Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 38
Diligence Is A Virtue

Wednesday 1 October 2003

"The fuck..." Anton grunts, squinting at me.

"It's not... It's not what you think..." I stupidly stutter, holding my hands up toward Anton.

I have grown really comfortable around the man over the past few months despite his imposing and imperative aura. The thing is that I have often caught a playful glint in his brown orbs while I was interacting with Ivan, and more than once have I seen him raise his eyes at times Ivan was trying to play the paternal figure with me. I have also lost count on all the times he and I exchanged collusive looks in similar situations. Underneath the tall and seemingly-brutal security manager, I know there's gentle bear.

I'm not sure he's really keen on fooling around today, so I'd better be cautious, and yet, an eerie sparkle is illuminating his eyes.

"Oh yeah? And how would you know what I think?" he asks, leaning sideward against the doorframe as a cynical rictus spawns on the corner of his mouth.

"Hmm... You know... Err..." I splutter, unable to find the words that won't incriminate me and Marek.

"Oh... Are you talking about the unmade bed?" Anton comments in an icy voice. "Or the suspicious stains on the sheets? Or perhaps it's that musky smell of fornication? Oh, no! I know! You must be talking about the used condom that's oozing on the wooden floor!!!"

His scornful tone freezes me on the spot as I take in all the incriminating evidence laying in my bedroom, evidence that no matter what my usually-canny brain might breed as excuses, Marek and I can only be convicted for the way we spent the last couple of hours.

"Then we're probably thinking about the same thing, Aaron," he smirks in front of my silence.

"It's not his fault..." Marek chips in, his voice barely a whisper.

"It is, Marek... I'm not going to let you take the responsibility," I interrupt him, scared that Ivan might fire him or cause even worse trouble.

Even if he's due to leave anytime soon for another State, I don't want our relationship to end on a bad term and I well intend to enjoy his presence, both educationally and sexually, until his departure to Michigan.

"Whoever's fault, I don't care, it's not my business," Anton interferes, catching my attention back.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I accuse, regaining some of my self-confidence.

"If you'd been downstairs, working in the library and beside your phone, you would have known," he retorts with much coldness. "Ivan left you a voicemail more than an hour ago to say we're having dinner at the Neely's tonight and that I was going to pick you up at 6."

Shit! Now that's pointing his finger at the fact that I haven't been beside my phone since at least half past four, and I can be fully charged with having spent a fair part of my working hours in this bedroom. I'm completely screwed!!

"Yeah, you see what I mean," Anton continues with a coy smile before he turns to Marek. "I'm sorry, Mr. Borak, but we'll have to leave now," he adds before he goes away, leaving the door open.

"Shit... We're in trouble..." Marek mumbles as we hear Anton's footsteps in the staircase.

"Nah... I'll manage with Ivan, don't worry," I reassure him with the best confidence I can muster while I put my tee-shirt back on. "So... Michigan?"

"Err... I think Anton's waiting for you, so perhaps we should discuss this later over the phone if you come back early enough tonight, or tomorrow?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," I sigh. "When are you due to leave?"

"I have to be there by mid of next week," he replies with sorrow.

Mid of next week...

Just before my birthday...

Just before I can take the GED exams...

"Okay... We'll talk tomorrow. Let's go now," I reply, comforting him with a hug before we head back downstairs.

Once Marek has left, I quickly return to the library to tidy up the table, feeling a bit sorry for my butt since I won't be able to catch up on the work I should have accomplished with Marek before Ivan gets to check my progress. I still take the time to listen to Ivan's message, a small knot forming in my stomach as I hear his cheerful voice announcing that Mr. Meyers had to cancel their dinner and that instead, we are all going to the Neely's.

Well, I can only cross my fingers and hope that my guardian will keep this cheerful tone once he knows about my mischief.

Keep dreaming, Ron... You're probably in for a bad, bad punishment.

Hopefully, it won't involve a spanking like he did last time. As much as my manhood seemed to enjoy Ivan's touch on my backside, I'm not really eager to face the humiliation that went with it. Sighing heavily, I eventually go to put the alarm on and meet Anton outside, where he's waiting for me, but as he opens the back door for me on the driver's side, I head for the passenger door at the front.

"What the heck are you doing?" Anton grunts.

"I want to sit at the front," I reply with determination, looking straight into his eyes and opening the door, ignoring the darkness of his eyes scowling at me.

"Fine with me. This way, we can talk," he grunts before he steps inside the car and settles behind the wheel.

"Where's Ivan?" I ask a few seconds later as we pass the gateway.

"I dropped him off at Marcus's practice. The doc had just one more appointment after Ivan and they were supposed to meet us at the Neely's."

"I didn't know he had an appointment with Marcus. Was he sick again?" I ask with concern.

"No, just a quick check-up," Anton replies dismissively, and I know he wouldn't tell me more.

Not that Ivan would either. A few weeks ago, I tried to bring up the subject of his apparent tiredness and I was wondering what all these pills he swallows every day are for, but he quickly dropped the topic, saying he had just been stressed with work recently and that he was fine. He was in another of his dark moods after I had spent the entire Monday afternoon out with Marek, so I didn't want to press him with more questions, but I can't deny I'm quite worried.

"Are you going to tell him?" I ask Anton after a few minutes of silence. "You know... about this afternoon..."

"Nope," he replies, and although the thoughtful expression as he stares ahead doesn't bode anything good, I exhale a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Anton... for not ratting out on me," I breathe out with sincere gratefulness.

"Don't thank me," he snorts as he draws to a stop at a red traffic light, tilting his head in my direction. "I'm not going to tell him anything because you are," he then adds meaningfully and in all seriousness.

"What? Why?"

"Honesty, Aaron. Honesty is key in any form of relationship, I'm sure Ivan already told you."

"But... but... he doesn't need to know..."

"Of course, he does. Ivan wants the best for you. He has high expectations and he truly wants you to become a good man, Aaron. If you find him too strict in the way he treats you, you should know that it's only for your sake, so if you messed up, he needs to know to help you correct these mistakes."

"But who'd be stupid enough to confess a fuck-up when the person wouldn't know?" I exclaim, guffawing loudly.

"Anyone who has the will to entrust another person with their well-being and evolution toward a better future," he replies dryly, his fingers clutching around the steering wheel.

"Ugh..."

"A fault confessed is half redressed, Aaron. Keep that in mind. Ivan would certainly take into account a confession and if there's a sanction, it might be less hard than if he found out on his own... or from a third party," he insists suggestively.

At that moment, a honk prompts him to move forward as the traffic light has turned to green, and I settle back into my seat with a sullen expression and grousing below my breath. I do get Anton's point, yet I have a hard time imagining myself coming out clean to Ivan. It's as if I'd gone to my father back in the days and disclosed all the naughty thoughts I had and misdeeds I accomplished. Darn! He would have killed me right away!

But Ivan wouldn't... He would find the appropriate sanction to make sure you do not repeat the same mistakes... And this is part of the deal you agreed to.

This doesn't make it easier all the same.

Anyway, I'm just screwed.

If I don't tell him, Anton will and the sanction might be even worse. All things considered, Anton wouldn't even need to tell him anything. Even if we get home late, I'm pretty sure Ivan will go and check my work in the library and remark that I did less than I should have. He might not guess how I spent my time instead of working – and I could totally lie about the reasons – but the result would be the same. Slacking is highly condemnable in his eyes.

"Aaron, we're here."

I hadn't even noticed that the car had stopped in front of Dr. Neely's beautiful mansion. And to my disappointment, the doctor's car is already parked, meaning they arrived before us and my time is up pondering on what I should do. Without a word, I get out of the car and follow Anton toward the stoop, but loud voices echoing from inside catch my attention as we get closer.

"I... I... I... HOW DARE YOU!? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS, PET!?"

"Shit..." Anton grouses nervously, and as he hastily rings the bell, the shouting instantly stops.

The door soon opens on an obviously-angry Marcus, so I don't really have time to dwell on what I heard. I am mostly worried about a probable gloomy ambiance tonight if he just fought with his man, and above all, I feel sorry for said man, Samuel, since he's one of the sweetest men I have ever met.

We haven't shared that many dinners in the past month, but since that evening I eventually got to truly meet Sam a few weeks ago, I have grown certain that he and I will get along despite our age difference. Like Ivan promised, Sam is surprisingly childish, and his mischievousness totally goes against the image I had of finance directors.

As a true-blue friend of Ivan's, Marcus is quite the serious type of guy. Even if he often smiles and jokes around, his authoritative aura rarely weakens, and his strong sense of power never fails to impress me. Sam is different. Quite the opposite, in fact. At 29, his successful career in finance has already led him to the position of Vice President Finance Director in a big American company. Not that I would have known, but Ivan told me that it's quite a young age for such a role.

"Hey, good evening! Come in," Marcus welcomes us, catching himself very quickly as he recovers a blank expression and smiles politely.

I still notice the discreet apologetical glance he throws to Anton and even hear the latter's sigh before we walk in and follow the doctor to the living room where Ivan is sitting on a large couch. Sam is nowhere to be seen, though, and I now wonder if Marcus was arguing with Ivan instead.

What did he say again...?

"At last! What took you so long?" Ivan asks sternly, his eyes shifting between his friend and me, and all other thoughts I previously had flee my head.

Anton, who is standing behind me, emits a deep chuckling rumble as he goes to sit beside Marcus on another couch, and cocks his eyebrows at me. I'm not going to get any help from him, I guess, and I think he's even enjoying this a lot, so I turn back to Ivan and sit down next to him, leaving a fair distance between us.

"Err... It's... Good evening to you too!" I cheer as a diversion, which is the worst idea of all because Ivan isn't a fool and can easily read through my guilty nervousness.

"Spill the beans," he orders, squinting at me.

"Can we discuss this later?" I try, not willing to bring more tension in the room.

"Not likely."

"Now... that's not fair," I grumble, "I was going to tell you later, because you know... a fault confessed is half redressed," I continue, glancing pointedly at Anton, "but you're not even giving me a chance..."

"Aaron, stop your bullshit and just tell me what you did again."

"Again!?" I exclaim with taken offense. "You say that as if it was a habit! I haven't fucked up in weeks!"

"Now you'd better watch your language, young man," Ivan growls, and I should really stop annoying him before my case gets really bad. "It's the last time I'm asking, what did you do?"

"I... I convinced Marek to skip two hours of our working time," I eventually admit, lowering my eyes for a brief second. "I swear it was the first time, Ivan, and we're well ahead of our schedule, so it's not that bad, and..."

"Why the hell did you do that!?" he barks. "And what did you do instead?"

Huh... Shall I make you a drawing?

"We were... in my room..." I just reply.

"Instead of working?"

"Obviously..."

"Is it a special day for messing Subm..." Dr. Neely grunts with irritation before Ivan cuts him.

"You and I are going to have a serious conversation again later, Aaron, but expect a sanction."

"Hey! Aaron!" Sam calls out, appearing out of the blue by the entrance of the living room.

Now, this is such a welcome distraction from the tension floating here that I instantly rise to my feet. Though, I can't be sure. I catch the handsome finance guy throw an unconfident glance toward his man, a look that somewhat unsettles me, before he meets me at the couch and gives me a tight hug, and mmmh... he smells so good, freshly out of the shower I bet.

"It's good to see you again," he says more cheerfully as we break our embrace. "Can I borrow Aaron to help me set the table outside M...Ivan?" he then asks, blushing a bit when he peeks in my direction.

M...Ivan? What the heck was he going to call Ivan? Does my guardian have a nickname I'm not supposed to hear?

"Sure," Ivan replies sternly. "We'll talk later," he then adds for my attention.

Well, I'm just glad I have been given an opportunity to escape his dark mood, and I happily follow Sam to the kitchen where we grab dishes, put everything on two trays and walk out through the sliding windows that lead to a large terrace.

"These men..." Sam grouses once he has shut the windows. "Such grumpy bears."

"Something wrong with Marcus?"

"Nah, don't worry, it'll pass. I just happen to have done something without his cons... I mean... without asking for his advice, so he's a bit upset," he explains awkwardly as we set the table, and this leaves me quite confused.

"What? Can't you do anything without his approval?" I chuckle. "You're an adult, aren't you?"

"Err... yeah... right..."

"What did you do, by the way?" I ask.

"I got myself a tattoo," he whispers, grinning at me.

"Did you!?" I exclaim with excitement. "Can you show me?"

As he walks around the table to meet me on the other side, Sam lifts the hem of his tee-shirt and slightly lowers the waistband of his Bermuda shorts, revealing a plastic wrap just above his pubis and close to his right hip. Beneath the bandage that he cautiously peels off, I soon get to see two beautifully-drawn hands and forearms that are tied up with rope and surrounded by two letters.

"S... and M...," I comment thoughtfully. "Sam and Marcus! Of course! How romantic!"

"Yeah, something like that..." Sam chuckles as he conceals the tattoo underneath its bandage and his clothes.

I guess that decisions for a specific drawing are quite private, so I don't ask further questions about his choice, but I can easily imagine that these hands represent his tight relationship with Marcus.

"It's so cool, though, I love it!" I cheer, once again feeling my own desire for a tattoo resurface.

"Me too, but Marcus begs to differ," Sam grumbles as we continue setting the table.

"Oh... So that's why he was yelling when Anton and I arrived?"

"Yeah. I knew he wouldn't like it much, Marcus's not really fond of body arts in general. I was going to show him later to avoid a tense atmosphere tonight, but he was home earlier than I thought and that dumbass had to catch me just as I was out of the shower."

"Huh, sorry to hear..."

"Nah, don't worry, I've got my ways with Marcus," Sam chuckles, playfully elbowing my arm. "A glass of his favorite Burgundy red wine, and he'll be in a better mood!"

"Err... If you know of a similar ruse for Ivan, I'm willing to buy it..."

"Hmm... not sure. Ivan doesn't even drink alcohol. A glass of Champagne occasionally, but that's it, sorry," he apologizes. "Something felt off when I joined you in the living room, what happened?"

"I was supposed to work with Marek until 6, but a little after 4, we went upstairs to... you know..."

The first evening Marcus and Sam came home for dinner, Sam and I spent at least two hours by the swimming pool while Ivan and his friend enjoyed the cooler temperature of the air-conditioned living room, and he literally shot me with hundreds of questions. I just couldn't resist his charming and chatty personality, and within that timeframe, we got to know each other quite well. Of course, I told him a lot about my New Jersey friends and my past, disclosing more on the two following opportunities we met, but also about Marek and how I was struggling a bit to get into the cutie's pants.

"Eheh... so, it happened at last?" he asks meaningfully, curiosity shining in his green eyes.

"Yeah, at last, but Ivan's not too happy I slacked on work," I sigh.

"Duh! Why did you tell him?"

"Well... Anton may or may not have caught us," I reply, grimacing from the awkward situation.

"While you were having sex?"

"Nah, we were done, but I had stupidly left my phone downstairs, so I didn't know he was to pick me up, and when he showed up, we were still cuddling in bed, and there was too much evidence. I had to tell Ivan, Anton would have ratted out on me anyway."

"Yeah, I bet Anton pulled out some talk about honesty and the a-faut-confessed-is-half-redressed card," Sam chuckles.

"How did you guess?"

"Err... That's some sort of Californian saying," he replies dismissively. "Okay, now you've got to tell me about Marek!! And let me prepare Ivan's favorite cocktail, that should avoid a gloomy evening!"

In the end, the evening turns out to be anything but gloomy indeed, especially once all the men have settled around the garden table and enjoyed their favorite drinks during the aperitive, and that's a glass of red wine for Marcus, a virgin pina colada for Ivan and a mojito for Anton. Sam also gets a glass of red wine despite his scowling husband and the way he defiantly smirks back at him makes me laugh out and earn a glare from Ivan, but I couldn't care less. Being underage, I am only allowed some Coke, but I still enjoy the crackers and peanuts.

Sam and I chitchat more as we cook appetizing pork ribs at the barbecue while Ivan, Marcus and Anton prepare a mixed salad, and dinner occurs in a very light atmosphere. I can't help but notice a few eerie situations though, like weird glances or Ivan sometimes interrupting his friends in the middle of sentences, as if they were sharing a secret. It's not the first time it happens; the feeling is just more palpable tonight for some reason I can't explain, especially because Sam seems to be in a teasing and defying mood.

Hadn't it been for Sam's fresh tattoo, we would have probably ended the evening in their swimming pool. Instead, Marcus comes up with a game that consists in resting your hand on a four-feet-high pole, turning around the pole while your forehead rests on your hand, and then trying to walk in a straight line.

Impossible.

Thank goodness, we do that in their huge garden and on the lawn, or else, injuries would have been guaranteed. When it's my turn to try it, my dizzy self ends up in a small bush, as if I were completely drunk, and after several attempts, I still can't manage to walk more than a few steps without falling to the ground. Dumb game, but it's just hilarious to watch everyone trip and crash in whichever direction they get.

Anyway, it was a fun evening, and it's barely 11pm when Ivan and I get back home.

"Don't you dare," Ivan threatens as I surreptitiously head for the staircase in an attempt to avoid the promised conversation.

"It's late..." I try, even though I know it's completely pointless.

"Library."

Ugh... This is going to be painful, but I lead the way to the library, obeying to his dark nod and preparing myself for the worst. Without a word, Ivan first skims through all the work I accomplished with Marek this afternoon, then checks out where we stand compared to the program he had set up. His brows furrow a lot while he reviews all the assignments I achieved today – which isn't that little in the end – and I see him nod in approval quite a few times too.

After perhaps ten minutes scrutinizing everything, Ivan leans back up and straightens his body to reach his full height, folding his arms across his chest. Although I'm only an inch or two smaller, it still feels like he is towering me and his authority still affects me, even if not as much as it did a few months ago.

"I believe it's time to teach you a new virtue, Aaron," he declares in a dry tone despite the beginning of a rictus spawning at the corner of his lips. "What is diligence?"

Come on... Is it really the best time to discuss catholic virtues?

"It's the virtue that tells us to fulfill our duties, even when they're laborious," I answer though, containing a sigh of exasperation. "Whether at home, at work, within our family, at church or for our country, we have to go beyond our attraction to sloth, and when the time comes, all the diligence we've shown will be rewarded a hundredfold."

"I guess you see where I'm headed?" he comments, raising an eyebrow. "Extrapolate this outside of religious beliefs and tell me what it could mean in the present situation."

"My duty is to prepare for the GED test, and as much as all these lessons might be annoying, I should strive to deviate from the temptation for more recreational activities during my working hours. And if I do so, and since you're my guardian, you'll reward me with more praise...?"

"That sounded very formal, but you're absolutely right," Ivan replies in a softer tone. "You should think about self-satisfaction too, Aaron. Passing the GED isn't only to please me. It's also for your sake because it'll open doors for you to pursue a higher education, and somehow, you'll be able to indulge in the self-esteem and self-respect for having accomplished something. I'm sure you'd have graduated too if you'd stayed in New Jersey and provided sufficient effort, because you're a clever young man, and that's why I trust you'll easily pass the test, but you still need to work."

"I'm sorry, I'll be more serious."

"I know you will, because you have been so far. And I can tell you're ahead of the program, Menino," he then sighs, "but I want you to focus and stick to the schedule. I've allowed you some free time to enjoy yourself and relax, and I do understand your teenager's needs, but I insist that you work until 6 pm. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Ivan," I reply, almost sighing in relief.

"You're still getting a sanction," he adds, trying to sound stern when he truly sounds amused, "but since it's not that bad, I'll only require that you write an essay on diligence."

"I'll do it tomorrow."

"You'd better. Now let's go get some sleep," he concludes with a yawn before he walks out of the library.

Once we have rolled down all the electric shutters, switched off the lights and locked the doors, we head upstairs. In the end, it wasn't as painful as I thought and since the essay was quite expected, I feel utter relief as we are about to part ways in front of my bedroom.

"Are you okay?" I ask in a shier voice, concerned that he looks so tired again.

"Of course, I am."

"Anton said you had an appointment with Marcus earlier..."

"Nothing you should worry about, Menino, it was just a quick check-up," he replies with a heartwarming smile as he pulls me into a hug. "So? It finally happened with Marek?" he then asks, still holding me tight.

"Ugh... Do we need to talk about this now?"

"Nope, I just want to know that you guys used a condom," he insists as he breaks our embrace.

"Yes, we did, don't worry."

"Good boy. Have a good night, Menino."

With a playful ruffle in my hair, he quickly turns around and heads toward the end of the corridor while I step into my bathroom. Despite the relaxing shower, I can't seem to find sleep when I eventually lie down in my bed with everything that happened today flashing back inside my head.

The call with Cam for his birthday.

Sex with Marek.

Marek announcing his upcoming departure to Michigan.

The delightful evening at the Neelys'.

The conversation with Ivan.

Slipping my left hand inside my boxer briefs, I decide to focus on what happened in this bed a few hours ago, and it's not long before my cock hardens between my fingers. In order to make the pleasure last longer, I set my strokes at a very slow pace, recalling Marek's little moans and the tightness of his asshole squeezing my shaft.

I'm a bit sad that he's soon moving far away, and at the same time, my positive mind is determined to see things in a bright way. I truly like Marek, but I'm not in love, so I'm certain that I will get over his departure easily enough, and I well intend to enjoy every single moment we can spend together in the next few days.

And then again, I am turning 18 in less than ten days now.

Meaning I'll be able to go clubbing...

Meaning I'll be able to meet more people...

Meaning there'll be more opportunities to fuck...

Published on 25 March 2020

So you've finally met Sam, and it wasn't much, but you'll soon get to know him better. After Aaron's birthday, which is coming next, just a couple more things need to happen before we enter a new era in Aaron's life, so you should start getting ready to discover the Hell Fire ;)

Meanwhile, keep staying safe, avoid contacts, stay home, and I'll see you next week!