By the time Monday morning had rolled around, and somehow I survived the rest of the weekend, I was fiercely angry. How could he have dropped something like that on me in my most fragile hour? I was still majorly fucked up but I just had to talk to him or I would explode, and more than likely it would be a literal explosion.
I spotted him just as the bell for homeroom rang.
I walked up behind him and pulled him around by the shoulder. "I REALLY need to talk to you right NOW." I stated almost emotionless. Without a pause he instinctively shot back that we would both be late for homeroom. "Fuck homeroom." I stated in the very same tone." He looked at me bewildered and I still think, with a hint of concern. "David..." He sighed. "I'm sorry about the letter, I really am. I am just so confused I don't know what to do."
He looked helpless just then. Like a deer in your headlights while barreling down the highway at sixty-five miles per hour. He fell against the lockers and slid down them like he had no more will to live. I fell apart inside seeing him, my object of strength and perfection crumble so easily like that. All my anger seemed to slide away in a split second and it was replaced with nothing but compassion. This guy was hurting on the inside more than me. Even though that seemed unimaginable to me, he really had a lot of issues all tangled up inside him.
"I'm sorry." I whispered as my voice cracked. "Steve, please... don't block me out. I really think we had something amazing happening that night." I paused in thought and momentary sadness. "Look, I really don't know where you stand but I got to tell you where I stand. Steve, I am a..." I couldn't say it. I was all set to, but before it was allowed to reach my lips my defense mechanism kicked in. Just as my emotions were ready to fight back and the hot salty water would rush my tear ducts, he looked up at me.
"You are a what?" Practically choking on his words. "Nothing!" I shot back in the last attempt at protecting my social status in this school for the next three damn years.
I was about to run off down the empty hall to my homeroom when he grabbed my wrist and flung me around. "Tell me damnit!" His eyes seemed to do the talking for him. They were glazed with tears. A mixture of confusion, anger and hurt beamed out of them for me and only me to see.
What I saw did in a way relax me a little... but it could never be enough for me to actually tell him right out. "Do I really need to tell you?" I stuttered in my words as the dam broke and my eyes flooded. "Wasn't Friday night enough for you to figure it out on your own? What else could you possibly need to hear from my mouth that you don't already know?" I wiped my eyes instinctively, worrying now about what everyone would think if they saw me.
After my minor emotional outburst, Steve's look changed dramatically. I don't know why but he appeared to be totally astonished by what I said. His grip loosened on my wrist as his head tilted forward looking down at his chest. He felt like hell and his thoughts had been consuming him for days, that was easy to see.
Just then the first class bell rang.
"Oh shit!" I proclaimed while attempting to dry my eyes for the last time. The student body began to flood the halls. In mere seconds the noise level jumped dramatically. I slowly began to drift away from Steve and in one quick movement turned my back to proceed to my homeroom to sweet talk Mr. Andrews into forgiving me just this once. "Please call me," I heard from a distance behind me. I turned around too look at him. "I really want you too." Steve called out again, not seeming to care about everyone else around him. After a slight pause I smiled a little and nodded to him. "Ok, how about around eight?" I asked carefully. "Make it eight-thirty." He chuckled briefly and in a nervous fashion. "Got practice tonight and all." I just simply nodded and began to walk away again feeling no more or no less worse than before. It was almost a dazed feeling this time.
Just before I had turned away I noticed Kelly approaching him from behind. Over the crowd I heard her ask, "Who was that?" Even though his choice of words would have to be extremely limited, I still felt saddened when I heard him say that I was just some guy he knew and for her not to worry about it. I didn't like the back seat, even though I had to take it, or suffer the consequences.
"Hey, do you know Steve Thomson?" Jenny asked me innocently enough over lunch. I froze with a bite of pizza still in my mouth. In my moment of silence our entire lunch groupie stopped their respective conversations and looked at me. I was lost for words. "Umm, yeah I do... a little any way." I managed to get out while chewing my food. In my attempt to look 'Au Naturel' I think I over did it because they still kept looking at me. I never was a good liar.
"Well, how do you know him?" Jenny continued with her interrogation. She always was the curious and up front one. "Ahh, we bumped... no ran into each other on the football field." No sense in lying over something as platonic as that. "Oh." She simply stated as the others more or less fell back into whatever it was they were talking about before. "I was just wondering 'cause I saw you talking to him today on my way to first class." "Oh yeah... I ran into him this morning." I replied in my most normal voice. "You looked a little flushed." She eyed me as I brushed it off in a burst of rather pathetic sounding fake laughter.
I'm not sure how I managed to get through that lunch hour alive. Especially when every time I saw Steve in those tedious ninety minutes I could not help but look at him just that one second longer than I should have. I just prayed nobody noticed my weak self-control.
On the way home that night I gave myself a lecture on how to avoid circumstances like that again by playing it much more casually. I was all too new at this to get caught. My life would come to an end. I WOULD go off the deep end if I was outed in such a fashion. I tried not think about it, but I was sure Steve would have ceased to exist as well...
I had a rather small dinner that night. My stomach was churning and my body a little shaky, and that only worsened the more I thought about calling him. Once again I felt like an idiot to let it get to me like that. It was just a phone call right? And it wasn't like he was a total stranger... or was he? I felt like a wreck. In fact, it was such a bad weekend I actually went out and bought stress-tabs Saturday night just to help my body out with the extra vitamins and nutrients it was wasting in my useless worrying and in pondering the current situation. I can't believe I actually thought that meeting someone who felt similar to me would be a cure-all. Where actually it just added to my pain. This was a different pain though, it was very bitter-sweet... a pain that I desired in ways that my mind or heart could not even comprehend. They just WERE.
It was around 8:45pm when I finally worked up the nerve to call him. My fingers shaking, I pushed the seven digits and the line rang in.
"Hello." The voiced answered abruptly. "Hi, is Steve there please?" I felt like I was speaking ninety miles an hour. "Oh sure Dave, you don't even recognize my voice... I'm disappointed." Steve said with a hint of teasing in his speech. I was immediately relieved. "Ohhh, thank god it's you... I really didn't want to get one of your parents or something." "Aweee..." He spoke in a sympathetic manner. "Dad's still at work and Mom went to pick up Jessie from V-ball practice." "I see." I stated followed by an awkward pause. "So, you wanted me to call..." I chuckled with a hint of apprehension. He paused in what I believe to be a few seconds of thought. "Yeah... well, I just wanted to say that I am sorry again for the letter, this morning and... well just everything." His voice lowered and he ended his sentence with a huge sigh. "Steve, please don't apologize for everything. I mean, the letter maybe... but as far as everything else, I have no regrets. D-do you regret what happened Friday night?" I asked him against my own wishes. There was a long thoughtful pause which I was sure would only bring heart breaking news. "No... I don't Dave. I just don't know how I will be able to live a double life." He sniffled a little. "I mean... what I want to say is... oh hell, I am just SO confused. I couldn't even go back to the way it was before now because I know how right it feels when I am with you. Touching you, feeling your breath on me... the way you make me feel like a human for once." His voice grew hoarse.
I was relieved to finally know I wasn't alone. No matter how much your told you are not alone in your feelings it is ALWAYS hard to believe until you actually have the proof in your hands. In the same time I was relieved I also felt like hell because I knew how bad it felt to surrender yourself to another person. And that is just what he was doing with me... coming out.
"It's o.k. Steve... just let it flow." I managed. "Life will work itself out, just be you when your with me. Hell, I don't plan on telling the whole world who I am so why should you feel like you have to? Be yourself... move at your own speed. But for god's sake please don't deny what we got." I chuckled softly to lighten the mood. It worked. The more we talked the more evident contentness was in his voice. We abruptly said our good-byes when his brother walked into the room, but not before we had planned on another Friday night together after his hockey game. He said he would somehow get out of spending it with Kelly... somehow was the key word.
I thought about just that after we ended our long and meaningful conversation. Kelly... I suddenly realized that he had much more baggage to balance than I had. This was going to be a lot harder for him than me. I ignorantly forgot about his girlfriend, his social status and everything else that made him who he was. He had buried his emotions so deeply and for so long that he carried a somewhat productive life. Even though he always had that emptiness deep down, he tarried on and became the person he wanted to be. Popular, athletic, and well adjusted. I soon realized that he had built all that on artificial terrain. Now that it had given away to what was beneath it's surface I was afraid that his performance in school and on the ice might be affected. The last thing I wanted to see him do was lose his grip on reality this close to university and starting his own life.
I made it my goal that night to keep an eye on things. If Steve were to slip at all I would be there to encourage him and demand him even to get back on his feet and carry on.
After about twenty minutes of constant thinking and the light had given way to darkness in my room, out of nowhere came a rather chilling thought. Steve was exactly who I wanted to be. I whinced slightly at my revelation and pulled the sheet over my body and hugged it into my chest. Indeed, Steve was the highest expectations of myself... but that wasn't affecting my relationship with him was it? I sighed heavily as I knew this would be just one more thing added to my already heavy burden of thoughts that plagued my conscious mind.
I really did expect the rest of the week to go by horribly slow, and for every second I breathed would be one minute of longing. By nothing short of a miracle, it was a pleasant breeze -- for the most part. I'm not sure if circumstance decided to let up on me for awhile or if it were just those wonderful moments when Steve would wink at me in the halls when we thought nobody was looking. He really made me feel good when he did that. It was our way of showing public affection. Something everyone who is in love needs to do now and then. No matter how small or great those tributes to our affection were. Ours where obviously very small, but affective nonetheless.
It wasn't until Friday itself did I acquire a little shaking up. I was on my way to last class when Kelly decided to have a little chat with me.
"David!" She called out and ran to catch up with me. 'Oh shit... what the hell does she want?' was the first thing that entered my mind. I slowed down so she could catch up. "Heya!" She said while smiling brightly. Something that scared the hell out of me just that much more. "Hi." I responded while continuing to walk. "What's up?" "Well, actually this is probably a stupid question because you probably don't have the answer but..." She paused. "But what?" "Steve-" Before she could continue with any other word I felt that all too familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach. "-he has been acting really standoffish lately... and well, I saw you two talking a few times before... and... there's no easy way to ask it but, what the hell is going on with you two?" Her facial expressions were far less friendly. Her big bright smile was all but gone and replaced with pure inquisition. "Uhhhh... we-we ran into each other on the football field a few weeks ago. W-we just started to talk that's all." Cool yourself David, the cat is not out of the bag yet. "What do you talk about?" I was astonished at such a question and replied just a little bit angry at her. "Is that important? We talk about things... nothing major." I lump in my stomach moved into my throat.
Just as I was about to enter my Maritime Studies class she threw another curveball my way. "Maybe you can tell me why he just broke off a date with me tonight?" I was stumped but before too much of a pause I found some words to spit out. "Kelly, I don't think it is my place to stick my nose in your personal life do you? Your relationship problems are in fact yours." I turned around nice and calm and walked into the classroom.
I spent the next seventy-five minutes on a personal guilt trip. This just wasn't her fault, and she did not really deserve this treatment. I originally thought it would be exciting and dramatic, like the movies even. But there was no way at getting around the basic fact. Steve and I were keeping something from her... something that affected her on multiple levels. But what else was I or Steve to do? Tell her? Impossible. It would ruin our lives if she took it badly. There was no way out of this situation. I kept reminding myself that this was one of those things that only time itself could and would work out. It helped my conscience some at least.
I did exactly as Steve had told me to. I would find his mother's car parked way over by the trees away from the crowd when they exited the rink. The key for the doors would be taped just under the drivers side door. I was a little early so I hopped in the passenger side and listened to the radio awhile. When I realized that the game was over and that people were beginning to trickle out I shut it off and kept my eyes peeled for Kelly or any possible spies. If I see anyone like that I was to just stay down and wait on Steve.
Ten minutes had passed when I noticed Steve heading my way. I smiled brightly and he mimicked the same smile back at me. Synchronicity must have been working with me just then because I noticed Kelly was also approaching but from the left. My jaw dropped as I looked back at Steve, who in turn was probably wondering what the hell I just saw. I motioned to his far left and ducked immediately. No more than a minute had passed before I just barely peeked over the dash to see him and Kelly conversing about something. You could see she was not happy. To my hearts unapproval she kissed him and he returned the kiss before they parted. She then walked away and Steve watched her go out of sight before he made his way to the car, with a rather sober look on his face.
He stuffed his hockey bag in the trunk and hopped in the cabin carelessly and slammed the door behind him. Damn, he was in that mood again. "Hi." I said while smiling just barely. "Hey." He responded coldly and rested his head on the steering wheel and sighed.
I ever so slowly reached over and began to rub my hand up and down his back. He didn't flinch at my touch which assured me a little that things were ok. I was shocked but gladdened when he reached over and ran his hand up and down my left leg without even looking up.
A few minutes had passed like this when he finally regained his composure and sat back up. He looked over at me and smiled, then winked. "Where do you want to go tonight?" "Some place quiet would be nice... maybe a park or something." I said. He thought about that for a second. "What about The Green on the northside?" "I'd like that... it should be pretty quiet." "Perfect." He grinned and started the ignition. "I think I got a blanket in the trunk we can lay out." I was actually puzzled by his comment. "You don't care what people will think if they see two men laying out under the stars on a blanket?" I smirked. "We'll think of something." He simply stated with another wink. I just laughed to myself and shrugged it off.
When we reached Fredericton, Steve went straight on Prospect Street and turned into the grocery store. I was a little dumbfounded by this and asked him what he was doing. He told me to wait patiently in the car, which I did of course. His smile was pleasantly mischievous. Something I had grown to love from the first moment I saw him.
When he returned with a grocery bag it oddly made clacking noises when it moved. It didn't take much begging on my behalf for him to show me what was inside. He reached in and hauled out a green wine bottle with a label that read 'sparkling apple cider'. I laughed and commented on the sweetness of the gesture. "Ta da!" He proclaimed when he also removed two champagne glasses with the price stickers still on the bottom of each. I found it much more humorous than sentimental, I think it was okay though, he did a lot of laughing himself.
After arriving at the park, we noted that there were only two cars in the area. Which was fine as the green was a long park-land on the riverbanks of the Saint John river. It really was beautiful out that night. The breeze was just enough to keep you cool and the air was most breathable. The view from the green is rather romantic. It faces the city on the other side of the river. Fredericton is a small city, around 50,000 people, but it makes for a very picturesque setting. The Westmorland Bridge happily sprawled out over the river to our right, connecting the north and south sides of the city... the downtown core all lit up and reflecting on the water as the ripples carried each ray of light to the shore of the rocky banks. It was perfect, and just enough room to have privacy.
Steve had parked the car close to a hedge of trees. The plan was to leave enough room between the car and the trees so that we had optimal privacy. We laid out the old blanket from the trunk and popped open the cider and poured it into the glasses. It was still nice and cold, to my delight as I can imagine warm cider would not be very satisfying.
When I sat down on the blanket, Steve moved in behind me bringing his torso parallel with mine as to push his groin into my lower back. He draped his legs around my waist and hugged me with them... his arms soon followed suit as they were suddenly wrapped around my shoulders and hugging my back into his chest tight. "Oh god Steve... I've been waiting for a whole week to feel you next to me all over again." He didn't say a word, he just kissed the nape of my neck. His breath was warm on my flesh. I could feel it trickle all the way to my spine where it caused the hairs on my body to stand at attention. He leaned back and slowly lowered us both to the ground, my back still pushed into his groin and stomach. We lay there silent for a few minutes as he caressed my chest with both of his hands.
"You know what?" Steve asked out of the blue. "No, I don't Steve." I snickered quietly. He in turn mock slapped me on the back of the head just to acknowledge my tease. Then he continued... "You remember when we collided on the football field right?" "How could I ever forget that." "Well, that wasn't at all really an accident you know." There was a moment of silence. "What? You mean-" I attempted. "Yes, that's right. I did it on purpose." "Why did you do that?" I asked surprisingly. "Because I wanted to meet you silly." He laughed. "I had my eye on you about a week before. You seemed to be different than the others, I never really figured it out until I caught you looking at me." "You DIDN'T?" "Yep, I did... but don't worry. I wouldn't have even noticed if I myself were not... I mean if I didn't like guys. People only noticed what they want to remember. You were not obvious, but I knew what it was about you that appealed to me when I realized just WHY you were looking at me."
I was a little embarrassed. "Steve, I must live up to something too... when we talked on the phone the other night, well... after our conversation, I starting thinking again." I said with a sigh. "Oh nooo... not the dreaded T word." We both chuckled. "Yeah... the T word. Well, you Steve... you to me define my highest expectations. Your everything I wanted to ever be. I just hope that I didn't fall for you because of that." I regretted what I had admitted instantly. "Oh you could never be me." Steve stated with a smirk. I was utterly shocked. "Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" I said while mock hitting him after sitting up and turning around. "Ouch! Dave! Don't take it the wrong way... what I meant is you can only be you. Sure you can excel at being YOU... but YOU could never be ME. Do you get what I mean?" His look went from humor to sincere. I thought about it awhile. "Yeah, I guess... I could do the things you do, but never be you..." "Exactly." He said. "So no worries man, you fell for your expectations... not the embodiment of your expectations."
Just then he leaned ahead fast and grabbed me around the waist and brought me down on top of him. I of course pretended to protest, in the end only to fail. I wiggled around a bit so I was directly on top of him. He gratefully had a button up shirt on in which I preceded to slowly unbutton. I taunted him a little by sticking my hand in there and rubbing his chest. He was so smooth. I then opened it enough so that I could kiss it and run my tongue over it... forever teasing him and turning him on that much more. I continued my endeavor by licking and sucking his nipples. This really brought him around as he was moaning now. I felt ever so slightly his crotch pushing up into mine almost in a rhythm. This boy was hotter than I thought.
"Do you want me Steve?" I asked in all sincerity. He took a deep breath in his open mouth and spoke deeply. "I want you more than I want anything." That was all I needed. Despite my inexperience or my slight awkwardness, I was ready to pursuit something that I had no idea what the outcome would be. Passion was in the cockpit this time.
After getting his shirt fully unbuttoned I opened it wide but left it on him. I sat up removed my pull-over but continued to sit there on his waist area tauntingly pushing my ass into his hard-on. He loved to be teased. It only encouraged me more when he would moan and his voice would crack from the intensity of it. After I cooled him down again I laid back down on him pushing our bare chests together and moving about as the friction heated us up once again. I kissed his chin delicately, then his jaw bone, and everything in between as I made my way to his mouth. He was breathing deep and his breath still had that sweet smell of apple cider on it. I wanted to consume him whole right there. In my attempt at doing so I kissed his mouth deeply, tasting every last drop of sweetness I could. My tongue explored his mouth until it covered every minor crevice. His tongue then met mine and in doing so caused me to moan into him. That just added to both our now very intense lust. I wanted to become one with him.
Without taking my face away from his, where I could kiss him and enjoy the heat from his breathing on my face, I managed to reach down and undo his pants as well as mine. I lowered my pants as far as I could, just above my knees. In one split second I moved my face away from his long enough to get one swift tug on his pants, dropping them just below his ass. In my last attempt at pleasure-torture I removed my cock and slid it in the right leg hole of his underwear. I then laid back down on him and pressed slowly, but hardly into his groin. We both moaned loudly as our dicks were grinded together in ecstasy. I knew if I kept this up for even another minute we both would cum face to face. Something that would have been euphoric, but I really wanted this to continue a little bit longer. I pulled away only to have him protest. "No Dave, please... do it more." Oh, how I loved the sound of his amazingly deep voice when he was in heat. He was so wanting and his energy seemed to radiate off of him and energize me. It was so very powerful and emotionally moving.
"Not yet Steve... I want us to do something first." He looked at me questioningly. When his mind cleared enough from the passion of it all he pondered what I meant by that. Suddenly he looked up at me wide eyed. "You want to fuck?" My senses doubled when I heard him say that. Just the way he mouthed that while his breathing was quickened, turned me on like a wild man... that true animal instinct that lives in ever human being. I calmed myself slightly when I realized the magnitude of his words. "Steve, I don't think we are equipped to do that tonight." He looked at me for a moment. "You're right. Let's do that another night." Even those words turned me on... he was in this for the long haul. "What do you want to do then?" He asked. I smiled wickedly and winked at him. "Many things." Before he could respond I covered his mouth with a finger and straddled his hips, sitting on his waist again. Only this time I lowered my underwear totally. I thrusted my nude thighs into his covered crotch, only to make him fully hard again. I used his facial expressions as my guide. When his face acquired the look of slight pain and he whimpered I knew he was close and I would ease off. Steve was out of control. I could see that. He was totally lost in the moment.
I got off him, and lowered myself to his waist. I told him to raise his hips off the blanket so I could get his underwear off totally. Ahhh, so sweet. What I saw enthralled me. He had a beautiful cut dick. I was pleased as I never saw one like that before as I was not circumcised. I always found the size issue a complete nonsense. I would be just as happy with something small as I would something mammoth sized, maybe even happier. It's like life, diversity works. Steve was I suppose a good six inches. If it were possible, the very sight of his manhood made my lust double in its strength.
I moved my face within an inch of his penis. I wanted to savor it. In doing so I inhaled deeply. I moaned in deep pleasure at his scent. I threw self-control out the window at the sight and scent of it all, and engulfed the head of his dick into my mouth. "Oh! God! David!" Steve shouted a little louder than he should have. His animal instincts were coming out on him when he began to shove his member in and out of my wanting mouth. I instinctively began stroking my hard member as he fucked my mouth amorously.
Steve began to whimper again, I knew he was very close as his cock swelled in my mouth that much more. I speeded up my stroking to catch up with his timing. I certainly wanted to taste his cum, but I more so wanted us to climax together, and face to face. I decided to go for the latter of the two...
When I figured we were both way overdue I removed my mouth from his dick and carefully yet hastily got on top of him and positioned our raging members to slide together. Steve was lost in the feeling and now moaning repeatedly. I put my arms around his waist and rolled over pulling him on top of me where he instantaneously began to thrust his body into mine. Taking advantage of this position I slid my hands down to his amazingly firm ass and squeezed for all he was worth... I began to moan as much as he did now and in the heat of it all I would squeeze hard and push down on his ass, as he thrusted downwards on me.
"Dave, oh god Dave... I am going to blow right now!" "Do it Steve, do it now. Argh! Oh god, I'm cumming!" Just then time stood still. All sounds ceased to exist, all I could hear is his and my grunting and breathing. I felt his extremely hot jism shoot into my groin and squirt up my stomach. No more than did he shoot did I follow suit. I erupted so hard the pressure of it hit Steve on the chin and the rest either stayed on one of our crotches or landed on my chest.
We moaned and whimpered for what seemed an eternity. Alas, even eternity had to end. Steve collapsed on top of me, where he just cuddled into me happily. "I love you...." Steve whispered barely audible into my ear. I never felt more whole as I did that very SECOND. I wrapped my arms around his back, just below his shoulder blade and kissed his mouth deeply.
Steve kept reaching over and rubbing my leg all the way home. I can't speak for him but I wouldn't have felt better if I had discovered the lost city of Atlantis. Everything was wonderful... almost everything. Despite just coming off the highest high I was ever on, still in the back of my mind loomed fear. Fear of exactly what I am not sure. I hated the fact of having to be so secretive, and I just knew that we would want to be around each other a lot more now that we experienced something so intense together. How could we stay apart for an entire week at a time now? I couldn't, I wouldn't... and I don't think Steve wanted to either. But if we spent more time together... then our chances of being found out would threefold.
Then there was Kelly, who appeared to be in love with Steve. She also seemed to be the type that would seek revenge on us if she ever found out. That alone scared the hell out of me.
Oh it was way too quiet. The radio was not on, and only the sound of the engine and tires gave company to my ears. Steve had stopped rubbing my leg some minutes ago, even he seemed in his own little world now. The scary part was, I think he too was thinking the very same as myself.
I kept thinking about how in a matter of minutes I would be curled up in his bed, his warm body pressed against mine and there we would protect each other. Not from the outside world but more likely from our very selves. We were so worried about getting caught that we put our own happiness on the back burner. We would now lower ourselves to periodic visits where we could let our true feelings flourish all the time knowing that this just could not go on.
We were completely stuck. This was not the time or place to reveal ourselves to the world around us as it would be totally non-supportive. Yet we could not go back to where we were for we had discovered a new level of living. We had meaning. Living the meaning was the problem.
I laid awake for hours after Steve had fallen asleep thinking about this. It almost felt surreal. Like we were in some other dimension and I had to stay awake to protect him from the evils of the place. His warm back was pressed into my stomach as he lay there totally still. His breathing comforted me.
I made another vow that night. I vowed to myself that no matter what the circumstances bring our way, I will never let him go. Through heaven and through hell I would be with him.
I flung my arm over his waist and kissed his shoulder before I finally decided to rest my mind and body. Perhaps I was being paranoid, or perhaps I was being realistic. All I knew was that things would change, they had to. What the change brought was my concern.
... To Be Continued ...
Okay, all, don't expect another for at least a week. I got major work to do IRL. whines and kicks