Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 01:00:00 -0800 From: John Henry Subject: Growing Up Charlie Chapter 42 (Gay/Incest) DONATION: Nifty is a not-for-profit organization that heavily relies on our donations to keep the site free and accessible. Your donations pay for web hosting fees and other day-to-day activities for the wonderful staff of editors/publishers. You can donate on the website at http://donate.nifty.org/ Every little bit counts. DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fiction, and contains explicit, sexual content involving adults over the age of 21 and minors under the age of 16, and scenes of incest involving step-parents/step-children. If viewing this material is illegal where you live, OR you're a minor under the age of 18, please stop reading this. If you're not sure about this legatilty, please stop reading until you have looked into your own, local laws. Any likeness or similarity between persons, places, products or concepts are purely coincidental. If you would like to leave any positive feedback, please let me know. Thank you. Chapter 42 The last week leading up to the Christmas break was tough. Ry was paranoid that everyone was making fun of him or talking behind his back. It didn't help that every time he walked by Amanda or her friends, they whispered, giggled and/or pointed at him. His only comfort was seeing Justin with his black-and-blue eyes. His brother's ex went out of his way to avoid Ry whenever they were in the same hall. Brenda was starting to get on Rick's nerves. She was overly insistent that they spend as much time together as possible. He was tired and stressed from work, and honestly, was enjoying spending time with his sons. When it came to Will's weekends with boys, Rick made up an excuse about work and having to take care of Joey, which really pissed Brenda off. Will kept an eye on Mr. Bell, who was still in the hospital recovering from his "accident." Every night after dinner, Will would take Joey to see his father, so they could have some quality bonding time. What the boy didn't know was that Will would visit his father prior to those meetings to make absolutely sure that Mr. Bell was going to stick to their agreement. Being the bad guy wasn't something that Will particularly liked, but it was something he knew he was very good at. Charlie was still upset at not being able to talk to David. Yes, he still had Joey, but it wasn't the same. David often sat alone at lunch and recess, which only made things more difficult. Charlie and Joey did respect David's request, however. Jack Trapper and his goons kept to themselves, which made Charlie feel better, as he was concerned that Jack would try to bully David. Justin told Charlie of his and Billy's break up the day after it happened. Justin assured Charlie that despite Billy's cheating, he still wanted Charlie and nothing should stop them from being together. Charlie was getting sick of his mixed emotions. He loved Justin, but, as always, there was something in him that wanted Justin out of his life. Justin wanted to meet up again, like they had outside of Will's, but with Joey sharing his room, Charlie couldn't think of a way to do it without getting caught. The only stress Joey was under came with the knowledge that the life he was starting to love would end the moment his father was released from the hospital. He did his best to not think of that pending moment. It was nice that his father was coming around to the fact that Joey liked boys instead of girls, but he suspected that, once Will was no longer around, his dad would go back to being the dick he was before the accident. Joey and Charlie were struggling a little with sharing a living space. They loved being together, especially sleeping naked and everything that came with it; however, neither had ever had to share a bedroom let alone a bed for more than a couple of nights. Joey was getting annoyed with Charlie's snoring, while Charlie was getting annoyed with Joey taking over areas of the room. When tensions were getting to be too much, Ry would have Charlie sleep with him. "Thank God, it's all over!" Ry said, as he walked through the door after the last day of school for the calendar year. "I know what you mean," Billy said, dropping their bags on the couch. "I'm glad I don't have to see Justin pouting for the next two weeks." "Too bad I'm still not with Amanda," Ry said, "I could've hooked him up with that Tyler guy. They're both fucktards, so they should get along just fine." "Justin's not a fucktard," Charlie said, coming down the stairs. "Watch your language," Billy halfheartedly warned. "Well, he's not," Charlie continued. "He's always been nice to me." "Then maybe you should date him," Billy said. He laughed as his half-brother's face turned pink. "I'm just kidding," he said, pulling Charlie into arms, tickling the boy till he cried out for help. With two weeks off, the boys decided that they could wait on doing homework. Instead, they put up the Christmas decorations before Rick got home. They were all pretty impressed with the job they did, as the final strand of lights were hung outside. Billy had the smaller boys hang up the lights outside on the second floor windows and eaves. Ry protested, given how dangerous it was, but Billy goaded the 10-year-olds into. Joey wasn't a fan of heights, so Charlie did most of the work. Rick came into the house, as Joey and Charlie finished moving the living room furnishings around. "Couldn't wait for me, huh?" He said. Charlie looked hurt, like he was in trouble. Rick knelt down and motioned for his youngest boy to come towards him. Charlie did as requested and was very pleased when Rick pulled him into a tight, loving hug. "We saved you the tree," Billy said from the kitchen. "I figured we could go as a family after dinner and pick one out." "Sounds good," Rick said, picking Charlie up, still holding him tight. "We'll make it a family thing, then." Dinner was a simple affair. Ry and Billy made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. The boys caught Rick up on their day and how glad they were that school was out till January. Will came by to pick up Joey for his nightly visit just as dinner was finishing. "How very festive," Will admired as he looked about the living room and kitchen. "Maybe I should decorate this year." "We can do it tonight, if you want," Billy offered. "I mean, we're still seeing Mom tomorrow, right?" "Unless something else has happened that I'm unaware of," Will replied. "I wish Joey could go with us," Charlie said. His friend looked dejected every time the visit was discussed. "Prison rules, Little Man," Rick said. "I'm sure Joey and I can find something to do to keep busy." Joey gave a weak, awkward grin but still looked sad. Charlie and Joey went to their room, as the other boys packed their bags for the weekend. Charlie tried cheering his best-friend up, but Joey only sulked on the bed. As Charlie came down the stairs, Rick asked where Joey was. "He's pouting," Charlie said, as he grabbed his coat. Once the older boys came down, Rick mentioned the location of a tree lot he wanted to check out and said he'd meet them there. As everyone left, Rick went up to Charlie's room and found Joey on the bed, facing away from the door. He couldn't also help but notice how much messier the room had gotten and made a mental note to tell Charlie to clean the room on Monday. "Hey Buddy," Rick said, sitting down next to Joey, who didn't say anything. "I know this sucks, but they'll be back on Monday." "I know," Joey said. Though his voice was muffled, Rick could still hear the pain and sadness in the boy's voice. "We're going to get the Christmas tree," Rick said with a hopeful tone. "Okay," Joey replied but continued to lay still. "Why don't you have your shoes on?" Joey choked up a little and mumbled, "You said it was a family thing, and I'm not your family." Rick gently rolled Joey over, so he could see the boy's tear streaked face. "You may not permanently live here," Rick said, wiping away Joey's tears, "but so long as you're living under this roof, no matter how long that is, you're family." "Yeah?" "Yeah. So come on." Rick said, pulling Joey into his arms and giving him a hug. "If we don't hurry, Billy will pick out the worst tree on the lot." Sure enough, as Rick and Joey pulled into the department store parking lot, they saw Will and Billy carrying out a straggly looking douglas fir. Rick confirmed that the tree was going to Will's before turning off the engine to his truck. "I can't believe you didn't trust me," Ry said. "I wouldn't let Billy pick out something that bad for the house." "Wasn't it a few years ago that you let him bring home that tree with, what, eighteen branches?" his father retorted. "It was like twenty-three branches, for your information, and the tree looked fuller than it was," Ry said defensively. "It's not my fault most of the needles fell off on the way home." Rick hugged his eldest and looked around at the selection. Having worked in a lumber mill most of his adult life, Rick was very picky about the trees he bought. All the trees were farmed locally, which helped a little; however, some of them had signs of blight and early rot, which didn't make him feel better about the available selection. In the end, he got a stout yet full spruce. Everyone drove back to Rick's, so Billy could help unload and set up the tree there. Rick and Joey spent about an hour putting decorations on the tree. Rick "accidentally" wrapped a garland strand around Joey, claiming he thought the boy was part of the tree. Joey giggled and retaliated by stuffing Rick's pockets with tinsel and hooking ornaments to the older man's belt loops. It was the most fun Joey had trimming a tree in ages. Before his mom left, she would have Joey and Brian help with their plastic tree, while his dad was at work. They lived in a proper house then, not too much different than Will's place. Joey never knew why his mom left, but she went to the store one morning and never came home. He and Brian cried for a long time. At first, their dad tried to be supportive, but eventually, he became angry, started drinking and then was very abusive. He lost his job, then the house, forcing them to move into the trailer park. And after Brian died, Joey's dad just got a lot worse. "Hey," Rick said, kneeling down and putting a hand on Joey's shoulder. "Are you okay?" Joey hadn't noticed that he was crying again, and he wiped his face clean. "Yeah," was all he said. Rick hugged the boy once more and was glad it was returned. Afterwards, Rick took Joey to see his father. Rick knew it was later than originally planned, but Joey seemed reluctant to go to the hospital. They stopped quickly in the hospital gift shop to find something nice for Mr. Bell. Joey was at a loss for gift ideas, so Rick grabbed a few things he thought might be nice. Having been in this hospital many times for Ry, Rick was able to find the room easy enough. "Uh oh," Joey said, coming to a sudden stop just outside the door. "What?" Rick asked, nearly knocking the boy over. "I can't go in there," Joey said, quickly backing away from the door and hiding around a nearby corner. "Why not? Joey, what's going on? Who is that woman?" "She's my dad's girlfriend and she hates kids," Joey desperately stated in hushed tones. "If I go in there, she's going to be mad at me." "You didn't do anything wrong, Joey." Rick knelt down and took Joey's hands in his. "I won't make you go in there, but if you want, I'll go in with you. If she gives you an attitude, I promise to stand up for you, okay?" Joey thought about it and decided to take Rick up on his offer. Joey was nervous. The last time he saw Cindy, she yelled at him for not washing her dishes after dinner. She yelled at him a lot. "It's about fucking time, you little bastard," Cindy snarled as she saw Joey walk into the room. She looked at Rick and said, "Who the fuck are you?" Rick narrowed his eyes. His first thought was that she looked like trailer trash. She wore leopard print spanx, and the tackiest mix of blue denim and bangles. Her hair looked like it hadn't been washed in days (if not weeks) and was held up in several places with hair ties and clips. She looked like the 1980s threw her up. "I'm Rick, Joey's temporary guardian, and you can watch how you speak to us or leave." She scoffed and looked at Mr. Bell. "The nerve of this fucking guy?! Are you gonna let him talk to me like that?" Mr. Bell, who was in traction, turned his head to look at Rick and said, "You don't get to tell her what to do or how to speak." Not one to be bullied, Rick said, "If you want this visit to happen, she'll be respectful or you can ask her to leave. Joey's your son and deserves respect." As he said those words, he felt a twinge of guilt, as he had heard similar words spoken of his own girlfriend. "I'm entitled to see my kid," Mr. Bell said. "According to the temporary order you signed," Rick said, "you're to be kind and respectful to Joey. I'm sure Will would have no problem re-explaining it to you." Rick was almost taken about at the reaction Mr. Bell had at the mention of Will's name. "NO!" He cried out. "DON'T TELL HIM! PLEASE!" To Cindy he snapped, "Bitch, shut the fuck up or get your skanky-ass outta here!" Apparently offended, Cindy stormed out of the room, flipping everyone off. Rick thanked Mr. Bell then gently nudged Joey towards his father. Rick then found a seat and observed the pair. Joey did his best to be excited over the gifts he got his father, while Rick couldn't help but notice the fear still present on Mr. Bell's face. A nurse came in about thirty minutes later to announce that visiting was over for the night. Joey awkwardly hugged his father, who managed to kiss the boy on the head. "Joey," Rick said, getting to his feet, "could you wait in the visitor's area for me. I need to have a word in private with your dad." "Okay," Joey said and did as he was told. Once Joey was out of the room, Rick moved to the end of Mr. Bell's bed. The grown man, who was about Rick's age, looked like a frightened child, who was about to be told off. "I don't know what all Will told you, and frankly, I don't care, but I do care about your son. Joey is a good kid. I haven't had a single issue with him since he's been in my care, aside from the shared mess he and Charlie have made in their room. All that aside, Joey doesn't deserve to be talked to the way your girlfriend had. Not only is it inappropriate, it's borderline abusive, and I mean that in a legal sense, because I think you're smart enough to know that it is just plain abusive. "I'm not really one to tell another parent how to raise their kid. God knows, I haven't been father of the year when it comes to Charlie; in fact, tonight has really opened my eyes to a lot of my own actions and reactions when it comes to my own girlfriend and my youngest." "What's your point?" Mr. Bell interjected. "Fine," Rick said, annoyed at Mr. Bell's sudden rudeness, "my point is that you either start treating your son right, or I'm going to go for custody. I'm sure it might be a long shot, but it's not like I haven't been in that position before. It also helps that I have one of the best lawyers in town on my side. I've seen Will in action, have you?" Rick was surprised to see the big man begin to shake, as tears started to fall down his cheeks, while never loosing that look of abject terror. If he wasn't trying to impress upon the seriousness of his claims, Rick might have felt bad for making Mr. Bell cry; however, he needed the man to know he was serious about custody. "I'll be bringing Joey back tomorrow and the next day, then it'll be back to Will on Monday," Rick said. Mr. Bell whispered in a quivering voice, "Keep that psycho away from me and my kid...please." His voice breaking on the last word. "Who? Will?" Rick asked, looking confused. "Yeah," Mr. Bell stammered. "I'll give you whatever you want. Just keep him away from me and Joey, please." "I don't understand," Rick said, very confused. He knew that Will could be verbally terrifying, having been a victim to that icy stare, but this seemed very different. "Why are you scared of Will?" Mr. Bell was about to tell Rick about being arrested twice, kidnapped, and nearly beaten to death by the lawyer and his cop buddies, before being driven into a ravine. As he opened his mouth, a shadow moved across his doorway. Mr. Bell quickly averted his gaze from Rick's and saw the man Will said would be checking in on him. The man briefly stood in the door and put a finger to his lips indicating that Mr. Bell had better be quiet. "He, he, he," Mr. Bell stuttered, "he threatened to take Joey away from me already. I can't live without my boy. You have kids. You understand." Mr. Bell sighed with relief as Rick nodded and said he understood. Rick thanked him for the talk and said he'd be by with Joey the next day around mid-afternoon. Rick and Joey went to the mall next. He wanted to get the kids the rest of their Christmas presents before they got back. Billy had a reputation for snooping and often employed Charlie as his accomplice. Will had already sent a list of things he had bought the boys, so Rick wouldn't double-up on the gifts. They made their way through the electronics department of several stores and the couple bookstores that still remained. "What do you want for Christmas?" Rick asked Joey. Joey felt caught on the spot. He wasn't sure if Rick was being serious or just having a conversation. "I don't know," Joey replied. To be honest, Joey wanted a newer game system and a computer, but he knew his dad couldn't afford either of them. He only got his game console because his dad found it in a pawn shop a couple years ago. Will always got the boys new computers every year, which Rick thought was excessive, but Will was a computer prodigy before going prison, and only picked up the law while inside. Rick didn't know anything about computers, so he just took Will at his word that everyone needed upgrades. Rick got Charlie some of the latest games and deferred to Joey's opinion on which ones to get. For the older boys, Rick got Billy a bunch of tools for his car that Billy was missing. As for Ry, Rick got him some books and gaming supplies, like dice and miniatures. In the gaming store, Joey kept looking at a set of roleplaying books. Rick smiled to himself remembering taking Billy to a comic book store in their hometown. "Those look nice," Rick said, picking them up and checking them out. "Yeah," Joey said. "They're limited edition." "Well, if they're limited edition...," Rick said, handing them to Joey, who put them back on the shelf. Confused, Rick, "Why are you putting them back?" "I can't afford them," Joey said, walking away. Rick just rolled his eyes. He let Joey pick out a couple sets of dice and a green, felt, dice bag. As they got to the register, Rick put his arm load of items on the counter and paid for everything, as Joey wandered off to look at some comics. They went out to the car to drop off the purchases and drove around the mall to the movie theater entrance. Rick let Joey pick an action/adventure movie. Joey wanted to watch the latest horror movie, but Rick wasn't about to watch that kind of movie with a 10-year-old, let alone someone else's 10-year-old. Joey was excited to get his own popcorn and drink. Going to a movie was a rare treat in his house, and he always had to share a small drink and popcorn with his father, since the prices were crazy high. Joey yawned as Rick carried him out to the car after the movie. Despite all the noise, Joey had fallen asleep in the middle of the movie. Rick put him in the passenger seat and buckled the boy in. He then drove home, while Joey fell asleep once more. Rick brought Joey into the house and laid him on the couch, then grabbed the bags from the truck. Joey was awake as Rick closed the door. "Sorry I fell asleep," Joey said. Rick chuckled and said, "It's alright. It happens to the best of us." He sat next to Joey and started to empty the contents of the bags. "I think these are yours," Rick said, handing an entire bag to Joey. Joey let out a squeal of excitement as he pulled the gaming books from the bag. He hugged Rick and kissed him on the cheek. Rick felt a little uncomfortable by the affection but didn't say anything to the boy. The rest of the night was spent watching movies on TV, as Rick wrapped gifts and Joey read his books. It was around midnight, when Rick looked at the clock. He was laying on the couch, with Joey fast asleep on his chest. Rick's arms held the boy, and he passively stroked Joey's hair. It made him miss his boys. He turned off the TV and pulled a quilt down on top of them, as it was getting cold. Rick hoped that Joey didn't toss and turn a lot, as Joey's knees were nudging up against Rick's testicles. Rick kissed Joey's head and fell asleep. ***Coming Soon, Chapter 43***