Readers like you are the reason this chapter exists. I've had dozens of emails about the original story with people asking for more. This is what my friends and I are willing to share post river trip.
Sunday June 8, 2014
We had delivered the boat to it's new owner and he had driven us to a nearby town that had a car rental place and a couple choices for hotels. We had gotten a room and had just finished carrying all of our stuff into it.
The first thing all of us realized was that it felt a little disorienting being on land again. After having spent nearly two weeks on the boat our bodies had acclimated to the gentle pitching and rolling of the boat and it felt strange to be on land where those things didn't happen.
Sean called his dad and had him make arrangements to get a minivan that would easily hold all the stuff we had with us. All of us had collected several souvenirs at the various places we had stopped at. I won't list all the various places we stopped but I will state that one stop was at Hannibal, MO. The boyhood home of Samuel Clemmens or as he is more commonly known, Mark Twain. It just seemed appropriate that we stop there while doing the river trip. The merchants were happy that we did and given what we all bought I think they had a very prosperous day when we visited.
We ordered pizza from Dominos that night and basically just chilled in the hotel room and watched Madagascar on the TV. No matter how many times you watch that movie, those penguins are always funny and every time I watch it I seem to find some obscure adult humor that I have never noticed before.
At some point during the movie each of us had gotten comfortable and the only thing any of us had on was our underwear. Once the movie ended a bit of playful grabass started but that got interrupted by a call from my mom. After speaking with her for about ten minutes I handed my phone to Patrick and told him, “Mom wants to talk to you.”
Patrick took the phone and said, “Hi Mom.” Which caused Matthew to turn his head and look at him so fast that I thought he may have given himself whiplash. After the call was concluded and Patrick handed my phone back Matthew asked, “Why did you address Vaughan's mother as Mom?”
“That goes back to Thanksgiving our freshman year. I was going to stay in the dorm since I had no family to go home to. Vaughan insisted that I go with him and spend the holiday with his family. I was feeling kind of down and really didn't want to be by myself over the long weekend so I agreed. That weekend I told his parents about how my own parents had disowned me for being gay. His mom and dad insisted that I spend all the holidays with them from that point forward. Vaughan’s mother said that every young person needs a motherly figure in their life and told me it was alright to simply call her Mom so I do.”
“That was very generous of them, do they get you gifts at Christmas and on your birthday as well?” Matthew asked.
"Vaughan's parents are wonderful people and are maybe the most generous people with their love that I've ever met. Each time I see or talk with them they always ask if there's anything I need they might be able to help with. I've actually asked them not to buy me things, but at Christmas they always give me something. They also helped me when I had acute bronchitis my sophomore year and couldn't afford the meds I needed. When “Mom” found out that her polite, well mannered, charming, great looking, intelligent, and adorably modest boy was sick she called the Walmart pharmacy in West Lafayette and paid for the prescriptions I needed so I could get healthy.” Patrick said.
At that point a pillow flew across the room at a high rate of speed and struck Patrick on the side of the head, (yes, I threw it.) That sparked off a pillow fight between everyone which soon turned into a tickle fight. Soon all of us were laughing hysterically and gasping for breath.
Once we had settled down it was time to sleep so we all hugged one another and thanked each other for the happiness they brought into our lives then the five of us climbed into the two queen beds and went to sleep.
Monday June 9, 2014
Patrick was the first person to wake up and head to the bathroom. After emptying his bladder he started the shower and stepped in. Our morning custom was to leave the bathroom door open and he did. As the rest of us woke up we all had that urgent sensation to pee and we did with Patrick still in the shower. We just didn't flush the toilet so Patrick wouldn't get scalded.
Mathew said he would shower last when we were all finished. He closed the door when he went in and we could all hear him and knew what he was doing.
“Sounds like he is enjoying the first bit of real privacy he has had since joining us.” Patrick said with a grin on his face.
“Yeah, we're going to have to fill him in on what it's going to be like living with us at the house so he isn't shocked and traumatized the first time.” Travis stated.
“Yes we will, but we need to do it in a way that doesn't cause him any embarrassment or humiliation about jerking off like he is right now.” Sean added.
“Maybe we can fill him in while we're on the road today. It's going to be like a six hour drive so we're going to need something to talk about.” Vaughan suggested then added, “We also need to figure out sleeping arrangements for him. When we first offered to take him with us it was with the belief he would only be staying at the house a few days. Now he will be with us at least until school starts. That sofa we have isn't comfortable enough to sleep on more than a couple of nights.”
Looking directly at Vaughan Patrick said, “The only two bedrooms large enough to have two beds in them are yours and mine so he will have to go into one of those rooms. I guess to be fair we should let him decide who he wants as his roommate. If he picks Sean or Travis then a couple of us may need to switch rooms.”
After Mathew finished his shower and was dressed we all went to breakfast together. The conversation at breakfast was a little more subdued than normal and Mathew was quick to notice it and asked, “Why is everyone so quiet this morning? Have I done or said something that's caused all of you to be upset with me?”
“Absolutely not,” Travis quickly replied. “Vaughan pointed out something to us while you were in the shower that none of us thought of before and we're all thinking about what he said.”
“I see, is it something I can help with in any way?” Mathew asked.
Clearing his throat Patrick said, “The house we rent, it only has four bedrooms two of them are larger. Vaughan has one of the larger rooms and I have the other one. The two smaller rooms are really too small to have two single beds in them unless they are bunk style. Travis and Sean have those and in Sean's case he brought his own queen size bed from home and put it in his room. There is hardly enough space to walk around the bed in that room. So you will have to pick who you want as a roommate in one of the larger rooms and we will do what needs to be done to accommodate you.”
“Well if Vaughan will have me as his roommate then I will share a room with him. I would be happy to have any of you as my roommate but I know that Vaughan doesn't snore and the rest of you do so I think I would sleep better in his room.” Mathew said.
“Really? I snore? I knew Patrick and Sean did but never knew that I did as well.” Travis said with Sean and Patrick saying the same thing about the other two.
“Mathew is telling the truth. Most nights it's not very loud but about once a month I get up and close one of your bedroom doors. Haven't any of you wondered why you wake up and your door is closed once in a while when we are all in the habit of leaving our bedroom doors open at night?” Vaughan said.
“I think we should save this conversation and finish it while we're on the road heading home.” Sean said as he stood and left enough money to pay for his meal then took an Uber to the rental agency and returned a short time later with a Chevy Astro van.
Each of us made several trips from the room to the van loading all of our things into it. Once finished Patrick did a final check of the hotel room to make sure nothing was missed and then we were on our way back to West Lafayette. As soon as we were a few minutes outside of town Sean began to continue the conversation from earlier and said, “Guys, I'm sorry if my snoring has kept any of you awake. Honestly, I had no idea that I snored. Those rare mornings when I would wake up and my bedroom door would be shut I just thought I had fallen asleep and two or all of you had sex together and closed my door so the sounds of your intimacy wouldn't wake me up.”
“I always thought the exact same thing, until today I had no idea that I snored. I'll talk with the nurse at school to see if anything can be done to make me stop it.” Travis said.
“Sleep on your sides rather than your backs. All three of you would stop snoring as soon as you rolled over onto your sides as you slept, but when you're on your back you all snored. At least that's been my observation since joining you guys.” Mathew said. Then asked, “Do I snore? No one has ever said that I do so I am just assuming I don't.”
“You never did any of the nights we were on the houseboat or at the hotel last night.” Vaughan replied.
“That's a relief to know. I have no idea if snoring is hereditary but I know my dad does snore but only if he is super exhausted.” Mathew said.
Everyone was silent for a few minutes then Mathew said, “So what will be expected of me in terms of chores around the house while I live with all of you?”
“Well none of us really have any assigned chores that we do, we just all pitch in and do what needs doing. There are some common sense things you will need to abide by though.” Vaughan stated. “For instance, we have never seen you smoke and assume that you don't. We don't allow smoking in the house so if you make any additional friends that do and they visit you then you will be expected to tell them the need to go outside if they want to smoke. Additionally, the four of us rarely drink alcohol even though we are old enough to do so. You are underage so please don't even ask us to get alcohol for you. None of us will buy it for you. Like I said, just common sense stuff.”
Laughing softly Mathew said, “Nothing to worry about with those two issues. I was with a classmate in a park one evening and he gave me a cigarette, I smoked about half of it and threw up. I never plan to repeat that experience and truthfully, I am pretty repulsed by the rancid odor smokers have. The smell alone is enough for me to not want to be friends with them. As for drinking, dad allowed me to sample beer, wine, and hard spirits. I didn't like any of them so I see myself being like you guys once I am of age, drinking very rarely if at all.”
“Perfect answers!” Travis exclaimed.
“May as well talk about the more sensitive things while we're getting things aired out.” Sean said from the driver's seat.
“What does that mean? Mathew asked.
Everyone drew in a deep breath wondering who would be the first to speak. Patrick broke the silence by saying, “As you know we are all really close and we don't hide things from each other, that includes our intimacy. As you now know, we don't close our bedroom doors so the chances are excellent that you will see two, three, or sometimes all four of us having sex together or perhaps doing a solo masturbation. It doesn't matter what we are doing individually or together, if the others see it and want to watch or join in they are welcome to do so. We are not going to change how we are but it's only fair to let you know ahead of time what you're likely to see.”
Mathew sat there with his mouth hanging open as he thought of something to say. Before he had a chance Travis said, “It's highly possible you will see it tonight. We have all abstained since that day you put the mattresses together on the houseboat and I think I am the horniest I have ever been.”
“You told us in an indirect way that you're a virgin on the night we first met you. All of us respect that and don't expect you to join us in our fun but we want you to know that you're welcome to watch and if you want to pleasure yourself as you watch that's perfectly fine. What happens in the house stays in the house and we will never say anything to embarrass you.” Vaughan said.
“Wow, I never imagined anyone would ever say something like that to me. That's like every sexual fantasy and dream I've ever had all combined and then multiplied. It's true about me being a virgin and since meeting and getting to know the four of you I have spent a lot of time thinking about giving up my virginity. I'm not saying I'm ready to give it up just yet but I think I would be fine doing some things that are sexual but not full on sex. Stuff like kissing, touching, and maybe mutual masturbation I would be comfortable with at this point. I now have a bit of a dilemma that I have to work out when it comes to giving up my virginity.” Mathew said.
“Do you feel comfortable enough to tell us what the dilemma is? Together maybe we can help get it sorted out.” Sean said.
Taking a deep breath Mathew said, “I don't want my first time to be with some random person and the only gay guys I know and trust are the four of you. The dilemma is how do I pick who to have sex with for the first time when I am ready to have it? I only have one virginity and there are four of you. I don't want to pick someone and give reason for the others to think I have a favorite and playing rock, paper, scissors to decide something just isn't my thing.”
Patrick replied and said, “Mathew, first of all I think you should know that the four of us have not had sex with anyone outside our little group here with the exception of Sean who was with a couple of women before he realized he was actually on our team. Second, there is no competition between us to be the one to claim the most virgins so if you picked one of us there wouldn't be any jealousy from the others. Lastly, and this may be the most helpful to you, stop thinking of your virginity as if it's a dollar bill. Think of it in terms of being four quarters which combined equal a dollar. There are four main firsts when you first have sex. First time someone gives you a blow job, first time you give a blow job to someone else, first time you get fucked anally, and the first time you fuck someone in the ass. All combined, that's the complete loss of your virginity.”
“So you're saying I could do one thing with each of you?” Mathew said with a bit of excitement in his voice.
“Yes, but that's something you need to decide upon when you're ready. Never let your cock or another person talk you into doing something if your heart and mind are both saying NO. Trust us you will know when you're truly ready. When you're truly ready, if you want to be with one or more of us, great. Maybe by then you'll have found a boyfriend and prefer to have your first experience with him. It doesn't matter, just know we will always be your friends.” Patrick replied.
“Just curious, but none of us have done or said anything to cause you to think we want or expect you to give up your virginity have we?” Vaughan asked.
“No, you guys have been great. This is something I started thinking about before I graduated high school. I've just been thinking about it a lot more since meeting and getting to know all of you. Back home it would have had to have been with some random person and possibly risk getting a STD. I don't have those worries with you guys.” Mathew said.
We arrived home around four in the afternoon. The first thing we did was show Mathew around then bring the spare bed up from the basement and set it up in Vaughan’s room. After that we unloaded the van. We didn't have any food in the house since we knew we would be gone for two weeks. We had eaten our food supply down to avoid spoilage. We all got back in the van and went to KFC for dinner then returned home. The lawn desperately needed to be cut so we did that then chilled for a while watching TV. By 9 PM everyone had gotten comfortable and we had all stripped down to just our underwear.
It began as a game of footsie between Patrick and Sean with Travis quickly joining in. It advanced to kissing and then the three of them got up and went to Patrick's bedroom with their underwear straining to hold their erections. Moments later Mathew and I began to hear soft pleasurable moans and whimpers coming from the room.
“Vaughan, aren't you going to go and join them?” Mathew asked.
“No, not tonight. I'm actually really tired so I'll just wait for them to finish then give everyone their hug and I will go to bed. You can go and watch them if you want, they won't mind.” I replied.
After getting up from his chair and sitting beside me on the sofa Mathew softly said, “No, not a good idea for me to watch. If I do that I'm afraid I would let my cock make my decisions and do something I know I'm not quite ready for.” He then paused and looked directly at me and said, “This morning, after I picked you for a roommate the conversation immediately changed to snoring. I had asked you if it was alright with you if we roomed together but you never answered me. Is it alright or should I pick one of the others and spend the night on the couch so you can have your room to yourself?”
I put my arm around his shoulders and said, “It's absolutely fine. I'm sorry I never gave you an answer sooner but I forgot that you asked as soon as everyone started talking about snoring. If our situations were reversed I would have made the same decision.”
Then I leaned towards him and gave a quick light kiss on his left cheek. Mathew looked at me, smiled then gave me a quick kiss on the lips.
The two of us continued to talk quietly for another half hour until Patrick, Sean, and Travis returned all sans clothing.
“How come neither of you came in and watched or anything?” Sean asked.
“I am feeling pretty drained from our trip and justdidn't feel like it so I stayed out here and kept Mathew company. It sounded like you enjoyed yourselves.” I said.
“Oh yes, I thought Sean was going to bite my nipples off while Patrick slammed into me.” Travis said.
“Yeah, it's a good thing we’re guys or all three of us might have gotten pregnant.” Patrick added.
“So are all four of you what they call versatile?” Mathew asked.
“Yes but I lean slightly more towards being the top. Patrick and Travis lean more towards preferring being a bottom and Vaughan is like a perfect half and half.” Sean said.
“Yeah being versatile is the best way to be.” Patrick added.
Standing up I said, “Well guys I'm tired so I am heading to bed. I think we will have a pretty full day tomorrow showing Mathew around the campus and grocery shopping.”
At that point we all began to hug one another and when finished everyone headed to bed.
Tuesday June 10, 2014
No one needed to be up early that morning but everyone was awake by half past six. All five of us converged in the kitchen, everyone appeared to be tired like none of us had gotten a good night's sleep. Travis got the coffee brewing as Sean started to make pancakes.
“I don't get it, I tossed and turned all night long and feel as if I never got any sleep at all.” Travis said.
Everyone agreed we all had the same problem and felt just as exhausted.
“It will take several days for our bodies to acclimate to sleeping solo again.” Patrick said.
“What do you mean?” Sean asked.
“Remember what we learned in our psychology class? When people sleep together after a few nights their bodies synch up and their heart rate and respiration while sleeping are nearly identical. If they suddenly stop sleeping together the body senses the absence of the other person resulting in poor quality sleep.” Patrick said.
“I don't remember hearing that but as boring as that class was for me I probably slept through that lecture.” Travis said.
“So you're saying we're all going to look and feel like zombies for a while?” Mathew asked.
“Yes, that pretty well sums it up.” Patrick said.
At that point Sean did one of his rare thespian acts. He was still naked since he hadn't bothered to pull on any underwear or shorts after the previous nights activities and he stuck his arms straight out and waddled over to Patrick saying, “Brains, I need brains, I'm going to suck yours out through your mouth.” Then he proceeded to kiss him.
Patrick pulled away after only a few seconds saying, “Ewwe, morning breath and stale cum, not a good combination!”
Leaving his thespian role Sean replied, “It's your cum that's making my breath the way it is.”
This caused Mathew, Travis, and myself to burst out laughing.
After breakfast and showers we decided to go to a Laundromat and wash all our dirty clothes. We had a very small washer in the basement but three pairs of jeans and a couple T-shirts was all it could handle. Had we used that we would have spent two days on laundry. At the Laundromat we could toss everything into a couple of large capacity machines and do it all at once. With that job done it was time to go buy groceries so we would have food in the house.
Patrick and Travis both held part time positions at Walmart so after eating a light lunch they called and got their work schedules for the week. As soon as they were done we headed over to the campus and spent the remainder of the afternoon and part of the early evening showing Mathew around.
While we were on the houseboat we had all gone jogging a few times when we overnighted at some of the marinas. In addition to that we had all observed Mathew doing an exercise routine on the aft portion of the boat a few times. None of us really paid any attention to what he was doing and simply thought he was burning off some excess energy. As we were walking through one of the academic buildings on the campus something on one of the bulletin boards caught his eye and he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Sean and I listened in on Mathew's side of the conversation with no clue what he was talking about. We heard him say he had started taking lessons at age 9 and had become nidan a week prior to graduating high school. Then silence as the other party spoke to him before Mathew said he was on the campus with some friends who would be seniors and would know where to go.
Looking at Patrick,Sean, Travis, and I, Mathew said, “I need to get to a building called Corec, can you guys take me there please?”
“That's the Córdova Recreational Sports Center. It's maybe a 15 minute walk from here. Why do you need to go there?” Sean asked as we all turned and started to lead Mathew in the direction of the building.
“Because the university has a karate club and right now the instructor is in that building and I want to meet and talk with him. I've been taking lessons since I was 9 and got my second level black belt just before I graduated high school but I want to continue to learn.” Mathew said.
“If you already have your black belt, why do you want to continue taking lessons?” I asked, showing my utter ignorance about martial arts.
“Because in karate there are ten levels of black belt. You need to be a fifth level black belt to be considered a master and it will take me at least ten more years to get to that level.” Mathew said.
“Are you looking to fight someone?” Sean asked.
“Absolutely not, I would never use my skills unless I was forced to defend myself or someone close to me. Before I started Karate I was considered at best a mediocre student. Karate taught me how to calm my mind and that enabled me to truly focus. That in turn made me a much better student and I credit karate for my academic success.” Mathew said.
We took him over there and the four of us watched a group of 8 guys playing basketball as Mathew spoke with the instructor. After that we continued the tour of the campus. Once we were done Mathew said, “I really like this campus and I've got four great friends here already which just makes the place feel right. This is where I want to continue my education.”
We all gave him a quick hug to congratulate him on his decision then returned home. It had been an unusually warm day and we didn't want to add any heat sources inside the house so we made hamburgers and baked potatoes for dinner that night on the outdoor grill.
After eating and cleaning up we just lounged around watching comedy Central on the TV. Due to the poor sleep we all had the night before, by nine PM we were all yawning and struggling to stay awake. Patrick and Travis both had to work the next day at nine AM so we all hugged one another and thanked each other for being such a great friend then headed to bed.
Once in our room as Mathew and I began to strip down to go to bed Mathew asked, “Vaughan do you think what Patrick said this morning about why none of slept well last night is accurate?”
“It's impossible to say one way or the other, psychology is not an exact science like chemistry or mathematics because it involves people and there are so many variables within all of us. I personally think of psychology as a highest probability outcome but don't say that to a psychologist. I do recall hearing what he said in one of my classes though. Why do you ask?” I replied.
“I was just wondering if maybe we should share a bed tonight and see if we sleep better that way.” Mathew said in a soft shy voice.
“There's not a lot of room in these small beds but we can try it and see if that's what you want to do.” I told him.
“Yes as long as you don't mind.” Mathew replied.
I got into bed and told him to climb in, he did and snuggled up against me. I think we were both sound asleep in under five minutes.
Wednesday June 11, 2014
Mathew and I were the first two to wake up in the morning near 6:45. We took our turns relieving the pressure in our bladders and washing our hands then went to the kitchen to start the coffee and begin making breakfast. As we were doing that I saw Patrick, Sean, and Travis all come out of Sean's bedroom. I simply grinned at them having a fair idea why they were all in the same room.
“It's not what you think.” Travis said. “I had trouble sleeping again last night and went to the bathroom at about 11. As I walked past your room I noticed the two of you in the one bed sleeping soundly. I checked on Patrick and Sean and they were having the same problem sleeping that I was so I told them about the two of you. We all got in bed with Sean and all of us went out like a light.”
While eating breakfast Mathew asked, “What does everyone have planned for today?”
“Travis and I both have to work from 9 to 6.” Patrick said.
“I was thinking we could take you back to the university and get you signed up for your classes this fall.” I said.
“That's a good idea, then when we can look at his schedule and go online and change it for him.” Sean said.
“Why would changes need to be made?” Mathew asked.
“Because the university will put you in all the general courses like music, history, English, etc. that everyone is required to take at some point while they're here. In total there are almost three semesters of those, but that's the wrong way to do it. You need to get into a couple of the classes in the field you want to study as early as possible so you can get a feel for it and know if that's what you truly want to pursue or not.” Travis said.
“I don't follow you, what difference does it make if I take all the general requirements first or not?” Mathew asked.
“The ability to graduate in four years rather than five and around thirty thousand dollars.” Sean said.
“Mathew, the danger in doing all the general stuff first is that in semester four you will be taking some pre-requisite classes for your core curriculum classes. In semester five you finally start the core curriculum. Let's say you get a third of the way through and decide no, this is not for me. At that point it's already too late to switch classes that semester so that semester is wasted. So you pick a new major but discover there are some pre-requisite courses you need before you can begin. That wipes out semester six and lands you on the five year plan. Engineering requires that you have several math classes before you begin so you want to take all the math you can in the first semester and then back off the general stuff in the second semester and include an engineering course or two. Additionally, as a rule the general requirements aren't as intensive time wise as the core classes so saving some for semesters four through eight benefits you that way. Like in my case, I will take ancient history this semester as a senior. That's a freshman level class.” I said.
“Wow, every day I become more and more thankful I met you guys.” Mathew said.
After breakfast and showers we all climbed into my old Dodge Intrepid and I took Patrick and Travis to work and then Mathew, Sean and I returned to the campus and got Mathew signed up for the classes he really needed.
Weekend of July 4, 2014
As mentioned in chapter 1, Mathew's father and brothers came to visit us that weekend and we all had a great time. We took Edward, Gabriel, and Ben over to the campus on Saturday and showed them around but mostly Patrick, Travis and I tried to stay out of the way so Mathew could spend all his time with his dad and two younger brothers.
Sean had returned to his home that weekend and had come out to his family. His parents weren't happy and tried to tell him he was obviously making a conscious choice because he had dated a couple of girls in high school. Sean was pretty depressed about it when he returned on Sunday afternoon. Thankfully things improved between him and his family over time and he has what he now describes as an alright relationship with his bio family.
Saturday July 12, 2014
Patrick and Travis had to work at Walmart today and both were scheduled from 8 to 5. Mathew had asked if he could go along that morning saying he needed to do some shopping. He had also said he was going to prepare a special dinner for us that evening that he hoped we would all like after finding out if any of us had food allergies.
As we were eating breakfast we all gave Matthew some odd looks because of how he was dressed, a button down dress shirt, dress slacks and some mid range loafers.
“Do you usually dress this nice to go shopping?” Travis asked.
“No, but I have two announcements to make. The first one I will tell you now. Shopping is only part of the reason I want to go along this morning. I have a job interview there at 8:30. You will all need to wait until after dinner tonight for the second announcement.” Mathew said.
That news surprised all of us but I don't think anyone thought much more about it as we ate. As we finished eating Mathew asked, “I know I agreed to never ask any of you to buy me alcohol for drinking. However, the dish I want to make for all of you tonight calls for a bottle of cooking wine. I can make the dish without it but I'm not sure how it will taste. Any chance of one of you buying that for me since none of us will be drinking it?”
The four of us, Patrick, Sean, Travis, and myself looked at one another thinking then Sean broke the silence and said. “I guess I don't have an issue with that, I know my mom buys special wines to cook with that are only meant for that purpose.”
The rest of us gradually agreed.
I took the three of them to Walmart, Patrick and Travis started their work shifts and Mathew had his interview then bought the things he wanted and I bought his bottle of wine he wanted. As we were putting his stuff in my car he said that he had been hired and would do his new hire orientation on Tuesday because Patrick and Travis both had to work that day. He had also arranged it so he worked the same three days each week that the two of them did until school started then it would be reduced to one day each weekend and one four hour shift one night each week.
“You surprised all of us with your announcement that you were interviewing at the breakfast table this morning.” I stated .
“Well last weekend when Dad was here he said he would help me as much as possible and see to it that I had some money to spend on a movie or chipping in for carryout once a week. He said he believes he can give me $100 a month, but he also said with Mom in the hospital indefinitely he no longer has the benefit of her income so belts needed to be tightened a bit. I'm just trying to help him out.” Mathew replied.
Once we were back home and got everything carried into the house Mathew took the two chickens he had bought and prepared a marinade for the meat to soak in. The marinade used half the wine. He explained that he would replace that with a fresh marinade before he put it in the oven. Then Mathew, Sean and myself busied ourselves with domestic chores. Sean went outside to take care of the lawn while Mathew and I cleaned inside.
By mid afternoon we had the yard work done, the house cleaning completed and the last of the beds had been stripped and the linens were in the washer so we all took a break and watched a little TV. After about 30 minutes Mathew got up and started to prepare dinner. By the time I went to pick up Patrick and Travis the odors emanating from the kitchen had both Sean and my mouths watering in anticipation and our stomachs growling.
Mathew had made a homemade curry with a variety of hot peppers and onions, then he added chicken broth to dilute it and used that to cook several cups of rice. The rice had absorbed the capsaicin from the hot peppers and was spicy but not so hot that it couldn't be eaten. To that he added the chicken and marinade. With that he also prepared a cold pasta salad, mashed potatoes with homemade gravy and asparagus spears. I honestly think we ate better than royalty that night. When Sean's plate was empty he held it up and did his best Oliver Twist impersonation saying, “Please Sir, more?” Not that he needed to ask, having prepared two whole chickens there were ample leftovers.
Patting his taught stomach Patrick said, “Until tonight I have never had a rice dish that I liked. I've only ever had plain white rice which I think is horribly bland tasting and something I envision prison inmates having to eat all the time, yours was delicious.”
Once everyone was done eating I said, “In my house growing up, the person who cooked didn't have to help clean so you go and relax and the four of us will clean all the dishes and the kitchen.”
“Thank you for that, I appreciate it. I'll wait until the four of you are done and then I'll share my second announcement with all of you.” Mathew said.
As we washed, dried, put away dishes and cleaned the countertops Patrick, Sean, Travis and myself talked quietly. “Any idea what his announcement will be?” Travis asked, the question directed at me.
“Honestly I have no idea, he did share that his father told him money was getting tight with the loss of his mother's income and that was the reason behind him getting a part time job. Maybe what he has to tell us is related to that but that's truly only a guess.” I replied.
We all went into the family room where Mathew was doing a Skype call with his two younger brothers. We gave him his space and let him finish and just waited for him back in the kitchen.
Mathew joined us a short time later, smiled and said, “Well I've been thinking all day about the best way to say this, and honestly I think the best way is to just blurt it out so I want all of you to know that I'm ready to become an ex-virgin.”
For a moment we all just sat there in stunned silence looking at him. Sean was the first to find his voice and asked, “Are you willing to share your thought process that caused you to reach this decision?”
“Well, like I said in the van coming here from Cairo last month, I've been thinking about giving up my virginity for some time. Since before I actually met any of you. You all said it was fine if I watched you when you were being intimate and while I haven't done it often you all know that I have watched at times. All I have to compare you guys with is what I have seen in porn, but there is an obvious and in my mind a huge difference. In porn everything seems so basic or perhaps animalistic is a better term. You guys aren't simply having sex to get your nut off, you're making love to each other. When I watch you guys I see tenderness, love, compassion and caring. That's exactly what I want to experience for my first time and I don't think I'll ever find that anywhere but here.” Mathew said.
“So you have thought this through and decided on one of us to be your first?” Sean asked.
“Not one of you, all of you, like Patrick described in the van that day. If I were to pick one of you I'm afraid in the future it could be seen as favoritism and I have too much respect for the friendship we all have with each other to risk that from ever happening.” Mathew said.
We continued to ask Mathew a few other questions that night and when the four of us were all satisfied that he was following his heart and brain rather than giving into the desires of his cock we all agreed to be intimate with him. Per Mathew's request I am not going to state who did what with him, but before midnight he experienced all aspects of man to man intimacy. When we asked him how he felt afterwards all he said was that it had been way better than his expectations and his only regret was that he hadn't done it sooner.
The first day of classes for the fall semester was Monday August 25. Travis was especially happy because it meant his friend Xavier would be back. Xavier was also studying to be an electrical engineer just like Travis and had started his education at a school in Virginia.
Xavier had encountered some trouble at his previous school. He had lived in the dorms there and late in his second semester he went to take a shower but had forgotten to lock his phone before leaving his room. While he was in the shower his phone chirped several times to indicate there were some new messages. His jerk of a roommate looked at his phone, saw the messages were from grindr and knew it was a gay hookup app and outed him. Rather than face the constant ridicule he transferred to Purdue and lived the life of a loner in the dorms until he met Travis in a couple of classes they shared Junior year. Travis had slowly earned Xavier's trust and he had been to our house a few times that year.
During Xavier's senior year at Purdue he had been given a roommate in the dorms and the pair didn't get along so he essentially moved into the house and stayed with Travis.
Mathew and Vaughan
Mathew and I had continued to share a bed ever since that second night back following the river trip. By late September something had been gnawing away at me for several weeks and at first I didn't understand it. Neither of us were sleeping very well. Then when I suddenly realized what it was I was terrified.
Thursday September 25, 2014
Everyone needed to be on campus before 9 this morning except me. My first class began right after lunch. I got up and gave everyone a ride. Once they were all out of the car I broke down and started to cry. At that moment I realized that I didn't simply love Mathew as a brother or very close friend, I was in love with him. Not knowing what else to do I called my dad at his work and spoke with him for close to an hour. As Dad got ready to hang up the call his last words to me that morning were, “Vaughan, follow your heart. If it's meant to be then the two of you will find a way to make everything work out.”
That night after dinner I told Mathew I needed to speak to him. We went into our room and I told him everything I was thinking and feeling. When I was finished he looked at me with tear filled eyes and said he felt the exact same way. I grabbed his hand and said “I want to spend my life with you. I don't know how we will manage the next few years with you still in school and me working wherever I get hired but I know I am meant to be with you.”
We hugged, we kissed and then we told our friends who cheered, hugged and congratulated us.Then we went back to our room and made love.
Dad was proven correct, I had already started doing online applications to various companies. A couple of weeks later on a Monday a company less than 30 miles from where we were living contacted me. I interviewed with them but then never heard back. In early December they contacted me again to see how my classes were going. I informed them that I was optimistic that I would receive all A’s. At that point they offered a remote part time position doing odd tasks with the promise of a full time job once I graduated. The tasks were pretty easy as was my final semester. I only had four classes and two of them were general requirements. I started working full time a week after graduation. The first thing I bought, rings for Mathew and I. (The rings were for our fingers in case you're wondering….)
Mathew's dad and his two brothers Gabriel and Ben returned to Purdue for family weekend in October 2014. At that time Mathew told his dad that he and I had become serious and were officially boyfriends.
“I'll expect you to introduce me to your boyfriend then.” Edward said to Mathew.
“But dad, you've already met Vaughan.” Mathew replied with a perplexed look on his face.
“Not exactly, I've met a friend of yours by that name, now I want to meet the boyfriend.” Edward said basically teasing us.
So Mathew grabbed my hand and pulled me to him and he and I kissed passionately right there in front of his dad and two younger brothers. As the kiss ended he said, “Dad, Gabriel, and Ben, I want all of you to meet my boyfriend Vaughan Boa.
This got us a round of applause and a hug from both Gabriel and Ben along with a welcome to the family from Edward.
Travis and Xavier
There is an old saying that states: “A boy never truly grows up but as he ages his toys get more expensive.” This is very true of Travis and Xavier. Both of them obtained jobs with the same company in California and were given healthy sign-on bonuses which were theirs to keep so long as they graduated and remained in the company's employment for 18 months which they did. They saved one of the checks to help them with relocation costs and bought lots of remote control planes, boats, cars, and helicopters with the other one.
Their first order of business after arriving in California was to find housing which turned out to be half of a duplex home. A single mother with a 6 year old boy lived in one half the home, they occupied the other half. All I can say about the boy's father is that he had perished when the boy was an infant. The young lad saw the toys Travis and Xavier had and befriended them so he could help them play with the toys. The young boy was doing very poorly in school but the pair of them helped the boy to understand what he was being taught and why it was important. In two years the boy went from worst to first in his class.
In 2020 when everyone was holed up indoors and working remotely due to the pandemic the boy’s mother approached Travis and Xavier and explained that she had no living relatives and she was worried about the boy's fate if she were to get sick and die. She then asked Travis and Xavier if they would consider being the boys legal guardians in the event of her death so the boy wouldn't have to endure the foster care system. They agreed and legal documents were drawn up and signed.
Travis and Xavier were the first of us to get married, they exchanged vows at a small private ceremony in September of 2016. The young boy mentioned above was the ring bearer at the ceremony. Naturally, Mathew, Patrick, Sean, and myself were in attendance.
Patrick and Sean
During our senior year with Mathew sleeping with me each night and Travis and Xavier always being together, Patrick and Sean started spending a lot more time with each other. In late March of 2015 Patrick announced he had gotten a job with a company on the outskirts of Chicago. It came as no real surprise that Sean concentrated his work search in that area and in mid April he was hired by a company about a mile from where Patrick would be working. The pair of them moved there after graduation and in March of 2017 they married each other. Once again we were all in attendance along with my parents and Sean's parents and sister.
The only sad note to our story is that despite numerous attempts from Patrick to reconcile with his biological parents they still refused to have anything to do with him. My father stood in as a surrogate dad for him at his wedding.
Mathew and I returned to Iowa the weekend after he graduated. Many people mistakenly think that one of the more liberal states like California was the first to legalize same sex marriage but it was actually Iowa. There on the bank of the Mississippi River at McGregor, Iowa directly across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin where Mathew and I first met, he and I exchanged our vows. Again all of our friends and loved ones were in attendance.
At our wedding I gave a special toast to Rodney, Sean's uncle who passed away in early 2015 from cancer. I don't even want to try and imagine how my life may have been If not for his trust and faith in his nephew and the rest of us to deliver his houseboat to its new owner.
May 19, 2026 will be the 8th wedding anniversary for Mathew and myself. In those years we have had some disagreements but each and every night before going to bed we hug and kiss each other and thank one another for the marriage and the happiness we share. We have never slept separately unless one or the other of us had to travel for work. When that happens we take each other's pillow with us. I simply can't sleep at night without inhaling his unique scent off his pillow and he is exactly the same way.
As I stated in chapter 1, each year we gather somewhere, this year we have selected Vancouver, Canada as our destination. We understand there is a clothing optional beach there, maybe we can all get a full body tan again…..
The end.
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