Family Matters, Chapter 14
Michael and Landon were up early Christmas morning. Landon let Charlie out in the fenced backyard to burn off a little energy as well as do his morning duties. Michael changed Corbin's sodden diaper and got his breakfast ready.
While Landon prepared the turkey to put in the oven, Michael fed Corbin. He made use of every opportunity to bond with their son. He was aware that some babies will give the cold shoulder to the parent who is away at work during most of their waking hours. He didn't want that to happen to him. So far, Corbin seemed to accept everyone easily, but that could change.
Rory awoke about 8:30 on Christmas morning with a big smile on his face. He was lying on his right side and his boyfriend was snuggled against his back, gently cupping Rory's ball sac in his sleep. From Austin's breathing patterns, it was evident that he wasn't faking it.
Eventually, the need to pee caused Rory to disentangle himself and scurry to the bathroom, still naked. While he was there, he brushed his teeth to make sure his breath was kissing fresh.
As he finished rinsing, he was joined by Austin who was wearing boxers.
"Mornin' babe," Rory grinned.
"Mornin' boyfriend," Austin replied with a wide smile.
"You okay with last night?"
"Yup! It was wonderful. Besides, I'm the one who started it."
"I know, but I wondered if you were having second thoughts."
"Nope, unless horny ones count," Austin answered, groping Rory's semi-hard dick.
"You'd better cut that out if we're gonna Skype with your Dad pretty soon."
"Oops, you're right. We'd better jump back in bed and pull the covers up over our laps to hide your dick."
"Wouldn't you rather we get completely dressed and sit in the rec room?"
"Nope, there isn't time. Put your boxers on and that will be fine. I'd just as soon have him see us sitting up in bed together so he can kinda get used to the idea that we're good buds."
"Okay, but I thought you were scared."
"I was, and I still am somewhat, but after last night, I know I can't keep hiding how I feel about you."
When they got back in bed, the boys pulled the covers above their waists, but didn't put on T-shirts. Austin stayed close to Rory, with his left hand underneath the sheet resting on Rory's thigh. It made both of them horny as they reveled in the intimate touch.
It was about 9:00 (3:30 p.m. Kabul time), when Ron's transmission came through to Austin's laptop. Ron couldn't miss the fact that his son looked the happiest he'd seen him in months. Maybe it had to do with the holidays, but he suspected it resulted from making a new friend. Rory seemed to be all that Austin talked about in the past month. It was like a major crush.
The fact that they were now sitting half naked and close together in bed, made Ron feel his suspicions about his son's orientation were correct. While he wouldn't have wished for his boy to be different from the majority of his peers, he would defend to the death his right to be himself. Ron's love for Austin had no limits.
The three of them chatted for about 15 minutes before Ron said he needed to stop pretty soon in order to Skype with Jennifer while electricity was available. Rory offered to leave the room so father and son could talk in private. Ron said it wasn't necessary, but Rory felt he should give them privacy regardless. When jumping out of bed, he moved quickly so that the bulge in his underwear was a blur, but Ron noticed that it was prominent.
Austin and his dad did visit for another few minutes. When they finished, Austin came into the rec room and led Rory back to bed by the hand.
"Dad said he thought you were a good-looking guy, and he's happy that we're friends," Austin grinned. "I think he was trying to tell me he knows and he's okay with it. I didn't have the balls to come out by Skype. Actually, I think I could have, but I think it's something that needs to be done face to face. At least now I don't feel panicked about it. Before he signed off, he told me he loves me unconditionally and always will."
"I think you're reading his intent correctly. I can tell he loves you."
"He likes you too. He said so."
Austin effectively ended their conversation by kissing Rory on the lips. Rory opened his mouth slightly in response to Austin's probing tongue. Their kisses became more intimate and passionate immediately.
Austin backed off briefly.
"Are you okay with this?" he inquired.
"What do you think?" Rory asked, guiding Austin's hand to his crotch.
"The preponderance of evidence would indicate that you like it in a BIG way, Dr. Watson," Austin giggled. "Either that or you have a flashlight in your boxers."
Although they had a good appetite for breakfast by that time, they were even hungrier for each other. They helped each other get naked and sat side by side facing one another with their right hips touching. This position made it easy for them to fondle each other simultaneously. It also allowed them to communicate with their eyes and gentle kisses.
Rory got up and asked Austin to spread his legs. Then he sat back down between them with his legs over Austin's so that their crotches met balls to balls. In that position, they gently stroked one another.
Try as they might, they couldn't ride the wavy of sexual ecstasy for as long as they would have liked. Their orgasms were earthshaking and both ended up with copious amounts of cum on their chests and abs. A few drops had even reached their faces and necks.
Rory didn't wait to ask permission, but lay on his back and pulled Austin on top of him. The two of them kissed and licked, sampling bits of the juice they'd expelled.
"You taste so good!" Rory enthused.
"So do you!" Austin responded. "Merry Christmas boyfriend!"
"Merry Christmas to you, too."
Jennifer arrived about 11:00 with a small cooler containing her contribution to dinner. She had a glow about her that put a knowing smile on all the males' faces. Austin whispered to Rory, speculating that his parents had evidently had Skype sex. Landon and Michael made the same assumption, but didn't discuss it. Marian assumed that Jennifer was really happy to be having Christmas dinner in a family setting.
Although Michael and Landon had done the majority of the meal preparation, they hadn't objected when Jennifer offered to bring fresh cranberry relish and fruit salad to add to the feast. She had said her mother had taught her never to come empty-handed when invited to a holiday dinner.
They wouldn't sit down to eat for another hour, so the adults all had a glass of traditional eggnog while dinner continued to cook in the oven, and the boys had the non-alcoholic variety.
During the waiting period, the men gave Jennifer a tour of their new digs. She was impressed at how quickly they had made it look presentable after their hurried move.
"Other than lacking your usual decorative touches on the walls, your home looks very settled," Jennifer complimented. "I can't imagine how hard you've worked."
"We had a lot of good help. Do you know how much we appreciate everything your son did for us?" Landon asked.
"I'm pleased to hear that he wasn't just goofing off. I had assumed his pleas to stay over with Rory had more to do with camaraderie than exertion."
"I don't doubt that spending time together was a major part of the motivation, but both boys pitched in like grown men. They were invaluable!"
"We had to convince them to wear weightlifting belts because we were concerned that they'd hurt their backs with all the heavy things they were trying to pick up." Michael said.
"I suspect they massaged one another's muscles when they went to bed," Jennifer grinned.
"Are you implying that our boys have become sexually active?" Landon raised an eyebrow.
"They either have, or are on the cusp," Jennifer nodded. "From their glowing faces, I'd say their relationship has reached a new plateau. I suppose I should have a talk with Austin about safe sex."
"We've taken on the role of parents and had that discussion with Rory, purchasing him a few supplies. We could include Austin another time if you like. Of course, you're gen-x and probably feel more comfortable than Marian would have."
"This is true, and I have had a number of fairly frank talks with Austin, but I would appreciate it if you'd do it. You men are better equipped for the job because you have something I don't."
"Um, yes, that's true," Michael agreed, blushing.
"I'm talking about EXPERIENCE!" Jennifer giggled. "What did you think I was saying?"
"Well, um..." Michael stammered. "Why do you assume my mind was on something else?"
"I do teach adolescent males many hours a day," she teased.
"Ouch!" Landon grinned. "I guess we've just proved that `mature male' really is an oxymoron."
"Don't be too hard on yourselves; I led you into it," she blushed, realizing how she'd phrased it.
The guys were gentlemen enough not to pick up on her unintentional pun.
Dinner was a great success. Everyone tried to hold back enough to save room for at least a sliver of one of Marian's pies. The adults all had apple, but the boys went for the chocolate cream.
They had all settled down in the family room to visit when the phone rang.
"Blasted machine!" Michael exclaimed. "I'm not sure why we keep a land line. This had better be someone we want to talk to."
"Call from Lan-ga-stan Mil-dred," the mechanical voice announced.
"The dumb thing can't even pronounce common names!" Michael grumbled.
"Hello Aunt Mildred," he answered, sweetly, as he switched it on to speaker so everyone could hear.
"I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas," she said. "And thanks for the lovely wreath."
"Merry Christmas," everyone responded.
"It's so nice to hear all those cheery voices in my old place.
Well, I called to see if you'd found your Christmas present from me."
"Being able to live in this lovely home IS a great gift," Michael told her.
"There is one more little thing for you. It's in the first garage behind the stack of boxes slated to go to charity. I wanted to make sure it didn't get taken to the Goodwill as well. Your sturdy young men should be able to bring it in, I think."
Rory and Austin went out to search in the garage and came back in carrying a very large box with Christmas wrap taped to it in various places to cover the writing on the cardboard crate. When they set it on the floor and pulled off the paper, they saw that it was a Yamaha digital piano.
The boys got a box-cutter and sliced along the dotted lines at the bottom as indicated on the instruction. They then carefully removed the cardboard so as not to scratch the shiny black finish.
"Aunt Mildred, it's beautiful! How did you know we'd love it?"
"I remember Michael saying that he used to play and I thought it would be nice for Rory and Corbin to use if they want to. Children should have music. There should be a bag out in the garage near where it was with a few music books, including one with Christmas carols."
Austin went out to retrieve the music while Rory plugged the piano into a nearby outlet. Michael pulled up the bench and pushed the on button the moment it was all set up. He warmed up for a minute with "Jingle Bells" and everyone sang a verse of it for Mildred. Charlie joined with a couple of howls on the chorus.
"That was wonderful!" she told them. "Charlie seems to enjoy singing too. I'm happy he's with you. By the way, Terry and Marie were listening and they think you should take your act on the road! Well, I'm signing off now so you can continue your concert. Again, Merry Christmas!"
"Thanks Aunt Mildred," they all responded. "Give our regards to Terry and Marie," Landon added before the line went dead.
It was half an hour before they stopped singing, and that was only because Corbin had awakened, wanting attention. He was probably concerned that some kind of fun was happening without his participation.
"You boys both sing well," Jennifer complimented them. "Austin went out for freshman boys' choir, but hasn't done much singing since."
"That's what I did in eighth grade, but Ralph said it was a sissy thing to do, so I didn't keep it up when I started high school."
"Ralph is a nasty chauvinist pig!" Marian exclaimed. "He's out of your life forever and you need to do what YOU want to do."
"Maybe we could try out for men's chorus in the fall, unless football takes up too much of your time," Austin suggested.
"I'd like that," Rory said, ignoring the reference to the sport he would most likely be heavily involved with in autumn.
The boys went into the kitchen for a couple of minutes, ostensibly to find a teething biscuit for Corbin, but evidently had another motive. When they came back with Corbin's snack, they were holding hands.
"We've decided we want you all to be the first to know," Rory spoke for both of them. "Austin asked me last night to be his boyfriend and I happily accepted!"
"This calls for a toast!" Landon exclaimed, "But since we're low on bread, you'll have to settle for eggnog."
"Landon, that's awful!" Michael groaned.
Everyone drank a toast to the boys, and that made them beam all the more. If the adults thought they were a little young to be falling in love, no one said so.
A sense of relief washed over Rory and Austin. It wasn't that they had expected any flak, but it was comforting to have their relationship accepted AND celebrated.
"Are you planning to email Dad about your new romance?" Jennifer asked her son.
"Don't you think it might be upsetting to him?" Austin asked.
"No, I don't."
"Do you think he's guessed about me?"
"Yes; he's no dummy."
"I had a feeling he might have figured it out when Rory and I Skyped with him. I still want to wait until he's home and tell him man to man; or maybe I should say boy to man."
"Nope, you were right the first time. You may be a YOUNG man, but you are a man indeed."
"Thanks, Mom. Are you sure you want to say nope' instead of no' in front of your impressionable son?"
"Yup!" she laughed.
Swimming practice came pretty early for most of the team members on the day after Christmas. Austin borrowed his mother's car to pick up Rory, even though that was a bit out of his way.
He had been somewhat disappointed that she discouraged him from sleeping another night with Rory, but he knew that they would probably have kept each other up, in more ways than one. He'd found that it was more difficult to keep his hands to himself now that they were officially boyfriends.
The smile hadn't left his face since receiving so much support from Rory's family and his mom after their announcement. He could scarcely wait until his father was home to share the news with him as well.
Coach Morgan put the boys through their paces, but didn't overwork them. He was especially pleased with Austin and Rory. They seemed to have more life in them than many of the rest. He wondered what their secret was. They must have had a great Christmas.
After lunch, the boys rolled into the supermarket parking lot on their bikes at the same time. They had ridden from their own residences since that would be quicker than for one to have gone to the others' place. Someone would have driven them, but they felt the additional exercise would help with building stamina, and the day was sunny and in the 40's.
The store was full of activity all afternoon with shoppers who were already gearing up for New Year's Eve. Traffic would increase as the holiday approached, but it still seemed busy enough to the employees. Both boys were scheduled to work right up to closing time on the 31st. That should prove to be a chore.
By the time their afternoon shift was over, the boys were quite aware that they'd been up early and had put in a full day. Rory smiled brightly when he received a text from Michael saying he'd be over with the SUV to pick them (and their bikes) up for dinner so they wouldn't have to ride home in the dark.
Jennifer hadn't objected when Austin accepted Rory's invitation to sleep over with him on the weekend. She did remind him that he should reciprocate in hosting, but she knew he would resist the idea due to having less privacy in the apartment. She was certain that the title, "boyfriend," probably indicated the beginning of a more intimate relationship than Austin and Rory had had before, and one which probably necessitated privacy. She would respect that. She had called Austin a man, and she had to accept that he was on the threshold of being one. It was still difficult to give up her little boy
After dinner, Rory and Austin took Charlie out for a short walk in the neighborhood. The temperature had dropped a lot after sundown, and they were glad they'd bundled up. As they got to the street where they would turn around to go back, a few flurries began to fall, sparkling like diamonds against the streetlamps. It all looked magical and romantic.
Rory reached over to take Austin's hand. Instead of pulling away as he might have a few days ago, Austin squeezed his hand in return.
Emboldened by the gesture, Rory move closer and started to sing an old Irving Berlin favorite in his clear baritone voice.
"The snow is snowing and the wind is blowing,
But I will weather the storm.
What do I care how much it may storm?
I've got my love to keep me warm."
"Dude, that's beautiful! Where did you hear it?"
"Grandma and Grandpa used to let me play old records on their turntable and I'd sing along. I suppose it's probably an antique by now; I'm guessing it's long gone."
"Who was the singer?"
"Frank Sinatra."
"Is he the one who sang, "White Christmas?"
"Nope, that was Bing Crosby."
"You have a good voice, you know. Here I didn't even know you could sing until a couple of days ago."
"I didn't have a lot of reason to sing until recently."
"I'm glad you have now. I hope I'm part of that reason."
"Definitely!"
They stopped to kiss under a streetlight while Charlie left his scent on a fire hydrant. Someone who sat gazing out his second-floor bedroom window saw them and smiled. What he'd give for a good camera right now – one with high definition and a telephoto lens.
Author's notes: I'm back! Had a wonderful time, but all things, both good and bad, must pass.
I heard from the following since last posting: Jim L, Ott H, Wayne, Johan D, Tony W, Trish R, Geoff, John D, Bill K, Daniel L, Bryce W, Walt S, Steven J, Mike M, Jim W, Dick M, Bill T, Tom A, Zero, and Chris M. Thanks much!
Please remember Nifty in your will! I suppose I sound like Public Radio when I keep mentioning donations.
I can't remember if I touted Ron's recent story, "A Delicate Situation." I highly recommend it, especially in times of political candidate adverts like we're having in Iowa already. Anyway, the general link is: www.themustardjar.com. Then scroll down to the title. If you like it, please let Ron know!
Here are a couple of links you might like also:
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a36156/same-sex-marriage-license-victory-in-central-texas/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joan-e-dowlin/the-hypocrisy-of-religious-freedom_b_7663824.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592