2

The evening was as close to perfect as I'd ever been. From time to time, I'd catch dad glancing at me out of the corners of his eyes, but the look he was giving me was always a loving one. I knew that, deep down, he felt troubled about what we had done, but he seemed to make sure that it wouldn't come between us. We joked and laughed and had fun like we usually did when we went out together, but somehow it was deeper. Now he knew how much I loved him, and I knew that he loved me every bit as much. It was a great feeling. We held hands during most of the movie, just breaking apart now and then to stuff ourselves with popcorn, and at dinner afterwards we were a little bit more quiet than we used to be. I didn't mind. Our eyes spoke instead. We'd catch each other's gazes, and then one of us would smile, setting the other off in turn. Like that, hours fled, and it was long since dark by the time we got home. I was yawning and stretching, more tired than I had been in a long time. We hung around the kitchen long enough to drink some orange juice, then went upstairs to go to bed. As dad turned into his bedroom, I stopped and gave him a quizzical glance. He smiled and nodded, and I dashed off towards my bathroom.

"Jimmy!" His voice made me stop, and I turned around to catch another of his sweet smiles. "Get your toothbrush and come here."

My heart began to beat faster as I started to think about what might be going on. I thought I had an idea what dad might be up to. In record time, I was back in his bedroom, only to stop dead in my tracks at the sight that met me. He was just stepping out of his boxers, and I felt myself react immediately. He grinned at my little boner as it sprung up when I tore off my clothes, and then took my hand and led me into his bathroom. I hadn't seen my father naked many times, since nudity was always a bit of a taboo around our home. Not that we were shy, we just didn't go around naked very much. So standing at the sink right next to him as we brushed our teeth was such a turn-on for me. I kept stealing glances at him, all the time, all over his body. He didn't have much body hair, not like some adults I'd seen in changing rooms or on beaches and such, just a patch of light brown pubes around the base of his penis, a thin but dark trail leading up to his navel, and then some fuzz between his nipples. His legs were quite hairy, but his arms were almost smooth. In my eyes, he was the most beautiful thing in existence. Our teeth done, dad turned on the shower and ushered me inside. We washed each other thoroughly, him getting down on his knees so I could do his hair. Hands were everywhere, and it somehow felt both very sexy and very non-sexy. It was just an intimate moment, shared by two people who loved each other. Touching and soaping each other felt so good I'm pretty sure I was grinning the whole time. I noticed that his armpits were hairy, too, and for a second I wondered if that wouldn't make them difficult to keep clean. I made sure to wash him there, too, just to be on the safe side. When I thought we were done, he surprised me. He ran a well-soaped finger up and down my butt-crack, making me gasp as he brushed it against my hole. I hadn't know that could be such a source for pleasure! I returned the favour, and he let out a low, purring groan, then set about to wash my genitals. If anything, I got harder than before, almost painfully so, and as I washed him back he started to stiffen, too. We stood there for a while, rubbing soap into each other's sacs and pulling back our foreskins to clean beneath them, and I couldn't help getting up on my toes to kiss him. For a brief moment, our tongues touched, lightly caressing against each other, then we were back at the washing. All soaped up, we just hugged each other, letting the hot water carry the foam away. We dried each other off, too, and the feeling of his large hands massaging my entire body through a terry towel made me purr and giggle with pleasure. Tossing our towels into the hamper, dad took my hand and led me back into the bedroom. He got in beneath the comforter, then held it up for me, patting the place next to him. I squirmed in, then snuggled up close to him. He turned out the light, then wrapped his arms around me, kissing my lips gently.

"That night you spoke of," he whispered, "the night after the funeral?"

"Yeah?"

"At first, I was dreaming about Melissa, and how we used to kiss and hug each other in bed, but then I must've smelled you or something."

"Why's that?"

"Because suddenly it was you I was kissing and holding, in my dream. And it felt so right I never wanted it to stop, even though a part of me screamed that it was all wrong."

"You were kissing me, dad. And I kissed you back."

"I realise that now, even if I just thought it was just in the dream back then." He stroked my shoulder. "I love you, Jimmy."

"I love you too, dad. Can we make love tonight?"

"No." His voice was soft, but I felt that he had definitely made up his mind. "No, let's save all that, for now. I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about... going that way with you."

"Okay. Just tell me when you get sure. I don't wanna miss a minute of it."

"You really are serious about this, aren't you?" He kissed my nose, making me giggle. "At first, I just thought you wanted to stop me from dating."

"Dad, I am serious. A hundred per cent." I punched his ribs. "But you're right, I did want to stop you from dating. Anyone else, that is."

"Oh my god, my son's jealous." He groaned, shaking his head, then we both laughed. "Go to sleep now."

"Okay." As if on cue, I yawned widely. "Easy thing."

I turned around and backed up to him, letting him spoon me. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. Safe and warm and feeling oh so loved, I fell asleep almost right away.

The weekend went by without anything really happening. Dad and I were closer to each other than ever, but even though we showered and slept together, we did nothing sexual. We kissed a lot, but I was always the one who started it. I knew that dad was still uncertain about it all, and sometimes he seemed almost afraid of what would happen if we took another step. He kept reassuring me that he loved me, and I told him that I knew, and that he could take all the time he needed as long as he didn't wait until he was too old to do something about it. That remark earned me a swat on the butt. Sunday evening we went to bed early, and just lay there, holding each other and kissing now and then. I was hard as a rock, but although I made sure he could feel it, I also made sure that I wasn't pushing him. At one point, I ran my hand across his stomach, and my fingers happened to brush against the head of his penis. It, too, was hard, lying flat against his stomach. I grinned at him, and he smiled back, blushing slightly. So he definitely did feel something. A warm feeling spread inside me, emanating from deep inside my chest and reaching out into every limb. He did love me, and he did want me. All we needed was time and, in my case, patience. Dad kissed me good night and turned out the light, and without saying anything further, we fell asleep in each other's arms.

That week quickly found a steady schedule. Dad and I had breakfast in the morning, and then I kissed him good bye as he went to work. I'd spend the day playing with those of my friends who hadn't gone on vacations or to camps. Dad made sure I had money to get myself lunch, which was usually junk food, and then when he got back home I'd be waiting on the door steps. We'd spend the evenings together doing chores around the house or watching TV or just being together, and then we'd go to sleep together in his bed. Then Friday came along, and I said good bye to my friend Jules, who was going with his family to England. There was literally no one left for me to play with, and I didn't much look forward to next week. Maybe I could nag dad into taking me with him to work, but that wouldn't really be too much fun. Besides, I was as likely to distract him from getting anything done as I was to be of any help. Lost in thoughts, I was halfway up our driveway before I noticed that the car was already there. I leaped up the steps and threw the door open, ready to leap into dad's arms. He was on the phone, however, so I just blew him a kiss and sat down to wait for him. I didn't really mean to listen in, but I couldn't help overhearing his side of the conversation.

"Yeah, it was nice of you to call, but I can't come tonight. No, I already promised Jimmy I'd take him out for dinner." I looked up, a grin spreading across my face. "Well, that's her choice. No, I won't... listen, tell Will that I'll see him Monday, two weeks, okay? Fine. I sure am. Yeah, you too. Bye."

"Who was that?" I tried to sound like I wasn't jealous, but I probably failed. "Are we going out? When did you promise me that?"

"Just now." He smiled. "That was Pete from the office. They're still on about getting me to date Jenny, and tonight's the deadline. Apparently, she's told Will she won't wait for me any longer."

"But that means you're missing out." I tried to hold back a grin, but I knew dad saw it coming, so I just let it loose. "Just for me."

"Yeah, just for you." He held out his arms and I leaped into them. We hugged for a long time, then he kissed me, not on the forehead like he used to, but on the lips. I felt my heart skip a beat, but as I tried to stick my tongue in between his lips he pulled back. He was still smiling, though. "Go get yourself cleaned up."

"Huh? We're going out already?"

"I thought we'd go shopping before dinner." He winked at me. "I'll tell you why when you get back downstairs."

"Will you wash me, dad?"

"Not this time. Hurry up, now. I'll go and give Mrs Richards a call."

That had me worrying as I rushed up to my room and threw off my clothes. Mrs Richards was an old lady living a couple of houses down the street, and she used to babysit for me whenever dad had to be away for a while. But he'd said we were going shopping, and then we'd eat out, so why did he have to call a baby-sitter? It didn't make sense. I took my shower and put on some of my best clothes, then combed my hair carefully. I wanted to look good for dad. When I got back downstairs he was just getting off the phone, and I did a pirouette to let him judge if I looked okay.

"You've really dressed up," he said, smiling warmly. "You are so beautiful, son."

"Thanks, dad." He sat down on the living room couch, and I sat on his lap. "Now tell me what this is all about."

"Well, Mrs Richards has just promised to look after the house for us, you know, water the plants and bring in the mail and such. All we've got to do is shop and pack."

"We're going away!?" He nodded, and I whooped with joy, kissing him all over the face. In the end he had to pry me away, but he was still smiling. "Where are we going?"

"I've rented a cabin, deep in the woods and far from civilisation. We can go camping or canoeing or fishing, just about anything."

"Wow!" I cried. "That sounds great! When are we leaving? Oh my god, what will I bring? Are we taking the car? When are we leaving?"

"Calm down, Jimmy," he laughed, but I was going hyper. In the end, he did what was probably the only thing that could have calmed me down. He kissed me, a deep, romantic kiss that seemed to go on forever, but ended all too soon. "Can I have your attention back, son?"

"Sorry dad. Thanks for the kiss, though. So...?"

"We're leaving Sunday morning," he said, shaking his head. "You bring what you feel you need for the next two weeks, and yes, we're taking the car. And we're leaving Sunday morning."

"Butthead," I growled, punching his arm. He grabbed me around the waist and turned me upside-down, making me squeal with fright and laughter. Then he tickled me mercilessly until he laid me down across his lap. By then I was just a giggling ball, unable to even speak.

"I really ought to spank you," he said, placing a hand on my butt. "Talking back to your old man like that."

"You can't spank me, dad," I managed between gasps and giggles. "I'm far too cute."

"Really?" He pulled my pants down and swatted me lightly a couple of times. My briefs took most of it, and I just continued to giggle and squirm. "I really ought to spank you purple."

"You call that spanking? I can't even feel it." I gasped as he slapped me harder, leaving a stinging sensation on my left buttock. I wasn't giving in, though. "That's just false alarm, dad, I know you can't spank me. You love me too much."

"It's a harsh love," he said, laughing as he slapped me hard again, on the other butt-cheek this time. "Take it like a man."

"I challenge you, dad!" I was squirming as much as I could, but had no way of breaking his grip. "You won't do it!"

"That's it, you little brat! I'll find us a place where we can eat at the counter, `cause you won't sit well for a week."

"Like I'm scared! Whoo, I'm really shivering, dad."

He slapped my butt three times, not forcefully, but enough to cause a good sting. I yelped with the pain, but somehow the situation wasn't all bad. I felt turned on, and I did spring an erection. After the third slap, dad rubbed my bottom for a couple of seconds, before he pulled my pants back up and let me go. I stayed where I was, smirking at him when he made eye contact.

"Okay, so you are too cute to spank." He pulled me up so he could kiss my nose. "That won't save you if you ever get into real trouble, though. Ready to go?"

"Dad, you gave me a boner."

"You've always got them these days, you horny kid." I giggled, blushing like crazy. "Think you can still walk?"

"I'll try. Carry me?"

"Nope." He laughed. "I'd rather leave you at home."

Shopping was never so fun. We did have some old camping gear stashed away in the garage, but dad still decided we needed new stuff. I managed to persuade him that I'd out-grown my old Winnie the Pooh sleeping bag, and got a new one, a really cool blue one with a picture of a space rocket on it. The whole afternoon passed by before we were down to our last stop; the food market. I really had no idea how much food two people ate in two weeks, so I had a sceptical look on my face when we made our way back to the car, both with our arms filled with shopping bags.

"What's the matter, Jimmy? Think we didn't get enough?" We had loads of frozen or freeze-dried food, milk and butter, bread and cheese that seemed enough to feed an army regiment. Plus lots of soda and orange juice. "I'm sure we'll be able to catch some fish to make it last longer."

"Dad, can we really eat all this before christmas? It's gotta be tons of food!"

"You'll see. I'd be surprised if we won't have to make an extra shopping trip during our stay."

"You really eat that much? Dad, you'll need a diet before long." I giggled as he made a face, his hands too full to chase me.

"We'll see who eats the most. Kids are black holes, you know, never satisfied."

"I eat like a bird, dad."

"You do know birds eat their own weight every day, don't you?"

"Well, they don't have to put up with their dads' cooking. Just eat worms and bugs and stuff like that. Much tastier."

Dad said nothing in response, and I began to worry if I'd gone too far. We got to the car and put our bags in the back seat. I was just about to climb into the front seat when he grabbed my shoulders and spun me around. I couldn't withhold a gasp, but when I saw the smile on his face, I calmed down immediately.

"You really are cheeky today," he growled. "Maybe you do need a good spanking."

"Aww, c'mon dad! You know I love your cooking." I winked at him. "Where's your sense of humour?"

"I'll let you know when I find it!" With that, he started to tickle me again, and I collapsed into fits of laughter. "That fun enough for you?"

"Yeah! I give in!" I could hardly raise my voice because of all the giggling. "Please, dad, I'll wet myself!"

He let up, and we got into the car. I fastened my seat belt, then leaned back and turned my head so I could watch my dad as he drove us home. There was a hint of a smile on his lips all the time, which blossomed up every time he met my gaze. Gods, how I loved him right then! About halfway home he reached out and stroked my cheek; just a fleeting touch, but enough to make my heart skip a beat. I took his hand and kissed it, and the smile I got was so filled with love it almost brought tears to my eyes. We decided to leave the camping gear in the car, but covered it with a blanket so nobody would see it. Once the food was packed away, we were back in the car. I didn't know where we were going, and dad wouldn't tell me, so when he didn't take any of the usual turns I got more and more excited. We were almost on the other side of town before he pulled into a huge parking space, packed with cars. I hadn't seen this shopping centre before, but I had seen their ads. They boasted more shops, restaurants and parking spaces than any of the regular malls, and now I was inclined to believe them. We spent an hour or two cruising the shops, before my growling stomach told us it was time to eat. I had my eyes set on a McDonald's a bit away, but dad put his arm around my shoulders and steered me away from it. Deprived of junk food, I pouted for a while, before I could see where we were going. Ristorante di Napoli it was called, and we took our seats to the back, out of the way of people. I took one look at the menu and felt my jaw drop. The prices weren't sky high, but way above any I'd ever seen. I glanced at dad, but he just smiled.

"Order what you feel like."

"They don't have Overwhelmed, dad. Seem to be out of Hopelessly-in-Love too."

"Silly..."

He shook his head. I ended up ordering the lasagne, while dad had spaghetti in some kind of vegetable sauce. He let me try some, and I immediately made up my mind to have that the next time we ate there. I fed him some of mine, and I think he made the same decision. Dessert was huge helpings of the most delicious ice-cream I'd ever tasted, drenched in a warm, sweet-smelling caramel sauce. Checking so nobody was watching, we spoon-fed each other a couple of treats, before we finished up. To my surprise, I didn't explode when I tried to move, and furthermore to my surprise, a lot of the stores were still open when we got out of the restaurant. It was half past seven, but there was still a lot of people around. I took dad's hand and we strolled along, but as I leaned against him I felt him grow tense.

"Don't worry, dad," I whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "we're just father and son, holding hands. Nothing shocking."

"So we're just father and son now?" he whispered back, and his voice sounded a bit disappointed. "I thought you were hopelessly in love."

"I am, but how could anybody else know that?"

"From the fact that you're pushing up against me, with that silly grin of yours."

"Dad, relax! Everything's just cool, nobody minds." I spotted a record store and pulled him inside. "I'll prove it to you, nobody minds that we touch each other."

I let go of him and dashed around the store, looking at CD's while he stood there with a puzzled look on his face. After a while he relaxed, though, and started to look for his own music. As the clock ticked towards eight, the store owner made it clear that they were about to close, so I grabbed the latest Nightwish CD and showed it to dad.

"Buy this for me, please?" I gave him my puppy-dog eyes, but he just shook his head. "Dad, please? Their music's really cool, I'm sure you'll like it, too. Please?"

"All right, but then we have to get home."

"Yeah!" I hugged him tightly to me, then stood on my toes to kiss his cheek. I felt him tense up again, but as we glanced around, the only thing we could see were smiling faces. "Dad, you're the best! I love you so much!"

"I love you too, son," he said, kissing my forehead as we made our way to the counter. "But I really must stop spoiling you."

"So you see, the fact that you're my dad makes it okay." I was sitting on his lap, with him sitting on my bed while we were listening to the CD. He was a bit wary at first, but as I'd thought, he pretty much warmed up to it. "I can hold your hand and kiss you and say that I love you, and people will just admire you because you're such a great dad. If I had called you Frank instead, they would've shot you."

"Well, I see your point, Jimmy, but there's a limit to where fatherly love can take us." He rubbed my back in tune with the music, making me purr with delight. "If we go as far as you'd like to, we'll cross it for sure. The law doesn't see kindly on..."

"Dad, with all due respect, fuck the law!"

"Jimmy, please..."

"No! What kind of stupid law is that, to say I can't love you because you're my father? That's just... dumb!"

"It's there to protect children from..."

"...human predators and all that, I know. `Don't go home with strangers.' I've had sex-ed classes, and they keep hammering it in now and then. But you're no stranger, dad. I also know you love me, and that you wouldn't hurt me."

"I'd rather die, Jimmy." He kissed the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. I felt my briefs getting tight. "I won't hurt you, but..."

"But what? What's in the way?"

"You are. I mean, your future is. If you and I... you know... the way you want to, you're severely limiting your future. You're cutting off so many possible paths."

"By my choice, dad. I know my path, but right now you're the one cutting it off." I turned so we could look into each other's eyes. I could see pain in his, but also love, and a longing I hadn't really seen there before. "You're limiting both our futures."

"Maybe, but I just... I just don't feel very comfortable about it. About... you know."

"Sex, dad. The word doesn't bite." I giggled, and to my joy I could feel him relax. The joke had hit home. "Why not do like you said, and see how it works out? Maybe it'll be a disaster, and maybe we'll find a perfect love."

"That's kind of what scares me. I can live with a disaster, but..."

"...not with a life as my lover?"

"No! Jimmy, no!" The pain returned to his eyes, but it was of a different kind this time. He was afraid he'd hurt me. "That's not what scares me! It's just... so new to me."

"You mean, not because I'm your son, but because I'm a guy?"

"Maybe that's it." He broke eye contact, looking away as if he was ashamed of me, or rather of himself. "I'm brought up to be a man, Jimmy. And that, most strictly, meant not loving another man. Your granddad would've beat me senseless if he'd known I was having a conversation like this."

"Not very PC." We both laughed, and he sought my gaze again, this time without all the hesitation and fear in his eyes. "But he's gone now, and his ways ought to be gone, too. What's your own view, dad?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but instead he fell quiet. For a couple of seconds, he hesitated, and I did my best to make my eyes show all the love I felt for him. Then it was as if he'd reached a decision, because he smiled warmly at me, then put his arms around me. Without saying anything, he pulled me closer until our faces were just inches apart. I stared into his deep brown eyes, opening my mouth slightly just as he touched his lips to mine. Our tongues came together, brushing against each other. This was by far our most passionate kiss yet, and it seemed to just go on and on. When he finally pulled away, I felt so light-headed I thought I was going to faint.

"Is that answer enough?" he whispered, as if the slightest sound would break this tender moment. I simply nodded, unable to even whisper. Then he grinned. "Say, the music's stopped. You were right, it was pretty good. Why don't you switch sides while I go and get us something to drink?"

"Aw, dad!" I punched him in the ribs. "Get out of the bronze age! LP's are older than rune stones!"

"Hehe, are you calling me ancient?"

"Biblical style ancient, dad." He got up, and I allowed him to pull me to my feet. "Can I have a cola?"

"Maybe a glass of water, if you promise not to wet my bed." I punched him again. "Ouch! Really, Jimmy, we need to get some sleep. Tomorrow's packing day."

"Yeah! I almost forgot! I can't believe were going camping!"

"Not just camping, son. There's lots of things to do at the cabin, you'll see."

"Grammatical error, dad. `There are lots of things to do...'." I shook my head. "How did you ever get past grade school?"

This time, I was the one who was rewarded with a punch, and then he picked me up and carried me into his bathroom. Despite my squeals and screams of protest, he put me in the shower and turned on the water. The chill made me howl, and by the time it was warm enough, my teeth were clattering. Laughing so hard I thought he'd be sick, dad joined me beneath the steaming jet, rubbing my body to get me warm again. We both still had our clothes on, but now that the water was warm, we hurriedly discarded them. There wasn't much playing this time, just a quick wash-up and rinse-off. He dried me, rubbing me all over, and then he scooted me up into his arms and carried me into his bedroom where he gently put me down on the bed. I was yawning widely at this time, and he just barely had time enough to tuck me in and kiss me good night before I drowsed off.

Well, this was originally meant to be a single-part short story, but the characters demanded to get their story told. Next it's vacation time, but it will probably be a while before that chapter gets posted. In the meantime, why not write and tell me what you thought? Feedback is an amateur's only (and treasured) reward. The address is winterimage@hotmail.com