Clean Hands and a Pure Heart, Chapter 4
Joe's Pizzeria wasn't as busy as usual since most of the students were still on Christmas break. The four guys were able to sit at a table in a fairly private spot tucked away near the kitchen. Most customers tended to avoid it because of the constant flow of waiters going to and fro, but it was an ideal place if you wanted a conversation which wasn't likely to be overheard.
They didn't discuss any details that might have damned their reputations at the school, but they were able to speak about their common "problem" to some extent. The Russian boys had been, until today, convinced that they were the only gays on campus and were elated to discover that Jon and Dave were on the same "team."
Dave told them that there was another pair who might share their orientation, but didn't give any names because he didn't want to gossip, especially if his suspicions turned out to be untrue. He did encourage them to keep their eyes open for guys who seemed a little closer than friends normally are.
They all discussed plans for grad school next year. Vlad and Alexi had been promised internships over the summer in a company that their benefactors operated. It would mean at least another year in the closet, but it would give them the background they'd need to apply for green-cards, and would allow them to gain citizenship rather quickly since, as highly-skilled professionals, they were the kind of immigrants that even the Tea Party welcomed with open arms.
Back at their quad, the guys got comfortable right away by stripping down to their underwear and sitting in the living room. Vlad said that in their wing of the dorm, many guys walked around nude a lot of the time. He wondered if that was true of their floor.
"Fifth floor is rather prudish, I guess," Dave opined. "My former roommate used to let it all hang out, but he got booted for breaking the rules and I think some of the guys thought it had to do with nudity. It didn't. He also drank a LOT."
"We don't have any drinkers in our area," Alexi said. "I never did drink except for a toast with vodka for New Year's, but I do love to go what I think Americans call `bare-ass.'"
"Are you suggesting we should all get naked?" Jon frowned.
"Well, I, um, think it would be `cool,' as you Yanks say."
"I'll strip if you will," Vlad announced, shucking his underwear.
Dave and Jon followed suit, with a bit of trepidation.
"Now I feel really free!" Sasha enthused. "I believe people get to know others better when they can't hide anything."
"You seem to have quite a bit to hide, or to show off, as the case may be," Jon giggled, nervously.
"Thank you! I can see that no one here has any reason not to be proud," Alexi answered. "Tell me about what you guys like best to do together, if I may be so bold as to ask?"
"From what I saw when we arrived tonight, you like to stimulate each other at the same time." Dave said, warming up to the subject. "Jon and I love to do that too. He taught me because I was far too innocent."
"Yup, I've corrupted him!" Jon admitted, relaxing as well. "I led him down a wicked path, like my mother would say if she knew."
"You led me on a path to complete ecstasy! That's what I would say," Dave smiled at him, remembering the first time they engaged in 69.
"Have you ever made love in front of anyone else," Vlad inquired.
"Um, no," Jon answered. "We only recently held hands around someone else and we finally got the nerve to kiss while my brother watched."
"That is very cool," Vlad said. "Aren't you afraid your brother will use that knowledge against you?"
"No, Jim has the utmost integrity. He gave us his word that he'd keep our secret and I know he will."
"You are very fortunate. I think my brother would, how do you say here, `put me under the transport'?"
"I think you meant to say `throw me under the bus,' Vlad, but I get your meaning," Jon grinned.
Alexi and Vlad kept the conversation revolving around sexual positions and techniques. It wasn't information that the other two hadn't known, but it did tend to keep them all semi-erect at the very least.
When the Russian pair began to make out in earnest, Jon and Dave excused themselves to the bedroom. They couldn't take much more visual stimulation without doing the same, and neither was ready to actually make love in front of anyone else.
"Were they trying to entice us into a group thing?" Dave asked. "I'm too innocent to know the signs."
"I'm not sure. I may have helped it along by stripping as soon as Sasha and Vlad got naked. They certainly hinted at it, but maybe they just got carried away. It did sound kinda hot."
"If you want to join them, go ahead. I'll stay here and do my own thing."
"You'd let me mess around with someone else?" Jon asked incredulously.
"I can't tell you what to do with your own body."
"But wouldn't it bother you at all?"
"Sure, but I don't own you," Dave said, tears forming in his eyes.
"Then we'd better take care of that right now!"
Jon stood, offering his hand for Dave to join him. He looked into Dave's eyes, took both hands in his, and recited an impromptu pledge.
"David Allen Albright, my best friend and lover..., I give you my body and soul to be yours as long as we both shall live. I will forsake all others male or female and be true to you alone."
"Oh Jon, I love you. I can't think of anything so eloquent to say in return. I feel the same... Jonathan Edward Minor, I will be yours all of my life and beyond if God grants it. As far as I'm concerned, we are now husbands and partners."
With that, they embraced and kissed lovingly. Their skin to skin frontal contact soon prompted a rush of blood to their private regions, causing their kisses to increase in passion as their cocks became hard again after they'd wilted during their serious discussion.
No words were exchanged as they moved toward the bed. Dave pulled back the covers and top sheet so they could climb into it, where their foreplay continued.
Before long, Jon turned the opposite way in order to access Dave's phallus which was, by this time, throbbing in tandem with his heart. Dave was quick to nuzzle Jon's dripping tool. He loved the taste of precum and the aroma of slightly sweaty balls. He liked it so well that he rubbed his face all over Jon's crotch, coating himself with his lover's scent. Jon was so turned on by his actions that he tried it too and found it to his liking.
By this time, they were hot, sticky, and close to their destination. They attempted to ride the wave of desire a bit longer, but found that their efforts to prolong their climaxes were futile. When Dave began whimpering steadily, Jon figured it was time to go for broke. He swallowed as much of Dave's cock as he could and bobbed his head. Dave followed his example. Mere seconds later, they were spurting copious loads while gasping for air around the large, hot objects in their mouths.
They lay intertwined, kissing in the afterglow and catching their breath.
"Wow, it's even better when you're married!" Dave joked.
"Seriously, I think it is," Jon said. "I feel more complete now that we have made a commitment, even if there weren't any witnesses."
"As God is my witness..." Dave reminded him.
"Yeah, that's true. We ARE committed."
"If our parents knew exactly how committed we are, they'd probably want to have us committed - to an institution," Dave remarked, sadly. "At least if or when that day comes, we can refuse to be `cured' because we're adults."
Valerie Albright sat down in her recliner to rest a few minutes. Preparing lunch had kept her on her feet half of the morning in addition to the preparations she'd made the day before. She was excited about doing it, but had forgotten how tiring it could be to entertain guests. She was thankful that her assisted-living arrangement kept her from having to prepare meals all of the time.
Her mind was still sharp as a tack, but her body wasn't up to doing all she'd like to do.
She closed her eyes to rest them, and before she knew it, she was awakened by the doorbell. As her head cleared, she glanced at the clock. It was 11:30, exactly the time her grandson and his friend were due. She had unwittingly napped for half an hour.
Lowering the footrest, she put her hands on the arms and, after a couple of pushes, hoisted herself out of the chair.
"Coming!" she called as she scurried to the door.
"David, it's so good to see you!" she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
"It's great to see you too, Grandma. This is my best friend and roommate, Jonathan."
"Jonathan, I'm delighted to meet you. David has said many nice things about you in his emails. You seem to be kindred spirits like the two boys in the Bible by those names."
"It's good to meet you too, Mrs. Albright."
"Oh please call me Grandma. I don't want us to be formal."
"Then you'll have to call me Jon," he smiled as he gently embraced her frail body. "Both of my grandmas have passed, so I'll be delighted to have you be my grandma.
"I'm overjoyed to have my grandsons visit over the holidays! We've had a lot of activities here at the manor, but it's been a long time since I've entertained anyone for lunch. I hope you'll be okay with what I've made. I know that young men who are active need plenty of calories, so I hope I've fixed enough to satisfy you."
"I'm sure we'll be fine," David told her.
"Come sit down in my little living room while I put things on the table. There's a chilled bottle of Riesling on the coffee table. Please pour me a glass and help yourselves if you like. You are on break after all, and I'll never tell."
A few minutes later, she invited them to bring their glasses and join her at the table.
When they sat down to eat, Valerie asked them to join hands with her for the blessing of the food. If the guys hadn't had long arms, it would have been a difficult reach, though the table was only 42 inches in diameter without the leaves.
She passed the food first to Jon, who was on her left, and asked him to pass it on to David, making her the last one to fill her plate.
There was plenty to eat, including homemade chicken salad, croissants, slices of fresh apples and pears, and water to drink.
"Grandma, this is the best chicken salad I've had since the last time you made it. What's your secret?"
"I think it's better than some recipes because I make it from scratch instead of buying already cooked chicken. I get a whole chicken and pressure-cook it with celery, onion, salt, garlic, and poultry seasoning the day before. I make sure to use plenty of chicken. The only filler is chopped celery, pecans, and grapes and just enough dressing to hold it together so it's meaty."
"Dave is right! This is the best I've ever tasted. Do you give out your recipe?"
"I'd be glad to share it! I have it on my computer files and I'll email a copy to David right after lunch. I'm pleased that you like it enough to ask for it!"
As they ate leisurely, their conversation revolved around the family's mission in Lebanon and around the boys' studies and swimming records. Grandma was very proud of their accomplishments. She had known about most of them from the weekly emails she received from David.
"I understand you're both going to graduate school in the fall. Will you try to live together during that time?"
"Um, yes, we'd like to share an apartment to save money and to be with someone compatible," Dave told her.
"You'll enjoy being away from that repressive school you're in now, I suspect."
"Our lives will be our own for a change," Jon agreed. "It IS difficult feeling like all aspects of our existence are being monitored and controlled, even the very personal ones."
"I've caught an undertone from David's emails that the rules at Freedom can be chafing. It's ironic that a place with that name can feel oppressive. One would think they'd want their graduates to have experienced life a bit. I can see that they wouldn't like them to come in drunk all the time, but I think at least having an occasional glass of wine or beer would be okay so you'd learn how to handle it responsibly, just as we've done today."
"You seem like a liberal, Grandma," Jon teased. "I appreciate the wine. It complements the meal. I've had almost no experience with drinking."
"I've always thought of myself as a moderate, but in this day and age, my views seem to be in conflict with certain elements of our faith. I disagree with the so-called evangelicals' of this era in a number of ways in their so-called culture wars.' In fact, I have no problem with two men getting married if they love each other."
David and Jon both blushed involuntarily, wondering where this conversation was headed. They soon found out.
"David, do you send your parents the exact same emails you send to me?"
"No, Grandma, I probably share more personal things with you. You've always made me feel comfortable doing that."
"It's probably a good thing that you don't confide in them like you do me, if you intend to keep your feelings for Jon secret for the time being."
David swallowed hard, trying not to let any tears form.
"Am I that transparent?" he asked, hardly above a whisper.
"Yes, to me you are. When you talk about Jon, it's the way your father talked about your mother when they were first dating. There's a glow to your writing when his name comes up. I didn't mean to embarrass either of you; I just wanted to let you know that I understand."
"Wow!" Dave exclaimed. "Thank you! Of all the people in my family, you're the one I hoped wouldn't cast me aside."
He got up from his place and knelt by her chair so she could put an arm around him. Jon was hesitant to do the same until she motioned him to join them. Both guys stayed there several minutes, absorbing the sunshine of her love.
On the drive back from Richmond, both young men were almost giddy with relief. Dave had long been concerned about how he would tell his grandmother that he was gay, even more so about how he could reveal that he had a boyfriend. All of this had taken care of itself in one very pleasant afternoon.
"With her in our corner, life will be much better, especially for me. She not only has some influence over my family, but she also has a good bit of money. The thought of being disinherited might or might not make a difference in how they treat me, though. I can see my mother saying that she wouldn't `compromise her beliefs in exchange for filthy lucre' or some such pronouncement. My folks are about as conservative as Wisconsin Synod Lutherans!"
"Wow, that is narrow, but I'm sure I could say the same of my mother," Jon admitted. "I hope Grandma lives a long time so that we'll still have some family when the dust settles."
"Don't forget we also have Jim. I'm not sure about my siblings."
"I'm not sure about Beth either. I guess we just have to be thankful for what we have and not worry about the rest."
When the guys got back to their temporary housing, it was nearly dinner time. They found Alexi and Vlad dressed only in their underwear searching for something to eat in the nearly bare fridge.
"What's on the menu?" Dave joked.
"Two cans of New England style clam chowder in the cupboard, some bread, and a hunk of cheese is about all we've found," Vlad shook his head.
"How would you like to contribute the soup to supplement the chicken salad, croissants, and fruit that Grandma sent home with us? There should be plenty to fill us up."
"Cool!" Alexi exclaimed. "We were afraid we might have to put on clothes and face the chilly weather in order to survive."
Their housemates were full of praise for Grandma's cooking. They were also pleased to hear about how the lady had let Dave and Jon know she was okay with their relationship.
"No one in our families would accept us," Vlad said sadly. "We will be cut off when we come out to them."
"You might not have to do that all at once," Dave counseled. "Since they're miles away on another continent, they don't have to know. If they do come over later, they can find out gradually, after they see how happy you are. I think you shouldn't burn bridges before you get to them."
"I like your sayings," Sasha grinned. "You have a lot of good ones about transportation – buses and bridges."
His joke lightened the mood.
The new term wouldn't begin until about a week after New Year's Day, so Jon and Dave had time on their hands. They didn't waste it. It was an opportunity to get a jumpstart on their theses. While those would still need refining, they corrected many details by editing each other's work.
Before New Year's Eve, they had fixed most of the problems and had created documents that were beyond the first-draft stage. They planned to turn them in for their advisor to review well ahead of the deadline.
In addition to their school work, Dave and Jon spent time in the pool which had reopened a few days after Christmas. Many times, they were the only ones there and took the opportunity to swim nude. It felt quite freeing, and they debated on whether they would do it when other team members returned. The only downside, besides getting their `nads slapped when they hit the water, was that their junk might present more drag. Dave reasoned that it wasn't a disadvantage because once they were in a tight Speedo for competition, they might be faster. Jon said he would probably continue to use a boxer-type suit over his tight brief to create the resistance instead of putting his balls at risk. Dave agreed that his plan had merit.
There were a few parties that they might have attended on the 31st. Vlad and Sasha invited Jon and Dave to accompany them to one for international students in the area. The guys thanked them, but declined. Several area churches had events for people their age, but those didn't interest them either. In the end, they decided to see the New Year in by themselves in David's bed.
By mutual agreement, they planned to make their celebration more intense by abstaining from spilling seed for several days leading up to New Year's Eve. Cuddling and kissing were fine as long as the stopped short of an orgasm. It was rather similar to keeping the purity code, but with a hot goal in sight as their reward.
Each night, they excused themselves and went to bed early. Their housemates assumed it was for having sex, and they also retired at the same hour in order to do just that.
Dave and Jon would remove each other's underwear and climb into bed. They would talk about the future, "solving" some of the hypothetical problems that might arise. All the time, they remained skin to skin, enjoying the closeness.
"You know, Dave, as much as I love it when you get me off, I feel remarkably comfortable and at peace like this. I mean, sure, I'd love to blow my load, but it's great lying here with our hearts beating in the same rhythm. I feel like I'm one with you."
"I do know! It's the same for me. I looked up the story of David and Jonathan in First Samuel this afternoon and wrote down what it said. `And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.' That's how it feels with you, my beloved Jonathan."
"Wow, that's beautiful! I knew they were close, but the preachers I've heard talk about this pushed the idea that they were good buds and that it wasn't a romantic love. Hearing you read it just now, changes my take on it."
"There is another place where it says something about falling on his neck and kissing him. I think they were just like us!"
On December 31st, Dave and Jon went to the supermarket in the afternoon to pick up groceries for the next few days plus a couple of cheese balls, some crackers, and other tidbits to nibble on while watching fireworks from around the world on Jon's laptop.
After dinner when Vlad and Alexi left for their party, Jon and Dave stripped the minute their companions were out the door. They came up hard and raring to go.
"When should we get off?" Jon asked.
"Didn't I share the rest of my plan? We don't have to do it if you don't want to."
"I want to do whatever you have in mind!"
"I read something in an erotic story that sounded really hot to me. These two guys kept each other hard and on edge for several hours. Then just before the countdown began in Time Square, they started to give each other a blow job. They began to cum a split second before the ball dropped and continued into the New Year. So they ended the old year and saw in the new in the midst of their climax."
"Oh man! The very thought makes me ready to blast!" Jon exclaimed.
"That's why we have to be very careful in the hours leading up to it."
"It sounds like we may have to seek medical help for erections lasting over four hours, like the Viagra commercial says!"
"Nah, it's only three and a half till then. Besides, we might play a game or something to cool off along the way. If that doesn't work, I'll get ice out of the fridge and hold it on your dick!"
"Ouch! I feel it deflating at the very thought!"
After hours of playing games interspersed with making out and getting nearly to the point of no return, the boys realized it was nearing midnight. They got into the 69 position and started to tease each other unmercifully. Then, as the countdown began, Dave gave his characteristic whimper which signaled his impending orgasm. That sped Jon toward his climax. Two seconds before the ABC announcer said "Happy New Year," they started to unload. They kept on for several more seconds, achieving their goal. Then they kissed deeply, savoring the cocktail of their combined nectars.
"Are you superstitious at all," Dave asked.
"Not a bit."
"Too bad because there's an old speculation that whatever you're doing when the New Year arrives, you'll be doing for the next 12 months."
"Hmm, I think I feel a big case of superstition coming on! Wanna go for seconds?"
Author's notes: Thanks to those who emailed since last posting: Paul R, Wayne, Tony W, Mendy D, Bill K, Jim L, Jim W, Zero, Don S, Peter M, Tom A, and Walt S.
Here are a few links that might interest you:
http://www.sharecare.com/health/mens-health/health-guide/mens-sexual-health/mens-sexual-health-how-masturbation-impacts-your-sexual-health
https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/the-emotional-roller-coaster-of-coming-out-to-107994752712.html
http://www.outsports.com/2015/2/4/7957015/ryan-murtha-gay-swimmer-villanova-chipotle
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/01/15/youtube-twins-come-out-to-their-dad-and-their-subscribers/
http://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/04/being-gay-at-jerry-falwells-university/274578/
And last, but not least; a major Protestant denomination has accepted same-sex marriage!
http://www.edgemedianetwork.com/news/religion/news//173812/presbyterians_approve_gay_marriage_in_church_constitution