Carter separated from his passionate kiss with Daniel, and gently pushed him into a sitting position on the bench. He took the pistol and held it in front of him. “What’s this all about?” he sternly asked.

Daniel was ashamed, but said, “it’s all done, Carter, it’s all done. Everyone is better off without me; mom, Peter, and even you.” He leaned down and put his face into his hands. It was genuine pain, not some dramatic gesture meant to draw attention to himself.

Carter thought for a moment, then set the pistol down on the bench and pulled him back. He slapped Daniel’s face. Carter wanted it to sting as much as the slap he had felt from Daniel when they were together in his car last March.

“We’re going to talk about that. But first, this has to go back where it belongs,” he said, tucking the gun into his waistband and covering it with his shirt. He stood up and extended his hand. “It’s time to go home, kiddo,” Carter said, thoughts racing through his mind.

Daniel reached up and gently took his hand, feeling the understanding touch. “Okay, Carter,” he said. They walked together along the shoreline and climbed into Carter’s car, then drove the short distance to Daniel’s house.

They got out of the car and went in together, then took off their sandals. Carter took the gun from his waistband and pulled the slide back, ejecting the single cartridge onto the floor. He leaned down, picked it up, and held it in front of Daniel’s face.

“This wasn’t meant for you, and never consider it again,” Carter said, staring into his eyes. Daniel felt a shudder run through his body, almost as if his father was speaking to him.

“Now put these away,” Carter ordered, handing him the pistol and cartridge. Daniel sheepishly took them into his hands, then quickly returned to his mother’s bedroom, where he placed them back into the box from which he had originally taken them.

Looking at the picture of his father, the final thing he put back on top, he whispered, “where do I go from here, dad? Please tell me.”

Daniel returned and found Carter sitting on the couch. He settled next to him, wishing the fireplace was working, even though it was July. Oddly, they both looked at it, somehow mesmerized. “Tell me what pushed you this far,” Carter asked quietly, pulling him close.

“Peter saw us together when you said good-bye. I broke my promise to him of not touching you without him being there, but I couldn’t help it. He thinks I’m a cheater, a liar, and that I betrayed him. I can’t blame him for feeling that way, but did I really do anything so wrong?” Daniel asked softly.

“I don’t know him like you do. There was no reason for him to feel that way and you did nothing wrong, but clearly he can’t stand you loving someone else,” Carter reasoned. He knew that Daniel was young and vulnerable, yet still couldn’t understand his suicidal choice. “There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Carter asked.

Daniel hesitated, his heart pounding, but finally shared what had actually driven him to it. “He’s got a new friend … a boyfriend,” he said. Daniel’s body melted against Carter, who held him tightly. “I don’t know if Peter feels anything for him, or if he’s just trying to hurt me,” Daniel pouted. “We haven’t talked since you left.”

“Who is it?” Carter asked, feeling his pain, yet trying to understand. There was a pause before Daniel answered, not wanting to betray Peter any more. “His name is Alex. He’s on the cross-country team with him.”

Daniel could almost feel an electric shock between them as Carter immediately asked, “Alex Myer?” “Yes,” Daniel softly replied.

Carter didn’t say anything further, but Daniel clearly sensed that he had struck a nerve. “You know him, don’t you?” Daniel asked. “Yes, I do,” he said, gazing into the lifeless fireplace. Carter was concerned and lost in thought.

“Have I made you angry?” Daniel asked, a bit fearful that he may have probed too far. Carter made the decision to tell him the truth. “No, Daniel. You see, Alex is a switch-hitter, like me. We messed around several times. He was one of the few people who rode both sides of the fence. But, he’s just a player,” Carter said, unable to pull his eyes away from the cold fireplace and look at Daniel.

“A player? What does that mean, Carter?” Daniel naively asked. Hating to admit that he was the same thing until now, Carter explained it to him. “A player is just that; he plays the field to satisfy his needs, but doesn’t really care about anyone. I was a player, too, until I met you.” Daniel held him tightly and tried to understand.

“He’s going to hurt Peter, isn’t he?” Daniel asked, already preparing himself for the painful reply.

Carter thought carefully before answering. “I don’t know where things stand between them, but my guess is that he will,” Carter said quietly. “Alex is just looking for a piece of ass, and Peter may take it as love. In that case, he’ll be crushed. If Peter is only trying to get back at you, then he won’t care. That’s what you need to find out,” Carter said bluntly.

The reply was more painful than Daniel could have imagined. “How can I do that?” Daniel asked. “He won’t even talk to me and, if I tried to tell him about Alex, he’d think I was just lying.” Carter imagined the scene, and knew Daniel was right. It would never work and only widen the rift between them.

“I want you to be honest, Daniel. Tell me where you think this is all going. Where would you like it to be?” Daniel pondered the question for several moments. “If we’re practical, we have to face the facts. You’ll be in college for the next two years, then graduate and go off to a job somewhere that might be on the other side of the world. I plan on going to college, but who knows where that might be. So, we can’t really be together for several years.”

“Not only that, Carter, I haven’t forgotten that you’re bi-sexual. What happens if you fall in love with a woman and want to have a family someday? I’d only be in your way. I know we’ll always love each other, and no one can change that,” Daniel quietly said.

Carter was amazed at his calculated reasoning that made perfect sense, yet his own heart was breaking. Their roles were reversed, and he knew that Daniel was now saying good-bye to him.

“Do you think that you can mend your relationship with Peter?” Carter finally asked. “I don’t know how to do it. I love him, Carter, as much as I love you,” Daniel said. “I already told him that you weren’t coming back, but I don’t think he believes it. If he saw us right now, it would be over for sure.”

Silence reigned between them, both immersed in thought as their minds tried to accept what was practical, while their hearts melted together in genuine love.

Still holding him tightly, Carter said, “you’re right, Daniel. As much as I hoped we could make this work, we both know it can’t. If fate pulls us together someday, somewhere, somehow, I will be very happy, but for now, we have to part ways and move on.” It was painful for him to say, and equally painful for Daniel to hear, but they knew it was the right thing to do.

“I’m so tired, Carter,” Daniel sighed. “Will you sleep with me? I mean, just sleep with me,” Daniel softly asked. Carter was taken off-guard by his request, yet realized that was one of the things they had never done. “Yes, Daniel, I would like that.”

They rose from the couch and walked up the stairs to Daniel’s bedroom, closing the door behind them. Daniel faced Carter and said, “I know it isn’t Christmas, but would you like to open your gift? It’s probably the last one you’ll get from me.”

Carter was cut deeply by his question, but smiled and said, “you’re the best present I’ve ever received; there will never be anything like it again in my life.”

It was July, so Daniel was only wearing a light shirt, shorts and his usual white briefs. He stood motionless, eyes closed, as Carter slowly pulled the shirt over his head, raising his arms to help him. Carter slipped out of his own shirt, then closely embraced him. Their naked chests together, Daniel nearly fainted as he felt Carter wrap his arms around him.

Gently kissing his neck, Carter took in the sweet scent that made him crazy, but it was time to let that go, hard as it might be. He released his clutch and dropped to his knees, pulling Daniel’s shorts and briefs down to his ankles, lifting his feet out of them and throwing them aside. He gently kissed Daniel’s soft belly, then stood up, and stripped off his own remaining clothes.

They looked at each other lovingly. Daniel went to his bed and pulled the covers back, then crawled in. Carter joined him, settling next to his smooth body. It was hot, so they didn’t need to replace the covers over them. Instead, they just held each other closely and fell asleep.

It was nearly six in the evening when Carter awoke. He didn’t know that Daniel had come out to his mother, and was suddenly terrified that she might come home and find them together. He slipped out of bed and got dressed. Just as he was finishing, Daniel slowly woke up and rubbed his eyes, then also got out of bed and put his clothes on.

They walked downstairs and stood by the door, gazing at each other. “Daniel, I can’t promise it, but you may receive a visit from Peter. If so, he’s going to tell you some things you won’t be happy with. Trust me, Daniel, you just have to trust me, and never forget that I will always love you,” Carter said. Daniel was confused by his cryptic statement.

Carter took him into his arms and kissed him deeply. Pulling back, he stared into Daniel’s eyes and whispered, “see ya, kiddo,” then turned and left.

It was time to put his plan into motion as Carter drove away from Daniel’s house. He used his cell phone to call Alex. When he answered, he said, “hey, Alex, this is Carter.”

Alex said, “Carter! College boy back in town?”

“Yah, I thought we might get together. I haven’t seen you for over a year. What are you doing tonight?” Carter asked.

“Oh, nothing special. A friend of mine is coming over about 9:30. We’re going to the fireworks display in town,” Alex replied.

“Well, I’d like to see you before then. I really need to see you, Alex, if you know what I mean,” Carter said, using his most seductive voice.

Alex knew what he was hinting at. “That would be cool. Why don’t you come over about 8:30?” he said.

“Great, I’ll see you then,” Carter replied, a smile on his face. Part of the problem had already been solved.

It was 8:30 sharp when Carter arrived at Alex’s house. Waiting for him, Alex greeted Carter at the door. “Come on in Carter,” he beamed. They walked together into the living room. “Dude, you’re looking fine!” Alex said, running his greedy eyes over his body. Carter smiled and said, “whoa, but look at you! I knew that another year would buff you up, but not this sweet.”

Alex walked up to Carter and draped his arms over his shoulders. “You’ve missed me, haven’t you?” he asked. “Well, I’ve certainly missed your cute ass,” Carter teased. They merged into a kiss. Carter was almost ready to vomit, but pulled back and shoved Alex onto the couch. “Oh, want to play rough? I like that, but we’ve got to make it a quickie. My plate is kind of full tonight,” Alex gloated.

Carter sat next to him on the couch, feeling Alex slide his hand over Carter’s groin. “Let’s get this on,” he purred. Carter stood up and quickly removed his clothes, then leaned down and aggressively stripped Alex naked. “Oh yes, we’re certainly going to play rough,” Carter seethed.

Straddling him, Carter grabbed Alex’s hair with his left hand and pulled his head back against the couch. Staring at him with blazing eyes, Carter slowly circled his right hand over Alex’s throat, finally gripping it tightly.

“Who’s next on your plate tonight, Alex? Might it be a guy named Peter?” Alex was shocked and fearful. He didn’t like where this was going, and began to tremble.

“Stop it, Carter; this isn’t fun. If he’s your fuck-buddy, then you can have him. I don’t care,” Alex pleaded, trying to get up from the couch.

Carter smashed him back down, holding his throat even tighter. “No, no, Alex, it’s not that simple,” Carter hissed. “You’re going to be a player when he arrives tonight, and so will I. He’s going to find us together. You’re going to tell him to join the party, and if he mentions anything about a certain Daniel, I’ll take over. You understand me, Alex?” Carter asked, still clutching his throat. “Sure, Carter, sure; whatever you say,” he rasped, barely able to speak.

Carter released his grip on Alex’s throat and gently patted his face. “That’s a good boy,” he sarcastically said, then sat down next to him. Carter was smiling to himself while Alex shook with fear, still not understanding what this was about. Without saying a word, they sat and waited.

At 9:20, they heard the front door open and someone enter the foyer. “Get to work right now,” Carter quietly ordered, grabbing the back of Alex’s head. He quickly leaned down and began to suck Carter’s dick. Peter walked into the living room and stopped dead in his tracks. There they were on the couch, naked, Alex sucking Carter’s cock. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Alex … what … ?” is all he could manage to blurt out. Alex let Carter’s dick slip from his mouth, taking it into his hand and stroking it. “Hey, Peter. We might have to miss the fireworks in town, but we can have our own here. Come on in and join the party,” Alex said, having rehearsed the line in his head during the wait. He didn’t want Carter’s strong hand on his throat again.

“You fuckers!” Peter shouted, clenching his fists. “Alex, I thought you cared about me, but you’re just a slut! And you, Carter, how could you do this to Daniel? You know he loves you. Is everyone I know a cheat?” Peter screamed.

Carter took over, as he had instructed Alex, who said nothing. “Oh, grow up, you spoiled little shit. Daniel may love me, but I don’t care about that. I blew him off him last March, and he never cheated on you. He was a nice fuck, but that’s over. Besides, your little fling with Alex here doesn’t exactly make you faithful either, so get naked and let’s have some fun,” Carter taunted, his heart racing, hoping that he had accomplished his mission.

Peter stood in total disbelief and anger, yet began to settle down and absorb what he had just seen and heard. “You’re just trash, both of you,” he said. “Then go fuck yourself,” Carter smirked. Peter turned around and stormed out of the house.

Alex sat up, looking at Carter. “You just fell on your own sword, didn’t you?” he asked, now understanding what was going on. “Don’t think about it, but never fuck with Peter again,” Carter said, getting up and dressing himself.

Looking down at him with piercing eyes before he left, Carter said, “mention this to anyone else, and I’ll tear you to shreds, Alex. I mean it.”

The fireworks began as Peter walked down the street. He paused for a moment, only long enough to look up at the first blast that illuminated the sky, hearing the faint cheer coming from the crowd in town.

His mind swirling, Peter made his way to Daniel’s house and saw that it was completely dark. He rang the bell, but there was no answer. Sitting down on the front steps, Peter curled his arms and knees tightly against his chest, slowly beginning to rock.

It was all so confusing, too complicated, yet somehow easy. Another burst of fireworks exploded overhead.

“Grow up, you spoiled little shit,” coursed through Peter’s mind. Perhaps it was time to do exactly that. Carter had just been using Daniel, who hadn’t cheated on him after all. Alex was the same, and Peter had been taking advantage of that situation to hurt Daniel. He was indeed a spoiled little shit, Peter decided, as well as a cheater himself.

He rocked himself slowly, listening to the fireworks explode and the crowd cheer until silence fell over the night. Peter continued to wait, and finally saw Daniel walking up the sidewalk, dimly lit by the streetlight on the corner. “Hey, dick-licker,” Peter said.

Daniel froze in place, looked up to see Peter on the steps, and wondered how Carter would know that he might visit.

“Hey, pecker-eater,” he softly replied. “Mind if I come in?” Peter asked, Daniel now approaching him. “I’ve been hoping for it,” Daniel said, opening the door.

They entered the house and Daniel flipped on the light. He turned to face Peter, who wrapped him in a tight embrace. “I’ve been such a selfish ass. Please forgive me,” he whispered into Daniel’s ear. Completely taken aback, Daniel couldn’t understand how or why things were unfolding like this, and pulled back to look into Peter’s eyes. “Are you alright?” Daniel asked, terribly concerned. “I am now,” Peter answered.

Without saying a word, Peter took his hand and led him up the stairs to Daniel’s room. Turning on a small lamp, he took Daniel into his arms and kissed him. It was a gentle, passionate kiss filled with love. He withdrew and gazed into Daniel’s eyes, then reached down and pulled off his own sandals, shorts and underwear. After stripping off his shirt, Peter took Daniel into his arms again, kissing his neck.

Daniel was in a daze, but slowly ran his hands over Peter’s smooth back and ass. Peter grabbed Daniel’s shirt and pulled it over his head, then dropped to his knees. He slowly opened the snap on his shorts and lowered the zipper. Daniel closed his eyes as Peter gently lowered his shorts and white briefs, unable to believe that all of his dreams were coming true in one day.

After stripping him naked, Peter sensuously kissed his way up Daniel’s smooth body, flicking his tongue around his belly-button and teasing his little nipples, finally cradling his face with both hands. Daniel was again transfixed by the honey sparkles in his eyes as Peter said, “God, I never knew how much I really loved you … until now.”

Peter drew his body against him, kissing Daniel’s sweet lips, who could feel the passion building. Their cocks were hardening quickly as they ground together, sliding their hands over each other; groping, touching, gently squeezing.

Peter broke away and, with his usual frankness, said, “fuck me, Daniel, please fuck me.” Peter laid down on Daniel’s bed, wrapping his arms under his knees and pulling his legs back. Daniel knelt on the bed facing him, slowly stroking his cock, now oozing pre-cum. He gently swirled the head around Peter’s tight, little hole, then slid into him, falling forward onto his elbows. Daniel kissed Peter sensuously, then buried his face into his neck and began to thrust.

“Oh, yes, Daniel,” he softly moaned, “love me.” Daniel picked up speed as his aching cock plunged deeply into Peter’s hot ass, holding him closer and feeling Peter’s hard dick grind against his belly. Daniel hadn’t fucked anyone since last March, and couldn’t hold out long. He furiously pounded into him and, when he heard Peter grunt and felt his hot goo erupt between them, Daniel blasted jet after jet of sperm into his boiling cavern. “Oh, oh, oh,” he panted into Peter’s neck as he drained his balls, collapsing his full weight onto him. Peter held Daniel tightly, wrapping his legs around him, both exhausted.

“Hey, dick-licker, we’re a mess, aren’t we?” Peter softly asked. Daniel, his limp cock still inside him, said, “I guess so, pecker-eater.” They got up and took a shower together, after which Daniel settled closely next to Peter’s soft body.

As they spooned, Daniel asked, “why did you come back tonight?” Peter was feeling guilty and didn’t want to hurt him, but decided to tell Daniel exactly what had happened. “I went over to see Alex this evening. We were going to see the fireworks in town. When I got there, he was giving Carter a blow-job on the couch. Don’t be angry with me, but Carter said he didn’t care that you loved him and blew you off last March. He also said I was a spoiled little shit and needed to grow up. He was right.”

Peter waited for Daniel’s reaction. After a few moments of silence, Daniel said, “you know I still love him and always will, even though it’s over. Can you live with that, Peter?” “Yes, Daniel, I’ve learned a lot in one day. Alex means nothing to me … you’re the only one I love,” Peter replied.

As they drifted off to sleep, Daniel thought to himself, “thanks, Carter,” and heard him reply, “night, kiddo.”