The alarm buzzed Ben awake at six o'clock. He usually had a morning run and then a shower while the coffee brewed. But that was the normal routine, nothing like that was possible this morning. He had to get Gene up, feed him and drive him to school. Ben smiled; the responsibility felt wonderful.

He rolled over and threw back the covers, combing fingers through his hair to ease the tangles. The boy had wanted a morning shower which at least would wake him up. He stumbled into the bathroom, took a piss and threw some water on his face. He looked in the mirror and chuckled. Yeah, OK; at least he wouldn't scare the boy.

He walked across the hall and into the boy's bedroom. Gene was still fast asleep, and in the night he had thrown the covers off. Ben was presented with the view of a nearly erect cock lying across Gene's stomach; the head of it covering his belly button. My God, it was big enough to kill someone.

He could have stood there for hours admiring that body, but he had to get Gene up ... well out of bed at least, he was already up. Ben pulled the sheet until it covered the appendage and kissed the boy's cheek. Gene started awake and then realized where he was. It got Ben that winning smile.

"Morning cutie," Ben said.

"Cutie?

"Better than dude ... you are a handsome young man ... a cutie."

Gene rubbed his face. "No way, nothing handsome about me."

Ben frowned and sat on the edge of the bed, the boy scooted over to give him some room.

"Gene, do you know what the word 'ego' means?" Ben asked.

"Ego? No ... what?"

"Ego is the force that motivates self image, your opinion of yourself. If you have a low opinion about yourself it's generally because most people seem to regard themselves in light of their surroundings. Like if you stand in shit you might consider yourself shitty, get me?"

He grinned, "Shitty ... well sorta."

"A handsome guy might think he is way too handsome just to hang out with ordinary people, and that's too much ego. But if Gene says, 'nothing handsome about me' like he is standing in shit, I'd say you have low self esteem, a small ego. But that is about to change, young man. I promise you'll change and I always keep my promises ... especially to you."

"You think I'm handsome? But I don't see that."

"You will, there's a lot about you that people like."

Ben looked at the large bulge in the sheets and let out a laugh. Gene saw the look and immediately blushed.

"Oh damn ... sorry."

"You're bigger than most boys your age, which should make you happy ... in fact, it should give you a little more ego," Ben said.

Gene laughed at that. "All it ever does is embarrass me. Don't you get erections?"

It was Ben's turn to laugh. "Hell yeah, but not like a guy your age does, thank goodness."

"Is yours this big?"

Ben pulled open the waistband of his boxers and looked down. "Nope ... hey where did it go?"

"You're crazy, I bet you got a big one," Gene said.

"Well you might see it some day, but I won't go around showing it off. It might be OK for you to run around naked but if someone sees me doing it too ... then I would think we have a problem for some folks. I don't want anyone to compare me to your brother's coach."

"You're not at all like him, Ben," he said. "Hey you're a handsome guy, did you know that?"

"Oh Lord, he thinks I'm handsome ... tell me more ... more, stroke my ego."

"Is that anything like masturbating?"

"A little, I guess. Masturbation is self-love, the perfect way to stroke your ego."

Gene blushed and lifted the sheet, looking under it at himself.

"Guess I better go shower ... and love myself to make this thing go away."

Ben rolled on the bed with laughter as Gene slipped out and headed for the bathroom. The boy didn't even try to hide his erection, but Ben watched his cute little ass instead. Damn but the boy fed his ego so well. It made him happy to know that Gene felt so comfortable like this. But the best was yet to come, Ben was about to give the boy's ego a major boost. Well, his American Express card was.

Ben fed him cold cereal for breakfast because that was what he wanted, but he insisted Gene eat a banana with it. They would have to get some lunch food so that his caloric intake at school could be controlled. Gene was on the voucher program but then he thought the cafeteria food was crap, Ben could only agree. His diet had to be planned for him to stay in shape, no reason the boy should not do the same.

They took the Vette and Ben dropped Gene off in the parking lot at school, not in front but around the side where there were fewer students. In time there would be a lot of questions asked about the nature of their relationship, but Ben didn't want to get there any time soon.

Gene waved his goodbye and Ben rolled away leaving the boy to face another day, and Hanover was sure to be in there somewhere. Gene looked OK in his worn jeans and faded T-shirt, not what Ben wanted to see but it would do. They couldn't make a radical image change overnight, that would attract attention. But there were better pants, nicer shirts and good sneakers waiting for them this afternoon at the mall.

Ben knew the boy would defer to him when they shopped, but he wanted Gene to be happy with the choices. The one thing he needed to have was a suit for the times when Ben whisked him off to an expensive restaurant for dinner. And then there was Christmas to consider.

Ben had already planned his annual Florida trek to visit the folks before Gene arrived. Was that off the table now? His parents didn't know he was gay, something he had never been comfortable discussing with them. But if he showed up on their doorstep with a seventeen year old boy in tow ... well, life might get a little complicated after that. At the same time it was important for them to know about Gene's new living arrangement. It was time to plan a strategy.

Fortunately Flo had other plans for his day. It seems there had been an arrest at one of the downtown clubs the previous weekend and there were two juvenile casualties sitting in the waiting room.

One look told Ben these kids were already heading down the wrong road in life, their gang colors were harsh to his eyes and embarrassing to the parents sitting there beside them. Ben introduced himself as Flo handed over their initial paperwork from the court. The boys were both fourteen, no facial hair but what looked to be dreads stuffed up under their knit hats. The way they were 'stylin' didn't affect him, but Ben checked them out to make sure they weren't armed.

As usual he took the parents in his office first, figuring it was better to hear the rational side of the incident before the boys tried to push a load of crap on him. The Leonard and Jackson family, with both sets of parents looking more than a little upset.

"It's all wrong," Mrs. Jackson began right off the bat. "My Leon wouldn't do any of those things they charged him with, he's a good boy."

"I think the police just needed someone to blame," Mr. Leonard said.

"Just a moment, if you please," Ben said.

It took him all of five minutes to peruse the court documents and arrest file. The police report was frank and right to the point. Leon Jackson had broken into a car outside the nightclub at one o'clock in the morning. The other boy, Maurice Leonard was arrested with a hammer in his pocket; shards of glass from the car's window were imbedded in the handle.

Both were dressed in gang colors and a car was seen speeding away from the scene of the arrest. Officers had responded to a cell phone call from a woman who witnessed the break-in. A woman was later arrested and charged with solicitation and performing lewd acts in her parked car. If she was the one who saw the boys break the car's window it was not much of a witness, but still ...

"OK, so I have a bit of the picture ... at least from the police's standpoint. Can any of you explain why the boys were out at that time of night?"

"Leon was supposed to be spending the night over at the Leonard residence with Maurice," Mr. Jackson said.

"And we were told the boys would be together at the Jackson's," Mrs. Leonard said.

"They outsmarted us, I guess." That was Mr. Leonard speaking.

"What do you know about their gang affiliations?" Ben asked.

"I don't believe either of them is really in a gang," Mr. Jackson said. "I know the kids all wear these supposed gang colors, but that's just nonsense, Leon is afraid of the gangs."

"Well it looks like there was some form of initiation going on here from what I read. Possibly the boys were set up to take a fall. Sometimes these gang leaders assign new initiates a crime to perform and then rat them out to see how they'd react. There was a car seen leaving the scene, so they were probably being watched as they performed the crime."

"You're serious?" Mrs. Leonard this time.

"Absolutely. Look, I'm not saying your boys want to be gang members, but the peer pressure is tremendous. Now they have a criminal record, it could have been much worse."

"I don't see what could be worse, my son has never been in trouble before," Mrs. Jackson said.

"The same goes for Maurice." Mrs. Leonard looked like she was about to cry.

"The only benefit to you is that now we know they are under pressure by some criminal element. The court will in all likelihood place them both on probation, and that means they will be watched. All of you are going to have to be more vigilant in the future. You should go talk to their school counselors and keep them apprised of the situation. School is the one place where they are out of your sight for most of the day. If there is pressure on them to perform in a gang activity it will come from there first.

"You are going to have to keep a strict eye on them and control their activities. If they aren't already involved in some sports program I would get them into something pretty quickly. Much of this gang banger mentality is fostered by idle kids. Team sports doesn't allow them time to associate with the wrong element."

"Leon wanted to play basketball this year but he is so clumsy I was afraid he would get hurt," Mrs. Jackson said.

"Kids thrive on the contest, the thrill of winning. Sure he may get knocked around a bit, but it will teach him to get back up and face the challenge. They are fourteen year old boys, they're supposed to be awkward and clumsy as their bodies develop, but they'll grow out of it.

"I'll talk to them in a bit and see if I can get them to open up about the car break in and what that was really all about. They tricked you folks because you are good parents and they knew you wouldn't allow them to go wandering around town that late for no good reason. But your parenting skills are being challenged and you'll have to take it up a notch if you want to remain in control. That's my advice for the moment, let me talk to them now and see what they think happened.

"I will send my report into the prosecutor's office next week and outline what we just discussed. You may have a copy if you wish, just leave your address with my secretary at the desk, OK? I want you to know that this isn't the end of the world for your boys, it's just the beginning. You take a firm stand now and the gangs won't stand a chance against you."

A chorus of 'thank you' followed Ben's little speech and he went out with them to fetch the boys back in for a chat. It was time to scare the shit out of them. Don't know why but it always seemed to work when he did it. Maybe it was because Ben was 'the man.'

Leon slouched and Maurice fidgeted. They pretended to look at everything in the room except the man behind the desk. He soon put a stop to that.

"Hey Leon, you ever been fucked?" Ben asked.

"What ... ?"

"You ever grab your ankles and let some big ass mother fucker slide his cock up your ass?" Ben asked with a grin.

Maurice lost it, he started laughing.

"Probably not, Maurice is a more likely target for some jailhouse rapist," Ben continued. Both boys were sitting up straight; he was the only thing they were looking at now.

"You probably don't have a dime's worth of sexual experience between you. So I don't imagine you think too much about what happens to young kids who get jail time. Oh maybe you heard something or another but you don't believe it. Well believe it, it happens.

"Maybe not this time, this time you guys are going to get probation and like it. But you go on doing stupid shit like this and next year, or four years from now when you're eighteen, they will send you up state to the big boy's prison where rape is as common as brushing your teeth."

"You're just trying to scare us," Leon said.

"No, you guys scare me," Ben said. "You have nice loving parents who sat in here and told me that their sons would never commit such a terrible crime. They don't believe you were doing it to get into a gang, they just can't believe that. But I know better, their sons think they will own the world if they join a gang.

"You know any gang members been to prison? Ask them what happens to sweet young things in there. Now you might survive the rapes but when you become someone's bitch and get AIDS there won't be any turning back."

Maurice was shaking with fear; Leon was the one Ben needed to finish off.

"So Leon, you don't believe me? Want me to show you some pictures of what a guy's butt hole looks like after he's been gang raped?"

Leon looked uncertain now and Maurice was about to cry.

"But don't worry, it won't happen to you ... do you know why? It won't because your parents love you and they are going to rule your life, not the gangs. You fooled them once, but I doubt you'll be able to do it again, and that's a good thing.

"You have some serious apologizing to do, to your parents, to the court, to the poor guy whose car you trashed. Your probation officer is going to be looking over your shoulder for a few years, and you better not piss him off ... you won't look good in prison stripes.

"Now go on home. I'll see you guys in court. I would kiss a little ass for a while, do what your parents ask of you and enjoy the freedom you have every day. Get busy, life is hard enough without you goin out there and fuckin up like this, OK?"

They were both nodding now. Silly kids couldn't wait to get away from him and back to their parents. Mission accomplished.

Ben spent the afternoon at the courthouse doing paperwork and then called Tom Braden his attorney. The brass plaque outside Tom's offices still read Bradshaw, Braden and Malcolm. Ben's father and Tom had partnered thirty years ago, and although Malcolm Senior was now a judge, his son was in the firm with Tom.

"Hey ya, Ben, what's going on in your life?" Tom said when he picked up the phone.

"Little of this and that, business is booming ... don't let anyone tell you crime doesn't pay," Ben laughed. "But I have some legal work for you ... interested?"

"Damn," Tom said, "And I was just getting used to these afternoon naps. What do you need?"

"I suppose basically I need custody papers and a power of attorney for a minor child. I've taken in a seventeen year old boy and need to cover myself, and him for that matter."

"Seventeen did you say, no parents?" Tom asked.

"Father is in prison, mother is only about one step behind him. She's a drug addict, but that's the least of her problems. He was a client but that's been resolved, now he's just a needy child and I took up the cause."

Silence followed that statement, and that was a good thing. Tom never rushed into anything, he always studied the angles and Ben respected that. But Tom also knew what his father didn't and as his client Ben's confidentiality was assured.

"Is he gay, Ben? You know I have to ask ... does he know about you?"

"No, I haven't told him, but I probably will. It isn't a part of why I'm doing this and I'm not involved with him ... sexually. I need to be able to control his environment, keep him healthy and push him through high school. He was teetering on the brink of failure and I found that unacceptable."

"If his mother will sign a consent statement, his age isn't a factor," Tom said. "He can choose to live with you. Medical POA is one thing you'll need from her and if you want to pursue it a bit farther then guardianship is the next step."

"You have questions ... I can hear it in your voice," Ben said.

"Sure I do, but I'm not sure you fully understand why you're doing this, am I right?"

"It's something like that, I'm going with emotions for now, he needs me and I need to take care of him."

"You still have that bottle of Napoleon brandy I gave you for graduation?"

"Sure do ... interested in tasting it?" Ben asked.

"You bet, thought you'd never ask. I would like to meet this young man; he must be exceptional to have put you in this position. Say seven o'clock?"

"We'll be there, Tom. Look forward to seeing you."

"Me too, Ben."

He hung up the phone and sighed. Tom was a hard nosed lawyer; he always told it like it was. If he didn't think this would be a problem then he would bend over backwards to help Ben through the legal quagmire. Lending Tom's credibility to the situation might help him out with the parents as well. He would make sure they bought Gene a nice bathing suit; he would need it in Florida.

Ben pulled up stakes at two-thirty to go pick up the kid from school. They would be at the mall by four and home by six-thirty in time to meet Tom. Ben chuckled, the old rascal had figured out a way to get into that bottle after all, he had been trying for years.

He hit the side parking lot at three-fifteen and waited for school to let out. Ben seemed to be the only male personage waiting for a kid, but there were lots of soccer moms in their mini-vans.

The 'does he know about you' question still rang in his ears. Tom was right; Gene needed to know before this got much further. The Hanover issue aside, Ben thought Gene would accept the knowledge and work with it. He had never made any advances towards the boy so he shouldn't be considered a threat. It might shrink Gene's comfort zone a bit; after all he had seen nothing wrong with showing off his body last night and this morning. But it would make him sad if the boy felt uncomfortable.

Ben heard the bell ring and the school seemed to shudder and shake as the kids blasted out of the building. Kids were running everywhere, diving into cars and exiting the property in what appeared to be well choreographed chaos.

He saw Gene coming across the lot ... but not alone. The other boy was familiar; as he should be ... it was Dean. It was only fair, Gene had to be happy with his new situation and Dean was the one person who could understand what it meant. The boys walked up to the car, both smiling and it made Ben's heart skip a beat. God they were beautiful.

"Ben ... this is my brother Dean."

"Hello, Dean ... nice to finally meet you."

"Same here," Dean said. Ben could see a million questions behind those eyes.

"I suppose Gene told you a bit about me. In all fairness, would you like to come and have dinner with us? This weekend if you like," he said.

Dean looked at his brother and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that. Are we celebrating something?"

Ben laughed. "How about 'Free at last, Thank God Almighty, free at last.'"

Both boys cracked up, although Ben did not do Dr. Martin Luther King any justice by stealing his quote, but they got the point. Both had now escaped the clutches of the wicked witch in the trailer park.

Dean looked at his brother. "You're right, he is a little crazy ... but I like that. Sweet car, Ben ... bet it turns a lot of heads."

The boys hugged one another goodbye and Ben suddenly had an insight. It was Dean that gave his brother the feeling of openness about being affectionate, good for him. No matter that Gene had called his brother a fag during his rant yesterday; he had learned something positive from the boy.

There was no doubt in Ben's mind that Dean was comfortable as a gay person, his body language confirmed that. His comment about the car wasn't all that innocent either, and the way he smiled after saying it was ... was thrilling. It was a good thing that Gene wasn't aware of his brother's flirting ways. Ben would have to remain neutral and not fan the flame.

Gene slid into the car and Dean gave them both a little wave as he strode away towards the building. His body was more muscular than Gene's, his movements more self assured, nothing wrong with his ego. Ben could not comment on his relationship with the coach, having never met the man, but he did feel a twinge of envy right about then.

"How was your day?" Gene asked.

"Hmm ... pretty boring until now. Your brother seems very nice ... he cares about you."

"Yeah," Gene said and then he was quiet for a minute as Ben started the car and drove to the exit.

"I'm sorry, Ben. I said some pretty bad things about him yesterday and I don't know why. He's always been my best friend and I guess I was just mad cause he left so suddenly."

"But now you understand why he left, you've shared the same experience. I think he would understand how you felt." Ben said.

"He does, we talked about it today. He wanted to know all about you and he asked a million questions about where we lived and what you do. Asking him for dinner, that was sweet. Do you think he'll bring Brad?" Gene asked.

"Is that the coach's name? Uh, I doubt it. I don't think Brad wants their relationship to go public, even if it is only us."

"But you don't worry what people know about us ... do you?"

"It's not quite the same thing now is it? We're not in that kind of relationship." Ok, Ben thought, where is he taking this conversation? Is my little boy on a fishing expedition?

"So you don't mind if I talk about you at school?" Gene asked.

"I'll prepare a written statement that you can hand out to the whole school. Maybe the principal will let you announce it over the public address system in the morning."

"You're funny ... but that's not what I mean. It's just ... well, I'm proud of you, Ben. I wanna talk about you and all the great things you've done for me. I don't know how to say it properly, but you're the best, and I want everyone to know that."

Ben's hand was resting on the gear shift knob and Gene gently placed his hand over it. With a quick glance, Ben could see the joy written all over the boy's face. Gene didn't completely understand what he wanted to feel in this situation, he just needed some way to express himself.

"I enjoyed meeting your brother today, he seems happy," Ben said.

"Yeah ... he says he and Brad are in love," Gene replied. "Can two guys be in love?"

"Any two people can share love," Ben replied. "They just have to show one another what it means. Why don't you ask Dean how he feels?" "Oh ... oh ... I couldn't do that. Why would he tell me?" Gene asked.

"Because he loves you, and I think he's proud of the love he shares with that man."

"But the things they do ... I couldn't ask."

"I wouldn't want you to ask Dean about that. Don't ever equate sex with love, Gene. Love may inspire them to have sex, but sex is not a reason to love someone. Love is about sharing life. And I want to share mine with you."

Gene was silent for a while, digesting the conversation. Ben didn't want to pursue the issue. It was enough that they had voiced the feelings. It made coming out to the boy more difficult. Now Gene will wonder if I want sex with him, Ben thought. And I would have to be frank, would I sleep with him? The answer was yes, but the caveat was that he would have to be willing ... and hopefully eighteen.

Fortunately they were approaching the mall and any further conversation was put on hold when Ben started discussing what they should buy.

"School clothes I think come first, then something a little nicer for when we go out." Ben said.

"Where would we go?" Gene asked.

"To dinner, maybe a movie or a concert."

Gene giggled, "That sounds like a date."

"Oh My God, I knew there was a reason I couldn't take you anywhere ... people might think we were on a date."

Gene broke up laughing and punched Ben in the arm.

"Hey, not while I'm driving. I will kick your scrawny ass later when we get home," Ben said.

"Oh, you're gonna try, huh?"

"Only if you want ... now there's the Dillard's, I suggest we start there," Ben said.

Five pairs of jeans, two pairs of slacks, four t-shirts, three polo shirts, two long sleeve plaids, six pairs of boxers, twelve pairs of socks, one bathing suit and two pairs of tennis shoes later they left Dillard's.

And on to the Sports Emporium for running shorts, shoes and an athletic supporter. The latter seemed most necessary; Gene needed to protect those most important assets, they might be useful at some point in the future.

Ben decided they would leave the suit for another trip, and he wanted to take Gene to Dick's for a really nice winter jacket. It was six-thirty when they hit the road for home.

"We have to be back before seven," Ben said. "We have company coming over."

"Really ... who?"

"Tom Braden, he's an old friend of the family ... and he wants to meet you."

"He does?"

"Yup, he's gonna be a very good person for you to know, he's my lawyer."

"Umm ... does he know about me living with you?" Gene asked.

"Of course he does, he's going to make the papers for your mother to sign."

Gene thought a moment. "I suppose you must feel like you're my parent or something." Silence, the noise from the road occupied their world for a while.

"I don't think of you as a parent," Gene finally said. "But it's more than just a friend."

"What we have is very special; maybe even unique, huh?"

"Yeah, probably ... but it feels the best."

They got home before Tom arrived, and carried all the clothing bags into the house. It had been fun watching the boy try on different clothes; he was as slender as any model Ben had ever seen. His joy at the new duds was apparent at the store, but now he seemed a little more reserved.

Ben helped him carry them up to his room and they started putting things away. There was quite a pile of bags and wrapping material to take out to the garbage. Ben started to gather it up.

"Ben ... "

He turned and Gene gave him a hug. Ben stroked his hair and kissed his forehead in return.

"Thank you, Ben. You're so good to me ... I love all this ... how can I ever pay you back?"

"There is no payback for you, just be my special young man, that's all I want."

Gene slid his arms up and grasped Ben's head. The boy pulled their faces together and they kissed, this time on the lips. Not a long kiss, but a tender, thoughtful kiss. Ben had to acknowledge what he had done; it had to be right between them.

"Thank you ... that was sweet."

"Uh ... I never kissed a man before," Gene said and a blush came to his cheeks.

"But you decided to kiss me, and that was very special, I liked it," Ben said.

"It just seemed ... I just ... it felt right."

"You always kiss on a first date?" Ben asked.

Gene punched his arm. "We're not dating, damn it."

"No ... It's better than that."

Gene giggled. "You like kissing me?"

"Hmm ... yep. Only thing I like better is tickling." And with that Ben attacked the boy. They rolled all over the bed and then onto the floor as Ben pursued him with abandon. It was wonderful, the kid was absolutely ticklish everywhere. But it all came to a halt when the doorbell rang.

"Oops, that will be Tom," Ben said.

Gene was mess from trying to escape the attack so Ben suggested he go wash his face and comb his hair before he came downstairs. He bounded off to the bathroom, relieved to be away from those tickling fingers.

Ben went downstairs to let Tom in, but all he could think about was kissing Gene. The boy was full of surprises. He couldn't wait to tuck the boy into bed tonight, which ought to earn him another kiss or two.

He opened the door and Tom stepped into the house. The man had been here so many times over the years he was close enough to feel like family. They hugged one another and said a few words of greeting, but when that was done they both looked up and there stood Gene at the foot of the stairs. Maybe it was the lighting at that spot in the hall, but the boy looked stunning as he stood there waiting for recognition.

"Tom, this is Gene ... Gene this is one of my closest friends, Tom Braden."

"Good to meet you, Gene," Tom said, shaking the boy's hand.

Gene was a little stunned, but Tom affected people that way. At six foot four, he was usually the tallest man in the room and he was built like a line backer. They walked back through the house to the kitchen and Tom took a seat at the table. He was an old southern boy; kitchens to him were for more than eating.

"So Gene, are you at Southeast?"

"Yes, sir. I'm in tenth grade."

"Good, but you can drop the 'sir,' everyone calls me Tom and you should too. Hey, Ben graduated from Southeast, did you know that? Top of his class too as I recall."

Gene gave Ben an amazed look. "He didn't tell me that."

Ben opened the brandy and poured a measure out for Tom to sample, hoping the guy wouldn't get too maudlin this evening. They had a lot of shared memories over the years, too many for the boy to digest all at once. Ben placed a can of soda in front of Gene, not wanting him to feel left out.

"I expect he'll eventually tell you everything you want to know if you give him time," Tom said, admiring the amber liquid in his glass. "You like living here?"

"Oh yeah, this is a great house. Ben has been just the best ... " Gene paused, studying Tom's face for a moment. "You want to know why I came here."

Not a question, Gene understood Tom wanted answers. Ben was amazed at the boy's perception.

"Yes, Gene, I do."

"Ben was nice to me when he didn't have to be. I didn't understand at first cause that never happened to me before. All the grown ups in my life have been ... well, fucked up. Sorry, but that's the way it seems to me. He's the only one that cares about me."

Ben had watched as Tom's curiosity gave way to understanding. There was nothing duplicitous about the boy, what you see is what you got. Gene didn't qualify his words either; he took Ben's care and concern at face value. Tom may have been impressed, but Ben was in heaven.

"You know, Gene, I've known this guy Ben here since he was a little one. While most boys were greedy little snots at that age, Ben always seemed to share with everyone."

At that point he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small metal Matchbox car, placing it on the table. It was a tiny replica of a '65 Corvette, and Ben had forgotten all about that little car, but obviously Tom had not.

"See this little toy, Gene? Ben gave this to me when he was about four years old. It was his favorite. And I gather it still is considering he finally got himself a real one. But I had been in an accident and my car was wrecked. His father brought me over to the house that afternoon and Ben listened as I told his parents about my accident.

"I was pretty upset as I recall, until Ben came over and stood beside me. He smiled up at me and placed this little car in my hand. It was all pretty simple in his mind at that age I guess; he was giving me his car so I wouldn't be angry. It was the nicest gesture of friendship I ever received ... here, I want you to have it."

Gene looked down at the little toy with wonder and Ben saw his eyes glisten with tears. Tom's gesture was not lost on the boy; he understood the meaning of the gift. It stood for acceptance. It was an assurance that Tom knew how crummy Gene's life had been. Sentimental value aside, that little toy was worth some real money these days, but that wasn't the point.

"I ... I can't take it," Gene said, "It means a lot to you."

"Sure it does, but it's only a thing. I value the people in my life a whole hell of a lot more, and so does Ben. He proved it when he gave me that toy at my moment of need, now it's your needs he cares about."

"Thank you ... Tom." And Ben wasn't the least bit surprised when Gene got up, walked around the table and gave Tom a hug. The smile of contentment on the boy's face, the large hands of a tough man rubbing his back ... these were the things Ben wanted to remember. Tom's acceptance meant the world to both of them.

The company meant more to Ben than the brandy. Old wine doesn't always live up to its reputation, but people do. He watched Gene and Tom get to know one another as they polished off the Chinese leftovers. Tom drew the boy out, sharing his own personal experiences, but mostly letting Gene talk about his life. It was better than any therapy Ben could have achieved.

But all too soon they had to call a halt to the evening, the boy had school and Tom had a stiff morning ahead in court. He gave Gene a goodbye hug at the door and then gave Ben a healthier crush in his massive arms. "You did good," he whispered in Ben's ear. Then he was gone.

Ben rinsed the glasses out in the sink while Gene placed the little car up on the windowsill.

"I think Tom likes you," Ben said.

"But he loves you," Gene replied," I can tell."

They slid into one another's arms for a hug.

"And how do you know so much about him, you two just met?"

"Because ... because I love you too," Gene said.

The boy leaned forward and their lips met. Ben hesitated when he felt Gene wanted more than a little kiss, so he backed off, pretending to gasp for air. It was close to the truth after what had just been said.

"Oh my, you just take my breath away, young man."

Gene giggled in response. "You do like kissing me."

"Yup, we could go on like this all night, but someone has school tomorrow. I believe its bedtime."

"Hey, tomorrow is Friday ... when did you want to have Dean over for dinner?" Gene asked.

"Hmm, I will have to cook something ... how about Saturday, or Sunday if you prefer? You guys work it out and then we'll go pick him up. You might want to spend a little time with him during the day, that's OK with me too."

Gene went in the shower and Ben sat on the edge of his bed. He loves me ... the words still echoed in his head and blanketed him with warmth. The boy hadn't pushed the issue by demanding to know if Ben loved him as well. But he did, it was just ... he was afraid of the emotion. He hadn't shared an ounce of love with another guy since Joseph all those years ago at college.

Love was an investment; it was supposed to draw dividends. But Ben was afraid of falling for the boy because the next step would be displaying that love. All the hugs and the kisses were but a prelude to ... well, in this case a disaster. His plans to keep this thing platonic were headed for a brick wall.

How could he get Gene to understand? The only example of a gay couple he'd seen was his brother and this guy Brad. He had no doubt that the boy sought to understand why they were in love. But he was afraid of the boy's search for that answer.

Physical contact with me is important, Ben thought, and yet it aroused him ... and me for that matter. I couldn't avoid touching him, it would seem like rejection. He was in a pickle here and the brine was getting deeper. But he loves me ... now Ben was concerned that at some point Gene would want to prove it.

As expected Gene came out of the bath with only a towel around his waist.

"You didn't shower?" Gene asked. "What ... ? You've been thinking again."

"Someone said they loved me, and I take that very seriously."

Gene sat down beside him, a hand on Ben's shoulder. "I wasn't looking for an answer right away ... I'm sorry."

"No ... It's ok, it's just ... I do love you and at the same time I don't want to hurt your feelings," Ben said. "I don't want anything to get in the way of my loving and caring for you ... and it might."

"What ... what might?" Gene almost looked frightened, as if he had done something wrong.

"No, Gene ... you've done nothing wrong, it's not you ... it's me. You see ... well there's no easy way to say this ... I'm gay."

Ben didn't bow his head, taking the chance and watching Gene's eyes for what might be revealed in those baby blues. He read the boy's emotions as they swept through his mind. Shock ... concern ... understanding and then, Thank God, back to love again.

"Its not why I ... ,"Ben started to say.

"Shh ... no," Gene said, putting his fingers to Ben's lips. "I know what you're gonna say, but don't."

"But ... "

"But nothing, "he said, cutting Ben off. "I love you."

Those three words shattered Ben's composure and he began to cry. His fear had been for naught, Gene wasn't deterred, and he wept in the boy's arms. Hands held his head, fingers stroked his hair ... it was what love was supposed to feel like.

Gene pulled his rear up off the bed and yanked the towel from his waist, using a corner of the soft material to dry Ben's tears. If he felt comfortable being naked now after hearing that announcement ... Ben felt blessed. Gene was a child of untold richness in his compassion and gentleness. And all Ben could think about was what had he done to deserve such love. It only made him sob harder.

"Shh ... It's OK ... Its fine," Gene whispered, holding Ben's head to his chest.

He could smell the soap on the boy's freshly washed skin, the warmth of this contact seeping into his brain. The boy pulled him close and laid them both back on the bed. His fingers soothed and Ben could feel kisses on the crown of his head. His eyes were blurred with tears but they were staring straight down at Gene's crotch.

OK, he had been afforded a rare chance to study the boy's anatomy and he drank in the view. Proving what, that he was a gay man? Of course that would be his favorite part of another man's body, but this was a boy. But he didn't look like a boy down there, and who was crying now anyways? No, he was looking at a man's equipment on an innocent and very loving boy. The thought made him stop crying.

Gene fingered his hair while his other hand began to rub Ben's back. When he had done this to the boy, Gene became aroused ... was he trying to do the same thing here? Well, it was working. But he knew the boy's thoughts were not sexual at the moment, the proof lay before his eyes.

"You feel better now?" Gene asked.

Ben nodded and basked in the glow of his cock straining at the fabric of his pants. And then the boy philosopher spoke.

"I'm sorry you had to tell me like this ... but I think I already had it figured out anyway. You care about me ... you love me ... and the gay thing, that scared you ... I scared you ... I'm sorry, Ben.

"What I said to Hanover was wrong, he just shocked me with that picture and I said the wrong thing. That worried you ... you were afraid I would say the same thing to you and ... and push you away. But I don't love him ... I love you ... I always will ... no matter what."

Oh God, those were precious words to hear and Ben felt the tension drain from his body. He sat up suddenly, worried that the boy might look down and see the tent in his crotch. Wiping the moisture from his face with the towel, Ben looked back down at Gene who still lay sprawled across the bed. He looked at Gene's face, careful to avoid the rest of his body.

"I love you ... because you are young and yet so wise at the same time. I care because you're worth caring for, it gives my life meaning. I'm sorry I got upset for no reason, you've been nothing but wonderful to me. There's so much we need to talk about but it's late, I need a shower ... then I'll come tuck you in, OK?"

Gene smiled, "Yes."

Ben left him lying there, astounded at his reaction and proud, so very proud of his boy. There were no more secrets between them, at least none from his standpoint. It made him feel free, alive and so very much in love.

Ben returned after his shower and saw that Gene had put out the lights. His still form lay under the sheet, the pale light from the hallway reflecting from his eyes.

"You ready to be tucked in?" Ben asked.

"Yup, I waited for you," Gene replied.

Ben could see that the sheet had an unusually large bulge right at about crotch level. The boy was erect ... had he been masturbating? All this talk about love and caring must have turned him on just as it had affected me, Ben thought. Erections on boys, a most normal state of affairs.

He pulled the sheet up a bit and leaned down for the kiss, placing his hands on either side of Gene's torso. He leaned down and the boy leaned up, his hands reaching behind Ben's neck. Their lips met ... and never parted.

Gene held him there, his lips pressing, grinding with passion. Ben felt a tongue push against his lips and he went with the flow, parting his lips and allowing Gene into his mouth. The boy knew what he was doing and Ben returned the intensity with his own tongue.

Their only point of contact was lips and hands, and that was fine. They had to get these feelings sorted out. Ben heard the boy moan, his tongue working in a frenzy of motion ... he groaned and a shudder traveled through his whole body shaking the bed beneath them.

Gene went limp and their lips parted.

"Oh My God ... I ... ."

But he didn't have to say it, Ben knew ... the smell of his young seed filled the room. The boy had orgasmed without touching himself, probably a first for him.

"I ... I ... "

"You ejaculated. My, what an inspired kiss ... good for my ego."

Gene was in shock as Ben reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. Sure enough, the sheet surrounding the boy's crotch area was soaked and small dribbles still oozed up through the fabric. It had been a monster ejaculation, judging by the size of the stain. A total hands free explosion.

Gene looked up with trepidation, afraid there would be anger at the mess. Ben could only smile.

"You must have been playing with it while I was in the shower, that's my guess. Our kissing just pulled the trigger, that's all. I'm happy for you," he said. And a little envious to boot, at least someone was getting release around here.

"You're not ... mad?"

Ben walked into the bathroom and wet a hand towel.

"No, why would I be?" he yelled back.

He returned and handed Gene the towel.

"You clean up and I'll change the sheets, OK?"

"I spunked when I kissed you ... I couldn't stop myself."

"Lucky devil," Ben chuckled, but the look in those eyes stopped his laughter. "No, Gene ... it doesn't mean you're gay, is that what you think?"

"Well ... yeah ... sorta ... shouldn't I wonder?"

"Oh My God, I've made him gay with a kiss ... forgive me Lord."

Gene giggled this time. "No, you only kissed me ... I did the rest."

"You sure did," Ben said, pealing the sodden sheet away from his belly. "You been saving up for this?"

They both looked down at the load of semen splashed across the boy's torso; it was amazing what a boy can produce over and over again. Ben would have to save up for weeks to get that large a deposit. Gene wiped himself while Ben rolled the sheet up and dropped it in the laundry hamper. There were fresh sheets on the top shelf of the closet. Gene got out of bed and stood there with the towel in his hand.

"What should I do with this?" he asked.

"In the hamper, I'll throw that stuff in the laundry first thing in the morning," Ben said.

"You don't think I'm gay ... do you?"

"I don't know how to answer that, Gene. How should I know? I mean it just happened, you were turned on and your body went into overload ... ba boom, it happened."

"But it was you, Ben ... you made me feel this way. I ... oh, I was ... I was thinking about kissing you and I started playing with myself and then you came back in the room in your boxers and I just had to kiss you and my body started to tingle all over and I didn't know it was going to happen and then it just did ... " He ran out of breath.

Ben took the towel from his hand and tossed it in with the sheet. He remade the bed as Gene stood watching ... waiting for a reaction. He turned the sheet back and stood in front of the boy.

"I'm flattered that you find me attractive, I mean that. But I think you have a crush on me because I've been kind to you and taken care of your needs. As for any fantasy about me ... I don't know, we haven't discussed your sexual feelings outside of a craving for young Mexican girls ... and now is not the time to start that. You sleep on it, Gene. I'm not one to shy away from a serious talk about anything, especially with you. I love you, you love me ... go to sleep with that on your mind tonight, I know I will."

With that Ben held the sheet back as the boy climbed into bed. A kiss on the forehead and he turned out the light. At least Gene was smiling when he left the room ... Ben was trembling.


On to Chapter Eight

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"Gene" Copyright © 27 September 2008 Chris James. All rights reserved.
    This work may not be duplicated in any form (physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise) without the author's written permission. All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

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