Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2021 06:10:12 +0000 From: Underjug Subject: Kent and the Brotherhood - Ch 10 Kent and the Brotherhood - Chapter 10 by Underjug & TheRealCOG M/b, con, oral, anal ********** IF YOU ENJOY THIS STORY, SUPPORT NIFTY! HELP THE SITE TO REACH THEIR GOAL THIS MONTH! Support Nifty in any way you can so we don't lose this wonderful, free archive. Visit: http://donate.nifty.org/ Thanks to all who email with nice things to say. We also post our stories at the AlltheFallen and 3DBoys sites. ********** Kent finished his kale salad quickly in his office so he could move on to working out some new plays for the football team. In fact, it was such a priority he'd blown his load down Brandon's throat extra fast just a few minutes ago so he could make time. Not that the boy athlete minded having his throat fucked like it was a fleshlight. So Kent wasn't expecting a second knock on his door, and if he had his druthers he would've ignored it. But, of course, the phys. ed. teacher had his open-door policy so he could hardly refuse to answer in case it was a student needing help. He just hoped it wasn't someone from the administration here to annoy him about something. "Come in," Kent said, scratching out a move he decided wouldn't work. He looked up to see who was at the door and instantly forgot all about the playbook. "Russell... Welcome, have a seat." Russell Young fidgeted with his hands as he obeyed his teacher. Guilt gnawed at the boy. Mr. MacTiernan... Kent... had been so kind and compassionate under the most sinful of circumstances. And Russell had wanted to stop by all last week, but he hadn't worked up the nerve. Even during gym class, he couldn't look his teacher in the eye. "Th-Thank you... Sir..." At that very moment Russell wanted to be anything but Mormon. Not only because what he'd done and what he wanted to discuss went against every church doctrine, but also because his temple garment felt itchy from his nervous sweat. "You look busy, sir, I could come back if-" "No, no, Russell. You're more important." Russell blushed. The spotlight was rarely on him, so he was muddled by the attention. "Um... Th-Thank you again... for... being s-so understanding. I know I don't deserve it." "Yes, you do deserve it." Kent pinned the boy with a glance. "I know you've been taught that what you feel is wrong, but I promise you that your feelings are entirely normal." The man leaned back in his chair. "And even if you had made a mistake, you'd still deserve compassion." Since his youth, Kent had never understood how people who supposedly believed in a "loving god" thought it was okay to spread fear and hatred in His name. Seeing how miserable and terrified Russell was struck Kent square in the heart. No boy deserved to feel that way. "Th-Thank you, sir. Our church... I don't know how much you know of the Mormon religion... but they frown on... um... the... what I'd been looking at in the library, sir." "Russell?" "Sir?" "It's 'Kent.'" The boy nodded. "Kent." "And though I'm not well-versed in Mormonism, I know of its stance. It was the same with my Irish Protestant parents." "S-So, you understand h-how difficult this is." "Tell me, what prompted you to seek out that artwork?" "U-Um... My brother." "He told you where to find it?" "N-No. He's only seven years old. I come from a family of six boys. And they're all straight, I think. Except for Christian. He told me that something... um... happened to him at summer camp. Another camper... this teen... 15 years old, I think... Christian told me they'd done things together. And my brother was scared. At first I thought it was because he'd been... taken advantage of. But Christian, um... he said he liked doing those things. And he was only worried he'd go to Hell. I told him he wouldn't, even though I'm... not sure." Kent absorbed that for a moment. He'd worried he might have to intervene on Christian's behalf, which would further complicate his relationship with Russell. But if his student was sure the boy hadn't been attacked, then Kent could put that aside, at least for now. Which was good, as he wanted to focus on Russell. "I don't know about Heaven and Hell, Russell. No one really does. But I don't think God would want us to be miserable, do you?" The boy nervously shook his head. "So, if that's the case, then He wouldn't want you to torture yourself over these feelings you're having." "But... But we're t-taught..." "I know. I was taught the same things. Though that's the thing about life. We have to figure out what is right and wrong for ourselves. Our hearts know what to do, I feel." Russell was trapped between what he'd learned and what seemed to make sense. The words spoken by Kent struck a chord with the boy. But why would God through Joseph Smith forbid this sexual part of man if it were truly natural? "I... I can't really talk to the Elders about this," whispered Russell. "And I can't talk to my family. Christian's just too young and I must look out for him. Y-You're the only one I know who... wouldn't judge what I've done." Russell looked up into Kent's eyes then averted his gaze. The middle-schooler heard his teacher say in a quiet and kind voice, "You don't have to figure this out all at once. It may take time for you to sort things out for yourself. Meanwhile, I'm only asking you not to punish yourself." "I-I'll try," stammered Russell. "I haven't read the BOOK OF MORMON," said Kent. "But I do know in Hebrews 11:1 it says, 'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' Have faith you'll find your way. I'll try to help you however I can." "Thank you, sir..." Russell gazed upwards, a tiny smile on his lips. "Kent." For Kent there were no easy answers. He could only hope to provide a safe, nurturing place for Russell to free himself from the programming of his church. It was a little shelter from a terrible storm, but Kent hoped it was enough. If someone had told him as a boy that he wasn't a monster who would burn in Hell, it would have made a huge difference. "You've given me part of the story. About your brother about his experience. But you didn't explain how that led you to go searching for those images that were on your phone. Had you had thoughts of being with other boys before? Or did your talk with your brother wake something up in you?" Russell flushed. It was one thing to harbor these private thoughts of lust of the flesh, it was quite another to speak them aloud to another person. "I... I... Y-Yes, it was the talk with my brother. How did you know?" "A lucky guess is all. I'm trying to figure it out alongside you." "I think... I like girls. At least I thought I did. No, I still do. But there's another part of me... well, it was a small part, I didn't really think about it. Not until Christian told me about what happened with the older camper. Ever since then I've had thoughts of... someone older and bigger doing to me... what was done to Christian." Russell gratefully accepted Kent's offer of a bottle of water. After taking a sip, he went on: "I started looking for places online that... Truthfully, I can't even remember how I found it, it was like following a trail of breadcrumbs. But there it was. This artist wrote about the House of Kika and how LLBeanie had created a boy named Phoenix who traveled there and became attracted to a man named Charles. And there they were in the artwork, doing what the camper had done to Christian. Bonding together without temple garments. Phoenix on the bottom and Charles on the top. It was like kika had made my fantasy real." Kent smiled and nodded. "The internet can be really useful in finding things to help you understand those urges you're feeling. I just hope you'll be careful. There are people online who might seem friendly but they're really like a fox in the henhouse. They only want to hurt you." Russell nodded, glancing down. "I'm never looking at that... stuff... again." Kent shook his head. "No need to cut yourself off. Just be careful, like I said." Russell shrugged, obviously still spooked by the entire experience. "I get you can't talk to your family about this. But what about your friends? You think any of them would understand? Having a support system around you is really important." Russell blushed again. "I don't... Our religion is very much about family. And with five brothers there's so much going on. But mainly... I'm the only Mormon at this school, and being what I am, it doesn't make it easy." The boy took another sip from the water bottle before continuing: "The people from the show SOUTH PARK understand us, but they also make it easier for others to... rip on us, as they say in the show. I know I'm not supposed to watch an adult cartoon, I only saw the one episode online that they did about our religion. Sorry, I think I'm babbling now." "SOUTH PARK is hilarious," Kent said with a grin. "Nothing wrong with you watching it... Wait, hold on, let me back up a second..." He grew serious as he looked at the boy. "Were you telling me you don't have any friends?" Thinking about it, Kent observed that Russell never spoke to the other boys during gym. The teacher wasn't exactly plugged into the school's social network, but he couldn't think of a time when he'd seen Russell hanging out with friends. Kent had just assumed... But surely a kid as bright and cool as Russell had to have a pack of guys he palled around with. When the boy didn't offer an immediate response, Kent prompted him with "Russell...?" The student shook his head. "My mom says my brothers are my friends. Well, that's what she said, anyway, when I told her how difficult of a time I was having. My older brothers are all in high school and Christian's in elementary. So, it's just me." "Oh, man..." Kent took a moment to comprehend that information and then he made a decision. Because there was just no way he could allow Russell to be friendless at such a crucial time in his life. Not when there was such an easy solution. "Do you know who Brandon Welsh is?" "Huh? Yeah, uh, his brother Dixon is friends with my little brother... Why...?" "Oh, that makes it even better." Kent nodded confidently. "Brandon's a great kid, like you. I'm helping him train for the baseball team. And he's gay, so he'll be someone else you can talk to." The man knew outing Brandon wasn't cool and he wouldn't do it to just any random stranger, but he also knew if Brandon had his way he'd be out to the whole school and this would help him and Russell bond. Russell's eyes went huge. "T-Talk...?" "Uh-huh. When I see him after school, I'll tell him about you - not the part about the porn, don't worry. I bet he'll be anxious to meet you." "Sir... Kent. I mean Sir Kent... I mean..." Russell laughed at his silly blunder. "Haven't been called that before," chuckled Kent, "but I like the sound of it." "Kent... Th-Thank you..." The bell rang and Russell jumped out of his seat. "S-Sorry, I guess it's class. Thank you, Kent." Russell strode up and pumped the teacher's hand in gratitude. "Maybe we should seal it with a bro hug?" suggested Kent. Without hesitation, Russell threw his arms around the man and was flooded with warmth while receiving a hug in return. It was as if the boy had started a new chapter. Russell broke away, but sensing how rude that must seem, he embraced Kent again, then shook his hand once more. "Thank you, Kent. You're a blessing. An angel. Thank you." Grinning, Russell waved and darted out of the office. ***** It was late afternoon when Ryder biked from his elementary school to the middle school where he planned to watch Brandon at baseball practice. As his legs pedaled, Ryder reminisced about the hot weekend he'd spent as a foursome - himself, Kent, Brandon and Clint. The orgy began with a voyeur's dream. Watching Kent plow his boyfriend's ass while Brandon and Clint had their first experience with incest. What had started as horseplay then escalated into the eldest Welsh brother teabagging the middle Welsh brother before getting blown. It had led to Brandon shooting his load down Clint's throat. Maybe the incest partly explained why Clint had been following Brandon around like a puppy dog all these years. Brandon certainly saw Clint in a different light - realizing his annoying pest of a brother actually was a hot boy - after Kent had announced the two were a couple. Now that that door had been opened, Clint also serviced Ryder, who in turn serviced Kent while being fucked by Brandon. "Big mouth" had earned his nickname from Kent as he was a natural at sucking dick. Poor Kent had to hold off cumming, because it was his regular orgasm after his Holy! Trinity and he had promised it to his little boyfriend, so as soon as Ryder climaxed, Kent whipped his cock out of the Little's mouth and shoved it into Clint's to feed the boy a good load. Ryder had cuddled up with Kent and begged the Welsh brothers to put on a show. It was a little awkward for Brandon at first, but when Clint attacked him with kisses, the two brothers made out. The action got even hotter. Saturday was the last day for the Welsh father before he was to leave again to his military post. So Ryder had a full Big-Little day with Kent. Mainly it was spent wrestling Greek with more secret tips being passed down to Ryder to improve his grappling technique. Sunday had held no promise of excitement for both Ryder and Clint. It was sports day for Brandon and Kent, which meant watching a postseason game leading up to the World Series. But Clint had turned things around after insisting on an all-day sucker. Which Ryder had heartily agreed to. So while the sports nuts had been lazing on the couch, Clint had lazily nursed on Kent's cock, while Ryder had done the same to Brandon. These were slow, easy comes. It was such a naughty way to spend an afternoon and the serviced dudes loved it. Afterward, the tween boyfriends had kicked the man-kid boyfriends to the bedroom so each couple could have some romantic one-on-one time. However, before Kent drove the boys home, the foursome had a full-on orgy with more awesome incest. Parking his bike at the baseball diamond, Ryder was fighting a boner and had to wipe the pleasant memory from his mind. He was puzzled to find his boyfriend standing next to Kent and an unknown blond boy. Kent was relieved that Brandon wasn't only willing to have this new kid pushed into his social circle, he actually welcomed it. Brandon was so cocksure, so brazen, it was hard to see him as anything but completely rock solid. Nonetheless, Kent was aware that as popular as he was with his teammates, short stack had to keep the fact he was gay a secret and therefore maintained a distance with his teammates. So when Brandon had learned there was a new gay (or maybe bi) boy at the school he could hang out with, his eyes had lit up with excitement. That is until, of course, the usual cocky grin had reappeared on his face and he'd told Kent, "Sure, bring him to the field after school. Be cool to meet him." And the meeting was going well. Brandon was charming as always, and Russell was completely bowled over by him. "So, you into baseball?" was Brandon's question. "Oh, um, yeah... I mean, I watch it on TV..." "Well, good, because today you get to see us..." His attention was diverted. "What?" Yu, the first baseman, had trotted up to them looking impatient. "We playing or what?" Brandon rolled his eyes. "Of course! Keep your shirt on, geez." Kent put his hand on Russell's shoulder. "All right, I'm heading over to coach on the football field. You going to be ok here?" "Uh, yes, thank you, Mr. MacTiernan..." Seeing it was just the three of them, though, Russell corrected himself. "Kent." "Hey, doofus," Kent said to a younger blond boy while mussing his hair. "I gotta go, but I'll see you later. Brandon has a new friend he'd like to introduce you to." And Kent was gone. Brandon stepped up. "Ryder, meet Russell." "Oh!" Russell said enthusiastically - this must be the boyfriend who Brandon had mentioned! Then he remembered he was supposed to act more casual. "You're Brandon's adopted little brother." "That's me," smiled Ryder and he held out for a fist bump. "Punch it in." Russell awkwardly tapped fists. "You wanna sit with me and watch?" asked Ryder. Russell nodded eagerly. He was so blown away at how easily he was welcomed that he didn't quite know how to respond. "Ok, meatheads," Brandon called out, "blue squad's first at bat!" As Brandon went to the mound, the blue-jersey players headed to the dugout while the red-jersey players took the field. The middle-school pitcher started warming up. He always liked to do his best so that Ryder would see how good he was, but now he had a new guy watching him and the pressure was really on. When the teams were ready, the first player was up to bat and Brandon stared him down. Pete wasn't the strongest at the plate, but that was no excuse to get sloppy. Ryder loved his showboating boyfriend who not only looked like a professional baseball player but also had the balls to boss around this team of straights - none of them aware it was a gay boy keeping them in line. He fixed his eyes on the pitcher while chatting with Russell. "So, how do you know Brandon?" "U-Um, I don't, really. I'm supposed to t-tell you that, um... Kent thinks you and Brandon w- would be good friends for me b-because of who I am." That statement got Ryder to stop paying attention to his lover! "Oh. Uh... well... welcome to the club." "Thanks." The blush on Russell's face telegraphed his shyness and awkwardness. Ryder said, "Kent's an awesome guy." "He is." "And so's my..." then with a whisper, "boyfriend." "Brandon certainly can handle a baseball." And with that they witnessed the pitcher deliver his first strike. Brandon grinned. He felt himself slip into the zone - this was where everything was simple and made sense. Nothing was as incredible as sailing a perfect pitch right into the catcher's mitt. With a satisfying thud, Brandon sank a second strike on the next pitch. Oh yeah, he was on fire. Russell asked, after listening to Ryder crow over his boyfriend's victory, "Um, uh... So... So h- how did you and Brandon, um, meet?" "It was love at first sight," said Ryder. The words sounded strange to Russell's ears, particularly since the topic was about two boys. "Kent was helping Brandon out with his weight training in the gym. It took me a bit, like, to figure out how I was feeling. But Brandon said he knew he wanted to be boyfriends the moment I, like, walked into the gym." Ryder had the good sense to keep some details a secret - especially his relationship with Kent - until trust had been established. But just as Ryder had good gaydar, he could also tell when someone was being genuine. And this Russell boy certainly seemed like a nice guy. "Oh, um..." "Anybody you're interested in?" Russell smiled despite his blush. "G-Guess I'm still, um, qu-questioning." "That's cool," Ryder said with a smile. "I have a little brother I think's... you know." "Gay?" whispered Ryder. Russell nodded. "He had an experience with an older teen camper." "Whoa, that sounds hot." It was also strange to Russell's ear to hear "gay" and "hot" said aloud. But something about Ryder - how relaxed and natural the topic was to this blond grade-schooler - actually put Russell at ease. The Mormon boy said, "My brother's story made me search online and I found art... with an older guy and a younger guy." "Nuh-uh. There's art showing that kinda stuff? By who?" "The ones I found were by artists named kika and LLBeanie." "And they actually show...?" "...everything." "You were lucky to find it." "You're lucky you have the real thing." Ryder looked over at the pitcher's mound. "Yeah. You're right. I am lucky." Brandon was having a good game, which for some reason always made him horny. Well, hornier than usual. He was looking forward to some boyfriend time after the ninth inning. But first Brandon had to continue his winning streak. Once Team Red got their turn at bat, though, that got a lot less certain. Because his center fielder, Kwan, announced he had to leave early. "Dude!" Brandon protested. "Sorry, my mom's got to work and my big sister's off on a field trip and there's no one to watch-" "Yeah, ok, great. Go." Brandon shook his head, fuming at the way his teammates didn't take these preseason training sessions seriously. "Now what the fuck am I gonna do?" Russell was in the middle of thanking Ryder for listening to him when he suddenly noticed Brandon standing directly in front of them at the bleachers. "Hey, Russ, play any ball?" Ryder joked, "We were just getting to that subject - but the indoor version." "U-Um," faltered Russell, "I watch my big brothers play sometimes." "Good enough," said Brandon. "I'd ask Ryder, but all he's interested in is pinning dudes." Russell was nervous again. "Oh, I don't think I-" "No pressure, we need a body in rotation. Nobody's expecting a triple or nothin'. You'll be doing me a favor as a friend." Those words were like a religious experience to Russell. "O-OK. If you need h-help..." "We don't dress out for these games," Brandon explained as the meek Mormon boy jogged to keep up with him. "So just sneakers is cool. I got a glove you can borrow." "Oh, thanks..." Russell had one at home. Well, it was one of his brothers' old ones, but it was in decent shape. Of course he couldn't run home and get it. "I'll, um, d-do my best." Brandon managed his best confident grin even though he wasn't feeling it. He was mad but, well, it wasn't Russell's fault. He figured his chances of winning were pretty damn thin, since Kwan was a great hitter. Now it was all up to Brandon. Because of course it was. He would have to score enough runs to get ahead AND keep Team Blue from scoring. So much was happening so fast for Russell. And he would be nervous except for the fact that Brandon was putting him even more at ease. "OK, we got our batter!" shouted Brandon. "Everyone, I want you to welcome Russell Young!" Russell waved. The gang all chimed in with greetings. It was so strange. The air was somehow lighter for Russell; usually it was heavy and difficult to trudge through. Had God opened up this new path to him? Or was it a different path than the one usually used by the Young family? Happy. Russell understood in that moment he was happy. Even as he picked up the foreign object - the bat - and lined himself up over the plate like he'd seen his big brothers do during their game. Russell caught sight of the pitcher signaling the outfielders to move in. The boy knew what the gesture meant - easy out. THAT should have made him nervous. Yet the air remained lighter. He was still happy. Even as he saw the ball sailing right at him and he swung... Brandon's jaw dropped. There was beginner's luck and then there was what just happened. Russell hit that ball like it had said something nasty about his mother. It sailed up, up and away as the outfielders scrambled to go after it. Brandon shouted at Russell to run! And the boy raced to first and, seeing Brandon's signal, headed for second and then third. The boy - Brandon's new favorite person - was halfway to home plate before Munoz even retrieved the ball. "SAFE!" Brandon yelled and ran out to give Russell a big hug. "FUCK YEAH!" he said, grinning like an idiot. Russell was in a daze. Not only was Brandon squeezing the life out of him, but the other teammates crowded round for a group celebration. Nevertheless, the voice he heard above the others was Ryder's whoops in the stands. He waved at the other blond. The air was so light around Russell he could positively float. For the first time ever he felt in the company of brothers. "Tell me you can do that again!" smiled Brandon as he mussed Russell's hair. "I-I don't know," answered Russell timidly. "Well, we're gonna find out!" said Brandon with a wink. ***** "You shoulda seen him, teach!" Brandon bragged. "The dude can't miss! Every time he got to the plate, he knocked out another homerun." Kent grinned in delight at the kitchen table with Brandon, Ryder, Clint and Russell. The four boys were tearing through plates of grilled chicken and spinach like ravenous wolves. It had been a real surprise when Brandon had asked if Russell could join them for dinner, but a good one because it meant the boys were bonding. Though there had been a brief sidebar with his grade-school lover and the older boyfriends. "Absolutely no mention of the sex stuff." "Obviously," Ryder had replied with a roll of his eyes. "And no trying to rope him into sex either." "Awwww," Ryder had complained as Clint let out a snicker. Kent couldn't deny how cute Russell was. But he was more concerned about his student's emotional well-being. Especially after asking the Mormon boy if he needed to call his folks and ask if it was ok to miss dinner at home and Russell had said, "No... I don't think they'll notice I'm not there." Kent had called anyway and explained about wanting to talk to Russell about joining the team. Mrs. Young had been polite but didn't seem interested in her son's athletic talents. Kent didn't know what that was all about, but it upset him. Not that he'd said anything to her. But he made a mental note of it. Brandon went on, "Of course, Hector isn't half as good as me on the mound since I AM solid state." He told Russell with a friendly grin, "You go up against me, and I'll have to crush you." "I'll try to do my best," replied Russell. Ryder couldn't believe how polite this clean-cut blond dude was no matter what was thrown at him. Knowing his boyfriend, Ryder understood Brandon's teasing was being doled out to get a rise out of Russell. It just wasn't happening, it only made this new dude nicer. "I gotta ask you," interjected Ryder, "what's with, like, the extra layers in this weather, especially playing sports?" "O-Oh, it's, uh, what we Mormons wear." "No way, like the people on the show-" "-SOUTH PARK, yeah." "But, like, underwear?" "It... It's our temple garments." "Their magic underwear," teased Brandon with a sly smile. "Hey, we're being respectful," reminded Kent. "Ah, Russ knows I don't mean nothin' by it," said Brandon. "Ain't bein' misresponsible." He ducked Kent's feigned backhand. Russell took it all in stride. "We, uh... It's not magic. But we're expected to wear an undershirt and knee-length underwear." "All the time?!" asked Clint incredulously. "Well, not when we're swimming or bathing or-" "-having sex?" asked Ryder. The look from Kent made the Little shrug innocently. "Just asking. He doesn't have to answer." "Sorry, Russell," Kent said to the blushing boy. "Ryder doesn't mean anything by it. His mouth is just on autopilot most of the time." "Hey!" "Eh, he kinda has you there, kid," Brandon chuckled and Ryder stuck his tongue out at him. Clint was a bit put out. No one had consulted him on the interloper coming over. He was happy his big bro had a new friend and all, but this Russell boy was seriously cramping Clint's style. He had a cherry jawbreaker to suck, after all. What was needed was a distraction. He just had to get Russell and Ryder and Brandon talking and he could drag Kent into the bedroom for a quickie. The determined grade-schooler dredged up something Kent had told him, seeing it as the perfect topic for them to not be involved in. "So, you're the same Russell whose brother is friends with Dixon, right?" Clint asked as politely as he could. "U-Um, yeah. Christian's actually good friends with your little brother," confirmed Russell. "Wait, what?" said Brandon. Clint smiled to himself, seeing his big brother take the bait. He grabbed hold of Kent's finger under the table and tugged. But to his disappointment, Clint could see his adult boyfriend wasn't getting the message. And his brother's sudden sound of displeasure threw him. Brandon intoned, "Russell, you knew your little brother was friends with Dixon?" "Yeah, uh... I've known probably for two years, I guess. They're in cub scouts together and sometimes Dixon's come to our house for sleepovers. Why, sorry, is that a problem?" Clint could see Brandon getting upset and knew his brother tried to never show that side. "Yeah, it's just... No... No, it's fine. Great. It's just weird that Dixon's never even mentioned Christian to us. Like, at all." Russell murmured, "Maybe he's... embarrassed about my family." "Or US," said Brandon. "No," said Kent, "I'm sure it's not that at all." He hardly knew Dixon, but from what he'd seen, the youngest Welsh brother loved his family. "He's just got his own thing going on." But Brandon folded his arms. "I just... I mean, it's my job to look after him." This was not going at all the way Clint had figured. Kent still wasn't willing to leave the table, for one, and for another, the boy didn't like seeing his big bro all flustered. "Um. You know Dixon, he's quiet. He doesn't like to make a fuss." Russell bit his lip. "Kinda like me." From what Brandon had heard about Russell's family life, that was not at all reassuring. "Dammit, why wouldn't my brother want me to meet his friends?" "It's like Kent says," replied Clint, "he just likes doing his stuff, and me and you kinda do our stuff." "He obviously doesn't like gays," Brandon said snarkily. "That can't be true," stated Ryder. "He didn't even know about any of us before." "Yeah, but I didn't really make it a secret about myself around Dixon," said Brandon. "And if all your older brothers are straight," he directed at Russell, "he probably feels more comfortable being around them." "I'm sorry," said Russell, "didn't mean to cause any trouble." "Now I feel bad about Dixon," lamented Clint. "No, hey," said Brandon, now back to his old self, "it's cool. This is good. Thanks for letting me know, Russ. It's like fate or whatever brought you to us. Awesome ball player and practically a bro to the Welsh brothers." "We get many more 'bros'," muttered Clint, "and Mom's gonna have to add on to the house." "What was that?" Brandon asked. "Nothing..." Kent squeezed Clint's knee under the table. It was clear his boyfriend was cranky about the unexpected diversion the evening had taken. Kent hoped his young lover knew the man would make it up to him when he could. For the moment, though, he needed Clint to retract his claws. "I'm sure Dixon's cool," Ryder said to his boyfriend. "He's never said anything when I'm at your house." "Yeah... I'll figure it out. Thanks, lover," Brandon replied and gave Ryder a tender kiss. Then he pulled back and threw an uncertain look at Russell. "Sorry, didn't mean to freak you with the whole PDA thing." Russell had experienced two sensations - the Mormon side was shocked at the kiss, but when it was over, the gay side was happy for the two boys. "That's o-ok." Russell saw Clint stand up in his chair. "'Course it's ok for dudes to kiss." Once again Russell flushed at the sight of the 10-year-old boy kissing his P.E. teacher on the lips. "See?" It was an even more intense experience for Russell. What the young boy had done was closer to the excitement Russell had felt when he'd heard the story about his brother and the older camper, and when he'd seen the artwork of the young teen Phoenix with the man Charles. "Clint-" Kent had started to say in admonishment. But the young boy was already defending himself. "It's no big deal to PPA." The big brother jumped right in. "It's PDA, you dweeb." "That's what I said." "It's not PP." There was a half-second pause and then Clint, Ryder, Brandon, and even Russell burst into laughter. Kent smiled, but he was NOT HAPPY. Lecturing Clint would only have made it seem like there was something going on between them and he couldn't have that. Making an excuse to Russell would likely have had the same effect. Ryder saw the look on the man's face and knew his "brother" had gone too far. Quickly, he said, "Clint, don't be kissing Kent like that! Just 'cause he's gay don't mean he likes little kids like you!" Kent winced, because that was sure to make things worse, so he started clearing the dishes and suggested the boys watch some TV in the den. As the group relocated to the couch, Clint noticed the disapproving look on Brandon's face. This was what he'd been lectured on, making doubly sure not to get Kent in trouble. It was so unfair that his brothers got to kiss but Clint couldn't. But the preteen understood in that moment how important it was to protect his boyfriend. While taking a seat on the couch, Clint turned to Russell. "I was just showing how kissing was no big deal, no matter who you are." Russell said in a dry voice, "Th-Thank you for showing me that." Brandon took control. "The dork had no idea what he was doing." "I... I didn't think it was wrong - a boy kissing a man," said Russell even though his face was bright red. In that moment, Ryder experienced d‚j... vu as his mind traveled back to the time Hudson had come over for a barbecue. That day it was supposed to be a Big-Little get-together with Kent and Ryder. But Hudson and his family were about to move away and the best friend had confessed to his crush on Ryder. It was like the spirit of Hudson had returned. "Why's that?" asked Ryder. "S-Sorry?" said Russell. "Why'd you say it wasn't wrong?" pressed Ryder. "Because of... what I told you. About... you know... younger being with older." This was blowing Ryder away. Feelings of happiness and sadness washed over him as images of Hudson flashed before his eyes. In that moment he knew Russell was one of them. A true brother. "Have you ever been kissed?" asked Ryder. "Um... I... no..." Brandon could tell his boyfriend was up to something, but he wasn't sure what it was. He just knew that look in Ryder's eyes. The kid was plotting something. Russell looked like a rabbit who'd also smelled a fox, all nervous and ready to run. "I promised Kent I'd help with the dishes," Clint said and scampered off to the kitchen. "Behave yourself," Brandon warned with his old "father in charge" look. His little brother knew that look meant to not cross the line or there would be hell to pay. Then Brandon asked his boyfriend, "What'd Russell say to you, anyway?" What he was told next could not be believed. First that Mormon boy's seven-year-old brother enjoyed servicing and getting fucked by a hunky teen camper with a thick tool. Second that artists actually created images of men having sex with boys. Fate actually must've brought Russell to their group. Fuckin' awesome ball player, inside man on what his little brother was up to, and now a slut for bigger dudes slamming young asses. Brandon was usually the one in charge, but Ryder seemed to be two steps ahead of him with the gaydar. And that was never truer than when Ryder blurted out... "My best friend Hudson, his thing was he liked being bossed around by a horny big brother and being told what to do no matter what." "R-Really?" asked Russell. "My thing is I like to watch." "Wh-What do you mean?" asked Russell. "Don't, like, get me wrong, I like doing stuff, you know. But I kinda also like to watch dudes doing it. I'm a watcher." "Y-Yeah, I guess I understand," said Russell, who still looked overwhelmed by the opportunity to speak about his private feelings aloud. "I mean, after what my brother told me and what the artists created." Brandon caught the look from Ryder and he returned it with an I DUNNO, KID expression. "Would you like a kiss from my boyfriend?" asked Ryder. Before Brandon could say a word, Russell shocked them with an "Ok." Brandon froze, his macho attitude stalling out for a second. He couldn't believe Ryder was asking him to kiss some strange boy! Or, well, okay, it wasn't all that unbelievable, really... But still! Of course he let Kent use him like a cheap whore, but that was because Kent was special to all of them. And, okay, right, he'd made out with Clint... Maybe he wasn't as much of a one-boy sort of dude as he thought. "Ok, but, like, just know this is like sport fucking." Russell's eyes bulged. "Wh-What...?" "Eh... Uh, nevermind. Just saying, this is a friend thing. 'Cause I'm taken, you know." "Huh? Oh, sure, I-" Brandon grabbed the blond by his shirt front and pulled him in for a full-on boy-attack kiss. Russell was hit with the most intense ice cream headache - but a most wonderful one. The moment their mouths plugged into one another, a lightning bolt struck his brain and radiated to his fingertips and toes. And then he felt the warmth of Brandon's face against his. Only a short time ago, the two of them were all about bats and balls. Now, all that had evaporated and it was about sharing love. Not love, though. The kiss was more like a lion attacking a deer. Still, it wasn't unpleasant. Because between Russell's legs was the familiar fullness as when he was told the sex story from his brother and had seen the sex act in the artwork. "How was it?" Russell opened his eyes and realized the kiss was over. The one who had asked was Ryder. "V-Very nice. But I like... romantic." Brandon seemed to take that as a challenge. "I can do romantic." And Russell was treated to a gentle, sweet, giving kiss. A nice Mormon-boy kiss. The ice cream headache returned, but it was murkier and even more wonderful. Russell pretended the first one was a mistake, like their mouths had accidentally collided, and this was the real first one. He returned to consciousness when Brandon broke the kiss. It was Ryder who spoke again. "What about that?" "M-Much better." All three boys smiled and chuckled. Moments before, Clint had entered the kitchen with the usual shy smile he reserved for strangers, and the one he'd had when he first met Kent and went to Pizza Palace to chaperone Brandon and Ryder's first date. "We need to talk," said Kent in the same voice the Welsh father would use when he was extremely unhappy or disappointed with one of the brothers. "I-I'm sorry," said Clint with a slight tremor. "Clint, that's not good enough," Kent went on, though Clint could see the man also felt a bit bad having to say it. "B-But-" "No, this time you're going to have to really listen." Clint lost his smile as he was directed to join his boyfriend at the kitchen table. Kent was careful to maintain his absolute calm. He didn't want to hurt his young lover's feelings and he certainly didn't want the boy to get the idea he would be punished. This was Kent's fault and he knew it. He'd gotten so lax with safety around his boys that they had picked up on it and started seeing their little world of love as safe and secure. The man settled Clint in his lap so he could hug him. Even if Russell came in, that was not so far over the line as to set off alarms, or so Kent hoped. It was important his partner knew he was still safe and cared for. "I know you didn't mean to cause any trouble," he told the boy. "I wouldn't!" "Shh, I know. I think this is my fault. I didn't really explain how lucky I am to have found you and your brother and Ryder. You three are special. Very few boys out there would want to share in what we have." Clint frowned. "Why not?" "Lots of different reasons. Some are simply straight, as you know. Some don't want to be with someone older. Some just feel being with someone older is very wrong. The point is, just because Russell has gay feelings, that doesn't mean he would be all right with you and I being lovers." Clint shrugged. "I know..." Kent shook his head. "I know you do. You're a smart boy. But I've never really talked to you about how bad it would be if people suspected I have sex with you boys." "We'd never tell!" Clint insisted. He and Brandon had talked about this late one night. "And if anyone asked us, we'd say they were crazy!" Kent smiled. "Thank you, sweet boy. But the thing is, that's not how the world works. Suspicions can become accusations. I could end up going to jail. And even if I didn't, even if it never went that far, I could still lose my job. I'd be kicked out of the Big Brother program and not be able to see Ryder anymore." Clint swallowed hard, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "But that's not fair!" "No, it isn't. But it's the way things are." Kent hugged his boyfriend tight. "I need you guys to look out for me just like I look out for you. Ok?" "I never want anything bad to happen to you," Clint told him, sniffling a bit. "I know, sweet boy. And Russell may think nothing of it that you kissed me. A boy can kiss a man and it can mean nothing, after all. But we have to be extra careful. That's all I'm saying." "But Brandon got to kiss Ryder and I been good and waited even though I really, really wanted to kiss you too." "I want you to know, Clint, I feel the same need to kiss you. We have to first be confident, though, about who we can trust." "Uh-huh, I was gonna say I know it's different for my brothers. Ryder was saying he had a real good feeling about Russell and that's the only reason I kissed you. I promise I wouldn'ta if he was just a boy who came here. Or, like, if anybody else was here we didn't know. And, um..." Clint played with Kent's fingers that were resting on his knee. "I promise even if I super wanna kiss you I'll make sure it's ok first. Actually, ok, I'll wait for you to kiss 'cause I might mess up, so 'til I, like, learn to be careful it'll just be you doing it, then I'll know that means we can do it safe and we can both enjoy it 'cause we know you won't get in trouble and I promise to stop if we need to." With the cutest grin, Clint lifted his glass of water in a toast. Kent did the same. "Let's drink to it." Clint giggled and took a sip of water. "To kisses." "To kisses." In the den, Brandon smiled as he threw a look at his boyfriend that said YOU GOT ME INTO THIS, SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT. "You should kiss Ryder to compare." "I would be honored to kiss you," stated Ryder like an official proclamation. "O-Ok," said Russell, his blush deepening. Ryder winked at his boyfriend and took his place. Gently the grade-schooler pressed his lips against Russell's. And his heart melted as he felt something so familiar - trembling. The kind that Ryder had experienced when he first kissed Kent and Hudson and Brandon. It was exciting to be on the other side, more experienced and confident. The fumbling and fresh desire of Russell was so sweet and wonderful. Kent led Clint back to the couch and saw the adorable and hot moment of Ryder macking on Russell. It made the man so happy to be part of this new chapter of the isolated Mormon boy's journey. And he was proud of Brandon and Ryder for embracing this newcomer with their wonderful, loving hearts. Seeing his teacher, Russell jerked back reflexively, blushing and looking guilty. "I... Uh... We were..." "Just kissing," Ryder said, grinning. It was still such a shock not being lectured for his sinful actions that Russell wasn't sure what to say. "It really is fine," assured Kent. "Boys, scooch over, I need to talk to Russell a second." Ryder complied by almost climbing into Brandon's lap. Kent smiled and settled next to the nervous young newbie. The red-faced boy looked pensive, like he was worried he'd done something wrong and was going to be kicked out of this paradise he'd been allowed into. Kent's smile was warm and reassuring, however. "I'm glad you came over today. And I hope you'll be coming around more." Russell's eyes widened at the invitation but he was too stunned to reply. "What I've tried to create here is a safe place for us all. Everyone here is gay. And you may be bi, which is fine, but the point is this place is our shelter from the world. You know better than anyone how unfair and judgmental most people are." Russell nodded, fidgeting with his hands. "Yeah..." "And that's why I want you to be welcome here. But there's one rule you have to follow. Everything that happens here stays with the people in this room." "Like that movie FIGHT CLUB!" Brandon put in. "More like Homo Club," Ryder said with a snicker. Brandon chuckled. "And the first rule is we don't talk about Homo Club!" Kent laughed softly and shook his head. "Kind of like that. Look, Russell, I don't want you to ever be uncomfortable. If you think you can't keep secrets from your parents, then that is absolutely ok. I wouldn't want you to feel guilty about keeping things from them." Of course Russell already was keeping secrets, his AND his little brother's, but this was even bigger. "So if you have to tell your folks, then that's ok. But it means you can't be part of this... No, we're not calling it Homo Club, Ryder." "Awwww..." "It's like a brotherhood," Brandon said, nuzzling his boyfriend. Russell's eyes were ping-ponging around as they all spoke. When there was silence and he saw they were waiting for him to speak, he froze for a minute. Partly because he wasn't used to anyone caring what he had to say. But also because he didn't want to mess up what he wanted to say. "I... I'd never tell about you guys. Not even if... I mean, if you didn't want me to come around... I wouldn't snitch. I swear." "We totally want you to come," Ryder said with a dirty grin. Kent rolled his eyes as Clint and Brandon giggled like mischievous imps. Russell stared, completely baffled. The man nodded, "I believe you, Russell. I just like to talk about these things rather than assume." He gazed seriously into the boy's eyes. "Clint kissed me earlier because he wanted to and because he knows I want you all to feel free to express yourselves. The little scamp wanted to see if he could shock you. I hope you weren't grossed out or anything." "N-No, sir," Russell said in a panic. And then calmer: "Kent." He looked around at Ryder and Brandon and Clint and his teacher. "It was actually... the opposite... I liked seeing it." With an embarrassed grin Russell said to the tween couple, "And feeling it." "But who was better?" asked Brandon with a sly smile. "Don't make the poor guy have to admit it was me," giggled Ryder. Russell maintained a serious expression. "In my religion we're supposed to have Family Night on Mondays. I don't want to be blasphemous. But THIS was Family Night for me. The best night ever." "Awwwww," smiled Ryder. "Back atcha, Mormon boy," chuckled Brandon. "That is so nice of you to say, Russell," said Kent while squeezing the boy's shoulder affectionately. "I want you to be part of our family too!" shouted Clint. Kent saw the look on Clint's face and beckoned him over to sit in his lap once more. The man looped his arms around the boy's waist and held him close, feeling contentment run through him. This was how it should be. He couldn't change the world out there, but he COULD make sure his boys were always safe when they were here in his apartment. "Brotherhood," Kent said, repeating Brandon's word from earlier. He had felt that same sort of bond forming with his beautiful boys. The word just seemed to fit. "Yeah, I like that. Our little Brotherhood, where love knows no boundaries." "Aw, you're getting all mushy," Brandon said with a grin. He turned and started making out with Ryder. "Guilty as charged," Kent agreed. Clint gave their new brother a sweet smile. "Hey, can I have a kiss, Russell? You gave one to Brandon and Ryder..." Russell's eyes widened. "Y-You want a kiss from me?" "Kent said I can't just kiss anybody, I hafta ask permission first. So, can I, please?" "U-Um, is that ok with your brother?" "He's not the boss a me," Clint said firmly though not unkindly. Brandon was in the middle of making out with his boyfriend when he said, "Yeah, the dweeb can make his own decisions." "I'd like to k-kiss you, s-sure," whispered Russell. Still seated in his boyfriend's lap, Clint had Kent lean him across to kiss Russell. However, it was just a peck. "Heeeyyyyy, that wasn't a real kiss," giggled Clint. So Kent leaned him across again for a proper kiss. "How was the twerp version of a kiss?" asked Brandon. "Clint..." Russell cleared his throat. "Clint certainly could teach me a thing or two." "See?" said the middle Welsh brother in defiance of his big brother. "I'm as good as you." "That just leaves one more," said Ryder matter of factly. "Save the best for last," added Brandon before Kent could object. "I..." began Russell. "I think Russell has had plenty of kisses," stated Kent. "Oh," said Russell, disappointed. "He wants to," Clint entreated his boyfriend. "Like in the artwork, right?" Ryder said encouragingly. "With Phoenix kissing Charles?" Russell cast his eyes downward and nodded imperceptibly. Kent wasn't going to say no. He wanted it, without a doubt, and Russell wanted it and saying no would only hurt the boy's fragile ego. So he leaned down and cupped the youngster's smooth chin in his fingers and gave him a slow, lingering kiss. Nothing aggressive, nothing demanding, just pure gentleness and passion. The jock could almost hear the tween's heart pounding against his ribcage, but not from fear. No, the way the nervous boy responded made it clear it was all excitement and joy. Russell shuddered, panting a little as the kiss went on. "I... Oh... oh n-no... OH!!" Suddenly Russell gripped Kent's bicep hard enough to hurt a little. The boy's cheeks went flame red and he looked away in embarrassment. "I-I-I... I'm s-sorry, I... I..." Kent nuzzled the sweet boy. What had happened was unexpected, but it was important to affirm that it was natural and nothing to be ashamed of. These were boys hovering around the edges of puberty so they weren't always able to control themselves. Kent said softly, "It's all right. Just relax and enjoy it and then we'll get you cleaned up."