Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 23:47:30 -0600
From: Kevin Mac <farscape20@hotmail.com>
Subject: RA Adventures chapter 11

RA Adventures
(C) KV 2000

If you're offended by sexual activities between men, or if you're younger
than 18, it is my (sad) duty to ask you to leave.  If you're over 18 and
meant to be here, please, kick back, relax and enjoy!

-----------------------------

Chapter 11

     I soaped up and let the water cascade down my back and chest.  My
brain was still on overload.  I felt like my emotions were running all over
the place.  I leaned against the back wall and pressed against the cold
tile.  It felt good...grounded somehow.  It was real.  I wondered how my
little brain was capable of coming up with a fantasy that real, that good,
that...that perfect.  It just wasn't fair.  The sensations had seemed so
real...the kind of real that left a sensory impression in my mind, one that
I wouldn't forget.  I took a deep breath and let it out, then turned off
the water and toweled off.

     I padded into the room and slipped into some clean boxers and some
fresh jeans.  I felt better.  I looked over at Clint, still asleep on the
bed.  His naked chest rose and fell as he breathed.  I remembered the
texture of his skin from the dream and I wanted to run my hands along his
body to see if it was different.  It didn't **look* different.  I would've
felt better if some part of the dream had been very different, if I could
find something out of the ordinary...some way to make it seem less real.
He had kicked the sheet off and was sprawled wearing nothing but his
boxers.  A scar ran a thin pink line up the inside of his thigh and I knew
it ran under the boxers.  I just let him sleep.  I didn't really know how
I'd feel looking into the eyes of the real McCoy after the dream.

     I turned around to find Dan standing behind me.  I jumped.

     "Shit, dude.  You scared me to death," I whispered.

     He smiled that same mischievous smile I'd seen on Clint.  "Sorry.  The
pizza's ready if you want to come down and get some."

     "Cool.  I'll be right down.  Should we wake him up?"

     "Yeah, do that."  And with that he turned and left me alone in the
room with Clint.  Not exactly what I'd been thinking.

     I sat down and put my hand on his ankle.  His skin was warm to the
touch.  I shook him lightly.

     "Clint...wake up, bro.  The pizza's here," I said softly.  He breathed
in deeply and his eyes peeked open.  He looked so completely catatonic that
I couldn't help but smile.  "You awake, dude?"

     "Mmm...yeah."

     "Cool.  Well, I'll go on downstairs."

     "Wait up.  I'll go with you," he mumbled sleepily.
     "Kay, but hurry up.  I'm starving."

     "Me too."  He opened his eyes fully and lifted them to meet mine.  I
felt my chest tighten.

     "Go get cleaned up," I finally said, getting up from the bed.  He just
smiled and nodded.  He pulled himself out of bed and slid back into his
jeans.  The cotton hugged the contours of his legs and butt.  I watched,
trying not to be obvious; just two guys in a room.  Ri-ight.

     I pulled on a t-shirt while I waited for Clint to finish washing his
face and sprits on some cologne.  He walked out looking a lot fresher.  I
did my best to appear casual, to shut off the intense eye searching that
I'd been doing.

     "You all right?" he asked.  So much for nonchalant.

     "Yeah, just a little out of it.  No biggie."  He looked at me
questioningly, but let it go.  Smart cookie.  "Shall we?"

     "Let's go, dude.  I could eat a horse."  I laughed, and followed him
down the stairs.  I tried not to stare at his ass...too long.  Was I
getting just a little carried away?  Nah.

     We walked into the kitchen to find the Tuckers already sitting,
waiting for us.

     "Nice of you to join us, sleepyhead," Dan said.

     "Shut up, punk," answered Clint.  I rolled my eyes and shook my head,
smiling.  The Tucker parents caught my expression and cracked up.  We
laughed as we finally sat down at the table.

     I should have known that we wouldn't be having anything from Pizza
Hut.
  Sitting on the table were what appeared to be authentic European
oven-fired pizzas, complete with fresh tomatoes and olives.  They looked
delicious.  Add to that the bottle of Pinot Noire and suddenly it didn't
seem so very casual at all.

     We all talked easily, sparring back and forth.  They were no slouches
in the humor area.  I also learned that the Tucker side of the family would
be joining us the next day for the Thanksgiving festivities.  I didn't know
what exactly to expect, but if Clint was anything like me, I was betting he
was glad I was there to keep him entertained.  My cousins were all either
substantially older or younger than me.  Family gatherings were fun for a
while, but only every so often.  I was glad that grandparent birthdays were
only once a year!

     The food tasted great, and I enjoyed the reality of it.  I could
ground myself in the dinner conversation...nothing dream-like about it.
Clint lit up around his family.  He was more jocular and laid back than I'd
ever seen him.  I still couldn't shake the sensory impressions from the
dream, but I relaxed into my normal role and things were easier that way.
I just had to shut part of my brain off.  Otherwise, I'd be perfectly
content to think about just how sexy a t-shirt and jeans looked on Clint.
Gawd, had it been that long since I'd gotten any?!

     I poured myself another glass of wine and sat back after finishing my
pizza.  Clint's mom then brought out some authentic baklava for dessert.  I
really was in heaven.  I had this feeling that if I ever did return to the
little Greek restaurant back home it would seem, somehow, not quite so
good.  Oh well...  The baklava was, of course, perfect.  In fact, I half
hoped the wine would be bad...then at least this wouldn't all be so
extremely memorable.

     After wrapping up our conversation the three of us guys headed
upstairs to relax for a while.  We were doing a lot of "relaxing", but I
wasn't about to complain.  We piled into Clint's room and sprawled out
wherever was comfortable.  I ended up lying across the bottom of Clint's
bed with Dan on the floor and Clint lounging in the couch.

     "This your usual after-dinner ritual?" I asked.  "I mean, I expected
better entertainment from guys who have a bathroom the size of my living
room."  Clint and Dan exchanged amused looks and turned back to me.

     "Well, you haven't seen the hot tub yet..." Dan trailed off.

     "Now **that* sounds like an improvement," I said looking straight at
Clint.  "At least somebody in your family can get creative."

     "Yeah, yeah.  Let's get down there."

     We changed into board shorts and padded down to a large area on the
ground floor that I hadn't noticed earlier.  We walked through a very well
stocked fitness room and Dan held the door open for us.  I walked into a
huge room.  The outside wall was mainly windows which had to be about ten
feet high.  A very large pool took up the bulk of the room, and what could
have passed for a kiddies pool sat in the corner.  Clint flipped a switch
on the wall as we walked along and the bright fluorescent lights dimmed.
Then the little pool foamed to life.  The ceramic tiled floor was cold on
my bare feet, but the steam from the hot tub looked promising.

     Dan was the first to make it to the pool.  He climbed onto the ledge,
facing away from us, and slid his shorts down to reveal a firm and smooth
buttocks.  It didn't help my lascivious thoughts one bit.  It **did* earn
him quick whistles and catcalls from Clint and me.

     "You ain't seen nothin' yet, baby," he called over his shoulder.  He
turned and swayed his hips at us, which just earned him more loud laughter.
He was just as pleasant from the front as from behind.  This family was
really bad news.  Clint and I climbed onto the ledge and Clint's shorts
promptly joined Dan's on the floor.  I watched Clint's muscular backside
ripple as he stepped into the pool.  Only **after* he was in did I realize
that yes, I was probably supposed to follow suit.  What the hell, I thought
and slid my shorts down, stepped out of them and was quite relieved to
notice that my lustful look hadn't been long enough to get much of a
reaction.  Bully for me.

     I slid into the hot water and we just sat in silence for a few
minutes...partly relaxing, partly adjusting to the elevated temperature.

     "OK, so what was the point of the shorts?" I finally asked.

     "We couldn't very well walk through the house buck naked," Dan
answered.  I chuckled.

     "I suppose not.  Anyway, nice tub," I said.

     "It is, isn't it?" asked Clint.

     "Smart ass," I said.

     "Well, at least **some* part of me is smart."

     "True, 'cause we know it isn't your head," Dan added.

     We sparred with each other until our skin pruned and it was time to
get out.  We dripped as we walked to some loungers alongside the pool.
None of us bothered to cover up.  Finally the cold air in the room had
played over my skin long enough to give me goose bumps.

     "Well, if we're all done watching our dicks shrivel, I think I'm ready
to watch a movie or something," I finally said.  As if on cue, they both
looked down at their limp pricks, which were really not very shriveled, and
laughed.

     I got up and went for my shorts and tossed theirs to them.  I was
relieved.  Clint and Dan both seemed extremely comfortable without clothes.
If I was without clothes I was always naked, I never managed to pull that
smooth nude off.  It wasn't that I was ashamed of my body at all.  Call it
overmodest upbringing.  I call it stupid, but oh well.

     "Whatever, dude.  You just got tired of feeling out-sized," Clint
said, sliding a towel around his shoulders.

     "Uh huh, yeah, I **know* that's it.  Nah, the truth is, I want your
body and I just didn't know if I could control myself."  I smirked back at
him.  "Get real, Tucker."

     Danny just laughed at us and led the way back upstairs.  We all
changed into fresh undies once we got back to Clint's room and didn't
bother putting on anything else.  That left all three of us in different
colors and styles of boxer briefs.  Very nice.

     We settled in for a new movie Dan had gotten on DVD.  I got
comfortable on the couch and Clint lay on the bed.  Dan was on his stomach
on the floor leaving me a commanding view of his ass.  It was pleasant
scenery, to say the least.  I shook my head and focused my eyes on the
movie.  I was starting to sound like sex-starved freak, even to me.  I made
a mental note to "relieve some stress" the next time I had the shower to
myself.

     We were about half way into the movie when Clint's mom stuck her head
in the door and brought us a giant bowl of popcorn.

     "Thought you guys might enjoy this," she said.

     We all assented hurriedly.  She smiled and let herself out quietly.  I
loved parents that were unobtrusive.  We passed the bowl of popcorn and
enjoyed the second half of the movie.  It had been very suspenseful and the
plot really hadn't been half bad.  It bode well for the director.

     Clint flipped off the TV and tossed me a pillow from the bed.  I had
grabbed a blanket from the closet earlier, so I was good to go.  I bedded
down and felt sleep press down on my eyes like a giant hand.  I happily
gave in and became one with the pillow.

-----------------------------

     I was wrenched out of my sleep some time later by a strange ringing
noise that I couldn't identify. I sat up on the couch looking around for
the source of my sleepless discomfort.  Clint calmly rolled over to the
side of his bed and answered a phone I hadn't realized was there.  I
settled back down and tried to fall asleep.

     "Hello?" he muttered sleepily.

     "Oh, hey bro.  What's going on?
     ...Just sleeping...
     ...It's all right.  Got in this afternoon...yeah...
     ...been hanging out, nothing major...
     ...I'm okay, hanging in there.  What's up with you?...
     ...Okay.  And it can't wait until tomorrow?...
     ...So what's up?...
     ...Dude, it's me.  Just spit it out...
     ...C'mon man, it can't be all that..."

     There was a silence long enough that I almost fell back asleep.  I
wasn't **trying* to eavesdrop...honest.  I had my eyes open just enough to
notice Clint get up and slowly pace the room.

     "...I'm here...
      ...I'm just not sure what to say.  I mean, why wait so long and why
now?...
     ...Oh...
     ...You're an asshole, you know?  How could you think that?..."  He
walked over to right in front of the sofa.  I had shut my eyes completely
and was concentrating on breathing deeply and sleepily.  I felt his eyes
boring holes into me.

     "...I wanna talk more about it later...
     ...Defintely...
     ...Ok.  Later bud...
     ...Yeah, don't worry about it...
     ...We're cool.  Promise...
     ...G'night..."  And with that I heard the off button beep, still very
close to me.  I could hear him breathing next to me and I fought the urge
to look up at him and see what expression was crossing his face.  Finally,
after what had seemed like forever, I heard him put the phone back on the
cradle and get into bed.

     I let my thoughts float around.  If we'd been at home I could have
probably figured to whom he had been talking.  As it was, I had no point of
reference.  I finally relaxed and let sleep drag me back under.

-----------------------------

     I woke up early the following morning to the sunshine streaming in
between the blinds.  Since the window was right next to me it was almost
unavoidable.  I pulled myself into a sitting position and finally lumbered
toward the bathroom.

     After cleaning up enough to be presentable and slipping on a pair of
gym pants I headed downstairs.  When I got down the stairs I admired the
view again.  The sun shone through the crystal windows and danced over the
floor.

     The smell of cooking food filled the air and made my mouth water.  I
walked past the dining room and did a double-take.  The long table was
immaculately set with crystal and china.  Recently polished silver gleamed
aside the plates.  I walked toward the kitchen, stood in the doorway and
peered in.

     A pleasantly plump woman glanced my way from the scads of pots and
pans boiling and simmering.  She flashed me a large gentle smile.

     "Good morning, sugar," she said.  Her voice carried that same
sing-song drawl I'd recognize anywhere.  I'd met a fellow southerner.

     "I'd offer you a good breakfast, but as you can see, my hands are a
little tied up," she continued.  "There are some croissants on the table
and some fresh fruit, and I am Mary."

     "Yes ma'am.  I'm Kevin McReardon.  It's nice to meet you."

     "Ooh, a young man with matters too," she cooed.  "What a refreshin'
change of pace.  Your momma did a fine job," she said as she looked me from
head to toe.  "Just a fine job."

     She and I both laughed.  The sound of her laughter fit her perfectly,
somehow.  It was hearty, joyful, sincere and reminded me of apple pie.

     I walked past her and saw Mrs. Tucker sitting at the table, drinking
what I presumed to be coffee and looking out the window.  I took a step
into the room and she turned and smiled warmly at me.

     "Good morning," she said pleasantly.

     "Good morning."

     "I believe you have both the boys beat.  They won't be up for another
couple of hours."

     I nodded and smiled at her.  She motioned toward the chair next to
her.
  On the table were sitting both a bowl of fresh fruit and the croissants.

     "There is also hot water in the carafe on the counter if you'd like
tea, or juice in the refrigerator," she said.

     "Thank you, I think I'll have some tea."

     "A man after my own heart," she said, that same warming smile
spreading across her face.  I poured myself a cup of hot water and dunked a
teabag in it as I walked over to the table.  I pulled out the chair next to
her and helped myself to a croissant.

     "Did you rest well?  I hope Clint had the good sense to not make you
sleep on that dreadful couch of his."  I couldn't restrain a smile.  "Good
God," she continued, "well, my apologies on behalf of my ill-mannered son."

     "It was fine, really," I said, chuckling.  "I would have moved if I'd
gotten uncomfortable."

     "You would think he was raised in a barn."  The smile returned and lit
up her face.

     "So, how long before the troops start arriving?" I asked.

     "We should be sans Tuckers until early afternoon."

     "Good, I'll have plenty of time to get ready."

     "I do hope you're rubbing off on Clint.  A little foresight really
wouldn't hurt the boy."  I laughed.

     "He's pretty good about thinking ahead, most of the time."  She looked
at me with raised eyebrows and a most skeptical look.  We both laughed.  I
piled some fruit on my plate and tried not to eat it as ravenously as I'd
have liked to.

     "Kevin, I believe I've neglected to thank you for what you did for
Clint on the beach.  I was so relieved to know that he has friends who are
capable of making good decisions and who can watch out for one another."

     "No thanks are necessary.  I did what I had to do and what I'm sure
Clint would have done in my place."

     "Nevertheless, I am grateful." I smiled and nodded.

     "You're welcome."

     She took a sip from her teacup.  "How has he been?"

     "From the accident?  Fine, I think.  He doesn't talk about it hurting
anymore."

     She shook her head.  "No, I mean in general.  Clint can be very
guarded with his emotions, and I have not been around him enough recently
to read through him."  I met her almost clear gray eyes and thought for a
few moments.

     "I think he's alright.  I think the separation from Christi affected
him more than he'd like to admit."

     "I think so," she agreed.

     "But I also think he's extremely resilient.  He's seemed much more
himself over the past few days.  I think he's probably fine."

     She nodded at me.  I could all but see the wheels turning in her head.
"Your friendship is very important to him," she said finally.  She put her
hand over mine and said, "I'm glad you came."

     I felt a grin spread across my face.  "I'm glad you invited me."  She
patted my hand and got up taking her tea with her.

     "I'd love to continue our chat, but I'm afraid I have finishing
touches to put on a brief before the multitudes arrive," she said smiling.
"You are in your house."

     With that, she turned and left me to the remainder of the croissants.
I polished off one more and climbed back up the stairs.  I really was glad
I had come.  It was great to get away from the humdrum routine of everyday
living.

     I walked into the near twilight of Clint's room.  He was lying on his
back with the sheet barely covering his backside.  If I hadn't known better
I'd have guessed he was sleeping nude.  I crossed the room and unzipped my
suitcase as quietly as possible.  I pulled out a pair of khakis, a gray
button-down and a pair of black boxer briefs.  I stole some hangers from
Clint's closet and hung the shirt and pants on them and pulled them into
the bathroom with me.  I hung them on a towel rack near the shower in hopes
that the steam from the shower would smooth out some of the
travel-wrinkles.

     After getting the water temperature to where I was comfortable with
it, I stripped and stepped into the little glass cell.  The water felt
great and I turned it a little hotter and let it warm up my neck muscles.
I shampooed my hair and noticed that other parts of my body were enjoying
the hot water as well.  I backed into the warm spray and let the suds rinse
down my body.  I reached down and gave myself a few gentle strokes.  Just
then I heard the door open.  I whirled and faced the wall.  I tried to peek
out and couldn't see through the fogged-over glass.  I then logically
reasoned that if I couldn't see them, odds are they couldn't see too much
of me.

     "Morning Kevin," said Dan.

     "G'morning.  We seem to be making this a regular meeting place," I
said chuckling.

     He laughed.  "Yeah, sorry about that, dude.  I'm used to having Clint
around, or lately just having the place to myself."

     "No problem, guy.  It's just us guys...doesn't bother me one way or
the other.  It's your place, after all."

     "Cool.  Have you been down to breakfast yet?"

     "Yeah, I ate with your mom a little while ago."

     "Damn, dude.  You **did* get up early."  I couldn't help but laugh.

     "Yeah well, just wanted to make sure I got dressed and shit before
your family showed up."

     "Awww, you shouldn't have..."

     "Shut up, punk.  I know where you sleep."  His turn to laugh.

     "Alright, I'm gone," he said, shutting the door behind him.

     I finished rinsing off and stepped out of the shower.  I cursed myself
for forgetting to grab a towel, so I dripped across the floor.  I did
notice that the clothes looked passable.  Hooray for not ironing.  I
grabbed the towel and dried off.

     After slipping on the boxer briefs and khakis I went back into Clint's
room.  I walked straight for the suitcase and retrieved a suitable
undershirt.  I was about to put it on when I heard a whistle from the bed.
I started laughing and finished putting the t-shirt on.  When I'd gotten my
head through I looked over at the bed.  Clint has rolled onto his back and
was propped against the headboard, his arm behind his head.  It left his
torso naked and touchable.

     "Looking nice, dude," he said.

     "Yeah, thanks.  I wasn't sure how you guys did Thanksgiving, but we
always wore clothes," I said, looking down at his exposed torso and thigh.
He laughed.

     "Yeah, we do too.  I was thinking about breaking the tradition.  What
do you say?"

     "I'd say you're a lazy-ass fothermuker, but that's just me."  He
started laughing softly.

     "A **what*?"

     "Yeah, yeah, never mind.  Are you getting up, or what?"

     "Don't get testy, Holmes," he said in his best British accent.  I
chuckled and rolled my eyes.  "I presume you've already eaten?"

     "How often have I said to you that when you've eliminated the
possible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"  He
laughed outright.

     "Touch‚.  I thought you were gonna say something stupid like
'Elementary, my dear Watson."

     "Gimme a little credit, Tucker." He nodded, smiling at me.  He got up
from under the sheets and my earlier suspicions had been correct.  He
wasn't wearing a stitch.

     "I'm gonna jump in the shower and then we'll go make sure everything's
ready for the fam," he said.

     "Sounds good.  I'm just going to shave while you're showering so
that'll be out of the way."

     "You just want to see me naked, don't you?"  I looked him from head to
toe and gave an unimpressed shrug.  He cracked up.  "You are an ass, Kev."

     "Eh, what can I say?  Nothing I haven't already seen."  He just kept
laughing and then punched me in the shoulder.

     He followed me into the bathroom where I set my things on the counter
and lathered my face up with shaving gel.  I was drawing the first strokes
over my skin when I caught the movement behind me and I watched in the
mirror as Clint stepped into the shower.  The muscles in his legs rippled
and his skin looked soft and smooth.  It was a great contradiction, smooth
perfect skin stretched over carved marble.  I went back to concentrating on
shaving...just didn't feel like explaining a red gash across my face.

     I finished shaving slipped on my gray shirt after splashing some
soothing something- or-another on my face.  Couldn't have nasty razor burn,
now could I?  I finished buttoning it and exited the room just as I heard
Clint turning off the water.  I had learned that jokes could be pushed too
far, and staying in the bathroom might have pushed the envelope just a
little out of reach.

     I stepped into my shoes and headed downstairs to the great room, as I
had finally heard it called.  It was a befitting title.  I walked back
toward the kitchen.  Though I'd already eaten, the smell of food was making
my stomach growl all over again...pavlovian response and all that.  I said
hello to Mary again, who let me steal a role from the tray of freshly baked
ones.  She smiled at me as I polished it off and she couldn't have looked
more maternal if she'd tried.

     Clint walked up to us as I was wiping my fingers off.  Her smile
widened when she saw him, which was quite an achievement in and of itself.
She hugged him tight.

     "Hey honey!  It's so good to see you.  It's been so long, why, I
started to think you must have gotten tired of old Mary's cookin'."

     "Never, Mary," he said smiling.  "Nothing in the whole world like
coming home to one of your meals."

     "Get yourself something to eat and then y'all get out the kitchen.  We
got a deadline working against us," she said.  You couldn't help but smile
around Mary.  Any other expression just wouldn't fit.

     Clint piled some food on a plate and I followed him back into the
great room.  He set his plate on the large marble and glass table.  I sat
down on the couch opposite him.

     "So, what's the plan?" I asked.

     He finished chewing, swallowed and said, "Everbody's going to start
getting here in a little while.  We say hello and then defend ourselves the
best we can."

     I chuckled.  "Sounds good.  How does everything work?"

     "We eat, we drink, we're merry and then we die."

     "Clever, really," I smirked.

     "Fine, don't get testy," he said, smiling.  "After dinner everybody
pretty much does their own thing.  The women talk and the men watch a game
-- pretty typical.
  We can do whatever, but we should probably stay around here."

     "Of course, I was just curious."

     "Oh, I know.  I was just thinking out loud.  **I* wish we could leave
to go do something."

     "Maybe we'll get lucky." He smiled and took a couple more bites.

     "Hey," he finally said.  His eyes had grown serious.  "You might want
to know this..."

     I'd never find out how he would have finished the sentence because the
doorbell rang and we were promptly face to face with Aunt Carolyn and Uncle
Richard.

     "Aunt Carolyn, Uncle Richard, this is my roommate, Kevin McReardon,"
Clint said.

     "A pleasure to meet you," said Carolyn as she shook my hand.  She was
a graceful woman in her forties, or so it appeared.  She had flaming red
hair and deep blue eyes.  >From the facial structure it was evident that it
was she who was related to Mr. Tucker.  Richard was a shorter man, maybe
about 5'8", which put him at a few inches shorter than me.  He smiled and
had a surprisingly firm grip.  I guess he was used to being the little kid
on the block.

     "Kevin, nice to meet you.  You gotta watch out for this bunch!"  I
laughed and nodded.  We escorted them in and further greetings were made as
more and more family members arrived and were properly greeted.

     The last of the Tucker siblings to arrive was Elizabeth, so I'd
overheard.  Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Mike.  She was Adam Tucker's twin and
had the same shade of light brown hair that both Dan and her twin had.  She
was very beautiful and only thin lines at her eyes betrayed her age.  Uncle
Mike was also striking.  He was slender and had an electric smile that was
only accented by his smooth tan skin.

     "You must be Kevin," said Carolyn.

     I smiled and nodded.  "Yes ma'am."

     "I'm Clint's Aunt Elizabeth, but everyone calls me Aunt Liz."

     "It's very nice to meet you."

     "Mike," she called, "come over here for a second, please." He walked
toward us flashing that smile.  "Mike, this is Kevin, Clint's roommate."

     "Ah!" he said.  "Mike Weathersby, we've heard a lot about you," he
said as he shook my hand.  Weathersby...duh.  I finally put all the pieces
together.

     "It's my pleasure," I said.

     "Thank you for putting up with Michael for us.  He had good things to
say about you."  I smiled and wondered just what all he'd really had to
say.

     "Vicious lies, all of it," I said.  They laughed and invited me to
come visit sometime so they could return the hospitality.  Clint walked up
and greeted them.

     "I see you're making the rounds," he said to me.

     "I'm trying to be social, Mr. 'Host'."

     "I'm going to go grab a drink from the kitchen.  Wanna come?"

     "Sure," I agreed and politely excused myself from a conversation I was
no longer a part of.

     I followed Clint into the kitchen and he pulled a bottle of Bacardi
from a cabinet and poured some into a couple of classes of coke.  I raised
an eyebrow at him and he flashed me his mischievous grin.

     "What's the fun of family get-togethers if you can't be bad?"

     I smiled and took the glass from him.

     "You holding up okay out there?" he asked.

     "Yeah.  I'm decent at defending myself." He laughed and sipped his
drink.

     "Cool.  Hey, Dan asked me about getting a movie later on.  What do you
think?"

     "Sounds fine.  I'm game for whatever," I said.

     "Nifty..." he said, and as soon as the word was out of his mouth we
both laughed.

     "Try not to get too toasted **before* dinner," I finally said.  Come
to think of it, I think the proportion of coke to Bacardi was probably
about one to three.

     The door opened and Michael himself popped his head in.  My eyes went
a little wide.

     "You started without me, bastard!" he said smiling as he walked in.
He was followed by another guy that caught my eye immediately.  Michael
finally registered that it was me standing next to Clint and his smile
faltered around the edges for a second.
  I'd have never noticed it if I hadn't known him the way I did.  His eyes
grew tenderer.

     "Kev.  What are you doing here?" It was a good question.

     "Just chillin', dude," I said and we all laughed.  His eyes had that
'we'll talk later' look in them.

     "Guys, this is Gabe.  Gabe, my cousin Clint and his roommate Kevin."

     "Nice to meet you both," he said.  We all shook hands, and his eyes
caught mine.  They were very intense.  He was tall, slender, and had that
tanned model look to him.  He was muscled in all the right places, like he
enjoyed sports a good deal.  A look of recognition flashed through our eyes
and I suddenly understood who he was to Michael.  Michael noticed it too.

     "We're gonna go say hi to my parents," he said.  "We'll catch up with
you guys in a little and figure out what we're doing tonight."

     "Cool," said Clint as they walked out.  I don't know why, but I
suddenly wasn't quite so peppy.

     Clint picked up on it and walked over to me.  "That's what I was going
to tell you about earlier, dude," he said before taking another sip of his
drink.

     "Oh," I said, and I was surprised I said anything at all.

     "Yeah, I know.  I've known Michael all my life and I had no clue.
It's cool enough, I guess.  I just feel a little weird now.  It kinda wigs
me out, but I don't want him to know or see that."  My stomach sank
further.  This really wasn't getting any better.  "You okay?" he asked.

     I nodded and took a breath.  "Yeah, dude.  It was just unexpected,
that's all.  It's cool. " He smiled, evidently satisfied.

     "Cool," he said.  "Let's go find Danny and plan our escape for
tonight."

-----------------------------

Okay guys...chapter 11 come and gone.  I'm sorry it took so long to get it
out.  I had to do a lot of thinking for future events not to mention that
I've been out of town a fair amount.  Damned work and responsibilities!
Seriously though, thanks to those of you who have written and continue to
write.  I'm doing my best to keep abreast of the e-mails.  If I'm a little
tardy, please bear with me.  Feedback is essential for the progression of
the story.  Please let me know how you like or don't like what's going on.
Keep reading!  farscape20@hotmail.com