Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 06:05:51 +0700
From: Robert Glass <robxglass@gmail.com>
Subject: The Virgin Joseph part 22

All right reserved. Any unauthorized use is prohibited. This is a
fiction. Any resemblance to people and/or events is coincidental. If
reading this deemed illegal to you, I implore you to stop. If it offends
you, please do not read on.

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PART 22


A month after the gang's drunken night, the bond between them has started
to get better. Time heals everything, they say. In this case, it was time
and alcohol. Well, alcohol may not be the best solution since it was the
thing that dragged Joe's life to shit many times before. It worked that
time anyway.

The bond may have been gotten better but it hasn't completely returned to
that highly comfortable level it once was. Joe has pushed, or rather
pulled, Sam to come over and stay the night at his couch like he used to,
sans booze. So far Sam was okay about visiting but not yet okay with the
idea of sleeping in. Joe, ever the persevering, did not stop trying.

"Henry, Sam's here. Want to talk to him?" Joe told the guy on the other end
of the line. He pressed the speaker button and shoved his phone in Sam's
face.

"Uh... Hi, Henry." Sam was too surprised to greet properly.

"Hi, Sam," Henry replied.

Then a long pause.

"Oh for fuck's sake, this is pathetic. You guys used to date, talk like you
know each other!" Joe, ever the asshole, quipped.

"You threw the phone into my face. How can I not be shocked?" Sam
protested.

"Wait, am I on speaker? Joe!" Henry protested.

"Oh, come on. We've been in a more scandalous situation before. This is not
worthy of your complaints," Joe said.

Sam stared at Joe with a confused anger, or furious bewilderment, either
one. If Henry was there, he would display a similar look on his face.

"Henry, why don't you tell Sam how you missed his blowjob skills. Sam, tell
him that you still can feel all the orgasms Henry has given you."

"Joseph!!" Sam and Henry shrieked.

"Okay, okay. Neither one of you said that. I was just kidding."

"You're a horrible person, Joe," Henry said.

"He is," Sam said amid his laughter. It was during his laughter, too, where
he took the phone from Joe's hand. "I can't believe it's still awkward
talking with you."

Joe fell to his couch, next to Sam. It was all happening. He did not
foresee that his messing around resulted in Sam actually talking to
Henry. From the way Sam was speaking, the conversation between them seemed
casual and easy like two old friends talking to each other, much like his
own conversations with Tom. He smiled to himself. They are all good. Soon
it ended and Joe went back to reality with one big question for Sam.

"You've been missing. Are you avoiding me?" Joe asked abruptly.

"No," Sam reacted. On second thought, "Yeah, actually. My parents were in
town. If they saw you with me, they'll think you're my boyfriend. Then
everything will be a giant mess."

"They were? On what occasion? Giant mess, how?"

Sam immediately regretted his answer before. Joe was going to demand
answers. "Is this an interrogation?"

"Just answer me."

"Yes, your majesty." Sam shot out. "Well... they were. It was my birthday,
they do that every year. In a way that they'll start planning a wedding as
soon as they see you."

"Wait, what?"

"I've told you about my parents. They're big on family stuff. Even if they
assumed that I have a boyfriend, they wouldn't stop talking about
marriage." Sam tried to avoid touching that one subject.

"No, dial back a bit," Joe said. Sam knew that Joe was onto it. "Your
birthday?"

"My birthday, yeah."

"When?"

"Last week? You know, the reason they came to town...?"

"I got the idea, you dumb fuck," Joe said, exasperated. "Why didn't you
tell me it was your birthday last week? You never told me when your
birthday is."

"No big deal."

"YES BIG DEAL!" Joe shouted. "When was it and why the fuck didn't you tell
me?"

"It was last Thursday and I don't see what the problem is." Sam said rather
defensively, not that Joe would notice.

"The problem is, sweet, simple Sam, that you are my friend, my best
one. When it was my birthday last year, you did something for me and it was
wonderful. I would like to return the gesture in some ways."

"It's okay." Sam chuckled and ruffled the shorter guy's hair.

"It's not okay," Joe said. "Why?"

"Because this. I know you. You're not exactly the most organized person in
the world. I know you would not remember it and then you'd feel bad when
you found out that you missed it. Or, you would remember and you would be
scattering to plan something good, then you'd bust your ass off and I can
tell you'd stumble your way into making it happen. Then you'd feel bad. I
just don't want you to stress about it."

"You don't know me." Joe was acting cockier this time because he knew that
he would have pulled it off. It was proven before. "Just for your
information, I gave Tom the best birthday present anyone could ever gave
him."

"And what's that?"

"My ass." Joe laughed, Sam rolled his eyes. "Seriously, that was my gift
for him."

"So very special." It felt good for Sam to throw sarcasm back at Joe.

Joe smiled, fondly remembering the moment. It was not the ground breaking
sex that he remembered the most, it was the intimacy. The act of giving. He
knew how much it meant for Tom to be able to do that with someone without
having to fear of harming the other person. They loved each other enough to
take that risk. Past love is bittersweet as always.

"It was special, actually," Joe said.

"Hmm?"

"I mean you saw him, right? Down there?"

"Not really," Sam said. They were treading a sensitive water; Sam wasn't
sure if he should recite the shit that happened that night. When he looked
up, Joe was staring back waiting for an elaboration.  Here goes
nothing. "We were pretty drunk. I think we didn't turn on the light."

"You weren't. I remember turning the light on," Joe said, fortunately
without malice.

"Yeah. We made out, we got naked; not sure if it was in that order. I was
on top of him. He just passed out. I think I remember not having the power
to get up and leave, so I just crashed next to him. So yeah, I didn't get
to see him... down there."

"Well he's big down there. Like really, really big. Like really, really
long and really, really thick."

"Yes, I got the picture. He's big. Now move on!"

Joe, however was relentless. "He's so huge that I know that he didn't get
much luck with girls. So enormous that he didn't get much sex. So fucking
monstrous that he usually bottomed because he'd rip me apart if he topped
me." Sam rolled his eyes again, Joe's mission was completed. "So that's why
my ass was special. I wanted to give him what he had been struggling to
get, and I did it successfully."

Sam couldn't help but be amused by the smug look on Joe's face. This guy is
adorable, Sam thought.  Joe would someday marry an amazing man, live in an
amazing house somewhere just outside London, have three amazing kids, and
take on amazing adventures together as a family. All the things that Sam
could not picture himself having.

"The making out... it was awful, wasn't it?" Joe asked all of a sudden.

"Huh?" Sam was surprised that Joe pushed the boundaries on the
subject. Perhaps it was only his objective curiosity. Still it was an
uncomfortable topic to touch on.

"You and Tom, when you did it."

"I think it was."

"I didn't like doing it with him when he was drunk. So sloppy. I mean, he's
the best kisser that I know of, granted that I've only kissed him and
you. And Henry that time," Joe said. "Oh, and Nick. One of my co-worker,
Tom's roommate. Straight. New Year. Long story. My point is, I wished you
would have a better experience with him."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Joe?"

"I don't mean that night. Well, maybe that night, but not really. All I'm
saying is, he's a fucking awesome making out partner and it's such a shame
you didn't get to sample it."

"You're weird," Sam commented with a smile

"You know me."

They both smiled. It was clear that they were completely okay with
everything. Their relationship did not exactly return into its previous
state. Instead, it grew into something different; neither worse nor better,
just different. There was a sense of a brand new understanding despite the
acknowledged collective baggage.

"You know, this week also marks the first anniversary of you moving in to
town," Sam observed.

Joe stopped and think. His eyes darted up, like the ceiling would help him
remember. "You're right.  How do you know?"

"It was the week after my birthday last year, you idiot."

They both laughed. Usually it was Joe who called the other guy an idiot,
now the table has turned.  Sam is going to pay, Joe thought. "So, I was
your birthday present."

Sam laughed still, although it was much more nervous this time. "You know,
you were my birthday present; it was honestly what I thought last
year. When I got home from the airport, I saw you carrying the last box
inside, so I couldn't offer some help. That night you walked in to the
diner. I was already there and I was going to approach you, but then you
slammed your face into the table, several times. I knew I was not going to
bother you that night. So I waited the next day. You were in the diner
first, so I took the seat right behind you. You were on the phone that
time, I think you were calling your office. I remember how you spoke, so
proper and decent, so different from what I hear now. At that moment I
thought, I probably have no chance with this man but I've got to have him.

"It was hard for me to approach you, I don't know why. Probably because you
were so quiet and you had this intense look in your eyes, it scared me a
bit. I felt like you were the type of person who could destroy me, one way
or another. I was right. After sneaking up behind you and eavesdropping on
your phone conversations, I gathered up courage to talk to you, in a bar
far from here. I took you home and then you destroyed me. You're simply out
of my league.

"I honestly don't know how we survived as friends. We went through some
shit together... well, I made you go through some shit. I insisted in
chasing you even when you made it clear that it wasn't happening. I fucking
broke down in front of you. Worse yet, the 'naked in bed with Tom'
incident. I gave you a whole lot of shit, man. I don't know how you can
stand me, but you do, and I'm thankful for that. You are a gift."


***


"Is there anything wrong?" Tom asked his ex as soon as they went through
the final door to Tom's room. Upon Joe's request, he managed to secure
Tom's apartment just for the two of them to talk, even when in the end they
locked themselves in said bedroom. Joe did seem to be distracted that day,
the whole day.

While Tom took a seat on his bed, Joe paced on with his bag still slung on
his shoulder. The worry would not escape the blind, let alone Tom the
perceiver. This must be something major, Tom thought. Not a second later,
Joe stopped.

"This is a bad idea. I should go." He ran for the door.

Being the more athletic, and the one closer to the door, Tom blocked the
way. This would not escape him. Joe was bothered and Tom was
concerned. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Joe slowly closing his eyes and crunching his face into one tight
wrinkle. His hand landed on his face, like he expected it to shield him
from whatever might come. Just little Joe things that Tom had gotten
familiar with. Tom knew damn well that this involves him too. To console
him from whatever it was, Tom placed his two hands on Joe's shoulder.

"I don't know why I came to you. I should've gone to Amy or Jake," Joe
said, still fidgeting.

"Come. Sit down and talk to me," Tom offered.

Instead of sitting, Joe threw himself onto bed and curled up into Tom's
blanket. It was definitely the element of familiarity that lead Joe to feel
instantly comfortable then and there. The room, the bed, the man, and the
act of talking; everything was right for Joe. Even so, he didn't start to
talk.

"Is it about work?" Tom asked.

"No."

"Are you ill or something?"

"No, it's not that."

"Is it about..."

"I slept with Sam," Joe blurted. He then buried his head inside the blanket
like the child his heart was.

Silence presented itself for a moment. It walked right through the door,
into the room, and stand there staring at the hiding Joe and the stunned,
still standing Tom. Tom was the one who shooed it away. He sat next to the
lump on his bed and reached for a part that felt like shoulder or head.

There were so many things running through Tom's head. There was a pang of
jealousy of finding out that his previous soul mate had had sex with his
previous rival. This rival was also the one with which he ruined his
relationship with his previous soul mate. There was the fact that they are
all actually great friends now. Then, there is Joe, the one person he
always loved, as a friend, as a brother, once as a lover, now as an ex.

With that, Tom's mind became as full as Joe's.

When he had no idea how to handle this facet Joe, Tom could only do one
thing. He yanked the blanket, pulled Joe body off the comfort that was
built, and engulf the man with a giant hug; complete with a few ruffling of
the hair and rubbing of the back. He hoped it helped. He knew it was
right. He also felt the hug was just right; flawless, even. Their bodies
were custom made for each other. One filled the other's nooks and creases
perfectly. If it was not love, then they were made to comfort each other.

"Are you okay with this?" Joe asked with his head still behind Tom's ear.

"Of course I'm okay with this. I'm okay just as long as you're happy."

"I'm not happy."

Tom let go. Joe and 'not happy' are not things he wanted to see together. A
million thoughts attacked his mind and one of the most prominent was if Sam
hurt Joe in some way. With his signature hands on Joe's shoulder he
inquired, "Why are you unhappy?"

"Because..." Joe said, exasperated. "Because we were all just started to be
good friends again and I'm ruining it with sex."

"Oh." Tom was obviously surprised. "I thought it was something worse. I
thought Sam forced you into it or something."

"No. Sam would never do that." Joe removed himself from Tom's lap and sat
next to him. Several sighs later Joe started talking again. "We were
talking about his birthday and why he didn't tell me.  Then it lead to him
explaining how I was his birthday gift from the world or something."

"What?"

"Trust me, it wasn't romantic at all," Joe said. "He was talking about the
first time he saw me when I moved in and how the crush developed. Then he
went on and on about how I was the only one who stuck around him, even
after all the disaster he made. Basically he was kind of thankful that he
had me as a friend. Then by the end of it.... I just kissed him and it was
horrible!"

Joe then fall back into the bed and Tom joined him. Lying side by side,
talking heart to heart, just like they used to.

"If it was horrible, how did you ended up sleeping together?"

Joe sighed, again. "It wasn't horrible, Tom. It was great. Not as good as
you, but great."

Tom chuckled. "You don't need to butter me up."

"It's just weird talking to you about me having sex with another man,
especially when that man is Sam."

"I promise I'm alright. I'm just hear to listen. You know I'll always
listen."

"Yes, I know. Thank you, but I'm not going to talk about it." Joe insisted.

"Okay, then," Tom said, inviting the silence in again.

Joe took Tom's long, muscular arm and made a pillow out of it. The
thickness of Tom's bicep was the ideal height for Joe's head to rest
on. Joe had adapted well to that body part. He had adapted well to the
person next to him. Perhaps that was why it was easy for him to shed the
last shroud of doubt.

"We kissed on my couch," Joe started. "We kissed there and then we moved to
my bedroom like two crazy people whose tongues were glued together. I
undressed, he undressed, we made out again, and then we blew each
other. The end."

"That was hot," Tom said, laughing. Joe gave his chest a loud slap.

"I'm sorry I'm not big on stories." Joe rolled his eyes and rested his head
back where it belonged.  "We fell asleep instantly. I remember not feeling
bothered when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, when I realized that there
was a guy's hairy chest on my back, I freaked out."

"How did he react?" Tom asked.

"Calmer than I was." Of course. And then? "I don't know what I said,
probably chanting 'this is a mistake, this is a mistake' like a mad man
that I am. He was like you, asking me to sit down and shit.  He asked if I
enjoyed it, I said I did, he said he did too. Then I said that I didn't
intend to complicate things with sex because sex does complicate
things. Then he was telling me that it was just sex and it doesn't change
anything. Then he said that I should sleep with other men and he should
too, to prove that it didn't mean anything. It thought it was a horrible
idea. He then said that the sex shouldn't complicate anything, as long as
we talk about it openly. I thought it was an even worse idea. Then he told
me to talk to you about it and then I thought, 'now that's the worst idea
EVER!"

"But you talk to me anyway." Tom smirked.

"Yeah, because you know stuff and you know me. Not because he told me to."

"He probably asked you to talk to me because he knew that I know stuff and
I know you."

"Well, yeah, b..." Joe stopped, having aligned his mind. "That's beside the
point. The point is I had sex with him and now things are ruined."

Tom rolled to his side, facing Joe. His arm was still trapped under the
head full of jet black, greasy hair he had come to familiarized with,
inside and out. He knew what to say to Joe. "I think Sam is right. It
doesn't have to be complicated if you guys talk about it openly."

"What? You agree with him?"

"Yeah, I do. Remember when we broke up and I begged for your forgiveness?"
Joe didn't respond.  "Well, I talked to Sam, a lot. I was whining and
wishing that you would talk it out. I didn't care if you yell at me while
doing it, or even beat my face up again while doing it. I just wanted you
to tell me what you were feeling and I want to tell you how I feel, just to
clear the air. Not talking about it was torturous. I was barely
surviving. I know you were pretty messed up, too. I'm thankful that we all
got to let it out.

"It's similar now. If you two were in a room, there would be an
elephant. Just don't smother it to death because it will not die. It will
only get mad and kill you both."

Joe did not say a word. His wore his recognizable thinking face for a
moment. Tom watched it all, knowing that his words sunk in. Lying on his
back again, Tom waited for Joe to respond.

"You're right. You're always right, Mr Terrible Metaphor." Tom laughed as
Joe said it.

"I'm always bad at metaphors, am I?"

"You are," Joe said. This time he shifted so that he faced Tom, putting his
temple on Toms enlarged, round shoulder. "But you're always good at getting
through to me."

"This might sound incestuous, but we're basically brothers. We know each
other well. You can get through to me as well."

"I can't. I'm bad with words and feelings."

"You can," Tom insisted. "Remember when Garrett was sick? You were the only
one who could get me out of the dark."

"Well, I suppose."

Joe smiled. Tom too. Everything was better. Everything would always git
better after Joe talked to Tom. Even their relationship gotten better
considering that Joe was just talking to his ex about an intercourse with
'the other man'. Tom kissed Joe's forehead and Joe wrapped his arm around
Tom's torso, all out of habit.

"I really should go home now and talk to Sam, but this is too comfy to let
go," Joe said.

"Yeah. I feel like taking a late, late, late nap," Tom said.

"Why did we ever broke up? I like this better than stressing over Sam."

Tom chuckled. "Well, because I fucked up, with Sam."

"Yeah, you guys fucked up," Joe laughed too. Talking about it openly sure
was a good idea.


***


"Henry!" Joe was practically screaming when Henry's opened his door.

"Yeah?"

Like an unwelcomed guest, he walked cautiously into the apartment. As soon
as the door is closed, Joe said, "I slept with Sam."

"What? When?"

"I had sex with Sam, Thursday. You're not mad, are you?"

"No..." Henry said, not exactly finding words. "I'm... surprised, I guess."

Joe was relieved. Henry did said to Joe that he was eventually over Sam,
but Joe thought maybe he wasn't. He was.

"Well, I don't want to give you a heart attack but..." Joe paused. "I had
sex with Tom, too. The very next day. Yesterday!"

"What the...?"

___

It took me a while. Sorry for the twist and cliff hanger *grins*

Email: robxglass@gmail.com
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Other story: http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/relationships/marc-and-luke/