[mention]wataru14[/mention], that was beautiful and so sensitively written. You are very talented.
It took me back to when I was in college -- figuring out I was gay and liked to get tied up (and gagged...Ha!) and scared that people would think I was a freak or worse.
I felt so much empathy and sampathy for Travis. And Ray stole my heart.
The ending was incredible...the stolen kiss, Ray's shock, and Travis' embarrassment and fear...running off the way he did.
You're a truly talented writer.
Thank you.
Tau Upsilon Gamma [M+/M+] [update - 3/15/24] NEW POLL
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KidnappedCowboy
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Guardianbound
- Centennial Club
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This was very sweet. Ray helping Travis with his self exploration. Travis being flustered, confused, moved in the moment to kiss Ray.
You have created another great pairing for us readers, whether or not Travis and Ray end up together in the end.
You have created another great pairing for us readers, whether or not Travis and Ray end up together in the end.
So so so good! Very well done! The way you continue to add such beautiful depth to these characters is amazing! Travis and Ray's relationship, whatever it will end up being, is something great to witness!
Of course, looking forward to jumping back to the present! Halloween ain't over yet!
Of course, looking forward to jumping back to the present! Halloween ain't over yet!
That was such a great chapter! Ray and Travis really connected. Part of me hopes they will manage to spend more time together.
I'm not crying, you're crying! The emotions present in this chapter, combined with the hot bondage - I'm just loving this so much.
And while Travis does have a lot to answer for, it's so good of Ray to show that empathy and compassion for him.
I'm so excited to see all these storylines continue but also... HUNCHBACK??? I'm so excited for you! Break a leg, and I'll be doing all my theatre kid good luck rituals for ya
And while Travis does have a lot to answer for, it's so good of Ray to show that empathy and compassion for him.
I'm so excited to see all these storylines continue but also... HUNCHBACK??? I'm so excited for you! Break a leg, and I'll be doing all my theatre kid good luck rituals for ya
This part of the story line is awesome. [mention]wataru14[/mention] has incredible characters and works them into fantastic stories. This breakaway from the “action” in the main story to show the human side of these two guys is great!
*** My stories: https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?p=151084#p151084
Chapter 5: Four Little Piggies
“Hey, have you seen Cody anywhere?” Nate asked.
“Last I saw he was playing Truth or Dare,” Trey said. “About an hour ago.”
“Yeah,” Nate said, the concern rising in his voice. “I got that. A lot of people said that, but no one has seen him since then.”
“Tak and the others went back to check on him to see if he managed to get loose,” Trey said, “but he wasn’t there. Guess he got free on his own and went off somewhere. Maybe he went back to the dorms to lick his wounds? Maybe he found a nice piece of ass and wanted some privacy?”
“Maybe,” Nate said, unconvinced. “I’ve tried calling and texting, but he’s not answering.”
Trey laughed. He said “Look, little homie. If Cody’s got his dick planted in something he’s not gonna answer the fucking phone, bro. Just be cool and don’t blow up his spot. Give him a break. If he doesn’t come back to the dorms tonight, try calling him again in the morning. But not too early.”
Nate had gotten similar advice from Hoss, Brett, and Danny, as well. Leo also seemed nonplussed by Cody’s absence. Mason and Ray did seem a little concerned, but didn’t think there was any need to panic. Cody was a social creature and he was probably off with someone or other. “There you go again, Nate,” Nate thought. “Always getting worried at the slightest provocation. Scott’s right. I’m going to get an ulcer before I’m 20.”
Nate wandered back to the side yard where Cody was last seen and looked around. He wanted to take just one more look around before giving up. He saw scuff marks in the dirt, but that was probably from his struggling to free himself from his bonds after the game. There were no discarded ropes or tape on the ground, but then again, Cody wasn’t the type to leave a mess. He would have cleaned up afterwards. Nate smiled in spite of himself. “Always diligent,” he thought. But then he noticed one of the garbage pails was missing. That was odd. Most of the others were stuffed to the brim with trash and empty bottles and cans, but the blank space against the wall of the house was noticeable. Nate looked puzzled and headed out into the front yard.
The DIX house was quiet and the other houses in the cul-du-sac were, too. Cars were parked all up and down the street. From an upper window of the DIX House, Nate saw Travis looking down at the TUG party with a melancholy expression. When he saw that Nate noticed him, he looked out the window to his right and pointed down the road. Then he quickly disappeared back into the house. Nate looked in the direction Travis pointed and saw the missing garbage pail, lying discarded on the street near the corner to the main road.
He walked over and picked it back up. It was dirty, and Nate noticed scuff marks on the inside. Maybe the others put something in there without a bag? No. He saw the bags of leaves and yard clippings at the bottom. The pails were new. Brett would have a hairy canary if he saw one got damaged already. Nate shrugged his shoulders and wheeled the pail back to the house, putting it back in its place against the wall. Just then, his phone buzzed. It was a text. From Cody!
It read “Sorry for ghosting. Dad called. Something serious is going down at home and he needs me for a few days. Let the others know.”
Nate responded “What’s wrong?!?!”
The response came slowly, like Cody was typing, deleting it, and typing it again. “Can’t talk now. I’ll explain later.”
Nate felt a surge of relief. “See!” he thought. “Always worrying over nothing. I hope LJ is all right, but at least we know Cody is OK.” He was so relieved to get the message that he completely missed the fact that Cody had never referred to LJ as “Dad” even once since they met.
Running back to the party, Nate saw Hoss and Brett talking at the edge of the basketball court. The whole area had been cleared and the guests were milling around the outer edges. Like they were expecting something to happen. On the court itself, the Sophomores and Juniors were setting up five structures in a row, side by side. Boxes about five feet square and three feet high. He also saw five small fire pits being arranged a few feet in front of each one: a ring of stones with an old concave metal dish in the middle. The insides were charred and black. But Nate didn’t have time to consider the implications of that. Instead, he opened his phone to Cody’s text and excitedly showed it to Hoss and Brett, interrupting their conversation.
“I just heard from Cody,” he said. “Look!”
Brett looked at the message and handed the phone to Hoss. He said “So Cody went AWOL? That’s not like him. Sounds like he had a good reason, though. Still, it messes up our plans for the grand finale.” Hoss read the message and called over Omar. He told him to remove one of the boxes.
“Grand finale?” Nate asked, watching Omar and Brandon remove a box with a great deal of suspicion.
Brett grinned. “It’s a ritual,” he said. “So you know it’s important. It’s a big step for you Pledges. Hoss, you can get him ready? I have to go and find my Little Bro and drag him out of whatever hole he’s wriggled himself into.” Brett wandered off into the crowd and Nate saw Ray and Shane heading into the house. No sign of Mason and Danny. They must already be inside, he thought.
Hoss put his mammoth hand on Nate’s shoulder and said “Come on. We’ve got to get you changed.”
“Changed?” Nate thought. “On Halloween? Into what?”
Hoss led him into the house and up to his room on the third floor. Nate had never been in here before, and not just because of the new construction. Hoss was very protective of his personal space and Nate could tell that it was a very big deal to be allowed in here. He was probably the only one to be allowed in here other than Scott. The room was larger than the ones on the lower floors, fitting for seniors, and had its own private bathroom. The Juniors and Sophomores had to share a hall bath. Hoss’ room was simple and plain, but kept spotlessly clean with few decorations. A half-assembled carburetor laid on the desk on top of a dropsheet and there were two prominent wall hangings. The first was a three-foot tall representation of the “TYΓ” logo made with empty chaw cans and mounted to a green felt board. Some art project from long past. The second was a huge blown-up color photo in an ornate frame.
The photo depicted the TUG seniors at the Greek Week athletic competition in some previous year. Possibly last year? They must have just won a big football game. Hoss was featured prominently in the center, barechested and dripping with sweat, in a celebratory stance. His TUG t-shirt was off and clutched in his left hand near his waist. His right hand was raised above his head and held a trophy high into the air. The picture was snapped in mid-motion and showed the other seniors rushing at Hoss with jubilant looks on their faces, reaching out to embrace him in congratulations. Hoss’ expression was a battle snarl of triumph, and a black eye was beginning to form on the right side of his face. He looked like a champion gladiator who had just slain a hydra. Always the consummate artist, Nate had to give notice to the quality of the photo. It captured the moment of triumph and victory at exactly the perfect moment. He could almost feel the testosterone radiating from it. He just couldn’t look away. He stood motionless, just inside the doorway, as Hoss went to his closet and retrieved something.
“You OK over there?” Hoss chuckled as he turned over his shoulder to look at Nate. He was holding two hangers in his hand, each with an outfit on it. Nate saw the unmistakable red-and-camo pairing of the TUG upperclassmen’s ritual garb, but he couldn’t see the other behind it. Hoss noticed Nate staring at the picture and smiled. He said “Greek Week last year. We beat DIX in the football tournament finals.” There was real pride in his voice.
“What happened to your face?” Nate said, walking over and touching the glass frame just over where Hoss’ black eye was forming. Hoss chuckled.
“Clay wanted to play rough,” Hoss said with a smile. “Elbowed me in the face during a play and claimed it was an accident. Asshole. But it’s OK. You should have seen what he looked like after the next down.” Nate smiled. Hoss was… such a boy. Nate wondered how he managed to land such a prize. Hypermasculinity oozing from every pore, but not one ounce of it toxic. Hoss was loyal, protective, caring (even though he tried not to show it), and non-judgmental. He began to wonder just what it was Hoss saw in him.
Hoss handed Nate the second hanger. On it was just two simple items: a plain white cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans. It was his pledge uniform, collected and spirited away by someone or other when he changed into his Halloween costume. Hoss said “Hurry up and get dressed” and began to slip out of his spandex supersuit. Even though he had seen it before, Nate always had to stop and gasp at Hoss’ bare form. The photo was one thing, but it was even better in person, with extra months of work with Danny adding to his bulk and definition. Nate had seen Hoss in various states of undress before… all the way to the full monty… but this was somehow different. There were no pretensions. No costumes or gimmicks. It was simple and casual. Comfortable. Like it was no big thing at all. Hoss stripped down to his birthday suit (the supersuit left no room for undergarments) and turned to face Nate. His gigantic organ flopped nearly 2/3 of the way down his thighs. He really was a hung as his namesake. The scrawny Freshman was blushing as he took the clothes from Hoss and tried not to be obvious about his gawking.
“You still get embarrassed,” Hoss said with a grin as he idly scratched his balls. Nate felt flutters in his stomach. “That’s cute.” He gave Nate a quick kiss before turning back to get dressed.
Nate hurriedly began to change out of his costume. He and Hoss had only been a “thing” for a few weeks, but he still marveled at how fast the big man had adjusted to it. Nate had never been in a relationship before and was unsure of what to do or how to act. Hoss had very clearly never been with a man before, but the novelty of the situation didn’t seem to phase him in the slightest. Another challenge for him to overcome, Nate thought. He looked around the room as he dressed, taking in all the Hoss-ness of it, for lack of a better word. The bookshelf was filled with law books and criminal justice manuals, but the top was adorned with plastic spittoons in a variety of novelty patterns. Two very expensive-looking professional-grade fishing poles leaned against the corner of the far wall. There were framed family pictures on top of the dresser, showing parents and a sister that Nate knew immediately were Hoss’ family. They all had the same square face and wide jaw (poor girl). But there were no pictures of Hoss. Come to think of it, Nate hadn’t seen any pictures of Hoss that were dated before early last year around the House. Nothing from his Freshman or Sophomore years. It was almost like he didn’t exist before then. He decided to ask about it.
After getting into his t-shirt and jeans, Nate picked up a photo of the little girl’s birthday party. It was at one of those pizza places with animatronic animals playing rock-n-roll instruments in the background. He held it up and said “Is this your family?”
Hoss nodded. “Yup,” he said. “Mom, Dad, and my sister Bessie. That’s her fifth birthday party. I was 11 or 12 at the time.”
“I’d like to meet them someday,” Nate said.
“You will,” Hoss replied. “You didn’t get a chance to meet them when they came up after the fire, but they’ll definitely come up again for Greek Week in the spring. They’ll probably be here around Christmastime, too.” Nate felt giddy. “I met your parents, it seems only fair you meet mine.”
“I’m glad they’re OK with… us,” Nate said. Based on the way they looked in the pictures, he had drawn all kinds of conclusions about how they would react to their hyper-macho son being in a relationship with another guy.
“Whoa there,” Hoss said. “I never said that.” Nate was confused. “They weren’t happy about it when I told them about you, but I said it’s my life and my choice and they’d better zip their damn lips if they want to keep me in their lives. Dad had the balls to say ‘As long as you’re the pitcher, I guess.’ I nearly belted him one right there.” Hoss was clearly upset, but did his best not to show it. He just said “Not all parents are as cool as yours.”
Nate had never heard his parents referred to as “cool” before and it threw him a little. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized how lucky he was. They had adjusted his relationship with Hoss instantly and accepted him immediately as part of the family. Nate had thought that’s just how all families were. But hearing this from Hoss made him appreciate his parents even more. “We’re a people that has had to adapt to changing circumstances for 5,000 years,” his dad had said. “Something like this is a blessing compared to what we’ve had to deal with.”
Hoss continued. “When I told him I was seeing you, Dad hollered something fierce. He said ‘So you’re a fag now, are ya?’ I said ‘Darn tootin’ I am. And my boyfriend is a Jew, too. You got a problem with either of that? If you want to have words I’m more than happy to oblige. And if you want it to be more than words you’ll find that this fag will lay you out on your bony ass. If you think you can still whup me you’re sadly mistaken, old man.’ Bessie calmed him down and he kept his opinions to himself the rest of the night, but I could tell he wasn’t happy. But you know what? Fuck him. I’m on my own now and I don’t need his approval for shit.”
Nate was floored. Hoss was so confident and independent! He wondered if he had it in him to tell off his parents like that. Not that he could foresee a reason to ever do so, but still… At that moment, Hoss was like a hero in a fantasy novel. A knight, defending his honor.
“I still love the old coot,” Hoss said. “And they’ll come around once they meet you. I know they will. But they make me so mad sometimes I could shit diamonds. They think we live in a world that went away 50 years ago. Well, not Bessie, at least. But she’s only 15. Not much she can say when they go on a damn fool rant about something or other.”
Nate decided to change the subject. As grateful as he was that he had a protector that would potentially jeopardize his relationship with his family for him, he could see that this was causing Hoss pain. “How come there aren’t any pictures of you?” he said.
Hoss paused. “I’m the one taking ‘em all,” he said. “They’re not as good as yours, but I think they’re pretty decent.” He chuckled, but Nate knew right away he was hiding something. He was a terrible liar. And Hoss picked right up on that. He said, “Look, I don’t like talking about it. I’ll show you later if you really want me to, but right now we have somewhere to be.”
Nate took Hoss’ hand and said “If you don’t want to show me, you don’t have to,” he said. “If it makes you uncomfortable, forget I said anything. If you have a secret to show me, don’t do it an instant before you’re ready.”
Hoss squeezed Nate’s hand in understanding. His grip was so strong that Nate let out a small yelp. Hoss chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck in an adorably awkward way. “Guess I don’t know my own strength sometimes,” he said sheepishly. He took Nate’s hand again, gentler this time, and led him out of the room and down the stairs to the yard.
---
Nate could feel the energy as he approached the kitchen door. It was similar to what he felt watching from the hilltop on his first day at school. There was tension. Expectation. Almost a palpable charge in the air. Leo, Ray, and Mason were already waiting with their Big Brothers when he arrived, all silent and slightly nervous. They could tell something big was going to happen. Scott was present, but since his Little Bro was not around, he stood off to the side, slightly apart from the others. And he didn’t look happy about it. But nothing could be done about that now. When all four were present, Brett nodded and said “Let’s get them ready.”
Without even thinking, the four Pledges stood at attention. Brett was switching into Ritual Mode and there were forms that needed to be obeyed. The four stood straight-backed with shoulders back as they crossed their wrists behind their backs.
Each of the Seniors took the length of white silky rope that had been hanging from their belts and prepped it for use, folding it in half and forming a bight. Nate relaxed and offered no resistance as Hoss walked behind him and gently brought his hands into the desired position. He blinked as Hoss began to bind his wrists behind him in ritual fashion with soft and silky rope. Hoss wasn’t known for great his manual dexterity, and his ropework was normally clumsy and amateurish, but this one style of binding was clearly well-practiced. It seemed to be the official TUG standard for restraining Underclassmen. Nate’s wrists were lovingly wrapped in the smooth cord, which was woven together in an intricate crisscross pattern. The touch of Hoss’s skin against his always made him a little weak-kneed, and Hoss chuckled when he noticed his Little Bro getting hot and bothered by his roping. “Settle down there, compadre,” Hoss grinned. “We have work to do before we can play.” Nate felt Hoss’ hand gently pat him on the shoulder from behind as the rope was securely knotted and the binding was complete.
Each pair of Brothers was off in their own world as the ritual binding was going on. They were each sharing an intimate tender moment, although a vastly different one than he and Hoss were. How different they all were, but how perfectly matched. Nate had heard the term “found family” before, but now he was beginning to experience for himself what that meant. When the last rope was knotted and the last shoulder patted, Brett signaled Scott to begin. Scott nodded and opened the door leading out to the backyard.
The guests, still in costume, were standing around the edge of the basketball court, buzzing and whispering. The Underclassmen were arranged on the basketball court in a line, shoulder to shoulder, facing the house. They began to stamp their feet in a steady rhythm, which was taken up by the watching crowd. The four bound Freshmen were marched out of the house and brought forth in a grand procession, single-file, with their Big Bro guiding them by the shoulder. Nate felt like it was some sort of primitive sacrificial ritual. Like they were going to be fed to an angry sun god. And each stamping foot sent ripples down his spine. The single-mindedness of thought from the Underclassmen was so strong he could almost feel it.
As the group approached the basketball court, the line of Underclassmen parted, and Nate saw full-out what had been set up earlier. The four small platforms had been dressed, covered in a red-and-gold tug drape. Extending out of the center of each platform and jutting straight up into the air was an eight-foot-tall wooden beam. Almost like a stake for burning witches. No, exactly like a stake for burning witches. The fire circles that laid before each stake reinforced that image. Nate rode the wave of tension, slightly scared, as Hoss marched him over to the last platform. When they stopped, Hoss picked him up as he would a fussy child, lifted him off the ground, and stood him on the platform, his back against the pole.
Nate felt the knots and flaws of the wood against his back through the flimsy cotton of his t-shirt. Standing on the box, he had to look slightly down to see Hoss. Hoss looked him in the eye and gave him a reassuring smile before bending down and getting to work. All Nate could see was the red and white paisley pattern of the bandana that covered Hoss’ hair as the big man adjusted his arms and legs into a straight-and-tall posture position.
He looked down as he saw the white rope being snaked around his ankles, securing him to the pole. It almost felt like he was being prepped for a firing squad. The ankle binding was not as thorough as the wrists, he noticed, but it was effective enough for what it was intended for. It’s not like he was going to try to jump off the box and run away, after all. The rope wound around his chest that tethered him fully to the pole was tighter than he would have liked, though. Hoss has clearly made a misjudgment in his size and pulled the ropes a little too taut for his comfort. But it wasn’t that bad. Not if it was Hoss doing it. The rope encircled his arms and chest, as well as the pole. He was held fast to the wooden stake. Ready for whatever was coming.
“Are you going to sacrifice us or something?” Leo quipped. “Is King Kong going to come tearing around the house and eat us?”
“Jesus Christ,” Brett said, playfully slapping Leo upside the head. “Can’t you be quiet for five minutes, brah? This ritual doesn’t include a gag, but I might make an exception in the protocol if you don’t keep your mouth shut.” Leo chuckled and relented, biting his tongue and saying no more.
Jacquan stood in front of the dish positioned in front of Leo’s stake with a barbecue lighter in his hand. Each dish had been filled with wood and paper and there was a noticeable smell of lighter fluid. After getting a nod from Brett, Jaquan ignited the fire in front of Leo. The other TUG actives gave a guttural cheer and Jaquan moved on to the next dish, the one in front of Ray. “This must be a ceremonial duty for the Junior Class president,” Nate thought. He had been studying the ritual practices outlined in the Pledge Handbook. The structure and tradition of the rituals intrigued him. He thought about whether there was a position in the Frat hierarchy for a Historian. That was probably part of the Secretary’s job. He made a note to ask Shane about that when this was all over.
When the last fire was lit and the TUG men cheered the last time, Jaquan put the lighter down on the table and took his place in the formation. Brett took center stage. The place he was born to be. All eyes focused immediately on him as he raised his arms into the air like a cult leader about to give Communion.
“Brothers and cherished guests,” he said. “We are here to celebrate five boys as they take their first step into manhood. One is not present, but he is with us in spirit. All that happens here applies to him, as well.” The TUG Brothers gave a loud “Hut!” in response, in perfect synchronicity. Brett turned to face the Four. From their positions bound to the four stakes, the Pledges became the center of all focus. Brett walked in between and around the stakes, drawing all eyes to the four tied Pledges as he spoke. “They have been with us for two months now and we have gotten to know them all.” As he walked past Nate, he said “Some of us have gotten to know them VERY well.” A low chuckle rose from the TUG brothers. Nate turned several shades of red.
“The Pledge period is a time of testing,” Brett said. “Simply getting a bid does not assure you a position among us. It is the content of your character and the growth you undertake that decides that. And each of you have passed. Not all do, so you should be proud.” There was a cheer from the crowd. “And what have you all learned? How have you all grown? As we explore this, the remnants of your pledgeship will be torn away and burned and you will take your place as official TUG members with all due rights and privileges.”
There was another “Hut!” from the Brothers. Brett smiled and broke character slightly as he said “But don’t forget you’re still Freshmen. You still have to do what your older brothers say and clean the house and all that. Don’t get swelled heads now.” The crowd chuckled. Brett walked over to Leo’s stake. He faced his Little Bro, bound to the pole before the crackling fire, and spoke so all could hear.
“Leomund Mordenkainen Bucknard,” he said. “You came to us as a snarky little punk who didn’t care about anything but himself. Always running a game or a con. Always with an ulterior motive. Completely untrustworthy.” He paused while the crowd focused their attention on Leo. “You are still all of those things, except for one. You have learned to care for others. You put yourself on the line during the Pledge Hunt to protect your Brothers. You put yourself at great personal risk to help us take down the corrupt Mayor and nearly died in the process. You have taken a Brother who needed guidance and structure and helped him to come out of his shell and connect with others. And all of it with no promise of reward. For the generosity of spirit that I knew was there when I chose you as my Pledge, I recognize you.”
Brett stood up on the box next to Leo. He took a pair of scissors and cut the collar of Leo’s pledge T-shirt down to his breastbone. Then he grabbed the ends and tore it in half, pulling the torn rags through the ropes around Leo’s chest until he dislodged it and held the tattered garment up for all to see. He said “As we burn this symbol of your pledgeship, know that you walk through the flames and emerge from the other side as our Brother.” Brett tossed the rag into the fire pit. The Brothers cheered as it started to smoke and smolder.
“Raymond Alistair Padraic Flannery,” Shane said, stepping up on the box. “Confident. Dominant. Leader of the Pack. All qualities that people desire. But those things can be found in DIX, as well. You’d have excelled there, but I chose you to be with us instead. And why? Because I could tell you were not just another meathead jock looking for another trophy for his mantle. You’re shortsighted and headstrong, but when the chips were down you were willing to sacrifice your spot for another. Like Leo, you showed us that you cared about someone more than yourself. Even now you’re thinking of how to help someone, but we’ll discuss that later. You showed us that you can cast off others’ expectations and their views of who you should be and that you can be true to yourself and your friends. And for that, I recognize you.” Shane cut off Ray’s pledge t-shirt and threw it in the flames at the foot of his stake.
There was a smattering of whistles and hoots when Ray’s bare chest was exposed to the crowd. From his place off to the side, Scott said “Really? We’re trying to have a poignant moment here, you thirsty bitches!” The crowd chuckled along with him and regained their composure.
“Mason Stuart Osborne,” said Danny, stepping into place before Mason. “What can I say? You came to us as a timid little dweeb afraid to even talk to people. And now look at you! King Stud! MC of the auction. Man about town. You’ve grown so much in such a short time. You’re still trying to find yourself, though, and we will be here for you every step of your journey.” He didn’t bother to use the scissors to remove Mason’s shirt. He just ripped it apart with his bare hands yelling “Beast Mode!” Scott rolled his eyes, but the crowd hooted and hollered. Mason, who had always been squeamish about being barechested in front of others, seemed comfortable and poised against the pole. The results of his training with Danny and the ROTC guys were beginning to show. He smiled as he felt his confidence surging and his old self-consciousness melting further and further away. Danny turned to Mason as he tossed the shirt into the fire and said “And you don’t have to keep the hairdo anymore. That was for Pledges and you’re not a Pledge anymore. You’re fully one of us now.”
“I may keep it,” Mason said with a wry smile. “I kinda dig it.” Danny grinned and said “That’s my Little Bro!”
All eyes turned to Hoss. He looked like he was about to throw up. “Nathan Adiv Ben David,” he said unconfidently. He had clearly been rehearsing it to get the pronunciation correct. It was almost right… almost. He paused. “Look, I’m not big on speaking in front of people unless I’m reading them the riot act or some shit. So this will be short. When we first saw your Pledge Profile, we were all like ‘Who the fuck is this guy and why is he here?’ When I first met you I didn’t know what to expect. To be honest, I thought you’d bomb the interview and I’d choose the other guy. But you surprised the fuck out of me. Out of all of us. The second you wiped the motor oil on your pants, I knew you weren’t the prissy little momma’s boy I thought you were. You’re caring, honest, and above all, real. Everyone says Cody is the heart of your class, but they’re wrong. You are. You brought out a side of me that I didn’t know I had. And your mom makes the best lekach I ever ate!” There was a chuckle from the crowd. Hoss looked like he was about to say something else, but swallowed the words. Instead, he tore Nate’s shirt away like Danny had, saying “Beast Mode!” in a wimpy and nasal imitation of Danny’s voice. Danny flipped him off, laughing along with everyone, as Hoss threw Nate’s shirt in the fire.
Brett took center stage again. “As their Pledge uniforms burn away, so too does their childhood,” he said. “They are now, before all of you, men of TUG.” Scott stepped forward and handed each Senior a new white shirt, keeping one for himself. They each turned to show them to the crowd. They were the same design as the upperclassmen’s, but white instead of red. They had the TUG logo on the breast, and the Freshmen’s names and epithets embroidered on the backs. “These are for you,” Brett said to the Freshmen. “Wear them with pride.” All 15 Brothers erupted in cheers and rushed the four bound Freshmen. They were untied and carried off the basketball court to the dance floor, where four thrones had been set up. Each was given their new TUG shirt, which they eagerly put on, as well as a Party City crown. Nate recognized them as the same ones from the hilltop. They sat down on the thrones, feeling on top of the world.
The party was far from over, but now it revolved around the Four. They were waited on hand and foot. The Actives got them drinks. Scott played their favorite songs from the DJ booth. They danced, ate, drank, and made VERY merry. None had felt such a complete sense of acceptance and belonging. Even Ray, who was used to adoration and popularity, was shocked at the sense of love and brotherhood being shared. His mind drifted back to Travis and he began to feel a little guilty. While he was playing King of the World, Travis was still trapped in the DIX house. While he was surrounded with love and camaraderie, Travis was in a nightmare of abuse and humiliation. These dark thoughts soured his enjoyment of the evening, but he kept them to himself.
“OK, everyone,” Scott said into the mic sometime after 1 a.m. “It’s almost time to call it a night, but there’s one thing left to do. That’s right, it’s time for the Costume Contest awards! We’ve been polling you all night, and Bryan has tabulated the votes. We have three categories: Best Group or Pair, Funniest, and Best Overall.” Bryan handed Scott three sealed envelopes. He opened the first and said “And the winners are…”
Coming Soon: Chapter 6 - Brokeback Basement
So now we have another poll. Who do you all think should win the awards? Reply or PM me and the winners will be announced when the next chapter comes up in two weeks.
“Hey, have you seen Cody anywhere?” Nate asked.
“Last I saw he was playing Truth or Dare,” Trey said. “About an hour ago.”
“Yeah,” Nate said, the concern rising in his voice. “I got that. A lot of people said that, but no one has seen him since then.”
“Tak and the others went back to check on him to see if he managed to get loose,” Trey said, “but he wasn’t there. Guess he got free on his own and went off somewhere. Maybe he went back to the dorms to lick his wounds? Maybe he found a nice piece of ass and wanted some privacy?”
“Maybe,” Nate said, unconvinced. “I’ve tried calling and texting, but he’s not answering.”
Trey laughed. He said “Look, little homie. If Cody’s got his dick planted in something he’s not gonna answer the fucking phone, bro. Just be cool and don’t blow up his spot. Give him a break. If he doesn’t come back to the dorms tonight, try calling him again in the morning. But not too early.”
Nate had gotten similar advice from Hoss, Brett, and Danny, as well. Leo also seemed nonplussed by Cody’s absence. Mason and Ray did seem a little concerned, but didn’t think there was any need to panic. Cody was a social creature and he was probably off with someone or other. “There you go again, Nate,” Nate thought. “Always getting worried at the slightest provocation. Scott’s right. I’m going to get an ulcer before I’m 20.”
Nate wandered back to the side yard where Cody was last seen and looked around. He wanted to take just one more look around before giving up. He saw scuff marks in the dirt, but that was probably from his struggling to free himself from his bonds after the game. There were no discarded ropes or tape on the ground, but then again, Cody wasn’t the type to leave a mess. He would have cleaned up afterwards. Nate smiled in spite of himself. “Always diligent,” he thought. But then he noticed one of the garbage pails was missing. That was odd. Most of the others were stuffed to the brim with trash and empty bottles and cans, but the blank space against the wall of the house was noticeable. Nate looked puzzled and headed out into the front yard.
The DIX house was quiet and the other houses in the cul-du-sac were, too. Cars were parked all up and down the street. From an upper window of the DIX House, Nate saw Travis looking down at the TUG party with a melancholy expression. When he saw that Nate noticed him, he looked out the window to his right and pointed down the road. Then he quickly disappeared back into the house. Nate looked in the direction Travis pointed and saw the missing garbage pail, lying discarded on the street near the corner to the main road.
He walked over and picked it back up. It was dirty, and Nate noticed scuff marks on the inside. Maybe the others put something in there without a bag? No. He saw the bags of leaves and yard clippings at the bottom. The pails were new. Brett would have a hairy canary if he saw one got damaged already. Nate shrugged his shoulders and wheeled the pail back to the house, putting it back in its place against the wall. Just then, his phone buzzed. It was a text. From Cody!
It read “Sorry for ghosting. Dad called. Something serious is going down at home and he needs me for a few days. Let the others know.”
Nate responded “What’s wrong?!?!”
The response came slowly, like Cody was typing, deleting it, and typing it again. “Can’t talk now. I’ll explain later.”
Nate felt a surge of relief. “See!” he thought. “Always worrying over nothing. I hope LJ is all right, but at least we know Cody is OK.” He was so relieved to get the message that he completely missed the fact that Cody had never referred to LJ as “Dad” even once since they met.
Running back to the party, Nate saw Hoss and Brett talking at the edge of the basketball court. The whole area had been cleared and the guests were milling around the outer edges. Like they were expecting something to happen. On the court itself, the Sophomores and Juniors were setting up five structures in a row, side by side. Boxes about five feet square and three feet high. He also saw five small fire pits being arranged a few feet in front of each one: a ring of stones with an old concave metal dish in the middle. The insides were charred and black. But Nate didn’t have time to consider the implications of that. Instead, he opened his phone to Cody’s text and excitedly showed it to Hoss and Brett, interrupting their conversation.
“I just heard from Cody,” he said. “Look!”
Brett looked at the message and handed the phone to Hoss. He said “So Cody went AWOL? That’s not like him. Sounds like he had a good reason, though. Still, it messes up our plans for the grand finale.” Hoss read the message and called over Omar. He told him to remove one of the boxes.
“Grand finale?” Nate asked, watching Omar and Brandon remove a box with a great deal of suspicion.
Brett grinned. “It’s a ritual,” he said. “So you know it’s important. It’s a big step for you Pledges. Hoss, you can get him ready? I have to go and find my Little Bro and drag him out of whatever hole he’s wriggled himself into.” Brett wandered off into the crowd and Nate saw Ray and Shane heading into the house. No sign of Mason and Danny. They must already be inside, he thought.
Hoss put his mammoth hand on Nate’s shoulder and said “Come on. We’ve got to get you changed.”
“Changed?” Nate thought. “On Halloween? Into what?”
Hoss led him into the house and up to his room on the third floor. Nate had never been in here before, and not just because of the new construction. Hoss was very protective of his personal space and Nate could tell that it was a very big deal to be allowed in here. He was probably the only one to be allowed in here other than Scott. The room was larger than the ones on the lower floors, fitting for seniors, and had its own private bathroom. The Juniors and Sophomores had to share a hall bath. Hoss’ room was simple and plain, but kept spotlessly clean with few decorations. A half-assembled carburetor laid on the desk on top of a dropsheet and there were two prominent wall hangings. The first was a three-foot tall representation of the “TYΓ” logo made with empty chaw cans and mounted to a green felt board. Some art project from long past. The second was a huge blown-up color photo in an ornate frame.
The photo depicted the TUG seniors at the Greek Week athletic competition in some previous year. Possibly last year? They must have just won a big football game. Hoss was featured prominently in the center, barechested and dripping with sweat, in a celebratory stance. His TUG t-shirt was off and clutched in his left hand near his waist. His right hand was raised above his head and held a trophy high into the air. The picture was snapped in mid-motion and showed the other seniors rushing at Hoss with jubilant looks on their faces, reaching out to embrace him in congratulations. Hoss’ expression was a battle snarl of triumph, and a black eye was beginning to form on the right side of his face. He looked like a champion gladiator who had just slain a hydra. Always the consummate artist, Nate had to give notice to the quality of the photo. It captured the moment of triumph and victory at exactly the perfect moment. He could almost feel the testosterone radiating from it. He just couldn’t look away. He stood motionless, just inside the doorway, as Hoss went to his closet and retrieved something.
“You OK over there?” Hoss chuckled as he turned over his shoulder to look at Nate. He was holding two hangers in his hand, each with an outfit on it. Nate saw the unmistakable red-and-camo pairing of the TUG upperclassmen’s ritual garb, but he couldn’t see the other behind it. Hoss noticed Nate staring at the picture and smiled. He said “Greek Week last year. We beat DIX in the football tournament finals.” There was real pride in his voice.
“What happened to your face?” Nate said, walking over and touching the glass frame just over where Hoss’ black eye was forming. Hoss chuckled.
“Clay wanted to play rough,” Hoss said with a smile. “Elbowed me in the face during a play and claimed it was an accident. Asshole. But it’s OK. You should have seen what he looked like after the next down.” Nate smiled. Hoss was… such a boy. Nate wondered how he managed to land such a prize. Hypermasculinity oozing from every pore, but not one ounce of it toxic. Hoss was loyal, protective, caring (even though he tried not to show it), and non-judgmental. He began to wonder just what it was Hoss saw in him.
Hoss handed Nate the second hanger. On it was just two simple items: a plain white cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans. It was his pledge uniform, collected and spirited away by someone or other when he changed into his Halloween costume. Hoss said “Hurry up and get dressed” and began to slip out of his spandex supersuit. Even though he had seen it before, Nate always had to stop and gasp at Hoss’ bare form. The photo was one thing, but it was even better in person, with extra months of work with Danny adding to his bulk and definition. Nate had seen Hoss in various states of undress before… all the way to the full monty… but this was somehow different. There were no pretensions. No costumes or gimmicks. It was simple and casual. Comfortable. Like it was no big thing at all. Hoss stripped down to his birthday suit (the supersuit left no room for undergarments) and turned to face Nate. His gigantic organ flopped nearly 2/3 of the way down his thighs. He really was a hung as his namesake. The scrawny Freshman was blushing as he took the clothes from Hoss and tried not to be obvious about his gawking.
“You still get embarrassed,” Hoss said with a grin as he idly scratched his balls. Nate felt flutters in his stomach. “That’s cute.” He gave Nate a quick kiss before turning back to get dressed.
Nate hurriedly began to change out of his costume. He and Hoss had only been a “thing” for a few weeks, but he still marveled at how fast the big man had adjusted to it. Nate had never been in a relationship before and was unsure of what to do or how to act. Hoss had very clearly never been with a man before, but the novelty of the situation didn’t seem to phase him in the slightest. Another challenge for him to overcome, Nate thought. He looked around the room as he dressed, taking in all the Hoss-ness of it, for lack of a better word. The bookshelf was filled with law books and criminal justice manuals, but the top was adorned with plastic spittoons in a variety of novelty patterns. Two very expensive-looking professional-grade fishing poles leaned against the corner of the far wall. There were framed family pictures on top of the dresser, showing parents and a sister that Nate knew immediately were Hoss’ family. They all had the same square face and wide jaw (poor girl). But there were no pictures of Hoss. Come to think of it, Nate hadn’t seen any pictures of Hoss that were dated before early last year around the House. Nothing from his Freshman or Sophomore years. It was almost like he didn’t exist before then. He decided to ask about it.
After getting into his t-shirt and jeans, Nate picked up a photo of the little girl’s birthday party. It was at one of those pizza places with animatronic animals playing rock-n-roll instruments in the background. He held it up and said “Is this your family?”
Hoss nodded. “Yup,” he said. “Mom, Dad, and my sister Bessie. That’s her fifth birthday party. I was 11 or 12 at the time.”
“I’d like to meet them someday,” Nate said.
“You will,” Hoss replied. “You didn’t get a chance to meet them when they came up after the fire, but they’ll definitely come up again for Greek Week in the spring. They’ll probably be here around Christmastime, too.” Nate felt giddy. “I met your parents, it seems only fair you meet mine.”
“I’m glad they’re OK with… us,” Nate said. Based on the way they looked in the pictures, he had drawn all kinds of conclusions about how they would react to their hyper-macho son being in a relationship with another guy.
“Whoa there,” Hoss said. “I never said that.” Nate was confused. “They weren’t happy about it when I told them about you, but I said it’s my life and my choice and they’d better zip their damn lips if they want to keep me in their lives. Dad had the balls to say ‘As long as you’re the pitcher, I guess.’ I nearly belted him one right there.” Hoss was clearly upset, but did his best not to show it. He just said “Not all parents are as cool as yours.”
Nate had never heard his parents referred to as “cool” before and it threw him a little. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized how lucky he was. They had adjusted his relationship with Hoss instantly and accepted him immediately as part of the family. Nate had thought that’s just how all families were. But hearing this from Hoss made him appreciate his parents even more. “We’re a people that has had to adapt to changing circumstances for 5,000 years,” his dad had said. “Something like this is a blessing compared to what we’ve had to deal with.”
Hoss continued. “When I told him I was seeing you, Dad hollered something fierce. He said ‘So you’re a fag now, are ya?’ I said ‘Darn tootin’ I am. And my boyfriend is a Jew, too. You got a problem with either of that? If you want to have words I’m more than happy to oblige. And if you want it to be more than words you’ll find that this fag will lay you out on your bony ass. If you think you can still whup me you’re sadly mistaken, old man.’ Bessie calmed him down and he kept his opinions to himself the rest of the night, but I could tell he wasn’t happy. But you know what? Fuck him. I’m on my own now and I don’t need his approval for shit.”
Nate was floored. Hoss was so confident and independent! He wondered if he had it in him to tell off his parents like that. Not that he could foresee a reason to ever do so, but still… At that moment, Hoss was like a hero in a fantasy novel. A knight, defending his honor.
“I still love the old coot,” Hoss said. “And they’ll come around once they meet you. I know they will. But they make me so mad sometimes I could shit diamonds. They think we live in a world that went away 50 years ago. Well, not Bessie, at least. But she’s only 15. Not much she can say when they go on a damn fool rant about something or other.”
Nate decided to change the subject. As grateful as he was that he had a protector that would potentially jeopardize his relationship with his family for him, he could see that this was causing Hoss pain. “How come there aren’t any pictures of you?” he said.
Hoss paused. “I’m the one taking ‘em all,” he said. “They’re not as good as yours, but I think they’re pretty decent.” He chuckled, but Nate knew right away he was hiding something. He was a terrible liar. And Hoss picked right up on that. He said, “Look, I don’t like talking about it. I’ll show you later if you really want me to, but right now we have somewhere to be.”
Nate took Hoss’ hand and said “If you don’t want to show me, you don’t have to,” he said. “If it makes you uncomfortable, forget I said anything. If you have a secret to show me, don’t do it an instant before you’re ready.”
Hoss squeezed Nate’s hand in understanding. His grip was so strong that Nate let out a small yelp. Hoss chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck in an adorably awkward way. “Guess I don’t know my own strength sometimes,” he said sheepishly. He took Nate’s hand again, gentler this time, and led him out of the room and down the stairs to the yard.
---
Nate could feel the energy as he approached the kitchen door. It was similar to what he felt watching from the hilltop on his first day at school. There was tension. Expectation. Almost a palpable charge in the air. Leo, Ray, and Mason were already waiting with their Big Brothers when he arrived, all silent and slightly nervous. They could tell something big was going to happen. Scott was present, but since his Little Bro was not around, he stood off to the side, slightly apart from the others. And he didn’t look happy about it. But nothing could be done about that now. When all four were present, Brett nodded and said “Let’s get them ready.”
Without even thinking, the four Pledges stood at attention. Brett was switching into Ritual Mode and there were forms that needed to be obeyed. The four stood straight-backed with shoulders back as they crossed their wrists behind their backs.
Each of the Seniors took the length of white silky rope that had been hanging from their belts and prepped it for use, folding it in half and forming a bight. Nate relaxed and offered no resistance as Hoss walked behind him and gently brought his hands into the desired position. He blinked as Hoss began to bind his wrists behind him in ritual fashion with soft and silky rope. Hoss wasn’t known for great his manual dexterity, and his ropework was normally clumsy and amateurish, but this one style of binding was clearly well-practiced. It seemed to be the official TUG standard for restraining Underclassmen. Nate’s wrists were lovingly wrapped in the smooth cord, which was woven together in an intricate crisscross pattern. The touch of Hoss’s skin against his always made him a little weak-kneed, and Hoss chuckled when he noticed his Little Bro getting hot and bothered by his roping. “Settle down there, compadre,” Hoss grinned. “We have work to do before we can play.” Nate felt Hoss’ hand gently pat him on the shoulder from behind as the rope was securely knotted and the binding was complete.
Each pair of Brothers was off in their own world as the ritual binding was going on. They were each sharing an intimate tender moment, although a vastly different one than he and Hoss were. How different they all were, but how perfectly matched. Nate had heard the term “found family” before, but now he was beginning to experience for himself what that meant. When the last rope was knotted and the last shoulder patted, Brett signaled Scott to begin. Scott nodded and opened the door leading out to the backyard.
The guests, still in costume, were standing around the edge of the basketball court, buzzing and whispering. The Underclassmen were arranged on the basketball court in a line, shoulder to shoulder, facing the house. They began to stamp their feet in a steady rhythm, which was taken up by the watching crowd. The four bound Freshmen were marched out of the house and brought forth in a grand procession, single-file, with their Big Bro guiding them by the shoulder. Nate felt like it was some sort of primitive sacrificial ritual. Like they were going to be fed to an angry sun god. And each stamping foot sent ripples down his spine. The single-mindedness of thought from the Underclassmen was so strong he could almost feel it.
As the group approached the basketball court, the line of Underclassmen parted, and Nate saw full-out what had been set up earlier. The four small platforms had been dressed, covered in a red-and-gold tug drape. Extending out of the center of each platform and jutting straight up into the air was an eight-foot-tall wooden beam. Almost like a stake for burning witches. No, exactly like a stake for burning witches. The fire circles that laid before each stake reinforced that image. Nate rode the wave of tension, slightly scared, as Hoss marched him over to the last platform. When they stopped, Hoss picked him up as he would a fussy child, lifted him off the ground, and stood him on the platform, his back against the pole.
Nate felt the knots and flaws of the wood against his back through the flimsy cotton of his t-shirt. Standing on the box, he had to look slightly down to see Hoss. Hoss looked him in the eye and gave him a reassuring smile before bending down and getting to work. All Nate could see was the red and white paisley pattern of the bandana that covered Hoss’ hair as the big man adjusted his arms and legs into a straight-and-tall posture position.
He looked down as he saw the white rope being snaked around his ankles, securing him to the pole. It almost felt like he was being prepped for a firing squad. The ankle binding was not as thorough as the wrists, he noticed, but it was effective enough for what it was intended for. It’s not like he was going to try to jump off the box and run away, after all. The rope wound around his chest that tethered him fully to the pole was tighter than he would have liked, though. Hoss has clearly made a misjudgment in his size and pulled the ropes a little too taut for his comfort. But it wasn’t that bad. Not if it was Hoss doing it. The rope encircled his arms and chest, as well as the pole. He was held fast to the wooden stake. Ready for whatever was coming.
“Are you going to sacrifice us or something?” Leo quipped. “Is King Kong going to come tearing around the house and eat us?”
“Jesus Christ,” Brett said, playfully slapping Leo upside the head. “Can’t you be quiet for five minutes, brah? This ritual doesn’t include a gag, but I might make an exception in the protocol if you don’t keep your mouth shut.” Leo chuckled and relented, biting his tongue and saying no more.
Jacquan stood in front of the dish positioned in front of Leo’s stake with a barbecue lighter in his hand. Each dish had been filled with wood and paper and there was a noticeable smell of lighter fluid. After getting a nod from Brett, Jaquan ignited the fire in front of Leo. The other TUG actives gave a guttural cheer and Jaquan moved on to the next dish, the one in front of Ray. “This must be a ceremonial duty for the Junior Class president,” Nate thought. He had been studying the ritual practices outlined in the Pledge Handbook. The structure and tradition of the rituals intrigued him. He thought about whether there was a position in the Frat hierarchy for a Historian. That was probably part of the Secretary’s job. He made a note to ask Shane about that when this was all over.
When the last fire was lit and the TUG men cheered the last time, Jaquan put the lighter down on the table and took his place in the formation. Brett took center stage. The place he was born to be. All eyes focused immediately on him as he raised his arms into the air like a cult leader about to give Communion.
“Brothers and cherished guests,” he said. “We are here to celebrate five boys as they take their first step into manhood. One is not present, but he is with us in spirit. All that happens here applies to him, as well.” The TUG Brothers gave a loud “Hut!” in response, in perfect synchronicity. Brett turned to face the Four. From their positions bound to the four stakes, the Pledges became the center of all focus. Brett walked in between and around the stakes, drawing all eyes to the four tied Pledges as he spoke. “They have been with us for two months now and we have gotten to know them all.” As he walked past Nate, he said “Some of us have gotten to know them VERY well.” A low chuckle rose from the TUG brothers. Nate turned several shades of red.
“The Pledge period is a time of testing,” Brett said. “Simply getting a bid does not assure you a position among us. It is the content of your character and the growth you undertake that decides that. And each of you have passed. Not all do, so you should be proud.” There was a cheer from the crowd. “And what have you all learned? How have you all grown? As we explore this, the remnants of your pledgeship will be torn away and burned and you will take your place as official TUG members with all due rights and privileges.”
There was another “Hut!” from the Brothers. Brett smiled and broke character slightly as he said “But don’t forget you’re still Freshmen. You still have to do what your older brothers say and clean the house and all that. Don’t get swelled heads now.” The crowd chuckled. Brett walked over to Leo’s stake. He faced his Little Bro, bound to the pole before the crackling fire, and spoke so all could hear.
“Leomund Mordenkainen Bucknard,” he said. “You came to us as a snarky little punk who didn’t care about anything but himself. Always running a game or a con. Always with an ulterior motive. Completely untrustworthy.” He paused while the crowd focused their attention on Leo. “You are still all of those things, except for one. You have learned to care for others. You put yourself on the line during the Pledge Hunt to protect your Brothers. You put yourself at great personal risk to help us take down the corrupt Mayor and nearly died in the process. You have taken a Brother who needed guidance and structure and helped him to come out of his shell and connect with others. And all of it with no promise of reward. For the generosity of spirit that I knew was there when I chose you as my Pledge, I recognize you.”
Brett stood up on the box next to Leo. He took a pair of scissors and cut the collar of Leo’s pledge T-shirt down to his breastbone. Then he grabbed the ends and tore it in half, pulling the torn rags through the ropes around Leo’s chest until he dislodged it and held the tattered garment up for all to see. He said “As we burn this symbol of your pledgeship, know that you walk through the flames and emerge from the other side as our Brother.” Brett tossed the rag into the fire pit. The Brothers cheered as it started to smoke and smolder.
“Raymond Alistair Padraic Flannery,” Shane said, stepping up on the box. “Confident. Dominant. Leader of the Pack. All qualities that people desire. But those things can be found in DIX, as well. You’d have excelled there, but I chose you to be with us instead. And why? Because I could tell you were not just another meathead jock looking for another trophy for his mantle. You’re shortsighted and headstrong, but when the chips were down you were willing to sacrifice your spot for another. Like Leo, you showed us that you cared about someone more than yourself. Even now you’re thinking of how to help someone, but we’ll discuss that later. You showed us that you can cast off others’ expectations and their views of who you should be and that you can be true to yourself and your friends. And for that, I recognize you.” Shane cut off Ray’s pledge t-shirt and threw it in the flames at the foot of his stake.
There was a smattering of whistles and hoots when Ray’s bare chest was exposed to the crowd. From his place off to the side, Scott said “Really? We’re trying to have a poignant moment here, you thirsty bitches!” The crowd chuckled along with him and regained their composure.
“Mason Stuart Osborne,” said Danny, stepping into place before Mason. “What can I say? You came to us as a timid little dweeb afraid to even talk to people. And now look at you! King Stud! MC of the auction. Man about town. You’ve grown so much in such a short time. You’re still trying to find yourself, though, and we will be here for you every step of your journey.” He didn’t bother to use the scissors to remove Mason’s shirt. He just ripped it apart with his bare hands yelling “Beast Mode!” Scott rolled his eyes, but the crowd hooted and hollered. Mason, who had always been squeamish about being barechested in front of others, seemed comfortable and poised against the pole. The results of his training with Danny and the ROTC guys were beginning to show. He smiled as he felt his confidence surging and his old self-consciousness melting further and further away. Danny turned to Mason as he tossed the shirt into the fire and said “And you don’t have to keep the hairdo anymore. That was for Pledges and you’re not a Pledge anymore. You’re fully one of us now.”
“I may keep it,” Mason said with a wry smile. “I kinda dig it.” Danny grinned and said “That’s my Little Bro!”
All eyes turned to Hoss. He looked like he was about to throw up. “Nathan Adiv Ben David,” he said unconfidently. He had clearly been rehearsing it to get the pronunciation correct. It was almost right… almost. He paused. “Look, I’m not big on speaking in front of people unless I’m reading them the riot act or some shit. So this will be short. When we first saw your Pledge Profile, we were all like ‘Who the fuck is this guy and why is he here?’ When I first met you I didn’t know what to expect. To be honest, I thought you’d bomb the interview and I’d choose the other guy. But you surprised the fuck out of me. Out of all of us. The second you wiped the motor oil on your pants, I knew you weren’t the prissy little momma’s boy I thought you were. You’re caring, honest, and above all, real. Everyone says Cody is the heart of your class, but they’re wrong. You are. You brought out a side of me that I didn’t know I had. And your mom makes the best lekach I ever ate!” There was a chuckle from the crowd. Hoss looked like he was about to say something else, but swallowed the words. Instead, he tore Nate’s shirt away like Danny had, saying “Beast Mode!” in a wimpy and nasal imitation of Danny’s voice. Danny flipped him off, laughing along with everyone, as Hoss threw Nate’s shirt in the fire.
Brett took center stage again. “As their Pledge uniforms burn away, so too does their childhood,” he said. “They are now, before all of you, men of TUG.” Scott stepped forward and handed each Senior a new white shirt, keeping one for himself. They each turned to show them to the crowd. They were the same design as the upperclassmen’s, but white instead of red. They had the TUG logo on the breast, and the Freshmen’s names and epithets embroidered on the backs. “These are for you,” Brett said to the Freshmen. “Wear them with pride.” All 15 Brothers erupted in cheers and rushed the four bound Freshmen. They were untied and carried off the basketball court to the dance floor, where four thrones had been set up. Each was given their new TUG shirt, which they eagerly put on, as well as a Party City crown. Nate recognized them as the same ones from the hilltop. They sat down on the thrones, feeling on top of the world.
The party was far from over, but now it revolved around the Four. They were waited on hand and foot. The Actives got them drinks. Scott played their favorite songs from the DJ booth. They danced, ate, drank, and made VERY merry. None had felt such a complete sense of acceptance and belonging. Even Ray, who was used to adoration and popularity, was shocked at the sense of love and brotherhood being shared. His mind drifted back to Travis and he began to feel a little guilty. While he was playing King of the World, Travis was still trapped in the DIX house. While he was surrounded with love and camaraderie, Travis was in a nightmare of abuse and humiliation. These dark thoughts soured his enjoyment of the evening, but he kept them to himself.
“OK, everyone,” Scott said into the mic sometime after 1 a.m. “It’s almost time to call it a night, but there’s one thing left to do. That’s right, it’s time for the Costume Contest awards! We’ve been polling you all night, and Bryan has tabulated the votes. We have three categories: Best Group or Pair, Funniest, and Best Overall.” Bryan handed Scott three sealed envelopes. He opened the first and said “And the winners are…”
Coming Soon: Chapter 6 - Brokeback Basement
So now we have another poll. Who do you all think should win the awards? Reply or PM me and the winners will be announced when the next chapter comes up in two weeks.
Last edited by wataru14 1 year ago, edited 1 time in total.
A chapter well worth the wait! I'm loving Nate and Hoss' continued development in their relationship. And I really enjoy Nate thinking more about his future role in the Frat.
The ceremony was great, and everyone's personalities shined through. I'm mad that Cody was forced to miss it, though. Hopefully the Brothers put some pieces together soon and help our waylaid cowboy!
PMed my vote for the costume contest! Can't wait to see the results!
The ceremony was great, and everyone's personalities shined through. I'm mad that Cody was forced to miss it, though. Hopefully the Brothers put some pieces together soon and help our waylaid cowboy!
PMed my vote for the costume contest! Can't wait to see the results!
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KidnappedCowboy
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You have me on the edge of my seat wondering what has happened to Cody! 
But more importantly, you have my heart melting over Hoss and Nate!
But more importantly, you have my heart melting over Hoss and Nate!
I'm still drsperately fearful for Cody, but loving the continued camaraderie and ritualistic prowess of the TUG boys! I feel like Scott and Nate are close to putting the pieces together, and Travis has the final bit of info. It all connects!
I'm so proud of the ex-pledges, the new TUG Brothers! And my heart aches for Hoss and his family. And my head worried for Cody. I'm so impressed by your ability to so skilfully weave together these emotional beats!
I'm so proud of the ex-pledges, the new TUG Brothers! And my heart aches for Hoss and his family. And my head worried for Cody. I'm so impressed by your ability to so skilfully weave together these emotional beats!
Another fantastic chapter! It was great seeing the pledges become Men of TUG! And too bad Cody did not get to be a part of that ceremony. Love how things are working out between Hoss and Nate. But cannot fully understand how Nate dismissed the garbage can after Travis made him aware it was down the street... I am split as to whether Cody's kidnapping will end up being a good or bad situation. 
I haven’t gotten a lot of responses on the costume contest, so I’ll give it another chapter before announcing the winners. Readers can post choices or PM me with them. There are pictures in the chapters of (almost) everyone to help you remember.
Chapter 6: Brokeback Basement
Cody couldn’t see a thing. His world had gone dark as soon as he was lifted out of the garbage pail and slid into the flatbed of the pickup truck. Before his equilibrium could return after being upside-down, a blindfold was slapped across his eyes. All he could see was the Scream mask scant inches from his face before everything went black. He felt thick straps enwrapping his body, keeping him tethered in the bed of the truck. It would be stupid for him to try to get out of the cab without use of his eyes, but his captor seemingly didn’t want to take any chances. “He’s being very careful with me,” Cody thought. “That’s a good sign. He doesn’t want me ‘damaged.’” But it was little comfort as the tarp was unfurled and spread across his body, masking him from any prying eyes.
He had no idea what was going on. At first he thought it was a ransom kidnapping, but he and LJ didn’t have any money to speak of. Anyone who was “stalking” him would surely know that. His ride to college was being paid by the rodeo as part of the settlement with LJ. It wasn’t a copycat of his kidnapping two years ago since LJ hadn’t ridden competitively since then. Was it some kind of fraternity prank? He doubted it was DIX, as they would be stupid to try something like this after what had gone down previously. Maybe it was TKL? Or Nu Epsilon Rho Delta? Doing some good-natured mischief? Cody could appreciate that, if it was the case. Hell, he'd congratulate them for their ingenuity and planning. But as the truck began to pull away and he was jostled around by the movement along the road, his thoughts began to darken. “What if it’s some kind of sex maniac? That’s what you get for giving free tickets to anyone who happened to show up at a ‘slave auction,’” he thought.
If his captor was some sort of pervert, Cody thought, he must be really dedicated. And desperate. Snatching someone from a crowded party from under the watchful eye of several tons of angry beef wouldn’t be an easy task. The risk involved and the uncertainty of whether circumstances would align for the capture to take place? It was a million-to-one chance. Was this just a random snatching of opportunity? No, it couldn’t be. He knew this was intentional, and that made it all the more chilling. And as he was carried out of the truck bed, into some kind of building, and down a set of stairs, it became even more chilling when he realized that his captor was strong enough to carry him in his dead-weight state with little effort. This was not someone to trifle with.
But his captor hadn’t done anything untoward to him… yet. In fact, after he had been brought down here, they barely had any contact at all. Which was making Cody uneasy. After he was carried down, he was placed on some sort of table on his knees. He was still hogtied with the various materials from the party, so his unseen captor balanced him on his kneecaps while he cut the hogtie and allowed Cody to put his legs down to steady himself using his toes. From there, Cody felt a rope tied around each bicep and pulled tightly out, roughly parallel to the floor, before being anchored to something away from the table. This helped to steady him, but also made it impossible for him to move off the table. If he moved either way, the rope on his opposite arm would pull against him. He heard his captor’s muffled voice say “Let’s get some of this unnecessary shit off you.”
The cloth around his forehead that was pinning his head back was removed first. It had forced Cody to stare straight ahead for a while now. In the position he was bound in currently, he had to look straight up and he had a major kink in his neck when he able to lower his head to its natural resting position. As he began to feel some degree of comfort for the first time in a while, Cody felt the bungee cords around his torso being unhitched. His legs were also cramping from supporting his weight while flush together, but his captor mercifully took a pair of scissors and slashed the duct tape. It made an oddly satisfying squelching sound as it was peeled away from Cody’s tight leather pants. Finally, it was slid out from under him in one large sheet. Cody sighed as he spread his legs, giving himself a more comfortable base to kneel on and more evenly distribute his weight – a tripod between his knees and his toes. His booted feet were still secured together at the ankles and with tape over the bridges of his feet. Besides his foot bindings, anything that wasn’t rope was cut away and removed. Almost like his captor was going for a classic aesthetic: white rope over black leather. Cody could breathe more easily now that a few layers of restraints were removed, but he was still securely bound beyond his ability to escape.
He took a moment to get his bearings. The ropes were tight across his chest, pressing deeply into the leather of his Elvis costume. The slick material was flush against his skin and was trapping the sweat inside, making him wet and clammy. As much as he liked the touch, he was definitely feeling a downside to his fetish right about now. He tried weakly to wriggle free from his bonds, but he knew there was little point in it. He didn’t know his captor’s level of roping skill, but that didn’t factor into the equation at the moment. He had been bound by Brandon, Pablo, Takeski, and Shane – four TUG Actives who had been doing this for years. And they didn’t tie him in a half-assed demonstration for the rubes. They had gone all out for an escape challenge. And TUG never went easy on escape challenges. Ray could attest to that. His wrists were imprisoned with clothesline and secured to the elaborate and intricate harness that crisscrossed his chest. Some of it bit into the skin where his lapels had been pulled apart to expose his chest. His waist and crotch were framed in another harness, meant as much for display as it was for restraint. His legs were (now) relatively unfettered, but his ankles were tightly secured, forcing the soles of his boots together along the inner edge of his instep. And his feet were lashed together, side by side, with the super-strong tape over the bridge and around under the sole. Quite a thorough and effective job.
Cody recoiled slightly when he felt gloved hands on his chest, but the ropes at his sides made him unable to move in any direction. The hands began to unbutton the shirt part of his leather jumpsuit even lower beneath the bands of Shane’s rope chest harness. The thick fingers pulled and tugged at the lapels and slid them apart, exposing a fuller, but still teasing, glimpse of Cody’s chest underneath. He resisted, of course, and squirmed as much as the ropes would allow, but all that did was cause the sound of creaking leather to waft through the room. There was a slight echo, which told Cody the walls were made of concrete or something similar. Maybe the basement of a house? When the hands pulled away, Cody squirmed in earnest, but quickly realized he wasn’t going anywhere. And the creaking of his leather jumpsuit while he wriggled just made his captor say “Mmmmm.” After that, he decided not to give the man any more ammunition and stayed still.
That was nearly an hour ago. And his captor had made no further contact with him. Cody got the feeling, though, that he was still here. Occasionally he heard the creek of couch springs, like someone sitting was shifting their weight. Every now and then he would hear the faint sound of a glass or bottle being placed on a wooden table. Like someone was taking a drink and putting the vessel down afterwards. Yes, his captor was still here, sitting silently and watching him. But not doing anything else. Cody realized he was positioned like this as a display. A position that would allow his unseen kidnapper to savor his catch at his leisure.
He felt a blast of heat and a low humming. He quickly realized that a very powerful light had been turned on and was illuminating him from the front left. That was where the heat was strongest, anyway. He heard footsteps coming toward him. Then he felt a hand reach out and… smooth down his hair. “You look a mess,” a deep male voice said. It was distorted, like it was being spoken through a filter or mask of some kind, but Cody could tell the voice was from someone younger. Probably around his age. And Cody did also manage to detect a hint of a western drawl.
Cody turned his head to follow the footsteps as they slowly paced around him. He squirmed and strained at his bonds, but he had been secured by several TUG upperclassmen. And that had been reinforced by his captor. He realized that struggling wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “Why am I so bad at escaping?” he thought. “I’ll need to work on that. I should be able to get out of this. Based on everything that’s happened in the past few weeks, we should all be boning up on that.”
Every now and then, the hands would return – each time coming from a different angle. Adjusting the ropes tied across his chest. Moving his head into a straightforward and postured position. Pulling the lapels of his open leather shirt a bit farther apart. Like he was being posed for a modeling shoot. Every so often, the muffled voice would say “That’s better” or “Yes, just like that.” But there was something about the voice that seemed vaguely familiar to Cody. Like he had heard it before. But he couldn’t focus enough to remember where.
The footsteps settled in front of him. Cody let his neck relax and his head droop a bit, but the gloved hands moved it back into an upright position whenever he did. Finally, he got the message and maintained his posture. After a few moments, when his captor realized he would kneel upright without further prodding, Cody felt the gag being removed. The tape pulled against his skin as it peeled away. It stung. A lot, but Cody gritted his teeth through it as best he could. Gloved fingers reached into his mouth and pulled out the sodden cloth that had been stuffed inbetween his jaws. His mouth was dry and sore.
“You didn’t start shouting,” the voice said. “That’s good.”
“I figure there’s no point in that,” Cody coughed. “If there was a possibility of someone hearing me you wouldn’t have taken the gag out in the first place.”
“Very true,” the voice said. “You always were more clever than anyone suspected.”
Cody paused “Always were?” So this is someone who knew him. And knew him a long time… “I need to keep him talking,” Cody thought. “He was careless and let a clue slip. If I can get him to talk enough, I might be able to figure out who he is. And where I am.”
“So what do you want with me?” Cody asked. “I’m not worth much of a ransom. My dad don’t have any money to speak of.”
“Oh, your friend Brett has plenty if that was what I wanted,” the voice said. “But that’s not what I’m after.”
“Then what are you after?”
“You have so many trophies. And I have none. Or at least that WAS true. Now I have my own trophy. The shiniest and grandest one of all. You.”
Cody didn’t like the sound of that one bit. He began to squirm and buck like mad, straining against the ropes that bound his arms and chest. But they didn’t budge. He tried to pull his legs apart, but his black leather booted feet were secured together. His wide kneeling stance kept him balanced, and when he shifted his position to get more leverage against the ropes, he felt himself becoming unstable and beginning to totter slightly.
“Ah ah ah!” the voice said. Cody felt the gloved hands reach out and steady him. He wasn’t kneeling on a box or a table, but… something thinner. He realized he didn’t have much room. “Be careful or you’ll fall off your pedestal.” Pedestal? Whoever this dude was, he was definitely treating him like a trophy: placing him on a display stand. “It’s not a long drop, but bound like you are you wouldn’t be able to break your fall and you could get hurt. I don’t want that to happen. You may not believe me right now, but it’s true.”
Cody definitely knew that voice. The word choices, the pacing and tone, the hint of an accent… even distorted through the mask, he could feel a sense of recognition and familiarity. But it was just out of reach. This was someone who knew him and someone he knew in return. But who? As he felt himself stabilized, he decided he needed to play it cool from this point on. Any sudden movements and he would tumble from his precarious position.
“That was an interesting story you told during Truth or Dare,” the voice said. Cody heard it drift away from him and then he heard the settling of the couch. His captor had decided to sit down again. “Tell me more about that boy.”
“Huh?” Cody said, turning his face to where he heard the voice coming from. “Why?”
“Don’t worry about why. Just know that it’s important.”
“Uh, OK. What do you want to know?”
“You said that he could kiss you if he wanted to. You never had a shortage of tail available to you. Why him?”
“I felt kinda sorry for him,” Cody said. “Having a drunk rodeo clown for a father would be hard on anyone. But he was always so quiet. Like he was afraid to talk to people. There weren’t many of us our age with the rodeo so we stuck together, but he always seemed to be on the outside of the group. He was always so sad.”
“So that’s it?” the voice said. “Pity?” There was an edge to his voice that sent a chill up Cody’s spine. “People talked about you at the party. Saint Cody. Always taking the poor, shy nerds under his wing. Like Mason and Nate. You felt like using him to fulfill your Mother Hen fetish, huh?”
“No, that’s not it at all,” Cody said. “…Well, maybe a little. Maybe I do have one of those… what does Shane call it?... ‘Savior Complexes.’ But that wasn’t it. People tell me I’m handsome and I’m naturally outgoing, so everyone thinks that they know what kind of person I’m attracted to. They think it’s another active type. But it’s not. When your whole life is loud, you’re better off with someone quiet. Someone who’s your opposite, but complements you.”
“Like a Yin to your Yang.”
“That’s how Nate puts it, yeah.”
“So the other one you talked about, the guy who ‘raises your hackles.’ It’s Nate, isn’t it? Committed relationship, improper for you to hook up?”
“No, it isn’t Nate,” Cody said. “From the first day we met, he was like my little brother. Hooking up with Nate would be weird. I think he wanted to at first, but changed his mind. Maybe that’s why he’s so drawn to Hoss. If he couldn’t have me, he’d have someone who’s similar on the surface…? No. That’s not it. I’m not egotistical enough to think that Nate’s using Hoss as a substitute for me. There’s something real there.”
“Ugh,” the voice said. “There you go again. So maddeningly pure and good.”
“I can’t help it,” Cody said. “It’s just who I am, I guess. Which is probably why I have a crush on the guy I do. Going back to that whole opposites thing. It’s not Nate, it’s Wade.”
“The ultimate good boy crushing on the ultimate bad boy,” the voice said. “I see. So where does that guy from your past figure into things?”
“I haven’t really thought about it in a while. It was only the question at the party that made me remember it, really. But if I ever met him again, I could see myself hanging out with him. Maybe more. I did think he was more interesting than he let on.”
“So why didn’t you kiss him yourself?”
“It wouldn’t be proper. With the kind of people we hung out with, if you read signals wrong and kissed the wrong dude you’d end up missing a few teeth for your troubles. He wasn’t the kind that would respond that way, but I thought ‘If I’m wrong and he doesn’t want to, then I’m giving the boys a lot of fuel to torment him with.’ They’d think I was Alpha flexing on him and would give him hell for it afterwards. I couldn’t do that to him. If I was wrong, it was better to not do nothin.’ If I was right, either he’d make a move or there’d be time later.”
Cody was met with silence in response. A long silence. “You still there?” Cody asked. He didn’t hear anyone leaving, but that doesn’t mean this guy didn’t exit the room without making noise. But there was no answer. Cody sat back on his haunches. If the guy was still there, he wasn’t in the mood for talking. He’d get no more out of him at the moment, that was for sure.
He knelt on his pedestal for a while. In silence. Was his captor still there? He didn’t hear anything. Deciding to go for it, Cody leaned his head down and tried to push the blindfold up from his eyes by rubbing it against his shoulder. He felt the pedestal totter slightly, and felt the cloth begin to slip, when he heard someone rush over and felt the hands on him again.
“No!” his captor said. “Not yet. It’s not time for you to see my face yet. Soon, but not now.”
Cody attempted to swallow, but his throat was dry. “You got something to drink? Water, beer, fruit juice? Anything? That gag dried me out something fierce.” Cody’s captor stood still for a moment, as if considering something. After a pregnant pause, he said “sure.”
Cody couldn’t see anything, but he heard footsteps walking away and what sounded like the door of a mini-fridge opening. After a few moments, he heard the footsteps returning. He felt a plastic bottle being held to his lips. “I have a sports drink,” the unseen captor said. “You need electrolytes besides hydration. Drink.” Cody slurped down the liquid. It was the blue flavor. He knew it well. It was always his favorite. Another sign that whoever was with him knew him personally.
But the flavor was off. There was something else. Something… bitter. Almost medicine-like. Cody began to slow down his drinking, but the man pushed the bottle up, forcing the entire thing into Cody’s mouth. If he didn’t gulp it all down, he would choke. Faced with no other alternative, Cody chugged the bottle’s entire contents. As soon as it was taken away, he began to feel lightheaded and groggy. His ears began to ring slightly and he felt his arms get sluggish. “What was… in that?” he gasped.
His captor just said “Shhhh,” and scooped him off the pedestal in his arms. For a moment, Cody was glad he did, or he would have toppled down to the floor as fatigue overcame him. “Just rest now,” his captor said. “Get some sleep. When you wake up, you’ll learn everything.” And Cody blacked out.
Travis stood in the garage of the DIX house, finally glad to get away from Clay and the others. They had grown tired of tormenting him and had retreated to the basement to get high, mercifully leaving him to his own devices. He had washed off the whore makeup and changed back into presentable clothes, but he didn’t dare go back inside the house. Instead, he stood on the threshold of the open garage door and listened to the sounds of the TUG party across the street. There was nothing going on in the front yard as everyone was around back, but he could see the garish decorations swaying in the night wind and the lights blasting up into the sky from the backyard. Every now and then he would hear a “Hut!” sound and some cheering coming from the party. But that ended when he heard Scott’s voice over a microphone talking about the costume contest. Normally he would have been curious, but Travis’ mind was currently focused elsewhere.
He couldn’t get that weird guy out of his mind. The one in the dollar-store Scream costume who was pushing one of TUG’s garbage pails down the cul-du-sac. Something wasn’t right. Nate had come by and retrieved the pail a while ago, but why would a guest at the party steal a garbage pail just to leave it lying on the road? Was he stealing their trash? Collecting a bag of empties to recycle for nickels? Was it an attempt at drunken vandalism? The pail was whole and undamaged when Nate wheeled it back to the house. It didn’t make sense. Frowning at the seeming randomness of the act, Travis decided to check it out for himself. He hurried down the driveway and into the street, moving past the sea of parked cars lining both sides. Finally, he came to the corner where there was an empty space. There wasn’t another in the entire Greek Quadrant of campus, so this must have been where that weird guy was parked. Travis knelt down and inspected the street.
The roads were kept well-maintained by the university, so everything was clean and the asphalt was flat and whole. Which is why the tire marks stood out so much. They started off thick and black, visible even against the dark pavement at night, and then quickly thinned out at a strange angle. “Like whoever was in this car gunned the gas real fast and took off,” Travis thought. He wasn’t a car junkie, but he could recognize that much. He had seen Clay doing enough donuts and burnouts in various parking lots while in high school to recognize tire marks like that. “Must have left in a hurry,” he thought. “I wonder why.”
Looking more closely, he saw drippings on the street, under where the chassis of the car would have been. “Not a student,” Travis thought. The university had a very strict policy on student cars. They had to be kept in good repair to be approved for parking on campus as the University didn’t want the roads to get damaged by leaking oil and fluids. Whoever drove this didn’t have a parking pass. And it wasn’t a rental, either. This person drove his own beater car out here and it was leaking… antifreeze by the smell of it. This definitely wasn’t a student car. Antifreeze was dangerous to animals, and the University would catch holy hell from student activist groups if squirrels or stray cats got sick from drinking it. Whoever drove this car…
Wait. Not car. Truck. The burn marks left by the tires were too wide and too far apart to be a car. He got a sinking feeling. He didn’t know what, but something was definitely wrong here. He took out his phone and texted Ray.
“How’s the party?” Travis held his breath. After how things had ended when they last saw each other, he wasn’t sure if Ray would respond. But his heart fluttered when he saw the ellipsis indicating a response was coming.
R: “Pretty wild. We just finished the costume contest.”
T: “Cool. I hope the five of you had fun.”
R: “We definitely did. Except Cody. He skipped out early. Some kind of family emergency or something.”
T: “???? What time?”
R: “Hour and a half ago I think.”
Travis froze. That was around the time that the Scream guy left... With a heavy garbage pail… That he left on the side of the road… Before peeling out and driving away like a maniac… And Cody left under mysterious circumstances… FUCK!
Travis didn’t say anything further to Ray. He couldn’t. No one would believe his suspicions. The actives still didn’t trust him and would think he was playing some kind of prank. The pledges would listen to him, but if Ray had an explanation for Cody’s departure, then whoever was driving that truck must have sent it. They’d think he was crazy. He opened the keypad of his phone and dialed the only number he could think of.
“Officer Santucci, Metro City PD. How can I help you?”
“Um, yeah… I’m calling from campus. There’s a party going on at the TUG house…”
“Look, paisan. If you’re calling the police to make a noise complaint against a frat party on a weekend, maybe you should re-evaluate your life choices. Consider why you hate life and fun so much. And anyway, that’s something for University Security to handle, not the city police. Have a good night.”
“NO WAIT!” Travis shouted. He was expecting Santucci to hang up anyway, but shockingly, he didn’t. “This is Travis… from DIX. No, don’t hang up. I think something happened. Something bad. I need to talk to someone about it. Can you come down to Fraternity Row?”
“DIX?” Santucci said. “I should hang up right now… but I won’t. And I’ll tell you why. Firstly, with all the shit DIX has stepped in these past few weeks they wouldn’t dare make a prank call to the outside police. Even stoned they’re not that stupid. Second. I know your name, kid. Brett said you’re OK. I have my doubts, but I’ll swallow them if Brett vouches for you. You say something bad happened? What? Is someone hurt?”
“I don’t know,” Travis said. “It’s weird. I just have this feeling that… look. I know it sounds crazy, but can you come down here and I’ll show you what I’m talking about. Please.”
Santucci thought for a moment and said “OK, kid, I will. But if you’re just jerking me around I’ll put you in the same cell your brother was in the other day for filing a false report. You better not be bullshitting me.”
“I’m not. Believe me. Thanks.”
Travis hung up the phone and waited, a gnawing feeling growing in his stomach. “I hope I’m wrong,” he thought. “Lord, I hope I’m wrong.”
Coming Soon: Chapter 7 – Wade’s Big Sale
Chapter 6: Brokeback Basement
Cody couldn’t see a thing. His world had gone dark as soon as he was lifted out of the garbage pail and slid into the flatbed of the pickup truck. Before his equilibrium could return after being upside-down, a blindfold was slapped across his eyes. All he could see was the Scream mask scant inches from his face before everything went black. He felt thick straps enwrapping his body, keeping him tethered in the bed of the truck. It would be stupid for him to try to get out of the cab without use of his eyes, but his captor seemingly didn’t want to take any chances. “He’s being very careful with me,” Cody thought. “That’s a good sign. He doesn’t want me ‘damaged.’” But it was little comfort as the tarp was unfurled and spread across his body, masking him from any prying eyes.
He had no idea what was going on. At first he thought it was a ransom kidnapping, but he and LJ didn’t have any money to speak of. Anyone who was “stalking” him would surely know that. His ride to college was being paid by the rodeo as part of the settlement with LJ. It wasn’t a copycat of his kidnapping two years ago since LJ hadn’t ridden competitively since then. Was it some kind of fraternity prank? He doubted it was DIX, as they would be stupid to try something like this after what had gone down previously. Maybe it was TKL? Or Nu Epsilon Rho Delta? Doing some good-natured mischief? Cody could appreciate that, if it was the case. Hell, he'd congratulate them for their ingenuity and planning. But as the truck began to pull away and he was jostled around by the movement along the road, his thoughts began to darken. “What if it’s some kind of sex maniac? That’s what you get for giving free tickets to anyone who happened to show up at a ‘slave auction,’” he thought.
If his captor was some sort of pervert, Cody thought, he must be really dedicated. And desperate. Snatching someone from a crowded party from under the watchful eye of several tons of angry beef wouldn’t be an easy task. The risk involved and the uncertainty of whether circumstances would align for the capture to take place? It was a million-to-one chance. Was this just a random snatching of opportunity? No, it couldn’t be. He knew this was intentional, and that made it all the more chilling. And as he was carried out of the truck bed, into some kind of building, and down a set of stairs, it became even more chilling when he realized that his captor was strong enough to carry him in his dead-weight state with little effort. This was not someone to trifle with.
But his captor hadn’t done anything untoward to him… yet. In fact, after he had been brought down here, they barely had any contact at all. Which was making Cody uneasy. After he was carried down, he was placed on some sort of table on his knees. He was still hogtied with the various materials from the party, so his unseen captor balanced him on his kneecaps while he cut the hogtie and allowed Cody to put his legs down to steady himself using his toes. From there, Cody felt a rope tied around each bicep and pulled tightly out, roughly parallel to the floor, before being anchored to something away from the table. This helped to steady him, but also made it impossible for him to move off the table. If he moved either way, the rope on his opposite arm would pull against him. He heard his captor’s muffled voice say “Let’s get some of this unnecessary shit off you.”
The cloth around his forehead that was pinning his head back was removed first. It had forced Cody to stare straight ahead for a while now. In the position he was bound in currently, he had to look straight up and he had a major kink in his neck when he able to lower his head to its natural resting position. As he began to feel some degree of comfort for the first time in a while, Cody felt the bungee cords around his torso being unhitched. His legs were also cramping from supporting his weight while flush together, but his captor mercifully took a pair of scissors and slashed the duct tape. It made an oddly satisfying squelching sound as it was peeled away from Cody’s tight leather pants. Finally, it was slid out from under him in one large sheet. Cody sighed as he spread his legs, giving himself a more comfortable base to kneel on and more evenly distribute his weight – a tripod between his knees and his toes. His booted feet were still secured together at the ankles and with tape over the bridges of his feet. Besides his foot bindings, anything that wasn’t rope was cut away and removed. Almost like his captor was going for a classic aesthetic: white rope over black leather. Cody could breathe more easily now that a few layers of restraints were removed, but he was still securely bound beyond his ability to escape.
He took a moment to get his bearings. The ropes were tight across his chest, pressing deeply into the leather of his Elvis costume. The slick material was flush against his skin and was trapping the sweat inside, making him wet and clammy. As much as he liked the touch, he was definitely feeling a downside to his fetish right about now. He tried weakly to wriggle free from his bonds, but he knew there was little point in it. He didn’t know his captor’s level of roping skill, but that didn’t factor into the equation at the moment. He had been bound by Brandon, Pablo, Takeski, and Shane – four TUG Actives who had been doing this for years. And they didn’t tie him in a half-assed demonstration for the rubes. They had gone all out for an escape challenge. And TUG never went easy on escape challenges. Ray could attest to that. His wrists were imprisoned with clothesline and secured to the elaborate and intricate harness that crisscrossed his chest. Some of it bit into the skin where his lapels had been pulled apart to expose his chest. His waist and crotch were framed in another harness, meant as much for display as it was for restraint. His legs were (now) relatively unfettered, but his ankles were tightly secured, forcing the soles of his boots together along the inner edge of his instep. And his feet were lashed together, side by side, with the super-strong tape over the bridge and around under the sole. Quite a thorough and effective job.
Cody recoiled slightly when he felt gloved hands on his chest, but the ropes at his sides made him unable to move in any direction. The hands began to unbutton the shirt part of his leather jumpsuit even lower beneath the bands of Shane’s rope chest harness. The thick fingers pulled and tugged at the lapels and slid them apart, exposing a fuller, but still teasing, glimpse of Cody’s chest underneath. He resisted, of course, and squirmed as much as the ropes would allow, but all that did was cause the sound of creaking leather to waft through the room. There was a slight echo, which told Cody the walls were made of concrete or something similar. Maybe the basement of a house? When the hands pulled away, Cody squirmed in earnest, but quickly realized he wasn’t going anywhere. And the creaking of his leather jumpsuit while he wriggled just made his captor say “Mmmmm.” After that, he decided not to give the man any more ammunition and stayed still.
That was nearly an hour ago. And his captor had made no further contact with him. Cody got the feeling, though, that he was still here. Occasionally he heard the creek of couch springs, like someone sitting was shifting their weight. Every now and then he would hear the faint sound of a glass or bottle being placed on a wooden table. Like someone was taking a drink and putting the vessel down afterwards. Yes, his captor was still here, sitting silently and watching him. But not doing anything else. Cody realized he was positioned like this as a display. A position that would allow his unseen kidnapper to savor his catch at his leisure.
He felt a blast of heat and a low humming. He quickly realized that a very powerful light had been turned on and was illuminating him from the front left. That was where the heat was strongest, anyway. He heard footsteps coming toward him. Then he felt a hand reach out and… smooth down his hair. “You look a mess,” a deep male voice said. It was distorted, like it was being spoken through a filter or mask of some kind, but Cody could tell the voice was from someone younger. Probably around his age. And Cody did also manage to detect a hint of a western drawl.
Cody turned his head to follow the footsteps as they slowly paced around him. He squirmed and strained at his bonds, but he had been secured by several TUG upperclassmen. And that had been reinforced by his captor. He realized that struggling wasn’t going to get him anywhere. “Why am I so bad at escaping?” he thought. “I’ll need to work on that. I should be able to get out of this. Based on everything that’s happened in the past few weeks, we should all be boning up on that.”
Every now and then, the hands would return – each time coming from a different angle. Adjusting the ropes tied across his chest. Moving his head into a straightforward and postured position. Pulling the lapels of his open leather shirt a bit farther apart. Like he was being posed for a modeling shoot. Every so often, the muffled voice would say “That’s better” or “Yes, just like that.” But there was something about the voice that seemed vaguely familiar to Cody. Like he had heard it before. But he couldn’t focus enough to remember where.
The footsteps settled in front of him. Cody let his neck relax and his head droop a bit, but the gloved hands moved it back into an upright position whenever he did. Finally, he got the message and maintained his posture. After a few moments, when his captor realized he would kneel upright without further prodding, Cody felt the gag being removed. The tape pulled against his skin as it peeled away. It stung. A lot, but Cody gritted his teeth through it as best he could. Gloved fingers reached into his mouth and pulled out the sodden cloth that had been stuffed inbetween his jaws. His mouth was dry and sore.
“You didn’t start shouting,” the voice said. “That’s good.”
“I figure there’s no point in that,” Cody coughed. “If there was a possibility of someone hearing me you wouldn’t have taken the gag out in the first place.”
“Very true,” the voice said. “You always were more clever than anyone suspected.”
Cody paused “Always were?” So this is someone who knew him. And knew him a long time… “I need to keep him talking,” Cody thought. “He was careless and let a clue slip. If I can get him to talk enough, I might be able to figure out who he is. And where I am.”
“So what do you want with me?” Cody asked. “I’m not worth much of a ransom. My dad don’t have any money to speak of.”
“Oh, your friend Brett has plenty if that was what I wanted,” the voice said. “But that’s not what I’m after.”
“Then what are you after?”
“You have so many trophies. And I have none. Or at least that WAS true. Now I have my own trophy. The shiniest and grandest one of all. You.”
Cody didn’t like the sound of that one bit. He began to squirm and buck like mad, straining against the ropes that bound his arms and chest. But they didn’t budge. He tried to pull his legs apart, but his black leather booted feet were secured together. His wide kneeling stance kept him balanced, and when he shifted his position to get more leverage against the ropes, he felt himself becoming unstable and beginning to totter slightly.
“Ah ah ah!” the voice said. Cody felt the gloved hands reach out and steady him. He wasn’t kneeling on a box or a table, but… something thinner. He realized he didn’t have much room. “Be careful or you’ll fall off your pedestal.” Pedestal? Whoever this dude was, he was definitely treating him like a trophy: placing him on a display stand. “It’s not a long drop, but bound like you are you wouldn’t be able to break your fall and you could get hurt. I don’t want that to happen. You may not believe me right now, but it’s true.”
Cody definitely knew that voice. The word choices, the pacing and tone, the hint of an accent… even distorted through the mask, he could feel a sense of recognition and familiarity. But it was just out of reach. This was someone who knew him and someone he knew in return. But who? As he felt himself stabilized, he decided he needed to play it cool from this point on. Any sudden movements and he would tumble from his precarious position.
“That was an interesting story you told during Truth or Dare,” the voice said. Cody heard it drift away from him and then he heard the settling of the couch. His captor had decided to sit down again. “Tell me more about that boy.”
“Huh?” Cody said, turning his face to where he heard the voice coming from. “Why?”
“Don’t worry about why. Just know that it’s important.”
“Uh, OK. What do you want to know?”
“You said that he could kiss you if he wanted to. You never had a shortage of tail available to you. Why him?”
“I felt kinda sorry for him,” Cody said. “Having a drunk rodeo clown for a father would be hard on anyone. But he was always so quiet. Like he was afraid to talk to people. There weren’t many of us our age with the rodeo so we stuck together, but he always seemed to be on the outside of the group. He was always so sad.”
“So that’s it?” the voice said. “Pity?” There was an edge to his voice that sent a chill up Cody’s spine. “People talked about you at the party. Saint Cody. Always taking the poor, shy nerds under his wing. Like Mason and Nate. You felt like using him to fulfill your Mother Hen fetish, huh?”
“No, that’s not it at all,” Cody said. “…Well, maybe a little. Maybe I do have one of those… what does Shane call it?... ‘Savior Complexes.’ But that wasn’t it. People tell me I’m handsome and I’m naturally outgoing, so everyone thinks that they know what kind of person I’m attracted to. They think it’s another active type. But it’s not. When your whole life is loud, you’re better off with someone quiet. Someone who’s your opposite, but complements you.”
“Like a Yin to your Yang.”
“That’s how Nate puts it, yeah.”
“So the other one you talked about, the guy who ‘raises your hackles.’ It’s Nate, isn’t it? Committed relationship, improper for you to hook up?”
“No, it isn’t Nate,” Cody said. “From the first day we met, he was like my little brother. Hooking up with Nate would be weird. I think he wanted to at first, but changed his mind. Maybe that’s why he’s so drawn to Hoss. If he couldn’t have me, he’d have someone who’s similar on the surface…? No. That’s not it. I’m not egotistical enough to think that Nate’s using Hoss as a substitute for me. There’s something real there.”
“Ugh,” the voice said. “There you go again. So maddeningly pure and good.”
“I can’t help it,” Cody said. “It’s just who I am, I guess. Which is probably why I have a crush on the guy I do. Going back to that whole opposites thing. It’s not Nate, it’s Wade.”
“The ultimate good boy crushing on the ultimate bad boy,” the voice said. “I see. So where does that guy from your past figure into things?”
“I haven’t really thought about it in a while. It was only the question at the party that made me remember it, really. But if I ever met him again, I could see myself hanging out with him. Maybe more. I did think he was more interesting than he let on.”
“So why didn’t you kiss him yourself?”
“It wouldn’t be proper. With the kind of people we hung out with, if you read signals wrong and kissed the wrong dude you’d end up missing a few teeth for your troubles. He wasn’t the kind that would respond that way, but I thought ‘If I’m wrong and he doesn’t want to, then I’m giving the boys a lot of fuel to torment him with.’ They’d think I was Alpha flexing on him and would give him hell for it afterwards. I couldn’t do that to him. If I was wrong, it was better to not do nothin.’ If I was right, either he’d make a move or there’d be time later.”
Cody was met with silence in response. A long silence. “You still there?” Cody asked. He didn’t hear anyone leaving, but that doesn’t mean this guy didn’t exit the room without making noise. But there was no answer. Cody sat back on his haunches. If the guy was still there, he wasn’t in the mood for talking. He’d get no more out of him at the moment, that was for sure.
He knelt on his pedestal for a while. In silence. Was his captor still there? He didn’t hear anything. Deciding to go for it, Cody leaned his head down and tried to push the blindfold up from his eyes by rubbing it against his shoulder. He felt the pedestal totter slightly, and felt the cloth begin to slip, when he heard someone rush over and felt the hands on him again.
“No!” his captor said. “Not yet. It’s not time for you to see my face yet. Soon, but not now.”
Cody attempted to swallow, but his throat was dry. “You got something to drink? Water, beer, fruit juice? Anything? That gag dried me out something fierce.” Cody’s captor stood still for a moment, as if considering something. After a pregnant pause, he said “sure.”
Cody couldn’t see anything, but he heard footsteps walking away and what sounded like the door of a mini-fridge opening. After a few moments, he heard the footsteps returning. He felt a plastic bottle being held to his lips. “I have a sports drink,” the unseen captor said. “You need electrolytes besides hydration. Drink.” Cody slurped down the liquid. It was the blue flavor. He knew it well. It was always his favorite. Another sign that whoever was with him knew him personally.
But the flavor was off. There was something else. Something… bitter. Almost medicine-like. Cody began to slow down his drinking, but the man pushed the bottle up, forcing the entire thing into Cody’s mouth. If he didn’t gulp it all down, he would choke. Faced with no other alternative, Cody chugged the bottle’s entire contents. As soon as it was taken away, he began to feel lightheaded and groggy. His ears began to ring slightly and he felt his arms get sluggish. “What was… in that?” he gasped.
His captor just said “Shhhh,” and scooped him off the pedestal in his arms. For a moment, Cody was glad he did, or he would have toppled down to the floor as fatigue overcame him. “Just rest now,” his captor said. “Get some sleep. When you wake up, you’ll learn everything.” And Cody blacked out.
Travis stood in the garage of the DIX house, finally glad to get away from Clay and the others. They had grown tired of tormenting him and had retreated to the basement to get high, mercifully leaving him to his own devices. He had washed off the whore makeup and changed back into presentable clothes, but he didn’t dare go back inside the house. Instead, he stood on the threshold of the open garage door and listened to the sounds of the TUG party across the street. There was nothing going on in the front yard as everyone was around back, but he could see the garish decorations swaying in the night wind and the lights blasting up into the sky from the backyard. Every now and then he would hear a “Hut!” sound and some cheering coming from the party. But that ended when he heard Scott’s voice over a microphone talking about the costume contest. Normally he would have been curious, but Travis’ mind was currently focused elsewhere.
He couldn’t get that weird guy out of his mind. The one in the dollar-store Scream costume who was pushing one of TUG’s garbage pails down the cul-du-sac. Something wasn’t right. Nate had come by and retrieved the pail a while ago, but why would a guest at the party steal a garbage pail just to leave it lying on the road? Was he stealing their trash? Collecting a bag of empties to recycle for nickels? Was it an attempt at drunken vandalism? The pail was whole and undamaged when Nate wheeled it back to the house. It didn’t make sense. Frowning at the seeming randomness of the act, Travis decided to check it out for himself. He hurried down the driveway and into the street, moving past the sea of parked cars lining both sides. Finally, he came to the corner where there was an empty space. There wasn’t another in the entire Greek Quadrant of campus, so this must have been where that weird guy was parked. Travis knelt down and inspected the street.
The roads were kept well-maintained by the university, so everything was clean and the asphalt was flat and whole. Which is why the tire marks stood out so much. They started off thick and black, visible even against the dark pavement at night, and then quickly thinned out at a strange angle. “Like whoever was in this car gunned the gas real fast and took off,” Travis thought. He wasn’t a car junkie, but he could recognize that much. He had seen Clay doing enough donuts and burnouts in various parking lots while in high school to recognize tire marks like that. “Must have left in a hurry,” he thought. “I wonder why.”
Looking more closely, he saw drippings on the street, under where the chassis of the car would have been. “Not a student,” Travis thought. The university had a very strict policy on student cars. They had to be kept in good repair to be approved for parking on campus as the University didn’t want the roads to get damaged by leaking oil and fluids. Whoever drove this didn’t have a parking pass. And it wasn’t a rental, either. This person drove his own beater car out here and it was leaking… antifreeze by the smell of it. This definitely wasn’t a student car. Antifreeze was dangerous to animals, and the University would catch holy hell from student activist groups if squirrels or stray cats got sick from drinking it. Whoever drove this car…
Wait. Not car. Truck. The burn marks left by the tires were too wide and too far apart to be a car. He got a sinking feeling. He didn’t know what, but something was definitely wrong here. He took out his phone and texted Ray.
“How’s the party?” Travis held his breath. After how things had ended when they last saw each other, he wasn’t sure if Ray would respond. But his heart fluttered when he saw the ellipsis indicating a response was coming.
R: “Pretty wild. We just finished the costume contest.”
T: “Cool. I hope the five of you had fun.”
R: “We definitely did. Except Cody. He skipped out early. Some kind of family emergency or something.”
T: “???? What time?”
R: “Hour and a half ago I think.”
Travis froze. That was around the time that the Scream guy left... With a heavy garbage pail… That he left on the side of the road… Before peeling out and driving away like a maniac… And Cody left under mysterious circumstances… FUCK!
Travis didn’t say anything further to Ray. He couldn’t. No one would believe his suspicions. The actives still didn’t trust him and would think he was playing some kind of prank. The pledges would listen to him, but if Ray had an explanation for Cody’s departure, then whoever was driving that truck must have sent it. They’d think he was crazy. He opened the keypad of his phone and dialed the only number he could think of.
“Officer Santucci, Metro City PD. How can I help you?”
“Um, yeah… I’m calling from campus. There’s a party going on at the TUG house…”
“Look, paisan. If you’re calling the police to make a noise complaint against a frat party on a weekend, maybe you should re-evaluate your life choices. Consider why you hate life and fun so much. And anyway, that’s something for University Security to handle, not the city police. Have a good night.”
“NO WAIT!” Travis shouted. He was expecting Santucci to hang up anyway, but shockingly, he didn’t. “This is Travis… from DIX. No, don’t hang up. I think something happened. Something bad. I need to talk to someone about it. Can you come down to Fraternity Row?”
“DIX?” Santucci said. “I should hang up right now… but I won’t. And I’ll tell you why. Firstly, with all the shit DIX has stepped in these past few weeks they wouldn’t dare make a prank call to the outside police. Even stoned they’re not that stupid. Second. I know your name, kid. Brett said you’re OK. I have my doubts, but I’ll swallow them if Brett vouches for you. You say something bad happened? What? Is someone hurt?”
“I don’t know,” Travis said. “It’s weird. I just have this feeling that… look. I know it sounds crazy, but can you come down here and I’ll show you what I’m talking about. Please.”
Santucci thought for a moment and said “OK, kid, I will. But if you’re just jerking me around I’ll put you in the same cell your brother was in the other day for filing a false report. You better not be bullshitting me.”
“I’m not. Believe me. Thanks.”
Travis hung up the phone and waited, a gnawing feeling growing in his stomach. “I hope I’m wrong,” he thought. “Lord, I hope I’m wrong.”
Coming Soon: Chapter 7 – Wade’s Big Sale
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CowboyStud
- Forum Contributer
- Posts: 73
- Joined: 5 years ago
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Wedgieboy69
- Centennial Club
- Posts: 325
- Joined: 3 years ago
The suspense is killing me!
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KidnappedCowboy
- Centennial Club
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Omigod, [mention]wataru14[/mention]
That was a great chapter. Cody...the prized trophy...his Scream-masked kidnapper has shadowed him for a long time knowing his likes, dislikes...his obvious yearning for Cody has a dangerous edge to it. It's unrequited love turned deadly, but...!?!?
Will Travis and Santucci get there in time!?!?!
This chapter has me on edge.
As for my vote:
Favorites:
Cody – Elvis
Wade – Leather Daddy
Scott – Masked Burglar
Ray – Dread Pirate
Leo – Gene Simmons
Thee is a certain black, leather, masked madness to my method!!!
Cody is my overall favorite!
He and Wade make the best pair!!
The funniest is Ray.
That was a great chapter. Cody...the prized trophy...his Scream-masked kidnapper has shadowed him for a long time knowing his likes, dislikes...his obvious yearning for Cody has a dangerous edge to it. It's unrequited love turned deadly, but...!?!?
Will Travis and Santucci get there in time!?!?!
This chapter has me on edge.
As for my vote:
Favorites:
Cody – Elvis
Wade – Leather Daddy
Scott – Masked Burglar
Ray – Dread Pirate
Leo – Gene Simmons
Thee is a certain black, leather, masked madness to my method!!!
Cody is my overall favorite!
He and Wade make the best pair!!
The funniest is Ray.
Keep those votes coming. We have someone pulling slightly ahead on Best and Group, but Funniest is still anyone's game!
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Guardianbound
- Centennial Club
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A sick attraction to Cody? Or some bigger intrigue?
Maybe saving Cody will help Travis make the full transfer into TUG.
Maybe saving Cody will help Travis make the full transfer into TUG.
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CowboyStud
- Forum Contributer
- Posts: 73
- Joined: 5 years ago
I’m hoping Cody is going to be kept a trophy for a whileGuardianbound wrote: ↑11 months ago A sick attraction to Cody? Or some bigger intrigue?
Maybe saving Cody will help Travis make the full transfer into TUG.
I sent my costume vote via PM, because it seems I always lose in polls on here, lol.
Interesting predicament Cody is in. Waiting on the edge of my seat.
And those frat names like Nu Epsilon Rho Delta. Awesome!
Interesting predicament Cody is in. Waiting on the edge of my seat.
And those frat names like Nu Epsilon Rho Delta. Awesome!
*** My stories: https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?p=151084#p151084
We can only hope that Travis is convincing enough for Officer Santucci. Maybe he can talk to Ray and together, the two can get the Officer on their side. They need to hurry though. I've a feeling that Cody's Captor won't keep him in one place for too long!
On a lighter note, Looking forward to the results of the costume contest! Not sure where my picks stand in the running, but I often feel like [mention]Bootmark[/mention] in my unlucky voting choices! Fingers crossed at least one of my choices is the winner!
On a lighter note, Looking forward to the results of the costume contest! Not sure where my picks stand in the running, but I often feel like [mention]Bootmark[/mention] in my unlucky voting choices! Fingers crossed at least one of my choices is the winner!
Eeeep! I'm so worried for Cody! The only one I trust to keep that cowboy pup captive besides me is Wade! And I do hope Wade has room in his dungeon and bed for Cody and their respective Little and Big Bro! That would be the cutest relationship ever. And hottest.
But also, I'm glad Santucci's instincts again seem to be on point!
But also, I'm glad Santucci's instincts again seem to be on point!
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CowboyStud
- Forum Contributer
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- Joined: 5 years ago
Hi just showing my support by saying I think I’m one of many that can’t wait for the next episode
Take your time bud but know you have lots of readers and fans
just showing my support by saying I think I’m one of many that can’t wait for the next episode Take your time bud but know you have lots of readers and fans
Chapter 7 – Wade’s Big Sale
“OK, ladies and gents,” Scott said into the mic, silencing the crowd’s white noise. “It’s time for the main event. This year’s costume awards!” The crowd surged with anticipation. “And this year, we have a special bonus. Through the generous sponsorship of Wade’s Pleasure Emporium, we are offering a cash prize in addition to the usual bragging rights and trophies.” The crowd cheered as Wade loomed over behind Scott, staring down at them from behind his mirrored shades. He put his arms around Scott’s shoulders from behind and gave him a light kiss on the neck.
“And to eliminate any appearance of favoritism,” Wade said as Scott held the mic up to his face with his cuffed hands, “Scotty and I are not in the running for anything. So all is on the up-and-up. Don’t you worry, kiddies.”
“So let’s push past the rules and shit and get to the good part!” Scott said. “First up, with a $500 cash prize, is Funniest. This one was tight, with a bunch of people in the running. Man, was it close. But the winner is… the Dread Pirate Ray!” Ray sat up in his chair with a smile. Of course he won. He always did. Ray took a swig of his drink and said to Shane, who was standing next to him, “There’s a shortage of perfect booze in this world. It would be a shame to ruin yours.” He snatched the glass of dark brown liquid from Shane’s hand and said “Collect my award for me, if you please.”
Shane didn’t skip a beat. With a nonplussed attitude he gave a courtly bow and said “As you wish,” before walking up to Wade and collecting both the trophy and the envelope with the cash prize. He was all smiles as he returned to Ray, but in the same way a tiger smiles before he pounces. As he handed Ray his winnings, he said a low whisper that only his Little Bro could hear, “Yuck it up while you can. The Senior/Freshman retreat is coming up and no one can hear you mmmppgggh in the woods.” His expression slipped into one of sadistic glee, but only for a moment. He gave Ray a jovial pat on the back and smiled for the crowd as he took his drink back.
Scott continued. “The next award was a dead heat all the way and voting came back in a tie! So we’re really draining Daddy’s purse on this one because instead of splitting the pot, each pair gets a full share of the $1,000 prize! Sharing the award will be… Nate and Hoss, and Jaquan and LaShann! A four-way superhero party!”
Nate stood up and said “Hero? Hero?!?! Ach, you wound me!” He did an overdramatic fainting spell that got the crowd laughing. Hoss smiled and squeezed Nate’s shoulder, pleased that his Little Bro stood up and took the spotlight for a bit. While he wasn’t much of a talker himself, Hoss never shied away from attention. It was hard not to be the center of focus when you were built like him. But shying away from the limelight was something Nate did all too often. It made him happy to see Nate coming out of his shell, even for just a moment in a comfortable setting. And even if the booze was helping more than a little. He let Nate walk forward first to accept the award. After Nate took the trophy, Hoss looked at Jaquan and said “Looks like you two have to share the award this year. Still, you’re three for three, man.” He patted Jaquan on the back.
LaShann smiled and said, “And we’ll be four for four next year. We plan to go all out for our swan song. But I must say that you two had some impressive hardware. We’ll have to step it up in the future.” Nate smiled impishly, but said nothing.
“And now,” Scott said “it’s time for the grand prize!” The crowd mumbled and murmured. “This one shouldn’t really be a surprise. It was a runaway victory. Not even fucking close, fam. Unfortunately, the lucky winner isn’t here. As you probably all guessed, the Grand Prize goes to Cody and his gyrating hips.” The crowd laughed and cheered Cody’s name. “Cody got called away for a family emergency, so we’re giving him the award in absentia. Nate, can you collect his prize and give it to him when he gets back? Awesome! Well, everyone, thanks for coming and making this another banger for the ages. Pablo will arrange rides for those too wasted to drive, and people are more than welcome to crash for the night if they need to. Be safe and have a good night!”
---
Wade sat in his office, going over stock reports and purchase orders. It was time to start thinking about Christmas and Valentine’s Day, the busiest seasons of the year for him. What would be in this year? What would sell and what wouldn’t? He usually had his finger on the pulse of his clients, tapping into the current zeitgeist and stocking what people’s fancies were turning to at the time, but right now he wasn’t fully concentrating. Cody didn’t show up for work ten minutes early, as was his custom, but Wade expected that. Considering that he had some kind of family emergency at the party, Wade was fully prepared for his stock stud to call out. But, after 10 minutes into the shift with no call from Cody, he decided to worry. The boy wasn’t late for anything and would never bang out without a call. “It isn’t respectful,” is what Cody would say. And THAT made Wade worry.
He called Cody’s cell and got no response, then he called Scott.
“He didn’t call you?” Scott said, puzzled. “Yeah, that’s not like him. Whatever’s going on must be pretty big. I’ll text him and see what he says.”
“Good,” Wade said. “I want to be kept posted. But this isn’t a good day for this. I have stock orders to do and no one to watch the front.”
“I’m free,” Scott said. “Just nursing a killer hangover but that’s nothing new. You need some help?”
“My boy,” Wade purred, “What would I do without you? I’m sure your old uniform still fits. I have it here somewhere.”
Scott chuckled “I’m sure. Give me about 30 minutes to shower and get over there.”
Scott hung up the phone and hit the shower quickly. Having his own shower in his room was a luxury. The Underclassmen had hall showers for the whole floor, but the senior suites each had their own. Brett made sure the new House followed the old one’s floorplan exactly. Perks of being a Senior. He remembered the horseplay and shenanigans that went on in there during his underclass years with a grin, but sometimes it was nice to have privacy. When he finished, he headed downstairs. The four present Freshmen and the five Sophomores were hard at work cleaning up the house and grounds after the party. And the place looked like a cyclone hit it. The Juniors were taking down the platforms and disassembling the game stands, but the Seniors got to relax for the day. “Senior privilege, bitches!” Scott said with a smirk as he drew frowns from his working Brothers as he strode past. “Besides, I have to go to work for Cody today. Can’t let the little dude get fired, can I?” The others grunted and got back to work, but Scott knew that was an empty threat. There’s no way Wade would ever fire a cash cow like Cody. Sales were up ridiculously since he signed on. But no one else needed to know that.
When he got to the shop, Wade was there to greet him with open arms. “Once again, you’ve saved my life, baby,” he cooed as he gently massaged Scott’s chest. He took a step back and held up a hanger holding Scott’s old “uniform.” Leather booty shorts and a chest harness with a big silver ring in the center. Along with it was a big pair of clunky leather boots and leather baseball cap. “I’ve been keeping it safe for you, boy” Wade said with a smirk. “I knew you’d work the floor again eventually. Get changed. I have to open up in a few minutes.”
Scott started to head for the bathroom, but Wade planted a thick leather-gloved hand on his chest. “And where do you think you’re going?” he said with a raised eyebrow.
“Um, to change?” Scott said.
“And you need to do that somewhere else?” Wade said. “Drop trou, boy. Time and money are a-wasting.”
Scott smirked and disrobed with an uncharacteristic speed. When he was fully nude, he took the leather ensemble from Wade and began to dress. He didn’t need any help cinching the harness closed. Not after all the times he’d worn it before. He looked at Wade, who was hungrily watching him dress, and said “You know, a lesser man would consider this sexual harassment, boss.”
Wade chuckled and replied, “Don’t get saucy with me, boy. I’ve read the manual. It’s only harassment if it’s unwelcome. And if my advances are unwelcome, you’re the King of Spain.” He punctuated his statement with a firm double handful of Scott’s ass cheeks.
“That’s right,” Scott said. “Keep giving me fuel to send to HR.” He put the leather cap on his head at a jaunty backwards angle and stepped into the boots.
“Unfortunately, our HR department is on sabbatical,” Wade said. “Doing god-knows-what with that DILF of his on some godforsaken dude ranch somewhere. So a little less lip out of you or I’ll have to gag you. Let you sell gear by playing charades.”
Scott said, “Don’t threaten me with a good time.” He gave Wade a quick peck on the lips and said “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be good. Or bad. Whichever the clients want. You know how I work. Now get into your office and do… whatever it is you do in there.”
Wade smiled and idly played with Scott’s light pelt of chest hair. “Yes, master,” he joked. “Oh, I have a bachelorette party coming in at noon, so you need to be on your A-Game.” He handed Scott the keys to the door and said “Until then, though, she’s all yours. And thanks for this.”
Scott just smiled as Wade tromped off into his office and shut the door. As he went to unlock the shop for the day, he began to think about how much he missed the place. The smell. The feel. Wade certainly had a good thing going here. He was making money hand over fist. Especially now that Cody was on staff. But he wouldn’t be working here forever. Cody, after all, must have had plans for the future. Scott glumly wondered what that was like. He was going to graduate this year, after all. It seemed like a lifetime away, but these things had a habit of springing up before you knew it. And what would he do then? Danny was already applying to med school. But him? He had no idea. The thought didn’t sit well with him. But there were other things to think about. It was time to start the daily grind.
The bachelorette party was as wild as Wade had anticipated. They were expecting Cody to be their salesman, and were a little standoffish to see someone else greeting them, but Scott’s natural charm won them over. By the time they put their credit cards back into their purses and collected their shopping bags, the bridal party had dropped a hefty sum on lingerie, handcuffs, and assorted kinky doodads. A large portion of which were impulse buys care of his leading. Scott felt a sense of accomplishment. “Heh, still got it!” he thought as he escorted the randy ladies to the parking lot. When they left, he leaned against the doorframe and had a quick cigarette. Wade’s shop was not alone in the shopping center. The deli next door was closed for the day by this time, but the hair and nail salon on the other side was in full swing. The owners were a little shocked the first time they saw Wade and his scantily-clad employees wandering around, but their clients seemed to enjoy the view. The relationship between the two businesses was chilly at first, but had developed into a healthy one in no time. Scott gave the ladies in the salon a quick wave through the shop window as he went back to work, accompanied by hoots and whistles.
At around 3:00, Scott was roused from his organizing of the speedos by size and color by the tinkling of the door. He took a moment to discreetly fix the wedgie that was forming under his leather shorts before emerging from the racks. “Never did get the hang of these,” he thought as relief surged over him. “Wade says it’s easier without underwear, but… I’ll pass on that.” Now (somewhat) comfortable, Scott stepped out from the lingerie section to greet the new arrival. “Welcome to Wade’s Pleasure Emporium. How can I fulfill your desires?”
Standing just inside the doorway was a young man who looked like he would disintegrate if you touched him. He was staring wide-eyed at the wares on the racks and in the display cases like he was on an alien planet. He was dressed simply: plain t-shirt and jeans with a prominent ring worn into the denim of his back left pocket. Dirty work boots and a fitted Metro City Cosmopolitans baseball cap. Definitely not their usual patron. He was fairly tall and blonde, with a slight stubble on his chin. He looked like he was about to crawl out of his skin with fear and discomfort.
“Jesus, I hope he’s 18!” Scott thought. He let the new arrival space out for a moment before snapping his fingers and saying “Earth to customer? Can you hear me, Major Tom?” The young man whirled his head around with a start. “Relax brah,” Scott said. “We’re not going to eat you or anything. Well, the boss might, but he’s otherwise occupied. What can I getcha?” He turned on all his bro charm, hoping to set the customer at ease. It was obvious that this one wasn’t normally into the “scene” and if Scott added too much sass, he’d scare the guy off. Scott had to get him to relax a bit. If this guy was allowed to remain tense, he would probably bolt without buying anything and Wade would have a hissy. So bro-mode it was.
“Sorry,” the customer said, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s just… a little overwhelming. I’ve never been in a place like this before.”
“Well that’s what I’m here for,” Scott said. “To be your guide into the world of erotic bric-a-brac. Tell me what you’re looking for in a general sense and I’ll find something to fill that need. I get the sense that this is new to you. That’s OK, I’m here to help. Now I’m guessing you’re not here looking for stuff for yourself?”
“Is it that obvious?” the customer said, slightly less nervous, but still a little jittery. “It’s a… I guess you could say, a gift?”
“Bachelor party?” Scott asked. “Gag gift?”
“Nothing like that,” the customer said. “It’s for a… friend.” Scott gave an “oh, sure” look but said nothing. “Now, I’m not into this sort of thing, but he his. Like, a lot. And I wanted to surprise him with something he’d like.”
“Perfect, my dude,” Scott said. “Just give me an idea of what you want and I’ll bring you some stuff.” Scott looked the guy over. He was clearly out of his element. Sometimes Scott forgot that not everyone was as open and liberated as the people he usually associated with. Coming here could be a big step for this guy and Scott didn’t want to make him feel unwelcome. Who knows? Maybe he could help a repressed farmboy find his inner kink? Spread the groovy revolution.
“Well, he’s into leather. Like REALLY into it.”
“Perfecto! Pardon the pun. We have loads of leather stuff.” Scott indicated the outfit he had on. “What are you looking for? Jackets? Pants? Boots? We got it all.”
“He’s got all that already,” the customer said. “I’m looking for something he doesn’t have. Something… like you’ve got on maybe?”
“Ah,” Scott said. “So you’re not looking for outerwear. This isn’t exactly something you can wear on a day out in town, is it? Ha! I get it. You’re looking for something for you two to play with in private. A little gear to spice up the bedroom, amirite?”
“That’s my hope, at least,” the customer said.
“Well, don’t you worry none, pardner,” Scott said. “We’ll hook you up with something right pretty.” He spoke in a poor imitation of the customer’s drawl. It wasn’t quite Hoss’ and it wasn’t quite Cody’s, but somewhere inbetween. But the joke didn’t land and the customer seemed slightly offended. “Sorry,” Scott said. “My two best friends have accents kinda like yours and they both think it’s funny when I rib on them. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
The customer paused for a moment, but his expression relaxed. Scott realized he must have a history with being laughed at. He saw similar reactions with Nate. “No offense taken,” he said. “Now let’s see what you’ve got. I’ve got a little money but I’m not looking for something super expensive. I’ve spent a lot on this trip already.”
“I’ll hook you up, bro” Scott said. “Now, it should be obvious, but I do have to say that everything we sell is intended to be used for consensual purposes. Some people recently used our gear in a rather unpleasant public spectacle, and if it turns out that anything purchased here is used in the commission of a crime, then we will vigorously assist law enforcement. Don’t forget you’re on camera, dude.” Scott chuckled and turned around to head toward the rack of harnesses, so he didn’t see the customer’s face turn slightly pale.
---
Cody was still sleeping soundly. His captor had taken him off the pedestal and laid him down on a mattress on the floor. He had been released from his restraints, and laid flat on his back with his head falling to one side. The drug was powerful, but so was Cody’s constitution, and there was no knowing exactly how long it would affect him. The young man in the room with him was on alert, ready for any sign of consciousness. He picked up his phone and checked the time nervously. “It’s been too long,” he thought. Suddenly a knock at the door caused him to whirl around. Every nerve was on edge, but he relaxed when he heard the secret code. Slowly the door opened and another young man walked in carrying a large shopping bag.
“You’re finally back,” he said to the new arrival. “It was dang stupid to go shopping at a time like this. What if he woke up while you were gone? That would have ruined everything!”
“If he woke up then you would have handled it,” the second young man said.
“Yeah, well maybe I would’ve and maybe I wouldn’t’ve,” the first said. “You know how slippery that one is.” There was no response. “What you got in that bag? I hope it was worth almost blowing the whole thing.”
“Oh, it was,” he said, placing the bag down and holding it open so his partner could see. “Even if it was weird as hell buying it.”
The kidnapper picked up a leather harness, almost exactly like the one Scott had been wearing, and held it up, barely able to contain a laugh. “You said you were getting some leather stuff but I was thinking more Danny Zuko than the Village People, Sam.”
“Well, it’ll do the job, Ryan” Sam said. “Now let’s hurry and get him changed. We gotta get him tied again before he wakes up.”
Sam reached into the bag from Wade’s shop and unpacked the gear he had bought while Ryan knelt beside Cody and lifted him into a sitting position. Cody snored slightly and Ryan wiped the small trickle of drool from his slumbering mouth with bandana from his back pocket. He smoothed down Cody’s pomaded hair, which had been matted into a frightful mess from his ordeal. When Sam came back over, they began to slowly peel the leather jumpsuit down over Cody’s torso, making sure not to make any jerky moves, lest he prematurely awaken from the sudden jostling. Cody was slick with sweat and the leather made a squelching sound as it unrolled from his body. When his upper body was fully bare, Sam looked down in wonder.
He had seen Cody shirtless plenty of times on and around the rodeo grounds, but it was even better than he remembered. Since coming to college, Cody had clearly been spending some time in the gym. Sam couldn’t help himself and reached down for a quick feel. Cody purred and licked his lips involuntarily in response to the calloused hand on his bare skin. Ryan gave Sam a slap on the chest. “Hey!” Ryan said. “None of that, now. Not yet, anyway, eh tiger?” Sam chuckled and picked up the harness as Ryan supported Cody in a sitting position. He carefully placed the ring against Cody’s chest and pulled the straps behind his back, buckling them in the fashion that the salesman had shown him. Even inexpertly done, it framed Cody’s body perfectly. Accentuating his natural sculpting and newfound definition. Well, that was part one!
Ryan gently laid Cody down on his stomach and both he and Sam walked around back of him. They started to roll the leather jumpsuit further down Cody’s sleeping body, revealing his lower back and ass. Sam was so excited that he didn’t realize they had left Cody’s boots on and the jumpsuit got stuck on them when he tried to pull it fully off. Cursing himself for being stupid and wasting time, he gently scrunched the leather jumpsuit back up and slipped Cody’s boots off, setting them aside so he could fully remove the leather garb. When it was completely off, he tossed it aside in a heap and stood up. Cody mumbled in his sleep as they finished disrobing him. All that was left were his sodden boxers and socks, all soaked with the sweat trapped under the leather outfit.
Realizing time was growing short, Sam took the waistband of Cody’s boxers and slipped them down, past his legs and off. He felt the damp fabric in his hand and couldn’t resist holding it up to his nose and taking a long, intoxicating sniff while Ryan was distracted fishing around in the shopping bag. The boxers were rank and ripe, but he didn’t mind. They had HIS smell. After breathing in his fill, Sam didn’t toss the boxers aside, opting instead to slip them in his pocket for later. Ryan chuckled again as he extracted a leather jockstrap from the bag. Sam shot him a look that said “Be quiet, dumbass!” and Ryan settled down. Then, with extra care not to jostle Cody awake, he took up the leather jockstrap and began to slip it over Cody’s feet and up his legs. The cup was fully leather, with a small zipper on the front, allowing for easy access. Sam watched in awe, fantasizing about the moment Cody would unzip it, beckoning him over to him with a “come-hither” look on his face. Sam imagined himself on his knees, crawling towards Cody hungrily, eyes fixed on the meat emerging from the zipper hole…
But there was no time for fantasizing. Cody’s sporadic and slight movements had become more frequent and that meant the drug was wearing off. There wasn’t much more time. Ryan slipped the jock firmly into place, engulfing Cody’s privates underneath him and framing his ass perfectly. He slid Cody’s black leather cowboy boots back onto his feet and stood back. Sam could do nothing but stare at Cody’s perfectly presented ass and swoon slightly.
“That’ll do it,” Ryan said, wiping Cody’s residual sweat off his hands using the legs of his jeans. Cody began to murmur slightly, snapping Sam back into focus. Realizing time was critically short, the two slid Cody along the floor to a concrete support pole and placed his back flush against it. Sam took a pair of handcuffs from the shopping bag and ratcheted them around Cody’s wrists, securing his hands behind the pole. Then Ryan produced a pair of short-chained leg shackles and locked them around Cody’s booted ankles. The last item in the shopping bag was a leather buckled plug gag. Scott had said it was their most popular model. The band that went across Cody’s mouth was thick and wide leather and the plug was a bulbous leather shape, slightly oblong, but wide and round. Cody began to stir more strongly as the buckle was clenched behind his head.
When he saw Cody, Ryan couldn’t help but laugh. “Jesus H. Christ!” he said “I know we said we wanted him in a compromising position, but this is almost too much!” He snapped a few close shots of Cody in his undress for posterity. Sam slapped Ryan on the arm, bringing him back to reality. “Look,” he said. “He’s waking up!”
Cody‘s mind slowly began to unfog. His vision was still canceled out by the blindfold, his other senses went into overdrive to compensate. He could hear movement from two figures nearby, but neither said anything. Two? There was only one before. Then he felt a slight chill and air on his skin. Like parts of him that were not exposed before now were. He felt that the ropes around his wrists had been replaced by handcuffs and that his gag had been changed to something thick and heavy. He cracked his neck as the grogginess left him. He felt the cold tingle of concrete against his back and realized he was seated on the floor with his back against a pole. And he was dressed in… what in the sam hell?
Cody let out a shocked gasp as his mind cleared enough to fully make out what he was wearing. He bucked and squirmed in his chain prison for a moment until he heard someone nearby laughing. It was the same voice from the party. Same one from before he got knocked out, only now not obscured by the Scream mask. Finally, he recognized it. Ryan! How could he have missed it before? His old rodeo rival knelt down in front of him with a smirk and leaned close into Cody’s face.
“Good mornin’, cowboy! You scared?”
---
Hundreds of miles away, LJ was reclining in a foldable lawnchair outside his trailer in the camp that surrounded the rodeo grounds. Clad only in his boxers and a pair of well-worn cowboy boots. His date for the evening was blissfully sleeping inside and he had just decided to go outside for one last quick smoke before joining her. A rather successful evening, he mused, helped along by his regular ropework pointers from JD. His new friend had been sending him links to instructional videos online to introduce him to the world of being a rope dom and LJ had taken to them like a hog on slop. And… Melinda (that was her name) had seemed quite impressed by his newfound skills. LJ took a drag and smiled. Maybe Cody was onto something. He was getting a lot of fun and enjoyment out of this new world he had stepped into.
LJ finished his cigarette and stood up, ready to go back inside to sleep. But stopped when his phone rang. Normally he’d ignore a call from an unknown number at this late hour, but he decided to answer it when he saw it was from a Metro City area code.
“This is LJ,” he said, answering the call.
The voice on the other side said “Mr. Jessup? This is Shane. One of Cody’s friends from the fraternity. We were worried about you. I hope everything is alright.”
LJ was confused. “Worried? Uh, everything’s fine here, thanks,” he said. “Now what’s so important that you’re calling me at this godforsaken hour?”
“Is Cody there?” Shane asked. “I’d really like to speak to him.”
“Huh?” LJ said. “Is Cody here? No, he’s with you, isn’t he? Why would he be here when school is in session?”
There was a heavy silence on the other end of the call. “Mr. Jessup,” Shane said. “I think something has happened.”
Coming Soon: Part 8 – A Buncha Dang Indjits
“OK, ladies and gents,” Scott said into the mic, silencing the crowd’s white noise. “It’s time for the main event. This year’s costume awards!” The crowd surged with anticipation. “And this year, we have a special bonus. Through the generous sponsorship of Wade’s Pleasure Emporium, we are offering a cash prize in addition to the usual bragging rights and trophies.” The crowd cheered as Wade loomed over behind Scott, staring down at them from behind his mirrored shades. He put his arms around Scott’s shoulders from behind and gave him a light kiss on the neck.
“And to eliminate any appearance of favoritism,” Wade said as Scott held the mic up to his face with his cuffed hands, “Scotty and I are not in the running for anything. So all is on the up-and-up. Don’t you worry, kiddies.”
“So let’s push past the rules and shit and get to the good part!” Scott said. “First up, with a $500 cash prize, is Funniest. This one was tight, with a bunch of people in the running. Man, was it close. But the winner is… the Dread Pirate Ray!” Ray sat up in his chair with a smile. Of course he won. He always did. Ray took a swig of his drink and said to Shane, who was standing next to him, “There’s a shortage of perfect booze in this world. It would be a shame to ruin yours.” He snatched the glass of dark brown liquid from Shane’s hand and said “Collect my award for me, if you please.”
Shane didn’t skip a beat. With a nonplussed attitude he gave a courtly bow and said “As you wish,” before walking up to Wade and collecting both the trophy and the envelope with the cash prize. He was all smiles as he returned to Ray, but in the same way a tiger smiles before he pounces. As he handed Ray his winnings, he said a low whisper that only his Little Bro could hear, “Yuck it up while you can. The Senior/Freshman retreat is coming up and no one can hear you mmmppgggh in the woods.” His expression slipped into one of sadistic glee, but only for a moment. He gave Ray a jovial pat on the back and smiled for the crowd as he took his drink back.
Scott continued. “The next award was a dead heat all the way and voting came back in a tie! So we’re really draining Daddy’s purse on this one because instead of splitting the pot, each pair gets a full share of the $1,000 prize! Sharing the award will be… Nate and Hoss, and Jaquan and LaShann! A four-way superhero party!”
Nate stood up and said “Hero? Hero?!?! Ach, you wound me!” He did an overdramatic fainting spell that got the crowd laughing. Hoss smiled and squeezed Nate’s shoulder, pleased that his Little Bro stood up and took the spotlight for a bit. While he wasn’t much of a talker himself, Hoss never shied away from attention. It was hard not to be the center of focus when you were built like him. But shying away from the limelight was something Nate did all too often. It made him happy to see Nate coming out of his shell, even for just a moment in a comfortable setting. And even if the booze was helping more than a little. He let Nate walk forward first to accept the award. After Nate took the trophy, Hoss looked at Jaquan and said “Looks like you two have to share the award this year. Still, you’re three for three, man.” He patted Jaquan on the back.
LaShann smiled and said, “And we’ll be four for four next year. We plan to go all out for our swan song. But I must say that you two had some impressive hardware. We’ll have to step it up in the future.” Nate smiled impishly, but said nothing.
“And now,” Scott said “it’s time for the grand prize!” The crowd mumbled and murmured. “This one shouldn’t really be a surprise. It was a runaway victory. Not even fucking close, fam. Unfortunately, the lucky winner isn’t here. As you probably all guessed, the Grand Prize goes to Cody and his gyrating hips.” The crowd laughed and cheered Cody’s name. “Cody got called away for a family emergency, so we’re giving him the award in absentia. Nate, can you collect his prize and give it to him when he gets back? Awesome! Well, everyone, thanks for coming and making this another banger for the ages. Pablo will arrange rides for those too wasted to drive, and people are more than welcome to crash for the night if they need to. Be safe and have a good night!”
---
Wade sat in his office, going over stock reports and purchase orders. It was time to start thinking about Christmas and Valentine’s Day, the busiest seasons of the year for him. What would be in this year? What would sell and what wouldn’t? He usually had his finger on the pulse of his clients, tapping into the current zeitgeist and stocking what people’s fancies were turning to at the time, but right now he wasn’t fully concentrating. Cody didn’t show up for work ten minutes early, as was his custom, but Wade expected that. Considering that he had some kind of family emergency at the party, Wade was fully prepared for his stock stud to call out. But, after 10 minutes into the shift with no call from Cody, he decided to worry. The boy wasn’t late for anything and would never bang out without a call. “It isn’t respectful,” is what Cody would say. And THAT made Wade worry.
He called Cody’s cell and got no response, then he called Scott.
“He didn’t call you?” Scott said, puzzled. “Yeah, that’s not like him. Whatever’s going on must be pretty big. I’ll text him and see what he says.”
“Good,” Wade said. “I want to be kept posted. But this isn’t a good day for this. I have stock orders to do and no one to watch the front.”
“I’m free,” Scott said. “Just nursing a killer hangover but that’s nothing new. You need some help?”
“My boy,” Wade purred, “What would I do without you? I’m sure your old uniform still fits. I have it here somewhere.”
Scott chuckled “I’m sure. Give me about 30 minutes to shower and get over there.”
Scott hung up the phone and hit the shower quickly. Having his own shower in his room was a luxury. The Underclassmen had hall showers for the whole floor, but the senior suites each had their own. Brett made sure the new House followed the old one’s floorplan exactly. Perks of being a Senior. He remembered the horseplay and shenanigans that went on in there during his underclass years with a grin, but sometimes it was nice to have privacy. When he finished, he headed downstairs. The four present Freshmen and the five Sophomores were hard at work cleaning up the house and grounds after the party. And the place looked like a cyclone hit it. The Juniors were taking down the platforms and disassembling the game stands, but the Seniors got to relax for the day. “Senior privilege, bitches!” Scott said with a smirk as he drew frowns from his working Brothers as he strode past. “Besides, I have to go to work for Cody today. Can’t let the little dude get fired, can I?” The others grunted and got back to work, but Scott knew that was an empty threat. There’s no way Wade would ever fire a cash cow like Cody. Sales were up ridiculously since he signed on. But no one else needed to know that.
When he got to the shop, Wade was there to greet him with open arms. “Once again, you’ve saved my life, baby,” he cooed as he gently massaged Scott’s chest. He took a step back and held up a hanger holding Scott’s old “uniform.” Leather booty shorts and a chest harness with a big silver ring in the center. Along with it was a big pair of clunky leather boots and leather baseball cap. “I’ve been keeping it safe for you, boy” Wade said with a smirk. “I knew you’d work the floor again eventually. Get changed. I have to open up in a few minutes.”
Scott started to head for the bathroom, but Wade planted a thick leather-gloved hand on his chest. “And where do you think you’re going?” he said with a raised eyebrow.
“Um, to change?” Scott said.
“And you need to do that somewhere else?” Wade said. “Drop trou, boy. Time and money are a-wasting.”
Scott smirked and disrobed with an uncharacteristic speed. When he was fully nude, he took the leather ensemble from Wade and began to dress. He didn’t need any help cinching the harness closed. Not after all the times he’d worn it before. He looked at Wade, who was hungrily watching him dress, and said “You know, a lesser man would consider this sexual harassment, boss.”
Wade chuckled and replied, “Don’t get saucy with me, boy. I’ve read the manual. It’s only harassment if it’s unwelcome. And if my advances are unwelcome, you’re the King of Spain.” He punctuated his statement with a firm double handful of Scott’s ass cheeks.
“That’s right,” Scott said. “Keep giving me fuel to send to HR.” He put the leather cap on his head at a jaunty backwards angle and stepped into the boots.
“Unfortunately, our HR department is on sabbatical,” Wade said. “Doing god-knows-what with that DILF of his on some godforsaken dude ranch somewhere. So a little less lip out of you or I’ll have to gag you. Let you sell gear by playing charades.”
Scott said, “Don’t threaten me with a good time.” He gave Wade a quick peck on the lips and said “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be good. Or bad. Whichever the clients want. You know how I work. Now get into your office and do… whatever it is you do in there.”
Wade smiled and idly played with Scott’s light pelt of chest hair. “Yes, master,” he joked. “Oh, I have a bachelorette party coming in at noon, so you need to be on your A-Game.” He handed Scott the keys to the door and said “Until then, though, she’s all yours. And thanks for this.”
Scott just smiled as Wade tromped off into his office and shut the door. As he went to unlock the shop for the day, he began to think about how much he missed the place. The smell. The feel. Wade certainly had a good thing going here. He was making money hand over fist. Especially now that Cody was on staff. But he wouldn’t be working here forever. Cody, after all, must have had plans for the future. Scott glumly wondered what that was like. He was going to graduate this year, after all. It seemed like a lifetime away, but these things had a habit of springing up before you knew it. And what would he do then? Danny was already applying to med school. But him? He had no idea. The thought didn’t sit well with him. But there were other things to think about. It was time to start the daily grind.
The bachelorette party was as wild as Wade had anticipated. They were expecting Cody to be their salesman, and were a little standoffish to see someone else greeting them, but Scott’s natural charm won them over. By the time they put their credit cards back into their purses and collected their shopping bags, the bridal party had dropped a hefty sum on lingerie, handcuffs, and assorted kinky doodads. A large portion of which were impulse buys care of his leading. Scott felt a sense of accomplishment. “Heh, still got it!” he thought as he escorted the randy ladies to the parking lot. When they left, he leaned against the doorframe and had a quick cigarette. Wade’s shop was not alone in the shopping center. The deli next door was closed for the day by this time, but the hair and nail salon on the other side was in full swing. The owners were a little shocked the first time they saw Wade and his scantily-clad employees wandering around, but their clients seemed to enjoy the view. The relationship between the two businesses was chilly at first, but had developed into a healthy one in no time. Scott gave the ladies in the salon a quick wave through the shop window as he went back to work, accompanied by hoots and whistles.
At around 3:00, Scott was roused from his organizing of the speedos by size and color by the tinkling of the door. He took a moment to discreetly fix the wedgie that was forming under his leather shorts before emerging from the racks. “Never did get the hang of these,” he thought as relief surged over him. “Wade says it’s easier without underwear, but… I’ll pass on that.” Now (somewhat) comfortable, Scott stepped out from the lingerie section to greet the new arrival. “Welcome to Wade’s Pleasure Emporium. How can I fulfill your desires?”
Standing just inside the doorway was a young man who looked like he would disintegrate if you touched him. He was staring wide-eyed at the wares on the racks and in the display cases like he was on an alien planet. He was dressed simply: plain t-shirt and jeans with a prominent ring worn into the denim of his back left pocket. Dirty work boots and a fitted Metro City Cosmopolitans baseball cap. Definitely not their usual patron. He was fairly tall and blonde, with a slight stubble on his chin. He looked like he was about to crawl out of his skin with fear and discomfort.
“Jesus, I hope he’s 18!” Scott thought. He let the new arrival space out for a moment before snapping his fingers and saying “Earth to customer? Can you hear me, Major Tom?” The young man whirled his head around with a start. “Relax brah,” Scott said. “We’re not going to eat you or anything. Well, the boss might, but he’s otherwise occupied. What can I getcha?” He turned on all his bro charm, hoping to set the customer at ease. It was obvious that this one wasn’t normally into the “scene” and if Scott added too much sass, he’d scare the guy off. Scott had to get him to relax a bit. If this guy was allowed to remain tense, he would probably bolt without buying anything and Wade would have a hissy. So bro-mode it was.
“Sorry,” the customer said, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s just… a little overwhelming. I’ve never been in a place like this before.”
“Well that’s what I’m here for,” Scott said. “To be your guide into the world of erotic bric-a-brac. Tell me what you’re looking for in a general sense and I’ll find something to fill that need. I get the sense that this is new to you. That’s OK, I’m here to help. Now I’m guessing you’re not here looking for stuff for yourself?”
“Is it that obvious?” the customer said, slightly less nervous, but still a little jittery. “It’s a… I guess you could say, a gift?”
“Bachelor party?” Scott asked. “Gag gift?”
“Nothing like that,” the customer said. “It’s for a… friend.” Scott gave an “oh, sure” look but said nothing. “Now, I’m not into this sort of thing, but he his. Like, a lot. And I wanted to surprise him with something he’d like.”
“Perfect, my dude,” Scott said. “Just give me an idea of what you want and I’ll bring you some stuff.” Scott looked the guy over. He was clearly out of his element. Sometimes Scott forgot that not everyone was as open and liberated as the people he usually associated with. Coming here could be a big step for this guy and Scott didn’t want to make him feel unwelcome. Who knows? Maybe he could help a repressed farmboy find his inner kink? Spread the groovy revolution.
“Well, he’s into leather. Like REALLY into it.”
“Perfecto! Pardon the pun. We have loads of leather stuff.” Scott indicated the outfit he had on. “What are you looking for? Jackets? Pants? Boots? We got it all.”
“He’s got all that already,” the customer said. “I’m looking for something he doesn’t have. Something… like you’ve got on maybe?”
“Ah,” Scott said. “So you’re not looking for outerwear. This isn’t exactly something you can wear on a day out in town, is it? Ha! I get it. You’re looking for something for you two to play with in private. A little gear to spice up the bedroom, amirite?”
“That’s my hope, at least,” the customer said.
“Well, don’t you worry none, pardner,” Scott said. “We’ll hook you up with something right pretty.” He spoke in a poor imitation of the customer’s drawl. It wasn’t quite Hoss’ and it wasn’t quite Cody’s, but somewhere inbetween. But the joke didn’t land and the customer seemed slightly offended. “Sorry,” Scott said. “My two best friends have accents kinda like yours and they both think it’s funny when I rib on them. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
The customer paused for a moment, but his expression relaxed. Scott realized he must have a history with being laughed at. He saw similar reactions with Nate. “No offense taken,” he said. “Now let’s see what you’ve got. I’ve got a little money but I’m not looking for something super expensive. I’ve spent a lot on this trip already.”
“I’ll hook you up, bro” Scott said. “Now, it should be obvious, but I do have to say that everything we sell is intended to be used for consensual purposes. Some people recently used our gear in a rather unpleasant public spectacle, and if it turns out that anything purchased here is used in the commission of a crime, then we will vigorously assist law enforcement. Don’t forget you’re on camera, dude.” Scott chuckled and turned around to head toward the rack of harnesses, so he didn’t see the customer’s face turn slightly pale.
---
Cody was still sleeping soundly. His captor had taken him off the pedestal and laid him down on a mattress on the floor. He had been released from his restraints, and laid flat on his back with his head falling to one side. The drug was powerful, but so was Cody’s constitution, and there was no knowing exactly how long it would affect him. The young man in the room with him was on alert, ready for any sign of consciousness. He picked up his phone and checked the time nervously. “It’s been too long,” he thought. Suddenly a knock at the door caused him to whirl around. Every nerve was on edge, but he relaxed when he heard the secret code. Slowly the door opened and another young man walked in carrying a large shopping bag.
“You’re finally back,” he said to the new arrival. “It was dang stupid to go shopping at a time like this. What if he woke up while you were gone? That would have ruined everything!”
“If he woke up then you would have handled it,” the second young man said.
“Yeah, well maybe I would’ve and maybe I wouldn’t’ve,” the first said. “You know how slippery that one is.” There was no response. “What you got in that bag? I hope it was worth almost blowing the whole thing.”
“Oh, it was,” he said, placing the bag down and holding it open so his partner could see. “Even if it was weird as hell buying it.”
The kidnapper picked up a leather harness, almost exactly like the one Scott had been wearing, and held it up, barely able to contain a laugh. “You said you were getting some leather stuff but I was thinking more Danny Zuko than the Village People, Sam.”
“Well, it’ll do the job, Ryan” Sam said. “Now let’s hurry and get him changed. We gotta get him tied again before he wakes up.”
Sam reached into the bag from Wade’s shop and unpacked the gear he had bought while Ryan knelt beside Cody and lifted him into a sitting position. Cody snored slightly and Ryan wiped the small trickle of drool from his slumbering mouth with bandana from his back pocket. He smoothed down Cody’s pomaded hair, which had been matted into a frightful mess from his ordeal. When Sam came back over, they began to slowly peel the leather jumpsuit down over Cody’s torso, making sure not to make any jerky moves, lest he prematurely awaken from the sudden jostling. Cody was slick with sweat and the leather made a squelching sound as it unrolled from his body. When his upper body was fully bare, Sam looked down in wonder.
He had seen Cody shirtless plenty of times on and around the rodeo grounds, but it was even better than he remembered. Since coming to college, Cody had clearly been spending some time in the gym. Sam couldn’t help himself and reached down for a quick feel. Cody purred and licked his lips involuntarily in response to the calloused hand on his bare skin. Ryan gave Sam a slap on the chest. “Hey!” Ryan said. “None of that, now. Not yet, anyway, eh tiger?” Sam chuckled and picked up the harness as Ryan supported Cody in a sitting position. He carefully placed the ring against Cody’s chest and pulled the straps behind his back, buckling them in the fashion that the salesman had shown him. Even inexpertly done, it framed Cody’s body perfectly. Accentuating his natural sculpting and newfound definition. Well, that was part one!
Ryan gently laid Cody down on his stomach and both he and Sam walked around back of him. They started to roll the leather jumpsuit further down Cody’s sleeping body, revealing his lower back and ass. Sam was so excited that he didn’t realize they had left Cody’s boots on and the jumpsuit got stuck on them when he tried to pull it fully off. Cursing himself for being stupid and wasting time, he gently scrunched the leather jumpsuit back up and slipped Cody’s boots off, setting them aside so he could fully remove the leather garb. When it was completely off, he tossed it aside in a heap and stood up. Cody mumbled in his sleep as they finished disrobing him. All that was left were his sodden boxers and socks, all soaked with the sweat trapped under the leather outfit.
Realizing time was growing short, Sam took the waistband of Cody’s boxers and slipped them down, past his legs and off. He felt the damp fabric in his hand and couldn’t resist holding it up to his nose and taking a long, intoxicating sniff while Ryan was distracted fishing around in the shopping bag. The boxers were rank and ripe, but he didn’t mind. They had HIS smell. After breathing in his fill, Sam didn’t toss the boxers aside, opting instead to slip them in his pocket for later. Ryan chuckled again as he extracted a leather jockstrap from the bag. Sam shot him a look that said “Be quiet, dumbass!” and Ryan settled down. Then, with extra care not to jostle Cody awake, he took up the leather jockstrap and began to slip it over Cody’s feet and up his legs. The cup was fully leather, with a small zipper on the front, allowing for easy access. Sam watched in awe, fantasizing about the moment Cody would unzip it, beckoning him over to him with a “come-hither” look on his face. Sam imagined himself on his knees, crawling towards Cody hungrily, eyes fixed on the meat emerging from the zipper hole…
But there was no time for fantasizing. Cody’s sporadic and slight movements had become more frequent and that meant the drug was wearing off. There wasn’t much more time. Ryan slipped the jock firmly into place, engulfing Cody’s privates underneath him and framing his ass perfectly. He slid Cody’s black leather cowboy boots back onto his feet and stood back. Sam could do nothing but stare at Cody’s perfectly presented ass and swoon slightly.
“That’ll do it,” Ryan said, wiping Cody’s residual sweat off his hands using the legs of his jeans. Cody began to murmur slightly, snapping Sam back into focus. Realizing time was critically short, the two slid Cody along the floor to a concrete support pole and placed his back flush against it. Sam took a pair of handcuffs from the shopping bag and ratcheted them around Cody’s wrists, securing his hands behind the pole. Then Ryan produced a pair of short-chained leg shackles and locked them around Cody’s booted ankles. The last item in the shopping bag was a leather buckled plug gag. Scott had said it was their most popular model. The band that went across Cody’s mouth was thick and wide leather and the plug was a bulbous leather shape, slightly oblong, but wide and round. Cody began to stir more strongly as the buckle was clenched behind his head.
When he saw Cody, Ryan couldn’t help but laugh. “Jesus H. Christ!” he said “I know we said we wanted him in a compromising position, but this is almost too much!” He snapped a few close shots of Cody in his undress for posterity. Sam slapped Ryan on the arm, bringing him back to reality. “Look,” he said. “He’s waking up!”
Cody‘s mind slowly began to unfog. His vision was still canceled out by the blindfold, his other senses went into overdrive to compensate. He could hear movement from two figures nearby, but neither said anything. Two? There was only one before. Then he felt a slight chill and air on his skin. Like parts of him that were not exposed before now were. He felt that the ropes around his wrists had been replaced by handcuffs and that his gag had been changed to something thick and heavy. He cracked his neck as the grogginess left him. He felt the cold tingle of concrete against his back and realized he was seated on the floor with his back against a pole. And he was dressed in… what in the sam hell?
Cody let out a shocked gasp as his mind cleared enough to fully make out what he was wearing. He bucked and squirmed in his chain prison for a moment until he heard someone nearby laughing. It was the same voice from the party. Same one from before he got knocked out, only now not obscured by the Scream mask. Finally, he recognized it. Ryan! How could he have missed it before? His old rodeo rival knelt down in front of him with a smirk and leaned close into Cody’s face.
“Good mornin’, cowboy! You scared?”
---
Hundreds of miles away, LJ was reclining in a foldable lawnchair outside his trailer in the camp that surrounded the rodeo grounds. Clad only in his boxers and a pair of well-worn cowboy boots. His date for the evening was blissfully sleeping inside and he had just decided to go outside for one last quick smoke before joining her. A rather successful evening, he mused, helped along by his regular ropework pointers from JD. His new friend had been sending him links to instructional videos online to introduce him to the world of being a rope dom and LJ had taken to them like a hog on slop. And… Melinda (that was her name) had seemed quite impressed by his newfound skills. LJ took a drag and smiled. Maybe Cody was onto something. He was getting a lot of fun and enjoyment out of this new world he had stepped into.
LJ finished his cigarette and stood up, ready to go back inside to sleep. But stopped when his phone rang. Normally he’d ignore a call from an unknown number at this late hour, but he decided to answer it when he saw it was from a Metro City area code.
“This is LJ,” he said, answering the call.
The voice on the other side said “Mr. Jessup? This is Shane. One of Cody’s friends from the fraternity. We were worried about you. I hope everything is alright.”
LJ was confused. “Worried? Uh, everything’s fine here, thanks,” he said. “Now what’s so important that you’re calling me at this godforsaken hour?”
“Is Cody there?” Shane asked. “I’d really like to speak to him.”
“Huh?” LJ said. “Is Cody here? No, he’s with you, isn’t he? Why would he be here when school is in session?”
There was a heavy silence on the other end of the call. “Mr. Jessup,” Shane said. “I think something has happened.”
Coming Soon: Part 8 – A Buncha Dang Indjits
Wow, the way you weave several elements together is awesome! Another great chapter.
*** My stories: https://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?p=151084#p151084
I'm glad they are starting to figure things out regarding Cody! We can only hope that they aren't too late! In the meantime, Cody will just have to endure whatever Sam and Ryan have planned!
Also, Yay! Happy that at least one of my choices won the costume contest! Jaquan and his lovely lady definitely deserved the win!
Also, Yay! Happy that at least one of my choices won the costume contest! Jaquan and his lovely lady definitely deserved the win!