"This is one heck of a place." Jim Stacks thought to himself as he pulled into the driveway of his next potential client. The thirty-year-old landscaper whistled as he parked his tan twenty-eighteen Dodge Ram pickup and shut off the vehicle. The five-foot-ten one hundred sixty-five pound brunet smoothed his mustache and beard. He grabbed his notepad, pen, phone, and brochures, then got out of his truck. Given how safe and well-maintained the neighborhood was, Jim didn't bother locking his door. He sat the items on the edge of the truckbed as he straightened his yellow polo shirt and blue jeans. Jim loved how the color of the shirt brought out his light brown eyes and hair. Not to mention how the piece of clothing clung to his skin and showed off his six-pack abs and defined pectoral muscles. He wore this specific pair of blue jeans for the same reason, and they looked great with his grey and tan size twelve sneakers.
The landscaper started exploring the massive yard. He guesstimated the lot to be about five acres total, given the size of the sprawling, almost castle-like mansion. Jim noticed the nicely manicured grass and colorful flower beds to the left and right of him framing the pink and white gravel path like a parted rainbow. The house was a light tan sort of grey brick, with a nicely shaped ivy arch framing the doorway and steps. "Whoever lives here, sure as hell put some money into it." Jim softly commented to himself.
"Yes, you could definitely say that's a true guess."
The unseen voice behind Jim caused him to yelp and jump out of his skin. It also caused the speaker to break out in melodic boyish giggles.
"Holy fuckin' shit, Mister. You almost scared the piss outta me." Jim's statement made the slightly burly man blush. After taking a second to calm down, the landscaper suddenly had the feeling he'd heard that laughter before but couldn't place where.
"Sorry, I'll make sure I send the town's high school marching band ahead of me next time. God knows I hope they've gotten better than when I went to school here."
Jim's mind turned cartwheels as he tried to remember where he'd heard that voice before. It was driving the man crazy until he turned around. As soon as he laid eyes on the owner of the melodic voice, he gasped and dropped his things. Jim had to blink a couple of times and make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. "T...Trev Baxter? Is that really you?" The flabbergasted thirty-year-old was ninety-five percent sure it was Trevor no one else could have those hypnotizing sparkling, silvery blue eyes.
The man standing behind Jim smiled as his eyes sparkled in the sun's rays. His one hundred and eighty-five pounds were perfectly distributed throughout his muscle-bound six-foot-three body. The brunet's short curly hair complimented his facial features, and the beard and mustache were trimmed and in beautiful condition. His size thirteen perfectly shaped bare feet and toes were prominently displayed by the pair of flip-flops the man wore. "Yes, I'm Trevor Baxter. Okay, you're gonna have to give me a hint of who you are cause it's sooo not fair making it seem as though I've got a faulty memory." He paused and grinned. "Despite the fact it's true." He heartily chuckled.
Jim couldn't contain his excitement, nor did he want to. Trevor was his best friend through high school and the first person he'd come out to. He still remembered being devastated when he asked Trevor to be his boyfriend and was turned down because his friend was going to college on the other side of the country. About ten years ago, the pair lost touch with each other. Before he could even think, an incredibly shrill and unmasculine squeal left Jim's lips as the man excitedly jumped into the more muscular man's arms. The still giggling and squealing brunet wrapped his arms and legs around Trevor's neck and waist. "Trevers, it's me, Jimmy." Jim managed to articulate in a way his lost friend could understand.
The love radiating from the man in his arms, hugging him, and hearing his excited hugger's name was all it took to jog Trevor's memory. The man's defined and muscular arms wrapped around his lost love's body as tears streamed down his cheeks. "Jimmy, I've missed you more than you could imagine and have never forgotten you or found anyone who made me feel as loved as you do. I've been wanting to say this and ask you a question for the longest time." Trevor paused and set Jim back on his feet. He looked directly into the tear-filled light brown eyes that constantly stayed in his dreams. Gently and lovingly, he wiped Jim's tears. "Jim, I came back here hoping that you'd still be around."
Jim's mind and heart were beating and thinking a mile a second. His mouth suddenly went dry as he hoped against hope that this wasn't a dream or some odd fluke. The brunet licked his lips and composed himself enough to at least hear what the only man who held his heart had to say. The overly emotional man couldn't speak, so he nodded for Trevor to continue.
Trevor closed his eyes and forced himself not to pass out from his overwhelming desire. He swallowed hard and worked up the strength and nerve to do what he'd always wanted. "Jim, the night before graduation, you asked if I'd be your boyfriend." Trevor paused and took a few deep breaths. "I, unfortunately, and regrettably, had to say no. I said no because I knew you had your plans and dreams, same as me, and they weren't in the same direction at the time."
Jim was on pins and needles listening to the monologue. However, his heart and mind told him that Trevor spoke the truth and that the best decision for both men was made.
Trevor lightly stroked his fingers through his former and, hopefully, future love interest's soft light brown locks. He loved the way the other man's hair felt. For a brief second, Trevor felt like no time had passed and that the two were in their teens, holding that exact pose. He shook his head and brought himself back to the present. "I've hardly dated in the years I've been away, and when I did, they'd never measure up to you or how you made and still make me feel." Trevor had to pause again and get control of his rapidly beating heart. Tears filled his eyes and streamed down his face as he took hold of Jim's hands. "Jim, you've always had my heart and soul. I wonder if you'd also like to have my entire body and mind, to make me a whole person." Trevor smiled. "Jimmy, my sweet baby boy, would you be mine?"
Jim wrapped his arms around Trevor's neck, stood on his toes, and placed a loving and passionate kiss on the man's lips he'd longed to feel again since his teens. Trevor's arms held his mate just as tightly as he returned the kiss and loving embrace. The men's eyes closed and got lost in the rekindled fires of passion that never got doused by the passage of time. Jim felt his feet leave the ground and wrapped his legs around the waist of his man. Their tongues gently and lovingly massaged and caressed each other as their feeling was refamiliarized. Finally, the men separated before they passed out. Both Jim and Trevor were panting, soaked in sweat, and had red puffed-up lips.
Trevor's eyes sparkled with playfulness and mischief. "Sooo, about your answer..." Before he could even breathe, he was on the ground and pinned under Jim's weight. The bearded man's cackles filled the late morning air. His less muscular mate's boyish laughter sounded like a beautiful symphony to Trevor's ears.
Jim licked his lips as he got a wickedly cute and fun idea. He just hoped Trevor was still as ticklish or more as was the case with him. The landscaper lifted his weight just enough to roll his mate onto his stomach. Trevor couldn't stop his giggling and squirming as he wondered what was next. Jim was glad his lover was wearing flip-flops because it'd be easier to enact his plan.
"Fuck, Trev, you've only gotten hotter over the years. I love how hard your body is." Jim's long nimble fingers massaged and caressed their way up and down the muscular, jean-clad legs. "I think I'll give my answer in writing."
Trevor's mind was lost in confusion once he heard Jim say, "in writing." The taller man struggled under his mate's body. The fact that there was way more hard muscle on Jim's body than there used to be was a surprise to him. "Umm, in writing?"
Jim giggled and nodded as he bent Trevor's knees and brought the man's now bare feet up to his chest. He worked quickly and wrapped his arm around his prey's ankles. Not giving his mate a chance to think and try to escape, the bearded landscaper slowly wrote the letter I on Trevor's right arch with his index fingernail. As soon as Jim's fingernail made contact with his soft arch, Trevor's trapped feet started wriggling and trying to avoid the tickling sensation. The second letter was written on Trevor's left arch, and it was a W. The new letter broke Trevor's attempt at not giggling. Halfway through, the light melodic laughter left the muscular man's lips. It took every ounce of strength he had not to rip his legs from Jim's grip. Or at least try to free himself, since the guy was much stronger than he used to be and had an almost iron grip on his ankles.
Jim chuckled and concentrated on keeping his muscle-bound man from escaping. He loved the feeling of Trevor's squirming and wriggling body under him. Jim dreamed of having this playful ticklish fun with his man ever since the last time they played together. Over the next fifteen minutes, the pair laughed, squirmed, and tickled their way through Jim's answer. By the time they were finished, the two men were both laughing their asses off, sweaty, and spent. Jim and Trevor lay side by side, giggling like school boys and holding hands while stealing kisses and quick tickles.
"Ya know, I never did keep up with your writing, baby boy." Trevor placed his arm around the landscaper. He pulled the man into his warm body and cuddled him.
Jim giggled and sighed happily. "That's funny cause I totally forgot what my answer was." As soon as the sentence left his lips, Trevor's fingers wiggled and kneaded between his ribs, and his beard grazed Jim's sensitive neck. "Shit, your beard tickles as much as your fingers." Jim squealed as he writhed, unable to break Trevor's hold on him. His powerful muscled, sneaker-clad feet dug into the soft green grass.
"Would you get control of yourself, Jimmy? You're making a mess of my yard." Trevor chuckled and continued to tickle his mate into hysterics.
"I remember. I remember." Jim screeched.
Trevor smiled and ceased his tickle attack as he placed Jim's head on his chest and kissed his head.
"You know my answer. You've never left my heart or mind." Jim's tears dripped down his cheeks. "I've dreamed of us being like this since you left. Now that you're back and have expressed your desire to love and be with me, I'm never letting you go." He turned so that he could look into his man's beautiful eyes. "Trevor, as soon as we're both ready, I want us to get married." He put his hand up to stop any protests. "Babe, I know we haven't been around each other in a decade, but that doesn't matter. I want a ring on our fingers letting the world know we belong to one another."
Trevor couldn't move quick enough for his desire to hold Jim in his arms. "Jim, that's all I've ever wanted. So yes, as soon as we're both ready, we're getting married." It wasn't long before the two men were shirtless and engaged in another sweaty kissing session.
"Damn, that gets better and better." Jim managed to say between his heavy panting.
"Ditto!"
Trevor and Jim cracked up laughing as soon as their eyes met. Finally, the two thirty-year-old men helped each other to their feet. They grabbed their shirts, and Jim gathered his discarded items. They continued talking on the way to Jim's truck.
Trevor took hold of Jim's hand. "Babe, what do you think of a family dinner tonight? We can invite our parents out to dinner and tell them we're back together."
"I think that's a great idea, Trev." Jim chuckled. "Damn, I gots me a man with brains and brawn." The thirty-year-old squealed and jumped when he felt his mate pinch his ass. "Baby, you forgot I'm hella ticklish on my ass." Jim buried his face in Trevor's muscular chest.
Trevor chuckled and hugged Jim. "Nope, I remembered. I remember every one of your tickle spots."
The men shared another kiss, then Jim got in his truck and headed for his office, where he called his parents and made the dinner plans.