Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 06:38:59 -0400 From: fsw99 Subject: Chapter 10 of One Big Happy Family Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over, **If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, **Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me in Young Friends ("Matt and Mike" 3/24/00 and "New Neighbor" 12/17/99), Incest ("My New Life" 12/18/99) and Adult Youth ("Sam Finds a New Father" 12/16/99 and "Billy and Jim" 12/13/99). E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: fsw99@mindspring.com. Chapter Ten Phill jerked back up quickly and looked up to see Keith's Mom with a startled expression on her face and Keith's two cousins with broad smiles on there's. Phill's color changed to deathly white followed by a deep crimson in seconds. "Erm, erm, I didn't know you were here. Erm, I was just keeping Keith company while his Dad went to the police station to see how the investigation is going. Erm, I think I will go get breakfast now that you are here. I didn't have time to eat before I came. I will be back in a few minutes," Phill stammered as he quickly backed his way out of the room. "Phill, wait. Give me a second, and I will go with you," Alex said. "I am hungry, also. How does orange juice and a sausage biscuit sound to everyone." "I don't really care for anything," Keith's Mom said. She was already a very petite woman, but watched her weight at all times. It wouldn't do to not look her absolute best with all the parties and receptions that she and her husband had to attend. "Sounds great to me," Mark said. "OK, Phill and I will be back in a few minutes," Alex replied, chasing after Phill, who hadn't stopped walking. He quickly ran down the hall to catch up to Phill, and said "Phill, stop a minute. Let's go outside for a couple of minutes, all right? I want to explain something to you." Phill wouldn't look Alex in the eye, but just nodded his head and followed him out the entrance. They walked over to a bench under a tree and sat down. "Phill, don't be embarrassed about what just happened. Mark and I are gay, and I guess you already know that Keith is. Both his parents have known all three of us are gay for several years. Mark came out first to them almost four years ago, then me, and finally Keith. Mark and I spend so much time at their house, we just couldn't lie to them or stand to deceive them in any way. They don't care if any of us are gay, and if you are gay also, they wouldn't care about that either. You did kind of surprise us when we walked in, but it is no big deal, I can assure you. Joyce had just never seen anyone kiss Keith in front of her before, at least not on the mouth, so she was a little shocked, but by the time we get back, she won't even mention it." Phill had finally gotten over his embarrassment enough to look at Alex as he finished talking. "All three of you are gay?" he asked quietly. "Yes. All three of us. And, we don't care who knows it. Also, you don't have to worry about us telling anyone what we saw. We keep anything like this in the family. Come on, let's go see if we can find the cafeteria." ************************** "Wow, we are sure sorry to hear about Mrs. North," Matt said through ICQ. "Do you have any idea who will buy her house?" "I was hoping you two could buy it. You could go to college here, you know. Maybe the two of you and Rick and Zack could put all of your money together and buy it," Robbie said. "If we put all of our money together, we might could buy the chairs on her front porch, but the house is a little bit out of the question. All of us only work part time, you know." "I know, I was just hoping, is all. I would really like to see more of you, but I know how far it is." "Have you thought any more about coming out of the closet and telling all of your friends you are gay? All of us have here, even Sam and Jerry, and we are all really glad we did. There are gay support groups at our college and at their high school, and everyone has been really supportive when we told them." "I couldn't take that chance. People might start to look at Stan and I for signs we are lovers, and he could get into really big trouble." "But, if you came out, you might find someone your own age that you loved. Once others know you are gay, it makes it easier for someone to come up to you and get to know you," Matt said. Matt and Mike had decided that they really didn't like the idea of Robbie being with Stan, or any boy being with a man. "Look, I already love Stan. You know that. I don't think I will ever find anyone my own age that I will love more than him." "Oh, I think you will. Just give it time. I think you will be surprised." Matt and Mike were right. Robbie would find someone his own age to love. What they didn't know was how soon that was going to be. **************************** "What do you mean, you don't have anyone assigned to my son's case yet? He might have been beaten to death if the five boys hadn't stumbled up on the three muggers. We even gave you the tag number of their car, for God's sake," Keith Senior yelled at the policeman. "We traced down the tag number, but it belongs to an old gentleman who reported it stolen several weeks ago. That proved to be a dead end, and there are so many cases of one lad getting into a fight with another after a few pints, we just don't have the manpower to investigate each one." "This wasn't a simple case of my son getting into a drunken brawl with one person. There were three of them, and they were all much bigger than Keith. We are all sure this is a case of gay bashing, and it has to be stopped before someone else gets killed." "Oh, so your son is gay, is he?" "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" "We get a lot of reports about gays getting beaten up all of the time, also. I doubt we will ever hear from those three again, unless they get careless and get caught. If we catch any suspects, we can call you and see if your son can identify them." "That is not acceptable. I demand to see the person in command of this station. If I don't get a satisfactory answer that you are trying to find my son's muggers, I will go to every paper in London and tell them how the police aren't trying to solve gay bashing crimes. If I have to buy a paper here to get coverage of this story, I will. I want results, and I am not going to wait months to get it. Now, if you will, take me to the commanding officer," Keith Senior said softly. Unlike most people, when he lost his temper, his voice got softer, not louder, but when it did, he was reaching his boiling point. **************************** "Oh, there you are. I wish they would let me have a sausage biscuit like you are having. All they are giving me is liquids and jello, and I am starving," Keith said when Phill and Alex returned with their food. "I am sure you can have solid food in no time, and then we can bring you anything you want for your meals," Joyce said. "Phill, can you come over and sit next to me while you eat? I have told Mom and Mark that I love you, and they understand I want you near me," Keith said. Phill broke out into a coughing fit, and Mark had to pound him on his back to make him stop. When he finally stopped, his face was a deep shade of red once more. "Keith, try to use a tad more tact when you are talking to Phill, why don't you?" Mark giggled, as he let Phill walk by him to get to the chair next to Keith's side. "Phill, don't let Keith embarrass you. He has always said exactly what is on his mind at all times, and sometimes, he does it without thinking," Joyce said quietly. Phill sat down, and Keith reached for his hand once more. "Do you think you can eat with one hand? This one is mine from now on," Keith kidded. Phill turned red once more, but did not take his hand away. The other three just giggled a little bit, and then the three young men tore into their food. The conversation turned to other subjects, which made Phill lots more comfortable. **************************** "Look, I will gladly pay for a team of private investigators to help with the case if you can't put enough manpower on it," Keith Senior said calmly. "That will not be necessary. We have sketches of the three mugger's faces from the five boys, and a description of their car. I will pass out the information we have at our staff meeting tomorrow morning. We will find them, don't worry about that," the Commander said confidently. "I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. I just didn't feel I was getting anywhere with your man outside," Keith Senior said as he got to his feet. "Don't worry about that. It has been a pleasure meeting with you. I can understand your concern. I have two sons of my own. I will also have a chat with the man you spoke to first, and make sure this doesn't repeat itself in the future." "Thanks again for your time. Is it all right if I call you from time to time to see how the investigation is going?" "That is fine with me. I will try to tell you as much as I can. Some things might need to stay within the force, but I will keep you up to date if I can." The two men shook hands, and Keith walked out to his limo for the short trip back to the hospital. *************************** Phill, Alex, and Mark had gone back to the cafeteria to eat lunch and bring food back to Keith's parents. When they arrived back into Keith's hospital room, Keith Senior was back from the police station. "Boys, come in and sit down. We have been discussing you leaving tomorrow for home, and we have a business proposition for you, Phill. Keith's Mom wants to hire a nurse to sit with him when are not able to be here. Keith should be in the hospital only for a day or so more, but he will need help when he first returns to his Grandmother's house. We would like to offer the job to you. I am sure we could agree on proper compensation," Keith Senior said. "Sir, I would love to stay and help Keith recover, but I must return home tomorrow morning. I am here on holiday, but my friends and I will not have a place to stay after tonight." "We have already thought of that. We have plenty of extra bedrooms at Joyce's Mom's, and you would be our guest for as long as you would like." "That is an extremely nice offer, but my family will be moving soon, and I am expected back to help pack next week." "If you agree to let me talk to your parents, I think we can work out any details satisfactorily. It is your decision, but we all wish you could stay and help Keith recover from all of this. His body will heal, but he will need lots of help for him to forget about what has happened to him. He seems happiest when you are around, and we are trying to make him as comfortable here as he can be. What do you say?" "I would love to stay, but I doubt my parents will allow me to. If you would like to ring them, I have no problem with that. Here is the number," Phill said, writing his home number on a small piece of paper. Keith Senior was a business man, and was used to getting what he wanted. In a matter of a few minutes, everything had been agreed to, and he was handing his mobile phone to Phill so he could confirm plans with his parents. Phill was amazed that they had agreed so quickly. Keith's offer of hiring a moving company to do all of their packing didn't hurt in swaying their decision, either. "I only brought enough clothes for three days. If I am going to stay longer, I will have to wash what I have already worn," Phill said. "Don't worry about that. I will send Alex and Mark shopping with you. We will be glad to buy you some new clothes for your extended stay. It is the least we can do after what you did for Keith," Joyce said. "Oh, I couldn't let you do that. Clothes in London cost a bloody fortune." "Phill, my boy, you have no idea what I spend on one of my wife's dresses. Don't worry about it, I can afford to buy you a few new things,", Keith Senior said, laughing. "Alex, here is my charge card. Come out in the hall and let me explain what I have in mind for Phill's new clothes." Phill's head was spinning. It was like he had no control over his future, and all the decisions were being made for him. Everyone was extremely nice to him, though, and he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so he gave in and didn't resist. What could a few shirts and pants cost, anyway? Keith's parents looked like they could afford it. *************************** The for sale sign had only been up for about a week, when several people came in with what looked like a movie camera. Robbie had been outside cutting the grass when they came into the house, and he couldn't help but notice what the man was carrying. They spent almost thirty minutes inside, and then came out and filmed all around the outside of the house. When they finally left, he went inside and told Stan what he had seen. In only a few more days, the sign was replaced with one that stated that the house had sold. Robbie had noticed the signs being exchanged from out the window in the office, and hurriedly walked over to where the agent was about to get into his car. "Excuse me, sir. I don't mean to be too nosy, but can you tell me who bought the house?" "Sure, son. Do you live next door?" "Yes, sir," Robbie answered. OK, so he really didn't live here, but he spent more nights here than at home, and it really felt more like home than his real house. "An English family bought it. We made a movie of the house and sent it to them, and they bought it without ever flying over here to see it. It is the first sale I ever made without meeting the customer. They will move in sometime in the next couple of weeks." "Wow. I have never heard of anything like that. Do they have any kids my age.?" "I think they have three boys, but I am not sure about the ages. Two are twins, I think. I have to go now. Have a good day." "You, too," Robbie said, as he watched him drive off. "Huh. A family from England. I hope the boys will be around my age. I could use some more friends around here," he thought to himself. Life is funny sometimes. Sometimes you get exactly what you ask for. And sometimes, more than what you would expect. **************************** The limo driver dropped them off on Brompton in front of Harrod's Department store, and Alex gave him instructions to pick them up in the same place in three hours. "Come on, guys, everyone knows that everything in Harrod's costs too much money. I know some shops where the clothes cost lots less money," Phill said. "Will you quit talking about money all of the time? Just let us worry about it, all right? Let's start at the store across the street, and we can work our way back over here. We need to get you fitted for a couple of new suits," Alex answered. "Suits? Where will I be going where I need to wear a suit?" "We are required to dress in a suit for dinner every night. You'll get used to it. No come on, we need to do this first so they can have it altered before we are to be picked up." Phill was herded into the store between the other two boys, where a salesperson immediately was at their command. Alex explained what they wished to buy, and he quickly took the necessary measurements and had Phill trying on suits in a matter of minutes. Phill couldn't help but notice the price of the first suit he tried on, and it cost about as much as all his clothes here and home combined. It shocked him so much that he opened the door wearing nothing but a t-shirt and his boxers. "Alex, come here a minute," he called out. Alex walked over and stepped into the large changing room, amused at the outfit Phill had on. "I think the suit will look better when you have it on, Phill," he kidded. Phill realized how he was dressed and blushed slightly, but regained his composure and said, "Do you see how much this suit costs? I can't let you pay this much. Keith's Dad will be furious when he gets the bill." "Phill, calm down, will you? We have almost all of our clothes custom made, but we don't have enough time for that with you. It takes the tailor much too long, and we need the suit today. This is not as much as ours suits normally cost, but it is close. Don't get so hung up on money, and let us pamper you a little bit while you are living with us, OK? Keith loves you and wants you to have the best we can get. Keith's Dad said to buy anything we want to. If I hear one more comment about money, Mark and I will take you around back and give you a little taste of what the muggers gave Keith," Alex kidded. That made Phill smile a little bit and lose his fixation on the cost of the clothes. "OK, as long as Keith's Dad has approved what you are spending, I guess I shouldn't complain, now should I?" he asked. "No, you shouldn't. Now, finish trying on the suit. I am glad you finally listened to reason. Mark and I would have made quite a scene dragging you outside in your boxers to beat a little sense into you," Alex kidded. "Yes, I could see where the store sales personnel might have lifted an eye over that scene," Phill said, giggling. The next couple of hours went by in a flash. Phill was dragged from one exclusive shop to another. They even bought him an overcoat, and it was summer. Well, it was summer in England, anyway, so maybe you still needed an overcoat. The wind blowing off of the Thames River can be cold at any time of the year, and deadly in winter. They even bought Phill some silk mini-briefs like Keith preferred, calling them a present for Keith. If all the new clothes hadn't had Phill's head swimming, the new underwear would have. Things were escalating at a terrific pace, and Phill had no idea where it all was leading. In any case, things were going much too fast for him. He just wanted to step back a little and see how his relationship with Keith would go, not just have them thrown together like they had known each other for years. Phill was wearing one of his new casual outfits with designer sun glasses, and they all three were carrying several bags of clothes. The last stop was a jewelers, as everyone in the Ericson family were very big on jewelry, especially Keith's Mom. The gold chain and two rings that the muggers had taken from Keith were worth tens of thousands of dollars. Phill again started to protest, but Alex and Mark gave him a stern look, and bought him a thick gold chain and ruby ring, and made him wear them out of the store. Finally, it was time to be picked up by the limo, and all three young men were glad to unload the bags of clothes they were carrying. They carried one suit, and two others would be delivered on Monday. When they finally arrived back at the hospital, Keith and his parents couldn't help themselves, they were stunned at the change in Phill's appearance. All three just kind of stared at him. Phill saw their expressions, and said "What?" "Nothing, Phill, you just look sooo different. It is a good different, though. Come over here and sit by me and let me look at you. If I didn't already love you, I think I would fall in love with you all over again," Keith said seriously. Phill just wasn't used to all of this kind of talk out loud, especially in front of Keith's parents, and he blushed once again, but went over and sat next to Keith's bed. Keith immediately reached for his hand again, and Phill didn't try to stop him. He was rapidly starting to really like Keith. Like? Maybe, it was becoming love. For Phill, love didn't happen overnight, so it was too early to tell how he would feel later on, but love was a distinct possibility. Comments can be sent to fsw99@mindspring.com