Tau Upsilon Gamma [M+/M+] [update - 1/11/26]

[DeeperThanRed]

Such a great return to this story!

Ray's drill course was really fun but despite the hot bondage, the highlight was the character interactions: Ray coming in terms with hus relationship with Mason was sweet and I appreciate Danny revealing that he plays the part that people expect from him.

Speaking of Mason, he can really take care of himself - and Brett, to boot!

[gag1195]

Man, I've missed this story! I am truly awed by how well you manage all these different characters and plots! And you even made me root for Ray! He's definitely low on my rankings of all these guys, for no real reason other than the rest are just more interesting to me personally. But man, this physical challenge turned brutal introspection bonding experience really made me appreciate Ray more. And I love Danny even more now too! Its an interesting situation- keeping up appearances despite the lack of interest. But I love that the thing he's actually into is just plain ole bondage fun!

And Mason continues to prove how well suited he truly can be! I knew he'd need to gag Brett before too long! And so well done, not only for his own sanity and not having to hear his complaints, but also for their own safety! It's a shame the backwoods toolshed didn't have any leather gags or ball gags to make the job easier, though!

[KidnappedCowboy]

Like @gag1195 and @DeeperThan Red, I'm glad to see the return of this story.

The obstacle course had my stomach in knots for Ray, but as you write it, it clearly shows that it is an endurance test that tests the mental and the emotional as well as the physical. I'm glad to see Ray breaking through some of the restraints that were holding him back.

And further into the wood as Mason and Brett go, it's great to see Mason taking charge and putting Brett in his place!

[wataru14]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. It's been so long since I've updated I was concerned if there was still interest. But I plan on updating more regularly now.

@DeeperThanRed Ray and Mason's relationship will be quite different after this. Especially once the Brett situation comes to light. It will really change the way Ray sees his little pal.

@gag1195 that's the beauty of an ensemble, cast. Some you will identify with, some you won't. But it leaves room for growth and development and people will surprise you from time to time. As a writer, Ray is one of the characters I have the hardest time with getting into his head. Which is funny considering how he's one of the more prominent characters right now. There's only one whose thinking is more alien to mine that his, but I'll let the readers figure that out on their own.

@KidnappedCowboy Danny is a lot smarter than people think. And he knew how to combine physical restraint with mental. Maybe from here on out they'll see each other less as rivals? Although both still really want to go head-to-head at something athletic. I can see a one-on-one basketball game where the loser gets tied to the basket support post? Hmmm, such possibilities!

I also wanted to tell everyone I've been working on a new side story. Like everything, it takes place in Metro City and there will be references to other stories people can find. But it's not SUPER closely connected to anything. What's different from they way I normally write is that it's essentially finished before I post chapter 1. I have the bones written in full and just have to edit and polish... and come up with a title. But there's still room to add things based on reader feedback. So, coming soon will be a gritty noir tale of hard-nosed gumshoe Mickey O'Rourke as he investigates a series of disappearances in 1930s Metro City. Hope to see everyone there.

[Bootmark]

I am always looking forward to updates, especially when it involves Cody.
I’m looking forward to the new series as well.

[gag1195]

I cannot wait for gritty, noir, black and white Metro City! I especially cannot wait to see how it ends up connecting to your present-day stories!

[big-gunth]

I think I'm one of the few people who was on team Ray from the beginning (although maybe it's team Rayson). On the outside Ray's your stereotypical dumb jock, but inside he really cares for Mason. He's even willing to sacrifice that relationship if it helps Mason.

Danny, like almost everyone else, assumes the worse about Ray. Danny thinks Ray abandoned Mason, when in Ray's mind, he was setting Mason free. It's almost like Gift of the Maji.

This makes makes me think back to the initiation night Ray was happy at Mason location losing his virginity in a such a spectacular fashion. But, Ray was also concerned that Mason would get his heart broken. And that actually happened when the sorority girls who deflowered Mason refused to give him their phone numbers. And Ray was there for Mason, cheering him up in the way he best knew how.

But this all confused with Ray's sexual confusion that even he is aware of. In TUGS so far, only 2 characters have a designated sexual preference-- Nate and now Danny. The rest are just amorphously bisexual. Ray almost seems asexual, but has very strong attraction to Travis and Mason. I wonder if because of his strict upbringing, he is afraid to even consider this possibility that he's gay.

Anyway, thanks for the new chapter. Like that your comments suggest that you have plans for where the story is going. Look forward to seeing where the noir series goes.

[wataru14]

Chapter 8: Dazed and Confused [warning: drugs]

When Nate got up, he noticed Cody, Ray, and Mason were already gone. Only Leo remained in the freshman bunks, sleeping like a dead man. Nate threw open the window, unconcerned with disturbing his bunkmate. The scenery outside – forest-covered mountains in the distance, dense woods in the beginning stages of changing into fall colors and dotted with clearings holding some mystery or other, the crystal-clear lake – was staggering. He grabbed his camera and snapped some pictures of the view out the window. He wasn’t much for landscapes, but it was a breathtaking sight.

After taking a quick shower, he threw on a clean pair of jeans and headed downstairs. He had packed fairy heavily for this trip and even though the “dress code” rendered most of it useless, he was glad he did. Cody didn’t even bring a second pair of pants. Just some swimming trunks. So if Cody’s “task” today was a physical as Nate suspected, he would soon regret being covered in mud the next few days. Or maybe he wouldn’t. Cody was like that.

Nate was surprised to see Scott and Shane sitting down at the breakfast table when he arrived. The five freshmen had spent a great deal of time last night trying to work out who would be paired with whom. Leo, in particular, was convinced that Nate would be partnered with Brett. He said they had a “mutual acquaintance” Brett would want to talk about, but he refused to elaborate any further. He also lowered his voice and looked over his shoulder when he said it, Nate noticed. The two in the kitchen were the least likely to be paired with him, by group consensus at least, with only Cody saying that Scott was a possibility. “Interesting,” Nate thought as he sat down.

Breakfast was a lighthearted fun affair, and Nate appreciated that. Leo staggered in a few minutes later, complaining that someone left the window open and the sun was hitting him in the face. How could he sleep through that? The group laughed often as they downed the stack of banana pancakes Scott had whipped up in the pre-dawn. A massive pile still remained on the counter.

“Hoss and Danny, the two biggest eaters, both went out early,” Shane said, savoring a bite. “Scotty Crocker went through all the trouble of making enough for them and they skipped out.”

“It’s a damn shame,” Leo agreed, grabbing two more for himself. For a skinny twig, he could really put it away when he wanted to. “Well, the microwave still works. They’ll have to make do. If we leave any for them, that is.”

Nate looked up furtively at the two seniors as they all ate. Scott smirked. “Nate, my dude, chill!” he said, “You look like you’re about to take a mid-term!” He leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head. Nate could see the TUG letters tattooed on his inner right forearm. All five seniors had gotten them at the beginning of the term. It was a tradition, Hoss had said. Hoss’ was on his right shoulderblade. Brett’s was on his chest, right over his heart. Nate wondered what he would do in three years. While his branch of the family wasn’t as orthodox as some of his cousins, Judaism still didn’t look favorably at things like that. His great-great-grandfather was a rabbi who fled from the pogroms as a child with only the Torah and the clothes on his back. And some of his elder relatives were VERY conservative on matters like tattoos.

“Sorry,” Nate said, wiping some syrup off his chin. “I was just thinking about something.”

“That’s your problem, brah,” Scott said. “Not that thinking is bad, but you have to live life and take things as they come. You can’t micromanage everything, bubeleh.”

Shane cackled. “That’s some real wisdom,” he joked. “I mean, Scott’s philosophy has gotten him just a few short months away from living in a van on Malibu beach. Isn’t that where gurus hang out nowadays?”

“Pipe down, Barbie,” Scott laughed, adopting one of Hoss’ nicknames for Shane. “I got plenty of plans for the future. I’m just not obsessing over them.” Nate assumed those “plans” were just being a kept houseboy for Wade. He watched as Scott stood up, wrapped up the extra pancakes, and put them in the fridge. While he was in there, he grabbed something in a Ziploc bag from the vegetable crisper and stuffed it in his pocket before Nate could see what it was.

“Snacks for the day,” Scott smirked, seeing Nate’s attentive glances. Shane just rolled his eyes. “Well, I’ll skip the bullshit,” Scott said, closing the fridge door and putting his hands on his hips. “It’s you and me today, Reb Nathaniel.”

Leo looked up from his plate at that. Based on who was there, he would have put money on Nate being with Shane and him being with Scott himself. Especially if he was right about what the “observing” was for. Scott was the Social Chair. What in the hell would he be observing Nate for? And Shane was secretary. No one in their right mind would consider him for a role like THAT, Leo thought. “These two went off script,” he realized, cemented after seeing Shane’s nonchalant smirk. “No wonder they’re the last. They had to wait until Brett was gone before messing with his orders.”

Nate was thrown for a loop, despite what Cody had said. “You and… me?”

“You almost sound offended,” Shane said, almost bluntly.

“No!” Nate countered. “I’m just… surprised is all.”

“Well, that’s the point, isn’t it?” Scott said. “Keeping people on their toes? What’s the point if you can guess it beforehand?” He looked at Shane for confirmation.

“Brett’s pairings were a little too obvious,” Shane agreed. “Danny and Ray? Cody and Hoss? Amateur hour. Of course he kept the only shocker for himself. But there’s a method to our madness. You’ll see.”

Nate couldn’t argue with that once he heard who among the missing was paired with whom. But that meant Brett was with Mason. THAT was a surprise. “Well, not really,” Nate admitted. Mason had been taking a leadership role recently. Ever since the car wash. Brett HAD to have noticed.

“Relax, Nate,” Leo said, finishing the last of his pancakes. “You’re in for a fun time. You think THIS guy is going to make you run laps or something?”

That was true, Nate thought. Nothing about Scott screamed “taskmaster” or anything, but he did have a little apprehension. They were the only two of the ten who were in a… relationship. Mason/Marisol and Cody/Sam weren’t really serious… yet. Ray and Travis? Well, no one was really sure what THAT was. And Scott being Hoss’ best friend meant there would probably be… questions.

“All right,” Nate said, getting up from the table. “Let’s go then.”

---

Scott had his arm casually draped over Nate’s shoulder the entire walk. From someone like Brett or Danny, he would have considered it a power move. A show of dominance. But Scott wasn’t like that. Scott was clearly a sub, but irrespective of bedroom politics, he was the one out of all the seniors who was the least concerned about rank and regimentation. It was just a simple, straightforward “bro” gesture. And Nate appreciated that.

They left out the front door, passing the parked bus, and took a side path at the lake into the woods. Nate was hoping they might be going to the lake, since he so rarely got to swim and he rather enjoyed it. But they didn’t stop. They walked along a path that shadowed the small stream that fed the lake. So clean you could see the rocks on the bottom and the little fish swimming around. Nate heard the rumble of a waterfall up ahead.

“Now this place is beautiful all around,” Scott said, sensing Nate’s attention to the surroundings. “But you’re about to see my favorite place on the whole property. It’s pretty gnarly.” They followed the river, moving subtly up in elevation, until they came to a small clearing.

The far side of the clearing was a rock wall that went up, almost full vertical, to the base of the mountains. The stream’s source was high above, an offshoot of a larger river that skirted the edge of the property. The water from the stream cascaded down into a small pond, where it collected before running downhill to feed the lake. There was a soft mist all around, humid but cool.

“It’s better in the spring when the snow melts,” Scott said. “And you get animals here a lot, but this time of year they’re either hibernating or migrated for the season.” Nate could tell this was Scott’s favorite place. A few ratty towels were arranged in a circle around a dead campfire ring. It had a very chill vibe. Even Nate was put at ease.

“Wow…” was all he said.

“I know, right?” Scott replied, lighting a cigarette. He picked up a coffee can from beside one of the towels to use as an ashtray and unsealed the plastic lid. “Have a seat, little dude. You and me are going on a journey.”

“A journey?” Nate asked. “Like a hike? But we didn’t bring any gear. No boots, no map…”

“Nah, not like THAT kind of journey,” Scott smirked. “Just cop a squat. All shall be revealed soon, mon ami.”

Nate chose the nearest towel and sat down with his legs stretched out in front of him. The earth underneath was soft and cool. Scott plopped down on the towel beside his. They sat, basking in the natural grandeur until Scott finished his smoke. After sealing up the coffee can he grabbed the Ziploc bag from his pocket.

“I know we just ate, but here ya go,” Scott said, taking a brownie from the bag and handing it to Nate. “You think my pancakes are good? Take a bite of that baby!” Nate looked at the confection quizzically for a moment. It was soft and still moist from whenever Scott baked it. It wasn’t done here at the retreat, but it hadn’t yet begun to harden. Massive chocolate chunks throughout. It looked heavenly. Nate took a bite.

The rush hit him after two seconds. Scott had devoured his almost instantly and now looked at Nate with a goofy grin. As Nate took another bite, he saw the corners of Scott’s mouth begin to curl beyond the dimensions of his head. Like the Joker or the Grinch. He blinked a few times in disbelief. Then… he giggled at the absurdity of it. He started to sweat.

“Heh,” Scott chuckled. “Hits the skinny guys like you pretty quick.” Nate took another bite. The taste of chocolate with a hint of honey danced over his tongue and down his throat. He looked down and realized the brownie was gone. But he was sure he still had half of it to go. He saw an image in his mind of him scarfing down the remaining half, but he didn’t remember doing it.

“Whoa…” he said, feeling a pleasurable heat begin to well up in him. “Time is… wobbly… like it’s bending back on itself.”

Scott howled with laughter. “That ain’t the half of it. But don’t worry. Time is moving just fine.” But that wasn’t the only thing that was moving. Vines and creepers began to slink out of the foliage and crawl toward the pair. All of varying thicknesses. Nate started openmouthed in fascination. He saw colorful trails of light lagging behind them as they slithered toward him along the ground. Their movement wasn’t ominous or worrying. Nate almost felt like he was in a cartoon where the forest creatures come out to play.

“The Ents are coming to Eisengard…” Nate chuckled. Then he broke out into full-on giggles that wracked his body in joyous spasms. His head swam with a disconnected euphoric feeling. Almost like he was floating in space. His sense of pressure was misfiring. He gazed in giddy curiosity as the vines reached his feet.

The vines were in no hurry as they began snaking up the legs of both Nate and Scott. Moving of their own accord, they wrapped around and around, slithering up ever further. Nate reached his hand out to touch the vine as it crawled up his chest. His arm felt like it was moving in slow motion. Like it was forcing its way through some viscous liquid. The vine felt warm and alive when he made contact with it and he giggled again.

“What’s going on?” he asked, still flushed and giddy. Scott didn’t answer. He just watched the vines wrapping around his own legs with a goofy smirk. Nate looked back when he felt a thin creeping tendril crawl over the back of his hand and start encircling his wrist. The wind changed slightly as the creeper crawled along his arm and onto his bare back. When it made contact with his trunk, it began asserting a gentle pressure, pulling his arm back. Another creeper snaked around his other wrist, which was still planted against the ground to stabilize him.

It was fascinating to watch, Nate thought. His mind didn’t even register how this was a horticultural impossibility. The vines began to constrict his legs, pulling them flush together and spiraling up toward his torso. Getting thicker and tighter with each revolution around. He teetered a little as the creepers around his wrists worked them slowly behind his back. More vines crawled out of the bushes and wound their way around his chest. Behind his back, the creepers had positioned his hands together and had begun to wrap themselves around his wrists. Nate giggled again as he felt budding leaves ticking his bare skin.

The vines continued to snake around until both Nate and Scott were enveloped and cocooned in green tendrils. Nate felt the energy and life from his bonds radiating out and permeating him. There was a quick vibration and the universe itself seemed to slightly pulse for a moment. Then Nate’s giddiness vanished with a pop, leaving only a warm buzz of euphoria in its place. He blinked a few times as everything came back into focus.

“You and me are going to play a little game,” Scott said. He was just as bound and wrapped up by vines as Nate was, but he didn’t seem fazed by it whatsoever. Nate wasn’t scared, or even nervous, just vaguely curious about the “How” of the situation. Did they have weird mutant plants out here? Did Scott have plant-based superpowers or something? Nate was fascinated more than anything. The vines slowly finished their snaking around his body and settled, snug and secure.

“This is some Poison Ivy shit right here,” Nate said, his voice sounding like it was coming from somewhere outside his body. “Does Audrey II eat me if I lose the game?”

“Nope, little man,” Scott said, shifting his weight to get comfortable. “No deathtraps, just some chill conversation. It’s just a game of 20 Questions. The vines are there to make sure you answer honest. Watch this. I’M WEARING A LACY BRA AND PANTIES RIGHT NOW!” The vines tightened around Scott’s chest, causing him to let out an “Ooomph” before they loosened. “Think of it as my jolly green lie detector. Just be honest and you’ll be fine. If you’re ready, I’ll go first. Why did you join TUG?”

Nate chuckled slightly. “Pretty much Cody,” he said. “We got our letters delivered under the door of our room at the same time. He was super excited, but I didn’t know what to make of it.” That was sufficient enough to answer Scott’s question, but something inside Nate made him want to elaborate. He was normally quite private about personal matters, but at this moment he couldn’t help himself from sharing more. Maybe it was whatever was in the brownie? “I’ve always had a hard time making friends. Bullied a lot. And I mean a LOT. And unlike Mason, I didn’t have a protector watching my back. When I first read the letter I thought ‘Great! Another group of douchebags who will fuck with me. This is probably a sick joke.’ The only reason I reconsidered is because Cody was so adamant about it. I figured, with him there, it would be all right.”

Scott nodded at his explanation. “Well, we are a bunch of douchebags sometimes,” he smirked. “But we would never pull a stunt like that. That’s DIX shit.”

Nate felt the vines encircling his ankles slowly loosen and unravel. They unfurled and slank away into the foliage like they were never there. So that’s how the game worked. “And the truth shall set you free,” he quipped. Scott indicated that it was Nate’s turn.

Nate thought for a minute. They had time to get into hard questions, but something had been gnawing at his mind and he just had to ask. “Exactly what was in those brownies?”

Scott smiled broadly. “Eggs, sugar, cocoa, the usual. But that’s not what you’re asking. Well, the secret ingredient is something we discovered my sophomore year. One of the seniors was really into botany that year. You can guess what we had him growing most of the time, heh heh... But besides that, he crossbred these flowers that had kickass psychoactive effects. A clean mellow trip, no paranoia, and non-addictive. I don’t even think it’s a recognized species. We discovered a bunch of different ways to use them, and every method has a different effect. But when you cook with them… well, let’s just say it alters your perception pretty heavily.”

“So this isn’t real?” Nate asked. Immediately the vines tightened around his wrists and chest. They didn’t loosen again.

“Ah ah ah!” Scott scolded. “One question per turn. But as for whether it’s real or not: your body and your brain both certainly think so. And that’s all that matters. Now…” he smiled wickedly. “I heard that Cody sleeps in the nude. Is that true?”

Nate smiled. “That’s a cheap question,” he said. “But I guess I have to answer. He doesn’t do it every night, but… yes. Sometimes he does. If he goes commando for the day, let’s just say he doesn’t dress up for the night. And before you say it, no, he’s not trying to bait me or anything. He’s not that type. It’s just how he is. Not to say that I don’t… look… hahahahahaha!!!!” The vines around his knees retracted and disappeared.

Nate had an odd thought. If these vines were all-knowing truth detectors, he just might be able to learn something that had been bothering him for a while now. “How did you guys find us?” he asked. “TUG, I mean. I had only been on campus six hours before the letter arrived.”

“Sorry to say, little dude,” Scott said. “But that I don’t know. Our advisor handles that with Brett. Big secret meetings. My freshman year was our advisor’s first year in charge and it started then. Just a meeting between him and the president the day the dorms opened and that’s that. Before him it happened later in the month and the actives had to go out and observe people to look for possible recruits. Or have a normal rush process like the other frats. For all I know the advisor has a crystal ball or something.”

It was an unsatisfying answer, but a true one, as the vines retreating from Scott’s ankles attested. Still, Nate was suspicious. He knew the advisor was there because QE asked him to take over. But how did they know each other? In a normal state of mind, Nate would have been afire with theories and hypothesis. But in his current state, the best he could do was file it away for later consideration.

Scott decided to stop with the kiddie questions and get more serious. “Where do you see yourself in four years?”

That was easy. Nate had been planning his future (with or without his mom’s help) for years. “Well,” Nate said. “If you asked me that four months ago I’d have said I see myself living in a tenement in the arts district of Metro City. Surviving on Cup O’ Noodles from the bodega and trying to sell my art on the street and catch the eye of some gallery owner out slumming. But now…” he paused. “I’m not sure. I’ll have most of my core classes done by then so I can focus on my art. Maybe get a showing on campus. But definitely still with TUG. That’s a given.”

That pleased Scott. “Good,” he said. “You’re the one we were the most worried about. People have dropped out before, but it’s rare. We’re usually a lot more careful about invitations than most, but it does happen.”

“I’d think you’d be more worried about Ray,” Nate said.

“At first we were, not gonna lie,” Scott said. “He was almost ejected, but you know that already. But the dude’s been through fire and came out the other end. He’s not going anywhere.”

It was Nate’s turn again, so he decided to up the stakes. “Since you asked me, where do YOU see YOURSELF in two years?”

Scott clearly didn’t like the question. Nate noticed the vines tightening around Scott as he considered his answer, then loosen again. “To be honest, I don’t know. Planning was never my strong point. I know what I said to Shane, but that was pretty much bullshit. Probably living with Wade. Helping out at the shop or taking care of the house.”

“You don’t sound too enthused by that,” Nate said.

“No, I am,” Scott shrugged. “I love Wade. He’s my everything. After all the DIX bullshit last month, and everything else, he’s always been there for me.”

“But…” Nate interrupted. “You’ve got ideas of your own.”

“I do want more,” Scott said. “But I don’t really do anything well, besides getting wasted and bottoming. I guess I’m just a big fuckup.”

“That’s DEFINITELY not true,” Nate said. “I don’t know why the vines aren’t strangling you right now. There is something you do well. Better than anyone I’ve ever seen.” Scott knew he couldn’t ask a question since it was still Nate’s turn, but the look on his face was screaming for Nate to elaborate. “Cooking.” Nate said. “The burgers at the Bid Party were out of this world! The banana pancakes this morning? Come on! You’ve got real talent.”

Scott stopped for a moment. Yeah, cooking was something he really enjoyed, but was he THAT good? The guys at TUG reacted well to his creations, but Hoss, Danny, and Brandon would eat a tire and call it ice cream. He had wanted to try something more creative for discerning brothers like Shane and Jaquan, but he was always too scared. He felt the vines around his knees loosen, signaling that Nate’s turn was over.

“OK, so I can cook,” he said. “So Wade gets his own personal Gordon Ramsey when he gets home. What do you suggest I do with this knowledge?” Scott winced, realizing he just used up a question without intending to.

Nate frowned. Scott wasn’t going to like this. “I would recommend that, after graduation, you leave Metro City. And Wade… temporarily. I have a… friend who has significant holdings in Las Vegas. Lots of top-notch restaurants and bistros there. If you want my advice: go out there and intern. Learn from the masters. Refine your own style a bit more and then come back and open your own restaurant in Metro City. It may take a while. And it will be hard work… which, let’s be honest, isn’t your strong point. But I really think you can pull it off.” The vines around Nate’s lap rapidly unraveled and whipped away with great speed. Scott knew what that meant. Nate was being truly and deeply sincere.

“Leave Wade and go out on my own…” Scott mused. “I’ve never done anything major on my own. I’ve always had Danny or Brett or Hoss to fall back on. Uproot and just drift into a new city on the other side of the country… that’s crazy.” The idea terrified him. But he had to admit that it allured him, too.

“If you don’t think you can handle it, if you’re too SCARED,” Nate said bitingly. “Then don’t. All I’m saying is that you asked for my opinion and I gave it. You were the first person at TUG that I met, and right away I knew there was more to you than meets the eye. You’ve done your best to keep that hidden, but it breaks through occasionally.” Scott bit his lip. There was a cold intensity to Nate’s voice that he had never seen before. Hoss had told him in secret about it, but Scott didn’t believe him. Now he was seeing a whole new side of Nate. A dark, almost edgy side that knew know to command. Suddenly he realized how right he was in convincing Shane to switch partners today. Letting Shane get his hands on this Dark Nate would be a supervillain origin story waiting to happen.

Still shaken by Nate’s tone, Scott was on the defensive. So he decided to play dirty. “What’s the deal between you and Hoss?” he snapped. More a defense mechanism than a question.

Nate recoiled, even though he expected Scott would go there eventually. Scott and Hoss were best friends and Nate was positive he already knew everything. He just wanted Nate to say it out loud. “Hoss is… my first ‘boyfriend.’ My first anything really. I was a virgin until a month and a half ago. People look at him and see just a big dumb slab of beef, but I see more than that. He’s complex. Even vulnerable sometimes. I’m sure you’ve seen glimpses of it, but it’s a side of him that he only lets me see fully. Being with him is exhilarating. It’s fun and exciting and I’ve never been happier.” He anticipated what Scott was going to say next and said it first. “You want to know if I love him. I… don’t know. Maybe I do. I’m not sure what that’s supposed to feel like, so I can’t say for sure. Don’t forget I’m still new to relationships. For the first two weeks I was constantly on guard that he was going to pull the rug out and say it was all a joke on the stupid gullible frosh. But… now I know that’s not true. I know he loves me. With the way he reacted during the fire it couldn’t be anything else. He’ll have those scars on his back forever. That… scares me a little.”

Some more vines recoiled off Nate and slithered away.

Things were getting intense. Both of them were half free from the vines that bound them, but the game wasn’t done yet. Nate decided to change direction. “What do the seniors think of Travis?”

“Danny and Hoss both think he’s playing Ray,” Scott shrugged, the leaves of the vines encircling his bare chest jingling in the air from the movement. “That it’s all an act and he’s DIX through and through. Brett knows that’s not true, but he’s more concerned with consequences. Brett’s also a legacy in TUG like Travis is in DIX. So he knows there might be fallout beyond what we can see if we ‘poach’ him like you guys want. Me and Shane, though… we’re behind you five all the way. I saw how they treated him when Brett, Hoss, and me were captive. There’s no way that’s faked. But if you’re expecting some sort of White Knight rescue scenario… you should probably get ready for disappointment. Hate to say it, but it’s true.”

The vines slithering away from Scott’s midsection gave Nate the sinking knowledge that what he just heard was true. He’d have to tell the others. Maybe they could come up with a different plan of attack?

Scott laughed. “Man, this heavy talk is killing my buzz. So what do you have planned for the next D&D session?”

Nate was grateful Scott was shifting gears to lighter talk. The weight of the questions was even more restrictive than the tendrils that bound half their bodies. The next few exchanges were light, more than a little raunchy, and extremely refreshing. Nate felt a closer bond of friendship with Scott forming moment by moment. They were an unlikely pair, but Nate felt comfortable around Scott. His high school years had made him more guarded and aloof than the others when it came to interacting with people, but maybe… just maybe… Scott could help him to break down those walls and let loose a little. Nate smiled at the thought.

Finally, the two were left with just their wrists bound behind their backs by the vines. Scott looked at Nate and grinned. “Just one more each,” he smiled. “Make it count. Here’s mine. We both know you’ve got the biggest hunk on campus wrapped around your finger. But if you had a ‘hall pass,’ who would you use it on? And don’t you dare pull that ‘I would NEVER!!!!’ bullshit.”

Nate laughed. “That’s easy,” he said. “Joe Manganiello. ‘True Blood?’ ‘Magic Mike?’ Even that shitty military movie he made with that WWE wrestler years ago? Come on, man, I can’t believe you had to even ask that!” Nate waited for the vines to slip off his wrists, but they didn’t. “Huh?” he asked, looking quizzically back over his shoulder at his still-secured wrists.

“Nah,” Scott said. “Not for the last question. We both get loose at the same time. That’s how it works.”

Nate understood. The game about connection. Bonding as much as bondage. “So it’s last question then. OK, here we go. We know what the real reason behind these excursions are. Mason, Leo, and I figured that out last night. My question is: are you actually REALLY considering ME for Social Chair?”

“Fuck no!” Scott laughed, drawing a deep relieved sigh out of Nate. The idea of having to plan parties and fundraisers made Nate’s skin crawl. “That’s Leo, no question. You are clear-cut for Secretary. That’s not even up for debate. As you probably figured out already, Shane and I switched behind Brett’s back. I’m still a little sore at Leo for bushwhacking me during the Pledge Hunt way back when, but it’s more than that. I wanted to see what makes you tick. You came to me first with a few things since you’ve been with TUG and that means a lot. And I’ve found you’re a pretty interesting dude.”

Nate was a little taken aback by that. No one had ever called him “interesting” before. A lot of other off-color derogatory things, but never “interesting.” He felt slightly overcome with emotion. So much so that he almost didn’t notice the final vines unsnaking from his wrists and slithering away.

“And that’s that!” Scott said, standing up and stretching out. Nate joined him. “Now, I bet you want to know what my big secret is…”

Nate cut him off. “I think I already know what it is,” he said. “I pretty much figured it out when we were talking about you training in Vegas. Everyone feels inadequate and is scared about their future. There’s no reason to be ashamed of that. But you’re NOT a fuck-up and you’re NOT talentless and you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone BUT yourself. I believe you’ve got what it takes.”

Scott was overwhelmed by Nate’s show of support. So much that he grabbed him in a tight bro-hug and lifted him off the ground. “Now THAT’s a ride-or-die attitude, my dude!” he said. “Total bro move. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not the coolest cat in the room.” He put Nate down.

“Should we head back?” Nate asked, readjusting his glasses after they got knocked around by Scott’s hug. “It’s getting late.”

“In a minute,” Scott said. He reached into his jeans pocket and took out his pack of Marlboros. “There’s something I want to do first.” He opened the pack and slid out two joints. “I was saving these for tonight, but hey, nothing better than blazing up with your homies surrounded by nature, right?”

“Of course right,” Nate said with a grin.

---

Red-faced and puffy-eyed, Nate and Scott made their way through the woods, arms mutually draped over each other’s shoulders and giggling like schoolchildren.

“Look,” Nate said, his speech pleasantly slurred. “All I’m saying is that He-Man is a gay icon. And I don’t think it’s unintentional. Everyone is totally jacked. There are like four women on the whole planet and one of them is his mom. You’re talking about a clearly gay guy and his clearly gay cat. He holds up a magic phallic symbol, comes out to the world, and all of a sudden he’s tan and wearing a bondage harness and a fur loincloth while his cat gets a gimp mask. Do I have to draw you a fucking map, dude?”

“Whoaaaaa,” Scott said, his mind completely blown. “I totally never even thought of it that way!”

The pair met up with Leo and Shane, who were coming up from the lake area. Seeing the state that Scott and Nate were in, Leo burst out laughing. “Well, look who it is: Cheech and Chong!”

“What can I say?” Nate giggled. “Our activities involved a lot of green. In more ways than one.”

Shane stood slightly apart from the others, his trademark unreadable smirk on his face, as he looked across the grounds to the lodge house. “Scott, if you’re quite done corrupting the innocent, something is going on at the front porch and I know none of us are going to want to miss it,” he quipped.

---

Somewhere in the South Pacific, the normally still waters began to churn. Something was rising. The water cascaded aside as a metal structure, encrusted with algae and barnacles, slowly crested and emerged. Once it was fully out of the water, the surface of the roof split open and a grinding sound echoed forth. On gears rusty from disuse, a metal platform rose up, housing a sleek, futuristic two-seater plane. A garish decal featuring a kawaii-style Cthulhu adorned the top of each wing. VTOL engines firing, the long-disused Calamity Shuttle took off and streaked across the sky toward Bora Bora.

Coming Soon: Chapter 9 – Back to Nature

[gag1195]

I am incredibly grateful that Shane and Scott decided to break the rules and swap pairs! For a number of reasons:
1. Scott had a very unique way of bonding with Nate and getting some deep insights from both of them.
2. I don't think we would have gotten near as many insights if they'd kept the original pairs
3. It means that Shane and Leo get to be a pair after all and that makes me so happy!

The psychedelic vine bondage is so fun and unique! I was initially expecting the little twist to be that Scott was actually tying Nate up, and Nate was just interpreting it as living vines, but I'm very happy to have been wrong! And again, so very nice insights to both Scott and Nate! I really appreciated Nate's honesty regarding his relationship. It's all so new, that it can definitely be tricky to understand how deep the emotions go. And I love dom Nate coming out and putting Scott in perspective!

But how dare you tease us and make us wait for the Shane/Leo pairing! Grr!!!

[CowboyStud]

Hmmm I’m curious why the questions about Cody. Like does Cody sleep in a nude?

I’m curious why would he care? Did wade ask that about him?

Does someone have a crush on our fellow cowboy?

Also, if his assumptions about Travis are correct should we worry about ray?

I’m curious about the legacies.. is it possible Leo’s father is a legacy? I’m thinking at least one of our pledges is a unknown legacy.

[wataru14]

Hmmm I’m curious why the questions about Cody. Like does Cody sleep in a nude?

I’m curious why would he care? Did wade ask that about him?

Does someone have a crush on our fellow cowboy?

Scott already knew the answer to that question. He just wanted something light and cheeky to put Nate at ease. And neither Wade nor Scott have a "crush" on Cody. Although Cody does feel an attraction to Wade somewhat (he mentioned it in his thoughts in an earlier chapter). But they're both pretty much spoken for at the moment, so the odds of anything happening are a little low.

Also, if his assumptions about Travis are correct should we worry about ray?

Not worried about Ray. Like Scott said, he's not going anywhere. And the reader poll was against Travis becoming the sixth pledge. But that doesn't mean that they're just going to leave him to his fate. All five pledges are behind him, and with Scott and Shane on their side, who knows what devious plans for DIX they will cook up?

I’m curious about the legacies.. is it possible Leo’s father is a legacy? I’m thinking at least one of our pledges is a unknown legacy.

None of the pledges are legacies. By the nature of TUG itself, they're not very big on the legacy system. They're actually quite rare. With only a small group of pledges each year and each one being selected because TUG can help give them what they "need," it doesn't sit will to give someone an automatic spot. Brett's legacy status is on his father's side, but it's a few generations back. We'll see who it is when I post my next side story.

I am incredibly grateful that Shane and Scott decided to break the rules and swap pairs! For a number of reasons:
1. Scott had a very unique way of bonding with Nate and getting some deep insights from both of them.
2. I don't think we would have gotten near as many insights if they'd kept the original pairs
3. It means that Shane and Leo get to be a pair after all and that makes me so happy!

The psychedelic vine bondage is so fun and unique! I was initially expecting the little twist to be that Scott was actually tying Nate up, and Nate was just interpreting it as living vines, but I'm very happy to have been wrong! And again, so very nice insights to both Scott and Nate! I really appreciated Nate's honesty regarding his relationship. It's all so new, that it can definitely be tricky to understand how deep the emotions go. And I love dom Nate coming out and putting Scott in perspective!

But how dare you tease us and make us wait for the Shane/Leo pairing! Grr!!!

Scott and Nate are a fun pair. And they're definitely going to hang out more in the future. As for his relationship, Nate has never dated anyone before so he doesn't really know how to proceed or what to do. And his relationship with Hoss isn't particularly standard, anyway. He is bringing the big guy home for Hannukah, so he is very serious about it. He just needs time to process what he's feeling.

And you won't have to wait THAT long for Leo/Shane! I'm going on a trip next weekend and won't be able to get any writing done while I'm away, but it is priority one for when I get back.

[DeeperThanRed]

Nate is really shaping up to be my favorite character.

His bonding (pun intended) session with Scoot was definitely interesting, and I'm curious about the tease at the end.

[_zin_]

Always enjoy catching up with TUG brothers. The last 3 chapters were fantastic (yes, it has been awhile since I last visited). Brett being attacked, jumping a jeep mid air, intense obstacle course, lie detecting vines. One favorite moment? Hoss tying Cody then hanging him up by his feet. This is one of my favorite stories as it never disappoints. And always leaves me wanting more!

[KidnappedCowboy]

Well done you, @wataru14!

Your imagination met your story-telling skills so well in this chapter. The trip to the great outdoors allows the fellas to commune with each other while communing with nature. And Whoa, Nellie! That's exactly what Nate and Scott did, while enmeshed in the ivy! Your mixture of poison ivy, twist on Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth, and binding bonding of brothers while baked on a batch was perfect.

My favorite part was Nate encouraging Scott to dream big. Your story is about a band of brothers, but Nate has fast become the narrator of it for us all.

Thank you!

[wataru14]

Coming Soon: Chapter 9 – Back to Nature

Leo savored the last of his pancakes as he watched Scott and Nate head out the front door. He knew something was up. He wasn’t born yesterday. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what these pairings were and THAT was a coupling that had no business existing in any universe. Although it did give him a pang of subversive glee to see Brett’s well-planned system derailed, at least. But that brought up another question.

Shane sipped his coffee with aplomb. He did everything with aplomb, but the dude made drinking coffee look like a work of ballet. He ran his fingers through his hair to smooth it back. He had let it get a little long and there were no haircare products on the retreat. But it was a calculated move, just like everything else he did. It was meant to be casual. Nonchalant. “To put me at ease,” Leo thought. “He’s trying to play me. Of course he is. But as Nate’s dad says ‘Do you think I just got off the train from Minsk and Pinsk?’ It’ll take more than that, Narcissus.”

“Look at those wheels turning,” Shane said with that damnable smirk that perpetually occupied his face. “Trying to figure out the master plan, eh? Well, I hate to break it to you but it’s not as complicated as you’re making it out to be. Scott’s and my Successor Observations were over as soon as they were assigned. So I’ll level with you, Leo. The switch is partially because Scott wanted to cause some chaos and partially because I have some designs for you.”

“My, that’s shockingly candid,” Leo chuckled, picking up his plate and putting it in the sink. “And here I was expecting some clandestine plans within plans.”

“Oh, there’s plenty of that,” Shane said, rising and depositing his empty cup. “But I don’t have to be ‘on’ all the time, do I? Sometimes… very rarely, of course… you can take what I say and do at face value.” Shane stretched his arms and shoulders like a runner. “I feel like a jog. Come on.”

“Oh great,” Leo said, rolling his eyes. “So much for low-key. I just ate my body weight in pancakes and now you want me to jog? You’re crueler than I thought.”

“You don’t know the half of it, kid,” Shane said, a devilish smile forming in place of the smirk. It actually took Leo aback slightly. Shane wasn’t Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes by any stretch, but there was something almost sinister in that smile. And Leo was intrigued. “Enough exploratory banter,” Shane continued. “Let’s jog. And don’t half-ass it. If I think you’re holding back you won’t like what happens.”

Leo grumbled as they both stepped out onto the front porch. Shane gave him a pat on the back that was half encouragement and half a clear warning. Then he took three grand steps down the stairs and began to jog. It was almost like he was running in slow motion. With wakka-chicka guitar music playing in the background. His full hair bouncing and falling perfectly with his strides. But his pace wasn’t a casual jog. He was going all out. Leo just said “Fuck me,” and took off after him.

---

Mason had stopped to rest by a stream and washed the sweat and grime off his face. He reached up and scratched his itchy scalp. Since there were no grooming products allowed on this trip he hadn’t been able to maintain his mohawk in a day or so and the hair on the sides of his head was beginning to grow back. It was itchy as hell. He filled a tin cup from the backpack he had swiped from the tool shed with water from the stream and carefully gave some to Brett, still tethered down on his makeshift stretcher.

Brett’s attitude had improved significantly since last night. He was still surly and grumpy, but at least he wasn’t howling and threatening anymore. He actually gave a terse “thank you” for the water. He had stopped begging to be untied two hours ago. Mason surmised that Brett understood both his condition and how him trying to walk right now would make their going even slower than it was.

“If we follow this stream,” Mason said, “we should eventually end up at the waterfall. Hoss says Scott’s party spot is at the bottom. It should be easy to find the cabin from there.” Mason looked at Brett’s puzzled face. “You don’t even remember who Hoss and Scott are?”

“Not a clue,” Brett said. The swelling on his head had gone down a little, but he still had that detached, distant look in his eyes. “I feel like I should, but I don’t. Heh. Yesterday I’d have said they’re probably part of your kidnapping gang. But now… I know that’s not why you’re here.”

Mason felt a huge weight lifting from his shoulders. Brett had finally woken up to the obvious. He was normally a smart guy, but who knows what the blow to his head did to his cognitive and reasoning skills?

“But then why ARE you here?” Brett asked. “Who are you? I get conked on the head and you just happen to show up to come to my rescue? And who hit me? And where are they now?”

“We’re fraternity brothers,” Mason said. “Well, not fully. I’m still a pledge. But anyway. We’re here on a retreat with a bunch of other guys. As for who hit you? That I don’t know. This whole property is Hoss’ family’s and I’m sure they’re not aware of any violent squatters. When we get back I’ll have to let him know. But they could be anywhere. They could be back at that shed or they could be following us right now. So we shouldn’t stay here too long.”

“Agreed,” Brett said. He let out a frustrated grunt. “I just wish I could walk. It sucks being strapped to this stretcher and dragged like a baby. Which reminds me. These straps are really secure. How did you get so good at them? You’re clearly not a Navy Seal or anything… although with that hairdo you just might be. Are you an EMT?”

“Uh…” Mason stammered. He could explain how he got so familiar with restraints, but something told him now was not the time. Who knows how Brett would take it? He had just calmed down and Mason DEFINITELY didn’t want to risk freaking him out again. “…Yeah. At Metro City General.”

Brett nodded. “I thought so,” he said. “Although, if we’re headed to a waterfall I have no idea how we’re going to get me down it. Does this thing float?”

Mason frowned. He hadn’t thought of that. “We’ll have to worry about that when we get to it. For now, let’s get moving.”

---

Leo caught up to Shane pretty quickly. Speed was his physical forte, after all. If he wanted to he could have left the pretty boy in the dust, but he decided not to. He kept pace with Shane, not wanting to burst out into the woods not knowing where they were going. After a while, the path banked right. “It must be a circular trail,” Leo thought. “So eventually we’ll double back to the cabin. Heh. When we round the last bend I’ll open the thrusters and leave Barbie in the dust.”

At the same time, Shane was keeping a steady pace. Occasionally looking at Leo with approval. “You’re doing well,” he said. “Usually only Danny can keep up with me. And even then only for a while. Hoss is slow as tar. And between his extra weight and the smoking, Scott taps out after 200 yards.” He flashed a smile and light almost seemed to glint off his perfect teeth like a goddamn toothpaste commercial.

But Leo wasn’t distracted by the praise. He had noticed something else about Shane. Every now and then he would do a small jump. Or slightly waver in his position on the road. Changing lanes, if you will. Usually to avoid a patch of leaves or conspicuous clump of dirt. Leo picked up on that right away. They were moving too fast for him to get a good look at the obstacles, but Leo knew what Shane was doing. He was avoiding certain spots on purpose. Something was up.

At first these patches were sporadic and only on Shane’s side of the trail. But when the obstacles became more frequent, and even started appearing on Leo’s side, he couldn’t help but smirk. “He’s herding me somewhere,” Leo thought. “Hoping I slip up. Heh, not likely, brah.”

Leo gracefully sidestepped a patch of wet leaves and didn’t break his stride. Shane nodded approvingly. But then he decided to play dirty. Just as Leo was approaching a spot of soft dirt, Shane bodychecked him right into its path. But Leo was ready. He moved with the impact and allowed it to carry him past the suspect ground and he skirted it on the right.

“Cheating?” Leo giggled. “A man after my own black heart. But enough playing around.” Leo turned on the speed. He pushed past Shane and maintained a lead of two or three body lengths. He didn’t look back, but he probably should have. He would have seen the satisfied smile on Shane’s lips as he purposely fell back a bit.

As Leo rounded the bend, he saw an obvious hazard that spanned the entire path from edge to edge. He would have put money on it being a pit of some kid, covered by a thin veneer of leaves. Leo readied himself and leapt into the air. It was only about eight feet across, easy for a running jump with his natural speed. He touched down onto the ground at the far end with two feet to spare.

“Suck it, Peaches,” Leo cackled. He turned back to shoot Shane the middle finger. The fact that Shane had stopped running and was standing at the far edge of the pit trap with his arms folded across his chest smugly registered a fraction of a second too late. Leo tried to stop but his momentum carried him forward another step and then everything went upside-down.

Leo found himself suspended in midair several feet off the ground. He was contorted into a ridiculous semi-fetal position upside-down, tangled in some sort of cargo net. As he slowly rotated he could see Shane skirting the edge of the pit trap and making his way around.

“You made it pretty far,” Shane said. “But you made too many assumptions. You assumed we wouldn’t double up. I’m disappointed.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Leo pouted as he tried shifting his weight. “You gonna let me out of this before you lecture me, Master Yoda?”

“Not on your life,” Shane smirked. “A lesson needs to be learned. But I will let you down. You can’t learn anything when all the blood rushes to your head.”

Shane strutted over to the tree where the net’s anchor rope was tethered. He rummaged in the foliage at the tree’s foot and pulled out a full burlap sack. After lowering the net enough for him to reach the top, he gathered and bunched the lip fully together and secured it with a padlock from the sack through multiple rivet holes around the border. When it clicked closed, Shane loosened the anchor rope and lowered Leo to the ground.

“At least he went slow,” Leo mused as he descended. He still had enough freedom of movement to brace himself with his arms as he approached the dirt. “He could have just dropped me. I wasn’t high up enough for it to do any damage. Hmph, what a pal.”

When Leo was fully down and the world righted itself, Shane knelt down and pulled Leo into a sitting position. The heavy net draped over Leo like a shroud. Shane began to pull bales of rope from the burlap sack. Leo blanched when he saw them. It wasn’t the silky bondage rope they got from Wade’s. Or even cheap clothesline from the hardware store. This was thick. Coarse. Itchy. The type that wouldn’t hold small knots well. It was designed for mooring boats or bundling wood, not for holding a skinny freshman. A statement was being made.

Shane began to gather the excess netting close to Leo’s body as he sat pouting in the dirt. Once it was tidy enough for his satisfaction, he started to secure Leo. Shane started low, at Leo’s ankles. He made the rope tighter than it needed to be. Much tighter. “Another statement,” Leo surmised.

“I’m shocked you could run as well as you did in those boots,” Shane said as he revolved the thick rope up Leo’s calves toward his knees. Leo had brought a pair of Chucks, but he wasn’t wearing them. Instead he was wearing his black leather shitkickers, loosely laced only halfway with the tongues hanging out. “My my,” he continued. “Proper street fashion. Just the way an impudent badboy should wear them. On the street, I mean. A dumbass decision for the woods, though, no doubt about it. But I have to acknowledge the devotion to style.”

“Yeah,” Leo said. “They slowed me down a little. I would have left your ass in the dust if I had running shoes.”

“Of that I have no doubt,” Shane said as he double-knotted Leo’s knees.

“Hey, I had no idea what we were going to be doing today, but whatever it was, I had to look good doing it,” Leo said.

Shane paused halfway up Leo’s thigh as he said that. Leo saw Shane was considering something.

“Was that a genuine statement or was he just saying what he thinks I want to hear?” Shane thought. “Could be either. But the true answer is probably a mixture of both. But what proportion? THAT’s the question.”

Leo noticed Shane’s pause. He knew he was onto something. But he didn’t have time to formulate any further platitudes. Shane had reached his bare torso with the rope and he couldn’t think of anything else at the moment.

The fibers of the net were rough and irritating enough, but the rope added a whole other dimension. Leo’s arms were pinned flush against his sides by the taut net, and as the rope began to encircle him, he felt every scratchy fiber against his skin. Every abrasive inch of the thick, twisted cordage. It itched like a motherfucker. It left superficial but irritating abrasions on his arms, back, and chest if he moved even an inch.

“Ugh,” Leo gasped as he tried to stay as still as possible, trying to avoid more skin irritation.

“Brett’s favorite book is Dune, did you know that?” Shane said. A sadistic smile spread across his lips as he saw Leo’s growing discomfort. “Of course you did. Now you’ve probably read them all, but in the later books they have an interesting method of restraining prisoners. It’s called shigawire. It was originally designed to be a wire for transmitting messages, but it has another use. It’s so thin that it can cut through flesh with only slight pressure. If you bind someone in it, it forces them to stay completely still. If they move even an inch, it cuts. Wriggle your wrists in that stuff and your hands will get sliced clean off. Of course, we don’t have anything like THAT, but I feel like this rope captures the same idea. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Leo had to admit Shane was right. He couldn’t move much being netted and tied already, but the negative reinforcement from the itchy fibers made him think thrice about even squirming a little. Bondage by psychology as much as with rope. “Damn, you’re an evil asshole, aren’t you?” Leo quipped. But even he couldn’t hide the admiration in his voice.

Shane hummed a jaunty tune as he finished wrapping Leo up in the damnable thick rope like a burrito. “I knew you’d be impressed,” Shane said as he stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans. “If you weren’t I’d know I was wrong about you. And I need to be right in this.”

“Can’t stand being wrong?” Leo quipped. “It would hurt your image?”

“Not in the slightest,” Shane said, taking a seat on a fallen log. “Failure is an excellent tool to gain sympathy. If people think you’re vulnerable, not only do they underestimate you but they let their guards down. I don’t use that trick much because it stretches plausibility with the image I’ve created, but I know when it’s useful. And so do you.”

“Image,” Leo spat. “That’s what’s most important, eh?”

Shane frowned. Leo was close… so close… to getting it, but now he seemed like he was missing the point. “Only partially,” Shane said. “But you understand the importance of image. The leather jacket, the boots, the quippy comebacks. The complete badboy smartass. You’ve crafted your image as much as I’ve crafted mine. We just use different tricks. Let me guess. All this started when your father…”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Leo snarled. “You’re right. But don’t you dare say it.”

“Now that’s what I wanted to see,” Shane said. “There’s darkness in you. And not just superficially. And that’s exactly what we need.”

“Need?” Leo said. “Heh, are you looking for some kind of Sith Secretary for TUG? The Dark Side will help me with filing and record keeping?”

“Ah yes, that,” Shane chuckled. “Right for the jugular. Another good move, by the way. Of course that observation nonsense is all bullshit. Nate is going to be secretary and you’re going to be social chair. That’s pretty much written in the stars. Of course you picked up on something being off when Scott and I switched partners. I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. So much so that I’d abandon the whole thing, to be honest. Scott wanted to cause a little chaos and thought it would be funny to get Nate stoned. Which I’m sure it is. But if he didn’t suggest the switch, I would have. I wanted to get you alone to talk for quite some time.”

“Heh,” Leo scoffed. “And I’m sure Scott’s ‘idea’ wasn’t planted and watered by you the whole time. Of course not.”

Shane beamed with pride. “Scott is the easiest to manipulate,” he said. “Strangely, Hoss is the hardest. He’s got that single-minded Lawful focus that keeps him on track. He’s frustratingly hard to swerve. But you know all about how that works. I’ve seen how you’re slowly getting your claws into Ray.”

Leo jolted and tried to come up with a retort, but he lost focus and squirmed a little, causing a rough scratchy burn on his arms.

“I’ve got you at a disadvantage,” Shane gloated. “But that’s by design, of course. So just sit back and listen. I’m going to monologue a little, if you don’t mind.” Leo regained his focus and sat still. He craned his neck (his head being the only part of him not at risk from rope burns) to devote his attention to Shane.

“I noticed your influence on him pretty quickly,” Shane said. “But I’m not criticizing you OR telling you to stop. Ray needs it. He’s too hotheaded for his own good and he’ll end up getting himself, and all of you, into trouble if someone doesn’t blunt his baser instincts. I’ve been working my own magic on him, but he seems to respond better to your touch. So keep at it. I just want you to report to me so we can formulate a strategy going forward. I hate disorganization, even though you seem to thrive on it. Heh, different strokes, I guess.”

“So… now is the part where I tell you my secret,” Shane said. Leo gasped in surprise, causing more abrasions. He cursed loudly at his lapse in focus. “Heh heh. Careful there. Now, I’m telling you this not because you’ve earned it, but because it’s necessary. My secret is: I have two roles at TUG. Secretary, of course, but a second one. A much more important one. One no one else knows: not even Brett. One that was given to me directly by the advisor himself. Now, I don’t know who the advisor is. I mean, REALLY is. But clearly there’s a lot to that story we don’t see. Normally I can play Brett like Nintendo but in that regard he’s maddeningly tight-lipped. I have my theories, but that’s neither here nor there right now. I’m fairly sure you know the truth, or at least part of it. But again, we can discuss that later. In better conditions.”

“My second role is the one that I have my eye on you for. And you’d better be up for it because none of the other can handle the responsibility. Funny, isn’t it? Responsibility is your weakest point, but here we are. My other role is… guardian. There’s a whole world out there. And that world is ugly and cruel. It chews people up and spits them out. And the others are not prepared to handle it. They live in their magical rope-fueled fantasy world and they have no idea what threats lurk out there. And I’m not talking about amateur hour like DIX. Although that is a concern. Especially with what you five are cooking up. But I can handle them.”

“I deal in secrets. Keeping them hidden. Deflecting. Diffusing. Brett wants to go into politics, did you know that? He’s going to be president one day. How far do you think his public career would go if the average voter knew about his past drug addiction? Or the kind of things we get into here at TUG? Being in a fraternity is expected of politicians. But one like hours? He couldn’t be elected dog catcher if people knew what we did. Same with Hoss’ law enforcement career. That’s where I come in. Someone has to misdirect attention and scrub the records. And that’s what I do.”

“My job is to steer them right from behind the scenes. Influence their decisions to minimize future damage. And run damage control if they make the wrong decisions. Spinning plates while my shoes are on fire. It sucks, but it’s vital. The most vital role any of us can play. On the surface, you might think you’re the least likely candidate for the job. But we both know you’re the only one who can do it. Nate would fold from the pressure. Cody is too optimistic and… good to see the dangers. Ray can’t think beyond the immediate. There’s a possibility in Mason, but he… is being taken in another direction. And who better to do the job than the one person nobody suspects? If I hadn’t told you, would you think that I could do something like that? The guy who spends an hour each morning on his hair and coasts through life without any seeming path? That’s the whole point.”

“Image…” Leo said, connecting the dots.

“Yes, image,” Shane answered. “You and I have both carefully crafted personas for ourselves. We’ve both built these outward personas that cause people to make assumptions and underestimate us. Which makes it easier to work. They see me and write me off as just a pretty face. Dumb and vapid. Too concerned with his hair to be any threat. Other than the possible stealing of their girl or boyfriend. Not capable of complex thinking or actions. Same as you: just an insouciant hellion. All about pranks and short-term fun. Not an inkling that there could be something deeper underneath. Something dangerous. Both personas allow us to do our REAL work in secrecy.”

“So that’s why I influenced Scott to ‘suggest’ the switch. That and because that way he takes the bulk of the blame if Brett finds out.”

Leo had to smirk at that. Damn if he didn’t respect Shane’s shrewdness. “There’s a reason why your D&D character is a Tiefling,” Leo said. “Because you’ve got a little devil inside you.”

“I need to,” Shane agreed. “And that’s why I need you. Because you’ve got one, too.”

---

Leo and Shane walked silently through a side path in the woods, side by side. After Shane let him out of his restraints, they rehung the net and replaced the trap mechanism. For next year’s freshman class to experience. Of course Leo had agreed to Shane’s proposal. He didn’t want the responsibility, but he had to take it because no one else could. He truly loved his new brothers, and Shane was right. They were too soft to deal with the world outside. They needed him. And how could he say no to that? Inwardly he was shocked that he could feel such concern for others. The change was slightly frightening to him, but Leo felt it was for the better.

“Sounds like you’re growing up,” Leo’s brain said smugly. Leo snarled internally but didn’t retort.

It was a short walk through the woods until they came to the lake in front of the cabin. The sun was getting low, but wasn’t quite ready to set yet.

“I bet your arms and chest are burning right now,” Shane said, looking down at Leo’s bare torso. Red scratchy welts were all over him.

“Yeah,” Leo said. “The others are going to ask questions.”

“Don’t worry about that. Follow me.”

Shane walked over to the lake. A small dock with a moored fishing boat was at the end of the short path they followed. Leo hung back, but Shane walked over to the end of the dock and slipped out of his sneakers. Then he started to unzip his jeans.

“You coming?” Shane said, looking back over his shoulder impishly. Before Leo could answer, he dropped his pants. To say that Shane’s ass was perfect would actually bring it down a level. It was beyond perfect. Round and thick and firm. As he stepped out of his jeans and folded them up, he turned ever-so-slightly, allowing Leo to get a fleeting teasing peek at the front of him. And the little that Leo saw was even better than the back. Shane put his jeans down on top of his shoes and stretched, the sun glinting off his body like the corona of a solar eclipse. With a cheeky wink, he ran for the end of the dock and did a perfect dive into the water. As he lept, Leo got another eyeful of his front and stood agape, despite any and all attempts to remain cool.

In half a second, Leo himself was buck-ass naked and racing for the end of the dock.

----

As for what happened next? Well, there are certain things you can do to cinch a deal permanently. To create an unbreakable bond. And Shane’s skills went far beyond just the verbal. Leo couldn’t fathom how Brett could ever have given that up. Now Leo was no stranger to intimate mutual physical gratification, but doing it in the water was a whole other experience. The movies didn’t do it justice. And when they were done and commenced to playfully swimming and splashing each other, Leo noticed he didn’t feel the welts and burns on his skin anymore.

When they both got out of the water and dressed, Leo spoke first. “That was… fun,” he said. “I really needed that. But I want to be clear. It’s not…”

“Leading anywhere,” Shane said, finishing his sentence. “We have an understanding and just did that to ‘close the deal,’ so to speak. NSA to the Nth degree.” Leo smiled and nodded. It was like Shane was reading his mind. Part of him considered that Shane just might be able to do that.

By now the sun had dipped onto the horizon. “The others should be back by now,” Shane said. “I think I hear Nate and Scott coming out of the woods over there. And there’s no way I’m going to miss THAT reveal.” Shane threw his arm casually around Leo’s shoulder as the two walked toward the rustling foliage at the edge of the woods.

Coming Soon: Part 10 - Rambo

(One more part in this chapter and then we come back from the retreat. Things will be a little different when everyone gets back to the TUG house, that's for sure! And we'll be delving deeper into the seniors for the next section.

I also plan on posting my noir story. I had conceived and written it months ago, but Mountainman beat me to the punch by literal minutes. Lol. I feel like enough time has passed that I can start posting that without stepping on toes. Double duty. Yikes!)

[gag1195]

HOW DARE YOU FADE TO BLACK!!!!!

OMG this might be one of my favorite chapters you've written! These two have long been my favorites of the groups, and this chapter was just so amazing for them! Shane calm, cool, casual manipulation? Yes! The netting and rope bondage? Yes! Leo piecing things together and understanding and respecting decisions? Yes! The reveal??? YES! The detailed appreciation of Shane and his perfection???? OH YES!

Superb!