Zeke
by David Lee
Chapter 25
Morning dawned rainy and unusually cool for Iowa in August. The sound of drops falling on the tent, made the two guys inside feel the urgency to piss even more than they normally did upon awakening. After putting off the inevitable as long as possible, they scrambled through the opening and added their own water to the soggy ground.
Back inside, they wiped their feet and cuddled together in the sleeping bag to warm back up. It was then that they realized they had left their shorts outside the night before. Where had their earlier Boy Scout training gone? Bryan volunteered to retrieve the sodden articles to see if they could be dried enough to wear. Wringing them out didn't make them much less cold and wet.
Finally, the two boys wrapped their towels around their loins, put on their sandals, and high-tailed it for Bryan's house. They would pick up their gear later in the afternoon if it stopped raining by then. When they arrived in the back yard, they stopped at the pool-house where they warmed up in the shower. Then, after putting on some dry swim trunks, they dashed to the house.
They needn't have bothered to dress because no one was home. Mary had left early for her volunteer job to cover for another lady who had an emergency. They ate a cold breakfast before retreating to Bryan's room to play on the computer.
Bryan had seen some old pictures of a guy who used to model for the Soloflex ads. He typed the name into Google and soon found sites with his guy's picture. There were pictures of some twins on the same site that gave a new meaning to the term "brotherly love."
Both boys were turned on by the suggestive pictures. The mounds in their trunks were a dead give-away. Bryan shut down the site and they moved to his bed. Zeke lay on top of him. They pulled down their trunks, trapping their hard flesh between them. Zeke ran his tongue over Bryan's lips and Bryan opened them to him. Last night's lovemaking in no way dampened their passion.
Just as Zeke was turning his body to get into the 69-position, the back door opened, and Mary called out:
"Hey is anybody home?"
The boys sprang apart in panic pulling up their swim trunks and straightening up the bed. Bryan called back to let his mother know they were there, but he didn't head for the stairs until his hardon had subsided.
The change in schedule had put Mary off of her routine and she didn't feel like making lunch, so she told the boys to dress and she would take them out to Culver's. There was enough variety there to please everyone.
Over lunch, she asked them if they had had fun camping. Both agreed that despite the rain, it was an enjoyable experience. Mary said she thought they should go to Backbone State Park at least once this summer. They had often gone there as a family when the kids were little.
"Dad and I won't have time to go, but I think we might talk Todd into taking you guys. You and Todd haven't had much time together this summer. I'm afraid you'll see less and less of each other as he gets more involved with Lisa. Don't get me wrong; I think she's perfect for him, but things change as we grow up, and move on."
"Speaking of girls, when are you two Romeos going to bring some home?"
Mary was merely making conversation, but Bryan didn't take it that way. The subject had come up before in ways that made him feel like his mother was probing.
"That isn't going to happen, Mom. We don't need them; we have each other."
"Oh?" Mary frowned.
"There's no easy way to say this. We're gay," Bryan whispered.
"Oh dear, are you sure?"
"Yes, Mom, we're sure."
"I mean, have you... No, I don't think I want to know the answer to that."
"Mom, we love each other."
"Well, this is not how I imagined my day going. It's all going to take some getting used to. I think I'd like to have Todd talk with you. The camping thing might be the ideal time to do it."
"He knows."
"He does? Why didn't he say anything?"
"Maybe he was being loyal to his little brother."
"Yes, I suppose. You two have always been very close despite your age difference. Well, I guess I should thank you for your honesty and your trust in me. Do you want me to tell your father?"
"No, I think I have to do that."
Mary was afraid the boys would freak-out seeing the tears in her eyes, so she put her hands on theirs. She was feeling a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, she was proud of her son for being brave; on the other, she was sad that he wouldn't experience the joys of marriage and family. Her mind told her it was not something he chose to do, but her heart said: "damn!"
"Does Grace now?"
"Yes," Zeke piped up. "She is okay with it. I think she has suspected for about a year. She probably knew nearly as quickly as I did."
In the evening, Bryan told his father. Zeke had wanted to be with him when he did, so Mary had invited him to stay for dinner. It was not unusual to have him there.
Brad Stillwell took the news as well as his wife had. In fact, he was probably less surprised than she. When Bryan got through with his revelation, Brad hugged his son and his future son-in-law.
"Be careful, guys. The world is full of people who can't stand anyone who doesn't conform to what they call 'normal.' It's been that way since time began and doesn't seem to be getting much better. I love you both. Just keep a low profile in school and be safe."
It was a pair of highly relieved boys who ran off to the wooded area to pack up their camping equipment. The tent wasn't entirely dry, so they set it up in the pool house-shower to keep it from getting moldy.
That night as Mary and Brad cuddled in their bed, they discussed the two boys. Knowing what they now knew made a lot of things fall into place. Those two had always been closer than most human beings. Perhaps this was always meant to be.
In Bryan's bedroom, the boys were also cuddling as they talked over the events of the day.
"I'm glad it's over. I've been dreading this day and now it's done," Bryan sighed.
"I thought you were going to wait until next year to tell them."
"I was. I had no plans to come out today. It just happened. Mom's kept asking about girls, so I thought it was either come clean or start making things up. I'm not a very good liar."
"Maybe it's all for the best. We don't know what will happen if people at school find out, but at least we can count on our families."
Although their lovemaking had been interrupted in the morning, Bryan and Zeke didn't feel especially horny. Tonight, they just felt close. It was almost as if they were engaged or something. Their immediate families knew they were in love and had accepted it. That fact made the boys feel there was hope.
Luke Holder was sitting up late going over his finances. He had earned a pretty good sum from selling books, but no matter how he pushed the figures around, there would be only enough money for one semester at his university. He'd have to drop out to take a fulltime job before he could continue. At this rate, he'd be an old guy by the time he finished college. Maybe he could join the military to get funds for his education.
Doug looked over Luke's shoulder. He could see why Luke was agonizing.
"Luke, you might consider going to a community college for a year. It's a lot cheaper way to earn credits in your core classes."
"I'd still need a place to live, transportation, and food. It won't work."
"Yes it can. Transfer to Cosgrove Community College. You can live here for free. That should give you enough to pay for the full year."
"Yeah, but I'd be imposing on you and then there's commuting. I don't even own a car and my bicycle won't cut it in the winter."
"Having you here is never an imposition! You can ride with Sky. I've asked him to move in here too. You guys could work out a schedule so you could commute together."
"Where would we all sleep?" Luke wondered aloud.
"You and he can share your twin bed! I'll bet you'd both like that."
Luke blushed big-time. He did have a crush on the younger Newman stud, but he had done his best not to show it. After all, he had figured he'd never see Skylar again once summer was over.
"I'm teasing you, son. All we have to do is move the computer stuff to the big room in the basement. Skylar can have that room for his own. We can be like a little family. I'm gonna love having two brothers; or maybe a brother and a brother-in-law."
Luke blushed again, but grinned at the same time.
The next morning, Skylar came over to help begin transforming the office back into a bedroom. It didn't take much coaxing to get Luke to agree to the idea of staying with the brothers. He had no family anymore. There was no reason to go back to Texas. He would, however, have to invest in some warmer clothes once the weather turned.
By afternoon, the room had been cleared and given a fresh coat of paint. Tomorrow, Doug and Skylar would borrow a pickup to haul some furniture from their parents' house. Then Sky would become a part of the household.
In mid August, David Derek Mathews was born. Liz and Derek were overjoyed with their tiny bundle of humanity. Liz thought of how fragile life is. She remembered the first time she had seen Derek's ashen face in a hospital bed fighting for his life. She also remembered how his pride had nearly kept him from dating her. A smile appeared on her face as she thought back on how SHE had pursued him until HE caught her.
At David's baptism the following Sunday, Fr. Jerry came to assist in the service. He had planned his vacation around the birth of this little boy. Jerry was Liz's closest friend, other than her husband. Most of the congregation had met him before and they were pleased that he would preach and that his partner, Dennis, would sing for the service. The church was nearly packed. Most people had come for the baptism, but a number of non-members were there specifically to hear the great tenor voice after reading the announcement in Saturday's newspaper.
Among the visitors were Doug, Skylar, and Luke. Skylar had an excellent singing voice, and knew of Dennis's reputation. He convinced his brother and Luke that they could sit through an hour of church for the music they'd hear.
Doug and Luke had both been reluctant, but for different reasons. Doug remembered being forced to go to Sunday school which he hated. Luke had grown up in a church where the minister railed against homosexuals on numerous occasions. Luke had felt he'd never be welcome in God's house.
Both men were pleasantly surprised. Fr. Jerry, as guest preacher, spoke particularly on the inclusiveness of God's love. His sermon was comforting and quiet. This was a far cry from what Luke or the Newman men remembered about church.
In the pastoral prayer, Liz prayed not only for people in war-torn regions of the earth, but also for all who felt alienated by the church and society. She even mentioned those who had been cut off from friends and family because of their orientation.
When Dennis was in the middle of singing the song Josh Groban had made famous: "You Raise Me Up," Luke felt tears forming in his eyes. He thought about how it spoke to him in his situation as he sat between the brothers who had taken him in. Sensing Luke's feelings, Doug put an arm around his shoulder and Skylar squeezed his hand. Luke was now certain that he had found a home. Family, for him, would become a group of caring and like-minded people. A smile lit up his face.
After the service, the visitors were greeted by a rather large number of people who knew Doug. Luke and Skylar were quickly brought into conversations as well. From Ben and Adam, they learned that Fr. Jerry and Dennis Gallagher were in a committed relationship. This gave the men another reason to come back to visit Pastor Liz's church again. She seemed to practice her belief in including all of God's children.
On Monday, Sky took Luke to the registrar's office to get the paperwork started so Luke could be enrolled. It took several hours of faxing transcripts and signing forms, but by noon, Luke had a schedule. He was smiling the whole time.
In the afternoon, Luke went back to pounding the pavement in the hopes of making a few more sales before the company packed up and went back to Texas. He would be glad to be done with it, but it had been a source of income. When it ended on Wednesday, he'd be scrambling to find another job.
After a somewhat successful afternoon, Luke rode his bike back to Doug's house. The three men worked out for about an hour before preparing dinner. Skylar was even better at cooking than his older brother. With all three guys participating, the meal was excellent and the clean-up speedy.
Sky announced that on Tuesday, he was taking Luke to Menard's with him to interview. He handed Luke an application to fill out. Skylar was a well-respected employee whose recommendation was sure to carry weight. Along with the fact that Luke had experience in a hardware store during high school, Sky was confident he'd be hired immediately. Luke was elated. He felt like some giant hand was suddenly guiding his life. His grandmother used to talk about "Divine Providence." He wondered….
Todd agreed to take his little bro and his bro's boyfriend camping on the condition that Dave could come too. The younger boys were reticent at first, but agreed after Todd told them Dave was very open-minded concerning life-styles. He also stipulated that there would be some time for private conversation if either boy felt uncomfortable about talking in front of Dave.
So, the last week of summer freedom found four guys setting up two tents near each other in the "primitive" section of the campground. It was mid-week which meant there were few campers, and it appeared that all the rest were in camping vehicles of some sort. The guys could enjoy the beauty of nature without all the tourists.
After hiking one of the trails, they cooked their dinner over a small Coleman stove and the campfire. Dave and the two younger boys saw to the cooking. Todd would do cleanup. The meal tasted like a feast. They were all starved from their trek through the woods and gullies.
Later, as the campfire burned down, Zeke faked a yawn and announced that he was falling asleep. He had plans for Bryan when they were alone in their tent. The other guys agreed it would be nice to turn in early. All went off to take a quick shower before climbing into their sleeping bags.
The shower was a large communal one; there were no secrets. Zeke had to focus on math facts or anything else he could conjure up to keep him from jumping his lover in front of God and everybody. It was nearly a losing battle. His long dick began to pump up slightly.
Todd noticed Zeke's condition and that made him begin to rise. It wasn't long until all four studs were sporting full-blown, raging hardons. Each guy blushed and hurried to find his towel. No one had brought up the subject of Bryan's coming out. All knew about it and felt a little self-conscious about being naked and hard together.
Back cuddling naked in their zipped together sleeping bags, Zeke and Bryan were quietly whispering naughty thoughts into each other's ears. Knowing how sound carries in the outdoors, they did their best not to be heard. They were hoping the older guys would soon go to sleep so the two of them could make love without worrying about a little noise.
About the time they thought it was safe, they heard sounds from the next tent. The sounds weren't loud enough to be heard far away, but just loud enough to make out in a tent a few feet away.
"Oh, Baby, that feels so good!" It was Dave's voice. "Turn around, Stud, so I can give you the same treatment."
The next sounds were low moans accompanied by some thrashing around. After five or ten minutes, the moans turned to whimpers ending with something that sounded like a high-pitched whine.
Zeke and Bryan lay there giggling and fondling each other. Pretty soon the giggling was replaced by slurping sounds and moans of their own. They were fairly quiet, but didn't worry if they were overheard. The audio show from the neighboring tent had done nothing to inhibit their lovemaking!
Over breakfast, Todd brought up the subject of Bryan's coming out.
"Mom thought it was a little unusual that I knew about you guys and didn't give her a hint about it. But she understood about loyalty between brothers."
"Yeah, Zeke and I will keep our mouths shut too," Bryan responded.
Todd turned pale.
"Uh, what do you mean?" he asked.
"About you two. Do your girlfriends have a clue?"
"Shit! Dave, I told you we had to be quiet!"
"Hey, he was, once he got his mouth full too." Zeke snickered.
"And both of you really get loud when you cum." Bryan giggled. "It kind of inspired us, if you know what I mean."
At this point, Dave entered the conversation.
"The girls know how close we are. They're okay with it, but please don't tell anyone else. We'll do anything you ask if you keep quiet."
Bryan decided to have a little fun at the expense of the older pair. He nudged Zeke as he spoke to clue him in about playing along.
"How about giving us both a good blow job? We might be able to learn some new techniques from experts like you."
Dave and Todd both shook their heads. Todd responded:
"We promised the girls we would never do it with anyone but each other."
"Not even to ensure our silence?" Zeke queried. "You could chalk this up to male bonding or something – brotherly love, perhaps."
Todd and Dave stepped out of earshot for a quick conference. Upon return, Todd made an offer.
"Look, guys, we can't give you head, but we could do a hand job. I think I should do Zeke instead of my own brother. What do you say?"
Bryan and Zeke smiled as both responded: "Gotcha!" and took off running before the older guys could put a major hurt on them.
The rest of the camping trip was filled with camaraderie. Once all the cards were on the table, so to speak, the boys did have a good discussion about relationships. All four of them felt more at ease with each other.
They had a great time exploring the timber area as they hiked a new trail that morning. They returned to camp to fix lunch. In the afternoon, they swam for a while. Since there were a few other campers around, they couldn't go skinny dipping.
In the evening around the campfire, the two couples openly held hands. There were a few kisses exchanged as well. When they went for their showers, the couples soaped their boyfriends up and shampooed their hair as they would have if they didn't have the other two around. Everyone boned up and no one got embarrassed. That night, they didn't have to stifle the moans of pleasure coming from both tents. In the morning, they all wore knowing grins and little else.
And the four did bond during their short camping excursion; emotionally, not sexually.
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