Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:06:28 EST
From: Draginacht@aol.com
Subject: the-bandini-affair- 21

The Bandini Affair 21

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.

* * * * * * *

Jeff's Note: First I want to apologize for taking so long to post this
chapter. The combination of Thanksgiving-to-Christmas holiday events plus
working harder to preserve my job has seriously cut into writing time. Now
that the holidays are behind me, I hope to be a little more punctual in the
near future.

Happy New Year, Jeff


* * * * * * *

>From Chapter 20

* * * * * * *

Matt pressed the phone button on the steering wheel and heard the speaker
'beep'. His mobile phone was resting in the fold-down cup holder under the
center dashboard being recharged.

"Hello?" He was sure Leo was calling him.

"Matt?"

"Yeah?"

"Ah, if that offer to move in with you is still on the table, I'm
interested..."

Leo watched Matt turn and grin at him. Then Matt gave a 'thumbs up' signal
and shook it emphatically a couple of time.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Leo laughed loudly into his phone. "I'll call my family and
tell them where they can find me. Okay?"

"Yeah, Babe, Yeah. Ya better hang up now before we both have a wreck." Then
Matt added one more comment; this seemed like the appropriate time. "Love
ya, Leo." He looked to his left and saw Leo smiling back, then turned his
head back to the front. Matt knew this kind of behavior could be dangerous.

"Love ya, too, Matt." Leo close his cell phone then smiled back across the
highway. Matt watched in his side and rear view mirrors as the Camry
dropped back behind his truck.

* * * * * * *

Chapter 21

* * * * * * *

'What a brave fellow I am.' Matt thought sarcastically. 'What kind of wimp
waits to tell the man he loves that he loves him until they're driving
separate vehicles side by side down an Interstate highway?' Then he smiled
and looked in his rear view mirror. He was sure that Leo was smiling at
him. 'At least he said he loved me back. That's good. Maybe next time we
can try saying those words when we're face to face. Yes, that would be the
right thing to do.' One more look in the rear view mirror brought their
eyes in contact. Matt considered calling Leo but decided to wait until they
could be together.

Leo could see Matt watching in his rear-view mirror. 'This is a big
step. But coming out to my family was even bigger. All the steps from here
forward are going to be big ones. I must admit that agreeing to move in
with Matt means more than being roommates. Eventually he's going to want my
ass. No... not eventually; he probably wants it now. And by agreeing to
live with him, haven't I effectively agreed to give it to him? I'm sure
he's just being patient, waiting for me to catch up. Wonder what he'd think
if he knew that's what I want, too. What was it he said, something about
anal sex being the top level? I really have to ask him to explain this
'level' system to me. How many levels are there?'

Leo looked at Matt's rear-view mirror again and saw him looking back. 'He'd
better keep his eyes on the road ahead; don't want him to have an accident
now. Yes, I want to lose my virginity and I want to give it to Matt. The
only problem is his size. Good grief he's big! Why couldn't I have picked
someone just a little smaller? If I'm to believe the characters in those
gay stories I've read, bigger is better. But I really think there has to be
a little exaggeration involved. I'd be embarrassed to discuss this openly
with him. But maybe Matt's exactly the one to discuss it with. Just
imagine, me on my back, him on top; where would all that meat go?'

Leo glanced down at his crotch; his erection was straining to be free. 'How
do I say NO when I mean YES? Ah, the dilemma. I trust him. He'll be
careful; he'll good to me; I know it. How do I tell him? Ha-ha, I remember
the first time I read a story where one guy says to the other "I want you
inside me." That sounded so utterly corny at the time; I couldn't imagine
anyone saying something like that. Now I understand. That's exactly how I
feel but I'm a coward. I'm can't seem to get past Matt's size! Wise up,
Leo, you're not his first. I'll bet he knows how intimidating his size is
and probably knows how to do it and minimize the pain. Pain! I'm not into
pain. No, that's out of the question. Okay, Leo, stop this discussion
before you loose your courage and back out of this agreement. It's going to
be okay. You'll see, give it a chance.' With that thought, Leo picked up
his cell phone and dialed a number.

* * * * * * *

Matt pulled into his driveway first and was stepping down from his truck as
Leo pulled up and stopped directly behind him. Leo got out of his car and
the two men stood smiling at each other. Each man questioned whether he was
doing the right thing but considering recent events and the comfort level
each had for the other, they were committed to seeing it through.

They quickly unloaded all of Leo's possessions. His office equipment joined
Matt's in the second bedroom. Some of Leo's hanging clothes found space in
Matt's bedroom closet and the rest went into the other bedroom closet. Matt
offered to move clothes he seldom wore to the spare closet to give Leo more
room. Matt cleaned out two drawers in the chest in his bedroom and told Leo
he knew where they could get another chest for his own things.

Although they were a little sweaty and a shower would have been nice, their
hunger was a more pressing need so they went to the BK not far from the
house.

"I called Mom to let her know that I'm staying with you." Leo dipped one
French fry into the ketchup, inserted it into his mouth, seductively closed
his lips over it and sucked the rest of it into his mouth. He felt like a
sixteen-year-old kid, completely out of character.

"How'd that go?" Matt grinned then did the same with one of his French
fries. The Whoppers they ordered were almost gone by now.

"I was surprised. She seemed fine with it, almost happy." Leo smiled. He
was already beginning to feel comfortable with his new lifestyle
decision. "Then Megan called; she wants us to come to dinner this
evening. Mom and Pop will be there."

"Really!" Matt sounded surprised. "And you said yes?" His smile indicated
he was receptive to the idea.

"I told her I'd see how you felt..." One thing Leo learned from his first
marriage was the need to coordinate with ones partner. Matt quickly picked
up on Leo's consideration, although he didn't say anything.

"Hey, never pass up a free meal!" Matt chuckled.

"Right! My sentiments exactly! Like the free meal I plan on having when we
get back home." Leo's seductive grin left nothing to Matt's
imagination. Matt also picked up on Leo's reference to his house as 'home'
and that made him feel happy.

The lovemaking that afternoon was slow and tender. They engaged in frottage
with Leo on top again. He lasted longer than last time and was fascinated
by everything Matt did. Consistent with his inquisitive mind, he asked a
lot of questions and let his appreciation be known with moans and groans
and sighs and gasps. As they lay pressed tightly against each other, Leo
asked his first question.

"Remember I told you I've read lots of gay literature on the web?"

"Yeah," Matt replied.

"Well, in those stories the characters are always shooting impressive
gallons or bucket-loads of cum, so much that it always seems to spill out
of the other character's mouth. I don't shoot anywhere near that much and,
please don't take this as an insult, but neither do you. Why is that?"

"Well, you're right. That fits my experience also. My guess is the authors
are exaggerating just a little. Those stories are intended to be highly
erotic and describing spunk dripping from a guy's mouth creates a strongly
erotic visual image. Did you know that the average ejaculation contains
anywhere from one-third to one full teaspoon of semen?"

"No, really? How do you know that?"

"It's in the October 2008 issue of 'Men's Health Magazine;' I have a copy
lying around here somewhere."

"What else does it say?" Leo snuggled closer and took Matt's meat in his
hand. He was always amazed at how good it felt.

"Lots of things. For example, the average length of a flaccid penis is 3.5
inches and the average length hard is 6 inches."

"That's almost a one hundred percent increase," Leo observed.

" Close enough, eighty-four percent volume increase, to be exact."

"But..." Leo hesitated; he wasn't sure he should continue then decided to
throw caution to the wind. "But you're bigger soft than the average guy."
He gave another loving squeeze.

"Ha yes," Matt chuckled. "The magazine is only talking about averages. I'm
a little larger than average, as you can feel." And he felt Leo squeeze him
again. No one had ever held him so lovingly.

"A little larger?" Leo replied with emphasis on 'little.' "More like two
standard deviations larger."

"Oh c'mon, let's not exaggerate like the guys who write those stories. Ya
see, there are growers and then there are showers."

"Whadda ya mean?" Leo asked as he continued caressing Matt's member.

"Well, growers are guys who are near normal size when they're soft but more
than double in size when they're hard. Other guys, the showers, are pretty
large soft but only grow a little more when they're hard."

"Like you." Leo could feel Matt's log growing.

"Yeah, like you're a grower." Matt pulled Leo's face toward his and they
kissed. Simultaneously he was wrapping his hand around Leo's already hard
six inches. Both men knew where this was headed and Leo had another
question.

"You like the sixty-nine position?"

"Yeah, it's okay."

"Why just okay?" Leo asked.

"Uh," Matt had to think for a moment; he didn't want to give the impression
that he didn't like it. "Let me explain it this way. I enjoy having you in
my mouth. I like how it feels and I sense that I'm giving you pleasure. And
that means that I also get the enjoyment of sharing your climax."

"Okay, I can understand that." Leo thought for a moment. "Would you be
willing to do it now; call it enhancing my education?"

"Now how can I refuse when you put it like that? I didn't say it wasn't
pleasurable, only that it wouldn't be my first choice. It can be quite
exciting with the right guy... and you are the right guy." Matt gave Leo
his best smile just as they kissed. And without further discussion, they
moved into position and began another trip of sexual splendor. Matt
suspected his partner wanted to experience simultaneous orgasms and he did
his best to achieve that. They climaxed at almost the same time, close
enough to count.

Matt lay on his back with Leo's head resting on his chest. Leo was playing
with the tuft of hair in the center of Matt's chest. Leo remembered an
unanswered question from last night -- what was behind Matt's apparent
reservations against nudity?

"Yesterday, as you were, uh... exposing yourself, he-he, I got the clear
impression you didn't want to do that. You said you'd explain later."

Matt kissed the tip of Leo's nose then began. "I guess it's one of those
things you might call a personal quirk. Fact is I'm either shy or
embarrassed about being naked in front of most people."

"I guess I don't understand." Leo kissed the tip of Matt's nose. "You
played team sports in high school so I just assumed you're like most
athletes and were used to locker room nudity. If I had what you have I'd
want to show it off. I don't know if this is the wrong thing to say, but
you have an amazing body, Matt."

"Thanks, so I'm told." He chuckled lightly. "I never had a problem until I
got to ninth grade. Hell, my brothers and I and a close friend used to swim
naked at my Uncle David's house on a regular basis. We never thought
anything about it. Playing junior soccer and football was never a problem
because after the game you always go home to get cleaned up. Then came
junior high school and I had to take gym class. The first time I went to
take a shower I could 'feel' all the other guys looking at me, staring was
more like it. You see, I developed really early and when I say 'developed'
I mean big. I already knew I was gay but I still didn't like being stared
at. After a while I began to feel like a freak. It wasn't that I was a
little bigger than the rest of the guys; I was way bigger. So, for the next
four years I tried my best not to flaunt it."

"I had no idea that could be a problem." Although Leo couldn't relate to
the problem he could at least express some sympathy. "I've always assumed
all guys wanted more and if ya got it, flaunt it."

"Ha-ha-ha! You know what's funny?" Matt didn't wait for Leo's
reply. "You've seen these ads on TV for 'natural male enhancement' haven't
you?"

"Sure. I've often wondered if they work."

"Don't know about that but I used to wish they'd come out with a product
that would do the opposite."

"You're kidding!"

"Well, partly. That's why I wear relaxed fit pants, so I don't give some
pervert something to look at. And that's the issue. I have a mind and I
think I'm a normal human being. I don't want to be defined by what's in my
pants. It's somewhat like what Uncle David told me after I told him I was
gay. He said being gay is WHAT I am; it doesn't define WHO I am. It took me
a while to understand what he was saying but I think he got it
right. Besides, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better."

"I don't get it."

Matt fell silent for a few moments while he considered how to respond. "I
honestly believe the satisfaction one gets from sex is more a function of
what's up here," he tapped his finger against Leo's forehead, "than what's
down here." Matt's hand found and gently squeezed Leo's genitals. "I won't
deny the physical aspects of size but if you 'think' size matters, it
probably does. But if size doesn't matter, the right man can provide
satisfaction regardless of size."

"Hm-m, I never thought of it like that but I see your point. Ha-ha, and I'm
not talking about this one." Leo squeezed the tip of Matt's dick rather
delicately. "I don't mean to pry but is that a problem for your brother?"
Leo was thinking about Mark, Matt's twin.

Matt smiled and planted a tender kiss on Leo's forehead. "If you stay with
me long enough, you may find out that all the men in my family tend to be
rather large in the dick department." Leo chuckled at the alliteration and
Matt paused for a moment as though reflecting on the subject. "They don't
seem to be hung-up about it like I am. But then, I'm larger than they are."
The conversation seemed to be over and silence settled in. But Leo couldn't
let it rest.

"I love you for who you are, Matt, not because of what you have between
your legs." Leo was attempting to shift the conversation to a more positive
note. Then he realized his error. "Well, I guess I don't completely
understand this gay thing yet but I'm obviously attracted to you because
you have something hanging between your legs, but not the size of it. No,"
he'd set another trap for himself. "What I mean is... I love you just the
way you are. Size isn't everything... just look at me."

Matt placed his hand on Leo's shoulder, pushed them apart and with a grand
smile on his face looked at Leo's groin.

"Perfect," was Matt's only comment before he pulled them back together for
one more kiss. "Now we need a shower so we smell better when we get to
Megan's house."

* * * * * * *

Dinner at Megan's could best be described as 'normal.' The 'awkward'
moments Leo anticipated never materialized. Actually, Leo was surprised at
how normal everything felt. Since returning home a few weeks ago, he and
his family had grown used to being together again. Matt had been a part of
the Bandini picture for so long his presence just fit right in. Megan's
kids never thought anything was unusual about having Leo and Matt around
because they'd known them for what seemed a long time. Kids have a
different concept of what a 'long time' is.

Later, back at Matt's house, the two men lay pressed against each just
enjoying the closeness. They were sated by all the food and two rounds of
sex earlier.

"Mom asked if we could come to her and Pop's house for Thanksgiving
dinner." Matt said quietly.

"Oh my gosh, that's Thursday, isn't it. Do you have any plans with your
family?"

"I normally either go home for Thanksgiving or go to Uncle David's but this
year is gonna be a little different."

"Oh, how so?"

"Well, Mark's gonna be in town for Sunday's game so we'll have a big family
gathering at Uncle David's place afterward." Matt paused for a moment
trying to recall exactly what his uncle had told him. "Thursday, Uncle
David and Tony are having the Platoon over for Thanksgiving Dinner. Mark's
family arrives Friday afternoon to stay with Uncle David while Mark stays
with the team. Sunday, after the game the whole family will be at Uncle
David's for dinner. The last thing I heard, that will include my parents,
Mark and his family, my brother JD and his girlfriend, and my sister Susan,
along with Uncle David's son PD, and a close family friend who used to live
up the street from Uncle David's house." Matt paused again. "So I guess you
can choose just how much family togetherness you want and we'll do it."
Foremost in Matt's mind was his partner's introverted personality and he
didn't want to pressure Leo into something that would cause too much
stress. "OH, the grandparents might be there, too."

"Your Uncle has a son?!" Leo was totally surprised by that news. "And
there's a platoon?" He sounded both interested and confused.

"Yeah, he-he. Uncle David has a son; he's attending the University of
Texas. I think Tony told me he's spending Thanksgiving with a friend but
will be home for the weekend with the family."

"You know, your family sounds extraordinary. You'll have to tell me more
later but what's with this platoon?"

"Yeah, they're Uncle David's best friends. They're all gay and they've all
known each other for like centuries." Matt enjoyed his own exaggeration
with a smile.

"Look, I've listened to you talk about your uncle so much that I'm really
interested in meeting him, and his partner... Tony, right?" Matt
nodded. "And I've never known any real gay men, except you." He momentarily
forgot about Rolf and Jan in Amsterdam but he knew them only casually. Leo
pressed his lips to Matt's and they held the position for several
seconds. "Yes. I'd like to do that. Dinner at Mom and Dad's will be at
around 3 PM so maybe we can drop in at your uncle's house later, say around
six-ish?"

"You're sure you're okay with that? There'll be about..." Matt paused as he
quickly counted. "There could be six to eight people there."

"Yeah, that's fine. If I feel like I'm getting overwhelmed I'll let you
know and we can leave after I've met everyone. Is that okay with you?"

"That's nice." Matt kissed Leo briefly then continued. "Uncle David and
Tony will be so excited to meet you. And I really think you'll find
everyone very easy to like."

Without further conversation, Leo snuggled closed to Matt, nestled his head
between Matt's arm and chest and closed his eyes. He thought how nice it
was to do what he was doing. Then he wondered if he was becoming a sex
addict; seemed like that's all they'd done since Matt showed up at his door
Monday morning. He wasn't complaining but he never felt like this with
Marsha. He was beginning to feel liberated as he drifted off to sleep.

Matt closed his eyes and worried about Leo. He didn't want to push him to
do things that would cause stress and was surprised when Leo seemed so
eager to go to Uncle David's house after spending the day with the extended
Carlsen family. Was it possible that Leo's acceptance of being gay was
releasing him from some of his introversion? Time would tell. Matt pulled
Leo closer and drifted off to sleep.

* * * * * * *

Wednesday was a normal workday. They rode together in Matt's truck and
everyone at the nursery was happy to see Leo back. Matt watched Leo closely
to see how he reacted to the situation. When he saw how relaxed Leo was and
how confident he seemed, Matt relaxed also and they enjoyed a pleasant
workday. Leo called his mother to say he and Matt would be there tomorrow
for dinner and alerted her that they wouldn't be staying too late because
they were going to Matt's uncle's house later.

* * * * * * *

Thanksgiving Day began leisurely. Leo's comfort level living with Matt was
already quite solid. And Matt seemed very happy, too. After some early
morning private displays of affection that wasn't messy, they sat eating
their usual breakfast. Leo, thinking ahead to this evening, had a question.

"Your Uncle David's Platoon thing has peaked my interest. Can you tell me
more about the your uncle's friends?" Leo had just filled their coffee mugs
and sat down across the table from Matt. He really enjoyed having Matt in
his life.

"Well, it's not very complicated; most of them are former military
guys. Maybe I should start with Uncle Dave." Tony folded his arms on the
table in front of him and leaned slightly forward.

"Uncle David..." Matt thought for a moment about where to start. "He
accepted he was gay when he was about 13 or 14 years old. He kept it secret
except for one friend, Dan Chambers. My guess is they had a thing going
when they were in high school but I never asked. Dan graduated from high
school a year ahead of Uncle D and joined the Navy. A year later, Uncle D
graduated and joined the Army. That's where he met Mike Sanchez; they were
roommates. That's an interesting story you might like to hear some day but
you should talk to Uncle D or Mike about it. Then there's Tony Mancuso,
David's partner; he was a Marine, ha-ha, still is, and that's another great
story. Mike's partner is Todd Pepper and he's the token civilian in the
Platoon. Dan's partner is Berk Stanford; was a nurse in the Air Force and
he now works for their doctor as a RPN. So that's it. You have a soldier
and a Marine, a sailor and an airman, and a soldier and a civilian. Those
guys are so bonded you won't believe it."

"I'm really looking forward to it. Sounds excitingly interesting." Leo
considered asking Matt to explain the 'Level's of Sex' he'd been referring
to but a glance at his wristwatch told him they needed to hit the shower
and get ready to go to Mom and Pop's house. Matt wanted to take a
contribution to the dinner but Leo advised that his Mom would have
everything under control.

The family gathering was just as 'normal' as it was two nights ago at
Megan's. Again, Matt was no stranger and he fit right in. Even Megan's
kids, who were used to seeing him quite often, looked upon his as their
personal giant. Megan's son knew Matt had played football in high school
and talked him into tossing a football in the back yard.

"So how's it going?" Megan leaned against her brother, as they stood
side-by-side and watched from the back porch. "You seem happy, relaxed
since you came home."

"Yes, that just about says it all. Matt is so..." Leo took a moment to
consider what he was about to say. "He's so lovable." He turned and looked
at Megan to judge her reaction.

"And you're sure this is right for you?"

"No question. I can't even remember why I fought it but now it's just
great." Leo had a wide grin on his face and he didn't ever want it to go
away.

"I'm glad for you, Leo, really happy." She slipped her arm around her
brother's waist and squeezed. Leo responded by wrapping his arm around his
sister's shoulder and pulled her closer.

Dinner was on schedule and just after 4 PM the phone rang; they had just as
they finished eating. It was Phillip calling to wish them a happy
Thanksgiving. Leo knew that at some point he was going to have to bring his
brother up to date on his 'situation' but a phone conversation on
Thanksgiving wasn't the time to do it. Phillip surprised them all by
announcing he and his family was planning a trip home for Christmas. Leo
immediately considered discussing with his family a plan for him to tell
his brother about being gay.

* * * * * * *

"Relax, everyone's going to love you." Matt said as their vehicle
approached the driveway to Dave's house. He could feel the tension in Leo's
hand just before he released it to grasp the steering wheel. His uncle had
suggested he bring Leo in through the front door like an honored guest so
Matt drove around the circular driveway and stopped.

"Are we the only ones here?" Leo asked.

"The other cars are around on the side by the garage. By parking here we
avoid the congestion." That seemed to satisfy Leo's curiosity and they got
out of the truck.

"Hey Matt, glad you could make it!" Dave and Tony were standing just inside
the large front door as a welcoming committee. Matt made sure Leo entered
the house ahead of him. Dave greeted his nephew with a hug and a peck on
the lips while Tony took their light jackets and hung them in the hall
closet. Then it was Tony's turn for a hug and a kiss. None of that went
unnoticed.

"Uncle David, Tony, I'd like you to meet Leo Carlsen." Matt wanted to add
'my partner' to the introduction but thought that might be pushing things
just a little bit.

"Welcome to our home, Leo, we're so glad you could come!" Dave took Leo's
hand in both of his and shook it warmly.

"And you can add my welcome to that, too." Tony said as he took Leo's
offered hand.

"Come on in, we're just sitting around feeling stuffed." Dave led the way
into the great room. Leo tried not to look around but the large room was
much too interesting to ignore. Later, Dave would give Leo an abbreviated
tour of the lower floor and the pool area, including the hot tub.

They stepped down into the great room as four other men rose from their
seats. Leo noticed they were seated as pairs. He picked out Mike Sanchez as
the Hispanic looking guy and the redhead with him must be Todd Pepper. The
other couple puzzled him. The shorter man was white and the taller one was
a light-skinned black. Leo didn't remember Matt saying anything about a
black man. Matt's hand was resting on Leo's shoulder and he could feel the
tension in his body. He gave a reassuring squeeze and Leo looked up with a
nervous smile. So many strangers!

Tony made the introductions and Leo got the clear impression that everyone
seemed genuinely happy to meet him. None of these men were the least bit
intimidating and Leo found his tension begin to subside. Everyone sat down
again. Four couples occupied four loveseats arranged around a glowing
fireplace. It seemed like such an intimate setting for such a large
room. And Leo's question about the third couple had been answered; the
black man was Berk Stanford, the nurse, and his partner was Dan Chambers,
Dave's high school friend.

The conversation resumed like it had never been interrupted and none of it
was focused on Leo. It was as though they were purposely avoiding the usual
'third degree' that Leo hated so much when he met someone new. Matt didn't
hesitate to jump into the discussion, all the while holding Leo's
hand. Slowly he felt his little man begin to relax. He was warmed by
knowing his Uncle David had briefed the guys about Leo and they were going
out of their way to make him feel comfortable.

"Coffee, anyone?" Tony asked as he stood up.

"Yeah, me." Mike replied as he almost sprang from his chair. "Can I bring
you one, Hon?" He turned and asked Todd.

"No, I'll come with you." Todd stood and joined his partner.

Leo observed the exchange with great interest. He realized that for the
second time in his life he was watching adult gay men, gay couples if you
will, in a totally relaxed, unguarded setting. It reminded him of his trip
to Amsterdam and the bar scene with Rolf and his friends.

"Yeah, coffee sounds good right now." Berk added as he stood.

"We're coming with you," Matt said as he and Leo stood from the loveseat.

"WAIT!" Mike exclaimed, looking directly at Matt and Leo. "Do that again!"

"Do what again?" Matt wondered what Mike was talking about.

"Sit back down for a minute, both of you... please" Mike added 'please' and
a smile to soften what had sounded like a command. They sat down in the
loveseat with puzzled looks on their faces. "Look, there's no more than
three or four inches height difference between them. Now stand up. Good
grief! Now there's a foot difference in height." Everyone chuckled.

"Must be Matt's long legs," Leo grinned as he placed his hand on top of his
partner's thigh and let it slide suggestively toward the inside.

"Yeah, long legs indeed." Mike grinned. He knew perfectly well how Matt was
equipped. He was also surprised that Leo was willing to allude to such.

The moment passed and almost like a stampede, eight man headed toward the
kitchen. Matt released Leo's hand, which seemed much more relaxed, and
followed him into the kitchen. Tony poured eight cups of coffee and each
man doctored his according to his personal taste. Then, with no particular
pattern, they stood around talking about a variety of subjects. As Matt
struck up a conversation with Berk he surreptitiously watched Leo move
toward Dave and Mike. And he smiled inside. His little man was obviously
beginning to loosen up and enjoy himself and Matt noticed that Leo had
chosen the two shortest members of the group for his first social foray.

Leo's observational skills clicked in and one significant pattern he
noticed was how these friends touched each other as they talked. It was
either an arm around a shoulder, a hand on a shoulder or forearm, or a hand
on a hip. And it obviously wasn't sexual; it was just an expression of pure
friendship. The men occasionally disagreed on an issue but they always keep
it friendly. Leo never felt so liberated as he did now. He actually felt
like he belonged; he felt good about himself. Here he wasn't different.

The evening progressed and the coffee was replaced with beer, wine, and
liquor. By ten o'clock, Leo wasn't exactly drunk but had a definite buzz
on. Matt had followed the example he learned from his Uncle David and
limited himself to two drinks, which he nursed throughout the evening.

"Guys, I gotta work tomorrow so I'm calling it quits," Todd announced.

"Me too." Berk added.

Everyone stood and began saying goodbye with hugs and kisses and that
included Leo. He accepted and returned hugs, and the kisses he got were on
his cheeks. That was a huge step for him and Matt was completely in awe at
Leo's transformation.

* * * * * * *

"Thank you..." Leo punctuated his thanks with an affectionate kiss. "I'm
exhausted." Leo sighed.

"You had a good time?" Matt asked as he straightened up after bending over
for the kiss. They were standing pressed against each other just inside the
door to their home and Leo couldn't wait any longer. He'd kept silent
during the ride home remembering the events of the wonderful evening.

"It was so... so... unbelievable. Your uncle and his friends have to be the
nicest people I've ever met. And you know what was best?"

"No, what?"

"I wasn't the subject of the evening's conversation. Not once did anybody
ask what I did or... or anything. I did find out that Mike lives just down
the street; he invited me to drop in some time." The two men were now in
the bedroom removing their clothing.

"Yeah, he does; I'll point out where he lives in the morning. I hope you'll
take him up on his invitation. Mike's a great guy. Now, I'll lock up and
turn out the lights while you go get ready for bed." Leo didn't object; he
just turned and walked toward the bathroom. Perhaps the alcohol in his
system made everything Matt said sound perfect.

Matt slipped his naked body between the sheets and leaned over to set the
alarm. They both had to go to work in the morning. Then he turned over just
in time to welcome Leo's body press against him. Matt was getting hard but
Leo wasn't. Matt interpreted that as a signal that Leo was either tired,
drunk, mentally preoccupied or all three so he just held him close and soon
they were sound asleep.

* * * * * * *


 (To be continued.)