The following fictional story deals with sex among males. If you are offended by such material, are too young, or reside in a location where it is not allowed, please depart. Though not observed in this story, care enough about yourself and humankind to practice safe sex.
With genuine thanks to the Nifty Six for their support.
The author retains all rights. EvanBradley33@Yahoo.com
Chapter 24 Loops Closing to Circles
Weatherford Regional Airport
Holding the swing-up handle of little Hal Robert's infant seat, Bobby stood in the area outside baggage claim with Angie at his side. Looking down and smiling, he was surprised his son could doze with the all the noise around them. Not even public announcements over the sound system fazed the sleeping baby. 'Fill his tummy and he takes after his dad,' Bobby thought.
Angie was fidgeting. When they had arrived at the terminal, they had checked the Arrival/Departure TV monitors, which revealed that Randy and Estaban's flight had just landed. Angie started walking back and forth, looking at the bend in the causeway where Randy and his lover would first appear.
Since he'd learned of Angie's brother and his lover's approaching visit, Bobby was glad that he had previously disclosed to Angie his sexual experiences with Gerald and Nate, army buddies. The upshot of that disclosure had been that she still loved him, providing him the opportunity to assure her that she had his total love. Were it not for that forthright exchange, Bobby figured he'd be nervous as a cat meeting the couple for the first time. He'd would have behaved worse than that time in the hallway of Hal's home when he saw Hal holding Drew, the latter's legs clasped around Hal's waist, the two lovers having just exchanged a hot kiss. He shook his head slightly as though to cast out memories of how challenged he'd felt when confronted with that scenario. It had both excited and frightened him. He'd felt a tug toward Hal and Drew because they had momentarily seemed to be Gerald and Nate.
After that traumatic evening when Hal had thrown Drew out of his life for Brett Carter and then Angie's amazing acceptance of his sexual experiences in the army, he'd mellowed out, accepting and loving the crew as buddies without any threat or fear. Now he was eager to meet his brother-in-law. Well . . . maybe he was a little nervous. He surely hoped Randy liked him, approved of him as a good match for his sister. In the last two days he'd listened to Angie reminisce more about her brother than in all the time they'd dated and been married. He'd never realized what a "super duo" the siblings had been. Randy was such a thoroughbred while Bobby considered himself only a mutt. That difference had him a little worried. He wondered if Angie would view him as less attractive after she'd been around her brother for a week.
A couple of travelers conversing loudly walked by, causing little Hal to jump in his sleep. Bobby lifted the infant seat up to waist level, reaching down and rubbing his big hand in gentle circles over his son's little chest. Hal Robert quieted, never opening his eyes, leaving a smile on Bobby's face. Angie felt a warm flush of pleasure as she observed the loving, protective father-son moment.
Angie glanced back at the portal to the baggage claim because people were beginning to spill out into the area. 'There Randy is! He looks good, all golden,' she mused. 'It'll be another decade before he looks older than 21.' Randy's face immediately sported a smile as he took in Angie and Bobby, holding little Hal. Angie saw him speak to a beautiful man at his side, who followed Randy's hand held out in their direction. When he saw the couple with the baby, Esteban knew they'd reached his lover's sister, so he sent her a warm smile. 'Yes,' he concluded, 'she looks like her brother.'
'Damn,' Bobby thought as his eyes swept over Randy. Now he DID feel nervous. He was looking at the All-American Boy Next Door, the dashing football captain/quarterback. He didn't look much older that the photographs in his high school yearbook Angie and he had paged through. Bobby gulped, feeling a little despair. Randy was everything Bobby had always wanted to be but whose genes would never have allowed him to be. Tall and lanky, Randy's endearingly mussed, gelled taffy-colored hair swept down over his head, full of golden highlights. His shoulders were way broad, his arms muscled - but not gym style. His oval face featured thin taffy-colored eyebrows, calling attention to his startling blue eyes, just like Angie's. Both brother and sister had larger than average white areas in their eyes, making them appear either to be surprised by something or to be looking deep inside others. It was one of her features that had made Bobby start monitoring her when he first saw her sitting at a desk across the room in an accounting class. When Bobby took in all at once the combination of Randy's eyes, perfect nose, and kissable lips, he almost fell into a trance. Randy wore shorts just made for his body, highlighting his sculpted ass and smooth, tan, lean legs. Even his feet, shod in sandals, looked good. Bobby felt guilty, finding himself aching to know what Randy's cock looked like.
As Randy started walking toward them, Bobby checked out Esteban. 'Double damn,' he thought. 'Of course he'd have a lover contrasting just as beautifully with himself.' Esteban's looks were darker but just as arousing. His short black hair sat atop his thin head. Narrow, dark brows arched over dark, intense, guarded eyes. Perfectly shaped ears sat on either side of Esteban's square face. His perfect nose sat above perfect, full lips. Little creases adorned either side of his mouth, telling Bobby that he smiled a lot. He was as tall as Randy. While not that broad, his shoulders and arms were more muscled. His waist wasn't as thin as Randy's, but Esteban wouldn't be called lanky. Like his arms, Esteban's beautiful, smooth legs showed up more muscled in the shorts he was wearing. 'Two men together couldn't look more beautiful,' Bobby thought, realizing that they beat out Gerald and Nate's combined look.
As Randy neared Angie, he dropped his carry-on and they both shot into each other's arms, Randy having to stoop to sweep his arms around his sister. They just stood there, holding each other, saying nothing, rocking from side to side. Then Randy whispered something in Angie's ear. She looked way up at him, answering softly. They gave each other a peck on the cheek, then hugged again, continuing their whispered exchanges. Bobby and Esteban swapped nervous grins, waiting for the brother and sister to introduce them.
Finally, Angie turned toward Bobby, wiping tears from her eyes as Randy slid his arm around her waist. "Randy, this is my wonderful husband, Robert Cooper, but you'd better call him Bobby if you want him to love you." Randy just swung his arm forward, catching the hand that Bobby proffered, almost as though they had intended to slap hands. They spoke each other's name in greeting, but their behavior was on the stiff side. Angie thought, 'Men!'
"Sis, Bobby," Randy spoke, "this is my partner Esteban Gallego." Esteban held out his hand to Angie. Instead, she stepped away from Randy, throwing her arms around Esteban. "Oh no, we hug, brother-in-law!" she exclaimed, winning Esteban's heart forever. When she stepped back, she introduced Esteban to Bobby. They shook hands, but reacted to each other even more stiffly than Bobby and Randy had.
Cowed as he was by the masculine pulchritude he was observing, Bobby couldn't realize that both Randy and Esteban liked what they saw as they took him in. 'Angie's captured the heart of a butch looker,' Randy thought. 'From what she says, he has a soul to match his awesome appearance.'
'Bobby is a strong man for his family,' Esteban concluded. 'Why are American construction men so hot?'
Randy took a step toward Bobby, leaning over to look in the infant seat. "And this has to be our nephew, little Hal Robert," who at that moment, while still asleep, yawned, moving his arms out as though the drama that was occurring was boring. They all chuckled at his behavior, as though it had occurred on cue. "He's beautiful, guys," Randy said softly, his eyes locked on his nephew.
"Let him finish his nap, and you can hold him to your heart's content," Angie promised to both Randy and Esteban. They quickly worked out the logistics of the guys renting a car and then taking the Coopers to their parked pickup so that they could caravan to the Cooper's home. As they walked to the car rental wing of the terminal, Angie was filling them in on plans for the pot-luck dinner with the crew the following day, generating all kinds of questions from Randy: "A little brother named . . . Kenji?"
The Coopers' Home
Angie was glad Kenji had suggested the potluck dinner. What with caring for little Hal and looking after their guests - even with Bobby's help, she had her hands full. To help out the next morning, Bobby had taken Hal Robert out for a walk. As young as his son was, Bobby could tell that the baby liked their outdoor time. Because he couldn't really sit up yet, he reclined in the stroller. But on about the third walk, Bobby noticed that Hal Robert moved his arms more. Was even trying to wave them sometimes. 'Writing messages on the air,' Bobby thought. About the sixth walk, little Hal would start fussing half way through. Bobby had picked him up, cradling him in his beefy arms to see what was wrong. Immediately, the little dickens had quieted, staring up at his dad. So Bobby had started talking to him. When he saw that little Hal liked it, his talk soon became crooning, mesmerizing the little tyke. Then the arm-waving started as little Hal responded to his dad.
When Bobby returned from the walk, he heard laughter emanating from the kitchen. Upon seeing Angie preparing a ham for the potluck dinner, Randy and Esteban had volunteered to prepare potatoes au gratin and a salad. Before long all three were hustling around the kitchen, talking like old friends. For Angie, their sharing the kitchen was a wonderful time, working together, visiting easily - even joking. Bobby walked into the kitchen holding the baby in his arms, joining in the camaraderie. When little Hal started fussing, without thinking, Bobby started crooning to him. The cooks paused, swapping glances and smiles, watching Bobby and the baby, realizing that father and son had bonded in this special way some time ago, for Hal Robert stopped his fussing, beaming at his father. Eventually, Bobby nodded to Randy to come over, and then Esteban. He turned Hal Robert toward Randy, who started crooning to the baby too. Hal Robert loved it! Estaban got the same reaction. Before much time had passed, the three guys were crooning to Hal Robert together. He was entranced. Angie laughed, commenting that they reminded her of the three bachelors singing to the baby in the movie "Three Men and a Baby." Bobby suggested that they seriously consider a new career as a crooning trio. Angie smiled: her four men had had a special moment.
By afternoon, all was prepared. As guests started arriving and introductions were made, the table began filling with all kinds of interesting culinary offerings. Angie had fun introducing Randy and Esteban to her little brother, Kenji. Randy's eyebrows raised a little but warmed when Kenji drew him into a hug. Both Randy and Esteban were amazed and aroused when Max, after being introduced by Kenji as his partner, stepped up to each guest, giving them a warm, crotch-to-crotch hug.
It was only the beginning of Esteban's amazement. After hearing Randy worry time and again about his parents' reaction when they learned he was gay, Esteban had expected a lot of hostility from those in Randy's life. But these people were so accepting - just like his own family had been with Randy. Everyone was hugging everyone. His eyes grew big when he met a tall, handsome guy named Hal, leaving him surprised as he found out that Hal was the boss of most of the crew, but they were also buddies. All the crew attended: Ted and Levi, Jamal, Tonio, Rich, West, and Carl. That threesome really set Randy and Estaban back a little.
When a shorter guy named Drew arrived, Esteban noticed that the room was suddenly filled with tension. At first, he thought it must be something bad about the new guy, but he noticed all the guys hugging when they greeted him - all but the man Hal. Those two just shook hands stiffly, exchanged a few words in greeting, and then moved to opposite sides of the room. 'Ah,' he realized, 'they have a history, and they share it with all these guys. Something bad happened. In Spain and Italy, it could only mean one betrayed the other. Since it wasn't likely that the betrayal involved money as so often occurred where Randy and he lived, it must be love.
The members of the crew watched Hal and Drew carefully. They had all been eager for the two former lovers to be together on neutral ground when neither could suffer from memories of the past. They knew that Hal welcomed the chance to correct some of the false impressions he'd caused in Drew's backyard, for he'd sounded them out about how he should proceed. They didn't know that Drew had almost decided to feign illness to avoid meeting Hal again. He knew Angie would never buy the illness cop-out, but he didn't think she would ever say as much. Still, there would always be this issue between them. He couldn't stand that! Besides, Drew couldn't disappoint Angie that way when she'd gone to so much trouble to have everyone meet her brother. So he prepared himself to endure unpleasantness, expecting nothing more.
Various members of the crew wondered how they could get those two guys together. The more they interacted, the sooner they would overcome their difficulties. As Rich studied them, he had an idea. It would require another lunch with Drew, but Rich always welcomed those opportunities. Drew and he never lacked for conversation. Rich, however, would be planting seeds in amongst their conversational topics.
When all were present, Bobby cleared his voice only twice, bringing the conversations to a halt. "On behalf of Angie and little Hal, I want to welcome all of you to our home. A few of you have been here from time to time, but we've never had an opportunity until now to have the whole family here together. And we are blessed that you all are our family. We'll see to it in the future that we gather more frequently like this. We're honored to have Randy and Esteban present to meet all of you. Just as they are also our family, we hope that you will consider them the same. We invite them to reciprocate." To Angie's amazement, Bobby asked everyone to bow their heads as he said grace. Then, with Randy and Esteban leading the way, they descended on the loaded table in the dining room.
The living room, kitchen table, and patio soon hosted groups of people eating and visiting. Drew sat down by himself in a corner of the living room. He didn't want his presence to make any of the others uncomfortable. He nearly choked on a bite of ham when Hal arose and came over, sitting with him. Members of the crew kept checking them out. Not much was said at first, but then Hal started listening. Drew tried to look as though no one were talking, but he kept an ear turned toward Hal, obviously listening to what he said. Once in a while he would look at Hal so as not to be rude. Eventually, Drew started conversing with Hal. The guys were dying to know what they were talking about. A couple of time they were even chuckling together.
Jamal was sitting in an easy chair in the Coopers' living room, balancing his now nearly empty plate in his lap, listening to the conversation. This gathering for Randy and Esteban had caused Jamal to realize how many couples present were happy in spite of challenges they had faced. That factor made him have eyes only for his buddy Tonio. He had been carefully weighing his experiences with women and men. Those with men had resulted in a far happier outcome than those with women. He'd turned to men to avoid barracudas like Sherinn, who'd literally enslaved his buddy Donneal in marriage. Marriage had sapped all the life from him. Because of Donneal's fate, Jamal had started liking his time with men. It was his buddies who appeared in his dreams and fantasies. He wondered if Sherinn had inadvertently forced him to face a side of himself that he had suppressed or ignored before.
When he'd turned back to women, it had been for Dinnea Royston. He gave her his heart. She'd dumped him right in front of their friends for richer Barry Russell. Jamal had sneaked out of his buddy's condo to avoid further embarrassment and pain. Jamal wanted desperately to wipe out of his memory the image of the red tail lights of Barry's BMW, speeding down the road to consummate their alliance. He'd never known pain so intense, and it lasted for months. But something had gone wrong with Dinnea's plans, he later discovered.
At his buddy's wedding a year later, the now married Barry and Dinnea were among the guests. Jamal couldn't escape the event because he was a member of the wedding party. As he stood with the other groomsmen watching the bride process up the aisle on the arm of her father, he had spotted Dinnea in the congregation. Her eyes had apparently locked on to him before he saw her. He knew she liked what she saw. He hadn't seen that predatory look since before she dumped him, but he knew those hungry, demanding eyes! Super vigilance had been required to keep away from her at the wedding dinner. He'd skipped the dance because he knew she'd latch onto him there. It was only later that night that Jamal realized that Barry wasn't doing it for Dinnea in bed and romance. Either that or she was a woman who would never be satisfied with just one man. Dinnea hadn't invited Jamal to their wedding - not that he'd have attended - because she thought she had everything she needed in Barry. In effect, she had washed her hands of Jamal. Then, lo and behold, there she was at the wedding, giving him the "woofy woo." Later that evening, he'd congratulated himself for NOT getting caught in Dinnea's web.
As he sat in his comfortable chair, watching Tonio chatting with Wes, Jamal asked himself when his heart really latched onto Tonio? When he started really paying attention to the dynamics of all the happy couples in the crew? Maybe it was Jamal's first sight of Esteban? He was hot, and his ass was enticing. 'Esteban. Cool name,' Jamal thought. 'Wish I had a name like that. People would really do a double take. An African American guy with the name Esteban? Bet women would go ape over it. Wonder if women really come on to Randy's lover just because of his name.' Then he'd look at Tonio, remembering some of their hot times in bed - as recently as last week. He loved Tonio's whiskered look. Tonio had taken to grooming stubble on his cheeks, jaws, and chin. Jamal knew Tonio had adopted the slightly rough look as a statement, wanting to convince people that he was straight. Jamal chuckled lightly to himself. He knew how much Tonio loved men.
Jamal never understood why he turned off his Black Stud shtick with Tonio, feeling for the first time in his life that it wasn't necessary with this buddy. Jamal welcomed relief from the burden of the role without having realized that his feelings for Tonio were growing deeper. That must be why they felt so relaxed, so natural around each other. Sex with Tonio had always seemed to bring out the best in him as a lover, making him sweet, gentle, tender. That very instant, Jamal felt something blaze up in his mental field: he realized that at some time in the past he'd wanted Tonio to love him, not as a sex buddy but as a genuine lover. 'Wonder how long that's been hanging out there, waiting for me to wake up,' Jamal asked himself.
Tonio arose, walking to the dining room for second helpings. Jamal stood and followed. As Tonio was leaning over the table for another serving of potatoes au gratin, Jamal leaned up next to him, whispering, "Your hot Latino ass is mine tonight, Babe."
Tonio straightened up as he'd finished spooning a helping on his plate, his dark eyes locking onto Jamal's. After a night with Jamal, Tonio had always felt that some special healing had occurred inside his spirit. This time there was something new in Jamal's eyes. A tentative smile started on Tonio's face several times, only to fly away. Whatever was present in Jamal's eyes was unsettling.
"I need you," Jamal spoke quietly to Tonio, but his face was communicating so much more. "In fact, I'm going to make you mine permanently." Tonio's eyes suddenly flamed. He'd finally heard what he'd only been able to fantasize about since Jamal had come on the job. An almost shy smile was born on his face. So why was he worried?
Tonio couldn't believe Jamal's soft words. He wondered if they'd actually been spoken. Many of those times, lying in Jamal's arms, receiving his soulful kisses and caresses and submitting to his demanding cock, he felt like something real, something valuable had happened - actual love. But he'd always told himself it was just good sex for Jamal. "Don't joke. Don't make promises you have no intention of keeping."
Jamal knew Tonio had hang-ups about getting too close to a sex buddy. After they had sex together, Tonio always ran to a woman to prove that he was really bi or straight. Jamal never understood Tonio's reasoning. "You ever know me not to come across for you?" Jamal asked quietly, holding Tonio's gaze.
"No," Tonio whispered, taking in Jamal's hard-eyed stare. So Jamal DID say it. Now Tonio was worried. "Uh . . . I have a date," Tonio began.
"Break it!" was Jamal's instant command. Tonio's brows wrinkled. As though reading his mind, Jamal, spoke softly, almost melodically, "You don't have to worry," he said, placing his right hand on Tonio's ass and caressing it gently. "We're going to be okay. We'll talk about it after we leave here. In the meantime, just soak in this: I'm going to take you way better than anything we've done up to now. I'm going to make you feel so loved you'll find it hard not to be looking at me all the time. And it won't be one-sided - just about me. We'll both feel that way."
Just then Randy entered the dining room for second helpings. His gaydar alerted him to the fact that some kind of intense exchange had been occurring between the two men, which had to mean they were more than friends. He saw Jamal's hand still resting on his hunky buddy's ass. That hand told him they hadn't been swapping buddy banter. He felt guilty for stumbling into the middle of it.
Jamal smiled at Randy, turning and leaving the dining room just after offering a "Hi ya."
Tonio followed after offering Randy a "How ya doin?"
As Tonio followed Jamal back to the living room, he was remembering how proud he'd always felt walking alongside Jamal. He'd seen women and men looking at them, noticing their handsome faces and hot bodies. He tried not to swagger, but he couldn't help feeling so much better looking and important when he was with Jamal. Jamal just took all those peoples' reactions for granted. Tonio had never done so. Too much baggage.
When Jamal sat again in his easy chair, Tonio carefully sat on the carpet beside Jamal's chair, a rearrangement not missed by Angie, Drew, or Hal.
Angie welcomed the momentary distraction. She had been troubled when she noticed that - at moments when Esteban wasn't aware of being observed - he watched Randy closely, his brows wrinkled. 'He's afraid,' Angie realized with surprise. 'Can't be fear of reaction to gays that Randy mentioned. He knows about everyone here.' She continued to watch Esteban as she gently rocked little Hal, trying to work out what she was seeing. 'Oh! He's afraid because he's having to share Randy. . . . He's never had to do that before. . . . He thinks Randy's love for others, which he's seeing for the first time, means less for him. . . . Previously, it was a concept he could understand, but not a feeling he had to face. He's not connecting it with Randy's integration into Esteban's own family. He's not thinking that it can be the same for him as it was for Randy. . . Oh, no. That means he's not as secure in Randy's love as I thought, maybe as Randy thought.'
Angie glanced at Randy, who was talking to Tonio and Jamal. Her eyes told her he was enjoying the two hunks. She was struck by the gradations in the coloring of the three men. Tonio was the lightest. Jamal the darkest, with Esteban in between. She decided that Randy was attracted to men whose complexion was darker. Now that she thought about it, she realized that that was why Randy had made his mind up in high school to live in Spain. Then Italy. He could have gone to Singapore or any of the other Little Dragon nations if he were really interested in international business. He hadn't. He'd been determined to go to Spain first. There was something manic in his study of Spanish and Italian. As close as the siblings were, that's why she hadn't particularly shared his interest in those languages. He grooved on men's ethnicity! Was it a simple matter of Randy's perceiving himself as being so vanilla? And because of that, wanting a contrast, a balance?
Drew was now sitting alone, for Hal had gone over to talk to Max and Kenji. Angie caught Drew's eye, nodding toward Esteban. Drew looked over at Esteban, checking him out, reading his facial expression, and then back to Angie, understanding instantly. Neither of the two realized that Hal was watching THEM. Grabbing his iced tea, Drew arose and walked over to Randy's lover. His approach surprised Esteban. Besides his initial observations about Hal and Drew, Esteban had overheard muttered comments during the day about the two guys. The comments he overheard weren't derogatory; just the opposite: he could tell these men called the crew liked Drew and Hal a lot. It was these two who were separated by a problem. As Drew arrived where Esteban was sitting, he arose, smiling formally.
"Hey, Esteban, I know you haven't been here long, but I hope you've found some things to like."
"Yes. It's good, this time with Randy's family. It reminds me of my family's gatherings. Much love and acceptance, much hugging and kissing. Bobby and Angie have been very nice. I even got to hold little Hal. I have nieces and nephews, but not like that little one. I just hold him, he looks at me, he steals my heart," Estaban said, his smile warming.
"Babies have a way of doing that, don't they?" Drew responded.
"You are a dad?" Esteban asked.
"No. I've never been married," Drew answered. "But I like kids. How many nieces and nephews do you and Randy have?"
Esteban looked up at the ceiling, counting fingers on both hands. Then he started back on his first hand and moved to the second and then back to the first. "Twenty-two."
"Wow! That's a houseful when you are all together," Drew said.
"But nice," Esteban replied, "like now, here, with Bobby and Angie and all of you," he said, gesturing in what Drew recognized was in a European manner. "Nice."
A moment of silence ensued. "You and Hal are together, no?"
Drew immediately colored, looking down. "Why did you ask that?" Drew responded in a manner not unfriendly.
"The men, I hear them talk of you two. They like you both very much."
"Oh, Hal's a great guy," Drew said, looking up into Esteban's eyes. "He's their boss." Esteban saw a gleam of mischief in Drew's eye. "They have to like him." Then he chuckled. "But Hal is easy to like."
Esteban liked that chuckle. "You work with the crew?"
"Oh, uh, no. I have a desk job downtown. But I work out with them at Murphy's Gym." Then Drew sobered. "Well, I used to, I should say."
"You two fall in?" Drew looked puzzled. "No, what is that you Americans say? . . . You fall out?"
"Kinda." Drew glanced at Hal, who at that moment was watching Esteban and him. Drew turned back to Randy's lover. "He found someone else."
"He broke your heart," Esteban said simply. Again, Drew blushed, shaking his head just a little in the affirmative.
"Which one?" Esteban asked.
"Pardon?"
"Which one did Hal chose over you?"
"Uh . . . he's not here anymore." Drew shook his head. "He found someone else."
"Oh, this is sad," Esteban said. He looked over at Hal, who was staring right at him. "But his eyes speak love when they fall on you," Esteban protested. Drew had to hold himself in check to keep from looking around at Hal.
"Probably just indigestion."
"Not with food so good," Esteban said, frowning, realizing that Drew had deflected his observation.
"Now love is what I see in Randy's eyes when he looks at you." Drew said. Esteban noted that Drew had deliberately changed the focus of their discussion.
"Yes we love each other very much. For a long time."
"But you are worried?" Drew asked.
'He sneaks up on you,' Esteban thought. He was going to have to reconsider his opinion of this little fellow. "It's all so new," Esteban answered, thinking he'd deflected Drew's observation.
"You mean you've never had to share Randy this way before?" Drew asked gently. Taken aback, Esteban wondered how he was disclosing his inner feelings so readily. As though reading his mind, Drew hastened to add, "It isn't apparent at first. And it's a natural reaction. You've never seen Randy on his home ground. But it was probably what Randy felt the first time he met your family, don't you think?"
"Yes-s-s-s," Esteban said slowly, looking back, trying to remember Randy's first days with his family.
"And how did that work out?"
"Okay. Really good."
"Believe me: this group has nothing but the best of feelings for you two." Just then Randy shot Esteban a smile and a wink.
When the crew reluctantly began to break up, half an hour had passed as they shared their emotional good-byes over and over. Weary as she and Bobby were, they knew their brothers had linked in a meaningful way that could only deepen, given the opportunity. In the midst of the departures, Jamal had made it crystal clear that Tonio was to follow him to his apartment. The latter dutifully complied.
Jamal's Apartment
Jamal's home base was a little walk-up that he'd rented before signing on with Winston Construction Company. Nobody knew how desperate he felt when he'd rented the postage stamp space. Nor how he'd worried about his ability to be able to keep it. He'd never known his father. As soon as he graduated from high school, his mom had taken off with a new man in her life. He hadn't heard from her since. So he was really on his own. By the time Jamal had signed on with Winston Construction Company, he was just grateful for a job, and he'd habituated to the little apartment. With his construction wages flowing in over time, he'd gotten to like the notion of banking a lot of his paycheck as a hedge against the future. That's why he had driven his old car until it was close to giving the last gasp. In regard to the little apartment, he had figured that when he had the right woman in his life, he would move to her apartment, or they would find a new one. He never imagined it would be a man who'd hold Jamal's heart in his hand.
Jamal's apartment was neat as a pin as though he'd decided that, while the outer world had been messy, the little corner he occupied could be ideally neat. Chronically messy in his own space - a reaction against his iron-fisted mother, Tonio had to concentrate to honor Jamal's space by keeping it neat when he stopped over there. It's what worried Tonio when they arrived at 930 Demaret Street. On every occasion when he'd stayed overnight, Jamal had unlocked the door, shoved it open, and walked in, leaving Tonio to close the door as Jamal moved to the kitchen to snag beers for them. This time, Jamal unlocked the door, pushed it open, then turned to Tonio, taking his hand, kissing him lightly, and leading him inside, closing and locking the door.
Jamal pointed Tonio to the sofa while he walked a few steps to the kitchen for beers. When he returned and handed one to Tonio, they twisted the tops off together. Jamal held out his hand for the cap to Tonio's longneck. He retraced his steps, dropping the caps in the trashcan under the sink. By the time he returned to Tonio, both had managed a couple of swallows of their beer.
Jamal sat down beside Tonio, taking his left hand, kissing the palm, and then running the tip of his tongue from the heel of Tonio's hand up across his palm and middle finger to the tip, which he gently sucked into his mouth, making love to it with his tongue while sucking gently.
Tonio gasped softly. Jamal had never approached lovemaking like this. As hot as it had been, their lovemaking had been predictable, a straight line toward the ultimate goal of orgasm. Foreplay usually focused just on those parts of their equipment central to orgasm. It had been Jamal's hot body and beautiful dick and balls that had made it so sizzling for Tonio. He'd assumed since Jamal had had him back to his bed many times that it was hot for him too. He'd never paused to determine why. Panic seized him. Jamal was asking him to open himself up, to let him in so that he could own him, body and soul. But he had no defense against what that meant. He suddenly saw his mother's face, his father's face if they realized he and Jamal were "that way." He started to pull away.
"No!" Jamal exclaimed, grabbing the departing Tonio and jerking him back, this time into his arms. "I know what you are thinking. You are seeing your parents' disapproving looks and your brother's sneering face. No more of that! I don't want our being lovers to cause you to lose your family, but you can't go on this way. It's time for it to end, and it can end right if you stay with me. Even if you lose their love, you still have me, who's offering you more love than they ever have or ever will. It's our time, Tonio. Remember what you saw today - all the couples secure in their love. I want that for us."
Jamal pulled Tonio into a hot embrace and kiss. When it broke, Tonio was slightly dazed. "It's time to move on, Lover. Past time! You can do it with me. I won't let you be hurt; you know that. It's always been special between us. Now it will be more so. You're my man." A smile was slowly born on Jamal's face. "You're my love, my lover, my spouse," Jamal spoke purringly as he gently rubbed his nose over Tonio's throat, realizing how much pleasure he derived from talking about Tonio and him that way, from smelling his lover.
"I don't know what to say," Tonio responded. Jamal gave him time to vocalize his feelings, for he knew it was important to ensure the strength of the foundation they were forging on the spot. "I'm afraid . . . but not like before. . . . It's you. I didn't really have you before. But now I do."
Jamal leaned in and planted a gentle but hot kiss on Tonio's lips. "Correction - now we have each other - finally, truly."
"But look at Hal and Drew," Tonio suddenly interjected. "We thought they had it made. Look at what happened to them."
"You know about Hal's hang-ups. I don't have any. You're the one with the issues, trying to cover up your true feelings. If you trust me and stick with me, you won't have any either." Tonio was considering the prospects of the two couples. "Besides, we're going to get Hal and Drew back together. You saw them sitting together today, even laughing together. Just wait and see. Rich told me he knows how to get Drew moving toward Hal again. And Hal knows the mistake he made with Drew last week. He won't make it again. So the only thing we have to worry about is the mistakes we two might make."
Silence filled the space while the two men, burning with more than lust, looked at each other. "I don't know what to say," Tonio finally broke the silence.
"Then don't say anything," Jamal replied as he leaned in for a kiss, pulling Tonio's shirt out of his chinos and slipping his hand inside and across Tonio's hairy chest to tease one of his nipples while his other hand massaged the erection he knew he'd find under Tonio's zipper. Tonio's hands raised in the air, poised for a response, but he was so flooded with pleasure that he was finding it difficult to determine what he wanted those hands to explore first. Jamal pulled Tonio's shirt over his head, so Tonio reciprocated. Jamal made love to Tonio's head, his ears. He sucked gently on his throat. Tonio was so overwhelmed he could only moan quietly and run his hands all over his lover's clothed body as though he had to touch every square inch of it.
Soon Jamal was carefully unbuckling Tonio's belt and opening his jeans. He paused for a moment, standing and pulling off the clothes on his buddy's lower extremities. Tonio reached out with trembling hands to unfasten Jamal's jeans and pull them down. His partner wasn't wearing underwear, so his dark, beautiful cock sprang right out. Jamal pushed Tonio back on the couch. As he began pulling off his jeans, he asked Tonio to tell him how he felt the first time they met at the construction site.
Tonio's mouth gaped. They'd never talked before when they were having sex. Catching onto Tonio's confusion, Jamal explained, "I'm not just stripping the covering off my lover's body, I'm stripping the coverings off his soul. When I take you to my bed and join with you, you will be as free from the past as any of us can ever be. It's the only way we can really possess each other and make a new start."
Tonio understood Jamal's intent, so he haltingly described how he immediately felt his cock hardening when he studied Jamal, who started slowly licking out Tonio's pits. As he confessed to being a little afraid of Jamal, the latter began making love to Tonio's pecs and nips. When Tonio paused, Jamal reached for his buddy's balls, stroking them just with his fingertips, and he recounted how he'd immediately wanted to pull Tonio into his arms and push his tongue down the latter's throat.
When Jamal finished, he directed Tonio to tell him how he felt when they had been together. As Tonio did so, trying to control his voice so that it didn't trimble - an increasingly unsuccessful struggle, Jamal slid to his knees, licking up Tonio's inner thighs to his ball sack, pulling in long draughts of his lover's scent. "Be honest," Jamal demanded. Closing his eyes, fearing that he would ruin this fantastic man's attentions, the likes of which he'd never experienced before, Tonio tried to convey how deep his fears ran that someone would find out he was gay, how he'd run to a woman, trying to make her happy by lavishing her with gifts, attempting to convince himself that he really liked sex with women more than men.
Occasionally batting away Tonio's hands, Jamal required Tonio to tell him how he thought his family would react when they knew that Tonio had taken a man as his lover. As Tonio started his faltering account, very much ill at ease, Jamal started making love to the beautiful dick in front of his face. As Tonio stumbled on, Jamal noticed his lover's cock softening. He knew this was difficult for Tonio, but it was necessary for them both to face what the worst that could occur. As Tonio's cock deflated, Jamal stuck his middle finger in his mouth, getting it wet. Then he teased Tonio's ass lips until he felt the cock in his mouth begin to harden.
Tonio was beginning to shove his ass down on Jamal's finger, so Jamal asked Tonio to tell him how he was feeling about his new lover. Jamal was licking up and down Tonio's big rod. He didn't think he was going to get an answer until Tonio started telling him how at peace he felt with Jamal, how loved, how complete. Jamal loved it when Tonio couldn't get out a sentence without a little whimper or moan. When Tonio fell silent, Jamal arose, pulling his lover up against him as he delivered a passionate kiss. Then he pulled Tonio with him the few steps into the bedroom, yanking back the covers and putting his hands on Tonio's muscular arms, pushing him back gently on the bed.
Tonio flopped back, moving to the center of the bed as his lover lowered his body on his own. Almost immediately, their bodies began writhing against the other. Breaking only for a kiss or a lick, Jamal shared with his lover how he was feeling. Then he pushed his lover's legs back as he slid his cock, slick with his and his lover's precum, into Tonio's tight, silky chute. Jamal's arousal ramped up as his revelation of his newly realized love for Tonio was accompanied by squishing sounds of his cock sliding in and out of Tonio's chute. An exciting counterpoint was provided by slippery sounds of their stomachs sliding on Tonio's copious precum. As the heat in the two men's nether regions began to grow, they sped up their thrusting in and against each other, moaning out endearments together. As they fell over the edge into a deep pool of pleasure and love, they erupted, clasping each other tightly. Jamal knew in an instant he could never get anything this good from Dinnea or any other woman. Tonio felt that he could withstand his parents' disapproval if he always had Jamal this way.
(To be continued.)