The Quarterbac and the Tutor

MARCH OF SPRING SEMESTER/Three months after the fight and make up sex.

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"I'm glad you ladies agreed to come to supper at my apartment," I said.

"Well, Tom says you're a good cook and I've been dying to see those puppies everyone's talking about," Anne Marie laughed.

"You mean, those puppies Tom adopted for us and left me to do all the work?"

"That's a lie," Tom protested playfully. "I've done my share of the work caring for them. It's just that you live here all the time and I can only come over once a day."

"Now, boys," Louisa teased. "No fighting. We're here for a peaceful supper. So where are the puppies?"

On cue Angel and Aramis came racing in the living room.

"Oh, how sweet," the girls cooed.

"I still can't believe you've got such tiny dogs," Anne Marie said. "You'd expect two big tough guys like you to have Dobermans or Rottweiler's or some such. These are teacup toy dogs, a Chihuahua and a poodle."

"Not exactly everyone's idea of He-Man mastiffs," Louisa laughed. "So tell me how it is you've got these two, Lucas? I've heard the hall gossip but I want to hear it from your lips."

"A buddy of Tom's is in the army and the dogs belonged to his wife. They got transferred to Germany and the wife had made arrangements with an old lady down the street to take the mother dogs and their puppies on the day they were to leave the States. On the same day a mongrel dog got in their back yard and killed all the dogs except these two puppies."

"Oh, my god," Anne Marie exclaimed. "The poor babies. How old were they? They're so tiny."

"Angel, the Chihuahua, was two days old and Aramis, the poodle was a week old," said Tom. "Carol, the army wife, bred purebred Chihuahuas and toy poodles and sold them with pedigree papers. We've got the papers on both of them."

"And you ended up with them, Tom?"

"Yeah, Louisa, it was a sickening story. Richard and Carol were upset but they had to leave that day. The old lady was not able to take care of the newborns without the mamas so I volunteered to take them."

"Tom called the Animal Shelter and they were full over the max. They told him that if he took the dogs to them they'd put them down for him. So he showed up here at the apartment and I thought the big guy was going to burst into tears if I didn't take these two."

Tom blushed and Anne Marie patted his arm.

"You're a brave man, Tom. I would've been hysterical if I'd been told they were going to kill the puppies. You did the right thing. Everyone knows Lucas acts tough but he's got a heart of gold and a big weak spot for animals. You should have seen him the day Ricky Harper kicked that poor stray dog on the green. I thought Lucas would go to jail for attacking Ricky."

"Ricky was lucky I didn't break his goddamn leg! She was pregnant and due any day. I still can't believe that bastard kicked her in the stomach."

"Well, you're lucky those campus security guys are dog lovers or you'd have been arrested," Anne Marie laughed. "I mean, two black eyes, a broken nose, and a busted lip! Come on, Lucas, you're lucky Ricky didn't press charges."

"Anne Marie, I persuaded him that the animal cruelty charges he'd face were far more severe than any repercussions Lucas would suffer if he filed charges against him," Louisa smiled. "It helped that the guys in his fraternity threatened to kick him out if he filed."

"The science department helped with an incubator and a couple of biology professors and graduate students monitored to make sure everything was okay," Tom laughed. "I think they thought the puppies would end up dying on us if they didn't help so they took pity on us. Both of them could fit in the palm of my hand and my middle finger was bigger than Angel. Who knew a Chihuahua was so tiny at birth? They're like little puppy guppies."

"One of the graduate students, Jill Stillman, wanted to take them away from us but Dr. Yawn told her to butt out, that Tom and I would do just fine. I think she thought it would be a good experiment to see if two engineering students could actually keep newborn puppies alive," I laughed.

"It's a good thing, too," Tom grinned. "I think I'd have had to kill somebody if they tried to take 'em away from us. I've been raising dogs all my life and so has Lucas. Of course, we both have Labrador Retrievers at home, not these little guys. Plus, Lucas spent about five hundred dollars on formula and stuff for newborn dogs. He was even going to buy an incubator but the girl at the Petco is a graduate student in biology and she's how we got their help."

"So it's like you two are a family with puppies instead of children," Louisa smiled knowingly.

"I think so," Tom said seriously.

He was not about to back down although we were both still deep in the closet on campus. His declaration of love at the top of his lungs that Saturday had not been overheard. We didn't do anything openly but it was no secret that we were the closest of friends. He also didn't give a damn if anyone read anything more into it than that.

Anne Marie fed the dogs and put them in their little bed in the kitchen. While she and Tom played with them, Louisa set the table and I made the salads to go with the pot roast.

We laughed and joked as we ate the salad but Tom had a purpose in inviting them and was determined to carry it out. As we were eating the pot roast he spoke up.

"Anne Marie, Louisa, I've got something to say and..."

He paused and the two of them looked at him expectantly.

"Yes?" Louisa smiled. "Is this the declaration, the reason why we're here? Don't keep us waiting, Tom."

"Yes," he faltered.

Tom looked at me desperately, his resolve wavering.

"You can tell us anything, Tom," Louisa said. "ANYTHING. It goes no further than here."

Louisa's eyes were all knowing. Anne Marie looked a little nervous. I'm not sure how I looked but I'm sure everyone could see I was uneasy. I hated to see the man I love about to turn our world upside down but it was his announcement, not mine.

"Anne Marie, I like you more than any girl I've ever known in my life but we'll never be more than friends in our future. I'm in love with Lucas and I intend to marry him one day."

He spoke softly but with determination. He looked down at the table but before he did I saw the mixture of bravado and fear in his eyes. There was such a dead silence I was afraid this was not going to go the way we wanted. Anne Marie was sitting next to Tom and she touched his arm.

"You need to be careful, Tom. If I can see how much you love Lucas in your every move I'm afraid someone else will too."

Tom flushed and we could all see the emotion in his eyes.

"It's hard for me. I love Lucas more than anything in the world. I never thought I'd say someone is the reason for my existence but he is. I'm sorry if you're upset but I just wanted you to know."

"And you, Lucas?" Louisa asked. "You haven't said anything."

"Tom doesn't want to live a lie with the two of you. I don't either but I love him too much to be the one to out him to you. It had to be his doing. After all, he stands to lose a lot more than I do."

The way I looked into Louisa's eyes made it clear that I knew about her and Anne Marie but I would leave it to them to speak of it.

"Does this mean that you don't want to date me anymore, Tom?"

"No, Anne Marie. That'll be entirely up to you. I just wanted to clear the air with you. And now I've given you the power to tell the world I'm gay if you want to. It's entirely in your hands, yours and Louisa's."

"Okay, Anne Marie," Louisa said. "Let's cut to the chase here, shall we? The gig's up and the four of us have the opportunity for our relationship to grow to new heights."

Anne Marie looked startled.

"They know, Anne Marie. I'm not sure how but they know."

"How?" she said softly. "We've been so careful and no one has ever questioned it, no one."

I decided to be truthful.

"Millie Fernandez is my cousin. Our mothers are sisters."

Anne Marie paled slightly.

"She didn't tell me, Anne Marie, it just happened. Do you remember a summer night in Atlanta when Millie's car broke down in the parking lot of a lesbian bar and she had to call a cab for you? I came to fix my cousin's car and I saw her kiss you when she put you in the cab."

"It was before you and I got together, Louisa, and Millie was my first," Anne Marie explained.

"I believe you, Anne Marie. I know you've never been unfaithful. So what happened with you and Millie?"

"I came back to the university. We were never destined to have a long term relationship anyway."

"Do you still keep in touch with her or see her when you go home to Atlanta?"

"I've seen her around a couple of times because our families live in the same neighborhood but Millie has someone else now. Anyway, my father would have a stroke if he knew I'd even spoken to her. He's preached sermons about the lesbian in our neighborhood, how all homosexuals need to be locked in a camp and kept away from civilized people."

"I can confirm it, Louisa, the relationship part anyway. Millie works for the state of Georgia and has been in a relationship with another employee for about two years now."

Apparently, Louisa was a jealous one and Anne Marie needed to appease her fears.

"You've never said anything before, Lucas," Anne Marie said questioningly.

"Why would I? It's your business."

"And it's how you figured it out about me and Louisa."

"That's part of it. I know what to look for and I saw it in the two of you."

Anne Marie looked frightened.

"Don't worry, I don't think anyone else has seen it or will."

"I don't know what to do with my life," she said quietly. "My father is a Pentecostal preacher, Church of God, and he believes homosexuality is more sinful than murder. If he found out about me I'd be cast out of my family permanently, eternally, and he'd cut me off financially. It's one thing to talk tough about being out, gay and proud, and it's another to lose your entire identity, your whole family, and financial security."

"Anne Marie has got it particularly rough," Louisa said. "And my situation isn't much better. My family is as homophobic as they come although it's not really so much a religion issue. My father's brother is gay and the family threw him out when he was fifteen. The last we heard of him he'd moved to San Francisco and changed his name. That was over twenty years ago. My family will pay my way through law school unless I fuck it up and decide to be gay and proud and broke."

"There are those who think hiding in a closet is for cowards but there are even more who see the practical side of things. I don't so much think of myself as in the closet as I think that my personal life is my own damn business and I don't have to go around carrying signs," I said.

"It's a difficult issue for us," Tom sighed. "If my back was against the wall I wouldn't deny it because it's who I am. I just don't think I have to tell the world about it. And there are some good reasons to keep it that way, millions of them."

"As you said earlier, Louisa, let's cut to the chase here," I said. "We can help each other out if you two are willing. We can continue to double date and appear to fit in the straight world but we don't have to if the two of you feel uncomfortable with it."

"We're not uncomfortable about it at all, are we, Anne Marie?"

She shook her head no.

"In fact, at some point in our future it might be to our advantage to share an apartment together. Of course, that's way off and maybe never but it's an option."

"Then I guess the only thing to say is that we'll leave plans for the next date up to you ladies although I've really been wanting to go see that new movie at the Plaza," Tom laughed.

The tough conversation was over, Tom had made our situation clear, and we enjoyed the rest of the evening, playing with the dogs. Louisa and Anne Marie finally left and Tom and I sat on the couch watching television. The puppies had followed us into the living room and they were asleep in front of the TV.

After a while I slid over to snuggle with him, to feel his warmth. Engrossed in the TV program, he put his arm around my neck and pulled me close to him, his fingers playing with my hair. He kissed me gently on the top of my head. I listened to his heartbeat as he held me, content to be close to my lover.

"I love you more than you can know, Tom," I said softly. "What you did tonight, outing us to Anne Marie and Louisa, took guts and I love you for it. You didn't have to do it but you did, baby."

"Yes, I did, Lucas. I couldn't continue to live a lie with those two and more importantly, I knew that you couldn't either. Your respect for me as a man is more important than anything and I had to let them know who we are. I'm going to marry you one day and I need for you to know that I love you and I'm a man of my word."

"I DO know you're a man of your word, baby. You don't have to prove anything to me, Tom, but what you did tonight and what I know you'll do in the future fills my heart with love for you."

Tom was such a strong man, a man who'd face down anyone. He pulled my face up to him and kissed me, then kissed my closed eyes, my face, and my lips. My heart swelled in my chest, filled with love, with so much pride in him, and feeling like we were one now.

"Tonight, we grew as a couple, a pair, Tom. I feel like we're one now, more than ever before."

He squeezed me tight.

"Of course we are, my love. And I've got something for you."

He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small box.

"Here, I love you."

It was a small gold ring, three entwining bands of colored gold, one yellow gold, one white, and one rose. I took it out of the box and stared at it.

"It's beautiful, Tom, I love it but where's yours?"

"It's at the jewelry store waiting for you to go in and buy it for me. I've already put down some money on it so they're holding it for you," he grinned. "Look inside the ring."

I looked at the tiny inscription, 'Lucas, I'll love you forever. Tom' and I was overcome with emotion. I pulled his face to mine and kissed him. Our tongues danced together, twirling and making love. I felt as though we were in the metaphor I'd used before, two lovers blazing through the sky like a comet.

His body was warm as he held me in the coolness of a northern March evening. I pushed my hands inside his shirt and rubbed his chest. He kissed me again and then pushed me aside to kneel on the floor before me. He took the ring and put it on my finger.

"Will you marry me, Lucas? It's legal in this state."

I must have looked startled because he laughed.

"We don't have to do it tomorrow and you don't even have to answer me now if you want to think about it but I wanted to ask for your hand in marriage before someone else does."

I slapped his head playfully.

"Are you crazy? No one else is going to ask and if they did I'd tell them I'm already taken; by you, by the man I'll love forever and love like no other. Of course I'll marry you, Tom."

He lay his head on my thigh and wrapped his arms around my legs.

"You've made me the happiest man alive, the happiest I've ever been in my life, Lucas Blake."

"When can I go get your ring for you?"

"Tomorrow if you want."

"Does it have an inscription in it?"

He grinned mischievously.

"Of course. It's the same as in yours, just from you to me. I knew that's what you'd want."

"Oh, you did, did you?"

He burst out laughing.

"You can change it if you want something else. You can change the rings if this is not what you want."

"You know it's what I want, baby. How you know is beyond me but you know."

He took my hand and kissed it, then turned it over and kissed the palm.

"I know because I love you, because I know you, because I'm learning what you like, Lucas. I told you, I'm going to make you love me as much as I love you."

"If you say that to me again I'm going to kick your ass all over this apartment and then beat it with a whip. You do NOT love me more than I love you and stop saying it."

"I'm going to make you love me as much as I love you, I'm going to make you love me..."

I put my hand over his mouth as he broke up laughing.

"Where do you keep your whip, Lucas?" he teased.

"Oh, is that what you want, huh? For me to put a whip on that gorgeous ass of yours?"

"I might enjoy it sometime. We'll have to see," he grinned.

He undid the button to my jeans and unzipped them, then pulled them off with my underwear. He pulled my shoes and socks off and I pulled my shirt over my head.

"You're so handsome, Lucas. You have such a sexy hairy body. I feel sort of embarrassed when I'm naked with you."

"You idiot," I teased. "And here I feel like you've got the sexiest body of any man alive, so full of muscles and all smooth. And since there's no football, there're no bruises."

"I guess we're just perfect for each other," he grinned.

He reached up and tweaked my nipples, dragging his fingers through the hair on my chest and stomach.

"No fair, here I'm naked and you've got all your clothes on. I need you naked to warm me up."

He stood up and stripped, his eyes never leaving mine, as I looked at his nude body. My erection grew almost instantly. He knelt between my opened legs and ran his hands over my body, dragging his fingers through my chest hair and again tweaking my nipples.

"I love you so much, Lucas and I need you in my life forever," he whispered huskily.

I pulled his right hand to my lips and sucked on his fingers. He took his other hand and grabbed my cock. He lowered his head and took the head of my cock in his mouth. He sucked it and twirled his tongue around the head. I was leaking precum as quickly as he could drink it.

I looked down between his legs and watched his cock quivering and jerking, standing out from the thick patch of pubic curls, his balls tight against his body.

"I want you to fuck me," he said huskily.

"Turn around and bend over so I can eat your ass out."

He did as I asked and pulled his buttocks open wide with his hands. I attacked his ass with my lips and tongue, wetting down the hair around his hole and exposing the pink rosebud, quivering and clenching with anticipation. For the next few minutes I made love to his ass until his sphincter had relaxed and his hole was open wide.

I took the lube he handed me and squirted it inside him before he climbed onto the couch and crouched over my lap, facing me and teasing my erect cockhead with his hole. We'd both been tested and it had been over six months since we'd had sex with another partner so we no longer used condoms.

"Your cock is so huge, Lucas," he whispered. "I love your cock."

He pushed my cock against his hole several times before he finally pushed down and sucked my cock into him. I felt the muscles of his ass milking my cock, clenching and squeezing. His cock swung back and forth as he moved, dripping his precum on my stomach. I was mesmerized by the intensity of his love making.

I felt my cock press against his prostate and his cock began to jerk wildly, dripping an ever increasing amount of his juices. He pushed himself down so that he was sitting fully on my lap and he leaned forward and kissed me.

"You feel wonderful in me," he whispered in my ear. "You're a magnificent lover."

He lifted himself off me completely, leaving only the head of my cock in his asshole and then slammed back down to my pubes, jarring my balls. He wrapped his arms around my neck and threw his head back,

"Fuck me, Lucas, fuck your man hard."

His ass was bouncing up and down, squeezing my cock as continued to withdraw and re-impale himself on it, over and over again. I felt his entire body quivering and jerking as he buried his face in my neck. His teeth bit into me, his tongue licking, and his lips sucking my skin to leave his love mark.