Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2018 23:17:53 -0500 From: Armando F Subject: New Adventures with Older Brother Part 19 Disclaimer – This story is a work of fiction, and depicts incestual sexual action between teen boys. If you are uncomfortable with that, or live in a community where that material is forbidden, please stop reading. Don't forget, Nifty is a great resource, so please donate! http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html Thanks for everyone who's been following. I would say this and chapter 20 are the end of Act 1, but I still got about 10-15 chapters left of story. STay tuned! Please send all comments or critiques to army.mando9@gmail.com Chapter 19: All the Worlds a Stage... We stared at the sky for hours, watching the gray clouds pass into more gray clouds. Ben fell asleep, his light snoring breaking the serene silence, but only adding to my comfort. Knowing my brother, my boyfriend, hell, my soulmate even, was there, comfortable, happy, relaxed enough to just pass out as my head rested on him... It was bliss. As my head laid on his stomach, I could hear, deep within his tummy, the rumbling of a hungry man. He soon woke up, disturbing my scene, complaining about needing dinner as he stretched and searched for some clothes. "Awww... Don't move... I was enjoying myself." I sighed, annoyed having to get up. "Oh shut it, dork. I'm hungry. Your cock can only do so much, haha." He gave my soft dick a quick kiss, laughing to himself, before hopping off the truck and grabbing his pants. "Damn it, where did I put the rest of my shit..." I watched as he hopped to the little cabin, trying to pull his pants up, but just like when he tried to take them off earlier, ended up falling face first into the grass... again. "*Snort*" I busted out laughing. Holy fuck, for a supposed athlete, Ben really sucks at walking and doing stuff at the same time. "SHUT IT!" He yelled back, dusting a few blades off his shoulders as he climbed back up, properly buttoning and zipping himself up. He marched and found his shirt some ways away, tossing it on. "I hate to say it.." Ben started as he came back to the truck, clothes mostly back on. Shame... "But get dressed. I don't think my dad has anything good to eat here so... let's go and grab something." "Okay." I felt a little rumble in my own stomach and caved in. Maybe we can eat fast and return to cuddling. . . . . . We drove out, took a turn at the highway, and headed towards whatever civilization was near us. Which, given the area, was probably a store for tractors. Ben's hand slipped to my side of the truck, and latched onto with mine, holding it tight. "You okay?" I turned to my brother and asked. "Yeah..." He slowed down the truck at a red light, and looked at me. "I had a really good day, and just... Well..." He started to stammer again. "Spit it out." I rolled my eyes. "I love you, fucker. You mean everything to me, even that stupid smart ass attitude of yours, haha. " He blushed, his cheeks red against his dark hair and eyes. "It's just... always feels like falling in love over and over again every time we get to spend time together, y'know?" "I love you too. Now drive, you idiot, light's green." I gave him a bigger smile, and punched him on the shoulder, making him go. _ _ _ _ _ Damn it, I feel like such a fucking dork. But whatever, I'm hungry and happy and shit. Once again, I suck with talking about my feelings, but he gets me. That's why I feel like this... He gets me. Other than Army, no one ever tried to dig deeper. It's always "You're so fucking sexy, Ben, fuck me." Always going for what's in my pants rather than what's in my heart. I know, that's fucking fag shit. Any guy my age would love to have my fucking... "fucking" luck. But I got bored of it. The sex I have with Army? That means so much. I don't even really like it. Getting fucked is still uncomfortable and weird at first, but the way he seems so... happy, so grateful, so... in the moment. Even when he tries to kiss me deep and instead hits his head on mine, or tries to go fast and screws up his own rhythm, or that one time he elbowed me in the face when he tried to ride me... It's not "good" sex, by any means, haha. He's getting better, but that doesn't matter. Just knowing we love each other and make each other happy... I'll take that over complaining about being fucked any day. Means more to me than any tight pussy or ass could ever. Thankfully, Army has a nice ass too, haha. Anyway, I shake myself out of it. Gotta concentrate... Gotta find food. And like a blessing from gods, I spot a Whataburger just off the highway, hanging out as the only building with people in it for miles. Thank fuck I don't live in this dumb town anymore. We park and walk in. No line, gawd forbid, so I head up and start my order, bacon cheeseburger, no tomatoes. Army follows up and completes it with burger of his own. "For here or to go?" The cashier smiled back after putting in our selections into her little computer. "To-go" Army said before I could. He looked at me and smiled. "I still wanna sit by the lake." "Ha, fine. Yeah, to-go, please." Army went to go fill up our drinks while I sat down at a table, playing with our little order number placard. The image of us eating our burgers on the dock, bare feet in the cool water... My brother always had an eye for romantic gay bullshit. But it sounded great, so I followed along. . . . . . After a bit, a server came by and gave us our food. I checked our bags, and we walked to my truck. The smell of the food became intoxicating. "Hey, give me a fry, dork!" I ordered my brother, starvation feeling imminent. "You can wait!" Army shouted back, putting the food on the otherside of his legs, out of reach. "Pleeeeeeeaseeeee!" I beg. "I'm dying here!" "Nope! Now drive! And focus too... Don't want us to crash!" He crossed his arms and refused to budge. Fucker! Damn it... I sigh and continue driving, silent, pretending to be angry. He knows how to push my buttons. Still my annoying kid bro, for sure. After what felt like an eternity, I finally reach the lake again. My stomach is literally trying to eat itself, it's so angry. Too bad I can't ever be really angry at my bud, no matter how much of an asshole he is. Punishing me like this! I'm gonna get him back. I kick off my boots and grab the bags, while Army grabs the drinks and kicks off his shoes too, walking determined to the little dock. We sit down, making a small pile of napkins to hold our shared bounty of fries. Once we get the scene right, Army stretches and rests his toes into the water... Ha, he's so dang short. It's the best. I follow his suit, and the water reaches up to my ankle at least. Nice to be the size of an actual person, haha. Time for my first bite of fries! I grab a few, but Army steals them from my fingers and eats them, smiling like the devil he is. I glare at him. "What?" He mumbles, mid-chew . "That was mine, you ass!" "Oh well." He leans in and gives me a kiss, the salty taste of my stolen food on his lips. I lick them, eager to taste them, but it instead just ends up with us making out. A little greasy, but I'm hungry and my boyfriend tastes good, haha. "Fine, you earned this." He grabs a fry and puts it on his lips, which I rush and kiss them again, stealing the fry before he could take it from me too. "Ha! Too fast for you!" We laughed and started to eat proper. Holy fuck, this burger is the best burger to ever be... burgered. Ugh, that was a bad, but fuck it, I'm too hungry to think of anything funnier. I feel Army rest his head on my shoulder, humming to himself as he unwraps his burger. Looking down at him, I feel my heart flutter again. Fuck, he's too cute.. I hum along with him, watching the distance with him, sharing the moment with him, totally in love with him... _ _ _ _ _ Ben and I spent the weekend basically stuck at the lake. When the sun finally set, Ben brought out a small lamp and a sleeping bag from inside the shed, and laid out on the back of the truck. However, he didn't anticipate how fucking cold it got as soon as the moon appeared, so he grabbed a spare flannel shirt from inside the truck for me to wear, and cuddled closer to me. "You sure this is... safe?" "Between the signs that says that intruders will be shot multiple times, and it being a quiet town where literally nothing happens? We're fine. Other than..." I turned to my brother. "Other than what?" "Well... You remember that story about the lady who drowned her kids? I heard she did at the river a few miles away... They say they never caught her." "Oh fuck off with that 'La Llorona" shit." "It's true... My friend down the road, Bucky Barnes? He said he saw her through the trees one night, crying for her kids. Killed his dog." "Bullshit." "Yep." I rolled my eyes and saw my brother smiling too big. He is the worst liar when it comes to trying to fuck with me. "You're friends with Captain Americas sidekick? Who saw the ghost of a really shitty folk tale?" "Fuck. I should have used a different name." Ben laughed to himself, caught in his own lie. "You suck at this." "Hey, I just wanted you to get scared and cuddle with me." "You could have just asked." We laid there, my brother holding me, side by side, big spoon and little spoon, giggling and joking around with each other, staring at the vast starry night sky. It was so different here than in the city, a mix of awe-inspiring and scare-inducing. But with Ben there, I felt safe and protected. . . . . . Morning came, and the distant sound of mooing and cockle-doodle-doo-ing woke us up. I felt Ben sit up, and curse under his breath. "Hey bud, I... *yawn*... I'm gonna... " Ben stretched as he mumbled to me, struggling to finish his damn sentence. Hurry up, I wanna sleep more. "I'm gonna go feed the horses real fast. Be back soon." I felt his warmth leave me, and even with the blanket and his shirt, I felt cold. Ugh, guess I'll get up and look for something else to warm me up. Oh, the little shack. It might have something. I get up and go inside, still wrapped in the blanket. A little cramped, filled from floor to roof with shelves filled with tools and junk. A few weed whackers here, some shears and hoes there. Nothing useful though. I'm about to step out, when something shiny catches my eye on the bottom shelf near the corner. Bending down, I take a closer look, but without my glasses, all I see is a brown and silver blur. Fuck, I'm stupid for forgetting the only thing that lets me see. Oh well, I grab it and walk back to the truck. Putting my glasses back on, I take a peek at whatever I found. But all it is is a pocket knife, unfolded and ready for use. A polished wooden handle, with distinct silver tips at the ends to fold it back into itself. It looked a little worn, but still sturdy, still strong, still good enough to cut whatever is needed. I run my fingers along the hilt, and- Hold on, there's a pattern on the wood. I turn it around, and I see a small engraving: Benito. I press the release, and fold the knife, sheathing it safely in its own cradle. I snap it open again, and close it once more. "Whatcha got there, bud?" I flinch, startled. But I feel my boyfriends hand on my shoulder, and my heart slows back down. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you that time, haha." Ben sat next to me. "Oh... you found that." "What is it?" Ben grabbed it from my hands and messed around with it, sighing. "Pa tried to convince me to be more like him. So he gave me his old knife and told me some stories about his old days. Just boring old shit. He tried to scare me straight or whatever, but he never really saw what was bugging me, you know?" He stared at the blade for a long minute, silent. "I wanted so hard to get away from here, from Pa and his shitty family. I didn't feel respected, just treated like a bad egg that would never go anywhere. My Step-bitch is a fucking monster, and Pa is too pussy-whipped to ever do anything about it." Ben laughed to himself, but it was sad... bitter... " I did whatever I could to rebel, to tell them to fuck off. Pa tried hard when he realized I was just this close to running away. Gave me the knife, tried to bullshit me into being better. But I didn't want that. I just wanted to... to feel something. So I drank, smoked, stole shit, got in fights, fucked random bitches. Did whatever I could to get away." Ben looked at me, finally, his eyes a little watery. "But then... you reached out and helped me. The only person to ever stretch out a hand. Not talk down to me, not get mad at me. Genuinely tried to help... And... well, you know the rest." He smiled and rubbed his eyes. "Ben..." I wrapped my arm around him, or tried to, anyway. Curse my stature... I kissed his shoulder, and we sat there, silent again. My brother sighed again, and looked at me. "Here, you have it." He handed the knife to me. "Why? It's yours." "Eh. Pa tried and failed to help me. But you? You..." Ben choked up. "Plus, I thought... well... Maybe I should get you your first knife, since your dad isn't... Fuck... But I guess I'm here to be... your dad? Gawd damn it, this got weird... Shit, I suck at this." "You big baby." I tried to break the tension, taking the knife, smiling at him. "... Sorry...." Ben looked away from me, feeling super awkward. I grabbed his head and pulled it back towards me, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I'll take your gift. Thank you. Never know when I'll need to cut a bitch." "Haha, Harry better watch out." We both laughed, watching the sun slowly rise in the distance... . . . . . Fall kept is rapid approach, the leaves turning a vague color of orange before straight up dying. South Texas doesn't really have... autumn. It's more like... Late summer, then winter, then early summer again. And even then... You can have shorts and t shirt weather one week, and ball crushingly freeze the next. Not rhyme or reason to it. But hey, it's home. Ben, Harry, and I were knee deep in rehearsals now, with the opening night of Charlotte's Web a few days away. Barely had time for ourselves. Afterschool was devoted to hanging out at the auditorium or at Harry's place, going over lines and finishing up props or stage pieces. Finally, it was the night of our first dress rehearsal. Got my costume ready, though given it was a cheap kids show, it was essentially a gray sweatpants/hoodie combo with some rat ears and a giant nose attached to the hood, and a big goofy tail on the back. I tried it on in the guys dressing room, making sure it all fit and was sturdy. But sadly, all I could hear was Harry giggle to himself. "You look... pfft... pretty ratty, Army, haha." "And you look like a bitch!" I snapped back. "Aww, don't be so mad, Mickey Mouse." A voice said outside the door. Ben walked in, and without hesitation, busted out laughing, clutching his chest. "Hahahaha! Oh wow, Army... It's perfect! Oh boy, hahaha!" "Not you too! At least this Rat is gonna be on stage. You 2 are back stage nobodies!" Harry and Ben kept giggling, but gave me a hug and reassured me I looked pretty cute... for a rat... I scoffed, but oh well, still said I'm cute. We go out and get ready for our places at the start of the show. I feel nervous, even if there aren't any audience members. I know my lines and stuff, got my blocking down, but... first real show jitters, I guess. But knowing my brother and my best friend are out there, working with me... My confidence slightly soars. The best part is that my character gets to have fun. I start my first scene from the rafters, yelling my lines, then I climb down and appear behind the barn. Few more lines, then I sneak off stage, then appear from behind the audience, creeping through the seats. Honestly, its super fun, I love it. I know, I know, I bitched a little about it, but its genuinely exciting. I know the kids will love it, surprising them from random spots. Maybe the director knows me better than I thought. Templeton doesn't get a lot of deep character work, but what he lacks in depth, he makes up for in being memorable. Which for this kind of show matters more, I think. I crept out one of the sidedoors backstage, and swiftly made it to Light/Sound booth. Thankfully , Ben and Harry were both there, doing their work. I came up behind Ben and gave him a hug, while he reached upbehind him and patted my head. "How am I doing?" I whisper. "Pretty good, though I think you could be a little louder when you're in the rafters. Also, maybe hunch a little more. Otherwise, you're funny and cute." He whispered back, turning to look at me and smile. "Thanks." "I agree with Ben about the rafters. Not the cute thing, haha." Harry smirked at me, trying to joke. "I can show you where you should be shouting from later to be heard better." "Oh, that'll be great, thanks Harry. Also fuck you." I lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Army, your next scene is almost up, go get ready." Ben warned me. "Oh shit, sorry." I rushed to my next place... . . . . . The rest of the rehearsal went well. I forgot a line but I improvised a little to cover. I heard Ben giggle from the back when he noticed, which made my face all red despite the gray make up. Shit, I really gotta practice the next few nights before we open. Ben and Harry's cues were on point, so no worries from the "Dream Team" as they call themselves. More like the Douche Team but I digress. Ben dropped Harry off for the night at his place, then we drove home. I was beat, super fucking tired from the little free time I've had. Rehearsals, homework, mid terms coming up and helping Ben. But I feel worse for Ben. Thankfully Baseball is taking a minor break for a bit due to the dropping temperature, but he also has to work harder to make sure his grades are good enough to qualify for sports and shit. I've been doing my best to help tutor him when I can. Harry has too, since math is his wheel house. I suck at it, to be honest but I fake it till I make it. Ben doesn't have that kind of safety net. He's clever, but in a street wise sense, not in a dumb school sense. A few late nights of cramming some studying in before bed has been... stressful, but Ben does his best to make it fun. We'll huddle on his bunk, under his covers, side by side, looking at the same text book, just talking. Ben will crack a joke or doodle some obscene stuff in the margins of his notes. "Calculus? More like Cockulus." I groaned out loud at how bad the joke was, but Ben still made me laugh. No matter how bad or cringe-worthy the joke was, Ben could sell it with such sweet earnestness. You can tell when Ben starts to get bored though, because he'll start nuzzling at my neck, or start to slip his hands into the legs of my shorts, trying to distract me. The worst though? He'll start mocking me seductively, trying to get me to fuck up. "Then if you look at the context of the passage..." I would start, then... "Then... if you look at the con-sex of my dick-age..." Ben would lean in, whispering with his warm breath into my ear. "That... that doesn't even... wow... it's getting really hot in here... An-anyway... If you look at how Capote used this word here and how it follows..." "If you look inside my pants ,you can follow..." Again, mockery with a hint of sexual deviance and rebellious horniness. "Fuck it, fine!" I would groan, frustrated, and just kiss the annoying fucker. Can't beat them? Beat off with them. Sadly, due to our mutual exhaustion, we've mostly dialed back to swapping blow jobs or hand jobs. Super weird, but I imagine once winter break rolls around, we'll be down each other throats totally again. In a good way! Same cute routine: I usually go first, Ben follows, we both clean up with a mix of his old t shirt and our tongues. Then just pass out, alternating who spoons who, till morning. We always listen for Mom, but we've grown more lax as more time has passed. Still, we try to be careful when we can. A few times I had to stuff some blanket in my mouth or Ben had to bite his lip because something felt a little too good. Silence is hard for us. Ben's deep voice and my penchant for have 0 self control makes having sex, even in our room, hard, because the walls seem paper thin. Can't risk any "obvious" signs what we are doing. But we enjoy what we can, even in this stupid fucking busy time. Doesn't help we have to sneak around to even fucking hold each other's hand or a small peck. Just... Exhausting sometimes. Oh well, I enjoy every single moment we share at least. Once all this is done, then we'll have all the time in the world... _ _ _ _ _ The opening night had arrived! I was a little antsy, because this was a big deal to my brother. I knew all my stuff to do, but I wanted to show Army I had my head in the game. We picked up Harry and drove to school to get ready early. Harry jumped out and went to go check the sound board, while I went to the guys dressing room with Army. "Mind helping me with my suit?" Army turned to me and asked. I wasn't sure if this was serious or a come on, but I couldn't say no to him. Even if it was risky, haha. "Sure." Walking in, we sighed a breath of relief that it was empty. Glad I came early. Army took a seat on the make up counter in the corner, hidden a little. I stood between his legs, facing him, and we pulled each other into a deep kiss. After months of practice, Army has risen to the world's best kisser to me. He is always damn eager to learn, and he has picked on every single one of tricks and turn ons. He leans his neck just I grab it perfectly, tipping his head towards me due to our height difference, his left hand slipping up under my shirt, feeling my chest, fingers just playing with my nipples, while his right hand either grabs my free hand and holds it, or grabs the back of my head to force us deeper into eachothers mouth. Our lips and tongue know the dance by heart, and know our loves and limits. I'm proud of the dork, but the best part? He is always... so fucking grateful. Every single moment we kiss, its magical, because he wants it to last, he wants it to be burned into his fucking soul. I never kissed someone so damn... perfect. It literally sometimes takes my breath away. The kiss goes on for a while, but I can feel Army's pulse on his neck... He's nervous, a little panicked. Ugh... Big brother mode: activated. I pull away. "You okay, bud?" "Y-yeah... why?" Army tries to sound okay, but his eyes flick to the ground to avoid my gaze. "I know you're nervous. But we got this! We spent all weekend doing this!" I held his head to my chest, letting my own calm heartbeat beat into his ear. "Just... what if I fuck up... what if-" He pulls away to look at me. "Nope." I put my finger to his lips. "Stop that." I take a look in the mirror behind us, and I pull Army off the counter to face it with me. "If you get nervous or scared you'll fuck up... Just remember this smile." I smiled big for the mirror, making Army do the same, giggling to himself. "Don't forget: I'm in the back, rooting for you." "I am too!" A voice behind us shouted. Harry stepped in, and jumped behind us, looking at us both in the mirror. "We're right behind you, Army!" He gave us a super tight hug. "Thanks guys..." My brother muttered meekly. "Come on, Ben. We got to fix some of the stage. Some fuckhead broke the barn door." Harry bitterly said as he walked out. "Uggghhhh, fucking never ends!" I turned back to my brother. "I love you, okay?" "I know..." Army looked at his shoes. "Don't fucking 'Han Solo' me, dickface, haha." I smiled at him. "You'll be great!" "I'll try..." I coughed out loud. "Do or do not. There is no try," I told my brother, using a goofy voice. But he laughed and squeezed my hand before I ran out, I knew he got it... . . . . . We took our positions, since the doors were about to open. I looked at Harry and gave him a thumbs up. Pre show jitters popped up a little, but I swallowed them like a pro. This is nothing compared to some of the baseball games I've been in. 9th inning, batting to try and win us the game, shit like that. The first night was open to the public, parents were invited and shit. But according to some words Mr. Harmon said before he stepped outside, it's gonna be a full house. Glad he said this to me and Harry and not to the actors. Army with the yips is a scary thing, haha. Doors began to open, and the crowd of people came in to take their seats. "Psst. Hey honey!" I turned and saw Ma, waving at me as she walked down the aisle to a free spot. I waved back. I'm glad she showed up. She told us last week she wasn't sure because of work. We couldn't blame her... She does put dinner on the table. Harry popped up next to me and waved at her too. "Glad your mom made it." "I am too. Where's your family?" "Eh. They flew back to Van for the week to visit some relatives. Or fuck around in a hotel. Who the fuck knows. Riley is probably at a party getting plastered." "That sucks, sorry Harry." "It's fine. I got you guys here, at least." "And you got me too, Harold..." We both fake-groaned. "Hi Riley," I turned and whispered to her. "Hey Ben. Don't let my baby brother make up shit about me." She smiled at me, but that melted away as she kicked Harry in the shin. "Break a leg, guys." She said, laughing to herself. "Thanks, bitch." Harry whispered back, rubbing his leg. Riley flipped him her middle finger as she took a seat as well. "Good luck, Ben." Harry turned to me and gave me a hug. "You too, Harry." I returned it, making it tight. As we pulled away, I gave him a peck on the cheek and smiled at him. His face went red and he ran back to his sound booth, rubbing the spot where my lips touched. Haha, fucking dork. Mr. Harmon passed by and gave me the cue to lower the lights as everyone settled down. I put the house lights down, and set the auditorium in darkness, and flashed the backstage lights letting the actors know to be in their places. I heard Harry flick a a switch on his board, and the opening sounds of barnyard noises broke the silence. Following his lead, I raised the first spotlight on the barn, and the show starts... . . . . . The first few scenes go without a hitch, save for one actor bumping into a fence, but she played it off well. But it was time to get ready for Army's entrance. And like clockwork, I heard Army, clear as day, shouting his lines from ontop of us. A big smile erupted on my face, thank gawd he isn't crying in a bathroom or something pussy-like. After a few minutes of the other animals chatting, I saw my brother sneak in from behind the barn, hunched over, looking like he is having the time of his life. I couldn't help but feel happy for him. I know he was bummed about his part, but now? I know everyone will be talking about the rat. Army stumbled over one line, but he caught himself and finished the scene perfectly, hopping off the stage and fleeing stage left, to prepare for his next sneaky appearance. And like that, he snuck into our booth, a little out of breath. Harry and I both gave him a hug and smiled at him, but had to focus on the show. But I gave him a small kiss on the neck, letting him know I'm proud. He backed off and got ready at his next spot, a big smile on his face. Hell, he looked like he was glowing. I was so happy for my boyfriend. I'll never tell him this, but I know he is happy that I'm in his life, not just as his brother, or his lover, but as a strong male figure. No matter what, I always try to reassure him or let him learn from his (or my own) fuck ups. Since his Pa is gawd knows where, he needs that, you know? Needs someone to stand strong with him, stern but still there to help. I'm not the best choice, but I'm what he's got! My own Pa is shit too, so.. we only have each other and our Ma, but our little group... we'll always be strong and there for one another. I know, deep down. And our friends too. Harry will always be there to lend a hand for us. Even Riley, in her own super bitch way, cares. Looking back at the show, I watched Army start his next scene, crawling through the audience, talking to Wilbur and Charlotte. He was such a goof, but it was perfect for him... . . . . . Finally, the last scene finished and the curtains closed. Harry and I closed out the show with the last song and pulling house lights back on. The actors took a second, and all appeared on stage to bow. I stood up and walked up to Ma. "What did you think?" "Oh, Ben, that was great. Your brother was so cute and funny!" She gave me a hug. "I'm so proud of y'all." "Thanks Ma..." I scratched the back of my head, not used to being felt proud of, haha. "Where's Harry, I wanna congratulate him." "He'll be here soon." We watched as the actors fled backstage to undress and swap back into the regular clothes. Harry found us, with Riley in tow. "Hey guys!" I gave them both a hug. "Harry, you all did such a great job!" Ma beamed at him. "Aww, shucks. Thanks 'Ma.'" He looked at me with mocking eyes. "Hey, don't mock my accent." "Listen 'ere, country boy!" Harry laughed, pretending to tip his hat at me. "MOM! BEN!" We heard a voice shout behind a crowd of people. Army ran up to us, still in make up, and gave us a big tight hug. "I'm so happy you came, Mom!" He turned and gave Harry and Riley a hug too. "You too, Riley! Wow!" "I wouldn't miss it for the world, honey!" Ma gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I just wanted to see you all fuck up." Riley said. "Kidding." She added. "I had to see it, after all the late nights of listening to you losers rehearse." "Aww, you do have a heart, sis." Harry rolled his eyes. We talked for a while, but Ma had to go and get ready for an early work day tomorrow and left us. Harry and Riley left right after, going to grab dinner. "What did you wanna do, Army?" I asked him. "What did you want to do?" Army repeated at me, annoyingly. Ugh. Come on. It's your fucking special day, fucker. "Let's go get some ice cream." My sweet tooth has got a craving for some Blue Bell. We hopped in my truck and drove to the nearest ice cream joint, eager to treat ourselves for a successful night. Pulling up, Army grabbed my hand tight and held it. Guess he still has stage jitters, haha. I walked in, Army in tow, and we approached the counter. "Hey! Could I have 2 cones? Make one Cookies n' Cream with extra Oreo's on it and... " I looked at Army, but I knew what he wanted. "One Dutch chocolate, with chocolate chips." "Comin' up!" We sat down at a booth at the far end, relaxing that the night is over. Just a few shows of this for the rest of the week, then a smooth sailing till Christmas, and... "What did you wanna do for your Birthday, Army?" I leaned in. I tried to figure out a gift for him, but other than games and other material shit, I couldn't figure out something that I should give him as my "boyfriend." Something sweet, romantic, maybe even a little sexy. But I wanted it to be his choice, rather than just do something cliché like put on a jockstrap or edible thongs. Though Army would totally love that shit. "Huh?" Army looked out the window next to us, trying to find an answer in the passing cars. "I... I don't know, Ben." "Nothing at all? Come on, bud, you have to have some idea." "Well..." Army put his fingers to his lips, thinking, but I heard our number called. "I'll go grab that." My brother stood up and walked to the counter, grabbing both cones, but almost dropped mine. Fucker, I would have been so pissed, haha. But he caught it like a champ, and wobbled back, being extra careful. He was so dang cute, despite being as graceful as a cat in a washing machine. He passed me my cone, and sat back down, licking his own chocolate heaven. A big smile cracked across his face, which made my own heart fucking warm over. Like the Grinch in a microwave. I felt so dang proud and happy and swelled with other faggy emotions. Damn it! "Come on, Army, tell me." Army looked at me and smiled. I guess he figured out what he wanted, and gave me the most devilish smirk I'd ever seen on him. "I got an idea, well... more like a fantasy..." And suddenly I felt very excited for his birthday... End of Chapter 19