Friday morning I awoke early and rousted my brothers, and when we got to the kitchen we found mom humming a Christmas carol as she prepared breakfast for us.

"Good morning boys," she said, pausing long enough to give each of us a hug and kiss on the top of our shaggy hair.

"Oatmeal and muffins this morning. I have to get to work a little early today, so when you boys are finished please put your dishes in the sink and run some water over them. Tony, you make sure your brothers get off to school, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," I said, proud that she placed so much confidence in me, and glad I could help. After all, I was the man of the house now.

I walked mom to the door and gave her a hug, and she kissed the top of my head once more. This was her favorite thing to do with us boys, and because of that we always kept our hair clean. I often wondered if that was her goal, or if this was just something she liked doing.

"You too, honey. Since your classes are letting out early today, you will be here when your brothers get home."

"Well, sure...I think I can trust you two home alone after all this time," she chuckled, but when I thought about what Mike and I might get up to, I blushed.

"All right honey, I've got to run. See you guys later," she said, then she was out the door, leaving me to stare after her.

I walked my brothers to the bus stop and since I had extra time on my hands I decided to walk to school. It really wasn't that far, and in fact had we lived a block closer we wouldn't have even qualified to ride the bus. Sometimes Mike and I would plan ahead and meet half way between our houses and school and walk to school together, but most times I rode the bus and Mike's mom brought him.

That day the sun was shining and the temps were already in the 50s. Although mild temps weren't anything unusual where we lived, this year had been especially warm. Sometimes I wished we lived somewhere with snow for Christmas, but I had to admit sometimes it was nice to have a warm Christmas day, especially if I received outside toys for gifts.

The Junior High and High School were located at the far end of town, and the easiest way to get there was up the alley that ran behind mom's store. It was an easy route, with no traffic, and I was just sort of on automatic pilot as I walked along, thinking about Christmas, the sleepover tonight, and...of course: what Mike and I had learned these past few weeks.

I was so deep in thought that I wasn't even aware of the other boy running my way till I heard him shout, and when I looked up, there was Mike.

"Mom had a doctor's appointment and dad was already gone. So...I left early so I'd have time to walk. How about you?"

I filled him in on my reason as we continued on to school, and when I was finished Mike just nodded and was quiet for a while.

"What?" I asked. I could always tell when there was something on his mind and I had a good idea what it might be.

"Nuttin," he said, then before I could call him on it, he added, "well...maybe something is bothering me..."

"Oh yeah! I liked it just fine, it's not that. I just...I don't really understand what I'm feeling."

"Me either," I said, relieved that he was as confused as I was, "I mean, you're my best pal and I love you like a brother, and at first I was kind of worried."

"That you'd think I was weird for doing that stuff. I know, I know, that's crazy, cause you did it too, but I don't want anything to ever change how we feel about each other or ruin our friendship."

"I feel the same way," Mike said, sounding relieved, "but see...what I think is: this new stuff, it's making us closer. I...I, well...I almost kissed you on the mouth," he said blushing bright red.

"Really? Cause I wanted to do that too, so bad," I said grinning, "but the kiss on the cheek, that was nice too. My first real kiss."

"We gotta do bettern' that," Mike said grinning back, "tonight we'll do the real thing, okay?"

"Heck, me either, but it can't be too hard, folks do it all the time. We'll figure it out."

We'd arrived by then and we put our conversation on hold and went to our lockers to grab our things for first period, which we didn't share. Our lockers were on opposite sides, but we could see each other from where we stood, and the smiles on both our faces were as big as all outdoors.

By the time we met up again in third period we had settled down a little, but we were still happy to see one another and we were able to visit a few minutes before the teacher took over. Next was lunch period and I knew we'd have plenty of time to talk then.

Lunch that day was pizza, which was a real treat for us, even if it wasn't the best pizza in the world. There was salad and fruit to go with it, and for dessert we had cake decorated in red and green for Christmas. As we sat at our usual table, with the usual crowd, I noticed a group of kids gathered at a table across the cafeteria having a hushed conversation about something.

"Sid, what about Sid?" I said, my curiosity peaked now. There was only one Sid in our school that I knew of, Sid Barnes, and he was a mousy little kid who kept to himself, and to my knowledge had no friends. He was one of those kids who never spoke unless spoken to, and even the teachers had a hard time getting anything out of him. I hadn't thought much about him until that moment, and I hoped what Mike had to tell me wasn't going to ruin my holiday spirit.

"His family is homeless now. Their trailer burned to the ground and they lost everything. They're all living in a motel room now, all four of them, Sid, his folks, and his little brother."

"That's awful, especially here at Christmastime. I guess he's not here today, huh?"

"No, he's here. I guess he didn't want to miss lunch or something. I hear he gets his lunches free or something because his folks are so poor."

"Man," I said looking out across the cafeteria to see if I could spot him. It didn't take long, there he was: sitting by the window at one of the tables for two, all alone and looking sad as he ate his pizza.

"It's not like I'm going to force him," Mike sniggered, "let's both go, that all right with you other guys?' he asked the others at our table, most of whom just shrugged. Whatever Mike wanted was all right with them, and we already knew that.

As we approached, Sid watched us nervously, his pizza suspended in midair, no doubt torn between the urge to fight or flee. It didn't help that we were smiling, or that we tried to look non-threatening, and I wondered if this was such a good idea after all.

"Hi, Sid," Mike said when we'd finally reached his table, "Sorry to hear about the fire and all. I'm Mike, this is Tony. We were wondering if you'd like to come sit with us at our table, over there," he said pointing in the direction we'd come from.

"We just thought you might like some company," I offered, giving him my best, friendliest smile.

"Hey, it's not like that. We're just trying to be friendly," Mike said frowning.

"Then...how come you never tried to be friends before?" Sid said, finally looking up accusingly. Were those tears in his eyes?

"You're right, we should have," I said jumping in, "but we can't change that now. All we can do is move forward."

"Well, we'd be awful people if we didn't have some...um, sympathy for you and your family, but we really want to help, right Tony?" Mike said sincerely.

"Yeah, I guess we were just too caught up in our own stuff to notice you might need a friend, but we're here now...if you'll have us," I said, some tears stinging my own eyes now.

We ran back, grabbed our trays and explained where we were going, then I took the seat across from Sid while Mike dragged up a chair from another table and sat facing us both. We didn't talk at first, but Mike has a way of getting people to open up, and soon Sid was answering our questions with more than just a one syllable answer.

We learned that the fire was caused by a faulty electric heater, and by the time his folks figured out the trailer was on fire, it was too late. It was all they could do to get the kids out safely with only the clothes they'd been wearing on their back. Fortunately, it was cold in their trailer and everyone had on sweats, or in the case of his mom, a long flannel gown, so at least they weren't half naked.

The policeman took them to a motel, and the next day the Salvation Army had provided a few clothes for them, as well as hygiene items and some food. What little money the family had would be eaten up fast if they had to stay in a motel, but unfortunately with no friends or family to take them in, they had no choice.

"Yeah, but we don't really go in for Christmas anyways," Sid said sadly, "my folks don't have much money, and we can't waste none of it on that stuff."

"Oh," I said, thinking that over. I might not get everything I wanted for Christmas, but I had my home, my family, my friends, and best of all: the Holiday Spirit. Compared to Sid, I was the richest boy in the world, and I felt bad about all the times I'd complained or felt cheated.

"Oh man, that old skinflint," Mike said, "my dad says he's the biggest tightwad in the whole state."

"So, what are you going to do?" I asked, but I wasn't sure I really wanted to know. I was already sad enough about what had happened to them.

Sid sighed, "Dunno, we can't stay at the motel much longer. I guess when they kick us out we'll sleep under a bridge or something."

"No way!" Mike said sounding agitated, "Aren't there places to help folks like you, The Salvation Army, or churches? My church does stuff like that, maybe I could talk to my folks about it..."

"I dunno, I'm just a kid, I don't get no say in what goes on," Sid said, staring down at his half eaten pizza.

I don't know why, but for some reason I had the most powerful urge to take Sid into my arms and hug the stuffing out of him, as my grandma would say, but instead I reached across and took his hand in mine.

"We'll do what we can to help, okay? And from now on, you sit with us at lunch, okay?" I said smiling.

Sid looked up and our eyes met. He still looked sad, but there was something else there too, was it hope, or perhaps relief that at long last he'd found a friend?

"Yeah," Mike said laying his hand atop mine, so that now all three of us held hands, "I'm gonna talk to my folks as soon as I get home. I have an idea," he said, looking at me as if to convey his thoughts, and suddenly a light bulb went off over my head.

Was Mike thinking about the little apartment over his folks' garage? At one time Mike's aunt Clara had lived there, but her kids had moved her closer to them, and the apartment had been empty ever since. Mike's dad often teased that as soon as Mike turned 18 that would be his new home, and though it was meant as a joke, Mike and I both thought it was a great idea.

We managed to finish our lunch without breaking down into tears, and by the time we split up to go to class, I think Sid felt some better, and I know Mike and I did. Later, in the last class of the day, Mike confirmed what I'd guessed about the garage apartment.

"Mom and dad don't need the money and that's why they've left it empty, but it would be perfect for Sid and his family. Sid could ride to school with me, and maybe my dad could help his dad find a better job than with old Scrooge McMayor," Mike chuckled.

"Do you think your folks will go for it? I mean, that's a big decision to let strangers live there for free and all..."

"Trust me, I know how to handle them. All I have to do is remind them what they've been teaching me all these years, to help others and to do what God would want us to do. It's a cinch."

"I hope you're right," I said, momentarily distracted by Mike's beautiful smile.

"Thirty more minutes and we're free for the next ten days," Mike said, gazing at the huge clock on the wall.

PE was canceled that day due to the impending holiday, and so far all the afternoon classes had been short ones, and this one promised to be the same.

By 2 PM we were on our way to our lockers to gather what books we might need over the Christmas Vacation, and then we were out the door. Even though I was going to spend the night at Mike's, I still had to be home for my brothers, and mom had said she might be a little late. However, she'd promised to drive us to Mike's house, so we'd still arrive in plenty of time for us to have dinner and some fun before bedtime. Actually, bedtime was what I looked forward to most, even if it did make me a little nervous to think about what we'd be doing in Mike's bed. I wondered if Santa would approve of what Mike and I were planning, then laughed, if Santa really was all seeing, I'm sure he'd seen worse things going on.

As planned Mike rode the bus with me to my house and we'd hoped to have some time alone before my brothers got home, but no such luck. Almost as soon as we got in the door, my brothers came busting in, full of piss and vinegar, as mom liked to say, and Mike and I were soon busy entertaining them.

Still, even with my brothers there, we had a good time and it helped to pass the time till my mom got home. We snacked on fruit and some cookies mom had made, then went into the backyard and wrestled around for a while before coming back in to warm up.

Even though we'd been distracted by my brothers, it seemed like forever before my mom got home that day, but it was actually only about 5:30. It was just starting to get dark by then, and my brothers were perched on the floor in front of the TV watching some cartoons, while Mike and I sat on the couch, almost touching, but not quite, and eagerly awaiting her arrival.

I jumped up as soon as I heard mom pull up and headed to the door to meet her, Mike right on my heels. We hugged, she placed the usual kiss on top of my head, and by that time my brothers had joined us. Without a lot of talking, we piled into the car, and it was only then that I remembered about Sid.

I could see my mom nodding as I filled her in, and it suddenly occurred to me that she probably already knew about the fire and all. After all, being an adult, and right in the middle of things, she pretty much knew everything that went on in our little town.

"I called Lou today," mom said, Lou was her big boss, "and he okayed $50.00 per member of the family for clothing and such. They will be coming in tomorrow to get fitted."

"Mom, that's great. It will probably be the first new clothes those people have had in a long time."

Next, Mike told her about his idea to put the family up in their garage apartment and she smiled, "Bless your heart, Mike. I hope your folks will go along with that idea. That would certainly be a blessing."

"We're going to work on them tonight," I said grinning, "how can they resist too cute boys like us?"

"Shut up," I said, but I was laughing, "well, I suppose you are, so maybe we should take you with me."

Billy just shook his head and rolled his eyes, not about to admit to mom that he didn't believe in Santa.

The drive was a short pleasant one, but instead of dropping me off like she usually did, mom said she wanted to go inside to talk to Mike's folks. At first I thought maybe she suspected something was going on between me and Mike, but then it dawned on me that she was probably going to talk to them about Sid and his family.

"Hello...Ellen, come in, come in. Hi boys," Mrs. Perkins said as she threw open the door, a big smile on her face.

"Yes, tomorrow night the jolly old fat man will get his usual cookies and milk, and carrots for his reindeer, right Mike?"

"Yeah, I been feeding him since I was old enough to walk," Mike laughed, looking like a little kid for just a moment.

"I'm fine Ruth, do you boys want anything?" Mom said, letting us make our own decision.

I declined, but Billy and Danny accepted the offer and both took a root beer. After that our moms suggested we boys go to Mike's room while they had a talk, and we were glad to do so. In Mike's room, my little brothers poked around, under my watchful eye, but they were just curious and not destructive like some kids their age.

Mike seemed perfectly relaxed with them, but then he'd known them as long as he'd known me, and sort of considered them to be his little brothers too. In fact, many times he'd said that I was lucky to have brothers and not be an only child. Some boys might have disagreed, but I knew he was right. I loved my brothers, even when they were a pain in my rear, and I knew I was lucky to have two live-in playmates, and that we got along so well.

Finally, Mike suggested we play a board game, and we decided on Clue. It was a lot more fun with four players, and we were really enjoying ourselves. We'd just wrapped it up, with Danny being the winner, when my mom called from the bottom of the stairs for my brothers.

"Promise?" Danny jumped in, a big smile on his face that could melt anyone's heart.

"I promise before Christmas vacation is over, I'll have all three of you sleepover, how's that?"

When they were gone, I looked at Mike and shook my head, "You know they're gonna hold you to that promise."

"I wouldn't have made it if I didn't mean to keep it. Besides, it will be fun, you'll see."

As we watched my mom and brothers drive away that night I felt a little sad. Sure, I wanted to be with Mike, but this time of year I especially enjoyed being with my family. Of course, Mike and his folks were sort of like family too, so the feeling soon passed, and by the time we got back inside I was fine.

Mike's dad had joined our moms for their discussion, and now he was sitting in his recliner watching TV, and when we came back into the room he motioned us over to sit on the couch.

"Boys, I understand one of your classmates and his family have had some bad luck."

"Yeah, dad, their trailer burned and everything they owned too," Mike said easily. Unlike some parents, Mike's were very easy to talk too and never talked down to us or made us feel inferior. It was one of the things that really made me like them, that, and the fact they were just so friendly and loving, much like my own family.

"Well, your mother has spoken with Pastor Williams and some of the deacons and elders, and they are putting together some things for the family, including food and gifts. I have to admit it's as if they were waiting for something like this to come along," he chuckled, "they all seemed so excited to be able to do something charitable for a change."

"That's great, dad, but...what they really need right now is a place to stay. That motel is pretty expensive and they don't have much money," Mike said, looking sad.

"Yes, that does pose a problem," Mr. Perkins said scratching his chin thoughtfully, "and do you have any ideas about what to do about that?" he added, looking directly at Mike, then at me.

For the first time since we'd sat down Mike looked a little nervous, but I could see him get it under control, and eventually his usual confident self shone through, "Yes sir, we have the garage apartment empty, and though it's not the perfect place for a family that size, it would do till they could find something bigger. I was thinking if we could just let them stay there till they got things figured out...I mean, with it being Christmas and all..."

Mr. Perkins smiled, and his wife, who had been standing behind us where we sat on the sofa, reached down to place her arms around her son's neck.

"How can you argue with logic like that?" she said, sounding a bit emotional, "It's obvious our son has a heart for giving and helping others..."

"It's just what you guys taught me," Mike said, using his logic to strengthen his case, "And the Bible says to do unto others and to love thy neighbor..."

Mr. Perkins chuckled, "You will probably have a brilliant career ahead in politics, or perhaps as a lawyer, but you needn't waste anymore of your talent on us. We're convinced, right dear?"

"Yes," Mrs. Perkins chuckled, "looks like we'll be having new neighbors for the Holidays."

We talked a bit more, but now that the big problem was resolved, we were free to enjoy our usual festivities. First was dinner, Mrs. Perkins delicious meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn on the cob, followed by peach/apple cobbler with ice cream.

Mike and I were so full we waddled back to his room, where we fell down on his bed and popped the top button of our pants to make room for the food we'd eaten.

"Man, do you think they'd already decided to let Sid's folks stay in the apartment before I brought it up?"

"Maybe," I said, having wondered why they were so easy to persuade, "but either way, it all worked out."

"Yeah, but it's gonna be kind of weird having them live right there on the other side of the wall," he said pointing at the wall that separated the garage apartment from his room.

"Well, hopefully they won't be too noisy," I joked, "or that you won't keep them awake jerking off,"

"Hey, I'm allowed to jerk it, and if I get too noisy: that's their problem," Mike laughed.

"I'm sure Sid would understand," I said, then felt a little stirring in my groin. I wondered if Sid even jerked off and what he looked like below, stuff like that.

"I'll have to invite him over and we can do it together," Mike joked, or was he?

"Well, I mean, it's not like I've even done anything with anyone else, so...it's all new to me. I just don't think I could go around doing it with any boy. I mean, I think the fact that we're friends has a lot to do with us doing that stuff."

"I don't know. First of all, I don't think I'd ever like anyone as much as I like you," he said turning onto his side, placing a hand on my tummy and smiling that smile that always melted my heart.

I sat up and watched as he pulled out a pair of clean underwear, some gym shorts, and a tee shirt.

I quickly dug out the same items from my gym bag and together we headed off to the bathroom. Once in the hall, I could hear the soft sounds of the TV and Mike's folks talking in the background, so I figured we wouldn't be bothered for a while.

Once inside the bathroom, Mike started the shower and suddenly he began to undress. I was dumbstruck as I watched his body revealed to me inch by inch, and when he was down to his underwear, he looked at me and laughed.

By the time I was down to my undies the water temp was just right, and suddenly with a flourish, Mike dropped his tighty whities and stepped into the tub. I dumbly dropped my undies and only then did I realized I had the start of a boner going on.

Mike seemed to be appraising my body as I stepped inside the tub, and after a moment or two I noticed his pecker had begun to rise too.

I'd never thought of myself as beautiful before. Cute maybe, handsome I guess, decent looking, but not beautiful. But then when I thought about it, really thought about it, that was how I saw Mike too.

"You're more beautiful," I said sincerely, "I like how every part of you looks."

Then before I knew what was happening, our lips met. At first our kiss was clumsy, dry, and about as passionate as kissing a flag pole, but soon the kiss changed into something magical. Our lips seemed to be learning as they went along, meshing together, wet now, our tongues darting around like little fish in each other's mouths, and the result was immediate.

Our half hard dicks were now fully erect, pressing into each other almost painfully as we moved closer and the kiss continued. It was Mike who made the next move, reaching down to grasp my waist with one hand while cupping the back of my head with the other, drawing our bodies even closer together. Emboldened by his move, I brought both my hands to his slender waist, marveling at how smooth his skin felt, and held on for dear life as we continued.

The kiss went on and on, growing more passionate, more intimate with each moment, while below our hard cocks rubbed together gently at first, but with growing desperation as we continued the kiss and the dance of love. We kissed, we rubbed together, feeling each other's soft skin beneath our hands, our boyhood throbbing, growing to new heights until the inevitable happened.

Almost at once, we moaned into each other's mouths as our cocks reached the point of no return, spilling our young seed onto each other's abdomen and stomach.

"Oh..." Mike said pulling his lips away for a moment, then returning for more of the kiss.

"Ummm," I managed to say, my knees rubbery now as I tried to remain standing while my orgasm continued, waves and waves of exquisite pleasure rippling through my preteen body.

And then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over. We pulled apart then, our lips puffy and swollen from our kiss, our spent cocks, tiny worms still dribbling a little of the milky fluid that we would soon become so proud of. It was only then that we realized we had come wet...for the first time in our lives, and we both laughed.

"We came...wet," Mike said, hugging me with joy, "we did it, together. Oh man, that's gotta mean something special, right?"

"Yeah, I agreed. I think so. I think it's cause we like...um, maybe love each other so much," I said blushing.

"Yeah, you nut head, course I do," I said patting his back as we remained in that hug of joy Mike had initiated.

"I love you too, fart knocker," Mike said, squeezing me tight and placing a kiss on my neck.

"We should finish our shower," I said after a moment or two, "your folks might wonder what's taking us so long."

"Yeah, yeah...okay," Mike said, finally releasing me, "I'll wash you, then you can wash me, deal?'

"Deal," I agreed, and I turned my back to Mike, leaning against the tiled wall as he lovingly washed me with his soapy hands.

Fifteen minutes later, both clean and dried, we headed back to Mike's room, and just in time. A few minutes later his folks appeared at the open door, wishing us a good night, with the usual warnings about not staying up too late or being too noisy.

Once they were gone, Mike shut and latched his door and we turned to one another grinning conspiratorially. Raising his eyebrows comically, Mike turned down the bed covers and motioned me onto the bed.

"I might have to rest a minute," he said lewdly, "but I want to try that again, only laying down this time. I thought I was gonna fall down in the shower."

"Me too, I assured him, "that was great though, the best ever. We came, we actually came," I said proudly, "So...where's my damned hair?" I said making a funny face, and we both laughed till we could barely stand.

After the kiss and the resulting orgasm in the shower, I'd wondered if anything else could come close to being that amazing, but I needn't have worried. Recreating that feeling from the shower in the bed seemed even easier, and somehow more intimate, and our resulting orgasms were just as thunderous and just as draining.

Mike had the good sense to grab a towel before we'd began however, so the mess was containable. Not that we came all that much, but we certainly didn't want to have to explain any stains on Mike's sheets.

When we'd started, Mike was on top, but by the time we'd finished I had that position and as I lay there, my arms suspending my upper weight, I stared down into Mike's eyes, and my heart was filled with such love and such joy that I felt near tears.

My feelings were mirrored in Mike's eyes, and that smile I loved so much made my heart soar. I knew we were young, and that the adults would say we were too young to know what love was, but at that moment I had never been so sure of anything in my life as the love I felt for Mike. It wasn't something I could exactly express in words, but the feelings were real, and I had a feeling neither of us would ever be the same again.

After cleaning up, we finally drifted off to sleep, snuggled up to one another, and I awoke several times to find one of us spooned to the other. I guess we flipped back and forth all night, but when daylight finally crept through the window, it was Mike who was snuggled up to my backside, and not surprisingly he was hard.

I smiled and pushed back, not thinking about the implications, but suddenly Mike was pushing as well, sort of rubbing himself on my fluffy butt cheeks. I wasn't sure if he was awake or not, but after a few minutes, when his arm came around me and he nuzzled my neck, I knew he was not only awake, but horny.

"I don't wanna make a mess in my undies. Man, we wanted to start coming wet, and now, I don't know, it's kind of a pain," he observed.

"Yeah, me too," he said rolling away, stretching and yawning, "man, I slept good."

"Well, not every night, but I can stay over as many times as your folks will let me, my mom doesn't care."

"I owe your brothers too. How about next Friday night all three of you sleep over?"

"That's fine by me, and I bet mom will be all for it," I chuckled, "It will give her some time alone."

Saturday, Christmas Eve, was a busy one, and we really didn't have much time to think about our budding relationship or the sexual aspect of it. First was breakfast, and practically as soon as we sat down, Mr. Perkins began to outline their plans to help Sid and his family.

Of course Mike and I were just as excited as the grownups, and we couldn't wait to see the look on Sid's face when we laid the good news on him and his family. Then I remembered what mom had said about the family coming into her store today to pick out new clothes and I mentioned that to the Perkins.

"Yes, dear...in fact...we're all going to go to your mom's store at 10 o'clock to meet the family and invite them to stay in our garage apartment," Mrs. Perkins said.

"Yes, Mrs. Turner is going to drop them off on her way to do some grocery shopping."

Mrs. Turner was our next door neighbor, and sometimes, like today, when I wasn't around, she watched my brothers, and even though mom tried to pay her, she refused to take any money. She said ever since her kids had grown up and moved away, that she missed being needed, and that taking care of my brothers was a pleasure. A pleasure? I thought, boy she must really be lonely, cause sometimes they were a royal pain in the behind.

Mike and I hung out in his room after breakfast, but soon it was time to go, and we loaded up in Mr. Perkins Chevy and off we went.

Downtown was sparkling and festive looking in the sunlight, and people were coming and going from every store, making those last minute purchases or just window shopping. As we pulled up in front of the store, I noticed an old beat up Ford parked a few spaces away, and suddenly the back door opened and out popped Sid. His family soon followed, and for the first time we got a good look at his mom and dad, as well as his younger brother, Paul.

Paul was 9 and in third grade, right between my brothers, so they really didn't know him all that well, though they said they'd seen him around school and on the playground. Like Sid, Paul was small and slender, with the same color hair and eyes, but I would find out he wasn't nearly as shy as his older brother.

As we met on the sidewalk, Mr. Perkins introduced us and the adults shook hands while us kids sort of moved aside and waited for them to finish. I noted that Sid's dad was skinny like him, but that his mom was a bit heavier, not fat mind you, but certainly not skinny. She was wearing a plain cotton dress, low heels, and a light sweater, while her husband wore Khakis and a flannel shirt, no jacket. The boys were dressed in faded jeans and pullovers, with heavy winter coats that looked worn, but still in pretty good shape. I guessed this was the clothes the Salvation Army had given them, but soon they'd be getting new things, and for that I was glad.

Paul seemed to take to Mike and me right away, and didn't appear to have any of the misgivings Sid had when we'd first introduced ourselves at the lunch table. In fact, Paul chattered on like we were old friends, and when at last we started for the door, he took both mine and Mike's hands and led us inside as if he owned the place.

Mom met us at the door, and I wasn't surprised to see the store was packed with shoppers, the clerks running around helping two or three people at once. I waved to the ladies' who worked there and the Perkins exchanged hellos and seemed to know each of them by name as well.

Mom took charge then and for the next hour or so, she helped Sid, Paul, and their dad pick out clothes. Sid's mom helped as well, ushering the boys to the fitting room to try on their new things. Eventually they had all the items rang up, bagged, and mom took Sid's mom to the ladies' side of the store to help her pick out her clothes.

While the women were busy, us boys headed to the pop machine at the back of the store by the office and Mike and I bought drinks for us and the two brothers. We'd just made our selections when my two younger brothers came flying through the archway from the mens' side of the store, and they screeched to a stop before us.

I was about to offer to buy them a can of pop when Billy pulled out two quarters and handed one to Danny and soon they too had a can of pop. It was so crowded in the store that we finally decided to wait out front, and as we stood there drinking our pop, we all got better acquainted.

Paul and Danny seemed to hit it off right away, and I figured with Paul living so close now that maybe the two could become friends. Maybe even as close as Mike and I. Then I blushed thinking about how close Mike and I had become, and I wondered, did boys as young as Danny even think about that kind of stuff? Then I remembered my talk with Billy and I blushed. I guessed all boys did it, and my brothers were doing what came natural, just as I had.

I'd discovered rather early that rubbing myself down there felt good, but I'd been about 11 before I'd learned to do it properly and to get that wonderful feeling at the end. Looking back, I felt kind of silly for not having figured it out sooner, and a little cheated knowing I could have been having those shudders all along. Then I had this sudden thought. If I'd had an older brother would he have taught me how to do it right from the start and saved me all that lost time? Then that caused another thought to come into my head. As the older brother was it my responsibility to make sure my brothers learned how to do it right? But from my talk with Billy it seemed they didn't need my help after all. I was saved any further thought on the subject as Mike suddenly began explaining to Sid and Paul about the garage apartment.

"You mean we're going to be living right over you guys?" Sid said sounding unsure.

"Yeah, in fact, you'll be right on the other side of my bedroom wall," Mike chuckled, "so...don't be noisy."

At first I was worried Sid might take offense at the name and Mike cuffing him, but I think it had the opposite effect. By treating Sid as he would any friend, Mike had convinced him, at least for the moment, that he was accepted as one of the pack.

The rest of our visit was pleasant as we talked about school, sports, and other subjects of interest to boys. I was reluctant to bring up Christmas after what Sid had said about them not going in for the Holiday, but Mike didn't have any such misgivings and eventually breached the subject.

Paul seemed especially excited when he learned that the church was providing presents for the family and chattered on and on, speculating about what toy he might get. Sid seemed more reserved, but I could tell he too was a bit excited, and I'd begun to wonder if their trailer burning wasn't as bad a thing as we'd first thought. Because of that tragedy the family was finally getting some help, and this Christmas they would have something to celebrate.

Eventually, the adults reappeared and Mr. and Mrs. Perkins helped Sid's family load up their purchases in the old Ford. Mom came out long enough to tell us all goodbye and to say she would be home early since the store was closing at 3 o'clock today. That was welcome news for us boys as we really hadn't had much time with mom since the season had begun. Tonight, as was our tradition, we'd open one gift each, and I knew just the one I wanted mom to have.

Since Mrs. Turner had dropped my brothers off at the store, then gone on grocery shopping, so Billy and Danny would be riding back with us. The plan was to drop us off at my house, but Mike suggested that we go back to his house and his folks bring us home later, and his folks agreed easily.

Sid's family was following along behind us, and when we got to Mike's house they pulled up to the curb and piled out. I could tell from the way they were looking at Mike's house that they were a bit intimidated, just as I'd been the first time I'd seen it, but they would soon get over that, just as I had. The Perkins were just such down to earth and friendly people that you soon forgot about the house, or the cars, and all the material things.

Mike had learned from his folks and he never made me feel bad about how little I had, or how much he had, in fact, I think if I'd have let him, he'd have given half his stuff to me. But the most valuable gift Mike ever gave me was his friendship, and now it seemed, his love as well.

Us boys tried to stay out of the way as Mr. Perkins led the family up the stairway to the garage apartment. The stairway was enclosed and located at the far left side of the garage. Entry to the stairway was through an unlocked door, but of course the door at the top had both a lock on the knob as well as a deadbolt.

The apartment had an open floor plan, the only enclosed spaces being the small bathroom and the closet, both located at the backside of the apartment. A huge bed filled one corner, while a couch, chair, end table, and coffee table occupied the other end. Next to the bathroom, also on the back wall, was a small kitchen with fridge, a small gas stove, and raised counter with two stools in front of it. The place had actually been designed for a single occupant or a couple, but with the addition of another bed for the boys it would do for now.

That other bed would have to wait however, because the furniture company couldn't deliver it till Monday. Meanwhile, it was decided that Paul would sleep on the couch, and Sid would bunk with Mike. I didn't know how I felt about that at first, but we'd already discussed how we felt about messing with other boys and I trusted Mike, so I wasn't about to bring it up again.

While my brothers hung out with Sid and Paul, Mike and I made our escape and went to his room. The first thing Mike did when we got there was to put his ear to the wall that separated his room from the garage apartment and listen.

"Nothing," he said at last, "dad said the builders made this wall thicker, like six inches instead of 4, or whatever, so I guess I don't have to worry about noise."

"Yeah," I said distractedly, still thinking about the fact that Sid would be sleeping with Mike the next two nights.

"What?" Mike said, reading me perfectly, "you're not worried about me and Sid sleeping together, are you?"

"But you don't trust him, right?" he chuckled, "man, we don't even know if he likes that stuff. Besides, I already told you, you're the only one I wanna do that stuff with."

So, minutes later Mike and I stood side by side at the toilet and jerked each other to a spectacular orgasm. We splashed our young seed into the toilet, and though we'd have liked to done more, that was enough to get us through till our next sleepover.

All too soon it was time for me and my brothers to go, and Mike rode up front with his mom while the three of us took the backseat. Mike sat facing us most of the time and we had a good time laughing and joking around all the way there.

We'd exchanged gifts the night before when I'd come over, but we weren't going to unwrap them till Christmas morning. I'd gotten Mike a new record album, but mom had wrapped it in a bigger box so he couldn't tell what it was. The gift Mike gave to me was medium sized and kind of heavy, but then for all I knew Mike might have packed a few rocks in there just to give it some weight. He loved to play tricks on me, and I wouldn't put that, or anything for that matter past him.

At our house, Mike got out and walked us to the door, and while my brothers ran on inside, we lingered for a few minutes.

"Well, Merry Christmas," Mike said, looking at me with those amazing eyes and that smile that melted my heart every single time.

"Merry Christmas...I...I love you," I said, feeling a little teary-eyed, "you're the best Christmas present I've ever gotten," I said sincerely.

"Oh wow, I'll wear a bow next time you're over," he joked, then turning serious, he added, "I feel the same way, and the weird thing is, we had each other already, we just didn't know how to say what we felt."

"We won't, things can never be the same now...cause, well...cause...now we love each other, and...and now we can come," he said grinning, "we made that happen cause we're so good together."

A soft tap on the horn said Mike's mom was tired of waiting, but before Mike headed her way he had one more thing to say, "Don't worry about Sid and me. I only love you, and I only want to do that stuff with you." Then before I knew what was happening, Mike threw himself at me and gave me a ferocious hug. Then he pulled away and bounded to the car, leaving me to stare after him, my cheeks warm from embarrassment, my heart aglow with love.

I somehow managed to pull myself together and I waved as they drove out of sight, then finally went inside to find my brothers parked in front of the TV. They barely looked up as I entered, and I drifted off to my room, floating on air as lovers often do.

Mom was home by 3:30 and she suggested since she'd be cooking tomorrow that we eat out Christmas Eve. There were a number of restaurants open that night and we wound up with hamburgers and fries at a little drive-in we especially liked.

Afterwards, mom drove us around to look at the Christmas lights and we didn't get home till almost nine. The first thing my brothers did when we got home was to run to the tree, waiting for mom and me to get inside so we could open a gift.

I gave mom her gift, neatly wrapped with the help of Mike's mom, and she pointed out the gifts she wanted us boys to open. Unlike some families, our folks never waited till Christmas Eve while we boys were asleep to put the gifts under the tree. Though the gifts still said 'From Santa', we'd never really wondered why Santa kept leaving gifts the whole season instead of waiting till Christmas Eve. Of course, once I figured out that Santa wasn't real, and that our folks bought the gifts, it all made sense. And now my brothers knew the truth as well, but it sure didn't dull their joy or anticipation.

Mom's gift was a pair of fluffy house slippers from all three of us boys, and she made a big fuss over them and insisted on wearing them the rest of the evening. For Danny, a dump truck, and for Billy, a bow and arrow set with suction cup tips. My gift was a new View-Master to replace the one I'd accidentally squashed when I fell on it. I already had a bunch of reels, but usually I just checked them out at the library.

"Oh mom, thanks," I said giving her a hug, "I've really missed having one of these."

"Well, I enjoy looking at the reels as well," she said, "so, may I borrow it sometime?"

"Sure mom, so can Billy and Danny, as long as you guys don't sit on it," I joked, and we all laughed.

It was bedtime by then, and I could tell mom was tired. She'd worked hard the whole season, and even on Christmas day she'd have to cook dinner for us, but I vowed to help her as much as I could. I knew from past years that she'd be up early, putting the turkey in to bake, but she'd actually been busy all week, baking pies and cookies, and making fudge, which we had a bounty of.

Mike's family had invited Sid and his family for Christmas dinner, but I knew there would be plenty because Mrs. Perkins was an excellent cook and knew how to feed a bunch of hungry people, especially boys. I was looking forward to dinner with mom and my brothers, but it would have been nice if both our families could have had dinner together. Maybe next year, I thought, and made a mental note to suggest that next Christmas.

I guess I was more tired than I thought, and after a quick shower I was under the covers and asleep in no time. However, no Sugar Plum Fairies danced in my head, nor did the clack clack clack of reindeer hooves invade my dreams. No, I dreamed of Mike and me snuggled up in a warm bed, holding one another and sharing our love, and I slept better than I had in a long time.

Christmas morning dawned bright and early, with no snow in sight. In fact, the weather forecast called for sunny skies and above average temps, perfect for kids to spend the day outside enjoying their new toys. I wondered how many kids were getting bikes, or scooters, or roller skates, and I smiled. Boy, they'd sure be happy today.

I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling for a long time before I heard noises in the hallway, and minutes later my two brothers came bursting in my room without so much as a knock.

"Hey!" I protested, but I knew in their excited state they'd given no thought to my privacy or the rules.

"Sorry, but...it's Christmas, brother," Billy said excitedly, "Come on slow poke and let's open presents!"

"Give me a minute, need to pee," I said throwing back the covers, boldly revealing my morning wood.

Danny giggled and Billy just stared, but nothing was said, and they soon bounded out the door. After relieving my aching bladder, I washed up, splashing cold water on my face, and went back to my room to get dressed. By the time I'd joined my brothers in the living room, mom was up and had a cup of coffee in her hand and a cup of hot cocoa for me. Two cups of hot cocoa sat on the coffee table, abandoned by my brothers for the moment as they waited impatiently for the passing out of the presents.

"Let's see," mom said, "last year it was Billy who passed out the presents, and if I remember correctly...it should be Danny's turn this year."

"Yaaay!" Danny said as he snatched up a package and carefully perused the to and from card, "Umm...to momma," he said jumping up and handing the gift to mom.

"Hold on, hold on," Danny said, "you'll get yours when I get to it," he said, causing me and mom to laugh and Billy to fume.

"All right, all right, but hurry, I ain't gettin' no younger you know," Billy said, causing mom and I to laugh again.

"This one is for...ta ta, Tony," he said handing a small brightly wrapped package to me. To save him time, Billy and I had moved closer so he would only have to get up to deliver mom's packages.

"Dis one is for you, grumpy pants," Danny said shoving a big package Billy's way, and for the moment he was silent as he began to rip into it.

Danny liked to take his time, making a big show of reading each name tag and delivering each gift, perhaps enjoying himself as much as Santa might, if Santa was real of course. I'd yet to open any of mine, but Billy made quick work of each of his as they were passed his way, and mom had opened a couple of hers, though she didn't seem in any hurry to open the rest.

Finally, all the gifts were passed out, and Danny sat before his own stack and began to rip into them, "Oh, neato, more Hot Wheels," he said opening a box with several of the small collectables inside.

"Thanks mom," I said opening one of mine which contained one of the plastic models I'd scoped out at McCrory's, "how did you know?"

"A little elf told me," she chuckled, and I took that to mean one of my brothers, or perhaps Mike had filled her in on my wishes.

Despite my fears that this Christmas might not be as good as past Christmases, I was impressed at the number of gifts each of us boys got, and in a way I felt kind of guilty. I knew there were other kids, like Sid and Paul, whose families could barely afford a place to live and food on the table, and I felt myself very rich indeed compared to them. I was glad we were able to help them, even if my only contribution was to offer my friendship to Sid. I guessed I could take partial credit for what mom had done for them, perhaps even some credit for what Mike's folks had done, for I'd certainly encouraged them to do something. But what I really wanted was to give them something of me, something that was mine, and suddenly I had a wonderful idea.

"Well, sure honey," mom said glancing at my brothers, who were busy playing with their new toys.

I led her to the kitchen and she looked at me expectantly. At first I didn't know how to begin, then I took a deep breath and started and didn't stop till I had it all out.

"What I was wondering was: would it be okay if I wrapped up a couple of the things I got for Christmas and gave them to Sid and Paul? I mean, I know they got gifts from the church and all, but I really want to give them something...something from me."

Was that a tear I saw trickle down mom's cheek? Dang, I'd done it again, made my momma cry.

"Then I think it's a wonderful idea. You're a very sweet and thoughtful young man," she said hugging me close, "Have you decided which things you'd like to give them?"

When we returned to the living room, Billy was the first to ask what was going on, and despite my being a bit embarrassed about it, mom proudly told my brothers what I'd decided.

"That sounds fun," Danny said, perking up, "hey, what if I gave Paul some of my new Hot Wheels?"

Well, Billy wasn't about to be outdone by his little brother, so a hand held game went to Sid from my middle brother. Mom helped us wrap the gifts and between us we had two for each boy, and mom said she had something for the family, and produced a nice fruit basket that someone at work had given her. I don't know if we invented re-gifting, but that was certainly what we did that year, but when we saw the happy looks on Sid and his family's faces we knew we'd done the right thing.

That Christmas was special in many ways, I'd discovered the real meaning of Christmas and I'd found my first love. Maybe it wouldn't last, maybe it was just a passing crush, but it sure felt real, and exciting, and I was eager to see how it all played out.

As I sat there at the dinner table that day, gazing at my brothers and my mom, I realized just how important my family was to me, and I vowed to never take them for granted again. Of course, I considered Mike and his mom and dad a part of my family too, and now it seemed we could add Sid's family as well.

I don't think I'd ever felt as happy as I did that day, devouring turkey and all the trimmings, joking with my brothers and making my mom laugh. It was good to see her laugh. She worked so hard, and ever since dad had died she'd been both mother and father to us boys. I guess I always knew my mom was someone special, but that Christmas I finally saw just how special she was. She'd not only kept a roof over our heads, and provided food and clothing for us, she had given us hope for the future, and we were looking forward to what lay ahead.

After dinner, my brothers and I helped mom clean up, without being asked, and afterwards we set about sorting out the presents for Sid and his family and re-wrapped them. Mom called first to make sure it was okay to come over, and as expected we were welcomed with open arms.

Sid and Paul seemed surprised to see us, and when we handed them their gifts, the look on their faces were one of amazement and joy.

"Oh, that's okay. This was just sort of a last minute thing," I said smiling, "go ahead, open em."

Both Sid and Paul were very grateful for their gifts and genuinely touched by our kindness, which made me blush. It was no big deal, I thought, but I guess to them it was about the most wonderful thing anyone could have done for them.

After they'd opened their presents, us boys went into Mike's backyard where we played Frisbee and hung out. As it had been most of the season, it was warm and sunny that day, and before long we had shed our coats and were wrestling around on the grass.

Once again Mike pinned me, his face only inches from mine as he grinned maniacally, and in a voice so low only I could hear him, he said, "Merry Christmas, boyfriend. I love you."

"I love you too," I managed to reply, and though I had the most overpowering urge to kiss him, instead I did what boys do, I rolled him off of me and pinned him before he could react.

Epilogue:

Sid and his family lived above Mike's garage for the next six months, but eventually they'd saved enough money to move into a small, but well kept house in the older part of town. Sid's dad went to work at the cement plant, the same place my dad had worked, and was doing quite well there. Sid's mom worked part-time for my mom and the discount she got on their clothing and such were an added bonus.

Speaking of mom, she continued to do well as manager of her store, and that following year her bonus was almost a thousand dollars. Her bosses couldn't have been happier with her, and she managed that store till she retired, many years later.

You're probably wondering what happened with me and Mike. Well, despite my fears that our love was just a passing fancy, we are still together today. We had our difficulties, especially when we entered high school, but in the end our love always won out, and even when Mike went off to college we managed to maintain our relationship. In fact, I actually moved to the same city where he was attending school and we shared an apartment. I took some courses at the local Junior College and worked part time at a record store, but Mike's folks paid for most of our expenses.

Did they suspect that Mike and I were more than just friends? I don't see how anyone who knew us couldn't look at us and know we shared something special. I think my mom had us figured out from the start, but it was several years later before she finally confronted us. She wasn't mad or upset however, in fact, she said we made a nice couple, but she warned us that the world wasn't as accepting as she was, and that we needed to be careful. We ended up exchanging hugs and shed a few tears that day, but now that we had my mom on our side it seemed as if our love grew even stronger.

It was not until our senior year that my brothers finally figured us out, but just as mom had done, they accepted us as we were, though they never passed up an opportunity to tease or embarrass us. I suspected the two had done some exploring of their own, but I never confronted them. If I hadn't had Mike to satisfy my urges, who knows what might have happened with me and Billy.

Today, Mike and I live in the same small town we grew up in. Mike is president of the same bank his father once managed, and I am the owner operator of 'Simply Male', a men and boys clothing store. I think one reason I went into retail was because I could see how much my mom enjoyed her job, and I have never regretted my decision.

My brothers went on to college and Billy lives in Tulsa, is married and has two boys, my nephews. Danny moved back home with mom, and when mom retired Danny took over as manager of the store that had saved our family. I guess you could say Danny and I are competitors, but I carry mostly upscale high fashion items, while his store has more modest offerings.

Sadly, mom passed away about two years ago, and Danny now lives in our old house, alone. Often I've wondered if Danny might be more like me, that is gay, but he did date some girls back in high school, though nothing ever became of it. I suppose it's possible that he just likes his solitude, but Mike and I have him over often, and he always seems to enjoy our company.

As for Mike's folks, they're still alive and kicking, living in a somewhat smaller house now and enjoying retirement. Though they have never confronted us about our living arrangements or our relationship, I am sure they know we are more than just friends by now. Maybe it's one of those, 'don't ask, don't tell' kind of things, but it would be nice to have their approval.

And we may have to press the issue soon, because now that marriage equality is a thing, Mike and I are considering getting married. Yeah, my only regret is that my mom won't be there to see us walk down the aisle. She was always our staunchest supporter and we both miss her more than words can say.

So, mom, wherever you are. We love you, we miss you, and we're looking forward to seeing you again someday.<>/p>

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Poor Boy's Christmas

by Rob Warr

Chapter 2

Epilogue: