The holiday season continues. Christmas looks to be a lonely time without Bart but a trip to spend time with the relatives and things get really complicated.

This is a fictional tale of sexual relationship between two teenage boys. The characters are made up and are not based on any person, living or dead. You must be eighteen to read this story. If it is against the law where you are to read stories like this you are kindly requested to leave and not read this story. It is only a fictional story for your reading pleasure.

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Eric was devastated. Just when everything was going great between them and the 'L' word was exchanged, Bart's Father is whisking him away to Europe for six months or more. Bart was only given ten minutes with Eric to say good bye, possibly forever. It was cruel and heartless. He could really appreciate why Bart hated his Father so much. He was a cold and uncaring man.

Eric shuffled home, hardly picking up his feet. It took him twice as long to get home as normally. He had forgotten all about going to work at the market until Mr. Conrad called the house to see if Eric was ill.

"Oh my, you must be sick. You get to bed and take care of yourself and I'll see you when you feel better."

Eric felt like telling him that it would be at least six months or more before he would feel better. Eric went up stairs and flopped on his bed. He buried his head in his pillow, sniffing it to see if he could still smell Bart's scent from their last sleep over. Of course his mother had changed the bedding several times since then, but Eric was convinced he could smell the familiar fragrance of his boy friend.

His mother came home and went up stairs looking for Eric. She had stopped at the market to pick him up after work but Mr. Conrad told her that he had called in sick.

"Neither, it's my heart. Bart's father is taking the family to Europe. They're leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I didn't even get a chance to say a decent good bye."

"No they won't mother, they are staying there for at least six months, maybe more. I may never see Bart again!"

That brought on the tears that had been held back all afternoon. His mother hugged him and tried to comfort him but it was no use. He wasn't the five year old little boy who skinned his knee falling off his bicycle. He was a young man in love who had his life thrown into turmoil and there was nothing his mother or anyone else could do to fix it.

Eric's father came home from work and his mother filled him in on what happened. He went up to Eric's room to talk to him.

"I heard what happened with Bart. I'm so sorry. If there is anything I can do, let me know."

His father could see he was getting nowhere. Then he had a thought. He went own to talk to Eric's mother.

"Your sister is always bugging us to come and spend Christmas with them. Why don't you call her and see if the invitation is still open. A change of scenery might help cheer up Eric."

"You never want to go because you can't stand her husband. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Eric was called down for supper. He just picked at his food and didn't really eat much. He asked to be excused and was going back to his room.

"Before you go, we have a surprise for you. We're going to visit Uncle Jack and Aunt Betty for the holiday," his mother told him.

"No, but your cousin Crystal will be. You haven't seen here in years. The two of you always got a long so it will be good for you to catch up again. She is home from her first year of college and I bet she has some stories to tell about college life."

"We'll leave Sunday morning bright and early. It's a four hour drive and we might hit holiday traffic."

Crystal is four years older than Eric. She always held that over him when they were young, bossing him around and making him do what she said. She constantly warned him that she was a girl so he wasn't allowed to hit her but she could punch him if he didn't obey her. As they got a little older they became good friends. It had been a while since he'd seen her so maybe it would help his depression.

They got the early start Sunday and arrived at Jack and Betty's at noontime. Betty came running out and hugged Eric's mother, then his father and finally him. Eric had asked his parents not to tell Jack or Betty anything about Bart. The idea of the visit was to help put it all behind him, if that was even possible. Then Jack and Crystal came out of the house.

Wow! Crystal was no longer the bratty little girl that bossed him around nor was she the tomboy that he gotten along with. She was a woman, a full fledged woman with big tits and an ass that was stress testing every seam in her skin tight jeans. He hair was colored blond and the pimples were gone from her smooth rosy face.

She came running over and grabbed Eric for a tight hug, her tits getting smashed into Eric's chest.

We went in the house, a larger house than Eric's, a fact that Jack was never remiss in pointing out to Eric's father.

"You two can have the guest room and Eric can sleep on the pull out couch in the family room down in the basement. Crystal will show you where it is." Betty said, giving us our room assignments..

"Come on Eric, I'll help you get the couch pulled out. It's really comfortable. I used to sleep on it with my girlfriend when we had sleep overs in high school."

The thought of his cousin and one of her girlfriends sharing the couch reminded him of he and Bart sharing the twin bed back home. He had the mixed emotions thinking of the two girls on the couch. At least the two girls wouldn't have left any stains on the couch he surmised.

Crystal got the couch pulled out for Eric, showed him the remote for the TV and made sure there were towels and soap in the bathroom off the family room. She sat down on the chair opposite the bed.

"So what's been going on in your life lately? You seem quieter than I remember."

"A good friend of mine moved away suddenly and I'm just feeling lonely. Nothing to worry about."

"Now that you're here, I will make sure you're not lonely. Tomorrow I'm going to get together with some of my friends from high school. You're coming along with me and I'll introduce you to them."

"I'd be a drag on your good time. I'll just stay home and watch some TV. Thanks anyway."

"Watch all the TV you want tonight. Tomorrow you're going with me, no arguments. I can still boss you around," she said smiling at Eric. Eric smiled back.

Betty had prepared a huge dinner for everyone. Family stories were told and retold reminding Eric of how lucky he was to have a family like his instead of the cold and distant family that Bart was a part of. Eric was tired from the trip, excused himself from the table and went to the family room. He had turned in when Crystal came down to say goodnight.

"Get a good night's sleep, tomorrow is going to be a busy day," she warned Eric. She bent down and gave Eric a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm your big sister and you better be good or I'll give you a spanking," she giggled.

He immediately wondered where that came from and wished it went back there. Crystal lowered her head and looked at him with her eyes peeking out from under her eyebrows. The look of 'you better watch what you say'.

Eric rolled over to go to sleep. For the first time since Bart left he was feeling better.

Crystal came bounding down the basement stairs first thing in the morning, almost catching Eric trying to say goodbye to his morning boner. He moved his hand above the covers quickly, hoping she hadn't seen anything.

"Glad to see your up," she giggled looking at the tent in the covers. "I'll be upstairs when you're ready."

Eric was embarrassed but was glad she didn't make a big deal of his condition. The scare of almost getting caught made his cock shrink up. He'd have to wait for later when he was sure he wouldn't be disturbed to take care of business.

"My friends are here. We're taking Eric to the mall. We'll be back before supper," Crystal informed the parents.

"A bunch of college freshman girls cut loose at the mall with money in our pockets? What could go wrong?" she giggled. "Come on Eric, let's go before the girls drive off."

Crystal got in the front passenger seat, leaving Eric to sit between the two girls in the back seat.

"Whoa, Crystal, you've been robbing the cradle again?" one of them asked when Eric climbed in.

"Shut up, all of you, Eric is my cousin. He's here to visit for Christmas," Crystal explained. "So keep your paws off of him."

"Maybe he'd rather we didn't?" the first girl said, resulting in cat calls and laughter filling the car.

After the initial round of teasing, the conversation turned to what they had all been doing at college, leaving Eric as a silent observer instead of the center of attention, which suited him just fine. As he listened to their adventures and misadventures he became even more acutely aware of the life that Bart was missing out on. A lonely vigil at boarding school then home to a cold and uncaring home. Thankfully they got to the mall before Eric could become too depressed.

The girls took the mall by storm, marching from one end to the other like General Patton marching through Europe. Damn, Europe. He had just started to get Bart off his mind. They stopped at the food court for lunch, opting for salads and yogurt, leaving the greasy burger and fries selections to Eric. He watched a group of boys about his age walk by and ogle the girls. When they had passed, one of them turned and gave Eric a big grin and a 'thumbs up', assuming these girls were his harem. If only they knew. He'd trade every last one of them for a few hours with Bart.

After lunch there was more shopping to be done and more socializing with some of the girl's friends they ran into. As they were chatting with a group of boys, one of them seemed to stand off from the rest. He looked at Eric and smiled.

"That one is my cousin," Eric said pointing to Crystal. "My family is visiting for the holidays and she thought I'd be bored sitting at home."

"So was she right or is this just as boring?" he laughed. "Tanner," he said, extending his hand.

"Eric," returning the handshake. "This beats sitting in the family room watching reruns of all the Christmas specials."

"Give me your phone and I'll put my number in. Call me if you get bored and we can hang out together."

"No, I never wanted one. I'm more of a people person and don't want to get in the habit o spending all day looking at the screen in my hand."

"Here, call me if you're bored. I'm sure we can liven things up together," he said with a wink.

Damn, first the girls were hitting on him and now Tanner? No that was just his imagination,

They returned home after the girls had seen every piece of clothing and every person in the mall. Eric went to watch TV after supper and was soon joined by Crystal.

"You sure made a hit with my friends. Was there one you'd like to go on a date with while you're here?"

"I'm your cousin, jerk. But if I wasn't, would you consider dating me?" she asked teasingly.

Eric looked at her trying to decide if he should answer her honestly, 'no, I don't date girls' or lie and save face with her.

"Damn, I must have missed that tattoo on his forehead. 'I'm gay, can I suck your cock?' I'll be sure and look closer next time."

The next day was Christmas Eve. Eric and Crytal went down to the center of town to pick up a gift she had ordered for her mother from a local jewelry store. They had picked up the gift and were walking back to the bus stop when they heard yelling and screaming. Then they heard gunfire. Pop, pop, pop! The distinct sound that Eric would never forget. They looked back and saw someone in a ski mask run out of the jewelry store and head their way, running down the sidewalk firing indiscriminately over his shoulder. He hit one woman in the arm. A policeman came running from nowhere and gave chase. Eric pushed Crystal off the sidewalk and in between two parked cars to shelter them from the random gunfire.

"We'll be okay if we stay here. He's just running to get away and won't see us," Eric reassured her.

He had the same thought with Bart and he stayed true to his word. He'd do the same this time.

Eric looked at the storefront opposite where they were hiding. The angle of the plate glass entrance gave him a perfect view of the robber as he ran in their direction. More gunshots ran out as he continued to fire behind him as he ran.

Eric remembered back to what the sheriff had told him at the firing range. Gun are not bad, it's the person holding the gun. He also remembered how helpless he felt when he had been shot before the stranger stopped to summon help. If that stranger had continued driving and not get involved, Eric would be dead. It was time to pay it back.

"Stay down and you'll be safe," he told Crystal as he crouched facing the sidewalk.

Just as the robber was passing the car they were behind, Eric lunged out and tackled him, sending both of them to the sidewalk with Eric on top. The robber was flat on his back with his arm out to his side, still holding the gun. Eric kneeled on the robber's neck, choking off his air. He turned the gun at Eric as he struggled to get Eric off of him. He pulled the trigger but it didn't fire. It was out of bullets. The policeman showed up and pushed Eric away, rolled the robber over and put him in handcuffs. Once he was under control, the policeman turned to Eric.

"You're one lucky son of a bitch. If he hadn't run out of shells, you might be dead."

"You're luckier than I am, sir," Eric said pointing to a bullet protruding from the officer's shirt.

One of the robber's bullets had found its target but the bullet was stopped by the officer's bullet-proof vest.

Crystal was still cowering between the cars as a large crowd began to gather. Several police cars arrived and the robber was helped to his feet and then pushed towards the open doors of one of the police cars.

"You stay here, I need to get your name and information. You're a hero son," the officer said as he hustled the robber away.

Shit!. Eric acted on instinct and didn't think about the aftermath. He had had enough of the 'hero' bull shit from the kidnapping and didn't want to go through that again.

"Yes sir. I just have to go check on my sister," Eric answered him. Going over to Crystal, he helped her to her feet. "Come on, we have to get out of here."

She was too shook up to question him. They saw their bus coming and quickly ran to the bus stop and boarded the bus to go home.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later. And please don't tell any one at home a bout this. Let's keep it to ourselves."

Eric's mother noticed something going on between he and Crystal, the looks between them and the lack of conversation at the supper table.

"What's up with you two?" she asked. "is there something going on we should know about?"

"Mother, it's Christmas. Crystal showed me the present she got for Aunt Betty and I'm trying my best not to spill the beans. You know I'm lousy at keeping secrets."

They adjourned to the living room and put on the evening news. A reporter was giving the details of the robbery and the mysterious hero who left the scene before giving his name.

"I wish I had gotten that boy's name," the police officer said. "He is a real hero. If he hadn't acted when he did, there is no telling how many innocent bystanders might have been wounded or killed. He went to check on his sister and disappeared. If you're watching this, please contact the police station. We want to give you a proper thank you."

"I'm going to call the TV station and tell them his reporter did a lousy job of getting the facts. The cop was the real hero. He got shot right in the chest and that wasn't even mentioned," Eric complained.

"What make you think he got shot in the chest? Were you there?" his father asked.

"Didn't you see the bullet still stuck in his shirt? His vest must have stopped it."

Later that evening they hung stockings, even though no one was young enough to still believe in a jolly fat guy coming down a chimney to give presents to total strangers, but some traditions need to be kept alive. It provided a sense of stability in an otherwise tumultuous world. Everyone said good night and Eric retreated to his basement home away from home.

Eric lay on his bed thinking about the day. Then his thoughts drifted to Bart. Oh, how he wanted to be spending Christmas Eve with him. He wished there was some way he could call him and talk to him but he had no idea where in Europe his kidnapper Father had taken him. He was almost asleep then Crystal tiptoed into the family room.

"I couldn't sleep. I wanted to talk about today. I was scared shitless and you just jumped out of nowhere and took down the robber. What the hell brought that on? And then you run off like nothing happened?"

Eric proceeded to tell her about the kidnapping, getting shot and the subsequent fallout.

Eric pulled back the sheet and rolled to show Crytal his wounds on the side and his leg.

She put her lips on his and kissed him, more intently than a kissing cousin would.

"I can't think of any reason why not," she replied as she took his hand and placed it on her left tit.

She placed her hand in Eric's crotch and began to massage his cock. It was starting to respond to her attention when he pulled it away.

"There is more to the story that I didn't tell you. Bart, the boy I was kidnapped with . . ."

"Sure, no worries. You said you 'think' you're gay. Do you want to find out for sure?" as she put her hand back on Eric's cock. "Hmmm, it's stiffer than it was before. That's a good sign."

"Thanks. You're hot and I appreciate the offer but it would never work. You're more like a sister than a cousin. Besides, it would make me feel like I was cheating on Bart."

"Think of me tonight when you take care of your problem," she said as she patted Eric's groin, "like I'll be thinking of you when I take care of my issues," patting her crotch. "Good night, my hero."

Crystal left to go attend to her issues while Eric dealt with his problem. He kept his promise and thought about Crystal, but only for a few seconds before replacing her with Bart, resulting in a quick and powerful climax.

Crystal had a hair dressers appointment the next day. Eric thought her hair looked fine but you know women, never pass up an opportunity to get their hair or their nails done. Eric was going to be on his own so he dug out the piece of paper with Tanner's phone number and gave him a call.

"Crystal is busy this morning so I thought I give you a call and see what you were doing."

"I got a new video game yesterday, 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III'. It's pretty awesome. You want to come over and play?"

Another flirty innuendo or just being friendly Eric wondered. If his cousin hadn't told him Tanner was gay, he wouldn't have thought anything about his comments.

"I can pick you up in ten minutes. I know where Crystal lives and I have my mom's car for the week."

Okay, so now Eric knew that Tanner was on the prowl. Maybe calling him wasn't such a good idea.

Tanner was out front and waiting in thirty minutes. Eric got in the car and Tanner told him to buckle his seat belt.

"That's one thing my parents are strict about. My mother says if I'm in an accident and survive but don't have my seat belt on, my survival will be short lived. I think she means it." Tanner told him.

Eric was trying unsuccessfully to get the seat belt to extend. Tanner leaned over to help him.

"This side sticks sometimes. It needs an extra hard tug to come out," Tanner smiled.

Tanner grabbed the seat belt with his left hand to pull it loose. He was turned in his seat and his face was almost up against Eric's. Tanner got the belt loose and pulled it across Eric's lap, dragging his hand across Eric's groin. Tanner smiled and then sat back behind the wheel.

They drove through the center of town as they headed to Tanner's house. They passed the jewelry store where the robbery took place.

"I saw it on the news. Pretty scary shit," Eric replied looking at the sidewalk where he tackled the shooter.

"The kid that tackled the guy must have balls of steel. If I was there I would have been cowering in the gutter, not jumping out."

"The cop didn't recognize the kid. He thinks he might be from out of town, visiting relatives for the holiday or something."

"I'm glad you back, Tanner. Your father called and his car broke down. I have to go pick him up, drop him at work and then go back and make sure the car gets towed to the repair shop. I'll be gone for a few hours. I hope that doesn't strand you and your friend here?"

"We'll be good Mom. We'll be playing my new video game for hours." Tanner replied.

Tanner took Eric upstairs to his bedroom. He had a wide screen monitor set up with two gaming chairs arranged in front of it. An array of stereo speakers strategically placed around the room completed the ultimate in a gaming environment.

"I spend a lot of time up here so I wanted it to be worthy of me," Tanner sneered.

"You're the first person who has ever been in my room. I don't have a lot of friends, at least none that would come to my bedroom." Tanner confessed, looking sad.

Eric knew there was more to it than Tanner let on. Crystal had told him that Tanner was gay so that would explain his friend's reluctance to be in his bedroom. Eric put his hand on Tanner's shoulder.

Eric wasn't familiar with this game but he caught on quick. Tanner won a few rounds then Eric won a game.

Another innuendo. Eric was going to be more careful what he said. Eric won the next game.

"We're tied. Next game determines the expert," Eric bragged. "No more screwing around now."

Eric wondered that Tanner might be taking the comments he was making the wrong way. Or maybe Eric was intentionally dropping hints but didn't realize it.

"The screwing around comes later," Tanner said with a smirk, then started the tying game.

The game was progressing with no clear advantage for either boy. Tanner put the game on pause. He reached over and put his hand on Eric's thigh.

"What say we make the game more interesting. The winner gets what he wants from the loser."

"Then you better win," Tanner said as he squeezed Eric's thigh closer to his groin.

Eric's body stiffened at the touch of Tanner's hand. He hadn't had any intimate contact since Bart left. Not from another boy anyway. It felt good but he wasn't sure he should keep playing the game. He should probably thank Tanner and ask for a ride home. Then he remembered Tanner's Mom had taken the car. Eric had no choice but to play through and see what was going to happen.

Eric was gaining a slight advantage and was on track to win this game. He was so focused on the screen that he didn't see Tanner move his hand over and grab Eric' s crotch, giving it a squeeze. That totally broke Eric's concentration. Tanner proceeded to win the game easily.

"The old saying goes, 'All's fair in love and war' and this is WAR Craft so everything is fair. To make it fair in love, I won't do anything you don't want me to do," Tanner offered.

"You mouth says 'no' but your cock says 'yes'. My mouth definitely says 'yes' " Tanner said as he slithered out of his chair and moved between Eric's legs.

Eric just looked down at him, knowing full well where this was going. Once again he knew he should stop this but his little head took over thinking from his big head.

Eric put his head back, closed his eyes and opened his legs. Tanner massaged Eric's bulge, getting it bigger and harder under the clothes. He pulled down the zipper and slid his hand inside, feeling the outline of a hard cock covered by the cotton cloth of his underwear. Tanner could feel a wet spot forming, further indication that Eric was enjoying the attention. Tanner undid the button on the pants and tugged at them to slide them down. Eric lifted his ass off the chair to facilitate the removal of his pants. Eric hadn't noticed that Tanner had already removed Eric's shoes so the pants and underwear easily came off Eric's ankles. Tanner took Eric's manhood in his hands and worked it up and down a few times, his other hand massaging the ball sack. Eric moaned and then told Tanner to remove his shirt. Eric wanted the feeling of his bare legs against Tanner's upper body. As Tanner continued to play with Eric's cock, Eric rubbed his legs up and down on Tanner's sides. The attention to Eric's cock and ass always got him hot but the feel of naked skin on skin raised the temperature considerably.

Tanner leaned forward and licked the shaft of Eric's rock hard boner. His enjoyed his reward when he got to the top and tasted the glob of precum. He dropped his mouth over Eric, taking in just the head. He licked it with his tongue, gave it a swirl, then kept taking more in, inch by delicious inch. Tanner moved his hands up along the side of Eric's thighs and then his body, reaching under his shirt to tweak his nipples. Eric leaned away from the back of the chair and pulled his shirt up over his head and threw it in the pile with his pants. He was now totally naked and at Tanner's mercy. Tanner was working Eric's nipples with his finger and sucking his cock, increasing his vigor with every bob of his head.

Tanner stood up and removed his pants, letting his cock spring free, then kneeled back down again. As Tanner sucked his cock, Eric ran his feet over Tanner's lower body, moving them in between his legs to massage Tanner's cock with his feet. Tanner moaned in appreciation and picked up his tempo again.

Eric looked down at Tanner's naked body. He rubbed the shoulders and was amazed at how better they looked with out clothes. They were more muscular and well defined. His upper arms had strong biceps. His legs were shorter then Eric's but thicker. Eric was taking in all the beauty of this college boy, four years Eric senior, as he devoured Eric's cock with a passion he had been missing. Tanner pushed Eric's feet aside and stroked his own cock as he sucked Eric. Eric could feel his orgasm getting closer and warned Tanner in case he wanted to pull off, something Eric couldn't imagine he'd do. Sure enough, a few more seconds and Eric was shooting his load into Tanner's mouth and throat. Tanner slurped down every drop then stood up while stroking his cock and aimed it at Eric. Before Eric could decide if he wanted to take Tanner in his mouth or not, Tanner's thick cock let loose a barrage of cum that landed on Eric's chest and stomach, running down into his pubic hair. Tanner dropped to his knees again and licked the cum off Eric's body. He looked up at Eric and smiled with drops of cum on his lips.

"I beat you at the game but I guess this was a tie. Maybe tomorrow we can have a tie breaker if you're still around."

The boys cleaned up and got dressed just in time before Tanner's Mom returned home. Tanner gave Eric a ride home and told him to call tomorrow if he was still in town.

Eric lay in bed that night trying to wrap his head around what had happened that day. He didn't think he was gay because he never had any attraction or desire to be with any of the boys in his school. But screwing around with a college boy, older and better developed certainly was hot. He hadn't gone looking for it but he was glad the ways things turned out. So was he gay? He had turned down a chance to get laid last night with his hot cousin. But she was his cousin. Maybe she was right. He should have kept going with her and see how it compared with being with a guy, like he advised Bart.

Holy shit! Bart! He hadn't been gone for more than a week and Eric was already hooking up with another guy, cheating on Bart. But was it cheating if he was never going to see Bart again? How long would he have to be celibate before giving up on Bart ever coming back into his life? No, he was never going to give up on Bart. Never! He'd just wait.

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Maybe You're Not Better After All

by Jonathan Perkins

Chapter 7