This story contains descriptions of graphic sex between males. If that kind of thing does not appeal to you, stop reading now.
This story is pure fiction. If this resembles something that happened to you, it must have been an incredible experience. But it's simply a coincidence.
All comments are welcome: djwarner1984@hotmail.com Please donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/
-DJ
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The Inheritance Clause - 37
Dawson stared at the contents of the box Adam was holding open in front of him. He was frozen. He wasn't expecting this.
Adam was so nervous. He felt his knee shaking. He felt the weight of the box as he held it up. It was barely a pound in weight, yet it felt like a hundred pounds to Adam in that moment. Adam was staring at Dawson's face. He was looking for some indication of what Dawson's response would be. He started thinking that Dawson's hesitation meant he would say 'No'. As he started to panic, he looked at the ground and began speaking.
"I know it's only been two weeks, really..." Adam stammered as he rambled, "And it took me a while to admit my sexual orientation..."
"Adam..." Dawson said softly.
"Not that I think our relationship is all about sex..." Adam continued to ramble, "I mean, the sex is amazing... But that's not what I..."
"Adam..." Dawson said again, softly, as he tilted his head and looked at Adam.
"And with all the craziness that we've endured, I can see why you might think that..." Adam continued.
"Adam!" Dawson said loudly.
Adam stopped talking. He was afraid to look at Dawson. Dawson leaned down and cupped Adam's face in his hands. Dawson tilted Adam's head up so he could look at him.
"Yes," Dawson said.
"What?" Adam said with confusion.
"I said, 'Yes'," Dawson said with a smile.
Adam felt his eyes water. Dawson smiled at Adam as he chuckled. Adam still looked confused.
"Yes, I will marry you," Dawson said slowly and clearly, so Adam would understand him.
Adam jumped up and hugged Dawson. He pressed the wooden box against Dawson's back as he held it with one hand. His eyes welled up.
"I didn't... I mean..." Adam explained, "I was so nervous... I wanted to ask you since we got to Rosemary's Point... I kept talking myself out of it..." Adam started rambling again.
"Babe..." Dawson said as he pulled back and held Adam by his shoulders, "Babe... We're engaged. You can relax now."
Adam grinned as he felt a tear roll down his cheek.
"We're engaged," Adam said with almost a drunken smile.
"Mmm hmm," Dawson confirmed as he smiled.
The enormity of the moment began to sink in with Dawson and he also began to well up with emotion. Adam leaned in and the boys kissed. Their tongues moved slowly, sensually, as they celebrated their engagement with a romantic kiss. Dawson pulled Adam closer and lifted him off the ground. He spun him slowly as they kept kissing. When Dawson put Adam's feet back on the ground the boys stopped kissing and looked at each other. Suddenly, they felt Colby's snout trying to get in between their legs. They looked down and laughed as Colby's tail was wagging furiously.
"You should have broken it off with your other boyfriend before you asked me to marry you..." Dawson joked as he crouched down to pet Colby.
Colby panted in Dawson's face as Dawson pet him behind the ears.
"Sorry, Colby, I'm engaged now. You'll just have to deal with it," Adam said as he chuckled.
Dawson chuckled as he looked up at Adam. Then he looked at the wooden box. Dawson stood up and nodded his chin toward the box.
"Was there something in there you wanted to give me?" Dawson asked.
"Oh..." Adam said as he realized he forgot, "I asked Krantz to have these made. I wanted something for us to symbolize our engagement."
Adam turned the box toward Dawson and held it on the palms of his hands. Colby was looking up, wanting to see what was in the box. Dawson took the towels that had been draped over his shoulder and tossed them onto the rock. He stood in front of Adam and slowly lifted the lid.
Inside the box were two gold bracelets. The links of the chains on the bracelets were the same size and intricate pattern as the links on the chain necklaces that Clayton and Jorge wore. Connecting the chain was a thin, flat, rectangular strip of gold with an intricate floral pattern on it.
"Take this one," Adam said as he indicated with his left thumb, "Look on the underside."
Dawson was tearing up as he removed the bracelet from its holder. He turned the flat piece over.
"Adam Corbin Jameson loves me," Dawson read out loud the inscription on the bracelet.
"Yes, he does..." Adam said softly.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"Babe..." Dawson said as he choked up a bit, "I love this."
Dawson started to unclasp it so he could put it on.
"Wait..." Adam said, "I want to do it."
He closed the box and put it on the rock. Colby started sniffing around the box and the towels as Adam turned back to Dawson. Dawson held out his wrist so Adam could put the bracelet on him. When he was done, Dawson looked at the bracelet on his wrist. Adam turned back to the wooden box. He removed the other bracelet from the box and handed it to Dawson. Then he put his wrist out.
"Dawson Andrew Stewart loves me," Dawson read from Adam's bracelet.
He looked at Adam.
"You're damn right he does," Dawson said.
The boys smiled at each other with tears in their eyes.
"If you decide to change your last name," Adam said, "We can get it changed."
Dawson put Adam's bracelet on him. Adam looked at it as he lifted his arm toward himself. The boys looked at each other and embraced. Colby came over and was rubbing his snout on their legs trying to be part of the hug.
"I love you, Adam Corbin Jameson," Dawson whispered in Adam's ear.
"I love you, Dawson Andrew Stewart," Adam whispered back.
They embraced for a while, simply holding each other. Dawson began rocking Adam slowly back and forth. Eventually, after ignoring Colby long enough, he decided to leave the boys alone. He went back to sniffing at the box again.
"Maybe he's finally gotten the hint," Adam said softly.
"Don't bet on it," Dawson replied.
Eventually, the boys gave each other a quick kiss on the lips before separating. Adam sighed loudly and sniffled. He packed up the cooler, making sure to include Colby's bowl. Dawson gathered up the towels and flung them over his shoulder. He wiped the tears from his eyes with the edge of one of the towels. He picked up the wooden box. Adam picked up the cooler. Without speaking or looking at each other, their free hands connected. The boys looked at each other and smiled as they held hands between them.
"C'mon, Colby," Dawson said as he started leading them to the boat.
They made their way back through the overgrown trail until they came to the boat. Dawson and Adam placed the cooler, the wooden box, and the towels on the boat.
"You can get on the boat. I'll get Colby," Dawson said.
Adam nodded. He pulled the side ladder down and climbed up onto the boat. Colby was standing on the shore watching. Dawson came up to him and grabbed him from the side.
"It's ok, boy," Dawson said as he lifted him.
He waded out to the boat carrying Colby. Dawson couldn't quite reach up with Colby to get him on the boat because it was too high. So, Adam reached down and took Colby from Dawson. Once Colby was on the boat, he began going up and down the aisle, sniffing everywhere. Dawson went back to shore and untied the rope. He gathered it up as he waded out to the boat. He tossed the rope up onto the deck and then started pushing the boat away from the sandbar. Once the boat was freed, Dawson climbed the ladder to get onboard. He pulled up the ladder, secured it, and then wrapped up the rope.
Colby was sitting next to the pilot's seat when Adam got there. He put his captain's hat on. He started the boat and guided them out. He began petting Colby as he started to head back to the cabin. Dawson stood behind Colby, holding the crossbar of the canopy over his head to keep his balance. He kept looking up at his engagement bracelet and smiling as Adam piloted them back.
When they returned to the cabin, Adam lined the boat up and Dawson moored it to the dock. Colby was eagerly watching Dawson secure the boat. As soon as Dawson opened the gate, Colby jumped over the slight gap between the boat and the dock. He took off down the dock as the boys watched him.
"Where is he off to?" Dawson mused.
"Who knows?" Adam replied as he removed his captain's hat and placed it in the cubby hole next to the pilot's seat.
The boys collected their things and walked slowly, hand in hand, toward the cabin.
"So, how are you feeling, fiance?" Dawson asked as he began to swing their hands between them.
"Pretty good, fiance," Adam said with a smile, "As long as you're by my side, I feel like I can do anything."
"You know," Dawson said, "You're a pretty strong person on your own."
Adam didn't say anything.
"The way you handled Vickie..." Dawson began, "The way you handled your mom..." Dawson paused looking for the right words, "And your father..."
"Yeah..." Adam said and then he stopped walking.
They had reached the step up to the porch. Adam turned and looked at Dawson.
"Do you really think all the drama is behind us now?" Adam asked.
Dawson sighed.
"Life is never drama free," Dawson said as he squeezed Adam's hand. "But whatever comes next, we can face it together."
Dawson looked into Adam's eyes. Adam still looked concerned.
"Honestly? We're still going to have to deal with the fallout from your father," Dawson said with seriousness, "Whether we need to go to court or..." Dawson paused, "We're still going to have to get through that... And your mother, I think, still has some work to do to fully accept us being together."
Adam nodded in agreement.
"And Krantz..." Dawson said and then trailed off for a moment, "And building a good working relationship with Larkin... and the work we'll need to do to start the foundation..."
Dawson paused.
"There's a lot more that is going to be thrown at us," Dawson said, "But each time some new thing comes our way, I'll look back to that first time you held me... behind the funeral home... you were there for me. And I know, no matter what happens, you'll be there to hug me when I need it."
Adam leaned in and kissed Dawson with a quick peck on the lips.
"I wasn't worried," Adam said, pretending to be stoic, "I just wanted to make sure you weren't."
"Uh huh," Dawson replied sarcastically.
Dawson picked up Colby's water bowl and dumped what was in it. The boys went into the cabin and left the door ajar for Colby. Dawson left the wooden box on the coffee table and draped the towels over the back of the couch. He refilled the bowl in the kitchen and then put it back outside. When Dawson came back inside, Adam was in the kitchen cleaning out the cooler. He went into the bedroom to hang the towels up to dry. Dawson came back out and picked up the wooden box. He placed it on the bureau in the bedroom. He looked in the mirror at himself. He picked at his hair, which was not too messed up. He rubbed his goatee and then looked at his engagement bracelet. He smiled.
"Pop!" Dawson heard from the kitchen.
"What's going on out there?" Dawson said with a grin.
"Babe... Grab some towels," Adam called to him.
"Why? What's wrong?" Dawson said with concern as he went to the closet to get a couple clean towels.
Dawson hurriedly came out to the living room holding two towels. Adam was standing there... naked... holding an open bottle of champagne and two glasses. His clothes were haphazardly thrown on the couch.
"Nothing's wrong," Adam said with a smile, "I just thought we'd celebrate. Get rid of those clothes, grab that plate, and follow me," he added as he gestured with the glasses toward a plate of cheese and crackers on the counter.
Dawson watched as Adam turned to leave. He zeroed in on Adam's plump ass.
"Damn," Dawson said as he propped his foot on the arm of the couch, "My fiance has a nice ass."
He started to untie his hiking boot as he kept his gaze on Adam's backside. Adam stopped and turned only his head. He looked at Dawson over his shoulder. He smiled.
"Access to this ass is by invitation only," Adam quipped, "But you can look any time you want."
Dawson took in his breath loudly and exhaled as he slipped his boot off his foot.
"Oh, trust me," Dawson said, "I look any chance I get."
Adam chuckled and began walking toward the door. He exaggerated his hip movements as he walked.
"Mmmm," Dawson said right before the thunk of his hiking boot hit the floor.
Dawson quickly finished undressing and grabbed the plate. He carried the plate and the towels out of the cabin. He saw Adam put the champagne bottle and the glasses on the dock and start walking back toward the cabin.
"I'm going to get a couple chairs from the shed," Adam said as he passed Dawson.
Dawson went out onto the dock and put the plate next to the champagne bottle. He looked back for Adam. He saw Adam coming toward the lake with two folded lawn chairs. Adam started into the water and waded in until it was a couple feet deep, right next to where Dawson was on the dock. He opened one of the chairs while Dawson left the towels on the dock and jumped down. Adam positioned the chairs so they could reach the cheese and cracker plate. Dawson poured the champagne. They stood next to each other and clinked glasses.
"I'm so happy you asked me to marry you," Dawson said softly.
"I'm happy you said yes," Adam replied with a smile.
They sipped from their glasses. Dawson reached over with his free hand and cupped Adam's cheek. He leaned in and they kissed. When they broke the kiss, Dawson sat in one of the chairs. Adam remained standing and looked around.
"What's the matter?" Dawson asked.
"I thought Colby would come running over to interrupt our kissing," Adam half joked.
Dawson chuckled as Adam sat down. The water came to about the middle of their abs as they quietly sipped their champagne. Dawson kept gently splashing water up onto his pecs as the boys enjoyed the late afternoon view.
"I want to go through the notebook again after dinner," Dawson said at one point, "It's still bugging me... There's something missing."
"I think it's perfect," Adam said, reaching for a piece of cheese.
"Well..." Dawson said and then his voice trailed off.
Adam held out a piece of cheese and Dawson smiled then opened his mouth. Adam slid the cheese into Dawson's mouth. Adam reached for another piece and began nibbling on it.
"You know," Dawson said as he chewed on the piece of cheese, "The first question people are going to ask when we tell them we're engaged is if we have a wedding date."
Adam reached for a cracker. He took a bite of the cracker and what was left of his piece of cheese. He chewed and then swallowed.
"Yeah," Adam said soberly, "I've been thinking about that..."
Dawson noticed the change in tone of Adam's voice, so he turned and looked at him.
"I want Krantz to be there..." Adam said softly.
Dawson lowered his eyes and nodded.
"So, I think we need to do it soon..." Adam said maintaining his somber tone, "Before he..."
Adam's voice trailed off. He sat back in his chair and took a sip of his champagne to cover the fact that he was welling up with emotions. Dawson put his hand under the water and gently caressed Adam's thigh.
"I agree..." Dawson whispered.
Dawson stopped moving his hand and gently squeezed Adam's thigh before he took a deep breath and sighed.
"We should make it a top priority to find a wedding planner," Dawson said, "So we can hold the ceremony as quickly as possible."
Adam nodded as his eyes filled with tears.
"And I want the judge to marry us," Adam managed to say.
Dawson smiled.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Dawson said, "I know she wants to do it."
Adam paused and looked at Dawson. He thought there was something funny about the way he phrased his last comment.
"What do you mean?" Adam said.
"Oh... well..." Dawson stammered, trying not to look at Adam, "She offered to marry us in the note she gave us."
Dawson casually took a sip of his champagne. Dawson caressed Adam's thigh again, causing Adam to dismiss any suspicions.
The boys sat quietly as they thought about Krantz. Dawson eventually removed his hand from Adam's thigh and reached for the champagne bottle. Without speaking, Adam held his glass up. Dawson refilled both glasses. Dawson was putting the bottle back on the dock when he saw Colby approaching.
"You ok if Colby has what's left of the cheese?" Dawson asked.
Adam turned to find Colby coming down the dock.
"Sure," Adam said, "There's some shrimp cocktail in the ice box. I was thinking we could have some of that before dinner."
"Mmmm," Dawson said as he stood up, "That sounds good."
Dawson turned to the plate and pulled it near him just as Colby was coming up to them.
"Sit, Colby..." Dawson said.
Colby sat and licked his lips as he looked at the cheese on the plate. Dawson took a piece and fed it to Colby. He pet his head as Colby chewed.
"How about a cracker?" Dawson said as he held one up for Colby.
Colby took that, too. Dawson fed Colby the few remaining pieces of cheese and crackers on the plate. When the plate was empty, Dawson wiped his hands together and opened them for Colby.
"That's it," Dawson said, "It's all gone."
Colby paused for a moment and then licked his lips. Dawson picked up his champagne glass and sat back down in his chair. Colby made his way toward the cabin. The boys watched him as he drank from his water bowl and then went into the cabin.
"Do you think you'll ever want to have children?" Adam said out of the blue.
"What?" Dawson said as he looked at Adam with a curious look.
"Well..." Adam said as he turned to look at Dawson, "I was thinking about Colby... And then it occurred to me, we never talked about having children. Before I realized I was gay, I just assumed I would have kids."
Dawson didn't say anything as he thought about it.
"I started wondering if you had ever thought about having kids..." Adam said.
Dawson looked at the lake water as he thought about it.
"To be honest," Dawson started, "I had dismissed it outright when I realized I was gay. It wasn't until I started at the law firm that I realized a gay couple could even be parents."
Dawson sighed.
"But even though I knew it was possible," Dawson continued, "It seemed out of reach for me... too complicated... too expensive... I didn't even have a boyfriend..."
Dawson trailed off. Adam sloshed the lake water as he turned in his chair. He reached out and took Dawson's hand.
"What do you think about it now?" Adam said as he looked at the side of Dawson's face.
Dawson lifted his head and looked at Adam.
"Are you asking me to knock you up?" Dawson said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Stop it!" Adam said as he pulled his hand back and splashed Dawson lightly.
Dawson chuckled.
"I'm sorry," Dawson said as he grinned at Adam.
"So... what do you think?" Adam said as he looked at Dawson expectantly.
"Well... yeah..." Dawson said as he smiled, "I think I'd like to have kids... If we can..."
Dawson tilted his head as he looked at Adam.
"I think you would make a great dad," Dawson said.
Adam smiled and reached out his hand again. Dawson took his hand and they smiled at each other.
"But let's take care of all the other things we need to focus on first," Dawson said, "Besides, I want to spend some time with just you for a while."
Adam nodded.
"I just wanted to know if you were on board with it," Adam said.
Adam was rubbing his thumb against Dawson's hand.
"And I think you'll make a great dad, too," Adam said, grinning.
Dawson pulled Adam's hand up and kissed it. He brought it back down and sighed. The boys both looked out across the lake and realized it was starting to get late.
"We should probably figure out dinner," Adam said.
"I was thinking we could barbecue some of that chicken," Dawson said.
"Mmmm," Adam said, "That's a good idea."
Adam started to stand.
"You know," Adam said as he put his glass on the dock, "It should be a good night for a campfire. Maybe we can do some s'mores?"
Dawson put his glass on the dock and stood up.
"That sounds great," Dawson said.
The boys folded up the chairs. Adam carried them and the champagne bottle as he waded out of the water. Dawson collected everything else and began wading back toward the cabin, too. Adam leaned the chairs against the side of the cabin. The boys went inside.
Colby was lying in front of the fireplace, resting. He lifted his head up and looked at the boys when they came in. Then he settled back down again. Adam grabbed the towels off Dawson's shoulder as Dawson went into the kitchen. Dawson managed to fit the half-filled bottle of champagne into the ice box. Adam stayed in the living room, dried himself off, and put his clothes back on. Dawson came out into the living room and grabbed his towel.
"I can do food prep, if you want," Dawson offered while he was drying himself.
"Sure," Adam agreed, "I'll get the campfire set up."
Adam was dressed, so he grabbed some kindling and headed outside. Colby got up and followed him. Dawson got dressed and collected the towels. He made his way to the bedroom and hung the towels to dry. He went to the mirror and began to fix his hair. His engagement bracelet was right in his line of sight. He stopped fussing with his hair and pulled his wrist close. He looked under the gold band of his bracelet to read the inscription again. He looked at himself in the mirror.
"Oh my god..." he said under his breath, "I'm engaged... Cassie is gonna freak..."
Dawson laughed to himself and picked at his hair a couple more times. He went into the living room and decided it was just dark enough in the cabin that it was time to light the candles. He found the two lamps and put them on the coffee table. He went to the window and saw Adam. He was at the campfire. Colby was next to him sniffing at the rocks that ringed the firepit. It looked like Adam was talking to Colby as he set up the kindling for the fire.
Dawson chuckled to himself and headed for the kitchen. He found a bowl. He poured some barbecue sauce from a jar into it. He then submerged the chicken pieces into the sauce. He found some tongs and set them on the counter next to the bowl. He ripped off a sheet of aluminum foil and placed it on the counter. He started cutting up some vegetables and tossing them onto the foil.
Adam came in and got some dry firewood from the woodbin, with Colby shadowing him. Adam popped his head into the kitchen.
"Need any help?" Adam asked.
"Nope," Dawson said, "Almost done. I'll bring out the shrimp cocktail and the rest of the champagne in a minute."
"Sweet," Adam said.
Adam was holding logs against his chest as he leaned forward and pursed his lips. Dawson was still holding the cutting knife and his hands were dirty. So, he simply leaned over and gave Adam's lips a quick peck. Then another. Then Dawson leaned in more and kissed Adam again.
"Mmmm," Adam said as he pulled away, "I think my fiance is horny..."
Dawson smiled.
"I think my fiance is horny, too," Dawson said as he gestured toward Adam's crotch with his hand.
Adam had the beginnings of an erection, his junk pushing against the fabric of his cargo shorts. Adam smiled a devilish smile and then turned toward the cabin door.
"Let's just say we may need to go to bed early tonight," Adam said as Colby innocently followed him out the door.
Dawson smiled and realized he was starting to get an erection now, too. Dawson went back to cutting vegetables. When he was done, he found some spices and sprinkled them on the vegetables. He folded the foil to cover the vegetables. He washed his hands and opened the ice box. He swapped the champagne bottle for the marinating chicken. He filled both of their glasses with the remaining champagne. He found the shrimp cocktail in the ice box. He arranged them on a plate with some cocktail sauce. Then Dawson grabbed the plate and the champagne glasses and headed out of the cabin.
Dawson stepped out of the door and found Adam had moved the wicker chairs down from the porch and placed the side table between them. They were next to the firepit, facing the west. Adam was sitting in one of the chairs. Colby was sitting next to him. Adam was petting him.
"You're gonna spoil that dog," Dawson called to him.
Adam smiled without looking at Dawson. Dawson put the plate of shrimp cocktail down on the side table. He handed Adam one of the glasses. They clinked glasses and they both sipped. Colby came around and sniffed near the plate of shrimp. Dawson sat down and Colby came over by the side of him. Dawson began to absentmindedly pet him.
"Mmm," Adam said as he finished swallowing a sip, "It's going to be a beautiful sunset tonight."
Dawson looked off into the distance. The colors in the sky seemed so vivid.
"Mmm," Dawson said, "Let's make it a rule that we spend weekends here, unless we have some really good reason why we can't."
"You mean like someone getting married?" Adam said playfully.
He leaned his forearm on the arm of the chair, extending his open hand toward Dawson. Dawson put his glass on the side table and took Adam's hand.
"Exactly," Dawson said.
Adam pulled Dawson's hand up and kissed it before letting it go. He reached for a piece of shrimp. Dawson took a sip of champagne.
"I cut up some vegetables. We can grill them with the chicken," Dawson said.
"Sounds good," Adam said.
The boys were quiet for a while. Dawson stopped petting Colby and began sampling the shrimp. Colby lay down next to Dawson's chair.
"You'll be happy to know that I had a talk with Colby," Adam said, "He is still holding a torch for me, but I think over time he'll get over me."
Dawson grinned.
"Oh yes," Dawson said playfully, "He's all broken up about it over here."
Adam chuckled. He leaned forward in his chair. He looked out toward the sunset.
"We should start the fire," Adam said, "even if we want to wait a while to cook our dinner. And we should feed Colby."
"Why don't you light the fire..." Dawson said, "I'll go in and make Colby's dinner and bring out the chicken and veggies. It's going to take a little while to cook our dinner anyway, so we can start it now."
"Ok," Adam said.
Adam took the final sip of his champagne. He got down on the ground and began to prep the kindling to light it. Dawson took the glasses and the empty shrimp plate and headed toward the cabin. Colby lifted his head, trying to decide if he wanted to follow Dawson. He sighed softly and put his head back down as he watched Adam light the fire.
Dawson left the plate and glasses by the side of the sink. He got Colby's bowl and made his dinner. He slid the bottle opener into his pocket. He searched around for a bottle of wine that would go with the chicken. When he found one, he stuck it under his arm. He grabbed two clean wine glasses and Colby's dinner. He made his way back toward the fire pit.
Colby immediately jumped up and his tail started wagging when he saw Dawson carrying his food bowl. He met Dawson and followed him to the chairs, Dawson put the wine glasses and the bottle down on the side table. He then leaned over and placed Colby's bowl on the ground. Colby attacked it as Dawson pet his head. Dawson then stood up straight, slipped the bottle opener out of his pocket and put it on the side table.
Adam turned and began opening the bottle while Dawson went back into the cabin. He retrieved the bowl with the chicken, the tongs, and the foil-wrapped vegetables. When he came back outside, Colby had finished eating and was licking his lips. Adam had just put the grate over the fire.
"We can throw these on whenever we want," Dawson said, gesturing with the bowl.
"We should just start them now," Adam said.
Dawson put the vegetables on the corner of the grate. He then began taking each piece of chicken out with the tongs and placing them on the fire. The fire hissed and crackled each time the barbecue sauce dripped into the flames. Colby had made his way next to Adam.
When all of the chicken was on the fire, Dawson handed Adam the tongs. He went back into the cabin and cleaned up the bowl and the rest of the dirty dishes. He came back out with a platter. On it were two forks, two hand towels, and a medium size plastic container. He picked up his wine glass, which Adam had poured, to make room for the platter. He then sat down. Dawson sighed when he sat and then he took a sip of his wine. Adam had moved the vegetables to a warmer part of the fire and was turning the chicken pieces one by one. Colby was lying down next to Adam. It looked like he was mesmerized by the fire.
"I brought everything out for us to eat out here," Dawson said, "It's almost a perfect night."
"Yeah," Adam agreed.
Adam finished turning the chicken and sat back in his chair. The sun had completely set and the only light was from the camp fire. Both boys sipped their wine. They were quiet for a few moments.
"It is hard to believe how different our lives are from two weeks ago," Adam said.
"Mmm," Dawson agreed, "I'm not sure who has the biggest turn around... you or me."
Adam chuckled.
"Yeah," Adam said as he turned and smiled at Dawson, "It's almost like you couldn't make this shit up."
"Mmm," Dawson agreed and then he smiled.
The boys each thought about how much had changed for them as they sipped their wine. Adam leaned forward and began turning the chicken.
"All I know..." Dawson said, "is I'm so glad we ended up where we are. I couldn't be happier, babe."
Dawson reached down and rubbed Adam's back.
"Me, too," Adam said as he tended to the chicken.
Adam finished and sat back in his chair again. They sat quietly for a couple minutes. Adam turned toward Dawson. Dawson looked at him.
"We still have my granddad's video that we have to destroy," Adam said, "There's a laptop in the boxes with the documents. I want to watch it with you one more time before we destroy it."
"Ok," Dawson said softly.
Dawson reached out and caressed Adam's bicep. Adam leaned forward and began turning the chicken again.
"That looks almost done," Dawson said.
"Yeah, maybe another few minutes on each side," Adam confirmed.
Dawson took a sip of his wine and put his glass on the table.
"For the bones..." Dawson said as he put the plastic container on the ground in front of the table.
When the chicken and veggies were done, Dawson held the platter for Adam as he removed the food from the fire. Colby lifted his head and looked expectantly at the boys.
"Stay, Colby," Dawson command, "you had your dinner."
Colby looked at Adam as if he expected Adam to overrule Dawson. When Adam didn't say anything, Colby lay his head back down. He went back to staring at the fire again.
Dawson put the platter on the side table between them. Dawson handed Adam a fork and a hand towel. The boys began eating. You could hear the boys making humming sounds as they reacted to how good the chicken and vegetables were. And they kept making smacking sounds as they licked the barbecue sauce off their fingers. Every once in a while, you could hear a 'plunk' as the boys dropped their bones into the plastic container. The boys devoured everything, wiped their hands a final time, and sat back to watch the fire.
At one point, Adam used a stick to move the grate off the fire. He got up and Colby lifted his head. Adam went inside and Colby followed him. Adam came out with a couple more logs with Colby right behind him. Adam added the logs to the fire and then sat down. Colby came over to his side and sat next to him.
"That dog is so attached to you," Dawson said.
"Yeah..." Adam replied, "But he definitely listens to your commands."
Adam and Dawson sat holding their wine glasses and kept taking sips every once in a while. It was a while before either of them said anything.
"I'll clean up," Adam said after he took a sip of his wine, "I'll bring out stuff to make s'mores."
"Ok," Dawson said.
Adam got up and went inside. Of course, Colby followed him. Dawson sighed and watched the fire while he waited for Adam and Colby to return. Dawson was refilling their wine glasses when Adam came out carrying the supplies. Colby trailed him with his tail wagging excitedly.
"Definitely no chocolate for Colby," Adam said as he reached Dawson, "And we should probably not give him marshmallows either."
Dawson nodded.
"I brought out a couple treats for him," Adam said in a whisper.
"Uh, babe..." Dawson said with a grin, "He can smell it."
Adam looked at Colby dancing excitedly next to him as he dumped the s'mores supplies onto the side table.
"Ugh..." Adam said softly in frustration, "Sit, Colby," Adam said as he pointed at the ground next to his chair.
Colby sat quickly and looked at Adam.
"Good boy," Adam said.
He pulled a treat out of his pocket and fed it to Colby.
"Lay down, boy," Adam said.
Colby continued sitting as he chewed the treat. Adam put his hands on his hips as he looked at Colby.
"Lay down, Colby," Dawson commanded.
Colby continued to chew as he lay down in front of the fire. Adam looked at Dawson. Dawson put his hands up and smiled. Adam started shaking his head.
"What's this?" Dawson said.
He picked up what looked like a long tuning fork from the table. It had a wooden handle with a long piece of metal coming out of it. It had two prongs on the end with about a couple inches in between them.
"It's a marshmallow fork," Adam said, "You can cook two marshmallows on it."
"Why do you need two?" Dawson said, "And we used to just use a stick that you sharpen on the tip."
"No, no, no..." Adam said with disappointment, "Here... let me show you."
Adam took the marshmallow fork from Dawson. He opened the bag of marshmallows. He stabbed a marshmallow on each prong.
"Here, cook these..." Adam said as he held the fork out to Dawson.
Dawson took the fork and held the marshmallows out over the fire.
"Now," Adam said, "What you do is you take the whole graham cracker... Don't break it in half... And you lay it down."
Adam showed Dawson as he spoke.
"Then you break the chocolate bar in half," Adam said as he opened a chocolate bar and snapped it in half.
He put the pieces of chocolate onto the Graham cracker.
"Now, when the marshmallows are done," Adam said picking up another graham cracker, "You put the marshmallows, one over each piece of chocolate, and you press down with the cover as you pull the fork out."
Adam simulated the motion as he described it.
"What if I only wanted one marshmallow and only half a graham cracker and half a bar of chocolate?" Dawson said with a mischievous grin.
Adam stared blankly at Dawson.
"I don't even know who you are any more..." Adam said, trying to keep a straight face.
"Yes, you do," Dawson said as he looked toward his marshmallows toasting over the fire, "I'm the guy with the magic finger you keep begging for."
Dawson smirked as he avoided looking at Adam. Adam smacked Dawson's shoulder playfully.
"Stop it!" Adam said as he started to chuckle.
"What?" Dawson said as he pulled his cooked marshmallows off the fire and looked at Adam with a smile, "Did I lie?"
Adam couldn't keep from smiling.
"Just eat your s'more..." Adam said as he reached for the bag of marshmallows.
Dawson placed his marshmallows on the chocolate and topped it with another graham cracker as he slipped the fork out. He leaned the fork against the rocks surrounding the fire pit. He picked up his s'more as Adam started toasting his marshmallows. Dawson took a bite.
"Mmm," Dawson said as he chewed, "I haven't had a s'more since I was a kid."
Adam held his marshmallows over the fire with one hand while he assembled his graham cracker and chocolate with the other. Dawson was halfway through eating his s'more when Adam finished toasting his marshmallows. The boys enjoyed their s'mores, licking and smacking their fingers and lips as they ate them.
When they were finished, Dawson got up and moved the side table back. Colby lifted his head and watched him. Dawson then moved his chair to be next to Adam's. When he sat down, Colby rested his head down and went back to watching the fire. The boys both reached out their hands between them. Dawson and Adam intertwined their fingers and began gently caressing each other's hands. The three of them stayed quiet. They simply enjoyed staring into the flames, the calmness of the beautiful night, and each other's company.
When the logs had pretty much burned away and only coals were left, Dawson gently disconnected his hand from Adam's.
"Let's go in and watch your granddad's video before we turn in," Dawson said softly.
Adam didn't say anything. He leaned forward and picked up the small shovel that was kept near the fire pit. He began covering the coals with sand. Colby, who was very comfortable lying next to Adam, slowly raised his head and looked at the boys.
"C'mon Colby," Dawson said softly.
Dawson collected everything he could carry from the side table. Colby slowly got up and stretched. His tail wagged gently as he followed Dawson into the cabin. Adam put the fire out and picked up Colby's food bowl and the rest of the s'more supplies. When Adam came into the cabin, Dawson was on his hands and knees at the fireplace, with Colby next to him. Once he started the fire, he went to the document boxes to try to find the laptop.
Adam came out of the kitchen. He held a bottle of creme liqueur in the air toward Dawson. Dawson looked up and nodded. Adam went back into the kitchen and poured two glasses. Colby was lying in front of the fire, casually gnawing on his chew bone. Dawson found the laptop and put it on the coffee table. Adam came in, put the drinks on the coffee table, and then went into the bedroom.
Dawson sat on the couch. He pulled the laptop onto his lap and started it. Adam came in with the thumb drive and sat next to Dawson. Adam nestled up close to him, pulling his feet up onto the couch. He pulled a throw blanket off the back of the couch. Dawson lifted the laptop and Adam pulled the blanket to cover both of their laps. Once the laptop was ready, Adam plugged the thumb drive in. Dawson clicked until he was able to start the video. The sound was low, so Dawson increased it and restarted the video.
Clayton's voice filled the cabin as the video restarted again. Colby stopped momentarily and looked at the boys as he heard Clayton speaking. With only the candles, the fire, and the light from the laptop, Colby could just make out the boys' faces as they watched Clayton's last video message to them.
Adam began to tear up. Dawson pulled him closer. Suddenly, Adam felt Colby's snout at his knee. He was looking at the boys with a sad face. Colby sensed the somber moment and wanted to come over and comfort the boys.
"C'mon up, Colby," Adam said softly as he patted the couch next to him. Colby jumped onto the couch and lay with his head in Adam's lap. Dawson began to sniffle as he absorbed the tender moment they were all sharing together. Adam pet Colby's head softly. When the video ended, Adam sniffled.
"Do you mind if we watch it again?" Adam said, his voice trembling with emotion.
Dawson didn't say anything. He pulled Adam closer with his arm. With his other hand, he clicked the mouse on the laptop. The video began to play again.
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The Inheritance Clause - 37
If you like this story, tell me: djwarner1984@hotmail.com And then donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/
-DJ