Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:05:01 -0500
From: Ed Burau <lennoxbear@gmail.com>
Subject: Starting Again Chapter 32

Starting Again Chapter 32				by lennoxbear@gmail.com

Strong, heavy thunderstorms swept through the area over the weekend.  It
provided an opportunity for many to get caught up on some inside projects.
No one was actually complaining because the summer weekends had for the
most part been dry although somewhat cooler than normal.  Bright sunny
weekends made it easy to put off the things that needed attention and kept
everyone from being outside enjoying the weather.

Zeke had been awake with the first pale light of dawn.  He had been
experiencing some new pains in his back and arms and didn't have as good a
night's sleep as he would have liked.  The thoughts of Ken getting on a
plan to return to Iraq had upset him. That had been countered with the news
Jack would be given rights to live with Sam and Joe.  Spence lay in a big
muscle clump next to him snoring softly.  He had worn himself out fucking
himself on Zeke's big prick.  Zeke smiled as he watched Spence.  He never
would have believed that a few weeks ago he would be deeply involved with a
big goofy musclehead who wanted nothing more than to make him happy.

He carefully pulled himself from the bed, pulled on a big over-sized
T-shirt, flopped into his chair and wheeled himself into the kitchen.  He
could at least make coffee.  As he reached for the pot and pulled himself
up slightly to fill it with water, he noticed a few changes in the kitchen.
He spun around and found the coffee on a middle shelf in a lower cabinet.
The cups and mugs were now neatly arranged also in a lower cabinet.  As the
coffee pot dripped away, he rolled around the kitchen and opened cupboards
and drawers.  All had been rearranged.  A large multi-page document lay
folded over on the back of the kitchen table now arranged at an angle to
allow Zeke better access.

The morning sun was drifting through the dining room and creeping into the
adjoining open kitchen.  He poured himself a cup of coffee and wheeled over
to the table, unfolded the document and read the cover page.  Blueprints.
He slowly flipped through the plans Spence had done to make his home more
accessible for Zeke.  There were handwritten notes on many pages in
Spence's near indecipherable scrawl.  He had made measurements based on
Zeke's chair and his ability to reach things.

The renovation of the bathroom called for eliminating a hall closet to gain
more room.  There was plenty of room in the exiting layout for Zeke to turn
around in his chair.  This plan allowed for two people to be able to use
the room at the same time, including shower.  He giggled knowing full well
how much Spence loved to help him especially if it meant getting to suck
him off.

"Do you approve?"  He looked up to see Spence leaning against the kitchen
doorway in all his naked glory.  Zeke's eyes filled with tears.

"You'd really do this?  I mean I realized you rearranged the whole kitchen
for me.  When?"

"The other night when you had your support group meeting.  And of course
I'd do it.  It's done.  I signed a contract with the construction guy and
they start next week.  When I had the ramps put in out front and redid the
pool area, it should have been a clue."

Zeke swallowed hard.  "Spence, all I've ever been to most gay men is some
freak in a wheelchair.  They just wanted to see what it's like to fuck a
gimp, or see if I could suck them off without choking.  Don't understand
that.  Or, when they realize my dick works they just want to see how many
loads they can milk out of me. Okay, not that I'm complaining abut that
one."

"You're not a freak to me."

Zeke let his tears go.  "I know.  I am the luckiest fucking gimp in the
world."

Matt poured Steve a cup of coffee as he watched the big man wipe off Sam's
muddy paws.  "He does like to stand in puddles when it rains doesn't he?"

"Yes he does."  The big dog licked Steve's face as he dried his fur then
sat patiently for a treat.  "He loves to walk in the rain.  Very much the
opposite of Ben's dog Angie who really doesn't like to get into mud or get
her feet wet in puddles."

"That's good isn't it?"

Steve smiled and scratched Sam's ears.  "Yeah, it's cute when you take her
for a walk after it rains; she goes right around puddles and muddy areas.
Good dog.  Oh you too."  Sam's tail swung into high gear as Steve's
scratched his ears.

Matt looked out the kitchen window at the lit second floor apartment.  "How
do you think Bill will do with Doober while Ken is away?"

"Oh that poor dog is going to be spoiled by time Ken gets home.  Bill is
focusing all his love and emotion for Ken into the dog."

"Is that bad?"

"Yes and no.  I'm hoping he will be a little more open and talk about his
concerns over Ken.  He keeps things bottled up sometimes.  We need to be
sure we include him in on things we do."

"We do a good job of that now.  What did he say about the building?"

Steve walked across the room to a file folder.  "Done deal.  He gave me a
check and we're going to do the whole sale and mortgage thing next week.  I
gave him the keys."

"So he's going to pour his emotion into rehabbing this building?"

"Looks that way.  He wants to do a major gutting next weekend."

"As I recall there isn't much to be done that way."

"No, so I said we'd help him."

"We?"

"Yep, you, me, Ben, his new lady friend, and I bet a few of the other guys
show up to help."

Matt leaned against the kitchen counter.  "Good.  This will help the time
go by faster with Ken away, but what if...?"

"Let's hope there isn't a what if."

Bill had carefully dried Doober after their morning walk.  The big friendly
Lab licked his face and offered his front paw.  After a minute, he wandered
around the small apartment looking for Ken.  Bill sat in the kitchen and
ate a quiet breakfast.  Doober came over and dropped his head in his lap
and sighed.

"I know buddy, I miss him too but it's gonna be a few months of just you
and me.  Well, you get to hang with Sam and Angie during the day, but the
rest of the time, you're stuck with me."  The dog actually seemed to
understand, curled up around his feet and snoozed quietly while Bill looked
through the paper.  He got up to get more coffee about 45 minutes later.
He could see Matt and Steve hugging in the kitchen across the yard.
Steve's big hands running over Matt's perfect beefy butt.

His cock twitched in his sweat pants. He rubbed the growing tube against
the kitchen counter.  "I'm not sure I can handle months of jacking off
alone."

Scott spooned his thick body against Swede's hot backside.  His big black
cock snuggled in the moist crack and throbbed.  Swede purred with lust.
Large calloused hands found his nipples and twisted the sensitive flesh
between thumb and forefinger.  Swede pushed back a bit more.

It was Scott's turn to moan.  "You have one fine ass on you but you had
your turn last night."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I need me some big muscle hunk cock up my ass once in a while so
flip me over and fuck away stud."

"How romantic?"

"I got up and cleaned myself a while ago, does that work?"

"Sweet talker.  I wondered what you were doing in the bathroom, and then I
dozed off again."

"It's raining again, perfect for plowing my butt, come on get on it."

Swede rolled over in the big man's arms and kissed him deeply.  "You really
want me to fuck you?"  Scott nodded.  "Really?"

"Yeah, all lubed and ready to go, stick it in."  Scott rolled over onto his
back and spread his legs.  Scott slid between the big thick thighs and
lifted them over his shoulder.  Scott moaned.

"I haven't put it in yet."

"You feel good doing this to me."  Swede smiled at the not-too-frequent
event.  Scott gasped as the big head on Swede's dick pushed past his
sphincter.  "Uh fuck yeah.  All of it, babe, unhhh, damn, more.  Oh
gawdam."  Swede had buried his cock to the balls and stopped.  He began to
rock in and out slowly until Scott urged him to go faster.  The big blond
gauged his speed and slowly increased until he could feel the muscles in
Scott's body bouncing in reaction.

"Damn, I gotta fuck this fine black ass more often."

"Yes, unnnhhhhh, you, fuck fuck fuck you do.
Right...there. Ohyeahhhhhhhhh."  Gobs of hot manjuice spurted out of the
rigid black cock bouncing between them.  Mmmmmmm."  His orgasm tightened
the grip on Swede's cock buried deep in his ass and pushed Swede over the
edge.  He filled Scott as the big man groaned for more.  Swede straightened
his back.  "No don't pull out, stay in until you fall out.  I need that."

"You need it?"  The two men locked eyes and kissed deeply.  Scott sighed.

"Watching Ken leave, made me feel very lucky that I got my time in and
can't be recalled.  At least I don't think I can.  No matter, I can only
imagine what Ken and Bill must be feeling.  I need us to be together as
much as we can be."

"If it means getting more opportunity to plow your fine ass, I'm all for
that.  I don't mean that jokingly.  I am worried about Bill being alone.  I
am afraid to think too much about Ken."

Scott squeezed his lover and tightened his legs around the narrow waist.
"Would you consider moving in here with me, there's plenty of room?"

"Give up my apartment, hmm, of course.  But my lease is through the end of
September."

"That's okay.  Gives us time to get you moved and combine households.
Mmmm, that feels good."

"You're making it hard again."  An evil smile spread across Scott's face.

"Please sir, I want some more."

Swede busted out laughing.  "Okay, that was a really bad English accent and
you ain't exactly the Oliver waif type but dude, you're so going to get
your wish."

Jack sat quietly in the den and flipped through channels on the TV.  Rain
splattered against the window glass making him feel something of a
prisoner.  Sam was in his home office getting caught up on work.  Joe was
puttering around the house, doing laundry and general cleaning.  He was
bored and unsure of what he could do in his new surroundings.

He was about to go talk to Sam when a shirtless Joe came out of the laundry
room and handed him a pile of clothes.  "You had a bunch of gym stuff and
some other stuff in a corner so I washed them."

Jack looked at the neatly folded clean clothes and blinked.  "You didn't
have to do that.  I can do laundry."

"No problem.  We had a bunch to do so I just included them.  You okay?"

"Well, the weather has me bored."

Joe shrugged.  "So call the guys and go to a movie, or just go hang."

"Can I?  May I?"  Joe looked at him with a slightly confused stare.

"Jack, the court, or whatever it is granted you the right to live here.
You're not a prisoner.  You're going to be a senior this Fall, you have a
job, you have a car, do we need to talk about some general rules?"

Jack tilted his head and thought about it.  "Yeah, maybe we do.  I mean I
always had rules at home and my father let me do some things but I'm not
that person anymore."

"No you're not.  Let's go talk with Sam."  He threw his bare arm over the
kid's shoulder and headed toward the office.  Sam was finishing up a grant
report and gladly took a break when the two men entered.

"Rules eh?  Well, I think Joe and I see you more as an adult as maybe some
folks do.  You've had some growing up to do and then there's the whole gay
thing.  You've been forced to grow in some ways other kids can't begin to
fathom."

Joe lounged in a large leather chair.  Jack tried not to stare at his
nipple rings.  Sam didn't make it any easier in a snug T-shirt that
stretched over his biceps and pecs.  He felt his dick stir.  "You're more
than welcome to go to the gym with us after work but since you get home
earlier, well; we just thought you'd prefer to go with your buddies.  And
there are nights we cook dinner at home so we would love to have you eat
with us.  But if you want to go out with friends, that's okay too."

Sam leaned back in his chair.  "For that matter, if you want to have Gary,
Tim, Ron and the guys over to workout down stairs, that okay.  Just keep
the place clean, put weights back, the way we all do when we go to the
gym."

"Super.  What if they want to come over and hang?"

Sam looked confused.  "If you guys want to watch TV in the den, that's
fine, working out is fine, just hanging is fine, and then there's the pool.
A lot of this is common sense.  We don't feel we need to be overly
strict. Unless?"

Joe waved his arm.  "Oooo, strict, there's an idea, just kidding.
Although, maybe we need to set a curfew for midnight during the summer and
then figure out what is fair when school starts.  You'll need time to do
homework, study, football practice, all that stuff."

Jack smiled.  "What about, uh, if, you know, maybe Gary or Tim or Ron need
to er, want to..."

"Stay over night?"  Sam giggled.  "Okay this is a departure from normal
teenage households.  But, and again we have to stress common sense.
Believe me, we both understand a young gay man has needs and in this case,
we're fine if those guys want to stay over.  No loud screaming."  Joe
giggled as Jack blushed.

"So I can have Ron stay over and fuck me?"  Sam nodded.  Jack got a big
grin.  "Cool."  Both men tried to ignore the growing bulge in the kid's
jeans.  "What about the other room?"

Joe's eyes opened wide.  "The, uh, playroom?"  Jack nodded.  "You want to
use the playroom?"

Jack flushed a bright red.  "I'd like to learn what all the stuff is for
and what it does?"

Sam bit his lip.  "Oh that's what Joe is for.  You can borrow him."

Joe's head snapped around.  "What?"

"He's a good leather slut pig."

"What?"

"You can tryout just about anything you want on him?"

"What?"

"Except maybe fisting.  He's not big on fisting."  Joe looked relieved.
"Or scat."  Joe's eyes shot open again.  "Or breath control."  Joe rolled
his eyes and slumped in his chair as Sam laughed.

Jack looked lost.  "I don't understand what any of that is."

It was Joe's turn to bite his lip.  "You've never searched for any of this
on the web?"

Jack shrugged.  "No, not really.  I figured if I got off that was it.  Now
I know there's a lot more."

Sam took a deep breath.  "This is a bit unorthodox but one of the reasons
the judge chose us was because we could answer questions like this.  So
that you wouldn't be one more confused gay kid out on the streets.  Too
many of those kids end up committing suicide."

Jack thought a minute.  "Wow, I never thought about that.  I'm pretty lucky
to have you guys.  Would you explain some of that stuff downstairs?  Maybe
demonstrate."

Sam laughed hard.  "Short of a sex show sure.  And there are a couple of
books you can read.  We need to get your computer set up so you can do
homework or other stuff."

"I can look at porn?"

Joe shook his head.  "How many dicks you sucked in the last year?  How many
times you been fucked?  How many strange men tried to force you to have
sex?"  Jack blushed again.  "I bet quite a few.  So why should porn be
blocked?  I think you're sorta past that point anyhow."

Sam waved his hand.  "You seen one big oversized dick on the web, you've
seen them all."

Jack smiled and didn't even attempt to hide his semi-hard.  "I feel better.
I wasn't sure how I would fit in here.  But I'm feeling pretty lucky now."

"Good.  Why don't you go call the guys and have them over for a workout?
We might join you and we can grill out and do steaks later."  Jack beamed.

"And what about the other room later?"

Sam dropped his head.  "Horny kid.  Let's not go too fast.  Workout,
computer set up, dinner, that's a pretty full day."  Jack got up and hugged
both men, not showing one bit of embarrassment over the flopping dick in
his jeans.

Joe giggled as he walked out.  "So you aren't up for a playroom
demonstration?"

Sam got up, walked across the room and shut the door.  "Maybe a private
session later."  He peeled off his T.  "I need something else right now."
He pulled Joe up out of the chair to his feet and pressed their chests
together.  His hands slid under the elastic waistband of Joe's shorts.
"Mmmm, no underwear."  His left hand held the back of Joe's neck as they
kissed.  His right slid down to Joe's stiff smooth cock.  "You shaved."

"I have a new swimsuit."  Sam giggled.  "Not like I'll get much chance to
wear it."

"You think Jack will care about nude swimming?"

Joe gasped as Sam bit his right nipple.  "He's already seen us naked enough
time to not care anymore."

Jack hung up the phone after making the last of his calls to his friends
for a workout session.  He headed toward the office but stopped as he heard
the hot heavy sounds of man on man sex coming from behind the closed door.
He listened for a few seconds as Sam and Joe grunted back and forth.  He
walked up the stairs to his room thinking.  "Ain't never heard my father
grunt during sex." He stopped halfway up the stairs.  "I ain't never heard
my parents have sex."  A muffled scream came from the den. "Damn I'm a
lucky guy."  He whipped out his stiff dick and stroked it as he closed his
door.

Tim had just finished a load of laundry and was busy folding and sorting it
when his father came home.  Kevin followed behind.

"Good workout?"  Tim held up a pair of striped bikini briefs knowing they
weren't his father's.  Gus looked at them and started to shrug.  Kevin held
out his hand.

"I was wondering where those went."  He blushed as Tim stifled a giggle.

Gus rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, great workout.  Good way to spend a crappy
rainy weekend morning.  I thought you were going to the gym?"

Tim folded one of father's T-shirts into the smallest square possible.
"Jack called.  I'm going over to Sam's, well, Jack's now too I guess.
We're going to use the equipment there."

Gus took the tiny shirt from him and smirked.  "Okay, I get the point you
can do laundry but you don't have to fold my stuff to the size of a CD
case.  Very funny."  He slapped Tim's muscle butt and pulled back.  "Damn
kid, that's like slapping a wall.  You been doing more squats?  Danny, feel
this."  "Yeah, we been doing a lot more squats and strength stuff to
prepare for football this fall.  The strength coach sent us some
suggestions.  Uh, do you guys really need to feel my ass?"

Gus slipped his arms around his son from behind and squeezed.  "You wanted
to break the ice, we did and well."  He nibbled his son's neck.

Tim blushed.  "I've created a monster. Both of you stop it.  Not that I
wouldn't like to have sex with two hot older men but I need to get my stuff
together and head over to meet Jack and the guys.  Daaaaaaad."

Gus laughed at the obvious erection he had caused for his teenage son.
"Tim, I wanted to talk to you about a change here in the house.  I know
you're heading off to college and all this fall and I'm really gonna miss
you."

"But you and Kevin can run around naked all the time now."

Gus snorted.  "Right like we don't do that now already.  Anyway.  Kev's
lease is up on his apartment in a few weeks and he's going to move in here.
That okay with you?"

Tim leaned against the laundry room counter.  "Okay with me?  Dad, that's
super.  I think it's great you two want to live together.  So much better
than you rumbling around alone in this big ol' empty house.  I'm happy for
you.  Do I still get to keep my room?"

Kevin laughed.  "Yeah, you have a room to come home to when you want.
We're going to take that last bedroom and turn it into an office for both
of us, redo the family room and one of the other bedrooms as a guest room."

"I do have grandkids you know."

"Speaking of which.  How are the rest of my brothers feeling about this?"

Gus wandered into the kitchen.  Tim stood at the table, his arms loaded
with laundry.  "Most of them have been out of here for years and don't
care.  The only one I haven't told is Buzz."

Tim dropped his laundry basket at the bottom of the stairs.  "Why not?"

"What do you think his response is going to be?"

"I think he'll be supportive and happy and oh.  Horny.  Poor John.  Buzz
does get instantly turned on doesn't he?"

Gus giggled.  "Oh yeahhhh.  John told me he has a difficult time keeping up
with him."

Tim headed up the stairs.  "Well, you have my blessing.  Uh, you two didn't
shower at the gym did you?"

Kevin blushed.  "No, we thought we'd maybe you know."

"Fuck like two horny old men?  I'm not a baby remember?  Besides, since
you've both fucked me, well, no secrets."  He laughed at the top of the
stairs.  "OH, and Dad, it's your turn to do the sheets.  I ain't touching
them now.  That's for sure."

"Nice.  Smart ass kid."

"Just like his old man."

"Shaddup, let's go get nekkid."

"Such a sweet talker."

The next few days passed without much change in routine.  John had finally
had his cast removed and had been cleared to return to work.  He'd see his
friends as he made his rounds or at the gym.  Everything was as normal as
people could make it with the one exception of walking on eggs around Bill.
It had been almost two weeks since Ken had left.  There had been just one
short email explaining he was deploying for Iraq and would be in touch as
soon as things settled.  Bill had thrown himself into work, working out and
getting the building he had bought from Steve ready for remodeling.  The
friends had planned and organized to help him over the upcoming weekend to
gut and strip the place and get it ready for prep work.  He figured he
better have plenty of water, soft drinks and snacks to keep this crew
happy.  Tony and Bill found him in one of the aisles reading labels.

"Trying to go strictly with healthy snacks?"  Bill shrugged and quickly
hugged the two men.

"I don't know.  The kids, you know, Tim, Gary, Jack will be there and could
care less about sodium and fat.  But some of the others, Sam, John, Buzz
well they're sticklers."

Bear looked at the selection in his shopping cart.  "What you have looks
pretty good?  What about fresh fruit?  Maybe some veggies."

"Hey that's a great idea.  Thanks."

Tony leaned against some of the shelving, his thick arm and chest flexing
as he moved.  "We plan to be there around one.  Have to work the morning
shift."

"I appreciate your help but since you're working it's fine if you don't get
there."

"Oh no, we wouldn't dream of not helping.  Especially since we thought of
doing the same thing when we close on our house."

"Your house?  You guys bought a house?"

Bear beamed.  "Yep. We weren't going to say anything until we were sure
everything would fall into place and it has.  We close in two weeks."

"That's great.  And Ben bought that place next to Steve and Matt so we can
all help each other.  I had a call from Carlos, LJ and Snake.  They're
coming up Friday evening to help.  Tank and Harley and the rest are working
and can't make it."

"Well, that's cool.  You, uh, heard anything from Ken?"

Bill took a deep breath and sighed.  "No. I understand it can be difficult
to get messages out but I was hoping by now to have heard something.
Although I haven't been home so I haven't checked email."

"You going to the gym?"

"Yeah, right after I drop this stuff off at the apartment.  Going with
Steve, Matt and Ben.  I think John and Buzz may be joining us but lately,
well."

Bear giggled.  "Yeah John's looking like his dick needs a break."

Tony tilted his head.  "He looks like Buzz broke his dick, oh, Bill sorry."

Bill smiled.  "That's okay.  I have my right hand.  By the time Ken gets
home I may be ambidextrous.  Really builds up the wrists and forearms."

"Does Ken expect you to be um, true to him?"

"No, not exactly, he told me to go out and get laid, I just ain't been
interested.  I don't know what he will do being in the service and in Iraq
and all.  His nuts may explode."

Bear rubbed Bill's broad muscular shoulders.  "Believe me, guys in the
service all jack off and no one cares.  Well, the really religious nuts
care but then they're the ones who sneak off alone to get off."

"Have to hope I hear something soon."

"Yeah, we hope you do too.  We gotta run.  See ya this weekend."

Bill watched the two men, very opposite from each other wander down the
aisle.  He smiled.  Big bear and lean muscle pup, then there was Swede a
big blond bodybuilder and Scott an equally big black bodybuilder. And him
and Ken.  Blond and black.  The diversity of his friends was becoming
something he appreciated more each day.

Buzz no sooner walked in the door after work than he was naked and chasing
John around the house.  John only played hard to get for about two minutes,
then spun around, scooped the shorter man in to his arms and planted a deep
wet kiss.  He slapped Buzz's hard beefy but with his big hand.  Buzz
moaned.  "You know kid, having sex before your workout only robs strength
from your lifting?"

"You have proof of that?"

John shrugged.  "Well no, old wives' tale."

"Well I ain't an old wife and neither are you but let's test it.  I'm
willing to not have our usual fuck before working out if you are."

John laughed.  "Oh yeah and by time you get your gym rags on you'll be
panting for a fuck."

Buzz wiggled out of his arms.  "Nope.  We'll see.  Come on copper let's get
dressed and go push around some weights."

John smirked.  "Okay.  I'm game if you are.  You want to wear your butt
plug?"

"Oh now that's just cruel."

Steve stood in the kitchen and watched Matt mix two protein shakes for
their after workout snack.  "I still haven't heard anything from Ken and I
don't think Bill has either."

Matt looked up at the apartment and could see Bill cross in front of the
window.  "You don't think?"

"Oh no.  But I don't know what to say to Bill to relieve the stress."

Matt shook the two containers.  "I don't think we can do much more than be
good friends to him.  I have to hope if he needs to talk he'll come to us."

"I hope so.  Rehabbing this building can only keep his mind off of things
just so much.  And Doober is like one major reminder."

Matt looked down at Sam curled up and snoozing in the corner of the
kitchen.  "You can see how much Doober depends on Bill now.  He seems to be
as anxious to get a message from Ken as the rest of us are."

"They are great company."  Sam seemed to know they were talking about him
and looked up.  The tip of his tail wagged playfully.

Bill scratched Doober's ears and gave him a treat after an energetic and
productive walk.  "Well, buddy.  I can't wait until I get home from the gym
so I better check email now and see if there is by
any...chance...some...thing, oh gawd, pup, we have a message."

"Dear Bill. I can't begin to tell you how much I miss and need you.  I hurt
for you, literally.  My dick, my balls, my ass, we need you.  Damn I love
you.  We made it to Iraq with no problems and are working in Captain
Malloy's unit to rebuild a school and police station.  He has me teaching
people how to do the work.  Shit there's a lot to be done.  I'm liking it
so far and we keep really busy.  Keeps my mind off other things, like you
fucking me.  :)

Captain Malloy is one great guy.  He swapped seats on the plane so we could
talk.  Teased me about not being regulation but when I told him how much
muscle I had gained in my chest, arms and shoulders, well, he was
impressed.  He's pretty impressive himself.  Working out is one of our
major ways to relax.  Actually, it's about our only dependable way.  Not a
lot of time but we make the most of it when we can.  We share some really
primitive equipment with another group of guys.  Malloy is straight though,
three kids, married and from Ohio.  He's danced around the subject and has
to know I'm gay.  He doesn't care.  Came right out and said the best people
he has worked with in the corps are gay and lesbian.  He's cool.  There's
one black guy with a major competitive level body here who pushes us in our
workouts.  He has to be gay.  He's very quiet but when we shower
afterwards, it's everything he can do not to get hard.  And it's a big one.
And a butt for days!!  Makes me have thoughts about doing him so you know
it has to be good.  The first time the Cap walked into the shower naked,
Buck almost stroked himself but realized what he was doing.  I wouldn't
have minded.  I'm horny can you tell?

Our routine is boring -- sleep, eat, work, workout, work, eat, work,
sleep.  It's so hot and not green.  The people have been wonderful though
and so eager to learn.  They should never have been made to go through this
but that's just me spouting off.  We finally have things organized enough
so we can get more frequent access to computers. Maybe I can get out emails
more frequently.  I'll do my best.

They tell me I could be here a minimum of six months.  Cap does his best to
keep our minds off the danger.  Works best when he takes off his shirt.
<EG> Can't wait to get home and feel your dick slamming my ass.  How's that
for crude?  Actually all I want to do is feel your arms around me.  Gotta
run, love ya ya big black hunk.  Give Doober a big hug and belly rub for
me.  Tell everyone I said hello. All my love - Kenny."

Bill swallowed hard and wiped a tear from his cheek.  He scratched Doober's
ears then got on the floor to hug him.  The big dog seemed to sense
something was different and licked his face and snuggled closer.  The gang
at the gym was relieved and elated to find out Bill had finally had a
message.  Their workouts were more animated and intense.  Bill enjoyed the
hot water running over his sore muscles and felt a hand brush his butt.  He
looked up to see Scott grinning at the shower next to him and Swede on the
other side of him.

"You uh, need some company tonight buddy, you know?"  Swede's eyebrows
lifted a couple of times as a hint.

Bill laughed and rinsed his cock and balls.  "Nope, these are okay."  He
flexed his fingers.  "Just knowing he's okay puts me at ease and no amount
of sex will make a difference right now.  I'll take a raincheck though and
may need cheering up again.  Who knows?"

Scott nodded, turned off the shower and planed water from his muscles.
"Okay.  But call if you need anything.  We'll see ya Saturday for demo
duty."

Swede wiped water from his face, looked around the shower room to see if
anyone was looking and gave Bill a quick kiss.  "We're here for ya if ya
need us bud."  Bill smiled thankfully.  Most of the guys had cleared out.
Sam and Joe had gathered up the teens and gone home to shower and enjoy a
warm night by the pool.  Despite the relief he had from getting Ken's
email, Bill still felt a dread deep inside that something could happen.  He
quietly went home to relax with Doober by his side.  Steve and Matt had
left dinner for him in the oven.  He'd have to remember to thank them in
the morning.  Doober jumped onto the sofa next to him as he sat down to
eat, glance at the paper and watch a bit of TV.  He scratched the big dog's
head.  "We have us some good friends buddy."

Joe was relaxing by the pool watching the almost obscene carrying on of the
four teenagers when a throaty rumble filled the driveway.  He walked over
to the back gate and stuck his head out.  Carlos, LJ and Snake were
climbing out of Snake's pristine pick-up.  Joe walked out to greet them.
He was wearing one of the smallest swimsuits they had ever seen.  LJ tilted
his head and furrowed his brow.

"Dayum, that is one of the tiniest ball togs I have ever seen.  One good
dirty thought and everything would flop out."

Joe looked down at his ample basket.  "Well, don't stare at it!  You'll
make it react."

Carlos hugged the young man.  "Yeah, wait until we're on the other side of
the fence."

Joe opened the gate and motioned them through.  "Hey Snake, how's it
going?"

"Good Joey, really good.  We came up a day early to get some things
organized for Bill's big demo party.  Tank, Harley and the other guys send
their best but they have to stay back and finish a couple of projects Tank
has going."

"We'll miss them but I am sure Bill is happy to have all the help he can
get."

Carlos shook his head as the now naked teens came over to great them.
"Doesn't anybody in this group ever keep their clothes on?"

LJ snorted.  "Yeah right, you're one to talk.  Hey guys."  The men all
exchanged hugs.  "You guys mind if we crash here tonight?  We have a bunch
of tools locked up in Snake's truck and the minimum clothes."

Joe secured the gate and walked toward the chair where he had been sitting.
"No problem, we have plenty of room.  I'm sure Jack would share if you
ask."

Jack's head snapped around as he slid back into the pool.  "Oh yeah, all
three of you can share my bed, it's a king."

Carlos sat down next to Joe and commented under his breath.  "He's so not
ready for that."

Joe sipped his drink.  "Don't be so sure.  Sam's inside cleaning up after
dinner."

Snake headed toward the door.  "I'll go say hello and uh, should I ask
about another, oh never mind, of course another pitcher of margaritas."
Snake walked into the kitchen and grinned as he got a good look at Sam's
swimsuit covered ass bending over in front of the dishwasher.  "Damn and we
already had dinner."  Sam turned around and squeezed his dick.

"Dessert?"

"Maybe later.  Hi Sam."  The two men hugged and kissed.  "Good to see you."

Sam leaned against the counter and stared at Snake.  "Your hair is growing
back."

Snake ran a hand over the short buzzed growth on his head and smiled.
"Yeah finally.  Look."  He peeled off his Harley T to show a short growth
of stubble covering his chest.  "I always had some chest hair but it's like
all over now.  I keep my goatee trimmed but I have a full beard after two
days now.  The hormone crap has like tripled my body hair.  Even here."  He
unzipped his jeans, dropped them and turned to show Sam a furry butt.  "I
never had a furry butt."

"Hmm, I see something is still shaved."

Snake grinned.  "Yeah, LJ likes my tackle clean and well, it makes my balls
look even bigger.  Although, to be honest, they are bigger."

"Gee, I bet a lot of men would like to have that problem.  I need to make
another pitcher I see, guess I'll make two.  Um, don't bother getting
dressed.  Enjoy the pool."

"We didn't think to bring suits."  Sam looked over his shoulder.  "Oh yeah,
silly me."  A naked Snake returned to the pool carrying a pitcher of
margaritas and three glasses.  The teens all whistled.

Carlos licked his lips.  "A coupla drinks and heaven help me.  LJ and Snake
on tequila.  Oy."

Steve and Matt hosted the gang at their place Friday evening for a cookout
and to discuss the plans for Bill's rehab project.  Bill was overwhelmed by
their enthusiasm.  He took Doober for an early walk Saturday morning, and
then loaded tools in his truck along with water for the dogs and coolers of
drinks for the crew.  It was 7:45 when he pulled in and began unloading.
Most of the gang was arriving by eight.

Snake, LJ and Carlos organized everything for Bill's big demo.  The men
dropping off the two big super load dumpsters watched the three shirtless,
shorts-clad men with some confusion.  It wasn't normal for them to see that
much muscle in just three men on one site.  They seemed unnerved by three
musclehunks.

Carlos wiped sweat from his forehead and watched as the truck sped back
down the street.  "Guess we won't be seeing them around here again anytime
soon."

LJ idly scratched his left pec.  "Didn't exactly look like the gym type.
Imagine their reaction if they had dropped this off later with even more of
us here."

"Probably heading for the first fast food joint they can find."

Carlos strategically had the dumpster placed so the men working on the
second floor could dump debris onto a chute from a back window.  The guys
on the first floor could use wheelbarrows to haul debris out to the
dumpster and up into the open second dumpster.  The men were more than 50
percent finished by noon when they broke for lunch.  Bill had asked the
teens to run to a local sandwich shop to get big man-sized sandwiches for
the hot sweaty men.

Bill heard a truck pull in and was about to signal that lunch had arrived
when Vince and two of his tree guys walked in the open garage door.

"Hey Bill, thought you could use some help with the yardwork."

"Well, it does need a lot of attention but I wasn't planning on that today
but if you give me a cost I can call you back and get on your schedule."

Vince shook his head. "No, no charge.  We thought we could clear out all of
the old overgrown crap and give you a blank slate for starters.  Joe told
me about Ken being recalled for duty and well, these guys more than give me
enough work.  We're glad to chip in and help."

Bill didn't know what to say and just blinked.  "I uh, that would be
wonderful.  Ain't much of a yard guy I admit.  Ken's the landscape man.
But, if you really want to do this?"

"We do.  We'll stay away from the other um, really dirty dusty men.
Building demo ain't my thing."

"You been working this morning?  You want some lunch?"

"Uh sure, thanks.  Come on guys.  Vince and his guys took one look at the
shirtless dusty crew, pulled off their T-shirts and joined them for lunch.
One of his men looked from one dusty beefy man to the next.

"You're really like, um, all gay?"  A general yep from the group made him
giggle.  "My old man would be so speechless.  Shoulda brought my camera."

Gary walked over to his car and pulled out his cell phone.  "A few pictures
sounds like a good idea.  We'll do that this afternoon."  Lunch was a quick
thirty minutes.  Everyone was in a hurry to get back to work before it got
any warmer or before the threatening storm clouds let loose.  Bill walked
around trying to help but there were so many men tearing down drywall, old
plaster, old linoleum and anything else marked for demo he became a
perplexed site super.

Zeke pulled up in his van about two o'clock backing as close to the garage
area as he could.  He rolled off his ramp and around the back tossing his
keys to the dirty muscle lump he assumed to be Spence.  Buzz laughed and
asked what he was supposed to do.  Zeke looked closer.  "Oh damn, it's hard
to tell all you fucking dirty men from each other.  Thought you were
Spence.  I have beer in the back in coolers.  And soft drinks.  What can I
do to help?"  Bill looked confused.  "Okay, I know, wheel chairs don't lend
themselves well to building demo.  I'm glad I had to work.  You guys have a
dust cloud going down the street about a quarter mile."

Two more of Vince's men arrived with one of their dump trucks to haul away
yard debris.  They created a huge pile of mulch that Bill could reuse when
the time came.  Bill stood in front of his building with Steve and looked
around at the stripped yard.

"Wow, this is like a super blank slate.  I have no clue what to do though."

Steve wiped dirt from his mouth as Sam, Angie and Doober went racing around
for any sticks Vince's men were throwing for them.  "You could ask Matt and
Joe to come up with a plan.  They're both really good at this stuff.  And
you could ask Vince to do the planting."

Bill called Vince over.  He tried not to stare at the short blond
musclepup's sweat streaked body and low hanging jeans.  He explained what
he was thinking and Vince was more than happy to make suggestions.

"But, you're going to need some topsoil and other soil augmentation to make
this yard successful.  It's pretty poor quality, lots of clay and
gravelly."

Bill shrugged.  "Sure, figure it out and let me know."  He was about to
call Joe and Matt over when he felt the first raindrops.

Vince looked up as a clap of thunder reverberated from several miles away.
"Storm coming, we're almost finished.  Let us get our gear packed up and
I'll be back in a few minutes.

The storm held off long enough for the men to do the final clean up and
stow tools in trucks.  The two-story former garage/store was completely
gutted.  The building was down to bare studs with old wiring left in place
until Scott and Bill could begin hanging new lines.  There were two old
bathrooms from the thirties that would have to suffice until new baths
could be installed.  Gus and Kevin stood looking out a second floor window
watching the approaching storm.  Bill thanked them for their help and
offered them a beer.  "You really have your work cut out for you Bill but
this is one helluva a blank slate.  You bringing in an architect?"

"Yeah, a guy from over in Regent Square for whom I've done some work.
He'll love this.  Just the kind of project he specializes in and whoa, that
was loud.  We better get all the windows closed before it breaks loose."

Sam and Joe had offered a pizza party at their place.  They also offered
the guys a place to shower and clean --up.  A pool party might be out of
the plan.  A few minutes later the guys began arriving.  They all ran for
cover to Sam's garage.  Joe directed them to strip and handed each man a
towel.  Sam and Jack were sorting the dirty clothes into piles of laundry.
Vince and two of his men had also tagged along.  His men looked a bit
hesitant but Vince kicked off his work boots and dropped his jeans.

"Shit, I've seen plenty of naked men. It ain't like I'm a virgin."  Heads
snapped around.  "Okay, I mean, I am a virgin that way you know, with
another man, but getting naked get real.  I don't have anything to be
ashamed of, holy shit."  Snake had dropped his jeans and exposed his huge
shaved nuts and cock.  One of Vince's crew dropped his jeans.

"If anyone ever says something stereotypical about gay men again, I don't
have any clue how I am going to explain this."

Some of the gang hosed themselves down, or used the outdoor shower between
downpours while they waited their turn in the locker-room shower in the
basement.  Vince nursed a beer.

"I had planned on taking my girlfriend out tonight but I'm feeling a bit
horny right now.  She's gonna get so lucky."  Gus looked sideways at Sam
and Kevin.

Kevin watched Vince's little bubble butt walk across the kitchen.  "Damn.
You think?"

Gus nodded.  "Don't know.  It may be awhile before we find out on what side
of the fence he falls.

Jack slowly brought out piles of clean, dry laundry and the men reclaimed
their clothes.  Everyone was more or less dressed when the pizza arrived a
couple of hours later.  By that time they were are relaxed and enjoying
their friendships.  Vince and his men left early.  One of his guys climbed
into the big pick-up and sighed.  "That was a fun afternoon even if it was
work.  Who'da thunk working with and getting naked with a bunch of gay men
could be so much fun?"

His co-worker turned to look at him.  "You uh?"

"No.  Just glad I had this experience.  Puts the world into a different
perspective for me."

Snake had changed to cutoffs and was standing in the den when Bruce walked
back around the corner.  "Snake, you leaned up. And are furry."

"Yeah, the puffiness from the drugs is finally wearing off and my hair is
coming back.  I'm doing the diet and supplement thing that Tank and Harley
do.  The plan they got from Sam's friends Tom and Eric.  The guys from
Illinois?  Seems to be working."

Bruce nodded.  "Yes it does.  So I take it to mean you're going to keep the
hair and no longer shave your head or chest?"

Snake shrugged.  "Haven't decided.  Depends on what Carlos and LJ want.
I'm keeping my cock and balls shaved and the hair on my head short.
Problem is, now that it's growing back.  It's growing very quickly.  I look
like I haven't shaved my face at all by noon.  The goatee gets really thick
and scruffy really fast.  This crap they put me on seems to have speeded up
my metabolism and hair growth.  Weird eh?"

"Maybe a little.  But hot too."  He took beers out for a couple of the guys
just as Buzz wandered in and rubbed Snake's lower back.

"I like the look.  Makes you even more rugged.  You settled in okay?"

Snake smiled and looked out the window at Carlos and LJ.  "Yeah.  Things
are good but there is one thing I really want."

Buzz took a long drink from a beer and leaned against the fridge.  "What's
that?"

Snake look around the room apprehensively.  "I want to have a night with
you and John.  I need to show you I am not the man who raped and beat him."

"We know that.  Things have changed for you."  "But, I can't explain.  I
need to physically show you I can be submissive or rough or well, loving."

"You don't have to have sex with us to prove that."

"I know but it feels like I need it as part of the healing process.  Please
ask John to consider it."

"What about them?  Carlos and LJ?"

"They understand.  I've been rebuilding my life a little at a time with
their help.  I love them and well, we have some hot sex but I need you
two."  He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Buzz.

"You're trembling."

"Things have changed so much for me.  I love all these men, truly love
them.  I didn't think I was capable of anything like this.  It's not a
slutty thing.  I'm not trying to sleep my way through this group, believe
me.  But I need to repair everything with you two."

Buzz let out a long low sigh.  "I think I understand.  I'll talk with
John."  He turned to walk out of the room.  "What if he says no?"

"I accept that and move on as I can."  Buzz smiled and walked out of the
kitchen.  Sam stood in the shadows near the bathroom.

"You heard that?"  Sam nodded.  "Please believe me Sam; I ain't trying to
make men just for the sake of sex.  I really need to feel like I've fixed
everything with John and Buzz."

"I think Buzz's standing up to your old man for you was a good display of
that.  They made the choice to drive down and help us move you to a new
life.  They testified on your behalf.  I think they have proven they don't
hold grudges."

Snake quietly sighed and slumped against the counter.  "I can't explain it
Sam.  I love Carlos and LJ.  I never in a million years would have thought
I'd be brave enough to accept that.  But the love I have in my heart for
John and Buzz is just as strong."  He looked around the room and waved his
arms.  "I don't know how to prove that."

"Who says you have to prove it by giving into them sexually?  Being a good
friend can say a lot."

Snake closed his eyes.  Tears rolled down his cheeks.  "Look at me.  I'm
240 pounds of muscle and the love I feel for all of you men reduces me to
tears.  I'm an emotional mess."

"No one said this change would be easy.  Or happen quickly.  Take things
slowly, give yourself time to adjust.  These men, the guys at home with
Tank and Harley are your family.  They're not going to think any less of
you. Do what you feel you need to do but don't hurt Carlos and LJ."
Snake's head snapped up.  "I know you don't intend to but be sure you do
what is right for all of you."  He walked across the room to get another
trash bag.  "Give yourself time Snake.  You've been through a lot.  We'll
stand by you and support you.  That's what family does."

Snake nodded, smiled weakly and headed to the den to find Carlos and LJ.
Sam loaded a few more items into the dishwasher.  When he turned he ran
smack into Jack.  The young man threw his arms around Sam.  "What's this?
You drinking young man?"

"Nope.  I heard what you said.  Thanks Sam thanks for everything Dad."
Jack grabbed a soda and headed downstairs.  Joe walked into the kitchen and
took the trash bag from Sam's hand.

"What was that about?"

"He called me Dad."

"I call you Dad."

"Ah, but for slightly different reasons."

"Well, to him, you're now his father.  You've given him more love and
guidance in a few days than his real father showed him in a long time.
It's one of the reasons I love you."  Joe headed downstairs to retrieve
garbage as Sam stood quietly in the kitchen and smiled.

A very tired work crew slowly dispersed.  Bill stood at the door to
personally hug and thank everyone for the big day of demo on the new
building.  Steve and Matt lingered to drive him home.  "A lot of people
think demo is the hard part, but, now you have a blank canvas and you have
to decide what you want to make of it.  A tough job made even tougher by
the fact your other half is thousands of miles away."

Bill leaned against Matt.  "I know but we often talked about what we would
want in a place of our own.  Ken doesn't know that I would then go and
write all that down and have been keeping a file.  Sort of a wish list.  I
think I can carefully word some email to get any more details on what I
might need to do while he's gone."

Steve threw his tired arms around the two men.  "Come on, let's get home.
Ben already left with Angie.  Her tail was dragging. Tired pup.  Imagine
what it would have been like if his girlfriend had come along today.
Doober! Sam!  Let's go."

Big Sam came running from the kitchen behind the two dogs acting like one
of the pack.  Steve cracked up, rubbed his flattop and petted his ass.
"Good boy, but you have to stay here with Joey."  Sam pretended to hump his
leg.  "Uh, I think your partner would be more than happy to have you do
that to him."

Sam snorted.  "I think we're both so tired we'll just fall right to sleep.
Bill's a pretty mean taskmaster."

Bill smiled.  "I hardly raised a finger or said a word.  You guys flew
through that place like a tornado.  Thanks Sam, give Joe a kiss for me."

Sam watched the three men slowly walk toward Steve's truck.  John and Buzz
came up behind him and hugged him from both sides.  "Mmm, muscle sandwich.
One of my favourites.  You going home alone?"

Buzz nodded.  "Yeah, we love Snake but tonight well just isn't the night
for sex games."

John pulled Buzz to his chest.  "I'll probably just fall asleep with my
dick up his ass."

"I get my best night's sleep that way."  Sam laughed and waved as they
stumbled out to John's bike.

He found Joe, Carlos, LJ, Jack and Snake lounging outside by the pool.  The
rain had stopped and the sky had cleared enough to let the moon shine down.
He stripped off his shorts and T and slid into the bubbling hot tub.  "Damn
that feels good."

Jack wandered over, reached own and stroked Sam's massive cock.  "Good
night Dad.  I am pooped.  Wake me up if you need a, uh, four, five, uh,
sixth for sex."  He walked over to Joe and kissed him.  "Good night Dad
Jr."  Joe giggled as a very worn out teenager stumbled up the stairs.

LJ walked over, stripped and joined Sam in the tub.  "You know you worked
hard when you've worn out the teenagers.  They all looked pooped."

The rest of the men were soon naked and relaxing in the tub.  Sam rubbed
Snake's big quad under the water and felt the big man's cock stir.  "So you
decided to wait to have make-up sex with cop and bobber."  Snake thought
about it a moment then grinned.

"I get it.  Yeah, we're all just too tired to play tonight.  Although,
someone better plug my ass tonight or I'll be even crabbier."

Carlos looked up at the sky.  "Sam?  Joe?  Any takers?  This man is one
incredible fuck.  Can't get enough and ohhhhhh, damn, sorry, can't stop
yawning.  I'm not sure I could get a stiff dick if you paid me."

LJ leaned against his lover.  "Well, I for one ain't paying you.  Snake, if
it's hard, you better just sit on it and not wake us.  We need out beauty
sleep."

Joe giggled.  "How long you plan on sleeping?"

LJ pushed him under the water.  "Never did like him."

Joe splashed to the surface and spluttered.  "I couldn't see clearly but
I'd say there all pretty stiff right now."

Sam splashed water at him.  "Involuntary response to being near this much
beef."

Carlos stood up and planed water from his body.  "I need to get some
sleep."

LJ followed. "Me too.  Snake?"

Snake snuggled between Sam and Joe.  "In a minute, just enjoying the
closeness."

LJ rolled his eyes.  "Just remember, you fuck, you wind him up, and you
sleep with him."  They watched the two men towel dry and head to the guest
room.  Snake moaned with contentment.  "This is great.  We love the pool
and tub at Tank's.  So relaxing, oh shit, damn yawns.  So relaxing.  I
better get to bed."

Joe stood up and sat on the side of the tub.  His stiff cock sticking
straight out.  "Unless?"

Snake looked at Sam who stood up and waved his telephone pole prick as
Snake.  "You want it?"  Snake nodded.  He bent forward and teased Joe's
rod.  The big head was shiny with spit and seemed to throb as Snake tongued
up and down the shaft. Sam speared him from behind.  Sam held onto Snake's
shoulders and forced every centimeter of his shaft deep inside the needy
ass.  Snake groaned with pleasure and rode both men.  Sam took it slowly
until Snake's moaning reached a slightly higher pitch.  Joe was fighting
with everything he had not to shoot a load down Snake's hungry throat.
"Ready Joe?"

"Uh, not quite.  Gees. UHHH, dayyyyummmmm Snake."  Snake swallowed Joe's
prize to the root.  He pistoned his mouth up and down the heavily veined
shaft letting spit and drool increase the sensitivity.  One arm wrapped
around the young man and held him tightly.  He found the big full balls and
fondled them then slowly encircled them and pulled downward.  The pressure
increased until Joe was moaning and gasping.

Sam skewered Snake, slamming harder against the wall of muscle that had
become Snake's ass.  Sam's motion caused even more pleasure for Joe's cock.
"Are you ready now Joe?"

"Uh, Ug, agh, yeah, yeah, now."  Snake felt Joe's cock swell and thick
cords of his hot cum hit the back of his throat.  He swallowed greedily.
Sam slammed deeply one more time and unloaded deep in his gut.  Snake lay
panting and gasping between the two men.

"Oh damn.  Thanks.  I needed that."

Joe rubbed the stubble on Snake's chest.  "Did you get off?"

Snake shook his head no.  "No sir, neither of you said I could."

Sam slapped his ass.  "Of course you can you silly slut."

Snake grinned.  "Thank you sir.  I'll do it over there."  He slid out of
the tub and started the outside shower.  Two strokes later a huge ribbon of
cum shot straight up.  Snake caught most of it with his mouth.  The
remaining dribbles splattered across his wet chest only to wash down the
drain.

Joe's eyes widened.  "WOW, nice trajectory." Snake giggled

"I always got high scores on my marksmanship."

"Hmmm, Sam I need to practice that."  Sam looked back at him and laughed.

Sam slid out of the pool and handed the two men fresh towels.  "Not
tonight.  Let's rinse off and get to bed."  Snake headed up the stairs to
Carlos and LJ.  Sam and Joe could hear him remark -- "oh you're
still...uh, up."  Sam shook his head.  "We are so perverse."

Joe headed toward their bedroom.  "I like to think of it as practiced."
Sam rolled his eyes as he checked and closed the garage door.  He looked up
at the clearing sky as he locked the doors and thought.  "Kenny, wherever
you are, we hope you're safe and know you're loved."

The next two weeks flew by for some of the gang.  The routine of summer had
taken over.  Work, gym, yardwork, hanging out by the pool, repeat.
Climbing on bikes and motoring out into the countryside on days when the
weather didn't bring sudden thunderstorms.

Jack settled into life with Sam and Joe.  His mother only tried to contact
him when she knew his father wouldn't be home.  His brother emailed him
daily offering support and love.  Jack joined Tim, Ron, Gary and the odd
straight man out Dave for ice cream one night and good-naturedly handled
the ribbing.

Gary leaned back in the bed of Gus' pickup that Tim was driving.  "Jack you
are one lucky dog.  Not only do you get to live and hang with two of the
hottest men in town, but they are like the coolest parents."

"Yeah, it's weird how they provide parental control but never make it seem
oppressive."

Tim giggled.  "So how's the sex?"

Jack smirked.  "Unlike some of us who seduce their old man and his
boyfriend, I don't have sex with them."

Dave's eyes shot wide open.  "You had sex with your Dad.  And Kevin?  You
pig."

"Oh like you aren't out boinking your girlfriend every other night."  Dave
punched Tim in the shoulder.

"Sadly, I ain't.  We have sex once in a while but not enough.  But, ya
know. I don't want to take chances and get her pregnant.  Not with college
and football a few weeks away.  Besides, my Dad and his uh, lady friend
fuck like bunnies damn near all the time.  It's killing me."

Jack snorted.  "Ewwwww.  I never heard my parents have sex.  I think my
brother and I are the result of my mother fucking someone else.  Besides,
my Dad's dick is like micro size.  So Davey, you're Dad happy?"

"Yeah, he's like so happy to have someone back in his life.  It's been a
long time since my mom died.  I'm happy for him.  It's just listening to
them makes me so horny.  My arm cramps up."

Tim sighed.  "I'll drink to that, ol' Gus and Danny fuck each other
senseless almost every other night.  The nights they aren't fucking,
they're sucking.  That's at least quieter."

Jack smiled.  "Yeah, Sam and Joe are the same way.  But being gay, it's
sorta cool living in a house where I don't have to hide my sexuality."  Tim
nodded in agreement

Dave whistled.  "My Dad's no prude but I'm not about to take someone home
for sex."

Ron, usually, the quiet one.  "Maybe you could get Jack to talk Sam and Joe
into using the playroom.  We do.  You know bring a date over there."

Dave choked on his ice cream.  "Uhhhhhh, yeah, now there's something I'm
about to do soon, not.  Well guys, we have a few more weeks and then it's
off to football camp.  Things are really going to change.  How are you guys
going to deal with the whole gay thing at school, all of you?"

Tim and Ron looked at each other.  "Well, it's more or less back into the
closet for us while we're there.  I don't think State is ready for two out
gay football players.  It's going to be really, really difficult."

Ron sighed.  "Yeah, my mom's cool wid it but, we've had so much freedom
these last few months, wow.  The adjustment is going to be rough.  I just
wish people would accept people for whom and what they are, period."

Dave threw his arm over Ron.  "Says the gay black man."

Jack shrugged.  "Pretty much the same for Gary and me.  I'm a transfer so I
already got called into the coach's office.  Seems my Dad sent him a letter
about my being a fag."

Gary's head spun around.  "Oh shit, I didn't know that.  What did Coach
say?"

"He was pretty cool with it.  Asked more about how I was doing and if I
needed anything. He didn't say I should go into the closet per se but Gar
and I figured we probably would have to be pretty low key.  We have some
really religious freaky students at school.  They could make everyone's
lives miserable.  Although, I think a lot of them are crack heads and some
of the guys are gay and don't know it yet.  Their parents really have them
screwed up."

Tim bit his lips.  "What about the other guys on the team?  What if word
gets out?"

Jack tilted his head.  "Coach said no one needs to know my business but me.
If guys find out it's cause my father must have put word out.  Who knows?
I'm going to play it by ear.  Coach liked my record at my old school and
thinks I can contribute to the team.  He promised me he had my back if
anything came up."

Gary let out a long breath.  "We have each other guys.  Maybe we should
work out some email codes and addresses so we can be open and support each
other."  The rest agreed it seemed like a good idea.

Dave leaned back against the side of the truck bed as he finished his ice
cream.  "I don't envy you guys.  My Uncle Sam, ha, that sounds so weird,
but he would tell me things about what happened to him in San Francisco
over the years.  Even in a city as open as that, a gay man can still run
into walls.  I'll be there for you guys no matter what."  Tim nodded.
"Sounds like a plan, we'll work on it."  The teenagers all slapped each
other and gave hand signals as they drove home.  Sleep became the priority
for the next day's work.

The next couple of weeks leading up to the 4th of July holiday flew by.
Tony and Bear worked on closing and moving arrangements into their new
house, as did Ben.  Spence and Zeke met with architects and contractors
getting work laid out to make Spence's house more accessible.  Gus and
Kevin worked on combining households supervised by Tim's smart ass jokes
and comments.  Swede worked Gary and Jack as much as he could as his
business continued to grow.  At night, he spent time unwinding with Scott
and joining the others to pump iron at the gym.

Steve and Matt kept an eye on Bill and Doober.  Bill worked all day, pumped
himself into a wet sweaty mess at the gym then went home to feed and walk
Doober.  He would then spend a couple more hours working on the new
building all the time talking to Doober about how great it would be when
Ken came home to their new place.  He knew the big lab didn't at all get
how worried he was about Ken being back in Iraq.  He was just as determined
to not let his friends know.

Steve and Matt were on the phone or in the corner of the gym with Sam and
Joe comparing notes on keeping Bill sane while Ken was gone.  Swede and
Scott dragged him home one night for an evening of hot sex.  Bill had a big
smile on his face for a couple of days but couldn't handle the sex drive of
the two big men.  The two men made sure he fucked both of them until his
dick was sore.  People at work would ask him if he had a problem with his
legs and the war injury.  He just shrugged and said the summer heat was
chafing him.  Truth was Swede and Scott left his dick and balls tender and
in need of a rest.

The target moving date for Tony, Bear and Ben was the second weekend in
August.  Plans were made for the gang to help them over the course of three
days including Friday.  Bill even planned to take time away from his
renovation project to help.

Most of the gang took an extra day or two over the 4th to make the trek
back up to Sam and Joe's cabin.  It was another holiday of naked mud
volleyball, pumping iron, swimming, man-to-man sex, and food.  Bill begged
off to work on his project.  Tony and Bear begged off to save their
time-off for their move.  It was still a large group.  Everyone crowded
round Sam's cell phone when Bill called to say he had an email from Ken.

"Hey hey Bill, man I am so missing you.  You're hugs, kissing you, sucking
that big black cock and having you fuck me till I whimper."  All Bill could
hear were the men all going `ooooooo'.  "It ain't happening here as far as
sex is concerned. Can't even get enough alone time to jack off.  My nuts
are going to burst. We're working our asses off either on guard duty or in
my case doing tons of endless fucking carpentry work.  It's wearing me
down.  Don't tell Steve."  Oops.  "I still love what we do in the shop.
But it's different here.  The people here need so much encouragement and
help.  It tears out my heart.  Most of them want things to work out and get
better.  Some of them even seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Then some asshole does an IED bomb thing and we're all back to being on
alert.  Or they vandalize something we had just fixed.  Frustrating.

Buck, the big black guard, has all but come out and said to me he's gay.
He's afraid to actually say the word I think. Afraid someone we don't want
to hear our conversation will.  Cap Malloy is really cool though.  He
practically plays matchmaker between us knowing how horny we're getting.
It doesn't help when the three of us are in the shower together.  Buck is
one thick beefy guy and the Cap is really hot for an older man.  I think he
may be Sam's age."  Everyone hoots at Sam over the age remark.

But damn Bill, it ain't easy being away from your loved ones.  I didn't
miss my real family when I was over here before as much as I miss you and
all of the guys.  I miss having you wrapped around..." Bill giggles and
skips over the personal comments to much teasing from his buds.

We are working out as much as we can, don't have much else to do when we
aren't on duty.  I'm leaner," several guys comment on how lean he was when
he left, "but Cap keeps after us and I think I may have added to my chest
and arms.  Buck is a fucking bull; damn man has muscle on top of muscle.
The Cap keeps up pretty well too.  I better go; we need to get some food.
Give Doober a big hug for me.  I miss his big tongue giving me lots of
doggie kisses.  I love you Bill, please keep me in your heart.  Kenny."

There was a moment of quiet as Sam fought back tears before he could talk
on the phone again to Bill.  Sam asked if he had told Ken what all was
happening on the new place.  Bill admitted he only told Ken he had bought
it from Steve.  Ken is thinking all the work will be waiting until he gets
home.  He still had no idea if he would get to come home early or if he
would have to spend the whole year over there.  Sam said goodnight then
passed the phone around so each man could wish Bill a good night.

Bill sat on the deck overlooking Steve and Matt's yard above the woodshop.
Doober snuggled in the big chair next to him.  He quietly scratched the big
dog's ears as tears rolled silently down his face.

The big moving weekend finally arrived.  Tony and Bear had moved much of
their small stuff.  They had closed on their new house the week before and
spent evenings cleaning and painting.  Ben didn't have a lot to move from
his tiny apartment and storage bin.  A convoy of pickup trucks moved back
and forth over the hot, humid Saturday.  Zeke shuttled loads back and forth
in his van then went to pick up one huge honking order of food to feed the
masses as they gathered at Sam and Joe's.  The men were tired.  Even the
dogs seemed beat.  Everyone showered and helped themselves to huge trays of
assorted take out.

Clothes were pretty much forgotten as they ate. Men just relaxed in the
pool or hot tub.  Tim and Ron knew it would be the last time they would get
to spend time like this with a group of men they had grown to love.  At
least until football season was over.  Tank, Harley and his guys even drove
up to help.  The additional trucks had made the move go even quicker.  If
they could have just done something about the summer humidity.  The weather
forecast for Sunday was calling for thunderstorms.  They were thankful
everything got moved on Saturday.

Ben, being the token straight man, was not the least bit shy about being
naked amidst so many gay men.  He took the good-natured kidding in stride
but admitted embarrassment when it caused him to spring an erection.  He
simply took a long sip of his beer and smiled.  "Guess there must be
something to that theory that deep down inside all of us are the same under
the skin."

Buzz almost choked on his sandwich.  "Are you talking about your foreskin?"

John shook his head and patted him on the back.  "So blond.  So so blond."

Ben wandered back toward the food.  His cock bounced from side to side.
"Sometimes the damn things just have a mind of their own."

Buzz leaned against John.  "The damn thing could have its own zip code."
John slipped his big hand over Buzz's mouth.  Ben just smiled and pretended
he didn't hear.

Tony, Bear and Ben thanked everyone and headed off to the confines of their
new homes.  Tank and his crew rumbled back off home to the east and the
remaining guys quietly enjoyed the refreshing coolness of the water.

Most of the men hit P'town in August.  Gus and Kevin were a couple days
late getting there after seeing Tim off to football camp and college with
Dave and Ron.  Gary and Jack stayed behind as well.  High school drills for
their football team began the week everyone headed to Cape Cod.

Provincetown was a new experience for many of the guys.  The bar scene was
not high on their list so it was easy to avoid the crowds there.  They
still made for a formidable group on the beach and were more than happy to
drop suits and tan nude.  Heads turned as this long line of beefy
muscleheads trekked across the dunes and along the water to find a place to
accommodate all of them.  Bruce and Steve had worked miracles to find two
places side by side big enough to accommodate both Sam's crowd and Tank's.

Tank had more or less closed down operations on several projects having
only straight crew to leave behind.  The contracts had been negotiated with
this week noted as vacation.  He and Harley were more than happy to have a
sunny beach weekend in one of Tank's favourite places.

They had to work their way down Commercial in small groups since there were
too many of them to clump together.  Finding two houses to hold everyone
gave them the option to eat some dinners in and everyone took turns doing a
meal for the rest.  The week passed quickly as they often do when you can
leave cares behind.  Sam made sure to check in with Bill who had taken off
some time but used it on his secret project instead.  He had banished just
about everyone from seeing what was happening in his new place.

Scott had helped run some very basic wiring for new boxes in the basement.
Bill would take care of the rest of the wiring.  Steve had come over to
help him measure for new kitchen, bathroom and TV room cabinets but wasn't
allowed anywhere else.  The roofers he had hired were sworn to secrecy in
case they ran into any of Bill's friends.  Joe tried to get info from Vince
the treeman but ran into another wall.  Vince had recommended another guy
for a lot of the yardwork Bill wanted to do.  It wasn't his strong point
and his tree and landscape business couldn't handle Bill's scope of work.
Bill would share any word from Ken, which wasn't much, but remained
closed-lipped on his project.

Labour Day weekend arrived and with it another outing to the cabin.  This
time Bill was the only one who stayed behind.  Tony and Bear were the last
to drive by his project Thursday afternoon and said there didn't seem to be
much to see.  The yard was still untouched.  The brickwork still needed to
be pointed.  Plastic filled the spaces where new windows were missing.  The
driveway had been graded and gravel put down put no paving had occurred.
Steve shared his frustration having gone over to see if he could help Bill
one night and finding no one there.  The place was locked up tightly.  And
with plastic blocking the window openings, he couldn't see inside.  Sam was
beginning to worry that maybe Bill had bitten off more than he could
handle.  Gus balanced in an old wooden chair and shrugged.

"You wouldn't know it when you talk to him.  His eyes light up about what
he's doing for Ken.  He doesn't seem to be stressed at all."

John idly played with one of Buzz's nipples as the young man sat between
his legs.  "Yeah, at the gym he's all focused on his workout.  Looks damned
good, may even be a bit bigger."

Buzz squirmed.  "Really?  His dick was bigger?"

John slapped the back of his head.  "I'm not talking about his meat, his
arms you dweeb.  Gus has he always been this much of a smart ass?"

"Oh yeah.  Big time.  But now, with Tim off to college, it's just me and
Danny boy here all alone.  Seems really quiet.  I miss Buzz' mouth."  They
could tell he was choking up."

Danny rubbed his shoulders.  "You raised a bunch of good men.  You're
surrounded by sons, daughters-in-law who love you and a gaggle of
grandkids.  You're a damned lucky man.  Lotta love there."  Gus pulled him
close for a kiss.

"Yeah, thanks."

Jack and Gary relived their first winning football game of the season when
they arrived on Saturday.  The men celebrated by stripping them and tossing
them into the cold water of the creek below the cabin.

Zeke was quieter than his normal ornery self and explained the combining of
households with Spence had finally happened.  They were living with
contractors finishing up the last of the to-do list to make the house
accessible.  Spence slumped in a big Adirondack chair next to Zeke's
wheelchair.  "I say this all the time, but if you had told me when I had
this stupid ass accident so many years ago, that I could be a happy crip.
A happy gay crip with a partner, a house with a pool and a shitload of hot
men as friends, well.  I woulda said you were fuckin' full of crap.  But
here I am living proof of what can happen when your boyfriend can balance
on your dick."

Matt snorted beer through his nose.  "Not quite the way I expected you to
say that, but it does paint a certain picture.  Sit and spin eh?"

Spence sipped his beer.  "Yep.  Ain't too proud to say, I loves Ezekiel's
cock up my ass."

Zeke blushed.  "Oh you just had to put that Ezekiel out there didn't you?"
Spence grinned evilly.  Sam came wandering out of the kitchen a few minutes
later with a huge cake covered in candles.  "This here is the fine culinary
work of Header and Andy.  It is to celebrate Bruce and Steve's 25th
anniversary."

Bruce looked confused.  "Twenty-seven."

Sam blushed.  "Oh, whatever.  We can celebrate everything we've been
through this year.  Tank and Harley finding each other, um, Header, Andy
and Pete, Carlos, LJ and Snake, well, just everything Snake has journeyed
through.  Spence and Zeke.  Tony and Bear's new house."

Gary waved his hand.  "What about Ben?"

"Ben's straight.  He's off with his lady friend."

"Oh Ewww, nevermind."

Sam shook his head.  "Oh wow, Gus and Kevin, or Danny, or whatever the hell
he calls you depending on how much we've all had to drink.  Jack, Joe and I
love you and are glad you are living with us.  Oh and anything else I've
forgotten."  He put the cake down on the picnic table.  "Well, someone
needs to blow."  There was a pause and then a roar of laughter.  "I meant
blow out the candles.  Good grief."  Gary and Jack stepped forward.

"I think we should do this.  You all have been drinking too much beer.  We
could explode from the fumes."

They had no sooner blown out the candles than a decked out Dodge Ram
rumbled up the long hidden drive.  A tall, dark, muscular man slid out from
behind the wheel and smiled.

Snake's eyes lit up.  "Beau."  He ran over and threw his arms around the
big man.

Joe nudged Sam.  "Oh that's his big cop buddy from back home.  The one who
was on the fence about coming out.  Maybe he made up his mind."

Joe furrowed his brow.  "A gay southern cop named Beau?  Okay, we don't
have one of those yet.  So which side of the fence you think he landed on?"
Sam just rolled his eyes.

Carlos and LJ smiled.  "We didn't tell Snake he was coming.  Thought it
would be a nice surprise."

Zeke tilted his head.  "Judging by their growing hardons.  There won't be a
surprise for much longer."

Snake threw his meaty arm over Beau's shoulders and walked him toward the
gang.  "Everybody, this is my best bud from the deep ol' South, Beau.  He's
a cop back home.  You met some of these guys when they came down to help me
move.  That there is Joe, Sam's boy, and that's Harley.  He keeps Tank in
line."  Tank snorted.  "Them's Gus and Kevin, or Danny.  I ain't figured
how why he has two names.  Tony, Bear, Header, Andy Pete, those three are
together; Gary and Jack are our underage recruits.  Steve is Bruce's
partner of, ahem, 27 years."  Sam smirked.

"So shoot me."

"That's Steve and Matt, Swede and Scott, and um.  Gus's son Tim is off at
college now and playing football.  Oh, and Gary and Jack's buddy Ron, young
way hot black man, also away at college now.  Bill is I guess back in
Pittsburgh working on this building he bought.  And his other half Ken,
well, he's the guy who was recalled to duty in Iraq.  And those two guys
grinning because I guess they proved they could keep a secret from me,
that's Carlos and LJ."  Carlos and LJ walked over shook Beau's hand and
gave him a bit hug.

Sam was busy cutting cake and handing plates to Tank.  "I'd say LJ is in
hog heaven."

"Ya think?  He's practically drooling about trying for a four way.  Don't
know how they're gonna work things out when Beau moves."

"What?  Whadya mean?"

"Beau came up for the week. He has an interview for a police officer job
here.  I talked to the chief and if the one-on-one goes good, well, he's
almost guaranteed the job.  Snake doesn't know."

"How do you think Snake will handle the news?  Oh, Carlos and LJ are hot
for it.  They been talking to Beau on the phone and in email.  They done
just above everything except the physical sex part.  Snake's gonna be
floored.  Deep down, I think he always loved this man.  And Beau loved him
except the crazies where they come from were consumed with hatred for gay
relationships. Well, not just gay, anyone perceived as different."

Sam watched the four men, arm in arm in arm in arm and smiled.  "You
telling me you had nothing to do with this?"

Tank smiled the look that always sent Sam's head spinning with pictures in
his mind of Tank's late lover and the family ties to several people in the
camp.  "Can't lie to ya.  After we met him, I tracked him down when I
learned about the job here.  The chief here is an old friend of mine.  He
could care less where a man puts his dick as long as he's a good cop.
Beau's got one helluva good record.  I'll tell ya more about that later.
Buddy, you're getting skimpy on them cake slices.  We got plenty of
activity to work off one itty bitty piece of cake. Be generous."

Sam scowled at Tank.  "And what about your cholesterol and health?"

Tank snorted again.  "Are you kidding, look at me?  Harley has all of us
following that food and exercise program Eric and Tom brought with them.
Good grief, I ain't been this lean in years.  Put a big spark back into our
sex life too."

"Didn't realize you were having problems?"

"Weren't.  But now I can fuck Harley's tight little ass twice as much with
the energy I got.  Not to mention, I get him to reciprocate a lot more."

Gary and Jack were back for seconds on the cake.  "Is that all you old men
ever talk about, sex?  And you talk about us teenagers."

Sam and Tank just smiled and in unison laughed.  "Go eat your damned cake."

Friday morning back in Pittsburgh

The spotlessly clean Ford dump truck pulled to one side at the bottom of
the driveway.  The man got out and stood quietly surveying the beehive of
activity around Bill's building.  He leaned against the front of the truck
and smiled.  Pat was lean, wiry and muscular.  His face was worn and lined
from years working in the weather and bright sun.  It made him look much
older then his 50 years.  He watched roofers cleaning up debris from their
job and tossing garbage into a giant dumpster sitting off to one side on
worn rock and grass at the back corner of the building.  A paving crew was
busily finishing the prep work for laying a new blacktop driveway.  He
walked up toward the open garage door and nodded to a couple of the paving
crew he recognized from numerous projects in the area over the years.

Window installers were sliding more debris down a board from the second
floor.  Most of the windows on the second floor had been installed and gave
the building a new fresher appearance.  Big double hung windows.  The owner
was smart in replacing them with new ones to keep the historic look of the
building.

A fine mist hit his face from another crew power washing the outside brick.
Scaffolding had been erected over the front in preparation for pointing
work.  He recognized the mason as a man he had seen work on many homes and
buildings in the neighbourhood.  He waved as the man caught a glimpse of
him.

"Hey Pat, how are you?"

"Good Bill, see you're getting ready to work miracles on this brick."

"Yeah, we start tomorrow.  Can probably have a good part of the front done
by Saturday.  Then a couple of days off for the holiday."

"This is a nice looking building.  Glad to see it's being fixed up."

"You doing the landscaping?"

"Going to give a bid.  Ain't nothing here to save though."

"No, the owner pulled out all the old stuff.  Wasn't much here really.  And
nothing had been maintained for years."

"Well, I like working with a blank slate."

"You certainly have one here."

"Where's the owner, uh, Bill?"

"He's around back putting in an a/c unit.  Good man, done a lot of work
inside already himself.  I like working for someone who gets out and gets
his hands dirty."

"Me too.  I'll let ya get back to it.  Be lunch time before ya know it.
Sure you want to get home at a decent time.  Take care."  Pat walked around
the garage end of the building to the back.  He stopped to watch Bill,
kneeling next to a large a/c unit.  He was shirtless and sweating in the
September heat.  His back muscles flexed as he finished the last of the
connection and patted the top of the machine.  When he stood up, Pat saw a
bit of a limp.  The shorts looked like genuine Army issue.  He smiled.
"Bill?"

Bill turned and gave Pat a big smile offering his hand in a firm grip.
"Hey Pat, glad you stopped.  You come highly recommended from Vince, the
tree guy.  Well, and soon as I realized who he meant, I've seen you doing
lots of work around here.  Some really beautiful lawns."

"Thank, I enjoy what I do.  You're going all out on this place.  Looking
pretty good."  Pat slid his hands in his pocket and stepped back to avoid
the roofers coming through from the other end of the property.

"Yeah, got a great price.  This place is getting everything and landscaping
needs to make it look more, well, homey.  It's going to be a residence not
a commercial property anymore."

"Ahh, well, then you're going to want to do something out front that makes
it softer, more welcoming, improve curb appeal."

"Exactly.  I have some sketches inside of how the sidewalks will go,
course, things can change.  Come on.  Pat followed Bill inside watching as
the beefy black man moved quickly despite the limp."

"You okay?"

"Oh.  I was injured in Iraq, legs ain't so great and with all the work I've
been doing, I need to get some rest."

"Why not take off the holiday weekend?"

Bill smiled mischievously.  "Well, all my buddies are away at a friend's
cabin this weekend.  They all went up Thursday evening.  Well, most of them
did.  Extra days off.  So I wanted to have a ton of work done by time they
got back.  I figure by time any of them comes down this road it'll be
Tuesday, maybe Wednesday.  By that time, the roof will be done, the
windows, at least out front will be installed, and the brick pointing
started."

"You're not likely to get much landscaping done by then."

"Oh no, I know that.  I just want to find someone to do the work and on
whom I can depend to do a good job.  Everyone tells me this is the best
time of the year to do lawns and trees and all that stuff."

"Yes it is.  Let's talk."  Bill showed him his ideas for where the
sidewalks could go.  And also where, on what had been the front of the
building. He wanted a patio hidden from the street by plantings.  It took
45 minutes for him to walk Pat around the building explaining all of his
ideas.  Pat slid off his baseball cap, scratched his thick salt and pepper
hair and smiled.  "Wow, you have a lot of good ideas.  Let's work them into
phases and I can give you some ideas and a price on the front first."

Bill offered him a cold soft drink. They sat on some lawn chairs inside the
open garage doors.  Bill shrugged.  "Not worried about price.  I've seen
your work.  In fact, you live going down the hill into the creek valley.
The place with the two-story garage and the little house up on the back,
all the great plantings out front.  And one of the cleanest garages I have
ever seen."  Pat blushed.  "See, I want to have as much of this done and in
top shape for when my partner gets home from Iraq."  Pat looked confused.
"He got recalled for active duty and went back a couple of months ago.  May
be there a year or less, or more.  They aren't sure?"

"He?"

"Yeah, Ken's his name.  That a problem?"

"No sir.  Not at all.  Uh, you just don't look gay."  It was Bill's turn to
look confused.  Pat smiled slowly.  "I was always taught to never judge a
book by its cover.  I'll drop off some plans and costs for you tomorrow."

"I'm taking the day off so I can work here all day."

"Tomorrow morning then."

"That soon?"

Pat nodded.  "How long you and this Ken been together?"

"A few months."

"That his dog?"

"Yeah."

"Fine looking animal."  Pat shook Bill's hand.  He scratched his chest with
his other hand.  Bill thought he saw the outline of a nipple ring through
the loose T-shirt.  "He must be someone pretty special for you to be doing
all this?"

"He is."

"Lucky man."  Pat turned to go.  He reached down and patted Doober one more
time.  "See you in the morning."  Bill watched the man walk toward his
truck, whistling as he went.  He watched the truck pull away trying to see
the bumper stickers on the back.

"Doober, I think there's something about him we don't know."  He locked the
doors as the last of the work crews headed toward their vehicles.  "Come on
Doober, let's call it a day.  I need to get to the gym and get some rest."
Bill dropped the tired lab at the apartment, grabbed his gym bag and headed
out to relax by pumping iron.  The place wasn't very busy for a Thursday
evening.  His attention was drawn to a muscular older man doing legs in the
back corner.  The man looked up between sets and waved.

"James?  What are you doing here?  You join this club?"

"No, I was in the area and thought it would be easier to workout here than
drive all the way back to my regular gym.  I'm surprised you remembered my
name, given the circumstances."

Bill leaned against the leg machine.  "Well, admittedly, you didn't make a
good impression on Sam and Swede and some others initially.  But you really
came through for Jack when he needed help.  And I heard about a couple
other things you stepped in to do lately."

"Oh.  Well." He ran his towel over his face.  His biceps swelled into a
large knot-like ball.  "I'm trying to make up for all the times I was a
real schmuck.  And, to be honest, I was over at Sam's looking for him and
Jack."

"They all went camping this weekend."

"Hmm, okay, just as well.  Look I have to be out of town next week but can
I give you a number to give to Sam?"  Bill nodded.  "Jack's Dad is stirring
up trouble for him with some whacked out group, you know the ones who say
they can save you from being gay."

"Oh shit."

"Jack's football coach intercepted a couple of them and threw them off
school property.  Then called the county youth services through the number
in Jack's file.  His counselor called me as legal rep to request a PFA for
Jack against his Dad.  This being a holiday weekend, not much I can do till
next week and I have to go out of town.  Sam and Jack need to know."

"Definitely.  Hook up with me before you leave and give me the info."  As
it happened, both men finished their workouts at the same time.  Bill tried
not to stare at James' naked damned near perfect body in the shower but his
cock stayed semi-erect the whole time.  Fortunately, James was in another
section of the locker room so Bill could dress and not have to worry about
his cock.  His mind flashed to Ken and then to James.  His cock responded
causing him some problems trying to stuff it into his denim shorts.  James
walked around the corner in a form fitting pullover and snug jeans.  Bill's
cock pushed out at the front of his shorts.

"Here's the number where Sam can reach me.  Hopefully, Jack's mother can
talk some sense into the man.  Uh, you having a problem?"

Bill squirmed as he pulled on a clean T-shirt.  "Ohhhhhh, someone's a bit
needy."

"Ahh, well, I understand.  Been a dry spell for me too.  I'm still married
but my wife doesn't care anymore so that option is out.  And to be honest
there are times I need something else and I just can't do bars.  So the
alternative, ya know?"

"Yeah, but with Ken away, my arm is getting way tired.  I can't do bars
either.  I figure I'm just going to explode by time Ken gets home." James
laughed.  His gym bag strap slid off his shoulder.  His pecs jumped and
arms flexed as he moved to right the stupid thing.  Bill sucked in a short
breath.  "James.  Would you like to, uh, I mean, both of us, just to get,
you know, my place?"

James studied the handsome dark face and searching eyes.  He looked down at
the T stretched over thick square pecs, the sleeves bunched over big round
biceps, the tiny waist and the bulge of the heavy cock outline in the loose
baggy denim shorts.  "We shouldn't but damn, I need to feel another man
against me.  IN me."  Bill gasped as James shook his head yes.  The back of
James' hand brushed against the outline of Bill's cock in his shorts.

A few minutes later the two horny men tore at each other's clothes until
they were standing naked in the bedroom.  Doober knew to go hide out in the
living room when he heard the noise of two men in need.  James dropped to
his knees and fondled the long thick cock and fat balls jutting out in
front of him.  He moaned as he rubbed the leaking tool over his face.  His
tongue slid up and down the shaft tracing the pattern of big round veins.
Bill gasped as James played with his cock and shuddered when the beefy man
slid his hot mouth over the ebony cock and swallowed it to the base.
"Olyfkngshd.  Damn, that's nice."  James sucked the throbbing prick until
Bill's knees weakened and wobbled.

"Bed.  Now."  The two men fell onto the bed, James hardly missing a lick as
he slid his legs around so Bill could face his own needy cock.  The two
heads bobbed up and down pushing each other to the brink then pulling back.
Bill lay back panting for breath.  Jack shot up, signaled he'd be back and
ran into the bathroom.  Bill didn't see him pick up a small leather bag he
had dropped near the door.  A few minutes later he returned.  Bill was
calmer. His stiff cock throbbed shiny between his greasy fingers. James
smiled and slapped at his bloated but more or less soft cock.  He fell onto
his back onto the bed and sighed.

"Fuck me.  Don't even attempt to make it pretty, just fuck me."  Bill
blinked. Slid to his knees between James legs and smiled broadly.

"That I can do."  He lifted James legs to his shoulders as James reached
down spread his ass and gave Bill a clear shot.  The big cock pushed,
slowed, and then slammed in.

"Holy fuck."

"Am I hurting you?"

"A bit.  A lot. Don't even think about stopping.  Just fuck me dammit."
Bill rocked in and out.  James writhed beneath him as the cock filled his
ass.  His chest was covered in sweat as his fingers dug into the sheets.
The thick cock stretched him more than he had ever experienced.  Bill
leaned forward, wrapped is arms tightly around the gasping man and pressed
their mouths together.  Tongue met tongue as Bill continued to thrust.
James breathing became shorter as he moaned in a longer higher pitch.  He
screamed through a kiss, arched his back and shot a load between their
sweaty bodies.  Bill wasn't yet ready despite the tight ass clamping down
on his dick.  He pumped the muscular bubble butt 20 more minutes forcing
James to cum again.  This time the clenching butt squeezed Bill's trigger.
He filled the whimpering man with overflowing thick manjuice and pressed
their bodies together.  His cock slowly relaxed and slid out.  He lowered
James legs and went to roll off.

"No, don't. Stay there."  Bill lay on top of James, kissing, biting and
squeezing until James let out one last long moan.  "Holy fucking hell I
needed that.  Oh damn, words fail me Bill."

"Uh huh."  James ran his hands over the muscular sweaty back and cupped the
hard as rock butt.  "Damn.  "I'd normally want a piece of that but I got
off twice.  It's not gonna happen again for awhile."

"Do you want to stay the night?"

James looked deeply into the lonesome eyes.  "Yes.  But I can't.  It
wouldn't be right.  It's one thing if you and I get off and use each other
for release, and Ken or my wife are okay with it.  But I don't stay out all
night.  I owe her that much.  And it wouldn't be fair to Ken.  As good as
that was.  I'm not Ken."

"Thanks.  It's just that I miss him so much being next to me in bed."

"It'll mean that much more to you when he gets back then.  Is what we just
did okay?"

Bill slowly nodded.  "Yeah, he told me it was okay to fuck around as long
as I didn't fall in love."  He giggled slightly.  "Sounds really silly
huh?"

James hugged him close.  "No not really.  I still have issues I need to
work through.  I'm not the sleaze I used to be.  But I've really learned
what I need and miss in my life."

"Hopefully, things will fall in place for you soon.  You want dinner?"

"No thanks.  I need to get home.  My wife and I don't even eat together but
she has this cook who expects me to be home at some point to eat.  It's
really fucked up.  But I am not strong enough to walk away yet.  No matter
how much I played around before, I ain't out to hurt anyone now."

"A shower?"

"Yeah, you got me off twice, what a mess."

Yet another heavy thunderstorm moved through the region Thursday evening
bringing down trees and power lines.  Vince and his crew arrived to clean
up a large pine tree that had fallen in the neighbour's yard across from
Sam and Joe's.  The township crew was also there checking on other lines.
Vince had managed to wrangle together most of his men who were busily
hacking at the tree with chain saws.  The municipal supervisor came over
and thanked him.

"That the guy who lives across the street?"

Vince looked over at Sam's and saw a rather nervous looking slight man
walking around Sam's property.  He didn't recognize him as any of the other
neighbours and excused himself to go talk with him.  The man was looking
like he was trying to see into the laundry room window when Vince walked up
from behind.  "May I help you?"

The man spun around almost bumping into Vince.  He looked at the shirtless
sawdust covered blond and blinked rapidly.  "No, just looking for the
people who live here."

Vince watched as the man shifted from foot to foot.  "I think they may
already be out for, um, well, out.  Fortunately, the tree didn't block this
side street for them."

"You know them?"

"Yes sir. We've done work for them.  I'll be back around later if you would
like me to give them a message.

"Uh. Uh. No, I'll just check back later.  You wouldn't happen to know when
they will be home?"

"No sir.  I don't know their schedule.  Could be any minute?"  Vince wiped
sweat from his forehead.  His biceps once again forming a large ball.  The
man's eyes widened.  "Could be a couple of hours?"

"Thanks anyway.  Gotta run."  The man scooted past Vince and walked toward
a car several houses away on the side street.  Vince nonchalantly flipped
open his phone and waved at his crew.  The man slammed his car door and
sped away.

Sam was lounging on the front porch of the cabin when his cell phone rang.
Joe looked over.  "Who's calling?"

"Vince, sending a text and a picture. Hmm, wonder what this means?"  He
held up the phone for Joe to see.

"That's Jack's father."

"Hey Vince.  Yeah.  That was Jack's father.  You bet. A lot squirrelly.
Really?  I'm pretty sure Jack talked with his mother and told her we were
away.  Thanks.  I'll check with him.  Yeah, we had the same storm system
pass through here.  No damage.  None there either, okay good.  Thanks for
the picture.  Don't work too hard."

Joe looked at Sam's face.  "You think Jack's father is up to something."

"I'd bet my left nut."

"Oh I hope not.  I like that one.  Hangs lower."

Sam rolled his eyes and dropped his head.  "So strange."

Bill's Saturday morning

Bill pulled up in Ken's old Ford just as Bill was getting out of his truck.
"Good morning.  Hope you haven't been waiting long?  I had to run back out
for some ice for the cooler.  It's promising to be another hot, sticky day
and I want to be sure the crews here have plenty to drink.  Hope to run a
line in the garage to plug in the fridge from my old apartment.  Eliminate
the cooler thing."

"Nah, just got here.  Had to do a small yard before this.  That's a great
old truck. Ken's?  I have some plans to show you."

Bill's face lit up.  "Great.  Come on in."  Pat walked around the paving
crew following Bill into the building.  He helped dump some ice into the
two coolers.  Bill offered him a drink but he declined having his own in
his truck.  "Let's go into the front room where the table is set up."

Pat laid out a large diagram over the worktable.  "This is what I think you
could do along the actual front where you want a patio and on this side
which you are making the new front door.  I'd seriously recommend some good
ground cover or a short wall along the street here.  Otherwise, you will be
driving yourself nuts trying to cut the grass, unless you grade it way
down.  And then you create more of a runoff problem."

"Okay, first, I don't think I will be cutting grass.  Hopefully, you can
add us to your list when the time comes.  And I have a buddy over on the
main road up on the ridge whose brother does retaining walls and stuff."

"Oh yeah, he's done work with me.  Good choice.  Very meticulous.  Would
definitely enhance your property."  Pat wrote a note on the bottom of the
drawing.  "Working with him is always interesting."  Bill studied Pat's
smile but wasn't sure how to take his comment.  There are a couple of ways
to run sidewalks to create planting areas and make the property more
interesting.  This is a list of suggested plantings."  Bill was about to
ask a question when a loud voice broke through the din of roofers, brick
pointers, window installers, and pavers.

"Pat, you in here somewhere?"  A large extremely muscular man walked
through the front door.

"Yeah Lou, in the front room.  My partner.  He was getting prices on the
plants and some materials.  He took the day off from his job so I put him
to work."  Lou stood easily six foot four and was damned near busting out
of a stretched wife beater and cutoffs.

"Hey I'm Lou."  Bill shook the man's hand and prayed his dick would stop
twitching.  He watched the deeply cut muscles flax in the arm.  "Pat, you
wanted these for this gentleman.  Pat wanted to give you a list of prices
and what was available right now so I was on the computer checking out
local nursery stock.  Some things may not be available until spring.  It's
what I get for taking off from work and not getting up and going right to
the gym."

Bill looked at Pat's drawing again and back up at Pat and the large man
looming over him.  "So you were taking care of a customer this morning and
your partner was skipping the gym?  But you said he took a day off?  I'm
confused."

Pat smiled quietly.  "Lou's a CPA. Has his own firm up on the boulevard
above the mall.  That is when he isn't pumping for his next competition.  I
explained this project to him last night and he wanted to help."

Bill scratched his head.  "So your CPA helps you price out your projects?"

Pat licked his lips.  "Not generally, but we woke up early this morning."
He saw the connection hit Bill.  "He's my life partner, not my business
partner."

"Yeah, I'd just kill the plants."

"So that is an HRC sticker on your truck?"  Pat nodded.  "How, how is that
none of us have figured out you're gay?  We see your truck everywhere."

"I don't wear my rainbow on my sleeve so to speak.  I like the work I do
and know there are some people who wouldn't hire me if they knew I sucked
dick.  Although, Sam and Joe have helped a lot in getting people to loosen
up in their housing development.  I haven't met them but they have built
quite a reputation."

"Still, I have to think there aren't many of us here to keep you in
business?"

Lou walked around the gutted room.  "Oh you'd be surprised.  There are a
lot of gay men and lesbian couples scattered out here in the burbs.  And a
lot of closeted men.  I bet 50% of Pat's business is gay, that right
honey?"  Bill smiled at the endearing term coming from the giant.  "You're
really going all out here."  He walked around the large room and glanced
around the wall into the next.

"Probably closer to 60 when you add up the seasonal work.  Queens don't
like raking leaves."  Lou snorted on that remark.  "I was curious to see
how long it would take for you to ask me about the sticker or make a
comment.  I find having Lou around speeds up the process."

Bill giggled.  "No doubt.  So now that you've distracted me, explain the
game plan again."  Pat ran through his drawings again with Lou behind
smiling and flexing unavoidably.  "And Lou, you're right, I want to get as
much done as I can before Ken comes home, and since I don't know when that
is, I have to keep up the pace.  These plans sound and look phenomenal,
let's do a time line."

Pat pulled another sheet from his portfolio. "Have one here.  We take a
week to go to the Cape in September and he has a contest this fall.  I can
fit phases of this in between other projects.  And his contests."

Lou patted his abs.  "Yeah have to get a bit more off the old abs."

"How long you been competing?"

Lou looked at Pat.  "Since we were in college.  We didn't hook up as
partners until a couple of years out of school.  He's been putting up with
me as a gym rat for 25 years."  Bill looked surprised.  "It's a long silly
story. We'll bore you with it sometime.  I was a jock in the business
department.  Pat was doing his bachelor's in landscape science and well, it
happened.  And here we are today.  I'm a boring CPA and he has a posey
PHD."  Bill smiled at the two men.  "Hey, I'm heading to the gym.  Bill,
I'm cooking out later, why don't you come over for eats.  We'll talk iron.
You look like you spend some time working out yourself.  Drives Pat crazy.
See ya later."  The big man laid a big wet kiss on Pat and waved as he
headed out the door.

Pat blushed.  "So Bill, getting back to your proposal, what do you think?"

Bill sighed.  "I think I can't wait to see it finished.  Let's do it."

Pat shook his hand.  "Super.  I like working with gay customers.  I'll pull
some paperwork on the scope of work and have it for you tonight.  Lou will
have steaks ready to grill at seven.  You now where the house is?  Good see
you then, no excuses.  I know you said the rest of your gang is out of
town.  Later."  Bill leaned against the table watching his dick push out on
his denim shorts.  Pat's truck rumbled down the road.

"Stop it."  He slapped at his dick. He flipped open his phone and punched
in Sam's number.  He idly rubbed his crotch.  A wet spot formed in the worn
dirty denim.

Sam handed his mug to Bruce to refill with coffee.  "Hey Billy, what's up?"
Bruce handed back the mug and Sam sat down at one of the barstools
separating the kitchen from the large great room.  "Really?  Yeah, I know
whom you mean.  We see him all the time when we run, yeah, big red shiny
clean dump truck.  Never noticed the bumper sticker.  I'll be damned, what?
No, never saw him with a big bodybuilder, competition eh?  Have to Google
him; did you get a last name?  You're slipping.  So, you have someone to do
some landscaping eh?  What do you mean maybe?  So what else is happening
with your little project? Nothing huh?  And the gym?  Good.  And?  Bill,
something must have happened.  Well, we'll get it out of you later.  Not
much.  The usual stuff, working out at Tank's, the pool, maybe some naked
mud volleyball.  Doesn't matter if it rains.  We'll be naked and in the
mud.  Could only make it more fun.  Huh?  Okay, we'll catch you up on
things later.  Any word from Ken?  Oh.  Hang in there buddy.  Later."

Joe leaned against Sam's back.  "What was that all about?"

"Bill hired the guy with the red dump truck to do some landscaping and
well, let's go share this with everyone else.

Snake was all smiles Saturday morning.  Beau was quiet and seemed to be
constantly blushing.  Tank slipped a finger through one of LJ's belt loops
as he hurried past with a 12-pack of soda.  "So what happened last night?"

LJ nodded in Beau's direction.  "Carlos and I didn't think throwing the man
directly into a four-way was a good thing last night.  Well, it's a good
thing but maybe not if one of the men has never really been with another
man before."  Tank's eyes widened.  "Beau has been on the receiving end of
a few blow jobs and sucked a couple of dicks, but that's it.  So we thought
maybe it would be better if Snake broke him in by himself.  Sorta slow
like."

Tank furrowed his brow.  "So Snake fucked him?"

"No, no, well yeah later but not right away.  Snake said he took it real
slow and gave Beau's body a good going over.  You notice the man has like
one of the tiniest waists, and damn, since he's shirtless one helluva great
upper body."

"Yeah, yeah.  Get back to the training."

"Snake showed him what he did to prep himself for a good night's sitting on
the dick of the bay."

"Stop it."

"So then Snake greased his dick and had Beau lube his butt, then showed him
what to do with his dick.  Snake got himself pretty well fucked once Beau
caught on."

Tank rolled his eyes.  "Somehow, I think a man who looks that good probably
has had his share of women."

"No, actually, Snake says he's pretty lean on that experience too.  But
once his dick found that nice warm ass of Snake's well, it was mama rock my
world."

"So now Beau can move on to other targets."  LJ grinned broadly.  "And then
Snake fucked him?"

"Yeah, nice and slow, well, we all know Snake gets his name cause of his
big dick."

"Really?  I thought it was because of the snake tattoo."

"No, you seen his dick.  It's lik..."

"I get it, so Snake managed not to kill him?"

"The man's none the worse for wear.  Eager to get some more experience.
And Carlos and I will gladly help with that tonight if we get a shot.  But
I think he's a bit shy about his lack of man to man experience."

"We were all there at some point in our lives.  No better place to come out
than with this group.  Ain't no one here going to pressure him to move any
faster than he wants.  Did he tell Snake about the job?"

"No, not yet.  Snake still thinks he came up on a little vacation.  We're
saving that for this afternoon.  You think he can handle the naked mud
volleyball?"

Tank watched Beau from across the pool. He dropped his shorts, stood naked
and stretched before diving into the clear water.  The man did a quick
couple of strokes across the pool and propelled himself up from the side.
He was lean and perfectly muscled for this group.  His tight ass could give
Matt's a run for perfection.  "I'd say he was getting over his shyness."

Another holiday weekend flew by for the gang of friends.  Snake was beside
himself that his best bud could possibly be working in the area and living
with him.  Gary and Jack were excited to get back to school and the
remainder of the football season.  Several of the men were planning
football weekends to go watch Tim, Dave and Ron hopefully get some playing
time in college ball.

Tony and Bill had practiced good consumer techniques and found several
bargains at the antique stores in the area.  They were heading back to
Pittsburgh with a carload of acquisitions.  Pete, Header and Andy had
settled into a comfortable life with the three of them.  The new prosthetic
legs meant they could workout, run, and work with no problems what so ever.
The exception of who Pete had to fuck first each night.

Harley kept tabs on Tank's health.  Despite a healthy diet and plenty of
exercise, he was slowing down more and more due to arthritis.  Skull would
frequently stop by to check on his best bud and be sure Harley kept after
him.  Tank's blood pressure had improved but was still not what his doctor
wanted.

Bruce and Steve promised Sam they wouldn't drag Joe off to Chicago (or
Houston, or San Francisco) on business trips without checking to see if Sam
could get away too.  Work kept them busy most weekdays.  The gym brought
many of them together after work.  But they truly lived for the times they
could get together as a growing group of friends for dinners and nekkid
swim parties at the pools.

Sam kept tabs on his flock of friends.  Thad and Brian were making the
final move to Pittsburgh in mid-September to become another addition to the
craziness.  So many of his friends came and went in California.  Here,
people seemed to be a little more prone to staying in place longer.  He
couldn't place a high enough value on their friendships.

It was obvious to anyone watching Carlos, LJ, Snake and Beau that even
though they were a foursome, Snake and Beau were learning to be open about
the feelings they had for each other and kept hidden for years.

No matter how busy any of them were, no matter where they might be because
of their jobs, guys would stop what they were doing to call Sam and check
in on how things were for Joe and him.  And to hear about anything else
that may have been happening in their circle.  It had become a clan and Sam
was their leader.

Bill smiled contentedly to himself as he pulled a bottle of iced tea from
the fridge now running in a corner of the garage.  Labour Day weekend had
truly lived up to its name.  He spent Sunday and Monday cleaning up after
the roofing and window crews.  The masonry crew would finish the front of
the building on Tuesday, and then move to the old front of the building.
By the time any of his friends came by Tuesday evening or Wednesday, they
would find a building truly on its way to being reinvented.  He lounged in
an antique Adirondack chair just outside the garage on the freshly paved
driveway.  It was warm and the breeze felt good against his naked chest.
All the work and workouts had caused him to drop a few pounds.  His tight
lean abs disappeared into the loose waistband of his shorts.  Pat and Lou
parked at the end of the still soft blacktop and walked up to hug him.  Lou
handed him a large bag of food to keep him going for a couple of days.
Lou's family had a cookout and was more than happy to find a home for
leftovers.  They got drinks and chairs and sat with Bill to discuss the
plans for the front yard.  Pat would begin grading the new lawn and hauling
in topsoil and peat moss on Tuesday. Bill missed his friends but was happy
to have made two new ones.  His eyes would occasionally glance to his cell
phone for any sign of an email or message from Ken.  Doober always seemed
to know and would quietly come over and nudge his hand.

Captain Malloy stared at the ice packs in his hand and sighed deeply.  He
turned to stare directly into Buck's dark eyes.  Eyes that switched from
roiling anger to deepest concern in an instant.  Buck's breath would catch
and his fists tighten.  Cap squeezed his shoulder and shook his head no.
Both turned to face Ken, sprawled quietly on a bunk in a side office.  His
face was bruised.  One eye was a deep purple and swollen shut.  His lower
lip swollen and still seeping from a split.  Buck had helped the young man
back from the infirmary where an agitated medic had cleaned the wounds
around Ken's anus.

Malloy carefully placed one pack on the eye and handed Ken a smaller one
for his lip.  "Now, are you two men going to tell me exactly what happened
and who did this?  Buck?"

"I don't know Cap.  I left Ken to go back to clean up after working out.  I
still had a couple of reports to do.  He was still pumping with a couple
other men.  Maybe three or four others.  I didn't see any of this happen."
Buck's fists tightened again.

"But you know who was there when you left?  Who was still working out with
Ken?"

"Yes sir."  Buck looked down at the floor.  He was pissed that fellow
soldiers would do this.

Malloy sucked in a breath and grunted.  "Ken you could file a report that
says you were ambushed by locals and that would be the end of it.  But son,
no one beats on one of my men and is not held accountable.  You say this
was unprovoked?"  Ken slowly nodded and let out a dejected sigh.  "You had
to seek medical assistance; you know there will be a report and an
investigation.  You didn't come onto anyone?"  Ken glared.

"No...sir.  I didn't do anything...nothing."

Cap sat on the edge of the bunk next to Ken.  "Ken, I don't give a shit
that you're gay.  You're a damned fine man and a damned good soldier.  You
know it ain't going to be easy dealing with this in the military.  Even if
you didn't do anything to provoke the attack you could face discharge for
being gay.  You know that whole shitty game.  The only thing you are guilty
of in the military is your sexual orientation.  Okay, that may be over
simplification."

"Sir, I only have less..."

"I know.  Less than a year.  You too Buck."  Buck fell to his knees next to
them and wiped a trickle of blood from Ken's lip.  Malloy ground his teeth.
"I do whatever I can to protect my men.  My men are my family here.  But we
will need to get to the truth.  No one fucks with my men like this and
doesn't answer for their actions."

Ken managed a weak smile.  "Thank you sir but once word gets out..."

Malloy placed his hand on Ken's stomach and traced a bruise on the fair
skin.  "Don't for once think you are the only ones here.  I have a good
idea who we can go to help with this.  Buck, are you going to stay with him
here tonight?"

"Yes sir.  I brought over a cot."

"Good.  I'm in the other room if you need anything.  Get some sleep.  Both
of you.  We have a long day tomorrow.  The other men are going to want to
know what happened. What do you want me to tell them?"

A low growl escaped from Ken.  "The truth.  I was beaten up and sexually
assaulted for no apparent reason than their belief."

"That could be a bit risky."

"Don't give a fuck.  I ain't done nothing wrong."

Malloy got up and nodded to the two men.  Buck sat on the edge of the bed
and rubbed Ken's arm.  "See you in the AM.

Malloy walked out of the block building and covered the two blocks to the
medical building in mere minutes.  His T-shirt stuck to his muscular frame
as he walked down the hallway.  His camo shorts clung to his athletic butt
and musky crotch.  Other men stopped to acknowledge him or salute.  He
waved them off.  They recognized his anger instantly.  He walked into the
quiet office and smiled at the young woman in the lab.  She nodded back,
held up a test tube containing a bloody mess.  Malloy took a deep breath.
"Is that enough?"

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		    Starting Again Chapter 32 © 2008