Brothers - 12. Chapter 12

Part IV Brothers

Chapter 12 Mars Attacks!

After saying goodbye to Gene and George, the three of us headed back to the arcade. Josh and Derrin seemed to be getting along okay now, although they both talked more to me than to each other. We didn't get another shot at Kingcarver 2, although I did notice that no one had come close to beating the old top score yet. I'd still get my chance one of these days. Despite the strange and wild events that had transpired earlier in the day, the afternoon passed quickly enough and it wasn't long before it was time to go.

No one wanted turkey sandwiches of course, so we decided to order a couple of pizzas. I expected Derrin to run straight to my room and switch on the Gamecube, but instead, he disappeared into the guest room with his dad. I was just checking my inbox for new mail, when there was a knock on the open door.

"Hey, Per, am I interrupting something?" Josh asked. He was standing in the doorway still dressed in his gray Henley but sans the outer T-shirt. He had on his carpenter jeans, but no shoes, just white socks on his wide feet.

I had shrugged out of my silk shirt and pulled off my new basketball sneaks as well. I swiveled my chair around to acknowledge his presence. "C'mon in. I'm just checking my email."

He gave me a friendly smile and came in and closed the door. He held up the new Smashmouth CD he had just bought and I nodded towards the stereo. Josh put the disc in and turned it on at a moderate volume, enough to fill the room but not enough to bother anyone else in the house.

"Anything from your sweetheart?" he asked, coming up behind me.

I didn't think Josh knew anything about my love life, real or fictional, so I just laughed drily. "Just the usual--nuthin'."

"Derrin was telling me you guys got up to level fourteen today," he said.

"Yeah, we were really on fire!"

"But he said some creepy high school guy came up and said he needed to talk to you...What was up with that?"

I sighed. Did Josh really need to know that whole sordid story? "He's just one of those bullies, ya know? Jesse and I ran into him and a few of his friends at the St. Agnus rummage sale a couple of weeks ago and..." I shrugged, "you know, they just like pickin' on kids smaller than them."

"Shit...I wouldn't of left you guys alone if I knew there were people hassling you," he offered, and I understood he was trying to apologize in his own way for how he had stormed off, leaving Derrin and me to fend for ourselves.

"Hey, you didn't know," I reminded him. "Really, it was no big deal. I don't think anything would've happened with all those people around..." But Mario had a knife..."Besides, it worked out just fine. Gene and his brother came along and there was no trouble."

It seemed like Josh wanted more of an explanation, but I just casually returned my attention to the website, trying to keep my fear totally hidden, something I couldn't do if he could see my stupid eyes.

"Well, anyway, I'm sorry if I messed up," he proffered humbly.

"You didn't mess up. Everything's cool, okay?" I assured him.

He nodded, only partially convinced. He stood there in silence for a few minutes while I got a heads up on some of the surprises in store in the next few levels of the game. Of course I had seen some of this stuff before, but people were always adding new info to the game archives. I got the sense that Josh was waiting for something.

"Did you wanna play some games, or use the computer or something?" I asked.

"Nah, I mean...if you want to..." he stammered, suddenly sounding a little uneasy.

I shrugged noncommittally. "What is it, Josh? Is there something on your mind?" I asked, finally swiveling my chair around to face him.

My older cousin actually blushed. "Well actually...it's not so much what's on my mind..." And he suddenly grinned sheepishly.

"Josh? What's going on?" I asked, not being able to help but grin along with him, even though I had no idea what he was smiling about.

"I was just wondering if maybe you wanted...you know, to jack off together or something?"

Whoa! I hadn't been expecting that! I just sat there and stared at him for quite a long time, wondering what the appropriate response to that was. I mean, he was my cousin. Still, he was sixteen. Of course he jacked off just like any other healthy and horny teenager, just like I did, thinking about my beautiful blond angel. But doing it together?

"It's just that, after hanging out with Jackie at the mall..."

"You mean the girl from Sam Goody?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, she was pretty hot stuff, huh?"

"Very," I assured him.

"Anyway, I know a couple of steamy porn sites we could check out...You got parental controls?" he asked.

"Yeah, Mature Teen," I told him.

Josh nodded. "I know how to get around that shit," he revealed.

I did too, although I was more attracted to stories than pictures, even though I hadn't been much interested in either since I met Jesse.

"That's cool," I said. Even though Josh was an exceptionally good looking guy with his curly blond hair, blue eyes and muscular build, I didn't feel like exposing myself in front of him. Even though it was tempting to see what the plumbing of a strapping sixteen year old boy looked like up close--especially after Derrin's brief but tantalizing description last night--I didn't think I was going to hold up well in comparison. Beyond all that was the frightening incident with Morgan last Sunday. While I knew that Josh wasn't drunk or high or anything, I also knew that he was under a lot of stress because of what was going on with his parents. It seemed like powerful emotions and unresolved feelings, when mixed with a strong dose of teenage hormones, were a potent and unpredictable combination.

"I guess I should lock the door," he suggested.

"Uh, Josh..." I wasn't sure how to say this without embarrassing him, or making myself sound like a wuss. "I guess I'm really not in the mood right now..."

Josh's face immediately turned red. Shit--I had embarrassed him.

"Hey, it's just me, okay?" I assured him quickly. "I totally understand the need for relief. But you were the one hanging out with the hot babe today. Remember, I was hangin' with your bro and a six and a half foot tall gay football player for most of the afternoon," I reminded him.

"Shit, yeah...that's right!" Josh said, laughing a little. He ran his hand through his hair. "Well then..."

"Hey, I got an idea," I said. "The internet is already up. Why don't I just leave you alone and you can...uh...take care of business?" I suggested.

"You wouldn't mind?" he asked sheepishly.

"You should totally go for it, dude," I told him, getting to my feet. "And maybe some other time, we could...you know...do it together or something."

"I bet if you checked out some of these sites with me, you'd forget all about that giant fag," Josh said helpfully.

I flinched a little at his description of Gene's older brother. George Rauch and I had somehow managed to connect in a significant way during the brief amount of time we had spent together this afternoon at the mall. Maybe it had something to do with the way we met, or maybe it had something to do with his openness and his confidence about his sexual identity. I surely admired him for that. But it had apparently been something that hadn't happened over night. It had been a long journey for him, one which I wished I could talk to him about. Maybe he was even someone Jesse and I could share our secret with. But I had no idea when I'd see him again. Even if he came back for Christmas break, I'd be in Manhattan. The next real opportunity to see him might not be until Easter vacation, but a lot of schools had different schedules for that, and I knew that colleges tended to let out for spring break earlier than most other schools did.

"That's okay. Besides, you're like two years older than me. You'd probably laugh at my pathetic package anyway," I noted.

"No way, Perry. I'd never laugh at you; I swear!"

While he might have been sincere in his claim, it didn't make me feel any better. The fact of the matter was that I really wasn't feeling very horny right then.

"Well...anyway...You go for it. Use whatever you need in the bathroom to clean up," I said, heading for the door. "Just be sure you delete your history trail when you're done," I reminded him.

"Thanks, Per. You're one cool cous!" he said with a warm smile.

I was glad Josh thought fondly of me and that he thought it would be cool to jack off with me. Maybe someday I would have enough self confidence to go through with it. On the other hand, I had Jesse, and if we could ever just get together alone for a little while...

I closed the door and went downstairs, heading for the kitchen to see if my mom needed any help. Even though we were ordering pizza, she'd probably make a salad and want to set out some plates and stuff. I never made it that far however, because Derrin came bounding up to me where the den opened to the livingroom.

"Guess what, Perry?" he asked excitedly, his face alight with hopeful anticipation.

"What?" I asked with a smile, much preferring to see Derrin in this state rather than the frustrated and scared little boy I had seen lash out at his brother earlier today.

"I asked my dad if I could stay over one more night, and he said maybe, if your mom said it was okay, and she said yes, but that you have a basketball practice in the morning and I said I'd love to go too, so would it be okay with you if I stayed over tonight?"

"Whoa...what?" I asked, trying to take in all the words that had poured out of Derrin's mouth so quickly.

"Is it okay with you if I stay over one more night--just me and you, huh?"

I glanced into the kitchen at my mom for a more coherent explanation of what was going on. She left the salad she was preparing and gave me a gentle smile, nodding her head encouragingly. "Ron has to go back tonight because he has some work to catch up on, and Josh has a football practice tomorrow morning. But if you don't mind Derrin spending the night with us, then we can drive up to Arcadia in the afternoon to drop him off."

I wondered if it was a good idea for Derrin to spend another night here, considering how upset he was about his family's problems. It seemed to me like he was trying to hide from the situation rather than facing it. On the other hand, he seemed genuinely excited. If nothing else, it would help me take my mind off Jesse for a little longer.

"That'd be great!" I said with a sincere smile.

"Cool!" Derrin cried out, leaping up and down before bouncing into the den to tell his dad, as if Uncle Ron couldn't hear his son shouting for joy just a few yards away!

"Are you sure it's okay with you?" my mom asked concernedly. "I know you need to get your rest before your practice in the morning, and having your cousin around..."

"I'm fine with it," I assured her. "You're the one who has to drive up to Arcadia and back. That's like a four hour round trip."

"I don't mind," she revealed. "Derrin is going through a very difficult time right now, and he's always looked up to you, Perry. You can see how excited he is."

"Well, like I said, if you don't mind all the driving, then I have no problem with it," I assured her.

"Thank you, hon. I truly appreciate you doing this," my mom said, affectionately brushing my cheek with the pads of her fingers. Strange that it was the same way Jesse touched me, and yet it felt so different. When my mom did it, it just felt like a nice smooth hand touching my cheek. When Jesse did it, it sent some sort of electrical charge through my skin that thrilled me from head to toe.

I shrugged. "It's no big deal..."

It was after eight when Uncle Ron and Josh left, leaving Derrin and I alone with my mom. She sat with us to watch the Lakers' game for about an hour, trying her best to stifle her yawns. But I knew she must be exhausted after all her preparations for hosting Thanksgiving and the long day yesterday with all the cooking and the guests, and then having to deal with my Uncle Ron and his sudden crisis, and even my Aunt Rosemary's surprising (to me!) situation.

"Why don't you go to bed, mom?" I suggested. "Derrin and I are fine. In fact, we'll even make breakfast tomorrow, right?" I turned to my cousin.

"Sure--I know how to make great pancakes!" he said enthusiastically

My mom smiled, finally letting her weariness show. She gave each of us a hug and a kiss and trudged upstairs.

"We can go to bed too, if you're tired," Derrin offered.

It was almost halftime and the Lakers were trailing the Pistons by twelve points. Shaq was still out with an injury, and I had a feeling they were going to lose anyway.

"I could go for a shower and maybe getting to bed a little early," I admitted.

"All right. I'll watch the game for a little while, and then come up," Derrin informed me.

I nodded and started up the stairs, realizing, from the heaviness in my legs, that I was more tired than I had thought.

I took a good long shower and at first, my thoughts were filled with disturbing images of Arnie and Mario. That Arnie Hollister was an undeniably creepy looking guy. Even though I knew it was wrong to judge somebody based on their appearance, there was something about his wild mop of rusty colored hair and that round smooth face and those beady eyes...Yeah, he had eyes just like George W. Bush, and that made me shudder something awful. I had to wonder if that had really been a knife poking in my back, and if Mario really would have used it. I convinced myself that he wouldn't have. Why would he risk going to jail just to stab a dorky fourteen year old who had never even done anything to him? I could understand Goreski being upset with Jesse and me, and even with Gary, but Mario and Arnie--they weren't even there when everything happened. It was almost like they were some kind of hit squad for Goreski. I wondered what was in it for them...Why did they confront me in the mall like that? What was the point of intimidating me or even hurting me? What would be accomplished? I didn't get it and I was anxious to share the whole incident with Jesse and hear his insights on this frightening experience. I knew he would be able to make better sense of it than I ever could.

Jesse...my beautiful blond angel. Even though it had only been two weeks since we had spent that wonderful night together on the futon, it seemed like ages. There was an ache in my gut when I thought about how much I missed his presence. Some part of me realized it wasn't healthy to be so dependent on him, but I couldn't help myself. It was an unfortunate side effect of the deep bond that had grown between us. I couldn't stand to be away from him. I wondered if he was up in the freezing cold mountains around Lake Big Bear right now, maybe sitting in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa, missing me as much as I missed him. It didn't seem possible. Jesse was too sensible for that. He was able to put things in perspective. Even though I knew he had strong feelings for me, I also knew that he was used to being on his own. Of course, he loved his mom and sister and maybe he didn't experience the same sense of emptiness I did when I couldn't be with him. I was sure he was doing just fine up there and that the time would pass quickly for him. Still, I hoped he would call me as soon as he got back. Just hearing his voice again would help fill the empty hole inside me created by his absence. Thinking about my amazing, complicated, beautiful friend and how I had sucked on his deliciously perfect toes through his socks yesterday was more than enough to send me straight to heaven...

Fortunately, I had the foresight to take my sleeping clothes into the bathroom with me, and when I came out, still slightly damp, but dressed in a white Calvin Klein T-shirt and gray sweatpants, it was to see Derrin sitting cross legged on the futon again, his attention focused wholly on a video game, dressed once again in his striped pajama top and black sweats. His cute little feet were bare.

"Hey, Derrin--you don't want to take a shower?" I asked casually.

"Nah, I'll take one in the morning--I don't smell too bad," he said, lifting his arm and taking a quick sniff of his pit for reassurance. "What time do we have to leave for your practice?" he asked, never breaking his focus on the game he was playing.

"It starts at nine, but I should get there a little early to warm up, so maybe we'll leave around eight thirty or so. You don't have to come, you know. You can just hang out here until I'm done."

"I want to come!" he answered excitedly. "Are you gonna wear your uniform?"

That was a strange question. "Yeah..."

Derrin just nodded as if that was what he was expecting to hear. "You wanna play NBA All-stars?" he asked.

I sat on the edge of my bed and watched him play against the program. He was doing extremely well of course. I glanced at the clock. It was only nine thirty.

"Sure, hand me a controller," I said, lazily stretching out crossways on my bed with my feet hanging over the other side.

Ah, video games! It was a great way to take your mind off your troubles. And playing against Derrin was a real challenge. In this case, he was the Lakers and I was the Pistons. After half an hour, we were practically tied, with neither one of us holding the lead for more than a minute. But soon after that, I started to fall behind, and I realized I was becoming unfocused. It was after ten now, and I was ready to hit the sack.

"I think I'm done for tonight," I declared, getting up and putting my controller back in its cubby underneath the TV.

Derrin just nodded in agreement. He didn't seem especially tired and he probably could have kept playing for an hour or more, but he didn't seem to mind the fact that I was ready to call it quits. He just put his controller away, and turned off the Gamecube and the TV set.

I turned off the light and closed the door without locking it. By the dim reddish light of my digital alarm clock, I walked around the futon where Derrin was already neatly tucked in, and crawled gratefully under the warm covers of my own bed.

"This is cool!" Derrin said in the darkness.

"What is?"

"Just you and me having a sleepover!"

Sometimes I forgot that Derrin was almost two years younger than me. Staying overnight at my house without the rest of his family must have seemed like a big deal to him--a proud step towards becoming a more independent teenager.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," I acknowledged.

"We had fun today, huh?" he asked wistfully, almost as if he were talking to himself out loud as much as he was talking to me. "I liked meeting your friends. Too bad that creepy clown guy had to show up...He was bad news, huh? Did he want to hurt you?"

I hadn't offered Derrin any real explanation for the strange events of this afternoon, and I certainly didn't want to spend half the night doing so. What would have been the point? I was just glad that Arnie and Mario had left him alone.

"I'm not exactly sure what he wanted," I answered truthfully, "but I know it wasn't anything good."

"I liked your friend's brother," Derrin offered.

"You mean George? Yeah, he was pretty cool. I mean, I knew Gene had a brother in college; I just never knew that he was..."

"Gay?" Derrin added quickly.

"Uh-huh. That was a real surprise."

"It was really cool meeting an actual gay guy!" Derrin said enthusiastically in his thin, slightly squeaky twelve year old voice, now disembodiedly floating in the near total darkness of my bedroom. "And he really seemed to like you, Perry!"

"Well, he was a really nice guy. I don't know how much he liked me, though. I think it had more to do with the weird circumstances of our meeting than anything else."

"He scared off the creepy clown guy, huh?" Derrin asked innocently.

"Yeah, pretty much," I replied vaguely. I saw no need to mention that Mario was also there, and that he had a knife...

"Cool...Is Georgie the first gay guy you ever met?" he asked curiously.

"Well, he was certainly the tallest!" I joked.

"So I guess he has sex with other guys, huh?"

I didn't know how to answer that. I couldn't be certain how much background a twelve year old like Derrin would even have on the subject of homosexuality. He was really only beginning his adolescence. I had to smile, remembering how excited he had been this morning to tell me that he had shot his first load last night. That must have been a huge deal for him. "I don't know, Derrin," I answered wearily. "It isn't like he told me his whole life story..."

"I wonder if he used to like girls before he changed to boys?"

That was an intriguing question--one I might ask George myself if given the appropriate opportunity, but not one I wanted to bandy about with my young cousin.

"Don't know..." I answered sluggishly. My reply was followed immediately by a well timed yawn.

"Sorry, Perry. I talk too much. Goodnight."

"'Night, Derrin..."

"G'night, secret brother," he whispered solemnly.

"Goodnight, secret brother..." I mumbled, burying my face in the soft coolness of my pillow.

I felt someone tapping my shoulder and I woke up with a start, thinking it was my mom, and that I had overslept.

"I'm up, I'm..." I realized it was still pitch black.

I heard the light breathing that told me that it was Derrin, vaguely illuminated by the red glow of my alarm clock, kneeling in front of my bed. A quick glance at the digital readout told me it was only eleven thirty.

"Are you awake?" Derrin asked.

"I am now," I responded groggily.

"Good. I'm really anxious to get started!" he whispered in my ear.

"Huh?" What were we supposed to be starting at eleven thirty at night?

"Remember, you said, the next time I was over, we could do all those things...like what I wanted to do last night--remember?" he pressed me.

I vaguely recalled making Derrin some sort of deal, mainly directed towards keeping him out of my pants last night. "But I said next time," I reminded him.

"It is next time!" Derrin insisted. He sounded excited but not upset, like a kid wanting to get up to see if Santa left him any presents under the tree.

Now what was I supposed to do? Should I try to talk my way out of it again and risk triggering an outpouring of those barely submerged feelings and emotions he was harboring about his parents' dilemma?

"This is going to be so cool--you'll see!" he said with genuine passion. "I can't even wait any more. Gosh, Perry, I got hard just seeing you take off your shoes at the Foot Locker today!"

I laughed at the unexpected comment. Derrin's enthusiasm reminded me of Tom, except that my cousin wasn't gay--was he? I mean, he was only twelve...How could he even know? He had just started ejaculating less than twenty four hours ago!

"All right," I said, trying not to sound as put out as I felt. If a little sexual experimentation would make him happy for a bit, then I'd do my best to go along with it--at least, up to a certain point...

Derrin flicked on the small lamp on my nightstand. "Good, now come down on the futon," he ordered in a loud whisper.

"Why?" I moaned tiredly.

"It'll be easier to do stuff--and quieter," he added.

I wearily dragged myself out of bed and sat on the futon, leaning against the side of my bed for support. Derrin stood in front of me, his bare feet sinking into the futon. "You have to kneel," he said.

"What're we going to do?" I asked, realizing that I was feeling somewhat apprehensive as I got up on my knees.

"We're gonna play a game. You'll think it's really stupid, but you just have to do what I say and not talk; is that okay?"

That didn't do much to relieve my apprehension. On the other hand, it sounded like Derrin knew exactly what he wanted, which I guess was a good thing, because it meant I didn't have to suggest or initiate anything. I wasn't about to allow myself to be the one to introduce my twelve year old cousin to the wonderment and joy of steamy hot boysex!

"Okay, fine. But I do have to get up in the morning..." I cautiously reminded him.

"I know," he answered off handedly. "Now take off your shirt," he ordered.

I realized that I was feeling bashful in front of my own cousin. The truth was, I didn't feel very good about the way I looked. I thought Morgan had a great, athletic body and a package that any guy would be glad to have, and that I, in comparison, was just a skinny, nondescript kid with plumbing that could at best be described as adequate. If it wasn't for the fact that I was worried about Derrin's fragile state of mind, I would have dismissed this whole exercise. Reluctantly, I pulled my T-shirt off over my head. Being nearly the end of November, it didn't take long for me to start feeling a bit chilled.

Derrin got down on one knee, positioning himself on my right side. "Gentlemen, you see before you today, an absolutely stunning example of a human male adolescent, approximately fourteen Earth years of age..." Derrin began reciting in a hushed and pompous (for a twelve year old) voice.

I started to giggle. "What the...?" I began.

"Hush!" Derrin hissed at me, a scowl on his impish face. "Gentlemen, gentlemen, there's no need for panic. I assure you the specimen is extremely docile by nature and is absolutely no threat to you whatsoever!"

This was so bizarre! Judging by the tone of his voice, and his lofty vocabulary, Derrin was apparently giving some sort of lecture to a room full of unseen 'gentlemen' with myself as the subject. It reminded me a little of the 'Doctor' games young kids supposedly played as they began taking an interest in each other's developing bodies. I had never been involved in such a game, but I had heard others talk about it and of course, I had read stories like that on the internet! I had to admit, it was more fun than just lying around waiting for my cousin to cop a feel!

"Please note the width of the shoulders, which broaden significantly during this stage of development. Notice the flat chest and vestigial nipples which are called tits. These lack any discernible function in the human male but have an appealing and aesthetically satisfying, symmetrical effect--just like a girl's boobs, only not all jiggly. Note the developing abdominal muscles here..." Derrin gestured with his hand to each area as he 'noted' it, but so far, he hadn't actually touched me. "These will turn into abs."

Then his finger hovered near my belly button. "And this is one of the most interesting and unique features of human beings in general--the navel, actually the remnants of the umbilical cord which provides nourishment to the fetus in the mother's womb. Note that this specimen has what is commonly referred to scientifically as an 'innie.'"

I had to snicker this time, the sound coming up from my throat and shooting out my nose. Derrin scowled at me in a condescending way, impressively remaining totally in whatever character it was that he was trying to portray.

"Lift your arms and lock your fingers behind your head," Derrin commanded in a dry, unemotional voice.

I felt very silly, but did as he told me.

"Note the very beginnings of pubic hair in the armpit regions," Derrin remarked dispassionately, his pointing finger coming perilously close to a very ticklish part of my body. "Body hair will increase substantially as adolescence continues, with the pubic hair generally being of a slightly different texture than the rest. We will be seeing a further example of this type of hair in just a few moments..."

Whoa! Was Derrin referring to my bush? Gees, this was going to be as embarrassing as it was weird.

"Okay, now turn around," Derrin whispered in my ear.

"Huh?"

"Just keep kneeling, but face the bed...Oh, and you can put your arms down for now." He said all these things in a hushed, but very authoritative way. At least he seemed to be very cognizant of the fact that my mom's room was just down the hall.

I never imagined that my twelve year old cousin had such a vivid imagination, or such a sophisticated vocabulary! And there was no question that he took his little 'game' very seriously and expected me to do the same. Awkwardly, I crawled on my knees, rotating myself until I faced the bed.

"Who are you talking to, dude?" I had to ask under my breath.

Derrin leaned in close to my ear. "The Martian Academy Of Xenobiology--now hush!"

"Yes sir, Doctor Waldman," I answered solemnly.

I saw a little smile play across my cousin's face before he managed to regain his composure. "Very good," Derrin commented in his stuffy, professorial voice. "Now gentlemen, before we proceed to the main topic of our lecture today, I would like to direct your attention to the exceptionally beautiful feet on this particular specimen. The human foot grows at a alarming rate at this stage of development. It is often remarked upon by adult humans that it is difficult to keep their teenagers in shoes because their feet grow so damn fast. Note that this specimen's feet are extremely well maintained and nearly flawless both in proportion and size. The soles of the feet are often considered one of the most sensitive areas of the entire body, and those of this specimen appear to be only lightly calloused and extremely smooth and tender."

Derrin suddenly ran his fingers lightly up and down my bare foot soles and I nearly cried out at the intense stimulation. I quickly clamped my hands over my mouth to muffle any loud noises that might erupt from my throat and turned my head to scowl at him. Derrin actually dropped his character for a moment and cringed at my sudden reaction.

"Sorry..." he whispered apologetically in his normal twelve year old voice. "I couldn't help it!"

I gave him a 'don't try that again' scowl, and then turned to face my bed again.

"At this point, we will proceed to some of the most fascinating areas of human adolescent anatomy," Derrin said, back in his pompous character once again.

I felt him tugging at the waistband of my sweatpants even as he was already pulling them down my hips. He had my ass exposed before I could even react. I had figured that he was going to want to check me out, after what happened last night, but I was unprepared for the reality of the situation. I heard Derrin take in a breath and...hold it. It was at least a full half minute before he released the breath in a trembling sigh while I knelt there disbelievingly. My twelve year old cousin was staring at my bare ass--how bizarre was that?

"Perry..." he whispered, "Oh, gees..."

Finally, I had to turn my head to see what was going on. Derrin was indeed staring at my behind, his face frozen in an expression of astonishment. I already felt incredibly foolish kneeling there with my bare butt hanging out. Of course, all my parts were hanging out, but at least I was facing the bed, which gave me a little privacy. I saw Derrin's lower lip start to tremble.

"Perry...I...I was wrong..." he stammered quietly, his eyes fixated on my derrière.

"What do you mean?" I asked, worrying that maybe Derrin was starting to think about his parents again and that my playing along with his little game had been a fruitless endeavor.

"I...I shouldn't have done that to you...I'm sorry..." he stammered.

Even in the dim light of the table lamp, I could see the moisture beginning to glimmer in his eyes.

Poor Derrin. My heart went out to him, but I didn't want to actually say anything about his parents. That might really set him off. "What about the Martians?" I asked in earnest.

"The...what?" he muttered blankly.

"The Martian Academy...Your lecture..."

"Oh...yeah," Derrin said, blinking his eyes. "The lecture. Maybe we should stop..."

I heard his voice quivering with shame at what he had done to me, and bare assed or not, I just wanted to hold him and tell him everything was okay. While I was very uncomfortable with letting other people stare at my naked body, I was also glad to help Derrin through this difficult time in any way I could. Since I didn't think hugging my cousin while I was nude was an appropriate thing to do, I thought maybe the best thing would be just to continue his little game. "But isn't this the kind of thing brothers do--in secret?" I whispered.

At first he looked at me in a confused way, but then I saw the expression on his face relax, and a small and hesitant smile spread across his freckled face. He took a deep breath and slowly released it. "This, my illustrious associates," he said in his boyishy low pitched character voice, "is simply the finest piece of ass you will ever see on this or any other planet in the entire solar system!"

I shook my head and turned to face the bed again. Derrin...he could be pretty silly sometimes, but he was precious and I realized that I was very fond of him.

"Notice the ideal curvature of each symmetrical cheek, and the perfect crevice they form--often referred to scientifically as the butt crack." I felt Derrin's fingers glide lightly over one of my mounds and I stiffened but didn't say anything. It felt kinda good!

There was a long and uncomfortable pause and I wondered if my ass cheeks were as red as my burning face cheeks! Even Jesse hadn't given my rear end this much attention! I thought about how much I enjoyed looking at Jesse's ass, and wondered if my cousin was having a similar experience. I didn't want him to have those kinds of feelings for me--after all, he was my cousin, and he was only twelve. I was really liking the idea of us being 'secret' brothers though. Maybe when he was a little older, we could talk about things like sex, and maybe he'd be able to bring a different perspective to the discussion than me.

"We have to take these off," Derrin suddenly whispered in my ear.

I realized he was talking about the sweatpants that were already pushed down to my knees. Well, there wasn't much point in protesting at this point, since pretty much everything was out in the open. Still, I was thankful to be facing towards the bed, keeping my most private parts hidden--at least for the time being. I lifted my knees off the futon one at a time, and Derrin quickly slipped the crumpled sweats over my calves and feet, leaving me completely naked. Except around Jesse, I had never been naked in front of another person for many years now. The fact that it was my favorite cousin who was stripping me, didn't make me feel any more comfortable about it. Staring straight ahead, I suddenly felt like leaping up and diving under the rumpled bedclothes of my own bed.

"Now turn around," Derrin whispered.

Gulp...While it was probably a little late for reflection, I wondered if it would be a really good idea for me to expose myself to my younger cousin. He claimed to have seen Josh naked before, and judging by his vivid description of his older brother's plumbing, it didn't sound like he was making that up. I was sure my own modest package would be a major disappointment, but was that really important? I mean, Derrin wasn't interested in having sex with me or anything. He didn't have any amorous feelings towards me. He just had it in his goofy little head that he wanted to mess around with his older cousin's private parts--as part of a scientific lecture to the Martian Academy Of Xenobiology of course.

"Uh...okay," I muttered nervously. Once again, I clumsily turned myself around, my knees sinking into the futon as I maneuvered about. Just being naked and listening to Derrin's lecture had been enough to give me a partial erection. Still, my penis bobbed up and down like a loose garden hose as I turned to face him.

I was embarrassed to look Derrin in the eye, so I just stared straight ahead at the blank TV screen.

"Th...this...is the pubic hair to which I was referring earlier," Derrin stammered uncomfortably, struggling to remain in character.

I cringed, realizing that my nudity was freaking him out. Maybe this had been a bad idea after all...

Derrin's fingers caressed my sparse bush of curly brown hair, and I felt my penis continue to harden despite my discomfort. I realized that this was already the second time Derrin had felt me there, the first time being last night while I was asleep and dreaming about Jesse.

"The hair in this region will continue to thicken and spread, eventually forming a triangular patch with an upward trail that often leads directly to the belly button, which in this case is...uh...an 'innie'," Derrin explained awkwardly, quietly and hesitantly continuing his lecture. "This leads us to one of the most remarkable and in this case stunningly beautiful parts of the entire male anatomy--the human penis..." Derrin's already soft voice trailed off into inaudibility. There was a rather long and awkward silence and I was thinking about grabbing my sweatpants and pulling them on as quickly as possible...

"Perry..." Derrin whispered in his own quivering voice. "I...I can't believe it! I just can't believe it...I've dreamed about what you looked like without clothes and stuff...what it would look like...and now..."

I finally got up the nerve to look Derrin in the eye. "And now...what? You're freaked out?" I asked dismally, feeling that I had indeed let my sweet little cousin down.

At first, he slowly nodded his head, and then slowly started to shake it. "I'm...not freaked out...just...surprised," he finally answered in his normal voice.

"I'm sorry, Derrin. This was a really bad idea. I just thought that if we played your game then..."

"Why do you think it was a bad idea?" Derrin asked with sudden concern.

"Well, look how upset you are," I pointed out, self consciously using my hands to cover up my privates.

"I'm not upset, Perry. I told you I've already seen my brother's dick lots of time. And I've seen other kids' dicks too," he explained quickly. "Yours is just the best one I ever saw, that's all."

How could that be? There was nothing at all extraordinary about my penis. It wasn't extra long or extra thick. My balls were just as nondescript, and certainly weren't anywhere near the size or weight of Morgan's. My pubic bush was sparse, but looked a little thicker because it was dark. I thought Jesse had a beautiful, perfectly proportioned package even though he also was not exceptionally well endowed. His pubes were such a fine, light blond, that they were almost invisible to all but the closest scrutiny. I guessed it was that flawless proportionality of all his parts--from the top of his golden blond head to the tips of his long straight toes--that made his naked body such a wonder to behold--and that ass...! Yipes! I realized I was getting even harder from thinking about Jesse! I bashfully pressed my hands against my stiffening erection, trying to shelter it from Derrin's view.

"Don't cover it up, please?" Derrin asked in a gently pleading voice.

Reluctantly, I lowered my arms to my sides, leaving myself completely exposed.

"Come here and lie down," he said, patting his own pillow.

"Can I get dressed now?" I asked hopefully, since it seemed like we weren't playing the game anymore.

"No, we're not done yet!" Derrin insisted in a more confident voice.

I stretched myself out on the futon with my head resting on Derrin's pillow.

He cleared his throat, and began reciting in his pompous little voice again. "Gentlemen, if you'll please gather around, you will be privileged to witness a most interesting and crucial phenomenon," Derrin intoned solemnly, as he knelt beside me, still dressed in his striped pajama top and sweatpants.

"Observe how the penis is becoming more rigid. This is achieved by blood flowing into thousands of tiny vessels within the organ itself. It is extremely sensitive to any kind of physical stimulation..." Derrin boldly stroked my hardening shaft, causing me to gasp.

There was no question that it felt good. My only concern was if I should allow this to reach it's--how shall I say it--inevitable climax?

"Gentlemen, please note the soft ballsac known as the scrotum. Within it are the semen producing organs known as testicles. They are quite hard--like little jawbreakers, but extremely sensitive to any but the most delicate stimulation..." Derrin gently probed my scrotum with his slender twelve year old fingers, feeling the hardness of my balls and sending tingles of sexually charged energy through my groin.

"Notice the clear liquid at the top of the head or glans. This is a lubricant scientifically referred to as precum. If the fully engorged penis were to be inserted into the vagina of a female specimen, the precum would mix with the female's own natural lubricants to allow for smooth entry into the vaginal canal in preparation for insemination."

I wasn't sure if I felt like laughing or grabbing Derrin by the neck and pressing my lips onto his, I was getting so fired up.

"As you can see by the characteristic curvature of the penis towards the upper abdomen, this specimen's dick is now fully erect and extremely rigid. This is known scientifically as a...a... total boner." Derrin grasped my erection tightly in his fist, and then began squeezing it rhythmically with his fingers.

I began to squirm on the futon mattress as I realized I was about to shoot my load in front of my twelve year old cousin--and a bunch of Martian scientists!

"While the penis is highly sensitive to any sort of physical stimulation, one of the most highly effective techniques for bringing a human male to full orgasm is to place the organ into the oral orifice like so..."

I looked up in horror as he began to lower his head...Oh My God! Derrin was going to suck me off! He had only ejaculated for the first time a little less than twenty four hours ago, and now he was going to give me a blow job!

"Derrin--" I cried in a harsh whisper loud enough to shake him from his almost hypnotized state.

"Huh?" he asked, staring at me blankly, still tightly clutching my rock hard cock in his small fist.

"Don't do that!" I begged him.

"But Perry...you'll love it!" he assured me, a determined look on his freckled face.

"No sucking!" I insisted adamantly.

Derrin gave me a petulant look as if I was his dad telling him to turn off the Gamecube for the day. "O...kay..." he sighed disappointedly.

"Sorry, gentlemen. You won't be seeing a demonstration of oral stimulation today, but perhaps another time..." Derrin began sliding his hand up and down my shaft, using my own precum as a lubricant. "Instead, I will continue to use direct manual stimulus to bring the male sexual process to it's climax. It is a very good idea to stimulate other sensitive areas of the body as well. Most parts of the epidermal layer are extremely sensitive to the touch," he noted, lightly caressing my nipples with one hand. "Not only does that bring the process to a quicker conclusion, but enhances the pleasure of the specimen himself." He slid his hand down to gently caress my belly, sometimes moving it up to my nipples and then sliding it thrillingly back down to my pubes. If I had been thinking with my head instead of my dick at that moment, I might have pondered if Derrin had ever done this type of thing before to some other 'specimen,' because he was very good!

As he sensed me approaching the climax he was so eagerly anticipating, he stopped rubbing his hand along my chest and abdomen and reached between my slightly outspread legs, gently caressing and tugging on my ballsac. My breathing became heavier and more erratic as Derrin's strokes on my shaft increased in speed and force. He began kneading my testicles with his small fingers, sending jolt after jolt of electricity through my groin. The constant tugging on my dick was actually beginning to hurt when I finally lifted my butt off the futon and thrust my hips into the air. I balled my fists and clenched my toes as I felt that desperate sense of urgency that always proceeded...

"Mmmmmmm..." I moaned, trying to keep my voice as subdued as I could while reaching a very powerful climax.

"Oh my God--this is so fuckin' awesome!" Derrin exclaimed rather loudly as semen began spurting into the air. Volley after volley of hot gooey jism arched out onto my chest and belly, as my body shook with orgasmic spasms. He stopped his stroking motion, but still gripped my joystick tightly, occasionally kneading it to make sure every drop of cum was pumped out. As the spasms began to subside, some of my boyjuice dribbled on his fist, but he didn't let go until my body fell back limply to the futon.

"Oh...shit..." I groaned, feeling the remarkable sense of relief that follows such a potent orgasm.

"That was so kewl!" Derrin exclaimed in a dangerously loud voice.

"Ssssh!" I reminded him breathlessly.

"Let's do it again!" my young cousin whispered excitedly.

I shook my head. "Can you get me a towel or something to clean this up?" I asked wearily, gesturing to the pool of goo settling on my stomach.

"Did you see all that spunk come shooting out?" Derrin asked in an excited whisper. "It was like a freakin' firehose!'' He tentatively lifted his cum-soaked hand to his lips.

"Derrin--no!" I ordered as sternly as possible, hoping my new status as 'secret brother' would carry some authority with him.

"But I want to taste it--it's your cum, Perry," he explained, as if that should justify what he was about to do.

"No, Derrin. That's disgusting...Please don't," I begged him.

Derrin looked at me disappointedly and then wiped his hand right on the sheets. Then he stared at my groin for an uncomfortably long time in silence, just watching my penis go flaccid. I had no idea what he was thinking about. Had the Martians indeed left the building?

Finally he got up and went into the bathroom and flicked on the light. I expected him to return soon and I waited uncomfortably with coagulating semen on my chest and stomach. I wanted to get cleaned up and put my clothes back on as quickly as possible. I was already having serious misgivings about what I had done, or what I had allowed Derrin to do. I should have been more responsible. Of course a twelve year old who had just had his first ejaculation would be fascinated by sex at this point. Of course he'd be curious about what another guy's orgasm looked like. I could understand that, but I didn't feel good about volunteering to be his 'specimen.' He should have done this with one of his own friends, with someone his own age.

Just as I was starting to wonder what was going on, I heard some quiet moaning sounds coming from the bathroom. The door was still wide open.

"Uh...uh...uh..." Derrin groaned, the sound of his voice echoing a little in the tiled bathroom.

Gees, Derrin was jerking himself off in my bathroom! That was weird...I realized that I could even watch if I just turned around and propped myself up on my elbows, but I didn't. He should have his privacy. His moaning and groaning naturally got more and more intense, and I knew he was really close even though it had only been about a minute since I had first heard the sounds. I was getting concerned that he was getting too loud, and that my mom might hear. After all, my bathroom was right next to her bathroom. I hoped she was sound asleep...

"Ohhhhhhh...Perry...!!!" Derrin called loudly, and I started to get up, thinking he needed help. Then I realized he was just crying out with the ecstasy of reaching his climax.

I finally did glance around to see what he was up to. He was on his knees in the middle of the bathroom floor with his back to me. He had his sweatpants pulled down so I could see his skinny little ass poking out from under the tails of his pajama shirt. I hoped he'd do a good job of cleaning up in there, and I thought of reminding him. Before I could say anything, there was a light knock at the bedroom door. Shit--my MOM!!!

There I was, lying naked on the futon with spent semen puddling on my stomach. Derrin was on his knees in the bathroom, having just shot his load less than a minute ago.

"Boys, is everything okay?" my mom called groggily.

My mind went blank with panic. I grabbed the crumpled sheet and pulled it over my naked body. "Uh...er...uh..." I started to stammer quietly. If my mom opened the door...

"Sorry, Aunt Trish," Derrin said, casually pulling his sweatpants up as he went to stand next to the still closed door. "I just had to go pee, and I stubbed my toe...Sorry to wake you!" he said in the cutest little voice. What a pro!

"Oh...well...Do you need anything?" my mom asked.

"I'm fine--at least I didn't wake Perry!" he said, giving me a knowing little wink.

"All right, dear. I'll see you in the morning then...Goodnight," my mom mumbled wearily as she started back down the hall.

Derrin already had his hand over his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter. I was still lying there frozen like a statue with the sheets pulled up to my nostrils. My heart was beating like a rabbit's! Derrin came scampering back to the futon and knelt on top of the sheets.

"That was close!" he whispered, and it was obvious that he was thrilled by that little bit of melodrama.

"Oh man..." I sighed with relief, waiting for my heart beat to return to something close to normal, "if she'd opened the door..."

"She couldn't...I locked it before I woke you up," Derrin explained.

"Oh, well, I guess that was pretty good thinking," I responded uncertainly. I didn't know if my mom would be upset by that or not, but to me, it would certainly be suspicious. On the other hand, I didn't think my mom even suspected that I was having some sort of boysex in here practically every week. Besides myself, Jesse, Morgan, Tom, and now Derrin had all shot their loads in my room within the last few weeks--Maybe I should open a sperm bank!

"You...uh...didn't bring anything for me to clean up," I reminded him.

"I think it's too late for that!" Derrin giggled, pointing down at the cum stains on the sheet over my belly.

"Oh, gees...what a mess..." I moaned tiredly.

"That's okay," Derrin said unconcernedly. He pulled the sheet off me, leaving me once again stark naked. He bunched the bedclothes up and boldly used them to finish wiping up any residual mess on my belly and groin. His small hand rubbing the sheet against my sensitive genitals tickled and made me giggle. Derrin smiled sweetly at my laughter and went and stuffed the sheet into the hamper in the bathroom.

In the mean time, I reached for my sweatpants and started straightening them out so I could slip them back on.

"What're you doing?" Derrin asked anxiously.

"What does it look like? The game's over. I have to get some sleep--and so do you," I added. It seemed like Derrin had spent more time jacking off the last two nights then he had sleeping.

"Oh...yeah..." he muttered a little disappointedly. Then his face brightened a little. "Let's go sleep in your bed--with no clothes on!" He started unbuttoning his pajama shirt.

"No! Bad idea," I informed him in no uncertain terms. There had been way too much nudity in this bedroom the last couple nights, and I was now seriously worried that things were starting to get out of hand.

Derrin sat on the futon and watched with obvious dismay as I stuffed my legs into my sweatpants and stood up to hoist them up onto my hips. I looked around for my T-shirt and pulled it back on. Now completely exhausted from playing Derrin's little game, I slipped under the covers of my own bed, wrapping my arms around my soft down pillow. I glanced to the side to see Derrin still sitting there, a forlorn expression on his cute little face.

"Turn off the lamp and come to bed," I said quietly.

Derrin's face lit up with a smile. He flicked off the lamp and crawled in right under the covers. He threw one arm over my chest and pressed his head against my shoulder. His feet were a little cold but then again, so were mine.

"No monkey business..." I warned him wearily, before drifting off into blissful sleep.

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