Bloodlines - 35. Chapter 35

November 24, 1998

Max and I walked happily up to the dining room. I had my arm around his shoulder and he had his around my waist, looking to all the world like we were a couple. We walked into the dining room and Max froze and tensed up. There, right in front of us, was Marcel, with another guy standing behind him. I squeezed his shoulder, reminding him to relax.

I would have recognized Marcel anywhere. He looked so much like Robbie it was almost eerie. It made me feel kind of weird, knowing that I'd been with his lover, like I'd been disloyal to him, but I put that thought aside. He'd had Max, he'd dumped him. Max was fair game now, and Marcel had no reason to be pissed at me. He noticed that Max and I were together and I could see the flash of irritation on his face, but only for a second.

“So you are the famous Matt, my long lost cousin,” he said. He came forward and shook my hand. “I am sorry I have not been able to come meet you before now. It has been a busy time.” He glanced at Max.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. “I've been busy too.”

He wasn't really all that into meeting me, at least not right then. He moved on to Max. “Hi Max.” He gave Max a big hug. “How are you?”

“I'm doing fine, just trying to finish up my last semester and move back to where it's warm,” Max said. “You?”

“Things are going well. I'm off to a good start.” He didn't say whether that was a reference to Lou, or to his new job. In any event, I wasn't paying attention to them anymore, I was focused on Lou. Holy fuck, he was handsome.

“You must be Lou,” I said. “Everyone has been telling me how amazingly hot you are.”

“And you are disappointed?” he asked, flirting.

“I am surprised.”

“Surprised?” He was really cute, and really good at this game.

“Yeah. You're way more handsome than they said. Way more.” I just stared at him, drilling him with my lusty look.

“And you have not even seen me without my clothes on,” he teased.

“Yet,” I said. We laughed, and that seemed to bring Marcel out of the trance he'd been in with Max. He looked at us, kind of pissed, and then shrugged his shoulders. I guess he'd have to put up with this if he was going to be with Lou. We all sat down for dinner. Marcel sat across from Max, and I sat across from Lou.

“Welcome,” JP said formally, lifting his glass up. “It is so wonderful to have family and friends home for the holidays.”

“It is good to see you too,” Marcel said. “And I am so glad you are here too, Max.”

“Why wouldn't I be here?” Max asked, clearly irritated that Marcel would imply he wasn't expected, that he didn't have as much right to be there.

“That is correct,” Isidore said, smoothing things over. “There is no reason for you not to be here, Max.”

“Tomorrow Brad, Robbie, Jeanine and the kids will arrive and things will get more crowded,” JP said. “Matt's parents are also coming to stay with us.”

“Is your father as handsome as you are?” Lou asked me, clearly ignoring the fact that I was adopted.

“He's very handsome, and very straight,” I teased.

“And they don't know that you're not straight,” JP said, directing that to everyone at the table.

“You are not out to them yet?” Marcel asked. He could have asked in a nasty way, but he didn't. He asked in a friendly way.

“Not yet.” I sighed. “They're pretty conservative. I don't think they'll take it well. I guess I've just been putting it off until I have to tell them.”

“You must pick your own time and place,” Marcel said supportively. “We will not betray your secret.”

“Thank you,” I said. My opinion of him had done a complete one-eighty. “It will be interesting to see how they handle being in a house where the majority of people are gay.”

“I can wear a dress and a wig,” Lou teased.

“You are too cute to cover anything up,” I said, flirting. Marcel rolled his eyes playfully.

“Where is Cole?” I asked. I hadn't realized he wasn't there until now.

“He is engrossed in something, so we had a plate sent down to his room,” Stef said.

“He wasn't engrossed in you?” I teased. Marcel looked at him and snickered.

“Not even I could distract him,” Stef said. “So you know he was fully occupied.” I felt a foot on my leg, moving up sensually, and I looked over at Lou to see him smiling at me. I reached down, pretending to scratch my leg, and tickled his foot, making him jerk his leg back and slam it into the bottom of the table. The whole table shook with the loud thump. Everyone looked around curiously while Lou and I pretended we didn't know what caused the noise either. Too funny.

After dinner, JP led us all out onto the patio for a nightly joint. It was a brisk night, but clear, with the stars sparkling as brightly as the lights from the cities below us. I was kind of worried about Cole, though, so I excused myself and headed down to his room.

I knocked and didn't get an answer, so I went in. There was Cole, sound asleep, with his plate of food barely touched. There were papers scattered all over the room, papers with what looked like mathematical formulas and computer code. He looked so cute, lying there with his mechanical pencil still in his hand. I gently removed it and then covered him up. Got to have your friends’ backs.

I walked out of his room and headed down the hall to my room.

“Psst,” I heard. I looked to my left and there was Lou, in the doorway of a darkened room. I think it was the one Isidore had gotten ready for Will and JJ. He motioned me over.

“What?” I asked, grinning.

He pulled me into the room and closed the door. “You want me, and I want you,” he said, running his hand across my chest.

“Fuck yeah I do,” I said with a smile. He moved toward me, his lips so full, almost pouty, engaging mine. He was so smooth and so polished, kind of like Cody but not as aggressive, more refined. I pulled off his clothes, determined to see all of him, and he responded by doing the same thing to me. I felt like I was in the hands of a professional.

He broke our kiss and moved down to kiss and nuzzle my neck, and behind my ear. He stopped and I did exactly the same thing to him. He pushed my arm back and licked my pit, making me giggle, and then moved over to lick and suck on each nipple. I did the same thing to him, amazed that his underarms smelled good. Next he moved down and kissed my abdomen, then ran his tongue around in my belly button. I did the same thing, making him giggle this time. He knelt up and stuck his cock in my face and I sucked it willingly, but only for a little bit before he pulled out of my mouth and pushed his balls into my face. “Suck on them,” he said, and I did. His scent was so musky, and so good. Then he was moving down my body again, down to my dick, which he absorbed into his mouth all the way. Wow, could he deep throat. But he wasn't interested in blowing me, he wanted to fuck me. He knew it and I knew it. He only spent a few seconds on my balls, which was just fine with me, and then he was lower, his nose in my taint.

I lifted my legs up, pulling them back, fully opening myself to him. His tongue lingered around my taint, then my crack, flitting all around my hole but not hitting it, teasing me until I was almost in agony. Then he dove in and I moaned so loud it made him giggle. He licked and probed; really getting me into it, then moved off and knelt between my legs, gently stroking his hard cock. Lou reached down and pulled a condom and lube out of his pants, and then I just watched as he put them both on with the smoothest moves I'd ever seen. Most guys just went for it, but not Lou. He took his time to tease me, to use his dick like it was his finger and just rubbed it around my hole, poking it in a bit but pulling out before I could enjoy it.

I was so keyed up I literally sucked his dick into my ass, and then he went to work. He worked me, his hips rhythmically thrusting his cock right into my spot. I watched his beautiful form as he plunged in and out of me, taking me on an almost ethereal journey. I moaned, cried, and panted, urging him on, begging him to go faster, praying that he'd bring me off before I just exploded. Before I could even reach down and stroke my dick I felt my balls start to rise. He was bringing me off just by fucking me! My orgasm blew out like a cannon, sending the first spurt of cum over my head and into the headboard, and the next one onto my neck. He worked me and worked me until I felt like I was almost done, then he reached down and stroked me off some more. Now it was his turn, it was all about him, and he didn't give a shit about me. Somehow that made it even hotter. He was slamming into my ass, doing whatever he wanted, whatever it was that really got him off. He came, scrunching up his handsome face in an almost unpleasant expression while he blasted his load in the condom. He waited there, staying in me but staying perfectly still until he caught his breath, then he pulled out and I let my legs go, letting them flop down on the bed while I just lay there, spread-eagled and panting.

“I knew you would be exquisite,” he said. Exquisite? That's what Cody had called me. What the fuck was with that? “When you are ready to go again, let me know.”

“What about Marcel? Won't he be jealous?”

He laughed. “You are so young, you think like a young man. I love Marcel and he loves me, but he knows me, he knows I cannot be just with one man. And he is no better. So we accept that about each other, and it works, at least so far.”

“How ironic,” I said, pissed that he was patronizing me. “I have the same relationship with my boyfriend, despite the fact that we are both immature young men.”

“I did not mean to insult you. I am sure that Marcel is with Max even as we speak. They love each other, and this has been really hard on Max. It has been hard on Marcel too, but he doesn't show it as much.”

I stared at him, stunned. “If they love each other that much, why aren't they together?”

“You think I am not a good enough lover to attract Marcel?” he asked. I thought he was offended until he smiled. “I am teasing. Sometimes love is not enough. They have different goals, they are in different cities, and they don't get along very well. That makes it tough to be partners.”

“So it doesn't bother you that Marcel is with Max?”

He put his hand on my cheek. “Why should it? I got the much better end of that deal.” He was playing me, stroking my ego, and it worked.

“Smooth talker,” I said, smiling. He grabbed a towel and cleaned me off, and the headboard, and then we headed back to our respective rooms. I got there to find Max in bed, naked. The room reeked of sex.

“Marcel was here?” I asked. He smiled, and then it faded as he let the emotions overwhelm him. All of these rationalizations may work for Lou or Marcel, but not for Max. He was loyal, he was steadfast, and he was hurting. I stripped off my clothes and climbed in bed with him and just held him while he cried.

“I'm such a fucking idiot. I let him do this, let him come in and fuck me, and he leaves all happy while I lie here miserable.”

I stroked his hair gently. “You're wrong about almost everything.”

“What?” He asked.

“I said you're wrong. You let him come in and fuck you because you still love him, and he does it because he loves you. And I bet it was really good, really wonderful. How often will you see him? Once, twice a year? Let him make love to you, enjoy it, savor the relationship you still have.” I probably sounded ridiculous, but I wanted to ease his pain. “Then you say he walks out all happy while you are miserable. Walk down the hall to his room. I bet he's in bed with Lou just like you are with me, crying on his shoulder.”

“You think so?” he asked.

“Yeah, I do. But it's not going to matter, is it? He's still in Montreal and you'll be in LA, and you guys don't get along anyway.” I moved his face up so he looked at me. “Or did I get that wrong?”

“No, you got it right. Thanks Matt.”

“No problem,” I said. “I have a question though.”

“What?”

“Did Marcel completely wear you out, or are you up for another round?” He grinned and I fucked him again, and since Lou had really drained me it was awesome because I lasted for fucking ever. I worked so hard that we were both dripping with sweat by the time we came. I led him to the bathroom and had another sensual shower with him, then went to bed, curled up against his back with my dick comfortably lodged between his ass cheeks.

November 25, 1998

For some reason, my parents seemed to be incapable of flying into San Jose, which was how I found myself waiting at the gate at San Francisco's humongous airport, jam-packed with people scrambling to travel home to see their families. I waited with the teeming masses, getting jostled as they all tried to get to where they were going, until finally their plane arrived. They were off first, just like last time.

“Matt!” Mummy said enthusiastically as she came over and hugged me as warmly as she could. “You look so good. You're almost glowing!” I blushed at that. That must be from the fantastic morning fuck I'd had with Max. That boy was fun. “It's hard to imagine you're so sick.”

That irritated me, this habit of hers of constantly reminding me that my kidneys were on borrowed time, but this was going to be a long stressful weekend, and there was no reason to start it off with a fight. “Thanks Mummy.”

“Good to see you son,” my father said gruffly, friendly in his own way. “Let's get out of here.” Fortunately they'd carried their luggage on, so we wandered through the airport and straight out to the limo where Rafael was waiting.

“I understand there will be a lot of people here for Thanksgiving,” Mummy said. “How exciting!”

“A veritable gayapalooza,” my father said, trying to be funny. He quailed before my glare. I didn't need to say anything; he knew he'd pissed me off.

“I didn't know that Matthew Shepard was a friend of yours,” Mummy said, trying to smooth over her obnoxious e-mails. “Those protesters were truly hideous.”

“How horrible would it be to have your son murdered for being gay, then you go to his funeral and have these assholes chanting at you, telling you he's in hell,” I said.

“The bible does say it's a sin,” my father said.

“It also condones slavery and says you can beat your wife,” I said. “Some common sense is in order.” They looked uncomfortable, but I didn't give a shit. I wasn't going to put up with this fag-hating rhetoric. They had a right to their opinions, but I didn't have to listen to them.

“Your new roommate sounds like a nice boy. I met his father. A fine, upstanding man,” my father said.

“I'm going to meet Senator Danfield next month,” I said. “I'm going to go home with Wade before Christmas for a few days. Go to some of the parties in Washington.” That lightened up our conversation, putting us on common ground. Hearing that their son was going to Washington to hob-nob with GOP big shots appealed to them mightily. The rest of the ride passed with meaningless banter about my classes, my grades, and hockey. I didn't tell them about the issue with Cole.

We drove up to Escorial and Isidore was there to greet us. She'd put my parents in the wing near her and Frank. It was quiet and isolated, good things considering the chaos that was sure to descend on us. It was still early, a whole day left with nothing to do but get pelted by their intolerant ideas, I thought glumly. I left them to get settled in and headed back to my room to see Max. And fuck him.

“You're a dynamo,” he said afterward as we lay on our sides facing each other.

“You complaining?” I asked.

“Fuck no,” he said, laughing. “So Cody is supposed to get in today. I heard you guys were kind of a couple and that Brian fucked things up.”

“Brian is one fucked up dude,” I said. “I love being with Cody, he's a really good friend, and in my own way, I love him, but we're not a couple. We're friends who fuck.”

Max laughed. “That sounds like the kind of friendship Cody has with lots of guys.”

That kind of irritated me. I thought what Cody and I had was really special. “I think it's a little more than that, but yeah, pretty much.”

“So Brian got in the way?” he asked.

“Dude, you have no idea.” I told him all about the drama, from when I first got there, up until the last confrontation I'd had with him.

“He wanted to have an exclusive relationship with Cody. Is that so bad?” Max asked.

“Maybe not with some guys, but with Cody, yeah, it is. He's the kind of guy who if you make really strict rules, like telling him he can't fuck other people, he'll try to do it but then he'll fail. He ended up resenting Brian for it.”

“I guess I can see that with Cody,” Max said thoughtfully.

“You know Max, all I really wanted was a small piece of him. I wanted to be his friend, and I wanted to fuck him on those rare occasions when we get to see each other. Was that so unreasonable? It wasn't like I was trying to run off with him and have his babies. I'm in college for Christ's sake. I don't want a major commitment.”

“Brian wasn't secure enough to let you do that,” Max said thoughtfully.

“Yeah, and his insecurity ruined their relationship.” I looked at Max more closely now, finally getting where he was coming from. “You're still into him.”

“Marcel?” he asked.

“No, Cody. You guys hooked up a while back, didn't you?”

He sighed. “I think that Cody and I have a friendship that pretty much mirrors the one you have with him.”

“But you'll be in LA. You'll be living in the same house. And you're both old men,” I teased. “You'll be there with him, and you want him.”

“It's been three years since we hooked up. We're both different people now. I don't know what he wants,” Max said, dodging the issue.

“I'm asking what you want,” I said.

He swallowed hard. “I'd like to be with him, and see how it goes.”

I smiled. Max was a great guy, just the kind of guy who would be good for Cody. “Even though you know he's a slut?”

“I'm going to have to work on that, to accept that,” he said, acknowledging that it would bother him.

“Well, I think you'd be great together,” I told him. “I know that I'm not very important in the scheme of things, but if you guys do get together, it would be really nice if you saved a little room for me. I love being with both of you.” I thought about what I was saying. I was offering him a deal. I'll be a supportive friend if you let me fuck you, and let him fuck me.

“Matt, no matter who I end up with, I want to have room in my life for you,” he said. That got him a big smile, and a big kiss, but I had chewed up a lot of time, and I knew my parents would be ready to do something. God only knew what.

“Thanks Max. I gotta run. Rest up, I'm gonna wear you out later.”

After that interlude, I stopped in to see Cole. “Dude, what the fuck are you doing?” I asked. He had even more papers all over the floor, and he looked like shit, like he hadn't showered or slept much.

“Working,” he said simply.

“On what?”

“I started looking at these mathematical theories, and it just caught my attention. I don't know, I guess I started playing with the formulas, seeing what I could do with them, and it got pretty cool. You want me to explain it to you?”

“No,” I said, laughing. “Duh. But you need to join the living. Put this shit away, take a shower, and come say hi to my parents.”

“They're here?”

“Yeah. Picked them up this morning.” I held out my hand, he took it, and I pulled him up, and then pushed him in the direction of the shower. His stomach growled, cracking me up. I found my parents on the patio chatting with JP and Stefan. It was a beautiful day, at least if you were from Ohio, so they were enjoying the weather.

“Where did you run off too?” Mummy asked.

“I went to check in on Max and Cole,” I said innocently. Stef stifled a giggle.

“Well we have just been having a lovely time,” she said. “JP has been telling us about what a pretty area this is, and we thought we'd take a drive and see some of it.”

“It really is beautiful,” I said.

“Well why don't you show us?” my father asked. I wanted to be here, to see Robbie and Brad, and to see Cody. And maybe sneak off with Lou and get him to fuck me again. But it was not to be, I was destined to spend my weekend with them. I chided myself for being a selfish little brat. These people raised me and loved me, and came all the way out here just to spend time with me.

“Let's go,” I said. I went and found Cole and made him go along, just to make sure the conversation stayed on light, easy subjects. We spent the afternoon driving up I-280 and made it all the way to the City before heading back. We got back at 5:30pm, barely time for Mummy to pull herself together for dinner. I decided to head back to my room and get ready before I went to track down Robbie.

When I walked in, I found Max there, only he wasn't alone. Cody was there with him, naked, in my bed. I locked the door behind me and headed over to them. They were napping, with Max sprawled across Cody, his cute ass sticking out. I stripped off my clothes and sat on the bed next to Cody and started playing with his dick, until he woke up, a big smile on his face.

“Hey baby!” he said excitedly, waking Max up. Max looked over and saw me, and smiled too. Cody pulled me in so I was lying on his other side. I leaned up to kiss him, then across to kiss Max. “It's good to see you.”

“It's good to see you too,” I said.

“Max said you guys had a lot of fun.”

“Max is one amazing fuck,” I said, pretending that he wasn't there.

“Yeah, he is,” Cody said, and smiled down at him. I saw the look that he gave Max, and the look that Max gave him, and knew that I'd lost him. “Hey Max, wanna see how hard we can make Matt cum?” And they pulled me into a three way extravaganza that totally blew my mind. I didn't even remember all the moves, all the positions; I just let my body flow with them, until I ended up flat on my back with cum all over me.

“You look like a ho,” Cody said.

“Oh yeah?” I said. Then I jumped on him and hugged him, smearing the cum on his body too. It was gross, kinky, and hot all at the same time. When I was done laughing, I got in the shower and washed off my body and the results of one amazing sexual experience. As the water flowed over me, it relaxed me enough to think clearly, and I realized that I was wrong. I hadn't lost Cody. I'd gained Max.

As if by thinking of him I summoned him, the shower door opened and Max stepped in. “Is it OK if I join you?”

“Dude, you can always hop in the shower with me,” I said with a chuckle. “I'm almost done anyway.”

“Um, I was thinking that since your parents are here now, that I'd move my stuff into Cody's room. Is that OK with you?”

I forced a smile. “Sure.” I turned around to rinse off my face one last time, and to hide the disappointment that he would have seen on my face.

He grabbed my arm gently and turned me back out of the shower. “I meant what I said, and Cody feels the same way. I want you with us. Our bed always has room for you.”

Their bed? Singular? They were already a couple? I blew that off and focused on what his words meant. I felt my mood soar at the thought that Cody had finally found someone who would let me be part of his world, and that Max had done the same thing. “That's awesome. I'll try to do that as often as I can.”

“Good,” he said. I got out and dried off, smiling at Cody as he headed to get into the shower with Max.

Cody grabbed my arm to stop me. “You got it, right? No more shit like we went through with Brian,” he said.

I leaned up and kissed him lovingly. “I got it. Thanks.”

“Well you're fucking smokin', so it's not like a big sacrifice,” he teased.

I dressed nicely and headed up to the dining room, only to find that it was empty. I wandered into the great hall and found a massive table, long enough to seat all of us, had been set up. It was an imposing room in and of itself. I'd been to Westminster Abbey with my parents, and it kind of reminded me of that, with a tall, ornate ceiling and gothic carved wood on the walls.

“I was looking for you,” I heard Robbie say from behind me. I turned around and gave him a big hug.

“I was preoccupied,” I teased. “Cody is in town, and so is Max.” He raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, people began pouring into the room. Brad and Jeanine with their kids, Claire and Jack with their kids, Ace and Cass with their daughter, and the rest of us. There were place cards at the table, thank God, so we knew where to sit. My parents were across from me, while Jack was next to me on one side and Cody on the other. I assumed we'd be in the same positions tomorrow.

Dinner was a lot of fun. With all the kids there, it watered down the number of fags, and that seemed to help my father relax. Just when I'd start thinking he was making progress, he'd see some little sign of affection between one of the couples like JP and Stef or Brad and Robbie, and cringe. I sat there quietly eating my dinner, wondering if we'd even have a relationship when I finally came out to them.

After dinner, I excused myself to go call Wade. “Hey!” he said cheerfully when he answered. Just hearing him made my mood soar.

“How you doing?” I asked.

“I'm OK, so far. I hate being in DC. I can't wait until Sunday when I can get the fuck out here.”

I smiled. “I can't wait until you get back on Sunday. I'm gonna welcome you home until you're sore.”

He laughed. “Something else to look forward to.” I heard voices in the background. “I gotta go. I'll see you soon.”

“I love you,” I said.

“Me too,” he responded.

Mummy and Daddy seemed content to retire early, so that gave me some freedom to just be by myself. I guess they were still on Cleveland time. I walked by Cody's room and thought about going in, but changed my mind. It was nice that they were willing to include me, but they needed some time to themselves first. Cole was back in his room, presumably playing with his formulas. I wasn't sure how healthy that was for him, but then again, it wasn't my responsibility to be his shrink. I walked into my room and it smelled normal again. Anna had changed the sheets for me, and that made me giggle. That poor woman and her helpers must spend a lot of time changing sheets in this house.

There was a knock on my door and it opened slightly, then I saw Lou poke his head in. “Come on in,” I said. He did, smiling, and pushed the door shut. I heard the lock click.

“I thought perhaps I could keep you company,” he said.

“Awesome,” I told him. We stripped off our clothes and climbed into bed, and he took me on another wild ride. Damn he was good, and so fucking sexy.

I figured that as soon as he came he'd head back to his room, but he didn't. He lay down and let me lie on his chest. I kissed his nipple, making him chuckle. “So where is Marcel?”

“I assume he is with Cody and Max, but I do not know. Do not worry about us. It is our way,” he said. “You do not mind me staying here, do you?”

“Hell no. I love having you here,” I said.

“Good,” he said, and stroked my hair gently until I drifted off to sleep.