This Story is intended for a mature audience only. Redistribution without permission is forbidden. This is a work of fiction for artistic enjoyment, feedback welcome at vlad885 @ hotmail.com

I'm writing this a chapter at a time, based on feedback. So feel free to encourage me to continue or perhaps suggest where I might go with future chapters.

Chapter 7:

"So let me see if I've got this straight," Ted said reclining in his favorite lounge chair. "Illegal entry, trespassing, resisting arrest, assault ... with a weapon"

"I guess skate boards are weapons now" Dustin interrupted.

"And public mischief, is that it?" Ted asked his tone belying his mounting frustration.

"Yeah, I guess they couldn't think of anything else" Dustin replied.

"Where is he now?" Ted quizzed.

"In his room" Dustin advised pointing up the stairs. "I think he's to scared to come down"

"You didn't send him to school?" Ted asked his tone still stern.

"No, we got home pretty late, we were at the police station until 2am, I thought Emm was going to have a melt down it was taking so long" Dustin advised.

Ted paused, sipping on his coffee. He was aggravated that he'd come home to this mess and wasn't hiding it.

"So exactly how did you let this happen" Ted began.

"Me? When did this become my fault? The kid's the one who fucked up" Dustin snapped.

"You let him go skate boarding on a school night, what were you thinking?" Ted continued.

"Your stupid manual didn't say he couldn't" Dustin replied dismissively.

"Did you ask where he was going? Whom he was going with?" Ted asked his volume increasing.

"Look. I told you Emm should have taken him, I'm not a fucking breeder, I never wanted to be someone's daddy!" Dustin challenged. Dustin often took to swearing when he was upset, all pretense of politeness gone. He was quite vulgar when Ted first met him, the result of his less than stellar upbringing. Dustin's own father surely had soured him on the idea of being one himself.

"You were in charge, you're responsible" Ted said flatly. "Go get the kid"

"Get him yourself, I'm not your fucking lackey" Dustin snorted.

"So that's what it comes to eh," Ted said in a low stern voice. "We're not really a couple, this is just a convenient place to stay and get fucked a few times before you're off again."

"You never asked me if I wanted this kid you just decided for us, so don't fucking lecture me about being a couple and incase you forgot, I travel for work!" Dustin snapped in full fury.

"Seems to me you're gone longer than you used to be and now you're paying for some of your own flights" Ted accused.

"Did you really have a conference in New York Ted or were you shacking up with someone?" Dustin countered making Ted's obscure accusation apparent.

Ted didn't respond an angry silence permeated the room. He thought the fact that Dustin went straight to a counter attack confirmed Ted's fears that he was cheating on him. Although Dustin was right, it was a trust thing, the question was, did they have any left.

Mark heard the yelling, and assumed that it was about him so decided to wait it out. Once things had been quiet for a while he made his way to the top of the stairs. He could see Ted in his lounge chair and heard someone in the kitchen, assuming it was Dustin preparing dinner. He walked slowly down the stairs and stopped at the bottom.

"Hi Ted," He almost whispered.

"Hello Mark" Ted returned flatly.

"I'm sorry" Mark said cautiously.

"I bet you are" Ted replied as Mark approached.

"I didn't mean for anything bad to happen" The boy continued.

"So no one is responsible for this mess," Ted suggested.

"I guess I am. I shouldn't have gone" Mark admitted while looking at the floor.

"What made you think the skydome was a skate park?" Ted asked rhetorically.

"I didn't know that's where Ryan and the guys were going until we got there" Mark replied.

"You let me down Mark, you let Dustin down and I think you're old enough for me to be honest with you. You've made me regret letting you come live with us," Ted explained.

Mark was stunned by the suggestion that his home was at risk. It was a quite a contrast to the `everything's going to be ok' talk that Emmett and Dustin gave him on the car ride home.

"I know you've been downloading porn on my computer" Ted said without looking up from his blackberry, "and I know you didn't tell Emmett when Ryan tried to steal from the pet store" Ted continued laying out his grievances.

Dustin felt guilty for ratting the kid out over the porn and for not taking some of the heat on the skateboarding thing. He felt that Ted was laying it on a bit too heavy but that was Ted.

"I'm really sorry, I won't see Ryan anymore" Mark suggested.

"Well that's a start Mark, the real question is, are we a family or just three guys who happen to live together" Ted continued. "As a result of all this you've got months of legal issues to resolve, which may mean you'll get some jail time or community service"

Mark was rocked by the suggestion of jail time. Again it flew in the face of what Dustin had said last night about youth offenders getting off lightly given that it was his first offence.

"I think it would be a good idea for you to see a therapist, maybe a woman since you've gone none in your life now" Ted advised.

"Emm's almost like a woman" Mark said innocently causing Dustin to shriek with laughter from the kitchen.

Ted looked over to the kitchen sternly and then continued.

"I put a password on the computer, if you need to use it for school work, ask me. Consider yourself grounded, other than school you don't go out without one of us with you" Ted laid out his sentence.

"For how long?" Mark quizzed.

"Until the legal issues are resolved, the last thing we need is you getting into trouble again, then the first time offender defense won't apply," Ted noted.

Dinner was a somber affair, no one said much. Mark retired to bed early leaving Dustin alone in front of the TV. Ted emerged from his office to face Dustin.

"You're right, I should have waited to talk to you before taking Mark in" Ted admitted to the younger man. "As for cheating, all we have is trust and I tell you now that I've never cheated on you" Ted continued hoping Dustin would reciprocate. Ted found it difficult to admit his mistakes and although he expressed himself unemotionally, it was the closest thing to an apology that Dustin was going to get.

"You don't own me Ted, I'm not a kid anymore" Dustin replied sharply. The younger man was irritated that Ted thought a simple apology would absolve him. It wasn't the reply that Ted had expected nor hoped for. Perhaps it was too early maybe in the morning Dustin would say something to assuage Ted's fears.

"I'm going to bed now" Ted advised as he left, not getting nor expecting a reply from Dustin.

Dustin remained downstairs until he was ready to sleep, well after Ted had passed out. Typically when they fought Dustin would sleep in the guest room but the kid was in there now. He wasn't going to sleep with Ted tonight, that would be letting him off to early, nor was the uncomfortable couch appealing. Dustin made his way up to Mark's room and slipped in.

"Everything ok Dustin?" Mark's voice asked in the darkness.

"Yeah kid, why you still awake?" Dustin replied coolly.

"Can't sleep" Mark advised.

"Is it ok if I sleep with you tonight kid?" Dustin asked as he sat on the edge of the queen-sized bed.

"Sure Dustin, is Ted mad at you too?" Mark quizzed.

"Ted can sure be an asshole" Dustin lamented, "don't worry you're not going to jail, he's just trying to scare you"

"It worked" Mark said quietly as Dustin climbed in.

Dustin could feel Mark's hand gently tracking along his bare back, "Just go to sleep Mark," he ordered.

***

The next morning Ryan approached Mark in English class, "So you ratted us out" he accused.

"What? No! I didn't give them any names," Mark advised.

"Yeah I figured it was Brian, we'll pound him later" Ryan replied in a softer tone as he sat beside Mark.

"I can't be your friend anymore, I'm in big trouble" Mark advised.

"Come on it's just trespassing, you won't even get to court you'll just have to promise never to go there again" Ryan said knowledgeably.

"I crashed into one of the guards so it's assault with a weapon" Mark explained sneering at his former friend.

"Fuck yeah!" Ryan said surprised and impressed with the seriousness of the charge.

"And I have to see some therapist now" Mark continued.

"That could work" Ryan suggested, "You could get off on everything"

"What? How?" Mark quizzed.

"Tell em Mr. White touched you and stuff, then you're the victim" Ryan advised.

"What?" Mark quizzed in surprise.

"Yeah tell em he gave you a drink and it all got fuzzy after that but you're sure he had his hand down your pants" Ryan explained, clearly having given the process some thought.

"You're evil" Mark sneered, clearly not interested in the boy's suggestion.

"Evil!" Ryan laughed, "I like that... evil"

***

After school Mark went to the pet store, he wanted to see Emmett and get some of his reassuring affection. After helping out for an hour he made his way home for dinner but on arriving he didn't smell anything being prepared. Ted was quickly in the door behind him and soon began cooking causing Mark to enquire,

"Where's Dustin?"

"I don't know, out I guess" Ted advised, half expecting the younger man to make himself scarce after the disagreement.

At dinner Mark made an announcement, "I told Ryan I wouldn't be his friend anymore, he's evil"

"Well I'm glad you came to that conclusion. Remember our talk about learning from your mistakes?" Ted advised.

At bedtime Mark repeated his enquiry, "Where's Dustin?"

"I don't know Mark, but his suit cases and some of his clothes are gone, so I suspect he's gone somewhere to let things cool down" Ted advised.

"He's gone?" Mark repeated.

"He's done this before Mark, we argue about something and he takes off for a few days. It's his way of making me miss him. At first I'd freak out but I'm used to it now" Ted explained.

"You? Freak out? That would be funny" Mark suggested of the ever serious man.

"Go to bed, he'll be back in a couple of days" Ted advised in a friendly tone.

***

A couple of days had become a week and Mark's concern was growing, asking if Ted should call the police and report him missing or something. Ted had resorted to having Mark leave messages on Dustin's cell phone as the younger man wasn't returning his calls. Ted sent an e-mail suggesting that Dustin should check in at least for Mark's sake but neither of them had heard anything from the blond model. Ted of all people understood the importance of keeping personal issues out of work but was desperate enough to call Dustin's agency. He was told that Dustin wasn't scheduled to work for another six weeks when he was expected in Greece. Ted had a fleeting thought of asking for the details of the shoot with the intention of intercepting the man but thought better of it.

On Saturday morning Mark arrived at the pet store to work with Emmett but was surprised to find Jason was opening the store.

"Where's Emm?" The boy quizzed.

"He had a late night and asked me to open for him, he'll be in later" Jason explained, "So it's just you and me kid."

Things were slow that morning and Jason could tell that Mark was depressed. After enquiring he got the full story of the skateboarding incident and Dustin's departure.

"So this Dustin guy doesn't call back to say he's ok or anything? That's rude" Jason advised.

"Yeah I'm really worried about him," Mark related.

"I know what it's like not knowing what's happened to some you care about" Jason advised, "My uncle might be able to tell us something, he used to work with the police."

"Really?" Mark asked excitedly.

"Sure, what can you tell me about Dustin, what's his full name? Birth date anything you know" Jason quizzed.

"I know his cell number" Mark offered along with Dustin's name and age.

"I'll see what I can find out for you" Jason promised before a customer interrupted them.

***

That evening Mark could tell Ted was upset, he ordered pizza for dinner without even a snide remark. Mark couldn't help but feel that it was his fault that Dustin had left. If he hadn't been so stupid the men would not have fought and everything would be ok. He wished that there were some way to undo the damage. Mark worried that Ted had lost his boyfriend because of him.

Ted retired to bed after checking his e-mail again at midnight, still nothing from Dustin. His spat related silences had never lasted this long before. Ted's communication had gone from conciliatory to pleading for simple confirmation of his well being. Ted's images of Dustin's misadventure ranged from shacking up with someone to being the innocent victim of some horrible crime. He just needed to know Dustin was ok, perhaps even more so than Mark.

That night he dreamt of his man. The dream quickly became passionate as Dustin enveloped his penis sucking up and down on the shaft. Ted stirred into semi consciousness on the Sunday morning. It wasn't a dream Dustin was really home and providing him with oral pleasure. Ted was filled with happiness as his orgasm neared. The younger man bobbed on Ted's swollen member, both hands gripping the base of his shaft. Ted moaned and shuddered, then suddenly he expelled his juices. Dustin gagged at the sudden flow and volume of ejaculate and began coughing. It was then that Ted had a horrifying realization as he raised his head to be greeted by Mark's cum soaked face.

"Morning Ted" The boy greeted before a final throat-clearing cough.

To be continued.