Daddy Type - Chapter Ten

Chapter Nine – {08-2017 - 09-2017}

The guys wouldn't be back from summer vacation for three more weeks. Time seemed to be dragging, and the oppressive summer heat didn't help. It was eighty-three degrees at seven a.m., and I had to wear a suit and tie as I was spending the morning at a customer's site.

Yeah, that customer. James would show up for some reason; hell, he'd made it a point to show up either at the start, end, or sometimes for the entire meeting each time our team was on site. I wasn't sure what he hoped to gain; we'd been separated for over three years and divorced for nearly two. I tried not to let it concern me too much anymore.

When I stepped off the train at the Crystal City stop, it felt like I was stepping into a sauna. I hustled across Crystal Drive and into the Underground. Once there, I grabbed breakfast and ate as I navigated the tunnels to the client's building, meeting the team in the lobby.

The meeting was scheduled for four hours as we were working through the design document in detail. Like I figured, James was there for the kickoff. I was cordial as always, but unwilling to go any further than business.

After the first hour and a half, we took a ten-minute break to get fresh coffee, run to the bathroom, and stretch our legs. I looked at my phone and saw four missed calls and lots of text messages. I pulled up my texts and read them.

`Codys Dad beat the shit out of him and hes fd up'

`Codys in hospital Im headin over'

`COULTER!!!'

I switched to voicemail and listened to the messages. They were a repeat of the text, just with Luke sobbing as he tried to tell me what little he knew.

"Gio!"

"Yeah?"

I waved him over.

"I've got an emergency, and I need to run. I'll call Lucinda and let her know when I'll be back."

"Everything ok?"

"No. Fuck. One of my kids, damn, his father beat the shit out of him and put him in the hospital."

"Shit, but..."

"I'll explain later; I gotta go..."

As I ran out of the conference area, James was coming back.

"You okay?" he asked.

"No. I gotta go, family emergency."

"But you don't."

I cut him off as I moved around him, "Later." I bolted out the door.

Being in Crystal City after rush hour, I quickly realized that it wouldn't be easy to get back to my truck. A forty-minute Lyft to the train station, four hours to Virginia Beach. Screw it. I pulled out my tablet and began looking at our company's travel site. Within minutes, I had a flight booked from National Airport to Norfolk. I ran to the METRO station and made the one station hop to the airport.

I got checked in quickly, cleared TSA – thank God for PreCheck – and headed to the gate. The flight was a short time off, so I pulled out my phone.

"Coulter!" Luke's voice sounded insane.

"I'll be landing in Norfolk at noon. Can you pick me up? Or should I take Lyft?"

"I can get. You're what? Oh, God! Thank you!"

"I'm on the next American flight down. How's Cody doing?"

"He's a fuckin' mess, from what I can find out."

"What about his dad?"

"I think he's in jail. The fucking shitheaded bastard!"

"His mom?"

"She's with the police right now."

"Who's with you?"

"Nobody," he said, starting to sob. "I called my folks; they're on their way."

"Good."

"Tell you what. I'll take Lyft; you stay at the hospital."

"Ok..."

"Text me the info, so I go to the right place."

"Sure."

"Luke, he's going to be okay."

I stayed on the phone, constantly assuring him that things would be okay - in other words, lying out my ass since I hadn't seen Cody myself. I kept this up till his folks arrived.

It wasn't long till my flight boarded, and it was a short hop down to Norfolk. As I came out of the security area, I heard someone yell, "Coulter!"

"I thought I told you to stay at the hospital."

"Mom and Dad are there. Plus, we really haven't been able to do much."

We got in Luke's car, and he headed us off the airport grounds. As soon as he hit the interstate, his speed went way up.

"Luke, no tickets."

He pulled his foot back a bit, so we were about ten or so over the speed limit.

"Any word?"

"It's been hard since we aren't family, and the police are involved."

"What all do you know? How'd you find out?"

"Evidently, one of the neighbors heard screaming coming from the house this morning. After enough noise, they called the cops. I guess all hell broke loose... cops, ambulance, all that. One of my buddies who lives down the street texted me about the commotion, and when I got over there, the police told me that Cody'd been taken to the hospital."

We got to the hospital, and I followed Luke into the ER waiting room. His folks were sitting there with a police officer.

"Coulter, I was surprised when Luke said you were coming," Sarah said.

"Luke called, told me what happened, and I caught the next flight. Any update?" I didn't want them to focus on why I was there, just that I was there, and the concern was Cody.

"They say he'll recover, but we haven't gotten many details," Nate explained. "It's good of you to come down."

"They may have started out as tenants, but now I think of them as my boys."

Both of Luke's parents smiled at that.

"What about his parents?"

"His father is in custody, and we're still questioning the mother to try to determine her involvement in the event," the officer said.

We were standing there talking when a nurse came through the doors. "Officer, the patient keeps asking for Luke and Coulter," he said.

"I'm Luke!"

"Coulter, here."

"Gentlemen, follow me."

"How's he doing?" I asked.

"He's conscious, in a lot of pain, and going to take time to heal, but he's stable now. We're going to be moving him to a room soon, but he just keeps asking for you two."

I fought hard to control my emotions as we walked into the little curtained-off area of the ER. Cody had all the standard monitors on him, and the noise was, as always, scary. I'd been through enough with my mom to know how to read the key numbers – his heart rate and blood pressure were a little high; everything else was green. The worst part was how bruised he was, indicating that he'd been bleeding profusely in his face and upper body.

Luke sobbed next to me, and I put my arm around him.

"Hey Cody," I said quietly.

His eyes popped open. "Coulter..." he got out slowly.

"We have him on some strong pain medication," the nurse warned. "The doctor will be here in a moment."

He left. Luke and I got closer to the bed, and I looked for a place I could touch Cody, avoiding bandages and signs of burning.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Feel like shit." It was clear that it was a struggle for him to get that out.

"They say you'll be fine soon."

He grimaced at that. I knew it wouldn't be a speedy road to recovery.

Before I could get more details, a young woman walked around the separator curtain.

"Dr. Kellam," she said, extending her hand.

"Coulter, and this is Luke."

"Can you tell us what's going on?" Luke asked.

"When he arrived, he was bleeding from multiple points on his face and upper body; he has a broken cheekbone; significant bruising on his chest; first- and second-degree burns across his chest, hands, and arms. There are bruises forming on most of his body. We've got him stabilized, and he'll be going to a room shortly. The pain meds are keeping him comfortable, but fuzzy."

"What about the cheekbone?" I asked.

"A surgeon will reset it, probably tomorrow, and he should be healed in about eight weeks."

"How long do you think until he can go home?" Luke asked.

The doctor looked at us strangely. I'm sure she was concerned at the thought of Cody really going home.

"I'll rephrase that," I offered. "How long before he can be released?"

"Oh. I'd think he should be good the day after tomorrow, or the day after that at the latest. I'll leave you alone," she said, retreating out of the stall.

"Luke..." Cody got out with a bad grimace. His face was swollen, so I assumed it hurt to talk.

"Right here, buddy."

I nudged Luke and pointed to the other side of the gurney. He walked around, and we both got reasonably close to his face. He seemed to settle down, knowing that we were there.

"What's this?" I asked Luke, indicating the facial hair on Cody's face. "And what's with you?"

"We wanted to surprise you," Luke said, rubbing his goatee.

I looked at Luke's deep-black facial hair and was a bit jealous of how full it looked. Cody's blond goatee was a bit scragglier but was filling in.

"They look great," I said quietly.

"Thanks," Cody said softly.

We stood there, quietly and awkwardly, for about a half-hour when the nurse and an orderly arrived. Cody seemed to stay calm if he knew we were beside the bed.

"Time to move you to your room," the nurse said. "Why don't you two gentlemen go out to the waiting area for a bit? Then you can head up to the room."

I could tell Luke didn't want to leave, but he came around. I put my arm around his shoulder, and we walked out to the waiting area and found his parents. I was giving a rundown of Cody's condition when my stomach growled. "We have a few minutes. Why don't we grab a quick bite in the cafeteria?"

The four of us walked down, and I ordered a sandwich.

"Honey, you must eat something," I heard Luke's mom urging him.

"I'm not hungry."

She gave him an exasperated look and turned back to ordering her food.

I walked over to Luke and said very quietly, "You're gonna need your strength, and almost as importantly, you need to keep the peace."

"Ok."

The four of us sat and ate without much discussion. Luke sat across from me with a look that switched from pissed to terrified. I kept smiling at him, trying to clue him in on the looks he was getting from his folks.

"It's gonna be okay," his dad said to him.

Luke didn't really respond, so I nudged him under the table. "I know, it's just..." His shoulders slumped, and his eyes started to tear up.

His mom gave his dad an interesting look, then turned to look at Luke. "Luke, I'm gonna throw this out." She paused for a moment. "We know... We know about you. We know your feelings towards him. We know this must hurt."

I thought Luke's head would start spinning around like a horror movie as he whipped it around, looking at his folks.

"You kn... kn... know?"

"Yes, honey. We knew when you were in high school. We've talked about it and waited for you to let us know. We know you care deeply for Cody. Do you love him?"

Luke sat there mutely.

"Son, it really is ok," Nate said.

I let my leg rest against his under the table. It was the best I could do sitting across from him.

"Thanks," he said very quietly, his eyes diverting from looking at them.

"I assume you are gay as well," Nate said, looking at me.

"Yes, Sir. I figured myself out in my teens and came out to my mom after my dad died, so seventeen-ish. I was in a long-term relationship and didn't lie to you when I said the house was part of the changes to my life after my divorce. The part I left out was that I divorced my husband."

"And you knew about Luke and Cody?" Sarah asked.

"I've known they were gay since I met each of them, figured out that they care deeply for each other, and know that they are still figuring the relationship thing out." Well, that might be a stretch, but it wasn't an out-and-out lie.

"We don't know much about gay... being gay, but we do know that in the last eight months, Luke has been happier than he's been in years. Obviously, living with Cody has been a big part of that. I'm sure you've had an influence too. Showing up here within hours shows you care about them." Nate stated.

"I guess you could say I'm a mentor, a bit of the father figure. I help and advise them. Both Luke and Cody are great guys."

"I wish Cody's parents had been more understanding," Sarah said.

"We're all assuming that's what led to this. Could have been something else, but you're probably spot on. Well, time to head upstairs," I said trying to curtail the discussion. I didn't want them to get too deep into the relationships.

We bused the table, found the elevator, and then found the room.

Luke walked over to the bed, looked down at Cody, whose eyes were closed, bent over, and gently kissed his forehead.

Cody's eyes opened slowly, and his face broke into a small smile as he saw Luke and I standing there.

"How are you doing?" Sarah asked.

With the realization that Luke's parents were in the room, his expression turned to horror.

"They know you and I are gay," Luke said softly. "Hell, they even know we love each other."

Cody's eyes got huge.

"You know?" he said quietly. His voice was still rough, but not as bad as before.

"We've known for years," Nate explained. "We were waiting for Luke to say something to us."

"Dad figured out," Cody said slowly and deliberately. "Found journal, open, blew up. Had when attacked me."

"Damn..." Luke swore softly.

"Was your mom involved?" I asked.

"Don't know. Yanked out of chair. Floor. Kicking... stomping... screaming..." Cody started to shake, and Luke took hold of a few of his unburnt fingers, carefully. "Stove."

"That explains the burns," Luke said.

"Don't remember... pain."

"Evidently, a neighbor heard the screams and called 911," I explained.

"Surgery tomorrow?" Cody's voice seemed confused.

"You have a cracked cheekbone that will need to be repaired."

"Look like shit."

"The most important thing is that you'll look like yourself soon," Sarah said.

It was clear that Cody's drug-addled brain was slowly clearing as his responses went from words pieced together to short sentences as we sat there. Luke pulled a chair right next to the bed and kept one hand resting lightly against Cody to reassure him.

We'd been there for a while when a police officer walked into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt folks, but I wanted to get a statement."

"Don't remember much," Cody admitted.

Cody's response showed more clarity than I'd expected.

"I just need to hear your side of the story, son."

Cody went on to explain what had happened from the moment his dad stormed in with the journal. It was slow and obviously painful for him to get it out, both emotionally and physically.

"Do you know what the trigger was?"

I watched Luke's hand press against Cody a bit more.

"Figured out I'm gay."

"I see. Damn shame. I mean his reaction, not that you're gay."

"Mom involved?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. She's still at the station; has been questioned, but we don't have anything to hold her on."

"Thanks for saving me."

"Part of the job. No one should be beaten over anything."

Cody grinned as much as he could. The officer continued his questioning, and the rest of us sat there quietly.

Once the officer left, we all took seats, keeping Cody company quietly. After a short time, I pulled out my tablet and got online. First, I sent a message to my boss and my team, letting them know I hoped to be back in three or four days after I resolved a personal emergency. Then I started pulling up hotels.com.

"Whatcha doing?" Luke asked.

"I need to find a room for the next few nights till Cody's released."

"Mom?"

"Coulter just stay with us. We'll figure something out. One of us should go home soon," she said to Nate.

"Coulter and I can stay," Luke offered.

"We'll see you both after visiting hours. I'll move John in with Matthew and Mark; that way Coulter can sleep in your room."

"Thanks!"

After his folks left, the three of us talked a bit more, but it was clear that Cody was too tired and too drugged to keep a good conversation going. We stayed with him through his dinner, taking turns going to the cafeteria to get our food. Eventually, the nurse told us that visiting hours were over and we needed to go.

"Ma'am," Luke addressed the nurse. "Can his mom or dad get in here?"

"It's past visiting hours, so there should be no visitors. Is there a concern?"

"His dad should still be in jail," I explained. "We don't know what's going on with his mom."

"I'll let the nurses know at the station by the elevator to watch for folks. Trust me, we'll keep him safe!"

"Thanks!"

As we walked out, I realized I didn't have anything.

"Can we swing by a Target or Walmart or something?"

"Huh?"

"I don't have anything with me except the suit I'm wearing and my work stuff. It's after nine, so the malls are closed."

"Oh."

We got to Target about nine-thirty, and I bought clothes and some toiletries. We got back to the house about ten-thirty and found Luke's parents were waiting for us in the kitchen. Seeing the bags in my hands, I guess they both figured out why we were later than they would have expected.

"How about Luke shows me to the room, and then the three of you can talk?"

"Nothing to talk about," Nate said. "He's our son; we've known he's gay for a few years; nothing's changed."

"We love him, we trust him, and we want what's best for him," Sarah added.

They both stood, walked over to Luke, and gave him a big hug.

"Why don't you two get ready for bed? It's been a long day, and you're both going to have another one with Cody having surgery tomorrow."

Luke led me to his room, and I felt awkward.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sensing my emotions.

"I'm in your bedroom, the one you grew up in. It's a bit weird."

"Well, yeah. But we're not gonna do anything. Hell, it's twin beds, so we're not even sleeping together."

"True."

We each did the needful, gave each other a big kiss, then climbed into bed, turned out the lights, and I started to settle in.

"Coulter?"

"Yes?"

"I love you!"

"I love you, too, Luke."

"I'm not scared anymore."

"You were scared?"

"Yeah, but after you showed up, I knew everything would work out."

"Good."

"Night!"

"Sweet dreams," I said to him.

-----

We left Luke's house well fed and drove over to the hospital. Cody's surgery was early in the afternoon, so we would have some time to spend with him prior. We got to the room and found it empty. A nurse saw us looking at the room.

"Can I help you?"

"We're looking for Cody Brownly. He was in this room when we left last night."

"Come with me."

We followed her to the nursing station.

"May I see some identification?"

Luke and I gave each other curious looks as we dug out our wallets. IDs presented; the nurse checked something on the computer.

"Sorry, gentlemen. We had an incident late last night. The patient's mother arrived and attempted to get to the room. She got violent, slipped by the nurse, and made it to the room; fortunately, security arrived quickly. The nurse kept her from doing anything to the patient."

"May we see him?"

"Certainly, we moved him to a new room, and it is no longer listed in the hospital directory."

She gave us the room number, which was both on a different floor and in a different wing.

"Thank you, ma'am."

We located the room, walked in, and found Cody sitting up, looking much more alert than he did the previous day.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Well, I've got two jailbird parents now. I'm sore and stiff. Things hurt, otherwise, I'm okay."

Luke was on one side of the bed and me on the other. He leaned in and kissed Cody gently. I followed suit.

"I'm scared," Cody said.

"Why?" Luke got out before me.

"My dad beat the shit out of me. My mom tried to do more damage `cause it's all my fault he's in jail. So, what am I going to do? How do I get my stuff? Hell, how am I gonna pay for college? What am..."

I put my hand up to halt his questions without interrupting him.

"You're not going to worry about any of that. Sure, there will be hurdles to come–you'll probably be required to testify at trial, and yes, you might not be able to get the stuff at their house back. The rest, WE are going to handle."

Cody looked at me with eyes that spoke volumes - the fear, the concern, and a bit of gratitude all mixed. I was ad-libbing at this point, but I knew in my heart that he had to hear that Luke and I were there for him and would make sure it all worked out.

"My dad's paying for college," Cody said.

"I'm guessing this semester is paid for, and the university won't give him his money back."

"But I have three more semesters."

"Cody, I already pledged to support you in your senior year. This just speeds that up. You're gonna be able to finish college, I promise you." His eyes were so intense, pleading. He really did need to know how. I put my hand on his arm. "You know I love you, don't you?"

He nodded his head vigorously.

"I'll make sure you get through this. I can cosign loans so you can graduate. As for student debt, if you and Luke really want to stay with me; then you won't have rent, mortgage, or anything else to worry about. Got it?"

Cody's mouth opened, but Luke cut in quickly.

"No buts. No worries." Luke gently picked up Cody's hand and moved it over his chest. I followed his cue, holding Luke's and the tips of Cody's fingers. "The three of us will get through this."

With that, we both bent over and kissed Cody's forehead.

"Thanks guys," he said with the first hint of tears in his eyes.

"For now, let's focus on what's next: your surgery."

"I've been trying to forget about that."

"It's going to be fine," Luke said.

We needed to fully distract Cody.

"I asked you yesterday, but what's with the facial hair?" I asked.

"We wanted to surprise you," he explained. "Now this is just a mess. Luke's came in so nice."

"Nice and full," I agreed. I reached over and rubbed Luke's hair. "Darker-haired guys tend to have better luck with growing hair."

"Yeah, look at his furry butt!" Cody added.

"My dad likes my goatee," Luke said with a surprised tone.

"What about your mom?"

"She hates it."

"My dad hated it. Kept bitchin about it."

"Think that triggered him to look at your journal?" Luke asked.

"I thought about it all last night. Dad made enough comments this summer about me changing. I think he was mad that he couldn't control me like he used to and that I was becoming more independent. It all started when you visited."

"I'm sure your goatee will fill in quickly," I said, trying to change the subject a bit.

We got started on an inane conversation about facial hair, hair color, and the like. This let Cody settle down until the nurse came in to prep him for surgery. They had him ready in under an hour. An orderly arrived to move him to the surgical wing. Luke and I sat in the room talking about anything but Cody. Luke's mom arrived about an hour after Cody went into surgery, and her presence turned the discussion further.

"Have you thought about how you're getting home?" Sarah asked.

"That hasn't really been on my mind. Rent a car, I guess. I'm more concerned about Cody."

"I wonder what he'll do."

"He's going back with me," I explained. "I already told him that his home is in Fairfax, that he's finishing college, and that paying for college wasn't something to worry about."

The look of shock on her face was priceless. She sat there quietly for a few moments, and then, in a quiet voice said, "Can you explain what you mean?"

"I think you understood me. I'm going to make sure Cody finishes college. I'll pay what's required; I'll co-sign loans; and I'll house him for free. He's going to graduate!"

She stared at me for a few more moments. But before she could say anything, I continued.

"I'd do the same for Luke."

Again, a few more moments of silence.

"You do care for them deeply."

"Yes, yes, I do." Luke's head was moving back and forth between us. I think he was concerned about how far I would go. "I met the boys through a mutual friend at Mason. Things went south last fall with Cody living in the dorm, and they turned to me for help."

"What happened?" she interrupted.

"His roommate got on his laptop, found his browser history - you know, gay sites - and started giving him shit," Luke explained.

"So, they came to me, and after a bit of discussion, I offered to let them live with me. I don't need the rent money, so we came up with a low price. I knew Nate's cancer had hit you two hard."

"I was surprised at how low the rent was, but with all the issues we'd been having, we didn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"I'll be honest, all the money has been going into a money market account. It's going to be a graduation present for each of them. I'm guessing Cody can use what there is for expenses now."

Luke's head spun fast toward me, and his mom's shocked look changed to stunned.

"That's very nice of you," she finally said.

"As far as I'm concerned, the boys can live with me for free. Like I said, I don't need the money; there's no need for you to pay rent for Luke."

"Coulter, that's very generous; but..."

"No buts, no argument. I'm just charging you the same rate as I'll be charging Cody. That way, you can focus on other things. You have three more sons to get through college."

"I'm not sure how Nate's going to take this."

"Does he need to know?"

"I don't like to hide things from him."

"Should I talk with him?"

"No. No. I will. I'm not sure how I will approach it."

"Mom, let me talk to Dad, or at least, let's do it together. I am an adult, and I want to help."

"Okay." She didn't seem confident, but at least she was willing.

We didn't get to go further as the nurse walked into the room.

"He's out of surgery and in phase one recovery."

"Can we see him?" Luke asked.

"Not till he's in phase two," she explained. "He's not awake."

"Oh," his voice showed the disappointment.

"It won't be more than an hour. I'd expect it to be a lot less."

The wait was mostly silent; neither Sarah nor I wanted to deal with Luke's stress.

The nurse popped her head in the room about thirty minutes later. "He's in phase two and awake. Give him about five or ten more minutes, and he should be mostly coherent." She looked at the pained look on Luke's face and said, "Never mind, follow me."

"I'll stay here," Sarah said.

Luke and I followed the nurse down to the post-op area and were soon standing next to Cody.

"I'd smile, but it hurts." Cody's speech was unsteady as he spoke.

"You look good," Luke said with a hitch in his voice.

"I don't feel it."

We stood there quietly for a while as Cody drifted in and out of it. It took about an hour before they decided he could go back to his room. Understandably, Cody was quiet throughout the afternoon as he came out of the anesthesia.

The three of us sat and let him recover without too much discussion. He ate a light dinner and started yawning.

"We should be going," I said. "We'll be here when visiting hours start tomorrow."

Luke and I rode back to the house.

"You scared me," Luke said as he got us on the road.

"I saw an opportunity, took a risk, and it worked. I don't want to jeopardize your relationship with your parents. You need to trust me on that."

"After what you did today, I do. I need to talk with my folks when we get home."

"Want me involved?"

"No. I'm an adult, and I can do it."

"Are you going to tell them about us?"

"I... I don't... I don't know. They've done so well with my being gay. They've accepted me and the idea that I'm in love with Cody. I don't know if they will accept the concept of us."

"Understood. I think your mom got some clues, and she's not stupid; but I don't think she figured it out completely. Yet."

We got back to the house, and I went directly upstairs. I got ready for bed and pulled out my tablet. I'd been responding to as many emails as I could throughout the day, and I wanted to get through as many of what remained as I could before Luke came in. In fact, I got through them all and started to wonder how the conversation was going. It was nearly two hours later when the door opened and Luke walked in. He was quiet for a few moments, and I wanted to know. I asked, "Well?"

"I don't know where to start."

"Good? Bad? Horrible? Wonderful?"

"Good... Not always comfortable. They knew I'm gay. They knew I'm in love with Cody. We talked about that for quite a while. Then Mom asked about you," he said, pausing.

"And????"

"I stuck to the story; you know, the truth, but just using the parts you told her. We met through Rob; Cody needed help, and you care a lot about us and are helping us. You know, a mentor, then Mom told Dad about your offer."

"How'd he take it?"

"I'm not sure he's comfortable about it. But you could see in their faces the relief. I'll be able to finish, and they might be able to save money. I think between dad's medical bills and John starting college next year, things are getting a bit scary. Dad does want to talk to you."

"Now?"

"No. I think he's planning to talk to you at breakfast tomorrow."

"Great."

"It won't be bad, I promise. So, what's the game plan for Cody?"

"The doctor said he expects to release him tomorrow. I figure I'll rent a car, and he and I can head north if he's up for it. If not, I don't know. Get a hotel room and then go north the next day?"

"Dude!"

"What?"

"I have a car. He's my lover too."

"But you're home for the summer."

"I'm heading back with y'all. Less than three weeks till school starts."

"Huh?"

"I'll call and quit my job. I already told my folks that I'd drive us up. I'll pack up my stuff and be ready. Mom said we should stay here tomorrow night to let Cody rest. How did she say it? Once he's released, they think he doesn't require hospital care; that doesn't mean he's completely well."

"Well, this is unexpected."

"What about Cody's stuff?"

"I don't think there's much we can do. I know his mom is out on bail. I wouldn't be surprised if his dad is released or will be out soon. They can stop him from getting into their house."

"Maybe my folks could call them?"

"You honestly think they'll respond? I mean, they both have records based on what they did."

"I would... I think... shit, you're right."

"He's got a lot of stuff at our place."

"Um, our place?"

"Well, what do you want to call it? If we're going to make this work, it has to be our place or our house, not Coulter's house. I want both of you to call it `home'."

"Home. Our house. Yeah!" He jumped up, tackled me on the bed, and kissed me deeply. "We love you, man!"

"I love you. I love Cody. I told my friends a long time ago that I wouldn't be able to choose. I'm glad I don't have to."

"You're so sleeping with me tonight," he said.

"Umm..."

"It'll be tight. I want you cuddled up next to me."

We stripped down and managed to snuggle up tight enough that neither of us was at risk of falling out of the twin bed.

-----

The next morning, Nate and Sarah were alone at the breakfast table when Luke and I came down.

"I'm a bit concerned about your offer," he started.

"I'm charging you the same rate that I'll be charging Cody."

"I know, but."

I put my hand up to stop him. "I told Sarah what I'm telling you. I don't need the money. Everything you've paid to date is in an account waiting for Luke to graduate. If you keep paying, all the money continues to go there."

"But..."

"Nate. Let me be open here. I have a small mortgage. I bought the house with my inheritance, my share of the condo my husband and I had, and profits from stock sales. I have little debt; I'm just paying off the rest of the renovations on the house."

"I just feel bad dumping Luke on you."

"That's just the point; you aren't dumping Luke on me. You're not dumping Cody on me. Remember the day before yesterday? You both were surprised when I showed. I told you then that they'd gone from being my tenants to being my boys. When we evacuated Cody from the dorm last December, I told his RA that I was local and standing in for his parents. I'm not trying to replace you; trust me."

"What about Cody's school? Sarah said..."

"I'm going to make sure he finishes college. We'll make it work."

"I still feel bad. You're helping him, you're helping us, and it's really going to help us," he paused. "But I want one promise: if you need anything, you ask!"

"Deal."

Luke and I spent the morning at the hospital waiting for Cody to be released. It was after lunch before the doctor finished the paperwork, and I pushed Cody down to the front door. Luke had his car waiting, and Cody slipped into the front seat.

We got back to the house relatively quickly, and sat in the kitchen having a soda. The doctor had reduced Cody's pain medications, and I could tell he was hurting. The good thing was he was thinking more clearly.

"What am I gonna do?"

"We're driving home tomorrow, getting you well in time for school, and going on with our lives," I replied.

"I can't go home. I can't go to school. I'm so fuckin' screwed."

"Dude!" Luke interrupted Cody's misery. "Home is our house in Fairfax! You, me, and Coulter, are the family that lives there. Coulter's told you, you're going to school. As far as stuff, you've got a lot at our home, and I'll help you replace what I can."

I couldn't really read Cody's face. Terror, pain, confusion - all that mixed with a dose of other emotions.

"I talked to Luke last night. If we are going to make this all work, we have to consider the house ours. It's not Coulter's place; you're not paying rent; Luke's not paying rent; it is our house. As far as school, no worries. Maybe we can get you grants or other aid; if not, then we'll get you loans."

"But..."

"No buts..." Luke stopped him.

"What if..."

Before he could get started, I stopped him by holding my hand up. "The questions that you should be asking are how we make this work or how much I love these guys. We can make this work, baby! Focus on the good stuff. Luke loves you. I love you. You love us, don't you?"

"Oh, God, yes!"

"You know this isn't going to be easy. Our relationship, our age differences, even in the gay community, not everyone is going to accept us. We're going to have to work hard to make this work out. Sometimes, I think I'm crazy. Then I think of not being with you both, and it hurts too much. I love you guys."

We sat and talked for a couple hours. Luke's brothers Matthew and Mark came in about four from their summer camp. I had been surprised when Luke told me they were in camp until he explained it was a STEM camp that would give them an edge in school and, of course, college admissions. John got home from his summer job shortly after them.

The three of them were dancing around how to talk to Cody. It made me realize that the damage his parents had done was going to have far longer-lasting impacts than I'd originally thought. As they all chatted, I let my mind start thinking: the awkward stares and questions from people until his face healed; the emotional damage they'd done to him; the emotional damage having to testify would do to him. I kept quiet and stewed; we'd tackle these one day at-a-time.

That night, officially, Luke slept on a cot with Cody and me on the beds. Luke and I shared one bed while Cody slept in the other.

The drive back to Fairfax the next day was a bit over four hours. Luke drove with Cody reclined in the passenger's seat, his head on a pillow against the door, and me behind Luke. I was a bit cramped, but I knew Cody needed the space. As we got closer to home, I gave Luke directions to the commuter rail station and picked up my truck. Luke followed me back to the house, arriving home around lunchtime. It was easy to see that Cody was exhausted from the ride.

We got him to the couch in the den, handed him the remote, and then went to unload Luke's stuff from the car. Once all the things were piled in his room, we went into the kitchen to figure out lunch. The combination of a single guy's fridge for the summer, spoilage from days absent, and not having shopped in over a week left the fridge bare. I ordered a couple pizzas and while waiting, Luke and I checked on Cody in the den. He was asleep on the couch.

"I'm worried," Luke said in a quiet tone as we walked back to the kitchen.

"Why?"

"He's so weak, so tired."

"His body is using all the energy it can to get well. He's going to need a lot of rest for the next few days."

We talked quietly about Cody's recovery until the doorbell rang. Pizzas in hand, I was surprised to find Cody in the kitchen when I returned from the front door. I was pleased that he ate several slices.

"I need to grocery shop or we're going to be doing a lot of delivery," I commented after lunch.

"Let's all go," Cody said.

I looked at him dubiously. "Sure you're up for it?"

"Yeah."

More than one customer stared at Cody's abused face as we walked into the store.

"So, since we're all here, you two need to say more about what you like and don't like."

"I've never had any complaints about your cooking," Luke said.

"Hell, you cook better than my mom," Cody admitted.

"Okay, but speak up if I'm ignoring your favorite foods."

We walked into the produce section, and I grabbed the things I liked. I picked a variety of fruits, vegetables, and prepared salad greens. I was about to push on when Cody spoke up, "Can we get some clementines?"

"Nope. No way. Never happening!" I said it with a mix of laughter and sarcasm.

Luke just about busted a gut laughing.

"Okay, okay," Cody said, and he walked off to get a bag.

"Got it?" I asked as he put the bag of fruit into the cart.

"Yes, Sir!"

As we walked through the store, both guys asked about putting things in the cart. Most of it required no preparation, just things they could grab and eat. I decided not to say anything, though I really wanted them to truly grab what they wanted. A few of the things they asked about would require a bit of research into how to prepare, but I was willing to try.

The cashier rang the cart as Luke and Cody bagged everything. It was probably one of the most expensive shopping trips I'd had since I set up the house.

"Damn!" Luke exclaimed. "That's a lot of money."

"Well, it's food for three; plus, the pantry and the fridge were both basically bare."

Back at the house, I got Cody to go back into the den and rest. Luke helped me put everything away and then grabbed a stool while I started preparing stuff for dinner.

"Have you thought about sleeping arrangements? I mean, he should probably sleep in his bed."

"I don't think he'll go for that. In fact, I think he's going to want us as close as possible." Luke's face showed a lot of concern. I continued. "I figure we put Cody in the middle. Grab some pillows from the other beds to keep us from bumping him. We'll surround him with love without hitting all the sore spots."

"But..."

I put my hand up to stop him. "Remember back in the early spring, you were going home, he wasn't, and you got jealous?"

Luke got a sheepish look on his face. "Yeah."

"So, after all he's gone through, we banish him to the other bedroom, and we sleep together. How's he going to feel?

"Oh..."

"Hell, if I have to, I'll sleep on the floor, just next to the bed. I need to make sure he knows I'm there for him. We need to make him feel safe, wanted, loved."

After dinner, I debated whether to head to the den or to the bedroom. I opted not to make the decision.

"How you feeling?" I asked Cody.

The look he gave me spoke volumes. "Tired."

"Do you want to watch TV or just go to the bedroom and crash?"

He yawned, and before he could say anything, Luke answered for him. "Bedtime."

"It's only seven thirty," Cody countered.

"So, what? We've had a lot of stress, and a lot going on. You're tired, I'm tired, Luke's tired... bedtime!"

We walked back, and everyone took time to get their nightly chores done.

"How are we going to do this?" Cody asked.

"You're in the middle," Luke said.

I grabbed some pillows and put them around him. I leaned over and kissed them goodnight. I was surprised that I fell asleep quickly. I woke up a little after ten and found Cody had moved the pillows and was curled up to Luke. I climbed out of bed, hit the bathroom, and returned. I left the pillows on my side in place; I didn't want to hurt him.

-----

The next morning, I woke to find Cody snuggled up to me and Luke spooning behind him – so much for sore spots.

I disengaged from Cody, turned the music system off so it wouldn't wake them, and tiptoed into the bathroom. I got myself ready for work and headed into the kitchen for breakfast. I was really surprised to find Cody sitting at the island, drinking a cup of coffee.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore, tired..."

"Makes sense. I've got to get into work today and catch up on a lot. But we'll have the entire weekend..."

His smile told me he understood my meaning.

"Anything you need done?" he asked.

"The house should be clean; there's a bit of laundry if you two have time. Pull out something we can grill tonight; we'll do that with corn on the grill, etc. That way, the kitchen doesn't heat up the house."

"Sure."

"You need anything?"

"Naw, I'm good."

I had my breakfast sandwich, lunch, and such packed in my little cooler, and got a mug of coffee ready.

"I love you," I said as I leaned over and kissed him.

"Love you too."

"Give a kiss to Luke for me," I said as I smooched him again.

"Will do."

I headed out, caught the train, and got into work. Once at work, I went over to my boss' office and knocked on the door frame.

"Come in," Lucinda said. "How are you?"

"I'm starting to recover. It's been a rough few days."

"Care to talk about it?"

"Well, like my email said, one of my tenants was beaten by his dad. I felt I had to help."

"Where's he now?"

"At home..." That got me an odd look. "I mean at my house, not with his folks."

"How's he doing?"

"Physically, he's starting to recover. Mentally, I think the worst is yet to come. But we'll work through it."

"You're pretty attached to your tenants."

"They're good boys. Being gay and dealing with the coming out thing, I've become a mentor to them, and I guess I've become a bit protective of them too."

"Well, I'm glad things have improved. Hopefully, things will all work out. Ready to get back to work?"

"Yes, ma'am. The team helped me out on a few things, and I'll work on some stuff this weekend to catch up on the rest. We shouldn't have any issue with this sprint."

"Great. Emergencies do happen, but customers don't seem to understand that when deadlines slip."

"Understood. We'll make it. I've got a great team!"

We finished up some general work chat, and I headed to my cubicle. During the day, folks stopped by to check on things. I kept it to the same line that I'd given to Lucinda.

I took a short walk at lunch to clear my head a bit, and then dug back into work.

When I got home that night, I was surprised to find no one in the house. I ducked into the bedroom, put on some shorts and a t-shirt, and went out back. I found Luke and Cody curled up in the hammock, with Cody obviously asleep.

"That's a Kodak moment," I said quietly to Luke.

A big smile spread across Luke's face. "He hasn't wanted to be alone all day."

"Makes sense. I'll go get dinner started."

"Cool."

I got the grill going before I went back inside. In the kitchen, I grabbed a big tray, pulled the steaks out of the sink where they were defrosting, and put them on. I grabbed the corn out of the fridge, happy to find that it'd been cleaned, buttered, and wrapped in foil. Finally, I grabbed an onion and a couple bell peppers; prepped them, added some oil, and threw them into the grill pan. I carried it all downstairs and put the tray on the table next to the grill.

I must have made enough noise to wake Cody, or possibly Luke had. Either way, the guys climbed out of the hammock and walked over.

"Can we help?" Cody asked.

"Y'all have most of the food prepped. Would one of you go into the house and grab plates, utensils, and beverages, and the other light all the torches?"

I cooked the steak, corn, and sides and had it plated quickly.

"This is so nice," Cody said.

"It is really nice to be able to sit back here," Luke agreed. "Quiet, private, and no bugs."

"The tiki torches do a good job," I explained.

"What's in them?" Luke asked.

"It's a mixture of citronella and cedar. I put them on the perimeter to deter bugs from coming in, and then the candles on the table get rid of the rest."

"No spray?" Cody asked.

"Most sprays kill good bugs and bad bugs. Plus, once the sun sets, the bats will come out and eat a lot of the bugs as well."

"Bats?"

"Yup, there are a lot of bats in the area. I installed a few bat houses in the trees to encourage them."

"Aren't they dangerous?"

"Not really; just don't try to handle them. They eat different bugs and may not eat mosquitoes. Regardless, they are nice to have around."

We sat there, ate, and talked. It was relaxing and what our little family needed after the past week.

I emailed Phil and Darryl, canceling our plans for Saturday night. Instead, the three of us hung around the house all day; we read, we talked, we listened to music. like Luke had said the evening before Cody didn't want to be alone. Most of the time he was curled up with one or both of us.

-----

Sunday, I took the guys to the mall. Cody needed a phone and clothing. I was going to add him to my plan. I knew Nate and Sarah were concerned about how much I was supporting both my guys, so I decided not to stir that pot by having Luke added to the plan, yet.

At the store, I noticed Cody was looking at the low-end phones.

"How about an iPhone, or one of the new Samsungs?" I suggested.

"Naw. This one'll work."

"And I could drive a Yugo."

"A what?" Luke laughed.

"That's my point. I've never heard of some of these phones. The Yugo was a small car made in the eighties by a company in Yugoslavia, and you've never heard of it. Get an iPhone or a good LG or Samsung, not a piece of cheap junk. Don't think of it as a one- or two-year thing, but as an investment that lasts."

In the end, Cody got an iPhone, I switched to a family share plan with a good bit of data. I made sure he took the time to set it up right, too.

"Where do you want to start looking for clothing?" I asked.

"Walmart or Target is fine," Cody said.

"Ain't happening," Luke said. "I've got a credit card."

"Let me change that a bit. Both Luke and I have the funds to help you. If you want something from Walmart or Target, that's fine. But we aren't shopping there simply because you don't want to cost us money. You need a great wardrobe for school, activities, and more."

Cody had an odd look in his eyes. I was trying to figure out whether he was mad or about to cry.

"Okay, I get it," he finally said.

"Lead on," I said.

We ended up being able to fill in some of the gaps in Cody's wardrobe.

-----

I went to work on Monday, and the boys spent the day at the house. Luke told me he'd clean and make sure that Cody got some rest. I came home to find Luke in a bit of a snit and Cody outside in the hammock, sleeping.

"What's got you all worked up?"

"All day, it was `how am I gonna do this' or `what's gonna happen about that?' He's just one big worry-wort and it got on my nerves. I started trying to avoid him," he said.

The look on Luke's face told me it wasn't easy on him.

"He's gone through a lot, and we're going to have to be patient with him. It's not only the physical damage his parents did; it's the emotional trauma that they caused."

"I know... I know. It's just that he doesn't seem to trust us..."

"Understandable. His parents, the two people he should be able to trust most in the world, just destroyed that. We'll have to give him time."

Luke nodded, and I decided to change topics. "What do you want for dinner?"

"How about spaghetti and meatballs?"

"Well, pull out the container of sauce, and I'll get the water started for the pasta. I've got some meatloaf mix in the fridge, so we can get some meatballs ready quickly."

Luke helped me get dinner ready. When things were almost ready, I walked out back to get Cody.

"Wake up, Sleepyhead."

"I'm awake. I was just laying here with my eyes closed."

"You okay?"

"Yes. No. Yes. Fuck it. No. I pissed Luke off, I know. It's just..."

I held up my hand to pause him.

"You're going through a lot. Luke and I will have to make a lot of allowances for that, but it's not easy, and you're going to have to have some patience with us too."

"I know. I'm trying."

"Come on, dinner's ready."

We all sat at the table, and the silence was deafening. I decided to start a conversation and see what I could do.

"Two weeks till school. Do either of you need anything?"

"Huh?" Cody grunted.

"Supplies? Books? Sex toys?"

"What?" Luke roared.

Cody burst into laughter.

"That's better," I said. "But seriously, do you have your books? Do you need supplies?"

"We can go over to campus and get books tomorrow," Luke said.

"Oh, shit. My laptop," Cody said with a grimace.

"Easily replaceable," I said.

"I don't have money."

"Yes, you do. First, you have the rent paid for January through May. Plus, you have the family account."

"Huh?"

"I told Luke and his mom last week that I deposited all the money your folks paid in rent into a savings account. It's all there for you to use. Plus, you have our family account to draw from as needed."

"Oh," he said quietly. I was a bit concerned about the look on this face.

"You okay with HP laptops?" I asked.

"Uh, sure."

"We get a discount on them through work. After dinner, I'll pull up the site, and we can figure out what you want."

Cody didn't really respond.

"So, books, supplies, one laptop, no sex toys?"

"We don't need sex toys," Luke said.

"That's for sure; we have you!" Cody said.

"Now I'm a toy?"

"The best kind," Luke replied. "Fun to play with!"

That got Cody laughing. We teased each other through dinner about sex toys and other fun things.

After cleaning up the dinner stuff, I figured it was time to deal with the laptop.

"Let me pull up the site, and you can see what you like."

I got logged into the site and started showing him laptops. Cody kept looking at the price. I kept looking at how much the device weighed, how powerful it was, etc.

"That one looks really nice," I said.

"It's fuckin' expensive."

"It's light, it's powerful, and it's got everything you need for school and more. Think of it as an investment piece you'll use beyond graduation."

Luke leaned over and whispered something into Cody's ear.

"That one will work," Cody admitted.

I pulled up the customize section, added some RAM, got a leather case for it, and such.

"What about Office?" Luke asked.

"One of two options: I have a small site license for all my machines, so I could add it to that if I have one free. Or the Student discount is an option."

We got the machine ordered. I checked and found I did have a free license.

"There, all set. It should be here on Friday. How about some TV before bed?"

"I'd rather go outside. Let's get some tunes going!" Luke said.

I turned on the sound system, selected the outdoor speakers, and then we went outside.

"Fire?" I asked.

"It's hot enough without it," Luke said.

"Damn right," Cody concurred.

"Comfy," Luke said after he sat down.

"Thank Rob!"

"Huh?"

"He suggested I get furniture that fits the period of the house. He mentioned Henry Bertoia, and I found these contour chaises that fit the look but didn't cost twenty-five hundred each.

We sat out, enjoying the music, the quiet evening, and periodic conversation. It was peaceful bliss.

"Guys, it's nine, and I have to go to work in the morning," I said after we'd sat out there quite a while. "I'm going to get cleaned up a bit and head to bed."

"Bedtime it is," Cody said.

Inside, I turned off the music, and we all went to do our bedtime prep. Cody was still in the bathroom, and I whispered to Luke, "What did you say about the laptop?"

"Told him you weren't going to relent on this one, so just agree."

"Thanks."

He just smiled at me.

"You sure you're okay with being in the middle?" I asked Cody once he joined us in the bedroom.

"Yeah, the pain killer keeps things from really bothering me. You two don't bump into me much, I guess."

"Considering how we usually tear up the bed, that surprises me," I admitted.

"Maybe you both sleep knowing you can't toss and turn."

"Always possible," I admitted.

We climbed into bed. I kissed Cody and then leaned across him to kiss Luke. They then kissed, and we all said goodnight.

I woke up about four thirty and realized the bed was emptier than it should be. I got up to go to the bathroom and then stepped out into the hallway. I looked and saw light coming from the den. I walked down and peaked in to find Luke propped up watching TV.

"What's up?"

"I woke up," he started. "I realized I was tossing and turning so I came in here to watch a little TV until I got sleepy again."

"Well, since you don't have anything tomorrow, I won't worry about you. I'm going back to bed. Night."

"Night!"

I got back to the bedroom and realized that the form on the other side of the bed was too long to have been Luke. I climbed under the sheet and got back to sleep quickly.

I woke a few minutes ahead of normal time, grabbed my phone, and turned off the alarm. I rolled over and realized that now I was alone. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a mug of coffee.

I walked to the den and looked in. I was amused at what I saw. Luke and Cody, asleep on the sectional in front of the TV. Luke was tucked into the corner of the sectional with Cody's head in his lap.

I went back to the bedroom, showered, dressed, and then grabbed food. I checked and found them both still asleep, so I headed out for work.

It was an unassuming Tuesday at the office, with meetings, emails, and coding. I got emails from a few friends asking if I'd be at karaoke on Thursday or not. I let folks know I should be. I stayed at work a bit later than usual and caught the last outbound train of the day. I swung by the grocery store to pick up a couple things, so it was much later than normal when I pulled into the driveway.

"What's up?" I asked Cody, who was sitting on the front stoop.

"Nothing," he said with a tone that told me how full of bullshit he was.

"Okay. Well, mind helping me with some grocery bags?"

"Don't mind..."

I grabbed my backpack and two of the grocery bags while Cody grabbed the rest, and we trooped into the house. I knew Luke was home, or at least assumed he was, since his car was in the driveway. He wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"So, what happened today?" My phrasing was intentional.

"We were on campus buying stuff, and I realized how fucked I am. I don't have a job, I don't have an endless supply of money, and school's fucking expensive. I was talking to Luke about it, and he got pissed off at me."

"Let's start with where you're wrong, and then we can work on the Luke part of the equation."

"Huh?"

"It's true you don't have a job. It's true that you don't have an endless supply of money. It's also true that school is fucking expensive. You don't need a job. You have access to enough money to get you through school. It might not be a rich life, but you'll have the necessities and a few luxuries."

"I don't want to be a leech."

"Were you leeching off your parents?"

"No. But..."

"Stop. I know Luke told you that I was already planning to support you after the spring semester so you wouldn't have to go home alone. I mean, the three of us have agreed to be a family unit. That's what it means to me. I'm betting that's what it means to Luke, and to be honest, that's what it should mean to you."

"It's just," he stopped, and his shoulders sagged.

"Cody, I get it. Your ability to trust is damaged. You're scared. You're afraid. You're confused. What your folks did is one big mind-fuck! You're just going to have to trust me; trust Luke. We'll get you through this and beyond."

He wrapped his arms around me and cried. I wrapped my arms around him, and the crying turned to body-shaking sobs. I stood there and held him.

I guess Cody made enough noise to attract Luke's attention, as he walked into the kitchen with an inquisitive look on his face. I used the fingers of my hand to wave Luke over and my eyes to express what I wanted, hoping that he'd understand. He came up behind Cody and wrapped his arms around us both.

The three of us stood there for a few more minutes as Cody's emotions continued to pour out. Finally, the sobs subsided, and he lifted his face from my shoulder. He kissed me gently on the lips, then started to shift his body, turning to face Luke in our embrace.

He kissed Luke just as gently. "Sorry, Dude."

"It's okay," Luke said.

I didn't want to dwell on the situation, so once I had dinner on the table, I steered the conversation to things going on at my office. After dinner, we curled up on the sectional and watched a bit of television before bed.

-----

The next night, I got home from work to find Luke on the couch crying.

"What's wrong?"

"We had a fight."

"Can't you kiss and make up?"

"He left."

"Oh, fuck. How long ago?"

"An hour ago. He stormed out of the house."

"Do I want to know why?"

"Same shit, different day... What if, how come. He's back to that gloom and doom. I thought we got over it last night. He seemed to get it. I understand things are whacked right now for him, but."

"Ok, let's find him and then see if we can patch things up."

"How?"

"I'm guessing he's on campus," I said. "Give me a minute; then we can drive over and search."

I walked into the office, logged into my computer, and pulled up the Find My iPhone page. I didn't want Luke to know I'd figured out Cody's password when he set up his phone. I pulled up the location and saw he was somewhere in the Johnson Center. I logged off, grabbed my phone, and went back into the den.

"All ready. Let's go..."

We drove Luke's car over since he had a parking permit. "I need to get a parking permit," I mentioned.

"Huh?"

"Well, that way one of you could take the truck to school as needed."

"Oh."

"So, you think he's in the library or the JC?"

"Probably the JC."

We parked and walked over to the building.

"Food? Bookstore? Coffee shop? Just sitting?"

"I don't know; probably just sitting."

We walked around the main floor and then to the lower level. I tapped Luke's arm and pointed across the space. Cody was sitting at a table alone.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked quietly.

Cody looked up, and his eyes showed he'd been crying. He looked more pained when he saw that Luke was with me.

"Free country."

Luke and I sat. Luke was about to say something, but I gave just the smallest of head movements to stop him. We sat there quietly, waiting.

Finally, I guess Cody couldn't take the silence any longer. "Say something."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, dude," Luke added.

Cody choked back a sob. "I love you," he said, just barely a whisper.

We sat there quietly again for quite a while. This time, I decided to break the silence.

"Why don't we go home, have dinner, and then we can talk?"

I stood and waited for Cody and Luke. They finally stood up and followed me back to the car. When we got home, I started working on dinner while the boys sat at the peninsula. I wasn't going to start the conversation; Cody had to move at his own pace. With dinner prepared, I put plates in front of each of them.

We started eating when, finally, Cody said quietly, "I'm sorry." He was staring intently at his plate.

"I'm sorry too," Luke offered up.

I decided to keep quiet. Cody needed to confront the demons at his own pace. As hard as it was for Luke and me to deal with him, it was going to be his own internal battle that won or lost the war.

The silence continued for a while, and Luke just stared at me. I assumed he wanted me to say something.

"Damn it," Cody said. "Please say something, Coulter."

"What do you want me to say? I've said it before: the two people you should be able to trust the most in the world hurt you and destroyed your ability to trust. They screwed with your mind, and now you're scared about your future. Your mind, your subconscious, your whole being is trying to figure out: can you trust, anyone?"

"I... I... I think I do," he stuttered.

"It's gonna take time for you to heal, for you to trust fully, for you to believe." I paused a moment. "And I'm willing to give you the time you need to figure it out. You just need to pull back a little on the what-ifs, the how-do-I's and all the gloom. It's hard on us too."

"Sorry."

"Instead of what if or how do I, go back to what I said last week." He looked at me, a bit puzzled. "The questions should be about how Luke and Coulter can help me, how we succeed, and how we make things work. There's this lady I follow on Twitter; she talks about communicating, working, and living in a relentlessly positive manner. If you tackle everything in the negative, you'll live in the negative. Tackle it from the positive!"

Cody's look told me he didn't quite get it. I looked at Luke, and his face said the same thing.

"It's easy, and the idea is really old. She's just put a new spin on it." I picked up my glass. "Is this glass half empty or is it half full. Things went horribly wrong, or at least this part worked out."

They both nodded at me, but I kept rolling.

"The biggest one I learned is that instead of saying `I have to...' say `I get to...'."

They both looked at me as if I were crazy.

"Think about it; I have to go to a meeting. It sounds like I don't want to; it's a chore, it's a pain, it's distasteful. Now if I phrase it, `I get to go to a meeting,' it sounds like an opportunity, something I want to do, something pleasant." I paused for a moment to let it digest, then looked directly at Cody. "You can't adjust your thinking overnight. I found her blog after my divorce. I was, like you, angry, bitter, gloom and doom. But like you, I wanted to get back to a happy spot, a place of solace and positivity. The first thing I had to do was focus on being positive."

"It's so hard to be happy right now," Cody said.

"Positive is not happy. I'm not telling you to be Mr. Perky! But focus on the positive and good things and how they can affect your life. It's not - how am I going to get through this - it's - I am going to get through this by - see the difference?"

"Yeah," he admitted with a bit of concern in his voice.

I took his hands in mine. "Cody, you can dig a hole so deep, asking - how am I going to - or you can stay on level ground by being positive -I'm going to get through this by loving Luke - or - I'm going to get through this because Coulter's got my back."

Later that night, as we were getting ready for bed, I thought about karaoke night.

"Guys, any interest in going with me to karaoke?"

Both looked at me a little funny. I'd stopped asking after they declined so many times.

"Sure, why not?" Luke added.

"Sounds like fun," Cody said.

"Instead of me taking the train home tomorrow, why don't you two meet me for dinner and then karaoke."

"What time?"

"I get off work at five and could meet you at the METRO station around six. We could have a nice dinner and still be at karaoke by eight."

We finished working out the plans, climbed into bed, and were soon fast asleep.

-----

The next morning, I headed off to work while Cody and Luke hung around the house.

After lunch, I was working through some tricky points, but my mind kept going back to Cody. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off. I grabbed my cell phone and sent a message to Justin. It took about 30 minutes before my phone buzzed. I read the message and smiled. With the plan in place, I found it easy to concentrate on work and get the items done quickly.

After dinner, we walked from the restaurant to the club for karaoke. As the club served meals, there was no ID check to get in. We found Phil, Darryl, and a few other friends sitting at a large table, and I re-introduced Luke and Cody to those they hadn't seen in a long time. Cody ended up on my left, between Luke and me. I guessed that Phil and Darryl had warned everyone about Cody's injuries, as no one asked about the bruising on his face.

A few minutes later, Justin, Angus, Casey, and Kyle walked into the club and joined us at the table. We got everyone introduced quickly as folks made room at the table. I made sure Casey squeezed in between me and Cody. The light started to dim, so we settled down as the host got things started.

Chris got up and performed Ain't No Other Man as a dedication to Stephen. George was off, and the substitute host kept things lively, commenting after songs or about selections as folks came up.

One thing that I noticed was that Casey and Cody were talking as much as they were listening to the performers. It was exactly what I wanted, knowing that Casey had been beaten by his dad, thrown out, and forced to live on the street.

At one point, I looked over, and Casey had disappeared. The music was loud, so I didn't try to talk to Cody. A few moments later, Casey returned with a mischievous smile on his face. I didn't get to ask him what was up as the host called me to the stage.

I'd chosen a song by a lesser-known country group, Carter's Chord, called We Ain't Making Love. The song revolves around how `tonight we're gonna tear this whole house up, we ain't making love.' It's a sultry song, and the lead vocalist's alto part was easy to cover in my bass range.

Luke and Cody jumped up as I finished, giving me a two-man standing ovation. When I got back to the table, Cody leaned across Casey and said quietly, "Damn right! You might not make it to work tomorrow!"

As Cody sat back in his chair, the look on Casey's face was as stunned as mine. He leaned over and started a very animated conversation with Cody as the next singer got up and started.

It was about thirty minutes later when the host called Casey's name to the stage. When he got to the mic, he held his finger up to pause things. "I want to dedicate this to my bro, Cody." He brought his finger down, and the music started.

As soon as I realized it was Kelly Clarkson's People Like Us, my eyes started to mist up. I looked over at Cody to find tears streaming down his face. I was also amazed at how great a voice and good a performer Casey was. He had the place going as he moved through the first verse. Before he went into the refrain, he motioned for Cody to come up to the stage. Cody seemed reluctant, so I reached over and pushed him.

Cody was timid compared to Casey's high energy as he joined in the lines, `they can't do nothing to you, they can't do nothing to me' but I could tell Casey was starting the healing process. Cody kept it soft, letting Casey's voice shine as they sang, but he quickly matched the energy, bouncing around the stage beside Casey and having the time of his life.

Our table erupted as the song came to an end. I looked around and noticed that other tables were really clapping too.

-----

Friday after work, I came home and found the table set and good smells coming from the kitchen.

"What's this?" I asked. "Showing off more of your cooking skills?"

Luke laughed. "It's baked beans."

"It smells good."

"Cody's out back with the grill going. We figured burgers, potato salad, and baked beans."

"Works for me! Let me go get into something more summer-like, and I'll be right back."

I pulled on some shorts, a tee, and sneakers. I joined Luke in the kitchen. We got everything on two trays and carried things downstairs and out back.

"This was really nice of you two," I said.

"It's the least we can do!" Cody said.

"Any thoughts about things to do this weekend?" I asked.

"Not really," Luke said.

Cody just shook his head.

"How about having Justin, Angus, Kyle and Casey over for dinner?"

"That'd be nice," Luke said.

Cody just beamed.

I sent a text to Justin inviting them for dinner. We were enjoying the post-dinner quiet evening when my phone chirped.

"Okay, we have dinner guests tomorrow," I said.

"Cool," Cody said.

-----

"What are we making for dinner tonight?" Luke asked as I was working on breakfast.

"Since we had burgers last night, I was debating between steak or chicken on the grill."

"Steak," Cody said quickly and loudly.

Both Luke and I turned to look at him.

"Let's hit the store this morning," Cody explained. "Grab some nice steaks, throw them in a Ziploc bag with some stuff to marinate them, then throw them on the grill. We can get corn on the cob for the grill too. I can get all that ready."

"Okay, steak, corn; how about a pasta salad?" Luke asked. "I can figure that out."

"The leaves desert for me," I said. "Deal."

"Something chocolate, please," Luke said.

"I can do that."

After breakfast, we cleaned up, got dressed, and grabbed a few shopping bags. I handed Luke the keys to the truck, and he looked at me funny.

"You drive," I said. "You have to practice."

"Where to?"

"Let's hit Costco," I said. "Then we can grab corn at one of the supermarkets and be done."

Luke got us on the road, and shortly we pulled into the quickly-filling parking lot. Luke grabbed a cart, and we went in.

"Where to?" Cody asked.

"Back of the store, meat department," I said and pointed.

Luke pushed the cart, with Cody and I following.

"Woah," Cody said as he picked up a pack of filets.

"Actually, that's not too bad a price for filet," I said. "I have an idea." I started searching down the case. "Here!"

"That's not steak," Cody said. The tone of this voice showed he was puzzled.

"It will be once we cut this into steaks. This is the `whole' filet. All we need to do is trim it and cut steaks. Plus, it's five dollars a pound cheaper. We'll get a lot more out of this, I promise you."

"Okay. What's next?" Luke asked.

"Cheese, veggies, stuff," I explained.

We grabbed the rest of what we needed and headed out. Luke drove us to Giant, and we picked up a dozen ears of corn. We were home a short time later.

"So, now what do we do?" Cody asked, looking at the slab or meat on the cutting board.

"Time to trim the meat," I explained.

I went on to show Cody how to trim the roast and then how to slice it into steaks.

"Marinade?" Cody asked.

"This is filet, so nothing strong," I said. I grabbed a recipe book, opened it up, and found a few I liked. "Here are a couple to choose from."

While I'd been helping Cody with the meat, Luke had gotten a big pot of water going on the stove for the pasta. He'd then cleaned the corn and gotten the ears ready for the grill.

"We've got Italian dressing, don't we?" Luke asked.

"Bottle in the fridge, one in the pantry," I replied.

"What about mozzarella?"

"Should be some marinated balls in the fridge."

"I don't see any olives in the fridge."

"Check the pantry; there should be some different options in there."

He seemed to be sorted out, so I got out a cookbook, found my favorite brownie recipe, and started in on that. With the brownies in the oven, pasta salad, and marinating meat in the fridge, we had the meal well in hand.

"What's next?" Cody asked.

"Ice cream," I replied.

"Huh?" Luke grunted.

"I want to make the ice cream for dessert."

"I've never made ice cream," Luke said.

"Neither have I," Cody echoed.

"Well, in my family, it was a summer tradition to make all sorts of ice cream. I've got all the recipes. Chocolate, vanilla, pumpkin, peanut butter - you name it we made it. I haven't made any in years, so I'm pumped!"

"Peanut butter!" Cody said.

"Chocolate," Luke said in a tone that bordered on begging.

"I have two freezers, and we have time; let's make both!"

I pulled the recipes, and the guys help me get things going.

"Do you want it kinda soft or hard?" I asked.

"Are we talking about ice cream?" Cody laughed.

"Yes!"

"That's one thing I do like soft!"

"Okay, so we wait till we're about to sit down to eat to get it churning. That's it; everything is ready for dinner tonight. What's next."

"Sex!" Cody said.

"Huh?"

"He's hard to argue with," Luke said. "And it's good for stress relief."

"You're stressed?" I asked with a bit of a laugh in my tone.

"Yup!" Luke replied.

"Okay, stress relief time," I concurred. I pulled off my shirt as I started moving down the hallway toward the bedroom. I could hear the guys behind me.

I plopped down on the bed, with my dick pointing towards the ceiling. The boys climbed onto the bed and headed straight to my cock. If I live to be a hundred, I don't think I'll ever get used to two tongues on my shaft at once.

"One of you needs to swing around and let me suck them," I said.

They both pivoted around, so I leaned left and sucked on Luke for a bit, then leaned to the right and sucked on Cody. After a bit of this, Luke changed positions, and we formed the cock-sucking triangle. I was sucking Cody while he sucked Luke, and Luke sucked Cody.

I put one of my fingers in my mouth and got it wet. Then I slipped it into Cody's ass. I worked to open his ass, adding two fingers over the next few minutes.

Cody pulled off Luke's cock and said, "Time for me to get fucked!"

"Hey, I want fucked too," Luke chimed in.

"You fuck Cody, and I'll fuck you," I offered.

Cody flipped onto his back and pulled his legs back. Luke spit on his dick, getting it slick, and then slipped it into Cody's hole. I slipped in behind Luke and started rimming out his hole. Once I had it prepped, I pushed Luke forward a bit and lined up my cock. It didn't take me long to bury myself in his hot, hairy hole.

I pulled part way out, and Luke began to move back and forth. His motion fucked Cody, and fucked himself on my dick.

"Lucky guy," Cody said. "I'm a fucking lucky guy!"

"You're a guy getting fucked! That's lucky?" Luke asked.

"Damn right, I've got your dick deep in my hole." He reached up and pulled Luke into a kiss.

With Luke pinned to Cody, I started moving more, fucking Luke's hole.

"That's it," Cody urged. "Fuck him!"

I started pounding Luke's ass, pushing Luke's dick harder into Cody's ass.

"You're fucking us both," Cody said.

"That's it, Coulter; fuck my ass," Luke said.

I fucked Luke for about five minutes before Cody said, "Time to swap."

"Huh?" Luke said.

"I want the middle for a while," Cody replied.

"Sure!"

I pulled out of Luke. He pulled out of Cody and then flopped down on his back. Cody got into position and pushed his dick into Luke's hole. I lined up behind Cody and slipped in.

"That's it," Luke said. "Fuck me!"

Cody leaned in and started kissing him. It didn't take long until we were blasting cum.

-----

"Hullo," I said to Angus as he walked in the front door.

"Hullo," he replied. "Hoo's it gaun?"

"Nae baud, yersel?"

"Guid!"

"Oh, lordy, I didn't realize you spoke that mess," Justin said to me.

"Of course! With a name like Bochanan, you think I could avoid it?"

By this point, everyone had made it into the house.

"Thanks for inviting us," Kyle said.

"Nice night for a barbeque," Luke said.

"We brought some beer, some wine, and someone made coleslaw," Justin said, looking at Casey. "It's in a cooler in the back of the car."

"I admit it," Casey said. "I like to cook."

"We like to eat," Cody said. "And it will go well with what we have!"

"Let's grab the cooler and take it around back," Luke said.

Justin handed Kyle a set of keys, and the four youngsters went back out the front door.

"You must be crazy in love," Justin said to me.

"Huh?"

"I love Casey and Kyle, but I don't think I could keep up with it all the time."

"Well, I am crazy in love, as you put it. I'll admit there are times when the age difference does start to get to me. But we work through it."

"How's Cody doing?" Angus asked.

"On the surface, great!" I said. "A millimeter under the surface, he's one fucked up pup! I'm glad Casey's helping him get this all into some perspective. The next few months are going to be rocky."

"Why's that?" Angus asked.

"Getting over the emotional impacts of the attack, he's stressing over money, then having to deal with testifying, and who knows what else will pop up."

"Get him a counselor," Justin advised.

"That's one thing I want to do. I also need to figure out insurance for him."

Before anyone could say anything else, we heard footsteps coming up the steps from the basement.

"We've got all the food in a cooler out back as well, so let's head down," I suggested.

We caught the guys coming up the stairs and got them turned around.

"Nice set up," Angus said, surveying the backyard.

"We figured we'd sit around the fire pit after dinner," Cody said. "It'll cool off a bit once the sun goes down."

"Table looks great," Justin commented.

"Luke scrubbed it down and set it."

"Scrubbed it?" Kyle asked.

"With all those trees back there, we get a lot of debris, bird poop, and the like on everything back here. Need to invest in covers," I explained.

"Who wants what to drink?" Casey asked.

"We've got sodas in our cooler," Luke said.

"Super," Kyle said. "I'm driving."

While everyone got their preferred beverage, Cody got the steaks on the grill.

"Still using charcoal?" Justin asked.

"Yeah, I got this off Craigslist cheap, and I like it. Someday, I'll splurge on a better grill. I have more reason to than before, I guess," I said.

"Coulter helped me get this thing ready," Cody explained. "Once you learn, it's pretty easy! Anyway, how does everyone want their steaks?"

There were calls from rare to medium, and I did my best to keep track.

"I've got one rare, two medium-rare, and four mediums," Cody said, pointing at each person as he stated the selection. With that he put the first four steaks on the grill.

It didn't take long until the seven of us were sitting down to eat.

"Ready to head back to classes?" Kyle asked, looking at Cody and Luke.

"One more week, and then my last two semesters start," Luke said.

"Don't rub it in," Casey said. "Though I am excited to be starting at Mason finally."

"You walked through the campus much?" Cody asked.

"Yep. Kyle and I went over a couple times so I could orient myself. I think I know where I'll be most of the time," he replied.

"Don't get too used to things," Luke said. "Next summer, they start that core campus project, and the A building of Robinson Hall gets torn down."

"I heard the end goal is for a new building for the College of Humanities and Social Science," Casey said.

"Won't that be your school?" Cody asked.

"No, I will be in the College of Public Health."

"Oh," Cody said.

"Are you getting used to the US?" Luke asked Angus.

"Some. Still not comfortable driving on the wrong side of the street. Good thing I have three willing drivers. I miss the walkable, commuter-focused, design of our cities. Everything is so spread out. Then again, it is nice not having your neighbor so close to you. Something like this only happens in the country."

"The US is definitely spread out," I agreed.

Everyone helped us move the dirty dishes and uneaten food into the kitchen. Once things were settled, I turned to the group, "Hang around a little longer? We can do the fire pit, sit on the lounge chairs, or just hang in the den."

"Too hot for fire," Justin said.

"Lounge chairs," Kyle said.

We went outdoors and enjoyed an evening of comradery.

-----

"What are your plans for this week?" Cody asked as we were getting ready for bed.

"Work tomorrow. I'm not planning to take any time off this week unless something comes up. If all goes well, karaoke on Thursday. Other than that, nothing planned." I paused for a minute. "Well, there are these two sexy guys that reappeared in my life, and I plan to spend a lot of quality time with them!"

Casey's face broke into a huge smile. "I like the sound of that. Is there anything Luke or I can do around the house?"

"Basic upkeep, laundry, and cleaning of anything you think needs it."

"What about the yard?"

"If you want to weed, that would be great. There aren't a lot of other projects at the moment."

"I just want to keep busy," he said.

"Ah, a busy mind doesn't go there."

"Yeah."

"I wish you'd said something before now. We could have prepared something. Regardless, you could do something fun instead of working."

"Huh?"

"Hit the museums. Go to the National Cathedral. Mount Vernon is close by."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"Go over to Mason and park. Take the CUE to the METRO, and then go into the city. I'm sure there are plenty of exhibits to see."

"Cool. I'll figure it out with Luke in the morning."

It was good to see a smile on Cody's face.

"Don't forget, you can call Casey and Kyle as well. The four of you could do something fun together. Maybe go out to Harper's Ferry and explore."

"You're good at this," he said.

"After my breakup with James, I had to find distractions - lots of them. When you two left for the summer, I had to find distractions again. That's one of the great things about DC; there are lots of things to see and do."

Luke walked into the room and asked, "What did I miss?"

"Talking about things the two of you could do for the next five days. That is other than lying in bed all day and having sex."

"Lying in bed and having sex for five days straight sounds pretty good to me!" Luke said with a laugh.

"Well, if that's what the two of you want to do," I said with a leer. "I unfortunately need to go to work."

"Aw, well, we'll include you when you get home! Sexfest 2017!"

Luke and Cody started laughing hard.

I finished stripping down and climbed into bed. Within seconds, Luke and Cody were on top of me.

"Sexfest 2017 commences," Luke said.

While Luke presented his dick for me to suck, Cody flipped around and started sucking my dick.

"Aw, fuck, that's it," Luke purred as his pubes hit my lips.

I put my hands on his ass cheeks and kept it in my throat, massaging his cock.

"Damn, that's fucking it!"

As I was working on Luke's cock, Cody was doing amazing things with mine. Luke was the only one who could verbalize things.

Based on how we were positioned, I couldn't get one of my fingers to my mouth. I worked it around next to my dick, and Cody got it wet for me. I moved my hand again and started slipping my spit-lubed finger into Luke's hole.

"Oh, fuck, that's it," Luke said. "Someone needs to get ready and fuck my ass."

Cody was off my cock within seconds. I figured out where he went when Luke's announcement came out.

"Eat me! Damn, dude, your tongue feels good on my ass!"

I knew Cody had great rimming skills, so I figured it wouldn't take long till Luke's ass was ready for dick.

I kept working on his cock, causing Luke to warn, "Coulter, ease up a bit or I'm gonna blow."

With Cody repositioned, I was able to move my hands in front of Luke and held up two fingers.

"Two?" Luke asked.

I put my fingers forward again.

"Two? Oh shit, you're gonna get my load. FUCK, you're expecting me to do two loads. Damn! FUCK, FUCK, argh," Luke yelled as he blasted a load of cum into my mouth.

I pushed him back enough that I got to taste it all. Yum.

As he finished cumming, Luke keeled over on his side. I noticed that Cody never left his ass. I repositioned myself and helped Luke onto his back. I pulled his legs toward his chest and gave Cody access.

"Time to fuck," Cody said. He spit-lubed his dick, and started pushing the head into Luke's wet hole.

I positioned myself over Luke, dropping my cock into Luke's mouth and taking his dick into mine. It didn't take much for him to start firming up.

"Damn tight hole," Cody complimented. "Wet, tight, and fucking hot!"

Luke's moans started as Cody fucked him and I worked his dick. I reached up and started playing with Cody's tits.

"That's it, Coulter; get me fired up," Cody said. His tits were wired to his cock.

I pulled off Luke's dick, which pushed mine deeper into this throat. I leaned forward and started biting on Cody's nips.

"Fuck yeah! Eat those tits!"

I would eat his nips and then go back and suck Luke's cock. I kept moving from one to the other, trying to get both my guys wound up well.

As Cody's pace picked up, I spent more and more time working Luke's cock. I wanted to drain a second load from him. He, in turn, worked harder on my cock.

"I'm gonna blow," Cody warned.

I reached up and worked his tits again as I redoubled my efforts.

As Luke's cock started flooding my mouth, Luke groaned.

"Fuck, he's clenching! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" Cody yelled. His convulsions let me know he was shooting in Luke's ass.

All of this triggered me to shoot. I pulled back so it would be in Luke's mouth.

A few minutes later ,we were a sweaty pile on the bed.

"Yup, Sexfest 2017 has commenced!" Luke announced.

Cody and I just laughed.

-----

Just before lunch on Monday, my phone started vibrating. I took a moment to look at the screen and found a picture of Luke at the Lincoln Memorial and one of Cody with the Washington Monument in the background. Since things were quiet, I grabbed my little lunch bag from under my desk and went to the lunchroom. While I sat there, I got more pictures of the guys as they moved around the National Mall. I continued to receive pictures throughout the day as the guys had what looked like a fun day.

"You should join us," Cody said as we sat down for dinner.

"I can't afford to take more time off."

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Emergencies happen, but I need to focus on work to make sure we hit our next few releases. I could join you after work if you want to explore downtown in the evening."

"Like what?" Luke asked.

"Remember when we walked around DuPont? We could do something like that. With Cody underage for a few more weeks, the bars are out, and I'm not too sure how busy they are. We could hit one of the places popular with the gay crowd for dinner."

"That might be fun," Cody said.

"Did you reach out to Kyle and Casey?" I asked.

"Yeah, we're going hiking on Wednesday," Luke replied.

"Super. Where are you going?"

"Like you suggested, we're going to Harpers Ferry and explore the historic town, then out onto one of the trails," Cody explained.

"Nice! Sexfest 2017 ended?"

"Not in the least," Luke said with a bit of a laugh. "We traded blow jobs this morning in the shower and plan to drain you tonight!"

-----

After work on Tuesday, I took the Yellow Line into the city and got off at Gallery Place. I found the guys on the upper-level platform, and we hopped on the next Red Line train. A few minutes later, we were following the crowd out of the DuPont Circle station.

"Hungry?" I asked as we got up to the surface.

"Not really," Cody said.

Luke shook his head a bit.

"We can hit Kramerbooks," I suggested.

"Sure," Luke said.

I led them up Connecticut Avenue, and we took some time to explore the store's offerings. I found a book and two magazines. Luke had a magazine. Cody came up empty.

"Dinner?" Cody asked.

"Sure. Anything in specific?"

"Not really," he replied.

I looked at Luke, and he shook his head.

I led us over to Seventeenth Street and into Annie's. Being a Tuesday night, it wasn't swamped, and we were seated at one of the tables near the front of the restaurant.

"You can't be a gay boy in DC and not eat at Annie's at least once," I said after we were seated. "Food's good, but it's about the scene."

"What do you recommend?" Cody asked as he looked at the menu.

"Depends on how hungry you are," I admitted.

"We had a snack around three, so not starving, but hungry," he explained.

"Option one: we order a lot of appetizers and share. Option two: steak. This is a steak house. Option three: I like the Eastern Shore seafood platter."

"I like option one," Luke said. "We could do wings, fried shrimp, crab bites, and more."

"I'm good with that," I admitted.

"Sure, how about the mac & cheese bites and onion rings to round it out?" Cody added.

"Howdy boys, what can I get you to drink," the waiter asked.

"We're ready to order," I explained.

"Certainly," he replied.

We gave him the order, and he took off. Cody and Luke took the opportunity to show me pictures they'd taken during their day.

While we talked, I noticed a few guys checking them both out. Both were in shorts and tight polo shirts, looking mighty hot!

"You two are catching more than a few eyes," I said.

"Let'em look," Luke said. "Remember the night Rob gave James the show?"

"Halloween," I said with a chuckle.

"What?" Cody asked.

"So, we're at this Tex-Mex place not far from here on Halloween. Rob was dating Coulter at the time. Coulter's ex came in and sat at a table near us. Once Rob realized we, or more specifically Coulter, were being watched, he started giving James a show."

"What do you mean by a show?" Cody asked.

"As I recall, he stood up, kissed Coulter, and headed for the bathroom. Now picture it: it's Halloween so he's wearing tight ass football pants and an Under Armour compression tee. Think, tall, hot jock as Coulter's boyfriend, while his ex looked pretty lumpy. When he got back to the table, he pulled his chair close and kissed Coulter again."

"What was that term?" Cody said. He paused and thought for a moment. "Bitch-slap."

"Yeah, that's the way James' face looked like someone had slapped it. But that wasn't the end of it. You've seen Coulter's before pics?"

Cody nodded in agreement.

"As we're leaving, Rob stops Coulter, and pulls off his shirt in the middle of the restaurant, and then puts on his shoulder pads. Then he does the same."

"Major bitch-slap!" Cody said.

"Yep," Luke laughed.

"Rob also pissed James off at the club that night," I admitted.

"What?" Luke asked.

"He requested a song, Thank You for Leaving, and did the most erotic bump and grind to it."

"I remember that. I was so fucking jealous!"

"I guess no one told you that James was watching for most of the song and stormed out of the club."

"Holy bitch-slap!" Luke said.

"I need to hit the bathroom," Cody said.

He stood up, kissed Luke, and then kissed me.

"Shit, he's trying to stir up a show," Luke said.

"Yep, and I think some of the guys in here are well stirred!"

We laughed a moment and then surveyed the room. A number of eyes were on Cody when he returned a bit later.

"How'd I do?" Cody asked as he sat down.

"You sure stirred the shit," Luke said.

"Good."

Cody looked mighty pleased with himself.

-----

Sunday evening, while we were getting ready for bed, I started thinking about our family's commute.

"You on an early schedule again?" I asked Cody.

"Yeah."

"What about you?"

"Late morning and early afternoon classes," Luke chuckled as he said.

"Back to the spring schedule, I drive you over."

"I can wait or walk back," Cody said.

"So that gets the commute out of the way," I said. "What else should we plan?"

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"I'm guessing breakfast will be like before. Heat up or make what you want before you leave. Do you want lunches packed or are you going to hit the JC? What time is good for dinner?"

"Last semester's breakfast schedule is fine. I think taking lunch would be okay if I had something to keep it cold; otherwise, I can hit the JC. Dinner at the usual time is fine with me, barring unforeseen group project meetings," Cody explained.

"I'm flexible on breakfast; I never really ate much until I started living here. For lunch, packed is fine, and it would be cheaper, but it's not a big problem to hit the JC. I agree with Cody that dinner at our usual time is good."

"If there's anything you want stocked for breakfast, just add it to the list," I said.

"Pop-tarts," Luke's response came quickly.

"Yuck, but okay," I said with a laugh.

"They're easy to grab and go. For a non-morning person, that's important!"

"I can stock bagels, Danish, other things if you prefer."

"That would be nice, but a pop-tart is convenience food. Grab a two pack, run for the door if your late and keep in the pouch. Probably not the most environmentally friendly thing, but convenient."

Cody interrupted the discussion singing, "Have you ever put butter on a Pop Tart? It's so frickin' good. Have you ever put butter on a Pop Tart? If you haven't then I think you should."

"What?" I asked.

"It's a song from Family Guy," Cody explained. "Peter and Quagmire sing it. It's a riot."

"I'll pick up a box of emergency Pop Tarts. Let me know what flavors. I'll also try to put something in a resealable and reusable container for you each morning, and you grab that?"

"As long as it doesn't need to be heated or stay warm."

"Cool, I'll work on something for you. Plus, we'll keep a box of emergency pop-tarts!"

That got a laugh out of both. At this point, we were settled the bed for the night.

-----

"What are you singing tonight?" Luke asked as I packed my breakfast and lunch.

"It's competition night, and the theme is sex sells," I explained. "I'm doing Ricky Martin's She Bangs."

"Cool! What are you wearing?"

"I'm going to change at the club. My tight black jeans and a fitted black dress shirt. More the look he used in Livin' La Vida Loca."

"Make sure you unbutton it most of the way. Show off those abs!"

"You two going to meet me there?"

"Yes. Cody and I talked about it last night. We got Friday homework out of the way so we wouldn't have to worry."

"Good. Able to make it for dinner or just club time?"

"Dinner, dude."

"I'm ready," Cody said as he walked into the kitchen.

"I'll take you over," Luke offered.

"You're up, dressed, and ready? I'm stunned," Cody said with a laugh.

"We've got karaoke tonight."

"Well, I need to run. See you both tonight!"

I grabbed my bags and headed out.

Work was relatively uneventful, and I got to the restaurant a little early.

"Table for three," I told the two hosts.

"Well, at least it's not a date," the cute, male host said.

"Nope, not a date. We're well past that point," I replied.

He gave me a very funny look. He then led me to a table and left the menus. It was about fifteen minutes later when I saw Cody and Luke walk in. I waved them over. As I was in a gay-friendly restaurant, I stood, hugged, and kissed both of them.

When I sat back down, I saw the host giving me an odd look.

"What's good here?" Cody asked.

"Fried chicken and waffles are great. The meatloaf is also good. Hmmm... also the shrimp and grits, but I leave off the fish velouté, too la-di-da to me."

The waiter arrived and asked, "Drinks?"

"I'm ready to order as well," I said.

The waiter nodded.

"I'll have the shrimp and grits no velouté with a diet Coke," I said.

"I'll have the classic chicken and waffles plus a Coke," Cody said.

"Make it two," Luke said, pointing towards Cody.

The waiter repeated the order and then walked off.

"Are you singing tonight?" I asked Cody.

"Ummm... no."

"Okay," I said.

"Don't you dare look at me," Luke said with a laugh.

"Luke said you're doing Livin' La Vida Loca. Selling that sexy body?" Cody asked.

"I'm going to try. The only way I'm going to win."

"You're a winner with us," Luke said.

"Thanks! Love you both."

We ate dinner, had a discussion of the day's events, and then walked to the club.

"Gentlemen!" Darryl exclaimed.

"And you use that term loosely," Phil added.

"No," Darryl said. "Those two young men are truly gentlemen. The rest of you, eh."

The table burst into laughter. As the laughs were dying down, Georgia walked up to our table.

"Evening all," she said. "Who are these two handsome young men?"

"This is Cody and Luke," I said.

"Nice to meet you both," she said.

"Georgia is the regular hostess," I explained. "She makes the night a complete hoot!"

"Nice to meet you," Cody said.

Luke nodded.

"Do either of you sing?" Georgia asked.

"Nope," Luke said quickly.

"Sorta, I guess," Cody said.

"Singing tonight?" she asked.

"I don't think so. I sang with my friend Casey last week, but I don't think I'm up for competing."

"Oh, a duet guy. I like that! You don't have to compete tonight, but I understand. I should get things going."

With that, Georgia moved off, and shortly she signaled that folks could sign up for the night. Not wanting to stand in the queue, I waited till things quieted down a bit.

"You still haven't brought your man to visit," Georgia said.

"I have," I admitted.

"What? Last week? I missed him?"

"He was here last week, but you didn't miss him. He's here tonight."

"Where?"

"At our table," I explained.

Her eyes got huge as she looked over at the table.

"Oh my god! The one with that sexy, jet black hair and blue eyes? Or that tall sexy blonde? I figured they were a couple."

I paused for a moment, thinking how to explain it.

"You missed an option," I started. "It's not either or."

"What?"

"Cody, Luke, and I are a triple. We've been together for nine months."

"Honey, you're something else, and I want to hear more! Unfortunately, I need to get this mess started."

It was just after the intermission that Georgia called me to the stage.

"Coulter's covering Ricky Martin's She Bangs, but from the look of him, he should be doing Livin' La Vida Loca."

I took the stage, the music started, and I let my body help sell the sexy. I got a huge round of applause when I was done.

Copyright 2023 BndgDawg (BndgDawg@gmail.com). Do not reproduce or distribute this story without the author's permission.

This is Chapter Eight of the third story I have written. I look forward to positive comments, constructive criticisms and otherwise pleasantly worded feedback. Flames and attacks will be ignored and addresses blocked. (BndgDawg@gmail.com).

My other stories on this site are Double Trails (Beginnings/Rural - December 8, 2016) and Homeless (High School - July 30, 2017).