Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2013 19:58:29 -0800 (PST) From: John Michaels Subject: Filipino Love -43 FILIPINO LOVE BY JM Email: mmanlookin@yahoo.com Disclaimers and other info: see chapter one This story is my personal intellectual property. Any reproduction without my express written consent is prohibited. This and all subsequent chapters are dedicated to my own Filipino Love. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE As we exited the house, I could hear the sounds of kids at play. They had set up the badminton net and Lorenzo was in a heated but friendly contest against Paulo and Mario. They were shouting out friendly taunts to one another and laughing, as each side chased the birdie as it was hit from one side to the other. Poor Lorenzo was having the hardest time of it since he was having to chase down the returns of two players against just himself, and he was puffing and grunting as he ran around on his side, but he was laughing and throwing jibes right back at the other two, clearly enjoying himself. Christian and Sara were squealing and laughing as they chased the now-inflated beach ball tossed by their smiling and loving Lola Sanie, while Josie and Venus looked on over all the activity, laughing at the antics of all the kids, especially the biggest `kid', Lorenzo. He was clearly in his element among the kids and was enjoying himself immensely. Looking around for Jareth and Dhomz, I finally spotted them out in the water, cavorting like dolphins, their sleek and muscled teen bodies glistening with the water as they dived and splashed around, their occasional laughter drifting up to join with the that of the others. As I looked over the activity around me, I was struck by a sense of awe, as it suddenly struck me that just a week ago, I had no idea these people even existed, and now, here they all were. Three generations of my new family plus those who had become my extended family, all of us bound in a comforting web of love and friendship, all because of the handsome young man standing beside me. My eyes got moist as I pulled Ronni closer to me. Sensing my mood, he looked at me with his love for me shining in his bright, dark and soulful eyes and kissed me on the cheek. "Pretty neat, huh?" he said, with a grin. I could only nod and smile, my emotions making it too difficult to speak. Marcus had gone over to talk to his wife and Josie, and Raymar and Carl were taking it all in and chuckling at the antics going on between the two new lovers and their friend, Lorenzo, who, finally noticing us standing there, hollered out a plea for help in mock desperation. Chuckling, Carl looked at his husband with a silent request, and Raymar nodded, laughingly telling him to go help their struggling friend. With a quick peck on his husband's lips, Carl trotted off, stopping to pick up the extra racquet that was laying by the side of their playing area. As he approached Lorenzo, they "hi-fived", then each took a deliberately mock-defensive stance. "You've had it now!" Lorenzo threw at Paulo and Mario, who were giggling at the pose their two opponents had taken. And the game was on, Lorenzo clearly glad to have a teammate. Ronni was laughing at his friends and was very much enjoying seeing this gathering of family and friends at our house. This was confirmed when he hugged me tightly. "This is so neat," he said with a big grin. I hugged him tighter and kissed the top of his head in response. But, it was time to get lunch going. I had noticed when we came out that smoke was curling out from under the closed lid of the grill, indicating that Venus had managed to get it going and that it was hot and ready to go. It was time to get the meat on the grill so we could get everyone fed, especially the teens! Giving Ronni a quick kiss, I told him I was going to start cooking and he could just spend time with his friends and family. He asked if I needed any help, and I told him I was good for now, but that I'd call him when it was time to put everything together. With a returned kiss, hug and a smile from him, I left him and Raymar talking about the latest cd's that had come into the store and went inside to get food for grilling. I had left the burgers to thaw while we had our meeting, and they were now ready for the grill. I looked at the buns the boys had prepared and noticed that they'd even lightly buttered them all, so everything was good to go. Josie had noticed when I came inside and joined me, asking if there was something she could do. Grateful for her offer, I indicated the one tray of meat while I grabbed the other and a spatula, and we headed outside. Placing the trays on the side shelves of the grill, I lifted the lid and tried to sidestep the damn smoke...unsuccessfully! I lightly scraped the surface to clean any remaining residue and soon had it covered with the first batch of burgers. Because this was a good-sized grill, I was able to fit 18 patties on it comfortably. This would be enough for the first round for everybody while the remaining batch cooked. Josie asked if there was anything else she could do to help, and I asked her if she'd get out the condiments, since she had been the one to originally stock the cupboards and pretty much knew where everything was. Handing her the now-empty meat tray, I asked if she's also bring out one tray of buns when she was done. She seemed very pleased at being able to help and started for the house. Ronni was immediately at my side, asking why I didn't ask him to help. "You and Raymar seemed to be in the middle of a good talk," I said, stroking his head soothingly. "And Josie was free and offered to help. If you want, you can go help her get things ready inside. There's still plenty to do. Why don't you get out that large pack of paper plates, paper cups, napkins and silverware? That would be a big help." He was happy to be included in this seemingly mundane chore, but these were his friends and family surrounding us, and he was enjoying his role as co-host and doing anything he could for `The Cause'. With a quick kiss on the lips, he hurried off to give Josie a hand. It was now time to flip the burgers, which caused a goodly cloud of smoke to rise from the grill. While I was doing this, I noticed Jareth and Dhomz walking up from the water, toweling off their toned muscular bodies and couldn't help admiring their physiques. Looking around, I noticed that the badminton crew had all removed their shirts from the heat of the day and the game, and their torsos were glistening with sweat. All four of them had bodies to admire, from the still-developing yet still well-defined musculature of Mario and Paulo to the rippling fully-developed chests and abs of an adult as was evidenced by Lorenzo and Carl, although Carl definitely was the more developed. While Lorenzo was definitely no slouch in the looks and development department, Carl definitely held first place. He was not only drop-dead gorgeous, his torso and arms rippled with muscle as he stretched and moved about in the game. And if I counted correctly, it looked like he had a fully developed and solid 8-pack! Even Raymar gave evidence of a lean, fit body under his clothes. DAMN!! They sure build `em nice here in the Philippines!! Woof!! And then there was my Ronni. Even with his rail-thin arms, he presented a picture of perfect teen health and development. He had more of a swimmers build with sleek, hard muscles, and the look fitted him perfectly. I realized that while I had been admiring the banquet of male flesh before me, it was when my thoughts turned to Ronni that my cock started to harden. Shit! I'd better get myself under control and keep everything PG. Just then, the sole object of my perpetual lust came out of the house carrying a tray of buns. Damn! There goes my cock again, just after I'd gotten it to behave! As he put the tray down, I simply couldn't help myself. Pulling him to me, I gave him a closed-mouth kiss (PG) that conveyed all the love I had for him. When I broke the kiss, I held him close, softly stroking his neck. "Wow!" he exclaimed, somewhat breathlessly. "What was that about?" "I just couldn't help myself," I said, honestly. "I was looking around at all the good-looking guys here, then the best-looking one of all came out of the house, and I simply had to kiss him. I love you so much, Ronni." " I love you too, my husband," he replied, softly, tightening his arms around me. Then, looking around, he said, "We do have a pretty hot-looking bunch of friends, huh?" "None of them as handsome or hot as you, my love," I replied, kissing his cheek. Realizing I had cooking duties to attend to, I reluctantly let go with a final kiss. "I love you, Phil," he said, softly caressing my cheek before heading back into the house. With a shuddering sigh, I turned back to the grill just as Marcus walked up. "He really loves you," he said, with a bit of moisture in his eyes. I could only nod in agreement, since my emotions had such a tight grip on me. "I never imagined my son having the life and love he does now, but Venus and I could not be happier that he has you now in his life." DAMMIT!! I had been trying so hard to keep things in check, but Marcus' words broke the dam, and tears were coursing down my cheeks. Marcus put his arms around me and held me in a warm embrace. "Such love!" he said, with a sense of awe in his voice. "Such love." His arms were so comforting to me, and I soon had my emotions in check. "Thank you!" I said, simply, the implications reaching much farther than just the hug. Marcus understood and gave me a soft smile. I noticed Venus at the grill, removing the meat and replacing them with the buns. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and I had a feeling it wasn't just from the smoke. This was confirmed when she turned and smiled at Marcus and me. Going over, I kissed her cheek, then between the two of us, we quickly had the first round of food ready. Unknown to all of us at the time, Ronni had been looking out the window in the door and had seen everything that had just transpired, tears flowing down his cheeks and a sweet smile on his lips. Getting everyone's attention, we told them that things were ready, and they all trooped into the house to wash up and eat. After placing the remaining burgers on the grill, I was about to go inside also to grab the last tray of rolls when Ronni came out with it, the tears still evident on his face but smiling broadly. As soon as he put the tray down, he threw himself into my arms. "God, how I love you!" he said. "You are the very best thing to ever happen to me and my family. My dreams showed me a life of great love with you, but the real thing is so much more! I love you so much, Phil!" He then leaned in and put his soft, sweet lips on mine, and it was another of those closed-mouth kisses that still managed to convey all the love we had for each other. "I love you, my Ronni," I said. "I never knew that the enormous love I have for you was even possible, and it keeps growing all the time. The life and the love I share with you is beyond measure, and I will love you and treasure you all my life." Our loving moment was rudely interrupted by a cloud of smoke from the grill, reminding me I still had chef duties. We both coughed and laughed as I reluctantly left my love's arms and got back to work. Ronni stayed by my side, and we talked about the day so far, laughing when we discussed some of the crazy antics of the badminton crew. Everything was soon ready, and, turning off the grill and the gas, we headed inside to join the others. The sounds of talking and laughter as we stepped inside was warm and welcoming, and both Ronni and I couldn't help smiling in pride that we were able to have such a gathering of family and friends in our own home. Someone had turned on the stereo, and since they had finished their first helpings of lunch, while waiting for round two, Jareth and Dhomz were the center of attention as they cavorted and gyrated in the latest dance crazes much to the amusement of everyone. Sanie, in particular, was convulsed with laughter, tears on her cheeks, as she watched the two go at it. Ronni and I couldn't help join in the laughter, and Mario, noticing us with the fresh tray of burgers, hollered out, "Food!" which brought the dancing to an immediate halt and started a mini-stampede as the teens descended on us. Quickly placing the tray on the counter, I grabbed two plates and snatched burgers for Ronni and me before the hoards attacked. We then filled our plates with the salads and went over to join the others. We all had a great time, talking and eating, and even the little ones, Sara and Christian, were enjoying themselves. They had their own `groupies', as Mario and Paulo kept them entertained. It wasn't too long afterward that everyone finished, including an attack on the cupcakes and ice cream by the teens and the twins. From the way they went at it, you'd never suspect they had just stuffed themselves silly on burgers and salads! And the twins seemed to have really gotten into it! They looked as if they had just as much on them as in them! Their faces were covered with chocolate icing and ice cream, and about the only thing visible were their eyes and lips. Damn!! Where's my camera! I realized that I hadn't even gotten it out since I'd been here. Rushing to the bedroom, I thrashed around in my pile of luggage until I finally located the camera case, and, after checking to make sure the batteries were still good, ran back and took pictures of the twins before anyone had a chance to clean them up. I just made it, and was snapping away just as Venus approached with washcloths. Sara and Christian clearly enjoyed being the center of attention and mugged for the camera. After about a dozen shots, I relented, and let Venus do her motherly thing as I turned the camera toward the rest of the group, taking single and group shots, everyone unaware that I was taking pictures, so I was getting some great candid shots. I finally pointed the camera at Ronni, capturing him in a moment of laughter, as he responded to the faces the twins were making as Venus valiantly tried to remove as much of the mess as she could. I found myself breathing faster and my eyes getting blurry from tears, as I continued to get such perfect shots of Ronni. I finally had to give up, because I couldn't see clearly through my wet eyes. Just then, Ronni looked over, and seeing the camera and tears, got a pretty good idea of what was going on and was quickly wrapping his arms around me, kissing my tear-stained face, his own cheeks getting moistened by his own leaking eyes. Putting the camera on the counter, I put my arms around him and pulled him tightly against me, as I tried to get my emotions under control. Through my emotional fog, I heard several clicks of the camera as someone took pictures of Ronni and me. I began to smile, as I realized that I would have at least these shots of us together to get me through the rough time ahead when I'd be away. Kissing him on the forehead, I held him so I could look into his beautiful almond-shaped eyes. For a long moment we just gazed at each other, a stream of love passing between us flowing straight into our hearts, and I heard faintly through my emotional haze, the camera going off several more times. We both shuddered with enormity of what was passing between us, and Ronni let out a soft "Wow!". The experience was definitely physical as well as spiritual. With a final, gentle kiss, we turned back to our guests. Looking into the salla, I noticed that the conversations were still taking place, all except Dhomz. He was looking at Ronni and me with such a haunted expression that made me shudder. Something was definitely going on with that boy, and I hoped to be able to get a chance to talk to him. He's also become a very important part of our extended family, and if someone was hurting as deeply as he appeared to be, I needed to see if I could help. Suddenly, everyone seemed to be moving at the same time, and it looked like it was time to head to the beach. Since Ronni's family was the largest part of the group, I let them use the bedroom first to get changed. The rest of us went about cleaning up the debris from lunch, and since we had used the paper plates, cups and napkins, the only things to wash were the ice cream bowls and silverware. Sanie and Josie literally shoved everyone away from the sink and began the wash-up. Ronni and I took care of the leftovers and had everything put away and finished up at about the same time as our dishwashers. Venus, Marcus and the kids had just come out in their swimwear, and Carl and Raymar took the next shift. Jareth and Dhomz were already wearing their suits, and Mario and Paulo stripped off their shorts to show that the already had theirs on as well. That just left Josie, Sanie, Ronni and me. Both Josie and Sanie declined, Josie saying she really needed to get home soon and relieve her neighbors, and Sanie said she'd rather just sit on the beach and enjoy watching the others. When Carl and Raymar emerged wearing their suits, Ronni and I took our turn and hurriedly got changed, with only minor bouts of groping, and joined the others, who had been getting drinks for the cooler and towels. Everyone was chattering happily, especially the twins, as they headed out the door to the beach. The only holdout was Dhomz, who was uncharacteristically subdued. Jareth was in a friendly but heated argument with Carl as to which football (Soccer – remember?) team each thought was the best, and didn't notice when I put my hand gently on Dhomz' shoulder, keeping him back. Dhomz jumped at the contact and gave me a `deer-in-the-headlights' expression but halted his movement. Ronni was puzzled by my actions but said nothing, knowing he'd soon have an answer. Once everyone was far enough away, I turned Dhomz to face me. "What's wrong, Dhomz?" I asked, softly. "Something is really, really bothering you." I suddenly had my arms full off a wildly sobbing teen. "I cannot take it any more!" he sobbed. "I love him so much! I don't know what to do! Help me! Please!!" Ronni was immediately at his distraught friend's side, caressing his back. "It's Jareth, isn't it?" he asked. "Yes!! Oh, yes!!" he cried. "I know he cannot love me like I love him, but I cannot help it. It hurts me so much when I see him with Joan (pronounced Jo-ahn). It feels like a knife in my heart, stabbing over and over! I cannot tell him how I feel. He means too much to me as a friend, and I do not want to lose him! What can I do? Please!! Help me!" With that, he was practically wailing in grief, his tears literally running down my chest, and both Ronni and I were also crying for the pain Dhomz was feeling. Unknown to all of us, Jareth had returned when he realized his friend wasn't with them and had come back looking for him, and had been standing at the door through most of it. Tears were running down his cheeks, and his shoulders were shaking in silent sobs. "I will help you, Dhomz," he said in a quiet voice that managed to break through the emotional veil surrounding us. "I will help you." With that, he ran to us, pulling a totally shocked and frightened Dhomz around to face him, and threw his arms around him, pulling him in as tightly as he could. He was kissing Dhomz' cheek repeatedly, as he kept repeating, "I will help you."over and over. Ronni was wrapped in my arms as we both waited to see how this was going to play out. He looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Do you think...?" he asked hesitantly, leaving it unfinished, maybe not daring to hope that what he was thinking could possibly be true. "I think so," I answered as I continued to watch what may be a minor miracle unfold. Dhomz had his arms around Jareth in a loose embrace, not really sure, or, maybe, hoping that things between them were going to still be ok after his confession, while Jareth held on tightly. There were still tears on his face, but the sobbing from earlier when he was listening to Dhomz had stopped, and he had such a look of...LOVE! "Dhomz, you are such an idiot," he said softly, clearly not meaning it and with great affection. "Do you really think I would ever stop being your friend for any reason? You always have been and always will be my very best friend. I love you more than anyone else. You are my Dhomz, and you will always be my Dhomz!" Both Ronni and I picked up on what Jareth had just said and were grinning like fools. Poor Dhomz, however, still had a bit of mental fog, and didn't get the full implication of what Jareth had said. "We have always loved each other as best friends," he said. "Thank you for still being my friend now." With a sweet smile, Jareth pushed Dhomz back far enough so they were face to face. "Did you not hear what I said?" he asked, giving Dhomz' shoulders a gentle shake. "I said, `I love you! I. LOVE. YOU, Domini Calinga!" I think it was the use of his full name that finally got through to Dhomz. His head snapped up so that he was now looking at Jareth's face and not his chest. "Wha...what?" he stammered, as the first flames of hope began to burn in his heart. "Y..you love me?" "God!" exclaimed Jareth, rolling his eyes dramatically in mock frustration. "Sexy as hell and deaf!" "Y...you think I am sexy?" he stuttered. "How can you hear that and not hear me say I love you?" he said. "Dhomz, I have loved you for a long time now. I am at the place you are and was trying to be brave to tell you, but I was afraid of losing you as a friend just like you were afraid of losing me. I guess we are both idiots, but I want to be your idiot for the rest of our lives. I love you and never want to be away from you ever again." "But what about Joan?" Dhomz asked, clearly not able to wrap his head around everything just yet. I have to admit, though. That was a question I had, too. "Joan is my girl friend. Girl. Friend," he said, emphasizing the separation between the two words. "I only go with her to protect her. She likes only other girls. Because we are seen together, others think we are a couple and do not know of the girl she loves. They get together when they can be alone." "So it is really me you love?" he asked incredulously, the hope leaping in his chest. "Yes, my Dhomz, only you and you always." With that, the two teens came tentatively together for their first-ever kiss. It started off with soft butterfly kisses and soon escalated into a full-blown tonsil search for both of them, moans of the feelings and passions that had been building in both of them for some time now finally being given voice. Both of their faces were once again wet with tears, but this time, of happiness and love. Ronni snuggled in closer to me, pulling my arms tighter around him as we were blessed once again to witness the beginning of yet another loving relationship between two more of his friends. They finally broke their kiss and gazed longingly and lovingly into each other's eye as the tears continued to fall. Ronni stood straight, and, releasing himself from my arms, turned and gave me a sweet kiss before heading over to stand beside his friends, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "I always thought you two would make a cute couple if you ever smartened up and got together," he said, obviously trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to work, as the boys started laughing, tears, for now, forgotten. "I think maybe I might have been ok," said Dhomz. "But when I see what you and Phil have, then Mario and Paulo, it was too much. I felt like I would explode. It was so hard to be around you," this, to Jareth. "But it was even harder to not be around you. I never want to be apart from you ever again!" "No, my sweet Dhomz, never again," said Jareth soothingly and lovingly, as he stroked the hair from his love's forehead. Suddenly, Dhomz stiffened. Shit!!" he exclaimed. "Mama! Papa!" "Shh, my love," said Jareth, soothingly. "It's ok. They know." "What?!?" we all seemed to shout at the same time. "When I talk to mama about Mario and Paulo, she says `what about you and Dhomz'. She said she and Papa think for a long time that you and me are boyfriends `cuz we are always together. They are ok. They only want us to be happy and safe." Whoa!! This blew me away! His mother is the same one I had to convince to let Mario stay overnight, and now she's accepting two gay sons? Damn! I could use a drink right about now! Drink. Guests! Shit!! We're supposed to be hosting this gathering. Ronni and I need to get out there and join them. "Boys," I said, "Ronni and I need to go see to our guests. Why don't the two of you stay here? I'm sure you both have a lot to talk about." "Yeah, we do. Thanks," said Dhomz. "But what if the others ask where we are?" asked Jareth. Ronni jumped right in. "We will tell them that there was a game on TV, and you wanted to watch for a while," he said, clearly having been thinking this up once I mentioned about them staying behind. "Thanks," said Dhomz, clearly grateful. "We won't be too long." "But do not hold us to that," added Jareth, with a wink that got Dhomz blushing furiously. Chuckling, Ronni gave each a kiss on the cheek, and I patted them on the back as we went out the door. When we reached the group on the beach, everyone wanted to know where the two boys were, and Ronni gave the excuse we'd come up with. This was generally accepted, and at that moment, Josie came up to us and thanked us for a great time. She said it wasn't often she had a chance to have a day like this, and she really appreciated the chance. With a round of goodbyes and hugs, Josie headed off to her car. A few minutes later, we heard her customary toot, and, even though there was no one to witness it, her wave as well, I'll bet. Ronni was impatient to get into the water, so he grabbed my hand and dragged me along, with all the men folk right behind us, the women staying on the shore to watch and play with the twins. Even Sanie had her pant legs rolled up, and was wading in the surf holding Sara's hand. Us guys swam around for a while before Ronni declared it was time for "Splash Down". Carl looked at me questioningly as I moaned. "Watch and learn," I said, already imagining the ache in my shoulders later. Ronni was first, and as I launched him to the shouts of others, Carl latched onto Mario, who was too busy laughing at Ronni's landing to notice what was coming. With a squeal, he suddenly found himself flying through the air and splashing down quite a bit farther than I had managed to throw Ronni. I glanced appreciatively at Carl, and again noticed his rippling shoulder and arm muscles. I raised a silent prayer of thanks for now having someone else to share the tossing job. We carried on like this for a while before deciding to go in and get something to drink. Dwarf Tossing, as I now jokingly thought of it – only to myself, of course – is thirsty work. We'd all just reached shore when Jareth and Dhomz came walking down from the house...HAND IN HAND!!! Holy Shit!! No one else seemed to notice, but Ronni nudged me to draw my attention to it, so he obviously did. I also noticed Carl watching, with a small smile on his face. "Hey, guys," Lorenzo called out. "What was the score?" Both boys blushed. "It was a tie," said Dhomz, with a giggle. Ronni and I just couldn't hold it in any longer. We both burst out laughing, and the boys blushed even deeper but were grinning like fools. Suddenly, the smile vanished from Carl's face, and he took off like a shot, rushing by the two startled teens. That guy can really move!! Needless to say, we were all startled by this sudden shift in behavior and watched as he dashed into some bushes that were in the corner of the front of the property bordering our house. We could hear some thrashing around and voices, but couldn't really hear what was being said. A few minutes later, he emerged, pushing a disheveled-looking individual toward us, his hand firmly gripping the other's upper arm. The guy was practically skin and bones, with an unkempt beard and hair, his clothes definitely having seen better days and looking like they'd been lived in for quite a while. Carl brought them to a halt about 10 feet from our startled group and seemed to be looking in Sanie's direction. Lifting his head, the derelict also looked at Sanie. "Hello, Mama," he said, in a quiet, clear but raspy voice. "Ronald (roh-nahld)!!" she shrieked, before falling to the sand in a faint. Venus was as white as a ghost. Gotta have a decent cliffhanger once in a while! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If so, please send me an email and let me know, especially any of you of the female persuasion. And if you're enjoying reading stories like this on this free site, please help the good folks at Nifty keep it free. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html Thanks!!