Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 11:51:26 +1300 From: bob charles Subject: Washed Up (Gay / Young friends) chapter 27 Washed Up. Disclaimer: Warning: this story contains sexual content, contact between young boys, and other themes that may offend. If the subject matter offends you, is not to your tastes, or if you are under legal age for your area, then find something else to read. In the following story all names and events are completely fictional. Although I may mention a specific location, place, or person any resemblance to said people, location, or places is completely unintentional. Chapter 27: I'm also feeling a little light headed and spaced out, because I never thought about how much my actions have changed things. Manuel needed help when we first met, so I tried to fix his problems. That was all I did, nothing more, and at the time I was hoping nothing less. I just wanted to help him because I knew he was going to be good for my brother, but also I wanted to get to know the real Manuel who was hiding away beneath the shell of the boy I could see. Never had I thought about the follow-on effects, let alone notice them, but it seems the actions we did when we first met him moulded the way things have turned out to be now. It is Callum who should be being thanked, because he managed to overcome his shyness to befriend the boy who had been talking to him while he was naked. The more I look at things the more I notice. I mean I had noticed some of the more obvious changes, like with Callum and his nudity issue, but a lot of the others just seemed to happen. I can't believe how much I missed, but I can see their point. If I hadn't done the stuff I had, then this point would never have been reached. The scary part is when I consider how different things may have become if I hadn't been there or done what I did, because I have a feeling I have saved both Callum and Manuel from a world of hurt, especially when I look back to the incident at the swimming pool in Vichy. I shudder at the thought, and then try to switch my mind off so I can tune back into the real world. I don't think I missed a lot as everyone is still discussing my plans, well, more Manuel's grandparents' answer, since no-one expected either. Mum seems to be hugging me even tighter, because I think she is proud of me, but I don't care about the reasoning, it is more that I'm loving feeling so close to her again. "Pierre, Pierre, is that you?" a high pitched voice shouts in French, from somewhere around, causing us all to look around to see who is there. We aren't expecting anyone so far as I know, but we are in his home town, so maybe it is an old friend of his. I can't make out the direction it came from, because I'm in the middle of everyone so the sound seems to bounce around a bit, but it also means I'm probably hidden from view of whoever it is. Pierre is a bit nervous as he never thought about the prospect of running into an old friend while he was here; since the city is reasonably big the chances were pretty slim, but then again it was something that had skipped his mind entirely. ************ "Xavier, is that you?" Pierre yells excitedly, upon seeing who called his name. He gets up, releasing me from his embrace and rushes over to the person. Well, I presume it is a boy from the sound of him, and that is confirmed to me upon hearing his name, because with a name like Xavier what else could he be?. Once Pierre has gone over to him I can see who is there, and my suspicions are confirmed when I see a boy of Pierre's age heading this way. "How have you been, it's been ages since I last saw you?" Xavier asks in French, while embracing Pierre in a friendly hug, then giving him a peck on both cheeks. It looks odd to me, but I do remember getting told it is common in France for friends to great each other this way, so I think nothing of it. "I'm great now, but it has been an up and down journey since I last saw you. Dad took me sailing around the world after mum's funeral, but we got caught in a storm which sunk our boat, and... um... well, dad drowned. I would have too but I got saved by the boys over there... um... you won't freak out if I tell you something personal will you?" he replies to the boy, who seems to give him a knowing look. "I'm sorry to hear about your dad, but it sounds like you are fine now, which I happy about. If you're going to say you are gay and the the older of the blondes is your boyfriend, then don't worry, I'm not going to hate you for it," Xavier says, catching all of us off guard, because we didn't think we had been that obvious. "Um... yeah... oh... but how?" Pierre stammers. "Let's just say my gaydar gets a strong signal from you two," he replies with a smirk. It takes a little while for anyone to fully click on to what he has said, but when we do, it all sort of makes sense. "You saying... um... that you're gay too?" Pierre asks, even though he pretty much knows the answer. Xavier just nods his head. I'm not sure whether it is that he feels totally safe around us, or if he is totally comfortable with the world knowing he is gay, but he seems more complacent around the subject than I expect for a boy of our age. "Anyway... come and meet my boyfriend Josh. I'm sure you will like him," Pierre says, and starts to head over towards us. Callum instinctively knows that I'm going to have to get up, so grudgingly shuffles forward to let me out. I had become so comfortable being cuddled up with mum and Callum that I don't really want to move, but it is for Pierre and I will do anything for him, so I struggle myself free and stand up beside my brother. The hair at the back of Callum's head is wet from sweat and sticking up, because of the way he was lying against me, but it makes him look so adorably cute that I leave it the way it is. He is a little agitated though, as he didn't want to move in the first place, but I also think he is a little unsure of this new kid. I don't know why he is feeling that way, because he didn't have the same feeling about Manuel when they first met, but then again he is the same age as Callum, unlike this new kid. Maybe he can sense something I can't, or maybe he is worried that the kid might try to break Pierre and me apart, but I know Pierre better than that so I'm not worried about that in the slightest. "Xavier, this is Josh, Josh – Xavier who was my best friend when I lived here, we used to do everything together until the day mum died... This cute little tyke is Josh's younger brother, Callum. That fine lady sitting behind them is Margret, Josh's mum, but also my adoptive mum. The man hugging her is Jean, her fiancé, along with his son Manuel, and Manuel's grandparents are sitting beside them. Over there we have my uncle François and Josh's older sister Sarah," Pierre says, ensuring to introduce everyone. Xavier also gives me a hug and a kiss on each cheek, before he moves to my little brother and does the same thing. It feels weird getting hugged and kissed by a boy who I don't know, and I think Callum is thinking the same thing. The boy must regard us all as friends, since we are Pierre's family and he is his best mate, so Pierre's friends are his friends too, sort of thing. It indicates to me that the two were very close as friends, which could be what Callum has picked up on, and made him worry about the kid, but I don't think the boy will try anything as I think he has too much respect for my boyfriend to screw things up. Xavier seems to be a very polite boy with the way he goes around everyone, hugging and kissing the whole family, before he comes back to join us. This is when I get my chance to take a good look at the new boy. He stands a little taller than Pierre, but shorter than me, so I would say he is about 4'8" tall and weighs about the same as I do. He is gorgeous, with his medium-long black hair, styled in the popular Justin Beiber fashion, which normally I don't like, but in his case it sets off his deep opal eyes perfectly. His nose is cute as a button, and shaped perfectly. He also has pretty thick pink lips, which glisten under the evening sun as they are so moist. His skin is surprisingly pale for a boy in this region, but it is almost blemish free, aside from one small freckle beside his left nostril. He is stunning, and I know he is going to have no trouble finding a boy to be with, although who knows if he will ever find the right one, like Pierre and I have. "Josh, Callum, Manuel, and err... is that you Pierre, wow... you look so much better than the last time I saw you... who's the gorgeous new kid?" another high pitched voice yells excitedly, then Bastian who's voice it is, appears right in front of us, with a curious look on his face. He can't help but to admire the new boy, and doesn't seem to be concerned about how obvious it is that he likes what he sees. In fact he didn't even hesitate when he called him gorgeous, which is a bit of a concern to me because I'm worried he may say that to the wrong person one day, and it would crush me if he got hurt. "Bastian, how awesome to see you again! this is Xavier, my best friend from when I lived here. Xavier, this is Bastian... um we met him in hospital while we were in Nimes... I can't remember how we ended up there though, so I can't tell you that side of the story... What are you doing here anyway, Bastian?" Pierre says, asking the question that is on my mind, but he reacted quicker to the surprise than I did. "I'm not sure entirely why I'm here, but mum and dad suggested we come and see you since you were still in Avignon. I think they said it was your last day in the country and had a special evening planned," he replies, giggling every now and then because he likes the extra attention Xavier is giving him. Xavier is as overtly ogling Bastian, as he had been moments before. I'm starting to get the feeling that they like each other, but I don't want to jump to conclusions so will wait and see what happens. "Nice to meet you Bastian," Xavier says, before embracing him in a hug and giving him a kiss on each cheek. Well it was originally supposed to be a quick friendly peck, but it escalates quickly to a full blown passionate kiss on the lips, before both boys suddenly realise what they are doing and sheepishly break apart, flushed red in embarrassment. "Um... shit... I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me... um... I've got to go now," Xavier says flustered and embarrassed with himself. He doesn't look like he really wants to go, but it's almost like he feels he has to. I feel disappointed that he feels he has to leave, but it is Bastian I feel most for, because I can see the little boy's heart rip in two when he says that. I can tell now there is definitely more to their feelings than just wanting to try things out, because in the short time they were kissing it is almost like they seemed to need each other, but Xavier is a little worried about going too far. "Don't go, we aren't worried, especially since we know what you both are feeling. I know Bastian desperately wants you to stay," Pierre says, trying to ease his friend's fears, but it doesn't seem to be working. Something seems to have scared him, and I'm not sure that it is his own feelings because he has already openly admitted to being gay, so there must be something else behind it. "No, I got to go, and I know you have no problems with it, but... but... but I think they do," Xavier stammers, pointing to a couple of adults walking towards us with a younger boy and girl by their sides. I hadn't even thought about them, and I quickly realise they are Bastian's parents, along with his younger siblings, but I can see why he has got so worried, because they look very shocked and almost angry. "Shit... hold on... don't go anywhere Xavier. Um... Bastian, have you told your parents that you are gay?" I ask, while trying to calm the situation. I know they have something good going on, even if they have only just met, but I want to allow them some time together so they can see whether they are meant for each other or not. "Um... no... I have only told you and Pierre about it. I was too scared to tell my parents, and... um... I don't think I can face up to them now," he replies on the verge of tears. Things got a little more out of control than he ever expected. He thoroughly enjoyed the kiss, which made everything around him melt into oblivion, but now his parents have caught him he wishes it had never happened. "Shit... um... how can I get things sorted... fuck... um... Xavier, stay here. Pierre and I will go and have a chat to Bastian's parents and try to work things out... Bastian, whether you like it or not, you are coming with us," I say completely flustered. I'm desperate to see if things work out between them, so I'm going to try to reason with Bastian's parents, but I am in no way prepared for it. Things happened far too fast, and having not expected to see Bastian today has slowed my reactions considerably, because I'm still in shock with how quickly things have unfolded. I was just starting to come to terms with Bastian's sudden arrival, then the next thing I see is him and Xavier kissing. Wow, what a day! "Aww, do I have to... can't you do it without me... cos... um... I'm scared," Bastian says, even closer to tears than he was before. "Sorry Bastian, but yes, it is for the best you come with us. I'm sure your parents will understand, but we will back you up to the hilt in any case," I reassure him, before taking his hand and leading him towards his parents. At first he drags his feet, but when Pierre takes his other hand he stops resisting, and prepares himself to face the inevitable. He is struggling like crazy to hold himself together and not break down and cry, but I have a feeling he is fighting a losing battle. All I hope is that his parents take it better than mum did. "Hi... um... how are you going? I think we may have something to discuss with you, so why don't you send the kids over to my brothers, Callum and Manuel, as I'm sure they will be more than happy to look after them for a while?" I ask the grown-ups, while pointing towards where the youngsters are sitting, now that Callum has gone back to join his best mate. Bastian's parents give the two younger kids a nudge which tells them to do as I said, so they quickly scamper off towards the boys. I'm not sure whether Callum and Manuel will be too impressed having the girl play with them, especially since she is only five or six, but I know they will do what they can to keep her happy. The boy is about eight, so I know he will have no problems with them. "I think your son has something he needs to tell you, and should have told you a while ago, but please don't get mad at him because it isn't his fault," I say once the younger kids are out of earshot. Bastian looks nervous as hell, almost on the verge of throwing up. His knees are starting to buckle from nerves, so Pierre and I wrap an arm around him to give him a reassuring hug. It doesn't help a lot though, because he is letting the demons in his head make things out to be so much worse than they most likely will be. As it is his parents don't look angry or anything, just expectant because they want to hear what they have already figured out, from the mouth of their son. "Mum, dad... um... I'm gay... please don't be mad..." he says, flinching after saying it from fear of reprisal, but it doesn't come. He actually sounded confident when he said it, and I suddenly notice the reasons for that. "Pardon, I don't mean to sound rude, but I don't care what you think... I love Bastian, I don't know why since we only just met, but he makes me feel very special. It's kind of hard to explain, but he does," Xavier says brazenly, after having come up from behind and wrapped his arms around Bastian to hug him. "Bastian, sweetheart, we are not worried about you being gay, but it would have been nice if you had told us before we saw you kissing another boy. To be honest your father and I have been wondering for a little while, but we were hoping you would trust us enough to tell us. I'm disappointed knowing you are too scared about our reaction so didn't let us know, but I assure you we will strive to do our best for you, so you should feel safe to ask or tell us anything. Thank you young man for having the guts to tell us your feelings for our son, I'm proud of you for that, and won't stand in your way either, but we are going to have some things to discuss later on," his mum says, then gives her son and Xavier a big hug. "Now, sorry we don't know your name, but have you told your parents about your sexuality?" Bastian's dad asks, a little concerned that he may have to be in on the conversation Xavier has with his parents. "Sorry mum, I know I should have trusted you and dad. It's just the kids at school make it out to be a bad thing, so the only people who I have told are Josh and Pierre, because I already knew that they were gay... Oh yeah, this is Xavier," Bastian mumbles to his mum, while his dad has taken Xavier to the side to discuss a couple of things with him. It turns out Xavier has told his mum, but is too scared to tell his dad, because he already knows how homophobic his dad is, which is of great concern to everyone, so Bastian's dad is talking him through options of how to deal with it. "Now Bastian, I want you to think, did I have any problems with Josh and Pierre? I mean each time I visited you in hospital they were in the same bed hugging, and then there were their friends Caleb and Dan, if I remember correctly. I talked with them and never stopped you befriending them even though it was clearly obvious they were gay. They were also the best people for you at the time, because as they have proven once again, they are true friends. I also figured they would be able to help you come to terms with being gay, because as I said, your father and I had worked things out a while ago." "I know mum, I'm sorry, but I didn't think about things like that, and yes they helped me out a lot while I was in hospital with them, but I admitted I was gay pretty quickly to them," Bastian replies a little embarrassed with himself. He knows his mum is right and he never should have felt scared to tell them, especially since his parents seemed to be fine with Pierre's and my relationship, but he overlooked it, worried more about the kids at school finding out, more than thinking logically. "I'm glad you have been able to confide in someone about things like that, but I feel we have let you down since you didn't think you could tell us. It isn't your fault, but something we must have failed in and I assure you we won't make the same mistakes again," Bastian's mum tells him. I can tell she is disappointed with herself because she feels like it must have been something her and her husband have done wrong. "Mum, it wasn't you or dad, more I didn't know who to turn to. The constant harassment I hear the gay kids are getting at schools from around the world made me scared to tell anyone. I wouldn't have told Josh and Pierre if it wasn't for the fact they are gay as well, so don't blame yourself. The only thing you could possibly have done was make it clear all the time that gays are welcome in our house, but that would just have been stupid," Bastian says, trying to lift the blame from his mother. I understand what he means, and I can tell his mum now does as well. Life isn't easy as a young gay kid, because you don't know where to turn for advice. I have been lucky with having Dan and Caleb to turn to, so I want to repay that favour onto Bastian, and by the looks of it Xavier as well. "I understand sweetheart, and I realise it can't be easy... I want to thank you Josh and Pierre because you have been the best thing that has happened to our son. If it hadn't have been for you then I don't think we would have got to this point until way in the future, and if that was the case I don't think he would be a happy teenager. It can't be easy hiding who you are from everyone, and I know all of you still are going to have to do that, but at least you have someone in your life who loves you more than anyone. For Bastian I do hope you have introduced him to the right person, so he too has someone to love and cherish while fighting his way through the hell they call high school. I also want to thank you in advance, because I can tell you are the sort of people who will be there to offer Bastian help or advice through hell or high water, and I'm grateful for that, especially since I know there will be things which come up that we can't answer for him," she says, then pulls us in for a big hug along with her son. "Yes, I want to thank you too, because if it wasn't for you I probably would have run away after mum and dad caught me kissing another boy. You made me do the right thing, and you have been far too kind to me. I am so glad to call you my friends, especially the way you went out of your way to befriend me and keep me involved in your conversations while we were in hospital. No-one has ever done so much for me before, and I know they may only seem like small things to you, but for me they have meant everything," Bastian says, cutting in before Pierre and I get a chance to respond to what his mum had said. "You don't have to thank us for anything. Bastian was a room-mate, who we happened to love so much because he is a sweet and wonderful person, who needed someone who cared. I suppose a lot came from what we had been through, and the amount of support we received in the end, so we wanted to do the same for him. He deserved it, because of the way his friends treated him. I couldn't stand seeing him lonely, because his friends weren't good enough to come and visit him, especially since Dan and Caleb had flown down from Paris to be with us. It didn't seem right, but it was still the person he was that allowed us to help him, because in the end he didn't have to listen to a thing we said. He didn't have to get to know us, but he was as warm, kind-hearted and generous as what you think we are, so we can't take all the credit for you having a wonderful son," I say. I don't know why but all the thanks and attention we were getting was making me feel uncomfortable. It wasn't only me either, because I could feel Pierre's discomfort too. Neither of us are used to getting such praise for doing absolutely nothing, but being there for a friend, like a good friend should be. Bastian has become a good friend to us, so we will do everything we can to help him, like he would for us if we had any problems, and it isn't something I expect to get thanked for. Maybe if we had pulled him out of a burning building or something like that, I would expect to get the thanks which we have just received, but even then, I think I would probably not be comfortable receiving the praise. "You two need to learn to accept praise when it is due, especially you young man. Yes I've heard all about you from your mum and the rest of your family, so I know what you are like. I had been warned about your reluctance to be thanked for the good things you do, but tough, because I'm going to thank you for what you have done for Bastian, whether you like it or not," she says, rather forcefully but with a warm heart. All three of our mouths drop wide open, Bastian's included because even he can't believe his mum's reaction. I know she is right, but it isn't in me to be praised for doing good things, especially those which I regard as behaviour I would expect from anyone. The main problem with my theory I guess, is not everyone does those sorts of good things, which I struggle to accept. "Yeah, yeah, I know you are right, but it's hard for me. Anyway, we came here to enjoy a sing-along and some nursery rhymes, so why don't we go and sit around with the others and enjoy the evening," I say, blatantly turning the attention away from Pierre and I to what we came here for in the first place. Xavier and Bastian's dad had finished their conversation a while back, and had been listening in to our conversation, so both of them have big smirks on their faces after hearing Pierre and me getting told off. The both know I deserved it because neither of them can believe the way I shrugged off the praise as though it was nothing, which when I look at it that way seems like a disrespectful thing to have done. Bastian's mum says no more to us, mainly because she knows she has started to get through to me the importance of accepting commendation for all the good people think I do, but she also realises there is only so much she can achieve in one night, and tonight isn't the time for it. She lets us go from her hug, which results in Bastian running off into the waiting arms of Xavier, which gets everyone smiling. There is no doubt that they have something special too, because otherwise I wouldn't have expected them to be in such a hurry to get back together. If there was one thing I would take credit for it would be that, but alas, I didn't have anything to do with it. It was luck that brought both of them to the same place, or was it? I could say the same about Pierre's and my story, but it turned out to be so much more than that, and when I look at it, I suppose if we hadn't befriended Bastian then he wouldn't have been here. Maybe I did incidentally bring them together after all. "Xavier, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but don't you think you should let your parents know you where you are?" Pierre says quietly, while we are all walking back to join the others. It is sort of funny looking at all of us, because all three couples are holding hands while we stroll, and yes Bastian's parents are also holding hands; it isn't that I have counted wrong. "Shit... you're right, just hold on a second and I'll give them a call," Xavier replies, a little ashamed with himself that he has forgotten about informing his parent as to his whereabouts. He then pulls out an android cell phone, finds his parents' number and hits the ring icon. "Hi mum, um... I'm still at the park... I ran into Pierre Lacroix... you remember him, we used to be best friends... that's right his mum died... I've got some news to tell you later, but I'm not sure about dad... oh, yeah... ok if you want to know, I've found a boy I really like... yes mum... it's more than that, I love him... yes I know we only just met, oh forget it. I will explain about him later, and anyway I'm just letting you know I'm going to stay with them and their family for a while... yes I'm sure I can get home alright... yes mum, I will give you a call if no-one is able to drop me home... ok, love you," he says, getting obviously flustered with the way the conversation went, but he is still smiling so everything must have turned out alright. "Mothers... sheesh...! but the good news is I can stay, providing someone can drop me back home afterwards," he says, getting his hopes up that someone will be able to drop him home, but the only option he is going to have is Bastian's parents because I can't see there being anywhere enough room in the van for one more. Pierre and Bastian have the same thoughts I think. "Mum, dad, will you be able to drop Xavier at home once we have finished here, pretty please," he calls out in the most childishly begging tone, causing us all to giggle as we recall the times we have tried to suck up to our parents using the same sort of voice. It never usually works, so we are all almost praying that this is one of those exceptions. "Ummm... I'm sure we can find some way to get him home, because I'm presuming you only asked as it is the only way he will be allowed to stay with us," Bastian's dad replies, getting a mini celebration from all of us, regardless of the fact he didn't sound particularly hopeful. We make it back to everyone else, but before I'm able to take my spot with mum again, Bastian's parents want to have a word with her. I think I know what this is about, which makes me feel a little embarrassed. I presume they are going to tell her about how Bastian's mum told me off, but aside from that I know the rest of the conversation will be about Xavier and getting him home. They aren't particularly quiet in their conversation, so I'm able to hear most of what is being said, and I was right. It is even more evident when mum looks straight at me with a displeased look, and shakes her head, but I'm not concerned as I have already been told off for it. "Mum, why don't you drop Xavier off home and have a word with his dad? You're the best person to do so, because you weren't particularly understanding of me when I came out to you, so maybe you can make him see what you now can," I yell, interrupting their conversation, after having overheard Bastian's parents explaining to mum that Xavier's dad is homophobic so he hasn't come out to him yet. After the way she treated me when she found out I was gay, compared to how she is about it now, tells me that she is the best person to talk to a homophobe as she was once one herself. "Ummm... I'm not sure about that. I don't even know the man and yet you want me to barge in there and tell him his son is gay, and has a boyfriend... Don't see how that is going to work I'm afraid Josh," she replies apologetically. "Josh's mum, I think dad would listen to you, cos he remembers Pierre well, and well... you are his adoptive mum, so he will respect you. He isn't a bad man, but for some reason he has this hatred of gays, and I'm too scared to tell him I am one," Xavier says almost pleadingly, sort of cutting mum short, although I'm not entirely sure she had much else to say. He is desperate for someone to help him with this, because he knows his own mother is too scared to bring it up as well, so he is left with trying to find someone who he thinks could handle the situation. "Why are you scared then honey, if he isn't a bad man then you should have nothing to worry about. I would think it would come as a shock, but he would certainly get over it, wouldn't he?" mum asks, a little confused about why Xavier is so scared about it. Pierre, Bastian and I know exactly why he is scared, because we have that same fear whenever we tell anyone, but since mum isn't gay and never has been I suppose she wouldn't have any idea what it's like. "I don't know how he will react, that's why I'm scared. I've heard about kids being kicked out of home because they are gay, and that would devastate me. I don't think he would hit me or anything like that, but I can never be too sure, since I know when he was younger he was done for assault a couple of times. A result of binge drinking, but he still has the same temper if pushed far enough. I can't tell him, not on my own, because I know I will screw up and say the wrong thing, and that's what scares me the most," he replies. His emotions are starting to get the best of him now, because he is scared shitless about telling his dad. It is something which we all know needs to be done sooner rather than later, especially since he has a boyfriend, because the only way the two will be allowed to see each other is if both lots of parents are happy to make things work. They live in different towns, so they won't be able to see each other very often unless their parents agree to send one over to the other to stay for the weekend, or something like that. The good thing is their respective towns aren't too far apart, so travelling between the two on weekends is feasible, but it is only if their parents agree since it will cost a bit of money. The thing Pierre and I know all too well is that they must have the ability to visit each other frequently, because they are going to need each other more and more as their love blossoms. "Ok Xavier, I will see what I can do... if the worst comes to the worst we will find you somewhere safe to stay until your dad calms down," mum says, caving in because she knows there is no way out of it. She isn't going to try and ruin Bastian's and Xavier's potential relationship the same way she tried to wreck ours, because she has learnt a huge lesson from that. Instead she wants to help them any way she can, but is scared because she is going to delve into the unknown. She is going to have to meet the father of her adopted son's best friend, and tell him his son is gay, yet she has never met the man before and doesn't know a thing about him. It would be a daunting task for anyone, but she can rest assured she will have the support of everyone here, although I am starting to wonder if Sarah is better suited to the job. I decide against that pretty quickly, because she is far too feisty and we don't want a huge argument to erupt over it, since it will do more harm than good. Bastian's parents and mum continue to converse for a while longer, before they come back and take a seat. The mood surrounding us is a lot more sombre than it had been earlier. I make it my mission to lighten the mood again, so we can all enjoy the rest of the evening. This was my idea so I want to make the most of it, especially since it is our last day here. In fact I think it could be our last day in France, because I'm sure mum said at some stage that we would be leaving here for the airport. The thought saddens me because I have loved my time here for the most part, but I know we have important stuff to get sorted back at home, and the sooner we do that the sooner we can come back, so all is not lost. My main thought is to make our last night here a memorable one for all involved. With mum seated again I quickly take up the position I was in before we got our visitors. I'm still not sure why, but tonight I want to spend time with mum as opposed to with Pierre, although I know he will sit by my side and cuddle with me and mum. Callum also takes his position again, but this time isn't satisfied with just sitting between my legs, no he sits on my lap instead, but thankfully he does so gently. Once he is seated he shuffles his butt around until he is comfortable, which reminds me how boney his bum is but I soon get used to it. He is light enough for me not to be too uncomfortable with him sitting on me, but I'm unsure about how long that will last. I don't think he is worried about how long he gets to sit on me for before I kick him off, because he is enjoying being as close to me as he can get, and I'm enjoying it too. Manuel is torn as to whether he wants to sit with his dad so he can be close to Callum, or if his grandparents are a better idea. Bastian's brother and sister have left him to join their parents again, so Manuel is standing in the middle all alone, trying to make up his mind. It's a hard decision for him, because he is very close to Callum, and the two of them have almost become inseparable, so he doesn't want to be too far from him. Then there are his grandparents, who he only met recently and wants to get to know better, so he is caught in two minds as to what he wants to do. "Manuel, let me make up your mind for you. Why don't you go and sit with your father, and we will too, and that way you don't have to be away from your friend," his grandma whispers in his ear, while they make their way to join their son. He gives her a sheepish cheesy smile, because he now feels like a bit of an idiot for being so indecisive. He needn't feel that way, because most of us understand why he was like that, and the others will understand soon enough anyway. With his mind made up for him, he rushes over to his father and sits on his lap. Bastian's parents both have one of their kids sitting on their laps, while their oldest son is sitting not far from them with his new boyfriend. The new couple look adorable together, as they gaze lovingly into each other's eyes. They remind me of us with the way they are cuddling together lost in each other, so it feels like I'm seeing what everyone else sees when Pierre and I get a moment like that. I am still amazed at how quickly it all happened, but when I look back to when Pierre and I first fell in love I realise how quick it had been for us too. The main difference was I didn't know what I was feeling at the time; all I knew was there was something about him which I needed and I could never be happy without him. I didn't know it was love back then, but compared to Bastian I was relatively innocent and naïve as hell back then. We learnt while in hospital that Bastian was neither of those, because he knew more about the world of sex than we did at his age. He also seemed to know about love, and knew there was something special between Pierre and I. Now he gets to experience the same wonderful feelings with his own boyfriend, and I'm over the moon. I couldn't be happier for him, because he deserves to have someone special in his life, and I'm glad I got to see it happen. It is an amazing sight to watch two people fall in love with each other, but I never thought I would see it happen right before my very eyes like it did. It fills me with the warm fuzzies though, because I realise I had a bit to do with this. As much as I hate to admit it, but Bastian's mum was right and I am partly responsible for Bastian finding love, and the other person who is to blame is Pierre, but he is just as happy for them as I am. "Hey Callum, do you think we should start things off by doing a haka?" I whisper, deciding that since everyone is seating we should get things started. "Yeah, cool... which one... Ka Mate?" he whispers back. "Yeah, cos that's the only one I know," I reply a bit sheepishly, because I had forgotten there is more than one haka. I don't know the others because I didn't enjoy learning Maori in school, so didn't bother to pay attention. I regret that now because I realise it is part of our culture and is what makes us kiwis unique, which is also why I thought a haka would be a good way to start the evening. "Manuel, come here for a second," I call to the boy sitting on his father's lap. He looks at me strangely at first, then realises I could have something important to say, so climbs off his dad and rushes over to us. "Yeah, what did you want?" he asks upon arrival. "You said you like to follow the All Blacks right... so do you know the words and dance to the haka they perform before every match?" I whisper to him. I don't need an answer because I can already tell by the way his eyes light up brightly, that he does know it. "Yeah, of course I do, are we going to do it?" he asks excitedly, forgetting to keep his voice down so now everyone knows we are up to something. Callum climbs off me knowing we are going to do it shortly, and I climb off mum. "Yep, we are going to do it very shortly, so let's get to somewhere that everyone can see us," I say, and take the lead and walk away from everyone a little bit. I stop once I am happy we are in a good position, and get Manuel on one side of me, and Callum on the other. "Hey everyone, I thought we would start this evening off with a bit of kiwi culture, so we are going to perform the Maori haka, Ka Mate. A haka is a war dance, or cry as some would call it, and Ka Mate is the best known of all of them as it is what the All Blacks, our national rugby team perform before every match. If any of you know it and would like to join us then come right up, because this is all about having fun," I announce, hoping that there might be a couple more who know the haka, and are willing to join us. Pierre is the first one to get up and come and join us which surprises me, because I didn't think he knew it, but he tells me he used to play rugby and his dad loved to watch it, especially the All Blacks. Bastian reluctantly lets go of his new boyfriend so he can join us too, but on his way he yells to his dad that he had better join in. Bastian's little brother decides he wants in, although I can see their father trying to talk him out of it, because he doesn't know it well enough, but Bastian reads my mind and tells his brother to join in as well. I'm not worried if they don't know it perfectly, because it is supposed to be fun, not serious. It isn't like we are performing this on the world stage or anything like that, all we are doing it for is the entertainment of our family and friends. Once Bastian, his dad and his younger brother - who looks like a miniature version of his older brother – join us, I start to organise where everyone is positioned. I space them out forming a half circle, with the shortest ones in the front, and the tallest at the back. I take the middle as I've decided to be the leader of the haka, although I think Callum is better suited to the job. He loved Maori at school, and like he proved when we were on the beach after sailing the other day, he is good at it, so I assume he would be better at leading this than me. The only reason I decided to do it is because it was my idea, and I know Callum wouldn't let me out of it. With everyone in position and me in the middle, it is time to start. I'm feeling a little nervous now because I have never led anything of this significance before. I know it is only a small group who we are performing this for, but it is a symbol of national pride, so I don't want to stuff it up. I suck in a deep breath of air, and then get things started. I start to slap on my thighs/hamstrings in a rhythmic beat, while stamping one foot on the ground. The rest soon follow my lead, and once I'm happy everyone has the right beat I start it off with as much of the traditional introduction as I can remember. Then we are off, and in full swing of the Maori war cry, hoping we at least don't mess it up too much since New Zealand bestows a lot of pride in it. It sounds good from what I hear of it as we get into full swing, and I can feel the power and the passion from everyone involved in it. It is an amazing feeling, especially considering most of the group performing it are French, but I've heard from rugby commentators announcing the haka that the French hold a lot of respect for it, and it shows right now. We can't be doing too bad at all, because we soon have a small gathering of passers-by who stop to watch us, which seems to drive us on with more heart and passion behind it. Our guests seem to be captivated by our performance, but two of them have unexpected expressions on their faces. Bastian's little sister is holding her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh, while at the same time her eyes are wide open like she has seen something she has never seen before. The other one whose expression is a little odd is Xavier, because he seems to be fixated on me, well more to the point, on my crotch, which I'm baffled about but don't give it a second thought. We get a thunderous applause once we have finished, well it was loud given the amount of people who had been watching us. The onlookers who weren't invited gave us a really good round of applause, before they came up and thanked us for putting on the little show. It makes all of us feel extremely good about how it went, because it was never intended for them and yet they still showed their appreciation for it. I think it leaves us feeling a little light headed, but with the warm fuzzies flowing through us. The best thing is we all had a huge amount of fun doing it. I almost have the urge to do it again, but I want to sit back down with mum more than anything. I feel it is time for something we can all get involved in, so I lead the way by heading back to my seat. "I think next time you do something like that, you need to have underwear on; I think you gave Bastian's sister quite a show, not to mention Xavier," mum whispers in my ear, as I'm cuddling into her. Now the expressions on their faces makes sense, but leaves me feeling a little embarrassed about it. I had forgotten all about that, and I now realise that everyone has seen my dick, well, all who weren't involved in the haka anyway. The only good thing is that most of them were adults. I try to let the thought slip from my mind, which is helped a little by Callum sitting on my lap. Once everyone has taken their seats again, Bastian's parents start off the next song. They chose 'Mary had a little lamb, because they knew the tune was the same in French and English, and of course everyone knows the words. It is great fun singing along to it, and by about the third time around we all were singing in French as we had got used to it. From then, we all take turns bringing up songs or nursery rhymes from our childhood. The evening quickly turned into night, but no-one seemed to notice because we were having a surprisingly good time, especially given most of the songs we were singing date back to when we were five or six, so most of us have long since out-grown them. Tonight it doesn't seem to matter to any of us, but it is Bastian's little sister who seems to be enjoying it the most. The problem is she has been acting a little funny since the haka. I can sense her staring at me, like all the time, but every time I look over her way, she makes sure she is looking in another direction. It makes me feel self-conscious, because I really don't want to get in trouble with Bastian's parents, because I know what she is trying to do. She's trying to get another sneak peek at my pecker, but as much as I try to ensure there is no chance she can see it, it doesn't comfort me in the slightest. Even with Callum sitting on my lap I am feeling a little paranoid that she can see it, but as much as I try to ignore her I just can't. It doesn't impact on my ability to have a good time, just adds a bit of a nuisance to the night is all. The worst part is that it isn't even my fault because François and Pierre made me take my briefs off, or they would make me do much worse, but too late to change that now so I try to ensure that I don't get into any trouble because of it. The night quickly wears on, and we are still going strong. The only light which is around is the distant yellow glow of the streetlights, but we aren't too fazed. The youngsters are starting to get drowsy now, with Bastian's sister being closest to falling asleep; being the youngest it is to be expected. It is about this time we decide to finish the night off with the nursery rhyme we originally came here for, `Sur le Pont D'Avignon'. Pierre, knowing this was coming next, asks mum if it is alright if he cuddles up to her, the same way he used to with his mum. She had no choice but to allow him, because I think it would have destroyed him otherwise. I decide that this is the time I want to only be with Pierre, well, I would like to still be with mum, but he needs her more than me at this stage. I whisper in Callum's ear for him to get off me, because I want to spend the last part of the night with Pierre. He doesn't fight or resist me, but I have to wait for him because he is so drowsy he is on the verge of falling asleep. He has had a busy day and it has caught up to him rapidly. A few minutes ago he was fine, but he seems to have hit a brick wall, and has come crashing back down to earth with a thud. He doesn't bother to try to stand up since he is too tired to even attempt that. Instead he shuffles forward a few steps in an awkward crouching position, before ruthlessly plonking his butt on the ground. He went down so hard on his bottom it causes me to wince because that must have hurt, but I think he is too tired to even register pain at the moment, so he doesn't seem to notice. I ruffle my little brother's golden blonde hair, showing him my appreciation for getting off without creating a fuss, but even that seems to go unnoticed. I drag myself out from between mum's legs, but since I'm feeling much the same way as Callum I can't be bothered standing up. Instead I get into a crawling position and work my way over to my lover who is sitting beside mum. Sitting isn't quite the right word, since he is leaning against her with both arms wrapped around her neck. It looks really cute, and what I think makes it even better is that they do look like mother and son, despite the different hair colours. It is their closeness which makes them look like they are mother and son, as she is hugging him in the same loving way I have seen her hug Callum plenty of times. She has given me those same hugs, but I've never seen myself getting them so I can't compare, but I'm elated she is caring for Pierre like he is one of her own kids. I know it can't be easy for her, because she has three of her own kids, but even so she has managed to find space in her heart to accept him as her own. I reach Pierre and sit down beside him, well almost crash beside him because the crawl took a lot more energy than I anticipated. I wriggle my butt around on the ground until I feel somewhat comfortable, before leaning against him and wrapping an arm around his waist. I take a look around at everyone else, and find all the adults, Sarah included, looking cheery and bright eyed, while us kids are all on the verge of falling asleep. Surprisingly even Bastian's younger brother and sister are managing to keep themselves awake, but I don't think they are going to hold out much longer. Bastian and Xavier are still sitting together, heads resting on the other's while hugging and holding hands. They too are on the verge of crashing, but it makes them look a perfectly adorable couple. "I think it's time to wrap the evening up, so the next one is going to be Sur le Pont D'Avignon. We saved this for last for a reason, as it is one of my nephew's most cherished childhood memories from when his parents were still alive. Tonight was about rekindling that memory for him, and hopefully creating one for all the other kids. We will start off by singing it once slowly, so those who don't know it can learn, and then we will repeat it two to three times before wrapping up the night. I want to thank you all for coming, because I think we have had a very special night, and one everyone will remember forever," François announces, before he and Bastian's parents start the song rolling. Pretty soon Manuel, his dad and grandparents are singing along, and then I start to hear a mumbling type of singing from Bastian's two drowsy younger siblings. Xavier and Bastian join in soon afterwards, while mum, Callum, Sarah and I try to learn the words. It isn't too difficult to learn them, and so we sing along with everyone else when they start it for real. Mum sings it directly to the boy hugging her, since she instinctively knows that Pierre's mum would have done the same when he was younger. He starts to sing along himself now that mum is. He had been waiting until it all felt right before he joined in, so seeing him singing as well means we have pulled it off. We have recreated those special evenings he had with his parents when he was young, well, at least we have done the best we can for him. I know he is happy with the way everything has gone, but I'm also feeling the happiness from another source, making me wonder whether I can feel Pierre's parents giving me their blessing for a job well done. By the end of the first time the song goes around, Bastian's younger siblings have fallen asleep, cuddled up tightly to their parents. Callum and Manuel don't quite make it through the second time round before they too crash into the peaceful world of slumber. I think it is the knowledge that this song is it for the night, so the kids are letting the nursery rhyme do its job in helping them to fall asleep. Well, that is how I'm feeling, because knowing there is no more, I can feel my body relaxing and allowing the song to do its business. My singing, and that of the other kids who are still awake, becomes slurred and quiet, as we all start to nod off and join the younger ones in slumberland. I briefly have the thought that I should stay awake as we have yet to get to the van, but it is short lived as my heavy eyelids close, and my mind goes blank. I shouldn't say blank, because I start dreaming the most pleasant and wonderful dreams instantly after falling asleep. Of course the focal point of all my dreams never changes, and yes they are of my gorgeous lover, Pierre. You may think it's boring, but I couldn't think of anything better to dream about since he is everything and more to me. I start to get these unusual sensations during one of my dreams though, which causes me to start to awaken. I seem to be swaying, like someone is gently rocking me, but I can't feel anyone's hands on me. I can tell I'm snuggled up with Pierre because I can feel the usual amazing feelings coursing from him into me. As I awaken the world seems to be a lot noisier than I'm used to with the screeching, creaking, moaning and groaning noises that you associate with metal flexing. The strangest noise is a clickety click sound, similar to that you hear when on a train, but a lot faster. At this stage I'm too tired to care enough about it, so I pull Pierre in tight and drift off again. I go straight back to where I left off in my dream, which is yet another pleasant and wonderful one. The ones I don't want at this stage are the erotic ones, since I know what they mean and usually can't wake up until it is too late. Thankfully I haven't had one of those in a while, so I get to enjoy my normal dreams which are much better in any case. I start to get fully involved in my dreams, when I again get this swaying sensation of being rocked, but this time more forcefully. I try to fight it off this time and ignore it, so I can continue enjoying my dreams, but the longer I ignore it the stronger it becomes, until the inevitable happens and I start to awaken. "Josh, wake up Josh... come on sweetheart you need to wake up," mum says softly, whilst she is still trying to shake me awake. Slowly but surely I rouse, but I'm feeling dead tired still so it takes ages for my head to clear up enough to work out what is going on. I almost roll off the bed when I turn to face mum, who is at eye level which I find strange. Once my eyes adjust properly I find myself in a single bunk bed, and the top one at that. The room we are in is tiny, so not far away I see another similar style bunk with Callum and Manuel on it. "Huh, what the hell is going on, and where are we?" I ask dazed and confused. "No time to explain, wake up Pierre because we have to go in around five minutes," mum replies, before she turns around to repeat the whole waking process with Callum. I shake my head clear and then roll back towards Pierre and start to shake him awake. He doesn't even stir, so I decide to throw all caution to the wind and wake him the only fail-safe way I know how, and give him a tender loving kiss on the lips. The electricity that sparks between our lips as they slowly come together makes Pierre's eyes bolt open, and he awakens exceedingly quickly when our lips meet. I know this because a microsecond after I start to kiss him I feel him kissing me back. I feel wonderful, the best feeling to wake up to in the world, but we only have a limited amount of time before we have to go, so I try to keep it short. I succeed somewhat, but the kiss is too beautiful to part with straight away, and I endeavour to enjoy it a little bit longer before I break it off. I feel mum ruffling my hair, indicating that she has no problem with what I'm doing but at the same time reminding me I have to hurry up, so reluctantly I part from out kiss and sit up. I almost bang my head on the ceiling because it is so low as I sit up, but thankfully I feel my messed up hair touch it first so stop myself in time. "Good morning love, we have to get up because we are leaving very shortly," I say with a hoarse croaky voice, reminding me I still have to awaken properly myself. I figure I have time to do that as we go, so find the ladder to the bunk and clamber down it. Pierre looks a bit baffled at seeing me do that, and looks even more confused when he sees our surroundings. He doesn't bother to ask me about it, because he figures that if I knew anything I would have already told him. Once on the floor I take a quick look around, but don't have time to take anything in as I end up somehow catching Callum in my arms. It catches me totally off guard, but thankfully I saved him as he had rolled over like I almost did before, and fallen off the side of the bed. He gives me a relieved and thankful look, before dropping his feet to the ground and ensuring he has firm footing. The next thing he does surprises me as well, because he turns around and gives me a huge kiss on the lips, before whispering how grateful he is that I managed to catch him. I ruffle his hair and tell him no problem, before I decide I had better help Manuel off the bed in case he does the same thing. It ends up a tight squeeze with three of us boys on the floor at once, but seeing Callum and Manuel still have their clothes on means they can leave the room straight away. It is then I also notice I still have on the same clothes as last night, so I don't need to find anything to wear either, which is a good thing cos I have no idea where our bags are. I shoo the boys out of the room, so that Pierre has enough room to get out of bed. He like me uses the ladder, but I almost have to catch him as well. He loses his footing when the whole room seems to slow down rapidly, almost like we had been moving at a great rate of knots and have come to a sudden stop. Somehow he manages to hold on and not bang his now dangling legs on anything, before deciding he is close enough to the ground, so lets go and drops. I give Pierre a big hug once he is one the ground, but it is cut short when mum comes into the room and tells us we have to go now. We release each other and follow her out of the room, down a tight narrow corridor, and then out an unusual shaped entrance. Once outside I know exactly where we are, since directly opposite me is a train. We are at a train station, which after a quick inspection I come to the conclusion must be the Gare de Lyon. I quickly deduce that we must have been in a sleeping wagon on board the train, which means mum and co. must have had a lot of difficulty in getting us on it. I can't fathom how on earth they did it, given three of the adults are elderly, or have limited mobility, but somehow they must have. They also accomplish another impressive feat in not waking any of us while they did it, because I can tell that the other boys are slowly coming to the same conclusion. I try to imagine how on earth they did it, but for the life of me I can't come up with an answer, so I give up. Pierre suddenly yanks my arm as he goes running off down the platform, and I quickly follow. We aren't running because the others have wandered off, no, we are running because Pierre has noticed something unexpected. By that I mean we both know where we are and why we are here, but ahead of us is something, more precisely two people who we thought shouldn't be here. Bastian and Xavier are ahead with François, Sarah, Callum and Manuel, but their expressions indicate bewilderment, because like us I don't think they have a clue why they are here. We gather around them and are soon accompanied by mum and Manuel's dad, along with his grandparents. "Alright come on, let's go. Our taxi should be waiting for us outside," mum says as she passes us by. "Wait a minute! I think you have some explaining to do first, because there are at least two completely confused people here, who you owe an explanation," I say forcefully, because nothing seems to add up at the moment. If we are going to the airport to head back to New Zealand, then what are Bastian, Xavier, or even François doing here. "Ok, I suppose I should. I was going to explain in the taxi, but I think you are right and I need to do it now... Bastian, we organised with your parents while you were still in hospital to treat you to a trip to New Zealand. We wanted to ensure you got to see your new friends again, because we weren't sure we were going to see you again while we were in France. Originally though, you were going meet us at the airport, but things changed, but anyway I hope you enjoy your holiday with us... Josh this is coming out of your money, but I figured you wouldn't have a problem with that," she says. "No, cool, I have no problem paying for Bastian to come on holiday with us. That's totally awesome, just wish I had thought of it first!" I reply ecstatically. "What about me? You didn't even know me before last night," Xavier asks. "I know, yours wasn't planned, but you can thank Josh for paying for you too... I tried to have a chat with your dad last night, and it did go reasonably well. He wants a little time to adjust, so I asked him if you had a passport, and whether he was happy for you to travel with us halfway around the world. Surprisingly he agreed, stating it would benefit both of you. He gets the time he needs to adapt to you being gay, and you get the trip of a lifetime," she says, getting a bit of a disappointed look from him, but she sort of expected it. "Do you think he will come around?" he asks; the question was inevitable, but is one that has to be answered. "Your mum thinks he will be fine in a week or two. She is very supportive of you, and happy you have found a special person, so she is going to work tirelessly with your father to get him through this. He is more disappointed than angry to find out his only son is gay. He is a little old fashioned and expected you to continue the family name, but being gay he thinks that won't happen. We tried to tell him it might not affect things, but until you are older you don't need to worry about that," she says, realising she may have gone a little too far in what she was saying. Before any of us get to query what she is on about, she takes off towards the main entrance. We stand there for a moment or two trying to understand what she could possibly mean. Well us older boys do, it goes completely over Callum's and Manuel's heads, as they don't have any idea what on earth she is on about in the slightest. Instead of trying to work out what they know nothing about, they follow mum and the rest of the adults. It takes us a little while longer to realise we aren't going to understand her, so rush off to catch up with the rest. We manage to catch up with everyone as they are about to go through the main entrance to the station, which is a good thing since we could easily have lost them otherwise. Outside the weather isn't like it had been in the south of France, making me wish mum had given us a chance to get changed. It is overcast with a light but constant drizzle falling, not to mention about ten degrees cooler than we are used to. Suddenly something important comes to my attention upon leaving the station and that is none of us have our bags, which gets me worried to say the least. I should know that mum has something organised for them, but I'm still in the process of waking up, so I straight away think the worst. It takes me a little bit of time to realise that no-one at all seems to be concerned with the lack of baggage, so I figure something has been organised for it. Mum heads in a different direction to the one the taxi had dropped us off at when we first arrived here, on our way to Vichy. This is something else I hadn't expected so I almost head off in the wrong direction. We go around the other side of the building and find large area for airport transfers, which have a multitude of taxis and taxi vans getting loaded up with bags. Most of the taxis are full of people, with the last of the bags getting loaded on, so we have to search for the one mum had booked. It doesn't take long to find because there is an empty van and a car with our last name written on cardboard wedged into the inside of the windscreen. The van is a ten seater which isn't going to be big enough given there are now twelve of us, so mum ensured to hire a normal taxi as well. I'm amazed at how many of us there are now, but what I hadn't realised until now is that Manuel's grandparents are also with us, so I sense I'm missing something important. François being with us also tells me that something big must being going on, but whatever it could be has escaped my mind. I mean surely they wouldn't all be coming along just because the opportunity presented itself, because the plane tickets must have cost a fortune. I'm not particularly looking forward to knowing the cost of Xavier's ticket as that was so last minute we must have paid a premium for it. Once at the taxis, mum divides us up, trying her best to get the right adults with the kids. It is quite a balancing act for her, because she doesn't want too many kids in one vehicle, which I suppose is understandable, since we are likely to drive the driver crazy. In the end Bastian, Xavier, Pierre and I all end up in the van, while Callum and Manuel are to go in the car. Boy that did not go down too well originally, but mum soon reminded the two youngsters that it was only a short trip, so we wouldn't be separated too long. François is to go in the car with the younger ones because he is the best at keeping them under control, so naturally Sarah says she wants to go with him. All the rest of us pile into the van. Mum takes the front passenger seat since she is the one having to pay the fare - she had given François enough money to cover theirs so that wasn't going to be a problem. Due to their age, Manuel's grandparents take the front row of seats since it is usually the smoothest riding part of a van, with the back being the worst as it is usually bouncy and rough riding back there. Pierre and I shuffle in next because we want the middle row, since it is the front two rows which have only two seats, while the back has three. We decided to be a little selfish, since taking the middle row meant we wouldn't have to share with Manuel's dad, not that it bothers us, it is just nice having a row to ourselves. Of course, all this means Bastian and Xavier have to share their row, since the only other available seat in the van is up the front beside mum, but those seats are always tiny cos they're designed more for small kids. Almost as soon as we have piled in, the driver has finished loading the bags, so slams the tailgate shut and races around to his door, trying to escape the weather as quickly as possible. Once in, he slams his door shut and starts the engine, so before we know it we are away. The dim grey drizzly day means there isn't much to look at out the window while we drive through the great city. I'm disappointed because it adversely affects my judgement of the city, although I know it shouldn't as you can't judge anywhere on a miserable day, but it does. It might be more the fact that I know our French adventure is coming to an end, and even if we do move here it won't be the same. Things are always different when on holiday; even if this was never intended to be one, it still felt like it. If we come back we will be looking for somewhere to settle, and then everything will be back to normal life. You know for me I will have to go back to school, which is going to be hard enough with how far behind I am in some subjects, but made even worse being a new school in a foreign country. That is of course if I can't convince mum to home school us, but being in a foreign country and having to get the money to feed all of us means she is likely to have to find work. I'm not sure how successful Manuel's dad's company is, but he is only used to having to support two people, not seven. It is going to be hard in any case, because no matter where we settle I will be starting afresh, since I ditched all my friends back in New Zealand, so I don't even have any of them to form a base from. To me though, France is the better option for us to settle in, because it will be less of a strain for the majority of us. Pierre still has friends in Avignon, which became apparent when we met Xavier. François will still be living here too since he will not get a permanent visa allowing him to live in New Zealand due to his disability. Manuel and his dad have their lives set up in France, so moving home would affect them the most, and it would be to the detriment of Manuel I think, although from what he told us earlier he doesn't really have any friends. The biggest benefactor of us moving to France permanently would be Sarah, since France is one of the best countries in the world to become a chef, so she is likely to have plenty of options here. The thoughts circling around my head soon take their toll on me and I start feeling tired, so I rest my head against Pierre's shoulder and close my eyes. I don't intend on falling asleep, just to enjoy the warm comforting feelings he generates in me, but I soon become too comfortable. Pierre quickly becomes aware that I'm starting to drift off, so shakes me, trying to keep me awake. He knows it is not a good time for me to be falling asleep, because before we know it we will have arrived at the airport. He does enough to keep me from sleeping, but it doesn't make me sit up or even open my eyes. I'm sort of happy being in the dozing stage of sleep, and as long as I stay in that phase I'll be alright. Pierre suddenly shakes me a little more rigorously, making me sit up and open my eyes. We have almost reached our destination, as I see the taxi making its way towards the departures terminal taxi stand. `This is it,' I think to myself, as I come to accept the inevitable. We are heading home to face the music, but more importantly close the remaining pages in the book of our old life. It will be good to get it all cleared up, so we can start anew, without anything from the past continuing to haunt us. First though, we are going to have to endure an agonizingly long flight. The next stage is the part I've been dreading most, and I'm not just talking about the flight, but the customs and immigration checks as well. The driver pulls up in a park at the taxi stand right in front of the departures terminal's main entrance, and kills the engine. Then he gets out and heads around the back and opens the tailgate in order to start unloading our luggage. While he is doing that, we all disembark the taxi and gather on the sidewalk. The driver hands each bag to the rightful owner, before grabbing the next. We all wait patiently until we see him pick up our bag, then take it from him before getting out of the road. François and the rest have gathered with us to await their luggage. They arrived a couple of minutes before us, but all the baggage had been loaded into the van, so they had to wait for us to turn up. Once all the bags have been removed from the taxi van, the driver closes up, and gives us a friendly farewell, before jumping back in his seat and taking off. Mum and Manuel's dad take the lead, so we all follow them into the massive departures terminal building. We walk inside and find an empty row of seats, before mum stops and turns around to face us. We all slowly make our way to where she is standing; since some of us aren't too happy to be leaving we are dragging our feet a bit. I'm not happy to be leaving, but that isn't the reason I'm so slow in getting there. It is more because I am feeling shattered through not enough sleep last night, after a pretty busy day. It is strange to think that I'm tired since Pierre and I slept in really late yesterday, after our magical experience the night before, but what we did see of the day was relatively busy. "Alright, before we check in I suggest you all find warm clothing. Put on what you want in the toilets over there and stuff the rest into a carry-on bag. Xavier and Bastian, I have ensured that your parents packed lots of warm clothes for you so you shouldn't need to worry. If you don't have enough then we can buy you some more when we're in New Zealand," mum says, getting confused looks from almost everyone. "Why do we need warm clothes, cos it isn't too cold here even though the weather is horrible?" I ask, not thinking things through before I did, but oh well, I did say I was tired. "Josh, you of all people should know! It is winter back in New Zealand, because our seasons are the opposite of the Northern Hemisphere," she replies, making me feel like a total egg. The confusion on everyone else's faces also vanishes once mum tells us that, but thankfully no-one makes fun of me for my stupidity, although mum gives me a disappointed look. I know, I should have known that, but I had got so used to summer that I didn't even think about it being winter at home. It was stupid of me in hindsight, but I did get everyone else's question answered. I also think Callum had forgotten about it too, judging by the look on his face. So I don't think I was alone in that one. "Boys, I suggest you all find some trousers, and put them on first, since you should be the quickest. Then us girls will get changed once you are done," mum instructs, making us aware that we had better get a move on. We open our bags and search through the contents for the clothes we are going to need for when we are in New Zealand. Bastian and Xavier have it the easiest since the clothes they have on now are the only ones suitable for the summer climate, everything in their bags are winter clothing. The rest of us have to dig to the bottom to find ours. Manuel has very limited winter clothing like Callum, Pierre and me, because it was never intended for Manuel and his dad to come over to NZ with us, so they hadn't packed much warmer clothing at all. While I'm digging through my bag, I find the day pack I had brought with me as carry-on luggage for our trip here, so pull it out and shove the first two jerseys I can find into it. I decided to play it safe in case it is freezing cold when we arrive. Since Pierre doesn't have a smaller pack I let him use mine, so he too puts in two jerseys, taking my lead. I finally find some trousers, so pull them out along with a tee shirt, as I figured I might as well have a fresh set of clothes on for the trip. Once I have my clothes out I zip up my bag and head towards the toilets, followed closely behind by Pierre. The two of us enter the toilet and make our way to the very end so we don't get in anyone's way while we are changing. The cubicles seem pointless to change in for me because they are cramped, and we don't want to occupy them and prevent others who may need to use them more from being able to do so. Callum, Manuel, Bastian and Xavier enter the room shortly after us, and the two youngsters come over to where we are without any hesitation. They have figured out that we are going to change in the open, but it doesn't concern them in the slightest. Bastian takes a couple of moments to decide that he is game enough to as well, especially since four of us have already seen him naked while he was in the hospital, so it isn't going to matter. Xavier is the one who is most unsure about it. We don't put pressure on him to change with us, because that would be a bit mean, so we leave him to do what he is comfortable with. It doesn't hinder the rest of us in any way, so we continue to change into a new set of clothes. I don't think anything about it as I strip off my shirt then drop it on the ground, and follow it with my shorts. Thanks to the dare I had to do yesterday I am now standing in the middle of the toilets completely naked, but I'm not fazed, and pretty shortly the rest will be the same in any case. Xavier's mouth hits the floor when he sees me standing there buck naked without a care in the world. It also allows him to take a better look at my package, which had caught his fancy last night. One by one all of us end up standing there naked, but it is seeing Callum unashamed to be nude despite his small package which finally eases Xavier's fears so he feels comfortable to strip off with us. The boy can't help it but take a look at what we have all got, and nearly faints when he sees Manuel's thin but long appendage, and he isn't the only one. Bastian also can't believe how big the boy is down there, as it is the first time he has seen it too, but Manuel doesn't make a show of it, although he is more than happy to allow them a good look. It is Bastian's cute dickie which Xavier admires the most, and he continues to ogle it while he starts to strip himself. Having his mind fixed on something allows the boy to strip completely with no hesitation or second thoughts when it came to removing his boxer briefs. That gives us the chance to see what he is packing down there, and I can't understand why he was so worried about it. Aside from Manuel, he is the second biggest in the dick department out of all of us at just over two and a quarter inches. He is intact like the rest of us, but his foreskin looks a bit looser than ours, as the gap in the end of it appears to be bigger. It is hard to tell given his is soft, which is a little strange because I think all the boy dick surrounding him is making it hard on him to stop himself popping a boner. His ball sac containing his plump olive sized balls, is well into the process of dropping indicating he is on the cusp of hitting puberty, although he is still as bald as the rest of us. There is a definite thickening of his member as he becomes aware that we are all taking a good look at what he has, but at this stage he is still winning the fight of keeping it soft. It isn't going to last long though I can tell. "Hehe... oops... I got a boner," Callum says cheekily, after watching his tiny member rise. I'm not sure why he had to announce it, but it is Callum and he does weird things at times. I don't think he was paying much attention to what he was saying, because moments after he says it he flushes bright red, but too late now. Too late for Xavier too, as he can't help but to take a look at Callum to see if the boy is indeed hard, and he is. Seeing his first ever boner is the last straw for the boy as the blood rushes to his own appendage and it starts to rise to the occasion. This is all too much for Xavier at this time, because he doesn't know any of us well enough yet, but he is now sporting a stiffie in front of us. As I expect it is around three inches hard, so still smaller than Manuel's, but a bit larger than the rest of us. He has nothing at all to be ashamed of, but he doesn't see it that way. In a panic he pulls on his trousers as quickly as possible and starts to do it up. Bastian somehow stops him before the boy put himself into the world of hurt by zipping himself up. He hadn't made sure that his rigid member was safely tucked away, but Bastian noticing that, manages to grab hold of his wrist and prevent him causing himself serious pain. Trying not to make any fuss about it in order to calm his boyfriend down, Bastian says nothing about it. He just slowly reaches down with his free hand and takes hold of him. He then gently tucks Xavier's rock hard member safely into his pants, before zipping the boy up himself. "Xavier, take it easy. Don't worry so much about what the others will think, because they won't make fun of you. I was in hospital with them and they saw me in lots of embarrassing situations, and they never made fun of me, just like I won't make fun of them and I've seen them in as bad positions. The younger ones are the two I know least about, but I know they won't poke fun either, so just be yourself and don't stress out about things. After all we are going to be with each other for a while," Bastian whispers in Xavier's ear, trying his best to ease the boy's embarrassment. He gives his boyfriend a short but tender loving kiss on the lips to help reassure him further. "I know, it's just... no-one has seen me get a boner before... I just didn't want to offend anyone is all," he stammers, because I don't think he has any real idea about why he freaked out so badly, so is trying to come up with an excuse. "What's there to be embarrassed about, cos I sprung a stiffie first? Anyway, you are the only one in the room who hasn't seen Josh in far worse situations, like I think we have all seen him shoot..." Callum says, trying his best to back up Bastian. "Callum! Too much detail" I say, giving him a clip around the back of the head, which causes everyone to chuckle. He mocks being hurt from me hitting him, but I ignore it as I know he is only playing around. "See, you have nothing to be embarrassed about, and yes you are the only one who hasn't seen him shoot, but maybe one day," Bastian continues cheekily. I'm starting to feel a bit ganged up on, but it is for the best so I let it slide. The information is being shared between friends so it doesn't bother me, so long as it stays between friends. Now that Xavier has calmed down we all get dressed, and in record time as well. We realise we must have been in here a little longer than we should have, but I think mum knew all along that this was going to happen. She'll probably be more surprised if we didn't take much time, but as it is I think we have taken long enough. Before I leave the toilets I decide that I had better use them first, so walk up to the urinal and fish out my dick, which I have only just hidden away. Everyone else leaves the toilets, well, all except Xavier who stands beside me to take a leak as well, still sporting an erection but doesn't seem worried about it any more. He is about to say something to me, but before he gets a chance a man enters and takes up position beside me. I can't help it but glance in the man's direction as he fishes out his enormous ugly cock and starts to pee, but thankfully nothing happens. My body doesn't react at all, so I'm able to continue using the toilet as normal instead of becoming an emotional wreck. Both Xavier and I really must have needed to go, because we are still peeing by the time the man has finished, zipped up and headed to the wash basins to clean his hands. We finish shortly after the man has shut off the tap and gone to the hand driers. We tuck our peckers into our pants, which is easier for Xavier now since it is soft, and zip up before making our way to the wash basins. The man finishes drying his hands while we are washing ours, and quickly leaves, allowing Xavier the privacy to ask his question. "Is it true... um... I mean you don't have to tell me... but is it true that the others have all seen you cum?" he asks bashfully. I had almost predicted that this is what he wanted to ask, so it didn't catch me out or anything. In fact I had prepared myself for it, so had my answer already worked out. "You can ask me anything you like Xavier, providing it is to help you and not because you are being nosey. Yes they have all seen me, although Callum and Manuel didn't get a great look. They won't lie to you, so don't worry about that. They will also only tell you private secrets to help you out, so don't be concerned about any of them saying anything about what happened with you in here," I stress, trying to stop him worrying about anything he has no control over. It works too, cos I see all the concern on his face melt away into oblivion, as he feels comfortable knowing the others were genuine in their attempt to comfort him. "Yeah, I should have realised that. It's just I have never been able to trust my friends enough with secrets like that, well not since Pierre left. I know if he hadn't then I could have told him I was gay, even if he wasn't, and he would never ridicule me or tell anyone. My current friends I have to hide it from, because I know they will make fun of me, and will tell everyone, so you can see why I'm not that trusting," he says, making me wonder if there is more to the story than he is letting on. "What's happened, because your trust is a little worse than the reasoning you gave for it, so I assume you have had something happen?" I ask. "Um... one day while I had a friend over my older sister came home drunk. My friend decided it was time for him to leave, so took off. He didn't leave though which I didn't know, and well... my sister when she is drunk like that makes me do embarrassing things. I no longer argue about having to do them, because there are only so many times you can take getting kicked in the balls. Well this day she wanted me to dress up in girl's clothing, and then model them for her, so I did without any resistance. My friend saw all this and spread it around school that I like to dress up in girl's clothing, and so I got hassled about it for ages. I finally managed to get people to know the truth of what was behind it, but the damage had already been done. I could no longer trust any of my friends, especially since they harassed me the worst," he says, fighting back the tears as he relives the torture he suffered, not only at the hands of his sister, but his supposed friends as well. "Look you can trust us never to do that to you. We all have our secrets, which you will slowly learn about when the opportune time comes. We trust you to keep our secrets, just like you can trust us. I will never give you any grief about what you have just told me, but I'm saddened to hear you had to go through all that. No-one deserves that, and especially a nice boy like you. Your secret's safe with me, and I won't even tell the others, that is up to you. We will help you get your trust back, because we want to be there for you as true friends, so don't feel bad about anything," I say, with my whole heart behind me, and then give him a comforting hug. "Thank you, no-one has ever been so nice to me before. In fact I was surprised none of you made fun about me getting a boner, let alone not hassling your brother for the same thing. All my friends would have, brother or not... um... you don't suppose I could see you... um... you know what... I just never seen it before, so I'm curious?" he asks, ashamed with himself since he knew I normally wouldn't satisfy curiosities, but he is hopeful anyway. "It's alright, we are all here to help, but in answer to your other question I would say not to get your hopes up. I won't say no, cos well, you never know what may happen," I tell him, then give him a wink. I don't want to make him feel like he has done something bad, since I would have been just as curious as him if I knew one of my friends could shoot while I was still dry cumming. He gives me a hug back to thank me for not making a fuss about his question, before we release each other, dry our hands and leave the toilet. We notice that the girls haven't bothered to wait for Xavier and me to return, instead they have gone to change into more appropriate clothes. It doesn't worry me, because I know that we had to have our conversation because it was important for Xavier. I'm glad that he felt comfortable enough to confide in me. I am genuinely saddened to hear that a friend can do that to someone, but it is another case of don't judge a book by its cover. Sometimes there is more to a story than meets the eyes, so you should never judge someone, unless you know the full picture behind them. He is a good kid who is going to make Bastian very happy, but will have to overcome his problems. "What took you two so long?" Pierre asks me on my return. "Xavier had a couple of things he needed to get off his chest, and felt safe enough with me to do so," I reply, but know I should have been more careful with my words, because Xavier is supposed to be his best friend, not mine. "Pierre, it wasn't about him not trusting you, but I suppose a lot of the reason he wanted to talk to me is because he already found out some embarrassing things I'd done. He had his trust in his friends shattered after you left, but I can't tell you any more than that. It is his story to tell, but he doesn't hold a grudge about you for leaving, well not that he has told me," I say trying to ease his fears, but at the same time I can't lie to him, just like I can't lie to any of them. Not about something serious anyway, but maybe if we are playing around I might tell a little fib or two, but never about anything important. I know Pierre wants to go talk to Xavier, but he doesn't get the chance as the girls come back, so we all gather our stuff and head to the check-in. Things get busy from then since we have to make our way through customs, security and immigration, which takes a hell of a long time with twelve of us. We all make it through with no hassles, but it took an age. Due to how long that part took we don't have time to check out the duty free stores, because we have to get to our boarding gate and pronto. The flight is due to depart in twenty five minutes, so we have to hurry. We make it with no problems and in time to board straight away, but it is all thanks to mum we managed to because she paid a premium in order for them to allow us a late check-in time. We are in first class again, since mum couldn't be bothered with the hassle of trying to keep us calm and comfortable back in coach, which is good cos we get to fly in comfort again. We take our seats, and before we know it are up in the air on our way to New Zealand. ************ Comments are always welcome at (pennywise3636@gmail.com). Please keep all comments clean. If possible please kick in a few bucks at the Nifty Website, to keep it up and running. The site puts in a lot of effort and work so that we all have a place to come and contribute or read some fine stories.