Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 11:24:10 -0800 (PST) From: Tim Mead Subject: Dr. Tim and the Boys, ch. 14 The following story is fiction. It involves sexually- explicit erotic events between males. If you are offended by such material, are too young, or live in an area where it is not allowed, don't read it. In the world of this story, the characters don't always use condoms. In the real world, you should care enough about yourself and others to always practice safe sex. The author retains all rights. No reproductions or links to other sites are allowed without the author's consent. Let's welcome a new author to the ranks. Evan, Patrick, Tom, and I are reading Sara's "The Magic in Your Touch" (Beginnings) and loving it! Special thanks go to Patrick and Evan for help with scenes in this chapter that weren't working until they stepped in with advice. As always, thanks to Ash, Tom, and Mickey. Timmead88@Yahoo.com Chapter 14: Cedric at Home It was settled that after the first week of the first summer term Tim was to spend the weekend in Cleveland. Cedric was eager for Tim to meet his parents and for the parents to meet Tim. Tim was nervous. He knew he was being taken home to be presented for their approval. He threw his things in the car and left the townhouse about 3:00 on Friday afternoon. Tim didn't know Cleveland very well. In Belpre, when people had wanted to go to a big city, they went to Columbus or Cincinnati. Ced had given him clear directions, however, so he had no trouble getting off I-77, jogging over to Euclid, and going east toward Shaker. He drove past the campus of the Cleveland Clinic and marveled at it. It looked like a fair-sized university rather than a medical complex. He made the right turn to go up the hill, catching a glimpse of the Case Western Reserve campus and Severance Hall as he did. Shaker turned out to be confusing. He made a wrong turn and found himself on a curving street. When he got to the next side street, he turned, but was unable simply to go around the block. Finally, however, he retraced his route, saw where he had gone wrong, and followed Ced's directions without difficulty the rest of the way. Surrounded by many tall trees, the Jones house was a large old Georgian-style place set on a big lot on another curving street. Azaleas full of cherry-colored blossoms ran across the front of the house. Rhododendrons also in full bloom were all along one side of the property. As instructed, Tim pulled past the house into a large paved area behind it. There was a separate three-car garage. Obviously newer than the house but built in the same style with the same dark-red brick, it had a second storey. As Tim turned off the ignition and stepped out of his Camry, he thought how seedy his old car looked in this setting. Cedric, smiling broadly, his eyes sparkling, burst out the back door of the main house, ran over to Tim, and, using both hands, pulled him up into their ritual kiss. When, breathless, they finished, Tim exclaimed, "Ced! What will your folks think?" "They know we're lovers. They'll just have to get used to seeing us BEING in love. Now, Dad's not home yet, and Mom's looking after something in the kitchen. Let's get your stuff out of the car. Did you remember to bring two dress-up outfits?" "Yep. I've got a surprise for you." "Cool!" Tim got his carryon bag out of the trunk while Ced took the clothes in the garment bag from the back seat hanger. To Tim's surprise, he headed, not for the house, but for the stairs that went to the second floor of the garage. "My place is up here," Ced explained, grinning suggestively. When they got to the top of the stairs, Ced threw open the door and stepped back so Tim could go in first. Once inside, Tim saw a large living/eating/kitchen combination with two doors at the far end, one leading to a bedroom, the other to a bath. "Ced, this is quite a place!" The entire room was done in black and white, with accents of teal on cushions and other accessories. There were some handsome pieces of glass in the teal color on glass shelves on the wall closest to a table which was obviously where one ate. Over the sofa was an abstract with black, white, several shades of teal, and some olive green. "Babe, who's your decorator? I love this!" Ced bowed and said, "My guilty secret is out. C'est moi!." Tim popped him on the shoulder, laughed, and said, "And you gave me such a hard time over that decorator crack I made. I'll get you for that. Come to think of it, I owe you and Trey something for that day in class, too. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Your time will come!" Ced laughed. "Well, boss, you must admit our sex that night I paid you back for the decorator remark was - different." Tim put his hand in Ced's crotch and hefted his balls. "Different? It was incredible. Frustrating and delicious at the same time." "OK, no time for playing around. I told you to bring two dressy outfits. We're having dinner here tonight. The `rents are running down the hill to hear a concert tonight, so we'll eat a little early. But it's jacket and tie for dinner. Tomorrow, we'll show you some things about town, and then I'm taking you to a place on the river and we'll do the Flats afterward. The restaurant will also require a jacket." "May I ask what we'll be doing after supper tonight?" "As soon as the `rents leave for Severance, we're coming back here and taking off all our clothes. This weekend you're being welcomed to my world. Tonight, you're being welcomed to my king size bed! Now, we'd better get changed. We're expected across the way for drinks at 5:00." Cedric threw Tim's satchel on the bed, hung the garment bag in the walk-in closet, and said, "I've got to have a quick piss. You can go ahead and change in here. Oh, do you need to piss first?" Laughing, Tim said, "No, sweetheart, I'm fine. Go ahead." As he took off his khakis, he could hear Ced's stream hitting the bowl in the bathroom. Tim shucked out of his sneakers, socks, cargos, and polo shirt. Sounds from the bathroom indicated that Ced was brushing his teeth. Tim rummaged around in his bag, found a white t-shirt, giving himself a spray of deodorant before putting it on. Ced could be heard gargling in the bathroom. He had finished dressing, except for his tie and jacket, when Ced came out. "What's this surprise you mentioned, studly?" Ced asked. "Hang on," Tim replied. He unzipped the garment bag and took out a light tan silk and wool blend jacket. He was wearing brown dress slacks and his cordovan loafers." "Tim, you look spectacular, babe! Now, let me see the tie." Tim reached back in the garment bag and took out a tie of green, tan, and brown in a small geometric pattern. "Perfect! Mom's gonna see right away why I find you so hot. Oh, did you remember to bring your specs?" "Yeah, I've got `em." "Well, they do make you look - more professorial, so you'd best put `em on." Tim removed his contacts and put on the glasses. Meanwhile, Ced was putting on light gray slacks, blue shirt, regimental striped tie, and his navy blazer. He wore black loafers. "You're looking very preppy there, hunk," Tim said. "Yeah, well, Dad likes the look, so I aim to please." "I'm really looking forward to meeting your family, lover." "Keesha's in Erie spending the weekend with a friend. She said to tell you she was sorry she wouldn't see you this weekend." "How is she? Has she recovered from the accident?" "Yeah, she's fine, sassier than ever! I'm sure you'll get to see the brat the next time you come." Ced's smile showed his fondness for his sister. As they walked across the paved area toward the house, Ced put his hand on Tim's ass and began rubbing his crack. "Stop that, idiot! Do you want me to have a wet spot in my pants when I meet your folks?" "Woops, sorry, babe. I forgot." His smile suggested that he hadn't forgotten at all. He continued, "You know, if you didn't insist on wearing silk boxers, your precum wouldn't be as likely to make a wet spot on your slacks." "I hadn't thought of that. You're probably right. . . but they feel so good!" The back door led into a short hallway with a pantry to one side. Then they came into the kitchen, where they were greeted by Ced's mother. She was taller than Tim, about Cedric's height. She was wearing something loose and swishy in a magenta color. Big bosomed, solid, her skin lighter than Ced's, she radiated warmth. With obvious love, Ced announced, "Tim, this is my Mom. Dad and I call her our Angel!" Tim was prepared to shake hands. Instead, he was smothered in an embrace. When she released him, he said, "I'm really happy to meet you, Mrs. Jones." "Now there'll be no more of that. I'm Margaret. You must call me Maggie, and I'm going to start right off calling you Tim. You don't mind, do you, honey?" "Not at all. I'm honored." "That's good, that's good. Now, you boys go on into the living room. Cedric, your father's in there already. Here, baby, you take this plate of stuff in and put it on the coffee table for me." "May I help?" Tim asked. "Indeed not. You just go along with Ced and meet his father." The living room was huge, and like nothing Tim would have expected in a house which had obviously been built sometime before World War II. The walls were a textured cream plaster, almost like exterior stucco. The carpet, too, was cream. All of the furniture was either rust or black. There weren't many decorative items. What there were, were clearly of African origin and very expensive. Standing by an ornately carved bar made of some exotic wood was a tall, slim man. His coloring was identical to Ced's, a sort of golden brown. He wore his hair short. He was wearing a light gray tropical worsted suit. He had a very thin mustache. When he saw the two younger men, he smiled. Tim recognized the smile. It was Cedric's. He came toward them, extended his hand to Tim, and said, "Dr. Mead. It's a pleasure to meet you. Cedric has certainly told us a great deal about you." Shaking hands, Tim said, "Mr. Jones, I've looked forward to meeting you and Mrs. Jones." From the kitchen, there came the words, "It's Maggie!" They all laughed, and the older man said, "My name is Jacob, professor, but please call me Jake." "Thanks, Jake, and, as you know, I'm Tim." "Excellent. Now that we're all on a first-name basis, can I offer you a drink? I understand you like chardonnay. Or would you like something stronger?" "No, chardonnay would be fine if you have some open," Tim replied. "What about you, Cedric?" "I'll have some of the chardonnay. Thanks, Dad." The senior Jones fussed around at the bar for a few minutes. While he did so, Ced's mother came in with a plate of boursin cheese and a silver bowl with very thin sesame rice crackers. Already on the coffee table were a plate of crudit‚s and a small silver bowl of some kind of creamy green dip. Tim guessed it was avocado. Jake summoned Ced with a look and handed him a gibson. Ced took it to his mother, who thanked him. She sat in a rust- colored chair that had probably cost more than Tim's car. Ced brought two glasses of the wine, handed one to Tim, and kept the other for himself. Jake joined them, carrying a solera glass with what looked like sherry in it. They talked for a few minutes. Ced passed the veggies and dip and, after that, the crackers and cheese. Tim took some of each. The dip was indeed avocado, but it had a hint of lime in it. Conversation was animated. It was obvious from the beginning that this was a family who really loved and enjoyed one another. Ced's parents treated Tim with warmth and attention. They asked polite questions about his family, his work, his interests, but nothing pushy. Tim marveled at the dinner. He couldn't believe that Maggie had fixed it without help and was going to hear the visiting Oslo Philharmonic at 8:00 that evening. There was a first course of vichyssoise, followed by a cold salad. The main course was Lake Erie perch and tiny new potatoes. Dessert was a heavenly concoction Maggie called Devonshire cream. Again, the three Joneses bantered among themselves, often including Tim, who soon found that all his nervousness was gone as he enjoyed being with Cedric's family. Putting down his napkin, Cedric got up, went behind his mother, leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead, and said, "That was super, as usual, Angel." Now, you and the boss go get ready for your evening. Tim and I can load the dishwasher." Maggie looked at Tim, who nodded and smiled. "Well, if you boys don't mind, we are cutting it pretty close. Parking at Severance can be a problem." Then she looked stricken. "Oh, Tim, I hope you don't resent me calling you a boy!" "Not at all, Maggie. There's not that much difference in our ages, after all. I only stand on my dignity in class. Thank you for such a beautiful dinner and for making me feel so welcome." "Honey, we're just glad to meet you. Ced has kept telling us these glowing things about you, we just had to get a look at you. Now, we'll see you sometime tomorrow no doubt. Saturday mornings around here, it's every man for himself." Ced smiled sweetly at her and said, "We'll manage for breakfast, Mom, and we'll be out the rest of the day. Don't worry about when we get home. We're going to the Flats after dinner. Maybe we won't see you again until Sunday breakfast." "You boys behave yourselves, now," Maggie said, winking at Tim. Grinning broadly, Jake said, "Angel, Ced will have a professor with him. Of course he'll behave." They all laughed at that and left the table. After Ced and Tim cleared the table, put everything except the crystal into the dishwasher, hand washed and dried the crystal, they went back across the way to Ced's apartment. As soon as they were inside, Cedric commanded, "Now, boy, get out of those pretty clothes. All of them. And report to the bathroom!" "Yessir!" Tim said, grinning. As he took off and hung up his jacket and slacks, he heard water running in the bathroom. By the time he was completely naked, Ced was back, beginning to take off his things. Tim got hard just watching his lover undress. It was always a particular turn-on to see Cedric in his briefs. The white set off his dark bronze skin dramatically, and, of course there was that delicious bulge! When naked, Cedric came around behind Tim, nestled Sneaky against the small of Tim's back, and marched him toward the bathroom. The water Tim had heard was filling a huge tub. Jacuzzi jets were running. And Ced had put some bubble bath salts into it, so the water was hidden by mountains of white foam. A stack of very thick teal-colored towels was lying beside the tub. The two got into the tub, sitting cross-legged, pale skin facing dark. After being apart for a week, they kissed, hungrily and at length. They were up to their nipples in suds. Breathless from kissing, each leaned back. Cedric felt Tim's toes tickling his balls. He sputtered, laughed, and said, "What you doin' there boy!" Tim kept moving his toes around Ced's balls. Then he found Sneaky, which by that time was partly erect, pointing toward Tim. He used his toes to stroke the underside of the shaft. Cedric had put his head back and moaned softly. Then Tim brought the other foot into play, using his big toes alternately to rub the sides of Ced's cock. "Timmy, you are an evil genius, babe. Have you done this before?" "You know I haven't. But you must inspire me." "Whatever, honey, just don't stop now!" Tim caught Sneaky between his feet and began to work them together, forward and back, jacking Ced off under the water. Since his hands were free, he began to pump the already throbbing, leaking Junior in the same rhythm he was using on his lover. After a while, he stopped for a moment and then worked the big toe of his right foot under Ced's ass, wiggling it around against his hole. "Shit, man, you ain't gonna toe-fuck me, are you?" "Sounds like a plan," Tim replied, grinning. "No, lover that's not the way it's gonna be. It's been almost a week since I've had you in my arms, seven days since I've had you inside me. Let's not come yet." "OK, then, studly, let's head for the bed! But how do we get all these suds off of us?" "We don't yet. Just relax, Tim. Just see how good all those water jets feel against your skin. If you can manage it, don't think of sex yet. Clear your mind of everything that's racing through it. Yeah, I know that's hard for a sex-fiend like you, but try it. Turn around here. Lean back against me." So, with much splashing, Tim rose, turned around, and settled back against Cedric. "Now, babe, shut your eyes. Feel the water. Feel my arms around you. Feel the love." Tim tried to do as Cedric asked. As he put his head back against Ced, however, he could feel Sneaky, still erect, pressing against the small of his back and Cedric's stubble against his ear. He thought about how smooth Amy's cheeks were, how different this felt. He decided that he liked the roughness of Ced's face, which obviously hadn't been shaved since morning. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, but he couldn't. The week of Cedric's absence, a week of sexual abstinence, had left him hornier than he'd ever been. He turned and began to kiss what he could reach, the side of Cedric's face. "You aren't taking suggestions very well this evening, professor." Tim laughed. "I'm sorry, Ced, honest. But I've missed you so much, and I have to have you SO bad!" Cedric squeezed Tim and said, "There you go again, Dr. Mead. It's `so badly,' I believe." Tim hit Cedric in the ribs with his elbow and said, "OK, buddy. You're in trouble. Now, how do we get these suds off us?" "Simple. First you must stand up. Then I'll stand up. Then we'll step into yon shower." "Yon shower? What have you been reading?" Tim asked, laughing. "What? You don't want me to expand my active vocabulary?" "No, asshole, I want to get you into bed. In fact, I want to get into your asshole." "Now that's motivation. Get up, babe." They got into the shower, rinsed off the soap, and dried each other more hurriedly than usual. They went into the bedroom, where Cedric pulled on a rack at the foot of his bed. It slid out from under the mattress. He carefully folded the duvet onto the rack. Then he jumped on the bed, lying on his back. Smiling at his lover, he said, "I'm glad you want to top tonight, babe. I've needed you all week, too, you know, and I want you IN. ME. NOW!" He took a bottle of lube from the bedside table and tossed it to Tim, who put it to its proper use. Proper use, but at great speed. Ced noticed that Tim was much more hurried in putting lube on his fingers and working it into Ced's hole. "Take it easy, Red, we've got all night." Tim stopped what he was doing long enough to look up and say, "Unless you want me to do painful things to your nuts, buster, you'd better promise never to call me that again!" "What?" "'Red.' I have always hated that." "Oh, I'm really sorry, Tim. I didn't know. I guess we still have things to learn about each other." Tim laughed and said, "I'm sorry I over-reacted. It's just that when I was little - that is, a kid - I got called that a lot, and it was always a taunt. Guess that's why I've always hated being called `Red'." With that he went back to working his fingers around inside Cedric. Then he climbed on top of the golden-brown hunk and began kissing him hungrily. They ground their cocks together as well as they could, given the mismatch in their sizes. Tim's generous amounts of precum made their bellies slick, and their cocks were sliding around deliciously. Coming up for air after a while, Cedric pleaded, "Now, Timmy, please?" Restraining his urgency, Tim remembered to be gentle, to take things slowly. But a week's abstinence had its effect. After a half-dozen pumps, Tim came. He arched his back, his body jerking with every spurt. Then he collapsed onto Cedric. "Sweetheart," he said, "I'm SO sorry. I've done it to you again. You need to get yourself someone better." Cedric hugged him and chuckled. "I think the answer is for the prof to beat his meat every day while we're apart. You've got lots of that love sauce to spare." Tim pushed up far enough to look directly into Cedric's eyes. "Why are you so damned understanding? Don't you ever get fed up with me?" "Sshhh! Don't talk like that, honey." Tim realized at that moment how much Cedric could sound like Maggie. "You just roll over and let me at your l'il pink rosebud. Everything's gonna be just fine. Just fine!" Cedric rimmed Tim, fucked him, and gave him a blowjob. Then they slept, though it was only about 10:00. Somewhere around 4:00 they woke up and had another leisurely session of sucking and fucking, after which they slept again. * * * TIM: When I woke up sun was streaming in the windows, birds were singing in the tall trees outside, and I felt well-fucked and wonderful. I smelled bacon. I got up, stumbled into the bathroom, where I relieved myself and rinsed my mouth with some of Ced's mouthwash, and went into the kitchen. He was wearing sandals and an apron. Nothing else. I was ready to go for his gorgeous brown butt when he turned, saw me, and gave me that radiant smile. "Ah, sleepyhead, you're up! Now I can do the eggs. Sit down there and have some juice. Oh, but before you sit, put those English muffins in the toaster." He took the bacon off the paper towel on which it had been draining and put it on a plate, which he set on the table. He poured us both coffee. Then he poured eggs from a bowl into a skillet. Before I had finished my juice, the muffins popped up and the eggs were ready. We had blueberry preserves on the muffins. He said he and Maggie had made them just a few days ago from his Grandmother Benson's recipe. I'm not used to eating that much breakfast, but I was starved and it all tasted wonderful. I was full as a tick by the time we'd finished. And then it occurred to me that he'd taken off his apron and that we'd both eaten naked. "What's on the agenda today, Ced, or can I just feast on you all day?" "Sorry, daddy, but I have a full day planned. Not even time for a run, since you lolled around in bed so long. You go get shaved and showered while I clean up here. Wear shorts or khakis, a polo, and your sneaks for now. We'll come back here and change into something a little dressier before we go to dinner." "Where are we going? What are we going to do?" I asked. He smiled his "evil" smile and said, "Never you mind, professor. Today you're going to be educated about my home town. I'm going to run your raggedy little ass off." Clean, shaven, and dressed, we jumped into Ced's 4Runner. "We're gonna start with things I know you'll love." I have no idea how we got there, but soon we were at University Circle, parking in a building on the CWRU campus. We came out into Severance Hall, the home of the Cleveland Orchestra, so something of a shrine for me. I had many of their cd's, but had never heard them play live. I wasn't going to hear them play on this trip, either. Their concerts for the summer would be either on tour or at their summer home, at the Blossom Music Center. Since that's near our campus, Ced promised me that we'd go to one of their concerts at Blossom before the summer was out. Anyway, it was a treat for me to get a tour of the newly- refurbished concert hall. After that, we went across the street to the Cleveland Museum of Art, where we spent what was left of the morning. I was fascinated by the scope of the collection there. Most interesting to me were the CMA's collections of works by Eakins, Homer, and other American painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. About 11:30 Cedric said he was hungry, and began to sort of herd me toward the exit. "How can you be hungry after that breakfast?" I asked. He smiled and said, "I guess I'm just a growin' boy." So we got into his car and went downtown. We ate at a restaurant at the foot of East Ninth Street. Surprisingly we didn't have to wait long for a table, and we lucked out. We were seated by a window with a stunning view of the downtown skyline. We were at lake level, next to Cleveland's Burke-Lakefront Airport, so we had to crane our necks to look up at Erieview and the other buildings. I had a salad. Ced devoured a hamburger, fries, and a milkshake. Squelching the urge to lecture him about cholesterol, I asked, simply, "Did you get enough to eat?" "For now, dude," he said, "but I'm saving room for dinner at The Watermark." "Oh, you want to tell me about that?" "Nope, it's a secret for now." "So what's on the agenda for this afternoon, Mr. Secretive?" He threw some money on the table and said, "Come, on. Let me show you." We didn't go to the car. Instead, we walked across 9th Street. And there was this really great-looking modern building beside what, Ced told me, is called the "Inner Harbor." "Ta dah!" he said. "There is MY shrine, Tim. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." I had suspected that's what it was. I mean, who doesn't know the Rock Hall is on the Cleveland Waterfront? And, despite my interest in the classics, who wouldn't be excited at the prospect of going through the Rock Hall? We spent a good two and a half hours there, comparing notes on our favorite performers and groups. I was surprised he didn't know James Taylor, who had been inducted only fairly recently. "Oh," he said when I asked him, "he must be one of those old dudes." Biting my tongue, I said, "Yeah, I guess he is." I had to buy a t-shirt in the gift shop, and we both picked up some cd's. After the Rock Hall, we walked west a little way to another impressive building. I forget the exact title, but it was the science museum. Science has never been my thing, but it was fascinating. And Ced had a ball playing with all the interactive exhibits. He acted like a kid in a toy store. It was 4:30 when we were finished at the science museum, so we walked back to the car, which we had left in a lot near the restaurant. We were headed back to Shaker Heights to relax for a little while and then change for our evening on the town. In the 4Runner on the way back, I rested my hand on his package and began to stroke Sneaky. Had him pretty well boned up by the time we got back to his house, in fact. When we got out of the car, his stiffie was making a huge tent in the front of his khakis. It's a good thing we were going upstairs to his apartment instead of into the house. Once inside, we began tearing off each other's clothes. We wound up on the floor in his living room sixty-nining. When we were finished we had a long, cum-swapping kiss. Lying there on the floor, naked and happy, I asked, "OK, studly, what's next?" "Well, I think we'd better shower and brush our teeth, don't you?" "Depends on where we're going. If we just jumped in bed, that wouldn't be necessary." "You never get enough, do you?" he said, laughing. I shook my head no. "Sorry, man, but we have to get cleaned up. We have 7:00 reservations at The Watermark, and the `rents want us to stop over there for drinks at 6:00. So it's shower time." We showered together, of course, having our usual fun doing so. "So, mine host," I asked as we toweled off, "what is appropriate garb for this evening?" Did you bring a nice collarless tee? If so, you can wear it with that jacket you had on last night. If not, a dress shirt and the jacket, no tie, would be great." "I can manage, and, as I told you, I have a surprise." Ced wore caramel-colored tropical weight slacks, a rust silk ribbed tee, and a jacket just a shade lighter than the slacks. It all went perfectly with his coloring. He looked scrumptious, and I told him so. "Well," he said, "don't just stand there in those silly silk boxers, show me what you're wearing." I didn't know he thought the boxers were silly. They feel great, even if I do have to be careful about how I wash them. But I decided to give some thought to a new kind of underwear. I really didn't think I'd look good in white briefs like the ones Ced wore. I put on a pair of light grey summer-weight slacks, a white ribbed silk tee, and black loafers. Then I reached into my garment bag and pulled out my new dark green tropical worsted blazer. "Timmy! Stan was absolutely right. You do look so cool in that color. Or, to be more accurate, studly, so HOT." We walked hand in hand across the paved area to the house. When we got to the back door, I let go his hand. "Hey, Tim, they know about us. It's OK." So saying, he took my hand in his after we had stepped inside. No one was in the kitchen, so we walked on through to the living room, still hand in hand. His parents were sitting there, each with a drink. Jake stood and shook hands with me while Ced kissed Maggie on the forehead. After Ced and I were supplied with drinks, his parents asked us about our day. We asked them about the concert the previous evening. If it bothered them to see us holding hands, to see us sitting close together on the sofa as we chatted, to know that we had slept together last night, they didn't let on. They obviously loved Ced. They were very gracious people, and I could see why he so obviously adored them. At about 6:30, Cedric squeezed my knee, stood up, and said, "Well, folks, Tim and I had better get going. Have a great evening. We'll see you in the morning." "Cedric," Maggie said with a worried look on her face. "You boys be careful. Don't stay too late down in the Flats. It can get pretty rough down there, especially on Saturday nights." "Relax, Angel. We'll stay where there are lots of people and lots of lights, OK?" He kissed her again, and she patted his face. "Maggie's right, you know," Jake said. "You guys be careful." "I'll see that Tim comes away with only good impressions of Cleveland, Dad. See you in the morning." We got back in the SUV and drove downtown, and through downtown, past Public Square, the Terminal Tower, the BP Building, and some very tall bank building, the name of which I didn't catch. Ced told me it had had several names since it was built a few years ago. Suddenly, we went down a steep hill, turned right, and pulled into a parking lot next to what looked like an old brick warehouse. This, Ced told me, was The Watermark. Inside, the place was one of those industrial chic restaurants where the heat ducts show and the walls are brick. But there were white linen tablecloths, and the place, as well as its patrons, looked decidedly upscale. It was good Ced had made reservations, for they were doing a good business. As we were being led to our table, I noticed that one whole wall was a window looking out on the Cuyahoga River. There was, in fact, only a fairly narrow boardwalk between the window and a small dock. Several pleasure boats were moored there. I could also see what Ced explained later was a water taxi taking people to the other side of the river. Our table was beside that window. He said he had insisted on that when he made the reservation. Our server was a woman dressed in what looked like a man's tuxedo without the jacket. I've always thought that was silly. I suppose it makes all the servers uniform in appearance, but you can't hide breasts behind a pleated shirt and, face it, women's asses look different than men's, even in black pants. If they wanted the servers to look formal, why not let the women wear floor-length dresses? I suppose because of the danger of spillage. Or tripping on a skirt? Oh, well. We decided we'd had enough wine, so we placed our order right away. The menu featured lots of game in addition to the usual fare, but neither of us felt particularly daring. Ced had a steak. Hungry after my light lunch, I had lamb chops. The food was good, but nothing like Stefan's. Obviously the attraction here was the great view. As we chatted and ate, we watched pleasure boats of all sizes, sail as well as power, going up and down the river. At one point the room darkened noticeably. When we looked outside, all we could see was the black hull of a huge ore boat. It was so close to us we could have counted the rivets. Several storeys tall, it really did block our view of everything else until it passed. "Ced, babe, this is great! You've really thought of the best things for us to do today. Thanks, love. Oh, and I want to get the check tonight. You and your folks have been so generous and given me such a wonderful time. It's the least I can do." "No way, little man! You are my guest this weekend. All the way, you got that? Besides," he added, doing the eyebrow waggle, "I'm holding you to your promise to take me to Stefan's some weekend soon." "OK, if that's the way you want it." "That's the way it's gonna be, Timothy." "You've never called me that before! Why now?" "I've thought about it, but never knew how you'd react." Then he laughed. "And after practically having my balls removed for calling you `Red,' I intend to proceed with caution." We laughed and went on with our dinner. We both had tiramisu and coffee for dessert. As we ate, Ced explained that the area along both sides of the river had become Cleveland's principal night club and entertainment area. The Flats, as it was called, bustled with people, and the river did seem to be lined with restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Across the river and toward the lake a little was the biggest, called Nautica. But, Ced informed me, that was not where we were going. After we left The Watermark, Ced checked with the parking attendant to be sure we could leave our car there. I think I saw some bills being passed, and the valet, about Cedric's age, smiled and said, "No prob, dude!" We walked around to the back of the restaurant and took the water taxi across the river. It had to dodge some large private boats. Compared to the Ohio at Belpre, the Cuyahoga isn't particularly wide, but it was busy. What a difference between the scene that evening and the time back in the 60's when the river is said to have caught fire! We walked along the river, looking at the more interesting river traffic and checking out the hotter guys. "Here we are!" Cedric said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the entrance of a place called The Phoenix. I assumed it was just another of the many nightclubs. There was a tough- looking guy at the door who nodded at Ced to go on in and carded me! How humiliating! But it happens to me all the time. When I had proved my age to his satisfaction, he nodded to me to go on in. We wiggled our way through a mass of people. There was a bar along one side, with a small dance floor with tables and booths down the other side and across the back. I was beginning to realize where I was. Ced put his hand on my butt and steered me toward a table in the back. He pulled out a chair and told me to sit, that he'd be right back. Then he leaned down and kissed me. While he was getting our drinks, I looked at the colorful crowd. There was everything from guys in suits to guys in black t-shirts and jeans. And some very butch looking women. Not really a tough looking crowd, just like nothing I had ever seen before. Somehow it was liberating to see same-sex couples holding hands, feeling each other up discreetly, kissing. I had a flash: this was the way it was supposed to be. When Ced came back with the drinks, a beer for him and some sort of wretched white wine for me, he asked, "Are you mad at me for bringing you here, babe?" "Far from it! I've never been anywhere like this." We sipped our drinks for a while. He didn't say much. I think he knew I was fascinated, watching everything that was going on. A pair of guys in a booth across from us caught my attention by their obvious love for each other. One was about 40, stocky, didn't look very tall, but it's hard to tell when people are sitting. The other, about the same height, was more like 30. He was one of those blonds with early male-pattern baldness, very young looking in the face, but losing his hair much too soon. Both were wearing jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. They were holding hands across the table, not saying much, just looking at each other and smiling. Cedric saw me watching them and said, "Aren't they cute!" I agreed they were. Except for the hum of conversation, it had been fairly quiet when we came in. But suddenly the music system came on and something with a pounding rock beat drew a small group of people onto the dance floor. Ced took my hand and said, "Come on, Timmy, dance with me." "Oh, Ced, I can't do that!" "And just why not? Did you dance with your dates in college?" "Well, yes." "Did you dance with Amy?" "Yeah." "You do KNOW, don't you, that this is a gay place?" I laughed. "Yes, I had figured that out." "Are you afraid someone we know from the university will see us?" "I think that's highly unlikely." "So, Timmy, get off that cute ass of yours and come dance with your loverman!" We both left our jackets on the backs of our chairs. Ced's sleeveless tee showed his shoulder muscles and biceps. He looked so hot I really did want to dance with him. There was a series of fairly fast numbers, and I loved the light sheen of sweat that appeared on his face. I'm sure I must have been sweating a little too. But on him, it was incredibly sexy. More and more couples joined in the dancing, including the cute pair we had been watching. It was such a wild experience to be there among the bumping hips and jostling bodies because I knew that all these couples, male or female, were gay. As I said, it was just so liberating to be there. I felt a kind of love for all these people, as if we shared a bond. Which, of course, we did in a way. I liked the slow numbers best. Then Cedric would hold me close. I could lean my head on his chest while we rocked slowly in time to the music. His Eternity and the light scent of his sweat were a potent aphrodisiac for me. True to form, as we danced, Junior got hard and began to leak. "Studly," I said, as the music ended, "let's sit for a while." "What's wrong, Tim, you aren't tired are you? Have I worn my guy out today?" "Hardly. In fact, that's the problem. If we don't quit rubbing against each other, I'm going to ruin these pants. Go sit, and I'll bring us some drinks." "Yes, boss," he said, smiling brilliantly. "And think about cotton underwear." I gave him the finger, went to the bar and, after a short wait, got two beers. I'd had enough of that nasty wine, whatever it was. I knew there was a bulge in my pants, but I decided what the hell, this is a gay place and who cares? On my way back to the table, I noticed that Ced had been joined by two other guys. So here's the scene: I'm walking across the empty dance floor with a beer in each hand, Junior making a modest but noticeable tent in my slacks. Sitting in my place was a big, and I mean big, Black guy. He had cornrows and all sorts of piercings in his ears. His hand was grasping the back of Ced's neck, and he was smiling broadly at him. This man had to be 6'2" and was built like a linebacker. The other person at the table was about 6', blond, blue-eyed, and thin. Nothing effeminate about him, just slim-looking, especially compared with the big dude who had hold of my guy. He looked like the guy who plays Frazier Crane's brother on tv might have looked at twenty- one. He had this bemused smile on his face. As I approached the table, three pairs of eyes went to my hard-on. Well, you know what I did. I could feel the blush coming, but, of course, I couldn't stop it. So here I was, blushing like a bride, holding a beer in each hand, Junior poking out the front of my pants, and the guy still had his hand on the back of Ced's neck. "Timmy," Cedric exclaimed as he hurriedly stood up, "let me help you babe." He took the beers and set them on the table. Both of the strangers, who already had drinks in front of them, smiled at me. "Tim, you've heard me speak of Francis? Well, here he is, in the flesh! And this," he said, gesturing toward the blond, "is his partner, Rodney. Guys, this is Tim." I shook hands with both of them and sat in the remaining chair. Francis gave Ced a look and said, "So, Cedric, it looks like we've both gone for the vanilla." I thought for a moment Rodney was going to choke on his cola. He sputtered, apologized, and sat there smirking at Francis. "Yeah," Cedric said, licking his lips dramatically. He winked at Rodney. "Francis, you KNOW how much I love chocolate, but vanilla's my favorite flavor." Francis beamed back at him and said, "Man, you know it!" When Francis took his left hand away from Ced's neck, I noticed that his right was in Rodney's lap, fondling what looked to be a sizeable erection. Rodney seemed perfectly comfortable with what was happening. In fact, much as I wanted to be jealous, they were both nice guys, and, I observed, devoted to each other. We had a good talk, comparing notes about our two very different schools. They wanted to know what we had been doing all day. And the two ex-lovers reminisced a little about things they had done together. As I watched Ced and the sexy big stud, Francis, I couldn't help wondering how he could have been attracted to me after having THAT! As we talked, I began to find both guys very likable. Francis, who was majoring in religion and planning to go to a Methodist seminary when he graduates, was indeed a football player. He joked about Oberlin's traditional lack of success in that area. They had beaten Kenyon, my alma mater, the previous fall, and that was their first victory in something like two years. Rodney was an organ major in the Oberlin Conservatory who, Francis informed us with evident pride, taught karate on the side. I reminded myself that here was ample evidence, should anyone need reminding, not to make snap judgments based on appearances. Rodney said he wanted to dance, so we all got up and moved onto the dance floor. After a while, the other three guys, all much taller than me, had made a triangle and were dancing with me in the center. The beer, the location, the sheer stimulation of being with these three hunky men - I don't quite know what it was, but I lost my usual inhibitions. Hell with dignity. I was having FUN. So I began to use my best moves and really got into the music. When the piece ended, there was applause. I discovered that most of the people on the dance floor had stopped to watch the four of us, with yours truly putting on most of the show. I noticed that the two guys from the booth were standing there with their arms around each other, smiling at us. Undaunted, I bowed. Ced put his arm around my shoulder and walked me toward the table. "Guys," he said, "it's been a long day, and I think it's time to take my man home and tuck him in." He winked at Francis. "Lucky you, Tim," Francis said. Rodney snickered. "But we need to be going, too," Francis continued. "I have to sing at the early service at my church tomorrow, and Rodney is the guest organist. We need to go home and - uh, practice?" He grinned at us, and Rodney popped him on the shoulder. "Where are you parked?" Cedric asked. "Oh, we're across the river in a lot near The Watermark." "In that case," Cedric said, "we can take the taxi across with you. That's where we are, too." It felt good to get out of the Phoenix. It had been pretty warm in there with all those bodies dancing. Outside, the air that close to the Lake was pleasantly chilly for a June night. * * * CEDRIC: That had gone well. What a hoot when Francis showed up. It was great to see him again. Rodney was a bit of a surprise. Francis had written me about him, but he had never described his appearance. With a name like that, I just assumed Rodney was a brother. They seem happy. And Tim took what could have been an awkward situation well. We all had a good time together, I think. Tim really surprised me there toward the end, the way he was getting into the dancing, the whole scene, in fact. I had been a little worried that the Iceman would have emerged and been turned off by the Phoenix and its crowd. It was so cool to see my Timmy relaxing, having so much fun. I guess we are lucky no one from the University was there. We would have been outed for sure. The four of us were walking toward the dock where the water taxi comes in, talking and laughing. Then we all heard a deep voice say "You faggots!" Those words just oozed contempt. Instantly we all froze and looked around. About 30 feet down the walkway were three beefy guys in jeans and dark t-shirts. They had surrounded and were looming over the cute couple Tim and I had enjoyed watching in the Phoenix. There was a wall on one side and the river on the other, so there wasn't any easy way for the smaller guys to get away from them. "Something's wrong there," Tim said. He began to walk quickly toward the other group. Francis looked at me, smiled, and said, "Ced, bro, that's a real little lion you've got there, but you'd better keep him on a leash." I smiled and nodded, but I had to go after Tim. The three of us caught up with him just as he approached the other group. "Is there a problem here?" Tim asked. "What's it to you, Red?" one of the bullies snarled. The goons were all over six feet, all in jeans and work boots. They had on matching dark t-shirts with the logo of a popular West Side gym. All three of them had military- looking high and tight haircuts. The one who had growled at Tim had tats down both arms and a bit of a beer belly. "Apparently you three are harassing these gentlemen," Tim said. He looked at the couple, who nodded affirmatively. "Why would you do that?" Another of the bullies said, "Get the fuck out of here, you little cocksucker. Go mind your own business." This guy had no tats, but he did have a mean-looking scar running from his forehead down his left temple to his cheek. The third laughed and said, "Looks like we got us a whole BUNCH of pansies here, guys." Francis growled at that. I scowled and tried to look menacing. Rodney just stood there with this amused smile on his face. Meanwhile the couple who were being hassled were holding hands and watching what was taking place. They seemed more fascinated than scared. "It IS my business," Tim said. "These guys haven't done anything to you. What gives you the right to harass them? Or to harass anyone, for that matter? Your language is offensive. Trying to intimidate our brothers here is worse. I think you three oafs had better just apologize and leave." The first of the bullies said, "And YOU'RE going to make us, you little fag?" Tim glared at the man and said, "That's not only offensive, it's nasty. Your demeanor is just as bad. You really should learn to respect other people. If I wanted to make you leave, I'd have plenty of help. You would be pretty stupid to start something. Think about it. There are six of us. We outnumber you two to one. One of us is a black belt in karate -" The little chunky guy, one of the two guys who were being hassled, cleared his throat, smiled for the first time, and said, "Actually, I think three of us are." The first bully was about to say something to that when the second one looked beyond the four of us, licked his lips, and nudged the first one. "Uh, Al, I think maybe we'd better take off." I thought that might be a trick to distract our attention, so I kept my eyes on them. The toughs turned and scurried rapidly away. Their leader said something like we'd better not show up there again as he was leaving. I swiveled around to see what had scared them off. Walking toward us slowly, swaggering a bit, I thought, were two humongous Cleveland cops. We waited for them to approach us. One of them asked us, "Is everything OK here?" Francis smiled and said, "Yeah, officer, we're cool. We're just on our way back to our cars." "OK, then. Have a good evening," the other officer said. "No, officers," Tim said, "everything's NOT OK. Those goons were harassing these guys." He nodded toward the couple. "If someone hadn't come along, it might have gotten ugly." He winked at the chunky guy who had said that both of them were karate experts. "You might want to keep an eye on them if they show up around here again." Now I just knew those two big cops were going to say something to my feisty little lover. You don't go around telling the fuzz how to do their jobs. The first officer looked at Tim for a minute and then said, "We're familiar with those characters. I don't know how many times we've had to run them off. One of these days we'll catch them doin' something we can run them in for. It's just good nobody got hurt this evening." He nodded to us. "Have a nice evening." We asked the two "victims" if they wanted us to walk back to their car with them. They said that they could see it in the well-lighted parking lot nearby and that they didn't think the Neanderthals would be back. They thanked us for coming to their rescue, saying they were relieved not to have had to use their karate skills. We all shook hands. Then we stood there and watched until they had gotten in their car and driven off. We took the water taxi back to the east side of the river. Tim said, "Francis and Rodney, the four of us should get together again this summer." They said that would be cool. "OK, let's make it happen. I'll leave it to Ced to coordinate it with you guys." There were hugs all around, and we left them to go reclaim my car. On the way home, I chewed Tim out for what he had done. "Tim, I can't believe what you did back there. That was really stupid. You can't just go charging into a situation like that, babe. Those goons could have had knives or guns. You weren't in your classroom, you know. What WERE you thinking of?" He put his hand on Sneaky and said, "I'm sorry Ced. I suppose you're right. I just didn't think about that. I could see what was happening, and it made me furious." "Oh, why?" "Obviously, Mr. Jones, those two cute guys were being harassed because they were gay, because the thugs saw them coming out of the Phoenix. I never thought about it. I just wasn't about to let that happen." "Tell me, Timmy, would you have done that before I made you a queer?" He snorted. "That may be the first time I've ever heard you say something stupid. You know you can't make people queer. What you did was elicit from me an acknowledgement of what I've always been. And, baby, you've made me love it." I laughed. "Glad to be of `service,' Tim. But Francis said I should put a leash on you, you know." He squeezed Sneaky a little too tight. "And just what did he mean by that?" "That I should teach you sensible behavior in the big city." Tim laughed and said, "Studly, I've already learned so much from you, I guess I can listen to a lecture or two on urban mores as well." "You promise me you won't ever go charging into a situation like that again?" "I suppose so. At least," and he gave Sneaky another little squeeze, "not without having you and Francis and Rodney with me." I chuckled. "I wonder what that pair of little guys could have done to those meatheads. Considerable damage, I hope." Tim just laughed. "I have to say, Tim, that you really showed me something back there." "Oh?" "Yeah, you may have been seriously impulsive, but you were also my Lion. I was SO proud of you." One last squeeze left Sneaky pretty leaky as we drove through the nearly deserted streets of downtown. I took the Shoreway to MLK Boulevard just like everybody else, even though that's not the most direct way. After all, I didn't want to drive through the area between downtown and University Circle that late at night, either. When we got home, I asked Tim if he wanted to take a shower or just fall into bed. He voted for a joint shower. I was glad he said that, `cause I planned to spend some quality time with his ass. We didn't take as long about showering as we sometimes do, eager to get into bed together for what would be the last time until I got back to our place the next Friday. Tim was already in bed when I finished brushing and flossing. He was lying on his side, his head propped up on one hand. I lay down facing him, my pose the mirror of his. He looked sadder than I had seen him since that Sunday morning when I took the disk to his apartment. He had cried that morning, and now he looked as if he might do it again. Why now? After such a great weekend? Or at least I though it was a great weekend. "Something's bothering you, honey. What is it?" I asked. "Well, Ced, I don't know quite how to put this." "YOU at a loss for words? Imagine that! You once told us to start at the beginning and go right on through until we get to the end. Think that would work?" I winked at him. He gave me a sort of half smile. "You aren't going to want to hear this." "Try me, babe." "Ced, I don't belong here." Where was this coming from? "In my bed, in my house, or is that an existential question, professor?" I asked, trying to lighten his mood. It didn't work. I think he had tears in his eyes by this time. "I mean in your LIFE, Ced." I grabbed him, rolled over on my back, pulled him on top of me, and pulled his forehead close to mine so we could hardly see anything but each other's eyes. His green eyes looked sad and began to tear up. "Timmy, what IS going on with you, sweetheart? I can't stand the thought of you not being in my life!" "Ced, look at me. Really look at me. I'm short, skinny, nothing to look at, and I have a little dick." I kissed the tip of his nose. "You are compact, you have a beautiful, firm, defined, muscular body with the cutest ass I can imagine, my heart beats funny whenever I look at you, and I love your dick. I love the feel of it when I fondle it through your khakis, I love the taste of it in my mouth, and I can't get enough of it up my ass! How can you doubt that?" "Well, Ced, you have always been up front with me about Francis. But I had no idea he was such a hunk." "Yeah? So?" "Dammit, Ced! Francis is this great-looking guy your own age." He gestured. "Look at me. When Trey and the others did that stuff to me, they joked, especially Chaz, about how pale, runty, scrawny I am. And besides that, I'm a dull, stick-in-the-mud professor. You know what they call me: `The Iceman.' People think I'm heartless. Maybe I deserve that. I'm five years older than you, too. That's a big come- down from Francis." I started to say something, but he kept going. "While you were here in Cleveland with your sister, I think your friends found it easy enough to show their real opinion of me. I don't think anyone could forget that kind of humiliation. Remember, Stan didn't think I was good enough for you. He's right, you know." He was still lying on top of me. I crushed him to me and held him tightly there. I didn't know what to say. I'm pretty glib sometimes, but at that moment I felt totally tongue-tied. How could I tell this beautiful, brilliant guy who had been lighting up my life that what he was saying was bullshit? How could I reassure him? As I wondered about that, I just kept squeezing him. "Ced! I can't breathe!" "Oh, sorry, sweetheart." He straightened up, sitting astraddle of me. As it happened, Sneaky was lying against my belly, and Tim's crack was right on top of him. I'm sure he could feel me getting hard, but he didn't show it. He took a deep breath and continued, "And that's not all! Even though I have a doctorate and have been to Stanford, yesterday when I saw your home and met your parents, I felt like a country kid who hadn't washed behind his ears. Your parents are fine people, so sophisticated and gracious. And I had no idea, babe, what a lifestyle you're used to. I can't help wondering if you parents think I'm after you because you're well off." Those emerald eyes had tears in them as they stared into mine. I pulled him back down, held him tight against my chest, and stuck my nose in his beautiful hair. I had seen him cry once before and he seemed ready to do it again. Just then there were tears running down my face. We stayed that way for a long time. All of this was a total surprise. I had been worried at first that I might be some sort of momentary aberration for him. The real question was, what did he see in me? I was able to relax a little after he broke off his engagement to Amy. That seemed to signal that he really was ready to commit to me. It was like a kick in the gut to find out that he felt insecure about my love for him. I thought I had been making that clear, and for a minute I felt like whuppin' him upside the head. "I love it when you hold me, Ced, but I'm wondering if it's a bad sign that you've been quiet so long." "No, babe, I'm just trying to figure out what in hell to say to you or do to you to MAKE you know I love you. You are perfect. If you have any warts, I haven't found `em. And If I ever do, I'll love you anyway. Why do I love you? Well, I could be like Ms. Browning and count the ways. There IS an expression I've heard about the heart having its reasons --" "'Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connait point.' That's Pascal." I chuckled. "Always the prof, Tim, always the prof." Then I realized that I shouldn't be joking with him. "We have to get some things straight, lover. Francis is one sexy, sweet dude. He and I had a great time. But I didn't LOVE him like I love you. We'll always be good friends, Francis and me. We were mostly just fuck buddies in high school. Besides, you obviously don't have a clue about how you make me feel. I can see now that what my buddies did to you has fed insecurities I didn't even know you had. Think of this, though. If that shit had never happened, we'd never have become lovers. Before we got together, I had lots of casual friends and my three really good friends in the "brotherhood." Like most guys, though, I was still lonely. I needed someone to be close to, to love, to love me. Hey, when you're gay and closeted and in a fairly high- profile position, if you're smart you don't expect to find anyone special. If you're Black, the chances are even lower. You know there's this myth in the Black community that there aren't any gay guys? And a lover who wasn't a brother just seemed out of the question. But then I saw you and I lusted for you. I hadn't been in your class long, though, before I was IN LOVE with you. And, squirt, you've changed my life, you've made it beautiful. I never want to be without you. Ever! When we're apart, I'm just marking time. I itch to get back to you, to be with you, to look at you and listen to you talk, and, of course to have fabulous sex with you. Now, you got all that?" He nodded his head yes. Then he got off of me. We both sat up and propped our pillows against the headboard. He stuck an arm around my waist, I put mine around his shoulders. "When I first saw you, Tim, I wanted to just grab you and take you away somewhere. I have NEVER been so attracted to anyone as I instantly was to you. You are sexy as hell, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Our buddy Trey would be with you in a heartbeat if I weren't. Do you really think those nasty games the guys played with you were just designed to put you down? Mark's motives may have been purely to stick up for me. Mark's like that. But I think even ole Chaz was secretly getting his rocks off over all that. Can't you see that he and Trey both were probably fulfilling unspoken fantasies about getting it on with a hot dude like you? You got that?" He didn't look at me. He just looked straight ahead. But he nodded yes. "Now, I'm disappointed that you would raise an issue about my folks' money. You demean both of us when you say things like that. You ain't exactly po' folks, and I wouldn't fuckin' give a damn if you were! Got that?" This time he looked at me, smiled, and kissed my neck under my ear. Then he seemed about to say something, but I said, "And another thing. I've worried a lot that I am just a temporary distraction for you." "Oh?" He appeared genuinely puzzled. "Yes, babe. You are this brilliant Ph.D. professor. When you get that dissertation on dos Passos turned into a book, you'll be a celebrity in the academic world. Or at least that's what Dr. Fairchild says. I've been so scared that you accepted me out of gratitude when I brought you that disk and that now you don't know how to let me down easy. If you really didn't love me, I don't know how I could deal with it. Got that?" He beamed at me, pulled my face to his, and gave me a long, deep, hot kiss. We broke, finally. "Then," he said very softly, "you have to show me. Claim me. Remind me that I'm your guy, studly." I grinned at him. "Well, now, that's more like it, hot stuff. I don't know where all these doubts came from, but you can just forget about `em. And right now ole Ced is gonna help you do that!" Tim began to suck on my right nipple. That fully woke up Sneaky, who'd been stirring since the kiss anyway. Without taking his mouth off my tit, he stuck his hand under my balls and began to rub them while at the same time with his fingertips he tickled my taint. I was raring' to go in no time, but I waited - because I didn't want to rush things and because what he was doing felt SO good. I didn't touch his cock or balls because the last two times we'd made love he'd come before either of us wanted him to. Instead, I put one hand on each side of his head and pulled him off my tit. His mouth made a smacking noise when it came away, and we both giggled. I pulled him up so we could kiss. That took a while. It wasn't a frantic kiss, just a lot of slow sucking and tongue action. When we finally came up for air, he looked at me and asked, "So I'm not just a cheap fuck?" God! What was I going to do with him? "For a smart guy, you really are obtuse. What do I have to do or say, Tim? You are my love. Now shaddup because we have things to do." With that, I flipped him over on his stomach and spread his legs apart. First, I gave him a hickey on his right cheek. "I've just gotten my pubes back, and now you're making it so I can't work out for a day or so," he complained. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?" I countered. "Yes, daddy," he said, as I began to lick his crack. As I licked, Tim wiggled and moaned. He really loved it when I rimmed him, and he was already hot with anticipation, shoving his pale little butt into my face. Sometimes when I rim him, he gets really eager for me to put Sneaky in him. This time, though, he seemed willing to lie there and let me work him with my tongue. Which I did. I licked closer and closer to his rosebud as he moaned his appreciation. When I rammed my tongue up his hole, he yelled "Yes, baby, yes, fuck me with your tongue!" Sneaky was leaking onto the sheets beneath me as I worked on Tim's hole. I couldn't help thinking how far my Iceman had come in a few short weeks. When my tongue got tired, I rolled him onto his back. He lay there, passively, watching me with those incredibly green eyes as I grabbed the lube and slicked up Sneaky. Between my own precum and what I could have gotten by running my hand over his cock, I probably wouldn't have needed any artificial lube, but I didn't want my big old tool to hurt him. I put his knees over my shoulders and asked, "Ready babe?" He smiled and said, "For you, always." Tim's chute is always tight, but taking my dick seemed to be less and less a problem for him as time passed. In no time, I was totally inside him, my pubes against his ass. I paused there and looked into his eyes. He grinned at me. "You look like you are about to recite poetry." I hadn't thought about poetry, but I said, "Haply I think on thee, and then I scorn -" "Cedric!" "Yessir?" "Shaddup and fuck me!" So we fucked. It was long, slow, and beautiful. Whenever I looked at Tim's face, he was looking back at me, as if he was studying me. He was making that growling sound he does, and I knew he was really into what we were doing, but he never shut his eyes or anything. He just stared at me, lovingly but intently. After a while, I noticed that Junior was only half hard, so I shifted the angle a little. The change must have caused Sneaky to hit Tim's nut, because he began to grunt on every in-stroke. Soon Tim's cock was back to full-staff, and I was beginning to feel the familiar tingle. "Oh, baby, I'm gonna come!" "Ced, I want to see you come. I want you to spray me with your spooge." That seemed to me like a strange request, but I wanted to make my man happy, so I did what he asked. I pulled out, he took his legs down, and I straddled him on my knees. After a few pumps with my fist, I came all over his chest, and some of it even got on his face. I thought of the circle jerk the guys had done on him that Thursday night in his office and felt terrible. "Oh, Timmy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that!" Very quietly he looked at me, smiled, and said, "That's just what I wanted you to do. That's part of the claiming." He paused a minute, looked at me through slitted eyes, and said, "But you're not going to leave it there, are you?" I knew what to do. I licked my cum off his face and fed it to him with a kiss. Then I rolled over on my back and pulled him on top of me, the cum making both our chests slippery. We stayed that way so long Tim fell asleep on top of me. When my arm went dead, I gently rolled him off. He never woke up. Poor puppy! I thought I must have worn him out that weekend. Before I drifted off to sleep, I thought how ironic it was that I had been worried that Tim might not really love me as much as I love him. And he'd apparently been having the same fears about me. I hoped I had said and done the right things to make him understand how wrong he had been. I felt fingers running all over my chest, around my nips, down to my belly, along my shoulders, down my arms, back to my nips. "MMMMMMM," I said. When I opened my eyes, it was daylight, and Tim was straddling me, lightly running his fingertips all over me. "What a great way to wake up!" Then I remembered. "But, babe, you never came!" He smiled and said in that quiet voice he sometimes uses, "Yes, studly, but we're going to change that, aren't we?" "Oh, I hope so!" "But first, we need to use some mouthwash, and I need to piss." So, we rinsed and pissed and hurried back to bed. "OK, Lion," I asked, "what'll we do now?" "On your stomach, stud, and shove that beautiful brown ass up in the air!" He grabbed the lube, did his fingers, did my hole, and began to probe. I was kind of hoping he'd rim me, but I can't complain about what he did do. I got a deluxe prostate massage, ending up with three fingers inside me, intertwining, scissoring, doing totally magical things. I had a major case of leaky Sneaky as I wiggled my elevated ass around and moaned. The man was driving me wild! Great as it was, though, I needed more. "I'm ready, babe. Do me, please!" "Are you up for a little change in routine?" "Sure, just get on with it!" "There's a bath towel on the floor beside the bed. I want you to kneel on it." The rascal had been planning this while I was still asleep, obviously. I knelt on the towel with my torso stretched out on the bed. I could see what he'd been thinking. Doggie style would be difficult for us to do if we were both on the bed, especially because of the difference in our heights. This way, by bending his knees just a little, he had a great shot at my ass. He didn't use any lube except what Junior had so generously provided. He entered gently. When he was all the way in, he asked, "How are you?" "Hot and horny, boss. Do it!" As usual, he began slowly, but soon his tempo increased. Before long he was pounding my ass harder and faster than he ever had. Occasionally he slapped my butt, and I'd involuntarily tighten my sphincter. I wondered where he got that idea. I'd have to ask him. But not at that moment. Just then all I wanted was for him to keep on with what he was doing. He slowed down the furious pace and began to long-dick me slowly. That was so tantalizing I wanted to scream, and it went on and on. Tim had never stayed inside me so long without coming. Sneaky was drooling on the towel Tim had fetched in from the bathroom, and even though neither of us had touched him, I was pretty sure I was going to come soon. Afraid I'd hit the bed instead of the towel, I grabbed my cock and pointed it straight down. The touch was all it took, and I pumped out a load. Tim and I had managed a few nearly simultaneous orgasms, but this wasn't one of them. He kept going, and I wondered what had happened to his usually quick trigger. Even though I had come, what he was doing felt fantastic. And this was the first time he had ever done me doggie style. I wondered if that was part of his claiming me. I didn't mind, I just wondered. Finally, he growled a little louder than he had been and I felt him shove Junior into me as far as he would go, his pubes pressed tightly against my butt. I could feel the spasms as he came. He just stood there until his dick had deflated, and then he pulled out. "Thank you, my love," he said. "Thank YOU, babe!" In the shower, I asked him how he had managed to last so long before he came. He told me he had waked up in the night and gone into the bathroom and jacked off, just so he could prolong our love-making. I asked him about the slaps on the ass, and he sheepishly admitted that he had been watching some gay porn dvd's - for the first time ever. As we were drying off, I asked him: "Tim, are we over all the silly shit now?" He knew what I meant. "Yeah, Ced, I think we are. I know you love me. And I'm going to keep showing you how much I love you, pup." "Pup? Moi? I don't know whether I like being called that," I said, snapping a towel at him. "OK, OK, I'm sorry," he said, laughing and scooting away, Junior bouncing up and down as he did.. Angel had asked us to have breakfast with her and Dad at 9:30, before they went to church. Normally, I would have gone with them. They wanted me to ask Tim to stay for church and Sunday dinner. I told them that wasn't such a good idea, and they went along. Breakfast was great. I knew the three of them, wonderful people that they all are, should get along. But I was really relieved that they had hit it off so well. Angel acted like Tim was my long-lost brother, and he seemed to take to her just as quickly. (But then, who wouldn't?) Dad was his usual quiet self. People who haven't seen him in court have NO IDEA what a lion he can be. But he beamed at us throughout breakfast, so I knew he approved of Tim, too. Great people, those `rents. After breakfast, Dad shook hands with Tim. Mom gave him one of her huge hugs. They both told him he was to come back often. He invited them to come to campus to see our new place, and they said they'd do that. After I helped him get his stuff in the Camry, he asked me "Do you want to eat out Friday when you get there, or shall we stay in?" "I could stop and get something, but I'd like to eat in OUR place Friday evening. And I'm expecting to be taken to Stefan's Saturday night." "Stefan's is fine. But I'd like to cook for you Friday. Nothing elaborate. When I lived alone, I kind of let things slide. Now I want to start perfecting my cooking skills so I can feed my guy." I never quite know with Tim which side of himself he's going to show me. That's one of the things I love about him. Imagine: the Iceman cooks for me! I put my hands on his ass and lifted him up just a bit, like usual, and we had a long, long kiss. Then he was off. (Thanks for sticking with me. Chapter 15, "Summer Fare," will be posted in about two weeks. -T.M.)