Secrets 3: The Road to the Future

Now that classes had started, Devin and I fell into a pattern where our non-academic activities were concerned.  We would go to the dog park on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings and I would transition into Devin so Devin could get some exercise as Bear.  Then on Tuesday and Thursday we’d wait and go in the afternoon or early evening instead, whichever worked best with our class schedules and other activities. 

The weekend had a fairly consistent pattern as well.  On Saturday morning we’d drive out to the hunting camp where I’d get a chance to run as well.  It would be a longer run than Bear got at the dog park, and then we’d arrive back at the house in time to clean up before the football game started.  If it was a home game, we’d meet up with Devin’s classmates in the student section so we could watch the game together.  However, if it was an away game, we’d have to resort to other options to follow the team. 

If the game was being televised, Devin’s classmates would invite us to one of their residence halls to watch the game in the recreation room with them.  If the game wasn’t being televised, then Devin and I would invite them to come to the house and we’d listen to the game as it was being broadcast over the college radio station.  We’d also splurge and buy some snacks that we could munch on while listening to the game, along with beverages, which made it more enjoyable, since we could only hear and not see what was actually going on.

No matter how we followed the team, shortly after the game ended, we would say goodbye to our new friends and Devin and I would hit the books for the rest of the day.  On Sunday, we’d go to the dog park again, but this time I would go as myself and take Bear, and Bear would take it fairly easy as he was playing with Bailey, while I chatted with Preston.  I did this so Preston would know that I wasn’t avoiding him, since he didn’t realize he was also seeing me as Devin, even though he didn’t know it at the time. 

“Are you getting settled back in and doing well in you classes?” Preston asked. 

“Yes, I’m doing well and spending most of my time concentrating on my studies.”

“Yes, judging from what you told me about your grades in the past, it’s obvious that you’re a very conscientious student.”  

“I try to do my best, but this year seems to be even more difficult than the previous three.”

“Yes, it always gets harder the farther you progress in your academic pursuits, but I’m glad that we’ll be getting a chance to visit with one another at least one day a week.”

I spent about an hour there, since Bear and Bailey appeared to be having a good time, and I also enjoyed chatting with Preston.  When we eventually left, however, we would drive out to the hunting camp so Devin and I could go for a run together before returning to the house and hitting the books again. 

We also attempted to find time during the week to make love every now and then, but it wasn’t always easy, since our workload was so heavy.  In addition to our normal class assignments, there were also various lectures and functions that we had to attend for the Honors Program, as well as working on the Senior Honors Thesis that we had to prepare. 

Putting those concerns behind us for now, we focused on what else was going on.  The Colorado – Colorado State football game happened to fall on the second Saturday in September and we were about to have a lot of company.  Gramps and Pops were coming to the game, and so were Lonny and Clint.  Gramps and Pops arrived while we were still in class, and they greeted us warmly when we got to the house. 

“Wash up and do whatever you have to do, because we’re taking you out to eat.  It won’t be at Dominick’s this evening, because we’ll go there tomorrow night after the game.  Tonight, we’ll go to one of the other restaurants, but I’m certain you’ll still enjoy it.”

He was right and we did.  The meal was great, and while we were eating, we talked about how the football team was going to do in the game against Colorado.  When we returned to the house we chatted for a while, and their questions moved away from football and focused on us.

 “How are your classes going so far?” Pops asked.

“They’re going well,” Devin replied, “but they’re a lot harder this year.  We just have to get through two more semesters and then we’ll graduate and be through with going to any classes, studying, and taking exams.”

“I’m sure it’s not easy, but I know you’ll both do well.  And after you graduate, then you will be able to use what you’ve learned in the real world, once you get jobs.”

“Yes, that will be the next hurdle we’ll be facing,” I agreed.

After we talked for a little longer, Gramps asked us what we thought about the current political situation.  “To tell you the truth,” I replied, “we haven’t had any time to follow the news.”

“Yeah, we can hardly find time to make love we’re so busy, so the news takes even lower priority.”

“Oh, to be young again,” Gramps sighed.  “Then you’ll have a lot of catching up to do after you graduate.”

“Yeah, probably, but we’re going to take a couple of weeks to rest up and just relax for a while.  Then we can start thinking about what’s going on in the world and getting a job.”

“Ok, fair enough!”

After we finished our conversation, we all decided to get ready for bed and turned in.  We took a little time to make love first, while Gramps and Pops were using the bathroom, and then we also got ready for bed.  I spooned up behind Devin and wrapped my arm around his chest as we fell asleep.

Lonny and Clint arrived shortly after we got back from going out for breakfast, since Gramps and Pops had insisted that we go to another restaurant to eat.  “I hope we didn’t arrive too soon,” Lonny said as I opened the door, “but I wanted to beat the traffic to the game.”

“No, this is perfect and it will give us time to chat,” I responded.

After we invited Lonny and Clint into the house, we introduced them to Gramps and Pops, and then we sat in the living room as they got to know each other a little better.  Not surprisingly, the conversation turned to CSU and the upcoming game.   

“I’ve never been here before, but what little I’ve seen of CSU so far, this appears to be a really nice campus,” Lonny said as he turned his attention to Devin and me.

“Yes, it is, and the quality of the education that students receive here is just as wonderful as the quality of the architecture that you see here,” Gramps said.     

“I’m excited that I’m going to the game with you guys,” Clint enthused.  “I’ve been looking forward to this ever since our vacation ended.”

“And we’ve been looking forward to being with you again as well,” I agreed.

We all walked to the game together, so Lonny and Clint got to see a little more of the campus, and when we arrived at the stadium, we led them to the student entrance.  We were early enough to find seats with a good view of the action and also able to save seats for our other friends.  We also filled up on hot dogs and pizza from the concession stand before the others showed up, since none of us had eaten lunch.

When our other friends arrived, we introduced them to everyone, and then we all chatted for a while before the game started.  Devin and I were sort of in the middle of the seating arrangement, since our friends sat to the left of us, and Clint sat between me and Devin, and Lonny, Gramps, and Pops all sat to our right. 

It was a wild game, with lots of fast paced action, and we were all having a blast watching the game and cheering for our team.  Clint was pretty much clinging to me and asking questions and making comments during the entire first half, and at halftime he went with me and Devin as we headed to the restrooms.  The place was crowded, so we had to wait and take whatever urinal opened up when we got to the front of the line, so Clint told me to take the first urinal that opened up, and then he waited until one on either side of me opened up.  He didn’t have long to wait, and he was thrilled as he came up beside me. 

“I knew we would end up next to each other,” he said and as I looked over to respond, he was making sure I could see his cock again, just like he did on vacation. 

When we returned to our seats, Lonny, Gramps, and Pops left to do the same thing.  We all didn’t go at the same time to make sure that no one else moved into our seats, since the tickets were for open seating in this particular section. 

The second half was just as exciting and CSU pulled out a narrow victory, which meant we’d be riding a high for the rest of the night.  It’s also when Pops made an announcement. 

“My brother and I would like to take you all out to eat, and this includes Michael and Devin’s friends, if they would like to join us.”

Of course, those guys weren’t about to refuse a free meal that wasn’t dining hall food, so we all walked back to the house to get our vehicles.  Clint and our other friends all squeezed into Devin’s SUV with us, while Lonny rode with Gramps and Pops.  I think Lonny, Clint, and our friends were all a little amazed when we reached Dominick’s. 

“I didn’t think your grandfather and his brother meant a restaurant like this,” Lonny said to Devin and me after we entered the building.  “The meals here must be a lot more expensive than other restaurants in the area, so why didn’t they take us to one of those places?”

“Because this is the place we always come to after the games, and it’s not really as expensive as you might think, although the decorations are pretty high class.  Gramps and Pops like to come here after a game because they have a long-standing connection with the owners.  You’ll see, because we usually get special treatment.”

As we walked up to the maître d, he greeted Gramps and Pops. “Good evening, Mr. McCaskill.  I see you and your brother have a slightly larger group today, so it may take us a while to group a few tables together to accommodate your party.”

“That’s fine and we don’t mind waiting.  There are nine in our party this evening, so I hope it doesn’t create too much of a problem for you.”

“You’re never a problem, no matter how many are in your party.  We’re always happy to accommodate you.  How was the football game?”

“The team won, so we’re here to celebrate the moment with a wonderful meal at this fine establishment.”

“We’ll do everything possible to make certain that everything meets and exceeds your expectations.”

It started when they brought several baskets of freshly baked bread after we’d ordered, followed by a wonderful meal, which included a traditional Italian dessert.  We were treated to Zabaglione with Strawberries, which we hadn’t ordered and was compliments of the house.  It was a sweet custard, which we discovered was spiked with marsala wine, and there were more strawberries on the side, and it was topped with whipped cream. 

Needless to say, Lonny, Clint, and our other friends were all very impressed, and when we were done with our meal, we loaded back into the same vehicles we came in.  Devin drove to the campus and dropped the other three off at the dorms, so they didn’t have to walk back, while I answered all of their questions.

“Do the owners always treat you guys like that?” one of our friends asked.

“Yes, Gramps and Pops spend a lot of money there whenever they’re in the area, and they’re great tippers as well.  And since they’re also friends with the owners, we always get 1^st class treatment.”

“The meal was fantastic, and the dessert was light enough that it didn’t make our already stuffed stomachs feel even worse, and they didn’t cost anything.  Do they give you freebies every time you eat there?.”

“Sometimes they do that for us, but not every time.  I was kind of surprised that they did it tonight, since we were such a large party, but I wasn’t about to complain when I saw the wait staff carrying the trays with those desserts to our table.”

“Yeah, that was awesome,” another of our friends confirmed.

“And we want you to thank your grandfather and his brother again for us for taking us there and buying all of our meals,” they all agreed as they were getting out of the SUV.

“Yes, I never expected anything like that,” our third friend chimed in.   “I knew you told us that they took you guys out to eat after the game, but I never expected them to invite all of us to join you.” 

“Yes, they often invite others to join us as well, and I’m glad they included you today,” Devin told him.

When we finally reached the house, Pops made a comment to the rest of us.  “Jacob and I will use the downstairs bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed.”

“Would you mind if I cleaned up down here as well?” Lonny asked.  “That way the boys can use the upstairs bathroom and there will be three of us using each one.”

“Yes, that will be fine,” Gramps responded.

I went to make the bed in the third bedroom for Lonny and Clint while Devin was taking a shower, and when I finished, I went to see if Devin finished in the bathroom.  He was just coming out, so I told Clint he could go next. 

“I want to shower and then sleep with you and Devin.  Is that ok?”

“Ok, I’ll let you shower with me, but don’t you think your dad will be upset if you don’t sleep with him and he has to sleep in that big bed all alone?”

“Nah, I told him I was gonna ask if I could sleep with you guys again, and he said it was all right with him, if it was ok with you and Devin.” 

Hearing that, I merely went to ask Devin what he thought about it, and he merely shrugged his shoulders in response, so I told Clint that would be ok too. Of course, he was thrilled.

When we were in the shower, I asked Clint a question.  “Are you sure you’re not gay?”

“I might be, because since I met you on vacation I’ve been jerking off while thinking about you.”

“You know that Devin and I are engaged to be married, right?”

“Yeah, but I can think about you until I meet somebody else, can’t I?”

“Yes, I suppose it would be ok, but I just wanted to make sure you understood.”

“That’s why I wanted to shower with you, so I could burn your naked image into my mind, so I can use that image when I jerk off from now on.”

“Ok, but don’t expect me to do anything like that with you.”

“Yeah, I know, just as long as I can enjoy the view.”

After we finished our shower, we stood naked in front of the sink as we brushed our teeth, and then Clint wrapped his towel around his waist as he went to tell his dad that he was going to sleep with me and Devin.  Lonny seemed to be ok with that, so we all put on our underwear, and while Devin and I put on our sweat shirt and pant, he put on his pajamas, and then we all got into bed together.  We hadn’t even settled in when Clint made his next request. 

“Can you guys put your arms across my body again and hug me while we’re sleeping, like you did on vacation?”

Once again, I looked at Devin and he shrugged his shoulders, which told me he really didn’t care one way or the other.  “Ok,” I told Clint, and then we cuddled with him as we fell asleep.  Devin’s arm was across Clint’s chest, and my arm was across his abdomen, and during the night I could feel Clint’s erection poking my arm as it straining through his briefs whenever he’d move in his sleep.  It made me wonder what he was dreaming about.

Gramps and Pops took us all out for breakfast in the morning, and after we ordered, Lonny let us know he had something to say.  “I want to thank each of you for making this such a memorable weekend for us.  Will we see you at the other games we plan on attending?” he asked while looking at Gramps and Pops.  

“I’m afraid not.  Mac told us you were coming to the Hawaii game, but we’ll be attending the Fresno State game the week before the Hawaii game.  Mac and Devin also told us that you’d be coming to the Air Force game, and the last game we’ll be attending is the UNLV game, which is three weeks before the Air Force game.”

“That’s a shame, because I wanted to take all of you out to dinner next time.”

“We appreciate the thought, but that’s really not necessary,” Pops responded.

“Well, at least I can take Michael and Devin out after that game, and maybe we can include you, if we decide to come to more football games next year.”

“We’re graduating this year, so we won’t be here.”

“Oh, that’s right.  Damn, it’s a shame that we didn’t meet you sooner.”

Once we finished eating, we went back to the house, and shortly after that, Gramps, Pops, Lonny and Clint all got ready to leave.  We said goodbye to them as they headed out to their cars, and then Devin and I waved at them as they drove away.  We would see each of them again soon, and I wondered how those visits would go.

After taking a break to let our breakfast have a chance to digest, we headed out to the hunting camp for a run.  We had a good run that lasted about an hour and a half, as we raced around the field first, and then through the woods next, before we went back to the cabin to transition and get dressed so we could head back to the house.  After that, we hit the books hard for the rest of the day, before we got ready for bed.

Now that the weekend was over, we started thinking ahead to the other things that were coming up, including more football games, various assignments for our classes, and CSU’s fall break.  That would also include Thanksgiving weekend, but before that happened, there was the MRI that Devin was scheduled for, to see if the titanium plates and screws could be removed from his shoulder.  He was scheduled to have it done on Tuesday, the last day in September. 

The doctor had ordered the MRI so he could examine the scans and determine what was causing the symptoms that Devin had been experiencing.  For that reason, he’d also scheduled an appointment for us to meet with him on the Friday after the MRI was done so he could tell us what he had learned.  We were a little nervous as we exchanged greeting and sat down in the doctor’s office, because we weren’t certain if Devin had successfully pulled off his ruse.

“I’ve examined the MRI scans of your clavicle and scapula and they appear to be totally healed and possibly even stronger than they were before the accident that had caused your injuries.  I say this because I compared these MRIs to the MRIs we took before I operated on your shoulder, and both the clavicle and scapula appear to be thicker around the areas that were damaged than on the earlier images.” 

“So, you didn’t find anything wrong?” Devin blurted out, interrupting the doctor.

“I didn’t say that.  What I was trying to say was that I’m not sure how it’s possible that those areas look stronger than they were before I operated on you.  It seems that the bone not only mended, but it also formed additional calcium deposits around the breaks, which then combined with phosphorus and vitamin D in your body to strengthen those areas.  Do you happen to eat a lot of fish and eggs and drink a lot of milk?”  

“Yes, we go fishing all the time and eat what we catch, and my mom fixes eggs of some sort every morning for breakfast, and I drink lots of milk too.”

“Are you saying you didn’t find a problem in that area?” I pressed, since I thought he was telling Devin that everything looked fine.

“No, I was only saying the bones are stronger than before, and what Devin just told me would explain the excessive bone growth in those areas.  Devin’s healing powers continue to amaze me, but as I studied the MRIs more closely and focused on the areas surrounding the location of the fractures, I noticed that the soft tissue shows signs of irritation.  I surmise it’s obviously what was causing the problems that he came to see me about.”

“So, you think that’s what is causing the itching and burning sensations in my shoulder?”  

“Although I’ve never had another patience complain about itching and burning sensations in the areas surrounding where I’d used titanium plates and screws before, it appears to be the case for you.  As before, you seem to be the exception to the rule, and I have no explanation for what’s creating the irritation that’s causing your problem.” 

“Are you saying there’s a problem, but you don’t know what’s causing it?” I asked.

“In a way I am.  What’s creating Devin’s problem is the irritated and inflamed tissue, but I’m not sure what’s creating the irritation and inflamed tissue.  I’ve researched the medical journals and read many articles, but I was unable to find any reports of similar cases where this has occurred.  Since titanium plates and screws are used in most injuries of this nature, and there have been no similar reports of this problem, it leaves me baffled as to what is causing Devin’s situation.” 

“Does that mean you’re not going to operate?” Devin asked, sounding dejected. 

“In your case, I’m going to agree to operate and remove those objects, since the bones in those areas are much stronger now than they were before.  I am also anxious to see if the situation improves after I perform the operations.”

“Great, because it’s been a real pain.” Devin replied enthusiastically. 

“Are you talking physical pain?”

“It’s more of a nuisance, at least where the itching and burning are concerned, but it’s definitely a real pain in the butt to live with,” Devin clarified.

“I’m glad you cleared that up.” 

“When are you going to operate and remove those items then?” 

“All we need to do is set a date.”

“How long will he have to stay in the hospital after the operation?” I asked. 

“Seeing how well he did after the previous operation, I expect he’ll be ready to go home later that same afternoon.  The worst case scenario would be that he may have to stay overnight, if he has a reaction to the anesthesia or other complications.”

“And how long before he’ll be able to do different things?”

“Usually, I would tell someone having this type of operation that they could experience some pain and swelling around the area for a few days to several weeks.  And it would also take 2 to 3 months before they’d be back to full strength and able to function normally again, and it might take up to 6 months before they’re fully recovered.  However, judging from how quickly Devin healed after the original surgery, I’d expect those times will be reduced significantly in his case.”   

“Then how long would you say in Devin’s case.”

“In his case, I’d say he should expect some pain and swelling for up to ten days, and he’ll have to take it easy and not do anything overtly strenuous during that time.  He’ll be able to attend classes, as long as he’s careful, and he’ll also be able to take care of his hygienic needs, as well as dressing himself without any problems.  He should be back at full strength in a month, and he should be fully recovered within two to three months, instead of six months.  However, I’ll want to see him during that time so I can monitor his progress.  Are we ready to set a date.”

“I’m ready.  Would you be able to do it on the Friday before Thanksgiving?”

“Let me check my schedule on the computer and I’ll let you know.”  He then got on his computer, and a minute later he answered Devin’s question.  “Yes, I have nothing scheduled for that day yet, so what time would you like to have it done?”

“Mac, you’ll have to take me, so when would be good for you?”

“I have a break at 10:00 and can take you there shortly after that, and I’ll be able to return later and spend time with you again around 2:00.  How does that fit in with your schedule.”

“That works out fine for me, because it’s the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, so I’ll just tell my professors that I won’t be there that day because I’m having an operation.”

“Ok, then I’ll schedule the operation for 11:00.  That should give you time to get here and for us to prepare you for the operation, and if everything goes well, Devin should be able to return home sometime that same afternoon.”

“That sounds great and I want to thank you for everything you’re doing for me.”

“You’re very welcome, Devin.”

I didn’t say anything else until we got in the SUV, and then I looked at Devin and spoke.  “Well, you did it and you’ll be getting what you want.”

“Yes, and I’m thrilled.  It means I should be able to transition into smaller animals and birds by the time we start the second semester.”

Devin was obviously pleased with himself for having convinced the doctor to do what he wanted, so he was walking on air for the rest of the day.  I also had to listen to him telling me “I told you I could get him to do this” for the rest of the day.

The semester was progressing nicely and we went about our normal routine as usual, but then during the week after Devin had the MRI and met with his doctor, we experienced a slightly tense encounter.  It happened during one of our Sunday visits to the dog park and the problem occurred because of Preston’s finely tuned powers of observation.  It happened when he noticed a minor detail that nearly gave me away.   

“Aren’t those Devin’s clothes that you’re wearing?” he asked when he saw what I had on. 

“Uh, no.  These are actually mine, but Devin often borrows my clothes when he falls behind with doing his laundry.”

“Ah, I was wondering about that.  And I’ve also noticed that the two of you have a lot of the same mannerisms, and you express yourselves in the same fashion as well.”

“That’s probably because we’ve been friends and neighbors since we were five years old and have spent a great deal of time together.  Our parents used to say that we were a mirror image of each other, and sometimes we even know what the other one is thinking, so we’re often able to finish each other’s sentences as well.”  

“Ah, I guess that would account for the things I’ve noticed.”

I was grateful that I was able to think of a reasonable explanation for what he’d observed and that he accepted my explanation as readily as he did.  I certainly didn’t want to have to explain to him that I was capable of morphing into Devin, so Devin could transition into Bear.  I’ll have to be more careful about what I’m wearing from now on when I’m pretending to be Devin, as well as doing better when I mimic Devin’s speech patterns from now on.  I thought I was doing fairly well at first, but over time I must have combined some of myself into the mix as well.

The situation with Preston settled down after that and he didn’t make any more comments that set off alarm bells about Devin and I acting alike.  I’d been trying very hard to improve in that area, and I hoped that if Preston ever happen to be around when Devin and I were together that neither one of us did anything to rouse his suspicions again.

A little over a week later, Gramps and Pops showed up to watch another football game, and this time CSU was playing Fresno State.  Even though our team had stumbled and lost the week before, we had high hopes that they would bounce back and win this week. 

Once the game had started, the team seemed to be playing a lot better than they had at San Diego State the week before.  I say that because the previous week’s game had been an away game that we’d listened to on the radio, so it was difficult for us to tell how they’d played the previous week.  All we could do the week before was to listen to the action, so we couldn’t really see anything to tell how much the team had improved. 

They seemed to be playing better, though, and they appeared to be doing as well as they had at the Washington State game, which had been the week before the away game.  At least they were playing well enough to pull off a nice win.  When the game ended, Pops asked our friends if they would like to join us again when he took us out to eat. 

The three of them were eager to accept his offer, so after the game ended, we all walked to the house and loaded into Gramps SUV.  Once again, the maître d greeted us warmly and we were seated fairly quickly.  After we’d ordered and they’d brought the baskets of fresh bread to our table,  one of our friends bent toward Devin and me and whispered a question. 

“Are your grandfather and his brother really wealthy?”

“Not really wealthy, but they’re well off.”

“Yeah, they must be, if they can afford to keep taking us out for meals like this.”

“They usually only come to two or three home games every year, so they don’t do it that often and they’re able to afford it.”

After we finished our meals, Gramps drove to the campus and dropped our friends off close to their dorms so they wouldn’t have to walk far.  The three of them eagerly thanked Gramps and Pops before they got out of the SUV.

“Thank you for taking us out to eat after the game again,” one of them said.  “That was another excellent meal.”

“Yeah, thank you.  I had a great time and the food was terrific,” another added.

“You guys are really cool and thank you for inviting us to join you again,” the last one added.  “It sure beat eating at the dining hall.”

“You’re all very welcome,” Gramps responded for both him and Pops.

And then we drove back to the house and got ready for bed.  It had been an interesting and exciting day.