"So?" Julian asked as he wrapped his arms around Elliot's waist and tapped his size 9 bare left foot on the tan Berber carpet.

The dark-haired teen giggled, turned around in the circle created by his mate, faced the smiling redhead, kissed his jawbone, and said, "I'm gonna let the mystery of our dad's and whoever it is coming to dinner tonight stay unsolved until it's revealed."

Julian's eyes rolled as he released a sigh of exasperation."So, what the hell mystery are you solving?" He leered at the younger teen. "I swear, if you don't tell me in the next five seconds, I'm gonna be forced to hogtie and tickle it outta you," he threatened.

"Do you really think that's a viable threat to make me tell you"

"Fuck! I keep forgetting you're a tickle and bondage freak."

Elliot gasped. "I'm not a freak."

The fourteen-year-old boy tried to pout, but he doubled over, giggled like crazy, and ended up on the floor. Julian couldn't resist the infectious nature of the raven-haired boy's giggles. In seconds he and Elliot were on the floor, helplessly giggling and trying to get the other to stop so they could resume their day.

“You are too a freak, but you're my freak, and I love you in all your freakish glory, Eli," Julian said after he'd recovered and could speak once more.

"Love ya too, Jules," Elliot responded.

Julian watched from the bed while Elliot got his laptop and opened Skype. In seconds, Xander's smiling face appeared on the screen. The brunet wore a white t-shirt with a giant rainbow heart. "Pride in America and my gay dad" was written in the center of the heart.

"Fuckin' shit, where'd you get that. I want one," Elliot squealed as he jumped up and down on the mattress.

Xander giggled at the reaction. "I made it," he said.

"Can you make your new prospective brother one," Elliot asked. "It'd be a particularly nice gesture on your part."

"OMG!!! I LOVE Labyrinth. David Bowie was sooo hot and perfect as the Goblin King."

As soon as Julian recovered from another fit of streaming giggles, he asked. "I want one too, only can boyfriend replace dad?"

“Damn, our dads aren't even married yet, and you're already pulling out the brother card," Xander stated. He leaned back on the bed with his thumb and index fingers on his chin.

"We'll pay ya, of course," Elliot exclaimed. "I'd be willing to go as high as twenty-five dollars for each shirt."

Xander sat up straight and stared into his camera. "Tell ya what I'll do. I'll make you both a shirt, and you can pay me back with the most amazing hug and a kiss on the cheek. However, I'll expect two dollars for each shirt if I'm not satisfied with the display of affection."

"Yep! He's definitely a perfect brother for us, Ell," Julian stated.

"Xan, I've got a question, and in all honesty, it's a very personal and strange one," Elliot said when all of them had calmed down enough to make coherent sentences.

"Well, that's a coinkidink. It just so happens that I love personal and strange questions," Xander responded. "What happens if I don't give an answer that you like?"

"Umm,' Elliot said as he looked at his mate.

Julian grinned, and his eyes had a mischievous sparkle when he responded. "We'll tickle you if your answer doesn't suit our needs." He and Elliot high-fived and giggled when they saw Xander's body squirm, then curl into himself as his toes flexed in his pink and purple polka-dotted ankle socks.

"I...I'm not ticklish. Nope, nope, not ticklish at all," the brunet teen responded before nervously giggling. 

Elliot chuckled. "Bro, based on your verbal and physical response, I'm willing to bet you're ridiculously ticklish."

Julian hugged and kissed Elliot, then said. "Xan, Eli, and I are crazy ticklish, and since we're discussing it, we love to tickle guys and be tickled."

Xander breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "I hoped to find out if you guys were ticklish." He paused, blushed, and continued. "I love to tickle and be tickled too. Was that the question,"  he asked.

Elliot took a deep breath. "How were you born?"

Xander sat in deep thought for a moment before answering. "Okay, so, like, I wasn't born here, on Earth. I was born on a planet far, far away called Transsexual Transylvania. My fellow Transylvanian's…"

Elliot and Julian stared at each other, then at the teen on the laptop, and shook their heads. "Wait! Wait," they hollered in unison. "That's not you," Elliot stated. "That's Rocky Horror," Julian offered.

Xander stared into his screen. "Are you sure," he asked in a mock shocked tone.

"Yeah, we're sure," Elliot responded.

"Damn, I thought that sounded familiar," Xander stated. He grinned as he watched Elliot and Julian crack up laughing. "Okay, here's my definitive birth story. "Come and listen to a story 'bout a boy named Xan…"

"Dude, that's Beverly Hillbillies," Julian said between his cackles.

"Wow! You guys are smart. You're the first ones to catch those references," Xander said before his giggle fit set in.

"You've been asked about your birth before?" Elliot asked.

"Nope, that's why you're the first," Xander replied. He and the other teens fell victim to their giggling and had to catch their breath before continuing. "In all seriousness, I was born through surrogacy. My dad found an egg donor."

"My dad did the same thing," Elliot offered. The dark-haired teen felt a wave of excitement flow through him.

"Sweet," Xander exclaimed with excitement. "How about you, Julian?"

"I was born the old-fashioned way," the redhead stated. "My parents fell in love," he paused and smirked. "Then the stork brought me," he said.

The teens shared another round of gut-busting laughter before resuming their discussion.

"Wow! I didn't think people still had kids through sexual relations," Xander said with a boyish giggle.

Julian held Elliot's hand, "have you met your surrogate, or at least know her name," he asked.

Elaine knocked on the door, and after greeting the teens on the monitor,  she asked Xander if he was ready to leave. The trio promised each other they were committed to forging a brotherly bond, no matter the outcome of their parent's relationship. Julian and Elliot admitted they couldn't wait to physically meet and give Xander a bear hug, then after a round of I love you's, the Skype session ended.

Elliot leaned against his headboard and pondered everything he'd just learned. He smiled and snuggled against his mate when Julian's arms wrapped around him, with his head on his shoulder. "Well, that's one mystery solved," he whispered.

"How are you feeling?" Julian softly asked as his fingertips lightly stroked Elliot's cheek and grazed his lips.

Elliot kissed the older teen's fingers and sighed. "I'm unable to come up with any words that could possibly do justice to describe the happiness in me," he exclaimed.

"That's all I needed to know, my sweet boy," Julian said. He turned his head and gazed into the younger teen's eyes. "Your happiness and safety are what I'm most concerned about, Elliot." He paused to kiss his boyfriend's cheek.

"I'm always glad to hear that coming from you, Jules," Elliot softly said. "Ya know what I love even more," he asked.

Julian shook his head.

"I love that you always show me how you feel. Like earlier, when that creep was taking pictures. I felt your arms tighten around me, pulling me closer to you as soon as I started feeling uneasy."

"Babe, I'm always gonna try to keep you safe, no matter the situation," Julian said. "I love you."

"Love ya more."

"Nuh-uh," Julian exclaimed. He was about to say something else, but his words were replaced by an endless stream of squeals and boisterous laughter when Elliot's fingers kneaded his ribs, and raspberries were blown on his stomach. It only took a couple minutes before the redhead surrendered and cried, Uncle. He and Elliot enjoyed a loving and passionate kiss, treated each other to a blow job, and shared a long, hot shower.

*****

"And in other news, the hate group FBIH, which stands for fags belong in hell, vandalized another upstanding LGBTQ establishment, landing another blow to the community. So far, there's been no arrests, and Mayor Hillard was unavailable for comments. We'll have more on this ongoing story as it progresses."

"What the fuck," Dottie exclaimed in frustration as she turned off the TV and walked into the kitchen to put the pot roast in the oven. She'd just poured herself a glass of wine when her phone rang. She walked to the counter and looked at the ID before answering. "Elaine, how are ya?"

"Dot, do you have enough for two more people at your table tonight?"

"Of course. Are you and Xander joining us?"

"Yes, we're just getting on the private jet now. We'll be landing in a couple hours."

"Perfect, I'll have Tim waiting at the airport for ya."

"Dottie, you'll never believe what Xander told me…"

"I don't believe it. Are you sure? How the fuckin' hell didn't we know this? We know everything that happens," Dottie said after finishing her wine and pouring another glass.

"I'm amazed myself. That's why I felt we should be there."

Dottie ended the call and walked into Doug's office, where she found her husband looking over the recent polls. "Please, tell me you're ahead of that sleaze bag, Worthington," she exclaimed.

"We're looking good, babe," Doug stated. He smiled, got up, walked to his wife, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her red lipstick-coated lips. "Tell me we've got time to mess up the bed before dinner," he said with a playful growl.

"Down, Tiger, I've gotta tell you something first."

"Holy Shit, are you sure," Doug almost yelled because he was so excited. "Well, that certainly makes things interesting. However, after everyone is apprised of this development, we should get a test done to be positive."

"I agree," Dottie said. "Now, about your idea of messing up the bed," she giggled and ran up the stairs with Doug, hot on her ass.

To be continued...

Posted: 07/21/2023