The Boy With the Emerald Eyes By James
Disclaimer
This is a story which deals with sexual/romantic situations between teenaged males. Should you not be of the legal age to read such material, or if you're offended by such stories then please find something else to read. This story also will contain scenes of violence, instances of Hate Speech and at times possibly scenes dealing with or dialogue concerning rape. If those themes disturb anyone who reads this story, then I urge them to find something else to read as well.
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Finally, if anyone would like to contact me regarding this story, I can be reached at jamesheady1985@gmail.com. I respond to all e-mails, but flames and other e-mails that are, or that I suspect are trolling or flaming in nature will be ignored.
The Boy With the Emerald Eyes
Chapter 3
Caleb
The Tacos were really good. Tanner had gotten a mixed bag with a few Chicken Tacos, a couple which were Shredded Pork and a few which were Steak. It turned out that Dakota loved the Steak Tacos out of all of them, and so did I. He and I split them, and I ended up with two, and he had two of them as well. There were six in all, and after seeing if Tanner or Sarah wanted either of the two which were left, Dakota and I finished them off. It was really nice to talk while eating and I shared with them more of my hobbies. They were really interested to hear about my wood-carving I enjoyed doing, and I told them that I could make some carvings for them to put around the house, and I let Dakota know that he could have one if he wanted, and he agreed.
I thought for a moment as we finished the last of our food, and I knew the carving I had in mind with which I'd surprise Dakota. I really hoped that he liked it once I gave it to him when it was finished. I thought about this as I helped with clearing the table, and it brought a smile to my face.
It was nearing 8:00 P.M. at this point, and after dinner Dakota and I had been back in his room for the last hour talking and listening to more music. As 8:00 P.M. came around, Dakota began rubbing his eyes, and he let me know that he needed to get a shower, and when I offered to go for the evening so he could do that, he said that I could wait on him and then asked if I could stay with him until he fell asleep which would be really soon given all the things that went on for him earlier in the day, especially the driving and everything else going on as well. I told him that I would be here when he got back, and so I waited while Tanner helped him with getting his shower chair in to the shower, then I heard the water running as he began with his shower.
Once out of the shower, Dakota came out of the bathroom once Tanner left after coming back in there to help him with getting dressed. Dakota wheeled back in to the room, and he was wearing a roil-Blue short-sleeved shirt and a dark-blue pair of Basket Ball shorts that looked good on him. He wheeled over to the edge of the bed the covers of which were already pulled back. I figured that I'd take care of that while he was in getting his shower. He smiled when he saw that the covers had already been moved down so he could get in to bed without having to mess with them.
"Thank you Caleb," he said as he transferred himself from his chair to the bed.
I was standing by this time, and after he sat on the bed, he moved to lay down, and I began pulling the covers up over him.
"You're welcome," I answered as I got him comfortable.
"This really has been a nice day, and it's been really nice once you and I spent time together," he said.
"I feel the same way," I answered. "It's been really nice getting to know you, and I really want to get to know you more."
"I'd love that as well," he replied.
I sat there on the edge of the bed with my upper body turned to face him as I held his hand. His eyes were growing heavy at this point, and I knew he would be asleep probably within the next few minutes.
"I can imagine how tired you must be now," I mentioned. "It sounds like you had a really long day earlier with all of the driving you guys did."
"Yeah, it was really a long drive," he answered. "I'm sure I'll sleep really good tonight, and I hope the same for you. I hope you sleep good tonight, and if you'd like to get together maybe tomorrow I'd love that."
"I'd really love that as well," I responded. "That would be really nice."
"Yeah, it would be," he agreed.
His eyes closed at that point, and I reached out a hand to brush the hair off of his forehead, and I made sure that the covers were secure, and after looking down at him a final time, I turned to leave the room.
Tanner was sitting in the doorway, and I had briefly wondered how long he had been there. I wasn't worried or anything, but I wondered for a moment if he knew how I was starting to feel about his son, and how he would take knowing about my being gay.
"I'll go back to your house with you," he whispered as I closed the door to Dakota's room after turning off the light.
"That's really nice of you," I began. "I'm sure I'll be alright though."
"I'm sure you would be," he replied. "I'd still like to walk back with you just to be sure."
I smiled, and we headed out after saying good night to Sarah.
We crossed the street to the sidewalk in front of my house, and Tanner stopped for a moment. He turned to face me. I got a sense that he wanted to say something to me.
"I'm not keeping you out past your curfew am I?" he asked.
"No, in the Summer I can be out until 10:00 P.M.," I answered.
"Good," he replied, then looked up at me.
"You made Dakota really happy today," he began. "I obviously wasn't watching you both every moment of the time you were together, but I was observing all the same from time to time. You seem like a really nice guy, and I hope you'll do right by him as his friend, and whatever else comes of you guys getting to know one another.
Sarah had told me a little while ago when you were sitting with Dakota as he was falling asleep about hearing him tell you about losing all of his friends before he went in to the hospital. He lost them alright, and when I think of how alone he must have felt when everything that occurred had happened, and about how scared he must have been until he went in to the hospital, I still sit up at night sometimes when I can't sleep, those thoughts come in to my mind, and it really bothers me."
"You don't get those thoughts in your mind when you happen to be up from not being able to sleep at night," I thought in my head. "They're most likely what keep you awake."
I didn't know how I knew that, but somehow I did. I made sure to keep those thoughts inside my mind though.
"He wasn't always as you see him now," Tanner went on. "I was born with my disability; Dakota wasn't. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
I did understand, and I didn't want to. I was trying to strike up some disbelief. Yeah, I damn sure understood what Tanner was telling me all too well.
"He went in to the hospital because,,," I stopped as I looked in to Tanner's eyes.
"All you need to know right now," he went on his voice hardening with anger that he still understandably had. "Is that Dakota lost his friends, and the final touch was one of these so-called friends of his throwing him off their fucking balcony.
I don't know if you have been hearing about or paying attention to anyone lamenting about how you can't tell any jokes these days without someone always getting offended, or about how people are too sensitive these days. You also hear about people saying that we should be able to say absolutely anything since we have Freedom of Speech. Since most of this shit comes from either the Political Right, the Far Political Right or a combination of the two, what they really mean is that they want to bully, abuse and torment anyone they want to without any consequences. Well this idea was applied to Dakota, and you really want to know where limitless freedom of Speech or anything can get you, the answer is how Dakota has to live now.
Even worse, is how that talk about everyone being easily offended these days is so normalized by almost everyone in society today, even people who are otherwise progressive talk like this at certain points. I really worry about them, and I always think that I wish they could understand the implications of that for which they ask. The Conservatives wish for the freedom they talk about because they think they're fighting Communism or some Bullshit, but all they're really doing is calling for a movement that's just as dangerous and just as enslaving. The so-called Progressives call for the right to shut the hell up in the name of progress yet they elected a president who while not like Trump is still authorizing the wars in the Middle East all the same, so there's no difference as far as I can see. Even worse, they don't even know it."
"I think I understand where you're going with all that you just said," I said.
"I'm trusting you to be Dakota's friend," Tanner responded. "I hope you won't let him down, nor me down. Whatever else might happen between the two of you, I want to know that he can trust in your friendship first and for most."
"Damn!" I thought in my head. "He knows about me! How?"
"Love is just that Caleb," Tanner went on. "A country that screams about freedom and Justice for all, but would keep rights away from those or even kill those who love differently than them, well these so-called freedom lovers don't know the first damn thing about freedom, nor do they even deserve it. They also scream about justice for all, though I doubt they even know the meaning of that word either. I want my son to be happy with someone he can trust as a friend, then possibly as more. If that might be you, then I want to know that you're someone that can be trusted with my son's happiness."
"You have my word Tanner," I said. "I already think of Dakota as a friend, and I'll never do anything to hurt him. As for the other stuff though, I'm wanting to get to know Dakota more before we would ever go towards anything more than friendship. Also, if you wouldn't mind not telling people about my orientation. I have a few friends who know, as well as my family who knows. The friends who know are accepting of it, and so is my family. I'm still working on being comfortable enough to be out in general."
"You have my word Caleb," he answered,. "I won't tell anyone else, and I'll let Dakota and you discuss anything relating to your orientation, as well as anything related to what happened to him last year before he came to live with Sarah and I."
"Thank you," I said as I bent down so Tanner and I could share a hug.
"You're welcome," he replied.
We separated after a moment, then I went in to the house and greeted my parents, and then told them about how dinner went before heading off to get a shower, then to my room to relax before getting to bed eventually.
0000
Tanner wheeled himself through the house making sure that all of the windows and doors were locked for the evening. Sarah had gone to bed a couple of hours after Dakota did, and Tanner sat up for a little while after that reading, then decided to get to bed shortly before midnight came upon them.
As Thursday turned in to Friday, Tanner looked in on Dakota who was on his stomach with the blankets and sheets thrown all over. He sometimes had dreams which would cause him to thrash around, otherwise he would sleep covered up, and would be in the same position the next morning when it would be time to get up to start the day. Tanner went over to where his son lay, and he began rearranging the sheets and blankets over his son once again. At that point though, Dakota awoke and turned over as if fearing that someone was in the house.
"It's just me," Tanner whispered as Dakota sat up. "I'm sorry I scared you. I just looked in on you, and saw that your sheets and blankets were almost all the way off of you."
"Thanks," he said. "I had a couple of bad dreams, but I should be alright now."
"Okay," Tanner replied, and after easing Dakota back down on the bed he helped him cover up again.
"I love you Tanner," Dakota said.
That was the first time he had ever said that to Tanner, or Sarah. It was nice to hear it now though.
"I love you too Dakota," Tanner answered as he sat there stroking his son's hair as Dakota fell back asleep again.
After a few minutes, Tanner leaned over and kissed his son on the cheek before leaving his room to get to bed for the night.
0000
Dakota
Friday morning came upon us rather sunny, but rain was expected later in the day. As I showered and dressed, I thought about my day Yesterday. I especially thought about the time I spent with Caleb Henderson. I thought about his kind and gentle manner as well as his deep but soft-spoken voice, as well as his golden-blond hair and his green eyes. They were truly beautiful to look at, and his hair made a really lovely color combination. I thought again about his eyes, and I thought that they looked like a couple of emeralds. I knew I was immediately attracted to those eyes, as well as starting to feel attracted to the rest of him, but I stopped thinking about that quickly.
I knew what happened the last time I tried to come out to a boy about my feelings, and that ended horribly. It would be a long time before I ever told Caleb how I was feeling for him, but I only wanted to concentrate on our friendship first assuming that anything more than that was possible.
As I wheeled in to the dining room for our first breakfast in the new house, I saw that Sarah was placing two serving plates in the middle of the table. On one was sausage, and on the other was Bacon. There was also a bowl in which Scrambled Eggs were piled. Another plate held toast, but that was more for Tanner and Sarah, as I wasn't really in to toast that much.
We all greeted one another, and I got some of the food on my plate.
"It's really nice to have our first breakfast in the new house," I said.
"I agree," Sarah said.
"I'm really happy about that too," Tanner added.
"So what do you guys have planned for today?" I asked.
"Well, I figured that I'd go and get things set for next week for my classes," Sarah replied. "I think it'll go well with getting everything arranged."
"I hope you have a nice meeting over there," I responded.
"Thanks," she answered.
"You're welcome," I said.
"I figured that we could go and pick up your album you ordered," Tanner said.
I smiled at that.
"Thanks," I'd really love that," I said.
"You're welcome, and I knew you'd like that," Tanner answered.
"Is it alright if Caleb and I get together after we get back to the house later today?" I asked. "He mentioned Yesterday that he'd enjoy hearing what I picked up as well."
"Yeah, we can check and see if he's able to come over," Tanner replied.
I smiled, and thanked my dad as I went back to eating. It looked like it was going to be a really nice day!
0000
Caleb
I finished up cleaning up the kitchen. My parents were at work, and so I had Kitchen Duty to take care of. It wasn't anything too involved, just cleaning off the table, sweeping the floor and making sure that the dishes were washed and in the drainer.
After I had that finished, I went back to get a shower, and then I dressed. Once in the garage, I worked on painting my carving I had worked on Yesterday.
While I worked, I had Night Wish playing in the background. When they did the extra-long song for their Human Nature album, they rather than doing it on one track, divided it up in to about eight tracks, and it was a little of Floor the Lead Vocalist, Troy's Uilleann Pipes, Tuomas's piano and the orchestra they had working with them on the album. In short, it was a group of songs that was just Classical Music that allowed the orchestra to do the performing for a moment. The suite of songs was titled All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World, and I really enjoyed listening to it when I would paint, draw or carve. It helped me think of not just things to create, but various vivid details I could add to make the picture even more appealing.
I worked for a while on painting, and as I finished with the sky, and then set aside the carving to dry, I looked at the clock on my phone. I saw that it was almost noon. I wondered with surprise how that happened, then I got up after putting my Ipod in Sleep Mode, then going in to the kitchen. I looked in the fridge to see what was in there for lunch, then I heard knocking at the door. I walked to the door, and saw Tanner and Dakota sitting there. I smiled and unlocked then opened the door.
"It's really good to see you guys!" I said as I invited them in.
"It's good to see you as well," Dakota replied.
Tanner agreed, then got down to what brought them to my door.
"We were going to get lunch out somewhere," Tanner began. "We were also going to the record store to pick up Dakota's new album he ordered, and I know you both talked about getting together later today so you could check it out. I figured that we would offer to buy you lunch, and you could come with us."
I checked with my parents, and after they and Tanner talked, it was set. I locked up the house, and we were off.
Author's Notes
I'll be continuing these coming events in the next chapter, so I guess you could consider this a cliff hanger. LOL. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, as well as getting to see more of Dakota's thoughts regarding how he was coming to feel about Caleb, as well as the feelings slowly developing with Caleb towards Dakota.
That being said, I hope everyone is staying safe, and continuing to enjoy the story, and I'll see everyone in Chapter Four.