DISCLAIMER
The following story is completely fictitious and any resemblances to persons living or dead are entirely coincidental. Just as in life, this story contains graphic scenes of love and hate, life and death, joy and sorrow, as well as material that may be offensive to some audiences. If such material makes you feel uncomfortable, then please read no further than this warning.
Send questions and comments to thatguywhowritesniftysmut@gmail.com
KENDAL - CHAPTER ONE
The sound of the music could be heard throughout the entire house. The music building up as fourteen year old Kendal Erikson slid across the hardwood floor clad in only his boxers and a t-shirt.
I love myself; I want you to love me. When I feel down, I want you above me. I search myself; I want you to find me. I forget myself; I want you to remind me...
He sang into one of the drum sticks he was holding...
I don't want anybody else. When I think about you, I touch myself. Oh... I don't want anybody else... Oh no, oh no, oh no...
Alone in the house he began to do a sexy dance while imagining he was performing just for Sammy...
You're the one who makes me go money. You're the sun who makes me shine. When you're around I'm always laughing. I wanna make you mine.
Whip around with his eyes closed, singing...
I close my eyes and see you before me Think I would die if you were to ignore me A fool could see just how much I adore you I get down on my knees; I'd do anything for you.
Drops to his knees...
I don't want anybody else. When I think about you, I touch myself. Oh... I don't want anybody else... Oh no, oh no, oh no...
Kendal gets to his bare feet and begins gyrating slowly to the music as he allows his drums sticks to move over his body, as if Sammy's fingertips, their tips brushing up against the fabric of his boxers and lifting his t-shirt a bit as it moves up his stomach as he lets out a soft sigh...
I love myself; I want you to love me. When I feel down, I want you above me. I search myself; I want you to find me. I forget myself; I want you to remind me...
He begins playing the air drums as the rhythm is accented in the music...
I don't want anybody else. When I think about you, I touch myself. Oh... I don't want anybody else... Oh no, oh no, oh no...
I want you, I don't want anybody else And when I think about you, I touch myself... Oooo, oooo, oo-oo, Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah...
Kendal never heard the front door to his house open or the sound of the man stopping dead in his tracks to the sight of the risky underwear-clad dance. His glasses reflected in the light of the hallway as he took in the spectacle of his nephew moving provocatively. He took pity on the boy, choosing awkward embarrassment now to avoid greater humiliation later.
"Hi Kendal." The man shouted through the music.
"Ah!" Kendal yelled back in surprise as he turned around quickly.
"Ah!" The man yelled right back, equally surprised at the reaction.
"Elliot!" Kendal shouted as he tripped over himself running towards the stereo to turn down the volume.
The house suddenly fell silent as Kendal was still breathing heavily from a combination of the dance, the sudden surprise, and the feeble attempt to retain his dignity in front of the family friend and surrogate uncle. Crimson streaked his young face.
"Might want to throw on some pants; Russell and your dad will be in momentarily. The big strong men are bringing in the groceries." Elliot explained. "Didn't you have like five hours to get ready?"
"I got sidetracked." Kendal offered feebly.
Without another word, Kendal bolted towards the staircase and made his way up to his room. At least he had already laid his clothes out for the dinner. He was excited. He and Sammy had been dating for two weeks and finally, Sammy and his dad were going to meet. The boys had kept their relationship a secret from everybody, even Austin and the rest of DJ Orphan, as both boys thought the zealous bandleader would frown on inner-band relationships. The boys still planned to keep their feelings for each other a secret from Kendal's father, at least until the man could warm up to Sammy a bit.
The only time Kendal and Sammy got to see each other outside of band practice was at school and of course on the weekends when Kendal's dad was away for work related reasons. Kendal had told his dad all about DJ Orphan, the youth center, as well as his friendship with Sammy; he just hadn't told his dad everything.
Kendal saw his phone light up and buzz around his bed as he dashed to answer the call from Sammy.
"I love you." Sammy said as the phone picked up.
It had become Sammy's preferred way of greeting Kendal. He told the younger boy he always wanted to tell Kendal how much he loved him, at every opportunity he could, so he often did.
"I love you, too." Kendal replied in turn feeling like a million dollars.
"We are still on for tonight? Dinner with your dad and his friends at seven?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am just getting changed now." Kendal explained as he tried to hold the phone to his shoulder as he struggled to hop into his shorts.
"Do I need to like wear anything fancy? Dress down? Don't wear anything that could make me look like I am in a gang, right? Your dad doesn't have a color he hates does he? Or wait, if I seem like I am trying to please him he might figure us out. What if he has already figured us out? What if this is all just an elaborate trap to lure me in so he and his friends can grill me? They still grill people, right, like in police stations and stuff? I wouldn't know because I've never been..."
Kendal waited patiently as he sat on his bed to put on his socks.
"I'm rambling again, aren't I?" Sammy asked.
"Yes, but I think it is cute." Kendal replied with an unseen smile. "Dress like Sammy. YOU are meeting my dad and our family friends, not some pretend version of you that only exists to please other people. There is only one person you need to worry about pleasing tonight."
"Oh, hey... I mean... yeah?" Sammy asked a little enthralled.
"I'll see you in an hour?" Kendal tried to settle.
"I wouldn't miss it." Sammy replied.
"So you two met at Elliot's office?" Sammy asked as the two men told the young guest a tale about a prize fight gone wrong.
"Yep," Russell confirmed. "I had a broken nose and Elliot had to push it back into place. When the pain subsided and the stars disappeared, I looked into his eyes and knew I had to know him better."
The five were sitting around the dining room table, Russell and Elliot on one side, Kendal and Sammy on the other, with Able at the head of the table. Everyone had been introduced and light conversation had followed as dinner was readied. The meal was delicious, prepared by the three men in the kitchen while the boys waited in the living room catching up on their "band homework." Sammy had never had Shepherd's pie before, and it was really good.
"Hey, I am going to go grab the dessert." Russell broke a moment of silence, "El?"
Both men excused themselves from the table and made their way past the boys to the kitchen. After they passed Elliot sent a playful jab into the arm of the ex-fighter.
The gay couple had been a surprise for Sammy and it had the effect of putting him at ease with the possibility of Mr. Erikson knowing about him and Kendal; if he had gay friends than surely he must be okay with the idea of his son having of boyfriend. However, Sammy also thought it could be a set up, luring him into a false sense of security to come clean about his relationship with his son. Of course he doubted Mr. Klein or Mr. Whitfield was pretending, as they had shared several PDAs when they thought both the boys were not looking.
"So, Sammy, Kendal says you and he have been working really hard together on his band with a few other kids from school. It is good to see young people applying themselves to something other than videogames and skateboarding. How did you get into music?" Able asked.
"Oh, umm... well, I guess you could say drugs... I mean... anti-drugs?" Sammy stumbled. "One of my friends made me promise never to get into drugs, so he sat me down and we figured out a good hobby for me to do that would keep me away from stuff like that. I guess he had seen too many of his friends become druggies and he didn't want that to happen to me. I guess in that regard I've been really lucky, I mean having a friend who looks out for me like that."
"I agree." Able said as he smiled at the boy.
"Yeah, he is a really great guy." Sammy said.
Sammy suddenly felt Kendal brush his leg up against Sammy's, idly playing with the older boy's leg. Sammy wasn't sure if it was intentional or if Kendal was having one of his "idle" moments, but the comforting gesture was felt all the same.
"So this youth center you boys go to. I think I might stop down there one night and see what it is all about." Able said matter-of-factly.
"Oh, yeah. Sure. It's just a place our band leader, Austin, is having us use right now." Sammy attempted to deflect, fearing what the man might think about his son going to a gay youth center with Sammy. "It's a safe place, one of those things, everybody welcome. I think he only uses it because he likes to annoy the head facilitator. Allan's a pretty alright guy though."
"Ah, I see. Still, I do like to know what my son has been up to. I feel better knowing I am leaving him in trusting hands." The man's tone was even and unthreatening.
From inside the kitchen area, Elliot quietly got Russell's attention as he pointed towards the dining room and gave a quiet snicker. Russell looked to where his love was pointing and smiled to himself with a silent shake of the head.
"Oh, Able's not going to like that." Russell said to himself as he scooped out the ice-cream into five bowls.
"Not going to like it? This is Able Erikson we are talking about. He probably already knows." Elliot laughed a little more to himself before he suddenly took on a more serious expression. "This is Able Erikson's son we are talking about... I hope Able doesn't kill this new kid, I sort of like him."
Both men turned to face the living room once more, as they watched Kendal play footsy with his boyfriend, safely protected from view by a thick oak table.
As dinner wrapped up and dessert ended, Sammy couldn't help but feel the watchful eyes of the giant posing as Kendal's father upon him at all times. The man was civil, and feigned politeness and kindness, but Sammy had been around the block long enough to pick out the pushers and the posers. This had been a trap, a clever one, and Kendal was blissfully unaware. A silent understanding had been reached between the two.
"I know you like my son and I know he likes you, but he is too good for you," were Able's unspoken words.
"Fuck you, you holier than thou giant fuck. I love Kendal and you can fucking suck it," were the words Sammy desperately wanted to let losing... so long as he could do so via text from the other side of the world.
"Well, I think it about time I take Sammy home. It is getting late and I don't want his parents to start worrying about him." Able said as the night started to come to a close.
"I can walk, thanks." Sammy said as he felt a powerful hand weigh down his shoulder.
"Nonsense, it is late and dark out. I insist." Able said.
"I'm coming too." Kendal said, finally picking up that something might be wrong.
"No." Able said simply. "You stay here and help Elliot and Russell clean up like a good host. I will only be a minute."
They drove. Sammy with his stomach in his throat kept imagining the worst possible scenarios unfolding. He knew Mr. Erikson was a cop, or at least a former cop. Ex-cops were worse than cops because they had all the connections of a normal cop with nothing to lose.
"You seem worried, Sammy." Able said in that same insufferably placid tone. "Is everything alright?"
Sammy hated these games. He wanted them to end. So he ended them.
"So when did you know that Kendal and I were dating?" Sammy asked in a similar placid tone.
Sammy could have been wrong, but he thought he saw a slight grin come to the giant's face moments before it disappeared.
"I had no idea until you told me." Able replied.
"Bullshit." Sammy retorted. "You are many things, Mr. Erikson... a jerk-face liar being one of them... but you are not stupid and neither am I."
"You kiss your mother with that mouth, Sammy?" Able asked a little pointedly.
"I kiss your son with this mouth." Sammy replied.
The large vehicle came to a grinding halt; tires screeching in the night.
Sammy was immediately aware there were very few other cars—or as Sammy like to call them at the moment "witnesses"—out on the road, and he was suddenly filled with regret in speaking without thinking.
"I take back the part where I said I wasn't stupid."
As Kendal helped clean up the dishes with Elliot and Russell, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Elliot had been watching the boy as his heart sank, obviously feeling the evening had failed to reach its intended goal of winning Sammy over to his father's good graces.
"Hey, buddy." Elliot said lovingly, "Want to tell Uncle El and Uncle Russ what's wrong?"
"What makes you think something is wrong?" Kendal asked a little shocked as he continued to dry the ice-cream bowl in his hands.
"Well, for starters, you have been drying the same bowl for over five minutes." Elliot replied with a gentle smile. "You and Sammy, huh?"
Kendal could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He let the plastic bowl drop with a clack to the kitchen floor as he fully embraced his friend and surrogate uncle. All the pent up worry and fear seemed to wash out of him onto the older man as his own lover looked on sympathetically, knowing it was best to let Elliot speak with the boy.
"Daddy hates Sammy, doesn't he?" Kendal cried into the man's nice shirt as he gently stroked the young boy's back.
"No. I don't think that is it at all, honey." Elliot replied kindly. "I think he knows just how much you like Sammy, and that maybe he is a little worried because he doesn't know this boy very well. I'm sure they are driving around right now talking things over, and your father is making every effort to get to know Sammy for you. You're father would never do anything to hurt you."
"You really think so?" Kendal asked hopefully.
Elliot just nodded as he continued to comfort his nephew. God he hoped he was right; otherwise that kid was as good as dead.
"I've smoked pot, once." Sammy replied to the question.
The two figures seemed to wander the streets aimlessly as they talked, honestly, back and forth. Able had confided he indeed had known Sammy and Kendal were seeing one another and he frankly didn't approve of the boys going behind his back. He had hoped they would take the opportunity at dinner to come clean, but in retrospect he admitted he had expected too much of them.
"And that is when your friend made you promise never to do drugs again?" Able asked.
After their initial testing of the waters, Able had suggested they go for a `walk,' and while he had meant nothing insidious by it, Sammy still occasionally gave him looks as if he half-expected the large man to clobber him over the head with a shovel-sized fist. As they walked, Sammy told Able all about his life, growing up with apathetic parents, coming out to utter rejection, and until he had met Kendal and gotten involved with the band, his almost complete lack of friends.
"Yeah, he has always tried to look out for me. I think it's..." Sammy stopped himself.
"It's because he sees in you something he could not save in himself. An innocence he feels he has somehow lost." Able supplied. "He looks out for you and cares for you out of a need for redemption."
"Are you going to arrest him?" Sammy asked directly never taking his eyes off of the sidewalk before him.
"No," came a surprising reply from the large man. "What is said on this walk remains on this walk. Besides, I think your friend is off my radar anyway. I've got more important things to worry about than someone who runs a few shady businesses... such as my son."
"I don't want Kendal to know." Sammy said quietly. "I don't want him to know I have friends who are criminals. The thought of doing anything to hurt him..."
"In that regard we are on the same page, eh, Sammy?" Able said kindly to the youth. "Okay, so here's the deal. You want to continue dating my son? Then there are a few ground rules. They are nonnegotiable. First, if you do anything to hurt him, and I do not mean something stupid or silly or foolish as is bound to happen that will hurt his feelings; I mean if you truly hurt him, you will never see him again. Second, I understand you are both young adults brimming with hormones, but I don't want any sex related happenings in my house. Third, give Kendal a call... he probably thinks I've killed you and am hiding the body somewhere. The boy has a vivid and overactive imagination, and I am mostly to blame for that."
"Alright," Sammy agreed, "I definitely agree with the first rule. No problems there. Now, does the second rule exclude PDAs? Or is that one of those, out of sight out of mind things?"
Able rolled his eyes silently as they walked on. It was going to be a long night.
"Call my son." Able sighed as he placed a friendly hand on Sammy's shoulder.