Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:16:22 -0800 (PST)
From: Matthew Templar <matemp1148@yahoo.com>
Subject: Never Take Love For Granted - Chapter 28

	Again, my friends, thank you for your patience while the boys took
a break and I wrote my other story.  And thank you for the response to my
other story and to this one.

	As promised, the finale for One Gift To Give is within this
chapter.  If you still have any questions, let me know.  I can make up some
great answers

      * * * * * *

	All rights reserved.  Other than downloading one copy for personal
enjoyment, no part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted by any
means, except for reviews, without the written permission of the author.
	Furthermore, every word of this story is fiction. Nothing within
this tale happened to anyone I know.  Any reference to anyone, anything or
any place, real, living or dead is coincidental.
	If there is someone that has written a law saying that you can't
read this story because of age or local laws or other such 'wisdom', then
you haven't really gotten this far into Nifty to read this anyway, right!
But write to me and say how you liked it anyway.

	I will answer all emails.  I enjoy emails.  Thank you in advance
for your time to write.  Unless you've submitted a story, you can't know
how important it is to hear how you, the reader, like an artist's work.
Thanks again.
	Finally, there is not enough room to express my gratitude to my
friend, Dwight Wilson for his dedication to the editing of this work and
encouraging me to continue. Read Brad's Idol in Adult/Youth and New
Horizons in Authoritarian (it's really a beautiful tale about freeing boy
slaves and very anti-authoritarian) to know the experience he brings to my
story.  You will not be disappointed!  He's starting . . . oops!  I'd
better not give it away.  Sh-h!

I need you to continue to keep me honest.  Tell me your likes and dislikes,
your ideas.  Mail me, Matthew Templar at matemp1148@yahoo.com

            * * * * * *

Never Take Love For Granted - Chapter 28

	'The man stood and smiled down at the boy next to him.  The boy
seemed taller somehow, than when he appeared in the alleyway.  But how
could that be?  They grasped hands and walked slowly, swinging their joined
hands between them and laughing at such a simple thing; a simple thing that
both had missed for more than a year.

	The thought that filled the boy's head, as they walked happily
around the first corner, made him look up to find Yosef laughing at their
antics.  His was such a wonderful, loving face, with such a contagious
laugh.  He reminded the boy of his father, and of the times he could barely
remember anymore.  He thought of the young boy inside and, while so happy
for them, wished that he could be a part of such a family again, too.  Just
as the young one stepped up onto the porch to enter the house of Yosef, he
was turned around by gentle hands on his shoulders.  His eyes met the
sparkling eyes of this happy man as he knelt before the wee one to ask him
a question.

	"Young one, my heart is so mixed up right now," Yosef admitted.
The small boy, though getting bigger, was concerned that there was
something else that was amiss in this changed man's heart.  "Inside, I feel
the songs that tell me of the new start I have been granted, and that of
the family that has waited for me to come through that door with a smile
for the first time.  But, as the songs lift my spirit, something still tugs
at my soul, showing a corner of our new family that has not yet been
filled.  I believe you are that missing member of our family, my little
one.  I want to know if you would consider me for a father and my wonderful
Miryam as your mother.  You have lost your family, have you not?  I don't
know why I know this to be true."

	Yosef had his confirmation of the truth in his words, as he
witnessed the tears raining from the wee one's eyes.  He stood before this
new man and shook as he thought of the loneliness that he had prepared
himself for at the end of this mission.  It was something that had awakened
him on several nights, to the coldness of the life he imagined before him.
He knew that Kamshad would have ArAd as his lover and that they would all
be friends, but he missed his childhood and the mother and father, a real
father, like he saw in the eyes of the man kneeling before him.  He could
not get any words to escape his lips.  With a questioning look, he patted
his chest and could only mouth the word, "Me?"

	A smile sparked onto Yosef's face and ignited into a warm,
compassionate look that poured from him onto the little boy he had become
endeared to so quickly.  Yosef nodded his head with enthusiasm, holding out
his arms in welcome.  More tears flowed but were soon stopped, by a wide
smile on the small, cherub face of the wee one.  He felt weak, he felt
consumed, he felt like he was burning up and he felt the love that would
mark the life of the man in front of him from that time forward, mixing
with all feelings to fill him to the very brim.

	It was more of a fall than a run, into the arms of Yosef.  The
young boy had dreamed of a time that he could hold his papa again and talk
about their loves and lives and, mostly, cuddle like before, so many years
before, having taken so many turns and dips and swerves along life's
highway that had brought him to this house.  It had been far too much to
hope for, a dream that he had begun to set aside, giving up the hope that
now poured over him so abundantly.

	Their hug lasted but a moment, but sealed a lifetime of their love
for one another.  It would soon be shared by a new mother and a one year
old brother.  But there was one more item to uncover, one more blank to
fill in to make them all as one.

	"My new son, h-m-m, I like that sound, as I know that my, ha! our
family will.  But we can not call you wee one until you leave us with your
mate, now can we?"  A deep chuckle shook the man happily as he held the boy
in his arms.  It was the little one who had laughed.  Yosef held the boy at
arms length.  "What shall we call you, for you are growing so fast now that
soon we shall need to call you the biggest one?"

	"My mother called me Jamil.  She said that she saw my handsome
father in my face even as a baby.  Jamil means handsome in my land.  But
that was another time."  His smile took on a distant look but remained
happy as he thought of the days and years that he left behind, if only in
his memories, and of the time yet to come.

	"My son, I promise you this, you will see your mother again, and
always you shall be one of the happiest boys, for our love shall be upon
you and within you and devour you daily."  And as he gave his word to the
. . . no, to Jamil, the handsome one, he hugged him and tickled him in all
the places where their love would soak in.

	"Today we begin your new life with us and ours with you.  May I
suggest that we call you by a name my family has cherished for many
generations?"

	"I want to be as one with you and your, uh, our family.  What is my
new name, Papa?"

	Yosef struggled to keep back the tears as he heard the endearing
words of his newest son.  His pride welled up and burst with a laugh and
turned, again, into a wonderful smile.  Jamil also beamed as he looked upon
his new papa.

	"Then we shall call you James, and you shall be our son and the
brother of Yesous, too."

	And so it was that their youngest son had a brother named James,
who would be at his side for many years hence forth.  Together they would
work in the carpentry shop of their father.  Together they would play and
learn the teachings of the faith of their fathers.  Yes, fathers.

	"Jamil.  Ja-mil.  I like it, wee one.  It comes gently off my
tongue much like you have done so many times before.  Ow!"  ArAd held his
shoulder, having received his punishment from his lover, Kamshad.  But they
both laughed with the wee . . . , no, with Jamil, now James.  They had
stepped to the side after leaving the small house, to say their good-byes.
There was little sadness in their parting, for they had fond memories and
each looked forward to that which they had been hoping for all along.
While James and Yosef had talked outside, the lords took the time to
approach ArAd and Kamshad.

	"Boys, what is your desire of your young lives tomorrow?"

	The two boys looked at each other as though the future hadn't
occurred to them.  Then Kamshad smiled at his ArAd and turned toward the
lords.

	"Sirs, we only want to be together.  But we would certainly look
very favorably on continuing with your adventures.  We would like to serve
our kind hosts in a way to honor your kindness to us."  ArAd smiled at
Kamshad and then nodded his agreement to the men before them.  The lords
talked to each other quietly and then looked upon the young boys before
them.

	"We have certainly enjoyed your company, my boys," said the lord
that had favored ArAd so nobly at their first meeting.  "We welcome you to
our group again, to continue with us.  If it is of no concern to you, we
will have the six boys move to your wagon to serve you and learn from you.
As we pass through their homes they will be offered their right to return.
They may choose to stay also, in which case they will be welcomed as you
have.  What do you say to that, boys?"

	"Kind sirs," said Kamshad, "It only concerns us that they be
allowed to be our equals and that we serve the needs of each other, much
like brothers would do."  He was a bit timid to be asking for such a huge
request from these men that had shown them more kindness than they could
have imagined.  So both boys were a little startled when the lords began to
laugh at the request.  ArAd's heart sank as he thought of the trouble this
request had surely cost them.

	"We are pleased that you boys see the importance in being the same.
It is a quality that is to be commended.  So be it!  From this day the six
young ones are as you, though they were never slaves, only workers assigned
for the duration of this journey."  Much nodding went on as though they had
to make sure they all agreed that they would not have slaves under their
command.

	Kamshad and ArAd were stunned, but so pleased that they began to
laugh and hug the lords.  The startled lords were certainly not used to
that outward display of emotions, but they silently enjoyed the contact
immensely.

	And the end has come to this tale.  ArAd would eventually be known
as the most daring of the warriors, equal to his closest friends, Hami and
Hesam.  Kamshad stayed close to ArAd and joined a group of actors in the
city that they lived, in the great house of the learned men of this quest.
It was of little surprise that the two handsome couples would occasionally
share their most initimate evenings with each other.  And the two younger
boys certainly enjoyed their relationships with the six young boys with
whom they traveled.

	Soon after their guests left the revived family, now numbering
four, they were told in a dream to leave the place of Yesous' birth in
haste, and go to a land to the south that we call Egypt today.  Sometime
after that they were allowed to return to Nazareth to build their lives
together.

	In time, Yosef took James to visit his village and his first
family.  James was delighted to see that they were all well and that his
mother had been loved by a man of honor and responsibility.  They were
delighted as well, to see their lost one so well and growing into such a
handsome man.

	James looked over his shoulder as he and his father left the
village, not for the last look at his mother and sisters, though his heart
was dancing in his swelled chest, knowing they were well off as promised.
No, he looked to see if he could see someone who would be a head or two
taller than all of the men in that place, a man that had brought him such
trust and love that he had the strength to pursue his calling.  James,
though not seeing his large friend, knew in his heart that, in a cavern
some distance away were the happiest of boys, being loved and cared for by
the gentlest of giants.

	The one that was no longer a wee boy looked up at his papa as they
rode toward their home.  He thought of the happy place of his first host
and naked brothers, then of the two young lovers that shared themselves
with James.  He had been given so much love and yet, he still had so much
to look forward to.

	A smile grew on James' face as his joyous thoughts encompassed him;
a smile that he knew was his one gift to give.

                      * * * * * *
                      * * * * * *

	Clayton laid the book on the table next to his chair to see two
bright eyes looking back at him.  The little naked cherub was leaning over
the arm of the couch, waiting and waiting for that very moment to come.

	"Unca Clayton, are you done with that story now?  I gotz to do
sumpin' or I'll just die."  Petey had been so patient while Clayton
finished the book that Russ had left for him.  He'd played for a long time
by himself and even got a snack for both of them.  But he was ready for
some time with his favorite babysitter.

	"Yes, my wee one.  I have concluded the rich testament of this
glorious youth and am now yours to do your every bidding."

	"Huh?  You talks funny!"  Petey had scrunched up his nose, trying
to figure out what that gobbledy-guck was that had just come out of the
man's mouth.

	"I said, we can play now."  Petey rolled his head back, let out a
laugh and clapped his hands together.

	"Ha!  I'm so happy!  I'm alive again!"  He jumped down from his
couch and leapt into his 'unca's' lap, grinning his biggest grin.  Clayton
held his little guy at arms length for just a second, picturing just such a
beautiful smile on a boy named James.  Then he tossed the naked munchkin
into the air so he could hear his squeals of pleasure and began to tickle
Petey until the little one cried that he had to pee-pee or die!

                                  * * * * *

	Well, at least that's what Clayton told me about the day they had.
Of course, I could barely concentrate on his story, having made it to the
afternoon of the first day without my little guy.  Clayton and the two
little cuties had stopped by the restaurant site to tell me that the boys
had been invited to spend the night with their mommy and daddy at the
hospital, then go with them to the care center on Saturday, where they
would continue to recover.  The care center was, evidently, a nice big
house in Euphoria, run by some nice people, according to Clayton.  They'd
all be back sometime late Saturday, meaning I would be alone for most of
the time.

	Just then, three teenage boys ran up, all hyper and ready to start
their adventure at the house.  I'd forgotten how blessed I would be, if I
was able to keep my hearing.  They threw their gear in the old dodger and
sat in the back waiting for me to get going.

	When we pulled to a stop at the front of the house, Elliot and
Trevor didn't seem too impressed.  Remember, there's nothing to see until
you get inside.  James kind of gave me a knowing giggle.  I guess I kind of
smirked like I could give a rat's ass.  I would have to apologize to James
later, for my funk.  He didn't deserve it.

	Have you ever gone to a restaurant, looking forward to the time
alone with your friend to enjoy a nice, quiet evening and a good meal, only
to find out that your waiter was the one that liked to sit down with you
and talk about his acting classes?  Well, that was how I felt around the
three guys.

	Now, I could have sworn that Elliot and Trevor were a couple,
couple; that they were together in more ways than just buddies, but maybe
not.  As we hauled their stuff into the house, James elbowed me.

	"Watch their eyes at this one," he said quietly to me.  Children
must play, I guess.  "Guys, did I tell you that we are pretty casual up
here?"  The two newbies looked like, so what, no big deal.  Then James
started to quickly undress until he was starkers and Elliot and Trevor were
seizures.

	"Wait, James," said Elliot, actually turning a bit to avoid seeing
anything too revealing.  "You don't expect us to . . .nah.  Your playing
with us, right?  Isn't he, David?"  Well, I'd surfaced out of my hole
enough to enjoy a good game.

	"Yeah, guys.  Keep your shirts on.  But if I don't get comfortable,
I'm gonna scream.  I've had these clothes on more today than the last two
weeks combined."  Having said that, their next view of me was as bare as
James.  Now, I'll have to say that Trevor didn't shy away.  He was totally
immobile, but he looked a little silly with his mouth hanging open and his
eyes popped out of their sockets.  Elliot had kind of moved behind Trevor
to block his view, though I did notice him looking every once in awhile to
see if it was really true, two naked guys walking around in front of him.
After a minute of enduring Trevor's catatonic state, complete with a line
of drool making its way down his chin, Elliot shoved him back into real
time.

	"Huh, wow guys.  You really are naked," Trevor informed us.  He
must have done some extra credit work in high school on observation.

	"Look guys, two things," I said, trying to put them at ease.  I
guess I was relaxed enough with my nudity that I had a hard time
understanding why two seventeen year old teenage boys couldn't adapt in a
minute and a half.  I should have been more surprised when James could, but
he had Sun Haven in his background.  That may have been cheating.
"Everyone up here is free to be themselves, but no one is going to be
judged for what they will or won't do, or what their beliefs are, either.
You guys want to sweat through those heavy clothes all day, be my guest.
I'm goin' swimmin'.  How about you, James?  Guys?"  I used a wave of my arm
to invite them into the rest of the house.

	James was giggling as he picked up some of their gear and started
hauling it around the entry way to the top of the stairs.  The guys grabbed
the rest and followed him, dumping it with James' load, then they followed
him to the front windows.  The oo's and awe's were priceless.  The look on
Trevor's face as he'd look over at us in all our naked glory was even
funnier.  For someone timid about exposing himself, he wasn't too shy about
gawking.  Of course, Elliot looked like he had his eyeballs glued to the
glass pane so he wouldn't have to see us.

	"So guys, you slept together for a few nights at the house, right?"
Uh-huh's.  "Did you go into the bathroom to undress and button up your
jammies to your neckline too?"  Okay, I was being harsh, but most guys
their age had been in gym or swimming or something where they saw other
guys flopping around.  Trevor blushed and gave a half laugh as he moved
closer to James.  Elliot turned with his hands on his hips, almost
indignantly, ready to defend himself.  When he realized what he'd brought
into his line of vision again, he turned back to the window before he
started speaking.

	"Okay, so our family didn't go around butt naked at all.  And we
were home schooled by my aunt, uh, Trevor's mom, so we didn't do gym and
stuff.  So, forgive me if we aren't used to such uh, revealing displays;
okay?"  James looked like he was going to start giggling again but thought
better of it.

	So the guys were cousins.  All that playing around I'd seen at the
restaurant site was just that, playing about like teenagers.  Okay, time
out to throw on the cape and see if I could mend 16 or more years of
constricted childhoods.  I turned toward Elliot to say,

	"David, we wanna go swimming; 'kay?"  My lips didn't even move and
I sounded more like James, who was behind me.  I spun around to see James
and Trevor heading for the back door.

	"Uh, sure.  What are you gonna wear, Trev?  Do you have any shorts?
I could see . . . "

	"Thanks, David.  I was thinkin' that I'll, uh, well, I wouldn't
want to get anything wet, you know."  Poor guy was blushing scarlet.
Against his white skin, it was quite a contrast.  But he was ready to try
anything once, I guess.  More power to him.  I looked over my shoulder at
Elliot who was still fixed on the view.

	"Trev, you don't have to go naked if you don't want to.  But it's
totally up to you."

	"Well, I'm tired of always having to do what I'm told and follow
behind everyone.  I'm ready to bust out (to which at least three of us
chuckled), and get brave."

	"Alright, Trevor!" shouted James, slapping his arm around the boy's
shoulder.  "Elliot, you comin?"  They didn't even wait for an answer.  They
just started walking toward the door and out.

	"Great!" said the face attached to the window.  I decided to take
some of the awkwardness out of the scenario, at least for the time being.
I walked to the head of the stairs and pulled on my shorts.  There was no
way I could get him to move away from the glass without meeting him
halfway, at least.

	"Okay, Elliot.  It's safe.  Come and sit down and let's talk a bit.
I can't stand to see you go through all this over some bare . . . ."  He
kind of bristled, but he turned his head and peeked.  When he saw me in
shorts, I could see him relax.  He looked like he melted his way over to
the couch instead of walking.  He slumped into the leather and propped his
head up with an arm on the wide arm of the couch.

	"Elliot, I'm sorry to embarrass you or cause you to be this
uncomfortable.  I can't imagine what, well, actually, I can imagine some of
what you've gone through while you were growing up."  He looked over at me
and it honestly looked like someone turned on the taps to his eyes.  They
got a little red first but his demeanor didn't change as I watched tears
pour out of his eyes.  It was a weird effect to see it.  Then he convulsed
once and really started crying.

	I almost scooted over to hold him when I realized I still had no
shirt on.  I was trying to decide what to do and jerking toward him, then
not, when I finally ran over to the pile of clothes again and grabbed
someone's shirt.  I wrapped it around me, maybe getting one arm inside
before I'd gotten back to the couch.  This time I plunked down, right up
against him, and held him to me.  He was still crying somewhat, but there
was this little irregular shaking once in awhile.  He'd cry a bit and then
there'd be two or three of those same shaking things.  I even looked down
at the top of his head to see if he was going to drop into some kind of
seizure.

	The crying had about died down to some shutters and then this
shaking thing, only this time it didn't stop.  It built until he was
laughing, pretty much, out loud.  Well, you know how infectious laughter
is; I caught myself chuckling too.

	"What in the world are you laughing at, Elliot?  I thought you were
having spasms of some kind."  He pulled his head up from my sopping wet
shoulder and showed me a big, wet smile.

	"I'm sorry, sir.  I just couldn't get the sight of you running all
around to get dressed, so I could have a good cry on your shoulder, out of
my mind.  It was the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.  But it was
also the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."  He used his sleeves to
wipe away most of the bath he'd taken in tears, but not all of it.  I stood
and held out my hand to him.  "Huh?"  I just nodded toward the kitchen and
he got up.

	I grabbed the first towel we came to and started to gently wipe his
eyes and face.  His brown eyes were closed as the dish towel moved to the
underside of his chin and I saw a very handsome young man in front of me.
He had brown hair that was cut in the most ordinary style and eyebrows that
were just as normal, not dark or thick.  He had high cheek bones, touched
with a bit of red left over from his blushing that made him look even
younger than he was.  There was even a small dimple in his chin.  His skin
wasn't quite flawless but I could see that it would only take a few days of
healthy eating and cleaning to turn that face into an eye turner.  I guess
I'd stopped wiping and actually raised his chin a little as I admired his
features.  The soft smile had returned when his eyes opened.

	"What?" he said softly.  It was like I didn't hear him.  I just
kept looking.  Then his eyes closed again and he began to lean into me.  We
were the same height, so he only had to take a small step to get to my
lips, which he was already pursed to kiss.  I started to close my eyes and
purse my . . . .

	I stopped and put my hand softly on his cheek; his face cheek, of
course!  His eyes opened and he looked a little disappointed, then
sheepish, when he'd realized what he had tried to do; he lowered his head a
bit and was blushing again.  My hand swept under his chin and raised it to
point his eyes at me.  Softly, I said,

	"Wow, Elliot.  I'm really flattered that you wanted to, but I need
to explain something.  I'm taken."

	"I'm sorry, David.  It all seemed so perfect and, well, I've never
even given a thought to try before," He looked around to see if we had
company before he said a little quieter, "Certainly not with a guy."  He
was looking so cute and innocent, just like a little tyke of ten that I had
grown to adore for just such a reason.  I pulled him into me by his
shoulders and hugged him gently.  I didn't know if he would flip out at
that much contact, even after his attempt at intimacy.  His arms came
around me though, answering that question.  I could feel his heart beating
hard and fast.  I could also feel a nice strong boy form, almost that of a
man, against me, only blocked by half of a wet shirt.

	One of my hands slid down to his rump and pulled him tighter into
me.  I immediately felt what his heart was beating its life blood into.  He
must have felt the connection too and stiffened.  He tried to push me away,
I'm sure because he was embarrassed, but I wouldn't let him.

	"It's okay," I said softly.  "It's what we do.  It's as natural as,
well, as life itself, as wonderful as feeling the fresh air on your skin.
And if you insist on going around trying to kiss your friends, you ought to
get used to feeling it from both you and your partner."  He seemed to relax
enough to chuckle at that and then hugged me even stronger.  Then his hands
started to slip to my two mounds in back to pull me closer.  That was my
queue to stop and get our bearings before we were adrift into private
territory.

	I was hoping he was almost ready to go down with the boys and swim
because I sure needed to cool off in the pool!

	"Okay, big guy."  I said it without realizing what it would mean to
a shy, young, virile boy of several stiff inches.  He looked like I'd
undressed him and held him up on display!  "I don't mean your big
. . .well, you are, I suppose, but I didn't . . . .  Ah, shit!"  It's a
good thing I haven't been wearing shoes so much lately.  I'd be eating a
pair a day.  "I'm ready for a swim, Elliot.  I don't want you to have to be
uncomfortable, but it can't be avoided.  Those guys are naked and I will be
too.  If you want to wear something, you can wear your skivvies, or I can
look to see if there are some shorts that will fit you."  He'd started to
shake his head, though his head was tucked down and I could see his
expression.

	"This is ridiculous.  It's just some pink flesh.  We all have it I
guess.  I need to get real.  I don't know how my cousin did it so easily
but I need to go with the flow."  He said it all like he was thinking it
out as he went.  He seemed to have used about every cliché getting there,
too.  Then he looked up at me and had a hard time trying to get a smile to
stick on his face.  He almost looked like he was in pain.

	"Come on, Elliot," I said, throwing my arm around him and guiding
him toward the door, "let's take it a step at a time, or in this case, a
slide at a time."  His head snapped up at me like I was nuts.  (I get that
a lot.)  A few more seconds and we were at the waterfall, and slide.  A few
seconds more and he was sans clothes and screaming at the top of his lungs,
toward the bottom of the slide.  After the initial splash, I don't think we
heard or saw the slightest bit of hesitation on Elliot's part again.  The
hard part would be to get clothes back on them when it was time for them to
leave.

	The day went well.  We all had a great time.  The boys were back to
their games of grab ass, which took on a whole new dimension now that the
asses weren't covered.  There were lots of new things to grab now, too.
Both Elliot and Trevor were a bit tentative at first, but quickly gave up
all their ridiculous inhibitions and enjoyed themselves, their bodies,
their freedom and the bodies of the two others, with each of them.

	For the most part I got wet several times to cool off and then
relaxed in a lounge chair.  I spent most of the time watching them horse
around, laughing when they did, grimacing when someone held on a little too
tight.  It's got to be the only pain a guy can feel just by seeing someone
else experience it.  I also tried to start a story that Clayton had left on
the table at the house, but it was kind of lame.  Something about a cute,
little guy, way back in ancient times.  I was looking for a little fun.
Phew!  This author, if you want to call him that, didn't have a clue about
writing.  He could have included some good boy fun, but heck.  I got to the
part where some giant was taking this wee-wee one to his cave and they were
just turning the corner.  What a waste of my time!

	I went up to defrost some dinner and let the guys play a little
longer.  It seemed obvious to me that what I had thought made Trevor and
Elliot look like a couple was only because they were cousins.  It was
becoming clear that James and Trevor were getting along really well, though
they didn't exclude Elliot at all.  Maybe Elliot was still working through
his doubts, though he looked as comfortable as he could on the first day of
being in the altogether.

	Elliot came in first, in time to set the table.  I just thawed some
kielbasa sausages and barbequed them.  That and a salad was as close as I
was getting to a well-rounded meal.  The other two came laughing in the
door and quickly included Elliot in their fun.  I had to give them credit
for their thoughtfulness, though most of it seemed to be their genuine
desire to be a threesome, not just two.

	After dinner I helped the two guys find a board game we could play
while Elliot seemed to be wandering around.  I noticed him a few minutes
later with the story I'd laid down.  He found a big, overstuffed chair and
sat down to enjoy the evening.  I figured he'd be turned off by the first
few chapters like I was.  By the time everyone had gone to the bathroom and
gotten themselves drinks, the game was laid out and we asked Elliot to join
us.  I'm not even sure he heard us, much less wanted to play.  Trevor was
the only one that was at the right angle to see Elliot's lap, so when
Elliot didn't answer the third time, he looked over to see what Elliot
could have propped the book onto.

	"Huh?  What's he readin', David?" he said kind of quietly.  James
and I both looked at him like we could care less, let's play.  Then Trevor
grabbed himself with two fingers and pulled it up to simulate stiffness and
said. "Twong!  He's stiffer 'n' a board."  I could only imagine what some
perverted author had snuck into this little, innocent looking tale.  But
James had less of an imagination.  He crawled around behind Trevor, until
he could see what a novel effect the story was having on Elliot.  He buried
his face into Trevor's bare back to stifle his laughing out loud, as his
hand went around to Trevor's lap to get a better grip.  Trevor let out a
yelp that even got Elliot's attention.  Both James and Trevor were
embarrassed, but Elliot just turned his attention back to his story.  The
two boys came back to the game but I could tell they couldn't concentrate
on that kind of playing.  Their eyes would steal glances of each other
until their eyes met and the blushing and weak smiles would start.  Things
didn't quite cool down before it would happen again.  I also noticed that
both boys were soon lying on their stomachs, moving around a lot as though
something was making them uncomfortable.

	I was enjoying the entertainment immensely.  I didn't laugh but it
was only because of a coughing fit every few minutes.  I asked the guys if
one of them could get up and go get me some water, but, for some reason,
they didn't know where we kept the glasses.  They weren't getting up in
their condition if it meant wetting the floor.

	Soon enough the game took their attention and they were able to sit
up on occasion.  We got mesmerized into the game and were having a great
time.  When I looked up again, it was one o'clock in the morning.  I
finally got the guys to help put the game away and asked James to show them
into Dustin's and Petey's room.  The arrangement had been for the two
cousins to share a bed and James to take the other double bed.  But, lo and
behold if James and Trevor didn't decide to make it easier on poor Elliot
by sharing a bed themselves.  Such selfless heroes were as rare as their
teenage libidos.

	They'd gone down and I was turning out lights before Elliot noticed
that it was difficult to read in the dark.  He held onto the book as we
walked down the two flights of steps, showing him our room as we passed it
and then I showed him his room.  The door was almost closed and we could
hear muted laughter so the two boys must have been in the bathroom doing
what two boys do before they go to bed.  Did I just say that?  It had to
sound far more innocent than it really was.  I left Elliot with a perturbed
look on his face, walking in to who-knows-what.

	All of a sudden I was exhausted; then I was sick!  I'd realized
that I hadn't thought of my little guy all evening.  How could I be so
callous?  He was probably tossing and turning in his fitful sleep.  I just
hoped he wasn't too close in proximity to Sam or Russ or he might start
something, in his sleep, which we would save for a private time, alone.
Well, sleep had its way with me and soon pushed everything out of the way
so that it could be in control until I was out like a light.

	Dreaming.

	So warm and comfy.

	Little love so close, but could be a little closer.

	Just had to reach out to pull my munchkin into me so we could spoon
the rest of the night.  Just had to grab that thigh.  Thigh?

End of Chapter 28

To be continued

Comments on the story are very much appreciated.

Someone asked me to do a spin off on Petey a little later in his
effervescent life.  I don't know!  What do you think?

Thank you for the emails you've written.  Each one is an encouragement.  I
get to answer all of them.  Please don't stop.

I'm Matthew Templar at matemp1148@yahoo.com