Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2001 19:05:57
From: tim tim <noway16@hotmail.com>
Subject: chapter 15 of coaches assistant

Coach's assistant chapter 15

{Hi guys here it is at last a new chapter of coach's assistant. I was glad
with the comments I got from the last chapter so please keep sending
them. They are a real encouragement to continue writing. See address at the
end of the chapter.

I would love to thank both my editors Dana and Bill for the effort they put
into it to correct my English and suggestions to improve the story. And to
that one special person who is really making a contribution.  I can say I
put something of it in this chapter even without knowing it. Thanks you are
really good for me.

Ok here we go with again, hope you like where we are going keep in touch

Tim
Noway16@hotmail.com  icq: 36967366


Chapter 15

Once again I was awake early.  I just lay back in bed, wondering about
everything that had happened the day before - the pain I had felt in the
morning hours seeing Mike, talking to him - the loneliness I had felt which
led me to my desperate act.
  Then everything that had happened with Francis - his concerns, his story
and the feelings which I felt when we kissed and, even more so, the
feelings I had when I was lying beside him, smelling him, feeling his
smooth body beside me, the way he helped me with David and later on with my
Dad.  It was unbelievable all of that could have happened in only one day.
I was really looking forward to seeing Francis later that day.  I could
hardly wait to see his handsome face and his soft hair, and looking into
those beautiful eyes.

I must have fallen asleep again because the next thing I heard was my alarm
bell, so I opened my eyes and saw that it was really time to get up.  I
walked into the bathroom and, when I looked into the mirror, I saw that I
looked a lot better than the day before.  It wouldn't be too difficult to
convince my dad that I wanted to go to school.

When I came downstairs, dad was already there and I said "Good morning."

"Good morning, Nick, and how are we feeling this morning?"

"Much better, dad. I had a really good nights sleep, better than I've had
in days."

"Well, that's good to hear.  I didn't know that Francis was a friend of
yours.  I thought he hangs out more with David."

So there it was.  Last night, he didn't want to talk about it at all and
this morning he just couldn't wait to ask me that question.  It still made
me wonder what Francis had said to my dad.

"Well, we get along pretty well.  We found out we have the same tastes in
music, so we discussed that last night and we talked about other things,
too. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not, Nick, but I was just curious.  Normally you don't hang
out with any of the gymnasts.  You really seem different lately and you're
doing so well as a reserve gymnast.  If we had known this before, you could
have been a lot better by now.  I'm not saying that you should have
expressed your interest, but you seem to have the talent for it."

"Thanks, dad," I said as my face turned a little red from the unexpected
compliment he gave me.  He wasn't that comfortable saying complimentary
things to either David or me, so he must really like what I had been doing
lately, otherwise he would never have said such a thing.

"Are you going to join us for practice today or do you want to skip one
more?"

"I think I'd better skip one more, dad.  I'm just not up to it.  But I will
be there on Friday when Alexei is coming.  I wouldn't want to miss that."

"No problem, Nick.  That is fine by me.  Can you get some groceries on your
way home this afternoon?"

"Sure.  Now I'd better be off or I'll be late."

"OK.  Just one more thing: if you don't feel well during the day, just let
me know and go home."

"I think I'll be fine today, dad, so don't worry about it."

I left and walked to school slowly.  I knew David had the first hour free
of classes, so he was still lying in bed.

When I arrived at school, I looked around to see if Francis was there, but
I couldn't find him.  Maybe he also had the first hour free.

I didn't see him during the morning and I started to feel empty again.  I
saw Mike during the second period and he looked at me several times but
didn't try to talk to me.

When the lunch period arrived, I saw that Francis was standing at the end
of the cafeteria just looking around.  When he saw me, he waved and I
walked towards him.

"Hey, there you are!  How are you doing?"

"Well, I'm feeling a little bit better now that I've seen you.  I was about
to have a fit."

"Do you want to go outside and sit down together somewhere?"

"Sure, that's a good idea, Francis."

It was difficult not to kiss him or even stare at him.  When we left the
cafeteria, I saw that David was looking at us with a big smile on his face.

We went to the other end of the school yard where normally very few people
went during the lunch.

I'm sure we talked a great deal during lunch but I simply can't remember
what we said.  I know we looked into each other's eyes a lot.  Time went by
and we had to return to class all too soon.

"I won't be able to come around after class, Nick, because I promised the
coach that I would take an extra training session today.  So I will see you
tomorrow."

"OK, Francis, that is no problem.  Do you mind if I call you this evening
if I need to?"

"If you need to talk, you can always call me, Nick.  Never forget that."

We went our separate ways.  We had no classes together, so I faced few
distractions for the rest of the day.  And that was just what I needed.  I
went home after my last class, buying the groceries on the way.

The evening passed by without anything special happening. David was not
home and I just watched some television and went to bed early.  Despite the
fact that I was really looking forward to speaking with him, I forgot to
call Francis.  I must have been too tired.

Thursday passed, again without anything happening.  Once again I had lunch
with Francis and we spent more time looking at each other than saying
anything.

When David came home later that evening, he came to my room.

"Hi, Nick.  How are you feeling?"

"Much better, David.  Thank you for asking.  I though you were going to be
home late again tonight."

"Well, my friend Katy and I were studying together again, but decided it
was better to stop a little bit earlier tonight."

"You call that studying, David?" I asked him.

"Well, you know what I mean, Nick, so why ask about it?"

"So, you're really getting to know each other better at this moment?"

"Yea, you could say that.  I like her a lot, so we'll just have to see what
happens."

"Well, I hope it works out.  I really like Katy, she's such a bright
person."

"Is that the only thing you're interested in, Nick?  Don't you see how
beautiful she is?"

"Sorry David, of course I see that, too."

The way David reacted to what I said made it clear that he had really
strong feelings for Katy.  He was right: Katy was not only intelligent but
also very pretty.

"And how are things going with you and Francis, Nick?"

"OK, I guess."  I didn't know how much I should tell him.

"I saw you two having lunch together the last two days and going outside to
be alone."

"Yes, we did.  We just talked a lot."

"About that what was bothering you at the beginning of the week?"

"Not especially."

"Don't you want to talk about that, Nick?  I can see that it still bothers
you."

"Please, David, not now.  I don't want to talk about it.  Please drop it."
As I finished, I started to cry..

"Don't cry, Nick.  I'm not going to push you, but I don't think it's a good
idea not to talk about it.  It's still eating you.  Just see how quickly
you started to cry after I asked you about it."

I just stared at him.  I really didn't want to talk to him about that
subject.  I looked away.

"OK, Nick.  If you don't want to talk now, that's fine.  But please, if you
ever want to talk about it, just let me know."

"Thanks, David.  I will, but I'm not ready to do so yet."

"This must be pretty heavy then, Nick.  You talk about your feelings about
Francis without any problem, and that cannot be easy to do."

"Well, Francis …."  Just saying his name made me feel all happy and
satisfied again.  I started to blush.

"Yep, what about Francis, Nick?"

"Well, he's so nice, so easy to talk to.  I really like him, you know."

"Yes, I understand that, Nick.  Your emotions are written on your face when
you talk about him.  Did you tell him what happened this weekend?"

"No, I didn't, David.  He knows it was bad, but not exactly what happened."

"Well, just have fun with him … though I should warn you, if you want to
hide your relationship with him, you'd better have lunch with us tomorrow.
Otherwise, some of our colleagues on the team will start wondering what is
going on between you two.  And they won't have to guess what's happening if
they see you very often."

"Oh, why is that, David?"

"Well, every time you two look at each other, it's as if there's no one
else in the world."

"But I …."  I started to stumble.

"I know.  You don't have to say anything, Nick.  I know when I see two
people in love."

"Do you think Francis really loves me, David?"

"What do you think, Nick?  Just look at how he reacts when he sees you.  Of
course, that is something you don't see because you're all starry eyed
whenever you see him."

"Well, I guess that is true."

"OK, I'm going to bed.  Whenever you're ready to talk to me, just let me
know and I'll be there for you.  Don't forget that."

"Thanks, David."

He walked out of my room and I started to wonder about what we had just
said.  A while ago such a conversation would never been possible.  Things
had changed since I had started to be the coach's assistant.  I had met
Francis, I had become closer to my brother David, and I was going to meet
Alexei Nemov.  Only one bad thing happened and that was Mike.  Well, not
Mike himself, but what had happened because of our knowing each other.  I
like Mike and I also liked some of what we did together, at least a little.
I didn't mind being ordered around.

Tomorrow I had to go to the gym.  I hoped to continue doing my best.  As
the team assistant, I had access to my father's office and I knew I would
use that privilege this time.  It would be a good way to meet Alexei before
the others did.  I knew I had the hour before practice off, so I intended
to be there early.

I slept quite well that night.  I'm not sure what I dreamed about but it
was good.

The next day I went to school and told my father that I would come to his
office that afternoon to do the paperwork that had piled up while I had
been away for the week.  He just smiled but said nothing.

I didn't see Francis during the morning but, as we had the last few days,
we spent some time during lunch together.  Not the whole period, but a
little private time together.  He agreed to come around that evening after
dinner.

I went to my father's office an hour before practice began and I did some
paperwork.  My dad was not around; I knew he would probably be getting
Alexei from the airport.

When I had almost completed the paperwork, I heard the door open.  I looked
up and there he was.

"Hi, I'm looking for the coach of the gymnastic team.  They told me that
this was his office."

"Well, uh …," I started but I couldn't say anything.

"I believe you want to say something."

"Yes, I'm sorry, sir, but my dad, the coach, is not here.  I thought he was
getting you from the airport, sir."

"Well, I didn't see him there and I'm here now.  I am Alexei Nemov, as you
probably already know from the look on your face."

"Well, my name is Nick, sir, and I am the coach's assistant and the reserve
on the team."

"Hi, Nick, it's nice to meet you," he said as he reached forward to shake
my hand.

"And please, call me Alexei.  It makes me feel very old when you call me
sir."

"Yes, sir, um, Alexei."

"Do you know where you father is?"

"Well, I thought he was picking you up from the airport.  If you didn't see
him there, I'm not sure where he is."

"Can you reach him somehow?"

"Of course, why didn't I think of that?  I'll try his cell phone number."

I called dad and he picked up the phone.  He had just arrived at the
airport, having been delayed by heavy traffic.  I told him that Alexei
Nemov was already here.  He told me he would come back straight away and
asked if I would entertain Alexei in the meantime.  I hung up and looked to
see where Alexei went.

"Hi, there you are.  My father was late arriving at the airport because of
the heavy traffic.  But he'll be right back."

"OK, that's fine by me … Nick, was it not?"

"Yes, Alexei, it was.  What do you want to do until he arrives?"

`Well, if you don't mind, I just want to check out the facilities and
equipment you have here.  Your father told me on the phone that he had a
training schedule for every gymnast with the level of each on it.  Can you
show me those?"

"No problem.  Just look at what we have around here and, when you are
finished, come back to the office and I will show you the stats."

He walked a little closer to our training area where all the equipment was
standing.  I just looked at him.  He was wearing tight black jeans, which
fit perfectly around his sculpted ass.  His well-built legs seemed to be
outlined quite effectively.  He had a white T-shirt on, covered by a black
leather jacket. I would love to see what was underneath when he took that
jacket off.  His upper body was at least as heavily muscled as his legs.  I
turned away thinking of what a stud he was not only in his pics or on
television, but in person as well.

I walked back and returned to my paperwork.  The other team members would
not arrive for another 30 minutes and dad would be back before that.

I looked up when I heard that voice again.  "Do you have those stats for
me, Nick?"

I really liked it when he said my name like that, softly, with a little
Russian accent.

"Sure, I put them on that table over there."

"Would it disturb you if I went over them here?"

I almost said yes because he really would bother me, but he was being very
polite and that was something I just couldn't say.

"No, no problem, Alexei, go ahead."

He walked towards the table and, just before he sat down, he took off his
jacket.  I could only stare at his white T-shirt and what was underneath
it.  I quickly looked the other way when he turned around to look at me,
just in time to avoid him seeing me stare.

We stayed that way for almost 30 minutes, until I heard my father come
back.
  I introduced them and they started to talk about what would be happening
today.  I knew there would be a press conference later on after the
practice.  And the team would arrive soon, so dad wanted to make sure that
Alexei knew what was scheduled for the rest of the evening.

I just sat at my desk, occasionally glancing at Nemov, trying to hide my
interest because I didn't wanted to be too obvious.

Then all hell broke loose as the other team members entered the locker room
and tried to invade the coach's office.  My father took Alexei back to the
lockers and started to introduce everyone.  I walked back with them and
stood off to the side.  My father somehow forgot to introduce me in front
of the team; that seemed a little strange.

The coach started to explain what would happen during the next hour.
Alexei would have a small private chat with each team member, and would
assess every person as he was doing his routine.  Everyone started to ask
questions, but dad said they should wait until after practice.

Everyone started to undress and I quickly got back to the office and got my
gear.  When I returned to the locker room, they were all ready.  I quickly
started to change and, as I undid my pants, I saw Francis looking at me
with a huge smile on his face.  I almost didn't know what I should do, but
I am sure I felt my face begin to blush, not a little bit, but quite
deeply.  When Francis saw that, he smiled and walked quickly into the
gymnasium.

When I was dressed, I too went to the gymnasium and saw that most of the
apparatus was already in place. Two guys were practising on each piece, and
I saw that dad and Alexei were discussing the routines.  I just looked
around.  Normally the team would work in threesomes when they practised and
so there would be a place for me.
  But this time people were paired and there wasn't a person without a
partner.

When dad saw my dilemma, he walked towards me and said, "I'm sorry, Nick,
but we wanted to make this week as efficient for the others as possible so
we paired everyone up.  You can do some sit-ups and other exercises along
the sidelines or go into the fitness area to work with weights to build up
your muscles."

I was just too stunned to respond to him.  First he forgot to introduce me
to Alexei in front of the others; then he was separating me from the rest
of the team, or at least that was the way it felt.  I would have no chance
to see Alexei at work or have him work with me.  I just couldn't believe
what was happening.  Obviously my dad thought I was a good stand in if he
needed one, but for something big like this, I was no longer a real member
of the team.

I just turned around and went to the other side of the practice area, where
I could work out a little.  I should have said something but I was too
upset over what was happening to do so.

The hour went by in a blur.  I tried to watch Alexei as much as possible,
seeing him give valuable pointers to some of the others.  This was just
upsetting me more and more and, when the practice was half over, I decided
to leave.  I changed, wrote a note to Francis, and put it in the pocket of
his pants.  I knew he would find it and read it.  I just wanted to let him
know that I was glad that he was coming around later that evening.

I had planned to stay for the press conference but I just couldn't, so I
arrived home early.  I suddenly felt tired again and out of place.  Had
that been the same dad who, last night, complimented me on my achievements?
I really got the feeling that we were returning to our earlier
relationship.  I thought we had progressed beyond that but, once again, I
felt that I was still the little nerd who did everything wrong.

I felt sad and a little out of it again.  What could I do to please him?
Was there nothing I could do?  I just started to feel rotten about myself
again and I just sunk down into what was undoubtedly a severe attack of
self-pity and emotional distress.

I must have somehow dozed off because the next thing I knew, I felt someone
touching my cheeks with his lips.

"Hi, Sleeping Beauty.  How are you, just getting some rest?"

"So it seems.  I was a little tired and I must have dozed off.  But waking
up like that makes it worth while."

With that, I raised myself up a little and kissed him on the lips.  Yummy
… his taste just made me go wild.  As you may already have guessed, it
was Francis who walked into my bedroom.

"You were just so cute lying there asleep.  I didn't know if I should just
look at you all evening, enjoying the sight of you at rest, or if Ishould
wake you.  I'm glad I woke you."

I wanted to say something but again our lips touched and we enjoyed the
feelings which came over us, making them last as long as possible.

When we finally broke for air, he moved me a little side ways and we lay
beside each other on my bed.

"Were you crying, Nick?  I could see the stains on your cheek when you
where asleep."

"Well, just a little, " I said.  I didn't want him to know why I was
crying.
  I couldn't even remember that I had, but it must have been just before I
fell asleep.

"Well, don't worry, I'm here."

With that he started to stroke my hair with one hand and my chest with the
other.  I just closed my eyes, enjoying every feeling he gave me.  We just
lay there for at least a half-hour or so.  We just cuddled and kissed from
time to time, not saying anything special but enjoying the moment.

We really must have been into it because we never heard anyone enter the
house.  But happily the stairs creaked, so we knew that there was someone
coming up.  Francis quickly got off the bed and sat down on a chair on the
other side of my room, picking up a book that was on the table.

I tried to get myself straightened up a little and to sit straight up on
the bed.

"There you are, Nick.  I've been looking for you for some time now.  You
might have left a note when you left.  I should have known that you would
be too tired to complete a full practice."

"I'm sorry, dad, but it slipped my mind."  I could hardly believe I said
that because I was really mad at him but I didn't want to say anything in
front of Francis, who would be upset by my anger.

"Oh, hi, Francis.  I didn't see you.  Are you going to stay for a while
then?"

"Certainly, sir, if that's alright.  We were just discussing some music."

"That is fine by me.  I only came up to see where Nick was and I wanted to
tell you that we have a problem, as you would have known if you had stayed,
Nick.  Someone screwed up the hotel reservations for Alexei, so he is going
to stay in our guest room.  I want you to give him some privacy.  OK?

"Wow, is he really staying here?  Can we talk with him?" Francis asked
before I could say anything.

"Well, that is up to him, but for now, please leave him alone.  He has had
a long trip so he probably wants some sleep.  I told him where he could
find everything and where your rooms are.  I also told him that, if he had
a question, he should ask you.  I am going to read a little downstairs and
then go to bed.  I can trust you two not to disturb him?"

:Of course, dad.  We'll leave him alone, don't worry."

"OK, just don't make it too late, Francis.  Night."

He left the room and we looked at each other.

"He is staying here.  Hmmmm, this is going to be interesting."

"Stop dreaming, Nick.  I'm here with you, so stop lusting after other men."

"Do I detect a touch of jealousy there, Francis?"

He blushed but as he started to answer, I just stared at him and said.
"Don't say anything.  Just come here and I will show you that you don't
have anything to worry about."

When he laid down beside me, we started to kiss each other again.  I could
feel my body respond and my dick became hard instantly.  I only hoped that
Francis wouldn't notice, for I was still a little embarrassed by the effect
his touch or his kisses had on me.  We continued to explore each other's
bodies for some time, but we never got our hands below our waists.

I was in heaven and was so focused on what we were doing that the next
thing I heard was, "Oh, sorry guys."

We had fallen asleep and I tried to open my eyes to see who had spoken,
wondering why he said "guys" instead of "guy."

I tried to pull the arm off my chest but when I did so, the arm didn't
respond.  I looked at my chest and saw that it was not my arm that was
lying there.  By then I was awake.  It was Francis who was lying there
beside me.  But if that was the case, then who was at the door?  I quickly
turned my head towards the door.

Then it came to me.  My dad had told us yesterday that Alexei was staying
in the guest room and he had told him where my bedroom was in case he
needed something.

"I'm sorry, Nick. I had no plan to disturb you two."

"No problem, Alexei, but please, come in."

"Are you sure, Nick?"

"Yes, please, Alexei.  I don't want to wake anyone else yet.  I'd like to
give an explanation for this first."  I looked at Francis as I said that.

Alexei closed the door.

"So you two aren't an item if you need to give an explanation."

"Well …,' I stammered a bit.  I seemed to be at a loss for words fairly
often recently, I thought to myself.

"If you don't want to say anything, you don't have to tell me, Nick.  I am
fine with it.  I have seen lots of relationships in the gymnastic world, so
don't worry about it."

"Well, there is something of a problem, Alexei.  You see, we are just
getting to know each other and nobody else knows, so I would appreciate it
if you didn't tell any one."

"OK, no problem, Nick.  I won't tell.  But isn't it better to wake Francis
up now?"

"I guess so."  I turned around towards Francis and nudged him awake.

Francis started to mumble something but I just couldn't make sense of it.
I shook him again and he opened his eyes.

"Nick, what are you doing here?"

"I should ask that of you, Francis, because you are in my bedroom."

"Oh, no, damn.  I must have fallen asleep."

"So it seems."

"But why did you wake me up the way you did?  I would have preferred the
way I woke you last night."

I felt my cheeks blush again.  "Well, that would be a bit difficult; we
have a visitor already this morning."

He looked around and, when he saw Alexei, he went pale.

"Don't worry, Francis.  I won't tell anyone.  Nick just explained the
situation to me."

"Oh, he did."

He looked back at me and started to kiss me.  I quickly broke it off.  It
just didn't feel right to do this in front of Alexei.

"Don't worry, Nick.  I have seen that before, so don't stop for my sake.
At least if it is just a good morning kiss and not the start of something
more."

I started to laugh a little bit at the thought of that.

"Hmmmm, what time is it, Nick?  I should get home before my parents wake;
otherwise, they'll wonder what is going on."

I looked around to see the clock.  "Well, that is going to be somewhat
difficult, Francis, because it is almost 10 o'clock and if I look outside I
would say in the morning."

"Oh, no, don't tell me that, Nick.  I said that I wanted to be honest with
them, but not quite yet."

"Don't worry, Francis.  We'll just say that you stayed over and slept at my
place."

"I thought of that, but they won't buy it, you know."

"Well, could we say that you slept over because you wanted to chat some
more with Alexei?"

"Well, that might work, Nick.  Do you mind, Alexei, if we involve you in
this?"

"No, I'm fine with that.  As I said to Nick before, I have seen a lot of
gay guys in the gymnastic world and I have seen the struggles some of them
feel.  So don't worry about it; if need be, I'll be there to back you up."

"Well, we'd better get ready then and get downstairs for breakfast to see
if father buys the explanation," I said.

"I guess you wanted something, Alexei?"

"Yes, I found the bathroom but do you know where I could find towels and
stuff?"

"Of course!  They are in the cupboard in the hall, right beside the
bathroom door."

"Thanks.  I'll have a shower and meet you downstairs in a moment."

"Fine, we'll first have breakfast and then shower later."

Alexei left the room and I looked at Francis.  "Don't worry, Francis, we
have a good explanation and they'll buy it, I'm sure."

"Well, I hope they do, but I'd better get downstairs and try to call them
right now."

Francis straightened himself up and left the room.  I looked around and
thought it was a good idea to get something else on and then go downstairs
to see if Francis needed any help.

As I reached the top of the stairs, David opened his door.

"What is all that noise this morning.  Has everyone forgotten that today is
Saturday and there is no meet today?"

I turned around and said to him, "There's just a lot of people around this
morning David, more then we expected."

He had a puzzled look on his face.  "I know Alexei is staying here, as you
would have discoverd if you had stayed for practice last evening."

"I know, but I didn't mean Alexei, David."

"Oh, who do you mean then?  Please tell me, as I'm not into any riddles on
a Saturday morning."

"Well, I thought it better to tell you than hide it.  Francis and I fell
asleep last night talking to each other and we just woke up."

"Ah, talking, you say!"

"Yes, talking, David."  I tried to sound as persuasive as possible, but I
also felt my cheeks color.

"Well, it doesn't matter to me as long as dad knows about it."

"I was just going downstairs to see if he was there and to tell him what
happened."

"You'd better do that.  Has Alexei already come out of his room?"

"Well, you might say that, David.  He woke us up this morning."

"He did what?"

"Shhhh," I said, "be quiet.  I don't want dad to find out or come up to
find out what is going on.  I will tell you later, OK?"

"Fine, but are you sure I want to know more about that?"

I started to walk downstairs.  There was one thing I knew from the
conversation with David and that was that dad was already downstairs.

I walked past Francis in the hall. He was talking calmly to his parents as
I went into the kitchen.

"Good morning, dad."

"Morning, Nick.  How are you this morning and is Alexei already awake?"

"Yes, he is.  He's just taking a shower."

"Ah, is that David on the telephone?  I though I heard someone speaking a
moment ago."

"No, that's not David, dad."

"Well, who did you call this early on Saturday morning?"

`It wasn't me either, dad.  It's Francis.  He's calling his parents to tell
them he stayed at our house last night."

"Oh!  I thought we had a rule that I would be told when someone is staying
over and why didn't he call his parents last night?"

"Well, we were talking together and with Alexei when we somehow must have
fallen asleep."  I tried to say this as convincingly as possible, trying
not to blush as I spoke.

"Well, next time, you'd better tell me.  If something had happened last
night, I wouldn't have known that he was here.  Where did he sleep?"

"He slept in the chair in my room."

"That must have been a dreadful night for him then, Nick."

"Well, I haven't asked him yet how he slept.  When we woke up, he thought
it would be better to call his parents first."

At that moment Francis entered the kitchen.  I immediately looked at him to
see if the telephone call went well.  He had a little smile on his face, so
I guessed it had gone well.

"Coach, can I ask you something?" Francis said as he entered the kitchen.

"Yea, no problem, Francis."

"Could you give my parents a call later today to tell them that I stayed
over because we chatted with Alexei for quite a while?  They just want you
to confirm what happened.  They were a little upset by my not calling last
night, so it would make my life a little bit easier if you could do that.
I have written the number on the paper beside the telephone."

"If you want me to do that I can, but I would have thought they would trust
you a little more than that."

"Well, they are just worried."

I could see on his face that he was only half serious about that part.
There was more going on but he seemed to be trying to be as convincing as
possible about what he said.

"OK, I'll give them a call later today.  So what do you want for
breakfast?"

That changed the subject and we started breakfast.  I gave Francis a
questioning look but he just smiled, so I thought his parent would buy his
story as long as dad called them.

When we were almost finished, Alexei came into the kitchen.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Morning, Alexei," we all said, trying to hide the fact that both Francis
and I had already seen him that morning.

"Did you sleep well, Alexei?"

"I did, thank you very much."

"I hope these two guys didn't keep you awake too late.  I told them not to
disturb you."

"No, they didn't disturb me.  We started to talk yesterday when I walked
into Nick's room to see where the towels were for my shower this morning.
We had a very nice chat then."

"Well, that is fine by me.  But if they bother you this week, just let me
know."

"OK, I will."

As we finished breakfast, dad said, "I will call your parents in a moment,
Francis.  Should I tell them that you'll be home soon?"

"Yes, I guess I will, sir.  I have to do some homework too, but if it's OK,
I'll come back Sunday evening."

"That is fine by me, Francis.  You know our door is always open as long as
Nick or David wants to see you."

"I know, but I just wanted to be sure now that Alexei is here."

"I don't mind, Francis, the more people here, the happier I am," Alexei
answered.

"No problem with Sunday evening, Francis.  Nick will probably be busy until
then anyway."

I looked at my dad.  "Why is that?  We haven't planned anything today or
tomorrow as far as I know."

"Well you have now.  I promised Alexei that you would show him the town
this afternoon and I have another thing for you to do tomorrow."

I looked at my dad.  With what had happened during the past 24 hours, I was
really annoyed with him.  "And what if I had had other plans?"

"Then you'd have to cancel them."

"No way," I said.

"If there's a problem, Nick, I can see the town by myself," Alexei said
before my dad could answer.

I looked at Alexei and saw that he was a little bit embarrassed about being
in the middle of a family dispute like this.

"This has nothing to do with you, Alexei," I said to him.  "But dad, why
didn't you ask me before promising such a thing to Alexei?"  I was ready to
give him another chance.

"I would have if you hadn't left yesterday without telling me where you
were going."

"So you just promised without asking me?  Well, I am really getting sick of
this, dad.  I have just about had it, after what happened yesterday.  I
thought that things were changing after our little talk this week but it
seems not."

"What do you mean?" my father asked with a startled look on his face.

He didn't even know what I was talking about.  Shit, this was even worse
than I thought.  He was doing all this without even thinking.

"Oh, damn.  If you don't see it, then I feel sorry for you, but I am not
your little puppy.  I am a human being with feelings and not just some
animal that can be told to do whatever you like."

I started to scream and cry at the same time.  It was not easy to get me so
angry, but if I was, there was little to say or do.  I got red and
continued crying and screaming.

"What are you talking about?  I told you last week you were doing good on
the team."

"Oh!  So good you forgot to introduce me to Alexei in front of the team
yesterday and so good that I don't have a record to show Alexei?  No, it's
just little insignificant me doing his father a favor, but not really
considered a member of the team, not deserving of being treated as a member
of the team."

Having said that, I thought I should get out of there.  Our argument was
getting us nowhere and I didn't want to lose it completely in front of
Francis and Alexei.

I ran back to my room and just lay on my bed.  I started to cry.  My father
had hurt me badly this time.  I realised that doing everything he wanted to
please him didn't work.  He would never see me as a person but just as some
nerd he had to cope with.

I don't know how long I stayed there but at some point, I felt Francis's
arm on my back.  I looked up and saw his eyes focused on mine.

"I am sorry you had to witness that, Francis."

"I'm not.  Now I know what was bothering you.  You have to become more
open, Nick, not always keep everything inside.  Remember that I am always
here for you and ready to listen."

I saw a lot of compassion in his eyes and I threw myself into his arms.

He held me for a few moments and then I drew back.

"What did father say after I left?"

"Nothing much.  He just sat there and, after a moment, he said that he'd
better call my parents."

"Typical of him.  Do you see now what I mean?  If David had had an outburst
like that, dad would have been in his room within a few minutes."

"Well, don't worry, Nick.  I know he loves you.  He was hurt when you said
those things.  I know you didn't see that because you were so angry, but I
am sure he loves you."

"I don't know anything about love any more, Francis."

"Never doubt one thing, Nick.  I love you."

With that, he started caressing me and we had a very long and deep kiss.
When we ended that, I said, "I know, Francis, and I love you, too."  We
looked into each other's eyes and they stayed locked together for a while.

"Do you have to go, Francis?"

"Yes, I do, Nick.  I have to deal with a little trouble at home.  They were
very suspicious, you know.  Only when I told them that I would have your
dad ring them did they stop questioning me.  I am sure I can't hide this
from them for much longer, but we must at least wait and see if we can
resolve your home situation."

"Thanks, I would appreciate that."

There was a knock on the door.  "Is it safe to come in, guys?"

It was the voice of Alexei.  "Yes, come in, Alexei."

He came in and looked at us. "Are you OK, Nick?"

"Yes, thanks Alexei.  I'm really sorry you had to witness that."

"That's OK, I have seen family fights before.  I meant what I said: if you
don't want to show me the town, that is fine.  I can find my own way."

"No, that is not a problem, Alexei.  I would love to show you around.  It
is only the things dad did that really got me pissed."

"OK, I will leave you to it, then, and be back in two hours.  Is that all
right?"

"Sure, that is fine by me.  See you then."

He walked out of the room and I looked at Francis.  "Do you really have to
go so soon?"

"I had better, but I'll be back tomorrow night around 6.  Maybe I can have
dinner here if my parents let me."

We kissed again and then slowly Francis walked out of the room.  We kept
our eyes locked on each other until he closed the door.

I just stayed in my room.  I didn't want to see my dad.  If he wanted to
talk with me, he could come to my room.

I didn't see my Dad all afternoon, until I left together with Alexei.  He
was probably out getting groceries or running other errands.

We toured the town and we got a lot of attention.  Alexei was recognised a
great deal.  Later, I learned that there had been a big article with a
prominent picture of him with my dad and the team in the local newspaper.

We had a great time.  We talked a lot about a number of things.  I had been
afraid of that.  I didn't know why Alexei would want to hang out with a
high school brat like me.  But it was really a pleasant afternoon.

When we came back just before dinner, I went straight up to my room, not
wanting to talk to my dad.

But I was there about 5 minutes or so when there was a knock on my door.

"Nick, can we talk?"

It was my father but I wasn't too sure I wanted to talk with him yet.  I
knew I had hurt him, but that was the only way I could get though to him.

"Nick, please, we need to talk," he asked again when I didn't reply right
away.

"Come on in," I said without much enthusiasm.

The door opened and my dad entered, first just looking around before
getting a chair and sitting down on it beside my bed.

"I was a little surprised about your outburst this morning, Nick.  I didn't
see it coming and I really thought we had things worked out better after
our little talk this week.  I am a little angry that you did it in front of
Alexei and Francis though."

"I'm …," I started.

"No, please, Nick, let me talk and when I am finished you can respond or
leave it be for now.  I did a lot of thinking today.  Besides buying the
groceries, I went out to the park and just sat a long time on a bench
thinking about what you said.  I know you are right somehow, but you must
believe me when I say I love you."  He waited a moment before he continued,
but I just knew there was more to come and I didn't want to respond yet.

"Like I said, I know you are right about a few things you said.  I have
more problems talking to you than to David.  It's always been that way, and
I don't know why.  Maybe I see a lot of myself in David and I usually know
how he feels.  We can talk easily about gym and other sports we both find
interesting.  But with you I am just not sure what to talk about.  Still, I
see a lot of myself in you, especially about character and stuff. You have
to realize that I wasn't good in sports when I was your age.  I was also by
myself a lot and only when I went to university and got involved in
gymnastics did I start to have friends and stuff.  That is why I was so
happy when you joined the team by becoming my assistant.  I thought that
would resolve our communications problems, but I know that isn't enough.
So I will try to do better.  I will try to listen more to you and to be
more open.  But I need help with that.  I was very closed myself when I was
your age and it is important that you tell me what you feel and what you
want.  I just can't guess."

This was a lot to hear from my father.  He must have been doing a lot of
thinking.  We had never talked like this before.

"I just want you to know that I am ready to start fresh again if you are.
I am not sure you can forgive me yet but I hope you can try to help me and
be more open about what you feel and stuff."

He just looked at me.  I did want to say something to him, but I just
didn't know what exactly.

"You don't have to answer now, Nick.  Just let me know if you want to talk,
OK?"

"Yes, dad," I said to give him an answer at least.

He walked to the door and opened it.

"Dad," I said.

"Yes. Nick?"

"I just wanted to say thanks for what you said, and I will try to become
more open."

"That is all I ask, Nick, and don't forget, I really do love you.  Dinner
will be ready in about an hour."

I started to think a great deal about what dad had just said.  I knew he
was right.  I would forgive him and, indeed, I had to be more open with
him.  Otherwise there would be no communication at all.  Francis had
already told me this, and he was right.  I started to think about Francis
and how our relationship was changing very quickly.  I still hadn't been
with him naked, so I hadn't really felt his hard body against mine.  I
adored his strong chest, his lovely earlobes, his powerful, well-muscled
legs. I started to daydream a little when Alexei knocked on my door and
told me dinner was ready.

I went downstairs and predictably, nothing special happened during dinner.
They all (dad, David and Alexei) did their best to get me involved in the
conversation as much as possible.  I appreciated their efforts and I knew I
had to try to do my best also.

I did participate in the dinner talk, and all went well.  I went to bed
early that night; I just wanted to do a little reading before I went to
sleep.  I started to read Lord of the Rings by Tolkien.  I had heard a
friend talking about it and what he said made me curious about the book.  I
looked something up on the Internet about it and found that there was a big
crowd of fans of the book with almost entirely positive reaction to it.

I woke up around 10 in the morning.  It was Sunday.  I know that Francis
would be around that evening, perhaps for supper.  I got up and had my
shower.

During breakfast, we exchanged our plans for the day and I told the others
I had nothing special organized.  I went back to my room afterwards and
continued to read my book.  I really started to get into the story, the
beautiful birthday party of Bilbo and Frodo and the discovery of the ring.

I was so involved in the book that I didn't hear when the door opened.

"Nick, do you have a moment?"

"Sure, Alexei, I'm just reading.  What is on your mind?"

"I just wanted to ask you a favour.  I have discussed the possibility of
doing some exercise this afternoon to keep myself in form.  I talked to a
guy named Mike because I'd understood he had some fitness apparatus in his
basement.  He agreed to my doing some exercise but he's not going to be
home this afternoon.  He said you know what is there and how to use them.
So could you go with me?"

I completely froze at that point.  I just looked at Alexei, but couldn't
answer him.

"Hey, you do know where he lives and how to work the machines, don't you?"

"Yes, I know," I said.

I felt the whole of my world turn upside down again.  What could I do?  I
was still not strong enough to go to Mike's place on my own, that was for
certain.  I was just getting to the point where I could avoid thinking
about that horrible experience, and now Alexei wanted me to go to Mike's
house.  I could have said no, of course, but I had no good explanation for
doing so.  Everyone knew I had nothing else planned this afternoon, so why
not go there?  I had never said anything to anyone, so dad must think that
I enjoyed myself at Mike's.  I was sure he would make me tell him why I
didn't want to go there after our conversation of this morning.  He would
try to understand me and so he would push me to open up to him.

There was only one thing I could do.

Sorry guys but there is where I want to leave the story for now. I hope you
like the new developments and I love to hear what you think what Nick
should do. Any response is appreciated and can be send to
noway16@hotmail.com or by ICQ to: 36967366