From: bigsqueezer@yahoo.com

NINTY-NINE BOTTLES

By Bigsqueezer (c) Dec. 1998



"You evil making foul evil thing!" Angelo was never very good at swearing in 
English. But he always managed to make it look like he was serious and meant it, 
even when the words didn't actually go together. He was a formidable man. The 
other steel workers believed him and that's what mattered.

"You're Mother's a pig! Your sister's a pig! Your family, pigs! Kiss my aaass!" 
Carmine on the other hand was much better at swearing in English. He was so good 
it never crossed anyone's mind that he was able to say anything without 
obscenity.

Both men towered over everone in the bar, powerful muscle and wills to match. 
Carmine weighed near 280 pounds. His shoulders were wide and his arms hung at 
his sides like slabs of meat. His biceps pulsed, looking as if he were mentally 
rehearsing punching Angelo's face in. His family had dreams of Carmine being 
some wrestling hero. His one professional bout was canceled by a legbreaker that 
waylaid him a week before the bout. The legbreaker ended up crippled, not 
Carmine. But he was injured and missed his bout. He was so huge that ignoring 
him was almost impossible. Promoters managed to anyway.

So he was massive- so what. With his muscle and size he always felt like he was 
all dressed up with no place to go. But industry boomed in post war America and 
the docks were busy all the time. He worked hard at the docks and was cherished 
by his co-workers.

Angelo was devilishly handsome, with dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a heavily 
defined, muscular torso that was hard and tall. God had been kind to Angelo. He 
weighed a bit less than Carmine, but made up for that with a fierce speed. Even 
with that speed, he had serious muscle. His quads were massive and striated. He 
was a physical specimen of rare beauty with development that would dignify him 
in the future sport of bodybuilding. Angelo knew his looks set him apart and 
dressed the part in tight denim and a white T-shirt. All the ladies called him 
the Local Brando.

He spent his time in the gym hoping to be the next Jack Dempsey, but when he had   
his jaw broken last year in the Golden Gloves semi-finals no promoter wanted to 
sign him to fight a glass boyscout, let alone a real bout. There were just too 
many serious contenders ahead of him. He spent the time since his injury always 
angry about something or other. "You just say that like that 'cause Sis won't 
fuck you and your little Richard!"

"Dick, you dago! It's my Dick! Get it right!" They were both standing chest to 
chest. The bystanders began to slowly make way for the exits of the little 
neighborhood bar. Dave the bartender came up to them slowly.

"I can't let you guys in here if you keep this up," he said calmly. "My Mom 
doesn't like the violent stuff."

"Sorry Dave," Carmine said quietly, not taking his eyes off Angelo. "I'll take 
this meathead outside and redecorate the alley with him."

"You guys...okay, fine, whatever. Just go," Dave hated to compromise but 
couldn't do much when these towers of muscle had to drink 'till they were 
punching each other. Really, Dave knew better about them. He wondered when they 
were going to stop punching each other and realize they were best friends.

 Carmine was the only one he knew who could fight Angelo and not get busted into 
pieces in the process. The only reason Dave didn't call the police was they 
always shook hands and made up later anyway.

Angelo lead the way out of the side door. Some of the braver and drunker patrons 
followed them outside. "When I'm done creamin' this dope I'm gonna look for 
seconds. Glad to mop up the alley with any bystanders." Like a large beast with 
one mind, the crowd turned and moved toward their barstools, at the same slow, 
plodding speed they had been following the action. Carmine watched them crawl 
back into their drinks with satisfaction. He strode out to settle things.

They stood in the alley and looked at each other. Angelo flexed his pecs hard. 
"You're coming down." he said gravely.

"Going....going down. Get it right, you dumb fuck!" Angelo rushed Carmine and 
tackled him. He was flatfooted taking a shoulder in the sternum and landed on 
his back with Angelo on top of him. 

Carmine fended off Angelo's punches, knowing he couldn't stay on the receiving 
end of that hammering  for long. In a flash, Carmine closed his arms around 
Angelo's chest and clamped his body in a crushing vise. He took a deep breath 
and squeezed Angelo against his chest. Angelo growled like an animal, his brown 
eyes boring into Carmine's, pushing on his shoulders to break out of the 
crushing embrace. His huge hand pressed Carmine's chin back trying to get free. 

"You are a....wicked...mean...hardness..." Angelo said squirming for leverage to 
get out. 

"You got that right lummox! I'll be a mean hardness until your ribs break," he 
said with a smile. "Or until you beg me to let you go." Carmine shook his chin 
hard and slipped out of Angelo's counter. His squeeze tightened again. Angelo 
groaned loudly as his ribs bent like celery. He collapsed onto Carmine, his 
beard stubble rasping against Carmine's neck. He pushed himself off the pavement 
looking for a way out of Carmine's ribcracker.

"I beg no man...for any nothing!" Angelo said through gritting teeth. He took 
what breath he could in quick puffs and gasps. He pressed his right hand in 
between their bodies, prying into the tightening embrace. It loosened, and he 
took a deep breath. He pressed his arm deeply between their bodies. Angelo 
lifted his right arm over his head, his powerful shoulder out levering the 
crushing pressure of Carmine's embrace. The bearhug slipped over Angelo's 
shoulder. Carmine found that he no longer had a hold over Angelo's chest.

Clutching over Angelo's back, Carmine still held Angelo's left arm and neck in 
the embrace. Carmine released the hold and quickly pushed Angelo off his chest. 
Angelo rolled to one side and Carmine rolled to the other. They spun toward each 
other and slowly stood  face to face again.

More careful than the last encounter, Angelo circled Carmine. "You got out of 
the Crusher," Carmine said. "No one ever gets out twice." To punctuate his 
threat, Carmine flexed his upper body. Mounds of muscle leapt to attention.

Angelo rushed in again with his fists. His long left tagged Carmine in the 
forehead. His thick neck kept his head from snapping back. It was just a 
measure...**smack!!** Angelo's huge fist flattened Carmine's nose, even as he 
tried to block the incoming fists. A calm look of patience crossed Angelo's 
face.

Carmine stepped back and rubbed his nose. He made no sound, but his eyes watered 
like any good nose shot will make you do. Blood leaked over his lips. Angelo 
pressed in. Carmine swung a hard right hook at Angelo's head and missed cleanly 
as he ducked. He came under Carmine's arms and connected a left hook to 
Carmine's jaw.

Carmine closed to clench with Angelo, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. He 
was dazed and held on to try to slow Angelo down. He cried out in pain as Angelo 
quickly switched tactics. Like two cobras striking, Angelo grabbed Carmine's 
pectorals in a savage double-claw. Immensely strong fingers pierced Carmine's 
pecs digging in and under those ample slabs of muscle. 

Carmine pushed away from Angelo, bringing his hands up to pry away the claw hold 
cutting into his chest. Angelo threw himself backward, pulling Carmine to the 
concrete, rolling to the left and releasing the claw hold at the same time. 
Carmine landed on his right shoulder more deeply dazed. Angelo threw himself on 
top of Carmine laying on his side. His powerful right hand clawed into Carmine's 
exposed lat muscle, digging deeply.

"AAAAAgggghhhhh!!!" Carmine cried out. "AAaaaaggh! No!"

"You give?" Angelo asked.

"Kiss my ass!"

Angelo pounded Carmine's face a couple times with his left hook keeping Carmine 
in place with the lat claw. Carmine squirmed to get his arms into play. He tried 
to knock Angelo's claw loose by throwing his huge elbow backward. This only made 
a severe tug on the claw doubling the pain.

"You give?" Angelo asked again.

"No..." Carmine weakly said. He hammered his elbow into the claw and popped it 
off his side. He screamed as it came loose but didn't waste time getting into 
action. He fired a backhanded blow towards Angelo's face. He dodged!

Carmine counted on that and used his dodging momentum against him. He pushed 
Angelo off balance. Angelo tried to recover and lost initiative. Carmine grabbed 
him by the hair and pulled him overhead. Angelo landed faceplant on the 
pavement. He let out a grunt but scrambled to keep Carmine under control. 

Carmine had him off balance and effortlessly rolled him off, pressing Angelo 
onto his back. "My turn!" Carmine flashed a claw hold of his own into Angelo's 
beautifully sculpted midscetion. Right over the abdominals, his fingers dug in 
squeezing and rending solid muscle. Angelo writhed under the torment. With both 
hands, he tried to pry Carmine off his stomach with no effect. His head snapped 
back as Carmine's fist plowed him in the face. "I'm gonna rearrange your insides 
now! And I'm gonna enjoy it!" His whole arm flexed as he cranked the claw 
tighter. Angelo howled.

Carmine kneeled over the prone Angelo, ripping into his guts with his right and 
pummeling him senseless with his left. Blood ran from a cut on Angelo's upper 
lip. Angelo had enough awareness to catch Carmine's right fist and stop the 
punches. He labored to take his breath through the savage claw hold. Every 
breath burned like fire. He had the natural inclination to pull on the claw hold 
and knew that was wrong. 

With all his strength, he sat up and plastered Carmine with his right hook. His 
head snapped to one side but he kept the claw on. Another! He loosened his claw. 
Slam! Carmine sprawled back, dazed and reeling, the claw slipped off Angelo's 
suffering midsection. Carmine bled from a cut above his left eye. He was barely 
aware of Angelo moving.

Angelo crawled over to Carmine and roughly pushed him onto his back. Swinging 
his fists like hammers he pounded Carmine's midsection. Exhaustion and dizziness 
made each punch force air from Carmine. "Woof!" Carmine ached inside as Angelo 
pounded his guts repeatedly.

"You...hurt...me" Angelo said. "Like you say...My turn!" Reeling from the iron-
fisted pummeling, Carmine defended himself badly. Angelo planted the palm of his 
hand on Carmine's face and pressed his head onto the pavement. Using Carmine's 
head as a balance point, he kicked his legs in the air, crashing his knee into 
his stomach. "Aaarrmmph!" Carmine groaned through Angelo's meaty hand. 

Carmine wasn't ready for Angelo's next move. Straddling Carmine's waist with his 
thick denim covered thighs, Angelo pulled Carmine's head lifted and lifted his 
torso from the pavement. With a roll to the right, Carmine found himself slowly 
wrapped in a dangerous body scissors. They laid face-to-face on their sides.

Angelo's ankles crossed and legs locked in place. "You can feel my ... crusher 
now!"  He snapped his legs tight and squeezed Carmine's torso without mercy.

"AAAAAaaahhhghg, No! Oooohhhrrrggghh!!!" Carmine growled through gritting teeth 
as Angelo's legs crushed his body in painful payback. Carmine thrashed violently 
to get loose. He tried to press the body scissors lower on his torso, stopping 
the painful constriction of his ribs. Angelo had both knees planted on either 
side of his ribcage. Carmine could see that thrilling sparkle in Angelo's eyes. 

Carmine threw desperate punches at Angelo's head, blocked, deflected. Angelo 
just smiled as he cranked the pressure tighter.

He couldn't just let Angelo get away with that. He slapped the claw on  Angelo's 
stomach, digging as hard as he could. Angelo grabbed his hand and pulled, 
"Aaaaaagh!" He screamed and twitched with the sudden pain as Carmine's hold only 
became more severe as he pulled.

"You gotta try something smarter than that... you dago!" Carmine said with a 
grimace, his ribs still being ground against each other. Angelo just squeezed 
Carmine's body even harder, cords of muscle showing through the tears in his 
blue jeans as he put on the squeeze. Carmine groaned in pain. Angelo pried 
Carmine's claw off his already bruised abdominals and took a deep breath. 

Angelo could feel Carmine's muscles flex in his agonized struggles. They rippled 
under his T-shirt, pressing into Angelo's legs. This was what he loved most 
about crushing the daylights out of Carmine. He hooked his forearms behind 
Carmine's massive triceps, pulling Carmine's face into his chest. He 
passionately sunk his teeth into Carmine's neck, gently chewing at the muscle 
underneath. He could feel Carmine's chest flex and twitch in his smothering 
hold.

"Awww Angelo...you make me....AAAAhhhhggg..." his words were cut off by another 
constricting surge. Then Angelo's hold slackened letting Carmine's torso settle 
in between his legs. Carmine rubbed Angelo's cock with his abdominals. "I guess 
you got me," Carmine said with a smile.

"Not the way I want you. You are so beautiful when I hold you hard. I wish we 
could be married,  my muscle man," Angelo said with a loving look in his eyes. 
He wiped the running blood from Carmine's eye.

"Married? Watcha call that one, Blessed headlock?" Carmine laughed. "You are 
such a dreamer! Don't start with that romantic whining crap again. Just move in 
with me."

"But Mama, she would not like that!" Angelo said.

"She's in Palermo! You're here in Pittsburgh! She doesn't have to know," Carmine 
said. He took the moment to slip out of Angelo's hold and stood. "You come live 
with me." He was unconsciously rubbing his hard crotch. Angelo hopped to his 
feet. 

"You gonna make me?" Angelo said with his trademark wicked smile hopping on the 
balls of his feet.

"No, he's not and you know it," said a voice from around the corner. Dave came 
around the corner. "I'm going to." Both men whirled, ready to kill whoever had 
the balls to be listening.

"Calm down, you guys. Of course I was listening, bartender's prerogative." He 
looked at Carmine. "You gonna love Angelo and treat him right, sharing your bed 
and life with him for the rest of your days?"

"Another romantic..." Carmine said, curling his lip with disgust. What this 
little bartender lacked in size, he made up in courage. Dave darted in and   
grabbed the big man by the balls so fast, Carmine didn't even have time to think 
how this  broke all the rules. "Are you? No crap, answer the question!" Dave 
squeezed Carmine's  goods sharply. "honestly!"

"Sure!" Carmine said with a squeak in his voice.

Letting go of Carmine and trusting his good luck, he looked at Angelo, "You 
gonna love Carmine here and treat him right and share your bed and life with him 
until you're dead?"

"Yes, but Mamma. She would never let this happen," he said sadly.

"Angelo, she's not here. Carmine is here." He waved his hands just like the 
pizans. He was not Italian but he knew this got through to Angelo before. "If 
you wait for her permission to be with your man, you'll be old before she even 
understands the question. She'll have you married to Violetta and miserable by 
then."

"Momma, she would never hurt me!"

"NO! Listen. She'd fix you up 'cause she thinks you need that. She'd just be 
taking care of her boy ." He moved and looked up into the big man's eyes. "You 
want that?"

"No."

"You want him?" Dave asked pointing at Carmine.

"Yes, please." He said quietly. He managed to blush. It never ceased to amaze 
Dave that such a man of the world could be so embarrassed by such simple things. 
It was cute.

"Good. You move in with Carmine or I'll tell your mother what you're really 
doing in the alley." Dave walked away.

"No no no, please. You need not be such meanness," Angelo said quickly. Carmine 
walked up to Angelo and looked him deep in the eye.

"If you move in, I'll show you a real squeeze," Carmine said with a severe look 
on his face. 

Angelo grabbed his cheek and shook his whole face, "You got a deal."

"You guys..." Dave said shaking his head. "Come on in. Drinks are on me tonight. 
I'm sure Denny's already given away half the bar already." 

"You left Denny behind the bar?" Carmine asked in shock. "He's crazy!"

"I had more important things to do. Okay!?"

"Sure Dave," Carmine said. He knew he was blushing at the backhanded compliment. 
He would have to do something nice for Dave, he was thinking. They walked toward 
the bar. The two big men slowly walked to the side door of the bar. They touched 
each other's hand gently. Carmine gave Angelo's hand a squeeze. "Thanks, man."

"You're welcome mi amore`." He said quietly.

"Such a poet...sheez!" Carmine punched Angelo on the shoulder and shoved him 
toward the door.  "Get in there." 

 -end-

Author's note...I grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania around the corner from a 
neighborhood bar. The place hasn't changed much after the war. There were two 
huge Italian dockworkers that would brawl every Friday night. This went on all 
summer. Every time they fought, they'd finish collapsed in each other's arms 
laughing, crying, and bleeding. I thought theirs was the strangest friendship 
I'd ever seen. They liked each other and they really liked fighting. I took 
quiet comfort that they found each other to do this and generally left others 
alone. Their public violence stopped when they moved into a house together. 
After that I never saw them again. 

Look for Bigsqueezer’s stories at http:

www.xcentricities.com coming in February.



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