Bill W

Castaway Hotel
Next Generation, Book 2

Chapters 25-33

Chapter 25
Interesting Times

Once Dad arrived home, things were even less hectic for us, because he'd taken over many of the duties we'd assumed after he left for Georgia. This gave each of us more time to spend with our sons, even though we tried to help Dad as much as we could so he didn't have to do all the work.

On Saturday, we kept our promise and took the boys swimming again, but this time Dad joined us too. When we went into the locker room to change, Ryan undressed and nonchalantly put his clothes in the locker without attempting to cover up this time. I think the other boys were totally amazed when they saw this, and I could see a definite gleam in Benny's eyes. I believe he felt this meant he could go naked after his shower again, as well as being able to go skinny dipping this summer.

We swam for more than an hour before the pool emptied out enough so we could toss the boys into the air. Dad did it with them too, which meant we each got a little break from time to time, but the boys were just as happy. We did that for nearly half an hour before we decided we'd had enough, and then we went to the locker room to shower and change.

I was mildly surprised when Ryan merely draped his towel over his shoulder this time, rather than wrapping it around his waist as he walked to the shower. He didn't go to the showerhead in the corner either, and chose one in the center of one wall. This time everyone got a good look at his package and it didn't seem to bother him at all, because he was busy checking out the rest of us as well.

As soon as we'd all washed, dried, and got dressed again, we headed out to the vehicles, ready to go home. We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts along the way and each of us had a donut and a drink, although most of the boys had two donuts apiece, not just one.

Once we got to the house, Ryan, Benny, and Joshie went to the family room to play video games, but Noah came out to speak with me. "I couldn't believe it when Ryan changed with the rest of us and practically paraded around naked. What was up with that?"

"I'm not sure, but I'd say he's getting comfortable being around us and is doing his best to fit in."

"I guess so, but I was still a little afraid he was going to start screaming and cause a problem when he noticed everyone else looking at him. For a guy who said he didn't want to see us naked, I caught him staring at my dick a couple of times."

"Yes, I think he was visually inspecting all of us, but that's a good sign. At least he wasn't freaking out and creating a disturbance."

"Yeah, and his body isn't bad either. At first I thought he was acting the way he was because he had a small dick and didn't want the rest of us to find out about it, but I was wrong."

"Yes, although that was a logical assumption, you now know it isn't the case. He's quite mature for someone his age." Noah merely smiled and shook his head in disbelief before walking away.

Over the rest of the day nearly everyone else said something to me about what had happened in the locker room too, including Benny. "Do you think he'll go swimming with nuttin on in our pool now?"

"I'm not sure, but I'd say it's starting to look that way, seeing he was willing to change and shower in front of us and didn't have a problem that we were naked too. I'd say he's definitely moving in the right direction."

"Yeah, I hope so."

We spent time with the boys throughout the day, in between doing other things, and we had a very pleasant time. When we went up to tuck the boys in later, we decided to have a little chat with Ryan.

"So did you enjoy yourself and have a good time today?" I asked in an attempt to get the conversation started.

"Yeah, I really liked swimming earlier, but I had fun the rest of the day too."

"We could tell you enjoyed yourself at the pool, and you seemed to be more relaxed today too," Brandon added. Ryan looked up and grinned.

"You mean because I walked around naked and didn't cover up this time."

"That was one of the things," Brandon agreed.

"Yeah, I didn't see anyone else in the locker room and didn't mind if the rest of you saw my junk, cuz I knew none of you would try anything. Besides, I got to see all of your junk too."

"Still, that was quite a change," I followed.

"Yeah, I know, but I trust all of you now and don't mind any more. I wouldn't do it if there were other people around, but I was ok with just you guys."

"That's fine and we understand," I assured him. "We're just glad to see that you're beginning to relax around us and trust that we won't do anything to harm you."

"Yeah, I know and I'm sorry about the way I acted before."

"Don't worry about it, but we're happy to see that you're feeling comfortable around all of us now."

"Thanks, and I do," he added as I pulled back his covers and let him get into bed. After I tucked him in, Brandon and I kissed him on the forehead and wished him sweet dreams.

"I love ya, Dads" he told us as we were leaving the room.

"And we love you too, son," we responded before closing the door.

The next morning at breakfast, Dad made a comment while we were eating. "I see you've gotten out of the habit of going to church." It made us feel slightly guilty and almost like little children again.

"We did, because we had so much to do that we didn't feel we could spare the time."

"It's sad that you boys feel attending church is a burden."

"Not a burden, but we had to set our priorities. With having so much else to accomplish, it was either skipping church or cutting out something at home, like some of our chores or spending time with the boys. We chose the former and decided we didn't need to go to church just to prove our beliefs and values."

"That's true, but a weekly reminder of those beliefs and values doesn't hurt, especially for those who haven't been at it for very long." We immediately got the message that we should have been doing it more for the boys, than for us.

"Ok, I guess we can start going again, but I don't think we'll have enough time to do it today."

"Well, I'm going, in case anyone wants to join me," he added before moving on to another topic.

After Dad and Pop left for church, we called the boys together for a little chat. "If you didn't figure out what your grandfather was getting at earlier, he wants us to start going to church on Sunday again. Ryan and Benny, have either of you ever gone to church before?"

"I don't think so," Benny answered.

"I haven't," Ryan admitted.

"When we do, you'll have to wear a pair of slacks and a dress shirt, but you'll only wear your suit and tie to church on special holidays." I then went on to explain to them about what church was like, both Sunday School and the main service, and what a sermon was like. Then, I told them we'd be waking them up a little earlier next Sunday, so they'd have time to change after we ate.

Dad didn't say anything more about it when he got back, so we didn't either. In order to avoid another lecture, though, Brandon and I went upstairs to make sure all of the boys had a suitable outfit they could wear next Sunday, and that it was clean and pressed. We also checked their suits, since we knew Easter wasn't too far off and they would be needed then. Those items seemed to be in good shape as well, so we turned our attention to other things.

Over the next couple of hours, Brandon and I actually got to spend time working on the more mundane duties of running an office, such as paying bills and balancing the books. Afterward, we spent some time with the boys watching our usual programs, and then we sent them upstairs to get ready for bed.

We gave them plenty of time to finish up, and then went up to tuck them in. By the time we got to Ryan's room, he was still walking around naked and seemingly unconcerned by our arrival. I decided to put it to a little test, to see how he'd react.

"Woo hoo, another show," I teased, causing him to turn around and face us. He was also grinning.

"I know you like other guys, so I'll let you look, but you can't touch," he shot back before sticking out his tongue and then laughing hysterically.

That prompted me to grab him around the waist and toss him on the mattress before I started tickling his ribs. His initial laughter turned into cries of protest after a few seconds.

"Stop! Don't do that. Stop or I'm gonna pee all over ya."

"Oh, you're not getting out of it that easily," I threatened. "Take your punishment like a man. You're certainly hung like one."

Suddenly, he began to thrust his hips at me, but I wasn't sure why he was doing this or what it meant. "I'm sorry, and you can touch it if you want," he wheezed in between giggles.

That comment made me stop immediately and back away from him. "Ryan, I have no intention of touching your penis."

"Why not? You did it before."

"Only when I was giving you your physical and examining you to make sure nothing was wrong. That's the only time I'll ever do that again."

"I know, and I'm not worried about you doin' anything to hurt me now, so I wouldn't mind, but I did almost pee on ya."

"Then take your hose over to the toilet and drain it," I snapped back playfully. "We don't need you watering me OR your mattress."

He started giggling again as he raced out of the room, although he called back to us over his shoulder. "I'll be right back, so don't leave."

"We won't."

Once he was gone, Brandon looked at me oddly. "Do you think that was wise?"

"I wasn't worried. He's been acting like he doesn't mind any more, and after what he told Richard, I wasn't concerned about how he'd react. I thought a little tickle torture might even help us bond."

"You mean with him offering to let you touch his dick?"

"No, but I think he was only joking about that so I'd release him. However, I let him know that nothing of that nature was going to happen. I think he was just having fun trying to shock me."

"Maybe, but be careful."

Shortly after we finished speaking, Ryan sauntered into the room again, with a huge grin on his face. "How did you know I was ticklish?"

"I think most kids are, some more than others."

"Well, I'm really ticklish, but that was kind of fun too. I never had anyone tickle me when I was naked before."

"I just thought you should be punished for that wisecrack you made."

"Yeah, I know, but it was worth it. I'm glad you weren't afraid to touch me seeing I didn't have nothin' on. I guess that must mean you know I was telling the truth when I said I don't mind any of you seeing me like this any more."

"We definitely do, but it doesn't mean you have to parade around like that if it bothers you."

"Nah, it doesn't any more. I even like doin' it, cuz it makes me feel grown up."

"You're definitely grown up in some ways, as we can tell by just looking at you, but you don't have to prove anything to us."

"I'm not. I'm proving it to myself."

"Ok, are you going to put something on now, or are you going to sleep like that?"

"Wow, I never thought about sleeping naked. Do you mind if I try it tonight?"

"You can if you want."

"Then pull the covers back so I can get in bed."

"Yes, your highness, or is that your hiney."

"That's funny. It's what I called my butt when I was little."

"I know. A lot of kids do."

"So why did you just say that?"

"It sounded like you were giving me an order to get the bed ready so you could get in, and that's why I called you your highness, like a king or prince. Then I called you your hiney to tease you about the way you were acting."

"Well, I ain't a butt, but I'll get in bed when you get things ready."

I lifted the covers and he scooted his bare ass into bed. I then tucked the blankets around him and kissed him on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, son."

"Man, I like it when you call me that."

Brandon then kissed him and repeated the phrase I'd just used, which made Ryan's smile broaden. We were about ready to leave his room when he spoke again.

"Thanks for letting me live here and for being so nice to me. I really love it here and I love both of you. Night, Dads. See ya in the mornin'."

"Goodnight, son," we both said again before closing the door.

"Damn, that was a total shocker," Brandon stated when we got downstairs. "I was amazed that he was walking around naked when we got there, and then I thought you were out of your mind when you started tickling him. The way he was squirming around, one of your hands could have easily wound up on his genitals. If that happened, I envision him screaming bloody murder and demanding to leave, or else running to the phone to dial 911."

"Maybe it was a risk, but he was acting so playfully that I didn't see either of those as a potential outcome. In fact, I think he enjoyed it and was happy I did it."

"Yes, that's how it seemed, but I was just worried that it could have turned out the other way."

"And I'm thankful it didn't."

When I went to wake the boys up the following morning, Ryan wanted to talk. "I slept that way all night long and I might do it again. It felt really different at first, but once I got used to it I fell asleep and slept really good."

"I'm glad, now get out of bed and get dressed for school." As he climbed out from between the sheets, I noticed he had an erection.

"Ummm, it looks like you need to use the toilet, so go ahead. I'll see you when you come downstairs to eat."

"Yeah, I gotta pee now, but it gets like this a lot lately, even when I don't gotta pee." After saying this, he rocked his hips from side to side and made his dick swing back and forth. Then, he looked up at me and giggled.

"Yes, it's something that happens to boys your age when they enter puberty."

"What's that?"

"It's the time when your body starts changing from that of a little boy to that of a man."

"You mean cuz my dick got bigger and I got hair down there now?"

"Yes, those are some of the changes that happen."

"And getting boners?"

"Yes, now go use the toilet and I'll wait and explain a little about that while you're getting dressed, but you'll need to get a move on. If you want to talk about it more after that, then we can do it tonight."

"K."

When he returned, I explained puberty and the changes he'd still be encountering as he was putting his clothes on, and then we went downstairs together to eat. I was fairly certain he had experienced morning wood before, but I hoped the other erections he referred to were merely the result of normal teenage hormones, and not that he was somehow aroused by one of us.

I think the other boys noticed how Ryan was acting this morning too, and wondered why he was being so silly. He had a goofy grin on his face the entire time he was eating, but he never let on why. He also kept looking over at Brandon and me, and I'm sure the others thought he was sharing some kind of secret with us that he didn't want them to know about.

I filled Brandon in on what had happened as we drove to work and asked his opinion.

"Well, I wasn't there and can only go by what you've told me, but some of the things he's done lately are beginning to make me wonder. He seems to feel closer to you than me now, and I'm not sure if it might be more than just a father/son bond. He might even be developing a crush on you."

"No way, especially after what happened to him. I certainly haven't done anything to encourage it either, although I've had more intimate contact with him because of the physical."

"And when you tickled him last night."

"Yeah, maybe I did. I know he told Richard that he feels differently about gays now, but I don't think it means to the point where he wants to try things. If he does, then maybe he can get Noah to help him out. I know for a fact that Noah and Elliot messed around a little about a year after Noah came to live with us, so maybe he'll do that with Ryan too."

"You could suggest that to Ryan, but somehow I think he has his sights set on you." I considered what Brandon said, and although I wanted Ryan to feel close to me, I didn't want him to have a sexual attraction. I'd be more careful about how I acted around him in the future, and more observant of how he was responding.

When we got home after work that evening, Ryan greeted us at the door and asked if we were going to watch TV with them later. We told him we probably would, and that's when he told me he wanted to sit on my lap when we did it, to make sure none of the other boys beat him to it. I wasn't exactly sure why he wanted to do this again, but Brandon's comment from earlier began to ring in my ears. I would make sure nothing happened that seemed even vaguely sexual, and although I was tempted to not let him do this, I didn't want to throw cold water on his recent change of attitude. I wasn't sure why he was suddenly focusing all of his attention on me, though, but I was happy to oblige if it helped him feel like a part of the family. I just didn't want to encourage more than that.

As soon as Brandon and I got to the family room after dinner, Ryan hurried over to make sure he got to sit on my lap. Benny looked at us strangely as he went over to sit on Brandon's lap, and then Noah plopped down between us. I wasn't sure what was going on, but our entire family was now seated together on the sofa, except for Elliot. I wondered where he would sit when he returned home.

The others kept glancing over at us during commercials, and I think they were trying to figure out what was going on too. Sure, Benny and Ryan had sat on our laps before, but Noah usually only sat with us on special occasions. I had a feeling the others were all wondering what made tonight so special that it caused the boys to do this, especially Noah. I had a suspicion he was feeling left out lately, since he was the only one not sitting with us most of the time.

When our shows ended, we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. I was tempted to just let Brandon go up to tuck Ryan in tonight, but then how would I explain it to him later? Both of us had always gone to do it every night, so I was convinced Ryan would feel hurt if I didn't show up this evening. Therefore, I put my concerns and uneasiness aside and headed up to say goodnight to him too. When we got to his room he was naked again.

"Are you going to put something on?" Brandon asked when he observed the situation.

"Nah, I want to sleep like this again. It felt kinda neat last night."

"Ok, then hop in bed," Brandon stated as he pulled back the bedding.

Ryan quickly did as he was told and Brandon tucked him in. Then Brandon kissed him on the forehead and wished him pleasant dreams, and then I did the same. Ryan was smiling broadly as I did so, but he didn't say anything other than to tell us both goodnight too.

The rest of the week went about the same, except that Ryan didn't sit on my lap every night. He and Benny alternated between Brandon and me, and Noah sat between us most times. On Friday, Noah sprawled out on the floor instead of sitting with us, but that was basically the only difference. Then again, that's not exactly true. Ryan wasn't naked when we got to his room each night either, but he was eager for us to show up and tuck him in. We were happy to do it and things were going fairly smoothly, so I was beginning to think maybe our suspicions had been unfounded.

On Saturday, we went swimming again, but Ryan was a little more reserved when we first entered the locker room. That was due to the fact that there were a couple of other men in there when we first arrived, so he wasn't quite as open and carefree as he'd been the previous week. I think Benny was slightly worried when he saw this, but he was no longer concerned by the time we left for home. When we'd finished swimming we found the locker room empty, and Ryan acted just as he had on our earlier outing, which put Benny's mind at ease.

Sunday morning, we all got dressed after eating breakfast together, and then attended church with Dad and Pop. I wasn't worried about sending the boys off to Sunday School on their own, because Benny would be in the same group as Joshie, and Ryan would attend the same class as Noah. Joshie and Benny would be in the senior group, for 9 to 12-year-olds, while the junior group was for those 5 to 8. Ryan and Noah would be in the teen class for those 13 to 17, and once they turned 18 they would move up to the young adult class. I merely asked Joshie and Noah to sit next to the other two and help them out, if it became necessary. They promised they would.

We all met up and sat together for the church service, and the boys filled Brandon and me in about a few things while the minister was greeting those just arriving for church. The boys didn't seem to mind having to attend the classes, but some of the things they heard were new to them and they found some of it difficult to make sense of. I told them we'd discuss it more when we got home and we'd try to answer all of their questions.

The sermon this morning was based on Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, or the Beatitudes. I had a feeling this particular topic had been chosen as a lead up to the Easter season, and the sermon contained some valuable information. The thing was, I wasn't sure if it was making a great deal of sense to either Benny or Ryan without further explanation. We'd have to take care of that when we got home.

Once the sermon ended, the minister greeted everyone on the way out. When we got to him, he mentioned that he hadn't seen us recently, so we apologized for the oversight and told him we had a lot going on with Shannon's accident and gaining two new sons. We then introduced him to Benny and Ryan, and after they shook hands and exchanged greetings, we assured the minister he'd be seeing us every Sunday from now on. He said he looked forward to it, so we bid him goodbye and left.

We stopped for brunch on the way home, something we often did after attending church. That's because it was usually past lunchtime before the service ended, and none of us felt like rushing back to fix a meal. We also didn't want to have to wait to eat. This was something else Benny and Ryan enjoyed and they thanked us for doing it, so we explained it was something we usually did after church and it wasn't done just in their honor. That didn't seem to bother them, though, because they thanked us again.

When we got home, we explained the things the boys had questioned earlier and answered all of their questions. We told them that we knew it was a lot to assimilate at one time, so they should merely try to absorb as much as they could, since we'd be going to church every week from now on. They appeared fine with this and actually seemed to be looking forward to doing it again, which definitely pleased Dad.

Chapter 26
A Change of Heart

The next week started off fairly uneventful, but that all changed on Thursday morning when I went to wake Ryan. As soon as he opened his eyes, an expression of horror crossed his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, wondering what caused his reaction.

Ryan's face started to turn red, so I had a feeling that whatever the problem, it was at least mildly embarrassing for him. I waited for a response, and after several seconds he finally spoke.

"I think I wet the bed, but I haven't done that in years." He was almost in tears as he spoke and reached his hand down to see if it was actually what had happened. "It's all sticky and I'm really sorry."

As he got out of bed, I examined his sheet to see if it would confirm my suspicion. "Ryan, you didn't wet the bed. You had what is referred to as a nocturnal emission, or a wet dream."

"Huh?"

"Do you masturbate?"

"What's that?"

"Maybe you call it jerking off or jacking off, but it's when you rub your penis because it feels good."

He blushed again. "Yeah, I guess I do it sometimes."

"Does anything come out of the slit at the end when you do it?"

"Nah, it just feels good and makes me all tingly."

"Well, I think you're going to start finding out that a liquid is going to shot out of your penis when you do it from now on. It's called an ejaculation and the liquid is semen. It contains your sperm, and those are the cells that could cause a girl to have a baby, if you ejaculated in her when you're making love."

"But I didn't do nothin' like that."

"I know you didn't, but sometimes at night the same thing can happen if you have a really sexy dream. Something must have been on your mind last night and caused you to ejaculate when you were sleeping."

He blushed again and then responded. "I guess maybe I did. I was thinkin' 'bout somethin' like that before I went to sleep."

"Do you mind sharing what it was with me?"

"Nah, cuz I'm embarrassed and you're gonna think I'm dumb."

"No, I won't, and you don't have to be embarrassed either. I won't make fun of you or treat you any differently, but I'd just like to know what caused this to happen."

He hesitated for a minute and studied my face to see if he thought he should do this, but he eventually relented. "Ok, but don't get mad or laugh at me. I was thinking about seeing everyone naked in the locker room when we went swimmin'."

"I see. And were you thinking of anyone in particular?"

"Kinda, but it wasn't just one person."

"Do you mind telling me who you were thinking about then?"

His chin suddenly drooped onto his chest and he began staring at the floor. His head was swaying gently from side to side, and he was shifting his weight uneasily from one leg to the other. I could see he didn't want to disclose this information, but I really wanted to know.

"Promise you won't laugh or get mad."

"I promise."

"I was thinkin' 'bout you, Dad Brandon, and Noah. You've all got bigger dicks than me and I was thinkin' I hoped mine looked like yours when I got older. That's what I was thinkin' 'bout when I fell asleep."

"That's nothing to be embarrassed about, and I'm sure all boys do things like that at one time or another. In fact, I feel honored that you admire how I look, and I'm sure the other two would as well."

"Don't tell them! You gotta promise."

"I wasn't going to tell them, but I was just saying that I thought they would feel the same way as I do, if they knew." Suddenly he exhaled, so he'd apparently been holding his breath thinking I was going to tell the other two. "In the meantime, I think you should go to the bathroom, wet a washcloth, and clean yourself off. While you're doing that, I'll remove the sheets from your bed, but we won't make it until later. Right now we both have to head downstairs to eat, so we'll still have time to get dressed afterward."

"K. I'll hurry then, and thanks for explaining this to me and not gettin' mad."

"There's nothing to be mad about. It's all part of growing up and I'm sure it has happened to all of us at one time or another. I'd also be willing to bet that it will probably happen to you again at some point."

"Geez, I hope not, but thanks."

Brandon asked what took me so long when I got to the dining room, so I told him I'd explain later, and then I filled him in as we drove to work. "I'll bet he was mostly thinking about you, but Noah and me too?"

"That's what he said, so feel honored. It means that out of the entire family, we're his top three fantasies." I laughed after admitting this.

"From the way he's been acting around you, I was certain you would have been one of them, and maybe Noah too, but I didn't think he was looking at me that way."

"Obviously he was, but don't let him know I told you, because I promised I'd keep it a secret. I'm just letting you know so you can keep your eyes open and see if you can pick up on anything else."

"I'll do that, but I'm still amazed."

When we got home after work that night, I found Ryan and asked if he wanted me to help him make his bed. "Nah, I already did it."

"Oh, ok. Do you have any more questions for me?"

"Not now, but I might later."

"Ok, anytime. Just let me know."

When we went up to tuck him in later, he had something else on his mind. "Can I just talk to you for awhile, ummm, maybe alone?" he added as he glance over at Brandon.

Brandon merely nodded before he kissed Ryan on the forehead, bid him goodnight, and left the room.

"I hope he's not mad, but it's hard enough to tell you this stuff, and it would be even harder with him here too."

"I know, and I'm sure he understands. So what is it you want to talk about?"

"You remember this mornin', when you asked me if I jacked off?" I nodded in response. "We'll I was wonderin' if there's a right way to do it. I just kinda started rubbing myself there, but I want to know if I'm doin' it right."

"I'm not sure if there's a wrong way to do it, as long as it feels good, but there are different grips you can use. You'll just have to figure out which one works the best for you."

"Can you show me what they are?"

"I'll use the index finger on my left hand to represent a penis, and then I'll demonstrate on that. Would this be sufficient for you?"

"Yeah, I guess, unless you just want to do it to me."

"No, that wouldn't be appropriate, so just watch while I explain."

I then demonstrated several grips, starting with one finger and thumb. Then I showed him doing it using two fingers and thumb, all four fingers and thumb, cupping it with the palm but not wrapping the fingers around the shaft, a reverse grip, and gripping it from underneath. He watched as I showed him each one and didn't say anything until I finished.

"Thanks, and that helps a lot. I was usin' two fingers and thumb to do it, so I guess I musta just figured it out on my own. I'm glad you showed me all that stuff too, because now I know a lot more."

"You're welcome and you can ask me anything you want at anytime. Just let me know so we can do it in private, if that's what you'd prefer."

"Yeah, that would be better and I'll ask whenever I have another question. Thanks."

I then tucked him in, but as I bent down to kiss his forehead he pulled his arms out from under the covers, wrapped them around my neck, and gave me a hug. "Thanks, Dad. That was a big help and I love ya."

"I love you too, son, and you're welcome."

I then kissed his forehead again and turned off the light as I left the room. You would think that after going over things like this with both Elliot and Noah that I wouldn't have a problem doing it with Ryan too, but they hadn't been looking at me the way Ryan was. Not only that, but they also didn't offer to let me do it to them. I hope he got the message and doesn't let this get out of hand, because I don't want to hurt his feelings later. I hope he gets over this little crush on his own, if that's what it is, because hearts can easily be broken due to unfulfilled puppy love.

Friday was fairly unremarkable, and when we took the boys swimming on Saturday, I discretely kept an eye on Ryan. Not only was he unabashedly showing off his body again, but I saw him ogling Noah, Brandon, and my penises. He was glancing at the others too, but not for as long or intensely as he was doing it with us. I didn't comment about it, however, because it was a harmless activity, although I was worried that he was fantasizing about doing more than just looking.

After lunch, Noah came up to me and I could tell he had something on his mind. "Can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Sure, how about the living room?"

"Uh, can we go somewhere with a door that we can shut, so no one else will hear?"

"Ok, how about your old bedroom. No one should be hanging out there."

"Yeah, that will work."

I quickly told Brandon I had something to do and then walked upstairs with Noah. We entered his old bedroom and I shut and locked the door behind us. Then, we sat down on the bed. "What's up?"

"Ryan asked me something and I didn't know what to tell him."

"Ok, what did he ask?"

"I'd told him before that I'd messed around a little with Elliot when I was younger and that we'd jacked each other off and even sucked one another. When we got home a little while ago, he wanted to know if I would do that with him."

"And how do you feel about it, and how did you respond?"

"At first I couldn't believe he'd asked me to do it, especially after the way he'd acted when he first got here. It made me nervous that if I agreed he might change his mind after we did it and then freak out."

"Did you tell him that?"

"No, I just said I'd have to think about it."

"If he promises not to do anything like that, would you be interested in doing it with him?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind helpin' him out. I'm not gay, but I'd do it for him if I could be sure that nothin' bad would happen afterward."

"Do you want to discuss this with him alone, or would you like my help. I'll do it with you, if that's what you want, but I won't do it for you."

"I'd feel better if you were there and heard what he agreed on. That way if something happens afterward, you'd know I didn't force him and it was his choice."

"Ok, then go get him and bring him up here. I'll wait until you get back."

"K," he agreed as he headed out the door and raced downstairs. Before long, he returned with Ryan trailing behind. When Ryan saw me in the room, he looked between Noah and me and spoke.

"What's Dad doin' here?"

"I wanted him to be here when we talked about this, so he'd know what you agreed to."

"So you told him what I asked?"

"Yeah, and he's cool with it. I just wanted to talk to you about something before I agreed. Will you promise not to spazz out if I do this with you?"

"Yeah, or I wouldn't have asked. I just want to see if it's any different when you do it to me, but I want to see what it's like doin' it to you too."

"Ok, then we can jack each other off if you still want to. I was just worried about how you might react later, seeing how you were when you first got here."

"Yeah, I can see why you'd think that. I guess I would have been worried too, if I were you. I still want to do it with you, though, but I just didn't want everyone else to know."

"They don't and I only told Dad. I trust him, and I think you do too."

"Yeah, I do, so you don't mind if we do this?" he asked looking at me.

"No, as long as you've both agreed to it. It would only be a problem if someone was being forced to do it, or if one of you hurt the other one, but I have no problem with you trying a little mutual masturbation."

"So you don't think it's weird?"

"It's not weird at all, because a lot of boys do it, even those that aren't gay. Boys like to experiment and try different things, and doing things like this with someone else helps to confirm that they're doing it correctly."

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to do it."

"Then I'll leave you boys alone. You can either do it now or later, it's up to you."

"K, and thanks for not getting mad or thinking this was weird."

"You're welcome, but neither of those things ever crossed my mind."

I then left them alone as they began to discuss when and where they were going to do it. As I was partway down the stairs, I heard them going up to the third floor to one of their bedrooms. I take it that meant they were going to do it now, so I'd just keep my ears open for any problems over the next half hour or so, not that it will take them that long."

When they came downstairs again later, they were both smiling broadly, so I figured everything must have worked out to their satisfaction. Noah even gave me a wink, to let me know there were no problems, but I figured he might fill me in about it in more detail later. I was right, because he asked me to come to his room AFTER I finished with Ryan tonight. I mentioned all of this to Brandon, so he'd know what I was up to later and would just say goodnight to Noah before the two of us talked.

Later, after we'd tucked the younger boys in and said goodnight, we went up to say goodnight to Noah next, before heading over to Ryan's room. That's what we normally did, and I didn't want Ryan to get suspicious, so we followed the same routine tonight. However, after we finished with him, Brandon went downstairs while I went back to Noah's room. Then, we whispered so Ryan wouldn't overhear our conversation.

"There were no problems at all, but he sure made a lot of noise while I was beatin' his meat."

"Yes, some guys are like that."

"He's got a pretty nice dick and shot more than I thought he would, but he seemed to enjoy having me do it to him. He did it to me afterward and kept saying what a big dick I had. We only jacked each other off, but I think he might want to try suckin' each other sometime too."

"That's fine, as long as you both agree to do it."

"Yeah, I'll do it with him if he wants, but I'll be ok if he doesn't want to do it either."

"Ok, that's good to know, and thanks for filling me in about what you did."

"Did Elliot tell you when we did it?"

"Not quite the same way you just did, but I knew you two fooled around. I was ok with it, as long as you both wanted to do it."

"Yeah, and I was the one who asked him. He agreed because he's gay and is happy doing stuff with any dick."

"I'm not sure I'd go that far about what he'd do, but I'm sure he was happy that you asked him."

"Yeah, he was, and we did it a few times together. He taught me a lot, but we never did any of the butt stuff."

"That doesn't surprise me, seeing you're not gay, and I'm glad he didn't try to pressure you into it."

"Nah, he just told me he was willing, if I ever wanted to try it, but I never did."

"Ok, now get to sleep, because we have church tomorrow."

On Sunday we went to church with Dad and Pop again, and then we stopped for brunch on the way home. Ryan and Noah kept whispering to each other in the SUV, and again when we were at the diner, so it made me wonder if they were just talking about what they'd done or if they were planning another session. I wasn't sure if Noah would tell me about it if they did it again, but as long as that's what they both wanted, I wasn't going to bug them about it.

I was sitting in the living room later, when I noticed Noah signal that he wanted me to follow him upstairs. I waited a few seconds after he'd disappeared, in case anyone else had seen what he'd done too, and then I went to his old room first, figuring I'd find him there. When I discovered the room was empty, I headed up to his room next. He was sitting on the bed waiting for me.

"I was beginnin' to wonder if you'd understood what I wanted," he said as I walked into the room.

"I did, but I waited so no one would see me immediately follow you. That might have made them suspicious."

"Yeah, that's cool."

"So what did you want?"

"I just wanted to tell you what we did earlier. Ryan kept askin' me if we could do it again, so I told him we could. When I started jackin' him this time, he said he wanted to know what it felt like to have someone suck his dick, and if it felt the same as when he jacked it. I stopped and sucked him off instead, but he wasn't ready to do that to me, so he just jerked me off instead."

"Thank you for letting me know. So how did he react after you finished?"

"He just about screamed when he shot his load, and then he told me it was way better than just doing it with your hand. I think he's gonna want to do it again, and I'll do it a couple more times with him, but that's it. I hope he won't get mad when I don't want to do it any more, so I thought you should know. I'm wonderin' if he might try to get someone else to do it with him when I stop, so this way you can talk to him about it before he gets into any trouble."

"Thanks, and maybe I'll do that when I tuck him in later. After stating that he didn't want to do anything like that when he first got here, it sounds like he might turn into Frankenstein's monster, if we don't get things under control."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too, and it's why I wanted you to know about this."

"Thanks, and just let me know when you tell him that you're doing it for the last time."

"K, I will."

I then went downstairs, and when I found a chance to get Brandon alone, I mentioned this to him too. He agreed that I should talk it over with Ryan, so I told him I was going to stay behind tonight after we'd tucked him in, just to get his reaction about what he'd done with Noah. However, I wouldn't talk to him about doing it with other boys until Noah stopped doing it with him. Brandon said that was fine and told me he'd leave us alone later.

After dinner we watched a couple of shows of TV with the boys, and then we sent them up to get ready for bed. I went with the younger pair this time, and after we tucked them in, we went up to say goodnight to Noah. When we got to Ryan's room, he was naked and waiting for us. Brandon merely kissed him on the forehead, wished him sweet dreams, and then said he had to go take care of something and would let me tuck him in. After Brandon left, I sat down on the bed and patted the space next to me, so he'd do the same.

"So how did things go with Noah?"

"I was wonderin' what was goin' on. You had me scared for a minute."

"I just wanted to talk about what you two did."

"It was really good and felt better than when I do it to myself. It was kinda neat doing it to him too, and it felt different because his dick is so much bigger than mine."

"And how about when he sucked you off?" Ryan's mouth dropped open and he began to blush.

"Man, he told you about that too?"

"Yes, because it helps to let me know how much you boys know and what you're into, so I can help to protect you."

"Dang, I didn't know that, but I guess it's alright, since you aren't mad. You aren't, are you?"

"No, I'm not mad and I just want to make sure you're ok with what you did."

"Yeah, it was great. It was way better than when I jack off and even better than when Noah did it to me." I wasn't sure if he realized it at first, but he was starting to chub up while he was telling me about what they'd done.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, because that fact has become quite obvious." I then glanced at his erection, and he looked down too before glancing at me and grinning.

"I told you it happens all the time, so I guess it's ready to go again."

"Then I'll leave you to take care of your little friend, but I want to make sure you only do these things at home. I wouldn't want you to get caught and start getting bullied if someone else found out about what you'd been doing."

"Yeah, ok. I'll just do it here with Noah."

"And make sure you lock the door when you do it, so Benny and Joshie don't happen to catch you."

"Oh, yeah. I didn't think about that."

"Ok, and just be safe."

"I will, and you can watch me take care of this if you want to, cuz I know you won't do it for me." He then shook his penis in my direction.

"You've got that right, but I think I'll pass. Have fun."

Chapter 27
With Spring Comes Hope

The next week was interesting, because I noticed Noah and Ryan were together a great deal of the time. Dad even asked about it and wondered if they might be fooling around. I merely told him it was possible and explained that the boys knew we didn't mind, as long as they both agreed to whatever they were up to. He merely smiled and walked away without making any further comments.

Saturday, after we returned home from our weekly swim, I got the boys together so I could discuss something with them. "Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, so I thought I should explain to you why it's called that and why we celebrate it. I'm doing this because I don't want any of you to be embarrassed because you didn't know these things, and then possibly end up having others make fun of you."

I was telling them mainly for Benny and Ryan's benefit, but I had each of the boys sit in so Benny and Ryan didn't feel that they were being singled out. I also thought it would be best if they were all on the same page when it came time to go to church. When I finished my explanation, Benny and Ryan thanked me for the information, seeing neither knew any of it before I'd filled them in. I was somewhat surprised that Noah and Joshie thanked me too, but in their case it was for the refresher.

That evening the movie Spartacus with Kirk Douglas was on TV, so I talked the boys into watching it with Brandon and me. I felt it would be good if they saw a visual representation of what it might have been like to have lived in the Roman Empire, as Jesus had. Although I knew the movie wasn't historically accurate, it would give them a rough idea of what it might have been like, as well as the opportunity to see Spartacus and his followers crucified. It would help Benny and Ryan better understand what Good Friday was about at the end of the week.

Sunday morning we got the boys up a little earlier than normal, because we would all be wearing our suits and they'd need the extra time to get dressed. After Brandon and I were ready, we went to help the boys, because we knew they'd need some assistance with their ties. When we were all set, we loaded into the vehicles and headed to church.

Benny and Joshie rode with Dion and Trey this time, because it was easier for them to fit into the backseat with Wyatt and his car seat. It also allowed Dad and Pop to ride with us, which was a little more comfortable for them. When we got to the church, I noticed everyone was dressed up for the occasion, as I knew they would be. The boys all looked very handsome and I was proud to walk with them and stand in line as the minister greeted everyone. Then, we split up and headed to our Sunday school classes.

When we met up again for the church service later, Ryan sat next to me and whispered in my ear. "Man, I'm glad you told me that stuff last night, cuz I would have looked really dumb today if you hadn't done it."

"I had a feeling that might happen, so I'm glad it helped."

The service today was what I'd expected for the occasion, and once the sermon ended we took the boys out for brunch. Before going inside the restaurant, however, we told the boys to be very careful and not get anything on their suits, because they'd be wearing them again the following Sunday, for Easter. They said they would, and then we went inside. We had to wait a short time before we were seated, because the staff had to clear and group together several tables to accommodate our group.

After we ordered, the boys wanted to talk about some of the things they'd heard at church earlier, so we answered their questions as we waited for our meals to be delivered. Then we ate without any serious incidents, except that Wyatt got some of his meal on his pants, but I thought one of his fathers could take care of that when we got home.

After we arrived at the house, we told the boys to change and hang up their suits, so they wouldn't get wrinkled before they used them next. Brandon went up a few minutes later to make sure they'd done it correctly, and to straighten out any problems he saw. I told you he was a stickler for details.

We didn't see Noah and Ryan for quite a few minutes after that, so I figured they were helping each other get their rocks off again. When I saw them later, they were both smiling and in a good mood, so I assumed my hunch had been correct. Nothing was ever said about it, though, so I concluded they must both be satisfied with what they'd just done.

Shortly after that, the boys reminded me that March Madness was in full swing, with the Elite Eight games being played today. Joshie, Benny, and Ryan agreed they wanted to watch the games on TV, and I was a little surprised that Ryan wanted to do this too. He hadn't wanted to watch the high school game with the other two before, but maybe this had more to do with Dad offering to work with all of them. Since we had two TVs now, I agreed to watch the games with them in the family room, then anyone who wasn't into sports could find something else to watch on the TV in the living room.

Dad and Pop joined us too and got comfortable in the recliners, while the boys sat with me on the sofa. During each game, Dad would point things out to the boys, and I think it turned out to be a pretty good learning session for them. Both games were fairly exciting, as we watched the Michigan State Spartans beat the Louisville Cardinals in overtime, before the Duke Blue Devils defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Later, when we went up to tuck the boys in after they'd showered, we discovered that Ryan was naked when we got to his room. It was the way he'd been sleeping lately, so that wasn't what surprised us. When Brandon and I walked into the room, Ryan looked down at his crotch, then up at me and said, "It's not doin' it tonight."

I think Brandon wondered why he'd said this, but he didn't say anything about it, at least not until after we'd tucked Ryan in, said goodnight, and then left his room. As we were walking downstairs, he looked at me and asked, "What the hell was that about?"

"Ryan sprouted erections a couple of times when I was talking to him about different things, such as what he and Noah were doing with each other. He was a little embarrassed at first and told me his penis did it a lot lately, so I merely explained that it was a fairly common occurrence for teenage boys. I think that's why he was jokingly pointing out that it wasn't happening this time."

"I see, and I'm glad that's all it was. For a moment I thought he was hinting that you should do something to make him hard."

"You know me better than that, but it's not due to his lack of trying. I've repeatedly told him it will never happen, so I think he was just having fun joking about it, as well as letting us know that he's completely different, compare to when he first got here."

"Yeah, but sometimes I question whether the change was for the better, especially when he's trying to get you to do those things with him. In a way, I find it quite amazing that he seems to be throwing himself at you now, especially after he was so adamant and vocal about not doing those things when he first arrived."

"I think the difference is that this time it's his choice, where the other time he was forced to do it."

"I know, but I still find it a bit unsettling and wish he wasn't so focused on you."

I didn't respond to that particular comment, because Brandon already seemed upset, so I thought it would be best to just let the subject drop for now. I knew he wasn't worried about me giving in to Ryan, but I think he was more than a little perturbed with Ryan for continually trying to entice me and for blatantly hinting about what he wanted.

The following week was fairly hectic, since we had a lot to do to get ready for the weekend. Brandon and I stopped to pick up the treats to put in the boys' Easter baskets, as well as making sure the house was clean and in good shape. Those who lived locally would be coming to Easter Dinner with us on Sunday, so Dad was busy shopping and making sure he had everything for the meal.

On Friday, Dad had the boys stay in their school clothes when they got home, because we would be going to the Good Friday service at church later. We ate quickly so we wouldn't be late, and then we headed to church for the service. During the sermon, the minister began by talking about the Last Supper, progressed through the betrayal and the disciples claiming they weren't with Jesus, before talking about the crucifixion. I think it had a little more meaning for Benny and Ryan now, since they'd seen a less extreme example of that barbaric act when we'd watched the movie 'Spartacus'.

We didn't go swimming on Saturday either, and instead focused on the house. We had the boys help us set up the banquet table and then carry in the folding chairs for the next day. After we'd finished doing that, Brandon had the boys assist him with boiling and decorating the Easter eggs, because the younger ones still liked to hunt for them around the house. Since we didn't want them to get too involved or excited before church, we told them they could hunt for their Easter baskets and the eggs after we got back after the service.

We ate dinner a little earlier that evening, because the Final Four games were on TV starting at 6:00, and the same boys wanted to watch them, along with Dad and Pop. As soon as we'd finished eating, I went with them to the family room, while the others planned on watching the TV in the living room.

We all enjoyed the games, although the first one wasn't very close, as Duke beat Michigan State fairly easily. The second game was a little more competitive, as the Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Kentucky Wildcats. The final would be played on Monday night and the boys were already lobbying to be able to watch it to the end, in case it ran past their bedtimes. I agreed it would be all right, since I didn't feel it would end really late, unless there were multiple overtimes.

Once the second game ended, I sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed seeing we'd be waking them up early for church in the morning. They were all in a fairly good mood as we tucked them in and said goodnight, so I hoped it wouldn't take very long before they drifted off to sleep.

By the time we got downstairs on Sunday morning, we discovered Dad had fixed a huge breakfast, which he didn't normally do on Sunday. We generally only had a snack before getting dressed, to keep our stomachs from growling during the service, but today was different. We wouldn't be stopping to have brunch afterward, because we'd be having company and an early dinner at home instead, so this was to tide us over until then.

Once we were all in our suits and we'd helped the boys with their ties, we got into the vehicles and headed to church. The women were dressed even nicer this week, and many were wearing hats as well. We said hello to the minister, filed inside, and found a pew so we could sit together. The sermon today was about the promise of the resurrection and what it meant to us individually, which was a pretty standard Easter service. There were also bouquets of lilies adorning the altar today, which filled the interior of the church with their fragrance and reminded us of nature's resurrection each spring.

When we returned home, Dad and Trey immediately headed into the kitchen to begin working on dinner. The rest of us spent the time watching the boys hunt for their Easter baskets and the eggs we'd hidden after they'd gone to bed the previous evening. Once they had found everything, we spent the remaining time setting the tables and making certain everything else was taken care of before the others arrived.

Before long, Kevin and Vinnie, Cole and Beth, Dustin and Katie, Little Ricky, Jesse, Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary, and Aunt Sally had all arrived. We spent a few minutes chatting with them, before we went out to the tables and sat down to eat.

As usual, the meal was delicious and we enjoyed all being together for the day. Even though we lived close to one another, it didn't mean we saw each other often, so we enjoyed the time we shared on the various holidays and other special occasions that we got together. For the most part, I think the boys also enjoyed the extra attention they received from our guests, but it wasn't always the case. Occasionally, it would embarrass them, such as when the women fussed over them or pinched their cheeks.

When the boys weren't around, Uncle Steve asked if we'd decided when we were going to hold the adoption ceremony. We explained that we were still working on it and hadn't figured everything out yet, but we'd let him know as soon as we had reached a decision. He said that was fine and he was merely curious, because he was anxious to see the boys officially become a part of the family.

Aunt Sally mentioned how pleased she was to see how well Ryan and Benny were doing and asked if there was anything she could do to help out. We told her not at the moment, but she'd hear from us if anything came up.

A couple hours after we'd eaten dinner, we returned to the tables for dessert. Dad had baked both an apple and cherry pie, while Trey had made a cake, because he knew most of the boys would prefer that instead. Shortly after we finished sating our sweet tooth, our guests thanked us, said goodbye, and returned home, but Jesse opted to spend the night again. It had been a wonderful day and we'd all enjoyed it, but now it was time to prepare for the week ahead.

That night we watched the movie 'The Ten Commandments' with the boys, since the network always showed it on Easter Sunday. I've never been able to figure out why the network executives chose that particular movie every Easter. The only thing I could come up with was that it was because Jesus was crucified just prior to the start of Passover, and the movie focused on the origins of that celebration. I would have thought, however, that it would have been more appropriate to show a movie like 'The Robe', which directly dealt with the crucifixion.

When we went to tuck Ryan in after he'd showered, he had a question he wanted to ask us. "Does everyone come here for dinner on all the holidays, cuz Benny said there wasn't as many people here today as there was at Christmas?"

"Yes, the others come to join us for most of the major holidays, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, but sometimes we have cookouts too."

"I've never been with so many people for dinner before, but it was kinda nice. They all talked to me and asked how I was doing, and Noah said most of the guys were my uncles."

"Actually, they all are, and the women are your aunts. Most of them are legally related to us, while Uncle Steve, Aunt Mary, and Aunt Sally are honorary members of the family, since they do so much for us."

"Wow! So I'm related to all those people?"

"You sure are, and that's only a portion of the family. You haven't met a lot of them yet."

"You mean there's even more?"

"Yes, quite a few more, in fact. They usually only come when they'll be able to stay overnight, because they live and work out of town. You'll get to meet them eventually, so be prepared."

"K, and from what you told me, I must have as many relatives as there are kids in my grade at school."

"Maybe as many as are in your class, but not nearly as many as are in your grade. There are still a lot, though, and you'll get to meet them all at some point."

Once I'd clarified this for him, I tucked him in and kissed him on the forehead, before Brandon did the same. Then we both said goodnight as I turned off the light and closed the door behind us.

As soon as we got home on Monday, the boys reminded me that the NCAA final was on later. I told them I remembered and was planning to watch it with them, and they were all excited. It's not that any of our teams were playing, since the boys liked to root for Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse during the season, but it should be an interesting game.

The boys were all acting kind of antsy throughout dinner and continually discussed which team was going to win. In the end, the boys, Dad, and I all thought Duke would be victorious, while Jake thought Wisconsin would come out on top. I think he and Dad had even made some sort of bet on the game, but we'd all know the outcome before we went to bed.

It was an exciting game and close the entire way, but Duke edged out Wisconsin at the final buzzer. The boys were all jumping around as if they'd been playing and had just won the game, while Dad was razzing Jake about losing the bet. I wondered exactly what the wager was, but then again, maybe it would be better if I didn't know.

As soon as the game ended, we made the boys hurry upstairs and get ready for bed, because it was past their normal bedtime and they had school the next day. They would be in school this week and next, and then they'd have the following week off for Spring Break. The school district scheduled it then, instead of right after Easter, because they felt the weather would be better by then. Even though the snow had already melted and it was starting to warm up, I'm sure it would be even better in a couple more weeks.

By the time Friday night rolled around, the boys were already teasing us to take them swimming the next day, and we agreed we'd go. We had only skipped the previous Saturday because of the holiday, and the fact that we had so many other things to do. Now, we eagerly slipped back into our normal routine, but it wouldn't last for much longer. As soon as the weather broke we'd be getting our pool ready for the summer, and then we could all swim at home instead.

Our time at the pool went much the same as our previous outings, but this time when the boys were horsing around with each other in the pool, Brandon and I were listening to what Dad had to say. He was telling us what he planned to do with the boys while they were off from school for the week, since Brandon and I would be at work. I didn't have any problems or see anything wrong with what he told us and was basically pleased that he'd be keeping the boys busy. Of course Dion and Trey would be there too, but Dad would be spending most of his time with the boys.

When we got home later, Joshie, Benny, and Ryan wanted to talk about signing up for summer baseball, because it would be taking place fairly soon. Joshie and Benny would be in Little League, but Ryan was too old for that group. He was worried that he wouldn't be good enough to compete with the boys who played Little League in previous years and had been playing ball longer than him. We suggested that he should just work with Grandpa Josh and improve his skills, and then his grandfather would let us know whether he thought Ryan should try playing this year or wait until next year. Ryan nodded his agreement, although he didn't seem overly enthused with the plan.

That night we saw 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' was being shown on TV, so we sat down to watch it with the boys. Ryan had read the book before and was familiar with the story, but Benny had no idea what it was about.

When the movie ended, we sent the boys up to get ready for bed, and then we went upstairs to tuck them in. We had stopped going up with Joshie and Benny when they showered, but only after we'd convinced Dion and Trey that they'd be fine on their own. We'd only been sitting on the toilet lid and keeping an eye on them while they washed themselves and each other, but it no longer made sense for us to be doing that. Reluctantly, Dion and Trey agreed, and it freed us up to do other things.

The weather was really nice on Sunday, so Dad offered to go out with Joshie, Benny, and Ryan to play catch. Since Noah wasn't interested in doing this, he asked if he could spend time with his friend, Adam, and we consented. Brandon and I went to work on a project we'd been putting off but needed to finish, and then we sat down with Dion so we could ask him a favor. He didn't hesitate and agreed to do it, so that was one more thing we could now cross off our 'to do' list.

Brandon and I went into the family room and stood in the picture window to watch Dad work with the boys for a short time. Seeing so many of us had left our baseball gloves at home after we'd finished playing when we were younger, the boys had found plenty to choose from. Dad was teaching them the various techniques they'd need to know and worked with them to perfect their skills. While we were observing them, Benny was playing catch with Joshie, while Dad was working with Ryan. Dad was doing this because Ryan would have the biggest hurdle to overcome if he wanted to play on a team.

The boys were quite excited when they came inside later and were eager to tell us all about it. "Benny's doin' really good," Joshie informed us. "Do you think they'll put us on the same team?"

"I don't know, but we can ask. We'll just tell those in charge of the league that it would make it easier on us to get you boys to practice and games, since we all live together. That might be enough to convince them to allow you to be on the same team."

"I hope so, cuz we want to play together."

"I'm sure you do. How about you, Ryan. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good, I think. Grandpa Josh was working with me a lot and says I'm catching on, but he said I still have a lot more work to do."

"Then keep working on it and listen to your grandfather."

"I will."

Sunday night after we'd tucked the boys in bed, I gave Dion the things he would need to do the favor for us. He said it wasn't a problem and he was happy to help out. Since this was the last week of school before spring break, he explained that he and Trey had talked to Dad about a few things they could all do with the boys together that week. Brandon and I were glad to hear this, because it meant Dad wouldn't have to do it all on his own.

On Wednesday, Benny's teacher, Mrs. Argentine, called to talk about a few things. She said she'd received our message and things seemed to be going much better for Benny. He was no longer being picked on, but she also said he was doing much better with his schoolwork too. He'd struggled at first, since he was slightly behind and didn't have a lot of outside experiences to draw upon, because he'd been badly neglected, and she was pleased with his progress. We thanked her for everything she'd done for him, as well as the other things she'd be doing before the school year ended.

When the boys got home on Friday, they were super-hyper and excited about having a week off from school. We told them we'd spend time with them over the weekend, but we expected them to be good for Grandpa Josh, Dion, and Trey during the week. They all promised they would, and we had no reason to doubt that they would keep their promise.

Chapter 28
Problems

We started the weekend by taking the boys swimming again. One thing that mildly surprised us was that Ryan didn't seem to be quite as concerned in the locker room when others were in there with us. I was following him as he walked to the shower with his towel draped over his shoulder, when another man entered the locker room. Ryan hesitated momentarily, but then continued on and walked past the man without trying to cover up or making a scene. I wasn't sure if he did this because he knew I was behind him, but he was definitely making progress. It might have been a completely different situation if we hadn't been there too, but I was still proud of him and told him so later.

After lunch, Dad told the boys he wanted to take them down to the park so he could hit grounders and fly balls to them. The boys thought it was a great idea and eagerly grabbed the things they would need before going outside and hopping in Dad's car. Pop went with them, because he felt he could help out too, and I was glad he was also getting involved.

While they were gone, Brandon and I decided to run a few errands. Benny's birthday was a week from Thursday, but we'd be having his party the following Saturday. We ran out to pick up the things we would need, as well as buying his gifts. This would be his first birthday with us, and possibly the first one he'd ever actually celebrated, so we wanted to make it very special.

The boys were really excited when they returned, and eagerly told us about what they'd done.

"Grandpa Josh hit grounders and fly balls to us so we could practice," Ryan advised us, "and then we would throw the ball to Grandpa Jake. I didn't do very good at first, but I'm getting better."

"He is," Dad confirmed. "In fact, he's improving much faster than I expected." Ryan beamed after Dad said this.

"Me and Joshie were doin' good too," Benny chimed in. "It was a lot of fun."

"Yeah, Benny's gettin' better too," Joshie added.

"We're glad you're all enjoying this and improving at the same time," I offered.

"And did you thank Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake for helping you?" Brandon followed.

"Yeah, we did," they all chorused back, while Dad and Pop were nodding in confirmation.

Since we'd spent the morning and afternoon entertaining the boys, we left them to their own resources for the rest of the day. I saw they were playing video games when I went to call them to dinner, and after we ate they went to watch TV, so we joined them. Afterward, we sent them up to shower, and then tucked them in and said goodnight.

After church on Sunday, we went out for brunch again. When we got home, Dad told the boys to change so he could take them to the park to practice some more. They liked that idea and happily did as he asked.

As soon as they left, Noah wanted to know if he could call Adam and see if he wanted to hang out for awhile. We said that would be fine, and since Pop went with Dad and the boys, it allowed the rest of us to work on the chores we'd been doing while Dad had been in Georgia. We felt it was the least we could do to help out, since Dad was spending a great deal of his time working with the boys, instead of doing these things.

When they returned home later, the boys were eager to tell us about what they'd done again, especially Ryan. "I think I'm gonna sign up for baseball. Grandpa Josh said I might not be the best player on the team, but I would do ok, and I'd get better by practicing with the team. And Owen says he's gonna sign up too."

"So you two are still friends?"

"Yeah, I like him a lot, so maybe we can be on a team together too."

"We're glad to hear you have a friend, but you may not end up on the same team. If not, it would allow you to make even more friends, and you should have fun playing baseball either way," I told him, as I noticed Dad grinning behind him.

After dinner, Brandon and I spent the rest of the night with the boys watching a movie. They were still up when we went to bed, since they were on vacation, but we had to work in the morning.

On Monday and Tuesday, the boys spent quite a bit of time with Dad and went to the park both before and after lunch. On Wednesday it rained, so they stayed home. When Brandon and I returned from work that evening, Dad met us at the door.

"I think you'd better go in and spend some time with Benny. There was an incident earlier and he's kind of shaken up about what happened."

"Did he get hurt?" Brandon immediately wanted to know.

"Not physically, but it was very emotional for him."

"Why? What happened?" I followed.

"Since it was raining out, the boys were doing things in the house. They got tired of playing video games after a while and decided to play Hide and Seek instead. This is a big place, so there are plenty of places to hide, so each game was lasting a pretty long time. Joshie was it at the time and counted to one hundred in the family room, while Benny and Ryan went to hide. That's when the problem arose."

"What do you mean?" Brandon interrupted.

"Joshie found Ryan first, but they were having trouble finding Benny. Even though Joshie had looked in the rec room at one point, he didn't find Benny there, although that's where he was hiding."

"Then why didn't he find him?"

"Because Benny had chosen a very unusual spot to hide. He'd crawled into the trunk where we keep the sports gear, and no one thought to look there, even after Joshie asked Ryan to help him find Benny."

"So what was the problem?"

"It happened when Benny couldn't get out of the trunk after he heard Joshie and Ryan calling for him. The latch accidentally fastened after Benny had crawled inside, so he couldn't get out again. He said he was yelling at them and banging on the inside of the trunk, but no one heard him."

"Why not?" Brandon wondered.

"It was because Dion was playing one of the music channels on the TV in the living room and had turned the volume up so he could hear it while he was doing other things. I guess that drowned out the noise Benny was making, since it was also muffled by the trunk."

"So how did they find him?"

"Joshie went into the rec room again later and finally heard him, but he couldn't open the trunk either, so he came to get me. I used a screwdriver to get Benny out, but he was pretty shaken up by the experience. I plan on doing something to the latch so that won't ever happen again."

"Where did you get that old trunk from?" Brandon wanted to know.

"It was something my wife picked up at a garage sale when our kids were little, and we used it as their toy box. Later, she stored other things in it, but after she died and the kids left home it sat empty for a very long time. When I started taking you boys in later, I decided to use it so we could keep all the sports gear in one place."

"So the latch has never done that before?"

"No, and I'm not sure why it happened this time, but it trapped Benny inside for quite awhile. He's in the family room at the moment, so maybe you should go in there and talk to him about what happened. He was really upset afterward and I've stayed with him until I saw you two pull in the driveway."

"So he's in there alone now?"

"No, Joshie and Ryan are with him. There was no way I was going to leave him alone."

"Ok. We'll go talk to him about it," I agreed, as Brandon and I went into the family room.

Benny was sitting on the sofa, with Joshie on one side and Ryan on the other, and he had the saddest expression on his face that I'd ever seen before.

"Joshie and Ryan, why don't you let us sit with Benny for awhile," I stated as we approached.

"You mean we can't stay?" Joshie groaned, looking slightly upset with us.

"We just want some time to talk to Benny alone first, and then you can come back when we're done. Please don't argue with us and do this for Benny, since I think it might help him."

Joshie didn't look happy, but he left with Ryan and went into the other room. As soon as they disappeared, I looked at Benny and spoke. "I heard you had a problem today."

"Yeah, we was playin' Hide and Seek and I got locked in the trunk in the rec room."

"Did you get scared?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah, it was worse than when my mom used to lock me in the cage. It was really dark, cuz there weren't any holes in the side like there were in the cage, and it didn't have a wire door either."

"So you thought it was even worse than the cage?"

"Way worse, and nobody heard me when I hollered and banged on it either."

"So are you all right now?"

"I'm not sure. When I was in there all I could think of was when my mom used to lock me in the cage, but this was different. When I was in the cage I could always see other things, and when the cage was outside I could feel the air blowin' on me too, but I couldn't do none of that when I was in the trunk. It was really scary and I thought I was gonna die, cuz no one could hear me or knowed where I was."

"Yes, that must have been really scary," Brandon agreed. "So how are you doing now?"

"Ok, I guess, but I still keep thinking about being in there. It was really awful."

"I'm sure it was, but it's over now and Grandpa Josh is going to fix the latch so that will never happen again."

"I know it won't, cuz I'm never goin' in there again," Benny added, as Brandon and I gave him a hug and then kissed him on the head.

Brandon stayed with Benny while I went to tell Joshie and Ryan that they could return to the family room. Brandon and I then stayed with all of them for awhile longer before we went to change. We asked Joshie and Ryan to stay with Benny while we were gone, but they were obviously going to do it even before we asked.

After dinner, Brandon and I spent the rest of the night with the boys, because we didn't want to leave Benny alone just yet. He seemed to be ok as he watched TV with us, and then we tucked Joshie in bed with him later, since we thought it would be best if he wasn't alone. That seemed to work until about 3:00 a.m., when Joshie came bursting into our bedroom.

"Benny had a bad dream and is crying now," he shouted, waking us up. Brandon and I jumped out of bed and raced over to Benny's room. He was sobbing when we got there.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I lifted him up and pulled his quivering body against my chest.

"I had a really bad dream," he sobbed.

"Would you tell us about it?" Brandon followed, as he hugged Benny and me at the same time.

"Yeah, it was awful. I dreamed I was in the trunk again, but sometimes I was in the cage too. No one else was around and I didn't have nuttin to eat or drink, so I was gettin' hungry, thirsty, and really weak. Then I think I musta died, cuz it all went really black. That's when I woke up."

"He was screamin' and scared me really bad," Joshie added. "That's when I came to get you."

"I'm glad you did that," I told Joshie, before turning to Benny. "Maybe you should come to our room and sleep with us then. It might help so you won't have another bad dream."

"I hope I don't have another dream like that, cuz it was just like when I was stuck in the trunk," Benny agreed as he started to get out of bed.

"Before we do that, though, we need to take care of something else." While I'd been holding Benny and trying to quiet him down, I realized the poor kid had been so scared that he'd wet the bed. "Joshie, would you go grab a wash cloth from the bathroom and wet it for me. Benny appears to have had a little accident."

I don't think Benny even realized he'd had an accident before I mentioned it, since he was still shaking and more than a little out of it. Joshie did as I'd requested, though, and while he was gone I helped Benny take off his underwear as Brandon stripped the bed. When Joshie returned, I took the washcloth and cleaned off Benny's groin, belly, butt, and thighs. As I was finishing up, Joshie handed me a towel he'd retrieved as well, so I used it to dry Benny off, and then I helped him slip on a clean pair of briefs.

I'm not even sure Benny realized what I'd just done for him, since he appeared to be in a mild state of shock, so I picked him up and prepared to leave the room. As we turned toward the door, Joshie spoke.

"Can I sleep with you too?" It was obvious that he wanted to stay with Benny as well.

"Sure. We have a king-size bed, so there should be plenty of room for all of us. We'll leave everything else where it is and take care of it in the morning."

When we got to our room, Brandon and I changed too, since we'd held Benny against us. After we finished doing that, Benny got in bed next to Brandon, since he is slightly more nurturing than I am, and Joshie slept next to me. There were no further outbursts during the rest of the night, although I woke up when I heard Benny moaning in his sleep on a couple of different occasions. He didn't wake up, though, so I didn't wake him either, and he quieted down again after a couple of minutes.

Needless to say, I didn't get a lot of rest that evening, so I wasn't quite myself when I got to work. When my staff asked what was wrong, since I must have looked awful, I merely told them that Benny had a bad dream and I didn't sleep really well after we let him in bed with us.

"Awww, you guys are such great parents," my receptionist said, with the other two chiming in their agreement.

"We just thought it would be the only way he'd be able to get back to sleep, but it didn't work out quite as well as we'd hoped."

"But it was really good that you and Brandon were there for him," my nurse added.

By the time we got home, Benny appeared to be doing better and was excited to tell us about spending time at the park working with Grandpa Josh again. He also told us about something else he did.

"After lunch, Grandpa Josh, Uncle Dion, and Uncle Trey took us to play golf!"

"They did?" Brandon followed, looking skeptical.

"It was miniature golf," Ryan clarified, "but it was still fun."

"Yeah, I never did that before, but I really liked doin' it."

"It sounds like you all had a good time and I'm sorry I missed it."

"Maybe you can go with us next time. It was really great," Benny concluded.

We were heading to our room to change, but ran into Dad and stopped to chat with him. "Sounds like you had a busy day, with the park and miniature golf."

"We did. Dion and Trey had suggested we take the boys to do that at some point, so I thought today would be a good time and it might help Benny forget about yesterday."

"I'm not sure if anyone told you, but Benny had a bad nightmare last night about that," Brandon added.

"Joshie mentioned it. That's why I talked the others into doing the miniature golf this afternoon. Hopefully, he won't have another bad dream tonight."

"I hope not, because it left me pretty tired and a little out of it all day. Even my staff commented about it, so I'm planning to make appointments for both Benny and Ryan to talk to a psychologist. They both have some underlying issues to deal with, so I'm hoping it will help."

"That's a good idea, and I hope our efforts prevent him from having more bad dreams tonight."

Brandon and I spent the rest of the evening with the boys, since we didn't want to be too far away from Benny. When it came time for them to get ready for bed, I asked him a question.

"Would you like one of us to go up with you when you take your shower?"

"Nah, but can I sleep with you again?"

"Sure, I don't have a problem with that."

"Me too?" Joshie followed.

"Of course. We wouldn't want to separate our Siamese Twins," I joked.

"What's that?" Benny asked.

"That's what they used to call twins that had been born with a part of their bodies connected to each other."

"But we're not connected like that."

"Maybe your bodies aren't, but it's sure hard to separate you two."

After I said this, Benny and Joshie both smiled. "Yeah, we're bestest friends and brothers," Benny agreed.

"And that's why you'll both be sleeping with us again."

Everything was fine until around 2:00 a.m., because that's when Benny began to scream and woke us all up. "Help! Let me out of here! The trunk's got me. The trunk's got me."

As I looked over at him, he was tossing about as if he was trying to break free of something. "Help me! The trunk's got me and I can't get out!"

Rather than waking him abruptly, I chose to pull his trembling body against mine, as I wrapped my arms around his slender frame and softly whispered in his ear. "Shhh, you're alright. The trunk hasn't got you and you're not alone. Dad B and I are both here with you, so nothing will hurt you."

Gradually, Benny opened his eyes and began to sob, so it took awhile before he was able to speak. Eventually, however, he found his tongue and began to fill us in about his nightmare. "It was awful. The trunk had me and I couldn't get out."

"It was just a bad dream, but you're ok now."

Benny was still shaking like a leaf and sweating profusely, but at least he hadn't wet the bed again. I think that because I had held him so quickly and reassured him after it had happened that it might have prevented him from having another accident. It might have also prevented his dream from escalating into something much worse.

"Is Benny going to be ok?" Joshie asked as he looked at Benny with deep concern etched upon his face.

"Yes, he just had another bad dream, but he's all right now."

After Benny had sufficient time to calm down again, I cuddled with him and he eventually fell asleep. I'm not sure if I ever slipped into a deep and restful sleep again, because I was so worried about Benny. It seemed as if I'd just dozed off when the alarm sounded, but I was able to reach over and turn it off before it woke either of the boys. Fortunately, Brandon and I were able to get out of bed without waking them as well.

I had managed to get enough sleep before the incident that I felt I could still go to work, so I started to get ready. After we were dressed, Brandon and I made our way down the hall and woke Dion and Trey up next, so we could ask them to join us as we ate breakfast. We told them we would explain everything when we got downstairs, so they quickly put something on and followed us. Dad was busy in the kitchen and Pop was sitting at the table eating when we arrived, so we asked Dad to join us for a minute. Once we were all seated around the dining room table, Brandon and I explained what had happened during the night. After I finished, I looked at Dion and Trey and asked them a favor.

"If you don't mind, would one of you please get in our bed with the boys until they get up, in case Benny has another episode?"

"I'll do it," Dion agreed, and then Dad spoke.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to make a suggestion. I have an idea that I believe might help."

"Sure, go right ahead and share it with us. I'm willing to do anything if it will help our son," I responded.

"I think it would be best if I got rid of that old trunk today. Hopefully by removing it from the house, it will eliminate the source of his nightmares and make Benny feel better."

"That's a great idea," Brandon confirmed. "If it's not here any longer then it might remove his continuing obsession with it."

"I agree," I chimed in. "Out of sight, out of mind. At least that's the way I hope it works out."

"Then it will be gone by the time you get home later."

Brandon and I talked about the situation on the way to work, especially about how we were going to approach Benny again when we got home. We talked about it in a little more detail over lunch, and then again on the way home, until we knew exactly what we were going to say to him. After checking in with Dad first to make sure the trunk was indeed gone, we pulled Benny aside and explained everything to him.

"Grandpa Josh took that old trunk and got rid of it earlier, so it won't ever be able to 'get you' again." I intentionally used that phrase, because it was what Benny had kept repeating during the night.

"Really? It's gone?"

"Yes. It's no longer in the house, so nothing like that can ever happen again."

Benny seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and a tiny smile crept across his lips. That let us know he was satisfied with the solution Dad had come up with. Brandon and I then hugged Benny to assure him that we were always going to do everything we could to make him feel safe, and that seemed to help as well. Later that evening we noticed Benny hugging and thanking Grandpa Josh for taking the trunk away, and that seemed to make Dad's night as well.

Benny didn't have any more bad dreams after that, at least not that any of us were aware of or that he mentioned, so we took it as a good sign. Hopefully, he can put this behind him now.

The following night after work, Brandon and I talked to Dad again, before going to check on Benny. Dad explained that Benny seemed to be fine and had apparently put the incident behind him for good, and we sincerely hoped that was the case.

That night, however, Brandon and I noticed something else, although it didn't concern either Benny or Joshie. While we were with them, we noticed that Ryan and Noah seemed to be avoiding one another and constantly giving each other dirty looks, but we had no idea why. When I was finally able to get Noah alone, I asked him what was going on.

"Ryan's mad because I told him I didn't want to mess around with him any longer. I told him I was straight and only did it to help him see what it was like, but I didn't want to do it forever."

"So he's mad because you want to stop?"

"Yeah, but I was already pissed off at him too."

"Why?"

"Cuz he always wanted me to blow him, but he didn't want to do that for me. He would only jack me off."

"And you didn't like that?"

"No, cuz I thought he should be willing to do the same thing to me. I'm not gay, but I did that for him, but he wouldn't return the favor. He only wanted me to suck him off, and then he started asking me to do it for him a couple times a day."

"Do you want me to talk to him about this?"

"Not yet, cuz he'll be even more pissed if he knows I told yuh."

"Ok, but let me know if it gets worse, because then I'll set him down for a one-on-one. I won't tell him that you said anything, and I'll just ask him what the problem is between you two, since I noticed how you were both acting."

"Yeah, that would be good, cuz then he won't blame me."

"Ok, just let me know if the situation doesn't improve or gets any worse."

"I will."

I'd originally thought the boys would enjoy being home for the week, but it seems as if that wasn't the case. Although they'd been working with Dad on their baseball skills and had gone miniature golfing, Benny had a rough experience and now Ryan and Noah were mad at each other. I hope this wasn't a preview of what the summer was going to be like.

After dinner, Brandon and I went to spend time with the boys in the family room, and I noticed Noah didn't come in to join us. When I went to use the toilet later, I saw Noah was watching the TV in the living room instead.

"Are you watching something special?" I asked, to see how he reacted.

"Nah, I just didn't want to be around Ryan. He's been trying all day to get me to do something with him again and I didn't want him staring at me all night with that look he's been giving me."

"So he's been teasing you?"

"Only at first, but now he makes this pouty face, and his eyes let me know he wants me to give in. I just thought it would be better if we weren't together tonight."

"And you're sure that you don't want me to talk to him?"

"Not yet. If he's still doin' this by Sunday you can, cuz I don't want to put up with that crap when we go back to school. It's almost the end of the year and I'll be really busy, so I don't want to be distracted by him."

"Ok, and I'll check with you again on Sunday. If you want, I will talk to Ryan about it when I tuck him in Sunday night."

"Yeah, ok. That will work."

When we went to bed that evening, I filled Brandon in about what was going on too. We'd talked about it briefly the previous evening, because he'd noticed the looks Ryan and Noah had been giving each other too. Now, we were just curious about how it was going to work out.

Chapter 29
Uneasy Times

Saturday morning, we took the boys to sign up for baseball, which put them in a really good mood. Tryouts would be held the following Saturday and they were all excited, as well as worried, about making a team. Although I hadn't told them yet, I'd also convinced the league's directors to agree to put Joshie and Benny on the same team if they were selected. I withheld this information from the boys, though, because I didn't want them to get too excited before the tryouts, but I knew it would make them very happy once they found out.

After they finished signing up, we hurried home to get the others so we could go swimming. Dad and Pop decided not to go with us this time, because they wanted to stay behind and get our pool ready instead, but Noah, Dion, Trey, and Wyatt joined us. We didn't tell the boys about what their grandfathers were up to, because we didn't want them to use the pool before it was ready. So we merely told them that their grandfathers had other plans.

Once we got to the pool, I noticed Ryan and Noah kept their distance from one another, with Noah taking a locker all the way down by the wall, while Ryan stayed at the other end. They avoided each other once they got in the pool too, which was beginning to worry me. I didn't want the problem they were having to persist and affect the rest of the family as well, so one way or another I was going to hash this out with them before the weekend was over.

After we returned home and had lunch, Dad and Pop took Benny, Joshie, and Ryan to the park to work on their baseball skills again, so I had a chance to speak with Noah alone. "The situation with Ryan doesn't seem to be getting better."

"No it isn't, and maybe it's even getting worse. Last night after you guys said goodnight to us, he came over to my room and begged me to change my mind. I told him 'no', so he tried to convince me by saying he'd do it to me too. I told him it wasn't about that and I just don't want to do it any longer, so he got mad and went back to his room."

"Yes, I felt the chill this morning at the dining room table, and I thought the water in the pool might turn to ice with you two in it."

"It wasn't quite that bad, but I think you're going to have to get involved. I don't think he'll give up otherwise."

"Ok, I'll have a chat with Ryan after we tuck him in later."

I told Brandon what I was planning, because I felt it would be best if I spoke to Ryan alone. Ryan had talked to me about topics like this before, but he seemed hesitant about discussing those same issues in front of Brandon, so I felt I'd accomplish more on my own. Brandon agreed, and I assured him I'd fill him in before we went to sleep.

The rest of the day wasn't much better, and I think the others noticed there was a problem too, although they had no idea what the disagreement was about. No one said anything about it, although I frequently observed one or more of them staring at either Noah or Ryan, and it remained that way until we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. After we'd tucked them in and Brandon had left the room, I confronted Ryan.

"Ok, what's going on between you and Noah?"

"What do ya mean?" he responded with a surprised expression on his face.

"I'm not blind and have seen how you've been glaring at him for the past couple of days. I also noticed how you two were avoiding each other when we went swimming earlier, so what's going on?"

"It's nothin'," he replied, although he wouldn't look me in the eye when he answered.

"It sure seems like something's wrong, so what's the problem?"

"I don't want to tell ya."

"You can either tell me now, or I'll go next door and get Noah so we can talk about this together."

"No! Don't do that!" he practically shouted, while looking totally panicked. "We was just doing stuff, but now he doesn't want to do it with me any more."

"What kind of stuff?" I followed, causing Ryan to look even more panicked.

"Do I have to tell ya?"

"No, because I can probably guess. You're talking about sex and helping each other out, aren't you?"

"Yeah, and it was great, but he doesn't want to do it no more."

"Well, he isn't gay, so I'm surprised he'd even agreed to do it with you at all."

"But he told me he did stuff like that with Elliot too."

"Yes, because he wanted to see what it was like. I would imagine that's why he agreed to do it with you, so you could find out what it was like for yourself. Now that you've had a chance to try those things, I would guess it's why he doesn't want to do it any longer. He must feel all of you're questions have been answered, so he wants to stop doing it now."

"Yeah, but I want to keep doin' it. It was great and I really liked it a lot."

"I'm sure you did, but I told you before that those things only happen if both people agree they want to do it. We don't ever force someone into doing those things just because we enjoy them."

"Yeah, I know, and that's why I didn't want to leave after I first got here. Once you explained that no one would force me to do stuff, I felt a lot better about living here."

"Then give Noah the same consideration. He obviously helped you for as long as he was willing, so just be grateful for what he did. I don't want to see my sons not getting along."

"I guess that was my fault then. I'm sorry."

"I'm glad you realize it, and now you just have to tell Noah too, so you boys can stop acting like the other one has cooties."

"What?"

"Oh, I guess you've never heard that term before. Cooties are imaginary bugs that kids would claim someone else had when they didn't want to hang out with them."

"Oh, I see, cuz we've been staying away from each other."

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

"Ok, I'll try to talk to him tomorrow, but I'm not sure he will listen to me now."

"If you start out by saying you're sorry, then I think he'll listen to whatever you have to say."

"Ok, I'll do that then."

"Thank you, and sweet dreams," I said before kissing him on the forehead again, turning off the light, and leaving the room. Hopefully, another minor crisis has come to an end.

When Brandon and I went to bed, I told him what I'd discussed with Ryan and what he'd agreed to do. "So he didn't ask you to do it for him, since Noah wouldn't?"

"No, he never said anything like that."

"I'm surprised, but glad. I was afraid he might use the situation to try to tempt you again."

"Nope, that never came up."

Even though Brandon seemed relieved when he heard me say this, his comment pointed out that he was still leery of Ryan's intentions when it came to me. I prayed it didn't also mean that Brandon no longer trusted me or didn't believe it when I told him I'd never do anything like that. Thankfully, it didn't seem as if he was too concerned when we cuddled together and fell asleep, which allowed me to get a decent night's rest.

Things were pretty hectic the next morning as we grabbed a quick bite to eat before getting dressed and heading to church. I was slightly worried about Noah and Ryan being in the same Sunday school class, although I doubted they would say or do anything that would draw attention to themselves. However, I was hoping they wouldn't inadvertently act in a way that would rouse suspicions or raise questions about why they were upset with each other.

Later, when we met up again for the church service and took our seats in a pew, Benny sat on my left, with Joshie, Dion, Wyatt, and Trey sitting to his left. In the meantime, Ryan had finagled his way between Brandon and me, while Noah sat on the other side of Brandon, next to Grandpa Josh, with Grandpa Jake on the other side of him.

I was so preoccupied watching Ryan and Noah during the sermon to see how they were acting that afterward I couldn't even recall the topic of today's sermon. I also watched both boys when we went out for brunch and was mildly surprised to see that they had taken seats next to one another, as they normally would. I wasn't sure if they'd merely done this out of habit, or possibly because these were the only seats remaining once everyone else was seated. Instead, I hoped it was because they'd had a chance to resolve the situation, but I chose not to say anything and decided to wait and do that after we got home.

Once we finished eating and returned to the house, I grabbed Noah's arm and held him back as the others went upstairs to change. "I noticed that you and Ryan were sitting next to each other at the restaurant earlier. Does this mean you've reached some sort of agreement?"

"Yeah, he came over to my room first thing this morning and told me he was sorry. He said he wouldn't bug me about doing those things with him any more, so I guess the problem's taken care of."

"Are you satisfied?"

"Yeah, as long as he doesn't start in again."

"That's good, and I'm glad my little chat with Ryan seemed to help."

"Yeah, I guess it did," Noah added as he headed to his room.

When Benny, Joshie, and Ryan came downstairs again, Dad asked if they wanted to go to the park to practice. I think Dad knew they would want to do this, because he'd already asked us if we'd mind before he asked them. When they took off, Pop went with them, so I figured we'd be free for at least an hour.

I was surprised that Noah didn't ask to go down to spend time with Adam after the other boys left, but later I discovered that Adam had gone away for the weekend with his parents. I guess that explained Noah's lack of motivation as he headed toward the family room.

When Dad, Pop, and the boys returned home later, Ryan, Benny, and Joshie all went into the family room with Noah and we didn't see any of them again until we called them for dinner. They all seemed to be in a fairly good mood when they came to the table, so I concluded there were no lingering problems between Noah and Ryan.

While we ate, the three hopeful ballplayers were enthusiastically telling us about how they'd done while practicing, as well as how excited they were about the tryouts on Saturday. This helped me to realize how fortunate it was that Brandon and I had made another decision earlier, before finding out about the date of the tryouts. It would eventually affect the boys and avoid a conflict, although they didn't know anything about that at the moment.

After we finished eating, we went to the family room to watch a movie with the boys before we all got ready for bed. The coming week was going to be busy, possibly even hectic, so I and the other fathers wanted to get our sons off to a good start.

Dad took the boys to the park every night after they got home from school, so they'd be at their best for the tryouts. I hoped it worked, because I wasn't sure how I was going to console any of them if they didn't get picked to be on a team, but I guess we'd cross that bridge when, and if, we came to it.

Thursday was Benny's birthday, so we had a family party for him after dinner that evening. We'd picked up his birthday cake on the way home, and after we sang to him and he'd blown out the candles, Brandon helped him cut it, as I scooped out the ice cream. Once we'd finished eating, we let him open his gifts. Brandon and I gave Benny a baseball glove and a pair of cleats, while the boys gave him a bat that Joshie had helped to pick out. Benny was thrilled as he opened each package and thanked us repeatedly.

"You probably won't be able to use your glove at the tryouts, because it will need to be broken in first. Grandpa Josh said he'd help you with that, but you can wear the cleats and take your bat, along with the glove you've been using to practice with."

"K, but I love all of these things and hope I can use the glove if I make a team."

"It should be broken in by then, so you'll be able to use it for all of your games," Grandpa Josh assured him.

"Good."

Each of those gifts were similar to the items Joshie had received the previous year when he was playing coach-pitch ball. This way Benny would have use of two of those things for the tryout on Saturday, and we hoped it would boost his confidence as he attempted to make a team. We were pleased when we noted his reaction as he opened each present, and as we were hoping, it appeared as if this birthday would be something he wouldn't soon forget.

I pulled Ryan aside and told him that if he made a team we would buy him gifts similar to those we gave Benny. I said they would be early birthday presents so he could use them during the current season, if that's what he wanted. He didn't hesitate and agreed he'd like that, so at least now he knew we hadn't forgotten about him and he'd have his own equipment to use if he made a team. Ryan and Benny were both in a terrific mood as they headed up to bed later.

Of course, we had to go to school and work the next day, so before we left the house we told the boys to have a good day. By the time we had dinner with them that evening, the three boys were nervous wrecks and totally worried about the tryouts the following day. Seeing this, we felt we had to find a way to calm them down, or at least distract them enough to ensure they'd be able to get to sleep later. With that in mind, I sat down with the other adults to figure out what we could do to assist them.

After talking it over with Brandon, Dion, Trey, Dad, and Pop, we decided taking the boys to the cinema complex to see a movie might distract them temporarily. "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2" was playing, and although it wasn't something the rest of us would have chosen to see, we felt the boys would find it funny and it might take their minds off the tryouts. When I mentioned the idea to them they all wanted to go, including Noah, so I offered to accompany them. The other adults thanked me for doing this as we left the house.

I spent most of my time watching the boys, rather than the movie, and it seemed to have the desired effect on Benny and Joshie. They were both laughing and had obviously forgotten all about the tryouts, and by the time we got home they were already drowsy and ready for bed. We let them skip their shower and just hop in bed together, since we didn't want the water to revive them. Two down and one to go.

Although Ryan had enjoyed the movie, he was still on edge thinking about whether or not he'd get picked to play on a team. Although Dad had tried to assure him that he'd do fine, we were afraid that he was still too wound up to fall asleep easily. As I came out of his bedroom and was ready to go downstairs, I passed Noah as he was heading to the bathroom.

"Maybe I shouldn't have gotten my soda refilled," he joked as he walked past. "And don't worry about Ryan, he'll be fine."

"I hope so, but I'll check on him again before Brandon and I turn in, just to see how he's doing."

"How long before you'll be doing that?"

"I don't know, but probably not for another hour. Why?"

"I just wanted to know. That way if I heard someone walking around I'd know it was you, and not Ryan."

"Oh, ok, and sweet dreams after you finish up. I'll see you in the morning."

"K. Night, Dad."

I went downstairs and sat with the others for awhile, as we discussed the current situation. First of all, we decided to have a light breakfast in the morning so it wouldn't slow the boys down at the tryout. We also planned on offering each one as much verbal support as we could before we took them to the various fields. Since the tryouts were being held at the same time, Brandon, Dion, and Trey offered to take Benny and Joshie, while Dad, Pop, and I would go with Ryan. That way they'd all have some moral support and people cheering for them in the bleachers.

By the time we finished our discussion, I walked with Brandon up to the second floor, and as he turned to head to our bedroom, I continued up to the third floor. Noah must have heard me coming, because he met me when I reached the landing.

"Don't worry. He's fine and really relaxed now. I went over and offered to give him a blowjob, and he was thrilled."

"You really did that for him? I'm surprised, since you were so adamant about not doing it again."

"Yeah, but I explained it would absolutely be the last one, and he seemed fine with that. I just wanted to make sure he got plenty of rest before the tryouts."

"Thanks, and that was really sweet of you."

"I just thought it would help, because I really want him to do his best tomorrow. I think it will be great if he makes a team and gets a chance to spend more time with other boys his age."

"I agree, so thanks a lot. You're a great son and an even better brother." Noah blushed slightly.

"Ryan said something like that too, after he shot his wad."

"Yes, I'm sure he appreciated your assistance. Goodnight, again, and thanks for your help."

As Noah entered his room, I opened Ryan's door and peeked in. He was sleeping very peacefully and his lips were curled in a slight grin, so I assumed he was still enjoying the effects of what Noah had done for him, even in his dreams.

After we woke the boys Saturday morning, we went downstairs and had scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. Then, the boys got ready and grabbed the things they were taking with them, as we prepared to head to the fields where the tryouts were being held. Noah wished all of the boys good luck, but he wasn't going with us. He'd made plans to spend time with Adam instead, after explaining that he didn't want to have to choose which brother he was going to watch. The boys all said that was fine as we headed out to the cars to leave.

Brandon drove the SUV with those going with him, while Ryan and I rode with Dad and Pop. There were a lot of boys mulling around when we got there, waiting for things to get started, but suddenly one of them came racing in our direction.

"I'm glad you're here," the boy stated as he greeted Ryan. At about the same time I recognized it was the boy who'd been called down to show Ryan around the school on his first day.

"Everyone, this is my friend, Owen," Ryan stated after chatting with the boy for a brief time. "Owen, this is my Dad, Grandpa Josh, and Grandpa Jake."

"I'm happy to meet you," he said, and then he looked at me. "I think I've seen you at school before."

"Yes, when I enrolled Ryan and you were called down to show him around."

"Yeah, that's right. Nice to see you again."

"And good luck to both of you."

"I wasn't going to tryout until Ryan told me he was going to do this. I hope we both get picked for a team."

"I hope we get picked to be on the SAME team," Ryan added.

"Even if you get picked and are on different teams, you can still enjoy yourself and have a friendly competition," Dad added.

"Yeah, but it would be more fun if we were playing together," Ryan countered.

We watched the entire tryout, although we were concentrating on how Ryan and Owen were doing. They definitely weren't the best ones out there, but they certainly weren't the worst either, so we felt fairly confident they would both end up making a team. We just felt badly for those poor kids that wouldn't get chosen.

When the tryouts ended, we all said goodbye to Owen and hopped into Dad's car to return home. Brandon and the others arrived a short time after we did, because there were more boys trying out for the younger group. Brandon told us that both boys had done well and looked good, but he thought Joshie had done slightly better. He still expected they'd both be picked, so we weren't too worried. The three boys were all in good spirits as we sent them up to shower and change, since they all were dirty from sliding and running around.

"And put on a school outfit before you come down again," Brandon told them.

"Why?" Ryan wanted to know.

"Because we have something planned for after lunch."

"What?" they all chorused back.

"You'll see, but we need you to hurry getting cleaned up and changed. Just make sure you look really nice before you come back down to eat."

They were still grumbling as they raced up the stairs to do as we'd asked, because they were unhappy that we hadn't told them what we had planned. Once they disappeared, I told Brandon I was grateful that the tryouts hadn't lasted any longer this morning, or it might have messed up our plans for the afternoon. He agreed, as we waited for the boys to finish up.

Chapter 30
The Merry Month of May

After we'd finished eating lunch, had cleaned up afterward and put everything away, the doorbell rang. It was a little before 2:00 and the boys were playing video games in the family room and hadn't heard a car pull in the driveway. Curious, they came out to see who was there when I answered the door.

"Welcome, and come inside," I greeted our guests. As they walked into the foyer, I heard Benny and Joshie gasp in surprise.

"Hey, what are you doin' here?" Benny finally wondered aloud.

"We came for your birthday party, silly," one of the girls answered. This caused Benny to look at me with his mouth hanging open.

"But we already had my party."

"That was the family party, but now we're going to have a party with your friends. We decided to do the same thing Joshie's dads did for his birthday and invited your entire class to join us today."

"Really? So they're all gonna be here?"

"Yes! They've all replied that they are coming."

"I can't believe it. I'm having another birthday party."

"Yes. We told you we liked to make a big deal out of birthdays."

Benny merely looked up at me and grinned. "Yeah, I guess you do."

Once all of the kids had arrived, we told them we were going to start out playing games. Before we did, however, I told our guests that they could strip down to their swimsuits, because some water was going to be involved in the activities. The invitations had advised them to wear their swimsuits under their clothes and we were very fortunate that it was a wonderfully warm and sunny spring day.

"Are we goin' to the Boys & Girls Club?" Benny wondered after I'd said this.

"No, but some of the games involve water, so I want you three to go upstairs and change into your swimsuits too."

As they raced upstairs to change, Noah left to spend time with his friend, Adam, since he didn't want to hang around with so many younger kids. He also knew that his brother would be too busy to miss him, so he didn't feel badly about leaving.

Once everyone was appropriately attired, we took them outside and got started. Dion had offered to play 'Simon Says' with them, similar to what he'd done at Joshie's party, but the kids were prepared for him this time. Other than those who hadn't attended the other party, only a few of them fell for Dion's outrageous antics, although they all had fun laughing at those who did.

While Dion had been doing that, Brandon, Trey, and I went inside and were busily filling balloons with water for the next activity. First, we were going to have a balloon toss and catch, similar to what we'd done with the eggs at Joshie's party. Once we were ready, we had everyone choose a partner, and then we handed out the balloons to one person in each pair, but we hadn't given the command to toss them yet when one of the balloons unexpectedly broke.

"Oh, that was a bad break. I guess you'll have to sit out now," I said, teasing the person it had happened to.

"Please let us play. One of my fingernails popped it while I was holding it, but I didn't mean to do that," the girl explained. "I'm sorry."

"No, there's nothing to be sorry about and I was only joking. Here's another balloon so you can play."

Several other balloons burst on the first toss, after either being dropped or squeezed too tightly by the person catching it, so those groups had to wait until we had a winner. As soon as one team was victorious, we passed out new balloons to each pair and played again, and then we did it one additional time before we were ready to move on to the next activity.

As we were finishing up the final balloon toss, Brandon, Dion, Trey, Dad, and Pop came out of the house carrying additional laundry baskets filled with balloons. Now, we were ready for the next activity.

After they'd placed the laundry baskets in several different spots around the yard, I announced that we were going to have a water balloon fight. I then advised the kids there were more balloons in the laundry baskets for them to use, and then I yelled 'go'. The kids quickly raced to the various baskets, fetched a balloon, and threw it at one of the other children. After doing this for a few minutes, they quietly hatched another plan and attacked Brandon, Dion, and me next, getting us soaking wet as well.

In hindsight, we probably should have expected something like this would happen and dressed accordingly, but we hadn't. We were so focused on making sure we had everything we needed for these activities that we hadn't thought ahead. It wouldn't be a mistake we'd repeat at future parties.

Trey was smarter, or maybe just luckier, than the rest of us, because he'd gone back inside to get things ready for when we had the cake and ice cream, so he wasn't involved. Dad and Pop had gone inside with Trey after helping to bring out the water balloons, because they'd told us that they'd done their birthday party duties when we were younger. They reasoned it was now our turn to do it for our sons, and we couldn't argue with them. However, we did notice them watching us out the window and laughing hysterically when we became the primary targets of the water balloons.

Since the kids were already wet, we told them they could go in the pool next, before we went back inside. This caused our three to look at us with surprised expressions on their faces.

"Hey, when did you get the pool ready?" Joshie wanted to know.

"Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake did it while the rest of us were swimming at the Boys & Girls Club last time. They knew it would take a few days before the pool would be ready for us to use after it was filled, because the chemicals need time to become effective. That's why we didn't tell you, because we didn't want you teasing to use the pool before it was safe."

"You guys are really sneaky," Benny announced, holding up his fist and shaking it at us.

"Yeah, they are," Ryan agreed with a grin, "but I like these kinds of surprises."

While we'd been talking, Trey had brought out another laundry basket, but this one was full of towels for the kids to use once they got out of the pool. Since Brandon, Dion, and I were already wet from being pelted with the water balloons, we each grabbed a towel and attempted to dry off as well.

While the kids were in the pool, a couple of them came over to chat with me. It was the two I'd confronted at Joshie's party about teasing Benny, along with a boy I didn't recognize.

"We just wanted to thank you for inviting us today, but we also wanted to tell you that we aren't picking on Benny any more. We even play with him and Joshie on the playground and we like both of them a lot."

"Thank you, and I'm very glad to hear that."

"And I'm sorry about doing that too," the other boy added. "I wasn't at Joshie's party, but these guys told me what you said. I like Benny now and I'll never do that again."

"I'm glad to hear that as well, and I hope you boys all have a good time while you're here today."

"Yeah, the birthday parties you guys have are really fun. This one is a little different than Joshie's party, but I'm still having a blast."

"I think that's why everyone is here this time," the other boy offered. "They heard what a great time we had at Joshie's party and wanted to come to this one too. I think they also came here for the Haunted House at Halloween."

"That's what I like to hear. We do these things so you kids will have plenty of good memories when you get older."

"My parents have taken me to the Haunted House every year since I was three or four," the new boy stated. "I really love coming here and going through it, because you have stuff that still scares me a little."

"Not too badly I hope, but I'm glad you enjoy it."

I thought it was nice that they had come over to speak with me, but I was even more pleased to hear that they were getting along with Benny now. I already knew they were no longer picking on him, but I didn't realize they were playing with him at school and even liked Benny now. That made me feel really good.

After the kids were ready to get out of the pool, we had them dry off before heading inside to have cake and ice cream. Benny was in awe that there was another birthday cake for him, and he listened to the kids sing 'Happy Birthday' before blowing out the candles for the second time this week. Once everyone had finished their treats, we let Benny open his gifts from his friends.

Since the kids knew Joshie had a PS4 and he and Benny played it quite often, a couple of groups gave Benny a new game for it. Another group gave him a remote controlled 'Wonder Chopper Stunt Drone' that he could fly outside, while the final group gave him a '14-in-1 Solar Robot'. He could use that last gift to make 14 different robots that could either travel over land or through water. We felt those gifts would keep him very busy in the future.

Benny thanked each group as he opened their gift, and then he showed his classmates what we'd given him too, as he thanked us all again. A short time after we'd finished up inside, some of the parents began arriving to collect their children. A few of the boys stated their parents wouldn't be coming for awhile and wanted to know if they could use the pool again. After thinking it over, I agreed and went with them as a precaution. Before we headed outside, I told the others to let me know when the boys' parents arrived, because I didn't want to hold them up. It worked out fine, though, because I got to observe Benny having a good time with the stragglers as they played games in the pool.

Once the last of the kids had rounded up his belongings and departed, Benny came over and wrapped his arms around Brandon and me and gave us a hug. "The party was really great. Thanks for doin' that for me."

"It was our pleasure, and it was nice to see you having a good time with the others, even the boys who'd been picking on you when you first came here."

"Yeah, we're all friends now."

"So I've heard, and that's wonderful. I'm glad it all worked out."

Benny and Joshie then went to check out the various gifts Benny had received, while the rest of us took care of the mess. Brandon and Trey cleaned up inside, which included the things we'd used for the cake and ice cream, and the wrapping paper Benny had torn off his gifts. While they were doing that, Dion helped me pick up the clutter outdoors. First, we tossed the used towels in one of the laundry baskets and I carried it inside, while Dion took the basket with the remaining clean towels and followed me. Then, we went out and picked up the 'popped' balloons off the lawn and tossed them into another empty laundry basket. After we had taken everything inside, I started a load of towels in the washing machine so we'd have them to use later.

When Noah returned, he came to ask me a question. "So how'd the party go?"

"It went really well and I think everyone had a good time, especially Benny. He got some nice gifts too."

"Like what?"

"Why don't you go ask him? I'm sure he'll show you."

Noah went to find Benny and was intrigued when he saw the Solar Power Robot. He even offered to help Benny build the various models, which Benny happily agreed to do. They spent the rest of the night playing with that particular device.

After we got home from church on Sunday, the boys changed quickly and took Benny's 'stunt drone' outside to see how it worked. Benny asked Noah to help him with that too, which Noah was happy to do, and then Benny let each of the others fly it for awhile as well, but only after he'd taken his turn. Following that, Benny and Noah began messing around with the Solar Powered Robot again, as the other two watched. It seemed that Benny's birthday presents were going to keep each of them busy for awhile.

The following week started out fairly uneventful, at least until Wednesday. That happened to be my birthday, and I had no idea what to expect. Oh, I knew Brandon would probably have a family party for me after dinner, but other than that I wasn't sure what was going to happen. However, I should have known better and been prepared.

The moment I came downstairs that morning, Dad greeted me warmly and announced that he'd made a special breakfast. "I've got everything ready so I can make you waffles topped with blueberries and whipped cream for your birthday breakfast, so go sit down at the table and I'll bring them right out."

I did as he'd instructed, and while I was waiting the boys showed up and began wishing me a Happy Birthday, along with giving me a hug. Then, as I was eating they all sang to me as well.

When I got to work, I immediately spotted a banner hanging over the reception area wishing me a Happy Birthday. I was a little surprised, because I couldn't remember ever telling them about my birthday, but I guess they must have had their own sources. After I got back from having lunch with Brandon, they had a small cake waiting for me in the break room.

As I'd expected, we had cake and ice cream after dinner too, as everyone sang to me again. Afterwards, I opened my presents and thanked everyone, before spending the rest of the night with Brandon and the boys. They all wanted to watch TV with me, so I agreed and we all crammed onto the sofa together. Brandon sat on my right and Noah on my left, while Benny sat on Noah's lap, Joshie did the same with Brandon, and Ryan sat on my lap.

During the middle of one of the shows my cell phone rang, so I fumbled to get it out of my pocket while Noah muted the volume on the TV. Fortunately, I was able to reach it before the call went to my voice mail. "Hello."

"Happy Birthday, Dad!" Elliot greeted me. I had a feeling he'd be calling, since he'd called Brandon on his birthday too.

"Thank you, son, and how are you doing? Your school year must be coming to an end."

"It is. I took my last final today, so I just have to pack up before I can get out of here. I'll be home sometime this weekend."

"That's great and I look forward to seeing you again. Is there anyone else you wish to speak with?"

"Nah, just tell them I said hi and that I'll see them in a few days. I've still got a lot to do before I can leave this joint."

"Ok, then attend to what you have to accomplish first and we'll see you this weekend."

The boys were a little bummed out that they didn't get to speak with Elliot, but at the same time they were eager to get back to the program we'd been watching. Besides, they would only have to wait a few more days before they'd be able to speak with him in person.

After the program ended and we'd put the boys to bed, Brandon and I turned in too. As soon as we got to our bedroom, we spent the first few minutes planning our weekend alone.

"I promised we'd do this and the Memorial Day weekend would be the best time for us to get away," I began. "Tell your staff not to schedule any appointments for Friday afternoon or Saturday morning that weekend, and then we'll be able to leave right after lunch on Friday. Dad, Dion, and Trey have agreed to take care of the boys while we're gone, so we won't have to come back until Monday night."

"Oh, I like that idea. So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, but you'll enjoy going there."

Brandon feigned a slight pout before giving me a hug, and then we hurriedly began removing each other's clothing so we could make love before falling asleep. It had been a truly wonderful birthday.

The following evening the boys received the phone calls they'd been waiting for. Each of them found out they had made a team and were told when they'd be practicing. Of course, Benny and Joshie were on the same team, while Ryan discovered that he and Owen would be playing on different teams. He was slightly disappointed that they wouldn't be together, as he'd hoped, but they were both happy that they'd been chosen.

This meant the coming weekend was going to be a little more hectic than usual, since their teams would be having their first practices on Saturday. When the time came, we made sure to get them there on time and even stuck around to watch them run through the drills. It was just basic fielding and batting practice for the most part, as the coaches evaluated their performance and made their initial determinations about who would be best at each position. This was merely the start of a long summer for us, although the boys had a couple more weeks left before their school year came to an end.

When we returned to the house after the last practice, we discovered Elliot's car in the driveway. Until now I wasn't sure if he'd be arriving today or tomorrow, since he wasn't very specific the last time we spoke, and that's why I hadn't left him a note. When we entered the house, his greeting wasn't quite what we expected.

"Geez, I was beginning to think that no one wanted me to come home."

"Sorry, we just weren't sure when you'd be getting here and we had other commitments. These three are all playing baseball this summer and they had their first practice today, so we all went to watch."

"So my new little brothers are jocks too? I knew Noah and Joshie were, but Benny and Ryan too?"

"I'm not a jock yet, but my coach told us all to get one and start wearing it for support," Ryan shot back, since he didn't quite understand Elliot's comment. His statement, however, caused the rest of us to snicker.

"Yeah, you do that. By the way, I'm your brother Elliot and it's nice to finally meet you. At least you're cute like me, and not ugly like our brother the troll." He then playfully punched Noah in the arm.

"Thanks, but Noah's not ugly either. I think we have a really nice looking family."

"Thanks, little bro," Noah chimed in. "Elliot may look ok on the outside, but he's rotten to the core on the inside. Just ask Benny about the prank Elliot pulled on him when he came home for Thanksgiving." This caused Ryan to stare at Benny, waiting for him to say something.

"Elliot made me think I'd caused his head to fall off. He used a doll's head to fool me, so watch out for him, but Uncle Ricky is just as bad."

"You haven't met him yet," Noah added, "but we'll point him out to you when he's here so you can watch out for him too. They both like to pull pranks on people."

"Hey, you guys pulled a prank on me too, and even helped to pull a prank on Uncle Ricky."

"Yeah, but we only did it to get even," Benny chirped. "We just do it after someone plays a prank on us."

"They're usually good natured pranks," I clarified so Ryan didn't become too scared about the prospect. "We do our best to keep things under control, so you don't have to become too concerned about it."

"I hope not, but I'll be ready."

The entire family spent the next couple of hours together getting reacquainted, and then I told everyone to get cleaned up and changed, because I was taking them all out to dinner. It would be Brandon's and my way to welcome Elliot back from college, as well as having our first family dinner together, since it would be the first time Ryan had been with us too.

After having a lovely meal together, I found out later that Ryan asked Elliot a question after we'd arrived back at the house and they were getting ready for bed. "Noah told me that you used to do stuff with him, so would you do it with me too?"

"What kind of stuff are you talking about?"

"You know, like sucking each other off."

Elliot merely stared at him and was speechless for a few seconds, since he didn't know how to respond. Eventually, he decided on what he was going to say and began to speak. "I'm not sure what Noah told you, but whatever happened was just between the two of us."

"Noah only told me because we did that for a while too, but then Noah didn't want to do it any more. I was hoping we could do that now, cuz I really enjoyed it."

"Look, I'm surprised Noah did anything like that with you, since I know he's not gay, but I can't do anything like that with you."

"But you did it with Noah. He told me."

"If we did anything, we would have both been under eighteen at the time, so we probably weren't breaking any laws. However, I'm older now, so I could get into big trouble doing those things with anyone your age. I'm sorry, but I just can't help you out."

"But we're brothers and I won't tell no one. Please?"

"If you want, I'll talk to our dads about this and see what they have to say. They'll know what I should or shouldn't do."

"They knew I was doin' it with Noah and didn't care, at least until Noah didn't want to do it no more."

"Still, I want to see what they have to say first."

"K, but I really hope you'll do it with me."

When Elliot explained this to Brandon and me, we told him he'd done the right thing and we didn't think it would be a good idea for him to do it with Ryan either.

"I was surprised when he asked me, because I remember you told me he'd been raped before he came here and was worried about living with gays. Didn't you also say that he got upset when he saw Benny and Joshie naked and didn't want others to see him naked either?"

"Yes, but he's changed a lot since then."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"At first he was hesitant about changing with the rest of us when we went to the Boys & Girls Club to swim, but he doesn't have that problem any longer."

"This is a little more than just changing together."

"I know, and I'll admit that I was really surprised when I found out that he and Noah had been fooling around. First of all, I didn't think Noah would be interested, but then I was surprised that Ryan was willing to do it too, especially considering how he acted when he first got here. I guess he must have really enjoyed it, because now he seems kind of addicted to it."

"Then you'd better warn him about just doing it with anyone."

"I have. I know Ryan's a typical, horny teen right now, but I've told him that he'll have to take care of his own needs. I also explained that it would be very risky for him to let others know he might be interested in doing those things with them, because they might turn on him."

"I hope he listens to you then."

"Me too."

Over the next couple of weeks we made certain the boys kept up with their schoolwork while still attending their practices, but their first games weren't going to be held until the final week of school. That would make it tough on all of us, but even more so for the boys, especially Ryan. He would be having final exams in many of his classes, while the younger boys would have it slightly easier, but it would still be a challenge.

Ryan's team played their game first, and Ryan was out in right field. That was usually the position the coach put his poorest or least experienced player, but at least Ryan was playing and starting. There were three other boys on the bench who were obviously less skilled than Ryan, so I was fairly certain that he wasn't about to complain.

I was nervous as I watched him running back and forth on the outfield grass, and worried that he'd mess up, but he played fairly well. He caught one fly ball after making a rather lengthy run to get to it, and he also chased down a couple of balls that weren't hit high enough for him to reach before they hit the ground. Once he fielded the baseball, he threw it to the cutoff man and prevented the runner or runners from advancing, just like he'd been taught to do.

Ryan also made solid contact with his bat on each of his plate appearances, although he didn't get a hit. In his first at bat he lined out to the second baseman, and then he grounded out to the shortstop on his next trip to the batter's box. I thought he'd proven himself, though, so I imagined he would be getting more playing time in future games.

Dad, Pop, Noah, Brandon, and I told him that we thought he'd played well, because we'd all attended his game. Benny and Joshie's team had practice that night, so Dion and Trey took them so we could go to Ryan's game. Ryan seemed pleased with his performance as well, and his team managed to win by a run.

"Thanks, Grandpa Josh. I wouldn't have done that good if you hadn't worked with me."

"You're welcome, but I'm sure your coach had a lot to do with it as well."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have even been on the team if you hadn't helped me." It was nice to hear him being so grateful.

Two nights later, Benny and Joshie had their first game, so we all went to watch them too. Joshie played second base, while Benny was out in left field, and they both did quite well. Joshie made a few good fielding plays and had two hits, while Benny caught a couple of fly balls and got a hit. Their team also won, so the baseball season was off to a good start and all three boys were happy.

"Joshie's better than me, but I still had fun."

"That's what really counts," I replied.

"Yeah, that and winning," Joshie added with a grin.

Chapter 31
Memorial Day Weekend

As Memorial Day approached, I verified the plans I'd made for Brandon and me before double-checking to make sure we had everything we'd need to take with us. Once the boys learned that we were going away, they began to complain because we weren't going to take them on this trip too. However, after we explained it was our delayed birthday gifts to each other, they relented and told us to have a good time.

I had cornered Dion previously and discussed the two trips he'd taken with Trey before I decided where I was going to take Brandon. I didn't tell Brandon where we were going, though, because I wanted to maintain an element of surprise.

On Friday afternoon of the long weekend, we said goodbye to our staffs and then raced home to grab a couple of items that Brandon had forgotten to bring with him that morning. While we were there, we said goodbye to the boys again, as well as taking a moment to thank Dad, Dion, and Trey for offering to look after things while we were gone. Then, Brandon and I hit the road, eager to enjoy a little quality time alone.

During my discussions with Dion about both of the trips he had taken, I decided the first one sounded as if it would be better for us. Therefore, I booked a 'Premier King Guest Room' at the Hotel Hershey and made dinner reservations at The Harvest, which Dion explained was the classiest restaurant at the hotel.

It seemed as if the drive was taking forever, probably because I was so anxious to get Brandon alone, but in reality we were only on the road for a couple of hours. When we arrived, members of the staff helped us with our luggage as we checked in, and then one of them guided us to our room, which was enormous and tastefully decorated. Besides the king-size bed with nightstands on either side, there was a sofa, two comfortable chairs, a coffee table, a desk with a chair, and a full bath. After looking around, I was convinced we would enjoy whatever time we spent there.

As soon as we'd put our things away, we chose to take a walk around the spectacular and well manicured grounds first. We also took a few minutes to stop and appreciate the two stunning fountains we'd passed when we first arrived, since they were truly magnificent.

As we were walking around, Brandon mentioned something. "This reminds me of one of our early dates. Do you remember the day we spent walking around that outdoor retreat while we discussed our future together?" "Yes, I remember, but the scenery wasn't nearly as spectacular there."

"No, but this reminded me of it for some reason."

On that day long ago, Brandon and I had spent quite a bit of time discussing a possible relationship. We knew we enjoyed each other's company, but we were questioning whether we were ready to make a long term commitment. Fortunately, we decided to give it a try and we're still together a decade and a half later.

After spending a couple of hours outdoors, we returned to our room and showered together.

"This reminds me of the first few times we ever did this," Brandon stated as we moved under the spray. "It was when we were on vacation with Dad, Ricky, and Jay. Remember? We decided to shower together to save time, since there were so many of us, but we also used the opportunity to fool around too."

"Yes, I remember, and we showered together almost every night, although we took a few turns pairing up with Jay and Ricky too."

"But I enjoyed showering with you the most."

This simple act rekindled many pleasant memories, which we not only relived, but also recreated that evening. Needless to say we made love in the shower as well, eliciting even more memories of other times.

When we finally finished up in the bathroom, we dried off and got dressed. As soon as we were appropriately attired, I noticed it was nearly time for our dinner reservation, so we set out for The Harvest restaurant. When we got there, I announced my name and we were immediately shown to a table. It was located next to one of the windows and provided us with a magnificent view of the grounds in the waning daylight.

After enjoying the lovely view for a few moments, we opened the menus and discussed what we were going to order. "I talked to Dion before we left and he recommended that we have a Caesar salad, Filet Mignon, and baked potato. I think we should add a side of broccoli and a glass of wine to that as well, if it's all right with you."

"Yes, that sounds perfect."

The meal was absolutely delicious, and when we finished we shared a slice of Peaches N' Cream cake with our coffee before returning to our room.

We were both stuffed at this point as we sat down on the sofa to relax and let our meals settle. Before long, however, we gave in to other needs and began making out. It seemed the events of the day and the many memories we'd shared had made us both feel like kids again, and that's exactly how we acted – like two sex-crazed teens. As we kissed, we also ran our hands over each other's body and slowly undressed one another. Before long we were both naked, totally aroused, and unable to stop. Eventually, we moved from the sofa to the bed, where we resumed our passionate kissing.

I don't remember exactly when it happened, but we were soon arranged in sixty-nine, eagerly satisfying each other orally. After doing that for a few minutes, I swung around so I was lying next to Brandon's slender form again as I eagerly resumed kissing him. Then, I began to work my way down his body, as I nursed on each of his nipples before moving even lower. After I had passed his navel and was once again at his groin, I spent a few delicious moments running my tongue over his fleshy sac and along the length of his firm pole. After doing that for awhile, I lifted his legs and began to rim him, slowly preparing him for what was to come.

As soon as I felt I had paid sufficient attention to that area, I slid my body over his and only stopped long enough to insert my penis. As I began to thrust in and out, I placed my lips over his, extended my tongue, and began to kiss my beloved again. We'd done this many times over the years, but each time seemed unique and special, because we loved each other as much today as the first time we'd made love. I couldn't bear the thought of ever being separated from him or not being able to do this, while silently praying that day would never come.

Once we had completed our mad, passionate, and fulfilling love-making session, we cuddled together for a while longer before we got up to perform our nightly bedtime ritual. When we finished, we got back into bed and prepared to sleep. This was merely our first night alone and it had been truly wonderful, but we still had Saturday, Sunday, and part of Monday left to enjoy.

After waking up totally relaxed and refreshed the next morning, we showered together again before getting dressed and going out for breakfast. We decided to eat at the Cocoa Beanery this time, where we each ordered a specialty coffee and a pastry. The coffee was wonderful and the pastry quite tasty, and when we left there we headed to the Spa.

After perusing our options from the long list of choices, we decided to try the Sea Salt Soak first, followed by a manicure and a pedicure. As we sat in the sea salt, Brandon turned to me and spoke.

"This is really nice. We haven't done anything like this for a very long time, and it's feels good to get pampered like this every once in awhile."

"Yes, we often neglect doing things for ourselves. Either we're too busy with work or too tired after a long day at the office, and then when we're home we focus all of our attention on the boys."

"But we've definitely got to start making time to do something like this for ourselves every now and then. I'm sure the boys will be able to do without us for a couple of hours every once in a while."

"I suppose you're right, so just give me a reminder if I happen to forget."

After we finished soaking, we then sat in very comfortable chairs as the attendants worked on our hands and feet. Once they'd finished, we decided to spend some time in the outdoor pool, so we went back to our room to grab our swimsuits.

After changing, we swam for about an hour, and then we got out and located a couple of lounge chairs so we could relax in the sun and work on our tans. We used some of the sunscreen we'd brought with us to protect against sunburns and the most harmful effects of the UV rays. We stayed there until our bellies began to growl, due to the very small breakfast we'd had earlier, and then we went back to change again. We decided to try the Iberian Lounge for lunch, and once we were shown to a table we each enjoyed an antipasto and a 'Hotel Hershey Hamburger', along with a glass of wine.

"I don't want to rush you, but we have to get moving if we don't want to be late for the next item on today's itinerary," I urged Brandon.

"Don't worry. I don't want to miss going there either."

Dion and Trey had been so excited about having seen 'Les Miserables' during their trip that I got the name of the theater and called to buy tickets for our stay. Unfortunately, that production had already ended, but after I heard what would be playing when we we're there, I eagerly purchased two tickets so we could see 'Finding Neverland'.

The theater turned out to be one of those elaborate edifices that had been built sometime during the 1920s or 1930s, during the Hollywood Golden Years. After falling into disrepair in the 1960s, it had since been restored to its original splendor. We wandered around the interior of the theater for a brief time first, because we wanted to see as much of it as possible.

"Wow, the place is gorgeous and I love the oriental theme," Brandon gushed. "They certainly don't build theaters like this any longer."

"That's very true and there are only a limited number of similar theaters still remaining throughout the country. Most of these magnificent buildings had been torn down long ago, but there were a few visionaries who saw the benefits in restoring these unique structures instead."

"I'm glad they did, because it's important that the younger generations get a chance to see this. Look at all of the intricate details that were incorporated into its design. Each one must have taken days, if not weeks or months to finish, and I doubt we'll ever see another place quite as impressive as this."

Eventually, we heard a chime in the background. "I think that's our signal that the musical is about to begin," I pointed out, so we quickly located our seats and got comfortable.

The production was outstanding and we found it to be quite touching as well. It was the story of author J. M. Barrie and his relationship with the family of the widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, and how she became his inspiration to write 'Peter Pan'. It also focused upon the power of imagination, as well as the immense pressure society puts on everyone to grow up. I was glad I had considered doing this, because we both thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

After leaving the theater, I took Brandon for a ride on the singing trolley next, which was another of Dion's suggestions. Trey had also been correct when he told us that Dion had a much better voice than the vocalist on the trolley, but the guy was still very talented and quite enjoyable to listen to, so we had a good time. When the ride came to an end, we made our way back to the hotel again.

Shortly after entering the lobby, I approached the Concierge and asked if there were any special activities planned in the area for the following day. He quickly advised us of a couple of different events that were scheduled, and we determined the one that would be perfect for us to attend. I thanked him for the information and gave him a tip before we went back to our room.

Since we'd done quite a bit of walking and it was unusually warm outside for this time of year, we decided to shower again. Of course we washed each other first, and then that intimate contact led to a rise in our hormonal levels, which inspired us to make love again as the water cascaded over our bodies. As soon as we were both sated, we exited the shower, dried off, and then dressed for dinner.

This time we decided to eat at the Trevi 5, the Italian restaurant at the hotel. It had a much different ambiance than the other places where we'd dined, but the food was just as good. Tonight, we ordered the Field Greens salad with a Lemon Balsamic dressing and the Chicken Picatta, which we washed down with a glass of Spumante, a sparkling Italian wine. Once we'd finished all of those items, we shared a slice of Lemon Ricotta Cake with our coffee before calling it a night.

After returning to our room, we sat down on the sofa to relax for a few minutes, and one thing led to another, so before long we were all over each other again. Just as had happened the previous evening, our clothes were soon scattered throughout the room and we attacked one another like two dogs in heat. After working our way over to the bed, we changed places and Brandon entered me tonight, as we shared our love one more time.

After we finished that wonderful and mind-blowing session, we had to admit that we were both mildly impressed with our recent erotic tendencies, because we'd even astounded ourselves. It wasn't that we were old and lacked stamina, because we were both only thirty-one, but it had been quite some time since we'd made love twice in a 24 hour period. This trip had obviously done something to our libidos, because we were as horny as when we were as teens, although Brandon indicated the wine might have had something to do with it as well.

As we prepared to sleep, I cuddled with Brandon and felt closer to him than ever before. Our brief time alone had rekindled our romance and taken it to another level, although it didn't mean that we had previously grown bored or taken our relationship for granted. Just as had happened with pampering ourselves, our intimate encounters sometimes took a back seat to work and the family. I silently concluded that we'd have to take a trip like this more often in the future to reignite our deep love for one another, as had happened on this outing.

We slept extremely well that evening and didn't wake up until late Sunday morning. Then, we relaxed in the room for another hour and enjoyed spending a little more time with one another before our stomachs began to grumble. With slightly more urgency, we got dressed and headed to The Circular restaurant for their Sunday brunch buffet.

As the name implied, the dining area was a large circular space that was decorated in a Spanish colonial style. The floor plan had been well designed too, because there were ample aisles between the tables, which ensured privacy for the diners. After leisurely enjoying our morning repast, we followed the directions the Concierge had given us and made our way to the next event.

After listening to him tell me about the activities scheduled for that afternoon, we decided to attend the free outdoor holiday concert that was being sponsored by one of the local fraternal organizations. It was being held at a nearby park, and when we got there we noticed an impromptu stage had been set up for the musicians. It was covered to protect them from the sun, or in case it rained, but there was also temporary seating provided for the spectators. We hurriedly found a suitable location with a good view and took our seats, as we waited for the music to begin.

Before long, the air was filled with the sweet sounds of classical, pop, and patriotic selections, and the audience was quickly enthralled with the hypnotic rhythms. As we listened, Brandon and I noted that the musicians were very talented and did a marvelous job providing the entertainment. Before we were prepared for it to come to an end, the concert concluded. The spectators applauded loudly to show their appreciation, and this prompted the musicians to return for an encore, which was greatly appreciated.

Since we'd been sitting in the sun as we listened to the music, Brandon and I decided to take another shower when we got back to the room. As we'd done the past couple of days, we washed each other first and then made love under the relaxing spray, before getting dressed for dinner.

We had dinner at The Harvest again, but this time we ordered a much simpler fare. Tonight we went with fish and chips, with a side of coleslaw and a glass of white wine, before splitting a slice of 'Classic Chocolate Cream Pie'. It was all very tasty and hit the spot, so we were both quite full as we 'waddled' back to our room.

After sitting on the sofa and allowing our meals to settle for a brief time, Brandon and I started making out again and were soon eagerly undressing one another. I don't know how long it had been since we'd made love this many times during a single weekend, but that was probably due to the fact that we now had a family. It seemed that if we disappeared for more than a few minutes, someone was soon looking for us and calling our names. That definitely had the effect of putting a damper on any impromptu romantic escapades, so this was a welcome change and we were eager to take full advantage.

After we finished our very physical and amorous session, we cuddled for a while first, before getting up to perform our nightly ritual as we prepared to sleep. As soon as we were in bed, I spooned up behind Brandon and draped an arm over his chest, and we stayed that way until we awoke the following morning.

Our last day at the hotel was bittersweet. "This weekend has been absolutely fantastic, so I really hate to see it come to an end," Brandon stated as we were getting dressed.

"Me too. We not only revived many memories, but we also made a few new ones along the way, which reignited the passion in our relationship." "I'm really sad to see it come to an end as well, but I'm looking forward to being with the boys again. Do you think they're all right? You do, don't you?" Brandon asked, since he was a notorious worrywart.

"Yes, hun, I'm sure they're fine. If anything had gone wrong, Dad would have called us since we both have our phones with us."

"Yes, I guess you're right."

We started the day by ordering breakfast from the fairly typical list of items on the menu at The Circular restaurant. As we ate, we tossed around a few ideas for trips we could take in the future, provided we could break away again. When we finished eating, we spent the next couple of hours taking a final stroll around the grounds and enjoying the beautiful day. We did our best to burn this image in our brains for future reference, so we could someday recall this memorable weekend together.

Once we finished our walk, we decided to go for a swim. After changing, we headed outside and enjoyed another refreshing dip in the pool. About an hour later, we got out of the water, dried off and changed again so we could head out for a late lunch. We were going to do that at the Trevi 5, since we'd only had dinner there so far.

"Wow, this looks interesting," Brandon stated as he pointed at the menu. "I'm going to try Butternut Squash Ravioli."

"I've never heard of that before, but I like butternut squash and I love ravioli, so I think I'll try that too, but I'm going to order a salad to go with it."

"Good idea, and don't forget the wine."

"Oh, I won't."

We were both glad that we'd ordered that particular entree, because it was a unique and delicious blend of the two items. We didn't bother to have dessert this time, because we thought we'd grab an ice cream on the drive back, when we stopped for gas and to empty our bladders.

We headed back to the room, packed up our belongings and then did a quick check of the room to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything. Once we were certain we had everything, we walked down to the lobby to check out.

After taking care of the bill, we carried our luggage out to the car and prepared to leave. "Thank you for doing this and for making all of the arrangements, because the weekend was fantastic."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, because I know I certainly did. I just hope we aren't walking funny after all the sex."

"I don't think we are, but even if that's the case, I doubt anyone else will notice."

"Yeah, fat chance of that," I quipped, and we both giggled.

When we stopped for gas and to use the restroom, we asked the cashier if there was anyplace nearby that we could get some decent ice cream. He told us about a special place that was less than a mile away, so we went there to see what they had to offer.

The guy had been correct about it being special, because the owners made their own ice cream and it was delicious. I was glad we'd stopped to do this, because it certainly hit the spot. After we finished, we got back on the road again. We were halfway home at this point, so it would only take another hour before we reached the house.

As I drove, Brandon and I shared our thoughts about what the others would be doing when we got home and what questions they might ask. I couldn't remember if any of the boys had a game scheduled for today, so I wasn't even sure if anyone would be there when we arrived. It was early evening, so that was a definite possibility. Then again, Dad and Pop, or Dion and Trey, could have taken them all out to do something too.

To our surprise, all of the vehicles were in the driveway when we pulled in, so I put the car in park and turned off the ignition. The engine had barely stopped when the boys came charging out the front door, racing in our direction.

"Welcome home," they all shouted in greeting.

"Did you bring us back anything," Noah asked with a devilish grin.

"Yes, we brought each other back to you," I quipped. "You boys have enough already and don't need another t-shirt from the gift shop."

"I was thinking about other things instead, like stuff we'd really enjoy." I made a face. "Hey, you can't blame me for trying."

"That's what you think," I countered as I reached out and grabbed him, as I wrapped my arm around the back of his neck. Then, I pulled his head down, and rubbed my knuckles across his scalp, giving him a Dutch rub. It caused a slight burning sensation and he fought to get away.

"Geez, I guess he did get you something after all – a lesson about being a wise guy," Brandon joked.

"That's not what I wanted," Noah wheezed after he finally pulled free.

"Then be careful what you wish for," I added, which prompted him to give me another dirty look.

"When are you going to learn, Noah?" Elliot followed. "You should have been expecting something like that. You know how they are."

"I thought they'd be nice, since they'd been alone and had a good time."

"Yeah, right!" Elliot commented as he rolled his eyes.

The other boys then picked up our bags and carried them inside for us, as they asked where we went and what we did. Of course we only gave them the G-rated version, but it seemed to satisfy their curiosity.

"Did you go to Hershey Park then?" Joshie wanted to know.

"No, we were in Hershey, but we didn't go to the park. We found plenty of other things to do instead."

"Sounds like a wasted trip to me," Ryan offered. "Why go there if you aren't gonna go to the park?"

"Like I said, there were other things to do there as well, and we went there to spend time alone with each other, not to have our insides shaken about and turned upside down."

"You mean you don't like going on the rides then?" Benny asked, looking confused.

"Sure we do, but it wasn't the point of this trip. We'll go on the rides if we ever take the family there, but this wasn't the time for that."

"Your loss," Noah added, as the discussion came to an end.

"No, they did some riding, just not at the park," I heard Elliot whisper to Noah and then they began to giggle.

We did our best to keep the others from finding out what Elliot had said by asking them to fill us in on what they'd done while we were gone. We discovered both of their teams had games on Saturday, which they won, and then their coaches gave them the rest of the weekend off. They also said they'd had a cookout at the house earlier and that Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake had made some awesome cheeseburgers for them. Then they added that Trey had fixed another chocolate cake with fudge icing and there was some leftover, if we wanted a slice too.

Once we'd finished filling each other in about our weekend, Brandon and I went upstairs to unpack. While we were doing that, Dion showed up to ask a question.

"So did you wear out the mattress and run out of hot water in the shower with all the hot sex?"

"You might say that," Brandon answered cryptically.

"Let's just say this trip made us feel like we were half our current age," I added.

"Damn, so you two were a couple of horny bunnies, huh?"

"Nah, I think we put the bunnies to shame," Brandon quipped before adding a sinister laugh.

"And thanks for all of your suggestions. They were really great and we enjoyed every one," I offered sincerely.

"You're welcome and I'm glad you guys had such a good time. You deserved it after all you've done for Trey and me."

"That was our pleasure too, and now we're even."

After a late dinner, we spent time with the boys watching a movie. It was nice to be with them again, and the three younger ones were slightly more affectionate than usual, so I guess they'd actually missed us after all. We knew the older two were happy to see us as well, but they spent the evening whispering to each other, apparently commenting on what we might have done while we'd been away.

When the movie ended, we sent the boys upstairs to get ready for bed, and then we went up to say goodnight. Once again, each of them seemed to be more affectionate than usual and hugged us energetically as we tucked them in. We also stopped in to say goodnight to Elliot and could tell he was happy to have us drop by to do this again. If this was the way they were going to act when we came home after being away, then maybe we'd have to leave them behind more often.

As soon as the boys were in bed, Brandon and I turned in too, because we'd have to return to work in the morning. It had been an unforgettable weekend, but it had come to an end and reality was about to set in. Now, it was time for Brandon and me to return to our normal routines and play doctor again.

Chapter 32
Owen

Now that the boys were out of school, the number of practices and games each week increased, which caused our evenings to become very hectic. Thankfully, we had plenty of drivers and more than enough vehicles to handle the situation, but it was sometimes confusing trying to remember who was doing what.

As we moved into the month of June, the boys' teams were winning more games than they were losing, so they seemed satisfied. Sure, they would have liked to be undefeated or in first place, but since this was the first time Benny and Ryan had ever played on a team, they both seemed satisfied. Not only were they pleased with their team's success, but they were also happy with their own progress as well.

It was the start of the second week of the month when Ryan asked a question. "Since we're playin' Owen's team on Friday, do you think it would be alright if I asked him to come home with us and spend the night?"

I was slightly taken aback by this, because he'd never suggested anything like this before. I knew he and Owen were friends, but since they were on different teams I wasn't prepared for his question.

"I don't have a problem with you asking him, but it will be up to his parents whether they're willing to allow him to stay here. I don't know his mom or dad, so we're not sure how they feel about us, since there are still people that don't approve of two guys being together or becoming parents."

"I know, but me and Owen have talked about this before. He says his parents know about our family, like about you and Dad B, Uncle Dion and Uncle Trey, and Grandpa Josh and Grandpa Jake, and he told me they don't have a problem with it."

"I hope that's the case, but you'll have him ask his parents about this before Friday. By the way, I'm surprised that he's old enough to play in the same league as you, since you're older than most other kids in your class."

"Owen turned thirteen in April, and I won't be fourteen until October, so we're both thirteen for the baseball season. I'm still a few months older than him, but instead of being one of the youngest kids in ninth grade, I'm one of the oldest kids in eighth grade. So, can I call him now?"

"Sure, if you know his number. And you can tell him that if his parents have any questions they can talk to us at the game on Friday, if they're going to attend. If not, they can give us a call."

"K, I'll tell him."

Ryan then disappeared for about twenty minutes as he made his call. When he came back, he filled us in about his conversation. "Owen asked his parents and they said it was fine, as long as you don't have a problem with it. He said he'll bring a duffle bag with some extra clothes, because we'll both be in our uniforms. He also told me his parents would be at the game, so you can meet them at the field."

"Ok, that sounds like a good idea. We'll be able to clear things up with them so there will be no misunderstandings. My only question: Why the sudden interest in doing this?"

"It's not sudden. Me and Owen have been friends since I moved here, and if we was playin' on the same team we'd prolly be doin' this a lot more. I just want to have someone my age to hang out with, because Noah spends a bunch of time with Adam, and Benny and Joshie have each other."

"Ok, I guess I can see that. I just hope he doesn't have a problem with how whacky it gets around here sometimes."

"Come on, it's not that bad. You guys are a little different than most parents, but he already knows about some of that and doesn't have a problem with it. I really like him and I'm glad he's gonna spend some time here with me now."

"I'm glad you have someone you are close to as well."

When Brandon and I talked about this later, Brandon was curious about something. "Do you think he asked Owen to spend the night so they can mess around?"

"I guess it's possible, especially since Owen knows about us. We'll just have to keep an eye on the situation and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Ok, but at least Ryan's not trying to talk you into doing those things with him any longer." His comment pointed out that Brandon was still insecure when it came to Ryan's intentions concerning me.

When Noah found out that Ryan was going to have Owen stay over, he asked if he could spend the night with Adam. We weren't sure if Noah had a problem with Owen, or if he just wanted to give the boys some space, but we agreed that would be fine. He then called Adam and had him clear it with his parents, so we would be gaining one and losing another that night.

Friday after we got home from work, we sat down for a quick dinner with the family before heading out. Benny and Joshie had a practice scheduled to make sure they were ready for their game Saturday morning. Since we had a conflict, Dion offered to take them so we could go to Ryan's game. Dad and Pop were going with us too, and then Ryan asked Elliot to come to his game as well.

"I'm not really into baseball, but I'll drive there and watch you play before I go to pick up Ian, because we're going out later."

"K, and thanks. I'm glad you're gonna watch me play too."

The rest of us climbed into my SUV, as Elliot followed us to the ball field. When we got there, Owen came rushing over to greet us, carrying a duffle bag.

"Can I put this in your car for later?"

"Sure. So you're parents haven't changed their minds?" I teased.

"Nah, and I'll take you over to meet them if you want."

We followed Owen over to his team's side of the field and he walked up to a man and woman sitting in the bleachers. "Mom and Dad, these are Ryan's parents."

"I'm glad to meet you. I'm Danny and this is Brandon."

"I'm Terri and this is my husband, Brian," she replied.

"Hi, Mr. Currie," Brian stated as he addressed my dad. "Do you remember me from when you were principal of the middle school?"

"Sure, you're Brian McIntyre."

"You've got a good memory."

"At times. Besides the troublemakers, I also remember the athletes and academic scholars."

"I did better in my subjects than I did in sports, so I just hope Owen got the better genes from me. His mom was the athlete, but she didn't grow up around here. I met her in college."

"Well, I'm very glad to meet you too," Dad added, as he offered his hand.

"And I'm happy to meet you too. Brian and Owen have told me quite a bit about all of you, and I just want to reassure you that we don't have a problem with anything. I have a brother who's gay, so this isn't a big deal for us."

"We're glad to hear that," Dad replied, "and we'll take good care of Owen while he's with us."

"I'm sure you will," she replied, as she turned to me. "Are you sure you want Owen to stay over tonight and tomorrow night?"

Her question shocked me, since Ryan hadn't mentioned this when he made his request, so I did my best to hide my surprise as I prepared to answer her. As I was about ready to speak, I spotted Ryan out of the corner of my eye and noted that he looked like a kid who'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Sure, as long as Owen doesn't mind the craziness. We'll be going to watch the younger boys play their game tomorrow morning, and if the weather's nice I'm sure the boys will want to use the pool in the afternoon. There always seems to be something going on."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll enjoy that and it helps us out too. We've been invited out to dinner tomorrow evening by a couple that my husband works with, so now we won't have to worry about what he's up to."

"Then I guess it works out for all of us."

We continued to chat with the McIntyres after the boys took off to warm up with their teams. I figured I'd corner Ryan about this little surprise later, but not in front of Owen. I didn't want to pull him into a family discussion about honesty and openness.

When the game was about ready to get underway, we excused ourselves and went over to sit in the bleachers behind Ryan's team's bench. There weren't a lot of other people there, so we made up a large part of his team's cheering section.

"Did you know that Owen was staying two nights?" Brandon whispered to me as the first pitch was thrown.

"No, and I plan on talking to Ryan about that later. I just felt it wasn't the time or place to do it now."

"Ok. I just wondered, because it was news to me."

"I hope your reaction to her question didn't let them know that as well, because I tried to hide my surprise."

"I can't promise, because I was definitely shocked."

"I think we're ok, though, because they probably would have questioned us about it further." We then focused on what was happening on the field.

The game was close the entire way, and Ryan and Owen played fairly well. I was mildly amused to see they were both playing right field for their team, and they both got a hit too. Ryan also got walked on one of his other trips to the plate, while Owen wasn't quite as fortunate. In the end, Owen's team won, so I wondered how that would play out when we got home.

After the game, Owen went over to say goodbye to his parents first, before coming over to join us. After we were all in the SUV, Owen made a comment. "My team might have won, but both teams played really well. You did good today too, Ryan."

"You did too, but we'll beat you guys next time." I guess that clarified things and we didn't have to worry about the outcome creating any problems when we got home.

When we reached the house, we discovered Trey had made snacks for the boys, since he figured they'd all be hungry after running around for the past couple of hours. As Trey was explaining things to Owen, I pulled Ryan aside.

"You didn't say anything about two nights."

"I guess I forgot. Owen called earlier and said his parents asked if he could stay tomorrow instead of tonight, so I just kinda told him that he could stay both nights. I was gonna ask when you got home, but I guess I was thinking about other stuff."

"I don't mind, but in the future I want you to run those things by us first, before you agree to something like that."

"Ok, I will."

I then sent Ryan out to join the others, and after they'd each grabbed a drink and something to eat, we sat with them at the dining room table while they inhaled everything. Once they finished, we sent them upstairs to get cleaned up and ready for bed. Ryan and Owen were halfway up the stairs when Ryan stopped and came back down so he could say something to us.

"Uhhh, you're still gonna come up to tuck me in, aren't you?"

"We thought we'd give you some space tonight and not do that, since Owen is here."

"He knows you do it, cuz I told him. He doesn't care, so I want you to still come up later."

"Are you sure?" Brandon pressed.

"Yeah, so make sure you come up to my room."

"Ok, but we'll wait a little longer before we do that, so both of you have time to shower first."

"K, but don't forget."

Brandon and I talked it over, because we were trying to figure out why he still wanted us to do this. We thought most kids would prefer to not have their parents do that when they had company, but he was just the opposite.

"Possibly he wants Owen to see that we really love him and care about him, since we aren't his biological parents."

"Maybe, but I know I was surprised when he asked us to do it."

We went up with Dion and Trey about twenty minutes later so we could say goodnight to Joshie and Benny first, but then we waited a little longer before heading up to Ryan's room. When we got there, we knocked on his door and waited for him to tell us to 'come in' before we entered, however we were still caught off guard. Both boys were totally naked and standing on opposite sides of the bed.

"I'm sorry, we thought you were ready for us," I apologized as Brandon and I turned to leave.

"We are!" Ryan insisted. "This is just how we're gonna sleep." His comment caused me to look over at Owen so I could see how he was reacting.

"It's ok. I don't mind you seein' me like this. Ryan explained how you tuck him in, and that's fine with me, and since we agreed to sleep this way, it means you get to see me without nothin' on too. You're a doctor, so I'm sure you've seen other naked boys besides me and Ryan."

"You might say that," I agreed, as I let everything sink in.

Even after hearing his reasoning, I think Brandon and I were still in shock as we moved toward the bed. I noticed that Owen had definitely begun puberty and had a sparse growth of brown pubic hairs above his penis, the same color as the hair on his head. He was also circumcised, just like Ryan, and didn't appear to be the least bit bashful about allowing us to see his package, since he never tried to cover up. As Brandon moved to the near side of the bed and pulled back the bedding for Ryan, I went over to do the same thing for Owen. After they both got comfortable on the mattress, we pulled the covers over them and turned to leave.

"Hey! You didn't kiss us goodnight," Ryan complained.

"We weren't sure you'd want us to do that tonight, seeing Owen is here."

"Yeah, I want him to see zactly what you do every night. And he told me he doesn't mind if you want to kiss him on the head too, cuz that's what his parents do."

We were even more surprised than before, as we went back to do as he'd requested. "Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked Owen before I bent down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Nah, cuz it will be just like my parents doin' it to me."

Seeing he was fine with this, I gave him a peck on the forehead, as Brandon did the same to Ryan. Then, we switched sides and did the same thing with the other one before leaving the room.

"Goodnight and sweet dreams," we added before closing the door behind us.

"Thanks for letting me stay here and doin' this for me," Owen replied before the door was completely shut.

Once we were out in the hallway, Brandon turned to me and spoke. "I think you should talk to them about what they're planning on doing now, since they're sleeping together naked. I don't think they'd be doing that unless they had something else in mind for when they were alone."

"You might be right about that, but I'm not so sure about talking about those things with Owen."

"I got the impression earlier that his parents probably wouldn't mind, but I think they'd find it less objectionable than knowing exactly what their son was doing with our son."

"Ok, I'll speak with them then."

"Good. I'll be in our bedroom when you're done."

As Brandon walked down to the second floor, I knocked on Ryan's door again. "Yeah, come in."

When I opened it and turned on the light, it appeared that they'd just hastily pulled the bedding over themselves again. It was also fairly obvious that they both had an erection, since there seemed to be a slight bulge in the bedding that was over their waists.

"Guys, I think I know what you're planning to do, but I want to discuss this with you first. Owen, I'm not sure what your parents would say if they knew what you were up to."

"I've already told them that I think I'm gay like Uncle Ed, so I'm sure they feel this is the safest place for me to try stuff like this."

"So they know what you're going to do?"

"Not exactly, but I think they suspect. I'm sure that's why they were so happy to give me permission to stay here. They know you guys are all gay, so I think they feel Ryan might be gay too and we'd be trying stuff with each other."

"So you think you're gay now, Ryan?"

"No, but I like the feelin' I get from blowjobs and Owen is willing to do that for me, so I said I'd do it to him too. We just won't be doin' that other stuff."

"I might let Ryan try doin' it to me, so I can see what it's like, but I know he doesn't want me to do it to him, so I won't."

"Before you do anything like that, however, I want to talk to you about it first. I'll explain the things you'll need to know, because I don't want either of you hurting the other one."

"K, but we won't be doin' it this time. We were just getting ready to blow each other when you knocked on the door."

"As long as you both agree to do it and no one is getting forced, then I don't have a problem with it. Just remember that whatever happens in this house stays in this house. You can't talk about these things with anyone else or with each other when you're anywhere other than here."

"Yeah, we know, and thanks for not freakin' out about this."

"Well, it's how Brandon and I started when we were your age, so just be careful and don't get carried away."

"Thanks, and I'm glad I can talk to you about this stuff. My dad is ok with it, but he doesn't know much about gay sex, and I don't like talkin' to my mom about stuff like this either. I know I could ask my Uncle Ed, but he doesn't live around here and I don't see him very often, so I'm glad you're willing to tell me this stuff now."

"Brandon and I will do that, as long as your parents don't object."

"Don't worry. They won't."

As I prepared to leave, the boys threw the covers back and got ready to go at it again. They definitely weren't embarrassed about me knowing what they were up to, or shy about me seeing everything, but I left the room and went to fill Brandon in about our conversation.

"So they're going to have oral sex tonight and Owen is willing to let Ryan fuck him?"

"It seems that way, because he said he wants to see what it's like, but I told them that I wanted to talk to them about it before anything like that happened. I explained that I wanted to give them some pointers so they'd enjoy it more and no one would get hurt."

"Do you think it's wise to let them do that?"

"I don't think they'll be trying it right away, it's just something Owen mentioned for the future. I'll try to get them to hold off for as long as possible, but I'd rather know when they're going to attempt it so I can make certain they're doing it safely. I'd rather do that then have them sneak off and fumble through it on their own. You know, I want to do for them kind of like what Dad did for us."

"So you plan on being in with them when they do it?"

"No, but I want to make sure they use lube and stretch first, so there's no damage. Ryan was lucky that he wasn't injured worse when it was done to him, seeing an adult forced his way in without using lube or stretching him first. I think he'll realize that when I go over this with them. I won't embarrass him in front of Owen or let Owen know that Ryan has been raped, but I want him to understand what I'm talking about. Ryan's not that big, so I'm not too worried, but I still want to make sure he doesn't hurt Owen."

"Ok, I understand and agree with you. It's just that I'm not sure I want to know when they finally do it, because I might react differently when I'm around them."

"You'd better get used to it, because it looks like it's going to happen eventually. And since Ryan says he isn't gay and is just doing it because he likes how it feels, I'll use my explanation about anal sex to give him some pointers for when he's ready to attempt intercourse with a girl."

"Yeah, that's a good idea too, because I definitely don't want him coming home and telling us he's going to be a daddy."

"At least not for several more years," I added.

Chapter 33
Staying Over

When I woke the boys up Saturday morning, I hurried them downstairs to grab a quick breakfast, before we had to leave for Benny and Joshie's game. The game was scheduled for 10:00 and we'd let the boys sleep a little later than usual, but we had to get Benny and Joshie to the field a half hour before the game started so they could warm up first.

While we were eating, they mentioned that they wanted Elliot to go with us to watch them play, but I didn't hear him get in until early this morning, so I'd concluded we should let him sleep. I also thought I'd heard him talking to someone at the time too, so Ian was probably with him and I didn't want to walk in on them to see if Elliot wanted to go to the game. He would be home for a couple months and there'd be other games he could attend, so I told the boys he would go with us to watch a future game. They were disappointed, but they let it drop as we got them ready to leave for the game.

We had Benny and Joshie ride with Dion and Trey, so Dad and Pop could ride with us. Noah was still at Adam's house, so we opted not to call to see if he wanted to go with us too, because we weren't even sure if anyone would be up. He'd been at their other games, so it wasn't a big deal, and thankfully Benny and Joshie hadn't thought about Noah either.

We made sure Ryan and Owen went with us too, because we didn't want to leave them home alone. We didn't mind that they were fooling around, as long as we had an idea about what was going on, but we were afraid of what they might try if no one else was there to interrupt. For that reason, we guided them out to the SUV and took off for the game.

Benny and Joshie both played well and their team won, so they were in a good mood as we prepared to head back to the house. The boys had been excitedly talking to each other as we walked back to our vehicles, so we thought they were chatting about the game. When we arrived home, however, we quickly learned their discussion had been about something totally different.

"We want to go swimming after lunch," Ryan announced, and then he waited to see how Brandon and I were going to respond.

"Did Owen bring his swimsuit with him?"

"Nah, but he doesn't mind skinny dipping with us."

"Please. Can we do this?" Benny pleaded, and I immediately suspected the reason he was so excited. He was anxious to see Owen naked too.

"Owen, are you sure you're ok with this?"

"Yeah, it sounds like fun. Ryan told me you guys all do this, and I don't mind if the rest of you want to swim that way with us too."

I was impressed that he was so uninhibited, but at the same time I was worried about what his parents might think if they found out about it. "Let me talk it over with the others first, and then I'll let you know after we finish eating."

"Ok, but I really want to do this," he insisted, so I'd know it wasn't merely the other boys' idea.

While they were washing up to eat, I pulled the other adults aside so I could talk to them about this. They didn't seem to be as concerned as I was, though, and urged me to let the boys do it.

"We don't have to go in with them, but I don't see any reason why they shouldn't be allowed," Dad offered. "They're all young and curious, so let them have a little fun."

"But what about Owen's parents?"

"I don't think they'll want to come here to go skinny dipping, but you can call and ask them if you want," Dad joked before laughing wholeheartedly. "Even so, I don't think they'll have a problem with it either. They seemed to be very open-minded, and I remember Owen's father from school and he was a bit of an exhibitionist. I recall he once did a naked run around the athletic field on a dare, so it appears as if his son has inherited that quality from him."

"Ok, we'll let the kids do this then, but none of us will join them," Brandon agreed. "I don't believe anyone will say anything if it's only the boys, but they might react differently if any of us got in the pool with them."

"You're probably right, so I'll let them know," I concurred.

The boys were thrilled when we agreed and immediately began removing their clothing in the rec room before heading out the backdoor. Benny made sure to get a good look at Owen's penis and was so conspicuous about doing it that Owen couldn't help but notice it too. Owen even turned to face Benny, to make sure he saw everything, and I noticed that Owen was inspecting Benny's groin as well. Hey, at least it was a mutual thing.

I went out with the boys so I could keep an eye on things, since I wasn't sure how well Owen could swim, and I watched their bare asses jiggle as they raced to the pool. Before long, they were all in the water splashing each other and playing games.

We'd been out there for about fifteen minutes when Ian and Elliot came out to say hello and see what was going on. "Hey, that looks like a great idea," Ian said when he realized the boys were in the pool. He just hadn't noticed how they were dressed.

"Yes, it looks like it would be fun, but I don't think you'll want to do what they're doing," Elliot pointed out.

"Why? What are they doing besides swimming?" Ian demanded, looking confused.

"It's not exactly what they're doing, but how they're dressed. They aren't wearing anything."

"Really?" Ian followed as he moved closer so he could see. "Hell, I don't mind. That looks like fun too."

"Well I don't want to do it."

"Don't be such a downer. There's nothing wrong with doing it too."

"I just don't like to go around displaying my junk."

"Come on. You were on the swim team and wore a Speedo. Let's face it, everyone could pretty much see what you were packing, so you weren't hiding a thing. And I remember the day your Speedo came off on one of your dives and you climbed out of the pool without realizing you were naked. You didn't seem to make a big deal out of it then."

"Because it happened by accident. I didn't do it on purpose."

"Just the same, I'm going to do this, even if you aren't. You're so lame sometimes."

Ian then began taking off his clothes and placed them on a nearby lawn chair. Once he was undressed, he hopped in the pool with the boys, eliciting some cat calls as he did so. I had to admit, I was impressed when I got a good look at what he was packing and wondered how Elliot handled something that large. It wasn't quite Dion size, but it was big enough to cause some serious discomfort.

After standing there by himself for a few minutes, Elliot finally gave in and began disrobing too. After placing his clothing on the chair with Ian's, he joined the others in the pool.

About an hour later, Brandon came out carrying enough towels for each of the boys, but they quickly let us know they weren't ready to get out of the pool yet. I told Brandon to just leave the towels with me and I'd give them to the boys when they were ready to quit. He said ok, handed me the items, and then went back to house.

When the boys finally determined they'd had enough, I gave each one a towel as they exited the pool. Elliot and Ian stopped to get dressed again, as the rest of us moved toward the house. Even after we entered the rec room, none of the boys stopped to get dressed again and merely made their way to the family room to play video games.

"That was quite a show," Trey joked as the boys passed him while he was working in the kitchen.

"I know, but they all seem comfortable doing it, so I wasn't about to rain on their naked parade."

After a while, I talked it over with the others and decided what we were going to do next. I then went into the family room to talk about it with the boys.

"We thought you might like to go to the miniature golf course, but you can't go like that." They all looked at each other and giggled.

"Yeah, I guess it might cause a problem if we went this way," Owen joked.

As soon as they finished the game they were playing, Owen and Ryan headed to the rec room to get their clothes, while Benny and Joshie headed to their rooms. They'd been in their uniforms at the time, so they went upstairs to put on something more appropriate.

Since the boys wanted to do this, I asked Elliot and Ian if they wanted to join us. When they said they did, I called Noah to see if he and Adam wanted to go with us too. They also agreed, so Elliot stopped to pick them up in his car on the way by, since there were too many to fit in one vehicle.

When we got there, Noah said he and Adam would play with Benny and Joshie so they could help them. This left Elliot and Ian to go with Ryan and Owen. Brandon and I weren't eager to do this, so we just watched as the boys made their way around the course.

I have to admit that Noah and Adam were extremely patient with the younger pair, as they offered various suggestions about how they could do better. When we turned our attention to the other foursome, we noticed that they were more competitive and talking trash as they moved from hole to hole. Owen and Ryan really wanted to beat the older pair and were doing their best to throw Elliot and Ian off their game. In the end, they were victorious – a fact that they weren't about to let the older pair forget.

"Ok, so you beat us," Elliot conceded, "but there are other things that we can do better than you."

"Like what?" Ryan challenged.

"Like our studies. We both get really good grades. How about you?"

"We do alright," Ryan shot back, but I knew this meant he was going to be trying harder in his classes from now on, since he didn't want to let Elliot win without a fight. That was a good thing, though.

When we got home, everyone asked the boys if they'd had a good time and each one said they did, and then Ryan added that he and Owen had beaten Elliot and Ian. It was obvious that he wanted everyone to know this, but I surmised it was primarily so Elliot wouldn't forget that he'd been bested.

After Trey announced dinner was just about ready, we told the boys to wash up quickly and then we all sat down to eat.

"Wow! I've never eaten with this many people before, except at school or when I went to a banquet," Owen announced as he looked around the table.

"It was the same for me too, the first time I ate here," Ian agreed. "It's fun, though, and one of the reasons I like coming here. Meals can turn out to be quite interesting."

"So you don't just come here for the wonderful company and stimulating conversation?" I asked in jest.

"Yeah, that too, and the meals are always good, but you never know what's going to happen. I've been here when some really crazy crap went down."

"Oh, then you must have been here when Ricky was visiting," Noah quipped, making everyone giggle.

"Who's Ricky?" Owen wanted to know.

"He's one of our brothers and kind of a mischief maker," I answered.

"Yeah, he likes to play pranks on people," Benny added.

"Yep, Elliot told me about what Ricky did to him one Thanksgiving," Ian added, only to be punched in the arm by Elliot.

"There's no need to bring that up or discuss it further," he added, since it was something he wanted to forget.

You see, Ricky had convinced Elliot that he had to wear a black, leather dog collar with silver studs that Ricky called the 'Pilgrim's Collar'. He told Elliot that everyone had to wear it at dinner during their first Thanksgiving with the family. Even worse, Ricky also convinced him that once he'd filled his plate, he had to set it on the floor and then get down on all fours to eat. Fortunately that never happened, because Grandpa Josh saw the collar and questioned why Elliot was wearing it. After Elliot answered, Grandpa Josh stopped things from going further, and ferreted out the prankster involved. Even though it hadn't totally played out that day, the incident still elicited more than a few laughs.

After we'd finished eating, Elliot and Ian thanked everyone for the fun day and then headed up to Elliot's room, because they were going to get ready to go out again. The rest of us went to the family room to watch a movie together, after the boys picked out one from our DVD collection. I was surprised to see they'd selected the 1990 version of Lord of the Flies.

"Why did you choose this DVD?" I wondered when they handed it to me to place in the DVD player.

"Because it's got a bunch of nearly naked boys in it," Owen answered honestly.

"And I heard that we have to read the book either next year or the year after," Ryan added. "So this way I'll know what it's about before I have to read it."

"Well, it's a good story, so let's get started."

The boys watched the screen intently, totally absorbed by this intriguing tale. When it ended, they also had a bunch of questions. "How come the other boys wanted to kill Ralph and Piggy?" Benny wanted to know.

"The person who wrote the book wanted to show how when left alone, even young boys can revert to savages, as some try to dominate the others."

"But we watched a movie, not read a book," Benny stated.

"That's because the book was turned into a movie."

"But they were happy at first, so why did they start fighting with each other?" Joshie asked next.

"At first they enjoyed their freedom and not having any adults around to tell them what to do, but then they realized that they'd have to hunt and maintain a signal fire if they wanted to be rescued. That meant they would each have to work, not play, but they didn't always do what they were supposed to. The hunters also found out how easy and satisfying it was to kill, and sometimes they got caught up in a killing frenzy. That's why when Jack challenged Ralph as the leader, his group of hunters realized it would be easy to just kill those who stood in their way."

"It's kind of like 'The Walking Dead'," Noah reasoned. "The different groups that survived started fighting with everyone else. Some did it because they wanted to be in charge, while others did it to get what they wanted."

"Which is another example of how people can revert to savages, once there are no leaders and no laws."

"I just wished they'd stayed on the island a little longer so more of their clothes would have rotted away," Owen offered, causing the others to giggle.

"Yeah, it would have been better if they didn't wear nuttin," Benny chimed in.

I felt this was a good time to end the discussion, so I sent them upstairs to get ready for bed. After Joshie, Benny, and Noah headed toward the stairs, Ryan asked a question. "Are you coming up to tuck us in again?"

"Yes, we'll give you both time to shower first, and then we'll stop in to say goodnight."

"Good," Owen quipped. "I liked it when you did that last night and I really like bein' here with Ryan."

"And I'm sure he likes having you here too."

"Yeah, he liked it when I sucked his dick," Owen joked as he and Ryan raced out of the room.

"They certainly aren't shy about letting us know what they're up to. I just hope they don't say anything like that when they're around others."

"I do too, but I talked to them about it and they both agreed they wouldn't talk about those things when they weren't here."

"I hope they remember then."

After giving Benny and Joshie time to finish up, we went up with Dion and Trey to tuck them in. After we finished doing that, we went up to say goodnight to Noah next.

"I didn't know Owen was staying here tonight too," he said, shortly after we entered his room.

"Does it bother you?"

"No, I just hope they don't make a lot of noise when they're screwin' around. I have a feeling Ryan asked him to stay over so he could get Owen to suck him off, since I won't do it for him anymore."

"So that's what's bothering you about this?"

"Nah, it's just that I'm afraid he's gonna mess up and get caught. I'm worried that if others find out, then some of the assholes will rough him up or start bullying him, and I don't want him to get hurt."

"Neither do we. So that's why you might see Owen around here once in awhile. I know they're doing things with each other, because they were very open about it and didn't try to hide the fact from us, but they're also smart enough to only do it here. I'm glad you worry about your brother and want to protect him, so let me know if you catch them doing anything that might cause trouble."

"Ok, and I don't have nothin' against Owen. I was just worried about them gettin' caught."

"I know, and we appreciate that." Brandon and I then said goodnight to him and left the room.

We then walked over and knocked on Ryan's door and waited for him to tell us to come in. When we opened the door, they were both standing on the near side of the bed and both of them were sprouting wood.

"What took you so long?" Ryan asked when we entered.

"We were talking to Noah, but it apparently wasn't a problem, because it looks as if you boys started anyways." They both glanced at their erections and laughed.

"Well, you should have got here sooner," Ryan eventually replied.

Brandon and I then walked over to the bed and pulled back the bedding to let them get in. Once they did, we covered them and kissed them on the forehead before switching sides and doing it to the other one. I had to chuckle when I noticed the obscene bulge protruding from under the blankets as I moved across the room, knowing that even our presence hadn't diminished their arousal. I also knew they'd be greedily attacking each other the minute we shut the door behind us.

After saying goodnight to both, we wished them sweet dreams and left the room. "I hope they don't make enough noise to keep Noah up, or I know he'll go over there and say something about it," I offered, once we were standing in the hallway.

"Yes, especially after what he said to us earlier."

Brandon and I slept well that night, and we never heard any noise from upstairs, so we assumed there'd been no problems. Shortly after we got up, we went downstairs and had coffee with the other adults, as we let the boys sleep.

"I take it you're not going to church today?" Dad mentioned as we were eating.

"No, we're going to stay here today. We don't know what church Owen's family attends, so I don't want to take him with us without their consent."

"Ok, I understand your reasoning and don't expect the church will collapse just because you're not there."

We thanked Dad as he and Pop left to stand in for the rest of the family. It was an hour before any of the boys came downstairs, and it was Benny and Joshie first. Brandon and Trey went out to the kitchen to fix something for them, as well as for us, and while we were eating Noah came down too.

While Brandon was preparing his breakfast, Noah whispered to me. "It wasn't too bad, but I could certainly tell what they were doin'. One of them is a real moaner. I guess it could have been Ryan, but he was never that loud when we did anything."

"Maybe it was Owen then, but I'll talk to them and explain that they'll have to learn to keep the noise down if they don't want to get caught."

About forty minutes later Ryan and Owen came down too, and both of them looked as if they were still tired. I'm not sure how long they stayed up fooling around, but I hope they got enough sleep. I didn't want Owen going home and have to face his parents' questions about why he was so tired.

As Brandon got up to fix their breakfast, I was the only one left at the table, so I decided to take that opportunity to speak with them about what Noah had said. "When you guys are doing things with each other, you can't be as loud as you were last night. Others could hear you moaning, so you're going to have to learn to be quieter if you don't want everyone in the house to know what you're up to."

"Ok, we'll try. I guess that could've been either of us, since we both did about the same thing," Ryan admitted.

"Just try to muffle the sounds in the future, unless you're totally alone in the house, which I doubt will ever happen." They agreed, so I decided to ask Owen something else. "Do you know what time your parents expect you home?"

"Not really, but I guess as long as I'm there before dinner they won't mind."

"Do you think you should call?"

"Nah, I left your phone number on the fridge if they wanted to get a hold of me. And I want to spend more time with Ryan."

"To do... ?" I asked as I eyed him suspiciously.

"Not that. We're just gonna play video games and maybe go outside and play catch, but that's it. We just like being together."

"Ok, and I don't have a problem with that. In fact, I'm happy you two have become such good friends."

"Thanks, and I hope I can stay over more often. I want Ryan to stay at my house sometimes too, but I don't think we'll be able to do anything there. My bedroom is right next to my mom and dad's, and I don't want them to know what we're doin'. They'll probably guess that we are messin' around, but I don't want them to know for sure. That would be kinda gross."

"But you don't mind Brandon and me knowing?"

"Nah, you're gay and cool about everything, so that's ok. I know my mom loves Uncle Ed, but I'm sure he didn't want her to find out about the stuff he was doin' when they were growin' up, and I don't want her to know either."

"Ok, I can understand that, so just be careful."

Elliot and Ian didn't come downstairs until just before noon, so rather than fix them breakfast, we merely had them join us for lunch. It hadn't been very long since the last group of boys had last eaten, but it didn't stop them from chowing down again, so we all enjoyed the meal together. After they were done, the boys took off to entertain themselves.

Around 3:30, we asked Owen if he was ready to go home yet. He wanted to know if we would wait another half hour before we left, because he, Ryan, Benny, and Joshie were playing pepper in the yard, so we told them that would be fine. (For those who aren't aware of what pepper is, it's a baseball drill where one boy has a bat and the others take turns tossing the ball so he can hit it back to them. It's a great drill to improve hand-eye coordination.) I felt it was good practice for all of them, since they were all fairly new to the game.

When we finally took Owen home, his parents came out to greet and thank us. "We really appreciate what you've done for Owen, and we'd be happy to have Ryan stay with us in the future."

"Thank you, and Owen mentioned something like that too. Just have the boys let us know when you plan on doing it."

"Sure, we can do that, and thanks again."

"Owen was no problem and we were happy to have him. He can stay with us anytime he wants, or if you ever need time to do other things."

"Thank you, and that's nice to know."

On the ride home, Ryan asked a question. "Do you think they know what me and Owen was doin'?"

"They might suspect, but there's no way they could know for sure. Just remember that you shouldn't do those same things when you're staying there, especially if you don't want them to find out what you're up to."

"Ok, we won't."

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