Saga of the Elizabethton Tarheels
Chapter Twenty-four
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental and/or used fictionally.
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I woke before Justin, who was sleeping so peacefully I decided not to bother him. I used the head and then started topside. I could smell coffee from the galley and followed my nose. Antwon was getting juice, pastries, and fruit arranged on a large tray. "Woke up and smelled the coffee, did you?" When I nodded, he handed me a cup which was most welcome.
I had been thinking about my talk with the Captain and the playing with each other's ass. I took a deep breath and said, "Antwon, I want to ask you about something."
"Fire away."
"Well, it's kinda personal, but I talked with the Captain yesterday while the rest of you made the third dive. I kinda asked him about..." I could feel my face getting red. "I mean, do you and Sharky... well, I mean of course you and Sharky fuck butt and..."
Antwon laughed and said, "Man, is your face red, nevertheless, that's definitely not what we would call it. Sharky really dislikes what he calls bad language and I tend to agree since 'butt fuckers' and such are hate words hurled at those of us who are of the gay persuasion. But if you want to know about anal intercourse in our lovemaking, in some ways I could generalize, in others, it's specific to our relationship.
"In our case specifically, I suspect what we do and don't do is colored a lot by the old black man's fear -- my irrational fear -- of being dominated by a white man. Could just be I'm one of those guys who doesn't like being a bottom, being fucked. Sometimes I do but, then, that's always true in lovemaking: you do what you are comfortable with at the moment. That changes and sometimes you do things you're not very comfortable with, but you want to do because you know it pleases your lover. But anytime, all the time, if you say 'no' or he says 'no,' it means no and there's no place for discussion. Maybe later you can talk about it, but at that moment, 'no' leaves no room for discussion."
"I thought all gay couples did it. That's the way it is in what I've seen."
"Seen? You mean as in porn?"
I blushed, my face getting redder and redder and hotter and hotter. I knew because I could feel it. "Well, ah, yeah."
"Porn ain't about loving and porn stars are -- to one degree or another -- actors, performers, professionals. Maybe, sometimes, rarely, you might pick up pointers, but you are not out to perfect your technique and become a sexual athlete, you're out to make love, to express love. Technique will come with practice and will change as your years together go by. But, no, in spite of what you thought, some gay couples enjoy anal sex, some don't. Some do it sometimes and not others. Some couples swap roles, others don't. What you and your lover want to do is what you do and, in any case, love and concern for your partner the lover is what's important, outweighs what you want. 'Course, since that works both ways... Well, you can see how it works out. You are in it together and both concerned about the other. You afraid?"
"Of Justin hurting me or me hurting Justin? Both. A little bit."
Antwon then talked about anal sex and how you need to prepare for being either a top or bottom. He finally said, "Well, it's not something to be rushed into. Take your time. If you're doing it right, there's little, if any, pain. If you like it, it's great, like everything else, if not, say so. Same goes for Justin. If you're serious, you have a whole lifetime ahead of you to discover the thousand and one ways to make love and, man, learning is great! Remember I mentioned how willing Sharky was to make sure he wasn't rushing me?" I nodded. "Well, he's never regretted it. Understand?" Antwon asked, a huge smile one his face. When I nodded, he added "Neither have I."
"Thanks."
"Sure. Want to help me get things topside?"
"Sure."
After we had breakfast set, I refilled my cup, filled another and took it to our cabin. When I walked in the room, Justin opened his eyes, a smile lit up his face, and he said, "What I want to see every morning: my lover and a cup of coffee."
"Well, I think you might get some clothes on before I give you the coffee else you might burn what I'm enjoying seeing right now."
Justin hit the head, then brushed his teeth, pulled on shorts and tee, kissed me and took the coffee from my hand. "You know, I really wonder which was most welcome me or the coffee," I said.
"Since you brought the coffee, I guess you rank ahead of it," he grinned.
A few minutes later, we went topside where everyone was eating breakfast. I noticed Adam hadn't quite isolated himself from the rest of us, but he wasn't in the middle of things either. I figured Justin and I best be civil, but not make any serious attempt to have him join the group, but it hurt.
Breakfast finished and cleared, we headed for Loggerhead Key.
"Are there turtles on Loggerhead Key," Bobbie asked? "I know there's a real problem with condos on the beach, especially in South Carolina. Certain times of the year you can have no lights on the oceanside there."
"Turtles still come to Loggerhead. Once they were hunted for food and, I suspect, sport, but those days are past. To my knowledge, all sea turtles are on the Threatened or Endangered lists. Of course, that doesn't stop people, but the population of most seem to be increasing," Mrs. Metzer said.
"We'll likely see turtles today," Antwon said. "It's nesting season for some. Maybe we'll get lucky and see a couple different kinds."
It didn't take long to get to our destination and when we had anchored, the Captain said, "Thought we might explore the key for a while, then come back, get the snorkeling gear and have a look at the windjammer wreck." After we had anchored, it was all over the side since we had to wade to the island.
I wish we could have climbed the lighthouse but, as the Captain had told us, it was off limits. All the buildings on Loggerhead were off limits to the public.
Shortly after we waded ashore, I saw a man walking toward us. As soon as the Captain spotted him, he called out through cupped hands, "Ahoy, Mate."
"Ahoy, yourself, you old reprobate," the man called back as he approached us. He and the Captain shook hands, then the Captain introduced him. His name was Amos. He had, I'm sure, a last name, but it was never mentioned. He told us he was one of the Loggerhead Key volunteers and had been spending time on the Key since he retired. As we walked over the island, he told us the history of the place and showed us things we probably would not have seen otherwise. It was like we had another private tour guide.
We spent two hours exploring before the Captain said, "Well, I'm taking these landlubbers to the head, lunch, then to explore the wreck. Might be back before we leave."
We all thanked Amos and waded back to the boat where Antwon and Mrs. Metzer got lunch ready. After we had finished lunch, Sharky said we had an hour before we should go snorkeling. "Maybe foolishness, but my mama always made me wait an hour after eating before getting in the water. Captain..."
"I'm not a snorkeler, you might have noticed, but I have snorkled to investigate the windjammer wreck. It wasn't until 1990 that the ship was identified as the Avanti which sunk on January 22, 1907. I could tell you all about it, but it is easier to give you -- you know what's coming, don't you? -- a handout." He handed us all a page about the ship and said, "Nap if you like, someone will call you."
Back in our cabin you would have thought Justin and I were in a Strip Your Clothes Off race because we were undressed in seconds and in each other's arms, our hard cocks pressed between us. Too soon, we were lying side-by-side, tummies covered with the rapidly cooling results of our passion and lust.
We cleaned up and lay on our sides facing each other. "Justin, so you ever think about, you know, ah..."
"What? Do I ever think about what? Something troubling you?"
"I'm having to learn to say things to you I have thought about, which I barely dared think and would have never dared whisper. Now, well, I still have trouble."
Justin laughed, looked at me, laughing harder and harder until tears ran down his face and I was pounding his chest. When he finally got control of himself, he kissed me and said, "Sweetheart, you are lying here beside me, naked as the day you were born. A few minutes ago, your sweet tummy was covered by cum which my stroking put there and you're embarrassed to talk about something which, I bet, concerns us and our sex life!"
Before Justin finished, I was laughing myself. Strange how the mind works. "Yeah, kinda weird to be embarrassed about saying something when you've just had fantastic sex. What's even stranger, I talked with Antwon and that's what I started to talk with you about. I said of course he and Sharky fucked butt and was first told Sharky didn't use that kind of language because it's the kind of language hurled at gay men. Then I was told that sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't. He also said he didn't like being bottom, but did sometimes because Sharky liked it." I told Justin that "no" meant no and there was no room for discussion about that and he smiled and said he remembered that from sex ed.
"Marc, I don't know about you, but I am ready to try just about anything to show you how much I love you. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you feel the same toward me. Yeah, I suspect one of these days we'll fuck like bunnies -- and I don't have trouble talking about fucking butt with you. Kinda like it, in fact, but that's just for us. Anyway, I hope we'll fuck butt like bunnies, I plan to. BUT I do know we can hurt each other, without meaning to. Also, I don't see anything about our lovemaking that is a goal, well, beyond showing you how much I love you, and that is always my goal. But that's not a goal either because it's not something you reach and say, 'Well, that's over.' It's a never-ending, fantastic journey, Babe."
I sighed and said, "Yeah, here's to the journey," and kissed Justin. We just lay side-by-side, smiling at each other and exchanging kisses.
I am sure we would have been at it again in another five seconds when there was a quiet knock on the door.
"We're here," I called out.
"Topside in five," Antwon said.
"Be there," I responded.
Surprisingly, we were the first topside, but the others were not far behind. Adam was the last topside and when he arrived, the Captain said, "Ok, questions?" There were none, so he continued, "As I said, I'm not a snorkeler, but I'll be with you exploring the wreck. I suspect the sea life will be almost as exciting as the wreck, so I'm sure it'll be a good experience.
I don't need to remind you of the "Don't touch" rule, but in order to protect the site, we'll have to anchor a distance from it. We'll use two inflatables to paddle to the buoy provided for anchoring and do our snorkeling. I'll take three of you with me and the other four will go with Sharky. Antwon has the exciting duty I had yesterday, staying aboard. We'll spend an hour in the water and then we'll decide about more. Ready?" We all gave a thumbs-up and went over the side and into two rubber boats.
We paddled to the buoy, tied up and went overboard. The ship lay in 15-20 feet of water which was crystal clear. It was alive with life -- corals, of course, but also lots of fish. I realized that I was doing much better at snorkeling. I was glad because it was exciting to be able to explore an actual ship wreck.
We had been at it for, I guess, half an hour when Adam caught my attention and pointed to something on the bottom. It was a huge, and I mean huge, fish. I started pointing as well and soon everyone was watching the monster. Shortly afterward, Sharky gave a signal and we went up and were soon clinging to the inflatable.
"What in the world was that?" Bobbie asked.
"That is a 300-pound jewfish," the Captain said. "Don't always get to see the old boy -- or old girl -- special appearance just for you guys." He laughed. "Ready to call it a day?"
"Not unless we have to," Adam responded, more animated than I had seen him since we overheard his fight with Bobbie. "I don't want to leave until the last minute."
"We need to get back by 5:00 and it will take a bit longer to return since we'll be starting from here. We'll need to leave not later than 2:30, so another half hour?"
"Great, let's get going," Adam cried.
The half-hour passed quickly, I suspect because we knew it was the end of our adventure.
Back on board, we all took mist showers and got dressed in dry clothes. Topside, Mrs. Metzer passed around the lotion and we made sure we were all covered. Bobbie covered Adam's back, but it was not in the way it would have been before and he and all of us knew it.
The Captain had gone to the bridge, but hadn't started the engines when he shouted, "Turtle! Antwon! Sharky! It's a leatherback!"
We all rushed to the side of the boat and saw a huge turtle swimming by. "Maybe not this boat, but that thing might capsize a smaller one," Bobbie exclaimed.
"He's not a small one," Sharky agreed. "All sea turtles are endangered, but that fellow and clan are having a really hard time of it. They get to be six to six and a half feet long and weigh close to a ton or more. You are really in luck because we have seldom see them. Poor fellows, they eat jellyfish and most suppose that's the reason eating plastic is such a danger to them. They mistake it for a jelly fish."
After the turtle has gone, the Captain started the boat and started moving, very slowly. We had seen several loggerheads and a few green turtles -- all much smaller than the leatherback, but still not tiny. I think most of us would agree that seeing the turtles, especially the leatherback, was special, but the whole Loggerhead Key experience was, without doubt for me, the high point of the trip.
The Captain opened up the engines and our adventure finally had to end. We were all very quiet on the trip home. Not only because we were tired -- which we were -- but also, at least in my case, we were reflecting on our two-day experience.
We got back to the pier around 5:00 and offered to helped unload and get rid of the trash, but were thanked and told to get on to the manor.
It was clear our butts were dragging when we got home. As we climbed the stairs to our suite, Adam said, "John, I'll be with you for the rest of our stay. Mind if I hit the shower first?"
"Go ahead."
Justin and I took a very long, very hot shower, but while the water wasn't the only thing hot, we didn't play around very much. The truth was we were tired to start with and the hot shower relaxed us and made us very lazy. As we finished our shower, Justin said, "Mrs. Metzer said dinner would be at 8:00. How about a nap before?" I nodded agreement and we were both asleep by the time we hit the bed.
When the phone rang at 7:30, I was disoriented, confused about where I was. I couldn't understand how the boat could be so still, then I remembered. Justin answered the phone and I heard him said, "Sure, thanks," as he hung up. "That was Mrs. Metzer. She said she had fallen asleep and suspected some of us might have as well. Half an hour until dinner."
It was good to get into fresh clothes and we were headed for the terrace shortly before 8:00. John joined us as we came out of our suite and Adam kinda lagged behind. We arrived just as Mrs. Metzer did and walked in together. She wasn't nearly as stiff and formal as she had been before the trip, that was obvious. "Good nap?"
"Great," Justin replied. "I was a lot more ready for one than I thought." The other three of us were nodding in agreement.
"I am always tired after such an outing and, for me, there is an emotional let down as well."
"You make the trip often?" John asked.
"Usually once or twice a month. I always go if Mrs. Crandall has a group she takes out, especially when she has a group she sends on the trip, such as you six. Occasionally a group of women will book an excursion and the boys ask me to go along. I never tire of it."
"Don't mean to be rude," John prefaced his next remarks, "but you seem like a very different person since we started the excursion."
Mrs. Metzer laughed, "The Captain started teasing me about that and when I denied it, Sharky and Antwon laughed and agreed with him, so I suppose it is true. Well, I know it is. I maintain a pretty formal stance with houseguests. While Mrs. Crandall says it's silly, I am definitely an outsider to guests and generally viewed as a servant. It's easier just to maintain a formal, professional attitude, than find myself trying to prove I am much more. When I am on an excursion, I am definitely not there as a servant but a member of the crew, usually, and that's different or, as with you, more like a more experienced friend, I guess."
"Pity the trip is nearly over before we, I guess, feel at ease with each other."
"But I'm sure you'll be coming again."
"I sure hope so," John said and Justin and I nodded agreement. I don't think Adam was with us except as a body. "Where are those women?"
"Trying to decide what to wear, I'd guess. Bobbie anyway," Adam was listening after all. "Here they come. Now we can eat."