Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 08:06:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: JMH <trandar2002@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Watch chp 3 (revised)

     Again, this is a story about gay relationships so 1. if you are
breaking the law, underage, or just hate gay stuff don't read any further.
The World Wide Web is a big place so you can find something else. 2. The
story is not based on any real person place thing, or another person's
idea.  So any similarities are pure chance.  3.  Since this story is of my
own creation, I have the copyright to it.  No other postings, except at
nifty, are allowed. Nor is the selling of the story to others permitted.
Any questions about the above, please write.

                                  Enjoy

                                    JMH

                   trandar2002@yahoo.com

       *************************************************

      Terry and Robert stayed out in the backyard for a few more minutes
but eventually Terry excused herself saying she needed to wash her face
before Josh saw her.  Robert stayed outside, letting the cold air penetrate
his cloths and chill his skin.  He knew that Terry had not told him
everything.  There were still some dark secrets being kept from him but he
knew better then to try to force them out.  He had Mrs. Williams for that.

      He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the screen door
open and Josh join him outside until he spoke.

      "Chilly isn't it."  Josh commented, triggering Robert to jump as if
startled.

      "Oh yes, sorry Josh I didn't notice you."

      "Staring at the sky?"  Josh asked.

      "Yep."

      "I would tell myself that when I looked up I was watching the same
sky you were.  It helped me feel close to you." Josh said.

      "Damn."  Robert though. "You really missed me?"  He asked.

      "I sure did Robert."

      "How...How did you figure it out that it was me."

      "I didn't.  I was talking to Glenn and he told me how he would use
investigators to dig up dirt for his client in divorce cases.  I got
curious and he gave me the number of one of the ones he uses."

      "Sneaky bastard."  Robert mumbled under his breath.

      "What was that?"  Josh asked

      "Oh nothing...  So it was this investigator that told you who I was."

      "Well it wasn't like I was investigating you but yeah, you turned out
to be my Robert.  I was amazed on how quick they were.  They gave me the
info the same day I called."

      "Amazing."  Robert agreed.  He liked how Josh had phrased it, "my
Robert".  Mrs. Williams should add the title of yenta to her name the way
she was playing the two like a fiddle, Glenn and Kyle also.

      "It was then that I started noticing your face, how you still look so
much like the Robert I knew only bigger."

      "I noticed the same but was just afraid to saying anything," Robert
half lied.  He wasn't going to ask Josh why it took him so long to say
anything.  He wasn't that big of a hypocrite.

      "So what are we going to do now?"  Josh asked nervously.

      "I don't know.  I would guess get catch up on the years that have
passed but I think both of us would like to forget those years... so lets
start fresh."

      "Yeah," Josh said as he stared at his watch, "I think that might me a
good idea."

      Now Robert started to think of the things that he and Josh could do
together.  Most of his regular hangouts were not the place you wanted to
take a newbie to especially if you wanted to keep him for yourself.  The
baths and bars he had hung around were out of the question unless he wanted
to get Josh involved in a threesome, which he didn't.  He wanted Josh all
to himself and the idea that other men would want to bed him actually made
him hate his fellow tricks.

      The cold must of finally settled in his bones because Robert began to
shake when a light breeze hit him.  Seeing his lost friend's discomfort
Josh walked behind him and hugged him, warming Robert's back.  Robert
sighed and relaxed as he felt Josh's hands wrap around his stomach and his
nose nuzzle against the back of Robert's neck.

      "All warm now?"  Josh asked.

      "Yes, thanks."

      "I remember how warm your lap was when I would fall asleep in it
during camp fire.  So I guess I'm finally returning the favor."

      "I wouldn't mind you climbing on to my lap now?"  Robert smiled.

      "I think we're a little to big for that now.  It would also look
weird having another man sitting in your lap."

      "He still doesn't know I'm gay."  Robert thought.  "Either that or
he's in denial big time." Robert stressed out big time over to tell him or
not.  If it was just a misunderstanding then it would be ok but if Josh was
in denial over his feelings for Robert and insisting to himself, regardless
of the evidence, that Robert was straight then this could lead to problems.
He needed to know how Josh felt.

      Robert removed Josh's hand from his waist and turned around so he
could face him.  He then pulled Josh into a tight hug so that his hard cock
was pressed against Josh's belly and said the three words he always wanted
to say.  "I love you."

      Josh at first smiled to hear this news but when he began to figure
out what the hard thing pressed against him, he began to go pale.

      "I'm sorry."  Josh excused himself, lifting up his arm to look at his
watch.

      "Josh it's ok."  Robert insisted while trying to look Josh in the
eyes.  He failed miserably at this, as Josh would not let his eyes leave
his watch.

      Eventually Robert gave up and let Josh go.  He had his answer.  Josh
was in some serious denial.  Robert also guessed that if anyone could bring
him out of it, it would have to be him.  If Josh hated himself for being
gay it would take a gay man that he was already in love with to help him
see it was ok.  No stranger or mere acquaintance could help him.  It had to
be Robert.  The fact that Josh apologized instead of hitting him or running
away told Robert that deep down inside him Josh understood the same.

      After several minutes of silence, Robert, now cold again, told Josh
that he was heading back in.  Josh just nodded his head that he understood
but stayed outside and stared at the stars.

*****************************************************

      The house was filled with the smell of roasted turkey when Robert
finally woke up around ten in the morning.  He was surprised that he had
slept in so much but he has spent much of the night waiting for Josh to
come upstairs.  It hadn't been till 2:00 in the morning when he finally
heard the stairs creak as Josh came up, walked down the hall right up to
Robert's door and a thud was heard.  Thinking Josh might have knocked,
Robert quickly got out of bed and opened the door to find the hall empty.
Josh must have heard him getting up and hurried his ass to his own bedroom.

      Robert climbed out of bed slowly, his muscles sore.  The mattress was
just a little too soft for his taste.  He went to his suitcase and got out
his travel kit that had his toothbrush, razor, and other such items.  The
shower was almost like a fire hose with the force it shot out.  It massaged
his body but made jacking off impossible.  To do that, Robert went and got
out his laptop, put in a CD and played a 20-minute fuck scene he had
downloaded.  The computer rested on the sink while Robert watched from the
toilet.  It was a little different in that it was the smooth swimmer build
blond fucking the hairy football type bear.  The two started off in
business suits talking about work when the blond grabbed the other's one's
tie and pulled him into a kiss.  They then proceeded to strip and after a
little sucking, the bear was on his back on top of the desk, his feet up in
the air as the blond pounded him.  There was an undershot of the blonde's
balls slapping against the man's ass as he moved in and out.  For Robert it
had started off as his usual jack off but the image in his mind kept on
turning to Josh fucking him.  It was Josh he imagined running his hands
though Roberts black chest hair, pinching his nipples as he went.  It was
the soft brown pubic hair covering Josh's cock that Robert fantasized
scratching against his opening.  As he watch the movie Robert imagined that
it was Josh who bent down to kiss him, their tongues entwined.  Without
really thinking Robert let his left hand wander down and massage his hole
with small circular motions.  Any person who had know Robert for any given
about of time would be laughing their heads off of the picture of Robert
leaning back against the toilet, face red, his legs up in the air as he
stroked his dick with one hand and rubbing his holy of holy, the only part
of him that was still virgin, with the other.

      It was funny to look at but for Robert it was also a little scary, he
never thought of himself as a bottom or even versatile for that matter.
During the years of his relationship with Lance, he had never bottomed for
him.

      It was just as he was about to shoot his load that for the first time
something went in instead of out of his ass as he slipped his index finger
pass the ring muscle of his anus and began to swirl it around.  It was then
that he fired off.  The first shot arced up to his opened mouth, draping
over his lips.  The other shots hit him in the chest and stomach each one a
little shorter then the last.  When it was done, Robert removed his finger
and lowered his legs.  He then grabbed the base of his cock, squeezed it
tightly and moved it up, squeezing out the last of his cum like a tube of
toothpaste.  He then rubbed the head of his now sensitive dick with his
thumb, spreading his love juice around it.  When he looked back on the
screen the movie was only half way done.  In those ten short minutes,
Robert had had one of the best orgasms he could remember.  It was
definitely the best jack off he had ever had.

***********************************************

      At around the same time, Josh was waking up with a similar problem.
He awoke with what he had thought was his usual piss hard on but when he
got to the toilet, his dick did lower a little but then came back with a
vengeance.  That night, Josh had dreamt of Robert and him doing things to
him that Josh didn't want to think about.  He went to the mirror over his
sink and tried to stare his libido into submission.  Instead though, he
found himself turned on.  His nipples were rock hard and stuck out of his
shirt.  As the bathroom was cold from the night before, this wasn't
unusual.

      What was unusual was the fact that Josh found it arousing.  He raised
his hand and began to move his fingers in tight circles around his nipples.
They were so sensitive to his touch that Josh found his breathing was
picking up.  It a fit of anger at himself he grabbed the nipple and pulled
on it as if to removing the offending organ.  What happened when he did
that was not the settling of his sex but an actual jerk of it, literally.
His cock, which was sticking straight up, flinched when he had pinched and
now a dark spot stained his white boxers along the line it had moved.  His
dick, now in an awkward position, begged to be touched.  Josh slid his
other hand under the elastic band of his shorts and griped it at the base
but instead of moving it to a more comfortable position, he ran his thumb
along the top ridge pulling his dick down to a horizontal position.  When
he ran out of cock and let go, his cock bounced back up, slapping against
his stomach.  The loose fabric of his shorts was now folded between his
dick and waist.  Josh, now lost in the moment ran his fingers through the
brown hair that cover his groin.  Soon two hands were there, one around the
groin the other cupping his balls and sometime pulling on the hairs on
them.  This position could not be maintained as Josh was hunched over with
both hands down his boxers.  Sex takes up a lot of space and jacking off is
no different.  Josh was able to pry both his hands out before using them to
slip his shorts off before sitting his ass on the toilet.  Josh then got
himself in to some serious jacking off.

      He pulled his nightshirt off, tossing it to the floor and began to
pinch his still hard nipples as he licked his lips.  He closed his eyes and
used his other hand to stroke himself, stopping every now and then to
spread the precum along his veined shaft.  He gave himself the freedom to
imagine what it would be like for Robert to wrap his mouth around his cock,
to have his rough tongue lick around the head.  The cold air trapped in the
toilet caused his butt to get goose pimples as it tingled the skin.  Josh
began to wonder if this was how it felt to be fucked, to tingle all over as
if out of happiness.

      Josh took the hand he had been using to play with his nipples to his
mouth and suck on the fingers as if it were a cock.  He then played with
his chest again but this time let the pinched skin slip thought his wet
finger.  His other hand was now squeezing as much as it was rubbing,
applying pressure to the hard organ just as the pressure inside built up.
The last thing he pictured before shooting his load was Robert kissing him
as his hand joined his around his dick.

      The cum didn't go as far as Robert's but it did cover his chest.
Josh continued to hold on to his limping dick as his other hand spread his
seed all over his body.  When his dick had returned to a small handful and
the calm had taken over the need, Josh took his cum laden fingers and put
them into his mouth, imagining that Robert had shot his load in his mouth.

*******************************************************************

      After both men had showered, Robert for the second time, they ran
into each other as they each left their bedrooms.

      "Hi."  Josh nervously smiled.

      "Hi Josh."  Robert returned with his own grin.  "Have a good night
sleep?"

      For some reason both men knew what the other had done and while it
made Josh nervous, Robert thought it was the funniest thing he had ever
seen.  Here were two men who were attracted to each other but because one
of them was in denial, they had ended up jacking off fantasizing about each
other instead of the real thing.  It was the closest thing they could of
done to having sex with each other without actually being in the same room.

      "Sleep well?"  Robert asked as the two of the started down the
stairs.

      "All right."  Josh lied.  He had tossed and turned the whole time
worrying if he had hurt Robert's feelings.

      "Yourself?"

      "Like a baby."  Robert also lied.  He had tossed and turned worrying
about Josh.


      When they got to the living room, Nathan was sitting on the floor
watching the Thanksgiving parade, waiting for the big finish when Santa
would come on his big float.  This was the first Christmas that Nathan knew
who Santa was without being told.  The coming Christmas was going to be
special, as Nathan wanted to stay up and wait for Santa to arrive.  He
already knew about the cookies but he also wanted hay to feed the deer with
hay.  His mother told him that the deer would prefer apples instead but
then Nathan wanted to get each deer a dozen apples each.  They were still
negotiating this issue with Terry hoping that a dozen apple slices would be
enough.

      "Hi Nate."  Josh called out to his son.  Josh was the only one to
call his son Nate, short for Nathan.  It was one of those small things that
mark the good father / son relationship the two had.

      "Daddy!"  Nate called out. He ran over to his father, wanting to be
picked up and hugged.

      As Josh hugged his son, Robert was still amazed by how much the two
looked alike.  Nathan looked like a younger version of the ten-year-old boy
Josh had been when Robert first met him.  They both had the same wide blue
eyes that seemed to lighten whenever they were happy like now.  They both
also had the same brown hair, with Josh having his cut shorter and was a
little darker from age then his son's who's hair was so light it was almost
blond.

      Nate, after he was put back down to the ground, went back to the
television where he laid down and held his head up in the same two handed
manner as his father.  It finally hit Robert that besides being Josh's
lover he wanted to be Nate's other daddy.  It would be the final piece he
needed to achieve the family he had always wanted.

      Robert was still deep in these thoughts when he noticed that Josh had
already left for the kitchen.  Feeling a little awkward there by himself,
Robert hurried to catch up.  Half the breakfast table was taken up with
covered dishes while the other had a pitcher of juice, two trays of food,
one with cheese, crackers, and smoked salmon while the other had fruit and
a few cream filled sweet rolls.  Josh was busy putting some spread cheese
on a few crackers before topping them off with some of the smoked salmon.
Terry, on seeing Robert handed him a cup of coffee before giving him a pat
on the rear to move him along.

      "You better eat up cause dinner won't be till 3:30."  She smiled from
her red and white striped apron.

      Robert gave her a friendly grin from his cup and made his way to the
table where Josh was snacking.  Usually Robert was use to arriving just in
time for dinner at Glenn and Kyle's house so he wasn't use to the pre-meal
snack but he guessed that a simple meal like this would keep the rest of
the family from bugging Terry while she cooked.  Robert took as small
plastic plate and filled it with a few strawberries, pineapple slices and
melon.  He tried to avoid the Danishes and crackers but he soon found Josh
piling more food onto his plate.

      "You heard Terry, you have to eat up.  Don't worry you'll have plenty
of room by dinner time."

      That's not what Robert was afraid of.  He prided himself in keeping
trim.  The last Thanksgiving Robert had been nearly kicked out when he
started peeling the skin off Kyle's seasoned turkey.  But while he was able
to offend his friend's hard work and effort, Robert could just not say no
when Josh hand fed him a cracker loaded with cream cheese and salmon.  He
had to stop himself from doing a mental calculation of how many sit-ups it
would take to burn that one serving off.

      It was then that Nathan came running in shouting that Santa was now
on the television.  Josh put down his plate, grabbed Robert's hand and
dragged him over to the living room.  Nathan was jumping up and down
excitedly as the television the big red man himself waving to the camera
and the crowds around him. The song "Here Comes Santa Clause" was blaring
from speakers around the float.  Nathan eventual calmed down enough to join
his father on the couch where he planted himself on his lap as he began
listing all the things he wanted Santa to bring him.  Robert kept his ear
opened to the list since he also wanted to "play Santa" and buy something
for Nathan.

      As soon as the parade was over, Nathan began to fall asleep.  Josh
told Robert that Nate had been up since 5:00 this morning waiting for the
parade to start.  It seemed that both were tired, as soon Josh was also
asleep with his son still in his lap.  It reminded Robert so much of the
times when Josh had fallen asleep in his lap.

      Terry eventually cam out of the kitchen and looked at the happy
scene.  The two men that meant most to her were asleep while the man that
wanted to love them both watched on.

      "I better get Nathan in bed if he's going to be awake for dinner,"
She finally said as she began to take off her apron.

      "Can I take him up?"  Robert asked eagerly.

      "Sure why not.  You might was well take Josh back up also.  He had a
long night"

      Robert picked the boy up, letting his head rest a top his shoulders.
The boy instinctively wrapped his arms around Robert's neck but didn't
really wake up.

      Robert, who didn't ever get to the "grand tour" with Josh so he had
to guess as to which room was Nathan's.  The first room he opened turned
out to be Josh's office and the second looked more like a playroom then a
bedroom.  But on the third try he opened what could be described as a boy's
room.  Baseball wallpaper covered the walls.  There was a small, low-level
wooden bed in one corner, a dresser in another and two toy chests in the
third.  A small child's table took up the middle of the room and was
covered with coloring books.  When Robert laid Nathan in the bed and
covered him in the sheets he saw a book on the nightstand.  It was a copy
of the "The Boxcar Children" standard orphan reading about a family of
children who live in an abandoned boxcar.  It was a tale of how a group of
abandoned children could live on their own but it was also a tale of how
they were finally rescued, a sort of "Swiss Family Robinson" without the
parents.  Robert was not surprised to see that
 this was the book Josh was reading to his son.

      After making his way back down stairs Robert had to decide what to do
about Josh.  He was strong enough to carry him over his shoulders.  In
fact, he would like to.  He just wasn't sure that Josh would be amiable to
such treatment.  Instead he lifted the half awake Josh as if he were a
drunk with his arm wrapped around his shoulder.  He helped Josh up stairs
but instead of taking Josh to his own bedroom, He took him to the guest
room.  He lowered Josh onto the bed but didn't cover him in the sheets.
Robert wanted that privilege himself.  As soon as Josh's head hit the
pillow he was asleep again.  Robert watched Josh with the same intensity,
as Josh seemed to stare at his watch.  Looking at each detail of his face.
After a few moments Josh turned on his side so he was facing to the edge of
the bed and in the position Robert wanted him.  Robert quietly walked to
the other side of the bed and spooned up next to Josh, warming his back and
wrapping his arms around his waist.  Josh responded by moving back closer
to Robert.  Robert sighed before giving Josh a gentle kiss on the back of
the neck before going back to sleep himself.

********************************************************

      The movement of the bed waked Robert as a third body joined them.
Robert let go of Josh and turned around to see Nathan resting his head on
the other pillow.

      "Can I have a hug too?"

      "Yep, but we have to be quite cause dad in still sleeping." Robert
whispered.  He took the boy in his arms and gave him a gentle hug.

      "You love my daddy?"

      "How did you know?"

      "Mommy told me.  She said I needed to be nice to you cause you were
my daddy's best friend."

      "Oh she did?"

      "Yep," Nathan said, repeating Robert's phrase.  "But I told mommy
that I liked you already.  You're funny."

      "Thanks but how am I funny?"

      "You act like mommy."

      "I act like mommy?"

      "You act like my daddy's mommy?"

      "You mean wife."

      "Yep."

      "Well I do love your daddy."

      "Then where is your ring."  Nathan asked as he grabbed Robert's hand
looking for a wedding ban.

      "Well daddy has not given me one yet."

      "Ok, but when dad gives you one, will you be another mommy or another
daddy?"



      "What would you like me to be?"

      "Let me see."  Nathan said inquisitively and he touched Robert's
face.

      "Ewwww, your face is rough, more then daddy's so I guess you'll have
to be another daddy too."

      Robert chuckled at Nathan's pronouncement. "Sorry that I have a rough
face."

      "That's ok, daddies are more fun then mommies anyway.  I can play
baseball with daddies."

      "Well I guess I need to get a baseball mitt."  Robert chuckled, this
time waking Josh up.

      "Hi dad."  Nathan beamed when he saw his father open his eyes.

      "Hi Nate.  Josh greeted groggily.

      "When are you going to give Mr. Robert a wedding ban so he can be my
other daddy and we can play baseball?"  Nathan asked innocently.

      "Well Nathan," Josh replied while staring at his watch.  "You can
have only one daddy at a time but Robert can still play baseball with you."

      "Thanks dad."  Nathan smiled, not a care in the world as he climb
over Robert to kiss his dad on the cheek.  "Can I show you my baseball
bat?'  Nathan then asked Robert.



      "Sure kiddo.  Want to join us Josh?"

      "I think I'll rest for a little longer.  Y'all go on ahead."

      "All right," Robert replied sadly as he followed after Nathan who was
already heading down the stairs.

      When both were gone, Josh took a deep breath and began repeating his
mantra.  "All sin originates from a thought."

      Josh had always felt that as long as you didn't think bad thought you
wouldn't commit bad deeds.  It was a little like expecting water not to run
down a waterfall but Josh was hard on himself.  It wasn't Robert's fault.
He was gay and not involved in a relationship.  Josh though was married and
had a kid.  Lusting after another person let alone another man was just one
additional step down toward the slippery slope of sin and total damnation.
He had known for a long time that he was attracted to men.  As a kid he
would bit his hand after masturbating out of guilt and self-hatred for
fantasizing over the local football jock or fellow members of his high
school soccer team.  The logical part told him that what he was feeling was
all right that it was an acceptable part of him, but the part of him that
his adoptive parents tried to mold told him what he was feeling was wrong.
He had tried so hard to escape that part of himself even to the point of
reclaiming his old name but still it had a hold on him.  He so badly wanted
to tell Robert that he loved him but each time the words tried to come out
of his throat he would look at his watch and the secret hidden there.

********************************************************

      The air was still cold but less windy in the early afternoon hours.
The bat that Nathan had was actually a small plastic one just the right
size for his small hands.  Robert tossed the small plastic ball toward him
for a while, letting Nathan run after it when he hit it.  When Nathan would
hit it, it would only travel a few yards but Nathan rarely missed.  Josh
soon joined them handing Robert his coat.  Robert handed Josh the ball
while he put the coat on.

      "I hope you didn't mind me going to your room to get it."  Josh said
to Robert as he gave the ball an underhanded toss to his son.

      "No, thanks.  I should of gone back to get it."

      "No problem."  Josh said as he returned the ball to Robert.

      They continued to play outside for another half hour, Robert tossing
the ball while Nathan hit it and Josh retrieved it.  It was the first time
since camp that Robert had played a game with a child Nathan's age and it
bought back fond memories.  Eventually Nathan got curious and asked Robert
to hit the ball.  Robert was the tallest person he had ever been around and
was impressed by his size.  Josh took up throwing the ball and after
missing it twice Robert hit the ball over the backyard fence.

      Instead of being angry over loosing his ball, Nathan shouted "Home
Run!"  He then ran around the yard as if he were running bases.  When he
finished his circuit he ran over to high five Robert before running to his
father arms.  "Did you see that?"  He said excitedly.

      "I sure did Nate."

      "Will I be able to do that some day?"

      "I'm sure you will."  Josh smiled as he gave his son a kiss on the
nose before putting him back down.

      "That was cool Mr. Robert!"

      "Thanks, I was afraid I was going to strike out for a second!"
Robert laughed.

      "Well if you boys are done for the day, dinner's ready."  Terry's
voice came from the door.

      "Mom did you see that!"  Nathan shouted to his mom.

       "I sure did."

      "I wonder if it hit the neighbor's house?"  Nathan smiles with a
wicked grin.

      "Well I'm sure it didn't break a window.  Now come in and wash your
hands for supper."

      "All right mom."

      Josh tried to sneak past his wife without looking her in the eyes.
She hated when Nathan got dirty right before dinner.  "And be sure that you
and Robert wash up as well."  She chided as she gave he husband a whack on
the butt with the towel she was carrying.

      After all of the washed up they gathered in the dining room where
Nathan, instead of sitting between his parents, asked if he could sit next
to his new hero, Robert.  Terry sighed but agreed so long as Nathan
promised not to pepper Robert with a hundred baseball questions.

      The table, which could serve eight, was covered with food; two
different salads, one a fruit salad the other spinach with hot bacon
dressing.  There were two platters of turkey separated into light and dark
meat, a custard like corn casserole, mash potatoes with butter and chives,
a vegetable melody, gravy, and of course cranberry sauce.  All of this lay
on top of a white tablecloth, which was laced on the edges.  Terry looked
at her precious tablecloth and the three hungry men sitting around it and
sighed knowing that it would soon need to go to the cleaners.

      After Josh said grace, the three adults began passing the food
around.  Josh asked Robert to pass him Nathan's plate so he could take care
of Nate's serving.  When all the food had been passed Robert began eating
only to stop when Nathan looked at him like he had done something wrong.

      "What's wrong?' He mumbled through a mouth full of turkey.

      "Mom and dad are supposed to have the first bite."  Nathan said as if
everyone knew this.

      "Oops, sorry."  Robert apologized while Josh and Terry blushed in
embarrassment.

      "Old farming custom."  Terry explained.

      "Its ok Nate, Robert's a guest so he gets to take the first bite."
Josh covered.

      "Oh, ok."  Nathan said as if he now understood "Sorry Mr. Robert."

      "No problem."

      After that, there was a nervous chuckle and everyone began to eat.
Nathan tried to ask Robert a hundred questions about baseball but it turned
out that he knew more then Robert did.  After trying to explain the sport
and its best players to Robert, Josh intervened and said that if Nathan
kept hurried and finished his dinner he could pick two slices of pie
instead of one.  The promise of more pie did its trick and Nathan didn't
say a word until his entire plate was clean but by then he was so full his
father knew that he could get away with giving his son two half size slices
of pies and Nathan would be just as happy.

      After everyone had had their fill, Terry went up stairs and brought
down two suitcases and Nathan's coat.

      "Well I'm off to my sister's you two have fun doing the dishes she
laughed as Robert looked stunned.

      "What?"

      "Oh each holiday, Terry and Nathan go see their relatives back on the
farm.  It is also a tradition that if she cooks I clean or in this case
we."  Josh explained.

      "Why do I get the feeling I was brought here for manual labor?"
Robert joked.

      "Don't worry, it won't take too much time.  Just be glad that Terry
is in a good mood.  When she gets angry she can really cook up a storm and
it shows in the kitchen."

      "Hahaha, I'll take your word for it."  Robert laughed.  "So when will
I see you again Terry?"

      "Oh I won't be back till next week?"

      "Next week?"  Josh said surprised.  I thought you were only going to
stay for a weekend?"

      "Well my sister just had a new baby so I decided to help her out for
a while."

      "Thanks for telling me."  Josh moaned

      "No don't get upset Josh.  I just received the call last night.  I
had a long talk and decided I was needed elsewhere for a while.  Don't
worry.  I'm not abandoning you."  She said as a half-truth.  She did not
mention that the person she had talked to had not been her sister but
Robert.

      "What about Nate?"  Josh asked still a little sad.

      "Well he really has had not much of a chance to meet his cousins and
you know he loves the farm animals.  If he gets homesick I'll just give you
a call and you can pick him up."  She said almost as a dare knowing that
Josh would never return to the farm.

      "All right but keep your cell phone charged so I can call Nate and
you."

      "Will do.  So long boys.  Don't have too much fun while I'm away."
She smiled as she led Nathan out of the house.

      While Josh was clueless, Robert knew exactly what Terry had done.
She had removed herself so that Robert could have a chance at Josh.  It
tickled him how she was manipulating her husband.  It tickled him straight
to his dick, which began to swell on the idea of being alone with Josh for
the long weekend.

      It was just dawning on Josh that he was now alone with the man he was
falling quickly in love with.  He didn't know if he could control himself.
He didn't know if he even wanted to.

      After washing the dishes and putting away the food, Robert and Josh
relaxed in the living room and started a fire.  It was only a few minutes
when Robert heard a soft snoring sound coming from Josh.

      "Gosh, he must be working himself too hard."  Robert thought due to
the speed that Josh would fall asleep as soon as he got comfortable.

      Robert sat in his chair and watched over Josh trying to figure out
the riddle behind the hidden sadness Josh seemed to carry with him.  He
knew that Josh had a very unpleasant childhood first with the death of his
family and again when he was adopted.  He also knew that Josh was confused
about his sexuality by the way Josh would try to connect with Robert but
pull away when things got too physical.  The only thing he didn't
understand was the watch.  Why did Josh stare at his watch so much?  What
did it mean?  It seemed that whenever he got nervous he would look at his
watch.  Robert continued his vigil of watching Josh until he was sure that
Josh was deep asleep.  He then walked up and knelt next to Josh and tried
to examine the watch.  It was bulky stainless steel watches that covered
his wrist.  There was nothing that seemed special about it.  It was neither
new nor old and there was now inscription in it that he could see.  After
making sure that Josh was really asleep, Robert began to try to work the
watch off so he could see if something was on the back.

      He had just worked off the clasp when he exhaled. He didn't know if
it was his touching of the wrist or that of his breath but Josh awoke with
a start and pulled his arm away causing the watch to go flying into the
air.  The look on Josh's face was one of pure terror.  He stuttered as if
he was going to say something but instead he quickly left the room and
stormed up the stairs not even bothering to pick up his watch.

      Robert knew he had blown it.  He had crossed some invisible line and
he didn't know how to take it back.  He walked over and picked up the watch
that now had a scratch on its glass surface.  Still curious, Robert turned
the watch over to look on the back and saw...nothing.  One the standard
information on water resistance and brand name was shown.  Robert had
risked his friendship with Josh to find out nothing only that he had hurt
Josh some how.  Robert slumped to the floor and began to cry terrified that
now all his plans were ruined by one act of indiscretion.  After sobbing
himself out, he got up and took the watch with him.  When he climb up the
stairs and passed Josh's door he left the watch on the doorknob before
heading to his own bed with the hope of forgetting this night.