Chapter 4
The following day, they drove to Orlando to take in the Ripley "Believe it or Not" museum and a few other small attractions. They also spent time in a factory outlet mall that had a number of bargain shops. Shelby insisted on buying Dalton a pair of white shorts that showed off his well-built, newly tanned legs. He could scarcely wait for Dalton to model them commando back at the motel. He bought a similar pair for himself so they could wear them together.
After finding coordinating shirts and sexy briefs for each of them, they decided they'd spent enough time and money in stores and headed to a park to relax in the shade.
"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Shelby asked. "I think the next day we should start home so we have a couple of days for the return trip. There's no sense in taking a vacation and going back to school exhausted on Monday."
"That's what I was thinking too. Could we spend our last day at Haulover? I'd like to work a little more on my all-over tan, or should I call it my `Haulover' tan?"
"Yes, I think that's a worthy pursuit, oh `barefoot boy with cheeks of tan,'" Shelby joked, patting Dalton's butt.
"Your humor is so-o-o lame sometimes," Dalton giggled.
"No worse than yours! At least mine doesn't have to use crutches!"
"Oh God, stop; you're killing me!"
"Okay, truce - deal?"
"Deal"
For the next several minutes they would look at each other and start to giggle. Shelby was constantly reminded of how dull his life had been until a couple of weeks ago. He prayed it would continue the way it was going now.
Their last day at the beach was awesome. Both were more relaxed than they'd been on the first day. They didn't see the guys from Ohio State again, but they did get invited to play naked beach volleyball with another group of college studs. Shelby was pleased that he could keep up with them, and Dalton was thrilled to be included as an equal.
They dressed enough to eat at the beach-side grill again. This time Dalton held back a bit because they had fruit in their bags for a snack later in the afternoon. It had been his idea to stop at a grocery store so that they wouldn't be spending too much on food. Shelby appreciated his thoughtfulness even though he had no qualms about using the money to feed his lover.
"Lover!" The word sounded awesome as it echoed around in Shelby's head while he lay naked on the beach after lunch. He still couldn't believe his good fortune. He had begun to post tales on Nifty to sharpen his skills in writing and story-telling in hopes of publishing a young adult novel someday. He felt there weren't enough of those on the market other than rather cheap, poorly crafted ones about boy meets girl. There was practically nothing out there for gay kids to relate to. Coming of age novels for young people outside the `accepted' parameters were practically nonexistent, especially if they dealt with the subject of same sex love.
His skills did improve, and he got a lot of positive feedback from his readers. He particularly enjoyed the emails he got from younger dudes expressing their appreciation for his work. Some told him that his stories had given them the strength to go on with life instead of taking the easy but permanent solution to their problems of not fitting in. Others let him know that they'd found the courage to finally express how much they cared for their best friend, and had been rewarded by finding out that their buddy felt the same about them. Some of them also found that their families were more accepting than they'd originally expected.
All that was fine, but it wasn't anything like finding his soul-mate in the process. He had felt drawn to Sam (Dalton) from the very first email. The young man was sweet, innocent in the ways of love, but wise beyond his years in other things. And the knowledge that Dalton had been only 16 at the time made it all the more amazing.
"What'cha thinkin'?" Dalton asked, pulling Shelby out of his reverie.
"I'm thinking how glad I am that I majored in English, against my parents' wishes, and how lucky I am that I got up the nerve to post my first story on Nifty three years ago. I nearly chickened out the last minute. If I had, I wouldn't be here with you this minute."
"I shudder to think where I'd be if you hadn't gone through with it," Dalton nodded, gravely. "I might be hanging around a homeless mission trying to figure out how to finish high school. Now, I'm looking forward to getting an AA from community college at least."
"I want my partner to have his BA as well, if that's what he wants."
"I love hearing that! I like the `partner' bit a lot!"
"Then maybe we should consider getting married after we've cohabitated for a year or so, once we're sure we're compatible."
"Marriage is what I want in the long run, but it might not make sense financially right away. You know I'll have a better chance for getting a needs-based scholarship if I'm on my own, even if you're providing a roof over my head. That's why lots of hetero couples don't rush down the aisle when they find out they're pregnant."
"You're not only adorable, but you're smart and savvy. How did I luck out?"
"Clean living and a dirty mind would be my guess!" Dalton joked.
"The sun's getting lower in the west. Would you like to go back to the motel and catch a shower before we eat dinner?"
"That would be great, but could we shower, mess around in bed, and shower again before dinner, or will you be too starved to wait that long?"
"I can hold out if you can," Shelby insisted. "Either that, or we can cuddle while dinner is settling and mess around then."
Ultimately, it was Dalton's growling stomach that cast the deciding vote again, so "messing around" was destined to be their dessert.
Despite breaking up the trip back with a night's sleep in a Motel 6, it seemed like a lengthy journey. Fortunately, taking the extra day allowed them to get home in the afternoon on Sunday so they would have time to make any last-minute preparations for school and also relax before Monday.
"It's kinda funny to think we need to rest from our vacation," Dalton observed.
"I really don't feel that tired, even from the drive. It was great to have you to relieve me. I would have been exhausted had I gone alone as I was planning before you came into my life."
"Coming to you for help has proved to be the best decision I've ever made. I really feel like a new person after relaxing in the sun and water with you. Don't get me wrong, I loved Disney World and the space center and all, but the beach was awesome. I think anywhere with you is good."
"Ah, but now we're back to reality again," Shelby sighed.
"Does that mean going back to sleeping alone?"
"If that's what you want, that's what we'll do. I know we'll both be busy and won't be able to play all the time."
"Is that what you want, to sleep alone?"
"I'll leave that decision up to you. I don't want to pressure you or distract you from your studies."
"Then, if it's up to me, I vote that we sleep together."
"C'mere and give me a kiss."
After having what could be best described as a week-long honeymoon, Dalton might have been terribly disappointed at the prospect of simply settling down in bed to sleep. However that wasn't the case, at least that night. His connection to Shelby as a fan by the name of Sam had been an emotional one long before becoming a physical one. Dalton felt secure and loved as they fell to sleep cuddled together.
The first thing that Dalton did during his study hall on Monday was to compose a letter to his grandmother in Canada. He figured that since he knew very little French, having taken Spanish instead, he would ask the lady who taught French at his school to translate it. He hated to impose, but figured it wouldn't take too much time for her to accomplish the task because she was a native speaker. He would also offer to pay her for her effort. If she refused money, he might get her a gift certificate from the store.
After school, he went to see Ms. Blanc. She read the letter that he had composed and quickly translated it into French. When she had finished, she made a couple of suggestions about how to gently break his news to his grandmother.
"So, you're gay. I never would have guessed."
"Um, yeah, is that a problem?"
"Of course not! I have a son who is gay and I love him unconditionally."
"Unlike my mother. I wish she could have been like you, but if she had, I probably wouldn't be living with my friend."
"Do you feel safe where you're staying? Is he taking advantage of your situation?"
"Yes, I feel safe, and no, he's not using me in any way. Why did you ask?"
"Being a teacher, I'm a mandatory reporter. If I suspect a student is being abused, I'm required by law to contact the authorities."
"Is that true even if I'm over 18?"
"That would fall into a gray area I guess. You may be of age, but you're still a student. If I thought you were being harmed, I'd probably have a social worker or someone check on your welfare. However, you look healthy and happy."
"I am healthy and I'm the happiest I've ever been."
"Love can do that to a person," she laughed.
"I'd like to pay you something for your work," Dalton said, changing the subject.
"That's thoughtful of you, but entirely unnecessary. I'd be pleased to read her reply to you if she responds."
"Do you think she'll ignore me?"
"I wouldn't hazard a guess. You know her better than I do."
"I don't really; I've only seen her a few times and the language barrier didn't help. That's another thing I don't like about my mother. She could have taught me to speak at least a little French. I don't know why she didn't."
"Perhaps she was embarrassed of her heritage. I went through a stage in my teens when I refused to speak French because I didn't think it was cool."
"I think it's cool that you can, and thanks again for helping me."
"You're welcome. Please feel free to stop by even if you don't have any translating for me to do."
After spring break, the rest of the term seemed to speed up. Graduation would come before long. For Dalton, that was both good and bad. He could scarcely wait until he was finished with his senior year, but a number of projects, essays, and reports, as well as reviewing for exams needed to be done before that happened. Those, along with putting in hours at the store, made for a busy schedule. However, since he wasn't in the spring play or out for a sport, he was able to keep up. In fact, he managed to work ahead some so that he wouldn't feel a lot of pressure at the end.
There was a project for his government class that needed to be done with a partner and he was at wits end in his attempt to find someone to work with. Eventually, a shy, slightly unkempt boy nervously approached him after class and asked if they could work together. Dalton agreed immediately, because he hadn't found anyone who wasn't already spoken for.
Within a few minutes of talking, Dalton could tell that Herman's intellect, organizations skills, and dedication belied his outward appearance. Dalton was blown away by the good fortune of having been "stuck" with the last available kid in the class.
As they walked to the cafeteria after period three, Dalton was surprised to find that both of them carried their lunches from home. They each bought a carton of milk and sat together discussing how they would proceed on their project.
"How come I've never gotten to know you?" he asked of Herman.
"I guess I'm too quiet. I don't hang around with the `in' crowd."
"You haven't seen me with the `important' kids on campus either," Dalton laughed.
"No, but you could be. You've got it all, smarts, good looks, and cool clothes."
"I guess I don't see myself in that way. I'm surprised that you even noticed me at all."
"I noticed because you're often alone like me and you're nice to everyone. I always wished that you'd notice me..."
"Well, we may not have met before, but I think we'll make a great team. What's a good time to get together? I work at Giant Foods quite a few hours, but I have Thursday afternoon and evening free usually."
"That would work for me. Can we do it at your house?"
"I don't see any problem with that. Let's plan on it this week. We have Wi-Fi, so you can bring your laptop and we can split up our research topics to save time."
"Cool! Can I get to your house on my bike? I don't have a car."
"Sure, I ride mine most days. We'll plan to meet at the bike rack in front and go together."
When Dalton got home from the store on Monday night, he discussed the arrangement with Shelby.
"I hope it's okay if I have this other guy come over to work on our government class project on Thursday. We can't go to his house because his mom runs a small daycare and the place is crawling with rug-rats, as he calls them."
"That's fine by me."
"You're not gonna be jealous if I have someone in unsupervised, are you?"
"Should I be? Is he cute?"
"He is cute in a way because he's so innocent, but I'm not planning to mess around with him, if that's what you mean."
"You're still young, and we haven't made a formal commitment. You're free to do what you like with your own body."
"Please Shel; say that you don't want me to be with anyone but you!"
"I'd really rather you didn't have a sexual relationship with anyone else, Dalton, but I can't force you to be monogamous."
"That's good enough for me! I just want to know that you want me all to yourself."
"Have I ever given you reason to doubt that?"
"No, but..."
"But what?"
"We don't mess around as much as we did on spring break. I thought maybe you're getting tired of me."
"Ah, is that what this is about? Things have tamed down since our honeymoon and you're feeling insecure. I think that's how real life is, Baby. We aren't free to play around all the time. We have lots of ordinary things that need doing and they cut into our bedroom time. It happens. We still cuddle a lot. We have to learn to appreciate the moments we have."
"Could we have some `moments' tonight?"
"Something more than cuddling?"
"Um, yeah..."
"I'm sure that can be arranged," Shelby grinned, taking Dalton into his arms and kissing him deeply.
"Oh yeah!"
"Let's share a shower and talk about it."
Their shower was rather stimulating – to the point that they both nearly came in the process of soaping each other up. Dalton offered his virgin ass again, but Shelby declined, saying he wanted to wait until they were married or at least had made some sort of commitment.
Dalton was, in one sense, relieved because he was pretty sure anal sex would hurt, at least the first time. However, he had no qualms about giving his all to the guy he loved.
After making out for around 20 minutes, they assumed their favorite position and nursed each other to simultaneous orgasms. Dalton fell asleep soon thereafter, cuddled in the arms of the man he loved.
On Thursday Dalton and Herman rode the short distance to Shelby's house right after school. The threatening skies didn't open up until after they'd put their bikes in the garage and were safely inside at the kitchen table.
They quickly combined elements of the outlines each had begun independently, and broke their subject down into parts that they needed to research. Each chose one of those pieces to begin investigating.
They got so involved that they didn't realize how late it was until Shelby came into the house.
"Hey Shelby, this is my classmate, Hermes."
"Hermes, this is my housemate, Shelby."
"My name's really Herman," he blushed. "I'm not sure why Dalton does that to me?"
"Perhaps he sees you as a Greek god," Shelby grinned.
"I don't remember any Greek gods being nerdy," Herman protested. "If there were geek gods, I might be one of them. Not to change the subject, but I'd better get on my bike and head home for supper."
"It's coming down like cats and dogs out there," Shelby noted. "Why don't you call your mother and tell her we've invited you for dinner and we'll bring you home later? I have planned enough for all of us and you'll be able to get more done that way."
"Okay, um, is there a phone I can use?"
"There's one over on the counter," Shelby gestured toward it. "I'm not sure why I haven't discontinued my land line. I guess it's because it comes as a package with my Internet connection. I almost never use it."
"I'm kinda glad you didn't," Dalton said quietly, "But I suppose you'd have been listed in White Pages either way."
The boys worked at one end of the kitchen table until it got close to time for dinner. Then Dalton jumped up to get dishes and flatware. Herman helped by filling glasses with ice water as Dalton directed.
Shelby was not only a good cook, but he had a number of recipes for meals that were delicious and quick to prepare. The two teens dug in with gusto. It was good that Shelby had anticipated their appetites and prepared plenty of food.
Herman pitched right in to help with cleanup and thanked his host several times for the wonderful meal as he did so. Shel had liked the boy from first meeting him, and grew to appreciate him more as the evening wore on.
Around 8:00, the teens announced that they had given the project all the energy they could for one day. They still had a bit of other homework to do, so they thought they'd call it a night.
With Herman's bike loaded in the back of the SUV to keep it dry, Shelby drove them to the boy's house.
"He's a really cool kid," Shel said as he and Dalton headed home. "He'll be boyfriend material for some lucky dude."
"Do you think he's gay?"
"Yup, and I think he has a crush on you!"
"Oh man, don't say that! I don't need any more drama in my life. Getting kicked out, and moving in with my man is plenty for this spring."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about him hitting on you in a serious way. He's likely too shy for that."
"I hope you're right. I'm not sure how I'd handle it. I mean, obviously I'm in love with you, but I'd hate to be in a position of hurting him."
"If he finds out early enough that you're spoken for, I'm sure he'll be too much of a gentleman to act on his feelings."
"Won't it mess up things for you if he finds out, and maybe tells someone?"
"Nope, I didn't know you were still worried about that. Wally gave me copies of the legal judgments in cases that are similar to our arrangement in the event that I'd need them. There might be a bit of sensational talk for a short time if anyone tried to nose into our relationship, but I'm on firm legal ground."
"I'll only tell him if it's absolutely necessary. I think I'll try to let it slip that I have someone in my life, romantically, without mentioning who it is."
"That's wise, but don't panic if he guesses."
"Thanks for inviting him to eat with us. He doesn't seem to have any friends at school. But who am I to judge? I have very few people I'd call more than acquaintances."
"I was happy to have him stay for dinner. I know you got more done that way. How much homework do you have left in other subjects tonight?"
"About 15 minute's worth. Did you have something in mind to occupy me before we go to sleep?"
"Yes, you cheeky stud; I wanna suck your balls dry!"
"Awesome!"
Author's notes: Thanks to all who emailed since last week - Archie, Jim W, Dick M, Tony W, Wayne, Bob L, Bill K, Bill T, Martell D, Walt S, Richie W, Mendy D, Jeremy R, CD, Tom A, Jim L, John S, Bryce W James H, Ott H, Paul F, Paul R, CEDWIL, Jim H, and Al S. As always, I hope I haven't left anyone off the list. I've been known to do that.
David