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

 

Chapter 68 – Look out Chicago – Part III

 

I awoke Sunday morning to the delightful feeling of my penis slipping between someone's lips and deep into their mouth. As I laid there with my eyes closed to keep the sun from blinding me, I assumed either Tom or Eric had begun the day with some carnal thoughts sifting through their mind and I was more than willing to just lay back and enjoy the moment. Though I was thoroughly into the gift I was receiving, I was also slightly baffled. As the individual continued to make love to me with his mouth, I couldn't get over the feeling that the mouth I was filling seemed somehow smaller than I expected. Despite that minor concern, I still wasn't going to interrupt whoever it was as I was rapidly reaching the point of no return.

 

When I felt my orgasm was imminent, I slowly opened my eyes to witness the action. As I discovered who was delivering my tongue bath, my brain and cock exploded in the same instant. I could feel his throat constrict me tightly as he swallowed every expulsion. It was blindingly obvious that mine was not the first cock he'd swallowed, and I shivered uncontrollably as he continued to work his magic. When I was completely spent from his ministrations and softening while still inside his soft warm mouth, he finally lifted his head from my groin and looked at me with the most devilish grin it's been my pleasure to witness.

 

He stepped closer to my head, then leaned in even closer and whispered in my ear, "I think that makes us even, Mr. Sanders." With that simple statement, Brent stood up straight and proudly strutted from the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

 

Surprised as hell at the turn of events, I looked towards Eric and Tom to get them moving, only to find Eric looking back at me, grinning maniacally. "So, was he better at it than I am," he asked with honest curiosity.

 

"I wouldn't say `better', Eric, but `different'. You both are great."

 

"Thanks, Max. I think he's had more practice than I have, though. I couldn't believe he buried his nose the way he did."

 

"That makes two of us, buddy," I chuckled.

 

"Well, I gotta pee and get ready to go. See you in a bit."

 

Eric then slowly crawled over my prone figure, dragging his hardness across me and leaving a slimy and shiny snail trail as he did. Even as he innocently padded across the room, my eyes never left the beautiful smooth globes of his sweet ass. As he disappeared into the bathroom to take care of his morning needs, I rolled over to face Tom and make sure he was awake.

 

"So, you and Brent even, now?" he asked with an evil smile.

 

"So he said. God, what a way to start the day."

 

"Tell me about it. You ready to get movin'?"

 

"Just as soon as Eric gets out of the bathroom and we can get in." The words had no sooner left my mouth when the bathroom door opened, and Eric waved to us as he left the bedroom to get dressed. "Looks like it's finally our turn. You wanna go first?" I asked.

 

"I'd rather go together. Do we have time for a shower before we have to leave?"

 

I looked at the clock and said, "Barely."

 

"Then we better hurry. C'mon lover."

 

Tom crawled across the bed and then over me, pausing briefly as his hardness grazed mine, his trail of slime blending with Eric's to form a single line. When he moved on and was standing beside the bed, he held out a hand to help me up, then led the way to the shower. Once inside and with the water just right, I sat on the bench and allowed Tom to settle himself on me, both of us moaning in lust as he did so. When he started the now-familiar rocking motion we both loved, I reached around his torso and wrapped a hand around his exposed manhood. I could barely move since I was fairly pinned beneath my lover, but Tom's actions were more than making up for my lack of motion. Sooner than I thought possible since I'd just had an orgasm, I could feel the pressure starting to build again.

 

"You better hurry if you're going to come with me," I grunted.

 

"Almost, there, babe. Yeah, yeah, oh god ...," he muttered incoherently as he reached his pinnacle. When I felt his sphincter clamp tightly around me, I began pumping my own donation deep inside him. He settled himself on my thighs as we both recovered from our coupling.

 

When we'd both recharged sufficiently and were ready to attack the day ahead, we finally began to get cleaned up. As we were drying off, I leaned over and kissed my hon, then whispered, "I love you."

 

"Yeah, I know. Besides, what's not to love?"

 

"That's all you got, smartass?"

 

"I love you, too, babe," he replied with a giggle.

 

"C'mon, we gotta get dressed, pack everything up and get ready to roll." We returned to the bedroom where we dressed and shoved all our dirty clothes back into the bags we'd just emptied. After one last look around the bedroom and bathroom to ensure we didn't leave anything behind, we grabbed our bags and headed for the kitchen. Amazingly, all nine boys were sitting either at the counter or the table, patiently awaiting our appearance. Once we dropped our bags with the others already piled by the door, it was time to start the feeding frenzy.

 

"Morning, guys. Everyone ready for a quick bite?" Tom asked the starving waifs. The noise level generated by their overly-enthusiastic and excited response rivaled that of a Super Bowl.

 

Properly stunned and partially deaf, we got to work and set out the remaining doughnuts, pulled out the cereal and milk, and also the toaster, bread, honey and jelly. As the boys made their selections, Tom and I took care of getting them set up to eat. While they were filling their faces and temporarily quiet, I brewed half a pot of coffee for us adults. Risking life and limb, we snagged the last two doughnuts, dunked them in our coffee, then washed them down with a swig from our mugs. With their hunger temporarily relieved, each boy dropped their plate or bowl in the dishwasher, then washed their hands at the kitchen sink. Tom and I added our mugs to the motley collection and I got it started so the cleaning crew could put them away when they arrived tomorrow.

 

As they settled back into their seats to wait for our ride, T.J. asked, "So, where we goin' today, Dads?"

 

"Besides back home," Mike added with a pout.

 

"Don't know, guys. I told Tony to plan the day for us," I fibbed while trying to maintain a straight face. "So, I'll find out the moment you do, when we arrive wherever he takes us."

 

"But what if he takes us somewhere we don't wanna go?" Josh asked.

 

"I guess we'll just have to deal with it," Tom replied while shrugging his shoulders and trying not to grin.

 

"Boys, before we leave, take one more scan of everything and make sure you didn't leave anything behind. We won't be coming back here before we head to the airport." The nine scattered to all corners of the condo and everywhere in-between, looking high and low.

 

When they'd all rejoined us in the kitchen, Joey commented, "We didn't see anything, Dads."

 

"Did you look under the beds?" Tom asked.

 

"Yes, Pops," Alex responded while rolling his eyes.

 

"Um, Max," Eric began, "What about that stray disc we found. I don't think you'd want that hanging around for the next guest to find," he giggled.

 

"In the bottom of my bag to be destroyed at home."

 

"Sure, Dad, whatever you say," Joey chuckled, which got a hearty laugh from all the others.

 

I was saved from further discussion about the wayward disc when Tony pulled in the drive. Thanks to the exuberance of the crew to get started on today's adventure, they grabbed their bags and hauled ass through the condo's door before Tony could reach it. Making an abrupt U-turn, he led the way to the rear of the beast and opened the tailgate. As the boys rounded the end of the vehicle, they tossed their bags in and continued on around the side, so they could climb in. After ensuring the condo's alarm was set and the door was secured, Tom and I joined them to find they were all settled in, buckled up and ready for another day of fun.

 

After what seemed to the boys to be an unreasonable delay, Tony finally got us moving. When we reached the end of the freeway about twenty minutes later, Tony turned to the right to avoid driving us into Lake Michigan. As we headed south on Lake Shore Drive, the boys were staring out the windows at the lake and marveling at its size. I told them that had we been able to drive straight across the lake, we'd eventually end up in Michigan. Ten minutes after the turn onto LSD, we arrived at our morning's destination and Tony pulled into the bus parking lot.

 

After coming around to open the door for us again, he stood well back as the boys all clamored for the exit at once, ensuring none of them could get out. After rearranging themselves into youngest to oldest order, the herd stepped out into the bright morning sunshine, impatiently waiting for us to join them. When we were all together again, I asked Tony for the easiest way to the main entrance and, after receiving our instructions, Mike and Andy led the herd around to the front of the building and down the steps to the entry that had been added since the last time I'd been here. Upon reaching the lower level, we joined a line for tickets and after paying our admission fees, headed into the museum.

 

"What the heck is this place, Dads?" Joey wanted to know.

 

"It's called the Museum of Science and Industry."

 

"What kind of stuff they got here, Mr. Sanders?" Brent queried.

 

"A little of this, a little of that. There's a coal mine you can go down into to see what it's like to work underground, a World War II German U-Boat you can walk around and through, the Transportation gallery is really huge with an old steam locomotive, an old passenger plane you can walk through and a model train layout that will make you drool."

 

"Let's go see the trains," Andy said immediately.

 

"Yeah, that sounds really cool," Mike added.

 

"In a bit guys. Those are all up on the second level. Why don't we start on the level we're on and work our way up?"

 

"All right," the two grumped as they hung their heads.

 

"Besides, we have a perfectly good train right here. I thought we'd start with the Silver Streak. Back when this train first rode the rails in the 1930's, it was one of the most advanced trains in the world." We stepped inside and toured the train from front to back, taking in the baggage car, the operating post office, a passenger car and an observation car which had a second level for passengers to get a better view of the landscape as they passed through the countryside. The museum had done their job by projecting a moving landscape outside the windows, creating the illusion you were actually going somewhere. When we finally left the train, Mike and Andy liked it so much, they begged to go back through it right now.

 

"This train's not goin' anywhere guys, and we have go by it when we leave," Tom answered. "If you still want to see it all again, we'll stop then, okay?"

 

"Yeah, thanks, Pops," Mike squealed.

 

"What's next?" Alex asked with eagerness to continue our exploring.

 

"Why don't we head on up and find the U-boat. It's pretty cool and I haven't seen it since they moved it inside and restored it." Mike and Andy took their positions as the group leaders and following my directions from the map in my hand, we soon were gawking at the submarine we'd been searching for. Though once we turned the corner into that wing of the museum, it was impossible to miss since it filled the entire space. Surrounding the sub were displays describing life as a submariner, ships sunk by this particular boat and its capture by U.S. forces in the later stages of World War II. As we wandered the area and looked at the surrounding displays, Eric, again, took it upon himself to read the informational placards at each one. Tom and I were chatting quietly as we enjoyed our tour and agreed that any trip we take with the boys that might involve visits to museums, Eric was definitely going to be included.

 

After we'd been all around the sub and seen all the other displays, it was time to get in line for a tour through the thing. As we walked through with a guide leading us, the boys were all surprised at how cramped and claustrophobic everything was. I could tell from the sweaty palm in mine that Tom was also feeling the closeness, though he said nothing about it. The tour only lasted about twenty-five minutes and our guide was very patient in answering the questions the boys posed. The funniest question came from Joey, of course.

 

"Um, what happens when they flushed the toilet?"

 

After chuckles from the group, including our guide, he answered, "Well, the crew had to follow very specific instructions on that small task. But, essentially, the waste was flushed directly into the sea."

 

"Ewww, that's gross," Josh exclaimed. "I ain't never swimmin' in the ocean," he added amid much laughter from the boys.

 

"Can't be any worse than millions upon millions of sea creatures doing the same thing," the guide commented.

 

"Oh, I never thought about that," Josh commented in surprise with a visible shiver of disgust. "But now it's even worse. Yep, no oceans for this dude," he grinned, earning a gale of laughter from all.

 

When the tour was over, and all the questions answered, it was time to move on. We headed back to the main part of the museum and turned to take the mine tour. Once we boarded the elevator, we headed down into the earth deep below the museum. At least the boys thought so due to the way the light was scrolling past the screen in the cabin wall. I was pretty certain we were only going down about only twenty or thirty feet since Lake Michigan was just across Lake Shore Drive, but the illusion was quite convincing. When the elevator gate was opened by the operator, we stepped out into a superbly realistic re-creation of a coal mine.

 

The first thing I heard as the gate closed behind us and the elevator returned upstairs for the next group of miners was Tom muttering through his tightly clenched jaws, "Shit, I thought the sub was bad. It ain't got nothin' on this hellhole."

 

"I'm sorry, hon, I wasn't thinking. You want to wait here for the next ride back up?"

 

"Fuck no," he hissed, "you ain't leavin' me here alone. Just don't let go of my hand."

 

"I promise."

 

We started our exploration and thanks to the string of caged bulbs across the low ceiling, we didn't have to wear safety helmets with lights as we plodded along the tunnel. As we continued plumbing the depths, the boys were giddy with excitement at finding fossils still embedded in the `coal seam'. We continued our trip underground learning what it was like to be a miner, and eventually made a huge circle back to where we'd entered Tom's worst nightmare. As we waited for our ride back to the surface and daylight, I could tell he was having a hard time catching his breath and was starting to hyperventilate. I wrapped him in a hug and just held him tightly in the hope I could help calm him down. Luckily, the elevator arrived quickly, and we swiftly returned to our starting point. As soon as the gate opened, Tom lurched from the cab and let go an explosion of breath he'd been holding, then staggered over to a bench in the sun and wide open space where he could sit for a minute. I was right behind him all the way and the boys soon joined us.

 

"You okay, Pops?" T.J. asked with concern.

 

"I will be, just give me a minute," he panted as he tried to catch his breath. "I just don't like tight spaces like that."

 

"Well, you shoulda stayed up here then," Andy cracked.

 

"Really?" Tom asked in surprise. "And miss findin' out what it's like to be buried alive? Not a chance. Besides, as someone recently reminded me, that which does not kill us makes us stronger. Since I'm still alive, I must be stronger now than when we went down." To prove his point, he picked up Andy as if the child were a feather and held the squealing lad high in the air.

 

"C'mon, Pops, put me down. We got lots more to see," Andy giggled.

 

"Then why the heck we sittin' here?" Tom asked.

 

"'Cause you were about pass out on the ride back up," Mike kindly reminded him.

 

"Oh, yeah, there is that, I guess. Okay, I'm fine now, lead on boys."

 

Mike and Andy took their lead positions again and directed us straight into an exhibit named Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze. We spent the next twenty minutes meandering through the maze, amid much hilarity and laughter from all. After finally, and quite accidentally, locating the exit from that hall of insanity, the boys bypassed the Toymaker 3000 gallery and headed for the Storm Science hall. Why they would skip toys for storms was beyond our ability to comprehend, but we weren't going to second-guess their decision. After learning about how storms develop and how climate change is affecting those menacing marvels of nature, it was time to move on.

 

Our next destination was the Transportation gallery. Our leaders were no longer going to be denied their trains, first stop being the 999 steam engine. As the boys climbed into the cab to get a better look at what was the fastest locomotive on the planet for ten years, Tom and I circled the engine and tender, snapping pictures. Suspended from the ceiling above us were several airplanes including a replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer, a "Jenny" biplane, a WWII Stuka dive-bomber and a Boeing 727 passenger plane. Once the boys tired of the gleaming steam engine, we headed to the balcony surrounding the gallery and walked through the 727, taking in its displays of the technology of the time and marveling at the cutaway sections that allowed us to see the internal components of the craft.

 

"Is this what your plane's like, Max?" Eric asked.

 

"Well, the basics are the same, but the technology has changed so much since this plane was built, it's hard to make a direct comparison."

 

"How so?" Logan queried.

 

"Well, you see all these cables and hydraulic lines running under the floor?" After a quick nod from the boys, "Well, those controlled the flaps, ailerons, rudder, and brakes. My plane has what's called `fly by wire' controls. Everything is electronic, and a much smaller cable transmits either my or the computer's control inputs to the various parts of the plane. The other big change is all the electronics in the cockpit. You saw mine on the way up here. Compare that to what's up there and you will see the obvious differences. Most all modern planes are similar to mine, now, like the A380, the 777 and 787."

 

"Cool," Brent enthused. "I'd much rather fly on yours than this thing."

 

After exiting the 727, it was time for one of the most interesting and detailed displays in the entire museum, the model railway.

 

As soon as they saw the gigantic display, the boys took off like bats escaping from hell itself and plastered their noses to the glass surround to get as close a look as possible. To give the three youngest a better view since their eyes were at the same height of the display's `ground' level, Tom, Eric and I hoisted T.J., Andy and Mike and set them on our shoulders. As we circled the layout, holding legs and ankles to prevent us from losing our passengers, Eric continued his self-appointed duty of reading the informational placards to everyone. The three riders were awestruck with what they could see and were begging Tom and me to create a layout at home. All I could think of as we rounded the final corner and aimed for the next exhibit, Yesterday's Main Street, was we were going to have to add another large and very special room to our new home.

 

Yesterday's Main Street is a recreation of a Chicago streetscape as it would have appeared in the early 1900s. The level of detail the museum had created really transported you back into a much simpler time. From an early Walgreen Drug Company store, to the ice cream parlor, the candy store and the dentist's office, it was easy to see all the changes and progress we'd made in 125 years. After completing our tour of yesterday, it was time to move on.

 

With four hours of walking under our belts, thirty minutes of which three of us were providing rides, the eating machines were clamoring non-stop for food and a bathroom. I suggested we head back downstairs, visit a restroom and head out for lunch. While the museum has an excellent food court with a wide variety of selections, I had a much better idea for a place to eat. It had the added benefit of almost being on our way to the airport. With agreement from all, we started our trek downstairs and soon found the proper spot to relieve ourselves before leaving. Despite their professed hunger, Mike and Andy were not going to be denied another walk through the Silver Streak, so we let them hop on and wander through it again while the rest of waited on a convenient bench.

 

"Where we headed next, Dad?" Alex asked as we relaxed.

 

"Lunch, I think, and then the airport so we can head for home."

 

"Already?" T.J. whined. "We got a lot more time to see something else, don't we?"

 

"Well, I checked the weather from the condo and there's a good chance of some storms moving in later in Springfield and I'd prefer to not deal with those while trying to land. I hate high winds and wet runways."

 

"Oh, all right," T.J. moped.

 

"Besides, T.J.," Tom said, "We can always come back up. We have the condo to use anytime we want, and with Max flyin' us, it's only an hour away."

 

The young lad's face brightened considerably at that thought and he gave us that heart-melting grin of his as he lifted his head. "Thanks, Pops, I didn't think about that. I can't wait to come back and see more. I love this town."

 

"Don't you worry, son, we'll be back," I said. T.J. pulled us both into a hug, banging our heads together as he did. I was carefully peeling the youngster from us as Mike and Andy finally exited the train and rejoined the rest of the crew. While rubbing the side of my noggin, I took a quick head count and, after satisfying myself we were all together again, stood and said, "Okay, let's move out and find our ride. Andy, Mike, lead the way." As the two grabbed each other's hand and began walking, the others paired up as they'd done yesterday morning, Joey and Josh still holding hands, along with Alex and Brent following their example. T.J. and Logan were also holding hands, though for very different reasons than the other four, friendship instead of love.

 

Eric, being the odd man out, insinuated himself between Tom and me after we stepped into the afternoon's bright and clear day. "I really want to thank you guys for letting Josh and me come with you all this weekend."

 

"We're happy to have you along for the ride, Eric," I replied.

 

"You were a great help with the others," Tom added to my sentiment, "and reading all those signs at every display was above and beyond the call of duty. Your contribution these couple of days will not be forgotten."

 

"Thanks, Tom. I was happy to do it. But we've both had a lot of fun and we hope we can take another trip with you sometime."

 

"You can bet on it," I replied.

 

"We know dad works his ass off so we have a decent home, good clothes and all that, but he never has time to take us anywhere because of his stupid schedule. We haven't been able to go on a trip since mom split."

 

"We're sorry to hear that," Tom responded. "Next time we're planning a trip, we'll make sure to check if you two can join us."

 

"That'd be great. It'd be even better if dad could come with us. He deserves to have fun once in a while, too, ya' know."

 

"We'll see what we can work out, young man, I promise," I offered.

 

"Cool!" he crowed before lowering his voice to a whisper and adding, "Besides, the idea of the four of us in bed together is hotter than hell. I can't stop thinkin' `bout all the possibilities," he added as he reached below his waist and made a quick, but subtle, adjustment.

 

Tom and I both snorted in surprise at Eric's insatiable appetite and I quietly asked, "Are you sure you're straight, Eric?"

 

He looked up at me and answered, "Of course I am, but I still ain't got a girlfriend and a guy's gotta get off or he'll explode. It's just a lot more fun to do it with someone else than it is by yourself."

 

"I sure won't argue that point with ya'," Tom snickered, " `Cause sure as shit, I'd lose."

 

We'd finally reached the limo and as the boys piled in and got comfortable, Tony asked, "What's next on the agenda, Mr. Sanders?"

 

"Gene and Jude's for a bite to eat, Tony. Then you can drop us off at the airport."

 

"Sounds like a plan to me, hop in and take a load off."

 

"I expect you to join us for lunch today. It doesn't sit right with me for you to miss all the fun."

 

"I'd be happy to, thanks for the invite. You all buckle up and we'll get this show on the road." After closing the door, Tony got back in the driver's seat and we got under way. During the trip, I called the FBO at the airport to let them know we were on the way and should arrive in about an hour and a half. After twenty minutes of weaving and wiggling through stop and go traffic, Tony pulled into the lot at Gene and Jude's. After their learning experience from earlier in the day, the boys were lined up youngest to oldest when Tony opened the door to let us out. Once they were out, Tom and I forced our tired butts out of the back seat and joined them in the parking lot. Thanks to our timing, the place was almost devoid of other life when I opened the door and the herd rumbled inside.

 

Somewhat surprised at the mid-afternoon invasion, the owner quickly dropped his newspaper and asked for our order.

 

"Two dozen dogs, twelve fries and twelve Cokes, please." After paying for our quick lunch, the boys staked a claim at the eating counter while the three adults waited for the food to be put together. Sooner than I thought possible, three trays were handed across the counter and we carried them over to where the boys were patiently waiting.

 

As we chowed down Tony asked, "So, have you guys had a fun time this weekend?" Again, the poor guy was overwhelmed with positive responses as all nine boys answered in unison. Holding up his hands in surrender, Tony looked to us and muttered, "Glad to hear it. I think." We could do nothing but laugh with Tony as he struggled to regain his hearing. When the food had disappeared, it was time to hit the road one more time. As the youngsters sadly climbed in for the trip to the airport, each turned one more time to take another look at the towers of Chicago's skyline. The remaining twenty minutes to Chicago Executive passed in near silence as the herd brooded about returning home.

 

"Oh, c'mon, you guys, it's not the end of the world," Tom offered as we passed through the airport's gate and Tony aimed our ride for the FBO. "Remember, home is where the heart is."

 

"No it ain't," T.J. retorted, "home is wherever you and my brothers are."

 

"Thanks, T.J., we love you, too."

 

After Tony opened the door for us, the boys led the parade out the door, turning towards the tailgate to retrieve their bags. After Tom and I extricated ourselves from the back seat for the last time and joined Tony on the concrete, we headed to get our bags and then turned for the FBO. As the others continued inside, I stopped to talk to Tony for a minute.

 

"Tony, we can't thank you enough for hauling our sorry asses around this weekend. I just want you to know how much we appreciate your help," I said as I held out my hand to shake his.

 

When he grabbed my hand to return the favor, he said, "I was happy to do it, Mr. Sanders. It is my job, after all. Besides, you got a great group of kids there and they made the job fun for once."

 

As we broke apart, I left a 500-dollar cash tip in his palm and he smoothly slipped it straight into his pants pocket. "Well, next time we come up, I'll make sure we ask for you again."

 

"Let me give you one of my cards, then. It has all my numbers on it. Just give me a couple days notice and I'll make sure I'm available." I waited as he peeled a card from his wallet and handed it to me so I could slip it inside mine.

 

As I turned to join the rest of the crew inside, I offered, "Thanks again, for everything. We'll see you next time."

 

Just before I could I open the door to the FBO, I heard a set of feet pounding the pavement behind me, closing rapidly. Before I could turn around, Tony yelled, "Yo, Mr. Sanders." I stopped and when he caught up to me, he started, "Hey, while I appreciate the thought ..."

 

"It wasn't a mistake Tony, you earned every penny of it," I interrupted. "Take your wife to very nice dinner somewhere you've always wanted to go."

 

"Really!? Thank you, sir. I'll do that."

 

"And next time we come up, it's Max and Tom, okay. Enough of this Mr. crap."

 

"You got it, Max. Thanks, again, and I hope you have a good flight back home."

 

I was finally able to go inside, and I found my crew waiting by the door leading to the ramp. I first went to the counter to retrieve the key and pay the bill for fuel and services. Once the bill was settled and I'd verified the flight plan, we headed on out to load our luggage and several bags of various souvenirs in the baggage compartment. Once everything was safely stowed, I unlocked the door and lowered the steps. Despite the cool temperature outside the plane, it was pretty toasty inside since the sun was out. I stepped into the cockpit, flipped on the battery switch, then fired up the first engine to get some air circulation going to help cool things down a bit before closing the door.

 

Stepping back into the cabin, I let Tom know I was going back out to do my pre-flight inspection. T.J. decided to join me so he could see what I was doing. As we walked along, I explained what I was doing and looking for each step of the way, just as I'd done in Springfield with Tom. Rounding the nose of the plane, T.J. asked, "Who gets to sit in the cockpit with you on the way home?"

 

After just a moment's thought, I answered, "I think I'll let Eric have that honor this afternoon. He was a great help to Pops and me this weekend with you guys and I think he's earned it. What do you think?"

 

With a crooked grin on his face, T.J. replied, "Yeah, I just bet he was great. At what, exactly, is up for grabs."

 

I knelt in front of my young son, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Look, I know you guys saw us in bed together, but you also know that wouldn't have happened if Eric didn't want it to."

 

"Yeah, I know, Dad."

 

"I think when we talk at home tonight, we should include Josh, Eric and Brent in our conversation."

 

"What? Why?"

 

"Well, Joey and Josh are getting closer, and I think Brent and Alex are, too. Add Eric to that, and the fact Mike and Andy now know about us, it's time to clear the air. I don't want any misunderstandings between any of us. Especially the five of you who are going to be our sons."

 

"Yeah, okay, that makes sense."

 

"Good. You ready for takeoff, young man?"

 

"Always!" he shouted with glee above the whining engine.

 

"Then, let's make it so. You wanna give Eric the good news?"

 

"You bet, Dad. Let's boogie!" The two of us danced on around the airplane as I completed my pre-flight, gathering more than our fair share of odd looks and smiles from the ground crews working nearby. When we climbed back inside, I folded the steps and closed the door while T.J. jumped in Eric's lap to pass on the good news. To say he was surprised at his good fortune today was the understatement of the year. He looked at me and after a quick nod of acknowledgement, he stood up, set T.J. back in his seat and the giddy lad joined me in the cockpit. After ensuring he was properly strapped in place, I took my own seat and strapped myself in.

 

After handing Eric the second headset and giving him a moment to adjust its size for a proper fit, I told him, "Just like I told T.J. on the flight up here, you can listen to everything on the radio, but you can't say anything when I'm talking, got it?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"And remember, it's Max."

 

"Not now, it ain't. You're flyin' this thing, so you're the Captain, sir."

 

I chuckled at his enthusiasm, and responded with, "Fine, let's go cloud surfing." I lit off the second engine and, after both were running smoothly and everything was in the green, let the ground crew know we were ready to roll so they could pull the wheel chocks that were holding in place. I contacted air traffic control and soon had my clearance to taxi to runway 34. On reaching the end of my assigned runway, it was time to get this bucket of bolts back in the air. I stood on the brakes and pushed the throttles to ninety-five percent thrust. With the plane straining for release, and after one more glance at the instruments and out the windshield for other traffic, I released the brakes and we were soon in the air on our way back home.

 

After leaving the ground, we were handed off to O'Hare's controllers to guide us around their airspace and traffic. Once clearing their control, we finally headed for our cruise altitude of 36,000 feet and settled in for the ride. I had Eric grab us a drink and let everyone else know if they wanted one, now was the time. Once Eric had rejoined me in the cockpit, he was shaking his head as he pulled his straps back in place and buckled up.

 

After he had his headset back on, I asked, "What's wrong?"

 

"You ain't gonna believe what those fools in back have done," he answered.

 

"What, now?" I asked nervously.

 

"Well, Tom's fallen asleep and the rest of them boneheads have taken advantage of that. They're just sittin' back there, naked as jaybirds, and laughin' their fool asses off `bout it."

 

I had to laugh at the monsters I'd created. "I just hope none of them get the bright idea to try and join the mile-high club," I commented without thinking.

 

"What the hell kinda club is that, Max?"

 

"Members of the mile-high club, Eric, are people who've have had sex while flying."

 

When he finally stopped snickering, he said, "Oooh, that sounds like it might be a fun club to join. Are you a member?"

 

"Absolutely not, especially since I'm the one always flyin' the plane."

 

"Well, shit, I was gonna make your day. And mine, too," he added with a grin.

 

"Tempting as that offer is, young man, I think we have to bypass joining the club today."

 

"Another time, maybe," he responded wistfully. You just gotta love teenagers with their insatiable and undeniable appetites. Most especially when they were as sweet and cute as today's copilot.

 

After flying over Bloomington, it was time to start our descent into Springfield. I had Eric go back and tell the boys it was time to clean up, get all the trash into the trash bin and to get dressed again. I was confident they would follow through on my first request, but unsure as to the second. Guess I'd find out once we were back on the ground again. During the flight, Eric and I had been keeping an eye on the weather radar and I was happy to see we should beat the storm's arrival by what looked like to be about an hour. At this moment, they'd just crossed the Mississippi, so I felt we'd be safely home before they hit.

 

Since the wind was coming from the north, we had to circle around to the south side of the airport to enter the approach for runway 4. I allowed the plane to float over the apron and settled us down on the concrete just past the number painted on the runway. Following my radioed instructions, I taxied to the FBO and my hangar. As the linesman guided me, I parked the plane where directed, then began running my checklists to shut everything down. While I did that, Eric slipped back to the cabin to make sure Tom was awake and the boys were ready to go. Once I had the plane secured and ready to be pushed back into its hangar, I switched off the battery and exited the cockpit.

 

Surprised as I stepped into the cabin, I found the boys all re-dressed and lined up at the door, in order from oldest to youngest this time. After popping the door open and unfolding the steps, Eric led the herd down to the tarmac where they lined up in front of the wing to wait for Tom and me to join them. God, what a good bunch of kids.

 

I knelt in front of the last and still groggy passenger and said, "Okay, we're on the ground, again, big guy. Let go of the seat and we can head for home."

 

"You sure about that," he muttered through his clenched teeth. "It feels like we're still movin'."

 

"I'm sure that's just the wind from the incoming storms rocking the plane a bit. Open those baby blues and move it on outta here. Time's a wastin' and I like to be home before all hell breaks loose."

 

"Then you better get the hell outta my way and let me get off this death trap with wings."

 

I stood and helped Tom up, then guided him to the door where we were met by the ever-helpful Eric. After grabbing Eric's hand, Tom was finally back where he most wanted to be, planet Earth. I stepped outside into the building and brisk wind, folded the steps and closed the door before leading the crew to retrieve our bags of dirty clothes and souvenirs from our trip. Closing the baggage compartment, I turned to find the rest of the group was already headed inside and a linesman was walking towards me.

 

"Good flight, Mr. Sanders?" Ryan asked as he drew closer.

 

"You bet, Ryan. Thanks for asking."

 

"So, anything special this time?"

 

"I don't think so. Just check for trash inside, empty the holding tank and refill the water. Then push it back into the hangar. We'll hold off on the refueling until the next trip."

 

"Sounds good, sir. We'll take care of it. Guess we'll see ya' next time."

 

"Thanks, Ryan. Hope you guys have a great afternoon and can stay inside once the rain gets here."

 

"You ain't the only one hopin' for that, trust me," he responded morosely.

 

With a laugh, I turned and headed inside. Finding my crew waiting by the exit doors, I headed to the counter to settle my bill with Jeff. That task dealt with, it was time to hit the road for home. We dumped all the bags into the back of the Flex, then climbed in the two cars and made like a herd of sheep and got the flock outta there. As I was passing through the gate from the parking lot onto the street, I called Rick to let him know we'd be home in about half an hour and he could retrieve his boys any time after that. Over the open fields from Springfield to Berlin, we could see the lightning in the distance, shattering the darkness created by fast-moving deep grey and black clouds as the stormfront moved in. I could also feel the strong winds pushing the Flex around like it was a Matchbox toy. Just as I made the turn into the drive twenty-five minutes after leaving the airport, the first few fat drops of rain splattered themselves across the windshield.

 

Pulling in the garage, the clouds gave up all pretense and let loose of flood of water, the likes of which I'd not seen for some time. The amount of water falling from the heavens was so dense, visibility dropped from being able to see over a mile on the open road to not being able to see the end of the concrete drive leading into our shelter. All eleven of us stood at the open garage doors goggling at the downpour that seemed heavy enough to float the mythical ark. I almost expected to see a fish swim idly by the doors and was very thankful I wasn't still in the air in this maelstrom. Our trance was finally broken when a bolt of lightning not more than 150 feet away and a deafening blast of thunder nearly knocked us off our feet. The boys wasted no more time looking outside as they grabbed their bags from the car and hauled ass into the house.

 

Not much enjoying ourselves or the view any longer, Tom and I retrieved what the boys had bypassed and joined them after closing the garage doors. Things weren't much better inside as the rain pummeling the roof echoed from one end of the house to the other.

 

"This is one hell of storm," Tom commented as we crossed the living room to drop our bags in our bedroom.

 

"No shit, bubba," I retorted. "I'm glad we got home when we did." Since we expected Monica or Ben to arrive shortly to retrieve Brent, we stayed dressed for the time being. We returned to the living room with the bags of souvenirs, so we could sort through them and make sure everybody got what was theirs. We found nine nude and comfortable boys already assembled and waiting for us.

 

"Hey, Dad, can you light a fire?" Alex asked. "It feels chilly in here."

 

"Then go put some clothes back on," I cracked.

 

"Bite your tongue, old man," Joey retorted. "We're all sick of them."

 

"Yeah, while we really liked the museums and everything, it would've been better if we'd been able to go without havin' to be dressed," T.J. laughed.

 

"It would have been nice," Tom agreed, "but I don't think anywhere we visited this weekend has nudist events. Although the museums and aquarium do have sleepovers for kids from time to time."

 

"That wouldn't work too well for us Pops, since we all sleep naked," Andy opined.

 

"Well, no I guess it wouldn't," I laughed. I started a fire and then sat next to Tom to start going through the bags and passing out items to each of the herd. Catching the flashing light on the phone out of the corner of my eye, I punched the button that would connect me to our voicemail. Monica's voice emanated from the speaker as we listened to her message.

 

"Max, Tom, this is Brent's mom, Monica. We really hate to impose on you, especially since we barely know each other, but we need to ask for a huge favor. Our car broke down in the middle of nowhere while we were on the way home today. We finally got a tow into Moberly, but by the time we got here, it was too late to get any work done. Ben and I have gotten a room in some dive motel for the night and we're supposed to check with the country bumpkin who has our car in the morning to find out what's wrong and how long it'll take to fix. Would it be okay Brent spent the night with you guys since we can't get home? If it's a problem, we'll make other arrangements for him. Please give me a call on my cell and let me know. Thanks."

 

As I punched the button to disconnect the call, Alex and Brent were giving each other a high-five and grinning wildly at their good fortune.

 

"Well, looks like we have a guest for the night," Tom commented. "I guess he can ride the bus with the boys in the morning."

 

"Good thing we had the furniture brought back from the storage building," I added. "We still need to make the bed, though." I turned to the boys and told them, "You all grab your bags and dump them in the laundry room. Since Brent doesn't have extra clothes, I'll have to wash what he does have. Can't have him going to school tomorrow without clothes, can we?"

 

"Wouldn't bother me a bit, Mr. Sanders," Brent giggled madly.

 

"We'd do it, too," Josh added with a laugh.

 

"All of us would, too," Joey committed seriously.

 

"Whoa, all of you," I interrupted. "Nobody's going to school nude, so stop thinkin' about it. Now, go get your bags and I'll meet you in the laundry room. Josh, Eric, you might as well get yours, also. Tom, why don't you grab our dirties, too, and we'll get them all going." After a mad dash to haul bags of dirty clothes, I dumped them all out, sorted them and got the whites going. Since we weren't going to see Monica and Ben tonight, Tom and I also got undressed so I could include the clothes we still had on with the rest. I then grabbed sheets and a comforter for the bed in the spare room so Tom and I could take care of that. With the laundry running and the bed made, we settled back into the living room. With the rain still pounding down on the roof, I returned Monica's call to let her know Brent would be fine with us for the night. Before we started sorting souvenirs, I decided now would be a good time to have that talk we needed to deal with.

 

"Okay, guys," I began, "we need to talk about a few things before Rick gets here."

 

Brent turned to Josh and Eric and whispered, "Uh, I think that's our cue to split, guys."

 

"No, Brent, what we need to say you all need to hear. Pops and I don't want there to be any misunderstandings later. First, we want to say thanks to all of you for being on your best behavior this weekend. You guys were polite and kind to strangers everywhere we went, you didn't shove people out of the way or jump lines, and you really listened and reacted properly when we asked you to do something. Now that we have one successful trip under our belts, I can see many more happening in the future."

 

"Thanks, Max," Eric answered. "I think we all had a great time and I know Josh and I would love to go with you guys again, sometime."

 

"Add me to that list," Brent quipped. "This is the best weekend I've had in a long time." Then he whispered to Alex with a giggle, "For more reasons than one."

 

"We're glad you three could join us for the trip. I'm sure you are all wondering why I let Eric fly in the cockpit with me today."

 

"Well, yeah, Dad," Mike whined. "Why him and not one of us?"

 

"Because Eric was a great help to Pops and me in helping keep an eye on you younger guys these past couple of days. He made our lives much easier this weekend and he earned that privilege. You'll get a chance to join me up front on another trip sometime."

 

"Okay," he moped. He then turned to Eric and added with a smile, "Good for you, dude. You might be older than the rest of us, but you're still pretty cool."

 

"Thanks, Mike, appreciate it," Eric responded.

 

"The other reason Eric got to join me today is he is not one of the four of you who peeked into our bedroom Friday night."

 

"He couldn't have since he was in bed with you and Pops already, could he," Andy protested. Alex, Joey, Josh and Brent all registered surprise at Andy's utterance, but that surprise slowly morphed into knowing smiles and giggles galore. Eric, for his part, remained mute and blushed from head to toe in embarrassment.

 

"Shut up, ya' puke," Logan hissed.

 

"What do you four have to say for yourselves?" Tom asked.

 

"Like I told Dad Saturday at lunch, I'm really sorry," T.J. apologized. "I knew it was the wrong thing to do, but I wasn't gonna let them hurt me either."

 

"You told on us, you fart-eater?" Mike squealed. "What're you thinkin'?"

 

"I was thinkin' we did something wrong and our dads needed to know about it."

 

"You wait `til we go to bed," Andy said. "I'm gonna kick your sorry butt."

 

"No, you're not, Andy," Tom scolded the leader of the pack. "And if we hear about you retaliating against T.J. in any way for telling us the truth, you won't like the punishment you'll get."

 

Properly chastised, Andy lowered his head and softly said, "Sorry, Pops. We won't do nothin' to T.J. Even if he is a squealer."

 

"You better not," I reinforced. "And when he told me about what you guys did, he included himself in the whole thing. So, if he's a `squealer', he's not a very good one, is he?"

 

"Nope," Logan agreed with a quick shake of his noggin.

 

"Okay, here's what's going to happen for your punishments," I began. "The four of you will have to wear clothes for a few days, see if you can learn from your mistakes."

 

"Oh, man, that stinks," Mike groaned in defeat.

 

"Maybe," I agreed, "but since that punishment seems to work around here, I think we'll stick with it."

 

"How many is a few days," Andy asked.

 

"Pops and I already talked about it and here's how it's going to go. T.J. has two days, Logan and Mike have four days and Andy, you get six. And if you argue about it or break it, we'll add a day."

 

"Six! Why so many?" the youngster whined.

 

"First, you instigated the peeping. You knew it was wrong, yet you persisted and roped your cohorts into it. Second, and more seriously, you threatened T.J. with bodily harm if he didn't tell you something, didn't you? You all need to know, right now, that that type of behavior will not be tolerated."

 

"What'd he do, Dad?" Joey asked. "I wanna know so I don't do the same thing."

 

"He grabbed T.J.'s scrotum and squeezed until T.J. gave in and answered his question. If any of you ever does something like that again, you'll be wearing clothes for a month. You hear me?"

 

"Yeah, we got it, Dad," Alex answered while squeezing his legs tightly together. He then looked at Andy and added, "Damn, dude, that ain't right. You coulda really hurt him."

 

"Okay, you have your punishments. And Andy, you owe T.J. an apology."

 

As Andy stood in front of T.J. and, with his head hung low and tears dripping from his eyes, he said, "T.J., I'm sorry for squeezin' you like I did. I shouldn't a done that and I hope I didn't hurt you too bad. I hope don't hate me for hurtin' you."

 

T.J. pulled Andy into a hug and replied, "I could never hate you, dude. I might get mad at you, annoyed by you, but never hate. Hate never solves anything, brother, only love can do that."

 

Andy came over to Tom and me and added with a sniffle, "I'm sorry, Dads. I won't never do nothin' like that again. I hope you don't hate me."

 

"Andy, look at us," Tom replied. When he lifted his head back up, Tom continued, "We love you, you know that. We could never hate any of you for anything. We are really disappointed in you, though, in all of you. Now go get your shorts and shirts on and come back. We have one more thing to discuss."

 

The four slowly headed for their rooms to get dressed and after they turned down the hall, Joey asked, "So, what question did Andy ask?"

 

"We'll get to that when they all come back, young man," I answered. We sat quietly for Andy, Mike, T.J. and Logan to rejoin us. While we patiently waited, the phone rang and Tom answered it.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Tom, it's Rick. We got a problem, man."

 

"Hang on while I switch to speaker, Rick." Tom punched the speaker button so we could all hear the call. "Okay, what's goin' on, Rick?" Josh and Eric were suddenly very interested in the call and leaned in closer to hear better over the thrum of the rain on the roof.

 

"It's this freakin' storm. We got flooding all over town, power's out in a lot of areas, some of the winds have torn roofs off a couple of apartment complexes on the south side, and we have more than our fair share of accidents all over because people can't see where they're goin'. All in all, we need every man on deck and it looks like I'm gonna have work way late haulin' people to the hospitals. Is it gonna be a problem if Eric and Josh spend the night with you guys since I don't know when I'll be able to get home. I really don't want them there alone in a storm like this." The more Rick said, the wider the smiles grew on Josh and Eric's faces.

 

"Not a problem, Rick. They'll be safe with us."

 

"Thanks, you have no idea how much I appreciate your help."

 

"We're happy to do it, Rick," I said. "You be careful out there and stay safe."

 

"I'll do my best. I talk to you later. Josh, Eric, you two better be good, or there'll be hell to pay later."

 

"Yeah, Dad, we know," they chimed together. "Love you, old man. You better come home tomorrow in one piece" Eric added.

 

"I love both of you, too. Gotta go." With that, Rick hung up and the boys began a mini celebration of extending the weekend for another night.

 

"Damn it, why do I feel like I should be out there helpin'?" Tom muttered.

 

"It's not your job anymore, big guy," I commiserated, "Let them take care of it."

 

"Yeah, I know," he grumped. The other four boys had finally returned and were moping on the couch together.

 

"Okay, looks like we have three extra guests for the night. And to keep things simple, I think all three will share the spare bedroom now that we've made the bed."

 

"But, Dad," Alex whined, "Brent and I wanted to sleep in there tonight."

 

"We know exactly what your plans were," Tom responded, "But since tomorrow's a school day, it's not gonna happen. You all need to actually sleep."

 

"Dang it," Brent muttered.

 

"Tell me `bout it," Joey agreed while looking to Josh, who shook his head sadly.

 

"Now, we've settled tonight's sleeping arrangements, but there's one more thing we need to talk about." After all nine boys had focused their attention back to Tom and me, I carried on. "We've stressed how important it is to always tell the truth to the five of you since you moved in here. It's now time for us to share a little bit of truth with you. Since some of you already know or suspect this, I'll just say it bluntly. Pops and I love boys." On hearing my pronouncement, T.J. grinned widely, Mike and Andy simply nodded since I just confirmed what T.J. had told them, Eric and Brent giggled madly, while a look of confusion flooded Josh's face. As for Alex and Joey, they looked completely dumbfounded.

 

"Uh, what's that really mean, Mr. Sanders?" Josh stammered.

 

"It means that we not only love you guys as our sons and their friends, which we most definitely do, we also want to share our love with you sexually. That's what Andy was asking about in Chicago Saturday night."

 

"You mean like you wanna suck our dicks and fuck us?" Josh gulped.

 

"That's exactly what we mean," Tom answered the confused youngster. "But only if that's something you want. We will never force any of you to do anything, and we will never hurt you in any way."

 

"If you want something sexual to happen between us, we'll welcome you with open arms," I added. "But you have to specifically ask for it. We won't ask you, and even if you ask for something to happen, you can always change your mind and we'll respect that request. I know you all have questions, so now's the time. Let's start with Andy and work our way up."

 

"So, if we don't wanna do that stuff with you, we don't have to?"

 

"Absolutely not," Tom answered.

 

"And if we do, we have to ask you for it, right?" Mike asked.

 

"Correct," I replied.

 

"When can we do it again?" T.J. begged with a giggle, " 'Cause I really liked bein' in bed with you."

 

"Almost any time you want," Tom responded with a smile.

 

Though still stunned at the news, Joey and Alex managed to ask their question as only the two of them could.

 

"So, you didn't do those things with us just because we pushed you into it?" Joey ventured.

 

"And teachin' us idiots how to fuck, you did that because you wanted to?" Alex added with surprise.

 

"Yes," I answered honestly, "and we loved every moment."

 

"And we want to do it again," Tom added quietly.

 

"Well, that must mean you really did like suckin' my dick after the pool party," Brent stated.

 

"Just as you liked returning that favor to me this morning, as you promised you would," I answered. Alex shot Brent a dirty look upon hearing that.

 

"I don't know about this stuff, guys. It's one thing to do that shit with Eric and Dad, but I don't know `bout doin' it with the two of you."

 

"That's fine, Josh. If you ever change your mind, let us know," I said.

 

"And that leaves Eric," Tom said.

 

"If I don't find me a girlfriend soon, next time we're together, I wanna fuck both of you instead of you fuckin' me," he answered with a smile. Tom and I returned the smile to Eric along with a nod of agreement.

 

"Since we're talkin' `bout this shit so open-like and all," Joey started, "I wanna say somethin'. Josh and I have talked about this and since we're boyfriends, now, we don't think we should do anything with anyone else but each other. And that includes you, too, Dads."

 

Alex's jaw dropped in surprise, but I quickly said, "If that's the way you two feel about it, then we'll respect that. All of us will, won't we Alex?"

 

After picking his chin back up off the floor, he angrily muttered, "Don't sound like I get a vote on it, does it?"

 

"Well, no, I guess not," Tom replied. "But, if that's what Joey and Josh have decided, you need to learn how to live with it. If you want to talk to us about it later, we'll be happy to listen and do what we can to help."

 

"Something else to add to this conversation concerns Brent," I added.

 

"What about me?" Brent asked with concern.

 

"When your mom dropped off your bag Friday afternoon, we had a rather lengthy and interesting chat with her. As a result of that chat, she's not only given you permission to be nude when you're here, she told us that Pops and I can be, also. She went on to let us know that she was accepting of the fact you are most likely gay and wanted to experience what it was like to be with older guys." Brent flushed with embarrassment at that statement. "With that in mind, she gave us permission to help you learn about how to have and enjoy safe gay sex. She's hoping that if we help you with that, you won't be after your dad to do things he wants no part of."

 

"Oh, shit, I didn't think she'd talk to you guys about that."

 

"Brent," Tom began, "it sounds like you have a very healthy and open relationship with your mom, and that's a good thing. While we were surprised, and a bit scared, you told her about what happened at the party, it's that type of openness and honesty that will allow you to live your life to the fullest and be happy. If Max, Alex and I can help you in any way, we'll be very happy to do so, won't we Alex?" The smile had finally returned to Alex's face and he almost shook his head off as he nodded in agreement.

 

"You bet, that sounds like it'll be a lot of fun," Alex gushed.

 

"What about you, Brent? Are you okay with that arrangement?" I asked seriously.

 

"Oh, man, that sounds fuckin' awesome. I've wanted to be fucked by Dad for a long time, but I knew he'd never do it. He's too fuckin' square for that shit. `Sides, his dick is tiny and I pro'lly wouldn't even feel it if he did," Brent added with a laugh. "I still don't know how I got born. I really think the mailman might be my dad." We all laughed uproariously at that comment.

 

"Okay, I have one more very important thing to impress on all of you before we move on to supper. This discussion and anything that happens in this house does not get discussed with your friends. If you say the wrong thing to the wrong person, then Tom and I go to jail. And who knows what would happen to Alex, Joey, T.J., Mike and Andy. Brent, if you feel you can talk to your mom and she'll be okay with it, that's fine. Eric, Josh, same goes for your dad. From what we heard over the weekend, I don't think he'll have any problems. Does everybody understand?"

 

With agreement from the nine wild ones, the boys stood as one and walked towards us. And even though four of them were dressed, you could still tell by the slight tenting in their shorts, every one of them was being guided by the smaller of their two heads as they all had erections and seemed quite proud of that fact. Of course, after the chat we'd just had, it's not like either one of us could claim otherwise. They crawled in our laps and reached around from behind to give us hugs, all of them rubbing their stiff little pokers across us as they did so, even the ones hidden from view. As we shared our hugs with all nine, we also shared several kisses with them, some involving tongues, and hands were roaming randomly among the crush of bodies.

 

When I reached point that I was about to lose it due to all the contact, I abruptly interrupted the hug fest with, "Okay, then, what's for supper?"

 

The boys finally extricated their lithe bodies from ours and hurried to the kitchen to peruse the food selection. By the time Tom and I had joined them in the kitchen, they'd settled on some of the frozen pizzas. Decision made, Tom and I got busy with popping them in the oven while the boys got busy setting the table. Once the quick and simple meal was done and the dishwasher loaded, we excused the boys to the theater so they could watch a movie. Tom and I settled into our chairs by the fireplace to relax for a bit after moving laundry around to keep that going.

 

"So, what do you think about our chat?" I asked.

 

"It went pretty well, I think. Joey and Alex sure seem surprised, but they got over it quickly."

 

"And what do you think about Josh and Joey's decision?"

 

"If that's what they want, who the hell are we to disagree? I actually think it's sweet of them to be thinking like that at their ages. I'm not sure how long they'll be able to follow their commitment to each other, but more power to `em if they do."

 

"Well, after everything that happened over the weekend, I wanted to make sure we are all on the same page. We can do without the trouble that could be caused by hurt feelings."

 

"I'm with ya', babe." At that moment, the phone rang and, after checking the caller ID and seeing it was my mom and dad, I answered the ringing machine.

 

"Hello."

 

"Where the hell have you've been? I've been callin' all afternoon," Dad demanded.

 

"Hi, Dad, nice to talk to you, too," I responded sarcastically. "We went to Chicago for the weekend. Is that okay?"

 

"Well, why didn't you ask Rose and me to go with y'all? We wouldn't mind a weekend away, too."

 

"Sorry, Dad, the plane was already full. Maybe next time."

 

"Just as well, Son, I don't much like that toy you call a plane. That tin can's way too small to be considered a real airplane, anyway. Look, the reason I been tryin' to get a hold of you is to let you know something's going on in the church."

 

"Yeah, we know already. There's a group tryin' to discredit my story and say I made it all up."

 

"Now how the hell could you know that? I just found out about it this morning."

 

"The reporter who wrote the newspaper article last week told us about it. That's the only reason I agreed to the interview."

 

"And they really screwed you over Friday morning, didn't they? Givin' out the boys' names and tellin' how they ended up with you. Hell, we didn't even know all of that. How the fuck did they find out?"

 

"We don't have a clue, but the agency's checkin' all their employees to see if they have a problem."

 

"Well, we're tellin' everyone we know that them trouble-makin' assholes are lyin' through their damn teeth. Hell, I'm surprised the local news ain't been on your ass for the story."

 

"Oh, they were the other day, Dad, but we told `em to get lost. I will be talkin' with a reporter from Channel 17 tomorrow afternoon. We might even let the boys talk to him tomorrow so they can tell their own story."

 

"Them's some brave lads you got there."

 

"Don't we know it? We'll need to talk to them when their movie's over and see if they want to do it or not."

 

"So, did y'all have fun this weekend?" Dad asked in a quick change of topic.

 

"We all had a blast. Wore ourselves out, but we sure had fun doin' it."

 

"I'm glad to hear it. You deserve to have some real life and fun after the last couple weeks you've had."

 

"Thanks, Dad. We're glad you approve."

 

"Well, I just wanted to let you know about the idiots at church, so we'll talk later. Tell Tom and the boys we say hi and we love `em and hope you guys have a good week."

 

"We'll do our best, Dad. Tell Mom hi for all of us and we love you guys, too."

 

"Your dad lettin' you know about the church people, huh?"

 

"Yeah. Blew his mind we already knew," I chuckled.

 

"Hey, at least he tried to warn you. Shows he's still tryin' to do the right thing."

 

"He was upset we didn't take them to Chicago with us, though."

 

"We'll have plenty of time for trips together when they're moved out here with us."

 

"We'd have to get a bigger plane to take all of us, and anything much bigger than what we've got would require a copilot. Either that or we fly commercial."

 

"Well, why not? We can afford first-class, can't we?" Tom asked with a laugh.

 

"Of course. It's just that getting' from Springfield to St. Louis or Chicago to reach that first-class seat requires flying in a commuter jet not much bigger and a whole lot more cramped and uncomfortable than the one we have, and I hate those freakin' planes. That's one of the reasons I bought my own and learned to fly it myself."

 

"Well, we'll figure it out when the time comes." DING! "Uh, you expectin' company?"

 

"Nope. Looks like we need to grab some shorts, big guy."

 

"You get yours and answer the door. I'll let the boys know someone's here and they either grab their own or stay in the theater."

 

"Works for me." We split up to take care of our tasks, Tom and I crossing paths in the hallway to our bedroom, and I was at the front door when the bell rang. Opening the door, I was nicely surprised to see our unexpected, but dripping wet guests. "Dylan, Malcom! What the heck are you two doin' out here? I figured you'd be busy with the storm problems in town, Dylan."

 

"Well," Dylan began, "Derek's got a good handle on that mess. Besides, Malcom surprised me by coming down yesterday and we just finished supper. Thought we'd swing by to say hi before he has to head back home."

 

"Well, get in here," I enthused while stepping back to give them room. Tom had snuck up behind me just as the men cleared the threshold, followed by a much younger lad of about eleven or twelve years of age. "And just who might you be," I asked after recovering from the shock and extending a hand.

 

"Hi, I'm Damon, Malcom's son. If I'm guessing correctly from what these two have said all weekend, you must me Mr. Sanders," the youngster politely replied while shaking my hand. "And that would mean you're Mr. Wright," he added while shaking Tom's hand. "Nice to meet you both. Though after the weekend with these two screwballs, I feel like I already know you." After the greetings were completed all around, we aimed for the living room and the warmth of the fireplace, Damon sitting between Malcom and Dylan. "So, where's your boys. Malcom said you guys were adopting five of `em, right?"

 

"We are and they're all in the theater watching a movie with a few of their friends. Would you like to join them?" I answered.

 

"Yeah, that'd be cool." Damon stood up and suddenly realized he didn't know where to go. "Uh, which way, man?" he asked, looking left and right.

 

"Through the dining room over there," Dylan answered, "Then on through the double doors in the hallway."

 

"Thanks, guys. Let me know when you're ready to go." Damon strolled across the house looking around in interest and turned for the theater.

 

"Uh, you do know our boys won't be dressed, right?" Tom asked.

 

"Sure we do," Dylan answered. "Though he's obviously been with us all weekend, we haven't broached the subject of being nude at home with him yet."

 

"Yeah, even though he knows I'm gay and we've talked about that quite a bit, I, for some damn reason, couldn't bring myself to ask him about lounging around the house without clothes on. I didn't want to freak him out about it or have him thinkin' we're a couple of sickos, I guess."

 

From across the house we heard the theater door bang open, followed by the herd rumbling through the house. The group was making so much noise with all their yakking, they even drowned out the sound of the heavy rain still pelting the roof.

 

"Dad, why didn't you come tell us Uncle Dylan and Uncle Malcom were here?" Joey yelled as they got closer.

 

"And they brought our cousin Damon with them?" Alex added. "Have you two forgotten all the manners we've taught you in the last month?"

 

"Uncles, cousin!? Watchu' talkin' `bout? We ain't cousins," Damon protested.

 

"Sure we are," T.J. retorted. "If your Dad and Dylan can be brothers to our dads, then that makes us cousins. Ain't that right, Dad."

 

"It does in my book."

 

Damon stepped up to his dad, leaned in close and whispered, "Uh, Malcom, half these crazy kids ain't got any clothes on. What's up with that?"

 

"Well, Damon, Max, Tom and their family are what people call nudists or naturists."

 

"What's that mean?"

 

"That means we don't wear clothes when we're not going to be around other people," Tom answered.

 

"So, if you go shopping or out to eat and when they go to school, you all get dressed. But when you're at home, you don't. Right?"

 

"Exactly, young man," I answered.

 

Damon turned back to his dad and again whispered, "What should I do, man?"

 

"That's up to you, Damon. You're twelve now and old enough to make this decision on your own. If you want to stay dressed, that's fine. If you want to get undressed, that's fine, too. Whatever you feel most comfortable with."

 

"I don't know. I think I'd like to try it, but why are four of `em dressed and the others ain't?"

 

"T.J., you want to field that fly ball?" Tom asked.

 

"I got this, since it's my fault, anyway," Andy piped up, looking at us. He turned back to Damon and answered, "The four of us did somethin' really stupid this weekend and got in trouble for it. Our punishment is we have to wear clothes, instead of a spankin' or somethin' else."

 

"So, `round here, you get in trouble, you have to wear clothes? Oh, man, that's freakin' funny," Damon laughed. He turned back to his dad and asked, "You sure it's okay with you? I don't wanna get in trouble."

 

"It's just fine, Damon. I want to ask, though, if you get undressed, would you be upset if the adults all did the same?"

 

"Why the hell would I care, go ahead." Damon turned to the herd and asked, "Okay, dudes, where can I drop trou?"

 

"This way, Damon," Alex answered, waving his hand to signal the older boy to follow him. "We'll go back to our movie when you're ready." The two headed down the hall and turned into the twins' room while the rest of the boys aimed for the theater to await their return. The four of us adjourned to our bedroom to join the rest of the group in comfort. We finally resettled in the living room after a quick stop in the kitchen to fill drink requests.

 

"So, Malcom, you have a son, huh?" Tom chuckled. "You didn't say anything about him last time you were here. How'd that happen?"

 

"Look, man, you might be gay, too, but surely you know where babies come from," Malcom retorted with a laugh.

 

"Of course, I do. The stork brings them, right," Tom cracked.

 

"Oh, if only that were true. Well, with Damon, it's same old story. One dark and stormy night, lonely as fuck gay guy goes to a bar for a drink. He meets a cute lady and they strike up a conversation, expecting nothing more than pleasant evening with a nice person. Well, after an hour of talkin' and drinkin', both are fairly soused when it's time to leave. Nice lady asks gay man to walk her home, and being the nice guy he is, he does just that. When they get to her apartment, she invites him up for a nightcap, like either one of them needs another damn drink. Stupid fuckin' gay guy agrees and follows her jiggly behind up the stairs to her place.

 

"Next thing he remembers, the sun's streaming through the window and he discovers he's in somebody else's bed, naked. He turns over to figure out where the hell he is and finds the nice lady in all her naked glory since the covers had been, uh, rearranged. Now scared shitless, idiot gay guy very carefully gets out of bed so as not to wake the nice lady, quietly gets dressed, leaves a kind note to nice lady thanking her for a lovely evening and beats feet the hell outta there. Eight and a half years, nice lady shows up on idiot gay guy's doorstep to introduce him to the son he never knew he had. That was four years ago."

 

"That's a helluva story, Malcom," I laughed.

 

"Well, yeah. The only reason she looked me up and let me know we had a son together was she wants him to know who his daddy is. She didn't want any money or anything, just wanted us to get to know each other and be friends. Damon and I get together a couple times a month and have dinner, see a movie, whatever. It's been a lot of fun getting to know him and spending time together, especially since I'd thought I'd never have a kid. He's really a good kid with a good head on his shoulders, all things considered."

 

"Bet he was a bit of a surprise to Dylan, though," Tom offered with a chuckle.

 

"You coulda knocked me over with a feather when I opened my door yesterday morning and found the two of them standing on the porch. But fifteen minutes later, I found myself falling in love with the kid and the three of us have had a great weekend together. I'll look forward to seeing Damon more often."

 

"Do you mind if I ask why he calls you Malcom instead of Dad?" I queried.

 

"Well, since I wasn't around the first eight years of his life, it just didn't seem right for him to call me Dad, in my mind, anyway. And he seemed to agree. But I'm okay with that. Maybe if we actually lived together, I'd want him to use Dad, but no more than we're together, we're comfortable with Malcom and Damon instead of Dad and son."

 

"What's gonna happen with you two when you move down here and get married?" Tom asked.

 

"Don't have the answer to that one yet. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. I'm hoping his mom will still let us have at least a weekend together each month. Now that I know I got a son, I don't want to lose him. Not for anything."

 

"We're with you on that, Malcom," I agreed wholeheartedly, knowing how we'd feel if we lost one of ours.

 

We spent the next forty-five minutes visiting and just enjoying each other's company when the theater doors banged open and we felt the rumble of the herd rolling through the house. As the ten boys crossed the dining room, they maintained their usual constant chatter we couldn't begin to decipher.

 

When they finally reached us, Damon stepped in front of Malcom and asked, "Hey, did you know these guys got their own pool?"

 

"I did," Malcom answered simply, knowing full well what was coming next.

 

"Well, can we go swimmin' `fore we have to leave? Mom don't like takin' me to the pool near home `cause I'm too old to go in her locker room and she sure as hell ain't goin' in the men's locker room. And she don't want me goin' in there by myself `cause she's afraid some random dude might molest me."

 

"I didn't know you liked to swim or that's somethin' we coulda been doin' when you're with me. Tell you what, if it's okay with Max and Tom, we'll hang around a bit longer and take a dip. Why don't you check with them?" Damon wasted no time in turning to face us with a sad look plastered on his face, using his big brown eyes to great effect as he did.

 

Before he could say a word, I turned to the boys and said, "Go grab ..." That was all I was able to get out of my mouth when the herd hauled ass down the hallway and returned in a flash with enough towels to dry an army. I retrieved the shelter key and we were soon dodging raindrops on the dash to the pool. Fortunately, the storm had let up considerably and the pool was going to be the one to soak us. The boys all dropped their towels on whatever flat surface they passed as they darted to the pool and jumped in.

 

As the four of us drew closer, I asked, "So, relaxing corner or mugging?"

 

"Mugging," Dylan answered with a laugh. "You know we ain't gonna get outta here without it, so might as well get it over with now, don't ya' think?"

 

"Hard to argue with that," Malcom agreed. "Mugging it is."

 

We jumped in the shallow end with the boys and the battles commenced. Twenty minutes later, four very tired adults bowed out and retreated to more placid waters. After settling in, Malcom started the conversation.

 

"Can I ask you guys somethin'?"

 

"Shoot."

 

"Well, I've never seen Damon nude before tonight and I'm concerned about somethin'."

 

"What's that?"

 

"Well, we got ten boys here, ages six to thirteen, right? And they're all in different stages of development. I'm surprised to see Damon more closely resemble T.J. in size than he does Eric. Do you think there might be something wrong?"

 

"What, you worried he might not live up to his daddy, are you?" Dylan chuckled.

 

"No, that ain't it at all. It just seems to me that he should have somethin' goin' on down there, ya know. I mean, I started gettin' bigger when I was `bout eleven and ole Dylan, here, started way before that."

 

"Malcom," I began, "I may not know a lot about your concern, but I do know this, everybody's different. He'll start growin' when his time comes and not before. If you're that worried about it, you could always take him to a doctor and get him checked out."

 

"Yeah, right," Malcom scoffed. "He ain't gonna show hisself to a stranger. Hell, I'm surprised he's nude right now. In the four years we known each other, this is the very first time I've ever seen his, uh, you know."

 

"It's a penis, get the hell over it. You mean to tell me that after your dinners or movies, you've never gone to the restroom at the same time?"

 

"Well, sure we do. When a guy's gotta pee, he's gotta pee. But he either takes a stall or damn near crawls in the urinal to keep anyone from seein' him. He's been like that since the first time we met. I've never seen a more bashful and private kid in my life."

 

"Part of that may be due to him livin' with only his mom for all these years," Tom offered. "I'm sure it's just become a habit bein' around her all the time. You know how boys are when they get a little older, they don't want any female seein' them."

 

"Uh, Tom, I know ten boys I don't think would give half a shit about that," Dylan laughed.

 

"Well, our five sure don't give a rat's ass, but I don't know about the others," Tom agreed.

 

"Look, Malcom, I didn't start puberty until I was thirteen and there were other kids in my class who didn't hit it until fourteen and fifteen. Then on the other hand, we did have one kid in our class who sprouted his first pubic hairs and began getting bigger the summer between fifth and sixth grade. Maybe you should ask his mom about his development and see if she can shed any light on the matter. For all you know, late onset puberty could be normal for the males in her family."

 

"Yeah, I hadn't thought about that. I'm just worried if I talk to her about this, she might think I'm paying more attention to Damon than a straight father would. I mean, she obviously knows I'm gay, I just don't want her thinkin' somethin's up when it ain't."

 

"Here's the way I look at it," I responded. "If a straight father has no problems talkin to his son's mother or doctor about his development, or seeming lack thereof, why should it be any different for a gay father to express the same concerns? And we may be able to help you out with the doctor part."

 

"Really? How?"

 

"We had to take Andy in to get checked out because he has a minor issue with his foreskin. My doctor recommended a pediatrician to us and she took great care of Andy. After she was done with him and we knew what we needed to do, she talked to me privately for a bit. In short, she doesn't have a problem with us being gay or the fact we're nudists. I'm sure she'd be happy to talk to you and Damon and you'd have nothing to worry about."

 

"Thanks for the info, guys. I truly appreciate it. I'll talk to Mia sometime this week and see what she says. Hopefully she won't raise a stink."

 

"If we can help, let us know."

 

"Oh, geez," Dylan exclaimed. "Look at the time. We should get out of here and let you guys get the boys in bed. And Malcom and Damon still have to drive back to Bloomington tonight."

 

With all the problems in our tiny corner of the world seemingly solved, we climbed from the pool and headed for our towels. The boys must have been ready to go also as they started climbing out without us having to say a word. When everyone was dry, the boys scattered to their rooms to shower before getting their snack. Dylan, Malcom, and Damon hung back with Tom and me and I offered them the use of our shower before they hit the road. They readily accepted the invitation and disappeared down the hall to get cleaned up.

 

Tom and I directed our bodies into the kitchen to find something we had enough of for all ten boys to have a snack. We finally settled on apple slices with caramel dipping sauce again. I got busy cutting apples while Tom nuked the sauce. We had everything lined up when our group started coming back from their showers and we set them up at the table so we'd have enough room for everyone.

 

Malcom, Damon and I climbed inside the big glass enclosed shower where I turned on the water and set a comfortable temperature before we all started cleaning the pool off our bodies.

 

"You finally get it set right, Dylan?" Malcom asked.

 

"Yeah, step on in. The water's great," I answered with a smile

 

"Hey, Malcom, would you wash my back for me?" Damon asked.

 

"Sure thing, little man. Scoot on over here." Damon backed up to his dad and Malcom got busy running a bar of soap all over his son's back. "You sure you're okay with me doin' this?"

 

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

 

"Well, as private as you've always been about your body since we met, you just surprised me by askin', that's all. I mean, you've never let me see you naked before and now we're takin' a shower together. That's a big change from what I'm used to with you. I just assumed you were worried about me being gay."

 

"I don't give a shit about that, man. I mean, we've been around each other for quite a while now and you never done anything to me, despite Mom warning me you might try. Since you're washing my back, would do my butt, too," he added with a little giggle.

 

"Why not? So, she really said that?" Malcom asked as he continued to wash Damon.

 

"Yep, every time you were comin' over to pick me up, she'd go through the whole damn thing again. `Don't let Malcom touch you anywhere and if he does, you need to tell me about it'."

 

"Geez, I never knew that."

 

"Well, she told me not to say nothin' to you and I knew she wouldn't either."

 

"Thanks for telling me, Damon. You can trust us, you know that, right?"

 

"Yeah, I know that." After a moment's hesitation, Damon asked, "Um, do you love Dylan more than you love me?" Damon asked innocently as he turned around to face his dad.

 

"I wouldn't say more, Damon, but it is a different kind of love than what I feel for you. I love both of you with all my heart, but I only want to get in bed with Dylan."

 

After laying his hands on Malcom's shoulders and looking straight into his eyes, Damon said, "Can I ask you somethin' real personal?" With a quick nod from Malcom, he continued. "Do you two really, you know, have sex and stuff?"

 

"Yes, we do, Damon," Malcom answered honestly. "Does that bother you?"

 

"Not really, no. But I gotta know somethin'." After taking a quick look to Dylan, he turned back to face his dad. "Don't it hurt like hell when he sticks his you-know-what in you-know-where?" Malcom and I both laughed at his curiosity and when we'd calmed down, Malcom answered him truthfully.

 

"It can if we don't properly prepare for it, and if it does hurt a little bit at the very beginning, it doesn't for very long. It starts to feel really good very quickly."

 

"If I tell you somethin', you promise not to tell mom?" the young man asked conspiratorially. After another quick nod from Malcom, Damon carried on. "My best friend and I done some things together, you know, playin' with our thingies and stuff. I know we're not supposed to do those things with another boy, but it feels so good when someone else does it to you, we can't help it. Will doin' stuff with him make me gay like you and Dylan."

 

By now, Malcom and I had taken a seat on the bench. Malcom patted his thigh and said, "Come here, Damon." After the young man had settled on his dad's leg, Malcom added, "A lot of boys do those things with their friends and most of them are straight. They just like the good feelings they get and once they get older, they turn their attentions to girls. Also, you should know the proper names for your body parts. Your thingy is a penis. And below that, inside your scrotum, are your testicles."

 

"Yeah, I know all that, but Mom don't want me sayin' them words."

 

"Well, that's her problem. From now on, please use the proper terms. I hate when grown ass men don't feel they can say the word penis without embarrassment. If it embarrasses your mom, I don't care."

 

"Easy for you to say, man, you don't have to live with her," Damon chuckled.

 

"Fair point, young man. Any other questions tonight?"

 

"I got one, but not sure I wanna ask it."

 

"Oh, c'mon, what could be worse than what we've already talked about?"

 

"Okay, here goes. Eric's thirteen, right? I'm only a year younger than him. Why is his thin ..., uh, penis, so much bigger than mine? He's already has hair growin' `round it, too. And his testicles are lot bigger than mine. When the hell am I gonna start growin' down there?" By the time he finished his question, Damon was almost crying.

 

Malcom pulled him into a comforting hug and answered, "I don't know, little man, but if you're willing, we could always go see a doctor about it to see if something's wrong."

 

"Really, you'd do that for me?"

 

"Of course, I will. I want you to be healthy and happy. I'd do anything I could to help you, Damon. I love you, you know."

 

"I love you, too, Dad."

 

"What'd you just say," Malcom asked in surprise.

 

"I love you, too, Dad. That's okay isn't it?"

 

"You bet it is. As long I can call you son."

 

"I'd like that, a lot," Damon whispered wistfully as he laid his head on his dad's shoulder and tears ran down both their faces.

 

"Uh, I hate to kill this sweet and tender father/son bonding moment, but I think we've been in here long enough, guys," I interrupted. "We need to get a move on."

 

I turned off the water, opened the shower door and we stepped out to dry ourselves. With clean and dry bodies, Malcom and I pulled on our clothes while Damon patiently waited for us. When we were ready to go, Damon grabbed his dad's hand and we left the room. When I turned towards the kitchen, the other two continued on across the house so Damon could get dressed. I finally found the rest of the family in the dining room munching on their snacks.

 

"Well, there's one of the three missing people. We thought you guys went down the drain," Tom laughed.

 

"The other two will be here in a minute. They went to the twins' room so Damon could get dressed and we can hit the road."

 

"Well, we got a snack lined up for him, so I hope you'll let him eat it before y'all scoot outta here."

 

"You know we will. If we didn't, we'd never hear the end of it."

 

"So, how's Damon dealing with the nudity thing out here?" I asked seriously.

 

"Seems to be just fine. And from the chat we just had in the shower, it sounds like his hesitance to get super close to Malcom was all his mother's paranoia about Malcom bein' gay and worried he'd take advantage of Damon somehow. Some of the air got cleared, though, so we're all in a better place."

 

"Good, glad to hear it Dylan. So, how does it feel to be a surprise stepdad?"

 

"I'd never thought about it much, really. As long I was a cop, I never wanted a family of any kind since I didn't want anybody worryin' `bout me all the time. But now that I'm almost done with that, I can't wait for it to be real. And Damon's a great kid. We've had a lot of fun and I've really grown attached to him this weekend."

 

"Good thing, Poppy, `cause I've grown attached to you, too," Damon called out as he and Malcom joined the crowd.

 

"Poppy? Where the heck did that come from?"

 

"Well, I can't use Pops since these goobers already claimed that one for Uncle Tom, can I? And I already got a dad, so that won't work too well, either. So, I went with Poppy. That okay with you, old man?"

 

"Whatever you want, Damon," Dylan chuckled.

 

"So, did you have fun tonight?" I asked.

 

"You bet, this is the most fun I ever had. I hope we can come back some time," Damon answered gleefully.

 

"You're welcome here any time, Damon," Tom replied.

 

"Good. Now that I got me some real cousins to have fun with, I wanna get to know them better. You and Uncle Max, too," he added with a giggle. "Maybe Mom will let me stay with Dad this summer after he moves and him and Poppy get married."

 

"Dad?" I mouthed to Malcom for which I received a nervous smile.

 

"We can't wait for you to come back again, Damon," Alex said. "We got all kinds fun things we can do here."

 

With the snacks winding down, we got the boys headed to their rooms to brush teeth and climb in bed while Tom and I cleaned up the minor mess kitchen. After lots of hugs and kisses going back and forth between our crew and Dylan's, it was close to ten minutes later before all the boys were in their rooms. Tom and I took a minute to say goodbye to our guests and after they were out the door, we headed for the boys' bedrooms to make sure everyone was in bed and share our hugs and kisses.

 

We stopped in the twins' room first to find Joey, Alex, and Logan climbing into bed. Since we were there, they waited at the edge of the mattress for our goodnights. After our normal rituals, Tom said, "Logan, I'm proud of you for accepting your punishment without argument."

 

"Hey, it ain't your fault us dumb asses got too nosy for our good. We screwed up, we deserve what we got. At least you didn't beat my ass like my daddy would have."

 

"That will never happen in this house, young man," I said.

 

"I know that, Max." He turned to Alex and Joey and added, "You dudes don't know how good you got it here. Wearin' clothes as punishment is a freakin' walk in the park."

 

"We know, we love it here with our dads ...," Alex started.

 

"... and we ain't never leavin'," Joey completed the thought.

 

They climbed in bed and let us pull up the covers, as usual, before we turned to leave. "Sleep tight guys," I called over my shoulder as we turned out the light and moved on to the next room. There, we found Eric, Josh and Brent curled up and ready for their covers.

 

Before we pulled up the covers, Tom said, "Crawl over here, guys, let's make this easy." The three untangled themselves and waddled over to us on their knees. As we shared hugs and goodnights with them, Eric and Brent kissed both of us on the lips while Josh settled for our cheeks. Before we could turn to go, all three thanked us for including them in our weekend outing and again expressed their desires to join us for the next one. With our assurance that they would be more than welcome to do so, they curled up again and allowed us to pull their covers up to their shoulders.

 

Eric had one more question to ask before we could leave. "Have you heard anything about Harry? I'm worried about him."

 

"No, Eric, we haven't. At this point, we have to assume no news is good news. If that changes, we'll make sure to pass the word on to all of you, okay?"

 

"Yeah, thanks, Max. See you in the morning."

 

"Night guys, sleep well," Tom said as we turned off the light and closed their door on the way to the last group.

 

When we entered T.J., Andy and Mike's room, we found the three tykes curled together in the middle of the bed and already asleep. All three were wearing their shorts and shirts, so I felt good they were following their punishment without a reminder. We pulled their covers up, gave them their kisses and love yous, then turned out the light and quietly closed the door. As we returned to the living room to relax for a bit before turning in, I added another log to the fireplace before sitting next to Tom.

 

"God, what a weekend," Tom moaned. "I feel like I've been run over by a steamroller."

 

"Me, too. Next time I have a flash of brilliance like that, I want you to smack me in the head and wake me up from my stupor, okay?"

 

"Count on it, babe."

 

 

As I turned from the road to Max's and onto the Old Jack, Damon piped up from the back seat, "Hey, Dad, can we talk about somethin'?"

 

"You can talk to us about anything. What's up?"

 

"Well, you know me pretty good, right? You know I don't just make up stupid stuff."

 

"Well, sure I do," Malcom replied as turned in his seat to be able to look at his son.

 

"Good. Here's what I'm thinkin' right now and I want you two to give it some serious thought. When you and Poppy get married, I want to come live with you."

 

"WHAT!?" Malcom yelped as I tried to keep the car on the road and out of the ditch. "Where's that comin' from?"

 

"Well, Mom's been actin' real weird and it's startin' to scare me. I think she's quit takin' her meds again."

 

"What are you talkin' about? I didn't know Mia was sick. She never said anything to me about it."

 

"Well, she wouldn't, would she. I mean, to her, all you are is a sperm donor. It's not like she really loved you when you two created me, was it? Hell, she barely knew you that night."

 

"True enough, Damon. But what's this about her being sick?"

 

"I don't know all the details `cause she won't talk to me about it, but I looked up the drugs she takes on the internet one night and found out they're for bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia, whatever those are. She's done pretty good stickin' with them since you and me met, but she's either slippin' or they ain't working right no more. It ain't too bad most of the time, but when the emotional crashes hit, or she starts talkin' to herself, I go in my room and lock the door. Like I said, I'm scared."

 

"I had no idea what you were dealing with, son, but we'll do some checkin' with some people Dylan knows to see what we can do to help."

 

"Thanks, Dad, I knew I could count on the two of you. Can I ask you somethin' else?"

 

"Shoot, young man."

 

"Well, it's kinda personal and embarrassing, but Mom flat refuses to talk about it. And they sure as hell don't talk `bout this shit at school, especially that private one she forces me to go to. Too afraid they'll offend some uptight asshole parent, I'm sure."

 

"Damon, whatever it is, can't be any more personal than what we talked about in the shower, can it?"

 

After a quick giggle, he said, "No, I guess not. Okay, remember, you said I could ask. Why does my di..., penis get hard?" Oh shit, here comes that ditch again. "I asked Mom about it a year ago and she freakin' screamed at me and told me she wasn't gonna talk about it, ever. And if I asked her about it again, she'd smack me so hard that even Google couldn't find me. But I really wanna know `cause it's happening more and more."

 

"Um, can we talk about this when we're at home, please. This isn't a subject that can be properly discussed during a short car ride."

 

"I s'pose," Damon grumped. "But you will tell me, won't you?"

 

"I certainly will. Every boy deserves to have a guy he trusts to answer those questions for him. I wish I could have been more involved in your life so we could have dealt with this stuff before now. But Dylan and I will work our tails off to make things better for you, I promise."

 

"Thanks, Dad, I knew you would. Thank you, too, Poppy. I know we just met yesterday, but I really like you and I think the three of us would be a great family."

 

"Thanks, Damon. I feel the exact same way," I replied with a wide smile.

 

"No way, José. If you're gonna be my dad, too, you call me son, got it?"

 

"Yes, son. I'll be happy to do so."

 

As Tom and I read our books, I was starting to sag further and further in my chair. I was just about to give up and call it a night when the phone rang. Jesus, don't people have manners anymore about calling late in the night. After Tom looked at the caller ID, he immediately punched the speaker button on the phone.

 

"Hi, Angela, thanks for calling." Nothing could have woken me up any faster than this call.

 

"I hope it's not too late, Tom, but I just got home from the hospital."

 

"No problem, we weren't in bed just yet. How's Harry doing today?"

 

"Pretty good, the doctor's say. They took him for another scan this evening and didn't see any more bleeding in his brain, so that seems to be fixed. He's still in the induced coma so his brain swelling can go down. They say they're going to start reducing the coma-inducing drugs tomorrow afternoon. As long as that goes smoothly, they think he should wake up tomorrow night or Tuesday morning."

 

"That sounds great. The boys asked tonight if we'd heard anything, so I'm glad we'll have some good news to share with them in the morning. How about Maureen, is she holding up okay?"

 

"About like you'd expect, can't eat, can't sleep, does nothing but worry and pace his ICU cubby all day long. I think she's mainlining caffeine to stay awake in case something bad happens."

 

"And what about you?" I asked. "How are you doing?"

 

"I'm hangin' in there. When I go to see him and give his mom a break, I just sit by his bed, hold his hand and talk about all the things we're gonna do when he's better. I don't know if he can even hear me, but there's not much else I can do right now."

 

"I wish we could have stayed up there longer to help out more, but our boys have to be at school in the morning," Tom said.

 

"Oh, don't worry about it. Like I said, there isn't much you could do anyway beyond what you've already done. It sucks to see Harry just lay there, but I guess that's what he needs right now. I just keep thinking forward."

 

"That's the way to do it, Angela. We're glad you're there for him."

 

"Oh, and his mom told me to tell you thanks for taking care of his hospital bills. She'll say it herself someday, but she can hardly say a word without cryin' right now. She didn't have any idea how she was gonna deal with that while taking care of Harry after he gets to go home. It's a huge load off her mind and I know she's got a lot less stress pushin' on her because of your generosity. I still can't believe you're doing that."

 

"We're happy to do it," Tom replied.

 

"I'll pass it on to Maureen, Tom. Thanks. Well look, I need to get to bed. I have school in the morning, too, and I'm freakin' beat. I'll call again tomorrow night after I get home, okay?"

 

"That's perfect. We'll talk to you then. Thanks again for callin'. Goodnight."

 

After disconnecting the call, Tom looked at me and said, "Well, that's some more good news today. I think we're on a roll, babe."

 

"Yeah, and I'm gonna roll my draggin' ass right into bed. You comin' now or later?"

 

"Later, I think. Angela's call woke me back up."

 

"Yeah, me too, but not enough to last for much longer." I leaned in, shared a sweet kiss with my teddy bear, told him I loved him and received the same back, then stood as straight as I could and stumbled to the bedroom. After a quick stop in the bathroom, I crawled into bed, curled up into a ball and wished for sweet dreams to fill my night. The sweetest of those dreams was fully realized when my honey crawled into bed with me, pulled me into his arms and held me tightly as we both drifted off into lala-land.