Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:09:01 EDT
From: Draginacht@aol.com
Subject: the-bandini-affair-19

The Bandini Affair 19

Draginacht@aol.com (AKA Jeff)

* * * * * * *

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real
people or events is purely coincidental.  The story contains graphic
descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read
such material must stop now.  This story is being posted to the Nifty
Archive solely for the enjoyment of its readers.


* * * * * * *

From Chapter 18

* * * * * * *

Monday morning, Leo awoke feeling more tired than when he went to bed. The
apartment felt like it was beginning to close in on him. Breakfast
consisted of cereal with a banana. But the banana didn't hold the same
fascination it had yesterday. Trying to establish some kind of routine, Leo
cycled through the shower and dressed for the day in business casual. That
way, when his agent called, he'd be ready to go somewhere, anywhere. He
needed an excuse to get out of the apartment.

Leo waited until 9:00 AM, before calling his agent. He got the voice mail
and left a message. Looking for something to occupy his time and thoughts,
he pulled some of his boxes close to the lateral drawer file cabinet, got
on his knees and began moving files from a box to hanging folders in the
cabinet.

About half way through the first box of files, a wave of melancholy seemed
to sweep over him. Leo released the file he'd just picked up and let it
fall back into the box. He sat back on his heels, straightened his back and
shoulders, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he exhaled, tears
began forming in his eyes and the corners of his mouth turned down. He felt
terrible. Placing his hands on the tops of his thighs, Leo leaned forward
and began to sob softly.

'No! Stop! I can't be doing this.' He thought as he tried to straighten up
again. But he couldn't. His shoulders felt as though a large weight was
pressing them down. Tears were now streaking down his cheeks and no matter
how hard he tried, Leo couldn't seem to stop them. "Why is this happening?"
Leo asked out loud. He reached into his pocket for a tissue and blew his
nose, then used a dry corner of it to wipe the tears from his cheeks.

As Leo struggled to regain his composure, he heard a knock at the door.

* * * * * * *

Chapter 19

* * * * * * *

Leo struggled to his feet then blew his nose again and wiped his cheeks
against his shirtsleeves. 'That better not be Marsha,' he thought as he
walked to the door. With his emotions now under control, Leo turned the
handle and pulled the door open.

"MATT!" he literally screamed. He lunged at the large man, wrapping his
arms tightly around Matt's upper torso, holding him in a death grip.

"Umph..." Matt grunted as he collected Leo in his arms. The collision
staggered him enough that he had to place his right foot behind him to
maintain his balance. Even Matt's well-developed martial arts lightening
reflexes weren't enough to prepare him for Leo's unexpected assault.

The dam broke and tears streamed down Leo's cheeks. Matt stuck his foot out
to block the door from closing, possibly locking them out of the
apartment. He lifted Leo slightly off the floor so he could half carry/half
drag him into the apartment. Letting the door close behind them, Matt was
able to get his hands under Leo's armpits and lift him up so he could carry
him better. Leo cooperated and soon had his arms around Matt's neck, his
head on Matt's shoulder and his legs wrapped around Matt's waist.

Having NO clue as to what this was all about, Matt looked around for a
place to sit. The loveseat was obviously the only piece of furniture that
looked like it could accommodate the two of them so he walked to it and sat
down, holding Leo firmly. That was easy because Leo still had a death grip
around Matt's neck.

Matt said nothing while Leo sobbed. He just held the smaller man and gently
rubbed his back. He figured that eventually Leo would stop crying and they
could talk about what was troubling him. Matt was half right. After about
five minutes, Leo's crying had become soft sighs. But instead of talking
about his problem, Leo relaxed in Matt's arms and went to sleep.

'Now this is a hell of a predicament.' Matt thought. 'I need to piss, BAD!
Wonder if I can lay him down without waking him?' Matt had passed up the
last Interstate rest stop, thinking he'd be able to use Leo's bathroom when
he arrived. 'Well, here goes.' Matt slowly turned and gently lowered a
soundly sleeping Leo to the cushions, resting on his left side. The arms of
the loveseat were low and provided a suitable substitute pillow. Now there
was another problem... Leo wasn't releasing his grip on Matt's neck. Matt
was able to squeeze up onto the loveseat on his right side facing Leo, with
his knees bent and his lower legs and feet hanging off in
mid-air. Eventually Leo relaxed, releasing his grip and Matt was able to
stand up. His first act was to find the bathroom.

Exiting the bathroom in a much-relieved condition, Matt needed less than a
minutes to get the layout of the apartment. He couldn't avoid noticing the
sparseness of furnishings but Leo had the essentials: a double bed (still
unmade), a kitchen table with only three chairs (he thought that was odd),
a loveseat, and a TV. A ceiling light illuminated the kitchen and there
were a couple of floor lamps for the living area. Matt also noticed the
long folding table with a laptop and printer on it, similar to his office
setup. Then he noticed the chair at Leo's desk and solved the mystery of
the fourth kitchen chair.

'Well, what do I do now?' Matt thought as he stood, hands on his hips and
looking down at Leo. 'He sure looks peaceful now. Wonder what all the
crying was about. And that greeting, wow! Oh well, I'll just sit down here
and wait for him to wake up,' Matt thought as he sat on the floor in front
of the loveseat. After a few minutes of watching Leo sleep, he placed his
left elbow on the loveseat and rested his head in his hand. It wasn't long
before Matt lowered his arm to the cushion and rested his head on it, only
inches from Leo's chest. He too hadn't slept very well last night. But last
evening he'd made a decision and he wasn't going to leave until he saw it
through to the end. The sound of Leo's slow rhythmic breathing soon lulled
Matt sound asleep.

Leo about awoke about an hour after he went to sleep. The first thing he
saw was the top of Matt's head. He smiled. He felt at peace, relaxed. The
nervousness he experienced during his previous times with Matt was
missing. Weeks would pass before Leo would fully comprehend and appreciate
the transition he was now beginning. For at this moment, he was completely
comfortable looking down at Matt's head and enjoying having him present.

'Why are you here?' he wondered. 'Just when I need you, here you are. It's
just like last month, when Pop needed you there you were. And when those
robbers came into the shop and I needed you, there you were. There must a
message here; am I getting it clearly? Maybe I'm getting a chance for a
do-over. If that's what it is, I'm definitely going to do things
differently. For one, I need to dial back the sex. Not that I don't want
it, but if we're going to have a relationship I want it to be based on
something more. You're definitely a great guy and I'd like to get to know
you better before we get more heavily involved. And if you're willing to
hold back, that'll be a good sign that you're interested in a deeper
relationship. Just look at you! You're a real treat to the eyes. And so far
you've been a perfect gentleman, caring and thoughtful. What more could I
ask for?' A plan began hatching in Leo's brain.

Temptation was too strong. Leo reached out and let his right hand begin to
gently stroke Matt's hair. It felt so soft and silky and was beginning to
grow out from the buzz-cut it suffered a few weeks ago. Matt raised his
head slowly and Leo slipped his hand behind Matt's head.

"Hi," Matt said as he returned Leo's soft smile.

"Hi." They sat looking at each other for several moments; each seemed
content with that. "I don't know why you're here," Leo began softly. "But
I'm very glad you are." He continued stroking the hair on the back of
Matt's head, determined to maintain physical contact.

"I'm glad you're glad I'm here," Matt said quietly with a wide smile. 'He
seems to be in a good mood. Maybe this is the right time,' Matt thought. On
the drive to Nashville, Matt had debated how he might explain showing up
unannounced and then convince Leo to go back home with him. As he looked
into Leo's eyes, he decided not to try spinning a story but to get right to
the heart of the subject.

"I'm here for a couple of reasons." He paused and noticed how deeply Leo
was looking into his eyes. And then in almost a whisper he said, "I'm here,
Leo, because I miss you." He watched Leo's facial expression change but he
couldn't read its meaning. "I came to ask you to come home." Matt wondered
if this was the time to tell Leo he was in love with him. Having just found
him crying and not knowing the reason, he decided the moment didn't seem
quite right so he continued in a slightly different approach.

"Over the past three weeks I've gotten so used to seeing you at work,
hearing your voice, and seeing your smile that I sort of took it for
granted that you would always be there and I had plenty of time." Matt was
about to say something about Leo's sexy body but changed his mind. "And
when you left, everything seemed empty. I'd look around my house and think
of you and realize how empty it all was. Sure, I had furniture and books
and things but it was only stuff. At work, with all those other people
around, I still felt lonely. So I came here to tell you I miss you and to
ask you to come home."

Leo never even considered resisting because he knew it was futile. He gave
in. Leaning forward, he pulling Matt's face toward his. Their lips
met. Their eyes closed. Both men savored the tender moment then separated
and smiled at each other.

"Okay," Leo replied. The simplicity of Leo's answer surprised Matt. He'd
planned a lengthy argument to persuade Leo to pack up and go home with him
but now it wasn't necessary. "I miss you too. I've been fighting it but
gave into that reality when I opened the door and saw you standing
there. And the last few days have made me realize how much I miss you,
too." Leo was fighting the urge to pull Matt up onto the loveseat and
engage in some very heavy petting. Instead, he sat up and slid into the
right corner of the loveseat, making room for Matt. Once settled, he
brought his left knee up on the cushion and angled his body toward the
center. Finally, Leo rested his left arm along the top of the back of the
loveseat.

"Let's talk for a while," Leo suggested. Matt was already getting to his
feet and settled into the other corner of the loveseat. Following Leo's
example, he brought his right knee up on to the cushion and turned slightly
to his right so they were almost facing each other. Their knees weren't
touching were but invitingly close. Matt also rested his right arm along
the top of the back of the loveseat. The fingers of their hands on top of
the back cushion were closed and they could easily have engaged in a fist
bump.

"What you wanna talk about?" Matt asked. His question was both serious and
playful and Leo picked up on that.

"Us," Leo smiled. "I mean," he paused. "I want to apologize for how I came
onto you last Tuesday night. Actually, I embarrassed myself. I don't know
what got into me. That's not who I am." Leo could see that Matt was hanging
on his every word until his last statement.

"But I thought we already explained who we were." Matt was smiling,
remembering when they laughingly asked each other who they were.

"No, I mean yes, well..." Leo chuckled. He loved how Matt could make him
smile with a simple statement. "I mean 'really' get to know each other."

"Ooo! Dark secrets!" Matt grinned.

"C'mon, get serious." Leo laughed. "It's just that my last relationship was
something I stumbled into and it turned out to be a mistake. Now, however,
there are things I want to tell you about me so that you'll understand
where I'm coming from. Okay?"

"Sure. Go ahead." Matt quickly picked up on Leo's more serious attitude and
his own facial expression signaled that he understood.

"I, uh..." Leo began. "I'm your standard introvert, always have been,
always will be. What I did with you last Tuesday night was way out of
character for me. Growing up, I was always the quiet one, never getting
involved much with people. My brother Ben was the outgoing social jock and
I lived vicariously through his exploits. Now you're probably wondering how
an introvert wound up as a sports journalist."

"Yeah, I am wondering about that," Matt smiled.

"Well, I learned a lot about a lot of sports through Ben. And in high
school I discovered I loved to write. So, I put the two together and it
seemed to work. My knowledge and expertise in sports gave me a comfort
level that allowed me to work through my insecurities and the rest is
history. Oh, there've been times when I questioned the sanity of my choice
but all in all I enjoyed it.

"When I met my ex in college she more or less took control. I never really
dated in high school and my inexperience in social situations left me
vulnerable. I must have been an easy mark. I had no clue what a true
relationship was, or was supposed to be. And so I guess the outcome was
predictable. I now know that sex was a large part of the attraction between
Marsha and me, mostly from her perspective." Leo looked Matt squarely in
his eyes without speaking for several seconds.

"So, if I'm going to have another relationship, I want it to be founded on
a much deeper understanding, not just on sex. I want the other person to be
a close friend, one whom I can know and trust very well. And before you get
any wrong ideas, I'll confess that I've never felt happier than I did last
Tuesday night and Wednesday morning... up until that moment Meg caught
us. And I really hope I can feel that way again but I want to know you
better." Leo chose that moment to open his fingers and place his hand on
top of Matt's. He desired the touch and waited for a reaction.

"Yeah, I can see how you'd want to have a different outcome... with your
next relationship," Matt said in a serious tone of voice, accompanied with
a soft, understanding smile. "So let me try to help here," he added. Matt
warmed to the touch of Leo's hand on top of his and chose to let things
remain as they were.

"I'm the quiet type myself so I can understand the bit about being
insecure. I'm not really insecure but I understand it. Had it not been for
my family's love and support, I seriously doubt that I'd have the
self-confidence I have today. I remember when I first realized that I was
different. I had some instinct that told me I had to hide how I felt so I
remained quiet. I withdrew for a while because I didn't understand. But I
had one very big advantage; I had a gay uncle. It took me a while to work
up the courage to ask him about being gay, and when I did, it was the best
thing I could have done. I'll tell you everything but I'll let you go
first." As he said that, Matt opened his fingers, turned his hand over and
took hold of Leo's. The smiles they aimed at each other spoke volumes.

Over the next hour and one half Leo related as much detail about his youth
as he could remember without overdoing it. Even he had to admit it was
rather boring. He told how he got into the sports reporting business and
how he learned to always keep his eyes focused above the neck of the
athletes he interviewed, especially in locker rooms. He could now laugh at
that and Matt joined him.

Leo talked about his marriage and how it began to disintegrate. Then came
the trip to Amsterdam and how that experience opened his eyes to feelings
he didn't know he had. Returning home and finding another man in his
marriage bed was the crowning blow. These things Leo had shared with Matt
before so he zipped through them with brevity. Of greater significance
though, he told of the personal devastation his failed marriage caused him
and the struggle he went through. Leo also talked openly about his
counseling and how it helped.

Each time Leo came to a particularly stressful situation he felt Matt give
his hand a reassuring squeeze. That brought a smile and the strength to
keep going. As Leo continued he became aware of how comfortable he felt
sharing his most personal and intimate feelings with another person,
something he'd never done before, not even with Marsha. Perhaps it was
because Matt seemed to be genuinely interested in what he was
saying. Perhaps the physical attraction Leo felt was making it easier. No,
that should be causing tension. No, that wasn't it either. Whatever, Leo
felt relaxed. Maybe time would help him understand more.

'You are so sweet, so adorable,' Matt thought as he listened. He was having
a private conversation of his own. 'You've had enough sadness in your life;
I'd like to be the one who brings you happiness. Will you let me? Will you
let me hold you and keep you safe? I believe we could be a great team, the
two of us. When you smile, the whole room lights up. And even when you
frown you excite me. When will be the right time to tell you I'm in love
with you? I'd better wait. You may not find me so attractive after I've
told you my story.'

"And that's about all there is to tell," Leo concluded. "And since you're
still here, I guess I haven't frightened you away, ha-ha." Leo chuckled as
he felt Matt give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Leo, you've had a rough time getting to this point and I'm sorry. I just
wish you could have known my Uncle David, his partner, and all their
friends. I'd like to introduce you if you'll let me."

"Yes, I'd like that. Pop has mentioned your uncle several times; he sounds
like a great guy. Hey, I'm getting hungry," he said, glancing at his
wristwatch. The time was past 1:00 PM. He couldn't believe he'd talked so
long. "I've got some turkey breast if you'd like a sandwich..."

"Me too, and a turkey sandwich sounds great. I'll be glad to go out an get
something if you want it," Matt offered as he let go of Leo's hand and
stood up to follow Leo to the kitchen area.

"I think we have everything we need. In fact, I just happen to have some
Dr. Pepper, if you're so inclined; I'm afraid I already drank all the
beer." Leo added a sheepish look to punctuate his last confession.

"That's great. Show me where the Dr. Pepper and glasses are and I'll fix
that while you get the sandwiches ready." Matt learned all about teamwork
as a child and was now trying to create some with Leo. A short time later
they sat across the table from each other and Matt began his story.

Compared to Leo, Matt's life was full of exciting and adventurous
events. Growing up with a twin and a younger brother provided what seems
like a never-ending source of activities. And having a father who was a pro
football player and later a high school coach was even more
interesting. But the thing about Matt's life that interested Leo most was
Matt's gay uncle who had a partner and many gay friends. Several times Leo
interrupted with questions, primarily ones asking how Matt felt about
certain situations dealing with being gay. Matt was happy to answer each
question.

As Matt continued talking, Leo got up, put the dishes in the dishwasher and
refilled their glasses. They even took a timeout for a bathroom break and
returned to the loveseat where Matt continued his story.

"Now then," Matt began, "there are some things I think you should know."
His voice sounded quite serious and Leo could see the serious expression on
Matt's face. "To be blunt, I've..." Matt paused. 'What's the right way to
say this? I hope it doesn't make me sound like a sex addict. Here goes...'
"I hope this isn't going to be a problem but I've been with a few other
men; I'm not exactly a virgin." Leo blushed and shook his head. He wasn't
used to such candid conversation but it didn't really bother him. He'd just
not given it much thought until now.

"Look, if you've been 'out' since you were what, 14, wouldn't it be rather
ridiculous for me to assume you've been celibate all this time?" Leo
chuckled at his remark.

"Well, being a perfectly normal, red-blooded, hormonally driven young man,
does make celibacy sound, as you put it, rather ridiculous." Matt returned
Leo's chuckle.

"You've met Kyle..."

"The cop... er, police officer (Leo corrected himself) who was at the
nursery?"

"Yeah, that's him, the same guy you met at the gym a couple of weeks
ago... and Kyle is a 'cop'." Matt smiled.

"Yeah, nice guy."

"Well, Kyle and I met when we both took up martial arts training; we were
sophomores then. We seemed to hit it off right away and became good
friends. It didn't take long for us to learn we shared other, more personal
interests, that we were gay. I don't really think it's appropriate to go
into detail but suffice it to say we enjoyed a long period of discovery,
about each other and ourselves. On second thought, our period of discovery
was rather short, we just kept at it for along period of time." Matt
chuckled at that memory.

"We played football and ran track together and managed to get through high
school without getting outed. Oh, we had some close friends who knew we
were gay but it wasn't what you'd call public knowledge." Matt paused for
just a moment as if remembering things then continued.

"But Kyle and I are just friends. Well, maybe that's not the best
description but we were always there for each other. We weren't in love or
anything but we helped each other out." Matt knew he wasn't being totally
truthful so he paused and made another stab at the truth. "Actually, Kyle
and I've been sex partners, almost monogamous, for many years. We've each
had occasional adventures outside the relationship. I think I remember
telling you last week that I've been with other men. If I didn't, at least
I meant to. I never did the cruising scene; my rule has always been that I
had to know the person fairly well before engaging sex. That was impressed
upon me by one of my uncle's friends." Mat paused as he remembered the day
Dan showed him that porno movie and told about his earlier reckless
lifestyle. "So! My point is, I've always been careful about who I've been
with and I've always used protection. And I still get tested twice a
year. If any of that is a problem for you, please tell me now."

Each man looked into the other's eyes for some signal. Matt was sure he saw
Leo's pupils dilate, a good sign. Then Leo began leaning forward and Matt
followed his lead. Their lips met in a tender kiss that left both men
breathless.

Where would they go from here?

"I see you're not running for the door..." Matt grinned when the kiss
ended.

"No, I don't think I will." Leo smiled back, then he asked how Matt felt
about religion. In the ensuing discussion, they learned they shared similar
beliefs. Matt told about the small church down the street from his house
where many of the neighborhood residents attended, including him. Leo said
he was disappointed with the church he grew up in but missed the peace of
mind he used to get and was open to other possibilities.

The conversation then turned to politics where their opinions diverged on
several issues, but not seriously. Their differences of opinion weren't too
far apart; not exactly show stoppers, but just enough to keep things
interesting. Leo's positions leaned toward the left, which Matt didn't find
too surprising. He basically accepted the premise that most journalists
held liberal points of view. Matt's positions, on the other hand, lean
toward the right, which Leo accepted as being consistent with his being a
Cop.

The one incongruity in Leo's mind was how Matt could be both gay and
conservative. Matt cleared that up by explaining that, like his uncle
David, he was more of a libertarian, just not a member of the Libertarian
Party. They had a good time discussing that concept and it seemed to bring
them closer together.

Matt was the one who noticed how dark it had become outside the apartment.

"Are we going to sit here and talk through the night or can I interest you
in finding a place to eat?" Matt's phrasing of the question caused Leo to
laugh.

"Yeah, we should go out. I have nothing here to eat." Leo saw the
suggestive look Matt threw at him and began to laugh. "You have a dirty
mind."

"What? Me? You're the one who said there wasn't anything to eat in this
apartment." Matt began to chuckle. He couldn't ever remember having this
much enjoyment just 'talking' with anyone else.

"Let's go," Leo said as he stood up. "There's a Chili's not far from here;
I'm sure we can find something we there can eat." He smiled at Matt,
waiting for a comeback. Matt, however, decided it would be more fun to just
leave it alone and see what happened.


Leo drove; they found the Chili's. They began with a beer then each ordered
fajitas, one ordered beef, the other chicken and they shared. Leo asked
Matt to tell him more about his uncle, a topic Matt was always eager to
discuss. They were so busy enjoying their conversation that they were
almost surprised to discover that the food was all gone.


Leo opened the apartment door and threw his keys on the kitchen
counter. Matt guided the apartment door closed so that it wouldn't slam,
then followed Leo into the living room where they resumed their positions
on the love seat. Leo watched Matt look around the room.

"How much of this stuff will we have to take with us tomorrow?" Matt
hesitated then asked the pregnant question, "you did say you're going home
with me tomorrow..."

"Yes," Leo smiled. Everything Matt did and said seemed to bring a smile to
his face. "This is a furnished apartment so most of it stays here. Just my
clothes, my files and that table, my laptop and shredder are about there
is.

"Well, I can get the large stuff like that table and the files in my
truck. Any thing else you can't get in you car, I'm sure I'll find room for
and we can do it all in one trip."

Matt watched Leo's expression change as if he'd just thought of
something. "What's on your mind?"

"Oh, I..." Leo wondered how Matt seemed to be able to read him like no one
ever had. He smiled and continued. "I was just thinking, the weatherman is
calling for rain tomorrow. Do you have something to cover everything to
protect them from the elements?"

"Even better, I have a hard shell cover over the truck bed."

"Oh... that's great. Wonder why I never noticed that?"

"Must have spent too much time looking at me." Matt grinned and they both
began to chuckle.

"Funny you should mention that!" Ever since they returned from dinner, Leo
had been thinking about the sleeping arrangements and concluded there
weren't any options; Matt would have to share his bed. He laughed inwardly
at the thought of Matt's feet hanging off the end of the standard double
bed. But that wasn't what Leo had on his mind; he was wondering if this
would be his opportunity to get a good look at in nothing but his birthday
suit.  After all, this was his apartment and he was in control of the
lighting. And then there was the 'sex' thing.

"Mention what?"

"Oh, never mind, it's just that..." Leo smiled. He realized he was toying
with Matt and it was fun. He'd never known anyone well enough to do that
with. It was now time to change the subject and he was going to approach it
head-on.

"I think I need some dessert." He grinned as he began moving toward the hot
body at the other end of the loveseat.

Matt had absolutely no question as to what Leo hade on his mind. He turned
further to his right so that Leo could slide between his knees and within
seconds the two men were entwined and engaged in yet a new kind of
kiss. This one was tender and contained all the elements of love.

They kissed and squirmed and stroked and felt each other's erections
through the layers of fabric that separated them. Leo let himself go. He
accepted his attraction to the man pressed against him and knew it was time
to move to the next level, whatever that was. He was determined to ask
about those 'levels' Matt had referred to from time to time.

Matt tasted so good and his body was a wonderful thing to be next to. Their
erections were secondary to the main event, which was the emotional
excitement they felt. They lay kissing and caressing each other for almost
half an hour. During that time there were soft kisses, tender kisses,
passionate kisses, erotic kisses, and several other kinds of kisses that
served as silent communication between two lovers.

"You taste good," Leo said as he looked into Matt's eyes. The fingers of
his right hand were combing through Matt's hair. Leo felt so close to Matt
when he did that.

"So do you," Matt replied with a smile as he brushed the back of his hand
against Leo's cheek. Matt took a deep breath and released a long sigh. Leo
followed suit and they both chuckled. "I have a theory about that."

"Theory? About what."

"When two people taste good to each other, they're meant to be together."
Matt hoped he was planting a suggestion that would grow into something.

"Interesting. I'll have to think about that." They kissed again then Leo
had another question. "Earlier, you said there were a couple of reasons you
came here," Leo said. "The first was to tell me you missed me, and you want
me to come home. What was the second?"

"Oh..." Matt smiled. It was earlier this morning when he's said that; at
least Leo had been listening. "To tell you your family wants you to come
home, too."

"But, Matt..." Leo had a concerned look on his face. "If Pop finds out
about us won't you lose your job?"

"Oh, Leo," Matt chuckled. "No, I'm not going to lose my job. Whatever made
you think I would?"

"Well... Pop... he told me that you two agreed not to let your being gay
interfere with your work. And... and Megan finding us in the storage shed
most certainly falls into the category of interfering with work. How will
we explain that?"

"God, I love you, Leo!" It's not always easy to attempt a kiss when you're
grinning but Matt was certainly giving a good go. And although Matt's 'I
love you' statement was more like the thing you'd say to a good friend,
Matt wasn't the least bit sorry he's said it. "Your Pop and I have a strong
relationship that goes way beyond that early understanding. In fact, last
night, your sister and I sat down with your parents and they all convinced
me I should drive up here and try to talk you into coming home."

"Really!?" Leo exclaimed in surprise. "All of them?!"

Matt just nodded and smiled. He remembered how Megan had insisted that Leo
wouldn't be easy to convince.

"But wait! I'll have to find a place to live!" Leo stated. "I'm not going
to move in with Mom and Pop; that was too awkward last time. Hmmm, there's
that apartment over the office..."

"Is there any chance you'd consider moving in with me?" Matt
interrupted. Leo looked at him. The expression on his face was a clear
indication that he was considering the offer.

"Serious?"

"Serious." Matt replied.

Leo didn't respond immediately. He quietly pondered the possibility while
feeling Matt's hot body press against his. His mind was a blur with
thousands of thoughts racing through it. He remembered that first evening
when he'd gone willingly to Matt's bed and his disappointment at not having
the opportunity to see Matt's naked body. He really wanted to get a good
look at him. Those thoughts inspired the following response.

"I don't know," he said teasingly. "I'm not sure I could move in with
someone until I'd see him naked." Leo had a devilish smile on his face when
he said that and watched, as Matt seemed to be evaluating his statement.

* * * * * * *

(To be continued.)