More Christmas Tales
By David Lee © 2017
This can be a stand-alone tale, but it will make more sense if you've read the original A Christmas Tale that was posted December 2009 in the high school section. https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/a-christmas-tale
If you like this tale, please let me know at: dlee169@hotmail.com. Please consider a donation to Nifty to keep these free stories available.
Thanks to my editor, David for his help.
Peace and love in this season,
David
It was four years and two days since Tyler and Gavin had first confessed their love for each other. The bedroom they shared was chilly and there was again a howling wind outside. This time, it wasn't the cabin, but rather a tiny garret apartment in an old house not far from the university campus.
They were snuggled under two blankets and a comforter, but were naked as the day they were born. It was how they had slept whenever possible since their first semester of college.
For the first two years, they had been roommates in Donley Hall. While they didn't often get to shower together there, they did get to share their bodies in the privacy of their room almost as much as they wanted to. They had usually pushed their beds tightly together at night, always remembering to move them apart in the morning.
In the summers, they managed to get to the cabin for a few days now and then. If they were alone, they frequently celebrated their love by reenacting the sexual fun they'd had that December in the past.
Too often, they didn't have the privacy because their families expected them to take along their younger brothers. They still had fun, and managed to get each other off late a night, but it wasn't quite the same.
In their junior year, they had rented a fairly nice two-bedroom apartment with two other guys. By splitting the cost four ways, the outlay had been about the same as living in the dorms and their parents hadn't objected to the move. In fact, their mothers were more comfortable with the boys having housemates than living together in a dorm room because they felt their sons were getting too close anyway. Their fathers figured they might be able to entertain girls more easily than if they were living in a dorm. Gavin's father had joked privately with Tyler's dad that the two were so close they would probably get laid in the room together anyway. That kind of comment was never made around the mothers who were more straight-laced than the men.
Their senior year, Gavin and Tyler were renting this tiny apartment in a house which had been chopped up into several small units many years in the past. It had few amenities, but was a way to save money because the rent was cheap they could cook at home rather than buying their meals in the cafeteria.
Though they now had less than a year to go before they graduated, they still needed to be frugal so they wouldn't be faced with college loans to pay off for years to come. Expenses wouldn't have been an issue had their parents not discovered their orientation and their love for one another and cut them loose.
It had happened back in July when they were home working summer jobs for a factory-built house company. Because they were strong and athletic, they had been hired as part of a team which worked outdoors setting up the wall panels on the foundations which guys from another crew had prepared.
They loved working in the fresh air, and the pay was good. The only downside was that inclement weather could interrupt their jobs, sometimes for a couple of days in a row.
A weather front had moved in bringing rain which halted their progress, leaving them at loose ends. After the second day, they had tired of entertaining themselves with video games and had messed around in Gavin's bed instead. They were in the throes of an awesome orgasm when Kevin, Gavin's younger brother burst into the room.
"What the fuck are you guys doing in here making all that noise...?"
He soon found out that his terminology wasn't far off the mark. While they weren't actually copulating, they were certainly engaged in a sexual activity.
Kevin was supposed to be swimming laps at the Y most of the afternoon, but hadn't felt well and had been sent home early. It was that unexpected event that put a new twist into their lives.
Kevin was so upset that he spilled the beans to Tyler's brother, Ashton. Their conversation was overheard by Tyler's mother, Sonya. She told her husband and called Gavin's parents. The four of them had a meeting with the young men. Lots of angry words were exchanged and lots of blame passed back and forth.
The women held their spouses responsible because they'd allowed the boys to participate in sports events which conflicted with church activities, allowing them to skip youth group too often. The men said that the mothers had turned the boys gay by coddling them. No one wanted to admit that their orientation might have been an inherited trait.
Tyler's father was the most reasonable of the four, but his voice was drowned out by the others. What the other three parents did agree on was that the boys should be separated, and not allowed to see each other at all. If it meant dropping out of college or changing schools, and losing credits, it was a small price to pay in order to get straightened out.
As the emotional tempest grew, the guys went silent. To their families, it signaled their acquiescence. When things began to settle down, Gavin and Tyler stood up, holding hands.
"We've already discussed what our alternatives would be if you couldn't accept us as we are," Tyler announced. "We love each other and we're not about to go our separate ways. Like it or not, we ARE a couple."
"Gavin, is that your decision too or are you being pushed into this by Tyler?" his mother demanded. "You need to think for yourself instead of letting him lead you astray!"
"It's my decision! I love Tyler with my whole heart. We'll `go astray' hand in hand!"
Although the two had hoped to remain in the closet until they had graduated, they had been realistic and had contingency plans in place. Unknown to their families, they had a joint savings account where they had socked away as much of their earnings as they could spare.
In addition, there was still a bit of money in the 529 plans their grandparents had created for them. Since they had been given control of those accounts when they turned 18, that was one more financial asset the parents couldn't deprive them of. However, there were still a couple of months before fall term started, and they had nowhere to live.
Their survival instincts kicked in, and they faced their new challenges much as they had during the snow emergency at the cabin. They needed an inexpensive place to stay until the end of summer, so they purchased a tent on Craig's list and bought a few more camping supplies. They kept their valuables safe in the trunk of Tyler's car. The county campground became their new home.
They used the wireless Internet at places like McDonald's or Panera, occasionally going to the library. They were able to stay connected with the university and with their friends without using up all their phone minutes.
By a stroke of luck, they had discovered this tiny apartment, online, which was going begging. It wasn't fancy and it wasn't air conditioned, but the price was right and the location was perfect. They could walk or bike about anywhere they needed to go. They moved in as soon as their construction jobs ended.
By watching their pennies, they had made it through the first semester without having to borrow any money. Things didn't look as promising for spring term, but they knew they could finish their degrees without being too far in debt.
"Do you think this 12-pound turkey will feed everyone?" Gavin wondered when the guys awoke on Christmas morning.
"Sure. There will be only five of us and we have stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, salads, and a pie for dessert. There should be enough for leftovers tonight as well. I wonder who Grandpa's bringing with him. He hasn't dated since Grandma died as far as I know, and a lady friend would only account for one additional person anyway."
"I hope whoever it is won't be put off by our humble dwelling."
"Hey, it may be small and old, but it's clean and cheery with our little tree. Plus, the aroma of dinner cooking should make the place homey."
"Having the oven on for a few hours will also warm it up!"
The guys threw on sweats and prepped the turkey before doing anything else other than washing their hands. They wanted to make sure it would be cooked in time to rest a few minutes before carving.
Once they were satisfied that the main dish would roast properly, they ate breakfast. Subsequently, they decided to have a few minutes of "together time" before they showered and dressed.
They didn't have a long time to make love, but enough to let them feel they had celebrated their anniversary properly. No matter how many times they shared their bodies, the thrill was still there!
After their interlude, they got back on task so everything would come out on time for dinner at 1:00.
At 12:30, the creaking of the old wooden stairs announced the arrival of their guests ahead of the rap on the door.
Gavin hurried to open it. He was surprised to see Grandpa Robert's guests. It was Tyler's brother, Ashton and Gavin's brother, Kevin.
The minute they crossed into the tiny sitting room, the boys fell to their knees before their older brothers.
"Please forgive me, if you can," Aston pleaded. "I really didn't want to come because I know you have to hate me, but Grandpa insisted. I want you to have this to help pay your tuition. It's only $500, but it was all I could scrape up."
"I don't have quite as much, but I hope it will help," Kevin added.
Tyler pulled Ashton to his feet and wrapped him in his arms. Gavin enveloped his bother too. They all had tears in their eyes.
"Ashton, we love you! It wasn't your fault any more than it was Kevin's. You guys were discussing something that shocked you, and you had no idea your conversation was being overheard. In all honesty, we're happier being out to the world, and not having to sneak around in fear. That old closet gets pretty claustrophobic," Tyler grinned.
"Please don't give us your hard-earned money, guys," Gavin insisted. "We're doing okay. We've applied for a student loan for next term, but we might not have to use all of it."
"Ashton and Kevin, that was a lovely gesture on your part, but I agree with your brothers," Grandpa said. "I will cover their tuition bills for spring term. Tyler, your father wants to be a part of it too. He's been slipping me cash weekly since summer. He hasn't told your mother because he doesn't want to face the scene she'll make. I think he needs to grow a pair and tell Sonya to stifle it! Their church is so into all that `husband is the head of the house, while dutiful wife does the household chores' crap. It's funny how that works when it comes to making a living, but seems to evaporate when it comes to calling the shots."
"Grandpa, you sound like an old liberal!" Tyler beamed.
"Damn straight!" the old man grinned back. "I'm lightyears ahead of that bunch, though your dad is coming around. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd divorce your mother before it's all said and done. I think it's probably money that's holding him back. She'll get half of everything, though she's never earned more than a few bucks in their married life."
Their conversation was interrupted by the buzzing of the timer. They needed to take the turkey out to rest, and see to the other preparations.
Dinner was delicious, and the boys received compliments from their brothers, and Grandpa Robert. They carried on a lively conversation, getting caught up on each other's lives.
"Grandpa, how did you manage to spring both our brothers free to come here? I would think it would make someone suspicious."
"Well, I fabricated a little story about taking them to the cabin this year. I knew Kevin's parents wanted to go on a cruise for a second honeymoon, and didn't want to take him along to hamper their fun.
"I played the `poor lonely widower' card, asking that I have a chance to relive my youth with these two up at the cabin. It turned out to be a ton of fun!
"Your father thought it was fine for me to take the boys, and the others agreed, seeing that they aren't gay. Since they've been dating, it's okay for them to be pals, regardless of your, um, `sinful' natures," Grandpa grinned. "We did spend yesterday skiing there and took pictures, so we're covered. We won't mention that we made a little detour on the way back."
"I'm so glad you're devious!"
"Me too," Gavin grinned. "What are you going to tell them about your Christmas dinner? How are you covering that?"
"There's a cooler in my car with the food Tyler's mother made for us. It's really good stuff, and it's all precooked, because men aren't supposed to know their way around the kitchen. All we would have to do was microwave it.
"Since we didn't eat it, and hate to waste, I'll bring it up and you can transfer the food into other containers, so we can give hers back. That should keep you in eats for a couple of days at least. We should probably keep half of the cookies to take back. We can tell her we were too stuffed to eat all of them."
"Wow, Grandpa, you're a bad influence on our generation," Tyler grinned. "You're gonna lead Ashton and Kevin down the wrong path."
"I'm simply putting my problem-solving skills into practice." Grandpa grinned. "You guys did the same thing when you survived the blizzard four years ago, and when you rebounded after being disowned last summer. I'm proud of both of you!
"And if our example can help Kevin and Ashton navigate the treacherous seas of life, that will be a blessing."
"Hmm... `Treacherous seas of life' sounds like a one for a Victorian novel. You should try your hand at writing," Tyler suggested.
"Well, I do write fictional stories on a website under a pseudonym," Robert admitted. "Some of them are rather steamy, so it's better that your families can't find me out."
"Way to go!" Tyler high-fived him.
Before their guests left, the food transfer had been made, and Grandpa had written a check which would more than cover the last term's tuition. He had looked up the costs on line, and had added a couple of hundred extra to make sure.
After hugs all around, Grandpa and the boys got on the road for home, and the college men were on their own again. They put the dishes in the sink to soak, and settled in bed for a nap.
Believe it or not, they actually did sleep for a while. When they woke up, they talked about washing the dishes. However, something more pressing came up, and they decided to do them later.
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