“Max, I want you to calm down and listen to me please,” I say with a calm soothing voice even though I’m everything but calm inside me. “Marc can’t be one of those men that did cruel things to you. He would …”

“He is papa … he’s the man they call Black because he has a black spot on his peewee. He’s mean to us boys and he makes us do things with other men when they come to his house. I know it’s him papa,” he’s crying so hard now that his fragile body is shaking violently.

“Have you seen this black spot on Black’s penis, Max?”

“Yes, many times because he would make me … “

“You don’t have to tell me what he made you do to him son. I can already imagine what that evil man did to you and … wait, you said there’s other boys?”

“There’s five boys besides me and three girls. There were more but they died,” and he starts crying again.

“I’m going to give you a shot to help you sleep Max and …”

“No no no papa, no shot. Black would give me a shot and then strange things happen in my head and body. Then he would bring two or maybe three men into my room and …” he goes quiet.

“I won’t give you a shot as long as you promise me that you will stay in bed until I come back. I need to make sure that what you are saying is true about Marc. Will you promise me to stay in bed and not leave it?”

“Yes papa I promise.”

I hurry into our bedroom and I find Marc lying on the bed crying hard into the pillows. My heart sinks as I see how broken my man is as his body trembles with his sobbing. I sit down beside him and gently place my hand on his back and gently kiss his cheek. I know that I have to tread carefully with him, the wrong word or phrase will not only destroy our relationship but also him.

“I never once believed his accusation against you darling,” I whisper softly as I lay my face next to his face. “Your love for children is to deep and you’re to protective to be what he accused of being.”

“I don’t think that I will ever forget that look of shear terror on his face when he first saw me and the hatred in his eyes when he accused me, Beau.”

“He’s been horrifically tortured and traumatized and right then seeing you naked must have given him a horrible flashback. He told me that you were this man that they called Black, because he has this large black spot on his cock.”

“I don’t have no spot on my dick, black or any other color Beau. You know that and I hope that you told him that.”

He gets up so quickly from the bed that he knocks me to the floor. He undoes his jeans and pushes them down to his knees, revealing his beautifully formed manhood. The skin is flawless as well as spotless and he moves it all around examining it before my eyes and his.

“See babe, there’s not a fucking mark on it,” he says and quickly pulls his jeans back up. “I’m going in there and I’m going to prove to him that I’m not this fucking pervert Black,” he starts to go but I quickly grab his arm and stop him.

“Let me talk to him first, because if you go barging into the room with your cock hanging out Marc, he’s going to think that I not only betrayed his trust but that you are this man, Black.” He agrees and I go back to the guest room and find Max huddled beneath the covers trembling. “Max, it’s me papa and I’m alone,” I quietly say and the covers inch down slowly until his precious face is looking at me.

Only then do I approach the bed and hold out my arms inviting him to come to me and he does.  “Did you send the bad man away, papa?” He asks and those trusting eyes are searching mine.

Instead of saying that I sent him away, I chose to remind him of what he told me about Black’s cock. “Do you remember what you told me about the bad man’s penis, Max?” He nods. “I made him show me his penis and there’s no black mark on it,” I tell him and his eyes go wide with astonishment. “If I promise you that he won’t hurt you son, will you allow him to prove to you that he’s not this man that you think he is?”

He’s very quiet as he clings tightly to me and I’m beginning to think that he won’t allow Marc to prove himself to him.

“Okay papa as long as you stay right beside me so he can’t get me,” he says but his trembling voice tells me that he’s anything but sure about this.

“How do you want me to do this? Do we go into the other room or do you want him to come in here?”

“I’ll go with you but leave the door open so we can get away if we need to,” he says.

I take him by the hand but he’s clinging so tightly to me that I ended up carrying him into the bedroom. Marc is standing by the window just staring into the vast expanse of greenery and turns his head when we enter the room.

“Marc, would you please turn around and drop your jeans,” I tell him quietly and I can only imagine how humiliating this must be for him.

“I’m only doing this Max because I love you son,” he says with tears rolling down his face.

He slowly undoes his jeans and just as slowly pushes them down to his knees and stands there with slumping shoulders as I gradually bring Max forward. Max has his face buried against my neck and when I urge him to look, he gradually turns his head to look down at Marc’s cock.  I lift it and turn it in different ways so that that Max can fully see it. He pushes away from me and stands before Marc.

“I’m sorry poppy for accusing you,” he says and turns, running as fast as his feet can take him out of our room and across the hall to his room.

“I’ll go try to calm him down,” I tell Marc who’s pulling up his jeans.

“Let me go Beau, because if Max and I don’t put this to rest between us it’s going to be around forever as a stumbling block for our relationship.” I simply nod my head.

“May I come in Max,” I ask, knocking softly on the door.

“Why? You must hate me after that horrible thing that I accused you of being.”

I slowly walk over to where he’s lying on his bed and sit down beside him.

“Let me tell you about a father’s love son,” I begin as I gently rub his heaving back with my hand. “His love is unconditional and that means that he loves you regardless of anything that you may say or do. Yes it may hurt him on the inside but that doesn’t mean he loves you any less. If anything, his love for you grows and that hurt disappears and it’s replaced with forgiveness and a deeper love Max,” I tell him and now I’m crying so hard that he’s just a blur as he tackles me and wraps his thin arms around my neck and kisses my face.

“I’m sorry poppy for hurting you but you really look like Black. Did you really mean what you said about love?”

“Of course I meant it Max. I loved you that first day that I saw you lying in that hospital bed all broken and I just sat there and cried because my heart hurt so much. My heart told me that you were going to be my son and now here you are,” I give him a hug and we sit there crying.

I’m crying so hard that I have to go back to my room. I’m so happy that my guys are going to be alright together now that Max has gotten past his fear of Marc. But as I’m sitting there thinking I can’t help but remember an incident that occurred just before Max had been brought into the trauma unit. There had been a nurse that made a comment to me about this man that could have been Marc’s identical twin. I remember looking for the man but he was gone before I ever had the chance to see him. I dial the hospital and then I hang up as I remember the time.

“Papa, poppy is going to make us pizza do you want to come join us,” a very excited Max asks.

“Mmmm pizza is my favorite. Hop on and I’ll give you a piggyback ride to the kitchen,,” I tell him as I pat the bed beside me and he eagerly jumps up and locks his arms around my neck. “Hang on tight son,” I tell him and away we go to find Marc.

“He’s in his element when he’s in the kitchen cooking. While I was doing my internship, Marc took several classes at a culinary school and got a minor degree. 

“Traditional or Alfredo sauce, Max,” he asks as I set him down on a bar stool.

“I never had that Alfredo one poppy. Is it good?”

“Are you kidding me, of course it’s good. It’s magnificent and my favorite. But I must ask papa if he will allow me to have a slice because the sauce isn’t really good for my heart right now,” he says and they both turn to me and give me those pitiful puppy dog eyes and how can I fight against the two of them?

“I guess one piece is allowed because we are celebrating … you,” I say to Max and begin tickling him.

He squeals and wiggles until he finally jumps from the stool and runs to Marc for protection. Marc lifts up a spatula and waves it around like a sword as he holds Max behind him.

“Get back you tickle monster before I slay you with my mighty sword. No monster is going to get my son,” he says and suddenly Max looks up at Marc and his eyes are brimming with tears as wraps his arms around Marc’s waist.

“You really did mean it poppy, you really will protect me from monsters,” he says and Marc drops to his knees and hugs him close.

“When I make a promise to you I will always keep it my sweet baby boy,” he hugs him again and kisses his forehead. “Now every chef needs an assistant. Now where am I going to find myself an assistant at this hour?” Marc asks.

“Right here poppy … I can help you,” he yelling excitedly and I’m roaring with laughter.

“Have you ever pounded out pizza dough before,” he asks as he ties an apron on Max 

“I don’t think so poppy but I’m sure that I can learn how if you show me.”

I decide to take my phone and begin recording the two of them as Marc stands behind Max, who’s standing on a wooden box and adding flour to the surface of the counter.

“Now we set the dough in the middle of the flour and using just our fingers, we gently push it outward like this.” Marc’s fingers are on top of Max’s and he showing him how you gently work the dough. “Make sure that you keep turning the dough so you keep the pie in a circle.”

“I thought that we were making a pizza poppy?”

“We are son but they refer to a pizza as a pizza pie. Now you continue to make the pie until it fits on this pizza stone,” he tells him.

“Okay poppy,” he says and goes back to work earnestly making the pie bigger until he makes a hole in the dough. “I’m sorry poppy please don’t hit me … I didn’t mean to make a hole,” he says fearfully and crying.

“Hey hey hey, what are you crying for son? I’m not angry at you for making a hole. Heck sweetie, I do it all the time. Now dry your eyes and I’ll show you how we are going to fix it. We take the dough and put the torn piece over the hole and pat it softly with our fingers,” he says showing him and then he makes another hole. “Oops!”

“I can fix it it poppy,” and he does it exactly as Marc has shown him.

“Perfect, now it’s time to put the sauce on it. Would you like to be the one to put the sauce on Max?” He nods. “Take one ladle full and carefully spill it into the middle of the pie. That’s right son, just like that. Now slowly use the ball of the ladle to spread the sauce outward towards the edge. You’ve done this before because you’re doing it just like a real chef,” Marc tells him and turns to smile at me with a smile that touches his eyes and my heart.

“I’m so hungry that I can’t wait to eat your first pizza, Max,” I tell him and he’s beaming with pride.

An hour and a half later Marc is carrying a sleepy Max upstairs to his room. I quickly pull down the covers and we tuck him in together and kiss him good night.

“Can you leave the light on papa,” he asks and I nod because I can only imagine the monsters that must haunt his dreams.

“You are really a very good father, Marc,” I tell him as we cuddle up together.

“I’m only as good as you are because I learned everything that I know about loving someone from you,” he says and climbs onto me. “I love you so much angel and thank you for saving me with Max tonight.” He whispers and slowly slides his cock into me and I gasp at how good it feels to make love with him again.

“Take it slow babe because you’re still healing and I don’t want anything happening to you,” I tell him as he sets us a gentle rhythm. My legs hold him securely around his hips as my arms surround his neck. He kisses me deeply and with passion as he guides us to the that beautiful climax minutes later.

“I’m coming babe,” I’m thrusting up now faster and urging his thrusts deeper as I shoot my seed between us.

“Oh fuck baby doll … ride my cock … oh fuck I’m coming,” and I feel each blast of his cock that’s buried balls deep in my hot sheath. “More … oh fuck I have so much to … can’t stop coming,” he says and keeps pounding my ass until he’s spent and collapses on me with heated kisses. “I love you so much angel.”

“I love you more sweetheart.” I tell him and suddenly our afterglow is shattered by Max’s screams.

Both Marc and I hurry into robes and rush across the hall into Max’s bedroom. He’s sound asleep but his arms and legs are thrashing violently as he fights against some monster in his nightmare.

“We have you Max,” I softly tell him and gently shake him awake.

Marc looks around the room and sees a broomstick that must have been left behind by the housekeeper and grabs it up and snapping it in half.

“Poppy the protector is here,” he shouts and Max turns immediately to look at him. “You better run because no one touches my son and lives,” he says holding up the stick like it’s a sword.

“Thank you poppy for scaring that monster away,” he says holding up his arms to Marc.

Marc drops immediately to the bed and lets his son wrap his slender arms around him. “Can I sleep with you and papa?” He asks and I nod to Marc.

“I think that it can be arranged son,” he says and scoops him up and carries him to our bed and tosses him into the middle. “You bounce just like a ball son,” he says and starts to untie his robe.

“Ah Marc … need pajamas,” I tell him and his face goes red.

“He he you must be naked under your robe poppy,” Max says laughing at Marc’s red face. 

“I was just getting ready for bed when you started screaming for your protector so I grabbed my robe and sword to go protect you,” he says and I smile at his quick save. “I’ll be right back,” he hurries to his bureau and searches… and searches for his elusive pajamas. 

“You never wear them so I gave them away. Here, wear your gym shorts,” I tell him and grab a pair for myself. Once dressed we return to the bed and Max is already asleep. We kiss goodnight and climb in one on each side of Max. Max turns in his sleep towards Marc and snuggles as close as he can get to him. Marc wraps a protective arm around him and kisses him on his forehead and he’s asleep before I can turn out the light.