Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:56:56 -0500 From: Terrance MacDonald <t_macd@comcast.net> Subject: Brandon and Alex 44 This story involves sexual situations between teen boys, so if you aren't supposed to be looking at things like this wherever you live or this makes you squeamish, please leave this story/site now and/or move to a place where things like this are acceptable. Likewise, if you aren't old enough to look at filth like this wherever you happen to be, or if you or are a card-carrying member of the Moral-Minority, shoo, go away. I certainly can't control whether you do or not, but you have been warned. As always, I would like to thank my good friends, Mike and Dave for being my editors and proof-readers on this story, as well as offering some really helpful assistance along the way. Thanks also go to the Nifty Archive for hosting this and all the other stories. They do take donations to defray operating expenses, so please help them out if you can. All rights are reserved, do not modify or redistribute this text without my express written consent, or I'll have the old gypsy woman that lives across the lake from me put a curse on you. Like the other stories I've written, this is set in a magical land where there are no STDs, so you won't be reading about condoms being used except in this disclaimer. This is not meant to imply that I am advocating the practice of unsafe sex, quite the opposite actually - please take precautions and protect yourself, there's a lot of shit out there that can kill you or make you wish you were dead. Comments and feedback are certainly welcomed at t_macd@comcast.net. I've really enjoyed hearing from everyone who has written, please keep on letting me know what you do and don't like. E-mail me for a complete list (with Nifty Archive links) of my previous stories should you care to do so. Brandon and Alex Chapter Forty Four Billy went directly to his room when he got home. He was tired, but in a good way. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before at Bobby's house - not surprising really. He kicked off his shoes, stripped off his clothes and collapsed naked onto his bed. He pulled the sheet over himself and drifted off to sleep. Not unexpectedly, Billy's dreams were filled with erotic images, and two hours later when he woke his penis was ragingly stiff. After checking to make sure the lock on his door was secure, Billy sat down in front of his computer. He had discovered some websites where people posted amateur videos. All you had to do to gain entry into the site was claim that you were eighteen; something Billy was all too willing to lie about. Some of them were pretty tame, guys dancing around and stripping down to their underwear - just fooling around really. And while Billy found some of these pretty hot, reminding himself of what he had done with Bobby's computer the night before, what he was looking for now were the more hard core videos - out and out amateur porn - and there were certainly plenty of these to choose from. Billy browsed through the collection of videos on the site, gently stroking himself as he did. Then, when he opened one titled 'SC_1st-Time.wmv', he thought he recognized the room. This video was obviously made using a web cam, but the picture quality was very high. As he watched, the video shifted from tame kissing and fondling to full-fledged sex. Still, there was something about the room they were in, and the bed they were on that was familiar to him. He was still wondering why it looked so familiar when the video ended, and as it did, he got a better look at the faces of the boys who had been 'performing.' It was Bobby's friends Steven and Carson. Now it all made sense, the video clip had been filmed in Bobby's bedroom - on Bobby's bed, the same bed in which he had slept and had sex with Bobby. Something about this realization set him off, and he blasted his load up over his stomach and chest. He was in his bathroom cleaning up when his adoptive mother, Rosemary knocked at his door to summon him for lunch. "Coming Mom!" he called back to her. "I'm just washing up now; I'll be down in a minute." When Billy sat down at the table, Rosemary placed his lunch in front of him - two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a sliced apple and glass of milk. Billy started with the apple slices, wanting to eat them before they turned brown. He was munching on them slowly and deliberately, thinking about the video he had watched a few minutes before. Rosemary noticed his expression and remarked how he seemed deep in thought. "I was just thinking about something I'm learning about on the computer," he told her. "I'm just trying to work it out. I think I'll have to ask Bobby about it later." And while this wasn't the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, it was accurate. Billy's story brought a smile to Rosemary's face. She put her hands on his shoulders, leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Well, if anyone can help you with a computer problem, it's certainly going to be Bobby. I hear he's a real whiz with them," she told him. Billy took a bite from the last of the apple slices, munched it down and then told her, "Yeah, you're right Mom. I'm learning a lot about stuff you can do with computers from him!" Rosemary Hill smiled. She was glad their adopted son had made such a good friend in their neighbor down the street. He also seemed to be a very happy young boy - somewhat surprising considering all he had been through in his young life. And he was happy now. Billy was very resilient, fortunately. This had allowed him to put so much of what had happened to him behind him, and while he did remember it, he never did dwell upon it. Billy continued to think about the video as he finished his lunch, and was glad that Rosemary had moved on to dusting in the living room as he rinsed his plate and glass before putting them into the dishwasher. His thinking about the video as he ate had caused him to become erect again, and his shorts were tented out in the front as a result. His relief was short-lived however, as his new father, Stan, opened the back door of the house that led into the kitchen. Billy stayed bent over, as if he were having trouble finding a place to put the plate in the dishwasher's nearly empty bottom rack. The real reason was that he was embarrassed, and didn't want Stan to know that his dick was hard enough to cut diamonds. Stan called out to him from the door, saying "Billy, I need you to come out here please." "Give me a couple minutes Dad," he replied. "I'm getting the dishwasher loaded for Mom." He really hoped this ploy was going to work. It didn't. "Billy, I can see from here that there is plenty of room for that plate, and nothing else waiting to be put in there. Now close the dishwasher and get out here. I have a surprise for you, and I think you're going to like it." Stan wasn't about to accept any excuses. Billy straightened up, closing the dishwasher door as he did. When he turned toward Stan, his faced was flushed with embarrassment and he moved his hands in front of himself to try to hide his erection - but not entirely successfully. Stan now understood why Billy hadn't wanted to join him outside. He remembered going through similar circumstances when he was going through puberty, and sympathized with the boy. Stan came into the kitchen and sat in one of the chairs at the table. He patted the seat of the chair next to him, as an indication for Billy to sit down. Billy sat down next to his newly adoptive father, looking somewhat expectantly at him after he did. He had no idea what Stan might want. Stan, for his part looked a little embarrassed. He wasn't sure exactly how to begin this conversation. His parenting skills were certainly far better than his own father's had been, something he had vowed would be the case should he ever have a child of his own. Still, since his father had never had a conversation like this with him, it left him at a loss as to a point of reference as to where to start with Billy. Finally he decided to just say it... "Um, Billy, you know I couldn't help but notice your, um, condition. And well, it's something that's completely natural at your age. I know it's embarrassing; it certainly was for me when I was your age. It's something that all boys go through at this time of their lives though. I'm afraid that you're going to find that thing has a mind of its own, and will do 'that' at some of the most inconvenient times." As he finished this statement, Stan made a nodding gesture towards Billy's lap. They talked more about the changes Billy's body was going to be going through as puberty took a firm grip on him: wet dreams, the uncontrollable erections happening at the worst possible times and the like. Stan even told Billy about one of his most embarrassing experiences - getting hard while at the blackboard in school working out a particularly difficult algebra problem. "And if it can happen when you're doing that," Stan told him, "it can damn sure happen any time." That got a chuckle from Billy, and Stan couldn't help but laugh a little himself. "Thanks Dad," Billy said with a sheepish grin on his face as they finished their talk. "It is pretty embarrassing isn't it?" He was actually glad that Stan had sat him down to have this talk. Knowing that it wasn't just happening to him like this was a relief. "You think you can come out back with me now and see your surprise?" Stan asked. Billy nodded that he could, as his erection had subsided during their talk, and they went outside. There were workmen near the waterline staking out an outline for something, as others carried in lumber and bags of concrete mix. Nearby in the ocean, Billy could see that a barge was being towed in toward them. "What's going on, Dad?" he asked. "Well, it's sort of a birthday surprise for you," Stan told him. "You've certainly taken to the water since you came to live with us, and so your mother and I thought we should make your birthday present something to do with that." Billy was overwhelmed, and on more than one level. To begin with, even though he was approaching his 14th birthday, he had never really received a birthday present before. And now, here with Stan and Rosemary, who had only adopted him months before, he was apparently getting something outrageously extravagant. He couldn't imagine what it could be. "I know it's a little early," Stan continued. "But in order to make sure everything is ready for your birthday party when the big day comes, we thought it was better to get an early start." "But I don't understand," Billy said. "I can swim in the pool or the ocean any time I want to. It looks like they're building something." "They are," Stan told him. "Come around to the front of the house and I'll show you what that's for." When they walked into the front yard, in addition to the construction vehicles, Billy saw a large pickup truck parked in the street. It was towing a small trailer, and there was a tarpaulin covering whatever was being carried on it. This apparently was what they were here to see. As Stan led Billy toward the truck, he said "You know, your mother and I discussed this, and finally decided that since we weren't possibly going to be able to keep this a secret that we'd just go ahead and have your present delivered early." When they got within about ten feet of the truck, a man stepped out of the cab and walked back to meet them at the trailer. As he started unfastening the straps that held the cover down, he looked up toward Stan and said, "Just what you ordered, Mr. Hill. I'm sure you'll be happy with them." 'Them?' Billy thought. He couldn't imagine what this could be. Then the man threw back the tarp, revealing a pair of matching Seadoo jet-skis. Billy was astounded. He couldn't believe this could possibly be a birthday present, not for him especially. But that is exactly what it was. He looked up at Stan with amazement clear on his face, only to see Stan smiling down at him. "Happy birthday, son - a little early, but happy birthday," Stan said to him. As Billy jumped into Stan's arms, with an exuberant "Thanks Dad!" he saw Rosemary approaching across the front yard. Once released from Stan's hug, Billy repeated his thanks to his new mother. Then he ran to get a better look at his new birthday present. Stan and Rosemary had spared no expense. The identical machines were top of the line models. "Now, you're going to have to be careful with them," Rosemary cautioned. "We got two, because we don't want you going out riding alone, and there's to be no riding them without life vests." "Don't worry Mom, I'll be really careful. I promise!" There's going to be lifts for them on the pier," Stan added. "I want you to always make sure you raise them out of the water when they aren't being used, too. Okay?" "No problem Dad!" Billy said; his voice still full of excitement. "Can I show them to Bobby?" "Sure, that will be fine." Stan and Rosemary exchanged a smile. This boy was bringing a lot of happiness to their lives that they had missed by not having had children of their own. * * * Kyle and Joey woke the next morning in each other's arms. Joey had actually awakened a few minutes before Kyle, but was enjoying the feeling of Kyle's strong arms wrapped around him, so he snuggled up closer to Kyle and gently rubbed his stiff, morning erection against Kyle's. This movement was what actually caused Kyle to wake up. He smiled at Joey, and then kissed him lightly on the lips. Joey responded with a more passionate kiss of his own. Seconds later their tongues were intertwined and they were actively humping against one another. Joey remembered when they had drifted off to sleep the night before - wanting to have Kyle inside him. He shifted back slightly and rolled over so his back was toward Kyle and edged back so that Kyle's hardness was pressed into his crack. He lifted his leg in order to expose his hole, and Kyle fully understood what he wanted. Kyle retrieved the lube from under his pillow, where it had ended up the night before. He started by spreading some on his own shaft, and as he did this he felt as if he might cum even before he entered Joey, such was the extreme level of his horniness. After he had rubbed some of the slippery gel in, on and round Joey's hole, he paused for a moment. Joey, impatient, asked Kyle what he was waiting for. "It's just, I... I'm so horned up right now... I'm afraid I'm gonna cum too quick," Kyle told him. "I just need to wait for a second." "I don't care," Joey said as he pressed back against him, reaching back as he did to grasp Kyle's dick and guide it toward his entrance. "I want it now!" Kyle felt his dick twitch as Joey's hand wrapped around it, and he really feared that he was going to lose it before penetration had been achieved. But Joey pushed back against him quickly, and a second later the ring of Joey's anal muscle had opened up for him. Kyle wasn't wrong in his estimation that he was going to squirt rather rapidly. The feeling of the warmth and tightness around his shaft brought such an intense and incredible feeling of sexual bliss to him that he shoved forward forcefully, and as his penis reached the halfway point in its entry he could feel the sperm pumping up from his balls. On one level Joey was disappointed that Kyle had expended himself so quickly. On another though, the warm feeling of Kyle's offering pumping into him made him shudder with excitement. It wasn't enough to make him blow his own load, but it was definitely a wonderful feeling for him. Kyle did not pull out once he had expended his orgasm, not until after his dick had softened and slipped free of its own accord. Once it had, Joey rolled over and took hold of Kyle's hand. "Come on," he said. "Let's grab a shower and get something to eat." "You go ahead this time," Kyle told him. "I'm gonna be lazy for a few more minutes first." Joey gave him a disappointed look, but acquiesced and headed into the bathroom. Kyle couldn't help but admire his cute little bubble-butt as he walked away. After both boys had showered and dressed, they went down to the kitchen. Kyle's father was sitting at the table sipping from a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper. He lowered the paper enough to see the boys as they came into the room and asked, "You guys having a good time so far this weekend?" "Yeah Dad," Kyle answered him. "Couldn't be better." Kyle's father grinned a little, almost as if he knew more than he was letting on. "That's good," he said. "Do you have any big plans today?" he asked. "Just hanging out with some friends probably," Kyle said. "We haven't really figured that out yet." "Well you guys just be careful, but have a good time." "We will Dad," Kyle replied as he turned to drop some Pop-Tarts into the toaster. By the time the boys sat down at the kitchen table with their breakfast and glasses of juice, Kyle's father had finished his paper and left the room. * * * Doug was full of anticipation about the cookout at Kelly's house all morning Saturday. As they had planned, Doug rode his bike over to Kelly's house at two that afternoon. His timing was off, and he didn't arrive until around 2:30. He hadn't done this intentionally; he just misjudged how long it would take to get there. His plan had been to arrive about fifteen minutes earlier. He didn't want to make it look as if he were too eager to Kelly. Kelly, for his part was showing his eagerness for Doug to arrive. He had been going out onto his front porch every few minutes to look up and down the street since around 1:30. So much so that his mother finally told him "Kelly, either stay out or stay in, but pick one. Just stop opening the door every thirty seconds." Kelly almost said something to his mother about her exaggeration, but decided just to alter his pattern by going to the front window instead of out onto the porch. He didn't want to put a damper on the afternoon's plans by irritating her, and he knew talking back to her would do just that. Eventually he parked himself in a chair where he was able to see out the front window. Finally he saw Doug approaching on his bike. He jumped out of the chair and ran out onto the front porch, slamming the door shut behind him. He waved to Doug, and Doug waved back at him. Telling Doug to bring his bike around to the back yard, they left it next to Kelly's, leaning against the side of the house. Since Kelly's father was washing off the back patio in preparation for the afternoon's gathering, Kelly led Doug back around to the front of the house and in through the front door after they had been introduced. Of course this was done from a distance because his father was washing off the patio with a water hose. They exchanged a friendly wave, and a "nice to meet you." "I thought I told you to stop running in and out," Kelly's mother called out from the kitchen. "Doug's here, Mom. I just went out to show him where to leave his bike." Kelly's mother had them come into the kitchen where she was getting the food for the cookout ready. She wanted to meet her son's new friend. When Kelly introduced them, Doug went over to shake her hand and told her that it was very nice to meet her. She was impressed by how polite he was. "We're going up to my room to play some video games," Kelly told her. "Okay, you two have a good time," she said, sending them on their way. When they got to Kelly's room, Doug was impressed. There was a television, a stereo, an X-Box and a Wii. "So what do you want to play?" Kelly asked. After going through the available games, they settled on the Wii, starting with Guitar Hero, and then moved on to the Boxing game so they could play against each other. The activity from the games was starting to make them sweaty, and soon they had stripped off their shirts and shoes and were playing in just their shorts. This helped make the game that much more realistic to them. In the midst of their fourth game of Boxing, Doug decided that one of the particularly good shots the computer awarded Kelly wasn't right. "No fair!" he exclaimed and pounced on Kelly, wrestling him to the ground. The game was left ignored as they wrestled good naturedly on the floor of Kelly's room. They rolled on the floor, more tickling and groping each other than really wrestling. Naturally this led to lots of giggling and laughing on both their parts. It wasn't long before Kelly's mother called up to them to keep the noise down. This was Doug's cue to wrap his arms around Kelly and move in for a kiss. Kelly pushed him away though, quietly telling him "Not now dude. The door's open, someone might see us." Doug gave him a little frown, but understood. This didn't stop him from making a very blatant grab at Kelly's crotch before they separated, and having found his target, he gave it a squeeze. Of course, finding it wasn't all that difficult - there was a fairly obvious tent in Kelly's shorts from all the close contact. Kelly pushed him back again, "Dude, I told you not right now," he said, a little louder than he had really intended, as he got up and sat on the edge of his bed. "What not right now?" asked a young female voice from the door to Kelly's room. "None of your business, Nicky! Go away!" Kelly said as he picked up one of his athletic shoes from the floor and threw it at the girl's face that was peeking around his bedroom door. She ducked her head back from the door frame just before footsteps could be heard running down the hallway. "Who was that?" Doug asked. "Nicole, my little sister," Kelly told him. "One of the main reasons I was trying to tell you that this wasn't the time for that..." Kelly added, letting his voice trail off at the end. Doug looked down at the floor. "Sorry," he mumbled into his chest. "That's alright dude, you didn't know," Kelly reassured him. He was a little annoyed that Doug hadn't listened to him about it being a bad time for them to get 'intimate' - still, he didn't like the idea that he might have made him feel bad with his admonition. "Hey," Kelly said, "maybe we could go ride our bikes for a little while or something. There's still a couple hours left before the cookout is supposed to start." Doug looked up at him with a cheery smile. "You want to?" Doug asked. "Yeah," Kelly answered, giving him a sly grin. Kelly retrieved his shoe from the doorway, where it had fallen after bouncing off the wall where it had narrowly missed his sister's head. He sat back down on the bed and started putting his shoes back on. Doug sat beside him and did the same. They pulled their t-shirts back on and went downstairs to the family room. Kelly's father had finished washing off the patio, and it was nearly dry, so the boys went out that way. Kelly's father was getting the grill ready as they left, so Kelly told him that he and Doug were going to ride their bikes for a while on their way out. "Don't be gone long," his father told them. "The others will be here for the cookout soon." As they rode down the street, Doug turned to Kelly and said "I didn't realize you had a sister." "Yeah, well I do," Kelly replied. "And she's really sort of a pain, as you saw." "I have one too," Doug confided. "And she's a little pest." "Mine too," Kelly agreed. "But then you just saw that." "I think it's their job," Doug joked. They both chuckled a little at that, then rode on for a few minutes in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Kelly tapped Doug on the arm, and indicated a trail between two houses that led into the woods. Doug dropped back, letting Kelly lead the way. Not quite a hundred yards in, the trail dead-ended into another. Kelly turned right, and Doug followed. Kelly apparently knew where he was going and Doug was quite happy to follow along. The t-shirt Kelly had chosen to wear was one that their school athletic teams used to work out in during practices. It only came halfway down his torso, so Doug had a good view of the lower half of Kelly's back and the top of his butt, where his shorts were riding just a little too low. Doug couldn't help but think that these were probably the woods where Kelly had been skinny-dipping with his friends and ridden his bike naked. 'This couldn't really be it though,' he thought. 'I can still see the houses through the trees.' And it was true - where they were, the backyards extended nearly to the trail, and there were few trees and some scraggly bushes separating the yards from the trail. Suddenly Kelly stopped his bike by the side of the trail. Doug slid to a stop next to him. Kelly looked over and said, "You remember I was telling you about that day when me and some of my friends went skinny-dipping, and I rode my bike through the woods nude?" 'Jeez, is this kid a mind reader?' Doug thought. But what he said was, "Yeah, I remember." "This is where I stopped to put my clothes back on, on my way home," Kelly confided. "No way dude, anyone could have seen you from those houses if they were looking back here!" "Nah," Kelly told him. "It's too far away for them to have been able to see what I was doing." Doug shook his head, unconvinced. "So, do you want to try it?" Kelly asked. Doug shrugged his shoulders in reply, but followed suit when Kelly shucked off his shorts and underwear and hung them over the handlebars. On one level, he couldn't believe he was doing this - people might be able to see them. On another level he found the thrill of the possibility of being discovered exhilarating. Once again he was following Kelly down the trail through the woods. One thing he did have to admit - his view was better now. - - - Kelly and Doug were approaching Kelly's house as they returned to the cookout. Doug looked over at Kelly and said "That was really pretty cool, thanks. You think maybe we can go back there some day and go in the water?" Kelly had showed Doug the little pool in the stream where he had been skinny-dipping with his friends. They didn't go in the water that day. Instead they had pulled their shorts back on and ridden back toward Kelly's house using a different trail than the one they had come into the woods on. As they rode up to Kelly's driveway, his neighbors, the Farmers were walking up. Melissa and her little brother Jason were following their parents, and he stopped her for a moment to whisper something to her when they saw Kelly and Doug riding on their bikes together. Whatever it was he had said to her, once he was done Melissa looked back at Kelly and Doug with a strange expression on her face, as if she were having difficulty believing whatever it was that Jason had said. * * * Steven and Carson were still in Carson's room when Steven's father arrived for dinner. Barbara, Carson's mother was in the kitchen preparing the dinner and Dr. Henry Bloomfield, who had returned from the store about half an hour before he got there, answered the door. They introduced themselves and shook hands as Dr. Bloomfield invited him inside. Henry led him into the formal living room and motioned toward a dry bar in the corner. "Can I offer you something to drink?" he asked. "The boys are up in Carson's room and Barbara is fixing dinner," he explained. Trevor Roberts considered the offer for a moment, and then asked for scotch on the rocks. Henry used a set of tongs to drop a few ice cubes into a glass before looking to see what scotch Barbara had in her bar. He lifted two bottles. "Laphroaig or Glenfiddich?" he asked. "Tough choice, but I'll have the Laphroaig, please," Trevor answered. Henry poured two fingers of whisky into the glass and looked back toward Trevor, who made a 'go ahead' motion with his hand. Henry poured another two fingers of the amber liquid into the glass, walked around the bar and handed it to Trevor. Once he had done that, he called out, "Barbara, Trevor is here." Steven and Carson heard this upstairs and came down. Steven saw the full glass of liquor in his father's hand, and wasn't very happy about it. Carson was the only one that caught the momentary flash of anger that crossed his face, but to him it was very clear that his boyfriend was upset and it wasn't difficult to figure out why. His father had been drinking too much since his parents had split up, and Steven didn't like it. In fact, he was starting to get worried. He was concerned for his father, but more important to him, he didn't want to end up having to live with his mother if she were able to prove him an unfit parent. Carson resolved to talk with Steven about the way he was feeling about his father's drinking as soon as he could get him alone. He was surprised that Steven hadn't talked to him about it yet. Normally they talked about everything. They didn't get a chance to talk that evening though. It wasn't long before dinner was ready, and the boys were expected to be social and stay downstairs with their parents. During that time Steven's father managed to put away two glasses of scotch. Then with dinner he managed to consume four glasses of wine. By the time dinner was over, he wasn't able to walk steadily back to the living room sofa - a scant twenty feet from his chair in the dining room. Steven and Carson helped Carson's mother clear the table, while Dr. Bloomfield joined Steven's father in the living room. The boys were rinsing off the dishes, pots and pans and handing them off to Carson's mother, who was putting them into the dishwasher when Dr. Bloomfield came into the kitchen. Even though he spoke quietly into Barbara's ear, the boys were able to make out what he said. "He wanted another scotch. I didn't think it was a good idea, but he was very insistent. Rather than cause a scene, I watered it down. I think he was too drunk to notice. At any rate he didn't complain. I think we better plan on getting him and Steven home. He should definitely not be driving in his condition." Barbara didn't comment, but nodded her head in agreement. An hour and another watered down scotch later, Steven's father passed out in his chair in the living room. When he did, his glass slipped from his hand and landed on the floor. Fortunately there wasn't much liquid left in it when that happened. It was obvious to all that Steven was deeply ashamed, and he insisted on cleaning up the mess his father had made. No one argued with him except Carson - who he silently allowed to help him. They weren't even immediately sure what to say to him. When they were finished, Barbara asked Steven if he thought he and his father would be better off spending the night with them. "No Ma'am," Steven replied. "We have tomorrow off from school, but Dad has to go to his office. If you could just help me get him home..." He let that last bit trail off as his gaze went to his shoes in embarrassment. Barbara hugged him. "Of course we'll help you honey. Henry, you and the boys get Trevor into your truck. I'll get a few things for Carson and put them in a bag. If Steven is going to take his father home, I think it would be best if Carson spent the night there to help him if he needs it. Then I'll follow you in Trevor's car and you can drive us back." Barbara Franzman's commanding tone left no doubt that she was not to be questioned. Everyone did exactly as they were told. 'Damn, I can't believe this is happening, but at least it will give Steven and me a chance to talk,' Carson thought. When their two-car convoy reached Steven's house, Henry and the boys pulled Trevor Roberts from the back seat of the Navigator and carried him inside. They put him onto his bed, and Steven pulled his shoes off. Barbara was waiting for them by the bedroom door as they came out of the bedroom. She put a hand on each boy's shoulder and told them, "Now you two leave the bedroom doors open. You'll need to be able to hear if there's any sort of problem. And if there is, you call us immediately." All three of the conscious males picked up on the 'us' in her statement, and it was evident from the look on Dr. Bloomfield's face that he hadn't realized until just then that he was spending the night. Both boys nodded that they understood, and Barbara and Henry took their leave. - - - Most of the short drive in Henry's Navigator was spent in silence on the way back to Barbara's house. Just before they pulled into her driveway, Barbara finally spoke. "You don't mind staying the night do you? I did sort of assume that you were going to." She had finally realized she had implied that he was going to stay as they were leaving the Roberts' home. Henry looked over and gave her a sly smile. "No babe, I don't mind staying over at all. And with the kids out of the house, we can have some real fun." Barbara smiled back. "You are incorrigible," she said. "But I like the way you think." - - - Steven's father was snoring loudly. Still, the boys did as Carson's mother had told them and left the doors open. They were next to each other on Steven's bed in their boxers, sitting up and leaning on pillows propped against the headboard. It was finally Carson's chance to have a private talk with Steven, and he took it. "Babe, I saw the look on your face when we came downstairs and you saw your dad with that drink - what's going on? You really looked like you were pissed or something." "I was - I am," Steven admitted. "Dad's been drinking way too much since all this shit started happening with my mom. And if she gets wind of it, she might be able to get him declared an unfit parent. Then I'd have to live with her. You know what that would mean." Carson did know what that would mean. They wouldn't be able to see each other any more, and Steven would most likely end up in that deprogramming boot camp run by her religious nut friends. "You don't think she could actually get custody after that kidnapping attempt she orchestrated, do you?" he asked. "Well, they haven't actually been able to charge her with anything, so it's entirely possible that if Dad screws up bad enough, she might." Steven told him. "Dude, that really sucks. Have you talked to him about it at all?" Carson asked. "Not yet. The only times I've had any sort of chance, he's been drinking. And that isn't exactly the best time to bring up the subject of the thing that probably is also the cause of the drinking." "But it's only been a few days," Carson reminded him. "Yeah, and he's been getting drunk every night since it happened. He hardly ever drank anything before all this shit started happening..." Steven let this statement trail off quietly. He was obviously upset. Carson put his arm around Steven's shoulder to comfort him, and Steven leaned into him, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. This warm, close contact was reassuring to Steven, and while it wasn't a cure for Steven's troubles, it did make him feel better. Carson reached over and turned out the light before he let his head lean over to rest against Steven's. He was glad to give his boyfriend some comfort. And that was how they fell asleep. * * * Brandon and Alex didn't have a chance to see each other or talk until dinner time. Brandon had finished helping his father in their yard in the mid-afternoon, but Alex's dad kept him busy until late. It seemed that if it wasn't one chore it was another. Cut the grass, edge the yard, pull weeds in the garden, trim the hedge row - Alex hated yard work, and it seemed as if the chores were never going to end. When he complained, his father told him that it would 'build character.' That didn't help the way Alex felt about it at all. 'If I get much more character I'll be President next week,' he thought. Finally, his father ran out of ideas for things Alex could do in the yard and sent him in to get a shower before dinner. Now that his chores in the yard were over and he was in the shower, Alex's brain shifted direction from his resentment of his father using him for 'slave labor' as he thought of it, to something much more pleasant - Brandon. More specifically, Brandon with the thin sheen of sweat covering his body as Alex had last seen him before he went into his backyard. Alex shuddered slightly as he ran his own hands over his chest in the warm spray of the shower. He closed his eyes and made believe that the hands stroking his torso were Brandon's. In Alex's mind they were no longer just hands that were caressing his body. Alex's left hand stayed on his chest and stomach, while his right dropped lower, to his genitals. In his imagination, this was Brandon's mouth, licking and sucking on his balls and dick. Alex let his thoughts wander as he gave his balls a gentle squeeze, then moved his hand back to his shaft and began pumping, slowly at first, then faster and harder as the likeness of Brandon kneeling before him filled his mind's eye. As he felt the impending release, Alex abandoned his chest with his left hand and reached for the towel bar to steady himself. It was a good thing he did, because as his jizz began to squirt, his knees went weak. 'That was amazing,' he thought. 'Almost as good as if Brandon was really here.' - - - When Brandon finished cutting the grass in his backyard, he went inside to find his father. "Is there anything else you need me to do Dad?" he asked. "No son, I think everything is done that needs to be. Why don't you go get a shower? When you get done, I have some things I need to go pick up and you can help me with that." "Okay Dad," Brandon said cheerfully and ran off to his room to get cleaned up. As they were leaving, Brandon looked for Alex, but he wasn't in the front yard. He could hear the sound of a lawnmower coming from his friend's backyard though, so he knew Alex's father was still keeping him busy. He felt a slight twinge of guilt for not going to help Alex finish the chores his father had given him, but he did enjoy spending time with his father, even if it was just doing simple things like going to the store. The first place they went was a pool supply store, where after picking up things they would need for the hot tub that was to be installed, Brad MacMillan pointed out a large model hot tub to his son. "That's not the exact one we're getting," he said. "It's pretty close, but the one we're getting has a few more bells and whistles." Brandon was impressed. The tub his father had pointed out to him was the top of the line that this store carried, and it seemed as if it had everything. There was even a small refrigerated compartment for drinks. After they left the pool supply store, they went to the grocery store. First they went to the canned foods and got a couple cans of green beans, then they moved on to the fresh produce, where Brandon helped his father pick out several nice looking ears of corn. They finally went to the butcher counter, where Brandon's father had six large filets cut to order. Brandon finally asked his father why they were getting twice as much food as it seemed like they would need. "Well, we thought it would be nice to have Alex and his parents over for a cookout," his father explained. "It's been quite a while since we did anything together with both families, so your mother and I decided to invite them over. "Cool!" Brandon exclaimed. His father was right - it had been a long time since their families had done something together, and only now that it was mentioned to him did Brandon realize how much he had missed that. It wasn't that long ago that it seemed like they were always doing things together, almost as if they were really all one large family. Then, after a moment of reflection, Brandon realized that it was about the time that Paolo had come into the picture that they had stopped. And even after Paolo's death, things had not gotten completely back to normal. Maybe this cookout would help to set things right and return their families' closeness to what it had once been. - - - Patricia MacMillan was cleaning the house while her husband and son were at the store. While she was downstairs doing the laundry, she decided to go ahead and clean the basement. She was running the vacuum cleaner in the recreation room, and pulled the sleeper-sofa away from the wall to clean behind it. When she did, she got one hell of a surprise. The first thing she saw was a pair of underwear. She couldn't tell until she reached over to pick them up. It was a pair of plaid boxers, which she recognized as belonging to her son. 'This must have something to do with all the giggling when they spent the night down here,' she thought, remembering have to tell them to keep their noise down. She tossed the underwear down onto the sofa. They would go into the next load of laundry. She pushed the sofa out a little farther from the wall and returned to her task of vacuuming. That was when she noticed something else that had been on the floor beneath the sofa-bed. At first, all she was able to tell was that it was shiny and round, like a small green ball. She stepped around the vacuum cleaner to pick it up, and when she did, she was able to tell what it really was. Her first reaction was shock, and she dropped it as if it were searing hot and had burned her hand. It took her a moment to recover her composure. Once she had, she went upstairs to get a plastic grocery bag and a paper towel. She used the paper towel to pick it back up, dropped it into the grocery bag, and then took it upstairs. She was going to have to talk with her husband about this - then together they could decide what to do. She didn't want to put a damper on the evening they had planned with their neighbors, but she was troubled enough by what she had found that she intended to bring it up with her husband as soon as he returned from the store. - - - Alex dressed casually in a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops when he finished drying off after his shower. When he came into the family room, his mother and father were both sitting, his father watching a ball game on TV, his mother reading a magazine. Oddly, he didn't smell anything cooking. Normally they would be eating soon, but it didn't seem like his mother was making any preparations. "What's for dinner?" he asked, ravenous after the full afternoon of yard work. His mother looked up from her magazine and replied, "We're going out dear." Alex looked back and forth between his mother and father. They were both dressed as casually as he was. This confused him. Normally when they went out, it was to a place that they would need to dress slightly more formally than this. "Where um, where are we going? Do I need to change?" he asked. "No sweetie, you're dressed just fine. The MacMillans are grilling steaks this evening, and they've asked us over. Trish called earlier today and said she thought it had been way too long since we've done something together, and your father and I agreed." Alex was elated, and his mother was able to tell he liked the idea of the two families getting together again. It was a little different story for his father though - his eyes never left the game he was watching on the television. Grace Santori had accepted the invitation when Patricia MacMillan had called without consulting with Marco, her husband. When he had come inside earlier, leaving Alex with a list of chores to do in the yard, she had told him about the plans she had committed them to. It had been immediately evident that he wasn't happy about it, but all he had said was, "You should have asked me before you accepted." "But Marco," she had said, "it's been so long since our families have done anything together like we used to do. I thought it would be nice." She had finally dragged out of him that he was ashamed of the fact that they knew what had happened with their nephew, Paolo. As a result, he had been avoiding social situations with them, and other family friends that were aware of that ugly family secret ever since it had come to light. "Marco," she coaxed, "they are our friends. They don't hold us responsible for anything he did. He wasn't our son; we have no reason for any shame." Grace didn't completely understand the logic her husband often used. Her family, like his, was of Italian descent, but her family was originally from northern Italy and had been in the United States for several generations. Marco's family was from Sicily, where views were often very different. And his parents had grown up there, immigrating to the United States just after they were married - before Marco was conceived. "Mary Grace," he had said patiently, "the boy was a member of the family, even if he was not our son. He brought shame upon the entire family by his actions." Grace Santori normally went by her middle name, and she knew that her husband only used her full name when he was upset about something and trying to explain it to her. She didn't like it when he did this. When he did, she always felt like he was being condescending, treating her as if she were a simpleton who was incapable of understanding the simplest things. She clasped his hands in hers. "Marco, my darling," she said, "This isn't the old country. We have no reason for shame here." Then in an unusual act of defiance toward her husband, she added, "And we are going to have dinner with our friends. It's been far too long since we did, and I have already accepted the invitation." She said this with enough conviction that her husband knew it would be pointless to argue with her. She didn't disagree with him often, but he could tell when her mind was made up about something. He raised their hands, bent forward and kissed the back of hers and said, "Yes my love. We will go to dinner with our friends." - - - When the Santori family walked next door to the MacMillan's home, they could smell the fire from the grill. Brad MacMillan always used a combination of charcoal and hickory wood chips when he cooked on the grill. His wife had tried to get him a gas grill to cook on a few years before, but he had explained that he preferred to use the old traditional grill that he had inherited from his father. He felt that the food tasted better cooked over charcoal and wood chips than with gas. And he was right, she had to admit that. It did take longer to get ready to cook the food that way, but it was worth it. Alex opened the front door of the MacMillan home, as he was used to doing, and had done since he was six years old. His father thought about rebuking him for this for a moment, but changed his mind as he recalled how long the two neighbor boys had been friends, and that this was common practice for each of them. "Mary Grace was right,' he thought. 'Things have changed, and she wants them back as they were before Paolo's indiscretion. That doesn't seem like a bad thing, and besides, our neighbors have been good to us and never brought the subject up.' Marco Santori smiled, and greeted his neighbors as they came into the front room to welcome their guests. The dinner was pleasant, and the conversation good. Both families soon felt better about having closed the rift that had seemed to form between them nearly a year before. There was something that Brad and Patricia felt they needed to talk to both the boys about though - something that they knew Marco and Grace Santori should not be privy to due to Marco's homophobia. It was for this reason that Brandon's mother had suggested to him that he invite Alex to spend the night with them that night. Brandon brought it up over dessert, first asking his parents in front of both families if Alex could spend the night with them. Brandon's parents exchanged a glance, and then his father said, "Sure, that's fine with us if it's okay with Alex's parents. After all, tomorrow is a school holiday..." Alex's mother looked to her husband. He smiled at her and nodded his consent. He had some plans of his own that night with his wife, and he would rather have their son out of the house. It had been just as long since he had made love to his wife as it had since they had gotten together with their neighbors, and he was going to rectify that tonight as well. * * * Comments and feedback are welcomed at t_macd@comcast.net (I will answer all e-mails sent to me, but please realize that my job requires me to travel a great deal, so it might take a while sometimes), flamers will be ignored by me, but will meet with an untimely and horrible demise as the result of the curse of the old gypsy woman who lives across the lake from me, and has inexplicably taken a liking to me. Anger her at your own risk. If you would like to be notified by e-mail when new chapters of my stories are posted, let me know, and I will add you to my notification list.