Salvation's Song

by Pearl Love

  Tyrell grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. “Like I said, my mom is going to be gone until really late. She has a function with her women’s group from church, and those never end before midnight.” He smirked. “We have the place all to ourselves.”

  “Oh really?”

  Jeremy started, and Tyrell turned to glare at his brother, who was coming out of the kitchen with a sandwich in his hand.

  “What are you doing here, Kevin?” Tyrell asked testily.

  Kevin rolled his eyes. “I live here. Duh. Practice was cancelled because of the rain,” he added helpfully.

  “Great,” Tyrell groaned as he closed his eyes, his planned afternoon going up in flames. He’d invited Jeremy to come home with him after school, hoping they’d be able to enjoy hours of alone time. They’d hung out as much as possible during the previous week, but since they’d decided to forgo the Homecoming dance, not quite ready to advertise their new relationship with formal wear, this was the first time he’d gotten Jeremy on his own since the game.

  “Um, hi,” Jeremy said tentatively.

  “Hey,” Kevin replied. “You must be Jeremy. Thanks for the candy, man!”

  Jeremy blinked adorably. “Candy?”

  Tyrell chuckled. “Remember how I bribed him to keep his trap shut about Homecoming?”

  “Oh, right!” Jeremy smiled at Kevin. “That was really good of you, Kevin. Let me know if I can treat you to anything.”

  Kevin stared at Jeremy, seemingly dumbfounded by the brightness of his smile and his grateful attitude. “Uh… yeah. Okay. Are you guys hanging out here tonight?” he asked hopefully.

  Bowing to the inevitable, Tyrell nodded. Kevin had been understandably reluctant to be left on his own since his friend, Jerome’s, tragic death. Tyrell didn’t really mind him being clingy, all things considered. “I was going to fire up the Xbox. You want to play with us?”

  “Can I?” Kevin grinned. “Sweet!”

  Jeremy laughed nervously. “I’m not really much of a video gamer. Mind if I just watch the two of you play?”

  With that settled, Tyrell ushered Jeremy into his bedroom where he kept the gaming system. Kevin trailed in behind them and went to the stack of discs piled next to the console.

  “You’d better not choose—”

  “You want to play ‘Street Fighter X Tekken?’” Kevin waved the disc he’d retrieved in triumph. “Good choice!”

  Tyrell grabbed him around the neck and gave him a noogie. “I’m sick of this game, you little punk.”

  Kevin’s voice was muffled against Tyrell’s side. “You only say that because I keep beating your ass.”

  Jeremy giggled at their antics, and the sound sparked a tingle of warmth in Tyrell’s chest. The connection between them was so intense these days, their resonance was almost a constant whenever they were together. He could feel it even now, and it wrapped around him like a security blanket. After making sure Kevin was sufficiently chastised, Tyrell released him and grabbed one of the game controllers. Jeremy was sitting on his bed, so he sat on the floor in front of him with his back pressed against Jeremy’s legs. A thrill of excitement from Jeremy shot through him at the contact.

  Kevin started the game and settled next to him while the opening graphics flitted across the television screen. Tyrell thought he would be perfectly happy spending every afternoon with two of the people he loved most in the world.

  The week since the game had been interesting to say the least. The reactions from the students who had seen or subsequently heard about his emphatic declaration that he and Jeremy were an item had been mixed. Shaunteé and her crew were predictably peeved that he’d dumped her and had given him the cold shoulder or made nasty remarks as the whim took them. Fortunately, most of the other students either weren’t all that interested or were, on occasion, openly supportive.

  The only people at school that Tyrell really cared about, however, were firmly in his and Jeremy’s camp. Ryan had already expressed his approval in a very visible way. As for Cynthia, she had missed the game due to family obligations, but when she finally heard what had occurred, she was on cloud nine. Tyrell’s ears had been ringing for hours afterward from the loud squeal she’d subjected him to at lunch the following Monday.

  “Oh my God! Oh my God!” she’d exclaimed as she grabbed first Tyrell and then Jeremy in crushing hugs. “I’m so happy you two finally took your heads out of your asses.”

  “Gee, thanks, Cynthia,” Tyrell had said with a smirk at her crassness.

  “I’m so mad I wasn’t there! What I wouldn’t have given to see Shaunteé’s stupid face up close and in person.” Her pout was quickly swallowed by an ecstatic grin. “Tell me everything!”

  Even though she’d heard the story before, she wasn’t content until they’d related the entire scenario to her again in exhausting detail. She’d made them repeat the story several times during the following week, and Tyrell realized that he’d become more secure about what had gone down with every retelling. Toward the end of the week, Cynthia had pulled him aside and dropped a bomb on him.

  “You know, I had a huge crush on you since the third grade.”

  He’d been finishing his pop from lunch and nearly sprayed his current mouthful all over her. She’d patted him helpfully on the back and tutted with concern.

  “How come you never said anything?” he’d asked while wheezing to catch his breath.

  “Because I knew you only ever saw me as a friend, or worse, a sister.” Cynthia chuckled. “But it was cool because I knew you cared about me.”

  He stared at her, remembering hundreds of incidents over the years that were suddenly unbearably awkward in retrospect. “Man, Cyn. I’m sorry.”

  She raised an eyebrow and glared up at him. “For what? For being my best friend for over eleven years?” She waved a hand in the air, brushing aside his concerns. “Besides, now it all makes sense.”

  “I, um, don’t like only boys, you know,” Tyrell said, guessing what she was getting at.

  Cynthia looked genuinely confused. “No?”

  “No. I still like girls, but, well….” Tyrell shrugged. “I like boys too.”

  Cynthia’s face cleared instantly. “Oh, you’re bi. I got it. Cool.”

  He’d been amazed by how easily she’d accepted his confession, but in hindsight he knew he shouldn’t have been. Cynthia had always prided herself on having progressive views. She’d filed the new information about him away and moved on without blinking an eye.

  “What about Ryan?” she’d asked. “Do you think he’s into girls?”

  At first, Tyrell had thought she’d been teasing. The merry war between Cynthia and Ryan was a fixture of their relationship. Then he noticed her blush, and his worldview had been forced to make a radical shift.

  He chuckled as he mashed on the controller, trying to annihilate his little brother’s game avatar. He’d been racking his brain ever since his conversation with Cynthia, trying to figure out when she’d started liking Ryan. Though he’d drawn a blank, he wasn’t too concerned since he had a feeling Ryan would be thrilled with that particular development.

  “Watch out!”

  Jeremy’s cry of warning drew him back to the present just in time to watch his character get crushed by Kevin’s.

  “You got owned, son!” Kevin crowed.

  Tyrell bopped him on the head. “No one likes a braggart.”

  Kevin squinted at him. “What does that mean?”

  “Dictionary,” Tyrell said, pointing to the large book on his desk, continuing his long habit of challenging his brother to expand his vocabulary.

  Kevin grumbled but paused the game and went to retrieve the tome without complaint.

  “You two are so cute,” Jeremy said, keeping his voice low so Kevin couldn’t hear.

  Tyrell turned to look up at him. “You think?” He chuckled. “He’s usually a huge pain in my ass.”

  “But you love him a lot. I can tell.” Jeremy smiled. “All of my siblings ar
e older than me, but I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a little brother or sister. Watching you with Kevin is nice.”

  Tyrell reached back and squeezed Jeremy’s ankle, the closest he could manage to a hug with Kevin in the room. Kevin returned and plopped back down on the floor.

  “Yep, braggart. That’s a good one.” He smirked at Tyrell. “And this braggart says he’s going to kick your ass again in the next round.”

  “Keep talkin’, little man, and the only candy you’ll get from me is a roll of Mentos.”

  Kevin smacked him on the shoulder, protesting loudly at the mention of his most hated snack. After another twenty minutes, Tyrell finally had to admit defeat following his best-three-out-of-five loss. Kevin cackled as he left, saying he needed to get a start on his homework. His Little League team had a playoff game coming up, and their coach had increased the duration and intensity of Saturday practices.

  “Does he usually work in here?” Jeremy chewed his bottom lip while eyeing the desk. “I hope I’m not disrupting his routine.”

  “Nah, don’t worry about it. He likes to spread out on the kitchen table. Do you have homework to do?” Tyrell asked.

  “English Lit,” Jeremy replied glumly.

  Tyrell smiled. “Not your favorite subject, I take it?”

  “Not so much.” Jeremy pulled a tattered paperback out of his book bag.

  Tyrell glanced at the cover. “Pride and Prejudice? You’re lucky. Mrs. Brooks has us reading Wuthering Heights.” He grimaced. “I’m not a fan of the Brontë sisters. Too maudlin.”

  Jeremy looked at him as though he were speaking Greek. “You like this stuff?”

  Tyrell shrugged. “English authors are pretty cool, don’t you think?”

  “If you say so,” Jeremy mumbled, his expression skeptical.

  He was still sitting on the edge of the bed, so Tyrell pulled him closer after he settled himself. Once they were shoulder to shoulder with their backs against the headboard, he glanced over at Jeremy with a smirk.

  “I do say so. Here, how about this?” Tyrell closed his eyes and let his new favorite verse drift into his mind.

  My love is as a fever, longing still

  For that which longer nurseth the disease,

  Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,

  The uncertain sickly appetite to please.

  When Tyrell finished reciting Shakespeare’s Sonnet 147, he opened his eyes to find Jeremy staring at him.

  “You memorized that whole thing?”

  “I like it,” Tyrell said, uncertain whether he was being praised or mocked.

  “Wow, that’s impressive.”

  Tyrell smiled. He should have trusted that Jeremy’s reaction would be positive. “Thanks.”

  “But that didn’t sound all that flattering.” Jeremy’s eyebrow rose into a perfect arch. “Sounds like whoever he was talking about gave him an STD or something.”

  “That’s one interpretation,” Tyrell admitted with a chuckle. “But I prefer a different one.”

  “What’s that?” Jeremy’s voice rose in pitch from surprise when Tyrell suddenly pulled him in for a kiss.

  “That love is a sickness for which there is only one cure.” Tyrell spoke against Jeremy’s lips, his voice deep and soft.

  Jeremy’s long lashes fluttered against his cheek. “What cure?” he asked breathily.

  In lieu of answering with words, Tyrell deepened the kiss. Jeremy moaned when he pulled him down so they were lying on the bed facing each other, and the gratifying neediness of the sound went straight to his shorts.

  “Wait,” Jeremy pushed halfheartedly at his shoulders. “What about your brother?”

  Kevin had fortunately closed the door when he left, so he wasn’t worried they might be seen. Besides, no one was there except Kevin and Big Momma. “He knows better than to barge in without knocking.”

  “Oh, okay.” Jeremy sucked in his breath when Tyrell reached beneath his shirt and placed a hand against his stomach. “If you’re sure.”

  Tyrell smiled as Jeremy seemed to forget his hesitation. He hummed at the feel of Jeremy’s hands against his back, his tucked-in shirt providing an easily overcome barrier. He licked at Jeremy’s lips and delved inside with his tongue when Jeremy parted them obligingly.

  Any thoughts of homework vanished. This was the second time he’d gotten Jeremy into his room, and he was determined not to waste the moment on anything so mundane as schoolwork. Jeremy was skinny and bony, the awkward angles of his gangly limbs pressing uncomfortably against his as he pulled Jeremy closer to him. He couldn’t have been happier. He thrust his other hand into the soft mass of Jeremy’s hair, and marveled at the silken feel of the strands against his fingers.

  Jeremy gasped when Tyrell slipped a thigh between his legs. “Wait.”

  Tyrell moved away far enough so he could see Jeremy’s flushed face. “You want me to stop?” While he didn’t want to do anything Jeremy objected to, the thought of not continuing made him ache in several painful places.

  Jeremy shook his head frantically. “No, it’s just….” The flush in his cheeks grew a shade brighter. “I’ve never done this before.”

  Tyrell relaxed. “Don’t worry. We can go as slow as you want.”

  Jeremy looked at him through his lashes and bit his lip. Tyrell resisted the urge to suck on it and soothe the hurt.

  “What if I don’t want to go slow?” Jeremy whispered.

  Tyrell groaned. “Thank God.”

  He took Jeremy’s lips in another kiss, this one far more urgent than the last. Jeremy reacted beautifully, using his tongue to spar with Tyrell’s. He was hesitant at first but soon increased in confidence at Tyrell’s breathless encouragement.

  Tyrell shifted until he could feel Jeremy’s erection against his leg. The sensation made the ache between his thighs pulse in response. He fumbled for the zipper of Jeremy’s jeans.

  “Can I?” he asked between kisses.

  “Nnnngg. You may.”

  Tyrell chuckled at the correction before cutting off Jeremy’s husky approval with his lips. He eased the zipper downward until he had enough space to ease his fingers into the gap. He caressed the hard ridge that twitched beneath the cotton of Jeremy’s briefs, his own erection reacting in kind as if he could feel his own hand against his flesh. His quiet laugh turned to a moan as Jeremy shivered and raked his nails across his back.

  A loud crash from down the hall was followed shortly by the sound of Kevin’s frantic shout.

  “Big Momma!”

  Tyrell froze, his brain struggling to shift free of the sensual fog it had been under for the last few minutes. Reluctantly, he sat up and stared at the door of his room. “What the hell?”

  Jeremy propped up beside Tyrell on his elbow. “Was that Kevin?”

  “Shit.” Tyrell scrambled off the bed and rushed toward the door, the ache in his groin making it difficult to walk. Jeremy was only seconds behind him as he burst into the hallway. “Kevin? Where are you?”

  The light flooding out from the open door of his grandmother’s room gave Tyrell his answer. When he’d come home, her door had been closed, the darkness beneath it suggesting she was most likely asleep. Her afternoon naps often lasted until dinnertime, so something must have woken her suddenly. He ran toward her room but came to a dead stop when he reached the doorway.

  “Whoa!” Jeremy shouted from behind. “Sorry, I almost ran into you. What’s wrong? Oh no,” he breathed.

  Kevin was kneeling next to Lucille’s bed, his face wet with tears. “Big Momma!” he yelled, shaking her arm.

  Their grandmother was lying on the bed, eyes open but unresponsive to Kevin’s frantic pleas.

  “Kevin!” Tyrell tumbled into the room and fell hard on his knees beside his brother. “What in the hell happened?”

  “I h-heard a noise and came to check on her.” Kevin was crying so hard, Tyrell could barely understand him. “She knocked her plate onto the floor.” He pointed to the wh
ite dish lying facedown at the foot of the nightstand. A crust of toast, the remnants of Lucille’s breakfast, was strewn next to it. “When I came in, she looked at me like she didn’t know who I was. Then she started talking, but s-she wasn’t making any sense!”

  “She’s had a stroke,” Jeremy said firmly as he came to stand next to them.

  Tyrell stared up at him. “What?”

  “The same thing happened to my grandfather when he had one.” Jeremy pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I’ll call 9-1-1. You should call your mom.”

  Tyrell was amazed at how calm Jeremy was being, but he was deeply grateful since he and Kevin were anything but. “Okay.” He fumbled for his own phone and pulled up his mother’s number with a shaky finger.

  “Tyrell?” Joanne asked when she answered the call. “Everything okay?”

  “No. Big Momma’s sick. I think she’s had a stroke or something.”

  Joanne gasped. “Oh, Jesus Lord. Call Reverend Thomas.”

  Tyrell pulled the phone away from his ear and blinked at it. “Why?” he asked after bringing it back to his face. “What’s he going to do? We need to get her to the hospital!”

  “She needs prayer just as much.” She sounded exasperated as though the reason should have been apparent. “He can meet you there.”

  Tyrell lost it. “Oh for fuck’s sake! She needs a doctor! You call him.” He disconnected the call just as Jeremy grabbed his shoulder.

  “The dispatcher said there’s been a bad accident on Lake Shore Drive and all their ambulances are currently on the scene.”

  “No!” Tyrell moan. “What do we do?”

  Jeremy glanced briefly at Lucille. “Did your mother take her car?”

  Tyrell shook his head. “One of the other ladies was supposed to pick her up.”

  “Then find her keys. I’ll drive.”

  Tyrell had two thoughts simultaneously. The first was that he didn’t know Jeremy had already gotten his license. Tyrell had failed the first time he’d tried and hadn’t gotten around to going for it again. The second was how much he loved him. He stood and dragged Kevin up with him. “In the drawer of the table next to the front door. Help me get her up,” he ordered his brother once Jeremy had disappeared into the hall. “Big Momma? Big Momma, we need to get you to the hospital. Can you walk?”