Date: Wed, 3 May 2017 00:08:44 +0000 From: Douglas DD Subject: Aiden Chapter 48 Thanks for returning to read more about Aiden. This chapter has Aiden becoming closer to his new friends. He also runs into a reminder that he has to be prepared for trouble as he runs into a couple of boys he's had issues with. Please donate to the Nifty Archive and keep the source of the stories flowing. CHAPTER 48 BUSY SUMMER Chase and his brother Logan woke up at almost the same time even though they had been sleeping in different houses. But, they woke up differently, almost like they were in different universes. Logan was disoriented when he woke up. He wondered why he wasn't wearing pajamas and even stranger, why he was naked. He turned and bumped into Aiden. He and Aiden had separated during the night, so he was surprised to find he was in bed with a boy who was naked, too. At first he thought he was dreaming, but as his brain came into focus he remembered the night before and how he and his cousin decided to sleep together naked. When Logan bumped Aiden it woke him up. He had been in a dream state and close to waking up—Logan's turn was all it took to bring Aiden wide awake. Aiden turned, saw that Logan was awake, and smiled. "Good morning, cuz," he said softly. "Chase always calls you cuz," Logan giggled. "Yep, and now I'm calling you cuz." "I slept good. I liked sleeping naked; my pajamas weren't rubbing me." "I liked sleeping naked with my cuz," Aiden said. Logan grinned. "I wonder if Chase and Sammy slept naked, too. I know he sleeps naked with Hatcher." "And how do you know that?" "I just do," Logan told his cousin conspiratorially. "We should get up and shower. I bet my dads are up—they always get up early." "So do my mom and dad." The naked nine-year-olds got out of bed. Aiden started for the bathroom when he remembered that his aunt and uncle were sleeping upstairs. He decided he needed to at least put on some underpants. He told Logan to do the same, and then the two boys headed across the hall to the bathroom. As they stood side-by-side and peed, Logan suggested they shower in the basement to keep the bathroom available and Aiden agreed. They grabbed fresh underpants from the bedroom. Aiden took a pair of socks as well. The cousins enjoyed a quick, hot shower under separate showerheads. They washed each other's backs, but it was an innocent shower by two young boys who, while not always all that innocent, were not yet driven to be sexual every time they got naked. That made them different from Sammy and Chase, who woke up at close to the same time. They each sported morning wood. Sammy put his on display as he got out of bed ready to go pee. "I always hate pushing my hard dick down in the morning so I can pee," Sammy complained. He was feeling much better after a night's sleep. He tried to forget his depression of the night before, but wasn't entirely successful. "If I can't get my boner to go down, I just go pee in the shower and let the shower wash it down," Chase replied. "I mean, it all, like, goes down the same drain in the end." Sammy's phone rang as he got out of bed. He saw that it was his mother calling and answered the call. "Good morning, mom." "Good morning, son. I hope you and your new friend slept well. Breakfast will be in a half-hour." "Thanks. Bye mom." Sammy ended the call without waiting for a reply. He gave Chase the message and headed to the bathroom. Chase followed Sammy and they both stepped into the shower. Sammy wasn't sure what to expect from Chase in the shower—he wouldn't mind peeing there; he just didn't want to get peed on. Chase was tempted to get into a literal pissing match with Sammy, but with very little time to shower before breakfast, he decided not to get too kinky. He did piss on the tiles of the shower wall, however, and was pleased when Sammy did the same. The odor of urine permeated the stall, and then went away as the shower washed their piss down the drain. "Glad you didn't piss on me, you ass waffle," Sammy giggled. Chase flipped him the bird. "I would do it now if I had any left. I was being nice to you, but I won't be next time." The boys quickly washed themselves and each other, stepped out of the shower, and dried off. "Somebody told me that's what the men's toilets are in some places, just walls that everybody pees on while they stand next to each other," Chase said. "Cool," Sammy replied. "I'd go to something like that as long as no old guys perv on me." Chase grabbed fresh boxers out of his bag but Sammy stopped him before he could pull them on. "What?" Chase asked. "Get on the bed and then on your hands and knees." Chase shrugged and did as he was told. Sammy got behind him. The boner that had died in the shower was back in its full glory. "Spread your legs and your butt cheeks." Chase did what he was told and almost leaped straight in the air when Sammy buried his face into Chase's crack and started licking his pucker. "What the fuck are you doing?" Sammy said nothing, but kept on licking. "Whatever, it feels good." Sammy forced his tongue into Chase's hole, which sent shivers coursing through the twelve-year-old. "What the fuck, you got your tongue inside my butt." "It's called rimming," Sammy aid has he pulled back. "You do it to get a butt loose to fuck, plus it's really sexy to do. If we had time, I'd rim you and fuck you. But, I wanted to show you this while we had a chance so you know how to get your boyfriend ready." "You are whacked, Sammy. You don't want me to pee on you, but you go sticking your tongue inside of my butthole. That is so totally fucked up." "I was just showing you more that you can do. But, next time we're together we'll both do something we don't want to do. I'll let you pee on me, and you'll let me rim you and fuck you." "Fair enough. I wish I could stay one more night, but we're leaving tomorrow morning." Chase and Sammy had asked for permission to overnight for two nights. They were not surprised when they were turned down. Sammy had some chores to do after breakfast with Chase willingly helping him. Sammy invited his friend Spencer over and the three boys spent some time in the pool. It wasn't as big as Larry and Phil's pool, but it was wet and the water was warm. "If we were at my uncle's we could skinny dip," Chase said after Spencer stripped down to his swim shorts. Sammy's pool didn't have the privacy that Chase's uncles had since neighbors could look down into his backyard. "That would be mega-cool," Spencer said. Chase knew that Sammy and Spencer messed around, but there was no opportunity for that. Jeffrey and Nick were at Kentburg doing lifeguard work at their community pool. Sammy's mother didn't have to work. It was Sammy's mother being home that put a crimp into having any sexual fun. But, they did get a really good lunch. Chase was picked up by Troy just after two o'clock and was soon in the Miller family pool with Aiden and Logan. This time, he got to swim naked. That night, Chase slept with Aiden while Logan slept downstairs on the pullout couch in the multi-purpose room that could serve as a guest room. "Chase should get a night with Aiden like I had," Logan said, earning praise from his mother for his unselfishness. Aiden was happy that he could have a night with his older cousin. Chase did not disappoint him as they stripped naked for bed. The twelve-year-old was patient when Troy came up the room to tuck them in. "I don't get to tuck in my big boy much anymore, so I had to take advantage of this." "Don't get too excited," Chase told him. "This is a one-night special." Troy knew that an occasional tucking in might still be in the future, but he'd leave that up to his son. Having been informed of Aiden's nightly ritual, he pulled the covers over the boys' bare bellies and chests and up to their chins. He was certain that neither boy was wearing any kind of clothing. He kissed them both on the forehead, said good-night and left the room after being informed there would be no reading. "What are we going to do?" Aiden asked eagerly a few seconds after the door closed. "Sixty-nine," Chase replied, which suited Aiden just fine. It was exactly what he'd hoped for. They set up side-by-side. The cousins were soon busy providing pleasure with Chase being the first to cum. Aiden knew what was about to happen as his older cousin face fucked him with fervor and soon filled his mouth with his preteen boy seed. Aiden followed with an intense dry cum about a minute later. Chase was amazed by how far Aiden had come in bed. He was quite good at sucking him off and handled his load without spilling a drop. He thought about finger fucking Aiden's ass while they sucked each other, but held off. Maybe that was something he'd consider doing after Aiden turned ten. That night, considering that they performed oral sex on each other, their sex was pretty basic. That didn't stop it from being something special and wonderful, however. Aiden cuddled up to his cousin, happy that he got to sleep naked with both of his cousins during their visit. Even though in his world his cousins lived far off, they meant as much to him as his friends in Mayfield. Logan and Chase left with their parents just after ten the next morning. Hugs were exchanged. Aiden and Chase promised to text and email each other. All three boys said they couldn't wait to get together again, which they knew would happen during their Alaska cruise in less than a month. On the way home, Logan looked on with interest as his brother played pocket pool in the backseat of the SUV. Logan wondered if Chase would let him slide his hand inside of his pants to help him. It was the first time Logan had had any serious sexual thoughts regarding his older brother. The presence of his parents in front of him discouraged him from trying. But just having that thought meant that the relationship between the brothers might soon be changing. While still naïve and shy about sexual matters, Logan's outlook on them had undergone a change during his visit with his cousin Aiden. The fact that Chase covertly masturbated with his little brother sitting next to him signaled a change on his part as well. He felt proud when he creamed, wondering if Logan had any idea what he had just done. Even though Logan feigned disinterest, he knew exactly what his big brother had just done. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ After his cousins left, Aiden's summer became even busier, if that was possible. There were happenings that stood out, there were things that were routine, and, as with most people, there were incidents swirling around Aiden that he knew nothing about but still had an effect on his life. While Aiden wasn't playing baseball, he was still busy with the game. Larry and Phil worked with him and his friends on their baseball skills whenever they could. Aiden was the batboy for the Mayfield Yard Goats, Phil's 16- and-under baseball team. They were sponsored by the Centralia, Clark Pass, and Pacific Railroad. Aiden learned that a yard goat was a locomotive that did switching in railroad yards. Unlike high school ball, where a batboy had to be twelve or in sixth grade, the minimum age in the summer league in which Phil coached was nine, which made Aiden eligible for the job. Gordy and Miles sometimes helped Aiden with the batboy chores. Muddy wasn't interested in being a batboy and Mason was spending a few weeks on his grandparents' apple farm near Yakima. His mother was more than happy to not have to worry about who would watch after her son while she worked. Gordy was still playing baseball, much to the envy of Aiden, but helped as much as he could. Phil allowed only one other boy in the dugout with Aiden. Even though they were good kids, Phil understood they stood a better chance of behaving if the pack mentality didn't take effect. The Saturday after Aiden's cousins left was July 8. The Yard Goats had a doubleheader against the Monte Bulldogs at the Mayfield High School field. Trent would be helping Aiden as batboy for the first time. He had helped at a couple of practices, but the opportunity to work during a game hadn't materialized. Aiden and Trent agreed that Aiden would take care of the batboy chores during the first game and Trent would do the honors during the second game. Phil was impressed that Trent was willing to play second fiddle to a boy a grade lower than he was. There were a lot of impressive things about Trent that Phil and Larry had noted. The Yard Goats won both games by scores of 5-2 and 6-5. Aiden and Trent worked efficiently together and were able to have fun while taking their jobs seriously. One topic they discussed was broached with Phil and Larry after the games. "Can Aiden spend the night at my house?" Trent asked. "You might want to ask your parents first," Phil answered. "Oh, I asked them before I came to the field. They said it was okay if it was okay with you guys." Permission was granted. Phil said he would bring Aiden over as soon as he could. Trent rode his bike home and Aiden was dropped off an hour later. The boys enjoyed a great night together, playing outside, splashing in the pool, watching a movie, and hanging with Trent's mom and dad. Jackson, Trent's older brother, was at a parentally supervised overnight party at a friend's house. Aiden noted that Trent didn't hang out in his underwear—T-shirt and gym shorts were the dress of the evening. Aiden slept in his sleeping bag in his Seahawks boxers while Trent wore dark gray boxer-shorts to bed. Nothing sexual happened beyond the two boys checking out each other's packages when they were down to their underpants and glancing at each other's junk when they took their before bed pees. That night they were two young friends innocently enjoying each other's company. Monday was the first day of the annual Mayfield Baseball Day Camp. Larry and Dean Ecklund, the middle school baseball coach, were the camp supervisors. The camp lasted for a week and kids fourteen and under from Mayfield, Meadow Park, Kentburg, and even a couple from Clark Pass, attended. Larry and Dean did some coaching as did their assistants and the Kentburg high school and middle school coaches. Former Mayfield baseball players Connor and Scott, who were coaching the Mayfield ten and under travel team, were regular coaches at the camp. Also helping at times were Kevin, Korey, and Kraig Corcoran, Chandler Ecklund, Hunter Hawkins, Noah McCall, and Eric Simmons. Work prevented them from being there daily, but without the help of the alumni the camp wouldn't be possible. This was one of many lasting legacies the graduates of the Mayfield baseball program left for the younger boys to think about. The bulk of the coaching of the younger boys was done by current Mayfield and Kentburg players. Nick and Jeffrey were at the forefront of this group. The camp made for a busy week, but the younger boys learned a lot about baseball. So did the older boys, especially those coaching, for that matter. Even though Larry went to the camp, which was held at the Park Department baseball complex, every day, Aiden rode his bike to the complex on three of the five days of camp. He enjoyed being given the trust to ride into town and he enjoyed the freedom to run off and play with his friends when camp ended at three. He had to phone or text where he was going anytime he went on the move and had to be home an hour before dark. Other than that, he was as free as any of the townies. Gordy, Miles, Trent, Collin, Muddy, and Rusty were among his friends and teammates at the camp. A couple of the older boys attending the camp whom Aiden knew were Sammy, his friend Spencer, and Miles's brother John. Aiden was always interested in watching Sammy when he was being serious about something and wasn't obsessing about sex. When that happened, he saw the focused, studious boy that Sammy had been before puberty and other issues ravaged him. The boy who caught a lot of Aiden's attention, however, was Nolan Moyer. One of his parents brought him and two other Meadow Park boys to camp every day. Aiden was always happy to be assigned to the same group as Nolan and sat with him in the bleachers or out on the grass during the lunch that was provided by the camp. Aiden was perceptive enough to notice that Nolan found ways to hang around with him at times as well. While the boys bonded in some ways, they mostly just got to know each other and to realize that they really liked each other. They lived too far apart to expect much more than a casual friendship to ever happen between them, but it was nice to make a friend who could be playing on an opposing team during the season. There was one negative thing that happened during the week. Russell, Barry, and Roger attended the camp, although Barry only showed up three days. Peter did not attend the camp because of his father's animosity toward Larry. Larry and Dean kept a close eye on the three boys because of the history between them and Aiden. The boys knew they were being watched and had enough fear of the coaches to not cause trouble. That did not mean they spent the week being angels, however. After camp on Thursday, Aiden rode off with Miles, Rusty, and Muddy. Gordy had a ballgame at Kelso and had to go directly home. The boys ended up at Muddy's house and enjoyed a jerkoff session in Muddy's backyard. "I haven't messed around in forever," Aiden said, as if a week was forever. In a couple of years, it would be forever when it came to sex, but for now he pretty much messed around with other boys when the opportunity came up, which was a lot less often than one would expect. "Mudrak was very horny all day today," Muddy said as the boys rode their bikes to Muddy's house. The only person home was Muddy's twelve-year- old brother Josif. Muddy led his friends to a corner of the yard that could not be seen from the neighbors' houses. Muddy pulled down his pants and underpants, revealing his four plus inch boner. Aiden and Miles joined him and the three of them sat on the grass. Josif came outside and said he wanted to join. Since nobody objected, he yanked down his shorts and sat next to them. Aiden noted that he wasn't wearing any underpants. Rusty got nervous about stripping down and asked if he could just sit on the deck and maybe watch. "No, that is not...," Josif started. Muddy barked something in his native language and Josif shut up. "Do whatever you want," Aiden said. "We're all okay with it." He and Miles looked over at Josif, who nodded. Muddy might have been younger than Josif, but there was no question that he was the alpha brother. It was the big reason he was still a virgin since Josif had been told in no uncertain terms by Muddy to leave his ass alone. After the third time, Josif learned that his brother Mudrak meant what he said. The boys sat back against the backyard fence and masturbated. Their doing it outside in the open made it seem even naughtier than it normally would. It didn't take long for Miles to have a dry cum, followed quickly by Muddy shooting his clear boy honey on his belly. Josif shot his thicker boy seed onto the grass and a few seconds later Aiden had his dry cum. As they pulled up their pants, Rusty came over to them. "I kinda wish I'd done it now," he said. "I got a boner." "You could have come over any time," Miles told him. "I can do it when I get home." Rusty was so much like Gordy, Aiden wondered what would happen if Rusty and Gordy had an overnight. It probably would be no different than what his overnight with Trent had been like. The boys went into the house to get some drinks. Aiden called Larry to tell him he'd be home for dinner. Dinner plans as to who would be eating at whose house were often spontaneous. Not long after finishing his drink, Aiden donned his helmet, made sure his glove was secured to his bike, and started peddling for home. Every time he rode his bike into town he felt very grown up—if being almost ten was this special, he couldn't help but wonder what being ten years old would be like. As he crossed Oak Street he didn't notice the three bicycles coming up the street about a half a block to his left. But the riders recognized Aiden as his bike crossed the street. "Hey, was that who I thought it was?" Barry asked Roger and Russell. "That was him," Roger replied. All three of them knew that Aiden was who Roger referring to. "He's got to be riding home. Let's go give him some shit." Peter Astor had made a number of promises to Barry if he beat up Aiden, which had Barry wondering if this might be his opportunity. While he didn't see Peter much anymore, he was certain that Peter hadn't forgotten those promises. The three boys turned on Fourth Street and followed Aiden. They held back when Aiden waited at a red signal at the only traffic light in Mayfield. When the light changed to green and Aiden started across Highway 12 the three boys raced to the light, which changed to red just as they arrived at the intersection. As soon as traffic cleared, they ran the red and raced across the highway. There were only a few houses between Highway 12 and the dam. As Barry saw it, this was the perfect place to make trouble. They caught up to Aiden just before the dam. Barry passed Aiden's bike and cut him off, forcing him to stop. "Hey, faggot, what were you doing in our way?" Barry sneered. "Riding my bike," Aiden said without a hint of irony. "I think you were being an asshat and keeping us from passing you before the dam." The bikeway across the dam was narrow, making passing difficult except for a wide spot at the center of the dam. "It looks like you got around me already," Aiden observed. "Quit being a pecker head and shut up." "I think we need to beat the crap out of him," Roger challenged. With two friends to back him up, Roger's courage level was on the rise. "Go for it," Barry challenged his friend. "Me and Russell's got your back." For his part, Barry was torn about what to do. Ever since Aiden had him kicked out of Lakeside School, Barry hated him. He dreamed of ways to beat the living shit out of him. Peter had egged him on, reminding him how Aiden got him in trouble. But, Barry also feared Aiden's dads as well as his own parents. He had finally gotten free reign on his bicycle the week before. He didn't want to return to the kind of restriction he had been on. Sure, he'd found ways to violate his restrictions, but he also missed doing a lot of things he wanted to do. He thought if Roger or Russell took care of Aiden he would get into less trouble with his parents and with Aiden's dads. Aiden could feel his heart thudding in his chest. While he was afraid, he wasn't paralyzed by his fear. He was looking around him for a way out, but with his bicycle blocked in front by Barry and in back Roger, racing away from them wasn't an option. He thought about invoking his dads' names, although he didn't think it would do much good seeing as they were over a mile away. Besides, Aiden preferred taking care of his own problems to hiding behind adults. "Hey, I got an idea," Barry said. "Let's take his fancy baseball mitt and throw it over the dam. We can see what it catches on the way down." He was referring to the prize glove that Marty had given him. "What's wrong, faggot, don't you got nothing to say?" Aiden's answer was to get off his bike, letting it drop to the ground. Barry was caught by surprise and Aiden took advantage of it, knocking both Barry and his bicycle to the ground. "What the fuck?" Barry whined as Aiden jumped on top of the bigger boy and sat on him. "I'm gonna punch you right in the nose unless you promise to leave me alone." His fist was hovering above Barry's face. "Hey, look what I got," Roger cried out. He held up Aiden's glove, which he'd pulled off of the handlebars of Aiden's bike. "Time to send this sorry thing over the dam." Aiden squeaked with fear—he was more afraid for his glove than was for himself. He got off of Barry and turned to grab his glove from Roger, but Barry grabbed Aiden's ankles and tackled him to the ground. "Do it!" Barry yelled. "Throw it off the dam!" Roger laughed and started for the dam when Russell, who had quietly been watching everything, grabbed Roger and yanked the glove out of his hand. "It's about time you woke up, doofus," Barry said to Russell. He was now sitting on Aiden's ass and had started pounding his fists on the nine-year- old's back. Russell put his foot against Barry's ribs and kicked him hard enough to knock him off of Aiden. "Whose side are you on, ass wipe?" Russell handed the baseball glove off to Aiden, who had popped to his feet. Before he could say anything a car heading in the direction of the dam stopped and honked its horn. The driver opened her window and asked if there was a problem. Barry, who was rubbing his ribs, got off the ground and pointed to Russell and Aiden. "Those two were trying to beat me and my friend up," he told the woman. "If you all don't go on your way I'm going to call the police," she told them. "We're outta here before those bullies can do more," Barry said has he mounted his bike. He and Roger rode quickly off in the direction of town. "Aren't you Coach Sanders's boy?" the woman asked Aiden. "You should be ashamed of yourself. What would your dad think if he knew you were a bully?" She looked at Russell. "And I know your mother. Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves." Before the boys could say anything, a truck pulled up behind her and the driver honked. Her window went up and she drove off in a huff. Aiden immediately recognized Phil's truck. "What's going on?" Phil asked. "Nothing," Aiden answered. Phil looked in his rearview mirror and saw that no cars were coming up behind him. "Throw your bike in the back. It looked like more than nothing was going on." "I'd have to ride down to the end of the fence to do that." The chain link fence separating the bike pike path from the road ended about a hundred yards in the direction of town. "Is Russell bothering you?" Phil asked, wondering if that was why the woman had stopped. "Nope. He's my friend," Aiden said. Phil saw a car approaching behind him; another one was just coming off the dam and coming toward him. "We'll talk about it when you get home," he said and then drove off. "Thanks, Russell," Aiden said. "I thought you were on their side." "I was, but I didn't think they'd be ganging up on you. I thought we'd just give you a hard time and let you go home." He looked sheepishly at the ground. "I'm sorry, Aiden." "It's cool. Thanks again. You saved my mitt." He mounted his bike, gave Russell a little wave, and pedaled home. As much as he wanted to lie about what had happened, Aiden knew his dads would see right through him, which would get him into trouble. He'd had enough trouble for the day, so he told the truth. "I didn't mind them wanting to beat me up, because I wasn't going to let them. But, Marty gave me that baseball mitt and there was no way I wanted them to throw it off the dam." "Aiden, you were outnumbered three to one," Larry pointed out. "As feisty as you are, I doubt you were going to keep them from beating you up." "Roger is a wuss and I think Barry would have stopped because he doesn't want to get in worse trouble. I didn't know what Russell was going to do, but he ended up saving my mitt." "I can't believe Russell even considered siding with them," Phil said. "I mean you two were baseball teammates." "He helped me," was the last Aiden had to say about the incident and he changed the subject. "I'm gonna go get washed for dinner." Larry ended up talking to Barry's parents on the phone. They gave him Roger's number and he talked to his parents. Barry found himself back on restriction. His parents didn't buy his story that Aiden and Russell had jumped him—he had tried that tactic before. They knew it was a lie then, and they were certain it was a lie this time. Barry was pissed at Russell for dissing him and ruining his summer, he was pissed at Roger for being a wuss, and he was pissed at Aiden for being Aiden. In his mind, he wasn't done with Aiden—he just had to find a way to get to him without getting caught. Aiden wasn't happy either. He knew as soon his daddy called Barry's parents that Barry was going to want to get revenge for being ratted out. Aiden had had no intention of telling his dads what had happened at the dam and he wouldn't have said anything if that busybody lady hadn't stopped which caused his dad to stop. Aiden's moral code said it was okay to keep something a secret from his dads, but it was not okay to lie to them. Now he would have to wonder what the price for telling the truth was going to be. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Barry didn't attend the last day of camp. His parents agreed with Larry that keeping him home from camp was the right thing to do. Roger showed up, but kept his distance from Larry and Aiden. Without Barry to prop him up, Roger was nothing to worry about. Russell was there and approached Aiden at the first break. Aiden wasn't sure what to think about what he said. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't like what Barry and Roger did. I don't know if I want to be their friend. I don't like you much, and don't want to be your friend either, but at least you don't pick on people." He turned and walked away, not waiting for a reply. Gordy had been standing behind Aiden and heard what Russell said. "What was that about?" "It was about what happened when I rode home, yesterday." Aiden had told Gordy everything on the phone the night before. "Russell is totally weird. I'm glad he's going to sixth grade." "Well, at least he isn't mean." As far as Aiden was concerned a person could be as weird as he wanted to be as long as he wasn't mean and didn't bully people. Aiden thought Sammy was weird, but he never tried to hurt anybody. When Sammy hit him in the face with his cum the year before, as far as Aiden was concerned Sammy was simply being weird. The last day of camp went well. Outside of Russell, Roger, Gordy, and Miles, nobody knew about the incident at the dam the day before. Aiden was pleased that Russell kept his mouth shut and was very surprised that Roger didn't say anything. He noticed that Russell and Roger barely talked to each other all day. Everybody received a certificate of participation. Aiden, Gordy, Miles, Sammy, Sammy's friend Spencer, Collin, Rusty, and Muddy helped Larry and his camp coaches put equipment away. With all of the help the equipment was packed away and loaded into the coaches' cars and trucks quickly. That night, Larry and Phil took Aiden to the Steakhouse in Centralia for a celebration dinner. Phil remained in Centralia after work and met Larry and Aiden at the restaurant. Aiden was excited that Peter, the waiter, was working and would be serving their table. It was a perfect end to what was almost a perfect week. As they enjoyed their dinner, the family discussed all of the things they had planned for the rest of the summer. Larry and Phil said they couldn't remember having had such a busy summer. "I think it's because a little blond imp keeps us moving," Phil laughed. "Me? What did I do?" Aiden asked. He still had his moments when he wasn't sure about his status, but they were becoming more rare. "Hey, don't give my favorite customer a hard time," Peter said as he refilled their drink glasses. "Trust us, son, everything you did was good," Phil told Aiden. "You keep us moving, you keep us feeling young, and you fill us with your love. Plus, you keep our waiter happy." Peter tousled Aiden's hair and moved on to one of his other tables. "Let's see how we're moving. We've got Tyson and Darnell visiting next weekend," Larry started. "Yippee!" Aiden shouted, getting a teacher's "keep your voice down" look from Larry. Aiden put his hand over his mouth and uttered a muffled, "Oops." "I take it you really like Darnell." "Yep. He's really nice. I wish he lived closer." Before Larry could continue his list of upcoming events, Aiden added one of his own. "Soccer camp starts in just over two weeks." The soccer camp would be like the baseball camp had been—a day camp sponsored by the Mayfield Park Department." "Followed by our trip to Seattle to see the Mariners play followed by our cruise to Alaska," Phil said. "And we're taking the train to Seattle, right?" "Exactly," Larry agreed. He looked over at Phil and asked him if they had missed anything. "I don't think so." "You missed me eating dinner with Autumn, but you can keep missing that if you want," Aiden said. "Oh yeah, we forgot all about that." Larry told him. Aiden realized instantly that he had stuck his foot in his mouth. "Well, I hope Autumn and her mom forgot, too." "If that happens it happens," Phil said. Larry started to add, "And if it doesn't happen...." "...then it doesn't happen," Aiden added. "Oh, I remember what we forgot to tell you," Larry grinned. "What, that Autumn is having dinner at our house and will be going swimming and want to spend the night?" "Oh, good Lord, no," Larry chuckled. "I guess you didn't see the posters that went up downtown at some of the stores today." "What posters?" "About a charter bus going to Everett to watch the Aqua Sox play Saturday and Sunday the weekend after next." Aiden sat stunned for a moment, stifled what would have been an even louder "yippee" than his previous one, and broke out into a giant grin. "That means we get to see Marty play. I was hoping we'd get to see him play, but we got so many things to do I didn't think we would." "Well, we take the bus up Saturday morning. Saturday is a night game and Sunday's game is an afternoon game and we'll watch them both and be home Sunday night." "Why can't we watch him play Friday, too?" "Because people have to work on Friday," Phil pointed out. "A lot of people want to take that trip." "So, why can't we just drive up?" "Because doing things with your community is important. The people going are almost all big supporters of Mayfield sports. It will be a lot of fun to be with the fans who watched Marty play high school baseball and watch him play along with them." "So, we could drive up and still sit with them for those two games." "I work on Friday, too," Phil reminded his son. "The drive up there on a good day from Centralia is almost three hours, and Friday evening is not a good day." "Okay, well then, I'll have to be happy to watch Marty play two games, I guess." Larry ruffled Aiden's hair. "A very mature reaction, son." "I'm almost ten, so I should be mature, right?" "It's a sign you're growing up." Aiden looked at his dads with an impish smile on his face. "Just because I understand doesn't mean I like it. Three games would still be better." Peter came up behind Aiden. "Did I hear somebody say something about being ten soon?" he asked as he set down the dessert menus. "Do you hear everything people say?" "I only hear what the really important people say." "I am almost ten already. I'll be ten on September first." "A very important age. A time for doing a lot of grown up things. I hope you enjoy every second watching Marty play." "Oh, I will," Aiden grinned. "He's my big bro." "Big bros like Marty are very special, especially for somebody who is almost ten." It was a great dinner for Aiden, who felt very important and very grown up. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Al Miller heard the doorbell ring just minutes after arriving home from work. He took a peek out of the living room window, but didn't see a car in front of the house. His deduction was that person at the front door was either a neighbor or a solicitor. When he looked through the peephole in the front door he discovered it as neither. Al was certain he wasn't happy to see the visitor as he opened the door and greeted his middle son. "Well, this is certainly a surprise. How are you Keegan?" "That sure isn't much of a greeting," Keegan said. "You sound like you're not happy to see me—like you're not happy to see your long lost son." "Let's say I'm not overwhelmed." "Aren't you going to invite me in?" "I didn't have time to secure my valuables," Al said with a touch of vehemence. Al stepped back and waved Keegan into the house. "You're an asshole as usual. For all of your AA bullshit, you sure haven't become a forgiving soul." Keegan sat on the couch and grinned insincerely. "I seem to recall you serving time for some burglaries." "And I did serve my time. I'm done with that jail bullshit. No more booze, no more drugs, no more dealing—not that you'd believe me." "Are you attending meetings?" Keegan sniggered. "If you mean those bullshit AA meetings you go to, the answer is no." Keegan glared at his father. "You know, for a guy who does all that AA crap, you don't seem to forgive people's mistakes very easy. And you sure as fuck seem to have problems believing people." This wasn't the first time Al and Keegan had danced to this tune. "When you keep doing the same bullshit over and over again, you make it hard to forgive." "When you got off getting your twelve-year-old kid drunk every night, you pretty much showed what a piece of shit father you were then, and you ain't changed a bit." "I've made my amends to you." "Boy, those sure as fuck helped—all those amends and I'm still broke. I guess those drunken parties you and me had didn't have anything to do with me being an addict and a drunk." Al was starting to get upset with his son. "Why are you here, Keegan? I mean other than to come into my house and make trouble." "Gee whiz, dad, I came here to tell you how much I loved you." "Don't go bullshitting me—just tell me what you want." "God, I hate you. You were better when you were drunk all the time. What makes you think I want something?" Al didn't reply. He stood to the side of the couch glaring at his son. The silence was making Keegan feel uncomfortable and he broke it. "I got a son, you know." Al maintained his silence. "No, I suppose you don't know since you never gave a shit about your family." "How am I supposed to know you have an illegitimate son if you don't tell me?" Keegan shook his head. "I told Troy and he told you. Simple." "Where is he?" Al asked, although he knew the answer. "Last I saw him he was living with his mother, who's a drunk and a whore. She didn't do shit for him. He's probably some special education kid who can barely read and write. He's been living in a fucking hole and didn't have his own fucking bedroom—how's he gonna be able to do schoolwork or read a book? Half the guys she brought home were probably pedophiles who did who knows what to him." "Why didn't you remove him when you had the chance?" "I needed to find a place for a little seven-year-old kid, or however old he was, to live. Plus, the State of fucking Washington nailed me for some bullshit drug charge and sent me to California because of a warrant for something I didn't do. Well, even those idiots figured out it wasn't me that mugged that dude and had to let me go." "And now you want to lay claim to your son," Al stated. "I gather that you came here to Austin, Texas from wherever you were in California to ask me for money to support your good cause. You could have gotten to Seattle just as cheap." "I'm here to help you be a good granddad, to make up for being a shitty dad. I just need a thousand bucks to live on plus travel money to get to Seattle and I'll find him. Guys on the streets will know where he is—that's how I found him and his mother the last time I was there." "You really think I'm going to give you a thousand some dollars when I know you'll drink and drug it all away?" Keegan did his best to sound sincere. "Come on, be my dad for once. If I find him, first thing I'll do is bring him here for you to meet him." "What's this mysterious boy's name?" "Fuck if I can remember. He's, like, seven and a cute kid even if he's got a wicked temper. I'll bring him here so you can act like a grandpa. I mean, how often do you get to see Troy's kids. Now you'll have one right here in Texas." "You are a real work of art, Keegan." Al took a deep breath. "I'll tell you what; I'll talk this over with Tony". Tony was Al's husband. "Come back the day after tomorrow and I'll give you my answer." "Got anything good for dinner?" "Until then, I don't want to see you or talk to you." "What you need, dad, is a good stiff drink. This sobriety stuff has made you a bigger pile of shit than you ever were before. And you even turn out being a queer on top of everything else. It's a miracle you didn't try to get into my pants—or maybe you did when I was passed out." Keegan got off the couch and went to the door. "I'll see you in two days." Al watched Keegan walk down the sidewalk and off to the right. He had no idea where his son would spend the next two days, and he didn't care— probably someplace he would get free booze. Al knew where his grandson was, but he wasn't about to tell Keegan. While he was certain Keegan would never gain custody of Aiden, he also didn't want his middle son to be anywhere near his grandson. There was no telling what havoc he could create. Before he talked to Tony, he'd call Troy and Phil for advice. Troy was a lawyer and had helped arrange Aiden's new home. Al wasn't worried about seeing his grandson for the first time. That would happen in the right time and in the right place and, if he could help it, it would not include Keegan Miller. After talking with Troy, Phil, and Tony, Al made up his mind about what to do next. But his best chat was with his grandson. It was only the third time he'd talked to him, a fact he felt badly about. But, Phil elected to ration his time with Aiden, mostly because, like Keegan, he still harbored his resentments about the past. "Hi, grandpa," Aiden had said shyly after Phil called him to the phone. "Hello, Aiden. How is life treating you?" Al asked with sincere interest. "Good. I got real dads, and real grandparents, and it's summer vacation." "That is great to hear. Your dad told me you'll be going off on a cruise soon." "Yep. We're going to Alaska. I hope I see some big whales and some big glaciers." Aiden paused for a moment. Before Al could say anything, Aiden went on. "Thank you for the Legos." Al had sent Aiden a Lego set as an adoption gift. "I've been building a baseball field in the spare room in the basement. It's a high school baseball field because it doesn't have a lot of seats. I'm almost done." "Maybe you can send some pictures of it to me," Al suggested. Aiden thought that was a great idea. He said he would take some pictures of it with his phone and send them to him, if his dads let him use his phone to do that. Al told Aiden he would look forward to receiving the pictures and the conversation came to an end. The next day, Keegan showed up on Al's doorstep again. This time Tony was home. Keegan treated his father's husband with obvious disdain. "So, are you giving me money to I can go see my son?" Keegan asked as soon as everybody got settled in the living room. "The way I figure this story is that you somehow managed to travel from San Francisco to Austin so you could travel to Seattle," Al answered. "That seems like a rather roundabout way to get to Seattle." "I came so you could make even more amends to me and give me money." "You know that's not how it works," Al pointed out. "It works any way you want it to work," Keegan said snidely. Al handed Keegan an envelope. Keegan made no attempt to see what was inside. "What the fuck is this?" "It's a train ticket to Seattle. The train leaves tomorrow evening at 6:30. Be on it, because that's all of the help you're getting from me." "Yeah, whatever." Keegan gave his father a long, baleful stare. "You know where he is, don't you? You fucking know where the boy and his bitch of a mother are living." "You wanted my help and you got it." "When I was a kid, you were a piece of shit. Now you're a total piece of shit and a faggot on top of that. Okay, I'll be good, daddy. I'll get out of your hair. But I'm telling you this right now: I don't care what you or Troy or Phil think, I will find him. The boy is my son and I plan on taking him. I won't have him raised by his whore of a mother. I'm going to be there for my son. You ran out on me, but I ain't running out on him." "You never even took the time to learn and remember his name, and now you want to be his dad?" Keegan rose from the couch. "Fuck you, daddy." He glared at Tony. "And fuck you, too, asshole!" Keegan stomped out of the house and slammed the door, leaving his father shaking with anger. Next: Almost Ten.