Disclaimer: This is just a story. And it's about a Marine - actually several Marines. None of them are real one, of course. Kind of a melding of a lot of Marine's I've had the honor to have known in my life. Any resemblance to any actual Marine is purely coincidence - but if there is, I do wish he'd write me! Anyway, you know the drill, if you don't like sex between males, what are you doing here? And if your Country, State, Province, City, Town or Village won't let you read this kind of stuff - MOVE!!! Somewhere where you can!
This story is dedicated to my friend PUP, who just LOVES Marines and stories about them. I hope he loves this one. And I kind of hope it would come true for him.
This is the final part of the story. Brian returns to narrate.
THE MARINE NEXT DOOR - Part 15 by RimPig (c) 2002
The adjustment to having Scott around was much less difficult than I expected. I suppose some of that came from the fact that Ty and I were close enough to him in age to remember what life had been like for us at 16 and beyond. Of course, neither Ty or I had gone through anything like Scott had endured. It had matured him in some ways. It has also scarred him in others. He still found it very hard to be around 'straight' people or people he didn't know. I knew that he still had fears of anyone finding out that he was HIV+ or worse, finding out what he had been involved with when he was infected.
Ty and I talked with him about a lot of things in his life, but for that area in his past, he seemed to find comfort from only two people - Jason and my mother. Scott's relationship with my mother was the most interesting of all. Despite her claiming to be "grandmother", it felt much more like I had acquired a younger brother! Scott seemed to see my mother as a substitute for his own rejecting one. I certainly didn't mind! I loved Scott and the fact that he found what he needed in my Mom couldn't have made me happier. And she, on the other hand, seemed to relish the relationship with him! I think that 'once a mother - always a mother' was a very apt saying in this instance.
Jason, on the other hand, grew closer to Ty. He seemed to really look up to Ty as a role model and Ty eagerly took the young Marine 'under his wing'. Jason was also working in the same motor pool that Ty, Domingo and Tim had worked in when they were Marines. The four of them spent a lot of time together and it didn't surprise me when one night, when Scott and Jason had gone out to a movie and Ty and I were just sitting and talking, that he told me that he, Domingo and Tim had offered to bring Jason into their auto repair business when he left the Marine Corps.
"How long until his enlistment is up now?" I asked.
"You're not going to believe this - two months!" Ty said.
"It's been that long already! I can't believe it! And you didn't think Jason and Scott would last this long - did you?!" I poked him in the ribs.
"Oww! I didn't say that! I just thought they were a little young to be making that type of commitment to each other, that's all!" he said defensively.
"You didn't think that when we did." I said.
"Oh, yes I did! I just didn't say it! I was concerned because you were a virgin. I didn't know when you'd want to go start 'exploring' the rest of the male population!" he laughed.
"Haven't yet. But you keep this up and I'll think about it!" I laughed
"Ok, I give in." he said, raising his hand in mock surrender.
"Where are they going to live, I wonder?" I asked.
"Who?" Ty responded.
"Jason and Scott." I answered.
"Well, what's wrong with right here, at least for the time being. After all, Jason practically lives here anyway! He's here every moment he can be." Ty said reasonably.
"I suppose you're right. But I think we maybe should start looking for a bigger place to live." I said.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about that. I think we should look into buying something. I mean, things are going well financially for us. The garage is doing great. We should really look for something that we can call our own." Ty said.
"I guess I agree. But I would miss not being so close to Tim and Domingo. And, we can't forget about Jason and Scott. I mean, Jason's only 21 and Scott's just turning 18. It's not that they're children, but I think Scott still needs us around. He's done a lot of healing in the past 2 years, but there's still damage that hasn't had time enough to heal completely yet." I said.
"And momma bird doesn't want to kick him out of the nest. Right?" Ty laughed.
"Ty, he was already kicked out of the nest once. Look what that did to him! Think about what doing it to him again would do!" I said.
"I know. I'm not ready to let them fly on their own yet either. But I don't know what to do." he said.
"I know this sounds like a pipe dream, but I wonder if their isn't some way we could all continue to live together without it being in this apartment building." I said.
"What are you thinking about?" Ty asked me.
"I don't know. Someplace where we all had our own space but were close together. I don't know what I'm imagining. It's too vague in my mind. But something..." I trailed off.
"Well, when you get a better picture, you let me know." he said. "In the mean time, I have a picture in my mind of you naked and dancing on my cock. Is my imagination working overtime?" he asked.
I didn't answer. I just stood up, turned around, wiggled my ass at him and walked to the bedroom. He was right behind me.
Nothing came of that discussion for another few months. In the mean time, some major things happened in Scott and Jason's life. First of all, Jason's father contacted him, saying he needed to speak to him about something and was coming out to California. Jason's Dad hadn't contacted his son the whole time he was in the Marine Corps. Jason had no idea what this was all about.
Jason's Dad called the apartment when he got into town and Jason told his Dad that he would meet him at here. I guess Jason decided that he wanted a showdown with his father over his sexuality, because he wanted not only Scott there, but Ty and me as well.
When his Dad showed up at our door, I could understand where Jason got his good looks from. Jason's Dad was tall and well built but on the lean side. He had that weathered look of someone who had done ranch work all his life. I don't think he expected to meet all of us but Jason explained that we were like his 'family' since he'd been in the Corps.
Jason's introduced his Dad to us but kept our actual relationships out of it. I was particularly interested in the fact that Jason did not introduce Scott as his lover. Scott didn't show any resentment of this so I figured they had discussed this beforehand. Jason's Dad told us to call him Mike. I knew about Jason's oldest brother who he had loved and who had died. His brother evidently had been named after his father. We welcomed his Dad and offered him something to drink. Ty went and got him a beer, along with one for Jason and Scott. I was drinking coffee, as usual.
"Son, this may come as a shock to you, but I've sold the ranch." Mike started out.
I could see by the look on his face that this was a shock to Jason.
"Why Dad? Why would you do that?" Jason asked, the shock showing in his voice.
"I'm getting to old to ranch." his Dad said. "And to tell you the truth, when Mike died, my heart just went out of it."
"But what about Brad and Eric? Couldn't they run the ranch?" he asked.
"Your brothers have no more interest in running the ranch than you do, son. Brad's gone on to Law School and Eric wants to be a doctor. I didn't sell off all the ranch. I kept the house and about 5 acres surrounding it. And the family cemetery where your Mom and Mike are buried. But I sold off the rest of the acreage." he said.
"Well, Dad. It was yours to sell if you wanted to. And you're right, I didn't want to run it. I didn't know how to tell you I didn't want to come home after my hitch in the Marines was up. Now I guess that's not an issue anymore, is it?" Jason said.
"No. I never figured you'd come home. Montana isn't exactly a hospitable place for men like your brother Mike and you." his Dad said quietly.
"You know?!" Jason said, surprise showing in his voice and the way he was looking at his Dad.
"I knew for a long time. You see, I knew about Mike. He'd told me when he was 16. You know how he was. Open and honest as the Montana sky! He would have left when he turned 18 except for one thing. You." Jason's Dad said.
"Me?" Jason said.
"Mike told me he figured that you were like him. He wanted to stay around to help you. He knew how difficult an adjustment coming to terms with it you'd have. He wanted to be there for you. He really loved you, Jason." his Dad said.
"And I really loved him, Dad. More than you could ever know." Jason said quietly, giving his Dad a significant look.
"Don't bet on that, son. You see, I knew exactly how you and Mike felt about each other. He told me. He had planned to wait until you were 18 and then take the both of you out of Montana and find someplace where you could be together. He figured on some place like San Francisco or Los Angeles. But that never happened. After he died, I was most worried about you. I didn't know what you'd do or how you'd survive. When you went into the Marines, I figured you would find out what you wanted out of life. I hope I was right." he said.
"Yes, Dad. I have. I think I better re-make the introductions here so you'll understand. Dad, I want you to meet Scott, my lover and my partner for the last 2 years. And Brian and Ty are partners for six years now. We've become like a family, helping and supporting each other." Jason said.
Jason's Dad showed no surprise, but he looked right at Scott and for a while saying nothing. Finally he broke the silence.
"Scott, son, I want to welcome you to the family. When Jason left four years ago, there was a terrible sadness and loneliness about him. I don't see that anymore, and I figure that you're at least part, if not all, the reason for that."
And with that, Jason's Dad stuck out his hand and Scott clasped it. They smiled at one another across the table and I could see Jason just beaming over what had just happened.
"Dad, I've got to ask you. Aren't you the least bit bothered by this?" Jason asked.
"No, Jason. I'm not. I have a confession to make to you, son. It's something I've never been able to say to you because by the time you were old enough to hear it, you were gone. You remember Matt?" he asked.
"Yeah. He's just about your best friend." Jason said.
"That's right. Well, you know Matt and me grew up together. We've always been close. A lot closer than anybody, including your Mom, ever knew. We'd been lovers since we were in our teens. But when we were growing up, there wasn't any option. You either got married, or you lived alone. You didn't live with another guy. So I got married. And before you ask, yes, I did love your Mom but, more importantly, I loved you boys. I wanted to have children. Matt, of course, never did want children or to get married. We'd get together for those 'fishing' and 'hunting' trips of ours. Well...we didn't do a lot of fishing or hunting!" he laughed.
"So that's why none of us was ever allowed to go with you guys!" Jason seemed to be putting some pieces together from his childhood.
"That's right. Well, now that you boys have moved out, Matt's come to live with me. We reckon that it won't cause too much talk. I'm helping him out at his gas station and most people just accept the fact that we're friends." Jason's Dad said.
"Well, I'll be!" Jason said and whistled low. "Damn! Dad! I don't know what to say!"
"Try saying you love him and that you're very happy for him!" Scott said, smiling and touching Jason's arm, causing Jason to look at him.
"Oh, fuck! Yeah! Sorry, Dad. I am really happy for you. And I do love you." he said, his face turning red, but I noticed that he had hold of Scott's hand, keeping it on his arm.
"I know you do, son!" his Dad laughed, and then got serious. "I only wish I'd been able to tell you sooner. I only wish I'd been able to do what Mike wanted to do for you. Help you get through finding out about yourself but after he died, I was so torn up and you withdrew almost completely from me and from everybody else. I just wasn't sure that telling you would have done any good. Or maybe I was still scared. At least you had Mike for a time."
"Mike did a lot, even in the short time he had, Dad." Jason said. "He loved me, and he showed me that it was ok, that you could be a man and still love other men. That got me through until I could meet Scott. He did the rest."
"I'm very grateful to you, Scott, for what you've done for my son." Jason's Dad said to Scott.
"Thank you, sir. But it wasn't anything compared to what your son did for me." Scott said, gazing up into Jason's eyes, the love for his partner apparent to anyone who would look.
"Well, now that we have that out of the way, I can tell you the rest of it." Jason's Dad said.
"There's more?!" Jason exclaimed. "I don't know if I can take any more!"
We all laughed at that one.
"Oh, I think you'll like this one, son!" His dad grinned. "The price of land has gone through the roof at home. I was able to get more than I ever thought that I could for the ranch. And since both Matt and I are sharing expenses and he has the gas station for income, I don't need a whole lot of money just sitting in the bank. So what I've done is that I split the proceeds of the sale four ways. You, Eric and Brad each get a quarter of the proceeds. So what I've got here for you son, is a check for $200,000." his Dad said, reaching in his pocket and handing Jason the check.
"Oh, my God! You've got to be kidding me!" Jason said, looking at the check.
"I figured this money could help give each of you a good start in life while you were still young, rather than waiting for me to die. Brad and Eric are using their's for school. What do you think you want to do with your's son?" Jason's Dad asked.
"Well, I think I just found the money to become a partner in a garage!" Jason said, beaming at Ty.
Ty beamed back and Jason reached over and they shook hands.
"And I want to find a home for Scott and me." he said, looking fondly into Scott's eyes, then embracing him and giving him a deep kiss.
"Well, that's just fine son. I didn't think you'd be the kind to want to go to school, but I'm glad you've got some good uses for them money. Like I said, it's better than sitting in some bank." Jason's Dad said.
Jason got up and walked around the table to his Dad. His Dad got up when he did and when Jason reached them, they fell into each other's arms for a long hug.
"I don't know how to thank you, Dad. This is so wonderful! I never expected anything like this!" Jason said, still in his father's arms.
"Son, I loved all four of you. But the one's who made me proudest were you and Mike. As long as you remember to never do what Mike would have been shamed by, you'll never go wrong in this life." his Dad said, with Jason still in his arms.
"I know that, Dad. How do you think I've been living up 'til now?" Jason said softly and then they embraced again and then stood back from each other.
Jason's Dad looked over at Scott and then back at Jason.
"Don't you think it's time I got to hug my new son?" he said.
I don't think I'd ever seen Scott move as fast as he did getting around that table and into Jason's Dad's arms. Then Mike reached over and grabbed Jason and they all three hugged. I looked over at Ty and he seemed to have something in his eye. I thought that odd because I seemed to as well. I got up and got a paper towel from the kitchen, brining one to Ty and slipping it to him while the others weren't watching. He looked up and grinned at me. I couldn't help myself. I leaned down and kissed him.
Jason's Dad stayed in town for a couple more days. He, Jason and Scott spent a lot of time together. It was decided that Jason and Scott would go up to Montana soon and spend some time with Mike and Matt and when Jason finally found a home for him and Scott, his Dad and Matt would spend some time with them.
I saw the 'family' breaking up and I was somewhat saddened by it. I began to think it was time for Ty and I to find a place of our own. But, my heart just wasn't into it. The six of us had lived with each other for a while now, and it was going to be strange to be without our friends around us. I talked to Ty about it again, but he felt pretty much the way I did.
"I don't know what to say, Bri. I know how you feel. I'm going to miss 'the kids', too. And if we move, there goes Tim and Domingo as well. I mean, I'll see them at the garage, but it won't be the same. We've been together since boot-camp. If it hadn't been for their idea about getting an apartment, I would have never met you!" Ty said.
"I said that to my mom once. She told me that she had a feeling that if our relationship was meant to be, we would have met no matter what." I said, putting my arms around him.
"I don't know if she's right, but I'll agree with her. I know our relationship was meant to be." He said.
Several weeks later, Jason and Scott had been out looking for houses and he called me at the hospital.
"What time are you getting home tonight?" Jason asked.
"I'm figuring to be home about six, unless something bad breaks here. Why? Is something up?" I asked.
"Well...you see...Scott and I want to talk with everybody; you, Ty, Domingo and Tim." Jason said.
"About what?" I asked.
"I'd rather talk to everybody at the same time." Jason said.
"Ok. I'll make every effort to get home on time. We'll talk about it then." I said.
I actually was able to get home at 5:30. I told Belle that I had a situation at home I needed to be there for and she handled shift change and I went home early. When I got there, Ty was already home but Scott and Jason weren't.
"Do you know what this is all about?" I asked Ty.
"Don't have the faintest idea! Jason called the garage and asked all of us to meet here at 6." he said.
A short time later, Domingo and Tim came over and just before six, Jason and Scott arrived home. They were obviously excited about something. We all sat down at the table. The same table where I'd served three young Marines dinner what seemed like a lifetime ago but was six years.
"You know that Scott and I have been looking for a house." Jason started. "But we've been having this problem. We love having you guys around. Whether you know it or not, you guys are very important to us. You've always been there for us. And we're grateful for that. We don't want to move away from you."
"We understand that we all need more space and more privacy." Scott said. "But we all are so used to being together that it's like moving away from home! We don't know how you all feel about it, though."
The four of us - Ty, Doming, Tim and I - looked at each other. I finally spoke up.
"I think we've all talked about this with each other, one on one." I said and looked to the other three guys, who were nodding their heads. "And we all pretty much feel the same way. Nobody's been able to come up with any kind of solution though."
"Well, we may have found one." Jason said, giving us all a huge grin. "That's what we want to talk to you guys about."
"Ok," Ty said, "what have you got?"
"We were driving around today looking for houses out by the old mill." Scott explained. "We were trying to find this house that the real estate agent told us about and Jason made what we thought was a wrong turn. We headed down this gravel road and after about half a mile, we found this compound. It has three incredible log houses. There was a for-sale sign on it so we used Jason's cell-phone to call the agent. He met us at the compound and we took a tour of it."
"It has 10 acres surrounding it, mostly woods. Very private! And the log houses are really cool! Each has two bedrooms and two baths along with a den and two screened in porches. They all face a central area and are set about fifty feet apart. They belong to this family that used to use it as a vacation place. The parents have died and the kids are moved all over the country and don't need it anymore." Jason said.
The impact of this hit us all. A place where we could all be together and each have our own homes! It was the answer to our dilemma. Poor Jason, all four of us started asking him questions at once. He finally held up his hands.
"Guys! I can't answer any of this. Look, it's still light for a couple of hours, let's drive out there and take a look at the place. I'll call the real estate agent and he can meet us out there. Ok?" he asked.
We all agreed and piled into our cars to head out there. It took about half an hour to get there. We were all surprised about how private it was. It was like there was no city around. I think we all knew, immediately, that this was the perfect place for all of us. Jason called the agent again and he came out and we toured the houses. They were all identical, and they were perfect. We held a short conference among the six of us, and then gave an offer to the agent to take to the owners. He told us it would be a couple of days before he would hear from all of them, but he also confided to us that the property had been on the market for over a year and no offer had ever been made.
The wait got to all of us. Finally, on the fourth day, I was sitting at the nurses station reviewing charts when I got a phone call from Ty.
"Babe, do you think you could arrange to get a week off in about a month's time?" Ty asked.
"Well, I suppose if it was important. What for? Going to take me on a honeymoon?" I joked.
"No, I just figured we'd need time to pack up everything before we moved." he said quietly.
I almost flew out of the chair!
"We got it?!" I all but screamed.
"The agent just called. He accepted the offer and we close in a month!" Ty said, his own excitement showing in his voice.
I could hear Domingo and Tim in the background whooping and hollering. And I thought I heard Jason and Scott's voices, too.
"Oh, God, Ty! That's so wonderful. I'll go talk to Mom right now! I'll let you know tonight. I love you!" I said.
"And I love you, Bri!" he said.
As soon as I hung up the phone, I asked Belle to watch things for me and flew down the stairs to Mom's office. I knocked at her door and went in.
"I don't even have to ask! You got the houses!" she beamed after looking at my face.
"Yes! We close in a month. Ty wants to know if I can get a week off around the closing so that we can pack and move?" I asked.
"Oh, honey! A week isn't nearly long enough! You really need at least two weeks. I'll arrange it. Don't worry about a thing." she said.
"Oh, Mom, this is like a dream come true! We were all getting torn up about having to move away from each other. Now we won't ever have to." I said.
"I do want to make one suggestion to you. I know a good attorney, and I think you guys ought to talk this over with him. If the six of you are going to own this property together, you might want to form a corporation to do it through. It might make things easier." she suggested.
"Ok. I'll talk to the guys and see what they think. Can you give me his name and number." I asked.
"Sure." she said, grabbing a pad and pen. "Here you go. Just tell him I told you to call and tell him that you're my son." she said.
"Thanks, Mom!" I said, hugging her before I went back up to the ward.
That night we all sat down and discussed it and I called the attorney the next day. He agreed to meet with all of us at our apartment the next evening. He listened to what we were trying to do and agreed with Mom that we should form a corporation to purchase the property, just the way the garage was incorporated.
He asked us if we had a name that we'd want to incorporate under. We just kind of looked at each other. We hadn't even thought about that. If was Ty that finally spoke up.
"Yes. We can call it 'Semper Fidelis Acres, Inc.'." he said, and looked around to see us all nodding at him in agreement.
"Well, as long as that name isn't registered in the state of California, and it probably isn't, that will be fine." he said.
The name wasn't registered and less than a month later, we became 'Semper Fidelis, Inc.'. Ty was put down as President, Tim as Treasure (since he did the books for the garage, too.), and Jason was secretary. Of course, Domingo, Scott and I became members of the Board of Directors. One week later, the property was sold to Semper Fidelis, Inc. and we had the big job of moving.
As we carried loads of boxes out of the two apartments to the waiting van that Ty had rented, I stopped to look at him.
"You know, this is how this all started." I said. "Watching you guys move in."
"Yeah," he said, taking me in his arms. "But this time, you don't have your binoculars!"
"But I still love the scent of you when you're hot and sweaty like this!" I said, licking the salty sweat from his neck.
"And I promise not to make the mistake of showering tonight until after I make love to you in our new home." he said, leaning down and kissing me with a kiss that promised a long night to come.
With six strong male bodies, the work went must faster than any of us had figured. By late afternoon, Ty had gone with Domingo to take the truck back and Scott and I went to the store to get food. I got all the necessary ingredients to make the very same meal that I made the night that I first met Ty.
When we got back to the house, I saw mom's car in the compound. I went inside and found her unpacking the kitchen stuff.
"Mom, you don't have to do that!" I said.
"Sure I do! How are you going to fix dinner if I don't?" she asked.
"Well, I was going to do that while I fixed dinner." I said.
"Well now you don't have to. You just start cooking. You did buy enough for seven, didn't you?" she hinted.
"Yes, Mom. There's plenty." I said, putting down the bag of groceries I was carrying and hugging her.
"I really can't believe this place, Brian. It is so beautiful out here!" she said.
"Yeah, it is, isn't it! It's so peaceful." I said.
"Scott," my mother said, turning to him. "Would you mind getting the box that's in the backseat of my car and bringing it in here?" she asked.
"Sure, Mom!" Scott said.
She had become 'Mom' to all six of us - even Tim and Domingo called her that. Scott returned quickly with a large box done up in fancy paper like you would wrap a wedding present in with bells and ribbons all over it.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Well, I never got you and Ty a wedding present - seeing that you never had one. So this is kind of a wedding/housewarming present." she said.
"Oh, Mom! You didn't have to do this!" I said.
"No, I know I didn't. I wanted to." she looked at me and I could see she was up to something.
"What is it?" I asked again.
"I think you'd better open it and find out. You may find it very useful later." she hinted.
I tore open the wrapping and opened the large cardboard box. The first thing I saw on top were Mom's silver candlesticks, the one's she gotten from her mother on her wedding day - the one's I've loved all my life. Below this, packed very carefully, was her wedding china. I started crying. I couldn't help myself.
"Oh, Mom." I said, with tears rolling down my face. "Are you sure you want to give me these?"
"Honey, they just gather dust at my house! You've always been the one who loved them. And, God knows, you've used them more often than I ever have!" she laughed.
I hugged her tightly while Scott proceeded to unpack the china.
"Where do you want me to put these, Brian?" he asked.
"Don't bother putting them away. We going to be using them tonight." I said. "I'm making the same dinner I made for Ty and the boys the first night that we met. I was kicking myself all the way home from the store for not remembering to ask you to lend me these for tonight! Your gift couldn't have come at a better time!" I told Mom.
"I figured you'd want to do something like that. You are my romantic son!" she laughed and we hugged again.
Dinner wasn't the same as it had been all those years ago. Now there were seven around the table. And we were a family. I managed to make it through without breaking down again but I was close to tears the whole evening. Tears of happiness, tears of joy, seeing all of us together.
As the evening drew to a close, Mom went home and Domingo, Tim, Jason and Scott wandered over to their own houses. We all stood there on our front porches in the soft evening air, looking up at the stars and holding our lovers.
"I think we're going to be very happy here." Ty said, whispering in my ear as he stood behind me with his arms around me.
"I know I'm almost as happy right now as I could possibly be." I said.
"Almost?" Ty asked.
"Well...there is one thing that could make me happier, that could make this perfect." I said quietly.
Ty didn't need to even ask me what that was. He reached down and picked me up in his arms and was just about to carry me over the threshold of our new home when he heard cheering coming from the other two front porches on each side of us. Ty turned around and there was Tim being carried by Domingo and Scott being carried by Jason. Laughing, Ty turned back and carried me into our new home and our new life together.
THE END OF "THE MARINE NEXT DOOR"
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RimPig