[In Chapter 12, Dan got his revenge on Vince and Clarence, the men who had raped him. Dan's lover, Mike, had escaped with Gregg, who took him home. Mike felt so vulnerable and unloved that he made love with Gregg.]
Dan built a fire in the fireplace, although it was still summer, and he burned his picnic clothes and Mike's clothes. Then, still nude, he laid down on his bed and reached for the telephone and dialed Mike's number.
Mike's telephone rang just as he kissed Gregg goodbye and sent him on his way. Mike answered the telephone.
"I'm sorry," said Dan.
"Please come over now. We need to talk," was all Mike said. He replaced the telephone receiver and went to the bathroom to shower.
Within half an hour, Dan was in Mike's living room. Half an hour later, the two were lying on Mike's bed.
"I'm glad we're together," Dan said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Where did you go?" Mike asked. "You took my clothes and disappeared."
"I burned your clothes," Dan said. "I burned my clothes, too. I don't want anything to remind me of what happened with those men. Let's change the subject. I need to be held. I'm physically exhausted and emotionally wrecked. Please hold me and let me sleep."
Mike held Dan and Dan slept fitfully until the morning.
"Do you think you should visit with Dr. Jim about what happened yesterday?" Mike asked.
"No," was the answer.
Dan didn't return to his own home again except to get clothes and to slowly move into Mike house. They became a couple, everyone knew that Mike had found a love -- perhaps, the love of his life. Dan, however, became moody and difficult at work. But, at home, he controlled his restless spirit and became the man Mike wanted as a lover.
Days flew by, marked by holidays. They dressed as Soccer Mom and Soccer Dad for a Halloween party in Canton. They made costumes from old soccer balls. They wore hats made of soccer balls. And, they carried soccer balls to the party. They didn't win a prize. But, they had a good time planning their costumes and making them together.
At Thanksgiving, they went to Cleveland to visit with Mike's brother Scott and his wife Jan. Dan was welcomed by Mike's family and immediately was part of the family. Only, when they went to bed the first night, they were assigned to a bedroom with two small beds -- arranged diagonally across the room from each other. Dan visited Mike in his bed -- both laughed that the bed was too small for even one man. But, by being careful they could make love and then Dan could return to his bed on the other side of the room.
"Don't they approve of gay love?" Dan asked, making a reference to the small beds.
"Gay love has nothing to do with it. We have their guest room and it's always been like this. Married couples, gay couples and complete strangers would have to sleep like this," Mike laughed.
"I have to be careful," Dan said. "I have a tendency to think everything that happens to me happens because I'm gay -- that makes me a professional gay, I guess. But, some things happen for reasons that have nothing to do with my sexual orientation."
"Sexual orientation is such a small part of our being," Mike laughed. "I don't think our sexual orientation is important enough to Scott and Jan to motivate them to arrange their furniture this way. In truth, I think we have the children's furniture. Remember, people with children have bills you and I don't have."
[So, our couple has made it to Thanksgiving. Maybe they'll make the big sales at Kaufmann's and Dillard's and find gifts for each other and for Dard Hansen and for you, dear reader.]
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