Isaac’s unexpected return and their bonding as a couple changed his mind about going home.  He would make his home wherever he and Isaac chose to live.  Jason repeatedly urged them to stay with him, pointing out that they were welcome company and had brought happiness to his previously lonely life.  They discussed it frequently until Jason finally acknowledged that they had a right to chart their own destiny and it included a home they could call their own.  Still, he dreaded the day when the energetic young men would leave.

Jeremiah and Isaac rapidly became comfortable expressing their affection as the burden of thinking of themselves as deviants or sinners faded.  Initially, their intimacy was limited to snuggling and mutual masturbation.  They had only dim ideas about what more there might be to sexual pleasure.  That changed one momentous night as they lay in bed.  Jeremiah said, “Zack, I found an interesting site on the Internet.  It has stories of gay couples and what they do to — or should I say ‘for’ — each other.  Would you like to experiment?”

“Depends,” Isaac replied hesitantly.  “Tell me more.”

Jeremiah proceeded to describe arousal techniques and a rather clinical explanation of anal and oral sex.  “You mean they actually ejaculate into each other’s mouths?” Isaac exclaimed.

“They do!  From what I read, the sensation of someone’s mouth around your penis instead of a hand must be totally awesome.  They used different names.  They call a penis a cock or prick or dick.  Ejaculation is called cumming.”

“Sounds awfully weird to me,” Isaac said with a scowl.  “Doesn’t it to you?  I mean putting somebody’s penis into your mouth.”

“It sounded weird to me, too, Zack.  But after I thought about it, it sounded like it might be better, much better, than getting jacked off.”

“Getting WHAT?”

“They call masturbation ‘jacking off’ or ‘jerking off.’  I didn’t get the sense that it’s profanity; it’s just a common term.  What do you think?  Should we try it?”

“I don’t know,” Isaac mused.  “It still seems creepy.”

“How about I go first?  I’ll suck your cock.  You won’t have to put mine in your mouth unless you want to.  But you can see how it feels.  And then you can tell me if it’s better than using our hands.”

Isaac was not convinced but agreed to let Jeremiah suck his cock.  It didn’t take long for Isaac to be overtaken by new and wonderful sensations.  He could hardly contain his euphoria as his friend’s warm, moist lips surrounded his throbbing erection.  He could do no more than moan and squeal with pure erotic pleasure, which pleased Jeremiah enormously.  Soon, not fully aware of what he was doing, Isaac began to buck his hips and was fucking Jeremiah’s mouth.  That stopped abruptly when the sensations peaked.  He screamed, “PRAISE THE LORD!” and shot several volleys of hot cream before he could voice any warning.  Jeremiah had been looking forward to giving his buddy the ultimate gratification and receiving his seed.

Isaac was slow to recover from the most intense orgasm of his young life.  Jeremiah waited, extraordinarily pleased with his buddy’s reaction while he savored the taste of love juice lingering in his mouth.

“Well,” Jeremiah grinned, “How was it?”

“FANTASTIC!” Isaac exclaimed.  “I never dreamed it would be so wonderful.  Thanks, Jerry.”

“It wasn’t weird?” Jeremiah taunted.

“Heavens no!  Wait ‘till you feel it.  Then you’ll know what I mean.”

“Does that mean you’ll suck my dick, too?”

“Yes.  Mostly because I want you to see how magnificent it is.”

The two young lovers would refine their techniques with ample practice and by giving attention to what seemed most arousing and pleasing to the other.  They would also discover other methods both of arousing and for showing their deepening love in much the same way.  With information gleaned from Internet stories, they experimented with all sorts of sexual interactions.  Some were rejected without trying them.  (They agreed that S&M, for example, was a poor way to show regard and affection.).  Others were tried but abandoned because neither found them completely satisfying.  (Anal penetration, for example, was painful and disgustingly messy; they had no knowledge of proper preparation.).  Oral sex would remain their favorite method of giving and receiving sexual pleasure and affection - either one at a time or in the classical 69 position.

******* 

The following three weeks were idyllic; everything seemed to be falling into place.  Isaac secured a birth certificate, social security card, a ‘learner’s permit’ that allowed him to learn to drive, and to secure employment.  Through an acquaintance of Jason’s, he found a job as a helper for a crew that built homes in a new subdivision.  The foreman of the crew, an ex-Amish who lived nearby, agreed to pick him up in the morning and drive him home at the end of an eight to ten hour shift of work.

Jeremiah passed his driving examination, got a permanent driver’s license, and immediately bought a ten-year-old Honda Civic.  That gave the two young men the freedom to go places in the evening and on weekends.  They were living as ‘partners’ although they had not discussed their friendship in those terms.  Until....

After their typical bedtime routine one night (shower, prayers, prolonged foreplay, active sex, and blissfully snuggling together), Jeremiah asked, “Zack, do you love me?”

“Of course! You ought to know that!”

“If I were a girl, would you marry me?”

Isaac was confused.  “I love you, Jerry, but I don’t think I could if you were a girl.  After all, we both know that I’m gay — we’re gay.  What’s your point?”

“Simple,” Jeremiah replied.  “It’s not legal for two men to get married in Ohio but suppose it were.  Would you marry me?”

“In a heartbeat!”

“To love, honor, and cherish?”

“Of course!”

“‘Till death do us part?”

“YES! Are you proposing to me?”

“I am indeed.  We can’t get legally married but we can commit to each other as life partners.  We would consider each other as a spouse and remain faithful to each other.  Are you as willing to do that as I am?”

“Yes.  In fact, it’s what I’ve hoped for and dreamed about.  It’s the biggest reason I came back to you instead of staying at home on the farm.  I’m yours and yours alone, Jerry.  And I’m happy and proud to say so!”

They affirmed their commitment to each other with an adoring kiss.  Both Jeremiah and Isaac recognized there would be much more to talk about: whether to keep their new relationship secret or not, moving into a home of their own, staying in the Akron area or relocating, and much more.  But now was not the time to confront those questions.  Each of them wanted nothing more than to savor finding a partner to love, to share in both joys and sadness, to support and be supported by, and, of course, to enjoy the glorious pleasures of intimacy.

******* 

Jeremiah drove to Millersburg after Rumspringa to tell his parents of his decision not to return for baptism.  He had given a lot of thought to what he might say.  He wanted to thank them for being good, loving parents.  He planned to say that he would remain as a God-fearing Christian but would do so in the outside world.  He would explain that his younger brother could inherit the farm and carry on the family tradition.  He intended to promise to visit periodically.  He hoped to see his younger brother and encourage him to work hard and appreciate his family and community.

Upon reaching Millersburg, he felt a bit of nostalgia for the times when he accompanied his parents on a shopping trip.  As he drove out into the country toward his parents’ farm, he admired the corn fields.  It would be a good crop this year.  He saw cows grazing in pastures and recalled when his father taught him how to milk a cow.  There were huge barns that he knew were constructed without machinery and admired the craftsmanship and hard labor that were necessary to build them.  He also admired the unselfishness of neighbors from miles around who gathered for a barn-raising with no expectation of pay beyond a delicious lunch.  And the food in an Amish community was always appetizing — unlike what was available in Akron.  He passed a horse drawn buggy and marveled at the horse’s ease, grace, and power — a symphony in motion whether pulling a buggy, a wagon, or a plow.  By the time he reached his parents’ farm, the fond memories of living in an Amish community were like a magnet pulling him back into the fold.

When he drove up to the immaculate farmhouse he was nervous because he couldn’t be sure how his parents would react to the news.  His father met him as he parked the car.  “Well,” the man said as he eyed the car.  “It looks like you’ve succumbed to the ways of the ‘English.’  I never expected you’d do that.”

Ignoring the gentle reproach, Jeremiah said, “Hello, Father.  It’s good to see you again

“Is it, now?” the man said with uncharacteristic sarcasm.  “Might as well come in the house,” the man said brusquely, “and break the news to your mother.”

‘How can he know what I’m here to say?’ Jeremiah wondered.  But even if he had the courage to ask the question aloud, there was no chance because his father was striding toward the house.  The mystery lingered in Jeremiah’s mind as he meekly followed his father into the house.

Jeremiah’s mother was preparing the noontime meal in the kitchen.  She saw her son first and smiled broadly but then saw the expression on her husband’s face, correctly interpreting its significance.  Her smile vanished, to be replaced by a look of suffering.  “The boy’s not coming home,” the man said curtly and immediately walked out of the house.

“I came to say I love you,” Jeremiah said, hoping to ease his mother’s obvious pain.  She said nothing.  She walked out of the kitchen but not quickly enough to hide her tears.  Jeremiah was left alone, feeling as abandoned as his parents must have felt at the “loss” of their eldest son.  He, too, cried.  He struggled to gain control of his emotions.  He never got a chance to explain how much he appreciated what his family and the entire community meant to him as he grew up.  Nor could he assure them that his faith in God was still strong.  He could neither find out how they were getting along nor promise to stay in touch with them.  All he could do was look around at the familiar surroundings and recall the happy days of his youth.

Would this be the last time he saw the familiar kitchen with all the memories of good food and family camaraderie?  Would this meeting — which was upsetting for everyone — be the last time he saw his parents?  Had he made the right decision?  Could he bear to change his mind and desert the one he loved?

To be continued...

Iatia’s contributions to this story were valuable and are appreciated.