THE GENTLEMEN'S CLUB Jared Written by Lady Poetess egiggles at moose-mail.com /~bbp Please do not reproduce on any website without permission. This story has no resemblance to anyone dead or alive. PROLOGUE The tall, young man stepped into the renovated garage-converted- into-a-den. He was, apart from his imposing height, a rather boy- next-door kind of guy. While not too boyish, he didn't look his age (eighteen) either. Just a gangly, average if rather cute guy people wouldn't notice in a crowd if he weren't so tall. He had eyes for the young man sprawled lazily on the couch, reading a political journal. This young man was dark where the tall man was light, in the sense that the twenty-three-year old young man was dark-haired, almost black, and dark-eyed. His face also radiated sobriety and severity where the other man seemed more ready to burst into a grin at any moment. At five feet eight, he was shorter than the other man, but he compensated that with his intimidating serious air. "Topher," the tall young man said. "Jared." Topher looked up and tossed his magazine aside. Jared had already had his shirt off, revealing a slim, rangy body whose muscles were only starting to gain bulk and definition from his recent gym sessions with his uncle. Topher had only time to sit up before Jared was all over him. Jared was laughing as he pressed his long, nude form over Topher's still clothed form, their groins pressed so close it was as if they were joined beyond body; body and soul. "I missed you," Jared whispered in as he pulled open Topher's shirt. "And it has been, how long, a day since we last met?" Topher teased. "I love you," Jared said. Topher froze. And that was the precise moment when everything went down the drain. ONE The Blucas clan all married young, every one of them (except for a few rare exceptions of course). Marc Blucas was explaining this to his nephew Jared Padalecki as he prepared them breakfast. Marc's partner Brian had long left for work, he having a five o' clock in the morning shift at the hospice where he worked as a nurse. Thus it was just Jared and Marc. Despite their mere eleven years age gap, Marc had been more of a father to Jared than his real father ever had been since Jared fled his parents' house two years ago. Jared's coming out hit his religious Presbyterian family hard, and it was for his own sanity that he fled his home for Marc's more welcoming one. Marc was gay, and Marc had been in Jared's shoes when the man was around Jared's age. Jared was in awe of his uncle the way one would be of a superstar. Marc had defied his father to be with Brian Krause. Jared thought it was cool and romantic. Only Marc would have told him that it was far from cool and romantic. The man wouldn't wish what he and Brian went through on anybody. On this particular day, Marc was talking about the inexplicable tendency for his relatives - he himself included - to settle down early in life and marrying well and long. "It's like a curse or something," Marc said, "My father married my mother when they were both nineteen, and he mourned her even today, after thirty-three years of marriage. So I heard." The last was said in some bitterness, as Marc and his father had never spoken since Marc left. Brian had tried to bring about a reconciliation, but the old man wouldn't accept Brian and Marc would settle for nothing less. "I met Brian when I was seventeen, and it just took one look and wham." Marc flipped the pancake. "He got me from the start." Jared couldn't imagine a twelve-year relationship like Marc's with Brian. "I can't imagine sticking to one fellow when I am still young," he said, despite he himself having only been in two relationships, none serious, in his eighteen years of life. "With the same person every day." He looked at Marc - tall, strapping Marc whose easy grin and boyish wholesome looks made him look like a god in Jared's eyes. "Don't you ever get tempted? People come on to you all the time." "They do?" Marc turned to look at Jared, puzzled. "Brian and I always have a laugh over you. Sure they do, you just don't seem to notice them. That salesgirl we met last week when we bought you some new shirts? When you grinned at her we were sure she would melt into a puddle at the floor." "Gee, I never noticed," Marc said. "So I noticed," Jared said wryly. "Back to your question, I'll be lying if I say I'm never tempted. But I won't screw up what I have with Brian just for some momentary diversion. It helps, I guess, that I'm not the kind of guy who plays the field at all. I've slept with only two people in my life." "Oh man, I don't believe this," Jared exclaimed, incredulous. His awesome, superhero uncle, whom Jared assumed was a super stud. slept with only two people in his life? Man, oh man. "Yeah, two. An older woman taught me almost everything about sex, and Brian taught me the rest. That's all there are to the notches in my bedpost." "Doesn't it get boring?" "Boring's my middle name." "You're really not joking, Marc," Jared said. At Marc's shake of head, he sighed. "And I thought you were such a cool gay guy. You're spoiling all my illusions." "Hey, I have no idea where you get the idea. Or where most people get the idea," Marc confessed. "Don't look so smug, Jared. I'm pretty sure the Padalecki side tends to lean towards early monogamy too. Except for your Aunt Sarah, but everyone is sure that she is changed at birth. Your turn may be next." "No way," Jared protested. "I'm going to get laid a lot. I just don't understand the appeal of sticking to one guy." "Hey, I get laid a lot, but it's with the same guy, yeah. Nothing wrong with that." Marc placed two pancakes onto Jared's plate. "Doesn't it get boring?" "Yes, but that's why we improvise, I guess." Marc picked at his scrambled eggs. "We'll do some crazy shit once in a while, like that time Brian." He coughed self-consciously. "I mean, yeah, we do some new stuff now and then," he finished lamely. He caught Jared's look and made an exaggerated sigh of long-suffering resignation. "You'll bite the dust next, nephew. And then we'll see who will have the last laugh. You're going to end up just like your boring uncle Marc." "No way," Jared said, laughing, even as a face flashed in his mind. Christopher "Topher" Grace. "I'm too young to settle down," he said with only a hint of uncertainty. "Big talk, young man. We'll see. You thought about what I said about college?" "I'm still thinking about it," Jared said. "Don't think too long. A college degree can go a long way in giving you more choices in life. Brian and I learned that the hard way. damn, I have to go. I'm going to be late." "Go, go," Jared said. "I'll clean up after you." "Thanks." Marc quickly downed his coffee. "Look, you're right. You're young and you should live a little. Just don't go making false promises and keep your screwing around with those who want the same thing as you, okay?" Jared nodded amicably. "Got it, dad." "Oh, shut up," Marc said, grabbing his briefcase. "If Brian comes back before me, tell him to take out the trash this evening - remind him it's his turn. And you, it's your turn to do the laundry today." Topher Grace met Jared Padalecki at the local bookstore. He knew Jared was either gay or curious because Jared was reading Glory Hole Gangbang. Topher looked down at his copy of political science textbook and wondered what the hell modern literature was coming to. Still, Topher couldn't take his eyes away from Jared. Five feet away from the tall, delicious specimen of manhood, Topher found his feet anchored to the ground, his brain experiencing a meltdown from the overload of incoherent fascination and desire. The first thing Topher noticed was Jared's height. And the clean- cut handsome face was attractive, intoxicating on Topher's senses that he could stare himself into a drunken high. If Jared was tall, he seemed even taller with his rangy body and legs that seemed to go on forever. And talking about legs. Topher hated to admit it but his eyes had to focus on right there - the thick bulge in the man's crotch. Jared was obviously enjoying Glory Hole Gangbang. Hmm. the bulge thickened under Topher's stare, the thick, noticeable outline of that penis distending the fabric of the jeans as it lay against Jared's groin, pointing towards the diagonal upper left of Jared's waist. And was that a faint but fast spreading wet spot at the tip of that cock? "I do that when a hot guy stares at my package the way you are doing right now," Jared said quietly, putting the book back on the shelf. Eli's face burned as he quickly looked up at Jared's bemused face. The man didn't seem offended, in fact, he was smiling. Only those eyes were burning Topher with more than laughter - they were scorching Topher with intense, fast-burning desire. "Name's Jared," the young man said. Topher swallowed. "Christopher. Call me Topher. No, call me yours." Until today, he had no idea what gave him the courage to say that. In fact, wait, he couldn't believe he said that, although Jared kept reminding him that he in fact did just that. Topher threw his head back and let loose a wild, exuberant "Yeah, man, this is fucking crazy! Woo!" as his entire body trembled in spasms of pleasure. Pure, potent, unadulterated ecstasy, that was what he was feeling as waves of sensations coursed through him in perfect sync with the hot scorching spurts of masculine fluids flooding his insides. Jared's low, animalistic groans were music to Topher's ears. His last boyfriend called him frigid and lousy in bed. Yeah? Well, Jared loved it just fine, in fact, he howled and went wild when Topher rode his monster cock like a pro. And Jared moaned, babbled, begged, and pleaded when Topher teased him with his cum- stained ass, until Topher took pity and let Jared bury his face between Topher's ass cheeks and commence an orgy of licking and sucking. And Jared was definitely approving when Topher tightened his legs around Jared's torso, when he ground his ass to the base of Jared's cock, and when he clenched his ass walls on Jared and milked the man until he came like never before. Topher Grace - professional good fuck. Yeah, that was he alright. Jared collapsed beside Topher, out of breath. Until he finally regained his ability to speak, and told Topher, "Now that was amazing. Oh, wow. You're fucking hot, man, the way you screw your ass and clamp down on my cock like that. oh man, oh fucking Jesus." Topher let his hand ran down Jared's sweat-slicked chest. "Well, wanna do it again?" Jared rolled over to mount Topher immediately. "You bet," he said. "This is the start of a beautiful friendship," Topher said. He wanted to say something more, maybe a wise-ass wisecrack, but all was forgotten when Jared gave one hard thrust, burying himself completely in Topher's quivering depths, and Topher could only throw his head back again and gave a cry of delight. Man, this was indeed the start of a fucking beautiful friendship, he decided. Just fucking beautiful. TWO Jared's scratch-mark riddled back became a subject of much ribald joking among the mechanics whom he started working with. At first, he became very self-conscious and kept his shirt on even when the workshop became intolerably hot. Yet Kevin Richardson, the guy everyone other than the boss considered the real boss of the workshop, took newcomer Jared aside and told him that the guys and gals were just playing. "I won't let them tease you too far," Kevin promised, and Jared soon got into the mood to play along. Hell, he was quite proud of those scars. He gave it good to Topher to deserve them. The man who was responsible for adding fresh marks when the old ones healed started coming over the workshop the second day after they first started seeing each other. Topher bought everyone lunch and hanged out with Jared during the lunch break. In a way, Jared was pleased because Topher seemed willing to carry their relationship outside Topher's bedroom. The sex was great, but this, the company, was just as great. Of course, lunch wasn't anything much to read into, but Jared realized he was just as stupidly optimistic as his uncle Marc in this area. He decided that he was serious and Topher and he, even if Topher was here on a three-week break from Princeton and would leave for Jersey soon. Hey, what could he say? He was a Padalecki. "So you're going to be the first gay President of the United States," Jared said to Topher that Saturday late morning. Marc and Brian were at work, and Jared took his day off just for this - wild, wild sex with Topher in Marc's place. Since Jared's bed was more suited for one, Topher suggested they moved here, into Marc's bedroom. Jared hoped his guilt at soiling Marc's bed wouldn't hinder his hard-on and performance. Topher looked up from his studying the titles of the books on the bookshelf. "I don't know. Presidency is still far away from where I stand. Maybe I'll be an intern for a candidate, and move up the party ranks while learning the ropes." "I'll vote for you. I'll be the first of the Padalecki family to vote for a Democrat." "I'm not sure if I want to be a Democrat." "Why not? It seems like a logical choice for a gay politician." Topher lay down on the bed beside Jared. "I'm not sure if I want to be known as a gay activist. It seems like a contradiction to capitalize on my sexuality alone while fighting for gays to be seen as human beings beyond the sexual pigeonholes they were trapped in. I'm not even in close agreement with most gay activists on the campus. They keep playing the martyr card, portraying all gay people as some saintly Andrew Shepard figure, which I find offensive as a gay man. I argue that we are in fact alienating everyone by emphasizing our sexuality to the exclusion of everything else, you know what I mean?" "Sort of," Jared confessed. "And I don't even like the way these people try to dictate how I, as a gay man, should behave or not. I don't like to party, I think gay parades are nothing more than flimsy excuses to be irresponsible and behave like hooligans, and I loathe the way gay activists use their sexuality as an excuse to make bigoted remarks against Catholics in particular. Sorry," Topher said. "I'm preaching." "No, that's okay. You sound like the illegitimate offspring of Andrew Sullivan and Camile Paglia, and I find that fascinating," Jared said. "Actually I don't follow GLBT politics much. They don't seem to relate to my life more often than not." "Exactly," Topher declared passionately. "They are so cooped up in their ivory towers, practicing their self-loathing thinly masqueraded as activism, declaring that gays are saints even as they cruised straight bars at night looking for tricks. It's stupid. It makes me feel ashamed to be gay sometimes." "Hey, that's taking it too extremely, Topher," Jared said. "No, I just don't understand why we want to pass ourselves off as something we're not?" Topher swallowed. It was obvious to Jared that Topher had had this argument going for a long time now. "Anyway, I don't want to run on the GLBT platform. If I have to remain in the closet, I will. I just won't pander to. Jared, you look pale." "Nothing." Jared shook his head weakly, not wanting to let Topher know how the young man's remark about being the closet hurt him. "I just think it's rather hypocritical how you can choose to deny such important part of yourself. But that's just how I feel." "And I respect that. You think I'm homophobic like everyone else?" "No," Jared said honestly. Topher studied Jared, but probably seeing no condemnation from the young man, turned away to lay his head on Jared's chest. "They all call me a traitor to GLBT issues. I think their fancy term is `internalized self-loathing'. Maybe I do loathe myself. Maybe I'm confused." "I know," Jared told him. "In a way, I'm envious of you. You're so secure in your sexuality, you make your way around with an upbeat view of life. Now like me and every queer academia I know, bitter and... oh, fuck it, damn it." "I'm confused sometimes," Jared confessed. "Did I tell you about my parents who can't accept me as I am? But I'm lucky than most, in that I have Marc who understands and takes me in. And Brian who befriends me without reservations." Topher sighed. "Thanks, Jared," he whispered as his hand moved up under Jared's shirt to feel bare skin. "Hmmm. whatever for?" "For not judging me. And for listening. I'm surprised you know who Sullivan and Paglia are. Thought you don't follow politics much." "I started after I met you. It makes a nice change from cars and bikes." "Don't be like me, Jared. Stay the way you are, because bitter fucked-up queers like me can never be happy." Topher closed his eyes. "We won't let ourselves be happy, because we are so afraid that it is all a lie like we keep saying it is, and we are scared of getting hurt. We're cowards, Jared, we think ourselves above it all, but we are just scared, hiding ourselves in a box. we mock people like you, but we envy you, truly." "Don't say such things, love," Jared said, distressed that Topher was putting himself down like this. "You just need to sort yourself out." When he received no answer, he asked gently, "Topher?" Topher was asleep. Jared sighed, only slightly disappointed that they weren't going to have sex. He stared at the ceiling, and wondered if Topher liked him as much as he liked Topher. And then he remembered what Marc said about the curse. Only it didn't seem much like a curse anymore. He even wondered if. if. Jared forgot what he was thinking as Topher moved to make himself comfortable on Jared. His eyes closed a few seconds later. Marc scowled at the two sleeping forms on his bed. His shirt was completely unbuttoned and his cock was at half-mast - and fast wilting - from his pulled down zipper. Brian Krause, whose shirt was on the floor downstairs and whose pants were just as undone, just chuckled. "I'm supposed to have sex on my bed," Marc whispered. "What the fuck are they doing? I'm going to have to tan that nephew of mine's ass." "Well, they're just sleeping, I don't think they had sex. Jared's bed was too small to accommodate two," Brian pointed out as he zipped up his pants. Marc sighed and fastened his pants. "Good. My nephew having sex. What is the world coming to?" "Ahem, coming from one who lost his virginity when he was fourteen, you have the nerve to talk," Brian said. "Come on, you can yell at them later. They do look sweet like that, all huddled up." "It's pretty sweet," Marc admitted. "You think the Blucas family curse has struck again?" "Curse?" Brian asked dryly. "Figuratively speaking. You know I never feel cursed," Marc said smoothly. "Come on, let's go get a motel room. I don't want to waste my day off like this." Marc grinned most lasciviously. "So, Mr Krause, you're up for some torrid buggery today?" "Always when you are, husband." Marc chuckled, pleased as always with the answer. Topher opened his eyes fully when the adults were gone. "Your uncle is hot," he said. "Fucking hot. Too bad he zipped up his pants when I woke up. Too bad his voice is a bit on the high side. Yours is lower and sexier." "Yeah? Focus on my voice then, because there's no way you can get Marc," Jared answered good-naturedly. "Others more experienced than you have tried and failed miserably. Brian so owns him." "You ever saw him naked? How big is he?" "I don't see him naked. Jesus, Topher, he's my uncle. But if he's lucky he'll come close to being as big as I am." Topher laughed, and his hands reached down for Jared's trousers. "Big, huh?" "And getting bigger," Jared said, then gasped when Topher's mouth enveloped his throbbing cock. "Oh, yeah, that's it, that's fucking good. shit!" It was a good thing Marc and Brian staggered home late that night, allowing Jared and Topher time to change the stained bed sheets. Marc gave Topher a half-hearted scolding and Jared nodded meekly as he promised not to do that again. He didn't have to. Marc had bought Jared a bigger bed, and it would arrive tomorrow. "Don't let it be said that I don't treat you well," Marc grumbled as he left Jared's bedroom. "Hey, I know Brian put you up to buying that bed," Jared said. "But Marc? Thanks, man. You're the best." "Hey, it's all I can do for a sorry bastard who'd caught the curse." "I didn't!" Jared said in mock indignation, but Marc's knowing laughter told him that neither of them was buying that for a second. THREE "I love you." Topher froze at Jared's words. But not for long. "You're shitting me." "I'm not," Jared protested. "You don't know me. You just screwed me, and you think this is love? I thought you are smarter than that!" "Calm down, Topher. It's true we only knew each other for a short while, but I have this feeling that - " "Feeling? Now that's rich. It's lust, pure and simple." "You said you wanted to stop being afraid of being happy," Jared pointed out. "So don't fight me in this, okay?" "Don't throw my words back at me!" Topher snapped. He gave a hysterical sob. "I don't have a place for you in my life. I have a career in politics to consider. I have my own life to live. You don't fit in at all, so take your so-called love elsewhere." "Where are you going?" Jared asked. "I'm leaving." "This is your room." "Then you leave," Topher snapped. "Out!" "I love you." "No, you don't," Topher said quickly. "So stop saying that." "Don't you think you are overreacting? I love you - fine, it's just me. That means I have more cause than you to be bitter and angry. It's okay if you don't love me now, I'm sure we can work things out. You want time and space? I can give you that, I - " "Out!" Topher pushed Jared towards the door. "Hey, cut it out! Stop being such a jerk, damn it," Jared shouted back, furious now. "Don't push me again, you got that? I love you, and I respect you, so I deserve respect back from you at least." Topher didn't answer. He stared mulishly at his feet. "Fucking hell. Fine. I'll leave. You know, you're stupid," Jared said hotly. "I can be the best thing that happened to you, but you don't even want to give me a chance. A chance, Topher! I'm not asking for your life. Just a chance for me to make you happy the way you made me so happy these recent weeks. You made me forget how angry I was with my parents or how guilty I felt because my being gay screwed things up between me and them. With you, I stopped feeling all these fucked-up feelings. How can I not? You make it all seem so right." "Are you done?" Topher asked softly. "Yeah, I'm done," Jared said coldly. He hesitated, because he knew if he walked out the door, he would never Topher again. Topher would flee back to Princeton. And his own heart couldn't accept that. Yet. Still, he walked out nonetheless. He should be proud. He didn't break down or anything, until he got home and Brian asked him, "Anything wrong?" Then he lost the last vestiges of his raw control and broke down in the man's arms. Topher studied the rifle in his hands. He was in the room his father kept his hunting guns and trophies. Stuffed deer heads hung from the high walls and at a corner, a stuffed bear reigned. Topher hated this room, and he welcomed the sound of the door's opening and closing. "Topher, what are you doing here?" his father asked as he opened his cigar case. "Remember the last time you took me hunting? Back in '97? And I missed the deer?" "Yeah, and I still say you could have shot that creature. It wasn't moving much, and it was so close I could hit it with a stone," his father answered, taking the seat across from Topher. "I know. I let you believe it's because I can't shoot. But it's because I couldn't kill it. I didn't have the heart. I looked at it, and I just couldn't shoot it. And I was scared to admit to you that I did it because of compassion on my part. Let me finish, Dad. All my life I lived for your approval, and this means I have to try so hard to be the son you want me to be. This means sometimes I have to pretend to be who I'm not. "I can't do it anymore. I'm almost twenty-four now, and I have my own convictions and values. I can't compromise anymore because I just can't. And I've hurt someone because of my fear of rejection. So dad, listen. He says I should be honest about myself, so I'll come clean here." "What are you talking about?" his father asked, puzzled. "I'm in love with this smart, handsome, sensitive, and kind man. Yes, I'm gay. And he's right, this is a part of myself that I should accept. I'm sorry if this hurts you, and I'm sorry I'm not the son you wish me to be. I know my words won't compensate, but I love you dad. And I love him too, and I have to go to him now. I'm sorry." Choking back his tears, Topher fled the room before his father could speak. Marc glowered at him. "I shouldn't let you in." "I need to explain to him, I want to tell him I'm sorry," Topher said simply. "And I won't hurt him again if I can help it." "I'll hold you to that," Marc said, reluctantly stepping aside to let Topher walk past. "And when you're done with him, tell him to come down for dinner." "Jared," Topher said, "Open the door." And Jared did. "Topher," he said. "So you're here to say goodbye or ask me to let you come in?" He sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be snappish. I'm glad you came here to say goodbye to me face-to- face. Thank you." "I can't walk away. I - fuck." Topher buried his face in Jared's chest, trying not to break down. "I am an emotional wreck. I'm not usually like this. But I love you, Jared. It's crazy, but when you said you love me, my heart welled up with this joy and I just lost it because I was so afraid, and." "Hush. I understand." "No. I don't deserve such understanding from you," Topher said. "Jared, will you ever forgive me?" "Sure. I love you. I know I keep saying this but we Padalecki people are like that, sad soppy mush. I love you." "Stop hiding behind your family curse rubbish. Don't deny this aspect of yourself. I learned that from someone." Topher tried to laugh, but he hiccupped instead. "And I love you back." Jared tightened his embrace around Topher and kissed the man's cheek tenderly. Then Topher was kissing him in the lips, and Jared didn't care for anything else in the world. Marc was about to pound on the door to ask them both to come down for dinner when he heard the sounds of the squeaking bed and the low moans that could only mean one thing. "Told you I'm better than Marc," he heard Jared say. "My crush is over. You're the real thing," Topher said, laughing. Marc, his face burning, fled down the stairs. He was happy those two made up. Now, if Jared would move in with Topher. Marc loved Jared, but damn, he missed the old days when he could screw Brian everywhere in the house without worrying about Jared walking in on them. He missed sex on the dining table, the living room couch (and wall and floor). especially the dining table. Damn, just the memory of that episode made him as randy as a dog in heat. "Hey, let's go get a motel room," was the first thing he said the moment he walked into the dining room.