Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 12:26:32 EDT
From: Draginacht@aol.com
Subject: David's Initiation: The Partnership 07

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction and any resemblance to real
people or events is purely coincidental.  The story contains graphic
descriptions of sex between men. Anyone who is forbidden by law to read
such material must stop now.  This story is being posted to the Nifty
Archive solely for the enjoyment of its readers.

*******

David's Initiation: The Partnership 07

*******

Arriving home from the airport, Dave walked into the house from the garage,
disarmed the alarm system and used the control pad to turn on several lights.
Tony followed after opening the door to the other bay where Marcus would park.

"We got anything to eat around here, I'm hungry," Tony announced.

"Well, there's me," Dave suggested. He couldn't pass up that opportunity.

"In addition to that."

"Looks like you're in luck, Georgia's been thinkin' about us. Here's a note
saying there's some stew in the fridge, just warm it up."

"Man, that woman deserves a raise," Tony exclaimed jokingly. "If you'll start
the stew, I'll take these bags to the back."

"Deal." Dave opened the refrigerator and was removing the stew when Walt
walked in from the garage. "Same room as before, Marcus, if that's okay with you."

"I think I can find it; looks like you're a fixin' to have somethin' to eat."
Walt had an excellent education and always spoke with polished English.
However, in the presence of family and good friends he slipped back into the more
casual language he grew up with - most people do.

The three men got settled, finished off the stew with some rolls Dave popped
in the oven, briefly coordinated the next day's activities, and turned in for
the evening.

A quick shower removed the dirt and grime of travel. It may have been the
fact that they were back home in their own bed but they felt so relaxed and
comfortable that they couldn't resist the luxury of each other's arms. The tender
kisses quickly progressed to gentle stroking of each other's logs, which
escalated to mutual fellatio. After the lovers willingly and lovingly surrendered
their most intimate fluids and shared those fluids in a long, passionate kisses
they did what the male body craves most following orgasm - they slept.


Tuesday morning Dave and Tony bounded out of bed and quickly reverted to the
routine they'd developed over the several weeks they'd lived together. After
breakfast Tony left for work early, sharing a lovers kiss with Dave before
departing. Dave went to the library to log in to the Company computer system to
check E-mail and review the status of a few projects.

Tony hurried home from work, made a quick trip through the shower and rushed
out to a BK then joined Dan and Mike in Speech class.

Dave worked late then joined Marcus at Friday's for dinner. For the first
time in a long time the two men were able to have a private conversation covering
a number of issues. Walt wanted to bring Dave up to date on the status of the
law firm expansion and have a more detailed discussion about the housing
situation. He also wanted to know how Philos was progressing toward its new goal
that the Roehl Trust was funding. They took a break in the conversation to go
home and continued there.

"Listen, I want to tell you how much Tonya and I like Tony. He's a really
nice guy." Marcus set his empty martini glass on the coffee table.

"Thanks, Marcus, he was really impressed with you when you were here for the
last Board of Directors meeting and he said Tonya was his kind of woman."

"Whoa, I'm curious to know what he means by that," Marcus questioned with a
smile to indicate he wasn't really threatened.

"Only that she's so sharp and seems to be a good match for you."

"Smart man for a white boy."

"Hey, watch it black boy, that's the man I love you're callin' a white boy."
Both men laughed; they hadn't played with those words for many years and it
brought back fond memories.

"Say, I made an inquiry into the availability of that house you told me
about, you know, the one Kate and John were leasing?"

"Yeah, what'd you find out?"

"It's still available. I'm gonna meet with an agent tomorrow and have a look.
With any luck I'll have the family here sooner than we'd hoped. I miss them
already."

"If I can help, don't you dare not ask, y'hear?"

"You've done so much already, I don't know how I'll ever repay you.

"Awe, Marcus, that's what friends're for. I've enjoyed helping and am looking
forward to having you back home. And my offer to stay with us until you get
all moved in still stands... provided it's okay with Tonya." Dave hadn't
forgotten Tonya's hesitation when he made the offer at Art's party.

"Yeah, well, we talked about that and I think I've been able to assure her
it'll be all right."

"Good, because I want her to feel comfortable about it. I know some people
would have some issues staying with a couple of queers and I want you to know
that I won't be the least bit offended if you choose to stay elsewhere."

"I think it's gonna be fine... and..." Marcus seemed to be struggling with his
words. "I... Tonya and I don't think of you in the term you just used." He was
actually acting a little embarrassed at that moment.

"Sorry I let that slip," Dave apologized. "I need to be more sensitive.
That's the kind of language that's used when we're around our gay friends."

"Hell, I understand. When I go back home with my bro and his friends, it's
not unusual to hear the 'N' word." At that moment they heard a noise coming from
the kitchen.

"Hi guys," Tony greeted Dave and Walt.

"How was class?" Dave asked as he arose from his chair and walked to greet
his partner. They exchanged a brief kiss and continued talking, never giving a
thought to how Walt might react to their greeting.

"Well, I gotta learn how to be a student again, I feel a little out of
touch," Tony replied. "Correction, a LOT out of touch!"

"I'll come back, don't worry," Walt added his encouragement. It was obvious
that he wasn't the least bit put off by Dave and Tony's greeting kiss. It was
their home, after all.


The rest of the week flew by. Thursday evening, while Tony was in his real
estate class, Dave dropped in at the Philos Foundation to get caught up on the
expansion progress and to chat with his good friend, Doc Gray.

Friday morning, when Marcus walked into the kitchen he was carrying an
overnight bag.

"We drive you off in less than a week?" Dave asked somewhat jokingly,
somewhat concerned.

"No way, white boy, I'm gonna leave early this afternoon and drive south for
about an hour and a half to spend the weekend with my parents and the rest of
the family. I'll be back Sunday night.

"Good, I'm sure you'll enjoy that."

"It's been a while. Oh, by the way, I committed to a lease on Kate's old
house. I e-mailed some digital photos to Tonya and she's ready to start moving the
day-before-yesterday." Both men laughed. "I'll keep you advised on the
timing."

"Thanks, Marcus, and I'm looking forward to seeing those kids of yours."

Dave excused himself and departed for work. He'd earlier given Marcus the
door access codes and alarm security codes to so that he would feel free to come
and go as needed. Once Marcus no longer needed access, Dave would have all the
codes changed. They already programmed each other's phone numbers into their
cell phones.

Friday evening was to be a night out for the Platoon. Dave, Tony, Mike, Todd,
and Dan met at the Outback for a few beers, some great steak, and a lot of
good conversation. Mike and Todd announced that they had decided to host a
Halloween party at their apartment and everyone was to come dressed in some kind of
costume. Dave was slightly surprised at how excited Tony seemed about the
idea although he shouldn't have been. Tony began really coming out of his shell
when they were at the Roehl ranch and this was just a continuation of the
process. Dave was happy thinking about how nicely Tony was adjusting to his new
life.

Later, after arriving home, they decided to shower before going to bed. That
was usually a clear signal that there was some lovin' gonna take place before
the evening was over. Tony dried himself rapidly and hurried to slide under
the sheet. Dave was a little slower finishing in the bathroom.

"Getcher boots on, Cowboy!" Dave demanded in his most authoritative voice.

Tony glanced to his left. "Oh Gees!" He exclaimed. Dave was standing only
five feet from the bed wearing nothing but cowboy boots and a ten-gallon hat. His
hands were closed into fists and were resting on his naked hips with his
elbows sticking out wide, his boot-clad feet were shoulder-width apart.

Tony threw back the sheet and rolled off the bed to the floor. When he
brought his boots home he'd placed them next to the bed because he liked to look at
them and remember the weekend in Texas. Sitting on the floor he hurriedly
reached out, grabbed his boots and pulled them on, all the time staring at Dave.

The image before him would be etched in his memory forever. First the total
picture of Dave standing just a few feet away and looking so fucking hot. Then
starting at Dave's boots, Tony's eyes moved upward, drinking in the erotic
image. Dave's well formed runner's calves, his beautiful knees, the hard, smooth
thighs, and then that package.

For Tony, the most prominent feature was Dave's remarkable, flaccid penis,
the way it protruded straight out from his pubic hair for just a couple of
centimeters then curved gracefully down over his perfectly shaped, appropriately
proportioned, almost hairless testicles. The base of Dave's penis was rather
narrow but the shaft grew thicker as it approached the head. The glans flared out
slightly larger than the shaft and tapered to the tip, approximately five
inches from where it began. It was the most impressive, most desirable piece of
man meat Tony could ever remember laying eyes on.

Tony's eyes continued moving higher, over that hard, flat stomach, over those
smooth, firm pectorals with their mouth-watering areolas, to that beautiful,
irresistible smile and the breathtaking blue eyes. And all of it seemingly
suspended below that ten-gallon hat. Where did that come from?

Tony realized he'd been holding his breath and he forced himself to start
again. Quickly he moved to his knees and crawled three feet forward. Opening his
mouth like a fish, he captured the lure and didn't stop until his nose was
buried in Dave's pubic hair.

Once captured, the lure began to grow. In it's flaccid state the tip of the
lure pressed firmly against the entrance to Tony's throat. Tony savored the
soft, supple texture of the lure and stroked it with his tongue. It filled his
oral cavity so perfectly. It possessed such a delicate, masculine flavor. The a
ttention he was giving the lure began to cause it to lengthen, to thicken. The
tip pressed more firmly against the sphincter guarding his throat. One of two
things had to occur, either Tony backed away or he allowed the lure entry. He
chose. Tony's hands firmly held Dave's hips, making sure that no distance was
allowed to exist between them. The lure began slipping past his sphincter,
deeper and deeper into his throat.

Tony could feel his head begin to spin. The aromas, the flavors, the
sensations, the lust, it was all so unbelievable. He was unaware that his own member
was totally erect, pulsating, aching, leaking. But he was totally focused on
his fantasy.

Suddenly Dave placed his hands on either side of Tony head and pushed him
away causing a slurping, popping sound as his dick popped out of Tony's mouth and
into the open air. Tony tried to move forward to recapture the lure.

"On the bed, Cowboy, on you back," Dave instructed in a low, soft but firm
voice.

"Yessir," Tony almost gasped excitedly. He half stood and staggered backward,
falling as his legs made contact with the edge of the bed. Using his elbows
and his boot covered feet he crawled on his back until he was close to the
center of the bed. He stopped, looked between his knees and saw Dave poised at the
edge of the bed.

Slowly and deliberately, Dave crawled onto the bed, placed his hands on
Tony's knees and slowly, almost painstakingly lowered his body between Tony's legs.
Dave shuddered with pleasure as he felt the dark hairs on the insides of
Tony's thighs stimulating the sides of his ribcage. Tony's hairy legs were a
tremendous arousal mechanism for Dave.

Dave continued his descent until he lay flat on top of his lover, face to
face, chest to chest, cock to cock, and balls to balls. He moved closer until his
lips just barely contacted Tony's. Down below, he felt Tony's legs slide up
and over the back of his, giving Tony leverage to press them together even more
tightly. The sensation Tony's hairy legs rubbing against his was such a plea
sure.

Teasingly Dave held his position. Tony lifted his head to complete the kiss,
but Dave pulled back just enough to maintain the soft contact. Dave's tongue
darted out and lovingly, seductively glided around the entire circumference of
Tony's now begging lips. Tony was breathing quite heavily by now.

Much to Tony's dismay, Dave pulled his lips away but Tony's pleasure was
about to begin. Dave's lips kissed the tip of Tony's nose, caressed his angular
jaw, and fondled his neck. Dave's trip down Tony's body wasn't slow, it wasn't
fast. He moved at a speed that was deliberately tantalizing. Tony's nipples
were next on the journey, first the left, then the right. Tony began to squirm
under the assault. Dave's tongue probed Tony's navel eliciting a little giggle.
Tony, with great anticipation expected that soon the head of his cock would be
treated to the intense pleasure of Dave's mouth and groaned with
disappointment when Dave bypassed it. But then moaned when he felt his left then his right
nut being enveloped by Dave's hot, moist mouth.

This event was not spontaneous; Dave had been planning this ever since last
Saturday evening. His true nature was to be in charge. As he'd learned with
Paul, his greatest reward was treating his lover to the highest form of physical
pleasure possible. Last Saturday, Tony had divulged that one of his greatest
fantasies was cowboy sex and Dave was determined to bring it as close to life
as he could. Dave was also determined to exercise the control over his orgasm
that he'd developed years earlier.

Tony felt Dave's hands under his knees and he cooperated by raising them.
With his ass cheeks now spread and his rosebud exposed he felt the cool
conditioned air on his flesh. Then he felt Dave's breath on his bare flesh and he
shuddered.

Dave gazed down at Tony's rosebud. He'd been this close once before and
backed away. Their relationship was more solid now and Dave was intent on following
his desire. He leaned forward.

Tony gasped. His body tensed and silently cried out with glee then relaxed.
At first he couldn't figure out what was causing such pleasure but then he
realized that Dave's tongue was the source and it was doing something Tony had
never imagined.

After creating the effect he'd hoped for, Dave moved on. He squeezed some
lube onto his fingers and lovingly applied it where moments earlier his tongue
had been playing. Tony groaned and concentrated on opening wider. After ensuring
his lover was comfortably opened, Dave quickly lubed his instrument of love
and placed the head at Tony's entrance. One quick move and he was in. Tony
gasped at pleasure of the penetration.

Now leaning over his lover, Dave lowered his head and, using his wet tongue
he moistened Tony's lips then kissed them. He had stopped his penetration with
only his glans inside his lover, delaying further entry until the moment was
right.

Dave supported his weight with his right arm, reached his left hand between
them, gathered some of Tony's pre-cum on his thumb then spread it around Tony's
right nipple. Once coated, Dave proceeded to lick the slick fluid from around
the erect nipple and then softly blew on it causing it to erect even harder.
He felt Tony shudder.

Tony was breathing heavily by now and writhing with intensity and Dave sensed
he was getting close. Dave methodically attacked Tony's left nipple and
simultaneously resumed his penetration of Tony's body. When the head of Dave's tool
passed over Tony's now overly sensitive prostate Tony's body convulsed
sending ropes of semen between their bodies. As the intoxicating aroma of fresh
seminal fluid filled the air, Dave covered Tony's lips with his and thrust his
tongue deep into the inviting orifice. It required all of Dave's concentration to
control his orgasm but he managed; he wasn't finished yet.

Tony was moaning loudly one moment and the next he was sucking as much air
through his nostrils as possible to replenish the oxygen in his lungs. Dave's
mouth still covered Tony's, who was sucking Dave's tongue as hard as he could.

Eventually, Tony relaxed, released his arm's tight grip from behind Dave's
neck, and allowed them to fall away to the mattress. Finally Tony opened his
eyes and look up at his lover; his breathing finally approximating something more
normal.

"So, cowboy," Dave began softly. "Ya think ya wanna work on this ranch?"

"Uh, yessir," Tony responded like he was in a daze. He was now aware of the
sticky fluid that was starting to bond his body with Dave's. He also became
aware of Dave's still hard member filling his rectum to its limit.

"Ya think ya got what it takes to work here, do ya?"

"Yessir, sure do sir," Tony was beginning to catch on to the game.

"Ya know ya gotta spend a lotta time out on the range, an' it gets pretty
lonely out there. A guy gets mighty horny, don't ya know."

"Uh, yessir, mighty horny."

"Your boss here gets pretty horny too. Ya prepared ta deal with that?"
Although Dave was already buried deep inside his lover he thrust firmly as if
punctuating his point.

"Ah, yes sir, whatever the boss needs."

"It'd be might hard not ta take advantage of a nice lookin' guy like you."
Dave thrust again. He could feel Tony's softness begin to grow between them and
he thrust again.

"Oh yessir, it'd be mighty hard." Tony squeezed his sphincter tightly around
the base of Dave's cock. That caused his own erection go grow. This was
turning into fun.

"What're ya willin' ta do fer yer boss when he gets horny?" Dave thrust again
and could tell that Tony's ardor was now fully recovered. Tony's balls were
trapped between their two hard bodies and they were beginning to move slightly.

"Oh, sir, I'd be willin' ta do most anything the boss wanted. I could bend
over and take his horse cock whenever he needed. An' I'd be glad ta get on my
knees too." Dave began to withdraw slowly, concentrating pressure on Tony's
prostate on the way past.

"So, ya think ya can handle yer boss' horse cock pretty well, do ya?" Dave
slid slowly back in to the hilt and began withdrawing again.

"Yessir, I'd lay on my back an' wrap my legs around his thin waist an' use
them legs ta pull 'im deep inside me." Tony raised his legs, wrapped them around
Dave's waist and pressed the heels of his boots against Dave's rump, forcing
Dave back inside. The feel of Tony's boots digging into his butt boosted
Dave's arousal to a new level.

"Ya know, there's no one out here but us cowpokes, an' the cows 'll watch,
an' the prairie dogs 'll watch, an' our horses 'll watch but none o'them care."
Dave withdrew again and waited for Tony dig his heals in again and shove him
back inside.

"Oh, boss, I really wanna work on this ranch." Tony added a little urgency to
his voice; he was getting into the action.

"Well, ya gotta prove ta me yer able ta do the job, handle the load." Dave
and Tony had now established a good, smooth rhythm of love.

"Oh yeah, boss, I know the work's hard, I can take it, I want it, give it ta
me, give it ta me."

"Yeah, cowboy, I can see ya want it, I think I might just have ta hire ya
after all."

"Yeah, boss, yeah, boss, fuck me, boss! Feed me that horse cock!" Their
coupling was approaching the frantic mode.

"Ya got it, cowpoke, yer hired! Can't let ya go now, I'm in too deep!" Dave
was now pounding Tony's ass; they were both so into Tony's fantasy that they
forgot that it was only a fantasy.

"OH YEAH, BOSS, I'M YER COWBOY, RIDE ME, RIDE ME GOOD!"

"YEAH, COWBOY, HERE IT COMES! GONNA FILL YA UP, MAKE YA MINE, AAAH, AAAAAH,
AAAAAAAH!"

"GIVE IT TA ME, BOSS, GIVE IT TA ME, I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YA, OH YEAH, OH
YEAH, YEAHHHHHH!"


Dave collapsed on top of Tony as they both struggled to fill their lungs.

After about ten minutes, Tony slowly rolled them to his right. Both men were
utterly exhausted, covered with sweat and cum but they clung tightly to each
other. The room reeked of sex. Tony placed his hand behind Dave's head and drew
them into a tender kiss, a real contrast to the intensity that filled the
room just minutes earlier.

Dave felt something wet drop onto his nose and trickle down to his lips. When
he swiped it with his tongue it tasted salty. Opening his eyes he could see
another tear beginning to roll from Tony's eye. He lifted his head.

"What's wrong, Hon?" The concern in Dave's voice was obvious.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Tony quietly replied. "Every time it just gets
better and better. Tell me, will it ever get boring and dull?"

"Not if I can help it," Dave kissed his lover then buried his head against
Tony's chest. They fell asleep with their boots on.



"I got my car keys," Dave announced sounding tired. "You got the shopping
list?"

"I had it here a minute ago," Tony replied as he stood in the middle of the
kitchen looking right and left and appearing very much like a lost puppy. Both
men still felt tired.

"Last time I saw it, it was on the table."

"Oh yeah, there it is." Tony walked to the table, picked up the list they'd
made for their trip to the grocery store and joined Dave on the way to the
garage.

"My feet hurt," Tony complained.

"So do mine." There was a moment of silence then Dave began to laugh. "Ha-ha,
serves us right, sleeping with our boots on."

"Yeah, but it was worth it."

"Man, that was something else!" Dave turned the key in the ignition and the
BMW began to purr. The two men had slept late and when they finally rolled out
of bed and showered, neither one could seem to get his head out of a fog.
They'd consumed their standard breakfast and made a list for grocery shopping, the
platoon would be coming over that Saturday afternoon for a friendly
get-together.

"Maybe if we combine both our brains we can manage to leave the store without
forgetting anything."

"Know what'cha mean. That's why we have a list." Tony began reading down the
list. Ground chuck, hamburger buns, tomatoes, salsa... "What's with the
salsa?" he asked.

"Mike likes to put that stuff on his burgers."

"Hey, sounds good. I might have to try some." Chips, pickles, onion, Tony
continued reading. "You gonna have onion?"

"Yeah, if you do."

"I donno, it's either that or the salsa. Not sure it's a good idea to do
both."

Dave began to laugh "Maybe we'd better add some Tums to that list, the way
you keep adding stuff to your burger."

They shopped quietly and checked out. During the drive back home, Tony posed
a question. "Ya know, isn't it about time I bought some of the food we eat?"

"Well," Dave thought for a moment. It didn't bother him to buy all the food
because money to him was almost incidental. But he clearly sensed that Tony
wanted to contribute and it would probably be a good thing for their equality if
he did. "Sure. We oughta think about that, come up with some logical way to do
that."

"I been thinkin'," Tony continued, "we each have our own bank accounts. What
if we set up a joint account and we each contribute to it. We could use the
money from that account for food, utilities, and other common stuff."

"That might work. You willing to ask Todd and Mike what they do?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Tony replied. "They've been together long enough
to figure something out."

After putting the food away, Tony went missing. Dave found him lying belly up
on the plush carpet in the middle of the great room. Dave knelt down and
stretched out beside his partner. Within seconds they were asleep. This time they
wore only their socks on their feet.

Dave awoke to the touch of soft kisses on his forehead. He turned his face to
his partner and was greeted with a tender kiss. They repositioned slightly
and enjoyed the closeness. Dave could feel Tony beginning to get hard and he
rolled away and looked at his wristwatch.

"We need to get crackin'," he announced as he sat up and looked back down at
Tony with a loving smile.

"Awe, I was havin' such nice thoughts."

"Save it, Horndog, we gotta get ready for our guests."

Tony struggled to sit up. "Yeah, you're right." Tony still liked to hear Dave
use the term 'we' when he talked about guests.

The partners set about preparing for the arrival of the rest of Dave's
Platoon. Dave mixed up the burgers, adding grated onion and just enough Worchester
Sauce and catsup to induce a subtle flavor. Tony set the table, poured water in
glasses and placed them in the fridge. He went out to the pool to make sure
it was cleaned up and the gas grill cleaned and ready. Dave wrapped the buns
and placed in the oven on 'warm' so they'd be ready when the burgers were. Tony
checked to make sure they had plenty of beer in the fridge, something they
forgot to do before going to the store. Fortunately, they had plenty.

As Tony was bent over checking the beer supply, Dave walked up behind him and
slid his right hand over Tony's butt, allowing his middle finger to find its
way down Tony's ass crack. Tony sprang up like a jack-in-the box, spun around,
wrapped Dave in his arms and kissed him. That's the way they were when Mike
and Todd walked in on them.

"Uh-hum!" Mike cleared his throat.

Dave and Tony continued what they were doing just long enough to send the
signal that they didn't give a damn if anyone saw them.

"Don't you guys ever give it a rest?" Todd chided with a chuckle. Dave and
Tony separated.

"You're just jealous," Tony chuckled back as they hugged each other one at a
time.

"Ah-ha, but we have an excuse, we're newlyweds," Mike said proudly with a
grin.

"C'mon, if we're gonna start something, let it be a beer," Dave laughed. He
reached into the fridge and passed out the beer. "Say, we got a question for
you two," Tony asked.

"What's that?" Mike asked.

"If ya don't mind us askin', well, we've been talkin' about how to split
expenses fairly when it comes to food, utilities, an' stuff like that. How do you
guys do it?"

Mike and Todd looked at each other then at Tony and Dave. "Ya mean ya gotta
have a plan?" Mike asked. "I donno, we just buy stuff when we need it or one of
us pays bills one month and the other pays bills the next month."

"Ya mean ya don't try to split expenses down the middle?" Dave asked. "We
were thinkin' about contributing equal amounts of money to a joint account and
payin' for common stuff outta that account."

"Sounds pretty anal ta me," Todd replied after swallowing the swig of beer
he'd just drained into his mouth.

"Well, whatta ya expect?" Mike laughed and the others joined him.

At that moment Dan walked in. "What's so funny?"

Dave handed him a beer and Dan got his share of hugs.

"Oh, our anal friends here are bein' anal, what else!" Todd chuckled.

"Ooh, I like that word," Dan chuckled.

They all smiled at him but didn't comment then the Platoon got down to the
business of catching up on events in their lives.

Everyone wanted to know about their trip to Dallas so Dave asked Tony to tell
the story with Dave adding details along the way. It was Dave's way of
putting Tony center stage and gaining an understanding of how much he really enjoyed
himself. Tony told the story gesticulating with his hands and arms, great
animation.

When Tony wound down, they all agreed it was time start fixing dinner so they
moved the discussion poolside while Dave grilled the burgers. The rest of the
Platoon pitched in and set up all the condiments, plates, chips, etc.

As they sat around the table wolfing down the burgers, Dave ask Mike and Todd
about what had been going on in their lives.

"Well, we had an unusual visitor last week," Mike offered. He and Todd
grinned at each other.

"Oh?" Dave questioned with his eyebrows elevated. "What kind of 'unusual'
visitor?"

"My little brother, Harry," Todd replied. "He's a freshman at the university
this year and he called and asked if he could come over."

"Wow! I'll bet that was a big surprise!" Dan exclaimed.

"You can say that again! Harry said Mom and Dad asked him to find out what I
was doin' and ta spy on me. He says they're thinkin' about comin' over here
an' takin' me back home ta give me the 'cure.' Seems they know about some place
that's affiliated with their church an' it takes sinners like me an' converts
them."

"Why's he tellin' ya that?" Dan asked.

"Harry doesn't buy into their stupidity. He told me about it so that I'd be
prepared, on guard, if you will. He's gonna tell them stuff that'll keep them
away. Hope it works."

"But you're over 18 years old, you're an adult, how could they do that?" Tony
asked in disbelief.

"I think it's called kidnapping," Todd continued. "I wouldn't know how to
stop them from trying except to fight like hell."

"Get a restraining order." Everyone looked at Dave with surprise. Of course!
A restraining order might work.

"Yeah, I never thought of that!" Todd exclaimed with a smile. "How'd you come
up with that idea?"

"Just popped into my head. I don't know if it'll work but it's worth a try.
Ya oughta contact Marcus, er Walt, and see if he can recommend an attorney who
does that kind of stuff."

"Is he here already?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, he's spending the weekend with his folks down home but he's livin'
here 'till he gets the family moved. He came back with us from Dallas last Monday.

"Speaking of Marcus," Dan asked, "Dave, you have any update on the new
program for abused kids?"

"What new program?" Mike asked.

"What abused kids?" Todd asked.

"I guess I need to bring you guys up to speed here," Dave began. "What Dan's
talking about is something the Philos Board of Directors has been talking
about for months and recently decided to act on. Remember when we'd see newspaper
and TV reports of kids who'd been abandoned or abused by their parents or
other folks and we couldn't believe people would treat kids like that?" Mike and
Todd nodded their heads. "Well, Philos is on the verge of establishing a
program to try to save kids like that. Our program will be modeled after the AANCF
in Dallas. You know I've got a lot to do with that." Again heads nodded. "Last
Monday, I gave the new program a kick start by hiring the AANCF Assistant
Director to come here and take charge of making it happen."

"Great!" Mike exclaimed.

"Wonderful! Todd joined in.

"When do ya think it'll be up and running?" Dan asked.

"We're hoping to have everything in place before Christmas but I think the
first of the year may be more realistic." Dave looked at Tony and found him
knowingly smiling back with admiration.

"How's it gonna work?" Mike asked.

"As I said, it'll be a lot like the AANCF program. They kinda rescue kids
who've been abandoned or abused or neglected, and place them in the facility for
protection. Then they give the kids all the medical and sociological help they
need and try to resolve their problems. If it's possible to resolve family
problems so the kids can return home, that's the first choice. However, no kid
will be sent back into an abusive situation. Some kids may stay at Philos or be
placed with foster families. The whole idea is to try to save the kids."

Dave watched Mike and Todd glance at each other as if exchanging thoughts.

"What kind of people get to be foster parents?" Todd asked. "Like, I mean,
whatta ya gotta do to qualify?"

Dave could only guess at the reason for Todd's question and he guessed
correctly.

"Well, based on my experience at AANCF, Philos will be looking for married
couples in stable relationships who can offer the love and support the kids will
need. Just like at AANCF, I expect there will be a rigorous evaluation
process for each family that applies and I wouldn't be surprised to see some
emphasis placed on religious or spiritual beliefs." Dave paused for a moment and
thought about what he'd said. "Now that doesn't mean you'd have to belong to any
particular church but it wouldn't hurt. Ya see, all those things still have to
be worked out, defined."

"I guess it'd be asking too much for a gay couple to be considered as foster
parents, wouldn't it." Todd's statement, not asking a question, had a tone of
disappointment. He and Mike were surprised by Dave's answer.

"Not necessarily. Ya see, in Dallas, the AANCF has found that there are
occasions where a gay couple is actually the best choice as foster parents. It
doesn't happen very often but it does happen."

"Like for example?" Mike asked.

"Well..." Dave thought for a moment. "I remember one case where a 14-year-old
boy admitted that he was gay and his father beat him pretty badly and kicked
him out of the house. Sometimes the only people who're willing to take in a
young kid like that is a gay couple. The hardest thing to overcome is public
perception that gay's are pedophiles and will abuse kids. I reject that completely.
But I'm getting too far away from the answer to your question. Is that
something you two might be interested in?"

"That's pretty far down the road, Dave, but Mike and I might want to look
further into it." Todd turned and spoke to his husband. "Whatta ya say Mike?"

"I think we'd wanna know a lot more than we know right now before we'd be
able to make any decisions."

"Well, fortunately there's lots of time. And I don't know if the local DCS
authorities would even entertain that subject. We all know that this part of the
country is pretty bigoted when it comes to gays."

"Yeah, it's probably just a fantasy," Mike mused sorrowfully. Dave looked at
Tony and Tony looked at Dave. They both had a faint smirk on their faces
remembering last night's fantasy. 'Who knows?' they both thought, 'some fantasies
are possible.'

"Are we finished?" Mike asked as he stood up from the table.

"Yeah, we've manage to consume all the burgers," Tony replied.

"Okay, y'all just sit still for a minute, we'll be right back. C'mon Todd."

Todd got up from the table and followed Mike on the short cut through the
shower room into the garage. Dave and Tony sat looking at each other with
questioning faces and Dan was all smiles. It wasn't but a few minutes until Mike
reappeared through the shower room door carrying a cake with 23 flaming candles on
it.

"Happy birthday to you," Todd and Mike began and were joined by Dan and Dave,
"happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Tony, happy birthday to you."
Mike set the cake - chocolate - on the table as Tony grinned from ear to ear.

"You guys!" Tony exclaimed feeling a little embarrassed. "Now why'd y'all go
an' do that for?"

"Hey, we missed your real birthday," Dan explained, "and this is the first
time we've had a chance to celebrate."

"We do get a chance to paddle his butt, don't we Dave?" Mike asked.

"Well, I'm not sure I trust you guys with that part of his anatomy." Dave
replied through his laughter. Everyone else enjoyed the joke, even Tony. They all
sat down at the table while Tony sliced and served super-sized pieces.

"How DID your birthday go, Tony?" Dan was only being polite; he had no idea
where that question would take them.

Tony looked at Dave; Dave looked at Tony. They began to laugh.

"Did we miss that joke?" Mike asked with a chuckle.

"Nah," Tony replied, "Dave, maybe you oughta tell 'em.

"You sure?" Dave asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to know how it all looked from where you saw it."

"What're you guys talkin' about?" Todd demanded curiously.

"If you're sure," Dave looked at his partner.

"I'm sure."

"Well," Dave paused for a moment. He hadn't prepared for this event. "Let me
get to the bottom line right at the start; Tony came out to his family."

"No shit!" "Holy crap! "Ohmygod!" All three friends responded.

Dave began by telling how Tony's brother Peter and his fiancée Ashley were
onto them almost immediately. Then he described how the situation developed
while the entire family sat around the dining room table and how Tony shocked him
out of his cock strap by blurting out that the two of them were an item. As
usual, Dave's account of the event was filled with humor and he had the entire
platoon in stitches, even Tony.

Tony managed to add a few choice comments occasionally that only intensified
the laughter. Once everyone was recovered, they all needed another beer. By
this time they were ready to go swimming and stripped right there on the deck,
draping their clothing over the chairs. Mike suggested a game of 'King of the
Mountain.'

"But how can we do that?" Tony asked. "Dan doesn't have a partner."

"How about we do this?" Dave began as he looked at Tony. "We'll start with me
on your shoulders and Mike on Todd's. Then whoever gets knocked off carries
Dan. That means if I we lose, I carry Dan and you wait until someone gets
knocked off and they carry you."

The five men looked at each other for a few moments, measuring the
consequences of Dave's proposal.

"Yeah, that'll work, how about it?" Todd replied. He got a questioning look
from Mike, who wasn't sure about this.

"Okay with me," Tony replied. He realized that for the first time he'd be
having intimate contact with a man other than Dave. It both bothered him and
excited him simultaneously. But these were guys he'd grown to be comfortable with
and there was no doubt that anything could jeopardize his and Dave's relations
hip. And this was Dave's idea so he must have thought of any consequences.

"If you guys don't mind, I'm game," Dan agreed. All eyes were on Mike.

"Yeah. Fine. Let's do it." Mike finally said. He didn't sound completely
convinced.

Dave and Mike mounted their partners' shoulders, faced off and began their
struggle. Mike must have been determined not to go down and fought fiercely.
Dave and Tony lost their balance and went down. There was a short break while Dan
climbed up on Dave's shoulders and they took a few extra moments to get
everything 'adjusted.' The Dave/Dan team was a little too good for Mike and Todd
and Mike fell over backward and couldn't right himself.

That presented the situation where Mike would be carrying Tony. Not only did
Tony out-weight Mike by about 35 pounds he was much taller. Mike wasn't too
happy about having Tony's semi-hard cock and balls pressing into his neck but
after a few minutes decided he wasn't hurt by it and got over it. They were too
top-heavy and Tony went down quickly.

Next it was Todd's turn to mount Tony's shoulders and for Tony to experience
a strange set of male genitals pressing against his neck. Once up, Todd became
aroused and apologized to Tony who jokingly asked Todd to be sure and not
make a mess on the back of his neck. They both started laughing and Todd lost
much of his hardness.

The Tony/Todd team was dominant. Dan went down almost immediately. Then Mike
mounted Dan but they were no match for Tony and Todd. Now it was Dave's turn
to be up. The instant Mike felt Dave's ample equipment pressing against the
back of his neck he sprang a boner. But because he had to hold onto Dave's legs,
there was no way he could hide his condition. From his elevated position, Todd
could see his partner's condition and it didn't bother him. He knew Mike had
always held an attraction to Dave but he never doubted Mike's love for him. In
fact, Todd was excited that his lover was excited and his arousal condition
returned.

Dave and Mike were no match for their opponents and in a matter of moments
Tony and Todd declared themselves the all-time champions 'Kings of the Mountain.'

With the game over and the victors decided, the Platoon calmed down and moved
into the hot tub to relax. That's when Mike asked Dave and Tony about their
trip to Dallas. Tony told that story and brought everyone to tears of laughter
with his description of the hot cowboys in the outdoor play.

The evening came to an end with all three guests accepting Dave and Tony's
invitation to stay the night. They were all up fashionably late the next morning
and still managed to make it to church in time for the late service. Father
Tim was glad to see them all together again.

*******

(To be continued.)