Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2017 22:40:14 +0100
From: Nick Brady <y2kslacker@mail.com>
Subject: The Rest of the story - Chapter 2

The Rest of the Story – Chapter 2.

This is the fifth (and final) book in a series about Marco, Marty, their
adopted sons Samuel, Benjamin and foster son Brian in Tulsa Oklahoma.

Book 1 is  Marco in the Park
Book 2 is  Marco, Marty and the Twins
Book 3 is  Brian Goes to College
Book 4 is  Brian and Lanny go to Europe

Please send feedback to y2kslacker@mail.com and support the Nifty archive
with contributions at http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Copyright 2015-2016 by Nick Brady, all rights reserved.

		-------------------------------------------

The month went by quickly for Brian and Lanny. Both were getting ready for
their classes to start, and when time permitted, looking for a place to
stay. Brian went back to work at Wayne's bike shop, Lanny got his job back
at the Walmart. Lanny started going to church with Brian and found himself
very much at home at St. Jerome's and was taken with Father Hoover. They
were keeping busy and staying close.

"The problem is that the OU Tulsa campus is in too nice a part of town,"
Lanny complained. "Those are all really nice houses or fancy
apartments. Nothing we can afford."

"We don't have to live a block from the school," Brian reminded him. "I
know you sold your VW Bus, but I have a car. If we are both doing a version
of the Classics program, we should have some classes together. If not, then
whoever needs the car can take it. It's yours to drive."

"What if we both need to go in different directions?"

"In that case I can ride my bicycle or you can take me. I don't mind that
at all. I'm not suggesting that we move a hundred miles away. I bet we can
find something within a few miles of the campus that will work for us. We
can make this work, Lanny."

Lanny threw up his hands. "I know, I know. I'm just being the worry-wart
again. But how do we find a place we can afford?"

"We can start by looking in the classified ads in the paper. Then there is
Craigslist and things like that," Brian suggested. "But our folks have
agreed to help us with this. We don't need anything fancy, but it would be
nice if it were decent and in a safe area. I don't think we have to settle
for a shack in a bad neighborhood."

Brian shrugged. "My go-to guy for anything like this is to talk to
Marty. It's scary what that guy knows."

That evening found them talking to Marco and Marty. "I think you understand
our dilemma," Brian said.

Marty smiled, "Of course. My first apartment was a one bedroom dump. That
was where we started out, wasn't it?" he smiled at Marco.

"To you it was a dump. I thought it was a great improvement over my
grandmother's sofa," Marco reminded him.

"I guess that's true. But the question is where should these guys look for
somewhere to stay. I can't say that I haven't thought about that," Marty
admitted.

It doesn't necessarily have to be an apartment, you know," Marco
suggested. "There are people who have a small place as part of their home,
say something for a parent who has passed away, or a converted
garage. Those can be a good deal if you can locate one. You might even find
a little house you could rent."

"Give me a few days," Marty requested. "Let me ask the Realtor who worked
with us when we sold the old house and bought this one. Considering the
commission he charged us, I think he owes us a little free advice."

"Thanks. Brian said you knew everything," Lanny said.

"Oh really?" Marty laughed. "I appreciate his confidence, but he is
exaggerating a great deal."

"Marty only knows half of everything, but I know the other half, so we have
you covered," Marco cracked. "We'll help you guys find a place. Don't
worry."

Brian was back working for Noah at the bike shop. Noah was curious about
the trip to Europe. "That must have been fun. What all did you do?"

"We went down from Scotland through, England, France, Germany and Holland,"
Brian said. "We kept pretty busy."

"How is this Lanny guy you went with? Did you guys, uh, get along?"

We did OK. We will have some of the same classes together and we are
thinking about sharing an apartment when school starts," Brian told him as
casually as he knew how.

"So, you are going to be living with this guy?"

"If we share an apartment, then you could say that."

Noah looked away and started working on one of the bikes. He dropped his
questions, but seemed a little cool.

"They worked together in silence for several minutes, then Brian asked, "So
how are you doing with your business classes. How did that work out?"

Noah shrugged. "It was OK. I got a B grade. Not bad for me."

"Not bad at all. That was the first sit down class you have taken in a long
time."

"Yeah. Well, I talked to Wayne about school and all that. He kind of
surprised me."

"How's that?"

Noah laid down his wrench and looked at Brian. "I expected him to give me
some grief about wanting time off for classes instead of working here. But
he was very encouraging. He even suggested some classes I should take. So
I'm taking six hours this next term. I'm thinking about completing an
Associate's Degree. What a surprise, huh?"

"How do you feel about that?" Brian asked.

Noah smiled shyly. "I guess I'll have to use a word I haven't used in a
long time. I feel optimistic. I think I might actually be on track to get
myself out of the hole I dug for myself."

"I don't know that your situation is entirely your fault, Noah. But that's
great news. I sure hope it works out for you. I know you can do it."

"It turns out that Wayne is an easier guy to talk to than I realized. Once
I opened up to him a little, he suggested a couple of things."

"Like?"

"Well, like my apartment. He asked me where I was living and I told him
about my dump. He looked around a little and found me a better place for
about the same price. I'm already moved. I brought all my old bicycles to
the shop here, moved the few things that were decent and left the rest
where it was. I don't care what the old guy who owns the place does with
them."

Brian laughed. "That's one way of doing it. Those are very positive things,
Noah."

Noah looked back at the bike he was fixing. "Yeah. Well, like I said, I'm
optimistic, and this is the first time I've felt that way in a long time."

Brian patted Noah on the shoulder. "Good for you Noah. I think things are
working out for both of us."

Noah shrugged in his usual non-committal way. "I guess. If it does, I will
owe you one for getting me off my ass. You've been a good friend. I'll miss
you when your school starts."

Brian was touched by this unusual admission of sentiment. "I'll miss you
too, Noah. You have taught me a lot about bicycles, and you've been a good
friend. I'll see you again. I will probably want to come back here and fill
in for you whenever I have a break in classes. I'll still be around."

Noah shook off the mood. "You'll be here another couple of weeks before you
ditch us again. We need to start putting together these new bikes. Let's
get busy."

A few days later, Brian called Lanny with some news. "Marty wants to talk
to us. Can you come over tonight?"

"Sure. What's the news?"

"He wouldn't say, but he was smiling."

That evening, Lanny arrived after supper, but in time for a piece of
Marco's apple pie.

"Your timing is perfect," Brian grinned as he gave him a slice of pie.

"I am here at your invitation," Lanny reminded him with a smile. "Now
what's this good news?"

Marty spoke up. "I guess I've got that. I have a couple of places for you
to look at, three in fact. The first is a converted garage about three
miles from campus. It might be a little snug, but the price is right. The
second is a small stand-alone apartment behind the house of the owner. It
was a place built for an ailing mother-in-law who has since passed on. It
is a little more, but probably nicer. It's closer too. The third is a small
two bedroom house over near Riverside. I think it might need some work but
that's a nice location with the River Park so close. It has more room than
the other two and a fenced in yard for a dog, but is also the most
expensive. All three of these are affordable. I have the addresses for
you. I suggest that you look them over and tell us what you think."

"Is there anything we should know about these places?" Brian asked.

"I'll tell you what I know," Marty replied. The converted garage is
supposed to be 'comfortable', whatever that means. It's the cheapest and in
a safe area.

"The in-law apartment is in a very nice neighborhood not far from your
campus. I have good news and bad news about it, depending on you. The owner
is a lady who knows you from St. Jerome's, although you might not know
her. She is Mrs. O'Malley and a very sweet lady. She also treasures her
peace and quiet, and is a very neat and tidy sort of person.  It's a nice
little place but she may have some reservations about renting it to a pair
of college students. It's a one bedroom place and she could have some
questions about two young guys sharing it."

"The house I have driven by but not been inside. I can't tell you anything
about it except that it would have more room, and I think you would enjoy
the location. The downside is that it might require some work and has a
yard to maintain."

"Can we afford any of these places?" Lanny wondered.

"If both families split the cost, I think any of them would be quite
affordable. That was one of my search criteria," Marty smiled. "Go check
them out. If none of these fits the bill, we can keep looking."

"Thanks, Marty. I knew we could count on you," Brian said sincerely. "We'll
get back to you in a couple of days."

They made the rounds the next day. Having a house of their own near the
river sounded like fun so they checked that out first. The location was
great but the house not so much. The yard was completely bare and when they
peeked in the windows they could see that the interior was shabby. There
was a privacy fence around the back, but it was sagging in several places.

"This could be nice if it were fixed up," Lanny said. "Do we need another
project?"

"Not to fix up somebody else's rent house," Brian replied. "I like that
it's close to the River trail though. We first got to know each other
walking over there."

Lanny smiled. "Let's keep looking."

The garage apartment was clean and neat, but tiny. It consisted of a single
room with a bed on one side and a little kitchenette on the other. A very
small bathroom was built into one corner.

"This would be OK for one person, but awfully cramped for two," Brian
frowned.

"Well, it's cheap, but I don't think this is it," Lanny agreed.

They knocked on the door of a two story house in a good neighborhood. There
were big old trees and a nice yard. The place had a comfortable look about
it.

Mrs. O'Malley was a petite lady with curly white hair. When she answered
the door, she was smiling. "Yes?"

"We understand that you might have a small apartment to rent," Brian
explained politely.

"Well, I might," she focused on Brian. "Do I know you?"

"I think we go to the same church," Brian suggested. "I'm Brian Montgomery
and this is my friend Lanny Walker."

"Oh yes, Marty and Marco's boy, and I've seen you at church too, Lanny. I
know you now. How are those twins?" She opened the door and motioned for
them to come in.

"They are fine, thank you. Lanny and I will be attending classes together
at OU Tulsa and are looking for a place to stay." Brian explained.

"I suppose you are interested in my little mother-in-law apartment. It
suited Martha, but might be a bit small for two."

"Could we see it?" Lanny asked.

She led them out the back door to what looked like a small house connected
by a covered walkway. Inside were two rooms – a living room with a
kitchen on one side, and a bedroom with a small bathroom. It was nicely
furnished and very tidy.

"Gee, this is nice," Brian looked around. "The bathroom is cool."

The bath had a sink and stool on the left with a walk-in shower on the
end. On the right behind the bathroom door was a tall storage cabinet with
louvered doors. The bottom half of the walls were covered in white
bead-board with the walls above painted blue. The shower surround was white
with clear glass shower doors. There was a light in the ceiling above the
shower and mirrored medicine cabinets above the sink and stool which made
it look larger than its actual six by eight foot size. It was a small
jewel.

"There is no tub," the old lady apologized. "Martha used a wheel chair and
found the shower safer."

"We wouldn't use a tub anyway. The shower looks great," Brian assured her.

Mrs. O'Malley paused, "There is only the one bed."

"It looks like a queen. That's fine. There is room for two," Lanny said
quietly.

"I suppose that's your business and not mine." The old lady hesitated and
looked thoughtful. "But you should know that have never had renters
before. Martha was very careful to keep her apartment nice and clean. I
don't know that I would appreciate seeing it left untidy."

"Just because we are guys doesn't mean we are sloppy. I think we could keep
it up," Brian assured her. "That is, if we were to rent it."

Lanny smiled, "Brian is an Eagle Scout. Scouts are clean."

"Oh are you now," Mrs. O'Malley returned his smile. "I know about boys. I
raised three of my own. I know all your tricks."

"Do they still live here?" Brian asked politely.

"No. They are all over," her face sobered. "One is in Chicago, the other is
in San Diego. I lost my youngest in that Gulf war."

"I'm sorry. That must have been tough," Lanny responded.

"Yes. Well, we just carry on. But of course that was very difficult. The
following year I lost my husband and it was just Martha and me in this big
house. Now it's just me." She was quiet for a moment. "You do seem like
nice boys and I like your family, Brian. Do you suppose you could keep
things clean?"

"Yes Ma'am. I think so. We would try to be good renters," Brian assured
her.

She smiled again. "I suppose you might. It might be nice to have some boys
around. But no parties. I don't like a lot of noise."

Brian liked this lady. "You won't even know we are back here,
Mrs. O'Malley."

"Hmm. You might work out. But if we are to be neighbors, I would prefer
that you called me Irene. Mrs. O'Malley is too formal, and besides, it
makes me feel old."

"Irene? That was my grandmother's name," Brian told her. "That's kind of
nice."

"Was it now?" Irene smiled again. "I probably should ask for a deposit in
case you break something."

"Whatever seems fair to you," Lanny said. He exchanged looks with Brian who
nodded his head. "This would be a good fit for us. I think we would like to
rent your little house."

"I would like fifty dollars a month, and I would expect that you pay your
rent promptly on the first."

"That sounds more than reasonable," Lanny agreed. "Will you rent to us?"

Irene sighed, "I suppose we can try and see how it works out." She was
trying to look stern, but her affection showed through. "I hope I won't
regret this."

"I hope this isn't a problem for you," Brian hesitated. "But we want to be
open about this. We are both gay, and we are sort of a couple."

"One of my sons is gay and lives with his partner in San Diego. I don't
know why that's the way he is, but it is, and he is a good boy. If you pay
your rent on time and take good care of the place, then I have no problem
with that," Irene said simply. "You can come and go using the side gate,
and I'll give you a key. When would you like to move in?"

"As soon as we can," Brian grinned. "We won't need any furniture, just our
clothes and personal stuff."

"I see. The décor is a little fussy for two boys. It was furnished to
suit an old lady. Will you be comfortable with that?"

"That's fine. Maybe old ladies and gay boys have a few things in common,"
Lanny chuckled.

"You can park your car in the driveway," she told them. "It's a double
drive and I keep my car in the garage. Just don't block the doorway. I
would like a one hundred dollar deposit which I will refund when you move
out. That will keep you until the first when you start paying rent. The
utilities are still on. Do you need phone service? I had that discontinued
when Martha passed." Now that the decision had been made, she moved on to
the details.

"No Ma'am. We both have cell phones. All we need is gas, lights and
water. What will we pay you for utilities?" Lanny asked.

Irene smiled. "I will have to look at that and let you know." She handed
them a card with her name, address and phone number. "I'm afraid there is
no separate address for the little house. If something comes for you I will
have to pass it along."

"That's no problem. We use the internet for almost everything. Our parents
live in town and we can continue to get our snail mail there."

"I have Wi-Fi. My Chicago boy has three children. When they visit it seems
they cannot live without the internet."

"This is perfect," Brian said enthusiastically. "Can we give you a check
for the deposit?"

Irene smiled wryly. "Perfection is an elusive goal. I will settle for a
handshake."

They shook hands on the arrangement and returned to Brian's home to tell
the family about their new place.

"Fifty dollars a month? She must have really liked you. I was told it would
be much higher," Marty exclaimed.

"For that price you guys should try to help her around the place," Marco
suggested.

"Sure. I figure we can at least mow her yard or something. She is really
nice," Brian said.

Classes started the next week and they moved in over the weekend. Some of
Martha's personal things were still in the closets and Irene took care of
those. Other than their clothing, there wasn't much to move. The rest of
their limited possessions were left with their parents. Sam and Ben helped
them move, more because they were curious to see the new place than to
help. On the last trip, Marco and Marty came along to introduce themselves
to Mrs. O'Malley.

"Of course I know you," Irene told them. We know each other from
church. Please come in for some refreshment."

They all sat in Irene's living room where a platter of freshly baked
cookies was on the coffee table. Milk was served to the twins and coffee to
the others. Sam and Ben were polite and were not noisy. This was a good
sign.

It was evening by the time Brian and Lanny were finally alone in their new
little home.

"How do you like the décor?" Lanny asked.

"Fussy old lady works for me," Brian grinned. "She had good taste. This
stuff is nice. Comfortable too."

"A place of our own. Who would have guessed last summer that we would be
here?" Lanny asked.

"Not me. This has happened pretty fast. Any second thoughts? How is your
father with all this?" Brian wondered.

"Resigned is probably the right word, I think. Mom is bringing him along."

"Your dad is a good guy. He will be OK I think."

"Yeah, I think so. Now the real test begins."

"How do you mean?" Brian asked.

"I mean the time we spent in Europe was filled with adventure. It was like
we did our honeymoon first. Now that we are in classes and the daily slog,
it might not be as exciting," Lanny explained.

"I don't know. First comes the honeymoon, then you settle into being
married, or at least a couple of some sort. Isn't that how it works?"

"What do you think about Mrs. O'Malley?"

"I like her. She was trying to be all businesslike, but you could tell that
she was sort of pleased about having us here. She is probably lonely and
misses having her family close to her."

"I'm used to doing yard work. I can mow the grass and help with that. I bet
you can find some ways to be helpful too."

"I'll find something useful to do." Lanny sat and looked around.

The living area had a paneled window on one side that looked out onto the
back garden. There were trees and shrubs set around a wooden privacy fence,
providing a peaceful view. In front of the window was a round coffee table
with a love seat facing the window and a wing-back chair on each side to
make a nice sitting area.

On the opposite side was a small kitchen with a table and three chairs in
one corner and the entry on the other. The walls were pale blue with framed
pictures on the wall and little knick-knacks on a shelf.

The bedroom was just big enough for a queen sized bed, a long dresser with
drawers, and a padded chair. A night table was on each side of the bed with
little brass lamps and white ruffled shades on each. There was a decent
sized clothes closet with plenty of room for their stuff. On one side of
the bedroom was the jewel-like bathroom, well equipped with grab bars to
help steady the previous occupant, but very functional and attractive.

"This is really nice," Lanny said.

"It's ours," Brian said quietly. "This is the first place we have had
together."

"Is this going to work out? I mean are we going to work out?"

Brian smiled, "Sure. Why not? I love you Lanny. You are what I have been
looking for all my life and didn't know it. This seems so right to me. We
can make it work."

Lanny leaned back and sighed. "I imagine that work is the operative word. I
think we have to work at this. The sun doesn't shine every day. We will get
crosswise with each other and get our feelings hurt. It is the way that we
deal with those times that will make the difference.

Lanny continued. "I read somewhere that couples who manage to stay together
for a long time, practice the three C's; Communication, Compromise, and
Change. Communicate means talking through stuff and being
honest. Compromise means considering the other person and not always trying
to get things to go your way. Change is about growing with the
relationship. People aren't the same after twenty or thirty years as they
were when they started out. I guess the trick is to grow together."

Brian nodded. "That makes sense. I think we do pretty good on
communicating. We talk about everything and are usually honest about how we
feel. Compromise is harder for me than for you. I can be pretty
hardheaded. Time will tell if we can change and grow together."

"I think it has to do with basic values. We share the same faith and sense
of right and wrong. We are in sync on most things. I think we can make
it. For sure, the sex is good," Lanny grinned.

"Speaking of which, it has been some time since we were alone with a bed
and a shower. What do you think?"

Lanny smiled and stood to remove his shirt. "I think I'm ready to check out
that shower."

"I'll be right with you," Brian started to undress.

Lanny slid open the glass door to the walk-in shower and turned on the
water. As he adjusted the temperature, Brian stepped up behind him and
wrapped his arms around Lanny's naked body. "I think this is going to be
nice," he said as he kissed Lanny on the back of his neck.

Brian grabbed his bar of soap, they stepped into the enclosure and closed
the shower door. From inside the shower, they were in an all-white capsule
with a clear glass wall on their left and chrome fixtures in front from
which fell a gentle cascade of water. There was a matching white stool on
the other end with plenty of space for two in between. After they both
soaked themselves in the hot water, Lanny sat on the shower stool and
looked at Brian with admiration. "You are so beautiful," he said quietly.

Brian turned to him and smiled. "I'm sure glad you think so," he said
modestly.

"It's not just my opinion, Brian. You are a damn fine looking guy. But if
you realized how sexy you are, you might be conceited."

Brian spread his arms with the hot water flowing over his shoulders.

"This is yours," he said. "This body, this soul, is yours to enjoy as you
wish. Just be careful not to break my heart. I'm giving that to you too."

Lanny took a deep breath and stretched out his arm to cup Brian's loose
balls in his hand. Brian was soft, but began to stiffen as Lanny pulled him
closer to the little stool. When he took him in his mouth, Brian became
erect very quickly, and leaned forward until his stomach was resting on
Lanny's head. The soft cascade of hot water poured over Brian's back,
flowed around his body and over Lanny's face as he enjoyed Brian's penis in
his mouth.

"Oh yes, this will work just fine," Brian moaned softly as he humped
himself into Lanny's face.

Lanny's hands were busy with Brian's butt cheeks, while twisting his head
and working his tongue on Brian's hard cock. He wasn't sure if he most
enjoyed sucking Brian or being sucked by him. He loved Brian and found
great pleasure in doing things that made Brian jerk and shiver with
ecstasy. It was as if they were one body. What gave one pleasure also
pleased the other.

After a few minutes, Brian pulled away. "I'm too close. If you do any more
of that I'll shoot. I want to play some more."

He knelt down as Lanny spread his legs wide to receive Brian's hot
mouth. He looked down to see Brian's blonde hair lying wet across his face
as the water splashed over Brian's shoulders and over Lanny's chest. The
warm water flowed over Lanny's stomach and down Brian's face as he worked
Lanny's cock in and out of his mouth. Lanny took Brian's face in his hands
and watched as Brian sucked him with eyes closed.

Lanny pushed him away. "Any more of that and I'll cum in your mouth. Let's
get clean and go to bed, OK?"

Brian sat back and grinned. "Want to wash my back?"

Taking the bar of soap, Lanny washed Brian's chest, arms, stomach and all
areas below with care. Then he stood and turned Brian around to wash his
hair and backsides, paying careful attention to the area between his
crack. Lanny rinsed himself off then turned and attended to Lanny. As he
soaped his friend from head to toe, he took a deep breath and inhaled the
wet soapy mist.

"That soap really smells good. What is that?"

Marco buys that for us at Sprout's. It is an old brand of Chinese soap
called Bee and Flower. This is Sandalwood scent. We all like it."

"It's good soap too. It leaves your hair nice and soft and rinses off
easily. I need to get some of that."

"Well," Brian grinned. "Since we will be living together, I guess you can
use mine."

"I guess that's right. I have to remind myself that isn't just a nice hotel
room. It's almost too good to be true."

"I think I can get used to this," Brian smiled as he dried himself off and
handed Lanny the towel. "Ready for bed?"

Lanny hung the damp towel on the hook next to the shower and walked to the
bed, his erection swinging from side to side.

"I'm ready," he said.


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To be continued.

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