The following is a pure work of fiction and is the property of the author.
If you are looking to get off quick, read something else. This story is presented in serial form and you'll read a lot of background, before you get any mind-blowing sex scenes and then not as many as in the past.
If you are bothered by same sex relationships, read no farther. It's a story with some sex, not sex with some story.
I do not usually acknowledge e-mails, instead using my time to write. I do appreciate hearing from you to let me know if this story should continue. Hope that you continue enjoying the story. LJB
Joseph Andrew Collins Chapter 1
'Joseph Andrew Collins'. That's me. Most everyone know me as 'Joe'. A very select few, like my Mom, Dad and brother, Brad call me 'Tick'. No, not the bug. 'Tick', as in a clock going tick-tock.
The story goes that when I was really young, there was this big, old alarm clock I use to drag around everywhere with me. Mom says, it was over two years that everywhere I went, there went the alarm clock. I would bug everyone to wind it up for me, as I was not strong enough yet to turn the winding key. It seems I even slept with my clock.
Supposedly, Brad who is two years older than me, started calling me Tick-Tock', but after a while everyone who picked up the nickname, just called me 'Tick'. Now I'm 18 years old and as I said, the name has stuck with certain individuals.
Anyway, that's really not an important part of this story, just a point of trivia. Right now, it is Saturday mid-morning and I'm standing in front of Roberts Hall, which is suppose to be my temporary home as I begin my college education. I'm not pleased. It's suppose to be a temporary residence, because my Dad and Brad have decided I am going to pledge to Delta Phi Delta and once I become a member, move into the Fraternity House. It's a tradition. Dad has been a DPD since he attended this college and Brad is currently a Brother, starting his third year of studies.
I'm not pleased, because I have no intention of pledging DPD as is expected and I had anticipated Roberts Hall would become my permanent 'home away from home'. The problem is simple. It turns out this is a jock hotel and I don't want to live in a jock hotel, which is also one of the reasons I don't want to pledge DPD, the best known and most esteemed Frat for athletes on the east coast.
I guess to understand, you need to know a bit about me and my family. As I already noted, I'm 18 years old. I'm 5'4" and 115 pounds. Yes, I'm short, but that's not really an issue for me. With a Dad who's 6'2", Mom measuring 5'11" and a brother who's spent his life thus far on all the basketball teams, now at 6'3", I dealt with the fact that I'm short a long time ago. I'm also muscular, good looking and well hung for a guy of any height.
Self-confidence is not an issue for me either. That is largely because I am already an international champion in martial arts for my weight class. I will be going to the next Olympics. It will be my second time, having previously earned a bronze medal for this country. One of the best things about my sport, as far as I'm concerned, is that we participants are not well known by the public in general. I don't like notoriety.
My family may be different from a lot you know. We actually get along and love each other. My Dad is a Corporate Lawyer and at 44 years of age is highly respected and a partner in his firm. Mom was at home while we were in grade school, but decided to return to work when I began high school. Very 'Beaver Cleaverish'. She is a CPA and in these past four years has become Controller of the medium sized manufacturing company she returned to.
My brother, Brad is the nicest person I know. He and I have always been close and the first year he was here and I was still home just about killed me. I missed him so much. He started coming home every weekend for a while, until I realized my parents had told him what a hard time I was having without him. I straightened up and made it clear I wanted him to be at school enjoying college life and his new friends and Frat Brothers. He had me come and stay two weekends with him at the Frat House during the last half of the school year. All his Brothers were great to me and treated me like they were all my big brothers. They asked me back several times last year as well.
Last October I went into my Dad's study one evening while he was doing some work at his desk. Dad has always been available to talk with Brad or me, no matter how busy he was. Both of us have always known, we are the most important people in Mom and Dad's lives.
"Hey, Tick." he greeted me. "What's up ?" He set down his pen and leaned back in his chair, giving me his total attention.
"Dad, I'm gay." I told him looking straight into his eyes. I waited and saw thoughts pass through his mind, but he never broke our eye contact.
"Are you at peace with being gay ?" he asked in a tone which told me his only concern was about how I might be feeling.
"I think so." I answered. "I've done a lot of reading. I think I understand myself better now that I've accepted it. I was concerned about telling those I love, you, Mom and Brad. What anyone other than you three think, doesn't matter to me."
"I'll give you whatever support you need, Son." he told me. "I have business contacts which include several gay men. If you want to talk to someone who might share some information, I could arrange it. I know I'm going to talk to some of them. Do you want me to speak with your Mom ?"
"Maybe we could talk to her together." I suggested. "I told Brad before he returned to school this session and he handled it really well."
"I imagine he would. He too loves you very much." Dad said. "Let's go talk to your Mom."
Mom took the news very much the same as Dad had. She was concerned about my safety and health. I knew from her approach, she would be spending time on the Internet for the next few days, learning everything she could. Dad mentioned his acquaintances and she realized she also had some direct information sources.
So now you know. I'm a gay guy who doesn't want to reside for the whole school year where I'm constantly stimulated by semi to totally naked jocks roaming around at all hours of the day and night. I don't believe man is a prisoner to his hormones, but I also don't think constant temptation is the way to live my life. A straight guy living in the women's dorm would not be able to focus on school and his sport, why should a gay guy expect he can do any better in a parallel situation.
It may sound like I'm being foolish and rejecting a gay jock's paradise, but think seriously about it. I could also make a case regarding my feelings against casual sex, but seeing as I don't have any practical experience and I'm not really opposed to getting some, it makes the argument moot. That's right, I'm a virgin.
So here we are, Mom, Dad, Brad and me, unloading my things from Dad's car and moving them into Roberts Hall, second floor, room 202. The room itself isn't bad. It's fairly large and has a bathroom with tub and shower, shared with the room next door. There are two 3/4 beds, two dressers, two desks, two wardrobes, two bookshelves, two sets of wall shelves and two wastebaskets. Looking around, I jokingly comment that I guess I should be expecting a roommate.
"Where are you going to be training, Joe ?" Mom asked.
"Don't worry, Mom." Brad interjected. "I've made arrangements with the gymnastics coach. We might not have a competition level martial arts program here, but the prestige of having an Olympian medal winner based on campus carries a lot of weight. We also have a couple rooms at the Frat House he can use when it suits him." I felt a tinge of guilt about Brad making special arrangements with the Brothers, when I was resistant to entering their group.
Brad had driven his own car to the school, so Mom and Dad went over to the Frat House with him to unload a few things and to renew acquaintances with a few of Brad's classmates, who had visited us at home on occasion. While they were gone I straightened up my things and hooked up my computer. Leaving my room briefly, I strolled down the hall to find a pop machine.
"Hey, kid!" someone yelled. "Hey, you, kid! You want to earn a couple bucks ?" I looked around to see what was going on and realized the guy was yelling at me. He was a big bruiser, obviously a footballer. About 5'11" with broad shoulders and a thick chest, it was easy to see he was solid. He wasn't the most handsome man I'd ever looked at, but he wasn't ugly either. I guess the sandy blond hair, deep blue eyes and two-day growth of beard made him look rugged.
"You calling me ?" I called down the hall to him.
"Yeah. I thought you were someone's kid brother and I'd get you to help me with my things." he responded. "I didn't realize you just weren't full grown yet." He chuckled to himself at what he no doubt saw as wit. I looked back at him plainly displaying my disgust.
"Surprises come in small packages." I retorted.
"Not where it counts." he replied cupping his crotch. "Tell me Sonny, you got any idea where room 202 is hiding."
"Oh no." I moaned shaking my head slowly and bowing it until I was looking at the floor. Surely this couldn't be my roommate. Fate would not serve me a blow like this so early in the school year. Suddenly the DPD Frat House had gained a great deal of appeal. "It's against my better judgement, but I'll show you where 202 is and then help you with your stuff." What the hell, I didn't want to hate him right away. That could wait until tomorrow.
I took him to our room and then made a trip downstairs with him to bring up the rest of his stuff. Most of it appeared to be exercise equipment. When we dropped it in the room, he thanked me in a dismissive way and started to pull his bags and boxes here and there. I went over and sprawled on my bed.
"What's your name ? I asked. He stopped what he was doing, turned and stared at me.
"Kirk." he finally replied. "Listen, thanks again for helping me, but I'm not available for babysitting. You better go before my roommate comes back and catches you on his bed. In fact, I need you off that bed so I can switch them before he comes back. I think I prefer that side of the room." This guy was beyond belief.
"Well, I guess you should have gotten here earlier then." I told him. "I always figure, first come is first served."
"Come on," he growled, "you're on my bed."
"Actually, I'm on my bed," I said, "and seeing as I like this side of the room too, I guess getting here first was a good thing. For me anyway." Kirk turned a few shades of red. He extended his arm and started shaking his finger at me. Just as he was about to speak, Brad walked into the room. Kirk turned and looked at him, taking special note of his Fraternity jacket.
"You're a Brother in Delta Phi Delta." he said to Brad. "I'm hoping to be invited to Pledge this term. I really want to join your Fraternity."
"Well, good luck." Brad responded. "We're only taking 20 Pledges this year and only 10 will be accepted. I guess having my brother, as a roommate won't hurt your chances. He's going to be joining us this year." Kirk looked over at me and I could read in his eyes his intention to use me as a means of making the Frat.
"I'm Kirk Dillon." he said, shoving his hand into Brad's. Brad shook it and told him his name. "Maybe you could get a chance to show us around the Frat House, before Pledge Week. I'd really like to see it."
"No problem." Brad responded. "Come over with Joe sometime. He's well known by the Brothers." Again he glanced at me with that look in his eyes. Mom and Dad came to the door at that point and suggested we go out for lunch before they started back home. Brad introduced Kirk to them and they ended up inviting him to come out with us. After an obvious insincere hesitation to show politeness, he accepted.
The rest of the day, it was me who couldn't get away from babysitting Kirk. I had become his instant 'little buddy'. The only time I did get out of his sight was when I went to the cafeteria for dinner. He made some excuse about dieting and having eaten his quota already today. I met Brad and some of the Frat Brothers at the cafeteria and had dinner with them. They wanted me to come back with them to the Frat House, so I did. There was a party going on in the first floor living area when we arrived and Brad steered me to his room on the second floor of the wing used by third year students.
He tossed me a jock strap and a pair of gym shorts.
"Come on. Let's go down to the weight room and run through your training routine." he suggested. We both got changed and went down the backstairs to the basement. When we entered the weight room, I was surprised to see a new exercise machine had been installed since the last time I was there. "You like it ? The Brothers put it in for you."
"Oh, no." I moaned. "I wish they hadn't done that. Surely with all the jocks here, it will get a lot of use. They're putting an awful lot of expectation on me. What if I'm not even in the Pledge class, or don't make the cut. I might not be anywhere as important to DPD as a lot of the new people on campus. Look at Kirk." Brad stopped and caught my arm, swinging me around.
"What's going on Tick ?" he asked me in his serious voice. "Talk to me brother." He pulled me over to one of the benches against a wall and sat down. The trouble is he knows me too well. "I think you already realize Kirk won't make the cut, even if he is invited as one of the twenty. You on the other hand are already in. The DPD has never had an Olympian medal winner as a Brother and that alone would have you at the head of the line. Ignoring that, you're a legacy applicant, with Dad and me both being Brothers. Family comes first. Beyond that, you're known and liked by the Brothers." I knew I should have had this talk with Brad while we were still at home. I searched his eyes. "It's me Tick. Tell me what's going on."
"I've decided not to join DPD." I told him. He looked like I had just hit him and it was breaking my heart. "This is about me, Brad. It's not about you, or Dad, or the Brothers."
"Tell me what it's about then." he asked. "You know I love you and there's nothing you can't talk about with me." I explained to him about being a virgin and about the sexual tension of living with thirty or forty athletic studs. I said, I didn't want to embarrass him or the Brothers and that until I had seen Roberts Hall; I had believed I could live there without the same problems. Now I really didn't know what I could do. When I had finished, he told me to stay where I was and he would return in a few minutes.
While I was waiting, I began my warm-up stretches. Brad was back in about 10 minutes and I was surprised when three of the Brothers followed him into the room. The door shut behind them, so the five of us would be left alone. The three men greeted me.
Chris Service was the Chapter President, newly elected and beginning his term in office. He was one of Brad's friends and I had met him several times. Steve Ruston was the Vice-President. He had been Brad's roommate last year and I had spent quite a bit of time with him during my visits. He had been home with Brad a couple times as well. I didn't recognize the third man. Each came over to me and shook hands.
"Joe, this is Vince Willows." Chris introduced us. The new man was obviously older than me, likely 21 or 22. He was short, about 2" taller than myself, which would have put him at 5'6". He had a gymnast's body with enlarged biceps, triceps and deltoids. I would judge him to be a 'rings' man. "Vince has just transferred in this term from out of state. He's our Pledge Master this year."
"Glad to meet you Joe." Vince said. "I've heard a great deal about you and look forward to getting to know you much better."
"Would you tell these Brothers what we just talked about, Joe ?" Brad asked me. I must have given him a look of shock and maybe betrayal as well. He was asking me to 'out' myself to these men. "Tick, these are my Brothers, too. I trust them, just the same as you and I trust each other. Go ahead and tell them." I gathered all me courage and resolve together.
"I'm gay." I stated, looking back and forth among them to catch their reactions. I couldn't tell. Then I related to them my decision not to pledge and the reasons I saw difficulty. I also told them about my uncertainty now of how I was going to manage at Roberts Hall. They each listened politely without interrupting me until I was done.
"I assume you're going to be surprised when I tell you there are several gay Brothers living in this House." Chris told me. He was right; I was very surprised. "Don't tell me you're hung up on gay stereotyping, Joe. Just because you've never spotted them, doesn't mean they aren't here. No one's spotted you either."
"Joe, you're not a Brother yet," Vince said, "but I'll tell you straight out, I'm gay. I've been a member of DPD since my Freshman year and I've never encountered a problem having my Brothers know. You've got balls, man. Any man, whose conscience won't let him join our House, because he doesn't want to embarrass us, has got balls. I, for one, will be proud to see you as a Pledge to this Fraternity."
"Me too." both Chris and Steve echoed.
"Is this settled ?" Brad asked me. I took another look at the other three guys.
"Yes and thank you." I stated. All of them had big smiles. Chris and Steve opened the door and left the room. Vince held back.
"I wanted to speak to both of you before Pledge Week started." he told Brad and me. "I'm new here, which I realize isn't news to either of you, but already I have gotten a lot of information about you, Joe. The Brothers here really like you and admire you and I can honestly say having now met you, I can understand it. It is a given that you will be invited to pledge, but I want to be clear as the Pledge Master that you are not guaranteed admission. I realize you are an athletic champion, but many of our members are champions. What I will look for during the trials is that you are the kind of person who is a Brother. My indications so far certainly point in that direction, but don't sit back and wait for membership. If you don't work for it and learn the lessons of the trials, I will cut you out just as quickly as anyone else. Are we clear ?"
"Yes, Sir." I replied, knowing a Pledge needed to address a Brother properly.
"Good man." he responded. "When you make it through and we are going to be very good friends." When I thought about it, I realized I would really like that.
Brad and I did my exercise routine, had a shower and went back to his room. It had been a long and active day and I was getting tired. When I mentioned to Brad I was going to go back to the dorm, he suggested I stay there with him tonight. I was pleased. As we each lay in one of the twin beds in his room he commented.
"You noticed I hope that I don't have a roommate yet this year. I'm kind of hoping one of the new Brothers from this Pledge Class will want the bed you're in. What do you think ?"
"I think you'll have no problem at all finding a roommate." I answered, feeling that life had tapped me on the shoulder today and pointed me in the right direction.
Kirk was in a bit of a snit when I returned to our room Sunday around noon, after having brunch with my brother and some of his friends. His mood declined to surly after he confirmed I had spent last night at the Frat House, without having invited him to come with us to see the place. He sulked on his bed a good part of the afternoon. I used the time to meet some of the other Freshmen on the floor, eventually dropping by the room next door which shared the bathroom with us.
"Hi." I said as I knocked on the frame of their open door. The two guys inside both stood up and moved toward the doorway. "I'm......"
"You're Joe Collins." one of them said, cutting off my introduction. "I was there, at the Olympics, when you won the Bronze. It was awesome." As he spoke he came over to the door and pumped my hand and arm. "I heard you were going to be here this year, but only hoped I'd get a chance to meet you. I'm Pete Greege and my partner here is Chuck Russell." Chuck took over shaking my hand as he was introduced.
"I'm glad to meet both of you." I responded. "Seeing as we share the bathroom, I thought I should introduce myself."
"You're the other body in 202 ?" he asked with a bit of surprise. "Have you met your roommate ? We had the questionable pleasure last night."
"You'll have to excuse Kirk." I suggested. "He's a paranoid anti-social with delusions of grandeur." They looked at me with stunned expressions and suddenly we all started to laugh.
"Yes, I guess you have met him." Chuck added. "C'mon in and have a cold one. Cola or root beer ?" I decided right then that Roberts Hall did have some redeeming features.
Pete Greege was18 years old and what would usually be termed, 'a babe magnet'. He was about 5'10", light brown hair and a swimmer's body shape. His smile was infectious and his deep brown eyes were the type someone could easily become lost in.
Chuck Russell was obviously a wrestler. The same height as Pete, his body was thick and solid. His dark hair and features were highlighted by flashing green eyes. The unbuttoned shirt he wore revealed a tuft of black hair in the center of his chest and a black line running down and over his navel into his pants. He too had a warm and friendly smile, which was reflective of his personality.
I sat and talked with my new friends for an hour or so, learning about their backgrounds and families. They both expressed a hope of being rushed by DPD, but then I had come to realize almost all the jocks here wanted to join the prestigious Fraternity. It was starting to sink into me how special it was to be one of the 20 who would be recruited and that much more of an honour to be inducted as one of the 10 new Brothers. When they asked about my interest in joining DPD, I indicated I would be invited to Pledge because of my 'legacy' status. They were both envious.
I learned these guys had encountered Kirk last night as they prepared for bed. It was not a friendly meeting, as Kirk had attempted to lay down his rules as to their allowed use of HIS bathroom. They had taken him with a grain of salt and gone about doing their own thing, virtually ignoring him. It was pretty certain that had not improved his mood in any way. We agreed to go to dinner at the cafeteria together, so I went back to my own room to change my shirt, using the bathroom as a pathway.
When I opened the bathroom door and entered my room, there was a flurry of activity on Kirk's bed, which drew my eye. Kirk jumped up off his bed, naked, holding his dick in his hand. It was pretty obvious what he had been doing.
"What the fuck!" he roared, looking over to where I stood at the bathroom door. "What the hell's wrong with you ? Don't you know enough to knock before coming into a room ?
"Don't you know enough to lock the doors before you start playing with yourself in the middle of the day ?" I roared back. "The last thing in the world I want to see is that," I pointed to him, "especially before I go to dinner." I was smiling inwardly. Kirk stood there holding about 6" of stiff dick in his hand. I knew I could produce 7 1/2" when pleasuring myself and that made me feel just fine.
"You know, I've had about enough of you." Kirk growled as he swung his ass onto his bed and sat hunched over, hiding his equipment, as he busily searched for and found his pants to pull on. I walked over to my dresser and took out a fresh shirt, then stripped off the one I was wearing. I heard Kirk stand up and walk over toward me.
"It's time you understood whose the boss here." he ranted coming up behind me. Suddenly, my body was bounced against the dresser and as I stepped back, Kirk's hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him. My reaction was automatic. I grabbed his hand, applying enough pressure to make him let go of his grasp on me. Twisting his hand and therefore his arm, I spun him around and brought his arm up behind his back. At the same time, I stepped forward to the side and swept his legs out from the front. He went straight down onto his knees and then forward, landing flat and hitting the floor with his stomach and face. Still grasping his wrist, I levered his arm high behind him and placed one knee in the small of his back and my free hand on his neck.
I heard some noise behind me from the bathroom and knew Pete and Chuck had heard the noise and were standing in the doorway. Kirk had not moved since I dropped him, but I could hear him breathing heavily.
"Are you going to stop, or am I going to have to really hurt you ?" I questioned. There was no response, but I could feel his body shaking and I could hear him sob as he cried quietly.
"Is it okay, Joe ?" Chuck asked after a minute or so. I nodded. "Did he actually try to get physical with you ?" I nodded again. "What an asshole! What is he, brain dead ?"
"Thanks, guys." I acknowledged. "We need to talk. Would you mind closing the door on your way back to your room." They did as I requested. "I'm going to let you loose. If you act foolishly, I will put you down again and be certain, next time I will hurt you."
I moved back from him, releasing my control grips. He lay still for a minute before he rolled over, sitting up on the floor as he rubbed his shoulder. He had a small impact gash on his forehead and I handed him some Kleenex and told him where to hold it.
"I am so useless." he moaned.
"Why, because you can't get your own way acting like a school yard bully ?" I asked.
"I can't help it. I've had to fight for everything I've ever gotten." Kirk said. "I'd never have gotten this far if I hadn't pushed and fought everyday of my life. Teachers in high school who didn't care, my deadbeat father who has never succeed at anything, my mother who lived her life out of a sherry bottle, my bosses who would cheat me out of 15 minutes pay if I didn't watch every second. I've had to survive minute to minute and if I can't get on top of a situation right off the bat, I have to fight twice as hard to stay in the game."
"You've had a tough time, Kirk." I commiserated. "But you walked in here yesterday to what could have been a brand new start. Instead, you carried in your baggage from the past and turned this into the same world you've been fighting to get through. You could have had me as a friend, my brother as a mentor and the guys next door as support. Instead, you alienated everyone you came into contact with. You're not going to make it through college alone."
"I know that." he responded. "That's why getting into DPD is so important." He stared at me for a minute. "I'm not going to get into DPD, am I ?" I shook my head slowly.
"Kirk, one of the first things you needed to embrace was to become a Brother, you need to be a brother." I explained. "Your demeanour and attitude just screamed, 'I'm a loner'. Even if your name were submitted, Brad would veto it, just from being with you yesterday. The first two weeks, the Brothers observe the Freshman class, rushing them the second week with gatherings. In a Frat meeting, they each submit names of those they think would make good Brothers. They whittle that list down to 25 and 20 of those are the guys invited to pledge. Then during the trials, they eliminate 10 of those candidates."
"If I can pull it together, do you think Brad would give me another chance ?" he asked.
"My brother is the fairest person I know." I admitted. "Do you actually think you can change your approach to life in only the next two weeks ?"
"If desire to change is any part of it, I can. I would have a fighting chance if you would be willing to help me." he suggested. "Joe, I'm am truly sorry for acting like a shit and I'm not just saying that because you kicked my ass for me." I could tell from his tone and the look in his eyes he was, maybe for the first time, being sincere. "By the way how did you manage to do that ? Look at you. I'm two, nearly three times your size."
"Do you remember what I told you the first time we met ?" I asked. He stared at me questioningly. "I told you, 'surprises come in small packages'. And you told me...?" He thought for a moment.
"I said, 'not where it counts'," he responded, "and grabbed my dick." He blushed and chuckled.
"You were warned." I said, rising to my feet and offering my hands to help him up. He took them and I pulled him to his feet. "Don't make me show you again." I warned him in all sincerity. The scowl on his face told me he understood the message.
"Somehow, I think I will prefer having you as a Brother, rather than an opponent." he stated and surprised me by giving me a firm hug.
A note to my regular readers:
Please do not swamp me with e-mails about "The Guardians - Family Matters", the sequel for "To Fulfill a Prophesy" and the "Diary Notes" series, now that you find I have started to post this piece. I have not abandoned it. After investing over a year in writing it and nothing else, I needed a break to let some new ideas develop. This small series is the result of that break. 29 chapters are complete of likely 40 chapters in total, so it is well in hand. Thank you for your patience and the interest many of you have expressed during the last year. It is coming. LJB