Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 03:14:13 +0000
From: David Lee <dlee169@hotmail.com>
Subject: Second Chance, Chapter 24

Second Chance, Chapter 24

Warning:

This story is copyrighted by the author known as David Lee and may not be
reproduced in whole or in part without explicit permission.

This story contains descriptions of love and sexual fulfillment between
people of the same gender.  If possessing or reading this kind of material
is illegal where you live, please leave this site at once.

My previous stories may be quickly accessed by searching for my name under
the "Stories by Prolific Net Authors" heading which is found under the
"Information for Readers" spot.

You may write to me at dlee169@hotmail.com.  I'll do my best to answer
promptly.  Please put the title of this story in the "subject" line when
you email.

For the full disclaimer and additional info, please read the statement that
precedes Chapter 1.

As always, I thank my editors Tom and David for their proofing my work and
giving me suggestions and lots of positive feedback.  They're an integral
part of this effort.

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

Chapter 24



For body shaving, the boys had again taken over the large main bathroom.
It seemed best to do it in the tub to keep from spreading shaving cream and
hairs all over the floor.

The boys were dressed in old, skimpy Speedos that were thin enough to tell
who was cut and who wasn't!  Poor Garret seemed to be at half mast for the
whole time, but he didn't display the embarrassment that he had the week
before.

Body shaving was pretty intimate even though no one was naked.  The guys
paired up to shave each other's chests, arms, and legs.  No one had hair on
his back so shaving that wasn't necessary.  However, everyone's treasure
trail and bikini line did need attention.  Eric and Josh performed that
duty on each other with no hesitation.  They even pulled the waistbands
lower and pushed the leg openings higher to make sure their team suits
would cover what was left.

Dylan said that he and Garret could do their own "personal" shaving.
Garret expressed doubt about his upper leg area, so Josh and Eric took one
leg each and performed the chore for him.  The bulge in his Speedo seemed
to suggest that he enjoyed the attention.  Dylan seemed too busy to notice,
but Eric and Josh looked up to give Garret cheeky grins.

All of them changed into lounge pants and T's after they had showered off
the residue.  Then they went downstairs to make popcorn.

----------

Blake and Rob smelled the aroma of hot buttered popcorn and hoped that they
would be included in snack time.  They were not disappointed.  Ben and
Scott came down from Scott's office to join them too.  Everyone sat around
in the living room relaxing by the fire.  It was the first time that most
of them had had a chance to unwind all week.

Their domestic tranquility was broken by the cries of an unhappy baby.  Rob
jumped up; however, everyone but Dylan offered to go in his place.

"Please let me try," Blake requested.  "I may never get the chance with one
of my own."

"Oh, too bad!  Are you sterile?" Dylan blurted out without thinking.

"I don't think so," Blake answered, "just gay."

----------

"Boy, I really put my foot in it!" Dylan exclaimed after Blake had left the
room.  "I should learn to keep my big mouth shut!  But, he just doesn't
seem gay.  I mean, you look at my brother and it's like he's got a flashing
neon sign over his head."

"Do you think you can always tell if a guy is gay?" Rob asked biting the
corners of his mouth to keep from smirking.

"Well, yeah, pretty much.  My brother's the only one I know, uh, besides
Blake, but I'm pretty sure I'd know one if I met one."

Josh seemed to be choking on popcorn and Eric slapped him on the back as if
to dislodge it.  The diversion was enough to change the subject and to keep
them from falling on the floor laughing over Dylan's asinine statement.

----------

Since this was a kind of team-bonding event, the boys opted to sleep near
each other on the floor in the den.  They blew up their air mattresses and
laid them down for a cushion against the hardwood floor.  Dylan set up his
spot near the fireplace and Garret staked out the spot next to him.  Eric
and Josh placed their mattresses very close together on the other side of
Garret.

After unrolling his sleeping bag, Dylan climbed in his and headed for
dreamland immediately.  The others weren't quite as sleepy, so they sat on
the sofa far enough away that their conversation wouldn't disturb him.

"It doesn't seem to bother you that Blake's gay," Garret observed.  "It
evidently wasn't a secret because no one reacted."

"No, it doesn't bother us; should it?" Josh asked.

"No.  I think it's way cool that you're cool about it.  You don't seem like
the kind of guys who'd harass anyone for coming out."

"You're correct again.  You win the grand prize!" Eric teased.  "Are you
trying to tell us something?"

"Um, no.  I mean...  I know a guy at school who's pretty sure he's gay, but
he's really frightened that he'll get taunted or beaten up if anyone finds
out."

"I don't blame him for being careful," Josh said.  "He needs to know who
his true friends are.  You can tell him that we'll stand by him just like
we do Aaron.  Aaron can be annoying, but he's a cute, harmless kid at the
same time.  We all try to protect him and we can extend that to you – I
mean your friend – too."

"Your gaydar works better than Dylan's," Garret sighed. "Will you keep my
secret?"

"Sure, if you keep ours," Josh whispered, taking Eric's hand and kissing
his finger tips.

"Oh my God!  Are you serious?"

"Sh," Eric cautioned.  "Yeah we're serious.  Is your gaydar as out of whack
as Dylan's?  Didn't you suspect anything when we were camping?  We thought
that you'd know about us since we had you pretty well figured out from the
way you look at Dylan.  Your constant hardon tonight made us certain."

"Am I that obvious?  I'll have to watch it so I don't get caught.  Can you
please not tell it around?  I'm not sure how Dylan would take it.  He's my
best friend besides you guys.  I don't want to lose him."

"We can do that, but it may be difficult to keep it from Rob since he lives
here," Josh admitted.  "Would you be upset if one of us slipped around
him?"

"I guess not.  Not unless he'd worry about having me around the baby.  I
really love little kids.  I'm not, like into them..."

"I know what you meant.  I'm sure it wouldn't matter to Rob that you're
gay.  He would understand.  He knows we're gay and he lets us do everything
for Robbie."

----------

The aroma of breakfast greeted the swimmers early in the morning.  They had
to move quickly to get to school around 8:00 to board the bus for the meet
in Minneapolis.  It wasn't far, but traffic in the winter tends to be
unpredictable.  At least they didn't have to be bouncing around on a school
bus for hours like teams from outlying districts.  They could have gone
directly to the university pool, but that would cause parking problems if
everyone drove singly.  Besides, Coach David wanted his guys all to ride
together.  Keeping them organized was a bit like herding cats, but he stood
a greater chance of success if he enforced the rule.  He felt that the
camaraderie of traveling together was a good thing too.


Eric, Josh, Dylan, and Garret were finishing their meal when Blake came
into the kitchen followed by Rob with Robbie in his arms.

"I feel stupid.  I fell asleep on Rob's bed and he didn't wake me and send
me home.  I'd better get back so Reese doesn't think...  Oh crap, for a
moment I forgot he's gone."

"Please sit down and have breakfast with those of us who aren't leaving,"
Ben invited him.  "The swimmers have to get a move on.  Scott and I will be
going later to watch them."

"I really shouldn't..."

"Yeah, you should!" Rob said.  "They won't take `no' for an answer and, as
you know, I'm really thankful for that!"

----------

Blake hadn't told the whole story about staying over.  He had fallen asleep
on Rob's bed and had awakened about midnight.  He had planned to go home,
but Rob had asked him to stay.  Clad in their underwear, they had shared
the bed like two buddies might. It was totally platonic, but they ended up
snuggled together sometime in the wee hours after Rob had returned from
feeding the baby.  With Rob next to him, Blake had slept better than he had
since he'd broken up with Reese.

---------

The swim team had a fantastic day, winning more than their fair share of
honors.  The four-man relay squad of Josh, Eric, Dylan, and Garret set a
new state record.  Of course, they were elated.

Aaron won his diving event and went around hugging several of his teammates
in his excitement.  Most of them hugged him back.  Jake stayed far away
fearing that Aaron might include him, even though that seemed highly
unlikely.  Damian, however, didn't shy away from the exuberant kid.  Aaron
loved being tight against Damian's body for that split second, but as far
as he could tell the other boy didn't respond the same way.  Oh well.

Ben and Scott spent the whole day rooting for their sons, photographing as
much as they could.  But they weren't the only family members there.  Rob
showed up in time to witness the relay team's victory.  Blake had brought
Rob and Robbie for a couple of hours before the little one got too fussy to
stay any longer.

Scott invited Blake to come over for a family pizza party that evening to
celebrate the winning season.  Blake accepted immediately.  He was
beginning to feel like part of the extended family.  Their love helped to
fill the vacuum in his heart.

----------

After the family's private festivities, Eric and Josh went to Dylan's home
for a party with the rest of the team.  The Reid's large basement rec room
was already half filled with merry-makers when they arrived.

There was no alcohol served, but the boys wondered if Aaron had gotten into
his parents' liquor cabinet because he seemed more "on" than usual.  At the
moment, he had an uncomfortable looking Garret trapped in a corner and was
openly flirting.  Spotting what was happening, Dylan came to Garret's
rescue by whispering something in Aaron's ear.  Aaron tamed down instantly
and acted like a gentleman for the rest of the evening.

Marissa was by Dylan's side all evening.  Several other girls were there
with their boyfriends who were part of the team.  The stereo blared out
tunes for dancing and there were tables loaded with snack-type foods and
soft drinks.  It was a fun time for everyone.

When the boys arrived home after 11:00, they were somewhat surprised to see
that Blake was still there.  He blushed when they gave him the thumbs-up.
Rob had his back turned and didn't see the exchange.

Eric and Josh headed up to their bed to have their own, more intimate
celebration.  It involved attempting to suck each other off through their
Speedos.  Happily, they were quite successful in their endeavor!

----------

Rob, Josh, and Eric all made it through the first semester with flying
colors.  While Eric had found classes more challenging than the ones in his
old high school, he also found that he was up for it.  He credited his two
housemates with teaching him to concentrate despite a myriad of
distractions – swimming, baby-tending, and sexual activity.

Although they had registered for second term some time ago, there were a
few minor adjustments that could be made in their schedules. Neither Eric
nor Josh felt the need to, but Rob did.  He had originally signed up for a
lighter load because he had thought he'd be working many hours at the Pine
Inn to keep body and soul together and hadn't been sure but that he'd have
to drop out of school completely.  As it was, with the settlement from his
father and the help of everyone in his household, he could take a full load
of classes so he could possibly have space in his schedule to earn a few
college credits in his senior year.  He needed to keep on track if he hoped
to get into a profession where he could make a decent living for Robbie and
him.

He made an appointment with Miss Burgoyne to see what was available.  There
was a course on parenting that interested him, so he was advised to check
with Miss Hovland who taught the class.  It would count as one of his
electives.

Miss Hovland welcomed him into her room.  She was especially keen on having
males enrolled into her class because she felt that they needed to take an
active role in raising their children.  It was her mission to help stamp
out child abuse and she felt that teaching young men how to deal with fussy
infants in a gentle way was a big step in the right direction.  She also
thought that once a guy found out how difficult it is to care for a baby,
he might be more responsible about using birth control in the first place.

"Let me show you our life-like robotic babies," she offered.  "These are
state of the art!  You would be expected to tend one of them for 24 hours a
day for a week as part of your requirements.  You have to take them to
classes with you and find babysitters for them when you go out.  They are
programmed to cry unexpectedly and they may not respond to what you do for
them.  For instance, you might try to feed them only to find out that they
need burping or need a diaper change.  They're very much like the genuine
article – so educational!"

"Not quite," Rob smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"They aren't warm and cuddly and they can't respond to love."

"Well, I suppose not.  But, what better options are there?"

"Having a real baby to look after for that time, I guess."

"You're right, but what parent would allow her child to be a guinea pig?"

"What if a student brought his own baby?  Would you allow that?"

"Certainly, but how are you going to conjure up a child by next week?"

"Let me show you some pictures of my son..."

Miss Hovland was pleased to add Rob to her roster, but saddened to think
that he was burdened with a child at such a tender age.  Yet somehow, he
didn't act like he felt imposed upon.  Whatever he felt about his
situation, he and his baby would bring a whole new level of insight to her
class.

----------

January had brought the usual hardships of ice, snow, and bone-chilling
temperatures, but had ended with several days of above-average
temperatures.  It made the guys feel hopeful that spring might be only a
few weeks away despite the fact that the groundhog saw his shadow.

In the first week of February, Blake asked Rob if he'd like to go downtown
to the Fitzgerald Theater to see the "Prairie Home Companion" show live.
Rob was hesitant to go because he'd have to find someone to babysit and he
didn't feel like he could burden his family anymore than he already had.

"Josh has his gallery opening on the 13th, so I know that he and Eric are
going to be busy the whole week before.  Scott watches Robbie a lot of
hours, so he needs time off.  Ben has a full caseload right now.  I just
don't know whom I could get."

"Why don't you ask your friend Garret who really seems good with Robbie?
Didn't you say he's in that parenting class with you?  Maybe he could get
extra credit.  I'll even pay for it.  I got the tickets for free from a
parent at the country club who isn't going to be able to use them, so it's
a pretty cheap date, so to speak.  You need to get out more.  It's only
right for a dad to have a little time off to recharge his batteries.
Robbie can't sit through something that long without fussing or we could
take him along, but I also think you need time away from him once in a
while.  When he's a little older, we can take him to the zoo and stuff like
that."

"I'll think about it." Rob replied.

"Why don't you call Garret right now to see if he's at all interested and
then we can go from there?

"Okay," Rob smiled.  "It would be fun to go out for a change.

----------

As Rob was drifting off to sleep that night, he suddenly thought about what
Blake had said.  Blake had used the word "date" when asking Rob to the
show.  He'd also talked about future outings in which Robbie would be
included.  Rob wondered if this was more than an attempt to give him time
away; or was he reading something into it that wasn't there?

He slept soundly because his son didn't wake up until 6:00.  Scott's
recommendation of feeding Robbie a bit of rice cereal at night to hold off
his hunger was working.  The pediatrician wanted him to feed the baby only
milk for the first three months, but Rob remembered that his siblings had
been started on "real food" more quickly than that.  He had decided to take
the advice of someone who had experience with raising a child rather than
someone whose knowledge was based solely on textbook theory.

----------

Garret was pleased to be called to babysit.  He had done that for several
neighbors, but those kids were five or older.  With them, he was more like
a big brother or counselor.  This would be a chance to get real-life
experience with an infant.  Besides, Rob was a really cute guy even if he
was straight.  He seemed really gentle and could almost pass for gay, but
that couldn't be the case since he had fathered a child.  Too bad!

Ben and Scott were both going to be home all night, so they would be around
if any emergency arose, but they took a hands-off approach.  Josh and Eric
were at the gallery helping Mr. Hadley and his assistants hang Josh's show.
So, Garret was pretty much on his own after dinner.

When Robbie got fussy after eating, Garret tried Rob's method of holding
the kid on his bare chest.  He sat in the rocking chair patting the baby on
the back and singing a lullaby to him.  After Robbie gave one gigantic
burp, he settled down and went to sleep.  Garret could have put him down in
his crib, but chose to hold the tiny bundle in his arms until he too almost
dozed off.

"You're such a little miracle," he said to the sleeping child.  "I hope I
can have a kid like you someday.  I don't know if they'll let me adopt.
You know how many good-hearted people out there are frightened by the idea
of a gay father.  No, of course you don't know.  You're just an innocent
little guy.  I pray the world will be kinder when you're growing up.  Maybe
you could help make it a better place..."

----------

Rob had a wonderful time seeing Garrison Keeler and the other performers.
He laughed heartily at the silly jokes and antics of the group.  The "Guy
Noire" sketch particularly gave him the giggles.  He felt like a carefree
teen for a couple of hours.

Blake sat beside him enjoying Rob's reaction even more than the show
itself.  His chest swelled with pleasure knowing that he had done something
to make Rob happy.  He wished he could do more.  He'd love to date Rob on a
regular basis, but he'd have to be careful not to get his hopes up.  He
was, after all, three and a half years older than Rob and barely coming off
of a several month relationship that he had thought was a "forever" thing.
He couldn't risk losing Rob as a friend and he couldn't bear getting his
heart broken again so soon.  He'd have to keep his developing feelings
hidden.

----------

With everyone out of the house but Garret and the baby, Ben and Scott took
advantage of the peaceful evening to have a bit of much-needed quality
time.  They showered together exploring each other's body as if it were
their first time.  They reminisced about their college days, realizing how
great it was that they have been given a second chance to have a life
together.

"I can't imagine living without you," Scott said quietly in the afterglow
of their first orgasm.  "We are very lucky."

"That we are!"  Ben agreed.  "I hope that our sons are as fortunate.  They
seem so compatible that it's almost scary.  Let's pray that they don't
break up like Blake and Reese."

"I'm not that surprised about Blake and Reese.  Reese had a roving eye from
the start.  I feared that he might mess our boys up.  He even flirted with
you and me!"

"Well, why not?"  Ben laughed.  "We're pretty hot.  You are absolutely
stunning since you've tightened up your abs.  Not that I didn't love you as
much when you were softer in the middle, but wow!"

"Thanks!"

"Do you have any vibes about what's going on with Blake?" Ben said going
back to their previous subject.

"I think Blake is recovering pretty well.  He's been a fixture around here
since the baby came.  I think he's attracted to little Robbie's daddy."

"Me too, but I think it's too soon for him to give his heart away."

"Hey, let's get back to talking about my tight abs, or would you rather
talk about my tight ass?"

"I'd rather be a man of action and few words," Ben joked as he cupped
Scott's balls while nibbling on his left nipple.

Thoughts about the younger generation were blocked out by feelings of
passion, lust, and love.

----------

Rob and Blake arrived home around 11:00.  When they came in the kitchen
door, they saw Garret attempting to feed Robbie rice cereal while Eric and
Josh coached him.  It seemed like a futile effort because he had to scrape
most of it off of Robbie's face and try again.  The baby's tiny tongue
seemed to push more out than it took in.  It was comical to watch.

"Everything else went well, but I can't get the hang of this!" Garret
exclaimed.

"Don't fault yourself, Dude.  We all have the same problem.  It's Robbie
that's not getting the hang of it.  At least you're getting more in him
than I did the first time I tried."

Rob said that he'd finish the job while Blake drove Garret home.  He asked
Garret what the going rate was for babysitting.

"I didn't expect to get paid!" Garret said.  "You don't need to do that
because it was a pleasure to do it.  It beats sitting home on Friday night.
And I'll have something to tell in parenting class."

"If you don't get paid then I can't ask you again," Rob stated firmly.  "So
if you want to come back, you'll have to accept the money."

"Okay, you win," Garret agreed.  "I really do want to be asked back.  Call
me anytime!"

----------

"Well, did you have fun on your date?" Eric teased after Blake and Garret
had gone.

"It wasn't a date; it was just two guys going out..."

"If that's not a date, I don't know what is!" Josh chimed in.  "I think
Blake is getting over Reese quickly and I think you're the reason."

"He's a sweet, thoughtful guy," Rob agreed.  "But I'm not sure that he'd
want to be saddled with a kid."

"Are you joking?"  Eric asked.  "He loves that baby.  Did you see the
picture of him holding Robbie?  He's got that same goofy, daddy look that
you get almost every time you look at your kid."

"I don't know," Rob said.

"Haven't you noticed that Garret gets a similar look on his face?" Josh
added.  "There seem to be at least two guys we know who'd love to have a
kid like yours."

----------

Josh was headed back to the gallery on Saturday morning taking Eric with
him when they encountered Blake in the back yard.  He greeted them cheerily
and asked if Rob was awake.  They assured him that Rob was up and had been
for a couple of hours.

"Do you think it would be okay if I came over to help him with Robbie?"

"Of course," Josh told him.  "Rob has several things he needs to do and I
know he'd love to have your assistance."

"I don't want to be a pest," Blake said.

"No one in this house is going to think that you're a pest," Eric smiled.
"Am I correct in saying that you really love that little guy?"

"Yeah," Blake grinned.

"And you like the baby too," Josh joked.

"Yeah, I do.  Wait a minute.  What did you say?"

"I think you have feelings for the baby's daddy.  Am I way off base?  You
can tell me to shut up."

"Shut up!" Blake snickered.  "Seriously, I can't be thinking about Rob in
that way.  I'm over Reese, I think, but it wouldn't be fair to Rob to
complicate his life by trying to be his boyfriend.  Besides, I'm too old.
He's gonna want a hot young stud."

"You're 20 and he's 17.  That's not a big gap.  You're plenty hot, but I
think that Rob is looking for something more lasting than sex alone.  Just
keep on being his friend," Eric advised.  "If it's supposed to be more than
that, I'm sure you'll both know it.  You're definitely a good steady guy
and I think that's what Rob needs most of all.  Don't give up on the idea."

Blake nodded as he headed for the house.

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

Author's notes: Hey guys, thanks for your emails.  I appreciate your
encouragement.  The following have written since last posting: Denys, Vann,
Rutabaga, Mike DeW, Bill K, Mark H, Dave J, John McD, Tom A, Jim We, Jim C,
Paul R, Tim E, Ken, Polar, and Paul L.  Hope I didn't miss anyone!

Sorry Polar, it looks like Rob and Blake might be getting closer together.
I know you're jealous!

David