The Volunteers

The hurricane came ashore between two cities causing mass destruction. FEMA, health care professionals, power company employees, the Red Cross and National Guard rushed in to stabilize the region and get supplies and shelter to those in need. Volunteers from all across the country came to help and for a nearly three weeks the crews worked tirelessly long hours to start the process of cleaning up and rebuilding. Some volunteers were set up with box trucks and sent inland to the rural regions where restoring power could take weeks and where damage was not by the storm surge but wind taking trees down, laying them across power lines, homes and businesses, or tornadoes spawned in the turbulent storm winds that left swaths of the country side in ruin.

Paul, Justin and Nicholas found themselves in a box truck heading north along rural county roads each day with a different destination delivering food, medical supplies and basic necessities. Each one had volunteered for the same reasons everyone else had volunteered; this need to do something in the wake of such destruction. Paul was from Knoxville, a University of Tennessee junior who was originally from Kentucky. At twenty-one he was still idealistic, and his majoring in Sociology gave him a sense of the struggles happening to the people hit the hardest. Justin was from Dallas, worked with one of the big banks in mortgages and watching the news, seeing people wade through waist deep water with only a few belongings or worse carrying their youngest children had hit him hard, for it brought back memories of his growing up in Galveston, Texas and having to deal with hurricanes himself. Nicholas drove down from Raleigh with a couple of friends, one of whom he had been dating off and on for over a year, neither he nor Rachel seemed really interested in a relationship or marriage but they shared a common humane sense of the world. He wasn't familiar with how destructive a hurricane could be having come from western Virginia but seeing how bad it was along the coast, the total destruction in areas had stirred something inside of him, so when his friends said they had to get back since they couldn't afford to stay any longer Nicholas had given them his keys and told them he was staying a while longer and would get a plane ticket to fly back when he was ready to leave.

For over a week they made their trips, each day going further and further up the same roads, the idea being each group would keep going up till they covered the region hardest hit. During the drives they talked about themselves, where they were from and Justin told of past hurricanes his family had had to endure. They would stop for lunch and sometimes dinner along the side of the road eating the sandwiches and snacks they brought with them since so many areas were without power that finding a restaurant or convenience store open was nearly impossible. Paul told them about life on Tennessee's campus, the frat parties, the pranks in the dorm, and the girls he dated, although none seriously. Justin, now twenty-six, talked about how he was trying to get settled in the routine of work, it seeming to always change, the way he had already been shifted three times to different departments at the bank since staring four years ago and how he felt this uncertainty about his life all the time. Nicholas told of living in Raleigh, working at Social Services and the poverty he saw and how it was more and more difficult and he told of his dating Rachel and it being her idea to actually pack up and come down, and now it was odd how they were back in Raleigh, their finances not allowing them stay any longer. He admitted how his relationship with Rachel seemed to be one of convenience and he still had no urge to settle down and get married.

Over the course of several days they learned a lot about each other and developed a camaraderie that enabled them to deal with the difficult situations they faced each day. They were handing out supplies at one small community that was nestled in the third generation growth of pine, most of the men working in the logging industry and the women working in the nearby paper mill when Nicholas bumped Paul on the shoulder and motioned toward Justin who was treating several small children for cuts.

"Have you noticed he has not mentioned anything personal about himself this whole week?" Nicholas asked.

"Yeah, I noticed" Paul replied.

"I bet he has had a major break up or something" Nicholas said as he held out the food rations to the next in line.

"Could be, or he may be one of those banker types so wrapped up in making money he has let any social life he could have slide to the side."

"But someone like that wouldn't be here, doing this."

"True" Paul replied as he turned to climb back into the truck for additional supplies to hand out.

---

The weather after the storm had been clear blue skies, but the heat along the Gulf Coast had returned with a vengeance making the relief efforts not only emotionally draining but tiring as well. The guys had loaded up early that Sunday morning for the forecast called for rains to move in late in the day which would add a new dimension to the situation. As Nicholas drove the white box truck north along the two lane road undulating through the country side he looked down at his dirty shirt and then over at the others whose clothes were just as messed up.

"When I get a chance the first thing I have to do is shower and wash clothes" he said as he looked back at the road.

"Tell me about it" Justin replied sitting between Nicholas and Paul.

"I've worn everything I've got two or three times and it all feels damp when I first put it on" Paul added.

They were silent for a moment their eyes looking at the familiar scenery they were passing when Paul began to sniggered, then laugh out loud.

"What? What's so funny?" Nicholas asked as Paul and he glanced over at Justin.

"Ok...confession time" and he looked at the guys with a grin on his face. "Who has stopped wearing underwear since we've not been able to wash clothes?"

There was a moment of silence as Nicholas glanced back and forth between the road and Paul, and Justin let his gaze turn from Paul back to the road in front.

"As of two days ago" Justin confessed.

"Three days ago" Nicholas added and they busted out laughing. When they settled back down the cab grew quiet.

"We definitely need to find a washing machine" Justin said in a low voice, more to himself than to the others.

It was nearly ten thirty before they got to their first stop and they slowly made their way north along the narrow dirt road that was their day's route. They passed sections recently cleared and came upon crews a couple of times cutting fallen trees to clear out the final sections of the dirt road. Their pace was slow going, having to spend over an hour at one location waiting for the crews to open up the road. They stopped at a bridge over a creek and watched the still swollen red waters rushing underneath as they ate a late lunch.

"Justin?" Paul asked between mouthfuls.

"Yeah?"

"You haven't mentioned a girlfriend or a wife. I assume you're still single?"

Nicholas looked over at Paul, uncomfortable with his personal questions.

"No...no girlfriend or wife" Justin replied and he took a long drink of water.

"Okay...well I was just curious" Paul said as he waded up the wrapping from his sandwich.

Justin glanced over at Paul then back at Nicholas who was looking at him with a worried look.

"Alright, if you want to know I am still single, have not dated anyone seriously in a few months, and..." Justin looked back at Paul thinking he was the one to worry about the most. "Well, you see I'm gay."

There was a moment of silence then Nicholas slapped Justin's thigh with his open palm. "Well damn, that's all. We thought you might have been in a bad breakup or something worse."

Justin looked at Nicholas relieved at his casual response and back at Paul who was shaking his head smiling.

"Yeah, we thought you might be fleeing from some bad situation like a girlfriend with a butcher knife fetish and we had been afraid to ask" Paul finally remarked bringing them to laughing again, something they did often to release their built up emotions from their relief efforts.

Nicholas and Paul asked Justin about his life living in Texas and he told them what it was like growing up in a strict house and how it was leaving for college that he finally was able to live his life. Soon their banter returned to their usual discussions of the problems they faced in their relief efforts, the destruction they kept seeing, even this far inland and how they each would need to go home soon.

It was late in the day and the sky was clouding up quickly when they guys finally turned the truck south to head back. They drove back along the rutted, washed out dirt road, sitting in fatigued silence, looking out at the pine that were broken off about eight feet above the ground, the entire stand snapped off leaving jagged trunks sticking up. Paul was driving and when they dropped down into a low area, the sides of the road lined with damaged or fallen over magnolia, oak and cedar trees Justin suddenly yelled stop.

"What is it?" Paul asked as he brought the truck to a stop.

"That drive back there?" Justin asked.

"Yeah, what about it? You think we should check it out?" Nicholas replied as Paul looked in the mirrors at the drive with its blocked up culvert and mailbox lying on the shoulder of the road.

"Yeah I do; while we're here. I mean we're so far from another house and all."

Paul eased the truck back and turned down the lane. They only made it a short distance when fallen trees blocked their way. They climbed out and began to go on foot, climbing over the trunks of trees or working their way around them. It took fifteen minutes to get to the old house site nestled among the trees and they quickly saw one tree had fallen over the roof on one end busting through down to the walls and another tree had fallen parallel to the front shearing off the porch crushing it flat. A small barn in back was collapsed under the weight of a large oak and a chicken coop was blown over with the chickens roaming freely around the yard.

"Damn, what a mess" Nicholas stated as they moved to the house.

"Hello?! Anyone here?" Justin called out as he made his way in the back door, struggling to get it open, the frame warped under the weight of the tree on the roof.

The three of them eased into the house, noticing how it had been neatly kept but with windows blown out and the ceiling collapsed in several places the interior was a mess. They moved through the kitchen into the living area and to a doorway where they could see a bed. An elderly woman lay upon the bed, eyes closed, not moving.

"Oh shit" Justin cried out and ran to the bed where he placed his hand to her neck to feel for a pulse.

---

The ambulance took an hour to arrive and once the elderly woman was loaded up and the ambulance headed to the nearest hospital it was getting dark and the rains had began, a windless straight down rain, large drops that fell with a thud on the roof and the ground with water sheeting over the ground ankle deep.

The guys were soaked by the time they got back to the truck and they drove in wet misery for an hour until they came to a house and barn for sale that appeared unoccupied. Nicholas was driving and he turned into the drive.

"What are you doing?" Paul asked.

"Stopping. I'm beat, all of us are and I've got to get out of these wet clothes. Let's see if the house or the barn is open and we can crash here to change and rest up a bit."

The house had been locked but the barn was open and inside the old barn they found a dirt floor that was damp, but a ladder led up to a hayloft. Justin called the FEMA site they were working out of and let them know it would be early the next morning before they got back and what had happened that day. Nicholas and Paul grabbed their gym bags with their gear and got it up in the hayloft. It was empty, the floor sweep clean and more importantly to the guys, it was dry.

Paul sat their lantern on the floor in the middle of the loft, a space only fifteen feet wide or so, but the full depth of the barn running under the ridge line of the roof. They each moved to a corner away from the each other as they stripped off their wet jeans and shirts. It was Paul who looked around first, his curiosity getting the best of him as he looked at Justin in the opposite corner. Paul knew Justin was about his own height of five ten but leaner, narrow shoulders and when he looked at Paul, his back to the light, his pale skin seeming to glow in the dim light, Paul saw how lean he really was, saw his round ass and his legs that reminded him of guys who ran a lot or who swam. Justin's black hair was a mess, sticking up in all directions and he ran a hand through it pushing it down as best he could. He leaned over and rummaged in his gym bag for another pair of jeans and Paul saw his balls hang down between his legs, saw how they hung low, the sac stretched out long. When Justin stood up with a pair of jeans just as dirty as the pair he had on, but dry, he turned slightly to put them on and Paul got a quick glimpse of his cock as it bounced into view before he quickly turned away.

Nicholas saw how Paul watched Justin, saw how he turned away quickly when Justin turned and he knew it was a natural curiosity for he had glanced at Justin too, and from his angle, Justin's body in shadow, he didn't see him clearly but he saw his lean smooth chest and flat stomach and he noticed his cock as it bounced around. Nicholas looked over a Paul, his body stockier, with broad shoulders, his arms and legs muscular and his waist so narrow as to be ridiculous. Paul had reddish brown hair and the mat of hair on his chest was dark brown as it laid flat over his chest and down his stomach. Paul's cock didn't hand long like Justin's but it was thicker, the head flared out wide even when flaccid and his legs were covered with his dark brown hair. To be the youngest of the three of them he looked the most mature, the most masculine.

Justin knew the guys had checked him out, he saw them out of the corner of his eyes and he humorously wondered if they were looking to see if there was some mark on him that said 'gay'. He had saw Paul checking him out when he pulled his shirt off and when he turned to put on his jeans he saw Paul standing there looking at him just before he turned quickly around but in that moment Justin saw how masculine Paul really was with his muscular body, the way his chest and center of his stomach had that mat of hair covering it and he admired his arms and legs, so muscular compared to his own. Then there was Nicholas, who was taller than Paul and he, four or five inches taller at least, and he had the long torso, lean and muscular, of a swimmer. He noticed the smooth dark olive tone of his body, how his dirty blonde hair wasn't much darker above his cock and his arms and legs appeared to be so smooth in the dim light but he knew they had a light blonde dusting of hair. Justin had compared their cocks, Paul's one that would be thick, with a wide flared head and Nicholas' appeared to be one that would be long and thin and he had to smile at their locker room antics of checking each other out while they put on some dry jeans, each one remaining shirtless trying to stay to cool.

They tossed their sleeping bags down near the door to the hayloft where it was somewhat cooler using them more as a pad to lay on instead of getting down in them. They lay quiet for a while, listening to the rain fall outside with its rhythmic rattle on the tin roof. As exhausted as they were they all lay awake unable to fall asleep right away. How long they lay there none of them knew, but Justin's phone suddenly began to play music from an incoming call. Nicholas and Paul leaned up and watched as he fumbled it open and answered.

"Hello?" and he listened for brief moment.

"Yeah, that was us, we found her. How is she doing?"

Justin listened for a moment, didn't say anything when he hung up, lying back down on his back staring up in the darkness. Nicholas and Paul waited, fearing the worse.

"She didn't make it" Justin replied and he rolled over facing away from Nicholas and Paul. They could hear him after a few minutes, a soft cry escaping from him.

"You okay?" Nicholas whispered.

"Not really...it's just we try so hard and sometimes it isn't enough...you know?"

"Yeah" Paul replied in a low voice.

Nicholas scooted over and moved up behind Justin, wrapped his arm over his upper body and held him close.

"Come on, it's okay" he whispered as Paul watched with concern. The days of going from one disaster site to the next, seeing so many homeless, without food, and the children seemed to be the ones who suffered the worse, and then today brought everything to a head, their frustrations, their emotions, some need for normalcy. Nicholas held Justin, felt him settle down and Nicholas laid his head down behind Justin so close Justin's hair tickled his nose and he gave Justin a slight tight squeeze with his arm letting him know it was okay.

The rain had stopped while they napped and now the skies cleared out and the moon shone brightly through the door. Justin felt Nicholas still behind him, only snuggled up tighter to his back, his arm over his waist with its hand at his chest, its warmth comforting. He felt how their bodies were spooned together, the natural curves of their forms nestled together, and he felt how his cock was hard for the first time in days, achingly so, it confined in his jeans at the wrong angle and he slipped his hand down in the front and shifted his cock over, gave it room to stretch out and Nicholas' hand moved down his arm, following where it positioned, down in his jeans and Justin froze, unsure if Nicholas was aware of what he was doing. Nicholas ran his hand down and back and forth along the waist band of his jeans, then Justin felt it slide underneath down to his cock where Nicholas grasped it, squeezed it, and Justin stifled a moan as he pushed against the hand. He felt Nicholas press his mouth to the back of his neck, softly, the warmth of his breath, then his lips, sensuous against his skin.

Justin tried to think of Paul, worried about what was happening but Nicholas hand on his cock and his lips on his neck, then moving around to his ear, tugging on his earlobe, tonguing it and he couldn't get his mind to focus as he pushed his ass back against Nicholas. Nicholas undid his jeans, pulled the zipper down and Justin's cock popped out hard, rigid, and Nicholas grasped it, stroked it as he slowly humped against Justin's ass.

Justin felt Nicholas against him, his cock hard as it pushed against his ass and he reached around and ran his hand down Nicholas' stomach, down to his jeans and felt the way they sat loose around his waist, seductively inviting him to reach in, to let his fingers roam down and touch him. Nicholas pulled back and gave Justin room, let him grasp his cock, feel its hardness. They lay there feeling each other and Justin never felt so naked even with his jeans still pulled up for they were open and loose around his hips, the soft denim rubbing and touching him in ways that kept reminding him he was exposed, Nicholas' hand had access to him, to feel him, stroke his cock, make him want more.

Nicholas wrapped his arm around Justin's neck, pulled him back against his bare chest as he pushed Justin's jeans down as far as he could reach exposing Justin's ass. He pushed against Justin, let him feel his hard cock and he felt Justin's hand trying to get his jeans open, struggling with the button and Nicholas pulled back and undid them, pulled his zipper down, giving Justin access, let him feel how his cock sprang free and slapped against Justin's ass. Justin pushed his ass back, pressed himself against Nicholas, trapped Nicholas' cock between his ass cheeks.

Then the moonlight was blocked for a moment and Justin opened his eyes and Paul was lying in front of him, watching his every expression and the way he was responding to Nicholas. Then Justin felt Paul's hand on his chest, rubbing softly over him. Nicholas leaned over Justin's head and looked at Paul.

"Pinch his nipples" Nicholas told Paul.

"What?"

"Pinch his nipples" Nicholas repeated and Paul moved his hand to Justin right nipple and lightly pinched it with his forefinger and thumb.

"Harder" Nicholas whispered.

Paul pinched harder, felt the hard nub rise up between his fingers as he squeezed down on it and Justin moaned, loudly, pushed his chest out toward Paul and Nicholas ground his cock into Justin's ass. Justin began to squirm between them, to move with a fluid motion from one sensation to the next, and Paul reached down and grasped Justin's cock, felt it flex in his hands and the head became wetter and wetter as he stroked the shaft and ran his hand over the head.

Nicholas moved to Justin's ear as he kept grinding his cock against Justin's ass.

"What do you want?" Nicholas asked.

"Fuck me...fuck me Nicholas" Justin replied and he raised his left leg up, opening himself up to Nicholas as he reached back and held Nicholas' cock firmly against his hole. He felt Nicholas pump it against him, press against his tightness and he pushed back and felt the head of Nicholas' cock try to breach his opening.

"Come on Nicholas, fuck me" Justin begged and he pushed back as Nicholas pushed forward, harder, with determination and the head of his cock sank into Justin making him cry out. Paul moved closer, kissed Justin on the jaw, moved over his cheek and to his lips. Justin moaned into Paul's mouth as Nicholas and he worked together to spear his ass on Nicholas' cock, to have inch after inch sink into his hole.

"How does it feel?" Paul asked Justin in a hoarse quiet tone.

Justin cried out and then wrapped his arms around Paul's neck, hugged their bodies together as he whispered in Paul's ear "Oh fuck, it feels good."

Nicholas began to work his cock into Justin till he was all the way in and he held Justin tightly feeling the warmth of his body. They lay still for a moment, Nicholas kissing the back of Justin's neck and Paul moved down and ran his lips over Justin's nipples, tongued them and finally he bit down on the right one hard enough to make Justin cry out. Nicholas began to fuck, to work his cock through the tight ring of Justin's hole, to feel it milk his cock as he slid each inch back and forth.

Justin groaned and cried out and he reached down and pulled Paul up, kissed him passionately on the mouth.

"Let me suck your cock" Justin begged Paul, pulling up on his body, "come on, move up, let me suck it...I won't to feel you in my mouth."

Paul shifted up till this thick hard cock bobbed up and down in Justin's face. Justin wasted no time in taking it, working his mouth as far down the shaft as he could, then back up, bringing the head to his lips where he would lick and suck on it. Paul had never felt anything like it, the way Justin sucked his cock, the way he would swallow so much of it then pull back and work the head and he began to pump his hips a little, pushing his cock into Justin's mouth a little more. But something wasn't right, it seemed he was missing some aspect and he knew what he wanted, something he never considered before and he pulled out of Justin's mouth and swung around till he had Justin's leaking cock in his own face. He felt his cock sink in the warm wet mouth again, felt the way Justin worked his tongue over it and he reached out and took Justin's cock, held it steady and touched the head with his tongue tasting the sweetness of the pre-cum, and he put his lips to it, letting them slide apart as he pushed forward sinking his mouth over Justin's cock. He felt Justin moan around his cock and push his hips forward, shoving more of the shaft into Paul's own mouth.

Justin lay between them, Nicholas at his back fucking him, slowly grinding his cock all the way in, and Paul in front in a sixty-nine position, each sucking the other's cock and Justin couldn't take it, all the frustrations and emotions of the past few days, the sensations his body was being put through, the way Nicholas bore into him, all the way and Paul, clumsily, roughly, sucking his cock and something so erotic about it, it made him groan around Paul's cock, made him suck harder, take as much as he could until he couldn't take anymore.

Justin came hard, his cry out stifled by Paul's cock, as he shoved forward, his ejaculating cock pushing into Paul's mouth till he gagged. Justin came hard, blasting his first wads straight down Paul's throat and he kept pumping his hips as he pumped his cum into the suctioning mouth. Nicholas felt it, the way Justin's hole worked his cock, milked it with each spasm as he shot his load, and Nicholas fucked harder, slammed his hips against Justin's ass, pushed deep into him till he came, shooting his own load deep into Justin's hole.

Paul hadn't been close yet and when Justin was spent and he pulled off his cock, Justin pulled back, rolled on his back and gave him a slap on the ass.

"Fuck me, Paul, come on, I want it" Justin begged.

Paul rolled up on his knees and got between Justin's legs, let them wrap around his waist as he leaned over Justin's body putting his thick cock to Justin's hole. Nicholas was longer but not as thick and as Paul pushed forward, sank his cock into Justin in one slow push, the ring of Justin's hole was tight around his shaft as it passed through making Justin cry out, throw his arms over his head and stretch his body out, the tension shivering through him. Paul held his cock still when he was all the way in and he lay on Justin, felt him shiver beneath him, felt the hard undulation of his breathing, and he felt the heat of him, his skin slick. Justin hugged him tight, kissed and nipped at his neck, his earlobe and along his jaw.

"Fuck me....fuck me hard" Justin whispered.

Nicholas had watched how Paul sank his thick cock into Justin, just eased it all the way in and he could hear how Justin bore it, his groans growing louder and his begging Paul to fuck, to fuck hard and he placed his hand on Paul's ass, encouragingly, pushing down with his thrusts into Justin. Paul rose up, his muscular body hovered over Justin, his cock sliding back and forth through his tight hole, and he fucked fast, his body tight with the exertion, his breathing hard, and his heated scent filled the hayloft, his body glistened in the dim moonlight as he sweated profusely, it dripping down on Justin as he bore his cock into him, shoved it in all the way.

It was only a few more minutes, Paul's fuck, and he began to pump his load into Justin, mingling it with Nicholas', pumping his cock through it till it began to pump back out and run down Justin's ass. Spent and exhausted, Paul collapsed on top of Justin, his breathing ragged and he lay there with Justin holding him, and Justin telling them how good it felt, the way the two of them gave themselves to him for this one night.

As they lay still, legs and arms intertwined, their emotional and physical exhaustion overwhelmed them and one by one, they fell into a deep sleep.