Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to real people is coincidental. The story contains graphic descriptions of sex between adult male teenagers. If the law in your jurisdiction prohibits you from reading such descriptions, please exit the story immediately. --Brew Maxwell
Coming Out
Chapter Four
Back in my room, both still naked, I said, "You said something about having a drink earlier. You want one?"
"You mean whiskey," he asked.
"Yeah. Why not? We don't have to get up for school in the morning. Do you want whiskey and coke?"
"Yeah. Sounds good. I think we ought to call school right now and leave a message that we're not going to be there the rest of the week. Do you think we should?"
"Yeah."
I looked up the school number in the phone book and dialed the attendance office. I told the machine my name, that I was already eighteen, and that I would be out for the rest of the week. When I finished, Jason did exactly the same thing. Because we were eighteen and, therefore, legally adults, we didn't have to have our parents call in our absences.
I made us each a pretty strong drink, and we went out into the den to have them and to cuddle. We each lit up a cigarette. I went back to my room for the only ashtray in the whole house and set it on the coffee table in front of us.
"I'll bet your dad would be pissed if he knew we were smoking in the house," Jason said.
"Oh, God. He'd have a fit. We probably shouldn't do it too much. They'll be able to smell it if we do."
Jason put out his half-finished cigarette.
"Let's don't smoke in here," he said. "I don't want you to get in trouble."
I put mine out, too. I took the ashtray into the kitchen to throw away the butts, and I washed it out. I took some air freshener into the den and sprayed a little. I hoped that would work.
"Do they even know you smoke," he asked.
"I don't think so. They found out Darren smokes and reamed his ass out for him over it. He didn't quit, though, even though he told them he did. I figured they'd do the same to me if they found out. Of course, they have bigger fish to fry on my ass now," I said.
Jason chuckled. "It's going to be all right, man. I just can't believe Kathy and Frank would be homosexual."
"They're not. We are," I said.
"We're what," he asked. At first I thought he was joking, but then I wasn't sure.
"We're homosexual. You and I. Ho-mo-sexual."
"I know. What's your point, Kent?"
"A minute ago you said you didn't think my parents would be homosexual. You meant to say homophobic, and I was just playing with you. Sorry, Babe. Bad joke."
"Oh, I see what you mean. Duh!" Then, "Do you know any other gay guys?"
"I'm sure I do. There must be tons of them at school. Nobody has told me they're gay, though. Except you, and I could already tell that."
"How could you tell? Do I act gay?" There was some concern in his voice.
"Sometimes you do," I said.
"Yeah? Like when? Huh?"
"Like about an hour ago when you had your dick stuck up my ass, for one."
"Very funny. Can people tell I'm gay by looking at me or talking to me?"
"No, Jason. You don't act gay, and you don't talk gay. We've been over this a hundred times, man. It hasn't changed."
"Phew. That's a relief," he said. God he was cute.
"Why do you care? You are gay. Everything you say and do is `gay.'"
"You don't act gay or talk gay, either. But you know who does?"
"I know who you think does. Si Parker, right?"
"Right as rain," he said. "That guy has got to be gay, if ever there was one."
"Why? Because he's effeminate," I asked. Simon Parker, or Si, was probably the best actor the drama department of our school had ever seen, and, yes, he was a bit effeminate.
"Exactly. That's what being gay is all about, isn't it?"
"Jesus Christ, Jason. Listen to yourself. We just established that you and I are gay but we're not effeminate. Now you're saying that being effeminate is what being gay is all about. Does that really follow in your mind?"
He thought for a second. "No. It doesn't. I guess we really are effeminate, after all."
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You're playing with me, aren't you?"
He busted out into the biggest grin I had seen in weeks.
"You asshole. I hate it when you get me like that," I said. But I laughed at my own gullibility.
"I had you going there, didn't I, little buddy," he said.
"Yeah. And I should have known better after all these years," I said. Pause. Then, "I love times like this with you. I just feel so close to you. So intimate."
"I know," he said. "I do, too." Pause. "You're all the time saying how cute I am. But you know what? You're pretty fucking cute your own self. But Si Parker is still gay. And so is Kyle Goodson and that big queer he hangs out with."
"Tim Murphy? Oh, come on. Those dudes are both super-jocks. There isn't a queer bone in either of their bodies. They're two of the most macho guys in school." What a dumbass, I thought. A cute dumbass, and a loveable dumbass, but a dumbass, nevertheless.
"Caught you," he said, with obvious glee.
"Caught me? What the hell are you talking about?"
"You've been steady getting on my case for thinking that being effeminate is the same as being gay, and you just said Kyle and Tim can't be gay because they're jocks and they're macho. You're just as bad as me in the stereotype department, little buddy."
I laughed. "I guess you're right. I'll have to watch that. By the way, `stereotype' is a pretty big word for you. Way to go, man."
"Thanks. What does it mean," he asked.
I laughed. "You're not catching me twice in a row, dude. No way."
"Can I have another drink," he asked.
"Of course you can. I'll have another one, too, but I ain't getting shitfaced tonight, you hear? I was sick for two days a couple of weeks ago when you suckered me into getting drunk. I'm not doing it tonight."
He got up to make us drinks. While he was gone, I thought about my brother. I thought that since my parents knew I was gay, he had a right to know, too. Hell, I was closer to him than I was to them.
When Jason came back in with the drinks, he said, "Babe, I really want a smoke. Can we go out on the porch for a while?"
"Sure. In fact, we can sit by the pool."
It was the first week of October, but, in North Florida, it was still swimming weather. It would be for at least another month or more. We gathered up our drinks, my pack of cigarettes and lighter, and we headed out. We were both still naked, so I didn't turn on the outside lights. My parents didn't have a problem with nudity, as such, and many a time Darren, Jason, and I had gone swimming nude after dark. We had neighbors, but we also had ample privacy fences and hedges to screen out the neighbors' views of us. Once we had settled down on the glider loveseat and had lit up smokes, I talked.
"I've been thinking about calling Darren and telling him about what happened. What do you think?"
"He's your brother. Call him if you want to," he said. "And you're right. He probably does need to know what's going on."
"What about you?"
"What about me," he asked.
"Well, I'd like to tell him I'm in love with you and that we've been together for over two years. Isn't that part of coming out?"
He thought for a moment. I couldn't see the details of his face because of the darkness, but I knew the exact expression he was wearing.
"You're right. And I want him to know that I'm happy, too. We're absolutely in this thing together, Babe, and I'm ready if you are."
That almost brought tears to my eyes.
We had long since finished our cigarettes. "Let's go inside so we can use the speaker phone," I said.
I dialed my brother's number. He had lived in a dorm his freshman year, but he had moved to a house with three other guys the year before. As college juniors, the four of them lived nicely in a four-bedroom house, however old and beat up it was.
A girl answered the phone. I identified myself and asked to speak to Darren.
"Who," she asked.
"Darren Bishop. He lives there. This is his brother," I said.
"I think you might have the wrong number," she said.
I repeated the number I had dialed, and she didn't know if that was the number there or not.
"Do you know everybody who lives there," I asked.
"No. Do you," she asked. It was like she wanted me to introduce her to them, somehow.
"Er, just call out his name and say there is a phone call for him, okay?"
"But there's nobody here named Darren. About the closest you'll get is a really fine guy named Darryl," she said.
"Is Darryl about six feet tall, light brown hair, really big shoulders," I asked, describing my brother.
"Yeah, and really, really hot looking. I think he's a model," she said.
"Just say this, all right? Just say, `Darren, telephone. It's Kent.' Give that a try, okay? Can you do that?"
"Sure," she said. She was certainly no dummy, I thought, ironically. She repeated exactly what I told her, only she hesitated a bit on my name. I could hear the conversation in the background.
"Oh, thanks," Darren said.
"No, not you. I said `Darren,'" she said. "You're Darryl."
"No, I'll take it, okay? I go by Darren sometimes. Like to my mom and dad, and my brother Kent. It'll be fine. Trust me."
Jason and I were laughing so hard we could hardly stand up.
"Are you sure," she said.
"Yeah, he's harmless. He's a serious mental case, and we had to have him castrated when he was five. He's fine. It's all fine."
"Well, if you say so," she said. She must have handed the phone to Darren.
The only thing we heard was his hysterical laughter. He laughed for a good minute before he said anything.
"Hey, bro. What's up," he asked, between snorts of laughter.
"We're on speaker here, Darren. Is that okay?"
"Who's `we,'" he asked.
"Me and Jason. Okay?"
"Of course, bro. You ain't got any secrets from him, do you?" He laughed a little more.
"Tell me that isn't my future sister-in-law, Darryl," I said. He howled, and Jason and I broke up, too.
"No way, man. Matt's fucking her. I'm not. But if y'all saw her, she'd make even you and Jason get hard, dude." He laughed, but Jason and I didn't.
"What the hell does that mean," I asked. I'm sure my tone of voice let him know I didn't like that last comment.
"Well, you know. Oh, shit. Forget it. That was in real poor taste. I'm sorry I said that, little brother."
"No. I want to know what you meant, man. Come on, Darren. This is me, man. I'm your closest fucking relative, man."
"And my best friend, too, as it happens," he said. He was trying to inject some levity, but I wasn't interested.
"I know. So what did you mean, man?"
"Kent, this is awkward as fucking hell, bro. It was a dumbass attempt at humor, okay? Forget about it," he said.
"No, man. I know you too good. Tell me what you fucking meant." I was getting angry, and he knew it.
"Okay. Don't take this the wrong way, though, hear? I don't mean to offend you in any way, okay?"
"Okay," I said.
"It's just that I figured you and Jason are gay, Kent. And I figured you guys are in love with each other. I've thought that for a few years."
None of us said a word. I looked at Jason, and he had a kind of stricken look on his face.
"Y'all there," Darren asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"Well, are you?"
"Yeah," Jason and I said in unison.
"That's why we called you," I said. "We wanted you to know."
"You guys are too wonderful, bro. And y'all are about as cute a couple as I've ever seen."
"Cute? You think we're cute? Are you gay, too, Darren?" He couldn't be gay. He was my big brother, after all. How could he be gay?
"You know I'm not gay. I'd be out if I was gay," he said. "I can still know if a guy's cute, though. Or hot, too. I might be straight, but I'm not blind, Kent."
There was a pause. Then Jason spoke.
"You're sort of blowing our minds here, Darren."
"Hey, Jase. I was wondering if maybe Kent had his dick down your throat so you couldn't talk." He laughed.
"Jesus Christ, Darren," I said. I was pissed off.
"Lighten up, bro," he said. "I'm going to tease you guys about being gay, and I expect you to tease me about being straight, okay? That's what brothers are for, man. You know that."
"You asshole," I said, laughing.
"That's more like it," he said. He was laughing, too.
"You've suspected this about us all this time, and you didn't say anything? What's up with that?"
"What was I supposed to say, Kent?"
"Well, you could have confronted us? Hell, you treated us the same way you always did," I said.
"That's exactly right, buddy. And that's the way it's always going to be. You've always been Kent, and I've always loved you. Why should it be different after I figured out you guys were gay? What, exactly, has changed? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
When he said that, the waterworks started up. Jason was already crying, and, with those words, I started crying, too.
"Are you crying," Darren asked. There was disbelief in his voice.
"Yes," I managed to whimper out.
"Why?"
"Because you've made me so happy. Us so happy. He's crying, too. I love you, Darren."
"I know. And I love you, too. I love both of you. You're both my brothers. What's the point of this conversation?"
I managed to pull myself together. "Mom and Dad know about us, and I think they're going to kick me out of the house."
"No way! No fucking way, man," Darren said.
"Let me read you something," I said. When Jason heard me say that, he rushed up to my bedroom to get their note. "Hold on a second. Jason is getting the note."
"The note?"
I explained about the business trip to Atlanta and Mom's going with Dad.
Jason got back in record time. I read the note to Darren. There was a long silence from him when I had finished reading it.
"I don't think it's about your being gay," he said at last.
"No? What the hell else could it be about?"
"I don't know, but they never mention your being gay. I could be wrong, but I don't think they would ever disown you or put you out of the house. And if they put you out, they put me out, too. They won't see my ass around there ever again. And I mean that."
"Oh, God," I said weakly. And then the tears started again at my end.
"Jason, do something to calm him down, would you please, bro?"
"I'm about to cry too, Darren, over what you just said." Then he and I just whimpered.
"Look, you boys calm down, okay? Nobody's fucking with y'all, as long as I have a voice to say something. Do y'all need me to drive home to be with you?"
"Naw. I think we can make it, Darren," Jason said.
"Well, you take good care of him, Jason, you hear me? I know you will, man, but just know I'll whip your ass if you don't." Then he laughed.
"I love you, Darren," I said with my trembling voice.
"I love you, too, Kent. Y'all take care, you hear? Call me if you need me. You've got my cell number, right?"
"Yeah. I'm so glad I called you," I said.
"I'm glad you did, too. Now you guys go have a drink and calm down. I'm going to have several. In fact, I've already had a couple. Remember, I'm only a hundred miles away, and I can be there in two hours or less. Mostly less. Kiss him for me, Jason, okay? The way you would, not the way I would."
"Dar-ren," I said, trying to sound irate.
"I'm teasing you fags, Kent. Lighten up. I love both of you very, very much, but I think you know that. But I ain't going to stop teasing you."
"Get out of here, you breeder," I said.
"Oh, Jesus! What have you heard? Has some girl gotten me in trouble?" There was mock panic in his voice.
"You asshole! Good night, man. I love you, and I really didn't know how much until tonight," I said.
"Ditto that for me, big brother," Jason said.
"Good night, brothers. Y'all sleep tightly intertwined."
"Asshole," I said. He laughed loudly and hung up.
"God, almighty," I said. "Could you believe that?"
"No. I'm just, like, weak all over. That couldn't have gone better if we had written the script. Jesus!"
"I know. I'm so happy right now, man," I said. I was starting to cry again. "I've got you, and I've got Darren. I'm so lucky."
"No, we've got each other, and we've got Darren. Can I have another drink, please?"
"Of course. Make us both one," I said.
We went back outside so we could drink and smoke and cuddle. We both got into the same lounge chair. It was a tight fit, but we managed. We talked about how much we loved one another, about how lucky we were, and about how well things were going to work out for us. We made a couple of trips inside to replenish our drinks, and, all of a sudden, we both realized we were pretty buzzed. We tidied up outside and went to bed.