Shooting Matt

After 17 months and, if Word can be trusted - 248,160 words, the story draws to a close. I'm sure some will feel the ending was too abrupt but the word count has reached levels that would make Stephen King blush. I've tossed all the complications I could think of at poor Matt and Randy. I didn't want folks to become bored with them.

I'll miss them.

For those interested, the first draft of this story involved Randy being set up for blackmail by Matt and Randy's ex-wife. The shooting of Matt was going to be literally true. I very quickly grew to dislike the darkness of that story and started over. Some of you may recall I took some heat for the, admittedly, rapid change in tone after the first few chapters. That's the point where I clunkily took the story in a new direction.

I hope you've enjoyed the tale.

The only loose end I can think of is Darren. He does fine. He finds a rich woman and lives happily ever after.

A big thank you to LarryInSeattle for slogging along with me.

===========

Kent has a baseball cap on, pulled low. Regardless, Randy is careful to not get his face in the frame. Kent has his tee shirt pulled up, holding it with his chin pressed to his chest. The front of his sweat pants is pushed down to mid-thigh. Randy records his hand coming into the frame, slipping beneath the back of Kent's sweats and squeezing his ass. He pans the phone, showing his own erection. They're standing in front a row of four urinals. They've picked the slowest time of the day. The mall is dead. Randy moves his hips forward. His dick rests atop Kent's. Kent jerks them both off with one hand. They hear the door open and quickly turn to face the urinals. Randy holds the phone in front of him, as if reading a message.

A man, looking to be about Randy's age, steps to the urinal next to him, pees, and leaves. When they hear the door close, they turn to face one another again. Kent strokes his cock, hard. He nods at Randy, who steps closer. Kent turns, pointing his dick into the urinal and cums. Keeping his head down, he brings his hand under the cap, leaving the future viewer to decide what he's doing.

Randy points the phone at his own dick. Kent begins to jerk him off. The phone shakes but he manages to record his spunk running down the inside of the urinal. Kent waits until Randy is ready, then repeats the ritual of cleaning off his hand. Randy turns off the video on his phone and puts it in his pocket. His dick is still hanging out when he pulls Kent close and begins to kiss him. He steps back, licks his lips, and smiles.

"Wait here, play with your dick, keep it hard. I'll find a spot in the food court to film you free ballin' as you walk out." He kisses him again. "Keep your cap low, babe."

It's all Randy can do to sit there and record the scene when Kent walks into the food court. His half-hard cock is easily visible, swaying from side to side as he walks past him. After Randy shuts off his phone, Kent circles back to sit across from him.

"We're such perverts. What have you done to me?" He asks Randy, smiling.

"Me? I'm not the guy with the robo-electrified ass plug." Under the table, he puts one of his feet on top of Kent's. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah. I nearly shit my pants when that guy walked in."

"You never cruised mall bathrooms?"

"Nope. Adult bookstores, in college. By the time I was in nursing school I was cool with doing to bars for sex. I take it you did?"

"Yeah, but not as much as you might think. I had Liam most of the time. But, yeah, some. Bookstores, too." They look around the food court. "I wonder if anyone else here's hoping to get his dick sucked in the bathroom."

"Why? You want to do it?"

Randy looks at Kent, trying to read his face. "No, I don't think I do. I've felt weird about jerking that guy off, in the coffee shop."

"Really? That was weeks ago."

"I know." He looks down at his hands, forcing himself to not twiddle his fingers, then looks back at Kent's face. "Even though you were right there. I felt like I was cheating on you. I know you said you didn't mind but I feel very conflicted about it."

"I wish you wouldn't. I'm not saying I wouldn't be angry if you were going behind my back. And it would bother me if I thought the only way you enjoy having sex with me was with another guy or something. I don't want you to think that because I was okay with it that I don't care as deeply for you as you do for me."

"No, that's not it. I don't worry about that, honest. I'm a newbie at this. I don't mean a relationship with a guy; I mean relationships in general. Mary Beth and I were so messed up. That relationship definitely was not very helpful, other than as a negative example."

"Okay, Randy. I won't worry if you'll try not to. I'll tell you if something bothers me, or even worries me. Okay?"

"Deal."

"So, what if the guy in the bathroom was like the fella in the coffee shop and wanted to play? Would it bother you if I'd jerked him off?"

"I don't think so, no."

"Okay, what if I sucked him off, while you filmed it?"

"That's a harder one. Part of me thinks that would be pretty hot. There's another part that wonders if that's how I'd really feel or if I'd be wondering why you'd want to do that."

"Because I like to suck cock. Duh."

"Uh, did you and Brad have an open relationship like that?"

Kent smiles. "Good question. Yes and no. We'd go to clubs sometimes and pick up another guy. I didn't mess around on my own and I don't think he did either."

"And you never got jealous? He never got jealous?"

"No, though I can't say for sure about Brad. I never worried he didn't prefer me to someone else that might be with us."

"What if he had found someone he preferred though? What if it was clear he was having more fun with the other guy than you?"

Kent is quiet for quite some time. "I'm not sure. To be honest, I hadn't really considered it. There's more to 'preferred' than just sex. I meant he preferred to be with me, as a partner in every sense, not just a sex partner. I guess it sounds arrogant or just dumb but I never worried he'd like having sex with someone else more than with me. Maybe for the same reason, really good sex requires a connection. I have learned that. Casual sex can be hot and feel great, I know that, but really good sex is more than just the orgasm or how big the dick in your ass is."

"I worry about that. That I'm too boring or something for you."

"Are you kidding me? After what we just did? You worry I'll find you too boring? Don't be a dolt, Randy." Kent reaches across the table and takes both of Randy's hands in his. "I love you, dummy."

"Come on, let's get outta here, unless you want to eat at the food court."

"No, not really."

"Good, me either. KFC?" Randy chuckles at the look on Kent's face. "Fine, we'll find something more suitable to that refined palate of yours."

***

"What do you think?"

Matt looks around, keeping his face blank. Liam had given him strict orders to stay away from the apartment until he was ready. They were on a tight budget. They had some furniture from Randy. Liam starts to look so nervous that Matt feels guilty for teasing him.

"Holy fuck, bro. The place looks amazing. Are you gay or something?"

"I don't know. I'm so confused. I might be. Why don't you pull out your dick and I can explore my sexuality?"

"I don't know," Matt stutters. "I'm super nervous."

"Let me help." Liam steps in front of him and reaches for the front of his jeans. They're button fly jeans. He pops the first button. "Should I stop?"

"Uh, I'm so nervous. I've never done this before. Maybe you should."

"If you say so." Liam steps back.

"Uh, I'm feeling less nervous. Let's try it again."

Liam smiles and reaches for Matt's jeans again. He pops another button, pauses and then another. He rubs the front of his jeans and smiles at what he feels. "Your dick doesn't seem nervous," he observes, popping open another button. Matt's not wearing any underwear. The shaft of his cock appears in the widening V of his fly. Liam rubs the pink skin with the tip of his finger and Matt shivers. Liam finishes unbuttoning the jeans and works them off Matt's hips, letting them fall to his knees.

He stares at the rigid cock bobbing between them. "I'm still not sure if I'm gay. I think I want to touch your cock but I'm afraid."

"Touch it, please."

Liam wraps his fingers around Matt's cock. Matt sighs. "That feels good," Liam whispers. "But if I were gay, wouldn't I want to suck it, too?"

"Probably. I'm okay if you suck it. If you want to."

Liam kneels in front of Matt. He does his best to remember how he'd felt the first time he sucked a cock. He mimics the tentative moves he'd made, the way he'd simply moved his hand a little and stared until he'd worked up the courage to put his mouth on it. He tilts his head forward and touches his lips to the side of Matt's cock. What had he done next? He thinks he sort of moved his lips over the side of the cock but maybe he'd taken the head in his mouth. That's what he wants to do, so he does it.

"Fuck, man. Your mouth feels so hot." Matt, too, is trying to recall his first time.

Liam plays with the head of his cock, eventually using his tongue as well as his lips. He slowly takes more and more of the cock in his mouth, until his nose is tickled by Matt's pubic hair. He pulls his mouth back slowly. "I guess I'm gay," he says with a smile. "Thanks for letting your pubes grow." He buries his face in the bush that will soon, mostly, be gone. It's only ten days until Matt reports back to start training.

"I must be gay, too," Matt tells him with a smile. "I like what you're doing and I think I want to do it to you."

"We have a bed. I think I read somewhere about this deal called, a 69, I think, were two guys can suck each other off. Gay guys, I mean."

Matt helps Liam to his feet. He manages to step out of his jeans and unfastens Liam's shorts, all while kissing him. Their tee shirts mark their progress toward the small bedroom. They lie diagonally across the bed, head to feet. Without being aware of it, they fall into a synchronized rhythm, heads moving in time. Matt cums first. He lets Liam's cock fall from his mouth and rests his head on his friend's thigh as he empties himself. He kisses Liam's thigh and returns to his task. When he feels Liam's cock swell, he moves his mouth back to the crown, wanting to savor every drop. They play with each other's cock until they grow soft. Matt swings around to face Liam and they kiss for long minutes.

Still nude, Liam shows Matt how he's arranged the rest of the small apartment. They talk about how they'll divvy up the household chores, the cooking, and the bills. Still naked, they have time to enjoy a beer before they hear a car in the driveway. They dress quickly and go out onto the small deck at the top of the stairs and say hello to their landlady. They decline her offer of supper, lock up, and head back to Cedar Lake.

***

"Okay, Kate. We'll see you next weekend. Say hi to Roy for us." Glenna hangs up and smiles at Leon. "All set. OB visit Friday, then we'll head up to Cleveland and spend the weekend."

Leon nods. "Sounds fine," he intones. Glenna smiles. Coming from her husband, that's practically jumping for joy. He smiles back and his face looks ten years younger. She kisses his cheek. "Hey, you want to take me upstairs and fool around? It's pretty quiet. Rosalita has the snack bar covered. The cinnamon buns are out the door."

"Sounds intriguing. Why not?"

He takes his wife's hand and leads her upstairs. They undress each other. Glenna pushes Leon back onto the bed. His feet are on the floor. She tosses a pillow between his feet and kneels. She savors the taste and feel of his cock in her mouth, reveling in her ability to make him hard. His hands feel wonderful in her hair and when he cums, she feels like crying. She does cry a little when she lies down beside her husband. He kisses her tears away, taking his time. She tells him he doesn't have to do anything else; tells him, she understands and she loves him for trying. He tells her to stop being silly as he moves between her legs.

***

"Where is everyone?" Mary Beth asks, kissing Rosalita on the cheek.

"I heard Leon and Glenna go upstairs," Rosalita says, wagging her eyebrows.

"I don't remember feeling horny when I was pregnant. Do you?"

Rosalita blushes. Mary Beth hugs her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I don't understand how Leon can claim to be gay and not bi. I know they have sex, a lot lately."

"Are the names so important? Am I a lesbian? Are you? We both have children. I enjoyed the things Fernando did to my body, how he made me feel," she says blushing again. "I never imagined doing the things we do to each other and certainly never imagined I would enjoy them. What does that make me?"

"It makes you a wonderful, beautiful, smart woman." Mary Beth hugs her even harder. "And one I enjoy sharing my bed with."

"Momma!" a small voice yells.

The two women separate, smile at each other and turn toward the little boy running toward them with open arms.

***

Randy drives without talking. Kent is okay with the silence. It's a comfortable silence. He reaches over and finds Randy's hand. The resort is quiet when they pull in. They grab two towels out of the tent and make the short trek to the shower house. They shower quickly and make their way back to the tent even more quickly - the mosquitoes are worse than ever.

They sit cross-legged on the air mattress, beneath a battery-powered LED light, and read. "Will you look at my photos tomorrow? I think I'm finally done. I'm afraid I've reached a point where I'll simply be undoing things, making them worse. I need to let them go." Kent looks over at Randy. "I'd love to, of course. I think they're excellent, really excellent. Have you found a place to show them?"

Randy nods, putting a note card in his book and closing it. "There's a local artists' gallery in town. Nena introduced me to some of the members. I showed them some of my work and they said they'd be happy to find me a space. Leon wants to use some to decorate the cabins, not the industrial ones, but some of my earlier stuff. I'd love to but I told him only if he'll put his paintings up in the lodge. Nena is working on him. I think he'll do it."

"Good," Kent says, marking and closing his own book. "I like his stuff. I don't think he's afraid people won't like it; I think he feels it makes too much of himself visible to the public."

"I think you're absolutely right." Randy stretches out on the air mattress, hands behind his head. His naked, inside the tent they nearly always are. It's been a hot summer. "Hey, do you think we've been trying too hard?"

"What do you mean?" Kent stretches out beside him, cheek in one hand.

"The public displays, the coffee shop, today. Are we trying too hard to make our sex life crazy? Are we worried that just being together isn't enough?"

"I don't," Kent answers promptly. "It is crazy but that's why it's fun. Are you asking if I need that to be excited about having sex with you? If you are, the answer is no. I realize you're older and your memory might not be as sharp as mine but we had some pretty wild sex without any toys and without any games like today. We're both a bit voyeuristic and exhibitionistic; we're simply enjoying that part of our sexuality. We're doing it together and with a reasonable amount of caution. Are you worrying about it?"

"I am, a little. What you've said makes me feel better. I had this sudden fear we'd wake up and discover the only way we got turned on anymore was by whipping our dicks out in public or something."

"Now, that would be a problem. I totally agree but I don't think that's even remotely likely. Do you?"

"No, I guess not." Randy rolls onto to his side to face him. "Thanks, I feel better. I worry too much I know."

"No, you don't. You worry just enough and about the right things, the important things. You don't worry that you're driving a cool enough car, or wear nice enough clothes, or that you like the right foods. You don't worry about any of that stupid, meaningless bullshit most of us spend so much of our time worrying about. You worry about Liam. You worry about your friends, about Glenna, your ex-wife. You worry about me and about us. What I think is that you don't worry about yourself enough. And you do it without acting like a martyr or expecting to be praised for it; I find that incredibly irritating. Egocentrism is ugly but it's okay to have some degree of self-concern, or at least I think so. If you get anymore saintly, I'll be too intimidated to suck your dick."

Randy laughs to hide his embarrassment. "I'm hardly a saint. Come on, get real. There's hardly a day goes by a don't want to punch at least one person in the face. I'm as self-centered as the next guy, especially when it comes to getting my dick sucked." He scoots closer to Kent and puts a hand on his hip. "Your full of shit but thank you for thinking those things, even if they are delusional. It's unlike you. One of the many things I love about you is how balanced you are. Sweet without being maudlin, practical but not rigid, forgiving but not stupid. It's unlike you to let sentimentality get in the way of your fundamental common sense." Randy snorts. "'Saintly', bud, really?"

"Yes, really. Why can't you bow to my 'fundamental common sense' and accept the compliment?"

"I do, baby. I do. Thank you. Let's turn the light out, huh? Then I want to kiss and cuddle and fondle you until our eyes adjust to the dark and I can see your face while you're inside me."

Kent reaches up and turns off the lantern before reaching for Randy. They bring their hips together and rub against each other as they kiss.

Randy was wrong. He's able to see Kent's face when he's inside Kent, at least the first time.

***

"It's strange, without the boys, it's strange. I'm more lonely than I thought I would be."

Leon puts his hand on the back of his wife's. "It's kind of lonely but they'll be spending a lot of time here. They only left yesterday and they'll be back this weekend."

Glenna sighs. "I know, sweetie, I know but it's not the same. Matt's absurd enthusiasm and optimism filled more of the day than I'd realized. The same goes for Liam, all quiet and solemn. I miss them, that's all." She pats her tummy. "He'll do the same to us one day, sooner than we can imagine. He'll pack his bags and walk out of our lives." To her surprise and horror, she begins to cry. Leon slips out of his chair and kneels beside her.

"Hush, don't be silly. He won't be able to walk out of our lives any more than Liam or Matt or Randy or Kent. Or, for that matter, Rosalita or Fernando, even Mary Beth. Hush now."

"I'm just being silly." She dashes the tears off her cheeks with her fingers. "It's the hormones kicking in, I suppose."

Leon wiggles his head between her belly and the table, resting his cheek on her tummy. "I can't wait to feel him start to kick," he whispers. "When will you start to show?"

"Another month or so but only if you look real close." She rubs her fingers through his hair. "I wish I could have your baby and then, just for a few days, be a man, so I could give you what you want."

"Hormones or not, don't be absurd. We go through this every few months. You are what I want. I am attracted, sexually to men." He says the latter in a flat robotic tone and then continues. "If asked, in the abstract, whether I would rather have sex with a man or a woman, I would answer, 'a man'. I am gay but I fell in love with you. I would rather be in love with you than be fucked by a man. I don't mind having sex with you; I wish you'd stop thinking I must hate it. I don't. I enjoy making love to you because you enjoy it and I want to make you feel loved. You satisfy me, emotionally and physically. I don't need anything you can't provide. Does that compute? Please answer in the affirmative so that we may never have this discussion again."