Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 12:36:00 EST
From: Tysho13@aol.com
Subject: LESSONS IN LEARNING HOW TO LIVE

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.


A special thanks to my loving partner for helping me edit this story along
with his love and support.


LESSONS IN LEARNING HOW TO LIVE

By Tysho

Copyright March, 2005


	It was Wednesday night, approximately 9:30. Marcus Spencer was
arriving home late from work. Marcus was a typical workaholic. He really
didn't need to work, as he had loads of money that would keep him extremely
comfortable for a long time. Marcus was a millionaire. He had come to money
from an inheritance left by his parents. Marcus comes from old money, which
stems from many generations back. Now you would never have believed by his
actions that he came from a wealthy family. He was a 6'3" man who was built
like a football player, and always wearing Levis, a button down shirt,
along with hiking boots who drove an SUV, just a simple type of man. Marcus
was constantly working long hours at his company, which he had started on
his own without the aid of his family. He worked very hard to make it very
profitable. Marcus was an investor; he would purchase properties and build
condos or townhouses and then resell them, which made him a huge profit.
His home was a mansion, which was left to him by his parents.

	As Marcus pulled into the long driveway, he parked his car in the
carport and proceeded to walk in through the front of the house. There
lying in the atrium was a man, passed out, who was in his early 20's. The
man was dirty, which told Marcus that he was probably living out on the
streets. In spite of being covered from head to toe in dirt and wearing
clothes that were old and worn, the man was attractive to say the least. It
looked to Marcus that the man had been without food for a few days, as he
was quite thin for his size. The man looked to be about 5'10" in height and
about 145 lbs., with a 29-inch waist. Marcus shook the thin man trying to
awaken him.

	"Hey, wake up."

	"Leave me alone," replied the man.

Marcus shook him once more. The man opened his eyes, startled. He then
stood up.

	"I'm really sorry for trespassing, I'll get out of here," the man
responded. As he began to walk out of the atrium, he passed out. Marcus,
with quick reflexes, dropped his briefcase and caught the man as he began
to fall, preventing him from hitting his head on the concrete. Marcus,
being a big man, picked the man up over his shoulder, unlocked the door,
and proceeded to take the man into his home. Marcus then proceeded to take
the man upstairs to a guest room. He lay the man down and went back
downstairs to retrieve his briefcase and lose the door.

	Then he went back up to the spare bedroom to check on his newfound
guest. He proceeded to remove his guest's clothes and then covered him with
a blanket. Marcus then took the clothes to the laundry room and tossed them
into the washer. He then made a phone call to a family friend, Galen, who
was not only a long time family friend, but also the family physician.
Galen and Marcus had grown up together as kids. Galen had become a doctor
and Marcus had become an entrepreneur.

	"Hello, Galen, this is Marcus."

	"Hey Marcus, what's up?"

	"I am really sorry for bothering you this late in the evening, but
I've got kind of a problem here at home and I was wondering if you could
come by the house?"

	"Why sure, Marcus, I can be at your house in about 15 minutes.
What's going on?"

	"It's kind of a weird story, I can explain it better when you get
here. And could you bring your medical stuff with you?"

	"I'm out the door now, and I will see you when I get there."

	"Thanks a lot, Galen. I will see you soon. Bye."

	Fifteen minutes later the doorbell rang. Marcus went to get the
door. Galen was punctual as usual. Marcus was kind of on edge, he had never
in all of his life had to actually do something like this, especially
taking a man off the street into his own home.

	"Hi, Galen, I really appreciate you coming over like this on such
short notice."

	"Not a problem, Marcus, you know I'd do anything for you. What's
wrong? You look white as a ghost."

	"Well, I got home from work, late as usual, and found this man
passed out in front my doorway. I tried to wake him up. He got up and
proceeded to leave the premises and then blacked out. Luckily I caught
him. I was wondering if you could check on him. He looks like he hasn't
eaten in weeks. I could also smell liquor on him and who knows what else he
might have done."

	"Ok, bud, not a problem. I will take a look at him. Let's go and
see him now."

	The two of them proceeded to go and check on Marcus' new guest. As
the two of them got to the guest room, there was the man still lying under
the blanket passed out.

	"Galen, I removed his clothes and put them in the wash. Maybe when
he regains conscious I can get him cleaned up."

	"Hey, wake up," as Galen nudged him.

	The man opened his eyes and jumped up in total shock and fear. He
didn't remember what had happened, and this didn't look like a familiar
place.

	"Where am I?" replied the man.

	"You passed out on my doorway. You began to leave when all of a
sudden you passed out." Marcus tried to explain.

	"Let me check you out. My name is Dr. Galen Walters. I am a friend
and also Marcus' physician. We are not here to harm you, but to help you
out. What's your name?"

	"My name is Elliott Michaels."

	"Well nice to meet you, Elliott, this is Marcus, the man who found
you and whose home you're in. It looks to me that you are suffering from
malnutrition and also that you seem to have been drinking a lot. When was
the last time you had something to eat?"

	"A couple of days ago, I guess. I don't exactly remember."

	"What else besides drinking have you done lately? Any drugs?"

	The man became very uneasy and proceeded to get up, but realized
that he hadn't any clothes on his body. Galen put his hand on the man's
shoulder firmly, trying to calm him down.

	"Where are my clothes?"

	"Relax, we are not the inquisition. Besides that, Marcus has your
clothes in the washer. So it will be a while before your clothes are
clean. Now calm down. Why don't we worry about getting you on your feet
first. I am sure that Marcus doesn't mind you staying here for a while
until you are better. Now, will you answer the question honestly, have you
been on any type of drugs?"  "You're not going to call the cops on me, are
you?"

	"We promise. I just need to know what you've been taking so I don't
give you anything that might be harmful to you," Galen replied,
reassuringly.  "Ok, I've been drinking and also free-basing, a lot."

	Galen then took his blood pressure, listened to his heart, and took
his temperature. There were a few bruises on Elliott's body but other than
that things looked pretty normal in spite of his condition.

	"Well, your blood pressure and heart rate seems to be coming back
to normal. It must be at least a day or so since you've done any drugs or
alcohol. Temperature is normal too. I think what you need is a bath, some
food to eat, and to stay off the drugs and alcohol. I am going to head on
out so Marcus can feed you and give you a bath. He has my number in case
anything should arise. It was nice to meet you, Elliott. I hope you take
better care of yourself."

	"I'll see you to the door, Galen. Elliott, wait here and I will be
right back," Marcus and Galen proceeded to leave the room and walk down the
stairs.

	"So, what should I do, Galen?"

	"Well, Marcus, you have your hands full here; he might be an addict
and an alcoholic or it could be just a one-time thing. Right now get him
cleaned up, feed him, and let him sleep it off for a while. I will check on
him in a couple of days. Also, you may want to talk to him. Find out what
happened. Try to be a friend for him. You'll do just fine, Marcus."

	Marcus and Galen said their goodbyes. Marcus went back upstairs to
check on his guest. The spare bedroom had a connected private bathroom. He
went into the spare bathroom to start the water of the huge bathtub and to
get Elliott a bathrobe.

	"Here, Elliott, you can put this on. The water is started in the
tub and there are fresh towels in the bathroom along with a new toothbrush
and toothpaste. Make yourself at home. I am going to fix some food for us
while you get cleaned up. You can come down to the kitchen when you are
through."

	As Marcus proceeded to go downstairs to the kitchen, Elliott said,
"Marcus, wait. I just wanted to thank you very much for helping me out. I
really appreciate all of your help."

	"Don't worry about it. Now hurry up and get ready, so we can eat."

	Marcus headed downstairs. Elliott threw on the robe and went into
the bathroom. The bathroom was huge. The bathtub itself was not your
ordinary bathtub, it was Jacuzzi. In fact it was a Jacuzzi. Elliott could
not believe his eyes. Everything from the floors, the sink, and the bathtub
was in marble. The tub filled with warm water and bubbles. The bathroom was
fit for a king. Elliott dropped the robe and then climbed into the tub. It
had been quite a while since he had taken a bath. As Elliott soaked in the
tub he began to think. Tears began pouring out his eyes as he remembered
all the pain he had gone through in his life. From the death of his
parents, to being put in an orphanage, then being physically and
emotionally abused in the orphanages, then taking off onto the streets,
where he was hustling and stealing in order to survive. That eventually led
him to alcohol and drugs, just to escape the pain that he was feeling
inside. Now here he was, taken in by some rich man and now soaking in a
huge bathtub. It was just overwhelming.

	Elliott finished cleaning off and got out of the tub, dried
himself, and cleaned up after himself. Since he still didn't have his
clothes he put the bathrobe back on and went downstairs to find the
kitchen. As he walked down the stairs he couldn't believe his eyes. The
décor of this place was beyond belief. As he was stuck in his reverie, he
heard, "Elliott, is that you?"  Marcus appeared from the hallway. "Feeling
better?"

	"Oh, yeah," Elliott replied, still in total disbelief. "Uh, Marcus,
does this house really belong to you?"

	"Yeah, my folks left it to me when they passed away. Make yourself
at home. A little overwhelming, isn't it. I have been here for years,
actually lived here most of my life, and I still can't get over it."

	"Uh, Marcus, I don't mean to pry, but what exactly do you do?"
inquired Elliott.

	"I am an investor. I purchase property, fix it up, and then sell
it. The house is a result of family money. Now come on and let's eat. We
need to fatten you up a little bit."

	When the two of them got to the kitchen, there on the kitchen table
was everything set up. Marcus had broiled some steaks and had some baked
potatoes and steamed vegetables along with two dinner salads.

	"Wow, what a spread."

	The two of them began to eat their meals. Elliott ate as if there
was no tomorrow. Elliott had two T-bone steaks, two potatoes, his salad and
vegetables. Marcus sat in total amazement. Never had he seen someone eat so
fast and so much at one sitting. Marcus began to giggle; Elliott noticed
and stopped eating.

	"What's wrong, Marcus?" Elliott inquired.

	"I can't believe that a little man like you can put away so much
food in such little time. It just reminds me of when I was a kid. Galen and
I used to have races as to who could eat the most and also to see who could
eat the fastest."

	"I can't help it, you're a great cook."

	"Go ahead and finish up, there is some dessert and coffee after you
finish with that. I hope you like chocolate mousse cake."

	Elliott finished up his meal as Marcus brought a three layer
chocolate mousse cake along with a pot of coffee. Marcus cut a huge slice
of cake, and placed it on the plate, and put it down beside Elliott. After
Elliott had finished his meal he practically inhaled the cake. Marcus just
sat there watching Elliott, trying to hold back from giggling with no
success. After Elliott had finished his dessert, he raised his head and
looked up at Marcus, turning beet red with embarrassment.

	"I'm sorry, Marcus, for making a pig of my self."

	"That's quite all right. I am so glad you enjoyed your meal. I was
wondering if we could have a little chat, now that you are finished. I
would very much like to get to know you a little better, if you don't
mind."

	"Sure, Marcus, I'd like that very much. But would you mind if I had
a second helping of cake while we are talking?"

	"Why sure, Elliott, go right ahead. Help yourself to some more."

	Elliott helped himself to some more cake as Marcus poured them some
more coffee.

	"So, Elliott, would you mind telling me about what you were doing
at my doorway?"

	"Well, as you already know, I have been drinking and doing a lot of
drugs. I had spotted your doorway and noticed that it would be good cover
for getting some rest, mainly for shelter. I have been living on the
streets for a couple of years now. My parents died when I was a teenager
and I was sent to live in an orphanage. At the orphanage I use to get
mistreated by some guys living there. I managed to finish high school while
I was at the orphanage. I left the orphanage when I turned 18. I went off
to college to live in the dorm, which was paid for by the government, and
because my grades were very good, I had gotten a few scholarships. There at
college I met this girl. We both fell in love with one another. We were
dating for about two years. But one thing came between the two of us, her
father. He had done some checking on my background and had found out where
I had come from, a poor family and also from an orphanage. Well, for him
that wasn't good enough for his daughter. He told me to stay away from
her. He pulled her from school and sent her to a different school. I took
it pretty rough. I started drinking a lot. The drinking started interfering
with my studies. Eventually, the drinking led to the drugs. I found that
the drugs and alcohol were more important than school, so I left school."

	As Elliott continued telling his story, tears started rolling down
his cheeks, tears of guilt and shame. "I had moved in with a friend who I
used to party with. He had the hots for me, even if I wasn't
interested. But I eventually traded sex for drugs and alcohol. He then told
me that I could make a lot of money, which would pay for the drugs if I
hustled. He had some connections with guys who would pay me to have sex
with them. It was easy money for me. They would pay a hundred bucks to suck
me off, and all I would do was jack them off. That is as far as I would
go. I have been doing this for a few years now. Then I was partying a
couple of days ago. I went for a walk just to get away, when I saw your
doorway. I just needed to crash for a while. Marcus, I don't want you to
get the wrong idea of me. I just thought that I'd crash for an hour or
so. . . Listen, I'll get out of here in the morning."

	Marcus couldn't believe his ears. All of his life was a piece of
cake in comparison with Elliott's. He tried to hold back the tears. He
really could see how this young man did everything to escape life. In a way
that was a demon in Marcus' life too. Trying to hide that he was gay,
trying to be something that he wasn't. Marcus had realized that his only
escape was his work. Let's face it, he didn't have much of a social life;
after all of these years he was still living in the closet. He had all of
the money he could ever need and he still wasn't happy.

	"Elliott, I'll make you a deal. If you stop the drinking and doing
the drugs, you can live here rent free, no strings attached. The other part
of this deal is that you can come and work for me and I will pay you a
salary and also pay for you to finish your education. I don't expect
anything in return, just as long as you stay away from the drugs and
alcohol. Also the friendship is an added bonus. It gets awfully lonely
living in a big house like this. I didn't realize how much fun having
dinner with someone else really was."

	Elliott couldn't believe his ears. Living in a mansion rent free, a
job offer and is education paid for on top of all this. It was like hitting
the jackpot. And all he had to do was stop drinking and doing drugs.

	"Elliott, you sleep on it and we can discuss it tomorrow. There is
one thing I also need to tell you, which I hope will not scare you
away. The fact is that I am gay. I don't expect any sexual favors from you
whatsoever. I just thought that maybe I could help you out, and also, the
fact is that I enjoy your company. Now, why don't you get ready for bed and
I will clean up here."

	The whole conversation with Marcus was overwhelming. First, Elliott
couldn't believe how much of himself he had exposed to Marcus. The second
thing was that Marcus was willing to help him out without a price tag on
it. It was kind of strange. No one had ever been so kind to him, in all of
his life. All of a sudden Elliott became overwhelmed with emotion. Tears
came pouring out of his eyes.

	"Elliott, are you OK?" Marcus asked, concerned.

	Marcus put down the dishes and sat next to Elliott. He put his arms
around Elliot and just held him as Elliott continued crying.

	"Elliott, don't worry, it will get better, I promise you, just give
yourself a chance," Marcus said, consoling.

	"Marcus, I just want to thank you for everything. You have already
done so much for me. No one has ever been so kind to me. So loving and
caring, I just can't believe that this is happening to me. You don't even
look down on me. With all of your money, you treat me like an equal. You
also show me respect, something I don't even have for myself."

	Marcus could also feel the emotions coming; there were a few tears
in his eyes. He tried to be strong for Elliott. There was something in
Elliott that he had admired. In spite of all of Elliott's hardships he
still was a warm individual. Something inside him told him this. Elliott
had noticed the tears in Marcus' eyes. All of a sudden Elliott broke off in
a loud and fake exaggeration of their crying. The two of them busted out in
a roar of laughter as they wiped away their tears.

	"You asshole!" said Marcus, nudging Elliott's shoulder. "Get to bed
so I can finish up here."

	Marcus grabbed the dishes and proceeded to wash them. As Marcus was
putting the dishes in the dish rack, Elliott got up, grabbed a dishtowel,
and began drying the dishes. As Marcus put the last dish in the rack,
Elliott finished drying that last dish. Marcus grabbed a dry towel to wipe
his hands dry. After Elliott finished drying the last dish, he twisted up
his moist dish towel and cracked Marcus on the butt with a loud crack.

	"OUCH! What did you do that for?"

	"Your butt was the perfect target, I just couldn't resist."

	Elliott began to fold the dishtowel and lay it on the counter. As
he was doing it, Marcus twisted up the towel in his hand and reciprocated
the same deed that Elliott had bestowed on him.

	"OUCH!" Elliott yelped.

	"One good turn deserves another. Now, let's get to bed, we have a
long day ahead of us," Marcus giggled.

	The two of them headed up the stairs to their respective bedrooms,
Marcus' bedroom was further down the hall. As Elliott came to his bedroom,
he turned around and kissed Marcus on the cheek.

	"Good night, Marcus, and thanks for everything."

	"You're quite welcome, Elliott. Pleasant dreams," Marcus said,
blushing.

	Marcus arrived in his bedroom; he proceeded to undress and wash up
for bed. He couldn't stop thinking of what had just transpired between the
two of them. Here was a man who he had taken into his home to help
out. Someone who was "straight" yet had kissed him on the cheek. Marcus had
taken a liking to Elliott. It wasn't necessarily sexual. Although he did
find Elliott an attractive man, it was more of a connection. He actually
cared for someone else. The reality was that there was really nothing wrong
about it. It was purely genuine. There was some confusion, all of the
so-called stereotypes he had heard of gay men being promiscuous. Yet there
really wasn't a sexual thought in his mind, just the idea of caring for
someone else. Being male had nothing to do with it. He managed to knock
these thoughts out of his mind and proceeded to tuck himself into bed. He
turned out the lights and fell into a deep sleep.

	During the night Marcus was suddenly awakened. His eyes opened, and
as he looked down he noticed that a head was lying across his chest and an
arm across his abdomen. He tilted his head slightly to see who it was next
to him. Half asleep and groggy, he realized that it was Elliott. Marcus
then turned his head to the left to look at the time on the alarm
clock. The clock read 4:30 a.m. Marcus shook Elliott's arm.

	"Elliott, are you OK?" Marcus whispered.

	"Yeah, Marcus, I am fine now. It's just that I am not used to
sleeping in such a big place with such a big bed. Do you mind if I stay
here with you?"

	"No, it's fine. Go back to sleep."

	Marcus couldn't believe what he had just said. He had just realized
that Elliott didn't have any clothes on, either. All Marcus had on was a
pair of pajama bottoms. His wheels began to turn again. Thoughts marched
through his head. He had never shared his bed with anyone else, let alone a
"straight man" at that. Although he kind of questioned that too, what made
the thoughts subside was the fact of all the traumas Elliott had been
through in life were reason enough for his strange behavior. Elliott was
like a little lost boy. The closeness of another body next to his had
created a stirring inside his pajama bottoms. Marcus began turning red. It
was a good thing that it was still dark in the room. That way Elliott
wouldn't notice the stirring in his pajama bottoms nor the flush of red in
his face. Marcus managed to finally drift back to sleep.

	About 9:30 in the morning the phone rang. Marcus managed to grab
the phone to answer it.

	"Hello, who's this? Oh, hi, Sarah, how are you? What time is it?"

	"It's nine-thirty, Marcus, I was wondering if anything was
wrong. You are usually here before I get to work," replied Sarah, his
secretary.

	"Oh, I am sorry Sarah, for not calling you sooner, it seems that I
had some urgent happenings here at the house late last night and that I
need to finish up here today, so it looks like I won't be in until
tomorrow. Would you mind holding down the fort for me?"

	"Why sure, Marcus, not a problem. I thought that maybe you had
gotten hurt, so I was just checking. I had tried your cell phone but there
was no answer. So I figured I'd try you at home. I am just glad that
everything is OK. I will see you tomorrow morning then. Have a great day,
Marcus."

	"Thanks, Sarah, for being a big help to me. I will talk to you
later. Bye."

	During Marcus' phone conversation, he could see Elliott getting out
of the bed, completely naked, as he tiptoed back to his own room. Marcus
got out of the bed and went to his dresser to pull out a pair of sweats for
Elliott to wear, since Elliott's clothes were pretty much tattered. He then
took the sweats to Elliot's room and knocked on the bedroom door.

	"Hey Elliott, why don't you put these on and after breakfast we can
take a run to the mall and pick you up some clothes to wear, since the
clothes you had on were pretty worn. So why don't you get ready and I will
meet you downstairs."

	"Marcus, you don't really have to do all of this for me, but I
really appreciate it."

	Marcus left the room and proceeded to go back to his bedroom to get
ready. The two of them soon met downstairs. Marcus had pancakes and sausage
on the table waiting for the two of them as Elliott came down to the
kitchen. They proceeded to eat their breakfast in silence; not much was
said, except "could you pass the butter" or "could you pass the syrup."
There seemed to be some tension between the two of them after their night
in bed with one another. Marcus was still slightly confused as to Elliott's
actions last night, but he wasn't going to rock the boat. He figured that
in time Elliott would explain. After the two had finished eating, they both
cleaned up the dishes. There was total silence all through this time.

	As they were getting ready to leave for the mall, Marcus blurted
out, "Hey, Elliott, here's your wallet. It was in your pants pocket, and
here are the car keys. You drive."

	Marcus tossed Elliott the car keys after handing him the
wallet. Marcus had noticed earlier before doing the laundry that Elliott
had a wallet. As he removed the wallet from the young man's worn and dirty
pants, prior to washing them, he had noticed that Elliott had a driver's
license, so he figured that it would be OK for Elliott to drive the two of
them to the mall. He had also thought that it would be a good idea to give
Elliott the opportunity to let him know that he trusted him and to give him
some sort of responsibility in the process. He thought that this might ease
some of the tension between the two of them.

	As they left the house and approached the driveway, Elliott noticed
the black SUV sitting in the driveway. He couldn't believe his eyes. The
SUV was spectacular, and Marcus trusted him to drive it.

	"You can unlock the doors with the remote control on the key
ring. Just press the button that has the lock symbol on it," Marcus
explained.

	Elliott pressed the button on the small remote control and all four
of the doors unlocked simultaneously. The two of them hopped into the
car. Elliott felt slightly nervous. The responsibility that was involved in
driving this vehicle was beyond his wildest dreams. They then buckled their
seatbelts. Elliott took in a deep breath to regain his composure.

	"Are you sure that you want me to drive this thing?" Elliott asked
with a slight nervousness in his voice.

	"Sure, I want you to drive. It's just a car, no big deal. You can
handle it. I trust you with it. What could happen, you get into an
accident? And even if you did, it's no big deal, it's just a car."

	"Gee, thanks. No big deal - yeah right. OK, here goes, you're
asking for it."

	Elliott then started the engine and proceeded to back up the
vehicle and then turned it around so they headed onto the road. As Elliott
was driving, Marcus gave him directions as to where to go. Elliott was like
a teenage boy with a new toy. Never in his life he had driven such an
awesome vehicle. When he had taken driving lessons, he had driven and old
beat-up car with a big sign that had his high school's name on it. That
didn't even come close to what he was driving now. The other thing he had
realized was that no one had ever trusted him before. As he continued
driving to their destination he began to feel self-confidence flowing
through his body. As they pulled into the parking lot of the mall, once
again Elliott couldn't believe his eyes. Never in his entire life had he
been to such a huge shopping mall or even a clothing store for that
matter. When he was in the orphanage he would get other kids' hand-me-downs
that were donated to the orphanage, and after he left the orphanage he
would purchase his clothes in thrift stores, as he couldn't afford to buy
new clothes.

	Elliott parked the vehicle in a spot. The two of them got out of
the vehicle and Marcus instructed him how to lock the doors with the
remote. After Elliott had finished locking the car doors, they walked
towards the mall. As they entered the doors of the mall, Elliott once again
became totally floored at what he was witnessing. Marcus finally snapped
his fingers in front of Elliott's face to bring him back to reality.

	"Come on, snap out of it. We have a lot of things to get for you
with so little time to do it in."

	The two of them went from store to store: shirts, pants, shoes,
socks, pajamas, underwear and other accessories, as one thing after another
was purchased. Elliott watched in total amazement as Marcus purchased all
these items with his credit card. Never in his life had he witnessed
anything like this. Marcus was very sure of himself on the purchases they
were making. Elliott would be in the dressing trying on different forms of
clothing as Marcus would bring them to the dressing room for Elliott to try
on. After they finished purchasing all the necessary clothing, they came
upon a jewelry store. There Marcus began looking various watches.

	"So, what do you think about this one, Elliott?"

	"But it's over $200 for that thing, are you nuts?" Elliott
stuttered.

	"We'll take this one," Marcus said, very a sure of himself.

	The salesman then rang up the sale; all Elliott could hear in his
head was the "kaaaaaaaaaaaching" of a cash register. The two of them then
left the mall, stuffed everything into the back of the vehicle, and
proceeded to get into the car and drive off. Elliott was pale as a
ghost. He was just so overwhelmed by the day's events. Before the two of
them headed home they stopped at the university. There they went to the
office to sign up Elliott. Marcus knew that it would take some time to
retrieve Elliott's records and go through all the necessary paperwork, so
he figured the sooner that they started the better it would be. After they
finished, they headed back home. When they arrived, they unloaded the
vehicle of all of the things they had purchased and proceeded to take them
into the house, upstairs to Elliott's room. There they unloaded everything
onto the queen-size bed. All the purchases they had made covered the entire
bed, along with a few bags of stuff on the floor. The two of them began
unpacking everything, placing the clothing in the dresser and hanging some
of the clothing in the closet. After they had put everything away, the two
of them collapsed on Elliott's bed.

	"Whew, I can't believe that we bought all of this stuff," Elliott
sighed.

	"Come on, Elliott, change into your robe and grab a towel from the
bathroom. I'll give you a tour of the house and after that we can wind up
in the swimming pool. We can have a swim and then relax in the Jacuzzi."

	"But, I don't have a swimming suit."

	"Who needs a swimming suit, this isn't a swimming pool in a hotel,
you know. Besides, I always go skinny-dipping. It's a lot of fun. I'll be
back in a few minutes to get you."

	Marcus left to go and change into a robe. When he got back, Elliott
was sitting on the bed waiting for him; then the two of them proceeded to
take a tour of the huge mansion. As they walked down the hallway, they went
past a stairway where there were three other rooms -another bedroom with a
full bathroom, a study, and a den. In the den was a wide-screen television,
stereo, and bar.

	After checking all the rooms on the top floor, they went
downstairs. Off the main entryway were the living room, dining room, and
kitchen, and down the corridor was a door. Through the door was a full-size
swimming pool with a sauna, and a Jacuzzi, and a waterfall coming down
above the side of the Jacuzzi. The two of them took off their robes. As
they took off their robes they began to size one another up. Marcus with
his 6'3" frame, a broad and hairy chest, muscular legs, and round, firm
buttocks. Then there was Elliott with his thin 5'10" body. He had a small
patch of hair on his chest and a thin line of hair running from his navel
down to his pubic area. His buttocks were small and firm with a small patch
of hair running above the crack of his ass. Because of Elliott's poor
eating habits from the time he was consuming alcohol and drugs, Marcus
could see his ribs showing from lack of nutrition. Both men seemed fairly
well endowed for their size frames. The two of them proceeded to walk
alongside the pool. Elliott was in front of Marcus, and as they continued
walking, Marcus grabbed Elliott and pushed him into the pool, then dived in
behind him.

	"What did you do that for?" said Elliott as he surfaced above the
water.

	"It seemed like the right thing to do. Besides, one good turn
deserves another, or have you forgotten last night?" Marcus laughed.

	"OK, I guess I deserve that one."

	The two of them proceeded to swim a couple lengths of the
pool. After they had finished their workout, they hopped out of the pool
and went into the Jacuzzi. Marcus turned on the whirlpool as the two of
them soaked in the tub to relax from their busy day of shopping. As the two
of them relaxed in the bubbly water, Marcus decided to ask Elliott about
the incident of his moving into Marcus' bed the night before, to find out
if anything was wrong.

	"Elliott, I don't mean to pry, but I was wondering, why did you
decide to come into my bed last night?" Marcus inquired.

	As Marcus finished his question, Elliott began to be totally
consumed with emotion. Sadness struck his face along with tears. He turned
away from Marcus and began sobbing. Then he curled up into a fetal
position. Marcus realized that he had struck a nerve and moved closer to
Elliott and put his hand on his shoulder to try and comfort the young
man. Elliott turned around to face Marcus, and as he turned, Marcus wrapped
his arm around Elliott, trying to comfort him.  "I suppose I do owe you an
explanation. I am really sorry about what happened last night," said
Elliott as he continued sobbing.

	"You don't have to explain anything right now. If it's too painful,
it can wait. Only if you want to tell me, then I will be here to
listen. Only when you are ready," replied Marcus comfortingly.

	"No, you have been so kind to me from the get-go, the least I can
do is be honest with you.

	"Well, I told you that I was mistreated in the orphanage by some of
the guys. Because I was so small, some of them would physically and
sexually mistreat me. The first night I was there, they put me into a large
room by myself. I guess for the sake of my own protection, which really
didn't do any good. It was a very large dark room with a single bed in
it. Well, that night three guys had gotten into the room where I was
sleeping. They would start punching me. They wouldn't hit me in the face,
for fear that the marks on my face would be seen by the staff
members. After they had beaten me that night, then they left. The staff
moved me into the room with the other guys the next day, and that night
they did the same thing. During the daytime they would bump into me, or
shove me, if no one was around to see. This continued for a while.  By the
fourth night they dragged me into the first room that I had been in. They
forced me to suck each of them off and said I was to do whatever they
wanted as long as I was there. After I had sucked them off they would punch
me again and again, just to remind me who was in charge. They eventually
got bored with this and would do it a couple times a week. A few months
later, they eventually forced me to take it in the . . ."

	Elliott couldn't get the words out and continued crying even
more. Marcus squeezed him tighter to try and comfort him. After about five
minutes, Elliott managed to wipe away his tears and tried to continue with
his story.

	"It still bothers me even to this day. To be alone in a large and
dark room. I think that is why I started drinking and getting high. Just to
escape the fear and loneliness. All of my life I've lived in constant
fear. I was always being judged in one form or another. Whether it was
because I was small, being an orphan, or being poor. Last night when you
had taken me into your home, called your doctor friend, and fed me, for the
first time in my life I felt safe. I didn't feel alone or in fear when I
slept next to you. When I did it with other men it was for either money,
drugs, booze or because I was forced to do sexual favors. I really find
girls hot, but somehow I don't feel safe and free from fear, but with you,
Marcus, it's different. this sounds kind of strange, doesn't it?"

	"Well, Elliott if it's any consolation to you, the fact is that I
don't feel quite secure with being gay either. I never dated anyone or even
had sex, male or female. I'm still a virgin. I guess that I've always been
afraid. I just drown myself in my work. So I guess you could say that I
live in fear too. I'm not exactly free from fear either. Maybe it's an area
that we both need to work on."

	Elliott couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't believe that Marcus,
with all of his money, was fearful too. That he was afraid of being
himself, just like he was. The fear of living, living a life of happiness
instead of running away from things in whatever form that may be. Marcus
seemed to be a self-confident individual, but Elliott guessed that was not
necessarily the truth either.

	"Come on, Elliott, let's get dried off so we can fix ourselves some
dinner."

	The two of them dried off and headed for the kitchen. They decided
on making stir-fry. Elliott cut the vegetables and Marcus began working on
dessert. As they made their preparations, the doorbell rang.

	"Elliott, would you mind getting the door for me?"

	"Sure, no problem."

	Elliott ran down the hallway in his robe to answer the door. There
at the door was Galen. He opened the door to let Galen in.

	"Hi, Elliott, how are you doing today?"

	"I'm doing better today, thanks for asking."

	"I just stopped by to check up on you to see how you're doing. Is
Marcus home?"

	"Yeah, he's in the kitchen making some kind of dessert. I was
cutting vegetables for the stir-fry for our dinner this evening. Come on in
and follow me."

	"Thanks."

	The two of them went into the kitchen, where Marcus mixing the cake
batter.

	"Hey Galen, how's it going?"

	"Hello Marcus, I just came over to check on Elliott to see how he
was progressing. He seems to be a lot better today, in spite of the amount
of alcohol and drugs that were in his system."

	"Yeah, it's amazing what food and rest can do for a person. He
still has his moments. All this is kind of new for him and sometimes
overwhelming for him. We went to the mall and bought some clothes for
him. Had a swim and now are making dinner. Would you care to stay for
dinner with us?"

	"I'm afraid not, but maybe I could take a rain check. So, Elliott,
have you decided what you're going to do?"

	"Well, Marcus offered me a job and a place to stay, as long as I
stay sober, along with my tuition to finish college. I haven't given him my
decision yet, but I've thought about it and I think I want to give it a
shot, if the offer is still good," replied Elliott.

	"That sounds like a great offer. I think that you would be happy
here. Marcus is a great guy."

	"Well then it's settled, Elliott, you'll live here and we'll go on
from there," replied Marcus.

	"I guess that everything is in order here, so I'll get going. I'll
see you two later."

	"I'll see you out Galen," Marcus responded.

	As the two of them headed for the front door, Galen and Marcus
discussed the plans about Elliott. Galen, being a doctor, had some ideas of
the difficulties that might be ahead of both Elliott and Marcus as a result
of Elliott trying to get sober. But Galen knew that once Marcus had made up
his mind, he would stick to his decision. The other side of the situation
is that he could be wrong about the whole thing. To Galen, Elliott didn't
seem like a typical drunk or drug addict. He probably just needed a break
after a very difficult life. The other thing was that he had known Marcus
since they were kids and quite possibly this could be a blessing in
disguise for Marcus. He knew that Marcus was a workalcoholic and used work
to escape from whatever he was having difficulty looking at in his life.

	"So are you sure about this? You know that you might have a rocky
road ahead with Elliott," asked Galen.

	"Yes, Galen, I'm aware of the difficulties ahead of us. But Elliott
has had a pretty rough life and deserves a break. I have the financial
means, so I'm cool about the whole situation. I really think he's a great
person. Maybe I'm using this as an excuse to escape looking at me just like
I do with my work, who knows? I don't have the answers," explained Marcus.

	"OK, bud. I am behind you 100 percent. Whatever you need, whether
it be someone to talk to you or otherwise, I will be here for you."

	"Thanks again, Galen, for being there for me. I really appreciate
it."

	"I'll see you later, Marcus, take care. Bye."

	"Bye, Galen."

	After Marcus had seen Galen out the door, he returned to the
kitchen. He and Elliott finished preparing their meal, ate, and cleaned
up. They then had decided to go and take showers, in their separate rooms
and turn in for the night. When Marcus had finished showering and walked
into his bedroom, he found Elliott fast asleep under the covers of his
bed. Elliott reminded Marcus of a little child who would sneak into his
parents bed. They had both had a long day, and Marcus knew he would have to
go back to work in the morning. At least tomorrow was Friday and the two of
them would have the weekend to take care of other things, along with
getting to know one another. Marcus set his alarm clock and crawled under
the covers, making sure he didn't wake up Elliott. As soon as Marcus got
settled under the covers, Elliott turned over and placed his head on
Marcus' chest and his right arm over Marcus' midsection. Marcus then kissed
the top of Elliott's head and said good-night.

	In the morning when the alarm went off, Marcus reached over with
his left hand and slammed it off. Still groggy, he opened his eyes and sat
up in the bed. When he turned to look on his right side, he could see that
the spot next to him was empty. He got out of the bed completely nude,
which was the usual way he slept every night. After he threw on a robe, he
proceeded to look to see where Elliott was. As he walked out of his
bedroom, he could smell the aroma of fried bacon and pancakes. He walked
down the stairs to the kitchen. There was Elliott, all dressed up in dress
slacks and a shirt and tie with an apron wrapped around the front of his
body, cooking pancakes and bacon for breakfast.

	"Good morning, Sunshine, are we ready for breakfast? We must start
the work day right, with a hearty breakfast. You know that breakfast is the
most important meal of the day," Elliott giggled.

	"Are you trying to be a smartass this early in the morning?" Marcus
replied, grumbling.

	"No, I'm just excited that today is my first day of work in a long
time. Now come on and sit down and eat. Juice and coffee are on the table."

	The two of them had their breakfast, and while Elliott was cleaning
up the dishes, Marcus went upstairs to shower and dress for work. Then they
drove to work. Once they arrived they were greeted by Marcus' secretary,
Sarah. After introducing Sarah and Elliott, Marcus left them alone with one
another as he went into his office. Sarah showed Elliott the ropes of his
new position. After a few hours Elliott got the hang of the office
procedures, Sarah left him on his own, checking up on him
periodically. After a busy first day of work for Elliott, Marcus took
Elliott out to dinner before going home for the evening. When they arrived
home the two of them showered and got ready for bed. Once again when Marcus
had finished his shower and went back into his bedroom, there was Elliott
lying on the bed waiting for him patiently.

	"Marcus, I just wanted to thank you once again for everything
you've done for me," Elliott said as he kissed Marcus on the cheek and
rested his head on his chest.

	The two of them said their "goodnights" as they both drifted off
into a deep sleep. During the middle of the night, Elliott began tossing
and turning as a result of a nightmare. All of a sudden he jumped up with a
loud scream. The scream startled Marcus awake as he jumped up from a deep
sleep.

	"Elliott, are you OK? Wake up! It's Marcus, I'm here."

	"Yeah, I'm OK. It's just a flashback. I get them every now and
then. No big deal."

	Marcus put his arms around Elliott's naked torso, trying to comfort
him. Elliott lay his head back down on Marcus' chest as Marcus kissed the
top of his head. Elliott then lifted his head and turned to face
Marcus. Marcus could see that the nightmare had had some impact on Elliott,
as tears ran down his face.

	"Uh, Marcus, can you do me a favor?"

	"I'll try, what do you want, Elliott?"

	"You know you have been so good to me, when no one else has in my
entire life. I really don't know exactly what I'm feeling, but I think I
want you to kiss me, if that's OK with you."

	"But I thought that you liked girls," Marcus said with a confused
look.

	"I do. But there's something about you that makes me curious, True,
I have had sex with men for money and drugs. But with you, it's
different. Besides that, we're both in your bed naked, doesn't that account
for something?" replied Elliott.

	With that Marcus placed his hand on Elliott's chin, tilted his head
upwards, and kissed him on the lips. Just a peck at first, then the two of
them continued kissing one another. Never had Marcus kissed another man
before, so patiently. All these years he had drowned his sexual desires in
his work. Marcus couldn't believe what was happening. He was actually
giving in to his feelings and desires. Just trying on be himself for the
first time in his life. Elliott like Marcus was also starting to give in to
his desires. True, Elliott had had sex with other men for money or drugs or
because he was forced, but this time it was different. This time he wanted
to. There was emotion that captivated this moment. For the first time in
both of their lives they were becoming aware of who they were and just
exactly what they wanted. They wanted each other.

	Elliott, being the more experienced of the two, removed the covers
off their naked bodies as they continued kissing passionately. He then
began running his hand back and forth across Marcus hairy chest. As he did
this, his hand would stop for a few minutes paying close attention to
Marcus nipples, first the right one and then the left. Marcus began
groaning through his kisses. His body experienced sensations never felt
before. Marcus body began to writhe in response to Elliott's sensual
caresses. Gaining a moment of clarity, Marcus pushed Elliott away and
stopped him.

	"Elliott, are you sure that you want to do this? I don't want to
force you into anything you don't want to do."

	"Yes, Marcus, I am very sure. I never wanted anything more in my
life. I want you."

	Elliott could sense a little hesitancy from Marcus. He could really
understand why Marcus was so concerned. Then it hit him. He had remembered
that it was Marcus' first time.

	"Marcus, let me make your first time a special one. You have made
me aware of what a special person I am. Now I want to make you aware that
making love to another man is special too. One good turn deserves another,
right?"

	"But, I never did it with a woman or a guy, for that matter," said
Marcus, turning red.

	"Well, that makes two of us. We're doing it because we both want to
do it, with one another I should add. So this will be both of our first
times. Just follow my lead and let me show you."

	Elliott resumed kissing Marcus. They began exploring each other's
mouths with their tongues. Elliott slowly began to move downwards. He took
Marcus' left nipple between his lips and began sucking on it, alternating
between licking and sucking his nipple. Marcus once again started to writhe
in ecstasy. After a few moments of focusing on his left nipple, he switched
to the right one and proceeded to do exactly what he had done to the
left. After a few minutes of focusing on Marcus' right nipple, he began
licking downwards towards his groin area.

	When Elliott reached Marcus' groin, there across his stomach lay an
8" piece of perfection, hard as a rock and oozing its juices onto his
stomach in response to Elliott's stimulation. Ever so slowly Elliott ran
his tongue up Marcus' balls and continued upwards very slowly up the length
of the shaft. Marcus groaned in sheer ecstasy. Never in his life had he
felt so much pleasure. He couldn't believe that in all these years he had
been denying himself this kind of pleasure. Marcus was in heaven.

	Elliott stopped at the head of Marcus' cock and in one fell swoop
licked up the juices coming from Marcus' cock. The taste was sweet with a
tinge of saltiness. After that Elliott raised Marcus' legs above his head,
exposing Marcus' pink and hairy hole. It was a beautiful sight for
Elliott. Then gently he kissed Marcus' virginal entryway, Marcus began to
groan as he noticed next that a tongue was licking circles around his
sacred entryway. More and more Elliott licked at the rosebud, sending
shivers up and down Marcus' spine. Once the hole was nice and wet, Elliott
began inserting his finger into the channel, very carefully watching the
expressions on Marcus' face, so as not to hurt him. Elliott did so very
slowly, taking his time to allow Marcus to gets accustomed to the newfound
invasion.

	"Marcus, do you have any lube?" asked Elliott.

	"It's inside the drawer of my night stand," replied Marcus.

	With that Elliott removed his finger from Marcus' channel and
lowered his legs. He reached over and opened the drawer and retrieved the
tube of lubricant. He opened the container and then squeezed some out onto
Marcus' hard cock, sliding it very slowly up and down, taking special care
not to make Marcus cum. He then squeezed some of the slick substance onto
his hand and applied some of it to his quivering opening, making sure to
get some of the substance inside his own hole to accommodate Marcus' large
pole.

	Positioning himself above the large throbbing cock, Elliott
gradually lowered his hole onto Marcus, slowly impaling himself. After
sliding all the way down to the hairs of Marcus' crotch, Elliott began to
feel the tickling sensation at his entryway. He stopped to get used to the
size of Marcus' cock and to allow Marcus to experience the feeling of
filling someone up.

	The combination of the warmth and tightness of Elliott's hot tunnel
was showing Marcus a new awareness of being a sexual being. The pleasures
were so intensified due to the emotional bond and physical attraction each
had for one another. After Elliott became accustomed to the size, he began
to slide up and down Marcus' hard pillar. Gradually the tempo increased he
impaled himself. Marcus couldn't believe the sensations he was feeling.
Never in his life did he ever imagine that there could be so much pleasure,
between the sliding in and out of his hard cock, into a warm, moist and
tight hole, which sent chills up and down his spine. Each time Marcus' cock
rubbed against Elliott's prostate, his cock got harder and harder.

	"Oh, God, Marcus, I'm getting close!"

	As the words came out of Elliott's mouth, Marcus got the signal to
increase the tempo. Pumping faster and faster into Elliott, about 30
seconds later Marcus began to explode deep inside of Elliott. Shot after
shot began to fill Elliott up inside, and as Elliott was being filled up he
began to shoot his load all over Marcus' hairy chest in response to the
many pleasures he was experiencing. As Elliott's orgasm reached the end, he
collapsed on top of Marcus. The two of them were completely spent. Never
had either one of them been aware that there could be so much pleasure.
Awareness for both of them had reached new heights. Between the emotional
bonds that the two had for one another, along with the physical bonds,
their awareness of true happiness had been reached for the first time in
each of their lives.

	As Elliott began to recover from his orgasm, he continued lying on
Marcus' chest, with Marcus's arms wrapped around him and his cock still
semi-hard inside of Elliott. Tears and emotions had begun to consume the
two of them.

	"I guess that these have been our lessons on learning how to live,"
Marcus said.

	As the two of them began to kiss each other passionately, never had
they had any concept of what living was all about until their paths had
crossed. Through each other's experiences in each of their lives they were
able to combine those experiences to come up with a formula for living and
enjoying life itself.