Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2004 19:48:32 -0700 (PDT) From: bob smith <mason0201@yahoo.com> Subject: Finally Home/Growing Up/ Chapter 5 If you are not of age of consent in your area (18 or 21), please do not read on. I never got that rule, I mean who needs access to erotica more then lonely gay teenagers? Anyway, it's not my rule. If you're offended by gay men having sex, or being in love, then what the heck are you doing here? Go away. This is my story, I wrote it from my own mind. Any relations to events in real life is purely coincidental. Do not reprint this story without permission. Please be nice. If you don't like it I don't care, unless you can tell me why you don't like it. Then I am very interested. Thank you Please email me if you want to be on my mailing list. Mason mason0201@yahoo.com Chapter 5 I finally decided what I was going to get James for his birthday. I was actually very proud of myself, I mean I work in a mall, so I should be able to find something. And I did, it was perfect. I did a quick check with Martin, making him measure James's wrist while he slept, and I had it ready and wrapped. I agonized over how to sign the card though. I got one of those miniature cards in the shape of a rose, a bit sappy I know, but I wanted to send a clear message. After two nights of tossing and turning I finally bit the bullet and signed it: Happy Birthday Beautiful All My Love, Brian I decided that was overt enough. But then, the more I thought about it, I decided that was a card I didn't want him to open in front of everyone. So I bought him a gift certificate from my store to give to him in front of everyone, and I planned to leave his other gift in him room for him to find after the party. Then the ball would be totally in his court. Not that I was being a wimp, I just didn't want to come on too strong and force him into an uncomfortable spot, I figured that if I left it up to him to make the move, he could change his mind more easily. By Friday I was a nervous wreck, I changed my cloths like ten times before Michael and Toby got sick of waiting and threatened my life if I wasn't ready in five minutes. I tucked my private present in my coat pocket before the guys could see it and we headed out. The party was being held in one of the large classrooms in the basement. James had invited all the guys from his support group, as well as all the other kids who lived at the center. A few of the day kids were invited as well. Father Patrick was there, as well as James and Martin's mother. She had managed to sneak out for the evening. The boys had decorated the big room and set up several tables, there was music playing, mostly soft dance music. James had set the stage, saying he wanted the couples to be able to dance. Mostly he was talking about the gay couples who couldn't usually dance in public. He was across the room when we entered, sitting with his mother. He rose and approached us as we were hanging our coats, he was grinning from ear to ear. He hugged us all in greeting, but he hugged me longer, I hugged him back. He smelled delicious. Just his smell was enough to make me plump up. He whispered in my ear, "Save me a dance later?" I swallowed the lump in my throat before I whispered, "You bet." He gave me a grin that made my knees weak before he returned to his mother. The party went well, James mingled and talked to everyone, and I sat and watched James. He was wearing loose faded jeans and a red button down shirt, they made his ass look.... I sat watching him dance with his mother and suddenly realized that there was no way I could slow dance with him in public. That'd be smooth, pop a bone in front of James's mother and Father Patrick, not to mention a room full of teenagers, half of them gay. Shit, someone would notice for sure, not to mention James feeling it if we danced to close. Just a hug was enough to make my cock plump up significantly, holding him for a whole dance - that was going to be a problem. Thankfully James was busy hanging out with all his friends and his mother. So I just watched him. He came over and sat with us for a moment and made sure we were still on for our dance before he moved on, I just nodded mutely. Toby and Michael tried to chat with me but I kept giving them intelligent responses like 'Wha'?' and 'Huh?' So they gave up and went to dance. Soon came gift time. The guys from the center had all managed to get James some nice stuff, so he was making out like a bandit. The best gift was from James's mother, she had put together a huge photo album, full of pictures of James as a child, with his brothers and sisters and his real father. James loved it, he got teary and had to duck his head to wipe his eyes. James smiled softly and thanked me when he opened the gift certificate I gave him. Just as the presents were ending Father Patrick and Toby came in with the cake all lit up with candles. It was a basic sheet cake with Happy Birthday written on it in green. We sung and then James was silent for a moment as he considered his wish, he looked at me deeply, with an intense look in his eyes for just a moment before he blew out all the candles. Everyone ate cake and laughed as James and Martin's mother told us funny stories about her boys as children. Then she told James that she wanted one more dance before she had to leave. I could tell from the glances he was giving me that once she had gone he was going to want the dance I had promised him. Out of desperation I decided it was time for me to leave. I approached Toby, who was still serving cake. "T, I'm gonna' take off I think." He glanced up at me, looking surprised and then disappointed. But he only said, "Feeling okay Bri?" "Yeah," I shrugged him off. "I'm just gonna go." "Okay." Toby gave me a small smile. I grabbed my coat and ducked out of the room as quietly and quickly as I could. I made a quick stop before I left the building, I snuck quietly into the room that James shared with 5 other boys at the shelter and with my hands shaking I left my gift for him sitting on his pillow. I left before I could change my mind. Toby's POV: James looked up and noticed Brian make his hasty retreat, I saw his whole attitude sink about 10 degrees as he watched Brian duck out the door with his coat. He looked at me with a question in his eyes, all I could do was shrug. I thought we were getting somewhere, Brian had been in a better mood all week since nana had visited him. She had reported to me that she thought she had gotten through to him. James's mother left shortly after that and James came over to the food table were I was straightening up. He sat down heavily next to Michael, who was on his third piece of cake. "Why did he leave without saying goodbye?" James asked to no one in particular. "I don't know, he was all excited about coming, but once he get here he got really nervous." Michael supplied with a mouth half full of cake. "He was excited about coming tonight?" James asked, his mood brightening a bit. "Yeah, he went through at least five outfits." I added. That made James smile dreamily before he sighed sadly. "He didn't even stay long enough to give me the dance he promised me." James said in the closest thing to a whine I've ever heard come out of James.. Michael's paused in his cake consumption. "I bet that's why he left." "Because he didn't want to dance with me?" James looked confused. "No it's not that, he probably heard that your mother was about to leave and knew that you'd want that dance soon, and I don't know about you but when I slow dance with Toby my body tends to react to the closeness, even more so when we first started dating, he was probably nervous about being too obvious." Somehow Michael's logic had not slowed his eating down and he moved on to his fourth piece of cake. "I never thought of that." James considered it for a moment before he smiled sadly. "You're probably right Michael, I just wish he would have said goodbye." We sat and ate and chatted for another 20 minutes before Martin approached his brother with a small gift. It was about the size of a large jewelry box, wrapped in plain blue paper, and it had a small card stuck to the top. "Hey, bro looks like somebody forgot where the party is, found this on your pillow." "On my pillow?" James squinted at his brother in confusion. "Yeah, I spilled my punch and I went to change my shirt and there it was." Martin said and then wandered off. James looked at the small wrapped box suspiciously. "Aren't you going to open it?" Michael finally asked. "What?" James looked at us like he had just noticed we were there. "Oh yeah, it's just weird, who would leave it in my room?" "There's a card, maybe that'll tell you." James picked up the little card and tore it open carefully. The card was in the shape of a rose, we watched as he read the short message, his eyes got wide and a smile lit up his whole face. He passed the card to Michael who read it aloud, "Happy birthday beautiful, all my love, Brian." Michael and I exchanged a shocked look before we turned back to James who was sitting there with a dreamy smile on his face. He took the card back from Michael and read it again before he looked at us with a huge grin. "Wow." "Gonna' open the present?" I finally asked, unable to stand the anticipation. He tore into the package, sending blue wrapping paper flying everywhere. Inside the plain box was a jewelry box, he flipped it open and he and Michael both let out a slow whistle. I leaned over the table and saw a beautiful watch inside. It had a dark blue face and was one of those really expensive deals that's made to be heavy duty, with a steel band and scratch proof glass. "It's beautiful, I've been needing a new watch for months." James whispered as he pulled it out of the box and slipped in over his wrist, it was a perfect fit. Martin came by just then, and peered over James's shoulder, "Brian, right?" "How'd you know that?" James looked up at his brother in confusion. "He had me measure your wrist, I wondered what was up when he gave you that gift certificate." Martin said with a knowing smile. "Go for it bro." He patted James's shoulder before wandering away again. "James, dude, that's one of those new one's that's supposed to be indestructible, those run a good 300 bucks." Michael said, still mesmerized by the watch. "Why would he just leave this for me, why didn't he give it to me himself?" "Imagine opening that card in front of everyone at the party, what if someone else had read it? He probably wanted to be discrete, and he probably didn't want to push you, remember he still doesn't know how you feel, he probably wanted to leave the ball in your court." Michael theorized, a true expert on his brother's mind. "So now it's up to me?" James asked Michael. "Yep." James considered this, he re-read the card and smiled. "So what are you going to do?" I asked softly. He glanced at his new watch before he looked up and asked me, "Suppose it's too late to go ask for that dance he promised me?" I smiled and pulled my keys out of my pocket, I held one up for him. "This one gets you in the front door." He took them from me with a grin. "Go on, we'll cover for you." "Thanks guys." James said and he made a beeline for the door. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Has anyone out there ever been in or are currently in a successful long term three-way (aka. Triad) relationship? If so tell me about it? I'd love to hear how you made it work, how it started, how does it compare to a traditional relationship? I'm doing research for one of Toby's boys.