With Love We Can be Human By James
Disclaimer
This is a story which deals with sexual as well as romantic situations between teenaged males. Should you not be of the legal age to read such material, or should you be offended by this kind of story then please find something else to read.
I can be contacted with comments, questions or anything else regarding the story at jamesheady1985@gmail.com.
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Chapter 11
Brandon
Saturday was hot and sunny. We all were outside enjoying the weather and doing different activities that were sports related. Torey, Misho, Todor and I were playing Basketball and Ethan and Jordan were a few feet away from us running on the track that was larger than the one we had at our school. It looked as if Ethan was going to win since he was nearing the finish line at lightning speed.
As for our game, I ended up shooting and hitting the basket in the last moment which more or less declared me the winner. Todor, Misho and Torey clapped for me, then Todor gave me a thumbs-up sign as we all headed for the house to get cleaned up. We were going to be having lunch once cleaned up which I was looking forward to since I was always hungry after sports.
Once showered, I sat on the edge of Torey's bed as he showered. I was really enjoying myself and enjoying his company. I thought of that while I sat there. I was also thinking about how I felt like I was getting closer to feeling ready to tell him how I felt for him. I worried a little that he might not feel completely the same way or that if he did, then it would be mainly sexual, but I didn't think it would be like that. I figured that I would figure it out and if I couldn't do it on my own, then I knew I had my parents and Zack to help me out if I needed it. I was brought back to the present when the door to the restroom opened and Torey came out wrapped in a towel. He walked to the dresser and got out boxers, socks and then went over to the closet to get out a shirt and shorts.
Once he was dressed, he came over to me and we shared a hug.
"You were great out there!" he said once seated next to me with his hand resting on top of mine.
"Thanks," I replied smiling. "You did good as well," I continued. I thought you did really good with your stamina."
"Yeah, that's one thing that people notice about me when I'm active," he answered.
Just then there was a knock at the door.
"You two star-crossed lovers ready to come out of your little Love Nest?" Misho yelled with his voice close to the door. "Lunch is about ready."
"No," I yelled back. "But I'm about ready to come out there and kick your ass for that little remark."
I got up and opened the door. Misho was standing there with a sweet and innocent look on his face which seemed to say: "Oh, I'm so nice and I'm not doing anything bad at all.".
It didn't last long since he started laughing. I stepped aside and let him in, then closed the door.
"Care to repeat that to our faces now that you're face-to-face with us?" I asked stepping closer to him.
We were standing so that he was with his back towards the edge of the bed. I kept coming closer until he was right up against the bed and he sat down. He was still smiling.
"Well?" I said.
"I don't know what you're talking about?" he said trying to still do his little Mr. Innocent pose and failing badly at it.
I rushed forward and was on him tickling his sides and wrestling with him. Torey was holding his arms up above his head so he couldn't push me off.
"Okay!" he yelled out of breath.
"You give up?" Torey asked with mock severity.
"Yeah!" he answered.
We let him up, then I heard an odd scratching at the door.
"What the hell?" I asked.
"That's our signal we came up with whenever Todor is at the door," Torey answered.
"What?" Misho asked looking at me. "Did it remind you of Rats trying to claw their way in to the house? Maybe we have some."
"Fuck you," I shot back as I went to open the door.
Todor was standing there and smiling. He must have heard some of what was said. He held out a note he wrote and I looked at it.
"Tell him you'll load up his music player with all Justin Bieber and Jonas Brothers songs," the note read. "That gets him calmed down."
I went over and told him.
"No!" he yelled as if the end of the world was upon us. "I'll be good! Anything but that!"
He was laughing as he said that and so were Torey, Todor and I. We sat down and Todor sat in the chair that was across from the bed. Misho went to sit beside the chair, but I moved down closer to the foot of the bed. Torey did the same and I motioned for them to come over and join us. They did and we continued talking for a bit.
Lunch was really nice. We sat out on the deck and had cold Corn-Beef Sandwiches, Potato Salad and Ice-Tea. Michael and Josh made the food while Patrick one of their other brothers made the Ice-Tea. I complemented them on the food, then they sat and ate with us.
"I wanted to let you know that this up-coming week is going to be rather slow," Michael began. "We have a few meetings with the state that we have this time of year. They evaluate how the children are doing and we also get reports from them on any new kids who might be placed here either from foster care or ones who come here who've been referred by the courts."
"Aren't some of the children who are here ones who've came here themselves?" I asked. "They ran away from home and somehow found this place?"
"We have that happen," Josh added.
"For the most part though," Michael continued. "We get kids who are in foster homes or ones who are within the Juvenile Justice System who are offered placement here rather than in some juvenile facility."
"I'm glad you guys are here," I said.
"So are we," Michael replied. "Anyway, the point I'm getting at is that I talked with Torey Yesterday before you and your parents came here."
He motioned at Torey who picked up the thread.
"I'm progressing really well with what I'm doing here so we're cutting back some of my counseling sessions from daily to two days a week," he explained. "We did one Yesterday, then I'll do one the week after next while some of the other guys around here will be seen by some of Michael's other brothers while Michael and Josh have their meetings. So with that in mind, that would give you and I more time to spend together this up-coming week. I know you have your job you're doing through the week and you have church tomorrow morning."
"That's true," I said. "I can talk with my parents after we finish eating and see if we can have you down to spend a couple of days or the week with me if it's okay with you guys."
I said this last part while looking directly at Michael and Josh.
"That's fine with us," Michael replied. Josh agreed.
"Okay," I responded.
After we finished eating, I talked to my parents and they talked to Torey and Michael. It was settled; Torey would be spending the week with me. He'd go back to the center a week from the next day which was Sunday. I was happy and I could see how excited Torey was by his smile.
Torey went to lay down after I shared the good news with him which left me in the living room. Torey offered for me to join him, but I was still rather keyed up and had slept well the night before. So I was in the living room which was mainly empty save for Michael who was doing some paper work at the main desk which over looked the room as well as the hall leading in. I wasn't alone for long. Ethan came in and sat beside me on the couch. I put my book down when he spoke to me.
"How's your day going?" he asked in his quiet voice.
"It's going well," I replied looking at him. "And yours?"
"I'm having a good day," he answered. "Jordan is busy cleaning his room so I figured I'd see what you were doing. So what are you reading?"
I held the book out for him to see. It was "Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky.
"Dost uh'''," Ethan tried to say.
I smiled as he looked closer.
"It's not a typical last name," I said. "He's one of my favorite authors. My dad told me about his work when I was your age."
I explained a little more about Dostoyevsky, his work and how he had once embraced utopian ideas, then changed those ideas once sentenced to hard labor after his death sentence had been commuted. He seemed interested and then asked me if I saw any of the issues going on today that Dostoyevsky did in his day.
"Yeah," I replied. "How much do you know about Torey?"
"He told me a little about where he came from before he came here," Ethan said. "He told me about that place his parents sent him to for whatever they thought he did that was supposed to be bad."
"These places have basically the same mindset as did the main character of "Crime and Punishment"," I continued. "They believe that the harm they cause children is because they're making them in to better human beings, but they cause harm rather than bringing them help. They think that because this harm is justified, that then this means that they have the right to do what they're doing."
"My parents were going to send me to one of those places back when I was 12," Ethan said.
"For what?" I asked and could hardly keep the disgust out of my voice.
He leaned closer to me and then looked around the room to make sure that no other kids were listening.
"They didn't like when they found out that I'm gay," he said as his voice lowered so that I had to lean closer to hear what he was saying. "That didn't happen, because I called Children Services and they put me in foster care. I stayed there until about three or four weeks ago when Michael and Josh took me in. It's been an interesting past year-and-a half."
"It sounds like it was scary in some ways," I responded.
"Yeah," Ethan went on. "Especially when my dad said that I was going to the place they looked at. This was a couple of nights after I told them I was gay. I called Children Services the next day when my dad and mom were at work so that they wouldn't be there to over-hear me on the phone. My parents have always been really weird about trying to control almost every bit of my life. Oh, and don't even get me started on their religious ideas. I'll only say for now, that I'm just barely able to be accepting of religion as it is right now because of the crap they always tried to fill my head with that they said was religion."
"That's understandable," I answered. "I hope you know that I don't believe any religious things that talk about hurting other people in the name of God. I think that people who believe that kind of stuff are ones who actually want to see others hurt and they just blame it on God or what they believe God to be."
"Yeah, so do I," Ethan agreed.
We talked a little more, then Jordan came out of his room. We talked with him a little and we talked mainly of what kind of music we liked. Jordan was absolutely in love with Black Metal among other genres of Metal. Ethan liked some Metal, but was still getting used to Black Metal. "I'll get him on the dark side here soon," Jordan said smiling and placing an arm around Ethan's shoulders.
"I like some of Mayhem's stuff," Ethan said. "I enjoy their first full-length album from the early 1990s."
"You mean "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"?" I asked.
"Yeah," he replied. "That one."
"That's one of my favorites," I answered.
We talked a little more, then Ethan and Jordan excused themselves to go to Jordan's room and hang out with one another for a bit. Before they went to leave though, Ethan motioned that he wanted a hug from me. I did what he asked and he held on for a moment as if he didn't want to let go. I took in his dark-blond hair and when he looked at me for a second before we ended the hug, I saw his light-brown eyes which had kindness in them, but a lot of hurt and something that seemed to be saying: "Where do I go now? When will the next thing happen to hurt me.". I had to look away quickly since I felt my emotions beginning to awaken.
Jordan hugged me, but just with one arm and I didn't press the issue. When I looked at him, he had dark-brown hair and light-green eyes. In his eyes, there was pain, but more than that, there was anger and a biting contempt that was almost hatred. I felt intense sadness for both of them and thought how horrible it must have been for both of them as I watched them go in to his room and the door quickly close.
I sat back down as my emotions quieted down, then Michael spoke from where he was sitting at the desk.
"That's why I'm doing what I'm doing," he said. "So kids don't have to go through crap like what those two have gone through and if they do, then I try to help with helping them with keeping the damage from being really bad."
He came over to where I was sitting and I let him put his arm around me for a moment.
"I'm still trying to understand why kids have to go through stuff like this," I said turning to him. "I know it won't make it go away if we ever understood it, but maybe it wouldn't hurt so much if we could have the behavior of these abusers explained. I know what people like my father say about evil and that it's a mystery, and that we might not understand it. It's just really hard sometimes."
"I get what you're saying," Michael said. "Maybe if we understood it, then it would make it hurt even more. Sometimes when people who do evil give detailed reasons for what they do, then that can make it all the more horrible to think about."
"Yeah, I think you're right," I responded. "I'm okay. I think I was just over-taken for a moment when I saw the looks in Ethan's eyes, then in Jordan's. It's just really sad."
"Yeah, it definitely is," Michael agreed.
"Well, thanks for talking with me," I said. "I'll be going in to see if Torey's still asleep or if he's awake."
"Okay," Michael answered. "I was happy to talk with you. I'm always here if you ever want or need to talk."
"Thanks," I responded. "I'll remember that."
"Okay," he said.
Once back in Torey's room, I looked over at him and saw that he was still asleep. He was under the covers and was lying just in his boxers. I decided that I would join him.
After making sure the door was closed all the way, I removed my shirt and pants. My shoes and socks were already off so I didn't have to worry about that. I put my shirt and pants in the bag I brought with me for that purpose, then got in bed gently so as not to wake Torey, but he did wake up and looked around, then his eyes settled on me.
"It's just me," I said sliding in beside him.
He smiled, then fell back asleep. I snuggled up to him and wrapped my arms around him and felt that electric feeling I would get and still do every time our skin makes contact. I relaxed my body with him wrapped in my arms and enjoyed the heat of his body against mine and I also was enjoying the smell of his hair in my nose since his head was lying in the hollow of my neck. He was deeply asleep and I continued to lay there holding him as I thought about how deeply I was falling for him.
I knew that I was more in love with him at that moment than ever before. I couldn't think of my life without him by my side. I was also thinking about how much I treasured and loved our friendship. It was one of several things that brought and still brings joy to my life to this day. As I thought of all this, I felt my eyelids growing heavy, then I was falling fast asleep along with the love of my life.
The rest of the day was spent with Torey, Todor, Misho and I talking, then we decided to go down to the bowling alley that was a couple of blocks from the house. I enjoyed the sport and had played it several times with Dana and Austin, so I figured I'd take Torey and our two newest friends. Todor had never been and Misho had watched as a few people in his family would bole while he sat off to the side whenever they decided to drag him along, his words not mine. We told Michael and Josh where we were going and after saying good bye to them, we were off.
Once at the place, we got our bowling shoes and were ready to play. Torey was the first, then Todor went. After him, I went, then when it came to Misho, I watched as he approached the lanes and set up the ball in the appropriate area for him to send it on its way. He pushed, and it hit the pins directly.
We clapped for him, and it went on like that for about two hours. We talked while waiting turns and I was really enjoying myself. The three others liked it as well.
We finished out the game with Torey being the winner. We all clapped for him and once asking and receiving permission from Michael to eat at a place close to the bowling alley, we went on our way to a restaurant that was a couple of doors down from where we had been,.
The restaurant was a small cozy looking café that was warmly lit when I stepped through the doors and let the others in. We got seated and I looked through the menu. Todor and Misho were looking through a menu as well and Torey and I went over what we were probably going to order.
Todor and Misho decided on their order and it only took a few minutes for the orders to be prepared. I was happy about the quick service and even more pleased at how the woman serving us was patient with Todor when he wrote what he wanted to say. Misho seemed relieved at that and it was looking like it would be a good dinner.
"This really is a nice place," Torey said as we ate.
"Yeah, I really enjoy it," Misho replied.
Todor gave a sound of enjoyment and I gave my agreement.
"I know it's not some $100.00-a-plate restaurant like in places such as New York," I said smiling. "We could go there next time if you'd like."
"I don't eat that fancy rich-Bitch crap," Todor's note read as he held it up for us all to read.
We laughed and Misho smiled.
"Maybe we could go to one of those places that serves Octopus," Misho said smiling. "Have you guys ever had that?"
"No, we all said.
"Neither have I," he went on. "But I've heard from things I've read that it's still alive when you eat it, and you have to cut it up and be careful of its suction cups. Apparently they can get stuck in your throat."
"Nice image," I said. "Thanks for reducing my appetite."
"No problem," Misho said with a smart-ass smile. "Always happy to help."
"Todor would you do something about your little friend there?" Torey asked smiling.
Todor gave Misho a mock look of authority and Misho smirked at him.
"I could tell you about some of the restaurants that serve cow's brains," Misho went on now starting to laugh.
"How about some proper table manners Dimeder," Todor's note read.
Todor laughed and playfully, but gently hit Misho on the upper arm.
"He thinks that calling me by my actual name will make me be proper," Misho said.
"Does it?" I asked.
"Fuck no," he replied.
We all laughed at that, then we continued talking of other things.
"Were any of you thinking of dessert?" I asked.
"There's only one dessert that I like," Misho said smirking. "They don't have it here though."
"Oh my god," Torey said acting indignant. "Where's your filter?"
"Me using a filter?" Misho asked as if such an idea never occurred to him. "Bullshit on that. Took it Yesterday out in back of the house and smashed that Bitch up with a hammer. There, no more filter, so be prepared for anything that comes out of my mouth now."
Todor wrote something down and held it out for us all to see.
"There's no hope for this one," the note read.
We laughed, then Misho turned to Todor.
"You know what kind of dessert I'm talking about right," he said with a suggestive smile.
Todor made a vocal sound that could have easily served as saying: "What's wrong with you!". He wrote another note.
"IF you're going to be that explicit about that, then you might as well say who you like," the note read.
"Oh, little Dimeder is interested in someone," I said smiling.
"Shut up Brandon," he said trying to keep a serious look on his face, but smiling and blushing badly.
Todor wrote a note and held it up for only Misho to see. Misho wrote a note back to him and they looked as if sharing a visual signal between the two of them on which they agreed, then Todor wrote a note then held it out for Torey and I to see.
"We're both gay and I was wondering if you are Brandon?" Todor turned to me with a questioning look as I finished reading the note.
"They both already know about me," Torey added.
"Yeah, I'm gay," I said smiling and looking directly at him and Misho. "I'm happy that you both felt comfortable enough to come out to me. If you don't want me to tell anyone, I won't. You're safe with me and I'll look out for both of you."
"Thanks," Misho said.
Todor responded in kind, and I smiled and we continued talking.
"So about who you like," Torey said as he turned back to Misho.
"Sorry, I'm not saying," he said smiling. "I'll tell you soon though."
"That's fine," Torey replied.
"That's good with me," I added showing them that they didn't have to talk about anything they didn't feel comfortable sharing. We finished up and all decided that we were too full for dessert so we headed back.
once nearing the driveway of the center, it was around 6:00 P.M. and the sun was setting. We went in to the house and once signed back in, Todor and Misho went back to their room to shower and get comfortable. Torey and I did the same and after talking a little more with Todor and Misho, they decided to go to their room for the night. I think they wanted to be alone, but they probably were sensing my increasing need to be alone with Torey. I was doing what I could to keep it hidden while talking with them, but they probably knew anyway. They didn't seem to mind though and once it was just Torey and I in our room, I went and closed the door.
Once back on Torey's bed, I looked at him as he continued sitting there beside me. He looked at me and I moved so that I was close to him. I put an arm around him and looked at him closely. He looked back and as I looked deeply in to his eyes, I knew that I couldn't keep my feelings from him any longer. To do so would be almost physically painful.
I moved so that I was turned slightly towards him and I put my hands up towards him. He put his up so that our palms were touching. We interlocked our fingers so that our hands were locked together and I looked deep in to his eyes once again.
"I really enjoy our friendship," I began. "It's something that really brings a lot of joy and a lot of good things to my life."
"I feel the same way," Torey said leaning closer.
"I really like you Torey," I said moving my face closer to his. "You're the most handsome boy I've seen in a long time, but you're also beautiful at the same time. When I look at you, I feel so alive and more happy than I can say."
"So do I," he replied. "You're really nice to look at as well and I find it hard to put in to words how happy that makes me. You're really handsome and really sexy as hell."
"You're definitely sexy," I answered. "Anyway, I really do like you as I said. I like you obviously as a friend first. I'm growing to like you more and more as something more than friends though and I just couldn't hold it in any longer."
"I also like you as a friend, and now as more than that as well," he responded. "I felt like my attraction to you was instant when we first met at that music store."
"Yeah," I agreed. "That's how it was for me as well. I wanted to get to know you more as a friend first though."
"Me too," he said. "I wanted us to have a really deep connection and deep and wonderful friendship before exploring anything romantic or even anything sexual."
"Yeah, that's how it was for me as well," I agreed.
We were silent for a long moment, but we continued looking deep in to one another's eyes, then I put my hands lightly on either side of Torey's face. I moved in slowly, and my lips were closing the distance, then they were on his, first pressing softly, then I was gently kissing him. He put his hands on my shoulders and held on as he began kissing me back.
What started out as a soft kiss that was small and was meant to allow us to explore and find our pace and rhythm, was now growing deep, opened and hot! We broke the kiss for a moment, just long enough to remove our shirt and shorts which left us just in our boxers, then we lay down on the bed. Once in one another's arms, we resumed our kiss and were soon enveloped in the taste, feel and intense pleasure and hunger of one another's mouths. Our hands were also preoccupied with feeling and touching one another's sides, backs and we both took turns rubbing and gently pinching one another's nipples as we kissed and let our tongues move against one another frantically! Soon though, I felt the need to get my breath back as well as calm down! I felt close to unloading a large and hot load of cream in my boxers, that's how hot and turned on for Torey I was at that moment!
After breaking the kiss, Torey rested his forehead against mine and smiled. He apparently needed to get his breath back as well.
"Wow!" he said smiling even bigger now. "You're a really amazing kisser!"
"You do really well with kissing as well!" I said smiling just as widely as he was.
"I've wanted you to do that since the first time we met," he said softly. "I truly felt a deep connection when we first met, as if I needed in a way that words couldn't explain, to get to know you better and to share this moment with you."
"I felt that as well," I replied. "I wanted to share that with you at that moment as well and it was hard not to do that when first meeting you."
He gave me the most warm and loving smile I had seen from him yet, then I gently kissed him on the lips.
"So where do you want to go from here?" I asked as I looked deep in to his eyes once again. "What would you think of being boyfriends and being together for as long as we can be?"
"I'd really love to do that!!" he said excitedly.
We shared a deep kiss, then I looked at him lovingly.
"I'm honored to be your boyfriend!" I said as I gently stroked his hair.
"I'm honored to be your boyfriend as well!" he replied, then gently kissed me on the lips.
We shared several more loving kisses, then after saying good night to Todor, Misho, Jordan, Ethan then to Michael and Josh, Torey and I went back to his, or I should say "Our" room and got under the covers.
I took him in my arms and enjoyed the feel of his naked upper body up against my equally naked one. We had put on our shirts when we went out to say good night to everyone, but removed them once back in our room. Now covered up and lying in one another's arms, we shared a few loving and deep kisses, then a few gentle ones.
Soon though, I felt myself growing more and more ready to fall asleep. Torey was close as well so we said good night and shared a warm kiss, then relaxed in one another's arms and let sleep over-take us for the evening. It had been the best night of my life thus far!
Author's Notes
I figured that this would be a good place to stop. I hope you guys like how I moved Brandon and Torey in to the next phase of their relationship and there will be more to come. So everyone have a good evening and weekend. I'll see everyone in Chapter 12.