I had gone to the cabin to heal. It had been the worst two months of my life. I had lost my job, my first and only lover left me, and my parents had been killed in a car accident. Whoever said that when it rains it pours was full of bullshit. It didn't pour; it was a hurricane upon me.
I had been there for five days when the snow started to fall. I made a huge pile of firewood by the fireplace and pulled on some sweatpants, my thick wool socks, and a nice t-shirt before crawling under the quilts on the old king-size feather bed. The wind started howling shortly after, very violently. I had drifted asleep while reading when I heard the thump. At first I thought it was some snow falling off the eaves. But the thump was followed, and against the door. I got up and slipped on my boots and shearling coat. The fire provided more than enough light and I opened the cabin door carefully, not knowing if a cougar or bear were on the other side.
It was a man, lying at my door. He had obviously collapsed once on the porch. The porch was sheltered with only a slight bit of snow. This man was covered from head to toe. He was soaking wet and I could hear his teeth rattle. He was also a giant. I am six-six and about 240 pounds, but he was bigger. I couldn't leave him there. I cupped my hands under his arms and pulled him inside. Once I could shut the door, I tried to take off his wet coat and boots. He was so cold and shaking so convulsively, I knew he couldn't help me. I braced my back against the wall and tugged off his boots. I used gravity to roll him and remove his coat. It wasn't enough; he was soaked through. His jeans were the hardest part to remove. It took several minutes of huffing and puffing, but I had him naked and moved over to a blanket I had spread in front of the fire. I ran into the bathroom to get the thermometer and a towel and pulled some more blankets and quilts from the bed. I dropped to my knees and started drying him, chaffing his hands, arms, feet and legs to try and start the circulation. I stripped down to my underwear, pulled the blankets and quilts around my back, and lay down on his vulnerable and shaking form.
His skin was like ice. I chaffed his arms after I put the thermometer in his mouth. Thankfully it was a plastic digital one and not an old glass one that he could have chewed in half with his chattering. I pulled it out of his mouth when it beeped: 95.9. He was way to cold. I lay on him, entwining my legs with his and chaffed his hands and arms, trying to will my body heat into his. After ten minutes I took his temperature again and put more logs on the fire, hoping to chase the cold out of him with a roaring inferno. 96.6. Better, thank God.
I got up and put on a pot of coffee. I had a generator thank goodness for the kitchen and water well pump. If I could have maneuvered him into the bathroom, I would have had him stand under the shower. But that was impossible. I would say he was six-eight and at least 280 pounds if not 300, but there was no fat on him. He was a solid wall of muscle. But I tried not to think of it. I just wanted him warm. God, I hoped I was doing right. I took his temperature again: 97.2. It was climbing. His chattering was no longer so violent. I knew his muscles would be aching tomorrow if they didn't cramp now. When the coffee was done, I grabbed a cup and slapped his face a few times to get him to respond. I poured the coffee down his throat. I was sure he scalded his mouth, but I needed to get his internal heat pump working a little. The caffeine would hopefully wake him and keep him awake. He was delirious if he was conscious at all. I took his temperature again: 97.7. He was warming up and he had stopped convulsing with shivers. He just had a slight tremble on him now. I poured a third cup of coffee down him when he opened his eyes. He had warm, chocolate brown eyes. He couldn't talk and I kept him from trying by placing my hand on his lips. He nodded and lay back, I took his temperature one more time: 98.2. He was out of the woods and hopefully mending. I let him drift off to sleep, knowing he must have been tired. I was exhausted too. I slid my body off his and curled up by him away from the fire. I kept the blankets over us and I went to sleep.
A bit later, I woke up to extreme heat. The blankets were too much and I was sweating. I threw them off me and turned over. That was when I saw him again. He was still asleep, but sweating. I pulled off all but one thin blanket, knowing the fire would keep him warm. I reached out to touch his forehead, hoping he was just too warm and not feverish. His skin was damp and sweaty, but not feverish. I got up to dump the coffee and hang his soaked clothing. I took his boots outside and saw a rifle on the deck. I knew enough not to touch it. That is all I know about weapons. When the house was straightened, I saw the clock, 3 AM. It had only been a few hours. I was still tired. I debated for about ten seconds and went back to the floor and crawled in next to my mystery giant.
The next morning I awoke to find a pair of warm, chocolaty eyes watching me. I noticed him really for the first time. He had short, shiny, wavy dark brown hair infused with red. He had strong eyebrows and a straight nose. His lips were full and his jaw strong with about two days worth of growth. The blanket had slipped down to about mid-belly. His chest was deep and his shoulders very broad. He had a very strong musculature that shouted hard, labor-intensive work. His pectoral muscles were covered with a thick pelt of dark brown fur. It looked just as shiny and fine as on his head. The hair thinned into a thick, silky trail down the middle of his belly than flared out around his navel. My mouth went dry before I looked to his face again. He smiled at me then. My throat became a dessert. I was in awe at the absolute beauty of his smile. He was an artist's dream, but he became an object of perfection when he smiled.
I smiled back at him and asked him his name.
"Josh. You?"
"Ben. What happened?"
"The storm came up really fast. I was helping my brother move the herd from the upper pasture closer to the ranch house. It's safer and easier to watch after them during a storm. I got separated from the others following one stubborn bull. He charged me when the winds picked up. We got knocked down. I couldn't spot the house on the flats, so I followed the tree line and knew I could reach your cabin. But my horse slipped and snapped her leg. I shot her with my rifle. It was a lot quicker than freezing to death. I tripped on to your porch and thankfully, you were here."
Josh was so full of emotion. He was so obviously distressed about his horse but grateful that I was able to save him. He was happy that he was alive. He was also worried about his brother and how he would be worrying about him. He knew they wouldn't be searching while the wind was still blowing though.
He was sore. His muscles were stiff and cramped from such violent shivers. I helped him up and to the shower so he could wash up. That fifteen-foot walk was another exploration for me. He had incredibly strong legs, covered in curly, soft hair and corded with muscle. His ass was rounded and dimpled with strength. His cock was another piece of beauty. It was long and thick, even at rest. It was also nestled in a thick thatch of curly, reddish brown hair. He showered on his own and I got him some clothes, hopefully they would fit him. It was a rarity for me to meet someone as tall as me. His being taller was a true novelty.
We spent the day getting to know each other. While I was cooking dinner, I found out he was a farrier. I was curious if he just dealt with shoeing horses or if he had full blacksmithing training. He was a full blacksmith and had actually apprenticed. His final piece was a sword for his baby brother who joined the Marines. It took him a month to work out the heft and weight then to carve the blade and handle. He said it had Celtic scrollwork on the blade. His brother couldn't have it in the Marines, but he kept it at the ranch for him.
After dinner, I found out he also sculpted and did wrought iron work. His sister-in-law wanted a new gate for the house. He took a bunch of inch wide bars and twisted and curled it into a gate that she wouldn't use, saying it was too pretty. I asked that when I took him back when the storm was over if I could see it. He was really pleased that I was interested in his work. He picked up a pad of paper and a pencil while I cleaned up the dinner dishes. I looked over his shoulder. He was drawing what would obviously be a beautiful metal work. I asked if he ever used copper or bronze. He agreed it would make the piece beautiful.
In front of the fire, we got more personal, as two people tend to do. I found out he was 23. He had been engaged once but it didn't work out. Well, that answered that question. He was a little young for me anyway. Okay, so I am only 29, but he's a baby. He floored me a little later when he asked if I was gay. I answered that yes I was. He didn't seem too uncomfortable about it. As the fire died, we went to bed.
We continued to talk once in bed. He was facing me and smiling from time to time. He told me he wanted to tell me something.
"Ben, I want to thank you for saving me. I'm so grateful. I ..."
"Josh, what?"
"I'm going to screw this up pretty bad. Oh, the hell with it." He looked a little nervous. But I was floored when he leaned into me and kissed me. All I heard was 'I'm so grateful'. That made me angry. He felt he owed me. He felt he needed to do this out of gratitude. I pushed him away.
"Josh, this isn't necessary. I know you feel obligated. But I prefer to be with someone who wants me for me and not gratitude."
"I'm sorry. I'm ..." He looked crushed. He told me he wanted to check on the fire. He got out of bed. The briefs he wore couldn't hide the tent of his erection. I got hard instantly. Desire replaced irritation. Gratitude may have made him kiss me, but desire put that tent in his shorts. I got out of bed and pulled off my t-shirt. I was now dressed in briefs like him and went to him where he was kneeling by the fire.
His face was turned away from me. I grabbed his chin and pulled it towards me. He was fighting tears. I cupped his face and kissed him. It took him a moment to respond. Then he was kissing me back. His lips were soft, but his movements were a little awkward. I figured he had never kissed a guy before so was a bit out of his element. I pulled back to look at him.
"Josh, I'm sorry. I didn't understand. Please forgive me. Will you come back to bed?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I knew I was going to screw up."
"Just because you've never been with a man before?" I kissed him again.
"That too."
That made me pause. I asked for clarification.
"I've never done this before. Man or woman."
That stopped me cold. I've never been anyone's first. Okay, so he would be my second. But I had been with Richard for four years. I really felt tenderly towards him at this moment. It also changed how the evening was going to go. I pulled him to his feet and led him to the bed. I pushed him down and removed his briefs. What had been a hint of huge was now gargantuan in size. He must have been nine very thick inches now. Since this was his first, I knew that he would cum a little quickly this first time. So I lay on top of him and started kissing him. I moved down his neck and bit on his pulse a bit before moving down to lick and nibble his nipples. I continued to course down his body, kissing and licking on the way down until I reached his cock. I took it into my mouth. I ran my tongue around the head and flicked his underside before diving down. Five bobs of my head later and Josh exploded into my mouth. He was sweet and thick and totally unabashed at screaming his pleasure. When his spasms calmed and his breathing started slowing, I moved up him, removing my underwear on the way. I kissed him again.
When I pulled away, he was blushing. I asked him what was wrong.
"I'm sorry I was so quick."
I laughed. Then I told him how I figured since it was his first, he would probably not last too long and decided to take the edge off. That seemed to embarrass him further. I asked what was wrong again.
"Is it over? Is this all we're going to do?"
I smiled at him and shook my head. I started kissing him again. When he was hard again against my belly, I turned him over. I kissed his back and shoulders and moved down to his perfect ass. I nipped his skin and licked the globes of his ass. I split his crack with my hand and skimmed my fingers over his rosebud. With each stroke, Josh moaned. I soon replaced my fingers with my mouth. I laved him with long, wet strokes until he opened. Then I dived into his hole with my tongue. I moved with rapid thrusts in and out of his hole while sucking at his sensitive skin. He was panting and groaning. I flipped him over and grabbed a condom off the table and sheathed myself quickly. I placed the head of my cock to his hole and pushed slightly. He parted immediately and I slid halfway in. I didn't intend to go that quickly, but he was open and took me. I remembered my first time and only hoped to be more gentle and caring than that experience.
I gave Josh a chance to adjust to me. We were about the same size and I knew I could be a bit much to take. But within seconds, Josh was thrusting against me. I knew he was ready and started moving within him in slow, gentle strokes. He was warm and tight and his inexperience added a bit of clumsy experimentation that added a charming twist to an age-old act of passion. I leant down to him so my chest could rub against his as I kissed him. I loved the feel of all that soft, curly hair brushing against my bare chest. What had been tentative and unsure kisses were now sure and confident. The kiss spiraled into heated tonsil hockey and added to the sensations that were building inside me. I knew it would be over soon. I wanted to go slower, bring Josh with me. Have him trip over the edge with me deep inside him. But I doubted I would last long enough. I was wrong. With my next deep thrust, Josh arched his back off the bed towards me and exploded against my belly. With each spasm of his cock, he squeezed me with his internal muscles and called out my name. I lasted for four more thrusts and exploded inside the condom deep inside him.
When my breathing returned to somewhere near normal, I pulled out of Josh gently and rolled to my back beside him. Josh rolled to me instantly and wrapped his big body around me. He laid his head against my chest and nuzzled me with his whole body. Both arms wrapped me up and he cuddled with me. If he had been a cat, I thought he would be purring. I had never experienced anything like this before. He was almost angelic in his face and he had a look of total contentment. Since this was new to me I looked down at him and asked if he was okay, if I had hurt him. He smiled at me and said he was fine and no I didn't hurt him. As he drifted off to sleep, I realized that if he had never had sex before, he had never had an afterglow snooze either. The way he wrapped me in his arms made me realize that he had been starving for some loving and was probably just as starved for the cuddling afterwards. I felt my heart turn sideways and beat slowly and strongly. What had been tenderness for him was so much more now. I drifted off with the warmth of new love flowing through me.
I woke a few hours later to a warm, lovely sensation. Josh was between my legs and eagerly devouring me. His movements were awkward and he nipped me with his teeth a few times, but his sweet determination overrode the inexperience. When I shifted a little, lifted myself to better watch what he was doing, his eyes smiled up at me. I didn't last but a few minutes longer before orgasmic waves overtook me. Josh seemed a little unsure by the process, but he dutifully swallowed what he didn't choke on. He paused a bit, tasting and testing what he had experienced. He must have liked it because he licked the dribble on his chin and smiled before moving up to kiss me.
His hands moved all over me, groping and smoothing over me. He moved his lips down to my neck and chin and continued to kiss me. I was panting and moaning as he moved over me. His hand moved down to skim over my ass. He followed the line from my balls to my hole and moved his finger up and down. If he hadn't had my hips pinned, I would have jumped off the bed. He pushed inside me with his fingers, testing me. He looked in my eyes and asked the question. I nodded at him. He lifted me, prepared to dive right in. But I put my hand on his chest and grabbed another condom off the bedside table. He was as inexperienced at putting one on as everything else. But, like kissing and other things, he was going to be an expert soon. Once sheathed, he placed himself at my opening and sank into me. I won't lie and say that he moved with finesse or a natural, graceful rhythm. But, like all other things he tried this evening, he was eager. The very fact that I was his first; that he had never done this before made the whole experience very, very special. After a few heated moments of thrusting, we seemed to click into a better motion. We moved together, rather than against each other. He erupted quickly after that. His chest heaved with the great gusts of breath he took with each bellow of his climax. He collapsed on top of me, still imbedded to the hilt inside me. Even though I was now aching to cum and my hips were at a funny angle, I was grateful for this moment. I finally acknowledged that I had fallen in love with Josh.
After a few moments in which Josh came back to Earth, he lifted off me and saw how I was throbbing and aching. He took me in his hand and gave me the few tugs I needed to trip over the edge. I covered his hand and belly as well as my own. He rolled us over and wrapped me in his arms again before we drifted off to sleep.
That morning we started up again. Once he had a taste for it, Josh was sure a lusty fellow. We burned breakfast not once but twice with his interruptions. Later on, once we finally ate, we talked some more.
"My fiancé didn't want to sleep together until after the wedding. Rather than being put out, I was relieved. I started to question then. When she came to me a few months later, pregnant with another man's kid, I was grateful I was out of it. Then I knew I was gay. But, this is rural, ranching Montana, my options were limited to say the least."
"Does your family know?"
"No."
He asked if I always traveled with condoms. I knew he wanted to know more about me; my life and my past experiences. So I supplied the info.
"I was 25 when I met Richard. We went out to dinner, had a few drinks and went back to his place. He didn't believe me when I told him it was my first time. He was a bit rough. He was sorry afterwards, but I was still sore. We moved in together. He quit his job a couple of years ago. He went looking for a job in New York six months ago. He took that suitcase with him. I found the condoms when I unpacked up here. The box was open and several were missing. It looks like the only job Richard was looking for were either blow or hand.
"I lost my job two months ago. They downsized and no longer needed me. Richard lasted two weeks until I cut him off financially, telling him we needed to tighten up to weather my severance until I got a new job. He left. What I thought was deep feeling and respect was a money hungry bastard who left when the gravy train stopped. Two weeks later, my parents were killed in a car accident. I came up here to put my head on straight. I should really be thanking you. You saved me, maybe more than I ever could you."
I knew we were getting mushy, a little maudlin. But, I was happy for once. I knew what I had had with Richard was a lie. It was a bastardization of a relationship. This, with Josh, was a great thing. He grabbed me and we rolled together in front of the fire. I knew I was going to be sore for a few days if we didn't cool it. But I didn't care. This was real and it was good. We spent the rest of the day in bed, teaching Josh the finer points and finesse that he lacked. What amazed me was how much I learned from him. I learned that you could be gentle and caring. It wasn't just a great fuck. It was love. About midnight, the winds died down. He was curled around me again and holding me. I knew the first stab of fear with the calming of the winds. I had a feeling that when I packed up tomorrow morning and drove Josh down the hill to the ranch, I would continue on to Seattle alone.
The next morning we made love one more time before showering and loading up my car. We wended our way down the hill to the ranch. When we went inside, Josh's brother hugged him so closely. He picked him up off the ground. He actually had tears in his eyes when he set him down. He then hugged me up too. I really liked his brother Adam. His sister-in-law, Angie, was a bit of a stiff though. We sat down and explained what had happened and how Josh found the cabin and I helped thaw him. Adam tried to get me to stay, but I knew that the ten-hour drive ahead of me would be long, especially with a broken heart. Before I left though, Josh took me into his shop and showed me the gate he had made. It was beautiful, almost like something that should belong in New Orleans. He then took me to his room and showed me his brother's sword. It was a work of art. Josh had so much talent, if he wanted he could go far as an artist. Before we went to my car, he hugged me and kissed me one last time. He had tears in his eyes when he told me goodbye at my car.
I didn't stop once except for gas the entire way home. I just kept reliving the last two days. I also had echoing in my head my last words to him. I had told him that if he ever produced that drawing, that I wanted him to send me a picture. I gave him my address and phone number. Before I shut the door to my car, I told him I loved him. He stopped and stared after me as I drove away, I know, I watched in my rear-view mirror.
Once home, my life became a routine, I slept, I woke, I looked for a job, I slept. My sister and I had to decide what to do with my parent's things. Their will asked us to divide things evenly. With the life insurance, both my sister and I had more than enough money to live comfortably for many years. I let her have the house, that way she and her husband would have a place to raise their impending family. Two months after I returned from Montana there was a knock at my door. It was Richard.
God, he was a smooth talker. He said how much he missed me, how much he regretted leaving me, and how much he still loved me. Two short months ago I would have fallen for it. I would have eaten up his line of bullshit. Josh made me realize what love really was. But I was lonely, and Richard's kisses on my neck were making me realize just how lonely I was. I was about to give in, when I looked up and saw the wrought iron chandelier hanging over my dining room table. The iron made me think of Josh and I stopped Richard. I asked him how much he wanted. How much he heard I had gotten from my folks. The next ten minutes were ugly. I didn't realize how vitriolic he could be. How full of anger and hate he was. Thankfully, I didn't listen to his abuse. I just threw him out of my home and told him not to come back. I went to bed feeling very alone. I laid back and tried to jerk off. I recalled every wonderful moment of my time with Josh. I dreamt it was his hand that was stroking me, his hand that rubbed my chest, and his voice crying out in release. I looked down and pulled the sheet over me, too sad to clean up and just cried myself to sleep.
A week later, I got a call from my old company. They wanted me back. It turns out that I was more of an asset than they had realized. That at least made me feel better. When I came home from my first day on the job, there was a UPS guy at my door. He was leaving a 'sorry we missed you' note. I signed and he went to his truck to get my package. I went inside and took off my jacket. The package was huge. It was a shipping crate. I tipped the guy and went to get a hammer to open it. When I got it opened and the packing material away, I recognized what it was. It was the metal sculpture that Josh had drawn in the cabin in full detail. It was a beautiful work in iron, copper, and bronze. I found the note inside. It read simply: "Rescue Me, by Josh Martin." I cried for a really long time then. I was still crying when my doorbell rang.
I opened it to a vision. Josh. I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head. When I came to, besides being incredibly disoriented, I was embarrassed. I had never fainted before. Josh was kneeling beside me. When I opened my eyes he smiled at me. That same perfect, warm smile he had given me when he woke up that first morning in the cabin. He kissed me. We didn't stop kissing until we were both naked by the door. I had never liked my entryway, but I could learn to love it. We were both hard and thrusting against the other. My arms wrapped around his neck and his around my waist. We moved our bodies, our cocks rubbing against each other. We both came in seconds, making a mess of ourselves. I don't think we cared. I got up and pulled him with me to the bathroom. While in the shower, we didn't talk, didn't do anything but lather and kiss. We got out and dried each other, laughing at how eager we were. My hands were trembling. Hell, my whole body was shaking.
We met in the middle of the bed on our knees. I kissed him again. I then pushed him down on the bed and moved between his legs, braced for entry. I was too far-gone to be anything but eager. He gripped me with his strong thighs, he was ready too. I pushed into him, just enough to secure myself inside him. I then pushed in to the hilt. He grunted against me. He arched his back and shot all over me and his chest and belly, crying out his pleasure. I lasted three thrusts and shot inside him. It was then I realized we hadn't even thought about a condom. In the intervening time, I had since learned of Richard and his extracurricular activities and had myself tested. I was negative and knew Josh hadn't been with anyone else in the past three months but me. This was a new experience for me. I had never had sex without one. When I collapsed against Josh, he wrapped his arms around me. The time for talking had arrived.
"Josh, why are you here?"
"I came to be with you. I realized that I needed you more than I needed to be afraid to tell my family." He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Adam already knew. I sat him down in private and told him last week and that I was leaving. I was coming to Seattle to be with you. I told him that I would work as an artist. I could use my forge and skills and was pretty sure that I had a talent for it. He just hugged me. He told me that he had known for quite some time that I wasn't fitting in to the rancher's life. I was always welcome and nothing mattered with him. He just wanted me to be happy."
"I'm glad that he understood."
"Danny, my other brother, was home on leave at that time too. He just looked at me and said 'duh.' I felt like a fool, but it's hard being different. I hated not knowing if the two closest people to me would understand."
"Of course they did. Who could look at you and not love you. I do you know."
"Yeah, I know you love me, I heard you that morning. The truth is, I love you too. I did from that first moment when I woke up in front of the fire."
We talked a bit more. I asked him what he needed, as far as space and materials to start up his forge and workshop. We agreed that we would need to find someplace other than my loft apartment. We spent the rest of that night learning each other again. I couldn't stop touching him. I couldn't stop feeling him, wanting to brand every part of him on my mind.
We built a workshop and a forge for him. He decorated our kitchen to look like a New Orleans courtyard. Filled with filigreed handles and ornaments. His work graced our front door and our gate. He even fashioned the entire fence. His first showing was eight months after we moved into our home. The sword he made for his brother received multiple inquiries, but he would never sell it.
I asked him once, about three years ago, if he regretted not being with anyone but me. He looked at me and called me an idiot. Then told me you can't miss what you don't know. And you can't look for what is missing when nothing is missing from your life. So, now that I am 40 and he 34, we hold each other at night, we have let our fine physiques fade a bit, not that we are fat, we are just comfortable. Each night, I look at his fine sculpture that hangs on the wall opposite our bed, and realize that we rescued each other.