Robert and Johnny-The rest of the story Ch 23

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Robert and Johnny
The rest of the story
(Part three of the trilogy began in My 11th Summer, then Tween to Teen) By: Kewl Dad

As I've said many times, Mikey was a frequent visitor in our home, and I have to say Johnny and I both looked forward to his visits. Not only was he a fun kid to have around, his presence in our life seemed to help us keep in touch with our own childhood. He was growing up fast and it seemed like every time we saw him he'd changed just a lot.

I'm sure for mom and dad, who saw him everyday, it was a gradual thing, but for us it seemed like he was growing up overnight. As my own hair had done, his had began to darken as he got older, and even had a reddish tint to in it the right lighting. His eyes were still that beautiful shade of blue, and he had that same spattering of freckles across his nose that I hated so much at his age, but had come to love on my little brother.

Mikey was not only cute however, he was a real sweetheart, and everyone who met him was better off for having done so. Like Johnny and I had as boys, he made friends easily, but perhaps his best friend was his cousin Joe Jr., who was just about a year older. Their friendship was convenient since they lived only two houses apart, but they'd become close long before that. Even when my aunt and uncle had lived on that farm outside of town, Mikey and Joe Jr. had been playmates, and eventually, pals.

I guess it was inevitable that at some point Mikey would want to bring his best pal and cousin along on one of his trips to see us, and Johnny and I eagerly agreed.

Mikey was ten that year, Joe Jr. 11, and both were full of piss and vinegar as my mom liked to say, but Johnny and I were convinced we could handle them.

It was late September, Fair time in Tulsa, and we'd planned the boys' visit to coincide with that event. Back then Bell's Amusement Park was still on the fairgrounds and became part of the fair for those ten days. We liked Bell's rides because they were permanent and well maintained and safer in our eyes than the traveling rides that had to be assembled at each new location.

Johnny and I both took off work early that Friday of their visit and drove the short distance to Pryor to pick the boys up, and as expected they were two happy campers when we arrived. Surrounding us, they proceeded to give us hugs and chatter excitedly about the upcoming trip to the fair, but eventually we managed to herd them inside so we could say hello to my folks.

"I hope you boys know what you're in for," mom chuckled.

"Don't worry mom, we have lots of rope and duct tape in case we have to tie them up," I joked.

"We'll be good," Mikey said shaking his head, "just cause we're excited doesn't mean we're bad."

Mikey was not only cute and sweet, but he was smart as a whip, and could usually talk his way out of any situation. In this case he was right though, and we all knew it. Mikey was always well behaved, even if excitable when he visited us, while Joe was a bit shy and reserved, and we all knew he wouldn't be a problem either.

"Dad's not home yet?" I said stating the obvious. I had hoped to talk to him about the car I was planning on buying and get his opinion. It was 1900 dollars, but it was only two years old and in excellent shape, but I still wanted dad's take on it.

"He ran down to the ice house to get some ice, he'll be back in a few minutes. I know he wanted to see you guys, so...if you're not in a hurry..."

"We'll wait, I need to talk to him about something anyway," I said not elaborating.

"Oh, anything wrong?" mom said sounding worried.

"No, just want his opinion on something, a car I'm thinking of buying."

"Oh, it's about time," mom laughed, "I'd think by now you two would be going crazy trying to work out the ride situation."

"It's not that bad, what we have now, but I'd feel better if I had some wheels of my own."

As if on cue, Dad arrived about then, and I couldn't resist the urge to give my old man a hug. Hugging me back, he patted me on the back then gave Johnny a hug as well. I might have been an adult, but I still needed my parents, and for some reason lately I'd been missing my dad the most.

I took dad aside and we talked about the car and he seemed to think the price was too high. He suggested I offer the dealer 1500 and see what happened. He said they'd probably come back with a counter offer, like 1850 or something, and then I could counter that with 1600, and so on and so on, till one of us gave in. He said if they were serious about selling it, they should be willing to negotiate, and that in his opinion, I shouldn't pay more than 1800.

After that, we talked about our jobs, and caught up on each other's lives, and we would have probably talked a lot longer, but two excited boys were chomping at the bits to get going and we finally called it quits.

"We'll come pick them up around 2 on Sunday," Dad said, "that will save you guys a trip and be a nice drive for us. I'm taking your mother to Furs in Tulsa for lunch before we come pick the boys up."

"Thanks dad, we'll probably be worn out by then," I teased, "these two will probably drag us all over the fair grounds tomorrow."

"What are you boys going to do tonight?" Mom wondered.

"Pizza at Crystals, and we'll let the boys play games at the arcade there. Then we'll probably watch TV or play board games or something," I said.

"Yay! Pizza," Mikey said, hanging on me and gazing up at me with those gorgeous blue eyes and giving me that cute smile that could melt anyone's heart.

On the way back to Tulsa, the boys sat in the second row of seats and chattered the whole ride, pointing out the sights, and sometimes pulling us into their conversation. It was nice to hear their boyish laughter and feel their youthful energy, and I felt renewed somehow, and full of life myself.

Johnny drove us straight to Crystal's Pizza, and we ordered pizza for the boys, but Johnny and I had lasagna, which was some of the best I'd ever eaten, anywhere. The boys insisted we eat in the movie room where cartoons were showing, but they chattered more than they watched TV as they chowed down on the delicious Canadian bacon pizza they'd requested.

Eventually, we finished our meal, Johnny and I finishing off the last two pieces of pizza, and it was time to go to the arcade. First, was a ride on the full-size carousel, and even Johnny and I enjoyed that. The boys were especially verbal as they rode their horses up and down, pretending to be cowboys as Johnny and I smiled and enjoyed their antics.

We stayed till about 7:30 that night, then Johnny took us on a tour of the city, mostly for Joe's benefit, before we finally made it back to the apartment. Joe had visited us at the apartment a couple times with his family, but this would be his first time sleeping over, and I could tell he was both excited and nervous.

However, as in all things concerning these two, Mikey took the lead and made Joe feel right at home, showing him the spare bedroom they'd be sharing and taking him on a tour of the place as if he lived there himself.

"What a take charge kind of guy," Johnny chuckled while the boys were busy elsewhere.

"Yeah, I think Joe was a little nervous, but Mikey will fix that."

"Yeah, he's a good kid, heck, they both are. Makes me wish we had one or two of our own," he sighed, repeating the mantra we both spoke often.

"Someday...I hope," I said crossing my fingers, "we could just abduct these two, I'm sure no one would come looking for them," I teased.

"Riiiight, your mom and dad would have our heads. I'm surprised they let us have him as often as they do."

"Well, I think they like having some time alone, once in a while. And...they know that when Mikey's with us he's safe and happy. Who knows? They might make another baby if they have enough alone time."

Johnny laughed, "Yeah, maybe a girl this time. Then we'd have a baby sister to pamper."

"That would be sweet," I said smiling, "and I know mom would love it."

"Robbie..." Mikey hollered from down the hall, "we're gonna take our bath now."

"Together, I'm sure," Johnny chuckled.

"Oh yes! the two have been taking baths together since they were babies. I don't know how they both fit in the tub these days, but somehow they do."

"I seem to remember us doing that," Johnny chuckled, "and...messing around in the tub."

"Oh, I'm sure these two do that too. In fact, dad said he caught the two of them naked in the clubhouse out back one day. He didn't confront them though, he had peeked through the window, and when he saw what they were up to, he just went on about his business."

"He never said anything to them?"

"No, he said he'd learned his lesson about that sort of stuff, whatever that means," I chuckled, "could he be referring to us?"

"No doubt. Well, maybe we should tell them to be more careful or something."

"I think they know to keep it on the down-low, but I guess I could give him some brotherly advise."

"Yeah," Johnny said looking wistful, "they're just at the age when we started seriously messing around."

"Yeah, don't I know it," I sighed, "sort of makes you long for the good old days, doesn't it?"

"Yep, where did time go?" Johnny said looking sad.

I moved closer and threw my arms around him and nuzzled his neck, "I have no regrets, and that's more than most people can say. We had fun, we loved, and we lived life to the fullest, and we have lots more life to go. We're lucky, really."

"Yeah, you're right," he cooed, pulling me closer and kissing me deeply, "I'm about the luckiest guy in the world, cause I have you."

Down the hall in the bathroom, squeals of delight and the sounds of splashing filled the air, and Johnny and I sat back and listened with smiles on our faces. Having the boys over was certainly a balm for our weary souls, for who could be worried or sad when you had two bundles of love and joy in the house?

Eventually, the boys tired of playing, or perhaps the bath water began to grow cold, and the loud noises were replaced by their soft adolescent voices as they dried off.

"Want to go nekkid," I heard Mikey giggle.

"No way," Joe said, "Robert and Johnny will see our wieners."

"Dicks, they're called dicks, or cocks, or penises," Mikey said, speaking a little louder.

I looked over at Johnny and we both cracked up laughing. Boy, my little brother was something else. He was younger than his cousin, yet obviously more worldly, and I wondered if Johnny and I had anything to do with that.

"Anyway, they won't care. It's just us guys," Mikey said, sounding as if he were trying to convince Joe to go starkers.

"Huh uh, you can if you want, but not me. I'll wear just my underwear though, how's that?"

"Chicken," Mikey laughed, "Okay, okay, we'll just wear underwear then."

It was quiet for a bit after that, then we heard the door to the bathroom open, and out came two freshly bathed boys, wearing nothing but white FOL briefs, and I must say they both looked very cute.

"Did you make a mess?" I asked as they approached from down the hall.

"Nope, we cleaned up the water on the floor and rinsed the tub out. We weren't really all that dirty, just sweaty after playing all day," Mikey said plopping down on my lap as if it were his God-given right, which in a way, it was.

Joe seemed a bit more reserved, but it wasn't like he was a stranger. He was my cousin too, and I'd known him since he was in diapers. Heck, both Johnny and I had even changed him a few times. That's how I knew he was uncut.

"Joe, what do you think about all this?" Johnny said, offering his lap for the older boy to sit in.

"I think it's fun. I like it here," he said, accepting the invitation and settling in nicely.

"Good, cause we like having you here. I'm glad Mikey suggested it," I assured him, "we'll have lots of fun tomorrow, and Sunday maybe we'll go to the big mall here and have lunch in the food court."

"Neat," Joe said smiling.

Joe was a good looking boy too, with brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a shy smile that melted the coldest heart. As I've mentioned, he was a bit more reserved than Mikey, but he liked having fun and was easily led, especially by Mikey, and open to most things.

"What do you guys want to do now?" Johnny said, leaning back and putting his arms around Joe and giving him a gentle hug.

"Monopoly," Mikey said excitedly, can we play teams? Me and Joe against you and Robert?"

I laughed, "I'm game if you guys are. Monopoly is more a game of chance than skill though, so we all have a fair chance of winning. Sometimes it's the roll of the dice that decides your fate."

"Huh uh, I got a straggedy," Mikey insisted, mispronouncing the word cutely.

"Strategy, you mean?" I chuckled, "well, I can hardly wait to see."

Johnny picked Joe up as if he weighed nothing and threw him over his shoulder, causing him to giggle. He might be 11, but he was still a kid at heart and loved being manhandled and teased.

Following suit, I did the same with Mikey, and walking the short distance to the dining area, we deposited them in chairs, side by side, and I went off to grab the game. Johnny had fixed drinks for everyone by the time I'd returned, and I quickly set up the game. A roll of the dice decided who was banker, and this time it was Johnny, a choice everyone approved of. Next, we chose our playing pieces. I always liked the iron, Johnny took the dog, Joe the battleship, and Mikey chose the car, and we were ready to rumble.

There was a lot of laughing, harmless insults being flung about, and moans as we were forced to pay for landing on various properties. Mikey and Joe wound up with Park Place and Boardwalk, but we had the green properties, which were also good money makers, so for a while we were neck in neck.

Eventually though, bad luck struck and Johnny and I both landed on Boardwalk and had to cough up a ton of doe. The game went on and on, and I had to admit, Mikey did seem to have some sort of strategy going. He and Joe whispered back and forth often, and once they even went to the bathroom so they could talk in private.

"Think they're really talking about the game, or taking a sex break?" Johnny teased.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure right now their only goal is to beat our butts at this game. Later maybe, they'll celebrate with some sexy fun," I chuckled.

The boys returned quickly, and the game went on, and it was all down hill for Johnny and me after that. We wound up mortgaging most of our properties, and were just hanging on by the skin of our teeth, when I landed on Park Place, and it was over.

"Good game," I said sincerely as we began putting the game back in the box.

"Thanks," Mikey said humbly. He was not the kind of boy to gloat, nor was he one to say "I told ya so", unlike most kids. It was just one more thing I loved about my kid brother.

"What can we do now?" Joe wondered.

"Let's just watch some TV and talk, okay?" I suggested, "It's almost time for you boys to head to bed anyway."

"Aww...okay," Mikey said, "gotta go pee first, come on Joe...you needa go too, right?"

Blushing, Joe nodded, and soon the two were off to the bathroom again.

"Joe just sort of does whatever Mikey says, doesn't he?" Johnny observed.

"Yeah, I need to talk to him about that. It's okay to be a leader, but there's a limit to how much control you should have over another person."

"Back!" Mike said piling down on the couch and pulling Joe down beside him.

Then as Johnny and I watched in wonder, the two boys scooted as close together as possible and joined hands. It was just so cute I felt tears sting my eyes, and one look at Johnny said he felt the same way.

"What's on TV?" Mikey asked, ignoring our stares, and acting as if his holding hands with Joe was the most natural thing on earth. Well, maybe it was, I decided, but it was still a bit of a shock.

"Uh, well...the news right now. At 10:30 the Man from Uncle comes on, but that's kind of late for you boys to be up."

"Please...I love that show," Mikey pleaded, and I looked at Johnny for his opinion.

"If they get sleepy we can carry them to bed," Johnny chuckled.

"Yaaay!" Mikey cried happily, "sit down by us and watch it too."

Since the two boys were occupying the middle of the couch, Johnny and I were forced to sit on either end, with Johnny next to Joe, and Mikey to my right. It was a tight fit, but actually kind of cozy, though I would have preferred to be closer to my lover, this was nice too.

The news ended and the show came on, and for a while it was quiet as we watched this week's plot unfold. I had to admit, I loved this show too, and had watched it as a kid, and in reruns now, it was just as exciting and fun to watch.

Soon Mikey was leaning into me, and a glance in Johnny's direction proved that Joe was wilting a bit as well. I smiled as I gazed down at the two cute boys cuddled up to us, and once again that gnawing desire to be a father swept over me.

I returned my attention to the TV, but suddenly Johnny caught my attention as he reached over to touch my arm. Jerking my head around I saw what he did, that both our boys had fallen asleep. Smiling, my heart filled with so much love, I pulled Mikey into my arms and just held him for a few minutes, soaking up his warmth, and inhaling his comforting scent.

Eventually, we carried the two sleeping angels to their bed, and they never stirred the whole time. I was glad they'd dressed for bed after their bath, for undressing them might have awoken them. As I pulled the covers up over them, I stared down at the sleeping boys as tears filled my eyes. Then leaning down, I kissed their foreheads and moved aside so Johnny could do the same. Then together, hand in hand, Johnny and I left the room, closing the door behind us.

"That was...the most amazing feeling ever," Johnny said, sounding at a loss for words.

"I know, it must be what a father feels like when they put their kids to bed," I said, clinging to Johnny tightly. Then kissing his cheek, I patted him gently, "Let's head to bed...dad, and do some snuggling."

"Just snuggling," Johnny chuckled.

"Well, you know? Snuggling leads to kissing, and kissing leads to...who knows what?" I laughed. And it did.

*******************************************

Mikey

I don't know exactly how we got in bed that night, but I figured Robbie and Johnny must've carried us there. We were way tired I guess after the busy day we had, and it was just so comfortable all snuggled up on the couch like that.

I woke first and it was still dark so I figured we hadn't been asleep too long. Joe must've figured out I was awake, cause his eyes popped open about then and he gave me a smile. Man, I love his smile. It gives me butterflies in my tummy and makes me feel really good.

He stretched and his foot touched mine, and I pushed back. This was a game we liked to play, footsie, and before long we were using both our feet to play the game. Our favorite thing to do with our feet though was to lay end to end and put our feet in each other's privates and rub around. We discovered that bit of fun one day by accident and ever since then we do it whenever we can.

I scooted a little closer to Joe and threw my arm around him, and he scooted closer too, cause he knew what was coming next. This was new to us, but once we'd done it, we wanted to do it again, and again. Kissing is what I'm talking about, in case you don't know.

Now, maybe we're not experts at it, and maybe we don't do it like adults do, or like boys and girls do, but we like it just fine, and sometimes we even use our tongues. I think that's called Frenching, though I don't know why. I just know it feels good, and every time we do that we get boners.

Maybe that's the purpose of kissing. I mean, maybe kissing is to get a guy hard so he can do sex. Yeah, that makes sense, but the kissing itself is pretty nice, and we can do it a long time before we finally get our boners involved.

I know what boys and girls do when it comes to sex, but I don't think I'm ready for that kind of stuff. Truthfully, it sounds kind of nasty, and I'm not sure I'd ever want to do that, but I guess you learn to like it when you get older. Only Robbie and Johnny never did, and that makes me wonder if I'm different too. Will I only like boys that way, or will I change? Robert says a guy can like both, and that doesn't sound too bad. I guess I'll just have to wait and see, cause like Robbie says, I'm just a kid, and things can change.

Anyway, what me and Joe do doesn't seen nasty or gross at all. What we do is just fun, and it feels good, and there's no mess or anything. Of course, neither of us make any of that sperm stuff yet, so I guess that will change someday, but for now it's just good old dry fun.

I've heard that some boys do...well, butt stuff, but that seems even nastier and more gross than the girl stuff. I'm pretty sure I could never do that stuff, but I know for a fact that Robbie and Johnny do that. Yeah, I mean, I've never seen them, but I've heard them talk about it when they didn't know I was around. That makes me wonder though, if you love someone like those two do, does that make stuff like that not seem so gross and nasty? Maybe that's the real answer, and if it is, then I could probably learn to like the girl stuff if I fell in love with a girl. But that brings up another question: if I liked a boy that much, could I do the butt stuff? Wow, that's a lot to think about.

Anyway, like I said, next thing is: we're kissing, and this time we're pretty excited. We're rubbing our bodies together the whole time we're doing it, and pretty soon I take control like I always do, and even though Joe is older, I lead the way. I roll him onto his back and press myself against him and we squirm around like we're swimming as our boners press together between us.

The harder we kiss the more we rub around and that feeling just keeps building, and building, till...blam...whooeee, there it is, and it's like the best feeling ever. We keep right on kissing the whole time, but eventually we gotta come up for air, cause getting that feeling really wears a guy out, like you just ran a mile, but you feel really good too. Kind of glowing really, and even though you're tired and satisfied at that moment, you can't wait till the next time you get to have that feeling again.

Usually though we get this feeling while we're in bed and then we fall asleep, but not this time. We cuddle a little and kiss some more, and pretty soon our boners are back, and we're ready to go again.

This time we do the foot thing, with me laying at one end and Joe at the other, and though we can't kiss like this, the feeling of his soft foot against my boner is just so good, and I know he feels the same way too. It takes us a bit longer this way, but in a way that makes it even better. Sometimes we even open our toes and take each other's dick between them and move the skin up and down, and that's a way better feeling.

It's just like when I do it myself using my hand, and suddenly I wonder, why haven't Joe and I ever used our hands to do that to each other? I'm feeling too good with the foot thing to stop now though, so I sort of forget about it for the moment, but I'm sure it will come back to me when the time is right.

Eventually, the feeling comes, first for me, and I push Joe's foot away when my dick becomes too sensitive, then I remember that thing about my hand, and I decide to try it. Flipping around, I grab Joe's dick between my thumb and fingers and start working the foreskin just like I do my own dick when Joe's not around. He acts surprised at first, but soon he's moaning and pushing against my hand, and I'm grinning cause I know he's liking it a lot, and I've found something new for us to do.

He doesn't last much longer, and when he gets the feeling, I can tell it's a really good one. He's flopping around and moaning, and then he falls back down and just lets out a big sigh, and pushes my hand away.

He doesn't say anything for a long time, and I'm about to ask him if he's okay, when he finally sits up and says, "That was the best ever. How come we never thought of that before?"

"I don't know," I tell him, but you better bet, from now on we're gonna do that a lot."

*****************************************

"Did you hear something?" I whispered to Johnny. It was still dark, but something had awoken me from a dreamless sleep.

"Huh?" Johnny said sitting up, then he chuckled, "Yeah, I think it's moaning, boy moaning. Mikey and Joe are probably having some fun."

"You think so?" I said smiling. I hated to admit it, but I was a bit aroused just thinking about what might be going on next door with my little brother and our cousin Joe.

"Yeah, it's hard to put two boys in a bed and not have something go on. Remember us and our buddies, we never just slept together, we always did something."

"Yeah, I know. I shouldn't be surprised, but I guess I just thought they'd sleep through the night. I wonder what woke them up."

"Hard dicks probably," Johnny chuckled, "Once they get their rocks off they'll fall back asleep."

"Now I'm horny," I pouted, "and I need to get my rocks off."

"Okay, how about a 69, we can swallow the mess, then go right to sleep again."

"Okay," I agreed, eagerly flipping around to get into position.

It didn't take long to get off that way, fondling each other's ass and balls as we sucked, and when we were both sated, I flipped back around and we kissed.

"Do you think they kiss?" I asked, finally pulling away.

"I don't know. Kissing is sort of taboo with some boys, but it never was with us. I'd guess...judging from the hand holding, and the general way they treat each other, that...yes, they kiss."

"I think so too," I said smiling, "that's so sweet," I sighed as I snuggled into my man, and soon I was asleep.

*************** The Fair ***************

Johnny and I were awakened the next morning by two bouncing boys in their underwear and I must admit, it's a much better way to wake up than from a blaring alarm clock. Of course Johnny and I both had the usual morning wood, and we tried hard to keep it hidden, but those two were determined to rip the covers off and herd us out of bed, and they finally succeeded.

"They got boners," Mikey giggled as the bedding finally gave way to their insistent tugging.

"You know why, right?" I said, trying to hide myself as best I could. I was thankful Johnny and I had put our underwear back on after our last sex romp.

"Cause you need to pee?" Joe offered, looking elsewhere, his face as red as a beet.

"Very good, Joe," I said edging toward the door, "why don't you guys go get dressed and Johnny and I will join you in the kitchen in a few minutes."

"Okay, but hurry," Mikey said, giving us one last lingering look, as if he were memorizing our almost naked bodies, "we're hungry."

"I'm not surprised they're hungry," Johnny said once we were in the bathroom, side by side relieving ourselves, "sex makes a guy hungry," he chuckled.

"Then we should be starved," I said leaning in to kiss Johnny on the cheek.

"Don't start nothin' you can't finish," he teased.

"Later...dear, right now we have two hungry boys to feed."

The boys were dressed in jeans and matching striped pullovers, which I thought was cute, and strange at the same time. Before I could ask however, Mikey volunteered the information.

"See our neat shirts, Uncle Joe bought them for us at Sharpe's. It was Joe's idea to buy the same color for both of us though."

"Yeah, I thought it would be neat to dress alike," Joe said grinning, "then maybe someone would think we were twins," he chuckled.

"Well, the family resemblance is certainly there, but I don't think anyone will mistake you for twins," I chuckled, noting Mikey's lighter colored hair and blue eyes, and Joe's brown hair and brown eyes.

"What are we having for breakfast," Mikey asked, then going to the fridge and peeking inside.

"How about bacon, eggs, and toast?" I suggested.

"Okay, can I have my eggs runny?"

I laughed, I knew he meant sunny-side up, but he called them runny. Fortunately, everyone else opted for scrambled, and while I put the bacon on to cook, Johnny scrambled up a half dozen eggs.

Once breakfast was over, we took our turns in the bathroom, and eventually we were ready to face the day. Since we didn't plan on going to the fair till around 4, we found ourselves with several hours to kill, and I knew we needed to do something or the boys would go stir-crazy.

"How about we go over to the river?" I suggested, "you guys can play on the Old Wild West Playground for a while. You remember that place, right Mikey?"

"Yeah, it's so neat," Mikey said as he excitedly explained to his cousin Joe what it was, and how much fun he'd had there.

The weather was perfect that day, temps in the 70s, and we didn't even need a jacket. The drive was a short one, and once we'd parked, Mikey grabbed Joe's hand and they ran on ahead, while Johnny and I slowly followed.

By the time Johnny and I had arrived, the two were crawling all over the store fronts of the miniature Old West Town, pretending to be cowboys, or Indians, or whatever it was their young minds concocted.

Johnny and I climbed up on the almost full-size stagecoach anchored in the sandy ground and watched the two as we talked softly. Soon the boys joined us, piling into the coach, and eventually peeking out at us and laughing.

"This place is really cool," I heard Joe say, "I wish we had neat stuff like this back home."

"Yeah, all we have is the park," Mikey said, "Tulsa is so cool. When I grow up I'm gonna move here and be close to Robbie and Johnny."

I looked at Johnny and smiled as I wiped a tear away from my eye. While I would welcome Mikey's living close to us, I worried about my folks if both their boys moved so far away. But that was a long way off, and a lot could change by then. Oh sure, eventually Mikey would go off to college, though it was too soon to decide where, but there was always the possibility he might return to his home town to start his new life.

We stayed at the playground about an hour, and since we still had some time to kill, I suggested we take a walk along the river and across the pedestrian bridge, which had once been a railroad bridge.

The boys loved the bridge and ran on ahead of us, finally stopping at the overlook which sat atop the man-made dam. When we joined them, we found they were not alone. There were a few fishermen there, and among them: two teenage boys, who seemed to take notice of our boys right away.

Being the friendly, outgoing little scamp that he was, Mikey drug Joe over to where the two older boys fished from the railing, and I watched with interest as he engaged them in conversation.

"Looks like Mikey has made a couple new friends," Johnny chuckled.

"That kid," I said shaking my head, "he doesn't understand the word stranger. He thinks the whole world is his friend."

"Maybe it is," Johnny said wistfully, "maybe if more people thought that way, the world would be a better place."

"Yeah, you're right, but I still worry that someday he'll get into trouble being so trusting. At least we're here to watch over him for the moment."

We wandered over to where the four stood talking and Mikey made the introductions. The boys seemed shy at first, but I soon realized what Mikey instinctively knew, that they were nice kids. The two were brothers, Peter and Bill, 14 and 15 respectively, and they lived not far away in an apartment with their mom and older sister. All that from Peter: who seemed to be the spokesman for the two. Both boys were cute, reddish brown hair and green eyes, a spattering of freckles across their cute noses, nice smiles, and slim, well-developed teenage bodies. They were both dressed in cut off jeans and no shirts, Peter wearing flip flops, while bill wore tattered tennis shoes with no socks.

I knew the apartments they lived in were considered low-income, and that part of town wasn't exactly the nicer part of town, so I figured they and their mom probably struggled to get by. Maybe they were fishing for dinner, I thought frowning, and my heart went out to them.

We visited with the two boys for a while, but eventually I suggested we go get some lunch so we wouldn't be starved by the time we got to the fair.

"You guys going to the fair?" Peter asked excitedly after overhearing my suggestion, "we went one year...a long time ago. It was fun, right Bill?"

"Yeah, that was when dad was still around," Bill said sounding sad.

"Yeah," Peter said turning his eyes to the water below them.

"Well, good luck with your fishing," I said, trying to move things along, "it was nice meeting you guys."

"Yeah, you too," Peter said, while Bill just stared at us, his gaze a little unnerving.

"Bye," Mikey said then, but he seemed reluctant to leave his new friends.

As we walked away, I felt a little bad having mentioned the fair in front of the two teens. I hadn't intended to rub it in their face that we were going to go have fun while they spent their time trying to pull fish out of a polluted river.

"Robbie..." Mikey said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"What bubber," I said, happy for the diversion.

"You'll say no, but..."

"What?" I laughed, what was he up to now?

"Well, mom and dad gave me some money..."

"And...?" I said, still not getting it.

"I was wondering if maybe Peter and Bill could go with us to the fair," he quickly spit out, "I could pay their way..."

I laughed and glanced at Johnny, who's look said, don't get me involved in this one.

"Mikey, that's a lot to ask. I mean, what if their mom wouldn't let them go, or they got into trouble, or we lost them, or...something."

Mikey sighed, "I know. I just feel bad for them, that's all."

Bless his heart, he was the kind of kid who loved everyone, and genuinely cared for people. He came by that honestly though, that's how we were both raised, and I'd taken in my share of underdogs and outcasts in the short time I'd been on earth.

"I guess we could ask," I finally said, unable to believe I was giving in so easily, "I have plenty of admission tickets, I bought two books of five."

Johnny laughed, "Are you sure you're ready to take on two more boys?"

"I have you to help me," I said squeezing his arm.

"Well, time's a wastin', let's go talk to them then," he said grinning.

I don't think I've ever seen two bigger smiles or two happier boys in all my life when we laid the news on the two brothers. Of course they wanted to go, and they were doubly sure that their mom wouldn't care as long as she got to meet us first.

While the boys gathered up their fishing gear, Johnny and I moved to one side and had a pow wow.

"You still sure about this?" Johnny asked one last time.

"It's too late to back out now," I sighed, "but...I have a good feeling about it. When I look at those two boys I see a little of us and our friends back home in them. They can't help what their dad did, or how much money their mom makes, or where they live. They're just trying to live their lives as best they can. If we can bring a little fun and excitement into their lives, even for one night, then I say...let's do it."

"That's why I love you so much," Johnny said smiling warmly, "and Mikey is just like you."

"You're not so bad yourself. I've seen you do the same kind of stuff a dozen times over the years."

"Well, I've been blessed, and it's only fair to pass it along," he said, "come on, looks like our boys are ready to go."

On the walk back to the Bug Bus, our boys got better acquainted, and by the time we'd arrived I could safely say they were buddies. Next stop: The Morning Star Apartments.

Sure, I was a little nervous as Peter and Bill led us up the stairs to their apartment that day. But these were simpler times, and the thought of the boy's mom thinking we had bad intentions never crossed my mind. I did worry that she might be embarrassed by our offer, and say no simply out of pride. As it turned out though, I need not have worried.

I suggested that the boys go inside first and talk to their mom, then when she'd digested what they had to say, to bring her to us to explain further. Peter thought we should just go inside with them, but after some discussion, he and Bill finally went inside alone, only to return a short time later with a tall slender middle-aged woman, wearing a worn faded house dress, the kind my grandma used to wear.

"Oh, hello," she said running a hand through her hair and looking us over, "the boys say you're taking them to the fair, that right?"

"If it's okay with you, ma'am," I said offering my hand, "I'm Robert Warren, this is Johnny Williams, and those two are my little brother Mikey, and our cousin Joe. Mikey and Joe are visiting us this weekend, and we promised to take them to the fair. We were down at the river this afternoon and happened to run onto your two boys, and well...it just sort of happened. We mentioned we were going to the fair, and your boys seemed very interested, I guess like most boys are," I chuckled, "and, well, Mikey thought it would be nice if we took them too. I know that might sound weird, but I promise we'll take good care of them and bring them back safely."

All the while, Mikey was looking his usual adorable self, and even Joe was smiling, though I could tell he was a bit nervous.

She sighed, glancing at the younger boys, then looking into the distance as she spoke, "My boys don't get to have much fun these days...since their good for nothing father took off. I reckon it would be all right. How much does it cost?" she added looking worried.

"Nothing, I have advance tickets for all of us, and I'd be glad to spring for a corn dog or whatever once we get there."

"That's nice of you, but I don't want you to pay for everything. Hold on," she said, disappearing inside and returning a moment later with something clutched in her hand, "Here's ten dollars, that should pay for their dinner."

I wanted to refuse her offer, but I knew it was a matter of pride, and I said nothing, however, it was Peter who reached out to accept the money.

"You boys need to shower and change though," their mom said sniffing the air, "you smell like fish." Then to me, "do they have time?"

"Yes ma'am, we're not going till around 4. Why don't we come back around 3:30 and pick them up?"

I could tell the two teens weren't happy about being left behind, but it made sense, and they knew it. While they ran off to start getting ready, Johnny and I chatted with their mom a bit more, and I decided she was actually a pretty nice person as well. I could tell she loved her boys, but like a lot of single moms, she struggled to get by, and was always looking for ways to make life better for her kids.

We learned that her daughter, who was 17, was babysitting that night, making a few extra dollars so she could buy her own clothes and such, and that the boys often did odd jobs around the apartments and neighborhood. That worried me a little, it would be easy for some pervert to take the boys into their confidence for a few bucks, and who knows what else they might wind up taking?

Eventually, I said we needed to go, and assured her we'd be back around 3:30, and she thanked us, but before closing the door, she added, "Please don't let them down," she said sadly, "they've had too many let downs in their life as it is."

"I promise, we'll be back," I said smiling, "we're looking forward to having the boys along with us."

"Yeah," Mikey finally said, surprising the woman by giving her a quick hug, "thanks for letting them go."

She chuckled and hugged him back, then placed a kiss on his cheek, "You're welcome sweetie."

In the Bug Bus, Johnny turned to me as he started the engine, "Man, I didn't expect that, did you?"

"Which part? Her being so willing to let her boys go with strangers, or that she confided so much in us?"

"Both, but...I think she wants what's best for them. I think she's like most moms and has an instinct about who's real and who's not. Plus, who could resist Mikey's puppy dog eyes," he chuckled.

"That's true," I laughed.

"I don't have puppy dog eyes," Mikey giggled, "I have sad kitty cat eyes."

We all got a laugh out of that, and soon we were on our way. We drove over to Pennington's Drive-in and had a burger and drinks, but passed on the fries, since we wanted to save room for the junk we'd eat at the fair.

Afterwards, we just drove around for a while, then stopped for gas before finally heading back to the apartment to pick up the boys. Not surprisingly, the two were hanging out in the parking lot, and when they saw us pull in, they waved at their mom, who was standing at the top of the stairs.

"Hi guys, I want to talk to your mom for a minute," I said as we parked, "Go ahead and climb in, I'll be right back."

Their mom met me at the bottom of the stairs, and she was all smiles, "Thank you for coming back. I don't know what I would have done with those two if you hadn't."

"Oh, there was never any question on our part. What I wanted to discuss with you was when we'd bring them back. We usually stay till around 9, is that too late?"

"Heavens no. It's not like it's a school night or anything. Stay as long as you want. Peter has his own key."

Even the boys' mom seemed to defer to Peter as the leader, and I wondered what the story there was. Come to think of it, Bill hadn't spoken all that much, and that made me wonder if he was maybe a little shy, or dare I think it, slow?

"Well, we'll head out then. Thanks for letting the boys go, my little brother and cousin are really looking forward to having someone closer to their age to ride the rides with," I chuckled.

"Thank you for taking them, well...I'll let you go, and don't worry about keeping them out too late, but if they're gonna be later than midnight, have Peter call me."

"I doubt we'll be that late," I assured her, "but I'll tell Peter what you said."

As usual we sat in traffic for about thirty minutes before finally managing to get inside the fair grounds. We were lucky though, and inherited a parking place up front just as the previous owner pulled out.

The boys chattered excitedly as we climbed out, pointing at the rides soaring high into the air, and soaking in the sounds and smells of the fair.

Once at the gate, I passed out the tickets and was glad I had bought extra tickets. Even with the two additional boys, we still had four tickets left over, which we could cash in for ride tickets once we were inside.

The boys were clamoring to ride something as soon as we were on the midway, but I managed to get them to wait till we got to Bell's, because as I said earlier, I trusted their rides more.

Of course, as soon as the older boys saw Zingo, the huge wooden roller coaster, they begged us to ride that first. Now, even though Johnny and I had ridden Zingo numerous times over the years, we decided to let the four boys go alone this time.

Mikey had ridden Zingo with us before, but this was Joe's first time, and I could tell he was a little nervous. However, after watching it for a while, and listening to Mikey and the two teens talk about how cool it was, he finally agreed to try it.

I cashed in the four tickets I had left over and bought 20 dollars worth of extra tickets and handed the boys enough tickets for them to ride. Peter started to object, but when I explained that the ride tickets were from the advanced tickets I'd bought at a discounted price, he let it go.

Johnny and I found an out of the way place to wait and watch, and soon the boys were seated and ready for their adventure to begin. I hoped Joe didn't lose his lunch or freak out, but I figured with Mikey by his side he'd be okay.

As we watched the cars leave the platform, I looked at Johnny, who gave me a wink, "He'll be okay," he said as if reading my mind.

"I know, I was just thinking about the first time we rode Zingo," I sighed, "seems like a hundred years ago."

"You were a little scared at first," he said grinning, "but once we'd finished the ride, you were raring to go again, heck, we both were."

"Let's hope Joe feels the same way. Oh, there they go, they're almost at the top..." then minutes later they were plunging downward, their joyful screams piercing the air.

The ride wasn't all that long, and once you got past the first drop it wasn't that scary at all. Soon, the cars returned to the platform and I watched as the four climbed out and headed down the stairs.

We joined them as they hit the ground, and I was happy to find Joe bubbling over excitedly about how much fun it was. The boys wanted to ride again, but I suggested they wait till later, and they easily agreed.

In the meantime, we drove the gas-powered cars, tried to wreck each other at the bumper cars, then road the Himalaya. Johnny and I loved the ski lift and convinced the boys to ride it as well. Instead of taking up three chairs, Mikey rode between Peter and Bill, and Joe rode between me and Johnny.

The ski lift was just what it sounded like, and began at one side of Bell's and went across to the other, making a loop and heading back. It ran continuously, and to get on you just stood with your back to the slow moving chair, then sat down when it reached you. To get off you hopped out at the bottom and walked quickly to the right, following the painted-on footsteps to exit the ride.

From the ski lift you could see for a long distance, across the fair grounds, and even the streets that bordered it. Below us, people looked small and insignificant, and the rides and building somehow looked more interesting from above.

By the time we'd stepped off the ski ride, the boys were eager for something more exciting, and we finally headed back up the main midway, so the boys could take in all the games and other attractions.

They played a few games of chance, and at the frog bopping booth, Bill won a small stuffed frog. I can still remember how proud he was of that silly stuffed frog, but what touched my heart most was the pride Peter showed in his brother, and the way he kept congratulating him. It was evident the two brothers had a special bond, and that Peter, though younger, was very protective of his older brother.

Eventually, we went inside the buildings, including the animal barns, and of course to the petting zoo, where Mikey and Joe went crazy. They especially liked the rabbits, and Mikey kept saying he was going to ask mom and dad to get him one for a pet.

When I explained that Snoopy might not like him having another pet, Mikey just giggled, "Oh silly, Snoopy won't care. Snoopy loves everyone. He don't even bark at the cats in the neighborhood."

Johnny laughed, "He has a point, that is the friendliest mutt I've ever seen."

"Well, look who is master is," I chuckled, "I guess it's rubbed off on him."

In the IPE (International Petroleum Exposition) building, which was the largest cable suspended building in the U.S. at the time, we wandered around looking at everything from vintage cars to 4-H exhibits, and by the time we were finished we were all hungry and ready for some fair food.

I knew all the best places, from past visits over the years, and I steered us in the direction of one of my favorite places. Each year certain food vendors set up shop, and the best thing was, their food was not only consistently good, but priced reasonably...well, for a fair anyway.

We started off with polish sausages on buns, with peppers and onions. We also got two large plates of spiral spuds which the six of us shared. Huge over priced soft drinks finished out this portion of our meal, and as we sat at a table eating our food, we got to know the two brothers a bit more.

We learned among other things, that when Bill was 9 he had been hit by a car and almost died. As horrible as that was, Peter went on to tell us that they gave Bill some medicine that he was allergic to and he had to stay in the hospital for a whole week. He didn't exactly come out and say it, but it was implied that ever since then, Bill hadn't been quite the same.

As Peter told the story I turned my attention to Bill, who had barely spoken a word since the excitement of winning the stuffed frog, but I couldn't really gauge his reaction. It was almost as if Peter were talking about someone else, or something of little importance to him, and it seemed a little sad.

"Well, I'm glad you got better," I said to Bill when Peter was finished, "and I'm glad we got to meet you guys."

"Thanks," Bill said looking into my eyes as if for the first time and recognizing me, "you're nice," he said, then blushed, "I love my frog," he said breaking eye contact and holding up the stuffed animal.

"It's really neat," I said smiling, "you're really good at that game."

He nodded then and went back to his food, and when I looked up everyone was watching the two of us. Peter smiled at me and nodded, then went back to his own plate, and for a while it was quiet at our table.

After we'd stowed our trash, we wandered the midway some more, and I finally suggested we all go on the Sky Ride. The Sky Ride was a Switzerland styled cablecar-type ride that went from one side of the fairgrounds to the other. Suspended on a cable high above the fair grounds, it was most fun at night when everything was lit up.

I paid for round trip tickets for all of us, and as we waited in line, Joe began to have some doubts about being up so high, but Mikey was able to reassure him, just as he had about Zingo.

Finally, we made it to the front of the line and the attendant stopped a car for us, and we quickly piled in. As soon as the door was closed he sent us off, climbing up the cable, high into the night sky as we settled into our seats.

The cars were completely enclosed, but there were windows all around, and some of them could actually be lowered to let in fresh air. As we stared down at the lights below, the people who looked like ants, and listened to the noises of the fair, our level of excitement grew.

"That cable is all that is holding us up?" Joe said, gazing out the window at the cars suspended from the cable on the return leg of the ride.

"Yep, but it's really thick, right Robbie, like really strong and stuff."

"Yes," I agreed, "the part that amazes me is: when we cross over the tower supports, here comes one now..."

As we passed over the rollers at the top of the tower there was a slight vibration and bumping noise, but it was over quickly and we were gliding along the cable once again.

"This is fun," Bill giggled, "I like this ride moren' the roller coaster. It's like being in a space ship," he said grinning widely.

"He likes space stuff," Peter explained.

"Cool, so do we," Mikey said enthusiastically, "we watch Buck Rogers and Rocky Jones all the time."

"Yeah, I like those too," Bill said giving Mikey and Joe a little smile.

"This would be very romantic if we didn't have four boys along with us," Johnny whispered in my ear.

I chuckled, "I guess this is what it would be like having kids of our own."

"Yeah, then maybe we're not quite ready for that, yet."

"Well, there's certainly no hurry, we'll just have to wait and see how things play out."

The ride ended and we unloaded and got our bearings again. Bill wanted to try the frog bop again, and though he didn't win this time around, Mikey did, but instead of a stuffed animal, he chose a plastic cup with a frog on it. It had a lid and a built-in straw, and all the boys thought it was pretty neat.

What Mikey did next is still etched in my mind and heart. Turning to Bill, Mikey handed the cup to his new friend, and with smile as big as the whole fair, he said, "Here Bill, I want you to have this so you will remember me forever."

I think all of us had a few tears in our eyes as we witnessed this simple act of love and giving, and I couldn't resist giving my little brother a hug.

"Thanks," Bill said, his own smile lighting up the night, "I will, I promise," then it was Bills turn to hug Mikey, and for a moment the whole world stood still as two boys stood hugging and sharing their soul on the midway of the Tulsa State Fair.

Then the moment was over and they broke apart, and it was as if we all had awoken from a dream. Though we would never forget that moment, we filed it away for future reminiscing and soon we were on our way once again.

When we came to the nickle pitch game, Johnny and I couldn't resist trying our luck. In past years we'd done well at this game, and this time was no exception. The only drawback was: the only thing you could win was glassware.

The game board was filled with glasses, bowls, saucers, and the like, laid out with spaces between, and stacked high at different heights to make it a little harder to win. The idea was to toss your nickle, have it land in one of the glassware items and it not bounce out. If you were lucky enough for that to happen, you got to keep the item your nickle landed in, or at least an identical one from the boxes under the table.

This was how Johnny and I had accumulated most of the drinking glasses we had at our apartment, and that night we added four more. Even the boys decided to give it a try, and Bill and Peter both won mugs that they said they were going to give to their mom. Mikey and Joe won a drinking glass each, and they decided to contribute it to our collection for use when they visited, as if that would guarantee them future invitations to visit.

Fortunately, we'd all gotten free tote bags in the IPE, and we were able to carry our loot without too much trouble, but that did pose a problem when we decided to ride Phantasmagoria later. Fortunately, the attendant let us stash our treasure behind his chair and we retrieved it when the ride was over.

The ride was a combination roller coaster, and spook-house type ride, with lots of surprises, dark areas and tunnels, and the boys loved it. Again we split up in threes, Mikey with Peter and Bill, and Joe between us. Though I'd been on this particular ride dozens of times, I still found it to be a lot of fun, and I especially liked watching Joe's reaction and hearing the excited squeals of the boys in front of us.

After Phantasmagoria, we were hungry again, and I bought two large funnel cakes, which we all shared. Johnny and I only ate a few bites, leaving the rest for the boys, who devoured them like a swarm of hungry locusts. Now we were thirsty again, and this time we bought two lemonades and passed them around till we were sated.

Did I worry about germs from the new boys, or our own? Germs were a way of life back then, and I supposed what germs we had weren't deadly. Today, I think kids are too sterilized, and when germs do come around their bodies don't know how to deal with them.

No trip to the fair was complete without a ride on the Ferris Wheel, and this year they had a spectacular version with cars that looked like umbrellas. It was taller than any Ferris Wheel I'd ever seen before, and it took a while to work up the nerve to suggest we give it a try.

Again, Joe was reluctant, but when he found out all six of us could ride in the same car, he finally agreed. I still had plenty of tickets left for the ride, and as we took our place in line, I breathed in the night air, and felt happy and content. Bringing Peter and Bill had been a good thing after all, even though I'd had my concerns, Mikey had known all along it was the right thing to do. We might not be able to change the boys' lives or fix their broken home, but for one night we had given them hope, and some happiness, and I was sure they would remember this night for a long time to come.

From the top of the ride, we could see the city all around us, the lights, the cars on the streets surrounding us, and I felt a sense of peace and serenity wash over me. Johnny was next to me, and despite what the new boys might think, I reached over and took his hand in mine.

We sat in a circle around a central hub with grab bars, but Bill was sitting right next to Johnny, and suddenly I saw him look down between us, and there was no way he didn't see us holding hands. But instead of freaking out or asking any embarrassing questions, he just smiled, first at Johnny, then at me, then turned his attention to the night sky, and I felt a relief wash over me.

If he knew and understood what our hand holding meant, then Bill must either be like us, or at least be very compassionate. Either way, I knew we didn't have to worry about Bill exposing our secret.

By the time we exited the Ferris Wheel, we were beginning to drag a little, but we still had some ride tickets left, so I suggested we all ride Zingo one last time.

It was dark by then, and the lights lining the track and the spotlights strategically placed around the ride, lit up the night and made the ride look even more menacing. Once again the attendant kept our totes for us and we climbed into the cars. Johnny and I wound up in back of a car with a young couple in front of us, and the rest of our gang took the car behind us. As we waited for the ride to begin, I turned to look into the faces of the boys, feeling their excitement and anticipation and it was contagious.

It had been awhile since I'd ridden Zingo, but the thrill and excitement I felt as we started off made it feel like it was all brand new. As we plunged down the first hill, Johnny and I raised our hands high, and I turned my head briefly to see the two older boys doing so as well. Mikey and Joe however, were holding on tightly to the rail in front of them, just as I had done the first couple times I'd ridden the massive wooden roller coaster.

Too soon the ride was over and we piled off, and on shaky legs headed across the platform and down the stairs to ground level. The temperature had dropped a bit, but it was still pleasant and the sky was clear and filled with a million stars.

I breathed in a lung-full of fresh air and felt revived once more. It was pushing nine, but I wasn't quite ready to go yet, and it was obvious the boys weren't either.

"I have enough ride tickets for one more ride, guys, what will it be?" I said once we'd moved a short distance away from the ride.

"Bumper cars!" Joe suggested.

"Phantasmagoria," Mikey cried.

"I don't care," Peter shrugged.

"Me neither," Bill said grinning.

"Johnny?"

"How about we flip for it? Heads: bumper cars, tails: Phantasmagoria."

"Heads it is," I said once Johnny had flipped the coin.

"Aww...okay," Mikey said recovering quickly, "I'm gonna wreck you guys," he giggled as we started off toward the bumper cars.

It was pushing ten o'clock by the time we finally made it back up the midway and to the exit. A lot of the exhibit buildings were already closed, but the midway rides and games were still alive with activity.

At the gate, we turned and gave the midway one last look, then began the walk to the Bug Bus. I think we all felt a little sad, after all, the fair only happened once a year and there was nothing like it once it packed up and moved on. Oh sure, we still had Bells, but it would close after the fair ended, and not reopen till Spring.

"Anyone hungry again?" I asked once we were all seated.

"Yeah," Mikey said, "what can we have?"

"A little," Joe added.

"I could go for some ice cream," Johnny said, and I suggested we find a Dairy Queen.

There was one on the way to the apartment, and on the weekends they were open till 11. We went inside and ordered our ice cream, and once again Peter tried to pay, but I told him it was my treat and to keep his money to buy something for him and Bill. I could tell he was torn, but I think the thought of buying something for Bill caused him to give in.

As we sat eating our ice cream, Mikey proceeded to tell the two brothers all about his life back home, his family, his dog, and eventually about his special relationship with Johnny and me.

"Johnny and Robbie are...b...best friends," he said looking at me and blushing. For a moment I feared he was going to say boyfriends, but apparently he had caught himself at the last minute.

"Is that why you guys hold hands and look at each other all goofy?" Bill said, as calmly as if he were asking about the weather.

"Bill!" Peter scolded, "what are you talking about? They don't do that," then to us, "I'm real sorry, sometimes he says stupid things..."

"No, it's okay," I said, making a decision I hoped I wouldn't regret, "Bill is right, Johnny and I are very close, and we do hold hands sometimes. You see, Johnny and I have been friends since we were just little kids. We grew up together, his folks were like my folks, and his house was like my second home, and he felt the same way, right Johnny?"

"Yeah, we swapped back and forth staying at each other's house, and once I even came to live with Robert for a while when my folks were...umm, visiting some relatives," Johnny said, not going into the real reason his folks were gone, that they were having marital issues.

"Wow, cool," Bill said, licking a bit of ice cream off his hand, "Peter is my best friend," he said giving his brother a smile, "and we sleep together already," he laughed.

I laughed too, "It must be nice having each other to keep you warm in the winter, and to have a buddy around all the time."

"Yeah, it's fun," Bill said, "we even kiss sometimes," he added unabashedly, causing Peter to moan.

"Shut up," Peter said blushing two shades of red, "we do not."

"We don't?" Bill said, sounding confused.

"Just on the cheek, like...like brothers," Peter stammered.

I smiled, then leaned over and kissed Mikey on the cheek before speaking, "Loving your brother is natural and normal," I assured him, "It's obvious you look out for Bill and take care of him, and that's wonderful. He's lucky to have a brother like you."

"Aww, well...it ain't no big deal," Peter said seeming to relax some, though his cheeks were bright red now.

"The conversation after that was lighter and more relaxed as Peter filled us in on his and Bill's daily life. Up early and off to do chores, yard work, mowing mostly, and how they gave most of the money to their mom to help with the bills and such. I swear, the two boys were Saints, and I was ready to break down and cry when I thought about how noble they were.

Eventually, we finished our ice cream, and I could tell the boys were a little sad that the night was almost over. I had to admit, I was sad too, and one look at my gang said it was mutual. But, as they say, all good things must end, and so we finally piled into the Bug Bus and headed for the West side.

As we pulled into the parking lot, I suddenly had a brilliant idea. Why did it have to end here? I wondered. Johnny and I had plenty of free time, why not use some of it to spend some time with these two wonderful boys? Did that sound creepy? Maybe today it would, but not then, at least not to me, nor later to their mom. I guess you could say Johnny and I became like big brothers to Peter and Bill, and we remained in their life for several years, until the family moved to another city to be near their grandparents.

That night we walked the boys to the door and their mom invited us in. We met the sister, who was a pretty little thing, and seemed just as nice as her brothers. She was older and had a boyfriend, so we didn't see much of her after that night, but Peter and Bill would spend many enjoyable outings with us after that.

As we drove back to the apartment that night, Johnny reached over and took my hand. Mikey and Joe dozed in the back seat, and I don't think they were even aware of us, or our conversation.

"You are amazing," he said with such love in his eyes that I blushed, "you are going to make a great dad someday."

"Well, we can practice on these two in the back, and now on Bill and Peter," I teased.

"It'll be fun," Johnny said, "and we'll still have our privacy once we've dropped them off," he chuckled.

"Yeah," then remembering what Bill had said about us holding hands and looking at each other goofy, I laughed, "We'll have to watch ourselves around Bill, he seems very perceptive when it comes to our love."

"Yeah, but he's also very accepting. I think Peter is too. Heck, I think those two are closer than just brothers. I wouldn't be surprised if they're not doing more than kissing," he chuckled.

"I think you're right, but that's their business. I want our relationship with the boys to be pure and strictly platonic. We're adults now, and they're kids."

"Oh, I agree, but that doesn't mean we can't be there for them to give them advice and support. And...if they do confide in us, we need to be open to what they have to say."

"Yes, I agree," I sighed, "Man, I am sooo tired, but...I'm happy."

"Me too, but not too tired to have some fun once we get home," he chuckled.

"Oh, me either," I agreed, "in fact, count on it, lover boy."