Author's Note: Thanks to all for the ongoing support for this story. It's nice to hear how you feel about it since Benny left. As a special treat, I've actually submitted two chapters at once for a change, so there's hopefully plenty here to keep you entertained. All thoughts, feedback and constructive criticism is welcome as always to matterotica@hotmail.co.uk
If you enjoy my writing, you can find links to all of my stories at the end
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I have also been asked to provide a quick reminder of the characters involved, purely because there are so many. If you need a reminder, I've put a quick recap at the end of this chapter
The Dangers of Desire
Chapter 11
by Matt
Greg stared up the the ceiling, wondering why it felt so unsettling. He quickly realised what it was. The ceiling in his bedroom at home had a crack that ran right above his bed. Sometimes he had lay in bed wishing that the crack would expand, the entire ceiling giving way and bringing the whole house down. He didn't want to die, he just wanted anything to happen that would stop the bickering between his parents.
Now though as he lay in his new room, the one that had belonged to Josh before he moved out, there was just smooth plaster, painted white. As he looked up at it, he started to smile as he realised that, for once, he didn't actually need the crack. There was silence throughout the house, nobody yelling, nobody throwing things or smashing glasses, nobody waiting outside his door to tell him how useless he was. Being normal was a strange feeling.
He wasn't completely carefree though. There was still Nick. He had kissed the older boy, his new temporary foster brother, the boyfriend of his best friend and, in Greg's mind, his saviour. Since the kiss earlier in the day, the two had barely spoken. After the social worker left, Mrs McKenzie... or Pippa, as he was still getting used to calling her, had immediately started preparing Josh's old room for his short term stay.
Corey had returned home shortly after that and had been very excited about the news that Greg would be staying with them. He seemed to have taken their conversation about being brothers to heart as he set about treating Greg exactly like he did with Nick and Josh... mainly by antagonising him playfully at every opportunity. It was nice. Greg felt like he fit in right away, but all the commotion got in the way of him talking to Nick to clear the air.
He knew he had to speak to him. If it had to wait until morning he would get no sleep at all. He carefully climbed out of bed, clicking on the lamp to help him find his way in the unfamiliar surroundings and limped his way to the door. He pulled it open cautiously, unsure yet if maybe it squeaked and might give him away. Fortunately it swung open silently and he hobbled out into the hallway. He closed it behind him and approached Nick's door. He looked down and saw no sign of any light shining from underneath, and figured the older boy was probably asleep. He felt guilty at the thought of waking him but pushed ahead anyway.
He opened the door silently then looked inside. There was Nick, laying on his bed with his phone in his hand, the screen lighting up his face. He looked round quickly as he heard the door open, then lowered the phone and squinted into the darkness. "Who's there?" he asked.
"It's me." Greg replied hesitantly, then realised 'me' didn't really tell him anything so he added, "Greg."
"Hey, you okay?" Nick asked. He jumped out of bed to help the boy walk over to the bed.
As they sat down, Nick reached over and turned on his lamp. The light made him flinch and shield his eyes with a hand. When he got used to it and lowered the hand, he noticed Greg staring at him. He had forgotten he was naked and was now sitting totally exposed in front of the boy.
"Fuck!" Nick muttered, then pulled the bed covers over to hide his modesty. "Sorry about that."
Greg just blushed and shrugged, remaining silent, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious himself as he sat in just his underwear.
"What's up bud?" Nick asked, looking at the boy.
"I just..." Greg started, then stopped with a sigh. "I just needed to talk to you.
"Is this about the kiss?" Nick asked. Greg nodded so Nick smiled gently and continued. "Look, I'm sorry I kinda freaked out and ran off..."
"And then avoided me all day!" Greg added.
"Yeah, and then avoided you all day, it's just... you caught me by surprise a little." Nick explained. "I... I've been dealing with some stuff with Warren.... and another guys... and it kinda messed with my head, but it made me realise how much I love Warren. I like you, Greg, but... we can't do that!"
"Yeah... yeah, I know." Greg mumbled vaguely. "I was just... really happy to be staying here, I didn't mean to... I mean, I don't..." He dropped his face into his hands. "I don't know what I'm saying." he added, the sound muffled by his hands, whimpering slightly in confusion and frustration.
"Hey, relax." Nick said, reaching out to slide a hand down the boy's bare back and and then up again. "No harm done. We're all good."
Greg peered out from behind his hands. "You promise?"
Nick smiled warmly and rubbed the boy's back again. "Yeah, I do. It was just a one-time thing, in the heat of the moment and it didn't mean anything. No big deal."
Greg dropped his hands away from his face and grinned at the older boy. "Thanks Nick."
"You're welcome. Feel a bit better now?" Nick asked cheerfully, adding, "I know I do!"
"Yeah, much!" Greg replied .
"Good. Now, would you like a hand getting back to your room?" Nick offered.
"Erm..." Greg started, looking nervous again. "I was just wondering... if it might be okay... If I maybe... stayed?" Nick gave him a puzzled look. "Like last night." he added.
Nick reached across and stroked his fingers gently through the boys hair. He was so sweet, almost angelic even, his eyes big and hopeful. But could he do it? Could he let the boy into his bed again, especially after that kiss. He had just made his feelings clear, and Greg seemed okay with it, but would this send mixed messages? Was this going beyond their developing friendship and brotherhood into something more... intimate, or was it simply a desire for comfort?
"Please." Greg pleaded, his sad eyes now watering a little. "Last night was the first night I ever went to sleep feeling really safe." Greg explained.
Nick thought he could actually feel his heart melting at the boy's words. There was no way he could say no now. He reached down to the floor to his pile of discarded clothes from earlier and quickly pulled on his underwear, then silently got back into bed, holding an arm out and gesturing for Greg to join him. The boy eagerly shuffled along the bed and lay down, pressing his back against Nick's chest as the older boy's arms encircled him. He reached up and turned off the lamp, then grabbed on tightly to Nick's arms as he felt the covers being spread out across him.
"Night Nick." he whispered happily.
Nick kissed him quickly on the top of his head and whispered back, "Night bud."
The next morning, Warren and Sam came by on their way to school to see Greg who had returned to his bed before anyone else had got up. Pippa was making him stay home and rest his ankle. The leaflet they had got from the hospital had recommended at least 48 hours rest before attempting to get back to normal activity and she was virtually timing the boy to the second.
When Warren walked into Josh's old room and saw Greg laying there, he just burst into tears. Greg held out his arms and the boy dashed towards him, cuddling up with him on the bed.
"I don't even know what I'm crying for!" Warren sniffed through the tears.
Sam sat on the other side of Greg, holding his hand. "Probably because you're a big wimp!" Sam teased.
"Fuck off, I'm gay. Being overemotional is virtually in the job description!" Warren snapped back, rubbing the last few tears away and sitting up to stare angrily at Sam.
Greg started laughing at the two, who quickly joined in with him. "I love you guys." Greg said with a contented smile.
"Love you too, dude." Sam answered for both of them. "We're just glad you're okay."
"So what's gonna happen?" Warren asked.
Greg shrugged. "I guess they'll have to talk to my parents, see if they think it's safe for me to go back there. I'm pretty sure they'll think I can. Mum and Dad have always been pretty good at putting on a show when they have to."
Warren and Sam just looked at him, unsure what to say.
"It'll all be okay though. It's been nice to get away from it, even if it's just for a couple of days." Greg explained then looked at his friends mornful expressions. "Geez, cheer up you miserable fuckers. I thought you were here to make me feel better, not the other way round."
"Sorry." Sam said glumly. "It just... sucks that we can't do anything for you."
"You're here for me, that's enough." Greg replied, squeezing the boy's hand gently.
"Why did..." Warren started, then paused as if having second thoughts. When Greg and Sam both stared at him, he figured he couldn't just stop. "Why did you come to Nick, instead of to one of us?" He looked sad, almost disappointed as he asked the question that had been nagging at him.
Greg stared back at him. It was something he hadn't actually considered himself. "I really don't know." he answered honestly. "I think... maybe.... well, I was scared. And I needed to feel safe. I know you guys are there for me, but I think, in that moment, Nick felt like the strongest person I knew and I felt like... he could keep me safe. I'm sorry. I know I should have come to you guys, but... oh fuck, I don't know. It was all just a mess."
"Sorry." Warren said, looking down at his hands, flicking at his fingers with his thumb. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad and I think you made the right call."
"Okay." Greg said, forcing a smile. "But next time I'm totally coming to you though!"
"Next time?!" Warren said in shock. "Don't even joke about that. Please."
"Sorry." Greg replied apologetically. "Anyway, shouldn't you two be heading to school."
"Oh yeah. I wish I could get the day off like you, I hate Mondays." Sam said, scowling.
Greg pointed over at the window. "Feel free to jump out and get a day off too. I wouldn't mind the company!" Greg joked, his gallows humour going largely unappreciated once again.
Sam and Warren both gave Greg a final hug before heading out of his room and heading downstairs. Before they left, Warren looked into the lounge to see if Corey was there. "Hey, Cor, we're heading to school. Wanna walk with us?"
"Sure." the boy said happily, dashing out into the hallway to slip his shoes on.
The three boys all said goodbye to Corey's Mum, who was just on her way up to check on Greg, and left the house.
"You guys okay?" Corey asked as they walked.
"Yeah." Warren replied flatly.
"It just sucks knowing what he's dealing with." Sam added.
"It does, but it'll all work out." Corey replied, reaching an arm out either side to pat them both on the back. "Now cheer the fuck up! That's an order!"
"Fuck you!" Warren said, defiant of the boy's authority.
"Maybe on Friday!" Corey replied, with a wink.
Sam looked round at them both. "What's happening Friday?"
Corey and Warren looked at each other and grinned, Josh's embarrassment over inviting Sam flashing through both of their minds. "We're having a birthday party for my brother." Warren explained.
"Oh cool." Sam said a little dismissively.
Warren grinned. "I don't think you get it, it's not just a party!"
Sam looked puzzled, so Corey added. "Beware, this party may contain scenes of an explicit nature. Parental caution is advised!"
Sam stopped mid-step, stared at his two friends and just said, "It's a sex party? You two are going to a sex party?"
Warren stopped too and turned to look back at the shocked boy. "Well not quite a 'sex party' but I'm gonna be arranging some... adult-themed fun to entertain us. And I'm going but Corey's being a pussy and he's just 'considering it'." Warren said in a teasing tone as he looked to the younger boy.
"Fuck you. It's a gay party and I'm not gay!" Corey insisted with an annoyed frown.
"Corey, gay or straight, I've seen you enjoying your fair share of cock!" Warren replied frankly, elbowing the young teen teasingly.
"Wait, so who else is going?" Sam asked, his curiosity clearly piqued.
"Well it's me, maybe Corey, Josh, Dale, Liam. Oh, and Nick of course." Warren said, thinking if he had missed anyone.
"Nick..." Sam muttered, thinking back to the things he had done with Nick at the weekend, then looked suddenly at Warren and continued, "And all those other guys? That's... that's pretty hot."
"Come on." Corey said, gesturing for them to continue walking, then nodded his reluctant agreement to Sam's statement "Yeah, it's... kinda hot."
"You wanna come?" Warren asked, looking round at the smaller boy.
"Yeah right, I'm sure my invite's in the mail." Sam sniggered.
"Actually, you really have been invited." Warren replied.
"By Josh!" Corey added with a smirk.
"Josh... wants me there?" Sam asked, a fiendish grin spreading across his face.
He had only just arrived and Josh was feeling the usual Monday blues as he sat at work staving off the boredom. He found himself thinking about James. Lately whenever he had been bored at work, he had ended up texting James. Dale's assertion that James did indeed have a crush on Josh put him off contacting the confused young man. At the same time though, Dale had also said that James felt like he had done something wrong on Friday and was a little upset about it. He hated the thought of James feeling bad for no reason.
Eventually, the guilt in Josh's mind outweighed his reluctance and he pulled out his phone. [Hey, how doing? How was your weekend?]
It was about ten minutes before he heard anything back, but James finally replied. [Hey, was just thinking about you. I'm good thanks. Weekend was nice, always good to spend time with Dale again. How was yours?]
[A bit stressful at times, but not too bad overall] Josh sent back, really holding back. Stressful was an understatement really, but he didn't want to open it up to too much questioning from James.
[What's the stress? Wanna talk about it?] James offered anyway.
Josh couldn't help wondering if the offer was genuine concern, or just some ploy to get close to him again. He felt bad for even considering there may be any duplicity and dismissed it, sending a quick reply. [Nah, it's all in hand now, but thanks.]
[You going to the gym tonight? ;-)] James asked.
Josh reluctantly smirked at the obvious offer he was making, but stopped himself before he could reply. He remembered Corey's (slightly harsh) advice from Friday. ' I can tell there's a lot on your mind and whatever it is, you need to start fucking dealing with it or you're just gonna fuck up everything you've got here!' He hated to admit it to himself, but the situation with James was one of those things. It was far from the most prominent, obviously, but he figured that if he started trying to deal with the little things, the big ones might just follow.
[Actually, could we meet somewhere else? Maybe the coffee shop round the corner from the gym, at 6?] he requested.
[Sure. See you then.] James replied.
It suddenly occurred to Josh that he knew he needed to talk to James, but had literally no idea what he was actually going to say. At least he had the rest of the day to prepare.
Nick knocked on the door and stood waiting, hoping there would be an answer. He thought he may have arrived too late and missed Callum, that his friend might have already headed off to college. Thankfully, the door opened a few moments later and the young man appeared, grinning as he saw Nick.
"Hey you." Callum said happily, surprised at his friend's unexpected appearance. "Everything okay?" The last time he had seen Nick, he had been on the verge of ending their relationship, having convinced himself that he was actually falling in love. Callum had soon set him straight, making it clear that they were just friends, or at more, fuck buddies.
"How would you feel about skipping college this morning and just having lots and lots of sex instead?" Nick asked with a grin.
Callum just stared for a moment, before a grin spread over his face too. "Who could say no to that!" he said happily, leading Nick inside his flat. It was only a small place, but it was close to the college and the guy he shared with was always working so Callum and Nick often ended up there for a quick fuck or two.
The moment they were in Callum's bedroom, Nick started pulling the boy's clothes off. Callum was soon doing the same and the two of them collapsed onto the bed, naked. Nick started, as he usually did, by taking Callum's pierced nipple in his mouth. There was something about the small stud that intrigued him, and the happy cooing noises it elicited from its owner just spurred him on more.
Callum reached down and grabbed Nick's head and lifted it, making the other boy look at him. "Hey, what's up?" he asked, clearly able to tell something was going on.
"After!" Nick insisted, pulling free of Callum's grip and putting his mouth to work on the smooth bare chest beneath him. His hands and lips continued wandering back and forth across the boy's body, marvelling at the smooth flawlessness of it all. Not that Callum was particularly hairy anyway, but what little hair he had was always shaved off. He was a lot like Warren in the way, Nick had noted once, wondering if maybe that was his 'type'.
Callum was happy to lay there, letting his eager friend do all the work and enjoying the eager touches and tickles. Of all the guys he had been with, not that there were many, Nick had always been his most tender sexual partner, always ensuring that his partner's needs were met just as much as his own, his touch always firm enough to feel exciting, but gentle enough to feel loving. Today was no exception. Even though it was clear he had things on his mind, it didn't spoil his technique, something Callum appreciated even more as he felt his cock being engulfed by Nick's eager mouth.
"Oh... oh yeah. Mmm, yeah Nick, that's.... ah yeah." Callum muttered, bringing his hands up to gently stroke through Nick's hair as he blew him. It didn't take long before Nick's throat was coated with the teen's spunk, Callum whimpering happily as Nick sucked him clean.
They both knew what was next. Callum reached out to his bedside drawers, opened the top one and grabbed a small bottle of lube. He squeezed some into his hand then passed the bottle to Nick who took a blob in his fingers too. Callum reached down and began to prepare himself, first sticking a finger in, pushing it all the way and back out several times before slipping in a second, then a third. This was how they often did it, Callum fingering himself excitedly as Nick stroked the lubricant on his own erection.
Their eyes were fixed on each other as they did it, Nick watching the boy's eager finger-fucking while Callum watched Nick's hand pumping away at his straining dick. When neither of them were able to put it off any longer, Callum removed his fingers and immediately felt Nick's cock pressing against his loosened hole. With just a little pressure, it popped inside, eliciting a much deeper groan from Callum than the gentle blow job had received.
Nick fucked the boy's hole slowly, getting as much pleasure from Callum's delighted face as he was from the fucking itself. He knew exactly the right angle to raise the young man's hips to in order to pound his prostate, so he manoeuvred Callum into position, grinning happily as he saw the extra stimulation pulsating through his lover's body. He worked at it slowly, watching as Callum's post-orgasmic cock began twitching back to life.
"You close?" Callum gasped, staring breathlessly up at Nick.
"Yeah." Nick replied quickly.
"Me too." Callum advised.
Nick pulled out and pressed his dick against Callum's, wrapping a hand around them both together and stroked. As they both went to panting to moaning and then to grunting, their cocks erupted simultaneously, the added stimulation of another twitching cock against their own adding to the pleasure as they covered Callum's stomach and chest with their double load.
They had barely finished cumming when Nick leant down and started sucking the jizz into his mouth, holding it there rather than swallowing. Once he had collected it all, he crawled the rest of the way up Callum and lowered his lips against the other boy's, the two kissing as their intermingled seed spread through both their mouths.
A few minutes later, the kiss parted and Nick flopped onto the bed beside Callum, resting his head on his friend's shoulder.
"You gonna tell me what's up now?" Callum asked, his breathing starting to return to normal.
Nick rolled onto his side, curling against Callum's body, sighed and started explaining what had happened with Greg over the weekend before going on to explain the conversation with Warren about his feelings for Callum.
Callum raised his eyebrows in surprise as Nick finished talking. "Wow, and I thought my weekend was bad because my hair wouldn't do what I wanted it to yesterday! Sounds like you've had a hell of a time." he exclaimed in surprise, getting a definite nod of agreement from Nick. "Sounds like it's all gonna be okay though, sow hat's with the stress? That Greg kid should be fine now he's with you guys and Warren's cool with me and you, right?"
Nick sighed again and said, "Yeah, I guess so, I think it's all just so... complicated that I think I just needed something... less complicated."
"Are you calling me simple?" Callum asked teasingly with a one-sided smile.
"Hey, you said it, not me!" Nick teased back with a giggle.
Callum reached down and started tickling Nick, the other boy attempting to tickle him in return. They rolled around on the bed, trying to out-tickle each other, eventually dropping onto the floor but continuing anyway. Eventually, laughing and breathless, they called a ceasefire, laying in a tangle of limbs.
Nick tilted his head to the side, feeling Callum's cock against his cheek. It was hard again. "Well, looks like someone's ready to go again!" he laughed.
"Likewise!" Callum said before taking Nick's erection into his mouth.
Josh was sat in a big squishy armchair, sipping on an oversized coffee when James arrived. The young man waved at Josh then went straight to the counter to get a drink. Suddenly, everything Josh had planned to say vanished from his mind. Seconds before he had known every word, but now his mind was completely blank. Panic began to set in as James walked over with a large cup of something topped with whipped cream.
"Hey, you okay?" James asked as he pulled off his coat and sat down in the armchair facing Josh.
"I'm good, you?" Josh replied nervously.
"I'm fine. I was a bit confused about why you wanted to meet here? Bit public for a fuck, isn't it?" James asked with a grin.
Josh choked on a mouthful of coffee, coughing and spluttering as he leaned forward to put the mug back on the table. He coughed again. "Fuck, are you trying to kill me?"
"Sorry." James said, laughing at Josh's reaction. "What's up Josh, why are we here? Is it because of what I did on Friday?"
Josh looked at him and asked, "Why? What did you do on Friday?"
James scooped some cream off the top of his drink with his finger then licked it off as he shrugged. "I don't really know, but you kinda freaked out after... the shower. I figured I'd done something to piss you off."
"Oh God, no. You didn't do anything wrong, you were great." Josh reassured him with a smile. "I've just... had some issues lately and Friday was... a tough day for me."
"That's a relief." James said happily, eating some more of the cream. "So what's up then?"
"Do you like me?" Josh asked bluntly, cursing himself for his complete absence of tact.
"Course I do. You're awesome." James said with another shrug, wondering where he was going.
"No James, do you LIKE me?" Josh asked again, emphasising the 'like'.
"Oh." James said with a smile, finally catching on. "Oh!" he said again, frowning as he realised what Josh must have been thinking. "No, God... no, of course not. I'm not into guys in that way. You know that."
Josh was more confused now. The answer seemed completely sincere, but he had been so sure it was going to be a yes.
"Wait, why would you think that? Was it Dale? Did he tell you I do?" James asked, frowning as he licked his finger again.
"No... well yes, but...it's not just that. It's... what about... the showers? And the other day at my place, what you said about not liking other guys... and the texts, and the pictures." Josh rambled.
James started laughing. "You're as sweet as you are stupid, you lugnut!"
Josh just sat looking at him, frowning.
"Okay, I can see where you'd get that impression, but I'm... straight. I don't look at guys and think 'yeah, I gotta tap that', but with me and you, there's, like, a connection. You make me really horny, but that's all it is. I wanna fuck you, not marry you! Sure, maybe if I got really stupidly horny I'm not saying it'd never happen, but so far... it's just you!" James explained.
Josh looked round nervously, wondering who might be able to overhear and what they might think. He stared back at James, wondering how he could have misread the situation so completely.
"So you... don't LIKE me?" Josh asked, more reiterating to himself than actually asking.
James shook his head with a muted smile. "Well firstly, you're dating my best friend, so even if I did, do you really think I'd even go near you? Secondly, you don't have boobs. As much fun as you are, I need someone with boobs, I'm really quite fond of them. Finally, and most importantly, you're an ugly fucker, why do you think I always do you from behind!" James grinned at the insult.
While Josh sniggered through a forced angry glare. "At least I'm not ginger!" Josh teased back.
James just shrugged at the insult, licking cream from his finger once again while staring at Josh. He rolled his eyes at the lack of reaction and demanded angrily, "For fuck's sake, how many times do I need to do this before you take the hint?"
Josh laughed, finally catching on to the now-obvious attempt at seduction. "Fine." Josh said, taking a gulp of his own drink. "But this time I'm gonna be facing you, just so you have to look at my extreme ugliness!"
"Whatever, I usually imagine you're a hot girl anyway! I'll just pretend you're a hot ugly girl this time!" James said with a chuckle.
They finished their drinks and headed round to the gym, with absolutely no intention of having a conventional workout. As they walked out, Josh said, "So if you don't have any interest in other guys.... I'm guessing you wouldn't be interested in Dale's party on Friday?"
James looked at him curiously. "What party?"
Pippa made Greg stay off school again Tuesday, insisting that he still needed to give his ankle more time to rest. Warren and Sam had spent Monday evening supposedly going over the day's school work with him, at least that's what they told her. As soon as they were alone, the school work was quickly forgotten. Greg had filled them in about the progress of his 'case' and about how a woman from social services had come to speak to him earlier in the day.
Warren and Sam had come around again after school an Tuesday and had actually gone through a brief bit of school work this time. As soon as Nick got home, he had joined them, the older boy's attendance giving them excuse to forget school and just muck about. They were sitting and talking about Dale's party when they heard a knock at the front door. They didn't think any more about it until Pippa came up, looking quite solemn.
"Greg, Irene from social services is back." she said, getting worried looks from all four boys. Hesitantly, she added, "And your parents are with her."
"They're here? In this house?" Nick snapped, jumping up, fists clenched.
"Nick!" Pippa said sternly, her tone removing the need for any other words.
He looked unhappy, but sat back down. Warren put a hand on his leg and rubbed it gently.
"They'd like to talk to you Greg, if that's okay? You won't be alone. Irene will be there. So will me and George." She reassured the boy.
"And so will I!" Nick insisted.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Pippa said, taking a deep breath as she looked at her clearly-concerned son.
"Please... let him come." Greg requested.
She looked back and forth between the two then reluctantly agreed. The boys all climbed off the bed, allowing Greg to get out. He managed to stand on his own and walk out to the landing, but leaned on Nick a little as he walked down the stairs.
"I'm here for you, buddy." Nick whispered as they neared the door to the lounge.
They walked in and Greg froze as he saw his parents standing there looking nervous. "Greg!" his Mum said, eyes wet, stepping towards him. Greg backed away a little but just found himself bumping into Nick. She stopped when she saw his hesitation and returned to her previous spot.
"Greg, why don't you come and have a seat." Irene said softly, patting the sofa cushion beside her.
Nick followed Greg to the sofa. As the younger boy sat down on it, Nick perched on the arm.
They all started talking. Irene explained that after she had visited on Monday, she had been round to Greg's house and spent a lot of time talking to his parents. She said they had identified some 'concerns', but that they were sure they could help resolve them. Everyone remained silent through most of the explanation, while Nick just sat with his angry gaze fixed on Greg's Dad.
Irene laid out the plan they were considering. Firstly, Greg's parents were to attend counselling for their marital issues, the anger issues and, in Greg's Mum's case, what had been identified as a potential alcohol problem. She said that in cases like this, where the problems were all behavioural rather than physical, and where the problem had been caught relatively early, it was best to try and return to a normal routine as quickly as possible. The idea was to try and get back to a sense of normalcy for both the parents and the child, but with as much support as could be offered to keep Greg safe.
It was suggested that Greg go home for a few hours the next day with supervision and monitoring by a social worker. If that went well, then he would return home for a little longer Thursday, with Irene still in the building, but not directly supervising. From there they would see how things were progressing and plan accordingly.
Nick's disapproval was obvious without him even saying a word but everyone else appeared hopeful that things could actually get better. Greg seemed almost overjoyed at the prospect of being able to go home, but without the problems of the past, leaving Nick worried that the boy's optimism might be clouding both his and Irene's judgement of what he deemed to be a terrible idea. Despite Nick's hesitation, he couldn't help but admit that Greg's parents both appeared to be genuinely remorseful about what had happened. He was quite angry that the threats Mr West had made against him on Sunday morning were being dismissed as just 'an extreme reaction to the situation' and that it was 'manageable with counselling'.
Irene and Greg's parents had left shortly after the plans had been agreed, with a time arranged for her to come and collect Greg the next day for his first visit.
When the time for Wednesday's visit rolled around and Greg left with Irene, nobody in the McKenzie house could really think about anything else. They had all come to care for Greg a great amount in the short time he had been there, so knowing he was potentially in a harmful situation was quite stressful for them. When he returned, however, they were relieved to see he was okay, but more importantly, amazed to see that he actually seemed to be quite happy!
"It was... incredible!" Greg explained. "They're like totally different people. I think maybe all of this was the wakeup call they needed."
Thursday's visit went just as well, better even. They had all been worried that as soon as the direct supervision stopped, Greg's parents would revert to their old ways, but according to Greg, they hadn't. Irene had brought him home after Thursday's visit and came into the house to discuss the next steps. She said she was happy with the progress and suggested that maybe it was time for Greg to try staying the night.
The idea was met by reluctance from Nick, clearly verbalised this time, but Greg just seemed so happy to finally be able to return home safely and confident that his parents would do better this time that Irene, Pippa and George agreed to let it go ahead. As such, it was agreed that after school Friday, Greg would go home. Irene had arranged to go and visit again Saturday morning to see how it went and see if the return should be permanent.
That night, Nick lay in bed, unable to sleep as he worried about the boy he was becoming so protective of. The two of them had discussed Nick's trepidation privately, but Greg simply kept reassuring him that everything was going to be okay. The boy's optimism was nice to see, but it was certainly not helping Nick sleep.
Shortly before midnight, he heard the door to his room open. He looked over at it and saw Greg standing there. Without saying a word, he lifted his duvet on one side. Greg dashed across the room and jumped in beside him. The two cuddled up together and drifted off to sleep.
Josh stopped in the kitchen doorway on his way to the bed, looking at the mountain of snacks and drinks they had purchased for the party the following night. "You think it's enough?" Josh joked as Dale walked past on his way to the bedroom.
"I dunno!" Dale said grumpily.
"Ah, cheer up you miserable git. You know you're gonna have fun." Josh said, following him down the hallway.
"Whatever. Who's actually coming anyway?" Dale asked. He had stayed out of it for most of the week. He felt a little conflicted over the fact that the events were being inspired by 'the stuff we did with Benny', as Warren put it. While he had enjoyed most of the stuff they did, even the mention of the boy's name still bothered him.
"Me, you, Liam, James, Warren, Nick, Corey and Sam." Josh reeled off as the two of them headed into their room.
"What? Seriously? James is coming? Corey too?" Dale asked, somewhat surprised.
"I may have... erm... teased James' curiosity a little." Josh said with a grin as he started undressing for bed. "As for Corey, Warren told me that's all thanks to Sam. Apparently he said that if Corey came, he'd come too. Honestly, I think Corey just doesn't want to be left out and Sam... I dunno, he's a bit of a mystery really."
"A mystery you want to solve, I'm guessing!" Dale teased as he jumped into bed.
"Fuck off." Josh said, blushing and smiling against his will.
"Hey, you didn't mention Greg. I thought he might wanna join in." Dale said as Josh climbed in beside him.
"He was going to, but I spoke to Nick earlier and apparently things have been going well with getting him home, and tomorrow's gonna be his first night back with his parents." Josh explained. "Nick's totally freaking out about it."
"That's good news about Greg. As for Nick, don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to take his mind off of it." Dale said with a devilish grin. "Speaking of which, you gonna give me any hints about what's actually gonna happen?"
"Nope." Josh said, sniggering knowingly. "I couldn't if I wanted to anyway, I've left it all to Warren and Corey to plan. I've told them not to get too carried away. I mean, it's not gonna be as extreme as..." he paused, reluctant to finish the sentence with the mention of his former master's name, instead changing to, "... before."
Dale picked up on the near-slip and stroked Josh's arm approvingly.
Josh continued. "But there's gonna be plenty to enjoy. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they've come up with." Josh said, sliding his hands across Dale's body. As they reached his crotch, he realised his boyfriend was already rigid. "Well, I guess you really are looking forward to it after all!"
If you've enjoyed my writing, below are links to my other stories on Nifty
Series ------ Benny Takes Control - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/benny-takes-control/
The Dangers of Desire (sequel to Benny Takes Control) - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/the-dangers-of-desire/
Possession - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/sf-fantasy/possession-series/
Standalones ----------- The Art of Seduction - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/the-art-of-seduction
And Then It Got Worse - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/masturbation/and-then-it-got-worse
Character Recap ---------------
Josh McKenzie
Josh is 22, 6'3", moderately muscled, with light brown hair and brown eyes. Older brother of Nick and Corey. Date of birth - 7th September 1992
After being enslaved by Benny, he discovered a whole world of subbing. After things ended with Benny, he started a relationship with Dale and a secret relationship with Dale's younger brother, Warren. Recently reunited briefly with Benny, but it ended abruptly. Also has regular sex with Liam and James. Recently started feeling attracted to Sam, Warren's best friend.
Nick McKenzie
Nick is 17, 6'2" and looks strikingly similar to Josh, albeit a few years younger and much slimmer. The middle of the three McKenzie brothers. He had known he was gay for some time but never came out to anyone until he told Josh. Date of birth - 21st April 1997
After the week with Benny, Nick started dating Warren, not knowing that the boy was also seeing his brother, Josh. When he started college, he met and started sleeping with Callum who he worried he was developing feelings for, but soon realised it was just friendship. Recently started developing a close relationship to Greg, a friend of Warren's.
Corey McKenzie
Corey is 14 and looks quite different to his two older brothers, Nick and Josh. He has blonde hair and blue eyes and well toned due to his love of sports. He is showing signs of developing more towards Josh's muscled build. Despite messing around with other boys, Corey is very much straight, only feeling romantic attraction towards girls. Date of birth - 17th March 2000.
Corey has become very astutely aware of the events going on around him, often offering insight to his brothers about their problems. He is one of the few people aware of Josh and Warren's secret relationship. Often burdened with responsibilities beyond his years, he handles it all with a maturity far beyond that of most boys his age.
Dale Spencer
Dale is 21, 6'4", well muscled but not bulky. He has dark, naturally curly hair and stunning hazel eyes. Older brother of Dale and best friend of James. Realised he was gay in his early teens and came out at 16, with much support from friends and family. Date of birth - 30th January 1993.
Dale met Josh through Benny's machinations and the two ended up falling in love. He is unaware of the secret love between Josh and Warren. He has been very supportive of Josh over the years throughout his struggles in handling what happened with Benny, but following the recent incidents warned Josh that he was on his last warning. Even Dale can only be pushed so far. He cares very deeply for his little brother, as well as for Josh's younger brothers who he has come to see as family.
Warren Spencer
Warren is 15, average build with the potential to either slim out or bulk out, deep brown eyes, black hair long at the front that often hangs down over half of his face. Warren had been fairly open with regards to sexuality, not committed to any orientation and open to anything. His activities with Benny and the others swayed him towards the gay side, but he remains open to most options. Younger brother of Dale. Date of birth - 25th February 1999.
Warren got drawn into Benny's plans after becoming attracted to Josh, the two quickly forming a strong bond. Despite their closeness, Warren ended up dating Josh's brother, and Josh dating Warren's. Eventually Josh and Warren started seeing each other in secret. Warren's best friend is Sam and the two share an extremely close, often physical but not sexual, relationship, which has recently been expanded to include Greg in their inner circle.
Liam Decker
22 years old, 5'7", heavily-muscled, with short brownish-ginger hair and green eyes. Liam is straight, but his encounters with Josh, Dale and Ryan have left him open to the possibility of physical relationships with guys, although he continues to feel romantic attraction solely to females. Liam went to school with Josh and is Ryan's best friend and gym buddy. Date of birth - 27th October 1992
Liam has developed a close friendship with both Josh and Dale, often having sexual encounters casually with them both, despite his tendency towards heterosexuality. Secretly he also sleeps with Ryan who tends to only use Liam to help relieve sexual frustrations built up elsewhere.
Ryan Henderson
Ryan is 22, 6'2", with dark hair, dark eyes, heavily muscled and very proud of his body. Completely straight and mostly just shocked over his own body's reactions to the activities with Liam and Josh. Josh's school friend and Liam's best friend/gym buddy. Date of birth - 1st November 1992.
Ryan tends to steer clear of the homosexual side of things when it comes to his friends, staunchly insisting his own heterosexuality despite fairly regular encounters with his best friend, Liam.
James Pollard
James is 21, 5'9" with a slim build, strawberry-blonde hair and dark green eyes. Straight. Best friend of Dale, met Liam at the gym and became friends with him too. Date of birth - 19th August 1993
James had always been Dale's best friend, but the two drifted apart a little when dale started dating Josh, whom he took a dislike to. Getting to know each other, James and Josh quickly began having sexual encounters together. It appeared he was actually attracted to Josh romantically but has recently denied any such feelings, instead stating that he likes Josh simply for being the only guy he particularly enjoys having sex with.
Greg West
15, Greg is skinny and blonde haired with blue eyes. Gay, but not out yet, although most of his friends already accept. Wants to be as close to Warren and Sam as they are with each other. Date of birth - 20th May 1999
Greg had been facing some problems at home with his somewhat volatile parents, leading him to seek comfort in his friends Sam and Warren, who quickly accepted him into their inner circle, leading him to get to know Warren's boyfriend Nick in the process. After a particularly bad night with his parents, Greg ran away, seeking help from Nick. With the home situation now being addressed, Greg is hopeful to return home safely.
Tim Carver
15, Tim is a little chubby with dark hair and brown eyes. Very straight and slightly uncomfortable with shows of affection or sexuality. Not very open or approachable. Date of birth - 8th June 1999
Tim was quite close to Warren, Sam and Greg, but their continuing movement towards more open homosexuality has lead him to distance himself from his former friends, not wanting to take the chance of being labelled as gay too.
Sam Quarton
15, Sam is slim with golden brown hair and grey eyes. He is Warren's best friend, straight but very open and accepting, happy showing his affection to his friends physically. Enjoys teasing guys and getting them turned on. Date of birth - 15th July 1999
Sam is Warren's best friend, the two of them sharing an extremely close bind which soon extended to also include Greg. Sam has a penchant for teasing, getting a thrill out of turning guys on against their will, particularly Josh. Some recent encounters with Nick have lead Sam to explore more sexual activities with other boys.
Callum Ramsay
17, short and slim, dark blonde short hair, several piercings. Callum met Nick at college and they quickly went from friends to fuck buddies. Nick had thought he had been cheating on Warren with him but it turned out to just be friendship.
Pippa and George McKenzie – Josh, Nick and Corey's parents, surrogate parents to Warren and Dale. Both very open and loving with all five boys, staunchly protective of them but not above having a laugh at their expense.