Watergame - 46. Chapter 46

In Chapter 46, Halloween approaches, and Julian returns to Dunbar so that he and Jeff can go trick and treating WITH Sam and Dom, and Eric. Dayton’s friend, Steve Abernathy, ‘invents’ an ingenious way to take Dayton out for trick and treating, which Dayton has never been able to experience, due to his handicap.

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Watergame Chapter 46, A Story of Gay Love by Doug Spencer

It’s lunchtime on Monday, October the 22nd and five days before the City of Summerton had announced that Saturday the 27th would be the official day for Halloween activities and Trick and Treating.

Steve, Marty, Ozzie and Dayton are sharing lunch in the cafeteria, which has become the norm for these four sophomore friends. Just before preparing to leave for their next class, Dayton stated that he needed to pee before going to class.

Steve, jumping up, “I’ll do the honors, I need to go too.” While Steve grabbed Dayton’s wheelchair Ozzie and Marty returned Dayton’s and Steve’s trays along with their own. Steve pushed Dayton to the boys’ restroom, parking the wheelchair in from of the urinals, and assisted Dayton to stand. While Dayton grabbed the plumbing, Steve pulled Dayton’s nice pecker out and held it while Dayton relieved his bladder, then relieved himself.

Steve, easing Dayton back onto the seat of the wheelchair, “Dayton, I want to take you out for trick and treating Saturday night.”

“I’ve never been able to go trick and treating,” Dayton replied, “I can’t walk, and someone wheeling my chair around would be really awkward and difficult.”

“I have a plan,” Steve stated, “but I will need my Dad’s help. Let me discuss it with him tonight, and I’ll tell you tomorrow what we’re gonna do.” After washing their hands, they went to their class, Steve pushing Dayton. Dayton has no idea what Steve has up his sleeve, but is excited about maybe going out trick and treating, for the first time in his life! He’s never met Stephen’s father, and is unaware that Steve’s father is Dr. Abernathy, the local veterinarian.

At dinnertime on Monday evening, Steve told his Dad all about his friend, Dayton, and all about his handicap. He then got down to the nitty gritty about wanting to take Dayton out for trick and treating, and his plan.

If he could borrow one of his Dad’s larger dog kennels, they could secure it to his wagon, which he hadn’t used for a few years. He could dress Dayton up as ‘Jason’ (of Friday the 13th fame) and put Dayton in the ‘cage’. Steve could pull the caged ‘Jason’ around Dayton’s neighborhood, and tell the people that he, dressed as Superman, had ‘captured’ Jason.

He believed that most of the folks would come down to the wagon and give ‘Jason’ treats and find out just who he and ‘Jason’ really were, under the masks. Steve already had a ‘Jason’ mask for Dayton, that he’d used a couple of years earlier, when he masqueraded as Jason.

Dr. Abernathy not only liked Steve’s plan, but was overcome with a feeling of pride. He was proud that his son had the compassion to not only accept the handicapped boy as a friend but was willing to go to these ends to take his friend out for trick or treating.

“Son,” Dr. Abernathy stated, with tears in his eyes, “You make me so proud to be your father! Many kids would shun a handicapped boy like Dayton, but you have chosen to be his friend.”

“Dad,” Steve replied, “you’ve always taught me to overlook the shortcomings of another, and accept them for who they are. Dayton is a really nice boy, and I really do like him—a lot!”

“Okay son,” Dr. Abernathy stated, “I will be happy to help you with this project. Tomorrow is Tuesday, and I do have office hours on Tuesday nights. I will clean and sanitize one of the larger kennels tomorrow, and grab a new doggie mattress so Dayton will have a soft cushion to sit on. Wednesday night we can try to secure the cage on your wagon. Where does Dayton live?”

“I’m not sure, Dad,” Steve said, “but I can find out tomorrow.”

“Do that, and I think I can take you and the cage to his house Saturday afternoon, say around 4:00 PM so that you can start your trick and treating by about 5:00. I can come back, maybe around 9:00 to pick you up, and I would like to meet Dayton’s parents.”

“Great, Dad,” Steve replied, “Now I can tell Dayton tomorrow what we’re gonna do for Halloween!”

Tuesday, while the foursome ate lunch together in the cafeteria, Steve explained his plans to Dayton, as well as Ozzie and Marty. Dayton loved the plan, and Ozzie and Marty both thought that Steve’s idea was pretty damn cool.

Tuesday evening at dinnertime, Dayton shared Steve’s plan with his Dad’s. Jim and Cal told Dayton to invite Steve to come early enough for dinner, and they would plan dinner to include Steve, before the boys went out for their tricking and treating.

On Wednesday, Dayton told Steve that his Dad’s were inviting him to share dinner with them Saturday, and Steve happily accepted the invitation. Also on Wednesday, after closing the Vets office, Dr. Abernathy made a couple of pit stops on the way home. Stopping at a bike shop, he picked up two of those flashing red led lights that cyclists often put on bikes, to put on the cage to warn motorists. He then made a stop at a hardware store to get some tarp straps to secure the cage onto the wagon.

After dinner at the Abernathy home, Steve and his Dad finished the assembly of the rolling cage and soon had Jason’s prison cell ready to roll, come Saturday. Steve was aware that Dayton lives with his two married Dad’s, but had not shared that fact with his parents.

* * * * * *

4:00 PM arrived on Friday afternoon, and Levi and Julian headed to the dining hall to share an early dinner, and their last meal together before Julian was to head back to Dunbar. Julian explained to Levi that he and his husband were also dressing up in costumes and going trick or treating WITH the kids on Saturday night. Levi grinned.

Returning to their shared dorm room, they shared an affectionate hug, Julian grabbed his overnight bag and headed to Dunbar for the Halloween Weekend with his husband and family. It would be late, close to midnight before Julian would be home. Levi has no special plans for the weekend, and will miss his dorm mate.

* * * * * *

Saturday finally arrived, and Dr. Abernathy has Saturday hours at the Vet Clinic from 9:00 AM until noon. Leaving the office, he arrived home about 12:30 to share lunch with his wife and Steve. About 2:00 PM. he and Steve loaded the cage on wheels into the back of his SUV and they headed to the Ashley-Wilson’s home, arriving at about 2:30 PM.

Steve and his Dad approached the back door together, welcomed inside by Jim. Steve instinctively walked over to Dayton, in his wheelchair, and the boys bumped fists, typical of teenaged boys.

“So this must be Steven Abernathy,” Jim stated, offering his hand to Steve, warmly accepted by Steve. “And I assume you are Mr. Abernathy,” offering his hand to Dr. Abernathy.

Abernathy, accepting Jim’s hand, “And I assume that one of you two gentlemen is Dayton’s father?”

“Jim Ashley-Wilson,” Jim stated, unashamedly, “and this is my husband, and Dayton’s other father, Calvin Ashley-Wilson.” Cal offered his hand to Dr. Abernathy.

Dr. Abernathy, accepting Cal’s hand, with some shock, and surprise, “So which one of you is Dayton’s actual father?”

“We both are,” Cal stated, “Dayton is our adopted son, and our pride and joy!” The surprise on Dr. Abernathy’s was evident.

“Son,” Jim suggested, “why don’t you and Steve go into your room so we Dad’s can get to talk and know each other a little.”

“OK Dad,” Dayton replied, wheeling himself toward his room, Steve following. The men all gathered in the living room. Steve sat on Dayton’s bed, facing Dayton in his wheelchair.

“Dayton,” Steve asked, “have you ever slept over with another boy?”

“Yeah,” Dayton replied, “but only with my cousin, Julian. Do you think you might like to sleep over with me?”

“Dayton, I would love to sleep over with you,” Steve answered.

“I only have this twin bed,” Dayton stated, “do you think we could both fit in it together?”

Steve, grinning, “If there’s not enough room, I’m betting we could make enough room, if we cuddle close enough!”

“Maybe, when we get done trick and treating,” Dayton replied, smiling, “we could sleep over together tonight. I’d need to clear it with my Dads, but I think they would give their OK.”

“I’d need to get my Dad’s permission too,” Steve replied.

Dr. Abernathy, in the living room with Jim and Cal, “I’m not trying to be nosy, but I am curious, are you a same sex couple?”

“We are,” Jim replied, “we’ve nothing to hide. We got married right after Thanksgiving last year. Like any couple, we wanted to raise our own family, and for us, the most likely way to do it was to apply to adopt one or two children.”

“The adoption agency,” Cal picked up, “told us that as a gay couple, we’d be pushed to the bottom of the list of potential parents, but our chances would be better, if we were willing to adopt a special needs child. We were introduced to Dayton, and fell instantly in love with him.”

“We took a few days to think things over,” Jim continued,” we knew that, financially, Dayton would be considerably more costly to raise than a normal kid, but we do have good incomes, and opted to adopt Dayton. We’ve never looked back on our decision, and Dayton is the most important part of our lives!”

“I would imagine that special needs children might be hard to find parents for,” Dr. Abernathy commented.

“That, and his age was against him too,” Cal stated, “most prospective parents are looking for babies or toddlers, and Dayton was already fourteen years old.”

“Did Dayton know that you were a gay couple?” Abernathy asked.

“Of course,” Jim answered, “We explained that to Dayton within a few minutes of meeting him. He didn’t seem to have any problem with that, at all. I think he just wanted forever parents that he could call his own, having spent too many years in foster homes.”

“I’m not sure,” Cal added, “if we picked him, or he picked us, we’re just happy that we have Dayton for a son, and his welfare is our Number One Priority!”

“Once it was confirmed that we would be adopting Dayton, we remodeled the bathroom, installed a walk in shower, and had that ramp built to the back door to make our home more handicap friendly.”

“I can sense that you two have a lot of love for Dayton,” Dr. Abernathy stated, “and Dayton also has love and respect for his par—Dad’s. He seems quite comfortable in his somewhat unusual home environment, and I have a new and positive perspective toward the idea of gay family’s.”

“Let me get Steve to help me unload that contraption in my car, and I’ll get out of your hair. I’ll plan to come and pick up Steve, probably around 9:00 PM, if that’s satisfactory with you two.”

“That’ll be fine,” Jim replied, “and it was our pleasure to meet you, Dr. Abernathy.”

“STEPHEN!” Dr. Abernathy called out and both boys returned to the adults. “Steve, I need your help to unload that rolling cage, so I can head back home.”

“Dad’s, can Steve sleep over with me tonight?” Dayton asked.

“We don’t have a spare bed,” Jim replied, “would Steve be OK with sharing your twin bed?”

“I’ll be fine with that,” Steve replied, “I like to be close to my friend.”

“You two would definitely be close!” Jim exclaimed, grinning and glancing at Cal, who gave Jim a nod. “It’s OK with us, if it’s OK with Steve’s Dad.”

“Please, Dad,” Steve said, “I really would like to sleep over with Dayton tonight.”

Dr. Abernathy, weakening, “I guess it’s OK son.” Both boys grinned, pleased with their parent’s approval. “What time should I come by tomorrow, to pick Steve up?”

“We can bring him home,” Cal stated, “what time does he need to be home by?”

“We usually have Sunday dinner about 5:00 PM, and Steve has school Monday morning,” Dr. Abernathy replied. “Better yet, why don’t you bring Steve home by 5:00 and you all can share dinner with our family. I know the Mrs. would like to meet Dayton, and his Dad’s. Can we plan on you for dinner tomorrow?” Jim and Cal glanced at each other, nodding.

“That would be nice,” Jim replied, “Sunday dinner without having to cook it! We accept your kind invitation.”

“Great,” Dr. Abernathy stated, “I do think we need to exchange phone numbers, in case of an emergency.” Cal and Jim agreed, and exchanged cell numbers with Dr. Abernathy.

“I need to head home,” Dr. Abernathy stated, giving Steve a fatherly hug, and then leaning over to also give Dayton a hug. “I hope you boys have a pleasant adventure tonight. Stay safe and watch for traffic.” Steve followed his Dad out, helping to unload the cage on wheels from his Dad’s SUV, and after handing Steve the bag containing his Superman costume, Dr. Abernathy left.

When Steve returned to the house, Jim stated that dinner was ready, and the four prepared to eat. With Dayton in his wheelchair Steve instinctively sat next to him on one side of the table while Jim and Cal sat at the ends. The four enjoyed decimating Jim’s culinary skills. After dinner, the boys went to Dayton’s room to prepare for their adventure.

Dressing as Jason, Dayton had little to do, just wearing jeans and a tee shirt and would be wearing the Jason mask. Steve, pulling the costume from the bag decided to go commando. Stripping naked, Steve pulled on the blue tights and top then the red tight fitting shorts. Even though Steve is not heavily endowed, the bulge at his crotch was quite obvious. Dayton reached over, giving Steve’s bulge a playful squeeze and Steve grinned, not objecting to Dayton’s offensive move in the least.

Cal, as the boys returned to the kitchen, “Looks like you boys are about ready to take off. You might want to take a pee before you leave, and maybe prevent you from getting into a bad situation while you’re out.”

“Good idea, Dad—uh, is it okay if I call you men ‘Dad’?” Steve asked.

“If you’re comfortable with that,” Cal replied, “Jim and I are fine.”

“Well,” Steve replied, “calling you ‘Mr. Ashley-Wilson’ is kinda awkward, and out of respect for our age differences, I’d feel quite uncomfortable calling you by your first names.”

“Then ‘Dad’ it is,” Cal replied, smiling, “Son.” Cal calling him ‘Son’ brought a feeling of warmth, love and caring over Steve.

“Steve,” Dayton requested, “can you please bring my walker from my room?” Steve immediately went to Dayton’s room and retrieved the walker. Using the walker, Dayton headed to the bathroom, then used the walker for support, while Steve pulled Dayton Jr. out and held it, directing Dayton’s pee stream into the toilet. Leaving Dayton Jr. dangling, Steve shoved his shorts and tights down, emptying his own bladder while Dayton watched Steve tinkle.

Job done, Steve pulled his pants back up, then tucked Dayton Jr. back into Dayton’s jeans, after a couple of strokes to squeeze out those last few drops. Steve would likely never admit that he really enjoys handling Dayton’s beautiful pecker. Assisting Dayton to pee is more pleasure than duty. The boys returned to the kitchen.

“Dad’s,” Steve stated, “I think I’m gonna need some help to put Jason—er—Dayton in the cage.”

“Not a problem,” Jim said, as he a Cal both arose from the table to assist the boys. Wheeling Dayton out to the wagon, Steve opened the back of the cage. Cal and Jim lifted Dayton from the wheelchair and eased him down to sit in the cage. Dayton used his strong arms to lift his weight, shucking himself in to sit on the dog mattress at the front of the cage, while Jim and Cal lifted his legs up and in. In a sitting position, Dayton’s legs nearly reached the gate at the back of the cage.

Steve asked Dayton to hand him the two treat bags that were inside the cage, along with the ‘Jason’ mask. The names ‘Superman’ and ‘Jason’ were written on the bags with a magic marker. Steve secured Jason’s bag on the outside of the cage, and hung his on a hook for easy access. Securing the back gate on the cage, and turning on the flashing LED’s the boys were hot to trot.

“So long boys,” Jim stated, “and have fun! See you later, try to be back by 8:00.”

Starting logically, the first homes they approached were Jim and Cal’s neighbors on their street. The story was the same at every house. Leaving the wagon on the sidewalk or in the driveway, Steve approached the door and knocked, then told his story.

“Hi,” Steve would say, “I, Superman, have captured the notorious Jason, and I have him secured in my cage. You’re more than welcome to come closer and see him. Trick or Treat!”

At most homes, the residents were more than willing to bring the treats to the wagon, curious as to who these boys were. Removing their masks, they stated their names. Steve explained that he was Dr. Abernathy’s son, and his friend was a paraplegic, and did live in the neighborhood. He explained how badly he wanted to take his friend out for Trick or Treat, so here they were.

Most of the residents smiled, hearing Steve’s story and some of them even doubled up on the treats. Some of them complemented the boys on their ingenuity, which was all Steve’s brainchild.

* * * * * *

Back in Dunbar, J&J were preparing to go Trick or Treating WITH Sam, Dom and Eric. While Vi attended to getting Sam and Dom into their costumes, J&J got dressed in theirs.

Eric, gutsy Eric showed up dressed as a young Indian Warrior. His body was almost totally naked, save for his moccasins and a makeshift loincloth, with no underwear beneath it, and a headband with a feather. He was armed with a plastic Tomahawk and Carrie did a great job with face paint, to decorate his chest and face with ‘War Paint’. Fortunately for Eric, even as it is late October, the weather is relatively warm. He might not freeze to death.

As you may recall, a year ago Dottie Calhoun was recovering from cancer surgery and the twins, Penny and Peter were staying with the Whites. Dominic, at five was considered a bit too young to go out trick and treating but J&J had Penny and Peter to supervise, as well as Samantha and Eric.

This year there are two major differences. The first being that J&J were also dressed in costumes and carrying their own treat bags, Trick or treating WITH the children. They didn’t have the responsibility for the twins, but did have Dominic, enjoying his first time of Trick or treating.

After visiting about 20 or 25 homes, they arrived at the Calhoun residence, and Dottie answered the door. Sam was especially pleased to arrive at a familiar home.

Sam, after Dottie dropped treats in all of their bags, “Mrs. Calhoun, I gotta tinkle pretty bad, can I use your bathroom?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Dottie replied, “you’ve been here often enough to know where it is.” Sam dropped her bag on the floor and headed to the bathroom, and Dottie turned her attention to J&J.

“You two are kinda tall to be out trick and treating,” Dottie stated, “Do I know you?”

Julian, removing his mask, “Dottie, it’s me, Julian, and this is my husband, Jeff.” Jeff also removed his mask.

Dottie, responding with a surprised expression, “Husband?”

“Mrs. Calhoun,” Jeff stated, “I met this beautiful young man almost two years ago. We fell in love, and dated for about a year and a half, and got married on August fourth, almost three months ago. He’s still the most beautiful hunk of man I’ve ever known!” Julian blushed.

“Julian,” Dottie asked, “does your Mom have wedding photos?”

“She does,” Julian answered.

“I’m gonna have to hook up with Vi,” Dottie stated, “I want to see them. I’ll bet that you two were one handsome couple on your Wedding Day—not that you’re still not a handsome couple.”

“So where are the twins?” Julian asked.

“John took them out for trick and treating,” Dottie replied, “and left me here alone to deal with the ghosts and goblins! It was good to see you Julian, and a pleasure to meet your husband.” Sam returned and they went on their way, but not before Dottie gave Dominic a loving hug and kiss. Everyone loves Dom and Dom thrives on affection.

To be continued.................