“Well, there are a few people who aren’t too crazy about it,” he admitted, glancing down at Erin as she wrapped her arm around his trim waist. “They’re just afraid to say anything.”

“Yeah, because you’d beat them up if they did,” Erin reminded him, smiling sweetly. Nick blushed, knowing she was probably right. “Show me those 22-inch guns of yours,” she went on, grabbing onto his biceps, her hands unable to reach all the way around them. Grinning, Nick casually flexed his right arm. Instantly, his biceps exploded to a huge peak, straining the fabric of his long-sleeved shirt to the max. Erin moaned as she caressed the dense muscles, the sound making Nick aroused, his monster cock thickening beneath his jeans. “You can take anybody with these babies,” she cooed.

“We’ll see how they do on the field during play-offs,” he said, looking directly into his girlfriend’s eyes. He knew from the way her pupils dilated that he had her hypnotized on sight.

“Are you kidding me?” Kim suddenly spoke up. “With the way you guys have been man-handling the other teams?” Nick looked at her and immediately began snickering, Erin smiling beside him. Kim stared at him blankly for a moment and then turned beat red. “Sorry, I didn’t exactly mean to use that word,” she muttered hurriedly.

“By the way,” Billy changed the topic, “have any of you seen Brandon this morning?”

“No,” Nick answered, shaking his head. “I haven’t seen him since we left home.” For the last couple of days, Brandon had been staying over at his house. His dad was still being a jerk and wouldn’t let him live at home. Mr. Jones seemed like such a nice guy…but he obviously had issues about his son being gay. Nick prayed that he’d eventually get over it. Though it was nice having his best friend live with him; they sometimes spent their nights playing video games, like Nick had always done with Ian when they were little. And watching NFL football was awesome – Brandon was an avid Colts fan and insisted they’d win the Super Bowl.

“It sucks that his dad just kicked him out like that,” Kim said sullenly. “How’s he doing?”

“Alright,” Nick shrugged, “though it’s kinda hard to tell with him, you know?” Brandon was famous for being very stoic. It was the sign of a good quarterback, he always said. All the great quarterbacks weren’t supposed to be bothered by anything – or at least not show it.

“Hey, guys!” Brandon suddenly called to them from down the hall as if on cue. Walking next to him was his boyfriend Greg and every now and then, the two would steal glances at each other. They were so in love, it was ridiculous.

“Yo, B, what’s up?” Billy beamed as he clasped hands with the teen stud and gave him a half-hug. “Howya doin’?”

“Not bad,” Brandon answered, smiling broadly, though Nick could tell it was only because he didn’t want to mope in front of Greg. “I’ll catch up with you guys later. I hafta run over to my chemistry class to finish a test. Seeya!” And just like that, Brandon was gone…but not before he gave Greg a quick kiss on the cheek and a flash of his baby blue eyes. Greg grinned and blushed as he watched his boyfriend scuttle down the hall.

“It’s so weird seeing you two kiss,” Kim uttered, shaking her head. Greg laughed.

“You should see the looks I get in choir,” he remarked. “No one can believe I’m dating Brandon Jones. They think he’s a hunk.”

“Yeah,” Erin continued, “all the girls are jealous of you…and some of the guys, too.” Suddenly, the warning bell reverberated through the halls, immediately prompting a rush to first period. The group quickly said their goodbyes and joined the crowd.

“I’ll see you later,” Billy whispered into Kim’s ear.

“Give me one more kiss,” she returned, peering up at him and deeply into his eyes. God, she was so beautiful, so perfect.

“Ok,” he answered, grabbing her by the waist and effortlessly picking her up to give her a kiss, his gargantuan shoulders flexing so much, he could actually hear the material of his T-shirt groan under the strain of holding back his muscles. “I could hold you up here all day,” he said, grinning. Heck, he could bench 630 pounds – lifting a 110-pound girl into the air was nothing for him.

“Yeah, but you’ll make me late for American Civ, you big stud,” Kim pointed out, smiling brightly. Billy laughed and set her back down. Their arms lingered a bit longer before they parted ways. As Billy headed to his first period geometry class, he sighed, the picture of his girlfriend’s face imprinted in his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about her…but why would he want to?

“I always kinda knew that Brandon Jones was gay,” Billy overheard a classmate remark to his friend as he entered the room.

“Yeah?” the friend answered. “How?” The first kid smirked.

“Look at his initials!” The second guy thought for a second and then burst out in laughter. Billy narrowed his eyes as he interpreted the joke himself. The fucking assholes!

“Yeah,” the second one continued, “I guess he makes passes to tight ends on and off the field!” Both jerks cackled so hysterically, they didn’t see Billy’s massive form come up to them.

“Hey, guys,” he rumbled, making his voice low and menacing, expanding his body to its fullest height and width. “What you talkin’ about?” Instantly, the two classmates stopped laughing and gaped up at the teen behemoth that towered above them. Hell, he probably weighed more than both of them put together…and could lift 10 times what they could at the same time.

“Uh, nothin’,” the first boy answered meekly, swallowing hard. Seeing a 6 foot 4, 310-pound linebacker directly in front of them, his huge arms crossed in front of his huge chest, must have been intimidating.

“Good,” Billy grinned ominously. “If I hear you two say anything more about Brandon or Nick again…” He flexed his shoulders and lats, stretching his T-shirt to the near-ripping point, the bottom rising above his waistline. The boys’ eyes widened in fear and they looked like they were about to pee in their pants.

“We-we won’t,” they assured him, shaking visibly.

“Good,” Billy smiled, dropping his arms to his side. “See you in class, guys.” With that, he turned and headed to his desk. That ought to teach ‘em, he said to himself.

“Oh, yeah,” Matt breathed as he lay underneath JP’s massive body, his boyfriend’s 10-and-a-half-inch cock ramming his ass over and over again. “Keep going. Harder!” JP obeyed him and began pounding him more roughly, the bed creaking on its supports. He sometimes wondered if people in the adjacent dorms could hear them…but that didn’t matter to him right now.

“Shit,” JP hissed as he surveyed the contours of Matt’s upper back muscles. God, they were beautiful, the mixture of their sweat pooling in the valleys and trickling down the trough of his spine. JP bent down and grazed his lips along his boyfriend’s muscled neck. Matt turned his head and looked up at him, smiling. Their lips touched as the two continued having sex, the sounds of their heavy breathing and the slosh of the lube filling the hot air around them.

Suddenly, JP unleashed a torrent of jizz straight into Matt, their bodies buckling against each other in erotic passion. JP’s mouth flew open as he came, no longer able to control himself. After a full minute of climax, the two relaxed and JP lifted himself off of Matt’s body and lay down next to him. Groggily, Matt rolled over and looked him in the eyes. The round, blue eyes of his boyfriend instantly commanded JP on contact. They were so gorgeous; Matt was so gorgeous. For nearly five minutes, the two boyfriends just gazed at each other, each admiring the other’s perfect beauty.

“What do you want to do today?” JP finally spoke. Still lost somewhere inside of him, Matt shrugged. “We could go work out, maybe get some guys together for a football game.”

“Why can’t you just lay here and let me stare at you?” Matt suggested with a grin. JP chuckled and looked away. I’d like to stare at you all day, Matt, he thought to himself. He reached over and gently gave his boyfriend a kiss on the lips, brushing the golden brown bangs that hung over his forehead. Slowly, he sat up, the sheets falling to his hips. Matt immediately stretched out his arm to touch the top of JP’s buttcrack as it peeked out from underneath his 250-pound bulk of pure muscle. JP closed his eyes. Damn, just the touch of his boyfriend sent him plunging into pleasure.

“Do you mind if I check my e-mail on your computer?” he asked, lifting his naked body to his feet. Matt nodded, dazed.

“Sure, go ahead,” he answered distantly. He reached for JP’s bubble butt as he headed for the desk. “I can just stare at that ass all day,” he said, bringing another smile to JP’s face. I can stare at yours, too, JP mentally told him, look him straight in the eyes. Matt blushed and lowered his head.

Turning back to his boyfriend’s computer, he logged onto his e-mail through the Ohio State website and opened his inbox. Hm, an e-mail from the wrestling coach, several from teammates…his roommate asking if he was going to be gone again this weekend – he probably wanted to throw a party or something…

“I got one asking if I want a larger penis,” he remarked out loud with a grin.

“You can delete that one,” Matt quipped. “You certainly don’t need it.” JP blushed. Then, he opened one up from Nick…and gasped as he read it.

“Holy shit!” he exclaimed a little louder than he meant to.

“What is it?” Matt asked, reading his boyfriend’s voice and shot up in bed, his flawless abs crunching together as he did.

“Nick came out,” JP answered him, “and so did Brandon Jones!”

“WHAT!?” Matt shrieked. “Brandon Jones is gay?”

“Apparently,” JP went on. “He doesn’t give many details in his e-mail, but they were forced out and they told the whole football team.” He squinted his eyes to read the computer screen. “Most everyone seems to be ok with it…but Brandon’s dad kicked him out of the house.”

“Shit,” Matt whispered. He was no doubt thinking about what could have happened if his mom had had the same reaction.

“He’s staying over at Nick’s house,” JP continued. “He wants my help.” He thought for a moment. There was one thing he could do. Solemnly, he swung the chair around to look at his boyfriend. Matt immediately read his mind and dropped his jaw, shaking his head.

“You’re not thinking of…” JP nodded. “JP, are you sure?”

“Yeah,” JP answered. “I have to. I trained the kid. He looks up to me. I can’t just let this go.” He stood up and kneeled in front of his prostrate boyfriend. “Matt, please…you’ve been wanting this for a long time.”

“Yeah, but only when you’re ready,” he said, tears already welling up in his eyes.

“I am ready,” JP told him with an emboldened tone. “I am ready to come out.”

Ashley felt her heart beat against her chest as she glanced at the little probe for the millionth time that minute. This was the third straight morning she had thrown up so she knew what the results would be, but she wanted to make sure.

It had been an accident; they never meant for it to happen. They had used a condom, for Christ’s sake, but as soon as she felt the sensation of Ryan’s cum shooting into her, she knew what had happened. It had been such a powerful ejaculation, it was too much for the latex and the condom had split open.

Trying to breath steadily, she glanced at the tiny window on the plastic tube…one blue bar. She blinked. Did that mean positive…or did it have to be two bars. God, she couldn’t think straight. She fumbled through the garbage and fished out the box, reading the instructions. One blue bar equaled positive. Ashley plopped down onto the toilet in dreaded excitement.

She was pregnant.

Matt looked over at JP, giving him a tight squeeze of the hand, as they stood in front of the Maloney house. He couldn’t believe his boyfriend was actually going to come out. And it was all to help Nick and his friend Brandon. God, that’s why I love you, he thought. Suddenly, the door opened and Erin stood there. Matt almost did a double take. Damn, she looked phenomenal. She had grown into a shapely, drop-dead gorgeous woman. Her long, dark hair draped luxuriously over her broad shoulders, her large, full breasts were held tightly inside a shirt that rose up to reveal a hard, flat stomach and well-formed hips. Erin Maloney had become an absolute knockout. Jesus, Matt thought, I’m gay and I’m almost turned on by her!

“Hey, guys!” she greeted them sweetly, reaching up to give them both hugs.

“Shit, Erin,” JP remarked after she hugged him. “Have you been working out?” She blushed and grinned a little.

“Maybe,” she answered innocently. Indeed, her arms did seem quite toned and there was a hint of a six-pack in her stomach.

“I guess you are gonna be on the basketball team,” JP said, shaking his head. “Looks like my little sister is a jock, too.” He and Matt entered the house and headed down the hall toward the kitchen where Mrs. Maloney was preparing a huge feast. Matt blinked, wondering who was going to eat all that food when Nick, Brandon and Ian Antoncelli burst through the basement door. They had obviously just finished a grueling workout; immediately, the air was filled with the smell of their sweat and teenage testosterone. But that wasn’t what nearly made Matt faint. The three teens were HUGE!

Ian’s thickly-built chest and shoulders filled his wife-beater to the max – to the point his lats threatened to rip through the fabric every time he moved. He was almost the size of JP, though he didn’t have nearly the same definition. Still, his pecs and upper back muscles were impressive to watch…and his legs flexed heavily as he shifted his weight around. Shit, Matt thought, if this was the kid when he was off steroids, how big was when he was on them?

Brandon was the classic example of the All-American jock. His sopping wet, blond hair hung above his sky blue eyes, his brilliant smile beamed within a strong jaw line, and his body – whoof! Despite being the smallest of the three, Brandon’s body was ridiculously gorgeous. Unlike Ian, he wasn’t wearing a shirt, so every inch of his torso was displayed in all its perfection. His pecs were like slabs of beef, his abs ripped to shreds, his back chiseled, his arms bulging, his shoulders striated. There simply wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t flawless. It was easy to see why all the girls had crushes on him.

But then there was Nick. Matt’s jaw literally dropped when he saw the specimen of athletic manliness he had become. He was well over six feet tall and who knows how much he weighed – all of it muscle. His shoulders were so broad, he could barely fit through the door front-ways. His chest and lats were built like a Mack truck – a ripped Mack truck – and his abs were ridiculous. His arms were gigantic – Matt had never seen arms so big…they were over 20 inches easy. His massive thighs shook immensely as he walked and his diamond-cut calves bounced in rhythm. But nothing could have prepared Matt for what Nick looked like above his thick wrestler’s neck. He had the same strong jaw line as Brandon, but it was covered in a layer of black stubble. And his fierce hazel eyes peered out from above his Greek nose, instantly entrancing everyone who looked into them. Yeah, Nick was beyond beautiful – he was stunning.

“I can’t believe you benched that much, man!” Ian beamed as the trio walked into the kitchen. Nick grinned and shrugged his huge shoulders, slipping a tank-top over his head. Not surprisingly, it fit him like a second skin.

“How much you benching nowadays?” Mr. Maloney asked, coming into the room from the den, folding up the sports section of the Washington Post as he did. Nick blushed as he looked down at the man; damn, he was taller than he was now.

“550,” he answered plainly. Matt’s eyes almost flew out of his head. 550 pounds!!!

“For five reps,” Brandon added, smiling that radiant smile of his as he put on a T-shirt. Mr. Maloney’s eyebrows arched upward. Matt could tell he was both proud of his daughter’s boyfriend’s strength and slightly embarrassed that a 15-year-old was so much stronger than he.

“Alright, boys,” Mrs. Maloney spoke up, bringing a huge plate of meat to the table. “Enough gym talk for now. It’s time to eat.” Matt could practically hear the three boys’ stomachs growl. No doubt, they were hungry after the workout they had and they scrambled to their chairs like little kids. He stared in awe at how much they could put away – after all, they didn’t get the bodies by eating like birds. As the meal started winding down – as did the heaps of food on each boy’s plate – Matt leaned back in his chair, his stomach full. He had forgotten how much food JP’s mom cooked at one time.

“So, I guess you got my e-mail,” Nick spoke up. Matt blinked, a tad surprised that he would bring the subject up so casually, but then he realized that everyone including his girlfriend’s parents knew about him being bisexual. Brandon, however, dropped his fork on his plate with a clang.

“You told him?” he asked, his voice suddenly sounding weak. Matt glanced at the boy and recognized his discomfort. He was struggling with coming out. But Nick looked over at him and with one expression, calmed him down. Matt heard JP sigh, eliciting the attention of everyone at the table.

“Brandon,” he began, “I know what you’re feeling.”

“You do?” Brandon retorted in surprising bitterness, but he caught himself and hung his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that.” JP shook his head.

“It’s alright.” His voice was low, calm, the rock that Matt had seen so many times in his boyfriend. “There’s something that not many people know about me.” Brandon thought for a brief second and then raised his head in slow-dawning shock.

“You’re…”

“Yeah,” JP nodded. “I’m gay, too.” Suddenly, Mrs. Maloney dropped a plate in the kitchen sink, making everyone jump.

“What did you say?” JP’s dad bellowed from the head of the table. I gulped, closing my eyes. I didn’t want to see what was about to happen. JP, on the other hand, stayed strong. He stood up, still looking down at Brandon whose mouth was open.

“I’m gay,” he repeated. An uncomfortable silence swallowed the whole room as no one knew what to say. Matt knew his boyfriend was doing this to keep Brandon from feeling alone. There were other jocks like him out there who were also gay.

“How long have you known?” Mrs. Maloney asked, a confused look on her face.

“Ever since freshman year of high school,” JP answered. He glanced down at Matt. “Matt and I have been together for over four years now.” His dad’s eyebrows arched higher than Matt had ever seen.

“And why haven’t you told us this?” he queried, his voice unexpectedly soft in contrast to his usual interrogative tone. JP stared at his father blankly. Matt knew what he was thinking. He had kept the truth from them for the same reason Brandon had kept the truth was his dad. He was scared what they might do. JP flexed his jaw and made a side-glance at Brandon. Mr. Maloney caught his eyeline and realized what he meant. “Still, you should’ve told us.” It was obvious he didn’t know how to respond.

“I wasn’t ready,” JP insisted, his voice raising slightly.

Suddenly, Brandon’s hands began shaking and his breathing became rapid. He pushed away from the table, his chair scraping across the floor.

“Brandon, you ok?” Nick asked him, but Brandon was unresponsive. Tears started streaming down his face and his broad shoulders hunched over.

“Brandon, relax,” Mrs. Maloney hurried over to him and wrapped her arms around him. Nick and Erin helped her stand him up and bring him over to the couch in the den. Everyone else just watched, stunned.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered as they eased him down.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Mrs. Maloney sang to him, motherly brushing the bangs of his hair. Slowly, he started calming down. “Nothing is your fault.” Confused, Matt looked over at JP who was still standing in the kitchen. Matt went over to him.

“What was that?” he asked, not expecting his boyfriend to give any sort of an answer.

“The whole thing just came to him,” he responded sullenly. Matt furrowed his eyebrows. “It just hit him,” he explained. “It just hit him how different his life might be now.”

Ian walked through the doors of the church and headed toward the confessional. He hadn’t confessed since he was seven years old – when he stole that stick of gum from the drug store. Frankly, he never believed in that stuff – he wasn’t very religious – but he had nowhere else to turn, no one else to talk to. Seeing Brandon break down like that after dinner was too much for him. Brandon was a nice guy; he didn’t deserve to have what was happening to him. If I never got into steroids, Ian thought, Nick and Brandon wouldn’t have had to be forced out of the closet. Quietly, he slipped into the compartment and waited for Father Hernandez to slide the window open.

“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,” he said, wincing at the cliché of his words. God, he sounded stupid.

“What is troubling you, my son?” Father Hernandez asked softly. Ian took in a deep breath, piecing together the thoughts in his head.

“I’ve done some horrible things in my past,” he began, “things that I now deeply regret. I was selfish, self-centered. But worse, I betrayed the people closest to me.” He paused, feeling a tear escape his eye. Without thinking, he wiped it away from his finger. “Now, what I’ve done is catching up,” Ian continued. “But it’s my friends who are getting hurt. Because of what I did, their lives are getting ruined. They’re lives are harder because of me.” He heard his own voice crack with emotion. “And the worst part is, they never did anything to me but try to help me…they still are.” Ian stopped, sighing. He couldn’t believe he had just laid it all out like that. How could Father Hernandez help him; all he’d do is say God forgave him – and he didn’t care about that.

“Son,” the priest answered, “you obviously have a lot of guilt, but your remorse and your coming here also proves that you are willing make up for all that you’ve done.” Ian closed his eyes. Here it comes, he said to himself. But Father Hernandez went on: “You are blessed to have the friends that you have. They have forgiven you for what you’ve done to them. Perhaps it is time for you to forgive yourself and accept the help that they’ve given you. In that way, you can help them in return to get through this trying time.”

Ian stared in silence through the grate. Father Hernandez had a point. He couldn’t change what he had done, but he could still do something about the consequences. Nick and Brandon didn’t deserve what they were going through…but they did deserve his aid in getting them through it.

“Thank you, Father,” he whispered.

“God bless you, my son.”

Ryan dried his hands on a towel in Ashley’s bathroom and breathed in the aroma of the pasta coming from the kitchen. Coming out of the bathroom, he pulled his necktie off and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He had just finished a photo shoot when his girlfriend asked him to dinner. He assumed they would be going out, so he was surprised when he saw the table in her apartment set for two. It had to have been some special occasion, but what, he didn’t know.

“The food smells so good,” he remarked deeply, gliding into the kitchen and wrapping his muscular arms around Ashley’s small waist as she stood at the stove. Gently, he stuck his face into her neck, making her giggle. “You smell good, too,” he exhaled.

“Stop,” she laughed, “you’re going to make me screw this up!” Smiling, Ryan let her go, but kept looking at her fondly. She felt his gaze and smiled back at him. His girlfriend knew what he was thinking.

“Why’d you ask me to come over to dinner?” he asked. Ashley grinned.

“What,” she defended, “I can’t treat my boyfriend to a homemade meal after a long day in the studio?” But the look in her eyes told Ryan that there was something more. He watched her eyes closely; they drifted down and then back up at him. Wait, could this be about…? He decided to test her.

“Want me to put out two wine glasses or one?” he asked nonchalantly, opened the cupboard door.

“One,” she answered immediately, turning back to her cooking. Then, she looked up suddenly and grinned at him, shaking her head. “How’d you know?” she said, her face lighting up.

“Know what?” Ryan smirked in fake innocence. “It was the other night, wasn’t it?” he went on. Ashley looked away, growing more serious. “The condom split.”

“I’m pregnant,” she finally declared. Instantly, Ryan felt his insides lurch. He almost didn’t know what to say. Brushing his hand through his black hair, he searched for words.

“Oh, my God,” he exclaimed, not able to hide the smile on his face. “I’m gonna be a father,” he said. “You’re gonna be a mother.” Ashley laughed again.

“Yeah, that’s generally how it works.” Ryan stepped over to his girlfriend and took her by the arm, peering down at her lovingly.

“I guess we have to get married now,” he said.

“Yeah,” Ashley whispered. “No one can stop us.”

Meanwhile, Brionna sat at her desk, the light from her laptop illuminating her face. Looking out at her were the beaming smiles of Ashley Bennington and Ryan Maloney – the wedding announcement that had been posted in the Washington Post. Brionna scowled at the couple. We’ll see how much longer you two are smiling, she said to herself. •