A/N: Here ya are, as requested! No sex, though :P Slow and steady wins the race! :D Anyhoo, yesterday was my birthday(I am SO old now!), or I would have worked on this. Enjoy, one and all -DL
Chapter 16
Ricky pulled his car up in front of James' house, feeling eager and hopeful. They were going to spend the entire day together, and who knew what might happen at any time? He reached out to scoop up the plastic bowl of potato salad from the seat beside him. James likes the way he made it, so every weekend so far he'd made it and brought it over to add to whatever meal they chose to eat. James had indicated that he might do a little grilling again today, if the weather was nice. A nice, juicy steak and some tasty potato salad would be great.
He got out of his car and started up the walk. Some of the OTHER things that might be great were of a more intimate nature. His cheeks heated a little at this thought, and his body stirred to life. No matter how he might try to deny it, he couldn't wait to be touched by James again. Or...maybe a blow job? He shuddered a little at the mere thought of James' mouth on his dick, no matter how much his mind might rebel against the thought of letting another man put his mouth on his penis. All of his upbringing and religious teachings were telling him that even the thought was utterly wrong and sinful; but the rest of him just didn't give a shit by now.
He stepped up onto the porch and rapped at the door. After a moment, the door swung open. "Hey, James..." he began, then trailed off as he saw who had answered the door in place of the cop.
Freddy stood in the door, staring at him. "Well, hello, again, Ricky," the other man said, his red lips curving a little in a smile of greeting. "What brings you here today?"
"Err...I..." Ricky stuttered helplessly, not sure what to say.
"Who is it, Freddy? Oh, Ricky, hi," James said, appearing in the little hallway behind his friend. "Come on in," he added." Join the party."
Freddy stepped back, and Ricky darted into the house. James' hand touched his elbow as Freddy turned around and led the way into the living room. "They just all showed up with no warning," James murmured into his hair. "Sorry."
"They..." Ricky began, but shut his mouth when he saw the rest of James' gay friends sitting on chairs and couches in the living room.
"Hey, Ricky!" Daniel called to him with a smile and a wave. "Hi! We all came over to surprise James today and see how he's doing. We even brought lunch for everybody. What are you doing here?"
Ricky just stood there, not knowing what to say. James replied for him. "Ricky comes and hangs out with me on the weekends sometimes," he said. "We watch football games together. Because, unlike you guys, he actually LIKES sports," he went on dryly.
Colin snorted. "Argh, why do you have to be so much like a straight guy, James? It'd be better if you liked antiquing, or anything less violent and testosterone-laden than football."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Colin," James said dryly.
Daniel laughed. "Well, at least James has a friend willing to watch that kind of stuff with him," he remarked heartily. "So that we don't have to. Anyway, welcome, Ricky."
"Thank you," he mumbled, feeling disappointment lash through him. He'd SO been looking forward to a quiet day alone with James, and now...
"Anyway, sit down and let's get lunch set out," Daniel said in his slightly bossy way.
Ricky handed over the bowl of potato salad, which was well-received. James steered him over to the couch where they always sat together to watch football games, and the cop's face was sympathetic. It was nice to know that he was feeling disappointed about this turn of events, as well. He sighed as he plumped down on the couch, watching as Freddy and company produced a large wicker basket covered with a checked gingham cloth from the kitchen.
They got the basket settled on the cleared-off coffee table, and Freddy whisked off the cloth. He began to produce innumerable things from within: two plates of crispy fried chicken that looked and smelled delicious; a plate of various kinds of cheese slices; cut-up fresh fruit, a large tub of coleslaw, and a container of fruit salad. He also pulled out plastic plates, silverware, and glasses. Last but not least, he produced two bottles of red wine and two of apple cider. "We brought everything we need, pre-packed," he remarked. "I know a deli that will pack any size meal for a good price. Really good food, too. You'll all love it, my dears, I swear."
"It looks good," Nathan said, sniffing appreciatively.
Freddy grinned as he pulled out a corkscrew and started to open the bottles of wine. "A meal fit for kings," he said in satisfaction. "Or...queens," he went on slyly.
Laughter. Even Ricky chuckled. He accepted a plate brimming with good food, a glass of wine(which made him silently grimace; he didn't like wine), and also accepted the fact that his day alone with James had gone up in smoke.
An hour later, he decided that this wasn't all bad. The food was delicious, the wine tolerable(it got more tolerable the more he drank of it), and the conversation lively and full of laughter. He was gently teased about being the only straight male in the room, but no one said anything nasty. In fact, he was treated with kindness, as though he was just one of the (gay) boys. He got to feel the warmth of James' body next to him, and the cop's right hand occasionally stroked secretly over his thigh or side. While this was very nice, it was also working him up more than a bit. Which was VERY uncomfortable, because he had to fight not to squirm on the couch visibly, and attract the attention of the other people in the room.
Freddy was saying to James: "Listen, my dear. Hear me out! I’ve met the nicest boy, and I think he would be prefect for you!"
Ricky felt himself stiffening. Well, the rest of him was stiffening, anyway. James said placidly: "Sorry, Freddy, not interested."
"Oh, come on! When's the last time that you went on a date, James? You were not meant to be a monk, James!" Freddy protested.
"First of all, I'm not a monk. Second of all, I can't forget the last time that you set me up on a blind date," James replied dryly.
"That was just a fluke!" Freddy protested, waving his hands.
Daniel shook his head. "We all remember that, Freddy," he chided. "The kid wanted James to do a three-way with him and his daddy-man, in lieu of a first date."
"Hey, he didn't tell ME that he had a daddy-man, okay?" Freddy said weakly. "But this time it will be different, I swear."
"No, it won't. Because I'm not going on a blind date," James trailed off, then seemed to shrug internally. "Besides, I'm already seeing someone anyway."
Shocked silence, as they all gaped at him. Even Ricky. James face was bland. "What? Who? When?!" Freddy spluttered into the silence.
James reached out his hand deliberately and set it on Ricky's leg. "Ricky and I are dating," he said quietly but firmly.
More shocked silence, more wide-eyed gaping. Ricky didn't know what to do or say. Freddy recovered first, though his voice was decidedly shaken. "You're dating...Ricky?! But I thought..."
"Yes, he was straight," James replied calmly. "Totally straight. But we started spending a lot of time together, and it just sort of...happened. He confessed that he was attracted to me, and since I was also attracted to him, we started dating. We've been together for a little over a month now."
"So I guess you decided to a be a bisexual, after all," Daniel said to Ricky with a smile. He seemed the least shocked of the group. "Although, considering the fact that it's James, I can totally see why you jumped the fence," he winked at Ricky, who found himself taking in a shaky breath.
"This is unbelievable," Freddy said. "To think that a person like Ragin' Ricky Raynes would decided to date another guy..."
Gasps from several people in the room. Ricky's face flushed and his shoulders stiffened, as Freddy shut his mouth with a snap and looked horrified at what he'd just said. He cast an embarrassed, apologetic look at Ricky, who felt cold as the other men reacted to his former identity.
"You're...You're...oh, my God, you're that horrible man from the radio?!" Daniel yelped, looking stunned. "The one who says all of those terrible things about gay people?! Didn't you say once that we should all be rounded up and put into concentration camps?!"
Ricky's face flamed in shame. He dropped his eyes to the floor. “Yes," he said miserably. "That was me."
The silence that descended this time was cold and full of anger and outrage. Ricky awaited the first verbal blow, cringing. It wasn’t as though he didn't deserve it...
James broke the silence. "Let me explain everything, guys, before you start to tear into Ricky," he began seriously. "Hear me out, then say whatever you have to say. For me. Please?"
More silence. Then: "All right, James. For you. Tell us everything," Daniel said quietly, his voice neutral.
So the cop did. He quietly but concisely told his friends the whole story: How he'd saved the life of the nasty bigot shock jock Ragin' Ricky Raynes, how that same man had come to the hospital full of remorse and had confessed who he was, and how Ricky had begun to turn his life around from that day forward. How he'd gotten another job after promptly quitting his horrible show, how he’d begun to hang out with the man who'd saved his life so that he could learn all about real gay people, and how, over time, he'd begun to develop feelings for that same man.
As the end of his story, James said gravely: "Can you guys imagine what strength of will and courage it took for Ricky to admit that he's attracted to another man, let alone to date one, after his childhood? He has guts, and he's changed his life for the better. I hope that'll count with you all."
Ricky was stunned. He'd never thought about the fact that what he’d done was courageous; he didn't for one moment think that he had any courage at all. After all, wasn't he the coward that had gotten James shot in the bank that day? He blinked as the other men looked at one another.
Daniel stirred. "Thanks for telling us all of that, James," he said. "The truth is, I've always liked Ricky. It doesn’t really seem possible to bring the two of them together - the guy we first met at the hospital, and that awful man on the radio. But I'm willing to believe that the real Ricky is the one who hung out with us today, who's been nothing but sweet, who's never treated any of us like 'abominations'," Ricky winced when he said that word, and hung his head. He'd used it often enough on the air. "I guess I can understand how he could be brainwashed by his parents into believing that gay people are evil, with what you told us about his father. And it matters a lot that you're willing to date him, James - because I know that you'd NEVER date someone like Ragin' Ricky Raynes. You have better taste than that. So if you like him, then we all do. Right, guys?"
Murmurs of agreement swept the living room, as Ricky lifted his head and stared in amazement at the gay men all looking at him. They were smiling, their eyes held acceptance and understanding, he wasn’t about to be attacked or screamed at even though he deserved those things...He couldn't help himself. He burst into tears, sobbing noisily, his shoulders heaving.
James' arms came around him, and pulled him in close. He could only cry helplessly, stunned by the kindness and forgiveness being shown to him by these men who had every right to hate him. He didn't deserve this, but he was very, very happy to get it. He really was completely, utterly lucky. And he'd never forget that fact ever again.
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Chapter 16
Ricky pulled his car up in front of James' house, feeling eager and hopeful. They were going to spend the entire day together, and who knew what might happen at any time? He reached out to scoop up the plastic bowl of potato salad from the seat beside him. James likes the way he made it, so every weekend so far he'd made it and brought it over to add to whatever meal they chose to eat. James had indicated that he might do a little grilling again today, if the weather was nice. A nice, juicy steak and some tasty potato salad would be great.
He got out of his car and started up the walk. Some of the OTHER things that might be great were of a more intimate nature. His cheeks heated a little at this thought, and his body stirred to life. No matter how he might try to deny it, he couldn't wait to be touched by James again. Or...maybe a blow job? He shuddered a little at the mere thought of James' mouth on his dick, no matter how much his mind might rebel against the thought of letting another man put his mouth on his penis. All of his upbringing and religious teachings were telling him that even the thought was utterly wrong and sinful; but the rest of him just didn't give a shit by now.
He stepped up onto the porch and rapped at the door. After a moment, the door swung open. "Hey, James..." he began, then trailed off as he saw who had answered the door in place of the cop.
Freddy stood in the door, staring at him. "Well, hello, again, Ricky," the other man said, his red lips curving a little in a smile of greeting. "What brings you here today?"
"Err...I..." Ricky stuttered helplessly, not sure what to say.
"Who is it, Freddy? Oh, Ricky, hi," James said, appearing in the little hallway behind his friend. "Come on in," he added." Join the party."
Freddy stepped back, and Ricky darted into the house. James' hand touched his elbow as Freddy turned around and led the way into the living room. "They just all showed up with no warning," James murmured into his hair. "Sorry."
"They..." Ricky began, but shut his mouth when he saw the rest of James' gay friends sitting on chairs and couches in the living room.
"Hey, Ricky!" Daniel called to him with a smile and a wave. "Hi! We all came over to surprise James today and see how he's doing. We even brought lunch for everybody. What are you doing here?"
Ricky just stood there, not knowing what to say. James replied for him. "Ricky comes and hangs out with me on the weekends sometimes," he said. "We watch football games together. Because, unlike you guys, he actually LIKES sports," he went on dryly.
Colin snorted. "Argh, why do you have to be so much like a straight guy, James? It'd be better if you liked antiquing, or anything less violent and testosterone-laden than football."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Colin," James said dryly.
Daniel laughed. "Well, at least James has a friend willing to watch that kind of stuff with him," he remarked heartily. "So that we don't have to. Anyway, welcome, Ricky."
"Thank you," he mumbled, feeling disappointment lash through him. He'd SO been looking forward to a quiet day alone with James, and now...
"Anyway, sit down and let's get lunch set out," Daniel said in his slightly bossy way.
Ricky handed over the bowl of potato salad, which was well-received. James steered him over to the couch where they always sat together to watch football games, and the cop's face was sympathetic. It was nice to know that he was feeling disappointed about this turn of events, as well. He sighed as he plumped down on the couch, watching as Freddy and company produced a large wicker basket covered with a checked gingham cloth from the kitchen.
They got the basket settled on the cleared-off coffee table, and Freddy whisked off the cloth. He began to produce innumerable things from within: two plates of crispy fried chicken that looked and smelled delicious; a plate of various kinds of cheese slices; cut-up fresh fruit, a large tub of coleslaw, and a container of fruit salad. He also pulled out plastic plates, silverware, and glasses. Last but not least, he produced two bottles of red wine and two of apple cider. "We brought everything we need, pre-packed," he remarked. "I know a deli that will pack any size meal for a good price. Really good food, too. You'll all love it, my dears, I swear."
"It looks good," Nathan said, sniffing appreciatively.
Freddy grinned as he pulled out a corkscrew and started to open the bottles of wine. "A meal fit for kings," he said in satisfaction. "Or...queens," he went on slyly.
Laughter. Even Ricky chuckled. He accepted a plate brimming with good food, a glass of wine(which made him silently grimace; he didn't like wine), and also accepted the fact that his day alone with James had gone up in smoke.
An hour later, he decided that this wasn't all bad. The food was delicious, the wine tolerable(it got more tolerable the more he drank of it), and the conversation lively and full of laughter. He was gently teased about being the only straight male in the room, but no one said anything nasty. In fact, he was treated with kindness, as though he was just one of the (gay) boys. He got to feel the warmth of James' body next to him, and the cop's right hand occasionally stroked secretly over his thigh or side. While this was very nice, it was also working him up more than a bit. Which was VERY uncomfortable, because he had to fight not to squirm on the couch visibly, and attract the attention of the other people in the room.
Freddy was saying to James: "Listen, my dear. Hear me out! I’ve met the nicest boy, and I think he would be prefect for you!"
Ricky felt himself stiffening. Well, the rest of him was stiffening, anyway. James said placidly: "Sorry, Freddy, not interested."
"Oh, come on! When's the last time that you went on a date, James? You were not meant to be a monk, James!" Freddy protested.
"First of all, I'm not a monk. Second of all, I can't forget the last time that you set me up on a blind date," James replied dryly.
"That was just a fluke!" Freddy protested, waving his hands.
Daniel shook his head. "We all remember that, Freddy," he chided. "The kid wanted James to do a three-way with him and his daddy-man, in lieu of a first date."
"Hey, he didn't tell ME that he had a daddy-man, okay?" Freddy said weakly. "But this time it will be different, I swear."
"No, it won't. Because I'm not going on a blind date," James trailed off, then seemed to shrug internally. "Besides, I'm already seeing someone anyway."
Shocked silence, as they all gaped at him. Even Ricky. James face was bland. "What? Who? When?!" Freddy spluttered into the silence.
James reached out his hand deliberately and set it on Ricky's leg. "Ricky and I are dating," he said quietly but firmly.
More shocked silence, more wide-eyed gaping. Ricky didn't know what to do or say. Freddy recovered first, though his voice was decidedly shaken. "You're dating...Ricky?! But I thought..."
"Yes, he was straight," James replied calmly. "Totally straight. But we started spending a lot of time together, and it just sort of...happened. He confessed that he was attracted to me, and since I was also attracted to him, we started dating. We've been together for a little over a month now."
"So I guess you decided to a be a bisexual, after all," Daniel said to Ricky with a smile. He seemed the least shocked of the group. "Although, considering the fact that it's James, I can totally see why you jumped the fence," he winked at Ricky, who found himself taking in a shaky breath.
"This is unbelievable," Freddy said. "To think that a person like Ragin' Ricky Raynes would decided to date another guy..."
Gasps from several people in the room. Ricky's face flushed and his shoulders stiffened, as Freddy shut his mouth with a snap and looked horrified at what he'd just said. He cast an embarrassed, apologetic look at Ricky, who felt cold as the other men reacted to his former identity.
"You're...You're...oh, my God, you're that horrible man from the radio?!" Daniel yelped, looking stunned. "The one who says all of those terrible things about gay people?! Didn't you say once that we should all be rounded up and put into concentration camps?!"
Ricky's face flamed in shame. He dropped his eyes to the floor. “Yes," he said miserably. "That was me."
The silence that descended this time was cold and full of anger and outrage. Ricky awaited the first verbal blow, cringing. It wasn’t as though he didn't deserve it...
James broke the silence. "Let me explain everything, guys, before you start to tear into Ricky," he began seriously. "Hear me out, then say whatever you have to say. For me. Please?"
More silence. Then: "All right, James. For you. Tell us everything," Daniel said quietly, his voice neutral.
So the cop did. He quietly but concisely told his friends the whole story: How he'd saved the life of the nasty bigot shock jock Ragin' Ricky Raynes, how that same man had come to the hospital full of remorse and had confessed who he was, and how Ricky had begun to turn his life around from that day forward. How he'd gotten another job after promptly quitting his horrible show, how he’d begun to hang out with the man who'd saved his life so that he could learn all about real gay people, and how, over time, he'd begun to develop feelings for that same man.
As the end of his story, James said gravely: "Can you guys imagine what strength of will and courage it took for Ricky to admit that he's attracted to another man, let alone to date one, after his childhood? He has guts, and he's changed his life for the better. I hope that'll count with you all."
Ricky was stunned. He'd never thought about the fact that what he’d done was courageous; he didn't for one moment think that he had any courage at all. After all, wasn't he the coward that had gotten James shot in the bank that day? He blinked as the other men looked at one another.
Daniel stirred. "Thanks for telling us all of that, James," he said. "The truth is, I've always liked Ricky. It doesn’t really seem possible to bring the two of them together - the guy we first met at the hospital, and that awful man on the radio. But I'm willing to believe that the real Ricky is the one who hung out with us today, who's been nothing but sweet, who's never treated any of us like 'abominations'," Ricky winced when he said that word, and hung his head. He'd used it often enough on the air. "I guess I can understand how he could be brainwashed by his parents into believing that gay people are evil, with what you told us about his father. And it matters a lot that you're willing to date him, James - because I know that you'd NEVER date someone like Ragin' Ricky Raynes. You have better taste than that. So if you like him, then we all do. Right, guys?"
Murmurs of agreement swept the living room, as Ricky lifted his head and stared in amazement at the gay men all looking at him. They were smiling, their eyes held acceptance and understanding, he wasn’t about to be attacked or screamed at even though he deserved those things...He couldn't help himself. He burst into tears, sobbing noisily, his shoulders heaving.
James' arms came around him, and pulled him in close. He could only cry helplessly, stunned by the kindness and forgiveness being shown to him by these men who had every right to hate him. He didn't deserve this, but he was very, very happy to get it. He really was completely, utterly lucky. And he'd never forget that fact ever again.
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