Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:00:11 -0600
From: gandersn@gte.net
Subject: Alex and Zach Part 11

Disclaimer:

The usual disclaimers apply -- i.e. The story describes sexual
relationships, sometimes explicit, between consenting male adults.  If this
offends you, you are not interested in such material, or if you are not of
legal age to access such material you are advised to direct your web
browser to another page.  The situations described are based upon my own
experiences and the characters are based on people in my life; however the
story should be considered a work of fiction since I have changed names,
etc.  Blah, Blah, Blah!  You've all heard this stuff before!

The Yahoo Group for Alex and Zach is up and running and many of you have
dropped by.  I want to thank those of you who have joined.  I intend to use
the Group primarily as a means to let all the readers know my progress on
updates and I will try and respond to any questions you might have too.  I
will probably also comment on background information from time to time.
And I hope you feel free to make your own comments.  If you are so
inclined, drop by at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlexandZach/.  I hope
you enjoy the group.

Now that I have that out of the way, let me thank all of you for sticking
around for this, the eleventh installment of the saga.  It's been an
interesting ride to date and I have met a lot of great people along the
way.  The fact that you have stuck with this story, putting up with my slow
posting schedule, patiently waiting for me to get off my lazy ass, well, it
all means the world to me.  I want to thank all of you for your support and
kind words.  I welcome, actually I love feedback, both positive and
negative as long as constructive, and comments, suggestions or questions
can be directed to me at the yahoo group or to gandersn@gte.net.  Now, onto
the story...

****************************************

Zach slowly rose, trying to keep from waking Alex as he crawled out of the
bed.  He glanced briefly at Alex and then stumbled through the dark towards
the door.  Alex opened his eyes, silently watching as Zach navigated in the
dark.  Alex sighed once Zach had left the room.  This same scene had been
going on for several days now and Alex was getting a little tired of it.

Alex sighed again as he remembered last Saturday.  The night had been so
special.  It had been even more special since Zach had led the way.  That
had really surprised Alex.  But it surprised Alex even more when a few
hours after the two of them had drifted off to sleep Zach had quietly
gotten out of bed and stumbled his way into the living room.  Alex had
waited a few minutes for Zach to return to bed thinking he had just gotten
up to get a drink or something.  After a few more minutes passed Alex
realized Zach wasn't returning to bed and he got up to find out what Zach
was doing.

Alex had fumbled his way out of bed and silently padded his way into the
living room.  Once there, he found Zach sitting on the couch just staring
straight at the walls, his expression one of deep concentration.  "Zach?
Are you Ok?" Alex asked quietly.

Zach jumped slightly at the sound of Alex's voice.  "Yeah," he answered
quietly, distantly.  "I just couldn't sleep so I got up.  I didn't mean to
wake you."

Alex crossed the room and reached down to rub Zach's shoulders.  At Alex's
touch Zach flinched slightly and started shivering.  "You're freezing out
here.  Why don't you come back to bed?  We can just talk for awhile."

Zach turned slightly and half-smiled at Alex.  "No, you go ahead.  There's
no reason for both of us to lose sleep.  I'll just sit out here and think
for a while."

Alex hesitated for a few seconds but finally gave up.  "All right Zach.  If
you get sleepy come back to bed.  Don't worry about waking me up."  Alex
leaned down and kissed Zach's forehead goodnight and couldn't help noticing
Zach's slight flinch.  Alex quietly padded back to their room knowing that
Zach wouldn't be returning to bed that night.  Alex had remained awake a
long time after returning to bed worrying over Zach.

And now it was nearly a week later and nothing had been resolved.  Zach was
still distant and quiet and seemed to almost be avoiding Alex.  Alex was a
little surprised that Zach was still sharing his bed with him, not that
they were doing anything in it.  And not that Zach was sleeping there.
Zach always got up a few hours after they went to bed and went out to the
living room to just stare at the walls.  Alex wasn't even sure if Zach was
sleeping at all.

Alex stayed awake for the rest of the night trying to figure out what to do
about Zach.  Alex knew that Zach was struggling with the events of the
previous Saturday, trying to get a grip on the changes it had wrought in
his life.  He just wished Zach would talk to him about it.

Finally the alarm clock went off and Alex rolled over turning it off and
got up for the day.  At least it was Thursday, only one more day till the
weekend and Zach would have to face him for two days since he wouldn't have
class or tutoring to run away to.  Alex quickly showered and dressed and
went out to the living room to greet Zach just to find that Zach had
already left for the day.

"Damn!" Alex said quietly and then made his way into the kitchen to eat
breakfast.  Alex started laughing as soon as he got in there.  Zach had
remembered to set out his Captain Crunch for him and that little gesture
melted away his irritation.  Alex quickly scarfed down his cereal and
rinsed out his bowl.  Then he grabbed his books and headed out for the day.

Alex had plenty of time before his first class so he was walking at a very
leisurely pace.  His mind naturally drifted towards Zach as he walked
towards the main campus.  Alex had no idea how to break through to Zach
this time and that was frustrating to the point that Alex wanted to howl.
Why couldn't Zach just open up to him?  Why couldn't Zach just talk to him
about what was bothering him?

Alex noticed Cindy coming up behind him and stopped to wait for her to
catch up.  "Hey Alex!" Cindy said as she approached.  "You're getting an
early start aren't you?"

"Yeah," Alex answered.  "I couldn't sleep last night so I went ahead and
got ready for the day.  Zach was already gone so I didn't have any reason
to hang around the house either."

"It's kinda early for Zach too," Cindy said thoughtfully.  "I know his
classes start earlier than yours, but I didn't think his classes started
this early."

"They don't," Alex replied.  "He left early to avoid me.  He's been doing
it all week."

"I see," Cindy said slowly and thoughtfully.  "What happened?"

Alex grimaced.  "We, uh, we kinda took our relationship to the next level,"
Alex answered a little embarrassed.

Cindy smiled at Alex's embarrassment.  "So the two of you finally had sex.
I take it everything didn't go exactly as planned."

"No, we didn't exactly have sex," Alex answered, blushing even more.  "Um,
we, uh, it was just, uh, oral."

Cindy laughed softly.  "Well, that's still sex Alex.  It's called oral sex
you know.  So Zach didn't react well to it?  He wasn't ready yet?"

"No." Alex answered shaking his head in denial.  "Zach was the one who
initiated it.  And it was really great!  Um, I mean...shit!  You know what
I mean Cindy!"  Alex blushed again.  "And Zach seemed to really be into it
too.  But then Zach started pulling back later that same night.  He didn't
even stay the night in bed with me.  He got up and went out to the living
room.  And ever since then we'll go to bed together, but then a couple
hours later he'll get up and go out to the living room."

Cindy smiled sympathetically at Alex.  "Alex, you have to understand Zach.
He's just a little freaked right now.  He's beginning to realize that he
needs you.  And he's never needed anyone before.  Zach would never let
himself need anyone before.  And the fact that he loves you and needs you
has got to be terrifying to him.  He doesn't know how to react to that.
I'm actually a little surprised that he's still sleeping in the same bed
with you.  I really would have expected him to withdraw further than that."

Alex sighed.  "So what do I do now?  I've been wracking my brains trying to
figure out how to get him to talk to me about it and I've got nothing.  How
do I get Zach to come around?"

Cindy smiled again.  "You keep on doing what you've been doing all along
Alex.  You ignore his pulling away and just treat him as if nothing is
different.  Eventually Zach will figure out that you're not gonna run away.
Actually, it probably wont take him that long.  I'm guessing he's already
half way there since he's stayed in your bed."

"I hope you're right Cindy," Alex replied.  "I don't want to scare him and
push him even farther away than he already is.  Thanks for talking with me
Cindy."

"Anytime Alex."  Cindy hugged Alex in parting.  "I'm always there for my
two favorite guys!  I'll see ya later."

The rest of the day seemed to drag for Alex.  He couldn't concentrate in
his classes.  He tried to take notes and got totally lost.  At one point,
he even went to the wrong class.  All he could think of was the problem
with Zach.

Finally, classes were over and Alex headed back home.  On the way, Alex
decided he would take Cindy's advice and just act like everything was
normal while he was with Zach.  After all, she had been right about
everything else so far.  She had known Zach a lot longer than he had.

Alex opened the door and saw Zach sitting on the couch reading.  Deciding
there was no time like the present to start with his plan, Alex assumed a
smile.  "Hey Zach," Alex said as he put down his books.  "How was your day?
Man!  I got to take a piss!"  Alex passed by Zach and paused and kissed him
on the cheek before heading on towards the bathroom.

Alex could see Zach's confusion but ignored it as he walked into the
bathroom.  "Have you thought about what you want for supper?" Alex asked
Zach.

"Huh?" Zach replied, confused by Alex's actions.

"I asked what do you want to eat for supper?" Alex said as he finished
peeing.  "I'm really hungry."

"Supper?" Zach asked.  "What?"  Zach still hadn't caught up.

Alex stuck his head around the door smiling at Zach.  "Supper.  You know,
that meal we eat in the evening.  Shortly before we go to bed.  Have you
thought about what you want?"

"Uh...no," Zach replied still trying to comprehend what was happening.

Alex finished up in the bathroom and came back out into the living room.
He stood behind Zach and rubbed his shoulders for a few minutes.  "I
suppose we could go to the dining hall, but I'm really not in the mood for
that slop.  And the thought of fast food doesn't really get me all excited
either."

Zach turned and looked at Alex for a few seconds, a confused look still on
his face.  Then a slow, shy smile spread across his face.  "Why don't I
cook something?"

Alex stopped rubbing Zach's shoulders in surprise.  "You know how to cook?"
he asked.  "I didn't know that.  Do we even have anything to cook?"

Zach laughed at Alex.  "No, we probably don't.  I'll run to the store and
pick up something."

"Let me grab a shower and I'll go with you," Alex said.

"No," Zach answered.  "I want to surprise you.  Go grab your shower and
then start your homework.  I'll be back in a bit and after we eat, I'll
help you with your homework."  Zach kissed Alex.  "Go shower.  You reek!"

Alex started laughing and kissed Zach again before Zach could make it out
the door.  Zach started to turn to leave, paused, and then turned back and
kissed Alex again, this time deeply and passionately causing Alex to catch
his breath.  Zach finally pulled away and grinned at Alex before heading
out the door.  Alex couldn't believe how much of change had come over Zach
in such a short time.  Alex thought to himself that he would have to
remember to do something nice for Cindy!

Alex headed towards the bathroom and quickly stripped to take a shower.  As
he pulled off his boxers, Alex's erect dick slapped him in the stomach.
Alex looked down at himself in amusement and his dick twitched again.
"Geeze!  It was just a kiss.  Down boy!" Alex laughed at himself.

Alex jumped in the shower and started soaping himself down.  Running the
slippery soap over his body was doing nothing to lessen his state of
arousal.  In fact, his entire body was beginning to tingle as his hands ran
over his wet skin.  Alex began thinking once again about that final kiss
Zach had given him before leaving and he felt his dick throb.  Alex's dick
twitched once again as his fingers grazed along his shaft and his entire
body shuddered.  "Oh shit!" Alex groaned to himself.

Alex closed his eyes and wrapped his hand around his throbbing dick, slowly
stroking the entire length while the warm water cascaded over his body.
His other hand began roaming over his chest and stomach, slowly rubbing his
super charged body.  Alex could feel his balls trying to draw up on their
chords and he dropped his hand down to massage them while he continued
stroking his dick.  Alex's started stroking faster as he felt his orgasm
building.  With one final stroke, his body trembling, Alex began shooting
long streaks across his stomach and chest.

Alex stood under the warm water for several more minutes, just letting it
wash over him.  Slowly, awareness returned and Alex opened his eyes shaking
his head slightly.  Alex grinned to himself and continued with his shower.

Alex finished up his shower and turned off the water.  He got out of the
shower, waving a little at the billowing clouds of steam and wrapped a
towel around himself.  Alex looked at himself in the mirror for a second or
two, frowning a little at the total lack of facial hair.  He quickly
brushed his hair into some semblance of order and started towards the
bedroom.  As he was exiting the bathroom, the phone started ringing and
Alex changed course to pick up the phone.

"Alex and Zach's Dungeon of Horror," Alex answered.  "Dungeon Master Alex
speaking.  How may I abuse you?  Today's special involves whips and
chains."

"Alex," Cindy laughed on the other end.  "You are such an idiot!"

"Hey Cindy!" Alex laughed back.  "Are you sure you don't want today's
special?"

"You certainly in a good mood!" Cindy replied.

"Yep!" Alex answered happily.  "I took your advice about dealing with Zach
and you wouldn't believe how well it worked!  I'm feeling so up right now
it's unbelievable!"

"Hmmm." Cindy laughed.  "So you're up huh?  Well, I'm sure Zach will be
glad to know everything is still functioning for you!  Or did you not mean
it that way?"

Alex started laughing really hard.  "Well, yeah, I'm that way too!"

"Too much information Alex!" Cindy groaned.

"You asked!" Alex shot back.  "So what's going on?"

"Well, I actually called for Zach," Cindy answered still chuckling.  "I
wanted to see if he had time to help me with my statistics homework."

"Sorry Cindy," Alex answered.  "Zach isn't here.  He's at the grocery store
picking up something to cook tonight."

"Zach is cooking for you?" Cindy asked, a hint of envy entering her voice.
"That is so cool!  I think I'm big time jealous."

"Yeah it is pretty cool," Alex answered.  "I hope I can eat whatever he
makes.  I don't want to hurt his feelings."

"Alex," Cindy replied.  "Trust me.  You'll be able to eat whatever Zach
makes.  He's a great cook.  And I mean really, really good!  Whatever he
makes for you, it's gonna be fantastic!  I wasn't kidding about being
jealous."

"His cooking is really that good?" Zach asked surprised.  "Wow!"

"Yeah," Cindy said.  "I'll leave you two alone tonight in case he wants to
make it really special.  I'll get someone else to help me with my
homework."

"Well," Alex hedged.  "I don't know if you need to go that far.  I mean,
yeah it's gonna be special since he is cooking for me, but I don't know if
he is planning on making it intimate or anything.  I mean, we just barely
started acting normal again.  Maybe I'll just mention that you called but
you said it was nothing important.  That way, if he is keeping it casual he
can call you.  If he wants to make it special, he can call you tomorrow."

"Pretty sneaky there Alex," Cindy laughed.  "I'll let you go.  You should
go work on that being UP problem of yours before Zach gets back."

"Already did that too Cindy!" Alex laughed.

"Way more than I wanted to know!" Cindy laughed.  "I'll talk to you later."

"See ya Cindy," Alex answered.  "And thanks!"

Alex hung up the phone and went to his bedroom to get dressed.  While he
was deciding what to wear, he heard Zach come home.  "Hey!  I'm home!"
Zach yelled out to Alex.  "You're officially banished from the kitchen.  I
want to surprise you!"

Alex came back out into the living room pulling on a sweatshirt he knew
Zach really liked.  "You're not even going to give me a hint?" Alex whined
playfully.  "I'm starving out here!  What are we eating?  What are we
eating?"

Alex could hear Zach laughing from the kitchen and he was really tempted to
peek and see what Zach was cooking, but he decided not to ruin the
surprise.  Instead, he sat down and started struggling with his homework.
Shortly, Alex could smell the most delicious smells and his stomach began
growling in anticipation.  Alex tried to continue studying, but the
scrumptious aromas kept distracting him.

After a few minutes Zach came walking into the living room carrying a
sandwich and a glass of milk.  Alex looked at the food for a second and
then grinning looked at Zach, his eyes sparkling mischievously.  "My
surprise supper is a sandwich?  Oh Zach, you shouldn't have!"

Zach started laughing.  "Dickhead!" he replied.  "No, I thought I would be
nice and bring you something to tide you over, but now I'm not so sure you
deserve it."  Zach was grinning as he pretended to turn back towards the
kitchen, the food still in hand.

"No!  Wait!" Alex yelled.  "I'll be good!  I promise!"  Alex jumped up and
grabbed the sandwich out of Zach's hand and took a large bite before Zach
could grab it back.  Zach laughed and went back into the kitchen to finish
cooking.

After what seemed like forever, Zach came back into the living room.  "It's
ready," Zach announced.  "But I'm sure you want to wait a little since you
just had a sandwich."  Alex's growling stomach answered for him as he got
up and practically ran towards the kitchen.  "Damn!" Zach laughed.  "Guess
you're hungry after all."

Alex sat down at the table and Zach placed a large salad in front of him
and then sat down across from him with his own salad.  Alex started eating
and was really surprised to find that he liked the salad.  Normally he
didn't like lettuce, but the dressing was a sweet Italian and was very
good.  "Hey!" Alex said with his mouth half full.  "This is really good.
What brand of dressing is this?"

Zach smiled.  "I made it myself," Zach announced, blushing slightly at
Alex's look of surprise.  "It's a pretty easy dressing to make."

"Wow!" Alex answered.  "If the salad is this good, I can't wait till the
main course.  I guess Cindy was right about your cooking."

"When did you talk to Cindy?" Zach asked a little confused.

"Oh shit Zach!" Alex exclaimed.  "I forgot to tell you.  Cindy called while
you were at the store.  She said it wasn't anything important and that
she'd get a hold of you later.  That's when I told her you were cooking and
she told me you were really good."

Zach turned a little pink again at the compliment.  "Oh," Zach replied.
"I'll give her a quick call.  She probably just wants help with her
homework.  I'll tell her to come on over."  Zach got up and put some more
salad in front of Alex and then picked up the phone.  Alex continued eating
happily, but had to admit to himself that he was a little disappointed that
he wasn't going to be able to keep Zach all to himself.

"Hey Cindy," Alex heard Zach greet Cindy.  "Alex said you called."  There
was a slight pause.  "Yeah, we're eating right now."  Another pause.  "No,
it's no problem, we'll be finished by the time you get over here anyway."
Zach laughed for a second or two.  "Sure, come on over.  We'll see ya in a
bit."  Zach hung up the phone and walked over towards the stove.

"I was right," Zach said.  "Cindy wants help with her stats.  Are you ready
for the main course?"

Alex took a final bite finishing off his salad and shook his head
vigorously.  "Ysmph!" he attempted to reply with his mouth full.  Alex
swallowed hastily, grinning at Zach.  "That was suppose to be yes!"

Zach grinned back at Alex and carried over two plates, placing one down in
front of Alex.  Alex stared in open-mouthed wonder at the food.  Zach had
made Fettuccini Alfredo with braised chicken breast meat diced on top.  On
the side of the plate were baby asparagus spears in a light butter sauce.
The whole plate of food looked like it had been prepared by a chef for
display in a fancy restaurant.

Alex looked at the food for a few moments, the aroma drifting up enticingly
around him.  He looked up at Zach, his expression stunned.  "Wow!" he said
again.

Zach smiled at Alex.  "You've already said that."  Zach turned a little
pink again under Alex's scrutiny.  "Start eating already!  You're
embarrassing me!"

Alex grinned at Zach and took a big bit of the food.  "God this is good,"
Alex exclaimed taking another bite hardly pausing to chew.  Zach started
laughing at the gusto with which Alex attacked his food.  Alex paused
eating long enough to grin at Zach again, and then started shoveling food
into his mouth again.  In a surprisingly short time, Alex's plate was
empty.

"Do you want more?" Zach asked getting up.  "I made enough for a small army
so there's plenty and we should even have leftovers."

Alex smiled in pleasure.  "Yeah," he answered.  "Have you ever known me to
turn down food?"

Zach was laughing as he filled Alex's plate again.  "Just save a little bit
of room for dessert."

Alex's eyes brightened.  "You made dessert too?" he asked eagerly.  "What
is it?  What did you make?  Where is it?"

Zach was laughing really hard at the eagerness in Alex's voice and Alex
turned a little pink in embarrassment.  "It's in the oven keeping warm,"
Zach answered.  "I made an apple pie with a sweet crumb topping and I
picked up some vanilla ice cream to go with it."

Alex's eyes really lit up at that and his stomach growled noisily.  Alex
glanced down smiling ruefully at his stomach and then joined Zach in
laughing.  "How did you know apple pie is my favorite?" he asked.

"You've mentioned it a time or two," Zach answered smiling.  "I figured you
deserved a treat for putting up with me all week."

"You need to act like a jerk more often then, if I get apple pie for a
reward," Alex said laughing, his eyes sparkling mischievously.  Alex
quickly finished his second plate of food and sat patiently waiting for the
few seconds it took for Zach to catch up.

Zach started laughing as he watched Alex practically bouncing in his chair
in anticipation.  He quickly cut a large piece of pie for Alex and topped
it with a several scoops of ice cream.  Zach placed the bowl down in front
of Alex and quickly jerked his hands away as Alex started attacking the
dessert.  "Shit!" Zach exclaimed.  "Do I still have all my fingers?" he
joked.

Alex grabbed Zach's hand before he could get away and promptly stuck one of
Zach's fingers in his mouth sucking on it greedily.  "You taste even better
than the pie," Alex said grinning at Zach, his words a little garbled.
Zach started laughing and pulled his finger out of Alex's mouth.

"I guess that gives new meaning to the phrase eat me," Zach answered
playfully.  Zach cut another piece of pie and put it in the now empty bowl
in front of Alex.  He then sat down with his own dessert and started eating
it, still watching Alex with a smile on his face.  Alex again finished long
before Zach and sat watching Zach eat.  "Get yourself another piece," Zach
said smiling.  "You don't have to watch me eat with those sad puppy dog
eyes of yours."

Alex looked at the pie for a few seconds, and then back at Zach.  "I
shouldn't," he said to Zach.  "I should try and save some for later," Alex
said in a regretful tone.

Zach cocked his head slightly, smiling at Alex.  "Go ahead and eat it.
There's another pie in the oven for later so you can eat as much as you
want."

Alex jumped up at once and started towards the pie.  He stopped halfway and
then walked back towards Zach.  Alex bent down and hugged Zach fiercely and
kissed him.  "Thanks," Alex said simply, smiling.  "In case you haven't
figured it out, I thought everything tasted great.  I loved you already,
but now I'm definitely going to keep you around!"  Alex kissed the blushing
Zach again and then went to grab another piece of pie.

As Alex was sitting down, there was a brief knock on the front door
immediately followed by Cindy opening it and walking in followed by James.
"Hey!" Cindy yelled out.  "I brought over a torture victim for Alex and
Zach's dungeon!"  Alex started laughing with his mouth full and almost
started to choke.

"Hey Cindy! Hey James!"  Zach greeted them.  "I take it Alex answered the
phone using his tired old greeting huh?  One of these days we'll work on
his sense of humor.  I'm still working on house breaking him."

"Still?" James asked in mock surprise.  "Seems to me you've been trying to
housebreak him since I first met you two.  What smells good?  Did you two
get take out?"

"I haven't made a puddle in the corner for at least a week now!" Alex
answered.  "And no, we didn't get take out.  Zach cooked supper for me."

"That's too cool," James answered.  "Beats the hell out of the McDonalds
grease special I had."

Zach came walking into the living room and handed two plates of food to
Cindy and James.  "Here," he said.  "Eat.  I made enough to feed the entire
student body."

"Hey!" Alex protested laughing.  "Stop giving out my leftovers!  Let them
get their own boyfriends to cook for them."  Cindy and James both stopped
eating looking at Alex in surprise.  Zach froze in his tracks on the way
back into the kitchen and Alex's expression turned to one of regret as he
realized he just said too much.  Alex glanced back at James trying
desperately to find some way to fix his mistake.  "Uh... I mean, uh..." he
trailed off helplessly.

James started laughing softly.  "It's ok guys," he said.  "I kinda already
knew.  The walls aren't that thick you know.  I'm not so dense that I
couldn't figure out what I was hearing."  Both Alex and Zach turned bright
red at James' statement and James started laughing even harder at them.
Cindy was trying very hard to keep from laughing too, but was failing
miserably.

"Shit!"  Zach said in embarrassment, his face crimson.  Then both he and
Alex looked at each other and they started to laugh too.

Cindy walked over to Zach and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek as she
handed her empty plate to him.  "That was really good," she said grinning.
"The food wasn't bad either."  Zach's face turned even brighter red and he
took both Cindy and James' empty plates out to the kitchen.  When he came
back into the living room, his face was still a little pink, but
fortunately, other than knowing grins directed at him, everyone let the
whole subject drop.

Later that night, as Alex and Zach were getting ready for bed, Alex came up
from behind and hugged Zach tightly for several minutes.  "I'm sorry about
earlier," Alex apologized.  "I didn't mean to let James know about us.
Sometimes I've got a big mouth."

Zach smiled at Alex and kissed him lightly.  "Yes you do," he replied.
"But it's ok.  I love you anyway.  And it all worked out.  I guess we're
going to have to start telling a few people anyway, but it kinda shocked
me.  I wasn't ready yet, but it's ok.  James is cool with it."

Alex smiled and crawled into bed, holding the covers up for Zach to follow.
Zach quickly pulled off his shirt and pants and snuggled up next to Alex.
Alex wrapped his arms around Zach, nuzzling softly at his cheek.  "Next
time throw something heavy at me, ok?"  Alex joked.  "Knock me out before I
have a chance to fuck up."  Zach chuckled softly at that and nuzzled right
back at Alex.

Alex held Zach tightly in his warm embrace and started kissing lightly
along Zach's jaw line.  He slowly worked his way up to Zach's ears and
nipped lightly at the ear lobes making Zach giggle slightly.  Zach shifted
slightly and then started to pull away.  "Let me up Alex," Zach said
suddenly.

Alex immediately released Zach from his embrace.  Alex tried to keep his
expression neutral, but he couldn't keep the hurt from showing in his eyes
as Zach stood up.  Zach turned around facing Alex and noticed the
expression on his face.  "Hey!" Zach said in alarm.  "What's wrong?  I'm
not leaving.  I'm just pulling off my boxers.  I couldn't do that with you
holding me so tight."

Alex hung his head for a second, laughing at himself.  "Good!" he finally
said still laughing.  "You had me worried there for a second."

Zach smiled as he crawled back into bed and Alex's embrace.  "Well," Zach
said.  "I guess I've finally gotten use to sleeping naked.  It almost feels
funny when I don't.  Besides," Zach drawled, "ya'll like me better this way
anyway, dontcha?"

"You better fucking believe it!"  Alex exclaimed promptly.  "Now I just
gotta work on keeping you naked when were out of bed too!"  Zach started
laughing and snuggled up closer to Alex.

Alex kissed Zach tenderly.  Alex really felt like doing a little more than
cuddling but he didn't want to push Zach, especially since he had just
started acting normal again.  Alex shifted a little, and he couldn't help
but notice that Zach seemed to be a little thicker and longer than normal.
God!  He was so tempted just to reach down and grab him, but he used all
his will power to resist.  Alex could feel his own growing erection and he
shifted slightly again so he wouldn't be poking Zach quite so noticeably.

Alex continued to nuzzle softly at Zach's cheeks and his hands were running
lazy circles around his chest and stomach.  Alex felt the slight shudder in
Zach's body every time his fingers ran up his ribs and Alex smiled
slightly.  The temptation to hold Zach down and tickle him washed over him
and he had to once again restrain himself, but he couldn't help grinning at
the thought.

After a few more minutes, Zach shifted slightly.  "Alex?" Zach asked
quietly.  "Are you really very tired?"  Zach's voice sounded especially
timid.

Alex couldn't help but grin.  "Not that tired!" he replied
enthusiastically.  "Are we feeling a little bit energetic?" Alex teased as
he started rubbing his body along Zach's.

"Oh God!" Zach groaned.  "No, we aren't feeling a little bit energetic.
We're feeling fucking horny as hell!  I'm about ready to explode here!"

Alex started laughing at Zach's frank admission.  "I never expected you to
say something like that!" Alex teased.  Alex started kissing down Zach's
throat and he continued running his hands over every square inch of Zach's
flesh he could reach.  Alex started kissing and nibbling down Zach's chest
causing Zach's entire body to tremble.  When Alex reached his stomach and
started to proceed further down, Zach grabbed his shoulders, holding him in
place.  Alex looked up questioningly.

"Alex," Zach nearly moaned.  "You've got to... You..." Zach struggled to
get the words out between gasps.  "I'm gonna lose it if you, uh... if you
suck me."  Zach turned bright pink at those words, but he continued.  "I
wont last two seconds.  It's been too long since I last, uh, well you
know."

Alex grinned at Zach.  "You haven't cum since the last time I gave you a
blow job?" Alex asked directly, smiling as Zach turned even brighter red
and shook his head no.  "Good!  Then this first one wont take too long and
I can give you two tonight!"  Zach's eyes went really wide and a little
wild and Alex grinned again and then swallowed Zach to the hilt.

Zach's entire body convulsed as he let out a loud groan as he flopped his
head back into the pillows.  True to his prediction, Zach began shooting
and his hips were thrusting involuntarily.  Zach's hands had still not left
Alex's shoulders and Alex could feel Zach's fingers begin to tighten almost
painfully into his skin.  Alex kept on sucking, lapping up every drop
causing Zach to groan and shudder almost continuously.

Alex continued licking and sucking long after Zach's orgasm had passed and
finally Zach had to grab at his shoulders again to pull him off his super
sensitive dick.  "Please Alex" Zach begged.  "It's too intense.  My dick is
so sensitive right now that your touch almost hurts."

Alex reluctantly released the hold his mouth had on Zach's dick and he
grinned as he slowly started kissing and nibbling his way back up Zach's
stomach and chest.  Zach's body was still trembling in the aftermath and
his breath was coming in sharp gasps.  But even so, Alex noticed that Zach
still had not lost his erection.  If anything, it seemed even harder than
before he started.

Alex finally made his way up to Zach's mouth, kissing him deeply and
passionately.  Alex kept his hands continuously running over Zach's body,
lightly stroking his fingers against his sensitive skin.  Zach started to
reach for Alex's boxers and throbbing dick and Alex grabbed his hands
pulling them away.

"Uh, uh!" Alex said shaking his head no, smiling at Zach.  "Tonight is all
about you.  And I'm not nearly done playing with you yet."  Zach groaned as
Alex rubbed his groin against Zach's, their throbbing dicks sliding against
each other through the material of Alex's boxers.

Alex started to lightly run his fingers up and down Zach's sides, tickling
him slightly even as he continued to kiss him passionately, his tongue
exploring every inch of Zach's mouth.  Alex could feel Zach shuddering and
his breath was once again coming in gasps.  Slowly, Alex began kissing his
way back down Zach's quivering body, his fingers still tickling Zach's
ribs.  Zach was moaning the entire time and his head was thrashing slowly
from side to side.

Alex slowly licked Zach's shaft from base to tip and Zach sat half way up
before flopping back down again.  Alex was really getting into the
responses he was generating in Zach and he was getting a charge just from
watching Zach.  Slowly Alex licked around and around just the head of
Zach's dick generating another loud moan from him.  Then Alex began slowly
sucking on the tip of Zach's dick, slowly working his way down the shaft.
Once he had taken Zach entirely into his mouth, he paused for a few minutes
lightly sucking.  Then he began to slowly pull his mouth up and down Zach's
shaft and Zach groaned once again.

Zach's entire body was covered in sweat and he was gasping for breath.  He
once again began thrusting his hips forward involuntarily.  Alex knew Zach
didn't realize what he was doing, but Zach was in effect fucking his mouth
and that thought turned Alex on more than he thought imaginable.  Zach
forcefully thrust one final time and then cried out something that sorta
sounded like Alex's name before shooting once again and Alex felt his own
dick throb and begin shooting into his boxers.

Alex continued to lick and suck until Zach's dick began to soften.  He then
began to kiss his way back up Zach's quivering body until he was face to
face with Zach once again.  Alex noticed that Zach had his eyes squeezed
shut and he looked totally spent.  Slowly, Zach opened his eyes and grinned
tiredly at Alex.  Alex grinned back and kissed him tenderly before pulling
him into a tight embrace.  Zach cuddled up to Alex's chest, nuzzling softly
at him.  In only a few minutes they both drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Alex woke to Zach's gentle kisses and soft nuzzling.
"Hey, good morning," Zach said happily when he noticed Alex's open eyes.
"I didn't think you were ever going to wake up!"

Alex grinned sleepily at him.  "Good morning to you too," he answered
yawning.  "What time is it?"  Just then the alarm clock started buzzing and
Zach reached over to turn it off.

"Time to get up," Zach said as he practically jumped out of bed.  Zach
started bouncing up and down on the bed.  "Get up sleepy!"

"Damn!" Alex laughed.  "You're full of energy.  You get laid or something
last night?"

Zach blushed slightly and grinned back.  "Nahh, just a blow job.  But don't
tell my boyfriend, ok?  I don't want him thinking I sleep around or
anything."

"I knew it!" Alex said in mock indignation.  "Betrayed!  And in my own bed
too!"

"Yeah, and twice too!" Zach laughed back at him as he headed towards the
shower.  "But you don't have room to talk.  I noticed your boxers are a
little on the crusty side there!"

Alex started laughing as Zach disappeared into the bathroom.  Alex slowly
pulled himself up out of bed, yawned and stretched and rubbed the sleep out
of his eyes.  He made his slow, stumbling way into the bathroom and the
promise of a hot shower to wake him up.  Zach was just finishing and
stepping out of the shower when Alex finally made his way in.  Zach kissed
him lightly then pushed him towards the shower and started shaving.

Alex stayed under the spray for several minutes, just letting the warm
water wash over him and wake him up for the day.  Slowly, he felt the life
begin to return to him once again and he began soaping himself down.  He
had just started on his hair when the curtain was pulled back slightly.
"EEEK!" he yelled in mock terror.

"You ain't got nothing I haven't seen before," Zach teased.  "And
frequently too!  I've got an early appointment so I have to take off.  Give
me a kiss, but try not to get me too wet."

"Hey if you get all wet from a kiss, then you're not getting enough!
Better have a chat with your boyfriend!" Alex teased as he leaned over and
kissed Zach.

Zach grinned as he finally pulled away from the kiss.  "I'll have to make
sure I talk to that boyfriend of mine then!  I'll see ya after classes."

"See ya," Alex replied and went back to his shower.  Alex finally finished
up and stepped out of the shower.  He quickly brushed his hair into order
and frowned once again as he realized he wouldn't have to shave again
today.  Alex stepped into his bedroom to get dressed.  As he pulled on a
sweatshirt, he realized he would need to hurry if he planned on eating
breakfast before class.  He walked out to the kitchen and started grinning
as he saw Zach had again prepared his cereal for him.  Alex finished
quickly then headed off towards campus.

The day seemed to fly by for Alex.  He was in such a good mood that
everyone around him noticed and commented on it.  Alex even grinned slyly
as he heard a few people mutter amongst themselves that he must have gotten
laid.  He was tempted to turn around and explain if for no other reason
than just to see their mouths open in shock, but he resisted.

Finally, the last class for the day ended and Alex headed back towards the
apartment.  He met Cindy and James along the way and the three of them
walked together laughing and joking the entire way.  Alex naturally got a
lot of teasing about his slip of the tongue the previous evening.  James
even made a few comments about the noise level later in the night at which
point Alex went crimson to Cindy's laughter.  Even though he was
embarrassed, Alex was laughing too.

The three of them finally made it back to the apartment and Alex invited
Cindy and James in.  They headed in through the front door and Alex saw
Zach had already made it home and was sitting on the couch.  Alex walked up
behind him and leaned over the couch and started kissing him to the
catcalls from Cindy and James.  Alex noticed Zach stiffen up but figured it
was from being seen by Cindy and James.

"What the fuck is this?" a voice interrupted, shouting loudly.  Alex pulled
off Zach and looked up to see a guy in his late twenties standing in the
bathroom door staring in disgust at Zach and him.  Alex thought he looked
slightly familiar, but he could have sworn that he had never seen this guy
before.  He noticed that Cindy's face had gone pale.

Zach briefly closed his eyes and seemed to be steeling himself.  Finally he
stood up and faced the fuming stranger.  "Mike," Zach said, and Alex
finally realized the stranger was Zach's brother.  "This is my roommate
Alex."

"Your roommate huh?" Mike answered sarcastically.  "And I suppose he's from
a foreign country and kissing you, that's how he says hello?"

Zach closed his eyes again for a second and Alex could see his jaw tighten
in annoyance.  "Don't try to be cute Mike.  You're not smart enough for
it."

"You fucker!" Mike shouted.  "So what the hell is going on between you
two?"

Zach glared at his brother for a few seconds.  "Exactly what it looked like
Mike," he finally answered in a deadly quiet voice.

"So the two of you are fags?" Mike yelled sneering.  "That's fucking
disgusting!"

"Get out," Zach said quietly.  "Get the hell out of my home and stay the
hell away from me."

Mike walked towards the door deliberately bumping his shoulder into Zach as
he was leaving.  He walked out onto the front lawn and then turned back
towards Zach who had followed him out the door.  "I always knew you were a
fag!" Mike yelled at Zach, sneering at him.  Mike's expression was one of
pure hate.  "God, Mom and Dad should have aborted you!"

"Shut up Mike," Zach said in a deadly quiet voice. Zach's voice remained
dreadfully calm.  Only the intense look in Zach's eyes and his clenched jaw
revealed his anger.

"Don't you tell me to shut up, you fucking pervert!"  Mike yelled again.
"You're a disgrace to the family!"

Zach's eyes narrowed and if anything, he seemed to become even calmer.
"I'm a disgrace?  I'm not the one who is fucking every whore in town.  I'm
not the one whose wife has caught him cheating on more than one occasion."

Mike's face turned bright red with renewed anger.  "You fucking bastard!"
Mike screamed at Zach.  Then without warning, Mike balled his fists as he
threw a punch.  Zach wasn't expecting the blow and Mike's fist landed
squarely against Zach's right eye.  The force of the blow pushed Zach's
head back and he stumbled backwards for a couple of steps thus avoiding the
next blow from Mike.

Zach caught his balance after a few backward steps.  Zach's expression was
one of shock, but then a look of intense rage replaced that initial
emotion.  Zach jabbed out quickly with his right fist connecting solidly
with Mike's nose.  Everyone present could hear the snap of cartilage as
Mike's nose broke and began bleeding freely.  Without pause, Zach threw
three quick jabs with his left hand into Mike's stomach.  The air rushed
out of Mike, but before he could catch his breath, Zach's right fist came
up sharply in an uppercut catching Mike on the chin and knocking him
backwards and completely off his feet.

Zach began to move towards Mike to continue the brawl when James and Alex
quickly grabbed both of his arms and dragged Zach back away from his
brother.  Mike lay on the ground for several minutes gasping for air.  And
then struggling, he slowly pulled himself to his feet staring a little
fearfully at the still enraged Zach.

"Get the fuck out of here Mike!" Zach yelled at his brother.  "The next
time you try and take a swing at me you better pray that Alex and James are
there to pull me off of you!  Just because I'm your younger brother doesn't
mean that I'm not bigger than you and that I can't beat the shit out of
you. The next time you decide you want to fight with me, just remember that
your fag brother just beat the fuck out of you!"

Mike didn't say a word as he stumbled towards his car.  He quickly got in
and drove off.  Zach watched the speeding car as it pulled out of sight.
As soon as the car was gone from view, Zach sighed and all the anger seemed
to drain out of him.  "That was a mistake," Zach mumbled as he turned
towards the apartment door.  Zach slowly walked back into the apartment
followed by a speechless Alex, James and Cindy.

As soon as he was back inside, Zach sat down on the couch and just stared
out the window.  As every minute passed Zach seemed to draw further into
himself.  Zach resisted all efforts to engage him in conversation by Cindy
and James, and even Alex couldn't get him to respond with much more than
single syllable answers.  As the evening slowly passed the three friends
could only watch as Zach continued to stare out the window.

Alex woke to someone gently shaking him.  He slowly opened his eyes to see
Cindy's staring at him, a concerned look on her face.  Instantly Alex woke
the rest of the way up as he remembered the events of the previous day and
night.  Alex looked quickly towards the spot on the couch where Zach had
been sitting the entire night just to find the spot empty.

"Where is he?" Alex asked, a note of panic entering his voice.  "Did Zach
finally go to bed?"

Cindy stared at Alex for a few seconds before answering.  "You know he
would never just go to bed and leave the rest of us out here Alex.  I don't
know where he is.  I just woke up a few minutes ago myself and Zach was
gone.  His car is gone too."

"Fuck!" Alex yelled in frustration.  "We've got to find him!  Where would
he go?"  Alex jumped up and started searching for his keys intent to start
his search immediately.  He was nearly frantic with worry over Zach.

"Sit down Alex," Cindy ordered, a note of steel in her voice.  "Just where
do you think you'll find him at?  All you can accomplish is a pointless
wandering around hoping you'll stumble across him.  You need to be here in
case Zach tries to call or comes back."

Alex stared at Cindy a hopeless look on his face.  The truth of her words
hit him with the force of a cold splash of water.  "I have to do something
Cindy!" Alex finally said.  "I have to find him!  I have to..."  Alex
trailed off, his eyes starting to water.

Cindy walked across the run and pulled Alex into a tight hug.  "I know
Alex.  But this time he's gonna have to come back by himself.  Zach is
going to need you when he comes home.  You have to be here for him when he
finally finds his way home."

Alex allowed himself to be held for several minutes as he fought to regain
control over his emotions.  Eventually he allowed Cindy to guide him over
to the couch and sat down.  Alex sat staring blankly at the room for
several minutes before he realized James was gone.  "Where's James at?" he
asked only mildly interested.

Cindy smiled at Alex.  "Doing what you just wanted to do.  He's out
wandering aimlessly hoping to stumble across Zach.  He actually woke up
first and found Zach gone.  He woke me up and then headed out the door to
try and find him."

"He's out looking for Zach?" Alex asked a little surprised.

"Yes," Cindy replied, a touch of humor in her voice.  "He cares about Zach
too you know.  Maybe not the same way we do, but James really likes both of
you guys.  He's told me several times the two of you are probably his
closest friends."

Alex sat down heavily and put his head into his hands.  "I'm so worried
about him Cindy.  Why the hell did I have to fuck everything up?  Why did I
have to kiss him in front of his brother?"

Cindy sat down next to Alex and put her arms around him pulling him into an
embrace to comfort him.  Alex put his head on Cindy's shoulder and just sat
there for a very long time.  Cindy continued to hold him, rubbing his back
until Alex regained a measure of control.

The rest of the day Cindy did what she could to keep Alex busy.  She
attempted to help him with his homework, but Alex couldn't concentrate, and
truthfully, neither could she.  They watched TV, but neither of them could
have coherently said what they had watched even seconds after the show
ended.  Cindy tried to tell Alex stories of Zach from when they were in
school together, but Alex was barely paying attention.  As each minute went
by, Alex became more and more agitated.

Finally, around eight in the evening the front door opened and they both
looked up anticipating seeing Zach.  Instead James entered with a defeated
look on his face.  "I'm sorry," he said seeing them.  "I looked everywhere
I could think of.  I couldn't find him.  I even had Dave helping me look
until Dave had to go to work.  I don't know where else to go."

Alex sighed in frustration.  "Damn it!" Alex exclaimed.  "Why can't he just
come home?  Maybe I should call my Dad."

Cindy started rubbing Alex's shoulders again.  "There's not much your Dad
would be able to do either Alex," she told him quietly.  "We are just going
to have to wait for him to decide to come home."  Alex nodded his reluctant
agreement and the three of them continued waiting.

Finally, after a couple more hours, Zach walked through the door startling
Alex, Cindy and James with his abrupt appearance.  The expression on Zach's
face was truly frightening.  It was a look of such utter loss and despair.
Zach's eyes reflected his confusion and pain.  Zach stood in the doorway,
staring blankly at the three of them for several minutes.  It was obvious
their presence hadn't even registered on his brain yet.

After several moments Cindy finally spoke.  "Zachie?" she said, her voice
quiet, like one used to comfort a frightened child.  "Are you ok?"

Zach's turned his head slightly, staring at Cindy, focusing on her voice.
"Cindy?" he finally said, recognizing her at last.  "Was I suppose to help
you with your homework?  Is that why you're here?  I'm sorry if I forgot.
I'm sorry..."

Alex and James both looked at each other, their concern growing.  Cindy
gently took Zach's arm and led him over to the couch, sitting him down.
"Zachie, you didn't forget," Cindy said gently.  "I'm just here to see
you."  Zach stared blankly at her for several minutes, still not
comprehending the conversation.

"Zach, where were you?" James asked softly.  "We looked all over for you."

Zach shook his head slightly at the new voice and faced James.  "James?" he
asked.  "I'm sorry."

Alex sat down next to Zach and gently turned Zach around to face him.
"Zach," Alex said quietly but getting his attention.  "Where were you?  You
had us worried."

Zach stared at Alex for a few seconds.  "I'm sorry," he said, almost
automatically.  "What did you say?"

"I asked where you were," Alex replied gently.

"Oh," Zach answered still staring at Alex.  "I went out to my Mom's grave"

James and Cindy exchanged glances, confused since James had searched out
there at Cindy's request.  "You were there all day Zach?" Cindy asked,
trying to sort out what had happened.

"Huh?" Zach asked. "Oh, no.  I went there first.  Then I went to see
Scottie."  Zach shook his head slightly and then looked down at his lap.
After a few seconds, he started to tremble.

Cindy gently lifted Zach's chin with her hand till he was looking up at
her.  "What happened?"

Zach stared into Cindy's eyes for several minutes, still trembling.  He
took a deep shuddering breath and his eyes grew watery.  "She wouldn't let
me see him," Zach whispered.  "I could hear him in the back crying and she
wouldn't let me see him.  I don't understand.  Lisa wouldn't let me see
Scottie, Cindy.  She wouldn't... I don't get to see him anymore.  I
don't..." Zach trailed off in despair.

Alex gently put his arms around Zach, pulling him into a fierce embrace.
Alex could see the tears running down Cindy's face and he struggled to keep
his own tears in check.  Even James' eyes were watery.  Alex was amazed
that Zach wasn't crying himself, but his only display of grief was his
trembling.

Alex held Zach for a long time, then stood up pulling Zach with him.  He
slowly led the docile Zach into the bedroom followed by Cindy and James.
Alex gently pushed Zach down onto the bed and got him to lie down.  He then
pulled the covers up around Zach without even bothering to undress him.
Alex then lay down next to Zach, simply holding him while Zach continued to
tremble.  Cindy crawled into the bed on the opposite side and added her
embrace while James sat down on the end of bed simply lending the support
of his presence.  Slowly, after what seemed an eternity, Zach drifted off
into a fitful sleep, his body continuing to shake even in slumber.

The ringing of a telephone startled Zach out of his sleep.  He glanced
around, a little confused.  Zach didn't really remember how he had ended up
back home and he was a little uncertain of how he ended up in bed fully
dressed.  Slowly, the events of the last few days came back to him and he
sighed with regret.

Alex slowly opened the bedroom door and looked in to find Zach with his
eyes open and sitting up.  Grief and pain were still evident on Zach's
face, but he turned and smiled slightly at Alex in greeting.

"Zach," Alex said hesitantly.  "Your dad is on the phone.  Do you want me
to tell him you're still sleeping?"

Zach sighed in resignation.  "No," he said sadly.  "I have to have this
conversation with him sometime.  I might as well get it over with."

Alex walked over and hugged Zach in support and then gently kissed him.
"Do you want me to stay?"

Zach smiled a little half smile.  "No.  I'm gonna have to do this one
alone.  But thanks Alex."

Alex hugged Zach again, and then quietly left the room, closing the door as
he left.  Zach looked at the phone for a few seconds, just wishing things
could be different.  Sighing once more, he picked up the phone from the
cradle.  "Hello," he said.

"Zachary?" Zach recognized his father's voice.  He had been expecting and
dreading this call.  "We need to talk.  Your brother told me what happened.
He told me you got into a fight with him when he caught you kissing another
boy."

"That's not exactly how it happened Dad," Zach replied.  "Mike started the
fight.  He threw the first punch."

"But he did catch you kissing another guy," Zach's father asked.  "Is that
what you're saying?"

"Not that's it's any of either yours or Mike's business, but yes, I was
kissing Alex."

"Zachary, that's wrong!" Zach's dad said forcefully.  "You know that
homosexuality is wrong!"

"No, I don't know that," Zach replied.  "I'm gay Dad.  This isn't exactly
the way I pictured telling you, but it's true.  I'm gay."

"No you're not," Zach's father answered.  "It's just a phase you're going
through.  You'll discover that you've made a mistake and come to your
senses."

"It isn't a phase Dad," Zach said.  "And I don't think it's a mistake.  But
this isn't really yours or Mike's business.  It's mine.  Mike needs to keep
his nose out of my life."

"You need to apologize to your brother Zach," Zach's father said over the
phone.  "He was only trying to do what he thought was right.  He was trying
to make you see you are wrong with this choice of yours."

Zach sighed.  "Dad, it's not a choice.  I didn't just wake up and say to
myself, gee, I wonder what it would be like if I was gay?  I think I'll
give it a try."

"Don't get smart with me Zachary," Zach's father snapped.  "It's wrong and
you know it.  You didn't go to church all those years without learning
something."

"I did learn something," Zachary replied.  "I learned that little passage
about judge not, that ye be not judged.  I also learned just how
hypocritical most of those church people really are.  And don't quote me
the tale about Sodom and Gomorrah.  I know the Bible better than you and
that passage is not about homosexuality no matter what you and the pastor
might think."

"Zach, it's a sin," Zach's father insisted.

"Is it?" Zach asked.  "I thought your Bible was all about teaching love and
acceptance.  Why is it you can't accept me and I'm a sinner for loving
someone and remaining faithful to him, while your other son is forgiven
even after having affair after affair?  His own wife has caught him, Dad,
so don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Zachary, you just don't understand..." Zach's father started.

"No, I don't," Zach interrupted.  "And until you can explain it to me, I
don't think you understand either."

"Are you going to apologize to your brother?" Zach's dad asked,
exasperated.  "Are you going to continue this... relationship with this
boy?  In spite of me telling you it's wrong?"

"I don't have anything to apologize for Dad," Alex answered.  "And until
you can tell me why it's wrong, yes I'm going to continue the
relationship."

The line was quiet for several moments.  Finally Zach's father replied,
"Then we don't have anything else to discuss.  You are not to come back to
this house until you have stopped seeing this boy."

Zach didn't get a chance to reply.  With that final ultimatum, Zach's
father hung up the phone ending the conversation.  Zach held onto the
receiver for several minutes, staring at the phone in a daze.  Finally, he
slowly placed the phone back into the cradle, his face expressionless.

Zach slowly walked back into the living room and looked at the waiting
Alex, James and Cindy.  "I think I just got kicked out of the family," Zach
said quietly.  "I knew he wasn't going to take it very well, but I didn't
think he would ever tell me not to come home."

"What did he say?" Cindy asked gently.

Zach repeated the conversation to the three of them in a monotone voice.
The total lack of reaction from Zach was starting to scare Alex.  In a way,
it almost seemed like Zach was dead, at least emotionally.  Zach finished
relating the conversation to the three of them and then stood staring at
them blankly for a few minutes.  Alex, James and Cindy were stunned by the
conversation and remained silent also, not knowing what to say.

"I think I'll go lay down for a while," Zach finally said.  "I'm feeling a
little tired."  Zach didn't wait for a reply from any of them.  He slowly
walked into the bedroom, still seemingly emotionless.  With each step, Zach
seemed to draw another layer of separation over himself.  Alex, Cindy and
James silently watched him leave, unsure of what to say or do.

After Zach had left the room, Alex and James both turned to Cindy a
questioning look on their face.  "Don't look at me guys," Cindy told them.
"This is outside my world of experience.  I don't know what to do either."

Alex sighed and looked back towards the bedroom door.  "He seems so... I
don't know how to describe it.  I keep waiting for him to explode, or
breakdown, or cry.  At least scream in frustration.  But all he does is go
lay down?  It's like he doesn't even feel anymore."

"He's more or less just lost his entire family Alex," Cindy replied also
looking towards the bedroom.  "In the last two days everyone of them has
turned their backs on him.  He's probably still in a state of shock.  I
don't think he knows what to feel right now."

James looked at the two of them.  "He looked so alone," James said.  "Even
when he was here talking with us, it seemed like he was all by himself.
I've never seen anyone look so..." James trailed off not finding the words
to complete his thoughts.

"James is right Alex," Cindy said suddenly.  "You should go to him Alex.
Don't let him withdraw completely.  Let him know you're still there for
him.  That at least someone in his life still cares for him."

Alex quietly walked into the bedroom.  He was a little surprised when he
entered the room and found Zach standing next to the window staring out at
the lawn.  Alex walked up behind Zach and put his arms around him,
enfolding Zach in his embrace.  At the initial contact, Zach flinched and
then stiffened up seeming to try and withdraw from the contact.

"Zach," Alex said quietly.  "I'm here for you if you want to talk.  Is
there anything I can do?"

Zach was quiet for a few moments.  "No," he answered finally.  "There isn't
anything anybody can do.  I just want to be left alone for a while."

Alex tightened his embrace.  "I'm not going to do that Zach," Alex said.
"I know you're hurt and I'm not going anywhere.  Even if you don't want to
talk about it, I'm not going to leave you by yourself."

Zach stiffened even more and his every muscle tensed.  Alex could see a
slight reflection of Zach's face in the window and he could see Zach's jaw
clench in irritation.  And then, just as quickly, Zach's body relaxed and
almost seemed to melt into Alex's embrace.  Zach sighed in resignation.

"I am so tired of fighting them Alex," Zach said quietly, his voice barely
audible.  "Why can't they just leave me alone?  I tried to be what they
wanted.  I tried to get them to love me.  I didn't ask to be in their
family.  I didn't ask to be born at all.  It's not my fault I can't be what
they want.  I don't even care anymore that they don't love me.  I just want
them to leave me alone."

Alex squeezed Zach a little tighter.  He remained quiet for a few seconds
before replying.  "That's not true Zach," Alex said softly.  "You do care
that they don't love you because in spite of everything, you still love
them.  If you didn't love them, they couldn't hurt you so much."

Alex could see Zach close his eyes in the reflection.  "I don't think I
even know how to love anymore," Zach whispered.

"Yes you do," Alex answered.  "You have more love in you than anyone I
know.  You amaze all of us you know.  You love everyone, even those that
don't deserve it.  It's easy to love people who love you back.  But you,
you're willing to love everyone.  You hold your heart in your hand and you
give it to anyone who asks and you never expect anything in return.  Do you
know how amazing that is?"

Zach started to protest and Alex squeezed him again.  "Shut up Zach," Alex
said softly, a touch of humor in his voice.  "Whether you want to admit it
or not, I'm right and you know it.  Don't make me call James and Cindy in
here to back me up.  You know you can never win an argument with Cindy!"

Zach laughed for a second in spite of himself.  "All right," Zach conceded.
"I give up.  Don't call Cindy.  I don't think I could take another
argument."  Zach leaned back into Alex a little.  "Alex.  Will you... will
you just hold me for a while?" Zach asked timidly, seeming to be afraid of
the answer he might get.

"For the rest of our lives," Alex answered, squeezing him tightly once
again.


@@@@

I want to give a big thanks to the people at Nifty for making space for my
story.  I think you do a tremendous job and I'm extremely indebted to you
for all your efforts.  I hope you know that all your hard work is very much
appreciated!

I also want to thank everyone who has written.  Your comments and support
have been phenomenal.  I've said it before, but you guys are the best!  If
I have missed responding to any of you, I really am sorry. Drop me a line
if you feel so inclined and let me know what you think or ask me any
questions.  I'll try to respond to all of you.  You can email me at
gandersn@gte.net.  Or drop by the new Yahoo Group set up for the story at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlexandZach/ and post a message there.

Greg
The Hack