The Apartment

With all eight boys in the apartment, and Ray remembering the promise both Andy and Donny had elicited about not revealing its location, he wondered who might be knocking, and if it portended trouble. At least a couple of the others had the same reaction; Mikey motioned Peewee, Andy, and Ray to head back toward the bedrooms. Chay and Pauly meanwhile slipped into the kitchen, leaving Donny to answer the door.

"Hey, come on in!" his relieved voice rang out as he opened the door. "Guys, it's okay, it's Mr. Travers!"

"Yay!" Peewee sang out, running to the door to hug the man, who set down several bags and picked him up.

They all came trooping in, and Ray was introduced to Mr. Travers, with no explanation of who he was. Ray took stock of the man: curly hair cut short, conservative dress, middle aged, maybe 45 to 50, slightly overweight, a mustache, warm topcoat, and an expression that, while he seemed happy to be there, had a touch of disappointment in it.

"Jack got beat up last night, Mr. T," Danny said. "He's back asleep; I gave him a strong painkiller." He took note of the disappointment on the man's face, and said seemingly as a non sequitur, "Mikey and I just got back from picking up some groceries. Andy was going to head out this morning, but things came up. And Chay and Peewee were at the library earlier."

"Glad you boys are keeping busy," the man said. "Mikey, Andy, there's some more bags in the trunk; you know how to pop it, right?"

"Under the dash, right?" said Mikey. Mr. Travers nodded yes with a smile.

Mikey and Andy slipped out. "Coffee?" Donny asked Mr. T.

"A pleasure," he said in response.

"We need to go change; we never did after we got back from the library," Chay said to Peewee. Peewee grinned; Mr. T set him down, and they took off down the hall towards the laundry area.

"Ray, Mr. T and his wife go to the same church as Pauly attends, when he goes, and some of the rest of us have gone with him at least a couple of times. The good people of their church help out folks with limited incomes by providing groceries and stuff. Mr. T. has kind of made us his project; he stops by every so often with a load of food and things they've set aside for us." This raised some questions in Ray's mind, but he wasn't about to ask them in front of the man.

"Anyways, he stops by and visits for an hour or two, finding out how things are going with us. We're pretty much ourselves in front of him; that's how he wants it, no company manners." Donny was pouring Mr. Travers a coffee as he said this; the man accepted it with thanks and sat down at the kitchen table.

The reason for the explanation came clearer when Peewee came running back into the kitchen, without a stitch of clothing on, and jumped up into Mr. Travers' lap. The man grinned, clearly pleased but unsurprised, at having a naked preteen boy on his lap. He wrapped one arm around Peewee, being careful not to touch his private parts, and took a sip of coffee. Peewee began to regale him with what he'd seen at the library and on the trip to and from.

Chay walked back in, dressed only in the tight fleece shorts he'd been wearing that morning, and gave Mr. Travers a warm, open smile. Mikey and Andy were at the door, arms full of bags. Pauly let them in, and they set them down in the kitchen, along with the ones left in the entry when Mr. Travers had picked up Peewee a few minutes earlier.

Ray hovered, unsure what he should do. Andy slipped over to him, whispered, "Don't be upset," and took off for the back of the apartment. Chay set up an assembly line operation to put away the assortment of food that Mr. Travers had brought, with Donny handling the high shelves and Pauly the lower cabinets, while Mikey stocked the refrigerator. He himself unpacked bags, standing near Mr. Travers and alternately bending over bags on the floor and standing and turning to hand things to people. He gave Ray an armful of bathroom and laundry supplies to take back there, and Ray set off with them, pleased to be a part of things.

When he returned to the kitchen, Andy had joined the assembly line, wearing only the bikini briefs he favored. Mr. Travers was watching the proceedings with Peewee ensconced on his lap, apparently pleased with what the boys were doing. "Those turnovers, my missus baked especially for you boys," he said as Chay pulled out one box.

"Fresh turnovers? Awesome!" was Peewee's reaction.

"We'll have them for dessert tonight, then," Pauly said. "I'm cooking, and that fits terrific with what I planned to make. Thanks!"

Chay walked over, big open smile, and said, "You know my people's custom. Deliver this to her from me, on behalf of all of us." With that, he kissed Mr. T full on the lips.

"I will, and she'll appreciate it, Chay," Mr. Travers said.

After a bit more conversation that had the interesting effect of being outwardly all about what they boys were doing without getting into anything serious about their lives, Mr. Travers decided it was time to go. Peewee gave him a big hug and slid off his lap; he stood up. Donny walked over and gave him a hug, followed by Chay, Mikey, Pauly, and Andy. "He appreciates the hugs but he doesn't expect them," Pauly told Ray. "Don't feel obliged to; I didn't for quite a while."

"It's a pleasure to have met you, Ray," Mr. Travers said, holding out his hand. "I hope you find yourself happy and comfortable here." Ray took his hand and shook it, wondering if he ought to give him a hug. Things were so upside down here!

Donny and Pauly walked Mr. Travers to the door and saw him out. When the outside door slammed, Donny motioned Ray into the living room. The others followed, except Pauly, who said he'd start dinner.

"I told you nobody is to come here without us all voting to welcome him into the house," Donny said. "There are only a couple of exceptions to that; Mr. Travers is the only one who visits regularly. There's one doctor at the clinic who knows about us and keeps it under his hat, too. You're wondering about him, I'll bet just about anything."

"Uh, yeah!"

"What we told you while he was here is the truth, but not all of it," Donny went on. "He and his wife do go to a church that Pauly sometimes attends. And they are good-hearted people who try to help out those in need. But we've talked it through a few times, and what we've come up with is this." Donny paused for a breath. "We're pretty sure he likes boys."

"As in really likes boys," Chay said with a grin, flipping his hip sexily to make his point clear.

"But," Mikey picked up the thread of conversation, "his morals won't let him actually do anything with a boy. So he enjoys seeing us, spending time here, for the erotic thrill it gives him, as well as genuinely caring about us." He looked over at Peewee. "He had a boner, didn't he?"

"Sure did," Peewee giggled. "I could feel it up against my hip!"

"That's why we stripped down," Chay explained. "It's something we can do for him that's within the bounds of what he can accept, and gives him a thrill while it costs us nothing,"

"That's why I told you not to be upset," Andy said, sitting down next to Ray. "I'd wanted to strip down and show off for you, anyway, but we got busy. When Mr. T came, I figured it was time to do it, for him and for you." Ray blushed.

"You two got it worked out?" Chay asked, clearly happy at the prospect.

"Not completely," Donny interjected. "But they're admitting to each other that they're attracted to each other, and talking about it. Give 'em time; remember what it was like for Pauly."

"Yeah, you horndogs back off and give Ray time to adjust," Pauly said vehemently from the kitchen door, surprising everyone. "Being comfortable about being open as a gay teen is something that takes time, even with the kind of support we've got here. Trust me, I know!"

"Good point," Chay said. "Ray, you deal with things at your own pace, you and Andy. Just be aware that you are not going to upset any of us with anything you do. We've all been there."

"As long as you clean the cumstains off the rug afterwards!" Mikey piped up. That broke the tension; everyone burst into laughter.

---

 

Pauly set to work in the kitchen, calling Mikey in after a bit. Peewee put a CD of very rhythmic music with a deep-voiced male singer on a small CD player Ray hadn't noticed before, and began dancing and lip-synching to the music, clearly enjoying showing off for the older boys, who were laughing at the incongruity of the 11-year-old 'singing' some of the low notes the actual singer hit. Ray hated to admit it to himself, but he was finding the performance by the little naked preteen quite erotic. Andy sat down next to him and pulled Ray's arm around his waist. Ray tensed. "Too soon?" Andy asked. "I like being held."

"No, it's not that, it's... well, I'm touching your skin, and...."

"And it's making you a little horny?" Andy asked, gently and clearly trying to get insight into what was bothering Ray.

"Well... yeah! An' I know what you said, but...."

"But you want to keep being turned on for private? I can understand that, if you'll let yourself out when we're alone in our room, and not hide it from me too," Andy said. "But for now, well, I guess you could stop holding me, but I'd really like it if you did, as a gift to me. You see, I like being held, and that's something I should have outgrown when I was little, according to my father. He wanted to make a man out of me, you see." Ray looked at Andy's face, looking beyond the stranger inviting him home and the guy trying to make him his boyfriend for the first time, and saw the sadness in Andy's eyes.

He mustered up a little courage, smiled, and drew the brief-clad boy into a tight embrace, then relaxed it so they could watch Peewee's impromptu floor show.

As the third song came to an end, Chay motioned Peewee over. He whispered in the younger boy's ear; Peewee gave a delighted smile, and raced for the CD player, pulling out a different CD from a small pile alongside and changing it.

As some haunting sensuous pentatonic music began to play, Peewee moved back to the middle of the room and began to ... undulate, to move his slender body sinuously and very erotically to the music. His boner, which had been up and down during the previous performance, came to full stiffness again. Chay slowly stood up, slipped off his shorts, and began dancing alongside him in the same sinuous, erotic style, which it soon became evident he had taught Peewee. Chay's rather ample dick came slowly erect, incongruously large on the short, slender boy, scarcely taller than his five-years-younger protégé. Donny had been watching Peewee; now he watched with a pleased smile as the two naked boys danced to entertain their friends.

Ray watched as well, unable to believe his eyes that these two were ... well, showing off the way they were. It went against everything he'd been brought up to consider right – and yet, somehow it was very much right. And his rebellious crotch was letting him know that it too found the performance very much stimulating, and that bothered him – a lot.

Chay caught his unease as he finished the steps of the dance. He looked at Ray compassionately and said, "That dance was a traditional dance of my people, Ray. And while we don't push people to tell their stories, mine is no secret to anyone else here. And you should hear it too.

"Among my people, the eldest male's word is law. And my parents were very much followers of tradition. My uncle, my father's older brother, was the oldest male. And I was his special pet. I stayed at his home more than my own. And I learned, very young, how to give him pleasure – and to receive pleasure, in his bed. His wife did not like me very well, but what could she do? His word was law."

"That went on for several years, until I turned fourteen. He began grooming another nephew to replace me as his favorite. And my parents picked a girl from another colony of our people, in a city 500 miles away, to be my bride. They would arrange our betrothal; we were to remain chaste until we were 16, then marry. I would meet her only at our wedding."

"That would have been a month ago. I rebelled. One of their few concessions to American culture, when they came here, was to send me and my sisters to American public schools. You can imagine now I went over there, small, looking younger than my years, and with no idea how 'normal' kids interacted. My life at school would have been hell, and in fact was for the first month or so."

"But I lucked out. I met this tall skinny geeky kid with glasses, and he, who had bully issues of his own, stepped into a fight I was doomed to lose. Well, we lost it, but between us we gave an account of ourselves, and that made them back off. That was my first introduction to Donny. I couldn't thank him enough. All he'd say, though, was, 'I know how it feels.' And from that a friendship grew, unlikely as it sounds."

"Then I turned 14. My uncle didn't want me any more, my parents were planning my life. And suddenly Donny wasn't around any more. I fought. I argued with my parents. I kicked and screamed. But nothing would move them; I must follow the traditions of my people."

"Instead I ran. I lived on the streets for three months, never knowing where my next meal was coming from, and having to find a new place to sleep every few nights. You know the routine' we all do."

"Then Donny found me. And saved me again. And we haven't been separated ever since," Chay finished, his eyes hollow as he called up old memories.

"And he brought you here and you've been boyfriends ever since?" Ray asked.

"No," Chay said. "We've been friends, we've worked together as much as Donny will allow me to help. And we've taken care of each other's sexual needs many times. But not boyfriends." Chay looked ... philosophical as he stopped speaking, as if their not being boyfriends were a fundamental fact of the universe, something he might not like but was no more able to change than the wetness of water or the weight of a rock. His erection had vanished with the old memories; now he pulled his shorts back on and sat back down quietly.

Fortunately, anything that might have been spoken of at that point was banished by Pauly's call, "Dinner's ready!" The boys rushed to the kitchen, where the fruits of Pauly's labor awaited them. The entrée was barbecued chicken, oven cooked with a hot tangy sauce. A few pieces had been cooked without sauce – "Those are mostly for Mikey; barbecue sauce doesn't agree with him," Pauly explained. "I forgot to find out if you have a problem with it; if you do, split what's there with him, and I can throw a couple more pieces in for the two of you."

"No," Ray said, "I love barbecued chicken, the few times I've had it."

"Good," Mikey said. "Pounce!" And he scooped up all but one of the non-barbecue-sauce pieces of chicken.

"French fries in that tray over there," Pauly said. "Help yourself; there's more if we need 'em. Some potato salad from Mr. T's church in that container there.. And of course Mrs. T's turnovers for dessert. And Mikey tossed a salad for those who want it."

"That'd be me," Donny said with a grin.

"And me," Mikey added.

"Can I have some too?" Ray asked.

"Well, I don't know," Chay said with a sly smile on his face. "It's really only for people who live here to share. Didn't you agree last night you were going to live here?"

"Well, yeah, but ... oh!" Ray said, as what Chay was really telling him finally sunk in. He gave a sheepish grin.

"It's going to take some getting used to, huh?" Mikey said. "Don't worry; we've all been there." And he gave Ray a quick hug.

---

 

Mikey made up a plate and took it back to see if Jack was awake and hungry. After a few minutes, he was back, and spoke in a low voice to Donny, who got up and walked back to Jack's room with him. Shortly thereafter, Donny came back to the front of the apartment, dressed for outside. He motioned Chay to him, whispered to the small 16-year-old, then went out the door.

Chay looked serious as he spoke to the other four left around the kitchen. "Jack's in some pain, and seems to be running a fever. Mikey couldn't wake him. Donny's gone to talk to someone about medical help."

To be continued

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Editor's Notes: Wow, this is quite a good story. I hope everything will be all right with Jack. I like Mr. T. He seems to be a very nice person. I am glad he isn't hurting any of the boys. They all seem to really like him, possibly more like love him. I am most pleased with this story. I want more.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher