Cheddar's, chapter 22
Adam went with Rob to Darrin's house early the next morning. His Fit would hold the bulk of Darrin's possessions, and the rest would go into Rob's old Buick.
They arrived in time to overhear a lot of yelling. Rob had been right, the reaction of Darrin's family needed a stronger metaphor than "having a cow." It sounded like the brown stuff was hitting the fan.
"It's the fault of that Baxter boy you hung around with! You were never gay until he converted you!" his mother screamed.
"I was always the way God made me, you just wouldn't let me admit it!"
"That's blasphemy!" his father shouted. "God never created anything evil!"
"Hi, we're here to move you out," Rob said cheerily, hoping to break the tension.
His presence simply turned the hatred toward him.
"I know you've been doing sinful things with my son," Darrin's mother took up the cry again. "Two men who lie together are an abomination unto the Lord!"
"We haven't done any of that yet," Rob grinned. "but there's always hope for the future."
"My stuff's mostly in the garage, if you guys want to start loading it," Darrin said to his friends.
"Okay, call if you need us," Rob insisted.
Adam opened the garage door, and the two of them quickly placed boxes and bags into the back of his vehicle. Darrin's shout brought them back back into the kitchen in time to witness his father go ballistic. Picking up a chair, he lunged at Darrin. Adam still had a bag in his hand which he threw at the man's face, spoiling his aim. The chair broke into pieces as it hit the table with a resounding crash, scattering shards of plates and glasses on the ceramic tile floor.
"I'm calling 911 and getting the police!" Rob exclaimed. "That was an attempt to cause bodily harm!"
"No, wait," Darrin's mother ordered. "George, get ahold of yourself. It won't do any good if you get arrested! Just cut off all ties with this evil boy who used to be our son. It's not worth the price. He's beyond reclaim; we can't save him."
Darrin's father stomped off toward the bedroom, and the boys finished loading and left quickly lest he come back with a weapon. Darrin knew there was a gun stored in the closet.
"He's always had a short fuse," Darrin said of his father when the boys were carrying his things to his new room. "Still, I've never seen him like that. I hope he won't take it out on you guys."
"I doubt he will," Adam said. "I remember when I was a kid how he'd blow his top, but then cool down soon after, kinda like a volcano. If he makes any threats, we can get a no-contact order. I did that with my grandparents.
Let's get our minds off it by going car-shopping after we unload Darrin's stuff. There's a young salesman at Baxter's ready to show Rob a few vehicles he might like to drive."
"What?" Rob asked.
"I want my brother to have a ride that's as good or better than mine. So, courtesy of Baxter Motors, you'll have one as soon as you can narrow down your choice.
"Parker has some baking and other preparations to do, but he insisted we shouldn't wait for him. He'll meet us for lunch whenever we call him. Um, you don't have to make a choice right away. You can have all the time you want to think it over.
"We can write it off as advertising if you let them put a decal on the back window like I have on mine."
"Looking at cars would be a good distraction after what we've just been through," Rob agreed. "Do I have to trade in my junker, or can I will it to the twins. They'll be licensed a year from now."
"I don't want to hurt your feelings, but Baxters wouldn't put it on the lot. It wouldn't bring much on the auction block either. We'll go in my car so you can drive home your new one."
When the trio arrived at Baxter Motors, Terry Bartlett greeted them with fist daps instead of handshakes. Rob warmed to him immediately. Here was a guy who acted more like a bud than a used car salesman. Even Darrin brightened up.
Terry had put together a computer file that featured several vehicles in the general price-range Adam had talked about with Kyle. He had been asked not to display the prices with the pictures because Adam didn't want Rob to settle on something he didn't love, just to save the dealership a few hundred bucks.
Rob and Darrin were mesmerized by the array. It was ultimately Rob's choice, but seemed to value his boyfriend's opinion greatly.
After narrowing the list down to four, the guys went out on the lot to see them for real. The first one Rob wanted to test-drive was a 2010 silver Toyota pickup with a club cab and a cover over the bed.
He was a bit disappointed that it had over 80,000 miles on it. But Terry reassured him that a Toyota was barely broken in at that mileage.
"Fortunately, or unfortunately, these pickups maintain their resale value. It's rare to see one in this price range with so FEW miles."
When Rob drove it, it was love at first sight. Seeing how tight, and rattle-free it was, Rob figured it would hold up for many years to come. There wasn't a noticeable scratch on the body, and no rust to be found.
He tried the other vehicles he'd kinda liked, but kept looking over at the pickup longingly.
"There's enough room to take four guys comfortably, and we could haul a lot of stuff in the back. It would be great for camping! What do you think, Darrin?"
"I think you should do what you want. Far be it from me to come between a man and his love."
"I like it a lot, but I won't take it if there's a possibility it will come between me and my lover." Rob grinned.
"Nah, there's no chance of that happening," Darrin insisted.
After a few signatures for change of title and application for plates, plus the decal with the company's website address on the back window, Rob and Darrin drove to Cheddar's to meet Parker for lunch. Adam followed in his car, smiling all the way because of how happy his brother was.
Jon and Bart arrived at Adam's house around 2:00 in the afternoon. They had eaten lunch on the road, so were ready to inspect the damages at the Forsythe property. The guys would have introduced them to Darrin and Rob, but those two had gone to Scheel's to look at camping equipment on their way home from lunch. Parker figured they were finding excuses to drive around in the new pickup.
The inspection of the house began on the top floor and proceeded down from there. Bart had brought along a state-of-the-art camera so he could take photos of the doors, moldings, and other details in case they'd need to hunt for matching materials from a company that specialized in salvaged and repro replacements. Jon had several tape-measures and other equipment so they could record dimensions for pricing custom-made replacement windows.
On second floor, they spent more time inspecting the damage to the unit which had suffered from the fire. The odor remained quite pronounced even after HAZMAT had done their bit, but there was no reason to hire a cleaning company until after the remodeling was further underway. Most of the materials that caused the bad smell would be ripped out and thrown away.
Jon was pleased to find that there was no structural damage. The wall and hollow-core door that were nearly destroyed were ones which had been put in when the house was chopped up into apartments. The wall wasn't a weight-bearing one, and would be taken out when the rooms were restored to their original configurations.
First floor was fine, as far as the fire was concerned. There was a bit of water damage, but it was minimal and mostly involved the carpet which would be among the first things to go. When pulling up the edge of it, the men discovered the original parquet hardwood floor. Bart was optimistic that it might be restored to its original beauty.
While they were at it, they pulled up all the damp carpet and put it in the dumpster. No sense in having it mold and create another problem.
The last places they inspected were the garages. Nothing would be done to them immediately. The better built of the newer ones was the three-stall one directly behind the house. It could be made to blend in with the house by cladding it in brick to match, as closely as possible. With the addition of a steel supporting beam, it would be possible to add a comfortable apartment on top in the style of the carriage houses which were popular in the era when the house was built.
The little one, that was an integral part of the house, could be converted into a storage place for equipment like the mower, snow blower, garden tools, and bicycles. The driveway leading up to it could be replaced with lawn and shrubbery to make the lot look bigger and present a nicer view from the street.
"It will take several thousand dollars to make it a show-place, but the insurance money should help quite a bit. I'm going to contact a society that's interested in preserving historic buildings. I might try to write a grant proposal for some private funding.
"I'd also consider bringing a suit against the guys who caused the fire, unless your attorney says the legal fees will be more than the money you could recoup," Jon suggested.
"I'll discuss it with Mr. Novotny. He's a straight-shooter, and he won't steer us wrong," Parker said.
When the guys got back to Adam's house, they found Rob and Darrin there, working on settling their room. Neither of them had a lot of worldly possessions, so the process was nearly finished.
Adam made the introductions, and proudly proclaimed that Rob was his brother.
"I can tell you're related," Jon said. "And that makes you both handsome. Darrin, you may not look like either one of them, but you round out the good-looking group."
"I'm sure you all turn a lot of heads," Bart added.
The young men blushed a little at the assessment of their looks, but were more pleased than embarrassed at being thought of as handsome.
Neither Rob nor Darrin had to work, so Parker invited them to have dinner with the rest.
Rob said they didn't need to be included, but the boys wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
"You're family!" Parker insisted. "The four of us guys should always eat together when we have the opportunity. My grandma and dads have given me a bunch of recipes to try, and I need a willing group of tasters to ensure that my culinary efforts don't kill anyone else off!"
"We'll agree to it, if we can contribute to the efforts," Darrin said. "We need to test our skills too, since we won't have wives to take care of us."
"Many of the famous chefs are men," Bart observed. "I'm getting better at cooking, but my husband is definitely the master. I often play sous chef."
"Come on, guys, we've set places for everyone, so let's see if this is fit to eat."
"Thanks for making the linguini recipe again, Parker," Jon said. "You know how much we loved it at graduation time. I think this is even better than before."
"Thank you, Dad. I played around with the seasonings a bit. I'm glad you like the changes. I made sure to note them in the recipe file."
"And where did you get this awesome ciabatta bread?" Bart asked. "Our stores don't carry anything equal to it."
"Well, I, um, made it from scratch. That's why I didn't go car shopping with the other guys today. I felt like I had to baby it when it went through all the rising processes. It's actually fairly simple, but you have to begin a day early to make the `start'. And since it's the first time I've made it, I was pacing like an expectant father."
"Ah, that brings back memories of walking the floor waiting for you to arrive," Jon grinned. "You didn't hurry at all after the first labor pain. You gave your mother a rough time."
"She left me a history that didn't include those details. Either she forgot, or she didn't want to hurt my feelings."
"I shouldn't have mentioned it, I guess."
"Yes, you should. I want to know stuff. I'll add it to what she did."
"I want to know everything too," Adam said. "Especially stuff I can use as blackmail!"
"Hmm... I'm sure I can supply a few embarrassing things about Chipper."
"D-a-a-d!"
Jon and Parker had to spend the next several minutes explaining his nickname to Rob and Darrin.
Rob excused Darrin and himself after helping to clean up the kitchen from their meal. He said something about needing to do a few more things in their room, but he really wanted to comfort Darrin over his confrontation with his father early that morning.
Before they went upstairs, they told Jon and Bart a few of the details. Jon was very upset over his treatment. He gave Darrin a big bear-hug in an effort to alleviate some of his pain.
Darrin leaned into him and held on tightly. Being in the arms of a caring adult released the emotions he'd managed to hold in check and large tears fell from his eyes.
"I've l-l-lost m-m-my f-f-family today."
"Your family has evolved, but only a small part of it's gone. It has expanded to include everyone in this room. Bart and I can be your dads as well as being Parker's and Adam's."
"Th-thanks," he sobbed.
"We mean it," Bart added, as he and Rob both held onto Darrin from behind.
"I think I should take him up for a hot shower and put him to bed early," Rob suggested."
"Be sure to give him a massage when he's done with his shower," Parker advised.
Up to that point in their relationship, Rob and Darrin hadn't gone beyond the hand-holding and making out stage. Tonight, Rob felt it was time to ratchet it up. Darrin needed to feel loved, and he was bound to do his best to help that happen.
They lay on their bed for several minutes, kissing and fondling. Rob wanted Darrin warmed up and relaxed before they did anything intimate.
"Tonight's your night, and I want to make love to you. I know we've only been going together for a few months, and we haven't been out to the rest of the world long at all, but I also know you're the guy I want to spend my life with."
"Um, please be gentle; I've never had anything up there but a thin carrot."
"Oh Babe, I didn't mean I was going to put my dick in your butt. We can do that if you want, but I'd just as soon wait."
"That's cool. I want it to feel good when we do it, and I think it might hurt without more stretching. Do you think Adam and Parker are doing it?"
"They've been together long enough, but I'm not sure they've tried it. They seem to be taking it slowly, and I like that idea too."
"So, um, what do you want to do?"
"I'd like to make your favorite fantasy come true, if I can."
"Hmm..., even if it's a little kinky?"
"Especially if it's kinky!"
"Well, I, um, saw your white singlet with the red and blue trim when we were putting things in the bureau, and I know how well you fill it out. I'd love to see you get hard in it. It doesn't hide a lot, and I've dreamed about rubbing my face on that bulge, and maybe licking it."
"Shit, that sounds hot! I'm supposed to be pleasing you, instead of the other way around."
"Doing that for you WOULD be pleasing me," Darrin grinned. I have a Speedo I could wear if you want to do something similar."
They agreed to shower separately and have the "big reveal" in the bedroom when they were clean and raring to go. They had come close to getting into each other's pants a couple of times, but something had always come up to thwart their activity. Once, they nearly got caught in a remote men's room at school, and another time a cop had driven by when they were starting to fool around in Rob's car. But now, they could proceed with no fear of interruption.
After his shower, Darrin lay on the bed with his erection throbbing with each heartbeat, testing the strength of his swimsuit fabric. He seemed to be getting harder by the minute, as he anticipated what was to come.
When Rob entered the room in his singlet, Darrin sprang from the bed and closed the space between them almost before the door was shut. They wrapped each other in their arms and kissed passionately. Then, Rob gyrated his hips in small, gentle circles, causing their phalluses to swell even more.
"God, this feels good!" Darrin gasped.
"I'm gonna make you feel even better!" Rob promised.
"Let me do some exploring first," Darrin requested. "I want to get into my fantasy.
With that, he dropped to his knees to nuzzle the bulge he lusted for. It was Rob's turn to draw a sharp breath as Darrin traced the contours of his dick with his tongue.
As the white fabric got wet, it also became translucent. Darrin could nearly see the details of his prize.
Rob drew him into a standing position and knelt to suck on Darrin's mound. After a couple of minutes, he tugged on the waistband which caused his lover's erection to spring out over the top, slapping him in the forehead. Then, he licked from balls to tip, milking back the foreskin to flick his tongue across the area where shaft meets head.
"Oh, oh, oh" Darrin cried. "I'm gonna cum!"
"Hold off if you can," Rob suggested. "We can cool off and build it up again."
Darrin clenched his anal muscles, taking a few deep breaths until he managed to gain control. He stood, and helped Rob out of his wrestling gear, backing off to take in the whole scene.
"May I take a picture of you?"
"Sure, if I can have one in return."
They got their shots, as well as one of them side by side, grinning into the mirror. After a few close-ups of their junk, both individually and together, they walked over to the bed, hand in hand.
"Now that I've had a good look at your beautiful cock, I think it looks just like your brother's, skin and all."
"Are we the same size?"
"I'm not sure; I suppose you are. We measured each other when we were 14, and that's the only time I handled it. We had a hard time stopping at that point, but we were afraid we'd go to hell if we didn't resist temptation."
"It's too bad you didn't get to finish."
"You wouldn't be jealous if we had?"
"Nope, I think boys should be allowed to experiment."
"Did you?"
"Sure, but when I was a kid, it was all in fun. What I want to do with you is for love."
"Okay, let's get to it!"
That is the point at which all talking ceased because each of them had a mouthful of a big tasty sausage which was getting juicier by the second. This time, they didn't try to hold back. Darrin shot his load first, but Rob began before he was finished.
They kissed deeply for several minutes after their orgasms subsided. Then, in the afterglow, they exchanged more words of love. Eventually, sleep overtook them.
Author's notes: Thanks to Paul F, Kev V, Geoff S, Walt Sz, Wayne, Ott H, Steve C, GCD, Jack W, Dick M, Randy McM, Charles G, Bill K, Joe W, Frank K, Tom A, John L, Mendy D, Bill T, Walt S, Ray K, JJ P, Omaha Jim, Mike C, Jim F, Jim W, and Paul R who emailed about the last chapter. I appreciate your support.
Nifty also appreciates your financial support.
David