Alex and Zach - 10. Chapter 10

Zach woke with a start. He immediately relaxed as he felt Alex’s arms around him. The room was dark but there was enough light for Zach to see Alex lying next to him. As always, just the sight of Alex mesmerized Zach. Staring at Alex was enough to calm Zach.

"Another bad dream?" Alex murmured sleepily, blinking his eyes open. "Did you have the nightmare again?"

Zach snuggled in closer to Alex. "Yes, but I woke up before the end," he answered calmly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alex asked, struggling to wake up.

Zach smiled and kissed Alex lightly on the lips. "No. I’m ok," he reassured. "Go back to sleep. There’s still a little time before we have to wake up."

Alex hugged Zach even tighter to him and nuzzled at his cheek. "Ok. You should try and go back to sleep too," he said, his voice already trailing off into sleep.

Zach lay still, trying to keep from moving and waking Alex again. He knew it was pointless to try and go back to sleep now. Zach was much too light of a sleeper to ever hope of regaining sleep after waking up. And he had rarely been able to sleep after waking from one of his dreams anyway. Not that the dreams were that bad anymore. Ever since he had started sleeping in Alex’s bed again the dreams had been coming less frequently, and even when he had them they weren’t nearly so terrifying. Zach smiled as he attributed that to the safety of sleeping in Alex’s arms.

Zach didn’t really mind being awake anyway. It gave him a chance to just stare at Alex. God! How could one person be so beautiful? Zach watched the slow rise and fall of Alex’s chest, tracing his body with his eyes. He ran his eyes up Alex’s chest, smiling as his eyes lingered on Alex’s collarbones remembering just how much it drove Alex crazy to be kissed and nibbled there. Zach’s eyes ran along Alex’s neck and over his strong jaw and cheeks. For once it actually appeared that Alex might need to shave and Zach almost chuckled at that thought. He longed to run his fingers over the stubble there and then up through Alex’s blond hair.

Zach lay there for the longest time just drinking in the classic beauty next to him. The room started getting lighter as the morning dawned and Zach finally allowed himself to reach over and lightly touch Alex’s face with just his fingertips. Slowly, he ran his fingers down over Alex’s neck and lightly brushed them against his collarbones eliciting a slight shudder from the still sleeping Alex. Zach smiled and continued lightly brushing his fingers over Alex’s sensitive skin.

Alex shifted in his sleep, a happy smile crossing his sleeping face. Zach couldn’t resist leaning over and brushing his lips lightly over Alex’s mouth. Zach continued kissing down Alex’s throat and then started concentrating on his collarbones. Even asleep, Alex groaned in pleasure. Zach started grinning as he felt Alex’s dick stiffen in anticipation.

Zach continued nibbling and kissing Alex’s chest even as he ran his hand lightly up and down Alex’s sides, tickling him lightly before running his hands down to begin stroking Alex’s dick and massaging his balls. Zach kept a fairly quick, but sensuous pace with his stroking, a rate that was guaranteed to bring Alex to climax pretty fast. Alex groaned even louder and his eyes started to flutter open as the waves of pleasure woke him from his sleep.

"Oh God!" Alex moaned. "That feels so good!" Alex’s breath was getting very shallow as he tried to gulp in air. "Ohhhhh God!"

Then, unexpectedly, the alarm clock started buzzing loudly, incessantly announcing it was time to get up. Alex started flailing his arms at the annoying device, practically breaking the clock with his attempt to silence the alarm. Zach started grinning as he pulled off Alex. "Welp! Guess it’s time to stop and get ready for the day!"

"NO!" Alex yelled, pleading. "You can’t leave me like this!" he whined, nearly begging. Then he started laughing as he saw Zach’s grinning face. "You’re so evil!" Alex laughed. "If I ask nice and say please will you finish?"

His eyes sparkling with mischief, Zach wrapped his hand back around Alex’s dick and started stroking him once again. It was only a matter of moments before Alex gasped and started shooting long streaks across his chest and stomach. Zach continued stroking him, milking every last drop out of Alex’s shuddering body.

Zach kissed Alex on the lips, deeply and passionately. Then, Zach pulled away, getting up out of the bed. Alex grabbed at his hand trying to pull him back. "Hey! What about you?" Alex asked. "Don’t I get to play with you?"

Zach grinned at Alex. "Not right now you don’t! We can play again tonight. But right now we got to get going or we’re gonna be late for class."

Alex frowned at Zach, pushing his lower lip out and over his upper lip as he pretended to pout. "That’s not very fair!"

Zach laughed again and leaned over to kiss Alex again. "You’re adorable when you pout you know. But it ain’t gonna work this time. I’m gonna go take a shower. You need to get your lazy ass going."

Zach walked into the bathroom still grinning. He started the shower and then proceeded to wrap a plastic bag around his cast. Zach reflected that with any luck, this would be the last time he would have to do that. He and Alex were going to go see Alex’s dad after school and get the silly thing removed finally. At least Zach hoped so. The itching was driving him crazy and Zach didn’t think he’d be able to put up with it very much longer.

Zach showered and shampooed quickly, shaking his head a little as he realized he was still half-hard from playing with Alex. "Down boy!" he laughed to himself. Zach had stepped out of the shower and was drying off when Alex entered the bathroom.

"Did you leave me any hot water?" Alex teased.

"Nope! I figured you needed to take a cold shower after this morning." Zach replied grinning as Alex stepped into the shower. Zach quickly shaved and combed his hair into some semblance of order. Before he left, Alex started singing off key causing Zach to burst out laughing at him.

After throwing on some clothes, Zach headed towards the kitchen and breakfast. He grabbed a bowl and Alex’s Cap’n Crunch cereal and put them on the table and then grabbed a chocolate Pop Tart for himself. Zach never could figure out what Alex saw in that cereal, but it was one of Alex’s favorites. Zach absently munched on his pastry as he poured himself a glass of milk and fixed Alex’s cereal for him. Zach had just put a spoon next to the bowl when Alex walked into the kitchen pulling on his sweatshirt.

"Hey chocolate breath!" Alex teased Zach as he kissed him good morning before sitting down to eat. "You looking forward to visiting my home this weekend?"

"YES!" Zach answered fervently. "I can’t wait to get this damn thing off. I swear I’m gonna be scratching at my leg for the better part of the night after your dad removes it."

Alex frowned a little, a serious look crossing his face. "Oh shit Zach. I guess I forgot to tell you. Dad said you’d have to wear that cast for a little longer."

"No!" Zach nearly wailed. "Damn it! Did he say how much longer?" Zach’s expression was disgusted and his voice sounded totally defeated.

Alex gave a large sigh. "I think he said something like till you’re sixty or so," Alex said with a totally straight face, even managing to look sympathetic. "He said something about gay bones not being nearly as stiff as straight bones. I didn’t really understand it." Alex couldn’t keep from laughing anymore and he was grinning openly at Zach.

"Eat me shit head!" Zach laughed back realizing finally that Alex was teasing him.

"I tried doing that earlier and you ran off for a shower!" Alex teased back.

Zach shook his head and rolled his eyes realizing he wasn’t going to win this one. "All right, you got me. I give up! Are you still gonna pick me up after class? Beth mentioned she wanted to speak with me after her lecture today."

"Beth?" Alex asked confused. "Who’s Beth?"

"One of the members of the Mathematics Department," Zach answered.

"You call the professors by their first names?" Alex answered incredulously. "That’s weird!"

"Well, only the math professors," Zach replied a little embarrassed. "I spend a lot of time with all of them since I tutor for most of their classes. They have all told me to just call them by their first names."

"I still say that’s weird!" Alex laughed. "What did she want to talk to you about? Was it gonna take very long?"

"I don’t know. She didn’t say," Zach said finishing his pastry and milk. "She just asked me to stop by her office after class today. She probably wants me to grade tests or something."

"Ok," Alex replied with his mouth full. "I’ll just park out front and wait for you. Then we can go get that cast off of you before you go crazy."

"Thanks," Zach smiled. "I better get going or I’m gonna be late for my first class. I’ll see ya later." Zach kissed Alex goodbye between his bites of cereal.

Zach’s day seemed to speed by and crawl at the same time. His classes were all great. The topics covered for the day were all interesting. Between classes he spent time talking with his friends and everyone was in a great mood. But the anticipation of getting the cast off was driving Zach a little wild and he could barely sit still. Finally, the last class finished and Zach only had to talk with Beth before he could be on his way.

Zach walked to Beth’s office idly wondering what she wanted to discuss. Zach had always had a special relationship with all the math professors, but he and Beth were especially close. He knocked on her office door and was immediately asked to enter.

"Zach, I’m so glad you were able to come see me today," Beth started. "I really appreciate you coming on such short notice too."

"No problem Beth," Zach replied smiling at her. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

Beth hesitated for a few seconds before answering. "I know you tutor a couple of hours a week at the study center. Do you enjoy the work?"

"Yeah, I like it," Zach answered a little confused. "I’ve always been pretty good with math and I like helping people with it. It’s a good job and I get to meet a lot of students I probably wouldn’t ever get a chance to if I didn’t have this job."

Beth smiled and relaxed more comfortably in here chair. "Good. I’m glad to hear you say that. Would you be interested in having a few more tutoring sessions? Maybe on a slightly larger scale?"

"I don’t understand what you mean Beth," Zach replied. "I wouldn’t mind tutoring more sessions, but I didn’t think there were any more openings at the study center."

"I don’t mean for the study center," Beth answered. "What I meant was conducting a group study here in the Mathematics Building. The job would be from our Department, not from the study center. What we need is someone to help our struggling students with some of the basics. I know you normally tutor calculus and statistics, but this would be more along the lines of algebra. And it would be in a group setting instead of one on one like you normally do. Would you be willing to do something like that?"

"Wow!" Zach answered a little stunned. "I never thought of doing anything like that before. What made you decided on asking me if you don’t mind my asking."

Beth smiled. "Well, everyone in the department knows you Zach, and we are all very impressed by you. Also you already have experience in tutoring so that helps too. But most importantly, you are probably the most requested tutor at the study center. The list of students wanting help specifically from you fills up almost as soon as the center opens it up for sign up. That tells us that you must be doing something right if so many students want your help."

Zach’s mouth opened in shock. "You’re kidding right? I’m the most requested tutor? I can’t be!"

Beth chuckled. "Yes you are. You may not have noticed, but the other tutors aren’t nearly as busy as you. The study center has even had to limit your time to university students only. Normally the tutors are available to the high school kids too, but your list fills up so fast that they can’t let the high school kids sign up for you."

"I didn’t know that," Zach replied more than a little embarrassed. "I don’t know what to say. When would you want me to do this? And where? And…well, I don’t even know what to ask as far as details."

Beth smiled again. "Well, we haven’t exactly worked out all the details either. First we wanted to see if you would even be interested in something like this. It would probably be during the evenings to work around your class schedule and your tutoring schedule. And that would probably work better for most of the students too. So are you interested? Can I tell Dr. Phillips that we need to figure out the details?"

Zach stared at Beth for a few moments a little stunned. "Yeah. I think I am interested. Actually, it sounds great!"

Beth chuckled again. "Good! I’ll tell Bob that we need to get to work and get with the rest of the faculty to hammer out the details. I think we should have the details figured out by Monday. Can you come meet with me again after class?"

Zach smiled. "Sure. I’ll be here. Thanks Beth! This is great!"

Beth stood and walked Zach to the door. "We should be the ones thanking you Zach. If you can help some of these students turn their grades around you will be doing them and us a huge favor. Have a good weekend. I’ll see you on Monday."

"Thanks Beth. I really appreciate it." Zach left the building still a little dazed by the whole conversation. But he was very excited at the same time. Zach knew most people hated math, but he really enjoyed it and he loved helping people with the subject.

Zach was practically bouncing with excitement as he climbed into Alex’s car. "You’ll never guess what Beth wanted to talk with me about! She wants me to tutor for the department in a group setting! Can you believe that? She said the department wants me to help with their struggling students. I can’t believe they chose me for this!"

Alex looked over grinning at Zach, but immediately turned his attention back to driving. "Not excited about it are we?" Alex teased. "You of course said no, that you just hate math. Right?"

Zach chuckled. "Nah. I said I’d do anything to get me away from my prick roommate. He’s such an asshole that I would gladly jump at anything as long as it got me away from him!"

Alex laughed back at Zach. "Well, if they want you to help the struggling students, I will probably be in your group. I’m probably the student they had in mind when they decided to set up a group and get somebody to tutor."

Zach stopped laughing and looked at Alex seriously. "Are you having trouble with your math classes?"

Alex sighed and his expression became serious too. "Shit! I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. I was just joking with you." Alex continued looking straight ahead seeming to be concentrating on the road. "I’m doing ok."

Zach’s eyes narrowed in concentration as he stared at Alex. "That’s nice. Now do you want to tell me the truth?"

Alex sighed again and glanced at Zach. "All right. I’m not doing so well. I’m practically flunking the class. I just don’t get it."

Zach’s face took on an annoyed expression. "Why didn’t you ever tell me you were having trouble? I could have helped you. It’s my job, remember?"

Alex remained quiet for a few moments before replying. "I almost asked for your help a couple of times, but every time I started, I always backed down. I’ve seen your homework before. And I’ve seen you helping Cindy with hers. The stuff you guys work on looks like an alien language. Then I would look at my homework with questions about how many apples I have if I pick three and throw one away, and well, I just feel stupid having to ask for help. I mean, you said it yourself Zach, you taught yourself calculus in seventh grade. Compared to that, I’m a moron."

"Alex, there are a lot of people who don’t get math," Zach reassured. "That’s why there are tutors. And it really kinda annoys me that you didn’t think you could ask me for help. How many times have you helped me out? Don’t you think I feel like an idiot when I have to get your help to interact with people?"

"That’s different!" Alex protested.

"You’re right," Zach replied. "Your skill is useful. Being a people person will definitely take you a lot further than being a walking calculator."

Alex started laughing. "That’s not what I meant!" he protested.

Zach grinned at Alex. "I know what you meant. Now, will you start letting me help you?"

Alex smiled sheepishly at Zach. "Yeah. But boy have you got your work cut out for you!"

Zach smiled back at Alex as the mood was lightened. The rest of the trip to Alex’s hometown and his father’s hospital was spent laughing. They were both in a good mood as they pulled into the hospital parking lot and took a spot fairly close to the door. They then walked into the building in search of Alex’s dad.

While searching for Dr. Edwards they ran into Nurse Carol who had helped the night of the car accident. Carol immediately smiled when she saw the two and quickly walked up to them. "Alex! Your father said you would be stopping by today with Zach. You’re looking good Zach. Much better than when I first met you."

Zach looked at Carol for a second before turning to Alex in confusion. "Um, I’m sorry. I don’t think I know you." Zach said, turning a little pink with embarrassment.

Carol chuckled at Zach’s confusion. "Well, I’d be more surprised if you did remember me Zach. I was one of the nurses who helped take care of you the night of the accident. Dr. Edwards said you would be stopping by today to get the cast removed."

"Oh," Zach answered. "I really don’t remember too much of anything from that night after hitting the deer." Zach turned a little redder as he turned towards Alex. "Just a few bits and pieces and small parts of conversations."

Alex started smiling as he realized just exactly what conversation Zach was referring to. It always amused Alex that Zach still blushed whenever he remembered he had revealed that he loved Alex while drugged. Alex thought Zach looked adorable when he was blushing.

"So where is my Dad?" Alex asked Carol. "Zach is about ready to take a hammer to this cast to get out of it. I think we should probably try and prevent that if we can."

Carol started laughing. "I imagine he is in his office. Why don’t you two go into that exam room there and I’ll send him in."

"Thanks Carol!" Alex replied warmly. "Tell Dad to hurry. I don’t know how long I can keep Zach’s hand tied up."

Zach looked at Alex with a look of pure disgust. "Ha Ha," he said in a flat monotone voice. "You are just so funny. Maybe I should break your leg and see how you like wearing one of these things!"

Carol was laughing at both of them as she shooed them into the exam room. Still laughing, she left to go find Alex’s dad.

A few minutes later Dr. Edwards came into the room smiling broadly. "Hey boys!" he greeted them warmly hugging them both. "You both are looking good. Carol says you want to keep the cast on Zach."

"Everyone’s a comedian!" Zach replied grinning. "Will you please take this stupid thing off before I start banging it against your son’s head to break it off!"

"How did you know I was planning on using Alex’s head to bust off the cast?" Dr. Edwards asked laughing. "It’s the hardest, densest substance known to man!"

"Hey!" Alex protested. "Why is everyone picking on me all of a sudden?"

The three of them laughed as Dr. Edwards quickly began cutting the cast away. Almost before the pieces were removed Zach started scratching frantically at his leg, an expression of bliss crossing his face. "Oh God! I’ve wanted to do this for so long. It’s been driving me crazy!"

"Every patient does that same thing when I take off a cast," Dr Edwards said, smiling. "Just make sure to stop before you start bleeding! Are the two of you going back to the house now? Jason might be there by now."

"Jason is coming down?" Alex asked excited. "I didn’t think he was gonna be able to get away. At least that’s what he said when I last spoke to him."

Dr. Edwards smiled at his son. "Well, he is only coming down for the night. He needed to pick up a few things from the house. And I think he wanted to see his little brother too!"

Alex’s grin spread from ear to ear as he and Zach headed towards the door. "Thanks Dad! We’ll see ya later for supper won’t we?"

"No, I probably won’t get away till around ten or so tonight. You guys have fun, but try not to destroy the house. Maybe we can get together for breakfast tomorrow."

"That would be great Dad," Alex replied. "You have chocolate Pop Tarts for Zach don’t you?" Alex grinned at Zach as he said that and Zach punched him lightly.

Dr. Edwards laughed at the two of them. "I’ve got your Pop Tarts Zach. Don’t worry. It’s been good seeing you again Zach. Remember to take it easy on that leg for a while. Give it time to get back in condition before you start running any marathons!"

"Thanks Dr. Edwards," Zach answered sincerely. "I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me."

Dr. Edwards hugged both of them again in parting and Alex and Zach headed towards the parking lot. In only a few minutes Alex was pulling the car into the driveway of his home. The two of them got out of the car and started towards the front door. Before they had taken even a dozen steps the front door flew open and Jason came bounding out to meet them.

"Hey Little Brother!" Jason yelled grabbing Alex in a rough bear hug. "It’s about time you got your ugly mug home! I’ve been waiting forever for you to arrive." Jason let Alex go and immediately grabbed Zach in a warm embrace. "I see you finally got that cast off Zach. No more help in the shower for you huh?" Jason started laughing as Zach immediately turned crimson with embarrassment. The three of them entered the house with Jason practically bouncing the entire way.

The afternoon was spent pleasantly talking while pretending to watch movies. The conversation was more interesting than the TV anyway so nobody could really say what was on. As evening rolled around they decided to order pizza instead of attempting to cook. Both Alex and Jason were total incompetents in the kitchen and they decided it was unfair for Zach to have to cook for them.

After scarfing down enough pizza to feed a small army, the three retired to the living room to watch some rented videos. Alex half sat, half lay on the couch and pulled Zach down in front of him getting Zach to lean back against his chest. The position had a great level of intimacy and was perfect for Alex to rub Zach’s chest and stomach. Zach was a little embarrassed to be sitting in such a position in front of Alex’s brother, but Jason just smiled at them, his eyes twinkling.

After the movie had ended Alex noticed that Zach had fallen asleep in his arms. "Damn!" Alex said quietly. "I wasn’t expecting him to go to sleep on me! I had plans for tonight." Jason started laughing quietly and Alex turned a little pink as he realized what he had said in front of his brother. Alex grinned a little sheepishly at Jason.

"I take it the two of you are back in the same bed again then," Jason said. "The last time we really talked you said the two of you were having some problems. Watching the two of you today I kinda figured you had worked through them and were sleeping together again."

Alex blushed a little more. "Yeah, we’re in the same bed again. We haven’t really slept together yet though. We’re still taking it real slow. Just a lot of making out and some real heavy petting is all."

Jason grinned even broader. "Too much information Little Brother!" he laughed. "So the two of you are doing pretty good then?"

Alex’s expression was still happy but it also took on a serious tone. "Yeah, for the most part. Zach is still having trouble sleeping although he tries to hide it from me. It is getting better for him, but I know he doesn’t sleep nearly enough. He still has the nightmares, but they seem to be coming less often now that he has started talking to me about them."

Jason smiled warmly at his brother. "That’s good. It’s pretty obvious he loves you and trusts you Alex. You do realize how uncomfortable he was lying with you like that in front of me tonight don’t you? Yet he still did it to make you happy. I’m sure he enjoyed it too, but it did make him uncomfortable. And look at how peacefully he’s sleeping right now. It’s because he’s with you and in your arms."

Alex nuzzled Zach’s cheek a little before looking up smiling at Jason. "I know. But when did you become so smart and perceptive?"

Jason laughed as he got up and tousled Alex’s hair. "I’ve always been smart and perceptive. You’ve just never noticed before. You should pay more attention. Why don’t we pour your boyfriend into bed now?"

The two brothers gently shook Zach till he half awoke and then steered him towards Alex’s bedroom and the waiting bed. Zach was still half asleep, but awake enough to realize what was taking place. Oddly, he didn't resist but instead docilely allowed himself to be led to the bedroom. He didn’t even object when Alex started undressing him while Jason was still in the room, which really surprised Alex.

"G’night Jason," Zach said sleepily as he settled down into the bed. Even when Alex pulled off his boxers Zach’s eyes only opened half way before closing again. "Shower time is at 7 if you’re still gonna help," Zach murmured, a half smile crossing his face.

Jason laughed at that comment and briefly tousled Zach’s hair. "Sweet dreams Zach. You too Alex. I’ll see ya both tomorrow morning." Jason was still chuckling as he left for his own room.

Alex quickly undressed and crawled into bed next to Zach. Zach promptly snuggled up next to him, smiling happily. With his head resting against Alex’s chest, Zach drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Zach woke to Alex’s gentle kissing and the feeling of Alex’s hands rubbing lazy patterns across his chest and stomach. He opened his eyes to see Alex’s smiling face and immediately noticed it was light out. "Hey, I guess that sleeping beauty kiss thing really works!" Alex teased, kissing him again.

Zach was quickly loosing himself to the gentle stroking of his body by Alex. Alex’s kisses played havoc with his brain and his body was fast becoming inflamed with desire. Zach reached out pulling Alex closer to him, kissing him deeply. Alex pulled away slightly and started nibbling along Zach’s jaw line and down the chords of his neck. Zach’s breath became haggard as his passion swept over him.

Without warning, Jason threw open the door and came bouncing into the room. "Hey! You guys aren’t doing anything important are you?" Jason was laughing really hard and ducked as Alex threw a pillow at him. Zach’s aim was a little better so the pillow he threw hit Jason square in the head sending him tumbling backwards still laughing hysterically.

"Get out Jason!" Alex yelled, also laughing. Zach was blushing furiously, but also laughing at Jason’s antics. Jason threw the two pillows back at the two of them before he bounced across the room and jumped into bed with them.

"Hey! I’m just here cause Zach said he wanted my help in the shower today," Jason said grinning. "Guess he must have enjoyed the first time. From the little tent he has going there I’d say he’s ready for a repeat performance!"

Zach blushed an even brighter crimson and Alex shoved Jason off the bed. "Stop trying to molest my boyfriend you perv! You’ll have to provide your own entertainment in the shower." Alex’s grin became positively evil. "But you do that all the time anyway don’t you Jason?"

Jason got up still laughing. "Every chance I get! And my count is still behind yours!" Jason ducked again as Alex threw his pillow at him again. Still laughing loudly, Jason headed towards the bathroom to take his shower.

Alex turned back towards Zach. "I guess we might as well get up too. God knows he’ll just be back in here after his shower to try and embarrass us some more!"

Zach was grinning broadly as he got up and pulled on his boxers. The underwear did nothing to hide his state of arousal, but at least he was covered. Zach watched as Alex pulled on his own boxers. When Alex turned back towards him Zach’s eyebrows arched suggestively at the obvious bulge in the front of Alex’s underwear. Turning a little pink, Alex just shrugged his shoulders slightly and looked down at the tent in Zach’s boxers to prove his point. The two of them laughed at each other and then got up to get ready for the day.

After a few more minutes, Jason came dripping back into their room wrapping a towel around his waist. "Bathroom’s all yours guys!" he announced. "I suggest you hurry though cause as soon as I dry off I’m heading to the kitchen for breakfast. Dad’s making French Toast and if you don’t get there fast, I’m gonna eat it all!"

Laughing, Alex walked by his brother grabbing the towel and pulling it off in passing. Unfazed, Jason just walked back to his room nude. Shaking his head in amusement, Zach followed Alex into the bathroom to take a shower and shave. The two of them finished fairly quickly, and pulling on their boxers, walked out to the kitchen for breakfast. Zach was still a little self conscious wearing just his boxers around the house, but his stay over Christmas break had helped him get use to the idea, at least a little anyway.

When they walked into the kitchen, Dr. Edwards was just setting down plates for both of them. True to his word, Jason was already at the table stuffing his face with breakfast. Jason ate nearly as fast and as much as Alex and it always amused Zach watching the two of them eating. They almost seemed to be racing to see who could eat the most.

Dr. Edwards poured two glasses of milk for Alex and Zach and set them in front of them. "Zach, I do have Pop Tarts if you would prefer, but I thought you might manage at least a piece or two of French Toast."

"Thanks Dr. Edwards," Zach replied, turning a little pink. "It looks great and smells even better. I think I can eat a piece or two, if Alex and Jason don’t eat it all first that is!"

"Then you better hurry and grab a piece cause I’m hungry!" Alex said with his mouth full.

"So what else is new?" Jason asked grinning, his mouth full too. Alex merely stabbed his fork into a piece on Jason’s plate and promptly stuffed it into his mouth chewing happily. Jason and Alex settled into a mock sword fight with their forks for a few minutes till Dr. Edwards cleared his throat frowning at both of them and their lack of manners. The two brothers managed to look guilty even with their mouths full and went back to cramming food as fast as they could. Zach was openly laughing at the two of them and Dr. Edwards turned towards him shaking his head a little.

"Don’t encourage them Zach," Dr. Edwards said in a disgusted voice. "These two manage to embarrass me with their table manners every chance they get." Alex and Jason looked at each other a little sheepishly and then shrugged and went back to stuffing their faces.

After they had all finished eating, with Zach even managing to save a piece of French Toast for himself, Dr. Edwards got up to clean off the table. Jason, Alex and Zach quickly got up to help but Dr. Edwards shooed them back to the table. "So when are you boys all leaving?" Dr. Edwards asked as he finished.

"I’m heading back just as soon as I get dressed," Jason answered. "I probably shouldn’t have even stayed this long but I miss all of you. I wish Mark had been able to come down too."

Alex looked at Zach for a second. "We will probably leave a little after Jason, Dad. We don’t really have any definite plans, but I at least have homework and Zach has offered to help me with my math."

"That was awfully generous of you Zach," Dr. Edwards replied. "I have to leave for the Hospital here in just a few minutes myself, so I guess I better say goodbye to all of you now." Dr. Edwards hugged both of his sons fiercely and then surprised Zach by embracing him just as fiercely. "Zach, I want you to come back any time. This house is always open to you." Then Dr. Edwards started grinning. "I suppose you’ll have to bring Alex with you, but I guess that’s ok too."

"Dad!" Alex protested, laughing. Dr. Edwards smiled at his youngest son and tousled his hair fondly. "And here I thought I was your favorite!" Alex said grinning at Jason.

"No," Dr. Edwards replied. "Zach is my favorite now. I’ve decided to trade you and Jason for him. I think I’m getting a pretty good deal too! As much as I’m enjoying this, boys, I’ve really got to take off or I’m going to be late. Have safe trips back to school and don’t forget to call me from time to time. Never forget that I love you all." Dr. Edwards hugged the three of them again and then left for the hospital.

Alex, Jason and Zach wandered back towards the bedrooms. They were walking slowly obviously reluctant to part company. At Alex’s bedroom, Jason grabbed Alex in a huge bear hug. "I’m gonna miss you Little Brother!" Jason said sincerely. "Maybe I’ll come visit you over Spring Break since you guys weren’t going anywhere."

"That would be great!" Alex answered excitedly. "My Birthday falls during the break this year. We can go out and celebrate!"

Jason’s eyes twinkled. "That would be great!" Jason grabbed Zach in a big bear hug too. "I’m gonna miss you too Zach. I was really looking forward to helping you in the shower again. Guess we’ll have to do that sometime when Alex is away!" Jason thrust his groin into Zach’s a couple of times playfully before letting him go.

Zach blushed furiously at Jason’s antics but laughed as he replied. "Shhh Jason! Alex is right here. He might start suspecting if you keep this up!"

Alex grinned at the two of them trying to assume a jealous look and failing miserably. "I knew it!" Alex protested. "All this time you were only using me to get to my brother! Although I can’t figure out why!"

"Damn!" Jason laughed. "He’s figured it out Zach. Guess we’ll have to cool it for a while now!" Jason tousled both of their hair before heading towards his room to get dressed laughing the entire way.

Alex and Zach went into the bedroom to get dressed. "I love your family!" Zach said as they were pulling on their clothes. "I absolutely love being with all of them."

Alex smiled at Zach. "They love you too, you know. I think Jason might be considering a lifestyle change because of you!" Alex teased. "And Dad was pretty serious about wanting to adopt you."

Zach smiled happily at those comments and finished dressing. He helped Alex straighten up his room and then they headed towards the living room. Jason was just coming back into the house from carrying his stuff out to his car.

"Hey!" Jason said seeing them. "I was just about to come back and say goodbye again. I’m all packed up and if I don’t hurry up I’m gonna be late. Or later than usual I guess I should say!" Jason hugged both of them again in parting. "Drive fast! You don’t want any deer catching you on this trip!" Jason joked as he turned to go.

Alex and Zach both laughed as Jason left. Alex turned to Zach smiling. "Well, I guess we might as well go too. I’m not really in the mood to go back to school and study just yet though. Do you want to drive around for a little bit before we head home?"

"Sure," Zach answered as the two headed towards the door. "Where did you want to drive to? Or were we just gonna wander aimlessly?"

Alex looked at Zach seriously for a few seconds before replying. "We don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I thought we could make a slight detour on the way back to school and you could show me your hometown. I’d like to see where you grew up if you don’t mind too much. We don’t have to stop or anything, but I would kinda like to see your hometown."

Zach smiled a little hesitantly. "That would be quite a detour. But if you really want to, I suppose it will be ok." Zach got really quiet for a few moments and he looked at the ground. "I don’t want to stop at my house though Alex. I don’t want to see Mom and Dad. I’m in too good of a mood for them to ruin it."

Alex reached over and tilted Zach’s head back up to look in his eyes. Alex kissed him lightly before replying. "We don’t have to stop. We don’t even have to go there at all if you don’t want to."

"No," Zach replied smiling. "I don’t mind showing you my town as long as we don’t stop at my house. We can drive by if you want, but I don’t want to stop."

Alex smiled and the two of them got into the car to take a little road trip. Zach’s was still in a fairly good mood as they drove towards his hometown, but Alex noticed he was a little quieter than he had been. Alex began to wonder if he should have suggested this trip at all, but Zach was still smiling and joking, just not as much.

The miles flew by and soon they were pulling into a mid-sized, typical mid-western town. Zach began pointing out sites to Alex as they wandered through the town, driving slowly so Alex could see. They drove by several different houses in widely scattered neighborhoods and Zach mentioned that at one point or another his family had lived in them. They were all nice homes in good neighborhoods and Alex couldn’t really figure out why Zach’s family had moved so often.

"To keep up with the Jones’s I suppose," Zach answered lightly when Alex asked him why they had moved so much. "Mom and Dad were never satisfied with the homes they bought. We would no sooner move in than another house across town would catch their eye and it just obviously had to be better than the one we were currently in. Turn here, and I’ll show you the house we lived in the longest."

Alex turned where indicated and started driving out towards a rural setting. "I thought you lived in town?" he asked a little confused.

"We did," Zach replied. "Well almost. The city limits end about a quarter mile before this subdivision, but you might as well say we lived in town. We had all the city services. There it is, right there," Zach said pointing at a large ranch style house sitting on about an acre yard filled with large trees of various varieties. The landscaping was gently rolling and a small waterway ran through the back yard. The subdivision was very nice and all the houses were well maintained and similar in style to the one Zach pointed out.

"You can’t see it unless you’re in the back yard, but the house has a deck overlooking a patio from the basement," Zach said describing the house a little bit. "The way the house is built on that hill, you can enter the house straight into the basement or take a short flight of steps up to the deck and enter on the main floor. It’s a pretty cool house. Cindy lives in that one right there." Zach pointed out a house two down from the first one he pointed out. Zach’s voice had gone a little quiet and Alex looked at him a little worried.

"Are you ok?" Alex asked, concern in his voice.

"Yeah," Zach answered smiling slightly. "There was just a lot that happened in that house. I was just remembering. Don’t worry, I’m ok. Let’s head back towards town and I’ll show you where I went to school."

Alex negotiated a turn and headed back towards the town. Zach pointed out his high school and his junior high school. They drove around a little more and Zach pointed out a couple of grade schools he had attended as well.

Zach had a distant look on his face even as he was pointing out sites to Alex. Finally, Zach turned to Alex. "Alex, I know we had planned on just looking around town for a bit and then heading on back to school. But would you mind if we spent the day here? There’s something I want to do if you don’t mind."

Alex looked at Zach smiling. "I wondered when you were gonna tell me what you were really thinking about. We didn’t have any definite plans, so I don’t care if we change them. What did you want to do?"

Zach grinned. "I guess I was pretty transparent there." Zach’s expression turned wistful. "If you really don’t mind, can we call my sister? I want to see if she’ll let me have my nephew for the afternoon. I haven’t seen him since before school started in the fall."

"I didn’t know you had a nephew," Alex answered. "Sure, let’s call her. I think I saw a pay phone back at that convenience store." Alex negotiated a turn and started driving back towards the convenience store in question. "So what’s your nephew’s name? And what did you want to do with him today?"

"I thought we could take him to the park, play on the monkey bars. Maybe even feed the ducks. And his name is Scott, but everybody usually calls him Scottie," Zach answered, smiling gratefully at Alex. "He’s six years old and he is the coolest little kid you’ll ever meet! Zach was the first word he ever said! He said my name before he even said mama or dada! Can you believe that? He’s so cool!" Zach’s face was nearly glowing with pride and Alex just smiled at him.

At the convenience store, Zach got out of the car and walked over to the pay phone. He quickly dialed his sister’s phone number, nearly squirming with anticipation as he waited for an answer. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, he heard someone pick up the line.

"Hello?" Zach heard his sister’s voice on the other end of the line answer.

"Hey Sis!" Zach answered. "How are you doing?"

"Zachary?" Lisa asked puzzled. "My god, is that really you? I wasn’t expecting a call from you!"

"Yeah I know," Zach replied. "I’m in town with my roommate, showing him where I grew up. I thought I would give you a call. I thought I might ask you if I could steal my nephew for the afternoon. Unless you already have plans."

"No, we don’t have any plans," Lisa answered. "And he would love to spend the afternoon with you. He misses his overgrown playmate!"

"So you don’t mind if I take him then?" Zach asked, a little nervous. "I thought I would take him out to the park for a while. I’d like to spend a couple of hours with him if it’s ok."

"I don’t mind at all Zach," Lisa said warmly. "Scottie will love it. Are you really sure you want him for that long though? He’s gonna go nuts when he sees you, you know."

"I hope so!" Zach said really excited. "I’ll be there in just a few minutes then. Don’t tell Scottie. I want to surprise him!"

"Ok," Lisa said laughing. "I’ll see ya in a bit then, Zach."

"See ya Sis. And thanks!" Zach hung up the phone and sprinted back to the car. "Come on Alex, let’s go! Lisa said we can have him!"

Alex was laughing as he pulled away. It was great seeing Zach so excited. He was almost like a little kid again. Alex quickly navigated the streets, following Zach’s directions to his sister’s house. It only took about ten minutes and Alex was pulling into a driveway in front of an attractive two-story home.

Zach and Alex exited the car and were on their way to the front door when Lisa opened the door and came out. "Hey Zach! That didn’t take very long." Then she turned to Alex. "You must be Zach’s roommate. I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name."

Alex smiled his warmest smile at Zach’s sister. "I’m Alex. It’s really nice to meet you."

Lisa smiled back. "It’s nice to meet you too. You should both probably brace yourselves. Scottie is gonna go wild when he sees you Zach. He only asks about you about a hundred times a day." Lisa opened the door and stuck her head inside. "Scottie! We have company."

Zach was grinning broadly, his smile spreading from ear to ear. He was nearly beaming with pride and Alex thought he had never seen him look so cute. And then Alex could hear the sounds of a small boy running towards the door.

"UNCLE ZACH! UNCLE ZACH!" a little boy’s voice yelled. And then Alex saw a cute, slender, blond haired six year old come running out onto the porch. Without stopping, Scottie literally threw himself off the porch straight into Zach’s outspread arms. Zach caught the little boy in mid leap, hugging him close and spinning him swiftly in circles. Scottie was hugging Zach fiercely around the neck almost strangling him, laughing and giggling in pure joy. Zach eventually got Scotties fingers unclenched from around his neck and then held him straight over his head at arm’s length, tossing him a little into the air and then catching him again. Scottie was laughing so hard he was nearly squirming and he just kept repeating "Uncle Zach" at the top of his voice. Finally, Zach pulled Scottie in close for another tight hug and then continued holding him in his arms.

Scottie leaned down to whisper in Zach’s ear, but his voice was still loud enough for all of them to hear. "Did you come to play with me?"

"Yep!" Zach answered also whispering, but also loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Good!" Scott answered excitedly. "Who’s that?" he asked indicating Alex.

"That’s Alex, he’s my roommate up at college," Zach answered. "You’ll like him. He’s really nice."

"Ok. Do you two get to play with each other a lot up in college?" Scottie asked innocently. Alex had a hard time keeping from laughing at the double meaning in Scottie’s question and Zach threw him a hard look. Alex couldn’t help but notice that Zach had turned a little pink at Scott’s question and that made him almost start laughing again.

"Not a whole lot Scottie," Zach answered. "We’re usually too busy with classes to get to play. That’s why we came to see you."

Scott smiled a huge smile. "Good! I like it when you come see me!"

"Me too! I’ve missed you Scottie!" Zach said in a loud whisper in Scotties ear, squeezing him tight again. "You don’t know how much I missed you little buddy!" Scottie was giggling again and immediately clamped his arms around Zach’s neck once more. "Do you think you’ve been good enough for your mom to let you come spend the rest of the day with me?"

"I’ve been good! I’ve been real good Uncle Zach!" Scottie turned towards Lisa. "Please Mom!" Scottie begged. "Can I please go with Uncle Zach? I’ve been good."

"You have?" Lisa teased. "Where was I?"

"MOM!" Scottie protested. "Please let me go. Please!"

Lisa came over and kissed Scottie on the cheek. "Of course you can go. I’d never hear the end of it from you if I said no, now would I? Go get your coat, and you remember to be good for Zach and do what he tells you."

"YEAH! Thanks Mom!" Scottie scrambled down out of Zach’s arms racing towards his room to get his coat.

"Thanks Sis," Zach said, smiling as Scottie disappeared into the house in search of a coat. "I’ll get him home in time for supper. Ok?"

"That’s fine Zach," Lisa answered. "You just make sure he minds. Don’t let him get away with murder! Have fun."

Scottie came racing back pulling on a coat as he came running out the door. Once again he didn’t stop at the edge of the porch, but instead leaped into Zach’s waiting arms. "I’m ready! Let’s go! Bye Mom."

Lisa was laughing as she walked them to Alex’s car. "You behave Scottie. Have fun today!"

Zach got Scottie belted into the back seat, no mean task with a squirming, excited six year old. Alex had already taken the driver’s seat and Zach got into the front passenger seat. "Thanks again Lisa. We’ll be back later."

Lisa waved and headed back into the house as Alex backed out of the driveway. Alex followed Zach’s directions towards the city park, making a stop along the way to pick up a couple of loaves of bread to feed the ducks. Scottie was nearly bouncing with excitement and Alex was amused to see that Zach was nearly in the same state himself. It was clear to anyone that Zach loved the little boy, and Scottie obviously adored his uncle.

After a few minutes of driving they pulled into a large park with several ponds and large numbers of ducks swimming or walking along the banks. The park also had several play areas with several sets of swings, sliding boards and various monkey bars. Several benches were scattered throughout and several building were standing in various places. It was a very pleasant park, quite large and obviously well maintained. Alex drove around the winding road through the park until Zach indicated a parking spot next to a small bridge over the spillway between two of the ponds. The three of them exited the car and started towards the bridge and the waiting hungry ducks.

"Come on Uncle Zach! Let’s go feed the ducks!" Scott yelled. Scott laughed happily and raced with boundless energy to be the first at the pond. Zach grinned as Scott ran across the bridge to feed the ducks. Scott’s excitement and joy seemed to transmit to anyone nearby. Smiling, Zach turned to see Alex was grinning nearly as much as Scott.

"Go ahead buddy," Alex called to Scott. "Your Uncle Zach and I will just watch you from the bridge here." Alex and Zach slowly walked to the center of the bridge and leaned against the rail keeping an eye on Scott. "This is a pretty cool spot here," Alex said in a quieter voice to Zach.

"Yeah. When I was growing up, I use to ride my bike out here all the time," Zach replied, smiling slightly. "It was a good place to escape to. I think I’ve spent hours just sitting here on this bridge. Now, whenever I can, I like to bring Scott out here to feed the ducks. He seems to like it almost as much as I do."

Alex smiled warmly at Zach. "You really love that little guy don’t you?"

"Oh God yes!" Zach replied his eyes still on Scott. "From the moment I first laid eyes on him that little guy has had my heart in his hands." Zach turned to look at Alex with a wistful smile on his face. "He’s had me wrapped around his little finger since birth."

"Do you have any other nephews or nieces?" Alex asked curiously.

Zach chuckled turning back to watch Scott. "No. I have Aunts and Uncles beyond counting and cousins by the score, but he’s my only nephew."

Alex turned to watch Scott too, but he decided to pursue the conversation since Zach was being so communicative. "So does your whole family live in the area then?"

"Most of them," Zach answered. "I told you about my gay cousin who moved to Florida. The family hasn’t heard much from him since. I have a great aunt that lives in Seattle who’s really cool. I also have an uncle and aunt that live out east. I don’t know them very well though. They do have three boys. Their oldest, my cousin Derek, is about our age I think. He can be a real jerk sometimes. He’s pretty stuck up. The rest of the family has pretty much stuck around here though."

"Does your whole family get together very often then?" Alex asked. "Since they are all in the area do you all do holidays or something?"

Zach glanced at Alex, a questioning look in his eyes. "Not really," he replied. "There’s usually a whole family get together a little after Christmas, but that’s about it." Zach half turned towards Alex. "You’re certainly asking a lot of questions. What’s up?"

Alex grinned sheepishly. "Nothing really. I just thought I would try and get some more info on you while you were in an answering mood."

Zach looked down at the water. After a few seconds he looked back at Alex, a serious expression on his face. "I’m sorry Alex. I’m not mad at the questions. I wish I could open up easier to you. I’ve just never been comfortable talking about myself. I guess I’m not doing a very good job of letting you in."

Alex surreptitiously placed one of his hands over Zach’s on the rail of the bridge. "It’s ok Zach. I know it’s hard for you to open up. All things considered, I think you’re doing a great job."

Zach shook his head. "No I’m not. I keep trying to tell you stuff and I can’t get myself to start. So maybe you asking me questions like this is a good thing. It’s easier for me to answer questions than to just volunteer the information. So, I’m gonna promise you that I’ll always answer any question you ask me."

Alex smiled warmly at Zach, his heart in his eyes. "You don’t have to do that Zach," he said. "You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to."

"But I want to," Zach answered, smiling back at Alex. "I want you to know everything. Maybe this way, I can actually do it."

"Uncle Zach! Uncle Zach!" Scott ran back up to the bridge. "I’m all done feeding the ducks! All the food is gone. They ate it all up. Did you see ‘em? Did you see how they kept coming up to me wanting more?"

"We sure did Scottie," Zach said sweeping Scott up into his arms and tossing him into the air a little before catching him again. "I thought one of those ducks was gonna grab you and fly off with you there for a minute. Maybe hold you for ransom or something!"

Scott giggled at the teasing and especially at being thrown into the air. "Can I ride on your shoulders? Please!"

Laughing, Zach allowed Scott to climb up onto his shoulders and sit there while he walked across the bridge. "I don’t suppose you want to go play on the swings and monkey bars do you? You’re prolly too grown up for that now, huh?"

Scott reached down and hugged Zach around the neck, nearly strangling him in his enthusiasm. "Yeah I do! Let’s go play on the monkey bars. And will you push me real high when I swing?"

"I’ll get you swinging so high you’ll touch the sky Scottie!" Zach promised. Zach grinned at Alex. "Come on. Let’s go be kids again and play." Alex grinned back at him and all together the three of them raced towards the playground.

As the sun was setting, they took Scott back home. The little boy had talked a mile a minute and was literally squirming in his seat with excitement and joy. As they pulled into the driveway, Lisa came out to greet them.

"MOM! MOM!" Scottie yelled as Zach was trying to undo his seatbelt. "We had so much fun! We fed the ducks and played on the monkey bars. Uncle Zach pushed me on the swings really high and Uncle Alex helped me on the monkey bars. And we went on the slides, and they let me ride on their shoulders!"

Lisa was laughing as the little boy rambled on faster and faster as he related each and every event. "Looks like you had fun today Scottie. Supper is almost ready. Why don’t you go in and wash your hands?"

"OK!" Scott said running towards the house.

Lisa turned back to Zach and Alex. "It appears Scottie has adopted you Alex! I hope you don’t mind hamburgers and fries for supper. I promised Scottie we would have them for supper before I knew we would be having company."

"Oh Lisa," Zach protested. "You don’t have to feed us!"

"Oh hush Zach," Lisa answered smiling as she led the two into the house. "Do you know how miserable Scott will make my life if you just leave now? Besides, it’s nice having company while John’s at work."

"All right," Zach answered smiling. "But you might regret offering to feed Alex. He’ll eat you out of house and home and follow you around like a puppy if you feed him!"

Alex laughed and shoved playfully at Zach. "I promise not to eat everything in sight!" Alex said. "Despite what Zach says, I do have a few manners. I even know how to use them on occasion!"

Lisa laughed and led them into the kitchen where Scottie was already busy trying to get his plate ready. They loaded up their plates, Zach pausing long enough to help Scottie with his, and headed back towards the living room to eat and watch TV. Alex and Zach sat next to each other on the couch and Scottie promptly wiggled himself between them. They finished eating fairly quickly and quietly watched TV for a short time.

After about an hour, Zach looked down to see Scottie had fallen asleep cuddled up next to him. Alex had his hand on Scotties back and was rubbing him slightly and Scottie’s face was one of pure happiness. Zach looked up at Lisa catching her eye. "I guess we wore him out today," he said quietly. "God knows he wore us out!"

Lisa chuckled slightly. "I told you he was going to be a handful! Thanks for giving him such a good day."

Alex smiled at her. "It was a lot of fun. I don’t have any nephews so I really enjoyed playing with Scottie. He’s a great kid!"

"Yes he is," Zach agreed. "I wish I could see him more often. I’ve really missed him while I’ve been at school."

"He misses you too Zach," Lisa said sincerely. "I imagine I’m gonna have to hear about his Uncle Zach and his new Uncle Alex non stop for the next few days."

Zach smiled proudly and stroked the sleeping little boy’s forehead. "I guess we should be heading back to school now. Thanks for letting me have Scottie today Sis. And thanks for feeding us too!" Zach started to get up and the movement woke Scottie. The little boy rubbed sleepily at his eyes and then saw Zach and Alex getting ready to leave.

"Don’t go!" Scottie wailed. "I don’t want you to go! Stay Uncle Zach!" Scottie jumped up and grabbed hold of Zach’s waist sobbing.

Zach reached down and gently lifted Scottie up to hug him. Scottie wrapped his arms around Zach’s neck once again nearly strangling him. Zach held the little boy tightly to him, rubbing his back to quiet him. "I have to go back to school now Scottie. But I’ll be back to play another day. And I’ll bring Alex too. I promise!"

Alex reached out to tousle the little boy’s hair and Scottie laughed a little even as he continued to cry. "I’ll miss you Uncle Zach. You promise you’ll come back? And you’ll bring Uncle Alex too?"

"I promise Scottie!" Zach answered his eyes starting to get watery. "I love you little buddy! You be good for your mom, ok?"

"Ok," Scottie answered, his voice muffled in Zach’s shoulder and neck. Lisa gently took hold of the little boy and Scottie started sobbing once again. Tears were starting to run down Zach’s cheeks too and he rubbed Scottie’s back one more time in parting.

"Bye little man," Alex said knowing that Zach wouldn’t be able to talk any more without busting out into tears. "We’ll come back again real soon. Be good!"

"Bye Uncle Alex," Scottie answered, his head buried in Lisa’s shoulder.

Alex and Zach walked out to the car and as soon as they got in Zach started sobbing. Alex reached over and rubbed his shoulder in comfort. After a few moments, Zach got a hold of himself and looked over at Alex with a half smile on his face. "I’m ok," he reassured Alex. "He does that to me every single time I have to say goodbye. You’d think I’d be use to it by now."

Alex smiled at Zach as he started the car and began the drive home. "You never get use to saying goodbye to those you love Zach. You might learn not to cry, but you never get use to it."

The ride back to the apartment was very subdued. Zach sat quietly just staring out the window and Alex was reluctant to intrude on his thoughts. When they arrived back at the apartment, Zach got out of the car and walked into the apartment still without saying anything. He sat down on the couch staring off into space for a few minutes.

Finally Zach turned towards Alex with a smile on his face. "Thanks for today Alex," Zach said warmly. "I know spending the day with my nephew probably wasn’t anywhere close to what you had in mind for the day. And I want you to know how much it meant to me."

Alex sat down next to Zach smiling. "I didn’t mind at all. In fact I had a lot of fun. Scottie is a great little kid and it’s pretty obvious why you love him so much. Watching the two of you was really great. It’s pretty clear he idolizes his Uncle Zach."

Zach grinned at Alex and allowed himself to be pulled back into sitting against Alex resting against his chest. That position was quickly becoming a favorite for both of them. The two of them sat quietly watching TV while Alex lazily ran his hands under Zach’s shirt to rub his stomach and chest. Alex kept at that for some time and Zach was beginning to get ready to start purring in contentment.

Alex nuzzled at Zach’s cheek for a second or two. "Raise your arms," he said unexpectedly. Zach half turned his head to look at Alex a little confused but obediently raised his arms up. As soon as his arms were over his head, Alex pulled at the hem of Zach’s shirt and pulled it off over his head. Zach started grinning as soon as Alex had started tugging at the hem finally realizing what Alex wanted.

"Happy now?" Zach teased as he leaned back against Alex again.

Alex grinned back at him. "No. You still have your pants on! Not to mention your underwear!" Alex started tugging at Zach’s zipper. Zach laughed at Alex’s attempts to disrobe him, but he did lift his hips so Alex could shove his pants down. Once they were over his hips, Zach helped out by kicking them the rest of the way off. Alex immediately reached for the waistband of Zach’s boxers and Zach grabbed his hands to stop him.

"Hey!" Zach protested. "At least leave me my boxers. What if someone sees us through the window?"

Alex started laughing. "Then we’ll sell tickets and make a fortune!" Alex teased. He did however stop trying to pull off Zach’s boxers content for now with what he could feel of Zach’s flesh. Alex continued rubbing Zach’s chest and stomach even while he started nibbling along his neck. Zach’s body was definitely responding and it wasn’t long before the front of his boxers was tented and sporting a very noticeable wet spot. Alex wasted no time in slipping his hand down the front of them and started massaging Zach’s dick and balls.

Zach’s breath was starting to get a little ragged as the intensely pleasurable feelings washed over him. Zach pushed his body back into Alex even more firmly and he could feel Alex’s own throbbing member through his clothing. Zach knew he was getting close to losing it and he didn’t want to end so quickly. After a few more minutes of play, Zach pulled away from Alex getting up and grabbing his hand to pull him towards the bedroom. Alex was grinning openly as he allowed himself to be led towards their bed.

As soon as they got next to the bed Alex started trying to kiss Zach and run his hands over his body once again. Zach grabbed Alex’s hands shaking his head no. Zach began tugging at Alex’s clothes quickly trying to disrobe him as fast as possible. Alex laughed softly and started helping Zach remove his clothing by pulling off his shirt. Zach pulled down Alex’s pants and just as quickly grabbed his boxers and practically tore them off of him. Alex was a little surprised at how much aggressiveness Zach displayed. As soon as Zach had Alex’s boxers off, Zach shoved him down on the bed really surprising Alex.

Alex reached towards Zach again, and once again Zach grabbed his hands shaking his head no. "Uh uh." Zach said huskily. "I want you just to lay back and enjoy for awhile. I’m way too close to shooting and if you start rubbing me again it’s gonna be all over in about two seconds." Alex’s grin spread from ear to ear at Zach’s confession, but he obediently put his hands behind his head to give Zach free access to his body.

Zach started nibbling his way down Alex’s neck and lingered for quite some time on his collarbones since he knew just how much Alex enjoyed that. Even while he was working on Alex’s body Zach was busy thinking. He knew what he wanted to do with Alex. He had wanted to take their lovemaking to another level for quite some time. Zach had even started to on several different occasions but had always stopped at the last minute, too timid to go further. There was something about crossing that line that frightened him and he always pulled back.

Zach was inching his way down Alex’s body with his tongue while he continued thinking. He didn’t really know why it scared him to cross the line he had established. Well, not really anyway. Oh sure, he was a little intimidated because he had never done anything like that before, but that wasn’t the whole reason. Up to this point the physical intimacy between he and Alex had been more on the level of play. If he crossed that line he was contemplating, he wouldn’t be able to say that anymore. He could never take it back. Things would change. He would change. Was he ready for that? Could he handle it?

Zach was running his tongue over Alex’s belly button, another sensitive area that Alex enjoyed. Zach smiled a little at the low groan that emanated from Alex but quickly went back to his contemplation. Zach knew he really wanted to go further. Even if it scared him, he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. In the end, it came down to two things for Zach. He loved Alex and wanted to make him happy. And he trusted Alex and he knew that Alex would never hurt him. In the end, that was enough. For once in his life, Zach was willing to go forward without knowing the answers. It frightened him, but he was willing to take a leap for Alex.

Zach’s mind actually calmed slightly now that he had decided to go forward. He started licking and nibbling even further down Alex’s body, going past his belly button. Alex had his eyes closed, enjoying the sensations, but suddenly they popped wide open and he half sat up as he realized what Zach was starting to do.

"Za..Za..Zach!" Alex stammered. "You don’t have to do that!"

Zach didn’t bother answering. Instead he grinned up at Alex and then ran his tongue over the head of Alex’s dick. Alex’s entire body shuddered at the contact and he couldn’t hold back a very loud groan. "OH GOD!" Alex exclaimed as his head flopped back into the pillows. Zach ran his tongue over Alex’s head again eliciting another shudder from Alex. "OH JESUS!" Alex nearly yelled. Zach started running the tip of his tongue along Alex’s shaft. "Zach, you really don’t…Oh God!…you really don’t have to do this. OH FUCK!" Alex yelled as Zach once again licked across his head.

Zach started laughing. "That might be more convincing if you weren’t panting so much and groaning with pleasure!" Zach teased.

Alex looked up to see Zach grinning at him. Alex started laughing too. "Well, it feels really, really, REALLY GOOD!" Alex laughed. "But really, you don’t have to do this if you’re not ready. You can stop at any time."

Zach grinned at Alex. "I know. But I want to do this. I’ve wanted to for a while now. Sit back, enjoy, and try not to scream so loud!"

Alex again flopped back into the pillows groaning loudly as Zach licked along his shaft. Zach continued licking and nibbling along Alex’s dick trying to give as much pleasure as he could to Alex. Zach found licking Alex’s dick…different. That was inadequate, but he didn’t have a better way to describe it. It wasn’t like he was expecting at all. Zach wasn’t really sure what he had been expecting. The skin was softer than what he had expected and it was amazing to him how just the lightest touch of his tongue was generating such a response from Alex. Then a small drop of fluid formed at the tip of Alex’s dick and Zach lapped at it with his tongue, generating another shudder from Alex.

The taste of that drip was….strange. Zach reflected that it was strange he couldn’t really describe what he was doing or what his senses were communicating to him. Zach wasn’t sure if he liked the taste or not. It was definitely different. Again, he wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but this was different. The one thing Zach did know was that he loved the way he was making Alex feel. He could tell that Alex was in a state of bliss and he knew it was because of him. That all by itself made Zach love what he was doing. Even if he never learned to like the taste, Zach knew he would always love oral sex with Alex. How could he not love something that gave Alex such pleasure?

Zach continued to lick and nibble along Alex’s shaft till he reached his balls. Alex was groaning the entire time and his breathing was sharp and ragged. Alex’s entire body shuddered periodically and it was obvious that he wasn’t going to last too much longer. Actually, it was obvious he was already fighting to keep from losing it. Zach grinned a little as he realized just how excited he had made Alex.

Zach started licking Alex’s balls and then took them into his mouth sucking on them lightly. Zach ran his tongue over the orbs bathing them liberally and Alex was writhing with pleasure before he was finished. Zach then started licking his way back up Alex’s shaft till he reached the flaring head. Alex’s dick seemed even larger than normal to Zach, and Zach momentarily wondered if he was going to be able to manage working that monster into his mouth.

Zach paused for a few seconds, and then he wrapped his lips around the head of Alex’s dick causing Alex to gasp once again. Zach ran his tongue across the surface of Alex’s dick for a few moments, trying to get his mouth use to being stretched so much. And then Zach started working his way down Alex’s shaft, sucking lightly and running his tongue around the surface as much as possible. Alex was trying very hard to keep from thrusting, but every once in a while instinct took over and his hips thrust forward slightly and he would groan even louder.

Zach could tell Alex was very close now and he wanted to give as much pleasure as he could. Zach tried to work his mouth further down Alex’s shaft but he never could get much more than half of it in his mouth before he started to gag and had to draw back. Obviously, this was a skill that would take a lot of practice. Zach nearly started laughing as he thought that and wondered if he could convince Alex to help him get that practice!

Alex’s breath came in harsh gasps now and his body was covered in sweat. His entire body was trembling and he could barely keep from thrusting wildly into Zach’s mouth. Then Zach wrapped his hand around the remainder of his shaft and began stroking. Alex shuddered as his climax past the point of no return.

"Z..Za…ZACH! OH GOD! ZACH…." was all that Alex could get out for a warning before he started shooting. Zach had started to pull off Alex’s dick as soon as Alex had started to stammer, but he wasn’t nearly fast enough and Alex shot several times in his mouth before he was able to pull off completely. Alex continued shooting several more shots streaking his chest and stomach with long white streaks. Alex’s entire body continued to shudder long after he finished shooting. Zach kept rubbing his chest and stomach with one hand even while he continued stroking Alex’s dick, milking every last drop out of his trembling body.

Finally, Alex reached down and grabbed the hand that Zach was stroking his dick with and pulled it away. "Please! You have to stop or I’m gonna pass out here!" Alex gasped, fighting to get his breath back under control.

After a few more shuddering breaths, Alex opened his eyes again and grinned at Zach. He immediately pulled Zach down into the most passionate kiss Zach could ever remember receiving. Alex quickly rolled Zach onto his back and began kissing down his throat while he ran his hands up and down his sides tickling him fiendishly. Zach was writhing uncontrollably in minutes and Alex continued kissing across his chest pausing at each nipple to tease it with licks and nibbles before traveling to the other. Alex kept the teasing up for several minutes before kissing his way down to Zach’s navel where he immediately started swirling his tongue. Zach began groaning loudly and Alex looked up grinning at him.

Alex quickly stood up and walked away which confused the hell out of Zach. Alex stopped at the stereo and turned it on, turning the volume up fairly loud. Alex then jumped back into bed and grinned at Zach again. "Those speakers are right up against James’ bedroom wall. Hopefully now he won’t hear us!" Zach started laughing and then Alex started swirling his tongue around his navel again and the laughter turned back into groans of pleasure.

Alex kept his attention on Zach’s belly button for several minutes and Zach thought he was going to go crazy with the sensations running through his body. Then Alex started to nibble his way down to the waistband of Zach’s boxers. Alex nibbled all along the edge of the material for several minutes and Zach was squirming in pleasure and his moans were becoming very loud.

After several more minutes, Alex paused and looked up into Zach’s eyes seeking permission to go further. Zach merely nodded his head not trusting himself to speak, not even sure he still could at this point. Alex’s grin spoke volumes as he stared into Zach’s lust filled eyes. And then Alex began tugging Zach’s boxers down, freeing Zach’s straining dick and balls.

Alex began kissing and licking all around Zach’s crotch, but scrupulously avoided Zach’s dick and balls. Zach thought he was going to go crazy! The sensations running through his body were the most intense he had ever felt and Alex was playing his body like a master musician. Finally, after what seemed ages, Alex took hold of Zach’s dick with one hand and Zach nearly came just from that touch. Alex grinned at Zach and then slowly ran just the tip of his tongue over the head of Zach’s dick.

OH MY GOD! Zach couldn’t believe the feeling from that one little touch. His mind was reeling and his body felt like it was on fire. How could one little touch be that pleasurable? And then Alex licked him again from tip to base in one long, wet stroke and Zach felt his entire body shudder. Zach realized his eyes had closed and he forced them back open to stare in open-mouthed wonder at what Alex was doing to him. Zach’s vision was blurred and it took him what seemed like an eternity to focus on Alex. And then Alex licked him again and Zach flopped back into the bed as the sensation overwhelmed him.

Zach struggled to sort through the sensations his body was experiencing. Thought was nearly impossible. The only thing registering on his brain was just how incredible those light touches of Alex’s tongue felt. And then Zach felt Alex’s mouth covering the head of his dick and he half sat up again struggling to see what was happening.

Zach felt like he was going to pass out from the sensations coursing through his body. All he could think of was how warm and wet Alex’s mouth was. How could Alex’s mouth and tongue be causing so much pleasure? And oh my God! It was Alex that was doing this! It was Alex that was giving him so much pleasure!

Dimly, Zach could hear someone moaning and it took a while before he realized the sounds were coming from him. But he couldn’t help it. The feelings were too intense and he had to give vent to them somehow. Zach could also feel a slight pain in his hands and he dimly realized he had clenched them in the bed sheets. He had clenched his fists so tight that it was beginning to hurt and he struggled to release his grip. He no sooner opened his hands than another wave of pleasure swept over his body and he clenched his hands into the covers even tighter.

Zach could feel the waves of pleasure building in his body, washing out his senses and all coherent thought. He could feel Alex rubbing his body with one hand and massaging his balls with the other, but the over riding sensation was the warm, moist mouth wrapped around his dick, the tongue sliding along the surface of his skin. His vision blurred, the room seemed to jump around crazily and the world had to be spinning out of control cause Zach felt it moving around him. Zach’s mind was reeling and the only thing that seemed real was Alex’s warm mouth and his throbbing dick. And then Zach felt it building, starting it seemed from the bottom of his toes, coursing through his body leaving a tingling sensation in every portion of his anatomy, electric bolts shooting through him, leaving him gasping, his body drenched in sweat, his every thought gone, only an overwhelming need remained…until…..finally….with an intensity that left him shuddering, the sensations came ripping out of Zach. Howling in a frenzy one word…

"ALEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

　

　

To Be Continued.