Catering with Benefits (1) - 23. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

In mid-February in Sydney, the Mardi Gras festival starts. Justin had not previously attended Mardi Gras, although Craig had attended many events since he was 16. They went through the Mardi Gras program together and marked the items they wished to attend. As it was Justin’s first then it was a must that they should attend the party and the parade at the end of the festival. They purchased tickets for pre-booked events, and attended some others such as Fair Day. This was a long running event that was held in Victoria Park on a Sunday. The weather in Sydney in February is usually very warm and so shirts were rarely worn on Fair Day. It is a great day for parading your assets if you have something to show and a great day to observe others. It is probably the most inclusive day of all the Mardi Gras events. There are men, women and others of all ages, and persuasions. It is especially popular with families also. Events include a drag race without vehicles, the pet and owner lookalike competition, and an outdoor stage show, plus many market stalls, food and a bar. Upon arrival Justin stripped down to just a pair of boxers and tucked his T shirt into the waistband. Throughout the day he got many admiring looks and a few signals.

***

While Craig and Justin were enjoying a cold beer and just watching the passing parade of beautiful shirtless men and drag queens, Craig looked across to a stall called Tropical Fruits. The name was familiar and then he remembered it was a social group from the Northern Rivers around Lismore. He had been to some of their functions in Lismore and Ballina back in his uni student days when he visited Michael during semester break. Craig and Michael had first met in Lismore during their high school days.

Craig’s favourite school holidays were those spent on his grandparents’ farm on the far north coast of NSW near Lismore. His great grandparents had been dairy farmers and left the farm to Craig’s grandfather who later converted the dairy farm to a Macadamia plantation in the 70s. When they retired they sold the plantation and moved to Sydney to be closer to their children and grandchildren, who all lived in Sydney suburbs.

Craig went to his grandparents for his last farm holiday, before it was sold. It was a summer holiday he would never forget. He would often get the bus into Lismore to go to the movies, or games parlours or just to indulge in some unhealthy fast food. On this day he went to watch Brokeback Mountain at the local cinema. While waiting for the movie to start he looked around the theatre and noticed it was mostly teenage boys in the theatre. The seats on either side of him were vacant when the lights went down, but before the first bar scene someone sat next to him. A blond headed boy about his age then asked Craig if he had missed much of the movie. Not wanting to talk during the film Craig answered briefly that not much had happened. During the fucking scene in the tent, Craig felt a hand on his thigh. At first he was startled but then relaxed and began to enjoy the warmth from the boys hand. By the time the two characters on the screen first kissed, Craig was not only feeling relaxed with the attention but felt stiffness between his legs. Was it the movie scene or was it the warmth felt from his fellow watcher. Craig decided to reciprocate to show the boy that his advances were welcome by placing his hand on the other boy’s hand still resting on his thigh. As he did this he felt his thigh being squeezed and knew he had made the right move. The two continued to hold hands until the movie finished but quickly released each other’s grip as the credits rolled and the lights came up.

The boys left the theatre together and Michael was the first to speak when they reached the foyer. “Hi I’m Michael.”

“Craig...pleased to meet you Michael. Did you enjoy the movie?”

“Sure did, don’t get to see much man on man action in movies around here.”

Craig was hungry and hoped Michael might be also, so asked “Do you want to go for something to eat?”

“Yeah, what do you fancy?”

“Well you can’t get it in cafes, but a burger would do for now.”

“I know just the place to get a good Aussie style burger with the lot, including beetroot. That’ll fill you up”

They chatted comfortably during the meal, discussing likes and dislikes and swapping life stories. Michael was a local, born and bred. He grew up in Lismore town, had visited the Gold Coast and Brisbane but had never been to Sydney. Craig asked if Michael knew of some place they could go to be together privately. As it turned out Michael’s father was a school teacher and he and his mother had taken the opportunity of school holidays to travel. This was the first time they had let Michael stay at home when they went travelling. He was not on his own as his older sister was studying at Southern Cross University. Michael and his sister were both regarded by their parents as sensible and reliable so had left them in charge of the house for the first time.

Michael invited Craig to his home, and added that this was OK because his parents were away and his sister was at Uni all day. They got a local bus to Michael’s place. Upon arrival Michael went to the kitchen to get some drinks and Craig came up behind Michael while he was standing at the fridge and put his arms around him. Michael stopped looking through the fridge, just stood there and enjoyed the contrast of the cold from the fridge and the warmth of Craig’s body pressed against his. Craig reached down to Michael’s waist and slowly put his hand under his T shirt, he felt the flatness and firmness of his stomach before reaching up to Michael’s chest and taking hold of his left nipple. Michael could not resist any longer. He abandoned the idea of getting a drink, slammed shut the fridge door, turned to face Craig, took his head in his hands and kissed him firmly. By now both had erections that felt each other through their jeans. Not letting go of each other, they managed to stumble into Michael’s bedroom which opened onto a veranda that had been closed in and formed an extension to Michael’s bedroom. There was a very large bean bag on the floor and they both flopped onto this, still wrapped in each other’s arms. Craig was not sure if this was Michael’s first time also, but was too embarrassed to ask. He thought he would be able to judge from Michael’s actions.

By the end of the afternoon the bean bag had some new stains but proved to be a safe nest for two naked young men to enjoy each other’s bodies and lie in each other’s arms, and their sticky emissions.

The two spent the rest of the holidays together. They went to Ballina beach a few times and Michael visited the farm and met Craig’s grandparents. On Craig’s the last night in Lismore he was invited to Michael’s place by his sister. She cooked them a hearty meal and after dessert excused herself and went off to her room to study. The two healthy young men looked at each other with the same thought in their minds. Craig phoned his grandparents and asked if he could stay the night. His grandmother was hesitant at first, but when his grandfather explained the unreliability of the local public transport late at night, he convinced his wife that it would be safer for Craig to stay with his friend. He further assured her that he could not detect in Craig’s voice that he had been drinking, so it was unlikely that he was at some wild party. They had both failed to ask about Michael’s parents and did not realise they were not at home. Craig had not volunteered this information either.

Craig felt that Michael had planned this night down to the last detail. Parents away, dinner, his sister busy with her studies, no transport back to the farm and condoms & lube on the bedside table. He had thought on their first occasion together that Michael had little if no experience and was now pretty sure that he did not. That would make this night even more special if it were the first time for them both. Craig needed to know, so he asked Michael directly and received the answer he wanted. After some cuddles and a bit of genital fumbling, they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms without consummating their relationship. They were both tired after a day at the beach and a long walk between bus routes.

Michael was awakened by a neighbour’s cock crowing just before sunrise. He reached between Craig’s legs to discover that they had matching erections, so woke Craig with a kiss.

Craig rolled over onto his stomach. Michael was not sure if he had just done this unconsciously in his sleep or was sending him a signal. Michael decided to assume the latter and this was confirmed when he put his lubed hand into Craig’s firm butt. Craig parted his legs and raised his butt a little. Michael thought this was not an involuntary action of a sleeping beauty.

After dressing his erection with protection he raised himself up to a kneeling position over Craig’s inviting butt. He massaged the roundness of both cheeks for a few minutes, gave each one a little kiss and moved in. As he entered Craig there was the expected moan. Craig moved up and down and side to side a little to allow a smooth entry of what Michael was offering. Craig was not sure at first if he was enjoying the sensation, and if he wanted to continue. But the entry was smooth, slow and gentle on Michael’s part. This filled Craig with an overwhelming feeling of closeness, and warmth. His muscle relaxed and allowed Michael full entry to this most intimate part of his body. He enjoyed the feeling of Michael inside him. After full penetration, Michael just lay there enjoying the feeling and felt so close to Craig who had allowed him inside to share their bodies. Michael did not come. As this was the first time for each, he felt thrusting might not be comfortable so soon, and used the experience to allow Craig to get used to having someone inside him. After all, that was what he wanted for himself. He wanted to enjoy the feeling of penetration, the experience of sharing so intimately with another person. After a while Michael withdrew and they swapped positions.

They were both happy, having shared the experiences of giving and receiving. This was not necessarily how Michael had planned it, but it just seemed right for now and what he did not know is that Craig felt the same. These young men had found each other accidently. Felt something in common, enjoyed each other’s company for a week and had now taken their first steps on their respective sexual adventures.

After Craig returned to Sydney the two kept in contact by email and continued to visit each other during school holidays. During year eleven Michael had his first visit to Sydney when he was invited by Craig to stay with him for school break. Craig’s parents were pleased to have him visit and treated him as a second son during that visit and a few more before they both finished school. They had not met Michael’s parents but had spoken by phone and both families were pleased that the boys maintained their friendship.

It was during the mid-year term break of year 12 that the boys surprised Craig’s parents when they returned home early one evening. Craig’s parents had gone to the club to meet some friends for dinner and a flutter on the poker machines. But, after dinner the other couple had a disagreement about gambling on the poker machines. To avoid getting involved in the situation Craig’s mother fiend a headache and they went home early. The boys had said they were going to the movies and were not expected to be home till about eleven, but to the parents’ surprise, the boys were already home and both naked on the lounge. The boys quickly gathered their clothes and rushed off to their respective bedrooms with screams of “Sorry!” from the hallway. Craig’s parents just looked at each other then Craig’s father said he was not surprised and had suspected it for some time. His wife agreed and added that their boy was growing up and it was better that they know.

The next morning the boys showed up at breakfast still looking very embarrassed and not knowing what Craig’ parents would do, but said nothing about the incident. Neither did the parents until breakfast was finished, when Craig’s father asked the boys if they would help him move some furniture today. They both offered to help and Craig asked his father what he wanted them to do. His father said he thought it would be better if they moved the bed from the guest room into Craig’s room, so they could share the room. The boys near state of panic suddenly turned into joy as they realised Craig’s parents fully accepted their son’s sexuality and their relationship. Michael asked Craig’s parents if they were going to tell his parents, and they told him it was his decision to tell his parents when he thought the time was right, not theirs.

Craig had drifted off in a daydream remembering his youthful days spent with Michael. Then he felt Justin dig him in the ribs and point out that someone in the stall opposite seemed to be waving at them. Justin did not know the man so thought it must be a friend of Craig’s. As Craig looked up a tall handsome man wearing a T shirt that stated ‘I’m a Tropical Fruit – Pick Me’, walked towards him, and gave him a big hug. Craig turned to Justin, introduced Michael and told Justin he and Michael were friends from school days and had met when he used to visit his grandparents’ farm in Lismore. But at this time he did not tell Justin, that Michael was his first and that their relationship continued during their university days.

Both boys did their finals at school in the same year. Craig went to Sydney University to do his nursing studies while Michael moved from Lismore to Sydney for dental studies at the University of NSW in Kensington. Michael secured student accommodation at the uni and Craig continued to live at home. This meant they lived in neighbouring suburbs. They then started seeing each other on a regular basis and this developed into a steady relationship for two years. They had their first sexual experience with each other and were now seen as a regular couple among their friends. Both men were happy with this arrangement and did not seek sexual partners outside their relationship. Craig’s parents were happy to have the boys stay at their home whenever they wanted to and occasionally Craig would visit Michael in the student accommodation, but as he was sharing a room it was not always private.