Jenner & Brown

Part 3

Written by Daniel Self

Jenner returned to his room to find Christopher asleep. He stroked Christopher's head gently to rouse him.

"If you want to go for breakfast, we'd better get a move on."

Christopher looked at him sleepily.

"Do you want to go?"

"No, not if you don't."

"Let's stay here then and just go to chapel."

Silently, Jenner continued to stroke Christopher's hair.

"How did it go with Shaw?"

"It was fine, all sorted now". Jenner was becoming distracted as he explored the soft textures of the skin of Christopher's forehead, his ears, his face and his lips with his fingers. Christopher closed his eyes and relaxed as Jenner's hand moved to his neck, and then pushed the quilt down exposing the gentle rising and falling of Christopher's naked chest. Jenner looked again at Christopher's face, his eyes were still closed and he was still smiling, enjoying the exploratory fingers of his friend. Jenner interpreted this as consent to continue, and he felt a surge of sexual excitement as he began, for the first time, to investigate the body of another boy.

He ran his index finger in small circles around Christopher's small firm nipples, enjoying the texture of the darker skin around them. Leaning forward he carefully ran the tip of his tongue over first one and then the other nipple before settling on the closer one which he began to suckle on, eliciting a sigh of pleasure from Christopher. Christopher raised his arm, intending to stroke Jenner's head, but Jenner gently pushed it down. He wanted no distractions as he continued his adventure.

He rested his head on Christopher's chest, listening to the excited rhythm of his young heart beating, and feeling his breathing. Pushing the quilt down with his foot, he exposed more of Christopher, his soft relaxed stomach and his white briefs clearly moulded around Christopher's erection. Jenner circled the palm of his hand on Christopher's smooth flat waist applying a gentle pressure and watching his underpants reveal the excited reaction of Christopher's cock to the firm delicacy of Jenner's hands. He ran his fingers precisely up and down the clearly defined V muscle lines that pointed to Christopher's pleasure centre.

His fingers pushed against the firm restraint of the white elasticated band of his underwear, rubbing against the graininess of the light coloured pubic hairs. Whispering to Christopher to raise his bum in the air, he pushed them down to Christopher's pale hairless thighs releasing the rigid member that sprang to point at Christopher's navel, reaching half, maybe more of the way to it. Jenner hesitated. He knew that he wanted Christopher's cock in his mouth, to suck on it, kiss it, breath hotly on it, but he wasn't sure that Christopher might think him disgusting. That would be real queer stuff, not like just having a quick wank together.

Jenner suddenly had an image in his mind of him on the top diving board at the pool, of the fear, and the exhilaration of running and jumping from the end. He sank his lips over the soft lip of foreskin at the tip of Christopher's cock and explored with his tongue. Christopher answered by groaning and thrusting his hips at Jenner's face, pushing his cock in and dragging the foreskin back and down the shaft which suddenly felt huge in Jenner's mouth. Jenner began to move his head up and down the shaft trying to mimic the motion of a grasping fist with the warm wet cavity of his mouth. He fondled Christopher's balls and sac feeling them slippery in the streams of saliva that flowed from his mouth down Christopher's slick cock. He was aware of a new taste in his mouth, a saltiness, a sweetness all at one time that he guessed to be Christopher's pre-cum.

It never even occurred to Jenner that Christopher would not cum in his mouth. He was ready for it and he wanted desperately to feed from Christopher's cock. He couldn't tell any more whether it was he sucking Christopher or Christopher's hips fucking his mouth, but the rhythm intensified and Jenner felt Christopher's balls suddenly draw up and his scrotum bunch up around them as his cock began to pump hot sperm into Jenner's mouth. Christopher cried out as the sensations in his groin flickered in orgasm, not enough and too much, a thousands times a second, his seed coursing the length of his cock in waves. Jenner guzzled, it was the only word to describe the greed and love with which he consumed the feast, at one point spluttering as the flow of semen overtook his ability to swallow and he felt the burning heat of Christopher's spunk in his nose.

Jenner slowed his pace to a gentle sucking, carefully drawing the protective sheath of Christopher's foreskin back over his softening cock. His head rested on Christopher's heaving belly and he felt Christopher's hand stroking his hair, like a puppy he thought, like the head of a baby at the breast. He pulled off Christopher and standing again, still fully clothed bent over to kiss Christopher. Christopher rubbed Jenner's cock, still in his trousers. He reached for the button at the top and deftly undid it and with a single motion pulled both Jenner's trousers and underpants to his knees.

Jenner's cock stood out in front of him bouncing up and down to the rhythm of his heart. Christopher stood up from the bed and pushed his own underpants from his knees to the floor, kicking them off his feet. He pulled Jenner tightly to him and kissed his mouth, tasting his own sperm in it and savouring the bleachy smell of Jenner's hot breath on his face. Jenner felt his own cock hard against the softness of Christopher's spent organ. Christopher reached for his shoulders and pushed him to the bed. Jenner expected that Christopher was about to return the sucking he had just received and laid back on the bed with his eyes closed. He heard Jenner at the drawer next to his bed and and heard an unfamiliar squirting sound. Christopher climbed on the bed and sat astride his chest. Jenner opened his eyes in surprise and then groaned as Christopher grasped Jenner's cock and lowered the tight ring of his anus down onto it. In an instant Jenner felt his frenum pulled back and his cock begin to fill Christopher's belly with the spontaneous ejaculation that burst from his body. He lunged at Christopher's arse with his all flesh, burying his shaft to the hilt and beyond, completely absorbed in the union and the need to fill his friend with his sperm. Christopher fell forward biting at Jenner's neck allowing Jenner's hips to buck furiously pumping cum into Christopher.

Christopher sat up, still impaled on Jenner's hard cock. He smiled down at Jenner who was breathing heavily as his body recovered from orgasm.

"Oh fuck Christopher!" Jenner panted.

"You certainly did." Christopher grinned, moving his bottom in a circular motion that sent post orgasmic tremors through Jenner's sensitised cock. Jenner was overwhelmed by his experience.

"Fuck Christopher, I never fucked someone before. You're my first."

"You're my second." Christopher smiled.

Jenner looked at him and whispered,

"Marcus?"

Christopher nodded his head and his face glazed over. Jenner smiled at his friend, at his beautiful face that in a single moment expressed both joy and sadness, gain and loss, hurt and happiness. He knew that now was not the time to ask any more. Christopher wasn't crying and Jenner suddenly felt very special.

"Okay?"

Another nod.

"Let's go and shower... together...now."

Christopher leant forward and Jenner's softening cock slipped from his arse. He kissed Jenner on the forehead and climbed off him.

"You'd better get undressed then."

* * *

Jenner was pleased to find the showers empty, and the boys hung up their towels and turned on the water, waiting a moment for it to run warm as it rained down from the large lime-scaled rosette above.

Jenner stepped under the streaming water and Christopher stood behind him watching his dark hair as the water made it shine, and the rivulets that ran down the smooth and hairless nape of Jenner's slender neck. Picking up the shower gel from the floor, he squeezed a dollop into his hand and began to gently clean Jenner's shoulders and torso. Jenner stood still,hearing only the sound of the shower and feeling only the soft touch of Christopher's hands as they cleaned his back. No one had washed Jenner since he had been a small boy at home with his mother, and now the physical memories brought a comforting and safe warmth that filled his whole body. Reluctant to let go of the feelings, he eventually turned around and taking the gel from Christopher returned the gesture, softly caressing Christopher's shoulders and back. New feelings filled him, knowing that he was now the giver of comfort and safety. He turned Christopher around and the two boys hugged one another in the wet, an act of love, not lust. They stood in the embrace, totally contented for several minutes as the water puddled around the four bare feet that marked the pattern of their closeness on the floor. Both boys would have happily stayed like that forever, but Jenner spoke into his lover's ear.

"Time to get dried off and dressed."

As they walked back along the silent corridor to their room, Jenner realised that they were missing, or had missed chapel, but he didn't care. Today was the most special day of his life, better than all his birthday's or any of his fourteen Christmasses. He'd think of some excuse.

* * *

There was only a week left of the spring term. The evenings were starting to get lighter, and Christopher and Jenner were looking forward to the end of term as arrangements had been made for Christopher to spend the first week of the two week holidays staying with Jenner at his house. The boys were in their room, the stereo playing Bach, busy completing a piece of history homework. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Christopher shouted, relieved to be stopping his work. The door opened and Shaw walked in.

"Hi guys! How's it going?"

"It'll be better when I've finished this bloody Martin Luther essay," was Jenner's surly response. "I'm bloody sick of it."

"Well, you can stop now and come and watch the telly with me for a bit. Blue Planet is starting at nine."

"Sounds good to me. You coming Chris?"

"Yeah, I'm sick of Herr Luther and his 95 theses. I can't think of anything that wouldn't be more interesting at the moment."

The boys got up from their desks and set off to the TV room with Shaw.

The room had a shabby but comfortable feel to it with several old sofas and arm chairs and was lit by a single rather gloomy lamp in one corner, and the flickering glow of the large television in another corner. The room was empty and the three boys slumped down together on the large sofa directly in front of the screen. Christopher sat at one end and Shaw at the other with Jenner carefully positioning himself in the centre scrupulously avoiding any public physical contact.

"It's okay you know," Shaw said looking at Jenner.

"What's okay?" Jenner replied looking slightly puzzled.

"About you being queer and stuff."

Christopher now looked at Shaw. Jenner had told him about his conversation with Shaw about their relationship, but Shaw had never said anything more about it until now.

"I mean you are my best friends," Shaw continued looking at both of them.

"And you love each other, but sometimes it's like it's a secret and you're embarrassed about it, but it doesn't matter and it would be nice for me and for the rest of us sometimes if you held hands or cuddled or something when we were around because..."

Shaw struggled for words that could express the unwelcome sense of exclusion that he felt from such an important part of his best friends' lives.

"Because sometimes it makes me feel like you don't trust me. That's all, it doesn't matter."

As the theme music of their TV programme started, Christopher leant across Jenner and kissed Shaw on the cheek.

"Sorry."

And he settled back into his corner of the sofa, lifting one leg up and behind Jenner whom he pulled back to lean against him. He wrapped his arms around him and tenderly kissed the top of his head.

Shaw smiled.

"That's better."

And Christopher and Jenner could not have agreed more.

* * *

It was the last day of term. Trunks had been packed, the final morning of lessons completed. Christopher and Jenner sat at the window of their room watching for the arrival of Jenner's parents to take them away. Christopher was nervous: meeting another boy's parents was always difficult, and Christopher was concerned about how he and Jenner would keep their relationship from them. Jenner sensed his friend's discomfort and knew exactly what he was feeling. He had gone to stay at Shaw's last term and Shaw's parents had been like people from another planet.

"My mum and dad are okay you know." He grinned, "they'll like you and you don't have to worry about meeting them, they're really laid back. They even liked Shaw!" He laughed and Christopher laughed too.

"I know, but you know what it's like, and what if they find out about us or something."

Jenner looked a little more serious for a moment.

"You know something Chris, I sort of hope they do in a way. I mean, I don't think I've got the guts to tell them to their face, but I feel sometimes like I'm cheating on them a bit not telling them. What about your folks. Have you said anything to them about it, about us?"

"No, but my parents know that I like boys and they know that I like you very much so I suppose they might guess."

"Your parents know you're queer?" Jenner was surprised.

"Yes."

"How did you tell them? Do they mind?" Jenner was intrigued.

"Can we talk about it another time Edward?"

Jenner recognised the tone of Christopher's voice and knew that it was best to drop the subject for the moment, but he was thrilled at the idea that it was possible to let your parents know and survive and spent the next few minutes imagining scenarios involving one or other or both of his parents and what he could say, who he would tell first and how they would react. His revelry was broken by Christopher pointing down the drive.

"Is that them?"

"It is. Come on, let's go."

"Hang on," Christopher said and pulling Jenner away from the window gave him a hug and deep wet kiss.

The boys went down stairs together and Jenner's father was already loading the second trunk into the back of the large estate car. Jenner's mother was sitting in the front seat but got out as she saw the boys, and Jenner ran to her and gave her a distant peck on the cheek.

"Hello Mummy. This is Christopher." He blushed at his use of the word Mummy, but unnecessarily as Christopher still called his own parents Mummy and Daddy and thought nothing of it.

"Hello Christopher, we've heard so much about you."

Christopher quickly went into polite boy autopilot;

"I'm very pleased to meet you. Thank you very much for having me to stay this week."

Jenner's father came round from the back of the car and shook both Jenner and Christopher's hand.

Introductions done, everybody got back in the car and, after waving goodbye to Shaw whose parents were still to arrive, they set off on the two hour drive back to Jenner's home. The journey passed quickly for Christopher in conversation about favourite subjects, favourite games, music and all the other things that other boys parents always ask when they meet for the first time. He learnt more about Jenner's family, his sixteen year old sister, Alex, who was away for the whole holiday on "something in Scotland" and his 20 year old brother Michael who was away at university. He liked Jenner's parents very much. As Jenner had said, they seemed relaxed and informal, and Jenner's father had amused Christopher, who was sitting behind him, several times on the journey by looking in the mirror and winking and making silly faces in response to various questions that Jenner's mother had asked.

It was nearly five when they arrived at Jenner's house which turned out to be an old Victorian rectory in a large garden. Christopher thought the house very beautiful and delighted Jenner's parents with his interest in it. They went in through the large imposing front door and Christopher and Jenner carried in the two trunks from the car. Christopher's was put away under the stairs unopened ready to go on with him to his own house in a week's time. Meanwhile Jenner's mother gave instructions for Jenner's to be taken up to his bedroom straight away.


"And please make sure ALL the dirty washing comes down to the utility room before bed time."

"Yes Mummy."

The two boys returned a minute or two later for their overnight bags and a few loose odds and ends from the car and dashed up the stairs again almost running into Jenner's large bedroom and closing the door quickly behind them.

Christopher looked around the room which as well as containing Jenner's 3/4 bed had a large camp bed made up for him. A long desk with drawers and a computer filled the whole length of one wall, and the walls were covered in pegboards that in turn were covered in photographs, cuttings from magazines and assorted theatre programmes, tickets and other items. One of the peg boards was covered with pictures of Christopher and Jenner at school. Jenner saw Christopher looking at them.

"I put them up at half term," he said

"I was dreading having to manage without you for two weeks, but now it will only be for one."

He walked up behind Christopher and held him tight to him grinding his cock against Christopher's backside.

"But even a week will be too long," and he turned Christopher around. He took off Christopher's school tie and began undoing his shirt and then the clip of his uniform trousers.

"No more school uniform for two weeks," he grinned up at Christopher, "and no more clothes at all for a while," he said and pulled down Christopher's trousers and pants exposing his already hard cock. He knelt down in front of Christopher and looked at the throbbing erection that was now so familiar: the puckered foreskin and the slightly blue veins beneath the taught almost transparent skin of the shaft. Jenner loved the shape of Christopher's cock when it was stiff, the thick almost muscle like ridge of engorged tissue that ran up the underside. He licked up its length and pushed his lips over the head. Reaching round Christopher's thighs, he pulled him tighter too him, but Christopher still had his shoes on and his trousers around his ankles and losing his balance fell backwards on to Jenner's bed, giggling.

"That was deliberate by the way," Jenner laughed.

He reached down to Christopher's right foot and loosened the lace of his black shoe and eased it off the foot. He repeated the action on the left shoe and was then able to pull Christopher's trousers and pants over his grey socks. Finally he pulled off both socks leaving Christopher naked, lying back on the bed with his legs hanging over the edge. Jenner began kissing at Christopher's ankle and slowly licked and kissed his way up his inside leg, past his knee, stroking his soft skinned thighs all the while. He finally arrived at the point where Christopher's legs met, licking at the ball sac, gently manipulating the two loose hanging balls with his tongue and lips and massaging his perineum and around the tight hole of his arse. Using his free hand he was able to loosen and kick off his own shoes and so remove his trousers and pants, leaving him wearing only his white school shirt and loosened tie. He stood up and climbed onto the bed astride Christopher, and sitting just below Christopher's hips took both their cocks in his hand as their balls rubbed against each others. Christopher pulled aside Jenner's shirt tails like the curtain at the theatre and watched as Jenner wanked the two cocks together, a blurred mass of sliding foreskin and pink shafts slick with the pre-ejaculate of both boys.

"I'm close," Christopher panted. Jenner only grunted a reply as both cocks swelled in his hand and began to spew thick white cum, Christopher's initially spurting at his face and Jenner's pumping through the lips of the foreskin that still covered the engorged head of his cock, dribbling down on Christopher's cock. Jenner slowed his hand and the two boys came down from their orgasm. Jenner leant down to Christopher's face, half licking, half kissing the cum that seemed to cover him, and finally kissed Christopher full in the mouth sharing the seed of their love.

"I bloody adore you," Jenner whispered into Christopher's ears, recalling the thought he had had the first time he had met him. "...and now I know just what to do about it!" he grinned.

Christopher smiled a puzzled smile at him.

"I'll tell you one day," Jenner said, "but we'd better get cleaned up and go downstairs now."

The boys both changed into jeans and t-shirts and went down to a warm kitchen full of the delicious smells of home cooking and Jenner's mother scrabbling about in the freezer trying to extract a packet of frozen vegetables from the bottom drawer.

"Oh Edward - can you get this brocolli out of there for me. The stupid thing is all iced up again. I bloody hate it."

Christopher giggled and poked Jenner in the ribs.

"Now I know where that comes from!" he said, already feeling like one of the family.

* * *

Neither boy could remember a time that they had felt happier and easier with their worlds than that first week of the spring holiday. The weather had been wet and cold at the beginning, but by Thursday, the day before Christopher was to leave, spring seemed to arrived with warm sunshine and clear skies. Jenner had searched his room when they had finished breakfast and found shorts for both him and Christopher, and they decided to prepare some sandwiches and drink and go out for a cycle ride for the day. Jenner had told Christopher about the large common ten or twelve miles away that comprised mostly gorse bushes, grass and sandy tracks and had a large disused gravel pit near the centre where he had often been swimming with his brother Michael in the past.

He was sure that his brother's bike was still in good working order in the garage, but it was nearly an hour later that the two boys finished repairing the puncture that had flattened the back tyre. Jenner's mother had prepared a box of food and drink which Jenner added to the two towels in his rucksack.

"In case we go for a paddle," he said to his mother who reminded him that the water would be freezing and that they were not to go swimming in it.

The cycle ride was long and hot, and both boys were wearing only their shorts, shoes and socks by the time they arrived at the gravel pit, their t-shirts having been removed sometime ago and tucked securely into the waists of their trousers to flap about in the breeze. They came to a stop at the edge of the gravel pit where the slope to the edge created a small beach leading to the chilly looking green water. The wind rippled surface reflected the sun in sparkling flashes as the two boys settled down on their towels and opened a bottle of fizzing water to quench their thirsts. Jenner passed the bottle to Christopher who drank a few gulps and passed it back to Jenner for his turn.

"My mum was right about the water," Jenner said

"Even in the middle of the summer it's freezing cold, I suppose because it's so deep. Good for a paddle though," he continued, reaching down and undoing his trainers and pulling off the socks that had started the journey white but were now a sandy yellow colour from the dust of the tracks on the common. Christopher followed suit and the two walked down to the edge and stealthily tried the water.

"Awwww, it's freezing!" Christopher laughed and kicked some water up at Jenner, splashing his chest and stomach and covering his light khaki coloured shorts with dark patches.

"You bugger! That's bloody cold," and Jenner splashed out at Christopher. Within minutes both boys were soaking wet and almost unable to stand for laughing. They ran back up to their towels and sat down, still giggling, to soak up the warmth of the sun and dry off.

Lunch was soon eaten and Christopher laid back resting his head on Jenner's still rather damp lap. Jenner stroked his head with one hand whilst finishing off a crunchy green apple.

"Did you ever have a wank outdoors?" Jenner asked.

"That's what I love about you Edward, such a good line in after dinner conversation," Christopher smirked. "Hmmm ... no I haven't, well, only in a tent once, so that was sort of outdoors I suppose."

"Nor me."

Silence, but Christopher could feel Jenner's cock hardening under his head. He rubbed his hair against Jenner's lap.

"Mmmm, feels like you could do with finding out what it feels like," he grinned up at Jenner, his brown eyes catching the light reflected from the water.

Jenner reached across and patted the obvious bulge in Christopher's shorts. He looked around him, but there was no one to be seen or heard anywhere, though cautious, he said to Christopher.

"Why don't we take the bikes and towels back a bit behind the bushes there and be a bit more private."

Christopher nodded his head and they both stood up and gathered their things together. They wheeled their bikes about thirty metres into the dense bushes and settled down again, this time securely surrounded by gorse. Christopher lay back and Jenner lay beside him, resting on his elbow and kissed him.

"Go on then."

"Go on then what?" Christopher grinned.

"Have a wank outside of course."

"What? Me? Wank myself?" Christopher asked

"Go on. I've never seen you wanking yourself. I want to watch, just watch you wank 'til you cum on yourself. Go on, do it like I wasn't there, as if you were on your own."

Christopher felt the butterflies of sexual excitement in his lower belly. Jenner watched intently as he reached down and undid the buttons of his shorts, pulling the fly apart and pushing his shorts and underpants down his thighs. His cock was rigid, pointing at his navel from its nest of light brown pubic hair. Christopher looked at Jenner for reassurance.

"Go on then," Jenner's voice had a tremble of anticipation.

Christopher closed his eyes and cupped his balls in one hand whilst stroking the firm flatness of his stomach slowly, getting closer to his pulsing cock. Leaving his foreskin covering the head, he grasped his stiffness with two fingers just below the frenum and his thumb just below the crown and began to slowly move his hand from the wrist, up and down, each movement pulling the foreskin back a short way down exposing the deeper pink of the head before covering it again with each stroke. Christopher concentrated on the feelings that surged through his body from the well practised movement, using his other hand to fondle his balls and occasionally stroking between his thighs and the cheeks of his backside. As Jenner watched, he unconsciously rubbed his own hardness through the damp of his shorts, enjoying the show Christopher was putting on for him.

Christopher was becoming increasingly absorbed in his own sexual satisfaction and soon felt his orgasm approaching. His legs stiffened out in front of him and he raised his head breathing heavily and watched his cock as his groin spasmed and sperm erupted from the exposed tip spattering his chest and heaving belly. His wrist slowed and he lay his head back with a sigh, closing his eyes and letting his orgasm wash over him. He opened his eyes and looked at Jenner.

"You are so bloody beautiful," Jenner whispered to him, "and so fucking sexy," he smiled.

Christopher looked at him.

"Your turn now," he said to Jenner. "Do it standing up and cum on me!"

Jenner stood up and pushed his shorts down revealing his cock straightaway, having decided against underpants that day. Grasping his cock in a fist he started to wank, thrusting his hips out towards Christopher who lay below him looking up at his balls swinging under the fast moving hand brilliantly lit by the hot sunshine. Jenner took only moments before grunting and drizzling sperm over Christopher's face, torso and genitals below him. He had clearly found Christopher's display a great turn on, because he could not remember producing such a long flow of cum before. He collapsed to his knees beside Christopher.

"I needed that," he giggled and wiped his cock against Christopher's chest.

"You're covered!" Jenner laughed, and, picking up his t-shirt, wiped Christopher's spunk covered body with it. They hugged and lay down in the hot sunshine, both dozing for half an hour or so before packing up the rucksack, having drunk all the remaining water. Climbing back on their bikes, they cycled home to Jenner's house arriving back just after Jenner's father got back from work.

* * *

Friday morning arrived, and although Christopher was looking forward to seeing his parents, he was sad to be leaving the Jenner's and most of all Jenner. The week had been perfect and both boys thoughts were focussed on their being together again at school in a week's time. Christopher had got up and dressed early on that last morning so that he could say goodbye to Jenner's father before he left for work. Jenner had stayed in bed, still sleepy, telling Christopher that he would be down in a few minutes. When Jenner's father had left, Christopher and Jenner's mother sat at the large wooden kitchen table, Christopher finishing a bowl of cereal and Jenner's mother drinking a cup of coffee from the large pot that seemed to be always full and freshly made in the filter machine next to the radio on the kitchen worktop.

"Edward is going to miss you when you go Christopher. It's been lovely for him to have a friend here for some of the holiday. I suppose it's one of the drawbacks of boarding that you don't get to make friends at home."

"I've had a great time here, thank you very much."

"You and Edward are very fond of each other aren't you?" Jenner's mother continued.

Christopher thought he detected a hint of something in the tone of her voice, as though she was offering something. The chance to tell her more.

"He's my best friend at school, and we share a room so we know each other really well," he replied, worried that the conversation might be about to take a more serious tone. He found himself wishing that Jenner would hurry downstairs.

"...and we both like music."

She looked at him, seeming to take stock for a moment.

"Well, he's very lucky to have a friend like you Christopher. We have very much enjoyed having you here, and I hope it wont be too long before you can come again. Edward has not always been happy at school, but he certainly seems to be now," she paused and smiled at Christopher.

"And I think it's probably you that makes him happy."

Edward walked through the kitchen door.

"Hello Mummy." He kissed her cheek. "Any coffee left?"

She smiled at Christopher again and poured coffee for three.

An hour later Christopher's father arrived. Christopher ran out to meet him and to his surprise found himself giving him an affectionate hug.

"Hello Daddy. You found us alright! This is Edward," he said, gesturing towards Jenner, "and this is Mrs. Jenner.".

Greetings, thanks and the loading of Christopher's trunk into the car followed. His father was offered coffee but explained that they had to get on. He got into the car and Christopher went intending to shake Jenner's mother's hand, but instead she kissed him on each cheek and gave him a hug promising to see him again soon. Jenner and Christopher looked at each other, and then oblivious to company hugged each other tightly to say their goodbyes. Christopher got into the car and lowering the window waved from it as his father drove them away, until he could no longer see Jenner. Suddenly his world seemed very silent and he felt a brief panic of unhappiness. His father looked at him and ruffled his hair.

"It's only a week Chris, only a week." Christopher smiled at his father, a smile that let his father know that he was going to be fine.

"Only a week," he echoed.

Jenner wiped his eyes with his arm as the car disappeared from view but stood still for a minute looking at the countryside that it had driven into, picturing Christopher at the window still waving.

"Come on sunshine. Let's get some coffee and a biscuit," his mother's voice stirred him.

In the kitchen his mother put the coffee jug, two mugs, a small sherry and a plateful of chocolate digestives on a tray and they went out through the French windows to sit at the table outside in the sun.

They sat for a few minutes in silence, sipping at the coffee. His mother looked at Jenner and at the garden.

"I did like Christopher. Such a nice young man," she said, feeling the words woefully stereotypically mother like.

"I glad you liked him Mummy. He's really nice isn't he."

"He is darling, and he certainly seems to have brought about a change in you." She smiled caringly at him, knowing that now was probably as good a chance as she and her son would get to talk about his relationship with Christopher.

"Do you think so? " Jenner was pleased at the observation.

"Don't you Edward?" his mother returned the question.

Jenner looked at his mother.

"It makes me very happy being with him Mummy, so very happy." He could feel a lump in his throat. "I love him so much." He felt the wetness of tears in his eyes and wiped them again with his arm. His mother reached for his hand.

"I know darling," she patted his arm, "I know."

And Jenner suddenly realised that she did know. He looked up at her.

"And you don't mind?"

"Edward, you'll be fifteen soon. You're old enough to be pretty sure how you feel about boys and girls and you are still Edward, nothing has changed, I have just learned something new about you."

"How did you know?" Jenner was having trouble adjusting to the knowledge that his mother knew, or even thought about such things as how he felt about boys.

"Oh Edward," she held his hand tightly "I'm not so old that I have forgotten what being in love feels like, and, as your sister would no doubt say, you are completely "loved up" at the moment. It shines out of you and Chris whenever the two of you are together. Actually, Alex commented on the photos on your peg board at half term, although I just dismissed it as a joke at the time. She said you and Chris looked like two boys in love. Well she was right, and ..."

Jenner interrupted.

"What will Daddy say?"

The prospect of seeing his father and talking about his feelings was a daunting one. Jenner had no idea how he might react. His mother saw the concern on his face.

"Daddy and I spoke about you and Chris last night. We were both agreed that we would talk with you today, and we both feel the same way. Your happiness and your future are the two things that matter most to us in the world. If your relationship with Chris was adversely affecting your school work then we might have been worried, but it's not, in fact, if anything the opposite seems to be true, and obviously Chris makes you very happy, happier than we have seen you. Christopher is a boy,and I suppose we always assumed that it would be a girl that would be lucky enough to have you for a boyfriend, but as I said, you're a grown up boy now. You know about yourself more than anyone else, and no one has the right to challenge you in that. We love you, and you have always made us proud and that has not and will not be any different because we know that you are gay."

Jenner was silent. He was crying inside, humbled and ashamed that he could have ever thought the his parents might have reacted in any other way. If he was smaller, he thought, he would have sat on Mummy's lap and hugged her and cried until he fell asleep, but he was too big.

"Thank you Mummy. I love you."

He felt that he needed to give something in exchange for the happiness and relief that his mother had just given him, but he had nothing more than himself to offer, and his mother wanted nothing else, so they sat in the sun and finished their coffee as Jenner told his mother all about how wonderful Chris was.

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