DISCLAIMER:
M/M, m/m, M/m
This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This story contains descriptions of explicit sexual acts of boys and men discovering their sexuality. It contains graphic scenes of sex between consenting underage boys, consenting adult males and boys with adult males (eventually). If this type of content offends you or you are under the age of 18, do not read it.
If it is illegal to read such material where you live or if you find the topic distasteful, then please stop reading now. You have been warned.
This story is the property of the author. It can be downloaded for personal reading pleasure or sending to a friend, but if you wish to re-post them at your own site, please contact the author for permission.
Copyright 2016 WSC, all rights reserved.
A copy of the story has been assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of its submission agreement. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to enderwiggin61@outlook.com
All flames will be politely ignored.
If you have enjoyed this or other stories on Nifty, consider donating to keep the service free: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
Author's Note:
I started writing this story, never intending it to grow into what it has become. It seems to have taken on a life of its own. I hope you enjoy.
Also, if you are enjoying this story, my first story can be found here:
https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/moments
Tom and I spent the next hour and a half becoming more intimately aware of each other. Part of the time was spent with him working on a further expansion of my anal sphincter with the next size aid from his box of surprises. Even though he started working on me with the first one we'd used, it hurt like hell when he went up to the next size. After about ten minutes of his careful manipulation of the dildo, I was finally relaxed enough to start enjoying the feeling of my ass being spread wide open. Of course, the fact he had my cock buried deep in his mouth may have had something to do with me forgetting the pain. I was happy that he'd turned himself around so I could suckle on his monster while he worked me over down below.
After we'd both been to the brink three or four times, Tom said, "Okay, enough of this playing around shit, I want you in my ass now. I can't wait any longer to come."
We changed positions and I mounted him like a stud horse, slowly sliding my throbbing hardness into his waiting ass. I started a slow fucking motion and slowly increased my speed as I reached around him, wrapped one hand around his cock that was hovering over the bed and grabbed his balls with the other. I started stroking him, matching the rhythm with which I was pounding his ass, all while gently tugging his scrotum and squeezing the tender orbs nestled inside. It seemed that in no time, I felt his balls pull up and his cock enlarge in my hand as he reached the point of no return, pumping his semen all over the bed. With each shot of cum, his sphincter clamped my cock even tighter and I soon started coating his insides with my own load.
With both of us totally spent after a long session of love-making, we collapsed onto the bed, my softening cock still buried in his ass. As I continued to wilt, little Willy slowly retreated from the warm confines of his ass and upon complete extraction, Tom moaned at the loss.
"Oh, my god, Tom, that was wonderful. We should do that more often."
"You said it, lover. I relish the moments when you're buried deep in my ass."
"I'm looking forward to the day I can return the favor. When you first stuffed that salami-sized dildo in me, I wasn't too sure I wanted you to continue, but after I relaxed some and got used it, it started feeling really good. I can't wait for the real thing to get there."
"Soon, Max, very soon."
"I think we should get a shower and get cleaned up, then we can wash our sheets and grab some lunch. I still need to find a moving company to get your stuff and empty the room for your new office."
"Sounds good to me, let's go."
We tenderly cleaned each other in the shower, keeping the water spray off his stiches and once we were dried off, Tom helped me strip the bed and get the laundry going. Next, we headed to the kitchen to grab some grub. "How does a grilled cheese sound to you," I asked.
"Really, grilled cheese? I haven't had one of those forever. Got any tomato soup to go with it?"
"I think so, check in the pantry and I'll get the sandwiches going." Tom found the tomato soup, dumped it into a pan and I told him, "Set the heat real low. The sandwiches will take about 20 minutes before they're ready."
"Are you freakin' kiddin' me? What the hell takes so long?"
"I like the bread real crispy and cheese real melty. 20 minutes is about average. Sometimes, I'll let `em go even longer. All depends on how hungry I am when I start `em."
"This better be good," he said. "Holy crap, how much cheese you puttin' in those?" he asked as I put them together.
"Just the regular. A slice of sharp cheddar, a slice of Velveeta, some parmesan cheese and another slice of the cheddar. Once the Velveeta melts, the parmesan isn't going anywhere."
"Never had one like that. Sounds yummy. Hope I can wait for it."
"Me, too. If you can't wait that long, I'll eat yours." I laughed. While we waited for the sandwiches and soup, the phone rang and caller ID told me it was Carol.
"Good afternoon, Carol."
"I'm not so sure about that, Max. I've certainly had better days."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What's going on?"
"I'm calling about Andy. You were right this morning, it looks like his mom's going to jail for quite a while and I can't find any family members who are willing to take him in. I don't know what I'm gonna' do, now."
"Carol, he's already here, we just need to get the rest of his things from his house and he can stay here. Problem solved."
"It's not quite that easy, Max. With you already adopting the other four boys, Anna's hesitant to add Andy to the mix, especially if it ends up he can't be adopted."
"I don't give a rat's behind about that, Carol. Would I adopt Andy if I could? In a heartbeat. Don't even have to think about it. He's a good kid, he's already living here, and he's getting along well with the others. Really, what's there to think about?"
"Look, Max, it's a bit of a different situation with Andy. I haven't told you this before, but I had many meetings with Anna about allowing you to adopt the other four and she wasn't even really considering it. It wasn't until I told her what I knew about their budding sexuality that she finally saw the wisdom of allowing you to proceed. If those four weren't already showing signs they're most likely gay, they wouldn't be with you right now. And we really know nothing about Andy except he has a shitty mom with exceptionally bad taste in men."
"I still don't understand what the problem is."
"Anna doesn't believe a gay man should be raising a straight boy. She finally gave in on the others, but she's holding fast on Andy. I can't seem to budge her."
"I'm willing to talk to her, if you think it'd help."
"It's worth a try. You sure can't do any worse than I have. Let me add her to the call, we'll be right back." I was put on hold and a minute later, Carol came back on the line, "Okay, Max, I've got Anna on the call with us, why don't you go ahead."
"Hi, Anna, how are you today?"
"Busy, Max, what did you want to talk about?"
"Andy Cox. I understand from Carol you're not too interested in him staying here. May I ask why?"
"Because we know so little about him. If he's not homosexual, I don't think it would be a good idea for him to live there with you and the other boys?"
"Why do you think that, Anna? Do you honestly believe we'd somehow corrupt him and turn him into a flaming fag?"
"I don't know what to think, Max, but, while I wouldn't have said it quite that way, I'd be lying to you if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind."
"Anna, you can rest assured that you cannot change who someone is. Both my parents are straight, but that obviously made no difference to me, I'm still gay. Just like me or the boys being gay will have no effect on Andy if he's straight. Almost every gay person who has ever existed was born to straight parents. I couldn't change that, nor would I want to."
"Do you really think he could grow up in your house and be all right."
"Anna, gay or straight, if he grows up to be a kind, considerate and loving person, that's my only concern. It should be your only concern also. Tom, the boys and I can help him do that. People like the Mueller's can't. And we certainly won't be near as bad as his own mother was."
"When you put it that way, it's kind of hard to argue with that logic, I guess. Carol, you still there?"
"Right here, Anna."
"Let's do this, let's have Andy stay where he is until the end of the school year, at least. At that time, we'll talk to all involved and see how things are going. If Andy's doing well in the situation, I'll rethink my position at that time and perhaps the living situation can be made permanent then. Does that sound reasonable to both of you?"
"It works for me, Anna," Carol responded.
"That sounds fair, Anna," I added. "I'm sure you'll see in a few months' time your fears are completely unfounded."
"I sure hope so, Max. Don't make me regret this decision. Carol, make it happen."
"Thanks, Anna, I will." Anna left the call and Carol continued, "What is this magic power you have, Max? I've been working on her for hours and made no progress. Five minutes on the phone with you and she caves. I just don't understand it."
"I don't either, Carol, but let's not worry about that. What do we want to do about getting the rest of Andy's things from his house?"
"I'll have to check with Dylan and find out if they're done inside the house. I don't want to interfere if they're still searching."
"Well, once you have an answer, let me know and Tom and I will meet you there, get what's Andy's and get back out. The sooner the better."
"I will, Max. Thanks for helping me out, again."
"Just trying to do my part. We'll be waiting to see what Dylan says. Talk to you later and I hope you have a better afternoon, now."
We ended our call and I passed on to Tom what was going on.
"You want me to call Dylan? I'll get a faster answer than Carol will."
"No, let's let Carol deal with it. That's her job. Besides, it's not your job any more, is it?"
"No, I guess it isn't. It's gonna' take a while to get used to that."
"Well, our lunch finally looks ready. Let's eat. By the way, you can have all the soup. I never much liked tomato soup with my grilled cheese, too much like putting ketchup on the thing."
"Fine with me, Max. I love tomato soup." Tom poured the soup into a large bowl while I put the sandwiches on plates and we sat at the counter to eat.
"Oh, good god, Max, this thing is delicious. I'll have to remember how you make these so I can make one if you're not around and I get hungry."
"It's really pretty basic, just gotta' have the right mix of cheeses, then a low cooking heat. If the heat's too high, the bread's done way before the cheese completely melts. And that just sucks. Too bad I didn't have any ham to add to them today. Maybe next time."
"Make sure you put it on the shopping list. The boys will love these."
When we were done eating and had cleaned up our dishes and pans, I got on the phone to find a mover who could help us clean out the spare bedroom, Tom's new office and move what's left in his apartment. Four phone calls later, I finally found a company that could accomplish both tasks this week. Arrangements were made for the movers to come to the house tomorrow to empty the two rooms here and we would meet them Friday morning at Tom's apartment to supervise the packing and moving of his stuff still there. I then called Harry at the complex to let him know we would be there Friday morning so he could also be around if he wanted to.
We were just about to sit by the fireplace and read when my brain kicked into gear. "Oh, crap, I just remembered I need to call Steve and let him know about Andy. I told I'd let him know what we discovered and I forgot all about it." I dialed the school and after little miss perky and cheerful answered the phone, I was connected with Steve. "Good afternoon, Steve, Max Sanders here. How are you this wonderful Monday afternoon?"
"Wonderful? Who are you kidding, Max? It is still Monday."
"Oh, come on, Steve, we're alive and breathing, aren't we? Every day I wake up is wonderful. Especially after the weekend we just had."
"If you say so. How can I help you this afternoon?"
"I forgot to call over the weekend to let you know about Andy Cox."
"Ah, yes, what did you discover?" I relayed the story of our weekend and the fact that Andy was now a member of the household, if only for a few months. "Damn, sounds like you all had the weekend from hell. I do hope Tom's going to be okay."
"He's on the road to recovery, Steve. And unemployed."
"Sorry to hear that, but I'd imagine you're both feeling pretty good about his early retirement."
"We are. Lousy way for it to happen, but we're dealing with it. So, back to Andy, after talking with Carol and Anna this morning, it looks likes Andy will be living here through the end of the school year, at least. I wanted to let you know. Sorry for not calling over the weekend to pass on the news."
"Oh, don't worry about it. It sounds like you've had more than enough to deal with. But thanks for letting me know. I'll have Gloria update Andy's emergency contact information to you."
"While she's doing that, Steve, you might want to have her check the contact info for my four sons, also. I hadn't thought about that last week and I'm sure it hasn't been done. Oh, and who is Gloria? I don't believe I've met her, yet."
Steve laughed, "Sure you have, every time you've been here, I'd imagine. Gloria is the young lady who answers the phone and greets visitors to our fair school. She takes care of too many other things to list."
"That's her name? I just thought of her as `perky and cheerful'."
"She's that also, Max," he chuckled. "That's one of the reasons she answers phones and greets visitors around here. I like to have a positive vibe going."
"You've certainly accomplished that. Well, I just wanted to let you know about Andy. Have a good day and we'll talk to you later."
"Thanks for calling, Max. You have a good day also."
"Okay, that's dealt with. What's next on the hit parade?"
"I don't know about you, but I'm going to grab my book and cop a squat by the fireplace for a while," Tom answered.
"That works for me, Tom. Mind if I join you?"
"I'd be upset if you didn't." The rest of the afternoon was passing quietly as Tom and I relaxed and read our books by the fireplace.
Until Tom blurted, "Now, there's an idea."
"Huh, what are you talking about?"
"You remember the other night when Dylan was here? He started telling us about his buddy, you know, shit, what's his name?" he asked while snapping his finger as if that would help him remember.
"Oh, you mean Malcom?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"What about him?"
"Remember Dylan saying that if his family hadn't moved, they'd probably still be together?"
"So?"
"I don't think Dylan knows where he is. I'm gonna' try to find him and see if he might want to come back and see Dylan again?"
"You really think that's a good idea?"
"I don't know, but you heard the way Dylan talked about him. He was in love. Sure, it mighta' just been teenager hormones, but I think it was way more than that. There's only one way to find out."
"How hard do you think finding him will be?"
"Not a clue until I try it. We'll see if I've learned anything the last five years, that's for sure."
"And what are you gonna' do if and when you find him?"
"First, see if he's married or not. If he isn't, I'll ask if he's interested in seeing Dylan again. If he says he'd like to see Dylan, then I'll offer to fly him here and set up a meeting for them. Maybe we could do it here. That'd be cool. Have Malcom here and invite Dylan out for supper or a swim or something. Surprise the hell out of him."
"You do like to live dangerously, don't you?"
"Not anymore, but I do like surprises."
"Well, I sure won't stop you. If you can find him, I'll help arrange the surprise."
"Excellent, mind if I make use of your computer?"
"Knock yourself out, Sherlock."
Tom headed to the study and called out a moment later, "Yo, what's your password!?"
"Sorry, didn't think about that," I yelled back. "Capital M, lower w, 6, 4, lower case t, s, 6, 1."
"Thanks," he yelled back.
I went back to reading my book while he played private dick. A half-hour later, it was almost time to go meet the boys as they got off the bus, so I headed to the bedroom to get some clothes on. I stopped by the study on the way to see if Tom was having any luck in his search for Dylan's friend.
"How's it goin' in here?" I asked.
"You're not gonna' believe this, but I think I found him. Hell, I don't believe it. Ya' gotta' love Facebook."
"No way, you've only been in here 30 minutes."
"This is the fifth Malcom White I've looked at so far and the only one who seems to be a real possibility. Here, look at this guy and tell me what you think. Malcom White, looks about the same age as Dylan, from Springfield, moved to Chicago about 20 years ago. If I'm right about their ages, he'd have been about 15 to 17 when he moved. Seems about right for all of it, doesn't it?"
"It sure does. Is there a phone number for him?"
"No, no number, but I can send him a message through Facebook and see if he responds."
"Well, what are you waiting for? Do it."
Tom spent a few minutes composing a message for the person he'd found and sent it on its way while I dressed to pick up the boys. Before I headed out, I reminded Tom that John was coming in a bit to show us his ideas for Joey and Alex's room and he should probably pull on something, also. He gave a grumble of acknowledgment and I hopped in the Flex. The bus was pulling up just as I reached the end of the drive and the fantastic five sprinted off the bus to meet me. I got out, waved to Carl, and received a hug from each of the boys before they wandered over to the new covered concrete slab for their bus shelter.
"I knew you were having something built over here," Joey stated matter-of-factly.
"Guilty," I pleaded.
"What is it, dad? Tell us," Alex begged.
"No can do boys, it's still a secret."
"Whatever it is, it's not very big, is it?" T.J. asked.
"Big enough for its intended purpose. C'mon, let's get to the house," I said and we all piled into the car for the short trip.
"Did you have a good day at school and who has homework tonight?" I asked as I turned the car around.
"It was okay, I guess," T.J. answered. "I have new spelling words to work on this week and a little math to do, too."
"Okay, anything else?"
"Nothing for Andy or me, dad. And we had a great day," Mike answered.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it."
"Yeah," Andy added, "it's a lot better bein' friends. We had a great time with Mark and Billy, too."
"What about you two?" I asked Alex and Joey.
"Just some math, again, but we'll have it done in no time," Alex answered.
"Yeah, piece o' cake," Joey agreed.
"How's Uncle Tom feeling, dad? Is he getting better?" T.J. asked
"He's doing just great," I said as we pulled in the garage. "Let's get set up at the kitchen counter and get the homework out of the way and you can have a snack while we do that. Sound okay to you guys?"
"Might as well," Joey answered. "Maybe we can play some Uno before supper, guys."
"What's Uno?" Andy asked.
"A card game," Mike answered. "Ain't you never played it?"
"No, Mom and Russ didn't like to play games with me."
"Don't worry about it, Andy," Alex said. "We can show you how to play. It's easy."
"Thanks. I feel stupid not knowing about it."
"Don't be that way, Andy. Not everybody knows about everything," I said as we entered the house.
"I bet you do, Uncle Max."
"You'd lose that bet," I laughed, "but thanks for the vote of confidence. You guys can change clothes and we'll meet in the kitchen. You need to pull on a pair of shorts, please. John's coming by in a little bit to show us what he wants to do with your rooms, okay."
"All right!" Alex yelled.
"Cool!" Joey added.
The boys peeled off to their rooms to change clothes while I headed on to find Tom, wearing shorts and a shirt already, reading by the fireplace.
"Brace yourself, you're about to be mugged by the fantastic five," I warned him.
"Tell `em to bring it on, I'm ready," he said as he marked his place and set the book on the table.
No sooner had he finished uttering those words than all five boys rounded the corner and smothered him with hugs.
"How you feelin', today, Uncle Tom?" Joey asked.
"Doing just fine, guys, thanks for asking. How was your day?"
"We had a great day, Uncle Tom," Alex answered.
"Glad to hear it. Did anybody give you any grief over your new haircuts?"
"A few tried to, but once we told them why we did it, they shut up pretty quick," T.J. answered.
"All the guys in our class thought it was pretty cool," Mike said.
"Yeah, and Billy and Mark want to get their hair cut the same way," Andy added. "But their mom's pro'lly won't let them do it."
"Hey, dad, can you draw the stitches on us tomorrow morning?" Mike asked.
"Sure thing. You need to get up early enough for me to do it, but as long as we have time, consider it done."
"Cool," Andy grinned. "Mark and Billy will really want to get it done then."
"Okay, boys, let's see if you can get your homework done before John comes back." Joey, Alex and T.J. sat at the kitchen counter and got started on their work while I set out a snack for each of them. Mike had started writing his spelling words three times each as he'd done last week while the twins started whipping through their math.
"Andy, I need to tell you what we found out about your mom today," I said as I walked around the counter to stand beside him while I gave him the bad news.
"What," he whimpered.
"I'm sorry to be the one that has to tell you this, but it looks like she's going to be in jail for a while."
"Oh, man, what's gonna' happen to me?" he cried.
"Oh, don't cry, Andy, it's gonna be okay," I said as I wrapped him in a hug. "I talked to Carol this afternoon and she's set it up so you can live with us until, at least, the end of the school year. After school is out, we'll find out what happens next."
"Thanks, Uncle, Max," he sobbed. "I don't want to go anywhere else."
"I know you don't Andy, and I'll do what I can so you stay here with us." I walked back around the counter while Mike held onto Andy and saw Joey and Alex were done with their work already. "Oh, man, I'd forgotten to talk to your teacher about those tests he'd mentioned. I'll try to get in touch with him tomorrow or the next day."
"Thanks, dad, this stuff is way too easy for us," Joey said.
"Yeah, we're bored as heck with it but we know we have to do the work anyway," Alex added.
"Don't worry, you two, I'll take care of it. How you doin', T.J.?"
"Done with writing them down, dad. You ready to quiz me?"
"You bet, give me the list." T.J. handed the list over and I proceeded to give him the words in random order. At the end of the list, he had missed only three and I had him write each word ten times to help reinforce their proper spelling. Joey and Alex then helped T.J. get through his math work and once they were all done, I had them put their stuff back in their backpacks so they'd have it tomorrow morning and we went to join Tom in the living room.
"So, when's this John guy supposed to get here?" Alex asked impatiently.
"I don't know. We didn't set a particular time, so whenever he gets here, I guess."
"I wish he'd hurry up. I want to see what he's planning," Joey said.
"Patience, boys, you're not the only ones he's coming to see. He's going to go over changes to the storage room to make it into an office for Tom's new investigation job."
"Cool, you're gonna' work from home?" T.J. asked.
"Looks like it," he answered with a grin.
"Then, maybe we can help you," Joey said.
"We'll see, boys, but don't get your hopes too high. Like I said before, this type of work is best left for adults. I don't want to you guys to get dragged into or see situations you're not ready for."
"Hey, we're almost nine, we can handle it," Alex complained.
"Like I said, we'll see."
The drive sensor dinged at that moment, halting continued discussion of the boys' budding careers as investigators. I headed to the door to greet John while the others went to sit at the dining room table so we'd have room for everyone and whatever John brought with him.
"Afternoon, John. Thanks for coming back this late."
"No problem, Max. I stopped by the new slab to make a quick check and everything there looks fine. Where's the family?"
"They're all waiting in the dining room. You want something to drink?" I asked as we headed that direction ourselves.
"Nah, I'm good."
We reached the dining room and I introduced the boys to John. "Boys, this is John Hasara and he's going to be fixing up your rooms for you. John, from this corner and going clockwise, we have Joey, Mike, T.J., Andy and Alex."
"Wait, I thought you said were adopting four boys? Did I miscount or have you found another boy to add to your growing collection?"
"Nice catch, John. Andy joined us Saturday afternoon."
"Well, all-righty then. Do I hear another room that's going to be redone?"
"Not, yet, John. For the time being, he's bunking in with T.J. and Mike. And we're not too sure, just yet, if he'll be here past the end of the school year. We'll have to wait and see what happens."
"Okay, well, if I understood correctly this morning, the first room is for Joey and Alex, right?"
"Yep, that's why they sat on each side of the table and left the end seat for you."
"Let me show you two what I've come up with and you can tell me if it's what you want or if I need to make some changes." John sat at the end of the table and pulled some computer-generated renderings from his briefcase, which he then spread on the table in front of him and the twins.
"Oh, wow, that is so cool. It looks so real," Joey commented.
"I like the way the desks are built-in along the wall, with the shelves above and storage below. That's sweet," Alex added.
"Here's my idea for your closet, boys. I've lowered the shelf about six inches to make it easier for you to reach, the added another shelf above it for stuff you don't want to get rid of but also don't need much. Then, on each end, I added drawers to replace your dresser. Your dads thought getting the dresser out of the way would give you a little more floor space in the room itself."
"I like that, dad, Uncle Tom," Alex said.
"Will we be leaving the TV where it is now?" Joey asked.
"That would be the easiest, guys. That way we don't have to move any wiring for it. You good with that?" I asked.
"Yeah, that's cool," they answered in chorus.
"Anything else you want done?" John asked.
"What about paint?" Joey asked.
John pulled the paint sample book from his case and passed it over. "Here you go, boys. If it's not here, it's can't be done."
"Wow, that's a bunch. And we can have any color we want?" Alex asked, looking to me for approval.
"Within reason, boys," I answered. "Let's not go too crazy or wild."
"Can we do different colors on different walls?"
"I don't see why not, as long as they complement each other."
"What's that mean, dad?" Joey asked.
"They need to go together. You wouldn't want to mix, say, purple with hot pink, would you?"
"Yuck, that'd be ugly," Joey answered.
"And I hate pink," Alex added.
"That was just an example, you two, not a suggestion," I laughed.
Joey and Alex spent a few minutes going through the flip-book and finally ended up with three colors they both liked, a dark blue for the wall behind the desks, a lighter blue for inside the closet and the wall where its door was located and reddish-brown color for the hallway wall. They decided to leave the wall where the TV was mounted white. We all agreed on wood for the desks and shelves and I requested John use maple for that with a lighter color stained finish since the wall behind it all was going to be dark. John also suggested a light fixture that could be placed on the top of the shelves as bridge between the two shelf sections in the center of each desk area to eliminate the need for a separate desk lamp.
With all those decisions made, I asked, "John, how do you feel about building a platform bed frame with storage drawers underneath?"
"Not me, Max, but I do know a guy who builds custom furniture for a reasonable price. Would you want to use the same maple that we're using for the desks and shelves?"
"Of course, I want it all to match."
"No problem. I'll have him give you a call tomorrow and you can tell him what you're looking for. No sense in me being in the middle of that. I'll coordinate the wood and stain with him so we can make sure everything matches."
"What do you think about him building the desk and shelf units, also, John. I'll still pay you for your time to work with him to make sure everything fits properly."
"That's not a half-bad idea, Max. That would free me up to work on the closet and painting along with that other project I'm in the middle of. Besides, I'm more of sheetrock and mud type of guy. I hate the finish work and always hire a sub do trim and fine work for me."
"Sounds good, John. And it sounds like we have a plan for the twins' room. Mike, T.J., and Andy's room will probably end up about the same. Except for the colors, of course. Lord know what those three will pick."
"Hey, y'all," Tom interrupted, "Aren't you forgetting something? What about my office?"
"No, Tom, we haven't forgotten about your office. What do you think about having the same guy who builds the furniture for Joey and Alex's room building what you need? You can pick the wood and finish you want used."
"You can't be serious, Max. That'll cost a fortune. I can't afford that."
"You don't have to, bubba. This is on me."
"Oh, no you don't. I told you I'm not here for a free ride. I expect to pay for my own stuff."
"Would you consider it a wedding present from me to you?"
"That still sounds extreme. I don't want you spending that much on me because you think you should. We can just go to Office Max to get what I need."
"And what will you get for your money, there? Some cheap particle board crap covered in woodgrain plastic. You deserve better than that. Having it custom built from real wood won't cost that much more, it'll last ten times longer and look 100 times better that the junk they sell."
"All good points, Max, but I still can't afford it."
"Tom, think about what's in this house. Does it look like I give a rat's behind what things cost? Just in case you haven't figured it out yet, let me clue you in, big guy. I don't."
"I still don't like it. It's way too expensive, Max, but if you insist on doing it that way, I'll let you. Don't know how I'll ever repay it."
"Don't even think about it. It's a gift and it's my pleasure. I'd pay any price necessary to help keep you off the streets and safe." I turned back to John and continued, "I'll talk to your guy about Tom's desk, shelves and other things we'll need for his office. Why don't you toss that color book down here so he can pick out the color he wants on the walls? Oh, and did you bring anything on ceiling fans?"
"Sure did." John reached in his case again and pulled out a catalog from Hunter, then passed that and the color book to Tom. Tom spent a few minutes perusing the available colors and settled on color called `Ambience White', which is an off-white with just a hint of green and yellow. It will give a little color to the room, and still be bright. Then he went through the fan catalog and selected one he liked with a nice light kit.
"Did you come up with anything else you need, Tom?"
"Not really. The only thing I think I'd like to have is a remote control for the fan and light so I can change settings from the desk."
"Not a problem, Tom," John answered. "I'd planned on that anyway."
"Anything else you guys," I asked, looking to Alex and Joey.
"Nah, we're cool, dad," Joey answered.
"Can't wait until we can move into our new room," Alex added.
"Tom?"
"Other than you goin' overboard on furniture, I'm good," he grumped.
"Well, John, it sounds like we've got a plan of attack. I have movers coming tomorrow to empty both rooms. Can you come back sometime the next couple of days to get more detailed dimensions?"
"That'd be a good idea, Max."
"If you could come back Wednesday, that would work out best for us. Tom and I need to be in court Thursday and we're meeting the movers at his old apartment Friday to have the rest of his things moved out here. I have no idea how long we'll be tied up either day."
"Wednesday, it is, then. I'll come out that afternoon."
"Perfect, John. Thanks for coming back out today and we'll see you Wednesday."
"Boys, it was nice meeting all of you. T.J., Mike, Andy, start thinking about what you want done in your room when the time comes."
"We will, Mr. Hasara," T.J. answered.
I walked with John to the front door and said a final goodbye as he stepped out into the sun. When I returned to the kitchen, I discovered the boys were absent and Tom still sitting at the table with a big frown on his face.
"Where'd the boys disappear to?" I asked.
"They went to undress. Said they couldn't stand wearing clothes any longer," he mumbled.
"Why the gloomy Gus look?" I asked as I sat next to him and wrapped an arm over his shoulder.
"Look, Max, I know you could buy me 20 times over and not feel a thing, but I really don't want you paying to have a desk and shelves built for my office. That's way over the line."
"Why? What's wrong about me doing something special for the man I love?"
"There's nothing wrong with it, I guess, but I don't think I'll ever be able to match it."
"Who says you have to?"
"I do. Call me crazy, if you want, but that's the way I was raised. Giving gifts is fine, but they should at least be close to equal in value. I'll never have the money you do and I won't ever be able to give back what you deserve."
"Tom, look at me." He sat up straighter and turned his head to meet my eyes. "I don't care how much money you do or don't have, or even the money I have. I love you, not your belongings, not your money, you. Don't you get that?"
"I do, because I'd still love you even if you were penniless and homeless. But that doesn't mean I have to like how you spend your money on me. I'm not for sale, you know."
"I know that, and it's a good thing `cause you're off the market anyway. You are off the market, aren't you?"
"Of course, I am."
"Phew, that's good to hear," I said as I wiped my brow in mock relief. "Look, Tom, I told you before that you're going to have to get comfortable with being semi-wealthy. It's who I am and I can't do anything about that."
"I know, Max. This is my problem and I need to figure out how to deal with it. I've just always been on the poorer side of life, living paycheck to paycheck. It wasn't until just the last couple of years that I've could actually start saving something back each pay. For some reason, having money is uncomfortable for me and I'm having a hard time adjusting to not having to worry about it."
"I know all about that, Tom. With mom and dad being teachers, we never had a lot of extra money when I was growing up, either. When I first started receiving royalty checks after the release of my first book, I was flabbergasted. I didn't know how I could ever spend it all. I sure as hell tried, though. This house and property is proof of that. And the money hasn't stopped coming in. I still receive regular checks from the publishers. And if I see something I want, I buy it."
"I hope that doesn't include me."
"Of course, it doesn't. I would never try to `buy' you or your love. I'd rather have you with me and be flat broke than the other way around. Having all the money in the world without you to share it with would be unbearable."
"Just out of curiosity, how much are you worth? You've never said and I never felt comfortable asking, but since we're talking about it..."
"Ha, you just couldn't resist, could you? You sure you want to know?"
"One part of me does, but there's another part that doesn't."
"Between you, me and the wall over there, last time I paid attention, I think the total of all my investments and property was somewhere around 45 to 50 million."
"Holy, crap, Max. I had no idea. I thought you might have two or three mill. Boy, was I ever off."
"And half of that's yours, now. Well, not right now, but soon."
"What? How?"
"Well, once we get married, half of what's mine is yours and vice-versa."
"So, I get, say 25 mill, and you get maybe 5 or 6 grand. Yeah, I guess I can live with that," he laughed.
"Now, do you see why I don't care what some silly furniture costs?"
"Yeah, okay, I get it. Just don't know if I'll ever get used to it."
"It takes some time, Tom, but you will, just like I did. You'll discover in time that it's nice not having to worry about it."
"I sure as hell hope so."
The boys picked that moment to return, begging for food like they were starving. I looked at Tom and said, "I guess it's time for supper, what do you think."
"It looks like if we don't feed them soon, they'll start munching on us. Don't want that, do we?"
"Not today, I don't," I said as I grinned at Tom. I turned to the five hungry waifs and asked, "How does fish and fries sound for supper tonight?" A chorus of `yay' rang through the dining room. "Okay, let me get the fryer out to do the fries and get the fish in the oven. While the fryer heats up, Tom and I can get join the comfort crew. Why don't you guys get the table set and get drinks while we get things going?"
The boys jumped to work while Tom pulled out the fryer and got it plugged in and I pulled the fish from the freezer and got it in the oven. Once we had that taken care, we headed to the bedroom to get comfortable. The fryer was ready when we returned and Tom got the fries going while I flipped the fish filets and pushed them back in the oven to finish.
"Hey, dad, what do you and Uncle Tom want to drink?" Joey asked.
"I think I'll have a Pepsi tonight, what about you Tom?"
"Pepsi for me, too, please."
"You got it," Joey replied. He and Alex got our drinks and added them to the table with the others already there. Ten minutes later and we were ready to sit.
Supper was a pretty quiet affair since everyone's mouth was full, but at one point, Alex asked, "Hey, dad, what do you think we should we should call Uncle Tom when you two get married? We asked him when you left Saturday to pick up Mike's friends and he said he didn't know, that we'd figure it out when the time came."
"Gee, I hadn't thought about it, yet. What do you guys think?"
"I don't think we can call you both `dad', that would get confusing," Joey replied.
"I still like `big guy' since his dick's so big," T.J. laughed. Unfortunately, I was taking a drink when he said that and I sprayed Pepsi out of my nose as I tried not to choke on it. Damn, that shit hurts.
"Um, I think we can come up with something better than that, T.J.," I said as I wiped up the table.
"How about `pop' or `pops'," Mike asked.
"I kinda like that, what do you think, Tom?"
"I could live with that. It would definitely cut the confusion about who they're talking to and it's a whole lot better than hearing `big guy' all the time."
"There's your answer, boys, pops it is."
"Can we start now?" Mike asked.
"Why not, good for you, pops?" I asked with a grin.
"Sure, I might as well get used to it."
"What about me," Andy asked. "Can I call you pops, too?"
"You bet, buddy," Tom answered. "I'd be happy if you did."
"And what about you, Uncle Max? Can I call you dad?" Andy asked, turning to me.
"You might as well. With luck, we'll make that official someday."
"I sure hope so."
With supper completed, the boys cleaned the table while Tom and I took care of the fryer and the pan I used for the fish. That chore completed, we headed to the theater to watch some TV for a while.
After about half an hour, Andy came to me and whispered, "Um, can I talk to you about something?"