A New Life

 Keith and I decided to write this chapter together and then Mike and Derrick showed up and wrote a little bit. Then Drew came in the room and we talked him into adding a little bit.

Merry Christmas!

---

Christmas Eve morning I woke before Keith, slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. Thinking of my mom and generally feeling sorry for myself, I started to cry a little. I thought that I should let myself feel the loss again now so I could be in the Christmas spirit the rest of the day. There was nothing more to grieve about that I hadn't worn myself out grieving over before. I turned on the radio and took a long shower. Before turning the shower off, I made sure my own water works were dried up. Water cascaded off me and I just let myself feel cheated for a while, cursing freeways, traffic, big trucks and small cars, letting all that crud drip down the drain with the soapy water. Just as I was about to turn off the shower, someone came into the bathroom. Sure, I could've locked the door but there's not much sense in that when four of the five people you live with are males and the only other bathroom is off the master bedroom.

I didn't want Keith to see me all teary-eyed and wiped out so I hollered, "Is that you, Keith?"

"Nah, it's me Prez." Drew said over the sound of the shower.

I waited for Drew to finish urinating, thinking he would leave the room as soon as he was done. But he flushed and moved over to the sink to wash the sleep from his face. The shower water was starting to get cool so I turned it off and reached out for a towel. While drying off, I made small talk with Drew. For a moment I got the impression he could tell I'd been crying but he said nothing. He just brushed his teeth.

I wrapped the towel around my waist and started brushing my teeth. Drew started fishing to learn what I had gotten him then John came in the bathroom, squeezing behind Drew and I to get to the toilet. Drew admitted that the two presents on the top of his list were Keith's and mine.

John mumbled in his just woke up voice, "Guess there's no hot water." He was starting to sound so much like Keith it was scary and he sure acted like him in the morning too.

"Sorry not yet John," I said, "I like really hot showers."

"Me too," John said plainly, nodding his head.

"You'll have to get to it before Prez then bro," Drew said.

"All will be forgiven by tomorrow," John said. "What did ya get me, Prez?"

"You already have a good idea," I grinned, "you want me to tell you which game I got you?" John smiled and nodded. I chuckled, ignoring the question and opened the bathroom door to find Keith standing there, still half asleep, surprised that the door opened apparently by itself before he reached for the knob. He's so cute in his morning fog! I leaned forward and gave him a quick good morning kiss.

Holding me by the waist, Keith kissed me back then asked, "A convention?" noticing his two brothers behind me.

"The usual morning piss party," Drew said, walking past Keith and I.

Keith grunted and went in to the bathroom while I went to our room to get dressed. A few minutes later we were all dressed and gathered around the dining room table.

During breakfast, dad asked, "Who still has shopping to do?" Both Drew and John answered that they did but neither knew what they wanted to get. The only thing Keith and I had left was to pick up the clock for his parents. After we finished breakfast we went right out to the mall to get it. When we got home, the house was empty so we set about wrapping the huge box. The clock itself was made of ceramic, maybe eighteen inches tall and nine inches square on the base but the box was almost twice that size. It was pretty heavy, about the weight of a cinder block and we had to be careful wrapping the bulky box. Keith found out right away just how bad my wrapping skills are so I was the taper while he did most of the wrapping. We slid the box under the desk then Keith turned on the living room TV.

I went to the kitchen to get us some cold drinks.

---

Prez returned from the kitchen putting our drinks down on the coffee table and sat next to me while I channel surfed. I was expecting him to be somber and quietly thoughtful. There wasn't much holiday programming and Prez started acting more like Scrooge with each flip of the channel.

I landed on the Discovery Channel. "Bah!" Prez growled.

Pressing the remote control again, I stopped at ESPN. "Humbug!" Prez said. I turned my head and smiled at him thinking, he's flippin' out on me.

Once again I flipped the channel to CNN and Prez groaned, "Are there no prisons? Are there no work-houses?" I cracked up.

Finally I landed on the old Miracle on 34^th Street movie. Prez imitated Tiny Tim saying, "God bless us, every one," then he reached over and helped himself to a few M&M's that my mom had in a dish on the end table. "Want some candy little boy?" he asked, patting his lap like Santa. My dick lengthened.

Not expecting him to be playful and seductive but loving it, I moved over, knelt on the sofa facing him with my hands behind his head on the back of the couch and sat down on his lap. "Please, Santee." I whined in my best little boy voice.

He teased me with an M&M, moving his hand around just inches away from my mouth and asked, "Have you been a very good boy this year?"

"Oh yes Santee, I've been very good." I said in my best pre-pubescent, falsetto voice.

He fed me an M&M and whispered, "Prove it," dropping the rest of the M&M's on to his tongue. My mouth dove for his and pulled a few candies from it. M&M's never tasted so good! His hands slipped up under the back of my shirt, pulling me closer.

I could feel his boner against my leg and asked, "Is there a candy cane in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" My red-headed Santa giggled and began gently nibbling on my left nipple through my shirt. I knelt up off his lap so his trapped erection would be free to move into a more comfortable position. His wandering hands started to battle with my shirt and I helped him remove it then he went to work on my other nipple. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that teasing my nipples would be such a major turn on but it sure is! Prez hummed and licked, flicking his tongue across my hardened nips then unbuttoned my jeans and tugged them a few inches lower so the head of my cock was peeking out from my boxers. Pressing his smooth, velvety tongue against the sensitive underside of my glans practically sent me into convulsions. Prez had me trapped, both hands gripping my butt, holding me in place while he pleasured me. All I could do for a while was hold onto him with one hand, grip the back of the sofa with the other hand and pray that my heart wouldn't explode in my chest.

Tugging at his shirt I started to pull back off him and Prez lifted his arms. With his shirt off, I backed down and knelt on the floor and rubbed his throbber through his jeans. My other hand unwrapped my present. He lifted his ass and I pulled his jeans and briefs off him.

Before my eyes was my favorite toy. He's so incredibly sexy, not just his twitching erection but the whole person. Lowering my face to within an inch or so of his cock, I inhaled his aroma deeply. He smells great! There's a mass of dark reddish-brown pubes around the base of his cock that fan out perfectly and his sack is completely hairless. A sparse treasure trail leads to his navel. My hands roamed up his thighs over his stomach and started rubbing his chest, lightly pinching his hard nips occasionally; my nose pushed his cock around while I memorized the smell of my lover.

I started to feel a twinge of anticipation, not only because I wanted so much to make love with him but because we were doing it in the living room and I had no clue where my family was or when they'd be back. But did this stop me for a moment? Did I guide him back to the bedroom? Hell no!

Prez had slid down laying sideways on the couch with his butt hanging over the edge and whined impatiently. I licked from the tip of his cock down to the base making him shiver and giggle.

---

I knew he was just savoring the moment but Keith's hot breath on my boner and the way he was pushing it around with his nose was just so intense I couldn't wait another second. When he started sucking on the base of my cock the room seemed to brighten then darken then brighten again; I'm pretty sure I fried a few brain cells. He's the very best!

---

Only cause you make me want to give you my best baby.

---

Hmm... Excuse us for a few. Here's Derrick.

---

Whoa! I finally get to write something.

This is gonna be weird for me. Mike's the more confident one in our relationship. I guess having had my orientation disapproved of makes me hide an awful lot.

Mike's Da Bomb! He played Dee perfect for the first time all the way through without the record that Christmas Eve morning. I was still in bed, sitting up and watching him. He was looking at me while he played. It was such a major turn on that I reached my hand into my boxers and started fondling my already hard seven inches. I asked him if he could do it again and when he did, it blew me away. The second he finished, I got out of bed, took the guitar from him and knelt down to suck him off.

Mike's got the biggest cock of the four of us, a tasty eight inches. With a little concentration I can relax my throat and deep throat him. He calls that being aggressive. I call it compensation. Mike gives me so much and doesn't even realize it; his love, acceptance, ideas and ways of coping and then there's the best times just kickin' back. Without Mike I'd never have met Keith and Prez. Everyone needs grounding I suppose. Mike's my lifeline.

I don't even really look at other dudes any more. It was hard for me to deal with being gay and telling Mike. I found out Keith was gay way before the beach party when he and Prez found out I was too.

I don't much like looking back at the past but try to learn stuff and then move on. It's been two years and I like my life and the warmth of my friends. They are my family in every way that counts. I'll be meeting my mom for an early dinner tomorrow and we'll exchange gifts. Then its back to Mike's and over to Keith's for another meal. It's gonna be a great day.

---

You see why I love Derrick? ~sniff~

I can't believe he told you all how big my cock is! Well I'm also the shortest of the four of us so I got compensated with a slightly bigger than average dick, I guess. But like Clapton says, "It's in the way that you use it!"

Back to D's Christmas Eve encounter... don't think for a second I just sat there and let him blow me. I love him and at that time we weren't able to show our love lots of times. Back then I had a twin size bed. Kinda cramped quarters for two dudes. Anyway, D's goin' down on me, strokin' the base of my cock while twirling his tongue around the head and suckin' the life out of me. It felt so righteous I started sliding out of the chair! Eventually I push him off me and joined him on the floor. We got our boxers off and start blowin' each other in a sixty-nine lying side by side on the floor. I like it better when I can see him make those intense pouty faces while I suck his uncut meat. While I'm on the subject, I'll just say I've become convinced that uncut dudes have the most sensitive dicks in the world! D can make me shimmy and shake but he just about flips from a good lick around under his foreskin! That's what I did but wasn't prepared when he bucked his hips and drove that puppy right down my throat, hollering my name! It's so great the way he calls out my name; it starts out softly, like humming then gets real loud like - mmmmmmmmmmMIIIIIIIIKE!

I giggled like crazy inside because my mom and sister where home. It wasn't the first time he'd screamed out my name and inadvertently made our activities known. My mom and sister knew about us but my sister was twelve and we were expected to keep the noise down. Oh well. Mom would rather have me home and with someone she knew, like Derrick, than having sex "out in the street somewhere" as she put it.

D tried to diffuse his scream by muting his mouth with my leg. When he chilled he then crawled over me, lifted my ass a little and devoured my sack. After gently rolling my nads around his hot mouth for a while, he sucked my sack, softly scraping his teeth on the flesh when pulled back off. For me that's high voltage electricity! I stiffened up and sucked him harder, humming like mad to let him know I was close. That's when D pushed my fire button! He stuck two fingers in my bunghole and used his thumb to massage my prostate from the outside then swallowed my leaking tool. There was no holding back this nut. I slid my thumb into his puckered hole and took him crashing into nirvana with me.

Prez and Keith are looking over my shoulder now, bitching me out for stealing some of the steam from their encounter. HEEHEEE!

---

Yeah, thanks a bunch HORN-DOG!

Reaching for Keith, I pulled and slid off the couch with a thud on to the floor with him. While Keith laughed, I squirmed my way under him and took his cock into my mouth. He stopped laughing then and buried his face into my crotch. Covering his teeth with his lips he mouthed and tongued the length of my stiffie then continued on to snack on my belly. What he did to me felt so fantastic and he smelled so good that I went for the gold. Releasing his cock from my mouth, I pulled down on his hips and started licking around his sack. Keith got the hint and lowered himself down so I had better access. He expected the tongue bath I gave his nads but didn't expect it when I started licking further and further back. It was clean and fresh tasting with a tad of soap, just like any other part of him. When I tongued his pink puckered hole for the first time he gasped so hard he squeaked! Neither of us had done that before; rimming that is - we gasp and squeak all the time! I licked over and around his tight hole again just to hear him gasp again. I wasn't disappointed. God, I love that gasp-squeak sound! His hole was twitching before my eyes and it encouraged me to continue on. Keith was trying to move into a position where he could return the favor but when he did, his bucking hips moved my target out of reach so I said, "Just enjoy it babe, you can get me back next."

"Mmm," was all Keith said and he moved back into position.

I kissed and licked his ass with wild abandon. Keith kneeled with his hands on the floor, rocking back and forth, calling God then my name over and over, louder and louder. His leaking rod was sliding neatly between my pecs while I methodically searched for different things I could do to please him more. After a while, Keith warned me that he was about to shoot. I instructed him to, "cum on me babe," and pressed my tongue down around his favorite spot. He pressed his steely rod against my sternum with one hand and pushed his crotch down onto my chest hard. "Yeah, go for it Keith. Shoot for me babe," I encouraged him between licks. His hips bucked making his thighs squeeze my sides. He pushed down then squeezed hard again and again giving me a weird kind of CPR that kept me in tune with him. I could almost feel the orgasm rush building up higher within him. With a final, "Ah fuck," Keith blasted all over my stomach, pubes and hard, throbbing cock. I couldn't help giggling like crazy when Keith bucked his hips a second time and came more. It was so close to my dream of actually feeling his orgasm with him that my mind was reeling and my heart racing. Letting go of his cock and moving into a more relaxed kneeling position while his cock leaked the remainder of his load, I could feel his hot breath on my wet cock. I was soooo friggin close! If he touched me I wouldn't be able to be hold back.

---

And touch him is exactly what I did! My baby thrilled me in ways words could never describe. His wet velvety tongue felt so amazing. Leave it to Prez to take the chance and surprise us both.

I'm so glad I rushed through a cold shower that morning!

I slurped up Prez's wet throbbing cock and bobbed my head maybe four or five times. He sighed and lost it in a major fashion. I was still swallowing and he was still leaking when we heard a car door slam outside! My head popped up. Then another one slammed shut followed my two more! We shot up in a flash; almost knocking the friggin' coffee table over, grabbed all our clothes and Prez ran into the bathroom with me right on his heels.

Prez and I looked at each other and started grinning then giggling and laughing because we were such a mess and if our timing was just a little off, we'd have been caught having some Christmas whoopee by my entire family! Reaching for the washcloth, I wet it and wiped his stomach then we flew into our clothes, quickly fixed our hair a bit and opened the bathroom door. I was amazed that we managed to make it all happen and get back to the front entryway just as my mom and John stepped in the house loaded with grocery bags and packages. We said hi, offered to help and walked outside nonchalantly like this was not a major interruption.

I could tell my dad was wiped out from shopping and dealing with last minute Christmas madness at the malls.

"Jen, can you drive to dinner tonight?" my dad asked my mom. "I can't wait and could sure use a beer."

My mom agreed to drive then my dad asked me, "Are you guys planning on going out this afternoon?"

I looked at Prez and he shook his head no.

"How about getting us some brews?" My dad asked. YES! I love my dad. I hopped up and got three Bass Ale's from the fridge. When the first round was finished, my dad looked at the empty bottle sadly and said, "Some thieving elf has absorbed my beer!"

Prez asked, "Shall I get us more?"

My dad looked thoughtful and said, "I don't know. Twist my arm and I might be persuaded."

All the holiday programming started late in the afternoon. Prez and I were enjoying a nice buzz from chugging our beers when A Christmas Carol came on TV. I was sitting on the floor in front of the loveseat and Prez was lying down with his head in my lap watching the movie, occasionally smiling up at me. It gave me such a tremendous rush having him with us, sharing the greatest holiday of the year.

Mom and dad had made reservations at The Olive Garden for dinner. We still had to wait about twenty minutes for a table. Prez, John, Drew and I hung around outside while the rents waited inside for our table. I'll let Drew tell you more.

---

Ugh! I'm surrounded!

Okay, they're all gone now.

Corey and I spent lots of hours talking on the phone and started talking again at school just before Thanksgiving. I felt so bad telling my dad about my orientation. It's tripped out, ya know? It was like, I spent so many years hiding my naked body from my parents, even from Keith and John most times. I felt like I needed to either tell them all or risk getting caught and embarrassed into an early grave.

Before I told my dad, John and I talked. That was a fun night! His reaction was real important to me. I could just tell him pretty easily and was only a little embarrassed about it. We talked up a storm about everything we'd ever heard of sex with both boys and girls while playing Nintendo Soccer. The first words out of John's mouth when I told him I was bi were, "silly rabbit, dicks is for chicks!" The conversation deteriorated rapidly. As far as John was concerned, I was just having some fun with Corey and that some day I'd find a great girl. The questions he asked and my answers got us both really excited. Our boners kept popping out of our boxers! I turned out the light when we finished our game and endless goofing on each other.

"Are you gonna beat off?" John asked from his bed.

I chuckled and said, "Or drill holes in my mattress."

John laughed and said; "I don't know why you do that. I tried it and it doesn't work." I could see him rubbing his package under the sheets in the dim light from the window.

"It works really good for me," I said, and started fondling my cock.

For the first time, we sat there in separate beds, leaning against our headboards, jerking off in sight of each other. After a few minutes I asked, "Can you cum yet?"

"Little bit. You close?"

"Not yet."

John giggled and teased me saying, "Corey's watching you."

That image sent a jolt through me and I changed my strokes to be more like Corey's. "Yeah," I said, "Kim's naked watching you! And she's licking her lips dude!"

I could hear John sigh and giggle across the room. Then he said, "He's coming for you dude. Kneeling between your legs... he's gonna suck you!" He was stroking his bone fast; I could hear it. He was probably changing the gender in his mind and adding to his own fantasy. I know I sure was!

I gasped loudly at the thought of Corey blowing me and felt the familiar tingle telling me I was getting close. It took me a minute to think up something really rad for him. "She's squatting down on your rod bro. Her tits are rubbing against your face and her tight snatch is gripping your cock hard! It's so hot and wet and tight!" I said, lowering my tightly clasped hand over my cock really slow, simulating the effect as best I could. It was so good it almost brought me off! John couldn't or didn't want to hold back and started moaning, "Oh yeah, oh yeah, yessss, oh... yeah." I could barely see him but his teeth reflected the light. He had a big smile on his face. I giggled like a hyena.

"That was bitchin' bro." John said, sounding a little worn out. "You done?" he asked getting up for a towel.

"Not yet," I said breathlessly, "real close."

John sighed and spoke softly, "He's sucking your cock, humming and enjoying it. He's spanking his meat fast bro. He wants your load bad."

I could picture Corey draped over my stomach as John had described. Last time I stopped him. The next chance I had with him, I wouldn't.

"You want him to cum too," John continued and got back in his bed, "you want to see it, feel it, smell it and taste it. Pull him close, push his hand away and put his cock in your mouth. It's cool bro, he wants you and you want him. It'd make you both so happy so do it."

My left hand moved up to my mouth and I sucked on two fingers. Yeah, I did want it even though it scared me a little. I scooted down in my bed and hummed on my fingers, feeling the vibrations half way up my arm. Corey would feel that and so would I when he hummed on my dick! That's what set me off. My toes curled, every muscle in my body tightened and cum flew from my cock settling in puddles on my belly.

John helped me do much more than pop a nut that night. Talking with him and having his understanding was a good swift kick in the pants.

The next wake up call came a few nights later. Sitting in my dad's den on the sofa-sleeper where Corey and I had some real good times I started crying; not hard, just wet eyes. Even though Keith swore that it would be cool, I felt like I was disappointing everyone by not being able to make up my mind. Mom and dad would want me to get married and make some grandkids for them but Keith would like to see me stay with Corey and have what he has with Prez. Corey would definitely be disappointed. John thinks it's just a phase I'm going through. Being sexually attracted to both guys and girls was a major hassle for me. Back then, all these other people's feelings were just as important to me as my own feelings.

When my dad saw how much trouble I was having he said, "I have an idea. I'll turn my back and work on my computer and you just talk like I'm not here." Without waiting for my reply, he then turned around and started typing.

Not having him look at me or make eye contact made it lots easier. It was like thinking out loud and it all came rushing out at once. Dad didn't say a word and he had stopped typing. Then he came over and sat on the sofa with me, wrapping his arm around me. That's when I lost it big time, burying my face in his shoulder.

I'm gonna tell ya something that I probably shouldn't but it was what he said that stopped my water works.

My dad said, "Drew, believe me, I know exactly what your going through. A long time ago, when I was about twelve, my best friend came over to spend the night. It was a warm summer night and we rigged up a few old blankets into a tent and camped out in the backyard. We were talking about sex. My parents never told me about the big secrets so everything my friend said was news to me. He and I jacked each other off that night for the first time. There were many more nights like that until we graduated high school. Then he went down one path and I went down another. I found your mother and found in her to be more than he could ever be."

I was like, WOW! My dad fooled around with a guy!

"Now I have three healthy, handsome sons. I was always scared to death of having a daughter because I have no frame of reference, only scientific and biological facts. I could picture myself worrying about her every time she stepped foot out of the house and giving myself an ulcer when she came of age. I could picture me chaperoning her on every date until she and your mother beat the tar out of me and tied me to a chair."

He was being mostly serious but it sounded so right, I started laughing.

"I'll assume you're going to do all the things that I did as a kid, maybe more. But sex is different now then it was in the nineteen-seventies. I want you and John and Keith to live long, happy, healthy lives. You've been moping around the house for a while now. I don't like to see that. Be safe for the future son; try to be happy now. Does Corey make you happy?"

I didn't answer right away but after a minute or so I nodded my head. We talked for a long while after that, mostly about safe sex but also about what it's like caring and loving someone. My feelings for my dad quadrupled that night. He was gonna let me find myself in my own way and he'd be happy as long as I was happy and safe. We have something in common that neither John or Keith will feel.

That year Corey and I spent the night together both the Friday and Saturday before Christmas. He was out of town for the whole Christmas week visiting relatives out of state with his family. We talked alone in his room the whole night watching a little TV.

As we were getting undressed for bed, he asked if we were gonna fool around first.

I said, "Sure, we could have some fun."

"We don't have to ya know. I'm just so happy... well, that we're back together. Damn, I was so lonely." Corey said, walking past me over towards the bed.

I took his hand in mine, stopping him and said, "I missed you too dude. I want to do stuff with you. It just takes me a while to figure shit out sometimes."

"I like that about you," Corey said, walking around to the other side of the bed and dropping his boxers. Sliding under the covers he said, "If you were easy there'd be no fun at all in anything we do."

I thought, he's so right! Everything we do is a struggle to break the stalemate and we enjoy it all.

Slipping into bed with him and flipping over to face him, I saw he was smiling up at me.

"Are you gonna turn off the light?" He asked.

I shook my head no and gazed at his face. It's rounder than mine, softer too I think. Reaching up, I brushed the back of my hand against his smooth cheek. Yeah, less bumpy, more flesh. I traced two fingers around his nose and up over his eyes.

Corey giggled and slid one arm under me pulling me close.

I leaned down and kissed him quickly then continued my examination, combing his hair back with my fingers. His hair was so soft and smelled so good. The haircut looks good on him, buzzed on the sides and long on top. Nice ears too. My fingers traced around his ears and down his neck making him giggle more.

"What are you doin?" Corey asked. "That tickles!"

"Memorizing you," I answered, "You won't be around for Christmas but I want to see you so I'm making a scan here."

"You wanna see me naked in bed while eating your Christmas dinner?"

"And any other time I need to when we're not together."

"I'll just be the smile on your face no one understands."

"Way more than that dude. Everyone that matters knows now. We're not hiding nuthin' anymore."

Corey's smile faded. He whispered, "I love you Drew," and pulled me down onto him before I could reply. He hugged the breath out of my lungs and I snaked my hands under him to hug him back.

We spent both nights really checkin' each other over before finishing each other off. It was so rad! I let him touch me in places no one but me has touched since I was a baby. Both of us were hard as we could get most of the time but ignored it until we were too tired and too horny to continue the examinations.

Instead of just jacking each other off, we watched closely, mumbling instructions now and then, teaching each other what was good, really good and the absolute greatest. Saturday night we got into a sixty-nine lying side by side and worked on some oral fun. Corey was into it and I learned a lot following his lead. We agreed to give each other warnings and Corey spoke up first.

"Better back off, Drew." Corey whispered.

Even though I was ready to run for the hills on the inside, I kept sucking his knob and rolling my tongue around his ultra-sensitive foreskin. The part of me that wanted to please him was obviously stronger. His second warning was much more urgent and I let his cock out of my mouth, picking up the rhythm with my hand. He grabbed me tight and buried his face in my thigh just before he got off. Even though I moved back quickly, Corey's first shot splashed against my chest. He rolled onto his back and finished what appeared to be his best orgasm yet. He sure shot further than usual and seemed to put out way more. I was pumped up seeing him so happy. It was the greatest achievement of my life up to that point.

Christmas that year was one to remember. Corey was the only one missing. Mike and Derrick stopped by; John's friends Tommy and Kim and their parents, my grandparents. Everyone that mattered most to us was at our house for a while. It was like a big warm hug that lasted the whole day but I'll let Keith and Prez tell you about that.

---

After dinner at the Olive Garden, Keith and I went to our room. We kept our own TV and stereo turned off but heard the Christmas Carols playing from the living room while Keith and I combined our strategies during a game of Civilization. When we got bored with that, it was pretty late and we just cuddled in bed for a while. All we were doing was kissing and cuddling, nothing needed to be said. Keith and all the Hundser's seemed to know I was missing my mom and wanting her there with us for Christmas. I felt her there watching us. She could see how much closer Keith and I had become and how I was fitting in to the Hundser household. I fell asleep with my boyfriend's arms wrapped over me.

I dreamt very vividly of her that night. It was a mix of memories and what Christmas would have been like with her at the apartment. About five in the morning, I woke from my dreams refreshed and happy, like I had just watched the video of the whole day.

Slipping out from under Keith's arm took a while; he wouldn't let go! Every time I moved his arm off me, he tossed it back on and around me like I was leaving him forever! I only had to go to the toidy for goodness sakes!

Stepping into the hallway, I saw the tree lit up in the living room with mountains of brightly wrapped packages around it. Up until now it was a tree with lots of empty space under it. Detouring from the bathroom, I went and stood in the middle of the room. Burning on the mantle was a large round green pine scented candle. The room looked like a Christmas paradise. I was standing there in my briefs, a little cold and got a huge rush like I was a little boy again.

Kneeling in front of the tree, I saw something that made my heart race and tears flow out of my eyes. I couldn't identify it. A bunch of packages, all to me, were fashioned together into some kind of animal shape, a horse or a dog, just like my mom would've done. I lost it and tears poured down my face. It was so sweet that the Hundser's remembered that about her and did it for me.

I was just starting to pull myself together, thinking how glad I was to see it before being surrounded by the whole family and crying like a big baby in front of them all. Standing up and turning around, I was surprised to see John standing there watching me.

"If you touched one present, I was gonna tear ass in there and rip the place apart," John whispered.

"Yeah, it is tempting isn't it?" I asked, teasing him.

"We could get an early start?" John said, excitedly nodding his head for me to make the first move.

"Nah, we better not," I said, and remembered the clock was still in our room. "John, help me with the clock ok?" I asked, starting back towards my bedroom.

"Is it that big?" John asked.

"Bulky and heavy. If it didn't have moving parts it wouldn't be so bad but I'd like them to have a working clock, not just an ornament." We stopped at the bedroom door and I put my finger to my lips. Like thieves in the night we retrieved the clock and Keith never stirred. He could sleep through almost anything... I said ALMOST!

John and I made a hole and slipped the clock under the tree. Then he said, "You're in for some big surprises today."

I didn't know what he meant other than the horse shaped packages and that would've been enough. Teasing him back, I said, "You'll do pretty good too I'll bet," and got up heading for the bathroom.

John's teasing didn't end there. We sat up in the living room talking for about another hour then Drew woke up, took a leak then joined us in the living room. In no time, they had guess inventoried lots of unopened presents while they told me over and over that it's time to wake everyone up. I didn't know better and sent them to wake their parents while I got Keith motivated.

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I was ready for more than motivation! It's the way Prez woke me.

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I did nothing special. In his morning haze while waking up he kept mumbling, "Pay back time," and grabbing at me to move me into position! There was no other choice but to struggle; the whole family would be in the living room any second and a delay would have made it all too obvious what we were doing. I wrestled him awake while repeating, "Not now, it's Christmas, everyone's waiting!"

Eventually Van Winkle was coherent and understanding me but the damage was done, we were both sporting boners. Putting on loose fitting sweatpants, we went back to the living room.

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John and Drew were tearing into packages and my dad was starting to snap photos when we walked into the room and said Merry Christmas. My mom and I have the same approach to waking in the morning. We looked at each other that morning like many other mornings as if to say, "Oh Hi! I remember you... I think."

Prez and I sat on the couch waiting for John and Drew to finish opening presents under the tree. It was quite a haul for them, getting both the Nintendo64 and the Sony PlayStation and some games and clothes. When they went over to dump their stockings, my dad called us over. But Prez said, "Open yours first," pointing at the large box that mysteriously appeared under the tree from our room.

I told my dad he'd better get the box. He got up, handed me the camera and knelt under the tree.

"We got bricks honey!" he said, pulling the box out from under the tree. Drew and John stopped opening little stocking stuffers to watch.

My mom opened the card, saw it was from all four of us and Mike and Derrick then excitedly asked, "What did you do?" Joining my dad on the floor, they tore open the wrapping. It was in a plain cardboard box with only the manufacturer's name on it. They opened both ends of the box then pushed the Styrofoam encased clock out one end. I got a really good picture of them opening the final layer and seeing the clock for the first time. They loved it and had me take another picture it and them. It would go in their bedroom until the Christmas decorations came down. Then it would be on the fireplace mantle.

Prez and I moved in front of the tree. Drew shouted, "Omigod!" and John busted up, laughing his ass off. My dad snapped a quick picture of Drew, all bug-eyed. Prez asked what was happening. Drew turned to us saying, "You two did this!" with a box of condoms in one hand and the tube of KY jelly I snuck into his stocking last night in his other hand. I died laughing and Prez protested his innocence. Noticing my dad holding in a belly laugh, Prez said, "Look behind you, Drew." My mom just smiles and shakes her head like we're all quite insane when shit like that happens.

I started slowly opening my presents while Prez starting working on the dog we fashioned. I didn't like the idea but my mom insisted that this one last time he would get his presents as his mom might have given them. There were two surprises waiting for Prez there.

The first I only half approved of. It turned out Mrs. O'Brian had started her Christmas shopping early and had already hidden away some stuff for Prez that my mom saved. Only my mom and me were watching Prez when he found those packages. He asked my mom where they came from and she told him they were on the top shelf of her bedroom closet. Saving them for last, he opened all the other gifts and thanked everyone then looked at me nervously and opened the first of her three gifts. There were white athletic socks the first package, a nice sport shirt in the second and a Citizen watch in the third.

Prez put the watch on right away then wiped his eyes asking, "Does anyone else want some juice?" He got up, went to the kitchen and I followed.

I asked, "Are you okay Prez?" while he poured a few glasses of OJ.

"Yeah," he said, "I'm just thinking how weird it is." He sniffled, put the OJ back in the fridge and said, "There's something about time that she and I both tuned in on this year. I'm not sure what it means."

---

I spent the whole day really wondering about time. Keith and I talked about it and came to the conclusion that we should make the best of every minute of every day. Each of us only has a short time on this Earth and before you know it something happens and someone's gone. That's the only time it's ever too late to do something nice for someone.

My other surprise was waiting for me when we returned to the living room. Everyone was standing, gathered around dad and I heard a yelp. I put the glasses of orange juice down and went to have a look. In Mr. Hundser's arms was a little white fur ball, wagging his tail and licking anything that came within reach. The puppy was given to me with a warm round of Merry Christmases. I've never had a dog and he was the greatest Christmas present I had ever gotten. Everyone wanted to know what I would name him but I didn't have a clue and none of the suggested names seemed to fit. By the end of the day, after watching that little puppy run in and out of rooms, attacking used Christmas wrapping paper and just being a hyperactive little hound, I named him Rush.

A rush is exactly what he is. You should've seen him that day. Every time anyone made a move, the puppy chased after them at break neck speeds, sometimes sliding across the linoleum floor and into a wall. It was too funny.

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Prez was great that day. With all the people coming and going and the puppy chasing after them and Prez getting worn out chasing after the puppy, I was rolling with laughter almost the whole day.

John and Drew were playing Frisbee in the back yard when we went outside with Rush that afternoon. Rush was amazed with the Frisbee flying around and we played a four-man game of Monkey in the Middle with him. That crazed pup chased the Frisbee around for a good thirty minutes before losing interest.

When we went to bed that night Prez and I made love. Finally, I got to return the present he gave me on Christmas Eve. I had him lay on his back and I bent him in half so I could see his face while I rimmed his twitching hole. Sometimes his eyes would squint then open up again real wide and he'd smile and giggle. I knew I had found his favorite spot when he gasped and a moment later he shook his head back and forth really fast, as if jarring his brain cells back into alignment. Every time I went back to that spot it had the same effect.

I love spending time making him happy.

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I love making Keith happy too.

Hey man, we've got quite feast waiting for us.

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Want some mixed nuts Prez? Or how about a Hershey's Kiss?

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Is that a candy cane in your pocket?

Merry Christmas everyone.

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