This is a story of love between two young men. If you are under age, or live in an area where reading stories that include sex between males is illegal, or if you're not into this type of story, please leave. The story began in 1969. While the characters and their story are completely fictional, it is set at places that are real and is told against a backdrop of some real events. This was a time when all sex was safe. It isn't now, so please respect yourself and others enough to always play safe.
I would like to thank all of those who have written to me with comments, suggestions and encouragement, especially my fellow writers in the Nifty Six. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at NJMcMick@yahoo.com.
Billy
I was totally taken by surprise when I walked in the house and saw Danny's parents sitting there. To be honest I still wasn't used to talking to Mama and seeing her again. For the Stephenses to show up only a couple of months after my reconciliation with Mama was a strange coincidence. What confused me more was Danny's reaction. I was pretty good at reading his emotions, not that he hid them very much. I expected that he would have been overjoyed at seeing them but he wasn't. He did seem a bit excited, but more along the lines of agitated than happy. I sensed a bit of hostility, too. Maybe the discussion hadn't been going well. I approached him tentatively, not wanting to disrupt anything, but Danny assured me everything was all right.
I went upstairs to change and took Tyler with me, leaving Danny with his parents. When I came back down everyone seemed a little more relaxed. Danny had invited his parents to stay for dinner so we all went into the kitchen. They sat at the table while Danny and I threw together a simple meal. Lucy had called and offered to eat at Aunt Connie's so Danny and I could have some time to talk to his folks. We were nearly done putting together supper when Charles came in the back door and kissed us both hello. Danny made the introductions.
"Mom, Dad, this is Charles Decker. Charles, these are my parents."
"No shit! Oops, sorry, I mean, nice to meet you." He gave Danny a questioning look.
"It's okay, Charles, we're working it out. Better get washed up for supper. We'll be eating in a few minutes."
"Oh, Keith's parents invited me to dinner at their house. Is that okay?"
"Sure, but don't stay out too late. Remember you've got school in the morning."
"Yes, Mom." Charles rolled his eyes at Danny and went upstairs.
"He seems like a nice boy, Danny, but where did he come from? How does he fit in here?" Mrs. Stephens sounded like someone who was totally confused but trying to be polite.
I left Danny to explain the foster child situation to them and went into the dining room to set the table. Even though we were just having soup, salad and sandwiches I used the good china, silver and crystal. Might as well impress the in-laws. Danny was just finishing up when I got back to the kitchen.
"Isn't it strange that the state of New Jersey thought more of our relationship and trusted Billy and me more than you guys did?"
"Now, that's not fair, Danny."
"Fair, Dad? You two knew me better than anyone. You knew what kind of person I was. Yet you didn't want to believe me, you wanted to think the worst of Billy. You're my parents. You were supposed to love me, no matter what."
Danny was getting all worked up and I was afraid he was going to cry. I walked up behind him and put my arms around him, pulling him close to my chest. His parents tensed up but I didn't care. I kissed him on the side of his neck and whispered in his ear.
"Calm down, baby, it's all right. Just relax." He took a few deep breaths and I felt his muscles loosen up. "Why don't you all go into the dining room? I'll bring in the food."
I not only brought in the dinner but I made sure everyone, especially Danny, had a full glass of wine. Danny seemed a lot better since his outburst. Maybe it was just all the tension that had been building since he got home that needed to be let out. I tried to steer the conversation to less stressful, more mundane things. We talked a little about college and our teaching jobs. The Stephenses were definitely impressed with the table setting so I got Danny talking about the house. After we ate we took them on the tour.
"I don't understand how you boys can afford a house like this at your age. It's not only huge but it's beautifully decorated."
"It took a lot of hard work, Mom. Billy and I did a lot of the cosmetic work ourselves and we're fortunate to have friends with good taste and even better connections so we could get the furnishings at a reasonable price. And the photos you see everywhere are Lucy's, of course."
"They're beautiful but some are a little shocking."
We were in our bedroom where we had the photo of our "tips" touching, plus a couple of other nudes. We kept the more intimate pictures in our room so Charles' friends from school wouldn't see them. Actually, as beautiful as the nude pictures were, my favorite was one Lucy had taken of the two of us fully clothed in a hammock in the backyard a couple of summers back. We'd fallen asleep all wrapped around each other. I saw so much sweetness, innocence and pure love in it. Mrs. Stephens also seemed to see something in that one because she looked at it quite a while.
We went back downstairs for coffee in the living room. The rest of the evening I kept an eye on Danny but he seemed to have his emotions under control. He let his mom and dad know how much he wanted them back but also made it very clear he wasn't going to beg them for acceptance. He'd grown so much from the boy who was nearly destroyed when they rejected him all those years ago. I was so proud of him. His parents were also very impressed. I tried to stay out of the conversation as much as possible, figuring it would take some time for them to get used to me.
After they left, Danny collapsed into my arms in the front hall. I held him tight for a minute, then directed him toward the living room.
"Oh god, I was on such an emotional roller coaster I didn't think I was going to get through that, Billy."
"You certainly were all over the place tonight, Danny. I thought you'd be happier. I know it's a school night, but I think a brandy is in order."
I poured us a couple of snifters of brandy and we nestled into a corner of the couch.
"I am happy, Billy, but I guess I'm also angry. All those years apart because they wouldn't believe in me and they wouldn't give you a chance."
"But you know how hard it must have been for them finding out about us. We've talked about it over and over."
"I know, Billy, but I'm tired of being the one to have to make the effort to understand them. They never tried to understand us. They were the grownups. We were the kids."
"You're right, baby. I realize that we'll never quite understand what our parents really felt after they found out, but they all did seem to think more about what they wanted than what we did."
"That's exactly it, Billy. Even tonight, I got the impression that they were saying that they would try to love me in spite of who I am. They should love me because of who I am. The same with your mother and you. As far as we've come, they all seem to think that we should be apologizing for being gay, for loving each other, like we've done something wrong."
"They'll come around, Danny. Look at how far Mama has come in a couple of months, the progress you made in just a few hours tonight."
"You're right, Billy. I'm just venting because I had to hold it in all evening. I really wanted things to work out with Mom and Dad and I was so afraid I'd blow up and ruin everything."
"You did great, Dan. I am so proud of the man you've become. I have to confess that I was having a little trouble holding it in myself tonight. I kept thinking of how much they hurt you, of all these years when you were in pain and there was nothing I could do to help you."
"Nothing? You did everything, Billy. I couldn't have made it through one day without you. Your love got me past all the pain."
Danny
I was making supper when Billy got home from work the next night. He took me in his arms, bent me back and gave me a passionate kiss.
"Wow! What was that for?"
"Just for being the most beautiful man I know. Can't I kiss my lover when I come home?"
"You can kiss me like that any time. You know that, Billy."
"So how are you feeling about last night now, baby? Happier?"
"Yeah, I did all the venting I needed to. Now I'm just feeling positive emotions. I can't believe it's all going to work out, after all this time."
"It was bound to, sooner or later, Danny. Maybe we both should have tried to contact our families earlier."
"I'm not going to try to second-guess anything, Billy. It might not have worked if we'd tried earlier. Maybe the time is right now. Whatever, let's just be happy."
"You got that right."
"So, you what do you think about going car shopping Saturday?"
"Car shopping? I thought we'd decided that we wouldn't be able to afford a new car for at least a year."
I opened a drawer in the counter and took out the papers Mom had given me the night before and handed my bankbook to Billy.
"I think we don't have to wait now."
Billy's mouth dropped open when he opened the book.
"Damn! You didn't tell me you had this much money in the account."
"Well, it wasn't that much then. Don't forget the interest has been piling up for over five years. But it was all the money I'd made in my whole life up until then, nearly enough for the last three years of school."
"This should be more than enough for a new car."
"Yeah, we don't have to even trade in the old one. Now we can have two cars."
"We've done pretty well so far with one, Danny. Do you think we need a spare?"
"It'll come in handy with three drivers in the house."
"Three? But Lucy has her own car. Besides, she's moving out in a couple of months when she and Brad get married."
"I wasn't talking about Lucy. Don't forget Charles is nearly seventeen. He'll have his license by the end of the summer."
"Charles behind the wheel? Now that's a terrifying thought. Should we warn the good citizens of Morristown?"
"I know he's a bit ditzy and distracted sometimes but I'm sure he'll be fine, Billy. If I could teach you to drive Charles shouldn't be a problem."
"Back to the cemetery, huh?"
"You got it, babe."
"What's that other paper you're holding, Danny?"
Billy was twisting his neck trying to read the envelope in my hand.
"Oh, this is the way Mom and Dad found out where we were. The mysterious message."
I handed the envelope to Billy. He stared at it a minute, then took the slip of paper out and looked at it.
"Mystery solved, white boy. This is Mama's handwriting."
"Are you sure? How would she know where my parents live?"
"Don't forget she works for the Essex County Election Board. She can look up anyone's address in the county. It looks like she's trying to make up for causing all the trouble with your folks in the first place."
"She's succeeded, Billy. Remind me to kiss her the next time we see her."
Charles
The guys' friend Evan got in touch with us to let me know that he'd talked to this kid, Earl, in his school, the gay one they were trying to fix me up with. Well, maybe fix me up wasn't the right way to put it. I think they were hoping that we'd at least be friends. I was hoping for more but even having a gay friend my age, someone who was going through the kinds of things I was, would be great.
They set it up so that we'd meet on the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend. Earl lived in Somerville, which was pretty far south of us but not very far from Rutgers so the guys knew the area. We decided that we'd pick Earl up and go spend the day on campus at Rutgers. I'd heard the guys talk about college so much but I'd never seen the place.
Danny drove and Billy outlined the plan for the day.
"I want to look some stuff up at the library, so you and Earl can go hang out in the student center for an hour or so. They've got a huge game room downstairs so you shouldn't get bored. Or you can just hang out in the music lounge and get to know one another."
"Hey, what about me?" Danny sounded like he was pouting.
"After four years on campus I'm not worried about you finding something to do, Danny. I'm sure you won't be bored. Just stay away from the glory hole."
"Glory hole? What's that?"
"Okay, Billy. You brought it up, you explain it."
Billy explained all about the men's room in the basement of the library, the hole between the booths and the fun he and Danny had had one day. I could see by how red the back of Danny's neck got that he was blushing. For someone who had so much hot sex, Danny sure got embarrassed easily.
We followed the directions Billy had when we got to Somerville and saw Earl standing on a corner waiting for us. My hopes for a boyfriend faded as we got closer. He wasn't ugly or anything but he wasn't exactly the kind of guy I usually got hot for. He was tall and very thin and had a huge Afro. We pulled up along side him and Billy got out of the car so Earl could get in the back next to me. We all introduced ourselves. Earl seemed really effeminate and talked a lot. He was very dramatic and gestured with his hands as he spoke. I could see why he hadn't been able to hide his being gay in school. By the time we got to campus fifteen minutes later, I was used to his theatrics. He seemed like a nice guy and was pretty funny as well. We parked in a lot behind the gym and Billy pointed out the student center.
"We'll meet you guys in the game room in an hour or so and then we'll show you around. It shouldn't be very crowded. Most of the students have gone home for the summer."
Billy and Danny headed up College Ave. in the opposite direction. Earl and I just stared after them. They were holding hands, right out in public. Neither of us could believe it. I'd seen all kinds of touching and affection between them (not to mention the sounds coming from their bedroom at night) but that was always inside at home. Earl and I decided they really had balls.
Earl and I went down to the basement of the center and the white guy at the desk started giving us a hard time because we weren't students there. Being a couple of black high school kids made it even worse. I explained that both of my foster parents were alumni and showed him the guys' old student ID cards that Billy had given me. I told him Billy and Danny were going to join us in a while and he finally gave in and let us use the facilities. We tried bowling first but after a ridiculous number of gutter balls we gave up and moved on to a pool table. At least we kept the balls on the table in that game.
As we played we talked a lot and exchanged information on our backgrounds. Actually, Earl talked a lot and I talked a little. We were also checking each other out. I know I was looking him over pretty good and I caught his eyes on things he shouldn't have been looking at, too. He wasn't bad looking. He was much lighter skinned than me and had nice features. His eyes were so alive and he was always either smiling or laughing. We were getting along great but I decided that I wasn't really turned on by him physically. After three games of pool (he won all three), we decided to take a break.
"Billy and Danny should be here soon, Earl. I think I'd better find the men's room before we go walking around campus."
"Sounds like a good idea to me. I saw one near the stairway."
We walked back the way we had come in and found the restroom. It had three urinals and two booths. Earl stepped up to the center urinal, leaving me no choice but to take one next to him. Halfway through peeing I gave in to temptation and looked down at Earl. His dick was darker than the rest of him and wasn't circumcised. Even soft it looked kind of long. When I looked back up Earl was staring at me smiling. I quickly put my dick back in my pants and zipped up.
"Hey, no fair. You saw mine but you were standing too close to the urinal for me to see yours."
"You didn't miss much, Earl."
He put his dick away and joined me at the sink. While I was drying my hands I glanced into the first booth.
"Whoa, look at this, Earl! A glory hole!"
"A what?"
I led him into the booth and explained what Billy had told me (without the personal details) as we stared at the hole in the wall between the booths. It was just the right height and maybe two and a half inches in diameter. Earl backed out of the booth.
"Hang on a sec, Charles."
He went into the other booth and I heard a rustling, then I saw his dick appear through the hole. It wasn't as soft as it had been before and it just kept coming through the opening. It looked so hot seeing just a long thin dick sticking through the wall. I took it in my hand and it immediately got harder. I ran my hand toward the wall, pulling the skin back, exposing a shiny, almost purple, head. His dick was a couple of inches longer than mine but was about the same thickness.
"Suck it, Charles. I want you to suck me."
He didn't have to ask twice. I squatted down and took the head in my mouth and rolled my tongue around it. I moved in on it until it hit the back of my throat and I gagged slightly. I pulled off and tried again but didn't get any further. I wrapped my hand around the base near the wall and found I could handle what was left. I worked on that good, bobbing on it, sucking hard each time I pulled back, running my tongue around the edge of his head. I worked it with my hand and mouth together. Earl was gasping and moaning on the other side of the barrier. All of a sudden his dick got hard as steel and he shot into my mouth. The first jet hit my throat but I pulled back a bit so the rest went into my mouth. It was all I could do to swallow fast enough to keep up with him. When he stopped spurting I took my mouth off him and ran my fist up his dick, squeezing the last bit of his cum out of it. I licked the last few drops off the tip. He pulled his rapidly deflating cock back through the hole.
"Okay, my turn, Charles. Put your dick through the hole."
I stood up and unfastened my pants, letting them drop to the floor. I'd been hard as a rock the whole time I was sucking him. The hole was a little high for me but I was able to get my dick through it. I was immediately engulfed in Earl's hot wet mouth. Damn that felt good. The two times with Doug were my only experience but Earl was so much better. He sucked with amazing power. I felt like he was going to pull all of me right through the glory hole. In no time I exploded in his mouth. He sucked me dry, leaving me whimpering and exhausted.
I fastened my pants and left the booth. Earl and I just stood there a minute, feeling awkward, not looking at each other directly. Just then, the door opened and Danny walked in.
"Hey, there you are. Billy went upstairs to look for you in the music lounge. Why don't you guys go find him while I use the facilities."
He stepped over to the urinal and I grabbed Earl's arm and led him out into the hall. I felt really embarrassed, realizing how close we came to having Danny walk in on us.
"Hey, what's the rush, Charles? I wanted to get a peek at Danny. I've never had a white dick."
"Yeah, well, you could have stayed in there an hour and you wouldn't have that white one. It's taken."
'You mean the guys don't fool around, not even with you?"
"No way, Earl. It's like they're married. They love each other and don't mess around with anyone else."
We met Billy upstairs and Danny joined us in a minute. They led the way to Patty's, just off campus behind the student center, and we had pizza for lunch. After that they took us on a tour of the campus. When we got down to the grassy area between the classroom buildings the guys pointed out the statue at one end.
"That's the place where Billy told me he loved me, where he first kissed me."
"Do it again. Show us the kiss, Billy." The guys didn't need any encouragement from me. Billy took Danny in his arms and kissed him. They didn't break apart for a long time. I'd seen them kiss so many times around the house but this was really something.
"Damn, Charles, I don't see how you stand it, living with them. They are so hot together."
"They are, Earl, but I don't look at them that way. They're my friends, my parents. I love them and they love me. We're family."
We all wandered around campus for another hour after that, together but a little apart, too. I knew Billy and Danny were giving Earl and me a little space to be by ourselves but it was obvious to me that they were off in their own little world, holding hands and kissing occasionally.
When we dropped Earl off in Somerville later in the afternoon he and I kissed goodbye. Nothing passionate, just the kind of friendly kiss that I usually give the guys at home. On the way home, Billy asked me how it went.
"I'm not sure, Billy. I like him. He's fun. But as far as dating, I'm not sure that's what either one of us wants. I've got to think about it."
I thought about the fun we'd had all afternoon and the scene at the glory hole. It was hot, but maybe that was just because of the circumstances, not because of us. Over the next few days Earl and I talked quite a bit on the phone, trying to figure out what we felt about each other. In the end, we both seemed to want the same thing. We decided that we'd be friends, not boyfriends. Sisters was the term Earl used.
Mark
School was finally over. It was hard to believe. Four years of college and three of law school. It was time to get out into the real world. Of course, I'd seen plenty of reality over the past few years, but now I really felt like an adult. My parents had a small family gathering to celebrate my graduation. It said a lot about how far they'd come that they invited Joe. Jamie was beside himself, seeing Joe and me together again.
The real celebration, as far as I was concerned, was with my other family. Billy and Danny had a dinner party for me at their house, with Aunt Connie doing the cooking. They sat me in the place of honor at the head of the table. All through the meal I looked around the table at Brad, Lucy, Joe, Aunt Connie, Charles, Billy and Danny. These were the people who had loved me through it all, the ones who had loved me for myself. They didn't have to, but they did. From that day when they found me on the bathroom floor to those horrible spaced out days with Peter, they'd never given up on me. They were my support system, my family. I felt so much love in that room that it was all I could do not to break into tears of happiness several times during the meal.
Afterward, we all settled in the living room.
"So what's next, Mark? Are you still thinking of going to work for that gay legal group?" Brad had resumed his role as head of the family.
"Lambda Legal Defense? Yeah. I've had a couple of interviews with them. They've offered me a job and I've decided to take it."
"I admire you wanting to do something to help the community, but they probably can't pay much, Mark. You could make so much more joining a law firm. Are you sure that's what you want?"
"I'm sure, Brad. It's never been about the money for me. Sure, I need enough to live on, but to be honest, I went to law school mostly because of Peter. He wanted to be the big rich lawyer. I was just following along. But now that I am a lawyer, or at least will be when I pass the bar, I want to do it my way. I've always admired Billy and Danny for all they've done with the Alliance. I want to do my part to make this a better world."
"Besides, I make a pretty good living at St. Vincent's. Between us, Mark and I will do just fine." Joe was sitting next to me and took my hand in his.
"Does that mean you two are ready for the next step in your relationship?"
"Yeah, Lucy, we're looking for an apartment together. The city is probably too expensive so we're thinking about Hoboken. It's as convenient to Manhattan as Brooklyn or Queens but it's also only a short train ride to Morristown. What about you and Brad? The wedding is coming up fast. Are you guys ready?"
"We're working on it. We're looking for a house here in the immediate neighborhood. Brad's parents have made a very generous gift toward the down payment so it's just a question of finding a place nearby."
"I've got all my back pay, too. The army didn't pay much but over two and a half years it added up to a decent amount. And we can get a good mortgage through the VA."
"You don't have much time to look."
"There's no rush, Mark. After the wedding we're going to stay with Aunt Connie until we find a house. That will give us all a bit of privacy."
"And the babies?" Charles seemed worried.
"They're going to stay here, Charles. No matter what we do we can't all live together and at least here they'll be in a familiar environment and have two of their parents. Besides, I'll still be with them every day while they guys are teaching."
"It sounds like everyone is going to be seeing big changes this summer. Who would have thought that Danny and I would be the stable ones, the ones who don't change?"
"Are you kidding, Billy? You guys are the center of it all. There's nothing more stable than your love. You inspire us all."
"Inspire is a little strong a word, don't you think, Mark?"
"No, Danny, not at all. I've always looked up to you and wanted the kind of life you have." I looked at Joe. "I think I've found it and that wouldn't have been possible without the love and support you guys have given me. I think 'inspire' actually may be too mild a word."
I gave up on trying to hold back the tears. They ran down my face as I smiled at my family around me. Through all the problems over the years, I'd never dreamed I could be this happy but here we all were.