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NOTE: I have a request. Before starting this chapter, go back to the first page of Chapter One. Humor me. Just the first few paragraphs.

As a reminder, the last chapter ended in late fall 2023.

 

 

20

January 14, 2024

Laramie Jenkins (34)
Cooper Snow (40)

 

Laramie

I looked at the name added to the mailbox: L. Jenkins. I wasn't sure why it affected me. I didn't realize I had put my hand on my heart as I read my name. It seemed like most neighborhoods had group boxes in one unit nowadays. Some people might think rows of individual mailboxes up and down the street are an eyesore. As I glanced down the street, I thought it gave the neighborhood character.

I gazed up at my new home. I questioned how I ever got here. I never would have imagined it.

My eyes returned to the mailbox. Just above my name was C. Snow. The font matched exactly. Our two names were on the mailbox. Together. I had no desire to go inside. I just stared at this simple postal structure. Lost. Mesmerized by both its simplicity and importance. Together.

"It's freezing out here," Cooper said, coming back out to check on me. "What are you doing?"

"Staring," I returned.

I felt his arms wrap around me from behind. "What's on your mind?"

"It's real."

"I don't understand," Cooper said.

"Seeing both our names on the mailbox. It's real. This is my home. You and me. It's real."

"My love for you sure is."

I turned to face Cooper. "I know we aren't ... we haven't ... well, marriage isn't on our radar. But ... hell, Cooper. This is now my home-"

"Our home," he interrupted.

"Yeah. Forever."

"We could win the lottery and build a mansion on the lake."

"It couldn't replace this house."

"You've only been in it a couple of weeks," my partner chided.

"And I love it. Me, you, Corey ... it's ... home."

"I'm sad that more of your stuff didn't fit inside."

"Don't worry about that. I felt good about donating it to needy families. The important things are in there. Furniture is just furniture, and my stuff wasn't that great. You're all I need to make it home."

We had moved the set from my old master bedroom into our guest room. It was a little nicer than what Cooper had before. A desk, a few things I had made, my books and music and random household items. We saved the furniture I had made. It wasn't a lot, but I was thrilled to be living with Cooper. If Fate would be kind to me, it would be for the rest of our lives. Relationships don't always work out that way, but the two of us were in this for the long haul.

I reflected on my life back in Kansas. In a million years I never could have believed I could be this happy and be in this situation to be part of a home with a beautiful man and his family. There were moments when I believed the human heart wasn't capable of accepting such intense levels of happiness.

"It's freezing," Cooper whispered into my ear as I remained entranced in my reflective hypnosis. "And my dick isn't big enough to shrink anymore. Come inside."

I smiled and snapped out of my trance.

 

Cooper

We were in such a good place. It had been a year since I had chosen Laramie over Mitchell. I hadn't regretted my decision for one minute. I knew he was the one I was meant to find. His moving in went smoothly. We both wanted it. I still hated Laramie being the one to sacrifice his house, but my place seemed much more logical. And he liked it here. I was just glad that we were both equal homeowners. The house would be paid off much sooner with both our salaries; we would both be better off because of it.

I thought of Mitchell again.

"I forgot to tell you," I said to Laramie as we shut the front door. "Mitchell came to my office this week."

"Oh. That's good, right?"

"Yeah. He's been in therapy. His New Year's resolution was to move on from ... us. He thinks he would like to come to Coffee at 9. Would that be okay with you?"

"Heck, yeah. It would be nice to see him."

I'm glad Laramie felt that way. I had missed Mitchell. I wasn't worried about old feelings being stirred up, but I had missed his friendship over the past year. I guessed therapy was good for him. Hopefully seeing Larry and me together wouldn't be painful. I assumed Emory would be okay with it.

"Mind if I light a fire?" my partner asked. "We'll be home most of the day, right?"

"Yeah. It's not supposed to even get above 20. A fire sounds nice," I said.

Laramie tended to firewood and brought some in from the side of the deck. I went to the bedroom to add another layer of clothing.

As I put on a tea kettle, I watched him from the kitchen. He kneeled before the fireplace and soon had a fire going.

"You're so sexy when you build a fire."

"You say that to all your boyfriends who make your house warmer."

"Want some hot tea?"

"Please."

Laramie did look sexy. He got the fire to flare up a moment. The glow on the frontside of his body made him so alluring. As much as he looked butch in the winter clothing, I knew he would be out of all those later tonight. I'd be warmed under the covers by his masculine body heat.

Finally, my penis shook its chill and began to stretch inside my jeans.

Five minutes later I joined him on the couch, handing him a cup of hot tea. We leaned into each other.

"What do you want to do today?" I asked.

"This."

I chuckled. "Well, we should feel free to reward ourselves for getting all the Christmas stuff put away yesterday."

"Indeed."

"Except the Christmas cards. Since they don't have to be put away, I like having them hang down the staircase ... at least for a few more days."

"Agreed."

We sipped tea.

"Did you save one of our Christmas card?"

"You mean the picture?"

"Yeah. I know we sent out all the cards, but I was hoping you printed an extra picture."

"I did."

"That was the first year I was ever in a Christmas photo."

"Wow. Natalie and I did them for several years. Then we just stopped. Then I started drinking and we were drifting..."

"I want us to do it every year. As long as we live," Laramie said. "Promise?"

I smiled. So often, parents would see the world again through the eyes of their children. Christmas was such a circumstance. I loved Laramie's childlike exuberance from time to time.

I loved him. I always would.

 

February 14, 2024

Laramie Jenkins (34)
Corey Snow (15)

 

Laramie

"Why is Corey staying with us tonight?" I asked Cooper on the phone. "It's a Wednesday."

"I agreed to it. Natalie and Daryl wanted to go out for Valentine's Day."

"He's 15. He's old enough to stay at home by himself."

"I think they might want a romantic night."

"Are you having sex talk with your ex-wife?" I asked with a big smile.

"Hardly. But ... I knew her well enough. It was kind of a big ask. It's their first Valentine's Day as a married couple."

"Meaning sex."

"For Natalie, yes."

"I guess we'll just have to have quiet sex then with Corey in the house."

"You've always said Valentine's Day is just a Hallmark holiday anyway."

"Well, I'm not that cynical," I defended. "I just hate that people feel obligated to go out, give gifts and all that."

"We both agreed weeks ago that we wouldn't do gifts."

"Right. You're fine with that, aren't you? You said you were."

"Completely. The only gift I need is you."

"That's so cliché," I said. After a pause, I followed, "But it still makes me melt when you say it."

 

—

 

I got home shortly after 5. Cooper knew Corey was fine with hanging out at school a bit until work was out. Chess Club had him busy for a while. They got home twenty minutes after me.

"How was school?" I asked.

"Meh."

"No big Valentine's Day activities?"

"Jeez, Laramie, I'm not in third grade."

Whoa. Corey was not in a good mood.

"Um. I'm sorry."

"No. My fault. The whole day has just made me think about Grace."

"You still miss her, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah. I mean, since they moved over the holidays, we still text and stuff, but ... it doesn't feel the same."

"I understand."

"Corey, I know you really miss her — which is a good thing, it meant you really cared," Cooper said. "But it will get better. Kids your age see a lot of their schoolmates. When you learn to drive — Lord, help me — you'll be dating many girls."

"I know. Maybe."

"He's right," I said. "You and Grace were great for a really long time, but most kids go steady and break up fairly frequently. That at least says something about the maturity you two held."

Corey grunted and moped upstairs to his room.

"Yikes," I softly said to Cooper, who finally gave me a kiss.

"I think it's more that his mom sent him over here. He doesn't like being treated like a little kid."

"Or being in the way." I looked up the staircase to see he had shut his door. "Does this seem kind of cold for Natalie to you?"

"A little. Maybe there is something to it. Corey lives with them all the time. Maybe they made a decision to go over-the-top for Valentine's Day. Good for them."

Since there were three of us, my partner and I ruled out any type of romantic dinner. Corey became a slight focus on how to lift his spirits.

 

Corey

Screw Mom.

She and Daryl could have gone out and just left me at home. She is so lame.

I didn't know why I felt so pissed off. Part of it was Mom. Part of it was Grace moving away. Part of it was seeing so many guys having lockers decorated by their girlfriends. Part of it was what I heard my friends talking about in Gym. Part of it was seeing Hector pass weed to Naomi outside. And Fuzzy and Manuel vaping in the bathroom. And the heavy homework from Mrs. Moeser.

Screw it all.

I stared at the ceiling feeling like doing absolutely nothing. I wasn't mad. I wasn't depressed. I knew deep done that I didn't fit. Was I just feeling lonely? Grace and I talked a lot, but I hardly had any guy friends I could talk to. Aiden would tell me stuff, but I didn't feel super close to him. It seemed like everyone was trying smoking or vaping or ... worse. I just didn't want to. I was a freak. I didn't fit in.

Screw it all.

"Thought about you all day. Just wanted you to know that I still miss you."

I stared at my phone for ten minutes. Grace didn't text back. Did she not see it, or did she not care?

"Fuck!" I growled.

Then I felt bad for cussing. Mom would be disappointed.

Screw Mom.

I opened my homework. Most of my teachers went light for Valentine's Day. Moeser's algebra was going to be a pain. At least I was catching on. So many in our class were still struggling. It was an honors class, so she wasn't taking it slow.

I did two problems and stopped.

All that stuff the guys said in the gym locker room went through my mind. There was no way Fitz had sex. He was making it up. He had to have been. So many of them said they watched porn. That seemed so ... wrong. So illegal. So ... "what if I got caught." I liked kissing Grace, but I never thought about us having sex. I'd die if she saw me naked. What was wrong with me?

I was a freak.

Fitz was mean to Aiden. I hated that they called him gay. The things he said were totally mean. Luckily others stopped him. Had I said something, they probably would have come after me because of Dad.

"Fuck."

I did one more algebra problem.

 

Laramie

Cooper knew that if Corey fixed us dinner, he would be in a good mood. He loved doing that.

We saw him come down after sulking in his room for a short time. Cooper had just poured the two of us an iced tea.

"Hey, bud, we were discussing dinner. What would you like? Send out for pizza, we can grab burgers, or we can figure out something to make here." Cooper waited for a response.

"Don't you two want to go out for some amazing, romantic dinner?" his son muttered.

"On Valentine's Day!?? Ugh. It's a nightmare out there tonight," I insisted. "Long waits for tables, pretentious special menus. Pass."

The corner of Corey's mouth slightly turned upward. He walked to the freezer and prodded. He glanced inside the fridge and peered inside the pantry.

He turned to us and said, "I can make us honey-garlic shrimp."

"Sold!" I spoke. "That sounds awesome."

"We have frozen shrimp. There's brown rice in the pantry. Soy is in the fridge. Do we have any honey?"

"Look in the pantry," Cooper said. "Is there any to the side of the spices?"

Corey poked his head in. "Ah. I think this is enough, but I'll probably use up all you have."

"That's fine."

"I'll serve it with broccoli, but you just have a bag of frozen. We can go buy fresh if you want."

"Either way," his father responded.

Ten minutes later, we had fresh broccoli, another bear of honey, a garlic bulb, green onions, garlic bread and ice cream in our basket. We checked out and were back home minutes later. Both Cooper and I felt Corey's mood had improved.

Upon unloading our bag, Corey instructed, "Okay. Leave the kitchen. I'll handle this." His wrists flicked his fingers shooing us out of his domain. "Go be romantic or kiss or something."

We picked up our glasses of tea still sitting there and smiled as we prepared to go to the adult penalty area.

"Hey," Corey said, before we exited the kitchen. "You've always told me I can come to you with anything. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, bud. What is it?" Cooper said before taking a sip of tea.

"Do gay guys really lick each other's butts?"

"Ghuhk," Cooper choked.

I watched my partner turn white as a ghost. His eyes glazed as if deer in headlights, and his expression grew paler.

"Uuhhm..."

Although I found humor in the situation, Corey's shocking question was rather disarming. I decided to rescue my lover.

"If I may..." I started.

"Please..." Cooper gasped.

"Okay kiddo. If we're getting into the private stuff, let me stress one thing right off the bat. Everything dealing with sex is gross. People use the grossest parts of their bodies. People should hate it and be repulsed, but your hormones get all fired up and somehow you look past all that just because you get all horny. The fact that it's disgusting goes right out the window. You just know it's going to feel good."

Cooper was a statue, silent in his supervising stare.

"So..." I continued, "When people are getting it on, certain things give pleasure. And you want to please your partner. Whether it is between a man and a woman, a man and a man or a woman and a woman, the tongue can stimulate certain parts of the body — the gross parts, if you get what I mean — and so ... yeah, gay guys will sometimes pleasure another guy that way with their tongue. It sounds weird, but you make sure you are super clean back there ... and you don't think about it. It's totally gross, but hormones make you stupid. But it makes you feel good to make your partner experience pleasure. Your fingers do things to each other too."

There was a heavy silence.

"Does that make any sense?" I followed.

"I guess," Corey said. "Still kind of weird."

"All sex is weird. When you get all horny, you replace the word weird with hot. But it's weird and gross and disgusting and everyone still does it because human beings are idiots."

There was a lighter silence.

"Was that fine?" I asked, turning to Cooper.

"Mm-hm," he uttered in his petrified state.

"Anything you want to add?"

"Uh-uh."

Corey put on pots of boiling water and pulled out some mixing dishes. He seemed preoccupied.

I looked at Cooper and mouthed the word `breathe.' He exhaled and seemed to regain some color.

"Son, what made you ask that question?"

Corey had mentioned talk in the locker room today. Cooper had told me before that when people are fixated on another task, it is easier for them to talk openly. Corey was stirring and slicing and peeling, but he talked to us about the school discussion with more ease than I ever could have as a kid his age. Cooper and I were able to explain a couple of terms he had heard. I noticed his father never told Corey not to have sex, but he warned of its many consequences. We both knew Natalie would have reinforced the "marriage only" component to the discussion.

I never had any discussions like this in Kansas. Phillip told me some stuff, and I heard things from classmates. Porn wasn't as easily accessible then, but I would have been terrified to even try to look. If I had been caught watching two guys go after it, my life would have been over. It impressed me that all the talk seemed less embarrassing as Corey kept maneuvering pans and skillets and knives.

I was always willing to be there for Corey, but I never had any intention of taking on any type of fatherly role. Mentally, I patted myself on the back for stepping in this evening.

 

Corey

Dad could be so lame. But different lame than Mom. Thank goodness Laramie was cool.

I shouldn't be so harsh on Dad, though. He had always encouraged me to come to him with anything. I was sure all those guys in the locker room didn't go to their dads. Aiden made it sound like he hardly talked to his parents. As dorky as my parents were, they had a few good qualities. I needed to remind myself of that every now and then.

My dish smelled awesome. I loved to cook. Most guys probably didn't. I was a freak, but I liked knowing how to cook.

Laramie came to inspect closely as I was wrapping up the preparation. I felt his hands on my shoulders as he peered overhead.

"You're like the most amazing kid in the world."

"Whatever," I said.

I loved him.

As we sat down to eat, I smiled at my handiwork. It looked nice and smelled totally delicious. Both Dad and Laramie said very kind things.

"This is better than anything we could have ordered, Cor'. It's great," Dad said.

Screw Mom.

Actually, I hoped she and Daryl were enjoying their evening. They deserved a night out.

Did I stop them from doing things? Probably not. Adults didn't like doing things. They just liked taking care of things around the house. Adults are lame. I would make sure I wouldn't be lame when I grew up.

Dad and Laramie said they would clean up since I cooked. I went upstairs to finish my stupid homework. I got the final algebra problems done. Looking up definitions was easy enough for Literature. They didn't take too long. We were supposed to read 20 pages. I finished that within 30 minutes.

I heard a text come in. It was Grace.

"Thanks. I hope you had a great day."

She didn't say she thought of me.

She didn't say she missed me.

Grace was moving on.

"Fuck."

 

Laramie

Cooper and I snuggled on the couch while watching a police drama on television. We saw Corey come downstairs. He didn't say anything.

He walked into the kitchen and pulled the ice cream out of the freezer. Grabbing a bowl and a scoop, he dipped himself a good-sized portion and put the ice cream away. He didn't say anything.

Corey walked to the living room and positioned himself between the two of us. We slightly separated as he forced himself between our two bodies. He didn't say anything. Cooper and I looked at each other.

The empty bowl was placed on the coffee table. When Corey leaned back, I could feel him slightly lean into my body. It made me slightly smile. He didn't say anything.

Ten minutes later, he stood and walked to the staircase. "Good night," he said.

I echoed his words. Cooper said, "Love you, son." Then Corey was gone for the night.

 

—

 

10:33.

"I guess loud animal sex for Valentine's Day is out, huh?" I said after the television was turned off.

"I have something else in mind."

I shot my partner a look conveying I was intrigued.

We closed the door of the bedroom. Cooper went into the bathroom and looked in the cabinet below the sink. The next thing I heard was the bathtub running. He came out and walked past me.

"Get undressed," he said.

I complied.

He walked past me with a lit candle and turned out the bedroom light. My nakedness walked through the darkness of the room into the bathroom where Cooper was placing the candle at the corner of the sink counter closest to the bathtub. A little of the light reflected in the mirror. Cooper stepped into the closet and seconds later emerged naked and stepped into the tub that was now filled with suds.

"Oooo," he breathed in, indicating it was slightly too hot. Then he forced himself to submerge his body. "Join me," he said, looking at me.

As I stepped to the tub, my dick bobbed a bit as it started to harden.

"We haven't taken a bubble bath in like a year," I said.

"I know. It sounded nice."

The water was too hot, but after a few seconds, I manned up and lowered myself into the frothy suds and Cooper's arms. I listened to the suds crackle as I infiltrated their space. Cooper wrapped his arms around me, and his warm hands spread wet suds onto my chest. Gently, he rubbed his fingers through my chest hair. One thumb softly teased a nipple; his other hand reached for my stiff cock. He didn't stroke it; he acknowledged it. A very slow loose grip rose and fell around the shift. My head moved onto his shoulder.

I sighed in my contentment.

"This is nice."

"It is," Cooper said into my ear, and then kissed my temple.

Both his hands were on my chest again. I enjoyed listening to the chorus of suds.

The candle flickered and shifted simple shadows on the wall. We both reclined in silence. The lighting, the warmth, the suds, the togetherness — it was a culmination of ideal romance. I shut my eyes and let my soul analyze each and every detail of the intimacy.

"I can't think of anything more perfect for Valentine's Day," I said to the man behind me.

"I agree. I love you, Laramie. I always will."

"I love you, too, babe."

The water became comfortable. It should have been perfect, but we started with such hot temperatures, it bordered on needing more warmth. I took his hand from chest and placed it back on my dick. In my romantic complacency in his arms, it had deflated a bit. I still liked him holding it.

"Lean forward," Cooper said.

After I did, I felt his soapy hands roam over my back.

"God, that feels good," I said.

"For me too. I love touching you. Your body is so sexy. I kind of wish I had you put on a cowboy hat first."

I laughed. "The naked cowboy in a bubble bath."

"Could there be any hotter fantasy?"

I smiled. Every day I was astonished at how much I could love a person. Had we never crashed into each other at Joe, we would be living very different lives.

Cooper's hands felt marvelous. I saw him rub a couple of fingers over the soap. They submerged into the suds and then I felt them prod my ass. They rubbed my hole. It felt good.

When I leaned back, I felt his hardness press into the small of my back.

A few minutes later, we both agreed the water had lost much of its heat, but our time we had spent in the tub was glorious. Tender. Loving.

As we stood, I liked how suds still crackled in Cooper's bush. His dick reached out to me, and I held it while he dried his upper body.

We both stepped from the tub and finished drying each other off. I reached over to grab the candle. I carried it to my nightstand. The fragrance of "Frozen Lake" followed us into the room.

"Get on your hands and knees, cowboy," my ranch hand instructed.

I did.

He walked to the closet and got one of my hats. He put it on my head as I waited on all fours. Cooper's hands gripped my ass. I felt his tongue touch the opening of my hole.

"I've been wanting to do that since dinner," Cooper said.

I chuckled.

He continued to pleasure me with his tongue all up and down my crack. I hummed in approval. I was thankful that Corey didn't require any visual illustrations.

"Oh man," I said as Cooper's breath blew on the wetness he had placed at my hole. "Wow. There's no way I could make quiet love to you now."

I lied.

Fifteen minutes later, Cooper quietly panted, "Larameeeee. Oooohhh. Ooooooooohhh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeaaaaahhhh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

My mouth had been coated with his cum. My tongue had been coated with his cum. My throat was coated with his cum. Gently, he moved his dick in and out not wanting to stop. I looked at him hovering above me. His knees were aside my shoulders as he fucked my face.

I had hoped to come together, but my arm was still pounding my dick. My other hand moved Cooper's ass closer to me. I wasn't going to permit his penis from leaving my mouth. I was close, but I wasn't there. I stroked my rod forcefully. Cooper ever so slowly fucked my face. I moved my fingers where one gently touched his hole. I mercilessly battered my manhood. His hand ran his fingers through my hair. That did it. My orgasm built. I moaned into his cock, and I felt my first shot land on my chest. I felt the second shot land. The third spurt followed. I couldn't feel the fourth and fifth, but I enjoyed the sensations of their escape from my erection. Soon, drips drooled over my fingers. I sucked on his cock harder as my climax subsided.

He pulled his organ from my mouth and moved to my side. He leaned over to kiss me. As he did, I felt him draw a heart through the cum on my torso.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said into his kiss.

 

March 14, 2024

Cooper Snow (40)
Laramie Jenkins (35)

 

Cooper

"Shhhh," I said to everybody. "He's here."

A minute later, Laramie walked in through the front door.

"Ugh. I stink like hell. I need a shower," he said.

"Surprise!" everyone yelled around each corner, jumping out in celebration.

"Holy fucking hell!" Laramie screamed. "You scared the bejeesus out of me!"

The guests stood motionless and silent, but they remained smiling.

"Well. Huh. Sorry about my response there. This is ... well. I'd hug each of you if I wasn't so foul. I'm sorry. I'm all sweaty and sawdust is stuck to me and ... you wouldn't believe my day at work. Please. Just give me ten minutes to rinse off."

Laramie sauntered off to the bedroom beet red.

"Okay. That was sort of unexpected, but we can give him some time."

I had invited his old boss, Kenton Shuppe, as well as Emory, Don, Mitchell, Mike, Trent, Natalie, Daryl and Corey. I was making the party more about people than food, so the plan was to grill burgers out back. Since he was home, I fired up the grill.

Natalie had baked a nice cake. It was decorated as fancy as a regular person can do, but it was obvious it was homemade — which I liked.

Corey started making a few side dishes. Mike and Trent had brought an Asian salad, but my son wanted some hot items too.

I had told everyone no gifts. Still, there was a selection of cards awaiting my partner.

Laramie emerged as quickly as he could. He had put on a fresh shirt and new jeans. I confirmed that he smelled great and finally managed a quick kiss. He mingled with each guest and profusely apologized for his initial reaction. He particularly asked for Corey's — and indirectly Natalie's — forgiveness for his choice of words. Corey hugged him strongly with a "Happy birthday." Natalie seemed forgiving.

"I'm glad you are here. Having family here makes it a real celebration," he told Natalie, Corey and Daryl.

My son was used to Laramie's softer side, but I could tell by their expressions that Natalie and Daryl were touched by his words.

I carried the hamburger meat out to the back deck. Laramie saw me and followed me out.

"I know it isn't really special, but I hope cooking burgers is okay."

"It's wonderful," he told me. "I – I wasn't expecting all this. Obviously. I can't imagine anything pleasing me more than to be with friends."

We allowed ourselves a longer kiss.

"Happy birthday, Laramie Jenkins. I love you."

We held one another with our arms wrapped tightly.

The first hour was lively with laughter and conversation. The burgers went over well, and Corey's Dr Pepper baked beans and scalloped potatoes were a hit.

I received a text and started hot water in the kitchen sink. A minute later, the doorbell rang.

"Babe, my hands are rinsing all this. Can you get the door?"

Laramie went to answer. When the door was opened, he found his whole crew outside. "Happy birthday!" they screamed in unison.

I knew many of them would need to finish up at the shop. Some may have needed to go home first. A second layer of surprise was my goal. Maria and I had planned this for weeks.

I instructed Natalie to cut the cake, and Daryl was on hand to scoop ice cream. I stopped fiddling with the sink and got forks ready. Corey was ready with a candle for Laramie's slice. The rest of the group had been warned not to sing. Trent and Corey had practiced a special rendition of "Happy Birthday to You." It had enough harmonizing and flourish that it doubled the length of the famed tune, but it was nicer than anything ever heard sung in a restaurant. The group clapped, and Laramie blew out his candle.

Everyone complimented Natalie on the cake. She blushed at the praise. It was a strawberry cream cake, which I had tasted many times during our marriage. I knew it would knock people's socks off.

Maria had brought the edited video on a flash drive. The staff had spent a couple of weeks filming Laramie at work. Some of the clips were funny, some showed his dedication. More than anything it portrayed him as a great boss. It moved him; I could tell. But my marshmallow of a partner held it together.

This surprise had come off well.

My partner opened his cards. I had placed mine on his pillow for later tonight. Most were funny, but there was a serious one here or there.

He paused after reading Mitchell's. I could tell he was completely affected. Laramie didn't pass it around. He slipped it back in the envelope. It immediately made me wonder what my ex-boyfriend had written.

The party wasn't intended to be an all-night affair. Laramie was touched by everyone's gesture. Around 9 o'clock, his staff headed out. They had offered a gift to him. With everyone pitching in a little, it was simple enough to provide the two of us with dinner out at Lawrence Creek. I felt it was a lovely and appropriate gesture.

Each of his employees hugged him, even all the men. I heard him say, "I appreciate all of you." They left.

Daryl, Natalie and Corey made their exit as well. Hugs continued. I think he hugged Natalie the most.

 

Laramie

"Thank you for accepting me," I whispered into Natalie's ear.

She had every reason to harbor anger and resentment against Cooper. Being a person of faith, she could have been repulsed by our relationship. Natalie had grown dear to me. We were opposite in so many ways, but she accepted me and I her. We had a relationship that was probably the most unique of all my circle of friends.

Before heading out, Corey hugged me again. "Love you, kiddo." He then walked over to Mitchell to give him a strong hug. I appreciated that.

Mitchell headed out next.

"Your words moved me. I appreciated you being here," I told him.

We gave a quick hug.

"Hope it was a great birthday, Larry."

I pulled him back in and hugged him tighter. Tonight couldn't have been very easy for Mitch. Being in our home, knowing Cooper and I lived together ... how painful was it? I hoped it was helpful in his recovery. The fact that he accepted us was an incredible step. I doubted if I would have had the balls to stand in his shoes.

Everyone else hung a bit. Cooper came up to me and grabbed my hands.

"My gift is three things I want you to do."

"Huh?"

"The first part is I want you to go out with these guys and have a beer."

"What? Why?"

"Because you have given up so much to live with me. I love that you won't drink around me, so ... please. Go enjoy a brewski."

"That's not important. You know that."

"Please," he said, preceding a kiss.

"You know I would do anything for you, Cooper," I whispered. "Not drinking is no big deal."

Cooper grabbed me from behind with a firm grip on my shoulders. He forcefully walked me to the other gentlemen.

"He's yours. Just don't keep him out too late. I have further plans."

"I'm sure you do!" Emory chimed in, causing everyone to chuckle. Cooper got slightly red.

Fifteen minutes later we were at Daniel's. It was a Thursday night, so it wasn't packed. We managed to snag a table that would accommodate the five of us. Before I knew it, Emory and Mike brought two pitchers of beer to the table. Don carried a tray of frosted pilsners to start us off.

"This is so nice guys," I said. "You didn't have to do this."

"It was Cooper's idea," said Mike. "He paid, too."

"I know he thinks I gave up all this just to be with him, but I don't miss it."

"Really?" Emory asked.

"I mean ... yeah. I love a beer now and then, but when you need to make a choice ... Cooper or beer? It's not a choice."

"He loves you," Trent said. "He doesn't want you to miss out."

"We're not supposed to let you get drunk though," Don said.

Drunk. The last time I was drunk was when I ran from our house. I had just insulted Cooper with a hateful dick insult. That could have been the end. The end!

"My God," I whispered, as I buried my face in my hands.

"Larry? Are you okay?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I caught my breath. "The last time I was drunk was when Cooper and I had our first ... well, our only big fight. I said something so horrible that it scared the shit out of me. In a matter of seconds, I thought I had ruined everything between us."

"What did you say?" Trent asked.

"I – I – I don't even want to speak the words. Because Cooper is the most incredible, most amazing person that he is ... he forgave me. We moved past it. He asked me to move in the next day."

"Wow," Don said. "Talk about kiss and make up."

"We had a terrible fight, and the bartender from The Black Stallion had to call him to come pick me up later that night. It was humiliating."

"But you got through it," Emory said. "You two are solid."

"Oh, definitely. I love that man more than life itself."

"And he loves you every bit as much," Trent said.

"I never thought I could be this happy. I never thought I deserved to be this happy!"

"Everyone deserves to be happy and to be loved," Don said. Following that he turned to Emory. They smiled and kissed.

"If I may ask, was it hard for you to have Mitchell there?" Mike asked.

"No. It had to be hard for him. After Cooper had chosen me, he was ... he still loved Cooper for a long time. I respect him for re-establishing our friendships. It had to be tough."

"Agreed," said Emory.

"Well, to a different topic," Trent said. "How is it living with a teenager?"

"We only get him a few days a month. I love Corey like all get out. I was never a `kid person.' If he was a toddler or going into kindergarten and crying all the time, I'd probably put a gun to my head." The others chuckled. "But ... I enjoy my time, our time with him."

"Nice," Mike commented.

"He is slowly becoming a bit surlier in his teenage years, but ... hell. We all were. We were all dipshits. It's harder for Cooper and Natalie to see it, but it's temporary. They've done a great job raising him."

"Do you feel like you are in a father's role?" Don asked.

"No. Well, kind of. I feel that responsibility but not the authority. Does that make sense? I have no intention of replacing a parent."

"Does he look up to you?" Trent asked.

"To be honest ... I think so. Corey wants to be an adult. He's an only kid, and Cooper's curveballs caused him to grow up a bit. He's very mature. I think he's awesome. I sometimes feel like the two of us are more like friends than a father/son thing. I love him like a dad, though."

"You're great with him," Emory said.

Indeed, I was.

I reflected on my many months with Corey. I told them about the first Christmas at Cooper's parents' house. I told them about his gay butt-licking question. That brought the house down. I was positive every eye in the bar was on us with our laughter causing a commotion. I told them about our sledding adventure last year. I told them about him and I walking through the sand in Clearwater.

Their eyes told me they understood how much I loved him.

As I drank my second beer, my nostrils inhaled the aroma of the malt beverage. I wondered if Cooper would smell it on my skin. Would it remind him of the night we fought? I knew I didn't need any more.

 

Cooper

Laramie texted me they were about to leave.

They had only been gone for an hour. That was a good amount of time for him to have a couple of beers. I hoped he enjoyed it.

The house was in order. Ingredients put away, leftovers stored, dishes in the dishwasher. I looked at the cards on the coffee table. I fanned them out to look festive. I saw Mitch's. It was in an envelope. I didn't feel it was too invasive to take it out and look inside. I was curious as to what words he wrote. Ironically, the card was humorous with a beer joke. I saw Mitchell had written quite a bit on the left side:

Larry,

Time has a way of making us understand
certain things we don't wish to accept.
I want you to know that I am happy for
you and Cooper. I still have to work at
becoming a better man, but know this,
I am. It may take me time, but I hope to
be someone like you one day, someone
who knows how to love properly. Cooper
chose the right man.

Mitchell signed those words instead of the greeting on the right side. I felt a tear escape my right eye, and I quickly held the card out further so it wouldn't land on it.

Laramie was my world. I would love him until I died. But part of my heart would always belong to Mitchell. I owed him so much. I hoped he would find a love like ours one day. He deserved it.

I caught a bit of the news before Laramie returned. I turned off the television when I heard the door open.

"How was it?" I asked.

"Great. I missed you. I wished you would have come with us. You would have been fine."

"I know. Probably. But I know you won't drink around me, and the whole point was to let you not worry about me."

Laramie pulled me closely and pressed his lips to mine. I detected a mixture of beer and Tic Tac on his breath.

"You wonderful man. Thanks for everything tonight."

"I'm not done," I said.

I grabbed his wrist and led him to the couch. I handed him a small, wrapped gift. Laramie ripped open the paper. From the box, he pulled out a pair of Aviator sunglasses.

"These are nice," he said.

"They apply to the second thing I want to ask you to do. Mike and Trent have arranged for three rooms at Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. They will have one, Lance and Jakob will have one, and one will be for us. Can you join us on our vacation this summer?"

"I don't see why not. I think the shop can handle it."

"Corey will be with us, just so you know."

"Perfect."

I was already looking forward to that summer trip. Not that I needed her permission, but Natalie knew these men well enough that she was fine with Corey taking a trip with six gay men. Framed in those terms, it sounded sketchy, but it was just friends.

"You'll look stylish as we hike those parks."

Laramie smiled back at me while wearing his glasses. I leaned forward for a fast kiss.

"I have one last thing I want you to do," I said, taking Laramie's hand and placing it on my crotch. I wasn't fully hard, but I was getting there. "It's your birthday. I want you to ... well, you know where I'm going."

"You sure?"

"I am." I leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "Fuck me, birthday boy."

We brushed our teeth. Naked. We peed. Naked. We hugged in front of the mirror. Naked. Our erections poked each other's belly.

"Do I smell like beer? Should I slap on some cologne or something?" Laramie asked, concerned.

I reached for his dick. I inhaled his neck. "You smell like my favorite thing in the world. I find the scent of Laramie Jenkins intoxicating. I can't tell you how much I love lying next to you and breathing you in and being a part of your physical presence."

"You make it sound like I have an overpowering smell!"

"Trust me," I said. I shoved my face into my lover's crotch and inhaled. "You're perfect," I mumbled into his balls.

Two minutes later, a candle provided the only light cast around the room.

Two minutes after that, Laramie's erection stuffed my mouth. He reclined against his pillow. I coated his shaft with so much of my saliva, it practically appeared as lube.

In the two minutes following, we kissed in each other's arms. Lovingly, passionately, affectionately.

Two minutes later, he penetrated me.

It wasn't like I didn't find being a bottom pleasurable. It never was at the beginning, but I typically got used to it within a minute or two. When Laramie's weight was crushing me, I liked it a lot better. I enjoyed watching him make love to me, but when I was on my stomach, I loved feeling his rod go in and out of my body.

"Fuck me, hon'," I moaned.

"I love you, Cooper," he breathed into my neck. I could detect the minty toothpaste that disguised any fleeting nanoparticles of beer.

"Fuck me, babe."

"I love fucking you."

"Yes! Don't hold back."

He didn't. Laramie was forceful. I knew I would pay the price, but it was his birthday. We snarled and cussed and screamed and groaned and ... he came. He reached his orgasm faster than he normally did. My ass didn't mind. I was just surprised.

"Please don't take it out," I softly said. "Stay in me. Stay on top of me."

His body was a human weighted blanket that comforted me. His mouth was all over my neck and my shoulders. "I love you," he breathed.

"I love you more," I breathed back.

"That's not possible," he whispered into my ear.

It took a minute, but his penis finally retreated, and he removed it from my hole. I didn't want it to go.

"I want one more thing for my birthday," he said.

"Do tell," I said, now with the two of us looking directly at each other.

"My turn. Do me."

"But ... but you've already come. Are you sure? Will you enjoy that?"

"I like feeling us connected."

A minute later my cock was lubed.

A minute after that, his legs were lifted, his eyes on mine.

A minute after that, my hard flesh was inside him. I saw the wince of discomfort and regretted doing this.

A minute later, he said, "I'm good. Fuck my brains out."

For some reason, I had this twisted view that it was more of a celebration the louder I got. I was on my elbows, ramming his hole. I was on stiff arms, thrusting into his ass. I was writhing and gyrating and shoving, forcing my rigid manhood inside the man who meant the world to me.

I wailed and screamed until my erection demanded — commanded! — the ultimate release.

"Ungh!"

"Happy! Ungh!"

"Birth ... ungh!

"Day ... ungh!

"Babe ... ungh!

"...eee ... UNGH! Fuck."

 

April 14, 2024

Laramie Jenkins
Corey Snow

 

Laramie

"I called your mother. I told her I wanted us to wait out the storm before we took you back," Cooper told Corey.

We had been watching the news. The weather warnings were pretty intense. The rain was coming down hard. The meteorologists had interrupted television for the last hour. We were under a tornado warning. A funnel had already dropped down twenty miles away. I grew up in Kansas. I knew what the skies looked like. I could feel it.

"Where are you going?" Cooper asked.

I didn't answer. I stepped out onto the back deck. Small hail pelted the roof we had installed over the back deck. The hail didn't last long, but the wind was getting crazy. The rain was big drops.

Then we heard it. The sirens.

"Get back in here!" Cooper screamed.

The three of us went down into the basement. Corey spread out his sleeping bag, and Cooper placed pillows behind us. The three of us huddled together.

"I'm kind of scared," Corey said.

"We're fine down here," his father said.

I wrapped my arms tightly around Corey. Cooper held us both. We were a mass of male arms.

The sirens continued. Even in the basement we could hear the wind fiercely pounding the house. It was Mother Nature at her angriest. Something struck the kitchen window, but it didn't sound like the glass had broken. The wind roared.

"Dad..." Corey spoke, not knowing what to say.

"We're okay," Cooper softly said. "It will move over."

I hoped he was right. This was not good. We were in a direct path. I listened to Cooper offer up a prayer for God to keep us safe. Something else struck the house. This was not good. The sirens made Corey slightly whimper. We could hear something hit the garage door. The wind was ferocious. This was not good.

We held each other.

We squeezed each other.

Then it sounded quieter. It sounded ... only like rain.

I let go. I moved to investigate, but Cooper asked me to stay down in the basement another couple of minutes. We held each other again for an elongated moment. In any other circumstances, Corey would have termed the moment "mushy," but I knew he was shaken.

We cautiously walked upstairs. The first thing we did was check all the windows. Nothing appeared broken.

"Oh wow," I said, looking out into the yard. There was just a glimmer of sunset through the storm clouds to show debris and branches in our yard and down the street. The roads looked passable, but it was going to take considerable cleanup before they could be termed clear. "It's really a mess outside!" Cooper came to look at the front yard and our neighborhood. Corey ran upstairs to look out of the window in his bedroom.

Cooper turned the television on to see if we could receive an update.

Corey came back downstairs. "Everyone's yard is crazy. Sticks and branches and trash and stuff!"

We all sat on the couch to stare at the latest report. The radar showed rotation, but it looked like it was past us. Cooper immediately called Natalie. She said they were okay. I started calling my staff.

"I wonder if I should go check on the store," I said.

"No! It's practically dark now. The streets are too crazy. Wait until the morning!" Cooper insisted.

I admitted he was probably right, but I still wanted to make sure things were okay.

We were still glued to the television ten minutes later when some video footage became available. It showed several homes severely damaged. One was destroyed. The meteorologist used a map to show the touchdown of the tornado, even though he said the information was preliminary.

 

Corey

I knew that neighborhood.

"Dad! I – I – I think that's Aiden's neighborhood."

"Call him. See if you can get a hold of him."

I hopped up off the couch and frantically dialed my schoolmate.

"Answer, answer, answer."

"Hi," Aiden said. He sounded shaken.

"Are – are you okay?"

"I think so. We were in the basement, but our house was damaged. The tornado was on our street."

"Really!!?"

Dad and Laramie stood to come over to hold me and to listen to what they could hear. I put it on speaker.

"I guess the cell towers are okay. It was ... it was so scary, Corey. And loud. We don't even know how much damage yet. It's all just CRAZY."

"Your family is okay then, Aiden?" Dad asked over my shoulder.

"Yeah. We're fine. Not sure about the house."

"Is your dad near you?" Dad continued.

"Uh, yeah. Dad!"

We could hear mumbling as Aiden's father walked to him.

"It's Corey's dad."

"Mr. Dressel, it's Cooper Snow. Are you all right?"

"We are. I'm checking out the house. I'm not sure I'll fully know until daylight. The garage took the worst of it. I – I just can't say at this point."

"Thank heavens you all are okay. I know it's all insane at the moment, but if there's anything we can do, please call. Aiden has our numbers."

Aiden's dad seemed like he appreciated Dad's comments.

"Thank you. There is a hotel nearby that we are going to try to just stay in for the night."

"Hey, Aiden. Call me tomorrow, okay?" I asked my friend. I was glad he was safe.

The three of us continued to watch the coverage. It was soon announced that school was cancelled tomorrow. They spoke of an "abundance of caution with the uncertainty at this point." That made sense. This all seemed like a crazy dream. It was obvious I wasn't going back to Mom's tonight.

Dad's cell rang. "Hey, Jakob. Yeah. We're okay. Who would have thought when I called to wish you Happy Birthday five hours ago that a tornado would rip through town? But we're okay."

He stepped away and talked about the situation. He probably didn't want to spook me talking about Aiden's situation. I was okay. It was probably too unbelievable for my brain to comprehend. I had no idea how to picture my house being hit by a tornado.

I leaned into Laramie, and he put his arm around me. What if this was a dream?

I heard Dad fiddling about in the kitchen. Two minutes later Laramie and I were being handed a bowl of ice cream. He came back seconds later with a bowl of his own.

"We deserve this," Dad said.

Part of me thought he did it for my benefit. Ice cream is good at comforting a kid. I wasn't a little kid though; I was fairly grown up. Still, the ice cream was a good idea. Dad's gaze at the TV also made me wonder if he did it for himself. There are times that I don't think about him being an actual person as well. We were all scared.

 

The Next Day

Laramie

The streets were tricky but cleared away enough. There were no big obstacles in the road, just branches and sticks. I saw boxes everywhere. I could only fathom where they had come from. Probably from behind stores. They could have been blown for blocks.

Jenkins Mantle didn't appear to have any damage from the front. I unlocked the door and investigated the facility. My heart was beating faster than I would have expected.

We were spared. Some minor things out back had blown into a retaining wall. That wasn't of any consequence.

My team arrived early. We all discussed our own experiences. We needed that. We needed that human connection. I felt it gave us all a sense of relief to share. I conveyed to them that I was truly grateful that they were safe and okay.

"I'm not sure what today will be like, but if there were a lot of houses damaged, we could become very busy very fast."

"Don't you think people will have to wait for insurance claims to be settled?" Amos asked.

"Possibly. But others will want to deal with it right away. We have a select clientele that's a bit above the Home Depot crowd. They may not want to wait. I'm just ordering a ton of supplies. I think we're going to need it."

Being at work helped create a normalcy that I needed.

It appeared that Jackson Bend was in a state of shock. Business was alarmingly slow, but people were still accessing. The floodgates were going to open soon. I told everyone to close up at 4 so that they could also take care of anything around their own homes.

Cooper had gone to work following lunch. We were fine with Corey being alone for a few hours.

"Hey. What'd you do today?" I asked as I went through the front door.

"Not much. I got tired of watching live coverage, so I just played some music. I tried to write a song, but it didn't work out."

"Was it about the tornado?" I asked.

"Yeah. It just came off sounding stupid."

"Great songs come from strong feelings. Maybe you'll attack it from another angle another day."

"Maybe. Was everyone at your store okay?"

"Yeah. It was slow, but the whole town is just in the thick of dealing with all this. I expect us to get busy pretty fast."

"A lot of repairs?"

"Yeah."

"I guess we're lucky," Corey said, staring out the window.

"We're safe. We have each other. Yeah."

"And our house is okay."

Cooper called. "Hi, Coop."

"Hey. Is Corey near you?"

"Right next to me."

"Put me on speaker." I did. "Hey bud, Aiden's dad called me."

"Yeah?" Corey replied.

"Their house has some damage, but the severe stuff was in the garage. He was lucky. He got someone to come in quickly. I'm sure it's going to backlog. Anyway, he doesn't want Aiden to get all weirded out with repairmen in the house and things all moved about. He thought staying with a friend might help make the situation less scary. He asked if Aiden can stay with us this week. Are you okay with that?"

"Sure. I guess."

"Okay. I'll let him know."

 

Corey

I grabbed a Dr Pepper from the fridge and walked upstairs to my room. I had wasted an hour looking at YouTube in the afternoon. I didn't feel like any more of that. I didn't feel like working on music either.

Guys really didn't care what another guy's room looked like, but I gave a look to my room to make sure it wasn't too embarrassing. I picked up a few things and threw a couple of items in the closet. All my school stuff was put on my desk. The room was fine.

Did I want to make my bed? That might look nice. Or would he want the guest room. On the two nights I had slept over at his place, we shared his bedroom. I examined the sheets. When was the last time I changed them? I usually did once a month since I was only here every other weekend. I don't think there were any cum spots. I was pretty good about shooting into something — a sock or a tissue. Hmm. I decided it was probably better to change the sheets anyway.

Laramie walked in. Without saying anything, he grabbed one side of the sheet and helped me make the bed. Within a couple of minutes, we had it looking particularly presentable. And then he spread his body on one side of it. I joined him.

"Do you know what the plan is for dinner?" he asked. "Should I be preparing something or getting something?"

"No. Dad said, `Your mom wants to see you, so we're all going out for dinner.' She's so lame."

"Your mother loves you. Cut her some slack."

"She's lame."

"A tornado just roared through town. That's unsettling. She was separated from you."

"Whatever. I guess. I'm just glad I get to stay here this week with Aiden instead of over there."

We were silent a minute. I didn't know what Laramie was thinking about, but thoughts of the tornado sirens went through my head again. It really was quite scary. Mom hadn't seen me since.

I moved sideways to put my head on Laramie's stomach and hung my legs off the side. I had done it before. I wasn't sure why I liked doing that, but it was kind of fun between the two of us.

"Were you scared last night?" I asked.

He didn't answer right away. I was ready to turn my head toward him when he finally spoke.

"I would say I was more worried than I was scared. I was confident we were safe. But I knew what could have happened. Just look at Aiden's house."

"Yeah."

"I grew up in Kansas. Tornadoes weren't unusual there. It is one of the most tornado-prone states."

"Were you ever in a tornado?"

"I saw a funnel cloud drop from the sky once. We had several close calls growing up. When I was wrapping up college, Joplin, Missouri, was devastated. That was just two hours away. Our family had friends there. I think my grandmother had a cousin who lived there."

"Wow."

"Have you known anyone killed by a tornado?"

"Oh no. They are something to be feared; you know, you respect them. But you can prepare for them."

"Dad said a prayer to God last night to protect us. Do you think that helped?"

 

Laramie

Damn. I wasn't good at these kinds of questions.

"I don't know, kiddo. That's kind of one of those things that you have to believe inside you. Faith isn't the same thing as proof. I'm not really good with that kind of stuff. I'm not like a father who has all the answers."

It hit me at that moment that every father in the world didn't have all the answers. Fatherhood was something you had to figure out on your own and make it up as you went along. I thought my own father was horrible at it, but then I realized Grandpa didn't set much of an example for him either. Dad was just making it up as we all worked on the farm. Maybe he did the best he could. Fuck that. He could have at least been more supportive.

"Laramie, do you ever pray?"

Shit! Corey was hitting me with all sorts of hard questions. I wasn't his father; I didn't know how to answer certain things. I wasn't sure what to say, but I had repeatedly heard Cooper tell his son that he would always be honest with him. I thought that was a good philosophy. But what would Cooper want me to say. What would Natalie want?

"To be honest, Corey, not too much. I never pray to ask for things. I've never thought of God as Santa. But the truth is I thanked God for sending your father to me. I should do that more often. He's the most wonderful man in the world."

"Hardly. You could do better."

I laughed hard. The vibration of my belly caused Corey to laugh too.

"Do you pray?" I asked him.

"Sometimes. I did last night."

I ran my fingers through his hair. He was quiet for a moment. I thought my slight gesture of affection was received well enough.

"Like you, I don't ask for things," he continued. "I kind of pray for people. I want wars to stop. I want sick people to get better. I prayed for God to look after Grace when she moved."

"You're a kind person," I said, my fingers still combing through his hair. "Do you ever pray about your mother or father?"

"Not too much. Not anymore. Those prayers were answered."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. They're both happy."

"You prayed for their happiness?"

Corey was quiet again. I wondered if I was getting too personal. Our perpendicular physical position didn't require him to look at me. I felt that was helpful.

"It's funny how I don't have a lot of memories of when Mom and Dad were happy together. I just knew they `were.' And then they weren't. I knew Dad was changing. I didn't understand what alcohol did at the time. I just wanted him back. I prayed for the two of them to be okay. They just seemed ... different. I was such a dopey kid then. I didn't understand the ... whole gay thing. Dad was really struggling. He was torn up. He was unhappy when he was drunk. I just wanted ... I just wanted my old dad back. And then ... they split up."

My fingers combed his hair. I just listened to him open up to me.

"I prayed for God to make them better." Corey sputtered. "So stupid. I was just a dweeby kid. Like God was going to listen to me."

"I think He may have found you to be the most important person to listen to that day," I said. "Kids are the most honest."

"Do you believe in God, Laramie?"

Man, he was killing me.

 

Corey

I wondered if my question offended Laramie. He didn't seem to want to answer. He took his fingers from my hair. I kind of liked it when he was doing that.

"I'd like to," he finally said. "My mother took me to church growing up. I know some people have managed to do it, but it is hard to be a spiritual person when you're gay."

"I know," I barely said. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not much of a fatherly kind of guy who knows what to say to kids. So don't take what I say being worth a damn — and don't tell your father I said that."

I smiled. Laramie always felt in trouble when he cussed.

"I look at Cooper and your family and ... you. I see God's hand in all of that. I look at the world ... nature ... and I see so much design. I mean, I make cabinets and furniture and stuff and that's MAN-made, but ... the world, the universe ... it's pretty amazing. I just can't picture things being so organized and designed just by accident. I'm sorry. That was probably a lousy answer."

"It wasn't. It was fine."

"Well. I'm not your dad. He knows what to say."

"I like talking to you," I said.

I questioned why it was easier to talk to Laramie than my parents. Daryl didn't sit down with me one-on-one as much as Laramie did, but I liked talking with him too. When Mom wasn't around, he was fun. I didn't feel young when I was with Laramie. I would always be Dad's kid, but I felt more adult around Laramie.

"What should we do with Aiden tonight?" he asked me. "Should we do something with all of us, or would you two prefer we butt out?"

"I dunno. TV is probably fine. We could stream something."

"Sounds good. We probably have enough snacks around here if we needed something."

"Yeah." I wanted to ask Laramie something, but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate. We seemed comfortable enough in my bedroom. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure."

"When you had your own house, I would see beer in your fridge when I grabbed a soda. But you don't here. Do you not drink beer anymore?"

"On occasion. You know that your father is the most important thing in the world to me. He won't ever drink again, so I make sure I don't drink around him. It's just ... a beverage. The commercials make it look like drinking alcohol is one big party. It's not. It's just something to drink. And what it does to you ... your body, your mind ... it's easy to regret the effects it has on you. I'm okay not having as much ... or much at all. Being with your father is a hundred times better ... a thousand times better than some old drink. You do that to him too. You keep him grounded."

"Think he will start back up when I go off to college?"

"No! The program is a lifelong commitment."

I remembered Dad pushing me to the ground in a moment of drunk anger. He said he could never forget it. I won't forget the look on his face. He was so sorry and so lost and so helpless. I wasn't hurt. I may have been confused, but I was just scared that my old dad wouldn't come back.

"I'm glad God answered my prayer with you."

"Huh?" Laramie said.

"I prayed that my parents would be happy again. He sent you to my dad."

We heard Dad open the front door. I crawled on the bed to give Laramie a hug. I thought he needed it.

 

Laramie

Curse this wonderfully loving child!! My eyes were watering, and I didn't want Corey to see it. What a beautiful thing to say.

We straightened the sheets and blanket again.

"I'm not your father, but you can always talk to me about anything, okay? I will always be here for you, Corey."

"I know. Thanks, Dad." He giggled at his flub. "I mean Laramie."

He headed downstairs as I dealt with that one-two punch to my machismo. That Freudian slip was random to him, but it smacked me upside the head. I sat back down and grabbed a tissue. I blotted my eyes as I caught my breath.

Dad.

I wasn't a dad. I was a horrible candidate for that position. My lower lip trembled thinking of him calling me that.

I loved that kid. Like a son.

 

—

 

We picked Aiden up at his home. There were huge piles of debris and damaged material. His house fared better than those just two or three houses down. I could see a few were all but destroyed. It always fascinated me how a tornado can just strike something with such devastation and something else mere feet away remains intact.

Aiden hugged all three of us, or more accurately, all three of us hugged Aiden.

Aiden's father spoke of what repairs needed to be done. He was incredibly grateful that he was first in line with contractors. I felt his repairs weren't going to be excessive. The garage was major, but the rest of the house was more cosmetic. A lot of shingles, one broken window and some damage caused by the wind through the window.

Mr. Dressel was extremely appreciative of us taking Aiden for the week. Part of me found it strange that at a time like this, he didn't want to keep his family close, but I also saw his point of view of removing his son from a traumatic situation. How do parents know what to do? I would want Corey close to us. But I wasn't his father. I'd be horrible at such decisions. I wasn't father material.

Aiden put a suitcase with a week's worth of clothes in the trunk.

We met Natalie and Daryl at a diner near Aiden's house. He said he had eaten there numerous times. I was glad something familiar was available.

Natalie hugged Corey with a strong squeeze. "I'm so glad you are okay."

"Mom, you're embarrassing me."

"Well, you'll just have to forgive me. A tornado hits our town, and my son isn't with me. Permit me to show a little affection to see you all right."

"Whatever," Corey snarled, ducking away. "You're so embarrassing. Stop."

He rolled his eyes at Aiden.

Natalie gave Cooper a look of slight exasperation. She was relieved to see her son, but I could tell there were feelings of being pushed away. It seemed somewhat uncharacteristic of the teenager I had come to love, but very typical of any other teenager on the planet.

Over dinner, all of us exchanged our stories of the storm the night before. We paid close attention to Aiden's experience. I remembered how frightening it was for us. I couldn't imagine how scary hearing shattered glass and a garage roof ripped off would be.

We all smiled hearing Aiden laugh a few times. That was a good sign. Being with others was a good thing, it turned out.

Everyone agreed that the diner was a good choice. They had quite a variety. I grabbed a burger, as did Corey. Cooper went for fried catfish, Daryl the meatloaf, Natalie a Cobb salad and Aiden chose a club sandwich.

As we gathered at the cars, Natalie told Corey, "I'll miss you this week. Be good for your father."

"Good grief, Mom! I will! I'm not a little kid." His comment made his mother sigh once more.

The two boys went over to Cooper's SUV.

"Thanks for being flexible," Cooper said.

"These are crazy times," she said. "Aiden would have been welcome at our home, of course, but his father contacted you, and I know you know Aiden a little better than us, so ... it's fine. Plus, I can't seem to do anything right around him these days."

"It will pass," I interjected. "Deep down, he loves you very much. He just has to let his teenage angst flare up every now and then."

"How old will we be when it passes?" Cooper asked.

We all laughed. After hugs among the adults, we headed back home.

There is school tomorrow, so you guys choose something we can watch but still get to bed in good time," Cooper said.

For some reason, they chose the original Star Wars flick. I didn't mind seeing it again. Before Luke blew up the Death Star, we all had enjoyed a bowl of ice cream. Aiden looked comfortable. The situation with his home didn't seem to weigh heavily on him.

I took care of the dishes while Cooper shooed the boys upstairs.

 

Corey

"You can share Corey's room, or you can have the guest room. Whichever you prefer, Aiden," Dad said.

"Thanks, Mr. Snow. I'll bunk with Corey."

"Okay, but just don't stay up all night. School in the morning."

"We know, Dad. Jeez, you're as bad as Mom."

"Ohhh, I'm soooo sorry, sir," Dad said, embarrassing me more with his sarcasm.

He walked downstairs.

Aiden zipped open the suitcase to get his overnight kit. He grabbed a toothbrush.

"You have toothpaste in the bathroom, right?"

"Yeah. Help yourself."

He went first. I heard him brush, pee, flush, wash his hands and come back. He had left the door slightly ajar. When I came back, he was in bed. I stripped to my underwear and put on a T-shirt. I noticed he slept without a shirt, just like when I stayed at his place.

He had taken the side of the bed closest to the lamp. I hit the overhead light and crawled into the sheets. We both were on our backs staring at the ceiling.

"Your parents are so nice," he said.

"Lame you mean."

"Be nice. Your dad's awesome. His husband is really nice too."

"They're not married. They're just partners.

Just partners.

Just partners.

Just partners.

I had never really thought about the two of them getting married. I knew they loved each other. I never heard them talk about it. Was partner a level below husband? It was legal, so would they get married one day?

"I like him," Aiden said.

"Laramie is great. I enjoy being around him."

"Everyone else calls him Larry, but you two call him Laramie. Why?"

"It's his real name. He hates it. But for some reason he lets us call him that."

"I like it."

"I do too! I don't know why he hates it."

"Did you hear from anyone else at school?" Aiden asked.

"You mean about the tornado?"

"I only called a few people. Fuzzy called to check on me. You?"

"I think the word of our neighborhood being hit caused a lot of kids in choir to call. Well, not a lot. Five or six, I guess. It's not like I have a shitload of friends."

I hoped Dad couldn't hear us. Aiden would let cuss words fly every now and then. I didn't like it when he did.

"Don't cuss too loud. Dad won't like it."

"Got it."

I turned on my side and faced him. He did the same.

"I texted Grace about the tornado."

"Yeah?"

"She said, `OMG. That's crazy. Glad you're safe.' She didn't say she missed me or anything."

"Do you still miss her?"

"Yeah. But after today, I doubt if I'll ever hear from her again."

"You'll find a new girlfriend. You're good looking."

"Thanks."

"Hell, I haven't even kissed anybody." Aiden went silent. "That's not true. Katie kissed me in fifth grade after I gave her a valentine she liked. But ... I guess I'm the kind of guy nobody wants nowadays."

"Why would you say that? You're nice. You have a beautiful voice. You're smart."

"I'm not cute."

"Yeah, you are. Don't beat yourself up. You're only a freshman."

Aiden rolled back and stared at the ceiling. "I'm skinny," he muttered.

I wasn't sure what to say. Aiden was just like everyone else at school. He wasn't super handsome or super ugly. He was ... a guy. I never heard anyone say anything about his looks. A few guys had called him gay though.

We both stared at the ceiling.

"I guess there wasn't any damage at school," he said.

"I guess."

"Wouldn't it have been cool if the school blew up and we didn't have to finish the school year?!"

I laughed. "They'd probably make us finish via Zoom."

"Yeah."

"I guess we should call it a night." Aiden reached for the light. "Good night, Corey."

"Good night, Aiden."

"Thanks for letting me stay here."

"You're welcome. I'm glad your house wasn't damaged any worse."

"Yeah."

I turned away from Aiden. I started to wonder where I would be if our house had been hit. Obviously, I'd be over at Mom's. Where would Dad and Laramie go? Would they have to buy a new house? This was all so unreal.

I reached down and stuck my hand in my underwear to scratch my balls. Then I realized I wouldn't be able to jack off all week with Aiden here. Maybe I could when he showered.

This was all so unreal.

 

Saturday morning

"Thanks for letting me stay," Aiden said to Dad.

"We were happy to have you here," Dad told him.

Mr. Dressel picked up Aiden's suitcase. He walked it to the car. When he came back to shake Dad's hand, it was time to say goodbye.

"Take care of yourself, Aiden," Laramie said, giving him a hug. "We enjoyed having you stay with us."

Aiden gave Dad a firm hug following Laramie's.

"See ya," I said.

"See you next week."

We didn't hug. It seemed different than when he arrived with the tornado being so fresh.

After we waved from the porch as they pulled out, the three of us went back inside.

"We'll head over to your mother's house in about fifteen minutes," Dad said.

"Okay."

"You were a good friend to Aiden. It was nice that you were here for him when he needed it."

"I guess."

"I'm proud of you," Dad said.

He wouldn't be if he knew what happened the night before.

 

* * * *

 

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