Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2019 16:29:16 -0500 From: RJ Subject: Little Me, Chapter 8 Little Me by RJ This fiction involves the sexual relationship between an adult and a minor -- specifically an uncle and his young nephew. If you have any questions or comments about this piece, want to know about any of my other works, or just want to reach out, please don't hesitate to email me. A list of my works, including links and descriptions, can be found here: https://bit.ly/2S5IYDI If you would like to be added to a mailing list to receive emails when my stories are updated, let me know which stories (if not all) you would like to receive emails for. Please also consider donating to Nifty if you can: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html ~ CHAPTER 8 ~ I always get that annoyed feeling when an unsaved number calls me. Hoping it's not another telemarketer, I answer it. "Hello?" "Hey, is this Leo?" I squint slightly. The voice sounds familiar somehow, but I can't place it. "Who's asking?" "It's Vinny," he says. "I used to work with your brother? We met at a bar?" He doesn't need to explain who he is. I recognize the name, of course. I'm surprised he's calling me. "How did you get my number?" I ask, confused. "I called Tanya and uh... pretended to be someone from work. I remember you mentioned you did construction." There's a pause before he says "Sorry." That's kind of dodgy. But interestingly enough, it intrigues me. "What do you want?" I ask. Not in a hostile way, either. I'm genuinely curious. "Do you mind if we meet up?" Meet up? "What's this about?" "I just need to make my case in person, I think." Make his case? I'll admit, I'm very interested. "Uh... I guess so." But there's a hitch. "I'm out with my nephew though." At hearing me reference him, Eli looks up at me with a little smile. We're out shopping right now for more art supplies, and he's been debating between two different types of canvases for the past three minutes. "Oh," he says, and there's a heavier pause. "I don't... I mean... I don't mind if... It can wait," he ends with. I don't know what he's trying to say, but clearly he feels awkward at the mention of Wesley's son. So I make it simple for him. "Where do you want to meet us?" "Oh. Um." He thinks on it for a moment. "I don't know. I don't want to inconvenience you two." I sigh slightly. "How about Sally's?" I ask. I promised Eli I'd take him to get ice cream after we shop. Though really, I just want another milkshake. "Meet us in twenty minutes?" "Yeah. Sure. Okay. See you soon." "Yeah," I say, nodding to myself. Then I hang up. "Who was that?" Eli asks. "It was Vince," I say, still surprised. Clearly Eli is too. "Vince? What does he want?" That's what I want to know. Of course my first thought is maybe he'll spill the truth about his interest in my nephew and his friend. Making a case? What could that possibly refer to? Maybe he just wants to be heard out and understood... Or something. I shouldn't speculate. Going in with expectations is always dangerous, but I can't help hoping my curiosities about Vince will be satisfied. But no. Turns out I'm totally wrong. When Eli and I get to Sally's, Vince is already seated at a table, looking nervous. I give Eli some money to go order what he wants, as well as a milkshake for me, and send him up to the counter while I head to the table. I notice his eyes watching Eli as the boy walks past him, but then he stands up and shakes my hand before I can sit. "Thanks for coming." It's sort of amusing at how official he sounds, but I shake his hand and act casual. "Sure." He glances at me before asking "So, how's it going?" I just smile slightly. "Just, make your case, kid." I don't want to waste time with triviality. He bites his lip before sitting up straight. "I need a favor." I arch my eyebrow. "What kind of favor?" "I need you to convince Wesley to rehire me." I'm both shocked and not at all surprised. "Seriously?" "I need my job back, man," he says desperately. "I can't find work anywhere else nearby and I can't move because I'm bound by a lease and if I get evicted I'm fucked." He actually does look stressed, and I feel sort of bad for him. "I'm running thin as it is. I need that job back." "I thought you quit." "Yeah, before Wes could fire my ass," he says, running his fingers through his hair. "Or worse. I couldn't go back there." On one hand, I think he's being a bit ridiculous. Wesley can't fire him for no real reason. That's illegal. But, Wes COULD make life very difficult for him at work. Vince probably just panicked. "So... you want ME to talk to him?" "He trusts you, right?" he asks. "Maybe if you talk to him and tell him I'm not a bad guy he'll... y'know... get over it." "Get over what?" I question, but he just gives me a stern sort of look that tells me he's not going to answer. I just sigh. "I don't know you, man." He chews on his bottom lip in thought and is about to speak up when Eli returns with ice cream. He sets the milkshake down in front of me as he laps at his ice cream cone -- vanilla soft-serve with rainbow sprinkles. A classic. I put my arm around him and he laughs slightly as he stands next to me. But I'm watching Vince. He's staring right at Eli, almost in awe. And I think he realizes he's staring too much because, when his eyes flicker to mine, he immediately looks away. He clears his throat. "Do you want money or something?" he asks. "I don't want your money, Vince." "What'll it take to get you to help me?" he asks, and he sounds sincerely desperate. Maybe his situation is more strenuous than he's making it out to be. "Because I need your help, man. I'm fucking begging." I realize I have a bit of leverage here. I could totally strong-arm him into a confession of some sort, but I'm not that kind of guy. I don't want to ruin his life. Clearly this job had everything he needed, and it's gone (possibly) because of some misunderstanding. I could easily talk to Wes. But I want to know at least a little more about this guy before I jump to his defense. So I pat Eli's side and look over at him. "What if we invite Vinny over?" Eli looks from me to Vinny. "Why?" "Because I need help with the generator," I say. Not a complete lie. By a twist of fate, the new generator Wesley ordered came in, so I was going to help him with it when he returned home from work. But if Vinny's here, it's the perfect excuse to spend a little more time with him. Plus, Tanya's not even home. She's out with the baby visiting a couple friends. One of them being Ruth, I believe. "And unfortunately, you're not strong enough to help me," I tease. Eli grins. "I'm pretty strong." I scoff. "The generator would crush your little ass," I say, patting his butt. He laughs and slaps my hand away. "Fine," he says, but he doesn't seem to care either way. "Let's go. I wanna start painting," he adds, still lapping at his ice cream. "Sorry, what do you need help with?" Vinny interrupts. "Moving a new generator at Wes's," I say. "It's pretty heavy. Definitely a two-man job." He looks at me like I'm crazy. "I can't go back there." Does he think it's a trap or something? That Wesley is waiting at home with a shotgun? But I just wave him off. "It's fine. No one will be home for hours." He still looks reluctant, so I bargain. "We deal with the generator, chat a bit, nothing crazy. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Simple." He sighs slightly before nodding. "Okay." Once we get to Wes's, I notice how apprehensive he seems. For someone who seemed so talkative and friendly at the party, he's a strangely nervous dude. Maybe he just gets the vibe that I'm onto him, and he'd be right to feel that way. As he assists me with bringing the generator from its packaging outside to the basement, he's still pretty wary. I keep things civil and casual, and thank him profusely for his help once we lug the massive machine downstairs. I offer him some coffee, or something to drink, and at first he declines. But when I tell him it'd be no trouble at all, he just shrugs and nods. Once we're upstairs and start chatting, his nervousness starts to go away. Turns out he's actually a pretty cool guy (which is understandable since he's only twenty-three), and I get to know him a little better. He's an only child, and he's single, so in terms of family, he's limited. Grew up with just him, his mom, his grandfather, and his stepdad. One lonely perv, it seems like. But I realize after a while that I start to forget about that side of him. As he gets more comfortable with me, his humor starts to come out. As does his intelligence. He doesn't consider himself "smart" (which I find incredibly self-reflective), but he's practically an expert in meteorology and geology. "Anything earth-science, I'm your guy," he says with a smile. "If you're so into earth-science, why--?" "Business and finance?" He laughs slightly. "I'm really good with money and numbers. It's not my passion, but I'm good at it, and it pays a hell of a lot better than anything I like." "I feel that," I say with a nod, taking a sip of my coffee. "Construction's not your passion?" he asks with a chuckle, taking a sip of his coffee. "Not really." I laugh. "I only started recently. And it's great, but right now, it's just income." "What would you want to do instead?" "That's the million dollar question," I say, shrugging. "I've been attempting a lot of soul-searching lately. I had to reevaluate my life after--" And then I pause. I haven't told anyone here that I've been to prison, aside from my employer. It just invites a whole host of questions that I don't want to answer. But I'm starting to like Vinny. Maybe if I open up about my past, he'll open up about some secrets too. "--after I got out of prison," I say. He looks genuinely surprised. "You went to prison?" "Yeah," I say, half-smiling. "Shit, I had no idea," he said. "Wes just mentioned he had a brother out in California." "Which is true," I say with a slight smile. He looks at me curiously before asking "Can I ask what you were in for?" "Possession," I say, "plus time for a crime I didn't commit." "What crime?" "Involuntary manslaughter." "Holy shit," he says, looking amazed. "That's heavy shit, man." "Yeah, it was a... rough time," I say simply. "I bet," he says, nodding. "I've, uh... heard stories." I give him a look and he clarifies by saying "From my stepdad. He's in jail." Before I can ask for more information, we're interrupted. "Uncle Leo?!" we hear coming from upstairs. "In the kitchen, kiddo," I yell back, smiling slightly at Vince as an apology for the interruption. A few moments later Eli comes into the kitchen, humming a bit. He glances at Vince in a shy sort of way before looking up at me. He beckons me down, and I lean over so that he can whisper in my ear. "My dick hurts," he says. I arch my brow. "Really? Why?" He shrugs. "I don't know what to do," he says. "Oh. Well, uh..." I glance at Vinny. He seems to catch on quick. "I should probably go," he says, glancing at his watch. "Yeah, Wes might be home any minute," I add, putting a hand on Eli's shoulder before adding "I'll walk you out." I tell Eli to meet me upstairs, and as he heads back presumably to his bedroom, I escort Vince to the door. He fiddles with his hands slightly before saying "So... Um..." I just laugh. "Yes, I'll talk to him," I say. He brightens up immensely. "Thanks so much, man," he says, and to my surprise, he hugs me. I grunt a bit but just pat his back. "You have my number, right?" he says as he pulls back. "Yep." "Okay, cool." He half-steps outside, still facing me. "You're the best, man. I appreciate it, honestly." Then he smiles a little. "Maybe hit me up if you're ever bored and wanna... I don't know... Hang out or whatever," he adds. I arch my eyebrow but smile. Seems I've made a friend. A guy friend, at that. I hang out with my buddies from work a bit, but we're all drastically different people that have only one thing in common: construction. They're good guys, but not people I want to associate with too much. I'm sure Vince is a solid "buddy" kind of guy. The age gap between us is maybe a little strange, but I don't want to totally shut down the idea, so I tell him I'll take him up on that offer and then shake his hand amicably before letting him go back to his car and drive off. Smiling a bit, I head back upstairs to check on Eli. I knock on his bedroom door before stepping inside. "Yoo hoo," I say, seeing him on his bed. "Finally!" he says in an exasperated voice, sitting up as I join him. I just chuckle. "Sorry," I say, patting his thigh. "So what's wrong? You said it hurts?" "Um... Yeah, I said that," he says. "Does it look weird?" I ask, and he only shrugs. "Lemme see." He undoes his shorts and pulls them down slightly. Out pops his fully erect dick. I arch my eyebrow in surprise, but I take hold of it with my thumb and index finger, moving it around to check it out from different angles. "Looks fine to me," I say. "Where does it hurt?" "It doesn't," he says simply. I look at his face. "What?" "It doesn't hurt," he says, blushing slightly. "I lied." I sigh through my nose, giving him a look. "Eli--" "I just wanted you to come upstairs," he says. "I was so bored." I can't help but smile a bit. "You shouldn't lie to me." "Dad says everyone lies." Then he looks at me inquiringly. "I bet you lie to me sometimes." "No way," I say, laughing. "I'm completely honest with you." "So you don't lie to me?" he asks. "Never have, never will," I say with a soft smile. He smiles too before saying "Sorry," looking like he means it. "It's okay," I say. "But you asked for it now..." I grin a bit as I wrap my hand around his hard little cock, giving him just what he wanted. He smiles widely before closing his eyes and letting me take over. I stroke him slowly, feeling his dick pulsing between my fingers and listening to him mewl while I touch him. I let my free hand slide up his shirt and rub his torso, relishing in the smoothness of his skin. Of course, I have to give those cute little nipples of his a tweak. He grunts when I do, arching his back and looking at me with the most adorable expression. "C'mere," I say, pulling away from him. He sits up eagerly on his knees close by me. I help him out of his shirt first, slowly peeling it off over his head. The neck was a little tight, so it knocks his glasses askew, but I always find the little motion of him readjusting his spectacles to be adorable. I lean in and kiss his chest, and he giggles slightly before putting his arms around my neck and shifting to kiss my lips. We share a few slow, tongue-filled kisses as my hands move to his hips and start pulling off the remainder of his clothing. He breaks the kiss to stand up on his bed and let me strip him completely, leaving him hard and naked in front of me. "Is yours hard?" he asks me, glancing at my crotch. I snort. "Of course it is." "Let me see," he says, getting back on his knees. I grin slightly, undoing my shorts and reaching into my underwear to pull out my manhood, all while keeping my sights on Eli's face. He stares transfixed (as if he hasn't memorized every inch of my cock by now), and my hard-on throbs a bit when he licks his lips. Suddenly he reaches forward and grabs me, stroking me at a gentle pace with his small hand. I shift onto the bed a little more so that both of us are kneeling in front of each other, and I let him continue jerking me off at his own speed while I put an arm around him and kiss him tenderly. My hand rests just at the small of his back, but he's the one who reaches behind him to move my hand lower. Right onto his plump little cheek. I give it a squeeze and he hums against my lips. I think I know what he wants, so I put both of my hands around him, pry his cheeks apart gently, and slowly stroke that pretty hole of his with just the tip of my finger. This gets him moaning every time. Maybe some boys are just made to be fucked. He's far too receptive to my ministrations -- but I'm not in any way complaining. I just smile at him as I massage his pucker, his stroking of my cock reduced to just a firm grip. All he can do right now is enjoy the sensations I'm giving him. "Hands and knees," I say, patting his butt. He bites his lip but eagerly gets into position, turning around and presenting his backside to me. And what a sight it is. I'm still not used to it. I give my cock a few good strokes, just looking at the almost graceful arch in his back and his perfectly smooth, pristine-looking ass spread open for me. I spit down onto his hole and rub my saliva in with my thumb, and I chuckle when he pushes back against my finger. "Feel good?" "Yeah," he breathes out. "Can you use your tongue this time?" My mouth waters at the suggestion. Gladly, Eli. I lean forward, stroking myself vigorously as my tongue laps at that sweet boyhole of his. His whimpers are music to my fucking ears. It's almost like playing an instrument, honestly. He'll moan a certain way depending on if I'm slow, or if I give him quick swipes, or run my tongue in circles, or kiss his hole, or gently probe him. He trembles too, and I run my free hand over his body to soothe and calm him. And whenever my hand finds that rock-hard pecker between his legs, I grin. He couldn't possibly get any hornier right now. I decide to give him what he wants: an orgasm. I gently stroke him in time with movements of my tongue, and I feel his boypussy twitching as he gets closer and closer. Doesn't take much to get this kid to cum, it seems, because within just a minute of jerking him off, he's having a full-body experience. He shivers all over before he tenses every muscle body as his cock spurts out a little bit of liquid. Then, he relaxes, pulling his bottom away from my face in order to recover. I chuckle. "I feel like you like that the best," I say, running my hand over his cheek gently. "Am I wrong?" He looks back at me, his glasses completely crooked and a smile on his face. "No." Thought so. I smile a bit before glancing down at his bottom, and my own cock throbs. It's suddenly aching to be inside him. He's probably up for a quick fuck, right? I wouldn't last too long anyway, I'm sure, since I've been jerking off this whole time. I position myself behind him and he responds by arching his back again like a good boy. After all, he knows what's coming without me telling him. I let my cock slide between his cheeks a few times before targeting his wet hole. And then, I push. I grunt a bit, and he whines slightly as the head forces its way in. Jesus, how is this kid always so tight still? I moan, the head of my cock feeling absolute warmth. But we need lube. He's not THAT good yet. I pull the head out of him (probably to his relief) and then grab his hidden stash of lubricant before getting behind him again. Once my cock is substantially slick and his hole is prepped, I try again. This time, I enter him much more easily. Eli gasps a bit, and I hold back my own moan until I'm about 75% in him. Then, I hold his hips and slide them up to his sides, just enjoying the sight and the sensation. Almost full-penetration, the thickness of my cock magnified by his small frame. Fuck. Total, complete connection between the two of us. Well... not totally complete, in my opinion. Although beautiful, I'm only looking at the back of him. So I pull out and turn him around, getting him onto his back so that I can see his face. This is what I like the most. Watching his expressions shift as my cock inches its way into his body. Sensing him trying to relax but inevitably clenching down on me. Feeling those whiny, warm, panting breaths of his hit my face as I lean down and get close to him. I kiss him as I take him even deeper and start gently rocking my hips back and forth. He grabs onto my shirt for support, but impresses me by keeping up with the kisses. I should have gotten naked. That would make this even more intimate. But still, it's kind of sexy having my boy completely bare and me still practically fully clothed. "My boy." The notion almost makes me laugh, but that's what he is, isn't he? I was right to say that I wouldn't last long. Part of me wants to prolong this, but I hadn't really planned to fuck him. And the sooner we get this done, the better, just in case someone comes home too soon. So I pick up the pace. I find my fingers in his hair, tugging as I rut into him a bit harder, getting him to moan and whimper at an even higher pitch every time I get especially deep. That's it, Eli. Moan for Uncle Leo. I lick my lips, watching him shut his eyes tight, mouth slightly agape and body accepting me over and over and over. He's so stunningly beautiful. The look of an innocent, even though he's certainly no longer such. All the times we've spent together... I grunt, blinking as I get right to the edge. Right before I cum, I pull out, stroking my cock like a madman and spilling my load all over his alabaster skin. It takes me several moments to catch my breath, and by then, Eli is already giggling and playing with my load on his stomach. "That's a lot, Uncle Leo," he says. I check him out. Sure enough it does seem like a bigger load than usual. I just smile. "You got a problem with that, pretty boy?" "Nope," he says simply, smiling up at me. Then, he tries to imitate my grown-up voice, putting his hand on his chest and saying "Never have, never will." I'm nervous to talk to Wesley, because I have an idea of how he'll react. But I'm a man of my word, and if I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it. Besides, regardless of what Vinny did or did not do, regardless of my suspicions of him, it's not like it would hinder his work ethic. He's still a valid employee, no? So I wait around for Wes to get home. Tanya gets home first, and I help her with the baby (mostly just "giving her attention" like she's a dog or something) while she starts cooking up some dinner. When she's almost done with the meal, Wesley returns. He kisses Tanya before coming over to me and smiling at the sight of the baby in my arms. He tickles her cheeks and she lets out a spit-filled laugh. "How was work?" Tanya asks. He just shrugs. "Work is work," he says, which is just his way of saying "It was hard but I don't want to talk about it." "Nothing fun and exciting?" I ask, mostly teasing him. He rolls his eyes. "If you count salmon for lunch as fun and exciting." He chuckles slightly before looking at Tanya. "Babe, did they drop off the generator yet?" But I butt in. "They did. I took care of it." He looks at me with surprise. "You did?" "Yeah, it's downstairs, good to go." He laughs. "Don't tell me you did that all on your own. You've got muscle now, but not that much, bro." I consider lying and telling him the guys that shipped it to the house gave me a hand. But maybe this would be a decent transition into asking Wes what he thinks about rehiring Vince. "Vince helped me, actually." I brace myself for his inevitable fury, but at first, he just looks confused. "Vince? Vince who?" "Vincent... whatever his last name is," I say, suddenly forgetting. "He used to work with you." He steps back slightly. "Wait, what?" He blinks a few times, and I can see the veins pulsing in his forehead. He's not totally mad yet, but he'll get there. "You let that creep into my house?" Tanya turns her head towards us now, and I feel somewhat happy that I'm holding Elaine in my arms as protection. "I don't know if that's fair--" "He touched my son!" he says. He just looks at me like I'm crazy. "Eli said nothing happened--" "I don't give a FUCK what Eli said," Wes says, and at the red shift in his tone, Tanya steps away from the stove to try and calm him down. He just shrugs her hands off him, though. "I'm not going to argue with you, We--" "I wouldn't HAVE to argue with you if you--" Then he stops himself, looking confused. "Wait wait wait. Since when do you and Vince hang out?" "We don't. He got my number somehow," I say, leaving Tanya out of this. That would only flare him up more. "He only asked me if I could talk to you on his behalf. To get his job back." "And you said yes?!" I'm honestly impressed with myself that I'm remaining so calm. "Why are you getting so angry?" "Because he's a fucking pedophile, Leo! Son of a--" "We don't know that," I interrupt, but Wes quickly holds his finger up. "I looked into him, you know," he says softly. I wait for him to keep speaking, but he just looks at me as if he knows better. "What's that supposed to mean?" I ask. "It means, I looked into him. Kid has a record." Wesley crosses his arms. I glance over at Tanya, wondering if she knows anything, but she seems just as intrigued as me, switching between watching what she's cooking and looking towards her husband. "Went to court and everything six years ago." "Okay..." I say, skeptical that it matters. "What was he, fifteen?" "Seventeen," he says. Again, he pauses, and I'm getting irritated. "I don't see why this matters." "He had tapes!" he says. "Kiddie porn--" "What?!" Tanya butts in, looking scandalized. Wesley is encouraged by her reaction. "Right? I don't know the details, though -- the charges were dropped and the records are sealed and--" "So in other words, he wasn't found guilty," I chime in. Wesley rounds on me again, red in the face. "Well his dad was. His dad's a sex offender. He's in federal fucking prison for the rape of a child and he's on the registry and everything. And that's public fucking record, Leo." I almost laugh. "What does that have to do with Vince?" He gawks at me as if I'm kidding. "Seriously? Come on, Leo. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." I squint, adjusting Elaine in my arms. "You can't be serious." "Dead fucking serious." I laugh. "You really believe that? You and Eli couldn't be more different--" "What the fuck does this have to do with Eli?" Wes snaps, stepping closer to me. "And why the fuck are you defending this guy?" Why AM I defending this guy? I have to think about it for a moment. On one hand, my suspicions line up with whatever this court nonsense is, right? But on the other hand, Wesley's argumentative attitude rubs me in all the wrong ways. And it's only gotten worse, I've noticed. Can't ever have a debate without it turning into a full-blown row. He hasn't swung at me though. At least, not yet. I'm waiting for the day. I guess right now, his daughter is technically a shield. "All I'm doing is following through with a favor," I say calmly. "Fuckin' noble, you are," he says in a disgusted sort of way before turning away. I just sigh heavily, making contact with Tanya, who looks at me apologetically. I step over to her and give Elaine back to her. "I'm gonna go," I say softly. "No!" she says, cradling her daughter. "At least stay for dinner." "I should go," I insist, and she nods in understanding. "You still okay with handling the kids tomorrow?" Shit, I almost forgot. "Yeah, totally," I tell her, making a mental note to not forget (again) to come back early enough. Her and Wes need a babysitter because they're going to see a marriage counselor. Though Wes doesn't know that I know. Probably for the better. "I'll be here bright 'n early." "Thanks," she says, smiling slightly. I lean down and kiss her cheek, glance towards Wesley (who's fixing himself a drink with his back turned to me), and then head upstairs to say goodnight to Eli. He seems upset that I'm not staying for dinner, but I remind him that I'll be back in the morning, possibly with donuts. He grins a bit but nods, giving me a nice long hug and a couple kisses before letting me leave. I try to leave on that note -- that happy feeling Eli gives me. But Wes corners me at the door, blocking my way out. He still looks mad as he opens his mouth. "I just wanna say--" But I interrupt him. "I don't want to hear it," I say in a steely voice that cuts enough for him to look surprised. "I'm sick of arguing with you. I told you I won't do it." "What the fuck is wrong--?" "I don't want to hear it, Wes!" I snap with a loud whisper. "Until you can have a civil fucking conversation and keep your aggression under control, I don't wanna hear it." He looks completely offended rather than hearing me out. "Now wait just a fucki--" "Move," I say, and I shove him away from the door. I think my strength catches him off guard, because he stumbles enough for his drink to fall onto the hardwood floor. But I'm already out the door and heading straight to my car, and thankfully, he doesn't follow me. I hope this whole marriage counseling thing works out, because I can't deal with him like this. This surge of irritation and anger and frustration I feel towards him leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and I force myself to think of better things on my way home. And of course, the best thing that comes to mind is Eli. Eli Eli Eli. And I smile. When I come back in the morning, Wes and I don't say much to each other. Not that we need to. I'm familiar enough with the baby, so I know where everything is and what to do. For the most part, she sleeps while Eli and I chow down on the donuts I brought and I help him with some of his art projects. We mostly just bounce ideas off each other before he gets bored of trying to think of things and just wants to have sex instead. I'm feeding Elaine some baby food when Tanya and Wes get back. Wesley looks grumpy and Tanya just looks exhausted, but she smiles as best as she can when she sees me with the baby. I don't pry for information just yet. I figure she'll catch me up on what's going on when we're alone. But for now, I let her take over, passing her the spoon and accepting her thank yous. I can tell she wants me to stay (probably because I act as a sort of buffer for Wes's bullshit), but I need some time alone. It's been a while since I had a day to myself. So I hug her and Eli goodbye, and make my way out. I think making weird eye contact with Wesley as I left makes me think of Vince. I should call him and update him on Wes's position, so when I hop into my truck, I ring him up. Only a few rings later, he picks up the call. "'Lo?" "Hey. It's Leo." "Oh!" he says. "Hey, man! How are you?" He sounds particularly chipper. I'm about to answer when he adds "Hey, you doing anything today?" I blink. Well, it's Sunday. Nothing much going on. "Not really," I say, wondering what he's going to ask. "Wanna swing by my place?" "Your place?" "Yeah. I have all these damn leftovers from a party last night. And a buddy slept over and left his Playstation here. We could chill if you're bored." Videogames? Really? "You know I'm like, way older than you, right?" "You're not that much older," he says immediately. I guess that's fair. It's not that serious of an age gap, but he's practically still college-aged, and I know how kids his age see thirty-year-olds. I guess I'm the cool one. If he's so unconcerned about the age gap, maybe it's not a big deal if we hang out. Plus, I might as well talk to him in person. Maybe I could get better insight on what Wes mentioned face-to-face. "I guess I'll come." Since I'm already out, he gives me the directions to where his apartment complex is. "Fair warning," he adds, "my roommate is still drunk and super creepy, but just ignore him." So I make my way over closer to the city, park in the visitor's section, and make my way up to his place. All the while, I wonder how I should approach this subject. I mean, going to court for kiddie porn? That's kind of intense. And embarrassing. But it happened six years ago. Maybe it's not that serious. I mean, he got the job with Wes the first time around without anyone knowing. When I knock, Vinny answers the door dressed in a tank and some sweatpants, smiling at me. "Hey!" he says cheerfully, pulling me in for a hug. I'm surprised, but accept the embrace, patting him on the back. "How's it going?" "Great, man!" he says, letting me in. He really is all smiles right now. But I don't have to wonder why for long. "Sorry if I seem all fucked up. I'm still coming down from the festivities." He makes a spider-like hand-motion around his head. So that's why he seems especially intense right now. Not in a bad way, necessarily. He just seems very alert. Probably a side-effect of some sort of upper. They (whoever they are) must have been partying until literally just a few hours ago. "Did you sleep at all?" I ask with an amused expression. "Not a wink," he says, laughing. "The guys left basically right before you called, so nice timing." He nudges my shoulder with his fist before gesturing to his apartment space and saying "Welcome to my castle." It's actually not too bad. Pretty sizeable for two people, and it doesn't look like a party went on into the wee hours of the morning here -- aside from the mess on the coffee table. At least he keeps things pretty clean. "Snazzy place," I say, looking at him. "Where's your roommie?" "He passed out, finally," he says, gesturing for me to follow him down a small hallway to where the bedrooms are. We pass his roommate's room, and when I peer inside, I see a large man snoring quite loudly on top of his covers. But what catches my eye are the posters. Plastered on every inch of the wall are provocative pictures of teen girls -- presumably singers or Playboy models or something. I raise my eyebrows slightly at the sheer bluntness of his decorative choices, but Vinny just says "Yup" and heads further down the hallway. Vince's room is much more tame and reserved. Simple walls, with a few pieces of art pinned up, as well as some band posters. A couple clothes are lying on the floor, and his bed is unmade, but it's nothing that makes me think he's the messy type of guy. The only thing I can tell from his room is that he's a lover of music. He has a record player and a radio on his desk next to his computer, and a ton of records stacked under it. I appreciate that. "And this is my room," he says, putting his hands on his hips and looking around before he seems to remember something. "Oh shit! I should have offered you something. Coffee? Tea? Food?" I laugh. "I'm good." "You sure? The fridge is stacked." "Yeah, I'm sure," I insist. "I ate already." "Alright. Well if you get hungry, let me know," he says, plopping down on his desk chair and swiveling around. "I will," I say, kicking my shoes off and taking a seat at the edge of his bed. "I was surprised you invited me over." He looks confused. "Really?" "Yeah. I mean, we basically only just met." He smiles. "How else are we gonna get to know each other?" I shrug and nod, agreeing with his point. "Hope I'm not too... y'know, forward? I just like making new friends." "No, you're good," I tell him, smiling a bit. I could see what he means. He was pretty social at the BBQ when I first saw him. And now that he doesn't see me as a threat, necessarily, he's proven himself to be quite friendly and open. "I'm just not used to it." "Yeah, well," he starts to say, but he leaves it at that. "Wanna play something?" he asks, pointing his foot towards the gaming console on the floor. "Haven't plugged it in yet. Actually, I don't even know what's in it." He laughs softly to himself. Should I bring up Wesley now or later? Maybe I'll wait on it. I still don't know how to address it, unless I just blurt things out. "Sure, why not?" Turns out the game in the console is Tomb Raider. We've both never played it (I'm not exactly a gamer by any means), so we start up a new file, taking turns messing around with the controls but spending most of the conversation talking about ourselves. He asks about me a little more -- what California was like, if I'm seeing anyone, what I do with all my time "cooped up" at the lake house. He says he too much of a social butterfly to enjoy living solitary, but he understands the need for a reprieve. "Did you build that place too?" he asks, biting his lip as he sends Lara Croft to her doom by accident. "No," I say with a laugh. "It's been in my family for years, but it doesn't get much use except in the summer, so... Seemed logical that I just inhabit it." "Wesley doesn't use it much?" "He only goes for the lake," I say. He nods slightly as the game restarts. "How is he, by the way?" "Wes?" I ask. "He's, um..." I don't know how to explain how he is. Aggravating? A loose cannon at times? But I gloss over how he is and pick up on the opportunity to discuss what I really came here for. "Actually, that's the reason I called." He glances at me, raising his eyebrows. "Did you talk to him?" "Yeah." His good mood seems to waver for a split second, but allows himself to have a little bit of hope. "Good news, or...?" I grimace. "Bad." "Fuck," he whispers, pausing the game and resting his head against the back of his chair. "What did he say?" "He didn't say 'no' outright," I clarify, "but I think he has it out against you, bud." "Figures," he mutters, running his fingers through his hair. He looks at the floor in thought. "I don't know what to do, then," he says softly, clearly trying to come up with a game plan. I let him think for a moment before I speak up. "He said something about a record." I notice that my mention of it makes Vinny tense up with that familiar anxious expression. "And tapes." He completely freezes for a second. The only things that move are his eyes, and they scan my face as if trying to figure out whether or not I'm bullshitting him. Then he laughs. Not in a humorous way, but in an extremely nervous and stressed out way. "Oh my god," he says, putting his face in his hands. It probably doesn't help that this kid is still high on some weird strain of pot. I really hope he doesn't freak out on me. "This can't be happening," he says, muffled by his hands. Then his head turns to me and he looks at me pleadingly. "Please tell me he isn't spreading that around." "I... I don't know," I say honestly. "He only told me when I asked--" "Please don't tell anyone, Leo," he says insistently. I blink. "I wasn't planning--" "Seriously, man," he begs. "This can't get out. I've already had to move twice because of it and I never--" I put my hand up. "Vinny, relax," I say firmly. "I'm not gonna tell anyone. I don't even know what it's about." "I... You don't?" he asks, sitting back in his seat more. I shake my head. "It's all just speculation. But Wes drew his own conclusion..." I pause there as to imply what that conclusion is. "I'm not--" Vinny starts to say, but he pauses to close his eyes and collect his thoughts. "What conclusion?" I shrug slightly. "I don't know. After he brought up your father--" But now Vinny looks irritated. "He doesn't know shit about my stepdad," he says, which is a surprising response. "He said he's in prison for raping some kid--" I start to say. "He didn't rape me," Vince blurts out. Then he mutters to himself "God, I fucking hate that word." I blink, stunned for a moment. "You?" Now Vince blushes slightly as if he realizes he said a little too much, his flash of anger evaporating. "You didn't know?" "I told you, I don't know any of the details." "Shit," he says, putting his face back in one of his hands. This changes things a bit. I feel like I'm seeing this guy in a whole new light. Even how he expresses his anxiety seems kid-like now. "I didn't know he... I didn't know it was you," I say. I feel bad for making him so anxious. But I can't deny I'm insanely curious. He says it wasn't nonconsensual... So what was it? "If you don't wanna talk about this anymore, I understand," I say, giving him an out. "No, I'm sorry, it's just..." He laughs nervously. "I still get all emotional about... all of this." I just nod in understanding. "Sure." I run my fingers through my hair. Where should I go with this? Maybe I'll bring it back to Wes. I clear my throat slightly before I speak. "But yeah, after he found out about the charges... He's stubborn," I say simply, hoping that serves as enough of an explanation. Vinny just nods, staring at the floor somewhere. "Right." I let the silence hang in the air before my curiosity gets the best of me. "Why were YOU charged, though?" He sighs, closing his eyes. "The tapes," he says, looking at me. I arch my eyebrow to urge him to continue. "He kept tapes of... of us, y'know? I found them after he got arrested. So of course I kept them," he says, as if it's obvious. "But... why?" I ask in as nonjudgmental a tone as possible. He opens his mouth to speak but then stops himself and shakes his head. "You'll think I'm insane." "No I won't," I assure him. "Yes you will. Trust me." I realize he has tears in his eyes as he's talking, and he finds it hard to look at me. The mood has completely softened, but all I can do is wonder what he's trying to get at. What his secret is. But I realize, I don't have the words to convince him. I just give him a gentle look. A kind face. An expression that says "I'm all ears, buddy." He stares at me for a long time, calculating my expression, trying to determine for himself whether or not I can be trusted. Eventually, he decides I can be. "I liked it," he says in a strangely small voice. He shrugs slightly. "I liked, y'know... everything we did. It was completely consensual. So consensual that I kept asking for it." He smiles at me in a sad sort of way. "Isn't that fucked up?" I don't want him to feel that bad about this. Mainly because I understand what he means. Now that I really think about it, by law, I'm technically raping Eli every time we fool around. But Eli seeks it out more often than I do. He likes it. And that's exactly what Vinny is saying happened to him. "I've heard worse," I tell him, and even though that's true, I realize that's not saying enough. "I... Listen. I get it." He laughs in a sarcastic sort of way. "You get it?" he says skeptically. "Yeah. You don't think you're a victim." He blinks a bit, staring at me hard. "Do you think I'm a victim?" I realize I have to choose my words carefully to make sure I don't say the wrong thing. And at the same time, I have to be honest here. "Only if you do." He nods slightly before sniffling a little, running his hand under his nose. "My mom thought I was totally fucked up for insisting that he wasn't a bad guy." "How about now?" I ask. "What do you mean?" "Do you..." I bite my lip. "I don't know. Do you still think that he's not a bad guy? Now that you're older?" "I mean, yeah," he says. "I still visit him and love him and everything." He looks at me sadly. "Is that crazy of me?" Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. But I'm inclined to believe him, so I shake my head. "No." He shrugs. "I like to think I'm rational, but I don't know sometimes. Like... I know tons of kids can be victims. Arguably, most of them are. It happens all the fuckin' time. But..." Then he laughs like a short burst of air through his nose. "I miss it, y'know? I don't know how many times I watched those tapes just to... I don't know, relive those memories." I wonder what's on those tapes. Or how often he beat off to them. I bet if I could close my eyes I could see him just six years ago, whacking off to his own homemade porn. He must notice my shift in expression because he immediately apologizes. "Please don't think I'm some creepy, fucked-up--" "No, no, it's okay," I say. "I was just thinking." I scratch my cheek slightly. "So is that what those charges were about? When you were seventeen?" He nods. "One of my friends found the tapes and the cops scooped those up real quick." He sighs a bit. "But they dropped charges and everything when they realized... when they figured out that it was me on those tapes." I lick my bottom lip slightly. "Wesley might soften up if he knows the truth." "Maybe," he says, shrugging again, but I can tell he's not in love with the idea of being seen as a victim again. Then he inhales and exhales deeply. "Jesus, this got fucking heavy." That seems to lighten the mood in the room because we both laugh. "Yeah," I say. "I just wanted you to come over and play videogames with me." I chuckle, happy that he's smiling slightly. "For what it's worth, I appreciate you telling me all this," I say. "I know it's... a lot." He nods. " It feels kind of nice, though," he says, "to get it off my chest without feeling..." "Judged?" "Yeah. Judged." He nods a few times, looking at me curiously for a long moment before saying "Can I ask you something?" When I say yes, he continues. "Did you ever have something similar happen to you?" "Um..." I feel my face get red. No, I haven't had something happen to me. But... "It's okay if you don't wanna talk about it," he says, noticing my discomfort. "I just... It just sounds like you relate. Or at least understand where I'm coming from more than... well, anyone else has." I don't know why I feel compelled to tell him. Maybe it's this side of him that he's shown me. And the obvious openness. He spilled his truth. He could have easily victimized himself and it would have been a sob story about trauma, but, whether or not the trauma still exists, he showed me a perspective that I never expected. So I offer him a glimpse into my truth. "I don't have experience... as a kid," I say slowly. I let that hang in the air, and for a while, we just look at each other. Then, it seems to click for him, because his eyes go wide. "Wait... You and your nephew?" He must have had a hunch already for him to jump right to Eli. But it makes sense. He's seen us together. I just nod, feeling my heart racing. I did it. I admitted it to someone. I'm both exhilarated and terrified. My ears feel heavy. Pretty sure my leg is twitching too. "Holy shit," Vinny whispers. Then he stands up and quickly shuts his bedroom door before sitting back down and rolling his chair even closer to me. "I could've sworn something was going on, but I thought it was just me," he says. He looks almost excited to hear it, which relieves me to a degree I didn't know I could feel relief. "He fucking adores you." I can't help but smile. "Yeah?" "Oh, for fucking sure, man," he says. "His eyes light up and shit when he looks at you." He bites his lip a bit, his eyes scanning my face rapidly. "How long has it... y'know? Been going on for?" The mood has shifted yet again. Now it's like we're kids gossiping, sharing secrets we have to make sure our parents don't hear while they're in the room next door. "Since the summer." "Wow. That's awesome, dude," he says. "Are you, like... into other...?" "Kids?" I ask, finishing his sentence. "No. Just him." He nods. "I get that," he says simply. I'm immensely curious to hear his response to my next question. "Are you?" "Um..." He looks down for a brief moment. "I guess, yeah. Though I've never done anything." But the question is... "Would you?" "Honestly? I don't really know." He scratches his head. "For sure only if it was consensual," he says. "And if the kid initiated it. But sometimes... sometimes I wonder if I just want to be the boy again, y'know?" I guess that makes sense. It makes me wonder what his sexuality is. "Are you gay?" I question. "I only ask because I wonder how this whole thing will... shape Eli's sexuality." "Just teach him to be open," Vinny suggests. "I mean, I like girls too. The gay part of me is more... closeted, I guess. But I'm specific. I don't like guys my own age. I only like older guys. And, y'know... obviously younger." I bite my lip. "How young?" He blushes slightly. "I'm pretty open," he says vaguely. I try a different approach in order to get an answer. "How young were you when you started with your stepdad?" "Um... Six, I think." "Six? Jesus Christ," I say, my eyes wide. That's basically half of Eli's age. He winces. "I know. But it happened." Damn. Well, maybe now I probably have a general idea of what ages he'd be into. I'm pretty sure there was a study about "abused" kids that grow up to like kids themselves. Something about how they fantasize or relive their past through them. I don't know if it's actually true or just a total crock of shit, but still good food for thought, and it's interesting to think about who Vinny has been perving on. "Sorry if that's too heavy," he says. He must see that I'm totally lost in thought. "No, it's cool," I assure him. "I just... I've never talked about this shit with anyone." Except briefly in a chatroom. What was that guy's name again? TexasDad or something? I wonder what he's doing. "Me neither," he says. "At least, not like this." He smiles slightly. "It's kind of amazing, though, isn't it?" "What do you mean?" "I don't know. Just to find someone who's... like-minded," he says. I smile slightly. "Yeah, it is," I say. Isn't this what I was hoping I'd find eventually? Someone with similar thoughts and interests? Though my interests really only lie with my nephew, the topic itself is a crazy thing to discuss. Guess I've finally found that kinship with Vince. "Man, this is wild!" he says with a laugh, leaning back in his chair as he looks at me. "So fucking cool. I'm glad I fuckin' groveled for your help." I chuckle. "Yeah, guess it worked out in one way or another," I say before scratching my head. "Listen," I add, nudging his knee with my knuckles, "why don't you come work with me?" "In construction?" he asks, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah. The pay isn't bad. It'll keep you more than afloat. And one of our guys is moving in a few weeks, so..." "I don't know shit about construction, dude," he says. "Neither did I when I started," I tell him. "We really just need an extra set of hands." He looks at me for a moment. "You're serious?" "One-hundred percent." Vinny would be a good fit. He's charismatic, funny, and he looks more than physically capable. And he'd get along well with the other guys. His mouth splits into a wide smile. "If you're serious... then yeah. Yeah, I'd love to work with you." I smile at how grateful he looks. It feels good to offer him the job. And I have no doubt that I could work things out in his favor because we're supposed to be "keeping our ears out for potential workers". I exhale heavily, laughing a bit. I feel lighter, excited, emboldened now that we've established a much more intense connection. We've let each other in, probably in ways that neither of us expected. And if he comes and works with me, there will be plenty more opportunities for this friendship to really flourish.