This Story is intended for a mature audience only. Redistribution without permission is forbidden. This is a work of fiction for artistic enjoyment, feedback welcome at vlad885 @ hotmail.com

My other stories:

The Martian -- Science fiction. Industrialized prostitution set in the future.

 

The secret keeper -- Adult / Youth. A man must face the consequences of his love.

 

Stray puppy -- Adult / Youth. A group home kid searches for love.

 

Puppy's life -- Adult / Youth. Sequel to Stray puppy.

I'm writing this a chapter at a time, based on feedback. So feel free to encourage me to continue or perhaps suggest where I might go with future chapters.


Marks two dads

The morning sun flooded their bedroom accentuated by the lemon yellow walls. Ted rolled over to find his partner still in bed with him. It was Sunday morning a day neither rose early. Dustin was as beautiful as the day Ted met him perhaps even more so, as he filled out to be quite a hunk. Even at 23 he still had the smooth soft skin that Ted had first explored when he was 17. Dustin's moppy blond hair was now worn shorter, immaculately styled to be messy. When Ted's lesbian friends first introduced the boy to him he was a skinny pale shy boy that needed a home. Ted thought he won the lottery when he got his vixen home but now he had a sculpted tanned god in bed beside him, 14 years his junior. Ted could tell that Dustin was waking up as well and leaned in to kiss. The over long passionate embrace finally ended when Ted spoke.

"What time do you have to leave for your flight?"

"Taxi will be here at 3" Dustin sighed in a slightly effeminate voice.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with myself for a month and half" Ted lamented.

Dustin having no education had put his best asset to good use and became a fashion model. Ted had put him in touch with the right people and helped him get started with modeling classes and a portfolio. Now Dustin was able to get lucrative contracts and travel extensively. Ted watched him transform from dependant child to independent young man in a few short years.

"I'm sure you can bury yourself in work" Dustin jibed knowing that his work-a-holic stock trading partner wouldn't be rushing home without a cute distraction like himself waiting. He had benefited from Ted's income but now lamented how much it kept them apart.

"Yeah... So you wrote down where you're going to be, hotels and everything?" Ted enquired not so much to check up on his man but just to be able to keep in touch, a challenging prospect when Dustin was on one of his multi location tours.

"I start in Paris and end there. You should fly over and we can spend a few days when I'm done." Dustin suggested, rolling over onto his belly.

"Not sure I'll be able to get time off but we'll see" Ted advised.

Dustin rolled his eyes in acknowledgement and then flashed his bright blues in his bedroom gaze.

"We've got time for... you know, before I go" Dustin suggested.

Ted made it a point to provide Dustin with sex on request. Not only because he also enjoyed it but knowing that the younger man would be less likely to wander if he was getting satisfied at home. Dustin was already stroking him into full 8 inch hardness as he prepared to mount.

Dustin sighed as he was entered, Ted was so good at this. He needed affection and wanted sex when he was 17 but now it had grown into true lovemaking. Dustin was quickly grunting his passion as Ted pounded him. Their startled cat gave them a furtive glance as she ran from under the bed. The cat was really Dustin's, his baby as he lacked the facilities to produce one of his own.

Ted walked Dustin down to the lobby to see him out to the waiting taxi, after a last quick embrace Ted was alone. Returning to their condominium Ted restlessly flipped channels on the TV. Although he owned the apartment himself, he always thought of it as their home together. The time right after Dustin's departure always left Ted wondering what to do with him self and work always seemed the antidote to missing his partner.

It was the middle of the week that he got an expected phone call at work.

"Mr. Taylor, I'm Cathy Jones from Children's services in Calgary" a strange voice announced.

"Yes"

"I'm calling about Mark Edwards," She continued.

"OK" Ted said wondering if she got the wrong person, surely he wasn't the only Ted Taylor in the world.

"Are you aware that Shirley Edwards has died?" She said bluntly.

"No I wasn't, I haven't spoken to her in many years" Ted said referring to an old friend that he shared a house with back when he worked in Calgary. Mark was her 2-year-old son he recalled. They met at a company function when Ted was looking to rent a place to stay. Shirley had an old house that belonged to her mother and she needed a lodger to help with the costs, it was a perfect fit for the two years he was there.

"Oh I'm sorry for your loss. ... She named you guardian of her son in her will" The woman continued.

"What? We weren't related, how did she die?" Ted's mind was swirling.

"Cancer Mr. Taylor. She named you as guardian of Mark, it's taken me a while to track you down so I put him in a group home temporarily"

"I'm not really setup for kids, doesn't he have any relatives?" Ted blurted, wondering how and when Shirley decided he'd be willing to take her brat in.

"The only one I could find was a great aunt but she's already in a nursing home herself. Shirley was an only child. I can arrange some support services from children's services in Toronto," She continued.

"No you see ... I'm gay I live with another man" Ted said quietly as he wasn't out at work, well he didn't advertise it at least.

"That's not a problem Mr. Taylor, as long as your partner doesn't have a serious criminal record we can place Mark with you" Ted was aghast that the `gay card' hadn't worked.

"Look I'm not related to this kid and I'm sure he's not going to be thrilled about moving across the country to live with a coupe of gay guys" Ted said more forcefully.

"Mark remembers you, he said you lived with him and his mom until he was four and a half. He's excited about moving to Toronto in fact." She pressed.

She told the damn kid about me already! Mark thought, how could he remember me, he was barely able to converse and it wasn't like I hung out with the baby.

Taking Ted's silence for reluctance she continued.

"If you can't fulfill your duties in the will you'll have to go before a Judge in Calgary and relinquish your obligations so he can be made a ward of the crown, but if you agree to take him, I can still look for relatives and you could arrange for a private adoption"

This was all getting far too complicated for Ted, he had no desire to jet out to Calgary, likely more than once to prove he wasn't the kid's father, genetically or emotionally.

"How old is he?" Ted quizzed in an irritated tone.

"12, cute guy and smart. There's no behavior issues or health issues" She responded cheerfully.

Is he neutered? Ted wanted to ask, as though he were getting a puppy or something.

"Ok, tell him what the situation is here and if he wants to come I'll take him. If you can't find a relative I'll put him up for adoption here." Ted said without fully understanding that adoptive couples rarely found 12 year olds appealing.

After arranging everything Ted tried calling Dustin but got no answer, hardly surprising. He figured he wouldn't leave a detailed message, the kid might never arrive, or be gone before Dustin got back anyway, no reason to cause a drama queen moment for his princess.

Later that night Ted got a hold of his friend Emmett, he just had to tell someone.

"Oh, this is so exciting you're going to be a daddy" The man said in his fully effeminate manner.

"I'd hardly call having a 12 year old dumped on you exciting. It's been 8 years since I lived with Shirley why the hell would she make me guardian?"

"Well honey maybe she did it when you were shacking up with her and she just never bothered to change it" Emmett suggested.

"We shared a house we weren't shacking up Emm" Ted protested.

"Have you told Dusty yet?" Emmett asked.

"No, I'll wait until I speak to him. I don't know anything about kids Emm, this is insane." Ted lamented.

"Dusty was a kid when you got him honey" Emmett advised.

"Dustin was almost a man when I got him, nearly 18 and fully grown" Ted corrected.

"He was more of a baby than you remember honey" Emmett continued to console his old friend.

"Either way, the kid will be here next weekend." Ted concluded.

A week and a half later Ted found himself driving out to the airport to pick up the kid. A flurry of documents and approvals dominated his week but now it was all over, the kid was coming. Ted had exchanged voice messages with Dustin but hadn't mentioned it, preferring to tell him directly once he had a better idea of what was going on. Dustin wouldn't be home for another month anyway. Ted parked his Lexus SUV and eventually found the arrival gate. The boy came out last with a couple of other unaccompanied minors and an airline rep. The fact that he was the only boy among the three made it easy for Ted to identify him. Just under 5 foot tall the skinny boy had strawberry blond hair cut short and a face full of freckles.

"I'm Ted Taylor," he announced to the airline woman.

"Hi Ted" Mark interrupted.

"Good to see you" Ted replied with a firm manly handshake.

After showing his driver's license the woman released Mark to him and they made for the parking garage with all of the boy's possessions squeezed into two large cases.

"First time in Toronto?" Ted made small talk.

"Yeah" Mark replied choosing to remain silent until they were loaded in the truck.

As Ted pulled out onto the highway the boy spoke.

"I remember when you lived with me and my mom".

"Do you? Or did someone tell you about it" Ted suggested.

"You used to play lego with me" Mark reported. It was true he did amuse the child and himself with building lego structures when he infrequently watched the child for brief periods.

"Sorry about your mother Mark, feel free to talk about it anytime you like" Ted consoled.

"It's ok, she was really sick before she died. I saw a counselor in Calgary" Mark advised matter-of-factly.

He rested his head back and watched the city speed by before speaking again.

"So you're gay," he said without looking over.

"Yep, I love a dude, does that bother you?" Ted replied thinking, kinda late if it does.

"No, does your husband know about me?"

"I prefer to call him my boyfriend or partner, we're not formally married and no he doesn't know but don't worry he's away for a month. I'll let him know what's going on once things settle down. We might even find a relative of yours before then" Ted hoped.

"They tried before She called you" Mark advised meaning the social worker.

Arriving in the apartment Ted lugged the baggage through the doorway, while Mark looked around. Ted's condo was a corner unit on the top floor, with floor to ceiling windows.

"Ok the tour" Ted announced after removing his coat and boots. "Bathroom" he said pointing to a door beside the coat closet. "My office" he continued pointing at a door on the opposite side. Ted ushered the boy down the hallway and out into the living / dining space. On the left side was a large screen TV and sectional sofa. "I'll show you how to use the TV later" He said pointing. There was a dining table on the right, near the corner of the glass walls and a lounge area directly across from the TV. Behind that, was a galley style kitchen with a bar that faced out to the lounge. Mark sat on one of the bar stools and began spinning around as Ted continued pointing to the various appliances in the kitchen.

"Ok upstairs" Ted said swooping his arm so that Mark would know to follow. They ascended an open right angle staircase across from the dining area and in front of the TV zone. "Another bathroom" Ted said gesturing to a room at the top of the stairs. Mark walked in to the open concept bath to find marble sinks, a tub and separate shower stall.

"My bedroom" Ted announced as he walked to a room directly across. As Mark entered the cat stirred from her daytime sleeping.

"Kitty!" Mark bellowed as the animal bolted.

"That was Miss Piggy, My boyfriend's cat" Ted reported to the disheartened boy. Mark followed Ted down the hall.

"The guestroom, your bedroom for now" Ted said pushing the door open. "Across the hall is the laundry and storage". Mark sat on his new bed, bouncing twice and then got up to look out the window at the city below.

"I've never had such a big bed," The boy said turning back to Ted.

"We can change things up to make it your own space" Ted suggested of the rather neutral room. "You can unpack and I'll make us some dinner, I can do pasta in a meat sauce or chicken salad?"

"Chicken fingers and fries?" Mark asked hopefully.

"Ah no"

"Pizza?" Mark suggested crinkling his nose

It had taken Ted years of encouragement to get Dustin to refine his pallet.

"Fine I'll order pizza but don't think it's going to be a regular occurrence" Ted sighed leaving the room.

Ted was in the kitchen preparing a salad for him self when Mark appeared. The boy was wondering the room, examining everything as he went. Looking at the photo art on the wall he called out to Ted.

"Who's this?"

"That's Dustin, my boyfriend ... ah four years ago if I recall correctly," Ted reported. "Dustin is a fashion model, he's in Europe on a job"

"He's not wearing any clothes!" Mark said in an amused accusing tone.

It was true. Dustin's nude from when he was 19 hung proudly in the dining area. Ted didn't think about that, he never entertained children. What else might he have to address Ted wondered. Most of what was exposed was Dustin's back side so it wasn't totally shocking but he supposed for a 12 year old it was practically pornographic.

"Dustin has done nude modeling, not so much these days but back when he started out the pay was good until he was able to get more fashion work" Ted reported as he finished preparing his salad.

"How much does it pay?" Mark asked excitedly.

"Certainly there are 12 year old fashion models, I suppose there'd be some call for nude models too. I guess we could hook you up as a part time model, you're cute enough." Ted said thinking out loud as the door buzzer went, announcing the pizza's arrival.

"I don't know if I wanna take my clothes off" Mark replied as he crinkled his nose.

It amazed Ted that Mark was able to devour half a large pizza. Where did he put it all, he was such a skinny boy, Ted thought.

"You should head up to bed now" Ted announced at 10PM as the two lazed in the sofa by the TV.

"I'm not tired" Mark protested.

"You've had a big day," Ted advised.

"Just another hour" Mark pleaded.

"Way you go" Ted said as he got up turning off the TV.

"You going to bed too?" Mark asked.

"No I'll be in my office for a while if you need anything. Bed!" Ted replied pointing to the stairs.

Mark complied moving slowly up the stairs. Ted went to his office and onto the internet. He read and replied to e-mail. One was from Dustin asking if he had booked time to come to France. Ted replied that something had come up and that they would discuss it when he spoke with him. It was the first time he'd suggested anything that might refer to Mark. Ted wondered just how Dustin would react to the kid, he certainly didn't want to upset his love.

It was Sunday morning when Ted stirred, his hand slid along the smooth soft back of his love. Ted rolled over and up against his man pulling him close in a morning embrace. It was after those first few seconds of grogginess that he realized that the soft skinned creature in his bed was much smaller than his love. Ted rolled away hoping he didn't wake Mark who must have crawled in with him during the night. Great I just felt up a 12-year-old Ted said to him self as his fear was realized. Mark rolled over and cuddled into Ted's side.

"Morning" the boy mumbled with his head on the man's shoulder.


To be continued?