Desert Heat

Desert Heat Chapter 9

Author's Note

Introduction

I welcome feedback from readers, in fact I thrive on it. It's really the only payment authors on NIFTY receive for their efforts. If you enjoy the story please take a moment to drop me an email and let me know. Comments from my readers drive my creativity.

This story is radically different from what I usually write. There are no magic or supernatural elements, and there are no Dominant/Submissive relationships. This is a story about an older man (Fernando) and a younger man (Matty) who fall in love. Both are adults. It's also a story about Matty's cousin Jimmy who is being abused without his knowledge by a close friend, and a story about Fernando's son Johnny and his lover Alex Xiao, a basketball player and engineering student.

I plan 1 chapter every month.

Please remember that NIFTY is a free site that provides an invaluable resource for men like us. Please consider donating to help ensure that site remains available for everyone. https://donate.nifty.org/

You can contact me at pseudonominius@gmail.com.

Author's Notes

·        If you want to be informed of new stories, send me an email, and ask to be put on the notification list. I'll send a notification. Everyone will be on the bcc line so your email address will not show to other members.

·        I have created a google group for people who want to get more information about my stories in that format. Only I can view the member list, so data should be secure. If a reader sends a question my way, I will post the answer to that group after removing any information about the reader. It's a good way to get more background information if you want. https://groups.google.com/g/pseudominius-stories

·        This type of story is new to me. I welcome your feedback, but this story is a new LBGTQ genre for me so please be gentle.

·        My editor is Robbear (robbear78@gmail.com). He not only edited this story but provided a lot of insight and suggestions that made the story better.

My Stories

·        College Magic (authoritarian and sf/fantasy)

·        Jack and the Giant (sf/fantasy)

·        Sacred Submissives (authoritarian and sf/fantasy)

·        Bellus Cinaedus (authoritarian and historical)

·        Guardian Angel (authoritarian and sf/fantasy)

·        Nivean and the Dvergar (authoritarian)

·        Small Town Slave Boys (authoritarian)

·        Desert Heat (beginnings)

·        Eros in Arcadia (Sf/fantasy)

·        Constituent Services (Encounters)

·        The Dancing Princes 

Desert Heat Chapter 9 - Secrets Revealed

Jimmy

Tomorrow was Halloween, but everyone was celebrating tonight instead because Halloween was on a Sunday. I'd always liked Halloween as a kid and when I'd gone to high school, there was always a party somewhere. But this year it was a nightmare waiting to happen. Josh and Troy had been "training me" all week. And they were taking me to a party tonight and they were going to make me give blowjobs for money. I sat on my couch wearing just a pair of knit shorts, staring at the costume Troy had provided me. I was going as a luchador, a Mexican wrestler, but my costume was skimpier than any normal luchador. Instead of trunks, I had only a lime green speedo. And I had no tights to wear beneath it. I did have knee high boots and a full mask that would only leave my mouth exposed. I sat there and cried.

The weeks had been a hell of constant sex with two guys I hated. Josh had made another copy of the key to my apartment and gave it to Troy, so they just dropped by whenever they wanted, and one or both of them spent every night at my place. But the worst was at school...

**********

On Thursday, I'd been between classes when Troy came up behind me and clamped his hand on my shoulder. "Bathroom. Now," he ordered.

Then he guided me into the bathroom in the basement of the Student Union. He walked me right past a guy at the urinal and into the handicapped stall. Then he closed the door and snapped his fingers. "Bitches be naked, boy," was all he said.

I was getting nervous. That guy at the urinal could hear us and Troy didn't seem to care. I wasted some time putting my backpack down, but Troy could tell that I was purposely delaying. He squeezed my shoulder hard and whispered, "Get your clothes off so you can suck my dick, or I will take your clothes and leave you naked in here."

Troy's anger was worse than Josh's any day of the week. I didn't want to provoke him, so I started pulling my clothes off quickly. Troy opened his backpack and gestured for me to put them inside. "Just in case you don't obey me quickly enough. I want to be able to take them with me. You've already got one strike against you tonight."

I felt like the pathetic little faggot Troy often called me when I looked up at him and asked, "What did I do?"

He patted my cheek and replied, "You forgot to call me `Daddy', twice. But I'm going to count it as only one. Now sit down on the toilet and suck my dick. It's going all the way down your throat."

I nodded and said, "Yes, Daddy."

Then I sat down. I knew the procedure by now. Troy had explained to me that I was one his fags and he expected me to act like one. I reached out and pressed my hands against the bulge in Troy's pants. "Ooh, Daddy. It feels like you're good to go already. Can I take it out?" I licked my lips and gave him a smile.

"That's more like it. I don't want a real man on my cock, but a little fag like you always gets me going. Take it out and treat me right."

I gave him a smile and slowly pulled his zipper down. I was so confused. Troy's words were insulting. They made me want to grind my teeth, but they sent a thrill down my spine nonetheless. A part of me hated the way he treated me, but a part of me felt sexy when he did it. I'd watched those videos Josh had made. When he and Troy had gotten me drunk, I did become a... I didn't like the word fag. I became giggly and maybe a little bit... girly? Damn! I wished I could talk to Matty about this.

Troy's cock flopped out in my hand, and I stroked it a few times and kissed the head. "You're soooo big, Daddy. And I like this big vein that runs down the side." I ran my finger along it.

Troy was smiling and nodding. He always insisted that I needed to compliment a man's cock before worshiping it. It was all a game to make the man feel better, but... was it? Here I was, sitting naked in the men's room, holding the dick of a man who treated me like crap, and I was hard as a rock.

I kissed his cock again and then licked slowly down one side and up the other until my mouth was on the spongy head of his uncircumcised cock. I kissed it again, this time ending the kiss by rubbing my tongue sensually around the crown. Then I opened my mouth as wide as I could and swallowed the head.

"Good job, Jimmy Boy. You're turning into a top-notch cocksucker with a million-dollar mouth."

Troy was patting my head like a puppy and once again I was overcome by a mixture of anger and pride. He made me feel like a whore. Which I guess made sense because he was turning me into a whore. Maybe that was why I had these confusing feelings. How would I feel if Troy and Jason weren't planning on forcing me into prostitution? Would I still feel the almost giddy sensation I did when they praised me for my cocksucking skills and my ability to take their dicks?

I managed to mumble, "Fank ooh, addy."

Troy gave me a look of genuine affection and put one hand on each side of face. "Now you need to take it all. Don't gag on me."

I knew that I was going to gag a little, but I could take it all now. He'd made sure of that in a long session last Wednesday night. He'd called me a "promising young cock sucker". I took a deep breath and then eased his cock into my throat. I coughed a little but didn't pull away. I continued to swallow his rod until my nose was buried in his pubes.

I had to pull back to take a breath. I coughed up mucus and then swallowed him again. I reached up to fondle his heavy balls while I sucked with all the force I could muster. And when my head grew light, I did it again.

"Damn, Jimmy Boy. A little slapping around, a little breath training and I brought your inner faggot out for everyone to see."

Troy grabbed my hair and held my face tight against his groin. "I'm going to cum, you sexy little faggot! Make sure you take my full load."

I could feel his cock begin to swell and then pulse. I needed to pull back to breathe, but I couldn't. Troy was too strong and the grip he had on my hair fucking hurt. He growled. "Fuck yeah! Swallow my spunk! Eat my baby batter, you little bitch!"

I didn't have to swallow. He dropped his load into my throat. When he finally pulled back, I sucked and licked the head of his cock until there wasn't a drop of cum left. Then I licked the shaft until it was clean.

Troy patted my head and said, "Spread your legs. I have to piss."

I wiped the saliva and cum off my lips. This was a new humiliation, but Troy had a look in his eyes that told me he was just waiting for me to "disrespect him". I swallowed hard and replied, "Yes, Daddy."

I spread my legs and Troy aimed between my legs and pissed into the bowl. I scooted back so that my spine was pressed against the cold steel of the flushing mechanism. My traitorous cock stood up like a steel ramrod. Troy laughed at me and kept his stream shooting into the bowl, barely missing my erection.

"It looks like your little penis wants me to wash it with my piss. Maybe later, Jimmy Boy. I don't want one of my bitches walking around smelling like a urinal."

My dick isn't small! I thought. It's almost six inches! It wasn't my fault that Josh and Troy were both bigger than me. I pushed my anger down deep inside where Troy couldn't see it. I knew that he was trying to get me to talk back to him so he'd have a reason to slap me around once I got home. I smiled up at him and batted my eyelashes.

"Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for being so kind and thank you for giving me your cum."

Troy finished pissing. Then he held his cock and said, "Give me a kiss goodbye, Jimmy Boy."

I leaned forward and kissed the head of his cock. I did not enjoy the taste of piss that clung to the tip, but I forced myself to keep on smiling. I smiled until he tossed my clothes to me and left. I heard him talking to someone.

"Saturday night. Party at the palms. Just $20 bucks."

I heard the other guy laughing but couldn't make out his words, but I heard Troy say, "Sure, if you think you can cum five times! See you there."

They were laughing when they left the room. I sat there wiping my eyes and trying not to cry. I was still naked when I heard a tapping on the door and a voice I didn't recognize. "Come on out, Jimmy. I want to talk to you."

"I just want to be alone," I said. "Go away."

Whoever it was tapped on the door again. "I am not taking no for an answer. You don't know me, but I am not ashamed to be caught doing something outré in a men's room. I will climb over this stall, and we can talk in there – or you can come out here. I'll buy you a coffee and we can chat somewhere less embarrassing."

I saw two dark hands at the top of the stall. I cried out, "WAIT! I'll be out in a minute!"

I pulled on my clothes as fast as I could. Then I opened the door. A handsome man was leaning against the sink opposite my stall. He had black hair and dark skin. And he was dressed in a bright golden shirt that shimmered when he moved and white jeans. It was the African American guy I'd seen with Matty earlier.

"Don't be sad, handsome little guy. Come with Neto and tell me everything."

I didn't know what to do. The last thing I wanted was for Matty to find out about my troubles, but Neto did not seem like he was the kind of guy who would take no for an answer. And I didn't know how to get rid of him, but I did have only a half hour before my next class. I followed him into the food court.

"Coffee? Tea? Banana power smoothie with matcha? What do you want?"

"You don't have to buy me anything."

Neto threw his arm around my shoulder and walked me toward the smoothie counter and said, " You are sad today and a smoothie will... well it may not cheer you up, but it won't make you feel worse. Now what do you want?"

I shrugged. "What's matcha?"

Neto hugged me tight. "Green tea powder, sweet thing. It has caffeine and antioxidants and... well, it goes well with fruit, and I think it's amazing."

He spun me around and looked me over. Then he snapped his fingers and said, "Banana orange with whey and matcha. You look like you haven't been getting enough protein lately."

He put a hand above my head like he was measuring me. "You're a medium, I think."

"Medium?" I asked, smiling against my will.

He cupped my chin and replied, "A very cute medium. It's not an insult, sweetie pie. I'm a medium, too, just a little bit bigger of a medium than you are."

He ordered two banana orange smoothies with whey and matcha. I took a sip and my face lit up. Neto put one hand on my arm and said, "I told you it was good, cutie pie. Now you are going to tell me what that ogre is doing to you. And don't you dare say `nothing' because I know that's not true."

I put the smoothie down and sighed. I don't know why I did it. I was in over my head, and I needed to talk to someone. I choked and started to cry. "Don't tell Matty, please. He can't know. I don't want him anywhere near Josh and Troy."

Neto scooted his chair around the table so he was seated next to me. He threw his arm around my shoulders and said, "Go ahead and cry it out, baby. I won't tell Matty anything."

"Josh found out that I was gay. He knew before I did and he made some videos of the two of us and... if I don't do what he says then he'll send the video to my dad. I... I don't know what to do. I'm stuck and I can't get out."

Neto kissed my temple and said, "Oh honey... huuuneeey... you are definitely in a pickle. I won't lie to you. But I need to know if you think it is worth it to put yourself under the thumb of this "Josh and Troy". So tell me this, what's the worst that can happen if your father finds out?"

"He'd kill me," I sobbed. "He wouldn't understand. He..."

Neto interrupted me. "Shh! He's not going to kill you. He may react badly, but unless you plan on living a lie, he's going to find out sometime. Do you think he'll react any better if he finds out ten years from now, or twenty?"

"No. He'd be angry no matter how old I was."

"Chil', this is a problem you have to deal with sooner rather than later." He wagged a finger in my face and then continued, "And make no mistake. This is not your problem. It's your dad's problem. And I know this sounds like a cliche, but cliches are cliche for a reason... you are who you are and if he can't deal with that fact, he's the one who will be losing out."

"Maybe, but I can't let him know right now. I can't deal with it on top of everything else. And... thank you for making me talk to you. I didn't realize how much I needed to talk about it."

Neto hugged me again. It wasn't sexual; it was like a brother. He was a good-looking guy, but I needed a friend more than another lover right now. He held out his hand, giving me a broad grin, and said, "Cell phone."

I pulled it out and unlocked the screen. I hesitated for a moment before I handed it to him. He added himself to my contacts and then sent himself a text from my phone. "You just call me or text me if you want to talk. Nobody should go through this alone."

I took back my phone and put it in my pocket. "Did you have to do it alone?"

Neto shook his head, keeping things serious for once. "My mom and dad knew before I did. They knew Nando really well even before he and Johnny's mom broke up. When he began dating guys, they seemed... okay with it. I guess that gave them a chance to work through any bigotry they may have had. Mom told me that they'd had a lot of time to talk about it and that it made them start recognizing certain things in my behaviors that they may have missed otherwise. They'd been waiting for me to tell them what they already knew."

"You're lucky," I said.

Neto squeezed my shoulder and replied, "You'll be lucky, too. Just wait and see. It will all work out. And if it doesn't, you'll still have Matty. And Nando will be happy to look after you. He's a good guy. You won't be alone."

I left him and went to class. I felt better.

**********

And now it was time to put on my costume, or what little there was of it. Tonight was the night when I became a whore for real.

Neto

I'd seen Matty's cousin Jimmy around campus a few times. And I had to say that Matty was in deep denial. That little blond boy was definitely gay. His butt wasn't as round as Matty's – although I could teach him a few exercises that would put the right kind of curve in that ass – but it was a cute butt nonetheless, and the way he moved it when he walked, let's just say that no straight boy moved his butt like that. But I did not like those two guys he was with all the time. One of them was that Josh fellow I had to face down and the other one was a bigger guy who was stronger than me, but I was about ready to kick his ass. I did not like the way he pushed Jimmy around and made him shrink back, obviously in fear.

On Thursday, I'd seen this other guy pushing Jimmy toward the Student Union. I followed them inside and down to the basement level. I saw them go into the bathroom. I waited for a while at a table near the game room, debating whether to go inside. I didn't know how Jimmy would react and I had no real justification for getting involved. I waited until two guys came out and stormed past me. The beefy looking blond with a buzz cut muttered, "Stupid faggots. I should report them."

His skinnier friend, the one with the dark brown hair and scruffy beard, said, "Leave it, Mike. That guy's bad news."

I'd noticed that the bigger of Jimmy's tormentors seemed the older of the two. And he had a dangerous look about him. I could believe he was trouble. I waited for a few more minutes and then I couldn't wait anymore. There was a Latino guy at the urinal. He was fastening his pants, but he wasn't in a hurry. He wasn't leaving either. He leaned back against the wall and gave me a nod and a smile.

We could hear voices coming from the handicapped stall.

"It looks like your little penis wants me to wash it with my piss. Maybe later, Jimmy Boy. I don't want one of my bitches walking around smelling like a urinal."

Jimmy replied, "Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for being so kind and thank you for giving me your cum."

The other guy said, "Give me a kiss goodbye, Jimmy Boy."

A minute or so later, the big guy came walking out and washed his hands. The Latino guy walked over to the sinks and said quietly, "That your boy?"

The big guy, whose name I later learned was Troy, nodded and replied, "He is. If you want a taste, you'll have to come see me."

The Latino guy nodded and asked, "Where?"

I was pretending to use the urinal. Troy answered loud enough for me to hear, "Saturday night. Party at the palms. Just $20 bucks."

The other guy laughed. "I think I'll bring a Benjamin."

Troy said, "Sure, if you think you can cum five times! See you there."

Then he left. I walked over to the Latino guy and whispered, "Do you know that guy?"

He shook his head and whispered back, "Not really, but I've heard about him and his partner. Once you're on his list, you can make arrangements with him and get a "date" with one of his boys. I'd heard that there was going to be a party somewhere this Saturday and you'd be able to get your dick sucked. Nothing more, but there'll be a lot of boys like this one who like to suck cock."

I faked a smile and said, "I'll be there, then."

I watched the guy walk out of the bathroom and I was proud of myself that I didn't kick him in the back of the head. I walked over the stall and tapped on the door. "Come on out, Jimmy. I want to talk to you."

"I just want to be alone. Go away."

I wasn't letting it go that easily. I tapped on the door again. "I am not taking no for an answer. You don't know me, but I am not ashamed to be caught doing something outré in a men's room. I will climb over this stall, and we can talk in there – or you can come out here. I'll buy you a coffee and we can chat somewhere less embarrassing."

I waggled my hand a little at the word "outré" and then I reached up to the top of the stall and started to pull myself over. Jimmy's panicked voice cried out, "WAIT! I'll be out in a minute!"

I waited for him patiently, leaning against the sink. When he opened the door, I could tell he'd been crying. I put a hand on his arm and said, "Don't be sad, handsome little guy. Come with Neto and tell me everything."

He hesitated for a moment. Then he shrugged. I took the opportunity to lead him out and upstairs to the food court. Jimmy wasn't as skinny as his cousin, he was also more solidly built. But he looked less healthy, like he was losing weight. I took him to the Cactus Juice Bar and bought him a smoothie. I didn't recommend the prickly pear because I didn't like it. I bought him my favorite, orange-banana with matcha and whey. I used them to help keep my muscle up.

I could tell that he liked it because his whole face lit up. I put a hand on his arm and said, "I told you it was good, cutie pie. Now you are going to tell me what that ogre is doing to you. And don't you dare say `nothing' because I know that's not true."

He put the smoothie down and sighed. He choked and his eyes started watering. He cried softly, "Don't tell Matty, please. He can't know. I don't want him anywhere near Josh and Troy."

I scooted my chair around the table so I could give him a hug. "Go ahead and cry it out, baby. I won't tell Matty anything."

I'd been joking around before about finding myself a little güero of my own to hold on my lap. But I did have an urge to pull Jimmy right over and hold him while he cried. He leaned his head against my arm and said, "Josh found out that I was gay. He knew before I did, and he made some videos of the two of us and... if I don't do what he says then he'll send the video to my dad. I... I don't know what to do. I'm stuck and I can't get out."

I kissed his temple and squeezed him tight. "Oh honey... huuuneeey... You are definitely in a pickle. I won't lie to you. But I need to know if you think it is worth it to put yourself under the thumb of this "Josh and Troy". So tell me this, what's the worst that can happen if your father finds out?"

Jimmy sobbed, "He'd kill me. He wouldn't understand. He..."

"Shh! He's not going to kill you. He may react badly, but unless you plan on living a lie, he's going to find out sometime. Do you think he'll react any better if he finds out ten years from now, or twenty?"

"No. He'd be angry no matter how old I was."

"Chil', this is a problem you have to deal with sooner rather than later." He wagged a finger in my face and then continued, "And make no mistake. This is not your problem. It's your dad's problem. And I know this sounds like a cliche, but cliches are cliche for a reason... you are who you are and if he can't deal with that fact, he's the one who will be losing out."

"Maybe, but I can't let him know right now. I can't deal with it on top of everything else. And... Thank you for making me talk to you. I didn't realize how much I needed to talk about it."

I hugged him again. I tried to make it non-sexual, even though he was making me want to kiss him for real. But right now, he needed someone to comfort him, not to take advantage of him while he was confused and scared. I held out my hand and made him give me his cellphone. I added myself as a contact and then texted myself, so I'd have his number. "You just call me or text me if you want to talk. Nobody should go through this alone."

He put his phone back in his pocket and asked me, "Did you have to do it alone?"

I shook my head and almost laughed, but decided to keep it serious... for once. That's when I told him all about my parents and how they just luuuuved Nando and finding out he was gay had given them a chance to work out any bigotries they had before they ever noticed what an "expressive" little boy I was.

"You're lucky," he responded.

I was and I knew it. My middle school had over 500 students and there were a few gay kids. I knew a couple whose parents hadn't reacted so well. My parents were awesome, and I had Tio Nando to help me understand what was going on. I knew parents like Jimmy's.

I squeezed his shoulder. "You'll be lucky, too. Just wait and see. It will all work out. And if it doesn't, you'll still have Matty. And Nando will be happy to look after you. He's a good guy. You won't be alone."

I watched him leave for class and I decided right then and there that I was going to go to that party and pull Jimmy right out of that mess. And if that musclebound Troy tried to stop me, I was going to kick his ass. I had the address, and I knew exactly what my costume was going to be.

Fernando

All week, Garcia kept trying to wheedle hints out of me about my costume, but I could keep a secret way better than she could.

Friday night, she came up to me holding her phone. "I'll show you Nick in his costume if you tell me what you and Matty will be wearing."

I shook my head. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Are you telling me that you don't want to see this?" she waved the phone in front of my face too fast for me to see anything.

I laughed. "Not a chance, Garcia. You can't keep a secret, especially from your brother, and I want him to be surprised when he sees us."

She was laughing too. "Fine! I'll show you something, but I want you to help me out with something."

"Tell me what you want and then we'll talk."

She smiled and said, "I want to record Nick kissing a guy. I've got him convinced to do it. He made me work for it, but I think he really wants to try it and I'd rather it was with you than one of Chejo's sleazy friends."

"Let me talk it over with Matty. I don't want him to think I'm not serious about us. He's young and... he was a virgin until I met him. I won't do anything to make him uncomfortable or to make him doubt that I'm serious about us."

She laughed and pulled up the pictures of Nick. She handed me her phone and asked, "What has come over you, Castillo? You never used to be this... can I say `straight'?"

I looked at the pictures. Nick was a very handsome guy in his mid-twenties, probably eight to ten years younger than Garcia. He had fair skin and golden-brown hair, longish wavy hair on top, shaved on the sides. He must have waxed his whole body because I could see almost everything and there wasn't a hair in sight below his eyebrows.

A strange thought crossed my mind. Nick looked too young for me and Matty would look too young for him. I swallowed hard and handed the phone back.

"Well?"

I smiled and raised my eyebrows. "He is a very handsome young man and all of him will be on display. I think you'll be beating the guys off him with a stick if you let it slip that he wants to make out with a dude."

"I know! For once, everyone will be all over my boyfriend instead of Chejo's." Her smile was so wide that it almost looked unnatural. For as long as I'd known her, she and her brother had been in competition. It was a mostly friendly rivalry.

She looked at me and stopped smiling. "Okay. Spill it, Castillo. You just had a look at my super-sexy boyfriend; you're in a relationship that makes you happier than any relationship you've had since I've known you; and you're standing there with a long face like someone just kicked your puppy."

I filled a cup with coffee and blew across it to cool it down. I collected my thoughts while I took a sip. Then I said, "Nick is ten years younger than you."

She laughed. "Twelve, but you're one to talk."

I took another sip and admitted, "That's the issue. I was looking at that picture and thinking about you asking me to make out with Nick... which made me think we'd look ridiculous together. And if I would look ridiculous with Nick, what am I going to look like with Matty?"

"Sit down," she said.

When I didn't move, she switched to Spanish. "Sientate aqui en este sofa ahora mismo!"

"Si, mama," I replied sarcastically.

I sat and she sat next to me. She put a hand on my thigh and said, "I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a little shocked the first time I saw the two of you out at the river park. I thought you'd lost your mind, but you told me he was an adult. I didn't believe you, of course, so I checked up on him. Not to rat you out but to stage an intervention. But he is an adult and from the little I've seen, he's really into you. Do your kids know?"

I nodded. "Carlos and Juancito do."

"And do they accept Matty?"

"They do. I was worried about it, but Carlos... he's like a wise old man despite being fourteen... he was really happy and he pushed me to stick with it. And Johnny. I was afraid he was going to be angry because Matty is the same age as him, but Johnny met him at college before I could introduce them and he... he really likes him."

"So, your family likes him," she said.

"My ex doesn't know and she's going to have a field day when she finds out."

"Fuck her, Fernando. I try not to say it, but your ex is a bitch. She's going to find something to be pissy about. Do you love Matty?"

"Yes, I think I do. It's crazy that I've fallen in love with someone the same age as my middle child, but I think about him all the time."

She nodded and patted my leg. "Okay then, Fernando, you need to suck it up and grow a thicker skin because people are going to say sarcastic things. It's sweet that you love him, but the age difference is funny and people are going to laugh about it. Who cares how ridiculous you look? Love is kind of ridiculous."

I hugged her and said, "I knew I could count on you."

"That's right. You can count on me to make jokes about you robbing cradles or hanging out at the high schools, but you can also count on me to have your back. You're the only one here who's worth a damn, Nando."

A couple of the other guys paused on the way across the room. One of them said, "Really, Garcia? You couldn't wait until we were out the door?"

Everyone was laughing. We all knew she'd only said it because those guys could hear us. "See what you did, Nando? You made me admit my feelings and now I'm going to have to buy these losers some chicken wings to make it up to them. Are you coming? You can run back and get your boyfriend."

She'd cheered me up and we both knew it. I shook my head and said, "You know that I can't because..."

She joined right in with me. "...because Matty's too young to get into the bar."

The guys were laughing. Garcia gave me a wink and a fist bump and said, "Don't pay attention to them. They're just jealous. Hell, I'm jealous. If I'm going to keep up with you, I'm going to have to go to my nephew's boy scout meetings."

I was in a better mood when I got in my car. I didn't drive my motorcycle to work anymore because I had to pick Matty up and I wasn't sure he was confident enough to ride on the back with his heavy backpack on. Garcia was right. If I saw someone my age with someone Matty's age, I'd probably make a few jokes myself. And if I wanted to be with him – and there was no doubt that I did – I was just going to have to accept that I might be the subject of a few jokes and crude comments.

Matty

The last few days had been like heaven to me. When I'd first moved in with Fernando, it had been all about cuddling and sex. It had been great, but I still felt like a guest in his apartment. But Friday, after school, Fernando had cooked us a simple meal of ground "meat" tacos with refried beans and rice. He'd even joined me in eating Impossible meat substitute instead of ground beef. Afterward, he'd shown me how he liked everything cleaned and put away.

After the cleanup was done and we were cuddling on the futon watching music videos, tears started trickling out of my eyes. It took a while for Fernando to notice because we were both lying down on our sides. He was playing big spoon to my little spoon. When he saw the tear glistening down my cheek, he used a finger to wipe it away.

"What's wrong, chico? Did I do something to make you unhappy."

I shook my head and said, "No. It's not that. I'm... it's stupid."

He turned me around and wrapped his strong arms around me. "Tell me, chico. What's made you sad?"

"I'm not sad," I insisted. "I'm happy."

He kissed my nose and chuckled. "You're happy, and that's why you're crying?"

I pushed him back playfully and said, "Don't laugh at me."

"Then tell me why being happy is making you cry."

"Promise not to laugh?"

Fernando made the sign of the cross. "I promise not to laugh, chico. Tell me everything."

I sighed and smiled. "It really is stupid. I'm happy because I feel like I'm really living here. Now that you're making me do chores and showing me how to fit in with how you live your life here... it makes me feel like this is my apartment too."

Fernando kissed me and gently stroked my sides. "If giving you chores makes you so happy, I'll draw up a list."

"Good," I replied with a smile. "I want to help."

"Do you want to wash my dirty clothes, chico? My dirty, sweaty gym clothes?"

I sprang an instant boner. Fernando's hand brushed against it while he was rubbing my abdomen. I cried, "Oh yes, Daddy."

I blushed a deep red and admitted, "Your smell triggers something inside me. It makes me really horny."

Fernando sat up and took hold of the hem of my shirt. Then he pulled it off me with one swift motion. He held it to his face and inhaled deeply. Then he took my hand and held it to his crotch. I could feel his erection beneath the jersey knit.

"Do you feel what you do to me? That's what happens when I get a whiff of your sweet scent, querido. You do this to me every time. The last time I washed your clothes, I had to sniff each piece before putting it in the laundry."

Fernando took hold of the waistband of my shorts and pulled them down and off my legs. I was wearing my green lantern briefs. He ran his strong hands up my smooth legs and then worked them under the briefs, so he was cupping the cheeks of my butt.

"Does that feel good, mi mariposa?"

I moaned, "Yes, sir! You know what I need."

He ran a finger along my crack and asked, "And what do you need, mijo?"

The taboo word "son" made me whimper against my will. "I need to feel you... inside me."

Fernando bent down and brushed my lips with his own. His jaw was rough with stubble, and he smelled of Old Spice and sweat. He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "There is so much more than fucking. I want to try something else tonight."

He ran his finger around the lips of my hole, and it sent shivers up and down my spine. I groaned and he pushed just the tip inside. He said, "I may have rushed things a little because I was in such a hurry, but I'm going to take it slower tonight."

"Slower?" I whined. "I don't know if I can wait too much longer."

Fernando pulled his hands out of my briefs and pressed softly against my erection through the cloth. "You don't have to wait. You're young. If you cum too early, it won't take you very long before you're ready again."

He pulled me down so that I was lying flat, then he pulled my briefs off, allowing my erection to flop around before coming to rest on my abdomen. He kissed the head, and it jumped madly like it was trying to get inside his mouth.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sorry. I can't control it tonight."

Fernando patted my thighs and said, "Don't try. I'm going to suck the first load out of your handsome cock here in a minute so you can enjoy what I have in store for you. And to give you a little hint, I'm going to play with your butt while I do it."

He pressed his index finger against my hole again and the entire tip slid inside. I was so glad that I had cleaned myself out back there before dinner. I even lubed my butt up, hoping that Ferando would feel like having sex. Usually, one thing led to another, and we were having sex before I could take care of business and he used a condom for hygiene reasons. I wanted to feel his skin against mine. Maybe it was just psychological, but I felt like the condom put a barrier between us, like we weren't really connecting. Not to get ahead of myself, but I was going to find out very soon that it was much more than psychological.

Fernando said, "You're already clean and prepped for me."

I nodded and gave him a sly smile. "I wanted to feel you inside me, skin to skin tonight."

My lover knelt on hands and knees over me so he could kiss me again. "Whenever you want something from me, sexually or otherwise, I want you to promise that you'll let me know. I will do whatever you want me to do, but I might not be able to figure it out on my own."

"Whatever?" I asked. "What if I wanted something that was weird or just something you weren't interested in?"

"Hey, mijo, I will be willing to try anything to make you happy. And if you want me inside you, I'll do it, but let me try something else first, something I can't do unless you're clean. Do you trust me?"

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed his stubbly cheek. "I trust you completely. I'll do anything you want me to do."

Fernando kissed his way down my chest until he was mere inches away from my cock. He paused and looked up at me. "I'm going to hold you to that."

Then he pushed his finger back inside me and swallowed my cock at the same time. He knew what he was doing. His mouth formed a seal around the shaft, and he sucked so hard that his cheeks rubbed against the sides. His warm, wet mouth felt soft and smooth against me. His tongue moved against the sensitive frenum just below the head.

Fernando's finger found my prostate and rubbed it gently. It was like that hard little gland was connected directly to my cock. A sizzling current of pleasure ran between the two. My fingers clawed at the cloth covering the futon and my back arched. The sensation in the head of my cock became excruciatingly pleasurable.

"Yes, Fernando! Yes! I'm going to cum. Oh fuck! I'm CUMMING NOW!"

My body jerked and I felt like my cock was exploding. With each spurt, Fernando sucked harder. When I had nothing more to give him, he licked his lips and said, "You taste delicious, Matty. Front..." he stuck the finger that had been in my butt in his mouth and sucked it for a moment. Then he pulled it out and said, "...and back."

I grabbed his hand and pulled his finger into my mouth. It tasted mostly like his skin, but also of the lube I'd used and faint hint of my ass. Fernando wrestled me to the mattress and bit my neck hard enough to leave marks. He was between my legs, so I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Mm, that's more like it, Matty. You know how to make me feel like a man."

"If you're feeling like such a man, shouldn't you be fucking me, papi?"

Fernando kissed his way down and chewed on my nipples until I started squealing, "oh yes, papi," as my cock was already starting to recover.

He pulled back and looked down at my dick. "Damn, boy, you are almost hard again." He kissed the head of my dick, making it jump a little. "Ah, the resilience of youth." He scooted down and kissed my inner thighs, taking a moment to brush my smooth skin with his stubbled chin. He cupped my scrotum in his calloused hand and kissed each of my balls before moving lower. I moaned when I felt his beard on butt.

"Oh my God, your beard feels amazing on my skin."

Fernando gave me a wicked grin and asked, "So tell me... What does my baby want?"

I took a deep breath. Did I dare to say it? He said that I should ask for what I wanted, but I was embarrassed. He was looking at me expectantly. I felt that he was waiting for me.

"I want you to eat my butt, daddy."

There, I'd said it aloud. Fernando replied, "It sounds like you want what I want."

He pressed his stubbled face tight against my cheeks and probed my crack with his tongue. It sent a shiver of intense pleasure through me. Deep inside, I'd hoped that he'd do it. I read a lot of porn, I'd always enjoyed it as much as watching videos online, and this had always been one of my favorite scenes. The feeling of his tongue on my hole made me feel... girly? I mean, I didn't actually feel like a girl, but it made me feel... I couldn't describe it. Earlier, Fernando had told me that I satisfied the need his bisexual side still had for a woman. Having my lover eat my ass made me feel like the kind of boy who satisfied that need in his lover. So I guessed that I was still a boy, but taking the role that a woman would traditionally fill. If that was girly, I didn't care.

"You make me feel so special when you do that to me, papi," I moaned.

He paused just long enough to say, "You are special, querido, and I'm happy to make you feel it."

Then he pulled my legs up and dove into my ass with renewed passion. He thrust his tongue inside me that sent quivers rushing up my spine. It didn't take long before I was crying, "Oh yes, papi. Keep that up and I'm going to cum again."

"My plan is to get you really close and then give you what you asked for. I'm going to fuck you until you pass out."

I squealed and grabbed his strong arms. "Don't promise me something, papi, unless you plan to give it to me."

"Oh, I'm a man of my word," he growled.

Then he took up where he left off and continued to drive me towards the edge with his tongue. I could feel the moment when I opened for him. I hadn't realized back when I was a virgin that it was possible to want sex so bad, but for my body not to be ready yet. Fernando had taught me that a skilled and compassionate lover would always take the time to make sure that I was fully ready. That my butt was ready. That my mind was ready. And that my penis was ready.

Fernando lowered my butt back to the mattress. "You've opened for me now and I desperately need to make love to you."

"Take me hard, papi," I begged.

Fernando gave me his sexiest smile and he stroked my erection once with his firm grip. "I will take you as hard as you want, but I will never hurt you. You can trust me."

"I do trust you, papi," I said.

And it was true. I'd never feared that Fernando would hurt me physically, but I had feared that he would get tired of me and that he would hurt me emotionally. I didn't fear him in that way anymore either. I did trust him.

I felt the thick head of Fernando's cock pressing against my hole. I put my hand in my mouth so I could bite down when he entered me. It always hurt a little at first, and this time was no exception. There was a momentary flash of pain as the head of his cock pressed past my hole. I bit down hard on my hand as Fernando let the head of his dick lie there so I could get past the pain.

"Your hole is as open and as loose as it gets, but you're still a tiny thing compared to me. I'm sorry that it hurts so bad."

"It doesn't hurt bad, papi. It hurts good."

He took my hands in his and squeezed them. "Is my baby into pain now?"

"No, sir," I said. "Only this pain, and only because I know how good it's going to feel soon."

Fernando let go of my hand and pulled one of my feet to his mouth. He kissed it gently. "Let me know when you're ready."

He kept kissing my foot until he'd taken my mind off the pain in my butt. It tickled when he kissed my toes. It was a strange feeling, but it was erotic as well. It made me feel special, like Ferando loved every part of me, not just my butt and my mouth.

Then I felt him push a little further inside. I knew that there were bigger cocks out there. I'd seen them on the internet, but Fernando's seven and half inches were more than enough for me. Of course he was a lot thicker than most of the cocks I'd seen online. He took his time to thrust all the way inside me. And when I felt his pubic hair against my ass, I moaned, and a tear ran out of the corner of my eye.

"You fill my culo up perfectly, Fernando. When we're like this, I feel like we're one being, connected cock to butt."

He chuckled at my words and he wiped the tear from my cheek. "This had better be a tear of joy because I want this to feel good for you."

"It does, Fernando. And yes, it's a tear of pure pleasure. That's what you do to me when you touch me."

Fernando pulled out and then pushed back inside. He was an expert at rubbing my prostate on each stroke. And I hadn't been lying about being close to orgasm. Fernando had gotten me so excited with his tongue that I felt like I could cum any minute. My dick was rock hard and my nuts were already drawn up tight to my shaft. My body was experiencing flashes of heat and it felt like my skin had become alive.

"I'm going to cum any minute now, papi."

Fernando shook his head. "No, you're not. You'll last a while so long as I don't stroke your pretty cock. And trust me that it's hard to keep my hands off it."

When it came to sex, Fernando definitely knew more than I did. He thrust inside me and wrapped his arms around my body. He made love to me gently for what seemed a delightful eternity. Every time he pushed inside me, I let out a little whimpering cry, and every time he pulled out, I clung to him. I'd been on edge before he'd started, and I hovered there, sure that I was going to cum yet getting no closer.

Fernando finally grabbed hold of my dick and gripped it firmly. He kept direct eye contact with me as he gave it a few strokes and I started to spill all over his hand. "Oh papi, I'm cumming."

My hole clenched tight on Fernando's cock. He thrust all the way inside me and growled, "I'm cumming too, chico. Take my seed inside your pretty hole."

He fell at my side and held me tight. We lay there for about half an hour until it was time to shower. We had lunch with Alex and Johnny that afternoon. And then later we would go to a Halloween party.

Johnny

Lunch with Papa and Matty was excellent. I still thought Matty was too young for him, but it was clear to me that he made Papa happier than he had been in a long time. I resolved not to let the age difference bother me. What surprised me was that I was feeling equally troubled for Matty. If, or probably when, they discovered that they had nothing really in common, I thought Matty would be more heartbroken than Papa.

We'd gone out for Chinese food and Papa had given Matty lessons with chopsticks. They were really cute together, but I couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or aroused when Alex decided to copy Papa and started feeding me with his chopsticks. Alex had that mischievous smile on his face that told me that he was both teasing me and poking lighthearted fun at Papa.

I looked over at Papa and said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about us earlier. And I'm sorry that... I'm sorry that I didn't even tell you I was gay."

He leaned back and took a sip of his tea. "So long as you didn't think I'd care about that. I'm gay myself."

This was the moment I'd been dreading. I decided just to be honest. "Actually, I did worry about that."

I saw the look on his face, so I hurriedly added, "Let me explain. It's... you and mama were arguing all the time. She kept saying that you were going to turn us gay, Carlito and me, I mean. I'd been thinking that I was gay for a while, but if I said anything, then I thought mama would yell at you, and you kept saying that there was no real chance either Carlito or I were gay; that it didn't work that way."

"Okay, okay. I'm not upset. I'm not upset with you that is. I am upset with your mother and with myself. We should never have put you boys in that position. Lo siento mucho, Juanci... Juanito."

For years Papa had teased me with that childish nickname. It didn't really bother me anymore, but it felt like he was marking a change in our relationship, like he was accepting me as his adult son instead of his little niño. It warmed my heart. And his words did more than that. I'd been carrying a burden of weight on my chest for a few years. And now it had gone. Papa was Papa. I should have known he was going to be understanding and compassionate. Mama always tried to run Papa down, but he was the best man I knew.

"It wasn't you, Papa. I just didn't want to make it harder on you."

There was a moment of silence since no one had anything to add to my confession. Eventually Alex spoke up. "I'm happy to say that I didn't have any drama when I came out. My parents were surprised because they thought all gay guys were effeminate. And since I was into basketball and other sports, they didn't think I could possibly be gay. But they accepted it when I told them, and then they were really supportive."

He looked over at Matty and asked, "How about you, Matty?"

"Um... My mom doesn't even know that I'm gay. And I don't think she's going to take it well. She goes to this church that's really hateful. But my uncle will be worse. My mom still lives with him."

Papa hugged his boyfriend tight and kissed his temple. "We'll help you through that problem when we come to it, chico. You won't be alone. You'll have all of us."

Matty snuggled his head under Papa's arm and remained there for the rest of the meal. He thought of my dad as both his lover and his father. It was strange to me, but there was no other way to read their body language. Matty hadn't mentioned a father. I wondered what had happened with his own dad.

**********

After lunch, Alex and I hurried back to the house to get ready for the big party tonight the Alumni Association was throwing for all the sports teams. Alex and I were dressing as wildcats. We weren't wearing furry Wilbur the Wildcat suits. One of Alex's friends came over to paint our bodies and faces and we were wearing cat ears. She painted Alex to look like a tiger. I was supposed to be a tiger as well, but somehow, she'd made me look more like an orange tabby cat. Even though I was fairly tall at six foot two, Alex towered over me, and it made everyone treat me like I was a short guy. I was used to it; I even liked it to a certain extent.

I was wearing knit booty shorts. I'd picked some out for Alex. He'd agreed to wear them, but he chickened out at the last minute and wore his normal shorts that went halfway to his knees. I was going to tease him mercilessly about it later tonight.

When Felicia was done with our makeup, she had us stand next to each other so she could take a picture. Then she shared it with us.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

Luckily Alex beat me to it. "We look more like gay Thundercats than we do tigers."

I saw the look on Felicia's face and decided that I was going to be the good guy. "It looks GRRREAT!" I said. Then I smacked Alex's butt and added, "And who says we're not gay Thundercats?"

"Sorry," Alex said. "I didn't mean anything by it. You did a good job."

That made her happy again. She gave us some last-minute instructions on how to avoid messing up the makeup in the car on the way to the party. We both sat forward in our seats so that the seat covers wouldn't smear the body paint. Alex had his hand on the knob of the gear shift and I put my hand on top of his.

"I love you. You know that, don't you Alex?"

He gave me an enigmatic smile. "Of course, I do. I love you, too, Johnny... or should I say Juanito?"

"Either's fine, Alex, but don't try to distract me. Why didn't you want to wear the shorts we agreed on?"

He grew silent and just shook his head. I decided to press him on the subject. "Don't tell me that you're ashamed of your body. You're... amazing."

"You wouldn't understand, Johnny. Trust me."

"I want to understand, though. Please. Don't hide things from me."

Alex inhaled and then let it out slowly. "Have you ever wondered why your dad is so macho all the time?"

I shrugged and gave a little laugh. "He's Latino and he's... if I say `old' do you promise not to tell him? It's just how older Latino guys are, at least all the ones I grew up around."

"That's not it, Johnny. I know because I deal with the same thing. I can't be `too gay'. I know that the team and the coach all act super-excited that I – well I am good – they get super-excited that I'm gay and I'm a good player. But they wouldn't be half as thrilled if I didn't seem just like all the other guys. They expect me to `be a man', not too gay and not campy at all. It's a lot to live up to."

"Hey! I'm an athlete, too. I don't really care about that stuff now that Papa knows."

Alex sighed. "It's not fair that it's different, but it is. We live in a world with Matthew Mitcham, Ian Thorpe and goddamned Tom Daley, all hot, all gay and all swimmers! No one will care how gay you are, but... it's just different."

He was right. It wasn't fair, but it was true. "I'm sorry for pressing you. Do I make it harder for you?"

He laughed aloud, with a smile this time. "Are you kidding me? We have Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black. We have Robbie Rogers and Greg Berlanti. Both those guys have trophy husbands who are hot as hell. It makes them seem more `manly'."

"Is that why you keep pushing me to be more `out'?"

Alex grew silent again for a moment, then he admitted, "Kind of. Does it bother you?"

I had to think about it. There was something bothering me. "Are you saying you're with me because I make you `manly' enough to be acceptable as a gay athlete?"

"Oh, no, no, no! I'm with you because you're the sexiest guy I've ever met. You look like a model; you play guitar like a virtuoso; you sing like a sexy angel. I am lucky to be with you. And the best part is that you can be gay enough for both of us. It's why I encourage you to be more open and more out. I get to live that part of myself through you."

"I absolutely do not have a problem with that, baby. Your encouragement is making me more confident. It's made me more like Omar Apollo. Since I've been here at school, especially after I started dating you, I've been open, telling people that I'm gay and I've even been switching genders in love songs when I sing them. Like, in front of people."

Alex removed his hand from the gear shift and stroked my jawline gently. "I remember when I first saw you playing guitar on the quad, I just had to speak to you."

I took hold of his wrist and said, "And you were so disappointed that I didn't know who you were until Neto whispered it in my ear."

"Right and then you pretended not to care, but I could see that you were really impressed. That's why you agreed to go get coffee with me."

"And I haven't looked back once," I said.

The look on his face told me that Alex was still worried. "And you're sure that we're good, now?"

"Yeah, I'm good. We're good, I mean. A lot of things make sense now. Coach lets us use his office so the team aren't forced to see us together after the game, right?"

Alex nodded. "Coach is gay. He thought that the team would be more accepting if we didn't get too affectionate in front of them. He knows we're using his office for sex. I'm sorry that I'm still sort of closeted. Everyone knows that I'm gay, but I don't let them dwell on it or see it too closely. It doesn't change anything about how I feel."

I shrugged. "Baby steps, querido. Dad told me about his earlier days on the force. I'll be as gay as you want. Not only does it help you, but I'm also finding that I like it."

At the next redlight, Alex kissed me passionately and said, "I love you so much right now. After this party, I'm going to take you back to the house and show you."

I couldn't wait.

Neto

The Palms was an apartment complex not too far from campus. A lot of college students lived there and one group of them threw a well-known Halloween Party every year. You technically needed an invitation, but it wasn't that hard to get one. There wasn't a fee for the party, but unofficially, the residents accepted $20 from people they didn't know for an invitation. A little asking around and I was set.

My costume was going to be simple. I put on my gi and went to the party as a martial artist. I tucked my nunchaku into my belt, mostly for show since I was a black belt in Taekwondo and my dojo didn't teach any weapons. But I could use them if necessary. The story was that my dad paid for my martial arts classes and he bought me the nunchaku as a gift because he didn't know better. I'd learned to use them from watching videos on the internet. I could probably do more damage with my feet, but the nunchaku were showy and impressive.

I didn't know what I was planning, but my anger had been growing since that scene in the bathroom. I'd been taught to avoid fights, but to end them if necessary. However, I was in the mood to start a fight tonight. I hoped Josh and Troy would come at me. I was limbered up and ready to go.

The party was held in the clubhouse of the apartment complex, and it was packed even though I was early. Most of the costumes were of the "sexy" variety; sexy nurse, sexy cat girl, sexy bodybuilder, sexy policeman; there was even a sexy chef. I should have worn an open vest and cut off a pair of white martial arts pants.

There was plenty of food and soda. I was too young to get a wristband saying I could drink the beer, but I had the impression that they would have given me one anyway if I'd coughed up another $20. There was also a box for donations to help cover the cost of the party. I spent a little time watching. I didn't see Jimmy anywhere, but I did notice some guys were handing cash to one of the hosts who then dropped it into the donation box. Afterward, the host directed him up a side passage past the bathrooms. I pulled out a $20 and walked up to the guy.

He looked at the bill in my hand and said, "You can just drop it in the box."

"No. I want to hand it to you. I was talking to Troy the other day and he... um... there was a cute blond boy with him."

He took my money and directed me up the hall. "Last door on the right. He might not be ready yet. He needed a little encouragement. We've got five other guys across the hall until we get him settled."

I forced a smile and said, "I can wait. He's the one I want to try first."

The man waved me down the hall and I knocked on the door. No one answered, but I heard a muffled voice through the door. "Stop your fucking crying, Jimmy. You will suck cock and you will be smiling about it. If not, I'm going to beat your ass until you can't sit down."

That was it. I opened the door and walked in. Jimmy was kneeling on a pillow. He was wearing a full-face mask. Only his eyes and mouth were visible. His thin but toned body was naked except for a bright green speedo and a pair of cheesy knee-high boots. Troy was standing over him, his hand squeezing Jimmy's shoulder so hard that the boy was wincing in pain.

I closed the door and Troy turned to look at me. "Go across the hall. This little bitch isn't ready yet."

I was done with this fool. He was a few inches taller than me and a lot stronger, but I didn't care. "Get your nasty hands off that sweet little boy before I kick your ass and make you."

Troy stood up and flexed like he was trying to intimidate me. I gave him a sneer and said, "So you got the moves, but have you got the touch? Cos that don't impress me much." I snapped my fingers at him and added, "Big muscles, tiny brain and even smaller peewee."

He snarled and came at me. I extended my arm and knocked his fist away with a simple palm block. Then I gave him a snap kick to push him back away from me. I hit him right in the chest, so he stumbled backward, but he was tough. He recovered just in time to dodge away from the ax kick I aimed at his collar bone. I was angry enough not to care if I broke it.

"Fuck you!" he yelled. "You think you're hot shit, but I'm going to beat your ass and then you'll be kneeling right next to this faggot!"

He obviously knew a little about fighting, but he was a brawler who relied on his strength to overpower his opponent. I used an upper block, sweeping my arm across my body to force his hand up. I drew my other hand back and then did a hop on my front leg to counter his longer reach, and delivered a flying punch with the hand I'd drawn back.

While he was off balance I gave him another snap kick, followed by a back kick. I turned my body away from him, so I was sighting him over my shoulder. I slammed my heel into his solar plexus which sent him reeling. Before he could recover, I swung my leg up and brought it down in a perfectly executed ax kick. He tried to block, which saved me from all the trouble that would have arisen if I'd broken his collarbone, but he didn't know what he was doing and he yelped in pain when my heel slammed into his forearm.

"I'm sorry, did it hurt you much when I was kicking your sad ass across this room? You should just give it up now because I have beaten you like a drum. And I can... and I will beat you again, motherfucker. Go on now, go. Crawl out that door. Just turn around now, `cause you're not welcome anymore." I sang the last part.

"If you take him out of here now, you'll both regret it, asshole!" Troy snarled at me. He was trying to show bravado, but I could see more than a little fear in his eyes. At his size, he probably wasn't used to people standing up to him.

I winked at him and then leapt into the air, turning my body in a complete circle. My heel shot out in a truly inspired spin kick straight to his chest that sent him sprawling onto his back. While he was down, I gave him another ax kick to the stomach.

"Don't tempt me to really hurt you, you twisted, pathetic excuse for a man. Stay down there before I am forced to beat you a second time."

He was breathing heavily and moaning slightly. I grabbed his keys and took Jimmy by the arm. "Don't argue. You're coming with me."

I led him out into the hallway and then locked the door to the room Troy was in. For good measure, I broke the key off in the lock and dropped the ring on the floor. Jimmy and I left through the door at the end of the hall and made our way quickly to my car.

"Oh my God! They're going to tell my dad about me. My life is ruined," Jimmy cried as I peeled out of the parking lot.

"It's okay, Jimmy. Did I get there in time or did those guys make you trade blowjobs for money?"

He was sobbing so I drove to a small city park I knew of. I stopped the car and said, "Calm down, sweet thing. I know everything looks bad right now, but it's going to be okay. Do you want me to call Matty?"

I didn't want to do it because Matty was with Tio Nando and I did not want to get him involved just yet. I wanted to be able to talk to Nando quietly so I could make sure he wouldn't do anything to Josh and Troy that would harm his career.

"NO! PLEASE DON'T CALL MATTY! He can't know. He can't."

I put an arm around his shoulder and said, "I won't call him now, but you are going to have to talk to him sometime. Meanwhile, I'm going to take you home to grab some clothes. And then you're coming back to my place. Matty told me that Josh has a key to your apartment so I don't want you to be there alone."

He was so freaked out that it took me a while to get his address out of him. But I did drive him to his apartment and made him pack a bag of clothes for a few days and grab his school books. We were back at my house in plenty of time. We went through a drive through on the way and I picked us up some tacos.

"I know you're upset, Jimmy, but you're going to be alright. I just wish I'd gotten to those guys earlier."

"They didn't make me do anything yet. I mean they have made me do things, but they hadn't made me do anything with other guys yet. I couldn't stop crying, so Troy came in and..."

"...Oh, I can see what Troy did. You have bruises forming on your arms and on your throat. And your lip is split. If he comes near you again, I'll make him wish he hadn't."

Jimmy rested his hands on his head and said, "Thank you. I know I sound ungrateful, but when you came in there and started beating on Troy, it was the first time I've felt hope in the last week. I'll never be able to repay you, and I don't even really know who you are."

I put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. "I am Ernesto Marquez, although my friends all call me Neto. And your cousin Matty is dating my uncle Nando. Well... he's not really my uncle, but I grew up calling him that because he's my best friend's father."

Jimmy looked up at me and asked, "Is that why you came to my rescue? Because you're friends with Matty?"

"That's part of it," I said. "Matty told me all about his cousin James Robert Koenig. He seems to be mistaken that you're straight, but I knew you were gay when I first saw you. Damn boy, you do look a lot like your cousin; only you have a little more meat on your bones. If I decide to keep you, I'll have to make sure that Nando and I don't get you two confused."

"Is that why you rescued me? Because you wanted to keep me?" he asked with a tremble in his lip.

"Oh sweetie, don't listen to me wax lyrical. I rescued you because you were in trouble. Think of me as your fairy godmotherfuckerupper. Honestly, I don't want you to think you owe me anything. I don't need any kind of repayment. But I do need you to know that not all gay guys are like those two, some of us are good. Well, at least better. But, don't worry, she has a plan. I'm going to have you take a shower and then I'll make a bed up for you in the Arizona room out back. You can stay here as long as you need to."

I hadn't asked Alex and Johnny, but ultimately it didn't matter. They knew that I was looking for a fourth roommate. My dad was going to be annoyed if I gave the place to Jimmy and he couldn't pay, but we owned the house. It wasn't really going to cost him anything.

While Jimmy showered, I made up the futon in the Arizona room for him. But when he came out, he came up to me and said, "I'm happy to sleep with you to pay you back. You can do anything you want with me."

His eyes were wet with tears. I thought it was because I'd scared him earlier. "Honey, I told you that you didn't owe me a thing. I've made you a bed where you can sleep alone. No one is going to pressure you for sex here."

"But I don't want to sleep alone," Jimmy said. "I don't know if I'd be able to sleep by myself. Josh and Troy have me feeling really scared right now. The hardest thing about Matty sleeping at Officer Castillo's place all the time has been sleeping in a room without him. And then being forced to share with one or both of those assholes. Matty and I shared a room for a long time, and I... I don't want to be alone."

I put an arm around him and asked, "Do you really want to have sex with me tonight, after all that's happened to you?"

He started crying. "I just don't want to be alone and Matty's not here..."

I hugged him tight to my chest. "I don't want to have sex with you when you're so confused and vulnerable, and we need to think about where your need to serve men comes from. But, for tonight, because I really want you to understand that men can be kind and not just fleshbags with hardons, I can let you sleep with me. But just that, sleep."

"Thank you, Neto," he said. "I think I'd prefer that. I just didn't think you'd want to unless I let you fuck me."

I shook my head. This boy was cute. He wasn't as pretty as his cousin, but he was handsome in a way that made me SOMETHING. He wasn't really androgynous like Matty. He was more like a lost boy who promised to mature into an attractive man.

I led him into the bedroom and made him put on a tee-shirt and pair of shorts. And for the first time since I was thirteen years old, I wore clothes to bed as well. Jimmy lay down next to me, so I put an arm around his shoulders which made him scoot back to spoon against me. He was just the right height to make me feel like a proper big spoon. I heard Alex and Johnny come in and I turned my iPod on low so we wouldn't hear them having sex next door. I stayed awake until after Jimmy fell asleep.