Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:44:37 -0800 (PST) From: T. Chase McPhee Subject: Natural Wildlife 04 The story below is a work of fiction, set in the format of reality. Any resemblances to real people, alive or in the hereafter, is entirely coincidental in nature. It is not meant to accurately reflect upon persons, in towns, cities, countries, nor governmental areas, which the story is staged. If a sexual scene involving male-to-male relationships offends you, then you should not read this story. Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age, in most state and countries, you are not allowed to read this story, by law. Check with your local laws regarding such. % Sexual safety matters. Remember guys, this is fiction. In real life, use protection. % Natural Wildlife 04 wriTten by T. Chase McPhee % "Have a seat," Gerard invited Arturo, his hand paving the way for him to sit down in the diningroom. "It's alright?" He asked Tony. Gerard sets the atmosphere, "When we're off duty we're just like one of the guys." He jokes, "But when we're on duty it's the sting of the master's whip!" "You're such a wimp, Gerard," Tony says as he too ushers Dylan to a seat. "Am not!" "Are too!" "Am not!" Gerard again contradicted his boss and friend. "Prove it!" Tony gave his final reprise. "What do you mean prove it?" "Nothing. Never mind," Tony sets the argument aside. Picking up a new subject, "So how's it going in the orchard Arturo?" "Not bad. I'm getting a lot of exercise with my chainsaw. I like the work. And I think the work likes me!" Dylan smiled at the cute way Arturo put it. It matched his drop-dead gorgerous looks and the tank top, one of Gerard's gym tops, announcing the bulging biceps. He complimented, "I suppose it's the reason for those guns, huh?" So, for a change Gerard wasn't on the serving end of the stick, sitting there amidst Tony, his breakfast guest and a new interest in his life, the hired gardener. "So what's on your agenda today Tony?" Gerard asks. "Agenda?" He responds, a smile flashed towards Dylan. "I think I'll spend the entire day loafing." In between sips of coffee and chowing down a bagel and cream cheese, Arturo volunteers, "I have a date in the orchard if you ever want to see it cleared." Gerard clasps his hands and turns them inside out as he shares, "I think maybe I'll get some exercise out in the orchard helping out... chopping some wood!" Dylan giggled. "Really?" Tony played it down, "that joke has to go waaaaaaay back!" "Yeah, but it's as fresh as ever when told by a real master of humor, huh?" Gerard again flexes his hands. "And who would that be?" Tony questions Gerard, starting up another war of put downs. Gerard kindly offers, "If you don't watch your step Tony, I might just challenge you to a round of chicken fights!" "I accept the challenge," Tony replies. He was thinking of how tough that would be, Arturo being short and a lightweight, on top of Gerard's shoulders. It's then his mind flips back to the conversation on `great guns'. "I think we're up for a real challenge," Dylan says it all. He holds up one arm and tries to make his bicep bulge, a total failure. "Oh," Tony realizes the odds. "Well then maybe we should think about a different way of dueling." "Oh no," Gerard steps in. "You accepted the challenge Tony. Now eat your words!" "I did `not' accept!" He turns to his right and asks, "Did I accept Gerard's challange Dylan?" "It sounded that way," Dylan replied, kind of turned on by the pool dueling. "Hmm," Tony mulled over. "I think it will work out okay," Arturo voiced his opinion. Then Gerard has a crazy idea, trying it out, "Unless you want to raise the stakes?" This threw all three into a stupor, paying attention to Gerard, their looks wanting to know more. "Happened to me in business school. Cool idea I thought?" Gerard stirred their inquiring minds. Dylan asks, "And that would be?" "A `fuck-off'!" "What in the hell is that?" Tony says, the other two wanting to know as well. "Arturo and..." and he didn't rightly know, but guessed, "Dylan pumping our asses. First one to come is the winner!" "I don't know about that," Tony comes right out with. Dylan and he hadn't made it to all the bases, tuckered out from the threeway and the downed beers. But he knew he had to take his stand so uttered, "You're on!" Instead of thinking it totally foreign, strange or kinky, like the watersports Tony wanted him to particpate in. However, Tony was being reluctant because he wasn't sure how Dylan was taking all this, but quieted his thought when Dylan named the teams, "It's the Deep Divers against the Woosie Wimps!" On the other hand, Arturo, new to the gay scene was fuzzy on the idea of the tournament. Sure, he was reacting with excitement, but down inside he wasn't sure what Gerard was getting him into. But too, he didn't want Dylan getting ahead of him and Gerard, him captioning his own team, "You mean the Bottom Bangers!" At least it was resorting in lots of laughs, neither team too serious as their friendships continued evolving. % "I caught dad at a good time," Mark says, stashing the cell phone in his pants pocket, the pair he left far from the shores of the hot tub. "What'd he say about not coming home tonight?" Jose asked. "Not a problem. Dad said you and I are big boys, that we have to learn to make our own decisions." "Sounds like you have a caring dad there," Gregg says. Right after his chin drops to his chest. Jose and Mark just knew Raphael was up to no good. Under the wavy water the two saw Gregg push something away from his lap. Knowing the teens followed something of a whim, Gregg tells them, "Raphael... he's such an exhibitionist!" "Me? I'm not the one who paraded around half-naked with a towel around my waist in front of Jose and Mark!" Then Raphael asks in a subdued tone, "Like then who unveiled his family jewels in front of the boys?" Jose answers, "I think the towel fell off." He looked at Gregg who smiled, saying, "See? It was a total accident. But you...." Gregg was right and Raphael proving he didn't mind exhibiting his nakedness, hiking up on the edge of the hot tub, water running off his bod, his meat glistening. "What'd I say?" Gregg directs to Mark and Jose. Being a little risque, perhaps coming more out in the ways a man expresses himself after witnessing his first few porn vids, Mark says, "I think of a guy's anatomy as something artistic." "Ohhhhh, don't get Raphael going or else he'll put on a whole art show for you!" The two laughed at Gregg's analogy. Clapping in the water, Mark goads Raphael on, "Would it take more encouraging?" Mark felt a shudder under the water, knee hitting against knee. But he was left speechless, except for "I dunno," when Raphael asked if he wanted to hold his balls. His courage fading, Jose saw this as a moment which could go down into their history of flashbacks to the past. He also didn't see any harm in playing around a little. "You better finish what you started Mark!" "You mean you `want' me to play with Raphael's balls?" "Touch. Play. It's not like you're having sex with him!" Sitting with his arms up on the sides of the hot tub, Gregg was taking it all in, but started to feel horny himself. "Then maybe you see no harm in me playing with your balls Jose?" Mark let out a snide laugh, a response which put the pressure on Jose to `practice' what he `preached'. "Sure," Jose replied, to satisfy what he thought of as a getting even tactic with his boyfriend. He did like Raphael, pressing his hands against the sides of the hot tub and jimmying his ass up on the edge. Swimming over to the other side, Gregg didn't lose any time. Same moment he made remark, "Nice endowment," then looking over his shoulder as if making comparison with Raphael, "he's got nothing on you, Jose!" "Oh really?" Raphael gets personal, "Then maybe you should compare how it feels to have Jose up your ass!" "I don't think so," Jose replied, more in a final tone of voice. Perhaps Gregg and Raphael were more liberal with their sexual escapades, but for Mark and Jose this scene was all new to them. For awhile Mark stood there, his hands on Raphael's knees, watching Gregg to see what he was going to do. His eyebrows went up when he saw Gregg fondle his boyfriend's orbs in one hand, juggling them back and forth. He took notice at how Gregg kept looking up at Jose. Same time, Jose looked down at Gregg and made comment, "Feels real hot." Raphael was real patient, watching Gregg's and Jose's interactions. Probably Mark, who wasn't paying a bit of attention, didn't notice Raphael firming up his cock into a full mast. "I think it's time to turn up the heat!" Gregg said right before he lowered his head and took Jose's cock in his mouth. "Huh?" Mark said, his mouth gaping open. "Jose?" he exclaimed. Jose let a small whimper escape his lips when Gregg popped off to give Mark his attention also. "Oh," Gregg said stupidly, "I guess I shouldn't have done that?" Then Mark turned on Raphael, "Don't you care that your boyfriend..." Raphael corrects Mark, "You mean my lover?" "Whatever... he's sucking my boyfriend's cock. Doesn't that bother you?" "Why should it? Gregg is enjoying himself, aren't you Gregg?" Off the cuff, Gregg replies, "I am. But if it's causing any friction between you two," he swings his head back and forth to Mark, then Jose, "then I think we should stop." "I don't know," Mark said. Raphael speaks up, "Of course you don't know, Mark. You haven't done anything!" He still wasn't sure. Jose was no help, shrugging his shoulders when Mark looked for some type of sign. "I guess," Mark replied. "So, is it okay I..." Gregg asked Mark. "I guess," Mark said again. "If Jose wants you to?" Then all confusion broke loose when Raphael hops off the side of the hot tub and wades navel deep over to where Gregg is standing. "We might as well do this right!" Mark and Jose exchanged glances like they didn't know. And they didn't. They were totally confused when Raphael makes Gregg step aside. Gregg stands back, then wades over towards Mark, saying, "What he means is... well I don't know which way you boys swing, but usually Raphael, if he wants it up the ass makes sure I'm nice and hard, if you get my drift?" Raphael was happy to hear Jose say, "Same here." "I still don't know," Mark replies. "And there's no pressure Mark," Gregg said, positioning his ass towards the side, placing his hands on the edge and lifting his butt out of the water, slapping his wet ass on the side. Then, placing his hand on Mark's thigh, "Absolutely no pressure. You do what your heart tells you." But on the contrary, Mark's heart wasn't saying anything. Beating like mad it was his loins doing all the rhythm, his balls feeling like they were pumping all their contents up into his cock. Now he knew this wasn't the way biology of the lower extremities played out, but it sure felt like it when his cock was getting big all on it's own. For what seemed like a minute, Gregg and Mark sat there and watched Raphael rub his hands up and down the sides of Jose's bod, same time his mouth pleasuring the eighteen year old. Suddenly he broke off. Placing one foot on the edge of the hot tub he launched himself out. "Here. Lie down." Jose didn't fight the feeling. He was already hooked on Raphael's tender ministrations involving hands and mouth and only looked forward to something more. At first it was his head lying on the pavement, Raphael in total charge, lying down on his stomach, head level with Jose's curly black pubes, his head slowly bobbing up and down. >From the distance, Mark watched as Raphael would occasionally open his eyes. They looked like they were permanently affixed to staring upwards, then closed, then up and open again. He studied the pattern and it didn't take long for him to figure out something. Each time Jose moaned in pleasure, Raphael's eyes would react. Suddenly his concentration was broken off when he felt a hand on his thigh. He looked down. "Oh!" Gregg giggled, removing his hand. "Now how did that get there?" Mark looked up as Gregg acted cool, allowing his head to switch back to watching the erotic scene before them. Slowly Gregg pivoted his head over his right shoulder, his peripheral vision picking up Mark still staring. Feeling relaxed, since Jose seemed to be, he said, "You know Gregg, you're kind of cute?" "I think the same," Gregg said about Mark. Same time, his hand started at Mark's lower back and without either breaking their stance, traveled swifty up Mark's back and behind his neck. Not feeling a bit of anxiety, Mark allowed Gregg to pull him into himself, Mark tilting his left shoulder back, his chest emerging with Gregg's right shoulder, their lips coming together. First it was one kiss, Gregg responding, "Nice. Do you like it?" "I... I think." Gregg once again put pressure on the back of Mark's neck. He liked the way Jose kissed him but Mark thought of Gregg's approach more `seasoned'. "Like how old are you?" Mark asks when they both came up for air. "Twenty-eight. Does that bother you?" "Not really, even though you're the oldest guy I ever kissed. Have you ever kissed a younger guy? I mean since you got older? I mean you don't have to say if you think I'm prying too much into your personal business?" "Not at all. I'm glad we're being honest with each other. One thing you should know. Raphael and I are `boyfriends', not lovers. We are good travel mates and like it that way. We are not tied down to each other as far as sex goes and yes, I've often come across guys younger than myself, as well as older." "You prefer younger guys?" "Let's just say they could be younger or older, but the key is are they compatible?" "Makes sense," Mark replies. "I could use a drink. How about you?" >From there, the two walked around Jose and Raphael splayed out on the hot tub tiles. Much farther than they had gotten, Raphael had Jose pinned to the floor, his hands on Jose's far above their heads, Raphael's tongue busy licking out Jose's left pit. Jose opens his eyes for a minute when he senses wet feet slapping on the tiled floor. It's Mark who offers, "Um, Gregg and I are going to get something to drink. You and Raphael have like... gone kind of far. Are you like okay?" "Raphael is making me feel great Mark. Not that I'm complaining. You make me feel great too." When Gregg and Mark walked away, Mark heard Raphael say, "Now where were we?" He didn't want to even think of where Raphael and Jose were going to wind up. As for himself he didn't even contemplate the unknown. For now he sat on the sofa, waiting for Gregg to bring him a drink. One thing which did stick in his mind is what Gregg said, which kind of explained the difference between being `boyfriends' as opposed to lovers. He and Jose well thought of themselves as boyfriends. Not once did he ever recall them saying anything about being lovers. Though, they had talked about being out in the world on their own. But then again, the way Jose was enjoying himself, under Raphael's bod, he wasn't taking anything set in stone for right now. % "Hi... um, Mitch?" Denis said, still waiting for his head to clear from the strong, sedative anti-depressant they gave him. "Are you feeling better?" Mitch asks. "I think. What happened?" Mitch smiled, kind of glad Denis was faintly recalling the facts as they unfolded yesterday evening. It was a good lead-in to their conversation. "You don't remember?" "I remember being angry." Then it coupled with his memory. "Was I mad at you?" "Yes and I can't say I blame you for being angry at me, but there is something I wanted you to know." The two remained stationery, Mitch leaning over the eighteen year old with a smile attached to his face. Denis finally asks, "What was it you wanted to tell me?" "You were quite angry at something I told you. Do you remember what it was?" He knew Denis did. "You were spying on Jared and me." "Denis, it's my business to be informed of what goes on with all of the boys at Pacific Northwest. It makes my job more efficient if I understand what's going on in people's minds. I didn't want it to seem I was spying on you and Jared. More like I was observing you two and..." "It sounded like you were spying on us. How come you didn't break us up when you saw us um... you know?" Being more subdued, the medication they gave Denis prevented him from getting bent out of shape. Still he had some animosity. "Because," Mitch admits, "I thought what you and Jared were doing wasn't a `bad' thing." "Huh?" Denis was really confused. "You see... first of all, I know it wasn't your fault you got upset. You need to be on more medication." "Did they give me more?" It was an understatement, one Denis hadn't fully comprehended. He hadn't realized it was the reason he wasn't lashing out at this moment. But Mitch was trying to inform Denis, "Do you remember getting very upset with me last night?" "Yeah. I think." The thoughts were being fed to Denis slowly. In bits and pieces he told, "Yeah. I did get mad at you. I think...." It did come to light, the confrontation from yesterday. Denis then replies, "I think I hit you, didn't I?" Mitch rubbed the side of his mouth with his index finger, saying with a light attitude, "You can sure pack a wallop!" Seeing the corner of his mouth a little discolored, Denis says, "I'm sorry Mitch. I don't know why I did it?" "Because you lost control." Then touching his arm, Mitch tells him, "If you hadn't jumped the gun and were more patient you would have found out I don't condone what you and Jared were doing." "You don't? But we were going against the rules. Jared and I weren't supposed to...." Then Denis thought of another thing. "Wait! How did you find out about Jared and me?" "Miles." With worry, Denis says, "I hope we didn't get him into any trouble?" "No. In fact as far as how I found out, to Dr. Singh and on report, I've communicated I `happened' to stumble upon you two out in the cabin. I haven't mentioned Miles' name." "How come?" Denis was curious. Mitch smiled, looked over to the wall, then back to Denis, admitting something meant to be secret, "I'm keeping your's and Jared's secret, now you have to promise to keep mine?" "Sure," Denis replied. "You can't mention this to another soul. Except maybe Jared." "I.... we promise!" "I'm sure you can agree Miles is a cute guy." Denis nods and responds, "He's really great. I mean who else would lead us out to the cabin in..." "It's okay. Really and I don't want you to think Miles does this for every guy. But the reason I... Um, Miles..." Seeing Mitch having a tough time getting it out, Denis asks, "Have you and Miles something going, Mitch?" "I suppose it's not hard to figure it out, huh? Yeah, we did have something going, but now it's a thing of the past." "What happened?" "It didn't work out. Like you and another boy, it's the same with staff. We can't involve ourselves with each other." "But what would happen if you did?" Denis asked. "That's the thing. It started to... I mean we started to get serious, but I..." Then getting up the courage, Mitch relays, "I broke it off." "But the way you are telling it, sounded like you loved him or something?" Mitch made it clear, "I cared for Miles, but I couldn't ask him to leave his job for me and frankly, I've been working here too long. I came to realize my first love is helping troubled teens. At first it seemed like everything was fitting into place, but then it suddenly wasn't. Anyway, it worked out for the best. Miles has a boyfriend in town." "Oh I'm so sorry Mitch," Denis said, feeling up the hair on his forearm. Then, as if he were the psychologist, he detours, "So what was it about Jared and me you were going to tell?" Smiling, Mitch tells him, "I realized something more than you and Jared being only bedmates. I watched you two before, during and after group. I observed you and Jared at meals, at some of the other activities and realized something." Denis was showing a real interest, waiting for, somewhere along the line of this conversation, Mitch to change from the positive to the negative and say something like they're `too young' or give some other demeaning advice. "Maybe it's what a guy himself realizes, not having a forthright to what a rational explanation could be, but Denis, in my own heart I truly believe you and Jared are in love." "Love? Like love like... like.. like gay partners or something?" "I'm going on assumptions here Denis. I'm not meaning to put things into your head or Jared's, but I tell you one thing and I'm not trying to open old wounds here, but I believe when you came at me last night that you were not only defending yourself." "Um, like... who was I doing it for?" "I'm not drawing any conclusions Denis, only suggesting how you might have been feeling, but I do think you were drawing Jared into your feelings." Denis then lay back and looked straight up at the ceiling. "Are you alright Denis?" "Yeah." Then Denis contemplates, "Wow! I never thought of it as Jared and I being in love!" Mitch sat back in his chair and left Denis to his thoughts. He then got up and informed Denis, "I have a surprise for you." Denis watched him walk to the door, open it. "You can come in now," Mitch said to somebody outside. Walking in, Denis exploded with excitement and tears, "Jared!" Perhaps Jared was thinking what the story was when Denis sat up and grabbed him in a big hug. As for Mitch, he was even more confident his thoughts about the two boys sharing a special bond, were true. He looked at his watch before deciding on a fair time to give the two their privacy. Sitting down outside the door, he tried reading the newspaper somebody had left. His mind wandering, he put aside thoughts of feelings he had for Miles, ones brought up from his conversation with Denis. He put it out of his mind, especially with the fact Miles had a boyfriend. He laughed inside his mind when he thought of Barry. He thought, `What shame he's already taken!'. He picked up the newspaper and began perusing it. % "Hey Eric, what do you call this?" Before Eric could jump to it, Seth was there on the spot explaining to Philip and the rest of the troops, "It's called a rain guage." "What's it used for?" Everybody looked at Philip when he said it. "C'mon guys. I know it's used for the rain." He got himself half off the hook from being called a moron. Avoiding confrontation, Eric tells the group, "You're right Philip, it's used to measure the rainfall." Everyone looked up to Eric, their seventeen year old nature counselor for the day as he went into detail, "It is one of several microclimate measuring systems used to measure the air temperature and relative humidity." He showed off his knowledge, telling them, "You can't see them but there are several `stands' running up these Douglas fir trees." Ahead of the rest of the kids in school, Seth shares, "Aren't they used to study the rainforest?" Seth smiled when Eric acknowledged him correct, "Yes, but for our studies here at the environmental center, we are replicating some of those studies, as it applies to North America, instead of the southern hemisphere. As you may or may not realize, we are not in a climate as that of the rainforests, so our testing is a bit different." What Eric didn't know, is hidden in the forest of Douglas firs, Hayden was within eye and earshot, watching how he handled the group. Standing behind a tree he inadvertently rubbed his zipper area up against it. At first it was a thump, but then as he observed it became like rubbing against more than tiny crevices between the tiny grooves of the bark. Diego was proud of his brother, putting his arm around him. Seemingly, if Seth was smart, some of that smartness rubbed off on Diego. So Diego thought! "Time's almost up!" The kids up as if staring into the trees, gazing at Hayden Shackleton. "Boys, you know the director of the environmental center, don't you?" Eric played it cool, waiting for Hayden to slip a name to be called, either the respectful `mister' or on a first name basis. Leave it to the kids, ten year old Bobby Hijazi saying, "Hi Mr. Shackles." Hayden shook the little hand, having to bend over a bit to reach. "Well hello there," he replied. On the rebound he addressed the group of boys, "It's up to you, call me Mr. Shackleton or Hayden." Bobby stood out, saying, "My father says we should be nice to adults." Some of the others agreed, but weren't saying. But for all them disaster struck when `Mr. Shackleton' asks, "Eric, have you handed out the homework sheets?" "Homework?" rang out among the group of eight boys. "But we're supposed to be on vacation!" JJ Cabral echoed their thoughts, vocally. "Yeah," the consensouns carried the vote. Hayden was ready to interject thought, but Eric rationalized, "Look. It's only one sheet and it's even only one side. How tough could that be?" "No sweat," Seth replied, stealing one out of Eric's hand. "Easy for you to say," Aidan told him. "Yeah," Philip seconded it, "you're a genius!" Sometimes Seth liked being a `genius' and sometimes not. Nevertheless, his resource room teacher in school mentioned to him one time, others don't understand and with having a gift you have to take the good with the bad. Sometimes others will admire you for it and other times they will not because they wish they could be more intelligent too. So ever since that day, Seth has taken it in good stride whenever given the title of `genius'. "Well of course," Seth tells them, "somebody has to come up with all the answers!" Then to show them he was human, he asks, "Eric, what does this word as-sim-u-late mean?" Of course Seth knew it was coming, hi brother, Diego confronting him, "You mean you don't know?" Between Seth and Eric, Eric got the message as if on the length of a short wave. He smiled at Seth for being so coy. While Hayden handled the answer to Seth's question, Eric chatted with Seth. "I'll have to remember that." "Remember what?" Seth played stupid. "So what do you think assimulate means, Seth?" Glancing once more at the homework sheet, the ten year old replies, "You want us to find out how to make rainfall without it falling from the sky?" "Exactly and," he challenged him, "I'm going to be looking for a good answer from you tomorrow!" Seriously, Seth says, "This is going to take some thought." "Nobody ever said life was easy!" Then when told, the kids scurried away to the next point of interest in Eric's nature walk. "You handled that rather well I thought, Eric." "Thanks Hayden." "So what are `your' plans for the rest of the afternoon?" "I thought maybe I would run over to Barberio's and see about purchasing a bike. I need `something' to spend my hard-earned `summer salary' on!" His twenty-eight year old boss smiled and replied, "I really wish there was a way to drum up some funds for the counselors here." "It's no problem. There's a lot of experience to be had from working with the kids." "And you don't seem to mind a bit they are your younger brothers and their friends?" Hayden puts it to him. "Nah. It would be like having any other kids." "Hey, I got an idea. How about I come with you?" Eric asks, "But don't you have to stick around til four o'clock? Won't they dock your pay?" "It's the beauty of me being my own boss. How about we rendezvous out front of the exhibition hall in five minutes?" "Sounds good," Eric agreed. % When Mark opened his eyes, he looked straight up. It wasn't his bed at home because when he woke up at home a skylight wasn't staring him in the face. He then realized something. Naked, skin touched his bod, from around his neck, down his side a second arm over his stomach, legs entwined with his. It came to light this wasn't Jose either, being Jose was short. This figure engulfing him was tall. When he turned to look to his left side, he viewed Gregg. `What tha?' he said to himself. Moving a little bit more, he jostled Gregg from his slumbering position. Making little humming sounds, Gregg withdrew his arms, untangled his legs and turned over on his other side, his back facing Mark. A far cry from resembling Jose, Mark just lay there taking in the view from Gregg's head to the back of his legs. Reaching out, he touched the white back, withdrawing quickly as if touching a hot iron, but in reality making sure Gregg was still asleep. Noting it, Mark proceeded to rub his hand down the smooth back. He hesitated at the small indentation where a bit of blond hair grazed the small of Gregg's torso. He wanted to venture on further, but wasn't sure about it, since it had been his first time in bed with another guy other than Jose. But then his curiosity, seeing what it would feel like to slide his hand over the blond `baby hairs' of Gregg's ass, he went for it. "Feels nice," he heard muffled. "Are you awake Gregg?" "Have been for a few," he replied. "Since when?" Mark questioned him. "Oh, I'd say from the torso down." He knew Gregg was ten year older than him, but he was so damn cute, lying there and smiling, he felt compelled to do something about it. Using Gregg's shoulder, he catapulted himself up, his face in Gregg's face, placing his mouth over Gregg's. Their lip-moves lasted for about a minute, Mark falling into the crevice between Gregg's arm and right pec. "What would you think about traveling the world with me?" It threw Mark completely out of sync. "Travel? Me? With you? What about Raphael?" "Like I informed you, he's a traveling buddy. After the tournament he's going back to New York City." "I can't," Mark replied. "First of all I've got to earn some money this summer and then go to college in the fall. Besides, I just don't have the resources to travel, unless it's from here into town!" Suddenly the door opens and in walks Raphael and Jose. "Are we still having fun?" Raphael asks. "Are you?" Mark asks, looking at Jose, who looks possessed by Raphael's arm around him. Same time he disengages his bod from Gregg's hold on him. For a moment there, Raphael and Gregg seemed like part of the wallpaper, Mark and Jose dominating the scene as they looked upon each other. "Why don't we give you guys a few minutes?" Gregg said, ushering Raphael out of the room. "So how far did you get?" Mark asks Jose, not meaning how many laps around the hot tub! With reluctance, Jose replies, "Pretty far and you?" "Just some innocent cuddling." Then wondering what Jose meant by pretty far, "Did you score?" Jose was upbeat when he entered the room but it seems like the joy came right out of him by Mark's questioning. In a depressed tone, Jose replies, "Well I went pretty far, but not `that' far." "Oh," Mark replied in a low tone. His chin fell to his chest. Then realizing, even though Gregg and he didn't assume any fucking positions, he still went part of the way. He tested the waters, "Gregg asked me to travel with him after the tournament." Jose replied, "Raphael asked me to go live with him in New York City. He said he had a lot gay friends there and I would fit in." "That's great Jose," Mark lied. He sat there on the edge of the bed, looking over Jose's naked bod. Rising up he put a strangle hold on Jose, his head over the latino's shoulder, closing his eyes and hugging tight like the teddy bear when he was a toddler. "I don't know if I can let you go." "Yeah," Jose replied, his hands traveling up and down Mark's back, soothing him. But Jose wasn't exactly joyful over leaving Mark. He figured this was it, either he was going to stay or go. He decided, "I'm not going to New York with Raphael." "You're not?" Mark said with a ray of hope shining in his face as he pushed their bods apart and stared. "I didn't go `all' all the way with Raphael. He wanted me to, but... well... it wouldn't be right." Then and there, each declared their love for the other. "Anybody hungry?" Gregg broke in. "Raphael's treat!" Mark and Jose stood there, looking at the two, Gregg and Raphael unphased about them in each other's arms. Neither saying anything right now about their future plans, Jose says, "We want to go to the most expensive place in town!" "And where would that be?" Raphael asks, since it's going to be on his tab. "Actually, the next town over has a very swanky place," Mark replies. They paired off, except this time it was Mark explaining to Raphael, the lux details. Lingering behind, Gregg asked Jose, "Mark mention something to you about he and I doing a little traveling?" To Jose it sounded like a done deal and he hated like hell to mention it to Gregg, but things would be worse if left unsaid, so educated him, "Sorry. I'm sure Mark would have said this to you in person, but..." He's been there, done that, so it wasn't tough for Gregg to read between the lines of Jose's thoughts, "I understand." "But you don't even know what I was going to say, Gregg." Instead of harping on his own life, Gregg tells him, "You and Mark are young and have full lives ahead of you. I admire you for your courage though." And then making a joke out of it, "Anybody who takes on Raphael and `lives to tell', deserves a ton of credit." "You're not disappointed?" "Frankly," Gregg returns to a melancholy mood, "I am, but I can see you and Mark are much more so... or were and you should be. You two make a nice couple." "And you and Raphael?" "Nah. Good friends and we've had a good time traveling for the last couple of months. But no," Gregg replies, "I think it's about time I've settled down and found someplace to call home." "I thought you lived in Texas? At least that's what Raphael told me," Jose assumed. "My family are from there. Me? Since graduating from college I've been as free as a gypsy... well wherever the golf circuit has taken me." Rounding off their conversation after being beckoned from the other room by a distant set of voices, Jose rounds out their conversation, "At least I didn't have to tell you...something." He knew Jose didn't say it, but he felt curious, "And what would that be?" Gregg asked. Putting it nicely, Jose replies, "Raphael didn't finish up what we started!" % Copyright 2009 T. Chase McPhee This story may not be sold, nor made part of any collection, without prior consent from the author. The more you stretch, the more you can fit in... 'spread' happiness! TCMcP.....