Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 11:18:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Henry Brooks Subject: Strange Bedfellows Short Story Strange Bedfellows Authors note: This is an offshoot of another story I wrote called The Tennis Pro. They met in what was a pure act of fate. The massive airliner lost a motor (the reason was investigated but never resolved.) The plane kept losing altitude as it approached the Rocky Mountains. The passengers could not have suffered, nor could they have known what hit them when the airliner smashed into the mountain and blew up in a massive ball of fire. Most of the victims were burned to a crisp and were never identified. A memorial service was held for the 225 victims in a small town close to the crash site. James McIntyre, widower of one of the victims, sat in the third row. His two sons Thomas, 10, and James, Jr. (Jimmy), 6, sat to his left. Kate Fallon, widow of another victim, sat to the right of James. Her sons Ryan, 10, and Sean, 6, sat on her right. Before the service began, the grieving adults introduced themselves, and offered condolences. They both lived in Los Angeles and both their spouses were returning home from business trips. They had each driven to the memorial with their two sons, and both families were staying at the same hotel, hoping to start for home early the following morning. James, in pure sympathy, asked Kate if she and her two sons would like to join his family for dinner that evening. She hesitated for a moment and then accepted. She felt that the company of someone who shared her grief would be much better than the company of someone offering condolences, but who could not possibly understand what she was going through. The two families were shy with each other at first, but the boys started to talk about school and what they were doing and the atmosphere warmed up quickly. Kate and James became comfortable with each other also, but not until dessert. Ryan told a joke that was making the rounds of fifth graders in his school, and everyone actually managed to laugh. Tom said that the same joke was making the rounds in his fifth grade class also, and James remembered that this particular joke was popular when he was a fifth grader. They all laughed at that as well. "Nothing unimportant changes," he observed, "but the important things in life are as inconstant as the moon." He quoted Shakespeare. Everyone nodded in agreement. Both families returned to Los Angeles without having exchanged telephone numbers. Two weeks later, the baseball season was due to begin and James decided to take his two boys to Dodger stadium for the first home game of the year. He hoped it would help get them out of the depression they were in since losing their mother. On a lark, he looked up Kate Fallon in the phone book (of course she was still listed under Timothy Fallon) and he asked her if he could take her two boys to an upcoming Dodger game. She accepted at once. When James came to her door on a Saturday morning two weeks later, Kate was dressed to the nines. James gasped. He hadn't realized how beautiful she was. The last time he saw her she wore no makeup, and her eyes were red and swollen. He couldn't help himself. "Wow," he uttered. "Hi there," Kate greeted him. She saw his surprise and offered an explanation. "I've got myself a part time job at Nordstrom's. I'll be working from noon to six today. Do you think you could keep the boys until then? I usually get a sitter, but since you were taking them to the ball game today, I didn't bother." Still stunned, James said, "Only if I can take you all out to dinner tonight." Kate smiled graciously and said, "That would be really nice, Mr. McIntyre." "James," he corrected her. After that day, James became a surrogate father to the Fallon boys. He enjoyed that role and really wanted to do it, but at least on a subconscious level, he did it so that he could see Kate. He took the Fallons wherever he took his own boys, sporting events mostly, theme parks, museums etc. The boys all became close friends and they started having sleepovers at each other's houses. Both houses had a guest room, and whichever two boys were the guests slept there. About eight months after the fatal plane crash, James took a quick shot of scotch and asked Kate out on a date. She accepted immediately. The McIntyre boys slept over at the Fallon's that night so that they only had to hire one baby sitter. After bringing Kate home, James went back to his house and he slept alone in the empty house. Two years after the mutual deaths of their spouses, Kate and James were married in a simple civil ceremony. Their parents and their sons were the only guests. When they asked the boys where they would like to go for the wedding dinner, they all voted for Burger King, but the grandparents prevailed and arrangements were made at Wolfgang Puck's. The next day, Kate's mother came to stay with the four boys, and Kate and James went to Hawaii for a week's honeymoon. One year after the wedding, James legally adopted Ryan and Sean, and their names were changed to McIntyre. There was never a hint that the boys were STEP brothers. They were true brothers. They fought like siblings do, but they loved each other dearly. The older boys, of course, considered the younger boys to be a complete nuisance and tortured them unmercifully. Notwithstanding that, all of them would sacrifice anything for each other. Shortly before the wedding Kate and James sold their houses, and bought a large four bedroom home with an oversized den and a large maid's room off the kitchen, which they turned into a computer room. There were actually six computer stations in the cramped room, one for each member of the family. Every bedroom in the house had its own bathroom. There was also a downstairs bathroom next to the maid's room and a powder room off the main hallway entrance. Tom and Ryan, now twelve, shared a large bedroom with twin beds, and Sean and Jimmy, now eight, shared an equally large bedroom. The master bedroom belonged to the parents, and the fourth bedroom served as a guest room, mostly for visits from James' and Kate's parents. For fifteen years the family lived inconspicuously on a quiet, tree lined street. The older boys were now twenty-seven and the younger boys were twenty-three. When Jimmy and Sean graduated from college, got jobs, and an apartment of their own, Kate and James were empty nesters. They sold the house and bought a more practical condominium. By now Ryan was living in New York with his bride. He worked for a large commercial real estate management company. Tom was living in San Francisco. He was still single, and was chief accountant for a large retail clothing chain, which served both sexes. After graduation Sean and Jimmy got jobs locally and decided to share an apartment until such time as their status would change. Jimmy was seriously dating a young lady who was a senior at UCLA. Sean wasn't seeing anyone in particular. They took a modest one bedroom apartment that each of them could afford on his own should one of them get married and leave. The four brothers stayed in close contact with each other. They called each other often and texted and E Mailed each other whenever they could. For all eyes to see, the McIntyres were an ideal American family, except that Sean had a secret. He felt that it was a secret he could never reveal. It became a great burden to him and a terrible cross to bear. At first, he didn't know what to make of it, but by the time he was twelve, he realized that he was gay. He successfully squelched his true nature, even from Jimmy with whom he shared his home and his life, at least for the moment. During his growing up years, every time he saw Jimmy naked (which was often), he grew a boner. He had to hide it, and he would often run into the bathroom and whack off so that his libido could subside somewhat. He and Jimmy would often talk about sex as growing boys do, and when the time came they admitted to each other that they both whacked off, but they never did it together, and never saw the other do it. However they did participate in circle jerks with their friends outside the family. They were never in the same event. When Jimmy asked Sean to share an apartment temporarily, Sean was really hesitant. It took all his will power not to tell Jimmy how he felt about him. In the end, he gave in. Somewhere buried deep in his subconscious was the hope that maybe something might happen between them. On a rational level, he knew that could never be. Jimmy and his girlfriend decided to get married shortly after her graduation. The reception was held at the West Los Angeles Country Club where the McIntyres and the bride's family had been members for many years. It was a huge affair, and the whole family was together again. Ryan came from New York with his pregnant wife, and Tom came from San Francisco. Sean was Jimmy's best man. Sometime during the dinner, between the courses, the toasts and the speeches, Sean wandered over to the open bar. Tom was there also, and to tell the truth, both men were five sheets to the wind. When Tom had arrived at the airport he took a cab directly to the church. His suitcase was actually stashed behind the very bar the two brothers were standing at. Jamie Berman, the club's chief bartender, seldom worked private parties, but he knew the McIntyre boys and the bride and her sister for most of their lives. He insisted on being in charge for Jimmy's wedding, and both families felt in good hands with Jamie behind the bar. His first order of duty was to refuse to serve Sean and Tom any more booze. He felt that they had enough. Jamie was the mother hen of the country club. The two brothers hadn't actually had a chance to greet each other properly until now. They embraced and when Sean was ready to let go, he was surprised that Tom continued to hold him tightly. "I really miss you guys so much," Tom sobbed, and continued to squeeze Sean tighter. "Ryan and Courtney are staying with Mom and Dad so do you think I can shack up with you tonight?" Tom asked. "Absolutely, I'd love to have the company," Sean answered. "It'll be lonely tonight without Jimmy," he added. The immediate family was among the last to leave. Jimmy, and his new bride Jeannie, were staying in a hotel that night and then flying out the next day for London and Paris. They would be away for two weeks. Kate and James made Sean and Tom promise to come over to their place the next day for lunch and to spend the afternoon with them and their brother and his wife. Tom's plane was to leave the next evening and James said that he would drive him to the airport. They promised to come to their parents the next day, and then took a cab to Sean's apartment. Sean showed Tom to the bedroom and indicated which twin bed was his for the night. Tom stowed his suitcase and announced that he wasn't the least bit tired and asked Sean if he could have a beer. Sean retrieved two bottles of beer from the fridge and they went into the living room. Sean sat on the sofa. He expected Tom to sit on the easy chair, but he was surprised when Tom sat down right next to him. Tom's shoulder was pushing into Sean's, but they drank their beers in silence. After several minutes Tom rested his head on Sean's shoulder. Without thinking about what he was doing, Sean put an arm around his brother and held him tight. Tom nestled further into his younger brother and laid his arm high up Sean's thigh. Sean became very aroused, but made no attempt to hide his burgeoning cock. Instead, he whispered into Tom's ear, "You know, don't you." "I don't know anything," Tom answered. "I'm only guessing. "Do you know how much I wanted you when we were living in the same house? I used to whack off constantly dreaming we were going at it." Sean held Tom tighter, but he began to laugh. "Please don't laugh," Tom said. "I'm in agony." "I'm not laughing at you," Sean assured him. "It's just so funny. I felt the same way about Jimmy, and it was worse. We shared a room and then an apartment and I had to suppress how I felt about him." "Do you think that you could ever feel that way about me?" Tom asked in a whisper. "I love you as a brother, but I don't know if I could make love to you. I'm not sure I could have done it with Jimmy either. It's just too weird." "We are brothers emotionally," Tom said, "but technically, we aren't blood. When you love someone as much as I love you, why can't I express it physically also?" Tom asked. "Tom," Sean said, "I'm almost twenty-four and I have never slept with anyone, male or female. I think I'm scared, but I wouldn't be scared with you." Tom leaned over and began to kiss Sean. His hand travelled further up Sean's thigh until it rested on his crotch and caressed the hard cock he felt. They were both fully dressed. At the same moment they both put their drinks down on the coffee table. "Let's try and see where it goes," Tom suggested. They stood up and undressed, dropping all their clothes on the living room floor. They had seen each other naked as boys many times, but never with hardons and never as young men. Their eyes soaked each other up. Tom was six feet even. He was hard and muscular from long workouts in the gym. His hair was sandy blond. He had green eyes, and a pug nose. He was saved from looking too boyish by a square chin with a slight cleft. His body was almost hairless, as was Sean's. His uncut cock was almost seven inches hard, and currently it was dripping pre cum on the carpet. Sean was about an inch taller, but he wasn't as solid. Sean was a runner. He jogged many miles a week. He had brown hair, brown eyes and a straight nose. His chin was manly but rounder than his brother's. He was cut and about the same size in length and girth as his brother. Tom and Jimmy were uncut, and Sean and Ryan were circumcised. As children this was always a big joke between the four of them. This joke was shared with nobody else. "Have you done this before?" Sean asked. "Many times," Tom answered. "I made most of my contacts at the gym. They were almost all one night stands. It was hard for me to get involved with anyone because you were always on my mind. I'm pushing thirty and I have never found true love because of how I feel about you." Those words went straight to Sean's heart. He wrapped his arms around Tom and placed his lips on Tom's. He made no attempt to part Tom's lips, but Tom was not so shy. Before he knew what happened, Sean's tongue was dueling with Tom's and their hard cocks were pounding together. "Let's shower," Tom suggested. I stink from booze and I don't feel clean." Moments later they were standing under running warm water. "God, this feels good," Tom said. He was soaping himself, but suddenly he reached out and enveloped Sean's cock with a soapy hand. He started stroking Sean gently and Sean began to purr like a kitten. "This is the first time anybody has touched me there besides myself," Sean uttered above the noisy cascading water. "I am so happy to be the first," Tom said. At that moment he fell to his knees. He took Sean's anxious cock in his hand and allowed the running water to wash away the soap. Then he ran his tongue up and down the underside of Sean's pulsating penis. His saliva and Sean's precum merged into an ointment of honey tasting fluid, and Tom took Sean into him. Sean did not wish to cum so quickly, but he couldn't stop himself. After just a few short strokes, he gushed into Tom's waiting and expectant throat. Tom milked out every last drop until Sean begged him to stop. Sean was panting for breath and Tom stood up to support him and keep him from falling. "You swallowed it," Sean said in amazement. "What does it taste like?" "Your jism tastes like the nectar of the gods, but not everyone tastes the same." "I want to taste yours. I need to taste yours," Sean said. "No," Tom said, totally surprising Sean. "We are both a little drunk. I want you aware and in total control when we do more. I want you to be sure that this is what you want. Let's go to sleep and see how you feel in the morning." "I won't feel differently," Sean said. "Nevertheless!!" Tom reiterated. They slept together in Sean's bed. Their naked bodies were wrapped so tight that they hardly took up more room than a single person would have. At about 4 AM Sean got out of bed to pee. As he stood at the toilet bowl, Tom came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Sean's torso. "I need to pee also," he whispered in Sean's ear. Sean smiled and stepped a little to the side so that he and Tom could pee together. Sean finished first and brushed his teeth while Tom eliminated a lot of last night's booze. When Sean was done, he handed the toothbrush to Tom. "I didn't expect company," he said. "I don't have a spare toothbrush." After he brushed his teeth, Tom returned to bed. Sean was waiting for him and they began to kiss passionately. Sean began to work his way down Tom's body. He wanted all of his brother's body. He kissed his ears, his neck, his nipples, his innie, and reached Tom's pubic hair. He ran his hands through Tom's thick bush. Then very tentatively his tongue found a drip of Tom's precum. He was overwhelmed by the musky smell of Tom's pubic area and the sweet taste of his juice. He could bear it no longer and he took Tom into him. He sucked wildly yet gently and Tom began to squirm. "I'm cumming," the elder sibling announced, and Sean took him deeper into his mouth if that was possible. When Tom let forth his first gush with a muffled cry, Sean withdrew a bit so that he could taste his brother's offering. He swallowed it all and only released Tom's cock when he felt it softening. He slithered up and positioned himself beside Tom. They lay together silently for a little while and then Sean said, "That was beyond my wildest dreams, but I want to try the other stuff." "What other stuff?" Tom asked as if he didn't know. "Fucking," Sean stated matter of factly. "I assume you've done it before and you can instruct me." "Instructing you will be my pleasure," Tom laughed. As much as they would have liked to have languished in bed all day making love, they got up, showered and dressed, and spent the day with their parents, Ryan and his wife. Sean wouldn't let his father take the three visitors to the airport. He insisted on doing the honors. He dropped Ryan and Courtney off first. Then he parked the car, intending to wait with Tom until it was time for boarding. They sat in the car for awhile before going into the terminal. Sean was near tears. Tom was containing himself and he was squeezing Sean's hand so tight, Sean wanted to scream, but he didn't want Tom to stop. "Now that we've found each other," Sean cried, "I can't let you go. What can we do? I want to be together with you." "How tied are you to your job?" Tom asked. "Not very," Sean replied. "I've been at entry level since I got the job. It took several months after graduation to land the position and so I've only been at it about four months." "If I found something for you in San Francisco would you be willing to move?" "In a heart beat," Sean said enthusiastically. "What did you have in mind?" "My company runs an executive training program once a year. From that program they hire buyers, department managers and so on. Is that something you'd be interested in?" "God yes," Sean answered. "You know that I'm a people person." "The training starts next month. I know I can get you into it. I'll let you know for sure as soon as I know. In the meantime feel free to drive up or fly up any time." Sean started to cry again and Tom reached over the console to kiss him. "Life is so strange," Sean said. "I wanted Jimmy so badly and instead I fell in love with his big brother. Our big brother," he corrected himself. "I love you too," Tom said. "Soon we'll be together forever." Four weeks later, Sean drove a small U Haul trailer up to San Francisco. He had been on a month to month lease. He paid the landlord what was necessary to vacate the apartment, donated most of the furniture to charity, and headed north with no ties behind him except his parents, Jim and Jeannie. But they belonged to Tom also, and neither one of them was giving up any family ties. Tom helped Sean unload the trailer and return it to a U Haul franchise. Tom had a one bedroom apartment also, but his bed was king sized. As soon as all of Sean's belongings were stowed, Tom ordered him to strip and get into the oversized bed. It was late Friday afternoon and Sean was not beginning his executive training until Monday morning. "We aren't getting out of bed until we have to get up on Monday morning," Tom announced, "not even to eat." "Yes," Sean agreed. "Let's spend the weekend fucking and sucking. Let's make up for lost time." "Don't be so anxious," Tom said. "There's no urgency. This, dear brother, is the first day of the rest of our lives." With that having been said, he leaned over Sean and took Sean's cock into his mouth. Thus began a love making marathon that lasted forty-eight hours. Not once in all that time did either brother say, "I love you." They didn't have to. They had loved each other since they were little boys, and loving each other was simply implicit. No words were necessary between them.