Tommy and Tanner Chapter 9
Warning:
This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction between males of similar age. If the reading or possessing this material is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so. It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.
The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit authorization from me.
This is not my first attempt at writing fiction. My longer stories on Nifty include: "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004), "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004), "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Tales from Bentonville" (November 16, 2008), and "Second Chance" (September 24, 2010) under "High School" and "Someone to Watch over Me" under "Beginnings" in the gay male section. There are a few short stories also: "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 22, 2004 under "Camping", "Of Angels and Dragons" (November 8, 2008) under "Camping", "A Christmas Tale" (December 22, 2009) under "High School", "Brazil Affair" (October 1, 2010) under "Beginnings" and "Seth's Gift" (October 10, 2010) under the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.
I am now listed on Nifty under the category of "Prolific Net Authors" which will make it easier for you to access earlier stories. Some of these stories are also posted at: www.storylover.us along with those of other writers that may interest you.
My only reward for contributing to Nifty is your emails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your email because my email service sometimes puts them in the "spam" file.
Finally, thanks and hugs to Tom and David (boxerdude) who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes! They not only proof-read, but make other valuable suggestions.
David (dlee169@hotmail.com)
Tommy and Tanner, Chapter 9
The remainder of the school term moved along at a fairly rapid pace even though the days sometimes dragged for students who were longing to be free. Spring break came not long after Sibyl's unpleasant incident. The vacation from school kept her from having to face her classmates until some of the gossip had subsided. Ava had brought assignments home for her to work on, so she wasn't going to be behind when she did return.
Sibyl seemed to have become more pensive after her abuse at the hands of the popular senior whom she had fancied herself to be in love with. If she had told the authorities that they'd had sex, Jordan would have been charged with statutory rape in addition to assault because of their age difference and the fact that he was legally an adult. But she knew in her heart that she had encouraged his sexual advances. She had been willing to do it all, other than having unprotected sex. She was furious with him and herself for that, but she was mostly thankful to be rid of him. He was not someone she'd want to spend a lifetime with when she stopped to think about it. Thank God he was out of the picture! Thank God she had miscarried! What would her life have been like?
Sibyl also had guilt feelings. She had led Tanner to think that the baby was his and she had been planning to pressure him into helping her raise the child and possibly marrying her someday. Now that he'd no doubt figured out it was Jordan's kid, there was no hope of dating him again. She had messed up royally! She would keep a low profile and not do THAT with anyone soon. Maybe she'd wait at least until she was engaged before having sex with another guy. Damn! She wished she could turn time back and have a second chance.
Jordan was charged with assault with intent to do bodily injury and might have been put away for a long time, but he copped a plea deal instead of facing a jury. The judge sentenced him to five years in prison, but immediately suspended it with the stipulation that he take anger management classes, pay reparations, and do community service. His dreams of becoming a university swimmer were basically over because schools were coming under increasing scrutiny for recruiting athletes with criminal records.
During this break, Tanner and Tommy were both home much of the time. When they were somewhere else, they were still together.
Mason invited Tommy to sleep over, hoping to renew their former relationship. Like Sibyl, he wished he could have a do-over. Mason had had a lot of fun exploring the bodies of some of his schoolmates, but was already thinking it would be nice to have one special guy who would be there for him. He hadn't been with all that many guys. His reputation had far exceeded his actions. However, he was feeling like he should have done less fooling around. He realized the guys he'd played with were almost exclusively straight and had used him for quick release because he was readily available and their girlfriends weren't. He was beginning to feel like a slut. It was exciting to make another guy cum in his mouth, but without any emotion or feelings of caring, it lost its appeal about as soon as the other guy zipped up. He should have handled it differently with Tommy. Perhaps there was still a chance.
Tommy found excuses not to sleep over at Mason's house. He wasn't about to tell Mason he had a new boyfriend. That would out Tanner for sure. Both Tommy and Tanner were perceived as being straight even though Tommy had been in Mason's company often in the past. The few guys who knew about it figured Tommy had used Mason just as they had. In their view, getting head from another male didn't make them gay as long as they didn't reciprocate. Besides it was HOT!
Spring break coincided with Holy Week that year, and Teri's parents came to spend a few days including Easter Sunday. Jeri and Floyd Sexton were always welcome visitors. It wasn't because they brought little gift bags to their grandsons, but that they showed genuine affection for them. Tanner, especially, was happy to see them since he had not known his biological grandparents and this set of grandparents treated him as if he were theirs.
Tark's parents had been invited too, but Cynthia and James were off on an extended European vacation. Cynthia had sent a postcard exclaiming how she "simply adored Paris in the spring." There was no sentiment of "wish you were here" and the boys certainly didn't miss her!
Jeri made all the right comments about how pleasant Tim's room was and how kind he was for letting them stay in it. Her whole demeanor was in sharp contrast to that of Tark's mother at Christmas. It made the boys appreciate her even more when they fleetingly compared her with their other grandmother.
One of Jeri's traditions was coloring Easter eggs with the boys. Tucker declared he was too old to do it anymore. However, the older boys said they would love to participate. Jeri had brought along an electric wax pen so her grandsons could try a fancy method involving several different color baths using wax resist as a way of preserving the earlier hues.
Tanner took to the technique like a duck to water. He was beginning to create eggs rather like the ones that Czech people are famous for. Fortunately, Jeri had brought along a bunch of hollow eggshells she'd carefully blown the contents out of. She had anticipated that the boys might make some treasures they'd want to keep, and she was pleased to see that they were.
Tommy and Tim got the hang of the wax resist process too. Soon, they were honing their craft skills. Tucker kept watching the procedure wishing he hadn't made such a big deal about not being a little kid. Eventually, Jeri encouraged him to give it a try "just for her." He didn't need another invitation.
Everyone got dressed up for the church service on Sunday. The boys actually paid attention to what was said in the sermon despite the distractions of having a huge crowd.
Tanner saw Sibyl at a distance, but didn't try to talk to her. He caught her looking at him once, but he quickly diverted his gaze as did she, so they never made eye contact.
Jeri and Floyd left for home after dinner. The boys were all sorry to see them leave, but it would be time to go back to school the next day anyway.
Tommy, Tanner, and Tim all went out for spring track and field. Tim was by far the best athlete of the three of them. Tanner and Tommy preferred the fall cross-country running to the 100 meter dash or the relays. None-the-less, they enjoyed being a part of the team because it was good exercise and didn't hurt their status at school. But they would not be among the boys who competed for district or state titles.
However, being on the team gave them a chance to go to the state track events for two days in May to help support the guys who were competing. That meant staying over in a hotel with lots of other guys, an experience that was bound to be fun.
After the first day's events, the team showered in the host school's locker room and changed into dress-casual clothes like the guys who were along to cheer them on, and all went out together to eat. Coach Lewis insisted on the dress code because he wanted his guys to look like young gentlemen. He had found that they tended to act differently when they were dressed up. It made a good impression on the public and also cut down on discipline problems.
When dinner was over, the boys were all herded onto their buses and driven to a hotel to stay overnight. They were allowed to splash around in the indoor pool and use the hot tub as long as they didn't annoy other guests. Since many who were staying there were track fans, they weren't offended by sharing with a group of active teens. No doubt some ogled the firm bodies parading around with little on.
Since rooms were not inexpensive, even with the group discount, several guys were expected to share accommodations.
As luck would have it, Tommy and Tanner ended up sharing a room with Mason and Andy Roberts whom they'd met in the fall. Andy hadn't developed physically as much as they had during the year and tended to get picked on even though Coach Lewis considered him to be an asset to the team. Since Tommy and Tanner had befriended Andy and had been nice to him, the coach figured this was the friendliest group to place him with.
Tommy was a little concerned that rooming with Andy and Mason might hurt Tanner's and his reputations. However, he couldn't bring himself to belittle them or make fun of them behind their backs. He kept putting himself in their shoes. How would he feel if he were treated like a pariah?
There were two queen-sized beds in the room and a small sofa which pulled out to make a bed. Mason tried to arrange things so he that could share a bed with Tommy. However, Tanner made it plain that since they were brothers, he and Tommy would sleep together.
Poor Andy had heard about Mason's reputation and was really worried that being in the same hotel room with Mason would make him a target for more teasing and verbal abuse from his peers. He wasn't brave enough to talk to the coach about his concerns, but he announced that he was going to sleep on the sofa.
When Coach Lewis made his rounds checking on his charges, he noticed that Andy looked rather uncomfortable. He mentally debated the pros and cons of revising the rooming arrangements, but decided it might cause Andy more grief if he were singled out to be reassigned. (Coach Lewis had no clue about Mason's reputation. Students can be very secretive about such things.)
Tommy and Tanner were careful to stay on their own sides of the bed they shared. They put a pillow between them so they wouldn't accidently snuggle as they were used to doing at home. Mason convinced Andy that they could do the same thing, and eventually the shy freshman gave in. He hadn't been looking forward to sleeping on a couch with no sheets and only a spare blanket.
Once everyone else was asleep, Mason reached over the pillow to explore the mound in Andy's briefs. He found it to be bigger than he had imagined. After 10 minutes of careful maneuvering, he managed to get his hand under the waistband without awakening Andy. He thrilled at the touch of the hot, throbbing cock which was expanding in his hand. It was making him produce an especially large volume of precum. He loved hearing Andy make little noises in his sleep which sounded almost like purring.
Suddenly Andy's tool swelled more and his body tensed. Then, with a sharp moan, he began to pump his juice into the pouch of his briefs. He turned on his side as Mason carefully extracted his sticky hand.
Mason sucked on his fingers while flogging his dick with his other hand. Seconds later, he too spewed a load. He took his fingers out of his mouth in the nick of time to catch it – another taste treat to savor as he drifted off to sleep.
When Andy awakened in the morning, the other guys were already up and getting showered and dressed. He felt the crusty spots in his underwear and hoped that no one else would see them. He remembered a really hot dream and assumed that he'd had a great wet dream. It made him feel relaxed and ready for the day's events.
Mason went ahead to the breakfast buffet as soon as he was dressed. He seemed eager, almost anxious, to get out of the room. Tommy and Tanner hung back and waited for Andy.
The boys track team did remarkably well in the finals. Andy's winning performance in the 100 meter dash helped raise the team's position in the meet and his standing among his peers. Some of the kids who had ignored him at first were now being friendly.
Mason was rather quiet on the ride home that night. He had assumed he might have to sit by himself on the bus, but Andy chose to sit with him, knowing how it felt being left out. Mason smiled, hoping that he might have the chance to make a friend.
Term finals came at last. The Torrance boys all reviewed well enough to pass with flying colors. When the last test was over, they were ready to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation.
Tim took Tommy and Tanner along with Chas and him to Mickey D's for a calorie-laden fast-food lunch to mark the end of the school year. It was really cool to know that the younger two had survived their freshman year without any really bad incidents. Their run-in with Jordan was pretty well forgotten because of all the positive experiences they'd had since.
With school out of the way, Tommy and Tanner could spend time at the pool practicing their strokes and could also concentrate on their mowing business in order to earn extra money. They invested some of last year's profits in a better riding mower that was more reliable and cut a wider swath than the old one that they traded in. They had carefully researched which ones had the best performance records and which dealers had the best prices.
Tommy noticed that Tanner would become kind of sad and distant at times when they were out on the job. At first he was concerned that Tanner was having second thoughts about their close relationship, but realized Tanner was probably thinking about his father's death. Doing yard work no doubt stirred up a lot of memories. It hadn't been quite a year since that tragic day, and it would take time to heal. At times like that, he'd give Tanner's neck a squeeze or whisper in his ear that he cared. Tanner always seemed to appreciate the gestures and occasionally gave Tommy a quick kiss after checking to see if anyone was around.
One day in mid June, a stranger rang the Torrance's doorbell. Tark happened to be home and was first to answer it. He figured it was probably someone selling something. However, the handsome young man on the front porch didn't have a briefcase or box of samples and looked vaguely familiar.
"What can I do for you?" Tark asked.
"Hi, I'm Lee Ratliff. I'm searching for a boy whose name is John Leads, and I believe he lives here."
"Assuming I know who this John Leads is, what is your business with him?"
"It's a long story. I guess the bottom line is that I think the boy is my nephew."
"Come on in," Tark said. "You've piqued my curiosity."
At that moment Tanner came into the living room looking for Tommy.
"Hey Dad, have you seen Tommy? We're supposed to go to the mall with Tim..."
"Oh my God, you look a lot like I did about 10 years ago," Lee blurted out without thinking.
"Who are you?" Tanner asked. "You look kind of familiar too, but I don't think we've met."
"My name is Lee Ratliff and I'm sure you haven't met me before.
May I share my story?" Lee asked, turning to Tark for permission.
"Of course. Let's go sit on the patio. I'll bring out something to drink."
As the three were getting settled, Tommy and Tim came into the backyard and joined them. They were curious enough about what the man had to say that the trip to the mall was soon forgotten. Tark introduced the boys, explaining that John was now known as Tanner.
"As your dad said, my name is Lee Ratliff. It was `Randy Leads' when I was born. I was about three when our family was broken up. My brother, Steve, was 14, and Ralph was around 12."
At the sound of his father's name, Tanner perked up immediately, but didn't want to interrupt Lee's story.
"Since I was young," Lee continued, "I got adopted fairly quickly after a short time in foster care. From what I've been able to discover, John and Steve were sent to an orphanage. Steve got into lots of trouble and was murdered at a young age while trying to make money to support his drug habit. I discovered this while researching old newspaper reports.
I grew up in a safe and loving home until I was 18 when my adoptive family threw me out and cut off all communication."
"How could anyone do that?" Tark exclaimed.
"Uh, they found out that I'm gay, and since I was of legal age, they could do it. I was fortunate in having a gay teacher who took me in to finish my senior year, providing me a home while I continued my high school education. And if you're thinking he had ulterior motives, I assure you it's not true.
One bright spot came out of being disowned by my adoptive parents. My mother's father never stopped loving me as a grandson. He was a frugal man who lived modestly, but had amassed enough in savings to retire comfortably with money to spare. He paid for a good share of my college education.
My adoptive mother shunned him for his generosity to me, and it ultimately turned out to my advantage. When he died last year, he left everything to me. She was royally pissed and claimed the will wasn't legal, but to no avail. It served her right!
I know that I had no choice in whether I was going to be gay or straight. I feel it was genetic. I have no way to prove it, but I think my father was gay too and went into a deep depression because of it. I have found out bits and pieces about his addictions to alcohol and drugs that are sometimes indications of an attempt to escape the reality of a person's nature. However it might have been from other causes. I can't prove it.
I'm sorry. This is a lot of garbage to dump on you, Tanner. If we indeed are related, I should have broken it more gently. Knowing all of this, you probably won't want to have anything to do with me."
"It's okay," Tanner sighed. "It would explain some of the things my dad felt and did. He always seemed to worry about me getting too close to other boys, like he was afraid I'd turn gay or something. So, did my father know you were gay?"
"Oh no. At the time we were separated I was too young to know it myself. I didn't figure it out until I was about 14. I grew up at least 100 miles from him and never had any contact with any of my biological family after I was adopted. I only discovered recently who my parents were - after I did an Internet search. My records weren't sealed like many were so I was able to find out a lot by going to the court house and by delving into old newspaper articles. It appears all the members of my family, except for me, are deceased. There may be cousins somewhere, but I've not found any yet. You're the first real kin I've been able to track down."
"Are you planning to try to get his adoption nullified and raise him yourself?" Tark asked, fearing the answer he might get.
"Heavens no! I know how lucky a boy can be to live with a family who loves him. Unfortunately, my adoptive parents no longer loved me once they knew the true me."
"We love Tanner unconditionally. He's like our own flesh and blood. Nothing he could do or say would change that."
"Even if he turned out to be like me?" Lee asked.
"However he turns out, he's our son," Tark assured him.
"You don't know how great it is to hear you say that," Lee smiled wistfully. "I hope you mean it, because my family talked the talk, but didn't walk the walk."
"Do you know anything else about my grandparents, like where they lived or what they were like?" Tanner asked.
"I've told you about all I know so far. The house they lived in was destroyed in a flood a few years back. I'm still researching to see if there's additional information. Would you like me to let you know what I find, if anything? It might be even worse than what I've told you already."
"Yeah, I would, whether it's good or bad. I've felt kind of disconnected sometimes. I mean, this is my family now and I love them, but since I thought both my mom and dad were orphans, I kinda like didn't have roots. When other kids traced their genealogy in middle school, I felt left out."
"Given how my parents, your grandparents, lived, you might have been as well off not being able to make any connections.
Well, I'd better be off. I've taken up enough of your time. I hope I haven't messed you up. I was trained to know better than to drop stuff like this on people so abruptly. I guess I was thinking too much about myself. I'm sorry I told you all this at once before getting to know you."
"No, it's okay." Tanner replied. "I need to know things. Are you aware of how my father died?"
"I read a bit from the newspaper. It was kind of vague."
"It's not pretty. He was in bed with another man's wife and got shot. It wasn't the first time he'd done stuff like that. I know he had several women that he did `special work' for. I'm not proud of what he did, but I won't sit in judgment of him.
My mom died a slow, painful death with cancer. I've already faced hard stuff about my family."
"It's getting toward dinner time," Tark observed, changing the subject. "I'm in charge of it tonight and I have plenty of chicken marinating in the fridge to grill – enough to set an extra plate. I'd be pleased if you would join us. It'll be informal and it would allow you to get to know your nephew better."
"I don't want to impose..."
"If it were an imposition, I wouldn't have asked." Tark smiled. "Please stay. Tanner needs to get to know you better. We all do."
"Okay, you've convinced me." Lee smiled in return. "Tanner, you seem to have ended up in an awesome family!"
"Yeah, I love them very much," Tanner smiled.
In his mind, Tark was hoping Tanner's long lost uncle was as nice as he seemed and wasn't trying to worm his way into the family to gain access to the settlement money Tanner might get from the Sessions' estate. Tark was determined to do his best to protect Tanner's interests, but without making him paranoid in the process.
Author's notes: I heard from a lot of you since last posting. Thank! The list includes: Walt S, Rutabaga, Bill T, Ron M, Carroll, Trish, Bert H, JT and Mikeal (going strong after 10 years together!), Richey W, Jim C, Bob Z, Bill T, Douglas and Lawrence, Wayne, Bill K, John McD, Donald R, JJ, James H, Richard W, Paul F, Paul R, and Jim W.
I'll be on the road Wednesday and Thursday and may not have a chance to check me email. So, if you don't hear back quickly, please understand that I may not have the means to do it.
David