Chapter Seven - Don’t Let Go

Dave and I spent the following weekend making up for our ‘annus horribillis’, exploring each other’s mind and body, and generally fucking ourselves into exhaustion. Being with him was just so wonderful that I didn’t want to share him with anyone, but Neil’s comment kept sticking in my mind. If we were going to build a real relationship, we had to interact with other people, get to know each other’s friends and be part of the real world outside my bedroom.

Two weeks later came our chance. Neil was hosting a barbecue at his home, and his invitation arrived, pointedly addressed to ‘Mike and Dave’. I showed it to Dave, who grinned, and said "yes" straight away.

I don’t know who was more nervous as the day approached, myself or Dave. My friends can sometimes be a bit overbearing, especially in a group, and I was concerned they might ‘gang up’ on him. For his part, Dave was determined to make a good impression.

"Just be yourself," I kept assuring him. "If they don’t like you the way you really are, then fuck ‘em. I happen to think you’re the best there is."

The afternoon was actually a raging success from our point of view. Apart from a few comments which got us both blushing when we arrived - "so you really do exist", "no wonder Mike’s been hiding you away", "what are you doing later, handsome?" - Dave fell right into place with my friends. He overcame his nervousness, and just let his naturally great personality do all the work. Not only was I delighted to see how well he got along with my mates, I started to feel a real pride, a glow inside. He was an instant hit, very popular and I basked in the reflected glory of being his partner.

Several of my friends managed to draw me aside at different times during the afternoon to tell me how much they liked him, and to congratulate me on having finally found someone so nice. It seemed as though for much of the day we were kept away from each other, people often drawing one or other of us aside for whispered remarks which kept us both amused if somewhat exasperated by our enforced separation.

At one stage, Rob, one of my closer friends, spied me alone as I fetched drinks for myself and Dave, and made a bee-line for me. he was a huge fan of old musicals, and I sensed a line even before he reached me.

"Marry him the moment he asks you!" he declared as he grabbed my elbow.

I laughed out loud. "I’m no Mame!" I said.

"Maybe not, but he sure is a Beauregard Burnside. For gawd’s sake, don’t let him get away!"

I chuckled as I escaped from Rob’s clutches and made my way back to Dave’s side. As I approached him, I took the time to drink in the view of his body, as he dominated the conversation around him. I wasn’t quite ready to marry him just yet, but the thought wasn’t entirely unpleasant either, I mused.

On the trip home after the barbecue, Dave held my hand in his, smiling broadly. "Thank you," he whispered.

I looked at him in surprise. "No need to thank me - it was you who made the huge impression!"

"Maybe, but they’re your friends, and I’m so happy that you let me meet them."

"It’s me who should be thanking you," I replied. "For still wanting to be around after you’ve met the crowd I hang out with!"

He laughed. "They’re not that bad. In fact, I like a lot of them very much, especially the ones you are obviously closer to."

There was something in his tone which rang alarm bells. "Did someone say something to upset you?"

"Not really," he said slowly. "But one of the guys there did try to pick me up, asked me to meet him tomorrow."

"What!?" I blurted out, my old insecurity coming to the surface. "Who?"

"Don’t be upset," Dave reassured me. "I won’t say who, but I know he was the date of someone else at the party, and that guy wasn’t one of your close friends. I told him that the only way I would be interested in him was if he were to have a total makeover of his face, body and manners, so that he was exactly like you, except that if he did he wouldn’t have asked what he did. And then I told him that until then, he could just go away and fall off the planet, and that if he didn’t fall soon, I’d push him!"

I sat for a moment, mouth agape, and then started to laugh. When I quieted down, I rested my head against his shoulder, snuggling into him and feeling the warmth of his body against mine. "That’s my man!" I whispered.

"Hmm, I like the sound of that …" he mused. I thought again of Rob’s words. Would Dave ever ask me to marry him? Would I have the courage to accept?

Dave and I soon became acknowledged and accepted as a couple amongst my circle of friends. We often found ourselves invited along to dinner parties, barbecues, theatre evenings, and he fell into place as though he had always been part of the group. I always felt so happy and so proud when we were out together, and he was always so comfortable, enjoying the things that I liked.

I also got to meet his friends - a much smaller, tighter group than mine. There were only really about six people who Dave called his friends, but they were such bright, warm people that I took to them instantly, enjoying the contact we had and the long deep discussions on just about any topic you could pick. They challenged my ideas without mocking me, and I looked forward to our meetings. One night Dave commented as we lay in bed, recovering from a long and sensual coupling, that he was beginning to think his friends liked me better than they liked him.

I looked up at him, both worried and surprised, to find that he was grinning, and not at all upset. I dropped back into his arms again, feeling so comfortable and happy I couldn’t imagine being without him.

We spent every weekend together, sometimes at his home, sometimes at mine. During the week, we often met for dinner or a drink after work, and although we usually ended up going our separate ways so as to be bright for work the following day, it wasn’t unusual for us to stay over either. More than once I wondered what it would be like if we were together permanently, but there was still the nagging doubt, the inability to take that step, deep down inside. I never raised the subject, and neither did he.

It was almost five months since Dave and I had gotten back together, and we were spending almost all our free time together. It wasn’t something we’d planned, but somehow we’d gotten to the point where 5 or 6 nights out of 7 we were either at my place or his, and no longer did either of us get out of bed to trek home after an evening of sexual bliss. More from convenience than planning, we had ended up with a store of clothes at each other’s homes, to the point where we each had a double set of razors and toothbrushes, one at my flat and one at his. Of course, the down side to our arrangement was that you could almost guarantee that the one shirt you wanted was certain to be wherever you were not exactly at the time you wanted it!

I started to wonder why we bothered. Life would be so much easier if we simply lived together, in one place, all the time. No more deciding whose flat we were going to tonight, no more agonising over missing clothes, no need to manage double lots of laundry each week. Yet despite the inconvenience, Dave had never mentioned our moving in together. Both of us whined about the annoyance when something wasn’t where it was needed, but the topic of a shared home wasn’t raised. Tiny questions began to insinuate themselves into my mind. Did he want to share his life with me completely? Why didn’t he discuss the possibility of living together permanently? I had no reason to think there was anyone but me in his life, and I trusted him completely on the occasional nights we weren’t together.

It occurred to me that although Dave hadn’t mentioned us living together, neither had I. I could hardly criticize him for his silence on the issue then, could I? Why not just ask him? I agonised over my own feelings. Somewhere deep within me was a tiny voice which told me to leave well enough alone, there was no need to take that next step towards commitment on such a scale when everything was going just fine.

And then my tiny doubts roared to the surface and tore me apart. It was a Tuesday night, and I had been asked to work back late. I rang Dave and explained, telling him I’d miss him tonight, and arranging to meet up with him the following evening at his place.

"Okay, handsome," he said easily, but with a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "But ring me when you get home, okay? I won’t be able to sleep until I hear your voice!"

"I promise, but it won’t be until late, probably about 11.00!" I smiled into the phone as I hung up.

I put my head down that afternoon and immersed myself in the task I’d been set, working on into the evening without a break, determined to finish it off as soon as I could. Around 9.30 I smiled triumphantly as I completed the final report and emailed it to my boss for her attention first thing in the morning. A job well done! I told myself. And I’d finished a good hour earlier than anticipated.

I wondered fleetingly if I might yet go over to Dave’s place, but as soon as I did I knew I was too exhausted to spend any quality time with him. Better to just go home and collapse. I’d see him tomorrow anyway, so there was no rush. I wandered out of the building, and got on a bus which took me up to Taylor Square, from where it was only a few minutes walk home. As I trudged wearily past the myriad restaurants on Oxford Street, I happened to glance into one of the windows only to see Dave at a table with an attractive dark haired man.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my mouth open and my heart racing. It couldn’t be! But it was. He and his companion were just finishing up and getting to their feet. Dave smiled at the other guy, patted him on the back and turned toward the door. I panicked, had to get away. I couldn’t bear meeting them here on the street. I felt faint, dizzy, my mind whirling as I stumbled away quickly. In a fog of blurred vision and emotional storms I managed to make my way to my flat and get inside where I collapsed on the sofa.

Dave couldn’t be seeing someone else, could he? But I’d seen him with my own eyes! Yet I’d seen him having dinner with someone, that’s all. But why hadn’t he told me? I’d only spoken to him this morning about working late. Who was this guy he was eating with? I’d met Dave’s friends and he wasn’t one of them. Surely there was a logical explanation. But I couldn’t stop my doubts and my insecurities from painting a picture I didn’t want to see.

Finally, I calmed down. There was no point sitting here worrying and fretting when I didn’t have all the information. I had told Dave I would ring him late, and he was expecting my call, so I steeled myself and dialled his number.

"Hi there handsome," came Dave’s voice as soon as the phone was answered. He sounded surprisingly up and cheerful.

"Uh, hi," I replied quietly.

"Hey, you sound beat."

"Yeah," I agreed non-committaly. "I feel like I’ve been through the ringer!"

"Pity, my man," he said brightly. "I would have loved to have had you with me tonight, if you didn’t have to work."

I tried to think of something to say to that as my heart sank, but he didn’t give me a chance, going on immediately.

"I’ve been up near your place for dinner tonight!" he declared. That really threw me. He was openly admitting it?

"Oh?" I said in a trembling voice.

"Yep. Had a call late this afternoon from my cousin. He’s in town from Perth for a conference, and wanted to catch up. I almost rang you, but remembered you were working overtime, so he had to be content with me telling him all about you instead of actually meeting you. We had dinner at a restaurant just around the corner from your flat. Now he says we have to try to get over there so he can meet you in person, see if you’re really as terrific as I claim!"

Relief flooded over me, bringing a wave of guilt with it. I was so happy I almost cried. How could I have doubted him? I began to laugh with the sudden disappearance of the tension that had built up in me over the last hour.

"Hey," Dave asked, concern in his voice. "What’s so funny?"

"Nothing," I said between gasps for breath. "I’ll explain later."

"Okay, …" he sounded unsure. "You must be more exhausted than I thought. Get some sleep, handsome, and I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Yep," I declared. "Tomorrow, at your place, right?"

"Right. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, stud," I said happily as I replaced the receiver on its cradle.

Tired as I was, I didn’t get much sleep that night. I lay awake thinking about what had happened, analyzing my feelings, my irrational assumption that Dave was seeing someone else, my over-reaction to his having dinner with another man, my relief at the truth. I thought long about how I had been feeling lately, asked myself some serious questions about my own thoughts and needs. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, as I tossed and turned in bed alone, I was hit with a sudden flash of inspiration. Like a revelation, I suddenly saw very clearly what I wanted, what I needed. How could I have been so stupid or so blind? It was time to make things right!

The next day, I took off from work early and made a few purchases at one of the convenience stores near my flat, then grabbed some clothes and headed for Dave’s place, getting there a good half hour before he was due home. I let myself in with my key, set myself up the way I wanted, and waited for him to arrive.

A key in the lock alerted me that my man was home, and I sat up, looking at the door with a grin on my face as I waited for his reaction. Dave walked into the living room, and stopped as soon as he saw me, his jaw falling open. I sat as seductively as I could, sprawled out across his sofa, stark naked except for a large red bow tied around my neck. In my hand, which I held out toward him, was a single, long-stemmed red rose, and on the table beside me were two glasses of champagne, strawberries floating in the bubbling drinks. "Welcome home," I said quietly, licking my lips as I did.

His mouth closed slowly and a grin spread across his face, as I noticed his pants begin to tent outward at the front.

"What did I do to deserve this?" he asked, still uncertain.

"Nothing and everything," I said. "You deserve it because you’re you. And I should have given you what I’m offering now a long while ago."

"And what exactly are you offering, as if I couldn’t guess?" he asked.

"Myself! All of me. I realised yesterday that the only way I can be truly happy is to give myself to you completely, so here I am!"

His smile turned from one of lust to one of pure joy. He leaned forward and accepted the rose I was still holding out to him, and then leaned forward to kiss me gently. As he pulled back again, I saw tears in his eyes, tears of joy. I stood up, moving to him and together we held our glasses, softly tapping them together and draining the delicious contents.

"Why don’t you get more comfortable?" I asked softly, looking at his clothes.

"Why don’t you come and help me?" he said, his eyes sparkling as he led me to the bedroom.

I lay on the bed and watched as he stripped his clothing away, enjoyed the view as his magnificent body was revealed to me once again. His proud cock stood out and up from his pelvis, throbbing and rigid, a drop of pre-cum already forming at his slit. He sat beside my prone form, running his fingers sensuously all over my body, plucking at my nipples and scraping softly along the aching shaft of my dick.

"I think it’s about time I opened my present," he whispered. I grinned at the double meaning of his words as he settled himself between my legs and gently tugged at the bow around my neck until the flimsy material fell away.

And then he was upon me, devouring me with his eyes and his lips, kissing me all over and covering my body with his own. Thrills of delight rocketed through me at his every touch, and I whimpered quietly with the joy of him against me. With a sense of controlled urgency Dave nudged my legs apart with his knees, and I willingly opened myself to him as he leaned forward and into me. His rampant weapon throbbed and leaked as he did, and our cocks jousted for a moment as he covered me with his body before lifting again to apply some lubricant quickly, his eyes never leaving mine.

As he edged forward once again, I lifted my knees and wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him into me and offering up my puckering hole to his powerful prong. His face remained locked on mine, his hands continued exploring my chest and abdomen as I felt the solidity of his cockhead make contact with the soft muscle of my arse. He slid into me slowly but easily. To say I didn’t feel him enter would be a lie, but there was no pain, no discomfort even. It was if my body was empty, hollow, and his thick cock made it complete. I gasped as he sank into me, coming to rest against my butt as he buried himself fully, but the gasp was one of amazed fulfillment, of total completeness, rather than of surprise or pain. It felt so right, he felt so right, piercing my sphincter with his dagger of masculinity.

Almost at once, Dave began to pull back, steady himself, and drive back into me again. His eyes were wide with delight as his cock probed into my hot wet cavern, plumbing my depths and filling my gut with its fiery steel. He quickly fell into a rhythm, leaning over and against me, thrusting in and retreating as my ring of muscle gripped at him, milking his tube with each motion. A sensual cadence of jabbing and withdrawal enveloped us as we fucked in an easy flowing union of our bodies.

For more than an hour we remained locked together, fucking each other. My senses went into absolute ecstasy at the prolonged massaging of my prostate and the powerful driving of his very masculinity into my gut. Several times I felt myself approaching the point of no return, but a warning whimper from me saw Dave slow down and rest while my ardour subsided. He too, built up to the edge, his pounding into me increasing in speed and intensity before he would suddenly stop, and hold himself completely still, his throbbing sword resting in the warm moist envelope of my rectum. At those times I was in paradise, just lying there open to him and filled with him, our eyes locked together and our bodies totally motionless as the urges receded temporarily.

At one point my mind began to drift. Physically, I was wrapped around Dave’s glorious body, my arms around his torso, my legs around his waist and my arse around his pistoning rod. Yet my mind seemed detached, almost as if it were floating free of my body. I imagined I was above us, floating, looking down at the two writhing bodies locked in the most intimate embrace. And to my mind’s eye we were perfection, the ultimate coupling of two beings, forming a single entity of blissful, passionate union. Emotionally, I felt like weeping with joy, while physically, I was so excited and aroused my body ached with sensual delight.

Suddenly a sense of comprehension filled me, and as my mind returned to the trembling writhing power of our fuck, I became one again, and knew I would become one with Dave. I held him even tighter, bucking and humping at him as he rammed himself into me, revelled in the force of his thrusting weapon into my hole. I surrendered, to the joy of our sex, and to him. My body surrendered completely to the indescribable pleasure of his penetration, and my mind surrendered all doubts and uncertainties to the knowledge that I wanted him totally. And as I did, I claimed him for my own.

With that knowledge, I shuddered again, and drew him harder to me, hissing encouragements to Dave, to my lover. I gripped at him with my arse and pulled him into me with my legs. His fucking increased in power as he drove himself deeper and deeper into me, harder and faster at my urging as he gave himself over to the natural instincts of a virile rutting male. I felt the tide of passion rise up within me, the waves of excitement starting at my arse and rolling through the rest of my body. I held back as long as I could while I held tightly to my man, and then I was there. Unable to control or prevent it, even if I had wanted to, my nuts boiled and my cock swelled as orgasm hit me. Load upon load of my juice pumped from my twitching prick, filling the narrow space between our bodies as I gasped and shuddered into my peak of abandonment. And in the midst of my climax my eyes flew open to find Dave leaning into me, his own eyes locked on mine, his body shaken with trembling release.

As he rocked with explosion, he kept holding me, his hands on my chest and his eyes on my face. He continued to pump his beautiful cock into my body as he came, but the long steady strokes of his fucking were now replaced by tremorous jabs and with each inward hammer a spasm ran through him and into me. I swore I could feel the heat of his seed as he pumped his very essence into me. Even through the writhing ecstasy of my own fulfillment, I accepted his gift and possessed him, body and soul.

We lay there, his weight on me but not a burden, a delight. I flexed the muscles of my sphincter, and felt his thick solidity still wedged within me, and smiled. The remnants of my ejaculation provided a gooey slime which joined us and our eyes were only centimetres apart as I stared at him, feeling myself lost in absolute contentment with him there, on top of me and inside me.

"Dave," I murmured, a whispering softness that only he could have heard. "I, …"

His eyes opened wide, and pierced my soul, a question and a hope written on his face.

"I love you."

My heart didn’t race, my voice didn’t quiver. I knew what I was saying and I meant it, more certain of this than of anything before in my life. He looked at me, and instead of surprise, or revelation, I saw satisfaction.

"I know," he said. "I’ve just been waiting for you to know it too. And I love you."

I searched my thoughts, searched my heart, and I realised that he was right. With a happy smile of recognition, I whispered back, "I know!"

Chapter Eight - Home

"Dave," I murmured, a whispering softness that only he could have heard. "I, …"

His eyes opened wide, and pierced my soul, a question and a hope written on his face.

"I love you."

My heart didn’t race, my voice didn’t quiver. I knew what I was saying and I meant it, more certain of this than of anything before in my life. He looked at me, and instead of surprise, or revelation, I saw satisfaction.

"I know," he said. "I’ve just been waiting for you to know it too. And I love you."

I searched my thoughts, searched my heart, and I realised that he was right. With a happy smile of recognition, I whispered back, "I know!"

He smiled at me then, the kind of smile that says everything is perfect, that nothing could ever go wrong in our lives.

"Mike, now that we’ve reached the point where we both realise we love each other, how would you feel about moving in together?"

I laughed. "I’ve been thinking about that myself. Sounds great to me. your place or mine?"

"We-e-ell …" he hesitated. "I don’t know that either of our places are big enough for everything we have. And I kinda feel we need to make a whole fresh start in our life together anyway."

I smiled and melted against him at his words - ‘our life together’; - that sounded so right.

Dave went on. "What if we start looking around for a new place, for us, together?"

"Mmmm," I mumbled. "Sounds good to me stud!"

Almost immediately, Dave started looking around for somewhere for us to live. He took on the job of finding us a home with a passion, dragging me around to look at places, circling possibilities in the newspapers, checking with real estate agents constantly. I was happy to sit back and let him do the leg work, which he insisted on, and it made me feel good, made me feel that I was placing my future in his hands, an idea I liked very much.

For weeks he had me out and about every Saturday, looking at possible places to rent, discussing the pros and cons of each. There were some nice places, but nothing that really excited us both, and we so much wanted ‘our’ place to be just right.

And then things quietened a little. For two weeks we didn’t go looking at a single place. I began to wonder if he had given up on ever finding a place for us to share, but waited patiently for my man to let me know how he felt about his search. It had become his project and I wanted to let him keep control of the whole process. Somehow it was important to both of us for him to be able to do this for us.

Dave was looking glum that evening when I got home from work to find him sitting stretched out on my sofa. I sensed his dejection, and without saying a word, I leaned over him, wrapping my arms around his chest and planting a big kiss on the back of his neck. I felt him relax beneath me, his hands covering mine and pulling me down harder against him.

"Mmmm," he whispered into the air. "That feels good."

"Tired?" I asked, and he nodded his agreement.

"Mike, I feel like I’m getting nowhere with finding us a home. There’s just nothing that we like, that seems to be in any reasonable condition."

"Don’t worry, my love," I cooed in his ear. "I’m sure something will turn up. We have all the time in the world to find it. I’m not going anywhere, believe me. Pity we can’t just make something what we want, instead of having to go out and find it," I said off-handedly.

Dave twisted around and stared at me as I said that, looking at me hard, an idea forming in his mind.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Maybe, I’ve been looking at the wrong things," he said enigmatically, his eyes lighting up and his face taking on a smile. I pressed him after that, but he refused to say anymore, except to begin making notes of how much each of us earned, how much rent we paid between us, and lists of other expenses.

"But you already have all those details," I said, still curious. "We agreed at the price range we would look for."

"I know, I know, just let me think on this a while, okay?"

I smiled at him, hugging him again. "Okay, stud, you’re the boss," I grinned.

A week went by, and still no indication from Dave about what he was thinking or planning. And then on Saturday morning, he announced he had a place for us to look at. His eyes lit up with hidden mirth and something else I couldn’t place as he said it, so I just accepted his excitement and off we went.

He took me to a quiet, narrow street in Erskineville, some way from where we had been looking until now. I raised my eyes skeptically at him, but he held his finger to my lips and led me inside with the borrowed key he had. The house was a narrow terrace with two reasonably sized bedrooms, a galley kitchen and a large open living space at the rear which opened to a pleasant yard. It was a nice enough place, although really it needed a bit of work doing to it. Finally, I could hold my tongue no longer.

"Dave, first, I thought we were looking at flats, rather than houses, and secondly, this place isn’t really up to scratch. Look at the carpets and the paintwork. I’d want the owners to replace or repair both before I agreed to any substantial lease."

"Agreed," he said, a strange smile on his face. "But can you see that it has possibilities?"

"Yeah," I accepted. "It does have a welcoming feel about it."

"Homey?"

"Yes, that’s the word, ‘homey’." I nodded, and went on. "So how much are they asking for it?"

"560"

"$560 a week for this? You have to be joking!" I looked around again. He had gone mad if he thought I would pay that kind of money for this place.

"Mike, hold on a moment." He fixed me with a long hard look, a look which penetrated into my very soul. "I love you," he whispered.

Confused now, I answered, "I love you too, but what does that have to do with it?"

"Mike, I really mean it, I love you, and I am ready to make a major commitment to you."

The hairs on my neck stood up. I felt goosebumps all over me. There was something in his tone which made me feel incredibly wonderful and special, but there was more, and I couldn’t place it. As he took my hands in his, I looked to him and said quietly, "I thought we already had. I love you Dave, and I am committed to staying with you forever."

"Are you sure?"

"More than anything!" I wanted to make a joke, but somehow I knew this wasn’t the time for it. He was completely serious. He looked around at the house again, then back to me.

"They don’t want $560 a week for it …" another deep breath. "They want $560,000.00."

My face must have gone blank as the implications of what he said started to sink in. As though he thought I was going to argue, he added quickly, "Mike, I’ve done the sums. We can afford it easily. In fact the repayments would be less than we pay now between us in rent. And we could take this place, which is ‘homey’, and make it ours. Just the way we want it. Mike?"

All the puff and excitement had drained from him as he looked to me, waiting for a comment, a word, anything.

I looked around again, seeing the house with new eyes and a different perspective. Slowly I rotated on the spot, taking it all in, my face coming back to Dave again.

A smile broke out on me and his face lit up. "I love it. And I love you. let’s do it!" I said, suddenly.

He grinned, a grin that reached from ear to ear. "I knew you would. They accepted my offer yesterday, and the contracts are just waiting for us to sign at the agent’s!" he said, breathless in his confession. I laughed, and punched him playfully in the arm. Just then I realised how complete my love for this man truly was.

He stepped up behind me, his strong arms wrapping around me and holding me tight as together we took another longer look at our new home. I melted into him, feeling like I truly belonged here with him. He let go of me and I swung around to face him.

"You know, I don’t have to have the keys back for another hour …" Dave smiled evilly at me. A chill ran down my spine, and my dick rocketed to full hardness at his tone.

"Oh, you’re bad," I chuckled.

"And you’re too good to let get away!" he answered.

Alone, in the empty house, we attacked each other with hands and mouths, kissing and groping, licking and squeezing at each other in rising arousal. With an urgency I hadn’t felt for some time, I slid my hands up and unbuttoned his shirt as I felt him do the same to me. My fingers fumbled at his belt as he quickly unzipped the fly of my jeans and released my throbbing erection from the confines of my underwear. I all but ripped his pants from him, leaving us both standing naked, our clothes a messy pile at our feet.

We stood together for a long moment, kissing passionately, until Dave broke away from me and dropped to his knees in front of me. My cock ached with the pounding rush of blood as he lowered his mouth to me, slowly wrapping my tool in the warm moistness of his throat, his tongue massaging my shaft as he sank his face over my manhood. I groaned with ecstatic joy as his teeth scraped across the sensitive skin and his gullet contracted around me, coating my member with his saliva. I began to hunch forward into him, slowly fucking his face as he slurped and suckled at me, sending shivers through my body.

My hands fell to his head and my fingers pulled at his hair as he ministered to my raging hardon, licking and biting at me, laving me with his hot wetness and bringing me close to the edge. My breath grew short and my body began to tremble as Dave continued his wonderful assault on my cock. With a sudden and unexpected slurp, he lifted himself away from me. I looked down to him, disappointment on my face as he looked up into my eyes.

"Mike," he hissed, "Fuck me, now!?!"

I grinned, and nodded, as he lay back on the floor in what would become our bedroom. With my prick still slippery from his attentions, I ran my finger along his rampant erection and milked his slit for the natural lubricant of his pre-cum, scooping it up and smearing it around the puckering pink ring of muscle he presented to me as he lifted his legs and wrapped them around my waist. I leaned over him, my weight distributed on my knees and my elbows, my arms at his chest. I felt the indentation of his hole as the head of my cock made contact with his skin, and I kissed him tenderly.

Pressing forward and down, I felt him resist for a second, and then relax. As the muscle of his sphincter surrendered, my throbbing pole penetrated him, the heat of his body enveloping my aching knob. Slowly, purposefully, I began to enter him, sliding into him in a long slow motion as he puffed and grimaced, accepting the intrusion and willing himself to take me. The slight lubrication allowed him to grant me entry with a little pain, but he looked into my eyes and smiled, willing me to continue.

The intensity of feeling as I lowered my body onto him and sank my cock into him was indescribable. I winced as the muscles of his anus clamped and relaxed around my shaft, I ached with joy as the heated wetness of his body engulfed my prong and I felt the moist softness of his innards squelching against my hardness. My cock plunged deep inside him and I probed his gut with my flesh, pressing in and in until my body rested against his, my cock completely lost within him. Together we gasped and grunted as I sank myself to the hilt and then began to pull back, only to plough into him again.

Instinctively, I began to pull and push, to thrust at him and retrieve myself before jabbing forward yet again. My breathing grew short as I humped at my lover, thumping hard into his body and claiming him for my own. Dave hissed and groaned, taking all I could give and demanding more as we fucked wildly at each other, his body wrapped around me, his rectum speared by my sword again and again. We thundered against each other, writhing and gasping on the floor of the empty room, joining completely and rutting like wild animals at each other, locked in the most intimate embrace, forming a single, humping, fucking being of complete pleasure. My cock dragged from him and then jabbed forward again, impaling him as he flinched and trembled, begging for me to take him totally. The friction of his anus sliding up and down my cock as I pounded in and out of him was intense, erotic, and I rammed myself at his body, driving my meat deep into his accepting chute and filling his gorgeous, athletic body with my masculinity.

As our fucking rocketed us upwards, joined in the most intense coupling, my nerves relayed the ultimate pleasure of aroused excitement like electricity through my body. I felt myself propelled toward the abyss of ecstasy, and Dave shuddered beneath me, indicating that he too was close to the edge. Without warning, his body spasmed, and his arse clenched tightly around my pistoning cock. His prick twitched and shuddered, as a stream of creamy white jism was expelled from its tip, drenching both our bodies with his seed. I lost control of my own groin, and in a whirl of stars and flashing lights in my head I felt my rod expand to impossible proportions, and explode within him, shooting a river of my very essence into his gut, filling his body with my juice as he milked me with his arse.

Finally, we collapsed together, sated and spent. Still sunk within him, I leaned forward again and kissed him fully on those wonderful lips. He smiled at me, flexing the muscles of his arse and clamping at my still hard cock as we recovered together. Carefully I lifted myself away, withdrawing from him as we both gasped with the effort and exhaustion of our joining. Still naked, we lay there, side by side on the floor of the empty house.

Dave rolled himself onto his side, and propped himself up on one arm, laying the other across my still slimy chest. I looked into his face and grinned.

"Can we buy a house every weekend?" I asked. He smiled and I could feel the immense love I had for him welling up inside. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too," he mouthed back at me without a sound. He looked around, locating the pile that was our clothing, and sat up, rummaging through his pockets, before he came back to kneel beside me in all his glorious nakedness, something hidden in one hand.

I looked at him with a question on my face, and saw in his eyes a flicker of excitement and anticipation, mixed with nervousness. Wondering what else he could possibly have in store for this wonderful day, I sat up cross-legged and faced him directly.

"Mike," he began slowly, uncertainly. "You have already made me so happy …"

"The feeling is mutual," I interrupted, but he silenced me with a pleading look as I let him continue.

"Would you do me the ultimate honour of …" his eyes bored into mine as his hand brought out a small felt box and held it between us, " … of marrying me?"

As he spoke, he flipped open the box to reveal two matching gold rings, set with tiny diamonds around a dark sapphire. I tried to speak, but my voice refused to work. I started to choke as I looked from his face to the rings and back to his face. The room seemed to go hazy, until I realized it was my eyes, filled with tears of joy. Blinking away the mist, droplets running down both cheeks, I finally found my throat again, sufficient to croak out, "Yes, Yes, YES!"

We both were crying like babies as we fell into each other’s arms again. I had never known such happiness.

Chapter Nine - I Do!

Dave and I moved into our new home about six weeks later. It sounds like a while, but in reality the time flew as we made arrangements as necessary, notified friends and relatives, and generally got used to the idea. To me, it felt like a passing dream, the thought of being in my own home with the man I loved, and somehow the weeks both dragged and raced at the same time.

Almost as though it crept up on us, it had happened and we were together at last, in our special place. I looked around, scarcely able to believe that it was real. Oh sure, I could see the things which needed fixing, and I sensed that there was a lot more work to be done on areas we couldn’t see, but it didn’t matter, it was ours! That first night, I snuggled into Dave’s arms, felt the warmth of his hands on my chest and the strength of his body against my back, and swore nobody else in the world could be as happy as I was at that moment.

It took us another three weeks to actually unpack all of our belongings and re-arrange the furniture to our tastes sufficient to have the house at the point where we were ready to start having visitors, but the work involved was enjoyable, as Dave and I struggled together to make our home a place we were proud of. The ‘house-warming’ was going to be a relatively quiet event, just our closest circle of friends over for a few drinks and an inspection of the house by each and every one.

On the morning of our little party, Dave cornered me in the kitchen as I was putting together a tray of hors d’oeuvres in preparation.

"Hey handsome," he began as he slid up behind me, his arms going around my waist and pulling me into him. I smiled, and wriggled myself against him, but pretended annoyance.

"Dave! I’m busy, can’t you wait until I’m finished?" I tried to pout.

"But I wanted to ask you something," he said, sounding rejected, although I knew it was nothing but an act.

"Whatever the question is, the answer’s ‘yes’, okay. I’m too busy to worry about anything else at the moment."

"Great!" he exclaimed. "Then you won’t mind if I announce it to our friends this afternoon, either?"

"Huh?" Now he had my full attention. "What are you talking about?"

Dave grinned at me with a smile that could kill. "I was going to ask if you still wanted to marry me, but you’ve already said yes."

I melted, and forgave him for bothering me. "Of course, I still want to marry you. You don’t get away that easy," I said, sounding serious, although my eyes were full of joy that he had raised the subject again. "Besides, what would I do with this …" I held up my finger, the ring he had presented me still in place where he had slid it onto my hand that day we saw the house, " … if I didn’t? And you know how I hate the thought of wasting good jewellery!"

Dave did his best to look indignant at my comment, but soon both of us were rolling around laughing, holding each other close and sharing the moment.

"So you don’t mind if I tell everyone today?" he finally managed to get back to the purpose of his original interruption.

"Of course not! In fact, I’d be upset if you didn’t," I answered him. He hugged me again, tightly, and left me to finish what I was doing, a huge grin on his face as he walked away.

The gathering of our friends was wonderful. Many of them were jealous of us, for finding each other and ‘settling down’, and all of them were very complimentary about the house itself. When Dave stood and asked for silence, and then announced in a strong voice, with one arm around my waist, that I had given him the best gift possible, and accepted his proposal that we get married, there was more than one misty eye in the room, and of course everyone wanted to know when and where the big event would happen.

"I don’t know yet," I answered vacantly. "We hadn’t gotten as far as planning any details. I guess I’d like to have a ceremony by the harbour somewhere, if we can manage it. I don’t want a ‘wedding’ as such, like a parody of a straight marriage. I guess I’d prefer just a party with all our friends, where we can publicly make some vows to each other and acknowledge each other as partners for all the world to see and hear. And I don’t know if Dave has any preferences. Like I said, we haven’t discussed details."

Dave just smiled, and held me even more closely. "Wherever you want, handsome," he said. "I’ll be happy as long as I have you by my side."

The days drifted by and turned into weeks. Dave had said nothing more about our ‘wedding’, but I wasn’t too concerned. We had all the time in the world, and I was happy just being with him and setting up our home. One evening we were watching a travel programme on television and they featured holiday islands on the tropical North Queensland coast.

"I’d love to do that, have a holiday on a tropical island," Dave commented.

"Mmm, me too," I agreed.

We sat together as the story continued, both lost in our own thoughts. Then Dave turned to me and said with a thought-filled smile, "Why don’t we?"

"Why don’t we what?"

"Go on a holiday to an island. I mean it. You have time owing don’t you?" I nodded confirmation. "Then see if you can take a week, say at the end of June - that’s only five weeks away - and I’ll book the tickets, and we’ll go and have some time in the sun on a beach. Get away from the winter weather."

"Okay," I said, slowly getting enthused as his eagerness rubbed off on me. "Let’s do it!"

I had no trouble taking time from work, and Dave announced that he’d arranged for us to fly up to Cairns on the Sunday afternoon, and stay at Turtle Cove, one of the gay resorts along the tropical coast which sheltered behind the Great Barrier Reef. Amid much talk of packing no clothes and lots of lube, we laughed and joked as I became more and more excited about our upcoming holiday. I boasted about it to my friends, although none of them seemed overly surprised. I put it down to jealousy, and promised them all I’d send postcards, grinning to myself about how lucky I was.

The time for our trip crept closer, and Dave seemed to be pre-occupied with something quite often in the evenings. I asked him at one stage if everything was okay, but he simply shrugged his shoulders and assured me that he was busy at work trying to cover the week he was going to be absent. I had no reason to think otherwise, so I happily accepted his explanation, and let it ride.

Finally the weekend of our vacation had arrived. It rained heavily most of Friday night, and Saturday morning dawned cold and overcast, more dark clouds threatening. Dave looked positively morose. He kept checking the sky, and looking at his watch. He seemed nervous about something, full of anticipation and worry.

After trying to get him to relax which he simply would not do, I blew up at him.

"For god’s sake, Dave! So it’s wet - by tomorrow afternoon we’ll be two and a half thousand kilometres away on a sunny beach. Who cares what the weather is like here? Sydney can drown or freeze or both and we won’t be here to worry about it!"

He stopped suddenly and looked at me. A grin slowly spread across his face as he calmed down noticeably. "Yeah, I guess so," he said, resignedly. With that, I stepped up to him and hugged him tightly. He returned my embrace, holding me close, and as I let go of him he appeared to relax a little.

Still, as the morning wore on, Dave’s demeanour told me something was wrong. He appeared concerned about something, and the nerves were obviously returning. He made a couple of quiet phone calls, and although I couldn’t hear what was said or who he spoke to, I sensed that plans were being made.

I tried to ignore Dave’s strange behaviour and to busy myself with finishing the packing for our trip, although in truth everything we needed was already in suitcases and ready to go. After several hours of his uncharacteristic manner, I had had enough. I wandered back out into the courtyard to find him looking yet again at the sky, which was slowly clearing, spots of sunlight breaking through. He turned when he heard me approaching, a look of obvious relief on his face.

"Okay, stud!" I confronted him. "What the hell is going on?"

Dave smiled at me then, and looked at his watch before answering. "I’m sorry, handsome," he said. "I know I’ve been a pain in the arse, but I had a little surprise planned for you this afternoon and I didn’t want it spoiled by bad weather."

"Surprise? What kind of surprise?" I asked, my face lighting up and my curiosity aroused now.

"Oh, come on, Mike. You wouldn’t want me to tell you now and ruin it, would you? Besides, it’s almost time now anyway."

With that he took me by the hand and led me into the spare bedroom. There, laid out on the bed, were matching suits, one for him and one for me. I looked at them, then back to him, and down at the suits again.

"What? Suits? That’s a bit formal for a Saturday afternoon, isn’t it?" I said suspiciously.

"I’m taking you to a very up-market place, so suits it is!" he said in a voice which brooked no more argument.

We dressed quickly as I ran through in my head all the possible places where he could be taking me. None of the restaurants we usually frequented would ever merit a suit and tie, especially during the afternoon. Try as I might, I could not come up with a single possibility to explain the dress code he was imposing on us. But Dave remained mute, and every time I even looked as though I was going to object or question, he simply smiled enigmatically and held his finger to his lips to silence me.

Dave was ready a few minutes before I was, and as I finished with my tie, he went to the front door, opening it and looking outside, before closing it and coming back to me. He looked at his watch again, and I glanced at a clock on the dressing table. It was just on 12.30.

"Perfect!" he declared as I finished. I looked at him again, but he just grinned at me, leaned forward and kissed me, and ushered me out of the bedroom and toward the front door. As we stepped outside, Dave locked the door, and turned me to the street, where a long white limousine was parked in front of the house. I gaped open-mouthed when the driver jumped out and came around to the rear door, holding it open and beckoning us to enter.

"Dave, this is too much," I said to his now beaming face.

"This is just the beginning, my man!" he stated with a mischievous look.

I sat back in the luxury of the huge car, enjoying the decadence it represented, while Dave poured us each a drink from the mini-bar which opened out of the panel separating us from the driver. As the vehicle headed toward the city centre, we clinked glasses.

"To us!" Dave said.

"I love you!" I stated quietly.

"I love you too," he said with yet another grin on his face.

The limo crawled through the traffic in Newtown, then picked up some speed along City Road and around into Broadway before slowing again as we approached Railway Square. I happily sat back and revelled in the admiring and envious looks of the other road users as we passed. We glided along the edge of Hyde Park and past St Mary’s Cathedral before swinging right into the Domain. The picnickers and families stared at the car as it rolled past the Art Gallery. I knew now that we weren’t going to any restaurant - this was a dead-end road that led out to Mrs Macquarie’s Point, and there was nothing past here except the gardens and lawns looking across to the city.

My curiosity and my excitement were beginning to get the better of me, as I held his hand tightly and grinned with anticipation when the car slowed and then stopped at the top of the Queen Elizabeth steps. The driver quickly came around and held the door for us as we alighted, and Dave took my hand in his without any sense of self-consciousness. Slowly we started walking down the steps, the view across the sparkling blue waters of Farm Cove opening up as we came out of the trees, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in front of us, the towers of the City climbing out of the green that was the Botanical Gardens across the shimmering aquamarine of the harbour from where we stood.

We came to the final landing, about 15 metres above the lawns, and stopped. I looked down and noticed a white open-sided marquee set up on the grass below us, a few people milling around as though waiting for something to start.

"Oh, Dave, this is just beautiful. What a pity someone has beaten us to it."

"What do you mean?"

"The tent down there. It’s obviously been set up for some private function. But I love you for the thought anyway. What did you have planned? A picnic on the grass for just the two of us?"

Dave turned to face me, and took each of my hands in his own, his beautiful blue eyes piercing mine with an intensity I had rarely seen. When he spoke, it was quiet and solemn, full of sincerity and determination.

"Mike, do you really want to marry me?"

"Of course I do, I love you!" My heart rate started to increase at his words and his tone.

"Honestly? Are you absolutely certain?" Dave seemed to be searching my face for any doubt, any hesitation.

I looked squarely into his face. "I am absolutely certain of it. I want to spend the rest of my life, every moment of it, with you!"

Suddenly his face collapsed into a nervous grin. "Then let’s do it!", he said.

"Wha …?"

"Come on, Mike!" and with that, he took me by the hand again and led me down the last of the stairs and headed straight toward the party group hovering near the tent. Realisation didn’t so much dawn on me as hit me like a lightning bolt.

There were Rob and Pete, Neil and Geoff, Ian, John, Debbie and Louise, Sarah, Nick, all of our friends. I waded into the sea of smiling congratulatory faces, stunned by what was happening, amazed that he could have arranged all of this without my knowing. My chest swelled with pride, my face beaming with each new handshake or kiss on the cheek from these people, all of whom thought so much of us to be there for a special occasion. Even Dave’s parents mingled amongst our friends, smiling at us. His sister was there, and his brother Michael and his wife Sally, with their three kids. Just when I thought there could be no more surprises, my sister Felicity emerged from a group. My face lit up.

"Hey, Fi, I can’t believe you’re here!" I said as I embraced her. "Where’s Ron and Eddy and Gillian? (her husband and my nephew and niece).

"I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!" she answered. "Ron and the kids will be here in just a minute. They’ve got a special surprise for you. Oh Mike, I think it’s wonderful. It’s about time someone tied you down, and Dave is the best man around. Well, after Ron of course!" We laughed and held each other again as Dave put his arm on her shoulders and joined in. True to her word, my brother-in-law appeared at that moment, tapping me on the shoulder, and shaking my hand.

"Congratulations, Mike," he said, a secretive smile in his eyes. "And there’s someone else who wants to say hello …"

With that he stepped back, and from behind him came a very familiar but unexpected face.

"Mum!" I almost exploded. I hadn’t seen my mother in nearly two years. I spoke to her often enough, and had told her all about moving in with Dave and buying the house, but she had moved to Adelaide after Dad died, and I rarely got the chance to make the trip to see her.

"Hello, my darling," she said, her arms going around my neck as she planted a big kiss on my cheek. She turned to Dave, and threw her arms around him, repeating the kiss as he started to redden. "It’s so nice to see you again, Dave Mitchell!" she said, smiling. "Haven’t you grown into a handsome young man? I can see why Mike fell for you."

Dave’s red face turned scarlet, and I blushed as well. "Mum, please," I groaned, to the general laughter of those around us. I was so pleased to have her here, and so overwhelmed by the moment I felt my eyes start to mist up. Dave overcame his embarrassment, and started ushering people to their seats, leading me to the head table under the marquee. As everyone began to calm down, he stood up and cleared his throat, getting their attention. As all eyes turned to him, my man suddenly froze. After all that he had done to bring this gathering together just for us, his words and thoughts deserted him. I knew then that it was time for me to take control. I had enjoyed a ‘free ride’ up until now.

I stood up beside him, and slid one arm around his waist, hugging him reassuringly, the other hand going to his arm which I gripped tightly for moral support. Looking into the smiling, expectant faces of our fiends and relatives, I took a deep breath, and started.

"Dave and I are truly blessed to be able to call all of you our friends, and our family. The fact that he has managed to organise this event today, and that all of you have gathered here for us, without my knowing about it, suggests that you hold him in very high regard and affection. And deservedly so. This is not a marriage, since we still can’t legally do that, but it is truly a wedding of two people, one to the other. I believe that since we are determined to make our relationship public without the benefit of a minister and a piece of paper, it makes it so much more real and important."

I turned then, and faced him directly, taking his hands in mine. "Dave, I have said this plenty of times when we were alone, but now I say it out loud, and in front of all of these people as witnesses. I love you. more than any words can express. David James Mitchell, I promise that I will always love you, now and forever. I promise to support you in whatever you choose to do, and to do all that I can to make you happy. I promise that I will try not to argue with you, and to never let any disagreement we may have come between us or lessen my love. I promise to stand by you against the worst the world can throw at us, and to share with you all the joys and wonders that life can bring us. I offer you my complete commitment and fidelity, and I give you myself absolutely."

Dave’s eyes were misty, but they held my gaze and absorbed every word, his hands clasping my own tightly as I finished. He didn’t look around, did not see anyone except me.

"Michael Alexander Trenton," he began. "In the presence of everyone who means something to me, I publicly declare that I love you, absolutely, and with all of my being. I promise that I will be with you, that I will support you, love you and share with you everything that the future holds for us, no matter how good or how bad. Every thing that I have and everything that I am, I give to you completely."

It was all I could do to see his face, my eyes were so filled with tears of joy. I heard a stifled sob from my mother, and quite a few attempts to clear choked throats from our friends. But my concentration was focussed on the wonderful man holding my hands. Dave looked again into my face, and now I saw a smile from on his lips.

"And I’m going to hold you to that promise not to argue!" he said quickly. A split second of silence was broken by laughter as our guests suddenly broke from the solemn moment and joined us in mirth. Dave’s comment did nothing to lessen the seriousness of our words, but it released us so that we could enjoy this special moment with our friends. I loved him even more for doing it, and I beamed with pleasure at him.

As the giggles slowly faded, Neil jumped to his feet, close by where Dave and I were standing. He tapped his glass with a spoon, and waited for people to turn to him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are not going to do a round of speeches or anything like that. We are all here simply to witness and share in the special love and devotion that Dave and Mike have for each other. Please raise your glasses, and join me in drinking a toast - to Mike and Dave!"

"To Mike and Dave!" the words echoed around the group, as everyone came to their feet. Dave and I stood side by side now, arms around each other, smiling so widely I thought my face would split. As our guests sipped their drinks, Dave pulled me to himself, and kissed me, fully on the lips, tender and loving, in front of everyone. I kissed him back in a lingering touch, until slowly I became aware that the rest of the group was applauding loudly. As we broke our kiss, I turned again to face our friends and grinned.

The remainder of the afternoon whirled by me. I enjoyed myself immensely, but I can’t recall much detail, because my mind was filled with the love I had for my man. We ate a delicious meal, but I don’t remember what it was. We danced, although I cannot recall any particular number that was played. We talked at length with all of our friends and our families.

I do remember part of our conversation with Dave’s sister-in-law, Sally. Dave had thanked her for coming, and I made a comment about bringing her children along, and how happy I was that she didn’t exclude the kids from a ‘gay wedding’.

"Of course not!" she said quickly, looking surprised. "They love their Uncle Dave, and I’m sure they’re going to feel the same about Uncle Mike." I grinned at that and hugged Dave again. "Besides, I expect you two to start doing your share as babysitters." We all chuckled together as Dave pretended to groan. Then she went on, "Besides, I want to set them a good example, show them it’s okay for two men to love each other. Maybe even give them some confidence."

I raised my eyebrows at such a strange comment. Dave looked to Sally with a question on his face.

"I have a feeling Jarod may be gay," she said, almost off-handedly.

"Jarod? But he’s only 11 years old!" sputtered Dave.

"Almost 12!" Sally corrected, "but a mother can sense these things. I’m not sure, but if he is, then I want him to be able to tell us without worrying about it, when he’s ready."

I smiled inwardly. How much the world was changing since we were kids. There was hope for the human race yet.

Eventually, the party began to wind down, and we again did the rounds of our friends and relatives, thanking them all for coming and sharing our day with us. Dave looked out across the harbour, as if waiting for something, and then said to me quietly,

"Okay, handsome, time to go."

I smiled at him and began to walk toward the stairs leading up to the roadway. "Where are you off to?" he called. I turned around, confused, and he took me by the hand, and led me back across the lawns to the edge of the water, just as a water taxi pulled into the sandstone wall bordering the gardens. To the applause and good wishes of our guests, Dave and I carefully negotiated the retractable gangway and climbed into the rear of the taxi, settling ourselves in as the driver/pilot drew in the walkway and gunned the outboard motors.

We shot off across Farm Cove and rounded the front of the Opera House, watching the hordes of tourists gawk at us as we passed. Skipping over the entrance to Circular Quay, in a matter of ten minutes we were pulling into the wharf at the front of the Park Hyatt Hotel, the Harbour Bridge towering above us. A bellboy raced down the wharf to help us out of the small craft, and escort us into reception so we could check in.

Standing at the desk as we registered, I was overcome by the effort and thoughtfulness that Dave had invested in our wedding day. Not caring about the other guests in the foyer of the hotel, I slid my arm around his waist and hugged him. The duty manager who was checking us in noticed, and raised an eyebrow at my actions, before letting a tiny smile cross his face. There was certainly no sign of disapproval in his eyes.

"A special occasion, gentlemen?" he asked as we signed the forms.

"Uh, yes," Dave hesitated, but I didn’t care what others thought, I wanted the world to know how happy I was.

"Our wedding day!" I announced happily, as Dave gasped a little and looked up quickly to gauge the manager’s reaction.

"I see. Congratulations!" he said, his smile widening. "Just a moment, please …". Dave and I looked at each other in confusion as he tapped at a hidden keyboard below the counter and examined a screen. Dave shrugged his shoulders in a question and I shook my head, wondering what was the problem. The manager looked back up at us, another smile followed by the slightest hint of a wink of his eye.

"Compliments of the Hotel, Mr Trenton and Mr Mitchell, - we’ve upgraded your reservation - to the Honeymoon Suite. Enjoy your stay!"

Dave’s jaw fell open, but I simply chuckled softly as we followed one of the clerks toward the lifts. The room was amazing, perched above the water, with panoramic views of the city skyline. But I only had eyes for Dave.

As soon as we were alone, I slowly, tenderly undressed him, pulling his clothes away piece by piece to reveal his magnificent body, the sight of which I drank in with my eyes. I ran my finger down from his neck and across his chiselled pecs, pinching softly at each nipple and then drawing my hand lower, tracing the sculpted lines of his abdomen with my nail. My fingers slid into the bush of curly hair around his large and growing cock before I gripped his nuts in my hand, squeezing them and then letting go so I could follow the line of his now rigid shaft with my fingertip, scooping the first droplet of pre-cum from his slit and lifting it to my lips to taste his very essence. My hand returned to his chest, and slid up until I cupped his square jaw in my palm. I looked once more into his eyes.

"I love you, Dave Mitchell!" I said softly.

"I love you, Mike Trenton!" he replied in kind.

He leaned forward and kissed me, slowly, softly to begin with, but as we connected his passion grew, his urgency intensifying. Suddenly he leaned around me, one arm under my butt, the other beneath my shoulders, and he picked me up in his arms, our lips still locked together, and carried me the few steps to the king size bed. Laying me onto the soft platform, he climbed over me, leaning down and into me as our tongues wrestled and our mouths explored each other.

His face slid over my chin and down my neck, his lips attacking my chest, as he bit at my nipples and ran his hands all over my body.

"Dave," I hissed at him, "I need you, my love."

Silently he gazed into my eyes yet again, and leaned into me as I lifted my knees and wrapped my legs around his powerful torso. No words were said, but a powerful exchange passed between us as the depth of our feelings for each other were suddenly clear and undoubted to both of us. I ached with the love I had for him, and I saw in his eyes that he felt the same. Wriggling myself around below him, I managed to find the wonderful hardness of his cockhead and to press my puckering hole up and against his solidity. I relaxed my muscles and my eyes pleaded with him to take me.

With a single, long, steady and measured thrust his manly pole pierced my sphincter and penetrated my body, filling me with incredible warmth and driving his throbbing strength into my gut. I gasped with joyous ecstasy as he ploughed himself into me, and moaned with happiness as his balls came to rest against my upturned butt, the full length of him buried to the hilt within my arse. He pulled back and slid into me again as I clenched my muscles around his shaft and gripped at him. His rhythm varied from long slow strokes to lusty jabbing spikes as he took me for his own, fucking and humping at me.

I trembled and writhed beneath him, milking his mighty weapon with my ring and hunching up against him as he pumped himself into me. He slowed his pace, moved his hips in a circular motion which caused his long hard prick to probe and touch every part of my innards as he made love to me, the whole time our eyes never breaking contact with each other. My heels dug into his solid round butt cheeks, pulling him further and harder into me, needing to feel him as far inside as possible. This afternoon we had united emotionally, and tonight we coupled physically, becoming a single, fucking entity absorbed by our passion and consumed with our love for each other.

My nerves tingled, my senses raced as my body responded to the incredible eroticism of his love making. My arse was on fire and my body fulfilled by his very masculinity driving deep inside me. I stared at the watery orbs of his eyes, misting over with emotion and arousal, and he stared back as I gave myself completely to him in that moment. I felt his urgency grow, felt his need approach its peak, and suddenly he slammed his body into mine, drove his prick deep within me and stopped. Spasms rocked him as he cried out soundlessly with release, his testicles pumping their precious contents up through his long thick rod and into my core. I held him tightly as he shuddered with each new explosion, my rectum drinking his very essence and clamping around him for more. I moaned with happiness as I thought of his seed deposited deep within me, a part of him injected into my very being, for me to keep always.

Slowly, his shaking eased as his climax passed. Still our eyes were locked. My own peak was close, my body trembling with arousal and my nuts drawing up into my pelvis with excitement. I knew I was near the edge, unable to hold back much longer from my own eruption. Suddenly Dave pulled back, withdrawing that glorious sword of flesh from me, but before I could express my disappointment, his head dropped and his mouth closed over my rod, his throat clamping around my inflamed cock. Within seconds my natural urges surrendered to the incredible sensation of his warm wet gullet enveloping my manhood, and with a strangled cry my orgasm crashed over me. Load after load of cum shot up along my rampant tool and into Dave’s welcoming mouth. I shook with the force of my ejaculation, and he held himself over me, swallowing furiously, massaging my prick with his throat and drinking my masculinity.

As I collapsed back onto the bed, totally spent, Dave lifted himself again, and lay beside me, his arms around me. We kissed, long and slowly, savouring the moment. "Now part of me is inside you, and part of you is inside me," he whispered.

"And we’ll always be a part of each other," I finished for him.

After we had recovered sufficiently to get up off the bed, we wrapped ourselves in the robes supplied by the hotel, and stood on our private balcony, taking in the magical view of the city lights, the shimmering water and the passing boats. Sipping on the complimentary champagne, we held each other again.

"Dave, thank you for making me the happiest man on earth!" I said softly to him.

"Second happiest!" he corrected me. "The happiest man on earth is married to you!" I knew then that nothing could ever bother me again, so long as I was with him.

Dave walked around behind me, and as I leaned on the railing, he leaned into me, his arms wrapping around me. I wriggled back against him, and felt a familiar hardness pressing against my bum. I smiled to myself. Our future was guaranteed to be bright and wonderful, and there was a lot more of the night to enjoy yet!

Epilogue - The Lessons of the Past

It’s been more than five years now since Dave and I were ‘married’. It is still one of my happiest, brightest memories, that day by the harbour, and the following night in the Hotel. We followed it with a marvellous week of love-making and sunbathing at a tropical resort, and then came home to settle into our new life together.

Despite my promises that day, we have had a few fights over the years, but we have always made sure we made up before we went to sleep that night. And the years have been good to us. Dave is still as stunningly gorgeous as ever, and I love him even more now than I did back then. Sometimes, late at night as I lie in our bed with his arm across my chest and his deep contented breathing in my ear, I want to cry with joy at how lucky I am, and how amazing it is that such a perfect man as he could fall in love with me.

Our home too, has lived up to all of our expectations and fulfilled all of our dreams. We’ve made it a warm and welcoming place, often filled with the laughter and joy of our friends and our families. We’ve held dinner parties and barbecues, afternoon soirees and innumerable gatherings. We’ve fulfilled our promise to our families, and become favourite Uncles to a host of nieces and nephews. And in all that time, I have never lost the wonder and the thrill of making love with him. Every time is better than the last, and every second away from him is an eternity.

It was the first week of September, and spring was in the air. I was always amazed at how the change from winter took place overnight, blossoms appearing everywhere, and a definite warmth in the morning air. That Saturday morning I had just finished some laundry and Dave was in the guest bedroom, scrubbing it down in preparation for a new coat of paint. Domestic bliss! I thought to myself, when I heard the phone ring. Dave answered it, and a conversation ensued which I couldn’t hear. Ten minutes later, he wandered out to find me.

"Sally says hi!"

"Okay," I replied. "How is my favourite sister-in-law?"

"She’s well. She rang to ask if we would baby-sit next weekend."

"I guess so," I answered, thinking hard. "I hope the paint is dry and the smell gone by that time from the bedroom. What are they up to?"

Dave looked thoughtful. "Nothing. Sally and Michael don’t have any plans at all …"

"Then why are we babysitting?" I asked, confused.

"Apparently, it’s not her idea. Jarod has been at her, asking if he can come and stay with us for a weekend. Just him, not the other kids."

"Jarod? Has he come out yet?" I asked with a smile. It had been a continuing joke between us and Sally since she confided at our wedding that she suspected her then 11 year old son might be gay. He was now a good looking young man of 16.

Instead of the usual laugh from Dave, all I got was a long, thoughtful look. "No," he said finally, "but Sally thinks he might want to - to us!"

"Oh!" I said quietly, the implications sinking in. "Well, I suppose he’s at the age when he knows. What did you tell her?"

"That he could come and stay, and that we wouldn’t push him at all, but that we’d let him tell us whatever he wanted."

The following weekend arrived remarkably quickly. Strangely enough, both Dave and I were somehow nervous about what it would bring. We had always encouraged our nieces and nephews to be honest and open, to ask any questions of us, and tried to answer them honestly, but this was different, and we just weren’t sure how to handle it. Hell, we didn’t even know for sure what ‘it’ was!

Jarod arrived early Saturday morning, getting himself to our place by train, exerting his independence from his parents. At sixteen he was all but a man, and yet he still had a wonderful boyish quality about him. I met him at the door, and was struck by how attractive he had become physically. His legs were strong and muscled, and I knew he was part of the cycling team at school. His arms were powerful and his shoulders wide. I mused that good looks must run in Dave’s family.

"Hi Uncle Mike!" he exclaimed as I opened the door.

"Hi yourself, handsome," I replied as usual. "I swear you get better looking every time I see you. I’ll bet your breaking hearts all over that school of yours!"

He blushed and gulped, both normal reactions from him, and something I’d managed to elicit for a long time now. maybe it was my imagination, but this time he seemed to take my comments a little more to heart than before.

Dave heard his voice and bellowed from the living room, "Is that my favourite nephew you’re keeping to yourself out there, Trenton?"

Jarod laughed and threw his bag into his room, heading to the back of the house. "Hey there Uncle Dave!"

Dave looked him up and down, and looked over Jarod’s shoulder to me, winking slightly in one of our shared signals. He appeared to become serious, trying to keep a stern expression on his face. "Now listen here, Jarod! You’re a man now, or close enough for the difference not to matter. We won’t have any more of this ‘uncle’ business, it makes both Mike and I feel positively ancient. From now on, you call us ‘Mike’ and ‘Dave’, okay?"

Jarod’s grin lit up his face. "You bet, Unc …, erh, you bet Dave!" he said enthusiastically.

"Great." Dave replied. "Now, the other fun part about being grown up is that you get to help with the work! Mike is busy inside, but you and I are going to attack this garden, before it gets overgrown with the new season, okay?"

Jarod pretended a groan, but I could see he was actually delighted to be included as one of the adults. He and Dave set to work in the yard, and Dave kept him busy for the rest of the morning with weeding and cutting, and generally cleaning up. By early afternoon, the garden was looking much better, and Dave called a halt to their efforts.

"Lunch!" I declared, delivering a tray of cold cuts and rolls, salad and cheese onto the small table on our deck, overlooking the garden.

"When does the rest of the crowd arrive?" Dave asked with a grin.

"Yeah, there’s an awful lot of food here," Jarod agreed.

I tried to look offended. "Got to keep my men well fed," I answered them. "Need to keep their energy levels up!" I added in a loud stage whisper, overemphasizing a leery wink at Dave. He tried to stifle a laugh as Jarod turned red and attempted to look away. I ignored both of them as I set three glasses on the table and poured each of us a full measure of red wine - a very nice Merlot, perfect for a spring afternoon, that we had been cellaring for a while.

Jarod looked at the glass with surprise. "Is that for me?"

"Uh huh," I nodded. As with all of the children, Dave and I had, with their parents blessing, insisted that from a young age they be allowed to taste wine, and taught to appreciate the good from the bad. In addition, we felt it lessened the possibility of them over-indulging once they were legally able to buy alcohol themselves, if the mystery were removed while they were still adolescent. But such tasting was usually allowed by sampling very small sips, and Jarod was the first to be given his own full serve.

"You do the work of a man, you get treated like a man," I said, smiling at him. And then my face became serious. "Of course, you also have to act like a man, or you’ll be treated like a kid again."

Dave nodded to me over Jarod’s head, approving of my strategy. From then on, we made no more reference to Jarod’s age. We ate our lunch leisurely, and chatted about whatever came to mind. Dave and I discussed things that needed doing around the house, asking Jarod for his opinion. We talked about work, about our friends, about planned parties and so on. Family members were discussed, and several times we tried to draw Jarod out by asking him about school, about his academic work, about the cycling team, about his friends. Each time he answered politely, but then seemed to quieten until we moved on to some other topic. He did however seem to be very happy to be included in our conversation and treated as an adult.

The afternoon wore on as we sat and talked, relaxing together. Our drinks had been replenished several times, and I was keeping my eye on our nephew given the amount of alcohol he was not accustomed to, but he seemed to be taking it all in his stride. At least he was starting to open up a bit more, his natural shyness decreasing as the time went by.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" Dave asked the air, although his question was aimed at Jarod.

"Um, I don’t know," the young man replied.

"Well, it’s your weekend. Did you want to catch a movie, dinner, party on?" asked Dave.

"Sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll?" I added helpfully. Dave threw a cushion at me, as Jarod laughed self consciously.

"No, thanks, but if it’s okay, well, I think I’d rather just hang around here with you," Jarod said quietly.

"What?" I asked, surprise in my voice. "Spend a Saturday night with a couple of boring old uncles? Take away food and a movie on the telly? What kind of teenager are you anyway?"

Dave nudged Jarod with his elbow, looked toward me and nodded. Together, they swung around with cushions in hand, and I copped a double blow to either side of my head. When I tried to fight back, Dave grabbed hold of my ands and refused to let go as I struggled with him, as all three of us laughed uproariously. Eventually, I managed to free myself by pulling him against me and planting a long kiss on his lips. When we separated again, Jarod was looking at us intently, an unreadable expression on his face. It surprised both of us, since we had never hidden our affection for each other around the children.

"Honestly," he said as Dave and I re-seated ourselves, "a night at home with you would be great."

"Okay," I agreed. "So you can either have your choice of fast food and we pick the movie, or vice versa. What do you think?"

"My pick, and I choose dinner - pizza!" Jarod exclaimed.

"Just as well," I lectured. "If you’d said burgers I’d have been forced to kill you!" In truth, Dave and I would probably have gone for a nice Italian meal at a café, then a few drinks at one of the bars before heading home, but there was no way I was taking Jarod to a bar yet, even if he could have probably gotten away with it with his size and build. We had learned to live with fast food for the sake of the nephews and nieces.

The evening was coming on, and even though it was September, there was still a chill in the night air. "Okay, guys," I announced. "Jarod, why don’t you take a shower and clean up. I’ll tidy out here, and Dave, you can set up the loungeroom, and pick a movie."

As the young man disappeared into the bathroom, I looked to Dave. "What do you think?"

"He definitely has something on his mind, but I don’t think he knows how to bring it up."

"My thoughts exactly."

Dave suddenly grinned. "I might be overplaying things, but I have an idea …" He explained what he planned, and I smiled. If being gay was what was on Jarod’s mind, this would be one way to get him to open up.

An hour and a half later, we were ready for the movie. We’d taken turns at showering and cleaning, and Jarod had been left to order the pizza which had been delivered and was awaiting consumption. We arranged ourselves in front of the television, Dave and I next to each other and Jarod on the neighbouring chair, the pizza on a coffee table in front of us and I bottle of wine breathing beside it.

"Ready?" Dave asked, and Jarod and I nodded as we settled in and Dave started the video. It was an old movie from our collection, called "Our Sons" with Julie Andrews, Anne Margret, and Hugh Grant, and told the story of a gay couple where one of them was dying of AIDS and his partner’s mother (Julie Andrews) was determined to re-unite the dying man with his mother (Anne Margret) who had thrown him out when she discovered he was gay. Not terribly subtle in the present circumstances, but a movie we both enjoyed tremendously, and one which always evoked tears at the end.

As the movie progressed, the three of us finished off the pizza and had some more wine. Dave and I slid down onto the floor, arms around each other in a makeshift bed of pillows and blankets, while Jarod stretched out lengthwise on the sofa. When the final credits rolled, I sniffled back a tear, and kissed Dave softly. "I love you," I whispered to him.

"I love you, too," he responded quietly. "That movie always makes me cry," he added.

Jarod was strangely quiet. I looked to where he was lying, wondering if he’d fallen asleep, but he was sobbing silently to himself.

"Hey, guy," I said, reaching for him. "It’s okay."

Dave looked up and came over to him as well. "It’s only a movie, Jarod, don’t be too upset."

"How could anyone be so hateful?" he sniffled. "Surely no-one could be that awful to their own son just because he’s gay?"

"Well," Dave said slowly, choosing his words. "Unfortunately, yes some people are like that. Don’t forget, that movie was made a long while ago now, and attitudes have changed. Even from when Mike and I were growing up things have gotten a lot better."

"Surely you didn’t get that kind of treatment?" Jarod looked aghast.

"No," I said reassuringly, "We were both lucky to have loving, understanding families, but we also both know people who were treated very badly." I took a breath, and went on. "It was still very hard for your uncle and I to admit how we felt. We went to school together you know, but didn’t actually tell each other how we felt until many years later."

Jarod gasped at my last comment, and looked startled, his eyes wide. I wondered what had made him jump like that. Dave spoke again.

"You know, Jarod, that things are easier now. Your own mother actually told us the day Mike and I got married that she hoped our getting married would be an example for her children, and that they would know by seeing us that it was okay for two men to love each other." He didn’t repeat the rest of that conversation, but Jarod looked up in surprise just the same.

"My mother said that?"

"Yep. She’s a very understanding lady, your mum," I added, watching him closely.

Jarod’s face betrayed the emotions churning within him. The plot line of the movie, our presence, and the wine all seemed to contribute to his ability to get out the next few words. With anguish in his voice, he tried to speak, stopped, drew a breath, and tried again.

"Mike, Dave, " he choked out, "I’m gay." The words were spoken so softly it was almost impossible to hear them, but we did. Dave looked at me, his eyebrows raised, and I nodded as he moved to sit next to our nephew, and hold him in his arms.

"It’s okay, Jarod," Dave cooed to him. "We thought you might be."

The boy looked up suddenly, his face ashen. "Is it that obvious? Can everyone tell just by looking at me?" There was a note of panic in his voice.

"No, no," Dave soothed him. "But you’ve been wanting to say something all day, and there had to be a reason for someone your age giving up a weekend to stay with his old uncles."

Jarod bristled. "You’re not old! And I love being here. I’d want to come and stay even if I didn’t have anything to tell you!"

"Well, thank you for the compliment," I said, joining them. "It doesn’t matter that you’re gay. In fact, we’re kinda proud that you chose us to tell first."

"I couldn’t tell anyone else," he said softly, his voice trailing away to silence.

"What about your mother?" Dave asked.

"Mum? No way. She’d be shocked, and disappointed, and upset."

I looked at him, my heart going out to him. "I don’t think so, Jarod. Who do you think told us that she thought you wanted to spend the weekend with us because you needed to tell someone about yourself?"

He looked at me, disbelief in his eyes. "No way!"

Dave held him again. "Yes, Jarod. And she is really worried for you - not that you’re gay, but that you’re having trouble accepting it, or telling anyone about how you feel, who you are."

He sat there, shaking his head, as Dave and I surrounded him, a group hug holding the three of us together. Jarod’s eyes filled again and he started to cry softly. "It’s okay," Dave said to him. "No need to be upset."

"I’m not upset, I’m just well, relieved, and so happy," Jarod sniffed. "I don’t believe how good it feels, being able to talk about it."

I laughed softly remembering my own coming out. Dave joined me and we kissed again. Jarod peeked up at us from his blanket.

"There’s more …" he said.

"Go on," Dave sat back again, his arms around the young man.

"There’s this guy at school - we’re on the cycling team together. He is just gorgeous. I think I’m in love with him, but I don’t know how he feels, and I can’t bring myself to say anything to him."

Dave and I, as one, broke out in bellowing laughs, guffaws which rocked us both as we sat there. Jarod looked from one to the other and back again, confused and hurt. "It’s not that funny!" he said, a pout on his lips.

"My man," I said, still chuckling. "Dave and I were on the swimming team together at school. Both of us wanted the other, but neither of us was game to say anything. We ached for each other, but never got together. It wasn’t until years later that we finally told each other how we had felt. We missed out on so much time together because we couldn’t tell ourselves, or anyone else, what we were feeling."

"No!" he said. His eyes bored into each us, me first and then Dave. Finally he accepted the truth of what we were saying, and began to laugh along with us. It was a tremendous release for him, and the weight of his worries lifted from his young shoulders as he shared something with us that none of us had expected.

Eventually, we regained our composure. "Well," I declared. "We’re not going to let you make the same mistake we did. I won’t guarantee you that you and …"

"Peter," he said, the feeling in his voice unmistakable.

"I won’t guarantee that you and Peter will actually turn out to be a couple, or even that he will want you. He may not even be gay, but at least we can try to make sure you don’t miss out on any possibilities, the way we did."

"How close are you, as friends?" Dave asked. "Does he spend time at your house? Do you go out together at all?"

"Yeah," Jarod sounded uncertain. "He comes over to home from time to time. Obviously we spend a lot of time together at practice and at meets with the team. And we sometimes go to the movies, or get a burger together after school."

Dave thought about it. "Ever spent a weekend at his place or yours?"

"Once. I stayed with him and his folks when they went down the coast one weekend. But nothing happened between us, just fishing and swimming and that."

"It’s okay Jarod," Dave said. "I’m not suggesting anything like that. I’m just trying to come up with some ideas. Do you have any reason to think he might be interested in you. Romantically I mean?"

"Umm, sometimes I see him looking at me in the changerooms after a meet. But whenever he sees me looking, he always looks away really quickly. And pretends like he wasn’t looking at all."

Dave and I looked at each other, smiles breaking out on both our faces, a knowing look passing between us. I steered the conversation away from Peter for a while, drawing Jarod out about how he felt, letting him talk about his feelings about being gay. I knew that by talking it out he would find a great deal of relief from the tension he must have been experiencing.

As he spoke, Dave sat and listened, but I could see he was hatching some kind of plan in his head. Jarod talked for hours, well into the night, and we sat and listened, feeling for this articulate, handsome young man, so much like us when we were his age, and yet so different too.

Eventually, the talking slowed as tiredness came upon us. I bundled Jarod off to bed, and dragged my man into our room. "What are you thinking?" I asked.

"I’m not sure yet," Dave answered. "Let me sleep on it, and I’ll discuss what I have in mind before I run it past Jarod, okay?"

"Okay, stud! I love you, you know."

"I know," he grinned. "I love you, too."

The next morning Dave and I were up and about long before Jarod showed his face. We were sitting on the back deck when he finally appeared, wandering out to us with a tired expression on his face.

"Morning, Uncs," he called, earning himself a dark look from me. "Oh, yeah, sorry, morning Mike, morning Dave," he corrected himself with a grin. "Any coffee?"

"If you’re old enough to drink it, you’re old enough o make it yourself," Dave said with a smile at me.

"I’ll have a refill while you’re at it," I said quickly, winking at Dave. Jarod grumbled something under his breath, but got himself a coffee, and a top-up for me. He sat in silence for a while sipping at the brew while the three of us just looked out onto the spring morning. It was Jarod who broke the quiet.

"Dave, Mike, I just want to say thanks for yesterday, for listening and letting me talk, I can’t believe how much better it feels to have brought it out in the open."

I smiled warmly at our nephew, as Dave reached over to him and gave him a gentle cuff on the shoulder. "Anytime, Jarod," he said. "If you ever want to talk about anything at all, Mike and I will both be here for you."

"You still have to tell your mother," I cautioned, "although I’m sure it won’t be as hard as you think."

"Maybe not," Jarod looked unconvinced.

"And just a suggestion," I went on. "I think maybe just tell her you’re gay for now. Let her get used to it before you start talking to her about possible boyfriends, okay?" Dave grinned, and Jarod nodded slowly, taking it all to heart.

"On that subject," Dave interjected, "I have an idea." Jarod looked up quickly, and I nodded to Dave to go on. He had already told me his plan and I agreed it was a good way to help.

Jarod looked up as he continued. "Newtown Street Fair is on in a few weeks from now. It’s nothing special, but it involves closing the main street and setting up stalls and entertainment and whatever. Does that sound like something you would like to go to?"

"Yeah," said Jarod enthusiastically, but with a question in his voice.

"Why don’t you ask Peter if he’d like to spend a weekend with you at your crusty old uncle’s place, to go to the fair and just generally get away from the family? That will sound innocent enough, and once we can see his reaction to your uncle being gay, and all the weird and wonderful sights he’ll see at the Fair, then you’ll know whether it’s safe to tell him how you feel."

Jarod’s eyes lit up as he listened to Dave’s proposal, a grin splitting his face. "Thanks," he said at last, "Thank you Dave, thank you Mike, I can’t tell you how much this means to me."

We smiled at him, as plans were made for the weekend with his friend at our home. It felt good to be helping him like this, and I wondered how much different things may have been for us had we had someone to help out when we were his age.

The planned weekend arrived quickly enough. We had plotted with Jarod to try to keep things as innocent as possible. If it turned out that Peter was straight, we didn’t want Jarod or him getting hurt anymore than was absolutely necessary. Although I felt uneasy at the way we were proposing to manipulate the young boy we didn’t even know, Dave convinced me that it was for the best.

As their cab pulled up outside, I called to Dave who went to open the door to meet them. I waited, out of sight, in the bedroom.

"Jarod!" I heard Dave call out. "How are you my boy. And you must be Peter! Welcome, come on in." I heard a muffled response from Jarod, and another voice, although I couldn’t make out the words, and then footsteps as they started along the hallway.

"It’s really good of you to have us for the weekend, Mr Mitchell, I’m looking forward to it," said an unfamiliar voice, obviously Jarod’s friend.

"Not at all," boomed Dave, and I’ll have none of this ‘Mr Mitchell’ business. From now on, it’s ‘Dave’, okay?"

"Yes, sir," said the voice.

I wandered casually out to face the three, trying to act like I had just heard them.

"Hi," I called. "Jarod, good to see you again," I said as I shook his hand. "Peter? Nice to meet you." Peter’s face registered confusion, as Jarod spoke up.

"Peter, this is Uncle Mike, Uncle Dave’s partner."

Peter stood there, shaking my hand uncertainly, as Dave admonished Jarod gently. "What have we told you? We’re Mike and Dave - no ‘Uncle’ - it makes us feel old."

"Make yourselves at home, boys," I said, showing them into the guest bedroom. "You have a choice, you can either bunk down together in the double bed, or toss a coin to see who gets the foldout, but we’ll worry about that later. For now, leave your things here, and come on out to the deck. We’ll have a coffee and settle in before we head up to Newtown, okay? And you, handsome," I added, directing my words to Dave, "get out here and help me with the coffees while these two unpack."

Dave took a pretend swipe at my arse with his hand. "Bossy, isn’t he?" he said in a loud whisper addressed to the boys, then turned and kissed me quickly as I glared at him. We played our roles like seasoned actors.

Jarod stifled a grin as he replied, "Yes, sir!", and Dave followed me out of the room. We ignored the open jaw and blushing face of Peter as we left.

From the kitchen I could hear Jarod and Peter in conversation, muffled but distinct.

"You’re uncle is gay!" Peter said in a shocked voice.

"Uhh, yeah, I guess so," replied Jarod.

"But you never told me."

"I never thought about it. Dave and Mike have always been together. They’re just my uncles, I don’t think of them as gay, just as them!" Jarod had rehearsed his answers well, and I permitted myself a smile as I walked away to join Dave on the patio with a tray of coffee cups and biscuits. The two boys joined us a few minutes later.

"So, Peter, Jarod tells us you’re on the cycling team together," stated Dave as they sat with us.

"Y, yes, sir, uhh, I mean yes Dave," Peter stammered. The conversation was then steered into neutral territory, as we discussed the team’s chances, school generally, remembered our own school achievements on the swimming team and generally talked about whatever seemed to interest the two young men. Slowly Peter relaxed in our company, joining in the discussion, although I caught him several times staring intently at either myself or Dave, and trying not to make his concentration obvious.

Soon enough, we packed up the remnants of our snack, and walked up to King Street, into the throng of the Street Fair. Newtown being what it was, there were thousands of people there, gay couples and singles, goths and punks, straight couples with children, yuppies and old Greek men, all mixing together in the cosmopolitan melting pot Dave and I enjoyed so much. The stalls offered every imaginable ware, from "Save the Forests" bumper stickers to bongs and incense sticks, from cheap Indian jewellery to very expensive high-fashion clothing. Jarod and Peter both gasped and stared quite often at the sights they were confronted with, and Dave and I held hands as we strolled along, nodding to some of the familiar faces. Peter could not keep his eyes still, turning this way and that, trying to take it all in, and Jarod too was enthralled by the mix and variety of the people and the goods on offer.

After several hours of wandering and looking, occasionally stopping to pick something up and examine it, even to make a purchase here and there, Dave declared that it was time to stop and sit down. We squeezed ourselves into one of the tiny tables on the footpath outside a café, grabbing the four chairs we needed, and collapsed as a very good looking and slightly effeminate guy came to take our order. As he scribbled on his pad, he smiled at us, and winked openly at Jarod and Peter, the latter of whom blushed deep red, but whose eyes followed him as retreated to the kitchen, before returning to fix on Jarod with a renewed gleam.

Finally, we returned home, tired but pleased with ourselves. Taking up our seats on the patio again, I poured each of us, including the boys, a glass of red wine as they began to examine the trinkets they had bought. Jarod took his glass as if born to it, while Peter looked guilty as he sipped his wine, then became bolder as none of us made any reference or comment about it. The shadows lengthened as we sat and relaxed, chatting easily now. I made a comment to Dave about spending way too much on a set of champagne flutes he’d purchased and he tried to look contrite as he turned to me with a false frown.

"But you love me anyway, don’t you?" he whined plaintively. Jarod chuckled, and I reached my hand to Dave’s head, pulling gently on his ear.

"Of course I do, handsome," I said, and leaned to him, kissing him tenderly, and for longer than was necessary. As I sat back into my chair again, I saw Peter staring goggle eyed at us, his cheeks turning bright scarlet for possibly the hundredth time that day. Now was the chance I had been looking for.

"Jarod," I said quietly, "would you grab another bottle of wine from the rack for us?" He nodded and disappeared to do as asked. I turned to his friend. "Peter, I’ve noticed you blushing, and staring at Dave and I, and at some of the other gay guys in Newtown this afternoon." His embarrassment returned as his eyes fell to the table. I went on in a soft, and hopefully comforting voice. "It’s okay, but I was wondering if you feel uncomfortable being with us. Are you uneasy with gay people?"

"No, si … no, Mike," he said in a tiny voice.

Dave took my hand, squeezing it in reassurance as I went on. "It’s okay if you aren’t comfortable," I said. "We understand that some people have difficulties accepting us. What we don’t want is for you to be uneasy being here, or to spoil the weekend for you or Jarod. We’re not going to change, or stop doing what we do, especially in our own home, but if you would be happier, we can arrange to send both of you home. Dave can phone both Jarod’s parents and yours, and give them some excuse about having unexpected guests arrive so that we’ve no room for you to stay if that would make things easier for you."

Peter lifted his face to me suddenly. "NO!" he exploded, with an intensity which surprised both of us. "I want to stay, if that’s alright?"

"Of course it is! We were simply concerned that you might be feeling uneasy, or threatened in some way."

Peter looked long and hard at me, as I noticed Jarod coming back to the deck where we sat. Trying not to be obvious, I motioned for Jarod to wait where he was. I could sense Peter was turning over in his head what to say in response to my words.

"Mike," he began, softly, almost whispering. "I’m not uncomfortable at all. I think it’s fantastic that you and Dave are so open, and so loving. I guess I’m just not used to seeing two guys together and not trying to hide how they feel. Honestly, I’m really enjoying your hospitality and your company, and I’d like to stay."

I smiled warmly at him, as Dave stepped into the conversation. "That’s fine by us, Peter," he said with a grin. "We’re enjoying your company too. You’re a fine young man, and we’re very happy that Jarod has such good friends. Just so long as you aren’t upset or nervous about being with gay people."

"Not at all, Dave," Peter answered quickly and at ease now. "I feel more at home here with you than I have anywhere for a long while!" he added.

As he did, Jarod moved forward again, placing the bottle he was carrying on the table. I looked up to see his face beaming at what he had heard. In my head I repeated what we had told him when we planned the weekend - go slowly, don’t rush him!

"I’m so pleased you said that!" Jarod smiled to Peter as he sat down and I re-filled all our glasses. A new, confident Jarod was emerging now. He continued, "I have something to tell you, Peter, that I’ve wanted to say for a while, but wasn’t game." Slowly Jarod! I thought to myself. I could see Dave too was watching both of them closely, concern on his face. "Peter, I’m gay too." He stopped, sat back, and watched. I breathed a long slow sigh of relief that Jarod hadn’t blurted out his feelings for Peter, and looked to the other boy.

Peter’s face went white, then red. His mouth fell open as he tried to find words and failed. He took several sharp quick breaths and tried again. "You are?" the shock was obvious and real.

"Yep," said Jarod simply. "But I needed to know how you felt about gay guys before I told you. That’s one of the reasons I asked you to spend the weekend with me at Dave and Mike’s. Are you okay about this?" he asked, now his face filled with concern as he looked to his friend for a reaction.

Peter took a long draft from his wine. He sat there with all three of us looking at him, and I hoped we weren’t ‘ganging up’ on him. He sat back and lifted his eyes again, staring directly at Jarod. "Yeah, mate," he said at last. "We’re best friends aren’t we? Of course I’m okay with it. I’m even glad you told me."

"Apart from Dave and Mike, and my mum," Jarod said softly, "you’re the first person I’ve told."

Peter looked at him again, his eyes wide. "Wow!" he said. "Then I’m more than glad, I’m honoured," he said sincerely.

"Thanks!" said Jarod, his eyes moist. Peter and he embraced, hugging each other the way best friends do. After that silence descended for a while, as Dave and I sat watching the boys, and Jarod and Peter retreated into their own thoughts for a while. Both of the young men seemed to be wrestling with themselves inside, but I guessed that the time for words from us was now passed.

Surprisingly, it was Peter who broke the silence. "Mike," he said softly, do you mind if I ask how you and Dave met? You know, how you knew that you were right for each other?"

I looked at him in surprise, and Dave started to laugh. When Peter appeared confused, I reassured him. "No, I don’t mind at all," I smiled. "Please ignore my rude husband! In fact, I’ll let him tell you the story!"

Trying to keep his mirth under control, Dave detailed the whole tale of our lives, from being at school together, to meeting each other when we were involved with other people, the time when he moved to Melbourne, everything. He spared no detail, and both boys listened intently, even Jarod had not heard the full history of our courtship before. I let him go on as I quickly threw together a light meal and brought it to the table. Dave finished up with the story of our wedding day, and this time he included Jarod’s mother’s comment about suspecting that Jarod might be gay, even back then. All of us laughed, even Jarod, despite his reddening cheeks at hearing of his mother’s suspicions so long ago.

We sat and ate dinner as four friends, and drank more wine. The boys were far from drunk, and I suspected that the alcohol was helping them speak openly, so I didn’t discourage them. Dave and I laid our souls bare to them as they asked questions about our experiences, our feelings, the things that had happened to us. It wasn’t exactly a sex education lesson, but some of the things they asked were quite personal. Still, we were determined to keep the discussion frank and open, so we tried our best to answer everything without blushing or holding back. And the two young men seemed to appreciate our honesty.

As we relaxed again, our hunger sated, Peter looked from myself to Dave and back again. He took a sip of wine, and addressed us both. "So, if you were on the school swimming team together, why didn’t you get together then, instead of waiting for years and going through all the things you did?"

Jarod looked up quickly, and I suppressed a wry grin. "Because we were too scared to tell each other, or anyone else back then, that we were gay." I said quietly, looking at Dave, whose eyes were sparkling.

Peter went silent at that, his eyes falling to the table. He looked up at Jarod as if t