Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2023 19:38:15 -0600 From: Julien Gregg Subject: Grey Baker Chapter 3 A Year In the Life of Grey Baker The Saguaro University Chronicles by Julien Gregg Please donate to Nifty to keep this service free. https://donate.nifty.org/ I'm looking for my original editor, Mike. If you are out there and you read this contact me at greggjulien6@gmail.com I'd like to talk with you. For all others the email address above will get to me just put the name of the story in your subject so I don't delete it as spam. I love to hear from readers so drop me a line to let me know what you think of the story. Chapter 3 "Are you all set?" Sierra asked as she put her bag in the back of the Jeep. "Oh yeah," Grey said. "I'm all ready to go. I've kissed Nico and shook Pete's hand." He'd even called his mother to tell her that he'd drop Sierra off but he was staying in his house for the entire break. His mother had shocked him by telling him that she thought that was a great idea. She promised to have Christmas dinner with him at his house and that Tommy wouldn't be there. That was to the good because as far as Grey was concerned Tommy wasn't welcome in his house or his Jeep. "Did you call Mom and tell her we were on our way?" Sierra asked as she harnessed herself into the passenger seat. "I sure did," he said. "I even told her I was staying in my house for the entire break." "What did she think of that?" Sierra asked. "She said it was a great idea," he replied as he pulled away from the curb and drove down Sorority Row. "She said you guys would be at my house for Christmas dinner but Tommy wasn't coming. That's a good thing because he isn't welcome." "I hear that," she said. "It'll be good to be in your own home for a while, right?" "Right," Grey said. They talked about things to do on the break, but Grey knew that outside of phone calls between Harris, Arizona and Bay City, Michigan he had no plans. She talked about parties and such, and he thought it might be nice to touch base with old friends, but he wasn't making any plans. They talked and sang along to songs on the radio for the entire three hour drive. When Grey pulled into Harris it didn't exactly feel like coming home. He was more nervous than anything else. He dropped Sierra off at home, kissed his mother, ignored Tommy, and drove across town to the three bedroom house that he now owned. The house was a single story with a flat Spanish Tile roof. The house was constructed of sandstone bricks and had rust colored shutters on the windows. He pulled into the drive bay behind the door that enclosed the Hummer and turned off his engine. He grabbed his bag and let himself into the house with his key. The front door opened on a hallway that extended to the back door at the back of the house. Doorways opened on both sides as he stepped in. The first was the living room with its hardwood floor, sandstone brick walls and floor to ceiling windows. On the other side was the dining room that looked exactly like the living room only there was a table and chairs inside. The second on that side was the kitchen with its rust colored tile floor and sandstone walls. The appliances were modern and new. Chris had updated them shortly before he died. The rest of the doors in the hall led to the two small bedrooms, separated by a Jack and Jill bathroom. The master suite was in the back of the house with an office on the right. The back door was a sliding glass door that opened onto a deck that surrounded a pool with a cabana at the back. Grey put his bag in the master bedroom and then went in search of food. Lena, his maid had stocked the house with food for a month. He found sandwich makings and made himself a sandwich. He looked at the clock and discovered that it was nearly dinner time anyway. Nico's flight would reach Detroit in about forty-five minutes. He had time before his phone would ring. He ate his sandwich and then went to the living room to watch television. The house had a satellite system, so he had plenty of channels to choose from. He thought about the fact that Nico had a final two hours after his own. That was why his flight would reach Detroit so long after Grey had made it home. It sucked for Nico but at least he'd be home tonight. He thought about Adam who had to stay in the frat house until tomorrow. That would suck, too. But Adam actually lived closer to the school than any of them. Grey wasn't sure what the name of the town was, but he knew it was a small town. Nico called an hour later and they talked about how odd it was that they were reduced to phone calls and internet chats. Grey told him that he hadn't seen Tommy yet, so he was fine. He said he was staying in his house and Tommy wasn't welcome there and knew it so he should remain fine. He did miss being around his mom but she'd be there sooner or later. He went to bed that night lonely. He was so used to Nico sleeping next to him that he literally didn't know if he could sleep without him. He used a big body pillow and wrapped the blanket around the back of it so it moved with him and went to sleep. He awoke to the scent of bacon frying in his kitchen. He knew the maid had the day off, so he thought it was Sierra which was odd because she couldn't cook. In fear for his kitchen, he got up, put on his shorts, and headed toward the scent. He was surprised to find his mother in the kitchen making his breakfast. "Sit," she said. "I'll have some of this ready for you in a minute." "It's good to see you, Mom," he said. "Baby it's always good to see you," she said with a grin. "Your sister tells me you have a boyfriend." "His name is Nico Mancini," he said. "He's currently in Michigan with his family." "You miss him?" she asked. "Like crazy," he admitted. "I'm dealing though." "Your brother is up in arms over being expelled from Kappa Delta Alpha," she said. "Got it in his mind that it's your fault." "He's crazy," Grey said with a sigh. "He got himself expelled. He used homophobic slurs in public with two of his brothers sitting at the table. That's a big no-no at Saguaro Arizona. There's a fraternity filled with gay men two doors down from Alpha Beta Omega." "Plus he lost Kappa Delta Alpha a legacy to the enemy," she pointed out. "There was that, too," he said. "If he hadn't ran his mouth at that party I'd be in Kappa Delta Alpha. I only went to Aboo because my room mate was after me to pledge with him. Plus I was mad." "I was mad," she revealed. "Tommy's really pissing me off lately. He's got this attitude that I can't deal with. Plus he wants to blame you for everything that goes wrong in his life. It's really tired." She put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him with two slices of toast. She poured him a glass of juice. He accepted the plate and cup with a smile. She placed a fork and a butter knife next to his plate and then got herself a plate. "Tommy's a bully, Mom," he said after taking his first bite of bacon. "Don't I know it," she said. "I raised him." "Yeah," he said. They were silent as they ate their breakfast. She looked around the room and sighed as she put her fork down. She really didn't like the fact that her baby boy was now living in Chris's old house. Sure she was proud that he had a place to call his own, but she'd wanted him in her house for this break. He'd assured her that he would stay in his own house for all breaks where he came home. That was upsetting to her. Tommy really had blown a hole in the family. Sierra was ready to write him off. Grey had already. With Grey it was more watching out for when Tommy would strike. As she often had she wondered just where she'd gone wrong with Tommy. He'd been so proud to be a big brother when they were little. Then the accident happened and Grey became the little boy of half of Arizona. They'd sent gifts, money, cards, and candy constantly. Grey's birthdays were blow outs with tons of gifts. Tommy had taken offense to this and so much more. It seemed that after that accident all of Grey's accomplishments were seen as a slap in the face to Tommy. She loved all three of her children, but so many times she'd have liked nothing more than to slap Tommy across his face for the way he treated his little brother. Grey had been hurt so many times over the years. It was more than the hits and kicks, the broken bones, it was that he'd idolized his big brother and slowly over the years, Tommy had killed all of that. He'd beat it out of Grey by breaking his bones and making him afraid of him. She decided to change her thoughts. These were depressing. Instead she'd focus on the positive. At least she was trying to tell herself that it was positive. She wasn't exactly thrilled when Grey had come out to her, but he was her baby and she wasn't about to turn her back on her baby. She'd accepted his sexuality the best she could. In the end she'd decided that Grey was no different than before he'd told her about his sexuality. "So, this boyfriend," she said, smiling at her son. Always remember to smile and look like it didn't bother you at all. "You got pictures?" "I sure do," Grey said. He seemed excited to show her the pictures on his phone of this boy. She looked at the smiling Italian boy and thought, well at least he's attractive. "He treats you good?" she asked. "He does, Mom," he said. "He loves me, Mom. I'm loved." She nearly cried when she heard the sincerity in his voice. He was loved by so many people, but romantic love was what he craved. It seemed he'd gotten that romantic love from this Nico Mancini. She just hoped that boy treasured her baby and never hurt him. "And do you love him?" she asked, knowing the answer from the way his eyes lit up when he'd shown her the pictures and said he was loved. "I do, Mom," he said, smiling. "I love him so much that it scares me at times." "What scares you, baby?" she asked. "That he'll come to his senses and realize he doesn't need me," he said. "I worry about the fact that he lives in Michigan and I live in Arizona. There's a lot to consider." "Just don't move to Michigan," she laughed, but it was a real worry of hers that he would leave Arizona. She didn't want her baby anywhere but near by. "I'd never leave Arizona," he said. "Nico knows that. He hates Michigan, Mom. He says he'll move here when we graduate, but he's still got four more years of school. He wants to be a pharmacist." "Well, you have time before you have to figure out where he'll go and how you'll keep your relationship alive," she said. She wouldn't worry. The boy may find someone else by the time he was out of school. Then she mentally kicked herself. Her son was in love with this boy. She needed to be on board or she'd lose her baby. She had to do everything in her power to show him the love that he deserved. He was gay. That was a fact. She'd dealt with that. Now she had to accept Nico and help them any way she could. By the time his mom left, the dishes were done and it didn't look like anything had happened in his kitchen. She'd cleaned it all up for him. He went to the living room and watched mindless television until lunch when Sierra arrived with tacos from The Taco Shack. He loved their tacos and was so happy to find one near campus. He'd grown up on those tacos in Harris. "So Mom was here?" she asked. "She came and made me bacon and eggs for breakfast," he explained. "Yeah, she was gone when I woke up," she said. "There was a stack of waffles and Tommy had eaten half of them by the time I got downstairs." "How's Tommy been acting with me out of the house?" he asked. "He's going on and on about your Jeep, saying he needed a car," she said. "Mom told him to shut up. She keeps telling him that you bought the Jeep with your own money." "Yeah," he said. "He can shut up about my Jeep." "He's going to some party tonight one of his friends is throwing for break," she said. "I think it's Craig's party. You were invited, too, but I didn't think you'd want to attend a party that Tommy was going to." "You would be correct," he said. "I haven't contacted any of my friends yet. I wanna sell the Hummer while I'm here, too." "You're selling it?" she asked, wide-eyed. "I'll never drive it," he said. "It gets terrible gas mileage." "That was Chris's toy," she said. "Yeah," he said. "It'll just sit there if I don't sell it. The maids never drive it." "How many maids do you have?" she asked. "Just Lena and her daughter, Maria," he said. "Lena does all of the shopping, and she uses the Cadillac to do it. She has her own car, but she uses the Cadillac to keep it running. You can have that car if you want. I mean it doesn't have to change ownership, you could just drive it. It has full coverage insurance. I'd just add you as primary driver." "That would be amazing," she said. "Thank you, Grey." "No problem," he said. "I'll tell Lena that you have the car when she shows up tomorrow." He got up and handed her the key ring from the peg board by the door to the garage. She took it and smiled. He loved to do things for Sierra. She was his partner in crime, the first person he'd come out to and the one sibling he could count on. "Tommy's going to be pissed off," she said. "I really don't care what Tommy thinks about you driving Chris's car," he said. "You take it home today, and I'll park the Jeep in its place. I don't trust Tommy not to do anything to the Jeep with it just sitting in the driveway." "What could he do to it?" she asked. "I don't know, and I don't wanna know," he said. "Yeah, let's don't tempt him," she said. "I'll take the Cadillac home today, you park the Jeep in its place, and let me know when you sell the Hummer." When Sierra left, he pulled the Jeep into the space where the car had been. He locked up the garage and went back inside. He called his friend, Matt to see what was going on. Matt wasn't home, so Grey just popped some popcorn and put in a movie. Matt called back while Grey was eating dinner. He said that he was throwing a party that weekend on Saturday night for all who had come back from College. Grey agreed to be there and was actually looking forward to the party. He'd see his friends from high school and everything would be fine because Tommy wasn't part of that crowd. The next day he put an ad in the paper to sell the Hummer. He pulled it out of the garage and parked it in the driveway so potential buyers could see it. He was surprised to have found a buyer the same day that the ad ran on Thursday. He sold it to a business man who wanted a toy. He got a good price and felt good about the sale. Saturday he went to Matt's house which was across town just as you were leaving town. Several people were there already, and a lot of them were in the pool. The pool was heated, and it was unseasonably warm that week with temperatures in the high seventies*. Grey got himself a juice and headed to the back yard. Matt was there in his blue Speedo, manning a grill where he had hamburgers and hot dogs sizzling away. Matt was six foot tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. The girls surrounded him all of the time and Grey was fine with that. He was a good friend, though. They bumped fists and Matt handed Grey a plate with a burger and some macaroni salad. Grey ate and got another juice. He was known in this crowd for not drinking, and thought he did imbibe from time to time he didn't like to get drunk. He'd done that once and the hangover wasn't worth the trouble. "How's school?" Matt asked as he sat down beside him. "Saguaro Arizona is great," he said. "I pledged Alpha Beta Omega and got in, and I have to say that was the best thing I could've done." "I thought you were a legacy at Kappa Delta Alpha," Matt said. "Long story short, Tommy's also a legacy at Kappa Delta Alpha," Grey said. "Say no more, I get it," Matt said, having witnessed a lot of Tommy's abuse toward Grey. "So, how's Arizona State?" Grey asked. "I love it there," Matt said. "The girls are hot." "Yeah, I imagine," laughed Grey. "Hey, hang out and mingle," Matt said. "I have to man the grill." "Later," he said, fist bumping Matt again. When he left the party at about one-thirty in the morning, he fired up his Jeep and took off. He made it half way home when his brakes failed. He downshifted and put it in neutral, trying to use the emergency brake to stop the Jeep. He coasted into his driveway safely and stopped just before the back of the garage. He got out and sighed in relief. He could've been killed. Immediately his thoughts went to Tommy sabotaging the Jeep, but Tommy didn't know the first thing about cars. He decided he'd call a mechanic to look the Jeep over in the morning. He went in the house and straight to bed after locking the garage. It turned out that his brake line was cut. He again thought of Tommy and called his mom. She said that Tommy had been home all night on the telephone off and on. Grey told her what had happened to the Jeep, and she agreed that Tommy probably had something to do with it but there was no proof. He paid to have the brake line installed and brake fluid installed again. The Jeep was good as new after that. He was still angry about the brake line being cut though. He spent the next few days fielding calls from friends, hanging out with Sierra, and having breakfast once a week with his mother. She informed him that they would have Christmas Dinner at his house and Tommy wasn't invited. He liked that and was thankful that his mom and sister would be with him on Christmas. He was going to go to their house for Christmas and just ignore Tommy, but this was better. They did have Christmas together, and Grey loved his gifts from his mother and sister. He'd bought them both really nice gifts and they had a great dinner together. His mom went home with a plate for Tommy and little storage bowls of leftovers. Grey had kept just a bit of everything for himself. But he would be returning to school soon and didn't want to take leftover Christmas ham and the fixings back to school with him. Sierra loved the Cadillac, but she treasured the locket that Grey had bought her for Christmas. It was ten karat gold with a diamond in the center of the outer heart. Inside he'd placed a picture of himself on one side and her on the other. He told her she could replace the picture of him with whoever she wanted. She just laughed and hugged him. For his mother he bought a tennis bracelet with diamonds all the way around it. He bought her a matching necklace and earrings to go with it. She loved it. For Tommy he'd bought a t-shirt. Grey had received stuff for the Jeep, underwear, and socks. He'd gotten a lot of candy as well. His stocking was literally filled with chocolate. Grey wasn't a big chocolate eater so he gave most of it to Lena and Maria. On New Year's Eve he'd gotten a ride with a boy named Carl to Matt's for the New Year's Bash. He imbibed a bit but never got past tipsy. After all, he had a ride. No one said anything about the Jeep or the fact that Grey wasn't driving it. No one even mentioned Tommy though a few of his friends were at the party. Tommy wasn't there, so Grey had a great time. Later the next day, Tommy came stalking into the yard as Grey was taking lights off a cactus in the front yard. He saw his brother coming and turned to watch him come up the walk. He really hated his brother and couldn't wait to tell him so. "You got me kicked out of the frat," Tommy said hatefully. "No I didn't," Grey said. "You got yourself kicked out of the frat for losing a legacy to a rival fraternity and then using homophobic slurs in public. Are you stupid?" "I'll show you stupid you fucking fag," Tommy said and swung at Grey. All of the self defense classes paid off for Grey in that moment, he blocked Tommy's punch and gave him an uppercut followed by a roundhouse kick that sent his brother to the ground. He stood over him ready to do more but a voice stopped him cold. "Bit off a bit more than you can chew, huh Tommy?" said the voice of their uncle Thomas Baker. He was their dad's brother, and he looked so much like them and their dad that it was eerie. He had the same dark hair, the same green eyes, and he even had the upturned right brow. "Grey attacked me, Uncle Thomas!" Tommy shouted. "That's just not what happened," Thomas said. "I followed you over here, boy. I saw you try to punch your brother first. He was just prepared for you." "I wish he'd have died when Aubrey cut his brake line," Tommy said. "You had Aubrey cut my brake line?" Grey asked and kicked him in the ribs. "He must not have done a good enough job because you're still alive," Tommy panted. "Oh, he did a good job," Grey said. "I just downshifted and finally put it in neutral and used the parking brake when I got here. I should kick the shit out of you." "I think you just did," Thomas said. "You boys stop fighting. You're brothers. Act like it." "He tried to have me killed!" Grey cried and nearly kicked Tommy again. Instead he let Tommy get back to his feet. Then Tommy tried to backhand him, but Grey punched Tommy in the face. Blood erupted from his nose as Grey's fist made contact. Tommy wailed and put his hands over his face. "You broke my nose," he cried even though it sounded like "You boke by bose." "I'll break a lot more if you come at me again, Tommy," Grey said. "You boys stop this fighting!" cried Thomas. "I mean it." "Call the cops," Tommy yelled. "He broke my nose." "Oh you had it coming, Tommy," said Thomas. "Now lets get in the house so I can look at it." "He's not setting foot inside my house," Grey said. He went into the house and closed the door. He locked it for good measure. "Grey!" called Thomas. "Let us in there." "No," Grey called back. "I saw your car. You brought him here. Tommy doesn't have a car and he destroyed his bike, so you had to bring him here. You can both go to hell." Then a rock came through his window. Grey was livid. He picked up the phone and called the police. He told them that his brother had attacked him and was no throwing rocks through his windows. They said an officer would be over soon as another rock came through another window. Tommy had broken the four windows in the living room by the time the cops showed up. They arrested him and talked to Grey. The officer said it looked like he'd beat the shit out of his brother. Grey said he had been attacked and fought back. At least Uncle Thomas verified that. He admitted to driving Tommy to Grey's to talk. He said he'd had no idea what Tommy was going to do when he got there. Grey pressed charges for the windows and Tommy was arrested. "Grey, you don't want to have your brother arrested," Thomas said. "You stay out of it," the cop said to Thomas. "I'm calling your mother," Thomas said. Good, Grey thought. Call her. He went back in the house after the cop left with Tommy. He wouldn't allow his uncle through the door until his mother arrived. He was busy calling to have the windows replaced. He got wood out of the garage and nailed it into place over the broken windows. He had just enough. By the time he finished that his mom and Sierra were there. "Thomas why would you bring Tommy over here when I told you he was volatile?" his mother asked her brother in law. "I wanted the boys to talk," Thomas said. "I had no idea the Tommy would do what he did." "No idea?" his mother shouted. "He's broken his bones, Thomas. You know about all of that. After all of that why would you bring him to Grey's house. The very reason Grey is in town was because Tommy wasn't allowed here. You stuck your nose where it didn't belong and now one son has broken windows and the other is in jail." Sierra came into the living room with a broom. She started sweeping the broken glass into a pile. Then she used a dust pan to transfer the broken glass into a box. She even cleaned it off the end tables and the couch the best she could. Grey got the vacuum out and vacuumed the couch until it didn't sparkle with broken glass. "Grey kicked the shit out of Tommy," Thomas said. "Good!" cried his mother. "Grey should kick the shit out of Tommy every God damned day for what he's done." "You don't know all of it," Grey said. "He got Aubrey Miller to cut my brake line while I was at a party at Matt's house. I could've died that night." "Merciful God," his mother said putting her hand over her mouth. "What in the hell are we going to do about Tommy?" "I did kick the shit out of him, Mom," Grey said. "Good," she said. In the end, Tommy was ordered to pay for the damage to the windows. Grey knew his mother would be the one paying for them, but he didn't say anything. He'd already had them replaced. His mother did take the receipt from the glazier. Grey was packed and ready to go the morning of the sixth. He drove back to campus alone, but Sierra was right behind him in the Cadillac. The three hour trip was lonely, but he kept thinking that he'd see Nico soon. That would make the whole trip worth it. When he finally pulled into the back yard of the frat, Nico wasn't there. Instead he was met with Adam. He got out of the Jeep, grabbed his bags and headed in the back door. Adam followed him, asking if he'd be on the committee to read the essays of the prospective pledges. "But I'm a Freshman," he said as he stopped and looked at Adam. "It isn't unusual for Freshmen from one pledge class to help weed out the undesirables from the second pledge class. These are your people. You may know some of them." "You're giving those that failed the trials last time their second shot, right?" Grey asked. "Sure are," Adam said. "We promised." "Well then their essays are pointless as is their questionnaire," Grey said. "So I'll help. But that's not until February." "It's not, but I want to have everyone in place before the pledges start showing up again," said Adam. "Pledge week is hectic around here." "I don't have to have anything to do with the actual pledges, right?" Grey asked. "You're just reading essays," said Adam. "Good," he said. "I wouldn't know what to do with them if I had to deal with them." "You will be wearing a `Who am I' shirt, though," Adam said. "We need to get you all photographed for the look books, too. I'll get that done as soon as everyone is back." Adam walked away from Grey after that. Grey took his bags to the second floor where he and Nico shared a room. He was putting his stuff away when Nico walked through the door and took him in his arms. "My God, I missed you, Grey," Nico said. "I missed you, too," Grey said back before kissing him. "We have to get our picture taken tonight for the look books and we have to read an essay," Nico said. "Adam got you, too huh?" "He sure did," he said. "He was all freshman from one class can read the essays of the second class, pictures, look books, pledges off limits." "That sounds like what I got as soon as I walked in the back door," Grey laughed. "Welcome back to Alpha Beta Omega." "I hear that," Nico laughed. "I wanted to just hang out with my boyfriend and relax." "We can do that after we have our picture taken," Grey said. "Pledge week isn't until February. First party is January thirty-first, second is February first, trials begin February fourth." "Yeah, and they're over on March first," Nico said. "I've read the schedule." "Well we have the month of January to relax with each other if classes allow," Grey said. "Then the pledges will be with us and who knows what will happen after that?" "I hear ya," Nico said. "So tell me how your break really was." "Tommy got one of his friends named Aubrey Miller to cut my brake line," Grey said. "Don't worry, I didn't wreck the Jeep. My uncle brought Tommy to my house he said so that we could talk. Tommy just wanted to take a swing at me. I blocked that and kicked his ass for the first time in my life. Those self defense classes really paid off. I broke his nose and kicked him in the ribs. He broke my windows and got arrested for it. End of story." "Is he back on campus?" Nico asked. "I don't know or care," he said. "I know he's still enrolled here, but he's not welcome at Kappa Delta Alpha, so he's probably in the dorms somewhere." "As long as he stays away from you, I don't care where he is," Nico said. Grey smiled. It was nice to see Nico so protective. He just had to make sure that Nico had no reason to try to protect him from Tommy. Tommy could be nasty and Grey didn't want Nico on the receiving end of that nastiness. They went downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat then back up to their room the lie in Grey's bed in each others arms. Classes would start the following day and Nico wasn't ready for them. Grey was actually looking forward to them, though. "So you brought your truck?" Grey asked as he held Nico. "Sure did," he said. "Its downstairs parked right next to yours." "Cool," Grey said. They got their picture taken the next day. They also helped make the "Who am I?" shirts on the shirt press in the president's room. Grey made twelve shirts and so did Nico. Then they were released for the day. Grey had had a good day of classes and was tired after the long morning. He napped for a bit but was woken up when Nico climbed into the bed. "Sleepy?" Nico asked. "Not anymore," he said with a smile. They spent some time pleasuring each other and then they were looking through the new books for their new classes. This time Grey's schedule changed to no class before ten in the morning, and Nico had an eight o'clock class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Donated grocery items began to come in the next day. On Martin Luther King JR. Day, the frat and anyone who wanted to help would distribute boxes of non perishable food items to a list of people. This was similar to the blanket and turkey runs but done in January. There were many people involved that Saturday. Grey, Nico, Pete and several of the Obiz sisters drove trucks to distribute the boxes of food to the list of recipients. Grey got done around seven that night, studied for his tests and waited for Nico to get done. MLK Day was a success as far as Grey was concerned. Nico came in around eight and laid across the bed with a sigh. He'd been gone longer than Grey and wasn't used to all of that driving. Grey rubbed his back for him and then told him to study. On Sunday the entire frat washed cars for a list of people. They got sweaty and wet for six hours that Sunday. This was also part of MLK Day just on the next day. Grey showered and got into clean clothes and studied for his tests after the car wash. Nico went to get food from The Taco Shack for both of them. Grey was glad the events for MLK were over, but he did feel a sense of pride for having participated in both. Nico came in with a box of Tacos and they ate while discussing the ups and downs of the day. Time was really moving for them, and Grey was happy and content. The next big thing for Aboo and Obiz was Red, White, and Serve. It was a day just like MLK Day but this time it was for the veterans. They were packing boxes of non perishable food items and hand held pads and then distributing them through the city of Osage to a list of names. That would be on February 16, and the trials would be under way when that happened. Lions in Disguise was March thirtieth, April sixth and the thirteenth. It was exactly like MLK Day but it was broken up over three days and a lot more involved. In addition to non perishable food items, Obiz would bake pies. The pies would be distributed on the sixth and thirteenth of April. Aboo and Obiz were really involved in the community, and Grey couldn't wait to take part in it. He hoped there would be pie for the frat, but he wasn't holding his breath. He had classes, tests, and quizzes to get through while he waited. Plus there was spending time with his boyfriend as well. Frat Day was held on January twenty-sixth and they met at the Taco Shack for tacos. The entire frat was there in their t-shirts to get fifty percent off. It was a good but hectic day for the company, but it was a great day for the frat. Grey had a blast plus he filled up on his favorite food. The first pledge driven party was held, and Grey convinced Nico not to drink. They enjoyed sliders and punch and then retired to their room near the end of the party on the thirty-first. There were three more parties to get through before the trials began again. Grey just had to convince Nico to stay sober enough to get up the stairs on his own. They read essays and stacked them into two piles for Adam. Then it would be questionnaires but Grey and Nico would have nothing to do with those. The extent of their involvement with the pledges was over until they had to walk around wearing the "Who am I?" shirts. That would be the second week of trials. Grey had heard nothing out of Tommy, but he'd seen Sierra quite often. Sierra loved Nico, and congratulated Grey on finding a keeper. They discussed Tommy and through Sierra Grey learned that Tommy was in the dorm in a two-person room because their mother wouldn't pay the extra for him to be in a three-person dorm. Grey didn't care either way. He was just glad that Tommy was leaving him alone. The second party took place, but Grey and Nico didn't stay downstairs for most of it. They went back up to their room to have sex and study some more. They were studying when Nico started to talk. "Is that all of our relationship?" Nico asked out of the blue. "What are you talking about?" Grey asked. "You suck my dick and I suck yours," Nico said. "That's all it seems to be." "No, Nico," Grey said. "We don't just have sex all of the time. We talk, we eat out with each other and other things. What brought this up?" "I don't know," Nico said. "I guess I was just feeling like you don't like me so much anymore." "I love you, Nico," Grey said. "I know that might scare you but I do love you. I love having you in this room. I missed you so bad over winter break, and I couldn't wait to hold you in my arms. I love the discussions that we have, and I love it when we're out and about. I like people to see us together. I know that we don't have much public kisses or anything, but I love to have people see that we're together and happy." "I love you, too," Nico said. "I was worried about saying that but you said it first and that worked. I know what you're talking about. I get it. I guess I was just a bit jumpy about saying that I love you." "Goof," Grey said and then he kissed him. "So," Nico said when the kiss ended. "We love each other so does that mean we can have anal sex now?" "You want to fuck me?" Grey asked. He had thought about it but he was sure that he wouldn't like it. "No," Nico said, shaking his head. "I want you to fuck me." "Oh," Grey said. "We can do that if you want, but we need to do some research on it. I don't want to hurt you." "Well I know it's going to hurt, but I want you inside of me," Nico said, blushing like a red light had been turned onto his face. "I'll research it," Grey said. "We'll figure it out together." The next day there was a flurry in the house. They were putting the questionnaire together. Then they handed it to Adam who went up to his room to make copies. Grey wondered if they had put together another questionnaire than what he and Nico had filled out. The party that night was loud. This time Grey and Nico stayed downstairs for the whole party, but they didn't drink anything with alcohol in it. The pledges did, but the brothers made sure none of them got drunk, just tipsy. Grey actually had fun at the party that night. It was nice to reconnect with the pledges who had failed the trials last time. James Bracco and Brandon Welsh were in their pledge class so they reconnected with them a bit. Grey didn't think they'd make it through the second trials either. He didn't say it to anyone, but he was sure that they'd fail it like last time. Brandon just didn't seem to be bothered about the trials last time. James was just a real screw up when it came to the trials. The next night they were invited to the party but just the ten. Alumni were at the party and Grey was happy to see all of them this time. He'd gotten to talk to them last time, but this time he had just small talk with them because they were supposed to be talking to the pledges. Grey was happy to see Mr. Marcus Sumner at the party. He wasn't just alumnus of the college and frat, he was alumnus of this particular branch of the fraternity. He was also studying for his Masters Degree in Business. He talked briefly with Marcus but left him to his pledges like a good boy. The next party had the ten of them serving them. Grey and Nico had sliders and punch but no alcohol. It was funny to be on the other side of this night. Grey laughed when he saw them all in their tuxes. Finally the parties were over and the pledges were in the basement. Grey went back to classes and did his research on anal sex and how to make it easier. Nico was doing the same thing, but it was making him want to do it more than ever. They finally got to try it the night the pledges started shopping for the brothers. "First I want you to evacuate really well," Grey said to Nico. "I did that already," Nico said. "I bought an enema bag and used it to clean out." "All right," Grey said. Then they got naked and on the bed. Grey produced lubricant and rubbed it around the outside of Nico's ass hole. Nico said that felt really good. Grey just laughed. Then he inserted one finger and Nico moaned. Grey looked at him and Nico smiled so he kept pushing until his finger was inside of Nico's ass. He moved it around a bit until the found Nico's prostate. Nico gasped and his eyes went wide when Grey touched it. Grey filed that information away for a moment and added a second finger. Nico didn't seem to mind it. Grey moved his fingers in and out and tried to pull them apart, stretching Nico slightly. When he added a third finger, Nico showed the first sign of discomfort but got over it quickly. Grey did the same things with three fingers that he had done with two. He moved them in and out and pulled them apart which wasn't easy to do. When he met no resistance he decided that Nico was as ready as he was ever going to be. He lubed his dick and replaced his fingers with the head of it. He slowly pushed into Nico, making him moan and groan. When he was all the way in he stopped and let Nico get used to the feeling. He was also basking in the silky tightness of Nico's ass as it gripped his dick like nothing he'd ever felt in his life. Suddenly Nico kissed him, and Grey began to fuck him, tilting his pelvis back and up until his dick made contact with Nico's prostate. He fucked that for a while, making Nico whine a bit. Then he was completely surprised when Nico's ass suddenly gripped him tighter and pulsed as Nico shot cum up his torso. Grey stopped fucking his prostate after that and just gave him long slow strokes. It still felt so fucking amazing to be inside that wet, velvet, vice. Nico was hot on the inside and Grey loved fucking him. When he thought he'd be able to cum he started to fuck Nico's prostate again, making him twitch and gasp. His eyes opened and looked at Grey with a look of worry on his face. Grey pumped in an out of him slowly at first but then gained speed and power. Nico sighed as Grey began to pummel his prostate. When Nico's ass tightened and spasmed around Grey's dick it brought him over the edge. They came at the same time. They got off the bed and showered together, kissing and touching each other the entire time. Then they went to bed and held each other all night long. The next morning they'd moved apart, but Grey went back to sleep as Nico got up to get ready for his first class of the day. Grey woke up a bit later and got dressed. He went downstairs and had a bowl of cereal before heading off to his own classes. When he got home the pledges were having peanut butter sandwiches and milk in the kitchen. Grey went up to his room and studied until Nico came in. "My ass has been sore all day," Nico said after he'd kissed Grey. "I wonder why that is," laughed Grey. "Someone pounded it with their dick," Nico said. "I didn't hear you complaining," Grey said. "No," Nico laughed. "I wanted you to fuck me harder." "I'll remember that next time," Grey said. "So there's gonna be a next time, huh?" Nico said. "Definitely unless you don't want it again," Grey said. "Oh, boy do I want it again and again," Nico said seriously. "Your wish is my command," Grey said. "I really enjoyed it." "So did I," Nico said. "I came twice." "I noticed that," Grey said. They studied and then repeated the process over again. This time Grey fucked him hard and fast, and Nico seemed to love every single second of it. They showered together again and then studied some more. They had dinner in their room, having ordered pizza. Then it was just studying while touching each other now and then. Grey finally closed his books around ten and put the pizza box in the trash can. Then he climbed into bed with Nico and went to sleep. "You and Nico are a bit loud," Pete said the next day, embarrassing Grey. "Sorry," Grey said. "We'll try to keep it down." "Nico is just very vocal," Pete said. "Ordinarily I wouldn't worry about it much, but I'm not getting any if you know what I mean." "Sorry, Pete," Grey said. "I'll put my hand over Nico's mouth or something." "Do that," Pete said with a grin and a chuckle. "You know it's cool that you guys are together. I wasn't sure how you'd accept my sexuality." "Pete, you're my big brother," Grey said. "I accept you for who you are no matter who you choose to have sex with." "Very cool," Pete said. "We good?" "Sure," Grey said as Nico came in the front door. "Remember keep it down," Pete said as he looked from Nico to Grey and back. "Will do," said Grey. "What was that all about?" Nico asked when they were alone in their room. "He said you're loud when you get fucked," Grey said. "He knows you fucked me?" "I'm sure he has a pretty good idea," Grey said. "Just keep it down when I'm fucking you. Pete said he wouldn't care but he ain't getting any himself." "Poor guy," Nico said. "We'll have to find him a girl." "You're terribly unobservant," laughed Grey. "Pete's gay." "He is, huh?" Nico said with a smile. "Sure is," Grey said. "He just told me so." "Cool," Nico said. "So he's family." "I guess." "Gives the two of you so much more to talk about," Nico said. "I guess it does at that," Grey said.