Author's Note: Part of growing up gay, if one seeks to live with dignity and honor, is coming out to the ones you love. Ricky learned this lesson early. Now it is Nicky's turn. Also, Ricky gets called on some of his bullshit, but I'm not giving you any spoilers about that!

Touched with Fire

They spent hours and hours star-gazing and talking. Ricky was so knowledgable! He was so fun to talk with! Nude, together, sitting in the dark under the stars on the diving platform by the dark River, Nicky fell forever into his lover's vast universe. They did not return to Nicky's cabin until it was near dawn, and when they slept, entwined in each other's arms and legs, it was the deepest and most relaxing sleep.

It was very late when they awoke, enwrapped together, sheets thrashed, their naked young bodies fully exposed. The sun was blazing into his room through the sliding glass doors. He was already high enough in the sky as to say, "Time to go swimming! All the boys are there! Go! Go!"

To Nicky's complete shock, his bedroom door was wide open! They could be seen by anyone in the main room!

Mama has opened the door?

Nicky's heart began to pound. That was not something his mother did. She had always respected his privacy.

Ricky, waking up then, saw what Nicky saw. In that quiet voice he had sometimes, he said, "She knows."

They dressed in silence. Nicky felt a terrible foreboding.

They went into the kitchen to have some cereal and milk. His mother was in her chair reading. She only said, "Good morning, boys. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, Mama," Nicky had answered. He went to kiss her.

She let them eat their breakfast. But as they cleaned up the dishes, discussing the day's plans, his mother asked for something deínos: new, strange, and terrible!

She wanted to speak to Ricky alone!

Alone. Ricky alone. Not me! Deínos! Deínos!

Nicky went into his room, trembling. He went out on the deck to watch the water and occasionally, nervously, looked back in through the glass rear of the cabin. Ricky was sitting on the carpet at the feet of his mother in her chair, looking up at her. They were talking and talking!

What can it be?

They continued to talk and talk.

Then! Suddenly! He saw his mother reach down and pet Ricky's head. Nicky's eyes watered. He had chills all over his body. It will be OK!

Trust

Ricky, blinking in surprise, watched Nicky leave the room with his eyes big and worried. Ricky's heart was pounding, but he had an idea what she wanted to talk about.

She beckoned him over, suggesting he take a chair, but Ricky just sat down on the rug at her feet.

"Yes, Mrs. Theophilos?"

She looked at him with her big, dark eyes, eyes so very much like Nicky's eyes. She wasted no time getting to the point.

"I saw something very disturbing last night, Ricky. Do you know what I am talking about?"

Ricky knew better than to play innocent. He answered truthfully. "You saw us sneak out in the night?"

"No, not exactly, but I surmised this. In fact, I felt the cabin creak a bit, and it awoke me. I thought it was an earthquake, perhaps, or an eruption of the volcano. I went out on the deck, saw the glass door to Nicky's room was open, and I saw that you two were not there.

"Concerned, I went to the front of the house and caught a glimpse of you two by the light of the front porch as you made your way to the road. You were holding hands. I was, however, left sleepless, and looking up toward the bridge, by chance, I saw what appeared to be your forms embracing."

Ricky looked down. He felt his cheeks burn. He confessed. "That was us."

"Ricky! Darling? What were you thinking to vanish in the night like that for so long?"

"We went to get my binoculars to look at stars. One can see their individual colors! Then, we went to the river for a midnight swim and more stargazing."

"What bothers me is the way you two chose to do this so surreptitiously rather than inform me."

Weakly, Ricky said, "We saw no need to wake you. We meant no harm."

She shook her head, almost talking to herself, she said, "Boys. Men. As much as I study you, you are ever touched by fires I cannot grasp."

She sighed, then looked at Ricky directly, asking, "So you and my son are lovers?"

Ricky was reeling. He could not out Nicky, even to his mother. That was up to Nicky. But he would not lie.

He said, "I think Nicky needs to talk with you. Perhaps I should leave."

"Yes," she agreed, not angry. "He does need to talk with me, and no, I do not wish you to leave. Let me rephrase that. You are loyal to him. I see that, so let me ask about you not him."

"I will not speak for Nicky," Ricky only said.

"I do not expect you to. I would not ask that. That would be fair neither to you nor he, but I will ask you this: How much do you care for him?"

Ricky discerned the difference between the simplistic, "Do you love him?" compared with "How much do you care?"

Ricky smiled. "He is my other half. He is the laughter and sunlight that was taken from me at the beginning of the universe, now restored."

She cocked her head and looked at him with her eyes wide. She reached down and petted Ricky's hair.

Ricky knew that he was within the spell of a strong woman, a loving mother. He would not refuse her. He could not! She asked, "Does your mother know you are gay?"

Again, she did not even ask. She went directly to questions beyond the obvious.

"Yes. My father too. Some others. A few. A very few. And, now? you! I grew so frustrated and angry pretending. I decided I would not lie."

"Good. That is good. And no, you needn't say anything, but I know you and Nicky have had many escapades. I see it on your faces, those secret glances, not so secret. I hear it in your laughter in the night. I smell it on you, that musky sweat that young men make when aroused. You need say nothing, Ricky."

Ricky said nothing.

She continued. "Mothers know things, Ricky. I do not need to tell you this. When you talked with your own mother, did she not indicate that she already knew?"

"No, not exactly. She said she suspected. She had seen signs. But she also knew I liked girls, so she decided not to make any conclusions too soon."

"Ah. Yes. Well my Nicky showed 'signs' very early, and these signals grew only stronger over time. He has always known his own mind, my Nicky."

"I envy him this, Mrs. Theophilos."

She nodded sympathetically; however, she dramatically changed the subject. "But child! It is not permitted to come and go as you please. We adults are responsible for you."

Ricky only blushed. He had been soundly and thoroughly chastised. "Yes, Mrs. Theophilos, but do you remember being our age?"

"Indeed I do! And that is exactly my concern! Now, I am not concerned about your age and the age difference. It is not inappropriate. Many court cases have determined that activity within the span of two years, past the age of twelve, is a peer relationship, but I must appeal to your sense of justice and pride, Ricky?"

Ricky pondered her last sentence. She had a sophisticated syntax, at once bold, simple, and direct, yet somehow ornate in its subtle connections. To her statement, however, he simply asked, "Yes?"

"No more of that sneaking about in the dark!"

"Yes, Mrs. Theophilos."

"You are the older one. The responsible one! Nicky? He needs some direction. He needs some protection!"

"Oh, Mrs. Theophilos! He is like a force of nature! He is not so easy to handle! He is a creature of pure will! He seems so pleasant and agreeable, but he is as hard to grasp as thunder!" Ricky exclaimed.

She laughed then. "Tell me something I do not know!"

She then got to her main point. "Now then. I must ask for your help. You must direct Nicky in this. You must use your influence. You must tell him he can trust his mother, and you must ask him to confide in me."

Ricky looked into her beseeching eyes. "I will do it."

"Good. Now, however, that is not all, for this morning I called your father. I assumed that he was at your cabin. Imagine my deep surprise to discover that he is in Tobago, and you have been left alone for the week. Somehow you and my sweet son neglected to tell me this?"

Oh fuck. I am so busted!

Ricky answered honestly, "The feeling of freedom was very attractive, Mrs. Theophilos."

"I can understand that, Darling. I can. But this will not do. Your family trusted you. Your father trusts you, but if you wish to spend the night with Nicky, you must do it here. I will no longer allow him out at night. I am sorry, but you two have over-exercised your freedom and trust. That is all. I will leave you two to your own time now."

Ricky thought he had been chastised before, but at that moment he felt extremely foolish. He did explain that his Uncle Dan and Aunt Michele were entrusted with his supervision, and he gave Nicky's mother the phone number.

"Very well. That is acceptable. If you and Nicky choose to disappear again, I know who to call. I have spoken with your aunt. She is intolerant of adolescent peccadilloes. I suspect you would prefer to eschew her wrath."

Ricky was bemused by her vocabulary. He asked, "Eschew? Peccadilloes?"

"Deliberately avoid. Minor sins."

"Ah. OK. But, uh, you know that today is our friend Mason's birthday? You are invited. We mainly were planning on going there. That was our plan for the day."

"That is fine, Ricky, but first, you will speak with my Nicky about these senior matters?"

"Yes."

"Good. Do that. First."

He was dismissed.

A Little Chat

It had been strange, walking by his mother after Ricky came out to retrieve him. She had smiled at Nicky. She did not seem angry. But the tension!

Ricky had only said, standing there in that way of his, on one leg with the other leg bent, yet, with a hand on his Mama's shoulder! "Let's walk to the tracks and look at the trains, Nicky."

When he told Nicky what his mother had said — that he must come out to her — Nicky protested, "Oh, Ricky! This thing you ask? I mean, if she already knows, why say it?"

"Because you are wounding her each day you do not, Nicky. You must! It is time. The time has come. You must."

Nicky was never given to tears. His Ricky? He would cry. But he? No. The tears never came.

Yet the tears came then. He could not bear the thought of hurting his mother. That was what did it. He felt a feeling most deínos! Regret!

He was persuaded. He would purge this feeling through action!

I will do it!

He even did something he rarely did. He made a plan. Like Ricky! He would use forethought and strategy!

Ricky left him then. He said he wanted to get the cabin all clean for the family. That was a lie. Ricky had plenty of time for that. It was only... What day?

Nicky thought and thought. Collin leaves Monday. We go to the Naruto movie and play with Mark and Justin that day. Then we go to get the gifts for Mason and play with Wesley. Hah! It is Wednesday! But Ricky's other family is arriving Friday! Yes. A lie. No. Well, a... STORY! Ricky just wants to leave me alone. So he makes up an excuse. But he DOES always have work to do, so not a lie, not really. THAT is it. He is being polite.

Nicky sighed. He almost felt afraid and almost tried to go with him and help, but, No, no!

On his way home, in a flash of inspiration, he dashed across the road, and near the drainage culvert where the water ran under the tracks, picked some of the wild daisies. There was a kind of orange lily with spots like tiger marks there too, but Ricky had said these were rare, and protected, so he left them. With his gathered flowers, he went home then.

He rehearsed the speech. He practiced it while he made lunch for her, making all the things she liked: thinly sliced sourdough bread, oven toasted; the good, French brie; a little caviar, not the best kind from the Black Sea, but fairly good; a glass of Chardonnay, from California, better than the French — his mother said. He got the Earl Grey tea and water ready. That would be for later.

She was sitting right there, reading a book. Seemingly disinterested while he bustled in the kitchen, trying not to make a mess.

They spoke Greek, as they always did when alone together. He announced, "I am making lunch for you! I wish we had smoked salmon!"

"Nicholas!" She protested, "What prompts you to cater to me?"

"I love you so much Mama, you make me crazy! I make lunch for you!

Nicky knew full well that his mother could not resist him. He was the one who she loved the most. He, Nicky, was her one, special one.

He made her laugh. He made her smile.

He set up the little table by the kitchen with all the nice things. Especially the flowers. He mother loved it when the table was set beautifully.

When she was seated, and after she had properly admired his work, Nicky, never one to wait, simply said, "I know this will probably not come as a surprise to you Mama, but I am gay."

Her only comment, as she wiped he mouth was, "What brings this on, Nicky Darling?"

"It is because I am in love, and I cannot lie to my Mama. Also, my friend Ricky told me that if I did not tell you, I would be saying I did not trust you, and I do trust you. Well, he did not say that. But this was what the things he said meant."

She considered that, then she said, "I was thinking that Ricky would be a good influence on you. He is a good, honest boy. Strong in body and mind. Pure of heart. You are lucky. It is too bad he lives so far away."

Nicky was not expecting this cool, calculated acceptance. He complained, "I thought this moment would be more exciting!"

She petted his hair. "I am just being honest, Darling. You have been honest with me. It is only fair."

"Still, Mama? Can you not just pretend to be shocked? You do not ask, 'How can you be sure? How do you know?'"

"No, Nicholas. I will not insult you that way. You would not tell me unless you were certain. Thank you for telling me. I do hope you made tea? You know how I adore tea after my meal?"

I do Mama! I have it all set up! Let me make it now! I was awaiting your request! May I kiss you, Mama?"

"You need never ask, my Darling."

But Nicky always asked. It was a sacred ritual.

He sat and watched her drinking her tea, propping his head in a hand, swinging his legs. She seemed so regal to him.

That went well!

He wondered why he had waited so long.

Now we can actually talk about it.

The talking would come. He knew. But his mother was patient. He knew that too.

The Party

Mason's birthday party was a huge affair. It spilled out onto the road, it was so big. There was not a kid in the place who did not show up.

The party was West Coast Indian themed, naturally. They had decorated the place with beautiful woven reeds, and they burned sage. Instead of cake, they had some kind of fry bread glazed with honey and served with with acorn... pudding! They had a whole table loaded down with smoked salmon! This made Nicky crazy! He ate so much salmon, both his burps and farts smelled fishy!

But that was not all. All the food was wild food. Wild rice. Wild quail. Wild, spicy greens served in peppery, tangy sauces. Indians made good food!

When it came time for the gifts, each person brought his or hers and gave a little speech. Ricky, when he presented Mason with the hatchet said, "I got you something I know I would have liked, and all us guys agree you need a hatchet, even if it worries the adults. I know you will never hurt yourself or anyone else with it. Besides, there is still that big pile of poles by the sweathouse that need to be cleaned up."

Mason was absolutely unashamed to hug and kiss Ricky.

Or anyone, really. Mason was, Nicky was figuring out, a "girly boy." It seemed that his family understood that about him and accepted this without question.

Nicky's arrow was the spectacular hit gift of the entire party. Mason, seeing the excellence of the handmade paper, unwrapped it carefully, and when he opened it up, a hush grew in the room.

Nicky told the whole story of its acquisition, explaining, it was a gift of a gift from the man who made it of the same tribe, and it symbolized the trust a tribe had for its newly honored young men, for already, they had earned it.

All the adults knew the artist. To Mason and Roan's fathers, Nicky said, "And he says to tell you that he would be honored were you to bring Mason and Roan to one of his teaching workshops."

It was a deadly looking arrow, mounted in a glass fronted box of gray, salvaged wood. Mason thought it would look beautiful on the wall of his room.

They remained at the party all afternoon, properly mingling and properly socializing. They waited the proper time before leaving, and when they did leave, they left together. Nicky, with his mother's permission after conferring with Ricky's aunt, spent the night with Ricky back in his gazebo.

Ricky wanted to keep the cabin, so recently and perfectly cleaned, pristine. The Boone cabin would soon be full of family. His aunt Michele was leaving. His other aunt would soon be arriving. They had a quiet interlude. It was like old times. Nicky liked the gazebo. It had been nice having the cabin alone with Ricky and borrowing the truck, but it was somehow reassuring to just be kids again. It was also nice to simply be alone with Ricky without seeking any extra kicks. That night, Roan and Mason had Wesley. He had Ricky.

Ricky had as much confessed the same feeling. He had told him, "I feel so drained Nicky! Can we just chill? Can we just... uh, be?

"Together?"

"Yes, Ricky. We can do that."

In each other's arms, they talked a lot.

Nicky said, "You know, Ricky? I never told you this, but seeing all the things the Indians made instead of bought made me think of how very much I would like to make a boat!"

"A boat? Yes! I remember you talking about this."

"Yes. I tried talking more about this before, but you were busy. A little sailboat — at first — one that can also be rowed, also. For exploring, for fishing, for boat camping, you know?"

"That would be fun," Ricky agreed.

Nicky had great plans for this. He and Ricky talked about this idea for some time. Later, finally, Ricky told him, "I bought you some clothes, Nicky."

"Clothes?"

"Yes. I ordered them online. I had Dad's permission. Today, when doing laundry, I got on the computer and selected an outfit. I read all the tags on your clothes, so I know all your sizes."

"Why did you buy me clothes?"

"For the dance, you know? I have been telling you! Plus, there's the after party with Justin, Mark, and some of their friends."

Nicky pondered this. "But what is wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all! It is just I wanted the fun of dressing you up."

"Hah! So that afternoon when we were playing with your grandmother's sewing stuff, and we were measuring our dicks again, and you took the tape and started measuring me all over, and I thought you were playing, you were actually measuring me for clothes?"

"No. I was just playing then, but it did get me thinking. I wanted to surprise you. They will be here tomorrow. I just checked."

"I thought you were texting."

"I was! But I also checked when the UPS truck would be here."

"Well. OK. I will wear these new clothes then. I will wager you picked something nice."

"I did. It's funny, but for a gay guy? You are awfully indifferent about clothes."

"That is because there is nothing more beautiful than a naked boy, Ricky. Clothes just hide that!"

It was nice laying there with Ricky. Ricky was so strong. His body was like hot iron. Nicky felt safe.

Gay Little Indians

If it were not for Roan, Wesley, and Mason, Ricky and Nicky would likely have simply drifted off to sleep, but as it happened, those three wild boys evidently decided that a surprise visit to Ricky and Nicky was in order.

It was Ricky who sensed them first. Leaning up from Nicky, he called out, "Who is there?"

This awoke Nicky, who had begun to doze off.

In a quiet voice from the dark, Roan answered, "It is just us, Ricky. We swam across the river."

"Us" they discovered was Roan, Mason, and Wesley.

They were dressed in the cutest Indian clothes, loincloths, headbands, bead jewelry, and the funniest face paint! They even had feathers hanging back from their hair.

"Mason," Roan explained, as they slipped into the gazebo, "wanted to show off our costumes."

"And I," added Wesley with a happy laugh, "need my dick sucked!"

Nicky had been trying and trying to get Ricky to hook up with them, and he had suggested to Roan and Mason that they simply force the issue, and it looked to him like they also determined that was the way to make this happen! Having Wesley in the mix helped. Ricky definitely considered Wesley in his age range.

Nicky asked, "You guys wearing anything under those wet and sexy loincloths?"

Both had wrapped their waists in leather bands and had taken a scrap of deer hide to make a triangle that covered only their fronts while going bare assed! Roan had tied his long and amazing hair up in the bun on the top of his head. It was one of his styles. He used that when he was working and sometimes for swimming to keep his hair from getting wet.

"Nope!" Mason proclaimed as he flipped up the front and bucked his hips to make his slender penis and cute balls dance around.

Roan giggled and did the same. If Ricky would not come their way, they would go his!

"Show Ricky how long your dick is, Mason! He's never seen it hard!"

Wesley, to make things wild, slipped over and slapped Ricky's face with his elegant penis. Nicky, excited then, got on his knees and gave the two younger guys a simultaneous pair of deft handjobs. He soon had them hard. Looking at Ricky, he saw his lover staring at this even as he sucked Wesley's long cock. He was most interested. He would do something sexual with these little guys. To do otherwise would be rude. It was Mason's birthday, and they had been very loving to Ricky.

Little Mason was the agressor. He hopped on Ricky's lap, shoving Wesley away, and kissed him while he spread his legs and ground himself into Ricky, who was, quite, quite hard. "Roan says I am the gayest one. He thinks I'm a girl spirit in a boy body! I know that want to suck your dick, Ricky. And I sure want to see how far you can stick it in me!"

That was more than Ricky could take. All his protestations about "little dudes with hairless little dicks" vanished.

Besides, Mason's cock, though slender, was actually longer than Roan's. It was almost longer than Nicky's. He was, like Roan, a fairly well equipped "little dude."

Ricky was ready. Nicky saw it. He petted Mason's back and returned his kisses before sitting up on the back bench and spreading his legs so Mason could kneel between them and go down on his raging stiffy.

Wesley was beside them. His glistening boy spear, wet with Ricky's spit, stuck up invitingly, so Nicky simply sat on it with his back to Wesley and spread his legs for Roan, who joined his companion to perform a similar action on Nicky. Nicky kept looking at Ricky's strong and pretty face. His taunting look was meant to say, "Hah ha! I told you so!"

The little brown boys' next move was to both clamber up and sink both Ricky and Nicky's cocks in their ever so tight assholes! No lube?

Roan laughed, "We greased our asses with Vaseline before swimming across the river!"

Nicky had a hot three way with Wesley up his ass from below and Roan's tight ass coming down from above. Mason, Nicky saw, was able to handle Ricky's big dick, — balls deep — so long as Ricky didn't fuck him forcefully.

Roan, meanwhile did the same with Nicky even as he told Ricky, "I've gotten better at this, Ricky. I hope you will give me another chance to fuck your big dick with my ass?"

This was agreeable to Ricky. Mason, after lovingly kissing Ricky with Ricky's cock deep in him, panted, "I need to switch! I'm kinda achy down there!"

Ricky had long ago explained that Roan was "too small." It was, he said, "not fair." He simply could not "fuck the shit out of him." So Ricky was finally able to give Roan the sound fucking he had always wanted to give him.

Thus, while he, Mason, and Wesley made out, Ricky did indeed "fuck the shit out of Roan."

When Ricky flipped Roan around for a "reverse cowboy," Mason leaned over and blew him, even as Nicky fucked Mason and Wesley still fucked him.

It was Wesley who came first, juicing Nicky's ass.

Roan, after blowing his load, giggled and returned the favor of a blow job for Mason.

But neither Nicky or Ricky had come, so Nicky suggested, "This is a good time to fuck Ricky. He gets all slutty at this stage of sex."

He grabbed Ricky and pulled him into an all-fours position on the floorboards with their sleeping bags and told the other two, "Hit him from the front and back. He likes that!"

Mason took the rear and Roan took the front.

"Fuck him hard!" Nicky laughingly commanded. He and Wesley placed their arms around each other's waists and watched the younger two give to Ricky good.

They did fuck him hard! Roan long-cocked him in the mouth and Mason fucked him with loud slaps from behind. From Ricky's happy noises, he was, indeed, enjoying "little dudes with little dicks."

Nicky laughed at him. "You're a fucking hypocrite, Ricky!"

Ricky had his mouth full, so he could not protest.

It only took a few minutes before their friends were dumping their second loads in Ricky. It was always that way with them. They came fast and often. They slipped out with contented sighs and flopped to the side. Ricky took up his jug of water and wetted his come rag to wash them and himself.

Mason giggled, "So now we are at the 'we all suck and fuck each other stage?'"

Roan laughed. "He learned that line from me!"

"Who," Nicky smirked, "learned it from me!"

This made them all laugh.

Mason sighed, "This is the best birthday I've ever had!"

Wesley suggested, "You guys wanna swim back across the river and sleep in the teepee with us?"

Roan said, "Yeah Ricky! You never spent the night there! You should!"

Nicky told them, "I really want to fuck Ricky. I haven't fucked him in a while. He usually fucks me."

Ricky simply stared at him for several intense moments before saying, "Let's do it, Nicky. Let's go there. Except, I'm going to text Nicky's mom. I promised her."

Nicky grew quiet. That was something about Ricky he loved. Even in the middle of passion, he still had a responsible side. Added to that, and as an example, Ricky could not be persuaded to go nude. He insisted on wearing his shorts, so Nicky did the same. They all left the gazebo, trotted down the road in the dark, slipped down to the beach, and swam across the river.

Once in Roan and Mason's amazing teepee, Nicky did fuck Ricky. He totally hogged him. He fucked him slowly and deeply for a long, long, long time, whispering nasty things, ignoring the other three, but enjoying letting them watch. He made Ricky come with his cock in his ass, and he let Mason lick it up.

Mason was, just as they said, particularly homo-erotic. He had needed an older guy to round out his initiation into the Gay Tribe. Nicky had thought that from the start. Finally Ricky realized that he was not hurting him; he was helping him.

In the morning, Ricky awoke first and clambered out of the teepee on the river side away from the house. On that side, Roan and Mason, ever industrious, had rigged up a primitive shower, using a garden hose and a piece from a watering can. They had laid a moving pallet in the sand, placed a bench nearby, and there was even a table with some of Roan's hair grooming products. Ricky smiled at that. Roan was a butch boy, but he was particular about taking care of his hair and fussy about what kinds of soaps, lotions, and scents he allowed to touch his body. Ricky approved. He was, himself, exactly the same.

He was giving himself a cold rinse when Mason appeared, nude.

Without a word, the pretty little boy joined Ricky under the shower. He had such soft hair! And such pretty eyes! It was as Nicky suggested: He looked Persian. Delectable, really. Ricky had to bend his knees to kiss him, and that he did without a thought. It was the natural thing to do with such an affectionate and willing lover.

In moments, they were both hard. Ricky had a chance to examine him closely in the early morning light, spread legged on the bench, with Ricky's lips and tongue on his long, slender, uncut penis, pretty, little smooth balls, and an anus so tiny, it was a miracle he had even fucked it. That sweet hole was something Ricky wanted to stick his tongue in, but it took some work to loosen it.

They did not talk. It was understood.

Looking at him in the pre-dawn light, there was no doubt. Little Mason was a gorgeous guy. His long skinny limbs and flat belly were beautiful. His face, to Ricky's perception, was indistinguishable from a young girl! He was not, really, Ricky's type in that he was simply too undeveloped to truly excite Ricky's hottest fires, but he was a hell of a good fuck and a damn good sport. Frankly, Mason had grown on him. Ricky simply liked him and wanted to see him happy.

Mason, for his part, was evidently happiest to bottom for Ricky. Silently, he reached over and took a bottle of conditioner to hand to Ricky, staring at him with lascivious eyes and a sly smile. Ricky understood. Lube. He wanted to get fucked.

But Ricky did not slam bang the little guy. He used the conditioner to wet themselves and he just stuck in the first few inches of his dick, making Mason moan, but not protest. He fucked him gently as Mason's hands held the back of his neck and as the small guy closed his eyes and tipped back his head. Such pretty lips! Such long lashes!

Ricky realized it was the first time they had ever been alone together with only each other.

But their quiet time was interrupted by Roan's hoot. Looking up, he saw him there. Wesley appeared at that time too. Laughing, they joined them in the shower, to rinse and kiss with rub hard dicks on each other.

Nicky remained asleep. Nicky liked his morning sleep. No one disturbed him. Meanwhile, the others all fucked and sucked each other in the shower area, and by some silent accord, they all only edged. There was something almost ritual-like about it. It was how gay boys said, "Good morning!"

Nicky had proven to Ricky he was right about the younger guys, and Ricky never brought up the topic again. Nicky had made his point. He had won. Ricky would never refuse any boys Nicky found and wanted to share with him ever again.

Off and on, all day, in various places an in various ways, the five of them continued to fool around, and they continued to do so until Roan and Mason returned home a few days later.

Blessings

Time was running out.

The weekend had brought the other side of Ricky's clan to the Boone cabin. Next Saturday was the dance, and a week after that, Ricky would have to return home. They would both have to go home.

As vital youths, they addressed this by living every moment with as much intensity as they could bring, but as the week progressed, Ricky could not escape nagging worries and hidden threats.

For example, the situation with Ricky's mother was not good. She and the kids hardly had money to live on. His step-dad was always late with the checks. He knew this was intentional on the part of his stepfather. He knew his mother did not want to go through the turmoil of calling social services and, hence, the District Attorney's enforcement arm of the law each month. It was, Ricky knew, another of his step-father's methods of torturing other people. His mother was kept in constant tension. Ricky had a mean streak, but his stepfather lived in cold, dark, implacably cruel place from which he never emerged, though to the outer world he appeared completely pleasant and perfectly sane.

Ricky was not looking forward to his life back home.

He began pressuring his father to let him come live with him, but his dad was adamant. He travelled too much, he said. Ricky would be alone in his house. What kind of dad would just let a sixteen year old have a house to himself?

Ricky would answer, "The good kind with a good son, Dad! Haven't you figured out that I would be a better roommate than anyone you've ever known? I'd clean and cook. You could fire the gardener. I'm a good little wifey, you know? Dad! Come on! And I could be near Uncle Steven and cousin Karl! And Nicky! He lives just a few miles away! Oh, please, please, pretty please? And also? Who else do you know who would be cool with you bringing hot guys home with you? Huh? Huh?"

"You make me crazy, Ricky."

"I know. Nicky's mom says the same thing about Nicky. One day, I'll have sons or daughters who make me crazy too!"

It never occurred to Ricky that being gay meant not having kids. Ricky wanted kids. He always saw them in his future, gay or straight.

"I'll think about it," his dad had said. Same as his mom. Translation: "No."

But all Ricky said was, "Good. And send mom some money, but not too much or she'll just buy a bunch of shit and then next month it will be the same, desperate situation."

"Yeah," he agreed. Then he said, "How'd you get to be so old for someone so young?"

"I had you and her for parents, you dickwad."

His father had grown silent then. After a few moments, he said, "I know I may deserve your censure, Ricky, but I really don't like it when you talk to me that way."

"I'm sorry, Dad. It just come out. I'm still mad at you, you know."

"I know, Ricky, but please, don't say things like that. Calling your dad a 'dickwad' is not cool."

"OK, asshole! I love you, Dad. I love you so much you make me cry. You should let me live with you. It would be good for both of us."

"I'll think about it. You haven't told Trish, have you?"

"No. She'll be upset. She depends on me. I was thinking I could get gardening jobs in your neighborhood. Could I use your lawnmower? I'll buy you a new once once I make some money."

"I don't even own a lawnmower. I already have a gardener. I told you I'd think about it, don't try the, 'What color would you like?' routine. I know your tricks, Ricky."

His dad had told him that car salesmen, instead of saying, "Do you want to buy this car?" were trained to ask only questions that would get "Yes" type answers or positive responses, like, "So! What color did you want?"

"I learned from the best, Daddy!" Ricky answered.

Ricky did not tell Nicky that he was maneuvering to move to the Bay Area near where Nicky lived, in Oakland. He knew that would excite Nicky too much.

But then, if it did not work out, Nicky would be heartbroken.

So Ricky kept his schemes to himself.

After Nicky told him that he had come out to his mother, Ricky had taken the opportunity to talk with her for a long time. They had even evolved an evening ritual wherein he would report the day's events while Nicky cleaned the kitchen. Ricky had taken to cooking many meals there.

Nicky had showing Roan and Mason a lot of attention again during their last days together. That was fine. That was good. That was as it should be. But that afternoon was one of the first days without them. As Nicky fished with one of the three-pronged and deadly looking spears they had made together, Ricky chatted with Nicky's mother.

She was reading. Nicky's mother was always reading! As usual, she had a sun umbrella and a hat. That day, rather than her long beach dress, she had a silk cloth to cover her legs. She did not like to get too much sun.

"What are you reading, Mrs. Theophilos?"

"You should call me 'Maria,' Ricky, either that, or 'Mama.'"

Ricky considered that. He said, "OK, Mama Maria, what are you reading?"

She smiled and said, "My field is international law, as you know. I have been studying the history of Crete; that is, modern history. There has been an ongoing conflict between Turkey and Greece? You may know of this?"

"Not much, no. Just that there is always a threat of blood there, and this fear brings it to the news again and again."

"Yes. Well. At any rate, my research, and the research of others, shows that 'balance of power politics' rarely, if ever, maintains balance. I have been looking for contrary evidence, but I am finding little, if any, nor are the examples instructive. So far, that is."

Ricky nodded. That was interesting stuff. "I would like to talk more with you about this, and thank you, but I am more curious right now as to how things have been between you and Nicky?"

"Things have been better, Ricky. I see him growing up quickly now."

Ricky nodded. "I worry about things though."

"Yes, Ricky. This is something about you I like."

Ricky was pleased by the compliment. He told her, "Nicky has deep insight at times, you know?"

"Yes. I do."

"He told me an old Greek story. He said it was from Herodotus, the historian? He told me that God, who he calls 'Zeus,' has two urns by his door. One urn is filled with blessings, and the other with curses. To some, he gives only curses. To others, he gives both. But no man receives only blessings. Nicky is a blessing."

She petted his hair. "'Whom' he calls 'Zeus,' Ricky, but yes, so too are you a blessing, Kalós Neanías. I am glad he has you for a friend."

"Kalós neanías," Ricky knew, meant, "beautiful young man."

Unsaid, was, What curse will befall us?