Family Matters, Chapter 17
The next big event in the lives of Rory and Austin was the state swimming meet. It would be a two-day event at a university in the middle of the state, about 120 miles away, and would involve staying in a hotel two nights. The boys were excited about going, but were a bit apprehensive because of the sleeping arrangements. They would have to room with another pair of guys from the team, and wondered what kind of comments might be made about their sleeping together. They didn't fear that anyone would be cruel, but figured there might be some teasing.
Since Evan had broadcast their orientation in the cafeteria, they had more or less come out to the guys they were closest to on the team. However, not everyone had heard him or had taken his word as gospel, and many didn't give a big rat's ass one way or other.
Coach Morgan usually made up the room assignments in alphabetical order within grade levels unless guys chose to be with particular friends. Early in the season, Rory and Austin had requested to be together if they made it to the finals. Many others had done the same. So, by the time the list of roomies came out, the alphabet had pretty well flown out the window.
Two freshman boys, whom Austin and Rory didn't know very well, had requested to share accommodations with them. The guys had no objections, but wondered how it would all work out.
After a nearly three and a half hour ride on a school bus, counting the time spent eating, the team arrived at their destination. Coach Morgan reminded his guys that they had lights-out at 10:00 in order to be rested and fresh for competition.
"The booster club isn't paying for the extra night here to have you up partying. If you don't take advantage of the extra night's sleep, next year we'll travel early in the morning like many of the other teams do. You can have an edge on them if you don't waste it!"
All of the guys promised not to be up half the night. A few probably had their fingers crossed when they did, but most were serious about taking home a trophy or two for their school. They considered being on the team a privilege, and not one to be abused.
"You're welcome to use the hotel pool, whirlpool, and other facilities as long as you're not rowdy. If I hear ANY complaint from other guests, I will send you all to your rooms early. I want you to have fun, but we also need to represent our school and ourselves in a positive manner. Is that understood?"
A chorus of words of agreement came in response. He smiled, knowing that his guys would do as he asked. They were a good bunch who appreciated the perks they'd been given.
Rory and Austin didn't stay long in the hotel pool. After taking a quick shower together back in their room, they put on sleep shorts and climbed into one of the queen sized beds, hoping to kiss and cuddle a bit before their roommates came back. They had barely settled in when they heard a tapping on the door.
"We forgot our key; could you let us in?" Jason called.
"What's the magic word?" Austin snickered.
"Um, please; pretty please with sugar on it?"
"That will do," Austin laughed as he opened the door.
"Wow, you're already showered and in bed," Bowe observed. "We didn't mean to keep you up."
"You're fine. We only just got in bed. But if you want to save time, you could shower together."
"We could," Jason agreed. "You won't tell anyone if we do, will you?"
"Nope, that's what we did."
"Cool!"
The older teens weren't ready to sleep yet, so they were wide awake and didn't miss the giggling in the bathroom. They wondered exactly what was going on, but figured it was just the usual grab-ass that team members sometimes got into in the group showers.
When Jason and Bowe came back into the main room, they didn't realize the other two would be sitting up in bed with the lights on. Their faces turned red and the tents in their boxers began to wilt.
"Um, we th-thought you'd be asleep," Bowe stammered.
"We thought you were very happy to see us when we saw your shorts poking out like they had poles in them," Rory grinned. "Is there something you'd like to confess?"
The two freshmen looked at each other and shrugged. Jason became the spokesman for both of them.
"We asked to room with you because we'd heard rumors and figured we could trust you. We're kinda like more than just teammates..."
"That's cool. I suppose you believe that we're gay," Austin said.
"Uh-huh."
"Then I guess it's safe to say that we're all on the same team in more than one definition of the term."
"Yup!" Bowe grinned. "Now we can be naked," he continued as he stepped out of his shorts.
"That's fine with me as long as you don't hit on my boyfriend."
"Are you really boyfriends?" Bowe asked. "Do you screw each other and everything?"
"Bowe, you don't ask people things like that!" Jason scolded, as he too shucked his boxers and crawled under the sheet.
"I'm sorry. I just figured that boyfriends did lots of stuff and didn't mind talking about it."
"You figured wrong," Austin said. "We're soul-mates, but that doesn't mean we have anal sex. There's a lot more to loving someone than fucking, and anyway, intimate things are private matters."
"I hope you won't stay mad at me," Bowe cringed.
"I'm not angry with you; I'm simply trying to correct a stereotype that some people have about gay guys. We're as capable of falling in love as anyone else, and we're not sex maniacs!"
"Okay, so are you guys gonna sleep nude?" Jason asked, changing the subject.
"I am," Rory said, getting out of bed, pulling off his shorts, and giving the boys a quick peek in the process.
"Me too," Austin smiled, undressing a bit more leisurely and allowing a longer look.
"You guys are huge!" Bowe exclaimed. "I didn't get a good look at Rory's dick, but do both of you have your skins?"
"Yup," Rory answered.
"Can we see them close up?" Bowe persisted.
Austin and Rory looked at each other and shrugged before getting out of bed again and walking over so Bowe and Jason could study their cocks a little closer.
"Wow! I hope we get that big," Bowe enthused.
"You might be right now." Austin told them. "When you look at yourself in the mirror, it always distorts the size and makes it look smaller. Besides, showing off makes both of us plump up. We look smaller when we get out of a chilly swimming pool."
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"It's bed-check time, gentlemen," Coach Morgan called.
Everyone dived under the sheets, except Austin, who pulled on his boxers and went to open the door.
"We're turning out the lights in a minute, Coach," he said as he let the man in.
"I need to pull back the sheets make sure everyone is following the proper dress code for students on overnight trips."
"W-we didn't know anything about that!" Jason stammered, the color draining from his face.
"It's right there on page 11. The school doesn't want to have a bunch of naked guys out on the street in case of a fire or other emergency."
"Um, are you sure? I read the whole thing and didn't see it!" Bowe said nervously.
"I'm dressed in my birthday suit," Rory grinned. "I'll show you if you like, Coach."
"That's not necessary. I was pulling your legs as Rory suspected. I apologize. Sometimes it's fun to tease the new kids on the team. Please don't take offense."
"None taken here," Rory insisted. "It's great having a coach who isn't afraid to joke around."
"Yeah, that's cool!" Jason agreed, his color returning.
"Okay, I've already kept you up later than I'd planned. You're my last room to check, so I'll be going. Come to think of it, I'd better do a recheck of a couple of rooms, at least put my ear to the door to see if it's quiet."
There was a certain amount of chattering and giggling after the coach left. Rory teased the younger boys about how shaken they'd appeared when they thought they might be in trouble.
"You need to chill out and realize that most things we worry about never come to pass, and the ones that do, often have good outcomes."
"I knew I'd read the whole handbook and that wasn't in it," Jason said. "But still, he looked so serious at first that I doubted myself."
"I could see the twinkle in his eyes," Rory smiled.
"Would you have pulled back the sheet to let him see that you were naked?" Bowe asked.
"Sure. I'm guessing it's nothing he hasn't already seen in the locker room sometime or other. He's no pervert, but I've heard that all guys check each other out. It's a guy thing to see how you measure up to the competition.
Now, we'd better get to sleep in case he checks on us again."
When Rory and Austin climbed out of bed in the morning to relieve their bladders, they didn't bother to put anything on. There weren't a lot of secrets among them since last night's showing off. As a result, the two freshmen got another eyeful, this time of morning wood. They were duly impressed.
"Are you guys about finished," Bowe called to them. "We have to piss like a couple of racehorses."
"Don't let us stop you," Austin giggled. "You can pee the bed or come in here and join us. We're not bashful."
"You don't have any reason to be," Jason insisted. "We're the ones who might be shy about showing what we have, or don't have."
"Get in here!" Rory commanded, laughing.
The boys hurried in to use the toilet together. When they had finished, Austin told them to stand between Rory and him in front of the big mirror over the sink.
"Now, get a good look of everyone's equipment and compare them to your own. Remember what I told you the mirror distorting things and making them appear smaller than they really are. You don't have any reason to be ashamed!"
"Wow, our dicks do measure up pretty good," Jason admitted, dapping Austin's fist. "Thanks!"
Austin acted a bit like an older sibling in other ways too, counseling the freshmen about eating a light breakfast so they wouldn't get sick when it came time to compete. He assured them that Coach Morgan always packed plenty of energy bars if they needed them and there would be lots of food later.
Bowe and Jason enjoyed being treated like younger brothers. They already knew everything Austin was telling them, but it felt good to know that an older guy on the team would care enough to take them under his wing. They also appreciated the anatomy lesson they'd had earlier.
Everyone was ready and on the bus to be shuttled to the university pool at the appointed time. No one wanted to let their coach down by being a straggler. They knew his philosophy about good self-discipline and they bought into it.
When they looked out at the crowd in the stands, Rory and Austin were quite surprised. No one had told them that they would have family in attendance to root for them. The only one missing, besides Austin's dad, was Charlie.
Competition was much stiffer at the state level, but the guys were fired up and rose to the occasion. Both Rory and Austin made significant contributions to the team's victory in the medley relay. Austin had a particularly strong breast stroke and Rory anchored with his killer crawl. They missed setting new a record by only fractions of a second. It was an awesome day.
When they finally got to talk to their family members, they learned that Michael had reserved two adjoining suites in the same hotel the boys were staying in. He had done it as soon as he knew they would be competing in the finals.
That evening after supper, the guys spent an hour playing with Corbin before his bedtime. He put up a fuss about going to sleep, so the guys lay down with him until he drifted off before going to their room one floor down.
When Austin and Rory let themselves into their shared room, they caught their roommates playing around naked on the bed. Bowe and Jason blushed, but didn't panic over being caught with their pants down, literally.
"Don't let us interrupt you," Austin grinned. "We might be doing the same thing when the lights are out."
"That would be so cool!" Bowe exclaimed. "We've never done anything around anyone else."
"Other than kissing, we haven't either," Rory admitted. "It might be hot to know that someone else is feeling the same way we are."
By the time the meet was over, Washington was tied with Central for the number of wins. Wash had actually performed slightly better when their times were compared. Rory felt great to have competed so well against his former school. His old coach came over to congratulate him.
"I always knew you had great potential. It's really a loss for our team that you had to move."
"Thanks, Coach," Rory said graciously, shaking the man's hand.
Later, he told his roommates how the coach had always acted as if he didn't exist.
"I guess that it took my beating out one of his seniors to get any notice. That kid was always one of his pets in the weight room while he left us peons to shift for ourselves. I shouldn't gloat, but I plan to, at least for the ride home."
Despite having expended a lot of energy at the meet, Rory and Austin went to church with the men the next morning. They were probably still running on adrenalin from their great scores.
The sermon was based on the story of Christ walking on the water and Peter trying to follow his example. The moral of it had to do with faith helping to make the seemingly impossible, possible.
As an illustration, Fr. Mills mentioned that a couple of young men in the congregation had nearly run on water at the state meet on Friday and Saturday. Their team had been considered the underdog going in, but had come out on top because they believed that they could do it. He told his parishioners to believe in themselves when they were facing a challenge. They might very well find an inner strength that they didn't normally have.
He also encouraged people to extend congratulations to Austin and Rory during coffee hour following the service.
The boys blushed at being used as an example for the sermon, but also felt a glow of pride at the recognition.
The missionary family occupying the Banks' home moved out a month earlier than their lease agreement, but still paid through the end of it. They said that they were being called back because of an emergency situation and wouldn't have time to do everything they'd intended to in order to leave the house in perfect condition.
They had cleaned the carpets, but hadn't touched up the paint in the children's bedrooms which showed quite a bit of wear.
Jennifer told them not to worry. She had been planning to change some of the wall colors anyway, and having a full month in which to do that would be a blessing. So, it turned out to be a win/win situation.
Now that the swimming season was over, Austin and Rory offered to help with the painting. Austin wanted to start with his room so that Rory and he could move into it and use their spare time to work on the house. They managed to convince their families that they could get the electrical covers removed and the trim masked off in the evenings after their homework was finished. Landon and Michael suspected that wasn't their only motivation for staying over in the house alone, but they didn't tease them about it. Any excuse to sleep with one's lover was a valid one.
Jennifer agreed to the arrangement, but suggested that Austin might like to move into one of the larger bedrooms where he could have a queen sized bed instead of the trundle he'd been using as twins in the apartment. She thought the trundle could go into the room they'd used as a computer room to be available in case of an overflow of company.
Austin saw it as a tacit approval of the sleeping arrangement he desired to have when Rory was at his house. For the present, they would "camp out" in the king sized bed in the master bedroom, which wasn't exactly a hardship.
On Friday afternoon, Landon picked up Austin and Rory from school and the three of them tackled Austin's new room. Landon was surprised to see that the guys had not only prepped that room, but had the master bedroom and bath also ready to paint. Evidently they hadn't spent all their free time in bed.
Jennifer joined them as soon as she could leave school. Michael came home to take over the care of Corbin from Marian, but brought carryout to the Banks' home for the painters' dinner.
The room was completely done by 8:00 p.m., in time for winding down before bedtime. It was ready for the furniture store to deliver Austin's new bed, mattress, and dresser the following morning.
In two-week's time, the house was ready to be occupied. Jennifer was both surprised and pleased at how quickly and carefully the boys had painted. She insisted on paying them for their hard work. They were initially hesitant to accept any money, but she pointed out that they had cut back on their hours at the store in order to get it done in a timely manner. She estimated the hours they'd put in, and multiplied that number by twice the amount they were being paid for sacking groceries. She said that it was a bargain compared to hiring a professional and the result was just as good as if she had.
After she'd framed it in those terms, Rory and Austin accepted their reward. They would put the money in their car fund.
On that weekend, the boys went with Landon to rent a U-Haul truck in order to move everything out of the apartment. They didn't need a large one because there wasn't a lot to haul.
Michael stayed home to take care of Corbin and to make lunch and dinner for everyone. He loved the bonding time with the baby, and he also enjoyed puttering in the kitchen.
Since no major appliances were involved in the move, there wasn't anything too heavy for Landon and a couple of strong teenage boys to carry. Except for pictures and other things that would go on the walls, the Banks' home was all settled before dinner at 6:00. The household was complete except for Ron, whom they hoped would be discharged soon. Life was beginning to get back to normal.
Author's notes: Thanks to all who emailed since last posting. The list includes: Walt S, Wayne, Bryce W, Dick M, Tony W, Ott H, Peter M, Bill K, Jeremy R, Tom A, Mendy D, Jim W, Jim L, Zero, Bill T, and Desert D. I'm in the process of programming my new laptop. I hope I haven't lost any emails in the process!
I'm in the western part of Ohio for a week. It's raining here today.
David