It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.

The author retains all rights to this original story. Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.

Disclaimer:
This story is completely fictional. Most of the places mentioned, and none of the characters exist in real life. Some may possess physical or personality characteristics of people I know or have known. But if you see yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine!

All best, Jon

If you like my story, drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you: seperatepiece@hotmail.com

Jon and Matt
Chapter Seven

Matt slept late on Wednesday morning, awakening at 9:30 to the smells of breakfast emanating from the kitchen. He missed not having Jon next to him as his erection strained against his briefs. The soreness in his bum had all but faded, but he imagined he could still feel it just a little bit. He toyed with the idea of taking care of his condition, but decided he’d save some time and lose it in the shower.

He rolled out of bed and got some fresh underwear from his drawer. He held it in front of him as he made his way to the bathroom, just in case his parents were around. He knew they understood about such things, but he’d still be embarrassed to be seen sporting a full blown woody in his tented out briefs.

As the warm spray caressed his body, he let a soapy hand play with his cock and balls as visions of his sleepover with Jon flitted through his brain. He was hungry so he took care of himself quickly, exploding against the shower wall with teen vigor.

As he dressed, he thought about all the boys he used to fantasize about. He’d shot many loads thinking of Trevor and Andy. “If they only knew…” He thought with a smile. At one point when his self esteem had been at an all time low, he’d formulated a warped little fantasy involving Charlie Pierce forcing him to suck his dick in the boy’s room. He remembered how depressed and dirty he’d felt afterwards. Now, when he masturbated, all he could think of was Jon. Kind, loving, sensitive, beautiful, sexy Jon. A smile formed on his lips and he thought that if it wasn’t for the fact that he was starving, he could almost go again.

He took his seat at the table and dug into bacon and eggs.

“Good morning to you, to!” His mom teased.

“Oh, sorry mom. I’m really hungry this morning.”

She smiled at him wolfing down his breakfast. “Dad had to leave early this morning. He said to tell you how much he enjoyed your paper. He read it last night before we went to bed.”

Matt stopped shoveling food into his mouth long enough to flash her a toothy grin.

“He’s very proud of you, Matt. We both are. Not just because you’re making the effort with school. It’s more than that. We’re proud of the person you’re becoming.”

Ann turned back to the dishes, and didn’t see the smile fade from Matt’s face. He wondered how proud she’d be of the person he was becoming if she knew that that person was a gay person.

He loved his parents, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d be disappointed in him. He didn’t understand why he felt so sure of everything when he was with Jon, yet sometimes he felt…ashamed. He knew it wasn’t right, but he couldn’t help it. He closed his eyes and pictured Jon’s eyes in his mind, and he felt better.

Ann turned back to him and said, “hurry up and finish your breakfast. I have to go to the mall for a few things and you could use some new clothes, especially if you’re going to start going to church again.”

Matt groaned. He hated shopping with a passion.

After breakfast, he called Jon. “So what are you doing today, sexy?”

Jon giggled into the phone. “I’ve got a doctor’s appointment. Mom said if I’m serious about the diet, I should be checked out.”

“Who’s your doctor?” Matt asked.

“Dr. Ryan. You go to him to, don’t you?”

“Yeah. He’s cute. You’d better not let him grab your balls, those are mine!” Matt joked.

“Matt! He’s a doctor for God’s sake!”

“Well, okay…but you’d better not enjoy it!” Matt teased in a mock stern voice.

Matt told him about his impending shopping trip and made him promise to call his cell when he finished with the doctor. 15 minutes later, Matt and Ann were in the minivan headed for the mall. Matt was in a grumpy mood, but he was trying his best to be civil.

At store after store Matt endured the age old ritual of being measured and embarrassed by such comments from his mother to the bored sales people as: “Honestly, he’s just growing like a weed!”

As usual, they couldn’t find much that they both liked. Matt ended up in yet another changing room with a stack of clothes to try on. He had to beg his mother not to make him come out and model each garment in his stocking feet.

“Men! You’re just impossible!” Ann frowned at him.

This actually got a chuckle out of Matt. “Yeah, I know I’m a pain when it comes to shopping. Maybe you should just give me your credit card and let me pick my own stuff, then you wouldn’t have to suffer.”

“Yeah, like THAT will happen anytime soon!” Ann said, giving Matt a playful shove toward the men’s fitting room.

He was just about to try on the third pair of shorts when he heard his cell phone ringing in his pants pocket. He fumbled with his jeans on the hook of the changing room door and managed to get the phone open before the call went to voicemail.

“Jon? You there?”

“Hi baby, where are you?” Jon’s voice sang over the line.

Matt lowered his voice, and replied, “I’m in a changing room at Penny’s…in my underwear.”

“Oooooo, wish I was there!” Matt crooned.

“We’d better cool it. I’m going to have to think about my grandma in a bathing suit if I don’t want to embarrass myself as it is.” Matt chuckled into the phone. “So how did it go with the doctor?”

“Oh, fine. I’ve lost eight pounds since my last visit. He says it’s a good rate of loss. He asked me what I eat, and I told him I’m just eating healthy meals and cutting out the in between crap…except of course for my boyfriend’s cock….”

“You said that?” Matt interrupted.

“Of COURSE not!” Jon came back. “I thought it, though.” He said with a snicker, then turning serious again, “He said he wants me to exercise more.”

“Well, I’m all over that! What are you doing later? We could have a workout, maybe go for a run.”

Jon sighed into the phone, “I can’t. Someone at my father’s office gave him two tickets to the Mets game. Usually he takes Sam. He’s the sports nut, but this time he said he wants to do something special with me. Just the two of us.”

“Oh God!” Matt groaned. “Not the bonding thing!”

“Yeah,” Jon chuckled, “’fraid so, but it’ll be fun…I’ll miss you though.”

Matt’s mother called into the changing room, “What on earth are you doing in there?”

“Jon, I gotta go before mom actually comes in here and drags me out in my underwear. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a great time at the game. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Jon said before disconnecting.

Matt dressed hurriedly and joined his mother and they got on line to check out. They went to the food court and claimed a table. It had been hours since breakfast and they both were ready to eat. When they’d gotten their food and sat down across from each other, contentedly munching on burritos, Matt said between bites, “Mom, I know shopping isn’t my best thing, but I really do appreciate it. Thanks.”

Ann looked across the table at her son, and gave him a tired smile. “God, I love this kid!” She thought to herself.

When they’d finished eating, Ann said she had a few things to get for herself, and she gave Matt a five dollar bill and told him she’d meet him in the arcade in an hour.

“Don’t lose track of your new clothes!” She called over her shoulder as she headed off toward Macy’s.

As Matt sauntered toward the arcade, a mannequin caught his eye in a store window. It was wearing a sexy looking pair of designer bikini briefs. Matt knew he had to have them. Looking in his wallet, he discovered he had a ten in addition to the five his mom had given him. He went into the store and rummaged around until he found his size. He was happy to find that they were marked down to $6.99 and he decided on navy blue.

He shyly took his purchase to the young woman at the check out counter. As she handed Matt his change, she gave him a wink and licked her lips suggestively. Matt blushed from head to toe as he made for the exit, clutching the bag tightly in his hand. He made a mental note to tell Marla about it someday. Before going to the arcade, he hid the smaller bag inside one of the larger J.C. Penney’s bags.

When he arrived at the arcade, he was delighted to see Trevor and Andy sitting at one of the little tables in the middle of the room sipping sodas. He got a soda and joined them.

“Hey, Matt! Doing a little shopping?” Andy said pointing at the bags Matt was carrying.

“Oh, Matthew,” Trevor gestured toward Andy with a flourish, “this is the Amazing Andrew, veritable master of the freakin’ obvious!”

Andy laughed good naturedly along with the others. Matt said he was surprised that Marla and Stacey weren’t with them. Even though it wasn’t official, Andy and Marla had gone on a few dates, and Stacey and Trev, were practically joined at the hip lately.

“They went to do some shopping…said they didn’t need any dopey boys slowing them down.” Andy reported. “They’ll be along in a little while.”

“Well,” Trevor grinned. “I don’t know what your definition of ‘a little while’ is, but you obviously never went to a shoe store with Stacey.”

“No, but I went to an outdoor flea market with Marla, and I can tell you this is one time I’d rather be hanging out with my buds!” Andy said with feeling.

The hour flew by, and before he knew it, his mom had come to collect him. As he was sadly saying his goodbyes, Trevor had an idea.

“Hey Matt, why don’t you hang here with us. My mom’s picking us up at 4:00 and she could drop you off, that is if it’s okay…” He said looking hopefully at Ann.

Ann smiled at him. “I think that’s a great idea.” She said, pulling a crisp ten dollar bill from her wallet and holding it out to Matt.

Without thinking, Matt gave Ann a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks mom, you’re the best!”

When he released her, she noticed the other two boys snickering. She smiled at them and joked,

“You boys should try showing some affection to your poor old moms sometimes. Lord knows they deserve something in return for putting up with you.”

She left them speechless and asked Matt to help her to the car with their purchases. As Matt was loading his bags in the back of the minivan, he suddenly thought, “What if she looks in the bags and sees the bikini briefs?” He needn’t have worried.

“I’m going to just leave all your things in the car. You can put them away when you get home. I’m exhausted!” She waved as she started the car and drove away.

Matt raced back to the arcade and joined his friends. Marla and Stacey were there when he got back, and greeted him warmly. He was really glad to have something to do to take his mind off of missing Jon. He’d seen him only yesterday, but it seemed like an eternity, and he wasn’t going to see him again until tomorrow.

Trevor and Andy were intent on winning enough tickets to buy the girls some of the trinkets that the Arcade gave away as prizes. Matt thought about winning something for Jon, but he thought it might look suspicious to Andy and Marla. It was pretty cheesy junk anyway, he figured, and ended up pooling his tickets with the others. The girls were delighted. When they went to pick out their gaudy souvenirs, Trevor pulled Matt aside,

“Where’s Jon today?” He asked in a slightly concerned tone. “Is everything all right with you two?”

Matt smiled. “Yeah, things are great. He had to go to the doctor for a check-up, and then he went to the Mets game with his dad.”

“Oh,” Trevor look relieved. “You know, Stacey and I were talking, and we think you should consider telling Marla and Andy. I know they won’t care, not in a bad way, anyhow. It would be easier when we all hang out together. You know, you guys could be more yourselves.”

“I guess we could tell them, but not without Jon.” Matt said firmly.

Trevor smiled at his friend, reading the deep commitment on his face. “No, of course not.” He said, and went over to rejoin the others.

When Matt looked at his watch, it was ten to four. They were meeting Trevor’s mom in the parking lot by the South entrance. On the ride home, Matt was lost in thought. He didn’t have any problem telling Andy and Marla, but Jon didn’t know them as well, and they weren’t as easy to talk to as Trevor and Stacey. Oh well, he’d have to talk to Jon about it tomorrow.

When they pulled up in front of his house, Matt said his goodbyes and headed for the minivan to collect the latest additions to his wardrobe. The house was quiet, so he figured his mother must be taking a nap. He headed to his room and dug out the briefs, tearing open the package with excitement.

He held them up and admired them. He was dieing to try them on, but he knew himself well enough to know what that would lead to, and he wanted to save up his passion for when he and Jon could be alone together again. Instead, he contented himself with putting the finishing touches on his social studies paper.

Jon was sitting in the bleachers at Shea Stadium with his dad, who was trying to explain the subtleties of the game to him.

“Dad, just relax and enjoy the game. I know pretty much what’s going on.” Jon said, patting his father on the shoulder.

He really enjoyed just spending time with his dad. He really admired him and thought he deserved a macho night out with him before he and Matt sprung the news. He wondered how it might affect his relationship with his father. Would he want to do things like this with him when he found out? He knew it would be easier with his mom, but how would dad feel about having a son that’s attracted to guys? He pushed his doubts out of his mind for the time being and watched the game with his dad. He even managed to cheer in all the right places.

Dan offered to get Jon a hotdog. “No thanks, dad.” Jon said, determined to stick to his diet.

“Wow,” Dan said, giving him a sideways hug, “anyone who can turn down a hotdog at a baseball game must have an iron will!”

Dan leaned down and kissed the top of Jon’s head, squeezing him harder. At that moment, Jon knew everything was going to be alright.

In the car on the way home, Dan was talking about the game. It would have been better, of course, if the Mets had actually won, but Jon enjoyed the easy banter. They were silent for awhile, when Jon finally spoke,

“Dad?”

“Yes Jonny?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, son. I’m really glad you came with me tonight.” They rode for a little while longer, and Dan resumed the conversation.

“I always regretted not being closer to my dad.” He began. “Sure, I knew he loved me and all, but he never seemed to have time to do stuff with us. I admired him a great deal, but he was always working. By the time he retired, I was busy with your mom and you guys, and we never really made up for lost time. I swore that I’d always make time for you and Sam. I love you guys so much, and I’d hate it if either of you ever felt that you couldn’t come to me with anything important in your lives.”

Jon blinked back a tear. Somehow it just didn’t feel manly to cry in front of his father.

Dan reached across the seat and found Jon’s shoulder and squeezed it tight. “Jonny, I want you to know that there’s nothing you could ever tell me that would make me stop loving you the same way I always have. From the first moment I laid eyes on you. Nothing, do you understand?”

Manly or not, Jon began to cry. He leaned over and put his head on his dad’s shoulder and just let it out. Somehow, his dad knew his secret, and it was alright. He knew that Sam would never have betrayed a trust. It must not have been that difficult to figure out. Jon thought about it as he sobbed. This whole evening was his dad’s way of saying he was okay with it.

Finally he said through his tears, “You know, don’t you.”

“Uh huh. Your mom and I suspected it, long before Matt was even in the picture. When Sam was your age, he couldn’t wait to start dating. We practically had to chain him down. You were different. You seemed like you were carrying around a terrible burden. It really hurt us to see you so sad. When Matt came in to your life and you started dieting, we knew it must be love.”

Jon sniffled, and dried his eyes. “It’s more than that, dad. Matt makes me love myself.”

“I know Jonny, and I’ll always love him for that.”

When they pulled in the driveway, the light was still on in the kitchen. They found Sam and Shelley at the kitchen table playing a hand of gin rummy.

“How was the ga…” she started to say when she noticed Jon’s red rimmed puffy eyes.

Jon crossed the room and fell into his mother’s arms and the tears started all over again.

“I love you so much…and dad and Sam to.”

Dan came over and put a hand on each of them. “I know we agreed to talk to him together, but it just sort of…came up.”

“That’s okay dear. Things happen when they’re going to happen.” She kissed Jon’s cheek and petted his hair. “My sweet, sensitive, loving boy. It’s all a part of the wonderful young man you are. We wouldn’t want to change anything about you, even if we could.”

“They were going to tell you after the barbeque, anyway.” Sam offered.

Dan and Shelley looked at him oddly. “You knew?” Dan asked.

“Well, I uh, sort of…caught them if you know what I mean.”

Dan patted Jon on the back. “Well, that’s one talk I won’t have to have.”

Jon blushed, unaccustomed to having his sex life bandied about the family kitchen.

“I just hope Matt’s parents are as cool as you guys about it.” Jon said with a doubtful look on his face.

Shelley laughed. “I wouldn’t be too surprised if they already knew. You two aren’t very good at hiding your feelings, ya know.”

“Are we THAT obvious?” Jon asked, a little concerned.

“Let’s put it this way,” Dan stated, “neither one of you should ever play poker for money!” They all had a much needed laugh.

Jon was emotionally drained, so he kissed each member of his family goodnight and headed upstairs. He checked his computer to see if Matt was online. As tired as he was, he couldn’t wait until tomorrow to tell him.

Matt was indeed on line chatting with Stacey when he saw Jon’s message pop up on the screen.

Jonnyboy0422: call me. Important.
MattMan0621: ‘k, gimme a minute.

Matt wound up quickly with Stacey, and within minutes, Jon’s ‘phone was ringing.

Jon punched the button and launched right in. “Matt, you won’t believe what just happened!”

“What? Jon, are you alright?”

“I’m better than that! I was riding home with dad, and I hadn’t told him in a long time that I love him. So I did. You know, the whole bonding thing. Anyway, we started talking about stuff, and he kept dropping hints, like telling me there was nothing I could tell him that would make him stop loving me, things like that, I don’t remember exactly, but there was something about the way he said it that made me sure that he knew about us, and that it was all good with him.”

There was silence on the line. “Matt, did you hear what I said? My parents know, and they’re okay about it. Dad even said he loves you! I talked to mom, too.”

“Wow!” Matt finally responded, getting over the initial shock. “I’m glad it’s cool with them, but it’s going to be weird at the barbeque, them knowing, and my folks not knowing…”

“Oh, that’s another thing.” Matt interjected. “My parents won’t say anything, they’ll let us deal with it our own way, but my mom’s pretty sure that your parents know anyway.”

“What? How…”

Jon interrupted again, “Dad says we would suck at poker!”

Matt giggled, “So long as I can suck at your poker!”

“You know you have a standing invitation!” Jon said, and both of them laughed.

When they stopped laughing, Matt was the first to speak. “Seriously though, even if they know, I don’t want to discuss it ‘til after the barbeque. They’re having their old school friends over and I don’t want them to have to deal with this at the same time. I want them to know as soon as possible, so if you can stay over tomorrow night, we can tell them after everyone else leaves, okay?”

“What if they don’t want me to stay over knowing that we might be…” Jon trailed off sadly, as he thought about the possibility.

“I thought of that.” Matt sighed. “If what your mom thinks is true, and it probably is, then they already know and they haven’t said anything yet. Besides, how ever they react, they’re just going to have to deal with it.” He said firmly. “No matter what happens, I’m not giving up my best poker buddy!”

“Hey! I’d better be your ONLY poker buddy.” Jon shrilled into the ‘phone.

Matt assured him, “You are, baby, you are. Even in my wildest dreams. I don’t even think about anyone else when I take care of myself anymore.”

Jon sighed. “I love you so much.”

Both boys turned off their ‘phones and collapsed into bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Matt was helping his father fasten the plastic table clothes to the picnic table when Jon bounded into the back yard.

“I ran all the way from my house!” He announced proudly when he’d caught his breath.

“Oh great!” Matt grimaced. “Now you’re going to need another shower!” He teased.

“Nah!” Jon smirked. “I just took one before I came over, and it’s not that hot today.”

“Yeah,” Bill agreed, “We’ve got a great day for a barbeque.”

“Jon, come on up to my room for a minute. I have something to show you.” Matt said as he turned and walked toward the house.

When Matt closed the door to his room, his tongue began immediately to search out Jon’s mouth and they fell into a passionate, lusty kiss.

“I really missed you.” Jon sighed, his forehead propped against Matt’s. “So do you really have something to show me, or was that just an excuse to get in some face sucking time?”

“It’s a surprise.” Matt answered, locking the door. “Close your eyes.”

Jon did as he was told. As he waited, he heard the rustling of Matt removing his clothes.

“Matt, you know I never get tired of looking at your body, but I don’t think you have anything that I haven’t seen.”

“Just you wait!” Matt instructed. “Okay, you can open them.”

Jon gasped as he took in the sight of Matt, standing there wearing nothing but his new bikini briefs. His eyes were as big as quarters as he crossed the room to get a better view.

“When did you get these?” He managed to splutter.

“Yesterday, at the mall.”

“You mean your MOM bought them for you?” Jon asked, a little taken aback.

“No way!” Matt laughed. “I saw them when she was in another store. I knew you’d like them on me.”

That was an understatement. Jon sank to his knees and let his hands glide over the taught fabric stretched across Matt’s ass. He tongued the outline of Matt’s cock, and then switched his attention to his balls. Matt was in ecstasy as Jon slobbered all over his confined bulge. He grabbed the back of Jon’s head and pressed him firmly into his crotch while gyrating his hips in Jon’s face. As Jon nuzzled and slurped, he gently guided Matt down onto the bed. He jumped between his spread legs and roughly shoved his shorts down to his knees and pressed his own brief covered package against Matt’s and began to hump into him.

Just as he was nearing the brink, Jon remembered he’d only brought one change of underwear. He sat back on his knees and whipped out his cock just in time to jerk his load squarely in the center of Matt’s tightly contained crotch. The look and feel of Jon’s load shimmering on the stretched bikini sent Matt over the edge and he pumped a generous load within the confines of the skimpy garment.

They shared a satisfying kiss before Matt felt his load trickle between his legs. “I have to get up or I’m going to make a mess on the blanket.” He said as he reluctantly swung his legs to the floor.

As he started to take the tight underwear off, Jon came over to him. “Let me.” He said, as he began to slowly peel them down. Matt was prepared. He walked over to his dresser and picked up a damp washcloth and a towel and handed them to Jon, who lovingly washed him thoroughly, and dried his damp pubes. Matt retrieved a second cloth and returned the favor.

When they were dressed and presentable, Matt hid the sticky bikini briefs in the back of his closet, wrapped up in the towel. He’d have to figure out a way to wash them when no one was home. They had been so turned on, that the whole kinky business had only taken them about ten minutes, so no one missed them when they returned to help out with the preparations.

Marge and Ian were just arriving, and Bill had gone to the train station to pick up Jim and Adam. Ann was fussing around with last minute details. She asked the boys to fill the cooler with ice from the garage freezer. As they emerged from the garage, carrying the cooler between them, Bill’s car pulled up and he and his passengers got out and made their way up the driveway.

“Jim, I’d like you to meet my son Matt and his best friend Jon.” Bill said, indicating the boys. As they shook hands, Bill added, “Jim is the best friend I ever had, except your mother, of course.”

Jim put his hand on the other man’s shoulder, “Boys, this is my partner Adam.” Matt and Jon exchanged a quick glance and shook hands with Adam.

The boys lagged behind with the cooler. “You didn’t tell me your dad’s friend is gay.” Jon said as he threw Matt an accusing look.

Matt shrugged. “I didn’t know.”

When they reached the back yard, Ann was giving Jim a hug. He introduced her to Adam, and she welcomed him warmly. Just when everyone was settling down with something cool to drink, the rest of the Kents arrived. They were introduced to Jim, Adam, Marge and Ian, and they all began to chat. After awhile, Ann said to Adam,

“So, I guess you’ve heard some of the Bill and Jim stories.”

Adam admitted that he had. Jim squeezed his leg affectionately and said,

“By the end of the night you’ll probably have heard more than you ever wanted to know.” This got a laugh from the crowd, and the stories began to fly.

Matt enjoyed hearing about his father’s youth. Especially some of the stories about when they got into trouble. He had a hard time picturing his dad pulling some of the stunts they talked about. Bill noticed that the boys seemed especially attentive when Jim told about the time they climbed the water tower. He shot them a stern gaze.

“What Jim left out, is that we were caught and brought home by the police. We were both grounded for a month, just in case you’re getting any ideas.”

“I wouldn’t worry, Bill. They seem a lot smarter than we ever were!” Jim said, smiling at the boys.

After awhile, Bill announced that he was going to start the fire. They broke up into smaller groups, and had a pleasant time getting to know each other. Sam, Jon and Matt went out in the yard to toss a football around. Sam had a good time showing them how to throw a spiral.

“I think your dad’s friends are cool.” Sam said, tossing the ball to Matt.

“Yeah, they seem really happy together, and I really like the sound of the word ‘partner.’” Matt replied, smiling at Jon. “They’re so open and relaxed about it. I hope we can be like that someday.” He said, tossing the ball to Jon.

Across the lawn, Jim had wandered over to where Bill was tending to the grill.

“So, Jim, how’s your gaydar these days?” Bill asked him with a half smile.

“A lot better than it was in high school, thank you. I never wanted to go through that again.” He answered with a sigh. He looked across the yard to where the boys were playing.

“God, Bill, he looks so much like you did at his age. It’s scary. It brings back a lot of…memories.”

“Some of them good, I hope.” Bill cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Yes,” Jim smiled at him. “Most of them.”

They stood in silence, watching the boys for awhile. Finally Jim said,

“In answer to your unspoken question, I’d say they’re very much in love. You can tell by the way they look at each other. What’s more, if I had to guess, I’d say it’s going to last. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes, especially after seeing how happy you are with Adam. That’s all Ann and I ever wanted for Matt…a chance to be happy.”

“Looks like you got your wish.” As the two men embraced, they felt the decades drop away. They once again felt the bond that they had shared so many years ago.

Across the yard, Jon nudged Matt and they stopped playing and looked on as the two old friends hugged each other.

“They must have been really close.” Jon broke the silence.

Sam put his arms around the two boy’s shoulders. “There are many different kinds of love, Jonny.” He said, giving the boys a hard squeeze.

Adam sauntered over to join them. “Is there something going on that I should know about?” He asked with arched eyebrows.

“No sweetie, you’re my one and only for ever and always, but you never forget your first crush.” Jim said with a wink at Bill.

“Or your first best friend.” Bill winked back.

Adam rolled his eyes. “Oh, GAG me.”

To the amazement of the boys, the three men doubled over in laughter like three little children.

As the party was winding down, Matt was helping clear the dishes and he got a chance to talk to his mother’s friend Marge.

“So what was mom like in high school?” He asked her.

“Well, she was my best friend. I was very shy, but I could always talk to her. I used to love to hang around with her because she was so funny, so popular. No matter how many other friends she had, she always made me feel special.” She paused as if remembering something.

“At first, I was soooo jealous of your father, until I realized that Ann had room in her life for a boyfriend AND a best friend. She used to even ask me along on dates because she knew I’d just be sitting home alone. She was a great friend.”

Matt smiled. “Yeah, I think she’s pretty great too.”

Everyone was saying their goodbyes and thanking the host and hostess. Bill checked the train schedule and told Jim and Adam there was a train in 10 minutes. Jim kissed Marge and Ann on the cheek, and shook hands with the other guests. He knew he’d say his goodbye to Bill at the station, so that left Matt and Jon. He first put out his hand, then thought better of it.

“Come ‘ere you two.” He said as he gathered them in a hug. He leaned his head between the boys and whispered.

“Don’t worry guys. It gets a lot easier.” He gave them a final squeeze, and let them go. The boys gave him a perplexed look. He winked at them just as Adam moved up behind him.

“Do you HAVE to hug every gorgeous man in the joint!” He said, causing a fit of laughter among the others.

When all the guests had left, the boys helped Ann tidy up the patio. Ann had taken some dishes into the kitchen when the boys heard Bill’s car in the driveway.

Matt put his arms around Jon’s neck. “This is it.”

He gazed into Jon’s eyes for a full minute, when Jon pulled his head onto his shoulder and whispered, “It’ll be okay…it has to be.”

The boys caught up with Bill in the driveway.

“Dad, can we talk to you…and mom?”

“Sure Matt, anytime.” He said as he opened the door and called Ann to the living room.

“So what’s up with you two?” Bill asked in a friendly encouraging manner.

“Well, I was just thinking how good it was to see you and Jim get together after all these years. You guys must have been really close friends.” Matt began uncertainly.

“We sure were.” Bill answered. “It was great to see him and really get to talk after all these years.”

“Dad,” Matt said, having trouble finding words, “is there any other…reason that you invited them tonight?”

“Well, your mom and I haven’t seen them in a long time and we really wanted to catch up with them. If we had any other motive, it might have been to show…anyone who was interested…that we accept and approve of our gay friends.” He said, as he and Ann studied the boys carefully.

Matt tentatively reached out for Jon’s hand, taking it in his own. “…and your gay son?”

“Yes Matt.” Ann spoke softly, a smile forming on her face. “Our beautiful, loving…perfect gay son.”

Matt bounded across the room and flung himself between his parents on the sofa and clung to his mother. She held him in her arms and rocked him gently. “There,” she said lovingly, “that wasn’t so hard, was it.”

Bill leaned over and hugged him from behind. “Oh Matt, we love you so much. We’re so proud of you.”

Matt was sobbing gently on his mother’s breast. The relief he felt was indescribable. Now he knew for sure. Suddenly he remembered Jon. This was his moment too. He stood up and walked across the room as Jon stood, tears forming in his eyes.

Ann leaned her head on her husbands shoulder as they watched their son and the boy he loved sway back and forth in a tender embrace.

As always, I'm interested to hear your thoughts or comments. All the best, Jon