Leon got up late, Monday being a day off from cutting hair. At least the location of his employment was close to where he lived, a rather motley section bordering the downtown area of banks and shops. He worked for the owner of the barber shop, who gave him a place to use his skills in exchange for half of the fees. Whatever tips he got were his own.

His opening glance took in the familiar expanse of white walls and molding in his sparsely furnished bed room. Directly in front of him he had a view of windows and the door that led to his apartment’s only genuinely good feature, a porch. On summer evenings, that was where he could find early relief from the heat trapped in his fourth floor walkup.

The view from the porch wasn’t anything though. It overlooked an unpaved parking lot and the wooden backsides of buildings similar to his. They all had brick or stone facing, but only at the front and a few yards on each side. Otherwise, these structures were made of wood. It was the two back apartments on each floor that had porches.

The living room was similarly barren and painted the same glossy white, so many thick coats that the formally sharp edges of the molding were now rounded. He had a beat up couch, mismatched arm chair in similar condition and a well scratched coffee table. A TV and VCR completed the furnishings. There were no rugs on the hardwood floors.

After a quick shave in a white tiled, not so sweet smelling bathroom, Leon made himself a cup of instant coffee. The galley kitchen had a built in booth like a cheap diner. That was where he downed the hot brew before leaving for a stroll outside and fresh morning air.

*****

Some scruffy kids were hanging out near the variety store where Leon got his newspaper. He knew the older one from cutting the kid’s dirty blonde hair. No where near often enough, it was shaggy now.

“Hi, Wally,” he said to the fourteen year old on his way into the shop. The other two were one and two years younger, he judged.

“Hi, yourself,” the youth responded in a friendly, albeit wiseass, tone.

Leon picked up an extra package of cigarettes along with his paper. The boys were still there, hanging out. “What’s up?” he directed at the one he knew.

“Nothing. There’s never anything to do around here,” Wally complained. One of the other kids kicked at a crumpled, paper coffee cup, sending it over the curb and into the gutter.

“Good shot,” the third youngster said, without enthusiasm.

“Wanna watch some videos?” Leon proposed. He gave Wally his best imitation of an evil grin. He still had one of the unopened packs of cigarettes in his hand. Although he didn’t offer to share them, out there on the street; a sharp boy might comprehend the possibilities.

The kid perked up immediately. “What’cha got?” he wanted to know.

“What you want to see?” Leon countered.

The middle kid tugged on the older boy’s sleeve. “Hey, yeah,” he said. The youngest tried to look interested.

*****

Back in the apartment, Leon put on a video that featured a skinny man with long, black hair and tattoos giving it to a woman who might well have been drugged. Three different positions were employed and there were plenty of tight shots of the equipment in action. The kids were voluble in their reactions is spite of the man’s attempts to keep the noise down. They couldn’t help themselves, it seemed.

After it was over, Leon lit up and offered the pack to the boys who did the same. “Want to see another?” Leon asked. They each responded, excitedly and in the affirmative.

The second film was two guys giving fellatio to each other. There was a ridiculous sound track where both spoke even though one had to have his mouth full.

“Whoa, Gross!” Walter exclaimed. Similar remarks emanated from the rest of the rapt spectators. They became quite animated, punching each other on the arms and accusing each other of liking what they were seeing.

When it ended, Leon said, “Would you boys like me to do that to you?”

“Yeah,” Walter enthused quickly, before either of the other two grasped what was being suggested.

“OK, drop your pants,” the man said, moving to the floor and on his knees.

The youth went to him and freed an erection. Leon put his hands on the kid’s butt and brought him forward into his mouth. The other two looked on in momentary shock as the man worked on their older friend. Then the middle boy began to hoot as it became obvious that Walter was about to ejaculate. He was silenced only by astonishment when the man did not pull away.

Walter threw his head back at the climax. “Shit! Great man!” were his only intelligible utterances.

“OK, your turn,” Leon said to the middle lad.

That boy quickly took the older one’s place. The youngest wanted no part of this, but felt trapped by the situation. If he refused he would be called a wimp by the older friends he was always trying, with varying degrees of success, to impress. He watched helpless, knowing that he would have to go through with it.

All too soon the man was finished with the second boy. Phil stepped forward and lowered his pants and briefs. He closed his eyes so he didn’t have to look as the man began to suck on his unexcited penis. It was obvious to the other boys that it wasn’t working.

“Come on Phil, give it to him,” Wally said.

“Be a man, you mouse!” the other youngster called out, derisively.

In an effort to help, Leon manipulated the kid’s buns and worked a finger inward toward the kid’s hole. With the other hand he tried to stimulate the lad’s arousal by massaging his balls. He wanted to tell the other boys to shut up, but he couldn’t.

“Look, he’s playing with him like he was a girl!” the middle youth commented.

*****

Leon had been right when he judged that his chances were improved with three boys. If Wally had been alone, with no chums to show off for, he might not have taken up the offer. But three presented a danger as well.

Among the courses of action now available to the man, one led to disaster and another to delight. If he pulled back and joined in the ridicule of the youngster, Phil would hate him. He was already angry with his friends. Bitterness would override shame, and he would tell his father what had happened. The other boys would eventually corroborate Phil’s story and Leon would serve a long sentence in the pokey.

On the other hand, if inspiration struck at the right time, Leon might start shaking the boy and at the same time pretend to be getting hit with a big load in his mouth. He should ham it up. It would take Phil a few moments to catch on to what the man was doing, but eventually he would realize that Leon was covering for him. He could pretend to be in the midst of an orgasm of heroic proportions and then hugely satisfied.

“Wow, the littlest is the best,” Leon could claim in amazement, when he had the chance. The other boys would be won over by the charade. Phil’s anger would dissipate and he would feel gratitude to the man for understanding and helping him.

In the next few days, while ministering to his own needs in private, Phil could find himself thinking of the man sucking him. He might begin to perceive the activity as desirable. And soon after that, the boy would run across Leon when each was by himself. Phil would not go so far as to actually say thank you, but would be friendly toward the fellow. And the man would know what the boy meant and invite him up for a soft drink. “… or to watch a video,” Leon might say, mischievously.