Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:20:45 -0400
From: perti@live.com
Subject: Dermot II.12

This story is fiction.  Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is
purely coincidental.  These stories have as their main character a sexually
active gay teenager.  If this is offensive to you, or if it is illegal in
your area, or if you are under age, please leave now.

There is a religious element in these stories.  If you don't like that,
maybe now is a good time to leave.

Thanks to Colin for editing.

Constructive criticism is welcome on my e-mail at perti@live.com.

____________________________________________________________________


Dermot II
Chapter 12, Easter

     Dermot's apology hit just the right note.  Lando was immediately out
of his chair and in Dermot's arms.  They made an effort to explain to each
other, but the words kept getting swallowed up in kisses.  In a way,
nothing was settled when it was time for Lando to leave for church, but in
another way all the important things had been settled.  No matter what
their previous misunderstandings and hang-ups, they would be boyfriends,
they would be together, and they would work things out.
     As Dermot ate the supper left for him by Aunt Carrie, he reviewed the
situation.  Lando felt at a disadvantage because of his inexperience, and
he had a bad previous experience with Bob because they argued about
everything.  On the other hand, Dermot felt he ... what was it he felt?
Not exactly guilty.  Soiled?  Like used goods?  Unworthy, maybe.  All
because he had worked the streets for months after being thrown out by
Uncle Steve.  Dr. Lanier said none of that was his fault, and he should get
over it.  Easier said than done.  But he would have to watch himself, and
not let his negative feelings about that spoil what he had now.
     Dermot was not sure about the long range.  The Lyles seemed willing to
foster him through high school, anyway, and maybe even through college.  He
had no doubt of his ability to do the academic work.  He had proven to
himself and to his teachers that he could hack it by making up for three
months of missed work in less than a month, while keeping up with his
current classes, and he seemed well on the way to obtaining credit for the
first semester of History and English as well.  Even when he had been on
the streets, he had not allowed his mind to sit idle.  He had no patience
with the inarticulate.  He had spent hours and hours in the public library
reading.  Okay, it was warm and dry there, but he liked the reading, too.
     No, it was not in the realm of the intellect that he expected
difficulties.  It was in the world of the emotions.  After his mother died
when he was ten, his father had been emotionally absent as well.  Then his
Uncle Steve and his family were an emotional disaster.  Talk about
dysfunctional!  That was followed by nine months on the streets, where the
only emotions he experienced were negative ones fear, disgust, anger.  As
much as he appreciated everything the Lyles had done and were doing, and as
much as he really liked make that 'loved' Lando, he had real difficulty
letting another person get real close to him emotionally.  He had a lot of
defenses.  They had been needed to survive, but now they were a liability
in his relationship with Lando.  He would make a conscious effort to work
on that.
     By the time the family returned shortly after nine o'clock, Dermot was
determined not to allow his past to ruin his future with Lando.  The ground
had been prepared earlier, during that hour and a half of making up.  When
Dermot heard the family arriving, he left his room, and went down to greet
them.
     "While you guys were at church, I did some heavy thinking.  I just
want you to know that I really appreciate everything you're doing for me.
I don't say that often enough."
     "Dermot, you don't have to feel like you should be constantly thanking
us," Walt Lyle said.  "That would be entirely artificial, and put you in a
position as something less than a full member of this household."
     "Well, I'm not family, and I know you don't have to do any of the
stuff you do for me."
     "I purposely said 'household' not 'family,' Dermot.  Of course, there
is no blood tie.  But we want you to feel that you belong here.  So, let's
just say, we appreciate your thanks, and hope you will want to be with us
for a long time to come."
     Emily, always impulsive, hugged Dermot.  That took him by surprise,
which registered on his face pretty clearly, causing both Lando and Mark to
burst out laughing.
     "I'm glad you're here, too, Dermot," Emily said.  "Otherwise, I'd have
to spend all my time straightening out my brothers.  Now I've got you as
well.  Variety is nice."
     Mark and Lando both moaned at the mention of Emily straightening them
out.  Dermot caught Lando's eye, and indicated he had more to say to him,
but not so publically.  After a few more comments among the family,
therefore, the two boys headed up to Lando's room.
     They immediately picked up where they had left off before the Lyles
left for church, but however satisfying, that needed to stop if they were
going to work out their differences.  Dermot moved back, separating himself
from Lando just a bit.
     "I love your kisses, boyfriend, but I think we need to talk."
     Lando sighed.  "You're right.  But kissing is much more fun."
     "Dr. Lanier told me that we both have anxieties and doubts that we
need to work through.  Does that strike you as correct?"
     "Yeah.  Look, I really want this thing between us to work, okay?  But
I don't know what to expect.  I've had just two or three previous
experiences."
     "You said that once before," Dermot interrupted.  "Don't you know how
many sex partners you've had?"  This was said not in an accusatory voice,
but out of curiosity.
     "Well, here's the situation," Lando confessed.  "The first guy I ever
did anything with was last year, and he moved away during the summer when
his dad got transferred in his job.  Then, there was Nate."
     "Nate Greenwell?" Dermot asked.
     "Yeah.  All we did was mutual jerk offs, I think four times, but it
might have been five.  That's why I'm not sure whether to count him or not.
Does jerking each other off count as having sex?  I'm not sure, and that's
why I said two or three.  So, you can count it any way you like," Lando
conceded.
     "And then there was Bob," Dermot pressed.
     Lando sighed again.  "Yeah.  Then there was Bob.  Back during fall
semester.  I thought for a while it was really serious.  But, the more I
got to know Bob, the less positive I felt about the relationship.
Everything I thought we had in common, turned out not to be so.  I don't
know why Bob is so negative, or what turned him off the Church.  His uncle
is a priest.  But he's the same in a relationship as he is in class.  At
least he was with me.  Always having a negative comment about everything.
Always wanting to be one up on me.  I got the feeling he was not interested
in me as a person at all, but more like a verbal punching bag something to
spar with.  As you know, I like a good exchange of ideas, but it gets
really dreary when it's always just a series of negatives."
     "What bothered you most about Bob's comments?" Dermot asked, wanting
to be sure to avoid whatever it was.
     "Well, it was like in class again.  As you know, we take our faith
pretty seriously here at home.  Bob constantly made cutting remarks.  He
would not consider my responses, but acted like I was some kind of half-wit
for believing.  Like Mark said the other night.  I don't think I'm stupid,
and I resent it when someone acts as though I were just because I have
faith in God and His Church."
     "I have no doubt that you're not stupid, Lando.  That's why I was so
surprised when you said I knew more than you the other day.  Father
Schiller said reason worked within any system, but could not bridge the gap
when two systems of thought have different beginning assumptions.  I am not
ready to accept the Church again.  I've got a lot of bad associations
there.  But I sure don't think you or any of your family are stupid because
of your beliefs.  It's those beliefs which rescued me, after all," Dermot
assured his boyfriend.
     "That's a good place to start, Dermot.  Even if we can't agree on
everything, at least we can respect each other.  If we can't do that, no
matter how good the sex, there's no future for the relationship."
     "Speaking of sex," Dermot immediately seized the opening, "I spent a
good deal of time thinking about what you said before.  I know I've got
some hang-ups about my past.  Dr. Lanier forced me to see that I'm being
too sensitive about that.  But the feelings are there.  They're real."
     "I realize that now, Dermot.  I mean, I knew you felt bad about the
time you spent on the streets, but until the other night, I didn't really
appreciate how much you were hurting.  I'm sorry I brought it up."
     "No.  I need to get over it, as Dr. Lanier told me.  But it will take
me a while.  You have no idea what it does to you when you have to sell
yourself to stay alive.  Other people use you and then toss you away like a
dirty kleenex.  You have no self-esteem, no sense of personal worth.
You're just so much shit!  I really think if I had not ducked into the
library fairly regularly, and escaped into other worlds, I would have
killed myself.  So, I guess what I'm saying is, just like when Bob was
using you in an impersonal way to shore up his ego, and that created
problems for you, so also I got used in very impersonal ways.  You don't
like sarcastic comments on your faith or your intelligence.  I don't like
comments about my sexual experiences as a rent boy."
     "I see where you're coming from now, Dermot.  I was being glib and a
smart ass talking about all the sex you got.  I never really considered the
circumstances that made that a negative experience for you.  I apologize,
and promise to be more considerate," Lando pledged.
     "Accepted.  And I apologize for acting like a dork, getting all
defensive instead of telling you what my problem was," Dermot countered.
Then, somewhat hesitantly, he added, "Are we still talking the possibility
of sex before too long?"
     "I think I'd like that.  Yes, I'd definitely like that.  I'll let you
be the instructor and fill in my paltry record."
     "I want to make love to you, Lando, not just have sex with you.
Nothing impersonal," Dermot insisted.
     "That's what I want, too."
     They kissed.  Almost guiltily, both boys glanced toward the door to
make sure it was securely closed.  Then, realizing what they had done, they
both laughed, then kissed again.
     "I've got to go in to see my doctors again tomorrow," Dermot said.
"Will you come with me.  I think this should be the last visit, and I want
you there for the final act."
     "Of course I'll come.  Besides, Dr. Rygalski gets in some good zingers
from time to time.  I'll learn something," Lando joked.  "And, before we
go, I'm going to put you through a really thorough rehab workout.  We want
you in tip-top shape for that session."
     Dermot groaned at that threat.  "You've been good, working with me for
weeks, getting me back in shape.  Is there anything I can do that would
really please you apart from the sex we already talked about," he hastily
added, seeing the leer on Lando's face.
     "Yeah," Lando slowly articulated.  "I don't want to be pushy or
anything, but tomorrow night I'll be serving.  I'd take it as a personal
favor if you would come, just to see me in cassock and surplice, if for no
other reason."
     Dermot considered that request.  He was not being asked to accept
Lando's faith, but merely to be present when his boyfriend had a
particularly visible job.  "Okay.  Just to see you, of course.  And maybe
to scandalize Emily," Dermot agreed with a grin.  "By the way, have Jason
and Mike been coming each day?"
     "Yeah.  It's kind of cute.  Jason sits as close to Emily as he can
without being, you know, totally inappropriate.  Mike sits next to Jason.
I think the poor boy has a crush on our straight friend."
     "That can be really painful.  We'll have to work on that after Easter.
Along with lots of other things," Dermot considered.
     Late on Saturday morning, after Dermot's exhausting workout, Walt Lyle
drove Dermot and Lando back to University Hospital, where they met
Dr. Shipley and Dr. Rygalski once again.  They gave Dermot the most
thorough examination since he left the hospital on March 14, exactly four
weeks previously.  When they were finished, Dr. Rygalski announced, "You
are in great shape, Dermot.  We've managed to fix all your problems except
one."
     "What's that?" the teenager asked apprehensively.
     "That red hair.  We just can't do a thing with it," she teased him.
Walt and Lando burst out with guffaws.
     Dermot gave an exasperated sigh.  "Some people have no appreciation
for natural beauty," he asserted.
     "It's been a real pleasure dealing with you, Dermot," Dr. Shipley
stated.  "Not all our patients turn out as well as you seem to be.
Especially not all those brought in under circumstances like yours.  You've
got a lot going for you.  I'm sure you'll turn out just fine."
     "Thank you, Dr. Shipley, and you, too, I guess," he said, indicating
Dr. Rygalski.  "I'm glad finally to have the last of those bandages and
supports off.  I'm really grateful you spent so much time and effort on
someone like me."
     "We try to do our best for all our patients," Dr. Shipley assured him.
     On the way home, Walt Lyle asked how Dermot felt, not having to check
with the hospital any more.
     "I'm relieved that everything turned out so well," he said.  "But, at
the same time, I'll miss seeing those two.  They really did spend a lot of
time on me."
     "You have that effect on people," Lando quipped.
     After a quiet afternoon and a good dinner, Dermot voluntarily prepared
to go to church for the first time in six years.  He would do this as a
gift to his boyfriend, and swallow any negative associations which might
pop up.  Emily was quite satisfactorily amazed at his presence, and, when
they arrived in the parking lot and met Jason and Mike, so also were they.
Lando disappeared immediately to prepare for his role as an altar server.
He was the thurifer, carrying the incense burner, for the Easter Vigil
service.  The expanded Lyle family claimed a pew near the front of the
darkened church.  Emily appointed herself commentator for Dermot's
instruction, so he had a running account of everything.  As far as Dermot
was concerned, the first impression was one of smell.  The interior of the
church smelled of incense and candle wax.  He did not remember that from
before.  Each of them were given a small, unlit candle as they entered,
along with a paper drip guard to prevent getting hot wax on one's hand.  As
they sat, the church filled up.
     For the longest time, nothing seemed to happen.  Dermot thought he had
lost his interpreter, until he noticed Emily exchanging whispered comments
with Jason.  When he regained her attention, she explained that the first
part of the ceremony took place outside the church, where the priest was
lighting a new fire, and then preparing the paschal candle, but there
wasn't room for everyone out there on the church porch, and it was too
uncomfortable anyway.  So they waited.
     Finally, there was a stirring at the door.  In the dim, Dermot made
out several people, one of whom was carrying a very large candle.  As the
procession entered the center aisle of the church, the priest chanted in a
loud voice, "Light of Christ," and the congregation responded, "Thanks be
to God."  Several altar boys lit tapers from the paschal candle, and began
to distribute the light to those in the nearby pews, who lit their candles
and in turn sent it on to their neighbors.  The procession made its way to
about the middle of the church, then paused and repeated the call, "Light
of Christ," with the response.  The lighted candles continued to spread.
As the procession came closer to the front of the church, where the Lyle
family and their guests were located, Dermot saw that there was someone who
looked awfully familiar swinging a thurible, incensing the paschal candle
and everything else, it seemed.  Lando was in his element.  He swung that
censor with vigor.  After him came a crucifer bearing the processional
cross, a deacon with the lectionary, another deacon with the paschal
candle, the remaining altar boys with lighted candles, and finally the
priest in a violet cope.  Dermot could swear Lando looked directly at him
and winked.  He definitely gave a generous waft of incense in their
direction.
     The procession reached the foot of the sanctuary, where the invocation
"Light of Christ" and response rang out a third time.  By this time, the
individual candles held by congregants had all been lit, and the entire
church was suffused with a soft light.  The deacon with the large book
which Emily called a lectionary placed it on the reading stand and incensed
it, with Lando looking pained to relinquish his toy for the moment.  Then
the deacon intoned the long prayer called the "Exultet," calling on heaven
and earth to rejoice in the Resurrection of the Lord.  The poetry of the
prayer was moving, even to an agnostic like Dermot. "This is the night
which purges away the darkness of sin ... this is the night which restores
grace throughout the world ... this is the night which destroys death."
Then came the most moving of all words, "O felix culpa!  Oh happy fault,
that merited so great a Redeemer!"  Following this lengthy proclamation,
the individual candles were extinguished, leaving only the paschal candle
and those on the altar lit, but the church now fully lighted.
     There followed a series of readings from the Old Testament focusing on
water, and interspersed prayers more or less commenting on the readings,
accompanied by kneeling and rising, which Dermot mentally labeled Catholic
aerobics.  There was a long litany, calling on various saints, then the
blessing of the waters to be used in baptism.  Then a number of people who
had never been baptized before underwent the ritual, and some others, who
had been baptized in other churches, were solemnly received into the
Catholic Church, after which all, including the congregation, were asked to
repeat the baptismal vows, beginning, "Do you renounce Satan?"  This was
followed by more of the litany.
     Immediately after the litany, as the priest removed his violet cope
and replaced it with a gold chasuble, the choir and organ, enhanced on this
occasion by additional instruments including trumpets, rang out the
"Gloria," accompanied by the ringing of the church bells in celebration of
the Resurrection.  This was the beginning of the actual Mass, and, as Lando
had said, by this time it was past midnight.  It was Easter morning.  On
several occasions during the Mass, the altar was incensed, which gave Lando
a chance to step on center stage, but his moment of glory came when, after
the priest incensed the altar once again, a deacon incensed the priest,
then Lando incensed the two deacons and walked out to face the
congregation.  Everyone rose.  He bowed to the congregation, and they
returned the same sign, then he incensed the entire congregation, center,
right, and left.  Again, it seemed to Dermot that he gave a special twirl
to the thurible as he directed the incense towards where they stood.  Then
again, he bowed, as did the congregation.  The Mass continued, with
everyone in the Lyle party except Dermot receiving communion.
     After Mass, there was a brief pause.  There was a reception for those
newly admitted to the Church, but as none of them were close to the Lyles,
they decided to skip that.  Then Lando came running out.
     "Did you see me?" he enthused.
     "How could I miss?" Dermot replied.  "You practically stole the show."
     He kissed his boyfriend right there in the parking lot.  Emily
giggled.  Jason took the hint, and kissed Emily.  She giggled again.
     "I think we'd better get home before this goes much further," Sandy
said grinning.
     It was after 1:30 by the time they got home and ready for bed, but
they were not permitted to sleep late.  Lando came in and woke Dermot
around nine, saying they were going to hide eggs for the little kids.
     In a somnolent stupor, Dermot asked, "Will Mike be there?"
     Dermot looked at him, then laughed.  "I was only joking, Dum Dum."
     But getting up, dressing, and breakfast were not a joke, nor was the
trip back to St.  George's Church.  They arrived just after eleven, and
spent most of the next hour hiding colored eggs in all sorts of ingenious
places around the church grounds.  When Mass was over, swarms of youngsters
erupted from the church like an army of invading ants.  Lando, Dermot, and
others handed them baskets filled with artificial green straw, and
supervised the hunt.  This involved making some Solomonic judgements when
more than one child honed in on the same egg.  Not all the eggs survived
the ordeal.  Despite being sleep deprived, Dermot felt good, seeing all the
happy children.  He vaguely remembered taking part in similar hunts as a
child.  He also felt good seeing Lando laugh almost constantly during the
half hour or so that the hunt lasted.  He looked so damn sexy when he
laughed.
     No sooner had they returned to the Lyle home, however, than they left
again.  Lando explained that they were expected to have Easter dinner at
his grandparents' place in the suburbs.  He also cautioned Dermot that his
grandfather most likely would not take kindly to displays of affection
between them, although he suspected that his grandmother knew of his
orientation and had come to terms with it.  Dermot was introduced to the
older Lyles simply as a friend of Lando and the ward of Walt and Sandy.
The meal was wonderful, with all the traditional dishes including a
magnificent ham, but Dermot was restless, wanting to spend some time alone
with Lando.  It was not until nearly five o'clock that they returned to the
Lyle house.
     "Alone at last," Lando spoofed as they entered his room and closed the
door.
     "Yeah.  I thought we would never get the chance for just the two of us
to be together," Dermot complained.
     "Are you really upset?"
     Dermot considered.  "Not really.  I mean, I kind of expected something
first thing this morning, and with each delay I got antsy, but the
anticipation has built me up to the point where I'm as horny as I've ever
been, so I'm expecting a really great show."
     "Don't forget, you're the instructor, I'm the neophyte," Lando
cautioned him.
     "My first instruction is to come here and kiss me," Dermot said, and
almost immediately had Lando in his arms.  They held each other close, and
kissed passionately.  Not lips alone, but tongues were involved, so that it
seemed for a while as though each boy was trying to devour the other.
Remembering that he was supposed to take the lead, Dermot began to move.
He kissed Lando's eyes, his ears, his neck, and his throat.  As he did, he
began to undress his boyfriend, beginning with a few buttons, then a shirt.
The good clothes worn to the grandparents' place began to form untidy
little heaps on the floor.  But when Lando enthusiastically tried to join
in the project of disrobing, Dermot swatted him away.  "My job," he
proclaimed.  "You just do what I tell you."
     Lando grinned.  As Dermot gave him a shove, he fell back on the bed.
Dermot then removed his shoes and socks.  He then kicked off his own shoes,
and crawled onto the bed, covering his boyfriend's body with his own.  He
kissed Lando on the lips again lightly, then more passionately.  But then
he began the journey down Lando's torso.  He kissed his shoulders and his
sternum, but concentrated on his breasts.  He began to lick his boyfriend's
nipples.  Lando drew in his breath sharply.  He never realized how
sensitive those little nubbins were.  He began to moan softly, causing
Dermot to grin.  He was using the skills he had acquired by necessity, to
do something he had never done before.  He was making love to his
boyfriend.  Dermot moved from one breast to the other, and repeated the
erotic stimulation.  He could feel Lando's hard-on poking against him as he
continued to straddle his lover.  He rocked gently back and forth,
stimulating Lando's boner even more.  As Dermot continued to lick and suck
on Lando's nipples, Lando got a case of the giggles.  It seemed he could
not control himself.  Dermot paused, and looked at the giggling boy.
     Lando looked repentant.  "Sorry, Dermot.  I couldn't help it."
     "No.  That's okay.  This is the first time I've had somebody laugh
while I was having sex with him, and it's the first time I've made love to
my partner.  I think that's a good sign."
     Dermot went back to entertaining his boyfriend.  He traced a wet path
down his body, licking and kissing until he reached his navel.  He poked
the tip of his tongue into that little hole, and swirled it around.  This
brought another round of giggles from Lando, which grew into unrestrained
laughter.  Lando placed his hands on Dermot's head, as his stomach heaved
with hilarity.  Dermot considered that it was undoubtedly healthy to laugh
while engaging in sex, as this made him feel great, such as he had never
felt before.  Sex with a lover, he felt, was not supposed to be a solemn,
sanitized ceremony.
     Dermot moved on, reaching Lando's belt.  He sniffed it, as though
wondering what that might be.  He poked around with his nose and growled
just a bit, then moved down, sniffing the bulge in Lando's jeans.  Lando
continued to chuckle at his boyfriend's antics.  Dermot pretended to decide
he was interested in the bone he found, and began to massage it with his
lips, attempting to pick it up, but being unsuccessful.  He looked at that
interesting tent, cocked his head, gave it another try to pick up the bone
with his mouth, then moved away, back up to the belt.  He began to attempt
to undo Lando's belt using only his mouth, and managed to get it caught in
his teeth, pulling it through the loops.  Lando was getting antsy, and
reached down to help.  Dermot swatted his hands away.
     "Anticipation, remember.  Like dinner at Grandma's."
     But, taking pity on his lover, Dermot himself used his fingers to help
his teeth pull the belt through the rest of the buckle, and open.  He then
was able to unsnap the top of Lando's fly, and catch the zipper between his
teeth, jerking and pulling, and all the while rubbing against Lando's
throbbing hard-on.  As he did, he made yipping noises, like a happy puppy.
At long last, the fly was open, and Dermot attacked that bone through only
the thin cotton of briefs.
     In a pained voice, Lando said, "If you keep that up, I'm going to cum
in my underwear in about two seconds."
     "Can't have that," Dermot agreed, backing off.  He took Lando's jeans
into his hands on either side and said, "Lift!"  Lando lifted his hips, and
Dermot slid his jeans down and off, leaving the boy clad in only his white
briefs.
     Dermot then stepped away from the bed, leaving Lando panting.  He
rapidly divested himself of his own clothing entirely, adding to the heaps
on the floor.  Returning to Lando, he again covered the other boy with his
body.  As flesh met flesh, the eroticism heightened.  Dermot kissed Lando
again.  "You like your instruction so far?"
     Lando moaned.  He was not sure he could speak.  He felt that if he
moved a muscle, he would explode.  He never knew he could feel like this.
His sexual energy was heightened to the point he almost felt he could sense
electrical charges coursing through him.
     "I'll take that as a yes," Dermot said.  He again attacked Lando's
bone, swinging his head back and forth and growling.
     "Good dog.  Good little puppy," Lando managed.
     Dermot took the elastic band of Lando's briefs between his teeth, and
pulled up and out, then, cheating a little by using his fingers on the
sides, he pulled down.  Once again he said, "Lift," but the word was
muffled by the fabric in his mouth.  In seconds, Lando, too, was completely
naked.  Then, little puppy Dermot found his bone.  It turned out to be a
juicy one.
     Following Dermot's instructions, neophyte Lando returned the favor.
After only a brief pause to recover, they then engaged in the mutual
love-making called by the mystical number 69.
     Once they had both recovered their breaths, Dermot asked, "Are you
okay?"
     "Never better.  Now I know the difference between just sex and making
love," Lando responded.
     "I love you, Lando," Dermot declared.

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.