What If, Chapter 8
A proverb dating back to 16th Century England says that it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good. The one unexpected, but positive, thing that came out of the shooting was that Randy's brother, Warren, flew in from California to see him. He was at Josh's house talking to their mother when the men arrived from the hospital.
The minute Randy came in, Warren took his hand and begged forgiveness for his earlier rejection of him.
"I'm truly sorry," he said with a catch in his voice. "I've been mulling everything over, visiting websites about people's orientations, and talking to friends who have gay relatives. My outlook had been evolving already. Then knowing I could have lost you without telling you I love you, well, it was just too much! I found a bargain flight and hopped on a red-eye and here I am.
"Seeing how you live with your partner and sons, it's the very picture of a happy family – like a Norman Rockwell painting. Can you let me back into your life?"
"Of course. I'm not the one who rejected my brother."
"Yeah, I know," Warren cringed.
"And, am I worth only a cheap ticket?" Randy grinned, mischievously.
"Sorry about how that sounded. I'm doing okay financially, but I still watch my pennies. Yeah, I would have paid $1,000 for the round-trip if I had to. You're worth more than money."
As the brothers hugged, a few tears were shed by everyone except the toddlers who didn't understand what was going on. They did, however, like the idea of an uncle who was willing to get down on the floor and play with them.
While Josh would have treasured the next couple of days alone with his lover, he couldn't let himself be jealous. Warren's acceptance of their relationship meant the world to Randy, and his happiness was the most important consideration.
Josh did get to spoil Randy for two full days before he had to start attending workshops and meetings. And those duties didn't run for as many hours as a regular school day, so they had parts of some afternoons together in addition to their evenings.
Having Evelyn around to play nurse, as well tend the boys, made Josh feel that all would be okay in his absence. At this point, Randy didn't require much care. He was mobile, and could do for himself. He even helped feed the boys. He was gaining strength, and would be good as new before long.
Randy's libido increased as his body healed. In less than a week after being shot, he was ready to rut. Josh was concerned about how much activity he could undertake without suffering a setback. He was about to find out the level of Randy's strength when they went to bed that night. Randy acted as horny as a teenager.
"I'm warm flesh and blood, not a fragile piece of china," Randy grinned. "I want you to fuck me senseless!"
"As silly as you are tonight, it wouldn't take much to reach that level." Josh answered, with a smile.
"Okay, then slowly take me to Nirvana. I want to feel your hot cum deep inside. Please!"
"I guess I have to do what you ask since you said the magic word."
"You mean, `please'?"
"No, I was thinking more of `fuck'! You already had me at that point."
Josh's lovemaking was gentle, but erotic. By now, he knew which erogenous zones set Randy off. Licking the insides of his thighs was definitely one of them.
Randy moaned, and produced a flood of natural lube as Josh teased him. Josh lapped it up and shared some in a kiss, stimulating them both in the process.
Eventually, he carefully loosened Randy's chute with plenty of Astroglide gel to receive his throbbing phallus. He entered with a minimum of resistance, and gently eased in all the way to the hilt.
"This is exactly what I need! I love knowing I'm yours. Now breed me!"
Josh took his time, keeping both of them on edge as long as he could. Finally, he couldn't take any more stimulation without blowing his load. Since he'd gone without ejaculating for several days, he produced a gusher!
Shortly after his orgasm began, the throbbing against Randy's prostate gland set him off too. His jizz filled the space between their bodies and ran down his sides onto the sheet below. The bed would need changing in the morning. But tonight, they would enjoy its stickiness on their bodies, as a reminder of what they'd done.
As they lay basking in the afterglow of their coupling, Randy's mood turned serious.
"Um, you know all the talk about bucket lists these days? Well, given my recent brush with the Grim Reaper, I've thought about things I'd like to do on this side of the pale."
"So, what do you want in your pail before you go beyond the pale?" Josh joked.
"First, and foremost, I want you to officially become my husband. I want us to adopt each other's son so there would be no interruption in their lives if one of us did die, and I want the world to know we're a family."
"Those are wonderful goals; I want them too. How soon do you think we should do it?" Josh asked. "Should we wait until spring break when we will have known each other for a full year?"
"No, we have two major holidays coming – one in November and the other in December. That lady, Greta Johnson, said the wedding chapel looks great in those seasons too. I'd like to do it just after Christmas, but we might want to work around my brother's schedule now that he's accepted us."
"That would be fine with me. If I had a family member like that, I'd want him or her too."
"I don't suppose that will ever happen."
"You've seen my mother in action. What does that tell you? I'm sure she's poisoned my siblings. The only one I might have a relationship with someday is Teddy. He was always more resistant to her brain-washing than the girls.
"Would you like to have Warren be your best man?"
"I'm not sure how comfortable he'd be participating in a gay wedding. I was thinking we might ask a couple of teenagers, whom we both know and like."
"Paul and Owen! I'm sure they'd love it. I'll run the idea past Paul's mother before we make firm plans. She'd probably know how Owen's family would react. I'm not sure if he's out at home or not. I don't want to mess up his life if he isn't!"
"If you work on that, I'll start things moving by contacting Warren and Mrs. Johnson since I'm still off work. We need to know when the chapel is free, and how it will fit around Warren's holiday plans.
"Once we know those details, we can put together a guest list and decide on which meal we want to serve. I'll bet I can do most of it without leaving the recliner."
"You'd better not sit too much, or you won't get all your strength back," Josh advised.
"Yes sir, Dr. Blackwell, sir!" Randy snickered. "I'll follow your sage medical advice."
"Are you spoiling for a spanking, smarty!"
"Maybe, just be careful not to smack my left side where the bullet went in; it's still a little tender."
"How `bout I massage your sweet buns instead?"
"That should inspire me not to be a smart-ass."
"I'm not sure the cure is that simple, but I AM sure I don't want you to change."
During his lunch period on Monday, Josh called Cara Oglethorpe to get her take on the possibility of having Paul and Owen stand with them in their wedding.
"Ms. Oglethorpe, this is Paul's teacher, Josh Blackwell calling."
"Oh dear, is he in trouble on the first day of the term?"
"You know better than to ask that! He's a gem, and so is his friend, Owen.
"What I'm calling about is a delicate subject, and I hope you won't think me strange for asking, but are Owen's parents aware of how, um, close the boys are?"
"Yes, they know the boys are in love and allow them to hold hands and kiss around the rest of the family as we do. And like us, they ask them to refrain from heavy petting in public. That's reserved for the bedroom, same as it is for hetero couples."
"Wow! They sound like they're as open-minded as you are."
"Yes, and it's a godsend for the boys."
"Then it probably wouldn't cause an uproar if we asked Paul and Owen to be our attendants when we get married."
"The boys would be thrilled! I know Sara and Ed would be fine with it, just as Brad and I would. We're happy to have them involved in activities with other gay people doing ordinary things, like getting married or nurturing their kids. They need to know that the American dream isn't just for straight people."
"I'm pleased to hear you say that, not that I expected anything else after working with you concerning Danny.
"Could you let me know if either family is going to be gone over Thanksgiving or Christmas? We're looking at dates when the boys and I aren't in school, probably shortly after Christmas because it might be a better time for Randy's brother to travel here from California.
"If you could find out from Owen's parents what their holiday plans are, and figure out if this would work for both families, I'd appreciate it. Please ask them not to leak it to the boys before we get the chance to talk with them in person."
"I'll do as you wish, but I hope we don't have to keep the secret too long."
"Thanks Cara, we'll ask them as soon as we know it's fine with everyone."
"Thank you!"
Josh had asked Paul and Owen to come to his room for a few minutes after school on Wednesday. They couldn't stay too long because of marching band practice, but Josh had cleared it with their director in case it took longer than he'd anticipated and they were tardy.
When the boys arrived, they found that Randy and the toddlers were there too. Paul knelt on the floor with his arms extended like he'd done before, and Danny and Joey ran across the room to see him. They quickly warmed up to Owen, too, as he also got down on their level.
"Hey guys," Josh greeted them. "Randy and I have a favor to ask of you. Would you consider serving as our best men when we get married after Christmas? We've tentatively set the date for December 27th. If you'd rather not be involved in a gay wedding, please say so. We're not trying to pressure you into anything."
"You seriously want US?" Owen exclaimed!
"We do, if you're willing." Randy said.
"That would be awesome!" Paul replied. "I'd better text Mom to make sure she doesn't have something planned that I don't know about."
"That's not necessary," Josh grinned. "I've already checked with her and she checked with Owen's parents yesterday. Everyone seems to be onboard."
"Are you going to include these two little dudes in the wedding?" Paul asked.
"We've discussed it, but we don't know how they might react in front of an audience."
"If we're gonna be there, we could keep them corralled," Owen offered.
"Thanks," Randy said. "that would take the stress out of it for us. We'd love to have our sons involved. They might not understand anything about it now, but someday they could look at the photos and know how much of a family we've been from the beginning."
Randy returned to work as soon as he was cleared to do so, having made the major part of their wedding arrangements before he did. He was eager to be back in the harness, but Josh was somewhat worried about having him in the ER at night. The hospital had beefed up security, but in a facility that's open to people 24 hours a day, it's difficult to provide complete safety. Sick people can't stand in line to be screened by metal detectors like travelers in an airport.
One thing which made Josh feel a bit less apprehensive was that Dr. Kapur was certified to carry a concealed weapon, and wouldn't hesitate to use it to protect her colleagues. She had brought her gun to work the day after Randy was shot. Though the hospital didn't have a set policy, the administrators had balked at the idea of having armed medical personnel and had forbidden her to bring her Ruger to the ER again. However, at a meeting the following day, she had told them that they must either allow her to be armed or she would tender her two-week notice immediately. The board relented.
Life began to quiet down to normal. Randy kept his late-night shift in the ER, Josh's schedule continued apace, and their little ones adjusted nicely to having grandma around more. She usually came to Josh's house, keeping the boys in their normal environment and routine.
By midterm, Josh was pleased with the achievement of the majority of his students. There were a few slackers, but for the most part, the classes were going well. Paul and Owen worked harder than a lot of their peers. They were bent on impressing him with their diligence. Paul, especially, wanted to do his best since Josh had added him as an overload.
Unlike most previous terms, no one had dropped Physics II, so Josh had Paul as an extra for the whole term. Given his leadership in the class, he was an asset.
Thanksgiving was a low-key affair. The family gathering consisted of Josh, Randy, Evelyn, and the boys. The adults worked together on the meal preparation so that no one would get saddled with all the cooking. Evelyn had made the pies ahead. Though the men were capable of doing it, she realized they had to work right up to Wednesday, while she could do her baking around the boys' naps. The guys appreciated her thoughtfulness, and they loved having a four-day weekend without too many responsibilities or interruptions.
Before becoming a father, Randy had often worked on holidays so people with families could be home with them. He was now reaping the benefits of his generosity by having time off with his loved ones.
Dinner was the typical American fare with a small turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry relish, green-bean casserole, and other goodies. Josh opened a bottle of Riesling to complement their meal. The adults felt comfortably full, despite having stopped at times to help the boys eat. The little ones especially loved the mashed potatoes and gravy. Having consumed a lot of starch, they began to get drowsy soon after their tummies were full.
By mutual agreement, they put off dessert until later in the afternoon or evening.
About 3:30, the doorbell rang, and Josh wondered who could be calling on them. He assumed that if it were Paul and Owen, they would likely have texted ahead to make sure the men were free.
Josh was astonished to see his younger brother standing on the porch.
"Teddy!" he exclaimed. "It's great to see you! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
The brothers hugged tightly, tears falling.
"I'm so glad you're not angry with me," Teddy sniffed.
"Why would I be angry with you?"
"I figured you might be, because I haven't talked to you or called or anything. Your cell number and everything was changed, but that's no excuse."
"Teddy, it is a valid reason. I'm the one who cut off all communication because of how the family reacted to my marriage and divorce. I assumed that our mother had poisoned everyone against me."
"She tried," Teddy grinned, "but it didn't work with me. The girls were really upset when she told us you were living in sin with another man, but I don't see it as a sin. I think our father is even lightening up a little."
"So, come on in. Can you stay awhile, or will they send out the morals-police to hunt you down if you're gone too long?"
"Mom's in the psych ward again, so she has no idea where I am, and Dad doesn't care all that much about what I do. He's even stopped going to church. He blames those people for making Mom crazy. I'm away at school most of the time, so I don't have to deal with it."
"Come meet my future husband. Our boys and their grandma are down for naps, but I want you to meet them when they get up.
"Randy, this is Teddy, my little bro. Teddy, this is Randy."
The two shook hands.
"It's good to meet you, Teddy. Josh said you were the one person in his family he thought might be willing to connect with us. Thanks for coming to visit."
"Thanks for welcoming me. So, when are you guys planning to tie the knot?"
"Soon after Christmas," Josh said.
"Um, would it be okay if I attended your wedding? I promise to stay out of sight as much as possible."
"Is that because you don't want anyone to find out you were there?"
"No, I don't want to be a gate-crasher. I haven't been invited."
"The invitations are mostly addressed, but haven't been sent. Would you like one?"
"I would, if it's okay with you guys."
"Okay? I'd be thrilled!" Josh exclaimed. "We've already chosen our two best men, but could we ask you to sign as a witness? We're having Randy's brother do that."
"YES!"
The brothers hugged again; this time Randy joined in.
Teddy was still there when Evelyn and the little ones awoke. They adopted him right away. No one had to twist his arm when they asked him to stay for a supper of leftovers and join them in dessert. Later, he left with a formal invitation in his hand, and a smile on his face.
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas flew by, and soon Santa would arrive. Danny and Joey were old enough to get excited about the Christmas tree, especially the lights. They didn't understand about presents, but had a great time tearing off the wrapping paper.
It turned out to be like a small family reunion because Warren and his wife arrived on December 24th, and Teddy joined them for dinner on Christmas Day. Everyone got along well, like an extended family should.
The big news of the day was that Warren and Ava were expecting their first child which they'd just found out would be a boy. Needless to say, Grandma Evelyn was thrilled at the prospect of another grandchild.
Of course, the main event of the season was the wedding on December 27th. A fresh layer of snow had fallen late on Christmas Day, making the landscape around the wedding chapel look like an illustration in a fairy tale. The temperature remained cool enough to prevent the snow from melting off of the large fir trees and smaller evergreen bushes.
The wedding party arrived early to have a brief run-through with Pastor Liz to make sure everything would come off as planned. The toddlers were kept in play clothes until the last possible minute. Evelyn said she would deal with the changes right before the ceremony began. Ava wanted to help with them, too.
Paul and Owen looked mature enough in their navy-blue suits and rainbow ties to be grooms themselves. Their parents would order several pictures from the photographer later.
Finally, it was time to begin. To the strains of Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary, Paul and Owen came down the aisle holding the hands of Danny and Joey who walked between them. Those two little ones melted everyone's heart. Josh and Randy followed behind.
Pastor Liz gave the customary welcome and invocation. She said a few words about the meaning and importance of marriage, but, in consideration of the age of the youngest participants, didn't do a full homily.
The grooms repeated their vows, and exchanged rings. That was followed by the mixing of tan and white colored sand which represented them as individuals, now intermingled into one.
The congregation saw their grins, but didn't know the secret behind them. Days before, each had mixed his sand with some of his ejaculate in time for it to dry out again. Now, their "seed" was being intermixed as well.
Perhaps the high point in the ceremony for everyone was when the men picked up their sons and faced each other. Josh asked Danny if he wanted Papa to live with them forever. Danny held out his hands toward Randy and replied, "Papa!" which they took as a yes.
Randy asked a similar thing of Joey, who responded with "Da-Da!"
Then, each man made a vow to his husband's son that he would be the best parent he could be, and love him forever, sealing the promise with kisses on their little cheeks.
Pastor Liz pronounced them to be husbands, and now part of a family of four. There probably wasn't a dry eye in the chapel.
Since the guest list wasn't large, they had opted for one of the more expensive lunches. It was truly exquisite and served as good PR for the establishment. Greta and Jane would pick up several bookings as the result of guests sharing their experience on social media, later.
Danny and Joey sat on their fathers' laps for part of the meal, but allowed Paul and Owen to hold them as well. The grooms were pleased to be able to get enough peace to eat.
As the festivities wound down, the grooms were whisked away in a late model Mercedes. Their chauffeur took them for a short ride, only to shuttle them back to the nearby honeymoon cottage a few minutes later.
Since they had already consummated their union, they had decided to make their honeymoon special by adapting tantric methods they'd found on the web.
After a thorough shower, they worked through parts of the video, beginning with energy points of the body, the seven chakras, and reviewing how to harness that energy for total pleasure. Several times the narrator emphasized that the goal of tantric sex wasn't to achieve a quick orgasm, or to remain erect all the time, but to create maximum pleasure through the chakras.
The first chakra, near the anus, is believed to be the root of the body's entire energy system and therefore called, the root chakra. Above the penis is the sex chakra. Moving up the body, the next one, in the chest, is the solar plexus chakra, followed by the heart, throat, "third eye," and crown chakras.
Following instructions, they "cleared" them by holding their hands between two different ones, imitating the fit young men in the video. Some of this seemed strange, but they went with it. Touching the area between the perineum and the top of the penis proved to be especially stimulating. Whether there truly was a mystic flow of energy didn't matter if it felt erotic.
Next, they ritually cleansed their bodies while standing in the shower, using natural sponges and bowls of tepid water like the guys in the video. It was quite sensuous as the water flowed over their parts, especially their groins. Their cocks responded by becoming semi-erect.
After patting each other dry again, they lay on the bed to practice deep breathing to relax their bodies and rid them of the stresses of the day. They listened to the voice of the narrator coaching them through the exercises. At the end, they were reminded that the essence of the tantric experience is total body pleasure and the best way to achieve that is the use of one's hands exploring the penis which is the gateway to a man's pleasure.
However, before stimulating this obvious portal, they were advised to explore other, subtler erogenous zones, including the nipples, abdomen, and stomach, using light, feathery touches and a bit of oil. Employing those same techniques, they were encouraged to stimulate the insides of their thighs. The narrator said that would energize the entire groin area. This was something Randy could readily identify with.
Next came stimulating the area around the penis and scrotum, resisting the urge to touch either of them. Although they tried to relax as much as possible, their erections stood tall and proud.
When they were finally "allowed" to touch their ball sac and perineum, they were told to do so with a very light, teasing touch, eventually extending up the shaft of their dicks. The guy demonstrating in the video remained soft, but they couldn't. Perhaps someday, they might. Either way, this felt awesome!
For the anal stimulation, they went off script to do it to each other. They lay face down, and using the sides of their hands as best they could to spread the sensuous feeling all over. Then, they gently used anal penetration to energize the root chakra, as the ancients did.
As the video progressed to masturbation, the guys continued to practice on one another instead of themselves. It would be easier to hold back and remain on edge that way. Techniques ranged from traditional stroking to palming, to teasing with a twisting motion using the tips of the fingers. Both backed off when the other began to get close to orgasm, taking time to sample the copious amount of precum they were producing.
At that point, they did their own thing, taking turns making love to each other. Josh took the top position, and slowly brought them toward orgasm, but stopped just short of it. Then they traded places, and Randy became the active party. When it was nearly too late, they stopped and changed positions again.
This time, they could no longer hold back, and went over the edge together. There was enough cum to supply a sperm bank for a year!
In the afterglow, they drifted off to sleep for a few minutes. When Randy woke up, he could tell that Josh was deep in thought.
"Wha'chu thinkin'?"
"It just occurred to me that this honeymoon was NOTHING like my first one. This is heaven!"
"Same here."
"Now I realize that all the paths I've taken have led me to this awesome end! What if I would've missed one?"
"Yeah, but you didn't. Everything has worked together for us, but you're wrong about the end, it's only the beginning!"
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If you wish to view the video the guys used, I will send you instructions on how you might be able to find it. I used the search engine "Bing" to get there, and sometimes everything worked well, and other times I couldn't get to the same video. Either way, there is a lot of tantric material on the `net.
By your asking, I will assume that you are old enough to view this type of adult material.
I hope you've enjoyed this journey and will read other things I may post. In a week or so, I plan to submit a very short story, "Rowen's Reunion." If you're on my "alert" list, you'll be notified when it's up.
Thanks to the following who emailed since last posting: Zero M, Wayne, Max P, Joe W, Avid R, Douglas and Lawrence, Randy McM, John L, Charles G, Tony C, Steve C, John McD, Jack W, Ott H, Bill K, Don McV, Tony F, Dick W, Al B, Ryan H, JLF, Paul F, Mendy D, Daniel L, Jim W, Frank K, Jeremy R, Joe B, and Joe C.
Thanks to my editors, Tom and David for all their hard work on this story.
Thanks to Nifty for making this free site available. Several of you have said that you donate.
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Until next time,
David