Jason's First Workout Ð Chapter XXII: A New Year
Dear Readers:
Thanks to all of you who continue to provide feedback and email me with suggestions/questions or thanks. If you like this story, check out my other two in the Nifty archives Ð "Lil' Joe Comes Home" and "The Adam Chronicles". Though only a few chapters each, they are stories I started some years back.
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Best, Coach Luke. Olcoach44@gmail.com
New chapters (5 and up) updated to present day: Luke age 56, Brock 48, Jason 34, Joe 40, Chase 28, Sam 26. The Hendricks clan: William (Will) SR, (64) wife Barb (63)- William Jr (37), Mary Francis (35), Thomas (Tommy) (32) and Kate (29).
New Year's Eve 2020:
A three-quarter moon shone through the stained-glass window of Christ on the Cross that was positioned just above the hand-hewn table that served as altar at the 130-year-old Pisgah Chapel. The morning's soft snow had cleared into a crisp, sunny day and only traces of the ice remained on the ridges as night had fallen. Across the raised, gothic roof of hand-hewn beams in the rustic chapel, strains of a Bach cantata floated from the expertly played pipe organ whose exposed pipes were the focus of the back wall and upper balcony. Jason and Joe entered stage right in their matching black tie and dinner jackets, stepping from the rectory office followed by the Chaplain in his official park service shirt and clerical collar. Positioned in the polished, ancient pews that smelled of beeswax and red cedar sat Will Hendricks, Senior and wife Barbara on the right, a surprise arrival the night before. The newly reunited biological father to son Joe was joined by Joe's Gran, Shirley, in her new green finery with white curls freshly permed by O'Della's daughter-in-law hairdresser. Next to Gran, sat her best friend, Miss O'Della, in a large velvet dress of red, still celebrating the season in their matching Christmas finery.
To the left side of the center aisle, sat the handsome doctors, Brock Goodman and Luke Smythe. In the balcony, to the left of the organist's bench, Joe's friends, Senior Park Ranger Bob McCreary and wife Cindy, sat with a Go-Pro camera, live-streaming the event to Jason's adopted brothers in Houston, Texas, and Aspen, Colorado. At the back near the narthex stood Frank, O'Della's son, who had served as quasi-usher and groomsmen, lighting the candles and assisting the elderly women into the church. All were masked except for the two strappingly handsome men standing at the front of the room, now holding hands. The room was softly lit by the candlelight of the dozens of white tapers around the room and the towering Frasier Fir that stood sentinel on the left side of the altar, bedecked in white and gold Chrismon ornaments and twinkling white lights. The pale moon shone down upon them, just over the shoulder of the crucified Jesus.
"Dearly Beloved," the Chaplain began as the strains of the organ subsided.
Luke: "Well, this was some party, Gran," I said hugging Joe's grandmother at the front door as Brock and I said our farewells and prepared to drive an hour back down the mountain to our home in Greenville. "You sure know how to throw a memorable New Year's Eve party."
"Well, it was all just what those two boys wanted. You know we love Jason as much as if we'd birthed him, dontcha?" the sweet woman asked me. "I mean, he's made our Joe so happy."
"Thank you, Shirley," Brock added. "Joe means a lot to us too. I just hope they weren't rushing things."
"Now, don't you Dads worry," she said, lightly patting Brock's arm. "When you know, you know. Those two boys are definitely in love. And between the four of us," she nodded to her left at the ample bosom of her friend, O'Della, "I can't wait to be a great-grandma!" We smiled and made our way out, putting out coats on over our suitcoats as we headed into the parking area.
"Did she just say `Great Grandma'?" I stage-whispered to a slightly tipsy Brock.
Brock buckled himself into the passenger seat of the pickup and rubbed his temple. "This is why I don't drink champagne." He moaned. I started the truck.
"Did you hear what she said?" I asked louder.
"Yes, dammit, I did. But what, Luke?" he chipped back. "You think Joe somehow knocked up Jay? I mean, seriously?"
"No, I mean, one of them must've said something to her about starting a family. I wonder why they haven't talked to us if they are considering adopting?" I mused as I steered the vehicle out onto the county road and south toward home.
"Maybe because they thought you might over-react?" Brock mused into his hand.
"Over-react how? I wasn't the one who just told our son-in-law's grandmother that I hoped they weren't rushing into anything!" I chipped back.
"Fuck" Brock groaned again. "I don't want to fight, Luke, not tonight. I shouldn't have drunk so much and I have no filter when I'm on champagne, you know this. I'm sorry."
"I didn't mean to snap," I added, reaching over for his hairy fist. "It was a beautiful service, don't you think?"
"Yeah," he agreed. "I don't know how I missed out on knowing that Joe was musical. When he reached for that guitar and sang that song to Jay, I almost lost it."
"You? Mr. Wound Tight?" I laughed in mock derision. "I saw some tears."
"Yes, me. You're not the only one with a romantic streak, you know. And I do realize the boys are in love. I just don't want Jason to be hurt again. Butch was such a shit to him." He groused, looking back out the passenger window.
"He was. But that's over. And there's nothing in his history or the present state that would lead me to believe that Joseph Green could ever be like that to Jason." I said, softly. "We made it this far. Don't you think they have a chance too?"
He turned a looked at me. "Better than a chance," he agreed, then squeezing my hand he added, "Joe's daddy looked pretty fine for a straight guy, didn't you think!"
"Yes. I can definitely see where Joe and Tommy's braun comes from. And Barbara is a lovely woman. I enjoyed talking with her tonight. Turns out she was the one who insisted they book last-minute flights from New York to Asheville so they could be here. Apparently, she was very taken with the way Joe and Jason were at Christmas. She wants them to be a part of her family now too," I updated him.
"Yeah, she told me much the same," Brock concurred. "I definitely want to hear more of that whole story when we have Jason to ourselves again. Of course, it's hard not to like someone who gushes over how wonderful your son is."
"Well, I wouldn't count on those two being a part from one another anytime soon. Don't you remember what that first year was like?" I grinned at him.
"We fucked on every surface of the house?" He joked.
"No. Well, I mean yes," I laughed. "But we didn't want either of us to go anywhere without the other. I hated to be apart from you. They're the same way."
"Yeah, but they have been like that for almost five months now" He teased. "And besides, something happened between the coming out of the younger brother and the older brother's uptight wife and then new Dad just showing up yesterday with wedding gifts. There had to have been some drama there at Christmas."
"I'm sure they'll both share it when they are ready," I said levelly.
"Just like they'll both share any baby news when they are ready?" he said back.
"Touche' ol' man," I smiled. "Go ahead and sleep it off. I'll wake you when we pull into the drive."
"Damn, I love you," He bussed my cheek and then snuggled down into the passenger seat and within minutes was snoring.
Joe: "Holy Fuck, Stud! I can't believe how much you still rock my world. Damn!" I exclaimed, as I turned, feeling Jason's now softening cock slip from my loosened hole, dripping his wet love sauce across my hairy cheek and leg. "Come `ere, you." I pulled him into me and we began to kiss again, this time softly but still with intimate passion.
"I can't believe you did this," he said softly into my cheek. "I would have been happy back at the cabin with just us and the fire."
"I know," I said, brushing the sweat off his brow and licking the side of his face softly, "but after you drove through a blizzard to help me meet my Dad, I thought I should go the extra mile for this room. And besides, I have a connection or two here at the Grove Park Inn. I came by this morning and dropped off our stuff and paid so they'd be ready for us to come in after midnight and bypass the desk. I booked this room in the original section the day after my proposal. We can fuck all night in this old bed in front of this roaring fire and dream about all the straight couples who made babies in this room for hundreds of years before us!"
He snuggled into my chest, laughing, pulling on my right nipple and wrapping his strong legs around my waist. "That was `making love' not fucking," he corrected me, "and I'll be up to do it again in just a few. I purposely only drank one glass of champagne tonight. The rest of time it was just tap water."
"Damn boy, you were sacrificing for me again." I kissed him hard, never wanting to stop. "I love how you cum so hard inside me like that."
"I love everything about you," he whispered back. "But especially when you drive that big cock of yours deep in me, long and slow."
"Oh yeah, you ready to take on this hunk of meat," I teased, licking his lips and around his bristly cheek, grinding my hard cock into his moist one, feeling his hard abdomen beneath me as I rolled on top of him.
"Fuck yeah, Joey. It's my turn. Breed your boy," He begged, sucking my tongue into his and pulling his legs up beneath me, baring his furry puckered manhole to me. I pulled away from his suckling mouth, trailing my kisses down his torso as I gripped his hard, hairy thighs spreading them open more. I attacked his cleft, pulling it apart and burying my mouth and beard in the musky crack of his ass, licking my way around and into his pert pink sphincter. I slobbered and tongued him until he was pulsing, moaning for my entry. I found the lube bottle in the sheets where he'd left it upon fucking me, and I quickly sat up, greasing my throbbing pole and then slathering two lubed fingers into his hungry pussy.
"Oh, oh," he cried out, moaning. "Of just fuck me, Baby" he commanded, lifting his hips even more.
I placed a rolled a hotel pillow beneath his hips, pulled back my foreskin and placed my head at his throbbing entrance, then I leaned into his hungry lips. "This is love-making, Jay," I said breathily as I slowly but strongly entered him in one long, slow stroke. My cock was made for his hole as much as his had been made for mine. Given, he'd had to adapt more for my 9+ -inch thick member, but after almost six months, this hole was totally ready. Still, every time I entered him, it was still like the first time.
"Oh fuck, Baby," I groaned into his right ear, licking it softly. "Fuck, you feel so hot and tight."
"Damn Joey, fill me up," he moaned into my mouth. "I love you so much!"
I began to slowly withdraw, hoping to long-dick him as long as I could stand it, but after taking his hard and fast, sweaty fuck, I knew, despite my best intentions, this first time would not last hours. My cockhead was almost out and I clenched my abs, using my core to pivot my hips and start a slow drive back into his chute. Already the sweat was dripping down the side of my face and my core was radiating heat out from my cock up my chest.
"You're all I ever want, Jay." My cock found purchase and my pubes ground into his moistening hole. I started the slow retraction again, "All I'll ever need, Bud." My breath was getting ragged and I moved my mouth from his ear to his hungry mouth, ravishing his tongue with mine, fucking his mouth as I fucked his other hole. His now erect (again) cock was moist and throbbing against my abs and I could feel him urging his ass back onto me, as he pushed up pressing his wet cock to rub against my core.
"Feel good?" I asked as he moaned into my mouth.
"Oh God!" he gasped. "Think you can keep this up all night?" he moaned pressing himself harder into me. I slowed my stroke, the sweat pouring off of me now, and pulled back until my head was barely lodged into his chute. The fucking fire, while romantic, now seemed like a stupid idea. I was burning up! I grasped my balls with my left hand as I kept Jay tight in my right.
"You've got me close, Bud, but damned if I'm not determined to fuck you all night," I said, smiling, eye to eye. He reached up and wiped the sweat from my brow then licked it from his palm. "Fuck that!" he said, ramming his ass back onto my cock. "This ass is going to need multiple loads and I want this one now!"
"Fuck yeah, Stud!" I shouted, as I raised up into pushup position and started to pummel his ass. "Who needs a patient fuck-buddy?" I asked the wall behind the bed. I began to fuck in earnest now, pistoning my aching cock into his moist, stretched hole, groaning into the heat and sweat of our love-making.
"Oh, Oh," he groaned, as my head pounded into his second layer, rubbing his prostate on every hard upstroke and banging the force of its contact up my member into my groin.
"Damn, damn!" I shouted, pounding harder and harder until I felt my balls catch fire and the flame torched up my groin, into my midsection and I could literally feel the flames of my cum shooting through my piss-slit into his rectum, filling my man with hot, molten seed in four, five, then six explosive volleys. I continued to plow this row, pounding on though my cum was spent, trying to cool the red-hot tool that was my cock until finally, sweat flying and balls aching, I collapsed atop my equally red and sweaty man, panting.
"Hot damn! That was good!" he shouted, then with surprising speed from his still upturned legs and pillow-propped ass, he flipped me onto my back and settled into the hollow of my right arm.
"How the fuck'd you learn that trick?" I asked, rubbing his shorn blond side burns and the now lengthening shock of hair on the top. He licked the sweat from my obliques up into my hairy pit, sucking the juice from my manly pit and smacking his lips like a pig.
"Watching some wrestling porn videos," he chuckled. "I got tired of always suffocating and having to beg you to move your weight, you big lug. I've been training so when you exhaust yourself with your love-making, as you are want to do, I can then exercise my bottom-boy flip."
I tickled his side, rubbing his head and nuzzling into his mouth. "Oh, is that what you gay boys are calling it these days? The Bottom-boy Flip?"
"Sounds sexy, dontcha think?" He laughed, now licking his way up my right pec to suckle on my nip.
"Oh fuck, son," I groaned. "Everything about you is sexy."
"Will you still love me when I'm old and fat?" he smirked, looking at me dead in the eye. It brought me up short.
"I meant what I just promised, Jay. Forever. Old, fat, bald, grey, dying. Better or worse. I love you, Bud. I really, really do." I said from the depths of my heart.
"Ditto," he said, kissing me lightly. "And from now on, I expect a song on the guitar to sing me to sleep every night, you fucking romantic giant!"
"Oh shit," I gasped. "Bob and Cindy packed up my guitar to take home unless they threw it in the back of your jeep before the party."
"No worries," he placed one strong index finger on my lips. "You can sing unaccompanied to me tonight Ð as long as you fuck me like that, two or three more times." Then he replaced his finger with his lips, and I was lost in his kisses again as he climbed on top of me, our cooling sweat cementing us together, chest to chest.
"I think I can make that happen," I breathed into his ear, gently stroking his sweaty back, and began with my soft baritone to sing softly, "say that you'll stay a little, don't say bye bye tonight. Say that you'll be mineÉ"*
A Morning Somewhere in Connecticut
Tommy:
"Fuck, yeah, right there, Rusty!" I shouted as I thrust my hard, aching cock into his hole. "Bend over and take it bud! Fuck!" I wrapped my hands around my best-friends hairy hips, banging my aching cock into his well-used hole.
"Oh Fuck, Tom. Right there." He groaned, slamming his meat with his right hand. "Shit Bud, I'm cumming!"
I felt the explosion up through his groin and into his ass as it gripped me hard, sending me over the edge. "Shit bud, hold on," I groaned, gripping his ass tighter and pounding into one last hard thrust. "CummingÉ" I shouted as six hard bursts filled his fiery chute with my cum. We stood that way for a few in the open showers of our gym, letting our breath return to normal, before I pulled my softening 8-incher from his velvety hole and slapped his ass.
"Damn, Stud. You still know how to get me off." I laughed, squeezing his shoulder before walking to the nearest shower head and turning on the contral.
"I needed that, Tommy. Sarah wouldn't even play with my hole when I fucked her Saturday night." He said, turning on the shower head next to me.
"When are you going to admit the truth, Russ and quit stringing that girl along?" I asked as I turned to soap up my torso, making sure Rusty could see as I soaped up my swinging cock and balls.
"Stop it, Tommy!" he said, giving me an eat-shit look. "Just because you're now Mr. Out and Proud dudn't mean we can all be gay and happy. Seriously, have you thought about what it would be like for this business to have TWO gay guys running it? How many straight boys are gonna want to lift if they think we're only training fags?"
"Call me a fag again, Rusty, and I fuck the rest of you up the way I just did your hole, you big pussy!" I said, spreading my legs wide and raising on fist.
"Oh fuck you, Tom. I wasn't calling you a Fag but you know what I mean. It's not just you and me, though I like a good cock as much as you do. But I still like pussy. And I'm not going to jeopardize what we've built over two years, weathering this fucking pandemic and everything, to be called a `Gay Club.' This is still small-town Connecticut bud."
"What does that mean?" I asked, rinsing then turning off the shower and grabbing my towel off the hook. He finished up and followed.
"You know what it means. Everybody in town now knows you came out. Sarah was asking me about it Saturday night. Did I ever have any clue? Do you ever come on to me? I mean, shit, Tommy." He laughed.
"And I assume you lied, didn't you?" I challenged him.
"Fuck yeah, I lied." He stammered. "Told her I was as shocked as everyone else, though I supported you. I loved you like a brother and I was no homophobe."
"Oh, that's big of you, especially since you take my big cock up your ass at least twice a week," I said, smirking back at him.
"It's not just Sarah. I have to think about our business reputation. Let's just see what happens over the next few weeks." He began, trying to placate me. "The town is opening back up. We've had new walk-ins with the easing. Let's just get through spring and maybe I'll think about it. We friends and business partners first, right?"
"Okay," I said. "it's not like I'm in love with you or anything, you asshole"
"Exactly," he said, reaching for his jock and pulling it over his furry, ginger pubes and cock. "With business partners with benefits and lifting buddies. That's it man. But, I appreciate you scratching my itch," he laughed, grabbing my cock as he walked by and then exiting the shower room to hit our personal lockers.
He leaned back into the room. "I don't have a session until 11. I'm going to dress and run some errands. You okay minding the floor til then?"
"Sure," I said, wrapping the towel around me and heading to my locker with a grimace. I had managed the mid-morning doldrums of `gay divorcees' who had come in to walk the treadmills and then chat or pretend to work out on some nautilus machines and ellipticals. We'd had one studly college kid who must've still been on holiday break come in and I enjoyed the view as he worked up a sweat in the free weight area. He was a little guy, probably only about 5'8" max, but he was blonde, blue-eyed, and he had nice bulging biceps, pecs, and a tight, round ass. I'd smiled and flirted some over the last few weeks but other than a smile or two back, I hadn't gotten much attention. I was just thinking about how I could see him better when my brother walked in around 11:30 AM.
"Hi William." I'm sure I frowned upon seeing him. He glanced around the gym floor.
"Can we talk?"
"I'm working and there are people on the floor. I think you and your lovely wife Susan said plenty at Mom and Dad's last week." I retorted.
"Please Tommy, don't you have an office or something?" The pleading tone he now took caught me off guard. "Where's Rusty? Can't he cover?"
"Russ did the opening shift at 5 AM and went to blow off some steam before his 11 AM training appointment. That cancelled and he hasn't made it back in yet," I explained. "Come on back, but I've got to leave the door open so I can watch the floor and check out the cameras here behind the desk."
"This is a pretty fancy set up," he said glancing behind the desk as I let him into the bare office. Since Russ and I shared it and mostly used it for new member interviews and paperwork, we hadn't exerted much effort on dŽcor.
"Have a seat," I motioned to the one chair across from the desk and then I sat down, happy to have a piece of furniture between us. Then, "Go ahead." If he wanted to talk, I was going to let him, but I wasn't going to make it easy on him, that was for damn sure!
"You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?" He said, rubbing a hand through his thinning hair and looking at me. I said nothing.
"Okay, I came to say I'm sorry. I should not have reacted the way I did after Christmas dinner and I should have said something when Susan reacted the way she did. I apologize, okay? You're my little brother and I love you." It all came out in a rush, as if he'd rehearsed this for days, and I was surprised to see his face flush and his eyes fill. I cleared my throat.
"Well, thanks for the apology, even if it is a few days late. But I accept it." I said, matter-of-factly.
"Is that it?" he bristled, sitting back. "Is that all you're going to say now?"
"What Billy? Seriously?"
"You fucking told us all you were gay after Christmas dinner, in front of Dad's fucking gay bastard and his boyfriend. And then I also find out, not only am I totally in the dark, but my sisters Ð both Mary Fran and KATIE, for God's sake, KATIE, have known for years. How'd did you expect me to react to that?" he began shouting.
I tried to use my lifting coach quiet voice. "First, we're in my place of business, so please stop shouting. And the answer is probably about the way you reacted, which is why I never came out to you. The only reason I had the courage to come out to you, Mom and Dad was because of the encouragement of Mary Fran and Katie and recently, of our new brother Joe. Seeing him as an adult gay man, owning his identity, and freaking looking so much like us, just made me feel good about myself again. So that's why. Until your wife essentially called me a pervert. So there was that." My tone did get a bit louder though I was trying to keep it under control.
"She didn't call you a pervert." He said through clenched teeth.
"Oh my God William, they are up in his room, playing Xbox. Is that a good idea? I believe those were her exact words. What did she think was going to happen on this day that had never happened before? They'd turn into little homosexuals because they were sitting on my old bean bag. Or, maybe I left some dildoes out on the bed? I mean, fuck William, what was that?" I demanded.
"She was surprised and upset. We both were. I'm sorry she reacted that way but she was afraid for the kids." He stammered.
"Afraid for the kids? Of what? I mean, I changed their damn diapers when I babysat themass babies! I was just as queer then only you two homophobes didn't know it. You think I played with their little parts way back then too?" I asked angrily.
"Oh stop, Tommy! Just stop! That's not what she meant. I'm sorry, okay. We both reacted poorly and I can't speak for her, but I'm sorry. As your brother, I'm sorry." He began, rubbing his head again.
"Seriously? Mom hugged me. Dad hugged me. The girls hugged me. You guys jerked up your kids and ran out of there like it was catching. I'm mean, what the fuck?" I was starting to choke up and he would NOT see me cry about this. My brother and his evangelical zealot wife would not ruin me or my family. I was not going to allow it.
Then to my shock and horror, my grown brother, 37 years old, balding, pudgy now and super straight engineer, began to weep. If he had dropped trou and asked me to suck his dick I would not have been more surprised! My emotions dried up and my jaw must've dropped. What the fuck?
"Billy? Billy?" I began. "Seriously. You apologized. I accepted it. It's okay. Let's just forget about it and move on. It's over." I said, trying, hoping he would stop, but he just wiped snot across his face and continued to cry and then stammer.
"It's all my fault. I've should've been there for you and you never told me. You never trusted me enough to know. I was supposed to protect you. What kind of fucking big brother did I turn out to be?" he wailed, looking at me for more than forgiveness.
"And now, this fucking bastard shows up, and he's like your gym-twin, and he's giving advice and smiling all over the fucking place and even Mom likes him. What has happened to my family? What am I supposed to do?" he pleaded to me. I got up slowly and came around the desk, perching on the corner and placing one hand on his shoulder. Where to fucking start?
"What do you mean, It's all your fault? I'm the one who saw the article in Nature magazine and sent it do Dad. If anything, finding Joe was my fault Ð though I don't think it's about blaming anyone. Is that why you're upset? You think he's going to replace you or something?" I asked, rubbing his shoulder gently now.
"No. Well, maybe. No, I meantÉ" he struggled to find words. "The gay thing. It's all my fault."
I burst out laughing.
"Seriously? You know you didn't make me gay right? I mean, you watch PBS. We're born this way, bro." I said smirking.
"But what about jerking off? And, I mean, I let you touch my dick? If I'd never done that, you wouldn't have, maybe you wouldn't haveÉ" He began to cry again and I couldn't help it. Damn if I didn't love the stupid fuck. I pulled him up into a hug and tried to console him.
"Hey, hey. You didn't make me gay, okay? I've always been this way, even if it took me awhile to accept it, and even longer to tell you. It's not something you can cause, and I'm certainly not ashamed of it any more. You were the best big brother. You always took care of me, even when you taught me to jerk off," I laughed and he smiled. "I'm serious. Sit down and get ahold of yourself, okay?"
"Okay," He said, pulling away from me, sitting down and wiping his face with both hands. "I'm sorry. It's just been, such an emotional week. I mean, meeting that guy, I knew it'd be hard. I mean fuck, he looks so much like you and Dad. And I know, I've got a lot of Mom's features and her side, but I mean, it was hard to see that. And I was already having a hard time with it. And then your big announcement, and it was like, shocking, yeah, but also like everyone already knew but me. And then I really felt like I was on the outside. And then, we got home and Susan and I had a big fight and she's been at her parents with the kids for the last few days so she says `I can figure things out.' What the hell is that supposed to mean, Tommy?" He asked.
"Wow." I said, scratching my stubble. "Wow. I mean, I'm sorry you guys fought about me, Will. But I don't know anything about women or marriage, except from Sis and Katie and I mean Ted and Mary Fran Ð they seem so tight and good. I don't know what to tell you. Are you saying she wants a divorce?"
"Oh God know, the church doesn't allow that." He huffed. "I mean, it could happen but one of us would be kicked out."
"Some church," I blurted.
"Well, the Catholic church doesn't allow communion to the divorced either, right?" he was on the defensive. I held up a hand for truce.
"Let's avoid the religion talk today, okay? I'm sorry about you and Susan. And honestly, I don't know what to tell you about Joe. I really liked talking to him on FaceTime and having someone with my same interests Ð and like me, for once,- I mean. Do you know what it felt like to be this way in our family? The three of you were all so damned smart! And you Mr. Lacrosse too. I just wanted to play ball and be a goof and you guys were all scholarships and Ivy League and then there's me Ð community college. Barely graduating state. Then you're following Dad's footsteps in the engineering firm, Mary Fran is following Dad's footsteps in the engineering firm. Lil Katie is Bryn Mawr and medical school. I mean seriously, when I told Mom and Dad I wanted to make my passion for working out my career, you should've seen their faces. It was like they deflated. Like I said, I'll work at McDonalds or something." I began.
"It wasn't like that, Tommy. They are super proud of the business you've built. Dad wouldn't have invested if you hadn't proved it to them." He asserted.
"I know they are NOW, Will, but it wasn't always like that. I felt like the big, gawky, outlier through a lot of our lives." I said quietly. "And especially since I was gay."
"I'm sorry, Bro. I never meant to make you feel that way," He said.
"You didn't. I meant what I said before. You were a great big brother. Seriously, how else would I ever have found out how to jerk my meat without you?" I laughed.
"Well, probably from your middle school friends, like I did." He smiled. "But man, you were walking around the house with a hard-on all the time and Dad was like, `there's no way we can live with a 13 year old like that again.' I mean, it's almost like he asked me to teach you so your boners wouldn't be scaring the girls all the time." He laughed, looking at me. "You were such a lil' goober."
I smiled. "I guess that's why they wouldn't let Mary Fran have her own room after Dad built out the basement for you? There were afraid I'd be jerking off in front of lil' Katie?"
"I don't know," he laughed. "Mary Fran sure bitched about that enough, didn't she? How come the boys each get their own room. What about gender discrimination?" We laughed together and it felt good.
"I missed you when you moved downstairs," I said shyly. "I mean, I know you were 17 and it was only the last year and half before college, but having you with me made me feel like a normal guy. It was harder after you left."
"I'm sorry, Bud. God, I wish you'd told me. How did I not know?" He pleaded.
"I don't know. I learned to hide it well? I was probably 11 or so when I realized. You and Patty Ryan were practicing for Lacrosse tryouts in the back yard with your shirts off. It was, it was, really my first memory of feeling like that, like this," I began, trying to put into words.
"Ol Pat," he said, smiling. "He was a hairy fucker, even at 15 or 16. Damn."
"Not really him, though." I began. He looked up at me. "I mean, you were my big brother, my hero. You were down there with that brown hair, feathered to your shoulders Ð those wide shoulders and biceps bulging and that six-pack. You were who I wanted to be. I wanted to be strong and ripped like you but it was more than that, too. And realizing that scared me."
"Wow." He whispered back. "I would've been okay with it. I hope I would've been okay with it, if you had told me. I swore I'd always protect you, didn't I?" he asked.
"Yeah, you did. And you let me touch your dick when I was 13 and you were 17 as part of my instruction in life, I think you said." He laughed some more. "But you also teased and bullied Jake Pearsall and called him a faggot. And you and Patty used to say you'd beat the shit out of any faggot that you caught eyeing you in the locker room showers. That scared me too." I confessed.
"Shit, Bro," he ducked his head and wiped his eyes again. "I probably wouldn't have come out to me either. If I'd had any clue thoughÉ" he began, but then just shook his head again.
"It's okay." I said back. "I'm out now. And we're good. It's all good."
"Is it really? Are we really all good?" he asked looking at me.
"Yeah. I mean, I don't know how I'm going to be around Susan, but that seems more her problem than mine. I just don't want to be separated from my niece and nephew, but I also refuse to deny who I am." I said strongly.
"You won't be separated from them, ever. Not if I have any say. I'm sorry about that. The kids love their big Uncle Tommy. Nothing will ever change that." He said strongly.
"You mean it?" I asked.
"Hell yeah!" He responded.
"I thought you quit cursing because of the church?" I smiled.
"It comes and goes," He smiled back. "I'm still working to be more like Jesus, but even he got pissed and knocked over some tables a time or two."
"Well, in addition to jacking, you also taught me how to cuss, so that has been hard since the born-again thingÉ" I started.
"Whoa, you said we weren't talking religion." He held up a hand. "And besides, Dad was the one teaching us to cuss, with his `shit' um pardon me, boys- that's two Hail Mary's at confession on Friday' shtick!"
"1- you brought up Jesus. And 2- Dad taught us more than cussing. He's pretty awesome as a Dad, especially now." I said.
"You mean the having a bastard son, or having a gay son, or both?" he asked, seriously.
"I guess both. Kind of. What were you thinking?" I asked him.
"Oh God, it's so good to talk to you again, Tommy. That's part of this, I've missed you and I felt like there was nobody I could talk to. About anything." He sighed.
"I'll take part of that blame, Bro," I began, but he cut me off.
"It's on me. I let Susan push me away from the family after we joined the new church. She said I had to turn away from my cult-like Catholic childhood, and it was just easier to go along. But I missed just hanging with you. And now, I mean, I know you like this guy, but I just can't get my head around it." He said quickly.
"Okay, that's a lot for me, as your recently outed gay brother to deal with. Again, you and Susan have your own shit and I'm not qualified. But you'll figure it out and do what's best Ð not just for the kids, Billy, but for you too. Okay?" I looked at him and he nodded.
"And if you wanna hang more, why don't you just join my gym? I mean, my former star athlete brother has to be in there somewhere, right?" We both laughed. "It's just hard for me to run the shop all the time and see you guys, plus it would be good for you to get back into shape, right? Two birds?"
"I appreciate the way you're politely saying I've gotten fat, lil' Bro. But I know it. And I would love to get into shape again Ð not super-body Tom Hendricks shape- but maybe just a little bit of that teen big bro you admired?" He smiled. I smiled. It was a fucking Hallmark movie moment.
"But I'm still not sure about the whole bastard brother idea. It's going to be tough for me." He said, flatly.
"Well," I began, standing, "that's something else we can work on. Together." I reached out to shake his hand, but he pulled me around the desk and into a hug.
"Sure, lil' Bro," he said patting my back. About that time, Rusty stuck his head into the office.
"Hey, I'm back! Whoa, didn't mean to interrupt anything," he said, pulling his head back.
"No worries, I was just leaving," William said.
"It's okay. Just letting Tom know I'm at the desk. You guys take all the time you need," Rusty said, ducking back out and eyeing me over the back of William's head.
"That one?" Will pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Buddy since high school and business partner. You and himÉ" he motioned with a finger into the hole of his hand. "You knowÉ?"
"We're business partners," I told him flatly. Then winked, "with benefits!" Billy spit across the room as he laughed out loud.
"Fucking knew it!" he said loudly as he walked out the door. I smiled. Maybe my big brother was going to come back to me after all.
To BE CONTINUED:
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As always, thanks to my original inspiration, the great Rock Lane Cooper and his wonderful "Mike and Danny Series" that I discovered years ago. Read it on the web.