Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 01:16:10 -0800 From: Lael Stalnaker Subject: Picture Perfect Chapter 3 This is a dual written story by 2 authors. We have each taken a character and run with them. Personality and stats are also individually created. Everything else that occurs is jointly decided and thought out. We hope that you have as much fun reading this ongoing story as we did writing it. You can contact Fred at emeraldj@twcny.rr.com or ICQ# 7554513 or AIM s/n emeraldjay. You can reach Lael at vanyelashkev@pacball.net, ICQ# 11938988 or AIM s/n VanyelAshkev. If at all interested, we have other stories written separately. Fred has "Dreaming of Jaye", in the High School category. Lael has "Near Collision", in the Sci-fi/Fantasy section. The final 2 sections of the chapter were written separately, without letting each other know what was done until the section was complete. We felt this would better suit the mood and keep things interesting. "Picture Perfect" By Fred Cole and Lael Stalnaker Chapter 3: Grand Backyard Tour "Let me show you around." I led the way outside. We walk into the backyard and Greg stops short. It is huge. A half Olympic size pool, Jacuzzi, and a huge ornamental garden are the first things any visitor sees. At the center of the garden is an ornamental coi pond. Further down the garden path is another entire building, at least the size of the house. I take Greg's hand and start down the path to the gym. Dad built it for me when I was 12 and he realized I was not giving up on the gymnastics. He makes big money but I never pay attention to it. Mom also does something or other that rakes in plenty. My focus has always been on the gymnastics, though I guess one day I'll have to pay more attention to other things, but until then... It's neat being able to hold his hand and walk like this. Who would have thought it last night at the party! We get to the gym and I let us in. The ceiling is way the hell up there and it makes the whole building look like an empty warehouse or something. It's far from empty though. Everything thing you would find in a fitness gym is here, plus my specialized equipment. The center floor is covered with a regulation floor mat for doing tumbling. Along one edge is a vaulting set up. Another side has the pummel horse. Third side has the rings. The side we just came in has lockers for this and that, and a changing room with shower and sauna. At the edge of the matt, on this side also, are the bar sets for parallel and horizontal. My Dad and Mom use it to work out too. The weights in the basement are for rainy days so that I don't have to come all the way out here. The weight training equipment sits as close to the walls as space will allow. The last thing I need is to over extend and tumble into all that unyielding metal! I have a personal coach that comes out nearly every day except weekends to keep me on track. I usually swim for a couple of hours to loosen up (and keep me on the team) and then practice for 5 more hours on my various routines for meets. Greg looks pretty stunned with the set up. For some reason, I have the urge to show off for him. A private show, so to speak. I grin and let go of his hand. I walk over to the floor mats and drop into a split. I begin stretching out my legs and back. My coach would kill me if he ever found out I didn't properly stretch before 'doing' anything. Force of habit. Still, a good one. Last thing I need is to pull something this weekend and ruin it all! ******* Talk about a back yard, Kyle's parents could have bought a small country with the money they must have spent for all this. There's a huge pool at least half the size of an Olympic one. A Jacuzzi is back here too. As we walk farther down the path through this gorgeous garden, we pass a coi pond, and then we come upon this building that I swear is as big as the house. I can't figure out which impresses me more, holding hands as we walk or the back yard slash garden. It felt different holding Kyle's hand. Not wrong and not right, just different. It gave me a warm feeling inside. Once we got to the huge building, he opened the door, and we stepped inside. My eyes just about popped out of my head. This was his family's own personal gym. He had the weights, the bars, the vaulting table, and the mats, even a sauna and changing area. I've seen city gyms less decked out. While I'm looking around in wonderment of the setup, Kyle lets go of my hand and heads over to the mats. He starts doing these stretching exercises that, to me, look more like he's twisting himself into a pretzel. ******* Once my body has completely stretched itself out, I decide on what I want to show him. With a grin, I pull my legs back together and flip myself up onto my feet in a move that would make Jackie Chan proud. I can see Greg's eyes almost pop out of his head. Then I twist and start a fast sprint toward the far side of the mat. I begin doing side flips, my arms tightly against my side and end them at the exact edge of the far corner. Throwing my hands up over my head to get the momentum going, I then back flip to him again, spinning over and over. Then a twist happens that I was totally unprepared for: my shorts going flying off my waist and up my legs, then off entirely. When I come to a stop, I am buck assed naked with my back to Greg. I think my whole body is turning a glowing red now... My shorts are now clear across the mat, near the pummel horse. Without looking back over my shoulder I do forward flips to them. As I stop moving I decide to go for it and leap at the pummel horse. I like the twisting and turning. I can just make out Greg watching me carefully. It finally dawns on me that he is concerned about me bruising something. Somehow, I managed to avoid crushing precious assets through all of this. I end my maneuvering and thump down on the floor. I pick up the shorts and walk back over to Greg. Grinning, I ask, "So, wanna go for a swim? I think I am way too sweaty..." Greg reaches over and traces a finger down my chest. Then to my total surprise, he sticks his finger in his mouth, licking it off. He grins back at me. My turn to have my eyes about to fall out of my head. Now curiosity is burning me, so I take his hand, curl all of his fingers over but the middle one and bring it to my chest. I run his finger down my chest and then bring it up to my mouth. I suck his finger into my mouth a centimeter at a time, making sure that the suction is constant. The salt from my sweat sits on my tongue, but the taste of him is so good. I run my teeth lightly onto the skin of his finger as I pull his hand back from my face. When I reach the nail, I let my teeth graze right over it, pushing slightly. His jaw is slack as I let his hand go again. Two can play that game! Greg is totally dazed. I grin impishly. Then I take him by the arm and head for the door. He follows on automatic. We reach the pool and I dive in, dropping the shorts on the side as I go in. I come up and wait for Greg. He's standing there, blushing. He finally shakes it off and strips. I watch with interest each bit of clothing hitting the ground. His body is definitely worth watching, trim and well proportioned. He sticks his tongue out at me and dives in, splashing me in the face. I laugh and dive down under the water, following his kicking legs. ******* My eyes just about popped out when Kyle flipped himself to his feet, now that he was finished with his stretches. He made a run for the far end of the mat, and then started doing side flips with perfect form, landing on the exact edge of the mat. Then he started doing back flips toward my direction. All of that spinning and flipping took it's toll on his loose shorts, for he soon lost them in mid air. Kyle was still going along, yet they just drifted to the floor in the spot where the left him. Ever the trooper, Kyle continues back in forward flips, to where the pummel horse is. He makes a leap on to the horse, twisting and turning. I watch close for fear that he may twist or crunch something of his that I hold dear. Once he figures out my look of concern, he finishes his private show, and lands with a thump on the floor. Strutting back to me with shorts in hand, he asks, "So, wanna go for a swim? I think I am way too sweaty..." I stop him mid sentence with my next maneuver. Teasingly, I stick out my finger and glide it down his chest, then put it to my mouth and suck it clean, grinning at him the entire time. Kyle then takes my hand, curls up all but my middle finger, and traces it down his chest, then sucks it into his mouth a tiny bit at a time. He drags his teeth lightly against my skin as he's pulling my hand back from his face, increasing the pressure once hit reaches my fingernail. My jaw drops as he lets go of my hand. All he does is give me a mischievous grin. He grabs my arm and we head for the door. Once we reach the pool, he dives in, dropping his shorts at the side. I can feel my whole body get hot, as I'm sure I was now the one to do a full body blush. Kyle watches me intently as I strip off my clothing, and drop it off to the side. I stick my tongue out at him, and dive in. I guess you could call it a dive, I splashed him good on my way into the water. ******* We play tag for a while, chasing each other all over the pool. I would stay under, catching up to him and grab onto him, anywhere I could reach and then scooting off quickly. He would do the same and scramble to get away. Then things got even more fun. I caressed the curve of his ass as I swam by, startling him. He took the challenge and hunted me down until he could return the favor. I quit trying so hard to get away after the third time. He swam up and wrapped his hand around my dick. Within seconds it was hard, making me gasp. Greg led me to the shallow end and walked us up the steps. Once out of the pool, Greg kept his hold on me and then turned to me. Our lips met in another of those awesome kisses, the only difference being that I had to tilt my head a little. I let my hand wander between us and gripped him back. I loved the feel of him in my hand, all hard but flexible and silky. Our tongues danced around each other, driving me crazy. My whole mouth tingled. So does my hand holding him, and where he is holding me. My head is starting to spin. My other hand goes to the small of his back, pressing him forward into me. We are touching all along our bodies now, but refusing to let go of each other. I can feel my knuckles pressed against his firm stomach. His hand is barely moving, stroking me. I copy him, rubbing up and down his length. The air around us feels charged, electrical. It's definitely time to move on to something more. I pull my head back and watch his face. His eyes are almost completely shut, entranced. His black hair is plastered to his forehead, water dripping from the tip of his nose. I get inspired and reach up, on tiptoe and delicately lick the drop from it. His eyes open and widen. The taste of chlorine stings my tongue a bit, but I like it. I glance around and try to figure out what now. Then I shrug and begin to lower myself to the edge of the pool, carefully pulling him down with me. "Time to try something new," I whisper. He nods and sits on the edge. The sun has heated the concrete nicely and the puddle water from our exit has cooled it enough to keep from burning our bare skin. I lay back and swing my body around so that my feet are going the opposite way from his. He has his trailing in the water, but flat on the first step. He grins at me and nods enthusiastically. I watch as he leans into me and licks my thigh. Shivers crawl up my spine. Greg's butt is flat on the ground, his legs spread. His torso has twisted so that he has his right side flat as he continues to lick the water from my outer and inner thighs. I keep myself entirely on my right side, barely an inch from him the entire length of us. One arm is under my head, elbow on the ground as I continue to stroke him with my left hand, lost internally, tracking his tongue on my skin from within. The intensity of it makes me twitch in his hand. Just when I thought I was going to scream with frustration, Greg moved to my balls. I quivered with desire at this point. I started to do the exact same thing to him, licking trails over his nuts. He flexed in my hand, sure sign that what I was doing had an effect. I moved my tongue under his nuts, and then slid it around to the top. His skin was hot to the touch. He one upped me and sucked one of my nuts into his mouth, then the other. I moaned, instantly loosing track of what I was doing. His hand was still stroking me, running up and down my entire length, doubling the thrill. ******* We played tag for a while; first Kyle would swim underwater and grab me wherever he could reach, then swim away. Then I would do the same thing, seeking him out and grabbing whatever I could. He startled me when he started rubbing my ass instead of grabbing me. So I decided to hunt him down and do the same, each time he played a little less hard to catch. The third time I went after him, I swam up and grabbed his dick, making him gasp. He was rock hard in an instant. I led him to the shallow end and up the steps out of the pool. Once we got out of the pool, I kept hold of Kyle. I turned to him and our lips met in another one of those mind-blowing kisses. His hand wandered between us and gripped my shaft. The feeling was electric, sending tingles up and down my spine. My eyes pop wide open as he licks my nose. He looks around, shrugs, and then pulls me down near the edge of the pool. "Time to try something new," he whispers. I nod and sit on the warm concrete. The puddle of water beneath us has taken the bite out of the sun's heat captured by the concrete. We can still feel the warmth but it's not burning our skin. Kyle then positions himself so that his feet are toward my head, and I'm laying so that my feet are in the water planted firmly on the first step of the pool. I lean in close and lick the water from the inside of his thigh, making him quiver in delight. I continue licking him, laying with my upper body twisted, my butt flat on the concrete, but the rest of me is propped up on my right side. No more than an inch is between us for the entire length of our bodies. The feeling of it all is intense for the both of us, with him stroking me and me holding him, while liking his thighs clean of the chlorinated water. As I moved on to his balls with me tongue, he shook with delight again. He mimicked every movement of my tongue. I sucked in one of his balls in a show of one-upmanship to his licking. He moaned at the new sensation. The entire time I was working on his balls, I was also stroking him freely, increasing his pleasure. ******* I shudder as he rolls his tongue around my nuts, turning them. His hand still strokes, but slowly, teasing me. My mouth is now sucking on the inside of his thigh, causing him to squirm. After that, I angle him toward my mouth and inhale him. Already, drops of pre-cum leak out onto my tongue. I lick them away, not letting him escape. My hand has him right where I want him, and I am loving this. He released my balls and taken me into his mouth, completing the circuit. We are now totally linked together. It's hard to focus on what I am doing when half of my brain is concentrating on what he is doing to me! My whole body tingles as he continues to go down on me. I am beginning to really like the taste of him. The chlorine taste from the pool has faded and now it is pure Greg again. He fills my mouth comfortably and to my surprise, I no longer gag when he is halfway down my throat. I keep up a swallowing type motion and everything seems to work right. He's moving faster on me, forcing me to pick up my speed in response. My eyes shut and I concentrate on making him feel as good as he makes me feel. Within minutes, I feel my balls pull up and tiny spasms surge. I try to hold back for as long as possible, not wanting it to end. His mouth is so hot and wet that it is impossible to hold on for long. Just as I loose control, he blasts into my mouth. I had been paying so much attention to the other end of things that I missed what was happening at mine. We both shoot at the same time, eruption after eruption, until we both are drained dry. I reluctantly release him from my mouth and lay my head on his thigh. I think I understand the term 'afterglow' now... Once the sudden weakness passes, I realize that I am starving. My stomach growls again, for the second time today. Talk about embarrassing! I look down the length of our bodies and make eye contact with Greg. He seems to be thinking about something. I smile and sit up. Time to do something about the hunger pangs before I get any louder. "That was..." I am at a loss for words. Greg smiles and then nods. "I know what you mean. Intense!" ******* I roll his nuts around my mouth, massaging them with my tongue. Slowly I stroke him, but now easing up on the intensity. His sucking on the inside of my thigh makes me squirm. Then he points my cock toward his face and engulfs me with his mouth. The lapping of his tongue on the head of my cock feels incredible. In response, I release his balls from my mouth and return the favor, feeling totally linked with him. As I move faster along his length, he also picks up speed. All of my effort is going in to making him feel good. Soon, I feel his sack start to shrink up, ready to release their payload, he twitches in my mouth, I can tell he is close but holding back. I can feel my body prepare itself in anticipation of his orgasm, the inevitability of it all driving me close to the edge. We both fire huge volleys of cum into the other's mouth at the same time. After our spasms have subsided, I ease his now soft cock out of my mouth and lay my head on his thigh. Once our weakness has passed, I hear Kyle's stomach growl. I chuckle to myself delighting in the fact that I caused him to work up an appetite for the second time today. We make eye contact, down the length of our bodies, and I can't help but notice a difference in my feelings toward my best friend. He smiles and sits up, jarring me from my thoughts. "That was..." he seems stuck mid sentence. I nod and smile. "I know what you mean. Intense," I finish. ******* We need to get ourselves rinsed off so we don't get chlorine burns. I really don't want a case of green hair either. That only happens when you don't get the shit all out of your hair. I have been lucky so far, still the same blond that I started the season with. I can't help but watch him as he walks ahead of me toward the house. His butt muscles flex as he carries his cloths in with him. Fascinating! We head for our respective rooms, deciding on faster wash times if separate. "Was that a gas grill I saw out back?" Greg asks. "Yeah. Another of Dad's toys. Why?" "How about grilling something for lunch?" Gregg suggests. "Sure. No prob. Good idea. I'll raid the fridge when I get done washing. There should be something in there worth grilling. Catch ya out back when you're done with your shower." "Shit! It's after 1! I gotta call the 'rents, let 'em know I'm ok." Greg says as he sees the clock in the kitchen when we come inside. "No prob, use the phone in your room," I wave him on as I head down to my room. Once downstairs, I detour to my room, grabbing a shirt to go with my shorts. Rummaging through my drawer, I come across the proofs of the photos Greg took of me last year. I had forgotten that I had stuck them there to get them out of my Dad's sight one night. I plant myself on the edge of my bed and rifle through the stack quickly. It still amazes me that Greg did such an incredible job with such short notice. I had a really hard time choosing the best ones for Dad's collage. I sigh to myself. What the fuck am I doing? I toss the pile of pics onto the desk and head for the shower. I snagged some sandals and a tank top with the sides mostly split out on my way. My brain is beginning to catch up with the rest of me. Things are way the hell off from where I had planned. Stupid of me, but I had no idea that things would turn out the way they had. In fact, I am still shocked that I went as far as I did. Talk about spur of the moment. Unless... had I planned it all along, in the back of my head without really paying attention? I knew Greg was going to be at the party, after all. The water feels great, ridding me of that chlorine itch that seems to set in as soon as your skin dries. It's ok when wet, but sucks big time if you leave it. Dries out your skin too. I chuckle to myself as something dawns on me. Heh, chlorine dries out your skin... no wonder none of the guys who swim on the team ever have zits! I had never thought about it that way before. The water felt good on my skin. I soaped up, my mind still twisting and turning over all that had happened. It all felt so odd. I knew I liked guys. I know I like Greg. The thing is, is more than sexual attraction? Is it lust, love or something else? Do I only want to be with Greg, or play the field, now that I know what it is like? Geez! How is this going to effect my gymnastics? So many questions just streaming one after another through my head and no fuckin' answers to any of them! The one thing that I do know is this: What Greg and I did together was the most wonderful, exciting sensual thing I have ever done in my entire short life! And I want more! But do I want a boyfriend... That's the biggest question right now. Greg is cute and we've been friends for a while, but somehow... I don't know. I just never thought of him as a boyfriend. Or did I? I shampoo my hair carefully; making sure all of the stuff gets rinsed out. The conditioner I pile on like nobody's business. My hair tends to tangle if I don't. Probably because of the swimming. So, where do things go from here? Can we play around and not get involved at that level everyone seems to want? What if we get caught? What if the team finds out? Fuck! Which leads to; are we? I am dieing of curiosity. I wanna know what it feels like. I wanna know what it's like to do and be done. Geez, does that thing ever quit! I stare down at the offending appendage, musing on its ability to rise to any thought, occasion or potentially embarrassing moment. Finished off, rinsing thoroughly, desperately ignoring my body's betrayal. The towel rasps against the sensitive skin enough to give me breathing room. My thoughts go back to Greg. How do I really feel about him? I like him a lot. He's fun to be around. Can't hold his liquor though. He's smart, and has a great body. His pictures are amazing. Crush, lust, love or none of the above? I do know that I don't want to lose our friendship. Well, I guess we don't have to worry about it just yet. Still, maybe we should talk it through more carefully... tomorrow. I am totally dry now and toss the towel onto the rack. I haul the split-sided tank over my head and pull it down. Up go the shorts, a bit tighter this time. Hmmm, wonder if Greg would take some more pictures. My chuckle startles me. Didn't realize I'd mumbled that out loud. I think it would be cool to do some more photos with Greg. Maybe. I want to try taking some of him. Wonder if he'd teach me how to use his good camera. I slip on the sandals and trot on up the stairs. The fridge yields up a couple of steaks and some potatoes. I head out back with the grub and fire up the grill. Within a few minutes everything is set. I wait to put the meat on until Greg comes out. I would hate to cook it the wrong way. Safer to wait. I salt and pepper it while I wait. Then I get out some plates and silverware. The deck has everything anyone could want for a deck party stashed away in cupboards lining the back of the house. My parents love throwing summer swim parties. I collapse in a deck chair and prop my feet on the edge of the table, ankles crossed. My head tilts back and I stare up at the clear blue of the sky. Wisps of clouds scuttle in bands half way up from the horizon. The sun feels so good. Hopefully Greg will be out soon. ******* We head in to Kyle's house at his suggestion; he wants to make sure he gets all the chlorine rinsed off before doing anything else. I can't blame him, it would be a shame for him to ruin his blonde hair by letting it turn swimming pool green. We decide that showering separate will make the rinsing off go faster, since his stomach is still grumbling. "Was that a gas grill I saw out back?" I ask "Yeah. Another of dad's toys. Why?" "How about grilling something for lunch?" I suggest. "Sure. No prob. Good idea. I'll raid the fridge when I get done washing. There should be something in there worth grilling. Catch ya out back when you're done with your shower." "Shit! It's after 1! I gotta call the 'rents, let 'em know I'm ok." I say once I notice the time. "No prob, use the phone in your room," He says as he motions me on, and then heads for his room. I step into the shower and let the water flow over me, relaxing my body. I'm not really tense, just my feelings are all knotted up. I can't figure out what I am actually feeling. Is it just the sex from Kyle that I want or is it a full-blown boyfriend that I am looking for. There are other things on my mind too. If we decide to become boyfriends, we have to keep things low-key. I mean, he is on the swim team and, being a jock, that makes him a prime target for getting picked on by his teammates if they do find out. What will my parents think, I know my Dad will be okay with things, but Mom will freak. With the water causing my body to prune up, I turn off the water, towel off, and head over to collapse on the bed. I lay on my back mulling over my predicament. Not quite feeling ready for a relationship, but wanting something that goes way beyond friendship with Kyle. Dad has always encouraged me to be happy and supported whatever I do; Mom on the other hand, has always added an ounce of caution with every bit of support she has given. She can be overprotective sometimes. I guess I better this call over with, they aren't used to me being away without calling for so long. I reach over and dial the phone. "Hello," My Dad answers. "Hi Dad, I'm at Kyle's place." I said. "What are you doing there? I thought you were going to be at Brian's house." "I was, but I got ditched at the last moment, Kyle brought me to his place to crash." "So when are you coming home?" Dad asked "Well, Kyle asked me if I could stay until Sunday night. I told him I would have to ask you and Mom before I could give an answer." "I don't mind, but I'll let you ask your mother, that way she knows where you are." "Thanks Dad." "Hi." My Mom said in her usual chipper voice. "Hi Mom, I'm at Kyle's place. Brian ditched me at the party, but Kyle brought me to his for the night." "What!? Why didn't you call us?" "I didn't want you guys to have to come get me. Besides, Kyle offered when he found out, so I went to his place." "Thank Kyle for us, he has a big heart." "I will, Mom." Then there was a long pause. "So, is Kyle your boyfriend yet?" She asked. "What do you mean by that, Mom?!" "Gregory Robert Johnston!" Uh oh all three names. "Do you think that your father and I are blind? We've seen the way you and Kyle act around each other. We know that neither one of you has a girlfriend..." "But..." I started just as Mom runs right on over me with the verbal ball. "Did you think that we don't know why you hide behind your camera all the time, and that we don't notice that most of your pictures are of guys?" "But Mom..." I managed to get two words in that time. "Greg, we love you just the same, we figured it out a while ago. Why do you think I taught you how do so many things? I wanted to make sure that you could make it on your own if you couldn't find anyone that made you feel special." "That's why? You just figured I wouldn't find anyone?" "Yes Greg, you kept yourself so wrapped up in photography that we weren't sure that you would stop long enough to have a life out from behind the camera." "So, you mean that it doesn't matter if I'm gay? You're not disappointed in me?" Then my Dad says from the other extension, "Son, we know that you can't choose who you fall in love with, any more than you can choose your eye color. We're happy that you are doing your best to be all that you can become." "Sure we're worried that you might get hurt," Mom said, "but we would worry even if you were dating girls." "Oh... Well, anyway, Kyle is not my boyfriend. I don't have one. I just realized how I felt about Kyle this morning. I'm not sure if I want to be his boyfriend. He's on the swim team of all things, I don't want him to mess that up, nor do I want to mess up our friendship." "Just remember, Greg, we still love you no matter what. You are our son just the same." Mom said. "Oh, before I forget, is it okay if I stay here 'til Sunday night? Kyle asked, but I told him I would have to ask you two first." "If you want, dear. Your Dad and I could use the time alone. Also, if you want my advice about Kyle, think long and hard about what it is that you feel for him. Don't get me wrong; being boyfriends is not going to be a cakewalk. You'll have lots of challenges ahead if you go through with it. There's a lot more to dating than just sex." 'How the hell did she know?! Did she watch?' I thought, nearly dropping the phone. "And," Dad said, "don't forget that we are here for you. If you need to talk something out, we will listen." "Th... Thanks, guys." I stammered "I think I know what I want to do, but I haven't figured out why just yet," I said, still trying to get that last statement of my Mom's to sink in. "Just take it slow," Mom said. "You have your whole life ahead of you." Dad added. "Okay, I get the hint. I'll see you Sunday night then. Bye." I said with a bit of exasperation in my voice. "Bye," they said in unison. I flopped back on the bed still confused. How did they know before I did? I guess all those pictures in the darkroom, and the fact that I didn't want to be bothered with the girls' sports made it obvious. That doesn't matter now, the parents know and they don't seem to mind, in fact, they seem to be encouraging it. I think I'm going to go for it. I'll ask Kyle if he wants to be my boyfriend. I know things have to be discreet, but we can manage. It's only the two of us that have to know. Considering my parents already thought we were boyfriends, I know we don't have to hide from them. Guess there is only one thing left to do.