Tommy and Tanner Chapter 48
Warning:
This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction between males of similar age. If the reading or possessing this material is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so. It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.
The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit authorization from me.
This is not my first attempt at writing fiction. My longer stories on Nifty include: "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004), "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004), "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Tales from Bentonville" (November 16, 2008), and "Second Chance" (September 24, 2010) under "High School" and "Someone to Watch over Me" under "Beginnings" in the gay male section. There are a few short stories also: "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 22, 2004 under "Camping", "Of Angels and Dragons" (November 8, 2008) under "Camping", "A Christmas Tale" (December 22, 2009) under "High School", "Brazil Affair" (October 1, 2010) under "Beginnings," "Seth's Gift" (October 10, 2010) under the Science Fiction/Fantasy category, and "A Technological Christmas" (December 23, 2011) under "Beginnings."
I am listed on Nifty under the category of "Prolific Net Authors" which will make it easier for you to access earlier stories. Some of these stories are also posted at: www.storylover.us along with those of other writers that may interest you.
My only reward for contributing to Nifty is your emails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your email because my email service sometimes puts them in the "spam" file.
Thanks and hugs to Tom and David (boxerdude) who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes! They not only proof-read, but make other valuable suggestions.
Finally, David has a new site that is hosting a number of authors. It's at: www.saberpeak.com. My first story, "Always and Forever," is posted there.
David (dlee169@hotmail.com)
Tommy and Tanner, Chapter 48
When they met up again at Tommy's house, Drake and Chris were nearly exhausted, more from the emotional rollercoaster they'd been on for the past couple of hours than the physical labor. They had gone from apprehension to momentary joy to despair and back to feeling at least a modicum of hope again.
Not only were they welcomed by the whole Torrance clan, but also by Peter, Lee, and Jared. They got hugs from everyone and the warmth they felt made them cry.
"It's good to get it out of your systems," Lee told them when they apologized for their emotional display. "I know exactly how you feel, having been thrown out in a similar manner. We're all going to do our best to help you. I don't think you've met my foster mother, Dorothy, and her husband, Herbert Hanover. Anyway, they're moving into my old condo and we're removing the furniture that we want to keep. You will be moving into the room that Tim used to have in our new house as soon as we can get things squared away, which could be the middle of the week. Jared's decided he likes the setup on the main floor which was Tommy and Tanner's room, so he's moving back there.
Peter, why don't you tell the guys what you've got started?"
"Boys, even though it's Sunday, I managed to contact an acquaintance who's involved in a national LGBT organization." Peter told them. "He thinks he can get you college funds, but it may take a few months. He wants you to tell your story publicly if you're willing to do so. He said that media coverage will boost your chances. If you can get something on YouTube, people will likely come out of the woodwork to offer you aid. A few of them may be dirty old men wanting to hook up with college boys, but the majority will be kind, well-meaning people who hate injustice. He'll act as the go-between to protect you from predators.
As a counselor, I also have access to lots of regular scholarship information. I'll be pursuing that angle too. Sometimes there are unique ones that no one applies for."
Both boys thanked and hugged the men. Then they turned to Jared.
"Bud, you don't have to give up your room for us. We'll sleep upstairs or on the floor or anywhere. We're just grateful to have a roof over our heads," Drake spoke of both of them.
"Nah, it's fine. I'll have a double bed which is plenty big for me and you guys can share the queen one, unless you don't want to sleep with another boy," he smirked.
All the boys helped Drake and Chris get most of their things stowed in the garage while the men worked on making supper. Tark fired up the grill and started cooking hamburgers and Lee and Peter went to the supermarket to purchase salads in the deli department to complete the meal.
Devin and Andy accepted the invitation to eat with them. Lee felt it was the least they could do to thank the two for coming to the aid of Chris and Drake.
By 6:30, they were all sitting around picnic tables in the backyard enjoying their dinner. Lee, Peter, and Jared left shortly after helping to clear up. Teri tried to get them to take home the leftovers, but they said to keep them to help feed the extra boys they'd have for a few days.
Andy and Devin departed soon after. They would have been pleased to stay longer, but knew that their friends were really tired and needed time to settle down.
Drake and Chris showered first and Tommy and Tanner immediately after them, coming in naked because none of them had any reservations about being nude together after their camping experiences.
When Tommy and Tanner came back to their room a few minutes later clad only in their towels, they found their guests propped up on the trundle nestled together with a sheet pulled up to their waists.
"It's been one hell of a day," Drake observed.
"I'm really sorry you guys had to have it so rough," Tanner sympathized as he tossed his towel on the floor and climbed into bed. "Uncle Lee told you he had a similar experience, except his adoptive grandfather stuck by him. Do you think your grandparents might do that too?"
"I don't think mine would," Drake shook his head. "You know what they say about acorns not falling far from the oak tree. My grandparents on both sides are pretty conservative on social issues. What about you, Chris?"
"My grandmother on my father's side is pretty rational and I know she loves me, but I don't think she has much money since Grandpa died. My mother's parents are both about as nuts as she is. I'm sure they wouldn't help." Chris added.
"That's too bad," Tommy said, cuddling up to his lover. "My grandparents are really cool now that Grandpa Torrance got a divorce and is dating a really nice lady. He knows we're gay and he still has college accounts set up in our names."
"It must be nice," Drake sighed. "Evidently the adage holds there too. I'm sure your grandparents must be good people to have raised your parents to be like they are, and they've done a good job on you guys. How many people would open up their house and their room to a couple of gay guys who'd been kicked out? I'll bet there aren't a lot!"
"I've never thought about it. I guess it seems normal to me because that's just how Mom and Dad have always operated," Tommy mused.
"Yes it is!" Tanner agreed. "Our parents are saints. If they weren't where would I be?"
"Sharing my bed in any case," Tommy grinned.
"Not if they were the type who wouldn't let us!"
"Yeah, you're right about that. Thank God they do!"
Tanner turned out the light and the four of them snuggled as couples. They talked a little longer, but fell soon after the last word was uttered. Drake and Chris were, of course, exhausted like they'd been before dinner. Remarkably they weren't troubled by lots of bad dreams.
On Monday morning, Chris and Drake scrambled to get dressed quickly and eat before heading to the city pool to take their shifts as lifeguards. Normally they'd have gone separately because their schedules just overlapped. However, with one vehicle between them, both would have to go at the same time or Chris would be facing a rather long walk later.
Ms. Jackson seemed surprised to see either one of them.
"Drake, Chris! I'm so glad you changed your minds!"
"What?" they said in unison.
"Chris's mother called to say that you were running off to California and I'd need to find replacements. I was about to call Tim Torrance to see if he could fill in today until I could make new arrangements."
"That bitch." Chris muttered.
"Ms. Jackson, our parents threw us out and now they're evidently trying to sabotage our lives further," Drake sighed.
"Why in the world would they do that to two nice guys like you?"
"Uh, they discovered that we love each other and we had the choice of splitting up or getting out." Drake continued. "They think we're disgusting, and you may not want us here working around little boys now that you know. But I hope we still have jobs because we really need the money."
"First of all, I want to congratulate you on finding each other and I wish you happiness together. I don't think you're disgusting in any way.
I'm sure if you're in love with each other that you aren't interested in little boys. I know for a fact that straight men are far more likely to molest than gay ones. The headlines have been full of stories like that this year!
As you've probably heard, our grounds-keeper quit without notice last week, so I'm looking to fill another job around here. It's not a lot of hours, but one of you can mow today while the other is guarding at the pool and you can switch places at noon. It will save me interviewing someone and I'll pay you as much as I'm allowed to for the job."
"Awesome!" Chris exclaimed. "I'll get on that immediately."
"Don't get the work all done so quickly that Drake won't have anything left to do in the afternoon," Ms. Jackson cautioned with a grin. "The old dude took all day. If you run short of work to fill the time when it's your turn, you can weed the flowerbeds and tidy up in the storage room, Drake."
"Thanks!" both boys said.
Chris and Drake were more fortunate than many in their situation because they'd made friends who could act as a safety-net of support. Everyone looked out for their interests. Jared suggested to Tommy and Tanner that perhaps their older buds could take some mowing jobs at times. Tim talked to Todd at the store about hiring the two as substitutes when the regular boys asked for days off. Tark contacted the school maintenance men to see if they needed additional help in getting the rooms ready for fall. Dorothy asked if they were available to paint the insides of her closets.
Before long, the boys needed to create an elaborate schedule to handle all the work they were offered. None of the jobs paid terribly well, but at least they provided living expenses for gasoline and other necessities.
Try as they might, Drake and Chris could not get Lee and Peter to take any money for board and room when they moved in. Lee said that the memory of his own experiences compelled him to care for others facing similar problems. Peter insisted that it was the duty of all gay men to support their brothers, and that he had additional means now that he was the assistant football coach. The boys felt more love than they'd known in a long time.
Jared was especially pleased at the prospect that his new-found family was continuing to grow by the addition of two "older brothers" whom he'd grown close to from the moment they'd met.
He'd known for some time how fortunate he was to have Lee and Peter as his dads. It seemed to him that their hearts were even bigger than he'd imagined now that they were helping Chris and Drake.
Despite all the love bestowed upon him, Jared would continue to have mood swings and fight depression for a while. In order to help Jared heal completely, Lee had connected him with a new young man in the practice who was ideal for his needs. Their weekly sessions had moved from something Jared kind of dreaded to being an hour he looked forward to. The most difficult times had come early when his physical and emotional wounds were fresh. Now that he was getting better, he enjoyed sharing his feelings with his therapist. The young counselor didn't hesitate to hug him in a non-sexual way when he needed it.
Lee had recommended the same therapist to Tark when he was seeking someone to help Tuck.
The Coolidge High Cougars were looking forward to having a winning football season. There were plenty of drills and scrimmages in the late summer to prepare the team.
Although Bart didn't like Tark's stand on gays, he did respect the man's ability to coach the team. He didn't like Peter at all, not because the man lacked knowledge and skills, but because he was gay and wasn't apologetic about it. Bart hoped to be able to do something to mess the man up toward the end of the season. But, for the time being, he was keeping a low profile. He wanted to get a football scholarship to some school or other for the sake of what he termed "PB" (pussy and beer). He told his coaches that the initials stood for `playing ball' and they more or less bought his explanation. His teammates got the unexpunged version and laughed about the secret they shared.
Neither Tark nor Peter was particularly thrilled to be coaching a boy who was so openly redneck, but both were professionals who would not allow personal feelings to interfere with helping each boy to develop his potential.
Everything seemed to be going well, but despite the public civility displayed by most of the players, there was an undercurrent that made the coaches uneasy. Bart had a clique of boys around him who thought they were God's gift to the sports world. So far, their activities were mostly limited to posturing and strutting around trying to intimidate others by their very presence. However, with the right (or WRONG, as the case may be) leadership, they had the potential of becoming unadulterated bullies. The crowd included two big defensive players, Jackson and Dax, with Lance (Jordon Cook's little brother) at the fringes.
Lance was a difficult kid to read. He seemed to be smarter than the bunch he hung around with, and possibly a decent kid. But, he apparently thought it necessary to act tough, following in his brother's footsteps.
There were days when Tark felt like he might be sitting on a powder keg, but on others, things were looking good. A bright spot in the football program was Greg Paulson who, as a senior, was finally coming into his own. He could be a worthy successor to Tim in the quarterback slot. He'd shown a lot of improvement as a junior, but even that paled in comparison with what he was doing this summer. Tark smiled whenever he saw the boy out there hustling on the field.
In late July, Tucker came home from one of his sessions with his therapist and asked if he and his mother could spend time together, just the two of them. Tark, who had driven him, agreed that he would take Tori and put her down for her nap while mother and son had their tete-a-tete.
They went out to the backyard and sat near each other in lawn chairs in the shade sipping on lemonade which was a painful reminder for Tuck.
"Mom, I want to ask your forgiveness."
"You have it, but I'm not sure why you would need to ask. You're a good boy and I love you very much."
"It's about that day when I was pretty drunk. I swore at you and I acted like a jerk when you were trying to do what was best for me. I'd like to say it was the booze talking, but I should have had better control then and also earlier at the pool when I let that girl do things to me."
"Tuck, you apologized immediately for your words, and yes, it was the alcohol which made you lose control – in both cases. I know your body is flooded with hormones at your age. You've matured sexually faster than your older brothers, I think. Yes, you might have succumbed to Monica's charms even cold sober, but you wouldn't have responded to me that way. Now, don't beat yourself up! You're a fine young man and I'm very proud of you."
They stood and Tuck hugged her tightly. She felt his sincere tears on her shoulder and was assured that she had spoken correctly. He was a fine boy and he would be okay.
The camping getaways at Lee and Peter's property continued on and off during the rest of the summer. Devin often drove his pickup out with two or three other guys and most of the supplies, while Tim, Tark, or Peter chauffeured the rest who were too young to drive themselves and didn't fit in the pickup. When possible, Chris and Drake would come out on Saturday night to spend the shank of the weekend.
In early August, Andy reached the magic age and got his license and his set of wheels the same day. Instead of having a party at home, he celebrated his birthday by driving to their favorite camping place. He kind of hated not being in the same vehicle with Devin, but this way they could get most of the guys out for the whole weekend without having to bother any of the adults. Being able to spend his birthday in his birthday suit was adequate compensation for being separated from his boyfriend for the short drive.
Dorothy and Herbert were pretty well settled in their new condo by the time Chris and Drake became part of Lee and Peter's household. They had decided to stay in Illinois until after Thanksgiving. Then they'd go to Herbert's son's home in Minnesota until after Christmas when they'd fly back to Florida for the rest of the winter. In May, they planned to come north again.
Lee was still amazed at how much younger Dorothy looked and acted than when he'd first become reacquainted with her. He credited it to her new life and marriage. If he had asked her, she would have said it all started when Tim became her deacon and connected her with his family and the little boy, now man, whom she had fostered years before. Whatever the cause, it was a minor miracle.
Their freestanding condo had a small backyard with flower beds already established. Herbert loved to work outside tending them. It gave him something to occupy his time and he enjoyed the fresh air.
They also used the hot tub frequently and invited Lee, Peter, Jared, and whomever they wanted to bring along to use it too. Lee and Peter went over occasionally to be sociable, but felt that a bunch of kids might be more than the senior couple could manage on a regular basis.
Jared wasn't at all disappointed not to be included because it was usually done when he was off camping or doing other things with his new "cousins" as he called Tuck, Tommy and Tanner. He liked Dorothy and Herbert, but didn't feel the same kind of connection to them that Lee and Peter did.
The wheels of justice are not always swift, but some things got taken care of rather quickly. Monica and Christy were tried soon, but separately since they were not being charged with the same crimes.
Christy had participated in supplying alcohol to minors, but not with molesting them. She chose to take a plea agreement in which she admitted being guilty of contributing to the delinquency of minors and her sentence was a fine plus a number of hours of community service.
Monica initially insisted that she wanted a trial by jury, thinking that she would possibly get out of the sex abuse charge if they got Tuck on the stand. Any jury should be able to tell that he was mature enough to consent to the sex play she'd involved him in.
Her lawyer disagreed. He told her that no matter how mature Tuck appeared, he was still under the age of consent, and that the jury would assume she had plied him with booze in order to get into his pants. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison.
He worked out an agreement with the DA for her to plead guilty to one count of supplying alcohol to minors and one count of third degree sexual contact with a minor. Eventually, it was her father who convinced her to take the deal.
Monica received a sentence of six years in jail with the judge suspending all but the two months of it she's already served. She would remain on probation for the full time and be subject to incarceration for its entirety if she failed to meet the terms he laid out.
She was to have no contact with Tucker or the boys who had been with him that fateful day. She was barred from taking any form of employment that would put her in unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 years of age, and she would be listed on the sex offender registry for the foreseeable future. It seemed to her like a stiff sentence, but it could have been much worse.
Since there was no jury trial, Tuck and the other boys didn't have to testify. The details of Tuck's encounter would remain private. The boys could, however, be present at the sentencing. None of them chose to do so.
Dirk's trial on the charge of statutory rape was postponed several times. His mother did her best to get him a lawyer who could get him off the hook. His misdeeds were likely to mess up his future as much as Monica's did hers. He would not be able to enter the armed services and he had minimal skills for the job market even if he could have his name cleared.
In any case, there was too much damning evidence all the way from his DNA, which had been collected with the rape kit, to the video Tanner had shot of the girl and him emerging from the tent. No matter who was his legal counsel or what his mother wanted to happen, he would not be a free man for many years.
There were also the charges of abuse and molestation for what he'd done to Jared. But those would be more difficult to prove, and in the eyes of the law, they paled in comparison with his having sex with an underage girl. However, they did matter in the case of Jared's removal from his parents' home. Although they had signed documents in another county, new proceedings were done to make sure there were not loopholes.
The judge in the Middleton district held a hearing, and upon reviewing all the evidence, awarded permanent custody to Lee and Peter. They were cleared to legally adopt him if they chose, and that is what they made application to do. They decided to have him take Lee's last name rather than to burden him with a hyphenated surname. He would gladly have taken either man's name or both of theirs rather than to keep "Bristow" because he wanted no reminders of the past.
Summer was drawing to a close and Tark felt bad that he hadn't taken Teri or his boys on a trip. Since the boys were no longer in scouts, they hadn't had a real vacation.
His sons, however, expressed no regrets. They said that having been out in the woods at Lee and Peter's "country estate" had given them a lot of pleasure, and with their mowing business the summer had been full.
Tark still felt guilty that Teri and he hadn't had at least a weekend away. Teri didn't complain, but he knew she'd enjoy being able to relax before the school year began.
When he contacted Jeri and Floyd about the possibility of coming to watch Tori while they took a long weekend in Wisconsin, the grandparents jumped at the chance.
Teri asked him to take her canoeing on the Namekagon River where he had gone in his college days, and also taken the boys. He questioned whether she'd want to rough it like they had, but she assured him that she was up to it and would enjoy communing with nature.
Tark called ahead to make sure he could reserve the shuttle service when he wanted it and then began to pack. The boys helped him organize what he and Teri would need and also helped secure the canoe on the roof rack a day ahead of their departure.
On Friday after football practice, Teri and Tark kissed everyone goodbye and headed out in order to make it to the campground before dark. To save time, they packed a lunch and ate on the way, changing up on the driving so that neither would be driving distracted.
It was still light out when they arrived at the free campground near the small town where they would connect with the shuttle the following day. Fortunately there were plenty of sites left. It looked a lot less busy than it had the previous year. Tark was pleased.
By the time they had their tent erected and their bedding all arranged; they were tired. If they could go to sleep early, they'd be able to arise early and hit the river ahead of the crowd.
Morning found them up bright and early. Tark got the camp stove going while Teri went to the primitive bathroom to freshen up. They ate breakfast and headed off to check in with the shuttle service.
An hour and a half later, they were on the river all by themselves.
"This is beautiful!" Teri exclaimed. "I wish I had known how nice it was. I might have come along with you and the kids last year."
"Um, I think that might have put a bit of a crimp in their style," Tark grinned.
"Oh, I suppose you guys spent as much time nude as possible. I guess the boys would have been uncomfortable if I had seen them naked although I've changed their diapers Lord only knows how many times!"
"There have been some, uh, big changes since then," Tark snickered.
"I'm aware of that," Teri agreed. "Tim forgot he was sleeping raw when he jumped out of bed with `morning wood' on the day Tori was born. My, that boy resembles you in more ways than one!"
"I haven't seen him with an erection, but I suspect he may have surpassed me," Tark said proudly. "He's quite the young man."
"I hope he's taking precautions," Teri sighed. "I'm not ready to be a grandmother just yet."
"Uh, what makes you think they're making love?"
"The way she looks at him," Teri answered. "She has that look that says she's both satisfied and hungry at the same time. Surely you've seen it."
"I don't think guys notice those things in women as much as other women do, but I see a similar look on Tim's face. He's definitely IN love whether or not they've MADE love."
"Haven't you talked to him about it?"
"I started to ask once, but thought better of it. It's not my place to pry. I believe we've raised our boys with good values and a sense of responsibility. I'm sure they'll all be fine."
Around 10:30, traffic on the river picked up. It was mostly later risers who had just packed up and were heading on to a new campsite or to their vehicles parked at a pull-out area.
When noon came, Tark asked Teri if she could hold out another half hour or so before stopping for lunch. If they did, it might be possible to secure his favorite spot for the night.
"Will we be far enough along so that we aren't rushed on Monday?" she asked.
"Sure. There are several other places between it and our pull-out spot where we could camp the last night if we need to. I'll bet most of them will be empty on Sunday night because many people will have to work on Monday."
When they got to Tark's favorite place, the previous campers were in the process of leaving.
"You're here at the right time," they told them. "Several other people passed it by because we hadn't left yet."
"Thanks for saving it for us," Tark laughed. "This is my favorite place; I owe you."
Teri laid out their food for lunch while Tark set up the tent. He placed it strategically so that it filled the gap in the natural screen of vegetation. It would show other campers that the spot was taken and would provide additional privacy.
After lunch, Tark spread out a plastic tarp and a sleeping bag. Then he pulled off his shorts and lay naked in the sun. After Teri went through her bag and found sunscreen, she followed his example. She also brought out their large towels.
"I think we need these to keep the lotion from getting on the sleeping bag," she said. "Would you mind applying some to the places I can't reach?"
They slathered the protective liquid over each other everywhere – even easy to reach areas. The process had its effect on both of them, but Tark couldn't hide his reaction as easily as she could.
After several minutes of wrestling around, she nudged him onto his back and impaled herself on his steely erection. For the next hour, they rode the magic carpet to the sky. Teri was an expert at bringing him to the brink, but not allowing him to cum until they'd both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Tark loved it when she took control.
Author's notes: I hope all of you had a good Christmas and will have a great New Year.
Thanks to all who emailed: Rutabaga, Paul R, Ott H, Roper L, Bill Z, Vann D, Bill T, Walt S, Bill K, Peter W, Tom A, Danny A, Wayne, Jim W, Tim K, Sage E, Harry T, Scott T, Stef, Trish R, Steffan F, JJ, Scott McG, Vern, and Richard W. As always, if I left you off the list, please tell me!
Some of you emailed about "A Technological Christmas" which is found in the "Beginnings" category. It's a kind of offbeat take on the season. I'm glad you liked it!
Be happy that you don't live in Iowa when candidates are vying for the nomination of their party! I'm so sick of political ads that I could scream!
David