*Note: Hello everyone. It has been a while since my last story in this series. Not sure if this will be the last part or not, but I hope you like this one.
John started the day lying in bed, thinking about all of the men he'd had over the last year. It was something he often did in the mornings when he was not looking forward to getting out of bed. There was Leo, the young, black military officer and the first guy he'd had sex with since leaving the home he'd shared with his ex-wife. Then there was Dylan, the six-foot-three ex-marine with reddish brown hair. Chet, 6 feet even, blonde, lean and fit. Dylan's new boyfriend Ray, another ex-marine who John thought looked like a Polish bodybuilder. And the others. Sarge was fun. And hot. His boyfriend (Robbie) was sketchy and at times unpleasant but they played separately and together, so John could still have fun when he got Sarge alone.
Dylan was the best in bed, the most sensual, the most oral, and the most aural. Leo was the most beautiful and at 25, the most energetic. Ray had the biggest dick. And then there was Chet, the successful lawyer. John had an MBA and a successful professional career. On paper, he and Chet made the most sense together. There was definitely a spark there, but Chet wanted more than John was willing to give. He wanted a relationship. He wanted exclusivity. John wanted nothing of the sort. And so, Chet's disappointment became one of the things that made John feel guilty.
The first time John met Ray - a large muscular cop - had been... interesting. Ray was naturally stoic and reserved but the two ex-Marines were a very sexual couple with no qualms about casual hookups. This dynamic lead to John acting as perhaps the most "accommodating" host anyone could ask for. The second time he met Ray, had been equally interesting but for different reasons. The three of them were sitting in John's living room when Dylan's unlikely friendship with Leo came up.
"Yeah, they're REAL good friends," Ray said.
John perked up. "What do you mean by that?" He asked, already having a good idea of what was meant.
"Apparently, they tag-teamed a bottom together," the man said, rubbing his bald head.
John feigned shock. "Who was it?"
"Dylan wouldn't say. Said he doesn't want anyone to be embarrassed."
John took a sip of his Scotch and smirked. He looked at Dylan who also shared a similar expression.
"I'm not embarrassed," John said offhandedly.
Ray was shocked but only for a moment and for the first time since they'd met, the man smiled. Briefly.
"Dylan and Leo at the same time, huh?" He said trying to sound nonchalant.
But later, while at a bar frequented by Dylan and his friends, Ray caught John alone outside. His hands were in his pockets and he seemed almost nervous.
"So, Dylan and Leo... what was that like?"
John looked up at Ray through narrowed eyes. "I was great. Really hot."
"Uh huh, but how did it go? I mean how did it happen?"
John went into more detail about the time and place but eventually it became clear that Ray wanted details of a different kind. After several increasingly more intimate questions, John finally gave away all of the graphic details, reliving the memory. Then he turned to Ray with a question of his own.
"Why do you want to know?" John asked, playfully suspicious.
Ray gave John a look that let John know that he'd been caught. He shrugged.
"I'm sure you already know this but, Leo doesn't have much time left before he leaves on his deployment and when he gets back there's only a month or two before he leaves for good," John said knowingly.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ray said coolly. But there was a smile in his tone and he gave John a genial clap on the shoulder before heading back into the bar.
The last few months had also brought a couple of other friends. One was Charlie, a kind elderly man who co-owned the bar where Dylan liked to spend time and who, John realized, viewed Dylan almost as a surrogate son. The fact that John had let Dylan stay with him during a tough time was the only thing that he needed to know about John to welcome him with open arms. The other, unexpectedly, came courtesy of Ray. John was a bit hesitant when Ray asked him to talk to a guy who was having some issues navigating his sexuality and his current spousal situation. John had also been stuck trying to reconcile being married to a woman after realizing that he liked men and this man, Scott, was in a similar situation. But it was not quite the same. Scott was... different, reckless in a way that was a bit shocking. John liked Scott and decided to be a friend to him but realized that that friendship could only go so far. But, they were able to talk comfortably about their backgrounds, their marriages, and their sex lives almost right away. It was nice having friends to talk about these kinds of things with now. He had no one like this back in his old town.
As John pulled himself out of bed and prepared to drive back, he felt guilty that he was dreading it. Not just the possibility of running into gossipy old neighbors, but also his oldest son. John was taking him shopping for his college dorm room. It was supposed to be a bonding experience but the boy, now 18, had always been moody and a tiny bit arrogant. John's actions - getting caught on his knees and outed to the neighborhood - had brought about shame and more likely than not, ruined the last two years of high school for him. Thoughts of that affair often popped into his head when John went back to his home town. But all John could do was be there for him now. So, in spite of the reluctance and guilt, he got dressed on this August morning and made the drive back to his old life.
The day went better than expected. He got to spend some time with his younger son, now going into his senior year, before heading out with the older one. It was fine. The boy managed to not be moody or hostile, and John managed to blunt some of the damage that the divorce had done to their relationship. After a few hours of shopping, lunch, and actual bonding, they headed back to John's car. The backseat and trunk were filled with all of the things a college dorm might need. From the passenger seat, John noticed a shift in his son Ian's demeanor. He braced himself.
"Did you know?" his son asked as the car started and began to exit the parking lot.
"Know what?" John asked, focusing on the road.
"Did you know you were gay when you married mom?"
John was prepared for this. It was a question he had been expecting for some time now. He answered with the truth.
"No, I didn't know for sure."
"When did you know?" Ian's tone wasn't accusatory. It was genuinely inquisitive. John was grateful for that.
"It's hard to say for sure. It's very easy to lie to yourself sometimes. But I guess I could say I finally admitted it to myself about eight or nine years ago."
