Mommy's Little Knob Gobbler Ch. 01

Steve quietly complied as she returned to preparing dinner -- spaghetti with garlic bread and a salad.

June set out a glass of water for Steve and one of wine for herself while he brought the big wooden salad bowl out. Soon they were eating in silence.

"God, she's really pissed" Steve thought. He could see his mom was clearly still upset and not ready to talk. He knew whenever she was not just mad, but really pissed, he could count on her not wanting to talk for a while, sometimes days.

"Suites me" he thought, not having the first clue what to say at the moment and definitely not wanting to talk about what she'd caught him doing... or wearing...

"Well, at least my birthday will be memorable..." he thought with a sigh.

Ultimately it took several days for his mom to settle down. He didn't think he'd ever seen her this angry before, and he had seen her get mad! June barely spoke to him during this time, and he did his best to avoid her too. He didn't know what to say, and everything he imagined saying only made things worse in my mind.

***

"I think Steven might be gay," June said as Karen took her usual seat in the break room at their favorite table.

"Is that why I got an urgent and ominous text from you?"

"Yeah, it is -- and what's worse I think I may have screwed this up and really hurt him. I kind of flipped out on him... I may have overreacted, but honestly, it just took me by surprise!"

"Slow down, sister! Let's rewind this and unpack... how about we start with why you think Steven might be gay. Did he tell you this?" Karen asked.

"Tell me? No, it wasn't anything he said exactly, more what he did -- or rather what I found him doing..." June replied.

"Oh really! So, what was it then? What did he do that tipped you off? Tell me it wasn't a gerbil!" Karen teased knowing full well it wasn't a gerbil. She knew more than enough anatomy to know that's pretty much Impossible; and besides, even if it were it would be bestiality, not homosexual behavior... unless maybe if the gerbil was a boy too?

"This is serious, Karen!" June hissed, keeping her voice low. "No, he wasn't doing a gerbil - that's absurd."

"Just lightening the mood... so... what was he doing? Looking at gay porn? All boys look at porn, and I bet a lot of straight boys take a peek at the gay stuff just out of curiosity" Karen pointed out helpfully.

"Actually, there wasn't any porn involved -- at least none I saw" June replied.

"He was masturbating..." June started.

"Again, not a big deal! In the entire history of the human race, I bet the only men that haven't masturbated when they were boys were born without arms."

"Let me finish! Obviously, it's not simply that I found him masturbating..."

"Caught him red-handed, did you?" Karen giggled.

Fixing her best friend with a stern glare June before she continued.

"He was wearing panties. Specifically, my panties..." June's voice trailed off to a whisper with that last part. There wasn't anyone else in the break room, but you never knew when a doctor, nurse, or orderly might pop in. Even the occasional administrator might stop by to interrupt things.

Karen stared back at her friend, eyes wider now and much more intrigued than amused now.

"Really! Which pair? We're they cute? Little bows on the front or anything fun like that?"

"Will you take this seriously! Honestly, Karen, what's wrong with you! I haven't even gotten to the problem yet..."

"Ok. Totally serious face here" Karen said as she composed herself. "But just so you know, panties do not make a guy gay. Remember Kevin?" Karen asked.

June nodded. "What about him?"

"Let's just say he liked to play dress-up from time to time and I can assure you tab A definitely went into slot B."

"More like Slut B" June snickered.

"And now who's not taking it seriously?" Karen giggled.

"Fair point... Cowboy Kevin? From Wyoming? Really!? Never would have guessed..." June said.

"So anyway, I found Steven masturbating in a pair of my panties last Saturday and yes they were cute! For the record, I only own cute panties... But when I realized what he was wearing, I sort of flipped out on him. I mean at first, I was just embarrassed to have walked in on him, you know. Then I was confused seeing him in panties; but once I realized they were my panties -- and one of my favorite pairs mind you, I just flipped out and yelled at him."

"How did that work out for you?" Karen asked, her eyebrows arching knowingly.

"About like you might expect. We've barely said anything to each other since. Frankly, I think we're both avoiding each other right now. The last he knew I was furious with him, so he probably thinks I'm still mad. Worse I suspect he might be misunderstanding why I'm mad."

"Might, huh? Did you clarify it for him?"

"No, as I said - we've barely spoken since."

"So... what exactly did you say to him?"

"Well, first I told him to take them off immediately, of course; and then I made him hand them over. Then I just stormed out to get dinner ready. Oh, I told him we were not done, too."

"So, he knows you're pissed; and apparently, you're not ready to talk about it; so he knows the other shoe has yet to drop. Basically, he's unsure why you're pissed or what the consequences are, right?"

"Yeah, that about covers it," June said.

"Well, how do you know this isn't a one-time thing? Maybe this was the first offense?"

"Unfortunately, no... I think it's probably been going on for a while now."

"Sounds like you're pretty sure about that. What makes you so confident?"

"Well... I've been noticing that some of my panties are wearing out sooner than I expect them to. Worse, it's not my everyday comfortable panties or my cheap as hell workout panties -- nope, it's my most expensive and nicest Victoria's Secret panties..."

"Heh! The kids got taste! You gotta give him that... So how long has little Stevie been nicking your knickers?"

"I don't know, but I've got a hunch this wasn't the first time. It seems at least nine pairs are now saggy and I'm going to have to toss them out and replace them."

"Ouch! Sounds like he's been raiding your dresser for a while then." Karen observed.

"Not my dresser, my hamper. The pair I caught him in were ones I'd worn just the day before..." June hissed.

"Seriously!? They were dirty? Eeeeewwww!"

"I know! Totally eww!"

"That dirty little pervert!" Karen snickered.

"You wouldn't think it's so funny if it was your son -- or your husband for that matter!" June shot back.

"I'm sorry. You're right, that was very wrong of me to point out -- but just to be clear here, the panties were dirty right? And he is a little pervy, don't you think?"

"Karen! I love him with all my heart!" June pleaded. "He's a good boy, he just likes panties..."

"His mom's panties" Karen corrected her "his mom's dirty panties, actually!"

"Sooooo not helpful" June retorted.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Throw them out and go shopping I guess..." June replied

"Why not donate them? You know, to a good cause or something." Karen said with a gleam in her eye.

"I'm pretty sure thrift stores don't take used panties you screwball!"

"Who said anything about a thrift store? Not me! I said for a good cause!"

"And what cause would that be, genius?"

"Look, you're not going to keep them -- A) they're saggy and don't fit, and B) eeeeww!"

"Duh!"

"So, you might as well try to get some good out of them, right?"

"I should donate them to Ms. Elizabeth's Home for Wayward Sluts?" June asked comically.

"In a way, yes"

"I don't get you - there's no such place."

"Yes, there is! And the headquarters is right in your kitchen!"

"Ok, now I'm really confused! What on earth are you talking about?" June said, bordering on frustration with her altogether unhelpful friend.

"Let's unpack this!" Karen suggested. "You're upset because Steven violated social norms and very reasonable boundaries by sneaking into your room and nicking your knickers, right?"

"That's what I've been saying all along!" June agreed.

"It's not that he was masturbating - we both know that's perfectly normal and to be expected from any teen boy."

"Correct again, Einstein!" June muttered.

"Right now, the two of you two are basically not talking. Steven most likely thinks you're mad at him for wearing panties, or maybe masturbating in panties. Let's face it, there's more than enough homophobia around the panhandle to basically assure him he'll be judged and judged harshly for this whether he's gay or not."

"Yes..." June sighed. "Your point being?"

"Give them to Stevie!" Karen said as she began ticking point off with her fingers.

"One. He desperately needs to know his mom loves and approves of him -- or at the very least is basically ok with him" she said with a wink.

"Two. You're certainly not going to keep them" she said nodding.

"Three. As you've already pointed out thrift stores won't take 'em" she said shaking her head.

"And Four. If only poor little Stevie had some panties of his very own, he wouldn't need to go sneaking around filching yours!" Karen concluded, beaming with pride. "It's a win-win! Problem solved!" she announced.

"You're kidding, right?" June asked incredulously.

"Not at all!" Karen replied. "I'm completely serious! Have you got a better way to tell him you're ok with him liking what he obviously likes, and you love him no matter what?"

"But I'd basically be rewarding bad behavior. I can't do that. He's got to learn to respect boundaries and stealing things is never ok" June pointed out.

"Of course! And you should lead with that. Make sure you clearly lay out a proper punishment first, then -- decoupled from that, you present him with his new knickers!"

"You just love that word, don't you? What, are you from merry old England now? Who calls them knickers?"

"I know! It's fun! Little Stevie's been nicking knickers and now he must face the frilly consequences!" Karen beamed.

"You're hysterical... don't quit your day job."

"Have you got any better ideas? Toss out the panties and keep poor Stevie in the dark about why you're actually upset? You know right now he probably feels more shame than any boy ought to ever feel, and no small amount of judgment from his own mom too! That has got to be devastating for him. You need to find some way to make sure he knows this is ok."

"It's not ok!" June blurted. "I don't want my son growing up to be some sort of creepy panty thief!"

They both laughed at that thought.

"No, of course not; and that's exactly why you're going to talk to him and gently, carefully, patiently explain what the real problem is, what the actual consequences are going to be, and that most importantly you still love him unconditionally and without reservations. That he's just fine, gay, straight, or bi. That you're proud of him and excited to see him grow up into the good person you know him to be! All that good mom shit we have to dole out in large portions. You know the drill!"

"Damn it... you're right -- and the worst part is you know it."

"I love you too, June!" Karen said as she reached out for her friend's hand.

"So, what's his punishment going to be? Laundry maybe?" Karen snickered.

"Oh, you're sooooo bad! No, I'm not putting the fox in charge of the hen house -- besides, I gave him that chore once before and he ruined my best jeans, remember? You know how hard it is to find a pair that's comfortable and flattering! God, I could have killed him."

"Oh boy, do you have laundry issues" Karen giggled. How about dinner? Can he cook?"

"Nope, not unless there's fire involved and even then, not reliably. I think it's going to have to be cleaning -- that boy needs lots of practice picking things up!"

"Ok, that's settled then. You've got a plan, and very soon your whole house will be in order!"

"You mean straightened up and tidy, or just back to our normal loving, trusting happiness?"

"Both, I hope! Don't you?"

"Yeah... yeah, I really do!"

***

The next day after she'd had a chance to prepare, June called Steve down from his room. Nearly a week had gone by since she'd caught him, and she was feeling much more herself. After her talk with Karen, she knew how she was going to approach things.

"Stevie, we need to talk." June began as she took him by the hand. She led him into the living room where she sat on the couch patting a spot to her left for him.

"Do you understand why I've been so angry with you?" June began.

"Uhhh, because you caught me jacking off?" Steve replied hesitantly.

"That's called masturbation, sweetie -- and while it's related to what made me angry, it's not that exactly. Masturbation is a perfectly normal thing that everyone does. So, it's not that you were masturbating -- all boys do that."

June was like that sometimes. When she was being really serious about something she'd always use the clinical terms. It just seemed like the right way to talk when you're being serious.

"So... since it wasn't the fact that you were masturbating, what do you think it might have been? Think back to what I said when I found you." June pressed.

"Uhhh, your panties?" Steve guessed.

"What about them? What about my panties upset me?"

"I was wearing them..." Steve almost whispered.

"Yes, you were! But you weren't just wearing them, were you? You were masturbating in them. How do you think that made me feel?"

"I don't know!" Steve blurted defensively.

"Oh really? Think back -- I bet you can imagine how I felt, can't you?" June coaxed.

"Uhhh... mad?" Steve guessed.

"Well, yes. I was pretty mad, wasn't I. What would make me mad about that?"

"I... I... I don't know... Masturbating is OK, but masturbating in panties isn't? Was it because it wasn't ... manly?" Steve said, terrified that might be the real reason. He didn't know why he liked them, but at that moment he really wished he didn't.

"Bzzzzzt! Wrong answer!" June teased -- that was the same way she'd tell him he got a question wrong if they were playing a trivia game.

"Masturbation is OK. Heck, boys your age masturbating is so normal it's probably universal and there'd be something wrong if you weren't masturbating. Panties are OK too! Different, certainly; but also OK." June explained patiently.

"That's not something any of the men I've been with were in to as far as I know, but some men are -- and it's fine if they want to wear their own panties with a partner or alone when they're masturbating." June really put some emphasis on that last part -- a hint if ever there was one.

"Uhh... I was masturbating in your panties?" Steve tried.

"Well, yeah, we've already established that part, haven't we?" June said -- maybe a hint of frustration or impatience creeping into her voice.

"Let's try a different tact, shall we?" June continued. "Is it OK to take something that belongs to someone else without their permission or knowledge?"

"No..." Steve admitted. Now she was just asking obvious questions.

"Good! That's pretty basic and, honestly, I expect a 5-year-old to comprehend that. Let's build on it shall we and see where it goes? How would you feel if you had a little brother and he snuck into your room and took a favorite thing of yours without asking?"

"Mad, I guess..."

"Yeah, I bet you would. Why is that?"

"Because it's not right and you should ask permission first?"

"Of course, silly! But that doesn't answer the question, does it? Why would you be mad?"

"Because it's mine, not his, and what if he broke it or something?"

"OK, now we're getting there!" June announced. "I think the concepts you're looking for are a betrayal of trust and the importance of boundaries -- especially when it comes to intimate personal things. You expect your family and friends not to violate your trust or your boundaries; so, it really hurts when you learn they've done just that. Now then, why was I so angry when I found you masturbating in my panties?"

Finally putting it all together, Steve saw where she was going. "Uhh, when you found me... masturbating... in your panties... you knew I'd snuck them out of your room which meant I'd been in your room... without your permission... and that I'd borrowed your panties without asking?" I replied.

"Yes. Yes, I did." June said. "I'll admit it surprised me to find you masturbating, and definitely surprised me to see you in panties, but really -- it was knowing you'd stolen my panties -- not borrowed, mister! Stolen! And that having stolen them, you were using them to masturbate."

"That's not true!" Steve blurted. "I didn't steal them; I was only borrowing them. I would have put them back!"

"That's not borrowing mister. To borrow something, you need permission first. When you take something without permission that's called stealing! It doesn't matter whether you put it back afterward or not, it's still stealing." June corrected him.

"OK... I stole your panties and masturbated in them." Steve admitted. "That was wrong. I understand that now. I guess I should have asked permission... But how's that work? What mom is going to say 'Sure son, here go masturbate in my panties! Be sure to bring them back clean when you're though.' I can't even imagine asking for something like that..." Steve trailed off.

"Don't misunderstand me here. It's not that you were masturbating, or that you were wearing panties; it was that you were masturbating in my panties that you'd stolen for that very purpose! Do you see the distinction, sweetie?"

"I guess so..." Steve replied.

"You guess so? That's pretty lame! I think you know so, don't you! You knew what you were doing was wrong even while you were doing it. Otherwise, why steal my panties? Why not just ask?"

"I couldn't "just ask", mom! Can you even imagine how embarrassing that would be? What else could I do? It's not like I've got panties of my own..."

"Actually, you could have asked -- I hope if nothing else you at least realize that now. No, I obviously wouldn't have given you permission to use my panties; but you could have told me you'd like some panties and asked if I'd give you some or help you get some of your own."

"Really? Really mom? I could have asked for panties you would have just said "Sure, here let me help you get some!" Steve asked incredulously.

"Actually, yes. I'd have been surprised by the question, but not upset. Seriously, Steven, you can talk to me about anything -- and I love you no matter what. That's what makes this all so upsetting for me! You didn't come to talk to me, instead, you invaded my room and took what you wanted. You snuck around behind my back. Which brings me to the next thing -- consequences."

"You do realize there need to be consequences here, don't you?" June asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. It was wrong -- what I did. I understand that now." Steve admitted. "I didn't mean to hurt you, mom! I just didn't think I could ask you for this..." his voice trailed off.

"Alright then. Respecting boundaries and maintaining trust with open communication is all about growing up and being a decent person. With that in mind, I think it's time you took on some more responsibilities around here, understood?" June stated.

"Yes ma'am..." Steve replied.

"Normally I'd want the punishment to fit the crime, and since you raided my hamper, laundry duty would be in order; but giving you laundry duties just seems like asking the fox to guard the henhouse." June chuckled.

Steve blushed a bit and said with a. grin "yeah... I can see that."

"Cooking is out -- we've both seen the damage you can do in the kitchen and, frankly, I don't think that's a viable option -- at least not without a lot of effort on my part to teach you."