Sleepy Days

Sleepy Days, Come No More

Chapter 42

I laid there for a few minutes. Part of me wants to say that being in bed with Blake was no big deal; that I was simply supporting my friend, but it felt good to be in bed with him. It felt good to be near him, to have him come to me for help. I wanted to feel less for him but I just couldn't.

I gently slide from beneath his arm and got out of bed. I went to the bathroom and then checked my phone. I had a couple of messages one from my job and the other from Theresa. I called Theresa back and told her that Blake was with me and asked how she and the others were doing. She sounded somber but that was to be expected. She said it was very quiet there.

After my brief conversation with Theresa I ordered some food and setup my computer to do some work. I worked for a few hours and had something to eat. It was nearly 4 pm before Blake began to stir. He yawned and tossed about in the bed a bit before sitting up.

"Hey." I greeted.

"Hey." He replied groggily.

"How did you sleep?" I asked.

"Very good." He said with a smile.

"Are you hungry? I can order something." I said.

"No, I am not hungry." He replied.

"Are you ready to go back to the house?" I asked.

"No, not yet. I don't want to see anyone right now. Maybe later." He responded.

"Okay. Your sister called, she sounded a little down and said that everyone was kind of somber today." I informed.

"I will call her later." He said.

"Okay." I said.

"How did you sleep?" He asked.

"I slept pretty well." I answered.

"I hope that I behaved last night." He said.

"Yes, you were well behaved." I informed.

"What time is it?" He inquired.

"It is 10 minutes to 5." I answered.

"I can't believe I slept so late." He said.

"Well, it was a rough night. You needed your rest." I informed.

"What's up with work and school?" He asked.

"Well, I am currently working from home and finals are in a couple of weeks so I just need to study." I answered.

"How long do think you can stay?" He asked.

"I don't know. Let's just take it one day at a time." I said.

"I appreciate you being here Steve." He said.

"No problem." I replied with a smile.

"So what do we do?" He asked.

"I don't know, it's weird. What do you want to do?" I asked.

"Let's go to the arcade." He suggested.

"The arcade, like a games place?" I asked.

"Yeah. Haven't you ever been to an arcade?" He inquired.

"No, I have not." I said.

"You have never been to an arcade?" He asked in disbelief.

"No Mr. Mitchell, I have never been to an arcade, would you like to take me sir?" I asked.

"Yeah. Come on get dressed." He said.

"Don't you need some clothes?" I asked.

"No, I will wear what I came in, though I would appreciate a clean pair of undies, I want to shower." He said.

"I don't think it is wise to wear other people's underwear." I replied.

"I will take my chances." He said.

"Okay, but I wear briefs." I said with a smile.

"I remember." He replied.

"Help yourself sir, there is soap and deodorant in toiletry bag." I informed.

"Thanks." He said.

Blake went showered and I worked a little more. Blake came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and another about his shoulders. His skin was still wet; there were drops of water dripping from his body. He walked over to the chair where he had laid his clothes. He took the towel from around his waist and began to dry his crotch with it. He seemed to be oblivious to my gaze as he continued to dry himself.

He dropped the towel to the floor and gathered his clothes. He then laid his clothes across the bed and walked to the other side of the room and got a pair of underwear. Then he sat on the bed and began putting on his socks.

"Are you going to get dressed?" He asked.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Are you going to get dressed?" He repeated with a smile.

"Yeah, right now." I replied.

"What is wrong with you?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" I countered.

"You seemed spaced." He explained.

"Just thinking Mr. Mitchell." I said.

I quickly got dressed and we were soon off to the arcade. Once there we played many games. My favorites were the racing games. Blake seemed to prefer the sport oriented games like basketball and baseball. There were many teenagers there but there were also some people our age around.

After we left the arcade we went to a pizza place across the street. We ate and joked around. Then we found a bench outside the pizza shop and sat down.

"I knew you would like Chicago style pizza." He said.

"Right again Mr. Mitchell. You are two for two today." I said with a smile.

"That is a great stat." He replied.

"Yes it is perfect." I confirmed.

"I am actually quite tired, are ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah, maybe I can catch your parents before they go to bed." I said.

"Actually, I was hoping you let me crash with you tonight." He said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah. I just want to get some rest. I will go home tomorrow." He announced.

"I think you should call your family, just to check in. I know they are probably worried about you." I suggested.

"I talked to them earlier." He informed.

"Oh, great. When?" I asked.

"While you were getting dressed." He said.

"Good. I am sure they were happy to hear from you." I said.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yep." I responded.

We went back to the hotel room and took off our clothes, underwear stayed on. We watched a couple of movies and played tic tac toe. Then we just lay in the bed and joked around with each other, like buddies.

"What do you want to do now?" He asked eagerly.

"You aren't tired yet?" I asked.

"Nope." He replied.

"I don't know, I think there is a pool and I know there is an exercise room." I said.

"I don't want to leave the room, but speaking of exercising you look like you have been putting in some work." He said as he patted my stomach.

"Yeah. I have been working out a little, nothing major but I have tightened up in some places." I said with a smile.

"You look good Steve." He said.

"Thanks." I replied.

"So, what have you been doing lately?" He asked.

"The same things work and school. And therapy." I said with a grin.

"That is good. How are your friends?" He inquired.

"Everyone is fine, nothing exciting or bad to report." I said.

"Any new friends?" He asked.

I smiled, "No new friends. I am actually focusing on myself, no distractions." I said.

"That must take some dedication." He said.

"I guess it takes some discipline, but I have never really required much attention anyway." I admitted.

"Everyone requires attention Steve. Perhaps you have just gotten accustomed to a limited supply." He suggested.

"Whatever the case, it hasn't been too hard on me." I said.

"I am glad that things are going well for you." He said.

"What about you, I mean how has school been?" I asked.

"It has been nice. I have been pretty distracted lately with Liz. I have been spending a lot of time traveling back and forth to Chicago." He informed.

"I am sure it was good to spend as much time here as possible, I am sure Liz appreciated that." I said.

"Yeah, it was good. Almost like being a kid again." He admitted.

"Have you been able to spend some time with your friends?" I asked.

"Well, most of my time was spent with the family but they came over for visits and we went out a couple of times when I have been in town." He informed.

"That is good. Is everyone doing well?" I asked.

"Yeah, everyone is fine. Joel and Michelle are having a baby." He announced.

"That is really great." I said.

"Yeah it is weird. I guess we are really adults." He said with a chuckle.

"Are you going to be the godfather, since you were the best man?" I inquired.

"I don't know. We haven't talked about it." He replied.

"Would you like to be the godfather?" I continued.

"I guess it would be cool." He said.

"I think you would be a great godfather. I am going to nominate you." I said with a smile.

"I'm sure your endorsement will send me over the top." He replied.

"It just might." I said.

"Why are you so interested about this topic?" He inquired.

"Just making small talk. I think you would make a great father, it only seemed natural that you might be the godfather." I explained.

"Well, we will see." He said.

"It is so late. I am very tired." I informed.

"Yeah, it is late. I want to get over to the parents in the morning." He said.

"Good." I replied.

Blake woke me up the next morning. We completed some hygiene, got dressed and headed over to his parents' place. It was as Theresa had described it the day before, quiet. There was no sound or sense of movement. It was as if the house was vacant.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I don't know, weird, that is the only word I can use." Blake said.

"It's so quiet." I observed.

"Yeah, it is." Blake affirmed.

"Hey, I thought I heard someone pull up." Theresa said.

"Hey Theresa." I said as I approached her for a hug.

"Hey." Theresa replied as we embraced.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Okay." Theresa responded.

"Where are mom and dad?" Blake asked.

"Dad went to the office. Mom is in the study with Rose discussing the memorial arrangements." Theresa informed.

"Has Caleb made it in yet?" Blake inquired.

"No, he will be here tonight." Theresa informed.

"Good." Blake replied.

"How long are you staying Steve?" Theresa asked.

"Until the service, probably leave the day after. I have been bending the rules a little so I don't want to go too far." I said with a smile.

"Bending the rules?" Theresa asked.

"Well, I told my director that I would be working from home." I said.

"Oh, well technically the hotel is your temporary domicile, so you have been working from home." Theresa said.

"That is a nice spin." I affirmed.

"The beauty of being a lawyer." Blake said.

"Do you know when the service will be?" I asked.

"In a couple of days. Most of the arrangements were already made; it was only a matter of when." Theresa said.

"I think I am going to go say hello to mom and Rose." Blake said.

"Okay." I said.

"You're not coming?" Blake asked.

"I want to give you a few minutes with them alone. I will join you shortly." I said.

"Alright." Blake said and walked down the hall.

"So, how are you Theresa?" I asked.

"I'm okay. It is still hard to believe but I am okay for now." Theresa said.

"Do you want to talk or anything?" I asked.

"I wouldn't mind some company." She said.

"Great." I said.

We went into a sitting room and sat down to talk.

"Do you want to talk about Liz?" I inquired.

"No, not yet." Theresa said.

"Okay. What about Caleb?" I suggested.

"We are still having a lot of fun together. I don't know where our relationship is going but it is comfortable." Theresa said.

"Well, he is a very nice guy, you two seem to be pretty good together." I said.

"Yeah." Theresa agreed.

"I don't really know what to say." I laughed.

"Either do I, but let us talk about you, I want to forget about me for a while." Theresa said.

"Okay, ask away." I instructed.

"What's going on with you and my brother?" Theresa asked.

"Nothing, we are just friends. I came to support him and to see you guys." I said.

"That is very nice of you; we all are glad that you came." Theresa said.

"I am glad to be welcome here." I said.

"Are you seeing someone?" Theresa asked.

I smiled, "No, I am not seeing anyone." I answered.

"Then you and Blake might get back together." Theresa said.

"I don't think that is going to happen." I said.

"Why?" Theresa inquired.

"There is, umm, it is complicated." I replied.

"Everything is complicated. It doesn't have to be." Theresa said.

"Oh." I said.

"What is the problem?" Theresa asked.

"I think you should ask your brother." I said.

"He doesn't like to talk much either." Theresa said.

"Well, I am sure he has his reasons." I said.

"So, you are not getting back together but you are spending nights together?" Theresa asked.

"It wasn't like that. We just talked and hung out, more like buddies." I said.

"Just hung out like buddies?" Theresa asked with a smile.

"Yes, in fact I have taken a vow of celibacy." I announced.

"Really? Why?" Theresa asked.

"Because I am focusing on myself and getting things in order." I said.

"And celibacy has not made you more tense? I mean you can lie in bed with Blake, after not having sex for who knows how long and not have any temptations?" Theresa asked.

"I never said that I am not tempted, sometimes I am tempted to have another slice of cake, but that doesn't mean I do." I said with a smile.

"Maybe you should. After all excessive dieting can lead to serious bingeing." Theresa said.

"Are you suggesting that if I don't have sex I am going to become promiscuous?" I asked with a grin.

"Well, too much denial can lead us to over indulge." Theresa said with a giggle.

"You are unbelievable." I said with a chuckle.

We continued to talk and laugh with each other. It was nice to have some time with Theresa and it kind of diverted our attention from Liz. Later that afternoon we all had lunch together, including Blake's father, Hank, who came home early from work.

That evening Blake's friends, Joel and Jason, came over for a visit. While they were visiting they suggested going out for a drink. Blake reluctantly agreed and I said I would come also. Theresa decided to stay behind since she wanted to greet Caleb when he arrived.

We went out to a sports bar and watched a game and trash talked. Blake's friend Adam joined us later. The guys reminisced about past times and said some really nice things about Liz. Apparently she was like everyone's favorite aunt. She baked cookies and hemmed pants and made everyone feel special.

Joel also gushed about impending fatherhood and about how well his marriage was going. Jason talked about his various lady friends and suggested that he might never get married, though he did consider having a child. Adam talked about work and his girlfriend Sharon; apparently she had gotten a nice state position just as she said she would.

We hung out at the bar for hours, playing darts and pool and just joking round. Blake smiled quite a bit as did we all. We all dispersed and went our separate ways before midnight. I offered to take Blake home but again he opted to come back to the hotel with me and I obliged.

The next day my reservation had lapsed and I decided to stay at the house for the rest of my time in town. I slept in the room adjacent to Blake's. I woke up the next morning and showered, and then went downstairs for breakfast. Hank and Patty were already finished with their breakfast when I entered the kitchen.

"Good morning." I said with a smile.

"Good morning Steve." They said in unison.

"How did you sleep?" Patty asked.

"I slept great." I informed.

"That's good." Patty said.

"How did you guys sleep?" I inquired.

"I have slept better than I have in a long while Steven." Hank confessed.

"Me too." Patty added.

I spoke with Patty and Hank as I ate my breakfast, then I went into the living room to watch television. Later that morning Theresa and Caleb joined me.

"Good morning." I greeted.

"Good morning." Theresa said.

"Hey." Caleb added.

"How are you guys?" I asked.

"I just want to get through the day." Theresa admitted.

"Did you guys have breakfast?" I asked.

"I'm not hungry." Theresa informed.

"I had a bagel." Caleb answered.

"Blake's not up yet?" Theresa asked.

"I don't think so; I haven't seen him this morning." I informed.

"He probably needs his rest." Caleb said.

"Yeah, probably." I agreed.

"I think I want to go for a walk." Theresa said.

"You want some company?" Caleb asked.

"That would be nice." Theresa replied.

"You want to come Steve?" Caleb asked.

"No, I think I will stay here, catch up on the news." I said with a smile.

I watched television until a little past noon. The service was going to be held in a couple of hours and I still hadn't seen Blake, so I decided to go to his room and check on him. When I entered the room I found that he was still asleep. I walked over to the bed and gave him a shake.

"Blake. Blake wake up." I said.

He laid there still with his eyes closed, so I gave him a harder shake and told him to wake up again. The second time was effective. He opened his eyes and looked up at me.

"It's time to wake up stud." I said.

"Stud?" He said groggily.

"Get up, you need to get ready." I said.

He looked at the clock, "I still have time, besides you're not ready yet." He countered.

"I have showered and eaten, and even watched the news. Everyone is up except you." I informed.

"You have accomplished all of that?" He asked playfully.

"Yes, I have and I am quite proud of myself too." I retorted with a smile.

"I am proud of you too and since I don't want to be out done I am going to shower and shave." He informed as he sat up and rose to his feet, exposing his nude body.

"Don't you have pajamas?" I asked.

"You used to prefer my body suit." He replied with a smirk.

"I am going to get ready. I will check on you in a few minutes, to make sure you clean behind your ears." I said playfully.

Blake laughed and headed into the bathroom. I headed next door to the room I was staying in and got dressed. After I was finished dressing I called Michael and Marie to see how everything was going, then I went back to Blake's room.

He was still in the bathroom so I sat and waited. I got bored so I laid out his clothes for him. I even picked out the cufflinks and tie clip that I wanted him to wear. After I had his outfit sorted, I began to fiddle around with things in his room. I looked at some of the pictures on his bureau and read the inscriptions on some of his trophies.

"Are you snooping?" Blake asked as he exited the bathroom.

"Do you have something to hide?" I countered.

"No I am ready to bare all." He said as he dropped his towel, again exposing his naked body.

"You are such an ass. What happened to the cute little boy from these pictures?" I asked with a smile.

"I am the same, but some things have gotten larger." He replied with a smirk.

I smiled, "Get dressed douche." I instructed.

"Is that my outfit?" He asked with a grin.

"Yeah." I responded.

"Did my mommy come in here and lay it out for me?" He asked playfully.

"I guess so." I retorted.

"Are you going to help me get dressed too? You know I have extreme difficulty getting into my underwear." He said.

"Stop." I insisted.

He smiled and began to get dressed. Once he was finished he stood in front of a mirror and then dabbed himself with a bit of cologne. After he was finished I stood in front of him and started to straighten his tie, it was nothing wrong with it, I just wanted to fiddle with it a little.

"Are you wearing a new cologne?" I asked.

"Yeah. Do you like it?" He asked.

"It is okay, but it doesn't really suit you. I thought you liked a more earthy fragrance." I said.

"I didn't pick it out, it was a gift." He said.

"Who gave you cologne?" I asked with a smile.

"A friend." He responded.

"Oh." I said.

"You're right it isn't my usual taste." He assured.

He looked in my eyes as I adjusted his tie. After I finished I brushed a strand of hair from his brow and gave him a kiss on the lips and a tight hug.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

He nodded yes.

We put on our blazers and headed downstairs to join the others. The service was held at a small church. Liz didn't have a large family but she had a lot of friends, mostly from church. Everyone had very nice things to say about her, including Patty who credited Liz for enabling her to pursue her dreams because she always knew that her children were in loving hands.

Once the memorial service had concluded we all went to the cemetery where Liz was to be buried. The priest said a few last words and we all threw a handful of dirt on the casket. It was odd seeing the coffin so deep in the ground, knowing that Liz lay inside.

Theresa was the most visibly emotional. She was sobbing quite a bit once the casket had been lowered into the ground. She was consoled by Caleb and her parents. Blake on the other hand was completely stone faced. He barely spoke a word or made a sound.

After the burial everyone went back to the house for the repasse. It is funny that every occasion good or bad always has plenty of food and this time was no different there was plenty of food and alcohol. The mood of the repasse was not necessarily bad, it was more mixed. There were some people laughing and chatting, while others sobbed or sat in complete silence.

Later that night, after all the guests had departed, the house was quiet once more. I was sitting in the formal living room with Theresa, Caleb, Liz's niece, Jennifer, and Patty. We sat there in silence for a while. Everyone seemed drained. Then Hank joined us and Marisa brought in a tray of refreshments.

Caleb and I talked about world events, while the others just sat and listened, or maybe they weren't listening. As the conversation drew on I realized that Blake had been gone for quite a bit of time.

"Where's Blake?" I asked.

"He went up to his room." Hank informed.

"He's been up there for a while. I think I will go and check on him." Patty said.

"No, you relax. I'll go. I need to work off some calories anyway." I said with a smile.

"Okay." Patty agreed.

I made my way up to his room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Blake said.

He was sitting in the dark looking out of a window.

"Hey." I said.

"Hey." He replied.

"We were worried about you." I informed.

"We?" He asked.

"Well, we are all downstairs together and you were the only missing person. We thought that you may have been kidnapped." I said playfully.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked.

"Caleb and I were talking, everyone else was silent." I said.

"What were you talking about?" He asked.

"Anything and everything. I think we were just trying to break the silence." I admitted.

"Oh." He said with a slight smile.

"Don't you want to come down and join us?" I asked.

"No, I think I want to stay up here. Maybe go to bed early." He said.

"Do you want some company?" I asked.

"Come over here and sit with me." He said.

"Okay." I agreed and walked over and sat next to him on his bed.

"Thank you for being here." He said.

"I told you it is nothing, you don't have keep saying thank you." I said.

"It is something and I am grateful that you are here." He said as he placed his hand on my knee.

I looked over at him, it was dark but I could see that he had been crying. "You have been crying." I observed.

"A little, allergies and everything." He said with a small smile.

"Allergies, okay." I said.

"Are you calling me a liar?" He asked.

"Maybe I am." I said.

"Don't call me a liar." He said and nudged my shoulder.

"Don't bump me. I have been working out. I would hate to embarrass you in your own house." I exclaimed.

"Oh you think you can take me?" He asked and nudged me again.

"I'm warning you Mitchell!" I said.

"Talk is cheap Greene!" He exclaimed and bumped me again.

"Alright." I said and knocked him onto his back.

We wrestled around for a few minutes. I managed to get on top of him.

"I told you not to mess with me Mitchell." I said as I looked down at him with a smirk.

"Oh you are so tough. `Don't mess with me!'" He mocked.

I reached down and twisted one of his nipples, "Don't fuck with me Mitchell, I am tough!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're tough?" He asked.

"That's right. Say uncle!" I demanded.

"You want me to call you uncle?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Or master, whichever you prefer." I said.

"There is nothing you can do that would make me call you either one." He said defiantly.

"As you can see, I have already won. Just accept defeat." I demanded.

He smiled and then attempted to flip me over. There was a tussle but eventually our positions were reversed and he was now atop me. We were both breathless and sweating. I was so aroused.

"Now what were you saying tough guy?" He asked.

"You got lucky." I said.

"There was no luck, just skill, maybe I will teach you some one day." He proclaimed.

"Get off of me Mitchell!" I commanded.

"Clearly you don't understand your position. I am on top now." He said.

"Come on, truce." I said.

"I am winning, why would I go for that?" He asked.

"Because you are a nice guy." I said.

"What will you give this nice guy in return?" He asked.

"What does the nice guy want?" I asked.

"A little kiss." He said.

"Okay, a little one." I said.

He leaned down and gave me a quick peck on the lips. We both laughed and looked at each other and then he kissed me again. We both laughed and then we smiled at each other and looked at each other and then he leaned down and kissed me, but for real this time, not a peck.

He stopped and looked me in my eyes, as if asking me if it was okay. I reached up and stroked his cheek. He leaned down and kissed me some more, even working his way to my neck. Then he started to grind his crotch into mine. I started to run my hands down his back.

"We should stop." I said breathlessly.

"I want to be with you tonight." He whispered in my ear with hot breath.

"We shouldn't, it's a mistake." I said while continuing to rub my hands against his body.

"I love you. I love you so much." He exclaimed.

I had not had sex in months and I had not been with Blake, the person who I would still fantasize about, in nearly a year. I knew that this was wrong, that we shouldn't be doing this. I mean Liz had just died. We were both emotional and wanted some comfort. And I had taken a vow of celibacy. But every part of me ached for him. I wanted to be with him.

"I love you too." I confessed.

"Baby, I miss you." He said as he started to unbutton my shirt.

"I miss you too." I exclaimed.

We undressed each other and made love. It was great. Afterward we laid in there in bed with our bodies still touching.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"That we made a mistake." I confessed.

"I don't think it was a mistake." He countered.

"I wasn't supposed to do this. I am supposed to be celibate." I said.

"It felt right." He said.

"It felt great." I agreed.

"Good, I always do my best for you." He said.

"I think we will regret this." I said.

"Let's just enjoy tonight. I don't want to worry about anything else. I just want to be here with you." He said.

"Alright." I replied.

"Come here, let me hold you baby." He instructed.

"Okay." I said and scooted over to him.

"You have really firmed up." He said redirecting the conversation.

"I told you I have been working out." I said.

"It is very nice." He complimented.

"Thank you." I said.

"What time are you leaving?" He asked.

"Tomorrow evening." I informed.

"What time?" He asked.

"My flight leaves at 7:15 pm. When are you leaving?" I asked.

"The Saturday afternoon." He said.

"I really should go and pack." I said.

"You have plenty of time to pack." He said.

"I like to do it the night before." I explained.

"You can do it tomorrow. I will help." He said.

We laid there and talked a little more and then went to sleep.

Acknowledgment:

Hello Everyone. I hope that you all had a great weekend. I just wanted to take the time to congratulate Liam and Dylan on their engagement and their new home. I know you guys are very excited and happy and I wish you many more happy years together.

I would also like to congratulate another couple, Terry and Ron, on their 36th anniversary. That is a really huge milestone and it is a testimony to hard work and real love. I wish you two many more happy years together.

Thanks for following the story and if it is possible, I encourage you to donate to Nifty so they can continue to do what they do so well, entertain us.

Have a great holiday. Have Fun and Be Safe.

Appreciation:

Special thanks to Oscar, Lou, Arch, Clayton, Jake, Ed, Adolfo, Khalid, Gary, Lucas, Vern, John, Lance, Oz, Dudung, Alan, Terry, Rogue, Jerry, Paul, Greg, John J., Harold, Kim, Small, Barry, Michael B., Cameron, David S., Randy, Liam, Byron, Kris, Bryan, Fred, Tomaz, David, Alex, Tony, Jerry L., Emmanuel, Joseph, Bruce, Matlock, Shawn, Bobby, Gregory, Bill, Ryan, David R., Bradley, Ron, Bruce, Tom, Mick, Curtis, JT and Mikal for their support, and everyone who has taken the time to follow this story, I really appreciate you all.

Sincerest thanks to Nifty and all of the wonderful participants who make this site possible, from the generous donors to the archivists and administrators, you all are truly appreciated.

Last but not least, thanks to the editor, Raziya, for all of the wonderful work.

Let Me Know:

Please, forward any comments or feedback to bonotorros@yahoo.com. I would also encourage you to visit the yahoo group, Bono's Corner at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/bonoscorner.

Whichever one you choose I look forward to hearing your thoughts.