Poor Unfortunate Soul: Country Love

Chris didn’t want to feel like he should want to return home. He felt like after he moved to the city, that would be it. There was no reason to ever look back. After living there a while, he really started to realize how different it was to the small town he grew up in. No more random conversations with people. No more just, ‘Hi. How are ya?’ conversations. And no ability to just relax.

Everyone was just so stuck up. They had to always be presenting themselves in the best light. And don’t you dare say something that might make them upset, or you’d be hearing from HR. Chris only needed the one warning before he decided it was better to keep to himself. But then he was getting lonely. He didn’t feel like he fit in with other people at work. And they seemed to talk about him behind his back more and more.

That’s why he felt a mixture of relief and fear when he saw the text message from Thomas. They’d grown up together, but it was Chris who was able to move away. Chris didn’t have the same things holding him down. He could go to college and make his own way. But ended up feeling like he’d got stuck in just as shitty of a job. 

Thomas had said a new bar opened up called ‘The Poor Unfortunate Soul.’ He said it wasn’t really popular but they could probably get some cheap drinks. Apparently the bartender had been really nice to him. Chris felt a bit conflicted. He finally relented when Thomas promised him a couple of his mom’s hearty meals.

Chris couldn’t turn that down. His cooking skills were poor. And fast food and take out didn’t have the same joy as when he’d first moved to the city. It was all some form of burgers, Chinese or tacos. Not like the meals Thomas’ mom would make. 

When Friday rolled around, he felt his heart sink while he was driving. Then again when he saw the lavender colored cursive neon writing on the old saloon style bar. The theming was a bit off but he pushed through the large double doors. It was heavier than he expected. A breeze pushed him in and the doors closed hard behind him. 

“Oi! You made it!” Thomas staggered from the stool in front of the bar towards Chris. “Can’t buhleive this faggot actually decided ta make uh trip down ta see meh. Thought big city boy got too good fah me but look atcha! In da flesh.” He used his arms to display Chris for the bartender. The bartender started clapping to add to the joke. “Oi! You gonna come drink wit me. I got a bit ofa head start though.” He let out a hearty burp then pounded his chest. “Maybe ya can keep up then.”

A firm punch to Chris’ arm reminded Chris part of the reason why he left. That, and the strong smell of alcohol on Thomas’ breath. “I guess so,” he smiled weakly. The brash nature was so far from what he was used to since he moved away. No one ever touched him, and now Thomas had his arm wrapped around him, leading him back over to the bar. It was more to keep Thomas upright than anything else, but Chris had seen enough guys prefer to pass out before touching another person for support. 

“Course you are. Wouldn’t of come if you weren’t,” Thomas swayed. His small body plopped onto the stool and spun it back and forth. He was never one of the biggest guys around. For some reason he just couldn’t gain the size other people could. His thin arms were still rather thin but his waist seemed to have grown quite a bit. Besides fat starting to creep up onto his body, he looked almost identical to the way he had when they’d graduated high school. “See, this here’s muh friend. Born and raised togetha since we wuz born. But then he’d have to gone and get an edjucation an’ leave me all by muh lonesome.”

“Oh?” the bartender pried.

“It’s not like that,” Chris held his hands up defensively. “It’s just I had a really good scholarship and could do…” He trailed off realizing what he was saying. Thomas was stuck here. He wasn’t very good with school or sports. And then he had to take care of the farm his parents had. And then he wasn’t the best at that either. Managing the egg production or keeping the cows happy was hard work. He could do what he was told but when it came to making the decision, he was rather inept.

“Sounds about what he said,” the bartender smiled. His sharp grin only made Chris feel worse.

“Sees? This is wut I wuz tellin ya. But don’ be too hard on ‘im. He’s a good guy,” Thomas pulled him in for another hug. It felt more like it was for support. Almost all of his weight shifted onto him and he could feel it. 

“I won’t,” the bartender said. He had a cool way of speaking. Just standing there, he held a presence. Even if there was more than just Chris and Thomas in the bar, he would have still demanded everyone’s attention. “He seems like a good guy. And you still trust him?”

“Wit muh life,” Thomas held up his near empty glass, then chugged the last few drops. It was almost on cue that he seemed to have passed out onto the counter in front of him. His body went limp but a smile stayed on his face.

Chris leaned forward. “Thomas?” his friend’s arm was still wrapped around him and the weight was pulling him down onto the bar. Chris maneuvered his way out of Thomas’ grasp and helped him get a bit more comfortable on the bar. 

“I think he’s out,” the bartender smiled.

“Yeah… Thought he took his alcohol a bit better,” Chris agreed.

“It’s not his fault. More it’s my fault. I let him have some pretty strong stuff,” The bartender turned around and grabbed a large ornate bottle. Then shook it around. “Pretty isn’t it? He made you smart, successful and social. Yet you still came back. Trust me, I didn’t think you would. But that just means the game can continue.” The bartender poured the mysterious liquid into three separate shot glasses. “He told me how much you meant to him. It’s kind of surprising how much you helped him out even when you went your own way.”

Chris didn’t know what the bartender was talking about. If anything he was almost creeped out by the guy. The way he wouldn’t stop smiling in an almost twisted way sent a shiver down his spine. But Chris didn’t move. He felt like he had to stay. And with Thomas passed out next to him, he didn’t want to leave the guy alone. There was almost no way he could possibly carry him out on his own. 

“Okay?” Chris stalled. He was hoping for Thomas to start stirring again, but the big guy just wouldn’t move. However it wasn’t the functional weight he’d need for working on the farm. If anything all the fat around his body would have just made the job exponentially harder as he didn’t take care of himself.

“Have a seat,” the bartender pointed to the swiveling bar stool and slid the drinks a bit closer. Chris complied. He looked over at his friend, who had a dull smile on his face. “The game’s rather simple. Just take a drink and change something about him that you think would make him happy. He thought he knew you so well. But,” the bartender shrugged his shoulders, “can’t win them all. At least he gets a second chance.”

Chris barely understood what was going on. He looked at the bartender with even more skepticism as he picked up the first shot. Somehow he’d just walked into a ‘game’, one he didn’t even know he was playing. And then he was just supposed to understand it. The rules seemed to make sense but he didn’t exactly know what they meant. He stared at the shot then downed it.

“I wish he’d just man up and actually know how to take responsibility and be accountable for those around him,” Chris didn’t know why he felt like that was something he wanted to change about his friend. Maybe it was just the way Thomas always went around complaining that the world wasn’t fair to him. Sure, he wasn’t given the best lot in life, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have anything going for him. 

“Interesting,” the bartender said.

It took Chris a moment to realize where he was. The world seemed to have shifted all at once and he was no longer in the bar but rather at his high school graduation. Thomas was there in his thin build again and approaching him. “Good job man,” he tried to pull Chris into a noogie but his small body wasn’t very good at it. “Guess that means you’ll be leavin me now.”

Chris could hear the hurt in his voice. “Don’t be like that. I’ll visit.”

“You know? It’d be better if you didn’t. Mom and dad don’t like me hangin around you all that much. Think yer a bad influence,” Thomas said.

“Me? Bad influence?” Chris tried to make it a joke.

“They want me ta get married,” Thomas responded. “Picked out the girl and everything. She’s cute enuff. Friendly. Social. Goes ta church an all. They approve.”

“Yeah. But…”

“But nuthin. Like I said, yer a bad influence,” he growled. His anger softened as he turned around. “Just wanted ta wish ya well. Thanks fer the memories and shit. Have a good time in college.”

“Shit,” Chris was pulled out of the situation and back to real life. His heart sank as the new memory solidified into his mind. He looked over at his friend and saw the tan line of the golden ring he’d probably worn for years. His body started to bloat up and widen. The already thick waist only pushed even further out in front of him.

His belly had turned into a bloated keg that distended over his jeans. The rest of his body didn’t fare much better as the bloat was in his arms, legs and face were all the same. His beard was trimmed and his shirt looked nice but he was far more overweight than he had been just before. The act of ‘manning up’ seemed to have put a lot of stress on his body and he seemed to have taken drinking and eating to cope.

“Not quite what you had in mind, eh?” the bartender spoke. 

“I’m not even sure what just happened…”

“You told him to man up. He has more than you to be responsible for. His family, his town, his image, his wife… Well ex,” the bartender seemed to know everything about him. “Guess that's why he blew in for a drink.”

“What are you talking about?” Chris searched his memories and found what the bartender to be saying was true. He’d seemed in the dumps when he’d called and wouldn’t say why. But that wasn’t the reason Chris came.

“Your wish. You made him take responsibility and he did. Doesn’t look like it helped him out all that much. Stress is a real killer.”

Chris felt his eyes narrow. He still wasn’t sure what was going on but he had at least an idea. “Ok…” He stared at the second shot as it was pushed close to him. He felt a bit different about it. He’d known about stress and considered the same. But he had healthier ways to deal with it. “Fine. I wish that instead of beer and food, he used working out and proper nutrition instead.” Then downed the shot.

Apparently that stress had started in high school. Chris remembered seeing Thomas eat a lot when they were together, but never gave it any thought as he’d never gained any weight. But now there were memories of him working out. And even hanging out with some of the ‘jocks.’ The school wasn’t so big so everyone knew each other, but he shared workouts and spent time in the gym.

It took a while for his muscles to start to grow. But he didn’t give up. Any chance he got he would show off more and more. Girls would come by and check him out. They’d feel the tightness he’d gained from working out. Often they’d run their hands over the smooth but powerful nature he’d made. He’d go out on dates from time to time, but never for too long. Play with them for a little while but never too long. The other guys would just laugh and call him a lady killer. But then he’d be more obsessed with his own body than anything else. Constantly trying to grow. Constantly doing workouts. His obsession was growth. Getting bigger than anyone else in the gym and making sure he’d be strong. He’d asked Chris to join him all the time, but Chris knew he couldn’t keep up.

But over the four years he’d grown significantly and then afterwards he’d grown even more. His more average 140 pound frame ballooned into a sturdy 230 pound one. Thick corded muscle with almost no fat, were stacked on top of his thick bones. The work on the farm was only helped by it and his dad was so happy to see him taking initiative. Thomas could actually do the labor instead of getting one of his brothers or the employees to do it for him.

He’d often wear white wife beaters to school. The dipped neck would show off the divot between his pecs and the lack of sleeves made his arms look all the better. He had a natural way of just looking good. No need for fancy hair product or clothes, he’d look good in just about anything. Chris noticed all the time.

Thomas’ jeans would always strain against his powerful legs and ass, giving plenty to Chris’ imagination. But it didn’t help that Thomas seemed to love to press it more. When they were in gym, he’d seen the guy naked far more than was accidental. But with how big he was all over, he didn’t exactly have much to hide.

Chris was pulled out again. He could feel everything around him start to change. Thomas’ obese body quickly started to pull in on itself. The thirty year olds pudge started to harden to something far more intimidating than it had. Broad shoulders filled the sleeves of his plaid shirt. The sleeves had been rolled up over his hairy forearms, showing off powerful working man’s muscles underneath. His thick pecs were slightly exposed as he purposefully left several of the top buttons undone to show off his sweaty white wife beater underneath.

Dirt seemed to clog the bottom of his nails and he scratched at the growing scruff on his more masculine jawline. He muttered something then kicked the bar with his boot. The tan from the wedding ring was gone. Obviously his parents weren’t going to be the ones to tell him who to marry. But that also meant he didn’t marry anyone. 

His body stirred and his heavy boots kicked the bar in front of him. “Don’t go…” he muttered under his breath. 

“Hmmm… Looks like he liked that one a bit more,” the bartender said. 

He drew Chris’ attention back to him. “What are you doing?”

“Doing? I’m not doing anything. It’s always been up to you and him. Don’t go bringing me into the mix,” the bartender pushed the last drink forward. “You still have one left.” 

Chris didn’t know what to do. Even though Thomas had grown thick muscles and looked a lot more confident in everything he did, he still didn’t seem happy. The more Chris tried to focus on the new memories forming, the more he realized that Thomas never really pursued anything that he wanted to do. It was all about other people. 

‘Do I really know him?’ Chris wondered to himself. He started to realize just how little thought he’d actually put into who Thomas was. Just because they hung out pretty often and talked to each other, did he really know who he was? Was Thomas hiding something?

The last thought made him realize what was going on. Chris gave a nasty look to the bartender. “You’re an asshole,” he glared. Then grabbed the last shot. “He’s comfortable with his sexuality.”

As soon as he said it, Chris felt his body warp back to the graduation scene. No longer was Thomas the skinny more awkward kid. He was a bit taller, broad shoulders and walked with a confident strut. The guy didn’t have much to be afraid of. He could easily fight with the strongest guys in school.

“Sup,” Thomas cocked his head back letting his hat tilt with it. Even in his gown, it was hard to hide his muscles. “We’re doing a party tonight. I wantcha ta come.”

“Yeah?” Chris asked. “Are you sure.”

“Ya. I’m shure,” Thomas said. 

The rest of the day flew by for Chris. He was thinking about not going to the party, and just relaxing, but a text from Thomas told him he should go. He hopped in his car and headed that way. Something about the way Thomas was talking was getting to Chris. Thomas had always been a rather forward guy, but this was different. He should have been with all his more jock friends, but instead wanted Chris to join to.

Chris shook off the worries. “It’s just a party,” he told himself. But confusion took over when there weren’t any other trucks in the long rock covered driveway. There was no way Chris should have been first. He’d purposefully waited a little bit longer just to make sure of that. But at the same time no one was there. 

He got out of his car and went to the front door. Three knocks, then it opened with Thomas standing there. “Hey dere bud,” he’d already had a few drinks and the smell was coming off his breath. Though he could usually hold it pretty well.

“Hey,” Chris stepped inside. “Where is everyone?” Even Thomas’ parents weren’t home.

“Hmm? This is everyone. At least for tonight,” Thomas said. He led Chris out to the backyard. The large farm area was wide open. Only the moon and stars lit it up, giving the blue hue over everything.

“What?” Chris asked as he realized that they were alone. In the backyard there were tables and chairs set up for a party. “What’s all this then?”

“Tomorrow. But I wanted to celebrate with you tonight,” Thomas said. “We don’t get much alone time anymore. Just kind of wanted to talk like we used to.”

“Ok?” Chris followed him deeper into the yard. They passed the horses pen and went to the barn. It was still being refurbished but was a good place to store the hay. Thomas started to climb the large bales and sat on top. “So what’s up?” Chris asked.

“C’mon,” Thomas encouraged. 

Chris shook his head. He didn’t know what was going on. Or why Thomas was so secretive all of a sudden. He followed the country boy up to his perch and laid down on the bales of hay. “What’s up?”

“I don’t want you to go to college,” Thomas said.

“What.” Chris sat back up.

“I don’t want you to go to college,” Thomas repeated. He stared at the ceiling with his hands tucked behind his head. He just barely tilted it over to look at Chris but not really.

Chris grimaced at the suggestion. “And where’s all this coming from?” Thomas shrugged. “Thomas…” Chris said. 

“What? I just don’t want you to go away. Alright?”

“It’s already set. I can’t just back out now.”

Thomas turned away. “Fine,” he grumbled. 

“Fine? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means fine!”

“Stop acting like such a woman and tell me what you’re talking about,” Chris shot back. “You called me to come here all alone. What’s going on?”

All at once, Thomas shifted his body over on top of Chris. He pushed the other man down against the hay. His heavy muscular weight pushed him easily. He held both of Chris’ hands down and then pressed his lips against the other man’s. Chris found his body accepting the kiss. Then it stopped. “I don’t want you to go…” Thomas said.

“Ok…” Chris said.

“I’m so jealous. I’ve always been so jealous. Just never felt like I could say anything. I have to be a man but I have all these fucking feelings for you. Everytime you look at me, I have all these bad thoughts. But they don’t go away. And they feel so good. But if you leave… Then I don’t know. I don’t know what I’ll do. And if you find someone else…”

“Woah… Woah… Woah…” Chris said. He didn’t expect all this to be laid out at once. It was more than he imagined. “Are you asking me out?”

Fear seemed to overtake Thomas as he pulled away. He let out a heavy breath of air. “Mom and dad wouldn’t like it…”

“Does that matter? They’ve always known I was gay.”

“Yer not their son,” Thomas said. “I ain’t supposed ta be like this. I’m supposed ta be a man.”

“You’re a man,” Chris laughed. “Otherwise I might not be so attracted to you.”

A bit of levity filled the air as Thomas turned around with a bit of a smile. “Yeah?” he grinned. “You think I’m a man.”

“Dude. I know you’re a man. You’re one of the biggest strongest hottest men I’ve ever met,” Chris smiled.

“Yeah?” Thomas crawled back on top of Chris. His arms held him up over top him while his legs were on either side. His knees dug into the hay. “Well, yer pretty hot yerself,” he lowered himself closer to Chris’ face again.

“How hot am I?”

“Hot enough ta turn me on,” their lips locked again and Thomas started to gyrate his hips. The amount of control he had as he slowly pulled up and down, was impressive. He kept it at a controlled pace as he played with Chris’ body ever so slightly. 

Chris felt his hips buck as he tried to hold himself back. Feeling the rough hands running against his smoother skin in such a sensual manner was more than he realized it could be. He’d always felt them, but didn’t realize just how different the sensation could be as they ran up and down his arms and under his shirt, than when it was just a handshake. And then there was the amount of control Thomas had.

Thomas’ thick dick was pressing hard against his jeans, but it didn’t seem to distract the country stud in the slightest. Chris felt bad he couldn’t quite keep up. Each time his dick throbbed, he’d pause the kiss. He’d have to focus on gripping the hay bale for support. His toes curled in his shoes. He wondered if it was the same for Thomas in his boots.

But the sensation was too much. More than he imagined. He felt his body give in and he lost control of it. His hips bounced several times as a mess grew in his underwear. A bit of embarrassment came over him as he felt Thomas move away. “Sorry…” 

“No need ta apologize,” Thomas laughed. “Just means I’m even hotter than I thought.” He lifted up his arm and flexed the bicep. Seeing Chris’ eyes stare at it mindlessly as his mouth dropped open, made Thomas laugh.

“I guess so,” Chris tried to wrangle in his thoughts again.

“But I guess it ain’t proper fer me ta say you can’t go off ta college…”

“Who says I won’t come back?” Chris replied. “And if you give me enough of a reason to, maybe I’ll be back a lot more often.”

“I’d like that,” Thomas said.

“Well, looks like you’ve had quite the life,” the bartender said. He placed his weight against the bar. 

Chris shook his head as he started to come back to reality. The changes were far greater than he thought they’d have been. He felt his own body start to change as well. A bit more of a burly weight covered his frame, but he felt strong as he had to work on the farm as well. Even if he would have done most of the paperwork, there were days he had to go out and help as well. Or even to get a glimpse of Thomas as well. Then there was that annoying feeling on his finger. 

Looking down he could see a gold band wrap around it. Then a similar one on Thomas’ hand. “Shit!?” he backed away. “We got married?”

“Why not? You looked so cute together in that barn,” the bartender smiled.

Chris threw a glare at the bartender but he didn’t back down. He just put his bodyweight underneath Thomas’ shoulder and led him out of the bar.