Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2004 15:26:34 -0800 (PST) From: rimpigfl Subject: MY BROTHER'S MARINE BUDDY DISCLAIMER: This is just a fantasy. It didn't happen to me or anyone I know. This is for all of you who like you're stories RAUNCHY. I have to admit, I like them that way myself. If you aren't allowed to read stories like this, then don't. Or, just tell whoever says you can't read it to "Fuck off!" and read it anyway! No Marines were hurt in the production of this story, but several had complete changes of view towards certain activities with other males. MY BROTHER'S MARINE BUDDY Part IV by RimPig 2003 My parents came to meet us at the airport. It was a little awkward at first, especially, I think, for Rick. He didn't seem to know how to act towards my parents. Finally my Dad looked at him. "Well, Rick, I guess I should say, Welcome To The Family!" At this, Rick grinned that 'killer' smile of his and he and my Dad shook hands. Then my Mom hugged him. "I'm sure that if Kevin is in love with you, you must be a really wonderful boy." Mom said. "Thank you. And thank you for inviting me to your home." Rick said, very formally. I could tell he was still feeling some concern about the situation. "Nonsense, Rick! It's your home now as well." Mom said. Well! I never thought I'd hear that! Maybe the world was changing! Or maybe we'd flown into an alternate universe! "Well, let's get your bags, boys!" Dad said. I think I will be 50 and Dad will still refer to me as a 'boy'! "This is all we've got, Dad." I said, indicating our carry-ons and one rolling bag. "Oh, well, then let's get to the car. Figure we'll stop at Ferguson's for lunch, what do you say?" Dad asked. "That would be fine, Dad. They don't serve food on the planes anymore and I'm starved." I said. "Yeah! Me, too!" Rick said. We talked about some family things on the drive from the airport to the restaurant. This was one of my parent's favorites and a very 'up-scale' place. They often had their anniversary dinner there. I knew what was up! This was Mom's idea. She couldn't have a wedding and a reception for us so she was going to have the next best thing! Over lunch, they asked us about our life in San Francisco. "So, Rick, are you at UC San Francisco, too?" Dad asked him. "No, sir. I'm not cut out for school like Kevin is. I work. I got training in the Marine Corps and so use that." Rick said. "Rick's just being modest, Dad. He's got a very good, very well-paying job. He's a mechanic for helicopters. He's the chief mechanic for KRON, channel 4." I said. "You make it sound like I've got a crew of people!" Rick protested. "There's only three of us." "That's okay, Rick." Dad said. "It still sounds like a good responsible job. Especially for a guy your age. How old are you now? 20...21?" "I'm 22." Rick said. "At least you had the good sense to get out of the Marine Corps and do something with your life." Dad said. Uh-oh! That sounded like a hint about what's wrong between Dad and Cal. I was still wondering what the hell Cal had done to piss Dad off so much? "I wouldn't have, probably, if it hadn't been for Kevin." My lover said, smiling at me. "It was because I wanted to be with him." The rest of the lunch went fine, but I could see that Dad was still tense. I vowed to have a talk to him when we got to the house. When we did, Rick and I went up to my old room - the place where we had fallen in love - to put our bags down. It looked pretty much the way it did when I left it to join Rick in San Francisco. "As long as I live, I will never forget this room." Rick said, when we walked in. He put the bags down and then took me in his arms. "Did I ever tell you how scared I was when I sat down on that bed for the first time to talk to you?" Rick asked, kissing me gently on the forehead. "No! You didn't! And I find that very hard to believe! You seemed pretty confident of yourself as I remember." I said. "Just an act, babe! I was scared shitless. I knew what Cal had told me about you, but you can't always believe your brother about everything, you know." he laughed. "And besides, there was something he didn't tell me about you." "What was that?" I asked. "He didn't tell me you were so fucking beautiful!' he said softly as his mouth captured mine in a deep, passionate kiss. "Nor did he tell me that you were the most beautiful male that ever walked the earth! Did I ever tell you how much I love the color of your hair and your beautiful blue eyes?" I smiled, after we broke from each other's mouths. "Only about a thousand times!" he grinned. "Oh, and there's that fucking smile of yours! I thought I was going to be blinded the first time I saw it!" I laughed. He kissed me again, longer this time. "So you were really scared?" I asked. "You, a big, tough Marine?" "Yep, me - Mr. Macho Marine himself! Scared to death!" he grinned again. "I wanted you! I wanted you bad! From the moment I saw you, I wanted into your pants in the worst way! I was scared you wouldn't have anything to do with me because of Cal." "I almost didn't!" I laughed. "But you were just too beautiful to pass up! And that smooth, sophisticated line you used on me! 'So are you really Gay or is Cal lying about that, too?'! Fuck! I just about had a heart attack and died when you asked me that!" "Well...Marines are kind of straight-forward, can-do kind of guys. We don't believe in beating around the bush." he grinned. "You didn't flinch, though! I started respecting you right then and there." That stopped me. This was something that Rick had never said to me before. "You...you respect me?" I asked, hesitantly. "Of course I do! I couldn't love you otherwise! I have a lot of respect for you, Kevin! Don't you know that?" he asked, surprised. "Well...you've never told me that before. I guess I never thought about it." I said. "Don't you respect me?" he asked. "Yes, of course I do! I always have! You are such an honest, caring man! How could I not?" I answered him. "And I feel the same way about you, Kevin." Rick said. "I guess we've been a little remiss with our communication about our feelings towards each other." I said, somewhat embarrassed. Rick chuckled. "There you go, usin' them big words again. You know you only do that when you get embarrassed or nervous." he said. "Really?" I asked. "Yeah, must be some kind of defense mechanism, I'd say." he said, and winked at me. "A defense mecha...Hey! Wait a minute! Where'd you learn about defense mechanisms?!" I asked. "From you." he grinned. "From me?" I asked, confused. "When?" I didn't remember discussing defense mechanisms with Rick. You see, I'm studying psychology. I want to be a therapist. Especially to help other young guys with the difficulties of coming out. "It was on one of the vocabulary lists you asked me to help you study." Rick said, nonchalantly. "And you remembered it? Oh, fuck, Rick! That is so sweet!" I said, kissing him hard. "Hey! There ain't nothin' sweet about it!" he said, protesting but not too strongly. "Yes it is. I know what you're doing. You're trying to learn about the things that interest me so you can share them with me." I said. "That is just about the nicest thing you've ever done!" "I just don't want you to get so educated that you outgrow me." he said quietly. This stunned me and I pulled back to look at him in the face. "Rick, I've never heard you talk that way before. Is there something wrong? Have I done something to give you the impression that I could ever 'outgrow' you?" I asked. "Well...no, but..." he hesitated. "But what?" I asked, beginning to worry now. "Well, you remember Jason and Ted down the hall?" he asked. "The two guys who broke up, that Jason and Ted?" I asked. "Yeah. That's the ones." Rick answered. "What about them?" I asked. "Well, I ran into Ted the other day and he was telling me that what broke them up is that he outgrew Jason. That Jason just couldn't understand all the things he was into and that all Jason wanted to do was go to bars and shop for clothes. I didn't want that happening to us." Rick said. I pulled out of Rick's arms and grabbed his hand, pulling him down beside me on the bed. "Okay. Let's get this out in the open. First of all, Jason was a brainless twink. He was a child that probably won't grow up for years! Ted, on the other hand, is as shallow as a piece of notebook paper! The only reason he was with Jason to begin with was for sex. That, and the fact that Jason was cute and Ted liked having a cute boy to show off to his friends! That doesn't describe either one of us! We love each other for who we are - not just because you're so fucking gorgeous I can hardly stand it!" I grinned at him and he did smile back. "And our relationship is built on a lot more than just sex, mister! If that's all it was, we would have burned that out by now!" "Yeah, but you're in school leaning all this stuff and you'll end up a psychologist helping people and all I'm ever going to be is a mechanic with grease under my fingernails." he said morosely. "Okay, now just stop this!" I said. "First of all, yes! I'm going to be a psychologist and hopefully help people. That is very hard work, very emotionally and psychologically draining if what I hear is true. I'm going to need someone to come home to who loves me, who is stable and who doesn't spend all their day mucking around in the shit of people's lives! Someone who will hold me and remind me that I am loved and cherished. That's a fuck of a lot more than just a mechanic with grease under his nails. That's a man I can love and be proud of!" He sat there quietly for the longest time, so long that I was scared I said something wrong. In fact I was convinced of it when I started to see tears coming from his eyes. "I'm such an asshole!" he said, grabbing me and hugging me tightly to him. "I'm sorry, Kevin. I don't know why! I just got so scared that I might lose you!" "Rick. Oh, Rick, babe! You couldn't lose me! I'll always want you! Don't you know that?" I said., reaching up and stroking my fingers through his hair. Since coming out of the Marines, he'd begun to let his hair grow. I had told him how much I wanted him to, that I wanted hair on his head to play with, just like he did mine at times. "I guess I do now. It's just sometimes, I get these feelings like I'm not good enough for you. That you're going to find that out and leave me." Rick said. "I know those feelings. I feel that way sometimes, too." I smiled at him. "You do?! You feel that way?!" he exclaimed, the shock showing on his face. "Kevin I would never leave you! I swear!" "Rick. I know that. It's just that everybody feels those feelings sometimes when they're really in love with somebody, I think. We all wonder what we ever did to deserve somebody so wonderful in our lives. At least I do." I said softly. "Yeah, that's exactly what I think!" he said, amazed. "But then I think to myself, 'Now who could drink down Rick's piss or eat his ass as good as I do or love it so much when he doesn't shower for a couple of days and really starts to stink!?'." I said, grinning at him. He looked at me in shock for a moment and then started howling in laughter, his arms tightening around me to where I could hardly breathe! "Hey! Let go! You don't know your own strength, Marine!" I laughed. "Oh, sorry, babe!" he said, relaxing some of his hold on me. "That's okay. You feel better now?" I asked. "Yeah. Lots better. You're gonna make one hell of a shrink, you know that?" he said. "The only thing I ever really want to be is the lover you can't live without." I said, kissing him on the tip of his nose. "You're already that." he said, kissing me deeply. Things probably would have progressed from there but I heard Mom at the foot of the stairs calling us. We let each other go and went downstairs to see what was up. What was up, was Dad had just gotten a phone call from the airport. Cal, who wasn't supposed to arrive until the next day had caught a flight a day early without bothering to tell anybody and was waiting at the airport to be picked up. Dad wanted to know if we wanted to go with him and Mom to get him. "No, Dad, I don't think that would be a very good idea. I don't want a public scene with Cal." I said. "No. You're probably right. In fact, Marian, I think you should stay here as well. I have some things that I want to talk over with our son and I'd just as soon you weren't there to hear them." Dad said. Mom looked a bit stunned by this but managed to nod her head. Dad pulled on his coat and left. I looked at Mom, who was anxiously knotting a handkerchief in her hands. "Okay, Mom. What's up? What is this stuff between Dad and Cal." I asked. "Well...I don't know if I should be the one telling you this but...you'll find out about it eventually. But you have to promise me that you won't tell your father I told you." Mom said, anxiety written all over her face. "Okay, Mom. I won't tell Dad. Now let's sit down in the kitchen. I'll make you a pot of tea and you can tell us the whole story." I said, taking my mother by the shoulders and maneuvering towards the kitchen. Once there, I put the kettle on to boil and got one of the teapots out, along with a tin of tea, out of one of the cabinets. I pulled out three cups and saucers, put them on the table and then got the milk out of the refrigerator, knowing that she always took milk and sugar in her tea. As we waited for the water to come to a boil, Mom started talking. "It all started about the time that you left the Marine Corps, Rick." Mom said. "Really? Why?" Rick asked. "Yeah, Mom. What does Rick have to do with this?" I asked. "Now, it wasn't me that your brother talked to, but from what I could gather, after you left the Marine's, Rick, Cal kind of went off the deep end." Mom said. "In what way?" I asked. "He started drinking a lot and getting into a lot of trouble. Several months ago, he got court- marshaled and evidently ended up going to the stockade for 30 days. Your father has been furious at him! He's called here, all times of the day and night, drunk! Most of the time crying! I have never seen him act like this!" Mom said. "Oh, shit!" Rick exclaimed, and then realizing my Mom was sitting there, said. "Sorry." "That's all right, Rick. I'm not the fragile doll that my husband seems to think I am. I've heard all the words before, many times. Even used most of them myself at times!" Mom said, reaching over and patting Rick's hand. "Rick, did anything happen between you two before you left?" I asked. "No. Nothing. I mean, we went out and got drunk together that last night. I know that Cal didn't want me to leave the Corps. I couldn't explain to him why I had to. I didn't want to blow your cover." Rick said. "What cover?" my Mom asked. "I was under the obviously mistaken impression that you and Dad had no idea that I was gay." I said. "Oh, Kevin, I knew for a long time. Mothers always know." she said. "Well, I wished you'd told me! It would have made things a lot easier!" I said. "I wanted you to come to it in your own time, dear. I couldn't be the one to tell you. What if you didn't know it - or want to know it then?" Mom asked. "Yeah, you're right. So why didn't you pick up on me and Rick?" I asked. "Oh, but I did, dear. I saw the way you two looked at each other after we came back from Aunt Bess's that night. I knew you two were deeply in love with each other. I just didn't know how you two were going to work that out, what with Rick being in the Marine Corps and all. And, of course, after Margaret made her little discovery in the guest room...well, I was sure of it." Mom said. Rick looked confused. "What little discovery in the guest room?" he asked. "The fact that you never slept in there." I said. "Margaret noticed when she went up to change the sheets after you left. She told Mom about it." "How do you know that?!" Rick asked. "Dad told me on the phone. I didn't think to mention it. Sorry." I said. "So Cal's freaking out. Surely he could find other friends in the Corps. It couldn't just have to do with Rick leaving." I said. "That's not necessarily true." Rick said quietly. "What do you mean?" I asked. "It may not be so easy for him to find friends - at least not guys that he'd want to be friends with." Rick said. "What do you mean, dear?" my Mom asked Rick. "I'm sorry, I don't want to say anything bad about your son..." Rick hesitated. "Oh, go ahead. She's heard enough of it from me over the years." I said to Rick. "Yes, dear. I know Cal isn't perfect. In fact, my oldest son can be a real obnoxious bastard when he wants to be." Mom said and I almost gasped! I guess she did know the words! "Well, that's exactly the problem. I mean, he can be a real nasty piece of work at times. He's got so many prejudices - not just against gays. He doesn't do real well with minorities either and there are a lot of blacks and Hispanics in the service. He doesn't have a lot of guys to choose from to be friends with." Rick said. "I don't know where he got all the ideas he has about people!" Mom said. "He never heard any of this stuff in our home! You know that, Rick." "No, you're right, Mom. I've never heard you or Dad ever speak derogatorily about any minority." I assured her. "So where did he get it then?" Rick asked. "From his jock friends. From guys he used to hang out with. Who knows?! Some it came from him hating me and my being gay." I said. "But he didn't know that." Mom said. "It didn't matter, Mom. For all intents and purposes he did. When boys start calling other boys 'queers' or 'fags', it's long before any of them even know what it means to be homosexual. It's a term that really means 'different' but in a very inferior way of being different. It means somebody that they feel being a boy has been wasted on. That's how Cal always felt about me. I couldn't be the younger brother he wanted. The jock, the 'chip off the old block'. I was somebody to be ashamed of. Someone that made life difficult for him because he had to constantly make excuses for me or prove that he wasn't like me. He wasn't 'different'. He wasn't somebody that being a boy wasn't wasted on." I explained. "You're being a lot kinder about him than he's ever been about you." Rick said. "I know. But I have you. I'm in love and happy. Cal is miserable. The misery that he caused in his life is finally coming home to roost. I wish I could feel some kind of happiness in that, but I find I can't. You have a lot to do with that, Rick. Because I have you, I know that being a boy hasn't been wasted on me. I'm not the loser that my brother wishes I was. I'm the winner. He's the loser. I never wanted him to be a loser. I just wanted him to stop looking at me as one." I said. "That should tell you more about our earlier discussion." Rick raised an eyebrow and smiled. I knew he understood what I was trying to say to him. He understood how important how he felt about me was to me and why he had no reason to ever fear losing me or me becoming 'bored' with him. "So what's happening now?" Mom asked. "Why is Cal so miserable?" "I can't say for sure, Mom, but if I had to guess, his problem is reality setting in on him." I said. "What do you mean?" Rick asked. "Remember you asked me once why Cal joined the Marines? I wasn't joking with my answer. Cal used to watch all these war movies when he was little. He watched John Wayne killing all the Nazi's and saving the free world and decided that he wanted to do that. So how much is the Marine Corps, especially today, like those old war movies?" I asked Rick. "Not a thing! There are no John Wayne's. In fact, nobody wants one! What you rely on is team work." he said. "And in so many ways, despite all the sports he played, Cal is not a 'team player'." I said. "His entire life - everything he dreamed of - has turned to shit for him. I can imagine he's pretty miserable. You leaving was the last straw. There was nothing else that could keep reality from intruding on his fantasies." "So what's going to help?" Mom asked. "Mom, I don't really know. Worse, I think things are going to get a lot worse before they get better." I said. "Why do you say that?" Mom asked. "Just a feeling, Mom. Just a feeling." I said. I didn't want to say that I thought it was pretty probable that Cal was going to be really destroyed when he found out why Rick left the Marines - because not only Rick was Gay but because he wanted to be with me - the brother that Cal has always hated. And I guessed we'd find out when he got home with Dad. I also wondered if Dad would tell him about me and Rick or let that be a 'surprise'? I had a feeling that's exactly what would happen because, whatever it was that Dad wanted to talk to Cal about, I doubt that it had much to do with either me or Rick. So it couldn't help but be a shock to Cal when he finds out. Dad didn't get home with Cal until later that afternoon. Rick and I were laying in bed, not having sex but definitely working up to it. We had been making out and rubbing against each other, still with our clothes on. We did this a lot, though at home in San Francisco we did it with our clothes off because that's how we live - naked. We found out quickly upon living together that neither of us likes clothes and certainly don't like them on each other! I love to see Rick naked because he is a truly beautiful male. He says the same about me. I can't see it, but, then again, if I could, I would be making love to a full length mirror! I've met guys like that in the gym we work out in. The only possible lover they could ever have is a mirror! As we heard the car pull up, I turned to Rick. "Well, Dad's home with Cal. Should we go down together?" I asked him. "Might as well. We've got to get it over with sometime, may as well be now." Rick said. We walked downstairs, following the voices into the kitchen. Mom was sitting at the kitchen table another pot of tea at her place. Dad was rummaging in the fridge for a beer, from what I could figure and Cal stood by the sink. He looked over when Rick and I walked in and his eyes got the size of saucers! His mouth dropped open and he had a hard time getting words out. "R-r-r-rick! What the fuck are you doing here?!" he growled. Dad looked up at the use of the "F" word but didn't say anything. I guess he figured the shock of the situation was enough cause for it, though he still frowned at Cal, who paid him no attention whatever, being too disconcerted at seeing his 'buddy'. "I'm here with Kevin." Rick said simply. "Kevin! What the fuck are you doing with the little fag?!" Cal asked, glaring at me. It was just as I had feared. Dad had told Cal absolutely nothing about what was going on. "Kevin and I live together, Cal. He and I are lovers." Rick said, his voice with a dangerous edge to it that I'd never heard before while I watched Rick's body tensing and his fists balling up as he prepared for a reaction from Cal. For the first time in my life, I saw my brother speechless. His mouth was open and working but nothing was coming out. His face was turning several shades of red and purple and I was expecting a massive explosion and possible physical violence. I didn't think anything could head it off so, when something did, it was a complete shock to all of us - especially where it came from! "Cal! Shut the FUCK UP! Don't you DARE say another word or, so help me God! I will throw you out of this house for the rest of your life!" my mother exclaimed, her voice with a power I had never heard before, as she rose from her chair and faced my brother, her finger in his face. "Your father and I have had just about all the CRAP we're going to put up with from your whiny, spoiled BUTT! I have listened to you denigrate your brother for his entire life and I'm not going to listen to any more! This is MY HOUSE and you will obey MY RULES or you are NOT welcome here! Do you understand me?!" "But...but...Mom..." Cal began whining in a voice like he was again 5 years old, all the time shrinking away from the shaking finger of a woman who was half his size! "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" Mother shouted and I doubt that any drill sergeant at Paris Island could have used a better 'Marine Command Voice'! "Yes, ma'am." Cal answered quietly. "Now, I think the best thing for all concerned is that you go up to your room and you stay there until you feel that you can act like a member of this family. If you don't feel that you can, you know where the door is. Don't let it hit you on the ass on the way out." My mother said quietly but with no less power. "Yes, ma'am." Cal said and literally 'slunk' out of the kitchen and upstairs. Dad, Rick and I just stood there with our mouths open while mother just calmly went to the stove and put on another kettle of water. She finally looked around at all of us and smiled. "I've wanted to do that for 10 years." she said. "But, honey..." my Dad started to say when she whirled on him, her mighty finger now pointing at him. "And it's something YOU should have done 10 years ago! But, no! He was your first-born, the family 'Jock' that you were so proud of! 'Oh, he'll grow out of it!' you said. 'Boys will be boys!' you said! Well...he didn't grow out of it, did he?! And I'm surprised that Kevin would even have anything to do with either of us for all the lack of support we've given him! I'm surprised he ever came back from San Francisco! I fully expected never to see him again once he left and, the awful thing is - I wouldn't have blamed him one bit if he never came back here! So don't even start with me! You go upstairs and you start straightening out that Neo-Nazi bigot that you let grow up in our home! You've got a lot of work to do." Mother said and then sat down at the table and calmly picked up her tea cup and had another sip. Without a word, Dad went upstairs and Rick and I just stood there looking at each other. The entire universe had just turned upside down and I didn't know what the fuck end was up! "You two come and have a cup of tea with me, unless you have things that you'd rather do with each other. I'll understand." Mom said, smiling at the two of us. "Mom, I can't think of anything I'd rather do than have a cup of tea with you!"I said, grinning. "Me, either, Mrs. Williams." Rick said, smiling. "Oh, forget that Mrs. William's crap. It's Miriam. Or, what I'd really like but you don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable - Mom." Mom said to Rick, reaching out and putting her hand over his. "I wouldn't feel uncomfortable at all, Mom!" Rick gave her one of his 'killer' grins as he put his other hand over hers. We sat there talking about little things. Mom wanted to know all the details of our life together in San Francisco - what it was like, what the people were like, how did we live. All the things that a Mother wants to know. We talked comfortably for a couple of hours, the subject of Cal and what had happened not coming up until then. "Kevin, I really want to apologize to you. We should have put a stop to Cal years ago. We did always hope that either he would grow out of it or you would take a stand against him yourself. You did that, but it didn't stop. I know your Dad feels as badly about it as I do." Mom said. "Mom, I did intend never to come back once I moved to San Francisco. But Rick changed all of that. Having someone who loves you so totally, so unconditionally, changes you. I found I couldn't hate you or Dad or even Cal. I couldn't hold a grudge anymore. My heart was too full of love because of him." I said, and reached over and grabbed hold of Rick's hand, smiling at him as I spoke. Then I turned back to Mom. "Besides, you came through when it really counted! The way you've accepted my being Gay and Rick and our relationship is way more than I ever expected!" I said. "But that was easy, honey. All your Dad and I have ever wanted for you is that you be happy. If Rick makes you happy then that's all we ever need to know." Mom said. "Then let me tell you - Rick makes me very, very happy!" I grinned. "Really, Kevin, you didn't have to say the words. The look on your face is enough. I have to tell you, I was thrilled when we came back from Aunt Bess's last year. I could see the way you two looked at each other and I knew that you were both very much in love. I believe in love at first sight. It was that way with me and your Dad. We knew from the moment we met that we were meant to be together. I saw that same look with the two of you. I was just so afraid that something would happen because of Cal, but luckily, he was as oblivious to what was going on as your Dad was! I wondered how you were going to work things out. I wanted so much to reach out to you when Rick left and I saw you hurting so badly but, since you'd never come out and told me, I just couldn't go to you about it. I kept hoping you'd come to me, but you never did." Mom said. "No, I was still too scared. You'd never said anything derogatory about gay people but you allowed Cal to spew out all that homophobic crap of his without saying anything. As far as I was concerned, that was tacit approval of what he was saying." I said. Mom didn't say anything for a while. "Yes, I could see how you would think that and I can't even begin to apologize for what we did. We just didn't want to make the situation worse by causing more confrontation and conflict. I guess we didn't learn the lesson of Neville Chamberlin." Mom said. "Who's that?" Rick asked. "British Prime Minister prior to World War II. Tried to buy 'Peace at any cost' by appeasing Hitler. It didn't work." I told him. "It never works. We just didn't believe that then." Mom said. "I knew when you went to San Diego it was not to see your brother! Your father, however, didn't. Luckily, Cal didn't call the whole time you were there and I don't think your Dad ever brought it up to him." "No, but is sure bugged the shit out of Cal!" Rick laughed. "He couldn't figure out where I was disappearing to all the time. I finally told him I'd found a girl that I was...well...that I was seeing." "So I was right. It was you that Kevin was going to see." Mom said. "Yes, Mom. It was Rick. We spent a glorious week together." I smiled at Rick, remembering the week and how we could hardly walk by the end of it, we'd fucked each other so many times! Rick smiled at me but I saw his face coloring. My Marine lover was actually blushing! God! He was so cute when he did that! "I won't ask for details but I bet you did not see very much of San Diego." Mom smiled. "Your Dad and I went to Maui on our honeymoon and, for the life of me, other than that ring of flowers they put on us at the airport when we arrived, I can't remember one bit of the island!" I looked at Mom in shock and she just winked at me. "After all," she said. "Didn't you ever figure out that Cal was born exactly nine months after we were married?" I was dumbfounded! No! I'd never sat down and figured that out! Then I started laughing hysterically and Mom joined in. When I finally calmed down and got my breath back, I looked over at my Mom. "This is certainly a different side of you than I've ever seen before!" I said. Mom smiled. "What you're seeing, my son, is who your mother was before she went and had two sons and had to act like a mother! You're both grown up now...well...at least you are. You have a mate of your own. You don't need a parent. So, I'd like you to know me and I'd like to get to know you. I hope that besides being your mother, I can also be your friend, Kevin." she said. This brought tears to my eyes and I became speechless. "Oh, dear! Did I say something wrong?" she asked. Rick, who knew me better evidently than Mom did spoke for me. "No, Mom. He gets like this when he's incredibly happy. It freaked me out the first time it happened with me." Rick smiled. I nodded my head vigorously so Mom would know that Rick was telling her the truth. Then, the most amazing thing happened. Mom started crying, too! We both stood up and I came around the table and took her in my arms and we hugged each other fiercely! Then we looked at each other's tear-stained faces and started laughing at each other. I looked over at Rick who was watching this 'waterworks show' and smiling. "Well, at least now I know where you get if from!"he grinned at me. The end of Part 4 of MY BROTHER'S MARINE BUDDY If you like the story, and I hope you do, write me at rimpigfl@yahoo.com I now have more than 50 stories on the NIFTY Archive. If you'd like a complete listing of all of them, write me and I will send it to you. I also have a NOTIFY LIST for readers who want to be alerted when I post new stories. Write me requesting to be on it and I will add you to the list. As always, I ask if you liked the story to consider making a donation to NIFTY to keep the site running and FREE! RimPig