The Apartment

Ray woke slowly, his mind a bit muzzy. His condition dawned on him in stages. He was warm. And not at his parents'. He was safe. In a soft comfortable bed. And he was alone.

He opened his eyes. The room was not fancy, tan walls with virtually nothing on them – an interior decorator would have said 'beige', but Ray didn't think like that.

He was naked. He climbed out of bed and looked around. His eyes lit on the pile of clothes on the table alongside his bed. He fished through them, pulled out a pair of briefs and pulled them on. The low-rise style made him feel sexy, and he blushed despite being alone. He pulled on a sweatshirt and then a pair of jeans, clean white socks, and his shoes: Nikes and something he'd loved when he first got them, they were more than a little the worse for wear, and a bit small as well.

He opened the door to his room and walked out. He glanced in the other room – Mikey and Pauly were there, sound asleep, wrapped in each other's embrace and naked. He averted his eyes.

He glanced in the master bedroom. Donny was there, still asleep and looking younger than he had last night, his glasses lying on the table alongside. His shoulders, arms, and upper chest showed above the covers.

Ray found the bathroom and relieved bladder pressure, allowing his morning wood to drop back to normal. He splashed a little water on his face, and felt ready to face the world.

He walked out to the kitchen. Andy was sitting there – at first he looked naked, but on second glance he had on bikini briefs – eating a plate of, omigod!, French toast. He grinned. "G'mornin'!" he said cheerily. "Hungry?"

"Yep," Ray said, disarmed.

"Cool! Hey, Chay! Ray's up!"

Chay came walking in from the living room, wearing an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of fleece jogging shorts. "Hang on a minute; everything's ready, but it'll take a minute or two to cook." He walked over to the counter by the stove and pulled out a couple slices of bread, dipping them in a bowl of batter.

"Want some O.J.?" Andy asked. When Ray said yes, he got up and opened the refrigerator, bending over to lift the bottle out. Ray was again struck by how cute Andy's butt was, clad in only the close-fitting bikini briefs. He quickly turned his gaze away.

Chay brought Ray's plate to him, set it down, stepped back and stretched. As the sweatshirt lifted, Ray noticed the outline of Chay's ample penis against the fabric of his shorts. "Sleep good?" Chay asked cheerfully.

"I sure did!" Ray answered, embarrassed by how preoccupied he was by the other boys' bodies. "How was your night?"

"Good!" Chay answered. "I don't mind working the streets, but it feels good to spend a night in, staying warm and resting for a change."

The offhand comment stunned Ray. He turned his attention to his food, pouring syrup onto the French toast as Andy brought his orange juice to him and he noticed again the other boy's scanty garb. Andy sat back down, finishing his plate.

A thump and clatter from the living room caught everyone's attention. A couple of seconds later, Peewee walked in with plate and glass. "I tripped." he said defensively.

Andy stood up again, took Peewee's plate along with his own to the sink, and opened a drawer, drawing out a somewhat threadbare hand towel. "The syrup slopped onto the carpet, didn't it?" he said, not in an accusing tone but with something like resignation.

"Yeah," Peewee answered in an embarrassed voice.

Andy ran some hot water and got the old towel wet. "Here, mop it up," he said in a big brotherly manner.

Peewee took the rag and headed back into the living room. "C'mon," Chay said. The three of them trooped into the living room. Peewee was kneeling, facing away from them, mopping up his spill. Ray had noticed casually that the younger boy was dressed in a T-shirt a couple of sizes too big for him, apparently an older boy's hand-me-down. Now he noticed that that was all Peewee was wearing. The T-shirt rode up, exposing a pert little butt.

Peewee stood up and turned around, starting to carry the rag to the kitchen. Noticing Ray's gaze, he used his free hand to flip up his T-shirt, exposing a small erection, then turned and wiggled his hips as he walked away.

Andy chuckled. "We told you last night he's an exhibitionist!" he said with a laugh.

Ray sat back down and finished his breakfast.

"Your turn at dishes," Chay said to Peewee.

"It's always my turn," Peewee whined.

"I did last night's, Pauly got them after lunch yesterday, and Jack did them night before last. I think Donny did the breakfast-and-lunch load before him. It's your turn," Chay said reasonably.

"It's not fair, so suck it!" Peewee said, emphasizing his point by again flashing his dick, which was now dangling.

"Only if you do a good job on the dishes first," Chay said as if it were the most normal thing in the world, laughing as he did. Andy guffawed; after a second's surprise, so did Ray.

Grumbling about the unfairness of life, Peewee set to work. "Just give 'em to him," Chay said as Ray picked up his own dishes.

Ray did so. "Thanks! You wanna help?" Peewee said with an ingratiating, radiant smile.

"He'll take his turn like everybody – including you," Andy spoke up. "Stop trying to sweet talk him into more work than his fair share." But the tone he said it in was not a scolding, but more like amused tolerance of the younger boy's antics.

"C'mon, let's grab your grubbies and toss 'em in the wash, then get showers in before the rest of the world steals our chance," Andy said to Ray.

As they walked back towards their room, Andy added, "Let's throw the other guys' stuff in too; give them a hand since we're running a load anyway." He motioned Ray into their room. "Here, get your dirty clothes, and grab my T-shirt and underwear from yesterday too, if you don't mind."

"Sure," Ray agreed.

"I'll grab Mikey and Pauly's clothes and meet you." With that. he walked into the room they were sleeping in, as Ray went into his own room. He gathered up the clothes that he'd been wearing since he left home, picked up Andy's things with just a twinge of desire – they'd been on his body, touching him there, after all – and stepped out into the hall.

Andy had an armload of clothes. At his gesture, they walked into the master bedroom. He picked up Donny's jeans, stripped a billfold out of the pocket and put it with his glasses, and told Ray to pick up Donny's shirt and boxers. Then he picked up a couple of discarded items from beside the other bed. "Chay needs some new stuff," he commented.

It dawned on Ray that Chay was Donny's roommate at that point; he felt chagrined that he hadn't realized it from knowing where everyone else was sleeping. They walked companionably down to the washer and dryer, in a nook just outside the big bathroom. Andy showed Ray how to balance a load and where the laundry detergent was, and activated the washer. "I'm glad we've got these; I hate the laundromat," he commented.

Washer loaded and activated, they went into the roomy bathroom. "Bath or shower?" Andy asked.

"Shower, if I can," Ray answered diffidently.

"Of course you can," Andy replied. "Take turns ... or shower together?"

Ray blushed. "You wouldn't mind?" he asked.

"No, sounds like fun. Besides, I have trouble washing spots on my back."

Ray carefully paid attention to himself as he undressed, noticing out of the corner of his eye Andy taking off his bikini briefs, stepping into the shower and starting it, adjusting the temperature. At last he was naked, and stepped in, noticing the stall was large enough for two, if somewhat close quarters. Andy handed him a washcloth and a bar of soap, and he turned to the business at hand, carefully not looking at Andy for fear of what his reaction would be. As it was, the warm relaxing water chubbed him up a small amount, which he was careful to conceal from his showermate.

He stepped out and dried off, relieved that he hadn't given himself away by word, deed, or involuntary reaction, and began dressing, remembering too late that Andy had asked him to wash his back.

Embarrassed at the fault, he finished getting dressed, switched the laundry into the drier, and headed for the living room. Donny was up, drinking a cup of coffee, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, his feet bare. Chay was nowhere to be seen, nor was Peewee. He asked where they'd gone.

"Oh, Chay takes Peewee to the library every few mornings. Gives him something besides here to, I don't know, I suppose grownups would say broaden his horizons. Just something to ease the boredom of always hanging out here." Donny was in full big brother mode again.

Andy didn't reappear right away; Ray sat down and watched TV with him. When Andy did show up, he'd obviously gone to their room, and was dressed in painter's pants, a sweatshirt, and a hoodie. "Can I talk to you, Donny?" he asked.

"Sure," the 17-year-old said. A flick of Andy's head indicated that he wanted Donny to go to the kitchen, presumably for privacy. Donny followed him into the kitchen; Ray tried to pay attention to the game show on TV.

Quiet voices at the edge of audibility came from the kitchen. Then Donny, "I told you not to get your hopes up!" in a louder voice.

Andy's answer was in a broken, almost sobbing voice. "I asked to be the one to make first contact 'cause I really liked him, I wanted to be his friend. An' I've done everything I can to get him to notice me. But he won't even look at me!"

"Hush, buddy, don't take it so hard." Donny was trying to be the strong figure that Andy could lean on. "Maybe he's been burned, maybe he's straight, maybe you're not the one."

"Yeah, he looked at Chay's dick like he wanted it for breakfast ... and lunch and dinner too!"

"Well, rule out straight, then." Donny gave a small laugh. "Remember, we told you to take it easy. Maybe give him more time?"

"Maybe," Andy's agreement was grudging. "But I don't think it'll do any good. I did everything I could to let him know I care ... that I care a lot! And he just turned away!"

Ray felt stabbed through the heart. It was obviously him that was the problem, somehow, and Andy was upset with him. Maybe he hadn't covered up his perverted attraction to Andy as well as he'd thought he had. Well, he realized with regret, there was only one thing he could do, only one honorable step left. And it would hurt, so soon after getting his hopes up.

He stood up and walked to the kitchen door. "I think I'd better leave," he said. "I don't know why Andy's mad at me, but I tried my best not to act all weird and queer around him. And obviously I didn't do a good enough job. I'm sorry; you don't want a little faggot like me around here, anyway, and it was only a matter of time before I let something slip. Um, thanks for the meal and the bed for the night. I'll leave these clothes in Andy's room as soon as my stuff's dry."

Andy burst into tears. Donny said, "Sit down. I won't stop you from leaving if that's what you want, but your clothes won't be dry for a bit yet anyway. And we've got some talking to do while they're drying."

Ray sat. He was terrified – he didn't want to leave, his upbringing, his sense of honor, told him he had to, he was feeling extremely guilty that he'd somehow made Andy cry, and he was nervous as heck at what Donny might have to say.

Donny sat and looked at him for what seemed like a long time."You want to know what's wrong with you, Ray?" he asked. "It's not what you think. It's two things: you're dense as a box of rocks, and you're self-centered. Fortunately, both of them get better with time."

"You're in a house of street kids, Ray. You realize what that means? Every single one of us had to sell our body at one time or another to survive, though with Peewee it was only once before Chay and I found him. It was that or stealing. Now, why do you suppose we all picked hustling over stealing?"

He stopped and let that sink in, let Ray have time to think about it.

When he began again, it was in a softer voice. "Mikey and Pauly are a couple, Ray. They love each other – in bed as well as out. Chay and I ... well. we've been friends a long time, and that's included being in each other's beds. You haven't met Jack yet, but he's a loner. What goes on with him, well... save that for later; it doesn't matter to this conversation."

He drew a breath. "That leaves Andy. He's been the odd man out, the one who wanted what the rest of us have, and felt alone, isolated. Chay, Mikey, and I tried to be there for him, but not having anyone was an open wound we didn't have the medicine to heal."

"Then he spotted this kid. About his age, a street kid like we were, seemingly shy and introverted. Not a punk or a problem, just someone trying to survive. Jack and Peewee noticed you too. But it was Andy who argued to bring you home, who volunteered to make first contact the way we worked out. And finally we said go ahead to him. Do you know why he was so adamant about you, Ray?" Donny's eyes bored into Ray, as if he were looking through all his secrets, as if he were searching for his heart.

"N... no. I'm nothing special."

"That's where you're wrong, Ray. To Andy you were. He had a huge crush on you. May still have, I don't know." A pause. "But you hurt him big time. He gave you every signal he could, short of coming out and actually telling you how he felt, that it was okay to open up and like him. When he called me out here, he thought he'd misjudged you, that you didn't like him, and he was hurting – a lot."

"But I watched you last night, I heard about this morning, and I heard what you said just now. That's not the case, is it? What the truth is, is that you're very much attracted to him, and for some reason afraid to show it."

Donny held up a hand. "You don't have to say your reasons, but am I right?"

Ray felt a full scale panic attack beginning to hit. How could he possibly...? "Yes. I did, I mean I am. Do you want me to leave now?"

"'Dense as a box of rocks'," Donny said to himself. "No, I don't want you to leave now. Earth to Space Cadet Ray: you're in a house where everybody's gay, except maybe Peewee – he's always horny, but he's a bit too young to tell. And Andy fell in love with you. That's why he wanted to bring you home. That's why he did everything but jump on your dick last night. Because he was hoping there was a chance for the two of you, and if not at least he wanted you for a friend."

"But you dissed him off – apparently because you were afraid to admit you were attracted to him, or I miss my guess. And he's hurting."

Ray looked over at Andy, wearing more than he ever had, even when meeting him for the first time at the loading dock. Andy looked up from where he'd had his head down on his crossed arms, eyes wet with tears.

"Is that true, Andy?" Ray's voice broke with nervousness.

"Uh huh." It was almost too soft to hear.

"Andy ... I'm sorry! I thought if you knew about me, you wouldn't want me here any more." Ray was near tears himself.

"Really?!" The hope in Andy's eyes was a wonder to behold.

"Um, yeah."

Andy was out of his chair and embracing Ray in a second.

"He doesn't listen either. 'Take it slow!' we told him," Donny commented rhetorically.

Ray's and Andy's eyes met – and both were full of mischief. Simultaneously, they each raised the arm toward Donny, and flipped him the bird. Donny laughed.

---

 

"Why?" asked Andy when they were alone.

"Why what?" Ray asked back, confused.

"If you were attracted to me, why did you keep turning away from me? I was trying to show you, every way I knew, that it was okay, that I'd welcome it, and that I felt the same towards you. So why?"

"It's evil!" Ray said. "My parents said so, my pastor said so...."

"And you're on the street. not with them," Andy said reasonably. "Doesn't that tell you something?"

"But I'm evil, sinful. I shouldn't've done what I did with Tommy, but I was weak...."

"Where'd you come from?" Andy asked. "Why are you here?"

"Well, I had to run because of what happened with Tommy," Ray answered, thinking that the rule against prying was honored in the breach, so to speak. "My home town's....."

"That's not what I meant, and you don't have to say anything more than you have already about Tommy, not until you're ready to tell me about it by your own choice," Andy said. "What I meant was, how did you come to be born?"

"Well, my parents...."

"...got horny and fucked," Andy said vehemently. "Simple as that. 'Do as I say, not as I do' is what parents practice. We can fuck all we want to, because we're married, but no matter how horny you are, you can't, because you're not married and you're too young to marry. Happens we both get horny for boys, or at least I do and it sure sounds like you do too, and that's extra-special evil to them, but face it: that's only half the picture. If Tommy had been Becky instead, they'd have been just as pissed, right?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Ray was off balance, not sure what to say.

"But nothing! I want you, to love me, to make love with me, and it sure seems like you feel the same. And we're in a place where that isn't condemned, by anyone." He reached over and put his hand, deliberately, on Ray's crotch. "If Donny and Peewee and Mikey and Chay were in here watching us, they'd be cheering me on right now, not condemning. Your parents, they didn't want you when they found out, right?

"Right, but..."

"If you want to talk about buts, talk about mine! You liked looking at it, didn't you?"

Ray blushed.

"And I liked having you look at it. I want you to feel of it, to be happy holding it and kissing me, to be the guy who loves me and who I love. And nobody's going to be upset by it. The people who gave me the OK to bring you home, they hoped that you were the one that would fall in love with me. Your parents are your past; they didn't want you any more when they found out who you are. We do."

Andy went on, "My big brother was ten years older than me. And he was a real dick. but now I have six brothers, seven with you. We're a family. We're the family that most of us never had, for each other."

"C'mon, just relax and go with the flow. You want me, I want you, relax and enjoy it." He moved forward, into a kiss and embrace.

The front door slammed. "Omigod. What the fuck happened?" they heard Donny call out. They bolted from the room, joined by Mikey and Pauly, dressed as nature made them, and headed for the front door

---

 

As they arrived at the living room, Donny was gently laying a boy of about 15, maybe 5'6", with dark hair, apparently badly bruised and in pain, onto the living room carpet. "My God, what happened to Jack?!" Pauly cried out.

"Don't know, but I can guess," Donny said tersely. "Let's get him down to Peewee's bed." Mikey and Pauly nodded; Donny and Pauly lifted him, with Mikey providing support beneath his butt; Jack winced.

"Get the ointment," Donny told Andy. He darted for the bathroom.

Ray dithered, wanting to help and wondering what he could do, and followed them down the hall.

"Got blitzed!" Jack said indistinctly as he was carried down to the bedroom.

"Looks like blitzkrieged," Donny said under his breath; Ray caught it, and gave a small laugh.

"What happened to him?" Ray asked under his breath; "Tell you later if it doesn't come out," Andy whispered back.

They laid Jack carefully in Peewee's bed, and Mikey began methodically stripping him. There were bruises on his face, chest, and back, a nasty one on his belly as Mikey pulled his pants off. Donny palpated it, making Jack cry out in pain.

"Why're you hurting him like that?" Andy asked Donny.

"Internal injuries," Donny said quietly. "He'll heal from that bruise, but if it's covering up something bruised or ruptured inside, he could die from that." He finished pressing on the bruise, and went on, "I think there's nothing hurt inside, thank god. Roll him over."

They did, and Ray gasped – Jack's buttocks were bruised, and his anus was severely swollen and inflamed. "Ointment," Donny said, and Andy reached to hand it to him.

"Let me," Pauly said with a calm firmness Ray hadn't seen in him before. Donny nodded, and Andy handed Pauly the ointment. He squeezed a little out onto his fingers, and gently, tenderly massaged it onto the inflamed sphincter and up into the hole. Jack twinged as he did it.

"Be right back," Donny said, and walked out, turning toward his own room. After less than a minute he was back, with a Dixie cup of water from his bathroom and something in his hand.

"Hey, would you guys mind giving me a little time alone with Jack?" Donny asked. "Anybody that doesn't already realize why, I'll explain later. Then I'm going to give him a knockout painkiller so he can get some pain-free rest and start healing."

By common consent, without any discussion, the four boys walked to the living room. Mikey grabbed a pair of jogging shorts each for himself and Pauly, and they slipped them on as they sat down. Andy turned off the TV, and they waited silently.

As Donny came into the living room, the familiar slam followed by footfalls and three knocks signaled the return of Chay and Peewee. "Jack's back, and he got hurt – maybe bad," Mike told them somberly.

I got a little out of him before I needed to give him the knockout pill," Donny said. "He was partying with some guys from that bar he likes to hang out around – drinking, weed, and E, from the sounds of it." He paused. "There was two of them he thought might be interested, from past contacts, and when they were good and high, and feeling horny, he let them know he was available. Two big burly young laborers – he was in his glory."

Noting Ray's confusion, Mikey explained. "Jack is into what's called 'rough trade' – sex with big muscular guys who dominate him and treat him rough. For some reason, he gets off on it."

"That's what happened to Matthew Shepard," Chay noted quietly.

"I'm trying hard not to judge him," Donny said. "Jack would have enjoyed being taken, hard, by those two guys – probably bragged about it to me and Chay when he got home." He paused. "What he didn't count on was them bringing in four of their friends, a couple of whom mixed screwing him with beating him up, while the others laughed."

"Can't you call the...." Ray began to say, and realized in mid-sentence just why calling the cops was a very bad idea.

Donny nodded wryly. "Good caring response, Ray, and I see you realize why not already." He drew a breath. "Here's the scoop � he's badly bruised, but there don't seem to be any interior injuries. We'll keep watch to make sure nothing shows up – Mikey, can you and Pauly take the lead on that? – and I've got a couple of favors due me at the clinic I can call in if we need to take him there. Peewee, you want the couch or sleep in with me tonight? We had to steal your bed for Jack."

"'S okay," Peewee said. "I wanna sleep in with you."

---

 

Things mellowed out after that. Ray found himself drafted, along with Andy, to help make tuna sandwiches for lunch, while Pauly heated a couple of cans of soup to go with it. Andy surprised him by patting his butt between sandwiches; he grinned, starting to feel comfortable with his new friend. Standing at the kitchen door, Chay noticed, and smiled. Donny, Mikey, and Pauly unobtrusively took walks back to the bedrooms, one at a time, to check on Jack, who continued to sleep, apparently peacefully.

After lunch, Donny went to the store, accompanied by Mikey, to restock their larder. Chay organized a Monopoly game, and a good-natured argument broke out over whose house rules ought to apply. For Ray, it was feeling more and more like home.

Mikey and Donny returned with groceries, and an assembly line put them away quickly. Peewee insisted on standing on the counter to stock the high shelves.

The period of tranquility during the afternoon came to an abrupt end about 5:30, though, with a knock on the door.

To be continued

---

 

Editor's Notes: That sounds a little scary, doesn't it? I hope there are more chapters soon. As i said before, this is a very good story. Thanks, D and B. I am totally hooked!

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher