6 comments/ 14321 views/ 23 favorites Southern Magic By: PhoenixKing Some families have sapphire blue eyes; some might all grow up to be gardeners or doctors, while others have an innate affinity for music. My family? We're witches. Not witches in the nonsensical cackling, broom wielding monstrosities that has become the stereotype. Each of us are human beings, just like you, except we have magic intertwined with our life's energy, sort of akin to chakra or "chi". It is passed down to all members of our bloodline with no exceptions. My family has descended from one of the most prestigious bloodlines, the Callaway Witches. My name is Derek Callaway and I'm 21 years old. So some facts about me other than my enchanted heritage... Well I'm a Sagittarius, not that it matters, I don't believe in Astrology anyway, I love to sing but I suck at it and I want to own my own restaurant when I grow up. I'm currently studying at a culinary institute while still living at home. I have a twin sister, Gwen (short for Gwenevere, why she gets to have the cool name, I don't know), who can be both unbelievably annoying and incredibly trustworthy. We both are considered to be tall and have dark, almost blue black hair, with blue eyes. She's the only member of my family who knows my darkest secret. You might think it would be the magic thing but, in actual fact, it's that I'm gay. I realised this quite early in life. She was the first person I told, though it may not have been needed to be said. Since then she's been trying to hook me up with every seemingly gay male in sight. So far her efforts have been for nought. Magic, though powerful, is not infinite. One cannot predict the future beyond normal intuition but we can gaze upon the past at our will. This nifty trick came in handy when my English Lit professor asked us to write a novel based in the old South, well old for me, in the 1960's. So far any knowledge I had regarding the subject had come from reading "The Help". That Minnie cracked me up. So I decided to try a Retrovision Spell, I swear, that's a real thing. I didn't think that my parents would condone such a blatant abuse of magic but this was more fun than spending hours researching the days of yesteryear. Unlike traditional views of witchcraft, we don't require rhyming couplets or a wand to perform sorcery. We channel our energy into ancient words, the meaning of which is now forgotten (I won't bore you with details). So after writing the ancient runes on my mirror I let the magic flow through me accessing a window into the past. So here's the thing about the Retrovision Spell, you can choose a time and space to view but only if you've been there before. I chose an old holiday ranch in Texas that we'd stayed at as kids. Once the spell had been activated I knew something had gone wrong. *** Jonathan Arlington was 23 years old in the summer of 1962. His father was the owner of the Arlington Horse Ranch, which was to be his inheritance due to his status as an only child. His life had been unremarkable until then. His attended the local schools and was now acting as ranch hand on his father's land, learning the tools of the trade. As the sun glowered overhead, Jonathan wiped the sweat off his golden skin, a tan well earned from toiling in the sun all day. He was thinking of his future at the ranch and his life in Texas. People like him weren't accepted here. He'd spent the majority of his high school career chasing after cheerleaders like the rest of his red blooded classmates. He'd carefully constructed the persona of the ultimate man while secretly he lusted for nothing more than someone to love, someone of the same sex. He shook his head, resigned to his future, and just as he removed his shirt he felt an odd sensation running up his spine and suddenly the world went dark. *** I sensed something was wrong the moment I performed the spell. The next thing I knew there was a tall, rugged, and exceptionally handsome, flaxen haired Adonis standing before me. He wore an expression of absolute shock on his chiselled face. Brown eyes stared widely at me as I jumped up from my bed and lay a hand over his mouth before he woke my parents. He was holding a plaid shirt in his hand, his abs glistened with sweat. No, the time for perving is not now, I told myself. "Hi, I'm Derek. This may not make much sense but I brought you here. I'm going to move my hand now, please don't shout", I said, as calmly as I could manage. Jonathan nodded his head slowly and I removed my hand. "What do you mean by 'you brought me here'? Where are we," he asked. I cursed internally. What was I supposed to tell him? An annoying voice in my ear, that I had assumed was some type of conscience, told me that the truth was a good place to start. Well, he can't be more surprised than he already is, I thought to myself. "Well, the year is 2014 and we're in Seattle." I waited for the outburst but none came. Instead the silence was punctuated by the sexiest laughter (Is there such a thing as a sexy laugh?) I had ever heard. "That's just plain ridiculous", he said incredulously. God his accent was hot. Concentrate, Derek! You need him to understand. "I'm a witch. I brought you here by mistake. I can show you", said Derek. As he finished his sentence he began to levitate lightly, no more than a few inches off of the ground. *** That sobered up Jonathan. This oddly dressed, yet good looking guy, was now telling him that he, Nate, was in the future, not even in Texas but in Seattle. It seemed as though his life was about to get more exhilarating. Southern Magic Ch. 02 "Now that we have that cleared up, re-introductions are in order. I'm Derek and I didn't catch your name." The stranger held out his hand and replied, "I'm Jonathan Arlington but my friend's call me Nate. It's a pleasure to meet you, Derek." Handsome with Southern charm, how am I supposed to resist this man? Now I had to think of a way to keep him here without my parents knowing of my magical mess. I decided that Jonathan, or Nate as he preferred to be called, would now be a transfer student that needed a place to stay. My parents, Will and Cassandra, would never turn away a stray. They were both doctors by day, and may have used their gifts to better the prognosis of their patients from time to time. I turned to Jonathan and told him the plan and he readily agreed. *** It was rainy and miserable outside, as is typical of Seattle weather. Nate stood in the rain after being teleported by Derek clutching a suitcase, full of clothes his size, which the other man had conjured for him. To think that he had only minutes ago been standing in the hot Texas sun and now he was drenched to the bone as the heavens thundered above him while lightning lit up the darkened sky. Magic sure was overwhelming. Though displaced and disorientated, Nate felt an overwhelming sense of calm wash over him. He was free. Free from the burden of taking over the ranch, free of the inevitable loveless marriage that he would be forced into and free of the judgemental stares that would follow him had his sexual orientation been made public. This freedom was bittersweet; though he had no close friends his parents meant the world to him, especially his mother. If Derek was telling the truth about the time they were in his parents were most probably dead, a thought so unimaginable and bizarre. Nate was brought out of his reverie by a call from the above. He saw Derek poking his head out the window, his blue eyes almost glowing in the darkness. "Push the button," called Derek. Nate readied himself internally and rang the doorbell. He would just have to see where life would take him in this new world *** I rushed downstairs as I heard the bell ring. While Nate was downstairs I explained to my parents that Nate attended a sister culinary institute and was transferred here from Texas for a few weeks (hopefully I'd figure out a way to send him back before then) to experience the city. As expected, they readily agreed to let him stay with us, though they were mildly peeved at the short notice given. "I got it!" I called as I skid down the passage. I threw open the door and grinned at Nate. "Nice to see you again", he said, smilingly. "Come on in, it's pouring outside," I said. He looked equally delectable soaked from the rain as he did when he first appeared. His golden hair fell into his eyes leading him to reach up and brush it aside. I guided him to the living room where my family had congregated. I introduced Nate to the family and as he was talking to my parents, uttering the necessary courtesies in his adorable accent, my sister eyed me suspiciously. The look that she gave me said one thing: we are going to talk later. I gave her a hasty smile and then lead Nate to the guest bedroom. "Well, it looks as though our little ruse has worked for now," I said, sighing and collapsing onto the bed. Nate sat next to me, still wet from the rain. "I'm sorry", I said, looking at him. "I honestly had no idea this would happen. I promise that I'm going to try my hardest to make sure you get home." "Don't worry about it", he said as he put his arm around my shoulder, "I know you didn't do this on purpose. Let's just take this a day at a time. The way I see it the past will always be there." I'm ashamed to say that I liked his arm around me way too much. It felt like it was meant to be there. I smiled at him, got up and threw him a towel from the wardrobe. "Come on, you need to get out of those wet clothes and into the shower." I showed him to the guest bathroom, explained how the shower worked and went back to my room. As I sat at my desk, trying to read, I felt an unfamiliar fluttering in my chest. I knew I was in trouble. *** Nate emerged from the shower smelling of pine needles and mint from the shower gel he had used. Back home all he has was regular soap and this surpassed the former in all regards. After getting dressed he made his way to Derek's room. He didn't feel like being alone and he wanted to be with Derek. He found him lounging in his desk chair reading. The soft light of desk lamp made his dark hair light up, revealing its bluish hue. Derek smiled at him as he entered. God, he was beautiful. "Hey," said Nate tentatively. Derek distracted him more than any other man ever had. He was handsome, appeared intelligent and had the most adorable smile that Nate had ever seen. Everyone else back home, in the current past, was so alike, each man a carbon copy of the next. To a man all that mattered were four things: woman, drinking, agriculture and sports. Derek seemed so different to that which he had previously experienced. *** I looked up from my book and saw him standing there. Over the years I had read about the stereotypical Southern gentlemen and scoffed at the foolish maidens who fell for them so desperately and suddenly I found myself in their places. "Hi," I said, smiling at him as he sat down on my bed next to me. I could smell his clean scent wafting off him. It was invigorating. His hair was still wet from the shower and I could see the flecks of gold twinkling in the light. "So it looks like I might be here a while," said Nate. "I know and I'm sorry. I'll try my-"I said, as he cut me off. "No. No more apologies. It's okay. I just wanted to say that since I'm going to be here a while we should get to know each other better. Tell me more about you" We spoke for hours until the sun started to rise on the horizon. We spoke about our families, our lives, of magic and of farming. He told me about how he wasn't sure that he wanted to take over his father's ranch, that he might have preferred going to college instead and I told him about my love for cooking and regaled him with tales of the future technology. I never opened up to anyone like this but with him it was so easy to say what was on my mind. Then he went back to his room to get some rest, after promising to teach me how to ride a horse. Thank goodness it was a Saturday, I thought, as I sunk into my pillows. *** I felt as though I had just fallen asleep when Gwen came thundering into my room, like a raging rhinoceros. She pulled the curtains apart and I was momentarily blinded. "What time is it," I croaked sleepily. I reached over for my cellphone. It was 9AM. I had been asleep for all of 4 hours. I was going to kill her. "Wake up, princess. It's time for you to tell me the full story." I resigned myself to defeat, sat up in bed and began to recall the events of the past 24 hours. "So is he gay?" she asked excitedly. I had just told her that I plucked another human being out of his time and into the future, a human being that was currently living with us and one who I had no idea how to send back home and her first order of business was querying his sexual orientation. That was my sister for you. "I don't think so but I wish he was," I said honestly. "Well, let's go do some recon. Lover boy is downstairs having breakfast with the parentals." That was enough to get me out of bed, into the bathroom and down for breakfast in 15 minutes. Gwen had already gone down when I went to shower and was now sitting next to Nate chatting animatedly like they'd been friends for years. He looked good for someone who had slept for less than 4 hours. I guess that with growing up on a farm he was used to rising early. Or maybe it was just his intrinsic Nate-ness that made him look good no matter what. I went straight for the espresso machine and made myself a cappuccino, nectar of the gods. I felt my vitality returning to me as I sipped the soothing liquid. After grabbing a plate of food I sat down next to Nate, brushing his arm ever so slightly. There it was again. That annoying fluttering, as if I were host to a swarm of butterflies. I gazed in his direction for any indication that he had felt the same but he just looked and me and smiled, charmingly. The smile that KO's my poor, little heart. "So, Nate, how are you enjoying Seattle so far?" my dad asked. "I can honestly say that it's nothing like I have ever seen before," replied Nate, grinning. I spluttered into my coffee. "Mom, Dad, is it okay if I take Nate around the city today? Show him all the touristy stuff that they don't have down in the South, like elevators and ferries?" He shoved me playfully. Again a feeling rushed through by body in the most pleasurable way possible. I think it can be deduced that I am allergic to his touch. "Sure, son, just don't be home too late, you have class tomorrow." After that we jumped into my Range Rover, which he was fairly amazed at, and sped off towards our first destination. Southern Magic Ch. 03 Nate had no idea where Derek was taking him but that was fine with him. He stared out his window at how the world had changed. Buildings were taller, cars were sleeker and more exotically shaped and the world had become a brighter place. Today the weather was milder and though the sky was heavy with clouds it seemed to be withholding the usual torrential deluge. Nate was thankful for it. He didn't want anything to ruin the day that he and Derek would spend together. Their first stop was at Starbucks where Derek picked them up some fancy, as far as Nate was concerned, sandwiches and coffee that blew his mind. They then continued their little tour as Derek took him to the local malls showing him the newest in gadgetry and even picking him up a cellphone to keep in contact. Afterwards Derek took Nate for his first 3D movie. Derek laughed at the look of amazement on Nate's face and watched him reach out in attempt to touch the contents of the screen. As morning blended into afternoon Derek took Nate towards their last stop - the Seattle Space Needle. The Space Needle towered in the sky, looking like some forgotten extra-terrestrial device that had been left behind. After parking they snuck around the back of the building and Derek teleported them to the top of the building. Once there they sat with their legs dangling over the edge eating their sandwiches, cloaked in Derek's Indiscernibility Spell. "So how are you enjoying Seattle in 2014?" Derek asked. "Like I said, it's certainly different. You know, I have never left Texas before now. The world seemed so much smaller. Now I'm in a different state with a male witch," he laughed. "Something I can tell you is that, right now, there's no place I'd rather be." "Me neither," said Derek with a slight smile on his face. *** We watched the sun sink in the sky and the people below scurrying about on the pavement. It was nice being here with him. I had never felt it before. He was the only person I had ever felt attuned to and yet he didn't belong here. He was from a different place and time. No, I had to send him back. "Come on, let's head back home," I said. As I got up from the ledge I tripped over my own feet, I'm clumsy like that, and just as I was about to slip off the edge I felt a strong arm grip mine and suddenly I was pressed against his powerful chest, encased in his arms. I could hear his heart beating through his chest and I could smell him, Nate's smell, the smell of pine needles and him that made me go lightheaded. He looked down into my eyes as he held me, his arms pulling me closer to him. I could feel the rippling muscles beneath his clothes as he ran his hands over my back. He moved his head a fraction of an inch towards mine and then released me, smilingly. And I could breathe again. I wasn't sure whether the breathlessness came from that moment of sexual tension or my nearly plunging to death from Seattle's most popular landmark. I sat down again, as far away from the edge as I could, and took some deep breaths. Nate stood over me for a while, silently watching, and then held his hand out towards me. I took it and launched myself up, a bit more carefully this time. "Come on, Houdini. Let's get you back on solid ground," he said. I teleported us back to the ground. We walked to the car and drove back in silence. The sun was setting when we got back home. It started drizzling as I switched the ignition off. He took my hand and I looked into his deep brown eyes. "Thank you for today," Nate said. His hand moved slowly up my arm, tracing the skin lightly getting closer and closer to my face. I felt my skin erupt into Goosebumps. He cupped my cheek with his strong hands and gently ran his thumb over my lips. He leaned towards me and I felt my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest. His face came closer to mine. I could feel his breath on my face. He grabbed the back of my neck and pushed his lips against mine. As cliché as may sound, I felt fireworks erupting inside me. I leaned into him and felt myself melting into his touch as he ran his hands through my hair gently pulling me closer to him. Nothing else mattered in this moment, just him and me. We existed in isolation, merging into each other. He released me and for the second time today I found myself breathless. He gave me another peck on the lips and then winked at me, giving me an adorable side smirk. "Let's get back inside before you parents wonder where we are," he said as he brushed my face with his hand. *** After supper with the parents Nate went back to his room and me to mine. I dissolved into my bed, face first. I can't believe he's gay and that he likes me. A shiver ran down my spine as I brought the memories of the car back to mind. As I lay down in my post-kiss hypnotic trance Gwen barged into my room for the second time that day. I sighed internally, here it goes again. "So," she thrilled, "How was your little day date?" "Amazing," I replied dreamily. I was thinking about his touch on my skin. I think this is what love feels like. "Is that all I get, one word? Come on, dish." "I can definitely say for sure that he's gay," I said, laughing. "What? Tell me more! I've been waiting for this day for so long!" "There's not much to tell. We kissed and it was incredible," I said, smiling. "I'm not going to get anything out of you when you're like this. Enjoy your little day dream. Tomorrow I expect details," she said, as she got up tossed her hair and left. And enjoy it I did. I fell asleep thinking of him. *** I woke up startled. Someone was in my room, in my bed. It was Nate. I felt my shoulders relax as he pulled me towards him. "Shhh," he whispered. I was only too ready to comply. He sat up and pulled his shirt off and lifted my arms and did the same to me, both shirts landing on the floor beside my bed. For the first time, I actually looked at him and took in his body. Moonlight shone through the window illuminating his sturdy shoulders, full pectorals and well defined abs. His chest was covered with a light dusting of golden hair that darkened and narrowed at it descended, disappearing under the waistband of his jeans. He looked at me with his deep brown eyes, taking in my body as well. He rolled me onto my back with his body resting over mine. He leaned down towards me and kissed me, not gentle and tender like before, this kiss was fuelled with passion. Again, I felt myself submitting to him as he grabbed my face in his strong, callused hands. He ravaged my mouth and lips with his sultry tongue. He moved his lips away from my mouth laying soft kisses on my cheek, jaw and neck. When he reached my neck he delved in, sucking on the delicate flesh there. I felt my body react to his. My heart was pounding and I shivered with pleasure. I ran my hands down his sinewy back, muscles hard earned for working the ranch. I loved the feel of his naked chest against mine. After his onslaught on my neck was over (I was definitely going to have a bruise tomorrow) his head moved lower as he lightly kissing his way down my pectorals. His thumbs brushed my nipples and his head dipped again, encircling them in turn with his hot mouth. He looked up at me, as if he were asking for permission. I nodded lightly and then he started removing my jeans. After my jeans and boxers were unceremoniously removed he grabbed my throbbing member in his rough hands. As he ran his hands up and down he leaned forward to kiss me again, probing my mouth with his tongue while his other hand pulled me by the hair towards him. I circled my arms around his neck and pushed my tongue into his mouth, tasting him. I pushed him back, feeling his strong chest as I pushed him down, straddling his narrow hips. I lifted his arm and delved into his armpit. I felt faint as I breathed him in, letting the scent of man wash over me. I nibbled and licked his underarm while my other hand nimbly twisted his right nipple. He gasped and I raised my head and kissed him again, grinding against his jeans as he traced my spine lightly with his fingers. I slid down his body, sweeping my tongue over his exposed skin until I reached his waist. I unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them off. I looked at him as I rubbed his growing erection through his boxers. I pulled them down and took him into my mouth, swirling my tongue around his engorged head. He groaned softly as I started to take him into my mouth. *** Nate had never felt pleasure like this before. He'd had sex with a few girls back home to avoid any scandal but this moment with Derek was infinitely more special. He ran his hands through Derek's raven black hair and grabbed it as he came. Derek had swallowed most of his load when Nate pulled him up, chest to chest, and gave him a long lingering kiss. He lightly stroked Derek's soft skin and thighs and whispered in his ear, "Now, it's your turn." Nate rolled them over, plastering his lips to Derek's as he reached down and brought the other man to climax. Derek was gasping for air when Nate turned onto his back. Derek draped his arm around Nate's sculpted chest and rested his head on Nate's shoulder. He softly kisses the skin he found there. "I think I love you," whispered Derek. Nate tilted Derek's chin upwards and tenderly kissed his smooth lips. "I love you too," breathed Nate. He wrapped his arm around Derek's head, stroking his silky hair as they both let sleep take them. *** I researched magical methods of time travel extensively for the following two weeks. They were happy weeks. Nate and I grew closer and closer every day. I finally found the answer, a de-summoning spell, but I wasn't sure whether I was ready to let him go yet. Southern Magic Ch. 04 We were at our spot, the Space Needle, this time making sure to stay well away from the edge. I was lying in between Nate's legs, his arms around me, enjoying one of those rare days where the sun warms your skin and the breeze flutters through your hair. In this moment I knew what life was supposed to be like. I once read a quote that said that humans weren't made to be isolated, that we were separated once we were put on this earth and spend our lives searching for our other halves, waiting to be completed. I finally felt that I had found my soul mate, though it took some magic to get there. "I don't know how I'm going to go back after meeting you," Nate sighed, pulling me closer to him. My heart sank. I had been lying to him for a month now. Each day it became harder to contemplate a world without him and I found myself burying the truth deeper and deeper within myself. "I know what you mean," I said, softly. I had to tell him. But not now, I couldn't ruin this moment. *** The weeks that Nate spent with Derek were the happiest of his life. He had never felt so free to be himself; the world had opened to him, erupting with possibilities. Derek was the earth to his moon. He felt himself gravitating towards him, not wanting to spend a moment without him. Simultaneously he missed his family. He missed the ranch and he missed the open country. He missed the exhilaration of riding directionless towards the horizon and feeling one with the land. Most of all he missed his time, things had changed so drastically over the past few decades. Just when it all seemed like too much he'd look into Derek's eyes and felt like he belonged. He belonged with Derek. *** I was sitting at Gwen's room. She was the only one I could or wanted to talk to about this, besides Nate. The feelings of guilt were growing stronger. I still hadn't told him. I felt as though her assortment of stuff animals were staring at me with their glassy eyes full of judgement. "So what are you going to do?" she asked. "I don't know. I don't want him to leave." Just the thought of him going is incomprehensible." "Derek, you should tell him. It's been long enough now. I know you're scared but if he loves you the way you love him he'll want to stay. You'll work things out." "I know, but I can't risk it. What if he decides to leave the moment I tell him that I figured out how to do it?" I saw Gwen freeze, the words she was about to say were lost in her gasp. Then I followed her eyes to see Nate standing in the door way, his eyes brimming over with tears. He gave me and look that broke my heart and ran off, down the stairs. I felt the door shut below me. *** I stayed up for hours waiting for him to return. I played through the scenario in my head, over and over. I didn't see this ending well either way. *** Nate sat outside the Space Needle, the place that had brought him so much joy over the past few weeks, their place. Betrayal. That was the singular thought echoed inside his mind. He couldn't believe that the Derek who the thought he knew, the man whom he loved, had been lying to him for so long now. Derek, whom he trusted, didn't offer him the same level of trust. He didn't trust him enough to think that he would stay. He looked up at the towering structure that had once been a symbol of their love and he knew that he couldn't be here any longer. With that thought in mind he started making his way "home". *** It was still dark out when Nate came back. He stood at the door looking at Derek, holding the suitcase that Derek had conjured for him what seemed like an eternity ago, and uttered a single sentence, "Derek, I want you to send me back, now." Derek felt his heart plummet. He stood from his chair and worked the magic that would send the man that he loved back through time and space, tears falling from his eyes the entire time. And just like that Nate was gone. *** I don't know how many days had passed since Derek left. My body seemed to take on an autopilot setting. I would go to class every day, speak to my family during meal times and then return to my room and spend hours staring at the ceiling until I finally fell asleep. And then the whole cycle would begin again. After Nate disappeared I was broken. That feeling of wholeness that I had was gone. Prior to meeting him I was happy because I had not known what it truly meant to be complete. Now that I had felt it and lived it I didn't know how I was going to carrying on living. I conjured a picture of him from the air around me. I looked at his smiling face, his golden hair and that smile, the once that could melt me into a puddle. I thrust my hand through the projection. Not yet, it was too painful. I turned on my side and cried myself to sleep. *** After about a month of this my sister came into my room, in her usual charging manner. "Enough," she said. "You need to stop doing this to yourself, Derek. I love you. Mom and Dad love you. We're right here for you, always. It's killing them and me to watch you do this to yourself. They know something's wrong and they noticed that it started when Nate left." When he left I told my parents that he went back to Texas because the program had ended. I thought I was doing such a good job keeping up appearances. Apparently I wasn't. I didn't look at her as she sat down beside me. I couldn't. I turned my face away from her so that she couldn't see the tears forming in my eyes, tears that had been freely flowing over the past two weeks more than they had my entire life. She hugged me and ran her fingers through my hair. I pulled away. It reminded me too much of him. I sat up and stared out my window at the street lamp glowing in the distance. "I think it's time to tell Mom and Dad the truth," I said. "I think so too," she said, embracing me. This time I didn't pull back. I cried into her shoulder. *** The next day, when both my parents were home, I told them the truth. I told them everything that happened: the accidental summoning, how I fell in love with him, how I lied to him and how he left me. I told them the secret that I had long determined was unspeakable, that I was gay. "It's okay, son, we know and that doesn't change how we feel about you. We have and always will love you," my dad said. "This is who you are and I don't want you for a second to think that there's anything wrong with that or that you need to change yourself for anyone. You are my special boy. I loved you since I knew that you were going to be a part of our lives. We will always be proud to be your parents," said Mom. They told me they loved me and my heart, my damaged, broken heart, swelled with love for my family. "I love you both so, so much," I said. I couldn't say anymore. I could tell that they knew how much this meant to me and how much they mean to me. I felt slightly foolish for thinking that this would change anything between us. "Nate was a good kid. He just needed to go back to where he belonged, to his family," my Dad said softly. "I know," I said. I sat in between them, surrounded by their love and for the first time in a long time I felt like everything was going to be okay. Southern Magic Ch. 05 Hey, guys. This is the final chapter of Southern Magic. I'm sorry it took so long to arrive. Between exams and a bad bout of writers block I couldn't finish it. Please feel free to give any advice for possible future submissions. Lots of love, Phoenix King ****************************************** Nate regretted leaving as soon as he was back. The sun shone strongly, seemingly unaware of the turmoil that thundered within him. Derek was gone. He was alone. And it was entirely his fault. How could he have blamed Derek for lying to him when he did the thing that Derek feared the most? He left, without any discussions or understanding. He let his emotions govern his actions and now he was stuck in the past without any way of returning to the man he loved, the only person who had accepted him for everything that he was. How could he have been so selfish? When he went back up to his house he quickly realised that Derek had sent him back to the moment he left. No one knew that he went anywhere, but he knew. He knew what he found and what he lost. He wanted the feelings of hurt to go away but they wouldn't. There was but one person who could make him feel whole again and he was in a different state, half a century away. He completed his work on the ranch that day, grateful for the familiar routine and distraction it offered. The sun was setting in the sky when he went up to the main house. If his parents noticed a change in him they didn't say anything about it. After dinner he went to his room and opened the suitcase that Derek had conjured for him. His cellphone was still alive, though it wouldn't be that way for long. He tried dialling Derek's number, knowing that it would accomplish nothing. In this time Derek Callaway, the person who had become his everything, ceased to exist. He spent hours reading over their messages, laughing at the improper grammar of his and the perfection of Derek's. His laughter turned to sobs. He's not here anymore, Nate thought, I am alone. He fell asleep with the phone in his hand. *** The next few weeks carried on in the usual fashion pre-Derek: He woke at dawn and worked till dusk. He rode his mare, Poppy Seed, across the open plains thinking of the promise he made to Derek, how he'd teach the other man to ride. After experiencing Derek's close knit family he recognised the deficit in his own. They lacked that sense of sharing and open love for one another that Derek's family had. He found himself once again conforming to society and hiding his true self. One day, identical as the rest, his father sent a ranch hand to call him up to the house. The irregularity of this was enough to cause him apprehension. Once inside he sat with his parents at their roughly hewn, wooden table. The both looked at him, there was something wrong. His mother looked uncomfortable in her seat. "We have arranged for your marriage to Charlotte Davis next fall. I expect you to consent to the marriage and to treat Charlotte as a proper wife when the time comes," said his father, with a sense of finality. Nate's heart stopped. He'd known Charlotte in school. Her family was one of the richest in the county, with her grandfather establishing an oil rig in his lifetime. Though she was the heiress to a sizable fortune, she was unattractive and thus undesired by many. So, this is how his life would play out, he thought ruefully. Thinking of how he would never see Derek again Nate turned to his parents and said, "I will do ask you ask, father." *** Back in 2014, I gasped. I had been watching over Nate for the past few weeks. I was with him every day and saw everything through the Retrovision Spell. Nate was going to be married, I thought. A flood of panic washed over me. I was going to lose him forever. I ran to Gwen's room and told her what I saw. "So, are you going to sit here talking to me or are you going to do something about it," she asked, smirking. I knew what I had to do. "No," I said, with a new sense of determination. "I'm going to bring him back to me." She smiled and after promising she would tell my parents what I went to do she sent me back through time. *** Nate rode Poppy Seed fast across the land as if trying to escape the fate that awaited him. It was ironically beautiful that day. The sun beamed brightly in the cloudless sky, its blueness extending infinitely in all directions. How could this have happened, he thought. Just a few weeks ago he was living, in blissful happiness, with the love of his life. Now, he was back in Texas, engaged to someone he barely knew. Worse, it was a woman. Just as Nate was about to turn back he saw a person walking up to him. He cupped his hand over his eyes so that he could see more clearly. It was Derek. Here, right in front of him as if he willed the other man into existence. *** I saw Nate on his horse, Poppy Seed, the sun in his eyes and the periwinkle blue sky at his back. He was wearing a cowboy hat and his arms were taut as he held his mare back. He had never looked so beautiful. He kept staring at me as I approached him, as though I was some ghostly apparition. I didn't know what to say to him. He probably still hated me for lying to him. He was probably happy to be back. I shouldn't have come. I looked into his eyes, looking for the love for me that he'd once held there. All I saw was surprise. I started to turn back. *** Nate couldn't believe that Derek was here. He came back for me, he thought. He stared at Derek in surprise, saw him stop, look at him and start to turn back. No, Nate thought, I'm not losing him again. He dismounted his mare, ran to Derek and turned the other man towards him. "Never again," Nate whispered. He clasped Derek's face and pulled it towards his own and kissed him, trying to make Derek feel every iota of his love for him in that single kiss. Tears streamed down Derek's face and for the first time in a long time they were tears of happiness. *** I looked up at him, not believing what was happening. I pulled him close to me and breathed him in, intending on never letting him go again. Being with him felt like being home and I was finally complete again. I kissed him again on the lips, lightly, and let my head fall on his strong chest. "So, what happens now," I ask him. "Now, I'll never let you go," he says, stroking my hair, "I'm so sorry". "I'm sorry too; I should never have lied to you. I was just so scared of losing you. I can't live without you." "You don't have to." We stayed there under the hot, Southern sun slowly descended in the sky, plunging us into a starlit twilight. *** Derek was back in Nate's life and that was all that mattered to him. He knew what he had to do but the consequences still haunted him. The only way he could be with him completely, like he deserved, was to leave with him but he couldn't leave his mother behind, being oblivious to where her son was. He knew his father would never accept him, in this time the homosexual communities were little spoken of and what was said was never good or reasonable. He stared in the distance towards his home and decided he had to go back for the last time, so that he could, for once, take control of his own life. *** The next morning I headed over to Nate's ranch with him. He told me what he was going to do for us. I decided to let him go inside alone. It would be hard enough without me there as a tangible reminder of what he was about to confess. It wasn't long until Nate stormed out, slamming the door as he left. I had never seen him like that before. "Let's go," he said, with a pleading look in his eyes. Just as I was preparing the magic I needed to take us back home someone else emerged from the house. It was Nate's mother. Her hair and eyes were so much like his. Nate turned around as she walked towards us; he looked like he couldn't face her. "You must be Derek," she said, with a slight Southern lilt, "I don't know where you boys are going but I hope that it's better than here. Look after my boy." She turned to Nate and rested her hand softly on his shoulder. "I know what your father said but just know that I love you son and I want you to be happy, wherever you are. A mother's love doesn't diminish with distance." Nate leaned in and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you too, mum. Always." After that she wiped the tears forming in her eyes and went back into the house, after gazing back at her son for one last time. "Derek, please," Nate urged. I nodded and circled my arms around his waist and worked the magic that would take us to our future together. *** Once we were back I pulled Nate close to me and whispered, "I'm so, so sorry." He took my hands from around his neck and kissed them lightly. "We're together now. That's all that matters," he said. We were in my room again, the place where we had met for the first time, the place where I met the love of my life. I nudged him softly towards the bed. "I love you," I said. No matter how many times I said it I could never really reveal how true it was. "I love you too," he said, brushing my lips with his own. The gentle, chaste kiss evolved into a passionate embrace, his earnest desire shining through. I pushed him down and straddled his hips as I started to undo the buttons on his shirt. I kissed every inch of skin as it was exposed, revelling in the moment where he was mine and I was his. He pulled my shirt over my head and rolled us so that he was over me, gently pushing me into the bed. I could feel his breath on my neck and the warmth of his skin on mine. He began to grind his growing bulge into me as he plundered my neck. Within moment he stripped us of the remainder of our clothes. He slowly caressed legs, his arms moving smoothing upwards towards my throbbing hardness. He wrapped his hands around it and kissed me again with renewed fever. "Take me, Nate. I'm yours," I whispered. He grabbed the lube from my bedside drawer and slid into me slowly. The burning pain was growing into an indescribable pleasure. He thrust into me softly and then harder until he struck my pleasure centre. In that moment I saw colours, brighter than ever, burning into my retinas. He tugged on me, pulling the orgasm out of my body. My skin prickled with pleasure and then we came, together. *** Nate looked into Derek's loving eyes and in that moment he knew that everything would be okay. He knew that they would be happy, together, for the rest of time.