Ambush

The following fictional story deals with sex among males. If you are offended by such material, are too young, or reside in an area where it is not allowed, depart. Though not observed in this story, care enough about yourself and humankind to practice safe sex.

The author retains all rights. No reproductions or links to other sites are allowed without the author's consent.

EvanBradley33@Yahoo.com

Chapter 37 Shifting Centers

As it often occurred, Evan and Troy were in the kitchen at the same time to prepare their breakfasts. Such encounters with Jeremy occurred less and less since Kenny and he had come to an understanding with Joe and Rachel Walters about their spending the night together at Kenny's home. Evan was finishing his breakfast as Troy was preparing his. "Evan, Mom wants to see me this afternoon after basketball practice. Is it still okay with you to meet her here? She's afraid that every day that passes before we meet, the chances are less that I'll return home."

"Of course. I guess you have a big decision to reach?" Evan asked, not wanting to make the issue any larger for Troy than necessary.

"Huh?"

"Whether you're returning home?"

"Oh, yeah," Troy said emptily. Actually, he knew he wasn't returning home, but in case something changed, he didn't want to tell Evan he was staying and then pull the rug out from under him later by returning home. They conversed in a desultory manner and then went their separate ways.

On the drive to school, Evan wondered what he would do with himself while Troy's mother was visiting. It occurred to him that he'd have to take himself off someplace. Where? He wasn't a casual shopper, so the mall wasn't an answer. He didn't feel like a movie. The thought of dinner alone was strangely unsettling. Miles and Jim needed time alone now that Jim faced serious issues about keeping the farm, so he wouldn't butt in there just to purchase some comfort for himself. As he rolled into the north parking lot at school, he felt disconnected, as though someone had ripped out all his wiring connecting him to others, rendering him peripheral. He immediately thought of a biorhythm chart, which plotted three cycles of one's inner dynamics. If those three cycles ever became simultaneous in the trough of the cycle, watch out Mamma! It was a day for crawling back under the covers. He wondered what his biorhythms chart would look like for this day - maybe explain his disconnected feeling.

The best moment of the morning was when Tony and Angela, upon arriving for class, stepped up to the desk to greet Evan and ask him how he was. It seemed that Angela was attempting to make her smile more meaningful than usual. Tony had winked at Evan while giving him a warm smile. Evan spotted Troy and Susan deep in whispered conversation at the back of the room so that they couldn't be overheard. He knew Troy was telling Susan about his mother's visit that afternoon. He got a wink from Kenny and Jeremy blew him a kiss. Evan handled the morning's classes without thinking much at all about anything else. As the morning wore on, he didn't know whether he was caught up in rote motion or total absorption in teaching.

At noon, Evan was back to pondering where he could go after school. He himself would have liked to meet Troy's mother, Emily Morgan, but he felt those two needed time alone. He was convinced it just wouldn't be good for him to be in the house while they were putting together Troy's future. Evan contemplated the chance that Troy might be moving out soon. That was a downer! Evan had become accustomed to the warmth he felt when Troy was in the vicinity. He loved looking at his big, beautiful body, sharing space with it, seeing those dimples, getting a glimpse of white briefs stretched tightly over those muscular ass cheeks, and those killer legs, the muscles sometimes quivering or flexing. He always boned up at the sight.

If Troy returned to the Morgan home, Evan would also pass up a chance to see Susan more often. Cody too - especially Cody, who wasn't in any of Evan's classes. It felt great when those three were in the house at the same time as Jeremy and Kenny. Ah-oh! He would begin to feel solitary now that Jeremy was spending more time at Kenny's home. He guessed he shouldn't harbor any ill feelings about the Walters' residence becoming Jeremy's home too. Both boys had overnight kits that they kept at the other residence, and he knew they had clothes strung out between both places. He smiled. It actually made him happy for them, but he could stand to see Jeremy a little more often. He guessed he'd been spoiled when Jeremy was there all the time.

So where could he go? Immediately, Ron popped into mind. Evan stood in his classroom, looking out the window, considering his lack of alternatives. 'Oh hell,' Evan thought, 'maybe it's time for me to make the first move.' He'd go see Ron in his lab. They'd work out a solution.

After Evan had trekked through the halls down to the science wing of the school, he found Ron standing at the back of his lab at one of the long lab desks, bent over chemicals he'd taken out of the cabinets along the back wall, measuring a powdery substance out of a large brown glass jar into smaller glass dishes. 'Damn, that hunk looks fine!' Evan thought. Broad shoulders, shapely chest and arms, muscled ass. He looked up when Evan entered his field of vision, a smile instantly lighting up his face. "Ah," he began, mischief dancing in his eyes as Evan approached him. "Finally lured you to my lair, did I?"

Evan smiled, remarking coolly, "I was just passing by. Thought I'd make a charity call." Ron passed up what would have been his customary retort about Evan's being unable to keep away from a stud. He wanted a different dynamic to arise among them, a new day. They could work their way back to the teasing, challenging, smart-ass repartee later. Evan's eyebrows raised a little, indicating that he noted the difference. "By the way, I think I need to start addressing you as the Titan," Ron said.

"Oh?" Evan responded. "What's earned me such a sobriquet?"

"Ou-u-u-u-u," Ron reacted, much in the manner of Jeremy. "I just love it when a man's language moves to an intellectual register."

"My ass!" Evan retorted.

"Well, I've expressed a fondness for that too," Ron observed, looking down demurely as though he were a shy creature disclosing a deep secret.

"Back to the point," Evan pressed, barely suppressing a burst of derisive laughter.

"Note the language you're using - asses and points," Ron indicated. "I'm trying to be chaste and pure. How can I when you are enticing me with such seductive language? To answer your question, Troy and Jeremy gave me a blow-by-blow account of your encounter with Roy Morgan."

"Oh," Evan said, his voice falling a little. "By the way, note the suggestiveness of your own language - 'blow by blow,' Punster!"

Ron smiled. "It's catching, you see." Ron continued to gaze at Evan. "Do you think that will be the end of Roy's thrashing around about Troy?"

Evan shrugged his shoulders. "Roy called Dave Hernandez the next morning, trying to drum up support for some move against me."

"Oh?" Ron voiced concern. "What was Roy's approach to Dave?"

Evan sighed, answering in a sing-song manner. "I'm ruining Troy's game; Jeremy, Kenny and I are fags, the reason Troy moved in; Roy wants to get Troy back home to 'straighten out this misunderstanding'; stuff like that. Dave didn't buy a bit of it. Suggested that he discuss the situation with Kate Williams."

Ron barked out a laugh. "That Dave has a sadistic streak, huh?"

Evan grinned, sharing their understanding of the surprise that would await Roy if he pursued such a gambit with Kate.

"Is Roy just mean or stupid?" Ron asked.

"Did the guys tell you about Mrs. Morgan's ultimatum to Roy."

"Yeah."

"I think he's desperately trying to regain his former power in the family. He hasn't tipped to the fact that he's lost that forever. None of these people will move back under his tyrannical thumb again. I think he didn't do well when he studied history. Never learned anything about the lessons it has to offer. He also never studied philosophy or political science, for he's forgotten the curse of power - well one of them at least: people will be ruled only as long as the rule benefits them. When it doesn't, they will throw the power holder over, what we observed in the past few years in the former Soviet Union. Even when Troy nearly shouted 'No' in response to Roy's telling him to get his things because he was coming home, Roy registered surprise but no real understanding of the implications in Troy's loud, sharp reply. I'd almost be tempted to think the man dense except for the ploys Roy used to guilt Troy into returning home with him. They were pretty good for someone acting spontaneously. Actually, that's what brings me here." Ron looked up, waiting for him to go on.

"Troy wants to have a long visit with his mother at our place. I assured him that we'd clear the field for him to have that chat. He wants it to be this afternoon after ball practice. Jeremy will be at work. I think it best if I weren't lurking about the premises. So I was wondering if you'd allow me to take you to Francini's for dinner." Evan paused and gulped as he pushed into the daring area of his request. "Then maybe you'd give me a tour of your apartment."

Ron gazed at Evan for the longest time, finally making Evan nervous about having asked. 'Oh no,' he thought, 'I shouldn't have done this.' Evan blushed, turning to flee. "Wait," Ron requested hurriedly. Evan turned back. "Okay," Ron answered, betraying no emotion. "Let's."

Taking his cue from Ron's neutral response, Evan offered hesitantly, no longer certain that his suggestions were welcome, "Why don't I pick you up around 5:00? We can make an early evening of it?"

"Five it is," Ron responded, still neutrally.

Just then Byron Okata and Sherry Westbrook entered the lab, holding hands. They walked up to Ron and Evan. "Hi, Mr. Halsey," Byron greeted Evan, smiling warmly. "Let me introduce you to Sherry Westbrook." Since he was the elder under the new etiquette, Evan extended his hand to Sherry, who shook it, smiling warmly. 'Damn,' Evan thought, 'she's a cutie. Good for Byron!'

"Mr. Hamilton asked me to tutor Sherry in her General Science class," Byron explained to Evan.

Evan looked at Ron, his eyebrows slightly arched. Ron smiled. He knew Evan was pleased. "Great," Evan responded. "Sherry, you have a good teacher here."

She smiled. "Byron's helped me so much." A bit of orneriness lighted her eyes. "Besides, he's a hunk." Byron immediately blushed, ducking his head a little but smiling hard. "Makes learning easier," she concluded.

"Whoa now. A hunk?" Evan said, expressing skepticism. "This man has done a snow job on you, I think."

Byron punched Evan lightly on the shoulder. "Leave my woman to her own impressions. Don't make me have to hurt ya'," he warned, grinning. Ron and Evan both roared, reveling in Byron's feeling his oats enough to get back at Evan and to stand his own ground.

Sherry looked at all of the men, a little puzzled. "Must be a guy thing," she muttered, causing the three males in the group to laugh again.

"Well, I must take my leave," Evan commented. "Five o'clock," he said, looking at Ron, who winked back, a response that wasn't lost on Byron and Sherry.

"He's done a snow job on you!" Byron cheekily observed to Ron. More laughter. Evan just wagged his finger threateningly at Byron while smiling. Then he left for his afternoon classes.

Angela Walker, Tony Francini's girlfriend, spied Ron and Evan waiting to be seated at Francini's Italian Restaurant. She shot over to the hostess's stand, signaling Maria that these were special guests. She greeted them warmly, asking what kind of a day they'd had at school. She was actually scrutinizing them, gauging what kind of dining arrangement they needed. 'Ah-oh,' she thought. 'These guys are really reserved. Usually they're smiling and chatting us up when they eat here. I bet they didn't talk much in the car. They're together to iron out something. They need The Alcove.'

As soon as she had seated Ron and Evan, she sent an older waiter to take their drink orders while she hunted up Tony. "Tony, Ron and Evan are here for dinner. I guess the soup really worked its magic on Evan."

Tony didn't react at first. Then he asked, "How did they seem? Okay?" Angela shook her head in the negative. "I'll go wait on them. Thanks, Babe." Tony shot off.

Tony slowed to a stop at the entrance of the aisle leading to The Alcove, studying the two. He wanted to determine how to approach them. Ron had his elbows on the table and his hands folded up in the air blocking his face a little, looking everywhere but at Evan. Evan was staring at the tablecloth so he wouldn't have to look at Ron. 'Whoa,' Tony thought. 'Not good!' He walked jauntily to their table. "Hey, Dudes, glad you came to eat dinner here. Are you rewarding yourselves with dinner after a hard day?"

"Something like that," Ron answered, smiling, a twinkle in his eyes. "Now if we had more Angelas in class, we wouldn't have such a hard time. It's these guys the Angelas date - I don't know where they drag them in from. They're what's hard to take."

Tony grinned, flipping the bird at Ron, who laughed loudly. He loved it when kids had created a self-image strong enough to be sassy. Tony and Ron chatted about the basketball team while Evan listened, smiling. Tony would look at Ron, then Evan, then Ron while talking to them, making certain to maintain eye contact with both. Finally, Evan picked up his menu, studying the offerings. >From time to time, Tony would shoot Evan a glance, usually lost on him because he was buried in the menu. An older waiter brought their drinks. Tony flipped out his pad to take their orders. When Evan ordered gazpacho instead of a salad, Tony winked at him. "Hooked you with the gazpacho, didn't I?"

"Yes, you know and use your weapons well."

That required a brief, neutral account from Tony about having lunch in Evan's classroom. Ron immediately aped a pout. "Gee, I guess I don't rate. I've never had the local Italian stud bring gazpacho to my lab for lunch."

Tony snickered. "Maybe you haven't played your cards right."

"And the iceberg over there has?" Ron asked skeptically. "Don't kid me. That man is constitutionally incapable of playing poker. He won't bet. He won't risk losing a thin dime. So don't tell me he played his cards right," Ron joked.

Evan regarded him with slightly raised eyebrows and the slightest of smiles. "It's out of your class, Plebe. To understand, you might articulate your memory stores for a proverb about the mountain coming to Mohammed." As he uttered the last challenge, Evan's eyebrows raised a quarter of an inch.

"Ou-u-u-u, I love this," Tony rhapsodized. "Highbrow kickboxing!" They all laughed.

Tony left to with their orders, having drawn both Ron and Evan out of their reserved positions. Ron was looking at Evan intently. As though they were in a wrestling stance, he went for a quick take- down. "Evan, I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. But I was out of practice in building a genuine relationship that could support real love. So I made some mistakes. Before I moved here, I thought you were so needy and I needed someone so badly that we'd fall into each other's arms, have hot sex, and live happily ever after."

Silence.

"Back where I was living, I was making choices I really didn't like. You see, I hate one-night stands. I'm really not into the bar scene. But I was getting hard up enough that I was doing both. It was a come-down for me."

Silence.

Tony brought their gazpacho, chatting them up a little, for he'd noticed that they had lapsed into silence. He'd been checking them out from a distance, noting that they had been talking seriously before he went to the kitchen. They must have reached a touchy point. After Tony left, Ron continued. "I was getting scared that I was becoming desperate. I didn't know where that would lead. I hated even thinking of it. I like being in control, leading, caring for someone. None of those guys wanted anything like that. Then bingo! Here's Tim Minor back in my life, telling me about you and recruiting me for his job. It seemed too ideal to be a coincidence, like Tim had planned it. That really made me suspicious. But my fear about where I was heading forced me to visit here to check out the details that Tim was feeding me about the job, this city, and you." Evan cleared his throat but said nothing. He was slowly eating his soup, occasionally raising his eyes to look into Ron's.

Ron sighed, tasting the soup, which he found quite good. "When we met, Evan, it was wonderful, all I'd hoped. I thought you were a little compulsive about a few things. I didn't care. You were my hope, my future. I couldn't get enough of you."

Evan looked at Ron seriously. "Someone asked me once if you and I believed that Tim, feeling guilty, brokered a relationship between us to salve his guilty conscience. Did that notion ever occur to you?" Evan inquired.

"Much as I dislike Tim for the way he treats people who've given him their hearts and hope, I do believe he had something like that in his mind. It's just too coincidental otherwise. Given the way he treated both of us, I find it hard to believe he was feeling any guilt. But guilt is the only piece that unites all the other pieces of the puzzle of 'Why did Tim Minor effect these moves.'"

"I'm not arguing with you, Ron, just playing the Devil's Advocate," Evan responded. "If that was Tim's intention, then why involve you with that hunk Randall York? Why sell Randall on the idea that you would share me with him, allow Randall to turn me into his love slave?"

Ron thought a bit. "To test us. I think he was counting on our sniffing out a suspicious intention on that one. I mean, look how little time it took for us to do that when we finally met Randall at that bar. You were quicker than I was. Tim knew that would happen. But by being the baddie and supposedly trying to break us up, he knew we would come right back at Randall, drawing us closer together as we united to meet the threat. After all, what benefit would he gain from our falling out of the relationship he'd helped create?

Evan thought a bit. "Caring and concern over the damage he did? Revenge? Satisfaction? Keeping a finger in our pie? Letting us know he could step into our lives anytime he liked? Mischief? Meanness?" He shrugged his shoulders. "What fits?"

Tony brought their meals at that point. He'd noticed that they'd started talking, and he overheard Evan's last question, so he didn't linger at the table.

Ron knew how Evan liked to deliberate a point, so he took each question one-by-one. "If Tim's really involved with the legislator who bumped Alan Frazier out at the same time he's establishing himself in a new job, he doesn't have time to be mean or nasty, to remain involved in our relationship. Besides his treatment of men with whom he's fallen in love but is trying to push away, have you ever seen Tim be mean or nasty?"

"Well, there was the bit he tried with Wendy Fielding - to embarrass me." Evan related the event to Ron.

"Yeah, but he was trying to push you away, right?"

"Right."

"Again, he has too many other important priorities in his life to take time to remind us that he can step back into our lives at will. Remember, he wanted OUT of our lives. He was driven by his inability to continue in a deepening relationship. I can't see him wanting to keep that door open once he'd shut it."

Evan shook his head slowly as he listened to Ron. "I still have a little trouble believing Tim cares anything about us."

Ron smiled. "It does feel like a stretch, doesn't it? But what a mistake if we don't give him credit. We aren't the type to treat others unjustly."

Evan shook his head in agreement. Ron continued, "Before you, I thought sex was the ultimate expression of love. If the sex was good, the love was deep."

"Don't beat yourself up, Ron," Evan answered. "I thought the same thing. What turned your thinking around?"

"Miles and Jim. That talk we had after the ballgame. They helped me see new possibilities for us. You know, Evan, we are lucky to have them as friends. They want us to succeed as a couple so much, not just for us but for them too. They need us in their lives. It's like our kids, Jeremy, Kenny, and Cody needing Troy and Susan and the others in their lives. How much poorer they would be without those interactions. It will be the same for us and for Miles and Jim if you and I don't make our relationship work." Even shook his head in agreement. Tony arrived to remove their plates. They sat in silence, contemplating their discussion. Tony brought the check to Evan, who left him a whopping tip, smiling at his anticipation of Tony's face when he picked it up.

They arose. Ron was smiling too. "Left a killer tip, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Evan grinned back. "Wouldn't you?"

"Oh yeah."

They drove back to Ron's apartment in silence.

When Evan had parked the car in front of Ron's apartment house and they were moving to the door, Ron placed his arm companionably across Evan's shoulders. Evan relaxed into the gesture. He knew the former Ron would have cupped his ass with his hand. The change signaled Evan that Ron wasn't kidding when he stated that he wanted them to start over. The arm over the shoulder would happen on a serious second or third date. When they reached the steps, Ron moved ahead of Evan. On the second floor, Ron led him down to the end of the hall. When he'd unlocked the door, he gestured for Evan to precede him into a small foyer. Ron smiled. "Let me show you the place." They walked into a large carpeted living room. Since I'm at the end of a hall, I have a fireplace," he explained, pointing to the left wall. "Those are the bookshelves I had built on either side of the fireplace."

"This is a condo," Evan exclaimed, "not just an apartment."

"Right. It's new and roomier than an apartment. It's so roomy that I don't have a lot of furniture yet." Ron led him into a dining room adjoining the living room and then into a well-appointed shiny kitchen with an adjoining laundry room on one side of a short hall and a pantry and storage closet on the other. Back out in the dining room, they walked down a hall with doors leading to the master bedroom, which featured a large bed, causing Evan's eyebrows to raise a little. The master bath was huge, with room for a Jacuzzi, shower, and a sunken bathtub.

"Damn," Evan whispered softly.

"What?" Ron asked, betraying a little concern.

Evan blushed. "Seeing that huge bed and that sunken bathtub is filling my head with images."

Ron snickered. They walked past two other bedrooms, one converted into a study, which was clearly where Ron did a lot of school- related work. It was large enough to allow for a weights workout station. The entire place was full of closets and storage space. Another door led back into the living room with a balcony off the right. "Ron, this is nice. I can imagine why you like holing up here on the weekends."

When they walked into the living room, Evan spun about, grabbed Ron, and laid a hot kiss on him. Ron pulled Evan into him, bending him slightly backward, they were so jammed against each other. Evan could feel Ron's cock growing hard against him, as his own was doing. He moved his hand down, rubbing his palm over the growing bulge. Ron gently reached for Evan's hand, pulling it slowly out from between them and up to his mouth. He broke the kiss, looking into Evan's eyes as he raised Evan's hand to his lips and gently kissed the palm.

Evan's look was full of questions since he realized that his initiation of sex had been aborted. "Evan, I want us to start over." Ron stepped back a short pace, caressing Evan's cheek with the palm of his hand. "Have you noticed that all we do is have sex? That when we aren't with each other, we don't think about each other that much? And if we do, it's a fantasy about sex with each other? That when we are together and are free to do so, we jump right into sex? It's like I said this evening at Francini's. We both thought sex was the ultimate expression of love. Now we know differently. But saying we know isn't enough. We have to break the pattern and start a new one." Evan's brow was wrinkled, but he slowly shook his head in the affirmative.

"Do you know other guys have it different, Evan? Miles and Jim are as present with each other when they are apart as when they were together. And the way they feel when they have sex is the same way they feel about each other when they aren't making love?"

"How do you know all this?" Evan asked.

"As I explained, we went to a diner after the last ball game for coffee and had a long talk. I told them things were a little off between us. I told them about my being so thoughtless about my apartment. Don't worry: no one ran you down. As I explained this evening, they care about us Evan. They want it to work for us. They want us to be their close friends. So they were trying to help me get my head on straight about my role in a relationship and our love for each other."

Evan just stared back, but Ron knew the cogs behind those probing blue eyes were flying at warp speed. "We can do this, Evan," Ron said, barely covering his inner excitement about their prospects. "If we go back to 'go,' we can make this relationship truly strong because it won't be based on just sex. We're both strong. We're intelligent. And we're feeling people. We can get this right!" he exclaimed, smiling triumphantly.

"Does this mean that we don't see each other?" Evan asked a little plaintively.

"Seeing each other is crucial. We just won't be having sex when we do."

"But there will be sex at some point, won't there," Evan asked wistfully, making Ron smile because Evan seemed like a little boy who thought his bike was being taken way from him.

Ron chuckled. "It will be a major test to keep my hands off you until we both are ready again. We'll know together when that will be. . . . This will be good, Evan. We'll be set for life if we give this a chance. I bet even the sex will be better, deeper."

"How do you know we won't drift apart?" Evan asked apprehensively.

"This is how I know," Ron said, stepping back against Evan, pulling him into a sweet kiss that built with passion, their tongues moving languorously together as though they were expressing what their bodies wanted. As the passion deepened, Evan felt strength begin leaving his legs. He suddenly sagged, no longer able to stand upright. Ron pulled him tighter against his body. Eventually, he ended the kiss. "That's how I know," he whispered. "When you started to drop, I held you tighter to me. We won't drift away. We're bonded. We just need to grow the connections. . . .Remember when Jeremy and Kenny came home and found us after having just made love in the sunroom?"

Evan slowly shook his head in the affirmative. "Jeremy asked what we were doing. I replied that we had mated. We did, Evan. We mated then. That's why we won't drift away from each other."

When Evan could stand, he moved back a pace or two. He glanced at his wristwatch. "Ron, I hate to, especially at this point in our discussion, but I need to get back. If Troy decides to move back home, he won't want to just move out without saying something. I should be there. I've probably lingered too long anyway." Evan paused. "I want this to work, Ron. I NEED you."

"Then we'll be champs," Ron said. Evan turned and walked to the door, a big bulge in his slacks. Ron had one too. Evan looked back. Then he opened the door and left.

Troy was wandering nervously from room to room, awaiting his mother's arrival. Knowing that she'd expect him to return with her, he was worrying about how she would react to his refusal. He just couldn't live with his father anytime soon, certainly never if his father refused to accept him as he was. Something had happened to him in the past few weeks, especially that night when his dad came over to take him back home. Troy knew he would never change, never buckle under to his father. In fact, he knew he was now incapable of it even if others wanted, needed, and were counting on it. Susan and he had discussed the matter over several days. She hadn't told him what he ought to do, but she helped him clarify his feelings so that he could determine how to justify his decision to his mother.

He heard a soft knock on the door. He'd been so deep in thought he hadn't even heard her car. He opened the door, smiling when he saw her. She was a beautiful woman, petite, blond, striking blue eyes, a body to match. One wouldn't imagine that she had given birth to four strapping lads. Troy had always been proud when they were together in public. His friends had often complimented him for having such a stunning mother. Cody, even as young as he was back then, had a wolfish gleam in his eyes when he met her for the first time.

Troy's mother walked into his arms. She was short enough that he had to lean down. She hugged him tightly, whispering how much she had missed him, how much she loved him, worried about him, he whispering the comparable sentiments back to her. After a long while, she stood back, tears sparkling in her eyes. She fumbled in her purse for a handkerchief, which she used to dab her tears away. Then she ran her eyes up and down, checking him out in all those ways mothers do. "How are you doing, Son? You're looking okay."

"I'm fine, Mom," Troy answered as he closed the door. "I'm doing well at school. Susan and I are super okay. Evan and Jeremy have made me so welcome here. Let me show you around."

He took Emily on a tour of the house. She looked on approvingly as they toured the upper floor, asking him questions all the way to determine how he had actually been faring while absent from home. Was he eating nutritious meals? Was he eating breakfast? Did Mr. Halsey prepare all his meals? He REALLY had learned how to use the washer and dryer on his own? Then he took her to the basement to show her his room. She noted with approval all the books and papers and notebooks on his desk. "Have you turned into a scholar? I like all those books and papers' looking obviously used. And this room is nice, Troy. I can't believe what I'm seeing. You've even made your bed. You never did that at home."

Troy grinned. "Mom, I'm living with Evan Halsey. It's an unwritten rule here that everyone makes his bed in the morning."

"How is it that Mr. Halsey can get you to do something that I can't?"

"If you ever meet him, you won't have to ask that question." They had returned to the upper floor at this point.

Her brow creased. "He sounds like your father."

"Nope. Not at all or I wouldn't be here. Mom, would you like something to drink?"

Emily spied a box of Bigelow's Constant Comment Tea on a shelf. "Oh," she exclaimed. "I love Constant Comment Tea. I haven't had it in several years. I'd love some of that."

"Coming right up," Troy said as he set about preparing the tea. "If you love this kind of tea so much, why don't you have it at home?"

"You're father didn't like it. He finally objected to seeing it in the kitchen."

Troy paused, turning to his mother, frowning. "Mom, you've created a monster."

She sighed. "I know. I've taken myself to task for my share in allowing these events to happen." She thought a moment while Troy was busy with the tea. "To be more accurate, my inaction allowed these events to occur."

They stood, visiting about Troy's brothers until the tea was ready. "It's so strange seeing a son I love living in another home. It's strange imagining your doing the mundane tasks of ordinary life not where I live but in somebody else's home."

Troy placed their cups and saucers, sugar bowl, spoons, and napkins on a tray, which he carried into the sunroom. "This way," he indicated.

Emily followed him into the sunroom, where he placed the tray on the coffee table. "I love this room," his mother commented.

"Everyone does," Troy answered. "When the gang gathers here after an evening on the town, we're always in this room. I often do reading assignments in here."

They sat and enjoyed their tea. Troy finally broke the ice. "Mom, why did you marry Dad?"

"I loved him."

"Yeah, I know that. I should have asked what attracted you to him?"

"Your father was very charming in those days, Troy. He was big, strong, handsome, and sexy. He's REALLY good in bed," she said, smiling. "So good we ended up with four boys. Your father is virile too." She paused, looking deep into the Norfolk pines. "The last few years though, sex has been more an occasion to flex his muscles, so to speak. His intention seems more to be demonstrating his sexual prowess as opposed to demonstrating his love for me or anything important about us. There's been less time for me to demonstrate my love for him because he's in control. Like he's directing our love-making."

"Wow, Mom. I can't believe we're talking like this," Troy confessed, blushing slightly.

"Why not, Son?

"You were always so quiet, so refined. . . . I'm not complaining. I like the idea that I can talk to my mom about anything. I didn't like your being so quiet."

"That lasted until I was awakened one morning by Roy, to be told that he'd kicked my oldest son out in the middle of the night without consulting me. Like you're not my son too! Like my feelings don't count for anything! That's what being quiet and refined around your father got me. It was a wake-up call. I knew the dynamics in our relationship and family had to change, or I'd be running into more shocks like that. Since then, I've become tough. I'm finally claiming ground I should have occupied years ago. Besides, while you've demonstrated that you're a real man now, you still have a lot to learn. It's time for us to have conversations like this. You can learn from my mistakes. In terms of inner strength, you're Roy's son. You don't want to go down a path with Susan like that your father and I chose. Susan's sensible, but I was too - up to a point."

"I guess I still don't understand how you can be so strong now but have been so silent all those years," Troy explained, his eyes gently begging for an explanation.

Emily smiled. "Troy, I grew up in a large rural family where women had no worth if they weren't married to a man, a means of demonstrating that they had won a man's approval. You could be intelligent, creative, responsible, articulate, but it all counted for nothing until it was acknowledged by a man. That's the way we were raised. That's was programmed into our recesses so deeply we didn't even see it. We needed a man's approval to be worth anything. It didn't make any difference how he treated you. Aunt Rose and Great Aunt Delores's husbands beat the stuffing out of them at the least so-called provocation. We all knew it was happening. You can only pretend not to see bruises. Like all the women in my family, they suffered in silence. Whatever Uncle Don did to Aunt Rose, it was better to her than having no husband at all." She lapsed into silence, looking unhappily into space.

"What would you do today if you saw Aunt Rose all bruised?"

"Pull Uncle Don aside and tell him that if I ever heard or saw again that he laid a hand on her, I'd clean his clock."

Troy's eyes widened. "Mom, no offense, but could you really do that as small as you are?" Troy asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Son, I realize now that to really clean a clock, you start with the pendulum and balls."

Troy choked on his tea, which spewed forth, testimony to his surprise at his mother's remark. He scooted to the kitchen to grab a towel to wipe up the spewed tea and wipe off his face.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, her brows knitted in concern.

"I just never expected to hear my mom talk like that. Or even consider such a thing. I guess you ARE getting tough."

"What weapons do I have with men who don't value women? Men who ignore what women say, shove their sons out into the night with no consultation? My method is called 'getting their attention.'"

Troy snickered. "The fact that you're small doesn't discourage you?"

"Why should it? I'm lower to the ground, I'm fast, and I don't have to have big feet to put a man on his knees, groaning, thinking he won't ever push matters like that with me again. From now on, any man who thinks my dignity, person, and rights are fair targets for his foolishness and ignores my warnings is going to be on his knees, rethinking his assumptions."

"But Mom! What if Uncle Don hurt you? Knocked you out? Put you in the hospital?"

"When I got out and healed and he was out of jail, the next time I saw him, I'd walk up to him and put him on his knees. Then I'd explain things to him so that he'd never, ever do that again. If I had a husband who was worth anything, I wouldn't have to do that myself. But I'm no longer afraid to do it. To fail to do it is to have to suffer a tyrant like your father and Uncle Don. No more."

"Does Dad understand that?"

"I've told him our positions. He hears but doesn't listen well. He'll improve over time." She paused.

"Since your father kicked you out, Troy, I've been thinking about those years in our early marriage. I realize now that, when you came along, he started changing. He became controlling. With the birth of each of you boys, that need to control every detail became stronger, so he became more demanding. Before long, he was dictatorial. I think he thought he was doing his husbandly-fatherly best for us. As the family grew, he became more worried about what it took to feed and protect all of us. Somehow, he forgot about loving us."

"That makes no sense to me. Parents teach us to pay attention to our responsibilities. Loving family is chief among those. How could he forget that? Is it because his parents didn't model that for him because they didn't know it either?"

"You've surely noticed, Troy, that the Morgan family is not warm. Why do you think they don't get together much? Mostly a Christmas dinner. Not even Thanksgiving. A rock couldn't absorb any warmth from their company. I think there's a lot of unhappiness buried in the Morgan family. Actually, their aloofness meant we could spend more time with my family. Your father always enjoyed those occasions. But it also cast his family's coldness into stark relief, which he couldn't ignore. That's when I noticed he was getting down on different groups of people, minorities of various sorts. He just couldn't seem to translate what he experienced with my family to his family. How that failure transferred to minorities and other groups I don't understand. I became convinced that, when he tried so hard to relive his jock years through you, he was really unhappy with the way things had come to be in our marriage and family - and maybe even in HIS life."

Emily paused, sipping her tea, obviously savoring it. "I think, lacking a good model in the Morgan family, he was reaching back to recapture a simpler time when there weren't so many demands on him and when issues like your sexual behavior weren't complex. Understand: no one put any demands on your father. He imposed those on himself. By that time, we no longer made joint decisions or shared our feelings."

"Did he ever care about us?" Troy asked.

"Didn't you ever notice how your name is your father's name with a 'T' in front - Roy, then Troy?"

"No." Troy looked at his mother, his mind obviously running through possible implications of her question. "I noticed that the names rhymed, but I thought that that was coincidental. I never thought there was any more to it."

"Your father insisted on your name. He didn't want a junior in the family - thought it was unfair to any son to be compared to his father so visibly. But your name was enough like his that he felt a special bond between you two."

"I might have realized that bond existed if he'd ever told me, ever talked to me about it," Troy said bitterly. "I felt that we had a bond as jocks until he started pressuring me to play basketball in a way foreign to Coach Hernandez's style. What you just said about a bond is nothing he ever expressed to me."

"That's the dark side of a controlling personality: he can't trust anyone to stand on equal footing with him while maintaining control. He thinks that when a man provides people too much information about himself, he puts them in a position to leverage control over him if they wish. They also might come to regard him as weak. So your father discloses little except what he expects from you. I've noticed that when men are afraid, they compensate by managing others more. They don't really do anything in regard to themselves, just others. That's your father." She paused a moment.

"I think Roy must have been a cut-throat jock - you know: win at any cost. It's the only way I can explain his behavior. I don't think you'll move into that kind of despicable behavior, Troy. Anyway, as you can understand, because I'm setting matters aright, you can come home now. I want all of us back together." She looked at him in anticipation.

He arose, walked over to his mother and knelt before her, taking her hands in his. "Mom, I love all of you. I don't love Dad anymore. Maybe someday I can love him again. But not now. I'll never love him again if I come home now. I'm just not going to be around him. He's so stupid - "

"Troy, you're talking about your father."

"I've earned the right to say it: he's so stupid he doesn't realize how much he's hurt me. I never knew calling someone names could strip away the hide from the soul, but that's what he did to me." He paused. "And I followed him, using those names against others. But a few of them, Susan among them, called me on it, made me think about what I was really doing to those people. I had no justification for doing that to anyone. Dad has no justification for doing that to me. Do you know how I felt when he called me a fag? I wince when I think about how others must have felt after I did that. I didn't make a practice of it, usually just did it behind their backs, which was rotten anyway." Troy shook his head a little, trying to push the memories from his mind.

"Do you know how bad I felt when Dad told me to get what I needed and get out of the house? I wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to anyone. Does any father have a right to say that to his son, who didn't hurt anyone? Didn't do anything wrong? We're supposed to be a family. Did he really have a right to kick me out? I was so afraid, so ashamed. But what the hell did I have to be ashamed about? Disappointing my father? That's no longer a sin in this day and age. You do me no favors asking me to return because that is what he'll do - remind me of my sins in his world, and he wouldn't have to speak a word to do it. I can be strong like you too, Mom. I can say 'enough!' He hasn't changed. He's just humoring you. I won't come back."

Emily sighed, looking deeply into her son's eyes, where she saw hurt, maybe hatred (but she didn't want to think about that), great strength and determination. "I think we'd better never tell your father that you got your strength from me. I hear the new Emily Morgan in your words. I do understand what you mean."

"Are you going to kick Dad out because I'm not coming home? I hope you don't do that due to my decision."

Emily paused in thought for a few seconds. "No. What I wanted then won't happen now. I'd hoped Roy would come to his senses and apologize. I should have known he'd resort to bullying you and Mr. Halsey to get you home."

Troy audibly sighed in relief. "May I ask a question?" she inquired.

"After what we've talked about this afternoon, Mom, I don't think there's much that's 'off the table.'"

"I pushed your father to tell me why he called you those names and kicked you out of the house. What kind of a relationship do you have with both Susan and Cody? I'm a little mystified about how that can occur? Understand, I'm not judging or being nosy - I realize now that you're too strong for that. But I am a mother and I love you. I'd feel better knowing the lie of the land here."

Troy rocked back until he was sitting on the carpet on his shapely butt, his arms clasped about his muscular legs, thinking. "I love Susan deeply and completely. We'll marry someday. We'll have a family and children." Emily smiled. "Cody is my brother, Mom. We're like clones."

"I picked that up over several years after I began hearing his name and seeing you with him occasionally."

"If I didn't know better, Mom, I'd think we were twins who were separated at birth. We can even communicate without saying anything. We know the other's next move. I love him too, and not just like a brother." He paused clearing his throat. "In addition to Susan, he's my lover. I guess that means I'm bisexual. I hope you don't hate me for that. Susan knows. It's no threat to her. In fact, she and Cody and I are tight. We're in a menage a trois." Emily's eyes widened at the implications of Troy's explanation. "You see now why I can't come home. There's no way Dad will ever understand this. He won't even try. And I'm not going to be Aunt Rose and be beaten up over this every time he decides I need to be punished for not fitting his mold for me."

Emily studied him for a long while. He arose and returned to his tea, taking a sip. "You're the center, aren't you?" she asked, wishing verification for her astute insight. "The one who created this arrangement with Susan and Cody, the protector, the one who makes it all work out? That's another reason you find life with your father intolerable. His way of establishing himself as center is to bully. Your way is natural, affirming of others, connecting them to you with love." Troy shook his head mutely.

"Well, it's a new age, isn't it?" Emily observed. "I can't say that threesomes like this didn't happen in my day, but we didn't know about it. It'll take me a while to adjust to it."

"Are you saying you feel like Dad does about it?"

She hastened to a response: "No, Troy. I acknowledge that you're a man now. I accept that. When our children become adults, even though young adults, we have to let go. That's clearly where you are now. Even if your father can't see it, I can. Whatever your arrangement with Susan and Cody, it's your business. I still love you. I've been learning to love Susan although I've not been in her company much."

"It's because of Dad, Mom. Susan isn't comfortable around him."

"I know, dear. Now I need to get to know Cody better too." She paused. "Troy, are you going to cut yourself off from your brothers?"

"No," he said. "I love them and feel responsible for them. But I don't think Dad will allow me to mix with them much. Besides, when I'm around them, they seem too much like Dad."

Emily set her mouth. "You don't worry about your father. You're a good son. You're strong. I want your brothers to see you as a model free from their father's dynamics. He's begun to treat Drew the same way he treated you. I'll not have any more of that. But I need you as a balance. Your brothers have to realize that there are alternatives. That they aren't locked into Roy's script. If they are around you enough, they won't seem like your father. So how can that happen when you aren't at home?"

"We'll take them to movies with us. We'll have outings. You know when I say 'we' that I mean Susan and Cody? My buddies too? Does that meet with your approval?"

She shook her head in the affirmative.

"I'll ask Evan if I can have them here for overnights. They'll love it. I won't shut myself off from them."

"Do you think that's imposing on Mr. Halsey's hospitality?"

"Mom, you HAVE to meet Evan. You'll realize that if it were an imposition, he'd say so. But I know he'll be all for it. It's not unusual for us to gather back here after a social evening, sometimes a large group. If Evan's not out for the evening himself but he's tired, he just goes to bed. Above all, Mom, this is my home now. Evan and Jeremy insist on my behaving that way."

"How can he supervise if he's asleep?"

Troy laughed. "Mom, you've GOT to meet Evan. When you do, you'll know what I mean. Nobody would think of violating Evan's standards here. He'd take them to the verbal woodshed if they did. And he'd be disappointed in them that he ever had to do that. He would also press that point home memorably."

Just then the front door opened, admitting Evan. He looked up, startled. "Oh . . . I'm sorry," he said, walking over to the sunroom door. "I didn't think you'd still he here." He hesitated, torn this way and that about whether he should shut himself away inside or leave again. "I'll just leave and return later."

Emily arose. "Please, Mr. Halsey, stay. Troy and I have had a long visit," she smiled at her son, "probably the longest visit we've had in our lives. Way overdue. Troy has just explained why he's not returning home. I won't argue with him. But I need to talk to you about some details if you have the time."

Evan looked at both of them. "If you wish," he said. "Let me just get rid of this coat and I'll be out shortly."

When Evan returned, Troy stood. "Evan, I'd like you to meet my mother, Emily Morgan. Mom, meet Evan Halsey." Evan extended his hand, which Emily shook.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Evan responded.

"Likewise," Emily returned. "I've heard much about you. I noticed Troy changed when he started in your class. I think that's when Susan came into his life too."

Evan smiled. "Mrs. Morgan, have you and Troy had anything to eat?" Evan asked. Troy and Emily looked at each other, breaking into a chuckle. "We've had tea," she responded, "but we've been so deep in a discussion that we never thought of food. And please call me Emily."

"If you will address me as Evan," he smiled back. "Allow me to prepare a quick meal for you - unless you have to return to dinner at your home?"

"I'd like something quick, if it's no trouble," she said. "I don't have to rush home because I informed Roy that he's in charge until I return. He didn't like it, but it's time for him to begin caring for his children too. If you have the time, I'd like to visit with you about Troy's wishing to remain here instead of returning home."

Evan shot a glance at Troy. "Oh," he said. "Of course."

"I've got an idea," Troy added. "Let me prepare soup and a salad while you two talk. It's one of my favorite meals here, Mom."

"Okay," Evan said. "But I've already had dinner. I'll just have coffee." Troy noted that Evan was more subdued than he would ordinarily be in meeting someone important to one of his people. He wondered what had happened to cause that.

"Coming up," Troy said, shooting off to the kitchen.

"Troy called you 'Evan,'" Emily noted. "Do all your students call you that?"

"They are free to call me that here at home. But in the classroom, I'm Mr. Halsey, even to my son Jeremy." Evan smiled. "Occasionally, he drops a 'Dad' in the classroom, but it's always a verbal stumble. He immediately corrects himself. I don't think they forget whom they are addressing," he said, smiling.

Emily shook her head in understanding, appraising Evan. "I heard Roy's side about his coming here to bring Troy home. I can just imagine what you think of him. But I'm working on him. I'll try to see that there will be no more trouble like that again. Troy has helped me understand that damage will be done to his future relationship with his father if he returns home now. I'm hopeful that someday Roy will change enough that he and Troy can still have a positive father-son relationship. I MUST do what I can to see that that's possible. So I won't worry about Troy if you allow him to stay here with you. I also want to add that I'm grateful beyond words that you took him in. I was furious with Roy when he informed me that he'd kicked Troy out. It changed me. Since Troy will be staying here, I think we need to work out some financial arrangements.

Evan started: "I don't know that I need anything from you. Troy has fit in our home naturally. It really doesn't cost that much more to have him here with us. If you feel the need to contribute to his stay here, I think it would help him if you provided him pocket money. Since support for college is now an issue for him, he's studying hard to raise his GPA so that he'll be a hotter prospect for a basketball scholarship."

"Oh," she smiled, "that's why I saw all the books and papers spread out on his desk."

"Yes," Evan responded. "Most evenings here, you'd think you were in a study hall or in a reading room in a university library. The house is large enough that the three of us can find some space for whatever kind of study we need to pursue. We try to schedule time at the computer for each of us. Troy wanted to get a job to earn some spending money. I urged him to wait until after basketball season if he felt he really needed to do that."

Evan paused. "Troy is quite intelligent, Emily. He's just never applied himself in that area of his life before. He's catching up nicely, but he does need the time to catch up. Susan is helping immensely. In fact, they both are equally matched in intelligence although it isn't quite the same kind for each. Susan keeps her intelligence inside; Troy is such a leader that he likes to direct his intelligence outwardly." Evan chuckled. "I guess it's the jock in him." Emily smiled. Evan continued, "I would like for him not to have to work at all during the remainder of this year and the next. He'd have himself in fine shape next winter when he'll be dealing seriously with university scouts. I don't know though what your feelings are in the matter."

She sat for a moment. "I can't say that I'm entirely comfortable allowing you to carry all the financial burden of having Troy live with you. I also know that I need some time to work on Roy to move him to a point where he'll view his responsibilities to Troy properly." She sat thinking. "I'll see to it that Troy has a liberal weekly allowance. He's never been a spendthrift, so I won't have to worry about its being enough. I think we'll provide him a laptop computer to work on. He'll need one for college anyway. With his laptop, Jeremy and you will have more access to the computer. But at some point, I will want to assess how this financial arrangement is working. It won't seem fair to you otherwise."

"Good," Evan responded. "I've been planning to give Jeremy a laptop for graduation. If such an outlay is problematical, you could give Troy the laptop, and he could use our set up to print out assignments."

"Thank you, but he's going to need a printer at college anyway. We'll go ahead and give that to him now."

Again she paused, thinking. "I'm still not feeling comfortable about not providing more for Troy financially."

"Well," Evan said, thinking, "why don't you determine what would make you feel comfortable. Then put that amount in an account each month as a college fund for Troy. I think it highly likely that he'll receive a full-ride basketball scholarship, but that still won't cover all his expenses. If he's playing college basketball, he won't have time for a job. That fund will help him a lot."

"Not a bad idea," Emily replied. "I'd like to speak to you about another issue. It's imposing dreadfully on you, but you seem to be the kind of person who will understand why I'm asking." She collected her thoughts. "Roy is beginning to behave toward Drew, Troy's next youngest brother, as he did with Troy. And the boys are following Roy's lead more than I want. But they have no other male model at home. If I'm going to correct their drift toward Roy, I need for them to have some time with Troy. Maybe even Jeremy and their friends. But I know it won't work if we try it in our home. They associate the surroundings with Roy. Could the boys visit Troy here sometimes? Troy and I discussed this arrangement. He said you wouldn't mind if the boys were here from time to time, even for a sleepover. Is that imposing too much?"

"Not at all," Evan stated. "It's part of Troy's life that we both want him to hang onto. The boys have a treat awaiting them if they can see Troy in all his strength."

"If you guys don't quit talking about me like that, I'm going to be blushing for a week," Troy yelled from the kitchen. "And I want to go shopping with you, Mom, when you buy the laptop."

"I didn't think you could hear that well all the way in the kitchen," she responded louder.

"I'm a jock, Mom. You know - keen senses and all that," he said, snickering.

Even with all its positive moments, it had been a taxing day. Emily and Troy and Evan had had a chatty meal together in the dining room. After she left, Troy departed to share the evening's events with Susan. Having retired, Evan was lying in bed reviewing Ron's announcement that they were starting all over again in order to place their relationship on firmer footing. In particular, he remembered Ron's saying that, when they thought of each other, it should be the same when they weren't together as it was when they were. He remembered that morning thinking about how good it felt with Troy in the house, reacting to his presence, his body, his goodness. He had to admit that he didn't think or feel that way when Ron wasn't present, only when he was. Instead, he perceived Ron as being distant, far away. However, Miles and Jim felt each other's presence all the time. Identifying how it felt to have Troy in the house had helped him understand what Ron meant. As he felt himself beginning to drift off, he heard the door open. Smiling, he heard Troy and Susan's quiet voices. Then another muttered comment. Cody! Well . . . if anyone could make it work, those three would. Evan rolled to his side.

The next he knew, he was awakened by the bed moving gently. Someone was climbing in! A hardening cock was shoved up against his hip, indicating that the interloper was naked! Evan's head shot off the pillow. "Easy, Cub," Cody said softly.

"What . . . ?" Evan started to ask. His mind shifted gears. "Why . . . ?"

"I decided Troy and Susan deserve a night together. So I'm going to bunk with my Cub," Cody said, jerking Evan's boxers down and off and throwing them over his shoulder to land somewhere - he didn't care where - pulling Evan into his arms and against his body. Any objections?" Cody inquired.

Evan asked quietly, "Did you know you were going to do this before you came home with them?"

"Of course," Cody replied. "So no objections, right?"

"Right."

"I knew there wouldn't be."

None too easily, Evan punched Cody in the gut. "I'm not easy," he replied archly. "Don't take me for granted."

Cody chuckled. "Jeremy's correct. Once a fella locates your buttons, they are so easy to push. You're cute when you react to your buttons. I love it." Evan lay quietly in Cody's arms, glad for the touch of a man. "Wish I'd been here when Troy's dad attacked," Cody said. "I heard you were a hoot."

"OH?" Evan said, challenging.

"Another button, Evan," Cody said. "You're so easy."

Evan grabbed Cody's balls and squeezed. "Cute too," Cody gasped. Evan released the pressure, caressing Cody's ball sack.

"So what did Troy and Jeremy tell you?" Evan asked.

"That you backed Roy down, didn't give him any cover or a place to dive into. He made the mistake of getting in your face, so you were going to back him right off your turf like a wolverine. And you didn't call him names or put him down. Just showed him how his careless plans could backfire on him. But when Troy found his stride in answering his dad, you backed off and let Troy handle it. He was proud, Evan, proud that you would defend him against Roy the way Roy should have defended his son. Troy not only knew you believed in him and his strength, but he saw it as just another indication of how much you love him."

They lay in silence, slowly caressing each other. "Evan, I want to talk about something that I know is bothering you."

Evan raised his head a bit to check out Cody's visage to see if he should worry, but it was hidden in shadows. "You're worried that Jeremy is drifting away now that he and Kenny are staying overnight at Kenny's place. They don't want you to think that, Evan. We've all discussed it. It's just that they need to reassure Joe and Rachel that they are now accepting the Walters's place as home too. . . . . "Also, Jeremy has this kink."

"Kink?"

Cody giggled. "Yeah, it turns him on to make love to Kenny in the bed Kenny grew up in, the bed he was a little boy in. They have really powerful orgasms in that bed."

Evan laughed too. "Well . . . that Jeremy! Does that mean when they're over here we're going to have to dress Kenny up as a little boy?" Both chuckled at the prospect.

Cody thought a moment. "Do you think they'll demand to take that bed to college when they go?" Cody laughed so hard he snorted a little. When he had settled down, he gave Evan a peck of a kiss. "So don't worry, Evan. It will start to balance out soon. . . . They're very happy, you know."

"I'm glad," Evan said quietly.

"You'll never lose Jeremy, Evan. He couldn't exist without you. I'm not talking about the money, car, and insurance - all those things. I mean you - your love, your protection, the total package. He just brought all of you into his heart, Evan. We're all getting that way. So you know how much I wanted to come up here and crawl into bed with you." He was quiet for a bit. "I'm not messing anything up with you and Poppa Ron, am I?" he asked, betraying a hint of anxiety in his question.

"No. . . . Ron and I are still on romantically, but we've taken a kind of sexual time-out."

Now it was Cody's turn to raise his head to study Evan's face. "Why?"

"We were letting sex define our relationship too much." Evan thought a couple of seconds. "Hell, sex WAS our relationship."

"Was the time-out your idea or Ron's?"

"Ron's."

"A year ago I wouldn't have understood how anyone could or would take a time-out from sex. But now that Troy and I and then you and I and then Troy, Susan and I are lovers, I understand better how a relationship shouldn't be based only on sex. I guess that's why a guy looks up a hooker or hustler," Cody mused. "He wants nothing more than sex. Funny - a guy can be all caught up in good sex but never realize that it's anything more than what he could find on the street. I'm glad I know how much more there is."

"I'm glad, too, Cody. I would have worried because you seemed just the sort to think sex was strong-arm behavior, a power trip, all control. I'm glad you've realized that there's more. Obviously, I'm learning that too."

It was quiet. "Well, no," Evan corrected himself. "I knew there was more, but after my history with people, especially Tim . . . ," Cody felt a slight tremor pass through Evan. ". . .I thought I'd better get what I could - even if it was only sex because there wouldn't be anything more for me."

They lay, quietly caressing some area of the other's body. "Are you and Poppa Ron getting it on?" Evan asked Cody.

Cody didn't answer immediately. Evan knew he was trying to play out the ramifications of an answer.

"A few times," Cody replied. . . ."He's my dad and my Lion, Evan. If Jeremy wanted to climb into your bed, you wouldn't keep him out, would you?"

"No."

"Same with me and my new dad. If anything, the love we have for each other makes his love for you stronger. He loves you, Evan. Really loves you. Do you doubt that?"

"No."

"So we're okay?"

Evan leaned in and kissed Cody warmly on his lips.

They remained silent. "Troy, Susan, Kenny, and Jeremy are so lucky," Cody commented. "They have you as their teacher."

"I'm not certain you would like me so much if you had been my student," Evan observed. "I suspect we'd have locked horns more than once."

Cody moved his body so their cocks were clasped together in his grasp. "Isn't that what we are doing now," he asked, giggling.

"Well, before you lament too much, you really might want to think about what it could have been like, Cody."

"No, I know we'd have locked horns. Would it have been because we're different or because I'd get in your face to see what you would do?"

"It would have been because I'd make it clear that I expect you to give me your best, not your most smart ass or cool."

"I don't care: I want what they have with you. I want you teaching me all the things you've taught them. I want you teaching me how to think. . . . Feel too."

"Well, we can always see what will rub off on you," Evan offered. Cody immediately rolled on top of Evan, kissing him hard. Evan returned the kiss, hungry for male love. After a bit, Cody said, "I want to tell you about Troy, Susan and me the other night." Cody felt Evan's body stiffen slightly. "No, Evan, you mean a lot to us. And we're here in your home. We think we owe it to you. We love you. We want you to know. We've talked about it. We want you that close."

Cody collected his thoughts. "It was Troy's idea. I guess you already knew that. We were at Cisco's having a nightcap. Don't worry, just Cokes. Troy told me that Susan was spending the night at his place. I asked if you knew. He replied that you all sorted that out when he moved in permanently - he could have overnight guests. He and Susan were holding hands. I saw him wink at her, and she squeezed his hand. He turned to me and said that they wanted me in bed with them too. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! I looked at Susan because I thought she might have a problem with that. But she was smiling back at me, shaking her head yes. So I knew they had discussed it before that night. I just grinned back, picked up Susan's other hand and kissed it softly on the back, caressing the skin with the tip of my tongue. I felt a shiver move through her." As he spoke, Cody reached for Evan's hand, showing him what he'd done with Susan's. When he felt Cody's tongue tip caressing the back of his hand, Evan boned up even more.

"I looked at Troy, realizing that he understood my feelings. He was okay with my wanting Susan. In fact, he WANTED me to desire Susan and her to want me. Some of the kids at Cisco's were watching us because we were at a table in the middle surrounded by all those booths around the outer walls. But it was like they weren't there at all. Just the three of us. So I stood up, gesturing with my other hand to Susan as though I were Sir Walter Raleigh showing her out the door. She and Troy got up and we walked out, each with an arm around Susan. I checked a few people on the way out. Several women knew what was going on and where we were going. They smiled, winking and looking envious. A couple of the guys figured it out too. They were smiling so big that their faces were in danger of cracking." Cody chuckled.

"We didn't say anything all the way home, but we were happy, wanting what was going to happen. When we got here, we saw the door to your bedroom closed. We knew that Jeremy was going to be with Kenny that night. So we went down to Troy's room. When we got there, Troy pulled Susan and me into his arms, kissing Susan first and then me. Hot kisses. Then I turned to look at Susan. She smiled. Troy put his hand behind my head and gently pushed me toward Susan. I kissed her. Oh man, Evan, did she ever kiss me. She meant it. I felt so honored." A sigh escaped Cody. "It was so sweet, Evan, gentle but hot. I never experienced such a kiss before. I never imagined that Susan would want to kiss me that way. We kept kissing while Troy moved away to pull the covers back from the bed. Then he started undressing. I started helping Susan get out of her pullover. Then she helped me out of my shirt. Then I unfastened her jeans, and then she unfastened mine. Troy walked up behind her and unfastened her bra, gently pulling it off. Then he moved up close behind her and moved his hands around her sides to cup her breasts and tease her nipples with his fingers."

Again, Cody sighed. "Damn, Evan. She has beautiful breasts! Not too small like with many young women, but not huge either. Just right. While Troy played with her nipples, I leaned down and kissed each breast - with tongue." As Cody described his behavior, he replicated it with Evan, kissing his nipples. "Everything about her was just right - slim hips; slim, shapely legs; even her pubic hair trimmed to a neat triangle. Troy came around and helped us get out of our clothes. Then he kissed Susan deeply. He turned to me and kissed me the same way. He had Susan and me so turned on!"

"Troy pulled us over to the bed, gently helping Susan lie down in the middle. Then he pushed me down on one side of her while he walked around to the other side and lay down. We took turns kissing her. While one did that, the other kissed, licked, and sucked her beautiful body, like this." Cody leaned down and began kissing Evan's ears, moving down to his mouth, down his neck, down to his nipples, where he spent more time. Then slowly down Evan's stomach to his pubes. He paused, "She smelled so good, Evan. Troy's smell turns me on one way, the same way yours does," he explained as he ran his nose through Evan's pubic bush to his balls, which he lapped with his tongue as he moved under his balls, pushing Evan's legs back. "Susan's smell turns me on another way. I don't need to tell you how boned up Troy and I were."

At this point, Evan reached out to gently grasp Cody's dick, which was hard as steel and dripping. Holding the mushroom cap against the palm of his hand, Evan closed his hand, making small milking motions with his fist.

Cody sucked in his breath. "Susan did that too. How'd you know?"

"You are so handsome, hot, exciting, that you make us want to do it," Evan said softly. "Besides, you've observed the link between Susan and me."

Cody and Evan engaged in foreplay slowly and quietly for a while. Cody began his narrative again. "Then Troy took my arm and pulled me on top of Susan. He pushed my knees way under me, which raised my butt high in the air so that he could get his head between us. He'd lick Susan's pussy, then he'd lick my dick the way I'm going to lick yours now . . ." and with that, Cody began licking Evan's slick cock just as he described how Troy had done. Eventually, Cody moved up to Evan's lips, kissing him hard, then back to his narrative ". . . back and forth. He'd stroke my balls and caress Susan's labia." Cody stroked Evan's hairy balls, moving his fingers back to tickle Evan's perineum. Evan replicated Cody's moves. "Susan and I were kissing passionately while he was doing that, whispering how we were turning each other on, how happy we were to be sharing love this way, how much we'd fantasized about sex with each other. Troy chuckled as though he'd known all along that we wanted this with each other. He's so strong that our fantasies didn't shake him at all."

"Troy placed a pillow under Susan and then got behind me and started eating me out. Oh Evan, what a turn on - to be making love to a beautiful woman like Susan while your brother is eating out your ass. I never imagined it could be so good. Eventually, Troy grabbed some lube from the nightstand and coated my dick a little and his a lot." As Cody related events, he replicated them with Evan, grabbing lube from the nightstand, lubing both his and Evan's cocks. "He pushed me slowly down on Susan, lining my dick up so that when it met Susan's pussy, I sank in naturally." At this point, Cody began sinking his cock in Evan's ass. Cody shuddered - "so warm, so wet, so slick, so silky. . . . I've had other women before, Evan, grown women, but it was never as good as it was with Susan - or my buddies or Papa Ron." He paused, emitting a gasp. "It was just as good for Susan because she immediately had an orgasm." Cody shuddered slightly, remembering.

"Troy let us get underway a bit, then he lifted my hips a little and started pushing his big dick into my ass. He didn't push much. Just let my fucking motions take care of seating his cock. Then he placed those big, talented hands on my hips and started pumping, taking over our fuck. He'd lean down on one side and give Susan a hot kiss. Then he'd move to the other side so that I could turn my head toward him for a hot kiss. I really wasn't doing much moving, because Troy's thrusts were causing me to thrust into Susan. Troy said, 'I'm making love to the two most important people in my life. I love you, Susan, to the depths of my heart. I love you, Cody, to the depths of my heart. I want us to be together forever.'"

"Troy fucked us a while. Then he said, 'Susan, I'll always honor you. So will my other lover, Cody. We'll be your men. We'll protect you, care for you. Cody, Susan and I will be your lovers. We'll do the same for you. You two will never want for love from me. I can make this happen for us because my heart is so full of love for you both.'" Cody snickered. "Actually, he had to stop talking to regain control so that he wouldn't climax too soon. Then he'd start talking again. He had started moving faster while he was talking. I think unveiling his plans for us, finally hearing them take the form of words, turned him on because he was pumping faster, kissing us back and forth faster. Then he yelled, 'I'm cumming. I love you both!' Then he poured into me, Evan. I poured into Susan just a few strokes after that. Susan had been having orgasms every now and then, but she had another with us."

"We lay still, gasping for maybe ten minutes. Then Troy slowly pulled out of me and went to the bathroom to wash up. Neither Susan nor I moved. When Troy came back - he was still hard, that big dong wagging back and forth when he walked back into his bedroom - he gently took a hold of my hips and pulled me out of Susan, rolling me over to one side. Then he got between Susan's legs, leaned down and kissed her. When they broke the kiss, Susan took his big dick, lined it up, and he sank into her." Again Cody giggled. "You should have heard the squishing sounds when he pushed through my cum into Susan. I swear, Evan - Susan shuddered with another orgasm, just as you are going to do now." With that, Cody thrust hard against Evan's prostate, triggering a climax in Evan, who moaned out Cody's name.

When he'd recovered, Cody continued, "Susan took over the talk, describing how she felt being protected by TWO men, brothers, twins, clones. She whispered a little about how her girl friends would fantasize about what it would be like to be in bed with both of us men at the same time. In other words, we were making a secret fantasy of Susan's come true. She talked about how she liked Troy's big, manly body. She told us how some of her friends would secretly masturbate on the bleachers while watching us play. Don't ASK me how they did that. It's clearly not like guys. Evan, I think they even make bets about getting off while watching us play basketball."

At this point Evan cracked up, finally gasping for breath. "What's so funny?" Cody asked, a trifle peeved.

"I'll never be able to attend another one of your games without that image activating in my mind - your female fans masturbating in the Lottery of Love for Troy and Cody! Just imagine what the color man on the radio sports network might be telling fans if he knew." Now Cody started laughing with Evan, while he punched Evan gently but repeatedly on the shoulder. Then he started fucking Evan in earnest. Evan moved a hand around Cody's shapely ass, caressing his balls while nibbling on Cody's nipples. "Oh yes . . . yes," Cody gasped. "Love me, Man. I know you love me. Now show me." Evan turned on big time, plunging two fingers into Cody's hole, aiming for his prostate. Once he'd located it, he held his fingers still, allowing Cody's increasingly intense thrusts to cause Evan's fingers to probe Cody's gland. Suddenly, Cody emitted a loud 'OH-H-H-H-H-H- H-H-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h, Susan' as he shot his cum deep into Evan. Then he collapsed onto Evan, who loved bearing Cody's weight.

"I love you, Evan Halsey," Cody said softly. Then Cody jerked. "Did I say Susan's name when I had an orgasm?"

"Yes," Evan replied.

"Evan, I'm so sorry. Oh . . . how uncool. I apologize, Evan. It doesn't mean you don't count with me. I was concentrating so much on letting you know how it felt that I guess it slipped out. . . . I guess I was also telling you that I enjoyed it as much with you as I did with Susan."

"It's okay, Cody. I'm honored to be classed with Susan. . . . I love you, Cody Saxon," Evan echoed.

Miles had ordered a picnic basket from a wine and cheese shop, ascertaining that Jim would return to his farm after leaving school at the end of the day. He told Jim he was coming out to talk about his meeting with Brenda and her attorney. Jim had been quiet. 'He knows,' Miles groaned inwardly. 'I hate it that my responsibility to tell him will result in his being hurt. I love that man. I never want to hurt him,' Miles was thinking as he left the office. 'He came to me hopeful that I could help him hang onto the farm, but I failed.'

He'd picked up the picnic basket at the shop. He mused as he walked by a display of additions to romantic picnic baskets, 'Wonder if they sell new hearts here for ones that are broken.' On the way to the farm, he wracked his brain, trying to think of anything he could do to make the auction of the farm less painful for Jim. He wouldn't fool himself into thinking that his love for Jim would be enough to buoy his spirits. This issue ran right to the center of Jim's identity. He'd call Ron and Evan to tell them that it was time to step in and help support Jim.

When he arrived at the farm, Jim wasn't out on the porch, waiting for him as was often the case. Miles alighted from the car, grabbing the picnic basket, striding up to the back porch and up the steps. He glanced inside, seeing Jim sitting at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. The sight made a bolt of pain shoot through his heart. He knocked softly on the door.

Jim looked up, smiling slightly, arising and walking to the door, opening it. As Ron entered, Jim grabbed him, holding onto him tightly like a frightened little boy. Miles dropped the basket and slowly ran his hands over Jim's back. Finally Jim asked, "What's in the basket?"

"Our picnic dinner. Let's go someplace nice and eat while we talk."

Jim just shook his head in the affirmative. As they walked out the door, he grabbed a jacket. "So where shall we have our picnic?" Miles prompted.

"The hayloft," Jim answered quietly. Miles's turned his head to study Jim. Well, he guessed that made some sense. They'd had some good times there. Their first venture into lovemaking occurred there. They walked silently to the barn. 'Like condemned men walking past the firing squad to the wall,' Miles thought.

They slid the doors to the barn open enough for them to enter, walked slowly down the center aisle to the ladder. Jim flipped a light switch as they climbed slowly into the loft. The sleeping bag was still spread out over the hay, indicating, Miles imagined, Jim's wish to replay sex in the loft many more times.

Jim seemed to lose energy, just plopping onto the sleeping bag. Miles set the basket on the sleeping bag, removed his suit coat, and sat down, opening the basket. He pulled out a red-checkered paper tablecloth and spread it in front of them. He pulled out a bottle of wine, some plastic tumblers, a corkscrew, some wrapped sandwiches, some sliced cheese wrapped in clear plastic, and a bunch of green Thompson grapes. Using the corkscrew provided, he expertly withdrew the cork from the bottle of merlot and poured it in the glasses, handing Jim's to him. He raised his glass in a salute to Jim, signaling an intention to clink their glasses, which Jim obliged. He sipped his wine, but Jim tossed his head back, drinking the entire glass at once. Miles's eyes widened.

"Okay, lower the boom," Jim said, grabbing the wine bottle and filling his tumbler again.

I want you to know, Jim, that Brenda still cares for you. She doesn't want to hurt you. She isn't angry with you. She harbors no desire for revenge or anything like that. She really is a good person."

"I know," Jim replied softly, looking down at his sandwich out of which he taken only a couple of bites. He grabbed a piece of cheese, nibbling at it. "Go on."

"She's frightened, Jim. She hasn't been in the city long enough to have met a man who would want to marry her, to take care of her. She thinks her future is pretty bleak. She's like these young actors and actresses who head right out for Hollywood, thinking they'll walk into the role in a movie or TV show that will begin their path to stardom. But she hasn't walked into the man yet that will begin the path to the next phase in her life. I think he's there. She just hasn't figured out where to go to encounter him."

Jim sat silently. "I offered to buy her share of the farm," Miles stated.

Jim's head shot up, his eyes wide, hopeful. "You'd to that for me?" he asked. Miles reached over and gently ran his fingers down Jim's cheek, feeling a thrill clear down to his dick as Jim's stubble rasped against his fingertips. "I love you, Jim."

"So what happened?" Jim asked with more energy.

"She immediately liked the idea because you wouldn't lose the farm." Jim's head was shaking up and down in agreement. "But her lawyer pointed out that an auction would likely bring her more money, her only chance of ever gaining money for her future security. She couldn't argue with that, Jim. So she reluctantly asked that the farm be auctioned."

Tears sprang to Jim's eyes as his head slowly dropped, his mouth set in a firm line. He was trying to hold a sob in, Miles knew. "You should know that when Brenda's lawyer wanted to auction everything on the place, she put her foot down. She told him that it was bad enough that she was the cause of your losing your farm. So she wasn't going to leave you without the means to start again somewhere if you wanted. Her lawyer was angry, but she held firm, threatening to fire him if he persisted in arguing with her." The lines from the old song "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" started running through Miles's head. Until now, it had been only a nice, melancholy ballad. At the moment it was all too real for Jim.

"The house?" Jim managed to gasp out, not looking at Miles.

"She didn't think you'd want to live here, looking everyday at the land you loved and had to sell, Jim. So it's to be included in the auction. But everything in it is yours. All the furniture, farm equipment, tools, horses - all that is yours. It won't be included in the auction."

Jim just shook his head mutely. "When?" he choked out.

"I took the liberty of contacting three auction companies," Miles explained. "I didn't think you'd want to linger here. Since they will be auctioning only the land and house, it can happen in as little as two weeks' time if that's what you wish."

"Would you arrange it for me?" Jim asked, looking up at Miles, tears running down his cheek. "I just can't do it."

"When?"

"As soon as possible. I'll start looking for someplace else. I'll have to find someplace for all the equipment. Oh - and the horses. I'll have to find a place for them."

"Jim, why don't you concentrate on that. Come stay with me until you can find a place. You'll have more time to look, find the right place."

Jim gasped out a "Thanks."

Miles took their glasses, setting them aside. He scooted over next to Jim, pulling him into his arms. Jim was immediately wracked with sobs. He no longer had a reason to maintain a stiff upper lip. He must have been weary of the worry and anxiety. The pain Miles felt inside could only be a fraction of what Jim was feeling, so he knew Jim was really hurting. He wondered if he had ever felt pain this great in his entire life. But he was gratified that Jim trusted him enough to allow his vulnerability to show through his controlled facade. Miles let Jim cry it out. He held him, running his hand in slow, lazy circles over his back. Finally, Jim moved back, sniffling, croaking out an apology for breaking down.

Miles placed his thumb and index finger under Jim's chin, raising it so that Jim would have to look him in the eyes. "You haven't lost everything. I love you, Jim. Really love you. I want us to make a life together." Jim turned his head away, breaking contact.

Miles waited a moment. "Jim, do you have enough money or can you borrow enough money to buy Brenda's share at the auction? It was a suggestion that Brenda made, hoping you could still keep the farm. She really doesn't want to take the farm, Jim."

Jim was silent. "I should have let her help with the finances." He paused. "I thought that was a husband's job. She probably didn't know that I borrowed all I could to keep the farm afloat. She had to sign the papers, but she didn't ask any questions because she trusted me." He blushed. Miles knew that that admission about having borrowed a lot of money made Jim feel like a failure yet again.

"Five years ago, with two dry winters in a row, the crops really didn't make. I had to borrow to keep the farm. I just couldn't get back where I was before the dry spells. I'm maxed out on credit. I'm making my payments, but I do it out of my monthly salary. That's all I have anymore."

"What about family?" Miles asked, hopeful.

"Naw. My branch is about to die out. It will with me. Two maiden aunts who live together in Colorado are the only family I have left. They just have small savings and Social Security. Nothing more." Jim was silent. "Thank you for trying to think of something, Miles. There's just no hope." They sat in silence until Jim began packing the food back in the basket. He arose slowly, moving to the hole in the floor to climb out of the loft. He was on autopilot, Miles knew. He followed him to the back porch of the farmhouse.

"I'd be happy to stay with you tonight, Jim," Miles offered.

Jim was silent a moment. "I never thought I'd say this when it came to you, Miles, but I need to be alone to think tonight. I've got to get myself together, start planning. May I take a rain check?"

"Of course," Miles answered. He gave Jim a peck on the cheek as he squeezed his shoulder, then turned toward his car. He'd for sure call Ron and Evan as soon as he reached home.

(To be continued.)