Caliboy1991

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 7

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 7
By
Caliboy1991

Adam felt something press against his chest. Blinking away the sleep, he saw Amanda’s shadowy figure looming over him. As his thoughts coalesced into coherence, he realized her hand was on his chest. “Wha-?”

That’s when he realized the blanket he’d fallen asleep under had dropped onto the floor. That shouldn’t have been a problem, save for the fact he had gotten hot after laying down and had stripped down to his blue briefs.

Embarrassed when he realized Amanda’s eyes were roaming over his body, Adam’s hands involuntarily went to cover his crotch. Amanda had the decency to blush as she knelt over him, even as her hand remained on his bare chest.

“Sorry to wake you, sweetie. Did you sleep alright?”

Keenly aware of Amanda, Adam nodded, “Yeah. I got a little warm and took my pajamas off. I guess I shouldn’t have.”

Amanda’s eyes drifted down to where his hands covered his briefs. “You’re fine. I’m used to Isaiah sleeping like that. I think I can handle two cute boys sleeping in their underwear. I’m heading out. There’s cereal and milk for breakfast and leftovers for lunch. I should get home around six. You boys have fun with your movie day.”

A moment later, she was out the front door and gone. Adam grabbed the blanket and spread it over him, and tried to forget what had just happened. A glance at his watch showed it was still a few minutes before seven. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but after a bit, his bladder betrayed him, and he swung his feet off the couch and hurried over to the bathroom across the hall from Isaiah’s room.

He felt relief as his piss hit the water in the toilet bowl. Even his morning wood was back to normal by the time his bladder was empty. When he opened the door, he nearly jumped in surprise. A sleepy boy in white underwear stood in front of the door. Isaiah’s eyes brightened, “Oh, hi. I guess we had the same idea.”

Thoughts of Isaiah in the shower at Schlitterbahn filling Adam’s mind as his eyes drank up the nearly nude nearly-twelve-year-old. His penis was outlined clearly against the white material as he sported his morning wood. Adam tore his eyes away from the boy’s package, “I guess so.”

Sliding past the boy, Adam felt Isaiah’s eyes on him. He added, “It’ all yours. Your mom said there’s cereal in the kitchen. I’m going to grab a bowl.”

Leaving the door open, the boy padded over to the toilet, oblivious to Adam standing at the doorway. Although all he could see was Isaiah’s backside, the young man could envision the boy pulling the front of his briefs down and taking his piss-hard erection in his hands and waiting until nature took its course.

A moment later, Adam was rewarded as a yellow stream arced into the bowl, visible between the boy’s legs. Feeling something stir between his legs, Adam turned away and headed toward the kitchen. By the time Isaiah joined him a few minutes later, he’d poured himself a bowl of cereal and was doing his best to ignore the fluttering in his belly.

Isaiah didn’t say anything until he was seated and shoveling Frosted Flakes into his mouth. In between bites, he said, “How was the couch?”

Stretching, Adam still felt some soreness in his back, “I’ve slept in worse places. It wasn’t bad.”

After another bite, “My bottom bunk is more comfortable. I’m gonna mention it to Mom again.”

Lost in the uncertainty of where to draw the line with Adam, the notion of sharing the boy’s bedroom stirred that familiar feeling between his legs. “You normally sleep in your underwear?”

Isaiah stared into his cereal bowl, a bit of heat turning his cheeks red. He nodded. “You?”

Feeling the same heat in his face, Adam said, “Yeah. But if your mom lets you have a roommate, I should probably wear pajamas.”

Isaiah looked up from his cereal. His cheeks were still scarlet, there was a glint in his eyes, “Why? We did see each other in the shower at Schlitterbahn. It’s not like we have anything to hide.”

Adam finished the last of his cereal, “No, I guess not. Although I’m not sure your mom would want us flashing our dicks to one another.”

Isaiah giggled, “Probably not. Can we watch the second Lord of the Rings movie this morning?”

“Sure,” Adam said before cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast.

Back in the living room, Adam picked up the blanket to fold it up. Isaiah interrupted him, “Can I use that? I wanna lay down on the couch with you. Like yesterday.”

“Sure,” Adam felt a connection to the boy and tried not to think of how wrong things could go if he gave himself over to what he wanted. Instead, he lay down on the couch as Isaiah settled in between him and the padded seatback.

While he fiddled with the storage device’s remote control, Isaiah spread the blanket over them. Despite the trepidation in his heart, Adam loved it. From the boy’s skinny leg pressing against his, to their naked torsos touching, the only thing between the two of them was their underwear.

Then the movie started. The majestic ice-capped mountains of middle earth fill the screen, followed by the faint echoes of the fight that took Gandalf away from the rest of the Fellowship. And both man and boy were hooked. Adam wrapped an arm around the boy’s shoulders, and Isaiah rested his head on the young man’s chest, turning a great movie experience into a magical one.

When the credits rolled, the boy murmured, “That was really good.”

“Yeah. But The Return of the King is even better. Do you want me to start it?”

The boy’s head shook against his chest, “Not yet.”

They lay in silence as the credits rolled on. After a bit, Isaiah’s arm squeezed against his chest in a half-hug, “Thanks for… everything Adam.”

“Everything? Um, okay.” Adam was in heaven with the boy tightly nestled against him. Even though so much needed to stay off-limits, in a moment of honesty with himself, Adam knew this relationship with Isaiah was right for him, despite the potential minefields. He added, “I’ve never had a friend I liked more than you.”

There was moisture in Isaiah’s eyes, “You really mean that? Even after I tried to kiss you last night?”

Adam felt a lump in his throat as he added his left arm around the boy. Taking Isaiah into a proper hug, he said, “You surprised me there. But your kiss was nice. But I do have one serious regret about it.”

A worried look crossed the boy’s features, “W-what”

The hug in which he held the boy left their faces a few inches apart. Heart beating uncontrollably against his chest, Adam leaned down until his lips met Isaiah’s. The boy’s lips were soft and moist. Although there was a moment of shock etched on Isaiah’s face, it passed, and he returned the kiss.

What Adam had intended as a quick kiss lingered. Time blurred until the kiss only ended when Isaiah pulled back, drinking in a gulp of air. His face was flushed as a loopy grin spread across his face. “Wow.”

Wow, indeed. Isaiah’s lips had been sweet to the touch, better than Becky’s indifferent kisses, or even the hurried, awkward kisses he’d stolen with Jacob. Better even than Clint’s. He swallowed against the lump in his throat, “I hope this kiss made up for my failure last night.”

The silly grin pasted across the boy’s face remained. “Yeah. Can you do that again?”

A heat in Adam’s heart kindled in the first kiss burned as he leaned into a second kiss. The trepidation was gone, leaving only desire. He parted his mouth, slipping his tongue against Isaiah’s lips. A current of electricity coursed through his mouth when the boy’s lips parted, letting Adam’s tongue invade his mouth. The boy tasted of Frosted Flakes and something else. As Adam’s tongue explored Isaiah’s tongue and teeth, he realized he tasted the boy’s essence.

This time when the kiss ended, Isaiah lay his head on Adam’s chest, “I love you so much.”

Adam ran his fingers through the boy’s brown hair. Some part of him knew he should fear the boy’s admission. It only kindled more the heat in his heart. This heat radiated out, flowing throughout his body. Years earlier, he thought he had loved Clint. After all, the older teenager had taught him about sex. But by the time Clint left for college, Adam knew what they had was fueled by hormones and lust. Jacob had been more of the same. And Becky had never been more than a friend masquerading as something more. Isaiah, though consumed Adam from the inside out. With newfound clarity, he replied, “I love you too.”

How the boy, already resting against Adam, managed it, the young man couldn’t say. But at those words, Isaiah melted even more against his body. After a few minutes, the young man felt pressure against his side. Before long, he realized it was Isaiah’s erection pressing against his hip.

The boy must have realized the same thing. He shifted his hips until the pressure was gone. “S-sorry,” he stammered, clearly embarrassed.

Still rubbing a hand in the boy’s hair, Adam thought back to the shower room at the waterpark. Then, it had been essential to keep a sense of propriety. After all, he had been Isaiah’s youth leader. That was in the past, and they were in uncharted territory now. “You remember in the shower at Schlitterbahn? Getting an erection is perfectly normal. They happened all the time for me. Sometimes it still does.”

Isaiah was still flushed, “I know. A lot of the time, it happens for no reason. But not now. It happened because of you. Please don’t be upset with me.”

A chuckle rose from Adam’s chest, “I’m not. Can I tell you a couple of secrets?”

When the boy nodded, he said, “I think your dick is cute when it’s hard. And, you’re making me hard right now.”

With that, Adam pulled back the blanket, revealing the thick outline in his dark-colored underwear. He’d been hard since the first kiss. After feeling the boy’s erection poking against him, he wasn’t embarrassed letting the boy see his hidden boner.

Isaiah gawked at his crotch until Adam pulled the blanket back to his chest. “Do you think I’m gay, Adam?”

Adam empathized with the boy. He knew exactly how Isaiah felt, only for him, he was wrestling with an attraction for a preteen boy. “It’s possible, Isaiah. But if you are, then I probably am too.”

The admission was like a lightbulb turning on over Isaiah’s head. The kisses, acknowledgment of love, and seeing Adam’s erection through his underwear, finally added up in the boy’s mind. “Oh, you are too. When did you know?”

“I really felt something for you when we were at Six Flags. But it wasn’t until I finished up working as the Summer Intern that I realized how special you are to me.”

Adam felt the boy’s stomach rumble, “I think we’re both hungry. Why don’t we grab some lunch, and we can talk some more about it.”

Still tasty after three minutes in the microwave, Adam enjoyed the leftover meatloaf. Isaiah tore into his plate like a man saved from famine. He was mostly done when he asked, “So, if I like you and you like me, does that mean we’re, like, boyfriends?”

Adam sucked in a deep breath, “I doubt your mom would approve. Are you okay with the two of us focusing on being best friends? I think your mom would be okay with that.”

A confused look on his face, Isaiah said, “Why do you think she would mind? We really like each other.”

Feeling the heat on his cheeks, Adam said, “When people my age have a boyfriend or a girlfriend there’s usually more than just kissing. You tell her we’re boyfriends, and she’ll think we’re playing with each other’s dicks and having sex.”

“Sex? Boys can have… Oh. The butt?” The confused expression gave way to one of incredulity.

The expression on the boy’s face was priceless. Isaiah was deeply attracted to Adam, but he was still terribly naïve about what boyfriends did together. Adam nodded, “Yeah. And if your mom thought I was doing something like that with you, she’d hate me. Probably call the cops on me and make my life very bad. That’s why we should be best friends instead of boyfriends.”

It was hard telling the boy they shouldn’t touch, even though every fiber in Adam’s body cried to hold the boy, to explore every inch of his naked body, show him what pleasures could be had between his legs. But he wouldn’t risk Amanda’s fury.

After a long, thoughtful silence, Isaiah nodded, “You’re right. But does that mean we can’t kiss anymore?”

Chuckling, Adam leaned in and answered the question with a kiss.

***

Isaiah was mesmerized as Frodo boarded the Elvish boat that would take him, Bilbo and Gandalf across the sea to the Undying Lands. Although it paled in comparison to his newly awakened love for Adam, he was definitely a convert to the beauty of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The day had been perfect. Lounging around in his underwear all day long with Adam was about as perfect a day as he could imagine.

He let his eyes close as he fell asleep to the swelling musical score that ended the best movie series he’d ever seen.

His eyes flew open when he heard the front door rattle, and a moment later, the door swung open, and his mom came inside. He’d grown so comfortable he forgot he was laying side by side with Adam in nothing more than his underwear. At some point after drifting off to sleep, the blanket had fallen onto the floor.

His mom closed the door as he felt Adam stirring awake. Amanda slowly shook her head as her lips curled at the corners, “You boys really do look cute lying there in your undies. Did you finish the Lord of the Rings movies?

It never dawned on Isaiah his mom would disapprove of him cuddling with Adam, watching movies in their underwear. Since his falling out with Josh, he’d become self-conscious about his body, going from running around naked after his baths to wearing underwear around the house most of the time. Apart from cuddling with Adam, chilling out in his underwear was normal.

Adam snatched the blanket from the floor and pulled it over his midsection, much to Amanda’s amusement. Chuckling, she said, “Don’t be modest on account of me. God knows, Isaiah’s not. Why last Christmas, he streaked through the house in nothing more than a Santa’s hat and a smile.”

Isaiah blushed at the memory. It had been Christmas Eve, and he had just finished taking a bath. “Mom, please. I haven’t done anything like that in ages!”

Amanda leaned over the young man and pinched the boy’s cheek, “Adam, he was the cutest boy, running around naked as the day he was born.”

Isaiah knew he should feel more shame at his mom trying to embarrass him. But the fact was, the idea of Adam seeing him naked excited the boy. The young man was probably right. They should just be best friends and not boyfriends. But that didn’t change how Isaiah felt about Adam, not one bit.

Adam’s voice sounded dry, “Um, I guess it’s a good thing Isaiah’s learned what underwear is for.”

The boy caught the quick wink Amanda gave Adam as she stood up, “I know. I’d hate for him to set a bad example for you, Adam.”

The young man’s eyes grew round as Isaiah realized the implication. A glance up at his mom was enough for him to know she was pulling Adam’s leg. Smiling impishly, Isaiah said, “It’s okay, Adam. I know where the Santa hat is. It’ll be ready for you after your shower.”

Laughing, Adam said, “I’ll keep that in mind. Amanda, you’ve got to be tired. Let me call in an order for Chinese tonight. And tomorrow, if you’ll let me and Isaiah know the plan, we can start work on dinner before you get home.”

Amanda had tried to get Isaiah to help in the kitchen in the past, but he had burned a couple of casseroles before she stopped asking. Maybe Adam could show him what he had done wrong. “Yeah, Mom. I can help Adam.”

Amanda raised her hands, “It’s alright. It won’t take me too long to cook something for dinner. And Adam, you don’t know what you’re asking. Isaiah could burn water. I’ve seen it happen.”

Adam shook his head as he pulled his wallet from his bag near the end of the sofa. “I want to help out, Amanda. You guys didn’t have to help me out of a tight spot. This way, I feel like I’m contributing something.”

When Amanda relented, Isaiah felt his heart soar. He knew Adam was actively trying to find another place closer to campus. But if his mom saw how helpful Adam was, the boy hoped she would let him stay for longer than a week or two.

By the time dinner had come and gone, Isaiah had helped clean up the Styrofoam boxes and voted on the movie. He’d lost – two to one. They were watching Two Weeks Notice. It wasn’t very good, he decided, but it was hard to complain as the boy stretched out, resting his head in Adam’s lap and his feet across his mom’s lap.

He awoke to the tickling sensation on his feet. “Hey, Sweetie. You missed the movie. It was so romantic. Hugh Grant was such a stud muffin.”

Isaiah yawned and stretched his arms, one of which brushed against Adam’s bare stomach. The boy grinned, thinking about how much fun it had been to spend the day in his underwear doing nothing but watching movies. Even if the last one sucked.

“Why don’t you go on and get a shower before bed, alright?” Amanda said as she pushed his feet off her legs.

It had been a couple of days since he’d showered, so there wasn’t much point in arguing with her. Mom seldom let him win those arguments. As he climbed to his feet, his mom took him by the hand and said, “How about that goodnight kiss?”

Isaiah’s eyes cut over to Adam. It wasn’t the movies that had made the day special, he realized. It was the kisses he had shared with the young man. It wasn’t fair of his mom to make his best friend, who he secretly wanted as his boyfriend, sleep on the couch. Not when his bottom bunk was perfect for Adam.

The boy sat on Amanda’s knees, “Sure, Mom. But don’t make Adam sleep on this old, uncomfortable couch. Not when there’s an open bed in my room. Please!”

His mom leaned forward and gave him a kiss, “We’ll see.”

That was a lot better than the no from the day before, Isaiah thought as he stood. Before he went to the shower, there was one other thing he needed. He stepped over to Adam and sat on his lap. Without asking permission, he wrapped his arms around the young man’s neck and leaned forward until his lips touched Adam’s. The young man’s lips pressed against his, welcoming the kiss. Before the boy could slip his tongue into Adam’s mouth, the young man broke the kiss and smiled at him.

“That’s what I meant by thanks, Isaiah.”

Flushing beet red, aware his mom’s eyes were on him, Isaiah hurried to his feet and ran toward the bathroom.

***

“I guess you took my advice and made that next kiss something he’d remember,” Amanda said as Adam heard the bathroom door close.

With heat burning his cheeks, Adam said, “I messed up last night. He deserved to know what a real kiss feels like.”

Amanda propped her feet up under her and leaned against the armrest on her end of the couch. With a half-smile, she said, “It looks like y’all have that down pat. I’m at a loss, Adam.”

Despite the half-smile on Amanda’s lips, he could sense a disquiet. “About what?”

“Part of me is worried about Isaiah. He returned that kiss like a lover. That part of me worries about what Isaiah is getting exposed to. I’m still wrapping my mind around the two of you spending all day lounging around in your underwear.”

Shaking her head, she finished softly, “If it had been any other man, I’d be angry as hell. But you…you’re different.”

Adam felt naked under Amanda’s gaze, and it had nothing to do with wearing just his underwear. It was as though she were reading his heart, mind, and soul. With no clue how to defuse a coming objection, he stammered, “I – I should have put some shorts on, Amanda. It’s just…”

She shook her head, “No, sweetie. I’m not upset about that. If you boys want to goof off and watch movies in your underwear, that’s fine by me. The look on Isaiah’s face is all I need to see to know you’re good for each other.”

Surprised by Amanda’s words, Adam said, “I want to be whatever Isaiah needs from me, Amanda. But when he asked me to be his boyfriend, I told him it would be best for us to be best friends.”

Amanda reached over and put her hand on his knee, “Adam, in this house, you don’t have to pretend to be straight.”

The young man flinched, “What?” Then he realized his feelings for the boy were probably too easy for Amanda to see. “I’m still working through that, Amanda. But that’s not why I told him we shouldn’t be boyfriends.”

Amanda, hand still resting on his knee, said, “Why’s that?”

Adam hadn’t meant to bear his soul to Amanda. He’d never acknowledged his feelings of homosexuality to anyone directly before. “I want to keep things between Isaiah and me where you’re comfortable. You don’t seem to mind him kissing me or us cuddling.”

Even though Amanda nodded, there was a hooded expression in her eyes, “That’s thoughtful of you. How would that change if you were Isaiah’s boyfriend?”

Adam didn’t want to go into the details of what he thought gay boyfriends did with one another. Although he certainly recalled Clint and Jacob and what he did with them. He said, “I don’t know. I know what some of the gays at college do. And I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want that for Isaiah.”

Amanda’s eyes flitted around the room, her brows knit in thought. With a loud sigh, she said, “I can’t fucking believe I’m thinking like this. But here’s the thing. I know my son is gay. I’ve lost too much sleep over the past year that I can’t fight that anymore. As long as Isaiah’s happy, that’s enough for me. I’ve got calluses on my knees, praying God would send someone who would protect my boy from the worst of that shit. I can’t stand the thought of him growing up, bouncing from one relationship to another, or worse, having no stable relationships at all. I’m not blind to the gay lifestyle any more than you are. And you know what, Adam. I think I just realized that God sent you into our lives.”

Adam was confused, “What are you saying?”

Shaking her head, Amanda’s voice was subdued, “I think God made this happen. Isaiah needs you, and it’s becoming evident to me that you need him. Also, you need a place to stay. I’ve got a place for you to stay. And God knows, I could use a little help right now, if you’re able.

Adam trembled at Amanda’s offer. While it seemed too good to be true, the earnestness in her face was unmistakable. He found himself nodding, “When you say he and I would be good for each other, how do you mean? As boyfriends?”

When Amanda nodded, Adam leaned back, stunned by her admission. When he finally found his voice, it shook, “Okay, Amanda. Please understand, in as much as you’d trust Isaiah with me, I’d be trusting you with my life. I don’t want to do anything with him that would anger you or cause you to lose faith in me. But if you let Isaiah and me date, I can’t promise it would only be kissing and holding hands. You know that’s not how dating works, gay or straight. Would you really be okay with that?”

Amanda bit at her lower lip, “What happens to him if he found some strange boy to date in school? Or worse, what if Isaiah gets drawn to some older teenager or man? What kind of stuff would they do with my son? Would they only hold hands and steal kisses?”

Adam winced at the mental images Amanda’s words created. “Probably not. What were you like when you were a teenager?”

The young woman chuckled, “I lost my virginity when I was thirteen. And you’ve made your point.”

She stood and paced around the couch, “What kind of fucked up world do we live in where the very best option for my gay twelve-year-old is his ‘I’m working through my gay-ness’ twenty-year-old former youth leader? Just thinking about it is enough to make my head spin.”

After another disbelieving shake of her head, Amanda came over and knelt and hugged him. She whispered, “Please, Adam, I’m trusting my baby to you.”

Adam found his arms around her back, “I promise I’ll keep him safe.”

Still wearing a befuddled expression, Amanda said, “I know you will. I’m heading to bed. When he’s done in the shower, have Isaiah show you your bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Copyright 2019 – Caliboy1991
All rights reserved

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 7 Read More »

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 6

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 6
By
Caliboy1991

“Isaiah, did you get your floor cleaned and vacuumed like I asked?”

Isaiah let the bedspread fall into place on the bottom bunk as he gathered up the dirty sheets, “Yeah. I even vacuumed the living room floor like you told me to.”

He nearly bumped into Amanda on his way to the laundry room. Her eyes went to the sheets in his hand, “Who are you, and what have you done with my son? Changing the sheets on your own bed without being told. It’s a miracle.”

Isaiah shook his head, “I wanted the lower bunk clean for Adam.”

Amanda put a hand on her hip, “We’ve talked about this. This is a temporary thing while Adam finds a place closer to campus. There’s nothing wrong with the couch, sweetie.”

Isaiah clasped his hands, dropping the sheets in the process, and gave his mom his most pitiful expression, “Come on, if it’s only for a few days, then why can’t we treat it like a sleep-over? I haven’t had one since…”

His voice trailed off. Thinking about Josh made him sad. And it explained other things, as well. With uncertainly and fear in his voice, Isaiah said, “Is it because of Josh and what happened? Do you think I’d try to…”

He couldn’t figure out how to say ‘kiss him.’ Part of that was because he thought about if Adam’s lips would be softer than Josh’s. Part of that was because he didn’t want to lose Adam, and if that meant never kissing him, then that was a price he’d pay.

Amanda’s cheeks were the color of a Valentine’s Day rose. “Um, I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Isaiah squared his narrow shoulders, “I won’t, Mom. But Adam’s my best friend and best friends have sleepovers, stay up late watching movies and talk until moms come in and tell them it’s two AM and time to go to sleep.”

Amanda’s eyes softened, “I know, baby. But Adam isn’t Josh. He’s a good deal older than you.”

What did that have to do with anything? Adam was his friend, and that was all that mattered. Then, thinking back to conversations they’d had when he was much younger about stranger danger and good-touching and bad-touching, his eyes narrowed, and his nose flared, “Mom, he’d never touch me like that. God, how could you even think that? He’s freaking Adam. You know what he’s like!”

Amanda drew back a step at his outburst, “It’s not like that, Isaiah. If I thought he was dangerous to you, I’d not let him come over at all.”

Dangerous? Adam. Never. Although in the dark, silent moments before sleep lately, his mind drifted back to that day at the water park when he had briefly seen the young man’s junk. Isaiah wondered what it felt like. It was so much bigger than his own. Then, there was the thrill of Adam seeing him naked, when they’d stood next to each other in the showers. It was wrong of him, Isaiah knew it, but that didn’t stop him from wishing the impossible was possible. But his mom didn’t need to know anything about that.

“Then, why can’t he sleep in my room?”

Amanda shrugged, “I…I don’t know, sweetie. I saw how upset you were when Josh rejected you. I’m your mom, and I know you better than anyone else, and I know you feel the same way about Adam. Maybe even more so.”

It startled Isaiah that his mom knew how he felt about Adam. He thought nobody else could see how deep his feelings for the young man ran. But that didn’t change anything. Not really. “Then you know I’d never do that to him.”

Amanda shook her head and reached out a hand and ran it across his cheek, “You think so, baby. But I’m not so sure. I don’t have that kind of self-control. Are you sure you do?”

Isaiah wanted to tell his mom he had that kind of control. Since the trip to Six Flags, he’d thought about Adam. A lot. And the better he grew to know the young man, the more he liked him. He had told himself he would be strong. He’d never cross that line again. He told himself those things because he had to. Otherwise, Adam would reject him. But thinking about it, he really wanted to be strong enough never to try to kiss Adam, but he wasn’t sure he would have the will power with the young man staying with them for a bit.

“I…I don’t know, Mom. I thought I could. Jeeze, if I screw up and did try to kiss him like I did with Josh, he’d end up hating me.”

Amanda shook her head, “I think you know him better than that, Isaiah. Like you, I’ve gotten to know Adam too. I don’t know if he feels the same way about you, but he would never reject you over a kiss.”

Hearing those words from his mom, Isaiah realized how badly he had misjudged Adam, based upon his experience with Josh. Sure, he had a hard time imagining Adam wanting his kiss, but the young man wouldn’t reject him. If Isaiah had listened to his heart, he’d have known that. Still, what did his mom mean about how he liked Adam?

“H-how I feel about him?”

Amanda picked up the sheets, “Yes. Are there any girls you want to kiss like you do Adam?”

Isaiah had wondered about that the entire time he’d been friends with Josh. Other boys had talked about how gross it would be to be gay. And even when he’d stolen a kiss on Josh, he’d told himself that it really wasn’t gay to try to do that. But it was. And in truth, girls just weren’t interesting to him. Not the way Adam was or Josh had been.

He shook his head, “I guess not. Am I gay? I don’t think I want to be.”

Amanda turned, “Come on; let’s get these sheets in the dryer.”

When they reached the small laundry room, just beyond the kitchen, as his mom loaded the washing machine, she said, “No matter how you feel about boys or girls, my love for you will not change. But it’s one reason why I think you should have some space while Adam stays with us. Time to figure out how you feel. Time to maybe tell him what you’re going through, but only if you want.”

As Isaiah pulled some dry clothes from the dryer, he understood his mom’s reservation. As much as he liked Adam, he wasn’t sure he was ready to tell the young man he was attracted to him. After all, Adam was his church leader. At least he had been. And Isaiah was pretty sure being gay was still a sin. “Do you think I should tell him? I mean, it’s a sin, and God hates it. Adam might be disappointed in me, even if he is my friend.”

Amanda helped him fold the clothes from the dryer, “Don’t sell Adam short. I don’t want you to feel pressured to tell him, but I don’t think he’s going to think less of you for it.”

He had just peeled a sock from a pair of pants when the doorbell rang. Isaiah dropped them and bolted toward the front door. “I’ve got it!”

He threw open the front door. Adam stood in the entryway, a duffle bag slung over one shoulder. He wore the T-shirt the church had gotten for the vacation Bible school and a pair of khaki shorts. A broad smile split Isaiah’s face as he closed the short distance and threw his arms around the young man’s torso and hugged him tightly, “You’re here! Come on in!”

With a crooked grin on his face, Adam came in and set the bag next to the couch, “Sorry about running late. I had to wait for the movers to get Ryan’s stuff out of the apartment.

Seeing his best friend standing in the living room, Isaiah left the bag alone but decided he wasn’t finished talking his mom into letting Adam stay in his room.

After his mom fixed a lunch of chili hot dogs, she said, “Can the two of you clean up after dinner? I need to go into the office this afternoon for a few hours. I’ll pick up some pizza on the way home. What kind do you like, Adam?”

Adam fished his wallet out and handed over some money, “I don’t want to be a burden, Amanda. Let me help out with that.”

Amanda held up her hand, “You’re our guest. Guests don’t pay.”

The young man kept holding the money out, “Please. I don’t know how quickly I’m going to find something else, and I want to pay my own way.”

There was reluctance in Isaiah’s mom’s eyes as she took the money, “You don’t have to do this, Adam. Whether this is a few days or a couple of weeks, Isaiah and I are happy to have you here.”

Once his mom was gone, Isaiah said, “What do you want to do?”

Adam waved at the TV, “What about a movie? You ever seen the extended edition of Lord of the Rings?”

Isaiah hadn’t seen any of the Lord of the Rings movies. “Extended? Does that mean even longer?”

Adam laughed as he pulled a small USB from his bag, “Don’t knock it until you watch it. Does your TV have an HDMI connector?”

A few minutes later, Isaiah settled onto the couch, next to Adam, as the narrator droned, “The world is changed. I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air.”

By the time the story unfolded on the screen, Isaiah had picked up Adam’s arm and moved it so that he could rest his head on his friend’s chest. He even ignored the rhythmic thumping of the heartbeat as the story on the screen drew him in. He’d never imagined a show so lengthy captivating him so completely. Frodo’s every action with the ring gripped his heart and stirred his imagination.

By the halfway point, Adam had shifted, lying on his back along the length of the couch. Isaiah lay on his side, between his friend’s body and the seatback cushions. The way Adam’s right arm curled around him, drawing him to the young man’s chest felt good. The boy’s right leg rested atop Adam’s. For the first time, he felt like he could tell Adam about his feelings and not worry about rejection. Of course, not now. Not when Gollum crawled across the screen, intent on killing Frodo and taking back the ring.

By the time Isaiah watched Frodo and Sam descend into the valley leading to Mordor, Isaiah was hooked. He hadn’t realized the afternoon had disappeared until the front door swung open, and his mom came in with a couple of pizza boxes in her hands while the theme music played over the rolling of the credits.

Amanda set the boxes on an end table as Isaiah felt her eyes take in the movie and him and Adam lying on the couch. She reached over and tousled his hair, “You boys look comfortable. Is that Lord of the rings?”

Adam pulled his arm back as he shifted away from Isaiah so that he could sit up, “Yeah. All three and a half hours of the extended version.”

Amanda shuddered. “Better you boys than me. Give me a good Hugh Grant movie any day.”

Adam said, “Becky liked Notting Hill. I’ve got it on here somewhere. I can put that on for you.”

Opening one pizza box, Amanda said, “I might take you up on that later. But you boys enjoy your movies.”

Isaiah fished a slice of pepperoni from the box, “Cool. Can we watch the next Lord of the Rings movie now?

Adam stretched, “How about tomorrow? They’ll take most of the day. Have you ever heard of Bill and Ted?

When the boy shook his head, Adam pulled up Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and hit the play button.

Four hours, two empty pizza boxes, and an empty two-liter of Dr Pepper later, Amanda got up from her seat next to Isaiah, “I’d forgotten how corny those movies were. Alright, Isaiah, it’s bedtime.”

The boy had thoroughly enjoyed the first night with Adam staying there. Sure, Bill and Ted’s antics were great, but even though his mom had sat on one side, he’d still enjoyed leaning against Adam for much of the evening. The more time he spent with Adam, the closer he felt to the young man. Also, he strongly suspected his mom was right about Adam.

“Aww, Mom, can’t I stay up and watch another movie?”

Amanda scooted forward to the edge of the couch, “There’ll be time enough for that tomorrow. Now, give your old mom a kiss before bed.”

Hearing the finality in his mom’s voice, there was no point in protesting. The boy knew he could only push so far with his bedtime, “Fine.”

He crawled off the couch and came over and sat on his mom’s knees, and leaned in for a quick kiss. “Love you.”

Amanda rubbed him on the back, “I love you too.”

When Isaiah moved off his mom’s lap, he grinned at Adam. The boy would never have dreamed of letting his mom kiss him in front of Josh. But with Adam, it felt different. Even better. Enough so, he wondered if the young man would be willing…

His thoughts drifted away as he stepped over to Adam, “Um, can I give you a kiss goodnight?”

Despite the look of surprise on Adams’s face, Isaiah felt a thrill at the young man said, “Um, sure.”

The boy sat down on his friend’s knees and threw his arms around Adam’s neck. His heart raced as the young man’s face was as close as it had ever been. Then, Isaiah leaned forward until he felt Adam’s soft lips against his own.

It wasn’t quite what the boy had expected. Adam hadn’t puckered up his lips and passionately kissed him in return. Worried he’d made a mistake, Isaiah pulled his head away, “I…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

He felt like a fool. He should have listened to his mom. God, why did he do something so stupid?

Then he felt Adam’s hand on his back, “No. It was nice. Thank you.”

***

“Thank you?”

Adam turned away from the hallway down which Adam had just gone. He felt his cheeks go scarlet at Amanda’s quip. Or perhaps it was from the shock of Isaiah kissing him. Expecting to see storm clouds on the young woman’s face, he was confused by the bemused expression she wore.

Uncertain about how to respond, Adam said, “It killed me to see the look of hurt on Isaiah’s face after he kissed me. I didn’t want him to think he screwed up.”

Amanda got up, “I’ve got a couple of wine coolers in the fridge. Now that you’re no longer the youth pastor, do you want one?”

Apart from a few stolen sips of alcohol, Adam had never had a drink. But after the kiss and the riot of emotions running rampant through his mind, he nodded, “Um, I guess so.”

In the kitchen, Amanda handed him one as she took a seat at the small dining table. After a long pull, she said, “Do you know why Isaiah lost his last friend?”

Adam twisted the lid off the cooler, “No.”

“He kissed the boy. Josh didn’t react like Isaiah hoped. They haven’t spoken since then. I could tell by the way he looks at you, and how he talks about you, he felt the same way about you. I told him I didn’t think he should kiss you. But my son listened to his heart instead of his mom. Go figure.”

Smiling wryly, Adam took a sip. Unlike the bitterness of beer, this had a fruity, bubbly taste. Even though wine coolers were considered girly drinks, he decided it wasn’t bad. “Isaiah’s got a good heart, Amanda. I certainly wasn’t expecting a kiss, but it comes from a good place.”

A look of relief passed over Amanda’s features, “He really does. Isaiah’s an amazing boy. I hope this kiss doesn’t change how you see him, Adam. I know I’ve said it before, but he adores you. Did you know he begged to let you sleep in the bottom bunk? The reason I told him no was because I was afraid he would try to kiss you when you were asleep.”

After a long sip, Adam set the half-empty bottle on the table. The problem with the kiss was it did change things. The touch of the boy’s skin on his was electrifying. Sitting next to him, watching movies all day long had been heavenly. Now, knowing Isaiah liked him enough to kiss him damaged Adam’s resistance. He had just about gotten himself convinced he could keep his relationship with Isaiah from going down the same path as his relationships with Clint or Jacob. That was gone, blown away on the winds of a kiss.

There might come a time when he would tell Amanda how he struggled with same-sex attractions, but there was no way he could say to her that attraction was for Isaiah. No way, no how. Instead, he said, “I’m still his friend. That won’t change.”

Amanda drained the cooler, “It pains me to say it, but I think my boy is gay, Adam. It won’t change how I see him, no matter what the church tells me. Can you handle that?”

Adam was right behind Amanda, draining the last drop of the wine cooler. Part of him wanted to tell her he knew exactly what Isaiah was going through. It was the same road he was traveling. “Yeah, I can. God doesn’t love your son one bit less because of who he’s attracted to, and neither do I.”

No, he thought, it only made Adam love the boy even more. “I feel bad, Amanda. Isaiah’s first kiss was rejected. And now, the second time, I froze, making him fear rejection again. I wish I could go back and make that kiss special for him.”

Amanda put a hand over one of his, “That girl who dumped you was an idiot. I don’t know hardly anyone who is as thoughtful as you. Even now, you’re worried about Isaiah.”

Even though the alcohol was slowly working its way through Adam, he needed to figure Amanda out. “W-what about tomorrow? If he tries to kiss me again, I don’t want to hurt him.”

Amanda’s eyes lost their focus. For a moment, she seemed a thousand miles away. When her eyes came back into focus, she said, “It really didn’t bother you?”

“No. Not after the shock of it.”

Amanda used a finger to worry at hair, “I worry if I tell him not to kiss you again, that it’ll break him. He’s really sensitive about his feelings for you right now.”

She leaned back in her chair, letting a loud sigh escape, “My head is telling me to let you stay the night and then get you out of here tomorrow. That Isaiah isn’t ready for a relationship with you. Even if you don’t share the same feelings he does. But my heart…”

Adam stared at the table, trying to process what Amanda shared. “What about your heart?”

The young woman shook her head, almost in disbelief, “That you’re good for Isaiah. That I should find a way to have you stay with us, and not just for a couple of days. That part of me believes you could be the best thing to happen to us.”

Stunned by Amanda’s admission, Adam stammered, “Wow. Which of those are your listening to?”

Amanda got up, took the two empty bottles, and dropped them in the trash bin, “Make Isaiah’s third kiss the one by which all others are measured. Come on, let’s get the couch made up. After playing hooky half the day, I’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”

Copyright 2019 – Caliboy1991
All rights reserved

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 6 Read More »

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 5

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 5
By
Caliboy1991

“Catch the door, Isaiah. I’m getting the casserole out of the oven!”

The boy had already bounded off the couch and was nearly to the door when he heard his mom’s voice. “I got it!” his voice echoed through the duplex as he swung open the door.

Even though less than an hour had passed since he’d seen Adam at church, it didn’t keep Isaiah’s face from lighting up, “Hi, Adam. Mom’s in the kitchen. Come on in.”

A moment later, Amanda’s head poked around the corner, “Boys, dinner will be ready in about ten.”

There were shadows under Adam’s eyes. Isaiah had noticed them during Sunday School, but he hadn’t wanted to say anything at church. Perhaps the other kids hadn’t noticed, but something was wrong with Adam. He had been distracted during his lesson on the talents. Worried, the boy took Adam by the hand, “Come on, I got a new poster I want to show you.”

While it was true, he had gotten a new poster, the look in Adam’s eyes worried Isaiah. He grabbed the young man’s hand and pulled him back toward his bedroom. Once Isaiah had Adam in his room, he ignored the poster. It was the newest Ghostbusters poster. The movie was still in theaters and was blowing up on social media. The boy didn’t care about any of that.

Instead, he rounded on the twenty-year-old. “What’s wrong?”

Adam’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “Why would you think something’s wrong? I’m fine.”

Still holding onto the young man’s hand, Isaiah said, “Your voice is off, and you don’t look like you slept at all last night. That good enough reason?”

Adam sat on the lower bunk, “It’s nothing you need to worry about. We’re cool.”

Isaiah climbed onto the railing of the bed and used his hand on the top bunk to balance himself, “I thought we were friends. Was I wrong about that?”

Adam shot up, “God, no. I’m still your friend, Isaiah. I promise. Just working through some sh- stuff.”

Isaiah’s lips curved upward at his mentor and youth pastor, nearly slipping into profanity. Adam’s response was the most like himself he’d sounded. More than that, he believed the young man. But Isaiah didn’t understand why he wouldn’t share. He tried again, “If it was me that was bothered, would you let it go?”

A tired smile ghosted across Adam’s face, “Maybe not. Even though we’re friends, there’s stuff an eleven – excuse me, nearly-twelve-year-old boy doesn’t need to be bothered with.”

Isaiah wasn’t convinced, but he let it go as he pointed out some bits of trivia about a couple of other movie posters on his wall. It wasn’t long before his mom knocked on the bedroom door, “Dinner’s ready, boys.”

When they settled around the table, Isaiah sniffed the air. There was a hint of barbeque sauce in it. His mom’s meatloaf was one of his favorite meals. Of course, it couldn’t hold a candle to her homemade macaroni and cheese, which was placed next to the meatloaf. He was ambivalent about the green beans. Even with chunks of bacon in it, it was still green beans.

The problem with round tables is that nobody sits at the head. Of course, that had never bothered the boy or his mom. Now, with his mom on one side of him and Adam on the other, even if his friend was hiding something, Isaiah hadn’t felt better in a long time.

His mom took his hand and said, “Adam, would you do us the honor of saying grace?”

Adam’s lips grew thin before he pasted a smile on his face, “Sure, Amanda. I’d be glad to. Unless, of course, Isaiah would rather…”

His mom laughed, “Be careful what you wish for, Adam. With Isaiah, he’s more likely to say ‘rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub’ than anything meaningful.”

Isaiah gripped his mom’s hand more firmly, “That’s not fair. I can say a prayer, too. ‘Bless this food before us set, it needs all the help that it can get.’”

His mom groaned, “Oh, Lordy. See what you started, Adam. I prefer my prayers without insults added to the mix.”

Before he could launch into another ditty, Isaiah found his other hand engulfed in Adam’s as the young man gave him a wink before saying, “Well, we can’t have insults. At least until dessert. Let’s pray…”

It was easy to get bored waiting for adults to pray for a meal, but Adam was brief. Still holding the young man’s hand, the boy said, “You can always tell when a preacher’s hungry.”

Smiling back at him, Adam said, “How’s that?”

Grinning mischievously, Isaiah said, “The shorter the prayer, the hungrier the preacher.”

Adam released his hand so that he could hold his plate up while his mom dished out a serving of meatloaf. “Clever boy you’ve got Amanda. Quite the wit.”

His mom handed back Adam’s plate and grabbed his own, “Perhaps. Sometimes though, I think you’re only half-right.”

Realizing his mom was poking fun at him, Isaiah stuck his tongue at her, “Be nice, Mom. I’ll pick your retirement home.”

Amanda leaned over and pinched his cheek, “Oh, that’s cute. You think you’re going to survive long enough to pick where I retire.”

This was even more fun than the last time his mom had invited Adam to join them. By the time Isaiah finished his plate, some of the stress in Adam’s eyes was gone. His tired eyes were all Isaiah needed to see to know his friend was bothered and hurting. When Adam put down his fork, Isaiah decided if he and his mom worked together, maybe together, they could help him feel better.

“So, Adam,” Isaiah said, looking at his mom, “taught about the parable of the talents in Sunday School today, Mom. We learned about how the more you’ve been given, the more you should do to help others.”

Amanda leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, “Sounds interesting. What did you get out of it?”

Adam’s eyes drifted between his and his mom’s as Isaiah said, “Well, maybe it’s not exactly like talents, but God has given me an awesome mom and a really good friend. I’ve learned that I should do more for them because of how much God has given me.”

Isaiah’s mom put her hand over his, “Does this mean you’re going to start cleaning up your room without being told?”

He flashed a smile, “Maybe. If I can remember.” Then his smile faded, and he looked over at Adam, “But when my one friend, who means almost as much to me as my mom is hurting, I want to help, even if it’s… how’d you say it? Stuff, a nearly-twelve-year-old boy doesn’t need to be bothered with?”

Adam squirmed in his seat, as even Amanda’s attention fell on him, “I wondered if something was off, Adam. You look worn, like you’re not getting enough rest. What’s wrong?”

The young man sighed, “It’s nothing, really. Certainly, nothing to ruin a fantastic dinner over.”

Isaiah sent Amanda a pleading look. It didn’t matter to him the age difference between him and Adam. The young man meant so much to him. And while he might not ever get to share a kiss with Adam, Isaiah realized, the young man had captured his heart more completely than Josh ever had.

Amanda said, “It won’t ruin anything to admit you’ve got problems, Adam. I’ve had problems bigger than what I could manage on my own. So has Isaiah. So, please don’t pretend you can carry whatever is going on by yourself. You wouldn’t let any of the kids in your youth group do that. Would you?”

Adam shook his head, even as it hung low over his chest. “No, I guess not. It’s just I don’t want to burden either of you with my problems.”

Amanda sigh and leaned back in her chair, “Then you’ve made the wrong friends. I’ve gotten to know you pretty well over the summer. But nothing compared to how well Isaiah knows you. I wish he made friends easier, but that’s not how Isaiah works. And you’re the one person he counts as a friend. Trying to mask whatever is going on, you’re just hurting him.”

Isaiah’s heart swelled at his mom’s spirited attempt to help Adam. He dared not get his hopes up when the young man lifted his chin. All the boy wanted was to be there for his friend. Just as he was certain, Adam would be there for him if their roles were reversed. Biting his lip, Adam shook his head as tears misted in his eyes. “My girlfriend dumped me, and I’m getting kicked out of my apartment.”

Isaiah had heard Adam talk about Becky before. But he hadn’t realized how important the girl was to his friend. But the idea of Adam being homeless horrified the boy. “What happened? How did you get kicked out?”

Adam pushed the empty plate away and crossed his arms on the table, “My roommate’s dad sold it. My roommate wants me to move into a new place, but the rent’s more than I can afford.”

The chair scraped underneath Isaiah as he got up and came around behind Adam. He threw his arms around the young man’s neck and hugged him. He had no idea what to tell his friend about losing a girlfriend. He’d never been through something like that. And, at least to Isaiah, girls weren’t very interesting. But his mom had been evicted a couple of times when Adam was younger. He knew how bad that could be.

Like a flash of light, a solution came to Isaiah. “Mom, can Adam stay with us?”

Adam’s head jerked up, “I couldn’t impose, Isaiah.”

Amanda worked one of her fingers in her hair, a thoughtful expression on her face, “We’re not going to let you become homeless, Adam. I don’t know why you couldn’t stay over here for a few nights on the couch.”

Isaiah stood up to his full four and a half feet, his arms still on Adam’s shoulders, “Mom!” he squawked, “I’ve got bunk beds in my room. Why can’t he stay with me?”

A touch of crimson reached Amanda’s cheeks, “We’ll see, sweetie. First, though, Adam, when you have to move out of your apartment, I want your skinny ass over here if you don’t have somewhere else to go. Alright?”

Adam craned his neck around until Isaiah could see his eyes. “Say, ‘yes,’ please.”

Then he looked across the table at Amanda. “Okay. Fine. I’m sure something else will open up before then. But if it doesn’t, then the couch would be fine.”

***

Adam heard the sound of Isaiah’s PlayStation in the living room as he took one of the plates and set it in the dishwasher. “I really appreciate the offer, Amanda, but I don’t want to be a burden.”

Amanda rinsed a bowl in the sink, “Stop it, Adam. I like you. I think you’re really good for Isaiah. Having you around until something else opens up will be good for my son and maybe even for you.”

Sure, he had confessed Becky’s breakup with him and being homeless, but there was no way he could explain the feelings Isaiah stirred inside him. With Becky gone, he had banked on putting the whole experience at Wakefield, even his friendship with Isaiah, behind him in the fall. If he lingered on, he wasn’t sure he could be strong enough to resist temptation.

Something on his face must have given something away. Amanda turned off the water and tapped him on the shoulder, and beckoned him toward the backdoor. The backyard was small, a patio with a grill on it, and a few square yards of grass, divided by a small fence from an identical yard. Amanda leaned against the back door, “When you finished up your job next week, were you planning on staying around?”

Adam’s shoe dug into the grass, as his hands dug into his pockets, “I don’t know. Sometimes, I think it would be easier for me to put Wakefield behind me this fall.”

Shaking her head, Amanda said, “I don’t give a damn about Wakefield, Adam. But there’s a boy in the other room who is having a hard time figuring out his emotions, but trust me, he adores you, maybe even more than he does me. And if you disappear from his life, it will devastate him. If that’s what you’re going to do, please, just go. Don’t go back in there and pretend to be his friend if you’re going to be gone in a week. I can pick up the pieces. I’ve done it before, and I can do it again. But, please don’t make it worse.”

Shamed by Amanda’s prescience, Adam didn’t know how to respond. He loved the boy. And that was part of the problem. The last thing he wanted to do was break Isaiah’s heart. He feared he wouldn’t be strong enough to not sin with the boy. If he failed there, not only would he destroy the boy, he would ruin his own life.

As Amanda stared at him, Adam managed, “I don’t want to see Isaiah hurt, Amanda. Never.”

Amanda smiled wistfully. “I know. I can see it in how you look at him. That’s why I don’t what you to go. I don’t know why you’re hurting, but if you can see past your problems, my son’s life is better with you in it.”

Adam felt the shame of his attraction to Isaiah and knew he couldn’t begin to explain it to Amanda. Yet her plaintive cry touched him. He didn’t know how he could avoid the temptation Isaiah represented, but as much as he didn’t want to give himself over to his desires, he also wanted to be in the boy’s life, despite the danger it posed to both of them.

With a shaky sigh, Adam said, “Alright, Amanda. When school starts up, I promise I’ll still be Isaiah’s friend. And I promise I’ll keep looking for a place closer to campus.”

Amanda came across the patio and hugged Adam, “Thanks, sweetie. I’m about to burn up out here. A boy is waiting for you inside.

***
Author insert here: I debated whether to include this next section. But it’s important context to who Adam is and where he comes from. A lot of what one of the characters talks about are things that most of us would rather not hear because it conflicts with how we view the world and our place within it, but because that’s the world Adam belongs to, it would be dishonest of me to pretend something like this wouldn’t happen to him.

Adam handed the keys to the van over to the pastor. “I think that’s everything, Pastor Rich.”

The Pastor of Wakefield Community Church set the keys on his desk. “I hope the summer was everything you expected, Adam. You were a hit with the kids in the youth group. Shame you’re not staying on for the fall.”

Adam looked at the amount of his last check. It would help tide him over until his grant and scholarship money came in. “It was a lot of fun. You’ve got a good bunch of kids.”

“Did the job help you decide any more about your calling in the ministry? Some of the larger churches in town want that religion degree even for their youth pastors.”

Strange how a summer changes people, Adam realized. He’d started the summer gung-ho about pastoring a youth group. And at the end of the summer, he knew he wasn’t cut out for it. The feelings for Isaiah were too strong to shake. And even though he was determined to avoid letting things get out of control, Adam knew at some point, he would have to publicly confront his sexuality.

He said, “I enjoyed the job, even working with the kids, Pastor Rich. But I’ve realized that perhaps I was mistaken about a calling. I don’t think God is leading me into the ministry, after all.”

Pastor Rich gave a short nod and knitted his eyebrows together, “There’s more than a few men who won’t ever admit that they got into this for the wrong reasons. If you’ve come to the realization that your path is down another direction, then far be it from me to discourage you.”

Sitting in the pastor’s office, Adam hated the attraction he felt for Isaiah, even as he knew he loved the boy. Still, it nagged at him that God would hate him for the way he felt. And no matter what he told himself, his faith was in crisis. Fearful of the reaction, Adam still felt compelled to say, “Um, Pastor Rich, can a person still be a Christian and be, um… gay?”

The pastor took his glasses off and grabbed a bit of cloth from a drawer in the desk, “That’s not a question I was expecting, Adam. I guess I can see why you might not want to explore the ministry if you’re grappling with more pressing issues in your life. Let me ask you this, can you still be a Christian if you’re divorced?”

Adam said, “Well, my mom’s divorced. She’s a good Christian woman.”

Pastor Rich said, “Fair enough. Doesn’t the Bible say that if a person remarries and they’re divorced, it’s the same as adultery?”

Adam blanched, “My mom’s never committed adultery. Well, not to my knowledge.”

The pastor chuckled, “Point taken. What about the glutton who weighs four-hundred pounds? Not talking about somebody with health issues. Just some run of the mill fatso who won’t stop eating. Can they still be a Christian?”

Adam thought about the men and women who took up two or even three spots in the pews, even at Wakefield.

He said, “Because gluttony is a sin?”

Pastor Rich nodded, “Yep. Or what about the church gossip? Is she still a Christian?”

Adam wasn’t sure the point the pastor was trying to make. “I suppose they’re all still Christians. But those are all different than gays.”

The pastor’s eyes arched, “Really? Why do you think that?”

“Well, the church is always telling people that homosexuality is a sin.”

“So is greed, lust, gluttony, gossip, and a bunch of other behaviors that get between us and our Creator. The difference is that most of those other sins nobody argues about. Most sins don’t create much conflict. The difference is that gays don’t want to be told they’re sinning, so they get upset. Of course, it doesn’t help when other Christians tell folks they’re going to hell.”

A chill ran down Adam’s spine, “Can a gay person be saved?”

Pastor Rich said, “I sure hope so. Because if they can’t, what hope does Aunt Myrtle, the church gossip have? Or my dentist, who’s working on his third marriage, and he sits in the fourth pew every Sunday. Really, the only person who can answer that question for you, is you. I may spend a lot of time listening to God. But the more I listen, the more I realize each of us is responsible for our own salvation, Adam. Sure, I’m a pastor, and my job, however poorly I perform, is to be an arrow pointing to Heaven. But the rest is between you and God.”

A weight of uncertainty lifted from Adam’s troubled shoulders. “Thanks, Pastor Rich. That really does help. So, what options does a gay person have in the church to be part of the ministry?”

The pastor leaned back, “You remember my dentist? Gifted guy. Has wrecked two marriages, so far. Working on his third. Does he fit the criteria for leadership?”

“No,” Adam admitted.

“Why?”

“Because he keeps cheating.”

Pastor Rich nodded, “Fair enough. What about my Aunt Myrtle? Bless her heart, she’d be on the phone spreading every rumor and tidbit of news if she could get away with it. Would you have her leading a church?”

Chuckling at the image of an old woman chattering on the phone, Adam shook his head, “No. Probably not. What’s that mean for someone like me?”

“Look Adam, if you’re trying to figure your sexuality out, no matter how you decide, I hope you’d always feel welcome here at Wakefield. The only thing I care about is what is between you and God. But let’s say that you wanted to become a member of the church. There are certain things that you agree to believe to be a member of this church. For instance, you can’t believe that most of the Bible is crap, and only a little bit is true. That wouldn’t be consistent with our beliefs. Or if we’re looking for a new deacon, in our church, we don’t permit divorced people to serve as deacons. As much as I like my dentist, he’s disqualified from serving in that capacity. There’s other stuff, that’s just an example.”

Adam rubbed his jawline, “That seems a bit harsh, Pastor Rich.”

There was a twinkle in his eyes, “Try cheating on your taxes, Adam. We’ve got nothing on the IRS. I had a friend who I graduated with from seminary. I’ve got a brass tongue compared to his silver tongue. He was at the top of his game, pastor at a big church in Houston. About ten years ago, he left his wife for another woman. Much younger and very good looking. What he did wasn’t much different than what a lot of powerful men do. The world outside the doors of the church would say, no big deal. But his church fired him, and rightly so. And you want to know something, Adam, if he’d been like my dentist, sitting quietly in his pew week after week, he might have gotten some nasty glances from other people in the church, but mostly he would have been left alone. But more is expected of a church leader, so now, my friend is selling insurance in Dallas.”

The pastor glanced at his watch, “The budget committee meeting is about to start, Adam. If you want to talk some more about what you’re going through, call the office and get on my calendar. I’ll always make time for you.”

When Adam left, he felt better. At least now, he knew God didn’t hate him, and that left him feeling a lot better, even as he realized he needed to think about what he was going to do after college. He headed back to the apartment. This was the last day before the movers were to arrive. While he had tried to find other options, at least for the next few days, he had a place to sleep over at the Claytons.

Copyright 2019 – Caliboy1991
All rights reserved

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 5 Read More »

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 4

Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 4
By
Caliboy1991

“Adam.”

Adam’s eyes itched behind his fluttering eyelids as the voice repeated, “Adam, are you awake?”

Groaning, Adam managed, “I am now.”

He cracked his eyes open. Isaiah stood next to his bed, his rich brown hair a messy tangle of morning head. The boy’s chest was tan, with a tinge of pink on his shoulders from the previous day’s sun. He must have taken his shirt off during the night.

Isaiah held up his cell phone, “Sorry. It’s almost ten, and I thought you’d be up already.”

Moaning, Adam threw the covers back and swung his feet out of bed. “I guess I was pretty tired.”

His brain was slowly coming awake. Memories of the previous night’s thoughts crept back in. That’s when Adam looked down and realized his morning erection strained the fabric of his underwear. As casually as possible, he pulled the bedspread onto his lap. Isaiah’s cheeks were tinged in crimson as he offered an embarrassed grin.

Adam felt himself twitch as his stomach fluttered at the thrill of the moment. “Um, like I said, it still happens to me pretty often, too.”

Isaiah giggled, “Yeah. I guess so. I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”

Still feeling his erection through the bedspread, Adam nodded, “Yeah. Give me a sec, and we’ll see what I’ve got.”

Thankfully, Isaiah headed out the door, giving Adam the privacy to slip on a pair of shorts. Things were back to normal down below by the time he found Isaiah in the living room. The kid stared at the large flat-screen TV fixed to one of the walls. “That’s freaking huge, Adam. Is it yours?”

“No, belongs to one of my roommates. Ryan.”

In the kitchen, Adam opened the fridge. Like most college students, his refrigerator was spartanly stocked. But he did have a half-gallon of milk on the top shelf. Opening it, he took a whiff. “Good news, the milk isn’t spoiled. Let’s see what kind of cereal I’ve got.”

There were boxes of cereal from the end of the spring semester on one shelf. Above it was a box of Fruit Loops from a couple of weeks back.

Before long, he and Isaiah sat around a small dining table, eating the sugary breakfast.

“Your mom let you eat breakfast like this?”

Isaiah nodded. A rivulet of milk ran from the side of his mouth down his chin and onto his bare chest. “Sometimes. Especially on the weekend when she sleeps in. Do you eat this every day?”

Adam grimaced, “No. Sometimes I’ll nuke a packet of oatmeal or grab a breakfast bar. When I’m feeling lazy, though,” he knocked his spoon against the ceramic bowl, “Cereal it is.”

After breakfast, Adam called Amanda. She hadn’t left her friend’s yet and asked if she could swing by his place later in the afternoon once back in town. When he got off the phone with Isaiah’s mom, Adam said, “How about we watch a movie on that TV in the living room? Have you ever seen The Karate Kid?”

“What’s it about?”

Adam laughed as he queued up the movie, “It’s in the name.”

He settled onto the couch, leaning against a throw pillow on one of the padded armrests. Isaiah sat next to him, and before Johnnie and his gang first beat Daniel up, the boy was leaning against Adam’s arm.

Something felt right about the boy leaning against him. The warmth of Isaiah’s skin felt good against his own, and even though he tried to forget about the things he’d done with Jacob and Clint, those feelings bubbled below the surface, no matter how often Adam reminded himself they were sinful. But being so close to Isaiah and his budding sexuality was an intoxicant Adam felt powerless against, even as he worried, he was a moth being drawn to a fire.

Two weeks, he reminded himself, just two more weeks. Then it’s back to school. I’ll be back over at First Church, and Isaiah will be here. Becky will be back too, and all will return to normal. I can handle being close to Isaiah until then. I’m strong enough to keep things in check. I won’t let anything happen between us.

Knowing he could balance his attraction with his responsibility for what little time remained, Adam shifted the arm Isaiah leaned against and wrapped it around the boy’s shoulders. His young charge responded by moving a bit closer and resting his head against the side of Adam’s chest. Then Isaiah glanced up and smiled as he stretched his arm across the young man’s chest. He murmured, “I wish I could stay over here with you all the time.”

Touched by Isaiah’s words, Adam squeezed his shoulders, drawing him a bit closer. “Thanks, but I don’t think your mom would approve.”

Isaiah craned his neck to see Adam’s face, “No, it’s true. Since Six Flags, she’s always asking about you.”

Adam thought about how friendly Amanda had been those times they had talked. “You don’t think she has the hots for me?”

Isaiah giggled, “I wondered about that, too. She said she didn’t, but I’m not sure I believe her.”

The boy’s face grew somber, “I told her you’re my best friend. Really my only friend. I think that’s why she likes you.”

Touched by the boy’s vulnerability, Adam felt a familiar stirring in his heart. What he’d felt for Clint and Jacob hadn’t been merely sexual. Friendship and love were mixed in with his adolescent hormones. Two weeks. That’s all he needed to manage his feelings for the boy. He could let the friendship and love through and lock away the sexual.

Adam reached around with his left arm and hugged the boy, “You’re my friend, too, Isaiah. Although I doubt I’m your only friend. Jason likes you.”

“Jason likes Meredith. He was just being nice.”

To acknowledge what Isaiah meant to Adam opened up the young man’s heart. It hurt him to hear the boy admit he had no friends. “I know you moved to town this year, but surely you made friends at school.”

Isaiah’s eyes fell, “I thought I had. But I did something stupid, and now he hates me.”

Hearing the pain in Isaiah’s voice, it felt like a knife slicing into Adam’s heart, and he held the boy even closer, “I have a hard time believing anyone could hate someone as cool as you. Why do you think he hates you?”

Isaiah shook his head and rested it on Adam’s chest. They sat like that through the movie’s championship fight and the credits. In the middle of a lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Adam’s cell phone rang.

In a cheerful voice, Amanda chirped, “I’m pulling out of Tyler now. I should be there in less than three hours. How’s Isaiah?”

The boy’s lips were ringed in grape jelly. Chuckling, Adam said, “Really good. You want to say hi?”

The boy, his sandwich half-dissolved on a paper plate, took the phone, “Hi Mom.”

A smile danced across his messy mouth as he looked at Adam while listening to his mom. “We had so much fun at Schlitterbahn. Me and Adam rode almost all the water rides. It was so sick!”

The boy was silently laughing, “Come on. You know sick means cool. You know, like how sick Adam is.”

Adam stuck his tongue out as the boy held the phone to his ear. “I’ll remind him. And yes, he’ll text you his address. Bye. See you in a bit.”

When Isaiah handed Adam the phone, the boy said, “Can you text Mom your address?”

As he shot off his address to Amanda, Adam said, “What’re you supposed to remind me about?”

Isaiah got off the couch, “Dinner at our place after church on Sunday.”

Adam pretended to slap his forehead, “D’oh, how could I possibly forget?” He winked at Isaiah as the boy disappeared into the kitchen. After washing his hands, the boy came back, and before sitting down, he unlocked the front door.

When he snuggled against Adam’s chest, he said, “That way, Mom can come in, and you won’t have to get up.”

Firing up the second Karate Kid movie, Adam wrapped an arm around Isaiah, letting the boy rest his head against his chest, like during the first movie. Before long, they were both engrossed in beautiful scenes set half a world away in Okinawa.

By the time the movie credits rolled, Isaiah’s even breathing confirmed the boy had drifted off to sleep at some point. Adam’s thoughts drifted to his plans for the fall. His junior year was the first semester when all his classes were back on campus, now the country had finally put the pandemic in the rearview mirror. Still, he was only taking five classes. That would give him plenty of time to reconnect with Becky. Sure, he would be sad when the end of summer and his internship at Wakefield ended. But given how he felt about Isaiah, getting back into the swing of things with school and Becky was important. If summer were a few weeks longer, Adam lacked the confidence in his self-control and worried he would give himself over to the sin he felt in his heart for the boy.

Deep in his own heart, he had to admit his feelings for Isaiah were really fucked up. When he was twelve and thirteen, with Clint, he had frequently wondered if he were gay. After all, the way the older teen would touch his penis excited him like nothing else could. Except for touching Clint. All of those thoughts and feelings had gone dormant until his senior year with Jacob. What had started as a passionate kiss had ended with sucking the other boy off until Jacob’s watery seed had filled his unsuspecting mouth.

Even at seventeen, he knew what he had done with Jacob was wrong, even as it made him feel so good. And yet, when he headed off to college, he denied feeling gay. It had been a phase. All boys go through it, he had told himself. Lounging beside Isaiah, those same fears were back. God, why couldn’t Becky be back already? She was the salve that made those feelings go away.

Or was she just a bandage used to cover up something he couldn’t accept? He couldn’t be gay. He just couldn’t. To acknowledge that would destroy his thoughts of going into the ministry. Wouldn’t it?

Drawing in a ragged breath, Adam prayed for strength. He couldn’t help how close he felt to Isaiah, but he could control his actions. At least for a couple of more weeks.

The boy stretched his arm around his chest, “You okay? Your heart got fast.”

Adam rubbed eh boy’s shoulder, “Yeah. I guess I was just thinking about how much fun this summer has been.”

There was a knock at the door, followed by a ring of the doorbell.

Before Adam could say a word or shift Isaiah away from him, the boy called, “The door’s open.”

Adam froze as the door swung open. Amanda said, “Knock, knock.”

Laughing, Isaiah said, “Aww, I was hoping you were gonna be so late, I’d get to say with Adam tonight too.”

The moment to shift away was gone, now that the boy’s mom was closing the door behind her. As if his right arm casually hugging the boy and Isaiah’s right hand resting on Adam’s chest was the most natural way for friends to do, the young man plastered a smile on his face, even as he worried the woman would scream at him to get away from her son.

Amanda smiled at them as her eyes adjusted to the living room’s low light. “I’m sure Adam needs a break, kiddo. There’s Sunday School and then dinner. You’ll get to spend plenty of time with him then.

Standing between the sofa and the TV, she added, “What’d you do this afternoon, other than hang out on the couch?”

The boy seemed reluctant to sit up and retract his hand from Adam’s chest, but as he did, he said, “We watched an old movie called the Karate Kid and a sequel.”

“How cool is that? I grew up watching that movie. It was my mom’s favorite. Head and shoulders above that garbage of a remake. Why don’t you go ahead and get your stuff so we can get on out of Adam’s hair.”

Groaning at his mom’s directive, Isaiah shuffled from the room, leaving Adam all of Amanda’s attention. She sat down on the couch and said, “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you watched Isaiah last night. Not having many friends in town yet, I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Adam felt his tension ebb away, “It wasn’t a problem, Amanda. Isaiah’s an awesome kid, and I’m glad I could help.”

The young woman’s hand rested on Adam’s knee, “Isaiah adores you. More than you know, Adam. He doesn’t make friends very easily. And even though I don’t expect you to see it the same way, you’re his best friend. I was so afraid when Josh told Isaiah he didn’t want to be his friend anymore that this summer would be hell for my boy. But you made sure that didn’t happen. You were heaven sent, Adam.”

Am I? he thought. I want to kiss your son’s lips, to feel his heart race as I caress his chest, to put his penis in my mouth. I’m not the man you think I am. Instead, Adam said, “I like Isaiah. I’m sure I see things differently than he does, but he’s my friend, too. I’m really going to miss him when the internship is over in a couple of weeks.”

Sure, I’ll miss him, but God, I need to get my head screwed back on straight. I really miss Becky. I can’t afford to let things get out of hand here.

Amanda’s face fell, “I… know. I wish you were going to stay on as the fall youth intern. You’re so good with Isaiah.”

Adam felt his lips twist up into a wistful smile, “Thank. When the internship is over, I’m going to miss him too.”

Isaiah came back into the living room with his backpack in one hand and his shirt in the other. “Thanks, Adam. I hope we can do this again soon.”

The look in Amanda’s eyes was wishful as she stood to leave. “We’ll see you Sunday.”

***

After a long shower, Adam collapsed on his bed in nothing more than a pair of green briefs. He scrolled through his contacts until he found Becky’s number. He was stunned to realize it had been more than two weeks since they’d talked last. And he’d called her then.

She answered on the third ring, “Hey, Adam. How’s the youth group thing going?”

In the background, he could hear music playing. It was rap. A faint feminine voice called out, “Hey Becks, what color should I wear.”

Wondering where Becky was, Adam said, “Winding down. Just a couple of more weeks. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

Becky said, “Hey, turn that shit down. I’m trying to have a conversation here.” Then, lowering her voice, she added, “Sorry. Having a slumber party at Linda’s.”

Adam vaguely recalled the name. The last time he’d talked with Becky, she had said she was catching up with a few friends from high school. Linda was one of the names she’d mentioned. “Sounds fun. I miss you, Becky.”

The volume of the music diminished. But it was followed by a loud shriek on the other end of the line, “Don’t touch me with that. Can’t you see I’m busy?” Then in a normal voice, Becky said, “Yeah. Me too.”

Images of Isaiah in the shower at the waterpark crept into Adam’s mind. “I really miss you, Becky. I can hardly wait for you to get back into town.”

The music continued thumping, albeit at a lower level. Another voice faintly said, “Hurry it, girl.”

Then after more than a handful of seconds passed by, Becky said, “Ah, about that, Adam… I’m not coming back in the fall.”

Adam shot straight up in bed, “What? But we’re dating. You’re my girlfriend.”

Becky’s voice was strained, “Am I? Adam, we were friends. And I liked you like a friend. I mean I like you like a friend. But I always felt like we were just treading water with each other. Not really going anywhere. It didn’t take me long when I got home to figure out why. You were my shield. Pretending to be your girlfriend, I could ignore what I had been denying for the past couple of years.”

Shocked at Becky’s words, Adam stammered, “W-what are you trying to tell me?”

A loud, long sigh emanated from the phone. “I like girls. Spent the past year with you, trying to deny it. But Laura showed me how wrong I have been.”

Adam pulled the phone away and looked at it almost as if it were a five-headed hydra. He needed Becky. She was his own shield. When he put the phone back to his ear, Becky was talking, “…Know it’s a surprise, Adam. But better to tell you now. Anyway, now that you know, you can stop hiding behind me.”

A cold lump of ice landed in the pit of Adam’s stomach, “What are you saying?”

An exasperated sigh pierced his ear, “If you really like girls, Adam, you’ve got a weird way of showing it. You only kissed me twice in all the months we dated. And both times, it felt, I don’t know, you were kissing your sister.”

Feeling suffocating at Becky’s words, He strangled the words, “But… the church, Becky. You can’t… I can’t…”

Adam didn’t know how to finish. Becky’s laughter was strangled, “I don’t know about any of that. I’m tired of being miserable, even miserable with you. I don’t know what I think right now, but the one thing I know is that Laura makes me happy. So, if you want to keep being miserable, keep on doing what you’re doing, Adam. Otherwise, go find your own happiness.”

The dial-tone caught him by surprise. Becky was gone. And she wasn’t coming back. Adam fell back into the bed, absorbing the conversation. She had dumped him. And for some girl with whom she went to high school. Worse, as far as he was concerned, she had seen through the veneer of their dating relationship. She had been an anchor, helping him to stay grounded.

He cursed Becky. It was a lot easier for her to give herself over to Laura than for him to acknowledge what had been staring him in the face since Six Flags. No matter how much he might want it, it was simply impossible for Adam to acknowledge his feelings for Isaiah. Nobody, least of all, the boy’s mom, would understand. And he knew enough to know what happened to people who touched little boys—very bad things.

***

Saturday evening, still trying to forget the trauma of his conversation with Becky, Adam sat cross-legged on his bed with a notepad and his Bible. Even though Becky’s words haunted him, he had made some progress on Sunday’s lesson plan. He’d always liked the parable of the talents. He wanted to start with how Jesus had recruited Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his disciples. Then, to discuss the parable of the talents. He was getting pretty good at getting the kids to discuss whatever topic he’d chosen.

While he focused on preparing for the next day, the fears of not having Becky in his life were held at bay. Adam was deep in thought about how he would transition from discussing Matthew to talking about how the parable of the talents related to the kids in the youth group. So deep, he barely felt his phone vibrate, even though it was lying next to him on the bed.

Feeling an idea slip away as he reached for the phone, Adam sighed unhappily as he answered the phone. “Hey, Ryan. What’s up?”

“Dude, I’ve got some good news and some not so good news.” Ryan’s voice had a perennially Southern California vibe.

Ryan had been his roommate during their freshman year. And his father, a west coast real estate developer, owned the apartment he, Ryan, and their friend Zander lived in. His lesson plan forgotten, Adam felt a disquiet in his belly, “Um, okay.”

“Dad got a new condo, right off-campus in the new Aspen development.”

Adam was familiar with the development. It was a large planned community, the gate of which was only a block from campus. Everybody who was anybody had been trying to get on a lease since the developer started selling condos.

Adam’s last train of thought about the parable of the talents fled, “Okay. Well, then what’s the good news?”

Ryan scoffed, “Dude, that’s going to be the happening place, and we’re going to be in it. There’s space for four of us.”

Between his scholarship, loans, and grants, Adam barely made ends meet. The rent Ryan’s dad charged on their current apartment set Adam back nearly five hundred dollars a month. “What’s the rent?”

A long silence came from the other end of the line, followed by an embarrassed chuckle, “Well, the condo cost a lot more than the apartment. Dad’s asking nine hundred a month from each of us.”

“Nine hundred?” Adam exclaimed. He chose to ignore Ryan trying to include himself as a renter. It didn’t even merit a comment. “Ryan, if you think this is the good news, I’m not sure I want to hear about the bad.”

Oblivious to Adam’s distress, Ryan was chipper, “Dad’s selling the apartment to another developer. This guy’s got a crew coming next week to move our stuff over to the new condo, and then they’ll be patching and painting for the new tenants.”

Adam wanted to cuss his roommate for dumping the news on him but knew he’d regret it if he let his emotions loose on Ryan. Instead, he replied in measured words, “Fine. I’ll make sure I’m ready by then.”

Adam killed the connection. He didn’t care to hear the rest of what Ryan had to say. He tossed the phone by the foot of the bed before slamming the Bible closed. Why was the whole world arrayed against him?

His eyes stung as he shouted out to an empty apartment, “What is happening to me? My body hates me, my girlfriend dumped me, and now I’m homeless?”

He shook his fist at the ceiling. “You’re not supposed to test me more than I can stand. I’m past that point, God. What the fuck?”

Adam let his head fall into the crook of his arms, at a loss for what to do. Everything had been going so well, despite the feelings he tried ignoring about Isaiah. And then everything had gone to hell, all in just a couple of days. There was simply no way to stretch his meager income to cover nearly twice the rent as before. Perhaps if Becky hadn’t flaked out on him, he could have crashed at her place. But that option was gone.

Closing his eyes, Adam didn’t feel like praying. Didn’t feel like anything. A couple of hours passed by before he realized it was getting late. He glanced at the notebook and the closed Bible. His brain felt like mush, and he set them on the nightstand. Maybe after a shower, he could finish. He had a job to do the next day, and he owed it to the kids to be ready, no matter how he felt.

In the bathroom, Adam stripped out of his clothes. The tan from the waterpark looked good on his shoulders, even as he wished they were wider. His muscles were wiry and small across a chest he wished was broader than it was. Except for a few stray hairs around his nipples, he was smooth down to his bellybutton. A few hairs picked up the trail just above his abdomen, growing into a patch of thick pubic hair above the base of his penis. Staring at himself, he shook his head. Of course, Becky had never liked him for his body. Sure, he was thin, almost to the point of gauntness. But that’s not what girls want.

He chuckled bitterly as he adjusted the water flowing into the bathtub. “No shit. Sure as hell not what Becky was looking for.”

He flipped a knob, sending the water cascading from an overhead showerhead. The warm water felt good on his skin as he tried to stop thinking about Becky’s betrayal or Ryan yanking the apartment from under him. He closed his eyes, pushing the anger away. In his heart, he knew nothing good would come from holding a grudge against either of them. Instead, his thoughts went to Isaiah. Ignoring his anger at Becky and Ryan was easier than ignoring his feelings for the boy. By the time he finished washing his body, his penis was hard, pointing up at a slight angle.

I shouldn’t, Adam thought as he wrapped his fingers around his erection and thought about a beautiful boy with brown hair. In his mind’s eye, they were back at the waterpark, in the changing room’s showers. Isaiah was naked, standing next to him. The boy’s small three inches pointed to the ceiling, quivering under Adam’s gaze. In the theater of the young man’s mind, he reached across the short distance and took the boy’s small erection and jacked him off. Of course, only in his mind could he get away with it.

In reality, Adam’s erection grew sensitive as a familiar tingling sensation radiated from his penis. He sped up, his fingers flying up and down his shaft until he closed his eyes and let the eruption between his legs wash over him, not seeing his semen splattering on the bottom of the bathtub on its way down the drain. When he stopped, at least part of him felt better. However, the guilt that came with thinking about Isaiah that way wouldn’t leave him alone.

After a mostly unnecessary shave, getting dressed for bed, and then finishing his lesson plan for the next morning, Adam wasn’t quite able to shake the guilt that came from masturbating to images of the boy. When bedtime came, he turned out the light and closed his eyes. Long before sleep could come, Adam pulled his underwear down and thought of a naked nearly-twelve-year-old boy as he jacked off again.

Copyright 2019 – Caliboy1991
All rights reserved

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