Tommy and Tanner Chapter 86
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 86
Prom was the big event for seniors at Coolidge in early May. Many students had secured dates far in advance; while others weren't sure they wanted to attend. Tommy and Tanner thought it would be fun to participate in the last big dance of their high school years even though they were already past the dating phase of their relationship, being legal partners.
Andy and Devin agreed that they were going. Lance and Michael decided to let the entire world know about their status by attending as a couple and dancing together for the slow, more intimate numbers. Barry and Larry were definitely going to keep a low profile because they didn't dare let their homophobic fathers find out just yet.
When Tommy and Tanner ordered white tuxedos with purple shirts and cummerbunds, some of their friends decided to do the same. Tanner had read about a guy who wore purple to school as a sign of support for all the boys who were bullied because they either were different or perceived to be. After Ava heard of their plans, she encouraged her date to follow suit. Not wanting to stand out in the general crowd, he got some of his friends on the student council to do it too. The local formal wear rental shops ended up having to search high and low for more purple and lavender accessories and were offering to substitute shades of pink at a discount when they ran out. None of them had anticipated this sudden fashion trend!
Barry and Larry not only dressed conservatively, but had asked girls to the big dance. They knew a couple of younger girls who were friends and who would probably be pleased to go to the senior prom as sophomores.
When they approached the two, they were questioned about their motives.
"I've heard some rumors about you guys. Are you trying to prove you're not gay?" Barry's prospective date asked.
"Would it matter?" Barry responded. "It's not like we're proposing marriage. Are you hoping to get laid and don't want to go with us if we're not taking you to a motel afterward?"
"I should slap you for that remark, but I think it might be fun to go if you DO act like gentlemen and DON"T try to prove anything in bed."
"Okay, now that we've cleared that up, are you interested in going with us?" He continued.
"Sure, but I think we should pay for our own dinners so you can't say we owe you anything."
"That's cool with us," Larry chimed in. "We're looking to have fun, not go steady. We're too young to get serious with a couple of pretty girls we don't know all that well."
It turned out to be the most colorful prom in the history of Coolidge High. Although girls often wore stunning gowns, this was a first for guys to be looking a bit like peacocks. Their tuxes ran the gamut from black, navy, and gray, to ivory and white. In many cases, their accessories were a veritable rainbow of hues.
The sponsors, and lots of the students, thought it was great, but a few didn't. Lisa Gordon sought out Dr. Moore as the first couples took the floor.
"Eww, most of the colors the boys are wearing are so gay!" Lisa announced.
"They are rather bright and gay; it's a festive occasion," Dr. Moore responded with a tight smile.
"You know what I mean. About half the guys in here look like homosexuals." Lisa expounded.
"I wasn't aware that a person's orientation is determined by the colors he or she wears. Please tell me more."
"Everyone knows that boys who wear lavender and purple are queer," Lisa responded. "I can't believe some of the real guys are too. But look at Barry; he's wearing the proper white shirt with a red cummerbund. He looks like a real man!"
"Well, as your generation is prone to say, `whatever.'" Dr. Moore replied as she moved toward another area, to extricate herself from the self-righteous girl.
Lisa followed her, trying to continue their conversation.
"My mom says it didn't used to be like this when Dr. Reed was the principal. She says things have gone downhill ever since you started codling fags – like letting Tommy and Tanner be honored at the Valentine's Day dance. It made me sick to see those queers dancing together!"
"Lisa, you weren't forced to go to an event that was put on by the Gay/Straight alliance. Your mother and you are entitled to your opinions; however, it isn't your right to denigrate others with hate speech. Please refrain from using slurs in my presence or I will have to ask you and your date to leave."
"At least my date and Barry look like real men!"
Had Barry overheard Lisa's parting shot, he'd have laughed heartily about her assessment of him.
Larry and he dropped their dates home as soon as prom ended. They didn't go to any of the after prom parties like they had told their parents they were. Instead, he drove out the Lee and Peter's acreage with a couple of blankets in the trunk of Barry's old Lincoln.
It was a reasonably warm spring evening and the two made love out by the pond. After they'd both achieved a couple of climaxes, they went back to the school where Larry called for a cab to take him home.
Tommy and Tanner attended one after prom party for a while, but decided to go home to bed instead of staying up too late. What was the point of having to spend a couple of days trying to catch up on sleep?
"We should enjoy this while we can," Tanner advised in the afterglow of an especially enjoyable union.
"What do you mean?" Tommy asked. "Are you going to cut me off once we're officially married?"
"No, I was thinking of before."
"What!" Tommy exclaimed.
"Seriously, I have a plan to make our wedding night really special."
"Okay..."
"Have you ever heard the term `secondary virginity'?" Tanner asked.
"It sounds like a contradiction to me."
"In a way, I guess it is. There are kids who were trying to keep their virginity, girls mainly, but who slipped and got laid. They take a vow afterwards to remain chaste until their wedding night."
"And that affects us how?"
"Well, I was thinking that for a week or two before we tie the knot in Iowa, we could avoid any sexual contact. We would either sleep in boxers or in separate beds. We wouldn't touch each other or ourselves for sex during that time. Then on our wedding night we might have some kind of ritual like shaving each other and bathing each other. It might make our `first time' very intense!"
"Are we allowed to make out?"
"As long as it doesn't get too intimate and have it lead to climax."
"Wow, it's gonna be hard!"
"That's what I'm counting on; I want you hard as can be!"
"We have a few weeks before we try it, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, let's make the most of our time now!" Tommy exclaimed and he dived under the sheet to engulf Tanner's rising manhood in his warm, moist mouth.
Participating in the state track and field meet in Champaign-Urbana for the last time was a kind of bitter-sweet trip for the guys. It marked the end of an important chapter of their lives, almost as much as graduation would. There were many memories involved.
Peter was the chaperone for the bus many of the gay guys were riding on. Lee couldn't come with him because of an emergency involving a suicidal young client, but would drive down on Saturday afternoon to see some of the events and to stay with him overnight.
Some of the guys wondered if Coach Lewis had put all of the gay kids together to make them feel safer. It might have been so, but there were certainly more straight boys than gay ones. However, most of them were accepting types like Tucker Torrance.
They would be staying in the same accommodations they had used the past three years. Even though it wasn't the place where they'd roomed with Mason as freshmen, Tommy and Tanner felt his presence as they rode down and were saddened that he was with them only in spirit. Still, they assumed he was in a happier place. It comforted them knowing he was probably looking down at them, cheering for them.
Andy and Devin were pleased to be rooming with them as they'd done in the past. It meant they could make out and hang around naked with not a hint of embarrassment. They hoped their other friends would be as lucky.
The minute Barry and Larry got into their room with Michael and Lance, Barry asked everyone to sit down because he had something important to say. Michael and Lance sat in silence, wondering where this was going.
"First, we'd like to thank you for letting us room with you. I'm pretty sure a lot of the guys on the team didn't want us because we got caught drinking last year. That was stupid of us, especially me since my dad's a drunk. Second, we're going to be open with you. We're in love like we believe you are after seeing you dance with each other at prom, so I hope we'll all be able to make love with our boyfriends without anybody being offended."
"Cool!" Lance grinned. "We were hoping our suspicions about you were correct."
"Shit, are we that obvious?" Larry asked.
"Hell yes!" Michael said, trying not to giggle. "Any other gay guy can tell by watching you gaze into one another's eyes like a couple of idiots. Besides, we heard plenty of rumors and we're pretty sure you weren't off hiking in the woods all afternoon at the cabin when we were there on spring break."
"We did mess around quite a bit," Barry admitted. "The air was charged with testosterone out there and we had the freedom to do whatever we wanted. We both had to lie through our teeth to hide the sleepover from the `rents, but it was worth it!
"You were very private and so were we. How do you want to handle it here? We could leave you alone in the room while you make love if you'll clear out when we do." Barry offered
"Would you be uncomfortable about each couple doing it in our own bed after the lights are out?" Michael asked.
"I'd be cool with a little light from outside coming in as long as it's fairly dark," Barry said.
"Me to," Larry echoed. "It would be really kind of sexy knowing what was going on in the next bed!"
"Then we'll do whatever we want," Lance chimed in. "I have no problem with making out naked with you guys seeing me."
"That would be really hot!" Larry enthused. "Does everyone want to get naked together right now?"
They all grinned and nodded. Lance was especially into it because he didn't mind showing off how hung his boyfriend was, as long as the other guys looked and didn't touch. Feeling up that big mamba was for him alone!
There wasn't a lot of time before lights-out, so the guys took showers by couples and didn't bother to cover up as they came back into the room. Barry and Larry were both impressed by Michael's big trouser snake. They'd seen it soft on several occasions, but pumped full of blood it was even more imposing than they'd guessed.
In truth, no one needed to be ashamed of what he was packing. They all grinned as they caught one another checking ever body else out.
After turning out the lights and opening the drapes, Michael and Lance wasted no time in getting into the 69 position to nurse each other toward their goal. Larry and Barry followed their example. The air was electric with low moans and slurping sounds. The couples inspired each other to new heights as they made love.
Barry gasped around Larry's cock as he began to spew. Of course his actions caused similar reactions from his lover. Lance and Michael soon followed.
"Oh my God!" Barry exclaimed. "I can't believe how great it is being with you guys!!!"
"Agreed!" Michael responded. "It was really HOT! Just think, we have tomorrow night as well. I hope I can stay focused in the field events."
"You will," Lance insisted. "Once you get into the competition, you'll forget about me and everything else and I'm not jealous. If the wrestlers can ignore someone's hand on their crotch, we can surely block out distractions too."
Their conversation was interrupted for a minute by Peter's tapping on their door reminding them it was time for sleep in order to be fresh for tomorrow's events.
Especially for the senior boys, it was a thrill to better their scores from last year even when it meant shaving a few seconds off of their times in racing or adding fractions of inches to field events like discus and shot put.
The relay team of Tommy, Tanner, Andy, and Devin impressed everyone as they came in first by a sizeable margin. Their flawless transfer of the baton was what helped put them over the top. Several other teams had runners as fast or possibly faster, but lost precious seconds when it came to the handoff. This part depended more upon their mental acuity than their physical prowess, and the four Cougars seemed to be inside each other's heads.
Michael threw the shot up almost an inch further, beating the record he'd set the previous year. While giving him a congratulatory hug, Lance had joked about not being able to take another inch.
The event wasn't all about achievements on the track or in the field. The guys horsed around in the pool and enjoyed the sauna and steam room. They were more comfortable in their skins than ever before about being naked, even when in the presence of guys from other teams.
On Friday night, a couple of their rivals from a nearby school struck up a conversation about prom while sitting in the thick atmosphere of the steam room.
"I heard your prom was pretty colorful," one of them said.
"I was there and I'm a person of color," Michael joked.
"I can see that, you big stud," the guy laughed. "I was talking about all the purple and lavender. Was that a statement or what?"
"It was a statement for us," Lance responded, taking Michael's hand in his. "We were sorta out, but wanted to let the world know."
"Wow! Weren't you scared you'd get beat up?"
"Nope," Michael said. "You wanna take me on?"
"Never! Besides, I don't have a problem as long as no one tries to hit on me. I'm not sure what the big deal is."
"Cool!" Several of the gay boys said in chorus.
Sunday night, Coach Lewis hosted a pizza party at his house to celebrate their successful track season. Practically every boy was there to take part, but some left fairly early because of jobs and other commitments. Among those were Barry, Larry, Tommy, Tanner, Andy, and Devin. Lance and Michael were staying to the end and promised to provide Barry and Larry alibis if needed.
At the Torrance residence, Hank and Toby met briefly with Barry and Larry to have them sign a rather loosely worded lease agreement and to give them two keys to their apartment. The two new tenants hugged each other and their landlords. It was possibly the most emotional rental deal in history as the boys shed a couple of tears despite their resolve not to. At last they had a place of refuge, a place to begin their lives together free from their parents' disapproving looks and angry tirades.
While the formalities were being taken care of, the other boys were loading up the futon, recliner, and a few bags of clothes and odds and ends that the boys had smuggled out of their houses already.
When the two carloads of guys got to the apartment, they were pleased to see the progress. The carpet had been cleaned and someone had painted the bedroom.
"Okay who did this?" Barry asked.
"Hank had your carpet done along with theirs, and we managed to get the bedroom painted," Tommy said. "We figured you'd want that settled first and we knew you wouldn't have time. Tuck helped."
"This is awesome!" Larry enthused. "We figured we'd have to move the bedroom stuff twice. It's really great having friends!"
"We thought the bed might be your first priority," Tanner kidded.
"Speaking of beds, when do you want us to move your stuff," Devin asked. "We have several afternoons free now that track practice is over."
"Let's do it tomorrow then," Larry said excitedly. "Our parents will all be at work until at least 5:00."
"I'd love it if we can do it!" Barry agreed. "My dad says I have to start paying rent June first and I want to be settled before graduation. He wasn't planning to throw a party for me anyway. We'll celebrate in our own way," he grinned, putting his arm around his lover's waist.
"We could work as two teams to speed it up," Tanner suggested.
On Monday right after classes let out, the boys hurried from school. Tommy and Tanner had the family minivan and drove to Larry's house to help load his things in it. It took only half an hour before they had cleared out his room and packed everything in along with his bike and skateboard.
Larry wrote a note to his parents and taped his key to it. Then he left his former home for the last time. He felt a mixture of sadness and relief, mostly the latter, as they headed toward the apartment.
Meanwhile, Barry rode to his house in the pickup with Devin and Andy. He also had bags of his things in his closet ready to load up. They took the bed apart and loaded it first, added the dresser and a matching nightstand. Lastly they brought the bags to stuff between the wood furniture. As they were finishing up, Barry's father, Darwin, pulled into the drive followed by a police car.
"Thesh boys are shteeling my shtuff! Arresht them!" he demanded.
"Sir, I need for you to stay in the car and hand me your driver's license."
"I'll do no shuch thing!"
In a flash, two officers had him handcuffed and against his car, searching him for weapons.
"Keep chour filthy hansh off my privates!" he yelled.
"Settled down sir; no one's touching you improperly."
"I'm gonna shue!"
"Can you young men tell me what's going on here?" the first office asked.
"I'm moving out and I guess my father doesn't like the idea. Everything in the pickup is mine from my room plus my bicycle. I was trying to do this before he got home from work to avoid a confrontation."
"How do I know you're entitled to take the furniture?"
"If you let me get into the top drawer of my bureau, there's a birthday card from Grandma Joyce telling me she hoped I'd enjoy her present for years to come and have it in my first home."
Barry jumped up in the pickup and brought out the card. The officer read it and nodded.
"You're free to go on your way then. Your father said he saw the truck in his driveway and came to find us to follow him home. We tried to stop him from driving in his condition, but he was too quick for us. If you want to move his car so you can get out, that will be fine with me.
And if it's any comfort to you, I had an alcoholic father too. You're smart to get away from here while you can. Just remember that you are a good, intelligent young man despite what he says about you."
"Thanks. I will."
Barry moved the car to the street while Devin backed out and then pulled it into the garage. All the while, Darwin cursed him and carried on like a man possessed.
"At leasht I don' hafta feed chur lazy ash anymore,"
"I'll miss you too, Father."
When Devin's pickup finally pulled around to the back of the building, the boys were surprised to see several other vehicles. They took the stairs two at a time to find out what was going on.
The large part of the deck had two picnic tables and two card tables set up with chairs. The Mosbecks, Torrances, and Roberts were all there setting up dinner.
"We decided to throw you a housewarming party," Teri told the boys. "As part of your gifts, we've stocked your kitchen with staples like sugar, flour, pasta, rice, and canned goods. Everyone chipped in on the microwave. Lee and Peter sent the toaster oven and can opener along with their regrets that they had prior commitments. Hank and Toby found this great kitchen table with four serviceable chairs. Cathy remembered that you'd need bath and dish towels. Michael's and Lance's families couldn't come, but they sent a set of pots and pans with the boys. We know there will be things we've forgotten, so here's a $50 gift card from Target for incidentals."
Barry and Larry were both surprised and overwhelmed by the generosity of their friends' families. They didn't hide their tears of appreciation. Their fathers' years of verbal abuse would never be able to push aside the love they felt at that moment. They smiled broadly as they hugged everyone in sight.
Author's notes: Thanks to those who emailed with words of encouragement and understanding this past week: Ott H, Bobby C, Rutabaga, Tom A, Roger L, Jim C, Harden O, Bill T, Caleb, Walter Sz, Richie S, Trish R, Bill, Dan L, Paul R, and Jim W.
I think it will take two more chapters to bring this tale to conclusion. Of course the characters live on somewhere in our imaginations and could show up again as they are wont to do.
I will be out of town over the weekend and may not have a chance to respond quickly. Also, the next chapter may be delayed unless I can find more time to devote to writing!
David