Cheddars, Chapter 30
Back in Iowa City, things were going well. The guys were busy with their studies and various jobs. No one had a lot of free time, but no one felt overwhelmed either.
Work on restoring Stone Manor, as the guys had dubbed it, proceeded at a reasonably good rate. There were, however, several unexpected glitches which slowed things down. Manuel had originally hoped it would be nearer to completion by Christmas, other than the third floor. In early November, he revised his prediction, and thought it could likely be all finished by spring break. The proposed apartment over the garages would probably run into the summer, but would be straight-forward since it would be primarily new construction.
The "wood-butchers," as Manel often called the people who had converted the house into apartments, had evidently removed a support beam that was in the way of a new dividing wall. Now that their wall had been torn out, the stairway lacked the stability necessary to be structurally sound.
Manuel's crew solved the problem by installing a steel beam running up from the basement to bear the weight the original beam had. Once it was encased in wood, with carved details to match the original trim, all was perfect. However, the process had set the time-schedule back several weeks.
Toby and Jason continued to date on weekends, scheduling around Jason's work at the restaurant. Often, they would meet to study at the library, or Adam's house. They didn't have to be making out to enjoy being together.
Jason had found it nearly impossible to concentrate in his dorm room because his roommate, Steve, was always there, usually playing a video game with another guy from down the hall. Jason began to wonder if the kid ever studied or attended class. If Steve chose to fritter away his time and flunk out, that was his own problem. Jason intended to succeed!
On a Thursday night, the week before Thanksgiving, when they were studying in Toby's room, an early winter storm moved in with more ferocity than had been predicted. Suddenly, their world was filled with thunder, lightning, wind, and freezing rain. The boys stood up to look out the window at a bleak scene on the street in front. Ice was beginning to build up on every horizontal surface. Tree branches were threatening to break.
"Oh man, I should've left half an hour ago," Jason lamented. "It's nasty out there. I'd better get on my way."
"It's not safe to go now; stay over," Toby insisted.
"I'm not sure that's wise; I don't want to do something that might cause me to lose you."
"How can you even imagine that happening?"
"My body aches for you! If I sleep here, it might move our relationship faster than what we're ready for."
"On the other hand, we might BE ready," Toby replied, as he put his arms around Jason. "Let's shower together and wash each other's back for starters."
"You know where this is leading."
"Yup, and I'm ready to go there. I'll lead, follow, or go with you side by side – whatever works!"
They took their time in the shower, caressing and bathing every nook and cranny. Twice, they nearly ejaculated prematurely, but bravely held back.
As the pair emerged from the bathroom several minutes later, they heard the door from the garage slamming shut, and the voices of the rest of their housemates coming from the kitchen. They decided to move closer to the stairs to hear what was going on.
"Sorry, I should have waited for the garage door to shut before opening this one," Rob exclaimed. "That wind is brutal!"
"Don't worry about that," Parker said. "Thank God you're home safe!"
"We wouldn't be if Rob weren't an excellent driver," Darrin boasted. "He had to steer over a curb to avoid being rear-ended by some idiot who must think we're having nothing more than a summer shower! We got off without a scratch, but it's a miracle."
"I may have messed up the alignment, but it's not a major expense to have it readjusted – not anything like replacing a bumper!" Rob said.
Toby and Jason scurried back to Toby's room and traded their towels for boxers and sweatshirts before going down to join the others. They weren't throwing wood, but were still at half-mast. They got perceptive looks from the other guys anyway.
"Grandma always said it's an ill wind that blows no one good," Darrin grinned, as he cupped his own bulge for emphasis. "But it looks like the storm has its benefits for a couple of guys."
"Don't tease them," Adam counseled.
"Hey, it's not like the rest of you aren't getting it all the time," Toby countered, with banter uncharacteristic of his shy nature.
"Whoa! What got into you?" Rob asked.
"This guy, right here," Toby responded, looking into Jason's eyes with pure lust.
"Get a room!" Adam cheered. "Seriously, guys, Jason is always welcome whenever you want to, um... There's leftover pizza in the fridge if you're hungry later."
"Thanks!" Toby exclaimed. "We probably will be."
That said, the pair headed back upstairs hand in hand.
"Check your messages, Jason," Rob recommended to the retreating pair. "You won't have to go in tomorrow if this storm keeps up."
"They're so cute!" Darrin sighed. "Can you image anything sweeter?"
"Any sweeter, and we'd all be on insulin!" Rob joked.
"Have you looked in the mirror lately," Adam teased. "You guys are still mooning over one another. That's an observation, not a criticism."
"Good thing you meant it in a nice way, because you guys are just like the rest of us." Rob countered. "It's so cool that we can all be ourselves, in this house at least. That's the kind of freedom hetero couples must assume is the natural order of things. Thanks for providing a home where we feel comfortable, Bro!"
Toby and Jason wasted no time in making out naked in Toby's bed. The intensity of their feelings matched the fury of the storm. The howling of the wind was echoed in the lustful moans and grunts emanating from their mouths.
Under the spell of unbridled desire, the shy blond boy had transformed into a tiger. He licked and nibbled his boyfriend's ears, neck, and nipples as if he were attacking prey. Jason couldn't believe the change that had come over him, not that he was complaining!
"Oh God, Toby; you're incredible! I feel so wanted!"
"I try to please," Toby responded when he stopped his body-worship for a few seconds.
"I'm thinking of my favorite number between 68 and 70," Jason snickered.
"I love your math skills," Toby said, turning the opposite way in the bed.
That began a journey into oral sex that neither would soon forget. Both tried to make it last as long as possible, but couldn't stave off their need to nut. Their climaxes were closely timed, and left them breathless.
"Will you still respect me in the morning?" Toby joked as they lay cuddled in the afterglow.
"I have something I need to say along that line right now," Jason turned serious. "I'm a one-man guy. I'm into monogamy. I hope you are too. I care so much for you that I think I'd die if we broke up."
"Oh, that's so sweet! Sorry about being flippant. I was trying not to be too vulnerable if this turned out to be recreational sex. I, um..., love you."
As the storm continued outside, the two young men clung together, crying tears of joy, as they realized how alike their souls were.
Falling temperatures had turned the freezing rain into snow. With the base of solid ice underneath the snow, streets and sidewalks were treacherous. All schools, and most businesses, were closed on Friday. No one in the house had to get up for any reason other than not being able to sleep forever.
Everyone, including Parker, slept in longer than usual. Adam and he eventually went down to start breakfast. Two by two, the rest straggled into the kitchen, lured by the aroma of bacon being cooked in the oven. All of them pitched in to help with preparing and cleaning up, so no one got stuck with a lot of work.
Adam started the wood-burning fireplace in the living room which made the house feel snug and warm. Rob and Darrin filled the slow cooker with meat chunks and vegetables to create a stew for dinner. The aroma of the cooking food completed the aura of comfort and security.
The guys showered with their boyfriends, and all elected to wear sweats instead of jeans. Lounging commando in the soft, warm material seemed to enhance the experience of being snowbound.
However, they didn't waste the day doing nothing. Most had reading to do, or projects that could be worked on. But, having a "nap" with one's lover after lunch did enter the picture.
By late afternoon, the precipitation had ended and the temperature had risen somewhat. After a day of little physical activity, the guys were on the verge of cabin fever. They donned jeans and down-filled jackets to play outside and begin clearing the walks and driveway.
Adam fired up the big two-stage snow blower, while a couple of guys got shovels from the garage to do the steps. The rest started making snow sculptures in the front yard.
It would have been fun to create a couple of big phalluses, like some of the frats did, just to piss off Mrs. Cooper, but they stuck to making a family of relatively androgynous snow-persons. "Mrs. Frosty" had only minimal mounds for breasts, and "Frosty" had no male characteristics until Toby moved his large carrot nose to a place below his waist. Everyone cheered, but he soon put it back between Frosty's eyes. There was no reason to offend the rest of the neighborhood. Of course everyone posed with the snow family before Frosty got his nose back.
Since the snow machine was working well, the boys took turns plowing the sidewalk in front of all the houses on the entire block, including the Cooper's. After all, it was university students who would be the beneficiaries of their efforts. Adam thought their expression of good will could shame Madilyn for her attitude toward his friends and him. He didn't hold out a lot of hope, but he figured it couldn't hurt to turn the other cheek. They received several cheery waves from grateful neighbors who were just coming out to begin cleanup.
The stew Darrin and Rob had put together was a big hit. After the outdoor activities, all had hearty appetites. The two got lots of raves for their culinary efforts. That, more or less, guaranteed a repeat performance later in the winter.
When dinner was about over, Toby stood up to make an announcement.
"I'm sure you've all guessed by now, but I want to make it official..."
"You're in love," Darrin offered.
"Close; I'm pregnant!"
His housemates nearly fell off their chairs laughing. They still thought of Toby as a shy, innocent kid.
"Seriously," he continued, when the room quieted down, "Jace and I are officially dating. We're really excited to have found someone else who holds the same values and hopes for the future. Our souls are knitted together like David and Jonathan. Thanks for supporting us on our journey."
Adam stood to applaud them, and the others joined him.
"We've loved both of you the whole time we've known you. Welcome, Jason, to our little family. If you two decide to cohabitate, we'd love to have you move in."
"Um, that was my next topic of conversation," Toby blushed. "I was going to ask if it would be okay."
"It's more than okay; it's awesome!" Adam insisted.
Saturday, Cheddar's was open for business as usual, but some employees begged off because their cars were stranded on the street and needed to be dug out, after being plowed in by the city trucks. Others came up with similar excuses. So, Jason, Rob, and Darrin were busy many hours. As they rode together in Rob's pickup, he was again thankful for his brother's generosity, and the four-wheel drive feature. He was also pleased that the streets department had done a great job of plowing and deicing the major routes.
On the way home at the end of their shifts, Rob swung by Jason's dorm so he could grab more clothes and the rest of his electronics. As usual, Steve was in a hot video game, and barely acknowledged their presence. Between Darrin and Jason, they managed to remove a lot of his things (Rob was waiting in the drive where you couldn't leave a vehicle unattended). It was unlikely that Jason would sleep another night in the dorm. He would officially cancel his room for next semester on Monday when the housing office was open.
The rest of the household had leftovers warming and waited impatiently for Jason's reaction, while the guys brought his stuff from the truck. Jason's whoop of joy from his new shared quarters set them all giggling like school girls.
"What is this?" Jason asked.
"What does it look like?"
"It looks like a queen-sized bed, but what happened to the twins.
"They're in that small bedroom in the basement that wasn't furnished. We can use the extra beds when Dan and Tay visit." Adam said
"Tobes, did you know they were doing this?"
"Yup, I helped."
"Damn! I love you so much."
"Welcome home, Babe!"
Before Ellie and Edgar had moved to Minnesota, Parker had planned to host Thanksgiving Dinner in Iowa City for all his housemates. But as it turned out, everyone had an invitation for the day elsewhere.
The Utley's wanted Rob and Darrin at their home. They would have extended that welcome to any others in the house who had nowhere to go. However, Toby and Jason were going to visit both of their families, the Gustin's on Thursday, and the Elliot's on Friday. Toby's dad planned to come down on Wednesday to help his son purchase a car, now that he had a place to keep it off the street.
Adam had put them in touch with Terry at Baxter Motors, and assured them that they would get a good deal. Toby and Jason looked at the offerings on the website, and chose to test-drive several of them. With the aid of his iPhone, Toby sent pictures and prices to his father on Tuesday night. Larry Gustin was impressed with his son's ability to negotiate, and decided that there was no reason to make the trip. He would send money electronically to help with the payment, and forgo taking off the extra time from his job.
Toby was thrilled! He felt like he was finally being treated as an adult. It looked like his parents were allowing him to grow up. Maybe they'd never been the ones to hold him back. Perhaps it had been his own reticence. He was aware that he'd changed a lot in his first few months as a university student. He wondered if it was simply a matter of maturing, or if his companions had something to do with it. Certainly, Jace must have!
Wednesday morning found Toby and Jason heading west on I-80 in Toby's like-new Toyota Corolla. It wasn't a sports car, but the efficient little sedan fit the needs, and the personality, of its owner.
"It's gonna be cool coming out and introducing my boyfriend at the same time," Toby smiled.
"Don't you think it might shock them, or have you given them some inkling of what's coming?"
"I sorta tipped them off when I told Ricky he wouldn't have to give up his room; that we could sleep in the guest room. It has a queen-sized bed, and his room, which we used to share, has twins. I'm sure my parents know how some guys get all strange at the idea of sharing a bed with another male. Since he told me at Parents' Day that they've discussed my orientation, I assume they've worked it out. No one has mentioned it, so we'll have to wait and see."
"Jeez! What will we do if they go ballistic?"
"They won't. The worst that could happen is that we share a room in the local motel and drive back home or to your parents' house tomorrow."
When Toby introduced Jason to his family, he didn't dance around the issue but went right for it.
"Mom and Dad, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Jason Elliot. I've told you about him, but I held back how serious we are. He's like the part of me that's been missing."
Starting with Toby's mom, everyone embraced Jason as if he were a long-lost relative. His eyes glistened in response to their acceptance of him. Thanksgiving was going to be an awesome holiday.
With no elephant in the room to actively ignore, conversation flowed easily. Jason felt as much at home as he would have at his own house. He was pretty sure his folks would react in a similar way, but if they didn't, he felt he'd still have family.
Before bedtime, the three teens hung out in Rick's room in their underwear. He had been eager all evening to hear more about their relationship than he felt comfortable asking in front of his parents. He knew he wasn't gay, but he could still appreciate a good body when he saw one, and he was impressed with Jason's.
"How did you meet? Was it love at first sight? Are you gonna to get married?"
"Whoa, Bro!" Toby laughed. "One thing at a time. We're not planning our wedding just yet! Gay guys don't necessarily move more quickly than hetero ones."
"I'll tell you some stuff from my viewpoint," Jason offered. "I had already thought your brother was someone I'd like to know better when he'd come to the restaurant with his housemates. He was always kinda shy but always polite. But I figured I'd never get the chance to get acquainted because we were both very busy pursuing different majors.
"The opportunity came when I was invited to Adam's birthday party. It was all couples except for your brother and me. So, we shared his room for the overnight. With twin beds and all, it wasn't any different from being in a dorm."
"Yeah, I shared that room with him when I was there," Rick nodded.
"Anyway, we talked a lot when we were alone. We assumed the other guys were getting it on with their boyfriends, and maybe that made us think about romance. We admitted we were both single."
"But we didn't discuss our attraction to each other," Toby said. "We didn't kiss or anything because that would have been putting the cart before the horse. And you know how shy I've always been."
"Yeah, I made the first move by asking him out to dinner and a movie. At the restaurant, I played footsie under the table, and then we held hands in the theater."
"I invited him to stay the night, but it's not what you're thinking. We kissed and cuddled. He didn't push me to go further, but I would have if he had," Toby admitted.
"If I'd been only after his body, I'd have gone for it, but I wanted us to be soul-mates, so I held back, and I'm glad I did. Now, I've moved in with him!"
"Congratulations!" Rick exclaimed. "It sounds like the real thing to me."
The following day, after a lovely dinner, Toby and Jason headed back east on the Interstate. Jason's family lived about halfway to Iowa City, just west of Des Moines.
There, they got another royal welcome.
"Toby, I'm so pleased to meet you. I knew you'd have to be wonderful if you stole my boy's heart," Candice Elliot enthused.
"Um, Mom, you're embarrassing us," Jason blushed.
"That's what mothers are for," she grinned. "Tell me what I said isn't true, and I'll shut up."
"It's true," Toby confessed. "I'm glad you're okay with it."
"If course I am. All of his texts and emails have been filled with comments of how wonderful you are. He said you've helped him focus on his studies, you have the bluest eyes in the universe, and you're kind and considerate."
"Don't let her tease you," Jason's father, John, said. "She's just overjoyed at the prospect of unloading our oldest."
Whatever apprehension Toby had had about meeting the "in-laws" quickly disappeared amid the teasing and friendliness. He felt completely accepted, and right at home.
Author's notes: Thanks to Hotrod, Skip M, Bill T, Randy McM, Charles G, Al B, Paul R, Rich L, John L, Bill K, Mendy D, Jeremy R, Walt Sz, Max P, Rocky S, Wayne, JLF, Tom A, Frank K, Avid R, Greg B, Ott H, Douglas and Lawrence, Joe W, Toney C, Steve C, Doug A, Zero M, JJP, and Chas who emailed since last posting. Your kind comments are the pay I receive. Speaking of which, if you have a few extra bucks to give, consider a donation to Nifty.
Thanks,
David