Who Dares Wins

by N Fourbois

Part Seven

Charlie knew the answer his heart wanted to give. He knew the answer his hormones were demanding, but even in his state of arousal his brain was holding him back. However faint the emotional scars were now, he still had this slight feeling of being let down when he and Jirí split. Weren't Jamie and Gideon in it for life? But also hadn't their relationship developed in a different way, mainly because they were local boys? And now here he was being courted by a local boy. What an old fashioned word, he thought, but what was the alternative? Chatted up? Fancied? Both expressions had something crude about them and simply did not apply. How surprisingly sensitive this tough little fourteen year old was turning out to be. Now another difference dawned on him. He and Jirí, Gideon and Jamie had grown together. Now he was being wooed. Before his brain lost complete control he pulled away from the kiss while holding Harry's body tight, opened his eyes, (Why do you close your eyes during a passionate kiss?) and looked Harry straight in the face.
"My brother always says a standing dick has no conscience. I'll answer you in a cooler moment. At this moment I've got this battle raging between my legs, so kiss me again."

This time Charlie took control as he gently parted Harry's lips with his and pushed his tongue against Harry's. As their hardened dicks ground together Charlie cursed himself for having dressed trendily rather than practically. Both boys had put on their best tracksuit bottoms and two tee shirts for their date. Instead of seeing stars behind his closed lids, his mind darted back to an English class at school. They were reading Shakespeare's Macbeth and their English master had been enlightened enough to explain the Porter's scene (II.3 google >drink equivocator<) to them. Now jogpants, not drink, were the equivocator, the soft material provoking great desire in both their loins, while having no fly greatly hindered the performance.

Charlie broke the kiss again.
"Harry, can we go and do this lying on you bed? It'll be much easier." Harry nodded, quietly slid the bolt across on the door and led Charlie by the hand across to his bed. They took off their trainers and lay down beside one another. Harry was about to kiss him when Charlie said
"Just one thing more to do." He undid the drawstring on his jogpants and then the one on Harry's. He couldn't resist sliding his hand down inside. "I knew it," he said. "You're wearing boxers. You never do at school."
"That's because I'm getting stiffies all the time and I don't like the girls staring at me and giggling."
"You don't mind the boys then?"
"Depends which one... er, I mean which ones." Charlie ignored the fact that Harry might have let the cat out of the bag. "What are you wearing, Charlie?"
"I don't ask personal questions like that. I do my own research," he teased.

Charlie and Harry kissed again, deeply. Charlie slid his hand up inside Harry's tee shirts and gently toyed with his nipple. A shudder went through his body.
"You're not a first timer then?" asked Harry. Charlie shook his head. "Will you do me a favour, Charlie? Will you slide my bottoms down and pull them off? And my socks?"
"I'm not sure I want to touch your socks," joked Charlie. "What if your parents come up?"
"I don't think they will. They learnt that with No 1 sister."
"You've got sisters?"
"Two. Polly's married with a son and a daughter. Anna's a year older than me and they joke I was a mistake, but it didn't matter because I was a boy after two girls." 'And what a boy!' thought Charlie. "They never disturb Anna when she's got friends in and let's face it, us two are not going to get pregnant." 'One day, maybe,' dreamt Charlie.
"Harry, if I'm going to get these bottoms off you, I'll have to move this thing out of the way first. Your stiffy's acting like a barb on a fishhook." They both giggled inordinately.
"Now let me take yours off," and Harry discovered Charlie's bulging, bright red bikini brief. "Good job it's lycra or you'd burst it."

They were just lying there chatting and holding one another after they'd finished cleaning up. Castor and Pollux had thoroughly made the acquaintance of Freeman, Hardy and Willis as their bodies had been grinding passionately together. The mess had been more consequential than intentional.
"Harry, do your parents know you're gay?"
"You haven't looked at the pictures on my poster board yet, have you?" Charlie twisted his neck and saw an array of sportsmen and young people of their age in sports kit and speedos. But it was the centrepiece that caught his attention. It was a picture of himself which must have been taken at the school swimming gala the previous summer, and dotted about were pictures of him at the school athletics. But what amazed him most was the picture of him playing rugby for the school team. It must have been taken the week before at the match where he was reserve. He looked at it closely and realised that Harry was really the subject, but the photo had been cropped to concentrate on himself. If Charlie had known the word, he would have called them homoerotic. He contented himself with
"OMG, they're hot. I see what you mean."
At that the telephone by Harry's bed rang. «Harry, could you tell Charlie his mother's here to collect him. She's just having a cup of tea, but don't be too long tidying up after your games.»
"Okay, Mum." Harry's face took on a quizzical look. 'Does she know something or have I got a guilty conscience?' he thought to himself.
"What's the matter, Harry?"
"Nothing. It's just something Mum said. But the main thing is your Mum's here to collect you." Charlie quickly got off the bed and pulled his bikini briefs back on, so quickly in fact that he had them on back to front. He slowed down, swapped them round and put on his jogpants, socks and trainers. Harry got dressed, collected up all the used Kleenex and went to flush them down the loo. They made their way downstairs and joined their parents in the sitting room.

"Would you like a cup of tea, Charlie?" asked Mrs Bowman.
"I'd love one," he smiled. She poured a cup for both boys and handed them each a plate with some cake on.
"Harry," said Charlie, "would you like to come and hang out at my place tomorrow?"
"Remember it's the family service at church tomorrow morning," said his mother.
"Is the afternoon all right, Mum?"
"Can I, Mum?" put in Harry.
"If Mrs Dutton will have you."
"That's fine. Perhaps you would like to stay to tea. I've got my other two boys as well this weekend. It'll be nice to have you all together."
"You've got another son then, Martha?"
"Almost. He's like a son-in-law really. You see, we've got two gay sons and Gideon is like his partner."
"And Gideon's awesome," interrupted Harry.
"Thank you, Harry," said Mrs Bowman. "And there we were thinking that we were the only parents in the world with a gay son. Perhaps one evening you and your husband would like to come round and have dinner with us. We could swap notes perhaps. We could sure do with some advice."
"We'd love too."

At that moment Mr Bowman came in after bringing Anna home from a friend's.
"Hallo, everyone."
"This is Martha Dutton."
"How do you do. I'm Arthur."
"Martha's been telling me that both her sons are gay." Harry nearly choked on his cake and Charlie just sat there giggling, the tears of mirth streaming down his face. Then he put his arm round Harry in a gesture of solidarity.
"How do you cope?" asked Mr Bowman.
"Okay most of the time. Occasionally there are blips, but we'll talk about them when we see you next." The clock on the mantel shelf struck half past ten.
"Come along, young man," said Mrs Dutton looking at Charlie. "It's high time you were in bed."
"Why didn't I think of that, Mum," he replied giving her a knowing look. They all said good night. Charlie gave Harry a hug and kiss. He saw no reason not to now, and they parted company.

* * *

It was half past eight on Sunday morning and all three boys were sitting round the breakfast table while Mr and Mrs Dutton were getting ready for church. They had to be there early. The boys would follow on in their own time. Gideon would also see his parents there.
"Come on, Charlie," said Jamie.
"Spill the beans." Charlie made a mess spooning himself out some more baked beans. "Not those, you clot." Gideon fetched a damp cloth and some kitchen paper to clear it up.
"Thanks, Gids. Sorry, I'm having a bad hair day."
"I don't know how to break this to you, Charlie," said Jamie "but you have a bad hair day every day." With a grin Charlie thumped his older brother on the arm. "What we want to know is are you and Harry an item yet?"
"Probably."
"What do you mean 'probably'?" asked Gideon who was becoming almost as impatient as Jamie.
"He's asked me to be his boyfriend, but haven't given him an answer yet."
"Why not for heaven's sake?"
"Well, I wanted to talk to my brothers first."
"Go on then. Talk"
"It's going back to Jirí..."
"That's in the past," said Jamie. "It's time to move on."
"I know, but when I first met Jirí we seemed to fall in love with each other and then we did stuff gradually and that seemed right. But I can't say I'm in love with Harry. I like him immensely and..." Here Charlie's voice dropped to an unaccustomed whisper "...and we did do some stuff together, but nothing serious..."
"What do you mean by 'nothing serious'?"
"Just a bit of snogging and rubbing our dicks together till we came off. We didn't really jerk each other off even... Hey, why am I telling you all this? I never ask what you two do."
"It's relevant if we're to help you, bro," said Gideon. "Your secret's safe with us."
Jamie came in. "Look, Charlie, you've got to understand that no two friendships are going to be the same. You and Harry have got to get to know each other yet."
"I know him already. We've been to school together for two and a half years."
"That's not the same. You've now got to get to know each other intimately, like you were starting to with Jirí. You don't even need to have sex..."
"Oh yes we do," contradicted Charlie.
"Now that was an automatic reaction," said Gideon. "You didn't even think about that remark. Calm down a bit. If you like him immensely, you need to spend time together and you'll know whether you're in love or not. In fact, by the way you stare into each other's eyes, you may not know it, but I would say you are already. You've just got to be patient. Tell him you want to be his boyfriend and the rest will follow... or not. You have to do things together, and I don't mean sex. That'll follow when you're both ready. Jamie and I didn't make love properly for months after our first kiss. There's no one driving you to do these things. You're not continuing from where you left off with Jirí. You're starting back at square one, except this time you've got a little more experience." Charlie was silently tucking into his eggs, beans, sausages, bacon and tomato with gusto, but the older boys could see he was thinking all the time.

The boys cleared all the breakfast things into the dishwasher as part of their chores and then Charlie rushed upstairs.
"I think I've just got time to send a e-mail to Jirí and tell him my good news." Gideon and Jamie looked at one another. After Charlie had slammed his bedroom door, Jamie said
"I think we've got our answer."

Charlie booted up his computer. After opening Mail he typed in Jirí's address.
«Hey Jirí! I've got some great news to tell you. I've got a new boyfriend. We play rugby together in the school team. He's got jet black hair and the most wonderful blue eyes. We went to the cinema together last night on our first date. We haven't done any stuff together... yet!?! We're hanging out this afternoon. Must go or I'll be late for church. Tell me about you and Josef. Hugs and love, Charlie.» After sending it, he closed down the computer, put on his tie and jacket and ran downstairs just as Gideon was giving Jamie a kiss.
"OMG, you two. You're at it again, just like rabbits."
"Jealousy will get you nowhere," replied Jamie as Gideon adjusted something in his light grey trousers and they were ready to go. The three boys looked extremely smart despite Charlie's hair problem. He could carry that off. It wouldn't be him if he had his hair smoothed down and gelled. It was the family custom that the boys dressed up to go to church and it certainly aided their self-confidence. In church they caught up with the Farthing and Dutton parents. Charlie sat inbetween his mother and father, then came the two older boys followed the Farthings with Mr Farthing sitting at the end of the pew by the aisle so that he could attend to his duties. Gideon and Jamie automatically still played the game they had played for years, giving marks out of ten for each of the choirboys, adding them up and seeing whether those on the left or the right hand side of the aisle won. Who said church was boring? With a little ingenuity there was always something there to distract them from worshipping the Lord and to let them gain a great deal of amusement.
"What are you laughing at?" whispered Charlie loudly, enthusiastically wanting to join in the fun.
"Mind your own business," came the reply. Each of the boys got a nudge from the nearest parent and was told to keep quiet.

After the service all seven of them went off to the church hall for morning coffee. It was Mrs Farthing's turn on the roster to help and the boys were watched very closely to see that they didn't take too many chocolate biscuits and 'spoil their lunch'. Meanwhile they chatted together when, out of the blue, Mrs Dutton asked
"Boys, am I about to gain a fourth son?" Gideon and Jamie just burst out laughing. Charlie went deep red and punched both Jamie and Gideon on the arm. They shrugged their shoulders as Jamie said
"Don't ask us. We're being kept as much in the dark as you are."
"I think we're getting experienced enough to recognise the signs," said Mr Dutton.
"Next Saturday," said Mrs Dutton "we've organised a small dinner party for Jeremy and Penny and we've invited Mr and Mrs Bowman as well."
"So we were wondering," continued Mr Dutton "if you, Jamie and Gideon, would mind looking after Charlie..."
"I'm fourteen for goodness' sake," Charlie interrupted. "I don't need looking after, Dad."
"...if you wouldn't mind entertaining Charlie," he corrected himself
"and," went on Mrs Dutton "if there happened to be, say, a fourth young person, you could manage to look after... I mean entertain him as well."
"Have you any idea, Martha, who this possible extra person might be?" enquired Gideon. In the meantime Charlie was getting hotter and hotter under the collar.
"I'm off to see some of my friends," he said.
"To chat up the choirboys, you mean," said Jamie.
"They are far too young and unsophisticated for me," said Charlie with a sniff as if he had a bad smell under his nose "and I may be gay, but I am not a paedophile. Besides their balls haven't dropped yet," he whispered to his 'bros'.
"Charlie, I heard that," said his mother.
"Sorry, Mum." When he had gone Jamie turned to Gideon and said
"Do you think when we're middle aged and married crumblies..."
"...we're going to be finishing off each other's sentences?" continued Gideon.
"Go on, you two," said Mrs Dutton.
"Yes, it's rude to refer to your mother like that," added Mr Dutton, and the five of them all burst out laughing. They split up and went to talk to the other parishioners.

When everything had been cleared up and washed up after the parish coffee morning the Duttons plus Gideon said goodbye to his parents and started out on the short walk home. Mr and Mrs Farthing were just about to get into their car when they were hailed from afar by Mrs Arbruthnot, a former chairman of the parochial church council.
"Penny, I've been meaning to have a word with you for some time..." she said as she caught them up, "...about your son."
"Good morning, Mrs Arbruthnot, how are you?"
"Is he all right?"
"Certainly, Mrs Arbruthnot," said Mr Farthing although he hadn't been addressed. "He did very well in his GCSEs and he's doing well at school in the sixth form."
"I didn't mean that," she replied impatiently.
"Oh?" said Mrs Farthing. "I misunderstood you. Yes, he's in perfect health and playing a lot of sport. Growing a lot too. It's expensive to keep him in clothes at the moment."
"Penny, that's not what I'm talking about."
"Would you like to explain to us what you are talking about, Mrs Arbruthnot?"
"Well, he seems to be with that Dutton boy all the time and I saw them in the town the other day... holding hands!"
"Their own or each other's?" added Mr Dutton facetiously and was instantly ignored.
"I mean is he all right? Is he er... Does he bat for the other side?"
"Mrs Arbruthnot, do you mean is he a homosexual?"
"Aagh," she croaked and half choked. "Penny, I was trying to avoid that word."
"If that's what you mean, the answer is yes. Is there anything else we can help you with? I need to get home to attend to the Sunday lunch. We're entertaining members of the local Gay Alliance and I must make sure the pink and lavender napkins are folded properly."
"Ugh, how disgusting! I don't know what's happening to the youth of today. I shall have to inform the vicar, you know. Perhaps he could talk to them about their sin."
"Thank you, Mrs Arbruthnot, but we have already spoken to the vicar about the matter and he has told Gideon and his partner Jamie that they are always welcome in church and if he could help in any way, especially with overcoming prejudice, he will. If that is all, we wish you good day, Mrs Arbruthnot. Oh, I almost forgot. He'll be reading the banns in church next week for their forthcoming marriage." Mr Farthing raised his hat and said
"Dood gay... I mean good day."
"Ugh, disgusting, I'm not tolerating it in my church." Meanwhile they had climbed into the car and driven off.
"I think you handled her rather well, dear."
"Venomous old bitch... and I don't usually use language like that." "A bit naughty saying about the banns. She'll probably believe it. By the way, have we got enough food in the house to entertain the local Gay Alliance?"
"Stop it, Jeremy," and they both burst out laughing, then motored out to an inn in the country to have lunch at the carvery.

In the meantime the Duttons had reached home. The first thing Charlie did was to race upstairs and boot up his computer. Without bothering to change first he was looking for a reply from Jirí. He was in luck.
«Congratulations, Charlie. I am so pleased that you have found a new boyfriend and I hope you become lovers. I am sending a photo of me and Josef. Will you send me a picture of you with him? You forgot to tell me his name. Love and hugs from your Jirí.» Charlie opened the attachment, took one look and immediately printed it. Jirí was looking more radiant than ever. He had lost the rings under his eyes and Josef was so hot. He almost ran along the landing before bursting into Jamie's room. Still in the midst of changing the boys were in their undies testing an early piece of Christmas mistletoe, except they had forgotten to pick the mistletoe.
"Sorry, bros," said Charlie and retired, slamming the door behind him. He knocked modestly.
"If you're a sex maniac you can come in," came the reply. Charlie felt he answered the description and entered.
"Hey, guys, take a look at this," and he showed them the e-mail and its attachment.
"Just look at their faces," said Gideon. "You can tell they're in love."
"That's just how you and Harry look at one another in the dining hall at school," said Jamie. "But I'll give it to Jirí, if I had to choose between you and Josef, I'd choose Josef any day."
"Oh, Jamie!" shouted Charlie, stamped his foot and pouted. Then he gave his brother a big hug.

* * *

"What are you and Harry doing this afternoon, Charlie?" asked Mr Dutton over Sunday lunch.
"We're going to cycle down to the wood and muck about there."
"Remember it gets dark about four," said his mother. "You won't have a lot of time. And it's cold out, so wrap up well. I don't want you to catch a chill."
"Only the royal family catches a chill," said Jamie. "Everyone else gets a cold, or if you're really wet, flu." Then he whispered in his brother's ear "And if you get really cold your little peewee will shrivel to nothing and you won't be able to muck about anyway."
"Boys, please," said Mrs Dutton. "We heard that. Perhaps you would be kind enough to raise the tone of conversation at the meal table." Gideon was trying not to laugh, but just ended up looking horribly pi.
"Sorry, Mum," chorused the other two boys.
"And you, Jamie and Gideon?" enquired Mr Dutton, "or shouldn't I ask?" His wife gave him a filthy look and the two older boys blushed deeply.
"Actually, Eric, we're going down to the park to play football with Alex and Will," said Gideon sounding more pi than ever.

Harry turned up about two o'clock and was invited in. The boys were still doing their lunchtime chores loading the dishwasher.
"Hey, bros... I mean guys, this is Harry. I don't think you've met properly yet"
"Hi, Harry, we've seen you around at school..."
"...and in that rugby match," added Gideon. Harry smiled.
"Hi, guys. I've heard a lot about you from Charlie. You seem to be some kind of heroes."
"They're both rubbish really," said Charlie with a grin. "Can you two take a photo of me and Harry, please?"
"We could," said Gideon, "but we're such rubbish it wouldn't be any good."
"I was only joking."
"We weren't."
"It'll be better outside," said Jamie and all four went down to the bottom of the garden where the sun managed to shine through and they took the snaps. Charlie and Harry then got onto their bikes, after remembering to wrap up well, and cycled off to the wood.

They chained their bikes to some railings in the carpark and followed a well trodden path into the woods, kicking the dead leaves as they walked along. They were going to look for hazel nuts among the coppices, but it looked as if the squirrels had beaten them to it. Then they decided to look for sweet chestnuts. There were plenty of husks lying around, but the squirrels again had either got them or the chestnuts were all skin and no nut, until they got the idea of opening the unsplit husks. They continued kicking the dead leaves until became a great idea to kick them at each other. This turned into an opportunity for revenge and the young colts chased each other and wrestled and chased until Charlie had the idea to climb up into one of the trees. He sat on one of the lower branches, taunting Harry who was going to have none of it and he agilely climbed the tree, moved Charlie along and came and sat down beside him on the same branch. They caught their breath and started to chat while watching the people pass below them walking their dogs and children on a normal Sunday afternoon.

"Harry, you know you asked me if we could become boyfriends and I didn't answer?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I've thought about and I'd really like to be your boyfriend and have you as mine. But I'm not ready for sex yet, I mean proper sex."
"It doesn't matter, neither am I. But you've had sex before, haven't you?"
"I made love to Jirí, but that was different. My brothers said it's not compulsory and that we'll know when we're ready for it again."
"Your brothers? You've got another one?"
"Not really, but after all this time I always think of Gideon as my brother or brother-in-law." The sun was starting to dip behind the horizon and the twilight was deepening. The Sunday afternoon walkers were drifting away home for buttered toasted crumpets and scones with jam and clotted cream for Sunday tea. Charlie and Harry were just sitting there silently holding hands, content to be alone. Harry shifted his seat to give Charlie a kiss to seal their bond on becoming boyfriends when suddenly *craaack*. The branch could take no more and snapped. Fortunately they were only six feet off the ground and they had been taught how to fall in their gym lessons, so they landed properly on a thick carpet of leaves. As they lay there for a few seconds a man and his wife rushed up and said
"Are you okay, boys?" Meanwhile their pet labrador was standing over them licking their faces in turn.
"We're okay," said Charlie as they were both helped up.
"Thank you for asking," said Harry looking ruefully at the branch which had been the cause of their downfall, amazed at how thick it was. They made their way back to their bikes and cycled home, arriving just as the last of the light was disappearing.

"Did you have a good afternoon, boys?" asked Mrs Dutton. They explained their adventure with the branch and she administered some witch hazel to both boys' bruises. Gideon and Jamie were already back and the six of them were soon sitting round the kitchen table, warmed by the Aga, tucking into Sunday tea. Afterwards Gideon and Jamie went and sat on the settee together in the sitting room to watch Last of the Summer Wine on TV with his mother and father while Charlie and Harry had disappeared upstairs.
"You know, Gids," said Jamie "we ought to be out doing silly things like Clegg, Truly and Billy." Mr Dutton cocked an ear, but didn't say anything, thinking back to some of the tricks the boys had already got up to.

Meanwhile upstairs...
"What time is your mum picking you up, Harry?"
"Eight o'clock."
"Mmm, that gives us a couple of hours. Let me upload those snaps of us." Harry put on a CD while Charlie was dealing with the computer.
"Is there anything special you want to do?"
"We didn't get our kiss in after you said you'd be my boyfriend," said Harry. Charlie slipped the bolt on his bedroom door across and led Harry over to his bed and invited him to lie on it. He took his trainers off, then his own and lay down beside him. Their lips met and parted, their tongues met and wrestled. They both experienced tightness in their jeans.
"My sister Anna said there's more to petting than just tongues and you don't have to go on to heavy petting."
"What's petting and heavy petting?"
"Petting is the official name for when we kiss, snogging, and heavy petting's when you snog and go and feel each other's dick and balls."
"I can never get my head round all these technical terms," replied Charlie.
"Can I try something?" Harry nibbled at Charlie's earlobe and he was in ecstasy. He pulled out Charlie's tee shirts and slid his hand across his upper body until he found his nipple, then kissed him again. Charlie could feel himself getting damp at the crotch. He broke the kiss, pulled off his tee shirts, threw them onto the floor and helped Harry out of his polo shirt. Harry kissed the now erect nipple he had been fondling while all Charlie could kiss was his ear and his neck. He sucked on Harry's neck, the more so as the pleasure from his nipple spread through his body.
"Let me do that to you, Harry," and they took up the new position with Harry alternately addressing his ear and his neck. Finally they fell asleep in that position. With a jolt Charlie woke up. He had pins and needles in his arm. He looked at his alarm clock and it was a quarter to eight.
"Come on, Harry," he said nudging him. "Your mum'll be here in a minute and we've got to get dressed." They jumped off the bed and started to get their shirts and trainers on. Then Harry looked at Charlie with horror.
"Hey, Charlie, look at yourself in the mirror." He looked and he saw with equal horror a great red mark standing out from the white skin on his neck. "Hey, sorry, Charlie, I've given you a love bite, a hickey. How are we going to explain that?"
"I don't think we'll need to. It's obvious how it happened and I don't care," he giggled.
"You will have to at school tomorrow."
"I hadn't thought of that, especially when they see yours."
"What!" Harry looked at himself in the mirror and sure enough he had one to make up a matching pair. "OMG, what are my mum and dad going to say?"
"Wait a minute. Mum's left the witch hazel behind. Let's try that." They both put some on their hankies and daubed it on the offending areas of their necks. There was a ring at the front door.
"That'll be Mum," said Harry. Charlie took off one of his tee shirts and replaced it with his polo necked pullover. Harry pulled the collar of his polo shirt up. Luckily he'd left his anorak in Charlie's room. He put it on and they both went downstairs.

"Hi, Mum," said Harry with a tone of exaggerated innocence in his voice.
"Hallo, Harry, Charlie. Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah, wicked, thanks." He knew he'd have to explain the bruises after they'd fallen out of the tree. Perhaps he could blame the love bite on the fall. As they went into the sitting room, Gideon said that he'd better make his way home as well. Mrs Bowman offered to give him a lift. Harry thought that was a good idea. It would take the attention off him – temporarily. Two boys left amidst thanks; two boys remained behind. Charlie went and sat in the living room to watch television with the rest of the family.
"Charlie, you must be hot wearing that polo neck in here."
"No, Mum. I'm fine." Jamie eyeballed his baby brother from the settee and said
"Charlie, you must be really hot wearing that," and fingered the collar of his own shirt.
"I've just remembered. I've got to e-mail those photos to Jirí," and he shot out of the room.
"What's got into Charlie?" asked Mrs Dutton. "I always know when he's been up to something."
"It's okay, Mum. I'll go up and talk to him when this programme's finished."

Jamie knocked at Charlie's door. He could hear his CD playing.
"Who's that?"
"Dracula, Prince of Darkness."
"Come in and treat me gently."
"Brr, it's cold in here," pretended Jamie. "You definitely need a nice warm polo neck sweater like that on." "No, I feel quite warm actually."
"Come on , Charlie. Let's see it."
"See what?"
"Look at it this way. After returning from a bracing and romantic afternoon's walk in the woods with one's brand new boyfriend there's only one reason to put on a polo neck sweater that one hasn't worn for months in an over warm centrally heated room."
"Oh really? What's that if I may ask?"
"Arrange the following two words into a well known phrase or saying: bite, love. Or has there been a sudden invasion of vampires in the woods?" Charlie got up off his bed and ran across the room to hug his brother.
"Jamie, am I going to get into trouble?" he asked almost in tears.
"Trouble, no, bro, but a great deal of piss taking at school tomorrow, especially if my suspicions are correct and there's another one there which corresponds exactly with your dental records." The two brothers held the hug. "Look, Charlie, Mum and Dad are going to know anyway. Do you want me to tell them and negotiate, or do you want to tell them yourself?"
"You do it, please, Jamie. I don't know what to say."
"Well, okay, and you can spend the time thinking out how you're going to handle it at school tomorrow. And pretending you're ill is out of the equation. Got it? If you're old enough to have a sex life, you're old enough to take the consequences."

Jamie went back downstairs and into the living room.
"Mum, Dad, promise you won't get on at him? He's got a love bite." All three burst out into laughter.
"Your mother and I could tell you a few stories about them."
"Eric!" exclaimed Mrs Dutton and stamped her foot. "Not in front of the children," and they all continued to laugh, even a red faced Mrs Dutton.

Even so, next morning Charlie was not his usual ebullient self over breakfast. He was picking at his food, something unaccustomed for the instigator of the original seafood diet – see food and eat it. His mother and father were keeping their part of the bargain and didn't say anything, however hard it was not to stare at his neck. Jamie just sat there smiling at him. Mr Dutton took his two sons into school in the car and couldn't get over the silence in the back seat. Normally it was a source of entertainment on the odd mornings when he did take them school. He just had to listen to Terry Wogan on the car radio instead.

The boys waved goodbye as they got out of the car and immediately ran into Gideon and Harry who were chatting together at the school gates as they were waiting for their respective other halves.
"Hey, Charlie," whispered Harry, "I think I got away with it. Nothing's been said at home."
"Cheers, Charlie," shouted Jamie. "Have a good day and watch out for low flying vampires." Charlie just stuck his tongue out, knowing that as he was in public he'd have to use all the fingers on his hand to wave goodbye, especially as he'd just spotted his form tutor close by. Jamie replied by making a cross with his fingers. Gideon giggled.
"Well, here goes," said Harry and they walked into class.

Break came and went and nothing had been said. Lunchtime came and still nothing had been said. Their confidence had built up to such an extent that they decided to have lunch with their mates from the rugby team. Now that they had the security of being an item, Charlie and Harry no longer felt the need to go off and sit at a table on their own. Just towards the end of lunch one of their mates said
"Harry, that's a nasty mark on you neck."
"Yeah, I know. I got raked by a boot stud in a ruck. So did Charlie."
"You should have told us. We'd have sorted out the bastards that did it."
"We didn't see who it was. It's just one of the bonuses of playing in the pack." Suddenly they had become heroes.

* * *

The following weekend was the weekend of the small dinner party, a conference and seminar for parents of gay children Jamie called it. It was his turn to spend the weekend with the Farthings, so on Thursday evening when Gideon was with the Duttons for homework, final instructions were issued round the kitchen table. The weekend had worked out rather well: morning rugby matches, Charlie and Harry's at home, Gideon and Jamie's away, but at a local school. At seven in the evening Mr and Mrs Bowman would deliver Harry and Charlie to the Farthings' house to be looked after by Gideon and Jamie and collect Mr and Mrs Farthing. After the evening was over, the Bowmans would take the Farthings back, collect Harry and Charlie and take them back to their house to sleep over. Charlie suddenly pricked his ears up. He thought his birthday, Christmas and Easter had all come at once. An enforced sleepover so soon with his new boyfriend was more than he dared ask for. Return home Sunday evening.
"I hope you don't mind, Charlie..." said his father,
"...but we didn't really have time to talk to you about it when the Bowmans offered," concluded his mother. Charlie put on his serious face and said
"I'm not sure that I have known Harry long enough yet to be spending the night with him."
"In that case," said his mother "I think you'd better spend the weekend in your room by yourself as we'll be busy entertaining guests."
"Mmm," said Charlie, resting his chin on his right index finger, "in that case I might just stretch a point. I have after all known him some time although we haven't been walking out together that long." Gideon and Jamie howled with laughter.
"Walking out together?" said Jamie tears of mirth pouring down his cheeks. "Where on earth did you get that saying from?"
"It was in a black and white film on TV."

The Bowman, Dutton and Farthing parents were having coffee in the sitting room. The discussion over dinner was continuing. Julia said
"It was odd with Harry. Last summer when we were on holiday in Greece he came straight out and said it. I remember it exactly. 'Mum, Dad, I think I'm gay.' Anna wasn't there at the time. We were spending the day on the beach and she had decided to go back to the hotel because it was too hot and 'the salt water was not doing her skin and hair any good'. It's funny how you can receive a shock like that, but if you have to, you react quite normally. 'Oh really? What makes you think that, Harry?' asked Arthur. 'Well,' he replied 'you see all those girls in their bikinis?' We nodded. 'And you see all those boys in speedos?' 'In what, dear?' 'Speedos, brief type of swimming trunks. It's just that I prefer looking at the boys.' Then it clicked. Up to then we hadn't taken much notice of the pictures in Harry's room, but we suddenly realised that there wasn't a female among them and they weren't only cuttings from magazines, but photos he'd taken himself. And there was one boy in particular there from school and of course I now know that it's your Charlie."
"We didn't really know what to say," added Arthur. "We did know that making a big fuss was the last thing to do, especially as Harry told us in such an open and inconsequential manner as if for him it was no big deal."
"We worry about him, naturally, and we've tried to get some advice, but we could only read about it in books and magazines, and now we've met you four and all of a sudden we've found someone with experience we can talk to." The Farthings and the Duttons looked at one another.
"I wouldn't say we're experienced," said Penny Farthing "although I suppose Gideon and Jamie have been boyfriends, as opposed to best friends, for over three years now."
"We thought it through," said Martha Dutton " and came to the conclusion that between us we have three marvellous sons. They're healthy and strong and although we shouldn't be saying it, good looking. They appear to be intelligent, they behave themselves..."
"Well, ninety per cent of the time," added Eric Dutton.
"...and are pleasant to other people. What else could we ask for? And in the final analysis it was us who conceived them and made them what they are."
"What about the sex thing?" asked Arthur Bowman.
"We tend to turn a blind eye to it. We know what we got up to at their age and how we felt," answered Jeremy Farthing.
"And we were put right about that by my maiden Aunt Mathilda, who is a lesbian by the way. She said it was much better for them to do whatever they do within a loving family than to be alienated and get caught by the police for some act of indecency in a dark alley with all the consequences of that," said Penny.
"Would anyone like a brandy or a port to go with the coffee?" asked Eric.
"All I would say," said Martha "is that with Charlie spending the night with Harry, make sure you give them plenty of warning you're around in the morning and don't go barging into their room. And if, as we have done, you take them tea and biscuits in bed and find two heads resting side by side on the same pillow, just think to yourself 'how sweet', smile and go back downstairs. We've even found three heads on one pillow on occasions."
"On the practical side," said Penny "we make them change their own beds and put the dirty linen into the machine themselves. It can save some embarrassment." The conversation continued, mainly about holidays and the way each family had taken the other family's son with them. About eleven o'clock the party broke up with various expressions of gratitude, not only about the splendid repast, but for the informative evening the Bowman's had had. They took Jeremy and Penny Farthing home and were surprised to find the four boys playing Trivial Pursuits on the floor of the living room. The Bowmans swapped them for Harry and Charlie and drove them to their own house for the sleepover. Charlie had not dared ask about the sleeping arrangements for fear of an early disappointment or being thought of as having a one-track mind, but cheered up considerably when Harry showed him up to his room and he saw that a divan had been made up for him in there. Half past eleven, but the night was still young. He was bound to feel cold in the middle of the night and the need to snuggle up to somebody (one word or two?) in order to get warm. Hadn't it worked with Jirí?... ;-). After cocoa and biscuits the boys said goodnight to Harry's parents and disappeared up to bed.

While they were getting ready to sleep, Charlie unpacked his overnight bag looking for his night clothes. Like his brother he had graduated from pyjamas and usually slept in boxers and a tee shirt. He could find neither of them anywhere and he was sure he'd packed them. There was nothing for it but to take everything out of his bag. He piled it up on his bed and when he'd almost finished there were still no night clothes, but... a box, a small box wrapped in St Valentine's gift wrap with a pink bow. Attached was a label. By now Harry, just dressed in his undies, was looking over his shoulder. Charlie read the label. 'To Charlie and Harry. Enjoy. All our love, Your bros X X X'
"You undo it, Harry."
"No, you. After all it's from your brothers."
"No, it's to both of us. Anyway, they're our brothers now. Look at the label."
"Tell you what. I'll take the wrapping off, you undo the box."
"Okay." They had settled their first lovers' tiff. Harry gently unwrapped the small packet. No tearing at the paper. He shook the box and handed it to Charlie who lifted the lid and they both saw the contents. Their eyes grew round and large. Inside were four objects: a tube of K-Y gel, a pack of fruit flavoured condoms and two cellophane packs, one containing a blue, the other one a red thong, just like the ones Charlie had seen advertised in GY mag. There was note there too. «Next time don't forget to pack your PJs.»
"The bastards, they took out my sleeping gear. Still, I do like the new stuff. Which colour do you want?"
"You have the blue. They match your eyes," said Harry. The note went on. «All the instructions are on the packs for you beginners! (LOL) But if you need any more help call us on our mobiles, but choose your moment carefully because they're switched on to 'vibrate'. Have fun. We're sure you will. Your loving brothers, Jamie and Gids.»
"I'm sure we will," said Harry. "Let's get these new undies on."

They were so excited that they had difficulty packing everything inside the pouch.
"I know," said Harry, "let's take some pics." He fetched his digital camera from his desk drawer and they posed for one another. "We can look at those in the morning." They hugged and gave each other a goodnight kiss. Harry climbed into bed and without asking, nor even thinking about it, Charlie automatically climbed in beside him. Still dressed in just their thongs they snuggled up close together and fell asleep in each other's arms.

About three o'clock Charlie woke up with a jolt feeling moist.
"Aagh!" he said out loud. "I've had a wet dream."
"You haven't, you know," said the voice lying behind him, obviously wide awake. "I've been stroking you."
"Harry Bowman, you'll pay for that," and immediately Charlie buried his tongue in Harry's mouth while his hand started at his right nipple and quickly worked its way downwards.

In the morning Mrs Bowman remembered the advice she had been given the night before and decided to ignore it. At eight o'clock she quietly opened the bedroom door with one hand while balancing a tray of tea and biscuits on the other. There she saw a black and a blond thatch side by side on the pillow fast asleep. She quietly placed the tray on the bedside table, thought 'how sweet', smiled to herself and quietly closed the door behind her before going back downstairs. She then gave a ring on the house telephone and said
"Good morning, Harry. Don't let your tea get cold," and put the phone down.
"Harry," said Charlie "how did that get there?"

When Charlie arrived home that evening he was surprised to see Jamie already there.
"I still had some homework left over," he said. "Anyway, how did you get on with Harry?"
"All right."
"That doesn't sound too good."
"First of all, there's you and Gideon to thank – taking my night clothes out of my bag... and the gift. We wore the thongs, but we haven't used the other stuff yet. Anyhow, thanks a lot and you are forgiven, but don't think you've got away with it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing. There's nothing to worry about. Well, not yet."
"Come here, you little tease." Jamie took his little brother in a bearhug. "Tell us. Did you make love?"
"No, not yet. We're not ready. In fact we didn't do much stuff at all. It's odd. It's not like being with Jirí. I don't feel we're in love... just that we're simply best friends. I like Harry very much, but I haven't got that longing feeling in the pit of my stomach I had with Jirí."
"It's early days yet, Charlie. Use Jirí as experience, but otherwise forget him, or you're going to ruin any future relationship. Love acts in different ways. You fell in love with Jirí on sight – love at first sight, they call that. Gideon and me, we'd been together for a long time and slowly realised how much we missed each other when apart and that's how we discovered we were in love. Do you remember that time years ago when we were grounded because we mooned at Mrs Nextdoor. It was that week apart that did it for us. Mum doesn't know this, but we met secretly one morning when she took you to the dentist. That, and we had to kiss as part of a dare and we found we enjoyed it. So it doesn't all happen at once, bro. Has Harry had a boyfriend before?"
"I don't think so."
"Then it's you that's got to take the lead and show him away. The other thing is you might have sex together, but never fall in love and split in time. There's no rule book."
"Thanks, bro. I feel a bit better now," and he took his brother in another hug.

The following Tuesday Harry and Charlie were having lunch in the school dining hall on a table by themselves. It was the usual routine of staring lovingly into one another's eyes. Before starting their pudding Harry leant across the table and whispered
"I've got a funny feeling in my groin. Have you ever had it before, Charlie?"
"What sort of feeling?"
"It's hard to explain. When I feel horny, it's usually Hardy that makes me feel that way, sort of getting half stiff. But today I feel really randy, and it's Freeman and Willis. They ache slightly and feel really heavy."
"When did you last have a wank?"
"Sunday morning when you did me. I really need you to do it again."
"We can't do that at school, Harry. If we got caught we really would be in trouble."
"We could if we did it in the bogs."
"Harry Bowman!" he hissed. "The last thing I am going to do is have sex with my boyfriend in a lavatory. It's yeuky."
"Do you mean make love?"
"No, I don't. It's impossible to make love in a cubicle; in a shower, maybe, but that's different."
"I'm going to have to do something. I'll burst."
"What are you doing after school?"
"I can't wait till then."
"What time does your mother get home?"
"Just gone five when she brings Anna home from school after work."
"If we hurry to get changed after games, I'll come home with you. It'll give us an hour and I think I can cure your ache. I get it sometimes and Jamie says it's our age, but I suggest you go and jerk off somewhere before games or you'll come too soon and spoil it. It's what Jamie calls 'getting the excess water off your belly'."
Charlie ate his banana split and cream provocatively just to get Harry even more worked up. Harry disappeared about his business while Charlie looked for Jamie so that he could tell their mother that Charlie would be late home as he was going round to Harry's to give him a hand with a bit of homework.
"Taking the lead now, bro?" said Jamie, understanding the code and giving him a knowing look.

Harry and Charlie met up again in the changing room before games.
"Feeling better now?" enquired Charlie.
"A bit. It was the worst wank I've ever had."
"What do you mean?"
"I'd scarcely got Hardy stiff when after a couple of strokes it all came flooding out. I didn't even have a chance to tear off any bog paper and it made a hell of a mess."
"You now appreciate 'getting the excess water off your belly'. Hey, look. Some's dried on your trousers. You dirty boy." Harry looked up and saw the others coming in to get changed and felt embarrassed. He licked his handkerchief and hurriedly tried to clean it off. "I've got an idea. After we've showered let's put our jockstraps back on?"

It was a hard session for Charlie that afternoon. Sammy Walton was back on games and wanted his team place back. Charlie worked his butt off with a little assistance from Harry who made life as difficult as possible for Sammy in the scrums and the loose and did what he could to help Charlie. The Thursday session would be the decider for Saturday's match. After the final whistle Charlie and Harry made a dash for the changing rooms. The water in the showers hardly touched their bodies, just enough to remove the mud. Once changed they headed for the cycle sheds.
"Are you two on a date or something?" asked one of their games masters facetiously after their reputation of always being last out of the showers.
"Something like that, sir." grinned Charlie.
"More like a promise than a date." added Harry under his breath. They cycled furiously towards the Bowman residence.

When they arrived there Harry checked to see no one else was at home before the pair went upstairs to his room. Harry started to tear off his clothes.
"Hey, Harry, slow down a bit. We're going to make love. It's not going to be quickie behind the bike sheds."
"Make love?" said Harry open mouthed. "You're going to, er... going to er... buttfuck me?"
"Not yet, Harry. I don't think either of us is ready for that yet. But I think you'll enjoy what I've got in mind." They made themselves comfortable and in a hug kissed, but found it hard to communicate the tightness in the jockstraps they were still wearing. The garments were obviously doing their job.
"Not such a good idea," said Harry.
"Come on over to the bed ," said Charlie "but take your socks off first. I'm not making love to someone who's wearing his socks." Harry obediently took his socks off.
"I'd better set the alarm in case Mum and Anna get back and find us." They lay side by side on the bed and got into some pretty serious kissing. Eventually Harry took Charlie's hand and place it on his crotch.
"We're not doing that," said Charlie. "It's time to take your clothes off," he said as slipped off his own shirt and trousers.
"Don't think I'm weird, but will you do something for me, Charlie?"
"We're both weird, but it's fun."
"We had to put the clothes we no longer wanted into a big sack for the British Heart Foundation and I found some of Anna's tights in there. I took them out and hid them and I've worn them and they feel so so sexy."
"I'm not sure I could cope with a transvestite."
"No, you plonker. You can get tights for men. They wear them for skiing." He went to his locked drawer. "Would you put these on for me?" and he handed him a pair of black tights. Charlie struggled to put them on, but had to admit they felt sexy. He took a naked Harry by the hand and led him over to the armchair.
"Sit down there." Charlie knelt down in front of him, and gently took hold of Freeman and Willis. Hardy was already standing to attention. Charlie bent forward and put his lips round the glans of Harry's cock.

With a jolt they were both woken by the alarm clock. Charlie quickly slipped off the tights and his jock. It was soaked. He got dressed in his school uniform, while Harry put on a tee shirt and jogpants.
"That was fabulous, Charlie. I want to do that for you."
"Not tonight, Josephine," he grinned and kissed Harry on the lips. Charlie gathered up all his stuff and went downstairs to fetch his bike. It had grown completely dark by now. He waved goodbye to Harry as he rode down the drive and out onto the street. There was a sudden squeal of tyres and brakes and Charlie was lying in the gutter. The driver of the car climbed out and ran over to him.
"Are you all right, son?"