Leaving work that night was a bit of a tense situation. Jack had obviously been hurt by the words I said to him, and he barely looked me in the eye for the rest of the night. Considering that we were the only two working that night...that made for a very quiet evening.

On one hand, I really did feel bad about letting my frustration get the best of me. All differences of opinion aside, Jack was my friend. A good friend, at that. I didn't want to yell at him or insult him. But on the other hand....I'm just soooo tired of being hurt like this. I'm so tired of having to defend my feelings and being pressured to hide the most amazing part of my life for his comfort. I didn't want to hurt Jack but he hurt me first, albeit unintentionally. I just want love the same way he does. And it's ok if he doesn't get it. It really is. Just leave us alone. Dustin and I are happy. Both of us. Why does anything else matter?

We didn't talk to each other much over the next few days. The friction between us was something that we were both too stubborn to let go of at first. But after a few mumbled greetings to one another...mostly for 'politeness' sake, we found a little hook in our friendship that allowed us to reconnect again. If only a little bit. I think he still kind of rolls his eyes whenever Dustin and I get together whenever we break for lunch, but he didn't say anything. I just knew that I had to be careful, that's all. Jack was definitely watching now. And while that might have seriously rattled me at one time...it wasn't all that much of a worry anymore. What Jack thought about us being together didn't matter. I just wanted to share time with my baby boy. That's all. The rest of humanity be damned.

Once the weekend came around? Hehehe, I couldn't WAIT to get out of work. I had been on a full blown emotional roller coaster from the second I clocked in until the last five minutes of my work day crawled past me at a snail's pace. I honestly think it made Dustin squirm inside to see me just as anxious and as unashamed as he was to get together and just spend the night as a couple. A real union...where Dustin loved me with as much energy as his heart could possibly produce...and my heart worked extra hard to double his output. It was an excitement that I hadn't felt since I was his age. Maybe even younger. I think I closed up the store in record time. I counted the banks twice, fixed the shelves, gave the carpet the world's fastest vacuum job, and raced out of the store so fast that I'm surprised I didn't lose a shoe.

Again, Jack bit his tongue when he saw me meet Dustin across the hall...but his silence said what it needed to say. And that was that.

We got out of that mall as fast as we could, scurrying out to the parking lot so I could carry Dustin back to my apartment for our scheduled 'date'. We had a bad case of the giggles as I started driving, and Dustin, always the hungry one, wanted to get a pizza for the night. I figured I'd call ahead and have them start making it so it would be ready when we got there...but couldn't find my cell phone. I checked both pockets, felt around in the seat, and once we got to a stop light, I tried reaching underneath the seat to see if it fell.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asked.

"Ummm..I was going to call the pizza place, but my phone is missing. You didn't see it drop or anything, did you?"

"Ooh! Wait! Lemme use my phone and I'll call it! Listen for the ring..." He said, and he shimmied around to get his own phone out to help. He listened for a few seconds and said, "It's ringing, but I don't hear anything in the car."

"Ah, damn. You know what? I probably left it at work. I was a bit flustered trying to get everything done."

"You cabbage head!" He giggled sweetly. "I'll call the pizza place. What's the number?"

"Oh sure, Dustin. I've got it memorized." I joked. "We'll just grab it on the way. It won't take long. Ten minutes tops."

"As long as I get to spend it with you...ten minutes is no time at all." He smiled.

I raised my eyebrows and snickered. "Wow. That was smooth."

"Yeah? You like what I did there?" He grinned. "I'm trying to get some ass tonight. That's why. I need to start getting you in the mood early." I swear, that boy was the most innocent little pervert on the planet. And I loved every minute of it.

We waited around for the pizza, and Dustin actually paid for it this time. I told him he didn't have to, but when has that ever worked out in my favor when it came to dealing with the likes of him? Back in the car, and before I knew it, we were home.

My heart was pounding furiously inside my chest as Dustin got out of my car, grabbing the pizza box and telling me that he'd race me to the door. As soon as I opened the door and let him into the lobby of my apartment complex, I noticed that Dustin remembered every twist and turn that it took to get back up to my door. Just like he said he would. Number 505, fifth floor, turning the right way as soon as he got off of the elevator. I was a little surprised that Dustin did it so easily, to be honest. Young minds can be so 'uncluttered'. Makes them super efficient, I think.

I think Dustin was especially eager tonight for some reason. What that reason was, I didn't ask. I probably should have though. Or at least have asked if he told his parents that he'd be home late tonight. The last thing I need was an official police APB out on a missing teenager, and having them find him hard and naked at MY house! That would be a mess.

Oh believe me, Dustin didn't waste any time getting down to business once he knew that it was almost time for us to be alone again. Just as before, his bulge was already barking like a hungry puppy by the time we reached the end of the hallway, arriving at my door. Dustin was breathing hard...anxious and waiting. SO in love. So lost in a horny daze, that I could barely twist the lock and get my front door closed before he lunged forward and started kissing me deeply on the lips. What was I to do? I had to kiss him back just to keep my balance after such an excited assault. Hehehe! What can I say? I had no will power left to battle his zest for his new 'boyfriend'. He pounced on me so fast that I couldn't do much more than react. And my reaction was...'please him as much as you possibly can...and ENJOY it'.

I noticed that he was actually a bit taller than last time. Is that possible? Was he on his tiptoes? I was surprised that he was even able to smash his lips against mine the way he was at that moment. I had to lean back and look down to ask, "What is this? Did you have a growth spurt or something? How is this even happening right now?"

And Dustin said, "Nope. But I've got a 'growth' that's gonna spurt all over the darn place if you don't get naked and take care of me like a boyfriend should! Hehehe!"

"Well, wait a minute...what about the pizza?"

"I don't care. I want you." He said, kissing me again.

"What about the movie?" I asked.

"Dude, fuck that movie! But, you know...fuck me first! Hehehe!" His lips touched mine again, and I gave him a playful swat on the butt for the language. Yeah...here I am sleeping with a minor, and I'm telling him to watch his language? How backwards is that? Eric...the 'role model'.

Did I oblige my sexed up guest for the evening before the festivities began? Of course I did! Even though our plans were made out to just be an evening hanging out alone together, we both knew what was expected once we got behind closed doors again. Once the shades were drawn and the whispers began...we both knew that we didn't have the self control to stay away from one another. The pull was so incredibly strong that it made it hard to breathe sometimes. The pull...and the waiting...and the walk to my front door. The only thing...and I mean the ONLY thing in this world, that didn't make me feel guilty or dirty about this whole arrangement...was Dustin's infinite love for me in return. The fact that he truly felt something special for me that neither one of us could describe...it just made all the difference. He really loved me. I could feel it in the way he kissed me. He put so much passion into it. It was like his whole body came alive with so much electricity and light that he would practically tremble in my arms while he was doing it. You can tell a lot about how someone feels about you with a kiss. And, unless my instincts were off...Dustin loved me with more of a youthful frenzy than he knew what to do with. Hehehe, Dustin was so out of control over me. I'd feel like a big man if I wasn't so busy being rendered helpless by the overall cuteness of the situation.

Wow...Dustin really cared for me. He made an effort to tell me so with every breath that he could muster. I could feel it in the way he looked into my eyes whenever he was this close to me. I could feel it in the spontaneous hugs that he wrapped around my neck. I could hear the truth in the bashful softness of his tone of voice...and it told me that he wanted this to last forever. Just the two of us. Through thick and thin. It was a love like I had never known before. He really thought about me every second of every day. And when I wasn't around, his whole life took on a dark and dismal gloom that lingered on until he was wrapped in my warm embrace again.

He was dependent on me, you understand? He had an almost unshakeable faith in my love and support for him at this point. I would, honestly, do much more damage to his fragile heart by getting rid of him and rejecting his heartfelt affections than I would giving him free reign over my most intimate gestures toward him. Making him feel weird and wrong about our mutual love affair would be a crime in my eyes. And yet....much like watching him wield that shard kitchen knife last weekend without knowing about the harm that it could cause him if he wasn't careful? I felt the same way about our forbidden relationship. The paranoia came and went...mostly because Dustin was so damn adorable that it was easy to forget how young he actually was. But I tried desperately not to make a big deal out of it. Dustin hated it when I made him feel like a little kid. He played it off with a grin and a wink, sure...but I think it really hurt him to think that I might have lumped him together with, what I would call, normal little boys. That was his Kryptonite. That he refused to accept.

I swear that I wasn't making this up! Dustin had a growth spurt! He was not this tall last weekend. I mean, am I crazy? I don't think I'm crazy.

Something I always found particularly adorable about dustin was the way he would undress in my presence. The jeans and the t-shirt and the shoes and the socks...no problem. He ripped them off as if he was performing on stage. But the undies? I always took a special notice of that one last removal of fabric. The final fig leaf in the Garden of Eden. There was always a hesitation. A slight one, but one that I enjoyed each and every time he did it. Because a boyish part of his modesty would then express itself...and he'd briefly check my eyes for approval. Even though he knows that I've seen it all before. I don't know, I always thought that was cute. Hehehe, sex with Dustin was always so entertaining. Erotic, yes...but entertaining at the same time.

Dustin and I...we made love.

To many, I'm sure that sounds like something gritty and grimey and totally taboo. But it's the truth. There were times when his whimpers and movements were so adult that he could have easily rivaled the most experienced of porn stars that I've seen online. But...there were other times when his body seemed so delicate to me. So small. So skinny. Times when I would kiss a particular patch of blemish free skin on his body, and it would be so unbelievably smooth and soft and warm that it hardly seemed real at all. It was like kissing a dream. If that makes any sense.

I loved the way his body would gently vibrate in response to my every touch. I loved the way he would find a certain position or a particular motion that would cause him to be overcome with emotion, and he'd press his slender body into me with such a fever that it would leave me dizzy...wanting more. And when he came...it was a virtual flood of sugar sweet goodness. Seriously, Dustin must have had some pretty powerful muscles in that rigid shaft of his, because he shot long, strong, blasts that would have flown across the room if I hadn't swallowed them down for him. Jesus! He really WAS excited to see me, wasn't he?

His first orgasm of the evening was epic. Dowsing the insides of my mouth with his warm seed as his body twitched and spasmed from the impact of God's greatest gift to the teenage boy. And yet, as powerful as his climax was, he didn't go limp afterward. He was still just as hard afterward. And I made sure to try to inspire another major convulsive pulse from him...but even after the second orgasm...which was rather impressive, considering his first had happened only ten minutes earlier...his hardness only lost half of its excitement. I, honestly, thought that I could easily suck or stroke him off for a third party favor..but he seemed a bit tired and sensitive after the second pop...so I left it alone. Instead, I moved up on the bed and snaked my arm under him to hold his naked body close to me and give him a few moments to catch his breath. He really liked that.

I don't know how long we lay there together, arm in arm, talking to one another in low moans while exchanging the occasional kiss. There was a part of me that wishes this was all a sexual release for the both of us...but it wasn't. When one of us talked, the other listened. Responded. Cherished every last word. And Dustin did his best to compliment me whenever he found the opportunity. Even if he was still learning the subtleties of blatantly flirting with someone he's just had sex with. At one point, lost for words, Dustin mumbled, "God, Eric...I swear, I just...Ugh! I love you...like...THIS much!" Holding his arms apart as wide as they would go. And then blushing from the goofiness of the moment. "Hehehe! I'm sorry!"

"No! No...it was cute! Not as smooth as your earlier attempts, but...I can appreciate the effort." I grinned, and Dusting giggled as he rolled into me to sheepishly hide his face by burying it into my chest.

"That was dumb! Hehehe, I'm such a nerd. I just get so psycho in the middle when it comes to you, dude. Seriously. I've got the 'feels' for ya something awful, and it's driving me crazy. I don't know what it is you're doing to me, but I can't get enough of it." I just held him close and told him not to worry about it. He simply could do no wrong in my eyes. Not ever. And I was dedicated to letting him know that as often as possible. No matter what it takes.

After cuddling close for what seemed like an eternity, I got up and started putting some of my clothes back on. Not that I wasn't completely lost in the sensation of Dustin's unfathomably soft skin being slid against my own while we were together...but it was a moment that was simply reaching its end. One thing about sweet moments between lovers...you have to let go of them before they're overdone. It leaves a great anticipation for the next moment to come your way. And knowing Dustin...that moment might be 20 minutes from now.

He asked me, "What are you doing now? Why are you getting dressed?"

I smirked, and said, "Unlike you...I kinda like wearing clothes around the house." I put my underwear back on and sipped into a pair of sweatpants.

Dustin said, "HEY! Can I wear your robe again? I like wearing your stuff. It's all big and comfy..." He didn't wait for me to answer. He hardly ever does. He just hopped up out of the bed and skipped over to my closet to find my bathrobe. Looking at him, his ass really was something to be proud of. A curvaceous and succulent display of smooth boy flesh that would tantalize the desires of even the strongest willed men on the planet. I envied his lack of humility when he got out of bed, while he was so aware of it before we started. It's like it had suddenly vanished. He was holding all the cards, and he knew it. I was just along for the ride. And what a ride it was. "I'm gonna start the movie. You warm the pizza up, ok? But not too hot!" He was gone before I said a word. Hehehe, 'yes, sir.' I guess I was in charge of feeding him pizza now. Great.

So....'Sharknado'....

As much as I sort of shrugged my shoulders and figured that Dustin was kidding around about the premise of the movie...it was exactly what he told me it would be. And that, my friends...was 'interesting'. Hahaha! I can't say that I didn't enjoy the hell out of it though. Dustin and I just kept finding more reasons to giggle as we watched people get mangled and eaten by sharks being dropped out of the sky. I didn't know why a tornado wouldn't rip a shark to pieces. I didn't know why the sharks were still alive once they were out of the water and couldn't breathe the air...not that you could breathe in a tornado anyway. Nor did I understand how an animal would survive being thrown back down to Earth by a natural disaster, survive, and it's first instinct would be to devour the person standing closest to it. But NONE of that mattered! Hehehe, you want to know why? Because sharks were eating people. And Dustin and I could watch that all night long and never get tired of it.

A few times, I looked over at Dustin's beauty and marveled at the surreal beauty of the moment. He was really here. Really sitting by my side. I don't know why he bothered to put my robe on when he just sat there with is wide open anyway. I guess he technically did what I asked and put some clothes on, and the view of him sitting there with one foot on the couch, knee bent, wasn't something I was going to complain about.

The strange thing is, there were a few times when I could feel Dustin staring at me instead of watching the TV. I take it he was just as fascinated. He'd turn away when I caught him, but I found it really sweet. "What?" I asked, knowing that he didn't have an answer.

"Nothin'..."

"No really, what is it?"

Dustin began to giggle to himself as a blush rushed into his cheeks. "Nothin'. Gosh, just watch the movie. Hehehe!"

I waited a few seconds. "Dustin?"

"What, already?"

"I love you too." The flattered teen tried to keep his composure, but he all about fell to pieces when he heard me say that. He melted instantly and practically fell sideways to be enveloped in my warm embrace again.

All sex aside, it was quiet little moments like this one that I enjoyed the most. It soothes you. Completes you. And it took no effort at all. None.

I could feel Dustin's frame jiggle as he laughed at certain parts of the movie, and it made me wrap my arms around his slim shoulders and give him an even tighter squeeze...and kiss on the top of his head. "That doesn't work, does it? Can you stop a tornado with a bomb?" He said with a silly grin.

"Hehehe, um...I'm thinking 'no'."

"So they just made up something crazy for the movie, right?"

"Made up something crazy? For 'Sharknado'? Nahhhh! That would wreck the solid integrity of the entire film." I said, And Dustin's blue gems looked up at me as we started to hold back a few snickers. "It's safe to say that tossing explosives into the center of a violently swirling tornado isn't a really good idea. But...then again, neither is flying a helicopter close enough to one to be able to do that. So, you know...'logic'."

Dustin sighed as he hugged me around the waist. "See? I told you this movie would be awesome."

"Hehehe, and to think, I didn't believe you." I teased.

"You know what would make this movie even more awesome? If I could watch it while you finger me." Dustin couldn't help but laugh when he heard me gasp out loud. He always got a kick out of shocking me with stuff like that. "Hahaha! The look on your face! Geez, dude!"

"You are such a brat. You know that?"

"Why? Hehehe, I wasn't fooling around. I'm serious. C'mon...do it. It'll be sweet. I dare ya."

"Quit trying to rattle me."

"Who's rattling?" He smirked. "Just for a little bit. I want you to."

I sighed. "Dustin..."

"Come on, Eric. Hehehe! Finger me..."

"Language." I said, trying to hold back a grin of my own.

"Language? What language? I said 'finger'. Finger's not a bad word."

"The connotation with which you are using the word makes it a bad word. And the answer is no." I gave Dustin a quick kiss on the lips, but he gave me a playfully pouty expression in return.

"I can do it myself, you know? You wanna watch?"

"What is it with you and this...'mission' of yours?" I asked him.

"I wanna do it with you. Otherwise, it's like...not a full experience. I want the whole love package." He said.

"You can have a completely satisfying 'love package' without all of that. Hehehe!"

"I could have a cheese pizza with no toppings on it too. But...why?" He said. "Just once. Like...a quick 'in and out' so you can see what it feels like."

"You just never give up, do you?"

"I love you." He smiled.

"Heh, nice try."

"Ugh! It's no big deal. I'm already here and naked." He groaned. "I'm gonna get you to do it eventually. I know because I can get you to do anything. I own you now. Hehehe!"

"Is that a fact?" He started to nod, but a few well placed tickles under his ribs got him to squirm and convulse until I stopped. He looked me in the eye, attempting to catch his breath. And then he brushed the long side of his blond hair back, and leaned in to give me the sweetest kiss on the lips.

I won't lie and say that I wasn't tempted. I was. BELIEVE me on that one. But, whereas Dustin was always looking to race through everything at lightning speed, I kept trying to slow things down enough for us to just enjoy the time we spent together. I cherished every moment that we were together. Not just the sexy parts. Sometimes, it's that level of shared intimacy that make the other parts sexy at all.

I did manage to ask him what the big hurry was, and I noticed a slight change in the look on his face. He didn't want to say at first, but eventually told me, "I just...I want to experience everything. And I want to do it with you, before..."

"Before what?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, but asked again, "Dustin? Before what?"

"Before I start getting older and you get tired of me."

"Getting...? What? Dustin, we've already had this discussion. I'm not going to just lose interest in you because you stop being a little boy..."

"I'm NOT a little boy." He declared.

"Sorry. Poor wording." I said. Dustin didn't seem upset, really. Just a little toned down from the cheerful little ball of wiggles I had been hugging close a few moments ago. "Dustin, nothing is going to change. I love you for more reasons than I could ever hope to count. If you think I'm going to let a total sweetheart like you get away from me for something as petty as that, you're sadly mistaken."

"WHOAH!!! That shark totally just ATE the chick in the helicopter!!!" He chuckled suddenly.

"Dustin? Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah. I know. It's just...I wanna be what you like. I wish I could just stay like this forever."

Giving him another tender squeeze, I said, "No, you don't. That wouldn't be so great." Dustin gave me a strange look. "It's true. In theory, people might imagine that it would be amazing to just pretend that they're a little boy forever. But eventually...you've just got to grow up. Growing up isn't a bad thing. You can still have fun. You can still laugh until your belly aches. You can still experiencing new things for the very first time."

"Like having you finger me on this couch..." Dustin joked, but I put my hand over his mouth to hush him up before he could finish.

"You get to change. You get to mature. Evolve. Something tells me you're really going to enjoy it. Every step of the way. K?"

Dustin sighed and said, "You make everything sound so cool. I swear, I could just sit here and listen to you talk to me for hours and hours. You're like...like.." Then, Dustin's eyes burst open as he looked at what was on the TV screen!

Simultaneously, we shouted, "OMIGOD, IS THAT A CHAINSAW?!?!?!" And high fived each other before falling back against the couch in a fit of laughter.

And then...

Our 'Titanic' hit an iceberg...

A loud buzzing sound rang out in my apartment, causing Dustin to nearly leap out of his skin. "What the heck was THAT?!?!" He gasped.

"Hehehe, relax. It's just the buzzer. Somebody's ringing the bell." I said.

"Dude...that scared the beejeezus out of me! Why don't you get a regular doorbell like a normal person?"

"Whatever. Somebody's probably got the wrong apartment. Hold on..." I got up to go to the intercom, and held the button down. "Hello?"

"Yeah. It's Jack." Came the voice from downstairs. "You left your celly at work tonight. I'm on my way out tonight, your place was on the way, I thought I'd bring it over." SHIT! Dammit!

I didn't want to go downstairs to get it, or refuse to let him come up. It would look way too suspicious. Especially since he already knew that Dustin was going to be over here tonight. Son of a bitch! He probably came to check. I'll bet that's what he's doing. Spying on us!

"Uhhh...hold on a second!" I said, and suddenly shot Dustin a look and told him to hurry up and get dressed! Oh God, he was wearing a bathrobe and NOTHING else! Yeah, that won't look weird! "Ok...come on up..." I said. I didn't want to make Jack wait too long for an answer, but Dustin's clothes were all over the place and he was still scrambling to get them on as quickly as possible. Jack was on his way up. The elevator doesn't take long. Shit shit shit! Does it smell like sex in here? I hope not!

Dustin managed to pull his shirt on just as I heard Jack coming down the hallway. He jumped back on the couch, and I took a deep breath as I heard Jack's knock on the door.

Composing myself as best as I could, I opened up and basically stood in the doorway. Just in case Jack decided he wanted to come in. Lucky for me, he looked like he was in a rush to go elsewhere. "I was going to put your phone in the safe so you could grab it tomorrow, but like I said...it was on the way." Jack handed me the phone, but noticed that I hadn't moved. It wasn't like me to at least ask if he wanted to stick around or something for a few minutes. And that's when he saw Dustin sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table, still sort of straightening his hair.

Dustin saw him looking, and waved. "Hi, Jack."

Jack looked at me, then back at Dustin, and gave him a nod. But I could tell from the look on Jack's face that he knew something was out of sorts with this whole situation. Why??? What is he looking at? Why can't he just give me the phone and go?

Jack's eyes narrowed slightly, and he mumbled, "Eric...dude...can I talk to you out in the hallway for a second?" And he started to walk away from my door. Fuck...now what?

I lightly closed the door and followed Jack until we weren't standing in front of any of my neighbor's apartments. "Jack...?"

Jack was quick to turn around, and in a loud whisper he said, "Oh my God, Eric...what are you DOING? Seriously? Are you out of your mind???"

"WHAT???"

"You know goddamn WELL, what!"

I hushed him up and said, "How many times do I have to tell you that we're just hanging out...?"

"I'm not an IDIOT, Eric! Ok? Please don't bother lying to my face right now. It's just fucking insulting at this point." Jack said. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? Do you know how crazy this is?"

"That's really none of your business. Ok? If you don't believe me, then fine. Don't believe me. But you weren't exactly welcome to just pop over here unannounced either..."

"Do you hear yourself right now?" He grunted. "Listen to me, Eric...you are GOING to get caught! Do you understand? Just think about that for a second. Do you really think nobody notices? Do you really think your sudden and radical change in behavior with Dustin over the past month and a half doesn't scream illegal activity? And now this? THIS? Open your eyes dude...this is going to be bad. REALLY bad!"

I don't know if I was more angry or hurt by having to listen to this. But...as the denial dropped, and my emotions came bubbling up to the surface...I heard a whimpering tone in my voice as I told him, "You just don't understand. Ok? Dustin and I...we just want to be left alone. We're friends."

"Oh really? Friends? You just want to be left alone? Is that what you're going to tell the police? The judge, the jury, your cellmate with a tattoo of a Swastika on his chest?" With a frustrated sigh, Jack put a hand on my shoulder. "Look...the kid is a perfect 10. I can appreciate that. He's beautiful. But you have to stop and think about what you're doing. Dustin can afford to be reckless about this stuff...YOU can't! Every prison facility on the planet is 'FULL' of people who thought they were being sooooo careful and that they were never going to get caught. They get away with it once, maybe twice...and they just keep right on doing it until they get that unfamiliar knock at their door on some random Tuesday afternoon. And when that happens, it's going to be too late, Eric. All the tears and the speeches and the romantic sonnets of poetry detailing how grand your love is and how the tender moments you shared were so awesome aren't going to make a damn bit of difference." He said.

"Just...go. Alright? I'm sick of these accusations. Just go away..." I said.

"Ok, let me paint you a vivid picture of how this little 'love story' of yours is going to end, Eric." I stopped walking, but kept my back to him so he wouldn't see the welling tears in my eyes. "When you get caught...and you will get caught...a team of seriously unfriendly people with handcuffs are going to come to your house and collect you. Or maybe they'll decide to come and get you at work instead. It'll be more humiliating that way. They'll put you in cuffs, march you out to their car, and you are going to go to jail, Eric. You'll go to court to plead your case, exposing every sexy little secret that you shared with your boy toy in there...in front of a jury, in front of your friends, in front of your family. They're going to want you to talk about every dirty little detail in front of your mom and dad. Something that they'll politely 'abbreviate' when they print it in the daily newspaper for everyone in town to read." He said. "Then...after completely ruining you in the eyes of everyone you know, love, and care about...after searching your house and confiscating your computer to see if they can find anything criminal and add even more time onto your sentence...you get to go to jail. JAIL, Eric! Where you're going to be locked up like an animal for a long loooooong time! A place where you'll get abused, beaten, and raped, repeatedly for the next fifteen to twenty years of your life. And IF you make it out of that place...and that's a serious 'IF', considering what they do to child molesters in prison...then you get to come back home. No job. No friends. No family. Just the clothes on your back, the stigma of a prison record, and a special, permanent, spot on the National Sex Offenders list...that will stick with you until the day you die. THIS is your future, Eric. This is what you have to look forward to. This is ALL you have to look forward to! And Dustin? Dustin is going to finish high school and college and move on with the rest of his life. The law isn't going to ever let you have contact with him ever again. Or any other children for that matter. Not ever. You may not even be allowed to use the internet for that very reason. Is that what you want? Do you really think you're going to be the one clever bastard who got away with this and lived happily ever after? Is that the gamble that you willing to take? Because I hate to be the one to tell you...the odds aren't in your favor." He said. "People notice, dude. Do you realize that? Dustin is gorgeous. He draws a LOT of attention to himself. The first question on everybody's mind is 'who is he?' And the second question is...'who are YOU?' You're nowhere near as sneaky as you think you are. Believe me."

"You just think you're so righteous, don't you? Nobody asked you for your opinion, Jack. So why don't you go back to your married boyfriend and make the decision to get your own life together before you start coming around here commenting on mine." Yeah, it was a low blow. And maybe I was grasping at straws, trying to keep what he said to me from sinking in. But Jack just gave me a sarcastic chuckle and started backing up towards the elevator.

"Ok. Have it your way. I'm not going to get in the way. You can go back to your 'play date' now." He told me. "I'm no snitch. As far as this is concerned? My lips are sealed. But when it happens, and the shit hits the fan...don't say that I didn't warn you. Don't tell me that I didn't try to be a true friend." Then, before leaving, he said, "Oh...and by the way...you may want to tell Dustin that he's wearing his t-shirt inside out. The tag is sticking out in back. He must have been in a pretty big hurry to get it back on, huh?" I heard the elevator doors open on my floor. "But I'm guessing you already knew about that though, right? I'm sure a suspicious little detail like that would be one of the first things you noticed. Since you two are being so...'careful'. Have fun."

And with that...he was gone. Gone.

I felt my chest begin to tremble and quake as I thought about what might happen if the closeness between Dustin and I is as clear and visible to other people as it was to Jack just now. Had I gotten sloppy? Had I become so wrapped up in our happiness that overconfidence was creating a trail of obvious mistakes? Was I comfortable? Maybe even lazy about hiding what we had together? I went from being too scared to even look Dustin in the eye for too long to inviting him over to my house for another weekend of sex and intimate bonding. I had forgotten to even pay attention to who might be watching. At work, in the food court, at the movies, at the grocery store, at Smitty's in the morning...even when we picked up the pizza tonight. Oh God, I felt sick. Scared sick. Angry sick. Nearly heartbroken.

I didn't know what to do. Or what to feel. But when I stepped back into my apartment and saw Dustin standing there by my bookcase...it was like I fell in love all over again. I don't know why, but I did. And that's when I saw the tag sticking out the back of his shirt. It was definitely on inside out. And if Jack noticed that after just a minute or two at my front door...imagine how many other mistakes we've made since we've been enjoying one another like this.

"Is he gone?" Dustin asked me.

I didn't want to say anything. I didn't want to let go. So I just nodded my head, and Dustin let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew! That was close! Hehehe! Dude, I've got to rewind this! You're not gonna BELIEVE what just happened with the chainsaw! I can't even describe it! You have to see for yourself!" Dustin happily pulled his shirt off over his head, and then I watched him shuck his pants and underwear off again as well....bouncing down on my couch cushions and looking just as beautiful as I had ever seen him. I think I just stared at him for a moment. Guilty. And Dustin looked back at me quizzically. "What's up? What's the matter?"

"Nothing..." I mumbled. And despite every alarm and roaring siren that I had going off in my head at that moment...I found myself more desperate for Dustin than I ever was before. A LOT more! It made me feel wicked inside...but I didn't hesitate. I didn't take the high road this time. Instead, I took off my shirt and pants too. And Dustin looked over at me just as I hurried over to the couch and grabbed his waifish frame...crushing it against me. The smooth, warm, skin exciting everything that it touched as I rubbed and squeezed and tenderly caressed as much of his teen flesh as my hands would allow. Dustin was definitely surprised by my sudden need for sexual attention, but he didn't turn it down. Nor did he back away from it. He never did. Within seconds he began to moan and hug me tight against his naked body....his arms and legs grabbing at me as his love for me boiled over and left him breathless in my embrace.

The movie had been abandoned completely. At least for the next few minutes. But it wasn't like before. This was different. Because I was trying hard not to cry the entire time.

I LOVED him! I really did! And I didn't want to let him go. Not ever. If it meant destroying the rest of my life, then so be it. Because I can't imagine my life being much better without him. A part of me hated Jack for coming over tonight. Hated him for interfering. But what else was I going to do? Where else was I going to go to find the happiness that I had been searching for my entire life?

I held Dustin soooooo tight. What if this was our last night together? What if I was ultimately forced to break my promise to him? His first promise of love? I didn't know what the future had in store for us...I just know that I didn't want it to end. Not yet. Not ever.

Hold me, Dustin. Kiss me. Please? There's got to be a way. There's GOT to be!