The sound of Jason's engine as he pulled up into the circular driveway of the Kinney/Taylor house brought Gus bounding down the front steps. He had been dressed and ready to go in less than ten minutes after hanging up with Jason and spent the last ten minutes, after telling his dads where he was going, waiting for his best friend to arrive. He was incredibly conflicted. On the one hand he wanted more than anything to spend more time with Jason. On the other hand he was as nervous as hell that things wouldn't be as smooth and easy with him as they had been before the last night at the Vermont ski lodge.

While waiting for Jason, the memory of that last night with Jason holding him tight brought a flush to Gus' cheeks. He could feel the heat rising in his face and other places and felt embarrassed. But at the same time an electric thrill coursed through his veins that was far from unpleasant. The longing to spend time with Jason won out over his fears and he raced to the truck as fast as his sinewy runner's legs could carry him, all but leaping into the front seat when Jason opened the door for him. For one brief instant Gus felt like leaning over and planting a kiss on Jason as he'd seen his dad do to DJ, or DJ do to his dad, time and again, but he squelched the impulse as quickly as it rose."So, where to, Gee," Jason questioned?

"The mall's the best bet," Gus replied. "Plenty of different shops." Gus paused for a couple of minutes while Jason got back into traffic. The mall wasn't more than ten minutes away. When they were on their way, Gus continued, "Man, am I glad to see you..."

Jason interrupted, "Me too, bud. So have you decided what kind of gift you want to get my folks."

Gus was a little disappointed at the semi-formal way that Jason was talking to him. It seemed almost like forced cheerfulness and made Gus uncomfortable, but he quickly decided he was projecting his own insecurities onto his friend and dismissed it. It wasn't as if Jason had gone out of his way to completely avoid him.

Once the boys reached the mall, they began their quest for the perfect party gift. By the time they had hit the third gift shop, their accustomed ease with each other was back in form. Jostling and joking over some of the wackiest ideas for gifts brought the fun back in their day. Pretty soon they were visiting stores that they had no expectation of actually finding a gift in simply for the fun of it. The magic and tricks store brought out the mischief in both boys as they tried to outdo each other in working the magic tricks on display for potential customers. They had a ball dancing in the aisle of the music store as they listened to some of the newest dance tunes while making fun of each other's lack of coordination. Finally they hit the young moderns clothing shop that carried some of the hippest new styles. They decided to try on a few of the more interesting pieces.

It was when Gus had called out to Jason in the next changing booth that things turned serious suddenly. Gus had tried on a full length wool coat with a zippered closing rather than buttons and the zipper had gotten stuck part way down. No matter what he had tried he couldn't loosen the teeth of the zipper from the fabric caught hopelessly in its clutches. After several minutes of tugging and cursing, Gus decided that four hands would be better than two. He ignored his embarrassment and called for help.

"Jase, you still there?"

"Yeah. Man, you gotta see this jacket. If it wasn't so damned expensive I'd buy the thing now. Come check this out."

"I can't. I've got a little problem here. I need your help."

"So what's the prob?" Jason asked.

"I'll tell you, but only if you promise not to laugh at me," Gus answered.

Gus saw Jason's feet under the three quarter door.

"I promise not to laugh, so open the door."

Gus unlocked the door and let Jason enter the cramped stall. He pointed down to his shirt just above his waist where it was obvious that the material was snagged in the zipper of the coat he was wearing. His shirt was pulled at least halfway out of his pants. The look of frustration on the poor kids face struck Jason's funny bone and he couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud.

"I....I....I'm sorry, Gee," he laughed. 'I can't help it. I thought you'd been taught to dress yourself by now," Jason joked.

"Ha Ha! Not funny, Jase. Just help me get out of this thing!"

Jason did his best to stifle his laughter and bent down to get eye level with the offending zipper. It took a number of swift up and down maneuverings of the zipper and shirt before the zipper finally flew upwards freely. As Jason rose up with the zipper he found himself face to face with Gus. The laughter that had been bubbling up died and Jason's face became serious.

The teens stared into each others eyes for what seemed an eternity when Jason finally broke eye contact by leaning into Gus and planting his lips firmly on the taller boys mouth. Gus didn't even hesitate. He welcomed the feel of Jason's lips on his own again and returned the pressure in kind. A minute later, Jason pulled back, looking Gus straight in the eye. Gus didn't try to hide his feelings. The desire for Jason was written all over his flushed face. It was more than enough for Jason. He wrapped his arms around Gus' waist and pulled the taller boy tighter against him while moving in for another kiss. This time the two boys put all they were worth into it. The pressure on their lips forced them to slowly part and, driven by the instinctual urge to unite, their tongues tentatively began to explore each other.

Within seconds the young lovers were consumed with need. The sound of a father and his rowdy young son entering the changing room was like a bucket of ice water being thrown on the teens. They sprang apart, backing up against opposite walls of the tiny stall. Both young men were visibly shaken with flushed faces and heavy breathing. They stood stock still like statues, not daring to move a muscle. Jason raised his fingers to his lips and mouthed a shhhhh sound. When the door to one of the stalls slammed shut several doors down from the boys, Jason stepped up to Gus again.

"We need to talk...for real, Gee," he whispered.

Gus smiled back weakly. "I know. And we have more to talk about than you know, Jase."

Jason gave Gus a quizzical look, but this was no place to discuss anything. The boys separated and quickly discarded what they had been trying on. Once they were done they met outside the stalls and made a bee line for the food court. They made a purchase of a giant pretzel and coke and grabbed a table that was just being cleared up. They gave each other a minute to gather their thoughts and take a bite of the salty treat, washed down with a swig of soda.

Jason was the first to speak. "So...am I right that you didn't hate what happened in Vermont? And if you say no, I'm outta here, Gee!"

Gus almost laughed at the seriousness of his friends tone. "No...I mean yes, you're right. The truth is that I was so afraid you'd regret it that I didn't know what I should say." Gus leaned in closer. "Jase, I can't stand the thought of losing your friendship...or any...well anything we might have. I don't know when it happened, but you've become more important to me than anybody."

"Me too, Gee! Goddamn it! I've felt that way about you for so long, but I was afraid you'd run away from me if I told you. I mean, I know your dads are cool about something like this but I wasn't sure how you felt. We never even came close to talking about feelings like this...and we talk about everything."

"I know, Jase. And speaking of my dads, I've got something you need to know."

Gus proceeded to inform a surprised Jason with news of DJ's discovery on that last morning and of the men's desire to have a frank discussion with the two boys together. Jason's groan brought a laugh out of Gus.

"Hey, it won't be so bad. You know that if anybody won't be judgmental, it's those two. I think they just want to make sure that we know what we're getting into. They love me and they like you a lot. They want to make sure we're safe and responsible. They thought we could sit down with them after lunch today. They even made sure that JR would be with your family for the whole day so we could keep things private. So whadda ya say?"

Jason gave it a few seconds and then responded. "I say we'd better get serious about finding my folks a gift and get on back to your place for probably the most interesting lunch of our lives."

Gus laughed out loud and they proceeded to do just that after gulping down their snack. Less than an hour later, the truck pulled up into the Kinney/Taylor driveway. The boys got out, Gus holding a small brightly wrapped gift in his hand, and entered the house with only a small amount of trepidation.

**********************************

Brian helped Justin clear the dining room table of the last remnants of the shrimp and lobster salad that Justin had prepared for lunch. As he helped Justin rinse off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, they talked about how they were going to approach their talk with their son and Jason. The boys had come home an hour earlier with gift in hand and a demeanour towards each other that clued the dads into the fact that something had gone right between the friends while at the mall. Before heading for Gus' room he told DB and DJ that Jason knew what they wanted to do after lunch and was agreeable to it.

Now the time had come. It was a toss up as to which side...the older or younger...was the most nervous. Once the four men were seated in the family room...the older men in lounge chairs across from the younger ones on the sofa...someone had to start the ball rolling. Justin decided to dive in first.

"Okay, Jason, Gus tells us that you are aware of what we wanted to talk to you two about."

"Yes, sir. And can I say right off that I understand? I just want you to know that me and Gee are not just messing around." Jason reached for Gus' hand. "We really care about each other."

Brian and Justin looked at each other in amazement. "We can see that," Brian said. "And we're glad you're feeling comfortable with each other. We just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourselves into...and that it's genuine, not just an intense friendship." Brian turned to Gus. "And Son, why didn't you tell me before that you felt you were gay. I mean, it's not like I'd condemn you like my old man or Justin's father did when we revealed ourselves to them. You had to know that we'd understand."

"I know, Dad. Look, I couldn't tell you cause I didn't really know myself. Honest! I've never been attracted to any other guy before. I've never been attracted to anyone else before."

"What about Heather?"

"We were just friends. I know folks thought it was more...and I think she wanted more too, but I just didn't feel that way about her. I mean, I really do love her, just not that way...you know?"

"I know, Son," Brian responded. "I felt the same thing for your Mother. If I had a hetero bone in my body I would have probably been in love with Linds, but instead I fell in love with Justin."

"Awww, thanks. Second choice, I see," Justin joked.

Brian wrapped his arm around Justin's shoulder and pulled him in for a kiss. "Never second to anyone, Sunshine," he laughed.

"Anyway, to get back on topic," Justin interrupted, "our main concern was that you be absolutely sure that what you want is to have a physical relationship with each other and if you BOTH want that, then you be one hundred percent safe.""Believe it or not," Brian added, "we were young once too, so we know what you're feeling. It's heady stuff and a guy can get careless and ruin his life. We don't want that for either of you."

Justin's turn. "There can also be some emotional pitfalls. Take it from me, those can be devastating to a relationship. You're not always going to be on the same wavelength. That becomes harder to deal with when you have an intimate relationship."

"There's also the question as to what your folks know, Jason," Brian added. "It's your business what you want them to know, but we need to know what they know. But I'm telling you, son, you should tell them what's going on with you. Being who you are openly with your family will make your life a lot more bearable in the long run."

"If you're asking me if I'm out to my folks...the answer is no. I've known for some time now that I was gay, but I've never acted on it and I didn't think it was really anything they needed to know until I did. I intend to tell them and I think they'll be okay with it. I just need to find the right time, you know?"

"We understand, Jason. We'll leave that decision in your hands. I just want you to understand that it might be kind of exciting for a while...having a secret relationship and all...but it does get tedious after a while and harder to deal with. Just giving you a heads up." Justin reached behind him to the side table where a pack of brochures magically appeared from under the oversized crystal ash tray.

"We got some reading material together for you guys to check out together. Nothing dramatic...just some info on how to be careful and sources for you to check online for gay teenagers. And if you have any questions at all, we want you to feel free to come to us. Trust me, there is nothing that you can feel or do that we haven't already experienced ourselves. We're here for you anytime. And if you need help with your folks, Jason, we'll be there for that too," Justin finished up.

Gus stood up, closely followed by Jason. "Thanks Dad," he said as he leaned over to kiss the top of Brian's head. "You too, DJ. You guys are the best."

The teens gathered up the material and headed back to Gus' room. As they watched the retreating backs of the two boys, Brian and Justin felt a sense of pride. They tuned to each other.

"Okay? I think that went well," Justin said.

"It went really well. Now comes the hard part."

Seeing Justin's raised eyebrows, Brian added, "watching them navigate the treacherous waters of couplehood," he laughed.

Justin 'Debbie' slapped Brian's arm. "You mean like we did?"

"Oh, I hope not, Sunshine. Let's hope their waters are a lot calmer than ours were."

"Oh, I don't think we did so bad," Justin smirked.

Brian pulled his husband into his embrace and planted a firm kiss on Justin's willing lips. They stood together in their comfortable home and wondered just how easy life was going to be for the two young men upstairs. All they could do was be there for them and help whenever possible, like any good parent would. Only time would tell what was in store for the new lovers.

To be continued..........