Marine Called Jason

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A Marine Called Jason Part IX

Chapter Ninety-Two

Vibes From Devon

I wasn't keenly aware of the boys' sex life but Kyle didn't have to tell me he'd lost his virginity. I happened to be up to go to the bathroom when the boys came in from their double date. I didn't see Devon but I knew right away, just from the look on Kyle's face that he wasn't a virgin anymore. It was something like a deer-in-the-headlights look; he wasn't expecting me to be up, and there he was, face to face with me, with that guilty look on his face.

We just looked at each other for brief moment.

"Is there something you wanta tell me?" I asked, to break the impasse.

"Well, it happened, if that's what you're wondering," he said bravely.

"I see. How was it?"

"Everything I expected, and more," he said.

"Good. The first time often doesn't live up to expectations," I said.

"This did."

"I'm glad for that, Son. Did you remember the condoms?"

"Yes, sir."

There was the briefest, awkward pause.

"Do you want to talk anymore about it?" I asked.

"No, I don't think so. Not right now anyway," he replied.

"All right. Good night, then."

"Good night, Dad."

I was at my door, he was at his when he stopped me.

"Dad."

"Yes?" I turned.

"It wasn't tonight," he said.

"What wasn't tonight?"

"I didn't lose my virginity tonight."

"Oh?"

"It wasn't my first time."

"Oh, I see."

"I'd be lying to you if I let you believe that. Truth is, I got a girl to come out and spend the whole night when you and Jason were in San Diego."

"Well, somehow that doesn't surprise me," I said. "In a way, I guess I would've expected that to happen."

"You're probably the only dad in the world who would say that."

"I doubt that. I know I'm not the only dad in the world who would've probably tried the same thing in your shoes," I said. "But that wasn't what you came in to tell me, was it?"

"No, I....I wanted to say, I understand you and Jason better."

I looked at him with a scowl of surprise; it seemed an odd thing for him to say.

"I mean, how you feel about each other."

"Possibly, you do, somewhat," I said. "But whether you do or not, I truly appreciate that you're trying."

"I think I do. I love this girl. Not the one who spent the night, she's a slut, every boy's dream. I'm talking about Angie."

"Don't get hurt, Son. Love hurts sometimes. Don't get hurt."

He nodded. "Good night, Dad." Then he turned into his room.

I went into my room, with an ache in my heart. I couldn't say it, but I knew he was going to be hurt. A guy's first love almost never turned out to be his first true love.

Back in bed, I told Jason about Kyle. He smiled.

"They doubled tonight, didn't they?" Jason asked. "I wonder how Devon made out."

"Kyle didn't say. But he said the strangest thing. He said he better understood about you and me--how we feel about each other--because he's in love with this girl."

"Wow! When did he figure us out?"

"I don't know."

"What'd you say?"

"I told him that I appreciated that he was trying to understand."

"Well, it'll be interesting to see if it comes up again, and how," Jason said.

The next morning--Sunday--Kyle and I were up first, fixing breakfast. Devon and Jason were still asleep. He was quiet and, I thought, a little embarrassed, perhaps to be alone with me with last night looming over our heads.

"Are you okay, Son?" I asked.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Does it still feel the same this morning as it did last night?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not having second thoughts?"

"No."

"Sometimes things look different in the light of day, after the euphoria has worn off," I said.

"When does the euphoria wear off?" he asked.

"Well, they say you never forget your first piece of ass," I said.

"She wasn't," he said.

"Also, you never forget your first love," I said.

"Do you remember yours?" he asked.

"My first love or my first piece of ass? They were one and the same," I told him.

"Do you remember her?"

"Yes. But I don't remember her name."

"That's terrible," he said, laughing. "I won't ever forget Angie's name. I think I want to marry her, Dad."

"Hold that thought for a few years, Son," I said. "By the way, you guys doubled last night; how was Devon's date?"

"Devon isn't a virgin anymore either," he said. "But that didn't happen last night either."

"Oh, really. How do you know that for sure?"

"Same girl, while you guys were gone," he said.

"What about last night?" I asked.

He laughed. "He was in the back seat doing the same thing with Jennifer that I was doing in the front seat with Angie."

"I hope he remembered condoms," I said.

"I gave him one of mine. Yours. But I don't think he enjoys it with girls like I do. Both times, I think he did it just because he was with me. I'm not going to put him in that position again. I've tried to get him to rethink the bi thing but I think he's on track. He, uh....he's found someone."

"Wonderful. Jason will be happy to hear that."

"It's not a girl. They met at football camp. You can't tell Jason," he said quickly. "It's up to Devon to tell him if and when he wants him to know."

"All right. Listen, Kyle....."

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Last night, you said you better understand Jason and me, because you love this girl. When did you figure things out?"

"I don't really know an exact time. It just gradually came to be in my mind. I mean, we've got four bedrooms in the house, and you and Jason sleep together. Then we....when we had this girl out to spend the night when you and Jason were gone, we did it with her in your bed, Dad, and that's when I noticed the mirrors and how they were all arranged. It just rang a bell. I hope you're not mad that we used your bed. Devon thought it was sort of an honor that he lost his virginity in your bed."

"Well, the bunk beds would've been kinda crowded," I said.

"When were you going to tell us, Dad?" he asked.

"When you figured it out," I said. "Has Devon figured it out?"

"We've talked about it," he replied.

"And?"

He shrugged. "It's not a big deal for either of us. But you never said if you're mad that we used your bed."

"I'm not mad."

"Good, because we....." He caught himself and looked embarrassed.

"What?" I asked.

"I shouldn't be telling you," he said.

"The cat's ready half out of the bag, Kyle."

"You have to promise you won't say anything, not to Jason or Devon."

"Okay."

"Well, the other bigger honor was....Devon lost his virginity in more ways than one. He gave his cherry to me a while back. A guy can have more than one virginity, you know. But we thought it would be an honor for that to happen in your bed."

"You and....you....." I said.

"Yeah. I fucked Devon, putting it bluntly. And mildly," he added with a soft chuckle. "He asked me to."

"Well. you've certainly broadened your horizons," I said.

"You're not disappointed with me? I did it only because he asked me to."

"No, of course not. Anything between you and your brother is fine as long as it's mutually agreeable."

"It would never be otherwise," he said.

Later, Jason and I were talking about the boys and I told him that Kyle was in love. "So is Devon," I said.

"Well I hope you told him not to fall in love with his first piece of ass," I said.

"I didn't talk to him. Kyle told me. It's not a girl."

"Oh, really!"

"It's another jock he met at football camp." Beyond his initial surprise, Jason was nonplussed.

"Well, it's not what I was hoping for when I brought the little shit to the States, but I'm happy for him."

"How could you not be? He just might find what we found," I said.

"I don't think anybody could find what we found. To do that, one of them would have to be another you."

I smiled, a bit taken aback. "That's the nicest thing you've said to me in a long time."

"I try to make my actions speak louder than my words," he said.

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about Devon and Kyle but I couldn't bring myself to break my promise to Kyle.

"Are we going to meet this guy?" Jason asked.

"Maybe we should have him invite the guy over at the same time Kyle has his girlfriend over."

"I wouldn't press it that far. But Kyle is going to have to learn to cope a little better with our overall family situation."

Despite his new found love, I was surprised when I thought I was getting vibes from Devon. I was also admittedly turned on, but I made no response that would encourage him. On the second occasion, I decided I should mention it to Jason, cautiously, to be sure. Not surprisingly, he didn't think it was such a big deal. On the contrary, he shrugged it off with a chuckle and told me to go for it. I shrugged it off--the vibes, and Jason's reaction--because I didn't think for a minute that he was seriously giving me permission to have sex with his boy. But then Devon did more than send out vibes; he came on to me and it couldn't be ignored any longer.

We happened to be sharing the bathroom. I had gotten off work late and went in to shower while Devon was just shaving, getting ready to go out. Down to my shorts, I stepped out of them and bent over to pick them up.

"Damn, Brad, I wish you wouldn't do that," he groaned.

I turned around as I rose up to see him standing with the razor held just out from his face, smiling.

"Do what? Does it bother you that I come in to shower when you're in here?" I asked.

"Matter of fact, it bothers me a lot, but that...." He cocked his head and nodded toward my butt. ".....could be downright dangerous."

I laughed and stepped into the shower. I wouldn't say that he shook me by his bold remark but I dropped the soap twice. The first time, I heard him chuckle. Then I dropped it again.

"That's twice. Are you trying to tell me something, Brad?"

"Don't you wish," I said.

"You're not going to take the bait, are you?" he said loudly over the sound of the shower.

"What bait?"

"I've come on to you three times now. Don't tell me you didn't catch it."

"I certainly caught the last ones," I said.

"And?"

"I don't think we should go there," I said.

"Well, at least that's not a no," he said.

"We're not going there."

After a moment, he said, "Brad....what do you think about.... Dad?"

"What do you mean?"

"How you feel about him," he said.

"I think you know how I feel about your Dad."

"No, I mean, what do you think about him and me? I mean, he's not my real Dad."

I glanced in the mirror as I was stepping out of the shower, and our eyes met and held for several seconds.

"You know I've been having sex with Kyle; he's not my real brother," he said, his eyes unwavering.

"But you and Jason....I think that would be very different. I don't think you should go there," I said. "What happened to the boy you met at football camp?"

"Who told you about Jake?"

"I didn't know that was his name. Kyle mentioned it."

"I don't see Jake. We planned on it, but his Dad got him a job on a ranch somewhere in Wyoming. He'll be gone all summer. I see you and Dad and Kyle all the time. You were my age once, you should understand that."

"You're not tied down here, Devon. You could go to Wyoming," I said.

"You think I could?" he asked excitedly.

"Can't think of one reason why not," I said, intending to let the other matter drop.

"I guess I threw out that bait for nothing, huh?" he said and we both had a good laugh.

I reported to Jason that Devon had come on to me again, this time quite openly.

"Why are you telling me this? We've had this conversation. Is there something you think I should do about it?" Jason asked.

"I just thought you should know."

"Well, maybe he's got a thing for older men. If he's coming on to you, he will come on to someone else. Quite frankly, Brad, I would just as soon it be you."

Even with Jason's okay, and tempting as it was, I didn't act on Devon's overtures, but I decided Jason and I should talk about it because I didn't believe it was going to go away.

We were having our usual after supper beer out on the porch.

"For the record, I'm not having sex with either of the boys," I declared. It came out as a pronouncement and it seemed to take Jason by surprise.

He stared at me over his beer bottle. "Where is this coming from?" he asked.

"Just wanted to clear that up, after I told you I was getting vibes from Devon," I said. "I've thought about it and I don't think it's a good idea. Of course, I'm making that decision for myself, not for you."

"This sounds like it's coming out of your dark past," he said.

"It has roots there," I said.

"You and my son, Jase, of that past," he said.

"Yes. So you see how easy it could be with Devon, if I let myself go. But that with Jase was a dark fantasy. It shouldn't be given life."

"Devon is no fantasy," he said.

"It would only give him one more thing to deal with and he's got enough on his plate," I said.

"I appreciate your saying so. Although you know I wouldn't stand in your way if that's what he wants. And he does."

"Oh, has he said something?"

"Yes, on more than one occasion. He thinks you're hot. He thinks we both are. First time he said it, it was terms of admiration. Now he means it, in a different way."

If I looked surprised-and I was sure I did-it was because I didn't know Jason and Devon had those conversations.

"Truth?....I've gotten vibes from him, too," Jason said. "More than vibes. I started paying careful attention after you mentioned that he'd come on to you and we've talked about it at great length. He said he's had fantasies of the four of us. And you want to hear something really interesting? He said he knows Kyle would be okay with it."

I laughed softly. "Maybe we did get the wrong sons."

"You don't wanta trade, do you?" Jason asked, laughing.

"No, I'm used to Kyle calling me Dad."

"Brad....do you remember much of it?....with Jase, I mean."

"Yes. Very clearly when I let myself think about it. It was happening when I was coming out of the coma. My shrink asked me about the things I was saying when I was waking up. I never answered him."

"You had a flashback the day we looked at this place, standing back in the woods," he said.

"Yes, it flashed back clear as a bell. It was eerie. Seeing the woods and the creek brought it all back. This is so much like the place in my dream."

"You should write about it, everything you remember from your dark past," he said.

"No, it would be too sordid to read."

"Not for the ones you would be writing it for."

"Maybe I will, someday, when I'm old."

"When you're old you won't remember," he said.

Chapter Ninety-Three

Coming Clean

One evening, out of the blue, the boys came right out and asked us about our relationship. We came clean. We felt we had to; they had already picked up on things, and they were old enough. Hell, they knew, they just wanted confirmation from us, so we opened up. They seemed okay with it, and even a bit relieved. It came about one evening when we were all swimming in the creek. The two boys were horsing around and playing grab ass, but not in a sexual way. They stopped suddenly and floated away from each other, almost as if on cue.

"Are we going to ask them?" Devon asked.

"I don't know, are we?" Kyle said.

"Ask us what?" I said.

"Well, there's something we've been wondering about for a long time," Kyle began.

I knew what was coming, and I was sure Jason did too.

"It's pretty personal," Devon put in as a warning.

Both boys dove under the surface and swam past each other and broke the surface several yards apart.

"Are you putting on a water show, or are you going to ask us," Jason said dryly.

"You already know what we're going to ask you," Devon said.

"Yes, I think we do," I said. "But you said you wanted to ask us."

"Well, it's about....we've got a great life here together, but it's different from most kids, us having just a father, and our dads living together, but we understand that because we're brothers, and if you got married to women, we couldn't live together, so we understand that part."

"What part don't you understand?" I asked.

"I think you know what we're asking," Devon said again.

"We would like to hear it from you," Jason said.

"Okay. Well, we were wondering if you guys are....well, gay, or bi, like we are....like Devon is," Kyle said. "I know you date women, Jason, and you go out now and then, Dad, but you don't talk about where you go or who you're with, and you never mention a girlfriend."

"I don't have a girlfriend," I said.

"You never mention any women you date."

Jason and I weren't exactly hesitant to answer as much as we were each waiting on the other to begin. Finally, I did.

"I'm bi, leaning heavily toward gay. Jason is bi, I would say leaning equally toward men and women," I said.

The boys seemed surprised, but I think it was not so much learning the truth as how quickly and boldly I answered.

"Wow. That was easy," Devon said, laughing nervously.

"Why shouldn't it be? We've said there's nothing you can't talk to us about," Jason said.

"And you both pretty much knew," I said, glancing at Devon.

"So....the two of you, I mean....is it, like a relationship?"

"I thought you would have picked up on that by now," I said.

"Well, we did, sort of, that's the reason we're asking," Kyle said.

"Maybe we need to go back a few years, back to the beginning, so you understand better," I said.

"Yes, we would love to hear your story," Devon said.

I started it. "You know we met in Vietnam. We became good friends. Best friends, as only men in combat can be. I felt an attraction, and that attraction was made stronger, knowing that the next mission, he might not come back. That stress factor of constant danger tends to make your emotions keener."

"It definitely puts you in touch with your emotions," Jason put in. "Some you didn't even know you had, and it gives you the courage to explore those emotions."

I went on. "I was in constant fear that Jason wouldn't come back. It was a gut wrenching fear, that the last time I was with him would be the last time I saw him. Consequently, when we were together, we made every minute count."

"You were in combat too," Kyle said to me.

"I wasn't in the danger that Jason was, not at first," I said. "I was in Intel, stationed in Saigon. Jason was out in the field. I didn't face the danger he did."

"Yeah, right," Jason scoffed. "Your Dad got his barracks blown up. He was in a coma for twenty six months."

The two boys' eyes bugged out.

"You never told me that," Kyle said.

"It wasn't something you needed to know," I said.

"Do you remember anything from that, like in a dream?" he asked.

"I have flashbacks," I said, keeping my answer simple.

"I would like to know more about your time in the Marines," he said.

"It wasn't that much different from any other Marine, except I spent twenty six months of my enlistment sleeping," I tried to joke.

"No, no, you're not getting by with that," Jason said, waving his hand at me. "I'll tell you about your Dad."

I frowned and started to say something but he stopped me.

"No," he said. "You always make it about me. You always have." Then he turned to Kyle. "After your Dad recuperated, he re-enlisted. He had to go back through basic training. Then he went to Airborne school, and then on to Marine sniper school, all just to get back to Vietnam, when everybody else was trying to get out. And do you know why? To find me."

"Wow. You really must've....." Devon paused and looked rather embarrassed. "I was going to say....you must've really loved him."

"I did. I do," I said, and it felt good to say it to the boys. "You know how you love Kyle, how you can't be apart from him. That's the way I felt about your Dad."

"The way we felt about each other," Jason put in. "Although it took me longer to realize it, and even longer to admit it. I was too busy hiding from it, trying to be the straight macho stud."

Kyle laughed. "I don't think you'd have to try too hard at that."

"And quite frankly, I was taking advantage of a good thing," Jason went on to add. "I've always been ashamed of that."

"No, you didn't," I said with a frown.

"Yeah, I did. Let's don't color it," he said. He looked at the boys. "If it'd been any other guy, he would've told me to fuck off. I didn't learn to appreciate Brad till he was injured in that explosion and I realized I could lose him, and at that point all I could do was wait and pray. I hope neither of you ever feel that kind of helplessness."

I jumped in. "The reason I don't talk a lot about my past is because I don't remember a lot of it that well. It's sometimes hard to determine what things happened in my real past, or in my dark past, when I was in the coma."

"Has anyone at school ever said anything about how we live?" Jason asked.

"No, not in that context," Kyle said. "They just say Devon and I only have our dads, no mothers."

"So, uh....." Devon had a grin on his face. "You guys sleeping together when we've that extra bedroom....it's not just....sleeping."

"Now you're getting personal," Jason said.

"We told you it was personal, what we wanted to ask you."

"Do we ask what you guys do when you sleep together?" Jason asked.

"You can," Kyle said.

"Yeah, we don't seem to have many secrets in this house anymore," Devon chimed in.

"Okay, unless you have any more serious questions......," Jason said.

"That was a serious question, Dad, about you guys sleeping together. We're curious," Devon said.

"Come on, there's no reason to be dancing around it," I said, more to Jason. Then to the boys, "Your Dad is more top than bottom," I volunteered. "Not so much that way with me."

"Well, shit, that horse's out of the barn and ain't never coming back," Jason drawled. Then he smiled. "But overall, it's a pretty equal partnership, as far as give and take," he said. "Now, guys, we've explained and said everything short of inviting you in to watch, and it's getting chilly. I'm ready to go in."

"Now that would be cool as hell, if we could watch," Kyle said, laughing. He was trying to sound like he was joking, but I wasn't so sure he was.

We'd all been treading while we talked. Jason made a dive for him and took him underwater. It was fun seeing them twisting and wrestling around till Jason let him go and Kyle shoved up through the surface gasping for air. Jason stood and walked toward the creek bank. I followed him, and the boys followed me.

"This has been really neat," Devon said as we were drying off.

"Yeah, how many guys can say they had this conversation with their dads," Kyle said. Then he asked, "So, when do we get to watch?"

Jason made another grab for him but Kyle was ready for him and easily dodged out of the way. "We're going to be watching you drown," Jason warned.

Chapter Ninety-Four

High School Graduation

Graduation was a proud day. It was both the end of an amazing journey and the beginning of a new one, for Jason and me as well as Kyle and Devon. We didn't plan any kind of graduation celebration because the boys had talked about all the other parties afterwards. Jason and I went home and had our own quiet celebration with a beer out on the porch.

"It's hard to believe we've come this far," Jason said quietly.

"Do you think about it much; where we started?" I asked.

"All the time, but not so much consciously anymore. It's just there, hanging around in the back of my mind."

"Yeah, me too. Have you ever thought you might want to go back?" he asked.

"Yes. And take the boys. Maybe go back and dig up our dog tags," I said.

"No, they belong there," he said. "A part of us can never leave that place. It's a part of us; it's in our blood. And we'll always be a part of Vietnam."

"The boys have never mentioned going back," I said.

"Maybe they don't want to," he said. "I wouldn't make them go with us if we went."

There was a long but comfortable silence. We never felt the need to talk, and sometimes we didn't if we didn't have anything to say.

"You love him, don't you," I said.

He looked around at me.

"Devon," I said.

"Yes. More than anything. Except you."

"You don't have to qualify that," I said. "It took you long enough, but I know how you feel about me."

A car turned into the lane.

"Must be one of the boys," I said.

"Probably coming home to change. I guess it's party time."

It was Kyle.

"Where's your brother?" I asked.

"He's hanging around, waiting for Jake."

The highlight of graduation for Devon wasn't that he received his diploma but that Jake was there. We'd seen him through the crowds, or who we thought was him, when we saw this big stud hanging close to Devon, but in the chaos, we hadn't met him.

"What're his plans?" Jason asked.

"He said he was coming home to change then he and Jake are going someplace. I think Jake's going to be leaving for the summer and they wanta make every minute count."

"Oh, maybe we will get to meet the mystery stud," Jason said.

"What are your plans?" I asked.

"I'm going to pick up Angie and start making the rounds of the parties," he said.

"I forgot to tell you, your curfew is suspended," I said.

"Thanks, Dad. That makes things so much easier," he said, laughing.

"How so?"

"Well, I was going to break curfew anyway, and suffer the consequences."

"I figured you would, and I didn't want to have to deal with it," I said. "Just be careful."

"Yeah, no drinking and driving, no drugs, no sex," Jason said.

"Come on! This is graduation night. There won't be a virgin left in the class by morning," Kyle said.

"You're already not a virgin," I reminded him.

"But I don't want to forget how to be not a virgin," he said, punching me on the shoulder as he walked past me to the door.

He came down in denim cutoffs and a yellow T-shirt. I grabbed him by the arm.

"Where will you be, to be out with no curfew?" I asked. "It doesn't matter, I would just want some idea."

"We'll make the rounds of the parties, then probably get something to eat, then end up out at Lake Minnewa. There's talk that some of the parties will move out there."

"Jason was serious about the drugs and drinking and driving," I said.

"Dad, how many times have we had that talk?"

"Not as many times as we're going to have it," I said. "I want your word on it so I don't worry."

"You have my word, Dad. I don't do drugs, and I won't drink and drive."

Jason grabbed his arm and stopped him from going on down the steps.

"If anything happens, you call us," he said.

"Yes, sir, I will."

"If anything happens and you don't call us you will wish you were dead," he warned.

"Damn, you guys are acting like a couple of Dads," he said laughing. He skipped down the steps and walked to the car. He turned and waved as he got in. We watched him drive off down the lane.

"It's like I'm watching him drive out of my life," I said quietly.

Jason laughed. "I don't think you're going to be rid of him that easily."

About an hour later, we saw Devon driving in. There was a car behind him. He got out and waited for the other car to pull up beside him. As they came up to the porch together I smiled inside; fuck, I would've waited around for the guy too. It was obvious that his body was layered with muscle beneath the white T-shirt, and even more obvious was his massive thighs sticking out of a pair of hiking shorts.

"Dad, Jason, there's somebody I would like you to meet. This is Jake Studt. Jake this is my dad and Kyle's dad. I met Jake at football camp."

"We've heard some about you," Jason said as we both stood to shake hands with the boy. I was impressed with his handshake. He had big hands. I was impressed, period. Damn!! Devon had found himself a stud! He lived up to his name.

"Don't believe any of it," Jake said.

"I came home to change," Devon said.

"Then what?" I asked, and hastened to add, "Don't worry, there's no curfew, but I'll tell you the same as I told your brother, we want some idea of where you will be."

"We're going to a couple of the parties, probably end up out at Lake Minnewa for a while, but then, I was going to ask if it's okay if we come back here and put up the tent back in the woods."

"Yes, certainly," I said, surprised.

"We don't want to have to worry about the drinking and driving thing," Jake put in. "I guess it would be okay if we had a couple of beers back in the woods?"

"You can get drunker'n than a skunk back in the woods," I said.

"Well, we won't do that either," Jake said. "At least I won't. I've been there and done that, and it's not worth the hangover."

I thought Devon would take Jake up to his room with him but Jake stayed back when Devon went up to change.

"If you're not driving, would you like a beer?" Jason asked.

"That'd be great, thanks." When Jason had gone inside, Jake came over to where I was sitting. He seemed nervous. We glanced at each other and he looked away. When he glanced back at me and found me looking at him, he found his courage.

"Mr. Courter, I would like to talk to you and Mr. Seaborne if you both have a minute," he said. His voice was a bit unsteady.

"Sure." I stood up and picked up my beer.

"It really just concerns Mr. Seaborne, but from all that Devon has told me about their two dads, I think it'd be better if I talked to both of you."

Jason came out with Jake's beer; I took it and handed it to him. "Jake wants us to show him the woods," I said.

The three of us walked back to the woods.

"Devon and Kyle have been promising to build a footbridge across the creek," I said. "Meanwhile, we have to use a fallen tree to get across."

"That's okay, we don't have to cross the creek," Jake said. "Mr. Seaborne, Devon said he told you about him and me."

"We got sort of a run-down," Jason said.

"He also told me how you and Mr. Courter brought him and Kyle back from Vietnam when they were little boys."

"Yes."

"And, uh....about your situation here, them having two dads and no Moms. Well he didn't exactly tell me but I sorta figured it out and that makes it easier for me to say what I have to say."

"All right," Jason said, waiting.

"Although it's still not easy," the boy said. "I feel like I'm facing a dad that I got his daughter pregnant."

"Well, we know it's not that," Jason said

"I'm in love your son, Mr. Seaborne."

I was completely taken aback and it must have showed. It certainly showed on Jason's face.

"I know it sounds crazy. A guy usually says that to a girl's father. I thought I would be saying it to my girlfriend's father, till I met Devon."

I was instantly admiring of the boy's courage but I didn't know where he was going with it. This conversation with a young man, if Jason or I had a daughter, would be leading up to permission to marry.

"This all came out of left field for me," the boy went on. "Nothing like this ever entered my mind till I met Devon. I don't even know what happened. Things were going along fine and then suddenly he was there in my life. I walked in that dorm at football camp and there he was and my life was suddenly turned upside down. I just felt myself suddenly attracted to him, and everything went from there."

"All right, but I want to ask, Jake, why you're telling me this," Jason said.

"I'm heading out for Wyoming tomorrow. I haven't told Devon."

"Oh. He said he thought you had a job in Wyoming but he never said when you were leaving. He's going to be disappointed," I said.

"Yes. I know. I wish I weren't going, but my dad got me a job on a ranch out there. I was wondering, Mr. Seaborne, if there's any way Devon could come with me. I didn't want to ask him till I talked to you."

"Well....I don't know. Would he have a job waiting on him, or would he have to find one?" Jason asked.

"I'm sure Dad could get him on at the ranch."

We walked a ways farther. I was looking down at the ground, in thought.

"I promise I won't let anything happen to him," Jake said.

"I'm not worried about that," Jason said. "Devon is a big boy, I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"I know he can, but I've got this....this feeling that I wanta protect him. I try not to show it, but I love him so damned much, I couldn't stand anything happening to him."

"Do your parents know about this, Jake?" Jason asked. "This love you have for another boy?"

"No."

"When will they know?"

"I don't know. Devon says there's no reason why we have to tell them. And they'll never guess, we're both very straight acting. You have to understand, my parents aren't too keen on this sort of thing....two guys together."

"Son, the way you're talking to me about how you feel about Devon, it's going to be pretty hard to keep it under wraps from the rest of the world," Jason said.

"We won't be around my parents all that much," he said. "When summer is over, we'll be going to college, or I might go in the Marines. After that, I won't be moving back home, so it'll just be for rare visits that they'll see us together."

Suddenly I realized that he wasn't walking with us. I looked around and he was standing several yards behind us.

"I don't mean to pressure you, Mr. Seaborne, but I need an answer before we go back to the house."

"Well, first, Jake, you nor Devon need my permission," Jason said as he turned and walked back toward the boy. "If you ask Devon to go to Wyoming with you and he says yes, there's not a lot I can or would even try do about it. He's old enough to make his own decisions. So Devon's answer is my answer."

"I didn't want to tear him away from his family. He's really big on family."

"Oh, really."

"Yes. You should hear how he talks about you all."

I spoke up. "Well, Jake, I don't think you could tear him away from us. But I think he would walk away to go with you. And frankly, I don't blame him."

"Oh?"

"Well, I was impressed when I saw you get out of your car. I'm even more impressed now. You're a man of your convictions and courage. You're a man, beyond your age."

"I don't know about the courage part," he said, laughing nervously. "You don't know how scared I was to talk to you. I'm still shaking inside."

"I'm a man to be reckoned with, but not a man to be feared," Jason said.

"Oh, I think you would be if anybody did anything to harm Kyle or Devon."

We saw Devon come out on the porch, looking all around.

"We're out here," I called out.

He jumped off the porch and ran toward us.

"They were showing me the woods," Jake said. "When are you going to get that footbridge built?"

"This summer. Kyle and I promised ourselves we'll build it this summer."

The three of us looked at each other and smiled.

"What?" Devon asked.

"Nothing. We'll believe it when we see it," I said.

Jake didn't mention our conversation so neither did I or Jason; we figured he wanted to tell Devon himself, in private.

We didn't hear the boys come in but when I got up the next morning we found Kyle in bed. Passing by Devon's room I noticed the door was closed. It was open when we went to bed and the room was empty. I cautiously peered inside. Devon and Jake were in Devon's bunk together. Jason just smiled when I told him.

"Well, I'm glad he's as lucky as I was and found somebody," he said.

"It's odd to hear you say that," I said.

"Why?"

"That you found somebody. Like you were looking," I said.

"There was a point in my life when I was. When I thought it was too late. I never want Devon to go through that."

When I turned from the sink he was standing squarely in front of me. I reared back, surprised. My eyes met his and there was a mischievous sparkle in them. He took me by the shoulders and pulled me in tight as he wrapped his arms around me. We were engaged in a hard, passionate kiss when Kyle came in.

"Whoa!" he said, stepping back through the door. "Sorry."

We parted, rather embarrassed. It was the first time either of the boys had seen any display of affection between us, and he was a little embarrassed too.

"Don't be," Jason said. "We thought you would sleep late."

"Evidently. Maybe I should've," he said with a grin.

"Do you want eggs?" I asked.

He made a face. "I couldn't look an egg in the face. I just want some coffee."

"Bad night?" Jason asked.

"No. Great night. That's the reason I need some coffee," he said. "Hey, did you happen to look in Devon's room?"

"Yes," I said.

"Man, that takes balls."

"You're just jealous," I joked.

"Well, I am odd man out," he said. "You guys have each other, Devon's got Jake. I should've brought Angie home with me."

"You know the rules, no girls in the house," Devon said as he came into the kitchen. Jake was right behind him. "Too bad you're straight, you could have boys in the house," Devon added, punching Kyle in the shoulder.

"Good morning, Jake," I said.

"Good morning, Mr. Courter. Mr. Seaborne."

"You can call us Jason and Brad," Jason told him.

"I think I'll stick with Mr. Courter and Mr. Seaborne for a while."

"I thought you guys were going to put up the tent back in the woods," I said.

"We got in so late, we were tired, it was too much trouble."

"Too tired for one of you to climb up in the top bunk, too, huh?" Kyle joked.

Jake looked a little embarrassed, but he quickly countered. "Too bad you're straight," he said.

We all laughed. Jake was going to fit in just fine.

"Well, I guess everybody knows except Kyle," Devon said.

"Everybody knows what? What don't I know?"

"I'm going to Wyoming for the summer."

Kyle was visibly surprised.

"What the hell is in Wyoming?" Kyle asked.

"Me," said Jake.

"You're going to Wyoming together? When?"

"We're leaving tonight," Jake said.

As they explained their plans it became obvious that Kyle was more than not happy with them, he was hurt, even a little angry.

"Sorry," Jake said. "You should've hooked up with somebody at football camp like we did."

Suddenly Kyle left the kitchen and went into the living room.

"Oh. I guess I shouldn't have said that," Jake said.

"I'll go talk to him," I said.

"No, please....let me," Jake said.

"I need to go with you," Devon said.

The two boys went into the living room where Kyle was slouched in one of the big easy chairs.

"I'm sorry, Kyle, I was out of line. I was being flip and I shouldn't have said that."

Kyle ignored him and looked right at Devon, with a pained look. "It's the first time we've ever been apart," he said. His voice cracked.

Devon's face showed his hurt. He knelt down on one knee in front of Kyle. "We didn't have any plans together for the summer," he said.

"We never needed any plans."

"We were apart at football camp," Devon pointed out. "We barely saw each other. We never even talked to each other."

"But I knew you were there, you knew I was there. But I guess you knew Jake was there too."

"Geezuss, I didn't mean to come between you guys," Jake said. "Devon, you don't have to go."

"Kyle, please, I want you to be happy for me," Devon said, pleadingly.

"I am, but dammit, Devon, we've always been there for each other. I've always watched out for you. Back in the orphanage...."

"Those days are over," Devon cut in.

"They'll never be over!" Kyle snapped. "For as long as we live, those days will always be with us!"

Jake came back out to the kitchen. "Godd, I have fucked things up," he said.

"We'll work it out," I said calmly. He quickly turned and went back into the living room.

"Okay, I'm settling this!" Jake said in a loud, stern voice. "You're not going to Wyoming, Devon. The invitation is withdrawn."

Devon's expression turned to pained surprise. He stood.

"It was selfish of me to ask you," Jake went on. "Maybe you guys can drive out together to see me."

"No! No, you can't do that. We talked last night, it's all arranged," Devon said.

"Nothing's arranged," Jake said. "I haven't even told my dad to see if he can get you on at the ranch."

"Stop," Kyle said quietly. He stood up. "I'm the one who's being selfish. It's time to grow up. It's not like we're joined at the hip, Devon. If I get married, it's not like I'm going to take you on my honeymoon. And I'll just have to find another source for blowjobs."

That remark broke the tension and everybody broke out laughing. Devon went at him, pounding him in the chest.

Jake roared with laughter. "Hey, dude....Kyle....if you'll just give us your blessing, I'll give you a blowjob," he said.

The three boys hugged each other all together.

"There is one thing we have to get done before we leave; get that footbridge built," Jake said.

They came back to the kitchen where Jason and I were sitting at the table drinking coffee.

"I guess you heard most of that," Kyle said.

"Yes."

"Well, we got it worked out."

"Good. Let's get you all some breakfast so you can get to work on the footbridge," I said.

"Yes, and there's the little matter of a blowjob," Kyle joked, looking at Jake.

Chapter Ninety-Five

Summer

Devon got hired on at the ranch. Kyle was hired at the warehouse where Jason worked. Jason was his boss. We thought that would be better than having him work under me. As a summer worker, he wouldn't get any vacation time. I knew he was hurting to see his brother. He had Angie and I knew he was fucking her on a regular basis--I found a box of a dozen Xtra-Large condoms in his room--but Angie was not his brother. The two boys wrote each other and talked on the phone once in a while, and I could see the anguish on his face when he hung up the phone or finished reading a letter.

"Maybe I could get him a few days off," Jason said.

"No. You can't show him special treatment," I said. "I don't want that, and he wouldn't want it, despite how bad he wants to see his brother."

A few days later, Jason came up with another idea that surprised Kyle and me both. When we sat down to supper on Thursday night he laid an envelope on Kyle's plate.

"What's this?"

"Pack a bag before you go to work tomorrow. You've got a plane to catch when you get off tomorrow night."

Kyle knew right away what it was. His mouth flew open and his eyes began to tear up as he opened the envelope to find his plane ticket to Wyoming.

"Aww, Jason, I could KISS you!" he exclaimed. "I could do more than that!

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Jason growled.

"I would keep that promise. I swear, I would do anything to thank you for this!"

Jason reached around and got a pad and pen off the counter. "I want that in writing," he joked. "Sorry it's just for the weekend but your dad wouldn't let me give you time off."

I was just getting over my surprise as well, for I knew nothing of the plane ticket. "Jason, does Devon know he's coming? I mean, what if they're not there?"

"It's taken care of. Devon doesn't know he's coming, but Jake does."

"Oh, Godd, Jason, I am so happy!"

How It Happened

The two boys lived in the bunkhouse with the rest of the ranch hands. Devon was lying on his bunk writing a letter to his brother. Jake was in the bunk next to him, reading. He tossed the book aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bunk, facing Devon.

"Let's go into town and get a beer."

"I was going to get this letter to my brother out of the way so we could take off early tomorrow for Glendo Reservoir," Devon said.

"You can finish it Sunday night," Jake said. He took the paper and writing board from him and laid it on the nightstand.

"I can't leave it there," Devon whispered as he picked up the letter, folded it and put it in his pocket.

"Why, what're you telling him?" Jake asked as he pulled on his jeans.

"Stuff I can't let anybody else read, that's for sure."

They drove to Wheatland and Jake pulled into the parking lot in back of The Bar. That was the name of the place, The Bar.

"We could never get by with this back home," Devon said as he started to get out.

"You're in Wyoming now. Hey, instead of going in to have a drink, why don't we drive on down to Chugwater and get a cold six pack and go for a drive," Jake said.

"Suits me. Whatever you wanta do."

"Promise I'll make it worth your while," said Jake with a sly grin.

"That suits me even more."

At Chugwater, Jake pulled off of the main drag and parked behind what served as the bar, a place called The Watering Hole, located on the edge of town. Actually, with a population of 248, nearly all of the town was located on the main drag so almost everything was located on the edge of Chugwater. The Watering Hole was little more than a shack, but it was the most prosperous business in town. The boys had been there before and Jake knew he could get served. He went inside and bought a cold six pack.

"How does Laramie sound to you?" he asked Devon as he got back in the car.

"Anywhere you wanta go. Just remember, you said you would make it worth my while."

"Oh, I intend to. I hate living in the bunkhouse. I always thought it would be really exciting, bunking with a bunch of ranch hands, but that was before I met you."

"A couple of the hands look pretty exciting," Devon said.

"Sometimes, I wish the place would just break out in a huge orgy. I wonder what would happen if I came over to your bunk and we started having sex, if all the other guys would join in, or if they would beat the crap out of us. Godd, I just want to be alone with you so bad."

"Yeah, I didn't know we would be working so many Saturdays and sometimes on Sunday," Devon said.

"Well, we've got this weekend off, we're going to make the best of it."

As they approached Laramie, Jake turned onto a side road at the airport sign.

"Where're we going?"

"Let's go out to the airport, see if there are any planes taking off or landing."

"I doubt it, at this hour. What's Laramie got, a population of thirty thousand? I doubt they have much air traffic."

"Then we'll just park back in the shadows and make out," Jake said.

At the small county airport, Jake pulled into the observation parking, right next to arrivals, a short distance from the terminal. There were lights on in the terminal and lights in the tower, and two vehicles parked in front of the terminal. He eased into a spot well back under the trees then turned off the motor and reached in back for the six-pack.

"We'd better start drinking this before it gets warm. I like other warm things but I hate warm beer." He opened two cans and held out one to Devon. When he reached for it, Jake pulled it back. "You gotta come over here and get it."

Devon scooted over in the seat and when he did, Jake wrapped his arm around him with the beer in his hand and pulled him in tight. He tilted the beer to Devon's lips and took a long sip of his own. Then he leaned over and brushed his lips over Devon's nose and on down to his lips.

"I think about this all the time," he said huskily.

"So do I."

"I think about what's going to happen when summer is over. You're going off to college, I don't know what the fuck I'm gonna do yet, but I can't stand the thought of us being apart."

"We will survive being apart if we have to, and we will see each other, somehow," Devon said. "Are you still thinking about going into the Marines?"

"Yes. It's all I ever wanted to do. Right now, it's all that's out there for me. Actually, I thought I would go in right after I graduated, but that was when I was still dating what's her name. You're the reason I decided not to join up right away."

"What's her name? You don't remember her name?"

"Yeah, I remember her name, but it's not important to me anymore. God help me, Devon, I was half hoping you wouldn't go to college, and that we could just go off someplace and start a life together."

"I couldn't do that. And it wouldn't be fair to you. If you've had your heart set on being a Marine, then you have to follow that dream. We're young, Jake. We've got a long life ahead of us."

"Yeah, but being young is what makes it so hard, being young and so fuckin' horny all the time."

Devon laughed. "I don't think you're going to lose that any time soon."

Jake set his beer on the dash, turned in his seat and pulled Devon into his arms. "Godd, I want you so bad," he whispered as he kissed him.

Devon ran his hand up the inside of his leg and felt his hard cock. "Let me take care of that," he whispered.

"We can't. I hear a plane coming in," Jake said.

"We can go someplace," Devon said. "Hell, we can get a motel room."

Jake continued the kiss till they were practically lying across the seat, writhing against each other.

"Godd, Jake....I want you."

Jake rose up. "Let's watch this plane land then go find that motel room."

The small twin-prop passenger plane banked then came in for the landing. The tires screeched and the engines whirred as it turned and taxied back toward the terminal.

"Someday I'm going to learn to fly," Jake said.

"They have flight school in the Marines, don't they?"

"Yeah, but I think you have to be an officer to be a pilot." He gathered up the beer cans and the four cold ones remaining. "Better hide this stuff," he said as he got out of the truck. Devon took the torn cardboard carton over to a trash barrel while Jake put the beer in the tool locker in the back of the truck. The plane's engines had shut down and it was quiet except for unintelligible voices. Jake got in the truck and started the engine. When Devon got in Jake backed slowly out of the parking spot and let the car creep along the drive, past "Arrivals" parking.

"Hey, that guy walks like...he looks like....HOLY SHIT, IT IS! IT's Kyle!!"

"What the fuck would Kyle be doing at this Podunk airport at this hour of the night?" Jake scoffed. "What would Kyle be doing in Laramie, period? Wasn't he the one who said, what the fuck's in Wyoming?"

"I'm not kidding, IT IS KYLE!" he cried out, opening the door. "You fucker! This was all planned!" He jumped out of the truck and ran toward the terminal. "Kyle! Kyle!"

"Fuck, I hope it is Kyle," Jake said, laughing. He followed well behind Devon as he ran into the terminal. He watched the two brothers run up to each other and Kyle literally picked Devon up in his arms and swung him around.

"What're you doing here?" Devon asked excitedly.

"I had to see you, Bro," Kyle said. Then he spotted Jake standing on the other side of the terminal. "And there's still that little matter of a blowjob that was promised but not delivered."

The three boys met in the middle of the room and hugged each other.

"It's great to see you," Jake said.

"I hope you mean that," Kyle said.

"How'd you get here? I mean, you flew, but how'd you arrange it?" Devon asked.

"Last night at supper I found an envelope on my plate with a ticket to Wyoming. Your dad bought the ticket and called Jake."

"Oh, Man, now we really do have to find a room," Devon said as they were walking out of the terminal.

"I've already got the room," Jake said. "I don't suppose they fed you on that flight," he said to Kyle."

"Are you kidding me? It had two engines. We were lucky to have a co-pilot."

They stopped for hamburgers before going to the motel. Blue Haven Motel was situated just inside the city limits on a bluff overlooking a small, wooded lake. Jake went in and registered and picked up the keys. He handed one to Devon.

"You're in 248. I've got 250."

"You got two rooms?" Devon asked.

"Yeah, I thought you guys would want some alone time," Jake said.

"That wasn't necessary," Devon said.

"Hey, your dad said to get two rooms, so I got two rooms. But don't worry, they're adjoining, in case you need help with anything."

"You're still trying to get out of that blowjob," Kyle joked.

"I'll deliver on the fuckin' blowjob before you go back."

They all went into room 248 and Jake opened the adjoining door to his room.

"I'll get some ice," he said. He came back with a bucket of ice and the four beers that were left. "The beer is warm but we can pour it over ice."

"Beer over ice?" Kyle said. "That's gross."

"Not if you drink it fast before the ice starts melting," Jake said. He filled three glasses with ice and poured the beer. "Drink up."

They downed the beer and Jake refilled the glasses. "Drinking it this way gives you a real fast buzz, too." When they had finished off the beer he went into his room.

"You're not staying in there," Kyle said, taking him by the arm.

"I said I would suck your cock before you go back. You've got my word on it."

"That's not it. Devon wrote that you guys don't have much chance to be together, sleeping in a bunkhouse with a bunch of other guys. You're staying in our room with us."

"Later. After you brothers have some time alone," Jake said. He went into his room and closed the door and turned on one lamp. Moments later he heard the water running next door and decided to take a shower himself. He fluffed up fast in the shower as he thought of Devon and Kyle in the next room. He was surprised that he felt a twinge of jealousy. It was stupid. "They're brothers, for chrissaske," he muttered. "I'm never going to come between that." He knew what they must be doing. Devon had told him that they had sex all the time. It was one-sided because Kyle was straight, but it was still having sex. He dried off, turned on the TV and stretched out on the bed naked. Nothing on the tube interested him. His focus was on the room next door. He wondered if Kyle was fucking him. So what if he was? It would just be sex between brothers, not like he was making love to him. He jumped at the tap on the door. He sat up on the edge of the bed as the two boys came in. They were naked too. Kyle had a hardon. Devon was hanging thick.

"We don't like the closed door between us," Kyle said.

"So open it," said Jake.

"We've got the bigger bed, come on into our room," Devon said.

When Jake started to speak, Kyle stopped him. "I wanta get something straight. I'm his brother. You're his boyfriend, or lover or whatever, and that takes priority over being his brother."

"I never want to come between you guys," Jake said.

"Oh, that's exactly where we want you."

"Huh?"

"We want you to fuck Devon while I fuck you."

"Well, fuck, why didn't you say so? Does that mean I don't have to suck your cock?" he asked, laughing.

"No, you get to suck my cock after I fuck you, and lick off all the cum," Kyle said.

Chapter Ninety-Six

At College

How It Happened

"You had no right to read my letters!" Devon yelled at his roommate.

"They were laying out, like an open invitation!" Chad Lueken yelled back.

"That gave you no right....!"

"You know what I think?" Chad interrupted him. "I think you wanted me to find them and read them. I think this is your way of coming out, and this angry indignation is a bullshit cover. Maybe you're coming out because your boyfriend isn't around and you want some of this," he said, grabbing the front of his briefs.

"Get real!" Devon scoffed

"Fucking Theresa Knowles was just a big show, wasn't it, to cover this up. You're not even bi, you're gay," he said, grabbing the letters and shaking them in Devon's face.

Devon grabbed the letters out of his hand.

Kyle tapped on the door then opened it. "I heard yelling. What's going on?"

"Nothing. Just a little disagreement," Devon said.

"What's going on?" Kyle asked again, this time directing his question to Chad.

"Chad thought it was his privilege to read my letters," Devon said.

"Your brother's a fag. Did you know that?"

Kyle saw the pained look on Devon's face and it cut him like a knife.

"Let's walk," he said. He looked at Chad. "I want you gone when we get back."

"This is my room, dude."

Kyle grabbed him by his neck. "Gone! You got it? Gone for the night! I'll be using your bed tonight."

"You can't......"

Kyle tightened his grip till the boy began turning funny colors. "Gone, motherfucker! Sleep in a goddamn dumpster!" he said in a dangerously calm tone. He let go and motioned for Devon. Just before they left the room he turned back to Chad. "One more thing, if I hear one word about this on campus, you are serious dead meat."

Chad looked away.

"You fucked a girl, huh?" Kyle said as they walked across the lawn.

"Yeah. Chad arranged it."

"What was your point? What about Jake?"

"Nothing's going to change how I feel about Jake."

"Then why're you doing this? Why're you still trying to come across as bi, when you're head over heels for Jake?"

"I thought it would just make life easier if I created a façade," Devon said.

"You're still putting way too much emphasis on labels, and worrying about what other people think," Kyle said. "Why don't you just be Devon. Devon, who likes whatever kind of sex you like, and it don't matter if it's with a guy or a girl. I'm straight, but I don't turn down a good blowjob once in a while when it's offered."

"I just wish we were rooming together," Devon said.

"We agreed we would live our own separate lives when we went to college."

"Well, life's sure as hell not going to be easier now," Devon said. "I'm dead meat. By the time Chad tells all of his friends....."

"I'll take care of Lueken," Kyle cut in.

But it was too late. By the next night, Devon was getting calls from guys on campus, not to mention those who dropped by his room. He ignored them and put them off till he went to see his brother to tell him about it.

"You know I hate you taking care of me, Kyle, but this is gonna get out of hand real quick. I need your help."

"Go back to your room; I'll be right there," Kyle told him.

When Kyle went to Devon's room he was laying on his bunk, on his stomach, his face to the wall. He stepped in front of Chad who was sitting on his bed.

"I'll deal with you later. Right now, tell me the names. And room numbers," Kyle demanded, standing squarely in front of Chad in a menacing stance.

"I didn't mean to say anything. Seriously, it just came out. I told them not to say anything."

"Names. Room numbers," Kyle said again.

"I don't know all of their names," Chad said.

"Then those you do know," Kyle said.

"Actually, it's just been....Brandon Shearer and....Godd, he's going to kill me."

"He won't have a chance," Kyle said. "And who else?"

"Wardlaw Alexander," Chad said.

"Wardlaw? What the fuck kind of name is that?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn't make fun of his name. You should see this guy. He's got muscles in his shit," Devon chimed in.

"We'll see about that after I've kicked the shit out of him," Kyle said.

Devon turned over and sat up. "Kyle, I don't want you getting hurt. This isn't your fight," he said.

"The hell it isn't. Your fight will always be my fight. What's this Wardlaw guy's room number?"

"Look, we've already agreed, your brother and I are going to change roommates," Chad began as a last ditch effort.

"That's highly unlikely any time soon. Room number," Kyle said again.

"Twenty-two," Chad said. When Kyle started to leave Chad got up from his bed, a leering grin on his face, almost evil.

"I don't need any help," Kyle said. He didn't understand the grin.

"No, I wanta see this. If you do kick the shit out of Alexander, I wanta be there to see it. Or the other way around," he added.

Kyle understood. Chad was hoping to see him get the shit kicked out of him.

"You know what? I want you out of my sight," Kyle said, his voice dripping with venom. "In fact, when I come over to see my brother from now on, when you see me walk in the door, I want you out the door."

"Kyle, I wish you wouldn't do this," Devon said.

"You know I have to," Kyle said.

At room twenty-two, Kyle tapped on the door. A young-looking, blondish boy answered the door. He was in his shorts, revealing a good body, but not what Kyle was expecting in the way of Wardlaw who was supposed to have muscles in his shit.

"Are you Wardlaw Alexander?"

"No. He's in the shower. Can I tell him who's here?"

"No, don't bother. I'll just wait for him," Kyle said, pushing into the room. "You need to get dressed and leave."

The guy reared back with a frown. "Excuse me? You're in my room, dude. I'm studying."

"That's right. I'm in your room and you're leaving. Take your books and go to the lounge." When the boy hesitated, Kyle walked over and picked up the open book from his desk, slammed it shut and shoved it hard into the boy's stomach. "Do you wanta walk to the lounge or do you want me to haul your ass down there?"

"You know, you're threatening me," the boy said, taking the book.

"You're catching on. It remains only whether you take that threat seriously."

"I should call the campus police," the boy said as he was going toward the door.

"No, you shouldn't," Kyle said in a low, even tone as he whirled around. "That would not be a good idea at all."

The boy exited the room and vanished down the hallway. By the time Kyle was turned around, Wardlaw Alexander was coming out of the bathroom. He blinked but showed no more surprise. The guy did have muscles in his shit.

"Hey, guy," he said. Then noticing that his roommate was gone, he asked, "Where's Cody?"

"He went to the lounge to study," Kyle said.

"Oh, then you're not a friend of his."

"No."

"Then you would be a friend of.....? That would help explain why you're in our room."

"I'm here to see you," Kyle said.

"Oh. Well, you know my name, which leaves me at a disadvantage, because I don't know yours."

"Courter. Kyle Courter. I wanta talk to you about Devon Seaborne."

Wardlaw's face lit up. "Ah, yes, Devon. Have a seat, I'll get us a beer and we'll talk about Devon." He got two beers out of the small refrigerator and handed one to Kyle. "I'm finally gonna hook up with the little faggot. Damn, he's got a hot ass. I can't wait to fuck him." He groped his naked crotch. "He's gonna squeal like a pig when I shove this big tool up that tight little ass."

"I don't think so," Kyle said as he tilted the beer to his lips.

Wardlaw laughed. "Oh, you think not? You think he can take this without even a whimper?" he said, pulling on his sizeable, rubbery cock.

"We won't ever know, 'cause you're not gonna shove it up his tight little ass. And if you call him a faggot again, I'm gonna shove this beer bottle up your ass."

"Hey, wait a minute. What're you here for, if it's not....who the fuck are you anyway?"

"I told you, I'm Kyle Courter. I'm Devon Seaborne's brother."

"Oh, Fuck! Fuck, I didn't know....you've got different last names." But then his smile widened. "But hey, that shouldn't change anything, does it? You probably know all about him, being his brother. He wants it. Hell, he's been practically begging for it."

"I somehow doubt that. Look, I'm here to get one thing straight. When I said I'm Devon's brother, I mean I'm his brother in the worst way. Nobody fucks with him. Nobody. If you approach him in any way, or mention this to anybody, or if you ever call him a faggot or even hint to anybody that he is a faggot, I will break your bones. If I don't get the job done--you are a big guy--well, my father is a combat Marine and his father is a Navy SEAL. I don't have to tell you what deadly force they're capable of. One word from me and either of them will drop you like a feather. Do you get my point?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. I don't wanta fuck with the Marines or the SEALs," he said, with a fearful look, his hands out in a helpless gesture. "I was just going to have some fun, thought he wanted it, but I'll back off. Not another word, I promise."

"Good. Thanks."

"Thanks?" he asked with a bewildered look.

"Yeah, I was hoping I wouldn't have to tangle with you."

The big stud broke out laughing. "Hey, fucker, you're okay," he said, offering his hand for a high five. He lowered it when Kyle didn't high five him. "Hey, it's good you look after your brother like that. I respect that."

"What's Brandon Shearer's room number?" Alexander hesitated. "Don't fuck around with me," Kyle warned.

"He's in room 34, second floor."

Kyle walked out without another word. He bounded upstairs and strode down the hall to number 34. Nobody came to the door when he knocked. He knocked again.

"I'm busy!"

Kyle knocked again. Then again, a little harder. Suddenly the door opened and there stood a tall, lean youth with a towel around his waist. There was a noticeable bulge under the towel. Kyle saw a girl on the bed with a sheet pulled up over her.

"Dammit, are you deaf? I said I'm busy."

"Not anymore," Kyle said as he barged in. He looked at the girl. "I see he's worked you in between his boyfriends."

"Hey, who the fuck are you? What are you saying?" the boy yelled.

Kyle pointed to the girl. "Miss, if you can't stand the sight of blood, you'd better get dressed and leave."

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing? Why'd you say that to her?"

Kyle waited till the girl got dressed and scurried out, then he closed the door. "I'm Devon Seaborne's brother. I'll tell you like I told your buddy, Wardlaw. Nobody fucks with Devon. Nobody. If you hassle him again or if you ever call him a faggot or even hint to anybody that he is a faggot, I will tear your face off with my bare hands."

"Okay, I don't want any trouble, but fuck, why'd you have to say that to the girl?"

"She didn't know you like guys?" Kyle said.

"Fuck, man, you've ruined my reputation."

"Just with the ladies, maybe. You oughta be real popular with the boys," Kyle said dryly.

He left and headed back to Devon's dorm.

"It's over," Kyle declared.

"What happened?"

"Nothing to speak of," Kyle replied. He turned to Chad. "And as for you, prick, I want you to stay out of my brother's sex life. He doesn't need you to find him a piece of ass or a blowjob or any other kind of sex he decides he wants. Do we understand each other."

"All right. I didn't mean to interfere."

"Well, don't," Kyle said. "If he has even one complaint about you, it's gonna be you who gets his ass reamed, and in case my brother hasn't told you, I'm packing ten inches hard. It's gonna hurt."

Chad held up his hands defensively. "Fuck, man, I'm out of it. I'll still even try to get reassigned to another room."

"You don't have to. I'd rather see you scramble to leave when I show up." He walked over and gave Devon a hug. "See you, Bro."

"Damn, your brother is a crazy man," he heard Chad say as he was closing the door.

How It Happened

The boys were home for a visit. They were relaxing on the porch, drinking beer. They were home for Devon to announce that he was leaving college and going into the Marines.

"Come on, Bro, we gotta talk," Kyle said as he downed his beer and stood up.

Devon followed suit and went with him back to the woods

"We need to get the foot bridge built before I leave, like we promised," Devon said in a casual tone.

"Let's talk about you leaving," said Kyle.

"Okay."

"Why're you doing this?" Kyle asked.

"I can't handle it at school anymore."

"And you think it'll be any easier in the Marines? You're jumping from the frying pan into the fire."

"Yes, but it'll be new surroundings. I'll have a chance at a fresh start where nobody knows me."

"What happened at school? I thought I took care of it with that Wardlaw guy and Brandon what's-his-name. Fuck, what a pussy name. If he's tried anything else......"

"He hasn't," Devon cut in. "You don't know the half of it."

"What happened then?"

"It's my fault. I have to deal with it the best way I know how."

"What happened?" Kyle asked again.

"You dealt with Wardlaw and Brandon but word was already out. I was a target for too many other guys," Devon said.

"What guys?"

"Just guys. I don't know their names. It was just sex, there was no reason to get acquainted with any of them."

"Where?" Kyle asked. "I mean, where'd all of this happen?"

"They came looking for me. I submitted at first, the first few times, and it wasn't so bad. Then things started getting out of hand. Word was getting around. There were non-students showing up at my room. Guys from in town. And with them it didn't matter if I was willing or not."

"What do you mean? Did you get hurt?"

"No, not really."

"You're lying. The bastards! I'll kill them."

"You don't know who they are, Kyle. I don't know who they are."

"You would recognize them. It's a small town, we'll go look for them."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Why didn't you tell me it was getting bad?"

"I appreciate what you did for me, Kyle, but you can't take on the world, Kyle. You can't fight all my battles for me."

"You didn't tell me what happened that made you decide leave school. The real reason."

"I got ganged a couple of times. It was as much my fault, they assumed I liked it. And I guess I did, in a way."

"So, why are you leaving school over it?"

"I knew it was out of control when I suddenly realized that my name was out there. It came to a head when three guys showed up. Chad was there. They wouldn't let him leave. They started in on me, roughing me up. I told them I would do whatever they wanted, but they just liked being rough."

When he paused Kyle pressed him. "You always stop just short of telling me what happened, dammit."

"They fucked me. They double fucked me. For two hours, over and over again."

"What about Chad. He didn't try to stop it? Or did he join in?"

"He tried to stop them but they turned on him. They tied him up and gagged him and made him sit and watch. They said if he tried anything they would do him next. Chad is straight, that scared the hell out of him."

"They raped you," Kyle said. "You should have told me. You should've told somebody, like the campus police."

"I didn't want it to get out. With the reputation I had, it would've been made out to be my fault. They would've said I brought it on myself, letting them into my room."

"Nobody invites that kind of treatment," Kyle said.

"It wasn't rape. It was rough sex, forced, but I....I couldn't help it, Kyle....shit, I got a hardon from it. Hell, I got off. That scared me, what I was turning into. Can we just not talk about it?"

"Okay, but why the Marines? You could transfer to another school."

"No, I have to find another path altogether. I thought of Dad and Jason, and what they did and went through and gave up. And you."

"What about me? I wasn't a Marine or a SEAL."

"But you're so macho, you always came to my rescue. I never came to yours."

"You didn't have to, I never got into the fixes that you did," Kyle said.

"And part of the reason is, Jake joined."

"Oh, so that's what this is all about."

"Partly. I have to find out if I'm made of the same stuff."

"Well, if you are, the Marines will bring that out."

"Or if I'm not," Devon said.

"You are. I hate this, Devon. But I'm proud of you. Damned proud."

"It's like I have to prove to myself that I'm worthy of Jake," he said.

"Don't ever let Jake hear you say that," Kyle said.

"Well, now I have to talk to Dad and Jason and see how they handled it in the military."

"Well, here's your chance," Kyle said, nodding toward the house. Jason and Brad were walking toward the woods.

We approached the boys while they just stood looking at us.

"You look like two boys who just got caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing," I said.

"We were just talking about building the foot bridge," Devon said. It sounded lame.

Jason looked at Kyle. "Brad said you seemed rather tight lipped about something."

Kyle gave his brother an expectant look. "Are you going to tell them, or am I?"

"I joined the Marines," Devon said.

I was taken aback. Jason was visibly shaken.

"Dammit, Son! You should've talked to me first," he said.

"I'm old enough to make that decision on my own," Devon said.

Jason sighed, tight lipped. "Do you know where you're going to be stationed?" he asked.

"Germany. I guess I'll be facing down the Russians," Devon said, trying to make light of it.

"Not just that. Germany is a jumping off point to every other trouble spot in Europe and beyond. There's shit brewing in the Middle East, if they can't keep a lid on it, guess who they'll send in to clean up the mess."

"Oh, Vietnam was a picnic," Devon scoffed.

"Yeah, listen to who's talking," Kyle said.

"I didn't have any choice," Jason said.

"You enlisted," Devon reminded him.

"So did you, Dad," Kyle reminded me. "Twice."

"They would've gotten me eventually," Jason said.

"And you both extended how many times?" Devon said.

"It was different," I said.

"It's always different from one generation to the next. And if one generation listened to the other, we wouldn't have a country," said Kyle.

"Just wish me luck, and be proud of me, Dad." Devon said.

"How can I not be proud of you, Son? Hell yes I'm proud of you," Jason said.

"I could really use some advice," Devon said.

"Anything I can help with."

"How did you guys handle it....you know....your close relationship?"

We looked at each other. I don't think we'd ever thought about it before.

"How did we handle it?" I said to Jason.

"Be cautious," Jason said. "Keep your guard up. Be careful who you trust. Choose your friends carefully. That's about the best advice I can give you. It won't be like on campus. The guys around you in the military won't be tolerant, even if they want to be."

I caught Kyle's side glance at Devon and it made me wonder even more what was behind his decision to join the Marines.

"Was there a lot of sex that went on over there?" Devon asked.

"Yes. But it was a different atmosphere. Guys just didn't give a fuck. About anything."

"It was do it before you die," I said. Then I opened up and told them about me and Sophomore, and Brant in sniper school, and Sgt. Blackburn.

"You never told me about Sophomore and Blackburn," Jason said with a scowling smile.

"He probably never had a chance. When you guys were together he probably had his mouth full," Devon joked.

His remark was totally out of left field and it took us all a second to catch it.

"Devon!" Kyle exclaimed.

"You little prick," Jason said, laughing, as he lunged at Devon. Devon took off running and Jason ran after him. He caught him at the edge of the creek and they tumbled over the bank.

"He's gonna drown him," Kyle said, laughing. But his laughter waned when he saw my face and his smile disappeared.

"You're not telling me everything," I said. "What's really behind his decision to join the Marines?"

"Trouble at school."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I really don't want to go into it, Dad, without Devon's permission. He wouldn't want me to."

"Trouble at school."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I really don't want to go into it, Dad, without Devon's permission. He wouldn't want me to. "Let's just leave it the way it is; he wants Jason to be proud."

At Devon's request, Kyle drove him to catch the bus for Parris Island. He asked Jason and I not to come along. Jason got pretty emotional as we stood on the porch and watched them drive off.

"I just hope he doesn't turn into me," he said quietly.

"He will," I said. "Would that be so bad?"

"He never mentioned going to sniper school. I don't care if he becomes a Marine and goes Airborne. I just don't want him to be a sniper. It's too damned personal. I don't want him to carry the images all through life that I have." He looked at me and he was teared up. "I still have the image, plain as day, of a gaping mouth, laughing, then I hear a shot and his head is gone."

"You were doing your job," I said.

"I know. He's too damned young."

"Oh....I see. How old do you have to be?"

"You had those hits, same as me; how have you dealt with it?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Not as many as you. I think you were better at it than I was." I laughed softly, watching the boys drive off. "Funny how eighteen is too young when we're our age, but it wasn't too young when we were eighteen."

The thing that really surprised me about Devon joining the Marines was that Jason started going to church.

Although they were few and far between, we thoroughly enjoyed Devon's letters home and Jason surmised that things hadn't changed all that much since we were in the service. He was very candid in his letters to Jason but our letters back to him couldn't be in the same tone.

Dear Dad,

We are told to write home that we are healthy and being treated well. For me that is true. Healthy doesn't begin to describe it. The food is good and we get all we want to eat. Most would not consider us being treated well, of course, but as you and Brad know, this is not summer camp. We are being trained to kill and blow things up. I like it. This was the right decision for me. You might as well give away my civilian clothes; I've put on twenty-two solid pounds and they're not going to fit. Maybe Kyle can wear them. (I'm smiling). One thing for certain, Kyle won't be fighting my fights anymore. (I'm smiling again).

I am handling the "situation" that I was worried about very well. The eye candy is incredible and it's everywhere but we are kept so damned busy that there is no time to think about it. There are brief moments of raging hormones, like when we get in from a long day of grueling training and I've had a shower and the testosterone is still pumping, when I want to grab the first naked Marine that comes by and fuck his brains out, but when my head hits the pillow, I'm out like a light.

I got teamed up with a great combat buddy. His name is Regis Tower Franklin, III. He gets a lot of guff over his name. At mail call the mail clerk yells out his full name, loud and clear. He is real eye candy but I don't let that get in the way. He also left college to join the Marines. He is from a wealthy family and they had a cow. He is the first in his family to be in the military as far back as he can trace. You'd think they would be proud of him. We sometimes go running in the evening after chow. He inspired me (challenged me) to do it after I commented how ripped he is. I'm not there yet but I will be by the time I come home on leave. I'll try to send pictures first so you won't be so shocked.

That's it for now. Love you both.

Devon

"Funny, he conks out when his head hits the pillow but he still goes running on his own time," Jason remarked.

We didn't get pictures of Devon till he was close to graduating from jump school. I thought he was waiting to show himself in the best light. We finally got pictures of him and a new buddy at jump school, named Mitch Carson, as well as pictures of his combat buddy from basic, Regis Tower Franklin, III.

"Damn," I gasped when I saw the first picture Jason handed me which was of Regis. "If Devon looks anything like that!"

"He does," Jason said, handing me a picture of Devon. He was standing beside his bunk in his shorts with a towel slung over one shoulder.

"Holy shit, Jason, he's tight as a drum."

"One thing for damn sure, he won't need Kyle to fight his fights anymore," Jason said.

"I doubt he's going to be in many fights, built like that. I can't believe the transformation."

Jason smiled. "You don't remember how the Marines transformed you in basic?"

"I never looked like that," I said.

He handed me another picture of his buddy at jump school. He was coming out of an outdoor shower, dripping wet, with a towel around his waist.

"I wonder how he's been handling the situation and his hormones at jump school," I said.

"I'm sure he'll tell us when he gets home, if there's anything to tell."

We all went to Devon's graduation from jump school at Fort Benning, including Jake who managed to get a three-day pass. It would be the first time any of us, including Devon, would see Jake since he'd joined the Marines. We were met by an escort, a young but very tough looking corporal that looked like his uniform had been poured over him.

"Are you Devon Seaborne's family?"

"Yes," Jason replied.

"I'm Corporal Bennett, and I am at your disposal for the next twenty-four hours. If there is anything you need, just let me know. There is a Marine waiting to join you; PFC Jake Studt."

"Yes, we were expecting to hook up with him," I said.

"Right over there," the corporal said, nodding off to the left.

There stood Jake in full dress uniform, grinning from ear to ear. We welcomed him with open arms but there was little time for getting caught up.

"Is one of you Kyle Courter?" the corporal asked.

"I am," Kyle answered.

He took out a small case and opened it. "These are your brother's wings. He wants you to pin them on him."

Kyle looked at Jake.

Jake nodded and smiled. "That's the way it ought to be," he said.

The corporal explained that the graduating class would be arriving in a C-130 and be dropped over the parade field.

"He's jumping out of an airplane?" Kyle asked.

"That's what we're all about here," the corporal said.

"That little showoff," Kyle muttered.

"He's not showing off, sir. It's his job," the corporal said.

The graduation ceremony made everyone pump up with pride. The monstrous C-130 roared into view, and over the parade grounds it opened up and men started jumping out. They descended gracefully to the ground.

"Under normal combat condition they would be doing this with rifles and full packs," Bennett explained.

"Yeah, my dad was Airborne," Kyle said, nodding to me.

The corporal looked at me. "Then I'm not telling you anything."

"Not at all, Corporal, I'm sure things have changed," I said.

"I'll bet not all that much. Would you like to go through the plane later?"

"Yes, we would like that."

The men quickly pulled in and shed their parachutes and were ordered into ranks. Everyone stood when the colors were marched onto the field and we all saluted except Kyle. There were introductions by the MC, their officers and then important visitors, then the commandant was introduced.

"I don't see him," Kyle said

"Second row, third from the left," Jake said.

Kyle found him. "I am so fuckin' proud of him."

"Uhh....you're among civilians, watch your language," Jake whispered.

"Oh. Sorry."

"That's all right, we speak the language," the corporal said quietly.

The commandant's remarks were brief. The MC asked those who were doing the pinning to do the honors. The corporal nudged Kyle. It was one of the proudest moment of my life to watch my son pin the Airborne wings on Jason's son. Jason put his arm across my shoulder.

"I guess we didn't do so bad, did we?"

When the ceremony was over and the troops were dismissed we all went down to greet Devon and congratulate him. I asked him what his plans were.

"I'm free till 0600 hours on Monday," he said.

I talked to the others, and as a show of appreciation for his attention to us, we invited Corporal Bennett to have dinner with us. He said he would have to see about getting an overnight pass, but he was sure he could. At his invitation, we ate lunch in the mess hall with the troops.

"I'm guessing you two are Vietnam. You probably didn't have these accommodations when you were in," Bennet said to Jason and me.

We both laughed. "No, it was more like a banquet out of a can," I said.

Corporal Bennett was a good escort. He showed us around the base and took us to the plane but then stood back. "He can show you through," he said motioning to Devon.

It had to have been the proudest moment of his life for Jason to be escorted through the plane by Devon. I was bursting with pride myself. So was Kyle, I could tell. And Jake.

Devon showed us where he had trained but Corporal Bennett was instrumental in getting into places that Devon couldn't have taken us. We were heading off the base in the early evening when a bugle sounded in the distance. Jason was slowing down even before Corporal Bennett told him to. Everybody piled out.

"What's going on?" Kyle asked.

"They're sounding retreat," Devon said as he snapped to attention and brought his right arm up in a sharp salute. We all did except Kyle. It was another extremely proud moment.

Dinner conversation was mostly about the Marines and things military except when Bennett found out that Kyle was in college then he changed the subject to school and academics.

"Well, I guess I'm odd man out," Kyle said.

"What's that mean?" Jason asked.

"I'm surrounded by five Marines, all Airborne, and two of them are snipers."

"Don't get any ideas," Devon said. "Four of us in the family is enough, we don't need any more jarheads in the family. Somebody's gotta have the brains. You're going back to college."

I was pleased and impressed that Devon had just included Jake in our family. I held up my wine glass to Jake in salute. He picked up his glass but with a confused look.

"I think you just got adopted into the family," I said.

"Oh." He looked down, embarrassed. "I thought that was probably a slip of the tongue," he said.

"I don't think so. Was it?" I asked, looking at Devon.

"No," he replied, looking at Jake. "No, it wasn't." But nothing more was said in Corporal Bennett's presence.

I could see that Corporal Bennett and Kyle were getting along very well. Kyle took me aside.

"Listen, I know you got two rooms, one for you and Jason, and one for us guys. Devon and Jake have been apart for over four months, they need to be alone. Since Corporal Bennett has an overnight pass, I was thinking perhaps we could get a third room and invite him to stay over. He's been awfully good about showing us around and all"

I smiled. "That would be fine. I noticed that you and the corporal have hit it off," I said with a smile. "Do you want our adjoining room?"

"No, it's nothing like that. Well, it could be, I don't know, but I just wanta give Devon and Jake their own room."

Corporal Bennett was more than fine with the idea. In fact, he seemed visibly happy. Kyle might have thought it was "nothing like that" but I had different ideas, and I was sure Bennett did too.

Chapter Ninety-Seven

Jake and Devon, Alone Time

How It Happened

Just inside the door Devon took Jake by his shoulders and held him at arm's length.

"Godd, you are so handsome in that uniform," he said.

Jake turned Devon around and guided him over to the mirror"

And look at you, fucker. That uniform looks like you poured into it. And fuck, you're a hard-body. I am so fuckin' proud of you."

"That means so much to hear you say that. I feel like I deserve you now."

Jake frowned. "Deserve me? What the fuck does that mean?"

"You were just so everything that I dreamed of being, but it was such an impossible dream."

"Well, I can't say I dreamed of you. Having a guy in my life never entered my mind till I actually met you. No, till I saw you. I hadn't even met you yet. When I walked in the dorm at football camp and saw you standing down there by your bunk, something hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't know what it was, and I didn't know why I was heading for the empty bunk next to yours, but I didn't even see anybody else or any other bunks. All I saw was you, and there was an empty bunk right beside yours and I knew that's where I wanted to be."

"I sorta had that same feeling," Devon said. "When I saw you walk in I thought, shit, that impossible dream just came to life. But I still didn't believe it. Then when you came walking toward me I looked around to see what other bunks were empty because I couldn't imagine for an instant that you would take the one next to me."

"I guess that's what's called falling head over heels," Jake said. "Look, time is precious," he said as he started unbuttoning his jacket.

They undressed down to their shorts and Devon was hanging up their pants.

"I can't believe how understanding your family is," Jake said. "You know they arranged this purposely so we could be together."

"They have no....reason....not to be......" His voice trailed off as he turned to see Jake in just his briefs.

"What?" Jake asked with a concerned frown.

"Godd," Devon whispered, his eyes raking over his muscular body. "I don't know how I could forget how beautiful you are."

Jake laughed, shaking his head. "Don't take it there, I'm the same old Jake I always was. But you're not. Geezuss, Dev, I've never seen anybody so ripped."

"I had inspiration from my combat buddy. He was tight as a drum. We went running a lot after chow. He said that would get rid of any excess body fat."

"You've got no body fat," Jake said, trying to pinch Devon's side. He smiled. "Is that all he inspired?"

"Like I said in my letters, there wasn't time or opportunity, nor the strength or energy if there was. But never mind all that. Like you said, time is precious."

He went to his knees and began nuzzling his face between Jake's legs, under his pouch. When he started to pull his shorts down, Jake stopped him, cupped his hands in his armpits and brought him to his feet.

"I don't want you on your knees." he said as he smashed his bulging pouch against the front of Devon's briefs.

"I'm okay on my knees as long as it's in front of you," Devon said. "Or behind," he added with a soft chuckle.

"This isn't about me. I want you beside me where I can give back."

"You always give back, even when you don't know it," Devon said.

"Okay, I wanta know it. I wanta hear your moans when I suck your cock at the same time you're sucking mine."

"All right."

They put their arms around each other, writhing their upper bodies together, their hands clasping each other's butts. Jake's gaze locked into Devon's, their eyes searching and dancing with excitement. Jake rubbed his nose against Devon's forehead and kissed his nose.

"I love you so fuckin' much," he whispered.

"I know you do. And I love you," Devon said.

"I thank God I went to football camp," Jake said. "I almost didn't go." His voice was a whisper, muffled by their mouths being so close. He brushed his lips over Devon's mouth, toying with a kiss. He kept brushing his lips across his mouth, sliding his tongue over his lips every now and then, but never consummating the kiss.

"Godd, how can you make a kiss so intense, so complete?" Devon gasped hoarsely. "You're driving me nuts."

"How so?"

"Not kissing me."

"I am kissing you. It's kissing foreplay."

"I never heard of kissing foreplay. Kissing is foreplay," Devon said.

"Not this one. This is the main event," Jake said. He wet his fingers then said, "Give me your tongue." Devon stuck his tongue out and Jake sucked it into his mouth. Devon squealed with delight and tried to kiss him but Jake held him at bay. His right hand closed around his butt, inside his briefs, his long, thick fingers digging between the taut muscles, searching, finding, probing.

"Oh, Godd," Devon whispered as he felt Jake's wet finger slide through his hole. "OHHhh....Oh, My Godd! It's been too long!" he cried when he touched his prostate.

Jake's other hand rubbed back and forth across Devon's chest, tweaking his hard nipples. All the while, he was sucking on his tongue and teasing his lips with brushed kisses. Suddenly he gave in and gave Devon the kiss he begged for. He smashed his mouth over Devon's lips and they exchanged tongues in each other's mouths.

"Uuhhnn! Oohhnnnn!" Devon whinnied. "Oh, Fuck! I'm cumming!!"

In response, Jake ground his bulging pouch against Devon's, and a moment later he could feel the warm wetness soaking through their shorts. When Devon began to come down from his convulsive climax, Jake reached down and cupped his hand over the front of his shorts.

"Geezuss!" He looked down. Cum was seeping through the thin material and running down the pouch. Jake scooped up some in one hand, then the other, and rubbed it over Devon's chest and stomach. "Fuck, this is so hot," he said as he scooped up more cum and ran his hands around to the small of his back and down inside his briefs. "Damn, how long have you been saving that?"

"I don't even remember," Devon said breathlessly. "Godd, I never had that happen before."

Laughing, Jake reached down and squeezed his cum-drenched pouch.

"This is my only pair of shorts," Devon said.

"I'll loan you a pair of mine," said Jake. "Come on, let's get you in the shower."

"What a mess," Devon said, looking down at himself.

"It's a beautiful mess, though."

In the bathroom, Jake peeled Devon's wet, sticky shorts down and tossed them in the sink. He rubbed the stuff all over his loins and his balls. "Man, I don't think I've ever seen you cum like that."

"It was like you were sending electrical currents through me with your tongue," Devon said.

Jake stood at the sink. "Go ahead and get in the shower, I'll rinse these out." He picked the shorts up and squeezed them, then twisted them in his hands. "Fuck, look at this, I can wring the cum out of them. Now that's what I call a load."

"Yeah, and we never even made it to the bed," Devon said.

When he'd hung the shorts over a towel rack Jake got in the shower with Devon. He started running hands all over his hard, wet body.

"Your body is so incredible. I can't take my eyes off of you."

Devon smiled. "You don't know how exciting it to have your hands on me again, and mine on you."

"Are we going to get to the bed this time?" Jake asked.

They dried each other off and lay on the bed together, still cool and damp from the shower. Devon was the first to reach for Jake's rubbery cock. "Your turn," he said as he moved down to Jake's side. He was bone hard now lifting up from his stomach with each throb and quivering violently. He pushed it upright and Devon took hold of it and admired it for moment then began licking up and down the shaft.

"You know I've got a basis for comparison, Jake, and this is the absolute most perfect cock I've ever seen. Not just your size but the perfect shape with a sexy upward curve." He leaned and lapped up the precum that was pushing up out of the wide slit.

"Do you believe in God?"

"Yeah, of course," Jake replied with a frown.

"Do you believe He made us in His image?"

"Yeah, I was taught that. Where's this coming from?"

"If God is He-His image-what did he pattern women after?"

"I don't know, they never explained that. But he created woman from the rib of a man so she is in his image, too. That'd be my take on it."

"Can you imagine how absolutely beautiful God must be if your body is a replica?"

"He did a pretty outstanding job on you, too," Jake said.

"Do you believe in fate?" Devon asked.

"If you mean that we both signed up for football camp, yes, absolutely."

"I believe it was preordained that we come together," Devon said. "Some higher power out there saw that we are a perfect match. That this crown of your manhood was the perfect fit for my body in every way."

"You're talking weird, Dev, but I sort of get it. There was something not of the ordinary when I saw you standing in that spot where the moon was shining through the trees. I wouldn't say it was supernatural, but you had a look about you that made me tremble inside. Something came over me. It was a little scary. I was almost afraid to touch you. But when I did, this feeling came over me, everything opened, like a revelation, and I knew this was the guy I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Nothing has ever been so clear to me in all my life. I don't know if we should make something religious out of it, or if we are, but what happened back in that woods, it was beyond my control."

"You said everything better than I could," Devon said.

"I don't know where it came from but it still doesn't describe how I feel about you, Dev. I can show you better than tell you. But it's almost always about me. There's no reason for it to be that way."

"It just seems the natural way to go," Devon said.

"Well, we need to change the dynamics of our relationship,"

"What are you saying; you want me to fuck you?"

"Yes. And I don't want to have to ask you. I want you to just take over sometimes. Just make me know you want it, and I'm yours," Jake said.

"I can do that." He rolled over on top of Jake, pressing his full body weight down onto Jake's muscular body, and began kissing him. His stiff cock nudged against Jake's balls. Jake lifted off the bed, hunkering his crotch against him.

"I want it, man," he said huskily.

"Fuck, it's so hot, just hearing you say that."

"And you don't have to be easy. Fuck me hard. I'm ready."

The words caused a wave of lust to sweep through Devon and he lifted Jake's heavy legs up so his calves were resting on his shoulders. Jake turned his feet inward behind Devon's neck. Devon nudged his cock against Jake's butt and found the crack of his ass slick with lube.

"Oh, man, you are ready."

"Yeah. Give it to me. It's been too long."

"For both of us," Devon said as he hunkered forward. The head of his cock found the deepest part of Jake's crack and pressed against his hot hole. He could feel it clenching and palpitating. "You feel anxious."

"And you're not?" Jake said, squirming against Devon's throbbing cock.

Devon leaned down and brushed his mouth across Jake's lips several times till he felt his tongue. "I'm going in," he said, then he bore down into a hard, powerful kiss.

"MMMnnnn!" Jake moaned softly. Then "MMNNHHH!" as Devon entered him. "Ohh, Fuck!!!" he gasped, breaking the kiss.

"Too much, too soon?"

"No... absolutely not. I'd just forgotten....how your cock feels....so deep....inside me."

"Just don't ask me to pull out. I don't think I could. I would have to rape you," Devon said.

"Go ahead, rape me. Fuck me crazy."

It was an easy request to fulfill. Devon arched up over him, bending him in half so that Jake's knees were pressed into his armpits. Then he let his weight fall, sending his cock plunging down into Jake's ass like a piledriver.

"AAAhhh! Yess!" Jake cried. "Like that. Ohh, Godd, Yeah.... fuck me!"

"Someday I'll tie you up and really rape you," Devon said.

"You should've brought....your rope....with you," Jake gasped between lunges. 'Ohh, Fuck, that is so good. Damn, Devon, you've turned into a machine."

Devon shoved in hard again and smashed his loins against Jake's spread butt then twisted his hips around, making his cock twist and lob around inside him.

"Ohh, Yeahhhhh! Do it, stud! Ohh, I love the way you do that."

"I think you're just a horny, cock hungry Marine," Devon said.

"Can't help it, I've been away from you too long. Ohh, Godd, Devon, you make me feel so good, and alive. I wanta remember every stroke of your cock and every ripple of your muscles, and take those memories with me."

"I'll slow down then," Devon said. He began fucking him with slow, easy strokes, pausing between each one. "Have you got that one memorized," he asked as he slid his cock in deep then waited.

"Don't torture me," Jake said. "Don't worry, I won't forget this or anything about you. Just fuck me. Fuck me like you mean it."

It was a long, hard fuck, made longer because Devon had already shot off his first load. He paused a couple of times to ask Jake if he was all right, if he wanted him to stop for a rest.

"No. I don't need a rest. I don't care if you fuck my ass to mush, I want you to fuck me till you make us both cum."

Nearly an hour later, they were lying together with Jake's body streaked with ropes of his thick cum. Devon's cock was still buried deep inside him, throbbing in its own juices that he had deposited in Jake's ass.

"Would it gross you out if I licked that up?" Devon asked.

"Not at all. I would consider it something of an honor, that you wanted it so much."

"We don't know when we'll see each other again, I want to take it with me," Devon said. "I want the protein and minerals in it to be absorbed into my body, to have your strength in me."

Jake lay and watched his lover lick up the thick globs of cum. "I wish I could have yours," he said.

"You've got mine. It's soaking into your very being as we speak."

"I like the taste of you, though," Jake said.

"I'll share yours with you," Devon said. He lapped up some more and hovered over Jake's face to give it to him. Jake opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. Devon sucked Jake's tongue into his mouth then formed a seal with their lips and fed him his own cum.

"How's that taste?" Devon asked as Jake was swallowing it down.

"Not as good as yours," Jake said as he pulled Devon's face down to continue the kiss. Then, "I still wish I could have yours."

"Well....there is a way," Devon said.

"Oh, fuck," Jake gasped. "We've never done that. Would you really do it?" he asked excitedly.

"Anything to make you happy. And you know how much I love your hot ass." He rolled over onto his back, sprawled on the bed. "Come on, sit on my face."

"Oh, Fuck! This is going to be so hot!" Jake scrambled to hover his firm butt over Devon's face.

Devon pulled him down and clamped his mouth over his still clenching asshole. "MMMmnnnnn," he moaned deep in his belly as Jake began pushing out the stream of warm, thick cum into his mouth. His tongue exploded with the acrid sweet taste of his own cum permeated his taste buds. He had to force himself not to swallow till he had it all, then he pushed Jake's butt up from his face.

Jake quickly lay down and Devon moved on top of him, face to face for another passionate kiss as Devon fed him his cum. Jake fed it back to him and they exchanged the warm love juice several times before it was all gone. Jake's powerful arms locked around Devon's back and shoulders and he held him tight for a long moment.

"Godd, I can't believe we love each other so much," he whispered.

"I know. Sometimes....times like this....it scares me," Devon said.

"Well, we have each other's strength now," Jake said. He leaned over Devon to kiss him again, a gentle, lingering kiss. "I know you don't like to talk about this, but do you have your orders yet?" he asked.

"Yes," Devon replied.

There was a pause. Devon didn't volunteer it; Jake had to ask.

"And? Where?"

"Germany."

"Well, that's a relief," Jake said.

"You should have orders, too," Devon said.

"I do."

"Where?" Devon asked.

"Korea."

"Now there's a vacation spot," Devon scoffed.

"Have you told your Dad?" Jake asked.

"Yes. Have you told your parents?"

"No, I, uh....well, we're not exactly on speaking terms right now," Jake said.

"Why not? What happened?"

"I came out to them," Jake said.

"Oh, no."

"I got tired of hearing about my ex-girlfriend and what did the future hold for us, she was such a sweet girl and we were perfect for each other, and why wasn't I dating her as often as I used to. They didn't know it but hell, I wasn't dating her at all. So I came out and told them. It was surprisingly easy to get it out. But it wasn't pleasant. My Mom was brought to tears, but I think that was mostly because she could see my Dad's reaction."

"What was his reaction?"

"I've never seen such a look of pained disappointment," Jake said. "And the way he shook his head, almost in disgust, it was like in that moment I was being written off as his son, dismissed as so much garbage."

"Jake, I'm sorry. I hate that I caused this."

"YOU didn't cause anything. His feelings are his problem. But your name did come up."

"It did? How?"

"Well, his reaction was such a disappointment that I decided to lay it all out and give him something to really react to. I told him I was in love with another guy. Right away, he picked up on it. I told him I met you at football camp and we worked together at the ranch in Wyoming. So now he blames himself for sending me to camp, and for getting me the job."

"Jake, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for only one thing; my father's ignorance. Mom says to give him time, he will get over it. I don't think he will. I think this has driven a permanent wedge between us."

"So your Mom is okay with it?"

"Not exactly. She said she was terribly disappointed; she was looking forward to grandchildren. I told her that was selfish, for parents to expect their kids to give them grandchildren, like they're a gift or something, like a puppy. Godd, I wish they were as understanding as your family."

I laughed. "You gotta be weird to be as understanding as my family," I said.

Jake leaned up over him and gazed down into his eyes. "I love you, Devon. I never dreamed it was possible to love anybody so much. Not a woman or another man."

"I know. And it scares me," Devon said again.

"Why?"

"Because it's too good to be true, that you fell for me like you did, and I'm afraid I'm going to wake up someday and realize it was all a dream."

Jake rubbed his big, hard cock against Devon's lower abs. "Does that feel like a dream to you?"

"It feels like a cock from hell. What do you intend to do with it?"

"If you'll turn over onto your stomach, I'll show you."

Devon rolled over and spread his legs out wide. "Is this what they mean by covering your back?"

Chapter Ninety-Eight

Kyle and Corporal Bennett

(Farewell Virginity)

How It Happened

"So, I'm curious. You and Devon are brothers, but you have different last names and different fathers. And your dads never remarried?"

"Our dads never married at all. There's a good chance my mother was a prostitute in Vietnam," Kyle explained. He laughed at Corporal Bennett's surprised look. "Yeah, that always gets that reaction. You can see that Devon and I aren't exclusively American-Caucasian. We're not certain that we have the same mother but we've been assured by Jason and my dad that it's a very strong possibility. And it was a woman fitting her description that dropped us off at the orphanage."

"You mean they....."

"Yeah, they both fucked her. On more than one occasion, apparently. Actually we don't know for certain that Jason and my dad are our real fathers. But they took us out of that orphanage and brought us back to the States and raised us as their own sons. So none of it matters."

"So where does Jake fit in?" Bennett asked.

"I thought you would've picked up on that."

"Oh. No, I didn't. Till just now," he said.

"You're not under any obligation to report that, are you?" Kyle asked.

"Absolutely not," he replied sternly. "To each his own."

Kyle smiled. "You haven't picked up on my dad and Jason either, then, have you?"

Corporal Bennett's mouth dropped as he blinked with surprise. "No fuckin' shit! No, I would never have guessed, about them or your brother and Jake. But certainly not about your dads. They are about as un-stereotype as you can get. Marines, Airborne, snipers. Geezuss!"

"Jason was a Navy SEAL before he was a Marine," I said.

"Damn, the testosterone must be thick in your household."

"Sometimes you can almost smell it," Kyle said, laughing.

"So,...uhhh....how about you?" Bennett asked.

"Nope. Straight," Kyle said.

"You really are odd man out."

"Well, odd, maybe, but not totally out. My brother and I started messing around back in high school after he came out to me."

"Must've been really handy, having a gay brother."

"It had its advantages, for both of us," Kyle said.

"I'll bet. I'll bet Devon was real happy about having a hunky, straight, understanding brother." He paused to gauge Kyle's reaction, then went on. "Listen, I don't know what you meant by messing around with your brother but....well, I hate to see an opportunity wasted. I, uh....I never had a brother but I've been known to mess around too, in a bi sort of way, when the right guy comes along and is interested."

"I might be interested, depending on what you mean by a bi sort of way."

"Why don't we get out of these clothes and find out. You can stop me any time I cross the line."

"And you, too," Kyle said. "Everything I've heard about the military's don't-ask-don't-tell policy pertains to gays. What've they got to say about bi guys?"

"I've never heard it addressed in public, but I can tell you what their position is. It was addressed at an orientation one time and so far as the military is concerned, there is no such thing as bi. If you're not straight, you're gay. There is nothing in between. So I'm on the kill list if they ever find out."

Kyle wasn't exactly sure how the guy meant it, being bi and messing around with guys. He was willing to mess around with guys himself, and he was straight. He had his answer, he thought, when the corporal reached over and cupped his balls. He thought he would go for his cock as well but he only squeezed his balls while he pressed his fingers against his perineum, rubbing little circles at the crack of his ass. It felt good and Kyle spread his legs wider, hoping to encourage him to go down on him. Instead, he wet his finger and continued to massage between his legs. Then he began working his fingers into the crack, then probing his asshole.

"Most straight guys don't know they have feelings here," he said.

"You're gonna be showing me for the first time." He knew he had feelings there from the things Devon did to him but he had a feeling that the corporal could show him more.

"Great. I love first timers. You like that," he asked, circling his fingers.

"Yeah, it feels good," Kyle said.

"I can make it feel better," he said as he shoved his thick middle finger through Kyle's hole.

"Uuhhh!"

"Just a little discomfort at first. Relax and you're gonna love it," Bennett said. "Yes, like that, relax your ass muscles and hunker up against my finger."

"Oohhh!"

"See, it's feeling good already."

"Ohh, Fuck!"

"I found your love nut," he said, laughing softly.

"Ohhhhhhh!" Kyle moaned again.

"Yeah, it's swelling up already. Man, I can feel your heartbeat with my finger."

"I can....f-feel...your f-finger....with my heartbeat," Kyle gasped.

"I can double your pleasure," Bennet said.

"H-How?"

"I'll show you." He crawled between Kyle's legs and shoved a pillow under his hips. "This will bring you up where I can get to you," he said as he shoved his first two fingers into his hole and found his prostate again.

Kyle moaned and cried out, clasping the bed sheets.

"Yeah, I can almost curl my fingers around it in this position," Bennett said. "Ready for the double whammy?"

"What's that? What're you gonna do?" Kyle asked.

The corporal gently shoved the middle finger of his other hand deep alongside his other fingers."

"Ohhh! Ohhhh! Ohhhhhhh!"

"Is that about double what you were feeling?" he asked.

"How about triple! Godd!!" Kyle gasped, his eyes wide.

"I can kick it up a notch," said the corporal.

"I don't know if I can stand any more. Ohh....OHHHH!"

"You've got four fingers now."

"Ohhh, fuck, it feels like a dozen....feels like your whole hand!"

"Do you want my hand?"

"No."

"How about my cock?"

"No. I don't wanta be fucked. I'm straight."

"You're already being finger fucked. It would only be better with my cock," Bennett told him.

"No, I can't do that," Kyle said, shaking his head.

"Your ass wants it," said Bennett. "Your ass wants my cock."

"N-no....ohh....ohhh, you gotta stop. I can't take any more." He could've, but he was scared of what Corporal Bennett was suggesting and he needed to back him off before it was too late.

But Bennett didn't back off. He probed some more. "Your ass is telling me you're lying, you don't want me to stop. But I will if you say so." He pulled all his fingers out.

"Ohhhh," Kyle sighed with disappointment.

"You're still wide open. Your ass is begging for more," he said, patting Kyle's spread butt. "Do you want some more?" He fucked his fingers through his hole a few times then pulled out again. Then he shoved in and found his prostate again and gave it a few strokes.

"Ohhhhhhh! Godddd!" Kyle cried softly.

But Bennett pulled his fingers out, leaving Kyle's asshole open and begging. "Do you want more?" he asked again.

"I admit, I like it, but I can't get fucked, for real," Kyle said.

"All right, I'll use just my fingers, like I was doing, okay?" He shoved all of his fingers back in and resumed the dual manipulations.

"Okay....Ohhhh....Oh, yeahhhhh! I like that!"

He worked his fingers for several minutes, till Kyle was thrashing his hips about and humping himself against the corporal's hand. When it got too good again, he begged him to stop.

"Man, I'm going crazy. I wanta cum so bad, but I can't. You gotta stop."

"Nope."

"Please, make me cum, before you drive me crazy."

"No."

"Awwwhhhh! Please. Why're you doing this?"

"Because you like it. Admit it, you like it."

"I already admitted I love it! But it's driving me nuts! I'm going fuckin' nuts. I wanta cum so bad."

"Go ahead, cum," Bennett said.

"I can't," Kyle whimpered.

"I can make you cum."

"I know, but you keep stopping," Kyle whined. "Quit stopping and just do it, please. Make me cum!"

"Okay, but only with my cock."

"No. I told you, I don't wanta be fucked, I'm straight."

"So what? I'll just finish with my cock what I started with my fingers. What's the difference which body part I use? It's not gonna turn you gay," he said as he pulled his fingers out.

"Ohhh, why'd you stop?" Kyle whimpered.

"You told me to."

In desperation, Kyle reached down and shoved his own fingers into his asshole. "Ohh, fuck, I'm wide open," he moaned as he worked his fingers around frantically, trying to find the spot that the corporal had abandoned.

"Yeah, you could take my fist. You could take my cock easy," he taunted as he took Kyle's hand and helped him. "You're not gonna find it with your own hand, you can't reach in far enough," he said. Then he gently pulled Kyle's hand away and replaced it with his own fingers again.

"Ohhhm, Godd....y-you're doing it again."

"And you like it."

"Yessss! Yes, I like it!"

"Well, just so you know, they might haul you off in a straight jacket but this Marine ain't gonna stop this time till I hear you begging for my cock."

Kyle fought it valiantly but he could feel himself losing the battle. His straight defenses were weakening with every touch of the corporal's fingers on his prostate, his body screaming out for relief.

"Okay! Ohhhh, Goddd! Okay, just do it! Fuck me!" he cried out in agony. He was startled by his own voice.

"Do what?"

"You heard me! Fuck me!"

"I am fucking you,"

"With your cock! Use your cock!"

"Are you sure?" Bennett asked, removing his fingers.

"Yess! Yes, damnit, I'm sure! I want you to fuck me!! How many ways do I have to say it?"

"Okay, but don't get any ideas about changing your mind," Bennett said as he moved up into position.

Kyle raised his head to see the huge cock sticking out of the corporal's hand. "Oh, Geezuss! I don't know......"

"Too late," Bennett said as he pressed the blunt head of his cock against Kyle's gaping hole. "Don't worry, you're opened up for it."

"Wait, Corporal....." But the thick cock was going in, spreading his asshole even more. "I d-don't know, man, if I c-can....." Deeper....deeper still. "Ohh, Godd, you're going in so deep!"

"I wish I had more for you," Bennett said as he buried the final inches and made his cock throb deep inside him.

"Aawwhhhh! My Godd!" Kyle cried out.

"You like it," he told him again.

"I can't help it," he whimpered. "I....can't....fuckin'....help....it. Fuck me! Hard!"

Corporal Bennett left his cock in deep for a moment longer, then eased out and shoved back in again.

"Ohh, Yess! You're touching that spot again, sliding right across it," Kyle moaned.

"Yeah my cock knows where to find your love nut. I can make you cum now."

"Not too soon," Kyle said.

"Oh, the straight stud wants to be fucked now, not just get off."

"Yess. Godd, yes! Fuck me, it's not gonna turn me gay." He wasn't so sure he believed that but at the moment he didn't care.

Corporal Bennett fucked him hard like he asked. It took about ten minutes of steady pounding before Kyle gave himself up to the most incredibly intense climax he'd ever had in his life. The lights went out in his head, everything faded to black, then he saw tiny stars. His body was being consumed with the raw lust searing his brain. He clung to Bennett's muscular body to keep from floating off. He felt the liquid heat of the man's load being shot deep into his bowels, and then his own convulsions that sent his cum spurting out in violent loads. The last thing he remembered was Bennett's mouth on his and the whispered words, "Godd, you are so hot!"

He came around to a cool washcloth over his eyes and forehead and a big, rough hand rubbing across his chest.

"Are you okay?" Corporal Bennett asked when he saw Kyle's eyes flicker.

"I don't fuckin' know. What the hell happened?" He was so weak he had to force the words out one by one, and it took that moment for his eyes to focus on the handsome corporal looming over him.

"I got you off. Do you remember how?"

"You fucked me," he said weakly.

"At your request," Bennett reminded him. "How do you feel? Do you feel gay?"

"I don't know how gay feels," Kyle said.

"You've got a pretty good idea," Bennett said.

"What makes a guy officially gay?"

"His own admission."

"Help me to the shower," Kyle said.

Chapter Ninety-Nine

Brothers Forever

How It Happened

"It was good of Jake to throw us together like this," Devon said.

"I've missed you, Bro," said Kyle.

"I've missed you."

"Not so much, though, you being surrounded by all of these hunky Marines. Listen, I....I want you to fuck me, Devon."

"What!" His mouth flew open and his eyes popped out of his head.

"You won't be getting my cherry, and I'm sorry about that, but it'll be like that, our first time."

"You're serious! Shit, Kyle, when did you cross the line? And when were you going to tell me?"

"I haven't crossed any line. Well, I did, but I'm not staying on that side of the line. It was just something that happened, and now I want it to happen with you. Cause it might not ever happen again."

"When? More importantly, who?"

"Yesterday. Corporal Bennett."

"No shit! You made out with Corporal Bennett? How'd that happen?"

"Well, he let me know that he's bi and wouldn't mind making it with a straight guy. We started making out. He is hot as hell in bed. He gave me a great rim job, and great head, then he lured me into kissing and at the same time he started playing with my ass.... using his fingers on me. He hit that spot in there and he wouldn't stop. I tried to get him to stop, begged him not to do it, 'cause I was afraid of where it was going, and I think he knew where it was going. He just kept kissing me and fingering me harder till I couldn't stand it. I grabbed his wrist and tried to stop him but he said only if he could replace his fingers with his cock. I wasn't having any of that....I mean, straight guys don't get fucked in the ass....but he had me too far over the top and he wouldn't stop fucking me with his fingers. That's what he was doing, really, fucking me, and I was so crazy I finally blurted out, okay do it, give me your cock. Fuck me. And that's the last thing I remember saying to him. He shoved in and started fucking me and I sort of went nuts. He took me someplace where I've never been before. It was like I floated off into a wonderful black hole."

"Shit, Kyle, I can't believe you let yourself get so out of control."

"I didn't let myself, he drove me out of control. I was helpless, man. He drove me out of my fuckin' skull, and it was a whole lot worse when he fucked me. I couldn't believe anything could feel like that. I know where you're coming from now. He said you could do that to me, too, make me feel like that. He said you could make me feel even more, 'cause we're brothers."

"You told him about me?" Devon asked.

"I told him we messed around when we were in high school. Don't worry, he's cool with it. And besides, you know about him, now, too. He thought that was great. If you don't wanta do it, Devon....if you're that committed to Jake....I know how you feel about him."

"You were my brother before I met Jake, and he also knows how I feel about you. Hell yes, I'll do it. Listen, would you like to invite Jake in on it? I would be okay with that."

"No. I don't think I want to take it to that level. I'm not going to make it a habit of being fucked in the ass, I just want you to do it this once. I don't know, Devon, it's like that'd be the final step that makes us one."

Just then the phone rang. It was Jake.

"Devon. I'm in the room adjoining your dad's room. They're in the shower so I called you. I've been hanging out with them, and....well, I....I think I've been getting signals."

"What kind of signals?"

"You know."

Devon turned to Kyle. "It's Jake. He's hanging out with our dads and he thinks he's getting vibes from them." Then he spoke back into the phone. "Maybe it's just wishful thinking on your part."

"No. I know I'm getting vibes," Jake said. "Well, actually, I'm sending out vibes of my own, or trying to."

"Okay. And you're calling me for what reason?"

"I would never do anything like that without your permission," Jake said.

"You don't need my permission. I mean, what do you think Kyle and I are doing?"

"This is different. He's your brother. These are your dads, and I'm not family."

"What do I have to do, marry you to make you family?" Devon said.

"I really want to do this, Devon. But I need your okay. Kyle's, too. I need their sons' permission to do this," Jake said.

"Hell, go for it. It would be criminal not to," Devon said. Then he handed the phone to Kyle. "He wants your okay, too."

Kyle took the phone. "Go for it, stud. Show 'em what you've got."

"Thank you. Thank you both."

Devon took the phone. "Just don't be surprised if they have to call the paramedics for you," he said. When he hung up, "Wow, do you believe that? My guy is going to make it with my dad."

Kyle was laughing. "I don't believe we just gave your guy permission," he said. "Kinda makes me jealous, how about you?"

"Jealous of who, Jake or your dad?" Devon asked.

"I think both.""

"I bet I can make you not jealous," Devon said as he pulled his brother into a tight embrace and a hard kiss.

"Godd, I want this so bad," Kyle whispered to his brother.

"No more than I do," Devon said as he clasped Kyle's tight butt in both hands. "Fuck, man, I never dreamed I'd ever be doing this."

"I never dreamed I'd ever let anybody do it."

Devon picked his brother up and carried him to the bed. Kyle looked at the bulging muscles in his arms and shoulders.

"Fuck, they really put some muscle on you," he said, feeling Devon's biceps.

"All the better to fuck you with." He laid him on the bed and crawled on beside him. Both of their cocks were raging hard with anticipation. "I hope your ass is as anxious as your cock," he said as he leaned down to give his brother's cock a few strokes with his mouth. "Your cock tastes good. Turn over."

When Kyle was on his stomach, Devon began licking and kissing his ass. Kyle came up on his hands and knees and Devon moved behind him so he could get to him better.

"Aww, fuck, Devon, I'm sure gonna miss this."

"With this ass you won't have any trouble finding somebody to take up the slack," Devon told him between licks. "Are you ready?"

"Oh, yeah. And don't be easy," Kyle said. "Corporal Bennett sure wasn't."

Devon moved up behind him and spat on his cock then dribbled more spit into Kyle's ass crack. He nudged the head of his cock against his hole and clasped his hands around his hips. He flexed his butt muscles to shove forward when suddenly his brother pushed back onto his cock.

"OOOhhhhh!" he cried out in surprise.

"Awwwhhhhh, FUCK!" Kyle groaned, tossing his head back.

When they had both recovered after a moment, Devon asked, "Why the fuck did you do that?"

"I don't know, something just came over me. I wanted to feel your cock buried inside me.""

"I would've taken care of that for you, dude, you didn't have to kill yourself. Are you okay?"

"I'm getting there, just give me a minute. You're bigger than Corporal Bennett," Kyle said, still grimacing.

"Take your time, get used to it," Devon told him. "Or not. I can pull out if you want to change your mind."

"No, I want this," Kyle said. "I want it more than anything in the world right now." He shivered all through as Devon began to fuck him. "Ohh, God, don't let me enjoy this too much."

Chapter One-Hundred

Us and Jake

Jason and I were laying on the bed in our shorts, fresh from the shower, watching an old movie. I wasn't interested in it and it didn't seem to be holding Jason's attention either.

"You want a beer?" he asked as he got up off the bed.

"Yeah."

He came back and sat on the edge of the bed. "This has been a good weekend," he said. "Sort of like a culmination of our lives."

"More the boys' lives," I said.

"I don't like Jake being odd man out. I think I'll take him a beer."

"That just makes him odd man out with a beer," I joked. "Bring him in here."

He got another beer and tapped lightly on the door that separated our two rooms.

"Come in, the door's cracked."

"If you're watching the same crappy movie we are, why don't you come in and be bored with us," Jason said.

"Thanks, if I won't be intruding," the youth said

Jake came in sipping his beer and took one of the chairs as Jason lay back against the headboard beside me. He was in his shorts too, a pair of very brief boxers that stretched tightly around his massive thighs and bulged with his manhood.

"It's good of you to give Devon and Kyle their space," I said.

"Glad to do it. We'll have our time together, and I don't want it to ever look like I'm taking him away from his brother."

"Well, you are, but that's the way life is sometimes. Kyle doesn't resent that," I said.

"Are you okay with it, Jake? The boys being together like this?" Jason said.

"Sure. They're brothers. If I had a brother I would hope we'd be doing the same thing."

"Well, I'm sure hanging out with two old guys wasn't in your plans for the weekend but maybe it's better than hanging out by yourself."

"You're the two youngest old guys I know," he said. "I just want you to know, I don't want it to ever look like I'm taking Devon away from you either, Jason."

"You didn't. The Marines did. But either way, that's the natural way of things. A boy has to leave home."

"But you probably thought he would be leaving home for a girl," Jake said.

"No, his life is his life. I never had any particular aspirations of my own for him," Jason said. "Except that he be happy."

"I'll make him happy," the youth said.

Jason moved over on the bed. "We invited you in here, Jake, because we don't like you being odd man out," he said patting the space.

Jake was taking a drink of his beer and his smile formed around the bottle. "I was sort of hoping I would get an invite," he said with a grin, as he set his beer down, "but then I thought you guys might want some down time by yourselves

"We'll have plenty of down time with the boys gone," I said. "Come on in here."

He crawled over Jason and stretched out between us. It was a queen sized bed but it was a snug fit for three guys our size. None of us minded that our bodies touched, and nobody moved away.

"This has been a perfect weekend. I'm really proud of Devon," Jake said.

"You know he wanted to measure up to you," Jason said.

"He did that in spades, and then some," Jake said. "But he didn't have to prove anything to me. He had me at first sight."

Once when I moved my leg I felt the muscles in Jake's thigh tighten and then flex several times. I flexed back and so did he. I wondered if there was anything like that happening on the other side of the bed. We played leg tag for a full minute before Jason spoke up.

"Are we all dancing to the same tune?" he asked, squeezing Jake's thigh.

"I don't know but I've wondered sometimes if....well, I just didn't know if....you know....if you guys send out signals on purpose or if you just exude vibes naturally."

We both laughed.

"If we exude anything, it's 'God, just let the day end so my head can hit the pillow'," Jason said as he rolled onto his side and put his hand on Jake's chest.

Jake laughed. "Nobody believes you two spend that much time sleeping when you're in bed."

"What's Devon been telling you?" Jason asked, laughing.

"Never mind, we probably don't want to hear," I said.

"I've never said this, Jake, but I'm damned proud of you, too, and I'm glad you and Devon found each other."

"He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Well, he certainly found the best when he found you," Jason said as he rubbed his hand back and forth across Jake's thick chest. "You are really put together nice, Jake. But I don't know if we should be doing this with my son's man."

I'd started rubbing his thigh, going up into his crotch where his shorts were starting to tent.

Smiling, Jake looked at both of us. "For the record, I've got Devon's and Kyle's permission to be here."

"Oh? You and the boys talked about this?" Jason asked, surprised.

"We discussed the possibility," Jake said.

"We really don't need their permission," I said.

"I do," he said.

"You're nervous," Jason said.

"Yeah, a little."

"No need to be nervous, we're not going to be doing anything you haven't done before," I said.

"But this is different. Like, I don't even know where to start."

Jason laughed and took hold of his wrist. "What say we calm this boy's nerves," he said to me as he raised Jake's arm overhead.

I did the same with his other arm then Jason was buried his face in his armpit while I clamped my mouth over his left nipple.

"Ohhhh.....Ohh, fuck, this is going to be good," he said.

"More than you know," Jason murmured in his armpit.

We pressed against him from both sides, bringing him into a tangle of arms and legs. As I licked his chest and sucked on his tit, he was facing me and I kissed him. He was startled but then he responded with passion and a soft moan.

"Damn, dude, how did you get such a rock hard ass," Jason asked.

"Lots of squats."

While I was kissing him Jason had worked on his other tit and he had his hand down between his thighs squeezing his butt.

"How do you get this thing so hard," I asked, reaching down for his cock thru his shorts.

"Mother nature pretty much takes care of that for me," he said.

"And a fine job she does," I said as I groped his manhood.

Jason was moving downward and he had to untangle Jake's legs to crawl between them. I was a little surprised he was going for him like that, he usually held back for me to take the lead. He stretched out on his stomach and began licking Jake's balls.

"Look, could I have some guidelines so I know what you expect from me?" Jake asked. "This is really important to me, and I don't want to fuck it up."

Jason laughed. "I can't imagine you fucking up sex," he said.

I gave him his answer. "It's not a matter of us expecting anything from you, Jake. It's a matter of having you here with us to enjoy each other and get better acquainted."

"And that means anything you want to do, nothing you don't want to do," Jason put in.

"But I want it to be about you guys, too," he said.

"Oh, it will be," Jason assured him and went back to tonguing Jake's ass.

Once Jake brought his arms down and put one hand on Jason's head and the other one was groping for my cock but Jason told him to put his hands back over his head. He did and gripped the top of the headboard.

"Fuck, you guys are torturing me," he moaned.

Jason worked his arms under Jake's thighs and brought them up onto his shoulders. Jake took the hint and brought his legs up higher and Jason's head disappeared under his balls.

"Ohhh!.... Awwhhh!.... Ohh, fuck yeah, do it! Fuckin' tongue my ass!" he cried out. When he brought his arm down again and groped for my cock I let him find it. "Oh, Godd!....Godd, he's got his tongue in me!" he gasped.

"Do you want me tell him to stop?" I asked as I was kissing my way down his tight midsection.

"Oh, Fuck No! Godd, no, don't stop. Fuckin' please don't stop!" he cried. I thought he was going to squeeze my cock off.

Sometimes I could not believe how far Jason had come.

"Oh God," Jake gasped suddenly. "Fuck, he's using his finger."

"That usually follows," I said. I was at the waistband of his shorts. I began mouthing his cock through the cotton material and it throbbed at my touch. After a moment, when I had his shorts wet with my spit, I tugged them down off his hips and tucked the waistband under his balls. Jason finished taking them off of him. His cock throbbed and bucked violently up on his lower stomach. "Fuck, this is hard as steel," I said as I squeezed it. Then I took it in my mouth.

Jake let out another loud groan and hunkered his hips up to shove his cock in my mouth.

Jason was rimming him and fingering his ass, I was sucking his cock and poor Jake's knuckles were white, gripping the top of the headboard. I reached up for his arm and pulled it down and took his hand and placed it on the back of my head. With great relief he clasped both of his hands around my head and force fucked my throat. He was big but I didn't mind if he choked me.

"I think you're ready for cock," Jason announced as he rose up.

"A cock, a broomstick, anything," the boy groaned. "Just fill me up with something stiff."

Jason pushed Jake's thighs against his chest then took his feet and tucked them under his head, bending the boy in half with his butt upturned. Then he took his hands and placed them around his feet. "Keep 'em locked in place," he told him.

"Yes, sir. I've never been fucked like this before, tied in a knot," he said.

I could see the boy's asshole palpitating and clenching anxiously. Jason hunkered up over him and set the head of his cock against the hole and slid his cock straight down all the way.

"OOOOHhhhhh! Ohhhhh, fuck!" he cried out as Jason began fucking him. "Ohhhhh...Awwwh,.... Oh, Godd, I think this is rape."

"It's not rape unless you tell me to stop and I don't," Jason said as he kept fucking him. Jake didn't tell him to stop and Jason kept fucking him.

Jason had hold of Jake's cock so I moved around behind Jason and began playing with his ass. "How about you, big stud, do you want to be raped?" I asked.

"Just don't hurt me," he whimpered, feigning fright.

I found the lube in the rumpled covers to lube up his ass. He hadn't bothered to use it on Jake, he was using his spit. I'd worked two fingers up inside his ass when he reached back and took hold of my wrist. I paused.

"This is a bit awkward guys, but I gotta take a piss." He smacked Jake's butt. "I'm gonna have Brad take over here while I go to the bathroom."

Jason pulled out and I took his place.

"Ohhh, you feel just as good as Jason," Jake moaned as I entered him. "You guys are so awesome."

"We want this to be about you, Jake," I said.

"I don't know if I should even say it, but....well, I would really, really like to see Jason sucking my cock. You too, Brad, but especially Jason, cause I just can't picture him doing it."

I laughed. "The way he was chowing down on your ass, you don't think he'd suck your cock?"

"I'd just like to see it."

Just then Jason came out of the bathroom. He stretched out on his back and patted his chest. "Assume the position," he said.

The surprised look on Jake's face was comical. "I heard what you said, so haul it up here," Jason said. "Brad can fuck you at the same time."

Jake straddled his chest and hunkered his cock at Jason's open mouth. When he shoved in he went all the way in his throat. Jason choked and grabbed the boy's hips to shove him away.

"There's a difference between me sucking your cock and you fucking my face," he said laughing. "You gotta give me time to get used to this big fucker."

"Sorry."

When Jason took his cock in his mouth again, Jake took control. He grabbed Jason's hands and placed them on the edge of the headboard and held them there. "Keep your hands up here, I'll do all the work," he said. Then he started fucking Jason's mouth again.

Jason let himself be restrained and subdued. He looked good in that position. I wiped the drool off his chin. But after a few minutes Jason pulled his hands free. "Do you mind? I really like the feel of your butt clenching in my hands." He clasped his hands around the boy's taut, round butt and guided him in his thrusts, and I noticed the thrusts were going steadily deeper and deeper. Yeah, Jason had come a long way.

Jake reached back for Jason's cock, rubbing the head into his crack. I picked up on that and reached for the lube. Jason's cock was big enough that Jake was able to ride part way down on it and still get his cock sucked but he couldn't take advantage of his full size. When he would lose Jason's cock I would guide it back to his ass.

"I hope we're making you happy, doing everything you want," I said.

"Well, there is something else."

"What?"

"I, uh....this is really scary, saying this out loud....I've never even said it to Devon... but I've wondered what it'd be like to get double fucked."

"Do you want to find out?" I asked.

"Yeah."

His reply was weak; tentative. "You don't sound very sure."

"I'm not sure how I'll take it, but I do wanta try it," he said.

I quickly lubed my cock and straddled Jason's thighs. Jake abandoned the cocksucking to concentrate on this new adventure. I took hold of his hips and eased him back down onto Jason's cock then position my cock and bent Jake over. His butt was quivering, he was so nervous.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked.

"Yes. I want both of you awesome guys to fuck me."

It took some maneuvering and several tries but I finally penetrated on top of and alongside Jason's cock, depending on how he moved. I stopped when Jake tossed his head back with a swooshing gasp.

"You okay?"

"I d-don't know. Godd, that's a lot of cock."

"There's a lot more to come. I'm barely in," I told him.

We paused for a moment then he nodded his head and whispered, "Okay."

I eased several more inches of cock into him and at the same time I urged his butt down farther onto Jason's cock. When he didn't make any sound I shoved the rest of the way in.

"Oh, My Godd, that's a lot of cock!" he whimpered.

I patted Jason's thigh and we started fucking him. It was nothing but awesome. Jake was nothing but awesome. I couldn't believe how his tiny hole had stretched so around our two big slabs of meat. But he was silent. Not a nod or a whimper, not even a groan. I wondered if he was having second thoughts or if maybe it was hurting him so bad he couldn't get his breath to speak. Or he was just sucking it up, not wanting us to think he couldn't handle it.

"Are you okay, Jake?" I asked again. "We can stop if you want to."

"Like hell," Jason growled as he clamped his big hands around Jake's butt to hold him in place. "We're not taking him this far just to let him chicken out. So shut up and let's just make it the best fuck he's ever had."

"I just wanta know how come you're so quiet," I said to Jake.

He choked his words. "It's so good....it feels like if I even breathe I'm gonna explode. It's that fuckin' good."

"Then I guess you want us to make it better," I said.

"Yess! Godd, Yess! Jason's right, let's make it the best fuck any of us have ever had. Fuck me. Fuck me good."

"Let's make him explode," Jason said.

We fucked him. We fucked him hard, and he wasn't so quiet anymore. I saw his knuckles were white gripping the headboard. He rode back on us, twisting and gyrating his hips to take the fullest advantage of both of our cocks lobbing around inside him. I thought we must be stretching him unmercifully and imagined it might take days for his internal organs to settle back into place and his asshole to close back to normal.

Jake was doing most of the work. Jason and I were simply furnishing the cocks for him to ride. I could feel and see his ass loosening up and he was riding all the way down on both of us, grinding and twisting his butt around in circles on the downward thrust.

"Oh, Godd! Godd, I think I'm gonna cum! Fuck me harder! Fuck me, both of you, give it to me harder. Yess, like that. Aaaahhhhhh! OOOhhhhh. Oh, Godd, yess, I'm cumming!"

He practically screamed when he shot off, spraying himself and Jason with about a gallon of cum.

"Holy fuckin' shit!" Jason exclaimed as his face was being whitewashed.

Jake's muscular body was trembling and he was teetering like he might fall over. I clasped my hands around his waist to hold him.

"Man, we must've punctured the reserve tanks. Fuck, I never saw so much cum in my life!" Jason said. "And shit, Dude, you're still hard as a bone."

"I do that....with Devon, sometimes....when it's so good," the boy stammered breathlessly. Then, "But so are you guys, I can feel you still throbbing like crazy. You can keep on fucking me if you want."

We were all three still hard. It wasn't over. But Jake didn't sound like he really wanted to keep fucking. I eased out of his ass and moved down between Jason's legs and lifted them up.

"What're you doing?" Jason asked.

"Hold his feet behind his head like he did you," I told Jake.

"Hey, what the fuck! What're you guys doing?"Jason asked.

"Giving Jake's ass a break; it's your turn," I told him.

Bent in half, his awesome butt was turned up at a perfect angle and he was twitching and palpitating. I rose up and hunkered down to enter Jason's ass.

"Ohh, fuck this angle is brutal," he groaned.

I alternated between Jake and Jason and the pauses in between helped me hold off for a long, long time. Then Jake rose up and moved down to find Jason's upturned ass with his own cock and I fucked Jake. Till Jason complained that every muscle in his body was cramping.

"At least let me get on my hands and knees, then you can fuck me to your heart's content."

So we shifted positions with Jason on his knees with his head and shoulder in the mattress, hugging a pillow to his chest. Jake fucked him while I was on my haunches fucking Jake, till my legs gave out. I lay beside Jason then, and we started making out.

"Ohh fuck this is so hot, watching two studs like you kissing," Jake said.

Jason whispered, "Get up beside me on your hands and knees and let him do both of us."

I got on my hands and knees with my butt very obviously offered to the boy and Jason and I resumed kissing.

"Aww, man, you want me to fuck you both?"

"If you think you're up to it," I said.

"What do you think I am, a machine?"

"That pretty much describes a guy your age," Jason said.

It was a good fuck even with the steady interruptions, moving back and forth between us. The anticipation built up each time he pulled out of me to fuck Jason.

"Why don't you guys stack on top of the other, it'd be easier to switch back and forth," Jake said.

Happy to oblige, I got on top of Jason, hunkered over him on my stomach, with my cock laid along the crack of his ass. Jake shoved in and began fucking me, but only for a few strokes, then he pulled out to fuck Jason. He had to pull my cock out of the way to enter him and my cock had the pleasure of him rubbing against and being pounded against Jason's tight butt in the fuck process.

Suddenly I realized what Jake was doing, some little game he'd dreamed up. The next time he shoved his cock in me I counted the strokes. Fourteen, then he pulled out to fuck Jason. Fourteen strokes in Jason's ass then he pulled and gave me fifteen. Then fifteen for Jason. Then sixteen, and seventeen.

"I think our fuckbuddy is playing games with us," I said quietly but he heard me.

"I'm gonna see which one of you is going to be the lucky one to get my load shot in his ass."

"It's your game, Jake but I'd like to have your load in my mouth. I hate to see good, fresh cum go to waste," I said.

"Yeah, me too, we can share it," Jason agreed.

"Wow. All right! I guess I didn't believe you guys would be up for that."

"We can all share it," I said.

"Fuck yeah, that'd be hot as hell, kissing both of you with my cum in your mouths." He was fucking me and suddenly he paused.

"Ohhh fuck....Ohhh....Ohh, shit, I got so hot just talking about it, I'm gonna shoot. Fuck, guys, get around here quick, I'm gonna blow."

Jason and I scrambled around to face him just in time to get a big rope of thick cum splashed across both our faces. Jake quickly got control and aimed the next one at Jason who caught most of it in his mouth. I got the next one and I leaned in so I didn't lose any of it. Godd, he tasted good. But I was a little surprised at Jason, he didn't really like cum.

He jacked his cock and pumped at last a dozen heavy loads into our mouths and all over our faces.

"I want yours, too," he said excitedly. "Hold mine in your mouths while I get you guys off."

We rose up on our haunches and moved closer together so Jake could suck our cocks while we fisted them, trying to work up our loads. Our excitement was keen, it didn't take long. Jason gave his up first then I shoved my cock into the boy's gaping mouth, full of Jason's cum, and deposited my load with it. The combined loads were too much and with his mouth overflowing he straightened to face us. We moved together as one, our mouths together in tongue searching.

The mixture of our three loads of cum was almost overwhelming. I was near shaking with excitement spawned from pure lust. With certainty that our seed was thoroughly mixed, we started swallowing. It was an incredible amount of lust and cum, and emotion.

"Gezuss Fuck, I never experienced anything like that in my whole life," Jake said.

"Son, I've been around the block a thousand times more than you and I've never done anything like that either," Jason said, a little breathlessly.

"You guys are incredible. Devin and Kyle are so lucky."

"No more than you, Jake," I said.

"You are officially part of the family now," Jason declared.

He started to tear up. "Fuck I wish you wouldn't stay stuff like that."

"Why?"

"'Cause I can't believe I am. I can't believe I got so lucky."

"I'd say we're the lucky ones," I said.

"Yeah, it was a great day when Devon latched onto you," Jason said.

"Actually it was me who latched onto Devon. Man, I walked in the dorm and saw him and it was like, Fuck Yeah! And I knew right then and there that my life wasn't ever going to be the same. I didn't understand what hit me, I just knew that my life as I knew it was over."

"Well you sure brought your magic into our lives, and Devon's," I said.

"Yeah, my ass is still quivering from that magic wand of yours," Jason said.

Jake smiled.

"What's that shit eatin' grin about?" Jason asked.

"Just wondering if it's still about me," he said, stroking his still hard cock.

I looked at Jason. He hadn't gone down completely and now he was hard again.

"Geezusss, he' not done," Jason said.

He fucked us both again. And again.

Chapter One-Hundred-One

Old Man

Jake and Devon were back together in their room, Jake leaving Jason and me exhausted.

"What the fuck did we just do?" Jason asked.

"We just had sex with your son's boyfriend," I said. "My Godd, that boy can fuck!"

"My son is a very lucky man," Jason said.

"Yes, I'm glad he found Jake," I said.

"Corporal Bennett had to leave. That means Kyle is all alone in his room. He's odd man out now," Jason said.

"Kyle chose his own path," I said.

"If you want to invite him in to sleep with us, it's okay," Jason said.

"You've never even hinted at that before," I said with a curious smile. I wasn't taking offense; I was just surprised.

"I'm not suggesting anything," he said. "I'm only saying he might not feel so alone and out of place if he were with us."

"We both know what might happen if we invite that boy to crawl into bed with us," I said.

"Would you be up for it, Brad, if he was?" he asked with a curious grin.

I hesitated as I considered the proposition. "I've never gone there, even in my head," I said.

"I have, with Devon. In my head, I mean," Jason said. "They're not high school boys anymore. It would be their decision."

I was more than a little surprised; another moment when I couldn't believe how far Jason had come.

"Do you think Kyle would?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I don't want to be the one to take our relationship there."

"By that you mean he would have to initiate it."

"Yes, something like that."

"All right,"

Jason smiled and I was surprised at myself for saying it.

"I'm sorry, I meant no offense by suggesting anything," Jason said.

"None taken," I said. "Anyway, after Jake, I don't know if I'd have the strength. Godd, that guy can fuck. I thought I was going to collapse under him. Kyle right on top of Jake, that would kill us."

Jason laughed. "Well, Jake was sure able to handle us both with no problem. Hell, he barely broke a sweat. I was praying I could keep up with him."

"We haven't slowed down, have we?" I asked. "Have you noticed me slowing down? I sure haven't noticed it with you."

"No. But I'm sure that like we were, they are both more exuberant in their youth, where we've settled in with each other."

"Do you remember how old we were when we first met?" he asked.

"Yeah, we were both nineteen."

"Are we getting old?"

"Speak for yourself," I said, and rolled over to put my head on his chest. He put his arm around me and clasped his hand lovingly on my butt. When I felt his fingers playing between my butt I said, "Don't start anything you can't finish, old man."

"If I can't finish it I know three studs who can."

Chapter One-Hundred-Two

Our Life Takes a New Twist

The phone rang inside the house. Jason was kicked back with his feet up on the porch railing, sipping a beer and watching the sun sink behind the tree line. He ignored the phone but when I didn't get up to answer it and it didn't stop ringing he got up and went inside to answer it.

How It Happened

"Is this Jason or Brad?

"Jason."

"This is Alex Walker."

"Judge! Sorry I didn't recognize your voice."

"Well, we've never talked on the phone, it's always been in person."

"What can I do for you, Judge?"

"You can start by calling me Alex. Then you can agree to meet me at the cafe tomorrow morning."

"That depends on who's buying," Jason joked.

"That would be me."

"Why are you being so generous?" Jason asked.

"I'm not. It's a bribe."

"Better men than you have done time for less, Judge."

"Okay, call it a proposition."

"What kind of proposition?"

"I'll explain tomorrow. Bring Brad along."

We arrived at Barb's Cafe to find Judge Alex Walker at his table in the back, at the window. It wasn't his table but it was unofficially reserved for him and nobody sat there except when they knew the judge was out of town.

"She's got biscuits and gravy, made to order especially for you," Alex told Jason.

"Well, you certainly do know how to bribe a man," Jason said as we sat down.

"I thought we corrected that to a proposition," the judge said.

"You're a judge, it's a bribe," Jason chided him.

Barb herself came over with the coffee pot to take our orders.

"My, my, what's this all about, that you stoop to offering bribes in public?" she asked. When she'd left with their orders, Jason voiced the same question.

Judge Thompson squirmed in his seat. "I've got this problem that's been gnawing at me for a long time and I think you can help me with it. It's how I have to deal with strays and delinquents. The system sucks. A boy gets in a little trouble, there's an arrest, and I don't like how I have to deal with it. I've got three choices. One, I can let him go, release him to his parents with a good lecture. Problem is, a lot of these kids don't have parents, or the family is completely dysfunctional and the parents are the problem in the first place. Two, I can send him to a foster home, but most of them border on dysfunctional as well. I wouldn't say it to anybody else, but I see a foster home as little more than a cash cow. I've never had a boy sent to a foster home that didn't end up back in my court. Third, I can send him to juvenile detention. That's a blueprint for trouble. Juvenile detention is nothing but a stopover to prison."

"So, you have a fourth option bouncing around in your head and that would have something to do with us," Jason said dryly.

"Well, I was thinking, you've got that big place out there in the country, and....."

"No," Jason cut in, holding up his hand.

"Hear me out," Alex said.

"There's no reason to hear you out. I know where you're heading with this and it's no," Jason said sternly. "We raised our boys, it's up to those other parents to raise theirs."

"That's the point. You raised your boys. These boys I'm talking about, they don't have a chance in hell of making it in life. All I'm doing is putting off the inevitable. It breaks my heart knowing that every time I send a boy out of my courtroom, all I've done is put him on a different path to real jail time. Meanwhile, justice has been served, for the time being," he said with great sarcasm. "You could make a difference. A tremendous difference."

"How could we make a difference? Hell, we're too old to start raising boys again. Besides, you know our situation. It could be political suicide, you sending young boys to live with us."

"I do know, and by God I believe your situation just might be part of the reason I never found either of your boys in my court."

I laughed. "If you'd had them in your court, they would've begged to be sent to juvenile detention rather than be sent home," I joked.

"That's my point. You raised your sons, you didn't just let them grow up like a couple of weeds. I have to believe that your 'situation' just might have created a unique bond that most boys don't have with their fathers."

I nudged Jason's knee. Jason glanced at me then looked at Alex. "He's kneeing me under the table," Jason said. We all laughed.

"You've said yourself, Jason, the boys leaving has left a huge hole in our lives," I reminded him. "This would be a chance to fill that hole."

Jason sighed then got up and went to get the coffee pot. He came back and poured us all coffee then returned the pot. He came back and sat down.

"All right, Judge, we'll hear you out. What's your proposition?"

"Well, first, I wouldn't send a boy to you. There would be no official court order, no legal papers at all.

"How would we have custody?" I asked.

"You wouldn't, technically. I wouldn't remand the boy to your custody. Rather, I would strongly suggest that he simply find his way to your place."

We waited for more. When the judge was silent, Jason said, "That's it? We just have strays come knocking on our door and we take them in?"

"That's about the size of it," Alex said. "There wouldn't be any remuneration. Everything would be at your expense, that's how un-legal it would be."

"Damn, what the hell bribery school did you go to?" Jason joked.

"The money wouldn't be a problem," I put in quietly, one of the few contributions to the conversation.

"Yeah, he's got more fuckin' money than he knows what to do with," Jason said.

"If the boy does come, what if the he doesn't want to stay?" I asked.

"There would be nothing legally binding to keep him there," Alex said. "Well, I would rely on you to try to convince him to stay. If he doesn't, then I would just have to wait till he got in trouble again and then go the legal route. We won't win them all but I know we can make a difference."

Jason was shaking his head as he said, "We'll have to think about it."

But the judge didn't let it drop. "I know you would give these boys a good, loving home, and both of you being military, you would know how to handle them in a tough manner and make them tow the mark, turn them into men."

"Well, one of us would die trying," Jason said.

"I would want a report from time to time on how the boys are doing. Nothing formal. More like this, just getting together for coffee and you tell me how things are going. If they're causing you trouble, then I might have to call them in for a good talking to," the judge said.

"No," Jason said flatly. "If there was any trouble, you wouldn't know about it. We would deal with it. I would have to have it understood that the police and the sheriff understand that if one of our boys got in trouble, he would be brought directly to us. We would deal with it ourselves, in our own way."

I was smiling inside, trying to keep it on the inside, how Jason was adamantly refusing yet he was laying the ground rules.

"If he's broken the law, the police and the sheriff have a responsibility......," the judge started.

"You're talking out of both sides of your mouth, Judge," Jason cut in. "Breaking the law would be what brought him to me in the first place. And what about your legal responsibility that you're willing to ignore by sending the boys to me in the first place, no strings attached? That's breaking the law. Sorry, but you didn't deal yourself any cards in this game, Judge. You dealt me all the cards. I'd also have to have it understood that there would be no interference--I mean none--from child protective services or any other do-gooders from the county. Once a boy came to me, he'd be mine. Those are my conditions, take 'em or leave 'em."

"You will think about it then," Judge Walker said.

"I said we would," Jason said.

Going home, we drove a good many miles in silence. Finally, I broke it.

"Well?"

"Naw," Jason said, shaking his head.

"You were mighty detailed with your conditions for it to be no," I said.

"It was all hypothetical."

I laughed. Jason looked at me with a scowl. "I recall you saying, those are my conditions, not they would be my conditions. You know you're not going to sleep nights knowing there are boys out there that you could help go straight."

"Watch me," he said. He looked around at me again at my snort of laughter. "Brad, for chrissakes, if we let this get started, we'll have kids beating a path to our door when we're on social security! We got no business trying to take care of a bunch of snot nosed boys. How are they going to relate to a couple of old coots like us?"

"Fuck, Jason, you look forty and you still act like you're twenty. They'd relate fine. They would be scared shitless of you till they got to know you but they would come around. Devon did." "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, at first he was afraid to talk to you because you were gruffer."

"Yeah, I remember now." He said, smiling.

"Well, gruffer worked on him."

It was a couple of weeks later, we were doing the supper dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. Jason often joked how we--this old, odd couple--had fallen into these little routines. It was moving past dusk, a chill in the October air, with the promise of getting colder, when there was a knock at the door. I muttered something like "Who the hell can that be" as Jason went to the door.

"Well, Shit!" he swore quietly, looking out without opening the door.

"What?" I said over his shoulder.

"It's a boy," he said.

I picked up the dish towel to dry my hands as I went over to the door where Jason was just standing there. "Well, are you going to answer it?"

"I told the judge we would think about, dammit," he growled.

"Well, you'd better think fast," I said. He still hesitated, which surprised me a little. I couldn't help laughing at his dilemma. Jason scowled at me.

"What?" he snapped.

"Nothing, I'm just waiting to see how you tell that boy to get off your porch." Then I said, "Jason, you know damned well you're not going to let that boy walk off the porch into the cold night."

He went to the door.

"S-Sir, I was t-told." He had to pause to swallow the lump in his throat, he was so scared. "....told I might f-find a p-place to sleep here?" he stammered in a pitifully timid voice.

I felt for the boy and the courage it must have taken for him to stand there looking up at Jason's big, rugged frame. He was one of those guys who still looked like a Marine and he always would. The boy must've been terrified.

"Who told you that?" Jason asked.

"The man at the court house. I don't know his name," he replied timidly.

I waited for the inevitable.

"Well, get on in here," Jason said as he pushed the screen door open.

It was hard to guess the boy's age, I guessed around fourteen, painfully cute with a mess of blondish hair with darker eyebrows that set off his dark, empty eyes. He was disheveled, his jeans were torn and the once white T-shirt under his light jacket was stretched way out of shape. He wore old, dirty, tattered sneakers, no socks. He shivered every now and then.

"What's your name?" Jason asked.

"Jacob," he said meekly, shoving his hands in his pockets, as if he were afraid he might have to shake hands. But Jason put his hand out to force him to put his dirty, grubby hand in his grip.

"Well I'm Jason and this is Brad," he said as the boy and I were shaking hands. "You had your supper?" he asked.

"No, sir, but I'm not hungry," he replied.

"Sure you are. Boys your age are always hungry. I oughta know, I raised one of my own," Jason said as he went to the refrigerator. "It's going to be a little bit before I get you some supper warmed up," he went on. "You've got time to go up and have a hot shower and change clothes."

The boy looked confused, and he didn't move. "I....don't have any....clothes....except what I've got on," he said. We hadn't noticed that the boy hadn't brought a thing with him.

"Well, of course you don't," Jason said. "You go on upstairs and get in the shower," he said, pointing the way to the stairs. "One of us will be up to get you some clothes."

I showed him through the house to the bottom of the stairs. The boy moved up the stairs like a timid deer. He glanced back at me with a pitiful look as he reached the stop of the stairs. I smiled.

"I'm betting he slept in a ditch," Jason said as he left supper to me to go upstairs. There was anger in his voice. There was even anger in his stride. I heard the shower running and he was back a few minutes later. "Goddamn this cold, ugly world!" he swore. He snatched up the phone.

"Who're you calling?"

"The judge."

I glanced at my watch. Jason ignored me and kept dialing. I heard the pickup on the other end.

"Judge, I've got a boy named Jacob just showed up here. Wherever he came from, whatever foster home it was, you get every boy out of that place right now." I could hear the seething in his voice; he was so angry he was ready to explode, and I could see it getting worse as he listened to the judge's response.

"I don't give a royal fuck what the sheriff's doing, you get him on the horn and tell him to get the boys....Well, you interrupt the sheriff's dinner and tell him to get his sorry ass out here! Or, tell you what, I'll drive into town and tell him myself." There was more from the judge then Jason said, "Hell yes, have him bring 'em all here. And I mean now, judge. Right fuckin' now!" He slammed down the phone.

"How many?" I asked calmly when he'd slammed the phone down.

Jason strode past me to go upstairs. "Shit, I don't know, I forgot to ask. What the fuck difference does it make?" God, he was spittin' mad.

Jacob had come down, dressed in Devon's or Kyle's old clothes that fit him pretty well. I motioned for him to sit down at the table. He did, rather timidly, and put his hands in his lap. When Jason set his plate in front of him he just stared at it.

"What's the matter?" Jason asked him.

"I never saw this much food before," he said.

"Well, there's plenty more where that came from, so eat."

Jacob had just finishing eating when the phone rang again. I picked it up and handed it to Jason. He didn't say anything except "Hello." He listened for a moment then said, "You be sure to tell the sheriff when they find 'em, they come to me." He didn't even say goodbye when he hung up.

"There won't be any more coming," he said. Then he turned to Jacob. "Where'd you come from, Jacob? What foster home?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Were you the only one living there?"

"No, there were others."

"Where'd they go? That was the judge, and he said those boys all vanished in thin air. I'm not mad at you Jacob, I just want to find out what happened to the other boys, so maybe we can help them."

"When I told them I was running off they said they were coming with me. But I told them no, and we made a plan."

"What kind of plan?"

"We decided to all go in different directions, so it would make it harder for them to find us. The plan was for all to end up here, but none of us were exactly sure of the way. I guess I found you first."

Jason was nodding thoughtfully. "All right. I want you to go up and crawl in bed when you're done eating and get some sleep. Take the room across from the bathroom," he said as he got his jacket off the peg by the door.

Jacob looked at me and I gave him a little nod and motioned him to the stairs. When the boy had gone upstairs I asked Jason where was going.

"There's a bunch of cold, hungry, scared boys roaming around out there, trying to find this place. I'm going to try to find them."

I couldn't hold back a smile.

"What?" Jason barked.

"You are one tough son-of-a-bitch, and when you say no, by God, you mean no."

"Fuck you," Jason growled. He paused to shake his head. "Devon and Kyle are gonna shit when they find out," he said.

"They're going to be damned proud," I said. "By the way, do you know how many boys you're looking for?"

"No, I guess I don't."

"I'll ask Jacob." I went up stairs where Jacob was sitting on the edge of the bed. He got to his feet when I came in. "How many other boys were living there, Jacob?" I asked.

"There was....." But he seemed hesitant to tell me.

"Jason has to know how many boys he's looking for."

"Four others."

I went back down to Jason. "He said four."

"That's four besides him?"

"He said four others," I said

Jason left and I went back upstairs and got some long-unused pajamas out of a drawer and handed them to Jacob.

"Here's some pajamas if you want them."

"Thanks, but I don't use pajamas, just my shorts."

"All right."

"I slept naked after the lights were out so I could wear my shorts more times 'cause nothing got washed very often."

"That's all right too, but you'll get your clothes washed here," I said as I turned down the covers. Then I went to the door, thinking he would want to be left alone to undress, but the boy was already taking his clothes off.

"Mr. Jason probably told you I've got some bruises on me."

Now I understood Jason's anger. "No. No, he didn't." I tried to hide my own anger as the boy bared his beautiful young body. There were bruises everywhere. I made no comment, I just stood beside the bed with the covers lifted, fighting back the tears.

"Can I ask you something? Is Mr. Jason mad because I came here?"

"He's very angry but not because you came here. He's not angry with you.

"I think Mr. Jason's not as tough as he wants you to think," he said. "He's gruff and he talks mean but he's not."

I laughed. "He would not want to know you've seen through him," I said. "But he is tough. You'd better always do as he says."

"Thanks for supper, I really was hungry, and I never seen so much food on a plate," he said as he crawled in under the covers which I lay over him.

"You don't have to be hungry anymore, Jacob. There's always plenty to eat, just help yourself."

"And for the clothes," he said.

"Nobody was wearing them."

"Mr. Brad, did you mean I can help myself anytime I want?"

"Yes. If you get hungry in the middle of the night, go down and help yourself."

"Tell Mr. Jason thanks, too. But don't tell him I know he's not as tough as he acts," he added with a tight smile, the first I'd seen.

"I won't. It's not Mr. Jason or Mr. Brad, by the way. It's Jason and Brad."

He hesitated. "I think I want it to be Mr. Jason and Mr. Brad for now."

I nodded and smiled then left. I closed the door behind me but then opened it part way. I left the hall light on. Downstairs I opened several cans of soup and set about making sandwiches. While the soup was warming I called Judge Thompson again. His housemaid said he was having dinner.

"Put him on the phone. I need to talk to him now," I said emphatically.

"Judge Thompson."

"This is Brad. Jason is out trying to round up the rest of the boys. They made up a plan to separate when they ran away so it would make it harder to find them. Judge, we've got a boy here with bruises all over him. I know I'm going to sound like Jason but I want you to revoke the license of the foster home these kids were in. You send the sheriff there with the papers right now. Tonight. Then we'll be in with the boy to talk about filing criminal charges."

"I'm on it," the judge said.

The soup was barely warm when there was a knock at the door. I went to the door and took in a deep breath before I opened it. There stood a skinny boy of eleven or twelve looking forlornly up at me with the innocence of an angel, an innocence that was belied by his eyes that were set too deep with dark circles around them, and cheekbones that were gaunt and shoulders that needed more meat on them.

"If you'd excuse me sir, would this be a place where I could stay for a little bit? I wouldn't cause no trouble and I don't eat much and I......."

"Yes, son, this is the place," I said as I swung the screen door open for the boy to come in. I was more bewildered when I saw a car backing out of the end of the lane then it drove off down the road.

He made a swipe across his nose with his arm as he came inside, clutching a small suitcase. He looked so forlorn and frightened.

"Can I take that for you?" I asked, reaching for his suitcase. He pulled away from me; he wasn't going to let me have it. "What's your name?"

"Adam."

"Who was that who let you off at the end of the lane?"

"My Mom. And her new boyfriend," he replied as he kept a tight grip on his suitcase. He was so cute, made cuter by his smallish stature. Suddenly he planted his feet and looked up at me. "I guess I should ask how long you're gonna let me stay here. I won't need to stay long, she'll be back to get me then we're going on to Colorado."

"You can stay as long as you want, Adam. Have you had anything to eat?"

"We ate at a diner."

"Then come on, I'll show you your room." Upstairs, I went into my bedroom and pulled out a folding cot from the closet and took it into Kyle's old room; Jacob was in Devon's room. The boy followed right behind me, still clutching his suitcase. "There're some more boys coming in a little bit. We're gonna have to bunk you on this cot for the time being. But we'll go in town tomorrow and get you a real bed."

"This'll be okay," he said. "And you don't need to by an extra bed. Like I said, I won't be staying long." He was being very brave but I could sense fear and uncertainty behind the bravado.

I opened and closed several of the dresser drawers, looking for a place for the boy to put his clothes, and wondered where I was going to put another dresser.

"I don't need a drawer, I can use my suitcase," he said.

"We'll figure something out," I said, ruffling his hair.

"What am I supposed to call you?" he asked.

"Brad. Now, come on, I was just getting ready to have some ice cream."

He followed me downstairs and took the chair I motioned to. "Do you like anything on your ice cream?"

"Whatever you've got," he said.

I gleaned very little from talking to the boy as we ate our ice cream, but it was mostly because he didn't know how he had come to be dropped off at the end of our lane; only that they had come from the courthouse earlier in the day and then they brought him here.

When he'd finished his ice cream he said he wanted to go to bed if that was all right. I hadn't shown him the bathroom so I did that and asked him if he needed pajamas or anything to wear to bed. He told me no. When I checked on him later, he was on his knees beside the cot, in his shorts, arranging stuff on his suitcase that was shoved under the cot.

"I'm just putting some pictures and stuff out," he said.

"We'll figure out a way to get you a dresser in here," I told him. I hung around till he crawled into bed. I wanted to tuck him in if he would let me. I thought he might think he was too old to be tucked in.

"How many boys you got here?" he asked.

"Just one, and you. I think we'll probably have four more," I said as I tucked the blanket in to his sides. He let me.

"You don't need to get a new bed or a dresser just for me. I won't be staying that long. Just till she comes back for me and we can go on to Colorado and I'll get out of your way."

I squatted down beside the cot. "You're not in the way, Adam. You can stay as long as you want, buddy."

His lips tightened and he suddenly turned over to face the wall, but not before I'd seen him starting to pucker up. Next thing I knew, he was crying.

I sat on the edge of the cot and laid my hand on his shoulder. "What's the matter, Adam?"

"Nothing."

"Adam....son , you can tell me. You're safe here, you can tell me anything."

"She won't come back for me," he said, sobbing. "She never does. She left me at the neighbor's house the first time. When she did come back it was just to take me to my aunt and uncle."

I was rubbing his back and shoulders, trying to comfort him. He calmed down a little but he was still crying.

"They took me to a foster home till my grandmother came and got me. But she's sickly. She can't hardly take care of herself. She called my Mom. She came back and we went to the courthouse to find another foster home. That's when the judge said they should bring me here."

Bless Judge Thompson, I thought. "Judge Thompson did the right thing," I said as I rubbed his shoulder.

"I don't know where I'm supposed to go from here," he cried.

His words cut into me like a knife. I felt pity and anger but most of all I felt compassion; more than I thought I was capable of.

"Adam, turn over," I said quietly, still rubbing his shoulder. "Come on, turn over, look at me.

He finally did, after he had his sobbing under control.

"Listen to me, Adam. You're not going anywhere from here. You can stay here as long as you want."

He just looked at me, with his big, dark, wet eyes that cried out for love and understanding.

"Why?" he asked.

It was the most gut wrenching single-word question I'd ever had put to me, and I didn't know how to answer him. Finally, I replied, "Why not?" It was all I could think of to say. We remained eyeball to eyeball for a long moment and I think he understood, possibly for the first time in his life, that there was someone who cared about him. I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead and told him goodnight. I went back downstairs to wait for Jason to return with the other boys. I prayed to God he would find them, or that they would find their way to us.

Chapter One-Hundred-Three

Rounding Up The Boys

As Told by Me

Jason rounded up the boys--the ones he could find-and came back with three. He said it wasn't that hard; they were all making their way to our place, according to plan. They were all different, but tied together by one common thread; there was no one to give a shit. Jason gave a shit, even though he didn't want to. So did I, but in a different way. Like a mom and dad care about their kids in different ways. It was like I was their mom, he was their dad. They were three sorry looking kids, and scared, and wary. They carried very little with them. I had soup and sandwiches ready for them and they ate like they were hungry.

There was Jordan, tall, lean, tight build, dark hair that didn't need a comb. He seemed to be in charge. We learned he was fifteen years old.

"You're not going to send us back there, are you?" he asked, sounding very adult.

"No," I said.

"Where, then?" he asked.

"You're staying here," Jason said.

The other two--Nolan and Little George--didn't talk; they were too busy eating. When they had finished eating their fill we went about getting them settled in. Little George finished first and I took him upstairs. I scooted him into the shower while I gathered up some of our boys' old clothes for him to wear.

He said he was ten but he wasn't sure; he'd never had a birthday party. I bunked him in with Jacob and Adam, on the lower bunk. Adam was sound asleep. Jacob rose up on the top bunk but didn't say anything. Little George was the sweetest little kid I ever saw. He was a little guy with big, dark eyes that were saddened by the life he had, and a shock of curly blonde hair that I thought we would have to use the curry comb on. When I went in to check on him I found him on his knees beside his bed, praying, thanking God for the food we'd given him and a bed to sleep in. And for me. Thanking God for me! He was having a hard time getting his words out because he was crying. It was more than I deserved, and more than I could take. I stepped back from his door and went into the bathroom and cried like a baby. When I was straightened up I went back to his room.

He was just getting up off his knees. I picked him up and laid him on the lower bunk and pulled the covers up over him. I knew right away I shouldn't have done it; he was wide-eyed with fright. I knelt down beside the bunk and tucked the covers up under his chin.

"Are you going to be warm enough?"

"Yes," he said softly, with the first trace of a smile I'd seen on his cute face.

"I'll look after him," Jacob said, the first he'd spoke.

As I left his room, I thanked God for Little George.

Jason sent Nolan up next. I herded him into the bathroom to shower while I went to get the bunk beds in Kyle's room ready, and to lay out some of Kyle's old clothes for him to wear. Nolan was fourteen, going on nineteen. If he hadn't had an old school ID I wouldn't have believed he was fourteen. He was a big kid, in every way. Six feet tall, tilting the scale at least to 160 pounds and it was all muscle, and the way he was hung would put grown men to shame. He was taking a long time in the shower and I went in to check on him. I found him still in the shower with his head against the wall. I thought he was crying. I had my shorts on and on a whim I stepped in the shower and put my hand on his shoulder. He jumped like he'd been shot.

"Are you okay, son?" I asked, squeezing the considerable muscle on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said with a scowl, drawing his shoulder away.

They seemed to always cry. I hated it. I hated the causes and the people that made them cry. But at that moment I thought he might think I was one of those people.

"Alright." I drew my hand back. "Did you get enough to eat?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe Jason didn't tell you, but you can help yourself any time you want," I said as I stepped out of the shower.

"Okay, thanks."

I grabbed a towel and began drying off my upper body. "And if you need to talk, I'm a pretty good listener. No judgment, no lectures."

"Okay, thanks."

I started to take off my wet shorts to finish drying off but the look on his face when I hooked my thumbs in the waistband stopped me. I left him alone.

At the door I turned and said, "You'll be sleeping in the room next door. There're clean clothes I think will fit you."

"Thanks."

Jason brought Jordan upstairs; he'd stayed back to help clean up the kitchen. Jason took him into the bathroom and I could hear them talking. I went in to deliver a stack of clean towels and gather up the wet ones. Jordan wasn't shy about taking off his clothes in front of us.

"Where'd you get the tattoo?" Jason asked when the boy bent over. I glanced around and saw it on the inside of his butt cheeks: an anchor on side and Property of US Navy on the other.

"My uncle took me to get it. He was home on leave from the Navy and he got us both a little drunk and when I asked him about his tattoo on his arm, that's when he got the idea to get me one."

"You're fifteen years old," Jason said.

"Yeah, well, I was fourteen when I got it," Jordan said. "He bribed the guy to do it."

"Doesn't it hurt to get a tattoo?" I asked.

"Yes, it hurt. But like I said, I was a little drunk so it wasn't so bad I guess."

"What else did your uncle do to you?" Jason asked bluntly.

Suddenly startled, Jordan clammed up.

"You don't have to be afraid to talk to me," he said.

"I don't have to answer that, do I?"

"He put his brand on you," Jason said.

"That's what he said. But I never saw him again after that. I don't know if he was even my real uncle."

"How'd he get to be your uncle then?" I asked.

"I had a lot of uncles that I never met before they showed up. They were screwing my Mom."

We didn't ask him any more questions. Some dogs you just have to let lie.

I told him as we were leaving, "You're in the room next door with Nolan. There're clean clothes that ought to fit you."

"Thanks. From all of us. For everything," he said.

Jason and I went downstairs.

"Coffee?" I asked.

"No, I need a stiff drink."

I poured us each a glass of bourbon and we sat at the kitchen table. We had a perfectly good living room but we always sat at the kitchen table at times like this.

"What the fuck have we got ourselves into? We raised our two and now we've got four more boys under our roof."

I suddenly realized that Jason didn't know about Adam.

"Uhhh.....five," I said.

"What! Who's the fifth one?"

I told him about Adam.

"Well, what the hell....what's one more," Jason said.

Next morning at breakfast he met Adam. He was the only boy up. He was sitting at the table, waiting patiently for his plate when Jason came into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. He sat down around the corner from him and eyed him with suspicion. I saw Adam glance at him out of the corner of his eye without moving his head.

Jason rubbed his chin and said. "I don't remember seeing you last night."

"I came when you weren't home," he said in a timid voice.

"Well, I don't allow strangers at my table. What's your name?" he asked gruffly.

"Adam."

Jason put out his hand. It dwarfed the boy's much smaller hand. "I'm Jason. Glad to have you. So, we're not strangers anymore. Now if we wait long enough we just might get something to eat."

I looked in on the two boys a couple of nights later and found Jacob in the bottom bunk with George. It was obvious they were tangled together under the blanket. Jacob was awake and quick to explain. "He gets scared. I crawl in with him till he goes to sleep."

I bought it and I didn't. The part of me that didn't prompted me to confront Jacob later when were out feeding the calves.

"There's nothing funny going on between you and Little George, is there?"

He had a surprised look but I let him know with my look that it was a serious question and I wanted an answer.

"No. He likes for me to get in bed with him. He asks me to. It's like he needs somebody close to hang onto."

"Alright. I just don't want him hurt."

"I would never do anything to hurt Little George. He's getting to be like a little brother to me.

As Told by Jason

Braden and Colby were a challenge. They were both sixteen but nearly a year apart in age. Braden had just turned sixteen and Colby was about to turn seventeen. They were mature beyond their years but scared kids inside. Scared and mistrusting, and not to be trusted. It was late and they arrived in a car which aroused my curiosity. When they didn't get out right away I went out to meet them.

"You boys lost?"

"I don't think so. This looks like the place we're looking for."

"By that, I take it you're looking for a place to stay," I said.

"Just for a little while. Till we decide where we're going," the other boy said.

I put out my hand as I opened the door for the driver to get out. "I'm Jason."

"Braden. That's Colby."

"Is this your car?" I asked Braden.

"It's mine," the other one said. "I'm Colby."

For some reason I didn't believe it was his car. "Is it titled in your name?" I could tell my questions bothered him. As much as I didn't trust them, I could tell they didn't trust me either.

"In my uncle's name."

I nodded, making no attempt to hide that I was suspicious. I glanced in the back and there was nothing there. I moved around to the trunk. "Well, let's get your things," I said.

"We don't have much," Braden said.

"Well, get what you've got, let's get you settled in."

I saw the way they glanced at each other and I knew they were trouble. "I'd like for you to open the trunk."

Colby laughed. "It's just full of junk."

"Let's see."

Seeing that I was going to stand my ground, and probably intimidated by my size, he opened the trunk. It was stuffed full but it wasn't junk. It was full of stereos, video games, televisions, you name it.

"This stuff all belong to you?"

"Actually, no, it belongs to my uncle," Colby said.

I nodded, rubbing my jaw. I put my hand out and asked for his keys.

"What do you want my keys for?"

I just kept my hand out, purposely flexing my bicep. I saw him glance at my arm and he stepped back against the car, his hand on the door handle.

"You know, maybe we'll just move on," he said.

"The keys," I said.

He swallowed hard as he handed me the keys.

"Man, I told you we should've kept right on going while we had the chance," he said to Braden.

"I think you made the right decision," I said. "Let's get you fed." I slammed the trunk down and motioned them toward the house. Inside, Brad was setting out food. I introduced them. When we sat down at the table I got right to it.

"We need to set some ground rules."

"I doubt we'll be staying long. Like Braden said, we might leave after we eat," Colby said.

"Okay, but you'll be on foot."

"What?"

"I've got your keys," I said. "And I'm not giving them up till I get some answers. I might look like I just fell off the turnip truck but I can smell a lie before it comes out of your mouth, I can see it in your eyes. So don't think for a minute that I bought that cock and bull story about that stuff belonging to your uncle. Now, where'd you steal it?"

"We didn't st......"

I slammed my fist on the table so hard it made their plates jump. "Don't fuck with me!" I bellowed.

They started and sort of melted in their chairs. Braden laid his fork down, as if he might bolt and run. I was ready to stop him.

"Now let's start again from the top, with the car first."

"It's my uncle's car but he doesn't know I've got it," Colby said meekly.

"Okay, you stole the car, that's a start. Now what about the stash in the trunk?"

They looked at each warily.

"Okay, it's stuff we stole," Colby began. "We intended to keep some of it and sell the rest to pay for getting away."

"Away from a foster home?" Jason asked.

"No," Braden said. "We were in foster homes but we took off on our own several months ago."

"You didn't get far. What made you stop here?"

"We got stopped for running a stop sign. I knew we'd had it when the sheriff told us to open the trunk. We had to follow him back into town and next thing, we're standing in front of a judge. It was weird; all we got was a lecture about going straight. Then he told us about this place and recommended that we come here; and told the sheriff to show us the way. I think that was his way of telling us we'd damn sure better show up here."

"Yes, Judge Thompson has a way of putting things," Jason said. "I want to hear the rest of your story. There's a lot more to you boys than you're telling us."

Colby swallowed a lump in his throat but it didn't clear his throat. "I don't know what you wanta know."

"Some personal history," Jason said. "Like what've you been doing since you left the foster home. How have you supported yourselves?"

"Well, there's a lot we're not gonna tell you. Let's just say we've done a lot of shit that paid a lot of money," Braden said.

I was nodding my head, thinking of the next question but Brad beat me to it.

"This shit that paid a lot of money....was any of it in front of a camera?" he asked.

"We....we let 'em take pictures of us, and videos," Braden said. "But not doing anything," he added quickly. "Just taking off our clothes, just down to our shorts, and doing muscle poses."

"Who's them?" I asked. "Who took the pictures?"

"Businessmen, with money," Braden said.

"All the money you made, where is it? How come you don't have any money now?"

"We blew it. Then we got scared after the videos and the pictures. There wasn't anything really going on but we were afraid they might fall into the wrong hands and people would get the wrong idea."

"You can pretty much count on that," I said.

I got up to pour us more coffee. I'd seen Colby's muscles tighten when I got up and saw him kick Braden under the table.

"You stay put, boy," I said in a low, threatening tone. "I'll have you down before you reach the door."

When I turned around with the coffee, Colby's muscles were relaxed and he had his hands folded on the table. I set the coffee cups on the table but I didn't sit down. Instead I rested my butt against the counter.

"You got eyes in the back of your head?" Colby asked, looking up at me.

"I could tell you were gonna try to run," I said.

"What're you going to do with us," Colby asked quietly.

"We're going to try to make it right," I said. "How long ago did all of this happen; the pictures and the videos?"

"Within the last couple of months."

I let it go for the moment. "We don't have enough beds yet so you boys will have to make do on the couch and the floor. We'll get you beds tomorrow."

"Why don't we just go," Braden said. "We wouldn't be any bother to you that way."

I stepped over behind him and squeezed his shoulders. "At the risk of sounding corny, you boys need to be a bother to someone. You're started down a big fucked up path to a fucked up life, but it's not too late to turn around. I mean to help you do that. I don't know why I even give a fuck," I said as I smacked him on the back of the head. "But I do. So you boys get some sleep and we'll take a look at things in the morning. Things always look better in the light of day. And if I wake up and find you gone, I won't have any choice but to call the sheriff to put out an all points bulletin."

"Hell, you've got my keys," Colby said.

"And you don't know how to hot wire a car?"

"We won't run," Braden said. "Where're we supposed to sleep?"

"We can do this one of two ways," I said. "We can have you sleep in our room on the floor where we can keep an eye on you, or you can crash in there on the floor and we'll take a chance on you still being here in the morning."

"In there's okay," Colby said, nodding to the living room.

"I'll bring down some blankets," Brad said.

As we were going upstairs I heard one of them say, "We sleep upstairs, they'd probably wanta fuck us." I wondered why they would say that.

When I came back down with the blankets they were mostly undressed and I could see how they could make pretty good money posing for pictures.

"Here you go." I tossed the blankets on the couch. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to wake me up. If you get hungry in the night, go help yourselves."

"Thanks," they mumbled in unison.

"We'll go in town tomorrow and get you some bunk beds," I said, by way of letting them know they were welcome to stay.

I paused at the bottom of the stairs when I heard them talking.

"This might not be so bad," Braden said

"Maybe, for a little while, till we decided what we're gonna do. We need to talk about that," Colby said.

"Do you think they'll be here in the morning?" Brad asked as we were getting ready for bed.

"Yep."

"What makes you so sure?"

"They want somebody to give a shit," I said.

The two boys slept together on the floor. I woke up to find them in a tangle gut I didn't think there was anything sexual going on. It was probably the only form of love they knew.

The other boys were surprised next morning to see two more boys asleep on the living room floor. We shushed them to let the boys sleep.

"They got here late last night," Brad explained.

"We had an unusually quiet breakfast then Brad took the other boys out to show them more about how to do chores. I went in to wake the two newcomers.

"Shower's upstairs. I'll have your breakfast on the table in ten minutes."

They grabbed their clothes and rushed upstairs. They were down in five, looking a lot more refreshed. I had their breakfast on the table. They weren't shy about digging in. I got a cup of coffee and sat down with them.

"All right, tell me where these videos were made."

"Are you going to call the sheriff on us?" Braden asked.

"Only if you try to take off," I replied.

"In guys' houses except for one, it was made in a motel room."

"Can you show me the houses?"

"Yes, there were only two."

When they'd eaten we piled in their car, me driving, and set out for town where they directed me to the first house. The guy opened the door, all smiles.

"Hey, Braden, Colby, it's great to see you. I've been going to call you. I see you brought someone." He smiled at me and I smiled back to keep up the charade till we got inside. "Two hot fuckers, aren't they?" he said to me. "Have you had the pleasure yet? Cause I haven't."

"No. No, I haven't," I said, leading him on. "I'm married, you see. They said you might let us use your place."

"Gladly. As long as I get to join in, or at least watch, or take pictures," he said as he stepped back to usher us in. "Fuck, you're a stud yourself. Is this fuckable?" he added, clasping his hand around my butt.

"Only in your dreams," I said as I grabbed his wrist. I turned him around with his arm pinned behind his back.

"Hey, what the fuck is this? Who are you? Boys if you've called the police, you know you're in as much trouble as I am."

"I am not the police and I prefer not to get the police involved if we can settle this among ourselves. Now, what I'm really interested in is pictures and videos. I'm sure you've got quite a selection."

"Let go of my arm, I can show them to you," he said.

I released his arm and he led us into a den with several large chairs and a couch, and a mattress on the floor, and a wide screen. He opened a cabinet and drew out two videos and handed them to me.

"Just two?" I asked, looking at the boys.

"We only made two here," Colby said.

"What about the pictures?"

The guy pulled out an envelope and handed it to me.

"This is everything, right?" I asked.

"Yes. There's nothing incriminating in them. We didn't do anything with these boys."

"That's their story, too, but I want to see for myself. Are these the only copies?" I asked the guy.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to be mistaken and suddenly remember or find one after we leave."

"Absolutely the only ones I've got," he said. "There are others out there that guys took for souvenirs but I have no idea where those might be by now; who the guys even were. We didn't keep names."

"Other copies of the videos?

"Those are the only two with these boys."

We left. Walking to the car, Braden said, "I think he's telling the truth. I never saw anybody leave with a video."

"You see why this wasn't a good idea," I said. Suddenly I whirled around and went back to the house. I barged in without knocking. The guy was dialing the phone. I grabbed it and slammed it down.

"Okay, let's go." I grabbed his arm.

"Where're we going? Why are you taking me along? You're taking me to the police, aren't you?"

"No, I said no police, as long as you cooperate. But I don't want this other prick getting a phone call to destroy the other videos and pictures, so you're coming along."

"There are no other videos," he whined.

"We'll see," I said. "Where else?" I asked the boys.

"We'll show you," said Colby

At the other house the two men knew each other and the other guy was equally happy to see us.

"It's not what you think," my guy told him when we were inside.

"Oh, shit!" the man gasped, turning pale.

"It's not that either," his friend said. "He's not the police. He just wants the pictures we took of Braden and Colby."

"And any and all copies," I said. What a damned fool! Just the way he said pictures, I knew damn well there were more videos.

"Who the hell are you if you're not the police," he asked.

"A collector," I said.

"I don't have copies, only the original shoots," he said as he led us into a room and unlocked his desk. He handed me an envelope.

"And all copies," I said.

"Yes, that's all of them."

"Now the videos."

The man sighed and unlocked a lower desk drawer and pulled out two videos. I glanced at the other guy. He was starting to turn pale. I asked about the one made at the motel room.

"It's that one," the man said, pointing to one he'd given me.

"Let's have a look," I said.

"You....you wanta look at it?"

"Not all the way through, I just want to see that it's a motel room." I also wanted to see if it was as "innocent" as everybody was letting on. If the boys were engaging in sex with either of these men, or other men, I was going to call the judge.

He slipped it in and Braden and Colby popped right up on the screen, in their shorts, like they said. It was done in a motel room. I watched about five minutes of it and although it was sensual, it didn't rise to the level of sex.

"This is all?" I asked the boys.

"Yeah, we didn't actually do anything," Braden said.

I didn't bother watching any more of it."

"Okay, that's enough," I said.

He took it out and handed it back to me.

"Now, does anyone else have any copies of these?"

"No. I swear," my first man said.

"I'm asking him, you've already lied to me," I said as I backhanded the guy so hard it knocked him off his feet. I looked back at the other guy. I figured he would know better than lie.

"No, not that I know of."

"Now the pictures."

The guy reached in another drawer and handed me a large manila envelope.

"If it turns out these aren't all, I'll be back," I warned.

Driving away I could feel the boys' relief, but then it got funny.

"Listen, if, uh....if you don't have to, we would like not to have all of those destroyed," Braden said.

I looked around with a tight smile. "You want them as souvenirs?"

"Well, it was our acting debut, we'd like to keep them. It'd be nice to watch them again."

"I'll think about it."

Chapter One-Hundred-Four

Making Things Right

How it happened

As told by Jason

The next thing was to make the thefts right. They told me the stuff had been stolen from two places. The first place they took me to was a sleazy looking place with sale signs covering the windows, called Benji's. We got out and went inside where we were greeted by a sleazy little guy who I immediately pegged as suffering from little man syndrome. It was in his walk and the way he carried himself.

I told him why we were there and asked him to come out and have a look in the trunk to identify anything that was taken from his store. He wasn't at all considerate of my efforts. He started cursing the boys and even lunged at Braden but I stepped between them.

"Knock off the shit, Little Man, or we'll drive off with everything!" I barked. He backed off. "Now, do you want your stuff or not?"

He continued cursing under his breath as we went out to the car. Braden opened the trunk and the man began picking out his stuff. I took it and handed it off to the boys to carry in. When he picked up one of the televisions Colby spoke up to stop him.

"We didn't take the TVs from his store," he said. "Those came from Bailey's Home Store."

I grabbed the man by the shoulder and pulled him back from the trunk and slammed it shut. "Carry his shit in," I said angrily. Inside, I asked him about damages to his store from the break-in.

"Damages? You wouldn't believe the damage they did. They broke my front window and smashed the door in."

"We didn't break his window, we came in through the back, and all we did was jimmy the lock. It was loose, it practically fell apart," Braden said.

"And his window's been taped up like that for months," Colby put in.

"I'm calling the police, you two little pricks are going to jail," the man growled as he grabbed the phone.

I grabbed his hand and slammed the phone down.

"Nobody's calling the police. I'm getting these boys straightened out, you are not going to fuck up their lives by putting them in prison where they'd learn to be real criminals and come back and clean you out. Nice try to get your cracked window replaced, you fuckin' sleaze ball. If they busted a window, there would be a new one in there, or plywood, and those windows are so old and dirty you can't even seen through them. And you tried to steal a television." I snatched the phone up and thrust it at him. "On second thought, go ahead and call the police, maybe you'll end up sharing a cell with these boys. Go ahead, call, I'm friends with Judge Thompson, I'll put in a good word for you."

"Just get out of my store. Get the hell out of my store! And don't ever come back or I will call the police!"

Driving away I said, "You know that fucked up path you boys were on. That's where it was leading you."

The next place was Bailey's Home Store. We got out in front of the store and I opened the trunk and told them to take out the stuff they'd taken from Bailey's. There were two stereos, a box full of tapes, two boom-boxes and two small televisions. I didn't lift a finger to carry anything. Colby handed me the box of tapes but I waved him off.

"I didn't steal it," I said. But I held the door open for them.

A stooped, kindly looking old man came out of the back room or office with a bewildered, curious look on his face. His wife stood in the doorway.

"These boys have some stuff they would like to return," I said.

"You're the ones who broke into my store," he said, in a sad voice.

I looked at the boys. "He's talking to you," I said sternly.

"Yes, sir," Braden spoke up quickly. "But it's all here."

"You should be ashamed of yourselves," the woman said.

"Was there any damage from the break-in?" I asked the man.

"Yes, there was a broken window and the door was kicked in. I had to have a new door frame and a new door."

I believed him but I asked the boys, "That sound about right?"

They both nodded. "It was in back," Colby said.

"And the mess and the broken glass," the woman added.

"If you will show me the bill for the repairs, the boys will reimburse you," I said.

The woman disappeared into the back and came out with the bill. I looked it over and handed it to the boys. They looked at it together, looking duly ashamed.

"Remember that figure, 'cause that's what you owe this man." Then I said to him, "It'll take a little while but they'll pay you back every cent."

"Pardon me, but....this one has been used, I can't sell it as new," the man said, setting one of the boom boxes on the counter.

"What's the retail price?"

He showed me the price on the other one. I picked up the boom box and handed it to the boys. "You just bought yourselves a boom box. Add that to the repairs." Then I looked at the woman. "How about if the boys clean your store for six months, as often as you say, and wash your front windows?"

She looked at them warily and said, "What if they steal from us again?"

"They won't," I declared. "One last question; do you want to press charges?" I thought the boys were going to shit their pants.

The man pondered for a moment then led his wife to the back room. They came out a few minutes later, him shaking his head.

"No, we think they've learned their lesson from you."

"Alright. Thank you, you're a good man" I said, putting my hand out. We shook hands and I stepped back, looking at the boys.

Braden stepped up first, his hand out. "Thank you, sir, for giving us another chance."

Then Colby. "Yes, sir, thanks." Then he put his hand out to the woman. "We'll be here to clean your store."

On the way back I told the boys, "By the way, I want you to wash my truck every week, and polish it once a month." They gave me a what-the-fuck look. "For causing me so much shit," I added.

The boys thought they were home free. They thought they still had a car to drive. I reminded them otherwise, that there was still the matter of a stolen car.

"Where does your uncle live?" I asked.

They were reluctant to answer.

"I don't ask these questions just to hear myself talk," I growled.

"He doesn't need the car," Colby said.

"Then he won't mind putting the title in your name," I said. They both knew where I was heading. "Let's go see your uncle."

Colby drove the car, Braden rode in the truck with me. On the way, Braden told me more of their story about Colby's uncle.

"He always had an angle, a way to make money. You've heard of the cash cow. He wanted to make us his cash studs, rent us out to rich women for money. It sounded like a great idea at first. We would be fucking some beautiful women and getting paid big bucks for it."

"He wanted to be your pimp," I said.

"Yeah. That's sort of why it wasn't such a great idea. When we thought about it like that, we would be prostitutes and that didn't sound so great. If we'd just been hooking up with those women it would've been different. But his uncle renting us out and skimming off the top, it was creepy."

"So that's when you turned to the more respectable profession of thievery," I said.

I had my doubts but it turned out the guy really was Colby's uncle, and he was furious. He tore into him right away when he opened the door.

"You stole my fuckin' car, you little prick!" he yelled, lunging at the boy.

I stepped between them. "He said he borrowed it. He's bringing it back."

"He fuckin' stole it!"

"Did you report it stolen?" I asked.

"He's my sister's kid, I didn't want to get him in trouble."

"He manages that pretty well on his own," I said.

"I should've. I should've had his ass arrested and thrown in jail," he ranted on. "Sometimes I'm just too good hearted for my own good." He turned on Colby again. "Next time you pull something like this I will have you arrested."

I laughed. "That would get to be a sticky situation, wouldn't it? I mean, did your sister know you were trying to pimp out her underage son to rich women? Maybe she'd want to call the police." He started to turn pale, his mouth moved but no words came out. "Shouldn't throw stones," I said.

After we'd returned the vehicle we went to Barton's Furniture to look at bunk beds. It was a test more than anything. They didn't make any attempt to try to dissuade me. I guessed they were staying. Of course they no longer had a vehicle to drive.

I let them pick out the beds and a dresser. It was funny how they checked out all the beds, for two boys who hadn't planned on sticking around. They were even disappointed that one of the bunks that they chose had a tiny split in the side rail. The salesman saw their disappointment and quickly said he could have another one brought from their other store the next day.

I started to pick out a youth bed and a dresser for Adam but Brad had said he'd told him that they would pick it out. When I got home I sent him and Adam back into town so he could pick out his dresser and bed, so it could all be loaded on the truck at the same time.

When the store called the next day I tossed my keys on the table and told Braden and Colby to go into town and pick up the other bed. They sat there looking at each other, then at me.

"Serious? After all the shit you know we've pulled, you're gonna trust us with your truck?" Braden asked in disbelief.

"Are you planning on stealing it?"

"No. No, but...."

"I know a lot of people wouldn't trust you with the church plate collection, but you haven't given me, personally, any reason not to trust you." Then I took out some money and tossed it with my keys. "Fill it up on the way home."

They didn't say anything else till they were going out the door.

"He's calling this place home for us," one of them said.

"Yeah, I know."

We had Adam and Jacob in with Little George, and Nolan in with Jordan and added the second set of bunk beds in that room for Colby and Braden. With the second dresser, it was crowded.

"You might be rubbing butts maneuvering around in here, but it's the best we can do," I said. I had suggested that we dismantle the weight room but the older boys wouldn't hear of it. They liked that they had their own workout room at home. Secretly, I thought they wanted to bunk together in close quarters.

It was interesting how the boys seemed to team up. Jacob was protective of Adam and Little George. Braden and Colby stuck together, as did Nolan and Jordan although Nolan was more apt to be the leader of the group.

Colby and Braden did a good job keeping my truck washed and polished but after a while it wasn't so much punishment as them having fun together. It was a pleasure to watch them out there in their shorts tossing buckets of water on each other and spraying one another with the hose. I wondered how long it'd been, if ever, since they'd had fun that didn't result in getting into trouble. If I was on a roll with them, I didn't want to lose the momentum.

We had sold the ponies and the tack and bought two horses. All the boys were happy as shit. I assigned Nolan and Jordan the responsibility of taking care of one of them, and assigned Braden and Colby to the other one. They sort of claimed the horses as their own. They couldn't figure out why we were being so good to them.

They enjoyed the horses immensely, as did the other boys. It was good to see how they all watched over Little George. At first they wouldn't let him ride by himself. Then when they did, Jacob led the horse around. Not so much with Nolan; he was as big as they were and closer to their age. They rode a lot together and I could see a different kind of bond developing between them. I didn't know how intimate that bond was but I suspected it was getting pretty tight.

One evening when they were saddling up to go for a ride they invited me to come along; the boys would take turns doubling up on one horse.

"Naw, you boys go ahead," I said. "And take the saddle off."

"Ride bareback?" Colby asked.

"Yeah. And if you want a real thrill, ride bare-assed."

"You mean....naked?"

"You don't know the meaning of freedom till you've ridden bareback and naked," I said. I looked up at the rising moon. "It's a nice night. We'll hold supper for you."

"Can the younger boys ride that way?" Jacob asked, speaking of Little George and Adam.

"Sure, why not. You take them on Roman," I said. "Gladiator can be a bit feisty." The boys had named the horses.

"Come on guys, strip down," Jacob told them as he started taking off his clothes.

"Are we really going to ride naked?" Adam asked with glee.

"Jason said you could," Jordan said.

Jacob led Roman over to the fence and mounted him then had the two younger boys climb up the fence and he put Adam behind him and Little George in front. It was a sight to see, and there was nothing sensual about it.

When Braden and Colby were stripped down they got on Gladiator and rode off in another direction. I glanced around and saw the same look of curious surprise on Brad's face as I was sure I had on mine. We went in to start supper. A short time later Nolan and Jordan got tired of waiting and came on in the house.

Soon, Jacob returned with the two younger boys full of excitement over the adventure.

"Braden and Colby aren't back yet?" he asked.

Jordan laughed. "I wouldn't wait supper on them."

We didn't. It was a long ride.

It was some time later that they realized the real reason we'd bought the horses; when they were cleaning out the stalls. There's not much that smells worse than horse shit. It's powerful stuff, that's the reason it makes such great fertilizer. I watched from the shed where I busied myself as they came out of the barn every few minutes to suck in fresh air. They had their shirts off and they were good eye candy, but mostly I was having a good laugh over it. I went out to the barn to check on them.

"How's it going?"

"Christ, I never smelled anything so bad in my life," Braden said. "It takes your breath away."

"We think we know why you bought the horses," Colby said.

"I bought 'em to give you something to do besides steal cars and televisions and stereos," I said.

"The reason you bought 'em can be summed up in one word," Colby said. "Responsibility."

"Well, there is that," I conceded.

"I read about animals being therapy," Colby went on. "You give a boy an animal to take care of and be totally responsible for. The animal is totally dependent on the boy....something like that."

"Would you rather I bought a couple of kittens?" I asked.

"Oh, no, sir. We love these horses," Braden said. "And we don't mind taking care of them except for this shit."

"Well, there's the good, the bad and the ugly in everything," I drawled. I started to walk away.

"Hey, Jason." I turned back around. They were both smiling. "Thanks for turning us on to riding bareback."

I nodded, smiling back. "I thought you might enjoy that."

"You're cool, man."

For good measure I thought it'd be a good time to loosen the reins a little. "By the way, you're doing a good job taking care of my truck. How would you like to start driving it?"

Their faces lit up like a Christmas tree.

"You're gonna let us drive your pickup!"

"As long as you keep it washed and polished," I said. "And don't drink and you stay off drugs," I added.

The horses worked out so well that we decided to buy some baby chicks for Little George to care for.

But Nolan never quite took to us, especially me. I thought he resented my discipline. One day he ran away.

It was after we'd eaten and some of the boys had gone up to their rooms to work out. Braden noticed that Nolan wasn't anywhere around. We did a search of the house and the outbuildings but I knew in my heart that he'd run away. And I knew why. I expected one of them to run but not that soon. Braden and Colby offered to help look for him but I didn't want it to look like we were ganging up on him. I went alone.

After nearly hour of driving around I found him along the side of the road about dark, saw him tumble into the ditch up ahead of me. I stopped and got out of my truck with a flashlight. He was cowering behind the remains of an old culvert.

"Come up out of the ditch, Nolan."

"No."

"Son, look at me, look at you. You're a big boy but I can come down there and carry you out of that ditch."

He crawled up the embankment, shying away from me. I noticed he didn't have anything with him and that gave me hope, that maybe he wanted me to come after him. When he stumbled I reached down and grabbed his arm to pull him the rest of the way up.

"Can you drive?" I asked, handing him the keys.

He looked at me, dumbfounded. "Yeah, I can drive but I'm fourteen, I don't have a license."

"Just as long as you can drive," I said.

"You're going to let me drive this?" He motioned to my big Dodge Ram.

"You said you could drive."

I could see that he was excited as hell and a little nervous about driving my truck. He was a good driver. A few miles down the road I told him to turn into a lane that led along the side of a field.

"Why?"

"Just do it."

He slowed but I could tell he was ready to speed up. "Don't even think about touching the gas," I said.

"I knew it would eventually come to this. That why you came after me? Why're we pulling in here?" he asked as he turned in. "What're you going to do?"

"Teach you to trust me. Pull in behind that clump of trees up ahead." When he was parked I reached over and turned off the motor and took the keys. I got out and walked around to the other side and opened his door. He got out without me telling him to. He was scared. That was okay, I wanted him to be scared, it would make it easier to show him he didn't have any reason to be scared of me.

"Take off your clothes," I said as I peeled of my own T-shirt.

"No. Why? What're you gonna do?"

"Just like I could carry your ass up out of that ditch, I can take your clothes off of you, but I'd rather you do it yourself." As soon as I'd said it I had another idea. "On second thought, I will take your clothes off of you, and you can take mine off of me."

He reared back when I went up to him but he didn't run. He stood there while I took his shirt off. I half expected him to try to kick me when I knelt to remove his boots but he didn't. I was ready for it though. I reached up and undid his belt and opened his fly then pulled his jeans down, along with his shorts. He grabbed his shorts and pulled them back up. He lifted his feet for me to take his jeans off then I yanked his shorts down and took those off.

"Okay, your turn," I said as I stood up. I knew what he was thinking was going to happen and I still wasn't sure he wouldn't run.

I already had my shirt off. He undid my jeans then knelt down on one knee to take off my boots. When I lifted my feet for him to take them off of me, he pulled my jeans down and took them off as well, leaving me in my shorts.

"The shorts, too," I said.

With his head cocked a little to one side he pulled them down and I stepped out of them.

"I guess you probably want me to stay down here," he said in a surly tone.

"Not unless you want to," I fired back smartly.

"I don't," he said. "But you're gonna fuck me anyway."

"Stand up," I said again.

He stood up and leaned back against the side of the truck. Godd, he was beautiful, that beauty crowned by the biggest cock I'd ever imagined on a boy his age. But it was all visual. I had no desire for the boy. Nothing like that was going to happen.

"Why did you run off?" I asked.

"Brad came in the shower with me. And you kept coming in my bedroom at night. I didn't know what you might do to me." His voice was strong, unafraid.

"Look at you, look at me. You're naked, I'm naked and I haven't laid a hand on you. And Brad didn't touch you in the shower."

"Yes he did!"

"Not like that. Where'd he touch you?"

"He put his hand on my shoulder."

"And that's why you don't trust us?"

"My dad and step mom tried to use me to entertain their friends. I learned not to trust anybody."

I could understand that. If you couldn't trust your own mom, who could you trust? "How old were you?"

"Twelve."

"You said they tried to use you."

"They sat me down and told me the things they wanted me to do when they invited their friends over. They said their friends wanted to watch. And take pictures. I didn't even understand some of the things they wanted me to do. And I don't wanta talk about this anymore," he said as he puckered up and started crying.

"Alright," I said quietly. "I'm sorry, Nolan. I'm really sorry." I was moving closer as I spoke. Leaned back against the truck, he had no place to go unless he bolted and ran and I could see no sign that he was going to try that. I stood against him, my legs on either side of his. I put my arms around his shoulders and pulled him tightly against me, our bare bodies pressed against each together. There was nothing sexual about it; I wanted him to know he could trust me.

"Just tell me, did they ever make you do any of those things?"

"No. I think they got scared that I would run away and tell somebody."

I wasn't sure I believed him but I didn't press him. I just held onto him and felt his dry sobs.

"Nothing like that's going to happen with us," I said. "Not with me and not with Brad. Do you understand?"

"You don't believe me, do you? Why should you when I'm this way now with you?"

I knew he was referring to how his body had started to react.

"Yes, I believe you," I lied. "How you are right now doesn't mean anything. You're a teenage boy with more testosterone than blood in your veins and your body wants to be in control."

"That's for sure," he said.

"You needn't be ashamed of your body or how it reacts. When you do listen to your body--and we know you do--that's okay, too. Don't be ashamed of who you are. Understand?"

He nodded.

I cupped his chin in my hand and made him look at me, right in the eye. It was sort of funny having this tall, well-built fourteen year old standing eyeball to eyeball with me.

"We come into your room to check on you. We do that to all of the boys. You've got nothing to fear from me, or Brad. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, sir."

I stepped back and grabbed up his clothes and handed them to him. Nolan and I became pretty tight after that. He trusted me.

I bought two feeder calves for Nolan to raise. It took him a while to catch on to responsibility. One day I found the water troughs dry. At supper when Brad set the drinks on the table I took Nolan's glass and dumped it in the sink. Everybody looked at me; Nolan with an angry frown.

"You didn't fill the water troughs. The calves don't drink, you don't drink," I told him. It never happened again.

The only challenge young Adam presented was not smothering him with love. I tried to keep my emotions locked down; I thought that was how you turned men into boys, by being a man yourself. Brad said the boys could see through me and I was glad of that but I still kept up the façade.

Adam was as lovable as a puppy and the other boys took to him like he was one. I guess that's why I bought him two Golden Lab puppies to be responsible for. He was the only one that I thought had not been sexually abused, and that made him pure in that sense, but there had been other abuse. Not physical, but it can't be anything but abuse when your mom and her boyfriend drop you off at the end of the lane and tell you to go to that house. He had all the fears and wonderment and curiosities of puberty but I was well equipped for that.

I'd sent him out to feed and water Nolan's two calves. Besides his two dogs, he was learning how to take care of the other animals as well. They all were, and they were getting to love animals. I couldn't find him anywhere so I assumed he was in the hayloft. I called out to him as I was climbing up. I emerged into the loft to see him with his back to me, he was frantically doing up his jeans, and when he turned around his face was red with embarrassment.

"I came up to toss down some more bales," he said in a croaking voice.

"I'll help you," I said and I picked up two bales, one in each hand and tossed them down. "Let's toss down a dozen or so, we won't have to do this again for a few days."

"That's a good idea," he said.

"I'm proud of the way you're taking on responsibility, Adam."

He just smiled. His face had returned to normal color. We never spoke of it.

Chapter One-Hundred-Five

Sgt. Blackburn

As told by Brad

Kyle knew that we'd taken in some boys but I guess we failed to tell him how many. He got the news when he came home for a weekend with his dirty laundry and intending to take some more of his clothes back with him. Before he had a chance to go upstairs I warned him that there'd been a change in sleeping arrangements.

"There are four boys sleeping in your old room."

"Before I ask how the hell you managed to cram four in that room....where'd they come from? How old are they?"

"Well, it's crowded," I said. "I guess you might say they're throw-aways. It's a long story and Jason will tell it better than I can. I hope you're not upset."

"No, Dad, I think it's great that you guys are taking these boys in."

"You might want to rethink that statement," I said. "They're also wearing some of your clothes."

He laughed, shaking his head. "I didn't come back to stake my claim," he said. "This will always be home, but it won't be where I live." He laughed again. "I can't wait till Devon sees this."

"Have you guys talked about it? What does he say?"

"He thinks it's great too, he says you guys needed something like this to keep you young."

"The hell," I scoffed. "They're making us old before our time."

It was one of the last, unseasonably warm days in October. Perfect T-shirt weather. I had worked up a sweat and taken my shirt off to feel the warm sun on my bare skin. It had been an unusually warm month and the leaves were only now beginning to fall. I was out raking and picking up limbs, thinking I had an entire yard crew to do this kind of work, but I liked doing yard work myself. The boys were all in school and Jason was at work; I liked the quiet, alone time. I heard the car turn into the lane and watched it come up the curved drive to the parking spot we had created several yards out from the porch. My interest was suddenly piqued when I saw the military cap. Who the hell could this be, I wondered. I picked up my T-shirt and walked toward the car, rake in hand. The driver had on shades and his cap cast a shadow over his face when he got out of the car. I was immediately impressed, whoever it was, thinking it was probably someone stopped to ask directions. The way he set his boot on the ground, then the other one, and stood to look around exuded an air of confidence that only comes with military bearing. In a glance I took in his profile, noting the way he filled out the uniform, with special note of his butt that stuck out in a shapely curve, then his arms that strained against the short sleeves. His neck, too was thick with corded muscle, and he was tanned to a sharp contrast against the white T-shirt showing at his open collar.

He saw me coming toward him and removed the sun glasses and cocked the hat back to reveal his face. My heart did a little flip-flop.

"Sgt. Blackburn?" as I approached him.

"Hey, Courter," he greeted me with a wide, bright smile, his hand out.

We shook hands but didn't hug. I was a sucker for big, muscular hands, like Jason's, and his held mine in a vise-like grip. I noticed he had his rank on his shoulders, not his sleeve. He wasn't a sergeant anymore; he was a warrant officer.

"I guess I call you sir, now," I said as I stood back and saluted.

He automatically returned my salute then waved me off. "Sergeant's fine, or whatever else you wanta call me," he said.

"Son-of-a-bitch," I swore. "What're you doing in this part of the country?"

"Between duty stations. Thought I would take the chance and see if I could find you," he said.

I motioned him up on the porch. "Park it, I'll get us a beer," I said, tossing my T-shirt over the back of a chair. It surprised me that my hands were shaking as I got two beers out of the refrigerator. Blackburn had parked his awesome butt on the porch railing, leaned back against the post with one leg flung out, making it impossible not to notice the bulge at his crotch. I tried to remember....but all I could remember was his butt. I would never forget that ass. I handed him the beer.

"Nice wheels," I remarked, nodding to the gun-metal blue-gray BMW.

"I picked it up at the docks in New York. I'm putting the first miles on it."

"How the hell did you find me?"

"Well, I did a tour in Vietnam when there were rumors about the peace talks." He laughed, "Never know when they're going to find another war for us to fight and I didn't want to completely miss out on this one. I managed to get to Saigon a couple of times and ended up in a place called Toby's."

"Ahh, Toby's," I said, laughing, with fond memories. I wished Jason was here.

"We got to shooting the shit and I was telling him about this crazy Marine who came through who'd been in a coma for over two years and was busting his ass to get back over there to find a buddy of his. Even took basic training all over again. Toby looked like he'd seen a ghost. Then he said your name. Brad Courter. That's all he said. Then I must've looked like I'd seen a ghost. Fuck, we knew the same guy. What're the chances? He gave me your address, me thinking, if I'm ever in the neighborhood. Anyway, I tucked it in my billfold and forgot about it."

"Then I went to Germany to train some special ops guys. I came back, picked up my car in New York and driving through Pennsylvania, I remembered I had this address. So here I am."

"They must have raised the pay grades considerably since I was in," I said eyeing the vehicle. Even under the layers of road dirt, it was a beautiful car.

"That's another story," he said, laughing. "Right now it needs washing."

"We've got a boy in Germany."

"Where's he stationed?" Blackburn asked.

"Grafenwoehr."

"Been there. I trained there on maneuvers a couple of times. You said we've got a boy....you got married, huh?"

"No. My buddy and I raised two boys we brought back from Vietnam. One is a Marine, the one in Germany, the other one is in college."

"The guy you were looking for? You found him then."

"Yes. We settled here to try to make the transition back to a normal life. Right now we're raising a whole slew of boys. You'll meet them when the school bus drops them off. Troubled boys, supposedly, but hell they're no trouble. All they needed was some love and a lot of tough discipline."

"You're running a foster home," he said, surprised.

"No. There are no legal strings attached. They're just here, like our own."

"Man, that's great."

"It gets complicated sometimes but there's nothing like a houseful of teenage boys to help make the transition."

"I'll remember that," he said. He smiled over the top of his beer. "Do you remember our time together?"

"Who could forget?"

"I'm anxious to meet your partner. And your boys," he said. "Fuck, the testosterone must be overpowering in this house, like a drug."

"It gets that way. But it's not like that," I said. I knew what he was thinking. "Sometimes I wish it were," I added with a smile. "But the boys have to find their own way, make their own discoveries." Then I asked, "How long can you stay?"

"Couple of days, if that wouldn't be intruding."

"Not at all. Get your bag."

"No, no, I'm checked into a little motel on the edge of town. Besides, you've got a houseful."

"You're not staying in any motel. We're never that full, if you're up to sleeping on the couch."

"Okay, I can cancel when I go pick up my bag. This is mighty good and neighborly of you," he said.

"I hope we can get more than neighborly," I said.

"I was hoping that too. But with a partner and a houseful of boys......"

"We'll work it out." I took him in the house where I started peeling potatoes. It was late afternoon and I needed to get supper in the oven. The school bus would be coming by soon. Sgt. Blackburn laughed when he saw how many potatoes I laid out.

"This bunch eats like an army," I told him. "So, how did you afford that car?" I asked.

He told me his story.

"When I made warrant officer I got to mix with the brass. On the fringe of course, but I got to see how the other half lives. I didn't fit in so well with the higher ranking officers but some of the wives got pretty friendly. I kept my distance but one night a captain got falling down drunk and I went to the aid of his wife in getting him out of the officers club and into the car. She was so embarrassed and disgusted. I drove them home and got him into the house and upstairs. She guided me to the guest room; she said she didn't want him sleeping in their bed. I wondered if she meant just that night or if he always slept in the guest room. He was a big guy and I took over undressing him when I saw how she was struggling with it. He was a pretty impressive looking guy in uniform but he didn't live up to the packaging. He was pale and pasty and had skinny legs. I got him down to his shorts and T-shirt and left him to her. As I was leaving the bedroom she asked me to wait downstairs."

"I waited. It started raining. I'd driven their car, intending to walk back to my quarters. The captain's wife came downstairs several minutes later in a long, elegant dressing gown. I thought, Uh-Oh, this doesn't bode well. She heard the rain hitting the windows. It was thundering by now; the rain had turned into a real storm. She said she would change and drive me back. I told her no, it wouldn't hurt me to get a little wet but she was having none of it. She insisted I stay and have a drink and wait out the storm, or she could make some coffee. I opted for the coffee."

"She sat at the kitchen counter on a high stool, one leg crossed over the other and the dressing gown pulled back to the danger point, draped down over the stool. It wasn't covering much of her shapely legs. She invited me to sit but I figured that wasn't good protocol so I remained standing. I was going to finish my coffee and be on my way. She apologized for her husband but I waved it off. She started asking about me and my army career. She thought it was wonderful that I had worked my way up through the ranks. She seemed to have disdain for officers who were commissioned, like her husband."

"An officer and a gentleman, by act of Congress," she scoffed. "Congress should see him now." Then she hit me with a thunderbolt."

"It doesn't look like the rain is going to stop. Why don't you just spend the night."

"No, Ma'am, I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"You'll get soaked. And I think it's a wonderful idea."

"What would he think?"

"He's past thinking. He's pretty much past everything, drunk or not."

I was thinking, No, No, No, this is not going to happen. Then she got up and went over to her purse that was laying on the couch. She took out some money and laid it on the counter, spread out so I could see it was two hundred bucks.

"As you can see, I'm not past offering a bribe, or a fee or whatever you want to call it."

"Ma'am, your husband is a captain, a ranking officer."

"You're not being asked to sleep with the captain."

"I should go"

"Please don't. If that's not enough......"

"No, that's not it."

"Listen, I can set you up with other desperate wives, German and American alike. With a body like that, you could name your own price."

"You haven't seen my body."

"I've never seen anyone fill out a uniform like that," she said.

The more we talked, the longer I stayed, the weaker my defenses were. She shoved the money toward me again.

"Take it, regardless, for coming to my rescue."

I didn't take the money but I didn't shove it back. "No, I won't accept money for that."

"Then accept it for this." She stood down off the stool and the dressing gown fell open, exposing the inner slopes of her tits right on down to her feet. She was a well-put-together-woman, not for her age but for any age. I noticed too, that she was shaved. How did she know my weakness for shaved pussy?

"If it matters, you wouldn't be degrading me. You're not the first man I've hired to do his job. Boys, really, a couple of them. Barely out of high school, but still, they were in uniform."

This woman was desperate and her shaved pussy was beckoning to me. Suddenly, I didn't care if the guy sleeping it off upstairs was a three star general. I loosened my tie as I went to her.

"Yess!" she hissed.

I moved up to her and slid my arm around her, inside the robe then bent down and picked up her naked body with the robe flowing from her shoulders. She smelled good. I started for the couch.

"Take me upstairs."

"In your bed, with him in the next room?"

"Yes."

"He could wake up," I said.

"If he does, he might learn something."

"And I would be busted down to private."

"I can assure you, that would not happen," she said. "He wouldn't risk the truth coming out about his manhood."

I headed for the stairs. I took them easily. She didn't weigh that much.

"He could never do this, carry me up the stairs," she said.

"Why do you stay with him?"

"He ranks high among his peers and his superior officers. He'll go far. I intend to be there to share the benefits."

I carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed. For all practical purposes, she was naked. The robe clothed only her arms. I took it off of her and laid it on a chair then took off my jacket and laid it on top of her gown. The rest of my clothes followed.

"My Godd," she whispered when I was down to my shorts. "You're absolutely gorgeous!"

"Don't embarrass me," I said as I crawled on the bed with her. Before I could lie down she peeled my shorts off my butt and helped me wriggle out of them. My cock hung suspended out in a long, wide arch, thick and rubbery. She never got a good look at it but she reached for it.

"Oh, my Godd" she moaned as she lifted it in both of her hands. I straightened for her to see.

"You don't have to be gentle with me. I know you're a Marine. You don't have to make love to me."

I wasn't planning to. She was ready and so was I. I mounted her and fucked her eyeballs out. As requested. I wasn't gentle. There was no lovemaking. Closest thing to it was sucking her tits and some pretty passionate kissing. And yeah, I dove down between her legs but that wasn't necessarily love making either. She gave back in kind. Well into it I realized I hadn't even thought of a condom and I didn't have one with me. It took guts for me to ask the question but I had to do it.

"Listen, I don't have a condom on," I said while I was still pounding her pussy. I was going to ask if I could get one of her husbands.

"You don't need one and you don't have to pull out," she said.

I took her word for it. What the hell, if she did get pregnant, it would be his, not mine. I blew a load in her that drained out when I pulled my cock out. She was happy about that, she said she wanted him to see it. She told me he was pretty good at eating pussy, that was the reason she kept it shaved. Nothing like rubbing his face in another man's cum.

I was satisfied that I earned the two hundred bucks. And I left with several phone numbers without knowing whose numbers they were.

"I don't know if I'll be calling a three star general or a captain," I said.

"Or a wealthy German businessman," she said, smiling. "Don't worry, those are private numbers. All you have to do is say five little words. Sylvia said I should call. They'll know who you are and why you're calling."

"How will they know who I am?"

"I will have told them," she said.

Blackburn finished his story with, "I never saw Sylvia or her captain husband again. But I did meet up with a few dozen rich, desperately horny wives badly in need of cock. And that's how I paid for my BMW."

"You're a piece of work, Blackburn," I said.

"You were a mighty fine piece of work yourself, as I remember," he said. "Listen, tell me if I'm out of line but....well, I'm trying to figure things out."

"What're you trying to figure out?" I asked.

"You and your buddy. You busted your ass to find him then you come back and settle down together, neither of you married, raising two boys, and now a bunch more boys. You might say there's more than meets the eye, except it does meet the eye, square on."

I chuckled. "I know what you're asking and the answer is yes, and no. Yes, Jason and I are in a very tight relationship, but no, it doesn't involve these boys. Any such involvement is among the boys themselves. My son, the one who is in college, is straight but not homophobic. Jason's son, the Marine in Germany, is gay, and has a gay lover in Korea who is also a Marine. There are no secrets and everyone is okay with it."

"Wow, all in the family. That's being pretty damned okay," he said.

He had gone over to the wall shelves just inside the dining room and was looking at the picture gallery. He picked up one of the framed pictures. "Which one is this?"

"That's Kyle." It was a double picture in one frame; one of him jeans and T-shirt standing out in front of pizza place and another of him in his shorts standing astraddle his bike.

"Your son, the one in college."

"Yes."

"Good looking boy."

"Thanks."

He held up another one.

"That's Jake. He's the Marine in Korea." It was a double frame as well, with one picture of him in his uniform and the other taken at school in his PE shorts.

"Jake's a stud."

"He is," I said. "The one right next to Jake is......." I started to tell him that the one next to Jake was Devon, Jason's son and Jake's lover, but I was cut off.

"Oh, shit!" he said quietly as he picked up the frame with a picture of Devon in his dress uniform and another one of him in a skimpy boxer style swim suit. A smaller picture of him in full combat gear was tucked into the frame.

"What?" I asked.

"I know this guy!"

"Devon?" I went over to see for sure which picture he was looking at. Sure enough it was Devon.

"You know him?"

"He's the one in Germany?"

"Yeah, he's stationed in Grafenwoehr. You said you trained there. Are you sure it's him?"

"I would never forget that body," he said.

"You....know him......" I let my voice trail off.

"Like in the biblical sense," he said. "I know him in about every sense a man can know another man."

"I see. Small world," I said. I didn't know what to say.

"I hope that doesn't upset you," Blackburn said.

"No, no, I'm just blown away by the sheer coincidence, that's all."

"Would it upset you if I told you he's the hottest fuck I've ever had in my life."

I wasn't ready for his bluntness. "It wouldn't upset me, and it doesn't surprise me," I said. "But, shit, what're the chances?"

I heard the bus rumbling to a stop at the end of the lane

"There's the crew," I said. "Listen, I don't want us to mention anything about Devon to Jason," I added quickly.

Blackburn went to the kitchen door. "Damn, how many?" he asked as they came piling out.

"Seven."

Damn fine looking bunch of boys," he said. "Especially those last three."

I went to the door to watch them walking up the lane. "That would be Colby and Braden and Nolan. Colby and Braden are the oldest."

"I know you said it's not like that, but I don't know how you keep it under control."

I laughed as the boys paused to look at the strange car. "I'll bet it wouldn't take much to get them to wash your car for you."

I introduced the boys as they came into the kitchen. Blackburn put his hand out to each one of them. They were all very polite but shy.

"You've got a mighty handsome crew here," he said.

Colby said, "That's a great looking car."

"Thanks. It'd look better if it was washed."

"Want us to wash it for you?" Braden asked.

"Naw, you don't have to do that, I'll run it through a car wash when I go into town."

"It won't get it as clean as we would," Nolan said. "It wouldn't take long, all of us working on it."

"We'll change clothes and take care of it for you."

Blackburn didn't have a chance to protest. The boys rushed upstairs to change. They came back down in various stages of dress, or undress, the older boys in just their old PE shorts and the rest in cutoff jeans and T-shirts, and Jordan wore his swimsuit.

"I guess I should help," Blackburn said as he shrugged off his jacket.

"No, sir, you don't have to. Let us do it," Colby said as they were gathering up buckets and sponges and ran warm water from the kitchen sink.

They were quickly at work, washing and scrubbing the tires and rims and spraying off the suds with the hose and spraying each other. Blackburn seemed riveted.

"Yes, sir, a mighty fine bunch of young stallions," he said, turning to me with a smile.

"It's not like that. Wouldn't even be considered till they're eighteen," I told him again. "Say, Blackburn, as I recall, you weren't on that side of the fence."

"I'm not. But I've been known to jump the fence under the right circumstances. And I'm looking at the right circumstances. I would definitely be willing to counsel and mentor any one or all of those boys at their beck and call."

I laughed. "I don't think any of them will send out a beck and call. I remember your body. You'd be too intimidating. Hell, if you walked out there in a pair of shorts like they're wearing they would all shrink back, except maybe for Colby and Braden. Maybe Nolan."

"I'd sure like to try to endear myself and try to make them not so intimidated. With your permission, of course."

"Sorry, you won't be getting my permission."

"Man, those two oldest ones......." he said as he watched the boys.

"Well, they have been around the block a few times, in a manner of speaking."

"Oh, really."

"More than they'll say. But they're off limits, even with their consent."

The boys were finishing up and rinsing out the bucket and still spraying the hose on each other while others were wiping down the car.

"I hate to drive it on the roads into town now that they've done such a good job," Blackburn said.

"Hell, they'll wash it again for you," I said.

"Do the two older boys have their license?" he asked.

"Colby and Braden do. Nolan is a very good driver but he doesn't have a license. He's the one in the red Speedo. He's only fourteen."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope."

"Damn, what're you feeding him?"

"He pretty much came that way," I said.

"I wanta see that boy when he's sixteen!"

Blackburn went out on the porch, loosening his tie. I could hear him thanking the boys and telling them what a good job they were doing. Then I heard the car start up. I went to the kitchen door to look out. It was heading down the lane with Colby behind the wheel. Braden was gone too. I did a quick head count. So was Nolan! And Jordan and Jacob! Well, son-of-a-bitch, I thought.

The other boys had to take up the slack and do all the chores. I had supper on the table when they came in. It was nearly two hours before Sgt. Blackburn and the boys returned from town. They came in laughing and talking excitedly.

"He let me drive his car!" Nolan exclaimed as he came through the door.

"We all got to drive it," Braden put in.

Okay, maybe that's what took them so long.

The other boys were finished eating and off doing their homework. I'd kept supper warm and I told these boys to go up and get dressed then clear off the table and re-set it. The five of us sat down to eat. I wished Jason was here.

"You guys owe the other boys chores," I reminded them. They all nodded.

"I'm sorry, I kept them from their chores," Blackburn said.

"They know the rules," I said.

After we'd eaten I assigned the three boys-Braden, Colby and Nolan--to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen. Blackburn offered to help.

"Naw, we can do it, you go in and talk to Brad," Braden said. "You guys have probably got a lot of catching up to do."

Blackburn and I went into the living room.

"What a beautiful fireplace."

"Yes, but it's not safe to use. There are cracks in the chimney. We've thought about setting in a gas burner but just never got around to it."

"I can help you get that done tomorrow if you want to," he offered. "I'm pretty good at that sort of thing."

"I might just take you up on that," I said. "You just might owe me big time anyway. And I don't mean for a place to sleep."

He caught the innuendo. He laughed softly.

"Don't I wish." I eyed him with suspicion. "Trust me, you don't have anything to worry about."

"That's good to know."

He laughed. "They were too excited over the car and getting to drive it."

The boys gave Blackburn and me our space. When they were finished in the kitchen they came in to tell us good night then went upstairs.

"That's one fine bunch of boys," he said.

"Yeah, so you've told me."

"What time does Jason get home?"

"He gets off at eleven if he doesn't have overtime. But sometimes he stops for a beer."

"I can't wait to meet him. He must really be something for you to bust your ass the way you did to get back to Nam to find him."

"I would do it again."

We didn't talk long after that. I had to go in to work early the next morning. As I told him goodnight, he had questions.

"If I'm sleeping on the couch and you're sleeping upstairs....?"

"Wait till Jason gets home," I said, and I went to bed. I didn't go right to sleep like I usually did. I kept thinking about Blackburn and the boys. I believed him and I didn't. I would find out for sure from the boys, somehow.

Jason didn't stop by for a beer. He was in our bedroom well before midnight.

"Who is that guy sleeping on our couch?" he asked quietly.

"That's Sgt. Blackburn, now Warrant Officer Blackburn; someone out of my past."

"Your real past, 'cause he's sure real. He's got an ass to kill for."

"You've seen his ass? Did you introduce yourself before you ogled his ass," I joked.

"He was asleep on his stomach. No blanket, and no shorts. He's really built. So, what his story?"

While he was undressing I told him about Sgt. Blackburn, including our one encounter, but without all of the details. "He pinned my wings on me," I added for good measure.

"That all he pinned?" Jason asked with a sly grin. "That's okay, I don't need details. Just tell me, is he going to spend the entire night down there on the couch, alone?"

"Well, he was anxious to meet you," I said.

"Well, then, why don't we go down and you introduce us?"

"I know he's into guys, but it was a one way street with us. Might still be, but maybe not," I told him.

"The way he's put together, I think I might be able to handle that, either way," he said.

"He knows Devon," I said, and it sounded like I blurted it out, but I thought he ought to know.

"How the hell does he know Devon?" he asked, sounding like he didn't believe me.

"He was stationed in Germany. He trained with Devon's unit in Grafenwoehr."

He eyed me with a scowl and a tight grin. "There's something you're not telling me."

"They got very well acquainted," I said.

He smiled then laughed softly. "Well, son-of-a-bitch; small world. I can see the attraction, on both sides. So, are you going to introduce us?"

We went downstairs quietly, in our shorts. I felt a twinge of forbidden excitement, doing this with the boys in the house. There was Blackburn, still stretched out on his stomach, his fine ass upturned in the soft glow of the night lite, his left leg slung off the couch. It was like my mouth remembered his ass the way it started to water. Jason stood back from me as I approached the couch. I trailed my fingers lightly over Blackburn's bare butt. It took a minute before he came awake.

"Don't do that unless you mean it," he drawled, without turning over, or even turning his head.

"Oh, I mean it," I said as I knelt down between his leg and the couch. I leaned in and began kissing his butt.

"The boys asleep?" he asked.

"Let's hope so." I kissed back and forth across the taut, smooth mounds then licked between them. He squirmed under me, flexing his butt muscles. I pulled them apart and licked deeper into the crevice till I found his hole. It was clenching madly. I was glad to see Jason standing aside, watching and smiling.

"OHhh, I remember that tongue," he moaned.

"I remember this hole," I murmured.

"I remember you had a very powerful tongue; as I recall, you went through that hole," he said.

"Going to this time, too." I licked his asshole till he was relaxed to the touch of my tongue then I pulled his hole wide open and drove my tongue through. He reared up on one knee so I could get at him better.

"OHh, Godd! Godd, Yess! Eat my ass!" Then suddenly, "Did Jason get home yet?"

"Look up," I said. Jason had moved around to the end of the couch, his shorts bulging with his hardon from watching me.

"Jason Seaborne," he said putting out his hand when Blackburn lifted his head out of the pillow. You must be Warrant Officer Blackburn."

"Just Blackburn," he said.

They shook hands.

"Ohhh, fuck!" Blackburn groaned as he reached back to push my face harder into his ass.

"He's good," Jason said.

"You're a lucky son-of-a-bitch," said Blackburn.

"Damn, maybe he's the lucky one," Jason said. He was groping his shorts, moving his hand along the outline of his cock. Blackburn started to reach up for it.

"I hear you know my son."

Blackburn drew his hand back, almost like he had recoiled. "I met him. We had occasion to train together. Do I have reason to be worried that you're going to tear in to me?"

"No. I understand bonding in the military. Been there, done that myself. And Devon is a big boy, he makes his own choices. Besides, I can see the attraction, on both sides. So why don't you shift around and show us how lucky we both are," Jason said.

Blackburn rose up and sat on the couch. I stretched out on the floor on my back, between his legs. He caught the hint and slouched down with his butt suspended over my face. I leaned up to make contact with my tongue and he sat on my face. Jason knelt beside us.

"Goddamn, it's been a long time since I've seen a man put together like this," he said, rubbing his hands over Blackburn's upper body. "Damn, you are built!" He leaned in and began kissing his chest and sucking his tit.

"Ohhhh, what have I got myself into," Blackburn moaned.

I didn't know how far Jason would take it. I didn't know how far any of it would go, because I didn't know how much Blackburn might have changed. I was a little surprised when Jason, after he'd pretty much kissed every inch of Blackburn's upper body, including his armpits, moved down his pubes with Blackburn's cock throbbing against his face. I waited to see if he would take it in his mouth. He did.

"Awwwhhhhh!" Blackburn moaned.

"Not so loud, you'll wake up the boys," Jason said.

Blackburn was churning his ass on my face and thrusting his cock up into Jason's mouth. I wished he would sit still. It got frustrating. I wanted to get my tongue inside his ass.

"Hey, let's try something else," I said finally.

We broke and I maneuvered Blackburn onto his hands and knees on the floor then got behind him. "Yeah, this is more like it, I can get to you better this way."

Jason had to slide under him in a sixty-nine position. I hadn't thought of it, but it was a good position to have them in, now it would be interesting to see what Blackburn would do, facing Jason's big cock.

Jason sucked Blackburn's cock while I devoured his awesome ass. He was more stationary on his knees so I could really get to him. His hole was relaxed and wide open, giving me easy access to the satiny inner lining. What was really hot was when Jason and I would pause to kiss, then go back to our duties. Blackburn didn't object when I replaced my tongue with a finger. He moaned and squirmed back on it. Before long I had two fingers inside him, but not all the way. I waited till I had three fingers in him before going deeper, in search of his prostate. It wasn't a quick search, I knew where it was. I toyed with him.

When I found it, Blackburn groaned, "OHh, Godd, I remember this!"

I hadn't intended to get him off but I didn't gauge him well. He was humping my hand and fucking Jason's throat at the same time and I didn't retreat in time. Suddenly his asshole was squeezing tightly around my fingers and his prostate went crazy and I heard Jason choking. Blackburn was cumming.

Jason didn't take his load, no more than he had to before he maneuvered out from under him, coughing, and Blackburn deposited the rest of his load on the rug. There was a lot of it. He was on his hands and knees, lurching with each spurt.

"Holy fuckin' shit!" he gasped toward the finish. "You gouged into the bowels of the earth to draw that out of me." He moved over to lean back against the couch.

Jason was leaned back against his easy chair and I leaned back against the other chair.

"Fuck, dude, you about drowned me," Jason said.

"Sorry about that. It took me by surprise. You just don't know what he was doing to my ass."

"Oh, I know," Jason assured him, stroking his still hard cock.

"You are one lucky bastard. You both are," Blackburn said. "Look, I'll make it up to you if you'll both stand up here."

Oh Godd, I thought, he's going to blow us. But he didn't; when we stood on either side of him he reached up and began stroking our cocks. I was hoping for more, but then I didn't know how much Blackburn might have broadened his horizons. It wasn't what I hoped for but Jason and I easily made do by kissing. He was a really good kisser and Blackburn's hands felt good. We went on, uninterrupted, till Jason moaned in my mouth, letting me know he was getting close. I willed myself to catch up so we could go off together. We were soon spraying Blackburn with cum.

We came down from one of the most passionate kisses ever while Blackburn milked our cocks.

"Geezuss, you guys cum like a couple of horses," he said as he swiped his cum laden hands on his stomach but that only smeared around what was already there. We had pretty much whitewashed his upper body.

"Sorry, you can't shower, it'd wake up the boys," I said. "I'll get some towels." I went to the kitchen to get some damp and dry towels. When I came back Blackburn was sitting on the floor, leaned back against the couch. Jason was gone.

"He went up to check on the boys, to see that they're still asleep. Everything happened too quick," Blackburn said as he was wiping himself off.

"Yeah, like a bunch of teenage boys," Jason said, laughing as he came back in the room. "They're all sleeping soundly. Now that we're settled down, maybe we can do it again and do it right."

I didn't know if it was any more right the second time but it was good and satisfying, and I got Blackburn's load. He tasted good. Still, there was that one thing lacking; Blackburn didn't do much in the way of reciprocation. Jason said later, when we went up to bed, that he didn't care. With a body like that, he didn't have to reciprocate.

I laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen you get so excited

"I'm always hot for your body," he said. "But you have to admit, that guy is built. Like the proverbial brick shit house. Please don't be jealous."

"I'm not. I just think it's funny. I'm glad you enjoyed his body."

"How long is he staying?"

"He said a couple of days. I don't know if that's negotiable."

"Is it okay if I try?" Jason asked.

"He can stay as long as he wants. I like his body too."

"Why don't you take the day off tomorrow. You haven't gotten any sleep," Jason said.

"No, I have to go in," I said. "That gives you the whole day with him to negotiate," I added jokingly. Then I added, "I can only offer this. He likes that you like his body. I'd bet if you get a tongue and a finger in his ass, he's yours."

"I can do that," he said.

"One thing, though....he's mighty impressed with some of the boys. Keep an eye on him."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . continued

And Now Dear Readers

Over the years I've had many of you say that my stories should be published; that you would purchase them if they were. Despite the much appreciated support from readers, my venture into publishing did not turn out well. Some of the ads on Amazon offered e-stories free for purchasing their reader. And AFTER the stories were published I received their ridiculous Author's Agreement which I refused to sign and I stopped sending them any more stories and then I put the stories back on the free sites.

For those of you who are still interested, I have set up a way for you to make donations in whatever amount you wish. No pressure; your support will be much appreciated, but whether you choose to donate or not, the stories will still be out there for you to read. If you wish to donate, please send cash, check or money order to ROBERT TREILING (my editor and "agent"). Checks or money orders should be made out to Robert Treiling, at:

Robert Treiling;
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Pete