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You are here: Home > Story Shelf > All Authors > N Fourbois > N Fourbois | Ross and Josh

Ross and Josh

by N Fourbois

This is a 'what happened next?' story, a continuation of Dear Timmy....

* * *

As we neared home, Mum gave a ring on her mobile to warn Grandma that we were on our way and would soon be there. She was looking after Mikey and Lisa, my younger brother and sister. After two and a half hours I had almost exhausted my adventures on holiday with my uncle, Ben, and had almost exhausted my parents with talk of my new found love Josh. Grandma had tea ready and while Mikey and Lisa had already eaten they were keen to sit around the table with us and listen to yet another account of my time with Ben... and naturally Josh. While we cleared the things away, Dad took his mother home. Although my little brother and sister were no trouble, she had obviously had a tiring afternoon looking after them and was pleased to get away. On Dad's return he said

"Come on, Lisa, it's past your bedtime. Mikey, are you going to help me read Lisa a story?"

"Okay, Dad," and the three made their way upstairs.

"I'll go and unpack, Mum. There's not much dirty washing. We kept up with it at Ben's."

"Just a minute, Ross. I need to have a word with you." I immediately wondered what I could have done wrong. I'd only been home five minutes. "Sit down, Ross. Another piece of my home made cherry cake?" That was a relief. I didn't get offered cherry cake if I was in for a bollocking.

"Ross, I want to talk to you about Mikey."

"Oh?"

"You see, he's started to ask questions."

"Questions? What sort of questions?"

"About you and being gay."

"Oh. He doesn't think he's gay as well, does he?"

"Hard to answer that question. All I can say is that he not gay."

"What makes you so certain?"

"A woman can always tell whether a man is gay or not, and when that woman's a mother who draws her experience from her own brother and a son, it's unlikely I'm wrong."

"So what's the problem?"

"Well, you know how he adores you and you can't do any wrong in his eyes. I'm afraid he might think being gay is the thing to be."

"And you want me to make sure he follows the str8 path? Mmm. I suppose I can try."

"He needs a girlfriend."

"At twelve isn't he a bit young for that?"

"You probably haven't noticed yet, but while you were away his voice has started to get deeper."

"Oh, I thought he had a cold or something. I'll keep an eye open and when the moment's right I'll have a word with him." Mum clutched my hand across the table.

"Ross, I meant what I said in the car. If you want Josh to come and stay, he can do so."

"Thanks, Mum."

"Nice to have you home again, love. Go and get yourself sorted out."

I was surprised how late it was. I got myself sorted out. Despite a fortnight's holiday I was feeling tired. 'Too much bed and not enough sleep' was the jocular remark bandied around at school, usually directed at those with black rings under their eyes and thought to have overindulged at masturbation. Can one overindulge at masturbation? I certainly couldn't that night, but wait. I'm getting ahead of myself. After unpacking I went and had a long shower, put on a clean pair of shorts and tee shirt and I was ready for bed. I'll just catch up on my e-mails before I go to sleep, but I was too tired even to do that. I went downstairs and said good night to Mum and Dad, popped my head round the bedroom doors of Mikey and Lisa. Lisa was already asleep, so I blew her a kiss. Mikey was reading, so I kissed him on the forehead and said

"See you in the morning, little bro."

"Good night, big bro," he replied looking at me with those big eyes of his. He was the good-looking member of the family and I often thought that if he hadn't been my brother he was the one I'd like to marry. But I hadn't met Josh then.

Back in my room I stripped off my tee shirt and shorts, climbed under the duvet, made sure the box of Kleenex was within arm's reach and switched off the light. This was the first time I'd slept alone for two weeks and my double bed felt strangely big and empty with just me. I'd intended to drop off to sleep quickly and dream of Josh, but although exhausted, I lay there awake thinking of the previous night together. My cock hardened without any help from my hand and as I fantasised about Josh I'd try to jerk myself off. I hadn't had to do this for myself since leaving home and for some reason it didn't work. My dick even softened while I was working it with my hand and the nerve endings stopped communicating any pleasure. I'd never experienced this before. I lay there just thinking how Josh looked in his lavender dress shirt when Ben brought him and his brother Marc into the room and introduced them.

I must have got some sleep and whether I dreamt of Josh or not I'll never know for the next thing I knew there was a knock at the door and Mum was bringing in a cup of tea and biscuits. I quickly drew the duvet up over my nakedness and morning wood. She kissed me good morning and said

"My! I do think you've grown while you been away." To this day I still don't know whether she was referring to my overall height, but I was really past embarrassment after walking around the house naked at Ben's. More embarrassing was Mum's urgent need to draw the curtains and open the windows with the implication that the atmosphere in my room might be slightly on the foetid side.

After breakfast I had a million things to do, the price of being away for a few days. Fortunately I had managed to relieve the pressure in my loins in the shower helping when I came to open my first e-mail, which was from Josh. It simply said 'Missing you. Love Josh.' and had a zip file attached. I unzipped it and it contained a number of photos of him and his brother Marc, some of them naked. I'd mail the ones of Marc to Ben later when I wrote my bread and butter letter, but the pics of Josh were mine and mine alone. After dealing with my e-mails I downloaded my holiday snaps onto my iMac. Again the main interest were the ones with Josh, particularly of us two together that Ben and Marc had taken for us. I picked out two favourites, one of Josh I took on the Sunday morning where his mood was as dark and brooding as the weather, the other of us two dressed in our finery for dinner on the Saturday holding hands. I made up my mind there and then that I would print them onto so-called photographic paper and frame them, one for my desk and one for my bedroom wall. Fortunately they were high resolution and could enlarged. 'In fact I'll put them on disk and get them done in town and then I can have them larger than A4.' I still had some holiday money left. They wouldn't be cheap. Then I encrypted them all. Mum didn't actually object to my nude photos of boys, but she preferred not to see them. I'd pick out the ones Josh hadn't seen and mail them later. When I got back from the shops I had my exercises to do. With an incipient sixpack I wanted to develop it, not lose it and these could be done without apparatus. I changed into my comp top and shorts as part of the discipline instilled into me at the gym and called Mikey to see if he wanted to join in. When he saw me his wide eyes with their large pupils became even bigger.

"Wow, Ross! Where did you get that from?" I told him. I'd willingly have given him my spare set, but he would have drowned in it. Perhaps I could persuade Ben to give him a set as a birthday present.

"I take it that means yes, Mikey." He went off to change into gym kit and came back dressed in white lycra shorts and a black singlet. I hadn't seen him in these before and was immediately taken aback by how much he has 'grown', as Mum would say. Not much was left to the imagination and it brought home to me how much things must be stirring in him.

We went through the exercise routine. It slowed me down a bit showing the Mikey the exercises, but he caught on quickly and I knew that if we did it again together we'd just get on with it. Afterwards we went and showered. It was nothing unusual for us to shower together. We'd been doing it for years and thought nothing about it. However, my time away had changed everything. After what I had seen in white lycra I was keen to check Mikey out and what I saw gave me an instant erection. Mikey grinned and thought it was a good excuse for him to have one too. Then he just put his hand round my boner and started jerking me.

"Hey, Mikey, a gentleman always asks first."

"Sorry. Can I, Ross, can I?" He looked up at me with those great spaniel-like eyes. How could I refuse him? I'd gone beyond the point of stopping, 'hooked on' as Jim Davidson called it in one of his stories, and if Mikey didn't do it I would have had to finish myself off. As the warm water splashed over us it was exquisite. "I learnt to to this last week. I had my first wank. I wanted to tell you sooner, but couldn't with Mum, Dad and Lisa around."

"Hey, congratulations, Mikey. Now you're a man." I would have hugged him if the circumstances had been different. "If you're going to do that to me, put your other hand under my balls and feel them gently... aaagh! GENTLY I said. Aah, that's better." Not as good as anything I had on with Ben or Josh, but certainly up to rugby club standards when suddenly I came. Neither Mikey nor I were expecting it so soon and my seed splashed all over his face, into his eyes and into his mouth which he had injudiciously kept open.

"Ugh!" came the expletive as I grabbed the rose and played water across his face before his eyes stung. He licked his lips and swallowed. "I could get to like this," he grinned.

"Careful with swallowing. It can make you pregnant."

"Can it really?... Oh, piss off, Ross," and he went red as he realised his foolishness. Blushing he said "I could really get a taste for this. Can you do me now?" This was a first, but the threshold had been crossed. It let me in nicely for what Mum wanted me to do. I turned him round so that he snuggled into me with his back against my front and my now soft dick rubbing against his body and administered my fraternal duty. Out of personal pride this had to be the best sample I could give. Only afterwards did I realise it might have made entirely the wrong impression, but as the saying goes 'A standing dick had no conscience'. I'd forgotten how strong young orgasms could be and Mikey shot across the bathtub and hit the opposite wall making us giggle. We cleaned ourselves up, I made sure we left no evidence at the scene of the crime and we got out and dried ourselves off.

"Go and get dressed, Mikey, and I'll go and make us a couple of milkshakes - Uncle Ben's special recipe he taught me. I'll bring them up to your room."

Ten minutes later I had delivered the milkshakes and we were lying together on Mikey's bed.

"Mikey, do you want some brotherly advice?"

"What about, big bro?" I'm sure he thought I wanted to talk about wanking.

"Lycras."

"Lycras?"

"Lycras, especially white lycras."

"Go on."

"If you're going to wear them as a top garment like today you've got to wear something underneath."

"Such as?"

"A jockstrap, slip, speedos or a thong."

"Why's that?"

"You need support during exercise or you could get an injury, and also it's more elegant. Girls would prefer to see one bulge rather than lots of bits flopping about... or not flopping if you get a stiffie." How did I know what girls liked to see? I did know what I liked though. Something to discover later.

"What do you usually wear, Ross?"

"It depends. It depends what I feel like. For sport a jock usually and anyway I like the way the straps show through across your butt. That is so sexy. Otherwise a thong as they give the clearest cut outlines to your buns and package."

"Euh... you're gross, Ross."

"Hey Mikey, that's great from someone who's just swallowed my spunk and enjoyed it."

"That's different."

"How?" Mikey took a sip of milkshake without swallowing and stuck his tongue out with it still there pretending it was spunk. "Who's being gross now?" and I grabbed him and wrestled with him on the bed. I stopped when I felt I was getting another stiffie. "Tell me, Mikey. Are you gay too?"

"No way, Ross. I'm just on a learning curve."

"That's good. You've got to make your own way in life and not think you've got to be gay because I am."

"Is there something wrong with being gay?"

"Not for me because I am gay. I'm just made that way and it's easier to accept the fact than fight it. I enjoy it, but that's for me. It would be entirely wrong for you to try and become gay just because I am or Uncle Ben is. For a start you would end up being very unhappy pretending you're something you're not and it's not without its risks. There are people in the world who can't handle the fact there are gay people and they want to hurt us in some way."

"You didn't mind what I did to you in the shower just now, did you?"

"No, of course not. I wouldn't have let you do it if I did, but I think in future you'd better keep it for your friends at the rugby club. Then it's on the fooling around level and doesn't become serious."

"Did you you do anything like that with Uncle Ben?"

"That's none of your business, Mikey."

"That means yes." My brother was nothing if not sharp.

"As I say, that's none of your business."

"Isn't there a special word for it?"

"For what?"

"When you have sex with a relative."

"It's called incest, the game the whole family can play," I added automatically.

"So what we've just done is incest?"

"I suppose it is."

"Isn't that seriously bad?"

"It can be, but usually between male and female relations because it can result in a seriously deformed baby." Mikey went quiet, deep in thought.

"Ross, you don't think any the less of me, do you?"

"No, of course not. I love you, Mikey. Give me a hug."

We lay there for five minutes, completely asexually. I loved Mikey, I loved Josh, but it was a different kind of love.

"Ross, when do I get to meet Josh?"

"I don't know. I don't even know when or if I shall see him again."

"So you're not boyfriends?"

"Not officially, but I'd like us to be. Mum said he can come and stay here. I'm going to ring him tonight. Do you want to see what he looks like?"

"Oh, yeah." We moved across to my room and I got copies of the two pictures I was having framed up on the screen. "He's a bit good looking," said Mikey. "You go well together."

"I'm going to the shops to fetch the prints this afternoon and take them to the framing shop. You can come with me if you like."

"Okay."

Mikey started fiddling with the mouse.

"Hey, don't click that." It was too late and a full screen version of Ben and me stark naked came up on the screen.

"Mmm, you did have a good holiday, didn't you?" To get us together we had to set the camera on timer and so there was nothing more compromising than us two posing together starkers showing off our suntans.

"I owe you, little bro. Just watch your back for the next twenty-four hours."

"I'll tell Mum," he said with a grin as we never sneaked on one another.

"What? After what you just did to me in the shower? I think not."

That afternoon Mikey and I cycled to the shops to pick up the two enlargements. They were impressive. Even Mikey took a sharp intake of breath through his teeth and said that they were much better than the on-screen versions. While we were there I bought some photo printing paper so that I could makes some smaller prints. We went str8 to the framing shop. I had decided on a plain black frame. That was the easy part. Now I had to choose a coloured mount that would set the pictures off at their best. I thought gayboys were good at that sort of thing - interior design, colour co-ordination - but this one wasn't. It was my turn to take a sharp intake of breath when I was told the cost, but I had enough money and it was worth it. I could collect them later in the week. I also bought a standard A4 frame and mount which I would give to Josh. The pictures would be ready later in the week.

We cycled home quickly as it threatened to come on to rain. On the way a group of girls from school waved at Mikey and he had to stop and talk to them. He was obviously the centre of attention and enjoying. So I said I would cycle on home before the rain started. He could catch me up. Ten minutes after I got in nice and dry, Mikey arrived soaked to the skin.

"I hope they didn't do to you in that shower what you did to me in the shower this morning."

"Ha ha, very funny, different type of shower, don't you know?"

The rain made me stay in and so I could get on with selecting which pictures from my holiday I wanted to print. First of all I printed the one I intended to give to Josh, the one of us smartly dressed for dinner and holding hands. Then I got on and framed it. That could stay on my desk until my new one was ready. I made a small print of that and the solo pic of Josh to keep in my wallet and another one of us both for the family album. I sorted the others into folders and chose a particularly sexy picture of Josh which I printed to keep as inspiration for my lonely nights. I protected the ones on the computer with a password and went downstairs to the office to laminate the three for personal use. The inspirational picture I locked up in my personal secure drawer. Even Mum respected that. Mikey and Lisa each had one too.

That evening I waited until we had cleared away all the tea things before telephoning Josh. Mikey was outside playing with his friends, Mum had taken Lisa to her ballet class and Dad was inspecting the garden to note any developments since his previous inspection prior to going to work. Marc answered the phone.

"Hi Marc, this is Ross... Hi, is Josh there?"

«Sure, I'll just call him for you... JOSH!» I snatched the phone away from my ear. «There's a double-glazing salesman on the phone for you... He says his name's Josh.» I could hear the thunder of footsteps on the stairs. «I think he's coming, Ross. I'll hand you over.»

«Hey Ross.»

"Hey Josh."

«How's it going?»

"Okay, but I miss you."

«I miss you too.» So much to say and yet so tongue tied. I thanked him for the pictures and told him what I'd been doing. He talked about his day and then I said

"Mum's said you can come and stay with us. She's dying to meet you and she went all funny when she saw your photo."

«Look, I'll have a chat with Marc. I'm free until school starts. I'll have to come up by train if Marc can't bring me.» My heart skipped a beat.

"Gotta go. Dad wants to use the phone. Mail me as soon as you've got some dates. Love you, Josh."

«Love you more, Ross. See you later.» Finally I put the phone down.

Mum had arrived back with Lisa.

"Hi, Mum. I've just been talking to Josh and he'd love to come and stay."

"Oh that's lovely, Ross. Did he mention when?"

"He's talking it over with Marc and waiting for me to say what dates are okay."

"If he wants to come for a weekend, then the next or the one after are all right, or if he wants to stay a little longer he can come for this weekend and stay until the following one. After that is when we all go away on holiday. And you'll have to entertain yourselves."

"I don't think that will be too difficult." I got one of those disapproving looks that only mothers can give. I went str8 upstairs and e-mailed Josh. I was out of credit on my mobile, something I'd meant to remedy when I was at the shops, but was distracted, shall we say? I was a bit naughty, I confess, for I wrote to him 'you can come next weekend and stay until the following if you'd like to', rather than suggest just one weekend as an alternative. It wasn't long before I got a reply. «That works out fine. If I can get a rail ticket I'll come Friday till the Monday after the following weekend, but if I can't Marc said he'll bring me, but it will have to be Saturday to Sunday because of work. I'll let you know tomorrow.» My heart did a little skip as I went to bed that night, but it was still lonely in that big bed alone, even with a laminated picture under my pillow. When Mum came in to say good night I told her

"I don't think you've got anything to worry about with Mikey."

By the following evening I had had the answer I wanted from Josh. I went downstairs and found Mum in the kitchen.

"I've just had a mail from Josh. He'll be arriving at just after six at the railway station."

"You'd better talk to your father about picking him up and let me know whether he'll have had lunch or not so that I know what to get for tea."

"Okay, Mum."

"Oh, and something else."

"Mmm?"

"Sleeping arrangements. Listen carefully to this. Do we get Mikey to move into your room so that Josh has his own room or will he be happy to share with you?" I blushed for I knew where this was leading.

"That wouldn't really be fair on Mikey. He's my guest." Mum immediately saw through that, but persisted on her devious path.

"Ross, I said listen carefully. The question was 'would Josh be happy' sharing with you?" The blush persisted. Fine, attack is the best form of defence.

"No, I don't think Josh would mind in the least. In fact I think he would be rather disappointed if he didn't."

"In that case we'll put him in with you." That's that over, I thought, but it was only the first hoop I had to jump through. "Now if we put him in with you, do we need to make up another bed?" I thought my embarrassment was over and my face had recovered, but I felt it just get redder and hotter. "I don't want to go to all the trouble of making up another bed and then find it hasn't been slept in."

"Muumm!"

"Ross, you're nearly sixteen and we have to talk about these things. I'm not sure that I approve of you two sleeping together so young, but if you're going to get up to anything, you're going to get up to it with or without our approval and I'd rather be pragmatic about it. Don't forget that I grew up with two brothers and that one of them is gay." I felt a little more comfortable. This was after all Mum at her best in a sticky situation. Oh oh! Why did I have to use that word sticky? I blushed again. "On Friday morning when you get up, strip your bed and put the underblanket into the washing machine straightaway." For underblanket read incontinence sheet. "Hang it out to dry on the line, or if it's raining over the clothes horse in the conservatory. It'll be dry by lunchtime and you can put it in the airing cupboard to finish off. Then about four, five at the latest, put it back on your bed and make it with clean bed linen. Do you want any extra pillows?"

"One extra for Josh just in case."

"And one last thing. If you two want your privacy, bolt the door. I don't want Mikey or Lisa gatecrashing into something they ought not to."

"Ought not to what?" piped up Lisa as she and Mikey came rushing into the kitchen to get themselves a drink.

"None of your business," said Mum in that tone of voice which clearly meant there would be no more discussion on the matter.

"Thanks a lot, Mum. Hey Mikey, want to play football?"

Outside in the garden Mikey and I started kicking a football to one another. Dad was leaning on the fence chatting to the nextdoor neighbour, probably comparing the size of their courgettes or talking about when their rosebuds would open or whatever gardeners do. I'd wait until they had finished before tackling Dad about fetching Josh from the railway station.

"Ross, what was that all about?" enquired Mikey in a hushed and conspiratorial tone.

"Not a lot, Mr Nosy. Just talking about the arrangements for when Josh is here."

"Have I got to give up my room?"

"No way, quite the opposite. Josh is sharing with me. After all he's my boyf...f... I mean guest, not yours?"

"Is that what they call a Freudian slip?" laughed Mikey.

"It is," I replied blushing. That's what I wanted him to be, but so far we had only met twice and he lives miles away. "And the other thing was for us to bolt the door so that you and Lisa don't come barging in when I'm shagging the living daylights out of him."

"Did Mum really say that?"

"No, of course not, you dork, but that's what she meant."

"Have you already... I mean have you... er... already..." Here Mikey lowered his voice. "... really, actually fucked him?"

"Mikey! You know I don't like that word and anyway it's none of your business. I don't enquire after your lovelife."

"Sorry, bro, not that there's anything enquire about there... yet," he added with a wicked grin.

"What are you two whispering about?" came Dad's voice in a friendly tone from the other side of the garden.

"Nothing, Dad. Just whether Mikey's got three-quarters of a brain or just half."

"You're giving him the benefit of your experience in that department?" he replied to even up the situation. He never had favoured one of us over the other.

I now had things to do over the next couple of days before Josh's arrival. When I unlocked my private drawer I discovered my souvenir cache of used condoms that I had forgotten about. Somehow in the light of day and with the distance of time from using them they didn't seem quite so interesting or look so attractive. I extracted the two Josh and I had created together and put each into one of those self-fastening plastic envelopes and labelled them. The contents had broken down into a clear liquid and the outsides I made sure were clean before packing them into a small jiffy bag and locking them up again.

The rest I put into an empty 'Do It All' plastic carrier bag, tied a knot in the handles and later dumped it in a litter bin in town when I went shopping. I picked up a couple of tubes of K-Y gel at Boot's. Ben always insisted that if you are old enough to shag, you're old enough to buy your own supplies. I put them at the bottom of the basket and placed a box of Kleenex on top of them. The girl at the check out couldn't have been much older than me, probably doing a holiday job, but I brazened it out. As long as it went beep as it went over the scanner she didn't seem to notice what she was checking and anyway, I thought, if she's squeamish about that she's working in the wrong store. I suppose if you're handling haemorrhoid cream, athlete's foot powder and tampons every day, K-Y gel and condoms pale into insignificance. Oh tampons. Yeuk!

That reminded me of a lurid yarn Ben spun about gays who misuse their sphincter having to use tampons to keep their butts watertight and everything else tight as well. My gay accreditation course was not confined to the practical, but taught to the finest detail. Mikey and I continued our sixpack development plan and I'm sure Josh would soon join in that although he'd be more on the maintenance rather than the development side. I fetched the framed pictures complete with non-reflective glass and was very please with the results. The extra large one of Josh I hung on the wall opposite my bed so that I could wake up to it. It took me a long time to make sure I'd got it absolutely level, but I did want to make sure that Josh was well hung. The other smaller one of us both I stood on my desk so that I had it in front of me when I was working on the computer or doing my homework.

Friday morning I carried out Mum's instructions concerning getting my room ready to the tee. The basics done, she helped me clean it. As kids we'd always been encouraged to help around the house. It was drilled into us that it gave her more time to do the pleasant things such as cook us nice meals, keep our clothes and appearances looking at their best, give us a nice house to live in and give her time to run Mum & Dad's taxi service. It also meant that we earnt our pocket money and perhaps received a little more than other children. All three of us had been brought up to do it, knew no difference and looking back from adulthood I always recognise what happy and loving times we had as children and as a family. We may not have had a lot of luxuries, but we certainly didn't go short of anything we needed. Dad ran his own small precision engineering company successfully and Mum helped out whenever needed which meant that she could be at home for us children when we were there and work more during term time.

I couldn't settle to anything Friday afternoon. Mikey was out with his friends and Lisa was out at her holiday club. On the dot at four I took the underblanket out of the airing cupboard, put it on my bed along with the fitted sheet, fought the good fight with the duvet and duvet cover, finally having to ask Mum for help and at last had my bedroom fit for a king, or should I say a queen I sniggered to myself, although if I ever used queen in that sense it was usually prefixed with the word 'drama'? Finally at twenty to six I heard the horn of Dad's car as he got home from work, ran out and climbed into the front seat.

"Sorry, I'm late. I just couldn't get away."

"I thought everyone finished early on a Friday."

"Not everyone. The men on the floor do, but my works manager needed to see me and the only window we had was when the men had gone home." Sod's law continued. Not only was the traffic heavy, but we hit every traffic light just as it turned to amber - maximum wait. After what should have been a ten minute journey we pulled into the station yard at gone six. At least we wouldn't have to find somewhere to park; we could go str8 to the pick up point. Josh was there standing by his case and rucksack talking to a stranger.

"That's him, Dad."

"I thought I recognised him. You get out and I'll keep the motor running. Technically we're not parked then."

"Hey, Josh," I ran across calling out to him.

"Ross, thank God you're here. This bloke won't leave me alone." I turned round and frantically waved at Dad. He realised something was wrong and brought the car right up to us at which the man, who didn't look too savoury, moved off quickly into the crowd. "He was trying to get me to go with him into the toilets. He wouldn't leave me alone. I thought I might have hit him." As I hugged Josh I noticed a tear running down his cheek.

"You're safe now, Josh." I wiped the tear away. Meanwhile Dad had got out of the car. Without the formality of introducing them I explained what was happening and Josh, now a little calmer, recounted what had occurred before. The man had got on at the previous station and sat opposite him in the compartment on the opposite side of the aisle ogling at him. From time to time he'd re-arrange himself tugging at his trousers. Josh tried to ignore him by looking out of the window. When the train pulled in Josh got out, the man followed and as he waited in the station forecourt started making improper suggestions. Then, thank goodness, we turned up.

We put Josh's luggage into the boot and got back into the car. I climbed into the back seat with Josh. Just at that moment Dad spotted two community support officers on the other side of the forecourt. He drove over to them and explained what had happened.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we haven't the authority to do anything about it. I suggest you report it at the local police station between 10 and 4 on Monday and get a crime number."

"Monday? Today's Friday," repeated my father.

"I'm sorry, sir. That's all we can do about it. And if you park your car here on yellow lines much longer, I'm afraid we shall have to give you a ticket." My father got back into the car.

"Useless bastards. What do we pay our council tax and business rates for?" That was strong and unusual language from my father who is normally quite an even tempered man who never swore. "I shall be having a word with the police, but not on Monday between 10 and 4, but with my friend Superintendent Charlesworth tonight." Before driving off dad said "Sorry, Josh. I haven't had a chance to say hello properly."

When we got home Mum had a meal on the table for us. We just had time to wash our hands. As we sat round the table we explained what had happened at the railway station.

"Mikey and Lisa," said Dad. "I hope you're listening to this. There are some very odd and nasty people out there and at your age it's better for you to keep clear of them. I don't like telling you to be unsociable towards people, but if you are on your own be very careful."

"Let's change the subject now," my mother said. "Josh, we want you to feel welcome here and to act as one of the family. Don't stand on formality. Do what you do at home."

"But don't pick your nose in public," piped up Mikey.

"Mikey, please. You've got a guest."

"But Mum, you said we've got to act normally." I could see that Mum had painted herself into a corner, so I helped her out.

"It's all right, Josh. Mikey scratches his bottom in public." It was an effort for me to use the word 'bottom'.

"I do not," came the retort.

"Thank you, boys, that's quite enough, especially at the meal table," and everyone burst out laughing, even Mum. "More tea, Josh?"

Josh joined in with clearing away and then we got his luggage from the car and took it upstairs to help him unpack. I showed him the framed photographs and then gave him the one I had framed for him.

"By the way," said Josh, "Ben asked me to give this to Mikey." It was a large floppy jiffy bag. I called down the stairs.

"Mikey!" He stuck his head round the door of his room and then came into mine... ours, I mean. "Here's a present from Uncle Ben."

"Oh, it's not my birthday." He undid it in front of us. "Wow, wicked," he said as he took it out of the envelope. "A comp top and shorts, just like yours. I'm going to put them on now to see if they fit." He disappeared back to his room and re-appeared within two minutes dressed in top and shorts. I looked at him and hugged him on the spot. There was no doubt he was all boy and a very good looking one at that. The gear fitted in all the right places.

"Hey, Mikey, let me take a pic of you."

"I think if I didn't have a boyfriend already I'd be chatting you up in that," said Josh. My jaw dropped, but I didn't say anything. That could come later. Either Josh was two-timing me or I was his boyfriend. Photo duly taken, Mikey dashed downstairs to show Mum and Dad what Uncle Ben had sent. Lisa was a bit disappointed that she hadn't received anything, but as I hugged her I explained that I hadn't either and that it was just an early birthday present.

"Can I take a shower?" said Josh.

"Sure. Remember what Mum and Dad said. You're one of the family, so you don't have to ask."

"I feel so dirty after having that bloke leering at me. Have I got 'gay' or something written across my forehead?"

"Forget it. It wasn't personal. He'd have tried it on with any good looking young man."

Josh phoned home to Marc to say that he had arrived safely. He didn't mention the incident as he didn't want to worry him. There would be time enough for that when he got home. We spent the rest of the evening chilling out. Mum and Dad had been primed about his family situation which avoided any uncomfortable questions in general conversation. At ten o'clock I said that Josh was tired after his journey and that we'd have an early night, being too young and naïve to realise what that was code for. Mum insisted on making cocoa first, which we drank, and then said good night. We separately went to the bathroom to carry out our ablutions and then stripped off completely.

"Come here, Josh." It was fantastic to hold him naked in my arms again. We kissed. "Which side of the bed do you want?"

"I'm a right handed lover so I'll have this side."

"That's great because I'm a left handed lover and I'm more comfortable on the left." I put out all the lights except the one on my bedside cabinet. We lay there in each other's arms, occasionally kissing, occasionally caressing. There was no need for any haste as we had ten nights of this to look forward to. "Take your watch off, Josh. It's scratching me."

"I don't want to leave it behind again. It might look as if I'm playing easy to get." He started talking again. He was going through the events of the afternoon in his mind and had been utterly disgusted by the behaviour of the bloke at the station. "Do you think we'll ever be like that, Ross?"

"Not if we stick together. It must be horrible to have to stoop to that."

"Marc told me a story once about when he went into a public bog and there was a boy and a middle aged man standing there, supposed to be having a pee and he saw the man's hand go across and start wanking the boy off. Cottaging he called it. That's the last place I'd want to have sex with all the smells and the risk of getting caught." I knew that my love was hurting that night and needed cosseting. Though our love was so young, tonight was going to be its first test and there would be no full lovemaking. I had to build up his confidence with kissing and cuddling. We eventually went to sleep in each other's arms.

The night's rest had done Josh a lot of good and he no longer seemed as anxious as he had been the day before. The station incident had been put at the back of his mind. When we woke we kissed and cuddled and although some seed was spilt we did not make love. We were down for breakfast for eight o'clock and I asked him what he wanted. I was pleased he said 'cooked' as it gave me a chance to show off the culinary skills I had acquired at Ben's house. We had all been brought up to get our own breakfast during the school holidays although Lisa was not not yet allowed to cook anything since she was not tall enough to have full control of the stove. Ross and I were just going to chill out. The only thing I had to do was my abs exercises, but I had to wait for Mikey to get up before that could happen. At ten o'clock he finally emerged, but ready to go once he'd had breakfast already dressed in brand new training kit that Ben had sent him.

"Have you thanked Uncle Ben for that yet?" I asked as I felt some responsibility for his receiving it.

"No, later today when I've tried it out."

"You'd better put your tracksuit over it so you don't spill your breakfast down it." I wondered if I looked as sexy in mine as Mikey did in his. Through his brilliant white shorts you could see that he definitely wore it 'flipped up'. Josh and I went upstairs to change and I handed him my spare set of kit saying "You can have that to keep, Josh. Corporate identity." I could not keep my eyes off the bulge in Josh's shorts. For me it was far sexier than seeing him completely naked. He tucked his down as I did mine. It was eleven before we got started as we didn't want Mikey to bring his breakfast str8 up again. After showering and changing we just sat in the garden until lunch was ready.

Over the next week we did those things that boys - best mates - do when they hang out together. In my more contemplative moments I realised that there was more to our being together than sport and sleeping together, and that really I didn't know Josh. In reality we had known each other for just three days and our relationship was founded on sex, sexual attraction and sexual activity, and that we had already arrived at our first hurdle as far as sexual activity was concerned. Thinking back to my Gay Accreditation Course Ben had taught me technique and he had taught me it thoroughly. He had not taught me love and relationships. I'm not blaming him. How many uncles would take their gay nephew under their wing in the generous way he did? And can you teach love? Not formally, but by example and for that I had to look to my whole family. I was one of the fortunate ones who had plenty look at and for. That poor unsavoury wretch who approached Josh at the station obviously had no one in his life. If Josh and I were going to fulfil our sexual life together I had better start from scratch and woo him tonight. As my stream of thought progressed it dawned on me that Josh and I had so little in common. We were tied together by the fact that we were gay, that we had actively discovered sex, that we found each other sexually attractive and therefore congenial company, but besides sport in its widest terms and the associated development of our bodies, what did I know of his interests? Almost nothing. I knew that I liked in him, but not what he liked about me. My sixteenth birthday was at the end of the school year, his at the beginning, and then we'd be legal. We'd both just completed our GCSE year and were awaiting the results at the end of August. We hadn't even discussed what either of us was going to take in the sixth form. It was time to get to know one another as people rather than as each other's sex god.

Our south facing garden was a sun trap and so we lay on sunloungers dressed in just shorts and sandals. I'd angled my lounger so that I could look at Josh. I was concentrating on his nipples. They were perfectly round, slightly pert and dark brown contrasting even against his Devon suntan.

"Hey, Ross, do you mind if I read a book?"

"Not in the least. What are you reading?"

"The da Vinci Code."

"I've read that."

"Don't spoil the ending, but what did you think of it?"

"A good fast light read providing you suspend belief."

"But then that's what fiction is all about." As he got up to fetch his book I watched his two buns move separately, but in complete harmony, inside his white shorts. 'Is there nothing imperfect about his body?' I wondered and awaited his return in order to observe the way his package moved in those short shorts. My boy observation skills were well honed and being in love hadn't diminished either them or the desire. I couldn't work out whether he was pretending not to notice, or whether he was putting on a show. 'You see, I just don't know him,' I thought feeling frustrated. 'I'll suggest we go for a walk this afternoon. We can cut through the wood and down to the river. I can show him what we used to do as kids and at the same time we can just talk.'

We returned home late that afternoon with me a wiser person. Josh had talked about the time his parents died in a car accident, how Marc had always done his best to look after him and when Marc couldn't he'd been farmed out to relatives who did their duty and did it well, but it was only Marc who really loved him. Because of Marc's commitments as a serviceman Josh had been sent to boarding school and was still there. There had been a continual fight to prevent his being taken into local authority care as an orphan, but fortunately the family had always been able to prove that there were adequate resources to look after him. Earlier I had asked myself whether there had been anything imperfect about his body and while the answer may have been no that body certainly contained a fragile, if self-sufficient soul. There was nothing weepy or resentful about Josh. He told his life story as it was, accepted his lot, praised Marc for all he had done, praised his school for what it had done which included helping him to discover his own homosexuality and in a supportive manner how to deal with it. He appeared to blame no one for his lot and displayed a quiet pride in cultivating his own resilience. In relating this Josh was quite dispassionate. His difficulties were all behind him. I was the one who wanted to weep. The bedroom door remained securely bolted that night. After a long period of foreplay led by me, deeply and satisfyingly we made love.

Sunday Mum and Dad organised a family day out. It was one of those rare days when the sun rose in a blue sky, ran its course without a single cloud appearing and set leaving its stored heat radiating from every building. We motored down to the river, hired a motorboat for the day, sailed upstream through several locks to a picnic spot, unpacked our hamper, had lunch and sailed back again. With the sun reflecting off the water those with suntans were even darker and those without were red despite the efforts of sunscreen. Josh and I would like to have topped up our all over tans, but couldn't with the family there. When we returned home we had to be patient while Mum prepared a belated Sunday lunch which we devoured round our picnic table in the garden. Our next little adventure was on Tuesday afternoon.

Josh and I decided to go swimming at the leisure centre. When I go swimming I usually start off with fifty lengths of the pool to keep in trim. Josh accepted the challenge and because of his speed he kept well ahead of me until we got into the forties when he visibly tired. I gradually caught up with him and overtook him on the forty-ninth. It was too late. Try as he might he couldn't swim any faster and he was a length behind when I touched the end for my fifty. We took a rest sitting on the side and took part in some boywatching. We spotted one in light blue that took our interest. He must have been fourteen or so, older than Mikey, and as well as a bulging speedo he was blessed with a very tight body. I also noticed that he had a very pronounced adam's apple.

"You know, Ross, if I didn't know better I would say he's putting a show on for us. He's trying to get our attention."

"Mmm, now you come to mention it I see what you mean." He was twisting and diving, coming up, looking at at us and smiling. We decided to put him to the test. We slipped into the water and started goofing around together and wherever we went he would pop up in front of us. We trod water and watched him get out, run along the pool side and dive in near us and as he became bolder he would dive-bomb us, anything to attract our attention. Finally he got out, sat on the side and watched us.

"Let's go and have a chat," said Josh "see if he's that interested in us." We split, swam to opposite ends of the pool, got out and went and sat down beside him.

"Hi," he said "I'm Chris. What's your names?" which rather wrongfooted us as we were supposed to be chatting him up.

"I'm Josh. Hi, Chris!"

"I'm Ross."

"I know who you are," which rather took me aback until I remembered that I'd seen his face somewhere before. "You've got a brother called Mikey." The thought processes were running wild. Yes, I had seen the face before, but of course I'd been concentrating on the body and the body had always had clothes on whenever I saw the face. But he wasn't one of Mikey's friends as far as I could recall. He didn't have any friends called Chris, not ones that he hung out with at school or brought home.

"How do you know us?" I asked.

"We go to the same school."

"Hey, Chris," said Josh "was that little show you were putting on for our benefit?"

"Yeah, that's right and I think you were enjoying it too." He nodded at me with his lower lip pushed forward.

"You're a smart little swimmer," I added, reluctant to admit I had been busted boywatching.

"You see, people at school say you're gay and I'm gay too." I was gobsmacked. Didn't he realise that if he hadn't been speaking to us he could have got himself an instant hiding, or at least back in the changing area where there were no lifesavers supervising. Josh showed far more composure than me.

"So, Chris, you wanted to get yourself some gay company. Well. you've done it, but it was a bit of a high risk strategy. I'd be careful where you try that on in future if you want to live to tell the tale."

"I wouldn't do it with anybody, but with you the gaydar was working overtime."

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen," answered Chris. "Hey, are you two boyfriends?" By now his voice had become quieter, less shrill, friendlier.

"Are we boyfriends?" I asked looking at Josh. It was suddenly decision time.

"We're boyfriends," answered Josh without the slightest hesitation. We'd never actually discussed it before, but the decision had been made.

"Yep, we're boyfriends," I repeated in affirmation.

"Cool," said Chris. "I'm looking for a boyfriend. You couldn't put a good word in with Mikey for me, could you, Ross?"

"'Fraid not. Mikey's as str8 as they come." 'If he says he is, he is,' I thought despite that one time in the shower.

"Hey, great to meet you guys," said Chris. "I come here most afternoons in the holidays. I like boywatching... as well," he added cheekily, looked at us both, slipped down into the water and swam off.

"What do you make of that, Ross?"

"I hope he doesn't get himself into trouble. He's too beautiful for that. I'll keep an eye open for him when I get back to school. Come on, boyfriend, let's go and get showered and changed."

That evening after tea we chatted to Mikey.

"This afternoon we met this kid called Chris from school. He said he knew you and me, and he also said he was gay. Hot looking. We'd been boywatching him and then found out he'd been boywatching us. Cheeky little perisher. Asked me to put a good word in for him to you. I said you weren't gay."

"Mmm. No idea." rasped Mikey in his newly broken voice which had yet to settle down.

"Oh. something else," said Josh. He had an enormous adam's apple."

"Oh, I know," said Mikey. "His name's Chris."

"We just told you that, brain of Britain," I said.

"I didn't know he was gay."

"He seemed quite open about it."

"When are you going swimming again?"

"Dunno, maybe Thursday." I looked at Josh for approval. His eyes said yes.

"Can I come with you?"

"Sure, if you want to," said Josh and then looked at me for agreement.

Wednesday Josh and I were going for a day's cycle ride in the country. Dad had a bike in the garage and a spare helmet that he rarely used. It was supposed to be part of his keep fit régime for executives. We spent the evening riding round the neighbourhood so that Josh could get used to it, especially the gear changes. As we cycled along Josh said to me

"Do you know what, Ross?"

"What?"

"After seeing you in the swimming pool this afternoon I feel really horny. When we get upstairs tonight I want to get as far inside you as I can and make my balls bounce against your body."

"You can't," I teased. "My period's just come on."

"Oh, you are such a girlie, Ross, and gross," and he cycled up behind me knocking my back wheel with his front so that I wobbled all over the road. A car perped its horn as it was about to overtake. I regained my balance and pushed down hard on the pedals.

"You'll have to catch me first." It took Josh about a quarter of a mile to catch me up, overtake and then cut me up so that I had to brake hard.

"For two pins I'd take you here and now," shouted Josh.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be taken from behind by a meaty boy like you." We got a queer look from a couple of girls we hadn't previously noticed walking along the pavement. I suddenly felt horny too and my dick was severely testing my competition top and shorts, especially from the tucked down position. I had to get off my bike.

Thursday morning we spent recovering from our bike ride. A lot of it had been competitive and I think both of us found muscles we didn't know existed. At one point we discovered a wood with a secluded clearing and a little stream where we stopped for lunch. After lying there resting we gave into temptation and Josh gave me a blow job. I got the blame because he could not resist me in my lycra cycling shorts and shirt. After a little more rest I used a similar excuse about him in his 501 cut-offs and singlet to give him head. Afterwards we cleaned ourselves up in the stream without any thought about what we were going to use as a towel. The sun had to take care of that, but it was a good excuse to work on keeping our tan lines anyway.

Thursday afternoon we went to the swimming pool in the leisure centre again, this time with Mikey. We looked around, but couldn't see Chris. It gave us a chance to do our fifty lengths. This time I left the competitive swimming to Mikey and Josh. I wanted to concentrate on my tumble turns. Mikey was a far better swimmer than I was at his age and gave Josh a run for his money, though watching them I realised that he was teasing Mikey by slowing down to let him catch up and in the end just won by a head to let him know who was boss. We grouped by the side of the pool to decide what to do next when suddenly there was a huge splash by us and whoever had dive-bombed in missed me by inches. When the blob surfaced he shouted

"Hi, guys." disappeared under the water again and resurfaced in the midst of us. I would recognise that adam's apple anywhere.

"Hi, Mikey," said Chris, pushed down on his head and waited for Mikey to chase after him. Josh and I got out and sat on the side to watch these two young colts chasing after each other and to look around for any other eye candy that might be swimming that day. I was so enthralled with this that ten minutes must have easily passed before we saw them swim to the shallow end, get out of the pool and disappear into the men's changing area. I thought no more about it while Josh and I got on with our swim, probably behaving in a similar way to Mikey and Chris, until suddenly we were surprised by two near miss divebombs. Mikey and Chris had returned and were looking very pleased with themselves. We spent another quarter of an hour or so swimming until we decided we'd had enough and so we went to shower and change. When we were ready to go Mikey told us to go on ahead while he went and had a snack with Chris in the cafeteria.

"Tell Mum I'm walking to Dad's office and I'll get a lift home with him."

When we got home we just chilled out in the garden. We couldn't attend to our tan lines as Mum and Lisa were there. I made a couple of milkshakes and we sprawled out on the sun loungers. Josh read his book and I dozed in the sunshine.

"Hey, Ross!" I jumped. "When am I going to sample some more of your cooking?"

"Tomorrow morning at breakfast?"

"No, proper cooking like you did at Ben's that Saturday." I got up and went into the kitchen.

"Mum, Josh wants to sample some more of my cooking. Can I do the family meal one evening? Please?" Mum looked at me quizzically. "Pretty please?"

"Do you think you can cope with six?"

"I did for four. How about Saturday evening?"

"Okay, you're on. Let me know what you're planning by tomorrow and then you and I will do the Sainsbury's run first thing on Saturday morning to make sure we've got everything."

"It's for Josh," I whispered. "It's got to be Waitrose."

"You drive a hard bargain. Okay, Waitrose it is." I ran back out into the garden and said

"Josh, you're on. Saturday evening I'm doing the family meal and by tomorrow you've got to decide on the menu and I'll see if I can cook it."

"I'm cool with that."

"And by the way," I continued in a hushed tone "no nookie Saturday morning because I've got to do the shopping with Mum early."

"That's all right. I'll just lie in bed and have a wank."

"Shhh!" I said. Mum and Lisa will hear you."

"Oops, sorry, it's easy to come out with something like that when I'm with Marc or at school."

Just as tea was ready Dad and Mikey arrived home. You could instantly smell the chlorine from his bathing togs and towel.

"Mikey, you can put that in the utility room this instant. I'm not having the food and drink spoilt by that smell," Mum said sternly. Then a complete change of tone and a smile as she said hello to Dad.

"Tut tut tut," tutted Lisa and I together securing a scowl from Mikey. As tea got underway Mum asked us what sort of afternoon we'd had.

"Fantastic," said Mikey. Josh and I pricked our ears up.

"Where did you and Chris go?" I ventured.

"Just into the cafeteria for snack."

"No, I mean earlier when you got out of the pool?"

"Only into the changing rooms to get a drink of water." Mikey blushed deeply, the 'just' and 'only' revealing an ulterior motive. Josh and I looked at one another. We had approached a no go area and as I had no wish to wind Mikey up, I withdrew swiftly. Mum changed the subject.

"Ross is going to cook us all dinner Saturday evening."

"That'll be nice, Ross," said Dad.

"Uh uh," said Mikey. I was expecting a facetious remark about my cooking. "I was going to ask Chris over."

"Well, that shouldn't make any difference," said Mum. Dad kept quiet. He left domestic arrangements entirely to Mum.

"Well, I hadn't had time to ask you before, Mum, but I was going to ask if he could sleep over."

"He can still do that. Get him to bring his sleeping bag."

"Oh thanks, Mum. That's wicked. I'll call him after tea."

"Have I met him before?" she enquired.

"I don't think so."

"We have," said Josh.

"He's got a very prominent adam's apple," I added. "He'll be fun and it will be like a dinner party with guests."

"Is he dishy?" asked Lisa.

"He's all right I s'pose," replied Mikey with another blush through trying to sound noncommittal. "I don't really know."

"We think he is, Lisa," added Josh with a wink to Mikey.

"I won't have to go to bed early that night, will I?" asked Lisa.

"No," said Mum.

"Not unless you're naughty," I added.

"By the way," said Dad who had been content simply to listen to the conversation. "I had a phone call from my friend Superintendent Charlesworth about last Friday. Those two community support personnel are going to be advised, mentored and retrained." Did we note a little scepticism in the tone of his voice?

Later that evening Josh and I were upstairs downloading some of the photos we'd taken when there was a knock at the door and Mikey came in. After closing it, an action which in itself raised my suspicions, he said

"Thanks, guys."

"What are you thanking us for, little bro?"

"Not pushing it about Chris and me at the pool."

"Oh?"

"You know he told you he was gay? Well, he said he wanted to jerk me off, so we went into one of the changing cubicles and I let him on one condition."

"What was that?" enquired Josh.

"That I could do it back to him."

"And did you?" I asked.

"Of course," he answered with a wicked grin on his face.

"I thought you weren't gay, little bro," I continued.

"I'm not. I still like girls, but boys are fun too... and it's easier to get your hand inside their knickers."

Mikey ran out this time leaving the door open as was his wont.

"So what do you want for supper on Saturday, Josh?" While he thought I said

"I'm not cordon bleu... yet," and grinned. "That roast pork we had at Ben's was about the extent of my range."

"What about steak and chips?"

"Have we had chips since you've been here?"

"No, why?"

"Mum rations us to chips once a week. She doesn't want obese and spotty children."

"Oh."

"What about if I made a mixed salad for starters, various veg with the steak and I'll chicken out and do another fruit salad with cream? Ben taught me how to make salad dressing and I think I'll use salad cream rather than mayonnaise. It's sharper and that should be just right if Saturday's a hot day, and it doesn't matter if it isn't."

Just at that moment there was a ping from the computer.

"What was that?" asked Josh.

"Just a ping to let me know an e-mail has arrived." I wheeled my desk chair over to my desk, woke up the computer and looked at my e-mails. "Oh, it's from Ben." I opened it. "It's to both of us. Come and have a look." I clicked on it and we both read: «Hi guys! Marc and I have something we want to tell you and for the moment just you. Also we want you to read this together. Mail us back to say you're ready and we'll send you a password and a link.»

"All very secretive," said Josh. I clicked 'reply' and wrote that we were here by ourselves. Within minutes another mail came with the password and a dire warning that our balls would atrophy and drop off if we divulged the it. I re-arranged mine to make sure they were still there. I wrote it down and trashed the mail. Then another arrived with a link which I clicked. After I'd put in the password a picture of Ben and Marc appeared, one of those I'd taken. I scrolled down and Josh read out the message. "«Dear Josh and Ross. We would like you to be the first to know that we have made the decision that we should both like to be joined in a civil union. We recognise that apart from ourselves this will have the greatest impact on you, Josh, and to some extent on you, Ross. However, we have also decided that if we do not gain the blessing of you both we will defer or cancel the decision, particularly as we should be honoured if you would each act as our best man at the ceremony. You may be surprised at the secrecy and security behind this, but we do not want to announce anything publicly until we can be certain of going ahead, which we can't do without your support. Only the four of us know anything about this. We know we can count on your discretion. Your loving uncle and brother Ben and Marc.» Wow! What do you think of that, Ross?"

"Yeah, I'm all for it. How about you?"

"Awesome. That'll be us one day." Spontaneously we grabbed each other in a hug and danced round the room.

"We'd better mail back and put them out of their misery. You write one to Marc and I'll write one to Ben, but we'll send them both to Ben's address and copy them to Marc's... though I guess they're both at Ben's at the moment. You go first." As he was typing I was thinking through an idea. Finally I said

"You do realise that this will make you my uncle and us cousins-in-law if such a thing exists?" Josh sent his congratulatory message off following which I wrote mine, then for the sake of security we dumped the whole correspondence. We knew we would have something to celebrate when we went to bed that night.

After breakfast the next day I sat down with Mum and explained what Josh had requested for Saturday supper and we worked out the things we needed to buy.

"I'll get the steaks from the butcher today. I can make sure he gives me decent ones rather than pick something by chance out of the display at the supermarket. Your main problem there is that you will have to cook them fresh after the starter and you'll have to find out how people want them done. You can do all the prep beforehand though." After that Josh, Mikey and I went out into the garden to do our abs exercises, all dressed in our corporate identity uniforms of blue comp top and white shorts. From the way Todd, Ben's personal trainer, had sucked the air in between his teeth when discussing me I wasn't so sure that Mikey should have been doing these exercises at his age. Still he appeared to cope and when we were finished I told him to peel down his top and saw that he was developing a tight little body. He was going to make many a girl cry, I thought, and boy as well. I was really proud of him. We sat around in the kitchen drinking the milkshakes I had made for us.

"So, Mikey," I said, "what's the idea of inviting Chris for a sleepover?"

"Oh, come on, Ross, you're not blond for nothing, dummy, are you? Why did you invite Josh here?"

"Because we're gay, but you're always telling us you're not."

"Don't you see? I like sex, I'm not getting any from girls yet and Chris is so gay he's begging for it. Anyway we're only pulling plonkers, not like you two, snogging and making babies together."

"Has anyone explained the birds and the bees to you? If you do decide to make babies as you call it, you'll need some brotherly advice first."

"Why?"

"Because you can't just drop your trousers and get on with it. You need to prepare or you'll damage and hurt each other."

"Don't worry, big bro, we won't be going that far."

"Ross is right, you know," Josh joined in to support me.

"Do Mum and Dad know he's two years ahead of you at school?"

"Er... um, no, they don't actually. It hasn't come up yet in conversation and it doesn't have to, Ross, does it?"

"That's up to you. I'm not going to say anything."

"Yeah... well... I'll field that one if I have to."

Saturday turned out to be frantic to begin with. I got up early and left Josh in bed. The night before he had fortunately been rather nice to me before we went to sleep and I felt I could face anything when I woke in the morning. Mum and I had to get to Waitrose early because she had things to do getting Mikey's room ready for Chris's visit. There had not been a lot of leeway over which weekend as we were going off on holiday the following Saturday. And why just one night? Later Mikey told me why. Chris had to go out with the family on Friday evening. When we got back Mikey and Josh were playing tennis in the back garden. Dad was persecuting a slug or a caterpillar which had been sufficiently audacious as to nibble one of his lettuces. Must remember to look for that when I'm preparing it this afternoon. Mikey went off into the kitchen to make us all a cup of coffee. He wasn't expecting Chris until after lunch. Josh and I were sitting by ourselves in the corner of the garden.

"I need your advice, Ross. I need to go shopping this afternoon. I want to get a small gift for Mikey and Lisa. Any ideas?"

"I'll have to ask Mum about Lisa, but I saw just the thing for Mikey the other day, a pink tee shirt with the words printed on it: 'I'm not gay... but my boyfriend is.'"

"That's a bit cruel."

"Nah, he can take it and what's more I bet he'll wear it."

In the afternoon I got down to work. Josh was at the shops. Mikey was doing things with Chris. Mum was not not far away keeping her eye on me from a distance and Lisa was just there watching me. Starter salads done continental style, covered with cling film and in the fridge, steaks seasoned. I didn't hammer them as I didn't believe in beating my meat. It should be tender enough already if you've got a good butcher. And finally my almost fresh fruit salad. I used tinned pineapple as I wanted to use the syrup to which I added some vodka. I'm not sure that Mum fully approved from the look on her face, but she didn't stop me. The potatoes were peeled and chipped - no oven chips from me. The vegetables were in there pots - broccoli, peas, cauliflower, sprouts and carrots. It was time to let Mum have her kitchen back until it was time to cook. By now Josh was back and all seven of us were seated round the kitchen table enjoying tea and some of Mum's homemade fruitcake. The noise was indescribable as everyone talked about what they had been doing during the day. Josh gave Lisa her little present which was as simple as a new set of coloured pencils, Swiss Caran d'Ache no less, but that is what Mum said she wanted and she was pleased to receive them. Mikey was pleased with his tee shirt, although admittedly once he saw what it was he didn't unwrap it fully to see the front. Dinner was set for seven and Mum insisted on smart dress which meant long trousers for the boys. I think she enjoyed having the kitchen full as it was with her surrounded by family and friends. She decreed that from six o'clock it was a no-go area except for those actually preparing dinner and Mikey was put in charge of the drinks as

"Ross has enough to do". I took the opportunity to write down how everyone liked their steaks. I was excused clearing up as I had done enough work already. I looked at Josh and we disappeared up to my room. At first we just lay side by side on the bed talking about the week and lamenting the fact that we only had one whole day left together. Only one problem. How can you lie on a bed on a warm summer afternoon beside the most beautiful boy in the world and not be affected by it? I got up, walked over to the door, bolted it, closed the window in case one of us should scream, took off my tee shirt and socks and lay down next to Josh again. One kiss led to another. How is it that every time we made love, it got better? This time was no exception and when I at last climbed off him I felt on top of the world. We must have dozed for suddenly it was time to shower and dress, then get down into the kitchen. For old times' sake we wore the same clothes as we had at our first dinner party together.

Josh and I went down to the kitchen. He was going to be my sous-chef. We put on pinafores and rolled up our sleeves so as not to spoil our clothes. First we had to warm up all the heating appliances, oven, chip pan, steak grill, kettle. We really had very little to do. The hard work had been done. The chips would take the longest especially as we had to do two pan fulls, but they could keep warm in the oven. Josh and I would have our salad starters as side dishes to the main course as we would have to grill the steaks while the rest were eating theirs. Next the veg.

"Important not to overcook them," I said to Josh. "Better to have them crunchy than mushy." We carried the starters out to the dining room. "Aaagh!" We'd been so busy that we'd forgotten to set the table. "Mum!" She appeared from the sitting room where she and Dad had been enjoying a preprandial drink. "I've forgotten to lay the table and all the foods coming together at the moment.

"Tut, dear, you're not going to make anyone a good wife... husband... oh, whatever," and she laughed at herself. It's nice that she doesn't take my sexuality so seriously. "You get on in the kitchen and I'll lay the table." I put the tray of starters down on the sideboard and rushed back into the kitchen. Josh had the vegetables under control and was just putting the second load of chips into the oven.

"I think we'd better call everyone to table," I said. "Mum, we're ready. Can you get everybody to sit down, please?" Lisa and Dad were in the sitting room, Mikey and Chris came charging down the stairs. "Josh, come and have a look at this." Mikey had appeared as predicted in 501s and his brand new tee shirt that Josh had given him. Not wanting to embarrass Chris Mum kept her counsel, but I could see she saw the funny side of it and talking in the kitchen as she brought the plates out she blamed me, not because of what I knew - after all she didn't know about that - but because she had asked me the question about Mikey's sexuality, and after all hadn't associated it with Chris in the least. Josh and I were putting the finishing touches to the main course. The steaks were finishing off and Josh was straining the vegetables and putting them into the warmed dishes.

Finally all seven of us could sit down to dinner, Mum and Dad at each end, Mikey and Chris along one side doing all the silly things under the table that Josh and I had done at our first meal together, while we sat on the other side with Lisa inbetween us so that she could receive a little bit of attention. The meal appeared to be a success and both Mum and Dad praised us on the standard of the cooking. The vodka in the fruit salad set it off and I didn't notice anyone particularly tipsy, not even Lisa who should have been the most susceptible. As we got towards the end Chris waited until their was a lull in the conversation and then solemnly announce

"You won't tell my parents, will you?"

"Tell them what?" asked everybody, almost in unison.

"Well, we're vegetarians at home and I'm not allowed to eat meat." Mikey burst into giggles and tried to disappear below the table. Luckily everyone else had started talking at once and I think I was the only one that had heard him whisper loudly to Chris

"You didn't say that when you were eating mine." I gave him a withering look. Obviously the smidgin of vodka in the fruit salad had removed one person's inhibitions. Chris received the assurances he needed and went on to say that he quite often ate meat when he was away from his family and had even been known to have the odd burger in town. At the end of the meal Mum thanked the two of us for doing the cooking and officially announced that Josh and I were excused clearing up afterwards and organised Mikey, Lisa and Chris to carry the stuff into the kitchen, fill the dishwasher and tidy up. She made some coffee and we sat down with her and Dad in the sitting room. We chatted generally about the past week, but I think she was anxious to know how we'd got on together and without asking the question to find out whether we were friends, best friends, even boyfriends and kept trying to compare us with Ben and did he have a friend. That made Josh splutter into his coffee and of course we knew so much, but were sworn to secrecy under no less a penalty than that of our testicles dropping off.

We made our excuses and went and sat out in the garden. We wanted to be alone, no, not to have sex, just to sit together, to talk or not to talk, perchance to hold hands. Our time was ticking away and we did not, could not know how our relationship was to continue. It could be half term before we saw each other again. Was this a mad romantic fling destined to be over for ever in thirty-six hours' time or was it the beginning of something deeper which would go on until one of us quit this mortal coil. We felt great joy for Ben and Marc and took solace in the fact that whatever happened we would remain related by marriage as it were. And then there was Mikey. During adolescence I had never considered myself confused. I knew what I was and what I liked and just got on with it. Mikey, however, was confused. He'd said so. Perhaps on Monday there'd be time to talk. He genuinely did want a girlfriend and yet he had found this diversion into boys. It must be something in the family genes. I gave him every credit for his taste in boys and if I didn't have Josh, and Chris didn't have Mikey, I could see myself seeking him out if I saw him as school or at the swimming pool. But I was committed in every sense of the word. These were not just thoughts; this was an actual discussion I was having with Josh.

It was starting to grow cooler, so Josh and I snuggled closer together.

"Let's go upstairs," he whispered. I knew how this would end and I wanted it to as much as he did, but I wanted to take it slowly. I needed seducing. We went and said good night to Mum, Dad and Lisa in the sitting room. They were watching television. We would leave Mikey and George. If my reading of their body language was correct they would not appreciate being disturbed right now. I just wanted to immerse myself in Josh. I don't know whether it originated from my cooking rôle of providing for the family or what, but I was feeling my feminine side. I know this concept is anathema to many gayboys as they worship the masculine and exclude the feminine, but we nevertheless have the X chromosome which gives us our nipples with their sole function of titillation. That night I wanted to sacrifice myself completely to Josh and please him. After bolting the door I stripped down to my tighty whities. The hard, but controlled bulge and the not inconsiderable damp patch did nothing to conceal my emotions. Josh took me by the hand and gently laid me on the bed. We kissed and I was in heaven. We had all night, there was no hurry. My soul soared as his lips sent shivers down my spine. I had no conception of time. In my ecstasy I was vaguely conscious of what was happening, the gnawing at my neck, and while I was dimly aware of the consequence it didn't matter, the kissing and sucking on my nipples, the probing tongue in my innie of a navel now filled with spittle, the exploring fingers under the elastic of my briefs and the eventual freedom of my dick and balls as Josh slid my briefs down my thighs, over my knees, past my calves and finally over my feet, the joy of one ball and then the other enclosed by Josh's lips and finally my dick entirely engulfed by those lips and his tongue until I could hold back no more and I along with my whole body exploded sending a stream of my seed to the back of his mouth. Before I could climb down from my orgasmic pinnacle he kissed me on the lips sha ring the nectar of our love and physical union. Now came some momentary respite as Josh removed his clothes, rolled me over and lubed the repository of love between my buttocks. That kept me high. The ritual of my unrolling a rubber over his throbbing cock and the preparation for receiving him between my thighs. In cooler moments I had wanted to experiment with the as yet untried lowering myself and sitting on his rampant cock, but tonight that was not to be. It was too mechanical, it would have dampened the passion and had it failed ruined an exquisite night. I lay on my back, raising my feet and spreading my legs. Josh entered my inner sanctum pain free and releasing a shudder of pleasure which reverberated through my body. As we kissed I could still taste the ambrosia of my loins. I again became lost in in a haze of pleasure which culminated in the double and simultaneous orgasm from my prostate and from my and his loins. How long we maintained our union I know not, for immediately after our separation I fell into a deep slumber and when I woke in Josh's arms the warming light of dawn was creeping under the curtains.

"Josh, are you awake?"

"I am now," and he kissed my cheek. Physically I still had the afterglow; mentally and emotionally I was back on an even keel.

"Josh, my love, you were superb last night. How did you learn to love like that?"

"Simply by being with you. I wanted last night to be something special. I gave presents to Mikey and Lisa. Last night was my special gift to you in gratitude for everything you have done for me since we met."

"But it's so little compared with what you done for me." It was not a time to enter into a competition about who had done more. That required a silly moment, but this was perhaps the most solemn occasion since we had met. We just lay there snuggled in one another's arms.

Suddenly dawn had become full blown day which returned us to normality. When we woke for the second time, the magic of last night was just a memory, but a lesser euphoria remained.

"Ross, I'm going to ask you to do something, but you don't have to. You can say no and it's something I want to do to myself, but only if you agree." What was left in the sexual repertoire I wondered. Plenty would have been the answer of the more worldly wise, but that would have been of little interest to us. Gayboys we were; perverts we were not. "What about shaving off our pubic hair?"

"Hey, what a jolly good wheeze," I said. "It'll grow back. If we don't like it, it won't matter. We won't do it again." I was a little boy again willing to do anything for a dare. "No one else will be up at this early hour on a Sunday. We'll have the bathroom to ourselves."

"Wait a minute," said Josh. "I want a before and after photo," and he took his camera out of his rucksack. "Stand up."

"You great perve," I said with a grin. "You want to take photos of my tackle."

"That's right, left, centre and right in close up, then a full frontal. Then you do the same for me." After a few flashes we put towels round our waists and moved quietly off to the bathroom, taking razors and shave gel with us. Both standing in the shower first I shaved Josh and then he shaved me. What trust we had in one another. We got stiffies, but that made it easier to shave their underside. We showered off, cleared the excess hair from the plug hole and flushed it down the loo, then cleaned the shower so no telltale strays remained. "Whatever you do," said Josh " don't put any after shave on it. Your groin will be on fire for the rest of the day." We went back to our room where we could look at the effect on ourselves in the full length mirror. "What do you think, Ross?"

"I like it. It feels so smooth and it's going to be much better for giving head." We photographed each other again - just for the record, you understand. There's nothing bent about us. We're the str8est gays you could ever wish to meet. We embraced in a hug and a kiss. The smoothness felt strange, but exhilarating. "Feel like a quiche?" I asked.

"Do you mean a quickie, Ross," Josh quipped back rehearsing the old routine. It was my turn to suck him. He lay on the bed and I knelt over him. It was a quickie. It couldn't have lasted more than five minutes at the most. We were first downstairs, so we got breakfast on the go.

Next down were Mum and Dad.

"Morning, boys." Mum kissed me good morning and hugged Josh. "Did you sleep well?"

"No," I replied. "Josh was an animal and wouldn't leave me alone." I could say something like that to Mum if the littlies weren't around. Dad just pretended it hadn't happened. We were rarely chastised by Dad. If we were, we knew it was for something mega.

"We're off to church," said Dad "to the early service, as we missed last week. Can you two hold the fort for an hour?" Naturally we could.

"Help Lisa with her breakfast if she comes down. She's got to learn, but I don't want her burning herself" said Mum "and I don't honestly think we'll hear much from Mikey and Chris until midmorning," she continued giving us a knowing look. "I don't know what they were up to last night, but the light went out very late. We can see it glow under the door."

"I didn't hear anything," I said piously. "I was fast asleep all night. What about you, Josh?"

"Oooh, same here really. That's why we were up so early," he replied, rather over egging the custard.

"And by the way, Ross, can you make sure you don't leave any hair in the lavatory pan. Use the brush to help flush it down. It looks so unsightly," she said confidentially in a stage whisper "especially when we have guests." I blushed. So did Josh. She looked at him and put her hand on his arm. "You're not a guest, dear. You're family." Not yet, I mused thinking of Ben and Marc, but I kept that thought to myself. During the latter part of that conversation Dad had disappeared to get the car out of the garage. "See you in an hour. We're not organising anything for you two today as it's your last day together. Normal Sunday lunch at one... unless after your great success last night you want to cook it? Be good." Mum smiled.

"Ross is always good," replied Josh, trying his luck. I kicked him surreptitiously. Just as she reached the kitchen door she turned round and said

"Do you want me to pick up some garlic from the farm shop on the way back, boys?"

"No thanks," replied Josh with a deadpan face. "I'm allergic to it. It'll be the death of me." I blushed. "Your mum's so cool, Ross."

Lisa appeared bleary eyed.

"Morning, Lisa," I said. "You look tired."

"Mmm. I don't know what was going on in Mikey's room, but they were making such a lot of noise. I couldn't get to sleep. I nearly told Mummy and Daddy about it."

"Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings..." quoted Josh.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I asked to change the subject.

It was not long until Mum and Dad were home again. Josh and I went off to do our last set of exercises together. We forgot about Mikey. He had other things to occupy his mind. As we went upstairs to change I remarked to Josh that it felt different in the comp top having my pubes shaved, cleaner, and it was nice not to have to tuck groin hair away.

"Now you've started, Ross, instead of shaving it all off when it grows again, you could just keep it trimmed."

"You mean designer stubble?" As we reached my room I felt an uncontrollable wave of lust pass through me and I pinned Josh to the door. I kissed him and we ground our crotches together. Even the feeling of this was intensified, but was brought to a halt as we came in our comp tops. We shed our shorts quickly, as we didn't want them soiled by our boy juice, followed by our comp tops. From the sound of the giggling we were not going to get into the shower for some time. We bolted the door and just sat around naked. I was fascinated by Josh's equipment shorn of its hair. It looked so stark and clear cut, so beautiful not being partially hidden.

"What do you think about Marc and Ben getting hitched, Ross?"

"I rather like the idea. A bit of a surprise as before the night of the dinner party I thought they were just good friends. You might know more from living with Ben."

"Not really. They've been very discreet, but remember I'm not there during term time."

"What about us, Josh?"

"I don't think we're ready to settle down yet and anyway you're not old enough."

"No, I don't mean that. This time tomorrow you'll be gone home and... and... I've grown so fond of you, Josh. You're part of me." We hugged and went and lay on the bed in each other's arms.

"I've tried not to think of it," he said. "Of course we'll be together for their act of commitment. Do you suppose we've got to organise their stag party?"

"I hadn't thought of that," I replied. "I wish you were coming on holiday with us." That seemed to strike a chord with Josh, but he said nothing. I looked at my watch. "Come on, Josh. It's gone half past twelve. We'd better get ready for lunch."

Mikey and Chris finally made it in time for lunch.

"Good afternoon, you two," I said. "Late night?" Mikey gave me an 'I don't want to discuss this look'.

"It's not fair. Mum wouldn't let us have any breakfast because she'd cleared away and it would spoil our lunch."

"You won't be hungry after the way you've been eating one another. You've still got spunk on your upper lip." He immediately wiped it away.

"Ha ha. Caught you out. You hadn't really, but you must have had at some time to react so quickly."

"Good one," said Chris, but his blush gave away his complicity.

"Get stuffed!" said Mikey. "Anyway you're one to talk." I'd completely forgotten about the rather large purply mark on my neck. At that point Mum came in.

"Have you boys washed your hands ready for dinner?" I knew Mikey was bursting to tell me about his night with Chris, but he would have to go on bursting for a bit longer. Josh and I wanted to be alone. So after lunch we went for a walk through the woods and down to the river. The dog-walkers were out and one particularly slobbery boxer came and shoved his nose into my crotch, but soon cleared off. It must have smelt the remnants of shave gel. We got home just before tea and had just missed Chris's parents who'd come to collect him. I wonder if they found out that their veggie son had devoured steak on Saturday and roast lamb on Sunday, not to mention copious amounts of human protein? Josh and I were now much more at peace with ourselves. Mikey was in a bouncy mood. Obviously he'd had a good weekend. As it was the last evening we spent it sat in the sitting room watching television with the family. Or rather in front of the television for it wasn't very interesting and lively conversation soon ensued. It gave Josh and Dad a chance to get to know one another. Dad was one of those strong silent types that many mistook for being weak. We boys knew differently. He left Mum to exploit her organisational skills both at home and work, but if needed he was always there for us. When Mum was putting Lisa to bed Mikey and I went and kicked a ball around in the garden as Josh and Dad were still deep in conversation. A two person conversation was his preference and forte.

"So, Mikey, tell me all about it." I was pleased to see that he was still wearing the tee shirt that Josh had given him.

"Nothing to tell really."

"Oh no? Did Chris use his sleeping bag?"

"Only for about ten minutes."

"And?"

"Well, we did er... stuff... you know... like we did at the swimming pool that time. And he asked me to suck him."

"And you did?"

"Mmm, just a bit. I didn't like the taste at first, but now I've got used to it I want to try it again. And he told me about one of his friends at school that likes to sleep over at his house and when he does the next time, he's going to invite me."

"But you're not gay?"

"I told you I'm not. It's just that all the girls are frigid." I laughed. Times didn't change. Meanwhile it had grown dark. Mum gave a call.

"Mikey, I think you'd better have an early night as you didn't sleep much last night. And Ross, come and rescue Josh. Your father's boring him silly about gardening." We went indoors. Josh and I said good night and went up to spend our last night together for the foreseeable future.

The following morning was like after the Lord Mayor's show. We stayed in bed for as long as possible to savour the contact of our bodies. Just after eight we emerged from our room for breakfast. Mum had taken Dad to work as she needed the car to taxi Josh and me to the station for eleven o'clock. We returned upstairs for the important tasks. First Josh's packing. When he came all his belongings fitted into a suitcase and rucksack, so in theory they should now. He found a clean slip which we swapped for one of mine. If it was good enough to hold his genitals it was good enough to hold mine. Next the bed. We stripped it and for the first time noticed the evidence of our good times. Oh dear, semen stains! Is that a compound noun, a statement or a character in Captain Pugwash?

"We'd better get the sheet, underblanket, duvet cover and pillow slips into the washing machine before Mum sees them. Hottest, longest cycle. Good ol' Surf. On the pack it says it gets ride of ninety-nine of the most common stains and actually lists spunk among them."

"I bet it doesn't use that word." I thought back to Ben's warning: sex is fun, but it is also mucky. I reached into my bedside cabinet. In a Sainsbury's plastic carrier bag were thirteen used and knotted condoms. When we moved the bed we discovered another. I tied them up in the bag and carried it out to the dustbin before the bin men arrived. 'Mmm, over twenty rubbers left,' I mused, 'safely locked up in secure drawer with half a tube of K-Y.' Josh made sure he had his wallet with his railway ticket. Finally we sat on the stripped bed holding hands like two moonstruck teenagers, which I suppose we were. We were snatched out of our reverie by Mum calling up the stairs that it was time to go. We put the luggage into the boot of the car. Josh and I sat in the back with Lisa with Mikey in the front. We set off.

I had an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach as we stood on the platform waiting for Josh's train to come in. There was little conversation for I knew he felt much the same as I did. The train arrived. We hugged giving our loins a brief grind. It felt so good through the thin material of our sweats. We didn't dare kiss in public. The train drew out amid waves and mouthed goodbyes, thank yous and I love yous through the window. We left the station and walked to the car. As eldest sibling I claimed the front seat next to Mum. As we left the car park I saw the same two community support officers on duty who had been so useless when Josh arrived. I wondered whether they had been advised, mentored and retrained yet. When we got home I did my abs training with Mikey, but had no appetite for it. When we'd finished Mum said

"Ross, go and get cleaned up and help me prepare lunch." She was wise enough to realise that I needed company and something to occupy my mind and wise enough to know that I didn't want it. Mother knows best. After lunch Mikey went off to the swimming pool to meet Chris, and Lisa was playing at a friend's house. Mum took the opportunity to sit down with me in the sitting room and chat.

"Don't think you're on your own, Ross. Your father and I were exactly the same when we first fell in love. Naturally it was easier for us in one way; in another it wasn't. I don't want to pry into what you get up to in your private moments, but in our day people weren't so tolerant and we often had to be content with holding hands. It was different again when I watched Ben grow up, not that I remember him falling in love. He had his moments though. I don't know what's going to happen to him and I worry about him growing old and being alone and uncared for in the world." I on the other hand knew exactly what was going to happen, but since I was sworn to secrecy I couldn't put her mind at rest. "Game of Scrabble, Ross?" I didn't really feel like it, but I understood what Mum was trying to do and what was the alternative? Lying on my bed and being miserable, or worse crying. I didn't play very well. "Are you coming with me when I take the car in for Dad?" An offer I couldn't refuse. "We're going have to leave it in the works car park and come home by bus. Dad's going to be late tonight and we have to collect Lisa."

In the car Mum said

"What would you think if we invited Josh to come on holiday with us?" My face gave an immediate and positive reply. "It's only an idea and there are lots of problems. I've got to talk to your father. Has Josh got other plans? Will Marc agree? He'll have to travel separately and on his own. Will he be able to get a flight? Then there's accommodation, but if push comes to shove you and Mikey will have to let him sleep in your room."

"You're the one, Mum, who always says that problems are there to be overcome."

"Not word until I've spoken with your father and the travel agency, okay?"

I went to bed early that night. Josh had rung earlier to say that he'd arrived home without incident. All the activity of the past few weeks must have caught up with me and I felt extraordinarily tired. I'd planned to jerk myself off to sleep fantasising about Josh, but it didn't work. I got a stiffie, but no sensation, no enthusiasm. I slept fitfully. It seemed as if I were looking at my alarm clock every half an hour. It felt lonely in that big bed alone, but there was nothing I could do about it. 'Euh, one o'clock,' I thought. My bedroom door slowly opened.

"It's all right, Ross, it's only me." I recognised Mikey's hoarse whisper. He lifted the duvet and snuggled up against me. His cold feet made sure I was now fully awake. "You don't mind, do you? I'm missing Chris." I hummed a noncommittal answer. The real answer was 'yes, I do', but I didn't want to frighten him off. After five minutes I felt his hand sliding inside the leg of my shorts.

"I've told you before about touching someone's dick without asking first," I snapped. He snatched his hand away.

"Sorry, bro." He got out of bed and slunk back to his room. I lay on my back thinking. Previously any hand near my groin would have caused a stiffie instantly, but tonight not a twitch. My dick felt softer than ever before. Even as a little peewee before adolescence it stuck str8 out in front and as it grew it never was one hundred flaccid, one reason I wouldn't wear boxers and I always looked good in speedos slips and shorts. I finally fell into a deep slumber and didn't wake up until nine. After a cold shower I felt almost back to normal.

Tuesday passed as it usually did in the holidays. Wednesday was more interesting. Early on a large bouquet was delivered by Interflora for Mum with a thank you note from Josh and Marc. Later the postman delivered two identical envelopes, one addressed to Mum, Dad and the family, one to me. I slit mine open and pulled out a white card with a gold border. 'Ben and Marc are pleased to announce their engagement and commitment to a Civil Union which will be solemnised... etc..." I raised my eyebrows and smiled. In the envelope was also a hand written note from Ben. 'My dear Ross, you will now realise that everything has been finalised and made public. You are therefore released from your vow of silence over the matter. I gather that you and Josh had a fantastic time together. I know Josh is already missing you. Looking forward to having you as my best man. Your loving uncle Ben.' I ran into the kitchen where Mum was reading the card to the family.

"Isn't it great?" I said.

I now had something to look forward to. In the medium term the challenge of this civil union and in the short term whether Josh would be coming on holiday with us.

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