Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2005 09:46:20 -0800 (PST)
From: T Chase McPhee <survivalgame@yahoo.com>
Subject: A 'Nature Walk' Christmas   one

The following story is a work of fiction, set in the
format of reality. Any resemblance to real people is
entirely coincidental in nature, and is not meant to
accurately depict, nor reflect upon persons in towns,
cities, or governmental areas, in which the story is
staged. If a sexual scene involving male-to-male
relationships offends you, then you should not read
this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of
age, in most state and countries, you are not allowed
to read this story by law. This is fiction. Do not
forget, in real life, to think about 'sexual safety
matter'; got condom?

"A 'Nature Walk' Christmas'" one
wriTten by T. Chase McPhee

%

"And what are you doing in my closet, Preppy?"

"Nothing! Um... just checking to see if my boots are in
there?"

Chad knew he had been snagged. Why would he be looking
for `his' boots in Matty's closet?

"You're a very bad boy, Preppy. Santa doesn't bring
anything to bad boys, except coal!"

Being `rough' on his bad boy, Matty grabbed up Chad's
shirt, bunching it up in his fist, pulled him out,
slammed the closet door, pushed him up against it and
then wedged his partner in between his body and the
wooden door.

"But I forgive you!"

The words of a loving heart, paved the way for a
forgiving kiss.

"Hmm... think I'll look for my boots again!"

"Yeah, well I think I'm going to have to padlock my
closet!"

However, the eighteen year old decided to change his
tune, adding, "In my closet?"

"Better idea Preppy."

Matty had just returned from `Bridge's & Barr's',
formerly Donovon's, the store they joint owned, with
Zach Roberts.
Stripping his shirt, he dropped it into the hamper,
then went about kicking his sneakers off, into his
walk-in closet, then removing his jeans.

"Owwwch... owch!"

"Shit! What's the matter?" Matty called out, running
to Chad's closet.

"Nooooooooo...don't come in here!"

"Are you hurt or anything?"

"Um... I don't think so," Chad replied. "Well, um.. yeah
I think I am, but if you come in here, you're going to
see the Christmas present I bought you, Matty."

"Are you bleeding or anything, Chad?"

"Um, no."

"Oh, okay, then I guess you'll be alright."

"Um, I think I broke something though."

"Not my present?"

"No, birdbrain, I was talking about something between
my waist and my toes."

"Closer to your waist or closer to your toes?"

"Owch..ooooh..ohhhhh.."

"Give me another hint? Does your crotch hurt?"

"Ooooh... I think I broke something in my leg."

Matty stood there outside of the closet, hand on one
hip, scratching his nose with the other.

"Look, Chad. I'm coming in there."

"No, you can't. Hold it. Maybe I can throw something
over it."

Hearing all kinds of syllables, a reaction to pain,
Matty waits.

"Chad, you're being a real idiot, you know?"

"Well..oww...look at it as.. owwwch...ooooh...how much I...
ohhh... love you! Owwch..owwch... okay, you can come in
now."

"I was looking for my boots and the bowling ball... oh
shit!"

"Haa ha ha ha... you told me what you bought me!"

"Sure, Matty. Laugh your ass off while I'm sitting
here in pain!"

Well, he wasn't in total pain, sitting there, eye
level with Matty's stuffed, low rise briefs.

"So, where does it hurt?"

Chad's gaze dropped from waist height to where Matty
squatted, rolling up the cuff of his trousers.

"Huh?"

Matty looked at Chad, then down, at his own crotch.

"I take it that it doesn't hurt `that' bad, Chad?"

"Oh, well, it's the other foot."

Smirking at Chad, Matty rolls up the other pants leg.

"Want to help me out here?"

"Oh, it's my foot."

"Don't tell me that you stored the bowling ball on the
top shelf?"

Looking up, Chad replies, "Um, no. I'm not that
stuped! I had it on the shelf with my boots."

Matty eyes up the shelf that sits a foot above the
floor.

"So, let me get this straight. You're boots are
sitting right out there in front of you, so you're in
`my' closet, looking for them?"

"Okay, so I was being snoopy. Are you going to take a
look at my foot or what?"

"I don't know, Chad. What I have to go through to find
out where you hurt!"

"Oh, I didn't tell you it was my foot?"

Matty rolls his eyes, untying Chad's sneaker.

"Owwwwch...oh..oh... gentle!"

"On second thought, I think the sneaker should stay
on. C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"The hospital.  For x-rays."

With his arm around Matty's neck, Chad limps along.
They exit their room and head for the front room, main
entrance.

"Um, aren't you forgetting something, Matty?"

"Like what?"

Even in pain, Chad shows the humor of the moment,
tweaking Matty's nip.

"Owch! Oh.. hee hee.. yeah. Guess I better throw a
sweatshirt on."

"Well, I have no complaints about the Jockey's but
somebody else might!"

%

"Nice of Sean to drive us to the mall, Aidan."

"He had to come for himself, too."

"Oh, that's right. He did say that. Do you think he's
going to buy us something for Christmas?"

"Sure."

"What did he get you last year?"

"Nuthin'."

"Nuthin'? Then what makes you think he's going to
bother this year?"

"Because I heard him say to dad that him'n'Jock are
`going Christmas shopping for the kids'."

"What should we get him?"

"I was thinking that we should get him'n'Jock a gift
together."

"Good idea Aidan. Less to wrap up!"

"Just what I was thinking, Phil."

"Got any ideas?"

"Nope. How about you?"

"I figured since he's your brother, you might know,
Aidan."

"What would you get Chad?"

"Hey, I got an idea."

"What Phil?"

"Whatever we buy Sean'n'Jock, we should buy the same
for Chad'n'Matty!"

"And what would that be?"

"I dunno."

"Hey, will ya look at that, Phil?"

"Laptop Monopoly?"

"Oh forget it, Phil. Look at the price."

"Of course, when it comes with the laptop."

"Hey, this one's cheaper."

"Hanukah Monopoly, Aidan?"

"Any of your family Jewish, Phil?"

"I'm not Jewish, so what do you think Aidan?"

"Oh yeah."

"Besides, Aidan, our families both go to a
Pressedberterian church?"

"Oh `double' yeah."

"Hey, look at this Phil. This might work!"

"Name your own Monopoly?"

"Yeah. Says here to send in your family name and they
will inscribe your family name on the board."

"Wait. Let me see that, Aidan."

Phil reads it all out loud.

"What do you think, Phil?"

"Might be nice to have a `Barr-Clark' personalistic
game."

"Or `Clark-Barr'?"

"Nah. I think `Barr-Clark' sounds better."

"Yeah, but isn't there a candy named `Clark Bar',
Phil?"

"So?"

"Don't you think if they thought it would sell better,
they would've called it `Bar Clark'?"

"They called if `Clark Bar', because it's a candy bar,
Aidan. It's not a `candy Clark'!"

"Oh yeah. I guess you're right, Phil."

"Know what else, Aidan?"

"What?"

"If we got this, it would be a gift for all our
brothers and dads."

"Hey, you're right. Look at all the shopping that
would save us."

"Then again, I'm not so sure about our dads, Aidan."

"Yeah, a Monopoly game doesn't sound like enough."

"Yeah, especially for all they do for us."

The ten and eleven year olds then began to feel a bit
melancholy.

"Y'know, Phil, if I didn't meet you, I wouldn't be
having anybody to shop with?"

"Same here, Aidan."

"Another thing."

"What's that Aidan?"

"If we buy the Monopoly game, I won't have enough
money to buy you anything nice."

"Isn't it our dads that are always saying they got
each other."

"Yeah. We got each other, Phil."

Being in a public place, Aidan squeezed Philip's arm,
to show his affection.

"Me too," Philip replied.

"Yeah and you know what else Phil?"

"What?"

"Because we got each other, it's gonna save me a lot
of money."

"Me too, Aidan. C'mon. Let's pay for this."

%

"Oh, Barry. Good that you're here. I was almost ready
to page you on the PA."

"What's the problem, Agnes?"

"I received a call a moment ago from Matty Bridges."

"Oh? Something wrong?"

"Not too terribly. It's Chad."

"What about him?" Barry asks, alarmed.

"Seems that a bowling ball fell on his foot."

"A bowling ball? To my knowledge Chad doesn't bowl."

Agnes shrugged her shoulders, saying, "Well, Matty
took him to the hospital for x-rays and thought you
would want to know."

"Thanks. I'll leave right now. Do me a favor thought,
please?"

"You know it's only for the asking, Barry."

"I'm going to have to take the car. Steve wouldn't
have a ride home, so please inform him. He'll have to
bum a ride with someone else."

"Oh, I can give Steve a ride home."

"That'd be great, Agnes."

"What else?"

"I had an after school meeting with the
superintendent. Page Marsha Burke and ask her to sub
for me."

"No problem."

Mr. Washakie, former principal at the high school,
kept pushing up the date of retirement, for health
reasons. The board had elected Barry to be an interim
principal, until he either acquired a degree in
administration or a principal was hired. Being that
Barry had been a highly respected individual, it was
more, than less, understood by the board members that
they would take a relaxed duty at finding a new
principal. However, they decided it would be best if
the longest-standing principal, already in place, be
moved to the high school to assist Barry. That person
was Washakie's niece, the elementary school principal
and one of Barry's best friend's, Marsha Burke.

"Damn!" Barry said, with another thought, then
apologized, "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Agnes."

"That's alright Barry. We've all gotta `damn!' now and
again or else it wouldn't be healthy!"

"Agnes, you're one in a million. Your husband must be
one lucky guy."

"Oh, I'm not married, Barry."

"You aren't?"

"Nope, but you better get moving."

"Yes and oh.. I told Wes that I'd sub for him for
`Rectangulair', but now...."

"Is that what the `damn!' was for?"

"Yes, Agnes. I'm about to say another one, because I
don't have anybody else in mind. Hey, what about
Steve?"

"Oh, don't you worry about `Rectangulaire'. Mr. Kawaii
owes me a favor or two."

"Oh now wouldn't the girls be happy about your choice,
Agnes!"

"And the boys, too?"

Barry got Agnes' hint about the handsome, twenty-six
year old English teacher. He wasn't sure how many of
the teaching staff Agnes had `matched up', but decided
to keep it `mum' about his partner status with Kade
Love, high school history teacher and swimming team
coach. Although, Barry suspected that there wasn't
much that Agnes `didn't' know!

%

"You're home early, Zach."

"Oh, hi Unca Gary."

"Mm... what's cooking?"

"Asian Pork Stew."

"Interesting. What's in it?"

"Pork."

"Really?"

"I'm sorry Unca Gary. I didn't mean to be sarcastic."

"Oh, I wasn't thinking anything of it, but.. I have
noticed that something seems to be bothering you,
Zach."

"I know."

"Zach, haven't I told you that anytime you have
something on your mind, that needs thinking out, you
can come to me?"

Gary rested from sorting through the mail, dropped it
on the kitchen counter and walked over to the stove.
He placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder, rubbing it.
The twenty-two year old looked down into the pork,
veggies, spices and herbs, stirring it up.

When Zach didn't respond, Gary asked, "Is it Patrick?"

Dropping the spoon into the pot, Zach turned to Gary,
almost tearful and hugged him.

"C'mon, Zach. Let it out."

It's at that point, Zach let loose the torrent of
tears. Gary could feel his dress shirt getting sopped,
but it wasn't important at the moment.

"Anybody... home?"

In through the kitchen door, Officer Mike Green walks.


"Hey, what's the matter?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out here," Gary
replies to his lover.

"Hmm... Oh? I guess I'll hold off on giving Zach his
Christmas present, then."

"Christmas, Mike? It's three weeks away yet."

"I know Gary, but I couldn't wait."

Zach's back had been facing Mike, so it gave him an
opportunity to signal Gary, with a wink. In return he
got a look of question. Mike tried to motion to Gary
something, pointing his thumb outside. Zach turned.
Mike made like he was scratching his head.

"I... I'm not much in the Christmas mood, so you might
as well take whatever you bought, back to the store
for a refund!"

Without letting anyone get a word in edgewise, Zach
runs out of the room and hightails it upstairs.

"Wait a minute there, Zach! Zach?" Mike calls.

"Let him go, Mike. The kid's hurting."

"Well, come out and see what I have for him."

"I guess you need a hand bringing it in. Okay, let me
get my coat."

Mike didn't really, but it seemed like the only way to
get the present inside, at the moment, since somebody
was showing some interest.

"You're gonna love this, Gary."

"I thought it was for Zach?"

Stopping in the back of the house, Mike asks, "I don't
know about you, Gary, but seeing Zach like this is
putting a damper on my holiday spirit."

"Yeah, you're right Mike. Even though I'm trying to be
upbeat, I have been experiencing some anxiety over
it."

"I think you need a shrink, Gary."

"I `am' a shrink, Mike!"

"Gary, wait up."

"What, Mike?"

"There's something I've got to tell you."

"What, hon?"

"I have Pat out in the car."

"Patrick?"

"Yeah."

"That's fantastic! How did you... never mind. Let's go
welcome him home. This just what Zach needs to..."

"Gary, wait a minute."

"What?"

Mike had to wrestle with Gary's arm, to get the
thirty-six year old psychiatrist to stop in his
tracks.

"What is it Mike?"

"Gary, Pat's changed."

"What do you mean `changed', Mike?"

"Gary, I've arranged for Pat to be here, as a fluke of
bad luck."

"Bad luck?"

"Yeah. You see, four days ago, at the reform school,
Pat was jumped by two of the other boys, beaten and
raped."

"Oh fuck no!"

"Yeah. It's only because of the turn of events, that
my request to have him granted leave, had been
approved."

"You mean they weren't going to allow Pat to leave for
the holidays?"

"Right. After all, he had performed a serious crime."

"I realize that, Mike, but turning evidence against..."

"Gary, I'm not bringing this up to rehash the case
against Pat."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. So, where do we go from
here?"

"Well, this is where it depends on you, Gary."

"You know I'll do all in my power to help Pat out, for
Zach's sake."

"I'm glad you mentioned that."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The only way I could get them to consider
releasing Pat was under your care."

Gary sensed more than an office visit.

"Meaning?"

"I'm sorry to do this to you, Gary, but either you or
I have to be with Pat 24/7, for the next three weeks."

"Really? But aren't you pulling double shifts, Mike?"

"Yeah. That's why I'm bringing this up now, before I
get Pat out of the car."

"Meaning, that..."

"Yeah, that's what I'm meaning, if you catch my
drift."

They both knew that, in order for the time with Pat to
be covered, that Gary would have to siphon off some
accumulated vacation time.

"I suppose I could ask Dr. Scalia to cover for me."

"Maria? How can she do that?"

"Oh, something I know that you don't know."

"What's that?"

"A long time ago Maria had her own practice."

"Psychiatry?"

"Yeah. Then went back to med school."

"Amazing. So, she can take over for you?"

"Might cost you a box of Perugina, Mike."

"Me?"

"Yeah. To cover `your' ass! C'mon. Let's go get Pat
out of the car and give Zach his early Christmas
gift!"

%

"Mama Bernice!"

"Juan! Just the person I've been meaning to call!"

"What's up Mama Bernice?"

Miguel whispers to his partner, "She wants you to
cook!"

"Come into the kitchen, Juan," Whom hasn't much
choice, pulled along by the arm, stolen away from
Miguel, "I'm planning a Christmas party and need
lots'n'lots'n'lots of help planning it!"

Miguel parks his ass at the bar, after helping himself
to a beer.

"Son, how are you?"

"Good Papi."

"It's getting cold out there!"

"Looks like you've been chopping wood."

"Oh, that."

After flicking away the sawdust from his father's
shoulder, Miguel hugs his dad.

"What's this for?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, son."

It's a nice thing for fathers and sons to hug now and
then, but when it comes as an unexpected outburst, it
gets one wondering.

"Are you and Juan alright, son?"

"More than ever."

"Oh?"

"Come and have a beer with me."

Alberto knew he would be catching hell for leaving the
satchel of wood in the middle of the floor, but some
other things were just more important!

"So, what's on your mind, son?"

"Well, since Juan and I met... I know you're probably
going to frown on this, Papi, but we've been leading a
very open relationship."

"Open relationship?"

"Si. Meaning that if either of us felt like it, we'd
have sex with another guy, with the understanding that
we would tell each other whom the guy was and if we
had oral or anal sex with the other guy."

"Kind of risky, I'd say, son," Alberto replied, his
eyebrows frowning at the practice.

"Yeah, we realize that. It's not until something hits
home that a person wakes up."

"Noooo, you don't.... Juan?"

"No, Papi. Neither of us have AIDS, or anything like
that, but one of our friend's does. A guy that both of
us have had sex with."

"And?" Alberto asks, still edgy.

"We've been tested, Papi. We're in the clear, but it
still hasn't made us forget about our friend."

"Anyone your mother or I know?"

"Terry Duncan."

"Wasn't that the young man that helped pull Jim
Faulkner from his car on the hill, the night of
Donovon's accident?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"The poor guy. Have they found out how he got it?"

"Terry got mixed up with a bunch of leather guys. They
are into this kinky S&M stuff. Seems that a bunch of
guys took their turn at barebacking him and they think
that's how it happened."

"That's all it takes. I don't see why gay men aren't
more careful!"

Miguel got the message again, this time hitting home,
as a result of his own father.

"Exactly my point. Our point, Papi."

"So, I take it you're changing the policy of your
relationship?"

"Yes and there's more."

"Oh?"

"This is the happy part, so don't look so distraught.
Papi, Juan and I want to get married."

"Married?"

"Yeah, if... if you'll give us you... and mama, will give
us your blessings?"

Another sweet father and son moment occurred as both
hugged, Alberto relaying the ecstatic information to
his son.

%

"Well, what in the hell happened to you?"

"Um, hi there Dr. Scalia!"

Chad had guilt written on his face, even before either
he or Matty could divulge the meaning of the need for
a handicapped chair needed to transport Chad from
Matty's 4x4.

"Wait a minute there, let me fetch some help for you."

Matty replied to Dr. Scalia, "I'm strong enough to..."

"You'll wait for help and that's an order young man!"

"Yes, sir... I mean ma'am," Matty saluted her.

"You get smart with me and I'll take a switch to yer
ass, young man!"

Chad chided, "Oh, I'd love to see that," meant for
Matty's ears only.

"Shut up, Preppy!"

"Ooooh, I think my foot hurts."

"My cow is dead, so don't give me that bull!" Matty
responded, smirking at Chad pulling `that' stunt.

Looking out of the cab of the 4x4, Chad gloats, "Oh,
now this is the kind of help I don't mind!"

Heading towards the metallic blue truck, is Estefan
Sanchez and another orderly.

"Hey, what's it this time amigos? Working overtime and
break a spoke?"

Both Chad and Matty laugh sarcastically at Estefan
trying to be funny about what lies `between'.

Chad gets even and mocks Estefan, right in front of
the orderly, "I've told Matty that we've got to have
more threesomes, Estefan. At least with you there,
it'd be a lot safer!"

"If you're trying to get even, amigo, it wouldn't
work. Guys, this is my boyfriend, Tony."

"Rats!" Chad states, snapping his finger and thumb.

"That's okay. I wouldn't `hold it against you'," Tony
replies to Chad's disappointment.

However, when Tony, only at five feet, nine inches
tall, exerted his strength to help Chad out of the 4x4
cab, he seemed to be stronger than a six foot weight
lifter.

"Workout?" Chad asks Tony.

"Yeah, I do a lot of `pushups'," he replies, glancing
at Estefan.

%

Continued.....

Copyright 2005 T. Luke McPhee
This story may not be sold or made part of any
collection without prior written permission.