Date: Sat, 9 Mar 2024 18:38:21 +0000 From: DJ Warner Subject: The Inheritance Clause 16 This story contains descriptions of graphic sex between males. If that kind of thing does not appeal to you, stop reading now. This story is pure fiction. If this resembles something that happened to you, it must have been an incredible experience. But it's simply a coincidence. All comments are welcome: djwarner1984@hotmail.com Please donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/ -DJ ========== The Inheritance Clause - 16 While the boys were telling the judge that they were in love, Krantz saw Artie step hurriedly into the library. Krantz followed him and entered the room. He saw Artie quickly sit and frantically adjust the will in his lap. He was trying to make it look like he had been reading it when Krantz came in. "Can I get you anything, sir?" Krantz asked. "It's about time..." Artie said, a little out of breath, "Bourbon with ice." Krantz went to the bar, which was right next to where Artie was sitting, and began making his drink. "What do you think of this nonsense with the Stewart boy getting half of everything?" Artie asked. "It's not for me to say, sir," Krantz said. "Of course it's not for you to say," Artie said testily, "But I'm asking you. What do you make of this boy?" "Well, I think your father was an excellent judge of character. And if he trusted Mr. Stewart. Perhaps that should influence your opinion of him," Krantz said as he turned and placed Artie's drink on the table. "Bah! My father was a fool!" Artie said. He picked up his drink and took a swig. "Then, perhaps it would be wise to get to know Mr. Stewart yourself. See what kind of person he is. Why trust other's opinions when you have an opportunity to find out for yourself?" Artie tilted his head as he considered what Krantz said. He then took another sip of his drink. "Will there be anything else?" Krantz said. "No," Artie said tersely. Krantz left the library and shut the door on his way out. ----------- The boys stopped holding hands just as they came back up to the terrace. Niven and Krantz were cleaning up from lunch. The boys put their empty drink glasses onto the service tray. "Do you know where my father is?" Adam asked. "He's in the library," Krantz replied. "Just so you both know, we told the judge we're a couple," Adam said. "What did she say?" Niven immediately asked. "Not much," Dawson said, "It was hard to tell what she was thinking." "Mmm," Adam hummed in agreement. "Dawson," Krantz said and then paused to make sure he had his attention, "I had a conversation with Adam's father." Niven had a look of curiosity on her face as he paused. "I thought I should give you fair warning. He asked me about what kind of person you are," Krantz started. "Norman! You shouldn't be speaking out of turn about what members of this household say," Niven said. Krantz turned to Niven. "Artie is not a member of this household. I am now in the service of Dawson and Adam. And I mean to protect them the same way I did when I served Mr. Jameson," Krantz said testily. Niven pursed her lips as she contemplated Krantz's argument. Krantz turned back toward Dawson. "As I was saying... I told him he should defer to his father's assessment of you. Namely, that Mr. Jameson trusted you enough to give you half of his inheritance. That didn't seem to take hold. So I suggested he take some time to get to know you himself," Krantz said. Adam got a slight grin. Dawson looked at Krantz skeptically. "You don't think he'll try, do you?" Dawson asked Krantz. "It's highly unlikely," Krantz said, "but I thought I'd tell you, just in case he does." Dawson looked at Adam to see his reaction. Adam was still grinning and began to shake his head. Then Dawson looked back at Krantz. "Thank you Krantz," Dawson said, "It's good to know you're in my corner." Krantz nodded and then he looked like he was thinking. "Also," Krantz said and then paused, "He looked like he was up to something. He got to the library just as I arrived, all out of breath. And then he tried to make it look as if he'd been there the whole time." Niven stared at Krantz with her mouth slightly open in surprise. It wasn't clear if she was surprised by Artie's behavior or by Krantz commenting on it. Hmmm," Adam said. He paused to think. And then it looked like a realization hit him. "Krantz, do we have another safe where I can store some things?" Adam asked, "I think I know what my dad was up to. We can't use granddad's safe. Everyone knows the combination now." "Actually, there's one in your closet," Krantz said. "There is?" Dawson asked with surprise. "Yes, I'd forgotten until just now when you asked. There is a safe hidden in each guest room closet. I can come up and show you where it is and how to program the combination," Krantz said. "Ok, let us know when you're free to do that," Adam said. "I can come up right after I bring in this tray," Krantz said. "Great," Adam said. Krantz picked up the tray he had loaded up and carried it into the house. Niven followed him. Dawson looked at Adam. "You don't think keeping your granddad's things in the office is good enough?" Dawson said. Adam looked at Dawson sympathetically. "I wouldn't put it past him to try to break into the office. Or steal the hippo from you. He seems angrier than I've ever seen him," Adam said, "I'm not sure what he's capable of doing." "Let's grab the box from the office," Dawson said, needing no more convincing. The boys left the terrace and went upstairs. They went to the office and retrieved the box. Shortly after they returned to their rooms, Krantz showed up. He showed the boys that the full-length mirror in the walk-in closet was actually a door to a wall safe. When he opened it, the boys were surprised that there was so much room in the safe, with many shelves and drawers. He showed them the keypad hidden on top of the frame and how to program it. "Krantz, why didn't you tell us about this before?" Dawson asked. "Honestly, I had forgotten the safes were there. It's been years since anyone with something to protect has stayed as a guest in the lake house," Krantz explained. Adam and Dawson were checking out the inside of the safe when Krantz responded. "Do you need anything else?" Krantz asked. "No, I think we're all set now," Adam said, "Thanks, Krantz." Krantz left. "Ok, we need a code to lock it. Any ideas?" Adam asked Dawson. Dawson held up his finger and tilted his head. He thought for a second. "1310 4119," Dawson said. "Where did you get that from?" Adam asked with a confused look on his face. A thoughtful grin came upon Dawson's face. "It's both our initials converted to numbers," Dawson said softly. "Ohhh," Adam said as he smiled, "I love it." Adam programmed the safe combination. He closed it and then reopened it, to make sure the combination was set properly. He showed Dawson the gold chain with the rings on it before he put it in the safe with the love notes. Dawson looked in the box at the rest of the items. "Oh, good," Dawson confirmed, "You got the cuff links and tie tack set, too" "I put them in the box before," Adam said. Dawson and Adam put the rest of the items from the box into the safe and Adam closed it. With that taken care of, they retrieved the tablet and floor plans. As they walked down the hallway, Dawson was tapping and swiping on the tablet. When they got to the judge's room, Adam knocked. After a few moments, Judge Lynch opened the door. "We're ready for the artwork inventory, if you still want to join us," Adam said. "I do," she said. She stepped into the hallway. "Where do we start?" she asked. "The basement," Dawson said, with his face in the tablet. They both looked at him with curiosity. "Adam, I found it. Your grandmother's portrait. It's in storage," Dawson said with excitement. "Let's go," Adam said with heightened interest. They took the elevator down to the basement and made their way to art storage. "Bin 746," Dawson said as they entered the room. The judge looked around the room. Adam went over to the storage racks. Adam looked at the bin numbers as he went down the row of paintings until he found bin 746. Adam slid the painting out slowly. Dawson helped him lift it from the other end. They lay it on the table. Adam began to unwrap the padded cloth it was wrapped in. His face suddenly fell. "It's wrong," Adam said with disappointment, "Look." Dawson and the judge leaned in. Adam pulled the cloth back. They could see most of the painting. It was a painting of a lighthouse and a seascape. Dawson stepped back. "Help me flip it," Dawson said. "Oh, right!" Adam said as he realized what Dawson was doing. They flipped the painting over and Dawson swiped the small barcode on the back of the painting. "This painting is called, 'High Tide' and it's supposed to be in Bin 792," Dawson said excitedly. They boys went over to bin 792. It was empty. "Give me a minute," Dawson said. He closed his eyes for a few moments thinking. The judge watched with a confused look on her face. They all stayed like that for almost a minute. When he opened his eyes, Dawson looked around the room. "There," Dawson said as he pointed at a pile of cloth wraps in the corner. Adam and Dawson went over and moved the cloth wraps. There was nothing there. "Hmm," Dawson said. He thought for a few moments. He picked up the tablet and began swiping and tapping. He stopped and looked at the tablet. "Adam, tell me when I say a bin number that isn't empty," Dawson said. Dawson began saying bin numbers. Adam followed along pointing at each bin Dawson called out and responded "no". After Dawson called out about a dozen bin numbers and Adam responded "no" to all of them, Dawson called out a bin number. Adam didn't say anything. Dawson looked up. They both looked at each other. Dawson saw a painting where Adam was pointing. Dawson put the tablet down and the boys slid the painting out of the bin. They gently moved the painting and lay it on the table. Adam unwrapped it slowly. When the top third of it was exposed Adam's face lit up. He looked at Dawson. "This is it," Adam said excitedly. "How did you figure that out?" Judge Lynch asked with curiosity written all over her face. "Well, I went through the different scenarios of what could have happened with the painting. One of them was that Adam's father came down here and found it. But he couldn't remove it without being seen. So he hid it in the hope of coming back later," Dawson said, "When it wasn't covered up in the corner, I figured he put it in one of the empty bins, made note of the bin number, and planned to come back to get it later." "And you figured all that out in the space of a minute?" the judge said. "It's how my brain works. I'm really good at putting details together to figure things out," Dawson explained, "Sometimes, there will be some seemingly unrelated, random things floating around in my head and then all of a sudden, they'll connect and make sense." "That's how he figured out the lock on my granddad's office door," Adam said. "Hmm," the judge said, "And why did you assume Mr. Jameson would take the portrait?" Adam and Dawson looked at each other. There was an uncomfortable moment where the boys contemplated telling the judge what Krantz had told them about Artie's behavior in the library. "Past experience," Adam finally said, leaving out the fact that the past experience happened only moments ago. He pulled the padded cloth back all the way. "Oh my god," Adam gasped before the judge could react to his comment about his father. Dawson and the judge leaned in and looked at the portrait. It was Adam's grandmother. She looked to be about 25 years old. She looked regal. She was wearing a full length emerald colored ball gown accented with a modest yellow topaz necklace and earrings. Her hair was styled like Jackie Kennedy from the 1960's and she was wearing sleeve-length white gloves. There was a sparkle in her eyes that came out even in the painting. "Oh, Adam, she's so beautiful," Dawson said with emotion. Even the judge was impressed with how beautiful Sarah Jameson looked. Adam looked at the painting as he sniffled a couple times. "I know where this should go," Adam said as he looked at Dawson. "The ballroom," Dawson said. "On the right," Adam said as he nodded. "Yup," Dawson acknowledged. The judge watched the two of them with her mouth open in wonder at how much they were in synch. Adam kept looking at the portrait. Dawson picked up the tablet. "I wonder if there's one of your granddad," Dawson said as he tapped and swiped on the tablet. Dawson looked for a few moments and then he got excited. "Bin 338," he said, "Here, help me put the lighthouse back into its correct bin." Adam and Dawson wrapped the lighthouse painting up and slid it into bin 792. They then went to bin 338 and pulled the painting out. They lay it out on the table, next to the portrait of Sarah. Dawson pulled back the padded cloth. "Oh, wow, he looks so young," Dawson said. "Mmm," said Adam. They examined the painting of Adam's grandfather. He was wearing a tuxedo and standing in a pose as if he were looking toward the painting of Sarah. He was wearing a matching green bow tie and cummerbund. With the paintings side by side, their bodies were turned toward each other. "These need to go up together in the ballroom," Adam said as if he were talking to himself. Dawson leaned into Clayton's portrait. "Hey, look, he's wearing the cuff links," Dawson said. Adam looked and could see one of the cuff links peeking out from the sleeve in the foreground. It was hard to tell, but it was possible he was wearing the button studs, too. Dawson then explained to the judge about finding the cuff link set in the master bedroom closet. "I want to put these up now," Adam said, "so my father can't try to take my grandmother's portrait again." Dawson and the judge exchanged looks. "Do we know what time it is?" Adam asked. "It's quarter to five," Dawson read the time off the tablet. Adam took his communicator out and contacted Krantz. He asked him if he was free for about 20 minutes. Krantz said he was, but then he would need to step away to prepare for dinner. Adam asked Krantz to meet them in the ballroom. The boys wrapped up the portraits and put them on a cart they found in the storage room. They wheeled them to the elevator and the three of them went to the first floor. When they got there, Artie was coming out of the library carrying the will and a half full glass of bourbon. He saw them carting the paintings and became curious. So he decided to follow them. When they got to the ballroom, Krantz was there. The ballroom was still configured with the tables and judge's platform from the inquiry. "Krantz, we want to hang these in the ballroom. It's paintings of my grandparents," Adam said, purposely not looking at his father. Dawson noticed Artie react with a surprised look and then he looked frustrated. Artie took a generous sip of his drink. Adam wheeled the cart over to the wall on the right. Krantz went to get a ladder. Between Dawson, Adam, and Krantz, they removed the artwork on the wall. Then they put up the portraits of Adam's grandparents. Artie watched with a sour face. The judge watched with her mouth opened slightly. When they were done, everyone stood back and looked. Dawson forgot about Artie and put his arm around Adam's shoulder. "Wow," Adam said. "Mmm," Dawson hummed in agreement. "Krantz, we'll put the ladder and supplies away if you need to go prepare for dinner," Adam said. "Thank you," Krantz said and then he left the ballroom. They all stood looking at the portrait for a few moments. Artie got frustrated, looking at the portrait he wanted, so he started to leave. "Hey, dad?" Adam said without moving from his spot or looking away from the paintings. Artie stopped and turned. The lone ice cube in his drink clinked against the glass. "I know you switched the paintings. Whether you like it or not, this is where both of these portraits belong," Adam said with certainty as he kept his gaze on the paintings. Artie huffed. He slammed the will onto the floor. He turned and walked out of the ballroom. Adam leaned his head against Dawson's shoulder as they continued to look at the portraits. The judge came up next to them. The three of them stood there admiring the paintings. "I have to say, your grandmother is a stunning-looking woman. And these portraits change the whole tone of the ballroom," Judge Lynch said. "Thank you," Adam said, "You're right. We're going to have to change out the rest of these other paintings... Oh! The ballerina! That will go perfect over here," Adam said as he turned and pointed to the other side of the room. "There he goes again..." Dawson said, "Wait, let me get this down." Dawson flipped open the tablet and began tapping. Adam spun around slowly looking at the walls as he fingered the dimple in his chin. "We should try to find some motion paintings; the ballerina will work there. Another dancer, maybe? To pair with her? Oh, maybe someone running? Something like that..." Adam began thinking as he played with the dimple on his chin. "Drapes?" Dawson said as he followed Adam to the windows and the French doors. "Hmmm," he said, "I don't know." "What color is the ballerina's tutu, white?" the judge chimed in. "It had just a hint of pink," Adam said as he spun around and looked at Judge Lynch. "Even better," she said, "Gold, the curtains should be a light gold. And they should be shears with a valance of a darker gold. It will complement the green of your mother's dress and the pink of the ballerina's tutu." Adam's mouth opened with surprise. "And you should try to find other motion paintings. I like where you're going with that. And they should have some grass in them or other shades of green. Or touches of pink or rose in the background. That will tie everything together in the room," the judge said. Dawson was taking all of her comments down. Adam finally found his voice. "That's amazing. I can picture it. It will definitely work. How does a probate judge know interior design?" Adam asked. "I learned it from my mom. She is an interior designer. She designed some of the most incredible homes on the east coast. Where did you get your skills from? Aren't you in marketing?" the judge asked. "My grandmother was an amazing designer. She did all of the designs for this lake house. Even though I never met her, apparently, I inherited her talent," Adam said. "Well, isn't that something," Judge Lynch said. "Yeah," Adam said as he smiled. He looked at Dawson. "Did you get everything she said?" Adam asked. "About the design of the ballroom? Oh, yeah," Dawson said and then smiled. "Thank you for helping," Adam said. The judge simply nodded. "I should go clean up for dinner," Judge Lynch said. "Oh, I should tell you, you don't need to dress for dinner. But Niven and Krantz decided to go all out. They wear formal attire and the settings will be formal. But don't feel like you're underdressed. Dawson and I are going to stay dressed like this," Adam said as he spread his arms out. "Thank you for saying something. I would have felt odd walking into the dining room dressed like this," Judge Lynch said. Adam nodded. The boys stayed in the ballroom to put away the ladder and the artwork they took off the wall. The judge left them to go upstairs. Dawson subtly picked up Adam's copy of the will, which Artie had thrown on the floor. When the boys were done, they headed up to their rooms. Adam entered through his bedroom door. He headed for the bathroom crossover. Dawson had already tossed Adam's copy of the will on his extra bed and was in the bathroom, heading toward Adam's room. They met in front of the sinks and stopped. They looked at each other for a moment. Then at the same time, they leapt at each other and started making out. Adam kept kissing Dawson as he pulled him into his room. When the backs of Adam's knees hit his bed, he wrapped his hands around Dawson's neck and pulled him down. Dawson landed on top of him. They started grinding into each other as they continued to kiss. Adam wrapped his legs around Dawson's waist and hooked his ankles. Dawson was humping Adam as they both got erections. Finally, Dawson stopped kissing and looked at Adam. "I know we were together all day, but I feel like I've been away from you for a week," Dawson panted as he tried to catch his breath. "I know. It's been such an emotional day for me. I just want to curl up in your arms and get away from it all," Adam said, breathily. Adam nuzzled his faced into Dawson's neck as he inhaled his manly aroma. "Well, we can cuddle later, when we go to bed," Dawson said. "Mmm, I can't wait," Adam said desperately. "We should clean up and go down to the dining room," Dawson said. "Give me one more minute," Adam said whispered into Dawson's ear, "I need to make out with my boyfriend right now." Dawson knew he shouldn't. But he couldn't resist Adam, who was pulling him down. He was so drawn to him. He relented. The boys began kissing and grinding against each other again. Dawson fought off the urge to go further than their impromptu frot session. He broke the kiss and lifted himself off of Adam's body. Adam clung to him. With his ankles locked around Dawson's waist he was trying to pull him back down. "Babe," Dawson said lovingly. The boys looked into each other's eyes. Adam wanted to keep going. So did Dawson but he knew they shouldn't. "We have to stop," Dawson said softly. "Why? My relationship with Vickie is over. There's nothing in our way now," Adam said as he rubbed the back of Dawson's neck. He gently tried to pull him down again. "Babe, you know I want to," Dawson said with compassion, "God... do I want to... But we can't. Your dad... the judge... we still have to deal with all of this craziness." Adam stopped pulling and listened to Dawson. His eyes softened as Dawson spoke. "I want our first time to be special," Dawson said. Adam sighed. "I know," Adam said, "You're right. I'm sorry." "No, no... Babe..." Dawson said. Dawson leaned back. Adam released his hands and ankles to let Dawson up. Dawson stood on the floor. He pulled Adam up so he was standing in front of him. He gently held Adam's face in his hands. He got really close to him and looked into his eyes. "Don't apologize. I want you as desperately as you want me. I want to make love to you more than I've ever wanted anything. But we need to wait. We need to deal with all this bullshit first," Dawson said softly, "Ok? Then we'll be free to make love with none of this hanging over our heads." Adam kept looking into Dawson's eyes. He nodded slowly. "You're right," Adam said, "I know you're right. But I can't help it." Dawson kept holding Adam's face. He pulled him in for a sensual kiss. He broke the kiss and looked into Adam's eyes. "We'll get there," Dawson said, "We will. I promise." Adam smiled. Dawson released Adam's face and they hugged. Adam sighed. They hugged for a couple minutes and then separated. Adam grabbed Dawson's face the way he had just held his. "You're so good for me," Adam said. He moved in and kissed him with closed lips. Adam rubbed Dawson's cheeks gently as he released his face. His hands came down onto Dawson's pecs. He caressed Dawson gently as he pulled back slowly. The boys parted. Dawson went to the sink in the bathroom. He tried to fix his hair. "Hey, babe? Can you do my hair again? It's messed up and I can't get it right," Dawson said as he continued trying to get it right. "Let me see it..." Adam said as he came into the bathroom. Adam looked in the mirror. He smiled at Dawson's reflection. "You almost got it," Adam said. He dipped a finger into the gel and got a little bit of it. He began primping Dawson's hair. While Dawson was watching Adam work on his hair, he started thinking about how much he loved Adam. He started thinking of ways he could show him how much. Then the broken relationship between Artie and Adam made its way into his thoughts. He knew it frustrated Adam that their relationship wasn't very good. While Adam fixed his hair, Dawson came up with a plan. "Gorgeous," Adam said as he finished Dawson's hair. Adam smiled as Dawson looked in the mirror at what Adam did to his hair. He smiled at Adam's reflection. They turned and left through Dawson's bedroom door, forgetting that Artie might see them. But they were not at risk. No one was in the hallway. As the boys reached the top of the stairs, Judge Lynch met up with them. They all went down the stairs together. As they approached the dining room, they could hear raised voices. "I'm the eldest living relative, I should get the head of the table!" Artie was saying angrily. "As I said, that's Adam's seat," Krantz said in response with a bit of an edge. The boys and the judge came into the dining room. They stopped and looked at Artie and Krantz. They each had a hand on the back of the chair at the head of the table. "Krantz, thank you. It's just a chair. He can sit wherever he wants," Adam said. Artie, who was dressed in a three-piece suit, made a satisfied sound and started to pull back the chair at the head of the table. Krantz let go of the chair when he did. "You are not dressing for dinner?" Artie said snidely to Adam. "No, we do not dress for dinner, dad," Adam said. Artie gave a haughty look of disapproval as he sat. Adam was headed for the seat next to his father when Dawson subtly cut him off. Adam was forced further down. The judge took the seat opposite Dawson. Dawson gave a quick glance at Adam who was moving slowly to the next chair. He was surprised at what Dawson did. Dawson then looked at the judge and smiled, pretending like he didn't just take the seat Adam was going to take. Krantz announced the menu. Adam, Dawson, and the judge all reacted with satisfied sounds. Artie didn't react. All four of them chose the wine pairing, so Krantz began pouring. Adam and Judge Lynch began talking about interior design. Adam talked about his grandmother's drawings. The judge said she would love to see them. Dawson listened and followed along. Artie sat silently. At some point, the conversation died down. Krantz came in with the second course. "Krantz, we'll want to get an early start tomorrow," Adam said, "Can you and Niven discuss how early she can make breakfast available? And how soon after that will you have everything ready for us to take supplies out to the fence line?" Adam asked. "We've already discussed it. Niven can have breakfast available at 6:00 and I'll have everything loaded and ready by 6:30," Krantz said. "Great," Adam said, "Judge Lynch, we're going out in the morning to complete one of the tasks we've been given. We need to replace the fence along the property line if you want to come with us. Is 6:30 too early for you?" "Oh, no. I'm up most mornings by then, so that's not a problem for me," the judge replied. There was a pause in the discussion while Krantz continued to serve the second course. Adam looked at his father and then looked down at his plate. Dawson cleared his throat. "Mr. Jameson, would you like to join us tomorrow to put up the new fence?" Dawson asked. "I don't think so," Artie said before he took a sip of his wine. Adam looked up at Dawson with surprise. Dawson glanced at Adam. The judge was watching them. "Well, you know, Mr. Jameson, Judge Lynch is here to observe us. And we're going to be spending the whole day with her replacing the fence. How is she going to know if you should be the sole beneficiary, if she doesn't spend any time with you?" Dawson argued. Adam was visibly surprised that Dawson was pushing to have his father join them. He sat back in his chair almost in shock that Dawson was going to such lengths to include his father. Artie swallowed his sip of wine and looked at the judge. Then he looked at Adam, ignoring Dawson. "What time?" Artie said, clearly oblivious to the conversation about the next morning that had just occurred. "6:00 in the dining room... for breakfast, 6:30 in the garage to head out," Adam said with a satisfied grin. Dawson took a sip of his wine. He brought the glass down and subtly turned to glance at Adam. The judge caught Adam's eye. "I have sneakers and jeans; will that be sufficient?" she asked. "It should be," Adam said, "maybe a sweatshirt, too? There will be a chill in the air in the morning." The judge nodded. Artie didn't say anything, but Krantz knew he wouldn't have packed anything like that. He came up next to Artie and lowered his head a bit. "Mr. Jameson, if you'd like, I can ensure you have the appropriate clothing," Krantz said quietly, trying to not make a big deal of it. "Yes, Krantz, do that," Artie said. The fact that he didn't even thank Krantz was noticeable. When Krantz was done serving the second course he left the room. The judge began asking Artie questions about his job as a vice president of a local bank. He answered her questions but got very defensive about it. It made for some stilted conversation. When they were eating the last course, Dawson finished first. He sat back in his chair and sipped his wine. When Krantz came back in, Dawson thanked Krantz and asked him to pass on his thanks to Niven for an excellent meal. The judge and Adam chimed in as well. Artie just sat there, finishing his dessert. "Would anyone like an after-dinner drink out on the terrace? I can bring out some creme liqueur," Krantz said. "None for me, Krantz. We have to get up early. But I would like to go out to the terrace before I turn in," Adam said and then he covered his mouth subtlety as he yawned. "Same for me. Yes, terrace... No, creme liqueur," Dawson said. "I'd like to have a look at the stars without all the light pollution from the city. But I don't think I should have anything else to drink," the judge said. The boys didn't look at Artie, but they did pause for him to respond. The judge looked at him. She tilted her head as she examined him. Finally he spoke. "I'm going to turn in if I have to get up that early," Artie said. He pushed his chair back, tossed his napkin onto the table, and simply walked out of the room. Adam raised his eyebrows and sighed after he left the room. The judge looked at Dawson before standing. They thanked Krantz once again and they all headed out to the hallway. "Here," Adam said as he went to one of the hall closets, "it's going to be chilly." He pulled out a few blankets. He handed one to the judge and held the other two. When they got outside, the judge immediately wrapped her blanket around herself. Adam waited until Dawson and Judge Lynch were at the railing and he shut off the outside lights. The sky was lit up with stars. The half-moon reflected off of the lake. As his eyes adjusted, Adam came out and joined them. He draped a blanket around Dawson's back and held the remaining one. "Wow, it's like a postcard," the judge said. "Mmm," Adam acknowledged, "I like to think this is what my grandparents saw when they first came up here together." That sentiment hung in the air as the three of them looked at the lake and the stars. They stayed like that for ten minutes, quietly taking it all in, listening to the nighttime sounds of the lake. "I think I'm going to turn in," the judge said. "Oh, let me get the lights for you, so you don't trip," Dawson said as he started to move. "Don't bother, I can see just fine. Good night, see you bright and early," Judge Lynch said. She made her way into the house and the boys heard the slider close. They were alone. Adam took his blanket and draped it over his back. He spread his arms and went behind Dawson. He enveloped him into his arms as he brought the blanket around both of them. He rested his chin on Dawson's shoulder. "Hmm," Dawson said, "this feels nice." "Um... What was all that with my dad during dinner?" Adam asked. "Well," Dawson said and then paused, "I thought I would try to create some kind of relationship with him. After all, he is your father..." "Oh babe," Adam said as he squeezed Dawson tighter, "You just made me love you even more, but you're on a fool's errand." "Yeah... maybe..." Dawson said as he leaned into Adam, "but at least I'm going to try." Adam closed his eyes and hugged Dawson. He started to yawn. "Mmm, I'm tired...Let's go to bed, babe," Adam whispered. "Mmm, yeah..." Dawson said, "you sound tired." Dawson turned. Adam's blanketed arm slid to Dawson's shoulder as they made their way inside. They went into their rooms through Dawson's door. They tossed their blankets onto one of Dawson's couches. Dawson stripped down and changed into his shorts and t-shirt. Adam went into his room and came out to the bathroom wearing just his boxer briefs. As he finished brushing his teeth Dawson came into the bathroom. "I don't think it's worth taking a shower in the morning. So should we set an alarm for 6:00?" Dawson said before he put his toothbrush in his mouth. Adam yawned. "Sounds good. I'll set it," Adam said. Adam went into Dawson's room and crawled into bed while Dawson brushed his teeth. He rolled over toward the wall and set the alarm. He had intended to roll onto his back, but he was tired and he felt so comfortable. He curled up into a ball and almost immediately fell asleep. "Hey, babe," Dawson whispered excitedly as he slid under the covers. He sidled up next to Adam and discovered he was asleep. Dawson realized that the long, emotional day had taken its toll on Adam. He gently placed his arm over him and made sure he was covered with the blanket. And then Dawson drifted off to sleep, gently holding Adam. ========== If you like this story, tell me: djwarner1984@hotmail.com And then donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/ -DJ