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DISCLAIMER: This story is a work of fiction and fantasy. No part of it is based on true events, and any similarity to any person, living or dead, is coincidental. It contains descriptions of homosexual activities between consenting adults. If you are not over 18 years of age, or if you find this type of story offensive, or viewing this material is illegal where you are, then please DO NOT READ IT! If you choose to read it, then - I hope you enjoy it!
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When You Least Expect By Josh Blake
Chapter 3
Several days had passed since my encounter with Braden. I continued to pass the time by working on projects around the house. I pressure washed the driveway, cleaned out the gutters, and washed the house. I stayed outside as much as possible. I really expected to see Braden running down the street at any moment, and I didn't want to take a chance at missing him. I even hopped in the Ridgeline and drove around the subdivisions near my house a couple times, hoping to either see him out running, or maybe even out in his yard. No such luck.
The following Sunday was a nasty, wet day. There were tornadoes in other areas of the state, but we were forecast to receive mainly heavy rain and wind. I decided that it would be a good day to do some cleaning inside the house. With all of my work outside, I had neglected the inside. The weatherman was on TV warning some little town on the other side of the state to take shelter from a possible approaching tornado. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Who in the world would be visiting me on a Sunday? My parents never come by unannounced, especially in the rain.
I opened the door and was shocked to see a very wet and very upset Braden dripping on my porch. It was obvious that he was crying, even though he was soaked from the rain.
"Oh my gosh, you're soaking wet! Get inside," I said as I pulled him in the house. He was still dripping and sobbing at the same time. His clothes, a pair of running shorts and a white t-shirt, were totally soaked and clinging to his body.
I sat him down on the couch and went to grab some towels. I helped him dry off as best I could.
"Come on back to the bathroom. We have to get you out of those clothes," I said. He didn't argue, and instead followed me to my master bathroom.
Now I know what you are thinking. While I was still excited at the visual appeal of the now naked stud in my bathroom, I couldn't even begin to consider anything sexual with him until I had taken care of his emotional situation. He had yet to speak a word since he came in the house.
"Here, put these on. They might be a little big, but they'll do while I throw your clothes in the dryer." I left Braden to get dressed and went to the laundry room to dry out his soaked clothes. I came out to find him seated on the couch again. He was no longer crying, but was still visibly upset.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" I took a seat in the middle of the couch and put my arm around his shoulder. Without prompting, the leaned into me and cried into my chest. I really didn't know how to deal with this. As a teacher and vice principal, I had often had to deal with emotional students. But then, I had the luxury of being able to call the guidance counselor to assist me. I don't think sweet little Mrs. Martin was going to make a house call for this situation. It was all on me.
"My dad got on my phone when I went to the bathroom. We were watching TV, and evidently I forgot to lock it, and the auto lock hadn't had time to come on yet. When I got back from the bathroom, he was just sitting there. He turned my phone screen to me and yelled `what the fuck is this?' It was up on Grindr."
"Oh Braden, I'm so sorry. What else did he say?"
"Well, he asked if I was a faggot. First I tried to deny it and say that I had downloaded it as a joke with some friends. But he didn't buy it. He kept screaming and cussing until I finally just yelled out that I am gay. When I told him I was gay, he raised his fist to punch me, but my brother was standing behind him and grabbed his arm and stopped him."
"Oh my God! Your brother is only 16! He didn't hurt him, did he?" I asked in fear.
"Oh, no! Austin is in way better shape than Dad. He works out all the time, so it wasn't hard for him to stop him."
"Where was your mom when all this was going on," I asked.
"She had gone to take my grandmother some dinner and hadn't made it back yet."
"So tell me what else happened, I said."
Braden started to sniffle again, so I held him in my arms and just tried to console him the best I could. A guidance counselor had once told me that when someone is in distress, the best thing to do is to just listen to the situation without interrupting. So, I just decided to let him cry it out and talk again when he was ready.
"After Austin stopped Dad from hitting me, we kept screaming at each other. He told me I was going to hell for being a fucking faggot, and that I was no longer his son. He said he wished I was dead. Austin started yelling at dad to shut up and leave me alone, but he wouldn't stop screaming. He told me to get the fuck out of his house and never come back."
He stopped talking for a minute and just leaned against me. I was still holding him and gently rubbing his back.
"I grabbed my phone off the floor from where Dad had thrown it at me and ran out the door. Austin was yelling for me to stop, but I couldn't stay there. I didn't know where else to go, so I ran here."
"You did the right thing," I told him. "You are always welcome here." I continued to rub his back and hold him in my arms. I placed a small kiss on his forehead, mainly out of consolation.
Braden looked up at me, his eyes swollen and red, and moved to kiss me. The kiss was brief, and not overly sexual in nature. It was as if to say "I care about you."
The rain was still coming down hard outside. Braden and I continued to set on the couch with him in my arms. I was enjoying the closeness that we were feeling, but I regretted the reason for it. Braden remained mostly quiet. I knew that right now he was just trying to sort out all of the emotions in his head. Finally, it got dark. Since no lights were on in the house, we were now sitting in the dark.
"You must be starving," I said. "I'm going to go make us something to eat."
"You don't have to go to any trouble for me, Josh. I am sorry I burdened you with all this. We barely know each other, but you've been so nice to me. I just felt like I could come to you."
"Nonsense. I'm just doing what a friend does for a friend. And I'm hungry too, so that's the end of that conversation. Feel free to turn the TV on something that you want to watch."
Being single and rarely having company unannounced, I usually just eat what I can find. Cooking for one person is usually more trouble than it's worth, so frozen foods and canned foods are my saving grace. I decided on chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. A meal like that always comforted me when I was feeling low, and I hoped that it would do the same for Braden.
"Dinner is served!" I announced as I walked back into the den. Braden had opened Netflix and an episode of The Office was playing.
"I saw that The Office was on your continue watching feed, so I turned it on. I love that show. It always makes me forget whatever is going on in my life," he said.
"Michael Scott has gotten me through some pretty shitty times in my life," I admitted. "If someone like him can make it through some of the nonsense he does, I should be able to do anything!"
We ate our food and continued with some small talk. Several episodes of The Office had played through. I was enjoying Braden's company, and I think he felt the same way. There was no need to be sexual. At some point, he moved to lean into me and I wrapped my arms around him.
"This makes me feel safe," he said. "I like being in your arms."
I kissed him on the cheek. "I feel the same way. This is so different from anything I've felt before."
"I know. Me too. I've never had this feeling with another person. It's almost like we are supposed to be together."
It was close to 9:00 p.m. by now. The rain had tapered off, and Netflix was still playing. Otherwise, it was dark in the house. Braden and I continued to sit together on the couch, sort of dosing in and out of consciousness. We were forced back to reality by the doorbell ringing.
"Stay here. I'll go see who it is," I said.
I answered the door to find an attractive, middle aged woman and a stunningly handsome and somewhat familiar teenage boy standing on my porch.
"Can I help you," I asked.
"I hope so. My name is Bonnie Howell, and this is my son Austin. My older son Braden ran away from home, and Austin used his iPhone to track him here. Have you seen him?
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Braden had entered the room without any of us hearing him.
"Oh, Sweet Jesus! You're okay!" Bonnie shouted as she practically mowed me down to get into the house and to her son. She was crying and hugging Braden like she hadn't seen him in five years.
"Would you like to come in," I asked the handsome Austin, who was still waiting on the porch. He reluctantly walked into the house. He looked like a younger, slightly less buff version of Braden, except he was blonde, like his mom. There were definitely some good genes in this family.
"Oh my baby, I was worried sick about you! I came home and your dad was drunk off his ass yelling about how no son of his would be gay. Austin explained the whole thing to me, and then we tracked you with Austin's phone to..."
"My name is Josh, ma'am. Josh Patterson. I'm a friend of your son." I offered her my hand. I think at this point we were all past being worried about COVID-19.
"Thank you for taking care of Braden. I still don't really understand what's going on here, but it makes me feel better that he was somewhere safe. You have a beautiful home," she said, glancing around the house.
"I'm Braden's brother Austin," the younger version of Braden said, offering me his hand as well. "So are you like Braden's boyfriend or something?"
"No!" Braden and I said in unison, then looked at each other with a look of confusion.
"Josh and I are getting to know each other better, but I already know he's going to be a big part of my life," Braden said.
I really didn't know what to think of that statement "a big part of my life." What exactly does that mean. Braden's mom isn't the only one here with a lot of questions.
"Would you all like to go into the den so we can sit and talk? I think there is a lot to sort through here," I said. "Please, come this way." I lead Braden, Bonnie, and Austin into the den and invited them to sit down.
At first, no one wanted to speak. I'm not sure anyone knew what to say. Finally, Austin broke the silence.
"So, is it true that you're gay?"
"Yeah, Bro. It's true. Your big brother is a fag. Are you good with that?"
"Bro, all my life you have been there for me. You've protected me, helped me with stuff, taught me how to play sports, helped me practice my pitch, I don't know where I'd be without you. So what if you like dudes instead of girls. Who the fuck cares?"
"Language," Bonnie said. It was a habit she couldn't break.
"Sorry, mom. But for real, why is it a big deal. Dad is acting like somebody died or something. He's saying he wished Braden was dead instead of gay. It's not like he's a different person. We just know something about him that we didn't know before."
"Mrs. Howell, you seem to have raised two very fine, mature young men," I said. "What is the situation with Braden's father? If he does go home with you, is he in danger?"
"Oh most certainly not, Mr. Patterson. My husband, Mark is his name, has a lot of issues, but violence is not one of them. I'm surprised to hear that he tried to strike Braden. My guess is that even if Austin had not been there to hold his arm, he would have never thrown a punch. It's not in his nature. He drinks a little too much, and gets a little loud when that happens. I think when he picked up Braden's phone and saw the app...the grind, I think you called it..."
"It's Grindr, mom," Braden said. "It's what gay men use to chat and...well, mostly chat."
"Yes, Grindr. Anyway, when your father saw it and figured out what it was, it awoke something inside of him that he had kept pushed down for a long time."
"What are you talking about, mom?" Braden and Austin both looked at her quizzically.
"Boys, I'm going to tell you a family secret that I promised your father I would never tell. But, now I think I have to. We honestly never thought we'd be dealing with this so close to home. Braden, I need you to know that I love you with all my heart, sweetie. You are my baby boy and you always will be. All I want is for you to be happy, and if you are gay, then it's just something we'll all have to get used to. Anyway, here's the reason I think your father reacted the way he did..."
Bonnie took a deep breath, then paused for a moment. "Mr. Patterson, I hate to be so forward, but do you happen to have any alcohol of any type? It would make this a little easier to discuss."
"I have some red wine. Will that work for you?"
"That would be amazing," Bonnie said. She shot me a nervous smile. I could tell that whatever she was about to tell her boys was something she had not prepared herself for.
"Here you go, Mrs. Howell," I said, handing her the glass and setting the bottle down on the table in front of her. For some reason, I figured she'd want more.
"Thank you, Mr. Patterson. And please, call me Bonnie. For some reason, I think we're going to be getting to know each other real good."
"So boys, you know how you don't really know much about your father's family. They were from Mississippi, and your dad met me while we were in college. His parents both died before you two were born."
"Yeah," said Austin. "And Dad was an only child, so there's only some distant cousins left out in Mississippi, so there's really no reason for us to try to visit or anything."
"Well, not exactly," Bonnie said. "It is true that your grandparents are dead and that there are only some cousins there now, but your dad was not actually an only child."
"What?" Austin and Braden both said at the same time, exchanging confused looks.
"Your father won't talk about it, but he had a younger brother named Joseph. Joseph was about three years younger than your father, but they were very close. Mark watched over him like a hawk. Joseph was always following Mark wherever he went...to the mall, to friends' houses, to play baseball, you name it, Joseph was there. Well, when Joseph turned 16, he came out as gay to his family. Your grandparents were good people, but they were very conservative and didn't take well to anyone who was different. You see, Mississippi in the 1980s wasn't much different from most other places in the South, especially when it came to being gay. Interracial couples still had to be careful. Same sex couples didn't have a chance."
"Braden interrupted "So you're telling me I have a gay uncle I've never met?"
"Not exactly," Bonnie said. "Let me finish. So like I said, his parents didn't take it well at all. They put him in the car the next day and drove him to one of those camps that is supposed to make you straight. Mark missed his little brother something fierce, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Being gay was wrong, and this camp was going to fix it. Mark couldn't wait for Joseph to get home and not be gay anymore."
"So, what happened to Joseph," Austin asked.
"Six months later, Joseph came home. But he was a shell of a boy. Where he used to be happy and always wanted to be around Mark, he barely looked at him. What hurt your dad the most was when he tried to hug his brother, and Joseph just pulled away. He told him that at the camp, they were taught that he couldn't touch another male in any way, even his father or brother. Now we know now that those camps are nothing but bullshit. They've never cured anyone of being gay, because you can't cure what isn't a disease in the first place. Joseph spent most of his time alone. He went to school and came home, but never had any friends. As soon as he got home, he'd lock himself in his room until supper, then go right back in afterward. As soon as he turned 18 and finished high school, he moved to California. Your dad tracked him down and flew out to visit him. He found him sharing an apartment with a man he called his boyfriend."
"Whoa," said Austin. "So he was still gay?"
"Of course he was, sweetie. Being gay doesn't just go away. We know that now. But anyway, he was living with a young man about his age named Jeffrey. They invited your dad in, and asked him to stay the night instead of renting a hotel. Your dad decided he'd be more comfortable in a hotel. He's not as right-wing whack job as your grandparents were, but he is still pretty conservative and wasn't completely okay with his brother being gay. The next day he said his goodbyes and flew home, at least knowing that his brother was okay. But their relationship was never the same after that. Your dad couldn't bring himself to have a relationship with his brother because of what his parents thought about it. After finding out about Jeffrey, Mr. and Mrs. Howell disowned Joseph completely, and told Mark that unless he did the same thing, they'd disown him as well. So, your father never spoke to him again.
"So he's still alive," said Braden. "I have a gay uncle I can get to know. This is awesome!"
"No, dear. You can't get to know Joseph. He passed away years ago. When your dad flew out to California to see him, it was probably around 1993. We all heard about AIDS in the 1980s, and the gay community was hit hard by it. Most gay men didn't do what they needed to to have safe sex, which is something you and I will be discussing later. But anyway, sometime after moving to California, Joseph contracted HIV. In those days, treatment wasn't available like it is now. He ended up getting AIDS and dying in 1997. Jeffrey got in touch with your father to let him know that if he wanted to see him again, it was time. Your grandparents were still alive, and your father was afraid to disobey them by going to see his brother. Joseph died without your dad ever talking to him again. Your grandparents were both gone within the next two years, leaving your father with no real family. He made me swear that I would never speak of Joseph. He feels guilty for not going to see his brother again and for letting him die alone with no family. When he realized that you are gay, it must have brought back all those feelings, and he just couldn't process it."
By this point, Braden had tears streaming down his face again. "How could dad just throw his own brother away like that," he cried. "If he'll throw his own brother away, he won't mind doing the same thing with me!"
"Shhhhh," I said softly, rubbing his back and calming him. As we had done earlier in the day, he leaned into me and allowed me to console him. Bonnie and Austin shared a look, then Austin got up and moved to the other side of Braden on the couch.
"Bro, I need you to listen to me," Austin said. "Dad may not have been there for his brother the way he should have been, but I will never leave you. Do you understand me? You are my brother, and if dad decides to be an asshole and treat you like shit, then he has to go through me to do it. If he disowns you, then he's not my dad anymore either."
Braden turned to his brother, and the two boys shared an embrace that made me get teary.
"Now hold on, boys," Bonnie said. "No one is disowning anyone. We are all going to go home and talk about this as a family. Your father will have sobered up a little by now, so we can have a civil conversation."
"I'm not going back there! Dad told me he doesn't want me there, so I'm not going back! I'm going to stay here with Josh!" Braden was practically shouting at his mom by now.
"Honey, Mr. Patterson has been very kind to us all, but I'm sure he would like to have his life and his home back now," she said, glancing at me.
"Braden, your mom is right. Not about me wanting you out of here. You are welcome anytime. You all are." I looked over at Austin, who winked at me and smirked a little. He had figured out what was going on between his brother and me. "But I do think you should go home and talk to your dad. See where he stands now. You caught him by surprise today, and he wasn't prepared for that to happen. If things go south and you need to come back, you can."
"Mom, can I have a minute to talk to Josh? Alone?"
"Sure, sweetie. Come on, Austin. Let's give them a minute. We'll be waiting at the front door."
"Josh, please let me stay here. I don't want to go home. I want to stay here. With you. In your arms." With that, Braden kissed me on the lips. Damn, his lips felt so good on mine. I could get used to this.
"You have no idea how happy that would make me," I said. "But you need to sort this out with your family. Here, give me your phone," I said.
"What for," he asked.
"I'm going to add my contact info in your phone. You'll have my number. If things go bad, send me a text with your address and I'll be there. I'll pull up and you just run out and jump in the truck. No questions asked."
"You'd really do that for me?"
"Of course I would. You are my friend, and friends are there for each other. Now come on. We don't want to keep your mom and your brother waiting."
As we walked out to meet Bonnie and Austin at the door, I instinctively put my hand on Braden's shoulder. When Bonnie saw this, she smiled a little, but still seemed a little uncomfortable.
"Mr. Patterson..."
"Josh," I interrupted. "Call me Josh."
"Josh, you've been so kind to take Braden in and...talk with him. If I'm not being too forward, and forgive me if I am, are you gay?"
"MOM! That is not your business!" Braden yelled.
"It's okay, Braden. Actually, Bonnie, yes, I am gay. Although before I met your son, I hadn't really admitted that to many people. I guess I was afraid of situations like what happened to your husband's brother."
"It actually makes me feel better knowing that there is a gay man in my son's life who is successful and can mentor him," she said. "Although, I have to assume there is more than mentoring going on here, am I right?"
"Oh my God. Let's just go home, mom." Braden was embarrassed now. Austin was laughing, clearly enjoying the discomfort this was causing his brother. I could tell they were close, and I really hoped that would continue.
We all said our goodbyes, and Braden gave me a quick peck on the lips. Bonnie missed it, but Austin didn't. I just smiled and winked. He returned the gesture to me.
I closed the door behind them and looked out the window as Bonnie's Lexus backed out of my driveway. This kid has really changed my life in just the last week. While he had introduced a lot of drama, he had also introduced a feeling of longing for companionship that I hadn't felt in a long time. I went back to the den and picked up the bottle of wine. I decided to have a glass myself. Three glasses later, I was ready for bed. It didn't take long for sleep to find me.
The next thing I knew, I was doing one of the things I enjoy the most. A gorgeous, sexy blonde boy was grinding his sweaty hole on my face.
"Eat my hole, daddy! Eat my hole!"
The sexy boy, who looked familiar, continued rubbing his pungent, sweaty, musky hole across my nose as he squatted over my face. I always loved it when a boy sat on my face. Especially when they smell this good. It was the unmistakable ass scent that only teenage boys have. My cock was hard and dripping as I reached around the boy stroke myself. I reached back up and grabbed his cock, which was average size for a boy of his age, but was dripping a massive amount of precum. The boy pushed his anus out, allowing my tongue to slip inside. A slight bitterness hit my tongue. The taste of the inside of a boy's anus. I love it.
Buzz buzz. Buzz buzz.
I was pulled back to reality by the buzzing of my phone beside the bed. I realized that the gorgeous blonde boy was only a figment of my imagination. A dream. But my dripping hardon was very real.
Buzz buzz.
I grabbed the phone. It was 4:47. Who in the hell was texting me at this hour? The area code was local, but the number was not a saved contact.
"Hey. It's me. Braden."
"Hey, you. Everything good? You need me?"
"Well, yeah I need you. But not in a bad way."
"So things are okay with your dad?"
"I think so. We talked. He's not happy but he doesn't hate me. He knows I know about Joseph. Mom said just give him time."
"Good."
"We all just went to bed. Long night. Lol. Were you asleep?"
"I was. But it's fine. Was having a really good dream though."
"Oh, was I in it? ;)"
"Something like that" I didn't want to admit that it wasn't him in the dream.
"Well, how about in a few hours I go for my run and run by your house. I'm feeling like doing what we didn't do yesterday when I was upset."
"I'd love that, baby. Just text me when you're headed this way."
"Okay, I'm gonna get some sleep now, Joshie :)"
"See you soon, baby."
I smiled as I put the phone back down. I'm so glad Braden is okay. I hope his dad is able to overcome his emotions and be there for Braden in a way he couldn't be for his own brother. I was fairly certain of one thing. This family is probably going to need some counseling before this is all over. I closed my eyes, and the boy from my dream reappeared. It was then I realized that the boy in my dream was Braden's brother Austin! I felt a little uneasy. I'd never done anything with a boy that age, and although this was only a dream and I had done nothing wrong, I still didn't like the feeling of guilt I had. I was ready to sink my tongue back in to Braden's ass in a few hours.
The next chapter in this series will be published soon!
I know there was a lot of emotion and not much sex in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed getting to know more about some of the characters in the story. Email your feedback to whenyouleastexpect2020@gmail.com.