Hero Ball

I wrote this several years ago so some of the references are a bit dated.

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I was really looking forward to this. It had been five years since I left town and I had missed the Wednesday night volleyball scene at the Beachcomber Bar. Imagine the ironic genius who would name a bar in Oklahoma the Beachcomber. But alongside the deep sand volleyball pit was a Tiki bar with palm fronds and most everyone was dressed Hawaiian, so it worked.

The first team I played on got bounced quickly. I grabbed a beer and roamed among the tables where I overheard a conversation between two women (one very attractive) and a guy.

"Excuse me," I interjected, "you're talking about the movie Pig with Nic Cage?"

"Yeah." said the attractive girl. "I'm saying he at least deserved a nomination. These philistines disagree."

"Too dark," said the other woman.

"So dark," added the guy. "And not exactly what the comic book generation wants to see." He gave me an appraising glance as he pulled out the chair beside him. "Come on, sit. You obviously saw the movie, what do you think?"

His smile was genuine and only mildly wicked. I sensed he was already imagining possibilities involving me, which probably meant the girls were lesbians. Damn.

"You shouldn't punish a film because it pushes the edge. I think it was an amazing performance and the only way to get more great films is to give accolades to deserving auteurs."

They swapped surprised expressions. "You convinced me," the guy said. "I want to change my vote." The ladies laughed. "Anyway, I'm Sean, and they are Em and Ev.

"Em and Ev?"

Ev responded "She's Emily and I'm Evelyn. For some reason, that seems too much for some people to say."

Em suddenly interrupted. "That game is over. Let's get in on the next one."

We jumped onto the pit and were quickly joined by two shirtless college guys. They were bouncing with energy and their firm bodies had very little jiggle. Sean ogled discretely and chimed, "Being a professional man of thirty years, I will retain my attire and, hopefully, my dignity."

The young jocks laughed. "Good one, Bro. Now let's kick some butt." They whooped and churned sand with twitchy feet.

We actually did pretty well. Sean, Em, and Ev were very respectable players. I was the best of the four of us. Our young friends were several beers past their prime and seemed to think extra points were scored for headlong dives. However, the other team was really good. They were regulars who always played as a team and had their shit together. The game was competitive but friendly except for this one guy. There's always that one guy. He was talking trash and getting personal. He rode Sean in particular. Once, Sean's feet got tangled in the sand and he went down in a heap. The jerk yelled, "Maybe your momma can get her money back for all those ballet lessons."

Em and Ev started reading the asshole the riot act while I gave Sean a hands up. "Ignore him," Sean said. "He's always that way." I brushed sand off the back of his shirt then gave him a quick pat on the butt. Actually, that's a lie. I don't know why I did it, I swear it didn't mean anything, but I gave his cheek a quick squeeze. No one noticed except he and I. I'm not sure which of us was more surprised.

Despite a decent effort, we wound up losing. Em and Ev went to get a round of beers while Sean and I settled back at our table. "That was fun except for that asshole," I said. "What's his deal?"

"Oh, he's always that way. Classic homophobe."

I feigned surprise. "So, you're gay? I wouldn't have guessed."

Sean found that amusing. "Yes, I am gay. Let me tell you a secret, guys like that have the best gay-dar there is because they are secretly attracted. Very attracted. He wants to fuck me so bad it's eating him alive. He should be the poster boy for sexual repression."

Ev set beers on the table and a chill vibe was restored. Not long afterward the asshole passed the table and said, "Hope to see you next week, Faggot."

I was stunned by the vulgarity hurled at my new friend. A stockade fence separated the bar from the parking lot and as he disappeared through the gate, I jumped up. He made it to the back corner of the lot before I caught up to him. "Hey, Asshole!"

He turned and saw who it was. He had an inch or two on my 5-11 and quite a few more pounds. He made a point of scoffing to my face so I was ready when his eyes closed in a show of bravado. The knuckles of my left hand jabbed deep into his throat. It took a stunned moment for him to realize he couldn't breathe and he hunched forward gasping, just as I knew he would. My right uppercut drove his head backward. His nose erupted blood. He staggered, just as I anticipated. I stayed close. As he regained his balance, my knee shattered his balls. He keeled forward again, doubly unable to breathe, shocked that his life could go so bad so fast. His eyes were wide so I know he saw the haymaker that smashed into his face sending him sprawling in the dirt.

There was nothing more I could do to him short of homicide so I left him there. By the time I sat back down, my fury was waning and I took a long pull on my beer. The table was quiet for a brief eternity. Finally, Sean said, "Your hand looks swollen."

In lieu of an icepack, I pressed my beer bottle against the swollen flesh. "I'm really not like this. Really. But that motherfucker ... well, he had it coming."

They just stared. Finally, Em agreed, "He sure as fuck did."

Just then, a guy walked in from the parking lot and announced, "Man, there is some dude out there and somebody totally fucked him up. Like, 'call an ambulance' level of fucked him up."

As people headed out to see, I said, "It's time for me to go."

"Us, too," Sean said, "I'll go cover the tab."

As he ran off, Em said, "Sean always comes over to our place for a swim after volleyball. Care to join us?"

A swim sounded good. But one sure way to make a weird night weirder would be to go for a midnight dip with two lesbians and a gay guy. "I don't know."

"Listen," Ev said, "it'll be cool. And I know Sean would appreciate it. You defended his honor, Dude. You can't just slip off into the night. Hang out. Let us get to know you."

I hesitated a long moment then acquiesced, "Yeah, okay."

I don't know how Em or Ev got their money but they damn sure had a pile of it. Exclusive neighborhood. Huge homes. Hundred-year-old hedges. Total privacy. We had a nightcap of beer and pot on the patio beside the pool. The night was lit by a single candle in the middle of the table and the ambient glow of the pool lights. We swapped brief bios. I mentioned my interest in Buddhism. The irony did not escape Em.

"Our avenging knight is on the path to pacifism?" she asked in bemusement. "Buddhism? What? How?"

"It was late into my second tour in Afghanistan. It became glaringly obvious there had to be a better way."

Ev was flummoxed. "When was this?"

"About a year ago. I mustered out of the Army Rangers last month. I honestly thought: I will fight no more, forever. And then tonight ... I guess I blew that."

As the incongruity sunk in, Ev observed, "You're far more interesting than most guys I know."

"In a good way." Em concurred. "More complex."

Sean added his perspective. "Put on a cape and you would be exactly what the comic book generation would pay to see."

Ev rose laughing. "As much as I would love to hear more, I have a brutal morning ahead."

Em took the hint and stood. "You guys should jump in the pool. Just let yourself out through the side gate." With quick good nights, our lesbian hosts were gone.

Sean fired up another bowl and passed it to me over the glowing candle. Of course, I recognized the romantic setting and I cautioned myself against getting trapped in an awkward scene. But we just sat quietly taking in the night and each other.

For 30 years old, Sean was boyishly cute. Blond hair fell partly down his forehead. His eyes were hazel, an amalgam of green and gold with highlights of red. And there was that devilish smile that played across his lips. The pot was hitting me and a thought made me laugh.

"What's funny?" he asked.

"Nothing. I just noticed your mouth."

"So you think my mouth is funny?"

"No, no, no." We shared a bout of pot giggles over my blunder. "It's just ... I remembered this line from a movie. This southern dude goes up to a strange woman in a bar and says 'You got a purty mouth'." I suddenly realized how awkward that must sound. "I just mean ... I remembered that ridiculous come-on line and it occurred to me that you ..." I became flustered. "... have probably heard it many times. I mean guys have probably come up to you ..." More embarrassment. "Jeez, I just keep digging the hole deeper."

Sean laughed with genuine amusement. "Look, I get it. You're straight. I'm not. But that was funny. If we can't laugh then we'll never really be friends. Right?"

I nodded.

"Besides," he teased, "I'm glad you think my mouth is 'purty'." He jumped up and started shedding his shirt. "Just kidding." As he blew out the candle, he added "Let's jump in the pool."

"I don't have a suit."

He added with that devilish smile, "Me neither."

He lost his shorts, took three quick steps, and made a graceful leap into the water. I found myself noticing how his firm cheeks jostled as he ran and how sleekly his trim body entered the water. He surfaced and turned to me. Very stoned and slightly drunk I thought, what the hell. I stripped. The night air felt good on my naked cock. It moved freely as I took my own quick steps and leaped. Before disappearing beneath the surface, I saw another of Sean's appraising looks.

We wound up in the deep end, side by side, holding on to the edge. It was a lovely night, lit by the azure glow of the pool. Sean was close beside me. I was focused on the stars.

"I keep thinking about what you did for me tonight."

"I'm really not like that."

"I know. That makes it even more remarkable." He turned toward me and became earnest. "I'm just a random guy you barely know, and you see some asshole harass me for being gay, and you defend my honor."

He was very near, peering straight into my eyes. He never blinked as he planted a quick, gentle kiss on my lips. It was so brief and natural it seemed like punctuation. An exclamation point to his words. Nonetheless, I was taken aback.

Still peering intently, he spoke again. "It was an act of principle yet I know you rue the violence. In my mind, that's what makes you heroic."

He kissed me again. Just as softly but for a second longer.

"Sean, I like you but ..."

"You have soft lips."

No woman had ever mentioned anything about my lips. "Thanks?"

"How do mine feel?"

Another kiss, this time sensuous and gently pressuring my lips to open. I broke the contact and pushed off the wall into a back float. I realized my error as my cock broke the surface like the dorsal fin of a shark sluicing the water. It was in semi-chub and captured Sean's eye. I rolled into a breaststroke to get to the other side.

"I'm sorry," I could tell he didn't mean it, "but I think you felt a thrill in that kiss. Just as I did. And I wonder, if you were man enough to find Buddha in a war zone, aren't you man enough to find your true self on a peaceful, starry night? I'm going to grab us some beers while you think it over."

He pushed himself up the wall of the pool. His ass was poised above the surface and underlit by the shimmering blue glow. Then he kicked one leg to the concrete edge and scrambled up and off into the dark. Moments later he re-appeared with beers in hand. I never looked away as he took the naked stroll around the pool. His body was smooth except for a neatly groomed landing strip above his dangling cock. It was cut and plump and hung several inches long. And it was tantalizing, the way it swayed. I looked up and discovered him smiling at my attention. Setting the cans close beside me, he hopped in the water with hardly a splash, then emerged grinning broadly, pleased with his obvious grace. "Good form," I said.

We drank quietly, enjoying the night. I felt comfortable with our closeness. I took time to appreciate the beauty of Sean's face, the sweet invitation in his smile.

He chuckled. "You never answered."

"What was the question again?"

"How do my lips feel to you." And with that, he slowly closed the distance between us and kissed me longingly.

"Sean, I've never done this."

"You've never kissed before?"

I laughed, "No, I've kissed plenty of women. Never a man."

"Well, technically you still haven't. I've kissed you. You haven't kissed me back."

I felt his thigh pressed to mine. My hand went to his hip. My lips pursed to accept his. They were lush and soft. The kiss was achingly brief.

"So how do my lips feel to you?"

I gazed into his green eyes, flecked with gold, and streaked with crimson. "Tender."

"Tender is good."

My hand went to his neck. I pulled him in and kissed my first man. His lips parted. My tongue swept in. I could feel my cock stiffen and rise. It met Sean's erect cock underwater and a shiver ran through me. He wiggled his hips. Our cocks danced a watery tango. He broke the kiss with a gasp. "Let's take this onto dry land."

I watched him swim to the shallow end, wondering did I really want to do this. He started to mount the concrete steps. Again his ass was suspended atop the glowing blue water. I imagined how the firm lush cheeks would feel. He looked back over his shoulder and beckoned me with a lascivious twinkle in his eye. I swam after him. "My hard-on is causing a lot of drag through the water." He laughed.

He led me to an outdoor couch that was as broad as a bed. We turned to each other. His mouth was luscious and soulful, and his tongue played a wicked French dance with mine. Our flesh was pressed tightly together. From head to toe, there was not a millimeter gap. Our groins undulated as one. My arms encircled his neck. His arms roamed my back, my waist, my ass. He squeezed and I pressed my cock tighter to his.

"I don't know what to do," I confessed.

"Lovemaking is all about exchanging pleasure with the intent of gratifying the other man's need."

"And I don't know how to do that. With a man."

He was kissing my neck as he explained. "Every man has a hundred points of pleasure but the main ones are the lips ..." He kissed me deeply but briefly, "... the nape, the nipples, the cock, of course, ..." his hands squeezed my ass and slowly spread my cheek, "... the balls, the perineum ..." A finger tickled my hole, "... and the ass." I quaked at his touch.

"I don't know if I'm up for that."

"I was talking about me, Silly. I find pleasure in my ass."

We started a gentle sidle onto the cushions. His eyes admired the firmness of my chest as his fingers kneaded my pecs. "Be all that you can be," he cooed.

With his right hand, he gathered the flesh of one tit, puckering the nipple. His fingers rolled the tender nub and tiny arcs of pleasure shot through me. My nipple reddened with hot blood. Sean's slick tongue washed over it but that only raised the heat. Suddenly it was in his mouth, teasingly mashed between his lips. He sucked and I felt the strange impulse to succor, to sustain this marvelous man with whatever I had. He pulled his greedy lips away. "The nipple."

His mouth found my neck. He burrowed soft nibblings into the nerves clustered under the skin. My eyes closed as I moaned. Then I could feel the coolness of the sloppy mess he had made on my neck. "The nape." He was gone.

No explanation was needed as he planted his lips on mine. I sank into his embrace. My ardor rose with each swipe of tongue upon tongue. I encircled his torso with my arms, hands roaming, caressing every inch. He pulled me deeper into the web of lust, then he was gone. Disappeared.

His tit replaced his lips. With a firm hand, he pulled me tightly to his chest. My mouth washed over the firmness as my tongue discovered the swelling nub. I was enthralled. I compensated for crude technique by lavishing his nipple with hungry fervor. I felt proud as his lusty murmurings mounted. Then he was gone.

I felt his hot breath on my cock. I looked. It was throbbing hard and strained upward. His gaze was stupefied with longing. "Your manhood is magnificent." He gave me a lecherous wink. "Worthy of a hero."

His tongue tickled the base then made a slow journey upward, taking delicious detours to explore the craning girth. Every nerve was aflame with radiant sensations when he finally took my cockhead between his swaddling lips and plunged, sucking and licking, down the entire shaft. My breath emptied in a convulsion of ecstasy as his throat engulfed my turgid cockhead. He held it deeply and swiveled his juicy mouth along its pillowy girth. When he came up for air, my cock shimmered wetly and a long strand of slobber connected cockhead to lips. His eyes were clouded with longing as he beheld my manhood. "The cock. The beautiful, sexy, manly cock."

I reached for him but he escaped to kneel between my legs at the edge of the couch. Deft fingertips played an arpeggio up and down my shaft. He left a glistening trail of sloppy kisses across my balls and further to the delicate perineum. I had never imagined such sensations as my most hidden flesh surrendered to his tongue. I sank further into my carnal fugue, all connection to time and space vanishing into a swirling vortex of ecstasy.

I heard his voice distantly and sensed my knees being lifted high and wide. "I still recall the feeling. Being introduced to my own erogenous anus. It was the day I became the man that I am tonight."

His juicy tongue tickled the rosebud of my ass, sending a firestorm of verboten pleasure up my spine. I recoiled. An inner voice screamed, 'No, this is wrong. Not there.' But my aversion quickly melted beneath the lush ministrations of his tongue. It stroked softly then firmly, circling then plunging, always insistent, always seeking entrance. My inner self opened. I felt his tongue cross a threshold into a dimension of strange desire. Manly desire. Then his tongue was gone.

I opened my eyes. I saw the flush of passion on his face, intense and hot. I knew he saw the same in mine. "What do you want?" he asked in a fevered whisper.

"More" was my reply.

He somehow had a bottle of lube in his hand. He somehow slathered it on his cock. He somehow pressed a dollop to my rosebud and beyond.

"Then simply relax. Let me make love to you."

I felt the cushioned head of his cock entreat entrance. A craving overcame me, a longing to engulf his manhood with my flesh, to have him probe me, inhabit me. Still, I was a virgin, tender, and afraid. "Relax," he cooed.

I sighed and let go of any inhibition. The pressure increased. I sighed again and did all I could to open myself, but he was large and my rosebud was small and had never been stretched. I felt him push again, persistently. Then there was a pop. I uttered a muffled cry as a tearing pain ripped through me. His hand held my cheek. His lips puckered in a soothing 'shhhh'.

I got lost in the longing of his eyes. The ache subsided and something else emerged. Something profoundly masculine. One man in union with another. My chest swelled with emotions I couldn't comprehend. It just felt right.

He eased forward. I was roiled by a sudden wave of pleasure. "Oh, yes," he said, "we need to add the prostate to our list of manly passion points." His cock continued to sink and I continued to open. The deeper his cock touched, the more I wanted him to touch all the way to my soul.

He started hunching his cock in and out. It slithered back and forth across that spot and nerves that stretched from head to toe began to thrum. He was fucking me. This man who introduced me to the manly dimension of pleasure was now fucking me. I felt him under my skin. I felt him within me. I felt him everywhere at once. He was fucking me.