Nick (Sequel to JP) - CH. 58

[luvyalots]

CHAPTER 58: Hope

The other guy didn?t have a chance.

Nick glared at him from across the mat before their bout, the state championship. His opponent wasn?t making eye contact. By now, everyone knew how Nick had dominated his weight class all season ? he hadn?t lost a match ? and no doubt, he was downright scared to face him on such a big stage.

?Karl Mickelson of E.C. Glass and Nick Angelakis of Central, 275 Heavyweight!?

The two wrestlers walked toward the center of the mat, finally looking at each other for the first time. Immediately, Nick sized his challenger up. He could tell the guy was cocky, sure of himself, probably the hot dog of his team. He had easily won his district title?but that was Lynchburg, an area not known for its wrestling programs. Anyway, his eyes glared back at Nick, obviously hiding the fear that lurked behind them. That would change soon enough, Nick knew.

He was large, broad, big powerful shoulders, thick arms, even thicker legs. But he had a great deal of bodyfat ? almost all the heavyweights did. His love handles and his gut jiggled as he shook Nick?s hand and got into the starting position. Nick on the other hand was solid muscle?4% bodyfat. Nothing jiggled on him and the guy had to have noticed that.

The millisecond the referee blew his whistle, Nick pounced on his opponent with all the quickness he had. He was going to show him how superior he was, how he wasn?t a typical heavyweight. Mickelson reacted quickly?but not quickly enough; Nick scored a takedown only seconds into the match. It was obvious which wrestler would be controlling this fight. The other guy was underneath Nick?s bulk of pure muscle, his body twisted uncomfortably. Nick dug his thick forearms against his lats, his hand curled under his armpit and cupped around his deltoid ? hm, there was some nice muscle underneath that fat ? and began to force a pin. But he wasn?t planning on pinning him just yet.

He wanted to play with the guy, put some points on the board for the team. If he held him there long enough and then let him escape, he?d get a half-pin. Plus, as Brandon always joked, it gave the photographers more chances to get good shots of him for the newspapers. If this guy was as good as he thought he was, he?d?

Yep, there it is! Mickelson struggled to reach an arm to Nick?s mid-section ? usually the weakest part of a heavyweight ? and prepared for a reversal. Oh, so that was his plan! One of the many things JP had taught him early on was how to read his opponent?s thoughts by reading his body language. A twinge of a muscle in one direction usually meant he was about to go in the other direction?a squint of the eyes meant he was most likely going to perform a tough physical move?a reversal was normally signaled by a strain in the neck or? There it was?the jaw flex. Nick threw his massive legs farther apart, better stabilizing himself ? he wasn?t going to be flipping anytime soon. No sooner had he done that, Mickelson went for it, but was immediately met with powerful resistance. For a split second, their eyes met in the tussle and Nick flashed him a ?I know what you?re thinking? look, giving him a smirk to let him know he could easily pin him whenever he wanted?but not just yet.

He let up ever so slightly and the guy instantly took the escape. He wanted to get out of there, no doubt trying to figure out what to do next. And that was exactly what Nick wanted. Wrestling is an extremely physical sport, but the best wrestlers play mind games, make it psychological. If you get the guy thinking too much, he?ll make mistakes, leave body parts open to attack, exposed. It was like chess; you always had to think several moves ahead. And Nick loved it that way.

By the end of the first period, Nick was leading by seven points. As the two parted, he gave Mickelson a little smile, getting a mild scowl of frustration in return. Every time Nick would get close to getting him, he?d let him go. And each opportunity the guy had in getting Nick, Nick would see it ahead of time and stop him in the act.

?Playing with this guy, aren?t ya,? Coach Graves grinned as Nick jogged up to him for water.

?Yeah,? he replied, ?he?s good, but easy to read.? He took a gulp from the water bottle and wiped the sweat from his brow. Graves quickly massaged his traps and shoulders.

?Just finish him off,? the coach laughed. ?I think he?s had enough.? Nick glanced over to the opposite bench where Mickelson was hearing it from his own coach. He kept shaking his head as the coach animatedly began explaining moves to him. No doubt he was telling him that none of them were working.

Just before the second period began, Nick met eyes with his opponent. Mickelson?s fear was now showing through. He had to know that he could never win this match. As soon as the whistle was blown, Nick performed another takedown, much more easily than the last time. The guy was weakening as he realized defeat was near. He obviously wasn?t used to losing and didn?t know how to react to it. Time to put you out of your misery, Nick thought and applied pressure to the guy?s hips, allowing him to control his shoulders next. Within seconds, the referee signaled the pin and Nick jumped to his feet. Mickelson lay on the mat for a moment before slowly getting up. Nick reached his arm down to help him, but he refused.

?Don?t touch me, you fag,? he muttered. Nick froze, appalled at the comment. His right arm flinched, instinctively preparing to beat the crap out of him ? he could do it almost as easily as he pinned him ? but he caught himself. He?s just pissed at losing, he thought and relaxed, turning away, acted like he didn?t hear him. He did even bother looking at Mickelson when the referee raised his arm in victory.

Instead, he looked up into the stands and right at JP. Nick pointed a muscular arm at him and JP pointed back, pumping his fists into the air. Next to him sat Erin, beaming with pride. He strutted over to Graves and hugged him tightly. The photographers huddled around, taking pictures. The crowd screamed loudly, the din ringing through his ears. Nick loved the attention; he loved it when people stared at him as he walked down the hall. He knew how much girls dreamed about him, lusted over him, how some of them nearly went into orgasms just by looking at him. Whether it was his piercing hazel eyes, his powerfully built muscles, his immaculate bubble butt?or the prominent bulge in his crotch, they simply couldn?t keep their eyes off of him.

?Nick, that was amazing!? JP gushed as the two met near the entrance to the locker room after the tournament had ended. They clasped hands and hugged. ?Congratulations, little dude!?

?Little?? Nick laughed. ?Man, I?m bigger than you now!? He smiled, brushing his fingers through his wet black hair ? he had just gotten out of the shower. ?Howya doin??? he asked. JP had just won the Big 10 Championship the previous weekend and was preparing for the NCAA tournament.

?Good,? JP answered, but he could go no further as a group of reporters came rushing up to him, cameras flashing, microphones already shoved into his face. Nick?s eyes went wide. What the, he thought. ?Relax,? JP whispered to him.

?Mr. Maloney! Mr. Maloney,? one of the reporters shouted. ?How did your teammates at Ohio State react when you told them you were gay?? Nick blinked?what? JP, however, didn?t miss a beat. He was obviously used to the media attention from two seasons of college wrestling.

?They seemed to take it more easily than you guys are,? he chided, though with a smile on his face. ?They support me because they see me first as a wrestler and a person.? Nick laughed inwardly, realizing that it was probably the same response he had been saying over and over.

?And what about the other wrestlers in the conference?? another reported immediately added.

?Guys,? JP answered with a grin, ?there?ll be plenty of time to talk about this next weekend in Auburn Hills. You really should be talking to the reigning Virginia state champion right here, Nick Angelakis.? He gestured toward Nick who stared deer-eyed into the cameras. Some of the local media usually came to the bigger wrestling tournaments, but nothing like this. ?He?s gonna be a legend when he gets to college,? JP went on, looking over at him.

?Mr. Angelakee,? the first reporter segued seamlessly, mispronouncing his name, ?how do you know JP Maloney??

?Uh,? Nick stuttered, glancing briefly over at JP, ?he got me into wrestling when I was in middle school. He taught me everything I know.?

?What school are you planning on going to?? a man from the back of the group called out.

?School? You mean, college?? Nick stammered. ?I, uh, I?m still a sophomore. I haven?t even taken the PSATs yet.? He laughed nervously.

?A sophomore?!? a burly reporter in the front exclaimed in shock, glancing at Nick?s tremendous bulk. ?Jesus Christ?and you?re a heavyweight??

?Yeah??

?Alright, guys,? JP stepped in. ?I?ll see all of you in Michigan next weekend. Nick and I are gonna go celebrate his win, ok?? And with that, he swung around and walked in the opposite direction, Nick following behind him.

?How do you do that?? Nick asked him.

?The media?? Nick nodded. ?Oh, you get used to it. They?ve become a little more aggressive since I came out of the closet.? JP smiled. ?Apparently, I?m the first college wrestler to do it.?

?Well, in a couple of years,? Nick reached over and wrapped a huge arm around JP?s equally huge shoulders, ?you won?t be the only one.? The two jocks smiled at each other, knowing neither would ever let the other down.



Luke climbed out of his car, feeling exhausted. He had just finished his first day working at GNC and he never realized how hard it really was. Coming from a wealthy family, he had never worked a day in his life, but his parents had forced him to get a job. They refused to pay anymore for everything. He was old enough to fend for himself, they said, and he had to show responsibility. Plus, his parole officer suggested he get a job, too. The days of Luke Johnson, the party boy/sex symbol, were long over. Hell, they were over when he went to jail.

Luke sighed, grasping how different his life was going to be from now on. The friends he had in high school no longer existed ? as if he wanted them around anyway ? he was officially an ex-con, something that would be on his record for the rest of his life. Well, at least Travis would never be able to touch him. Apparently, his former dealer was testifying against Brionna Duncan in court in exchange for a reduced sentence. Even so, he was going away for a long time?and Brionna, even longer. Twenty years was the minimum, he had heard. So in a way, Luke was finally able to start again.

?Good evening, Luke,? Marina, the housekeeper, greeted him as he walked through the front door.

?Hey,? he grunted back, taking off his jacket.

?I have dinner almost ready,? the woman continued. ?Your sister is in the den.?

?Thanks.? Luke replied, not really listening. He slowly trudged across the foyer, past the kitchen and toward the den. His parents were both at work and they wouldn?t be home for a while. Might as well watch some TV or something. But as he entered the room, he saw his sister sitting on couch watching some cooking show. And next to her was Erin Maloney. Luke froze, unsure of what to do.

?Hey,? Kim murmured awkwardly, but he didn?t hear her. All he saw were the eyes of Erin as she looked at him. He had been home for nearly a month and it still felt weird seeing the girl he had almost raped sitting in his house.

?I?m sorry,? he muttered, ?I?ll??

?No, Luke,? Erin suddenly spoke up, ?it?s ok. It?s your house.? The corner of her mouth jerked and she shifted her body on the couch. He had to say something; he had to break the silence before it got too long.

?Erin,? Luke began, ?I want to say I?m sorry?for what I did.? He swallowed, barely recognizing his own voice. What was he saying? A simple apology wouldn?t fix things.

?Luke,? Erin stopped him before he could continue. She glanced over at Kim, as if the two had just been talking about him. ?It?s been almost three years. I wasn?t even speaking to Kim for the longest time?but I?ve known her since we were little?? She paused, pursing her lips before starting again. ?Look, to be honest, I can?t look at you?and not remember that night.? Luke bit his lip, wanting nothing more than to get out of the room, but he couldn?t. ?But maybe?someday, I?ll be able to forgive you.? He stared at the girl in mild surprise. What did she say? ?I hope I?ll be able to forgive you,? she added.

?Uh,? Luke let out, not knowing how to respond. Maybe there was no way. He could tell she meant what she said; her eyes said so. A long, uncomfortable pause filled the space between them. ?I?ll go upstairs,? he finally muttered and slowly backed into the hall. As soon as the girls were out of sight, he rushed up to his bedroom and shut the door. With anger, he grabbed a pillow and nearly threw it across the room?but he stopped himself, instead shoving it back onto the bed.

He hated who he was. He hated who he had been. He didn?t deserve any kind of forgiveness, especially from her, even if he did want it. But here she was, telling him she hoped she could forgive him. He didn?t know how to feel, how to react.

All he could do was hope he could forgive himself.



Brandon watched the muscles in his thighs shift underneath his skin as he carefully worked out on the leg press. His physical therapist said it was ok for him to start training his legs again, to get them strong for football. Of course, he had very little weight on the machine, considerably less than what he used before his injury?and only a fraction of what Nick or Billy used.

?Raaaaaaaah!? Nick roared as he blasted through a punishing set of lat pulldowns, his enormous lats testing the elasticity of his wife-beater as they got more and more pumped. Brandon could only shake his head at his best friend, at how big he was getting. In the two weeks since wrestling season ended, Nick?s body had simply exploded. Since he no longer had to worry about staying at 275 pounds, he had somehow packed on 15 more pounds of pure muscle! At 6?5?, 290 pounds, Nick had biceps that measured nearly 24 inches around and God only knew how big his chest was. Yet his waist was still only a 31!

But then there was Billy, who was just finishing up on the squat rack, the bar bending substantially across his insanely broad shoulders. There were so many plates on it, Brandon couldn?t even figure out how much weight it could have been. In fact, they recently had to get a couple hundred more pounds of weights because Billy ? and now Nick ? had outgrown the existing equipment.

?B, don?t push yourself too much,? Billy reminded Brandon as he came over to him, his behemoth 6?6?, 360-pound frame towering over him like King Kong. At first sight, Billy just looked like the big-boned kid he had been his entire life, but Brandon ? and all the other guys on the football team ? knew that he had more muscle than pretty much anyone else on the team?and he was by far the strongest. He was already breaking regional records in shot put, despite being a novice at the discipline.

?Nah, I?m good,? Brandon answered, smiling slightly and straightening his legs one last time before locking it up. Meanwhile, Nick completed his last rep with a growl and stood up, wiping his sweaty face with a towel.

?You?re looking strong, dude,? he commented to Brandon.

?The therapist says I?m a few months ahead of schedule,? Brandon added proudly. ?Of course, I?ll never be able to keep up with you, Mr. 290-pounds-of-muscle!?

?That?s 291 pounds of muscle,? Nick corrected him, a slight redness coming to his face that matched his flushed pecs and lats. ?I gained a pound overnight.?

?Jesus!? Billy exclaimed. ?What are you gonna do when wrestling season comes around next year? You?re going to have to cut back down to 275.? Nick shrugged his massive shoulders.

?I?ll just end up with like 1% body fat or something,? he replied nonchalantly. Brandon and Billy both shook their heads at there teammate.

?I know you guys are down here,? Erin?s voice called from the top of the stairs. Nick?s eyes turned all cloudy as he heard his girlfriend coming down to the basement gym. He turned around to see her standing in the doorway, a curvaceous hip thrown provocatively to one side. Brandon could literally see Nick?s 14-inch cock ? yep, that had gotten bigger, too ? bone up in his gym shorts as he saw her.

?Hey, Erin,? he greeted her distantly. The two lovers met each other halfway and immediately began making out right on the spot. Their lips completely interlocked, their arms exploring each other?s bodies. Erin?s hands could barely make it around the back of Nick?s gigantic torso.

?Whoa,? Billy groaned softly, his face turning red from embarrassment. Brandon laughed, knowing the two always greeted each other this way. When they finally came up for air, Erin poked her ahead about her boyfriend?s giant body and waved to the other two boys.

?You know, Greg?s here,? she told Brandon. No sooner had she said that, Greg came bounding down the stairs as if on cue. Brandon nearly felt his breath get taken away as he saw his angelic boyfriend, the dim light of the basement casting sexy shadows across his long hair and flawless face. He had obviously been jogging as his body was covered in a subtle layer of sweat. His upper body was bare down to just above his crotch, his running shorts hanging so low on his hips that his obliques were fully displayed. ?Jeez,? Erin gushed, ?someone call Abercrombie & Fitch. I think we?ve found a model for the cover of their catalogue!? Greg blushed at the compliment and flicked his shoulder-length blondish hair over his striated shoulder in a way that made Brandon?s heart skip a beat.

?I think we?ll leave you two alone,? Nick spoke up, guiding his girlfriend toward the stairs. ?Billy, come on!?

?Right behind you,? Billy responded with a grin. He knew what was about to take place down there. Once the other three were gone, Greg went over to Brandon who was still sitting on the leg press, swung one muscular leg over his body and cautiously sat down on his hips. Brandon could feel his half-hard cock pressing up against his boyfriend?s butt-crack?and that only made it harder.

?Hey, baby,? Greg whispered, his ethereal face hovering above Brandon?s.

?Hey,? Brandon answered back, nearly breathless. ?You know, I don?t need crutches anymore,? he said in a suggestive way.

?I know,? Greg breathed, bending down to give Brandon a passionate kiss on the lips. Brandon?s arms instantly wrapped themselves around his boyfriend?s tight waist, his hands sliding underneath his running shorts and around the rock-hard globes of his ass. Greg gently ground his pelvis against Brandon?s as the two continued making out.

?God, you must be working out again,? Brandon commented once they parted. Greg smirked.

?Yeah,? he replied. Brandon slowly traced his fingers around each of his boyfriend?s perfectly formed abs and along his obliques, fawning over how deep they cut and how hard they were to the touch. Greg had always had remarkable abs, but they were looking especially ripped lately. Then, his fingers slipped beneath his shorts and grabbed the throbbing cock that hid underneath. ?I wanna show you something,? Greg whispered and carefully lifted himself off of Brandon. ?Take off your clothes??

Obediently, Brandon got up and, after steadying himself on his feet, stripped off his T-shirt and shorts, all the while watching his boyfriend do the same. Then, once they were both completely naked, Greg went over to a wall, got down onto his hands and flipped himself up into a handstand, his swollen cock flapping against his abs. Brandon nearly lost it all as he watched Greg maneuver his body so that his face was looking at the wall and began performing a set of handstand-pushups.

?Fuck,? Brandon hissed, his eyes transfixed on the shifting muscles of Greg?s back, on the pert ass moving up and down. He couldn?t take it anymore and suddenly went over him, taking his legs in his arms and plunging his dick into Greg?s butt. Both boys gasped with sheer pleasure as Greg continued doing upside-down pushups while behind fucked by Brandon. Brandon feverishly began licking Greg?s diamond-cut calves, his hands worshiping his boyfriend?s super-shredded thighs. Simply put, Greg had the most amazing legs Brandon had ever seen ? and that was saying a lot. That?s what ten years of dance lessons can do to a boy.

Just as Brandon shot a huge load straight into Greg?s body, a shriek sounded from the doorway and the two instantly collapsed to the floor. Brandon looked up to see Erin standing there, her mouth dropped open and her eyes wide as saucers.

?Sorry,? she stammered, ?I should?ve known you were?? Her face was bright red with humiliation at walking in on them having sex. She snickered. ?I guess you two are running out of ways to fuck each other,? she remarked. Brandon smiled at her and then looked down at Greg. With him, he thought, the possibilities are endless.

?It?s alright,? he said. ?We were pretty much finished anyway.?

?Good,? Erin replied, still a little flushed. ?Put some clothes on and come upstairs. Lunch is ready.?



?Good, the dress fits you,? Mrs. Maloney commented once Ashley finally had her wedding gown on. ?I was getting a little worried.? She gave Ashley a motherly pat on the stomach, her small baby belly all but entirely unnoticeable.

?You?re carrying pretty well for four months, Ash,? Robin, her co-worker at the hospital and her maid-of-honor, observed.

?Almost four months,? Ashley reminded her. Robin laughed.

?Still, you look good for that far along.? She primped the puff of her sleeve, making sure it was even with the other side. ?I think you may be having a boy,? she whispered in her ear.

?Oh, my,? Mrs. Maloney exclaimed, wiping a tear from under her eye as she gave Ashley a final once-over. ?You look so beautiful!? Ashley gazed at her soon-to-be mother-in-law and sighed.

?Robin, will you give us a moment,? she said to her friend.

?Sure,? Robin answered and promptly exited the bedroom.

?Mrs. Maloney,? Ashley began.

?You can me mom now, you know,? the woman grinned, looking at her with heavy eyes, as if she was about to break the damn of tears any second.

?Ok, then,? Ashley smiled. ?Mom?? God, it sounded weird to say that. ?I just want to say, thank you.? Mrs. Maloney peered at her as she picked the veil up from a nearby table.

?Thank you for what, dear??

?For being such a great mother,? she went on, ?to Ryan.? Now she felt tears starting to come to her own eyes. ?You?ve always been there for him.? Mrs. Maloney smiled warmly and paused, the veil in her hands, the white fabric draping down toward the floor.

?We had a few rough years,? she commented with a glint in her eye, ?but I think it was you who really got him through to the other end.? She continued putting on the veil, fitting it perfectly over Ashley?s head. ?I hope I can be a good mother to you, too,? she added. A single tear rolled down Ashley?s cheek at those words. Suddenly, a car honked outside; Mrs. Maloney glanced out the window.

?The limo?s here,? she announced. ?We?ve got to get you going or we?ll be late.? Ashley touched her arm, stopping her in mid-motion. Then, their eyes met and the two immediately reached each other for a hug. Ashley sobbed, pausing before she said something she hadn?t said in years.

?I love you?mom.?



Matt?s heart beat loudly in his chest, so loudly he swore his mom ? next to him in the church pew ? could hear it. He gazed longingly at JP standing next to Ryan as his best man. His boyfriend looked so beautiful in his tuxedo, his thick wrestler?s neck filling the collar, his deep blue eyes fixated on his brother as he said his vows. This was how it was supposed to be?the two Maloney brothers side-by-side in one of the biggest moments of their lives. After everything they had been through, it had finally turned out all right. Ryan was getting married to the girl of his dreams?and JP could publicly confess his love to the boy of his dreams.

And that boy is me, Matt thought with a sense of awe.

?I now pronounce you husband and wife,? the priest announced. ?You may kiss the bride.? A hush fell over the congregation as Ryan leaned in to kiss Ashley. Just then, JP glanced over at Matt and the two met eyes. He knew exactly what his boyfriend was thinking. Matt?s face turned red and he bit his lip, looking briefly down at the pew in front of him.

At the reception, Matt ? despite his protests that he sucked at dancing ? was persuaded by Chrissy to come out onto the dance floor. After a few drinks, he said yes and joined the other revelers. He even danced with his mom, which he hadn?t done since he was a kid. He couldn?t imagine having a better time. All the while, he and JP kept looking at each other. They were so in love, they couldn?t stand it. When the night was over, Matt went over the JP?s to spend the night. They were exhausted from all the partying and chaos of the day, but they weren?t too tired to have sex. Matt sighed as JP?s huge cock slipped into his ass, filling it with his thick warmth. They lay in each other?s arms all night, every once in a while letting their lips touch, gliding their hands over one another?s bodies.

The next morning, Matt woke up, his head throbbing slightly from a mild hangover. He was lying on his stomach, the sun streaming through JP?s bedroom window and warming his bare back. Instinctively, he reached his hand to where his boyfriend had been sleeping. He had gotten up, but Matt could still smell his scent, feel his lingering presence. After taking in the calmness of the moment, he groggily lifted himself up onto his elbows.

?JP?? he called. Almost immediately, JP entered the room as if he were waiting by the door. He was naked except for a towel around his waist. His shaggy brown hair was wet and his super-muscular torso glistened in the morning sun. Matt sighed at the sight of the Adonis himself, awe by his perfection.

?Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,? JP hummed, gliding over to him and gazing directly into his eyes. Matt smiled peacefully, falling prone once again as his boyfriend kneeled beside his body. ?You have a hangover, don?t you?? he grinned.

?Hm, yeah,? Matt groaned, opting not to nod; it would make his headache worse.

?You still don?t take your alcohol well,? JP teased, reaching up to brush Matt?s bangs.

?I get that from my dad,? Matt replied softly, sighing at his boyfriend?s gentle touch.

?Obviously,? he said, ?considering how much your mom drank last night.? Both boys laughed quietly, their eyes still fixated on each other. After a brief silence, JP leaned in and kissed Matt, a kiss that could never be described in words. Their lips interlocked perfectly, their tongues touched in just the right spot. For a moment, Matt forgot where he was?even who he was. For that one moment, JP was everything and everywhere to him.

When they parted, he was left breathless. He opened his eyes to she the most glorious face in the world looking right back at him and he knew JP had experienced the very same thing.

?You should put something on and come downstairs,? JP whispered. ?My mom?s making omelettes.?

?Ok,? Matt answered and watched his boyfriend get up and leave the room?all the while, never breaking eye contact. Once he was gone, he rolled over onto his back and smiled.

After getting dressed, Matt headed down to the kitchen where Mr. Maloney, Ryan, Ashley, Erin, Nick and of course, JP were already digging into their breakfasts. Mrs. Maloney was preparing one more plate ? Matt?s plate ? ready to bring it to him.

?It?s about time you woke up,? Nick grinned, his face already showing a light layer of black stubble that Erin obviously thought was sexy ? she kept staring at him with those deep blue eyes of hers, the same blue eyes that JP had whenever he looked at Matt. As breakfast continued, the others had a conversation about the night before, joking about how much fun they had, how beautiful everything was?but Matt and JP looked kept looking at each other. They couldn?t keep their eyes off one another.

?Ryan,? Mrs. Maloney said as she began clearing the empty dishes, ?you and Ashley should start bringing things back to your place.?

?Sure, ma,? Ryan answered happily, his hand holding his wife?s under the table. They couldn?t stop looking at each other either. Suddenly, he got an odd look on his face. ?Crap,? he exclaimed, ?I forgot some clothes back at the hotel.?

?I?ll get them,? JP spoke up.

?You sure??

?Yeah,? he answered with a smile. ?I?m your best man. It?s my job.? Ryan smiled back, that big brother smile that always warmed Matt?s heart. He knew they had always loved each other, no matter what.

?Alright,? he said, ?but hurry back. Ashley and I have a lot to do.? With that, JP gave Matt a quick goodbye kiss and ran off. His boyfriend gone, Matt escaped into the den with Nick and Erin to play video games. Erin was apparently good at some new one he had never heard of ? he had never been much of a video game guy ? and sure enough, she was kicking her boyfriend?s butt?not that he seemed to mind.

?Matthew,? Mrs. Maloney called once she was finished in the kitchen. Matt turned and looked at her. She came up to him and gave him a big hug. A little taken aback, he gave her a puzzled look; she smiled. ?I never really had a chance to tell you?? The phone rang, distracting her for a second.

?I got it,? Ashley said cheerily, popping up from the kitchen table.

?Thanks, hon,? Mrs. Maloney answered and then looked back at Matt. ?I never really told you,? she continued, ?how much you?ve meant not only to JP, but to the whole family.?

?Really?? Matt replied, not able to hide the surprise on his face.

?Yes,? she went on. ?JP has always been a strong boy, but it wasn?t until the last few years that he?s really found his center, his purpose in life.? Matt gulped, struggling to keep from tearing up. ?Paul and I never realized why until he told the truth about you and him.? She gently took his head in her hands. ?You?re a big part of his life ? I know you know that ? but you?re also important to all of us. Thank you.? And with that, they hugged again, Matt forcing himself to stay together. He knew what she was saying: after Ryan and Ashley?s wedding, Ashley was officially part of the family, but she was now saying that he was part of the family, too.

Suddenly, Ashley gasped on the phone. Matt instantly looked up, as did everyone else.

?What is it?? Mrs. Maloney asked. Ashley had a look of horror on her face, as if she had seen a ghost.

?It?s?JP,? she stuttered, her wandering eyes eventually falling on Matt. ?He got into a car accident. They?re?they?re taking him to the hospital.?

***

Next week: Genesis

[arpeejay]

I was thinking it was about time for Nick to have another growth spurt and, voila, he did! Thanks for reading my mind! Next time, though, more muscle and less height, please? 1 inch plus 15 lbs. is proportionately speaking not that different than what he was before. 1 inch and 30+ lbs.! That's the ticket!

In fact, any day now he probably ought to catch up to Billy -- only still with the very low bf ratio! :-)

(Thanks for indulging my fantasies...!)

xoxo

Richard

[TemptationIV]

ohhhh I am realy hopeful that this car accident doesn't result in any permanent harm... that would be such a shame

fantastic chapter, just like... ALL of them. you really are an amazing writer.