and made all kinds of food in packages here for you to take with you. The packages marked C you can serve to the guys cold. Those marked M can be microwaved and those with H have to be heated in the oven.
Tyler thanked and hugged Will and loaded the bags in Pablo's truck. Pablo and Darius came out to the truck and they set off.
The atmosphere in the truck as they drove north for a week in the dunes was hardly festive. Pablo was driving, with Tyler sitting happily next to him. Sprawled sullenly in the back seat was a disgruntled Darius.
Occasionally the two men's eyes met in the rear view mirror but they quickly looked away. Hostility still ran so deep that even eye-contact was to be avoided, let alone speech or, god forbid, physical contact.
It promised to be a very strange week in the remote beach shack in the dunes.
***************** CHAPTER 469 ****************
THE DETOUR
As the truck sped north on the 101 Freeway nobody expected there to be much conversation, if any, between the driver Pablo and his bitter rival Darius slouched morosely in the back seat.
The trip up to the Guadalupe Dunes was not of their choosing. It had been the punishment the tribe had decreed for their feud that had enveloped and harmed several of the younger boys, and culminated in a savage fight.
It was a harsh penance to pay, forcing the two warring, macho jocks to spend a week close together in the seclusion of the beach shack owned by Darius's master Zack. Hence the heavy silence now in the cab of the truck.
However, no such constraints of silence inhibited Pablo's boy Tyler who sat next to Pablo with a permanent smile on his face. For several weeks the boy had been miserable, subjected to a hostile cold shoulder from Pablo who was obsessed with the Darius feud. But that had changed after the ferocious fight and especially the fierce tongue-lashing Pablo had received from Bob, accusing him of a cardinal sin in the tribe – mistreating his own boy.
Pablo had apologized, of course, to Tyler who was over the moon after his master's reassurance that he loved him and that Tyler was still, and always would be, his boy. And even now Pablo tried once again to say how sorry he was for causing Tyler unhappiness.
But Tyler protested, "You don't have to say all that again, sir. Like I said before, now that I know you love me nothing else matters. Besides, Eddie once told me a phrase he made up ... that love means never having to say you're sorry."
Pablo chuckled. "Actually, kiddo, Eddie got that from an old movie. And anyway I always thought it was a bullshit line. Seems to me that if you love someone it's even more important to say sorry if you've fucked up. Thing is, kiddo, you mustn't let love blind you. No matter how much you love a guy, don't think the sun shines out of his ass. You gotta see him for what he is, especially when he fucks up ... and I fucked up big-time."
Tyler listened carefully. He loved it when Pablo was teaching him things, and he nodded along in agreement.
But in the back seat the conversation up front pissed Darius off. This whole feud had been about which of them was the dominant male, and Darius had proved that he could beat Pablo in a fistfight. But now here was Pablo growing into his role as a master, nurturing and teaching his boy. And that was a role Darius couldn't compete with.
The simple fact was that Pablo had a boy of his own and Darius didn't. Pablo was a master and Darius wasn't. He had never really paid much attention to having a boy of his own, but now that he saw Tyler's shining eyes as he listened to Pablo's advice ... Darius was envious.
Fortunately a long silence followed, with love and harmony in the front set, stewing resentment in the back.
It was quite a few miles up the road before Tyler spoke again. "Sir, me and the boys were talking and there's a story goes round about Mark and Jamie. Seems that when the cop and his boy drive up here they always pull off the road and drive into the brush where Mark fucks Jamie on the tailgate of the truck. Do you think that's true, sir?"
Pablo laughed. "Sure it's true, it's a well-known fact. When Mark first met Jamie he was still a young skinhead running wild. But Mark saw something in him he liked, and he brought him up here. They didn't fuck that first time `cos Jamie still boasted of being a ladies' man. That was before he saw the Greek-God cop sleeping naked and pretty soon fell in love with him.
Always after that when they came up here it happened like you said. It became kind of a ritual for them. Matter of fact, the famous turnoff is a few miles up the road ahead."
There was another silence, but this time not so relaxed. Sex had loomed up like a genie from a bottle and there was no way to stuff it back in. It hung in the air. Pablo eventually broke the tension by asking, "You wanna see the spot where they do the deed?"
Tyler's eyes sparkled. "Could we, sir? Really?"
"Sure – just a short detour."
Tyler looked over his shoulder to Darius. "Would that be OK with you, sir?"
Both Pablo and Darius stiffened. Pablo resented the fact that his boy was virtually asking for Darius's permission. He was about to reprimand the boy but when he saw the eager look of joy on his face he kept his mouth shut.
Darius also resented the fact that they were to take this stupid detour just so Pablo could please his boy. But he too saw Tyler's look of giddy excitement and he didn't have the heart to object. The men's natural rivalry had reared up momentarily but, for the first time, had been stifled by the boy's youthful exuberance.
And so a few miles further on Pablo swung off the highway and the truck bounced along a dirt track through the sage brush. It finally came to a stop in a stand of trees that hid them from view – not that there was anyone around for miles in this remote place.
Darius mumbled something about stretching his legs and got out of the truck. Pablo grinned at Tyler. "You wanna go for it, kid?"
"Yes please, sir," Tyler beamed.
They got out and went to the back of the truck where Pablo pulled down the tailgate and spread a tarp over the flatbed. He grabbed Tyler by the waist and lifted him bodily on to tailgate where he sat with his legs dangling over the edge, his eyes shining. "That's just the way Jamie looks at Mark," Pablo smiled. "And here's what the cop does to his boy."
Pablo yanked down Tyler's shorts and pulled them off over his sneakers. Tyler hooked his hands behind his knees and fell on his back, presenting his ass to his master. Pablo grinned down at him and pulled out his cock, "Spit OK?"
"Of course, sir."
Pablo spat on his cock, then pulled Tyler forward to the edge of the tailgate. He pushed his legs back and pressed his cock against his ass. "You sure you want this, kid?" he teased, with his sexy, crooked grin.
Tyler stared up at the handsome Mestizo face and said, "Fuck me, sir. Please ... aaaah." He sighed deeply as he felt his master's shaft easing all the way inside his ass, massaging it gently at first, then increasing the tempo.
Pablo leaned forward, pulled Tyler's T-shirt up and hooked it behind his neck, leaving his chest bare. He squeezed his nipples as he fucked and Tyler drifted into a world of sensual delight, feeling the breeze blow over his near-naked body, and seeing his muscular master backlit by the sun, creating a golden aura around him.
"You're a great fuck, kiddo. Man, I love your ass. Feel good?"
"Oh yes, sir. My ass belongs to you, sir."
Standing a short distance away in the trees Darius watched with mixed feelings that he found hard to sort out. There was simple lust watching a handsome man fuck his boy ... fondness for the kid who was glowing with ecstasy ... and resentment that Pablo was playing the role of dominant master. Was there also a trace of admiration for Pablo? If there was it was stifled by the continued hostility he felt toward him.
For whichever of those reasons, Darius stood and watched rather than following his impulse to walk away until they had finished.
It was a long and erotic spectacle as Pablo leaned further forward, grabbed his boy's wrists and pinned them to the truck's floor above his head.
"Man that feels good, having you as my prisoner to fuck whenever I want. You're gonna get this a lot, boy. When I get home from work as a mechanic, horny as hell, covered in oil and grease, I'll throw you in the back of the truck, drive you to a deserted spot and butt-fuck you on the truck like I'm doing now. I'll pin you down and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
"Yes please, sir." Tyler's heart was beating wildly at the thought of being the captive of the muscular young mechanic and used by him like a fuck slave – just what was happening to him now. He gazed up into the slanted brown Mestizo eyes and felt his cock driving in and out of his ass like a piston.
The fantasy and the physical sensation pushed him close to the edge. "Sir," he panted, "I think I ... I think I'm gonna cum."
"Not without my permission, boy. You hold back until I unload in your ass, then you can cum. Look into my eyes."
"Yes, sir," Tyler said, but it took every ounce of submission to his master to obey his order. As Pablo stared down at him, locking eyes with his boy's, the domination was as strong as if he had been physically chained to the truck. The boy's cock was pulsing, he was desperate to shoot, but the desire to please his master overwhelmed all other desires.
Pablo knew that his authority over the boy was total, a unique sensation that empowered him physically and mentally and he felt the same protective urge that had motivated his dad Randy all his life. He felt a rush of adrenaline charge through his body as he stared down at the adoring look in his boy's eyes. "You're my boy ... my boy ... and I'm gonna unload my jizz in your ass. Here it comes, boy. Cum for me ... now!"
As Tyler felt the mechanic's cock swell and erupt in his ass his own cock reared up and sprayed juice over his heaving body. At that moment they were united as man and boy like never before and a euphoric Tyler was at last convinced that he was loved and protected by the man he worshipped.
A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
"OK, kid, gotta hit the road," Pablo said. He pulled out of Tyler, stuffed his cock back in his jeans and lifted the boy off the truck and on his feet. As they walked round to the front of the truck Darius sauntered up, trying to look uninterested, bored even.
But he was anything but. Darius had been riveted by the expressions on their faces – the affection of a master for his boy and the exhilaration of the boy. It was the kind of love that went several layers deeper than mere sexual or emotional attachment. It should have exhilarated Darius, but in his current mood it only added to his alienation from Pablo and reinforced his resentment that Pablo had this power over a boy, something Darius could not match.
He also resented the hard-on in his pants, something he tried to ignore. But in spite of himself his negative mood was lightened when Tyler turned his shining face to him and said, "Sir, thank you for waiting around while Pablo and me did all that stuff. It was so cool of you."
"Ah, no sweat, kid," Darius muttered dismissively, though he felt his cock stiffen again. He avoided eye contact with Pablo as all three resumed their seats in the truck.
As they rejoined the freeway and continued north Tyler was in a euphoric mood that went beyond words and he stayed mostly silent, his left hand curled over Pablo's thigh. Pablo too was reveling in the newfound intimacy with his boy which, for now at least, even overshadowed his hostility to Darius. He wished he were alone with Tyler but the terms of the tribe's punishment decreed that he and his rival must be together.
When at last they arrived in the dunes the practical implications of this forced togetherness loomed large. The tuck bounced over the sandy track behind the dunes and came to rest behind Zack's beach shack. They all got out and Tyler led them excitedly round to the front door facing the deserted beach.
Darius had the keys and opened the door. Inside they looked at the small interior with its rustic living room, small kitchen and bathroom and a bedroom with one king-size bed, strewn with rumpled sheets and discarded underwear, much as Zack had left it after his last trip here.
Everyone's thoughts went to sleeping arrangements and the uneasy silence was broken by Darius who mumbled, "You guys get the bed. I'll take the couch."
The subject was left hanging and Tyler brightened the mood by saying eagerly, "Sirs, Will cooked up a whole bunch of stuff and gave me instructions how to cook it – either cold or microwaved or in the oven. So please, sirs, I'd like to take care of you both – you know, tidying up and serving meals. Can I do that, sir?"
Pablo had bristled at Tyler's use of the word `both'. Tyler was his boy so naturally he would serve his master – but Darius, his rival? Still there was nothing he could say about it as once again Tyler's cheerful enthusiasm overcame Pablo's hostile thoughts.
"Sure, if that's what you want, kid. As a matter of fact I'm starved after that early start and all the action in that, er, detour."
Say no more, sir. I'll set up lunch on the patio. If you and Darius go stretch your legs I'll have everything ready in half an hour or so."
They all worked together unloading their gear and the food, then the two men stripped down to swim trunks and walked along the beach through the shallow surf. It was a gloriously sunny beach day but the two men were like the only dark cloud moving slowly down the beach.
Despite the idyllic setting the tension between them still ran deep. In a first feeble attempt at conversation Darius said, "Seems like the kid's taking charge. He's a good boy."
"He's a terrific kid. Loves taking care of me ... in every way." That opaque reference to sex would normally have opened up a lighthearted, bawdy conversation between the two former buddies, but now it gave way abruptly to another uneasy silence.
However, Tyler's youthful delight had unexpectedly lightened the mood occasionally and had lit a glimmer of desire somewhere deep down in both men for less hostility. But their mutual resentment over so many weeks had formed a scab over the wounds that would not be removed easily. So the rest of their walk proceeded in a gloomy, almost embarrassed silence.
Back at the shack Tyler's happiness was undimmed. He was thrilled to be able to serve his master in this wild and beautiful place and he hummed a tune as he set up the table on the patio, found a cloth to throw over it and set three place settings. He chose one of the food packages marked M by Will and put it in the microwave to wait for the men's return.
There was only one small glitch in his otherwise total contentment. Even in his sunny outlook he couldn't help being aware of the continuing hostility between Pablo and Darius. He wanted Pablo to be as happy as he was and would have done anything to heal the breach between them. But what could he do, except continue to show Pablo how much he loved him? He had a dim memory of his pal Eddie saying `love conquers all', though that wasn't working right now.
The irony was that an unexpected event, the very opposite of love, was to change everything.
TYLER IN BIG TROUBLE
The meal on the patio labored under the same cloud as the drive up here. An ebullient Tyler did most of the talking and Pablo smiled at his boy's exuberance, while Darius maintained a morose silence, except for basic necessities of the `pass-the-salt' kind.
The food was delicious, more a tribute to the culinary skills of chef Will than to Tyler's handling of the microwave. But Tyler got all the praise from Pablo whose love for his boy was growing stronger by the hour.
Pablo had deliberately sat facing Tyler so he would not have to make eye contact with Darius, who sat at right-angles to them. Communication had become a series of hurdles, the next one rearing up when the meal was over. Even happy Tyler was feeling the strain of the men's silent animosity and tried to think what he could do. He decided that maybe they needed more time together, just the two of them, where they would eventually have to loosen up.
After he cleared the table Tyler said, "Sir, when I was working in the kitchen I noticed it doesn't have some things Will said we would need – ordinary stuff like milk, eggs, salt, you know. I thought I would take a walk over the dunes to the little store in the village and pick some stuff up. Wouldn't take long."
"Sure, kid, I'll come with you if you like."
"No, I'm fine. Like I said, I enjoy doing stuff for you, sir. You stay and relax with Darius."
Pablo knew that to `relax with Darius' was well-nigh impossible, but he also knew Tyler wanted to make himself useful, so he agreed. "OK, but hurry back and then we'll take a walk along the beach together." Tyler grabbed his wallet and cellphone and took off over the top of the dune behind the shack.
After he had gone the silence descended heavier than ever. The obstinate rivals made a few clumsy attempts at small talk but they could find nothing to say. It occurred to them both that communication had completely broken down and that the rift between them was beyond repair.
The silence finally became so embarrassing that Darius couldn't take any more. With a grunt he pushed his chair back and stood up. "I'm going out to sit on the rocks." It was said with such finality that Pablo knew he was not invited, nor did he want to be. So he watched Darius stomp across the beach to an outcropping of rocks that jutted into the sea.
Pablo sighed deeply. If Randy and the guys had wanted to inflict a painful punishment on them they couldn't have picked a better way than this. He had no idea how they were going to get through the night, let alone a whole week. Pablo was sure they would have to give up, go back home and admit failure. Their breakup was permanent.
He looked impatiently over his shoulder at the dunes. God, he wanted Tyler back. He had not realized until this trip the depth of feeling he had for the boy. He loved him in a different way from other kinds of love he had ever felt. It brought out all of his protective instincts and he now totally understood Randy's lifelong impulse to defend his boys.
A smile settled on his face ... but it disappeared suddenly when he heard a shout coming from over the dunes. "No ... back off ... stop! Help!"
In an instant Pablo was on his feet. He knocked over the table and chair as he leapt off the patio and ran toward the dunes in the direction of the voice. At the top of the dunes he stared at the scene in horror. Down in a hollow was Tyler, on the ground, surrounded by four rough looking muscular young thugs jeering at him threateningly.
"Faggot ... what you looking for, pretty boy, a dick up your ass? You wanna get gang-banged? OK, guys, let's give the kid what he wants." Two of them held Tyler down and he stared up at the other two with terror in his eyes. "No, please ..."
Then suddenly ... "NO!" He saw Pablo standing at the top of the dune, then racing down it.
"Uh-oh" one of the attackers sneered. "Must be his faggot boyfriend ... OK, guys, we'll bang `em both."
One of them broke away from the group, raced up to Pablo and swung with his fist. Pablo easily blocked the punch and slammed his fist across the man's face sending him reeling. "Fuck you, asshole," another guy yelled racing up to Pablo who raised both arms and slammed the man's stomach with a double forearm smash. The man doubled over, staggered forward and fell on top of his stunned buddy.
The other two were on Pablo in a second, with one jumping on his back, arm round his throat, while the other gut punched him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the terrified Tyler, his boy, struggling to stand up, and all his protective instincts surged in a rush of rage-filled strength. He inhaled sharply, reached up and grabbed the guy behind him round the back of his neck. He bent forward and flung his attacker sailing over his head and crashing into his buddy.
His eyes blazed as he stared down at all four guys sprawled in the sand. "You fucking dare to mess with my boy, I'll fucking kill you sons of bitches. OK, bring it on, assholes. Let's see what you got." The fight was on, the odds stacked heavily against him.
SUPER-HEROES
Out on the outcropping of rocks jutting into the sea Darius sat sullenly gazing out to the horizon, waves crashing at his feet. He was trying to clear his muddled mind of the swirling mix of emotions – his own resentment ... his ex-lover Pablo ... the shining face of Tyler ... and Zack's last words to him that still rang in his ears – `Darius, I trust you to do the right thing while you're away. You're a great guy and I know you will'.
But what was the right thing? That question was about to be answered for him.
He was enveloped in the sound of the crashing waves and the cry of the seagulls wheeling overhead. But then, intruding on his thoughts, he heard another faint sound, like a shout. He turned his head, looked at the distant shack and saw that Pablo was gone. His instincts suddenly on the alert Darius sensed danger. Even the screams of the seagulls seemed more urgent ... and then he heard a distant voice he knew well ... "Mother-fuckers ...!"
Darius leapt to his feet, raced over the rocks not even feeling the jagged edges on his bare feet, then across the beach and up over the dunes. As Pablo had done he stared down in horror at the sight of a cowering Tyler, and Pablo trapped by three thugs behind him – two holding his arms, one his neck – while a forth gut-punched him.
Darius's mind was now crystal clear, with only one focus ... to rescue his buddy. He roared down the dune to the guy punching Pablo, grabbed him by the shoulder and slammed his fist across his face sending him crashing to the ground. He yanked one of the guys holding Pablo's arms off him and gave him the same brutal treatment.
With one arm now free Pablo clenched his fist and pistoned his elbow back into the stomach of the guy holding him round the neck. He reeled backwards while Darius slammed the third guy in the small of his back, forcing him to release Pablo. Darius and Pablo stood back to back trading punches with the two guys still standing.
"I got your back, dude," Darius panted. "You OK?"
"Better now you're here, man. Think we can take them?"
"Hey, what would Randy and Zack do?"
"Gotcha. Here they come again."
Pablo battled the toughest of the bunch and soon they were wrestling in the sand. The first two were struggling to their feet and joined their buddy fighting Darius. They grabbed his arms just as he was aiming a punch and the thug slammed the now defenseless Darius across the face.
It was Darius's turn to be trapped by three of them. When Pablo had been held captive like this he had been rescued by Darius, but now there was no one to come to Darius's aid as Pablo was fighting the fourth guy on the ground.
Seeing Darius roar into the fight had helped Tyler overcome his initial fears and he was on his feet now. He saw a heavy lump of driftwood half buried in the sand and pulled it out. Wielding it like a cudgel he slammed it hard across the back of the guy beating Darius and he dropped to his knees in pain. Empowered by his own success he repeated the move on the two thugs holding Darius and they let go, howling obscenities.
"Way to go kid, thanks," Darius grinned. The two who had held him attacked again but now he was freed Darius's anger peaked and he fought them off.
The third one, who had hit Darius got up off his knees and advanced on Tyler. He swung the cudgel again but this time the thug grabbed it and tossed it aside. "Fuck you faggot. I'll fucking kill you." He knocked Tyler down, straddled him on his knees and punched his pecs.
Pablo had finished off the fourth guy and saw what was happening to Tyler. With a roar of rage he tore into the thug, yanked him off Tyler and lost all control as he hammered him with blows from his fist. Tyler watched in awe as his master completely demolished the man, then looked at Darius still fighting the two remaining thugs. "Sir ..." he yelled to Pablo.
Pablo saw what was happening and yelled, "Over here, dude."
"This one's all yours, bro." Darius grabbed the arm of one of the guys and swung him around so he staggered straight into Pablo's fist. From then on it was plain sailing as, back to back again, the two jocks pummeled their opponents into groveling submission. They sank to their knees and begged, "No more, please. We give up. We're done ... please, no more."
Darius and Pablo turned round and faced each other. "Thanks, dude," Pablo said.
"Like old times, eh?" Darius grinned, rubbing his jaw. "Take care of your kid. He's quite the tiger ... saved my ass."
Pablo pulled Tyler up off the ground and wrapped his arms round him. "You OK, boy?"
"Yes thank you, sir," Tyler smiled. "Bit bruised is all."
"Damn you were a demon wielding that club. OK, let's deal with these douchebags. You still got your cellphone? Let's get mugshots of these mother-fuckers."
The men were all kneeling on the ground, groaning in pain and humiliation. Tyler quickly photographed their faces one by one and Darius towered over them. They stared up at the muscular black jock as he loosened his swim trunks and pulled out his massive ten-inch cock.
They gasped at the sight and Darius said, "Yeah, feast your eyes on this, mother-fuckers. I think I'll shove this up your asses one by one." They murmured terrified pleas for mercy and Darius sneered, "Nah, you're not worth it, bunch a' scumbags like you," and he shoved his cock back in his shorts.
"Tell you what's gonna happen," Pablo said. "One of our buddies is a cop and he's real friendly with the local cops here. We're gonna turn these pictures over to him and he'll send them up to his buddies here with a full report. My advice is to get the hell out of town. Wouldn't wanna be around when the cops see these mugshots.
"And if we ever see your ugly faces again we'll beat the fucking shit out of you, stake you down in the sand and my buddy will rip your asses open with that weapon you just saw. Now, before we let you go, you're gonna apologize one by one to my boy here. You ready?"
The degraded men turned their bruised faces up to Tyler and said in turn. "We're sorry, sir."
"OK," Pablo sneered. "Get your pathetic asses out of my sight before I change my mind."
The four men staggered to their feet and stumbled through the sand over the dunes and out of sight. Pablo put his arm over Tyler's shoulder. "OK kid, let's get you to the shack and check you out."
Darius watched man and boy go, then followed some distance behind.
TYLER LETS RIP
At the shack Pablo cradled Tyler in his arms. "You sure you feel OK, kid?"
"Yes thank you, sir. Thank you again for rescuing me. I was real scared."
"Ah, that's what a master does, kiddo, protects his boy. As for feeling scared, there's no shame in that. Everyone feels scared sometimes – well, maybe not Randy but he's ... well, he's Randy. And anyway, you showed how tough you can be when you clubbed those guys with that hunk of driftwood. That took guts kiddo and turned the fight in our favor."
"Sir, watching you and Darius fight back to back made me realize ... oh, never mind."
"Where did he go anyway?"
"He's out there, sir, sitting on the rocks like he was before."
There was a long pause as Tyler plucked up the courage to say what had been on his mind for some time. He took a deep breath and frowned. "Sir, you remember what you told me when we were driving up here? You said that no matter how much you love a guy, you gotta see him for what he is, especially when he fucks up."
"Yeah, so ... you saying I fucked up, kid?"
Tyler squirmed. "Well not exactly, sir, but ... but yes, I think you are fucking up right now, sir." He winced. "Sorry, sir."
"No that's fine, this is good. It's how a master and boy should talk. Go ahead, boy, get it off your chest."
Emboldened, Tyler said, "Well, sir ... like, you and Darius. I mean you were lovers for so many years and I only realized exactly what that means when I saw Darius charge down the dune to our rescue. He was so crazy mad that those guys were attacking you. And when you were fighting back to back I realized what a perfect couple you are – strong, tough, fighting for each other, protecting each other."
"Yeah," Pablo said, "but there's another side to that coin, kid. Friends change, it goes sour, they fall out and become enemies. It's what happened to Darius and me."
Tyler actually flared up. "I don't believe that sir. When I watched you fight like a team it sure didn't seem you were enemies. You were calling each other buddy' and bro'. Those thugs were the enemy and you two were like super heroes in some action movie. I wish you and Darius could be buddies like that again, sir.
"I mean, sir, Darius saved us and ... and you haven't even thanked him properly. Look at him out there sitting on those rocks all hunched up. Sir, if ever there was a time to make up this is it. See, I think you still love each other but you're both so pig-headed."
Tyler suddenly realized what he had said and blushed deeply. Pablo's anger flashed for a split second, but looking at the earnest red-faced boy he softened. "I admire you for having your say, kid, but you know, you can never really tell from the outside what's going on inside two other guys' relationship."
With his last shred of courage Tyler said quietly. "I didn't really think I was outside your relationship, sir."
That stunned Pablo and he turned to look out at the hunched figure on the rocks. "You're dead right about one thing, boy. Darius was pretty heroic charging into danger like that to help us and I gotta thank him for that. I'll go now."
He smiled at Tyler. "I love you for speaking up like that, kid. It took guts. You know, every day you're becoming more and more like the perfect boy for me." He kissed Tyler, then got up and walked slowly toward the sea, leaving a dazed and happy boy behind him, his blush fading."
TALKING AT LAST
Darius didn't look up as Pablo approached him from behind and said, "Dude, I just came to say one thing and I'll leave. I wanna thank you for what you did, coming to help Tyler and me."
Still staring out to sea Darius mumbled, "Ah, no sweat ...that's what buddies are for. I wasn't just gonna watch a buddy get beat up by four assholes."
"Is ... is that what we are – buddies?"
"Dunno, you tell me. We used to be. Anyway, you've had your say, man."
Was that a cue for him to leave? Pablo had an odd feeling that this small decision – stay or leave – was a make-or-break moment. He hesitated, then looked back at his boy Tyler watching eagerly from the shack, holding his hands up high with crossed fingers. His words rang in Pablo's ears – "I wish you could be friends like that again, sir.'
Pablo also recalled Bob's words when he had given him a tongue lashing ... `A real man is judged by his capacity for kindness and compassion, not his instinct to fight and destroy'. Pablo looked down at Darius's hunched shoulders and hesitated.
He sat down next to him.
There was a long breathless silence as they still avoided eye contact, both staring out to sea. Then, "'Course, I could a' taken those guys on my own ..."
"Yeah, right," Darius huffed.
"You don't think I could've? Randy taught me how to deal with a gang like that. You separate one and drop him, then take the others in turn, but you never turn your back on them."
"You telling me how to fight? Seems to me they had you in a tight spot when I showed up. And the turning point came when that kid of yours whaled on them with that hunk a' driftwood. Man, that was a gutsy thing to do." For the first time Darius turned to look at Pablo. "You lucked out with that kid. He's turned into something special."
Pablo was surprised to see that Darius's cheeks were wet with ... tears? Darius read his thoughts and brushed the back if his hand over his cheeks. "Sea spray."
Pablo was taken aback. He couldn't remember ever seeing the tough, handsome black guy cry. There was another embarrassed silence, then a new thought occurred to Pablo. "Did you ever ... you know ... think of getting a boy of your own?"
"Me? Nah, I'm not the type who could handle a boy ... you know, teach him, nurture him, protect him, all that stuff."
"That's bullshit, man. You did a pretty good job of protecting Tyler back there. A boy would look up to you ... strong, handsome, sexy, built like a brick shithouse, respected by everyone."
"Not everyone, dude. Watch what you say, man, you're supposed to hate me remember? Not going soft in your old age are ya?"
Pablo grinned, seeing that old mischievous sparkle in Darius's eye. "Well, hate is a pretty strong word ..."
"Caused by pretty strong feelings ... on both sides. Man, you can really piss me off sometimes."
Pablo bristled. "And you can be a royal pain in the ass ... like that time at work when ..."
"Here we go again, see? It's no good, man, we're done."
"Huh," Pablo huffed. "Last guy who said that was that asshole kneeling on the ground back there after you and me had wasted them. He was done because he was beaten. But we're not beaten."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Fuck, that didn't come out the way it went in."
"Or maybe it did?" Darius said gently. "I mean, it takes a lot to beat you and me, dude, we're too strong. We just demonstrated that in the dunes."
Pablo sighed. "Randy once told me that strength can be a good servant but a bad master. It can fuck things up – something Randy's done a lot, even with Bob. Tyler told me he thinks we fucked up like that. When he watched us fight back-to-back he said we looked like the prefect couple – like super-heroes in an action movie, he said."
"He said that did he?" Darius grinned.
"Yeah. He also thinks we still love each other but we're being pigheaded."
Darius chuckled. "Strong language, especially coming from a shy kid like him."
"I know. I told him he was too young to understand that friends change, things go sour, guys fall out and become enemies. It's what happened to you and me."
"You know," Darius said, frowning in thought, "the kid may be young and innocent but maybe he sees things clearer than guys like us who've been around long enough to build up real big egos that clash."
"Yeah, but all that stuff at work, you throwing your weight around ..."
"... both of us throwing our weight around, dude. We're both damn good at that."
"But that fight in the warehouse," Pablo winced ... "You tying me down and pounding my ass with that lethal weapon of yours. You left me there, dude, and Randy, Bob and all the guys saw me like that ... my assistant Ben and especially my own boy Tyler. Fucking degrading, man."
"Yeah, I feel real bad about that, dude. I never meant it to be a crowd scene like that, especially with the boys. But we could do something about that part, at least. I mean, one of the tribe's favorite sayings is `payback time'. And we could do that in front of your boy, show him that you're the boss after all. Hell, maybe even get him involved. I know you, kid, and you know where I'm going with this."
"Yeah, I'm following your drift. OK dude, you're on. Let's do it."
Pablo stood up, reached down and pulled Darius to his feet. Darius held out his hand to shake but Pablo said, "Not yet, buddy. I gotta even the score first."
From the patio Tyler watched the men walk towards the shack. He kept his fingers crossed.
PAYBACK TIME
When they arrived at the shack Tyler was pleased to see that the tension between them had lessened and he waited anxiously for the verdict. He was surprised that Darius spoke first.
"Tyler, me and Pablo have been talking, but before we get to that there's something I wanna say to you. Ever since we left L.A. to come up here you have been the one bright spot in all the gloom and doom. You've been cheerful and polite to me, though I would have understood if you had felt bitter toward me for what happened between me and Pablo.
"Most of all I wanna thank you for saving Pablo and me in the fight. You swinging that cudgel like a warrior was the turning point and gave us the strength to waste those sons of bitches. Pablo has told me that it's been a tough few weeks for you, and I wanna help put that right.
"You've probably heard many times in the tribe `it's payback time.' Well that time has come for us. I feel sorry that you got to see your master in that warehouse. I didn't mean for that to happen. Pablo's a tough guy and that fight could have gone either way. I just landed a lucky punch. So now I want to make amends, to you and your man. Over to you Pablo."
"OK kid," Pablo said, "inside the shack you'll find a big blanket. I want you to bring it out here and spread it on the ground in front of the patio."
An excited Tyler did as ordered and Pablo helped him spread it on the sand. Tyler watched as Darius dropped his shorts and stood naked before them, his ten-inch cock swinging between his muscled thighs. Not knowing what would come next Tyler gasped when Darius suddenly knelt in the middle of the blanket and leaned forward on all fours.
Pablo looked at Tyler. "You and me, kid, we make a good team, so we're gonna do this together. Get naked, boy." They both dropped their shorts and Tyler pulled off his T-shirt that had got ripped in the fight. "You take the front end, boy."
Pablo knelt behind the kneeling black stud and, taking his cue, Tyler knelt in front. Such was his excitement at hearing Pablo's instruction and seeing Darius in a submissive pose, the muscles ripping in his broad ebony back, Tyler's cock was rock hard – and pointing straight at Darius, who raised his face and opened his mouth wide.
Tyler looked across him at Pablo who nodded. The boy eased his hips forward and sighed as his cock slid into the mouth of the handsome, square-jawed face. "Go for it, kid," Pablo said. As he slowly fucked Darius's face Tyler watched Pablo grab Darius's waist and pull him back on his cock that drove deep inside his ass.
Darius gave a muffled groan into the gag of Tyler's cock, while Pablo flashed his crooked grin at his boy and shouted, "OK, pardner, it's payback time ... a spit roast ... let's fuck."
The teamwork was instant. The newly empowered boy took his cue from his master and they fucked in perfect sync, the boy ramming the muscle-jock's face, his master pounding his ass. Tyler was thrilled to see Pablo getting revenge on Darius, but he also sensed that this was not the end for them as lovers but a new beginning.
But Pablo insisted on his pound of flesh and urged his boy to fuck "harder, kid ... harder." Soon the muscular body was bucking between them like a black stallion being ridden hard, trying to throw off both riders. Darius knew that Pablo wasn't fooling around ... he wanted his revenge, and especially needed to show Tyler that he could be the boss, that he was just as tough and powerful as his buddy.
Tyler flashed on the sight of them both fighting back to back like action heroes, and now, as if celebrating their victory, one was on hands and knees, the other pile-driving his ass. "That's it, kid, that's my boy. Let's fucking show the big guy he can't mess with us."
The spit-roast got savage, with the muscular mechanic goading his boy on to even harder pounding of the jock's face. At one point Darius pulled back off the boy's cock and gasped, "Damn, you guys are fucking brutal ... I need a rest." But Tyler grinned at Pablo, clamped his hand behind Darius's head and rammed his face back down on his cock.
The ferocious spit roast went on and on, the powerful black jock trapped between the man and his boy, one hammering his ass, the other his face. Unlike Pablo, Tyler did not know Darius's limits and he got scared they might injure him. "Sir, do you think he's had enough? We might hurt him."
"Nah, not this stud ... he don't hurt easy. But man, my cock is fit to explode. You close, kid?"
"Right on the edge, sir. Can we ...?"
"Let's go for it, dude. Fill him up." They grinned at each other across the heaving back and Pablo yelled, "Here it comes, partner. Fuck yeah ... I'm gonna cum ... do it, kid. Now!"
Darius shuddered as he felt cocks blast jizz in his mouth and ass, spit roasted by master and boy. When at last they pulled out, Darius collapsed and rolled over on his back, chest heaving. "Man, you guys don't fool around do you ... quite the team. Look what you've done here."
He looked down at his cock standing up hard and proud as a ten-inch pole. He wrapped his fist round it and pounded it. Pablo and Tyler knelt on either side of him and, as he howled and blasted a plume of semen high in the air, they bent down and caught it in their mouths.
They swallowed hard and Tyler said, "Delicious," triggering raucous laughter that caught the breeze and carried over the dunes.
PABLO'S CONFESSION
Ten minutes later the three naked men were sprawled in Adirondack chairs on the patio, drinking beer and catching their breath.
Pablo took a deep breath and said, "Guys, there's something I wanna say – kind of a confession if you like. Over the last few weeks I've been wrapped up in my own rage and not thinking clearly. Not that there's anything new in that. In fact, ever since I became Randy's boy and his adopted son I've behaved like a real prick and I'm only beginning to realize that.
"Tyler, I really put you through the wringer and I'm not sure how or why you took all my bullshit. It wasn't long ago that I saw you and Mario fucking and I punished you and made myself unpopular with everyone, especially Grady, when I attacked Mario. I should know better. God knows I've seen how often Randy's rage sent him over the edge and he fucked up by hurting guys bad. I guess I'm copying him in that too.
"I'm not kidding myself. I have a long way to go. Tyler, we've made a good start on this trip and I hope that continues, `cos I love you, kid, and want to treat you as a guy should treat his boy. And when we get home I've gotta set things right with Jason and his boy Ben, and all the other guys I've let down.
As for you, Darius, our wounds run deep. But that fight against those assholes made me realize what a great team we once made, and maybe can still make again. It'll take a lot of work. I hope we can make a start while we're up here this week. I think that's what Mark had in mind when he sent us `into exile' together. Maybe it won't be such a purgatory after all.
"And when we get back maybe we should go see Doctor Steve and see if he can straighten us out. Sorry for making such a long speech, but I'll let it rest there for now."
Darius said, "Dude, I've been waiting a long time to hear you say something like that. I still don't know if we can get back to the way we always were, or something like it. But I'll give it a damn good try. And I have a feeling that Tyler here will be a big help in that, like he has done so far. Kid, you're a great guy and I look forward to getting to know you better."
Tyler ginned. "I'll help all I can, sir, `cos I love you both – better together than apart." He grinned impishly. "And if all else fails I can always swing that cudgel again."
Pablo smiled at Darius. "Hear that buddy? I think we've let a monster out of his lair."
TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 470
Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter got you off, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in planning future chapters. E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.
ALSO, I invite you to visit my own Web-site www.atrialofstrength.com. You can read the whole story, with extras including pictures and biographies of all the characters.
AND DON'T FORGET – IF YOU ENJOY THESE STORIES, PLEASE DONATE to this site. Nifty needs your donations to provide these thousands of wonderful stories. So please go to http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html and donate what you can. All the other writers and I thank you.