Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 09:24:12 EST From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 4, chapters 5-6 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 5 -- Brent. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. Brent started talking to Danny and Brandon after we left the restaurant, and the boys were telling him more about our family. They also told him how we had met Mark and why he had come to visit. Mark also joined into this conversation and added his slant on what our family was like. He explained to Brent that shortly after we'd met him, we offered to take him with us while sightseeing around the Grand Canyon, so he joined us and had a great time. Then he added how we've continued to help him out since that time and how close he felt to all of us. I guess hearing Mark's comments gave Brent a little boost of confidence and was enough to convinced him he could confide in us, because the next thing I knew, he was telling them the whole story about what happened with his parents. Danny and Brandon both hugged him and tried to comfort him, and I could also see that Brent was enjoying the contact more than on just an emotional level. Once the ice was broken, the boys talked and joked around during the rest of the ride home. The trip took a couple more hours after we resumed our journey, and it was late when we pulled into the old homestead. Brent looked at the house and concluded it didn't look very big, but I think he changed his mind about that, once he was inside. That's the thing about our place. The exterior appearance can be quite deceiving. The younger boys were already in bed by the time we got there, but some of the older boys were still downstairs when we came in. They were happy to greet us, but weren't expecting any other company besides Mark. After introducing Brent to those present, the next thing I had to do was to figure out what to do with Brent for the night. The Spences were still here and using my room, while Sammy and Andrew's Japanese grandparents, the O'Haras and the Lawrences were occupying several of the other bedrooms. I was sleeping on the sofa, and Pat was going to let Mark have his bedroom after the others left and until he went back to college, so most of the rooms were filled with our guests. On top of that, some of my older children would be coming back tomorrow to celebrate the New Year, so the boys were already going to be utilizing the family and recreation rooms and sleeping on the floor for the time being. In addition to the current situation, I was also thinking ahead to what we were going to do after our guests returned to their homes. Pat had already agreed to let Dustin bunk in with him again, until Mark left, and that meant all the rooms would still be full. Of course I could have Dustin remain in with Pat, if they were both agreeable, which would leave the old computer room bedroom for Brent. That might work, but I'd have a lot of convincing to do before that was settled. I quietly pulled a few of the boys aside, so we could discuss how we were going to handle the current billeting dilemma. It was during that time when Brent came up behind us and overheard some our conversation. However, he didn't see the situation the same way we did. "No. I'm not going to take someone else's bed and you don't have to move anyone around to fit me in," he stated, emphatically. "I can sleep on the couch or on the floor." "Well, you might just have to do that, until our company leaves," I admitted, "but once they're gone, we'll do some rearranging and make room for you. I've been sleeping on the sofa-bed while our guests have been here, but I'd be happy to let you have it until the others leave." "I don't want anyone to have to give up their room or you to give up the sofa-bed for me," he reiterated. After saying that, he hesitated before he spoke again. "What if I just slept on the sofa-bed with you?" he asked, casually. "That is, if it's big enough and you don't mind." He didn't look at any of us while he said this, and glanced off to the side and down at the floor. "Whatever you'd be most comfortable with," I told him. "We do things like this all the time, giving up our rooms to our houseguests. We did it over Christmas and we'll be continuing the process through the New Year holiday." "That's fine, but I'll either sleep on the sofa-bed with you or on the floor," he emphasized, restating his position. "Which should I do?" "You're not sleeping on the floor on your first night here, so that option is out," I challenged. "You're a guest in our home and guests get priority treatment." "It doesn't bother me. Really!" he added. "It's more than I've had the past few weeks. I'm just thankful the weather wasn't bad." Suddenly it hit me. In a flash, I realized something I hadn't considered before. Brent had been kicked out of his house prior to Christmas and had spent the holiday on his own. He never got a chance to celebrate, received any presents or enjoyed a wonderful family meal. Now, I felt even worse about his situation. During the interim, Danny had gone upstairs and brought down two pillows, two sheets and two blankets. Once he returned, Brandon and he inflated the air mattress that we used on the sofa-bed, since it wasn't comfortable to sleep on it without one. Slowly, they set everything up and got it ready for us to use. They are always so helpful and thoughtful like that. While the boys were setting up our sleeping area, some of the other boys gave Brent a quick tour of the house, showing him the important things, like where the toilets were. Once they brought him back to the living room, I sent Brent to shower, before he went to sleep. When he finished his shower, I gave him a quick once over and noticed he hadn't done a very good job at washing up. He was still dirty around the back of his neck, ears and parts of the underside of his arms, so I sent him back to try again and told him if he needed any help to just let us know. He wasn't at all happy about this, since he thought I was treating him like a little kid, but he went back in and this time came out clean. Brent was currently standing in the living room with a towel wrapped around his waist, digging through his belongings. Seeing him rummaging through his dirty things, I suggested it would be a good time to pull them out, so we could wash them in the morning. As he pulled out the filthy items, I left the room and allowed him his privacy, but he quickly came out looking for me. "Aren't you going to sleep in there too?" he asked. "Yes, but I didn't want you to think I was gawking at you while you were changing," I replied. Slowly, a grin crept over his face. "Hey, I'll bet you've seen your boys like that and I've got the same equipment they have," he joked. "True, but I wasn't sure you were ready to display it yet," I teased back. "You can have all the privacy you want here, even if we are a bit crowded. You certainly don't have to worry about that." "I wasn't," he admitted, before letting the subject drop. Once we returned to the living room, I asked him what he felt comfortable sleeping in, as I was sure the boys could dig up something for him to wear, if he needed something he didn't have with him. However, he quickly informed me that he usually slept in his underwear at home, so that's what he would do here. I told him that would be fine and tucked him in and said good night, after the rest of the boys had gone to bed themselves. While Brent was getting comfortable, I took his dirty clothes to the laundry room, so someone could throw them in with the other things that needed to be laundered tomorrow. Once I'd finished that task, I went to the dining room and sat down at the table, so I could think about what I was going to do with this kid. I hadn't been there very long before he came walking in to join me, seemingly not caring that he was only in his underwear. "Aren't you coming to bed?" he asked, looking a bit confused. "Yes, I was just sitting here doing some thinking," I explained. "Are you having trouble sleeping?" "Kind of. This place has its own set of noises, but it's not that," he responded. "It's just that I keep thinking about my parents. I guess talking about them tonight has kinda gotten to me." I got up and walked over to him, put my arm over his shoulder, turned out the light and guided him back to the living room. I shut the door behind us, walked over to turned- down my side of the sofa-bed and sat down. While he watched what I was up to, I pulled the covers back on the side closest to him and indicated he should get in. He flashed me a grin and quickly slid in next to me. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked him, referring to his recent thoughts about his family. "Maybe," he hinted, although he did not continue. However, I didn't pressure him and merely waited until he was ready to continue. Instead of speaking, he turned his head into my chest and began to cry. "Why can't my parents love me like you do your boys? Am I so awful that they don't even want me around any more?" I tried to calm him down and reassure him. "It's not you," I said soothingly, "it's them. They can't deal with things that don't match up with their long held beliefs. You are different and don't fit into what they see as normal, so they resort to displaying the hatred that has been ingrained in them. It's not your fault and you shouldn't blame yourself for their stupidity and prejudices. Don't dwell on the past, but think about the present. You're here, where you're safe and loved. You don't have to worry any longer, because we won't turn you out into the cold." His body shook as he continued to weep, so I wrapped both arms around him and squeezed tightly. We stayed like that until he calmed down. Once he regained his composure and was ready to go to sleep, I quickly shed my pants and shirt, staying just in my underwear too. Then I moved in beside him again and slid my arm around his shoulders and squeezed his body into mine. I wanted to let him know that he was safe and everything would be fine from here on out. As he began to relax, we both lay back and got comfortable, but I still held on to him and let him know he wasn't alone. He moved his body tightly against mine, relaxed some more and soon drifted off. Even though he was asleep, I continued to hold him, but I also kissed his forehead, before I also gave into my exhaustion. We must have spent the whole night that way, because he was still in my arms the next morning when I awoke. I came to first and didn't want to wake him, so I just lay there and watched him, until I saw his eyes flutter open. He was startled when he first looked around, not immediately remembering where he was, but then he looked at me, smiled and sighed. "I was almost afraid this was all just a dream," he said, after a minute or so. "I think that's the best I've slept in a very long time." "Me too," I told him, even though I hadn't really slept very long. "Are you hungry?" "Yeah, but I rather stay like this for a while longer, if it's okay with you." He looked into my eyes, gave me the sweetest smile, and I melted into his angelic countenance. "Of course it is," I assured him. As we lay there, I continued to study him, wondering what was going through his mind. "A penny for your thoughts," I finally whispered, when I thought the moment was right. "What?" he asked, looking confused. Either he hadn't heard what I'd said or had never run across that expression before. "A penny for your thoughts," I repeated. "What does that mean?" he asked, looking me straight in the eye. "It means that I was wondering what you were thinking about," I explained, which evoked a sudden understanding from him. He kind of blushed, but then he answered. "I was thinking about how lucky I was that you picked me up yesterday…" but then he hesitated. "And I was thinking how I liked lying here with you like this," he added, blushing even more. "Hey, I'm enjoying it too," I told him. "My boys like to sleep with me like this from time to time, if only to make sure that I still care about them or feel that I'm here for them. "My dad would never have done this with me," he confided. "He would have told me being this close to another guy was queer and would have called me a fag if I'd even suggested it." "Well, it's different here, so don't worry about it," I assured him. "Yeah, it is different here and I like it this way," Brent agreed. After a moment of hesitation, he continued. "Am I going to be able to stay here?" "I can't give you a definite answer to that question just yet," I told him, "but today I'll contact a couple of my friends and get the ball rolling, to see if we can get you squared away." "What do you mean by that?" he wondered, looking a little scared about what I might be suggesting. "I mean, they're both good friends of mine and one is a social worker, while the other is a judge. Sally, the social worker, will know what to do to get custody of you and Steve, the judge, will be able to advise me how to do it without breaking the law. We may have to start legal proceedings against your parents for child abandonment, since they threw you out of their house. How would you feel about that?" He looked at me and I could see the wheels turning in his head. Finally, he spoke what was on his mind. "Do you think we should do that? I don't want to have to face them again, like in court or anything. They always make people think that everything's my fault. And I don't want them telling everyone that I'm a rotten, cock-sucking fag. My dad will do that, you know." "My friends know how to handle things like that and will try to make it as easy on you as they can. Usually, we just end up making a few threats about legal action and then the adults realize they could be in serious trouble and do whatever we ask them, as long as it isn't too unreasonable. I'll work with both my friends, so you won't have to face your parents again, if you don't want to. Most likely we can work this out without getting you directly involved, but there is still a slim chance that this will go to court and the judge will want you there. It won't be my friend the judge, since he has to refuse to handle any cases involving his family and friends, but we'll do everything we can to prevent it from going that far." "Yes, please. I don't know if I could handle seeing them again," Brent admitted. "They really scare me now." "I'll do everything I can to prevent it, but like I said, there will always be that slim chance." "Okay, I trust you," he admitted, which in itself seemed remarkable to me, since he hadn't known me for very long. "Just do what you have to do, so I don't have to go back there or be near them on my own. I think they'd kill me, especially if they think I'd caused them to get into trouble." "I'll make sure the judge knows that too, if it should get that far," I agreed. "For right now, however, I don't want you to worry about that. Come on. Let's get up and get something to eat. I can hear your stomach growling." He laughed at that comment. "Yeah, I wondered if you heard it. I wasn't sure anyone but me could pick up on that. Okay, let's go eat then, because I want to get to know the other boys too." He got up and walked toward my door, as I got out of the other side of the sofa bed. As I started to walk around toward the door, he walked toward me and threw his arms around my middle-age paunch. He then put his head against my chest and hugged me for all he was worth. I bent my head down slightly and kissed the top of his head. "Thank you for everything," he said at last. "I think I'm really going to like being here." Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 6 -- Celebrating the New Year. Later in the day we met with Sally and told her Brent's story. She immediately informed us she had a very good friend who worked in Baltimore and would be happy to contact her about the situation. This woman held the same job Sally did here, so she would be in a position to decide which, if any, laws had been broken, as well as being able to suggest the best course of action for us to follow. Brent seemed relieved that Sally hadn't suggested he should go back to Baltimore or be placed somewhere else for the time being, because that had been a major fear for him, up until now. Once we returned home, he went off with some of the other boys, after they offered to show him around the area. I think they suggested it to distract him from his situation, but Brent seemed to like the idea. I also encouraged him to go with the others, since I still had quite a few things to do in order to get ready for our New Year's Eve celebration, which would be held later the next evening. I was busy performing these tasks when Sally called me about an hour later, asking if we could talk privately. After shutting the door to my room, I assured her we could, since I didn't expect the boys to come back for a while. "Josh, are you sure you can take in another boy?" she asked, concerned. "I'm not sure," I told her, honestly. "I have been thinking a great deal about that very thing and hoped the foundation might have some leads on other options." "I'm afraid not, Josh," she offered, and I could hear the regret in her voice. I figured she had been giving this some consideration too, since we last talked. "We haven't developed enough contacts yet," she added, "but hopefully that will change after those articles hit the newsstand. For the time being, all we have are the regular foster homes and the four-county group home." "I know Brent is counting on staying with us, but we are pretty full," I lamented, while being torn between my desire to help this kid, and the reality that my plate, as well as my house, was pretty full. "Sally, I won't let him go somewhere else, unless I am convinced it is a better situation for him," I added. "I really like him, but I don't even have a spare bed any more, especially with Mark here for a couple of weeks and knowing he'll be returning for the summer. I really don't know what to do, but I won't let that young man down." "Easy, Josh. I'm on your side and I understand" Sally commiserated. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot, but I have to know what I'm supposed to tell my friend about him. Do I need to have her try to find a place for him, do you want me to look around for something or is he going to be staying there?" "He'll stay with us, for now," I stated, adamantly, "but you and your counterpart can also look around to see if you can find something better for him. Do you think that suggestion will be acceptable? If not, how soon do you need a definite answer from me? I'd like a little more time to consider my options and see what other ideas I might be able to come up with." "Look, we probably wouldn't be able to start an investigation into his case until the third, so that will give you a couple of days to think about it and make up your mind. Why don't you call me on the second and let me know what you decide." "You ARE still planning to be there tomorrow night, though? Aren't you?" I pressed. "Yes, I wouldn't miss it for the world," she assured me. "I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again, but I'd prefer not to spend the night talking shop. I'm looking forward to having some fun then. I've even set my dancing shoes out, if you don't mind cutting the rug with me once in a while. We can wait to discuss this matter further on the second and then you can tell me what you've decided." "Deal, and I'll bring my dancing shoes too," I added, to let her know she wasn't the only one planning on having a little fun that evening. "I'm looking forward to taking a spin or two around the dance floor with you too." Sally giggled like a schoolgirl before we said our good-byes. I really did like Sally, just not in a sexual way, but I certainly wouldn't mind dancing with her. After all, some of the boys had invited dates and I'm sure they, Steve and Mary Shay, Patrick and Brenda O'Hara, Mike and Julie Lawrence, Howard and Audrey Curtis (Jay's parents, who were joining us too), John and Margaret Spence and many of the other patrons there will also be on the dance floor. Why not let my hair down a little, so to speak? When the boys came back in, we settled in and spent the rest of the day together. We all spent time with Brent, getting to know him better and making him feel comfortable, while making sure we didn't ignore our other guests either. Over the course of the day, my older children started showing up again and their sons were just as happy to see them as the rest of us. That evening we had a relaxed family dinner at home, since tomorrow we'd be going out and painting the town. Everyone seemed fine with that and it gave us a little more time to spend together and do whatever we wished. The next day seemed to pass by quickly, not only because of the anticipation of the festivities ahead, but it was also the real start to the new millennium. Sure, most people welcomed the year 2000 that way, but they were wrong. That was actually the final year of the old millennium, since the first year was the year one, not the year zero. As the afternoon rolled around, I suggested that everyone take a little nap, in order to make sure no one got tired and fell asleep before we welcomed in the New Year. Although not everyone was thrilled about this idea, especially my grandsons, we all did it anyway, including all of the adults. It was a nice change, before the hectic activities of the evening began. Once the boys woke up from their naps, I started having them get cleaned up, as it was going to take a while to get everyone through the showers. Brent was surprised that I was taking everyone out to celebrate, because he assumed we'd entertain ourselves at home, since he thought it would cost too much to go someplace with this many people. However, after learning we weren't going to let the cost stop us from having a good time, he became excited about the prospect, since he'd never celebrated New Year's anywhere but at his home before. Some of the boys were going to lend him the clothes he would need for tonight, since he didn't bring anything of that nature with him, so he anxiously headed upstairs with them to get ready. Of course, I had already suspected who might make the first move on him and I was right. Almost immediately, Nick asked him if he wanted to shower with him and Kevin, using the large shower in the upstairs bathroom. I think this initially shocked Brent, until he was told that the boys often took showers together to save time, so he accepted. I don't think Kevin knew anything about the offer until he found Brent in the bathroom with them, getting undressed. He told me later that Brent wasn't self-conscious at all and added that Brent had a cute circumcised dick. Our reservations at the restaurant were for 6:00 and we didn't want to be late. Once we finished eating, we would go from there to the hotel ballroom to spend the remainder of the night. Over my mild objections, Mr. Spence and Mr. Lawrence insisted they weren't going to let me pay for the entire evening on my own, so we finally agreed to split both bills three ways. I thought it was extremely kind and generous of them to be willing to do that and I could tell they each felt it was extremely important that they share the expense. The restaurant employees were very gracious when we arrived and the owner wasn't worried about losing money with us taking up a whole dining room by ourselves. They knew how the boys could pack away the food and that I always made sure to not only cover the bill, but added a generous gratuity as well, especially whenever they catered to us this way. They also knew we wouldn't tie the room up for any longer than necessary, which kept everyone happy. That and the excellent meals we had eaten there previously made this our favorite spot to entertain. As always, the food was great, the conversation pleasant and all of the adults finally got to meet some of the boys' girlfriends. Even Danny and Brandon had brought their dates, but they looked far from being ecstatic about the situation. This led Brent to start asking me questions about various boys, but I quickly informed him we'd discuss those types of things later, in the privacy of our home. Somewhat disappointed, he did let it drop, and went to hang with Kevin, Nick, Trey, Dion, Cole and Graham. The Lawrences had picked up Carlos again, although this time his mother couldn't join us, as she had to return to work before we could take them back. Throughout the night, Carlos shifted back and forth between the group Brent was with and Pat and his date. I knew he still felt closest to Pat, out of all of my sons, but he didn't want to become a third wheel and upset Pat either. Therefore, he'd visit with them for as long as he dared and then he'd go back to rejoin the other group for a while. Nicky and Jordan, my grandsons, spent most of the evening with their parents, since their folks decided the other boys didn't need the little ones interfering with their good time. However, I think each of the boys went over and spent part of their evening with their nephews, keeping them happy and entertaining them long enough so their older siblings could also have some time alone and with each other too. Even the boys with girlfriends spent time with the little ones and I think the girls feel in love with those two little imps and were touched to see the tender sides of their dates. It all seemed to work out fairly well and everyone seemed happy. Sammy and Andrew spent the evening staying close to their grandparents, who had also agreed to come with us for the festivities. Although this whole holiday scene was a drastic change for them, they wanted to be part of it and see what we did. I think it was also so they could spend more time with their grandsons. Sammy and Andrew never left them alone for very long, even when some of the adults were trying to get to know the Yamadas better. I think that the grandparents were very appreciative of Sammy and Andrew's attentiveness and the respect they were showing them by staying by their side. Cole and Graham also had more than one hat to fill. They often left the other boys they were hanging out with, so they could also spend time alone with the Spences. This pleased John and Margaret to no end, knowing that pair felt a special bond to them, and they happily took the boys under their wings. It was very touching to watch them together and I knew all four of them were getting something important out of that relationship. Brent also came over to spend some time with Sally or me, but it was apparent that he was quickly becoming inseparable with Nick, Kevin, Dion and Trey. I don't know what bound that group together, other than their sexual orientation, but I don't think it was based solely on physical attraction or sexual desires. Somehow, I think the boys discovered something else in common and I was relieved to see Brent wasn't being left out in the cold, especially after what he'd just gone through at home. During the evening, I not only danced with Sally, but also took time to partner up with Mary Shay, Margaret Spence, Brenda O'Hara, Audrey Curtis, Julie Lawrence, my daughters and daughter-in-law. Not only that, but I even danced with Sammy and Andrew's grandmother, while Sally danced with their grandfather. Since they weren't used to this type of dancing, we made sure to do it when the band played a slow song and then we just kind of rocked back and forth in time to the music with them. They seemed to enjoy it and even danced with each other after that. I also asked my daughters and daughter-in-law if they would be willing to ask Mark to dance too, a request that each seemed more than eager to comply with. At first, I think Mark was a little concerned about their husbands' reactions concerning this, but once he discovered they were cool with the idea, he let himself go. I think he enjoyed being able to do something other than sit around and chat with the boys, but I also noticed he later asked some the other women with us to join him for a whirl around the dance floor. The boys danced some of the dances with their dates, but the couples spent a lot of time huddled together at one end of the table just talking and carrying on like typical teens. After I finished one of my dances, I happened to notice that Trey and Dion were not with the rest of their group, but didn't immediately worry about not seeing them. I figured they had either gone to the restroom together or out to get a breath of fresh air. I let their absence pass for several more minutes, but when they didn't return, I thought I'd better check and see what they were up to. When I inquired as to their whereabouts, the other three weren't sure where they had gone, since neither of them had said anything. Beginning to panic, I looked around the room again, but still didn't locate them. Seeing I needed to head to the men's room anyway, I figured I'd check to see if they were there, and when I didn't see them taking care of other needs there, I did start to become more than a little concerned. This was a holiday and there were a lot of people about, and my anxiety increased thinking about what types of things might happen to them. After all, we'd had one such incident with Andrew already. Still trying to remain calm, I began walking the perimeter of the room, to see if I could locate them. I looked at everyone and checked everyplace I could. I was nearly finished with my walk about the ballroom when the band started playing another slow tune, and that's when I noticed some movement behind a curtain covering one of the archways leading to another area. I wasn't sure what was behind there, so I cautiously peeked through a small gap where the curtains had been pulled together. As I peered through to the other side, I discovered Trey and Dion were using this small alcove as their own, private ballroom. They were slowly swaying to the music, with their cheeks pressed against each other and their eyes closed, enjoying something they felt wasn't allowed in public. They were using the curtain to block others from seeing what they were up to and enjoying the privacy this small area afforded them. I sneaked away from there before either of them noticed my presence, content with what I saw. I thought it best to let them enjoy their time alone and not intrude on this tender moment. While slipping away, I thought back upon the conversations I had with Trey previously, when he'd complained about not being able to go to the school dances with Dion. I guess he had finally found his own solution to that problem and I was happy for them. Quietly, I slipped back and rejoined the others, but was soon being asked by Sally to take another turn around the dance floor. I guess it never crossed my mind before, but Sally's career took up most of her life, so she never had much time left over for a husband or family. However, I could tell by her enthusiasm that she still needed companionship from time to time and a chance to let loose and have some fun. I danced the next several dances with her and the boys couldn't keep from making comments about our 'old- fashion' style of dancing. We waltzed during some of the slower dances and did the jitterbug (or Lindy) during the more spirited tunes, and I must admit we moved quite well together. The boys did confide to us later that we were pretty good at it, while also suggesting it was time to step out of the Stone Age and learn something more modern. We thanked them for their compliment and advice, before acknowledging that each of them did all right out there too. As midnight neared, we all grouped together around our tables, ready to whoop it up and wish each other a Happy New Year. Excitedly, we all joined in the big countdown, loudly shouting out as the last few seconds ticked away. Once midnight arrived, we used our noisemakers and threw streamers and confetti over each other, before walking around to greet everyone individually, and exchange kisses and/or hugs. Even Sammy and Andrew's grandparents got into the spirit of things and would bow and then hug the person, before kissing them on both cheeks. I guess they were combining several traditions at once. We stayed around for another hour or so, before we decided to head home. Having taken various vehicles this evening, since there were too many of us to fit into just one or two, we didn't have to wait for each other before leaving. I chauffeured the boys who had to drop their dates off at their own houses. Once we stopped at each location, the rest of us would wait quietly in the van, while the boy and his date said their good-byes. Some of them were very quick about it, while others took quite a lot longer. While I was waiting for Pat, I concluded it was a good thing I had driven this group, so none of our guests would have to sit idly throughout this procedure. Eventually, we dropped the last girl off and I took the rest of us home. By the time we arrived there, most of the boys were already asleep on the floor of the living room, but Brent was sitting on the sofa-bed, waiting for my arrival. As I walked into the room, he came over, hugged me and thanked me for the great time. He said his parents had never taken him out for New Year's before, or hardly any other times either. He said that if his parents did go out, they left him at home with a sitter or shipped him off to a friend's house. He then expressed that this was the greatest New Year's he'd ever had and he hoped the rest of the year would be as wonderful. Even though I don't think he did it intentionally, I felt I was getting backed into a corner about letting him stay with us. How could I send him somewhere else now? I went into the bathroom, used the toilet and brushed my teeth, and he was still waiting for me when I came back out. He asked me if he could sleep with me again, or if he should just sleep on the floor with the boys, so I told him he could choose whichever he wanted to do -- it was entirely up to him. Without hesitating, he quickly threw back the covers, hopped into bed and waited for me to get in beside him, before he pulled the covers over us. He boldly sidled up against me, as I settled in, and was soon sleeping and drooling on my chest. It was cute, but slightly uncomfortable with that small pool of moisture collecting over my heart. I wasn't about to move him though, as he was enjoying a little fatherly attention, so I just folded back a portion of the sheet and stretched it toward me, so I could wipe off the mess. He was still cuddled up against me like that when I awoke the next morning. Later New Year's Day, some of the guests began to leave. The Lawrences were the first to depart, and they took Carlos back home, as they went to the airport to catch their flight. The Spences left next, and they offered to give Sammy and Andrew's grandparents a ride to catch their flight. Mr. Spence had again rented a car and driver and it just so happened they were both flying out of the same airport. Since the two older couples had become close to each other during their stay, it was only logical that the Yamadas agreed to join them. Before they were on their way, however, they got numerous kisses and hugs from my entire family. Cole and Graham were especially distraught about the Spences having to return home, as were Sammy and Andrew at seeing their grandparents' visit come to an end, so each of these boys said lengthy farewells to the adults, before it was time for them to depart. Elizabeth and Tim left next, but the other two couples stayed on, since Michael and Adrian didn't want to miss the football games. My oldest son and son-in-law were big sports fans, so they had taken an extra couple of days off from work as well, so they also could enjoy the late game and still be rested enough to make the drive home. When it got close to game time, the other boys and I went in to join them. Over the course of the day, the boys with girlfriends spent some of their time on the phone, discussing the previous evening and talking about upcoming events, including returning to school. Frankie now had a girlfriend too and I couldn't get over how different he was now, compared to when he had first come to live with us. In fact, he now went out of his way to do things with the other boys, especially Trey and the younger ones, and he loved his role as 'uncle' to my grandsons. Trey and Dion were like two love-struck puppy dogs, following each other around constantly, and everyone just instinctively left them alone. I never told them I saw them dancing the night before, since I didn't wish to spoil that precious memory for them by letting them know they had been discovered. I felt if they wanted me to know they'd tell me later, but until that time, I'd just leave them with their little secret. Whenever they grew bored with the football games, the other boys would go off and entertain themselves. They would do all sorts of things, which included going outside, playing board games, or using their hand-held games or the computers, and the day passed by all too quickly. After the last game ended, we all decided it was time for bed. After saying goodnight to everyone, including my older sons and Mark, I checked the house before turning in. That night, I had my bedroom back for the first time since the holidays had begun. When I opened the door to my room, there was Brent sitting naked on my bed. It appeared as if he had just taken a quick shower and hadn't gotten dressed yet. I apologized and started to back out of the room, but he told me to not be silly and come on in, adding that he didn't mind if I saw him without his clothes on. He told me now that I was going to be his father, it didn't bother him at all. I made another mental note that he referred to me as his father and realized I would have to find another situation for him soon or accept the fact that I had a new boarder. He didn't seem to be modest at all, since he took his time drying himself off and managed to give me a good show as he did so. After he put on his underwear, he crawled under the covers and made himself comfortable. Eventually, I stripped down to my underwear and crawled in beside him. We talked for a while before we went to sleep, and I found out a great deal more about him. Brent's surname was Alexander and he told me that his parents had never been very affectionate with him. They were always more concerned about each other and their friends than they were with him, so that's why they didn't have any more children. It was sad they felt that way, but it probably worked out for the best, since no one other than Brent had to suffer because of it. Over the next several minutes, we discussed the topic of his being gay and he announced he first realized he was attracted to boys in 5th grade. It happened when his class went on a weeklong nature campout and the boys had to take showers in a large shower room with each other. He told me he got so excited seeing all those other naked boys that he was hard most of the time. He said it was okay, because some of the other boys got hard too, but he said nothing like that had happened when he'd done the old 'show and tell' thing with some girls from his neighborhood. After that, all he could think about was naked boys. One of the other boys from the campout took a chance and approached him a couple of weeks later, asking Brent to sleep over at his house. After he arrived, they went up to play in the boy's bedroom and they started talking about the nature camp. They both admitted they saw each other get hard in the shower and then his friend asked if he wanted to see if it would happen again. Brent agreed, so they both stripped quickly and were soon parading around in only the clothing God gave them. As soon as they looked at each other's naked bodies, they were sprouted miniature wood, before suffering from a case of the giggles. After a while, they got up the courage to touch each other's penis and play with it, but then they got nervous that they'd get caught, so they got dressed again. They played like ordinary friends until bedtime and then they stripped down to their underwear and got into bed together. After they were sure his mother wasn't coming back to check on them, they removed their underwear and began to play around with each other's small package some more. They kept it up, on and off all night, doing it one more time the next morning. Over the next couple of years, these two got together as much as possible. Often they would invite different boys to join them, to see if they could get them to participate in these little games with them. Sometimes they'd be successful and sometimes they weren't. If they were, they'd all strip, fondle each other and maybe do some mutual masturbation. That was all that Brent had ever done, not yet having tried oral or anal sex. He had just discovered a story site a couple of weeks before his secret was divulged and the proverbial shit hit the fan. We pretty much knew the story from that point on, but he did tell me once again how happy he was that we stopped to pick him up and that he knew he was going to love living here -- because he already did. Oh, damn. There it was again. Every day it was getting more and more difficult to think about sending him somewhere else. I wonder if that's why he kept doing this? Eventually, I just gave up on the idea, because I felt it might destroy the poor kid if he had to go. He'd just survived one traumatic situation, so how could I make him think he wasn't wanted here either? He told me so many times how much he liked living here and having me for a dad, so I concluded it wasn't in me to break his heart again. Later, I met with some of the older boys, in private, so we could try to figure out how we were going to handle adding one more to our brood. That's when Frankie came up with an excellent suggestion. Although I had never considered it before, Frankie suggested we could add some bedrooms in the attic, as that was just wasted space right now. I wondered why I had never considered anything like that previously, but concluded it was because we seldom used the attic for anything other than storage. Excited about the prospect, I went straight to the phone and called my contractor. He didn't answer, so I left him a message, and once I hung up, I called Sally and told her Brent would be staying. She was a little concerned about this sudden announcement, until I told her what we were going to do. After hearing my plans, she laughed and joked about needing to make hotel reservations to stay at our place now. As we continued to talk, the call waiting beep sounded, so I bid her good-bye and answered the call from my contractor. He said he could be there tomorrow, if that was good for me, since things happened to be a little slow for him after the holidays. It looked as if this was going to work out perfectly. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.