DEREK & I

Copyright © 2003

By Lee Mariner

The author's copyright, and all provisions of the original disclaimer remain in force.  All Rights are reserved.

This story depicts homosexual acts and it is intended for ADULT READERS ONLY.  It you are not of legal age in your locality to be reading this story or should you not approve of this type of material, PLEASE LEAVE.

My friend, Dean has edited this work and his invaluable assistance is greatly appreciated.

All of my stories can be found in the Nifty Archives listing of Prolific Authors at:

Lee Mariner

Any reader wishing to be notified of future episodes to this and/or other stories, please contact me at:

mariner23502@hotmail.com


Chapter #19

The velvety darkness of the night enveloped us, and Derek's muscles rippled under the unblemished softness of his flesh when I ran my hand over the ridged muscles on either side of his spine.  The soft feelings of ecstasy that flowed over me as he caressed my hot flesh were like the strains of a thousand violins, and I knew he felt the same as I did from the way his body vibrated, his tongue washing the glans of my cock as it sank into the hot cocoon softness of his throat.  His cock deep in my throat hardened and swelled with each powerful piston motion of his hips, and his soft groans of pleasure sent streaks of fire shooting into my nuts.  I felt the sperm rising as my cock hardened; and, reaching down, I held his head tightly, my hips unconsciously matching the power of his, stroke for stroke, two powerful piston engines in synch.  

Rivulets of sweat poured onto the seat as we sucked each other in a frenzy of wanton lust.  Derek's tongue washing over the glans of my cock sent shock waves rushing down into my nuts; and I groaned thrusting my hips forward when my cock jerked, suddenly gushing great streams of cream down his throat.  I felt Derek grab the back of my neck as his hardening cock exploded filling my mouth and throat with his hot cream.  We drank the nectar of our loins greedily as the bliss of carnal satisfaction spread over us in a euphoric fog of contentment.  Our lips held wilting cocks tightly, squeezing and draining the last drops that oozed from their urethral openings.    

Exhausted, each of us reluctantly let our cock slip from the other's warm mouth; and, breathing heavily; we rested our heads on the inner softness of the other's thigh.  Derek was listlessly entangling his fingers in the thickness of my pubic hair, and I could feel his warm breath wafting over my still half- hard cock.  His heart beat slowly under my hand; and, as he breathed, he purred like a contented kitten.  I stroked the velvety softness of his chest and stomach; and, when I lifted my head and kissed his cock, he murmured softly, "Mmmmmmmmmm, that was awesome."

I felt his lips nibble at the soft inner flesh of my thigh and entangling my fingers in his hair, I sighed softly, whispering, "So are you."

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We lay quietly in the soft inky darkness lost in our own thoughts enjoying the warm afterglow.  Dereks warm body pressed against mine on the narrow bench seat of the truck, but my mind was in a whirl after all Masters had told us, and deep within my gut there was a feeling of dread that I was trying to suppress.  Derek was still Derek; it was Derek who had just sucked my cock and swallowed my sperm; and it was his cock that had slid down my throat and emptied its hot load.  We had held each other as before, and  it was his hand moving over my ribs that gave me goose bumps.  In spite of all of that there was a little voice deep in my sub conscience whispering, "He won't need you now that he has money," but another voice from my heart said "No, you're wrong; we love and need each other so much; we won't let the money come between us."  I didn't realize the intensity of my thoughts; but, without realizing it, I must have mumbled something that caused Derek to ask as he sat up,  "Did you say something, Larry?"

"Yeah," I answered,  thankful for the darkness that prevented Derek from seeing the concern on my face.  "I was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat before we go home," I fibbed as I sat up.

"I guess we had better," he answered, peering at me in the darkness.  "I forgot all about eating while we were in Masters' office.  How about we stop at Sonic's Drive-In for a burger and fries?  We can eat it there before we go on home unless you had rather take it home."

"Let's eat it there.  We can sit under the stars and have a picnic," I replied, sliding out of the truck and starting to dress.

I pulled my pants up; and, reaching for my shirt, I saw Derek was still looking at me from inside the truck.  Even in the darkness, I was struck by his powerful physique and the magnificence of his beauty.   I hesitated for a moment and then said, "Is something wrong?  Did you want to go somewhere else rather than eating at Sonic's?"

"No," he answered, "Nothing's wrong.  I was just thinking how much I love you; that's all."  He said, smiling, as he slipped out of the truck and started dressing.

While we were dressing, I noticed Derek glancing at me a couple of times; and he had that soft glow in his eyes that always melted my heart.  The  nagging voice in my gut was not as loud as it had been, but my head told me there would be changes which we would have to work out.   We dressed in our pants and shirts only, balling the rest of our clothes up in a bundle and tucking them behind the seat back.   When I got back into the truck and closed the door, Derek slid across the seat after closing his door and snuggled close.  He slipped and arm around me and gave me a teddy bear hug whispering in my ear,  "I really do love you; you know."

"I know you do, and I love you," I said turning my face to his and kissing him as I started the truck and put it into gear.

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Sonic's was crowded as usual;  but, rather than using one of their call in stations, we elected to use the drive-thru to place our order.   The girl on the intercom station sounded tired and bored, but they always do.  It took three repeats before she got the order correct, and even then we were not entirely sure.   Derek said, "We had better check the bag before you drive away, Larry; it didn't sound like she much cared if she got the order right or not."  I agreed with him; and, after what seemed to be an interminable wait, we finally reached the pick-up window.  He checked the order while I paid the attendant.

We were lucky and found one of the concrete tables that was sort of isolated and not in use.  One of the reasons it was not in use might have been its being located close to the garbage dumpster.  The odor was not too very offensive, but every now and then a wisp of a breeze would send the delicious aroma of decaying leftovers our way, and we both would wrinkle our noses in distaste. 

"It's not too bad, Larry; and it does have the advantage of being away from the other tables," Derek said, his eyes twinkling as he tried to use his tongue to seductively lick some mayonnaise from the corner of his lips but finally gave up and used a napkin.
"If you had leaned over, " I said grinning impishly, "I would have licked that off for you."

"In public!!" He replied, his eyes widening as he feigned surprise at the boldness of my suggestion.  "My, my, Mr. Marks, we are losing our inhibitions; aren't we?"

"I wouldn't say that I ever really had any; but, I doubt any of the kids would have paid much attention,"  I replied, grinning and nodding in the direction of a couple of kids probably younger than we were swapping spit in the front seat of their car. "They seem to be more interested in what they are doing without worrying about us or anyone else."

"Teen age lust," he said mockingly after he turned back around. 

"We are still teen-agers," I giggled while sucking on the straw in my drink and making loud noises.

"Ugh, huh.  We are; aren't we?" He replied with an impish smirk on his face and a suggestive twinkle in his eyes as he continued.   "It sounds like your cup is empty; but, if you like sucking on straws, I've got something you can suck on and you'll get a lot more out of it.

"Ugh, huh." I grunted seductively, teasing and playing with the straw using my tongue suggestively.

"Larry, please," he pleaded moving his hand under the table as he looked at me, acting as if he were trying to avoid getting excited.

"Okay, but wait until we get home," I threatened.  "You shouldn't have got me horny by trying to lick the mayonnaise off."

"I'll never do it again," he promised; but his eyes twinkled evilly when he said it.

Gathering up the wrappers and drink cups, I stuffed them into an overflowing trash can.   When I got in the truck, Derek touched my arm and nodded in the direction of the car where the two kids had been making out but the car appeared to be empty.  "Do you think they are doing anything in there?" he asked, whispering as if he were afraid of being heard.

"Why don't you go over and find out?"  I said, mocking him by whispering as softly as he had.

"Heavens, no!!" he exclaimed, turning and looking at me in wide-eyed innocence.

Chuckling softly to myself, I backed out of the parking space and turned toward the rear exit.  Glancing in the rear-view mirror, I could have sworn that I saw someone's naked ass cheeks pop up above the seat back; but I didn't say anything to Derek.  I just grinned and thought about what he had said, "teen-age lust."  We had just finished doing what those two kids were doing, and not very far from where they were going at it. 

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Despite Derek's teasing and ribald comments at the drive-in, we both fell asleep in each other arms almost at the moment we got into bed after brushing the hamburger and onion taste from our mouths.   It had been a pretty exhausting day; and, when I awoke the following morning, a lot of what Masters had told us flooded back into my head making me feel guilty for thinking what I had thought about Derek's not needing me.  He had hardly moved during the night, and he was cuddled close with his head buried into the pillow under my armpit with my arm over his shoulder and his across my chest.

Surprisingly, I didn't feel the urgent need to take a piss as I usually did; and, from the easy rhythmic way Derek was breathing and from not feeling the impression of his piss hard cock pressing against my thigh, it didn't seem that he did either.  For a brief moment, I thought about slipping out of bed to shave and shower, but I knew if I did so I would waken him.  Slipping my free forearm under my head, I inhaled deeply and, exhaling softly, closed my eyes drifting between sleep and consciousness.  It did not seem long before I felt him stirring and then the titillating feeling of his hand moving over my chest and then downward across my stomach.  I felt his soft warm breath blowing into my ear and the pressure of his hardening cock against my thigh as he tangled his fingers in the thick luxuriant mass of hair at the base of my stirring cock.  The beat of my heart increased, and my body quivered with a feeling of excitement as his fingers made circlets in the thick hair at the base of my cock.    

Turning my head, I opened my eyes and looked into the brilliant azure blue of his.  I was stunned; yet, captivated by the look of unabashed adoration I saw in their depths.  Flexing my arm, I lifted his head and lips to mine; and I heard a long low sigh before we kissed.  My muscles quivered at the sensations his caressing hand made as he moved his fingers in circles over my stomach and made little ringlet motions in the pubic hair.    Lifting my lips from his and moving my arm from over my head, I reached down and, taking his hand in mine, placed it over the length of my throbbing cock.   Nuzzling my neck with his nose, he wrapped his fingers around it's smooth hard thickness; and, squeezing gently, he stroked my cock slowly and deliberately as he licked and nibbled my neck and chest, sending electrifying shocks of fire into my loins. 

"Jesus, D," I started to say when he stopped jerking me off; but, placing his right hand on the side of my face, he covered my lips with the fingers of his left hand. "Shhhhhh," he whispered softly as he crossed his leg over mine.  I felt his elbow press down as his muscles tightened, and he slid his smooth golden body up over mine.  I felt his thick hard cock sliding down over the soft perineum flesh between my balls and asshole, and I gasped, sucking air deep into my lungs when the head of his cock slid over my quivering anus.  Drawing my legs up on either side of his hips, I held him tightly; and, holding his head between my hands and feeling the passion burning deep in my loins, I looked into his eyes and whispered, pleadingly,  "Fuck me, D."

He didn't say a word, but he didn't need to for I saw the passion burning deep in his eyes.  Removing my hands from his head, Derek threw the sheet back; and, kneeling between my legs, he reached for the lubricant on top of the night stand; but I took it from his hand.  "Straighten up and let me do it," I whispered huskily, my heart and breathing starting to quicken from the excitement and my fingers trembling as I removed the cap from the lubricant tube. 

He straightened up kneeling between my legs with his hands on his hips, his chest heaving as he gazed passionately down at me while I greased the smooth tapered length of his thick drooling cock. When I took his heavy hanging balls in my grease covered hand and rolled them around, he threw his head back, moaning softly as I gently squeezed them; and then he hovered over me, his deep indigo blue eyes blazing with desire and lust.  His thick muscles flexed and glistened with the sweat starting to flow as the heat of passion flared.  He was a magnificent ram in rut;  he was my Eros, god of love, son of Aphrodite; and he was my lover, my Derek.  I needed to feel his thick hard javelin of passion deep in the hot depths of my love chute filling my bowels with the magma of his loins.  

 Feeling the rapid beat of his heart in the hot length of his throbbing steel hard cock, I put a dab of lube on the quivering flesh of my anus and dropped the tube on the floor before lifting my legs and spreading them wide.   Reaching up to him, I watched the gorgeous rippling muscles of his chest expand as he breathed in deeply, exhaling as he moved his knees and thighs closer to my ass.   Using his weight and leaning forward, he slid his arms under my legs and lifted them up onto his shoulders.  He stopped the downward descent of his body by planting his hands on either side of my chest locking his thickly muscled arms at the elbow.  When I felt the head of his cock pressing against my anus, I reached around my ass and, grabbing his cock, held it in place growling, "Don't stop, Baby, drive it deep."

Derek, pushing forward with his shoulders under my legs, lifted my ass and applied pressure from the head of his cock to my anus.  When he suddenly thrust his body forward, he quickly straightened his legs out; and I felt his cock spreading my sphincter muscle as it entered my rectal chute and, under his weight, plunged in one smooth motion to the depths of my bowels.  I heard a loud grunt and an animal like growl come from somewhere deep inside of me as the delicious pain of his cock filling my ass spread over me, and I dug my fingers into the hard flesh of his arms at the feeling of ecstasy rushing upward from my ass through every muscle and nerve to explode in an exotic kaleidoscope in the recesses of my brain.

I held my breath and let the exotic feelings of ecstasy consume me, and I could hear the beat of my heart in my ears as he drove his cock in and out of my ass.  The muscles of his magnificent body bulged and strained, glistening with sweat.  I knew from the soft cooing sounds he was making and the increasing tempo of his pumping hips that he was feeling the waves of pleasure cascading over us.   The sweat running off of his straining body mixed with mine and with the pre-cum leaking from my hard cock before it rolled down over my ribs onto the bed.   When he twisted his hips and touched my prostate, my fingers tightened on his hard muscled forearms as my cock jumped,  spewing pre-cum over my stomach, running down into the sweat-cum soaked pubic hair covering my pelvis.

The tempo of his driving hips increased, and the upward thrust of my hips met the downward plunge of his hardening cock.  With each downward plunge, when I felt the pressure of his cock swelling inside of me,  I screamed loudly,   "Do it, Derek,; let it go, Baby; make me cum with you."  I heard him scream out, "Shit, Christ, ohhhh yeahhhhhhh,  squeeze it, Man, tighten that ass and make it feel real good.  Ohhhhhhh, Jesus here it comes, Larry, oh, my Goddddddddddddd"  he growled, gasping  for breath as his muscles tightened from the ecstatic feelings of his cock spewing thick streams of cum deep inside my gut. 

We both had fallen into a euphoric, mind-numbing haze of lust that controlled the frantic tempo of his driving hips.  The feeling of his muscles and mine tightening with each plunge of his cock into my ass and the pressure building in my nuts, sent me into an almost animal frenzy.  My back arched to meet the force of his thrusting hips driving his hardening cock in my ass; and an animal like growl surged up from my diaphram as his scalding cum blasted inside of me, filling my bowels, as my cock exploded with a cataclysmic ball draining force that spewed hot sticky streams of cum all over my face, chest and stomach. 

My legs dropped from Derek's waist; and, as  he collapsed on top of me, breathing heavily and moaning softly.  His cock slipped from my ass and a sudden feeling of loss spread over me for just a moment; and, I put my arms around his shoulders and held him tightly.   We lay quietly with him on top of me, for several minutes as we relaxed, letting the warm feelings of a contented afterglow envelope us.  The aroma of sex mixed with the hazel wood shampoo he used drifted into my nostrils; and, moving my head a little, I nibbled on his ear lobe until he slid off of me and rested his head on his hand, gazing at me.

The dark indigo blue of passion in his eyes had softened to the azure blue that I loved.  Grinning he said, "That was awesome, Larry; but you weren't that rough the last time we made love that way."

"I'm not usually rough; but I wanted to see if you had some hidden sadistic animal tendencies that I didn't know about.   I like the more gentle love making; but I didn't know whether maybe you might like it a little rough once in a while," I said as I made circles around the dark nipples of his breasts.

"Once in a great while is okay for a change," he answered, mimicking the movement of my hand with his and sending little shivers through me.  "It is exciting, but I'm not an animal, and I don't have any deep dark secrets.   I would rather enjoy it a little slower; so I can enjoy all of you; so we can enjoy each other rather than just have a fast race to make each other cum.  That is not making love; and, Larry, nothing is going to change how I feel about you. Nothing." He said softly, looking into my eyes as if trying to read my thoughts.

I suspected that he did know what I had been thinking.  From the way he had looked at me after we had sex in the parking lot, it was as if he were trying to see what I was thinking.  I did feel guilty about the way I had been thinking, and maybe he had sensed it.   I felt a little uneasy, and the empty feeling in the pit of my gut was back. 

"Derek, you make me feel like a fool." I said quietly, looking up at the ceiling over his shoulder.

"I don't understand why you would feel that way, Larry," he said as he rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed.  "Do you want to talk about the why?"

His directness stunned me for a moment and then I said, "After we shower and make some coffee, we can talk, Derek.  If this icky stuff dries on us, neither one of us will be able to sit up straight," I laughed, jokingly.  "You go ahead while I make the coffee.  By the time it's done we both should be showered."

"Okay, but I want us to talk with your Dad about making some changes in the apartment," He answered, looking crestfallen as he turned and went into the small bathroom. 

I knew he missed our showering together, and I did also. Although it didn't always lead to sex, it was assuring to know that we could be together and just enjoy a feeling of togetherness without the need to prove it with sex.  Being with him filled me with emotions and feelings that, I had never felt when I had been with someone else.   The steady reassuring beat of his heart against my chest when we were in each others arms; and when we kissed,  the emotions that flowed between us was like a feeling of being in another world alone with him where nothing or anyone could hurt us. 

The familiar voice whispered, "Be honest and be happy," again in my head as I stood, naked, running water into the coffee pot and thinking about Derek and me.   I knew that it was my brother Paul whispering, and I answered softly as I turned the water off,  "I will, Paul." 

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It didn't take either one of us long to shower; and, while I was showering, Derek got the mugs from the cupboard and poured our coffee.  He was sitting at the table with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair a mess like it usually was.  When I walked into the kitchen still drying my hair, he let out a long low wolf whistle; and I re-acted like a schoolboy, sub-consciously dropping the towel down in front of me. 

He laughed, and his eyes sparkled with amusement. " I didn't know you were so modest," he said, teasingly.

"I'm not; but you caught me off guard with that whistle," I answered, feeling my face flushing with embarrassment.

"Even though Masters caught us both off guard yesterday," he said softly,  "I saw the look on your face when he told us how much the trust was worth.  From the way you looked, I didn't think you would ever start breathing again until you gasped from surprise."

The direct, innocent tone of his statement hit me right in the solar-plexis, so it was a good thing I was sitting down.  For a moment, a feeling of panic hit me until I looked at his face and saw the sincerity of his feelings in the warm depths of his eyes.  I could feel his struggle with the same feelings I was experiencing.

"I don't know, Derek, you looked like you were in shock as well.  It pretty well floored both of us.   Masters was talking about a huge amount of money," I said as I lifted my mug to my lips.

"Yeah," he replied softly, gazing at me with a nonplused look in his eyes.

"You still have to do what Mr. Masters said you should do, Derek," I said as I sipped the hot coffee. 

"Oh, yeah," he replied, shaking his head.  "He said we should get a lawyer but I don't know how to do that or even where we would find one.

"My, Dad might know what you should do, Derek.  He meets a lot of people at his gas station, and he might even know a lawyer or someone whom you could talk with about it.  You have to get a very good lawyer, one who is skillful and honest."  I said, quickly.

"Larry," Derek said quietly, looking across the table at me, as he set his coffee mug on the table.  "Why do you keep saying that I have to do this or you have to do that?  It's you and I;  we're in this together.  You don't think because Masters told us that my trust fund is worth a bunch of money that I would let it come between us; do you?"  He asked almost breathlessly.

His beautifully expressive blue eyes bored into mine with such intensity that I averted my gaze as I hesitated before answering.  There was an empty feeling in my gut; my heart ached from the fear of losing him; and my mind was in a turmoil searching for the words that would tell him what my fears were.  He knew how much I loved him, but would that be enough? Just as I started to answer him, he slid his chair back; and, picking it up by its ladder back and carrying it, he moved to where I was sitting.

I watched the graceful athletic way he moved toward me carrying the chair with one hand, his bicep and forearm muscles bulging.  His abdominal muscles were tightened in two tight thick ridges and my eyes were fixed on the light brown trail of hair leading from his inny navel down between the hard ridges of his muscles and disappearing into the towel.  There was a slight bulge exposing where his flaccid cock hung beneath the towel.  

When he set his chair facing mine, I started to look up at him but felt his fingers under my chin lifting my head; and then his soft lips covered mine.  His tongue probed and then twisted with mine as we kissed, and I felt my heart swell from the tenderness of his lips on mine.    Sitting down and facing me, Derek locked his fingers behind my neck, pressing his forehead against mine and looking into my eyes.   He said softly, soothingly, "You have been thinking that haven't you?  All of that rough stuff in bed this morning and the way you acted last night in the parking lot is all part of your thinking money is going to split us up.  That's crazy, Larry.  I loved you before we knew about it; and I still love you, you dunce.  The only difference is that we can do more now than we could before; that's all."

"But it's your money, Derek; and, yes, I won't lie to you, I have been thinking you might not need me anymore.  I that it would kill me if I lost you and don't know if I could live without you," I bleated in a plaintive, pitiful tone as I ran my hands over his strong arms blinking back the tears I felt starting to fill my eyes. 

"You're only partly right Larry; it's ours, not just mine.   But, whatever you are thinking or feeling, the money won't come between us; it can't, because I love you too much.  It is yours and mine, and it means we can go to any college or university.  We can travel and do whatever we want, whenever we want. We can make the changes here in the apartment without asking your Dad to pay for it, or we can find another place if you would rather we do that.  My name is on the papers, but that's all," he whispered as he leaned in and kissed first one and then the other eye, licking the tears from each with the tip of his tongue.

A feeling of relief spread over me; and, moving my hands upward over his ribs, I put my thumbs in his armpits and squeezed the thick lateral muscles of his back while he put his arms around my neck.  Gently applying upward pressure with my thumbs and squeezing with my fingers, I stood up pulling him up with me until we were eye to eye, chest to chest, groin to groin.  Sliding my arms around him with his arms still around my neck, I held him tightly and looking deep into his eyes, I whispered gently and simply, "I love you."

His lips met mine in a long passionate kiss.  I felt the beating of his heart in his chest pressing against mine, and a quickening of our breathing combined with a stirring in our loins caused our cocks to harden.   When I broke the kiss and started to remove my arms, he dropped his from my around my neck; and, gripping both of my biceps tightly, he looked at me with sparkling eyes, a grin on his face.  "It wouldn't be as rough as it was earlier, but if we get back in bed we might not get dressed at all today," he said, quickly kissing the tip of my nose and slipping out of my arms, took his chair back to the other end of the table.

My stiff cock had put a strain on the towel tucked around my waist; and, as I re-did the tuck, I saw Derek doing the same thing, the front of his towel looking like a Barnum and Bailey Circus tent.  I felt the desire burning in my loins, and he must have seen it smoldering in my eyes.  When I started to move toward him, he backed away, grinning playfully, until the counter stopped him; and I saw the color of his eyes fade from soft azure blue to a deep warm sapphire.  Reaching out, I took the towel from around his waist and dropped it to the floor.  He licked his lips watching my eyes drink in the magnificence of his smooth, golden body.  All seven inches of his hard cock jutting out from his groin throbbed and bounced with the power of a springboard, and in the urethral canal opening there was a pearl of pre-cum gathering, a precursor to the flood of sperm that would follow.

As I started to drop to my knees, he stopped me with a hand on my chest and a deep guttural, "wait," coming from his throat as he ripped the towel from around my waist.  "On the sofa," he growled huskily grabbing my wrist and pulling me with him.

Making love on a sofa is not the most comfortable place; but, from the intensity of the heated passion that enveloped us, I think we could have made love on a bed of rocks, and it would not have decreased the desire boiling within either of us.   His cock sliding down my throat and his mouth greedily devouring me only increased the euphoric feelings as we both fed the other the aphrodisiac that lovers crave.   His thick sweet sperm flowed down my gullet into my gut, and his throat muscles squeezed my cock as he greedily swallowed the nectar of my nuts.   As our cocks wilted with each spasm, a feeling of satisfaction, a warm aura of contentment surrounded us as we drained the last drops, mixing them with saliva before swallowing the elixir of love.

What had been an altar of love had reverted to an uncomfortable sofa, and I was trying to reposition my body with no success.  Derek sat up and twisted around placing his feet on the floor.  Looking back at the contorted position I was lying in, he laughed; and, moving, he helped me sit up and hugged me.

"The next time we use the sofa, you get the inside," I exclaimed.

"Maybe it would be better if we swore off the sofa or got a bigger one," he replied, looking at me wickedly.

I could see from the way his eyes were shining and the tone of his voice that he was having fun but not at my expense.  His mood and mine had changed completely.  "Maybe things will work out." I thought to myself as I turned to look at him; and I kissed his cheek lightly as I stood up saying,  "We had better get another shower and dress before Mom comes looking for us."

"I guess we should...," he started to say when there was a sharp knock at the door; and then we heard Mother....

"Lawrence, Derek, are you boys up? It's almost time for lunch," Mom said through the door.

"I think instead of a new sofa we might think about another apartment," Derek whispered as I answered.

"We're up, Mom. Give us a minute and we be right over.  Okay?"

"All right, but don't be long. Your father asked me to join him for lunch, and I thought you and Derek might like to go with me."

"Okay, Mom, just let us get dressed," I answered, rolling my eyes at Derek, grinning as he scooped up our towels and went into the bedroom.

"All right, but don't be long, please," she answered; and then I heard the tapping of her shoes on the steps as she left.

"Yeah," I thought to myself as I went to join Derek,  "Maybe another apartment would be better."

When we were in the small bathroom trying to shower, I knew it would be better to move into another apartment.

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