Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 17:41:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: Larry_c_@excite.com
Subject: My Brother's Kids ... chapter 14;

Same warnings and admonitions as always. This is a FICTION work; I do not
support doing things with under-aged youth in real life! Hope you don't
either! ENJOY!

We left off:

Lights dim, screen lights up, and film begins. It takes a couple minutes
for action to get going, but all of a sudden, Eaton screams out ...

      "SHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

... and turns off the cam as soon as he possibly can ... but not before all
three realize what actually showed up on screen!

      "Uh ... Eaton? Casey? ... How in the hell? ... So that's it! That's
the answer! I should have guessed! Korey using Larry's condo ... OH GOD! I
gotta go, guys! This is too much to handle!"

Joey runs out of the house and his tires screech as he tears out of the
driveway and down the street.

My Brother's Kids Are Now Mine
Chapter Fourteen

Joey arrives at the condo and notices Larry's car parked a block away, just
out of immediate sight of the place so as to avoid suspicion at this late
hour. If it had been earlier, no one would think badly about a teacher and
his student assistant working on a final program for graduation
... especially since Larry owned the condo. But now, after 10 PM ... just a
tad beyond regular visiting hours, if you get the drift; so Larry left his
car a distance away for the sake of safety. The problem though ... Joey
recognized the car and the license number, and now knew the secret that
Korey had been keeping for so long. Joey parked a few houses away and sat
there watching until Larry left for home.

The entire time Joey sat there, his anger grew, almost to an explosive
level. His nerves were raw ... his muscles tensed and flexed in mock
punches, and his eyes burned with salty tears caused by a combination of
fear, hatred and frustrated love.

He actually began talking to himself as he seethed in a pool of emotion ...

      "God...how can I be so screwed up? I love Korey ... but I also hate
him right now!  And Mr.F. ? He's my competition! But, shit! I can sure
understand why Kor loves him too! He's a great teacher and has so much
compassion for all of his students ... for me too! FUCK! I feel like
killing him ... but I ... I ... DAMN, I may love him too! He chose me to
take Kor's place at school ... is it possible he wants me for other reasons
too? He knows about me and his kids, and he's been so cool about it!
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAP! He's a teacher ... this isn't right ...any way I look at
it! He and Kor ... well, Kor's 18! I'm not! Oh God, brain ... turn off!
TURN OFF!"

Larry finally leaves the premises around midnight, and calls home to check
on the boys ... because he rather expects that Joey having taken the boys
home would automatically stay with them until Larry got home. Eaton answers
the phone ...

      "Hello? Mr. F. is busy right now, may I help you?"

      "Eaton ... it's Dad! You guys OK? Is Joey still there with you?"

      "UH ...uh, No he isn't, Dad. He ... uh... stayed a while, but left in
kind of a hurry! We're fine ... I guess!"

      "I guess??? I don't like that sound! I'll be there in about five
minutes. What's going on?"

      "Dad ... don't speed or nuthin' ... it's just that Case feels kind'a
sick to his stomach. We'll be fine till you get here ... honest!"

      "Alright ... tell Case I'm on the way!"  **click**

Meanwhile, Joey gets out of his car and heads for Kor's front door
... trying to decide whether to break in and attack Korey, or start quietly
to confront him and see what happens before letting loose with pent up
anger.

He rings the doorbell, and waits for Korey to open the door, but stands
there like a statue when he sees Kor facing him ...

      "Hey, Joey! What brings you here this late, Man? We got school
tomorrow! Uh, you look upset. Come in, lemme help you!"

Joey walks in slowly, staring into Kor's eyes, and remaining silent
... having no idea how to start a conversation. He stands there inside the
door as if he wants to slug the shit out of Korey, and yet ... also trying
to hold back from doing it. Then, almost collapses from all the tension he
was feeling, and begins to weep bitterly. Kor grabs him, keeping him from
falling to the floor, and gets him to the couch ... makes him sit down, and
then sits next to him, holding him closely ... trying to comfort Joey and
let him calm down so he could explain what was wrong...

      "Fuck you, Dude! Let go of me!"

      "What the ?  It's me ... Korey ... I'm here for you, Joey!"

      "Hell you are! You S.O.B.! How could you! Why didn't you tell me! I
gotta work with him all next year! Shit!"

      "What are you talking about, Joey? How could I what? Work with who?"

      "You fucker! You know who! He just left here!"

      "You mean Mr.F.? He owns the place! He has a right to come by to
check on things. Besides, we were working on a project together a little
later than usual. I don't understand what you mean!"

      "Yeah! What project? C'mon ... tell me what project! Was it anything
like a new video?"

      "Video? You lost me! I ... I ..."

      "Fancy cabin ... upstairs bedroom overlooking a lake ... looked a
hell of a lot like a honeymoon suite to me! So that's who you felt bad
about two-timing! God, Kor ... you said it was another guy ... you never
said it was HIM!"

      "Joey ... uh ... uh ... how the ... there really is a video? FUCK!  I
thought they were kidding! OMG ... "

      "They who??? What do you mean?"

      "Joey, listen to me ...carefully! Never mind how mad you are at me
... we gotta think more about Larry right now ... both of us! The boys,
Joey ... the boys! They secretly took a video of that night, and kidded us
about it. We actually thought they were joking about the whole thing! They
didn't want to hurt anyone. They're not like that! I bet they thought they
had erased it or recorded over it when we started to film a family outing
and the trip to Yosemite."

      "Yeah ... they did invite me to see the Yosemite trip, and when the
film started, the bedroom scene came on instead. They almost panicked and
shut it off fast, probably thinking or at least hoping I didn't see enough
to figure things out. I'd say they had no desire to hurt Mr. F's
reputation. They love him too much for that!"

      "Joey ... answer me one thing ... it's critical! Do you want to hurt
Larry?"

      "Shit, Kor ... at first I did, and I came here to knock you to hell,
too! But, now ... somehow, I can't hate either one of you. Mr. F. means a
lot to me, Kor ... and actually, so do you! Maybe even more that you want
to mean! So do those boys! If I turned on Mr. F., he could lose his job. I
just can't do that to him or the little guys. As far as you're concerned, I
can't help it ... I think I `m in love with you, too! I don't care if
you're attached to him ... I still want you! Just tell me if you have any
feelings for me ... please tell me!"

      "Joey ... I love Larry with all my heart, and always will. But
... but ... I have to admit that if there was a way for me to have both of
you ... I'd jump at the chance! But right now, I can't think about that! I
have to figure out how to keep Larry's butt out'a the frying pan! And if
you want me to even consider you and me... you'll agree to help me save
him!"

Meanwhile ... Larry gets home and finds Casey laying on the couch in fetal
position, shaking and crying ... Eaton rubbing his back and trying to
settle him down. Larry almost runs to the couch and picks up Case, holding
him to his chest, and whispering into his little ear ...

      "Case ...Case ... easy now! Talk to me, Son ... what's the matter my
sweet boy!"

      "Daddy ...Daddy ...I didn't mean it! I didn't!"

      "Mean what? What do you think you did?"

      "Oh, Daddy ... I thought it was all gone!"

      "Dad ... maybe I should tell you. Case is so upset! Well, so am I,
actually, but I'll try!"

      "Someone tell me! Please! I can't help if I don't know what this is
all about!"

      "Well, Dad ... Joey brought us home, right? You asked him to, so he
did it. We asked him if he was gonna wait till you got here, and he said he
would. So we thought we could watch the film of Yosemite while he waited."

      "That was a good thing. So what's wrong. Joey's never hurt you
before. Did he this time?"

      "No, Dad ... we accidentally hurt you. Remember the kidding we did at
the lake cabin ... you know ... `film at eleven thing'! Uh ...  uh ... well
... we sort'a thought we'd taken it off the camera when we made a DVD of it
... and then we decided to destroy the DVD too ... `cause we just couldn't
take a chance that anyone would see it by accident."

      "Eaton ... are you trying to tell me ... that ... making the DVD
didn't automatically remove the stuff from the camera?"

      "I guess! We don't know why it didn't! But when we started to show
Yosemite, there was the bedroom scene! We shut it off as soon as we ..."

      "But Joey saw enough to tell what was really happening, and that it
was Korey and I doing it?"

      "UH ...yeah! Dad, we're so sorry! We didn't mean ... We'd never do
that to you in a million years ... it was really an accident!"

      "I believe you, Eaton. And Case ... I know you didn't mean it to
happen either. I have to call Korey, right now!  As soon as I talk to him,
I'll have an idea what we all can do now to keep this in the family. God, I
have no idea what to do about Joey!"

Larry calls Korey, hoping that he's still awake ...

      "Kor? Sorry if I woke you up! But we have to talk! I got home to find
Casey all upset, and Eaton told me something really shocking."

      "Lar ... I think I know already! Joey's over here ... and we probably
just had the same discussion. Is it about the cabin thing?"

      "Yes, Kor ... exactly! You say Joey's there with you now?"

      "Yes he is! And I gotta tell ya, he's so messed up over the whole
thing. He's torn between killin' us both and lovin' us both. I'm not sure
just what to do at this point."

      "Well, why don't the two of you come over here right now. I'll put
the boys to bed so we three can talk it all out. We have to decide what has
to be done before we all show up at school tomorrow. It's better for us to
lose sleep than to let things go uncontrolled tomorrow."

      "It's fine with me, Lar ... but I'll ask Joey if he'll come too
... just a sec ...  Joey? Lar wants us both to come to his
place...now. Will you join us ... for his sake...please? ... Yeah I know
it's hard ... it's tough for me to face him right now too ... but we gotta
settle things now! ... Say you will ... say you'll do it for the boys! ...
OK, I'm sure you won't be sorry you said yes ...  Uh, Lar ...we're on our
way."

      "OK, Boys ... I'm putting you two in bed. You both need some sleep! I
want you to realize that I believe you that this was all an accident! I am
not mad at you! I am upset that the situation exists, but I surely don't
hate you guys. I want you to get your rest. I'll take care of it. Upstairs
and get ready ... I'll tuck you in in a couple minutes."

       "Daddy ... can me and Eaton sleep together tonight? I need him to be
with me. I couldn't sleep alone tonight! I know I couldn't"

      "Of course, Case. Head on up! And ... remember, I love you both! I
will forever! No matter what!"

Then Larry prays ...

      "Oh God, I know You've given me these boys and Korey too. Right now I
need some strength and guidance. Please help me not to be angry with my
sons! I know my choices may not be your greatest plan for all of us, but if
You didn't bless us so much already, I might not think that You loved us
even in our current relationships. I also know You gave me my job! And I
know You've blessed the results I have in it daily. Give me some direction!
And if You decide I have to quit ... I'll obey. I just can't believe You'd
change Your mind about us all being together. I don't know what else to ask
... right now, I need help with the boys! After that ...well, AMEN!"

 And upstairs Larry went, hoping to still show deep love for the little
guys that just turned his total world upside down.

As he arrives in Eaton's bedroom, he certainly finds Case cuddled close to
Eaton in the bed. Case is still looking sad, and not yet settled that all
is well ...

      "Daddy ... It really was an accident. You gotta believe that! At
first, when I told Eaton I took the pictures, I thought maybe we could use
it to make you play games with us ... but Eaton made me see that was kind'a
like blackmail or somthin'. So we both decided we couldn't do that to
you. We wanted you to love us because you wanted to...not because we made
you! I cut up the DVD with scissors. I thought it was all gone! Honest I
did! Daddy...forgive me...please!"

      "Casey ... I told you it was over! I am not angry with you. I know it
was an accident. I know you didn't mean to hurt me! Please forgive
yourself. I have!"

      "Uh ... Daddy? Can Korey come up so I can tell him too! I gotta say
sorry to him too...or I still won't sleep!"

      "OK, Kiddo! That will let me talk to Joey alone as well. I'll send
Kor up to see both of you ... but not for long. You both have to get some
rest!"

After hugs and kisses, Larry tucked both boys in and left the
room. Returning downstairs, he found Korey and Joey both sitting in the
living room ... on two different chairs, across from each other ... rather
than on the couch. He could feel the tension, but he decided that he could
not react to it if he was going to remain the catalyst for a solution to
the problem they all faced together ...

      "Hey guys ... thanks for coming over. I know this won't be easy for
any of us, but I do believe we can come to an agreement that will help us
all. Uh ... Kor? Before we three start, the boys want to see you upstairs
for a few minutes. Let me chat with Joey alone while you go see what they
want. Is that OK?"

      "Yeah ... guess I can do that! Call me when you're ready for me to
join in down here again!"

He goes to the boys' room, and sits on the edge of the bed. Both Case and
Eaton share their hearts with him. Then Eaton asks for a hug from Kor to
let them know that he's not mad at them. He responds with hugs and kisses
for both boys. Still not having heard Larry call him back downstairs, he
lays back on the bed between the boys ... not to sleep, but just to give
them more assurance that he had no malice toward them for their accidental
`outing' of him and Larry as being lovers.

During this same time downstairs...

      "Well, Joey ... I suppose I don't have to give any details. You've
seen the truth, and you know the boys well enough to believe this was all
an accident. So, what I need to know is what you are feeling right now!"

      "God, Mr. F., I wish I knew! I am so messed up in my head! But
... I'll try!"

      "First, Joey ... forget the Mr. F. thing here! Right now, I'm not
your teacher, but a friend who cares a lot about you and your
feelings. Call me Larry! I am not your superior tonight ... I am your
equal, and we share the need to get things settled for all our sakes."

      "Like I said, Mr. ... uh Larry ... I'll try! ... (Deep breath) ... To
start with, I know you've known all the things I've been teaching your boys
and you've never got mad at me or told me to stop! That's hard for me to
understand, but I have been real pleased with your attitude about it
all. Then, when you chose me to be the new Student Assistant after Korey
... it flabbergasted me, but I can't tell you how it made me feel. I mean,
it put me on top of a mountain ... sort'a ... because no one has ever made
me feel as important as you did by choosing me! Before that, I liked you as
a teacher, but when you did that ... I added respect to my feelings
... almost like your nickname `Papa' meant a lot more to me than to the
other kids in class."

      "But now ...?"

      "Please ...let me continue before I chicken out! And the longer I
spent time with you, the more I began to feel stronger toward you. Do you
have any idea how a gay guy like me starts to think things that aren't
really there? And of course, I couldn't say anything ... no one else knew I
was gay! Not even you! I couldn't take a chance on losing what you had
given me in order to try for something else I wanted. But then ... as Kor
spent time with me, it kind'a became noticeable that he and I had more in
common than just Drum Major stuff...know what I mean? And sparks started to
fly between us. It bothered him a lot that he had a lover the whole time he
and I got closer ... and eventually, he told me he couldn't be
unfaithful. I told him that his girl friend never needed to know ... but
then, he told me it wasn't a girl! Man, I wanted to win him over so bad!
And God knows...I still want him! But, Larry ... when I discovered it was
you I wanted to steal him from ... I went bananas!"

      "Joey ... Joey ... I know exactly what you're going through. I've
already told Korey I understood because of my own teen-aged years. That's
not important right now, but I do feel your pain. I would have never
allowed this to hurt you if it had been in my control to keep you from it
all. Believe me ... you are important to me and to my boys! So whatever we
work out ... it must help you as much as it does me, or I won't be
satisfied with the solution. Can you believe that enough for us to get busy
on the problem as a team?"

      "I guess so! You have always treated me fairly and caringly. But it
seems crazy that you'd even talk to me with me liking Korey so much!"

      "We can handle that part later...with Korey here too. Right now, can
we put our minds on what will help us both instead of our differences?"

      "Uh ...Yeah ... Larry. I guess since you listened to me, I feel
better ... I think we can now!"

      "Good! Good! Let me call Korey back down then ... KOR..."

Korey hears his name, and gets up off the bed, giving the boys one more
kiss and heading back downstairs...

      "Sit down, Kor ... I think Joey's ready for all of us to put our
heads together for a while."

Kor sits in the same chair as before, so the three are in a triangle,
easily able to communicate by eye and by word. But he begins by looking
directly into Larry's eyes and trying to get a few words out ...

      "Lar ... I gotta get something off my chest too, before we all get
into it. Joey ... uh, I gotta tell him all about us first ... to clear the
air of anything that might shoot us in the foot later. You OK with that?"

      "If you think it'll help instead of making things worse, I guess I
don't mind!"

      "Thanks, Joey ... that means a lot to me right now! Uh, Lar ... I
told you that Joey and I had one time together, and that it bothered me
that I wasn't pure to you ... and you already forgave me, and told me to do
it no more. But ..."

      "Kor ... I know what you're about to say, at least I think I do
... so if you really don't want to tell me right now, it's OK."

      "Damn it, Lar ... I gotta! You know that too! And so does Joey! If
we're all not honest tonight, we'll never solve anything! I allowed Joey
and me to have another night together...all night ... a real affair! I was
horny as hell, and besides, I discovered that I loved him too. ... maybe
not as deeply as I love you ... but no excuses! He and I are so much alike!
I cheated on you again, Lar ... and I feel like shit about it, but I won't
say I disliked it. Damn it ... I love you both! You as my committed lover,
and Joey as ... as ... a close companion that I don't want to lose. I'm not
asking for forgiveness this time ... just understanding and compassion
... that is if you both don't tell me to go to hell and get lost!"

      "Alright then ... if it's honesty you want, honesty you'll get! Look
at me, both of you! You take me for some stupid innocent teacher who can't
see the forest for the trees? Well, I'm not! I could read you both like a
book from the first day you each came into my classroom. You've heard about
gaydar? Well, it's a real thing. And I have cultivated mine for years! Kor
... I knew the day you fell for me over two years ago, and I also knew I
couldn't let you know that by responding until you were 18. It wasn't easy,
because I wanted to make things happen for us both since that first day. I
just couldn't. Then, I noticed the same thing in Joey last year. Yes, Joey
... you did a great job of keeping it covered up to everyone else, but I
could pick up your vibes. I knew you had a crush on Korey. It was none of
my business when I first detected it. I knew what you were feeling inside
... the need to appear straight ... the battle raging to be with him
... all of it. Somehow it became part of my plan to get you two together,
in case nothing ever came from my love for Kor."

      "You mean ... you planned that we ..."

      "Now who's interrupting? Yes, I planned for Joey to take over, so
that you, Kor, would have time with him, and things could evolve, if they
were going to. But that was months before you and I discovered our love and
things became legal age-wise for it to happen freely. And Joey ... tell me
I'm wrong if I am, but just about four months ago ... you began to think of
me more than just a caring teacher as well ... am I right?"

      "DAMN, Mr. ... I mean, Larry ... was it that obvious?"

      "Not to anyone else, Joey, so relax! It was my gaydar again!
SOMETIMES I WISH IT WASN'T SO DAMN ACCURATE. But that being beside the
point ... with you still being underage, I had to ignore it just like I did
with Kor the year before. And if it has to be a confessional night before
it's a solution night ... yes, I had feelings toward you too. So my
struggle began all over again when Kor and I became committed as a
couple. The only difference between Korey and me is that I didn't follow
through with acting on my guts. But that comes with age and possible weight
of consequences to a guy in my position."

      "So that's why you didn't expose me doing things with your kids,
Larry?"

      "You were meeting my boys' needs, and I knew they wanted it...all of
it ... so yes, it was for you as well as for them. Well, for me too, I
suppose. I figured that if they had you, and all of you were under-aged,
they'd not be so interested in keeping Korey actively involved with them
... putting him in a legal problem. And it got me off the hook, too
... because they had made it clear that they wanted to be in a relationship
with me too ... out of the purity of their love for me. And if you want to
know, that too was a struggle for me. But I've handled it so far!"

      "Uh, Lar? Are you telling me that if you hadn't controlled yourself
to the max, you might have added Joey and the boys to ..."

      "Yes, Kor ... that's exactly what I'm saying. The key is that I
didn't ... not that I never had the desires! Sometimes I almost cry at
night in bed because I want to give my little guys all they want from
me. That's why I can understand you so well. So ... now ... can we get to
the business at hand?"

      "Well, as far as I'm concerned, you can count on me not to expose you
two on campus or anywhere else, Larry. For one reason, of you two were
discovered, I'd lose both of you and I'd probably be `outed' because of my
reaction to what happened to you."

      "That's good to know, Joey ... especially since you and I will be
working together all year when school starts up again in the Fall."

      "But Lar ... when I move in with you after graduation ... what about
me and Joey?"

      "Well ... since I got you two started into whatever, and I realize
that I won't always be free and available because of my responsibilities
... I suppose I could live with two of my best friends helping each other
out occasionally ... as long as there was no threat to the heart of my
relationship with you, Kor! That part would be up to you! I can't control
that. You're the only one that can make it work or not."

      "But Larry ... that makes it harder for me to even think of doing
things with Kor. You have so much love for him that you'd let him be with
me If either I or he needed it, and that screws with my head! How can I do
that to you ... uh ...  maybe if I just keep your boys happy so you two can
..."

      "Joey ... that took guts to say! I'm going to leave those details for
you two to work out between you. As long as none of this gets to campus
personnel, I'm good with trusting your judgment abilities ... both of you."

Total silence for several minutes, and then both young men stood, walked to
Larry, reached out their arms, and pulled him into a huge hug. Then, just
as unplanned as the hug ... each person kissed the other two, and sighed a
sign of relief that all agreed to the direction to be followed.

It was well after two thirty in the morning, so Larry suggested that at
least a couple hours of sleep was in order, or the day ahead might not have
a chance of seeming normal. Korey suggested he use the couch. Joey
suggested he use Casey's bed since Case was sleeping with Eaton, and Larry
headed for his own bed.

The alarm went off at 6:00 AM, and five bodies began to float around in a
semi-daze. The word, `tired', wasn't strong enough, but there was no way it
could be allowed to affect the school day ... so Korey drove Joey back to
his car, and headed into the condo to get dressed for the day. Joey
hot-footed it back to his own house for the same reason, but found his
front door locked, and the spare key taken from its hiding place in the
planter out front. A note was taped above the door handle ...

      "Joey ... since you must have found another bed to sleep in, I hope
you enjoy it! Because I'm through hiding your secrets for you. I've ignored
the truth too long! Since I'm so unimportant that you can't even call to
let me know you're safe...then you're on your own! I give up! I can't help
because your father left me for another woman! I knew you always held me
responsible for his leaving when you were so young...and that you always
sought other male figures in your life to replace him. But I was hoping I
meant enough to you that I wouldn't lose you too. Now I can see that
someone else is more important to you than I am. Good-bye! ... Mother!"

Joey sat on the porch and completely crashed emotionally!

********************************
End of Chapter Fourteen