STEAM

by

Gateroller

Leaving Clark and Jason to enjoy their new bathroom, Charlie left the house. As he closed the front door his cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

“Hey, Mike,” he said trying to put on his jacket one handed. “The holidays? Thanks, Mike, that would be great.”

Smiling broadly, images of his latest bathroom remodelling clients fucking each other stupid beneath the Italian designer shower evaporated. Charlie had been invited to spend the holidays with his brother Mike and his wife Margaret. It would be nice to see Mike; it had been a while. His wife Margaret he could take or leave. She didn’t like the fact Charlie liked men. He didn’t care.

-o-

Three weeks later, Charlie jumped into his flatbed truck to make the journey to his brother’s place in Lakewood just south of Seattle.

Christmas in snowy Lakewood; what a thought! New Years in a gay bar in Seattle? Even better! Charlie probably wouldn’t bother though. The last time he visited Michael and went in search of male company he’d managed to upset his sister-in-law. Charlie had never met her nephew before, so how was he supposed to know the man in his early twenties at her party giving Charlie the come on was a relative?

She had labelled Charlie a pervert and corrupter of children. That was five years ago, so he wondered what had happened between Michael and his wife to extend the invitation to visit.

As Charlie slowed to a stop at traffic lights, he listed Margaret’s various prejudices. The longer the list grew, the more tense Charlie became, his foot stamping down hard on the accelerator pedal when the lights changed to green.

He began to think going to Michael’s was not such a good idea. Over the years Charlie had carefully established and honed his equilibrium, and he just knew one look at Margaret’s frosty stare and icy welcome would have him angry and resentful.

-o-

Mike’s large ranch style house looked perfect against the snow-blanketed backdrop of the garden and trees. The place was indeed a winter wonderland, a cliché Charlie knew, but it described Mike’s place perfectly.

Charlie couldn’t fail to hide his nervousness as Mike’s front door was flung open and his older brother came striding down the wide wooden steps to meet him.

“Charlie,” Mike breathed as he took his brother’s hand.

Blinking, Charlie noted how much older Mike looked, but then again, he probably looked older too, but Mike’s hair had a sprinkling of frost, he was beginning to grey, and Charlie had to admit he was shocked.

Mike smiled at Charlie. He was surprised to see his younger brother didn’t look so young anymore. He looked good though, just with a few extra lines around his eyes and mouth. His hair was still lacking in style, with a mop of unruly long curls hiding his jacket collar.

Five years had gone by since the brothers had last seen each other and during that time, the world had not stopped spinning or getting older.

There was an awkward pause during which Charlie wanted Mike to hug him, to make him feel missed and wanted. Perhaps Mike might have done that if the spectral figure of his wife Margaret hadn’t appeared on the porch behind him.

Charlie’s eyes glanced past Mike’s right shoulder at the pinched expression and skinny appearance.

“Margaret,” Charlie acknowledged with as much neutrality as he could muster.

“Charlie,” she nodded and went back inside the house.

“See she’s as charming as ever,” Charlie remarked following Mike up the snow-swept steps.

Mike chose to ignore Charlie’s observation.

Inside, the halls were decked with holly, and Charlie smiled. His brother’s house just seemed to be full of clichés.

-o-

Supper was a strained and tense affair.

“How’ve you been, Charlie?” Mike asked politely.

“Good,” Charlie replied.

“You’ve been well?”

“Pretty much.”

“How’s business?”

“Good.”

Charlie wasn’t going to make it easy for Mike. As far as he was concerned, Mike had dumped his relationship with his brother in favour of his narrow-minded, emotionally chilly wife. Not that he was jealous of course, it was just that he’d expected he and Mike would always continue to be close, whether Mike was married or not. It seemed to Charlie that Mike had been forced to make a choice, him or Margaret. He’d never understood why it couldn’t be both, why it had to be either or.

Mike tried to make conversation, working hard to include his wife, who pointedly refused to participate. After the leftovers of the main course had been consigned to the trash, Margaret slammed down a plate of donuts on the table and stormed off to the bedroom, Mike wincing and looking apologetically at his brother.

“You’ve got problems,” Charlie observed ruefully.

“Well, yeah, but it’ll be okay, we’re just going through a rough patch.”

“Looks a little more than a patch to me, Mike,” Charlie said sipping the last of his wine.

“We’ve had our problems,” Mike conceded.

“I noticed,” Charlie said quietly.

“But we’ll work it out, I’m sure we will. I should go to her,” Mike said. “She’s upset.”

“Why, Mike? Is it me?”

Suddenly, Mike’s expression changed from one of patient saint to distraught brother. “Oh my God, Charlie, it’s not you, of course it’s not you!”

“Well, what then?”

“It’s me. I…She…” Mike’s voice trailed off and all he could do was wave his arms. “I can’t explain, okay? It’s too complicated,” he breathed. “I should go. Do you mind?”

“No, you go ahead,” Charlie said and frowned as his brother left the kitchen.

Whatever Mike was upset about, it must have been really important. Charlie had never known his brother to be tongue tied like that, and for the first time, he was worried.

-o-

The next day, Christmas Eve, Margaret insisted that Mike and Charlie go out and find a tree. It was something the brothers’ father had always done with them when they were kids, and Mike had continued the tradition even though he had no children of his own.

Mike strode purposefully through the yard, unhitched a small gate in the tall hedge and marched on through neighbouring woodland. Charlie had to work hard to keep up with his brother, finding the deep snow sapping on his legs.

“Oh, I meant to say,” Mike began as he studied a couple of likely fir trees, “We’ve got another house guest due to arrive this afternoon.”

Charlie felt relieved. He hoped he would no longer be under Margaret’s punitive spotlight. He was sure she was probably blaming him for her marital problems with Mike.

“What do you think? This one?” Mike asked eyeing up a tree.

“Yeah, looks great, so, who’s the guest?” Charlie asked watching his brother flex his fingers around the grip of the axe, and getting ready to strike the unsuspecting fir.

“Kevin, his name’s Kevin McKenzie,” Mike answered taking a breath, and swung the axe blade against the tree trunk.

Charlie waited for more details, but Mike was intent on separating the tree from its roots, spending the next few minutes hacking at the trunk. When the tree had been felled, the men took a handful of lower branches each and dragged it over the snow and back to the house.

Margaret supervised as the tree was mounted upright in its stand, asking Mike to turn it this way or that so that its best plane of shape was to the front and facing into the living room.

Charlie helped, and for just a few moments, he and Margaret got along, sharing laughter as they helped each other help Mike place the tree. Smiling, Charlie thought for just a fleeting second or two, they were the Hardy Family.

-o-

Margaret’s good mood dissolved when the front door bell rang. Before she could stalk to answer it, Mike almost ran to overtake her, and grinning from ear to ear, pulled open the large heavy wooden door.

Charlie stayed in the living room, listening to hear Mike greet his guest, except he heard nothing, save Margaret’s voiced greeting, the same greeting with the icy tone he’d got the day before.

Standing, Charlie waited for the others to return along with this man Kevin. Mike walked into the living room smiling broadly, followed by a tall slim man wearing glasses.

“Charlie, this is Kevin,” Mike announced enthusiastically.

Kevin reached out offering his hand for Charlie to shake. “Hi,” he said and grinned.

“I’ll make coffee, shall I?” Margaret offered reluctantly with the kind of generosity associated with Ebenezer Scrooge.

Nodding, Mike didn’t even look at his wife let alone acknowledge her, but rather, concentrated his attention on his guest.

Charlie watched in surprise as Mike communicated with Kevin without saying a word except by signing. As his eyes widened, Mike laughed.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you, Kevin’s deaf.”

“I didn’t know you could sign,” Charlie said with genuine admiration for his brother’s skills.

“He and I worked together so I thought I should at least try and learn how to communicate in Kevin’s first language.”

“That’s great, Mike, but I guess you’ll be the only one who can. I mean I don’t know sign language and I don’t suppose Margaret does either.”

“It’s okay, Charlie, I can understand you,” Kevin interjected.

“What?” Charlie said startled when he heard the other man speak.

“I read lips,” Kevin grinned.

“Ah,” Charlie nodded, “Sorry.”

“I’m not,” said Kevin, his eyes lingering on Charlie’s.

Charlie felt his groin warm in response. The man was about the same age as Charlie, slim with short brown hair and blue eyes. He was interesting.

Right then, Margaret came in with a tray of coffee mugs. Taking it from her, Mike placed it on the table in front of the sofa. Margaret took her coffee into the den, glaring at all three men before she left.

Frowning, Charlie couldn’t ignore the atmosphere and even though Kevin had only just arrived, he had to raise the issue.

“What the hell is going on, Mike?” Charlie demanded to know.

“It’s nothing,” the older brother said dismissively.

“It’s something! For God’s sake, Mike, I need to know, otherwise I’m outta here!”

Charlie hadn’t meant to snap, but Mike’s avoidance of whatever the issue was, was really annoying him.

“Just leave it, Charlie,” Mike threw back and went in search of his wife.

By now, both Charlie and Kevin were standing and staring at the spot newly vacated by Mike.

“That went well,” Charlie muttered scrubbing his forehead and making his black curls bob and dance as they lay over the back of his hand.

“Don’t blame yourself for trying to find out,” Kevin commented. “It’s not your fault.”

Charlie shrugged despondently. “I just wish Mike would admit his marriage is dead.”

“Maybe he already knows that.”

“Maybe,” Charlie nodded pensively. Walking towards the kitchen, he called over his shoulder, “Want some wine?” When Kevin didn’t answer, he repeated his question only louder, but still the man didn’t reply. Slightly irritated, Charlie spun around and glared at Kevin. “Hey, I asked you a question,” he grunted and planted his hands on his hips impatiently.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” Kevin said. “You walked away from me, and if you spoke I couldn’t see your lips to read them.”

“Oh fuck!” Charlie blurted suddenly embarrassed by such a stupid mistake. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t think.”

“Perhaps you will from now on, Charlie,” Kevin smiled as he joined him in the kitchen.

“I’m sorry,” Charlie said again feeling like a complete idiot.

“It’s okay, Charlie, really. People make that mistake all the time. I’m used to it.”

“You should give me some hints, Kevin. I have to admit I’m crap at this, so what should I do or not do to make it easier for you?”

“Thanks for asking,” Kevin said. “When you speak don’t turn away, I can’t see your lips. Don’t over enunciate your words. It just looks weird and makes it harder for me to figure out what you’re saying. I think that’s it really, oh, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t grow a big bushy moustache. When the lips are concealed or semi concealed they’re really difficult to read.”

Charlie smiled as he listened intently. He wanted to learn about deaf protocol, besides he was enjoying listening to Kevin speak. The man had that slightly flat tone to his voice, typical of someone who’s hearing was impaired. Rather than finding it disconcerting, Charlie was attracted to it; it was different and interesting.

-o-

The evening meal was almost as tense as the night before. Only Kevin’s playful smile saved the day.

Charlie liked Kevin. He had a very laid back way with him, and was in fact, the complete opposite to Margaret. He noticed Mike was sensitive to it as well, and Charlie was sure he seemed more relaxed since Kevin had arrived. Once or twice Kevin had managed to get a smile out of Margaret, and Charlie watched in awe as the deaf man slowly melted the woman’s icy exterior.

After supper, the men acquiesced to Margaret’s demanding strictures for decorating the tree, each thoroughly enjoying the Christmas spirit, helped along by alcoholic spirit. The spirit softened attitudes and accentuated attractions.

Charlie wanted to laugh out loud when he saw Margaret caress her husband’s butt as they stood side by side admiring the Christmas tree. Somehow, imagining Margaret as a sexual being was rather difficult given her hard and unforgiving nature, but maybe now, on the eve of goodwill to all men…and women, Margaret was showing a more generous and loving side. Charlie hoped so; Mike deserved it.

As Mike and his wife clasped hands and weaved their way towards the staircase and their bedroom, Charlie hoped tonight would be the consummation of their reconciliation. When Kevin got to his feet and stretched, Charlie blinked. The man was attractive and Charlie wondered if he might like the companionship of another man tonight, though he hadn’t given any hints.

“Excuse me,” Kevin said, “There’s something I need to do. I’ll see you in the morning.”

After he’d left the living room, Charlie wondered what it was that Kevin needed to do. Shrugging, he grabbed the remote and switched on the TV, tuning immediately to channel five forty, hoping to watch some raunchy man on man sex; he wasn’t disappointed.

The fact that Mike had subscribed to a gay porn channel hadn’t really registered with Charlie, he was just keen to watch sex the way he liked it.

-o-

An hour later, and with a semi erect penis, Charlie made for a glass of water from the kitchen before he went to bed. More importantly he was looking forward to jerking off and gaining some satisfaction thanks to the stimulation of the gay porn channel.

As he looked out of the window while his glass filled, he spotted something odd.

Out of the window in the dark Charlie could see clouds of steam, at least it looked like steam. Maybe there was a break in a pipe, and suddenly with his plumbing head on, Charlie needed to go outside and check it out.

Great clouds of steam floated in the still atmosphere, and Charlie could hear water shushing and sloshing. Of course! It was the hot tub. He should have remembered, after all, he was the one who’d installed it.

Peering around the screen that hid it, his mouth dropped open at what he saw. Sitting in the hot bubbling water was Kevin; naked, eyes closed and with his back to Charlie.

Smiling wickedly, Charlie remembered Kevin wouldn’t be able to hear him as he crept closer. Watching, Charlie could see Kevin immersed and comfortable in the hot tub, and when he noticed Kevin’s shoulder moving, he tried to see what his arm and hand were doing. Judging by the sighs and shallow breathing, Charlie guessed he was stroking his cock below the surface of the water. God, he wanted some of that!

Charlie had two choices; he could either walk away and pretend he’d never seen anything, or make a bold move and join Kevin in the tub. Stripping his clothes, Charlie had made his choice, but the night time temperature was a lot colder than he’d realised, and naked, he shivered.

Covering his cock and balls, he hoped his still warm hands would stop his genitals from shrinking to a tiny, Lilliputian scale size – that would be too embarrassing. There had been a fresh fall of snow through the evening, and Charlie decided to prudently step inside Kevin’s footprints and avoid foot, ankle and shin freeze.

As Charlie stepped up to the tub, he could see Kevin’s expression, one of closed eyed concentration, and obviously doing what Charlie had suspected. In fact he could just make out Kevin’s hard cock in his hand through the steaming frothy water.

Startled, Kevin stopped his movements when he felt Charlie’s weight displacement in the water. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see Charlie step into the tub and then sit down on the step below the water’s surface.

Smiling, Charlie didn’t want to beat around the bush, he was hard and wanted to do something about it. He didn’t know if Kevin would be interested but he had to ask.

“Looks like you were having some fun,” Charlie said smiling. “Do you mind if I have some fun too?”

Kevin looked at Charlie, carefully appraising him. Could the man be trusted? Was he gay as well?

“We could have some mutual fun, Charlie,” Kevin said and held his breath waiting for a response.

“Oh God, yeah!” Charlie grinned and shifted next to Kevin, letting his hand seek out a pair of warm thighs.

Kevin leaned back against the wall of the tub and let his legs fall open, raising his hips a little to make sure Charlie couldn’t miss his genitals.

Grasping Kevin’s cock, Charlie sucked in a breath, the man was hard and huge. Staring down through the water, Charlie had to take a look.

“If you want a closer look I can give you one,” Kevin rasped and planting his feet on the floor of the tub, pushed up until his groin and hips came up out of the water. His cock surfaced first, long before the rest of him. Charlie was right; the man had a very large dick indeed.

“Think you can take it?” Kevin asked, his hand gripping his shaft and slowly stroking.

“Any which way you like,” Charlie breathed.

“Good,” Kevin replied emphatically. Sinking back down into the water, he reached for Charlie’s hand and planted it on his cock, rubbing Charlie’s hand against his flesh with his own.

Groaning, Charlie’s ass muscles clenched and unclenched in anticipation of being fucked by such a large dick.

“You know what I’m gonna ask, don’t you?” Charlie smiled, enjoying the dimensions of Kevin’s shaft.

“Yeah, you want me to fuck you,” Kevin said, his eyelids fluttering closed as Charlie stroked him.

With that Charlie wasted no more time, and turned to rest his knees on the tub bench, pushing his body out of the water and baring his ass. Stretching his knees as far as he could, he really wanted this.

Kevin reached over the edge of the tub and grabbed his towel, draping it over Charlie’s back. He didn’t want his partner catching pneumonia.

Quickly pouring conditioner over his fingers, Kevin rubbed at Charlie’s anus and then slipped in a finger, working his ass in preparation.

Charlie squeezed his eyes shut, panting at Kevin’s actions. He wanted two fingers, maybe even three, and opened his mouth to plead with Kevin to work him hard. Then he remembered Kevin wouldn’t know what he was saying, because he was facing away from the man behind him. He would have to try and give Kevin some hints about what he wanted. Pushing his hips back onto Kevin’s finger, Charlie hoped the man would understand.

Kevin did understand and pushed in another digit. “I need to make sure you’re properly prepared, Charlie. I know from experience being as big as I am, that it’s important, so try to be patient.”

Nodding vigorously, Charlie hung on to the edge of the tub, moving his hips up and down on Kevin’s fingers to help prepare himself. He wanted Kevin inside him as soon as humanly possible. He was already well stimulated, and seeing what Kevin had to offer only made him more so.

Standing, Kevin spread more conditioner over his cock, and holding onto Charlie’s hips, pressed into his ass. With a slow glide, he breached Charlie’s asshole, and Charlie gasped at the stretch. Kevin’s cock had a wide girth, and even the careful groundwork he’d been given didn’t prepare Charlie for the sensation of being filled like this.

Waiting for Charlie to adjust to his very ample size, Kevin loved the feel of being enveloped, of being surrounded by hot, tight flesh, and when he couldn’t wait any longer, began to move, the tub water sloshing against his balls as he pushed.

Kevin knew he couldn’t be slow and easy, he had to be fast and hard, otherwise his exposed body would freeze in the cold temperature surrounding the hot tub. Kevin got into a fast pumping rhythm, and had Charlie panting and groaning as he fucked him.

As the men engaged in their fast and furious coupling, another man was observing them. It was Mike, who had actually gone outside to empty the trash. Leaving the black bag at his feet, he’d heard the sounds of sex coming from his hot tub and had to look, his eyes narrowing to see through the clouds of swirling steam.

It could only be Kevin and his brother. Mike’s eyes were on Kevin, mesmerised by the way he was moving against Charlie. He didn’t want to watch Charlie, that just seemed a little too weird, but he was more than happy to take in the majestic thrusting action Kevin was meting out to his partner.

Mike would never say anything to either man about his accidental discovery of their nocturnal activity, and he certainly wouldn’t say anything to Margaret about it. She would have an apoplectic fit. Mike wasn’t surprised at his response to what he was seeing though, and his erection was harder than it had been for some time.

Charlie grasped at the edge of the tub with one hand as he dropped the other to jerk off. Kevin was very close now, and had already grunted a warning of his impending orgasm. Charlie pumped his cock fast; he was getting cold and needed to bring his night time fuck to a close.

Kevin was pounding into Charlie’s ass, so close to completion now. As his balls drew up, his body stiffened and his cock exploded, the semen shooting out high up inside Charlie’s asshole. It felt so good.

Charlie came hard, pointing his cock towards the water to take and dissolve the evidence of his orgasm. When Kevin had withdrawn, Charlie sat down in the water to warm up, as did Kevin. Holding hands for a moment, they nodded their thanks to each other before making a dash for the house.

-o-

The next morning, Christmas morning, Mike and Margaret and their two guests gathered by the tree for their exchange of gifts. The only two who didn’t get presents from each other were Charlie and Kevin, but from the glances shared between the two of them, they knew their session in the hot tub was the kind of gift they were more than happy with.

When Mike joined his wife in the kitchen to help with the lunch preparations, Kevin and Charlie remained in the living room, Kevin playing solitaire from the compendium of games Mike had given him.

All the while, Charlie sat in an armchair in pensive thought. He knew Margaret disapproved of him having sex with men, but what issue did she have with Kevin? Perhaps it was because he would be deemed as disabled, his hearing impairment making him less than normal, less than perfect. Did Charlie’s choice of bed partners condemn him to the same conclusion, that he wasn’t normal or perfect? But why though would Margaret have it in for Mike?

-o-

Given the tensions of the previous days, lunch was a civil and gentle affair. For all her failings, Margaret was a very good cook when she put her mind to it, producing a wonderful spread of food. The wine flowed with great generosity, Charlie discovering that it softened Margaret’s edges considerably. By the end of the meal, she was almost Miss Congeniality.

Charlie was glad to see his brother relaxed and happy. Mik was a great host, generating a convivial atmosphere for his guests. When he kissed his wife Charlie smiled. Perhaps whatever was plaguing their marriage had gone.

Not to be outdone by the heterosexuals, Charlie crossed the room to Kevin, and pulling him out of his seat, wrapped his arms around the deaf man and kissed him.

Mike stared, intently. He watched fascinated as their eyes closed a second before the two men’s lips parted, and they made contact. Mike had never seen anything so erotic. Seeing Charlie and Kevin fucking was exciting, but watching them kiss was just as amazing.

Everything came crashing down when Margaret saw the kiss. Gasping in shock, she glared as they parted, their lips lingering before a gap opened up between them.

“What are you doing?” Margaret blurted, affronted by her brother-in-law’s action.

“I was enjoying a kiss, just like you and Mike did. Anything wrong with that?”

“How dare you!” Margaret declared.

“I don’t suppose it might have occurred to you that seeing two heterosexual people kiss was embarrassing for me and Kevin?”

Margaret blinked, and opened her mouth, though no sound came out.

“Tell me something, Margaret, why do you dislike me so much?” Charlie asked, and Mike nearly fell off his chair.

“Charlie, there’s no need to for that,” his brother hissed, but Charlie ignored him.

“Well?” Charlie pressed.

“I don’t dislike you, Charlie,” Margaret replied quietly. “I just think you are disgusting!” she stated harshly, her previously ordinary tone suddenly hard.

Grinning, Charlie saw a good opportunity to wind up his sister-in-law. “So I’m disgusting, or what I do is disgusting?”

“What you do is unforgivable!”

“Exactly what do I do that’s so bad? I need details otherwise how can I defend myself,” Charlie went on.

“Charlie,” muttered Mike. Why did the man have to make things so difficult? Why couldn’t he just leave well alone?

Glancing to Mike, Charlie could see his brother was upset, but more than that he appeared uncomfortable, as though he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Frowning, Charlie couldn’t work out why it was Mike who looked guilty.

Margaret’s mouth flew open, shocked by having her brother-in-law challenge her to say the words. She couldn’t possibly vocalise what she was thinking, the embarrassment and revulsion she felt kept her silent.

“You can’t even say it, can you,” Charlie continued, knowing he had the woman on the run. “Can you say it, Margaret? Can you say fuck ass? Huh?”

Charlie was in his element. He’d become practised at this kind of argument. He’d used it for so many years now; it just came out of his mouth almost by rote.

“Charlie!” Mike intervened, he had to, to save his wife from further embarrassment and to save himself from getting a hard on.

“Look,” Charlie went on, “We just want the same as you, but you spend your whole life focusing on what we do and how we do it, not on what we feel or what we need. You know, we’re no different from you, Margaret. Everybody wants to love and be loved. We all want to be happy, feel content with our lives, with our partners. Is that so bad?”

By now Charlie was angry. How many times had he said this, and how many times did he nearly get close enough to someone to make it come true, just to have it disintegrate. Breathing rapidly, Charlie fisted his hands, clenching and unclenching them, heat and frustration shaking his body.

Kevin could see that Charlie was distressed and stroking his arm, tried to comfort him. Mike was torn between going to his brother and going to his wife. In the end, he went to Margaret, holding her tightly to console her.

What had started as a few light-hearted jibes had ended up in confrontation. Charlie slumped in a chair, putting his head in his hands. Right now at that moment, he felt his life was crap. Maybe Margaret was right.

-o-

It was a weary climb up the stairs for Charlie. He felt guilty for the failure of his brother’s marriage, which was stupid he knew, but he couldn’t help taking some blame for it. It was now he wished he’d not come to Lakewood. He should have stayed at home in his apartment and maybe done the rounds of the gay clubs. It was too late now, and he couldn’t run out on Mike without making sure he was okay.

When Charlie opened his bedroom door he noticed the small reading lamp was on, and saw Kevin in his bed.

“What the?”

“I thought you could use some company,” Kevin smiled throwing back the bed covers.

Charlie was very grateful for Kevin’s offer. He needed to be held, reassured that he was okay, that he wasn’t a complete idiot.

Quickly undressing, Charlie slid into bed next to Kevin. Charlie was so glad Kevin was there; he really needed this, and demonstrating his feelings, snuggled into the other man’s embrace. Charlie felt quite emotional, his feelings about his brother and about himself shaken a little. Mike looked so vulnerable and it was Charlie’s fault that his wife was likely to leave him.

Meanwhile, Kevin was here, in his bed and offering him solace. Kevin stretched out his arm and Charlie moved closer still, happy to be cuddled. For a long while the men just lay still, holding each other. This wasn’t about sex it was about reaffirmation that their choice of sexuality was the right one.

As they rested, Kevin played his fingertips up and down Charlie’s arm, his wrist rubbing over Charlie’s nipple. The gentle touches settled Charlie and his mind turned to the way Kevin was arousing his body. Kevin wasn’t demanding, wasn’t being overtly sexual, but he was exciting Charlie just the same.

Though in no rush, they were inside the house and not in the yard after all, passion and need grew quickly, and the men grappled to feel skin, rub against each other and propel themselves towards heightened excitement. Turning again and again, they vied to top. In the end Charlie won, pinning Kevin to the mattress and kissing him thoroughly.

Reaching between them, Charlie fondled Kevin’s large dick and balls, enjoying the size and feel. Stroking, Charlie dragged his tongue over Kevin’s chest and abdomen and took Kevin into his mouth. The man was long, and Charlie couldn’t take him all, so instead, he palmed Kevin’s balls, massaging them to send a tingle through Kevin’s groin.

Pushing his hand under the pillow, Kevin brought out a small pump spray of lubricant. “I didn’t know…I thought if I invited myself to your bed, I should bring a gift!”

Taking the lube, Charlie breathed, “Turn over, I want you on your hands and knees.”

“No, no I don’t want to do that,” Kevin said quietly.

“Oh, okay,” replied Charlie sounding rather disappointed. He really wanted to look at, and fill Kevin’s asshole and he was just in the mood to focus on that alone. Maybe Kevin didn’t want penetrative sex this time around. Charlie would have to deal.

“I want to see your face, so I can understand what you’re saying,” Kevin explained breathlessly.

“Ah, gotcha,” Charlie grinned stroking himself to try and squeeze out an extra ounce of hardness. “Wanna be inside, Kev, wanna fill you, wanna fuck you good!”

Kevin slipped his hands under his knees and canted his hips. Parting his legs, Kevin’s head fell back on the pillow and for a moment he closed his eyes. It was a luxury for him to concentrate his senses on what he could feel rather than what he could see. He was so reliant on his sight to interpret what he couldn’t hear that sometimes he longed to be able to close his eyes and just feel. Charlie had already said what he wanted, and for Kevin that was enough verbal communication for the time being.

Charlie stared and stared at Kevin’s clean-shaven ass, the tight puckered ring exciting him so much. With a lubricated finger, Charlie teased Kevin’s hole, eliciting low moaning from the deaf man. Charlie felt his cock twitch as he realised just how responsive Kevin was, making him want to tease and stimulate Kevin even more, setting up a stream of muttered entreaties from him.

Kevin was rocking his hips, desperate for Charlie to enter him. Because of the generous size of his cock, Kevin always found his partners wanted him to top; so being penetrated was good. Sometimes he refused to do it, and found the length of his relationships shorter than his dick!

Charlie watched Kevin’s expression; with his eyes closed he looked like he was in a world of his own. Wanting to be inside, Charlie felt he should at least give Kevin some warning, so with his finger still working Kevin’s asshole, Charlie used his other hand to pat the man’s thigh to get his attention.

“Kev? Are you ready? I want you,” Charlie said, hoping Kevin wanted him as much as he wanted Kevin.

Nodding enthusiastically, Kevin hissed his approval, and Charlie lined himself up, breaching Kevin’s asshole in one movement.

-o-

Charlie and Kevin lay together in each other’s arms. The sex had been mind blowing, and Charlie felt very, very good. He liked Kevin a lot. Propping himself up on one elbow, Charlie looked at Kevin’s face.

Though his eyes were closed, Kevin smiled feeling Charlie move beside him. “What is it?” he asked opening them to lip-read Charlie’s response.

“I was thinking, you know, about us,” Charlie began.

Kevin frowned. “What about us?”

“We get on, we’re great in bed, and I wondered if you might want to take it further.”

“You mean further as in a relationship?” Kevin asked sitting up. This sounded important.

Charlie sucked on his lower lip, carefully considering his reply. “Yeah, I guess that’s what I mean. You and me, together.”

Kevin lifted his hand and laid it gently against Charlie’s face. “I should stop you right there, Charlie. As much as I like you, and I do, there’s someone else.”

Blinking, Charlie leaned into Kevin’s palm. The disappointment hurt. “So, you’ve already got a relationship?”

“Not exactly,” Kevin said, folding his arms across his bare chest. “The man I want doesn’t know.”

“What?” Charlie laughed. “How does that work?”

“He’s not in a position to know, and even if he was, I’m not sure he’d want to do anything about it,” Kevin said sadly.

“You’ve spoken to him, right?”

“No.”

“No?”

“Look, Charlie, the circumstances are difficult, and he…well he has no idea how I feel.”

“Well tell him!”

“I can’t. I have to leave it to him to make the first move. It’s got to come from him.”

“Why?” Charlie asked incredulously.

“Because he needs to realise it’s me he wants, and that might take a while…if ever. I can’t chase him. He needs to make the decision for himself.”

“Crap,” Charlie muttered. “Sounds complicated.”

Nodding dumbly, Kevin couldn’t argue with that.

-o-

The next day, the day after Christmas Day, a gloomy atmosphere had settled over Mike’s house. Charlie stayed in his bedroom alone, regretting his approach to Kevin, and equally, Kevin’s negative response.

Mike watched, defeated and depressed, as Margaret packed a suitcase. He’d always imagined it would he who would move out, but in reality it was his wife who was leaving.

As she stalked around their bedroom, Mike transferred himself to the living room, unable to do anything to stop his wife, or anything to pull himself out of his pessimism. With his marriage broken and his wife about to go, what was he supposed to do with himself? Charlie was being no help at all, hiding away in his bedroom. Mike needed to talk to him.

However, it was Kevin who sought out Mike, concerned about his friend and the impending doom of his divorce. Sitting near the window and staring out at the snow-covered landscape, Kevin so wanted to console Mike, but there was nothing he could do except sit and wait.

Suddenly, Mike turned to Kevin, and tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention, looked at him with sad eyes. “I need to talk with Charlie. I suggest you stay out of Margaret’s way,” he smiled ruefully.

-o-

“You okay, Mike?” Charlie enquired switching off the small TV set seeing his brother slump down on his bed.

“I guess,” Michael replied glumly.

“Oh God, Mike, I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t think you’re sorry about Margaret leaving, Charlie.”

“Maybe not, but I’m sorry you’re left on your own,” Charlie commented.

“Well that’s the thing,” Mike said, his finger tracing around the bold red flower design of the bed cover.

Charlie’s eyebrows rose in question. “Thing?”

“I haven’t explained why Margaret was so angry. A while back she caught me watching a gay porn channel.

His eyes widening in surprise, Charlie thought about what his brother was saying, and then wasn’t sure he’d come to the right conclusion.

“Are you telling me you’re gay?”

“No. I’m just saying Margaret made her own assumptions about why I was watching men fuck men instead of women. She said I was perverted, said I was like you.”

Charlie opened his mouth to say something, but Mike lifted his hand to quieten him. “I defended you, Charlie. I told her you were my brother and that’s all that mattered. She wasn’t impressed.”

Mike got up from the bed and paced the room, Charlie watching him. Then he stopped and stared intently at his brother. “I don’t know if I’m gay or not, Charlie.” Mike choked back his emotions. He was so close to losing it.

“It’s not something you have to deal with right now, Mike,” Charlie said, “It’s not that important.”

“Yes it is! It really is important,” Mike blurted. “I need to know who I am.”

“Look, sexuality isn’t a fixed status you know. Sexuality can change if we want it to. It’s not cast in stone, Mike.”

Blinking, Mike tried to find the truth of it in Charlie’s face. “Really?”

“Of course! It’s not an either or, we can shift between straight and gay if we choose to.”

“But you don’t choose to, do you, Charlie?” Mike asked.

“No, okay I don’t, but that’s my choice, no one else’s.”

“I’ve been so uncertain, and Margaret obviously read between the lines. That’s why she’s leaving.”

“So there is someone else,” Charlie stated with confidence. He’d seen the signs before.

“Maybe, I don’t know. I like him very much, Charlie, I always have, but that doesn’t mean I’d do anything about it.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because I don’t know what to do or how to do it,” Mike sighed sitting down on the bed again. “I’d feel stupid,” he went on.

“Have you spoken to him, told him how you feel?”

“Certainly not,” Mike said defensively. “I’m married. I’ve never strayed, I’ve always been loyal to Margaret.”

“But you don’t have to be any more. She’s leaving you. She’s the one who’s thrown in the loyalty card, Mike.”

“I didn’t really give her much choice, Charlie. She married one man, and years later discovered he wasn’t who she thought he was. She’s angry, Charlie and it’s my fault. She feels she married me under false pretences, and I can’t blame her.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know. I need time.”

“Sure, of course you do. You’ve got some thinking to do.”

Mike shook his head. He’d already done the thinking; it was the doing he was so unsure about.

-o-

Three months later, Charlie was installing another bathroom. He’d got over Kevin’s rejection of him, though he still hoped he might meet the man of his dreams and live happily ever after, though his optimism was faltering.

As he stood in line at the hardware store, he wondered if he was just meant to be alone. As he frowned at the wrack of paint cans, he heard a man’s whispered voice behind him.

“Nice ass….”

-o-

During that same period of time, Kevin had taken up his new job as a boat designer in Seattle. He hadn’t seen Mike since his move to the city. He’d been busy, his job was demanding with tight deadlines. Kevin was in the throes of juggling several prestige design projects, adjusting to living in a different part of the country and trying to find somewhere suitable to live. So far he’d been renting a small apartment, but wanted to move closer to where he worked, he just wanted to save the journey time.

Kevin stopped to collect his usual Styrofoam cup of coffee on his way to work. The sun was bright making him wince as the piercingly bright light reflected off the water of Puget Sound and lanced off a car hood.

“Hey,” someone said to his right, and turning Kevin lifted his hand to shield his eyes.

“Andy,” Kevin smiled, “Good to see you.”

“Even better to see you,” the cab driver breathed.

The End

On to SPRAY