Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 00:55:54 -0800 (PST)
From: Pok Bepxtep <pok_bepxtep@yahoo.com>
Subject: Sander - chapter 7

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Chapter 7: Secrets are fun
----------------------------------------------------

The working week after Sander's first sleepover went by in a flash, or so
it seemed. The boy's energy seemed to hang around the house like some
intoxicating fumes. Intoxicating in a good way, mind you. That effect was
strengthened even more by the note my little prince had left on his desk,
which was now attached to the fridge by two magnets, so I could read it
every time I was in the kitchen looking for something to eat. It was almost
symbolic, too: my appetite was inspired by my hunger for Sander's company.

I didn't hear from the boy throughout the week. The tournament had been the
conclusion of the soccer season, so there were no more rides to the
training grounds to pick him up and drive him home. It was only when Friday
arrived that I started getting a bit anxious. Before sending him home,
Sander and I had agreed to not tell his grandmother about how we'd spent
the morning together. But it wasn't unlikely that in his enthusiasm, Sander
might have hinted at his being naked the whole time. His grandmother knew
and approved of his sleeping habits and we had more or less agreed on
allowing him to do so during sleepovers, but there had been no mention of
what Sander was permitted to do outside of his bedroom.

It was a text message from Annie, which I received while I was shopping for
food for the weekend on my way back from work, that hinted at the lady
knowing more about what had occurred during Sander's first overnight
visit. 'We need to talk.' The message said, but I could easily detect the
seriousness of her request-slash-order. I texted her back, saying I would
be home in an hour and that I was expecting her. It was with a fair amount
of fright that I sat in the living room, waiting for Sander's grandmother
to arrive. So, unlike before, the ringing doorbell was not a sound I
welcomed warmly.

Still, I got up from the chair and went to the door to let Annie in. To my
surprise, Sander stood by her side, dressed in a pair of blue faded jeans
and a green hoodie. That made it difficult to judge what Annie's intentions
were and what exactly she wanted to talk about. I tried to see Sander's
presence as a positive thing, but because I'm generally pessimistic, I
decided to make it out as Annie's kind offer to grant me a chance to say
goodbye to her grandson.

I invited Annie and Sander to take a seat and offered them a drink. When we
were all together in the lounge with our chosen beverages, with Sander
unexpectedly close to me, I waited for Annie to share what was on her
mind. She did so after taking a sip of her coffee.

"You're probably wondering why we're here," Annie started.

"I am," I confessed. "But I expect this has something to do with last
weekend."

"It does," Sander's grandmother confirmed. "Sander told me everything you
two did together."

Not quite knowing what everything meant, I decided to let her explain. "Is
it something I did, then?"

The woman shook her head and answered: "It's rather something you didn't
do. Sander told me about sneaking into your bed during the night. You
should have told him not to do that."

"I didn't see any harm in him doing that," I said honestly, wondering if
she also knew what her grandson had been wearing when he snuck into bed
with me. "It didn't bother me. Besides, I only found out until morning when
it was time to get up, so he didn't even wake me."

"I'm sorry I did that," Sander apologized with a guilty look on his little
face. "I won't do it again."

"Hey, hey, it's okay," I quickly shushed him. "You did nothing wrong,
okay?"

 "Really?" the boy asked.

 "Really," I nodded, squeezing his hand in comfort.

The boy smiled back at me and held onto my hand, showing me we were on the
same side. Of course we both knew what really happened that Sunday
morning. I then turned to his grandmother and said: "I actually don't see
where him sneaking into bed with me could be wrong."

 "It's not," she sighed. "But Sander told me how you spent the next hour or
so in bed, chatting and cuddling with him."

 "We did do that," I admitted. "You know as well as I do how affectionate
Sander is."

 "Of course I know," she said, rather angrily. "He's my grandson. You're
just a friend of his."

 "I see," I nodded understandingly, feeling a bit offended to be seen as
‚just a friend'. "So because I'm just a friend, you'd rather I
push him away next time he wants to cuddle."

 "No," she said. "It just doesn't seem... normal for a man like yourself to
get so close with a boy who's not even related to him."

Finally the truth came out. What Annie was trying to say was that she
thinks that I had a second agenda for my friendship with her grandson. It
was a tricky situation, because she wasn't too far from the truth. I might
not intend to have sex with the boy, our cuddling that morning had been a
lot more personal than mere cuddling. Sander's being naked practically all
morning and me rubbing his little butt were close to being sexual. I had to
choose my words carefully from now on and make sure I got that nasty idea
out of her head. I went with the offensive approach... I had to make sure
that what Annie and I talked about next didn't raise too many questions
with Sander, though.

"Oh, now I see where this is going," I quickly said. "You think I want more
than Sander's friendship."

"You already have more than that," Annie said. "Sander loves you to bits
and I can tell you feel the same way about him. I just don't know what kind
of love it is you feel for him."

"You're right about me loving him to bits," I said, briefly looking at my
Little Prince, who blushed a bit when he heard me say that. "Sander's a
special boy and I want to give him every bit of attention he
deserves. That's why I would never be able to push him away if he wants to
cuddle. And I'll admit I enjoyed it just as much as he did. I know the boy
trusts me almost blindly and I would never do anything to damage his
trust."

"Then I suppose you'd do exactly the same if he showed up beside you in bed
next time," Annie said.

"Most likely," I nodded. "I thought it was quite nice to wake up and find
Sander next to me. It happened so spontaneously. I'd have broken his little
heart if I'd told him not to do it. That's the last thing I want to do."

"Would you ever ask him to spend the night in bed with you?" Annie wanted
to know.

"No," I said honestly. "He's got his own room to go to. If he ever gets to
sleep over again, I'll send him to his own bed, so he can get a good
night's rest. But he's always welcome to come into my room in the morning."

"Would you ever do anything besides cuddling?" Annie finally asked, wanting
to know if I had any ill intentions with her grandson.

"Well, I know Sander's quite ticklish," I joked, poking Sander's side to
prove my point. "But other than tickling and cuddling, there's nothing I
will ever do."

Annie sighed deeply and thought over my last answer for a bit. She looked
back and forth between the boy and me, thinking about what she'd decide. I
knew quite well my friendship with Sander was at stake here.

In the end she smiled at me and said: "I'll give you the benefit of the
doubt. Something tells me your love for Sander is more than what you just
told me, but as you said, my grandson trusts you blindly. Sander's usually
a good judge of character and he's never been happier than since the day he
met you. I don't want to break his little heart, either, so I will allow
you to be friends with him. All I'm asking is that you won't damage the
trust I have in you, just as you wouldn't do for Sander."

It was my turn to sigh. "Thank you, Annie," I said. "I promise I will never
hurt Sander in any way. I wouldn't forgive myself if I ever did that."

"That's all I need to know," Annie finally declared. She then turned to her
grandson, who was smiling broadly. He was clever enough to understand what
had just transpired between his grandmother and me and that he could still
be friends with me. "Now, then, sweetie, why don't you show me that room of
yours."

Happy to be allowed to show off the bedroom he helped decorating, he deftly
slid off the couch and told his grandmother to follow him upstairs. I
decided to let the two have a private moment, allowing Sander to proudly
show his granny what a great job he'd done. I carried the cups and glasses
we used for our drinks during our emotionally rather heavy chat into the
kitchen, not bothering to clean them, and decided to call it a day as soon
as my friendly neighbors had gone back home. When they came back
downstairs, Sander climbed onto my lap and hugged me tightly. He seemed
extremely excited about something.

"So, my Little Prince, did your grandmother like your room?" I asked him.

"Uhuh, yep," the boy nodded cheerfully and then grinned cheekily. "Guess
what?"

"What? Does she want to keep it to herself?"

"No, silly," he giggled, slapping my shoulder playfully. "Guess again!"

Not having a clue, I just shrugged. "I don't know kiddo, what's going on?"

"I'm staying here tonight!" he announced almost victoriously. "Isn't that
great?!"

"It sure is, buddy," I smiled. I meant it, too. This sure was a nice turn
of events.

"I thought it was the best way to make up for scaring him, earlier," Annie
explained. "Sander has grown really attached to you and it would have been
wrong to separate you. I'd jumped to conclusions too quickly."

"I'm glad you were willing to discuss things with me," I said
gratefully. "I would have felt just as bad about losing Sander, especially
if I could have prevented it by not being so indulgent."

"I'm positive you will know when to say 'no' to him, Robert," she said. "I
think your friendship with him is strong enough to overcome any rejections
or setbacks."

"I'll make sure not to disappoint you," I practically swore. "So when do
you want him back home?"

"At lunch, tomorrow," Annie said. "It's a Saturday morning, so I'll be
tutoring a few students. Since the soccer season is over, he'd get bored at
home anyway."

"Okay, then. I'm pretty sure we'll find something to do," I said and then
poked the boy's sides. "Won't we, buddy?"

"Yep, we will," he nodded, giggling at the ticklish effect of my fingers
poking him. When the effect wore off, he got up, clasping his crotch and
hopping on his little feet. "I gotta go pee real bad!"

"You know where it is, buddy," I smiled. "You don't have to ask if you need
the bathroom. Hurry up, before it's too late."

Sander quickly rushed upstairs to relieve himself. Annie got up as well and
announced her going home. When her grandson returned from answering the
call of nature, she gave him a big hug and told me to behave while he was
with me. Sander of course promised to be a good boy and then gave her a
loving goodnight kiss. My Little Prince and I then stood by the door,
saying our goodbyes to Annie.

"What do we do now?" Sander asked as soon as his grandmother was out of
sight.

"Not much, I'm afraid," I said. "It is getting a bit late. Why don't we
watch TV for a bit, see if we can find anything good to watch."

"Oh, okay," my little friend just said. "You do have some snacks, right?"

"Sure I do," I smirked. "Go check the kitchen I'm sure you'll find
something you like."

Sander did as I suggested, while I sat down and zapped through some
channels. Besides a football match, qualifier for the World Cup, there
wasn't anything on that I found interesting. When my guest reappeared,
holding a bag of salted peanuts and a glass of Ice Tea, he flopped down
right next to me. He agreed to watch the footy for a bit and got comfy,
kicking off his sneakers and shuffling as close to me as he could, his
right arm draped over my belly. The bag of nuts was strategically placed on
the other side of me, so he could easily reach for the snacks, without
having to let go of me. That made it perfectly clear that it didn't matter
what we were watching, as long as he got to sit close to me.

At half time, Sander looked up at me, yawning. "I'm tired," he said.

"I can tell," I smiled. "Why don't you go hop into bed? I'll come tuck you
in in five minutes."

"Okay," he nodded, getting up slowly, reluctant to let go off me. "Can I
sleep in your bed tonight?"

Although that was a tempting idea, I decided to be the responsible adult,
but not without giving him some options that would make him happy, after
all.

"It's better if you get into your own bed, buddy," I told him. "I'm gonna
watch the rest of the game, so I'd probably wake you up when I go to bed,
myself."

"Oh, okay," he sighed, genuinely disappointed.

"That doesn't mean you can't join me when you have to get up in the middle
of the night to pee, or something," I then said, caressing his arm. "I'd be
happy to wake up right next to you, like I did last time."

Sander's face instantly lit up again, happy with the prospect of getting to
spend of his Saturday morning in bed with me. I'd already figured out that
was why he'd asked to sleep in my bed in the first place. I had enjoyed the
way Sander and I had spent the first moments of that Sunday morning and I
was looking forward to do that again, just as much as he was.

I patted his thigh and said: "Now, go on upstairs and brush your
teeth. I'll be with you in a bit to tuck you in."

"Okay," the munchkin simply replied.

I watched Sander as he clambered off the couch and slowly headed up the
stairs. I picked up the remainder of the peanuts and carried them and the
other stuff we used into the kitchen. I then climbed the stairs as well and
headed into my boy's bedroom. It was still empty. I decided to sit down on
the bed and wait for Sander to return from the bathroom, where I heard him
gurgle and spit.

A few moments later my Little Prince walked into the room and smiled at
me. "You're too early to tuck me in, Uncle Rob," he said. "I'm not ready
for bed yet."

"Well, then, best get to it, huh," I smiled at him.

"Yep," he nodded.

It was only when he started taking his sweater off that I realized that in
Sammy's book, getting ready for bed means taking his clothes off. I had
seen the boy naked, of course, but I didn't know if he would mind me being
there when he sheds his clothes.

"Do you want me to step out for a minute so you can get ready?" I asked,
wanting to give him some privacy if he needed it.

"Why? You already know what I look like," he just shrugged, holding his
sweater halfway up his chest. "I don't mind you watching me take my clothes
off."

"Okay," I smiled. "I just wanted to make sure."

"Cool," he just said and carried on where he left off. Standing in front of
me, he pulled his hoodie over his head and then threw it over the back of
the chair that stood next to his desk. He then continued to take off the
red t-shirt he was wearing underneath, asking: "What are we gonna do
tomorrow?"

Seeing Sander reveal his body again had me staring again. Luckily I wasn't
completely focused on his bare skin yet, so I heard his question loud and
clear. "I don't know, Sander," I shrugged. "We've got the whole morning to
ourselves. Any ideas?"

"Not really," he said as he undid the button of his jeans. He slid the
trousers down underneath his buns and then sat down next to me to take them
all the way off, leaving him in just a pair of plain white briefs and dark
blue socks. He looked me right in the eye, hesitating to make his
suggestion and then almost whispered: "I liked what we did last time. I
mean, if that's okay with you."

I smiled lovingly at him, knowing he simply wanted to do anything that
would involve me touching and holding him. The unique physical closeness
we'd shared had been the perfect way to start the day. It was something
reserved between my Little Prince and me and in all honesty, I was hoping
he would come back for more. I was not about to let him down.

"That means cuddling, tickling and playing the bongo drums, then," I said
while I watching him slip off his socks. He grinned naughtily when he heard
me sum up tomorrow's activities and I reached out to rub his bare back. I
leaned in and whispered in his ear as if to make sure it would be our
little secret: "I liked that, too."

Sander got up from the bed to put his jeans and socks on the chair with his
sweater and t-shirt. He then looked over his shoulder with a look of a
little devil. "You forgot chasing the little piggy," he giggled and then
swept me off my feet by pulling his undies down to his knees and wiggling
his now bare buns, only an arm's length in front of me. "Look, still no
curly tail," he almost chanted.

"You little rascal," I chuckled as I watched him standing there before me,
acting silly and being naughty the way I know he would only do for me.

The kid clearly wanted to play and I was not going to deny him that. I
reached out, grabbed him by his waist and flung him next to me on the
bed. As he tried to break free, not convincingly, I pushed him flat on his
back and dug my fingers right into his armpits, commencing a tickle fest
that had Sander rolling and screaming around on the bed wildly. After a
couple of minutes, the boy surrendered, begging for mercy, completely out
of breath.

As Sander lay there flat on his back, his feet over my lap with his undies
still halfway down his legs, I couldn't help but looking up and down his
naked body, as always amazed by the sheer beauty of him. My eyes went
slowly down his perfectly shaped chest, which was going up and down fast as
he regained his breath after the tickle fest. Further down his belly, which
was very ticklish and very soft to the touch.

This ultimately led me to the most delicate parts of his young body. Like
the week before, the effect of our brief spell of roughhousing was
evident. Sander's penis stood at full mast and I had to really fight back
the urge to reach out and touch it. Somehow I had a feeling he wouldn't
mind if I did, but I'd already set my limits at rubbing his bare backside,
which was already a treat in itself. Touching his privates would inevitably
complicate things and raise the boy's curiosity. Questions about 'stiffies'
would come soon enough, but I wanted to put that off as long as possible.

My staring had created an awkward silence in the boy's room, but because
Sander didn't move a muscle as he lay there before me, I could tell it
didn't bother him much. It was only when I looked him in the eyes again
that he broke the silence.

"When you're done staring, I'd like to go to sleep, now," he chuckled,
amused by how much attention I was paying to his appearance again.

I reached out and brushed a strand of his blonde hair away from his
forehead. "Oops! Sorry, buddy," I smiled.

The boy returned the smile and briefly sat upright to slip his underwear
all the way off. Before lying back down, he wrapped his arms around me in a
warm hug and kissed me on the cheek. "I love you, Uncle Rob," he
practically whispered as he lay back down.

I got up from his bed and pulled the sheets over his nakedness, tucking him
to make him as comfy as possible. Satisfied, I kneeled down beside the bed
and leaned over him to give him a big wet goodnight kiss on his
forehead. "I love you too, my Little Prince," I said as I looked into his
droopy eyes. "Sweet dreams!"

"'nite!" Sander yawned.

Silently I closed the door to Sander's room, where I know my special guest
would be snoozing soundly in no time. I went downstairs to watch the
remainder of the footy match, thinking about how this evening had turned
out. I couldn't see what had happened as anything but a test from Sander's
grandmother. Obviously and not illogically, the boy's stories about how
we'd spent our time together last time had gotten her worried. So it wasn't
much of a surprise to find her on my doorstep, wanting to know what had
happened and how it came to be that I had been rubbing her grandson's
posterior.

From her enquiry, it was clear to see that she'd drawn a few possible
conclusions of her own after she found out I'd had my hands all over
Sander's bare backside. I was grateful to her for at least giving me a
chance to explain my motives and to try and to bar out some of the
possibilities she had figured out. I'm pretty sure part of what she'd
thought to be my motivations still stood firm, but luckily and with the
help of a very loyal young friend, those motivations no longer excluded me
from her grandson's life.

I'm quite positive Annie knows I feel more than just friendship for
Sander. Heck, she pretty much said so, even if she didn't say it word for
word. Her wish for me to be honest about my feelings with Sander was
justified. Telling Sander I loved him more deeply than he probably imagined
was on the top of my to-do list. All the topic needed was a moment where
Sander and I could talk.

What the outcome of that talk would be, I could not predict, because I
realized that it wouldn't be easy for a boy as young as Sander to really
comprehend. If he needs it, I'd gladly give him all the time it takes for
him to let what I tell him seep in. It would be his decision if he wants to
keep our friendship alive or not. We had grown very close in quite a short
time, though, and I expect the bond between us to be strong enough to
overcome something so emotionally heavy laden.

I went to bed right after the football game broadcast. Because I'd done all
my serious pondering during the game, I could now think about something
better: the sweet little boy sleeping just across the hallway who'd become
the most important part of my life. As I lay on my bed, mentally replaying
his silly 'no-curly-tail' act, my imagination wandered off into the dark
corners of my boy crazy mind. In my fantasy, I not only tickled the naked
boy, I also did those things I vowed myself not to do. In my dreams, my
hands did touch those most delicate parts of Sander's body and the boy
happily returned the favor.

The effect of those dreams was a mixture of first ecstasy, followed by
guilt. The guilt lingered the longest, virtually hitting myself on the head
for even thinking about having a sexual relationship with Sander. It proved
all the more how difficult it will be to not let things get irreparably out
of hand. Those were the last thoughts in my mind before I fell asleep.

----------

It was the unusual sounds that woke me up the following morning. I was
lying on my side and the little noises came from behind me. My eyes
adjusted to the daylight seeping in through a crack between the curtains,
allowing myself to slowly wake up. That's when I realized who was
responsible for that yet unidentified swooshing sound that repeated itself
rhythmically. I turned on my back and was welcomed by the most welcome
view.

"Good morning, Little Prince," I whispered, not wanting to startle my
buddy.

Upon hearing my voice, Sander briefly looked away from the comic book he
was reading. "Morning," he greeted me with a warm smile. He then
immediately continued reading, seemingly enthralled by the story.

Even more obvious than the week before, my guest seemed to be perfectly
comfortable. As I observed him, something I'll always love doing, I was
happy to see how he'd made himself at home. Apparently, sometime before I
woke, Sander had gone downstairs to get himself something to read and had
then installed himself on my bed. He lay next to me, upside down and flat
on his belly. His little feet were bouncing on the pillow in a steady
rhythm, explaining the origin of the sound that had woken me from my
sleep. Being on top of the covers, he rewarded me with impeccable view of
his bare backside, the cheeks of his little butt flexing with the up and
down movement of his feet.

Waking up next to the most important person in my life and seeing him so at
ease made this Saturday morning a precious moment. The sheer boyish
innocence radiating from Sander made my resolve to keep our relationship
free of any grownup complexities. Still, I couldn't resist reaching out for
the silky softness of my little friend's skin.

"Sleep well?" I asked silently, gently letting my hand glide up and down
the back of his thigh.

"Yeah," he nodded, briefly looking away from the comic book.

He shuffled a bit closer to me, pressing his leg against me and keeping his
little feet still. That was enough proof to me that he appreciated the
touching. I knew that if I wanted his full attention I would have to take
things up a notch. I moved my hand to his other leg and let it travel up
slowly and past his hip. There, I ventured towards the tender softness of
his bare back and then brought my hand back down until it reached the
suppleness of his right butt cheek.

Although he tried his best, Sander quickly lost his interest in the comic
book he was reading. Only after a couple of minutes of feeling my hand
following the curves of his delicious little butt, he moved the story
aside. He purred appreciatively, not unlike a kitten, and looked back at me
over his shoulder with a contented smile.

"Feels nice," he hummed.

I smiled back at him and said: "Well, I had to do something to get your
attention."

"Hehe, silly," he giggled cutely and then grinned naughtily. He rolled over
on his side, placing his left foot on the bed and looked down at his
privates, saying: "Look what happened when you were rubbing my butt."

What happened was clear to see: Sander's penis was hard as a
nail. Obviously, any shyness he'd had the week before about having a stiffy
had gone, which I could only applaud. The fact that he had connected his
penis growing hard with my rubbing his backside was new, however. I was
well aware that the revelation might arise some questions with my young
friend. But I was not about to say more than necessary before he popped
those questions.

With his little maneuver, my hand had moved from his butt to his hip. I
couldn't help but stare at his genitals, which I found perfectly
proportioned for a boy only a few months shy of ten years old. Luckily I
snapped out of my reverie quickly enough to avoid the moment to become
awkward. I caressed his hip gently and let my eyes wander up his belly and
chest till they met his, which were looking right at me, expecting me to
say something.

"You really are a beautiful boy, my little prince," I told him. Before he
could react in any way, I held out my arms invitingly and said: "Now why
don't you come here and let me give you a proper good morning hug."

A broad smile appeared on Sander's little face, shining brighter than any
ray of sunlight. Whether it was because I told him he was beautiful or
because I was offering him a big bear hug, I can't tell, but it had made
him terribly happy. Within seconds he turned around 180 degrees and climbed
onto me, letting himself practically melt into me. He wrapped his little
arms around me, kissed me warmly on the cheek and then laid his head in the
nook of my neck. I embraced him firmly, my hands skating over the smooth
skin of his bare back. I kissed the top of his head, burying my nose in his
slightly messy blonde hair to inhale his boyish scent.

We held onto each other for a couple of minutes, my hands slowly drifting
over up and down his backside, occasionally following the delicate curve of
his butt cheeks. We didn't utter a single word until the need for a
bathroom visit became urgent. Besides that, the physical closeness with
Sander and the feel of his naked skin was having the same effect on me as
my rubbing his butt had on the boy. That bothered me a bit and I didn't
want to risk my little friend to discover it. So, with regret, I gently
pushed Sander away from me, silently announcing my need to go pee.

I stayed in the bathroom a bit longer than necessary for a simple emptying
of the bladder, but I wanted the signs of my state of arousal to be
completely gone before I joined Sander again. So I took my time to splash
some cold water over my face and to regain my composure. Once I was fairly
sure my arousal was no longer showing, I returned to the bedroom, where I
found Sander sprawled on the bed, flat on his back. He didn't notice me
enter the room, because he was back to reading the comic book he'd smuggled
up earlier. But I quickly noticed it wasn't the story that had his
attention.

He was lying on his belly again, this time with his legs flat on the bed
and spread a little. He used his left hand to flip the pages, his right
hand was stuck underneath him. His hips were sliding up and down...only
slightly, but enough for me to notice. It didn't take rocket science to
know my little friend was playing with himself and I thought the sight
before me was quite sexy. Sander probably wasn't even aware of me knowing
what he was doing and I decided to leave him in peace. Quietly, I left the
room, taking a fresh set of clothes for the day and headed to the bathroom
to get dressed. I then went downstairs to fix the two of us a hearty
breakfast with French toast and hot chocolate milk.

Sander joined me in the kitchen about ten minutes later. He was wearing his
bathrobe, probably to cover up from the early morning chill that went
through the hallway and the kitchen. But what I noticed first was the deep
red blush on his little cheeks. That made me wonder if he knew I'd seen him
playing with himself. I wasn't going to bring up the subject, though,
because I didn't want him to feel embarrassed about it. If he wanted to
talk about it, I'm pretty sure he felt comfortable enough with me to do so.

After breakfast Sander settled down on the couch for some TV. With the
heating turned up a bit, he no longer needed the robe, so he had slipped it
off his shoulders and left it draped over the back of the couch. I joined
him for his cartoons, Phineas and Ferb, ten minutes later, but didn't see
much of Platypus Perry and the others. Although I was already quite used to
having my Little Prince with me and to seeing him without any stitch of
clothing, I couldn't help but being drawn to him and watch him closely. The
wonderful image of Sander's naked body still seemed like a dream to me. I
really was head over heels with him and it remained difficult to restrain
myself from crossing that line between a close friendship that had every
potential of being unbreakable and a sexual relationship that might ruin
everything.

Although he didn't show it, I was perfectly aware of Sander knowing I
wasn't paying much attention to the cartoons. I was still amazed at how
quickly he'd grown accustomed to being naked in my presence. I often
wondered if he knew he was more than just a very close friend to me. He did
hear his grandmother and me talking last night, so he might be wondering
what that really was all about. I could just go and tell him, but I
preferred waiting until he actually asked me, which would mean he was ready
to know what I really felt for him.

That moment came more quickly than expected. During a commercial break,
Sander got up to fetch some orange juice. My eyes pretty much followed his
every move as he left the room and they were glued to him just as much when
he returned with his refreshing drink. He'd even brought me a glass, which
I gratefully accepted. As he handed me the glass, standing right in front
of me, my look involuntarily went down to his privates. I felt a bit guilty
about doing that, so I quickly looked back up at the boy's face. I found
Sander with a big grin on his face, which told me he'd noticed the brief
glance at his boyhood.

The little rascal snickered when our eyes met, clearly amused by the effect
his naked body had on me. "You sure like looking at me," he said after
taking a sip of his juice and putting the glass on the coffee
table. "You've been watching me all morning!"

"I can't help it, buddy," I sighed a bit guiltily. "I think it's because I
still think I'm dreaming when I see such a handsome boy standing before me
in his birthday suit. I'll try not to stare so much if it bothers you."

Sander's grin never faded when I explained my behavior. "It's cool," he
said. "I kinda like it. I know you stare because you like me."

"You better believe it, my Little Prince," I smiled warmly at him. "I'll
get used to seeing all of you soon enough, but I can never tired of
it. Mind you, I'd stare just as much if you'd be fully dressed."

"Really?" my little friend asked with a blush.

"Really," I nodded.

He then crawled sideways onto my lap and laid his head against my
shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him and held him closely. He purred like
a kitten as I ran my hand up and down the side of his body and giggled
cutely whenever my fingers crossed a ticklish spot. After a while he looked
up at me with, smiling broadly.

"I like this part the best," he almost whispered.

I knew he was referring to our cuddling. After all, Sander was an
affectionate little guy and he had learned very quickly that I would never
push him away whenever he needs a big bear hug. The fact that the hugging
and caressing happened with him being naked gave it a special dimension.

"I enjoy cuddling just as much as I like staring," I told him, pressing him
closer into me for emphasis.

We held onto each other for a few minutes more, until Sander had to get up
to empty his bladder. I watched him trot out of the room and sighed deeply,
feeling happier than ever. Noon was slowly creeping closer by then, so I
wasn't too surprised to see Sander reappearing fully dressed. He sat down
right next to me and looked at me, clearly with something on his mind.

"Uncle Rob?" he said quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, kiddo," I smiled, curious about what he had on his mind.

"You remember when I bumped into you with my skates?" he asked.

"I remember," I nodded.

"You then told me you didn't get mad because you didn't want to be a jerk,"
he recollected.

"That's right," I nodded again, slowly understanding what this little chat
was about.

"Was that really why you didn't get mad at me?" he asked with a look that
said he wanted the truth about how I acted back then.

"Part of it," I said. "I was actually about to scold you for crashing into
me like that, but when I saw who it was who'd hit me, I knew I couldn't get
mad at you."

"What do you mean, when you saw who it was," Sander asked. "You didn't know
me yet."

"True," I admitted, "but back then, I saw the most handsome boy looking at
me with tears welling up in those brilliant little eyes of yours. I just
couldn't find it in my heart to be angry with you."

"You thought I looked handsome?" the boy wanted to know. "Is that why you
didn't get angry?"

"That," I smiled, ruffling his hair a bit. "And I could tell you were a
nice kid. Instead of scolding you, I decided being friendly would get me a
lot further. A good decision, because I got to know you as a funny, witty,
sometimes silly little boy whom I've grown very attached to. A thoughtful,
free-spirited boy who's become the best friend I could ever wish for."

"Is that what granny meant when she said I was more than just a friend to
you?" Sander asked.

"Pretty much," I nodded. "You are my Little Prince, Sander. You've become
very special to me."

"Is that why you're always watching me?" the boy carried on with his query.

"That's right," I admitted honestly. "And because you're a cute little
devil," I added, tickling his belly to take a little weight of all this
seriousness.

Sander giggled and shuffled back and forth to evade my tickling
fingers. "Silly uncle Rob," he snickered, softly punching my arm to get
even. He then leaned forward and whispered into my ear: "I really like
being your little Prince."

Taken a bit off guard by his heartfelt words, I smiled lovingly at him and
reached up to let my fingers brush through his golden hair. Our eyes were
glued to each other's for a while before Sander melted into me and hugged
me tightly. Of course I happily wrapped my arms around him, holding him
like the most valuable treasure on Earth.

It was impossible not to be totally smitten with the boy and I thought it
was a bit of a shame I couldn't tell him how I truly felt. But at his
tender age, he might not understand if I told him I was infatuated with
him. It might even freak him out and eventually put the relationship we had
at stake. Honesty is a nice virtue, but it's not always the best
answer. Sander knew I loved him deeply, which was all I felt he needed to
know.

Our chat had taken the last bite out of our time together. When I told him
to get ready to head home, he clung to me for as long as possible, putting
of the moment where I had to take him back to his grandmother. With a deep
sad sigh he finally let go and slid off the couch. Before heading to the
hallway where he'd left his shoes the night before, a big tooth grin
appeared on his lips.

"It's nice to have a little secret, huh," he said with a big blush on his
cheeks.

Of course I knew he was referring to him being naked when he snuck into bed
with me the week before. "You bet," I winked at him.

He giggled again and then fetched his shoes. He brought them back to the
couch and slipped his feet into them, not bothering with the laces. I
followed his example and went upstairs to get ready to take my little guest
of honor safely home, taking more time than usual. I wanted Sander to be
with me for as long as possible. But eventually, Sander and I jointly
crossed the street, holding hands. An hour later, after a relaxing lunch
with my little friend and his grandmother, I sat in my couch again, sighing
deeply, counting the minutes until I got to see the most important person
in my life again.