SEH The Next Generation

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“You sleeping, boy?” he asked, his voice hoarse and manly. It wasn’t Nick, John or even Nicky. If it wasn’t them, then who could it be? “Mommy’s asleep and it’s time for us to have some fun. Play another round of mommy and daddy.”

Panic shot through every inch of Robbie’s body, rendering him weak and nauseous. Deep in his heart, he knew that he was in grave danger and needed to get away from him and fast. Before he could do anything, the man removed the thin cover sheltering his body and ran his hands all over his legs. His touch was ice cold, rough, and treacherous. Something about him made Robbie sick and too shocked to move. His body erupted in goose bumps while a sinking feeling buried itself inside his stomach. Who was he and what did he want?

Robbie was about to scream when something weird happened. The man’s touch became warm, gentle, and comforting. The mysterious man covered Robbie’s body with his and Robbie’s heart stopped, feet going completely cold. It wasn’t a stranger or an evil presence. It was Nicky.

“What—?

“Shhh!” Nicky placed a soft finger over his lips. “I know you want me as much as I want you.”

Robbie’s heart started pounding hard against his chest while his body shivered in delight. Nicky’s hands traced every inch of his body as his lips locked on his neck, tasting his skin. Robbie moaned in pleasure as his member became hard and stiff. Was this real? Or was it all just a dream? Nicky grunted loudly and began to hump and rub his hips against him.

“Oh, Nicky!” Robbie screamed as he felt the pressure of Nicky’s body against his.

All of a sudden, a loud buzzing sound rang in his ears and he sat up. The morning rays welcomed him with their radiant glow, disturbing his vision. It was already morning and everything had been just a beautiful dream. However, the buzzing sound still continued and he looked around for the source of all of the commotion. It was his iPhone and Nicky’s name flashed repeatedly on the screen. He waved his hand over the device and answered, happily. “Hey! What’s up?”

“Get up lazy!” Nicky replied.

“I’m up!” Robbie rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Almost eleven.”

“Wow!” Robbie glanced outside. “I overslept.”

“That’s cool. I was just making sure you were up.”

“Oh, okay.” Robbie scratched his head, confused. Why would he?

“See you soon.” Nicky hung up on him.

Soon? Robbie stared at his phone. Someone knocked on the door and Robbie stood up. Was it Nicky? Maybe it was! He combed his hair with his hands and cleaned his face with the silky covers of his bed. After taking a deep breath, he answered, casually. “Come in.”

“Rise and shine!” John announced as he opened the door and stepped inside.

It was only John, but he was still very happy to see him.

“I sent Nicky to check if you were up, but his lazy ass won’t leave the couch.”

Robbie laughed. “That’s why he called me?”

“Yeah.” John sat on the edge of the bed. “I want you to clean up, put on something nice and have breakfast with us. After that, we’re going shopping for a few things you might need.”

“You really don’t—”

“Nope!” John lifted a hand out to him. “I won’t take no for an answer. Remember, you’re my son now.”

Robbie’s heart skipped a few beats. It felt so good to hear someone saying those words. “Okay, John. Thank you.”

“Good.” John stood up, heading straight for the door. “Hurry up! We’re waiting on you.”

After John left the room, Robbie ran into the bathroom where he took a short shower and changed in lightning speed. Once he was done and presentable enough for Nicky, he found his way into the kitchen where he came across Nicky and John, sitting down by the counter. Nicky was eating a bowl of cereal and texting at the same time, completely ignoring him.

John signaled for him to sit next to him. “We usually have breakfast here since everyone is always in a rush.” He patted the seat next to him. “The dining table is for special occasions only.”

“Cool!” he murmured as he sat down.

On the counter in front of him was a plate of waffles topped with honey and whipped cream. Next to his plate were three cups. One was filled with orange juice, the other with water and the third one with milk. “Where’s Nick and Lily?”

“They left early for work. Lily is working with Nick at his law firm.”

“Oh, I thought she’d be excited to join us today.” Robbie took a bite of his food.

“She begged Nick to let her stay, but at the end, I said no.”

“Why?” Nick and John seemed like the type of parents who would spoil their children with everything they wanted.

“She maxed out all of credit cards. So, as punishment, she has to work with Nick all summer long. No questions asked.”

“Don’t do anything wrong, man. The punishments around here are severe.” Nicky winked at him.

This made Robbie’s head weak and light.

“Nicky.” John glared at him.

“Sorry.” Nicky continued with his food.

“He’s been moody lately.”

“Moody, Dad? Moody is an understatement. I’ve been under house arrest since the beginning of summer!”

“And you know very well why.” John answered him with a serious face. “And it’s not house arrest. You’re simply not allowed to go outside the property without supervision.”

Nicky dropped his spoon on his plate and glared at his father, incredulous. He looked at Robbie with a serious face. “Run. Run as fast as you can.”

“Nicky, for goodness sake.” John shook his head. “One way or another, I’ve got to teach you about responsibilities and consequences. If it was up to Nick, you’d all be running around in the wild.”

Robbie laughed. His new family was simply too good to be true!

“How long have you and Nick been together?”

John sighed. “About twenty-two years now. We’ve been married for twenty.”

“Wow!” Robbie breathed. “That’s a lifetime.”

“Yeah. We met during our first year at Elite High, but it wasn’t until our junior year that he finally noticed me.”

“Really?” Robbie took the last bite of his waffles.

“Yes.” John beamed, glancing at the time on his phone. “Oh my! We’ve got to move now since we’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

“Awesome!” Robbie dropped his spoon on his plate.

He was about to pick it up and take it to the sink when John stood up and cleared the counter in a matter of seconds. He reached for a pair of keys on the counter and turned to them. “Okay, guys. Let’s go!”

They stood up and followed him to the front door. Nicky was still busy with his phone, texting his fingers away. But who in the world was he texting so much? Did he have a girlfriend? A hot boyfriend? Robbie hoped that Nicky had a boyfriend. That basically meant that he had a slight chance with him. Once outside, Robbie’s attention fell on a very fancy car with a tiny hood ornament of a little silver fairy with her wings extended backwards. Underneath it was the logo of a double ‘R’.

“Rolls Royce.” Robbie acknowledged with a nod. “Nice.”

“Thank you.” John went up to the car. “Sit in the front with me.”

Robbie got into the passenger side while Nicky jumped in the backseat. He wasn’t upset by the fact that he was sitting next to his dad. In fact, he looked happy and relieved since he could privately text his heart away with no one bothering him. The second John jumped behind the wheel, he put the car in drive and sped to the mall in a deep conversation with Robbie. It wasn’t until they reached the mall that Nicky placed his phone back into his pocket and looked around.

“I haven’t been here in weeks,” he confessed to Robbie as they followed John who led them through the crowd.

“Really? Being under house arrest must suck, huh?” He did his best to keep Nicky’s attention now that he got it.

“A little, but I know Dad means well,” Nicky answered with a smile.

John turned right and headed to a small boutique shop that had several male and female mannequins in its windows. The clothing looked expensive, cool and trendy. John opened the glass door and they all stepped inside. Robbie’s eyes fell on beautiful woman with the blackest of hair and darkest of eyes that elegantly complemented her porcelain skin. The unknown stranger looked very familiar, but Robbie couldn’t tell where he had seen her face before.

“Johnny Boy!” She screamed and wrapped her arms around John, kissing his cheeks several times.

“Madison! Look at you!” John beamed. “Always looking sultry and sassy.”

The woman, who wore a tight blue dress, smiled at Nicky. Her eyes shot open taking him in. “Nicky?” She studied him and gave him a quick hug. “Look at you! I haven’t seen you in two months and you’ve grown almost three foot and double in size. Are you competing with your dad to see who’s hotter?”

Nicky blushed, cheeks going pink. “Thank you, Aunt Madison.”

She laughed and focused her attention on Robbie. She went up to him and hugged him tight. “You must be Robbie.”

“Yes, I am.” Robbie answered shyly.

“Awww!” Madison exclaimed. “Look at him, John. He reminds me so much of you.”

John went over to Madison, placing an arm around her waist. “This is Madison Lee, one of my best friends and sister from another mister. She’s also Lily’s godmother.”

“She’s the girl in the pictures!” Robbie pointed out, finally remembering her face.

“Yes I am!” Madison responded enthusiastically. “There’s only one Madison Lee and that’s me.”

They all laughed. To Robbie, Madison seemed fun and not the ordinary or common folk. She seemed different, unique in every way.

“Why don’t you guys look for clothes while Madison and I catch up?” John told them. “Pick whatever you want and I’ll put it on Nick’s tab.”

Madison laughed, snapping her fingers. “Remember in college when we’d order food and place everything in Nick’s tab? Our tabs were always empty and Nick’s tab was off the charts.”

John chuckled, loudly. “You guys made me do it!”

“Come on,” Nicky whispered into Robbie’s ear. “If we don’t leave now, we never will.”

Robbie happily followed Nicky through the store. They headed to the men’s section where they began to look at the endless racks of clothing.

“What’s your personal style?”

Robbie took a second to answer him. He didn’t have a personal style. He simply wore what was given to him.

“I don’t think I have one.”

“I get you, man.” Nicky retrieved a few shirts from the racks. “I don’t have one either, but I like clothes that usually fall somewhere between rock and roll and normal. Just pick whatever you’d like to wear. Screw what people have to say about you.”

Robbie believed him. Nicky sounded and looked like the type of guy who wouldn’t care about what others thought about him or his family.

“Do you like having two dads?”

Nicky glanced at him, looking a little bewildered. “f**k yes! I wouldn’t trade either of them for the world.”

Robbie agreed with him. Nick and John sounded like the best parents in the world. “Was it hard having two dads growing up? There are still a few who don’t like the idea of two guys or two girls raising a kid.”

“When I was small, yes.” Nicky examined a shirt. “There were one or two who gave me s**t so I punched them in the face so hard that they stopped picking on me.”

Robbie laughed, picking up a blue shirt that got his attention. “Did you?”

“Yeah. But that was ages ago. People are more accepting now. Back when my parents met, gay marriage was illegal and people didn’t like the idea of two men or two women loving each other. Now, it’s more common and normal.”

Robbie definitely agreed with him. Being gay now was normal and boring. “Nicky? How did you guys come about if your parents never adopted anyone before?”

“Well, I’m John’s biological son with a surrogate mother.”

Robbie’s mouth dropped open. “You are?”

“Yeah.” Nicky gave him a slight nod as he examined another shirt. “Why?”

“Well, you got John’s hair and eyes, but you’ve got the body of a Greek god like Nick. And John’s little smaller than you.”

“Body of a Greek god.” Nicky repeated to himself as he reached out for a white cargo pants.

Robbie blushed, looking away. He had basically outed himself in front of Nicky.

“Well, I do work out a lot.” Nicky acknowledged. “There’s a gym next to my parents’ garage. You should check it out when you can.”

Robbie took a deep breath. Nicky had simply brushed off his comment and was completely unfazed by it. He was hands down the coolest guy in his book. “I guess I will. So is Lily a test tube baby too?”

Nicky took a deep breath as his eyes studied every inch of Robbie’s face. “Lily’s story is a little more complicated. I basically have to tell you how my parents met over twenty years ago.”

“Well, we don’t have anything else to do, but shop.” Robbie grinned.

“Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

As Robbie picked several shirts from the rack, Nicky began with his parent’s story. Nick and John’s love story wasn’t what he expected. They met in their freshman year at Elite High, but it wasn’t until their junior year that they officially caught each other’s attention. Nick was the star quarterback so he was rich, popular and an all-round ladies’ man.

John, on the other hand, was shy, introvert, quiet and financially unstable. His mom had to work several jobs to meet the monthly payments of the prestigious institution. Since Elite High was a private institution, the second John’s mom was late in payments, they almost kicked him out. A teacher, however, enrolled John in a tutoring program where he was to tutor Nick for the rest of the year and in return, Nick’s parents would pay for his school year. It was a win-win situation for both of them. That was how they officially met and became best friends. John helped Nick to mature while Nick protected him from two bullies, Matthew Ward and Jacob Ashmore. Robbie knew who Matthew Ward was. In fact, everyone in town did, but what shocked him to know was the fact that Nick and John were the two persons that Matthew had tried to kill years ago. John got shot, but a few lost their lives on that unfaithful day.

If that wasn’t drama enough, Nick’s parents cut him off after they found out that he was bisexual, the school almost kicked them out for late payments and the following year, one of Nick’s childhood friends, came back to town and did everything to separate them. She even came up with a plan to get pregnant with Nick’s child and to have John killed off. That was how Lily came to be! She is Nick’s daughter with Emily Roberts who passed away a few years after Lily was born.

Nick and John went through hell and survived the journey. Never in a million years, Robbie imagined that Nick and John were a legend in their town and especially, at Elite High. Without a doubt, he felt proud to be their adopted son and a member of their family. Was it too soon to feel proud of them or call himself their son? He met them a few hours ago, but he felt deep in his heart that he had known them all his life. They were certainly proud to have him as their son.

“Wow!” Robbie breathed out, holding back his tears as Nicky finished with his parent’s story. “They went through a lot together and managed to come on top. But, how does Lily feel about Emily?”

Nicky sighed, handing him a few articles of clothing to him. “Try these on.”

“Okay.” Robbie took them from his hands.

They walked to one of the changing rooms on the other side of the room. The second he stepped inside to undress, he heard Nicky’s voice coming from outside.

“Lily has mixed feelings about Emily.”

“She does?” Robbie tried on a shirt that Nicky picked for him.

“Yeah. You see, that woman, even in her darkest and obsessive time, gave her life. Thanks to her, she’s alive. However, she cannot forgive her for what she did to Dad.”

Robbie understood her perfectly. “It must be hard for her. She and John seemed very close.”

“Close? They’re like two exact replicas of each other. Except that one’s a female and the other one’s a male.”

Robbie laughed. “Like you and Nick?”

“Yeah.” Nicky chuckled. “Dad always says that the doctor might have gotten the wrong semen example.”

Robbie laughed, admiring the clothes that Nicky picked for him. He actually chose the right t-shirt size and even pants size. He unbuttoned his pants and was about to pull them down when he realized that Nicky had been behind him all along. His heart started pounding hard in his ears while his blood went cold.

“Not bad.” He grinned as Robbie stared at him through the reflection on the mirror.

Nicky walked to where he stood and wrapped his arms around his slim, lightly muscled frame, reaching for his pants. Robbie froze, too shocked to move. His heart crawled to the pit of his stomach while his breathing was cut short for a second or two. Nicky’s warm breath traveled through every inch of his body, making him squirm on the spot. Nicky smiled seductively and reached for Robbie’s pants. Swiftly, he buttoned them back again and zipped them into place. He let go of him and admired him from head to toe. “You look great.”

“Thanks.” Robbie managed to utter, breathless.

“Welcome.” He handed him some shirts. “Try these on too.”

Robbie took them from his hands, but froze on the spot. Did Nicky want him to get naked in front of him?

“Come on!” Nicky smirked. “Take off your shirt and try them on.”

Robbie pulled his shirt off and tried one of the shirts that Nicky gave him and found out that he looked spectacular in his red polo shirt and khaki pants.

“I love it!” Nicky exclaimed. “Do you?”

Robbie nodded, too nervous to speak or utter another word.

“You guys got all what you need?” John stepped into the small compartment.

“Yeah,” Nicky nodded. “About a dozen shirts and like eight pants.”

“What about shoes? Socks? Underwear?”

“We still have to cover those.” Nicky told him.

“Then let’s get to it!” John ushered Nicky out of the tiny space. “Change and meet us outside.”

“I will!” Robbie shook from head to toe.

The second John stepped out, Robbie took a deep breath, doing his best to control his fast breathing and trembling body. Why had Nicky gotten so close to him? For a second, he thought Nicky was going to make a move or even kiss him. Was his dream the cause of his sudden paranoia and delusion? He didn’t know whether Nicky was gay or not, but he highly doubted that Nicky would be interested in him. Then, what the hell was going on?

“You coming?” John asked from outside.

“One second!” Robbie shouted as he undressed and jumped into his old clothes in a matter of seconds.

The moment he stepped outside, John took them to the shoe section where Robbie had the opportunity to pick, chose and refuse. There were so many shoes of every color and brand that his mind spun from side to side. He picked a few and thanked John a million times over and over again. After that, John told him to pick out a few socks and underwear in any color that he wanted. Never in a million years, did Robbie think that he would be buying new clothes in an expensive store like Madison’s. One way or another, he was going to repay Nick and John for their generosity and kindness.

“When I get a job, I’ll pay you back.” Robbie told John as Madison rang the items.

She looked at John and smiled.

John focused on Robbie instead. “I told you, you’re family now.”

“But I don’t want you to throw away all of this on me.”

John sighed. “We’re not throwing anything away on you. We‘re giving you what you deserve as an honorary member of our family.”

“Give up now, kid,” Madison sighed. “Or you’ll end up getting ‘The Speech’.”

John rolled his eyes at her. “Do your job and shut up.”

Madison gasped, dramatically, as she covered her mouth with one hand. “So bitchy and moody, Johnny Boy! Didn’t Nick give it to you last night?”

John laughed while Robbie looked away, trying to hide the redness of his cheeks. The mere thought of Nick and John having s*x made him feel uneasy. He had so much respect for them that he didn’t want to disrespect them in that way.

“Not in front of the children, Madison,” John complained while Madison grinned happily. He turned to Robbie instead. “Don’t listen to her. Madison was somehow born without a filter in her mouth.”

“And you love it!” Madison winked.

“Dad? Can we go to the store next door and check it out?” Nicky draped an arm across Robbie’s shoulders.

“Sure. Meet you guys there.”

Nicky dragged Robbie out of Madison’s store and whispered into his ear. “A word of advice, whenever Aunt Madison is around, stay away from her and never eavesdrop on their conversation. I learned that the hard way.”

Robbie chuckled while his cheeks turned bright red. Nicky was holding him again, making him feel weak and ten times heavier.

“Thanks.” He managed to utter as they walked to the tech store next door.

With every step that Robbie took, his heart skipped a beat or two. Nicky smelled so good. His manly musk made Robbie’s knees weak and his head lighter than a feather. His stomach churned while his body became distant and cold. They entered the store that was packed with every electronic in the world.

“Okay.” Nicky let him go. “You’ll need a tablet.” He directed him to the tablet section of the store where he picked up one and examined it. “I like this one. It’s a tablet and a computer at the same.”

“I don’t mind getting a normal laptop,” Robbie admitted.

“What?” Nicky glanced at him, eyes and mouth wide open. “Those things are like a hundred years old! God knows why they still make them. This one will do just fine.”

Robbie had no choice but to give up. They were going to buy it for him even if he complained about it. “Fine. But can we get it in lime green? They look so cool in that color.”

“That’s the spirit!” Nicky picked the one Robbie wanted. “Now, what we need is a nice home theater for your room.”

Robbie smiled meekly, and followed him all over the store. A few minutes later, John came in and the real shopping began. He followed Nicky and John from one side of the store to the other as they chose the best of the best for him. They picked up the latest home theater for him, an entertainment system, several DVDs and tons of games that Nicky wanted to play. He didn’t care for any of the stuff that they bought him. He was simply having a good time following them around.

“That was fun!” Nicky exclaimed as they exited Furniture World, their fourth store for the day. “Now, I know why Dad and Lily love shopping.”

“And why she maxed out all of her credit cards,” Robbie added as they waited for John outside.

“Yeah. I hope we got everything you need.”

Robbie snorted. “You guys got that and more. Last year I only got a burger for my birthday.”

Nicky focused on him, a flash of guilt spreading across his face. He took a deep breath and combed his short light brown hair with his fingers. “I know I shouldn’t ask this because Dad and Pops told us not to torment you by asking about the accident, but you lost your memory at seven, right?”

Robbie took a deep breath, wondering why Nick and John would tell Nicky and Lily not to question him about his accident. He found it very suspicious and odd.

“Yeah. Why?”

“So you don’t remember anything at all?”

“Nothing. All I remember is waking up in the hospital not knowing who I was. They told me my name and what happened to my parents.”

“But you don’t remember anything about them? Right?”

“No. All I’ve got is a picture of them on my file. I asked Allison to store it in there because I genuinely don’t remember them at all. I don’t feel anything toward them. They are like two strangers to me.”

“That sucks.” Nicky groaned.

“Yeah,” Robbie admitted. “A little.”

“Aren’t you curious though? To know who they were and what they were? I’d be.”

“Not really. Allison told me everything I needed to know about them.”

“I see. I just don’t understand why they told us not to ask you about the accident. It sounds fishy to me.”

Robbie agreed with him. There was something about the accident that made everyone who wanted to adopt him think twice.

“Okay!” John announced, standing next to them. “We just have to make one more stop and we’re done.”

“What’s left?”

“A few stuff for tomorrow’s grill party.”

“Oh!” Nicky sighed.

“Yes, now follow me.”

As they followed John through the crowd, Robbie turned to Nicky. “What grill party?”

“Every year, our parents have this grill party one week before the new school year. This year, it’s very special because we’ll introduce you to all of our family and friends.”

Robbie’s stomach gave a slight swirl. “Everyone?”

Nicky laughed. “Relax! We’ve got a small circle of family and friends. You may think they’re a lot, but they aren’t.”

Robbie took a deep breath, relaxing a little. “Will you guys invite Allison?”

“Of course! She’s family.”

Robbie smiled, happily. Pretty soon, he was going to see Allison again! They followed John to Ally and Brad’s Supermarket. It was co-owned by Allison and her husband, Brad. Unfortunately, Allison wasn’t there and Brad was in a meeting, signing a new deal that would expand their chain of supermarkets to other parts of the country. They already had six stores all over town and they were busily planning to open two more. John went around from aisle to aisle, filling the shopping cart to the brim with items for the party and things that Nicky wanted. Robbie picked a few things too, since John kept insisting that he should. Once they were done, they went to parking lot and filled the car to maximum capacity.

“Okay.” John took a deep breath as he sat behind the wheels, glancing at Nicky who was surrounded by a mountain of stuff. “Is everything in the trunk?”

“Yes, Dad.” Nicky rolled his eyes. “For the one millionth time, we’re good to go!”

“Good.” John placed the car in drive. He sped out of the parking lot and into the busy streets of St. Peter Town. The ride home was shorter than what Robbie expected. He spent most of the time talking with Nicky as he pointed out important places of his childhood. The second they got home, however, Robbie’s attention fell on a black vehicle with a Mercedes Benz logo on the hood of the car.

“There she is! That’s my baby.” Nicky pointed at the shiny vehicle. “That’s Pops’ car. It’ll be mine someday.”

“If you ever get your license back.”

“But, Dad!” Nicky pouted at his father. “I’m your only son.”

“Were.” John winked at Robbie.

This made a tingling sensation travel through every inch of Robbie’s body and settled in his heart, warming his soul. They cared for him and they really considered him a part of their family. The second the car came to a stop near the front door, they jumped out and Nicky ran to the back of the vehicle to unload the items from the trunk. As Nicky busily worked like an ant, the front door swung opened and Nick stood under the wooden frame. He basically lit up the moment his eyes fell on John.

“Did you guys buy the entire mall or something?” he asked as John went up to him and kissed him. His attention then fell on Nicky who was retrieving bag after bag from the trunk. “Looks like you did.”

“Maybe.” John pouted. “Where’s Lily? I bought her Nutella!”

“Nutella!?” Lily screamed from inside. Her steps echoed all over the house, and she ran in front of them, completely ignoring them. She stood next to Nicky, almost jumping up and down. “Where is it?”

“In one of these bags.” Nicky answered.

“I’ll help you, little brother!” She started unpacking the things from the trunk.

“You guys go inside. I’ll help them.” Nick told John and Robbie. He smiled at Robbie and added. “You’d better get to safety. You don’t want to see what she’ll do to that poor little jar of Nutella. Besides, dinner is ready.”

Robbie laughed heartily as he and John went into the house. He had definitely found his family and the place to call home. After all of the unpacking was done, they sat down at the dining table where John and Nick led them in grace. This was Robbie’s first family dinner and he was extremely excited. Ever since he was small, all he ever wanted was to be part of a family and as the years went by, he gave up completely on the idea of ever being adopted and focused on living one day at a time. But now, he was part of a family and he loved the feeling of it. They laughed around, joked around and talked nonstop as they enjoyed their dinner. Robbie was definitely going to write about it in his journal later that night. The day had turned out to be amazing and he looked forward to more days with his new family and friends and especially, Nicky. Nicky. There was something about him that Robbie loved. As much as he tried, he couldn’t get his mind and eyes off him, especially after the changing room incident. Why had Nicky been spying on him? Was Nicky gay? Bisexual like his dad? Was he attracted to him? Or was he imagining it all? One thing was for sure, he was definitely going to find out.