The following is a work of fiction. Any similarities are entirely fortuitous. The story may contain profanity and references to gay sex. If such content offends you please leave now. The author retains all rights to the story. Do not copy or use without written authority from the author. Write Bobby at this address with your comments.

Travers:

"Trevor, I want to talk to you about Friday night." I said.

I heard him sigh quietly. "You're cancelling aren't you?"

"No, no, it's not that. I'm just not sure that I'll be able to have you over at the house."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we won't have the house to ourselves."

"Why would we need it to ourselves?"

"You know, just to be alone without having anyone disturb us."

"Well, can't we have that in the basement?"

"Why would I want to serve you dinner in the basement?"

"The basement is isolated from the rest of the house plus the theatre down there. We could just cuddle up to a movie."

"All right, I'll talk to Tyler about letting us have the basement."

Trevor and I kept talking for a solid hour. I had to watch my time, however, because I was at Zac's house after all. The dinner his mom cooked was so freaking good. Then the dessert she whipped up was heaven, absolutely heaven.

Around nine o'clock, Tyler decided it was time for us to head home. I was more than happy to oblige only because I wanted to talk to Trevor more. To be honest, when we were first going out I didn't like him that much. I don't know why. But now that we're trying again I find him much more appealing in more ways than one. Maybe it's because he's willing to give me a second chance and nobody has really ever done that before-family doesn't count.

"Wasn't that meal great? I'm gonna have to call Kendra and get the recipe." Tyler said, walking through the front door.

"You asked her three times, babe. If she said no in person she'll say no over the phone." Jared said comically.

"Okay, so I'll have to create my own version, but it'll be just as damn good."

"I'm gonna go to bed." I announced. "But before I do can I talk to the two of you?" This was the moment I had been waiting for. I'm gonna ask for the basement as well as hand in an important item.

"Sure, bud, we'll be in the living room." Jared said.

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Keegan said.

I went into my room and grabbed a disc that I've been anxious to hand in. when I walked into the living room my heart was pounding. I've never been so nervous in my life.

"First, I'd like to know if I can have the basement to myself on Friday night. When I mean by myself I mean completely isolated from the both of you plus Keegan." Tyler and Jared shared a weird look. "I'm having Trevor over for dinner. It's part of my 'I'm sorry for being a jerk' plan. Is that okay?"

"I don't see a problem with it." Tyler said.

"I agree," Jared said.

My face lit up. "Really? Cool then," I smiled.

"So, what's next?" Jared asked.

"I want to give this to you." I handed him the disc.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's...it's...the sex tape." I barely got out. My cheeks burned the brightest shade of red I'm sure they've ever seen. My gaze fell to the floor. "I, um, just wanted to give that to you guys so that you could destroy it. I swear I erased it from my hard drive completely. And for the final thing I have to say..." A tear rolled down my cheek. I fixed my gaze upon them. "I'm really sorry about everything and thank you for giving me another chance. Before you guys came along not a lot of people were willing to do that."

Tyler began to stand up, but I collapsed into his lap. He pulled me into him and guided my head to his shoulder. I was crying hysterically. Jared rubbed my hair while Tyler was running his hand across my back.

* * * *

Tyler:

"I'm really glad Travers is changing around." Jared said.

"Yeah," I said.

"I'm also really glad he gave me the video."

"Make sure you destroy that tomorrow."

"I guess,"

"What do you mean you guess?" I asked incredulously. "You aren't seriously thinking of keeping that are you?"

"Well, I never got to see my rape. I'm sure I looked good. I mean, I look good in real life so imagine how good I look on tape!" he excitedly said.

I just stared at him with my mouth lying on the floor. "Jared, for God's sake, your son is naked on that disc having sex with you. You can't possibly want to watch it."

He smiled at me. "Just a few minutes. Besides, I'm horny."

I rolled my eyes, but for some reason still nodded my head. He popped the DVD into the player then jumped back on the bed. The movie started and I was already shocked at what I saw. A half-naked Travers was masturbating over Jared's lifeless body with an evil smirk on his face. He eventually came all over Jared's body then stripped the rest of his clothes off. He lubed Jared's cock with lotion and then straddled on top of him. Jared's cock was slowly being pushed into Travers. The look of ecstasy on Travers's face was disgusting to me. The only ass Jared's cock should be in is mine. I grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.

"I...I need some water." I said, standing up from the bed.

* * * *

Thursday

Travers:

The dinner date with Trevor is just a day away. Our dinner is still unplanned and unknown. I've been unsure of what to make for him. I want things to be perfect for him, for us. Coming up on blanks for dinner, I figured I should ask Tyler. He's practically a chef anyways. He'll definitely know what to do.

"Tyler," I said, walking into the kitchen.

He stopped washing dishes and turned around to face me. "Yeah, Travers?"

"I need your help planning dinner for tomorrow night. I have nothing on my mind." I whined.

"All righty," he smiled. "Do you know what he likes?"

"Well, I know he loves the flavor of coffee so I am going to making a coffee milkshake for dessert. Dinner is the thing I'm stuck on, though." I explained.

"What about chicken?" Tyler suggested.

"Well, the other problem with dinner is I don't know how to cook that good."

"No fear," Tyler laughed. "I'll help you cook tomorrow. We'll make a meal for him that you can take full credit for."

"Tyler, I can't do that. If you help me cook I'll have to tell him if he asks." I nervously said.

"Nonsense," he said. "I'll just assist you."

I nodded. "Okay, what do you have in mind then?"

"I see breaded chicken and salad and fried rice. Oh, my God, Trevor won't even know what hit him!" Tyler exclaimed. He stepped closer to me and smiled.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. He isn't your potential boyfriend, he's mine." I said.

Tyler laughed. "Give me something to work with here. What's his favorite color? Does he like classical music? Ooh, does he like massages?"

Tyler was throwing things at me left and right and I'm ashamed to say that I don't know anything about Trevor. I do know he used to like me a whole lot before I broke his heart. Actually, I know he still likes me a lot. I can hear it in his voice when I talk to him. I can see it in his eyes whenever we pass by each other at school. My feelings are so mixed about him, though. I mean, I am starting to really like him, but at the same time there's just something about him that I don't like. It could be his avoidance of some things I want to talk about like about his home life or himself for that matter. He definitely needs to learn how to take a compliment.

"I don't know anything about him." I ashamedly said.

"Well, now's your chance to learn! You and Trevor are going to have a perfect candlelit dinner."

His kind words brought tears to my eyes. "Thanks, Tyler, for everything." I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him.

"I'll always be here for you, Travers. I can't stress that enough." Tyler spoke softly.

*

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Trevor will be here any minute and things aren't going to plan. I burnt the fried rice. The chicken is just a little overcooked. But wait! The salad came out perfect. What a meal, huh? Burnt rice and chicken, but a perfect salad always makes my mouth water. Tyler was supposed to be helping me, but I forced him out of the kitchen. I wanted to tell Trevor that I made dinner. Tyler did, however, tell me what to do. Too bad those verbal instructions were lost almost as soon as he spoke them.

"Travers, how are things..." Tyler began, but stopped himself as he saw how things turned out for himself. "What happened?"

"I-I fucked up," I cried. I dropped my head into my hands.

"Travers, it's okay. We can fix this really quick." Tyler said enthusiastically.

"No, Trevor will be here any minute. Go get ready and I'll start figuring things out." he said.

"I just have to change. I took my shower while the rice was simmering. That's why it's burnt." I sobbed.

"Okay, go get changed and don't worry about it." Tyler softly said. "I'll fix things."

I nodded then walked to my room. I had my outfit laid out and everything. Since I don't know what Trevor's favorite color is, I just decided to go with a dark green shirt with a crazy neon design on it, then just some tight black pants.

I got into outfit and fixed my hair. It turned out even better than when I fixed it fresh out of the shower. Tyler was scurrying around in the kitchen when I walked out.

"You're actually making something?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I'm whipping up some pasta and pesto. I'll toss some chunks of chicken in there when it's done. With the pesto, you both won't be able to tell the chicken is a little dry. As for the rice, well, I couldn't do much, but I managed to take away a little bit of the burnt flavor." Tyler said quickly. He did not stop to talk, though; he just kept on moving around in a hasty manner.

"Tyler, you are a lifesaver!" I said loudly.

"You have the table all ready, right? The candles are lit and everything?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just have to set the plates and get us drinks." I said.

"Great," Tyler sighed. "I just have to wait for the pasta then everything will be-" Tyler was cut off by the doorbell. "Shit,"

"What am I going to do!?" I nervously asked him.

"Um, uh, um, um," Tyler danced around the kitchen. "Ooh, take out the trash and stall him outside! Give me five minutes!"

I took the garbage bag out of the bin and carried it to the front door. I opened the door and there stood Trevor looking extremely sexy. He had on a tight black shirt underneath an unbuttoned dress shirt. His tight-ish pants were showing off his amazing ass. I suddenly realized another reason why he'd gotten more attractive to me. Trevor has definitely lost some weight.

"Hi," he shyly spoke.

"Hey, Trevor," I said loud enough for Tyler to hear. "I have to take the trash out. Care to join me?"

"Uh, sure," he replied.

"So, you look pretty hot tonight, Trevor, if it's not too bold to say." I grinned.

Even in the dark I could see him blushing. "Thanks,"

I tossed the bag into the trash bin then just stood looking towards Trevor. He was just looking up at the sky. At that moment I was curious to know what his thoughts were. His nervousness was apparent, but I want to know what's going on in that head. Then, I got an idea.

"Come with me," I whispered, taking his hand in mine.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Shh," I led him to the gate to the back yard.

The back yard is a perfect area for gazing at the universe. I not only go out back during the day, but also the night. The cool air at night almost feels like being in the water to me. I stopped just off of the path and lied down.

"What are you doing?" Trevor asked.

"Lay next to me," I ordered.

"What? Travers, I don't want to lay..."

"Trevor, please," I quietly muttered. He sighed defeat and laid down next to me. The warmth radiating from his body was gentle and soothing to my heart. I got chills when I felt his arm pressing against mine. A smile crept upon my face. "Isn't this nice?"

"Yeah, the stars are so awesome." Trevor whispered.

Being bolder, I snaked my hand onto his then looked over at him. He was still staring into the night sky, but I noticed his eyes were getting glossy. Trevor and I continued to gaze into the stars. I figured Tyler should be done by now so I stood up and ushered Trevor with me. As we walked through the front door, Tyler was just coming from upstairs.

"Hi, Trevor," Tyler said. I noticed he was a little sweaty and out of breath.

"Hi, Mr. Delfino," Trevor smiled.

"Well, you boys have fun. Jared and I will be in our room if you need us for anything." Tyler said. Trevor and I just nodded then Tyler went back upstairs.

I took Trevor downstairs carefully. The only light source in the entire basement was two candles sitting atop a table. Accompanying the candles were two bowls of pasta and two champagne glasses filled with...something, I don't even know. Tyler must've done that because I sure didn't.

"Wow," Trevor sighed. "You really went all out, Travers." A huge smiled was showing on his face.

"I just wanted this night to be really special for you. I wanted to show you how much I really do care."

"Oh, Travers," Trevor cooed.

* * * *

Jared:

"I hope they're doing okay." Tyler yawned.

"I'm sure they're doing fine." I said, uncovering myself because it was getting warm. "Remember our first date? I took you to The Forbidden Region and was nervous the entire time." I chuckled as the memory came to my mind.

"Babe, that wasn't our first date." Tyler said.

"Of course it was,"

"No, I believe our first date was at Piero's Acqua Piazza. But you did take me out to The Forbidden Region the week before. It wasn't an official date, but I still enjoyed the time I had with you." Tyler said.

"Whatever," I laughed.

"You do remember that night, though, right? I mean, that was the night that we were official. Like I knew we were official before, but that night really marked it."

"I remember that night," I assured him. "You were so handsome and sexy in that suit of yours. At Piero's you were the nervous wreck if I remember correctly. After we ordered our food I told you to trust me." I stood up and pulled Tyler from bed. "Celine Dion began to play and I asked you to dance with me. You were beginning to cry, but managed to say yes. As the song played, you laid your head on my shoulder." Tyler placed his head on my shoulder just like he did that one special night. "The song came to an end, I said then we shared our first kiss." Tyler lifted his head and then brought his lips closer to mine. They locked together and we shared a passionate kiss just as we had that night.

"I'm so in love with you, Jared." Tyler said tenderly. "Please keep telling me about that night."

"While we were eating we kept looking at each other and smiling. Then the waiter brought dessert out." I continued.

"I remember that specifically. It was a small blue box covered with blue gum paste and had yellow gum paste ribbon on it. I lifted the lid off and coiled up was a silver necklace with a solid piece in the front with embroidery on it. It said Jared+Tyler=Love. Then you gave me a cute little speech before you asked me to go out with you." Tyler took in a deep breath like he was about to start crying. "I don't wear it anymore because I wanted to look professional in school."

"Baby, it's all right. You don't have to wear it. I've never once said anything about it."

"Yeah, but I should be wearing it still to this day." Tyler began to sob.

I shook my head. "Tyler, listen to me, you are wearing the wedding ring I put on your finger years ago. That is what matters to me. The necklace matters don't get me wrong, but it's not as special as the ring." I caressed his back while he continued to sob on my shoulder.

* * * *

Travers:

"That was really good, Travers." Trevor said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I blushed. "I'll go get dessert." I ran upstairs and got into the freezer. When I was leaving, Jared was entering.

"Hey, how's it going?" he asked me.

"It's going great," I grinned. "I'm just getting our shakes then I'm gonna start the movie."

"Okay, have fun then." Jared said nicely.

I quickly made my way back downstairs to find Trevor in the game room. He was just staring at the pool table. I startled him on accident as I stood next to him.

"My bad," I giggled.

"No problem," Trevor also giggled.

"I made us some mocha shakes. That's at least one thing that I remember." I said happily.

Trevor seemed a little disappointed after I said that, but I let it slide for now. I know I have a lot to learn about things, and I'm going to try as damn hard as I can. We sipped our milkshakes and chatted about random things. I did, however, learn a lot more about him as he did me. Simple things like his favorite color and smell, even his favorite kind of hair spray. And before either of us knew it, the time had just flown by. When I checked a clock it was nearing midnight.

"Damn, my dad is going to kill me. I have to go now." Trevor said urgently.

"I can get Tyler or Jared to drive you home if you want." I said.

"I don't want to put them out. Besides, I'm sure they're already asleep."

"Jared and Tyler?" I laughed. "I seriously doubt that. I'll go ask them." Both of us hurriedly made our way back stairs. I heard music coming from the living room. The two men were glued together and dancing to the music. They were really into as they didn't hear me clear my throat. "Guys!"

"Huh? What?" Tyler mumbled. They stopped moving and stared at the two of us.

"Can either of you take Trevor home?" I asked.

"No," Tyler said. I was surprised by the sternness of his voice. "You can take him home. The keys are hanging inside the pantry door."

A huge smile formed on my face. I haven't been able to drive my car since the day I got it. My excitement didn't go unnoticed by anyone though. Jared was practically laughing at me. I grabbed Trevor's hand and drug him into the kitchen. As I grabbed the keys, Trevor shouted his thanks to Tyler and Jared. I opened the garage door then jumped in my car. It still smelled the same as it did when I got it on my birthday.

"You never told me you had a car." Trevor stated.

"Yeah, well, they took it away from me like a few days after I got it so I never really bothered." I replied. I started the engine up, but it suddenly stalled.

"Are you sure you know how to drive it?" laughed Trevor.

"Shut up," I giggled. "Give me a break! I haven't driven this thing since I got it and my manual skills are a little rusty." I started it this time without stalling.

The short drive to Trevor's was quiet, but not awkward. It was like a much needed silence to end a perfect night. Besides, I had the top down so any talking would've been drowned out by the wind passing through us. I pulled up to his house then turned towards him.

"I'm glad you gave me a second chance, Trevor. I promise you things will be different." I said as tenderly as I could.

"Thanks for doing this tonight. It was really great and I had a blast." Trevor grinned. Then suddenly, the non-awkward silence became very awkward. I know that at the end of a date you usually kiss them, but this didn't seem like the right thing to do. My worries were interrupted, however, by Trevor taking the initiative and pushing his lips onto mine. His sudden action took me by surprise, but I quickly got into the quick kiss.

He pulled back and smiled. "Thanks again, Travers. I'll call you tomorrow."

A perfect kiss to end a perfect evening. Little did either of us know at the time, though, that someone else saw the kiss and was definitely not happy about it.

The act itself never varies, but each kiss carries with it a meaning all its own. It can convey a husband's eternal devotion. Or a wife's enormous regret. It can symbolize a mother's growing concern. Or a lover's growing passion. But whatever its meaning, each kiss reflects a basic human need. The need to connect to another human being. This desire is so strong it's always amazing when some people don't understand it.*

* * * * * * * * * * * *

*© by Marc Cherry, 2006

I hope you enjoyed chapter sixteen. As always feel free to e-mail me with any comments or questions. Also feel free to join my group at this address. Thanks!

And don't forget to purchase A Life So Changed. You may purchase it here: Bobby's Storefront. If you liked the story online, wait until you see it in print! It would mean the world to me if you bought a copy! Thanks again!