Date: Tue, 25 May 1999 23:50:52 EDT
From: Phaedrus57@aol.com
Subject: Isle of Refuge, Part VI: Young Friends, tt/bb, consensual

Caveat: This is a story of love and adventure among a group of teenaged
boys.  It contains scenes of sexual activities between boys.  If this
offends you, do not read the story.  Please go to some other site.  If the
laws of your country or locality say that it is illegal for you to read
this type of story (i.e. that you are too young to have erotic thoughts or
sexual questions and your innocent little mind shouldn't entertain such
possibilities as are portrayed in this story), you should obey the law.  If
you read this story nevertheless, don't get caught!  Hide your downloads
and delete your history.

For obvious reasons, the characters in this story do not practice safe sex.
Remember that they are fictional products of my fevered imagination, but
the dangers of unprotected sex are real.  In this respect, I hope that
readers will not follow their example.

Enjoy the story, which will go on for many chapters.  I hope that it will
appeal to your minds and hearts.  It isn't primarily a sex story, although
it has its erotic moments.

Comments are welcome and strongly requested.  Flames will be ignored.
E-mail me at phaedrus57@aol.com.

This story is dedicated to the memory of my beloved foster son David, who
died of AIDS in 1992, a week before his twenty-ninth birthday.

EDITORIAL NOTE: Those who want an analytical framework for understanding
the recent school shootings in Colorado and Georgia should read the book
REAL BOYS: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood, by the brilliant
psychologist William Pollack (Random House, 1998--revised edition now
available in paperback).  The book also includes an enlightened and
sensible discussion of gay adolescents (Chapter 9).  Pollack described the
tormented, suicidal boys who committed these acts as "crying bullets",
actng out their despair through violence because it is the only mode of
expression legitimized for boys by our culture.  This is a very helpful and
thought-provoking book.  EVERYONE who cares about boys should read it!

			      Isle of Refuge

		       Chapter VII: At the Campsite

Francois leaned against Mike as they watched the other boys begin the climb
up the bank of the waterfall toward the hilltop.  As soon as Joey, the last
boy, disappeared they embraced each other tightly and began a long,
passionate kiss.  Without releasing each other or breaking their kiss, they
were soon lying on the blanket that was still spread out at the foot of the
large tree at the center of the campsite.

"I need you inside me, Fran!" Mike said breathlessly.

"I love you, Mike!  You can have me any way you want," Francois whispered.

They were lying face to face, wrapped in each other's arms, holding each
other close, caressing each other's backs and buttocks.  Mike gently pushed
Francois onto his back and began slowly licking and kissing his way down
Francois' smooth ebony chest and belly.  Francois sighed with pleasure as
Mike kissed the foreskin of his half-erect penis and then took much of the
penis in his mouth.  At the same time, Mike began to stroke the dark skin
of Francois' inner thighs, and then to fondle his testicles gently.
Francois groaned as Mike's finger touched his anus.  When Francois' penis
was completely erect and dripping with his saliva, Mike got to his knees
and straddled Francois' hips.

"Let me loosen you up a little, baby.  I don't want to hurt you," Francois
said softly, moistening a finger and pushing gently with it on Mike's anal
ring.  Gradually Mike's sphincter relaxed and yielded, first to one slender
brown finger and then to two.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Mike said, aligning his anus with Francois' hard, slick
penis.  Francois began to stroke Mike's penis as Mike lowered himself.
Mike's buttocks were soon pressing down on Francois' pubic hairs.  Both
boys were moaning ecstatically.  Mike began to move up and down on
Francois' penis as Francois stroked him.  Both boys gradually increased
their tempos.  Mike felt his entire body tingle and tremble as Francois'
penis repeatedly touched his prostate.

"Baby, I'm going to cum!" Mike gasped.  His eyes closed.  He saw bright
lights.  He felt as if he were floating several feet above the ground.  The
universe was reduced to him and his lover.  He felt rivers of fluid
shooting from the end of this penis.

Francois felt Mike's sphincter contract. The hot, tight sheathe that
encased his penis squeezed it more tightly.  Little jolts of electricity
seemed to radiate through his body.  He and Mike became one person as he
ejaculated again and again into his lover's body.  Time stopped.  The world
was suffused with a soft, golden light.

Mike fell forward into Francois' waiting arms.  He felt momentarily empty
as Francois penis deflated and slipped out of him, but the warmth of his
lover's body and the heat of his lips immediately filled his heart as they
kissed.  He had never felt so close to anyone.  He felt utterly defenseless
and vulnerable and at the same time completely safe and secure.  He knew
that tears were flowing from his eyes.  He didn't care.  He felt Francois'
chest tremble and convulse.  He opened his eyes to see through the blur of
his own tears that his lover was sobbing.

"Are you okay, Fran?" Mike whispered.

"Am I okay?  Mike, sweetheart, I never thought I could be this happy!  I
never dreamed it was possible to feel like this!"

"I know, baby, I know!"

Francois let out a deep sigh.  Mike pressed his face to his lover's.  Their
tears and their breaths mingled.  They felt each other's heartbeat.  They
were utterly content.  They lay together for minutes or hours or days, they
had no idea which.  They dozed and awoke, drowsy but joyful.

"Don't ever leave me, Mike, no matter what happens," Francois said at last.

"I want to be with you forever, Fran.  I don't want us to ever be apart!"
Mike responded.

"You're part of me and I'm part of you," Francois said, looking deeply into
Mike's eyes.

"Forever and ever, Fran!  Forever and ever!" Mike answered softly.

Mike tried to get up, only to find that his semen had dried into glue
between their bodies.  Francois began to chortle, and soon both boys were
laughing hysterically.  "We sure got that right!" Francois gasped between
peals of laughter.

"Yeah! We'll be like Siamese twins joined at the cock!" Mike managed to
blurt out.

Eventually the two boys managed to separate with out tearing off any large
pieces of skin.  Mike supported Francois as they went into the pool, where
they scrubbed each other's bodies lovingly and very thoroughly, laughing
quietly and stopping frequently for hugs and kisses.  They had completely
lost track of time, and when they came out of the water they saw that the
sun was directly overhead.

"I'm gonna go find some wood and make you a crutch," Mike said.  He helped
Francois sit down on the blanket and went in search of a strong, straight,
dry branch.  It only took him a few minutes to find one, and soon he and
Francois were cutting and shaping the wood to serve their purpose.  Within
an hour, Mike's woodworking skills had produced a rough but serviceable
crutch of just the right length.  For the first time since their arrival on
the island, Francois was able to move about on his own.  Mike felt great
pride and pleasure to have given his lover such an important gift.  At the
same time, he would miss being Francois' human "crutch".  But he knew now
that he and Francois would have all the physical contact that either
desired; they didn't need an excuse to touch and show affection.

Mike and Francois walked into the forest near the campsite to find some
fruit for lunch.  Francois had to move slowly, with Mike nearby to support
him when necessary, but he was extremely happy that he could help and also
begin to explore his surroundings.  The trees near the campsite had mostly
been picked clean, and the boys had to range further and further afield to
forage for food.  Mike and Francois made their way downhill to the beach,
where they noticed that some bits and pieces of the wrecked Venture had
washed ashore.  Half buried in the sand was a large piece of the boat's
transom.  As Mike and Francois dug it out, they exposed the gilt lettering:

			       V E N T U R E
			   East Boothbay, Maine

"Let's take it back up to the campsite!" Francois said excitedly.

Mike saw a substantial piece of oak paneling, probably from the bulkhead of
the main cabin.  "Kewl! I can use this to make Chris's grave marker!" he
exclaimed.

In a few minutes, Mike and Francois had made a sizable pile of usable
scraps of wood and metal, and they could see more wreckage scattered along
the beach.  "We should get everyone down here tomorrow to gather what we
can," Mike said.  When they had found and eaten some fruit, they dragged
the transom and a few other choice pieces up to Tommy's Falls.

With Francois' assistance, Mike began making the marker for Chris's grave.
Mike had a good eye and a steady hand.  He had only one small knife to work
with, so each letter took a long time to carve deeply into the hard wood.
But the letters were neat and evenly spaced, and both boys agreed that the
plaque was beginning to look very professional.  Mike had carved:

			    CHRISTOPHER NGUYEN
				 1984-1998

"Below this I want to carve `We Love You.  Rest in Peace'," Mike said.
"Does that sound okay?"

"Yeah!  Just right!" Francois answered.

Mike began to carve these phrases, but found himself blinded by tears.
Francois looked at him in alarm and asked, "Mike, are you okay?"  He paused
and, understanding, put his arm around Mike's shoulders.  "I know.  I miss
him, too," he said, tears running down his own face now.

"It was so hard to watch him die like that.  I never really saw anyone die
before.  It isn't like TV or a movie.  It was someone we knew and cared
about.  It coulda been you or me!"  Mike said.

"That's why we hafta remember him.  We were like his family.  It's like
wherever he is now, he's still part of us because we remember," Francois
responded.  "When my father was dying, I didn't know what was going on, so
I never said goodbye or told him I loved him.  Since then, I've always felt
like there's this big empty place inside me.  I've wanted to talk to him so
many times, but it's like I don't know where he is.  We couldn't afford a
gravestone, so I can't even find him in the cemetery.  When they took my
mom to the hospital, I wanted to tell him, but I didn't know how."

Both boys were crying now, grieving for Chris and the other losses in their
lives.  They held each other closely, comforting each other with their
affection and total empathy.  As they calmed down, Mike said softly, "Fran,
I'm just so glad that you're here!  I'm so lucky we found each other!  I've
never had anyone to cry with me when I was sad.  My father always tried to
make me ashamed to feel sad or cry, like the solution to everything was to
punch somebody out like a `real man'.  Until we loved each other, I've
always felt alone."

Francois took a deep breath and said, "I'm the one who's lucky, Mike.
You're the first person to make me feel like I'm not a freak or a pervert.
I always tried so hard to be good, but I couldn't stop having these
feelings about guys.  I thought I must be really bad.  When my family fell
apart, I thought it was my fault, like we were all being punished for my
sins.  I felt as if I deserved to be locked up like I was.  Father O'Malley
convinced me that God didn't punish people that way, but then he kept
telling me that I had to resist the way I felt.  In his own way, I think he
really cared about me, but he made me feel like I was `unnatural'.  Liking
boys was natural to me.  I couldn't help it.  But being here, seeing how
Richard and Kevin are with each other, having you love me, I feel like
maybe there's hope for me.  I just love you so much!"  By this time,
Francois was sobbing again, as Mike held him close.

"You're the best, Fran.  Don't let anyone tell you you're not!"  Mike said
with passionate conviction.

Mike and Francois lay in each other's arms inhabiting the space of security
and warmth that they had created together in the past two days.  They
kissed from time to time and ran comforting hands across each other's
bodies.  Francois gently traced the scar at the bottom of Mike's belly, and
Mike smiled when he realized that for the first time since the night his
father had attacked him he hadn't thought about the scar all day.  He
squeezed Francois especially close and kissed him on the lips.  They needed
no words.  The intimacy of their bond transcended sexual need and shared
pleasure.

They went back to work on Chris's grave marker.  They decided that the
epitaph should read:

                                                             Always
Remembered
                                                                   Always
Loved
                                                                   Rest in
peace

They had just finished their task and were contemplating the plaque with
shared pride when Terry, followed by all the other boys, clambered down the
bank of the waterfall and walked toward them across the campsite.

The boys who had gone to the hilltop were caked with grime and sweat.
Miguel was carrying Tommy on his back.  They all seemed very tired.  When
Tommy was on his own feet again, Mike and Francois noticed the many bruises
and abrasions on his back and buttocks.

"What happened?" Mike and Francois asked together.

Richard, slightly out of breath, replied, "Give us a chance to get cleaned
up and we'll tell you."

Soon the boys were in the pool scrubbing themselves and each other.  Terry,
Joey, and Angelo stood under the waterfall, enjoying the massaging effect
of the cool water on their tired muscles.  Miguel had found some antiseptic
in the first aid kit, and was gently cleaning Tommy's cuts and bruises.
Even though he winced and groaned from time to time, the little boy
appreciated the loving care he received, especially when Miguel kissed each
cut after he scrubbed it.  Tommy couldn't remember much about his mother,
but he had often fantasized that a mother would care for him as Miguel
often did.  His head still ached and he was drowsy.  He didn't object at
all when Miguel carried him out of the water and onto the blanket still
spread at the base of the big tree.  Within a few minutes Tommy was asleep
in Miguel's arms.

"You did a really good job getting him cleaned up, Miguel.  After a good
sleep, he should be fine," Richard said after inspecting Tommy's wounds.
Miguel beamed with pride and kissed Tommy's forehead.

Mike and Francois had gone on another food gathering expedition while the
other boys were bathing.  After a long and strenuous day, everyone was
content to sit and eat.  Those who had been to the hilltop were eager to
regale Mike and Francois with their accounts of the day's adventures, which
grew more dramatic in the telling.  Everyone admired Mike's craftsmanship
in Chris's grave marker and Francois' crutch.  It was dusk when they had
finished eating, and Mike gathered wood and started a fire in the center of
the campsite, more for light and comfort than for heat.

"So it doesn't look very likely that we'll be rescued right away," Richard
concluded his description of the prospect from the hilltop.  "There are no
other islands nearby, and we couldn't see any ships or boats.  They may
search for us because we didn't arrive in Brisbane as scheduled, but who
knows if they had any idea of Venture's position?  Where would they begin
to look?"

"Is that so bad?" Joey said.  "No one's gonna miss me.  My aunt and uncle
have probably had my funeral already, and they're glad they don't even
hafta pay to bury me.  I'm better off here."  He and Angelo sat leaning
against Terry, who had an arm wrapped protectively around each of them.
Terry gave Joey a comforting squeeze and rubbed his stomach affectionately.

Tommy, feeling much better after his nap and some fruit, said, "If we go
back, they'll just put me in another group home.  There aren't enough
foster homes for kids my age.  An' I couldn't be with Miguel.  We don't
even come from the same state.  An' if we try to be together, they'll just
say we're faggots `cause we love each other."

Richard said, "But Tommy, what if you'd been really hurt today?  I couldn't
have done anything for you.  I get sick to my stomach when I think about
that."

"I don't even have a home to go back to, and Mike and I aren't safe in each
other's neighborhoods.  It took us our whole lives to find each other, and
we're just not gonna be apart ever again.  But if we're rescued, we'll be
powerless.  We won't have control over where we are or who we're with, or
anything.  And no one's gonna accept that we need to be together, just like
Tommy said," Francois rejoined.

"I'm not crazy about going back to live with my father in the projects in
Somerville, but I want to finish high school and go to college and make
something of myself," Kevin said.  "I mean, we can have fun and learn stuff
here, and I really like us being together, but do we really want to spend
our whole lives here?  What happens when we get older?  We sure won't have
any kids, and eventually we'll just die off one by one.  Who wants to be
the last one to die?"

Everyone was quiet for a few minutes, gazing contemplatively into the fire,
snuggling a little closer to friends and lovers.

Joey, usually reticent, broke the silence.  "It's easier for you and
Richard, Kevin.  When Richard's at Harvard, you'll only be a couple of
miles away.  You can go see him on your bicycle anytime you want.
Richard's got his trust fund and Harvard.  He can do what he wants.  Me, I
go home to get fucked by my brothers and go to a high school that doesn't
even have an art program."

Richard said thoughtfully, "I hear you, Joey.  Yeah, I've had all the
privileges.  My parents don't really give a shit about me, but my
grandparents set things up so I'll never have to worry about supporting
myself.  So I've had the best upbringing money could buy.  But now I know
what I want to do with all that freedom.  I want to make life better for
you guys and other kids like you.  If we get back, you'll have to help me
figure out how to do that.  But you guys will always be my real family,
wherever we are.  I'm just not gonna let this shit happen to you."

"Richard, we know you care about us, and we trust you," Terry said, "but it
isn't that simple, dude.  You can't take on the whole world.  I mean, like,
you're only sixteen.  You've got money but not power.  How're you gonna
make people understand?  What makes you think anyone cares?"

"I wish I could answer those questions, but I can't," Richard answered
slowly.

By this time Tommy was asleep again, and Miguel's eyelids were growing
heavy.  There were yawns all around.  Kevin and Richard helped Tommy and
Miguel find their way onto the blanket, where they curled up together.  The
three thirteen-year-olds crawled into their hammock, giggling and cuffing
each other as usual.  Richard and Kevin, arms around each other, beckoned
Mike and Francois toward them.

Richard said, "We're so happy for you guys.  I hope you had a terrific
day!"

Mike and Francois held each other close and looked into each other's eyes.
Mike said, "We had a great day!"

Francois added, "Yeah!  We really did.  But we'd never have found each
other if it hadn't been for you two.  Thanks for showing us the way!"

There were grins and hugs and kisses all around.  Mike and Francois crawled
into their hammock.  Kevin and Richard lay down in each other's arms on the
blanket beside Tommy and Miguel.  The embers of the fire died down and
flickered out.  Soon all the boys were asleep.