3 comments/ 13229 views/ 14 favorites One More Time Ch. 05 By: JKendallDane 8===> Turkey day comes with a big bomb Mom and grams had gone the extra mile with Thanksgiving dinner. Between the butter-glazed, Godzilla-sized turkey jammed with homemade stuffing; more side dishes than you find at a good church social; and four different pies for dessert; we were all destined to be pigging out all day. Derek had shown up just before noon and he dragged me off to the barn right away to make sure we had a good appetite. The smoke he brought along was fantastic and by the time we headed back for the house, more than just my stomach was rumbling with desire. Not seeing him for a while stirred the passion I felt but couldn't let out fully. The tight Wranglers I had on, should have left nothing to his imagination. They were showing a constant bulge from the erection that just being close to him caused. "Somebody forget to beat off before breakfast?" was the joking reference he made as he playfully smacked my crotch in the barn. I poked back at the lump that was showing in his Levis and tried to match the wide grin on his face. I wanted so bad to just drop to my knees right then and make love to his tool, but he stopped me as I tried to undo his jeans. "After we eat bro," and a big toothy smile was all it took for him to convince me to wait. Minutes later we were walking into the kitchen and were quickly drafted into helping get the final dishes to the dining room table. After gramps said grace, we all dived in and filled our plates. In keeping with the holiday, as we ate, we all discussed the various things that we were thankful for...health, happiness, my college venture, Brad's career starting, and of course all the food. I noticed that Derek had been slightly evasive when my Dad had asked about his job. His short 'Going real good, sir,' response was almost too contrived. Something was up, but he evidently had no plans of sharing it at the table. I shrugged my shoulders and piled more mashed potatoes on my plate instead of pushing for more information. By the time we were having to decide between Mom's cherry pie and Gram's spicy pumpkin, I was ready to unsnap the top button on my jeans...and not for what I usually wanted to with Derek. I grinned at him and took the liberty of being able to pat his tummy right in front of everyone. "You are looking preggo buddy," went along with my hand motions to his bulged stomach. Everyone laughed and I popped a bone that reminded me just how much he affected me. Thankfully the long table cloth hid it from everyone but Derek. He only grinned and did a return tummy stroke and asked if I knew who the father was of mine. Pretty sure I blushed redder than the cranberry sauce at that one since I knew who I wanted to knock me up. Damn! I couldn't even get through a simple holiday meal without wanting to make love with my best friend. A cursory glance at the clock on the wall said we had about a half hour or so to kill before the kick off of the first game. Derek noticed it too, and beat me to suggesting a quick jog to burn off some calories. The grin on his face said he probably wanted some more dessert, but in a little more private setting. We quickly excused ourselves and headed straight for the barn. There was no doubt in my mind what he wanted when he came up with the idea of crashing out in the hay loft for a little while. As we climbed the ladder up to the secluded spot, I couldn't help myself from playing a little grab-ass with his cute butt. Plus, I wanted him to know just how much I wanted him. I hadn't jacked off that morning and was ready for any action Derek was up for. Hell...the amount of chubbies that he had caused just during dinner, had my cum makers begging for release. Once up top, I became more brazen and just spun him around in front of me. My eyes had to have been blazing as I stared into his and began undoing the snap on his Levis. Derek did a typical Derek thing and just stood there grinning at me and permitting me to begin to strip him. His hard cock made it difficult to get the jeans down, but with a little help from him, I soon had them bunched around his ankles. I ran my hands up under his pullover and brushed my fingers lightly over the nipples. I knew how that always put him that much more in the mood and smiled to myself when I watched his eyes snap shut and a soft moan escape his lips. His hands went to my back and then up to my neck. Both my thumbs and forefingers pinched gently at the hard nubs they found. Derek's knees quivered noticeably as I rolled the tips between them and his hands moved yet higher to twist in my hair. Within seconds of replacing one set of fingers with my mouth and chewing on his man tit, he was huffing out one word: "Please," and exerting downward pressure on my head. Derek didn't need to use any words...just concede to my lust was all. I think he knew that, but had come to realize that a few little vocals from him tended to make me even hornier and therefore more into pleasing him. As he kept playing in my thick locks, I kissed my way south down across his abs and teasing his belly button with my tongue. By the time my teeth had a grip on the wide waistband of his Diesel boxer briefs, he was kicking out of the jeans wrapped around his feet and shifting backwards towards the closet couple of hay bales. I used my pearlies to tug down the undies and he dropped his naked ass to the hay with his long legs spread wide. That intoxicating smile ate me alive and I dropped my head between his thighs and began to tongue bathe his nether region. The limited amount of communication between us about our couplings...during or after...had made me fine tune my ability to know what set him off the best and to always try something new to keep him stimulated for more. Sometimes the experimentation got a grunt of semi-displeasure and I made a mental note to not go there again; but oft times, a new spot or technique brought a passionate whimper. That went into the brain notes for future reference also. I may be damn near a virgin, but I had already figured out one important thing about being a good lover: variety! When I used my teeth to tug at the extra heavy fur on the inside of his thighs this time, I got both a loud whimper and squirm. I moved my lips on up and did the same to his ball sac. His legs spread even wider and his torso went spread eagle on the hale bale. I had suckled his nuts before, but never intensely and never roughly. For some reason I had decided to go there this time and I quickly found the line between pleasurable pain and too much. After a few minutes of chewing and pulling and licking and pinching each nut between my lips softly, Derek was more open to me than I had ever seen him. I hadn't even touched his cock, and it was pooling pre juice all over his treasure trail. He was biting his upper lip and both hands were grasping the hay as I continued to make love to his full balls. I had unzipped myself and was slow stroking as I slid my tongue under his balls and across the knot there. Using my free hand, I pushed them aside and chewed hard on it knowing that it could take the abuse. "Awwww fuck!" was accompanied with a wild thrashing of Derek's arms. Obviously he was totally enjoying being taught something else new. I continued with my munching and then decided to push him to the verge of total ecstasy. My lips and teeth kept working the hard spot between his nuts and taint, but I occasionally just licked at it. When I allowed my tongue to slip to the very edge of his virgin rosebud and flicked it, the reaction was unbelievable. "Holy hell on a cracker!" The near scream came along with Derek's upper torso snapping almost straight up on the hay bale, grabbing my head, and pinning it firmly to his man twat. The accompanying moans that followed were ones of joy. Obviously, I had never eaten ass before, but I just did what seemed natural and soon had him literally sweating in the chill of the late November air. After just a few moments of my attention to a place I was certain none of his many female scores had ever been, his mood changed though. He grabbed my ears and yanked my mouth off his man cunt and quickly and roughly jammed it down on his shaft. Completely unlike him, he also added: "Suck me off Brad. Fucking suck my hard cock. Now!" Looking back...I probably caused thoughts he wasn't at all ready to process. I mentally shrugged and went to work on his tool with the same fervor I had shown his ass. His fingers were laced behind my head and he helped my desire along by face fucking me like he never had before. I think it turned him on even more as I took it like the man I was. As his hips begin to buck faster into my chin, I also increased the tempo of my own fist. I was so into him at the moment that I didn't even care whether he touched me or not. I don't think I even wanted him to...just let him know that he owned me completely if he wanted it as much as I did. "Hey boys! You are missing the game!" exploded in my ears at the same time Derek's cock erupted in my throat. "Oh shit! Gramps!" I thought as my balls followed immediately and splashed my load on the hay bale and Derek's calves. With my mouth full, and thankfully Derek keeping his cries of pleasure behind pinched lips, I'm sure the old man didn't hear us...but damn was that close! Derek knew I couldn't speak with his dick still in my mouth and his giant cum load dribbling out of my lips. With a snicker he yelled down to gramps, "Be right there!" "You know you boys don't need to be smoking up there around that old hay," was the clueless next comment from down below. We both rolled in muffled laughter at that one as we hurriedly tried to get dressed again. "Oh we were smoking alright gramps...and if it had gotten any hotter, the whole barn would be to the ground already," went through my mind as I packed myself away and snapped my jeans shut. I watched Derek pull his Levis and Diesel's up in one quick, combined motion. It was kind of cute watching him hurry and then get the pullover back down from behind his head where I had pushed it at one point. Finally we were both situated enough to be able to climb down without looking like two teenagers crawling out of the back seat of dad's car at Make Out Point. The three of us walked back to the house together. As much as gramps timing sucked, it also was probably for the best, since it most likely put any immediate confusion that had been in Derek's head to the side. I did grin to myself though, knowing that he would never eat pussy again without thinking about today. * * * * * We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching the various games and picking at all the leftovers. We managed to come up with enough of an excuse to escape to the barn again around 8pm and burn the joint that Derek had brought along for dessert. By the time the buzz was in full effect an hour later, so were the munchies, and we attacked the food one last time as we helped Mom put it away and made a couple plates to take to my room. Once there, I kicked on the stereo and we settled in for some mellow-out and chill time. I gave him a Cliff's Notes version of what was going on with me at Z-Tech. He basically just nodded at most of it, but let me continue to ramble on. For some funny reason, Derek kept deflecting most every attempt at discussing his job at the grocery store. Everything was generic. "Going good. Busy as hell. Learning a lot." Nothing but platitudes as if the subject totally bored him. I finally gave up, stripped down to my tighty whities, and splayed myself on the bed, half hoping it would give him a hint that I was up for other things if he didn't want to talk. He finished up the last bite of cherry pie still on the snack plate and then stood up to undress also. I rolled to my side, propped my head on my arm, and watched shamelessly. The pot had me horny as hell and from the half erection showing in his expensive undies, it was stirring his hormones too. I slid sideways after he was down to just the boxer briefs and made room for his body. "Leave the stereo on?" was the unnecessary question from him. I just nodded since we always went to sleep with music playing, but I guess he felt some comment was needed as he slipped in beside me. I could feel the heat of his body as he shifted again and snuggled up closer than normal. It was usually me closing the gap...not him...and I took that as a good sign. I inhaled deep when his arm draped over my torso. I felt his hot breath as he whispered, "Brad...I need to tell you something you probably aren't going to want to hear." "What, Derek?" I know my eyes were as big as grandma's turkey platter right then; totally unsure of what might be coming. "I...I...I really don't know any way to say this but to be completely blunt." Needless to say, my stomach was in my throat. "Brad...you are my best friend...and...and...and I am going to miss you so much." My stomach dropped to my feet. "I am being transferred next month and don't even get to spend Christmas at home it looks like." Even with the room in darkness, I could see the emotions on his face and in his eyes. "What? Where? When are you leaving? Damn Derek..." I had a million questions and a million more fears inside me. His arm was still over me and I quickly skidded mine over his chest, around his shoulders, and held him tightly, not caring if he didn't like me showing affection most of the time. I was in love with him and he is telling me he is moving away dammit! As much as I fought it, my heart let a tear or two leak from my left eye. His voice quivered a little as he spoke next. "Well it's all happening pretty quick. I am leaving Sunday to find a place to live, but only have three days to do that. Then I get back and work the rest of the week; but they want me moved by the following week so I can be on the schedule for the weekend." He paused as if he was trying to decide what all this life change really meant. "Where Derek? Where are you being transferred?" was my only concern now. I drew up closer to him as if that could keep him beside me forever. He flinched but didn't pull away as I let our calves intertwine. Our groins were mashed together, but surprisingly not hard. "Akron...well, Kent actually. You know...where Kent State is." Another of those painful pauses filled the dead air, but I remained silent. "It's only like two hours from here, but still..." Whatever thoughts were on his lips trailed off into nothingness yet again. I squinted to be able to see his eyes and found a strange combination of excitement and fear. I knew that he really didn't have much of a choice. He didn't want to go to college and really liked working for the big grocery chain. I knew in my head that it was the right thing for him at this moment, but my head wasn't doing the thinking...my heart was. I didn't want him 125 miles and hours away. I wanted him here! "You know you can always come up and visit on weekends and anytime else too, don't you?" There was a trace of a grin on his face and he actually snuggled up a little closer. Even with his body movement, his offer did little to quash my feelings. I had invested over a year of my life in letting my feelings get to where they were...and waiting for his to be able to truly come out. Our relationship was already so fucked up that there was no way what we had could be maintained with all the distance between us. It was as if that damn Grand Canyon that usually showed up after sex, was going to widen even further and deeper now. Another few tears escaped my left eye and I wiped them away. Even though I wanted to scream 'Don't go,' at the top of my lungs, I sniffled and simply answered "I know." Derek must have known just how much the bombshell was affecting me and pulled me tighter into his body. The man who was never the real instigator of things; other than the silly pube scratching; was suddenly rubbing my back and had me fully enveloped in his arms. His actions were so loving that I was actually scared at him maybe doing what I had wanted most: kissing me! I don't think I could have handled that at the moment. Even though every other emotion was doing flip-flops inside me, my cock was responding to his attention and I was suddenly hard as granite. "I think I owe you this from this afternoon," was all he said as he gently rolled me to my back. Derek poised above me and looked straight into my eyes as if he wanted to say words that couldn't come. When he leaned down to nibble on my right nipple. I allowed my hands to twist into his thick hair and moaned a little louder than normal as his teeth scraped the nub. He didn't spend anywhere near the time sucking on my boy tit as I wished he would, but he did use his tongue like never before as he licked his way towards my sparse happy trail. His hand wrapped tight around my base and held up my pole. By the time his mouth was taking the red bulb of my cock, my brain was bouncing between wanting him to take my ass and then demand I move to Kent with him; and wondering if this is our last time? Thanks to the attention he was giving me though, for the next five minutes I succumbed to the pleasure and let him return the blow job gramps had almost interrupted. Derek was pumping himself furiously as he sucked and I felt my load welling up and looking to escape up the chute. His own rapid dick pounding had increased and was shaking the bed. I knew he must be ready too. My balls gave me their final cry and I dug my nails into his back at the same time he swallowed me whole and gagged. I felt the unmistakable warmth of cum splattering my thigh as he came and my explosion followed down his throat. It was so unusual for him to fellate me all the way, but I just let him since he obviously was wanting to tonight. I knew he would turn and spit most of it into the wastebasket beside my bed; and he did. But that was OK...just like everything else he did with me...OK...everything! He did allow me to cuddle up tight to him for a few minutes this time though, and I cherished the few moments it lasted. As we drifted towards sleep with the typical hackneyed bullshit talk and the space between us, I let my brain remind me that I knew there was one hell of a lover inside this man, if I could ever get through the thick veneer of acting straight. And now it will be a long distance project if it was to even be one to continue at all. * * * * * I spent the next week having my emotions fight me constantly. Part of me wanted to just let Derek go and get on with life. Other parts argued between fight for him and get him to stay or talk him into letting me move with him. Neither were feasible since he himself wasn't at all committed to us having anything more than a suck buddy friendship. Still another part was telling me to just give it time and let things run their course. I decided that made the most sense since it was more than obvious that no one who gave head like he did, could possibly be straight enough to live straight and in the closet forever. Maybe after six months of not having me around as much would help him find himself. The only flaw in that plan though, was that there was also the potential for him finding someone to replace me in the new town. Nah! Derek will just 'be Derek' and become the stud gift to women again to quench the lust for what he was not able to get regularly from me. And I would be making visits, so that part of him could be satisfied as need be. The bigger question really was: how long would I keep putting up with the unstated denial? * * * * * We grabbed a pizza together the night he got back from Kent. He was showing just enough excitement over the relocation that it kind of pissed me off; but it possibly was an internal thing he was doing to convince himself also. He had found an apartment on the outskirts of town near a small lake and teased me with the description. "Almost like living at the farm buddy. You will really need to see it to believe it." He spoke little about the store he was being transferred to other than it was the only one in town so he could be there for quite a while. I was having trouble thinking beyond class assignments next week and Derek was planning out his entire life as if this could be permanent. My attention was piqued though when he proffered "You could always transfer to KSU and pay half the rent." The exaggerated wink told me that most of that was said in jest, even though I had already thought about doing that very thing instead of finishing at Ohio State like I had planned. One More Time Ch. 05 Most of the rest of his last week was split between work and getting in a few final boinks with his latest easy piece. Some of that was his cover I'm sure. He couldn't hardly spend all his free time with me and ignore the babes lest rumors get started. Derek had to constantly protect that image he had so carefully built. I had wanted him to come out and stay at the farm the night before he left, but he had a hot date planned. The pangs of jealously welled up inside, but I bit my tongue and forced them to stay there. He did drop by on his way out of town and we ended up taking a walk to the barn as we talked. I could tell he wanted to say goodbye without saying it; but we both knew there was no way to avoid it. There was a certain sadness in his eyes as if he wanted to call and say he changed his mind and was turning down the relocation. He said he had already been told he would be working the management shit shifts around the holidays, so at best, he would be home only the weekend before Christmas until well after the first of the year. As we strolled into the barn, I wondered if he was wanting one last quick fling before he left and almost came straight out and asked him for one. I was hard as stone and he knew it from seeing the lump in my tight Levis. I dropped a single generic hint about blow jobs. That only got me Derek telling me about the hot time he had with Julie the night before and how she had...'damn near fucked my nuts off'...was the way he put it, I believe. It was little more than his way of saying 'don't expect anything' and I dropped any thoughts I had and let my boner wilt along with my hopes. Once we ended up back as his car, he turned and spread his arms wide. The smile that I found so intoxicating the first time I saw it way back on that soccer field had me again under his spell again and I joined him in a buddy-buddy hug that was a smidgen more than what football players give each other after a touchdown. But at least it was physical contact and I could have something to remember after he was gone. "Gotta go my friend," were the final words along with a fist bump, and he crawled inside the infamous Camaro and backed out onto the dusty road. As much as I fought it, as I stood in the driveway and waved good bye, the tears came. * * * * * With school and finals and Derek being up in Kent, the next few weeks went by rapidly but painfully slow also. I missed him and moped around most of the time as I became a total loner. Even though there were a few guys at school that could have held some promise, I refused to give up yet. I had too much of my heart invested in Derek even if he wouldn't let me tell him. He and I traded texts a lot the first week or two but that eventually calmed down to maybe one or two a day, and usually only if I initiated them. He did say he would be home the Sunday and Monday before Christmas but that time would be tight. Even money said he had a date lined up and I would be sitting on the sidelines yet again. His parents had already invited me to come to the house for dinner while he was in and I had said yes. At least that would be some time we would get together and I could give him his presents. I knew his apartment had to be sparsely furnished and had made up a framed collage of photos I had taken of him on the soccer field. I also picked up a CD by The Wanted knowing he liked them and I liked the way they weaved love lyrics into most of the music. Little subtle hints may help. I really wanted to get him something totally personal, but decided against it. I figured he already had pressure from the new job and didn't need any more from me. The days he was in were rushed but we did manage to revive one of our favorite things and spend a couple hours playing pool at the mall and then grabbed burgers afterwards. I sat across from him eating slowly and imagining him naked and me covering his torso in kisses. I couldn't help myself...he just made me crazy every time we were together. This time was barely different from so many others as he subjected me to an overly detailed recount of fucking his brains out in the back seat of the car the previous night. 'Julie's Christmas present to me,' was the tacky way he put it as he made it all too clear that she was the only one that was getting any this trip home. Plus, he had found a club just off Kent State's campus where he could score most any night he wanted to. Great! New town but back to the same old Derek. I loved him, but he was as close to a male whore as it got when it came to women. I had planned to surprise him and drive up a day or two before New Years and hopefully spend it with him, but that idea was quickly killed off when he told me he was going to a big company party and had some local babe for a date that he was certain would be sitting on his cock when the ball dropped in Times Square. I think that was the point that I made the decision that he could go screw all of northeast Ohio and call me when he wants to deal with reality. It was time for a needed break before I lost my mind. One More Time Ch. 06 8===> The Ultimate Frustration Finally Hits Home The closer it got to spring break, the more I was wanting to go up to Kent and see Derek. Even though I had tried to put him out of my mind the last few months, that tug at my heart was still there. Every time I masturbated, I was thinking of him. Every guy at school, I compared to him. Every time I played Mario, I imagined him beside me kicking my ass. I had given it almost 3 months, but I was hopelessly hooked on him. Since I really didn't just want to be vegging around the house over the break in classes, I said what-the-hell and decided to drive up for a few days...totally unannounced...and see what kind of reception I got. I knew from his texts and a phone call, that he would be around and even if I got the brush off, I could just run on up to Cleveland and do the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. My plan was to weasel out of him his schedule and just drop by the store to surprise him. Risky sure. But I had to. I needed to! I'll never forget the date...March 15...the Ides of March. The madness, pleasure, and pandemonium that our crazy relationship had been for almost two years now said the date fit far too perfectly as one to test its strength again. Having found out the day before what shift he worked, I drove up around noon so I could be in the store an hour or two before he got off. After finding the huge superstore, I parked and worried about my plan. Maybe I should have called and asked about coming up? What if he has some babe moved in with his horny ass? Nah! That he would have already bragged to me about. What if things have totally changed and I get invited to stay, but relegated to the couch? Can I deal with any of the scenarios that were bouncing between my ears? Finally I just inhaled and walked through the parking lot to the double electric doors. Once inside, I walked the entire store in hopes of just stumbling upon him, but had no luck. Just as I was about to make a second loop, I caught sight of him coming out of the backroom by the produce department and watched as he headed down the cereal aisle. I wandered that direction and saw him talking with another employee about halfway up the aisle. I patiently waited and just drank in his body. It had been more than two months since I had seen him and the same old feelings were right back. His long legs and high and tight ass looked so good in the clingy khakis he was wearing. My mouth watered and my crotch twitched. I moved closer acting as if I was looking for a specific brand and kept grabbing glances his way. To kill time, I took a box of Wheaties off the shelf and flipped it over as if I was reading the nutritional information. He finally finished up and didn't even notice it was me as he walked towards me. I turned and before he could get any further, held the box out and questioned "Does this stuff really give you extra energy?" The smile on my face was large in hopes I would be getting a similar one back. "BRAD!" His voice was almost loud enough to be heard through the whole store and he rushed forward to grab me in a bear hug...something I would have bet my life on never happening in such a public place. The closeness had to have also allowed him to feel the throbbing of my instant erection as he held me and slapped my back. "What the hell are you doing in my store and this far from home?" was his comment as he finally broke the embrace. "Mom sent me out to get some milk and I made a wrong turn I guess." My grin was matching his at that point and my fears out in the parking lot were at least temporarily subsiding. "Now I probably have to drive all the way back and I will miss dinner," was added in half jest. "Drive back my ass! You had better be here for more than the afternoon dude." Derek sure seemed to be as happy to see me as I was seeing him. "You are staying at my place and we are catching up." The wide smile I always loved was there again. Maybe this had been a good idea after all. After a little bullshiting, I told him I would chill out in the Starbucks next door for an hour until he was off. I was finishing up my second mocha when he strutted through the door and slid into the seat across from me. I was unsure of what the next 48 hours would bring, but at that moment, I was just happy to be with my old friend again. * * * * * As I drove south on I-77, headed back for home two days later, my face held a giant smile while my mind was reliving the reunion Derek and I had shared. We had done the town at night as he dragged me out to a couple of clubs full of college kids that he had been frequenting. I had wandered the giant campus while he worked and checked out the quaintness of the bedroom community that Kent was. It was much smaller than Zanesville...more along the lines of a big Mayberry...but with a huge university plopped down in the center of Main Street. Derek's small garage apartment was located about two miles out of town, but I could see immediately why he had taken it. Sitting on the edge of a lake with ducks and geese and large shade trees for a backyard, I would have chosen it also. The catch-up time included everything from how school was going for me to the expected recounting of his sexual escapades in the new city. My heart was tugged at, but when it finally came time for sleep that first night, he didn't even act as if there was any option for me but to be beside him in his bed. This was still the Derek-Brad, buddy-buddy show in more ways than one evidently, and I just followed him when he asked if I was ready for bed. Just like any other night of the many sleepovers we had done, Derek began to strip down without any pause. I took my time though, choosing to watch my friend's body come into view for the first time since before Christmas. His tan wasn't totally faded, but the normal summer and fall darkness was much lighter. His back muscles still stood out as he raised his polo over his head, and my cock stirred as he slipped the tight Wrangler's down his long, firm thighs. His Joe Boxer briefs slid partway down as he pulled off the jeans and I held back the lustful gasp that was on my lips as the little dent at the top of his butt split teased me. Finally, I joined in getting down to my underwear and climbed in beside him. I knew this would be an interesting night one way or the other since it was almost impossible for our bodies to not be touching in the twin bed that had come with the furnished apartment. "Sorry for the tight fit, buddy. This is all I have unless you want to sleep on that lumpy couch or in the bathtub." In the shadowy darkness I could see the gleam of the grin on his face. He knew full well that I was right where I wanted to be. The only question was who is making the first move? I decided to take it with a verbal joust. "Nah. This is fine so long as you don't get jerking so hard that you bounce me out." Yeah...a little on the blunt side...but I wasn't spending the night jammed up against him without at least opening the door some. "That goes both ways buddy. I don't want to be smacking my head against the wall because you get too excited and shove me sideways." Again, the whiteness of his toothy grin was easily seen in the darkened room. It was just like we were back in high school again and doing the dance...both wanting the same thing and neither willing to say it or start it. Derek stretched out on his back and I rolled up on my side. Those were our normal positions and in the cramped bed, they gave us a little space between us. After some talk of plans for the next day we let the silence take over. I had allowed my hand to drop between us and rest lightly against his outer thigh. I wanted to brush the fur that was there, but scared to take it that far so quickly. It had been so long since we had been in this position, that it was almost like our first time all over again. How prophetic that thought became when I suddenly heard a familiar noise in my ears...the damn pube scratch code! I snickered silently to myself. Instead of giving him the same noises back, this time I moved my hand enough to let him know it wasn't just a pre-sleep spasm. That brought on more of the thick hair scratching from him. Deciding that this wasn't going to be some silly assed, drawn out, bad foreplay, I slipped my hand up across his leg and rested it at the bottom of his boxers. His hips moved just enough to let me know the answer to my unasked question was yes, and I worked two fingers inside the loose leg opening. Derek's legs spread as I moved the rest of my hand inside and cupped his balls. When I heard the slight moan, I think I was more excited than ever before at that point. This was not only a sign that he and I were still OK to play; but it was also the first time we had complete privacy without other people being in the same building and didn't have to worry about being as quiet as possible. Even if it only meant groans of pleasure from him and a good cry of 'I'm cumming' from me, tonight was going to be special. I was rolling his fat nuts in my palm when his hand twisted in my hair. It didn't take much urging from it, for me to drop my face to his chest and suck on his right nipple. As I sucked and licked until the nub was as erect as our cocks were, his moans got a little more pronounced. My hand moved up in his boxers and found the hot throbbing flesh that I hadn't seen or touched in months. I nipped at his boy tit at the same time I squeezed his rod and that brought his hips up into my hand more. The hand in charge of my head began pushing me lower as if it needed encouragement. My hand slow stroked as I planted kisses all the way down his still athletic, v-shaped torso. I knew he didn't particularly like the kisses; but also knew that he secretly loved it too. I swathed his thick pubes in spit and then held his pole straight up for my waiting lips. Suddenly two hands were now in my hair and I let him guide me down onto his rock hard bone. I spent a good ten minutes making love to his shaft before he pulled me off and did a spin in the small bed so we could sixty-nine. When his warm wet lips took me I damn near came, but went back to work on his shaft and returned the favor. We stayed coupled that way and working each other for another ten minutes before I felt the unstoppable movement in my balls. The reactions I was getting from Derek said we were headed for a mutual orgasm and I blurted out "Don't stop," in between swallows on his cock. His hips bucked into my face and he was squeezing my ass cheeks. My own hands were roaming his butt and lower back as I sucked him like never before. My throat was taking a pounding but I didn't care. He was concentrating all his mouth action on my mushroom and had me right at the edge when I took one last gulp and had him impaled deep in my gullet. His knees locked on my ears and a more than audible 'Oh fuck yes,' spilled from his lips just before they latched tight to my dick head. Two or three more humps from his hips and I felt his body go rigid...the same as mine did as we both exploded over and over and over. I didn't want to let go of the lip grip I had on his sticky and softening cock, but Derek spun again in the bed...looking for a place to spit my spooge I assumed...but he totally surprised me and just laid down beside me. Knowing he had just swallowed my load put me in dreamland without even being asleep! We didn't cuddle or snowball like I would have wanted to; but I also didn't get one of the typical recountings of a score with a chick like had been his standard after we had sex. Something had changed ever so slightly it seemed, was all that was going through my mind as I drifted off into satisfied slumber. * * * * * The second night at Derek's wasn't quite a total repeat of the first as I became the total aggressor in bed. Like he had been prone to do in the past back home, he simply laid back and let me pleasure him and then finished me off in his hand. I also had to suffer afterwards through one of his thinly veiled attempts at proving to me that he was really straight by telling me how much the one babe at the dance club we had gone to that night, had wanted him. After all this time, I had grown used to the machismo he had to drape himself in so often. Even though I wanted to pin his body down and kiss him until he begged me to never stop, I knew that Derek was going to be Derek until he decided to let the real Derek out. My forcing the issue in any way would only drive him even deeper into the closet I was certain he was living in. It was early evening when I took the ramp from interstate 77 south onto westbound I-70 for the final 30 minute drive home. I drank in the glow of the rising full moon and let my own feelings glow inside; somewhat content in the knowledge that there was still something there that held promise between us. I just had to be patient would become my continuing mantra. * * * * * School kept me busy through the rest of spring, and the part time job I had taken at Target created just enough time conflicts that I couldn't make a return trip up to see Derek until after school had started again in the fall. He had been home a few times for quick visits to his parents, but the only real time we got together was a one night camp out at our favorite spot on gramps' farm in mid July. The distance in miles and time was taking a toll on me. Even though Derek never failed to want to be intimate whenever we actually had the chance; the opportunities were becoming more and more scant. The times he was home, I begin to wonder if I was simply a convenient surrogate when he couldn't snag an easy piece of pussy. Our friendship hadn't really changed, but in many ways it had too. I knew the heavy schedule I had taken on for the fall semester would be busting my chops and I planned for a surprise overnight trip to see him in early October knowing that would most likely be it until he was home for Thanksgiving. I drove up to Kent late on a Friday afternoon. I knew he would be working the shit shift that night and not be off until 10pm. I used the spare key he had given me earlier that summer to let myself in the cramped apartment and made myself at home. I sent him a text at work. 'Don't eat anything. Late dinner is steaks. Bring some potato salad from the deli.' I added a smiley face at the end and hit the send button. Only a few moments later my phone lit back up with a return message of nothing but 'You at my place Brad?' Some quick finger motions and I sent back another of 'Yeah. Hope that's OK stud.' I waited more time than I cared to for a response this time but got a positive 'Sure! Just wanted to make sure you meant that for me. LOL' on my screen. A second text arrived right after with 'See you around 10:30 buddy.' I let out a sigh of relief to myself, knowing that just dropping in on him on a Friday night without warning wasn't necessarily the smartest thing to do. I got the BBQ set up to go around 10 and settled in to watch some TV until Derek got home. By the time the steaks and potato salad were gone, we had caught up on all the latest news and Derek had kicked my ass at Mario three straight games. For once, he hadn't subjected me to all the vivid details of his last sexual exploits and encounters. He mentioned several times; almost too casually; a local girl by the name of Lacy that he had been out with several times. When the typical bragging about what a good fuck she was didn't come, I wondered to myself if he was actually growing out of the male whore stage. Turned out, that it was more along the lines of Lacy being totally committed to being a virgin on her wedding night and poor Derek evidently couldn't break through that barrier...no matter how much he had tried I am sure! I didn't push for more information and he didn't offer any. When it finally came time to crash, nothing but our ordinary dance seemed to come into play. We headed for the small bedroom together, stripped to our boxers, and were soon trying to position ourselves in the tight bed without it being obvious that we both had half bones already. Even after all this time of a physical relationship, there was this unstated understanding...from Derek's side of things anyway...that we didn't show overtly before hand, what we both knew would end up happening when we shared a bed. It was actually funny that we would end up sleeping nude together, but the unofficial rules said we weren't permitted to start out that way even though we both crawled under the sheets alone that way any other time. It was only a few minutes before I felt the bed rock a little and heard the soft 'mmmm' from his lips, which had become his alternative for the pube scratching code. It was Derek's way of letting me know that he was taking care of the erection he had, and that I could join him in any manner I desired. Just in case he wasn't certain what my response would be, a fuzzy calf hugged up against my lower leg and shifted with enough regularity to let me know he wanted to play if I did too. Let's see...two guys who have been getting each other off for more than two years sharing a too small bed with their raging boners...like I needed a hint or a suggestion! I simply rolled up on my side and draped my leg over his as I lowered my face to his pecs and began to suckle a nip to hardness while my right hand searched for the hard lump under the cotton shorts. One of Derek's hands went to my hair and fingers twisted in my locks. The other found my own near bursting briefs and massaged the large lump I was sporting. I worked my lips down across Derek's abs and slathered his happy trail with kisses and spit. My hand reached down between his legs and cupped his full nuts before I tugged at the leg of his boxers. His hand pushed my face lower at the same time his long legs spread. Even though he was good at being dominate with his hand on the back of my head, Derek seemed to relish me being the aggressor when it came to getting him naked, and I used both hands to yank his boxers down his thighs and free his package. He kicked them off his feet and I swiveled around on the hope that he wanted to 69. He slipped his hand inside my briefs while letting me take my time teasing his balls with my tongue. It took only seconds to find out how horny he really was since my undies quickly were yanked down my legs and strangling my ankles. His lips encircled me before I even touched his cock, and there seemed to be extra passion from his lips as he worked them over my mushroom. It had been so long since we had been together, that I knew I wouldn't last long and immediately swallowed his slender tool all the way. His hips bucked up into my face as I felt the head brush past my tonsils and he shuddered as I used my throat muscles to squeeze even tighter on his pole. The action Derek's head began to make was like a five year old taking on their first popsicle...rapid deep tongue licks with tightly locked lips that I did my best to match at the same time. We had been doing this same thing for so long that neither of us bothered anymore with attempting to warn the other that we were about to cum. We knew from the reactions of each other's bodies when the impending flood was coming. He knew I loved his sweet juice and would take it all, and I knew that odds were in my favor that since we were doing each other, he would most likely finish me off in his mouth also. That night he surprised me though. As his knees pegged themselves to my ears, normally denoting that his creamy slime was on its way, he spit out my cock and wrapped his hand firmly around it. He was stroking me furiously to bring me over the edge and when my typical tsunami of white wads came, they splattered all over his face, chin, and upper chest. He had never done something like that before and it brought him to a climax in my mouth like no other had ever been. There must have been at least seven or eight ropes of his sweet fluid splash into me before his knees abandoned their grip on my head. It was one of the few times that my swallowing muscles couldn't keep up and some of his sticky jis squirted out between my pinched lips and dribbled down my chin and cheeks. One More Time Ch. 06 As much as I wanted us to just remain entwined together and enjoy some afterglow, Derek joked about what a mess we both were, quickly slid himself from the bed, and trotted to the adjoining bathroom. When he stepped back into the room, he was wiping down with one bath towel and tossed me another with nothing said but, "Mop yours up too before we have to sleep in the world's biggest wet spot!" I grinned and cleaned up as he dropped his towel to the floor and crawled back in bed. As I lay on my back I pondered what it meant since that had been the first time ever that he had even come close to broaching the subject of what had just happened between us. Sure...it was a nothing more than a jestful couple of statements...but with Derek it was like major pillow talk! It was all that was said and as I finally drifted off I was wondering if this was a breakthrough of some sorts or just wishful thinking. * * * * * When the bright morning sun streaming through the window woke me up the next morning, and the fog lifted from my brain, I realized that a stiffness was poking against my stomach. Derek had rolled over sometime during the night and was pressed up against me with a raging piece of morning wood. Mine was just as hard too, and I gently slipped down in the bed and took his between my lips. I worked it quietly and quickly as I pulled on my own at the same time. I was never sure if he was fully awake or not, but Derek ended up on his back during my lust-filled motions and exploded in my mouth after just a couple of minutes of really working his rod with my tongue and lips. I managed to shoot my load up my stomach and eased out of the bed to grab one of the bath towels from the night before that were laying on the floor and dabbed myself off. I then yanked on my briefs and padded into the compact kitchen to make breakfast...the whole while, thinking how it could be like this all the time if you would just let it happen dude! Derek wandered in from the bedroom just as the eggs finished cooking. He had a strange look on his face...as if he was desperately trying to remember a very vivid and recent dream and wondering why he didn't have a boner as usual when he woke up. I grinned to myself and slid a plate across the little round table to him. A big knowing smile and "Morning" was all I offered up to him, which I am certain did nothing to appease the befuddled thoughts he was having. Evidently deciding to push those unanswerable questions aside, he dropped the bomb on me as we were eating. "I have a date tonight, Brad. Hope you can keep yourself entertained until around midnight." 'Aw, fuck no!' raced through my brain, and I did little to not let my face state it. "Lacy and I are just going to a movie and probably a late snack at Friendly's. Her Dad is pretty strict and I have to have her home by midnight so it's not like I am just gonna disappear the whole night." It was an offer being made to quell what was my obvious, but unsaid, displeasure at once again being reduced to second on the list of importance in his life. I mustered up my bravado and hid my hurt feelings by saying, "It's not like this wasn't a surprise visit. I can't expect you to just drop plans you already had made." My words were rapidly chosen bullshit and I was mad as hell, but also knew it would only create a problem if I let the ones I wanted to say loose from my heart. I pasted a half smile on my face to let him know I would cope and he grinned back at me with that inebriating look that never failed at owning me. I was tempted to make up some excuse to drive back to Zanesville and just call the rest of the weekend a draw, but I was too invested emotionally to do that. Plus, I had by now, made enough trips to Kent and done enough wandering around campus and the small downtown, that I knew where the hot spots were...including the one gay bar. I could occupy myself playing pool and enjoy getting hit on while Derek did his 'I'm really straight' act for the night. If this chick really was a virgin and not putting out, there was also the likelihood that my best friend would come home ready for more than playing Mario and sleeping. The rest of the day was spent with that thought clashing in my mind with the one that kept asking: 'Will he ever change?' It came as no real surprise that Derek was his normal horny self when he got back to the apartment just after midnight. After a couple hours at the bar I was in the same boat. I had been tempted more than a few times to disappear with a cute college guy that wanted to play, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. My body was willing, but my heart said it would be cheating...so I blocked every pass that was made with one excuse or another and simply waited with hope for Derek to come back needing relief as much as I did. I wasn't disappointed and neither was he from the look on his face after the enthusiastic blow job I gave him after listening to him drone on about Lacy in bed. It was one of the nights I had become accustomed to where I did all the real work and got a great hand job in return. No repeat of the night before when he was all about eating cock too. His jacking me always satisfied me physically and I had long ago decided that was fine...at least until one of us finally broke through that silly wall he had erected between us and talked about what this crazy relationship really meant. We were both afraid of that conversation happening and for polar opposite reasons most likely. Mine for fear of complete rejection and the end of something I wasn't willing to give up on yet. His was for fear of dealing with himself and peeling back the thin veneer of who he was that he had so carefully created over the years. My biggest fear was that neither of us would ever take that chancy first step. Like so many of my other trips from Kent back to Zanesville, my thoughts the next day dwelled on little else as I tried to find the answer to the question of 'How long do you wait?' * * * * * The rest of the school year went well but was also a cluster fuck at the same time. I kept so busy and Derek's work schedule was bad enough that I was only able to made a couple trips to Kent. The one during spring break was especially disappointing since he was still dating Lacy and spent most of his free time with her since her classes were out also. On the plus side of that though, was that we still had our special moments in bed after their dates and all indications was that her 'not until after a wedding' rule was still well in place. Derek was always in the mood to play when I came to visit, which told me he wasn't getting any on the side either. The only thing that made me wonder was that always before, when he ran up against a terminal virgin, he had dumped them and went back to playing the field. With Lacy, it didn't seem to be that way at all. By necessity, she and I had met and quite honestly hit it off pretty good as friends. When I was in town, we even did the occasional three way date at a movie or to go out and eat. Sure it was a little strange sitting beside Derek in a dark theater, and seeing Lacy teasing him with her hand over his left thigh during the movie...all the while his right leg making jerking motions against mine and knowing that she had him so boned up and I would be the one to have to relieve him later. But hey...you roll with the punches and hope for the best! As much as it frustrated me, I had conceded that I would rather share him at this point than lose him. In my convoluted way of thinking, I also saw her as his cover and just assumed that since he seemed to be only getting any from me, that he was slowly making progress toward the ultimate step of dealing with himself. It kept the dream alive for me and I embraced what they had...so long as she kept telling him 'no'. * * * * * By the time the end of the school year hit and graduation was only a few days off, I was having many varied thoughts over what to do next. I was wanting to go on and finish up the four year degree, but at the same time wasn't all that excited about doing it right away. Derek had made suggestions about moving up and doing it at Kent State, but something also was telling me to hold off. Pretty sure it was all the time he had been spending with Lacy and the fact that he had made it clear...without coming straight out and saying it...that if I did, we wouldn't be sharing his apartment because of how small it was. Two long time best buds could share a one bedroom on a weekend visit, but no way in hell could it look right for his image to be sharing one bedroom full time. So like the rest of this crazy mess, I simply decided to avoid the issue and take a year off, stay in Zanesville, and be satisfied with the occasional trip to Kent. The only indication I got from Derek was that he was fine with that arrangement and life continued on for the two of us with little change other than Lacy being a factor when I visited every couple of months. Things would change. I just knew they would. Little did I know just how much! * * * * * It was late the next spring when I finally received my official notice from Kent State that I had been accepted for the fall term and my credits from Z-tech would transfer me in as a junior. I had wanted to call and tell Derek, but decided that it would be more interesting...and revealing...if I did it in person. There was still that flame of hope alive that he would want to share the apartment and that we could get on with a real life together finally. I made plans with him to come visit over Memorial Day weekend and would let him know then. Worst case scenario I came up with, was that he would want to rent a new place; one with two bedrooms to make the roommate thing look legit. The only obstacle with that weekend, was that it was when he had planned Lacy's surprise birthday party and I would have to share that too. When I got to his place late on Friday evening, we shot the breeze for an hour or so about my plans to move to Kent to finish up my degree. Derek was visibly happy, but my hopes for something more than just living in the same town were dashed when he offered to help me find a decent place to live. He did mention that his landlord had another place close by that was empty and pushed me to go look at it while I was up this trip. We ended up hitting the sack after only one game of Mario, since he had an early shift the next morning and Lacy's party would take up the rest of the late afternoon and evening. When we crawled in bed, I felt a slight tenseness between us, but after a few minutes of sharing body heat and unavoidable skin against skin under the thin covers of the small bed, we both were hard and quietly taking care of business. He didn't make any initial moves or use the silly pube scratch or leg brush code, so I decided to be a little more direct and moved my hand from my cock to his and begin stroking him. The slight reluctance that seemed to be there quickly shifted to a low moan and total surrender as his hand wrapped around my throbber and started the familiar methodical pulling that never failed to bring me off. The more I worked him, the more he was getting into it, and soon I felt his free hand at the back of my head pushing me down to his abs. I willing let him guide me lower and lower until I smelled the scent of his manhood and took him fully between my lips. For whatever reason, it seemed as if he wanted to just get off and sleep, so I didn't bother with a lot of long foreplay. Plus, he had me so worked up that I was already feeling the rumble in my nut sack that was warning me of being not far from an orgasm myself. It only too a few minutes to have him humping hard up into my face before his body went rigid and I felt the warmness splashing over my hungry tongue. After swallowing it all and kissing the tip of his wilting dick, I stretched back out flat on the bed. Derek half rolled over and continued jerking me until I exploded in his hand. A silent, quick clean up followed and with a half-assed explanation about being so tired from Derek, I cuddled up with my pillow and searched for the sleep he was already drifting off to. It hadn't been one of our better times, but the smile on his face said he wasn't complaining. It certainly wasn't the first time it had been all about him, and didn't expect it to be the last either. * * * * * The surprise party was being held at Lacy's parent's house. I had met them once on a previous trip. Her Dad was every bit the overprotective SOB that Derek had made him out to be, but her Mom was a pure joy and reminded me of my own in many ways. Her younger brother and sister were the typical mid-teen adolescents; looking at everyone over 20 as old as dinosaurs and always willing to let them know it. The only time they saw any value to being older, was when they wanted taxi service. The house was nestled in an older section of Kent, on a tree-lined street filled with similar houses of a 1950's vintage. Like most of the other residents on the block, they had lived there for decades and would probably never move. The neighbors ran the spectrum of old widows to recently retired couples and several others like their family: middle-aged and anxiously waiting to become empty nesters while the kids finished school. The two houses that were unique to the mix was one young family with a set of 5 year old twins that lived on one side of Lacy's family, and a male couple in their late 30s or early 40s that had lived across the street for ten years according to her. Even her redneckish Dad seemed to accept them, so I wasn't really shocked to see them among the small crowd that was hanging out in the decorated back yard when we got there. Lacy had been sidetracked to the mall by her younger sister and a grocery list from her mom while we all gathered and waited for their return. A huge cake on the picnic table and her Dad proudly taking charge of the grill completed the scene Derek had helped plan. Her family had totally accepted him, although I think her Dad still looked at him like the male whore he swore all single guys were...at least the ones that wanted to date his daughter! I will never forget Derek telling me how the initial meeting with her Dad went before their first date. He got sat down in the family room and was fully expecting the typical questions and veiled warnings about how much his little girl meant to him. But her Dad was a man of few words and even less tact when it came to putting the fear of God into a suitor. After the normal interrogation, he simply looked over at Derek and said: "And as far as you taking her out parking or back to your bachelor pad, just remember this; you can do anything you want with my baby...BUT...I get to do the same things to you when you bring her home!" Derek had said the look on the man's face told him he probably wasn't kidding even if Lacy hadn't quashed the attempts he made. It was the fact that Derek had continued to see her with that hanging over his head and even though she remained adamant about no sex before the wedding night, that kept me wondering why he didn't just move on to another conquest like his history had always been before. It was something I had never imagined from my best friend. Plus, I knew from what he had not been saying the past eight or nine months, that the only sex he was getting besides his left hand, was during my infrequent visits. There had been none of the torturous stories of his bedpost notching to go along with our own bed antics. The more I thought about how Derek seemed to want me in town, the more I was looking forward to the move, even though we would be in separate abodes. When Lacy and her sister finally showed back up, Derek and I helped her bring in the groceries and then shuffled her towards the back yard. A loud chorus of 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' from the small group resounded off the wooden privacy fence, and Lacy was in total shock since her birthday was still three days away. Derek was glowing from pulling off the surprise and from the hug and kiss she gave him. Then she settled in to thanking each person and I even got a good squeeze and soft peck on the cheek. I had grown to really like her, but I think a part of it was because I saw her more as an aphrodisiac for Derek than competition for me. As she moved on from me, I grabbed a Coke and settled into one of the group of lawn chairs under the tree off to the side since I was more of a guest here than everyone else who were like extended family. I watched Derek as he made all the expected rounds also, before joining up again with Lacy. Just as if we were back in high school again, and at a dance, I was the wallflower jealously staring at my best friend as he worked his date. My train of thought and stares were only broken by twin shadows suddenly beside me and the question, "Mind if we join you?" I looked up and saw that it was the gay couple from across the street. John and Thom were far from what most people considered the stereotypical set of gays. Both were very masculine and would have attracted attention from females in any singles bar. They had been together since being roommates their freshman year of college, and lived a very quiet life. Just another couple on the tree-lined street that no one thought twice about. We talked about my plans to move and start college again in the fall and they showed a little bit of surprise when I said that I wouldn't be moving in with Derek but rather getting my own place. John was the one that broke the ice when he bluntly, but with a low whisper, asked, "How long have you two been together?" The head flip he added towards Derek floored me and I had no clue what to do or say. Thom was grinning at my flustered look and added to it with, "He might be dating Lacy, but that boy is anything but straight...and the way you look at him tells the rest of the story." I had never talked with anyone about my own sexuality; much less my feelings for Derek or what we shared physically; and suddenly it was being dragged out front and center with no warning. I mumbled a few sentences that made even less sense to my own ears than I am sure it did to John and Thom. They let it slip by with nothing more than telling me that if I ever wanted or needed to talk, to give them a call. As much as I wanted to spill my guts and bare my soul to them over the insanity that was me and Derek, I just wasn't prepared and that sure wasn't the proper moment. The quiet tension was thankfully broken when Lacy's Dad yelled that the burgers were ready. After everyone's appetite had been well satisfied, Lacy was easily tempted to move to the next phase of the party...opening the stack of brightly wrapped gifts sitting at the end of the picnic table. Derek took over as the one selecting which one she would get next, and after the first half dozen, it seemed rather obvious that he was saving his for last. Lacy shrugged her shoulders and stayed busy peeling off gift paper from each one, and doing the expected 'Oh thank you so much,' after discovering what was inside. The guests at the gathering added the appropriate 'oh's' and 'aw's' as she would hold up each item and smile. Finally, there was but one gift left sitting in front of Derek, and he pasted on a look that could only be called an apprehensive grin as he handed it over to her. The package was about 12" square and wrapped it bright blue and white paper with a large gold bow on top. Lacy had it open in seconds and was smiling large as she looked down inside the box and saw her favorite stuffed animal...Garfield...staring up at her. Her smile slowly switched to slight confusion pointed at Derek, as she pulled him out and held him up for the crowd to see. "You might want to check him a little closer, baby," was all that Derek offered. One More Time Ch. 06 As she rolled the plush cat around in her hands, her eyes suddenly became bigger than saucers as the fading sunlight reflected off the diamond ring that was pinned to Garfield's left paw. She looked over at Derek and then at her parents and then back at Derek again. Her eyes welled up as she stammered, "Is...is...is this...is this really what it looks like?" Derek slid off the bench and down to one knee before answering her with: "It is if you will have me." His face was full of hope as he took her left hand and looked up at her. The quietness of the backyard was deafening as every person held their breath. Lacy fingered the ring and then closed her eyes tightly. When they opened again after a quick moment, she was smiling and tugging at the completely unexpected surprise in an attempt to free it from the safety pin. We all let out a collective sigh when her face erupted in a smile and answered with: "Well I can't say 'yes' with the damn thing stuck to the stupid animal." A tide of courteous laughter spread through the group while Derek helped her free the ring, and then an eruption of applause came as he slipped it her finger. The grin on his face at that moment would forever live in my mind. There was a huge part of me sharing the happy moment with him; but there was also another huge part that was wanting to douse myself in lighter fluid and throw myself on the BBQ grill. The last couple of years had made such little sense to me, and now it all appeared to have been wasted. Every hope, dream, and fantasy had just been dashed by a lasagna-eating, stuffed, orange cat! * * * * * Even though I rarely drank to excess, I was well on my way to a mind-numbing beer buzz when Derek finally rolled back into his driveway shortly before midnight. I had left Lacy's house in the middle of the mass exodus that eventually started. Derek had given me one of our patented buddy hugs and said he would see me later. I did my best to keep from crying and had to talk myself out of just grabbing my stuff at the apartment and heading back to Zanesville without seeing him again. Even though I wasn't sure at all at what I would say to him, I knew that I couldn't just run away either, so I opted for drinking myself half silly instead. Unfortunately, the booze didn't give me any more courage than I had ever had when it came to dealing with my best friend, and we ended up doing little more than talking generically about this new twist and him extracting my promise to be his best man. My mind was screaming "I have ALWAYS been your best man, but you are dumping me for the straight life now!" Thankfully, my lips held that back though. When he finally made the move towards the bedroom, I waited silently on the couch, trying to decide if I could sleep on the lumpy thing or if it would better to just curl up on the floor. After a few minutes, Derek's voice wafted from the bedroom. "You don't need another beer buddy...kill that light and come to bed so I can get a little sleep...OK?" I shook the hops-induced fog from my brain and wondered if I should. My body gave in and I was soon standing in the bedroom stripping down to my boxers. As confused and mad as I was at that moment, my dick compounded both emotions by going fully erect as I looked down at Derek laying all but naked in a pair of bright red, low-rise bikinis. The lump that was apparent in them said that he was somewhere between definitely not soft and very hard. Against everything my brain was saying, I crawled in beside him as he reached over and flipped off the nightstand lamp. The eerie silence between us for several minutes was mainly due to my wanting to talk, but at the same time being scared shitless at what all I might say. I was hugging the edge of the cramped bed, not wanting to chance my erection getting any harder by feeling Derek's body up against mine. My eyes were pinched shut trying to will down the raging boner and I assumed that Derek would simply drift asleep quickly. Slumber for me was going to be more difficult because my mind would not stop racing. My conflicting thoughts of running away and joining the circus or choosing suicide, were suddenly interrupted by the movement of the soft mattress and the unmistakable noise of pubes being scratched. I opened one eye enough just in time to see Derek tuck the waistband of his briefs under his balls and take his cock in his hand. His furry leg brushed against mine as he took a few tentative strokes. The voices in my head were a thundering chorus of 'Oh hell no!' as he continued to work himself. My own hard on grew larger. I was frozen in time and just laying there on my back desperately searching for the answer of what...or what not...to do. Derek must have sensed my apprehension and the slow rhythmic motions of his hand ceased. I exhaled a sigh of relief and was in the process of rolling up on my side when a hand dropped down on my full boxers and squeezed gently. It was like a flashback to our first time during the sleepover back in high school as he whispered, "You're hard too, aren't ya buddy?" My brain was screaming, but nothing was escaping my lips. I wanted to pin him down and ask in no uncertain terms, "Didn't you just dump my ass to get engaged a few hours ago? And now you want to play? Just what the fuck do you want from me Derek?" I kept searching for the nerve to ask those and a hundred other questions, but couldn't as Derek's expert hand kept searching my full boxers. The battle between my mind and body was over at that point. Between the love in my heart and the lust in my groin, I had no strength to do anything but surrender. I flattened back on the bed again as the familiar hand began to work me through the cotton. My only comment was a soft "Uh huh." My hips shifted up into his strong hand and I reached over to find his fleshly shaft standing at attention. It felt so wrong, but at the same time felt so right, as I grasped him tightly. Derek responded to my willingness by leaning up on his elbow and tugging my boxers down over my hardness. I kept playing with him as I let him strip me down completely. I got a look that could only be described as saying 'One more time,' as he tossed my shorts to the floor before rapidly dropping his face to my crotch to take my cock in his full lips. I moaned loudly as he chewed his way down my bone and buried his chin in my pubic hair. I thought this has to be his way of saying 'I'm sorry,' as his mouth showered me with attention like never before. After a few minutes of enjoying the ecstasy of being the one getting serviced for once, Derek spun in the bed and his beautiful tool was dangling in my face as his returned to my crotch and took me fully again. I was beyond the point of trying to think; slipped him into my mouth; and proceeded to give him the best head I ever had. He countered my enthusiasm with his own, and soon had me writhing on the bed. Our hips humped each other's faces. Our hands were roaming up and down the other's backs. We both became far more vocal with our moans than we had ever been. When I whimpered to let him know how close I was, a set of hands latched to my bubble butt and I felt him pull me into his throat. Knowing that one more trick like that would take me over the edge, I duplicated the move and let the muscles below my tonsils bring him to the same precipice. We both gagged and sputtered, but neither seemed willing to release the lip locks we had on the other. With a few more deep throat swallows, we both went rigid together. Derek was in me so deep that I felt his juice splattering my Adam's apple from inside as he exploded. The seal his lips had on me, gave him no option but to take my full load when my balls emptied a second after his did. His knees pinned themselves to my ears and my ankles were crossed tightly behind his head as our bucking hips helped extract the final wads of fluid. When the spasms from both our cocks and bodies finally stopped, Derek spun 180 again and stretched back out beside me with just a single word: 'Thanks.' There was no more from him before I heard the gentle snore...just 'Thanks.' My mind went over a thousand thoughts before finding sleep too, but the one overriding one had been: 'Once again...everything has changed, and yet nothing has changed. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?' One More Time Ch. 07 Everything leading up to the wedding says it can't happen! 8===> The next few months was a mixed bag filled of ironic fate and cruel luck. I should have been easily able to transfer to the Target in Kent, so I had employment worked out. Or so I thought. They had a slot for me, but one that could only guarantee 12 to 15 hours a week. I needed at least 25 to make ends meet. Thankfully, a position at Derek's store popped open unexpectedly, and he cashed in a favor with his senior manager to get me on. I wasn't certain working together would be the best thing, but then I didn't have many choices at that point either. And he was getting married anyway, so I assumed my feelings would ebb even if I would be around him during waking hours almost as much as Lacy would be. The next fly in the ointment was housing. I had been able to snag the apartment just down the block from Derek's, but in the middle of July and two weeks before I was to move, the current renter managed to start a kitchen fire that got completely out of control and pretty much gutted the place. The landlord had another...an old fishing cabin with a large living room, decent sized bedroom, and compact kitchen with a patio about a mile away on the other side of the lake...but it was taken until the first of October. I needed to be moved long before that! I had made a rush trip north as soon as I got the news in order to beat the other incoming college students that would be scrambling for off campus housing also. Like everything else, Derek had a simple solution that was actually anything but. "Remember? The wedding isn't until October 15th, buddy. Just camp out here with me for a few months." His face broke into a wide grin and he added one caveat. "You have to help me jazz up the place though, so that when we get back from the honeymoon, Lacy doesn't feel like she has been moved into a bachelor pad." Even though I knew that eight weeks together in the small quarters would most likely be a little awkward and even border on uncomfortable, I gave in to the big smile he had and accepted the offer. With a job and a place to live covered, I once again began to feel better about the upcoming changes in my life. Lacy and I had already become fairly close, and I was doing my best to get ready for the 'Derek and Brad Show' to move on to it's next act. The part of the script I didn't know was coming, was when we went to bed that night and shared each other's hands on the other's erections. Nothing more. Nothing less. My mind didn't even attempt to find an answer to how many more 'one more times' is there going to be? * * * * * When I arrived at the start of August, I quickly was put to work on the changes Derek had planned...beginning with helping him move in the new queen sized bed. Since Lacy; according to Derek; was still adamant about maintaining her virginity until the wedding night, he explained that the bed would be a total surprise for her. "I was going to wait to get it, but figured with you here, it would be better to get it ahead of time." He paused, and then added: "Plus, she really likes you and won't mind if we break it in." The double meaning behind that line wasn't lost on me, but from the look on his face, I wasn't sure whether or not he realized what he had said. I found out when he came home late that night from Lacy's house, and we ended up helping each other jerk off. 'God please get me through the next couple months,' was the silent prayer I offered up from behind tightly closed eyes, before I surrendered to sleep. That mutual masturbation scene was replayed almost nightly that first week, although I tended to let Derek make the first move each time. When I did finally take the initiative and start things after a week of sharing hand jobs, he almost immediately cupped my head and pushed my face down across his abs to his thick pubes. A softly uttered 'Please,' had slipped from his lips as mine circled the quaking mushroom in front of them. Based on how quickly I was able to make him cum, said that he hadn't been blown in a long time and that Lacy's virginity pledge must have included her mouth also. Like so many times we had back in Zanesville, I had to settle for a good hand job while I savored the taste of him in my mouth. That once again became the norm for us for the next six weeks. * * * * * The closer it got to wedding week, the more harried my life became. Between work, school, and all the endless duties of being best man; I was running ragged. More nights than not, I would end up falling asleep studying in the living room or quietly crawling into bed long after Derek had gone to dreamland. By the time it was the night before I was to move into my own place, it had been almost a full week since Derek and I had been physical with each other. I wouldn't be sharing his bed after tonight and two more weeks after that, he would have Lacy taking care of his needs. The desire for once more was burning through my whole body like an out of control forest fire. By the time we hit the sack, I was mulling over in my mind whether or not to start something since it would most likely be the last chance. The look I got from him as we stripped down for bed, said that just maybe he was having the same thoughts. I let the prominent boner in my overly snug briefs tell my feelings as I splayed myself on the mattress. A quick glance at the one that had instantly formed in his ultra tight boxer briefs as Derek settled in beside me, said that he was long overdue also. After a few minutes of near total silence, I tossed anything resembling caution to the wind, scooted a little closer in the large bed, and rolled up on my side facing him. Pausing to decide whether to casually drape my hand over his hip or just go straight for his family jewels, was all the time it took for Derek to close the gap even more and for his leg to shift and move in between mine. As he half rolled to his side also, I felt both the hardness of his cock against my hip and the wetness of his pre leaking through his boxers onto my happy trail. I turned into one giant goose bump as his hands reached around me and yanked my shorts down my thighs. My own hands became like an invading army as I worked both of them inside the waistband of his undies and found him harder than ever before, I think. While I squeezed him and milked more of his juice from the slit, he tugged his own shorts off before taking my shaft in his hand. When our eyes met as we were teasing each other's tools, I saw a desire in his that almost put me over the edge. As much as I had grown to really like Lacy, I wanted her betrothed for myself and started to lean in to kiss him. I don't know if he knew what was coming and blocking it; or if he just was so horned up that he was ready to get down now; but Derek quickly pushed me to my back and straddled my upper thighs. There was a grin on his face that I had never seen before. He whispered a 'Shhh' followed by 'Enjoy' as his hand took both our erections and began stroking them together as his hard butt cheeks rocked back and forth on my full nuts. Derek's balls were hugging the bottom of my shaft as his hand pumped us as one. I was so totally owned at that point that I could do nothing but wiggle under him and look up into his glittering eyes. At that moment I realized that in his own way, he was telling me that he was as into me as I was into him, but in no way could verbalize it. I caught the slight nod of his head as he closed those beautiful eyes and gripped us tighter and stroked with more fervor. My own eye lids followed suite and I let my mind drift to another dimension where this would never end. I was still living in that fantasy when I felt Derek's hair brush against my chest and his lips working their way down my abs. My eyes snapped open in time to see him contorting himself even more. His hand was still wrapped tightly around both our conjoined cocks and I watched in total amazement as his lean body and toned abs allowed him to bend enough to take both our dick heads between his lips. I almost lost my load as the sensation of his tongue sliding all over both our mushrooms was coupled with the eroticism of both silky shafts slipping back and forth together. I allowed myself to enjoy the feelings for a few more seconds and then twisted my fingers in his hair. I broke the stillness with "I don't want to cum yet, Derek." He wordlessly replied by releasing the lock his lips had on our bones. As his head raised to meet my gaze, the unusual grin was still there...along with a dribble of pre seeping from the side of his lip. Whether it was mine or his or a mixture of both, Derek surprised me yet again by flicking his tongue out to swipe away the dab of white and take it back in his mouth. I don't think I had ever been so turned on as I was at that moment, but my buddy had yet another trick up his sleeve. He shimmied his rump up my stomach and planted himself lightly on my chest; his knees wide beside my head. Never one to do much more than grunt or moan when we were together, Derek had shocked me with the few words he had uttered already. Two more..."Your turn"...were added as he slid his throbbing cock over my lips. My mouth willingly parted to allow him access, and for a few minutes my best friend slowly face fucked me. My hands had just gotten a good grip on each butt cheek when Derek did the 180 spin while still buried in my throat. His hand roughly grabbed the base of my cock and as his hips continued to buck into my face, he took me fully and did what can only be described as 'making love with his tonsils.' It took no time for my own hips to begin their own upward thrusts. His tempo increased also and I made certain that every inch of his fleshy tool was getting full attention on each hump. The faster Derek's hips bounced, the more rapid his head bobbing became. When I wet my thumb with saliva and bravely rubbed it against his rosebud. A muffled, deep moan escaped his lips, and his cock stretched my throat open. His hand cupped my balls and massaged them almost as furiously as his tongue was stabbing my piss slit. I felt the dam beginning to give way and latched tightly to his ass with my hands. His thrusting into my mouth became more and more pronounced. So did the swallows he was taking of me. My hips slammed up hard once more at the same time I saw his butt cheeks clench. Mount St. Helens was nothing compared to the joint eruption we shared at that moment. As usual, I stopped thrusting but still climaxed many times over. Derek; as was typical; continued to hump and pump and bump, but with a string of short plunges as each new wad splattered inside me. He surprised me yet again, by not pulling off me right away, and working my deflating rod with his mouth. I also kept using my tongue to clean up any stray juice from him. There would be no need for Kleenex for either of us tonight. By the time our bodies started to recover, the rigidity of our spent tools was almost completely gone and I savored feeling him soft in my mouth for the first time. I wanted to stay like that until I had him hard again, but he twisted and wiggled and made me break the lip grip by spinning around. Just before he rolled to his side, he gave me a big smile and a wink. No words. No bullshit discussion even. Just a smile, a wink, and his back. I fought my way to sleep wondering whether I was really going to miss times like this...or if missing them was exactly what I needed for my life to go on. * * * * * I managed to get my stuff moved the next day, and was attempting to settle into having a place totally to myself. It would have been so perfect to still be at Derek's, but a wedding 14 days away said it wasn't happening. Eight weeks living together had brought us even closer than before, but a diamond ring told me that Derek had no intention of dealing with what was truly inside him. I thought seriously about broaching the topic with him finally, but I also knew what damage it would likely do to our friendship if I did. He was too committed to Lacy and to trying to live straight for him to call off the plans at this late a date. I had trouble concentrating on much of anything those first few days...except the continuous replays of the what I had accepted was the final time, that ran through my mind. My sadness gave way to angst and finally to some minor anxiety, but after a week or so, I had moved on to the acceptance stage of what; in my mind anyway; was finally over. I continued to lust after my friend though. Being around each other at work and the many side meetings about the wedding, kept us in constant contact with each other. Each passing day was a little less tug at my heart as I attempted to let go; but at the same time, a little more difficult as my brain reminded me of what all we had shared for almost four years. More times that I cared to count, I had found myself staring at Derek at the grocery store, and fantasizing about taking him to a hidden spot in the back room to enjoy one more time. When I jacked off in the shower or late at night in bed, it was always to a vision of one of our pervious encounters. Every guy I checked out on campus, reminded me of him. I even popped a major bone while in the changing room with him at the tux rental place when we were being fitted for the wedding monkey suits. As October 15th drew closer, I seriously began to question how long I would carry the torch for him. I knew it was going to take until I actually heard him utter the words 'I do,' at least! * * * * * The bachelor party had been yet another one of the duties that fell on my shoulders as best man. Since it would be just a dozen or so guys from work and a few mutual friends of Lacy's, I accepted the assistant store manager's offer to hold it at his apartment complex party house. Yielding to Lacy's wishes, there would be no stripper, but I had been assured that there would be plenty of booze and porn, so it ended up being that my main responsibility was to play designated driver for Derek. As the beer flowed and the triple X movies played that Wednesday evening, the group got more and more raucous. I had only a couple of beers and did my best to join in the gutter talk of the others during whatever sex scene was playing on the party house's big screen TV. By the time the evening started to wind down, Derek was pretty buzzed up and had even gone into confession mode, talking with far too much detail about his many, many, many conquests over the years. Just before midnight, I managed to get a slightly inebriated Derek to the car and head for his place. Since he was having a little trouble walking, I expanded my best man duties to include helping him up the stairs to his apartment. He was more drunk than I realized when after three tries, he still couldn't get the key in the door and I had to take over. He was leaning against me with his arm draped over my shoulder as we entered the living room. "You didn't get to party much, Brad," were the slightly slurred words that spilled from his lips as he flopped down on the couch. "You need to enjoy this night too. Get us a couple beers from the fridge and stay a while. Get a buzz on bro. You know you can always crash here." My mind short-circuited while pondering whether the offer was a tease, a temptation, or simply Derek not wanting to be alone. I tossed aside the questions while I grabbed two beers and joined him on the couch. We ended up downing two more each as we spent an hour yakking about all the good times we had over the years. Of course, none of those spoken memories included the physical side of the friendship...but they were definitely there...in my mind at least. With his speech slurring even more now, it was easy to see that Derek had hit his limit. Having never been much of a drinker, my own fuzziness was becoming apparent also. Derek stumbled to his feet and grabbed my hand. "It's late. Let's hit it," sloshed from his lips as he pulled me to my feet. The light high I had gotten gave me no willpower to do anything but follow him to the bedroom. As I stood beside the bed stripping down, Derek's level of intoxication became more apparent. He had way too much trouble getting his polo over his head, and then seemed to be unable to even unfasten his belt. I helped him get it undone and even popped the snap at the top of the waist band. By the time I was down to just my boxers, he had finally gotten himself unzipped and had managed to shove his jeans down to his ankles. He leaned against me as he struggled to get his feet out of the bunched denim. His next move both floored me and also said that he must be blitzed. While still using my shoulder as a prop, he reached down and slipped his briefs off, evidently having every intention of sleeping nude as he usually did when alone. We had both woken up that way together many times, but had never gone to bed in the altogether before. 'It must be all the booze,' I thought to myself, as Derek squirmed out of the undies and crawled into the bed as naked as the day he had been born. After a quick moment of half thinking, my mind succumbed to the beer also. I didn't know what the plan was...or if there even was one...but I followed his lead and wiggled out of my tight shorts too, before joining him wearing nothing but a hopeful grin. We did little talking...mostly some more rehash about the party that finally ended with his critique of the porn. Thankfully, he didn't dwell on it too long, or go into too many details of which scenes he really enjoyed. Knowing Derek as well as I did, I was pretty sure his hands were playing with the silky shaft between his bare legs as he talked, but I didn't make an effort to encourage anything. With the wedding just a little more than two days away, and almost two weeks since we had last been together in bed, my mind was fighting a battle it didn't want to. I wanted him. Badly wanted him. But I also was scared to make a move. Suddenly the decision was out of my hands as he squeezed my shoulder, said "Thanks for being my best friend, Brad," and rolled up on his left side. My mind raced as I looked over at his back that was now facing me. 'So this is how it ends, eh?' I thought to myself. Both of us naked as jay birds, hard as concrete, and destined to get relief only from our own hands...if that even. I sighed audibly, turned to my left side trying to keep from working what had become a painful boner, and tried to search for sleep from behind tightly closed and moist eyes. There was just enough telltale motion from the bed a few minutes later, that I knew Derek must be pumping into his fist. His bare ass cheeks had bumped mine a few times as his hips worked in a methodic fashion that said he had a good grip on himself. I snickered to myself as I decided he must be practicing for Saturday night. I knew it had been well over a year since he had last fucked anything besides my mouth, and this must be his way of getting off tonight as a reminder of how to do things. Just as I had decided to join him in beating off, Derek did a major shift and rolled over to his right side. My fingers were playing in my thick dark pubes, when I felt his hardness press up against my lower back. My thumb had just swiped across my wet slit so I could taste myself, when I felt his pre juice leaking on me. In what I now know was a totally subconscious move, I wiggled back into him with my bubble butt. I could feel the base of his hard shaft jammed between my lower cheeks and his large balls brushing on the back of my thighs. I held a death grip on my cock as I felt Derek budge up tighter against me with the ever so slight, but unmistakable, gentle thrust of his cock. My ass responded with a clench on his tool and his body came back with a short series of thrusts. I had started to shift backwards at the same time Derek edged forward. I inhaled deeply and waited. One More Time Ch. 07 His left arm was suddenly over me, pulling me back into his body. I felt the throbbing of his dick against my butt; the beat of his heart against my back; the hot breath from his lips on my neck; and more of his man milk oozing onto the small of my back. Derek's pre juices had always been like my orgasms...seeming to never end. His hose was dripping so much at that point that I could hear the squishing as he rubbed it into me like baby lotion. I had no clue where all he intended on taking things, but with what little working brain cells I still had at the moment, decided that he could go anyplace he wanted. Lacy and the wedding be damned. He was still technically single. This was our night and I wouldn't have stopped things if I could have. Derek was obviously not interested in stopping either as his arm strongly yanked me back even tighter to him. His left leg snaked over mine and he used it like a pry bar to pin his hard crotch to me. We had never done anything at all like this, and the sounds we were both making, said that we weren't stopping either. At the same time Derek's hips took up a rhythmic motion again, his left hand simultaneously skated down my pecs and abs. His thumb found my mushroom and covered my slit. Then with eroticism he had never shown before, he slowly wrapped each finger one at a time around my pulsing shaft. He began to pull on me with the same tempo his hips were using...sometimes rapid and sometimes slow. My own hips bucked back into him enjoying the feeling of frottage for the first time. A dozen or so more thrusts from him and I wanted to roll over and kiss him and demand that he take me like he really wanted to. I was more than willing; but Derek's anaconda-like grasp on me wouldn't allow the movement; so I just submitted to the dry hump and hand job he was giving me. When his hip and hand motion increased suddenly, I felt my balls tighten. His thrusts became more pronounced as his hard cock slammed back and forth between my scrunched ass split. His left hand was working me furiously. He had managed to wedge his right arm under me and was pinching my nipple at the same time he was holding me so tight against him that I felt as if we were one. My throat erupted in an ecstatic cry at the same time my cum chute filled. Microseconds later, I was shooting wads of thick, sticky, white slime all over Derek's hand and myself, just as I felt him begin to rapid-fire his full load up my bare back. By the time he had finished cumming, we were pasted together with what seemed like a gallon of jis between us. My stomach and abs were soaked also from my own record-breaking explosion. One final tug at my cock and an ending hump from his, brought a single comment. It was actually more of a command: "Go get a towel so we can mop up." Even though I would have preferred to have cleaned up Derek with my tongue, I slithered out of bed to grab a towel and pair of damp wash cloths from the bathroom. A quick glance in the mirror while I was in there also showed another first that was destined to be another last also: what would soon turn into a seriously nasty hickey at the base of my neck where Derek had evidently been chewing on it during the final minute of our coupling. I grinned as I thought to myself, 'Good thing you kept it as far down as you did, or it would be showing up over the top of the tux shirt on Saturday!' I still had the silly grin on my face when I returned to the bedroom. Even while we watched each other clean up, once more Derek had shifted to feigning total ignorance of what had happened. The bullshit and diversion time was thankfully short and he was snoring within 15 minutes. I searched for sleep, but couldn't find it easily after I boned up again thanks to the images of the previous half hour that filled my mind. I finally stifled the desire to roll over and give him head while jacking off and allowed my hard on to generate dreams I probably shouldn't have had. They were ones that Lacy wouldn't have appreciated at all. * * * * * Thursday and Friday had been a hectic mess. I had cut out of my classes as soon as possible on Thursday, so I could work an extra shift at the store. Friday was filled with getting a needed hair cut, picking up the tux rental, and making sure I was on time for the late afternoon rehearsal. Then we had the requisite private dinner for the family and wedding party. I gave my expected lead off toast and spent most of the rest of the time bouncing my eyes back and forth between Derek and Lacy. My thoughts ranged from wondering if she had any idea just how extensive her husband-to-be's past sexual history really was; to questioning whether Derek would be able to keep the vows he was going to be making her the next day. Just as the gathering finally started to break up, Derek pulled me aside. "Stop by the apartment on your way home...I have a couple of things I need you to handle for me," was all he got out before being yanked away for some more good bye hugs. My mind went straight to my groin and I mentally slapped myself for thinking of what I wanted to handle for him. A half hour later, my wishful libido was instantly chilled as he and Lacy pulled into the driveway in his Camero. I immediately got drafted into helping with the final preps for the after wedding trip. I was finishing my third beer by the time the two of them had finished all but the final item packing for their honeymoon. Lacy had jokingly said that I needed to stick around so that Derek wouldn't try to move up the next night to tonight; so I ended up being little more than a gopher fetching things and designated chaperone for her virginity. The three of us talked continuously while jamming items in the two suitcases, stopping only long enough to find some misplaced shirt or searching for a needed item for a shave kit. Derek had yet to tell me what he needed from me, when he noticed the time and exclaimed, "Oh shit! It's almost midnight!" We all laughed at remembering what her Dad had said just as we were leaving the rehearsal dinner: 'Get her home by midnight, Derek. Tomorrow night, you can keep your wife out as late as you want; but tonight, she is still MY little girl.' Derek made me promise to stay and help finish things when he got back, and then quickly rushed off with Lacy for the car. The phone rang as they were backing out onto the street, and I lied to her Dad by telling him they had left 10 minutes ago to pacify him. I chuckled out loud as I hung up, wondering if her Dad would have gone on the honeymoon with them if he could have. He was really a nice guy, but a tad on the overly-protective side of things. * * * * * It was nearly 45 minutes later when Derek finally showed back up. The first thing he did was grab two more beers from the fridge and hand one to me. As we sat on the lumpy couch and worked on them, he finally told me what my extra assignments for the next day were to be. First was drop by the florist and grab our boutonnières. Then he needed me to swing by the Target and swap out the bikini briefs Lacy had bought for him to wear on the honeymoon. She had bought them two sizes too small and; as he put it as he groped himself; "I really don't want the boys jammed half way up my ass or the waistband cutting off any needed blood flow." He elbowed me and added with a grin, "Know what I mean, Brad?" We both laughed and then he got up to head for the kitchen again. He held up two beers and said, "I think my last night as a free man deserves a little buzz...want another one too, buddy?" My only reply was, "Sure, why not?" When he came back though, he had four with him. I looked at him with a questioning glance, since I knew two more would fuzz me up enough that I wouldn't want to drive. Derek must have read my mind as he offered, "Drink up. You can stay tonight and help me load the car in the morning." Even though a little voice inside me was whispering not to, my fingers popped the tab and my own voice said simply, "OK." A half hour later, we were both mildly silly from the brews, and playing Nintendo like the old days. Things would all be so much different in a little over 12 hours, but tonight it was the same old Derek and Brad Show so it seemed. I know I wanted to hold on to what had been, and something told me that Derek did too. * * * * * Once Derek had kicked my ass at Mario twice, and we had finished the final two beers from the fridge, he looked at me as he shut off the game console. "Ready to call it a night buddy?" was so innocently asked as he stood up. I leaned back against the front of the couch and looked up at him; not certain whether I was expected to follow him to the bedroom or not. The look I got back provided no answer other than to maybe say there was no question that needed to be asked. He spun on his heels and headed for the doorway. Watching his gorgeous ass move in his tight jeans made me lick my lips. I finally pulled myself up to my feet and followed him like a puppy. We quickly shed everything but our underwear in the dark room, and were soon side-by-side in bed once again...what was sure to be for the last time. A few generic comments about how long the next day was going to be for him gave way to some minor reminiscing of the good old days. I was surprised to realize that Derek remembered some specific times like I did. Well, not quite like I did...at least not that he verbalized...but the times he mentioned were also some of the hottest times we had ended up being very physical too. I really didn't need to be reminded of them at the moment; mainly because the visuals being created in my head were also creating unavoidable twitching with my other head. I stayed flat on my back and let him ramble, adding little more than the occasional "Uh huh" and "Oh yeah" to the mainly one-sided conversation. Derek finally gave his monologue a rest and the sound of silence filled the room. I had an erection that wouldn't stop, but refused to do anything about it. As much as I wanted him, I had decided that I wouldn't be making a move on him on the eve of his wedding. It just seemed the right thing to do if I was to ever let go of him. I rolled up on my side with my back to him, and tried to think of anything but the fact that the man I loved was nearly naked beside me. I had almost succeeded in beginning to drift off when a far too familiar sound pierced my ears the first time. When it repeated again, I even stopped breathing momentarily so I could listen better. There was no mistaking it. That fucking damn fingernails-scratching-thick-pubes-code was coming from behind my back...and getting louder each time a new wave of it was released for me to hear. The sudden addition of movements that indicated slow jerking added to the temptations. Derek obviously had his dick out stroking it. My crotch was now fighting an internal battle with my brain and my heart wasn't wanting to decide which side should win. Just as I was considering the option of also freeing my hard cock from it's cotton trap and do nothing more than beat off along with my best friend; basically a conditional surrender of détente for both of us; Derek made a move that won the war. With all the agility that he had shown on a soccer field in high school; in a series of quick, fluid motions; Derek had flipped me to my back in the bed, pivoted, and dropped his face to my engorged member. Before I could react or utter a single word, his mouth began working my hardness through the fabric. Seconds later, my briefs were yanked down and he was acting like he was tasting steak for the very first time as his lips and teeth teased me mercilessly. His underwear was tucked under his balls and his one-eyed soldier was standing at attention just inches from my face. I shuddered and gave up the fight when I felt his tongue dragging across my mushroom as my rod disappeared into his mouth. My hand instinctively took hold of his pole, and guided it to my own, now salivating, lips. I had him all the way to my throat when his head bobbing on me increased rapidly. Derek's hips were riding my face like a rodeo cowboy on a wild bull. Knowing that this really has to be the last time, I wanted to make it last as long as possible; but the frenzy of desire from both of us had us all-too-quickly at the point of no return. The combined moans; somewhat muffled by our stuffed mouths; said we were both ready to blow. My explosion began when Derek shifted and straddled my head while shoving his cock deeper in my throat than ever before. I gagged and he pulled back to where just the tip of his dick was pinned to my lips. He kept his mouth firmly attached on me as my whole body shook from the massive orgasm I began to feed him. Five or six or so final few pumps from him were short ones that popped just the, by now ultra sensitive, head of his cock rapidly between my wet lips. When he drove in again fully, I let my teeth softly scratch the length of his cum chute as he humped my face twice more. That trick instantly rewarded me with what seemed like a week's worth of ball juice. I swallowed it fully, but the happy scream he gave as he came, also allowed the half mouthful of my cum that he still had, to escape and dribble down my shaft into my pubes. Amazingly, he retook me in his mouth and cleaned up as much of it as he could before rolling off me and splaying on the bed. Other than a softly uttered "Night Brad," from him, and a reciprocated "Night Derek," from me, nothing else broke the silence in the darkness except our breathing. My mind was a mess, fighting the knowledge of that orgasm being our last shared one. I decided that if this was to be it, I wanted it to be something that would never be forgotten. I could tell he was almost asleep, put aside all the fears I had at the moment, and moved up against him. Then I casually draped my arm over his side letting my palm rest lightly on his chest. Whether it was a cognizant repositioning, or one induced by involuntary reaction from his near unconsciousness, Derek snuggled back into me as I gently held him. The last thing I remember was glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside stand and seeing 2:33AM on the red digital display. A soft snore was purring from Derek, who by now was nestled into my hold like a huge teddy bear. I pinched my eye lids tightly shut and let my last thought to myself before dozing off also, be: 'You best decide real quickly whether you want to keep sucking cock or get married in 10-½ hours my friend.' * * * * * "Get your ass up Brad," pierced my ear drums a little after 9AM. "We gotta get this damn luggage in the car." With that, the dream I was having ended as being nothing more than wishful fantasy my mind created. I wasn't awakened by Derek kissing me, announcing the wedding was off, and then making full, passionate, man-on-man love to me for the first time. I don't think it ever occurred to him, that I was as much a virgin as Lacy and just as willing to let him be not simply the first, but the only, too. I shook off the fog and as much as I could of the erection the dream had created, crawled from the bed, and pulled on my jeans to help Derek load the suitcases and tuxedo outfit in the Camero. "See you at the church at noon bro," was his final words as he headed off for a haircut and a few other last minute errands. I was quickly behind him leaving...off first to my apartment for a shower, grab my tux, and then to the florist and to swap out the miss-sized underwear for him. * * * * * We both pulled into the church parking lot at the same time, and just like in high school, parked side-by-side. The two ushers and I would move and do the expected decorating of the Camero during the reception. He had taken the new package of red undies from me and before slipping it into a suitcase, ripped open the top edge and pulled out one pair to stick in his jeans pocket. I was juggling the garment bag and flower boxes when Derek slung an arm around me as we started to walk in and asked: "You ready to help make sure I go through with this, Brad?" It was all I could do to keep from asking back if he wanted me to stop him. Twenty minutes later, said that the event was going to go on as planned. The ushers had already changed and were assisting the bridesmaids with the early arriving guests. We were alone in a room off the reception hall and began changing from our street clothes into the matching, royal blue monkey suits. Derek pulled the red silk bikinis from his pants pocket, handed them to me, and then quickly stripped down completely except for his socks. I was standing just a few feet away and after handing back the skimpy briefs, watched as he tugged the clingy fabric up his long, fuzzy thighs. I couldn't help but notice that his cock wasn't totally flaccid and he was having trouble getting his impressive package stuffed into the tight low risers. He looked at me as he jostled himself a few more times and muttered, "I hope Lacy appreciates these...they are like wearing a wet speedo." I laughed at his complaining, but felt my own cock twitching a few times, so I rapidly averted my eyes and went about getting myself dressed to prevent boning totally up. A little voice kept whispering, 'Let him go!' By the time we were helping each other make final adjustments to the bow ties and cummerbunds, the prelude music was playing in the sanctuary. Derek looked at me and I looked at him. We both smiled and then he pulled me to him and enveloped me in a bear hug before whispering in my ear, "I love you, Brad." Everything my mind had finally settled in the previous minutes, was suddenly a total clusterfuck again! I managed to choke back the tears that wanted to come and mumbled out what appeared on the surface to be a brotherly "I love you too, Derek," before we broke the embrace. As we exited the room and headed down the hallway to the fate he had chosen, I kept asking silently, 'Where the hell have those words been for the last four and a half years?' * * * * * As I sat through the reception an hour later, I replayed the wedding several times in my head. It had been a perfect ceremony with only one hitch that went unnoticed...thankfully...by everyone else. When the minister turned to Lacy and had her repeat her vows to Derek and then paused for the obligatory response, I let "I do," slip from my own lips. Nothing loud enough to be heard, but verbalized enough that my own ears heard the words of commitment I would have been willing to make echoing over and over between them. When Derek followed and pronounced his love and gave the expected answer to Lacy, my heart wanted to explode. I was outwardly happy for both of them, but was dying inside that it was her instead of me that would be soon enjoying the first dance with Derek. I managed to keep up appearances throughout the gift-opening session, and performed my duty as best man in joining them for the second dance with the maid of honor. As the four of us glided around the floor, Derek grinned at me several times and finally pointed at the ring on his left hand. The look on his face said: 'Can you believe it?' I could and then again I couldn't, as my brain pulled up the memory of us; just hours earlier; uttering those ecstatic moans as we filled each other's mouths. As soon as I could, I escaped the gathering and went out to the parking lot to prep the Camero with 'Just Married' signs and the obligatory tin cans for the big getaway. When I rejoined everyone later, the festivities were winding down. Lacy came over and teasingly demanded a dance. I acceded to her request and we were soon swaying to a slow song. She leaned into me as the song finished and whispered, "I know you will always be his best friend...don't be a stranger after we get back because you are important to me too." A large smile crossed her face and she kissed my cheek before I took her back to her waiting husband. One More Time Ch. 07 It had become the time for the send off and people were shuffling out the front door to wait. I stayed behind with them to share a final set of hugs with both. Promising that I would get the clothes they had worn to the church and all the presents to the apartment, and come visit once they were all settled in, I then quickly joined the others. At that point I was just wanting the day to be over. Too much had happened the past 72 hours and I wasn't dealing well with all of it. I was holding the car door for Derek, when he looked at me before climbing into the driver's seat and simply said "See you in a week buddy." I knew that he was more than serious about that comment, and refrained from saying what I wanted to: 'Get on with your life Derek, so I can get on with mine.' It became quickly clear that wasn't going to happen right away though. As I unloaded the car later at their apartment, everything reminded me of him. The clothes he had worn to the church still smelled like him. The odors from our coupling just 14 hours prior still wafted from the sheets on the bed. I dutifully stripped it down and replaced the sheets and pillow cases. I intended to bury them at the bottom of his hamper in hopes that my own scent would disappear by mixing in with all the other dirty laundry. But as I was pulling things from the top, I grabbed the towel we had used to clean up with on Wednesday night. It, and the two wash clothes wrapped with it, were stiff and spotted in many places from all the now dried cum that we had cleaned off ourselves. As the tears of what was over began to flow, I jammed everything back in the hamper and rushed from the apartment before any more memories hit me. A half hour later I was sitting on the floor at my own place...alone and in the darkness...listening to a radio station that played nothing but love songs...and for the first time in my life, began to get as drunk as I could all by myself. One More Time Ch. 08 Is it really a new beginning for everyone? 8===> Derek and Lacy were only a few weeks into wedded bliss, when the first of several traditions with the three of us would begin. I had been invited...no, more like ordered...by Lacy to come over for a home cooked meal on a Wednesday night. At both their urgings, that soon became an almost standing thing every Wednesday. I enjoyed the socializing but also needed the time away from Derek also. Being around him at the grocery store was more than enough tugs at my memories, and I didn't need to add to the struggle at accepting that things would never again be the same. Between work and a heavy school load, I usually had a reasonable excuse to give them to ensure they had plenty of privacy the first six months. Over the cold winter months, I did join them on an occasional weekend night to play cards or watch a movie, but never felt all that comfortable being a third wheel despite their declarations to the contrary. As time wore on through the summer and towards that first year anniversary, I became closer and closer to Lacy; mainly because she seemed to be making Derek very happy. She had become like a sister to me. As I continued to heal from what I had once been convinced was an irreparable broken heart, I ventured out a little more. I still had no real desire to find anyone to replace Derek, but I also needed contact with my own kind too. I was still completely in the closet with everyone I knew, but had finally buried all possibilities that I was anything approaching straight. I would stop by the gay bar just off campus every so often, just to grab a beer and mingle. With school back in session for the fall semester, the bar was usually crowded. I regularly had offers made to go home with someone, but always rebuffed the proposals. No matter how much I would have loved to spend a night of passion with another guy instead of surfing gay porn with one hand and working myself to orgasm with the other, I just wasn't the type to get into one night stands. That self-imposed dogma was to be soon tested however. * * * * * The Friday evening that marked twelve full months since Derek and I had last been together was spent at their place. Lacy had cajoled me into helping them start off their one year celebration weekend by having dinner with them. It was almost total deja vu as Derek and I played Nintendo while Lacy finished cleaning up after the meal. The erotic memories of an almost identical night starting like this one year earlier were enhanced by the fact that Derek was wearing nothing more than a pair of running shorts. Marriage had done nothing to quash the sexuality he oozed when he was nearly naked. The longer we sat on the living room floor and played, the more I mentally chastised myself for the thoughts I was having. It had been a fucking year and I still wanted him! Derek had just destroyed me at Mario once again, when Lacy sat down on the couch. He leaned back to give her a kiss and then shot me a big grin. "Want to see the latest addition to the library, Brad?" came with the devilish smirk. I knew that meant that he had yet another new porno he wanted me to see. His fascination with smut had constantly intensified since they got married, and surprisingly, Lacy seemed to enjoy it also. Even before I had answered him, Derek was up inserting a disk into the DVD player. I leaned back against the front of the couch as he hit the play button, assuming that it would be worth watching since he tended to record movies that also included nice beefcake for Lacy. I snickered to myself as I accepted that this was a form of foreplay for them and in a way, I enjoyed it too. Derek had planted himself back on the floor too, and Lacy stretched out on the couch. The movie was a good one that had enough of a plot to follow, but quickly got down to serious business also. Derek's eyes were welded to the screen when the female jerked down the stud's jeans and took him in her mouth. My peripheral vision caught Derek's hand slide into his right leg opening at the same time I saw Lacy slip her hand over his shoulder to caress his bare chest. Between Lacy's fingers and the vivid close ups of the movie, Derek was so preoccupied he didn't realize the soft moans he was making. There was no way to miss the bulge that had formed in my best friend's shorts, and soon the head of his dick was peeking out from under the loose leg fabric. Derek began teasing himself with his own hand as if I wasn't even there, much less just inches away. Lacy was peppering the back of his neck with kisses and running her fingers through his thick brown locks. Much more and I would be getting as good a live show as the one on the screen. I quickly shifted my eyes back to the TV trying to deal best I could with the erection I now had also. By the time the third scene of the porno flick had played halfway through, I took the unstated cue that it was time for me to leave them alone to finish what was started. I stole one last glance at my friend's hard cock snaking down his thigh in the dark as I pulled myself to my feet, and after thanking Lacy for dinner, headed out the door for my truck. I was only one block away when I decided to not go straight home. * * * * * The bar wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be for a Friday night. There were plenty of guys packing the place, but finding a table off to the back after getting a beer wasn't a problem. I didn't want to be alone at home, but really wasn't looking for company either. I slowly nursed my beer as I let my eyes survey the wide selection of young males that made up 95% of the partiers. If I had wanted to play the meat market game, this was definitely smorgasbord night. I tried my best to avoid staring at one tall, dark-haired stud in particular that reminded me far too much of Derek. I was just giving him the once over again for about the fourth time, when a single word question entered my ears. "Brad?" My head snapped to the left in shock as I heard my name and my eyes ricocheted off a very familiar face. Jeremy was a hunky 20 year old Kent State junior that had just started working at the store a month earlier. He was all of maybe a couple inches taller than me, sported a head full of bushy dark brown hair, had deep blue eyes, a decent build, and resembled me enough that several people at work had asked if we were related. Before my mind could process any kind of comment, he sat down on the other chair and very matter-of-factly stated "Imagine finding you here!" The grin on his cherubic face said there was no way I would get away with denying I knew it was a gay bar. "No one at works knows, Jeremy," was all I managed to sputter out. "Not even Derek?" was the totally unexpected question that came back. "I thought you guys were really close." As my brain processed a dozen different ways to answer that one, I went with the safest: "Pretty sure he has a clue, but we've never talked about it." I quickly shifted the conversation to work, school, and then broached the topic of where we both were in the coming out process. Jeremy had been out since his junior year of high school but said he had nothing serious going at this point in his life. From other things he said it was obvious that he had many more notches on his belt than I did. I had managed to get away with only generically talking about still fighting the small town closet attitude and a very quiet, single high school fling that lasted longer than it should, but avoided saying anything that might connect Derek and me. He was married now and I had to protect him. Thankfully, Jeremy didn't push for details. By the time I was sucking down the last drops of my beer, his hand had found it's way to my thigh. Whether it was the earlier stimulation created at Derek and Lacy's; or the complete lack of any physical contact for an entire year; neither my body, nor my brain resisted him. Quite the contrary in fact, as I placed my arm behind him on the chair back and rubbed his shoulders. We were silently staring into each other's eyes when Jeremy leaned into me and brushed his lips over mine. I shuttered my eye lids as his tongue forced its way between my lips at the same time his hand crept up and found my engorged crotch. I held him in an embrace as our tongues battled inside my mouth and he massaged the erection I couldn't have hidden with a steel jock strap. The very kisses I had wanted from Derek all this time, were coming so easily with Jeremy, and I didn't want them to stop. The only reason they did, was he suddenly broke off and licked the ridges of my ear before throatily whispering, "Let's find someplace a lot more private, Brad." I had been so captivated by the attention, that all I could do was nod my head and mumble "Yeah...let's," before getting up and heading for the parking lot with Jeremy. At that point I didn't care whether this was a good idea or not...and getting involved with someone from work probably wasn't...but I knew I what I wanted tonight. More importantly, I knew what I needed: someone and something to help me smother the torch that was still burning far too brightly for Derek. * * * * * Since he lived in a dorm and had a roommate, we decided that Jeremy would follow me to my apartment at the lake. As we stood in the shadowy entry way, he had his arms around me, lustfully pinned up against my ass and undoing my pants from behind as I unlocked the door. I promised myself that this was just going to be a physical thing, but at the same time hoping it would be a release of everything I had held back for nearly five years. Maybe some passion-filled, one night flings were exactly what I needed to clear my head I thought as we entered the living room and Jeremy's tongue invaded my mouth again. As I held him tight to my quivering body and returned the kiss, the grinding of our hips began. Whatever he had in his jeans was fully erect and pressing against me with ever increasing eagerness. As we navigated towards the bedroom, lustfully stripping off each other's shirts along the way, I said a silent prayer that he understood just how much of a virgin I really was in so many respects. I also added to that request, that whatever was to come, would be a learning experience and not something to be regretted. I was still fumbling with the button on his jeans as my cargos were swiftly undone and being pushed down my legs. They ended up bunched at my ankles, and I stepped out of them at the same time I managed to get Jeremy's zipper down. As soon as the well-trimmed pubic hair came into view, I realized he was dressed commando and shoved the jeans lower to reveal the hardness that had been pressed tightly to me just seconds earlier. I audibly gasped as a very thick cock at least two inches longer than my own popped free. My panting quickly gave way to a deep moan as Jeremy's hand began to knead my own, still covered, boner. My head wobbled backwards and I was staring at the ceiling when I felt Jeremy's lips begin suckling at the indentation at the base of my neck. The kisses and licks and suction from his mouth on my neck was making me crazy. His hand roughly, but lovingly, continued to tease me through my boxers as I finally encircled his raw shaft with my right hand. The notion of how so much different it felt from Derek's slender cock, was but a fleeting thought. Jeremy pushed me backwards towards the bed, and was gently chewing on my ear lobe when he whispered, "Just so you know, I don't fuck on the first date...but damn do I love to sixty-nine." With that pronouncement, he dropped to his knees and used his teeth to drag my boxers from my hips. He quickly had me completely naked also, and was taking my begging tool in his drooling mouth; all the while with eyes looking up across my stomach and wordlessly saying: 'Enjoy this!' After more than a few moments of serious attention from his mouth, Jeremy pushed me onto the bed and climbed in beside me. His legs intertwined with mine and our hips grinded together as our mouths meshed again. Our hands were all over each other as I released passion with my lips and tongue that had been kept totally restrained for far too long. We were both on fire and I took the next initiative by rapidly rotating and snaring his huge red bulb with my lips. The loud moan that spilled from him when I began using my curled tongue like a miniature penis fucking his piss slit, said that I was hitting the right nerves. I slowly chewed my way down his long, thick, flesh baton, and soon felt his boy shrubbery against my chin. The tip of his mushroom was just at my tonsils and I mimicked a couple of swallows to let my throat muscles bring him even more pleasure. I had just started to work myself into a good tempo of bobbing and slurping on his silky wonder, when the last intelligible words either of us would say for the next fifteen minutes filled the air. "Motherfuck can you ever suck cock, Brad!" The endorsement came with a hip thrust and a simultaneous re-stuffing of his own mouth with my secreting bone. For the next quarter hour, we rolled on the bed and uttered one muffled moan after another in what appeared to be both of us attempting to give the other the best blow job ever. Even though I was certain Jeremy wanted to make this last as long as I did, we both finally felt the tremble in our nut sacs. The up-and-down rhythm of our heads intensified and was instantly matched with an increasing ramming tempo from each other's hips. Jeremy was tugging at my balls in a futile attempt to stave off my inevitable detonation. I was digging my fingers into his butt cheeks when I felt them clench and go as rigid as his cock was in my mouth. His head slammed on me once more and I felt my cock slip to his throat at the same time his balls erupted. I was greedily taking his load as my back arched one last time into his face and my own multiple wads finally succumbed to his talented mouth. I had barely stopped coming when I was yanked up from his crotch and had a wet, sticky tongue wedged in between my lips. Jeremy's arms enveloped me and I willingly folded into them while we snowballed our juices together. We stayed that way for a quite a long time; wrapped together; kissing and fondling; savoring the unique taste of the combined man jam on our tongues; and doing something else that I had never done before...experiencing the real meaning of after glow as we cuddled and talked. * * * * * The next day at the grocery store, Jeremy and I shot each other more than a few mischievous and playful glances throughout the day. At one point I was positive that everyone in the place was seeing him catch my attention, look at me, and lick his lips. This type of overt teasing was something I was completely unused to and my reaction tended to be little more than a deep blush. I did ultimately join in with the flirting some, but he upped the ante when we hit the back room to grab some more stock for the canned soup aisle. After looking around to be sure we were alone, he huddled up against me from behind and gave me a few humps. Then, as he brazenly groped me from behind, he kissed the back of my neck and softly murmured in my ear, "I want a second date, Brad." I had turned to tell him to chill a little when he shoved his tongue in my mouth and squeezed my crotch, creating an erection it would take a good ten minutes to will down. It was all could do to mumble out a 'Yes...Sure...Me too,' as our tongues battled. I did finally take charge and told him, "We need to cool it down some at work though, Jeremy. We don't need to get fired for getting busy on top the cases of Charmin." Jeremy only grinned at me before giving my bone a last snatch through my khakis as we broke the embrace. "Yeah, I know what you mean, Brad. Wouldn't look good as a reference would it?" It was impossible to miss the hard on he was sporting in his pants too. "So...your place after work then? We can grill some steaks and maybe watch a movie. I really don't wanna go to the bar." "Sure," was my almost non-committal reply, but I accented the desire for another evening alone with him with my own playful grope of his box and a wide grin. That evidently temporarily satiated his lust and the rest of the day went by with the ongoing teasing being subdued enough to keep us from raising any eye brows. * * * * * Even with sun being down, the mild temperature of a final Indian Summer day had us down to just our shorts on the deck...me in a pair of cut off 501's and Jeremy in cargos that hugged his ass like he had been poured into them. While we cooked dinner on the barbeque, Jeremy had done his best to pry some more details about my sexual past from me. It took some doing, but I managed to tell him most of my sordid story without implicating Derek directly. All I admitted about him was that we had jacked off together. "Derek always had a thing for pussy," was the explanation that seemed to work and stop any more poking around in that dark corner. I rationalized in my mind that it was a true statement...just not a all-encompassing one. "So there has only been one guy and you had a long term thing with him, but never did anything but suck and beat each other off?" was the skeptical question Jeremy put to me. I merely nodded my head as an answer. I was still trying to get used to being so open about what I had done in bed. "Damn! Five years of specialized practice!" The grin that came with the crack was huge. "No wonder you made me blow like a volcano last night! I thought I was good at sucking cock, but let me tell you Brad, you are the best!" I was blushing at the compliment as he leaned in to me and pressed his lips to mine. "You make out like a cheerleader in heat, too," he breathed into my ear as he broke the quick kiss. I felt his hand caressing my crotch as he added, "Tonight, you let all of it out dude and enjoy the whole thing." Before he grabbed the tongs to pull the steaks from the grill, his tongue circled the ridges of my ear and I ended up with a boner that lasted halfway through dinner. * * * * * The embers in the grill had long since turned to cold cinders as things began to heat up in he living room. Since I had never seen it, Jeremy had brought a copy of 'Brokeback Mountain' and we had curled up on the couch together to watch it. It was easy to understand why the film had received so much buzz and acclaim. I did my best to take in all the messages it sent, but thanks to Jeremy's hand occasionally roaming my chest and abs, and kissing the back of my neck every so often, I knew I would have to watch it again when I could totally concentrate. By the time the credits were rolling at the end, both of us were sporting Sequoia-style wood thanks to an hour and a half of being cuddled up together and the very subtle foreplay. Just as the screen went blank, I felt Jeremy's hand fumbling with the top snap on my cut offs and moved my hips back into him. My head turned to meet his face and he rolled me to my back as his tongue wet down my lips. While I parted my lips to allow his tongue access, my hand meandered to his box and gently kneaded the huge lump trying to escape the cloth prison that held it back. As I sucked hard on his tongue, his hand was continuing to work the buttons on my jeans, popping one after another until he had them all undone. I moved my hand and began my own efforts at getting his shorts loosened at the same time his fingers began playing in my bushy pubic hair. Just as I finally got his zipper to cooperate with my fingers and slide down, Jeremy's hand closed around my hardness and he let out a long moan. "Shit, how I want to bury my face in that cock hair forest of yours," spilled from his mouth. Now totally in the mood also, and at long last losing my inhibitions, I grabbed his massive erection and boldly replied back, "And I want that lick this delicious hunk of flesh like a popsicle too." The smile that was on both our faces said that a wall was coming down and that tonight looked like something that would be remembered for a long time. I punctuated my newly found bravado by jumping to my feet and taking his hand in mine. As I pulled him from the couch, I ordered, "Come on you fucking stud...this little party needs to move to a more suitable setting." The look he gave me was delighted surprise combined with full comprehension thanks to what seemed to be an identical desire. With our arms wrapped around each other's waists, we headed for my bedroom trading spit the whole way. One More Time Ch. 08 My loose cut offs had fallen down my legs halfway through the bedroom, and I just shook them from my feet as I walked. Jeremy must have finished peeling his off as I lit the candle on top of my dresser, since he was already naked and seductively sprawled on the bed when I turned around. Even in the relative darkness of the room, I could see the twinkling of his eyes reflected by the candlelight as he verbally teased me with "So what ya wanna do now, big boy?" He used one hand to cup his balls and the other to hold his cock straight up and wave it at me like a flag. "See anything you like maybe?" His casual sexual demeanor was a Godsend to me at overcoming the self-restraint I had become so used to always putting myself in with Derek. With Jeremy there was no silly pube scratching code before and no bullshit and diversion after. He knew who he was, what he wanted, and was totally comfortable with all of it. I was the older one, but he was quickly becoming my teacher. Deciding to be a star pupil, I jumped on the bed, straddled his legs, grabbed both of our erect poles, and squeezed them together in my locked hands. Looking down into his bright eyes, I began to unhurriedly take full strokes on us both, before licentiously leaning over to murmur in his ear. "I think I like everything I see, Jeremy. What about you studmuffin?" His arms encircled my waist and he pulled me down on top of his bare torso. "I like everything I see too, Brad," spilled from deep in his throat just before he mated our mouths together. It was many, many, many long minutes before we broke the kiss and caresses and hip grinding, and we only did that because the noise of our massive amounts of pre squishing together on our tummies had given us the giggles. I slid off him to the side and Jeremy folded me up in his arms. One hand began playing with his oozing bone, while fingers from the other concurrently played with my sticky happy trail when he finally observed: "Looks like we both have a full loads to get rid of...guess the big question is 'where'...any ideas?" The look on my face must have told him that I was at a complete loss on how to answer that opening. We had never broached the topic of 'top or bottom' but Jeremy knew from our discussions that I was a virgin as far as fucking. I had watched plenty of porn and knew the mechanics, but wasn't at all confident of which position sounded most interesting at that point. I was continuing to massage his hard cock when he helped me decide. Jeremy shoved his fingers in his mouth to get them good and wet and then moved them between my legs to tease my rosebud. The totally new feelings that the ever-so-light pressure he was applying to my taint had me arching my back quickly and pulling some very animalistic moans from my throat. Just as a finger tip slipped through my tight ring, he purred in my ear. "I go both ways, Brad, but I am really in the mood to show you how good it feels to have a hard cock inside you." I wanted to say many things at that instant, but my only initial response was to let my sphincter contract on his probing digit and my lips to emit a long sigh of pleasure. A little more talented foreplay and I finally managed to murmur out a near-breathless, "Yes...please fuck me!" I was ready to totally trust Jeremy and my legs spread almost automatically as my ass loosened to his ongoing seduction. My decision brought a big smile to Jeremy's face and he kissed me deeply before moving down my body with his mouth. He stopped long enough on his trip south to clean up my drooling mushroom with his tongue but never giving up on his pursuit of getting my butt used to being invaded. He had managed to work in a second finger and was in to the second digit with both...methodically sliding them back and forth slowly. Nerves I didn't know existed were on fire inside me and he upped the ante as he took both my balls in his mouth at the same time he pushed his fingers in even further. I nearly came up off the bed when he gently chewed my nuts and took several quick, deep thrusts with his buried fingers in the same motion. "Oh my fucking gawd, Jeremy," exploded from my mouth and I grabbed two handfuls of hair as he kept working me over. Suddenly both my ass was empty and so was his mouth as he wiggled himself between my legs and pushed them apart with his knees. "You OK baby?" was all that was said. I nodded back with a huge smiled pasted to my face and declared "Oh hell yeah! Please don't stop!" "I wasn't planning to, Brad," was accompanied by a wickedly impish grin. "Give me that extra pillow and raise your hips," he ordered. Once it was wedged under the small of my back, he shot me a smirking leer and predicted, "You should really like this." Before planting his face under my balls, he used his hands to split my cheeks and I felt his tongue rake across my exposed man twat. My nut sac was resting on Jeremy's nose as he showered attention with his lips and tongue to my begging pucker. When his tongue entered my chute the first time, I almost came right then. I grabbed my legs and held them wide for him to have as much access as he wanted as he ate me out. My moaning grew louder and louder the more he prepped me for what I now knew I wanted more than anything else...him inside me! Jeremy finally realized that my trembling body couldn't take much more and mercifully pulled back. He sat up on his knees and grinned at me. I looked back at him and trapped his waist with my legs, locking my ankles behind him. From somewhere inside me an unknown voice let go with: "You had best be ready to fuck my ass off, buddy!" The wide smile on Jeremy's face preceded his snuggling up to my quivering crotch. As he nuzzled his erection against my ass split, he softly asked, "You sure about this, Brad?" He had me so excited that "Hell yes I am sure dammit!" was all I could come back with. I used my leg lock to pull him tighter to me and let my pleading eyes give the rest of the consent he wanted. I knew he was large and that this would probably hurt some being my first time, but I was having no second thoughts. Plus, with the way he had already been at making sure to give me pleasure, I knew that he would do everything he could to not cause pain. I looked up at him, dug my nails into his shoulders, and gave him a single command: "Take me!" Jeremy first used his hand to mop up a palm full of my leaked out pre, and then began to rub it on my entry way. While he moistened me up, he jerked his own dick some and slathered it down with his own slime before poising it at my twitching hole. I shuddered with anticipation as I felt him rub it up and down and back and forth. Finally, the tip was pressed firmly to my flower and with the most tender of care, Jeremy began to open me up with the head of his throbbing cock. I inhaled deeply as he penetrated through the outer ring and was biting my bottom lip as the first inch of his sword claimed its prize. Instead of going further, he let me just get used to my cherry being popped and let it lay there just inside me as he leaned over and smothered my face with his. The more we kissed and caressed each other, the more I got used to the intrusion, and the more he was able to slowly slip in. By the time he had more than half his thick tool in me, he had also began to take slow thrusts back and forth....each forward one going just a little bit farther as my resistance lessened. His hips were unhurriedly rocking and he was chewing on my tongue when out of the blue, he pinched both my nipples at the same time and I felt him shift quickly and his balls lodged against my cheeks. My eyes teared a little from suddenly having all eight thick inches in me, but the euphoria that came with it was worth it. I freed my tongue from him and moaned, "OH! FUCK! YES!" Jeremy had stopped moving; letting me once again get used to having new territory opened up. He was fully in me and just stared down once more questioning, "You OK baby?" I responded with a tight squeeze of my ass muscles, a big grin, and the sarcastic question back to him of: "What part of 'Oh fuck yes' didn't you understand Jeremy?" I accented my statement with a push back of my hips in an attempt to take the very last quarter inch of him. The combination of his balls jammed to my ass, my butt stuffed like the proverbial Thanksgiving turkey, and the erotic feeling of his dense pubic hair brushing against my balls made me roll my eyes in ecstasy. "Oh yeah...I am more than OK stud...just show me what else you have now," was the challenge I issued along with a thrust back into him of my hips. "Well then..." Jeremy started as he propped himself up above me and began to slowly take short humps, "...let's get serious then." He wrapped his hand around my shaft and started tugging at me as he increased his tempo. It wasn't long before the only sounds in the room were grunts, groans, moans, and the spanks of his balls against my butt cheeks. To give him some incentive, I latched my hands to his wrists and met his bucking with my own. I knew that between all the preparatory foreplay, his hand working me, and the fact that he was nailing my hot button on most every plunge, that I wouldn't last long. Just as I felt the unmistakable tingle in my nuts, Jeremy turned wild and began thumping into me with heightened enthusiasm. His hips began working as fast as his hand and I unsuccessfully tried to mentally strangle my orgasm, but instead began spitting out more cum than I ever had before. By the time my sixth or seventh rope had splattered the both of us, Jeremy snapped his head back, pulled out of me, and cried out "I'm cumming too, Brad," as he finished off in his hand and dumped what seemed like a gallon of spooge across my body. I was still shuddering and excreting large dribbles of my own, when his balls finally ceased emptying. There was a look of extreme satisfaction was on both our faces as he collapsed on top of me and immediately filled my mouth with tongue. It was at least five minutes before we stopped making out and sliding around in the mess we had made of each other. We had cuddled up together and spent 15 or 20 minutes making small talk while relishing the after glow. Jeremy had complimented me several times about my first plunge into full blown sex, and I had assured him that his own performance had been also stellar. Even though I felt totally complete finally and knew I would sleep well, Jeremy had other ideas as he leaned over and kissed me again. As his lips separated from mine he whispered, "Let me get you ready for round two then," and in one swift motion bent over, took my flaccid cock in his mouth, and worked it until it was stone hard again. Looking straight into my eyes with the largest of horny grins on his face, he crawled up on top of me and planted his butt crease on my new erection. He was fully boned again also and after a few wiggles and squirms on me while he teasingly stroked his shaft, he laid out the game plan with "It's been months since I got packed good and I wanna ride this bad boy." I grasped his waist with both hands and bumped my hips up into him. "Well, you have me where you need me then, cowboy...bust this bronco," I replied looking up to his shining eyes with an evil grin of my own. After he lubed up with a handful of spit, I instinctively held my cock up for him and watched as he raised up and then lowered himself down on it. I was a little surprised at how easily I slipped into him. But I was more surprised at the unique feeling of having his ass muscles grip on me and moaned as his butt ate its way down my shaft. "Oh yeah stud buddy...feels so good," slithered from his lips as his nuts settled themselves into my man bush. He leaned back on his hands and shook his impaled ass on my tool a couple of times, staring lustfully at me the whole time. Then he sat back up and began a combined dance with his rump bouncing slowly and his hand yanking his cock. When his motions intensified, so did his verbalizations. "You've got a perfect cock to fuck, Brad. Yeah baby...push it up in me more...yeah...that's it stud...feed my tight ass." I was now entirely into it and joined in the trash talk with "You like taking my rod do ya? Then work that man meat of yours while I fill your hot butt." My fingers dug into his waist as I pumped my hips up into Jeremy's down thrusts. His happy whimpers said that I was doing it right and he began pulling on himself even faster. "Blow that big load all over me you hot motherfucker," came from somewhere deep inside me at the same time I felt my cum damn give way. I rammed up into Jeremy's cavern one last time as he let loose with a war hoop of a yell and sprayed all over my chest and face. My body went rigid at the same instant as I drowned his magic spot with a fresh full load. Jeremy was still bopping on my shaft as he bent forward across me and sucked my tongue out of my mouth. His spigot kept spewing on both our bodies as he took the last few humps on me. Then he gave me yet another lesson as he kept up the kisses while letting my cock stay deep in him until it went soft. We were both totally spent and barely were able to move into a cuddle position after our second set of mattress gymnastics. Even in the dark, Jeremy made me noticeably blush when he said, "Gawd are you one hot fuck, Brad." "Probably has something to do with a partner that knows how to motivate me," I offered back with a smile. "Nah buddy...I knew from the way you were last night at giving head, that you understand that getting pleasure and returning pleasure is what the hottest sex is all about. Whoever the dumb fuck you were involved with before was...well...he missed out big time. I only wish I wanted a full time boyfriend right now 'cause I would be all over you constantly if I did." We both went silent after that exchange. It was the first time I had thought of Derek the whole night, and a there was a noticeable tug a my heart from the memories of what might have been. The barely subtle 'no boyfriend wanted' caveat from Jeremy stuck in my mind also as we wrapped together to find some much needed sleep. My mind fought against my closed eye lids as I did my best to not fantasize about either one of them as any more than a couple of suck and fuck buddies. One was in the past and one came with a unknown; if any; future. One More Time Ch. 09 Life changes and serious questions for Brad 8===> The next year became a jumble of 'same old, same old' familiarities mixed in with new spheres of experiences. It seemed as if every part of my life was a combination of both old and new. I tried to present an 'in total control' persona, but it was mostly a facade since I often felt as if I was on a never-ending roller coaster ride. I still was expected at Derek and Lacy's for dinner at least once a week, and continued to suffer through the 'Let's watch my new porno' foreplay game almost every time. After Lacy had finally managed to get Derek to replace the archaic death-trap couch, I even began to spend an occasional night there after playing cards real late. More than once I had laid there and whacked off when the noises from the bedroom got a little too loud, or when Derek boned me up and bringing back memories by strutting naked through the living room to snatch a needed post-coital towel or wash cloth from the bathroom. In so many ways, nothing had changed between he and I, except that I wasn't the one he turned to any longer when needing relief. On a happier note, Lacy and I continued to build on our own friendship and became like brother and sister almost. Because of the happy life she was evidently providing Derek, I had grown to really like her. School was going well even though I had declared a second major in finance after discovering I enjoyed the courses and was told by a professor that I had a natural talent for it. It would add an additional summer semester to my schedule, but I figured the trade off of having more career opportunities would be worth it. While Derek seemed very satisfied with the grocery business, I wanted something more. Classes also gave me the chance to keep up some semblance of social contact, although I rarely mixed off campus with the other students who were most all at least three or four years younger than me. Working at the Krogers had become almost drudgery to me. The tedious routine of any job outside of management just didn't hold my attention. Like KSU, the socialization factor was there, but very limited also. Besides Derek and the occasional hook-up with Jeremy, I pretty much left work, at work. I did expand my sexual pursuits a little though and maybe once every couple months would go home from someone at the bar. I couldn't quite nail it down for certain...whether it was still a slightly flickering torch for Derek, a smoldering interest in more than fuck-buddy status with Jeremy, or just my own deep rooted desire for something monogamous...but I always felt guilty after a one-night stand. I wanted the physical closeness, but I coveted the emotional bond even more. 'Dating' at the bar seemed to be considered to be anything that involved both of you remembering the other guy's name the next day, and that just wasn't me. Jeremy and I had talked about it after a particularly good romp in the sack one night, and his cynical solution was far too simple: "Just hit the glory hole in the second floor library bathroom when you need something besides your hand and you can't find me." I painfully confessed to him that I had given in to that temptation once and felt like complete trash afterwards. I didn't admit however, that I wished he and I had something a little more resolute than friends that got naked together on a regular basis. It was just after spring semester mid-terms when the biggest change happened. My money and banking instructor slipped me a notice that was supposed to be posted on the summer jobs bulletin board. It was for an internship with the one, still locally owned, independent bank. "It is actually an open position they are hoping to fill with someone that wants to stay in Kent after graduation," was his explanation. "Check it out, Brad. With your dual major, you would be a natural and the president is a golf partner of mine. Would be happy to give you a good reference." Less than three weeks later, I was giving notice to my store manager that I was taking the offer they had made me to start the first week of June. Of course I had told Derek first, and his response was more than supportive. "I was always hoping you would stay here in town and this is perfect. This way, we can keep things as they always have been, buddy." I didn't let it show, but internally my eyes rolled several times over at that line. Things would never again be 'as they had been' and I knew it as well as Derek did even though he would never admit it. After nearly six years, Derek still conveniently avoided any mention or apparent recollection of what all our friendship had once included. My final day at Krogers culminated with an loosely organized farewell barbeque at Derek's. More employees than I thought would showed up, but the promise of free food and a pony keg probably played a part in that. We all seemed to have a good time eating, drinking, bull shitting, and just sitting outside on the grassy slope of the lake edge. By the time the crowd was down to just me, Derek and Lacy, Jeremy, and a few other younger guys from school hanging on for the beer, I was feeling a healthy buzz. "Looks like the couch for Brad tonight, honey," was the line I heard Lacy utter. Derek was sitting beside me and chimed in with a poking, "Yeah, he was always a lightweight when it came to beer. Better go find him his favorite pillow." He then pulled me into a half bear hug and added, "Maybe get him a second one in case he is horny too." "Fuck you both," I jokingly tossed back. "I'm not up for listening to Lacy use the whips on you tonight. I will just walk to my place and come get the truck tomorrow." As everyone laughed, Jeremy came to my rescue...sort of. "I stopped drinking over an hour ago so I'm in good shape. I'll take the lush to his place and put him to bed." He was sitting on the other side of me and everyone else missed the wink he gave me in the dark, but I didn't. I felt the stirring in my loins knowing damn well what 'put him to bed' probably meant...especially when I felt his hand covertly slide up under the back of my shirt. Derek still had his arm wrapped around me and Jeremy was all but brazenly feeling me up at the same time. My slightly impaired mind began racing with the insane fantasy of both of them at the same time, while also trying to decide if I could get up and walk without my erection showing too badly in the tight shorts I was wearing. "Get me outta here then, Jeremy," I declared as I rose from the grass. I still think to this day, that the grin Derek gave me as he bear-hugged me goodbye, was from feeling my hard bone up against him. The almost knowing wink that came with it was a telltale sign that he knew something was up with Jeremy too. "Dammit, someday I have got to talk to him about being gay!" Even though I tasked myself with that thought, I also knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon. I think I was as afraid of the potential repercussions as he most likely was of me ever bringing it up. We both had our own set of reservations and quite honestly, I accepted staying in the closet so deeply not because of a fear of rejection, but because I knew he had so much more to lose. Derek was busy trying to politely shoo away the other partiers when Jeremy and I crawled into his car. Even before we pulled from the driveway, his hand was on my thigh. "Hope you want some company tonight, Brad. It's been a couple weeks ya know." Even if I could have fought the seductive smile on his face, I couldn't have said no to him as his hand moved up to cup my box. "You seem like you are in the mood too." My hand moved to his lap and found him as hard as I was. "For you...always," was all I offered as I rubbed his bulge while he drove. Even though it only took a few minutes to get to my place, it was more than enough time to have us both ready for something besides sleep. * * * * * We didn't even bother with any lights and we pawed at each other while walking straight to the bedroom. We stood next to my bed and made out like teenagers as we started pulling each other's clothes off. My lusting hands had him down to just his boxers quickly. Jeremy pulled his tongue from my mouth as he tossed my polo to the floor and unsnapped my shorts before he pulled away from me. "Light a candle and finish stripping down, Brad. I'll go grab us a couple of drinks from the fridge." I was naked and spread across the bed when he returned. Having shed his underwear somewhere along the way, he came back into the room as bare as I was, totally hard and carrying two cans. I burst out laughing when he declared, "Room Service." I snorted when he sat the cans to the side, grabbed his cock and added, "Two Cokes and a midnight snack...right sir?" I pulled myself up on my side and waved my own pole at him and replied, "That's right...and have I ever got a tip for you for filling my order so correctly." My hand closed around his shaft and guided it to my lips as if Jeremy was a giant pull toy. My eyes shifted up to his as I took a swipe of my tongue across his seeping slit. "Mmmm...tasty little dessert you brought," was my next contribution to the ongoing bad lines we were using on each other. I had just taken him half in my mouth when he cut loose with one last one. "Hope you like cream filled. It's all we had left this late at night." Before I could come up with a witty response, Jeremy covered my ears with his hands and began to push deeper into me with a tranquil thrusting of his hips. Without missing a hip stroke to my face, he reached down and began stroking me. I moaned best I was able to with him filling my mouth and tugged at his low hanging nuts with one set of fingers while poking at his ass flower with the others. Like the rest of our couplings had become, there was no discussion or hints of what was to come. No 'top or bottom' questions. No 'Just wanna 69 tonight?' inquiries. No negotiated positions. We just let things play out and whoever took the final incentive or however we ended up was fine with both of us. Since discovering that I was a lot more versatile than I had thought I would be, finding someone as equally comfortable with an 'anything also' approach to making love was the ultimate in a sexual partner. Helping me realize that was just one of the many reasons that Jeremy had been so needed in my life at the point he entered it. Jeremy effortlessly shoved me to my back as he crawled in bed with me finally. His lips finally took my throbbing rod and he continued fellating me as he repositioned. Just as I was about to retake him in my mouth, he shifted and planted his balls under my chin with his ass pinned to my face. I felt his throat seize my cock and that caused me to take the deep breath that was needed when I fastened my lips to his rosebud. Using both hands, I pushed his cheeks apart and began to feast on his entry way. My tongue darted in and out and my teeth gently gnawed on his ring which; I had previously discovered one night; made him a wild man. It only took a few more minutes of us each orally gratifying the other, before another mattress shuffle occurred. Jeremy was in my face when he feverishly declared, "Son of a bitch, you eat ass like no one else ever has. You know what that does to me, Brad." He grinded his hips into mine and smothered my lips with his, almost sucking my tongue out by the roots when I stabbed into his mouth with it. He knew my body as well as I knew his and used his fingers to tweak my nipples to heighten my excitement. Knowing what we both now wanted that night, my hand was busy on his firm rump and my index finger was working its magic inside him. His neck was at an almost impossible angle as he stayed persistent with his kisses even as I got him to roll over with his back to me. I snugged up against him and slathered his begging lips with my tongue while working the tip of my dick against his hole at the same time. Jeremy's body shifted backwards into me and he whimpered, "Please, Brad. Please take me like I need you to." His hand was working himself and he continued to mash tighter to me. The twitching he was doing was as if he was trying to will his ass to inhale my cock like a shop vac. I was nuzzling on his neck when I finally penetrated him. His head jerked back into my nose as I entered more rapidly than normal. "OH! FUCK! YES!" flew from his lips as I pulled back and rammed into him from behind. When I felt my cock head bump his hot button, I let it lay there for a moment and went back to kissing his neck. Finally, he caught his breath and began stroking himself again. "Give it to me like the man I am and the man you are stud," he commanded as his hips started to work on me in reverse. I turned his face to me and asked, "You sure?" I got nothing but a nod of the head and a huge smile back before he began kissing me with deep passion. With that go-ahead signal, I picked up the action of my own hips and reached down to massage his balls while he pulled on himself. Jeremy moaned in my mouth and we both picked up the pace even more. He was willingly taking every one of my hard thrusts and giving me one back at the same time. My full nuts were spanking the back of his thighs as I humped him like I never had. The noises he made were totally new and at first worried me; but the way his butt kept bouncing into me said that he was definitely not wanting me to ease up. I slipped my free arm under him and then brought the other one up to bear-hug him to me as my hips went into overdrive. My tongue exited his mouth and I started twisting both his nubs into hard little pieces of flesh on his pecs. "You like it nice and hard, don't you babe?" I proffered as my humping reached pistoning stage. "Sure do stud...and a couple more slams like that and I am gonna blow like Mount St. Helens." The look on his face was of shear pleasure. "Don't you dare let up Brad...I am right there on the edge baby," was accompanied by additional backward jolts just before his eyes snapped shut. My nuts rumbled as Jeremy's cavity cinched tighter on me. I took one final slam into him and before I could finish crying out, "Me too, lover," my built up load dumped deep inside him. His own unintelligible cries of relief followed a millisecond later and I felt the sticky warmness of his multiple spews drenching the arms I still had wrapped firmly around him. Following a few minutes of after-sex necking, we settled back, propped up against our pillows. Without saying a word, Jeremy handed me one of the cans of Coke and opened the other for himself. I had thought the new job was going to be the biggest change in my life for the year, up until the moments that followed. We would have normally instantly cuddled up together talking...teasing and kissing each other just enough to pretty much ensure an encore performance after a little rest break...but the serious-as-hell look that appeared on Jeremy's face that night was new territory for me. He pulled back slightly when I attempted to play with his deflated cock, took a big sip of the soda, and then asked, "Did you actually use the word I think you did when you came, Brad?" I unsuccessfully racked my brain for a audio replay of those final seconds. For all I knew, I could have yelled something totally insane like 'Geronimo' or 'Touchdown' or 'Bombs away.' The look that must have been on my face told Jeremy I was clueless. "You called me 'lover' Brad." The tone that came with the assertion was one that was so non-committal that I wasn't sure what to say. "Do you even know you said that?" "Maybe I did...heat of the moment you know." That and a smile was my attempt at any kind of explanation until I knew where this little dialogue was headed. He took another pull on his Coke and then looked at me with an expression that provided no hints of what he thinking. His free hand finally settled on the inside of my thigh and he managed to stammer out "We need to talk about that term, Brad." I took another sip of my soda and let my hand rest just above his knee. "If I somehow committed a cardinal sin by saying that, Jeremy, I'm sorry." He gently squeezed by leg and smiled. "Not at all, Brad...it's just that you know what I told you when we first started this craziness last year. I wasn't looking for a full time boyfriend and you said you weren't either." I nodded my head and moved my hand a little higher on his leg. "Right," was all I provided as I waited for him to keep directing the conversation. Instead, he paused to finish his Coke and set the empty can on the night stand. I drained the last of mine also as the silence began to really worry me. "I won't ever do it again, Jeremy," I decisively stated. He surprised me by chuckling and pulling me tight to him. "You don't understand at all, Brad. It's not that I am upset or want you to be paranoid about ever saying it again." Our eyes were fixed on each other as he continued. "In a lot of ways, I have seen us as boyfriends for the last few months. I know you haven't been out screwing around and believe it or not, you have been the only guy I have been with for close to four months. We make out and screw like lovers, so the term isn't one that doesn't fit and to be avoided. It's just that I don't think you are prepared for all the implications that comes with it...or are really ready." I stared back into his gaze. "What the hell do you mean by 'not really ready'...I know what the rules would be." Jeremy chortled again and then went back to the somber expression. "It's not about 'rules' or 'moving in together' or all the other silly shit that comes with a relationship beyond fuck buddy. Don't get me wrong, Brad. I love you too in so many ways, but there is much more to this...to an 'us' situation...than letting the word 'lovers' describe it." I nodded my head again and snuggled up against him. "So explain what my closeted ass is missing, Jeremy." He smiled and brushed the hair off my forehead. "You are such a sweet guy, Brad. So worldly and talented and yet so damned innocent at the same time. You are smart as hell, but still so inquisitive and wanting to learn more. You are a tiger in bed whether it is raw fucking or making love with passion beyond compare. In so many ways, you are a dream of every gay guy." I hugged him tight and mumbled, "I hear a huge 'but' coming." He hugged me back and brushed his lips over mine softly. "Yes, Brad, there is a 'but' and the worst part about it is, I am not sure you are even ready to hear WHY you aren't ready for the commitment...at least not with me." His strong voice had suddenly grown timid as he stopped and looked at me with a combination of trepidation and concern. "I don't want to hurt you and push you too fast." "So we solve that real easy by putting this whole discussion on hold for a month or two. It's not like I said that word expecting you to take it so serious. I know neither of us is ready to pledge our lives to each other forever and ever, amen!" "That's not necessarily totally true, Brad. We have been acting like lovers for a time now and quite honestly, I am surprised the word hasn't popped out of one of our mouths before tonight. I am very comfortable being exclusive with you...call it boyfriends, lovers, monogamous bed buddies, whatever. I just want us both prepared for the emotional requirements and the strains that come with it. 'Love' isn't a word you just toss around you know." Still being very confused at Jeremy's roundabout speech, I simply said, "Yes, and you don't think I can tell you that I love you and not mean it?" "I have no doubt at all that you can. You have before in fact, much the same way as 'lover' slipped out when you blew your load. We have both used it but just never dwelled on what it really meant to each other. Now we are." One More Time Ch. 09 "I do love you and pretty sure you love me. So what is the big mysterious problem then? It seems to me all we are doing is deciding to make this semi-official between the two of us. It's not as if we are picking out china patterns or planning a honeymoon." Jeremy inhaled a full breath, rolled his eyes, and expelled a long sigh as if he was deciding to go on with the discussion or not. Finally he rolled to his side and used his arm to pull me to him. "Brad, I do love you. Don't ever question that! I think I could end up being head-over-heels, crazy IN love with you in fact. But that takes some time and I have one big fear of investing that time to end up only losing you." Suddenly there was a look in his eyes of a doe caught in a hunter's rifle sights. I stroked the back of my hand across his cheek. "You wouldn't lose me, Jeremy," I promised quickly. "Are you 100% positive about that, Brad? Nothing at all that you can think of, that would possibly change your feelings down the road?" There was just enough of a pause for me to start to reply, when he put his finger to my lips. He inhaled deeply again before adding "Nothing to come back from the past to screw up what we would have built?" I was beyond confused at that point. "Of course not Jeremy. What would there possibly be? You know my past...what little of it there is...and that's exactly what it is...the past." "Is it? Is it really, Brad?" The way he said it was almost a challenge and it made the hair the back of my neck stand up. "Spit it the fuck out Jeremy," I demanded as I pulled away from his embrace. "No more of this ridiculous dancing around. What are you so afraid of with me?" I knew deep in my soul the words that were coming, but they still hit me like a ton of bricks. "You aren't over him, Brad. I am scared you never will be." "Who?" I regurgitated out without taking time to think how much I didn't want that question answered. I immediately wished I could have taken back the question. The last thing I wanted right then was to be reminded of Derek. "Do you really want me to say it, Brad? Really? I think you need to hear it, but I want you prepared for it too." 'If you are worried about the guy from high school, don't be! It is over, Jeremy. It's been over. Way over!" My blustering assertion had the wind taken completely out of it's sails with just a few words. "You're over Derek? I don't think so." It was said so bluntly and so matter-of-factly that I know my mouth dropped open and my eyes bugged out of their sockets. The one thing I had never expected was hearing his name from Jeremy. I had always been so cautious and never once had slipped. I was certain of that. There was no way he knew, but yet he had nailed it dead on. Ever Derek's eternal protector, I stammered out with "W-w-w-hat do you mean 'Derek'? He is married and straight!" Once again, I immediately wished I hadn't said it knowing that I was now trapped. Jeremy could move into more cross examination and I wouldn't hold up under the questions. But instead of the expected interrogation I had opened myself up to, only two simple statements came from him. "He might be married, but he isn't straight. Trust me." The way he said it, negated any need for him to reiterate that he knew Derek had been my single, long-lasting fling. My mind was now a giant mess as I tried to sort out what I was willing to say and whether I wanted to say anything at all. Jeremy just seemed to know that the exposing of my most closely guarded secret had hit me hard. In an attempt to be supportive, he wrapped up with me in a cuddle in what I assumed was his way of letting me know he was still there for me. I started to push him away, but realized he had done nothing to deserve rejection. All he had done was make me begin to deal with what I had so stubbornly refused to address on my own. When I began to let the tears flow, he laced out hands together and kissed my cheek softly. "How did you know it was him?" I blubbered. "Let's just say it was pretty obvious from the way you looked at him and how you acted around him away from the store. Plus my gaydar went off with him within the first minute of him training me. I'm sorry for dropping that bomb, Brad, but I had to. I can learn to love you like I would need to, but I can't share you. And I can't help you fight a ghost that hasn't died yet. Right now, he still owns a big part of you and that is something I can't deal with as lovers. Fuck buddies, yes...but not as lovers." I turned my wet face to him and asked "So what do we do now, Jeremy?" "A lot of that depends on what you want to do, Brad. I think you need to do a lot of thinking and I will always be willing to talk with you when you feel comfortable enough to open up fully. I won't be able to be totally unbiased, but I will promise to try. Maybe we need some time apart too...not that I want that...it just may be best for us both." His fingers were tracing circles on my stomach and playing in my happy trail as he grinned at me and tacked on "Maybe take a few weeks and then find a happy middle road we can both live with if nothing else." "I need you Jeremy," I stated as I hugged him. "We aren't breaking up before we even get together as a couple are we?" I tried to grin as I said that. His hands began to rub my shoulders. "Of course not, baby. This was just one of those ugly discussions that needed to happen between two friends that have gone further than maybe they should have. We will talk more as you work your way out of the wilderness of emotions you have been lost in." He leaned in and kissed me with reserved passion and his hands moved down my back as I allowed him to fold me into his grasp. As I relinquished myself to him, my cock responded all on it's own and was suddenly hard again. A quick glance down and I saw that Jeremy's was erect too and snaking up through his abundant pubes towards his abs. I took it tenderly in my hand as if it was the first time I had ever touched him and tugged on it. "Jeremy..." I cautiously began, "...will you please make love to me so I know we are OK. Well, at least as OK as we can be for right now." "Of course I will, Brad," came with a large sincere smile. For the next half hour, Jeremy held and caressed me; licked and kissed me; stroked me to near orgasm; and then finally entered me slowly. Once he was buried to the hilt, he leaned over to kiss me yet again and whispered in an affectionate voice I had never heard him use before. "I do love you, Brad." It was the last words we shared while he made love to me as he never had before...kneeling between my legs he held them spread wide and taking long slow thrusts. The whole time we gazed into each other's eyes wordlessly; allowing them to say what we didn't need to. The feelings in my nether regions were so intense I didn't even bother touching myself, but rather let Jeremy's tenderness and skill take me over the edge and we came at the same time. After glow was one of shared silence that just seemed to be appropriate for the moment. He permitted me to spoon back into him, and in short order we were both sleeping away the rest of the night with him holding me. When I awoke late the next morning, Jeremy was gone and I found a note stuck to the front off the fridge. 'Let's take that time we talked about last night-call me in four weeks,' was all it said. I didn't feel any sense of loss because I just knew he would see me again when I called. I just didn't like thinking of what all would most likely be going through my mind during that time. The biggest fear I had was that I was now in a position of having to choose between the two guys that meant the most me...one supposedly unattainable and one I wasn't certain I could love as deeply. At least the new job and the start of summer classes would keep me very busy, so I wouldn't have that much time to brood about things. Little did I know what additional drama was set to take center stage. One More Time Ch. 10 Brad faces his biggest test of all 8===> The first couple of weeks at the bank were packed with learning as much as possible and settling into a routine with the new job and summer courses at school. My mornings were filled with classes, my afternoons were owned by the bank, and almost every evening was spent with one assignment or another to deal with. The first weekend I begged off from the expected regular appearance at Derek and Lacy's by claiming too much studying to do. While that was partially true, it was also the test run for putting a little space between him and I too. A small guilt trip from Derek of "Dude, I haven't seen you all week. Surely you can break away for a few hours," wasn't successful at getting me to change my mind. A similar ploy succeeded the following weekend, but only because I promised Lacy faithfully that I would be there the next Wednesday. By the time I was starting that third week of no real contact with Derek or Jeremy, I was seeing one or the other in my brain at least once every waking hour. Plus, my subconscious had been continually injecting both of them into remembered dreams that caused me to find rock hard morning wood daily. Even though I had spent immeasurable hours thinking about what to do, I still whacked off each morning with them both alternating behind my closed eye lids. It was quite clear that I was having withdrawal pains for both and was no closer to figuring out what the hell I was going to do than the morning Jeremy left me the note. I stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work on Tuesday, and as destiny would have it, both of them were working. Derek caught me first in the dairy section and gave me a bear hug while reminding me that if I didn't show up for dinner the next night, Lacy would do more than just show me her collection of whips. I laughed and confirmed that short of being taken hostage in a bank robbery, that I would be there as demanded. The bone I had popped when Derek hugged me had thankfully shriveled because the next aisle I trotted down found Jeremy busy stocking shelves. He too hugged me and my erection instantly returned. We made some generic small talk as if we were both afraid to ask how things were going with the other. "I'm having dinner at Derek's tomorrow night," I finally uttered as if it was a confession. "As well you should, Brad," he stated. "He whined to me here over the weekend that it seemed like you had disappeared since your last day. Don't avoid him...it won't help you sort things out." I shrugged and looked at Jeremy. "Maybe so but I thought maybe being away from both of you would help me get my shit together." "Your shit is together, Brad...it's just that there are more bags of it than you realized." The look he gave me was one of near wisdom as he added "You aren't ever going to get it shoveled either, if you pretend it isn't there." That line made me laugh and I thanked him for being so understanding of what I was going through. "I'll call you next week," was my concluding comment as I left him to his work and headed for the checkout. I unashamedly squeezed my crotch the whole drive home, trying to figure out why both of them affected me the way they did. It was more than just physical, but with each it was emotionally different somehow also. Each one of them stimulated me in various ways and I knew I was making myself crazy trying to make sense of it. Just thinking about either one set me off. I was like stone by the time I walked up the stairs to my apartment. I dumped my purchases on the kitchen counter and went straight to the bedroom to change out of my dress clothes. I was still fully hard by the time I had stripped down to just my boxers, and decided to flop on the bed and jack off in hopes it would short-circuit my brain for a while so I could study. All that little exercise in futility did was to make me fantasize sucking Derek off while Jeremy drilled my ass. * * * * * It turned out that dinner Wednesday night had a hidden agenda. Lacy was going to be going down to West Virginia with her mother for the weekend to attend a baby shower for her cousin and make some family visits while there. "You know I barely trust this little sex maniac when he is at work...I need to know you are babysitting him and keeping him on the straight and narrow while I am gone, Brad," was the plea she made. "Yeah we can grab dinner out and then come back here, drink some beer, and play Nintendo like the good old days before the ball-and-chain got me," was the sardonic line Derek used. "It will be fun, buddy." His smile was so tempting and so convincing. My initial reaction was to find any way possible to say no, and I attempted the 'have to study' ruse again. It only took a few pleas from both to get me to cave quickly. I would later admit to myself that I liked the idea of a evening alone with Derek. Whether it was a good idea or not could be decided later. Claiming I had three chapters to read for a morning class yet that night, I managed to escape early and avoid any chance of the 'gotta see the new porno' inducements. It wasn't until I was on the short drive around the lake that I realized I had just agreed to the same type of date with Derek we had so often had back in high school. I had been tempted to call Jeremy and tell him what was up, but finally decided I had to deal with this on my own. After all, it's not as if Derek and I were going dining, dancing, and then to a one of the local hot-sheet motels. He had been married for coming up on two years and my overactive imagination was inventing shit I concluded with a snicker to myself. I was so busy the next day and a half that I didn't even think about it as much more than an appointment with a friend. * * * * * I was at Derek's by 6pm and we drove into town in the infamous Camaro. What I had assumed was going to be 'dinner out' as hitting the McDonald's drive thru or maybe the Friday night buffet at Friendly's, turned out to be a classy meal at a local landmark called 'Pufferbelly.' It was a fairly upscale restaurant in a well renovated 100 year old railroad depot full of iron horse memorabilia. It was also one that was usually filled on any Friday night, mainly with couples, but we got a small table off to the back quite quickly. "My treat," was the answer Derek gave after I whispered that appetizers alone were above my budget when I looked over the menu. Knowing it had always been useless to argue with him, I sighed silently and decided I would try their renown baked lasagna. Derek ordered surf-n-turf and an overpriced drink for each of us. "The margaritas are killer here. You gotta have one," he used to convince me. By the time we were done an hour later and sharing a dessert plate and a having a second drink, I was stuffed and feeling good. "So...on to phase two buddy," was the direction he gave me as we headed to the parking lot. "I haven't kicked your ass good at Mario for weeks," came with a guffaw and fist punch to the shoulder. It felt enjoyable to have the 'Derek and Brad Show' on the road again, even if it were for only this one night. When we got back to the apartment, he headed for the bedroom. "Be right back...I'm getting into some shorts. If you want a pair too, just say so." I didn't answer him, but did kick off my sneaks while pulling the game console from its shelf. When Derek came back into the living room, I instantly saw that his idea of 'getting into some shorts' meant a pair of very tight and very skimpy, nylon running shorts...and nothing else. I knew at that moment, that this night was most likely not going to end well. * * * * * As I looked at my nearly naked friend, I tried to deny to myself that seeing him like that brought back many memories. I also tried to convince myself that the out of the blue hard on in my jeans wasn't really there. "Get yourself under control," I silently ordered myself, but even with that warning, I couldn't help but watch him intently as he walked to the kitchen. His shorts rode up his ass cheeks as he walked and it was apparent that he was commando in them too. "You have no idea what you are doing to me, Derek," zinged through my mind and I pushed down on the bulge that was becoming far too pronounced. When he came back, he handed me one of the two beers he carried and then flopped down next to me on the floor. "You are always easier with a slight buzz on," he teased as he grabbed one of the game controllers. He leaned into me with a shoulder bump and added "Ready to try to come out on top for once?" I knew he had no idea at all of the innuendos that came with his cracks. Without thinking, I added one. "Give it your best shot and let's see who gets lucky tonight, stud," popped out before I could stop the words. Derek laughed and pushed the second controller to me. "We will see won't we," came with a wink I didn't totally understand. Three beers and an hour later, he had beaten me handily as usual, and shut off the console. "Now for a more interesting portion of tonight's entertainment buddy. Got a new porn for you to see." I really wasn't up for watching smut, but had enough alcohol in me that I didn't want to drive. "If I must," I said with heavy sarcasm and a laugh. Derek started the DVD player and killed the lamp on the end table. As the picture filled the screen, he settled back down next to me on the floor with our backs against the couch front. Just like I expected, the first two scenes were hot and heavy straight sex and I went along with his occasional added direction to 'check out those tits' or comments like 'man can she suck cock.' As the next scene set up, Derek looked at me as he rose. "One more beer." It was more of a ruling than a question. Just as I was about to tell him no more for me, the scene got interesting and he was in the kitchen before I could decline. When he came back with them, my eyes were glued to the TV watching two well built naked guys helping a buxom blond out of her clothes. She had just taken one of them in her mouth when Derek bumped my shoulder. "This gets a little different. Hope you don't mind," was all he said as the second guy worked his full rod into her mouth also. The double blow job continued for a moment or two and then I realized what Derek had meant as one guy pulled out and dropped to his knees beside the chick and began helping her service the other. I took a sideways glance at Derek with my eyes and saw that his were fixed on the movie. I also caught his hand disappear up inside the leg opening of his shorts. The massive lump in them couldn't be missed either. I returned my gaze to the screen and shifted the bulge in my jeans best I could without being obvious just as the guys went into a sixty-nine position with each other. Another quick glance at Derek found him still focused and rubbing himself inside his shorts. I didn't know what to do...just ignore the shameless playing with himself, go to the bathroom and whack off, unzip and stroke myself right there, or head for the front door and walk home! Thankfully the plot changed and the two guys stopped sucking each other and repositioned the blond so one could take her mouth while the other plowed her pussy. During the final few minutes of the scene, they concentrated mostly on her, but also were running their hands over each other's chests. I damn near blew my load in my pants when they leaned in to kiss as they both came. As the screen faded to the next scene, Derek only offered "Last part, buddy." I swear his voice had an air of breathlessness to it. The last scene was totally straight which meant I had calmed down a lot as it neared the end. From the way Derek was squirming around, he had a bone that was ready to rip out the seams of his shorts. I snickered to myself and watched as intently as I could to the final cum shot across the face of a well stacked red head. As soon as the final moans and groans and sperm dribbles were over, Derek used the remote to kill the player. "Fucking hot flick wasn't it?" came through the darkness of the room. "Yeah it was, Derek," I said with just enough enthusiasm to pacify his question. "I just shouldn't have had that last beer though. I sure can't drive." "So spend the night, Brad," was the solution he offered. "Don't need to take any chances and I am in no condition to drive you home either." He raised up to his feet, spread a grin across his face, stuck out his hand, and asked "Need a boost up, ya drunkie?" "Fuck you," I joking said as I rolled to my side and pushed up to my knees. "I think I can make it on my own but thanks." Using the couch for leverage, I managed to finally stand. On the way up though, I noticed that the swelling in his clingy shorts was still there and quite large. Once I had gotten fully to my feet, Derek circled his arm around my waist and said, "Come on Brad, you need to sleep this one off." I was expecting to plant myself on the couch like any other night I stayed over, but I didn't even question or try to resist as he guided us both towards the entrance to the bedroom. Even though I needed sleep, what I needed more was about three minutes in the bathroom with my right hand first, but that didn't happen as he pulled me into the room I had last been in more than a year and half before. For a fleeting moment, my brain tried to tell me this wasn't a good idea, but I ignored the warning and began to undress as I watched Derek strip completely down and crawl into bed nude and with a bone that couldn't be missed. I peeled my polo over my head and my pushed my jeans off, but left my boxers on as I tumbled in beside him. "Just like old times, eh buddy?" came from his side of the bed as he shifted around to get comfortable. "Uh huh," was all I dare let leak out, even though I was thinking the addition of "Except you are totally naked already, hard as hell, and married," would be appropriate. I bit my tongue instead. We were both laying on our backs staring at the ceiling when I felt his lower leg brush up against mine. For the first time ever, I pulled it away from the contact he had made. As horny as I was also, and as much as I wanted him, I just couldn't bring myself to respond like I had in the past. I remained silent in hopes that both of us would simply fall asleep quickly. Only one noise finally interrupted the stillness in the room, and at first I was sure I was dreaming it. My ears went to full attention as I heard it again, and there was no doubt this time. It was that ridiculous pube scratching code! No fucking way! I peeped through the slits of my eyes and caught sight of Derek's hand playing in his man bush and his head turned just enough towards me to be looking at my own hard on. As the volume of sound of his fingernails scraping in the thick curly hair increased, my hand unconsciously went to my shaft. I squeezed it hard and begged it to shrivel, but it ignored me and instead spit out a huge trickle of pre. I let loose of myself, dropped my hands to my sides, and pinched my eye lids shut. I desperately tried to think of anything and everything that would turn me off and deflate my cock so that I would ceased being tempted. Before my brain had a chance to succeed in the quest, it heard words it didn't need to...words that were far too familiar to me. "You are hard as hell too, buddy," wafted into my ears followed instantly by Derek's palm firmly rubbing my shaft. I somehow stifled the moan that tried to escape my throat and managed to not shove my hips up into the grasp he had now taken on me. "We both need to get off, Brad," came at the same time he moved closer and took a hesitant stroke on me through the cotton boxers. Just as my body was on the verge of full surrender, my last two functioning brain cells bumped together. I rolled up on my side, propped my head on my palm, and with Derek still tugging slowly at my rod, words burst out that took both of us by surprise. "What the fuck do you expect of me, Derek? What the hell do want from me tonight?" His hand motion stopped, but he kept the grip on me and squeezed as he began to stammer. "I just thought...you know...just thought that maybe...maybe that we could...well...maybe just one more time, Brad." He gave me a smile with the words and resumed his seduction by cupping my balls. "You want it as bad as I do, don't you?" I reached down and pushed his hand away from my nuts and pulled back enough that our bodies were no longer touching. My eyes had to have been blazing as I screeched out "Hell yes I want it Derek! I want it and a whole lot more! But fuck man...how many 'one more times' am I expected to go through with you?" The look he gave me said he was completely perplexed. He reached out to fondle one of my nipples and softly asked, "What do you mean, Brad? You don't mess around anymore or something? You always liked to." I let out a frustrated sigh, pulled his fingers from my nub, and placed his hand on his stomach. I was still hard as an old oak tree, but any erotic thoughts were rapidly fading. "It isn't just fucking 'messing around' when we are as old as we are and sucking each other off, Derek. 'Messing around' is what kids do in junior high or at scout camp!" The attitude in my voice was still harsh. Derek took on his own shrill tone. "What in the hell has you so fucking wound tight, Brad? Holy shit, man! I only wanted to get off together like we always used to do." Even as upset as he was getting, his left hand had gone to his cock and was leisurely pulling on it as if he couldn't control the motions...or as if they possibly would sway my mind. I squirmed up into a half sitting position and let my eyes drill into his. "I'm 'wound tight' as you put it, because I really don't know what the hell is going through your mind. Do you think I can just willingly be your available, nasty little down-low fling anytime you want to play on the dark side or what?" Without letting him answer, I added to my ranting with, "I need more than just a cock to suck, Derek. A whole lot more, dammit! 'One more time' my fucking ass! What were all those times while you were engaged? What the hell was the night of the bachelor party and the night before the wedding? When does 'one more time' end, Derek?" Derek had finally quit playing with himself and my own boner had shrunk. He crossed his arms and gave me an attitude with his eyes. "Just forget it, Brad. Just pretend this never happened. Pretend nothing ever happened before, too." I laughed out loud. "Derek, that's always been your way of dealing with this...being all into it and then pretending nothing ever happened. I understood that the first few times, but the longer things went on, the more crazy it made me. You have always been in denial about us." "I said forget it, Brad." He rolled to his side and hugged his pillow tightly. "Just go to sleep." Instead I crawled out of bed and began to get dressed. Once I was done, I leaned over the bed and rolled him onto his back again. Our eyes were locked on each other as I spoke softly. "Derek, you want to know what my problem is? Deal with it or not, but I fell in love with you and you treated what we had as just a way to get off. I wouldn't have thought much about it, but as time went on, you were as into the blow jobs as much as I was." "I don't want to talk about this." "So just listen," I ordered. "Whether you want to face facts or not, dude...you were almost as addicted to sucking my cock as I was yours. You just wouldn't let it go any further like I wanted so much. Any move I attempted was blocked and I finally stopped trying." "What do you mean 'go further'?" I swallowed the laugh I wanted to let out and looked seriously at him. "I wanted you to take my virginity like you had so many chicks in high school...like you took Lacy's on the honeymoon. I wanted you to not only fuck me, but to make love to me, Derek. I just couldn't ever tell you for fear it would change things with us." One More Time Ch. 10 He turned his head away and mumbled. "Stop! This is more than I can deal with. I'm not gay." "No, Derek...you decided that you couldn't BE gay...but yet you sure faked it well every time we got it on." He turned his head back towards mine, but remained silent as I continued. "There wasn't anything I wouldn't have done with you, but it was obvious that you had drawn a line at sucking each off and for whatever stupid reason, I respected that line. I shouldn't have and maybe tonight would never had happened. Call it my own insecurities and blame me if you want for never forcing the issue before. I honestly thought what we had other than the friendship was forever in the past until a few minutes ago." I paused and took a big breath. "I'm sober enough to drive home now, which I think is best for both of us tonight. All I want you to know is that if you weren't married, I would still be in bed with you and this conversation would be a lot more fun because it would end up with you taking my ass like I prayed you would so many times." "You really mean that, don't you?" The hint of renewed lust in his voice was ignored. "Every bit as much as I mean this, Derek." With that statement, I leaned over to his face and for the first time ever, planted my lips to his and kissed him...not long or hard and without tongue...but with enough passion to let him know how I had really felt about him. The initial reaction was reserved shock but he didn't pull away either. As I broke off the kiss, he stared at me as I went on. "I loved you so much, Derek. I still do more than is emotionally healthy for me probably. But you made your choice twenty months ago. Just because you are a bachelor of sorts again this weekend, doesn't mean we can turn back the pages on the calendar for one night. At least I can't. And God knows how much I fucking want to." "But Brad...if I only knew..." I pasted my finger to his lips. "You stop, Derek. We can't do the 'could have, would have, should have' game. Not now. You chose to get married and live straight. I will get on with my own life and whatever it brings. We will still be friends I hope because this night hasn't changed anything else except to get out some things we should have said long ago." I smiled and stood back up. "You are really going home?" "Yeah, I think it's best. My heart is still too invested in you to chance being able to say 'no' a second time tonight." "Brad..." "Yes, Derek?" "I'm sorry and if it means anything to you, I love you too, buddy." I gave him a wide, genuine smile and quickly turned to exit the room before my heart persuaded me to stay. "See you sometime next week, probably," was all I said before I left. Once I was got home, I fought off the desire to call Jeremy. I didn't want to be alone that night, but I also wasn't up for a discussion that would have to include a long rehashing of the night with Derek. My mind did that all on its own after sleep took over. * * * * * As soon as I got into the truck after a half day shift at the bank on Saturday, I sent a text to Jeremy. He called me when he got his next break at the grocery store. I didn't mention anything about the previous night, but rather just pleaded with him to come over after work. I didn't want to drop the bomb of the fiasco with Derek over the phone. He was due to get off at six and said he would bring a pizza for dinner. The tone of his voice sounded as if he was happy I had called even though it was a week sooner than I was supposed to. I smiled a lot as I busied myself cleaning up the apartment and putting fresh sheets on the bed in hopes he would spend the night and help mess them up again. I was looking at the night as a potential new beginning now that things seemed settled with Derek. When he arrived a little after 6:30, he had a twelve pack of Coke with him in addition to the pizza. "Figured this might be a long night after your hot date with Derek last night," he teased as he shoved the rest of the sodas in the fridge after pulling two out for us to drink. I simultaneously grinned and rolled my eyes at him. "Just be thankful you didn't get a call at 2AM," was all I offered initially. "Wait a second...how the hell did you know I saw him last night?" "One of the cashiers and her husband were at Pufferbelly last night too, and saw you guys there. Plus, he told me yesterday that Lacy was out of town for the weekend and you were going out to dinner." Jeremy paused shortly before going on. "From the way he was acting today, I just assumed you ended up back at his place and something went down." I reached over and opened the lid on the pizza box and took out a slice. "So tell me how he was acting and then I will fill you in on the sordid details," I proposed as I took a bite. "I don't know exactly how to describe it, Brad," he began. "He just seemed lost somewhere between hopelessly confused and pissed off the whole day. I was in the break room when he came in to post next week's schedule, and when I innocently asked him if you guys had fun last night, he just gave me a look as if he wanted to rip my head off my shoulders. What the fuck happened between you two?" I spent the next 20 minutes while we devoured the pizza, condensing the prior night's drama for Jeremy. He listened intently, nodding his head and occasionally adding a simple "OK" to my discourse. His eyes enlarged to the size of saucers when I told of my parting stunt of kissing Derek for the first time ever. "No shit, Brad? You finally put a lip lock on him after all these years? No wonder he was in a major funk all day! Daaaaaamn!" "It just happened, Jeremy. I had hit him with everything else I never had before, so I figured, what-the-hell, and kissed him too." Jeremy seemed to be in deep thought as he finished chewing on his last slice a pizza. "Well all that explains a lot then," he finally uttered. "You do realize what you have done, don't you?" "What?" "Bro...you just pulled his closet door open and he has no inkling of a clue of how to deal with the light suddenly shining into it. The fact he put the moves on you last night is one thing; but you spilling your guts about being in love with him and then kissing him, too; well...let's just say that you probably woke up the beast whether you meant to or not." "I don't know. I don't think he will ever deal with who he really is, Jeremy. He never has before." The skeptical look I got was one that didn't need the words to be stated, but Jeremy said them anyway. "Come on Brad...you aren't that naïve. Think about it. He didn't freak out and scream did he? Did he take a swing at you? Did he throw you out?" "Well, no." "Then he was in the first stage of starting to deny the denial. Sure, some of the reaction was shock, but if he was also forced to hear and say words he never thought he would." Jeremy snickered and then added, "I bet his ass didn't get more than a hour or two of sleep the whole night and his morning wood was all your fault, too. No wonder allegedly straight, married boy was a grade A prick at work all day." I sat quietly on the couch contemplating the situation as Jeremy took the now empty pizza box and cans to the kitchen. He returned with two more Cokes and snuggled up beside me with his hand draped over my thigh. I looked at him and slid my arm around his waist before speaking. "And those two words are what takes care of the whole problem, Jeremy." "What ones are those, Brad?" "Married boy," was all I replied with. "Think that way if you want, but that wedding ring didn't stop him from grabbing your junk last night, did it, Brad?" As his hand inched its way up my thigh, Jeremy added one last comment before cupping my nuts through my shorts much the same way as Derek had the night before. "All I will say is, don't be surprised if something happens again. My bet is that there is at least one more act to go in this little melodrama." Before I could reply, Jeremy began licking my neck and massaging the lump that was growing in my cut offs. I tossed my head back and moaned with deep yearning when he bit down on my ear lobe. I reached over and groped the impressive bulge I found in his work khakis. We both let out a pair of throaty gasps as I manhandled him. "Fuck, have I missed this," I declared. Instantly, Derek and the previous night faded from my mind as I let three weeks of built up passion begin to burst free. Jeremy only nodded, jerked my face to his, and sucked my taste bulb back into his mouth. We kissed and licked and moaned and groaned and felt each other up through our clothes for several long minutes. My shorts were soon being undone by his nimble fingers and I wiggled out of my white tee. I then peeled his work polo up his torso and over his head, depositing it unceremoniously on the floor at the same time his hand invaded the waistband of my full boxers. I almost instantly lost my two day load as Jeremy captured my cock with his hand and tugged roughly at it. After a little more teasing from his palm and fingers, he tucked the elastic of my undies under my balls and grinned at me. Then he stood up and while looking at me lasciviously, began to strip off his pants. I reached out to rub the erection that was barely hiding in his tight bikini briefs, but he brushed my hand aside and dropped to his knees between my legs. "You first," was his demand. I sat almost hypnotized, watching intently as he leaned in and took me in his mouth. My hands went to his thick mop and played in his hair and tickled his ears as he slobbered all over my begging cock. I felt an all-too-soon tremble in my groin. Not wanting this to end too quickly, I managed to get him to stop and stand back up. "My turn stud," was the order I gave as I scooted forward on the couch and helped him get his skimpy underwear down his thighs. I looked up to his eyes before impaling myself with the flesh pole that I found in them, and tantalized him with, "Feed me that monster." As soon as the tip glided over my tongue, I filled my hands with his butt cheeks and pulled him deep into my throat. After a few bobbs of my head, Jeremy laced his fingers behind my neck and his hips took up a gentle humping motion. "You suck dick so good, Brad," slithered from his mouth. "I love face fucking your hot lips." That only caused me to lock my lips tighter and pull him up on the couch to straddle me while he pumped my mouth. His hands were braced against the wall as he pushed in and out of me. Our eyes remained fixed on each other as I took every thrust he gave my tonsils. Suddenly one of his hands took my secreting spigot and began a slow cadence that matched the rhythmic thumps of his nut sac on my chin. My whole body began to quiver as I felt the unstoppable movement of my life juice start its final journey. I managed to mumble out "Gonna cum Jeremy," and his hand motions increased. "I'm gonna blow too, Brad," came at almost the same instant that he pulled back to where just the tip of his mushroom was grazing my lips. As my balls gave up the fight and I began to spew one thick rope after another up his back, Jeremy cried out and exploded all over my face. By the time our bodies stopped shaking from the giant orgasms, we were laying wrapped together and Jeremy was cleaning his man milk from my nose, cheeks, and lips with his tongue and then sharing it with me. * * * * * We stayed a naked twisted jumble of legs, arms, and torsos on the couch and let the euphoria of after glow settle in. After many long minutes, I finally broke the silence with, "So, I take it that you were just a little on the extra horny side too?" The grin I had on my face was met with a duplicate one from Jeremy. "Oh I think that is about as safe a bet as it is that I want an encore after we get our breath back." To reinforce the statement, his hand began teasing my wilted tool as we cuddled. "Three weeks going without any has me ready for your horn dog ass the whole night." I laughed and groped for his deflated cock also. It was limp in my palm but still an impressive size and giving off plenty of heat. "All yours tonight, baby," was my confirmation back. We both went silent again for a few minutes until I hugged him tighter and cautiously asked, "Well Jeremy, am I forgiven for my 'lover' crack a few weeks ago?" He rolled me over to face him and slowly stroked my hair. "There is nothing to forgive, Brad. I told you that back then." The slight pause he took said that he was searching for the right words to say to me. "But speaking of that, maybe while we are recuperating for round two, we should talk about where we go from here now." The statement had an almost ominous tone to it and I cringed internally. After finally finding the courage to speak bluntly with Derek the previous night, it was strangely paradoxical that I was in near fear of talking the same way with Jeremy suddenly. I left the next move to him with, "OK...and..." assuming that he would continue on and let me in on what he was thinking. "Why don't you tell me what you believe we should do, Brad? Tell me what you think and want." My brain cells began bouncing in search of the answers to his questions. I hadn't being expected him to simply slap the subject back into my court and was totally unready. Finally, I stammered out with, "I don't really know, Jeremy. I love you and enjoy spending time with you. The sex is always fantastic. If you had asked me 24 hours ago, I would have said I wanted us to at least move to something like serious boyfriend status...but the crap with Derek last night has me all confused again too." "All confused as in you still love him, don't you?" "A part of me always will," I rapid fired back. "You know that." "Yes I do, Brad. And I don't have a problem with that, but..." "But?" I interrupted with. "...but right now he still owns more of you than I do." The words were said softly, but hit like a speeding freight train. "I assume that you have thought about an 'us' thing the past couple of weeks while took our short sabbatical? I know I have." "Well of course I have too, Jeremy," I confirmed. My voice dropped lower as I looked in his eyes and confessed, "As much as I want something with you, I really wanted to get it on with him last night and the idea of one more time was so tempting. I think half the reason I didn't was Lacy and the other half was you." I tacked a smile on at the end before planting a playful kiss on his nose. "Plus there is one big thing that keeps coming to center stage...I know what I can possibly have with you and that's what I will never have with him." Jeremy tagged my nose with his lips also and then smiled before going on. "It's cliché, Brad, but 'never say never' is also a truism. You don't know what all might change...with me or Derek." "I know what you are saying, but I also know what the odds are with him, Jeremy." I cradled up into his arms and finally asked the question I had been avoiding. "Do you not want to get serious?" I held my breath and could hear my own heart beat as I waited for his answer. "Define 'serious' for me, Brad," he challenged. "You know...boyfriends...exclusive...going on dates and stuff...working towards more hopefully." I sighed to myself as I heard the limp words coming from my mouth, but I wasn't sure what else he wanted to hear. "That pretty much describes what we have had for the last few months, doesn't it, Brad? The only thing in that list we haven been doing already, is saying we were working towards something more." "Is that something you aren't interested in?" He had me completely confused with his roundabout answers. "If you don't want a boyfriend, just say so, Jeremy." The chortle he let loose with was unexpected. He then gripped my cock hard and grinned. "I have a boyfriend. He is cute and smart and hot as hell in the sack. And his name is Brad." I was getting frustrated now. "So what the fuck are you saying, Jeremy?" "I'm saying we are already doing the boyfriend thing...we just never set down any real rules because we didn't seem to need to." He abruptly shifted to total seriousness. "Let me see if I can make sense out of the way I see this for you. We have been dating for lack of a better term. We both are happy with what we have and I truly believe that you know as well as I do, that we aren't ready for the live together trick. We both have another year of school to deal with and I really think that you still have an issue or two to come from Derek. Right now, we are what you could call 'committed fuck buddies' for lack of another tag for it. Neither of us is ready to ratchet this up to full blown lover ranking...or do you think differently?" I thoughtfully chewed on the words he had said. "I guess you are right on all of that. So we just keep going on like we have been?" He shrugged and then said, "Pretty much. Other than we try to see a little more of each other, and staying out of other guy's beds, why should we fuck up what is working so far by slapping labels and inane rules all over it? Do you want something more?" "No...not really. I just presumed that maybe you did...or that you didn't want anything more at all." "I just don't want us being like so many so-called couples that rent a Uhaul after the third date and are talking about being in a long-term relationship simply because they have been screwing each other for more than a month." Before I could say anything to that, Jeremy slipped his tongue between my lips and ground his half hard cock against mine. When he broke the embrace, he added, "When I tell that certain someone that am in love with them and want to get married and have it last forever, it will be from my heart and because my mind knows its true. Until then, we celebrate what we have and maybe it grows into a white picket fence somewhere down the road. Be honest with me and yourself, Brad...you know I am not ready for that yet, and you know you have some healing to deal with too." "You mean Derek?" "Not just Derek, baby. You have to take the time to make sure that you aren't simply trading him in for me. I may only end up being what you needed to help put the past behind you, and if that's the case, then so be it. If it turns out to be more, then great! Let's not make it so complicated until we need too." The wide smile on his face helped reassure me that while this was more of a new beginning for me than anything else at this point. The fact he was willing to help me walk the new path and not be alone said he truly did care. I let him seal the little pact we had made with each other with his lips. As the kissing grew more lustful, I reached down between us and found him almost fully hard again as our tongues battled in his mouth. His hand successfully sought out my own new erection and began tugging at it with furor. As he pulled on me I moved my hand under his nuts and enticed his opening with a finger. "I am so gonna eat that hot ass right here and then take you to the bedroom and give you what you will be begging for," I lustily teased as we finally came up for air. Jeremy shifted on the couch and pulled his legs up high and wide. "That's a promise I am going to hold you to right now. Get down there and toss that salad good!" I gave him a lecherous leer and then dived between his butt cheeks. "Don't touch that big cock until I say you can," I commanded just before my tongue went to work on his man pussy as if I would never get to eat another one again. Ten minutes later, his squirming and whimpering ceased just long enough to yank my face from his twitching hole. "I can't take any more! Take me to the bedroom and plow my ass like it needs it, Brad!" I grinned at his plea and together we jumped from the couch and ran to the bedroom. He was already on his knees with his butt in the air and his head buried in a pillow by the time I crawled in behind him. I had never taken him doggy style before, but a few slips and slides of my gooey cock head across his rosebud and a healthy dribble of spit from my lips was all I needed to be able to wedge it through his ring. Before I could begin to take him the rest of the way slowly, his craving took over and he pushed back into me with force. I encircled his waist with my arms and took hold of his throbbing rod. "Gonna make you howl like a wild coyote, baby," were my only words as I began stroking his tool and ramming myself in at the same time. We had a perfect rhythm going almost instantaneously, and soon the only noises in the room were combined moans, the squishing sounds as I pumped in and out of his tight ass, and the spanks of our balls together. His interior muscles gripped me tight on every thrust and I could tell I was banging his magic spot from the way he shook and cried out for more. Another four or five deep slams and Jeremy's back arched up into my chest, his nuts emptied in my pistoning hand, and my balls exploded with me buried to the hilt. One More Time Ch. 10 We spent the next few hours cuddled together naked on the couch and watching bad horror flicks on the television. I only half watched the movies, instead rehashing in my mind the things that had been said earlier. The closeness and intimacy we had was what I had craved from Derek, but never found. Even though Jeremy and I had decided on a new beginning, there was a nagging in my head that wouldn't let me free Derek fully from my memories, and that worried me. I didn't comprehend just how strong the hold was until I was laying in bed later with my legs spread wide and my ass being prepped for fucking by a talented tongue. My eyes were pinched shut enjoying the foreplay but I damn near lost all desire, when I opened them and realized that I had been fantasizing that it was Derek between my thighs eating my butt. At that moment, I fully accepted that Jeremy had been right...I wasn't ready at all for anything more serious more than committed fuck buddies. One More Time Ch. 11 More twists and turns as the long ride nears the end 8===> The next several months of my life seemed to just run on automatic pilot. Classes and the job at the bank kept me totally occupied from dawn to early dusk. Studying and papers filled much of the evening hours. At times I felt as if I needed to schedule sleep and showers. Any damage created by the Friday night fiasco with Derek seemed to disappear almost instantly on Lacy's return from West Virginia. The three of us quickly resumed the standing home cooked meal dinner date, but I managed to cut it back to every two weeks. Knowing that Derek had been willing to violate his wedding vows with me still made me a little uncomfortable being around him. Even worse, when we were alone together, he acted as if that night in his bed had never happened...or at a minimum had no intention of ever mentioning it. At one point I almost coveted his ability for denial because the incident replayed far too often in my head. Jeremy and I were hooking up at least twice a week; during the week usually just for burgers or pizza and a good quick boink session. Saturday nights were almost always occupied with renting a few videos and him spending the night for some more intense physical encounters. Other than both of us apparently remaining chaste with others, we seemed to just let the loose relationship wander almost aimlessly. Whether it was by chance or plan, we avoided most talk of the future...or at least one that was jointly shared...and also were very sparing in the use of the love word. I was well into the fall semester when I simply settled into the predictable ruts my life had seemingly decided to ride in for a while and tried to not let my imagination invent anything more. As much as I hated to admit it, Jeremy was right in saying that our senior year would bring enough stress without us adding a bunch of 'what ifs' to the mixture. * * * * * By the time the weather chilled reminding me that the holidays were drawing closer, I accepted that I wasn't dissatisfied with the way things were in my life, but at the same time I wasn't feeling overly happy either. I would soon have only one more semester to go and was questioning if Jeremy saw our shared upcoming graduations as a breakwater point for the tide we kept riding. He had constantly rebuffed my occasional suggestion that maybe I should break off all contact with Derek for a time so he would know it was over, but he also avoided saying much that included the word 'us' in the sentence. I wanted to broach the subject of the future with him, but didn't...letting my insecurities have hope that he would bring it up instead. I finally decided that if he never did, I would after the new year started. I didn't want to declare undying love for each other...just get some direction for my own sanity. Jeremy had told me he was going home to Youngstown for a long Thanksgiving weekend with his family the week before. Due to my lack of any seniority, I was stuck with working the bank both Friday and Saturday after. Even though I could have driven down to my parent's house on Wednesday night and back Thanksgiving night, I decided to simply treat the holiday as just another day and stay in Kent. Lacy had tried to cajole me into coming with her and Derek to her parents, but I figured a bunch of munchies, a big bucket of chicken, and the TV tuned in to the football games all afternoon sounded more inviting than going through all the family meal crap as the unexplainable third wheel of their marriage. If I was going to be alone all weekend, I decided to get used to it quickly. When I ran into town to the grocery store just before noon on turkey day, I hadn't even thought about Derek being there. Holiday or not, his position as second assistant manager had destined him to a near full shift and when he walked up beside me while waiting for my chicken to be boxed up, he was anything but happy. "Yeah I am fucking trapped here until 4PM and Lacy was still bitching up a storm about it when I left the apartment this morning. Her mom had planned dinner for 2:00 and Lacy never told her I couldn't be there that early. Of course, somehow that is all my fault," was his explanation for the bad demeanor. "Plus, we had already been arguing last night over a bunch of petty little shit and I am not looking forward to sitting around having her dad take her side in anything she brings up." My mouth had to have flown open with his next comment as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Some best man you were, Brad. You were supposed to have talked me out of getting married, dude!" I nervously laughed, not sure just how serious that crack may have been. "Well, I did give you an option the night before," slipped out of my lips before I could stop the words. Thankfully Derek laughed also and gave me a playful fist punch to the chest. "Yeah you did, didn't ya?" came with a grin and wink I wasn't sure how to take. "Tell the cashier I said to give you the employee discount on the stuff from the deli, bro. I've got a minor disaster back in frozen foods to take care of right now," was all he added before spinning on his heels and heading off. The whole way back to my place, I alternated between chastising myself for letting my barely subtle comment slip out and wondering about the way Derek had reacted to it. By the time I was chowing down on my stand-in Thanksgiving dinner and getting into the first football game, I had put Derek and his idiosyncrasies concerning the two of us out of my mind. To my shock however, when I pounded off in bed later, my mind couldn't seem to keep both Derek and Jeremy from being the visions I had behind my closed eyes as I pulled on myself. * * * * * The next day, I got a text mid-morning from Derek telling me to call him when I could. During my lunch hour, I caught up with him. His first words were: "Are you sure there is no way you can come over for dinner tonight, Brad? I may need you to referee." "Trouble in paradise, buddy?" was my overtly sarcastic reply. "Big time! You don't even want to hear how things went south at her parent's house and I slept on the couch last night. She was still riding my ass when I headed out the door this morning. Dude, I need you to come over just so she will chill for a few hours." The last thing I wanted to do was be stuck in the middle of something, but I wasn't going to put it that way to Derek. I managed to come up with enough of a passable excuse to get out of showing up. "Thanks buddy," he said with a somewhat understanding tone to his voice. "Just do me a favor and don't cry too much at the funeral if Lacy cuts my dick off and I bleed to death...OK?" The little snort of a laugh he added told me he was at least partially kidding. I finished off the rest of the chicken and deli sides for dinner and planted myself on the couch to veg in front of the TV. After and hour, it was obvious that Friday night television was all garbage, and I finally just clicked on the stereo and worked on a paper that was due the following week. By 10:30 my eyes and brain were tired, and I crawled into bed earlier than usually and found a peaceful sleep quickly. * * * * * The Saturday shift at the bank went rapidly and I was back at home before 1:30 in the afternoon. As had become habit, I rounded up all the dirty clothes and towels and bed linens and took off for the weekly run to the laundromat. I hated the chore, but it had also provided a way to occupy myself an Saturday afternoons since Jeremy was usually at work until 6. I had already stuffed the second washer full before I remembered that he wasn't coming back until sometime Sunday. A little depressed at that thought, I dropped into one of the ancient plastic chairs and started through the stack of old magazines that had been abandoned by others to occupy the time it took for clothes to wash and dry. Happily I found a bunch of new issues and the three hour task went by quickly. Back at the apartment, I put all the clean items away in a manner my mom would have been proud of and even took the time to replace the sheets on the bed. I didn't want to bother with cooking anything and after perusing the flyers that had come in the mail, I decided to order a pizza from the one local joint that would deliver out at the lake places. While I waited, my mind wandered to how lonely the last couple of days had been. For months now, Saturday nights had been with Jeremy and I felt a little lost without him being here. I promptly dismissed the idea of calling Derek to see if he wanted to play Nintendo. Figured it would be only one of two ways at his place...either World War III was still going on, or they would be in the throes of making up...neither of which I cared to see. Going back into town to the bar later was also scratched from the list of possibilities. Finally I just stripped down to a pair of comfortable gym shorts and was aimlessly clicking the remote for the TV continuously when the knock came at the door hopefully announcing the arrival of dinner. When I pulled the door open, I barely noticed the pizza box as my mind instantly began searching for where I knew the delivery guy from. He was my age or a year or two younger; taller at six foot or so; was rather cute in a skater boy kind of way; had long brown hair that fell clear to his shoulders; and deep blue eyes that were impossible to miss. 'One of my classes maybe...or perhaps a bank customer,' I thought to myself. As I permitted my eyes to stealthily cruise his body, I felt a twitch in my groin and asked, "How much do I owe you?" "$15.58," was the one word reply he offered at first. Then without warning, he added, "Unless you want the $50.00 pizza and blow job special we have going right now." The grin on his face was followed by him looking me up and down like a magazine centerfold. He balanced the pizza box in one hand and casually slid the palm of the other over the bulge in his tight jeans as his eyes fixed on my naked upper torso. "If had seen those pecs at the bar, I would have hit on you, dude," came out next and told me where I had seen him before. "Wish I had time for quickie," spurted out at the same time his hand traveled to my crotch and squeezed. I boned instantly at the attention and was scrambling for the right thing to say. The brain in my big head died and the one in my little head was desperately trying to convince me to have some fun. Every gay man has a fantasy that includes a hot pizza delivery guy, and this one had come to life on my doorstep! "Wish I could, but I am kinda in a relationship, man," was all I managed to finally utter hoping it would break the spell he was casting on me. That got me another healthy grope and a grin. "Nice meat you're packing...he is a lucky guy. My name's Aaron...I'll write my number on the receipt...just let me know if things change, stud." With that comment, his hand went to work adding a set of digits I knew I would never need to the slip on top of the pizza box. We finished up our business with me giving him a twenty and telling him to keep the change, but I watched his tempting ass walk all the way back to his car. Before I ever grabbed the first slice, I found a pizza boy porno on the internet, yanked off my shorts, and stroked off thinking about whether I should have just walked on the wild side for once. I was laying on the couch; still naked and half zonked out from eating too many pieces of the pie; when the next knock at the door came two hours later. * * * * * In my half comatose state, I stumbled to the door without thinking to pull my shorts back on. I pulled it open far enough to see out and found Derek standing there. He pushed it on open and was halfway in when he looked down. "Please tell me I'm not interrupting something good, Brad." It was more of a plea than a question. I blushed for some reason, and then headed back towards the center of the room to recover my shorts. "No...was just hanging out, Derek. Come on in." "I can see that, bro," came with a somewhat forced laugh. "Everything is hanging out it looks like." The grin he gave me was one thing, but he glanced too long at my bare crotch I thought to myself. As I pulled the shorts up my legs, I looked over at him. "So I've become a closet nudist. I fell asleep on the couch...what the hell time is it?" Before he could answer, I tacked on, "And what are you doing here?" Derek's voice lowered noticeably. "It's a little after nine...and I'm looking for a place to crash for the night actually," was all he offered along with a wounded puppy dog look in his eyes. "Oh shit," I exclaimed. "Did you two really get into it or what?" "Oh did we," he simply announced as he headed for the fridge. "Please tell me you have a beer or at least some extra Coke and I will fill you in." I settled onto the couch and replied, "Both...bring me a beer, too. Got the funny feeling I will need it from the way you are acting." I watched as he moved almost mechanically through the room. Derek dropped down beside me on the couch and handed me one of the beers. After pulling the tab on his he took a large slug and then looked over at me. "First off, I am serious about needing a place to crash...Lacy basically tossed me out for the night...maybe two or three." "Of course you can stay here," came out without any need to think. "What the hell happened, Derek," I posed just before taking a drink of my beer. "Well...I told you at the store the other day that we had been arguing." He paused to take another drag from his can and then went on. "The condensed version is it got all crazy at her parent's house later that day, and it's been almost non-stop ever since. It came to a head about an hour ago and I made the mistake of using the words 'fucking cunt' at one point in the yelling. That got me a coffee cup zipping past my head and an ultimatum of sorts I guess. The words, best I can remember, were: 'Get the fuck out of here for a day or two and decide what this marriage means to you...if anything, you prick!' I guess you can say she was a little pissed off!" I was floored to say the least. "Holy shit, Derek...tell me everything bro...what brought all this on?" I asked. "Lot's of little things that turned into an avalanche. She has been going on and on about us getting a house...I don't think we are ready for the payment, but she doesn't care. I thought it was all fine until her dad announced during Thanksgiving dinner that he had made an appointment for us to see a house for sale three doors from them. I might be willing to go look at some houses to keep her happy, but there is no way in hell I am letting her think I would consider living that close to her folks. Just as that little discussion started getting tense, her mom starts in again with 'When are you two going to make us grandparents?' Then Lacy brought up yet again, how her car was worn out and needed a new one. I swear I almost lost it the way I was getting it from all three sides! The damn turkey didn't get sliced up as much as I did." Derek took a breather for a tug on his beer and then went on. "Then there is a lot of little bull shit things that have been upsetting her that got added to the list of complaints...everything from I don't make enough money for the amount of hours I have to be at the store, to calling me a sex maniac if I want laid more than twice a week, and then calling me a perv because I jack off to porn when she doesn't want to put out. I swear Brad, she has gotten all weird on me the last few months." "Maybe it is just a bump in the road, couldn't it be?" Derek laughed. "Bump? Dude if this was just happening when she was ragging, I could understand, but it's like she is PMS'ing three weeks a month anymore. She even made a snide crack that I was probably fucking around on her since I stopped trying to eat her or fuck her or get her to blow me every night. She doesn't want it and so I stop trying all the time and that means I am screwing around...how do you make sense out of that kind of twisted logic?" "So what are you going to do," I queried. "I don't really know, Brad. I'm not sure I even want to think about it tonight. Her telling me to leave for a night or two hit pretty hard." "I can see that," I offered. "I don't just mean fucking with my head...it's got me wondering if I should have ever got married in the first place." Derek finished off his beer and got up. "Another one for you too?" I nodded my head and attempted to sort the myriad collection of things he had said. "You don't seriously mean that, do you Derek?" I asked when he returned with the last two beers I had. "About maybe never should have gotten married? Not completely, but I sure never expected it to be like this either. I can't take it." He fell silent as he began to nurse his new brew. "I wish I had some kind of answer, but damn Derek, I am clueless on what to tell you." He gave me a smile and leaned over to hug me. "I don't expect any answers, Brad. Just the fact I have you to unload on and get some support back is all I can ask." I smiled back at him and returned the hug he had yet to break. We sat and talked for another hour or so and worked on the last of the pizza. Derek's mood was decidedly better by the time we had washed down the last two slices with Cokes. "Thanks for feeding my ass, Brad...and giving me the couch for the night," was said with a wide smile. "You are my best friend, Derek...there isn't too much I wouldn't do for you." The thought that raced through my mind with that comment was one I hoped didn't show on my face. Even though I knew better, I made him an offer. "You want to sleep on this thing or split the bed?" "You sure about that, Brad? I mean after..." He left the statement to trail off for me to either finish or assume that I knew what he meant. "Sure. Why not?" was all I gave him back rather than come out and say he was talking about the 'one more time' scene from weeks ago. I didn't want to remind him...or myself...of how bluntly I had refused his seduction and the way I talked to him that night. "Then I am ready to hit the sheets if you are," he said as he stood up. "I'll clean this mess up in the morning," was all I responded with as I slipped off the couch and killed the end table lamp as we headed for my bedroom. My heart was pounding and my mind was full of mixed emotions as I changed into a pair of loose boxers while he stripped down to his tight briefs. I crawled into bed and moved over enough for him to take half. He dropped in beside me and flopped to his back in silence...a quiet that remained hanging in the air for several minutes. "You OK, Derek?" I finally mumbled out into the darkness. "Yeah...pretty much...I guess. It's either going to work itself out or it isn't. The bad thing is, I don't think there is a whole lot I can do that will make a difference short of kissing her ass on every single item she is bitching about. I didn't realize when she slipped that ring on my finger that it would end up in my nose." Derek gave a half-hearted chuckle to that comment and gave me an elbow in the side before going on. "That's one big advantage you have, Brad...no woman is ever gonna own you, are they?" "Just my mom and her guilt trips," was my laughing retort. I so wanted to lighten the mood for my best friend and thought some humor might help. I didn't think about it at first, but the way Derek had made the statement, was the closest he had ever come to admitting he knew I was gay. I stepped through the opening by saying, "No wife problems maybe, but being gay isn't one big party all the time either, buddy." I could almost hear the gears grinding as Derek searched for how to respond to my bluntness. "But you are happy, aren't you?" he finally queried. One More Time Ch. 11 "Mostly," I initially came back with before jokingly adding, "I do get lonely and the old right hand does get pretty boring," Before I knew what was happening, Derek rolled over, straddled my one leg with both of his, and covered my body with his. His chin was resting on my upper chest and even in the darkness, I could see him staring straight into my eyes. "Maybe you should learn to not say 'no' so quickly then, Brad." It was uttered in the most serious tone I had ever heard him use. Before I could spit out anything or push him off me, he moved his face up to mine and his tongue was forcing its way between my lips. He began kissing me the way I had always wanted him to, and any thoughts I had of stopping him surrendered to the passion I had only dreamed he would ever show me. My arms encircled his neck and my tongue battled with his inside my mouth. My hips instinctively shifted up into his and I felt his hardness grind against my own. The initial forcefulness of our making out quickly modified to a leisurely, more gentle, oral foreplay. Our hands began to trace over each other's bodies as we rolled to our sides and nuzzled together while continuing the tender kisses. I moaned into Derek's mouth as he pushed his hand inside my boxers and found my erection. He squeezed it and then pulled away from my mouth, staring at me as he fondled my bone. "You want me to stop, Brad?" came from him with an almost solemn look on his face. "Do YOU want to, Derek?" was all I could get out between the labored breaths I was taking. He grinned, pecked at my quivering lips, and said, "I didn't start this because I wanted to stop just when it was getting interesting. I just want you OK with it, buddy." I wiggled my legs around his and trapped them in an ankle lock, mashing our crotches together. My hands went to his head and pulled him back to my face. My tongue slid over his lips again slowly and then I murmured, "I am totally OK with it so long as you keep letting me see a side of you I didn't think I ever would." "I can sleep after work tomorrow...we have the whole night for you to show me what I have been missing." As he began to slurp his way from the base of my neck all the way to my ear, I realized that this was going to be a night of learning and teaching for both of us. When he started nibbling on my ear lobe, I raked my fingers down his back and began pushing his underwear off. As they slipped down his thighs, and he tugged mine free from my waist, I said a silent prayer that this would be neither a huge mistake; nor what I dreaded most: complete fulfillment with him finally...but with the words 'one last time' to be added afterwards. * * * * * The first time I had been pulled from my deep slumber on Sunday morning was by Derek kneeling between my legs and his lips suctioning on my hard cock around 7AM. Thinking at first that it was a dream, I had only laid there motionless while he sucked on me and massaged my full balls. When I comprehended that this was no scene happening only in my brain and tried to get him to shift so I could fellate him also, he only grinned at me and said, "You can owe me one, Brad...I'm running late and this is my breakfast." Partially not believing my ears, I watched in awe as he kept expertly working my shaft with his mouth for several more minutes. He took my newest load without pulling off and then inched up to my face to share it with me in a kiss as intense as the ones from the night before. The romantic atmosphere was soon shattered though, as he jumped up and declared, "Gotta take a quick shower and get my ass to the store by 8." I lustfully watched his high and firm butt globes barely shift as he walked naked across the bedroom to the adjoining bath. There was still a part of me that was sure this was all the most vivid fantasy I had ever come up with when I heard the shower turn on. To convince myself otherwise, I began reminding myself of what all had went down between us hours earlier. When he returned five minutes later, wiping himself down with a large towel, I told him to grab a pair of my clean boxers from the dresser if he wanted, and watched as he quickly pulled on his clothes. Once he was dressed for work, Derek came over to the bed and teasingly fondled my wilted cock. "I should be back shortly after 4:00, Brad. Maybe we can find some way to use this to work up a big appetite before dinner." There was a truly devilish smirk on his face as he made the suggestion. He dropped the slight hold he had on my spent tool, gave me yet another kiss, and announced, "See you later, you hot little stud," before leaving me to find a few more hours of needed sleep. * * * * * I awoke the second time shortly before noon and was amazed at finding myself hard again. For once, I kept my hands off the post-sleep wood and slipped out of bed to make some coffee. The sun was shining brightly through the living room window and a quick check out the rear door said the weather was warm enough to sit on the patio overlooking the lake while I inhaled enough caffeine to make me human again. After pulling on some old jeans, a long sleeved sweatshirt, and a pair of sneaks, I was soon sitting at the old picnic table out back. Not surprisingly, I was barely into the first cup when the replays began behind my eyes. The first thing that came back to me was how Derek had remained so impassioned as we stripped each other of our underwear. It was as if a lot more than pure lust was driving him. I remember not being certain of the game plan, but since I was fully committed to what had started, I took the initiative and went down on him quickly as soon as we were both naked. It had been more than two years since his cock had breeched my lips and I ate on it hungrily. His hands worked my back and neck muscles as I bent over further and took one swallow after another of his silky popsicle. Like had happened so many times before, Derek twisted around in the bed after a few minutes and had my throbber also in his mouth. We stayed in the sixty-nine position for some time...stopping only to lick full balls or chew on pubes when we knew we had the other close to coming. It was, by far, the best blow job Derek had ever given me as he made it true oral lovemaking I didn't know he was capable of. His fervor only increased mine and I worked my lips and tongue on his entire groin region with equal dedication. Just as I was ready to beg for relief, he latched onto my ass cheeks, yanked me forward into his throat, and at the same time began humping my face in rapid, shorts bursts. My own hips responded in like manner automatically and the garbled noises we made seconds later were a combination of moans of ecstasy and useless attempts to warn each other of already happening orgasms. Unlike always before, as soon as the final wads had dribbled out, Derek didn't worry about cleaning up and playing dumb. Rather, he rotated, dragged me to him, and began kissing me again. I was positive he had no idea of what the term 'snowball' meant, but his talented tongue sure knew how to make them as we caressed each other and swapped the remaining juices we hadn't gulped down. As our intense ardor began to wane finally, he willingly let me nuzzle up with him and held me in an embrace that was far more than friends share. If all that wasn't enough of a change, he finished shattering the reputation he had built with me by uttering one line: "You could turn me into a total cocksucker, Brad." I don't know what was bigger at that moment...the size of my eyes as I looked at him, or the smile on his face as he leaned in to kiss me yet again. We stayed entwined together as we talked about various things over the next half hour or so. Some of the conversation was general bull shit, but much of it was driven by Derek's question of why I had never told him how I felt about him before. He seemed only mildly pacified by the answer I gave him: "Because I didn't think you would deal well with it, Derek." "Well, you can see how I am dealing with it now, Brad," was all he offered back at first. When I remained silent, he added, "Maybe back in high school or right after, I wouldn't have, but now..." The rest of whatever he was thinking vanished on his tongue. With the door finally open, I let my mouth keep it that way. "Gawd, Derek...when you kissed me tonight, I damn near blew my load before I even got hard. Why had you never done that before?" There was a short pause before he replied. "I wanted to, Brad. So many times, I wanted to go a lot farther than we had. But I just didn't." His hand strayed back to my inner thigh and was lightly brushing it and bumping my balls as he continued. "I knew you probably wanted to, but I guess I also thought that anything more, was more gay than I could handle." I snickered to myself at the oxymoronic rationale he had used. Sucking cock wasn't 'too gay' but kissing or fucking would be! His wandering fingers had spawned the beginnings of a new bone. Now feeling playful again also, I reached over to his thick curlies and teased him by using my fingernails to produce the same silly pube scratch code he had so often used on me. "So what else had you wanted to do, but never tried for?" Before he spoke, I felt his hand cup my balls and push them up slightly. That was followed by his long middle finger gently snooping at the split in my cheeks. When he poked at my rosebud, I bit my bottom lip to suppress the moan that came along with my dick growing fully erect again. "Maybe something you would like too, Brad," was offered as he continued to tease the entrance of my man cavern. I wiggled back against his probing and told him, "You could have had it so easily the night you dry humped me and shot your load up my back, Derek...do you even remember that night...after the bachelor party?" He only answered with a nod of his head and a knowing grin. To make sure he knew I was serious about this new venture, I pinched my thighs together to trap his hand and clenched my ass cheeks on his finger. The smile I wore as I squirmed against him must have helped too, since he rolled over on top of me and drove his tongue into my mouth. It was only minutes before his knees were splitting my legs and his hard rod was replacing his finger. "It's a lot tighter than pussy, Derek...treat it like it's virgin until I am good and opened up," was all I said before I helped his arrow tip find the bulls eye. I knew his long, slender cock would be perfect to be screwed by and with only the most minor of pain, he was in me fully within minutes. "You. Are. So. Fucking. TIGHT!" and animalistic grunts was all I heard from him for the first ten minutes. When he realized from my gradually increasing hip thumps back into him that I was loosened up well, he began taking full thrusts. He lowered himself onto my body and the next words struck almost as hard as his slams to my magic button with his cock head were hitting. "I love you, Brad," spilled from his lips just before they captured mine and kept them busy while he took up a rhythm that was a cross between making love and unrestrained...and previously unfulfilled...desire. Just as I felt the tingle of my balls tightening, Derek's let my lips go and whispered, "I wanna cum in you, Brad." "Breed my ass with your babies then," I ordered and happily took his next flurry of slams as his taut abs rubbed on my cock. "Fuck my load right out of me, you fucking stud," I cried. "I'm gonna fill your hot ass up," he let out gasping for breath. He reared up slightly and nailed me full on with three direct hits that made me explode a torrent of cum ropes up to my face and splattering him too. One grand finale set of short thrusts of his hips and Derek cried out nearly loud enough to vibrate the bedroom window as he flooded me inside. Just as my memory banks were about to relive the intense afterglow and discussion Derek and I shared before going to sleep spooned together, I heard a car door slam in my driveway. I knew it was way too early for him to be off work already, and had no clue at first who could be there. I suddenly felt an icy chill run through my entire body as only one possibility finally came to mind...JEREMY! * * * * * I rushed in the back door and through the living room quickly as I heard the last of the knocks. I stood with my hand on the door knob for a few extra seconds, trying to collect my thoughts and concurrently adjusting the lump that had formed in my jeans from the memories of the previous night. When I finally tugged the door open, I smiled with as much innocence on my face as I could muster and simply offered, "Hey, Jeremy." "No offense, Brad, but you look like total shit," came out first but with a big grin. I probably did, but he stepped across the threshold and hugged me anyway. "It was a real late night and I've only been up for a little bit," was my attempt at explaining my raggy clothes, disheveled hair, and nearly two day beard growth. "You want some coffee?" I asked as I spun and headed back towards the kitchen. Jeremy followed me and said "A coke would better," as he tossed the plastic Krogers bag full of snack food on the counter before digging one out of the fridge. "Thought maybe we could catch the game and stopped to get munchies on the way out." As I turned towards him, Jeremy slid the back of his hand over my cheek and grinned. "I dunno...scruff kinda works for you at times," was followed by a kiss to my stumbled face. I basically ignored both the face stroke and kiss as I tried to decide what to say. With everything that had happened since Derek had appeared with the same lack of warning last night, Jeremy had never once crossed my mind. As much as I tried, I couldn't even figure out where to start a conversation with him right now. He compounded the confusion with his next words. "I drove in from Youngstown late last night and came out to surprise you...but saw you had company, so I just went back to the dorm." The dead silence I maintained was broken by, "So it was a late night, eh?" and an inquisitive smirk. "Let's sit down and talk, Jeremy," I managed to get out as I walked to the couch with my fresh cup of coffee. I sipped at it as I sat down and still searched for where to begin. He settled in beside me and offered in a joking but mocking tone, "Nothing good ever comes from someone saying 'Let's talk,' as their first sentence." He only partially calmed my fears by adding a smile and fist poke to my shoulder. "Jeremy, last night was a little strange, and..." I was sure my lack of immediate further words was betraying me, but I had to stop to think. "Brad, I saw it was Derek's car in the driveway at midnight and all the lights were off...and with the way he was acting at the store when I went in...well, nothing you tell me will surprise me." "What do you mean 'the way he was acting'?" I questioned and put the cup back to my mouth. "You want it hard core or candy-coated?" Jeremy lobbed back to me, but didn't wait for my response. "If I am right, I guess this is no time to pull punches, is it? Let's just say that he was in the best mood I have seen him in for weeks, and if I had to make a bet, it wasn't from anything to do with Lacy. He was acting too much like a high school boy that had finally lost his virginity." With that, Jeremy moved the soda can to his lips and let his eyes tell me it was my turn. I hugged the coffee cup between my palms and took a deep breath. "They had a huge fight and she threw him out and he ended up here and spent the night here and fuck, Jeremy...shit just happened! " I let out in one convoluted sentence. "I am so sorry but I am so motherfucking confused right now too!" Jeremy reached over and wrapped his arm around me with a look on his face that said he understood even if he didn't. "Brad," he began softly, "I kind of assumed as much. Don't work yourself into an ulcer, just tell me what happened...if you feel like you need to." "Please don't ask me for all the details yet, Jeremy. He is coming back here after work. I don't think he intends on going home tonight either." "Are you cool with that, Brad?" "In a way, yeah, I guess. I cant really turn my back on him right now. As much as he has frustrated me in the past, he has been my best friend for a long time." "And something tells me that friendship went someplace last night it never had before." The knowing look Jeremy gave me made me shiver. "What makes you say that?" Two of his fingers slid over the left side of my neck. "Well, the two hickeys here probably didn't come from an attack by a shop vac, for starters. Pretty hard to hide them in that low cut sweatshirt." He paused and then added with a snicker, "Plus you have a few wads of dried cum in your hair too. Either you two got REALLY busy last night, or you left him here alone and was the centerpiece of a bukakke party at the bar." I actually managed to laugh along with him as I realized that between getting off three times since midnight and all the sweating that came with it, I probably smelled like a refuge from an orgy also. Then I got all serious again. "Why aren't you mad as hell at me?" "Because I knew there was the distinct possibility of this happening at some point, Brad." The statement was made with a strange combination of empathy and hurt. "I wont deny that I am feeling a little jealous, but I also went into this with you with my eyes open too. I love you enough, that you being happy is the most important thing. My biggest concern is that you are really vulnerable right now and don't want to see you get hurt." "Meaning?" "Meaning that I have no problem stepping back for a while, but only if whatever happened last night is more than just another of Derek's infamous 'one more times' if you get my drift." We both stayed silent for a minute or two and then he asked, "What DID happen, Brad?" I lowered my eyes and whispered, "He made love to me, Jeremy." For some reason, I felt almost dirty answering his question honestly. "As in: 'all-the-way, take-my-ass, kiss-me-all-over, make love' like you have always wanted him to for five freaking years?" "Yeah...and gave me two blow jobs too," I added. "And did you talk about it afterwards...at all?" "Oh yeah. Not like making plans or what the hell happens next, but at least enough that he said the word gay a few times and told me he loved me. The discussions we had were little more than ones we should have had after the third or fourth time we got it on back in high school." "And you do have a major point to deal with yet too...little problem called he is wearing a wedding ring." "I know. But he already knows that I won't be his 'little-piece-on-the-side' though. I made that very clear weeks ago when he wanted to play around while she was out of town." I leaned back and stared up at the ceiling as if all the answers were written there. "I feel like I have fucked everything up, Jeremy," I finally uttered. "Only because you are afraid to say to me what you need to, Brad; so let me do it." Jeremy took my hand in his and continued. "What you and I had has been very special, but what you have for him is beyond intense. If he is finally dealing with similar feelings, you have no choice but to see if you can make an honest fag out of him. I am a huge distraction for you and that means I have to love you enough to fade into the background until you know for sure." I began to tear up a little as the words sank in. "This sounds so selfish, but I'm so afraid of losing you both now," I mumbled and then embraced him. "Just please tell me you don't hate me, Jeremy." He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me before speaking. "Brad, don't you dare think that. If he wasn't coming back here soon, I would get you naked and show you how I feel...get in my own 'one last time' just in case." I felt his hand gently rub my crotch as he added, "I love you too...I just happened to have drawn the short straw and am stuck waiting to see if Derek makes the changes he will need to. The only thing I ask, is for you to not let him drag it out...I can't and won't wait forever." A smile spread over his face suddenly. "Well one other thing too...if it works out for you guys, I get to be your best man." One More Time Ch. 11 "Only if you give me as good a bachelor party night as I gave him," I joked and teasingly groped him back. We looked each other with a desire we knew was not going to be fulfilled that day...or possibly ever...but I could have given in to the idea of 'one more time' with Jeremy very easily. Before our urges took over, he raised from the couch and said, "It's probably best if I am not here when he gets back. Stay in touch and let me know how it's going...even though I will probably be able to tell from how he acts at work." As he headed for the door, I thought to ask one final question. "Is it OK if I tell him about you and me, Jeremy?" He stopped as he opened the door and turned towards me. The last words came hard to my ears. "Sure. It might be good for him to know that you have someone willing to love you like you deserve waiting in the wings." He added a wink to his smile and then closed the door behind him. One More Time Ch. 12 Everything finally falls into place 8===> Derek and Jeremy had to have passed each other on the lake road since Derek was banging his knuckles on the front door less than five minutes later. As I let him in, I was handed a heavy bag from the store. "There is a quart of potato salad, quart of cole slaw, a half dozen Kaiser rolls, and enough barbeque pork in there to make sandwiches two inches thick," he explained. Holding up another one, he added, "This is a twelve pack of Coke and a cherry pie...so dinner and dessert is covered. Now we just have to work up an appetite." He had a lustful smirk on his face that was a near duplicate of the one he had been wearing just before he left for the store that morning. We carried the bags to the kitchen and as soon as they were sat down on the counter, he grabbed and spun me into his arms. "Did you miss me, Brad?" came from the lips that instantly brushed against mine and quickly separated by his probing tongue. I murmured a soft 'Yeah, I did," into his mouth as my arms encircled his waist. It's debatable which of us went hard first, but by the time we were both grinding into the other, both of us were sporting erections that couldn't be missed by the other. I grinned at him and took his hand, nodding towards the bathroom. "I think we could both use a shower," was offered to him with a suggestive leer. "Sounds good to me," was all Derek replied with as he began yanking my sweatshirt over my head. It hit the floor of the kitchen. We kicked off our shoes and left them in front of the fridge. As we walked, I rolled his work polo up and off and let it fall in the living room. We stood at the entrance to the bathroom kissing again, and his hands began undoing my jeans. My fingers got busy freeing him of his khakis. I pushed them over his muscular thighs after getting the zipper down and they fell the rest of the way on their own, bunching around his ankles. He stepped out of them and dropped to his knees to get my jeans free of my hips. He looked up and grinned when he saw I had no underwear on underneath. He teased my hard bone with his mouth while he first shoved his boxers off and then helped me wiggle my feet free of the blue denim he had tugged down my legs. My fingers twisted into his thick mop as he kept up the oral attention to my throbbing member and still managed to slip off his socks. Both finally nude, Derek stood back up and pulled me into another embrace. His bare body felt so good against mine and as we both began a slow grind while we stroked our fingers over each other's skin, I moaned out the order, "Shower! Now!" We quickly had the temperature perfect and stepped in letting the water spray over both of us as we resumed making out. Derek pushed me against the fiberglass wall and pinned his rock hard cock to my crotch as our tongues traveled back and forth between our hungry mouths. I reached behind him, grabbed the bottle of body wash, and squirted it liberally on both of us before using my hands to spread it around. I worked the slick liquid onto my cock and pressed it between his upper legs. Derek's jock thighs latched tight and I took a dozen or so lazy thrusts as he humped his bone against my abs while still showing my mouth more dedication than any dental hygienist ever had. My hands wandered to his firm ass cheeks and I kneaded them in my palms as we continued the slow rhythm of our frottage. His hips were moving a little faster as I used a wet, gel-coated finger to tempt his rosebud. I only got a momentary flinch from him and continued the venture with a little more probing since his thighs were squeezing me ever tighter as I teased his totally virgin ass. I knew this was completely new territory for him, but also knew the intense pleasure it would bring him if he didn't stop me. I wanted to fuck him, but was aware the cramped space of a shared shower wasn't the ideal place for that to occur the first time. When my finger tip finally pierced his anal ring, the reaction was instant. "Fuuuccckkk," spilled from Derek's lips and his body arched into mine. "That feels so good, Brad, but go easy," was added as his butt clenched on my first digit. As he relaxed into being poked gently, his hips began dancing again and with each slide up my stomach his cock took, the backwards motion that followed allowed my finger to slip deeper. "I had no damned idea it could be like this," seeped out as his thrusts ramped up and his thighs pinched my own humping tool like a steel bear trap. By the time I had my entire middle finger massaging his man hole, he was moaning as much as I was from the sensations being caused by fucking his strong thighs. "I'm so close," had just left my throat when Derek's mouth covered mine and began thumping into me like a crazy man. His tongue felt like it was licking my tonsils. His hands held me by the hair and his entire body was quaking as he slammed up and down against my wet tummy with fanatical motion. Seeing he too was near the point of no return, I drove my finger as deep as I could and found the prize I was looking for. Buried to my knuckle, I began tickling the elusive spot with rapid pokes as my balls screamed out 'No more!' and let loose between Derek's furry thighs. His mouth left mine and the sound he made could only be compared to the mating cry of a wild animal as he shot his load up across my chest, throat, and chin. From the sheer amount of white he spewed all over me, it was obviously the biggest orgasm I had ever brought him to. I quickly pulled my finger free and used that hand on the back of his neck to pull his face back to mine. The other was busy nuzzling his spent balls as we hungrily kissed. We were still locked together when he scooped up a rope of my juice from the back of his leg in his palm and mixed it with some of his from my chin. He moved his hand to his face and grinned as he licked the combined spooge off and then offered it back to me with his lips. We snowballed until our cocks both deflated fully and only then did he speak. "Best appetizer I have ever had. How about you, Brad?" The words were accompanied by a look that the word 'satisfied' didn't begin to describe. I grinned and offered back, "Best menu item I could whip up quick to go along with that shit load of food you brought for dinner. Speaking of which...let's get finished with this shower before we get started again. I haven't eaten all day." Fifteen minutes later we were sitting on the couch with full plates, watching the football game and wearing only towels wrapped around our waists. * * * * * When the final whistle blew, I was stretched out with my head resting Derek's lap. I reached over to the coffee table and killed the television with one remote and turned on the stereo with another. Before responding to the attention he was giving to working the snugged towel loose from my waist, I rolled to my back and looked up into his eyes. "Before we go getting something started again, let's talk a little first, Derek," I proposed. His left hand stopped moving but remained laying on my stomach. "Sure, Brad. I guess we kind of need to, don't we?" The smile he was wearing said he was open to being 100% serious even before he added, "Tell me everything that's on that mind of yours." I inhaled deep and hoped that I could get out what I wanted. "First off...you need to know that I wouldn't have traded the last 24 hours for anything in the world other than having had it happen 5 years ago." "And you need to know I wouldn't have said the things I did, if it didn't mean a whole lot to me too," he interrupted with. "Yeah, but..." I let the rest trail off to silence as I searched for how bluntly I wanted to say and ask things. "But?" "But I need to know just what it all DOES mean to you...and what happens now, Derek?" My hand found his left one and I slowly rubbed my thumb across the band of gold metal on his third finger. "After all...this is one giant elephant in the room that we cant ignore." "Meaning Lacy." "Well fuck yes, I mean Lacy," I blurted out. "You ARE married you know and assume you remember what I told you a few weeks back the night I lost it at your place." He paused as if he was replaying the scene and words in his mind. "That that you wouldn't be my 'dirty little secret' rings a big bell. Is that what you mean?" I laced my fingers with his and looked straight into his big eyes. "Yes, Derek. I can't live that way no matter how much I love you." He squeezed my hand with his and ran the fingers of his other hand through my hair as he contemplated his reply. "And I wouldn't expect you to, Brad. I am just not totally certain of what to do at this point...I do love her...but what I finally let you awaken in me is overpowering too." I let loose of his hand and sat up. "Derek, can we deal with one little word right now? Are you able to truthfully deny that after all we have shared over the years; and the last 24 hours more specifically; that you are gay?" He turned to face me and said, "I have had the answer to that ready for you since we started blowing each other as seniors, but it sounds so lame now, Brad." My remaining quiet forced him to continue. "I was all prepared to use the term 'bisexual' if you ever pushed the issue, but if I was to be completely honest, all the fucking around I did with girls and then marrying Lacy, was my way of deflecting and covering up what was deep inside. I really didn't think I could deal with saying I was gay to myself, much less anyone else. Even you." "And all that means?" Instead of speaking, Derek leaned into me and simultaneously pressed his lips to mine as his hand snaked up under my towel. I willingly accepted his tongue and the fondling of my cock as the preview of his next comments. He eventually broke off the kiss but kept playing with my jewels and continued with, "If that doesn't give you enough of an answer, then yes, Brad...I guess I am as gay as you are." Suddenly a huge grin appeared on his face. "Wow! I said it out loud and didn't turn into a flaming hairdresser or start singing a show tune!" I laughed along with him, happy that the tenseness of the moment had finally melted. Even though I wanted to continue the discussion, the teasing from our hands under the towels had about maxed our libidos. With the ice finally broken, I decided that we could pick up the conversation again later and pulled his towel free from his waist. "How about a little break sexy man? I've got something else new I want to show you in the bedroom," was offered along with the grip I had around his once-again erect shaft. Derek was on his feet immediately and pulling me up from the couch with nothing more than "Hell yeah," and a big smile as an answer. Our towels disappeared on the way to the bedroom, and we flopped onto the bed naked and with all reservations and insecurities seemingly a thing of the past. Derek had come so far so quickly, I only hoped that what I was about to do would be taken as well as everything else had been the last 24 hours. * * * * * The first quarter hour was a jumbled bag of intense kissing, exploring hands and fingers, and grinding of our naked bodies, mixed with the silliness of teenage flashbacks of sleepovers as we also wrestled and teasingly grabbed each other's junk. Our foreplay continued as we played around as two old friends that knew almost every inch of the other's body but with an energy and desire to find out even more. After skillfully snubbing Derek's several attempts at shifting into a sixty-nine position I finally gave in as he began licking his way down my chest and across my stomach the third time. I twisted my fingers in his hair and pushed him lower along with a deep throated demand. "That's it studmuffin...show me how much you want to suck me and get me hard enough for what you really want." My words got a momentary funny look that quickly disappeared and was followed by hungry lips swallowing my leaking mushroom. I dug my nails into his shoulders and watched as he slathered up and down my thick rod with lustful abandon. I stopped him each time he brought me close to the edge and finally pulled him back up to my face to kiss some more. From the way his cock felt like concrete in my hand and the amount of pre he was drooling out, Derek was already as worked up as I think I had ever seen him, but little did he know that the temperature was only beginning to rise. My only clue for him was when I pushed him over on his back and murmured, "Your turn," into his ear. I began by tracing the ridges of his ear with my tongue and then chewing on the flap of his lobe. From there, my mouth moved steadily south down his long neck and across his shoulder to begin the trip to his pecs. After teasing each nipple with my teeth until they were both like stone, and sucking at the dent at the bottom of his neck, I shifted my efforts to wetting down every inch of his abs with my tongue. Other than regular moans and an occasional "Oh yes," Derek remained quiet and simply let me go about my business of pleasing him. He began rubbing my back as I licked his pube forest and teased the base of his cock with my tongue. His juices were dribbling on my cheek and I took a quick swipe of my tongue over the slit to clear it for more to escape. "Oh fuck YES!" came from above me as I took him in my mouth and worked his entire dick with my lips, tongue, and hand. As I suckled on his lollipop my other hand went on it's own adventure...first to massaging his balls and then to the split of his cheeks. I only tempted his bung shortly, but enough to garner a deep sigh from his lips. I took another dozen or so long, slow, tongue-intensive and deep swallows of his throbbing manhood and elicited another deep moan followed by, "Gawd you are making me fucking crazy, Brad." I chuckled to myself and silently said, "Just wait lover. Crazy is just where I want you." I decided to heighten the pleasurable frustration I was causing him, and spat out his dick, but instantly did a menacingly slow butterfly flick with my tongue tip up the bottom of it all the way along his cum chute. When I reached the head, I licked the ridge and then tongue fucked the slit enough times to get him squirming good. "Please, Brad," was all he could get out between the sharp breaths he had begun taking. That and his hips constantly humping the air in search of my moist mouth. Almost sadistically, I totally deserted all attention of his cock and repositioned between his long legs and began licking the inside of his thighs, beginning where they joined his hips. I moved so slowly south down his first furry leg that by the time my mouth had found the back of his knee and was sucking on an erotic spot I was certain he didn't know he had, he had grabbed his begging tool and was stroking it. "Stop that!" came from me along with a slap to his hand and a grin from between his legs. "Don't touch it again until I tell you to beat it," was added before I returned to using my lips and tongue to start up his other thigh. As worked up as I had Derek, he surprisingly complied and went back to watching and moaning. By the time my mouth had reached his pelvis again he was writhing on the bed and whimpering with desire. Having him almost where I wanted him, I licked his quaking nut sac until it was soaked with my spit and then moved it aside to nibble at the knot under his balls. That brought a thrust upward from his hips and a scream as he grabbed my hair almost a little too roughly. "MOTHERFUCK! YOU GOTTA MAKE ME CUM, BRAD!" was belted out with enough force that I nearly laughed. "Don't worry, babe...I'm going to...soon," was all I conceded before taking his entire nut sac in my mouth and rolling his full balls around with my tongue. By the time I pushed his ass cheeks apart and buried my face between them, the whimpering was back with an increased fervor. My wet tongue began probing and teasing the pucker that was winking at me. I rolled Derek up enough that I could keep his legs spread and use my lips on him like he would never forget. I licked, flicked, poked, prodded, chewed, bit, and nearly brought him completely up off the bed when I finally slipped my tongue through his rosebud. Once I had it inside his cave, I really went to work taking it as deep as my cheeks against his would permit and popping it back and forth like a miniature penis. The happy moans began immediately and it took only a few minutes of tossing his salad to have him trying to grab both his flopping bone and my hair at the same time. I slapped his hand away from his fleshy toy once again and then took a deep breath and plastered my face tight once more as I finished bringing him as close to the edge as I dared while eating his ass. "Holy fuck, Brad! You are making me see colors I didn't know existed!" Derek returned to moaning and his hips shoved back into my final oral attentions to his man pussy. I rapidly pulled up to my knees, wedged my oozing cock to the same spot my mouth had just vacated, and leaned over to smother his lips with mine before they could offer any verbal resistance. Between how wet I had gotten him with my spit and the flow of pre I was leaking, it was easy to sufficiently lube up his virgin butt. Even though we were in a deep lip lock, Derek managed to eek out a soft caveat of "I dunno about this, Brad. I've never..." The rest of the admonition disappeared as I started sucking on his tongue and teasing his opening with hard slides up and down of my probing mushroom. He may have been having concerns about giving up his virginity to me, but the way I kept working my cock against his taint seemed to quash them. Just before giving him back my tongue to suck on, I softly offered, "Just relax, Derek. I promise you will love this." Moving slowly but with determination, I began to press harder on the flower I fully intended to pick. There was a gasp exhaled into my mouth and I felt the tenseness give way as it bloomed open for me. My fleshy honey bee found its mark and I slipped almost half of it inside with much less difficulty than I anticipated. "OHHH! FUCK!! YES!!!" spilled from Derek's lips as he spat out my tongue and wrapped himself tightly around me. His arms captured my shoulder blades and his ankles locked behind the backs of my thighs. I left my throbbing rod to just lay inside him and allow him the feeling of some control over how rapidly we continued. "Fucking burns, but feels so fucking awesome too, Brad." The words were instantly followed with a gentle rocking motion from his hips that caused his man cave muscles to choke down the remaining inches of me. When I felt myself balls deep, I stopped all movement and concentrated a few minutes on kissing him and making sure he was ready for more. "You OK, studmuffin?" I eventually asked as I began taking short pokes. "Oh hell yeah...I'm fine, babe," came with a smile wider than I had ever seen him wear before. As his ass started to wiggle against my intrusion, he added, "Make me like it more," in a voice that was almost begging. I grinned and gave him a single, quick, hard hump of my hips. "You sure?" I teased and added a second hard thrust. Derek's pelvis rammed up to meet mine. "You have me speared like this and I am not screaming for you to stop and you have to ask?" A quick chuckle came before, "Hell yes I am sure. Show me what man fucking is all about!" With that challenge, I stopped worrying and began to make love to Derek for the first time ever. My hips quickly developed a precise pace and I was soon taking long, full drives into his ass that were only buffered by his nuts burying in my pubes and my balls spanking his cheeks. I felt his fingernails dig into to my back as we kissed and screwed. Mine were either constantly entwined in his thick locks or holding his ears while I pumped him ever harder and as deep as physically possible without using a scalpel. Finally, I propped up on my knees, spread his legs wide, and stared down at him while maintaining my lustful, but loving, humping. "Now you can beat that hunk of meat like you want to." It was my way of telling him I was close. One More Time Ch. 12 Derek's hand went straight for his cock and he was soon taking blurring yanks on it before saying a word. As both our bodies began the telltale quivering of being ready for the release they were begging for, he cried out. "My fucking balls are gonna explode like a volcano! Don't stop, Brad! Make me cum like I never have before!" The look on his face was a strange mix of final innocence being lost and insatiable desire. "You best be ready with the ark studmuffin, 'cause I am going flood you out like Noah," spilled out as my hip motions became as rapid as the ones his hand was taking. For the next 50 or 60 long seconds, all that was heard in the air was ball flesh slapping butt flesh and the sounds of wet pre being worked furiously against the shaft in Derek's palm. When the tip of my cock nailed his hot button two times in a row, his back arched high, his cock started flowing like a burst garden hose, and his ass clamped down on me hard enough to strangle my load from my trapped tool. Our mutual moans of delight reverberated from the walls and ceiling while we fully unloaded. As soon as the final squirts and dribbles were happening, I dropped to cover his torso and his mouth with mine. We kissed and cuddled our sweaty bodies together for several long minutes, before Derek finally spoke. "Promise you won't ever tell the soccer team how easy I was," was the humorous crack that came with a huge satisfied smile. I grinned and offered back as an option: "How about if I am as easy for you later so I don't have anything to blackmail you with?" "Whatever it takes to keep you in bed with me, Brad," was offered with jest but with a heavy hint of total seriousness too. We laughed and snuggled up and teased at each other's wilted schlongs and joked some more about our mattress gymnastics before I broached that more serious topic that went along with our new sexual compatibility. "Do you really mean that, Derek," I began, "that you want me in your bed all the time? Do I really fit in the picture of a future you can see?" His hand continued to fondle my spent tool as he replied. "To answer the second question first...hell yes, you fit in the picture, Brad. Hell...you aren't just 'in the picture'...you are the whole fucking photo album! The answer to the first, is that I think I am as in love with you as say you are with me." The joyful look on his face quickly faded to a somber one as he added, "There is just one problem to deal with as far as I can see...I have to figure out how to tell Lacy it's over without destroying her with the nitty-gritty details." "Do you really mean all that, Derek?" "Yeah, I do, Brad." I watched with amazement as he worked his wedding band free from his finger and placed it in my palm. "Mean it enough that I am willing to trade that to you for a key to this place and half the closet. Keep it someplace safe and once I get through the divorce, maybe we can trade it in for a pair of matching silver ones." * * * * * Two days later, early in the afternoon, we were sitting on the couch after I had helped Derek unload the Camaro of his clothes, lap top, CD collection, and a collection of boxes of personal items that he had retrieved from the apartment. Everything else he was leaving for Lacy. He had fairly bluntly told her the night before that the only thing he wanted for Christmas, was a divorce. Surprisingly, there had been a minimal amount of tears and even less of the expected begging for joint counseling from her. She evidently had also concluded during the short separation that the marriage was hopeless, but having no clue to the most important reason. "I don't want to hide you, Brad, but I think letting her believe anything else BUT me being gay is the best thing right now. As much as she liked you, maybe someday down the road..." He let the unlikelihood of the reality of that statement die a silent death on his tongue. "Well do me one big favor and keep me hidden at work too...for a little while anyway." He floored me with, "So you can tell Jeremy first?" "You knew?" It was all I could think to say. Derek grinned at me. "Let's just say that the next time you decide you want a quick blow job in a dairy cooler, it will be with me first off...and secondly, we both will make sure we don't get seen sneaking in there...and thirdly, not get so loud that anyone walking by hears us moaning like lions in heat." He laughed and then ruffled my hair. "Yeah, I knew, Brad. In fact, that was when I started thinking seriously about what you really meant to me. I was actually jealous of him having you." He paused and then questioned, "Do I have anything to worry about with him?" "Not really, Derek," I replied immediately. "We got close. Really close. But he was here the other day...while you were at work after that first wild night you and I had...and quite honestly, he is the one that proposed stepping back after I told him what happened." I reflected back and then shared, "He said what we had was too intense for me to not find out if there was something really possible with you." Derek leaned into me and kissed me deeply. "Well I am more than willing to do my part to make sure you never question that there most definitely is. I only wish I hadn't been so stupid for so long." "It wasn't just you, Derek. I was too scared of losing you completely to be up front with you when I should have. But...in a lot of ways...I think we both needed to go through those years too. You had to have time to find yourself and I had to discover that my love was a whole lot deeper than just a fixation and a constant hard on when I was around you." Derek reached between my legs and squeezed at the lump that was there. "You mean like this one?" he asked with a wicked smirk. I groped back at his own obvious new bulge and offered a dare as I unzipped his jeans. "Why don't we get naked and see if we can make each other 'moan like lions in heat' ourselves?" "Nothing like a good blow job for lunch," was his answer. Our clothes disappeared in record time and we were quickly sixty-nining on the living room floor. We worked each other with intense dedication and when we both erupted minutes later, we followed up the explosions with roars that would shame the King of Beasts! We laughed and cuddled and swapped snowballs before finally getting back to finishing Derek's moving-in process. * * * * * I spoke to Jeremy as soon as possible and not unsurprisingly, received nothing but total support from my former fuck-buddy/almost-lover. "When I finally rope mine, we can all turn into old married folks and get together to play bridge one night a week," he joked as he hugged me and wished us all the best. It was months before I found out that he had told Derek at work the next day: "You best treat him right 'cause he loves you like no one but your momma ever will." As soon as we got through Christmas with our little 'Charlie Brown tree' (and unwrapping each other first that morning); and a totally private New Years Eve party (where we succeeded with staying naked for almost 24 straight hours); life began to move forward for Derek and I with a blinding, but almost scheduled pace. My final semester at Kent State was grueling and coupled with the hours at the bank, I often had to force myself to sex it up with Derek. The desire for him never faded or failed, but sometimes the body and mind tried to say no. His schedule was just as taxing since he had not only the heavy hours at Krogers to contend with, but also the pressure of countless meetings with the attorneys and Lacy in order to bring the marriage to a close. At long last he announced with great relief one night, that the final decree was going to be signed yet that week. There was a certain sadness in him when he told me and I knew it was because he had truly loved Lacy...just not enough to spend the rest of his life with her denying who he really was. When we went to bed that night, I went out of my way to be overly passionate with him to reassure him that one love may have just ended, but ours never would. Later, as he pumped in and out of me, he paused only long enough to brush a tear from his eye and ask that I hold off on my own orgasm because he wanted me to make love to him after he came...and I did to the utmost of my ability. So that was how things rolled along until the end of April and finals week. Both of us insanely busy but at the same time, always there for the other. Always able to laugh. Always able to make the other smile. Always able to look at each new day as one more to share a love neither of us had really imagined would or could happen. * * * * * Graduation day was hectic and tense with my parents in town for the happy day. My mom knew all about me and Derek, but my dad and I had never discussed my lack of a wife or ever mentioning a girlfriend. He had raised an eyebrow when he realized Derek and I were sharing a one bedroom place, but said nothing. We were all celebrating after the degree ceremonies with a late lunch at Pufferbelly when the ice was finally broken while waiting for our entrées to be served. I had opened the gift from mom & dad and after thanking them for the engraved gold pen and pencil set and the check in the card, Derek slid a small box over to me. The grin on his face made me wonder if I dare open it right then. "Go ahead, Brad. It's just something for you to remember the day your whole new life began," he explained. The mysterious grin remained on his face as I opened it and I soon figured out why. It was a ring box and as my shaking hands raised the lid, I discovered a band of solid silver with a single, sparkling diamond set in it. I looked over at Derek and he slyly rubbed his nose to let me see the ring's twin on his left hand along with a stare that said only one thing: "Put it on and make us one." I nearly cried as I slipped it on the third finger of my left hand and gave him a look back that provided my unqualified answer. My mom reached under the table and squeezed my knee, letting me know she not only understood what had just happened, but approved whole-heartedly. I glanced at my dad and found a smile on his face that told me he did also and that we would talk sometime. After my parents left back for Zanesville, and I had Derek alone in the Camaro, I exploded with mock anger. "I can't BELIEVE that you actually proposed to me that way! How the hell could I say no with them sitting right there? I don't think this will hold up in court if I push it!" "Well I certainly couldn't take you on a honeymoon without a wedding ring on that finger," he teased back. The laughter we both broke into shifted to a most quiet peacefulness as we silently held hands on the rest of the short drive back to what we now referred to as 'our place'. We spent the rest of the day and evening, alternating between making love, snacking, dancing to tunes on the radio, and talking about and packing for the getaway we had planned for the rest of the week. The joint vacation was now being referred to as 'the honeymoon'. * * * * * We had checked into the huge lodge at Mohican State Park late the next afternoon. It was so early in the season, that we shared the giant place with only a dozen or so other guests. After a hike down to the lake and back, we took advantage of the just-barely-warm-enough outdoor pool, followed by a visit to the indoor sauna. Both of us got frisky with each other in the steamy heat, but kept it from getting totally serious...partly from the desire of the build-up and partly for fear of the door being yanked opened by an elderly set of grandparents as we were going at it. With our towels carefully masking the bulges in our board shorts, we walked back to the pool for a quick last dip. We were sweating from the heat of the cedar-lined room and our own erotic teasing, but thankfully the cool water brought both our temperatures and our boners back in line. Once back in our room to change for dinner, we continued to tempt each other, but both of us seemed to want to save it all up for later and make the first night there extra special. The teasing continued all through our meal and then while we played pool in the deserted game room. As Derek whipped my ass (yet again) on an old full-sized version of Mario, we both took turns touching each other in public like we had never dared back in the old days at the mall. It was as if we had turned back the clock and the world didn't exist except for us. We left the game room for a moonlit walk and shamelessly strolled hand-in-hand along the deserted wooded path. At a secluded overlook of the lake, we held each other and kissed under the stars. The passion and cravings that had been building up the entire day was almost at a breaking point and our embrace quickly turned to hips grinding and hands searching under our polos. Just as Derek started to unsnap my cargos for access to my boxers, I whispered in his ear. "Not out here. Not tonight anyway. Let's go back to the room." He only smiled and laced his fingers with mine before we started back up the path. Once back in the room, we managed to keep our burning zeal for the other under enough control that we were able to undress without attacking the other. Derek had given me a quizzical look when I suggested we leave our underwear on, but accepted my "Just trust me," and the grin I gave him. We crawled into bed and kissed before I rolled over to my back. "Let's just lay here for a few minutes...like we used to back when we spent nights at each other's house way back when," was the explanation I offered. After a few minutes of total silence, I covertly slipped my waistband down and snugged it under my balls. I was as hard as I knew Derek was and struggling to complete my plan and quickly dropped my hand to my furry pubes. I was trying to keep from snickering as I began to drag my fingernails back and forth over my dense curlies...recreating the sounds he had used so often to tell me he was wanting to play. By the time it hit him what the noise was, he snorted out a laugh and I immediately turned to him. My hand dropped to his rock hard shaft and squeezed ever so gently. "You are as hard as I am, aren't ya buddy?" I teased. "You are crazy! You know that don't you?" sputtered out between Derek's chuckles. "Maybe so lover...but this method always worked for you, didn't it?" As I felt Derek's hand encircle my cock, he joined in the flashback teasing with, "Does this mean you want 'one more time' Brad?" Just before we spent the next several hours making love to each other, I gave him the only answer I could: "Just so long as you ask me that every night for the rest of our lives." 8===> Authors note: I just want to take a moment to thank all of you that have followed this story all the way to the end...in spite of the obvious frustration it created at times. The comments, votes, and emails have all been greatly appreciated and hope you will do so again...'one more time.' 8===>