Sunday morning, the Keenans went to church. All of the family, including the still half- asleep Robbie, were scrubbed up and dressed up and they went to the First Baptist church. It was their first time there and, frankly, they found it quite boring It was all very staid and conventional, conservative and quiet. But then, after the service was over, the people made them very welcome.
They were friendly and chatty and the Keenans all stayed for the cuppa in the adjacent church hall. Mr. Read was there with his daughter and her family and both Granny and Robert felt that they had, at last, found a church family to make their home with.
Bryce and Robbie brought the Hartigans over to meet the Keenans. They seemed to hit it off immediately. Robert and Mr.Hartigan, ("Call me John"), especially just clicked and were soon chatting away like old friends, and they were making arrangements to go trout fishing the following morning. Robbie and Bryce were delighted at how well everyone was getting on together.
It was no trouble at all getting permission for Robbie to go and spend the night with Bryce, as long as they weren't late for school the next day. He was busy on Friday and Saturday nights, they'd rather not say why. They left their families to go back to the bank for Robbie to change his clothes.
As they walked away, Mr.Hartigan smiled at them and said, "Robbie seems like a fine young man, you must be very proud of him."
"Yes", Granny replied. "We are actually, he's a great kid. Your Bryce seems like a nice boy too."
"He's okay. Well, okay, yes he's great too. We love our boy."
('I think our boy does too. I hope you're going to be okay with that.')
"Bring your swimming togs, Little Boy. We'll go over to the beach for a swim."
They walked into Robbie's empty-for-once bedroom. The rest of his family was still back at the church.
"Swimming? It'll be a bit cold won't it?" Robbie pulled off the tie and started undoing buttons.
"Probably, it's always cold on the North Beach, but you'll soon get used to it. Toughen up, Little Boy."
"Toughen up? I can handle it if you can, Blondie."
"Blondie? Right, it's settled then, we'll go swimming. Robbie, can you leave the suit on?"
"What? No way. I'm not getting around all day in my Sunday suit. You afraid of seeing my bare butt?"
"Not at all. Looking forward to that, actually. But you just look so cute - cute in a suit."
"Phaw! Rubbish. If you want to see cute in a suit, look in the mirror there. I'm getting changed anyway. Are you ready for this?"
"I am SO ready for this. Get them off, Cutie. Have you got any music for stripping by?"
"Be quiet, Blondie," Robbie blushed. "One more word out of you and I'm getting changed in the bathroom."
"No!" he wailed. "Don't do that to me. I'll be quiet, very quiet." Bryce sat on the bed to watch and enjoy.
"Well - okay then, behave yourself."
He slipped his shoes, jacket and shirt off. Bryce sat quietly staring. He smiled a lot, though. When the trousers came off, he couldn't resist it any longer and he stood up.
"Damn, Robbie, you're so cute. You're beautiful, Little Boy. Are you going to take your boxers off?"
"No way," Robbie laughed. "Not until you do anyway."
"Umm - later then. Do I get a kiss?" He put his hands on his shoulders and drew him close.
"Oh yes," Robbie sighed. "Anytime, Gorgeous."
"Now is good." They kissed, but when Bryce's fingers slid down the back of his boxers, Robbie spun away from him.
"No way, Kiddo. We're not doing that now. The boys could walk in here any minute now. Later, Lover."
"Okay," Bryce grinned. "I'll love you later."
"You will, we've got all night."
Robbie put his teenage uniform on - blue jeans, T-shirt, hooded top and sneakers on his feet. He quickly stowed some gear in his back-pack, and they were ready to go. It was quite a long walk across the town to Bryce's house, but they didn't notice. They were enjoying each other's company and the time went fast. At the end of the main street, they took the short-cut along the old railway embankment, around the edge of the town and across to Derby Street.
At Bryce's home, the parents were still not back. They quickly changed into their swimming shorts, (in separate rooms), and wrapped towels around their bare necks. They made themselves a sandwich each, then headed out, across the road to the beach.
There was hardly anyone around there, just a couple of people away off in the distance, which was good. The water was cold and the waves too strong to do much more than struggle to stay upright in them. They splashed and played around there until the sun disappeared behind a big, black, bank of clouds. The temperature dropped rapidly, so when Bryce suggested going home, Robbie readily agreed.
On the way back they met a couple of girls who were cycling out to the beach, and stopped to talk. Bryce introduced Robbie to them. Yeah, they'd seen him around. It was all too obvious that they were only interested in ogling Bryce's semi-nude body. Robbie just wanted to go.
('Get your eyes off him, Bitches, That's MY boy.')
At that moment Robbie couldn't have cared less who was and who wasn't a virgin. Tonight he was going to make this boy his and his alone.
It started to rain, which was good as it cut the conversations short. It was also bad as it was bloody cold.
"Come on Robbie. We're outta here. See you later Girls."
"Bye Bryce. See you at school tomorrow. Bye, umm, oh - whatever."
"Cows!" Robbie snorted as they ran. "They couldn't even remember my name for five minutes. Not that I blame them really, not when you are showing all that skin. Who'd want to look at me?"
"Shut up, Little Boy. I'd want to look at you. I only want to look at you. Anyway, if they knew who you really were, they wouldn't want to know me."
"Who I really am is Robbie Keenan. Toucan is just a game."
"Maybe, but he's the most popular game in town. Robbie Keenan is really great and if they can't see that, that's their hard luck."
"Shut up, Blondie."
"Yeah, I love you too."
"Toughen up you pair of wusses," Mr. Hartigan laughed as they ran in through the backdoor, it was really raining by then. "You've got your swimming shorts on. A bit of water's not going to kill you."
"Tell that to the Titanic, Dad. Anyway, it's really cold. Come upstairs, Robbie. A hot shower will warm us up and wash the salt off."
They bounded up the stairs. Robbie was looking forward to this - finally he'd get to see Bryce naked. He looked good in the swimming shorts. He looked great actually, all smooth, flawless, golden skin, well defined pecs and a six-pack abdomen. Everything about this boy was perfect and he wanted to see the rest. The few inches hidden under the baggy shorts were the most interesting of all. The cute bubble-butt looked great, perfect of course. However, he was disappointed. Bryce showed him where the shower was, then went to his room to wait his turn. He had no intentions of showering together.
Robbie stripped his wet and sandy shorts off, wrapped a towel around his skinny waist, and he went to Bryce's room. "Bryce? Aren't we going to shower together?"
"No, I'll just wait until you're done."
"Why don't you come in with me? You know, save water, shower with a friend."
"No, we can't do that, not today. My parents are here."
"Oh. All right then. I won't be long. Are you sure you won't come with me? We can shut the door."
"No, Robbie. Go shower."
The rest of the day was enjoyable. Bryce normally did yard-work on Sunday afternoons, but not today, it was too wet. They just hung around inside the warm house, listened to some music and watched some TV. They helped Mrs. Hartigan prepare the evening meal, ate with the parents, then went back to the TV in the lounge.
Robbie suggested several times that they should go up to Bryce's room, but he wouldn't. He was starting to think that something was wrong. He was keen to get alone with Bryce, but for some reason, he didn't seem to want to. The final straw came when Mr. Hartigan announced that it was bedtime. "School and work tomorrow."
'At last', Robbie thought. But Mrs. Hartigan chipped in. "Bryce you can show Robbie where he's going to sleep. I've made up the bed in the spare room for him."
Upstairs, Bryce picked up Robbie's backpack and carried it to the other room. "Just in here, Robbie."
He stood in the doorway looking into the spare room. "I'm not sleeping in there, Blondie."
"Why not? It's a perfectly good room. Comfortable bed."
"Maybe it is, but I'm not sleeping in it. I came here to sleep with you. I want to sleep in your bed with you."
"You can't do that. What would the parents think? You'll be fine in here, Little Boy."
"No I won't. I want to sleep with you Bryce. I want to make love to you. We can shut the door, it's got a lock."
"Robbie, no. I'm sorry but we can't do that."
('I knew it. I knew that something was not right.') "Fine then." He walked in and picked up his bag. "I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow. Good night Bryce. Sleep well."
"Robbie, stop. What are you doing?"
"I'm going home."
"Home? But you were going to stay here. It's raining out there."
"I'll get wet then. I came here to sleep with you, if I can't do that, I'm going home."
"Is that all you want from me? Sex? Robbie, we can't. We just can't."
"No, it's not sex, Blondie. Well, I want that too, of course I do, but I want to hold you and love you. I want you to hold me all night long. If I can't have that, if I have to sleep alone, then I'm going to go and sleep in my own bed. See you tomorrow, Bryce. You will speak to me at school won't you?"
"Maybe I won't if you won't stay here with me."
"I'll stay here if I'm with you. Otherwise, no. Nice knowing you, Blondie."
"Robbie don't. Please. All right then. Come and sleep with me."
"I don't want to now. I don't push in where I'm not welcome."
"You're welcome, really you are. Please don't leave me. I love you, Little Boy."
"Well all right then! Now we're talking. I love you too, Blondie. I love you very much."
He kissed him, and then marched back into Bryce's room.