 
Winter Chill

By Aria Grace
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Winter Chill

Aria Grace

Copyright 2013 by Aria Grace

Smashwords Edition
Chapter One

The high-pitched beep of an incoming text woke me with a jolt. My mind instantly wondered if someone was hurt. Becs? Pawing at the table above my head, I located my phone and checked the message.

EAST COAST AIRPORTS CLOSED DUE TO INCOMING STORM.

It wasn't a family emergency but the feeling of sadness was almost as intense.

"No, no, no." I pulled up to the sill of the plate glass window next to my bed and peeked outside, squinting against the glare of blinding sun reflecting off the completely white landscape. Other than looking like some kind of Kinkade painting of a winter wonderland, the weather was perfectly clear. Not a cloud in the sky.

Snow used to make me excited for days on the slopes and nights watching movies and sipping hot cocoa. Now it just makes me cold. When the flakes first started to fall in November, it didn't bother me much. Sloshing along the salted sidewalks was kinda fun when everyone was doing it. And walking into a warm, dry classroom made the shitty weather a novelty of living in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Three weeks and four white-outs later, I was completely over it.

In less than twenty-four hours, I was supposed to be stepping off the plane in Fort Lauderdale to spend a glorious month in the warm embrace of sunshine with nothing but my little sister between me and blessed relaxation.

"You okay," Daniel asked from his side of the room. He tucked his face under his pillow to hide from the obnoxious light that poured in. His wide biceps appeared to be flexed over his head but they were just so sculpted that they never flattened out, even when he slept.

"I don't know. I got a text that the airports are closed because of a storm or something. I hope it's a mistake. I don't want to be stuck here another day." I grabbed my laptop from the nightstand and pulled up the weather site.

"Un-fucking-believable." I pounded my palm against the wall, shaking the glass hard enough that I thought it might crack. Luckily, the glass didn't budge but a few flakes of ancient weather stripping dropped from the frame onto my pillow. Perfect. Now it'll be even fucking colder in this room.

"Well?" Daniel sat up on one elbow, watching me. He hadn't given me a firm answer about meeting me in Florida over the break or staying at his dad's house in New Hampshire so I didn't know if he'd be disappointed. Hanging out in the elderly mecca of Boca Raton wasn't exactly a party but it was quiet and having a friend with me would save me from having my fourteen-year-old sister, Becca, follow me around the entire time. I was banking on Daniel's presence to keep me busy...and probably distract her. She would definitely go for his shortly cropped dark hair that looked fashionably messy. The girls on campus always sighed and stared as he walked by. Becs wouldn't be any different.

"Some kind of super-storm has the shore in a tissy. We should be out of god damn hurricane season by now. This is bull shit. They might not open the airports for two days and then who knows how long it'll take to get a flight out." I flung my back down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. The peaks and valleys of the popcorn texture reminded me of the snowy terrain just outside my window. I wanted to punch the wall again. "Well, you might as well go to your dad's so you can start your vacation. No sense in both of us being stuck in this frozen hell hole for longer than necessary."

"Dude, relax." He laughed. "You'll get home in a few days. I'm gonna hang here for a while so we can catch a movie or something. If Sof goes home tomorrow, we can head into the city and find a club. It'll be fine." Daniel had been hooking up with Sofia for a few weeks but she was already getting clingy. I didn't expect her to be coming around much longer if she didn't back off. He wasn't the type to want a girlfriend in his first, or probably even second, year of college. He was definitely playing the field. I must admit, I admired him.

Some guys have the confidence to walk into a room full of beautiful girls and just take their pick. I wasn't one of those guys. I could have hooked up with some of the team's fans if I wanted to; but I'd been focusing so much on classes and practice that I couldn't afford to add girls into the mix. But, with no practice or classes for a while, I was ready. That was another reason I wanted him to come to Florida with me. I hoped that if we went out, I might be able to get some of his scraps. Yeah, pathetic, but as a 19-year-old virgin, I wasn't choosy. I was horny.

After sulking for another twenty minutes, I called my parents at the bakery to let them know I'd be a few days late. Apparently, the threat was real because they had already boarded up the shop and stocked the attic apartment in case they needed to hole up for a few days. Being far away from them during these kind of situations was the worst part of living 1500 miles from home. Just one more reason to feel sorry for myself.

I must have fallen asleep because when I looked at the clock again it was eleven thirty and I was alone. Without classes or packing for my trip home to worry about, I had absolutely nothing to do. I didn't want to stay in the room but it was too cold to hang around outside so I got dressed and headed to the pool.

The air in the aquatic center was heavy with steam and chlorine. The burn in my sinuses as I inhaled made me feel better instantly. I grew up swimming competitively but after a major growth spurt in tenth grade, my dad pushed me out of the pool and onto a court. Fortunately, my lanky 6' 3" body seemed to be made for basketball. The changing room was deserted so I threw my bag in a locker and started my laps.

My arms were heavy and my lungs burned by the time I was ready to get out. I felt shaky as I went into the shower to wash away the chlorine. The echo of the running water in the long, tiled shower was eerie. The silence made me think I was in the Bates Motel when I closed my eyes to let the hot water cover my face. I would have stayed like that for an hour until I realized that my eyelids weren't red anymore. They were black. I opened my eyes and found myself in total darkness. Power outage.

That happened occasionally but only lasted a few minutes before generators kicked in. Feeling around for the water handle, I turned it off. I shuffled across the tile, hands stretched out in front of my chest. The last thing I wanted to do was run into a support beam. I almost made it to the concrete when the generator kicked in and the lights flickered on. They were dim but at least I could get dressed without putting everything on inside out or backwards.

The cafeteria was partially closed for the holiday break so my options were cold pizza, pre-made sandwiches or microwavable soup. I grabbed a few slices of pizza and a ham sandwich to take back to the room. I didn't want to have to go back for dinner later so I ate the pizza while I walked and shoved the sandwich in my bag.

Daniel was sitting on his bed when I walked in our room. "Hey. I was wondering where you went," he said with a mouthful of fries. "The generator in this building is out so I'm bored. Wanna go shoot some pool or something?"

I liked hanging out with Daniel. His easygoing personality made everything fun. Even being stranded in a deserted tundra didn't seem so bad once I knew he'd be there.

"Yeah. Let's go." I put the sandwich on my windowsill, which was at least the same temperature as a commercial fridge. I'd be lucky if the lettuce didn't freeze and turn to mush.

We headed across the quad to the student center. Daniel's phone rang. He swiped the screen and groaned. "Dammit. I was hoping she'd be leaving tomorrow but looks like Sof is here for a few extra days, too."

"Is that a bad thing?" Sofia was a hot art major with long legs and wavy, blonde hair. I could see why Daniel was physically attracted to her, but she was kind of a bitch.

Daniel shoved his phone back in his pocket. "That girl seriously needs some friends. She calls me like 10 times a day. I don't want to be mean, but I need to tell her I'm out. She was fun and all but I don't need this right now."

We wove our way through the crowded student center. Apparently, several buildings didn't have power so everyone that was left on campus congregated in the few that did to stay warm and charge their devices. All of the pool tables were full but I saw a couple of guys from the team and tugged on Daniel's sleeve to get his attention. "Come on, Mark and Alex have a table."

They were playing doubles against a couple of upperclassman that must have been waiting for flights out too. Only freshmen stayed on campus during the breaks. Juniors and seniors weren't even around during most weekends.

Mark and Alex won the game so Daniel and I played against them. I had a pool table in my garage in high school so I was pretty good. I got four stripes in my break and we kept the lead throughout. Just as Daniel dropped the winning eight ball into the right corner pocket, for our 3rd straight win, a shriek broke the chill atmosphere of the room. "Daniel, baby, you're here! I've been calling you. Is your phone dead?"

Daniel's whole body tensed. His boy's night out was officially over. Sofia never wanted to hang out with the guys. She liked to lock Daniel in her single room for hours at a time, which sounds like fun except that, according to Daniel, most of that time was spent listening to her bitch and moan about whatever girly issues she had. When she wanted him to stay over after sex, he had to fake a headache or an early practice to get away from her. Yeah, her days were numbered.

"Hey, Sof," Daniel cringed as she climbed up his back and wrapped herself around him. He was a few inches shorter than me at 6' but outweighed me by 30 pounds. I knew her presence was more of an annoyance to him than an actual burden.

I leaned towards Alex as I chalked my cue stick. "I'll bet you ten bucks she dry humps him before he can peel her off."

Alex choked on his red bull, trying not to laugh. "No way. I'd lose."

Sof bobbed a bit on Daniel's back while kissing his neck but that's as far as it went. "I want to go to dinner. Let's get Chinese."

"Oh, yeah, well, I am hanging out with Indie tonight. He's stuck here too so, uh, maybe tomorrow we can do lunch or something."

"What? You're gonna ditch me for your roommate? He'll be fine. Come on, I'll drive." She grabbed the stick out of his hand and walked to the wall rack to put it away. Daniel stared at her and opened his mouth to speak...but when he glanced my way I just shook my head. It wasn't worth a fight for another round of pool. We'd already proven we were a team to be reckoned with. No need to embarrass the other guys.

"You kids have fun," I said to them as I put my stick back in the rack. "I'm gonna go see if the power's up in the room yet. I want to check the weather back home." It was partially true. The clouds rolled in quickly and the darkness loomed heavily in the sky. The clear morning was a distant memory as the evening took on an ominous air. And, I wanted to curl up with my laptop and play some video games. I was hours overdue for more moping and self-pity.

My breath fogged the air as I ran up the stairs to my room. I knew I was in for a miserable night. My body was warm from the jog across campus and up the stairs but the thermostat that I passed by said twenty-nine degrees and it was only six o'clock. If the power didn't kick in soon, I'd be sleeping in the student center where the generators were at least cranking.

The little battery icon on my laptop was full so I had that...but without internet, there wasn't much for me to do with it. I'd forgotten how useless technology was without the internet. I couldn't play games, watch movies or surf. I had to settle for playing music while I called my mom.

"Honey, are you okay? Are you getting any rain yet?" My mom was a worrier. I think running a service business in a city where customers were dying every day made her a little more paranoid than the average helicopter mom.

"No, but it looks like it'll start soon. Are you guys okay? Any damage?" Our house was built on stilts, so floods weren't usually a huge concern but occasionally the water got into the downstairs rooms and forced everyone to the upper levels for a few days. I hoped that wasn't the case or else my vacation would be spent replacing floor boards and installing carpet. Not exactly what I had in mind and certainly not something I could talk Daniel into coming home for.

"No, dear, we're okay. The worst won't happen until tomorrow but I'm sure it'll be fine. Don't you worry about us. Just stay there and stay warm. If the wind gets too strong, get away from any windows." If she knew I slept under a four by four plate glass window she'd shit a brick.

"Okay, I promise. I'll be fine. Tell Becs I miss her and I'll be there in a few days. And say hi to Dad for me. I love you, Mom."

"Love you too, Indie." Mom only used my nickname when she was feeling sentimental. My sister called me Indie when she was a baby because she couldn't say Andy. The name stuck, even though I've been trying to ditch it for years. I introduced myself as Drew when I got to college but, as always, they found me out. The boxes of cookies and muffins that arrived each week always had little drawings on the outside with my name in bubble letters. So, thanks to Becca's little messages, I quickly became Indie to everyone in the building, and on the team, and pretty much everyone that wasn't a professor. And that's how cool, mature, tough-guy Drew quickly reverted to dorky, skinny, Indie. Even the word sounds gangly. When I transfer to my new, warm-weather school, I'm gonna ban Mom from sending care packages. Hey, a guy could dream.

The sandwich on the window was colder than when I bought it, so I ate that just for something to do. After organizing my playlist and thumbing through a Stephen King book that my mom sent in a recent package, I had nothing better to do than go to sleep. It was early but it was so cold that I figured the sooner I fell asleep, the sooner the sun would come back up. Or, the power. I'd settle for either. I crawled under my blankets fully dressed and fell asleep.
Chapter Two

Staring at the clock didn't make the sun rise any faster. It was two thirty in the morning. I'd been staring at it for forty five minutes trying to get back to sleep but it was too damn cold. Even with sweats, socks and a hoodie, I was still freezing in my bed. Daniel came in at about two and slid right into his bed, apparently oblivious to the cold. I could hear him playing with his tablet and rustling around in his bed, when I realized my nose was numb.

"Daniel, you up?" His bed was on the other side of the room with two dressers between us. The glow from his tablet was like a beacon in the dark and silent room.

"Yeah, did I wake you?" He rustled around some more, making the springs on his twin bed squeak.

"No. I'm freezing. Aren't you cold?" I didn't have enough body fat for this shit. I wasn't used to the arctic draft flowing from the cracks in the weather stripping above my head. And no one had gotten around to updating the single-pane windows in the old dorm. I might as well shove my bed next to a solid sheet of ice. I sighed and watched in morbid fascination as my breath frosted the glass with snowflake-like patterns instead of just fogging it.

"Kinda but it's not that bad. Put on some extra clothes or something." Just the thought of pulling stiff and cold clothes out of my closet made me shiver again.

"They're too cold. I seriously think I'm losing feeling in my toes." I'd been a boy scout and knew that body heat was the fastest and easiest way to warm up, but I couldn't exactly suggest that to one of the stars of the wrestling team, even if he was my roommate. "What should I do?"

"I don't know. Jumping jacks?" He was getting annoyed with me but I wasn't sure why. He was watching a movie on his tablet so I knew he wasn't trying to sleep.

"Can I..." I whispered, but couldn't finish the sentence. I wasn't sure he heard me until the flickering lights on his tablet went dark.

"What?" he asked in a hesitant tone. He must have suspected where I was going and wanted to call my bluff.

"Get into your bed. I know it's weird but I'm really cold. Like, dangerously. I won't be able to sleep at all. I promise not to bother you." The words poured out of my mouth like a child begging for candy.

I could hear a deep inhale and exhale as he considered my request. "Fine."

I practically bounced out of my bed and shuffled across the room to his. Daniel scooted to the wall, with his tablet tucked under the blankets in front of his chest. I slid in next to him and was immediately rewarded with the warmth from his body and his sheets. He always seemed to run hot, probably because of the large muscles covering most of his body. He was a heavy weight at 220 but he was solid. I could feel the heat radiating off his back as if he had just run a marathon. I settled in with my back against his and tried to fall asleep.

It turns out that having a large muscle man pressed against my back is quite a distraction.

He was rocking slightly and I assumed that was a technique he used to fall asleep. My sister did that as a kid and it always helped her. But, there was something more jerky about the way he was rocking that had me on alert.

Was he jacking off? Shit. Oh, god. What was he watching on his tablet when I interrupted him? My previously cold, shriveled cock sprang to life. I wondered if Daniel would let me watch, too. I'd never get to sleep with a hard-on but I couldn't exactly rub one out lying next to him. He'd probably think I was gay and kick me out of his nice warm bed. Hell, he'd probably kick me out of our room.

Daniel started moving faster, thrusting his hips. I rolled over onto my stomach to hide my erection. Big mistake. The friction of the rocking bed brought me to the edge. I cupped my hand over my bulging sweats, fearing they wouldn't contain the impending explosion. Daniel's body shuddered as his back arched. Fuck.

His orgasm triggered my own. I couldn't believe how hard I came. Jizz soaked through my boxers as well as my sweats. I rolled onto my side, keeping my back to Daniel, and slid my sticky palms inside my sweats to wipe them on my thighs. I reeked of sex. I should've gone back to my own bed, but what was I going to tell Daniel? 'Oh, I'm fine now. I got so turned on while you were masturbating that it'll keep me warm until morning.' No way.

Daniel shook my shoulder. "I need to go take a piss. Let me out."

I jumped out of bed then waited until he shut the bathroom door to grab a fistful of tissues out of the box on his dresser. I cleaned myself up then hid the evidence, shoving the tissues to the bottom of the trash can. I was freezing again, so I crawled back into bed and pretended to be asleep when Daniel opened the door. He lifted the covers and crawled over me to get back to his side of the bed. And I'll be damned if my cock didn't get hard again. What the fuck?

The next morning, I slipped out of bed before Daniel woke up. It was still freezing so instead of crawling into my own, cold-as-a-block-of-ice bed, I bundled up and headed to the cafeteria to see if they had power over there. I'd have killed for a steaming hot cappuccino. No luck. Power was officially out all over campus so they were down to candy bars and cereal with powdered milk. Gross. By the time I got back to our room, Daniel was up and dressed.

Neither of us mentioned anything about the night before. He continued to play a game on his phone while I grabbed a book and sprawled on my bed. We sat in silence for a while before I couldn't take it anymore. "So, do you still want to catch a movie or something?"

His head shot up and his eyes looked panicked, as if he was startled by my question. "Yeah, sure. The further off campus, the better. Then maybe Sof won't be able to hunt me down."

He tossed his phone onto the bed and lay down on his stomach. Pretending to inspect his fingernails, he said, "I'm sorry about ditching you yesterday. I didn't want to go with her but I wanted to break up with her before she left for home. I couldn't wait another day to do it."

"You broke up with her? How'd she take it?"

"Not well. At first, she was in denial, I guess. She kept telling me that I'd get used to her quirks and realize we were perfect for each other. Then, she cried. Then, I caved. It was classic manipulation but I couldn't stop it. It was like an out-of-body experience, man. I saw myself getting sucked into her web and when she stripped down and told me she wanted one more chance to change my mind, I went for it. I couldn't help myself." He hung his head between his forearms and sighed loudly. "Fuck! Now I'm gonna have to do that all over again when she gets back."

"So, you slept with her and now you're not broken up?" This guy was good. Even when he was dumping them, women still threw themselves at his feet. I really needed to start taking notes if I ever hoped to get laid. I was living with a goddamn Don Juan.

"I don't know. I think we're broken up but I don't know what she thinks. I wasn't even her fucking boyfriend. I shouldn't have to break up with her at all...but I'm sure she'll be back. She's like one of those yappy dogs that just keeps coming back no matter how many times you kick it off your leg."

I couldn't help but laugh at the analogy. She really did remind me of a Chihuahua that wouldn't shut up or leave you alone. "Well, if you are trying to avoid her, we should head out now. If the theater is warm, we can stay there all day. Maybe grab some grub while we're out. The shit they have in the cafeteria is making me sick. I need some real carbs if I'm going to survive another cold night."

"I'll drive," Daniel said. "Maybe if my car isn't in the lot she'll stop looking for me." He dug through the pants he had on the night before and froze. "I can't find my--" A look of horror covered his normally happy face. "Motherfucker. I left my keys at Sof's. They fell out of my pocket when I took off my pants and I didn't grab them when I left. Dammit. That means I have to find her before she leaves tomorrow."

"Do you want to go get them now or, do you just want me to drive?" I prayed he didn't want to go find her first because she'd either invite herself to go with us or somehow ditch me. I wasn't eager for either of those options. If I had to spend the entire day in a movie theater by myself, I would. But I was looking forward to hanging with Daniel--in spite of the whole premature-ejaculation-while-reverse-spooning-him thing. When we weren't stressed about school or sports, we had a really good time together.

"You drive. I need at least twenty four hours without her voice making my skin crawl." He shuddered dramatically.

I grabbed the keys to my Civic and we headed out. Crime didn't really exist on campus so we never locked the door to the room and I didn't want Daniel locked out if we separated so I let the door slam shut as we jogged down the stairs to the parking lot. It took a few minutes for ol' Bessie to start up. She wasn't any happier with the cold than I was. She liked the humid breeze of Boca and the old man we bought her from last summer never drove her further than Orlando. She'd been hating life since the first frost but Bessie eventually came to life, blowing icy air for five full minutes before we could feel any hint of warmth from the godforsaken vents.

"So, we going to the mall?" The mall in town had a theater that was close to campus. It's where most of the students went if they didn't have a car because the shuttle came by every hour.

Daniel puckered his lips as he frowned. "No, too close. Sofia will probably look there first. Let's go to Hanover. She won't go that far...I hope."

"Fine by me. I'm in no rush to get back." We fell into easy conversation during the twenty five minute drive. He was looking forward to a break from practice and school work just as much as I was. "So, have you decided if you want to come to Florida with me? It's a dry 75 degrees right now. Well, okay, maybe not right now because of that storm but by the time we get there it will be."

"I don't know. I really appreciate the offer but my dad wants me home for Christmas. Says it won't be the same without me, even though I know that bitch couldn't care less if I ever came home again."

"Why do you hate her so much?" Daniel had a great relationship with his dad and really respected the guy but didn't have a single nice word to say about his step mom.

"She doesn't deserve him. And he doesn't deserve a slut like her. Trust me."

I waited for him to explain but he didn't so I let it drop. I wanted the day to be fun so I asked about movies instead. "What are you in the mood for? Action, horror or comedy? Or all three?"

"All three, for sure."

The theater in Hanover was also at a mall but, of the crowds of people eager to get out of the cold, we didn't recognize anyone from school. We decided to start with a super hero action movie first and see what was playing after. The lure of the buttered popcorn was too strong for my empty stomach to resist so I dragged Daniel to the concession stand to load up. If we were going to be sneaking into the other movies, which sounded more exciting than buying more tickets, we needed to get everything at once so we wouldn't have to go back later. With a bucket of popcorn, two hot dogs, two ginormous cokes and a bag of Swedish fish, we made our way into our screening room. The trailers were already playing so we grabbed seats in the upper middle section and settled in.

I like super hero movies as much as the next guy but this was particularly good. The effects were amazing and 90 minutes flew by. While the credits were still rolling, I looked up the next movies showing and we decided to go to a paranormal horror that started twenty minutes later.

Packed inside the full theater, we didn't talk much. We sat in comfortable silence and enjoyed the movie. Well, until I had to go and ruin things...again. I must have been too relaxed because, like a little girl, I jumped at a scene with a ghost appearing in a woman's mirror. I had just put my hand in the bucket of popcorn on Daniel's knee when a face materialized from the mirror. My arm instinctively pulled back and grabbed onto Daniel's wrist. We both froze. He didn't move his head in any way to indicate that he was looking at my hand, or had even noticed that it was now clutching him, but I was very aware. My mouth dropped open to apologize but luckily my brain stopped any sounds from escaping. Commenting would have made it worse. As soon as I could regain power over my fingers, I released his arm and crossed mine over my chest. I didn't relax throughout the entire movie, too afraid of whatever stupid thing I might do next if given the chance.

Thankfully, the third movie was so funny that we both moved past the arm incident. A group of guys at a Vegas bachelor party was a predictable storyline but hilarious all the same. My stomach was sore by the time we finally got sick of sitting and decided to leave the theater.

It was early afternoon so we walked through the mall to a bar and grill. The hot food was delicious. We sat at a high top in the bar area for at least two hours sharing war stories about our high school friends. Daniel was into extreme sports and had done everything from racing dirt bikes to competitive snowboarding. I admired his love of life. If an opportunity to do something different or crazy was presented, he jumped at it with his eyes closed. If the possibility of death was real, he seemed to enjoy it even more.

"So, seriously, on a zip line?" I asked, not sure if he was joking or not.

"Yeah, my girlfriend worked there so we snuck in one day when it was closed and went for it."

"But, how did you hold on? You could have fallen off."

"Nah. We were both in harnesses. She was wearing a skirt without panties. I was wearing loose sweats. She straddled me in front and I pulled out my dick but my ass was still covered. If anyone was watching, they wouldn't have seen anything but two people kissing on their way down. They wouldn't have known she was pounding me into oblivion the entire time." He laughed at the memory. I got hard just thinking about it. Her without panties. Him, out exposed to the world.

"Damn. That's awesome, man. Did you come up there?"

"Not before we got to the end. She was good but not that good. It was a short ride. But she finished the job at the platform." He smirked and raised an eyebrow as he noticed me shifting in my seat. My jeans were suddenly suffocating little Indie and I actually considered going into the bathroom to relieve him of his load. But, that was too childish. You're not a twelve-year-old with a Victoria's Secret catalog. Get it together, man!

"Wow, that's...pretty crazy. I would have loved to be passing by to see that show."

I was trying to be funny but I realized too late how sick that sounded. What a fuckin' perv I am.

"So, Indie, tell me about your craziest time." His eyes danced with amusement as he watched me squirm a bit more. I don't generally talk openly about sexual things with guys. Well, I've never talked about sex with a girl either. I guess I'm more of a prude than I realized.

"I don't actually have any crazy stories. Sleeping," I used air quotes to lighten my confession, "with you last night was the closest I've come to crazy." I laughed uncomfortably, hoping he'd think I was being funny. But, his gaze locked with mine I could see his pupils dilating.

"Yeah, that was pretty crazy," he said in a breathy whisper. I couldn't look away and I wasn't sure what to say to that so I just stared back. Confused is the best way to describe it. Especially since I didn't want to use the other word that most appropriately described the moment...aroused.

The waitress saved me from saying something I might regret when she came back to ask us again if we wanted anything else. We got the hint that she needed the table and left without a word. As we were walking to the car, Daniel fell back a few steps. I thought maybe he wanted some space until I felt a hard ball of ice shatter on my ass.

I stumbled once before realizing what he'd just done. In a graceful sweep of my arm, I cupped a handful of snow from a cement pylon and threw it back at Daniel. He wasn't expecting the move so he didn't duck and the powdery lump hit him square in the face. He laughed as the icy crystals slid down his neck and into his shirt. Pulling his clothes away from his body, he tried to brush as much powder off as he could without pressing more into his bare flesh. I reached forward to grab another handful just as he looked up with an evil grin.

"Don't even think about it, Andrew."

Whoa. Where did that come from? He'd never called me Andrew. His voice had an authoritative tone that I'd never heard from him, either. Ever. I felt a tingle of fear as my dick twitched.

"Wasn't gonna," I mumbled as I took a few steps back.

He stalked towards me like a predator. I took another step and then turned around to continue to my car. I wanted to hide the growing bulge in my pants before he noticed and called me out for being a freak.

"Bad move," he said into my ear as I felt a blast of cold air hit my neck and then clumps of snow pouring down my back.

"Ah, asshole," I half-laughed, half-cried as I tried to untuck my shirt and shake out the snow he dropped down it.

By the time we reached my car, I was frozen again. So much for being warm tonight. Shit, tonight. I had no idea what I was gonna do if the power was still out. No way could I ask Daniel to sleep with him again. And I didn't know if I wanted to. Actually, I knew I wanted to. I just didn't know why.

"So, back to the dorm?" I avoided eye contact as I pulled out of the lot.

"No, go up a few blocks. There's a bar that we can get into if Bill is working." Bill was one of the assistant wrestling coaches.

We pulled up across from a cheesy looking bar with a neon martini sign above the door. Bill was sitting on a stool outside. Daniel introduced me as his roommate and we both walked in. The air was thick with smoke but there was a good crowd so I was excited. It was my first time in a real bar. There was a group of women on the small dance floor moving to the pop music that filled the long room. Daniel walked straight to the bar and ordered two jack and cokes. I almost told him to hold the jack in mine but I didn't want to sound like a pussy.

We took our drinks closer to the dance floor and leaned against a pillar to people-watch. The women that were dancing were beautiful. A bit older than us but still gorgeous. I didn't realize I was bouncing to the beat until two of them shuffled off the floor and grabbed us by the arms. Daniel already had his arm around the back of Blondie 1 while I followed Blondie 2 like a lost puppy. I liked dancing but tried not to ever do it in front of people. Especially people that weren't in their 80s and would judge me.

Following Daniel's lead, I slammed back the rest of my drink and tossed the plastic cup onto a counter as I passed it. I let Blondie 2 pull my ear down to her mouth to ask my name. "I'm Drew. What's your name?"

"Jules." She pressed up against my torso and swayed to the fast beat against my body. I let the whisky do its job as I put my hands on her shoulders and rocked with her. Daniel was getting groped by Blondie 1 just a few feet away from me.

While rocking casually to the beat, I didn't know where to look. I tried looking at Jule's face while we danced but she was so close that it felt awkward to just stare at her. Then, I tried looking around the dance floor at her friends but there were only three of them and I didn't want to seem like a creeper so I avoided them too. They had formed a loose circle around Daniel and I that put way more attention on me than I was comfortable with. But, what I mostly tried to do was not look at Daniel. More often than not, as my eyes traveled from face to face, when I passed his, he was looking back at me. He would hold my stare for a second before looking down at Jules and then back to Blondie 1 or their friends. I was relieved when the song finished and the girls headed to the bar. Daniel was still entwined with that chick when I slipped into the bathroom to piss.

When I came out, Jules grabbed my hand and pulled me to the bar. Daniel was already there with two shots in his hand. He pressed one into my palm and told me it was Monica's birthday. I didn't know who Monica was until Blondie 1 jumped up on the bar and everyone started singing to her. At the end of the song, everyone drank the shot. I held mine, knowing that I was going to be driving back and didn't want to get too buzzed. Daniel looked at me with a questioning smirk.

"I'm driving, remember? You can have it," I shouted in his ear. He stared at me for a minute and then nodded. I held the glass out to him when Monica jumped off the bar, lowered her mouth over the rim of the glass and threw back her head. I'm sure my jaw was on the ground by the way Daniel and the other girls laughed at me. I guess I need to spend more time with the coeds because I'm clueless about women.

While still a little flustered, I was herded back to the dance floor when a hip hop song came on. More people had come into the bar and the dance floor was crowded. Daniel and I were back to back with the girls tightly packed against us. Jules was gyrating across my legs and I enjoyed it, but I found myself more fascinated by the movements Daniel was making...against my ass. He might not have even realized it but I was hardly breathing as he swayed and pumped Monica in a way that pushed against me with each motion.

I must have imagined it but I thought I felt hands on my hips a few times...although it was probably one of the girls that were feeling left out. When a slow song played and most people exited the floor, I took the opportunity to escape. I needed some space in order to think. It must have been the alcohol and my endorphin filled body but I was getting turned on by Daniel again. I didn't want this to become a thing that would be weird between us so I figured avoidance was the best strategy until I was 100% sober.

I ordered a coke and took a seat at the bar. Trying not to watch the people dancing, I pulled out my phone to check my email. My mom sent a note saying that the house was fine and they were eager to see me as soon as I could get a flight in but the airport was reporting three to four day delays. Three more days of potentially freezing nights. Three more days to spend with Daniel. I didn't know if I should be happy or terrified.

"You okay," I heard, and felt, as Daniel brushed against my arm and slid into the stool next to me.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just wanted another drink." I motioned to my coke and hoped he'd assume there was jack in it so I could blame my behavior on being partially drunk. But, I wasn't...and neither was he. So, he probably knew I was full of shit.

"Yeah, me too." He waved to the bartender when he walked by, "I'll have what he's having." Busted. When Daniel took a drink of his coke, he smiled behind the cup. He had a really great smile. All teeth and dimples. It's no wonder that Monica chick was all over him. Jule's had already moved on from me and was sitting in the lap of some older guy in a booth. I was glad to be rid of her attention but also a little embarrassed. I didn't want Daniel to see how little appeal I had to women or he'd never agree to going to Florida with me.

"So, you ready to head out?" he asked after finishing his coke. "I'm gonna hit the john and then we can go whenever you're ready." He disappeared down the hall to the restrooms and I dug out a few singles for a tip. I was standing by the front door when Daniel came back out.

"I'm ready if you are." I didn't wait for him to respond as I opened the door to the numbing, cold air on the other side.

We crossed the street and got into the car in silence. I had to wait for the windows to defrost before I could pull out into traffic. "Damn, it's cold. I don't know how you people do it!" I said, referring to anyone who had lived their whole life in New England.

"It's going to be even colder tonight. Do you want to sleep in my bed again?" Daniel's cheeks flushed.

"Sure." I said it too quickly. I should have pretended to think it over...or at least hesitated a bit. But for some reason I didn't want to think about, I couldn't wait to get back into bed with Daniel.

We didn't say anything else on the drive back. I was relieved that I would be warm again and that he obviously didn't know what I'd done the night before. Or that I knew what he'd done.
Chapter Three

When we got back to the dorm, it was pitch black. I used the led pin light on my keys to guide us up the stairs and into our room. I thought I heard the door lock as Daniel closed it behind us but I didn't think anything of it. Maybe without any power and a mostly empty building, he was feeling a little paranoid. I definitely was.

I was stepping out of my jeans and into a pair of heavy sweats when he finally spoke up.

"About last night..."

Oh god. He knew. "It was an accident."

"What was?"

"Nothing." Me and my big mouth. Maybe he didn't know. "What were you going to say?"

"I was watching porn...and I got a little turned on."

My lips twitched as I tried not to smile. "Just a little?"

"Okay, a lot. But I was ready to blow before you asked if you could share my bed."

"It's cool."

"Are you sure?" Daniel was a naturally confident guy, so when he ducked his head and swallowed, I knew he was feeling vulnerable. He was sharing something extremely personal and intimate. I could either brush it off, like I'd just tried to do, or I could man up and admit that he wasn't the only one that jacked off in bed with another guy.

"I...um..." Confessing was harder than I thought. "I did it, too."

Daniel's broad shoulders dropped as he exhaled. He smiled and nodded. "I thought so."

"Are you pissed?"

"No. It's okay. It kept us warm. In fact, I have another movie on my tablet. I think the battery has enough juice for one more if you want to watch it."

"Sure. Why not." I tried to act like it was no big deal, and it really shouldn't have been. I'd watched plenty of porn before. But I was so excited, a tremor ran down my body. I passed it off as a chill. "Is it okay if we watch it in bed? I'm freezing."

Daniel slid in and turned his tablet on. He held the pad on his chest so we could both see the screen. It was a rather tame "Girls Gone Wild" video. I'd seen it before. It didn't do a thing for me. I glanced at Daniel and caught him staring at me instead of the screen.

He said, "Are you into it?"

"Is this what you were watching last night?"

He licked his lips and shook his head. "I thought you'd like this one better."

"I've seen it a dozen times. Can we watch what you had on last night?" I couldn't resist teasing him, just a little. "You seemed to enjoy it."

"Okay. But it's...different. More hard core."

"Hard core is good."

He wasn't kidding. There was a group of five naked guys sitting in a circle with two naked women on the floor in the middle. The women were in the 69 position and the guys were all jacking off as they watched. My eyes were glued to the screen as my dick filled with blood. Daniel shifted on the bed, pushing his back against the wall. He tucked his left arm under the blankets and set the tablet between us. I glanced at him. He was watching my reaction. I offered a half smile and let my right hand find my growing cock. At first, I just watched with my hand rolling around on the tip of my dick. I didn't know what was okay in a situation like this so I figured less was more.

Daniel reached under his pillow and pulled out a couple of condoms. He handed one of them to me. "Here, use this."

"What for?" I was so fucking hard it hurt, but there was no way I was ready for anything requiring condoms.

"To keep the sheets clean." Daniel ripped the wrapper off the other condom with his teeth then slipped both hands beneath the covers to put it on. I wanted to watch him do it, but that was just too weird. The thought of Daniel's hand sliding down his shaft should not be making my cock throb.

My hands shook as I fumbled around under the covers, trying to put my own condom on. I'd done this a couple of times before, but never without being able to see what I was doing and definitely never with an audience. It was always just for practice. I didn't want to look like a total virgin the first time whether I was or not. I'd gone ahead and jacked off into them, no point wasting a perfectly good condom, but this felt more...well...more.

I finally figured out that it was upside down. When I flipped it over, I rolled that baby down my shaft like a pro. I smiled with a mixture of pride and relief. I glanced at Daniel and caught him staring at my crotch. He jerked his head up and shifted his gaze to the orgy on the screen. "Have you ever done this before?"

"What? Jacked off into a condom?"

"Jacked off with a friend." Daniel's gaze dipped to the tented blanket in my lap then back to my face.

"No. Have you?"

He nodded then shrugged. "It's no big deal. It doesn't mean anything."

"I know." I couldn't help noticing that he'd pitched his own tent. "It's not like we're gay or anything."

"Of course not." Daniel's arm moved up and down as he stroked himself under the covers.

My own hand matched his slow, languorous rhythm.

There was just enough moonlight shining in to cast a dull glow in the room, but having no electronics on except for the battery powered alarm clock on the far side of the room was eerily quiet. I glanced down at the screen of Daniel's tablet. It was blank. The battery had died, but neither of us noticed. Daniel's gaze travelled over my body as he rocked his hips. I wanted to pull the blanket off him so I could watch, but I didn't dare. Instead, I angled my forearm up with every stroke so the blanket slipped lower. When the tip of my red-latex-sheathed cock peeked out, Daniel groaned.

He shifted his hips, scooting back so the blanket slipped lower exposing his sculpted abs. But it wasn't low enough. It took every bit of will power I possessed not to reach over there yank the damn covers off. Daniel slid his left hand up, obviously working his head, circling it with his palm. My heart raced as the blanket slipped off the back of his hand, exposing the full length of his magnificent dick. Even in the dim light, I could see his pupils dilate. I used a downward stroke to push the blanket the rest of the way off my cock, eliciting another groan from Daniel. Fuck. I was going to come if he did that again.

He licked his lips. I shuddered with pleasure as I imagined his mouth on my cock. "Fuck, I'm gonna come!"

I fought the urge to close my eyes as my balls tightened. I grabbed them and held them away from my body. I didn't want to blow yet. My gaze locked onto Daniel's.

He rose up onto his knees. "Oh fuck."

The reservoir on the tip of his condom shot up as he filled it. He accented each spurt with a thrust of his hips and another exclamation. "Oh fuck, fuck, fuck!"

I couldn't wait any longer. I sat up on my knees to be at eye level with him. I don't know if it was from too much friction, if I hadn't put it on right, or if the condom was faulty, but the tip exploded when I came. I watched in horror as the stream hit the base of Daniel's throat.

"It's okay." He leaned closer. "Don't stop."

Daniel counted as I shot my load on his chest. "Three, four, five, six, seven, fuck!"

I dropped to my hands and knees, completely spent. When I was finally able to lift my head, Daniel was grinning at me. "That was amazing! I've never seen anyone shoot eight times."

A wave of jealousy threatened to kill my bliss.

Daniel sat back on his heels, his softening cock, still full and long, dropped between his thighs. "Not that I make a habit of watching other guys come."

"Can I ask?"

"It was the summer between my junior and senior year. I was at wrestling camp and one of the guys across the hall from me had a bunch of porn. We were all horny as hell. All it took was for one guy to say 'fuck it' and whip it out. Once he broke the ice, the rest of us joined in. But like I said, it was no big deal."

I didn't know what the hell just happened, but I do know that it was a very big fucking deal to me.

I felt myself getting hard again and wondered what Daniel would think about another round of, whatever it was that we just did, when I heard the door knob rattle. I jumped out of his bed and tripped over the sweats that were still attached to my right foot. Daniel was shaking out the blankets and trying to look like he was laying down when the lock turned and the door opened. I was in a heap on the floor next to his bed but I managed to slide my left leg into my sweats and pull them up before Sofia fully entered the room.

"Danny, baby, you up?" Her voice really was grating. I cringed as I imagined what she could have seen but was thankful that he had the presence of mind to lock the door when we came in. Although, he never locked the door. Why would he have locked the door if he didn't plan... No, that wasn't possible. He must have done it because we were going to be in the same bed again and he didn't want to risk getting caught. It was almost ironic that we did kinda get caught and by his own keys.

"Hey Sof, what are you doing here." He pretended to be groggy, as if she had just woken him up. "I could have picked up my keys in the morning."

"I got an early flight out so I wanted to see if you'd come stay with me tonight." I tried to scoot into a shadow but she must have noticed the motion. "Indie, is that you? What the hell are you doing on the floor?"

"I, um, tripped trying to answer the door." I tried to laugh it off but I couldn't disguise the venom in my voice. I'd never hated anyone more than I did in that moment. Weird and completely irrational but true, nonetheless.

"Why are you next to Danny's bed? Danny, I think he was spying on you or something. Sicko."

Shit. "No, I was answering the door." She glanced at my bed and saw that the blankets were straightened and I obviously hadn't been in it.

"You haven't even been in bed. What were you doing?" She climbed onto Danny's bed and straddled him over the covers. "Danny, is there something going on here? Ugh, I don't even want to think about it. Let's get away from this perv. Come on, baby."

"Sof, stop. I'm not going with you. I told you that this isn't working. I don't think we should see each other anymore. I'm sorry. Thanks for bringing back my keys and have a safe trip." He pushed her off of his chest and rolled closer to the wall. Sof must have been in shock because she didn't move for a minute. And then, the water works began.

"Danny, what are you talking about? We're perfect for each other. We make each other so happy! Is there someone else? Who is it? I promise, I can do whatever she does, even better. Just give me another chance."

"Quit calling me Danny. My step mom calls me Danny. I hate that name! Just leave, okay?" He lowered his voice to a whisper but it was sincere enough that she finally got it. "I'm sorry but you need to leave."

"Okay," she said as she stood up. She dropped his keys on his desk and walked out of the room.

I watched her close the door but I didn't move. I didn't think Danny would let me back into his bed and I couldn't imagine getting into my own. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my knees. I didn't even care about the cold air. I was more worried about how Daniel was going to react. At least Sofia didn't suspect him of anything, she just thought I was some kind of peeping tom. Nice.

"Well, don't just sit there," he said, leaning down from his bed.

"Oh. I didn't know..." Anything. I didn't know anything about what we were doing and he had all the power. And that was okay.

"Get up here." His grin washed away all the tension that was pulling every muscle in my body taut. I visibly relaxed and crawled up into his bed. I briefly considered getting up to lock the door but I didn't think we'd have any more visitors before morning.

"I'm sorry that I tripped. If I had gotten to the other side of the room, she wouldn't have even known I was here."

"It's not your fault. Don't worry about her. I'm not." I was flat on my back looking up at the ceiling. Daniel had his back to the wall and was watching me. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah. But, now she thinks I watch you in your sleep or something. What if she tells people?"

"It'll be fine. She'll forget about it by the time we get back and if not, I'll tell people she's just making up shit because she's mad at me." He slid down so his head was on the pillow and he lay on his side.

I knew most of my friends wouldn't believe anything really bad about me, but they might believe that I was gay. I thought about that for a while. Am I okay with people thinking I'm gay, even though I'm not? Am I sure that I'm not? I'd never in my life considered being with a guy and I've always known I wasn't gay but I really wanted to touch Daniel. I wanted him to touch me. And, I was okay with people thinking I was gay if it meant that I could be with Daniel in that way. Unfortunately, I knew, without a doubt, that he wasn't gay and would never want anything more from me than some fun now and then.

I could feel my eyes welling up so I rolled away from him and his warmth. I let my knee hang off the bed as I tried to put some distance between us. It might have worked if it wasn't so damn cold. I was shivering within minutes.

"Scoot back. It's freezing," he mumbled, half asleep. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face as I inched toward him. He was facing my back so my body instinctively curled into his when his hand reached around to my belly and pulled me against him. I'm pretty sure that grin didn't fade at all as I fell into a deep and content sleep.
Chapter Four

I woke up, in the exact same position, to Daniel's phone blasting in my ear. He groaned but then answered it just to quiet it. I didn't move from my cocoon of blankets and Daniel so I could hear both sides of the conversation.

"Hey Dad," Daniel said in a raspy voice.

"Good morning. Don't tell me you're still sleeping. It's ten o'clock for Christ's sake."

"Long night. What's up?"

"Janey and I are wondering when you'll be home. We're having a dinner party tonight and would love for you to be here."

"Um, I don't think I'll make it. I promised one of my friend's I'd hang out here for a few more days until he can get a flight home."

"Bring him along. He can fly out from here in a few days. We'd love to meet one of your friends."

"Um, okay, I'll ask him and call you back later." Daniel hung up quickly and tossed the phone to the foot of the bed.

"Did you hear that?" he nudged my back with his elbow. I flopped onto my back and looked at him.

"Yeah."

"So, you up for a road trip today? We might as well get out of here and go some place warm." He almost looked hopeful. I was surprised that he even wanted to go home but a warm house and a few more days with Daniel was incentive enough for me.

"Sure. Sounds fun." I wanted to get the hell outta dodge immediately but the thought of getting out of the warm covers kept me from moving.

"So...we should probably get up and packed. The heated car sounds pretty good right now."

An hour later, we were showered and on the road. Daniel warned me that Janey would act really nice and sweet but it was all a front. She couldn't be trusted and I should avoid her as much as possible. The pretty brunette that greeted us in front of a brick ranch home was not what I expected Janey to look like. She wore skinny jeans with a furry white sweater and knee length boots. She didn't look like any mom I knew. Daniel's dad, Dan Sr., was an older version of Daniel. The resemblance was uncanny. He was the same height and in great shape for a man in his forties but his tanned skin had a few wrinkles around the eyes and his dark hair was sprinkled with white. It wasn't surprising that he snagged such a hot wife that had to be ten or fifteen years younger than him.

"Oh, Danny, we've missed you so much," Janey gushed as she ran to give him a hug. He tried to keep a pleasant smile on his face but I could see how he cringed when she leaned into him.

"Hi, Janey." It was the most he could say without giving away his true hatred. He quickly pulled away from her and went to his dad's side. "Dad, you look good."

"You too, son. And who's your friend," Dan asked as I approached him.

"This is Indie, my roommate. He's on the basketball team."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Barnes," I said as I offered my hand to shake.

"Welcome, Indie. Please, call me Dan. We're happy to have you. This is my lovely wife, Janey. Anything you need while you're here, just let her know."

"Janey, it's a pleasure." I reached for her hand but she pulled me into a hug and wrapped a hand around my arm.

"It's nice to meet you, Indie. I'm so glad you came. I love meeting Danny's friends." I wasn't used to so much touching by strangers so I looked to Daniel for reassurance. He was staring at her hand like he wanted to tear if off of her arm.

"Indie, I'll show you to the guest room. Come on." Daniel waited for me to politely unwrap from Janey and I followed him in the house. It was decorated like a magazine cover. A fire was blazing in the family room that was begging me to hover over it...but Daniel kept walking so I stayed at his heels.

"Is everything okay?" I asked when he threw open the door to the guest room and stomped in.

"She's such a fucking slut. And right in front of my dad. I don't know how he puts up with it."

"Janey? Yeah, she was as little touchy but I figured that's just how she is." I didn't realize she was being slutty but now that he mentioned it...

"She's more than a little touchy. Just...try to stay away from her, okay? It would kill my dad if he saw anything." He closed the door behind us so we could speak privately.

"What are you talking about? I wouldn't try anything with your step mom. Give me a little credit here." I was kinda pissed that Daniel thought I'd take advantage of his dad's wife. Eww. And, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little hurt too. "I wouldn't do that." I said softly.

He stared back at me. I could see the conflict on his face. He wanted to say more but held back. Maybe he didn't think I was ready to hear whatever he had to say. Maybe I wasn't.

"Just promise to stay away from her."

"Okay, I promise." Did Daniel have a thing for her and was jealous of the attention she was giving me. It was awkward, to say the least.

Daniel slipped out of the room to put his stuff away and said he'd be back in a few minutes. I used the time to call the airline to rebook my ticket. I was able to get confirmed on a flight three days later. There were still empty seats on that flight but I didn't want to bring it up to Daniel unless he asked. Maybe he needed some space too.

Janey made soup and sandwiches for 'her men' as she referred to the three of us and we ate in front of the TV. It was awesome. By five o'clock, we'd watched a movie, played video games, and I got a tour of the property. It was an ideal day. The dinner party was scheduled for seven so Daniel and I ran out to the store to pick up a few last minute things that Janey and Dan needed.

When we returned with ice and French bread, Janey thanked me with a full-body-press hug. No way were those boobs real. I wasn't expecting her to kiss me so she took me completely by surprise. At least I got my head turned in time so it landed on my cheek. Daniel dodged her completely. I turned my back to wipe the moisture off onto my sleeve. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but that was a little much. And all this time, I thought my mom was overly affectionate.

"Come on. Let's go watch TV in my room." Daniel grabbed my elbow and dragged me toward the stairs. When we got to his room, he slammed the door. "This was a mistake. I shouldn't have brought you here."

His words sucked the air out of my lungs. It would have hurt less if he'd sucker punched me in the gut. "What is your problem?"

Daniel sat on the edge of his bed and dropped his chin to his chest. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault."

"What's not my fault?"

Instead answering me, Daniel grabbed the remote control off the nightstand next to his bed and turned on the TV. He flipped through the channels but never stayed on one for more than a couple of seconds. "My stepmother is a disgusting, twisted slut."

"Okay." I didn't know what to say. I pulled the chair away from the desk and straddled it, resting my elbows on the back. "You want to talk about it."

Daniel shook his head. I didn't press him. I figured if he wanted to tell me, he would.

"I thought that with you here, things would be different."

"Different from what?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, unshed tears glistened in the corners. "I've never told anyone."

My heart was breaking for him and pounding in my chest at the same time. I stood up then crossed the room and sat next to him on his bed. His shoulders stiffened, but he didn't move away. "Anything you want to say is safe with me. I know how to keep a secret."

"But this is one ugly mother fucking secret." Daniel laughed, but it was full of bitterness. "I don't want to disgust you."

"Nothing you say will change the way I feel about you." Oh shit. That sounded too much like a lover's declaration. "You're my best friend." That wasn't much better.

"You're my best friend, too." Daniel smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. His body trembled, shaking the bed. "It happened the night of my eighteenth birthday."

"What happened?" My stomach churned. I was afraid of where this was going. I didn't want to hear it. But Daniel needed to say it, so I kept my mouth shut and listened.

"I went out with friends and came home plastered. My girlfriend snuck me into my room so my dad wouldn't know I'd gotten drunk." He looked up and gazed into my eyes with so much pain it squeezed my chest. I wanted to comfort him, but I didn't know how. Daniel dropped his gaze back to his hands and picked at the side of his thumbnail. "I must have passed out. When I woke up, I thought my girlfriend was giving me my birthday present, if you know what I mean."

I nodded.

"It was dark and I was still pretty drunk, but I knew. I knew it the minute I smelled her perfume that it was Janey's mouth on my dick, not Claire's."

"Oh my god. That's horrible."

A tear slid down Daniel's cheek. Before I knew what I was doing, I reached up and wiped it off with my thumb.

I expected Daniel to jerk away from me, but he leaned into my hand.

"I know, but I didn't stop. I'm a horrible disgusting animal. I was so fucking hard I didn't care who it was. I grabbed her hair and rammed my cock down her throat. It only took a couple of thrusts for me to shoot my load."

My own dick sprang to life. What sort of sick fucker was I? Daniel was confessing one of the worst experiences of his life and it was turning me on?

Daniel searched my face, obviously trying to gauge my reaction.

"It wasn't your fault. She took advantage of you."

"If my dad ever found out...it would kill him. He'd never forgive me."

"What happened after that? Was it just the one time?"

"She tried to get my attention after that but I avoided her. She told me if I ever told my dad, she'd say that I forced her. I don't think he'd believe that but I don't want to hurt him."

"A secret like that is a heavy burden."

Daniel laid his head on my shoulder. "It helps, talking to you."

My heart expanded until it pressed against my ribs. I fought the urge to kiss the top of his head. "Anytime, buddy. Anytime at all. I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Indie." Daniel sat up and swiped at his cheeks. "I wish you could stay in here tonight, but I don't want to give my dad the wrong idea."

And just like that, my joy-filled heart deflated like a leaky balloon. "Yeah. We don't want to give anyone the wrong idea." Especially not me.

After pretending to watch TV for a few more minutes, the door bell rang. Daniel ran his fingers through his hair in front of the mirror and walked to the door of his room. "Well, let's get this over with."

When we entered the family room, it was suddenly packed. Four guests were taking off their coats and greeting each other. A couple that reminded me of my parents turned to Daniel and their eyes lit up. "Daniel, my goodness. Look at you!" The woman pulled him into a hug even though she was barely taller than his chest.

"Hi, Arlene. It's great to see you too." His bright smile assured me that these were welcomed guests. When she pulled back, her husband came in with a bear hug as well.

"We hear you're wiping the floor with those chuckleheads, down there." Daniel laughed and pinked up at the compliment.

"I'm doing okay, Roger. It's good to see you." Daniel tugged me further into the room. "This is my roommate, Indie. He's stuck in town for a few days until he can get a flight down to Florida. Indie, this is my dad's best friend, Roger, and his wife, Arlene." I spent a minute chatting with them while Daniel walked over to the girls on the other side of the room. "And, their daughters, Sara and Dawn. Sara and I went to school together until eleventh grade."

Both of the girls were pretty. Sara was tall and blonde and her eyes seemed to follow every move Daniel made. Dawn was much younger, maybe fourteen or fifteen, and more interested in her phone than making eye contact with us. She appeared to be shy and trying desperately to fade into the background. I could sympathize with the kid. I wouldn't have minded some invisibility dust at that moment either.

Janey brought out a tray of glasses filled with white and red wine. I'm not much of a wine drinker, and I wasn't entirely sure we were allowed to drink, so I didn't reach for one until Daniel picked up two glasses and offered one to me. "Here, you're gonna need this," he whispered to me.

The conversation mostly revolved around sports and movies so I was able to keep up without having to say a lot. When Janey announced that dinner was ready, we all moved into the dining room. I tried to sit next to Daniel but Janey put her arm around my waist and told me to sit by her. I looked up at Daniel as he watched her guide me to the other side of the table. Dan Sr. was at one head and Roger was at the other.

Despite Sara's attempts to engage him in conversation, Daniel was too focused on what Janey was doing to really relax. I thought he was being paranoid until I felt her hand land on my knee when she asked me about school. I was frozen but I didn't want to alert anyone, especially Daniel, that something was going on.

"Um, well, I'm majoring in Business with a focus on Marketing." I took a bite, hoping someone else would have something to say but no one came to my rescue so I had to keep talking. "I think I'd like to get into advertising when my basketball career is over."

"Oh, I just love basketball. You must be really good because you're so tall," she purred as her hand slid slightly up my thigh. I'm fairly certain I croaked a little bit when I asked Sara where she went to school. While she was telling us about studying Economics at Brown, Janey was massaging my thigh. If Daniel hadn't told me about her birthday present to him, I might have assumed that her massage was purely innocent but knowing what I knew, I was terrified of what she might do next.

"Janey, what have you been up to lately?" I couldn't believe Daniel was actually speaking to her. The look he gave me said it all. He was saving me from an awkward encounter with his slutty, cougar step mom and giving her what she wanted. His attention.

Janey was just as shocked as I was because she lifted her hand off my leg immediately and slid down slightly in her seat. When Daniel's eyes bulged out of his head, I knew she was doing something under table. I glanced at the other adults but no one was watching her at all. I waited for Dan Sr. to comment about his wife's suddenly poor posture but no one paid any attention. Well, no one except Dawn. For a disinterested adolescent, she was very aware of what was happening around her. Her eyes bounced from Janey to Daniel to me. When she caught me looking at her, she smiled and went back to her phone. I wondered if she had seen this kind of behavior during previous visits. The air of denial in the room was suffocating.

Daniel was naturally protective of people so I knew why he did it. But I didn't like it. She was horny and manipulating him into filling some void in her self esteem. I wanted to drag him out of that house and keep him safe. I had no claim over him but knowing how much he hated her, made me want to shield him from the shame and guilt he'd be feeling after this. Why didn't his dad see what was happening right under his nose?

"Janey, dinner was excellent," I said through gritted teeth. I'd barely eaten any of it, but I wanted to distract her. "Did you and Dan do all of the cooking?" At his name, Dan Sr. looked at his wife, slouched just inches from him.

"I try to help but she does all the heavy lifting in the kitchen. She's amazing in there. I just try to stay out of the way and keep her wine glass full." He laughed while reaching for her arm. She was forced to sit up and lean closer to her husband. Daniel scooted back in his chair and let out a sigh that I don't think anyone noticed but me.

"I can't wait to see what's on the menu for dessert. Her desserts are better than sex," Arlene joked from my other side. At the reminder, Janey jumped up to clear the dishes and get ready for the final course.

"Danny, can you help me with dessert?" The blood drained from his face as he slowly put down his napkin and started to stand.

"Don't be silly. This is his vacation. I'll help." Arlene followed Janey into the kitchen and we counted the minutes until it was over. This was just one meal. Daniel had only been in town for a few hours. How would he last the next few weeks?

"So, my parents have some huge projects planned for me when I get home. I wish you were coming to help. I don't know anything about dry wall or flooring." I said it to Daniel but was loud enough to make sure his dad heard me.

"Oh, are they doing some remodeling? That sounds exciting," Dan chimed in, right on cue.

"Actually, they had some flooding this week so I have to help with the repairs. All of the professionals are booked so it's up to me and my dad." I was laying it on thick but I hoped to appeal to Dan's sense of community.

"I wish I could go help but I can't leave my dad over Christmas." The table was suddenly quiet as we all waited for Dan to respond. He was obviously not happy about being put on the spot but he caved.

"Well, I guess if you need to help a friend, Janey and I will be fine here on our own. It won't be the same but, if you want to go, I won't stop you." Janey walked in just as he relented.

"Stop you from what?" She placed a plate of pie a la mode in front of me and let her breast brush against my shoulder. I tried to ignore it but Dawn laughed out loud and I couldn't keep the blush from spreading down my neck. I glanced at Daniel. He saw it too but his smirk told me he was still happy about being released for the rest of the break so he wasn't even mad about the boob brush.

"I'm going home with Indie to help his family with some repairs to their house. You and Dad can have a romantic Christmas this year." He tried to sound teasing but I knew there was some pleading in his voice. It was clear that he wanted his dad to be happy, even in an impossible situation.

"What? You can't leave us? You just got here." She sat across from Daniel with her own plate. "Honey, you aren't seriously going to let him go are you? We need him here for the holidays." She was a woman that was used to getting what she wanted. The way she pouted at her husband spoke volumes about why he overlooked her indiscretions.

"Darling, it'll be good for us to have the time alone. Maybe we can go skiing this year? And, I'm proud of Daniel for wanting to sacrifice his vacation to help a friend in need." He was proud of his son and the way Daniel beamed back made it clear that he cherished those words of approval.

When dessert was finally over, I couldn't get away from the table fast enough. Daniel stood up first and Sara was right next to him. He announced that he was stuffed and was going to play some video games. I followed them out with Dawn at my heels after her mother told her to be more social and go with us.

The den had two old sofas and a few bean bags. It reminded me more of a college dorm than our own lounge at school. I sat at one end of the back couch and Daniel sat at the end of the side couch, in the closest seat to me without being next to me. Sara sat next to him and Dawn plopped on a bean bag opposite her sister.

I was just getting the hang of the racing game we were playing when Sara grew bored. Her exaggerated sighs and frustrated grunts when she crashed were hard to ignore. "So, Daniel, how is wrestling going?" She scooted closer to him and was obviously flirting.

"It's good. Keeping me busy." He clicked to the menu of games to find something else to play.

"So, you must have tons of girls throwing themselves at you." She giggled and playfully swatted at his arm. I wondered how much of the wine she drank with dinner. More than me, apparently.

"Not really. I was kinda seeing some chick but she turned into a head case. I think I broke up with her." He glanced at me with a questioning smirk.

I laughed at the memory of his break up attempts, although it wasn't funny at the time. "I doubt it. She's probably waiting in our room right now."

"So, you're single?" Sara was just as bad as Janey. Really looking at him from their perspective, I understood it. He had perfect skin with an olive complexion that almost glowed. His hazel eyes could stare you down intensely or twinkle with amusement. When he smiled, his straight white teeth and two deep dimples made you want to smile back. I realized that he made me happy in way that I couldn't remember feeling with any of my other friends. Ever.

Dawn's gasp broke my daze and I looked at her. She had been watching me stare at Daniel for...oh, god. Minutes? Who knew how long but I had no idea what they were talking about so I knew it was too long for a straight guy to be staring at his straight friend. Fuck!

The slow grin across her face told me she knew there was something up with me but I wasn't too worried. Even if she told anyone that I might be, possibly, crushing on Daniel, didn't mean they would suspect anything was up with him. He was totally, 100% into girls. And the way he let Sara whisper in his ear and practically crawl into his lap was proof of that.

After another hour of video games and small talk about their friends from high school, Roger came in to tell us they were heading out. I worried that Daniel would make plans with Sara for the next day but he hugged her goodbye with the rest of the family and went back to his game. It bordered on rude but I was happy they were gone. It made me a little nauseous to watch Sara paw him all night. It looked like they were closer than just old friends.

"So, Sara seems into you," I teased. "Did you guys ever hook up in high school?"

"No, she dated some of my friends but she's always been like a sister to me. Although, I guess maybe she doesn't think so anymore. I don't know what that was about but I'm only here for a few more days, thanks to you, so I don't care." He put down the controller. "Seriously, thanks. I really appreciate you getting me out of here. I don't care if we have to move bricks for three weeks. Anything will be better than dodging her the whole time my dad is at work."

"Sorry about that. I should have asked if you even wanted to go before I put you on the spot. I just hated watching her do that to you." Shit. Did that sound like jealousy? "I mean, I know you were uncomfortable and she clearly has no boundaries."

"Did she do something to you?" He was staring at the wall behind me but I could see the tension in his jaw.

"She had her hand on my leg but I was prepared for it. No harm done. I was just afraid your dad would notice and think I instigated it. Does he seriously not know?"

Daniel blew out a long breath and leaned back on the couch. Making sure no one was around, he put his hands on his head. "I think he must know she's overly flirty but I don't think he believes that she has ever acted on it. God knows why but he really loves her and doesn't want to lose her."

Daniel never talked about his real mom but I'd gathered from his occasional hints that she left them when he was four or five and never came back. He barely remembered her.

"Wanna go for a walk? I'm still stuffed."

"Yes." The cool air was just what I needed. Too many revelations in twenty four hours had my head spinning.
Chapter Five

We walked in silence to a nearby park. The stars were bright and the moon was full. The glow from the white powder that coated the ground and trees was soothing. We walked to a set of swings and sat down. I hadn't been on a swing set since I was in grade school but the solitude gave me the confidence to not worry about getting caught. I looked over at Daniel and realized he was staring at me. My mouth, to be specific. I watched him watch me for a moment, self-consciously licking my lips. He gasped quietly and reached for the chain on my swing, pulling it to him. When we were thigh to thigh, he leaned forward at the same time I did. I wanted desperately for him to kiss me. To feel his lips on mine. His tongue on mine. I wanted him to be mine...even though I knew that wasn't possible.

I held his gaze in the silent park and waited for him to make a move. Whatever he wanted was okay. While I was contemplating the possibilities, he closed the gap and brushed his smooth lips against mine. He held firmly against me for a moment and then opened his mouth. His lips softly closed over mine before I let my jaw release just enough for him to slide his tongue in. That was all the encouragement I needed. Pulling him by the neck, I roughly attacked his mouth. The fire burning in my belly threatened to set me ablaze. I needed him closer, on me, over me, in me. I sucked in his tongue and rolled it around with my own. He tasted sweet and delicious. I wanted to taste more of him.

When he pulled me into a standing position, I thought he was trying to leave but he embraced me tightly. Holding me against his wide, hard body. I heard a whimper that may have come from me...but I'm not sure. He walked backwards, never leaving my mouth until he was against a picnic table. Debating whether I needed oxygen more than I needed his tongue, I finally pulled off enough to breathe. I rested my forehead against his and inhaled deeply. His familiar, musky scent made my already hard cock pulse in anticipation of what might come next.

He licked from one end of my lower lip to the other, letting his tongue trail lightly to my ear. His heaving breath fueled the flames of my arousal even further and I ground my bulging crotch into his.

"Fuck, I'm so hot right now. I need to come." His hurried words echoed my feelings exactly. Without considering the consequences, I put my hand on his chest and slowly slid down, fingers first until I reached the waistband of his jeans. When he didn't stop me, I slid my hand below the denim and touched the top of his wet cock with my finger tips. His whole body shook with the contact and I thought I might explode from the bliss of him sucking on my earlobe.

I let my hand slide further down, my open palm pressing against the full length of his shaft. Damn it was big. And hard. And begging to be released. He ripped open the front of his jeans and put a hand on my shoulder, gently pushing me down. I looked into his eyes and could see the want. Dropping to my knees, I took the tip of his head into my mouth before my brain could talk me out of it. He groaned loudly and thrust past my teeth more forcefully than I expected, choking me in the process. My head wanted to pull back but my body wanted to push deeper. Only half way buried in my mouth, he couldn't go any further. I used my hands to bridge the distance between my mouth and the base of his dick. Cupping his balls in one hand, and fisting his base with my other, I sucked hard while pulling off to the tip. Creating a tight suction with my mouth, I pressed down, to my hand. Slowly at first and then fast enough to match the speed that his hips were thrusting. I could feel his heavy balls tighten and lift.

"Pull off, I can't hold it..." He grabbed my hair and tried to lift me away but I shook my head. I wanted to taste him. To feel him shooting in my mouth. Down my throat. "Oh, god," he groaned before my mouth flooded with his hot, creamy jizz. I tried to swallow it all but he kept pumping and spewing into me. It spilled over my lips as I held on to him, trying to keep him coming as long as possible. Finally the thrusting stopped and he loosened his grip on my hair. His wide hand smoothed over my short hair in a caress that was almost as intimate as giving him head had been.

My own cock was throbbing. Begging to be touched. Just one rough pull would have been enough but I didn't want to relinquish the hold I had over Daniel's slightly softened dick. I licked, base to tip, on all sides before I finally pulled away. Leaning back on my heels, I looked up to see a lazy grin on his face. With his arms out, he gestured for me to stand up. Moving into a standing position almost pushed me over the edge. I was so hard that the pressure of my zipper against my head was too much. The sensitive skin just needed a few seconds of attention.

Daniel pulled me into an embrace that caused my cock to rub against his thigh. "Oh, God. I'm gonna..." I froze, not wanting to shoot inside my underwear. I needed to at least pull it out before I made a mess of myself. "Just give me a sec," I whispered, turning my head away from Daniel so he couldn't see my embarrassment. Or read the desperation in my eyes.

"Uh uh. I get a turn too." He turned me around so I was leaning on the bench and his hands quickly loosened the button of my jeans. I stared at his hands as one held the button and the other pulled down the zipper. I was peeking out of my boxer briefs so Daniel just hooked a finger over the band and pulled them down with the zipper to fully expose my raging hard on. I stared at his fingers as they lightly traced the lower vein of my cock. His touch was so soft that I shuddered more from frustration than from pleasure. I just needed to come. Quickly.

Unable to wait any longer, I reached down to finish myself off. Daniel grabbed my wrist before I could make contact and looked up at me. "You had your turn. This is mine. Hands on my shoulders. Now." The authority in his voice made my cock do a little happy dance. There were so many sensations flooding my body that I would have fallen to the ground if I wasn't firmly wedged between Daniel and the bench behind me. My muscles felt tighter than they ever had during any work out of my life. Desire coursed through my blood and filled the protruding rod that I desperately wanted to plunge into him. His hand teased me, tickling my dick with those fingertips that made me want to cry. One firm push would have been enough for 10 orgasms.

He dropped to his knees. I couldn't take eyes off of his mouth as he kissed a trail to the base of my cock. My balls bulged above the rim of my jeans, waiting for their time to explode. He nudged the light nest of hair with his nose and slid his tongue over my swollen sack. Tracing the orbs with his tongue, he finally pressed the palm of his hand over my slick head.

My breath hitched as I felt a deep wave of ecstasy forming in my belly. He used one finger to pull me straight down and closed his lips over the glistening tip. If he wanted slow, he was about to be disappointed because I couldn't have slowed down if my life depended on it. It felt like it did. I was drowning in an ocean of desire. He was my lifeline. I dug my fingers into his hard shoulder as the first wave crashed over me. I convulsed into him. He swirled his tongue over the head and then flattened it as he took me deeper.

I was worried about choking him, knowing that I shouldn't go more than a few inches deep but I couldn't control the way my body was moving. I pumped him fast and hard then watched my seed pour from the edges of his mouth, just as his did to mine. It was so sexy.

Another deep wave flowed from my belly to my toes but I never took my eyes off of him. It was the most amazing experience of my life. Granted, I was pretty inexperienced, but I knew this was better than anything I could have with a woman. Whether I liked it or not, I had to admit that I wanted to be with Daniel, permanently.

As my body finally relented and I was able to regain some muscle control, I tugged him up against me. He lifted one leg onto the bench beside me so he was straddling the left side of my body. There was a drop glistening on his chin so I licked it off. Kissing him in the process.

"You have no idea how badly I wanted you to do that," I confessed into his cheek. I couldn't look him in the eye, afraid he would be upset by my admission.

"Really? I didn't want you to think I was a fag or anything. I just needed to...I don't know...thank you." Thank me? Is that what he was doing?

"You don't have to thank me for anything. And, definitely not like that." I tried to pull away but he held on to my biceps, not letting more than a few inches of space pass between us. "Do this because you want to, not because you think you owe me something. I don't care if you're a fag or not. I don't even know if I am but I don't want either of us to regret this."

"That's not what I meant. I just... Wait, what do you mean you don't know if you are?" He searched my face for an answer that I couldn't give him. I didn't know what he wanted to hear but I had to be honest.

"I mean, I'm confused. I know that to you, this is just something fun to do when there isn't a girl around. But, to me, I think it means more. I'm sorry. I know you don't want to hear that...but it's the truth."

"Are you saying you're gay?" He looked shocked and more than a bit disgusted.

"What if I am? Does that change anything?" I couldn't believe that after what just happened, he would judge me for being honest. I looked into his eyes, hoping they would tell me what I knew his mouth wouldn't.

"This was cool and all. Okay, it was really awesome. But, I can't be gay. My dad would kill me and...I'm just not. I'm sorry if I led you on."

He seemed genuinely sorry and it made me sick. I should have kept my mouth shut. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"The number of women you've hooked up with since we met proves you're not gay. It's fine. Nothing has to change. We can still do this when it works out but, you know, it doesn't mean anything." I could hear the desperation in my voice as I tried to play off my emotions as indifferent when I was anything but. My throat burned from the bile that was creeping up. "We should probably get back before they send a search party."

"Yeah. Let's go." He started to walk back while I took a minute to adjust myself and get back in my jeans. I just needed to be cool for a few more minutes and then I'd be in the privacy of the guest room to deal with what just happened. I took long steps to catch up to Daniel but stayed a few feet behind so he wouldn't expect me to talk. I couldn't talk. I didn't trust my voice to stay steady as I considered the major developments that had just occurred.

Not only did I just have my first real sexual experience that involved another person, but I also realized that I might be gay. Like officially gay, not just during power outages. And, the part that made me want to curl up into the fetal position and die was the fact that the person I was falling for wasn't willing to be with me...and may not even want to be my friend anymore. It couldn't possibly get any worse than that. Until it did.

~***~

The scent of bacon and buttery eggs filled my nostrils and woke me up earlier than I wanted. I had hoped to sleep in after spending most of the night lamenting the sex life that I would likely never have. My self-pity was at an all time low but I was a guest in someone's home and I couldn't mope around all day. I got dressed and went to the kitchen. Daniel wasn't there but Dan was finishing up a plate of eggs.

"Good morning, Indie. Have a seat. You like eggs, right?" He put down his tablet and gestured for Janey to bring me a plate. I felt rude letting her serve me but she was all smiles so I didn't think she minded too much.

"I'm going into the office for a few hours but I'll be back after lunch. Maybe we can go hunting later? I've been in the mood to shoot something lately." He laughed but it sounded a bit sinister.

I glanced at him and noticed his eyes narrowing as he watched Janey butter a slice of toast for me. Was he referring to her when said he wanted to shoot something? "Um, sure. I haven't used a rifle in a long time, but that might be fun."

"Well, I better get out of here if I'm going to leave early today." He stood from the table and put a hand behind my neck, sending chills down my back. "You make yourself at home here."

"Yes, sir." Where the hell is Daniel?

"And you, my love, make sure to give the boys some errands to run. Might as well take advantage of their free labor before they ship out to work for Indie's parents." He chuckled again but this time it was in genuine amusement. He seemed to want to keep us busy during our vacation whether we were there or in Florida. I didn't mind. Housework would be a welcome distraction to everything else I had to think about.

Janey walked Dan to the door and they kissed goodbye. It was sweet and made me hopeful that she wouldn't be bothering us today with her inappropriate behavior. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed as soon as he pulled out of the driveway. The roar of the diesel engine hadn't even faded before she slid into the chair beside me.

"Indie. What a great name. Makes me think of Indiana Jones. I had such a crush on him. So tough and strong. She turned so her knees were against my thigh and put her hand on my bicep. "Just like you."

"Um, thanks. Actually, it's just a nickname my sister gave me when she was little." I shoved a big piece of toast in my mouth and concentrated on the food, even while her hand moved to my thigh. I couldn't look her in the face but when her fingertips grazed the top of my zipper, my eyes shot to her. I kept my gaze low, thinking that would be safer, but that was a mistake. Her robe gaped open in the front, exposing her breast. It was the first boob I'd seen in real life. I tried to look away but I couldn't. Maybe I'm not gay after all?

"It's okay, sweetheart. You can look. You can touch them, if you'd like. I bet a guy like you has his pick of the girls at school." She spoke in a sexy voice that I might have really been into if it wasn't my best friend's step mom trying to seduce me. She licked her lips like a porn star. "But, have you been with a woman yet? A real woman that actually knows how to please a man? I can teach you things, Indie. Things you can't even imagine. I promise, you'll never forget it."

Part of me was curious and more than a little intrigued but the other part was telling me to get the hell out of there. As I was debating the consequences of each action, Janey pulled one end of the knot around her waist and let both sides of her robe fall open. She was fully nude and on display.

I froze. I couldn't move even if I'd wanted to. Did I want to? She gently grabbed my hand that was fisted next to my plate and unfurled each of my fingers. She placed my cupped palm under her breast. Hmm. It was nice. Soft and heavier than I expected...but little Indie wasn't impressed. I wasn't even a little bit hard. That realization terrified me.

A loud gasp from the doorway behind me dropped my stomach to the floor. My heart wasn't far behind it.

By the time I looked back, Daniel was gone. The front door slammed as I jumped from the table to follow him.

"Daniel, wait. Please," I called out to him as he was getting into his car. I jumped off the front porch and slapped my palms on the hood to get his attention. But he just glared at me. I'd never seen him so angry. What the fuck was I thinking? That was his mom! Maybe she was a slutty, cougar step mom but she was the only mom that he had left and his dad loved her. I should have told her, "no." I should have gotten up from the table the instant her knees first brushed against mine. I should have run out of the kitchen when she let her robe fall open, not sit there and stare at her titties. And I sure as hell shouldn't have let her put my hand on her breast. I could have stopped her. I hated myself as much as I knew Daniel hated me. He backed out of the driveway and screeched onto the road.

I'd never felt more abandoned than I did as he pulled away. I knew I couldn't fix it with an apology. It was over. Whatever thing we had going between us, including our friendship, would never be the same. I turned back into the house and went straight to the guest room.

Knowing that he probably wouldn't come home as long as I was there, I called an airport shuttle to schedule a pickup. There were three flights leaving for Fort Lauderdale that afternoon and I was determined to fly standby on one of them. I wrote a quick note and left it on the bed then took my stuff to the front porch to wait for my ride.

Daniel,

My mom didn't want you to miss Xmas with your family so you're off the hook. I'm going standby today. Thanks for the hospitality. See you in January.

Andrew

I don't know why I signed the note as Andrew. I think it was my passive aggressive way of reminding him of the day at the movies. We had such a great time and he used my full name almost possessively. Just remembering it made my stomach clench. It was like he owned me. And I liked it. I wanted it. I wanted him.

By the time the shuttle arrived, I was a mess. Janey tried to talk me out of going, never once apologizing for trying to seduce me. I wanted to scream at her for ruining something that might have been great. But, deep down, I knew she wasn't the only one at fault. I'd do anything if I could take it back. Unfortunately, real life doesn't work that way. I couldn't go back and change any of it.

When I got to the airport, I sent a text to Daniel to tell him I was heading home. I didn't want him to feel like he had to avoid his own home thinking I was still there. I also had a little fantasy about him showing up at the airport to stop me. Or, even better, with his own luggage to go with me. But, eight hours and three incidents that almost turned into a fist fight later, I was boarding a plane to go home alone.
Chapter Six

Becca had grown several inches since I last saw her. It was scary to think that she might start dating soon. She made sure we were busy every waking moment after I arrived home. There wasn't any real damage to the house or shop so we spent the week before Christmas shopping, bowling, watching movies and helping out at the bakery. I loved being with my family but not being able to talk to Daniel, even just a casual text now and then, was killing me. As much as I tried to pretend I was fine, Becca kept tell me to cheer up so I wasn't fooling anyone.

Mom knew something was going on but she didn't press me. Whenever she asked how I was doing in that 'mom voice,' I knew she wanted details but I didn't know what to tell her. I couldn't explain why I was so depressed without admitting that I might be, well, probably was, gay. And I didn't want to do that if Daniel hated me. I didn't think I'd ever feel about any other person, male or female, the way I felt about him so there wasn't any reason to possibly upset her. Mom and Dad were liberal thinkers and had several gay and lesbian friends but I didn't know how they'd feel about me being among that club. Fuck, I didn't know how I felt about being in that club unless I was with Daniel. He gave me confidence that I never felt about anything. Not even on the court when I shot the winning point. I wasn't into guys or girls. I was into Daniel.

By December 24th, when I finally caved and sent Daniel a Merry Christmas text, I was a wreck. He didn't respond. Confirmation that he hated me. Even a 'Fuck off' text would have been better than silence. I wondered if he would even be willing to room with me. Probably not. I considered switching to a single room to save him the trouble of moving but I knew I couldn't do anything until January so I let it go. Instead, I wallowed in my self-inflicted misery.

Christmas morning came with the usual excitement of gifts and cinnamon rolls and looking through the photo albums that Mom reserved for Christmas and Mother's Day. I put on a polite smile and went through the motions but my mind never drifted from Daniel. Remembering his warm body curled against mine in his bed. His large hands tugging my hair as he pushed his hard cock into my mouth. I picked up my phone to call him at least 10 times that day...but I stopped myself every time. I wouldn't beg. He needed some space and I had to respect that. The best I could hope for was that when we got back to school he wouldn't hate me.

~***~

"Are you sure you don't want to come. It's funner with you." Becca was still begging me to go with her and Dad to the aquarium even as they were walking to the car. It was an annual tradition and something I loved to do but I just couldn't deal with crowds of happy people. Becs wanted to be a marine biologist so she could spend hours at each exhibit. I just wanted to watch TV and vege.

"Sweetheart, can we talk?" My mom snuck up on me with a plate of brownies and a glass of milk. She wasn't playing fair. I guess my time to pout was up and she was expecting answers. I was just desperate enough that I was willing to give them up.

"I guess." I sat up straighter and shifted on the couch so I was facing her. She put the plate between us and sat, cross legged, facing me.

"What's going on? And don't tell me it's nothing because I know it's something."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I thought about what to tell her. I didn't want to lie but the truth seemed impossible to say out loud. I didn't want to admit that I'd destroyed the first romantic relationship I'd ever had. Even though it was only a single-sided relationship.

"Is this about a girl?" she asked. Of course, that's where her mind would go.

"Well, there is someone from school that I like. But, I think it's one-sided and I did something really stupid that might have completely ruined our friendship." I hung my head, unable to mask my devastation once the words were out.

"Oh, honey, what did you do that was so terrible?"

What didn't I do? It seemed like such a long list at that point. "I kinda fooled around with someone else. I didn't want to...but I didn't stop it from happening. And then I got caught."

She placed a reassuring hand on my knee and squeezed it. I was so ashamed. The only person that Daniel truly hated, and begged me to stay away from, was the one person he caught me with. Was this what people meant about self-sabotaging? Did I do it on purpose? Did I want to get caught because I couldn't handle his rejection? What was I thinking? That if he saw me groping his stepmother it would make him jealous? Or was I just trying to hurt him as much as he hurt me? What kind of a fucker would do that to his best friend?

"Indie, you are a smart and handsome young man and if this girl has a brain in her head she'll at least let you explain yourself. If you were meant to be, it'll work out. Just give her some time and I'm sure she'll come around. And this is a good lesson to you that a few minutes of fun isn't worth messing up what could be a lifetime of happiness."

I nodded my head. She was right about learning a lesson. And I wanted to believe that he would come around after a while but I couldn't. I didn't deserve forgiveness. Mom put the plate on the coffee table and left me alone again. I turned up the volume to the TV, rolled onto my stomach and dozed off.

The vibrations between my legs cut off what was quickly becoming a hot dream. The room was dark and I could hear voices coming from the kitchen so I figured I'd been asleep for a while. Fumbling around, I found my phone wedged in the cushions. It must have slipped out of my pocket when I laid down. When I looked at the screen, I almost dropped it. Daniel.

I swiped my thumb across the face and took a deep breath. "Hey." I tried to sound casual, but my sleepy voice was raspy. Clearing my throat did not scream indifference.

"Hey," he said in a quiet voice that I could barely hear. "Um, I'm in Savannah."

"Georgia? Why?" I sat up on the couch and looked at the wall clock. It was five forty-five. How the hell did he get to Savannah?

"I told my dad." His voice cracked at the admission.

My head swirled with questions but he was obviously distressed. I didn't want to push him. "So, how did you end up in Georgia?"

"I had to get out of there so I left last night. Just started driving south. I stopped here around noon to sleep but now I'm not sure where to go." He sounded so vulnerable. I'd never heard such uncertainty from him. He always knew what he wanted. And what he didn't want.

"Well, you're welcome to come here. It's probably another six or seven hours but there's plenty of room." I couldn't hide the excitement from my voice.

"Okay."

That one word made my heart swell. My sleep stiff dick was pretty excited too but I ignored that. Daniel needed a friend and I would do whatever it took to be there for him. Even if it meant denying my own feelings for a while...or forever, if that's what he needed.

I gave him directions to my house and told him I'd wait up. I practically skipped into the kitchen where my family was preparing dinner. "My friend is driving in from Savannah and will be staying with us for the rest of the break. I'm going to get the attic ready." I ducked out of the room before anyone could ask any questions.

I had just changed the sheets and opened the window to air out the apartment when my mom poked her head up from the ladder. A smirk on her face told me she was on to me. "Is it her?" The excitement in her eyes rivaled my own.

"No. It's him."

Her jaw dropped. She swayed for a second but she reined in her shock admirably. "Oh, well, see, I told you it would work out."

She gave me the best encouraging smile she could muster and proceeded down the ladder. I considered going after her but figured she needed a few minutes to think about what I'd just told her.

By seven o'clock, I was antsy and nervous. I sat on the guest bed and looked around the room. It was as comfortable as I could make it for Daniel so I just had to wait. And think. That was the dangerous part.

The fact that he instinctively drove to me when he was hurting made that little spark of hope within me burn brighter than ever. I wanted to believe that he was coming to terms with the idea of an 'us.' But, I had to temper that with the reality that his family might be falling apart. I didn't know exactly what he told his dad but if it had anything to do with Janey, they may be on their way to a divorce and Dan may blame his son for what happened. I needed to cool my jets or I wouldn't survive the next five hours of waiting.

"Indie, can I come up?" Becca poked her head through the floor opening and I waved her up.

"Of course."

"Who's coming? Is it, like, your girlfriend or something?" She was teasing me but she also seemed worried.

"No, my roommate, Daniel. He got into a fight with his dad or something so he needed to get out of there. He's cool. I think you'll like him." I wanted Becca to like him. Having her hanging around would give him some space from me if he needed it. God, I hope he doesn't need it.

"What does he look like?" Uh oh. Now she was a little too interested.

"He's way, way too old for you so don't get any ideas. And he just broke up with his girlfriend so give him space. She was really clingy and he hated that." Oh, that was good. Believing he didn't like clingy would keep her from being too obnoxious.

By ten thirty, I was pacing in front of the TV, pretending to watch a movie. Dad was already in bed when Mom came in to say goodnight.

"So, I guess he'll be getting here in the next hour or two..." She was stalling. Probably uncomfortable with the situation but too cool to say so.

"Don't worry, Mom. When I said it was one-sided, I meant it. Kinda. Well, it's complicated but we're just friends so you don't even have to tell Dad if you don't want to." I finally stopped pacing and fell back into the recliner.

"But you want it to be more?" She sat on the armrest of the recliner and brushed the hair off my forehead, like she used to do when I was little.

I knew from the way her fingers trembled that this was hard for her, but I was proud of how well she was handling it. I also needed the support. "Yeah. I do."

She kissed the top of my head then lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'll admit that I'm surprised but we've considered the possibilities. Honestly, you never seemed to care about girls in high school when they were throwing themselves at you."

"That never happened, but yeah, I guess maybe I wasn't being completely honest with myself. And I'm still not sure where this is going, if anywhere at all."

"If he spent two days driving down here, I don't think it's as one-sided as you might believe."

"You think?" I didn't want to let myself believe that he needed anything more than just a friend. Rejection would hurt even more the second time. I didn't realize a tear was sliding across my cheek until Mom wiped it away.

"Just promise you'll be safe. I'll be able to deal with just about anything as long as you're safe and healthy." I stood up and gave her a bear hug. My mom is the best. Just knowing that one person would support me no matter how it turned out was enough to calm my nerves.

"I promise. Thanks, Mom." She kissed my cheek and left me alone to pace and wait.

At eleven thirty, Daniel's car pulled up in front of the house. He made better time than I expected. I watched him from the window in the dark kitchen. For three long minutes, he just sat there. Not moving. Not getting out. Not coming to me. I was afraid he would change his mind and drive away when the dome light finally came on and he got out of the car. He faced the house and stretched his back. In the bright moonlight, his shoulders seemed broader. He looked taller. He was really fucking hot! Cool it, man. He needs a friend, not a rapist!

As Daniel approached the porch steps, I opened the door. His nervous mask was quickly replaced by his perfect smile. "Hey," he said as he stopped at the threshold. "Thanks for letting me come here."

"Of course. I'm glad you made it. Come in." I moved out of the way so he could pull in his large duffel bag. He definitely packed for an extended stay. "I'll show you to your room."

I grabbed his computer bag and hung it around my neck as I climbed up the attic ladder. I realized on the second step that my ass was right in front of his face. Was he checking it out? I quickly pulled myself onto the attic floor and reached down for his duffel. "Hand it up. That huge thing won't fit though the hole."

He snorted. "That's what she said."

He laughed quietly as I realized the double meaning of my words. Can we say Freudian slip?

I showed him around the modest apartment. There was a basic kitchenette with a fridge, sink and hotplate. The bathroom had a shower that occasionally pulled up hot water, a set of bunk beds in the back corner and a queen sized bed on the opposite side of the room. It was set up to house our family if the downstairs ever flooded but we'd never needed it so it was just used by the occasional relative or friend that needed a place to stay for a while.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" I finally asked when the pleasantries were over. It was late and we were both tired but I had to know where he stood before he met the rest of the family. I wouldn't be able to sleep until he explained why he'd come.

Daniel sat down on the bed and stared at his feet. I pulled up a rolling desk chair in front of him and sat backwards on it. I nudged his foot with my own and he looked up. His eyes were red and his beautiful face held so much pain. I wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him, but I couldn't. Not until I knew he wanted me to.

"I told my dad everything."

"Everything? What do you mean? Start at the beginning." Asking him to relive one of the worst moments in his life was selfish but I needed to hear it. More importantly, he needed to get it out so he could move on and deal with whatever came next. He wrapped his arms around his stomach like he was in pain. I moved to sit next to him on the edge of the bed. With an open palm, I rubbed circles over his back. It was an innocent gesture that took the pressure off of him having to speak directly to my face. And, honestly, I wasn't sure I could handle looking at his pained expressions while he bared his soul to me.

He took a deep breath and told me what happened. "I was in the shower. Dad ran out to the store and I figured behind a locked door was the safest place to be so I let down my guard. I was, you know, rubbing one out when she climbed in behind me. She used the damn master key to come in when I was least expecting her. I tried to cover up myself but she knew what I was doing so she dropped to her knees and tried to take me into her mouth. I backed against the wall and told her to get the hell away from me, right as my dad walked in." Daniel lowered his head into his hands and took a moment to compose himself.

"Dad didn't even seem that shocked. Just worried about what she was doing to me. I told him what she did on my birthday and what she did to you." Daniel paused to peek at me. My hand moved up to his shoulder and squeezed gently. "He wanted me to stay at the cabin with him but I told him we both needed some time to think about things."

"Wow. I'm sorry it happened like that but I'm glad it's finally out. Your dad deserves to know what kind of woman he's married to. And now you can have a regular relationship with him."

"I don't think so." He stood and walked to the window, staring out at the golf course that we overlooked. "I told him about you."

What? What did that mean? Something good I prayed silently, trying to keep my hope in check and my voice from giving me away. There was only a slight squeak at the end when I asked, "What about me?"

"He asked if I was going to stay with a girlfriend and I told him I wasn't sure I even liked girls anymore." Daniel forced a short laugh. "He thought I was kidding. But then he asked if you and I had something going on."

And? My heart was trying to pound out right out of my chest as I waited to hear his response. He turned away from the window and locked his gaze with mine.

"Do we?" I barely made a sound but he heard me. The heat of his stare was burning into me and I could barely breathe.

"I hope so."

"You told him that or you're telling me that?" My mind was buzzing with excitement and I wanted to make sure I understood him correctly.

"Both," he said with a shy grin. "If you still want me after I was such a douche bag."

I stood and moved toward him, unable to accept the distance between us. I walked right up to his chest, pressing my slightly taller body against him so he had to look up at me. His lips were so tempting I wanted to devour them but we weren't done. We had a few more things to discuss before we could be physical again. "If you're talking about your reaction to Janey...well, you had every right to be upset. I know it's no excuse, but I was hurt and feeling rejected and, I don't know, curious, I guess. I've never had a woman offer herself up to me so I let it happen. I think I was hoping to be turned on by her."

It was my turn to look away, too ashamed to face him.

"Were you?"

"Nope." Heat flushed my cheeks. "I think you ruined me for woman."

"Good." He cupped one hand around the back of my neck and pulled my mouth to his. His kiss was rough and hard and desperate. Exactly how I felt. I explored his mouth with my tongue while he did the same. Our hips ground together with a rhythm that could have brought me to climax if I let it but, I had to breathe. Once my brain had some oxygen, I realized that we needed to slow down.

"God, I missed you," he said into my neck between open mouthed kisses. His moist tongue danced across my skin, sending shivers straight to my eager cock.

"We need to slow down." The words were barely audible through my panting. I tried to pull away but he didn't let me. That was the best feeling in the world. Knowing he didn't want me to leave his embrace. "I should go to my room."

"Uh uh." Both of his large hands dug into the curves of my ass as he pulled me even closer. "You can't leave me again. I need you."

His eyes were fully dilated and I knew he meant every word. I wasn't leaving until he was done with me. Thank freakin god!

"But, there isn't even a door." If we pulled up the ceiling flap, it would be too obvious that we needed more than the usual amount of privacy.

Daniel glanced around the room and his eyes stopped at the bathroom. "I could use a shower."

He nipped at my lobe, causing me to yelp, then whispered, "Care to join me?"

I let him walk me backwards into the small bathroom. His lips never left my face as we crossed the room. As soon as we were inside, I turned the water as hot as it would go. I wasn't exaggerating when I told him the hot water didn't always make it to the third floor but it hadn't been used in a few hours so the water heater was full. It didn't take long for steam to fill the tiny room, shrouding us in a sensual fog.

"Take off your clothes," Daniel stepped away from me and leaned his back against the wall. He stared, just inches away but not touching me. I pulled my shirt over my head. My pants quickly followed. When I was down to my boxer briefs, I began to feel self-conscious. He'd seen me naked a hundred times but undressing for him felt different. I hooked my thumbs under the waistband and slid them down.

My eyes locked on the black and white floor tiles. I stood on display for him for several long moments before his perfect feet filled my vision. With his crooked finger under my chin, he guided my gaze up his legs, thighs, stomach, chest, neck. I stopped. After our declaration of wanting an 'us,' I was more aware of what was coming. I could feel him inspecting every inch of me in a different way than he ever had before and I was afraid I wouldn't measure up. His husky voice was barely a whisper. "Andrew, look at me."

The warm air on my face invited me closer. I wanted to share his warmth. Isn't that how it all started? Wanting him to chase away the winter chill. Begging him to. I looked up and immediately felt his mouth on mine. Soft but eager. He pulled back just long enough to yank his shirt over his head and then he was back on me. His hands on my chest while mine tore at the belt that was keeping his body away from me.

A moist sheen covered my overheated skin. I don't know how much of it was due to the steam and how much was the result of my own desire for Daniel, but I didn't care. My hands trembled as I tugged his zipper down. I splayed my palm against his hard abs and slowly followed his happy trail to my happy place. Knowing that I was more than just a girl replacement was liberating. He wants to be with me. And god knows I want to be with him. A guy. Two guys. It was surreal.

Digging my fingers through the coarse curls beneath the fabric, I pushed down even further. The outside of my hand grazed the evidence of his arousal. It was different for him too. His mouth locked onto mine, I couldn't stand the wait. With a sudden urgency, I yanked down the last fabric on his body and pulled him into the shower.

The water was already starting to cool but it was still warm enough to feel good. The heat that we were generating was enough to keep us comfortable for a while. Daniel's arms unfurled from around my back and I could feel him reaching behind me. When I felt his soapy hands dig into the taut muscles of my back, I couldn't stifle the moan. Letting my forehead fall to his shoulder, I relaxed against his body while he lathered up my back and shoulders. When his hands slid over the curves of my ass, I put my hands on his hips, ready to push back if things went too far. I wanted him but I wasn't ready for him. Not yet.

"It's okay, just relax," he whispered into my neck while gently kneading the tight muscles that he'd never touched before. His large hands squeezed each cheek, letting his fingertips tease the opening without actually touching it. His mouth was on my shoulder, sucking on my sensitive skin. Grinding into his hips, my body begged to be closer. Both of our equally impressive dicks smashed between our bodies. I reached a hand between us to bring our rods together. I rubbed up and down his for a moment, reveling in how it felt against me. Knowing that I could do whatever I wanted with it. The question was what would I do now that I could? I wasn't sure of the answer.

"God, that feels good," I groaned, not sure if it was out loud or in my head.

"Um hmmm. Turn around."

Apparently, it was out loud. Not wanting to leave the cocoon of his body I hesitated. He misunderstood my hesitation and his body froze. "I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to do. I just want to try something. Please?" He gently pushed my biceps off his chest and turned me around. Standing straight as a board, I waited. He pressed his body against mine and I felt his boner poke the cleft between my legs. I flinched involuntarily. The reality of what it meant for us to really be together was slowly sinking in. How would it work exactly? "I'm not sure..."

He interrupted me by wrapping his strong arms around my shoulders and kissing the nape of my neck. His thumbs brushed over my nipples, causing the already hard nubs to shoot a blast of pleasurable pain through my body.

"I'm not going to do that,'' he promised, licking the line of my jaw. At least, I hoped it was a promise.

Moving one hand down the center of my abs, he made a small "o" with his thumb and forefinger and placed it on the tip of my cock. My hips involuntarily thrust up as he pushed down and over the head. I was so distracted by what he was doing to my front that I didn't notice what he was doing to my back. Locking my feet together between his own, Daniel pushed his slippery dick between my legs, not so it entered me but so it jutted out from the front. He rubbed my balls as his tip peeked out from beneath them. Well, hello there.

With his right hand on my shaft and my left hand holding his against me, he humped me from behind. It felt like fucking but without actual penetration. It was pretty amazing. Leaning forward at the waist, I pushed my ass against his base, opening up a grove for him to move in. When he pulled back, he never went past my nuts so I didn't have to worry about him accidentally going inside of me. Although, the friction of him sliding against my opening did make me curious about what a little bit of penetration would feel like. Pumping faster against me, I crossed my ankles to tighten my grip on him. His hand and hips were moving furiously, causing my climax to build. I wanted to come but I wanted it to last forever. Even with the noticeably cool water, I could have stayed there for hours, just riding his cock and watching the glistening tip erupt from my balls. Fuck it was hot in there.

When his breathing hitched in a way that was almost becoming familiar, I knew he was ready. Reaching back around his ass, I let my fingers walk across his skin until they found his opening. Just barely able to reach it, I brushed over it while his body convulsed behind me.

"Fuck, Indie, I'm..." I pressed the palm of my hand over his tip so I could catch some of his come as it exploded out of him. Just as my hand filled with his cream, I let the rolling waves of my own orgasm pass through me. It was slow and deep and I couldn't move. Holding him tightly against my balls, I shot up into the water stream, on to the wall of the shower, onto my chest. I just lay against Daniel's body and let it take me.

When I was finally able to move without collapsing onto the slower floor, I pulled off of Daniel. I didn't get far before he spun me around and crushed his mouth to mine. God, I could do that all night.
Chapter Seven

When I opened my eyes and realized I was alone in my room, I had a moment of panic. Was it all a dream? I wanted to jump out of bed and up to the apartment just to make sure Daniel was still there but my piss boner kept me in place. Shifting onto my stomach, I remembered how close we'd gotten to actually doing it. Well, we did do something close to 'it' but not really. Either way, it was amazing. Rolling my hips into my bed relieved the tension enough for me to get up but I'd need to take care of that before I could really wake up. I shuffled to the bathroom and reached for the knob just as it swung open.

"Oh, you're up. Is he here?" Becca asked, bouncing on her tip toes in excitement.

"Yeah, Daniel got in late last night. Lemme take a shower and then I'll bring him down to meet everyone." Holding a towel and clean underwear, I slipped past her and closed the door before she began her interrogation about him. That girl was a talker.

"Mom and Dad went to the shop so it's just me. But hurry up," she called as she pounded down the stairs.

The hot water ran out too soon to fully enjoy my shower but it was good enough for me to feel awake. Wiping a circle in the steam on the mirror proved that the goofy grin on my face was even more embarrassing than I expected. I had to get a grip on this euphoria before I scared him away. Or freaked out my family. They were used to me being generally happy but never this...giddy.

Once I was shaved and dressed, I went to check on Daniel. Walking up the stairs, I was filled with anxiety. Part of me terrified that he'd be gone and the other part excited to see him. As soon as my head passed the floor boards and I saw his arm dangling over the side of the bed, happiness pushed the fear right out of me. He was lying on his stomach with his head turned away but I could tell by the steady rise and fall of his back that he was asleep. Feeling empowered to touch him after everything we shared the night before, I wanted to crawl all over him.

Gently placing my left knee next to his left hip, I positioned myself over his body, hovering just a few inches above his back. I slowly lowered my weight so I was fully straddling his back with my head nuzzled in his neck. Placing feather light kisses up to his ear, his cheeks gathered in a smile, even though his eyes were still closed. I trailed the edge of his ear with my tongue then whispered, "Good morning."

"Ummm." His soft moan was enough to bring back the boner that I'd just taken care of. "Yes, it is."

Lifting my weight up just slightly, he rolled underneath me so we were face to face. He was even more handsome in the daylight than I remembered from just a few weeks earlier. Lightly tracing his cheek with the tip of my nose, his scent was intoxicating. With a deep inhale, I nuzzled further into his neck and let my full weight crush him. Before I realized we'd moved, Daniel was on top of me, kissing me deeply. "Oh, sorry. Lemme go brush my teeth. I just couldn't resist."

The loss of his body on mine caused a small frown but I knew I couldn't come across as overly clingy. He hated that in Sofia and I didn't want to do anything to drive him away. Reluctantly, I pulled myself from his bed and waited for him at the stairs. When he came out of the bathroom I warned him about Becca. "My sister is a little boy crazy right now, so she's dying to meet you."

He grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor and stepped into them. "Really? Is she cute?"

He'd ducked his head into his large duffle bag so I couldn't see his face but I felt a jolt of panic spread to every limb.

"Oh, well, she's...too young...for you." I tried to keep my voice casual but I thought I might cry. Or barf. Or both. I thought he wanted to be with me but maybe he was already having second thoughts. If he was truly bi-sexual, maybe he leaned more towards girls and would always be checking them out and looking for one that was more interesting to him than a guy. I didn't realize I was digging my fingernails into the wood railing until Daniel's hand grasped it.

"You know I'm kidding, right? I don't care how old she is or what she looks like. I'm not interested." He tugged me into his arms and whispered, "I'm already taken."

"Oh. I just didn't know if--" I stopped my insecure whining before I said, or did, anything to embarrass myself. "Hungry?"

"Starved." He kissed the top of my head before letting me out of his arms.

Becca was eating a bowl of oatmeal when we walked in. With eyes bulging out of her head, she quickly wiped her mouth and straightened her sweater. She stood and held her hand out to Daniel when he approached the table. "Hi. I'm Becca."

Her confidence was disgusting. How could she be so comfortable with a total stranger when I couldn't even do that and I'd practically fucked him? I could take lessons from my little sister.

"Hi, Becca. I'm Daniel. It's great to meet you. Indie has told me a lot about you." Daniel sat across from Becca and grabbed a banana muffin from the platter on the table. "So, how has your vacation been so far?"

"Well, Indie has been kinda depressed since he got home so we haven't done much. He probably got an A minus or something." I almost dropped the pitcher of OJ at her observation. Was it good that Daniel knew I was depressed without him or was it pathetic? I didn't even look at him to see if I could tell.

"But, now that you're here, he'll have to be a polite host and go places. I need to go to the mall today but we can go hiking and swimming and maybe to the beach? What do you like to do?" She finally took a breath and let Daniel speak.

"Um, well, I'm up for anything." I took the chair between them and gave Daniel a quick smile. Becca was a bit much but he was the kind of guy that would let her plan every minute of the day. "What do you want to do today, Indie?"

"Oh, the mall's fine. I just want to get out of this house for a while."

After spending three hours following Becca in and out of clothing and shoe stores, Daniel and I were both exhausted. She didn't actually buy much but we had to wait for her to try on dozens of outfits to get our 'guy' perspective. I think she was trying to impress Daniel but he didn't give her more than polite attention. By the time we were driving home, they were joking around like old friends. I almost forgot about my parents when we walked into the house laughing and right into my dad.

"Hey, Dad," I said, not sure how much he knew about Daniel. His stoic face wasn't like him. He is usually open and friendly to everyone. "This is my roommate, Daniel. He's going to stay here until we have to go back to school. Daniel, this is my dad, Rick."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Walker." Daniel stepped forward with his hand extended but Dad just stared at him for a minute and then pulled him into a hug. I think my jaw hit the ground but Becca nudged me with a smirk. Did she know too?

"Mr. Walker? Please, call me Rick. Or Dad. Whatever you want. We're happy to have you. Ang. Get down here. Daniel wants to meet you." As my mom gave Daniel the same welcome reception as my dad, I slid into a chair before passing out. I figured they'd be accepting of me being gay but I was shocked at just how accepting they were. He was practically written into the will by the time we finished dinner.

"So what do you kids have planned for tonight," Mom asked while I helped clear the dishes. Dad and Daniel were catching the end of an MMA fight and Becca was talking to a friend in her room so Mom could corner me.

"Um, nothing planned. Maybe some video games or something? I guess we could go see a movie?" I started loading the dishwasher while she waited for me to continue. "Um, thanks for being so cool about this. And, Dad is taking it much better than I expected."

"Well, honey, I can't say this was a complete surprise. I think we're both more worried about you being happy. And, you haven't been since you got home so if he is what makes you happy, we're okay with that."

"Well, anyway, thanks. I guess Becs knows too?"

"I'm sure she does by now. I'll talk to her later to see if she has any questions but she's a smart girl. I'm sure she's noticed the way you two stare at each other. It's really sweet, actually."

I could feel the burn in my face but I was even more grateful to have the kind of parents who truly would love me unconditionally. I stepped to her and gave her a hug. She squeezed me as tight as she could and it made me love her even more. "I better get in there before Dad talks him into trying out some of his wrestling moves."

"Indie," Mom reached for my arm as I was walking away. "Please promise you'll be safe. I know it's easy to get caught up in the moment but there are some mistakes you can't take back. I won't be able to sleep at night if I think you're not using protection every time."

"Mom, please." Oh, god, was I really going to have this conversation with my mom? Apparently, I was. "We haven't done anything like that yet but I promise that I'll always be safe."

That night was a normal evening in the Walker house. Dad, Daniel and I watched a marathon of world's dumbest criminals and Becca and Mom played drawing games with each other on their tablets. It was about as Norman Rockwell as it could get in the twenty first century.

The next week was a blur of ice skating, reality show marathons and hitting balls at the driving range. Becca was on a juniors team and could spend hours just swinging into the air. Daniel had never played before so she went into teacher mode and showed him the art of standing and swinging for maximum control.

Since we were driving back to school, we decided to leave a week early to have some alone time. Hanging out with my family was more fun than I could remember but we limited our physical encounters to quick make out sessions before bed. Not nearly enough.

On the morning of our last full day at home, Becca insisted we do something 'really fun.' Really fun from the perspective of a teenage girl terrified me but it was her last day of vacation too so we went with it. After driving for over an hour, we arrived at Gladeline Park. From the parking lot, it wasn't obvious what kind of park it was. All we could see in every direction were lush ferns and palms in every shade of green. The narrow path, which could have been carved with a machete, took us to an open storage shed. The shelves were lined with helmets and harnesses. Becca walked right in and tapped the very muscular, very tan shoulder that was tucked into a corner of the shed.

The guy pulled his ear buds out and turned to us. "Oh, hey. Sorry, about that. Just working on a new obstacle. Anyway, you guys here to zip line?" He looked at the three of us while brushing some saw dust of his bare chest.

"Yes, please. My mom called yesterday to set it up. Here's my release form." She handed the waiver to the guy.

"Sweet," Daniel said as he took a look at the equipment. I had a quick flashback to his story about doing it on a zip line with an old girlfriend. I couldn't help but feel jealousy that he might have been thinking about her while checking out the gear. But, it sounded like fun and he was excited so I wasn't going to ruin the day by thinking about the past. We were there to make our own memories. Maybe Becca's taste in fun wasn't so bad.

"My name is Kevin and I'll be your guide today. Are you all first timers?" He looked at me and I could only nod.

"They are," Daniel said a little gruffly. I might have been staring because Daniel put his arm around my waist and pulled me into his side. Our first PDA. And it was out of jealousy. A goofy grin spread across my face as I looked at Daniel. He was glaring at Kevin but smiled coyly when he saw me watching him. I liked jealous Daniel. Feeling brave, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Becca didn't even seem surprised. She was too distracted by Kevin to care what we were doing.

Once we were climbing the platform over the multi acre natural preserve, I started to get nervous. I wasn't exactly afraid of heights but I did get a slight case of vertigo whenever I looked down so I just focused on staring straight ahead. Becca volunteered to go first and even let go with her hands so she was held on only by her waist harness. I couldn't breathe until she landed safely at the bottom. Obviously, my mom didn't know how dangerous this was or she would have never allowed Becca to come.

Daniel insisted I go next. Following the instructions that Kevin gave me to the letter, I got to the end of the platform and prepared to hop off when I started wheezing. The air felt hot and wet and my lungs couldn't fully inflate. I wanted to die of humiliation but there was no way I could step off that platform. Kevin stood behind me and held my waist, trying to steady me so I could catch my breath. Not thinking, I walked back into his chest and leaned there, not able to think of anything but how I could get some oxygen into my blood. Daniel quickly pulled me out of Kevin's arms and held me. His strong arms reminded me of the comfort that I always found there and I immediately started to calm down. I turned into his neck and just soaked up his scent while my heartbeat slowed to normal.

"I'm right here. You're okay," Daniel said softly in my ear. I was focused on the smooth rhythm of each breath he took. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. But, I know you can." He pulled back to look me in the eye. "And it does look really fun." His smile was infectious. I couldn't help but want to make him happy. I nodded and pulled back.

"Sorry. I just felt a little dizzy there but I'm fine." I squeezed his hand. "I got this."

I stepped back to the edge and Kevin checked all of my harnesses again. "Whenever you're ready, just step off and tuck your legs up like you're sitting in a chair."

With a quick glance to Daniel, I stepped off the edge. It took me a few seconds to catch my breath but once I did, I relaxed and enjoyed it. There were backup ropes for the backup ropes so there was almost no way I could fall. And the view of jungle was amazing. I leaned back just a bit and let the warm air carry me to the ground.
Chapter Eight

Saying goodbye is always hard but Mom seemed extra emotional this time. She kept mumbling about me finally growing up and that I wouldn't be coming home as often but I honestly couldn't get out of there fast enough. I promised to call at least once a week and gave Becca and dad a quick hug and then we were gone.

As soon as we pulled out of the driveway, Daniel laced my hand into his and he held it for hours. We cycled between talking a lot to long periods of silence but it was all comfortable. We stopped at noon for lunch and a bio break but we were anxious to get to Charlotte. We planned to stay there overnight and my dick was in a perpetual state of ready since waking up that morning.

"We're here," Daniel said quietly while leaning over the console. "You ready to get out of this tin can?"

"Yeah. What time is it?" I had fallen asleep somewhere in South Carolina before the sun set but it was pitch black out. The cool air felt good on my stiff body as I stepped out of the car in front of the motel lobby.

"It's about seven thirty. Do you want to go check in? My dad has been calling so I'm gonna go park and then call him back."

"Um, humm," I still felt groggy but I grabbed our backpacks out of the trunk and went into the lobby. The receptionist was very nice and it only took her two minutes to hand me two key cards and a map of the area. Daniel was standing just outside the lobby so I walked behind him to wait.

"No, we're not doing anything special. It's no big deal." I moved in front of him so he knew I was there and he quickly wrapped up his call. "I will. Thanks. Love you, too."

"So, is everything okay with him?" I asked as we walked along the outside of the building to our room.

"Yeah. Just wanted to say hi. Make sure I'm still alive, I guess. He said to say hi to you." Daniel nudged my shoulder with his as we reached the room.

"So, why did he ask if we were doing anything special? I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything, but is there something you're not telling me?" He was acting unlike himself and it was making me nervous. Did his dad say something to upset him?

"Oh, well, it's no big deal but, today's my birthday." He ducked into the room and flopped onto the closest bed.

"Seriously?" Fuck. How could I have not known it was his birthday? I moved to stand between his bent legs. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have planned something."

"Really, it doesn't matter. I wouldn't have even remembered if my dad didn't call. Trust me, being alone with you tonight is all that I want." He pulled my arm and I landed on top of him on the bed. That was a pretty damn good present, as far as I was concerned.

"Okay, but you have to let me take you to dinner. I'll go ask the receptionist if there're any decent restaurants around here. I'll be right back."

"I'm gonna take a shower. I'll leave the door open in case you want to join me." He winked at me then got up and grabbed his bag.

If it'd been anyone else, I would have thought it a cheesy move, but Daniel's wink melted my heart and sent a bolt of desire to my dick. Hesitating for only a few seconds at the door, I didn't let his offer tempt me. I wanted to plan something special for Daniel's birthday, so I ran to the parking lot and set off on a few urgent errands.

"That was a long phone call. Did you get a reservation for dinner? Now that I'm clean, I'm starving." He was towel drying his hair when I walked in with my computer case.

"Yup, we have a reservation in 45 minutes. I'm gonna take a quick shower and then we can go." I when I took my computer bag in the bathroom with me, he quirked an eyebrow but didn't ask questions. He faked an annoyed look but gave me a pass to keep my secret for a bit longer.

Dinner was amazing. The small Italian restaurant was busy without being overly crowded. Our food was delicious but we were both anxious to get back to the room. As soon as the check was paid, we beelined it to the car and what we both knew was coming next.

"Can you wait out here for a second while I get a few things ready?" I was almost giddy with excitement.

"I told you, you don't have to get anything ready. But, if you really want me to wait a few minutes, I will." Without even glancing around to see who was watching, I gave him an open mouth kiss and a pat on the ass and then ducked into the room. I set up six round candles across the bed stands and dresser and placed two black gift bags in the middle of the bed. It was a little cheesy but I was feeling romantic.

When I let him in a few minutes later, Daniel was speechless. He let the door slam behind him and looked around the room. His eyes glistened as he took it all in. He pulled my back to his chest and tucked his face into my neck. "You did all this for me?"

His voice cracked a bit so I turned and took him in my arms. "Of course, I did, baby. Happy birthday." I'd never actually used a term of endearment in my life but it felt surprisingly natural. And if the way Daniel's body responded was any indicator of his approval, I'd say he agreed. "Here, I got you a few little things."

I handed him the larger gift bag and we sank to the bed. He pulled out the magic 8 ball and laughed. "I always wanted one of these."

"Well, it reminded me of that first night."

He took it out of the package and shook it. "Am I going to get lucky tonight?" The little window confirmed 'without a doubt.'

"Well, that leads to gift number two." I handed him the smaller bag and held my breath. I wasn't sure if I was moving too quickly but we didn't have this kind of absolute privacy very often and I wanted to make the most of it.

Almost as nervous as I was, he reached into the bag and pulled out a 12 pack of condoms. Okay, maybe that was a bit optimistic but it's better to be safe than sorry. Glancing at me, he gave me a quick smile and then pulled out the lube. With a deep breath, he looked up at me. His intense stare took my breath away as well. "Does this mean..."

"Yeah. I mean, if you're ready, then I'm ready." I nodded with a shy grin. I was really, really ready but didn't want to seem overeager.

"I'm ready," Daniel said so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. If I wasn't studying every inch of his face, I would have missed it. "So, how do we do this? I mean, logistically?"

It was his birthday and the night was about him. I'd bought the supplies and I was going to be the initiator. He could just lean back and enjoy the ride. Once the decision was made, I was like an uncaged lion. I couldn't resist his mouth any longer. I closed the distance between our lips and kissed him. Our tongues battled for space in each other's mouths. I wanted to climb right inside of him, desperate to feel him covering me in every possible way. Unconsciously, I yanked off my own clothes so I was bared completely to him. "I want you to fuck me."

And just to make sure it was absolutely clear, I said, "I want you inside of me."

"You do?" Daniel's body tensed. I don't know why he was surprised but I guess it was going to be a learning experience for both of us.

"Uh huh." I pulled up his shirt until it was off his body and out of my way. Leaving a wet trail across his chest, I licked straight down his sternum, stopping only when I reached his navel. Peeking up to watch his reaction, I dipped my tongue in, swirling it around the sprinkling of hairs that commenced the road to Oz. "And then, I want to fuck you."

He gasped and pushed up into my chest, trying to get some friction over his raging cock. I'd been kind of afraid to suggest it, not knowing if he'd even considered being on the bottom, but the whimpering noises confirmed that he was anxious to get started.

I unzipped his jeans and quickly pulled them off his body. He seemed bigger than I'd ever seen him and my confidence waned for just a minute. It didn't seem possible that the thick, long shaft that I immediately wrapped my fingers around could possibly fit inside of my ass. I was pretty sure there'd be a lot of blood and probably tears involved but it was too late to back out and I didn't want to. I wanted him in me in every possible way and that was the last frontier.

Noticing my hesitation, Daniel refocused his attention and pulled me up to his face. "Are you sure you want to try this? I don't want to hurt you. I never want to hurt you." The concern that I saw in his eyes solidified my resolve.

"I'm positive. We just have to go slow." I was feeling shy but knew that was stupid. We were about to have intercourse and I couldn't even talk about it. Grow up, man! "I've done some research and I think, well, you kinda need to stretch me out a little. Just lube up a finger and we'll start there."

Staring at me he nodded, and then flipped me on my back so he was kneeling between my spread legs. He gave me a mischievous grin. "I can do that."

"Okay." My voice squeaked, revealing just how nervous and excited I was.

"Tell me if I should stop or slow down or whatever." Daniel put a generous amount of lube in his palm and coated both hands.

Oh shit.

He grabbed the tube and put more on the tip of his right pinky. He leaned back down and kissed me slowly and deeply. They were the most erotic kisses I've ever felt. As his tongue pressed against mine, his left hand wrapped around my cock. He didn't really stroke it, just squeezed in time to the slow movements in my mouth.

I slid my hands over his head, kneading his short hair, hoping to grip tight enough to pull him even closer.

Just as his teeth closed down over my lower lip, his pinky pressed into my opening. He didn't push hard but instinctively I clenched, keeping him from moving deeper.

"Just relax, babe. I'll go slow." He sucked on my lower lip and my body relaxed. "Push out a little and I think I'll slip in easier." So I did. And he did.

With his tongue hypnotizing the rest of my body into submission, he slowly slid his full pinky into me. There was a bite of pain but it was not nearly as bad as I expected. I was still hard and I even pushed up on his hand a little to go deeper. I grunted between breaths. "More."

With a few quick tugs of my dick, he pulled out his hand and reached for the lube. Reapplying to his middle finger, he pushed back in. Okay, that stung. I dug my teeth into his shoulder a little harder than intended while I took a second to adjust. Thankfully, the really sharp pain only lasted for a minute. I quickly recovered and lapped around the bite mark that I'd inflicted. Very slowly, almost too slowly, Daniel pushed another finger into me. He slid them both deep into me, as far as he could go, before sliding them back out. The first few thrusts were a mixture of pain and pleasure but on the fourth round, he pushed a little deeper and faster and the pain was forgotten. Probably still there but the deep sensation of ecstasy was enough to make me forget my name. I just wanted more of that.

Sensing that I was ready, Daniel pulled out and put a pillow under my ass. "Hurry," I murmured while he rolled the condom down his rock hard cock. I didn't even care about the pain I would feel going in, just as long as I got more of that pleasure once he was there.

Having gotten used to the pushing in sensation, I was able to resist clenching and he positioned the well-lubed tip at my opening. He pushed the head past my barrier and I saw stars. Literally, the backs of my eyelids looked like a fireworks display. The pain of two fingers was about a 3 on the scale of pain and Daniel's wide cock head was about an 11. And he hadn't even started moving yet. With a new layer of sweat across my lip and forehead, I held his chest, willing him to hold still. He panicked. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll pull--"

"No. Don't move. Just...just give me a second." I was breathing slowly, unconsciously mimicking the Lamaze breathing I'd seen on TV a hundred times. Pushing out a baby had to be similar. Sorta. "Okay, keep going. I want you all the way in." Even though I didn't believe it possible, my own cock was dripping at the idea of Daniel fully buried inside me. I wanted to give him that. I wanted to feel that.

He slowly started pushing again, this time stroking me faster. The distraction worked because the pain was easier to ignore with an orgasm building from the attention from his hand. He stopped moving and my eyes opened to find his. He was pressed, full against me with his head thrown back, taking slow, deep breaths. "Fuck, Andrew. You're so tight. I don't ever want to move but I have to come. Soon."

"Fuck me, baby. Please." I pulled my legs higher, opening myself up to him even more. When he pulled out a few inches and pushed back in he hit that spot that made all the pain disappear. All I could feel was good. "Yeah, like that. Fuck me like that." Not having to be told twice, Daniel picked up his speed and pushed deeper with each thrust. The pleasure felt deep. Deep within my soul. I can't do it justice with words but I didn't have to. Just as Daniel's whole body tensed and pressed hard enough into me to push me against the headboard, he tickled that magic spot and I came too. Hard and long. By the time the rolling convulsions and steams of come died down, we were both a sticky mess. Daniel kissed me slowly, not even really moving, just massaging my tongue with his. He finally pulled up and out of me, using tissue paper from the empty gift bag to wrap up the condom and was back on top of me before I could miss him too much.

"You were amazing. I didn't know how tight it was going to be. I knew it would be great, but, wow. I had no idea."

"Ditto." I nuzzled into his neck, already anxious to be connected to his body again.

"No, really." Daniel pulled away to look at my face, waiting for me to make eye contact. "Are you okay? Was it okay?"

"It was incredible. So much more intense than I expected. I could do that forever." I reached down for his dick. It was still firm but as soon as I grabbed it, it fully engorged. "You ready to do that again."

"Seriously? You'd let me do that again so soon?" He looked at me with such adoration that I felt tears spring up in my eyes. Isn't crying after sex a chick thing?

"Yes, seriously. That was amazing. It hurt going in but once you got deep, there was this one spot that...well...I can't even describe how awesome it is."

"You don't have to describe it because you're going to make me feel it." He leaned down and took my sticky dick into his mouth. It grew instantaneously while I considered whether he was serious or not.

"You don't have to...I mean...I don't have to--" He pulled off my cock to suck my swollen balls into his mouth. One at a time and then both together. Fuck, I was ready to come again.

"I want to. I want to know if I like it or not. I hope I will, but maybe I won't. I know it doesn't always work both ways. But, if we both do, that seems like it'd be a bonus. And, if not, then at least we'll know." Since when did he become the smart one? Oh yeah, he's always been the smart one.

"Okay. But, it does hurt. I mean it's totally worth it...but you might hate me for a few seconds there." I couldn't keep the excited grin off my face as we switched positions and I lubed up my hands. Using much the same stretching technique that Daniel used, I prepared him first with my fingers before pushing my head against his slippery hole. I tried to go slowly but Daniel wrapped his ankles around my ass and pulled me all the way in. With his solid thighs locked on my hips, I couldn't move even if I wanted to. But I didn't want to. I was completely immersed, balls deep into heaven.

The hot, slick tunnel that I was trapped in was so wonderfully tight that I could have come just standing still. His muscles relaxed and tensed over me, dancing across my shaft and begging me to release. I peeked at Daniel and he was taking deep breaths with his eyes closed. I rubbed the wet tip of his dick with my thumb and lightly stroked over his head. Just pushing it past the rim of my fist and then pulling it back in.

He finally relaxed his body and loosened the death grip he had around my waist. I pulled out just an inch and pushed back in.

"Oh my god, Andrew. More."

Hoping I was hitting his magic spot, I rammed as deep as I could.

"Yes. Like that. More."

His ragged breathing and leaking dick was all the encouragement I needed. I pulled out again, just a few inches, and thrust back hard. Each time, I got an even louder reaction than before and suddenly we were both coming. Me deep inside of Daniel and him all over his chest. Unable to hold my body up any longer, I collapsed on top of him, sliding out of his warm body in the process.

I'd had wet dreams before. I'd cum hard when I jacked off, especially when Daniel and I did it together. I'd thought I'd died and gone to heaven when he gave me my first blow job, but nothing...absolutely nothing could compare to the feeling of burying myself inside the man I loved. And there it was. I loved Daniel. I honestly loved him. With all my heart. There were hundreds of reasons to just keep my mouth shut...I didn't want to spoil the mood. I didn't want him to feel pressured to say it back if he wasn't ready. Just because I was desperately in love with him, didn't mean he felt the same. If he knew how much I loved him, would he feel smothered? What if he didn't want anyone at school to know about us? Sure he'd told his dad. He was cool with messing around in my parents' house. And he'd gotten all possessive and jealous around Kevin while we were zip lining, but how was he going to react around our friends? Or his team mates? I propped myself up on my elbows and gazed into his amazing hazel eyes. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but all I said was, "Happy birthday, baby."

A tear leaked out of Daniel's left eye.

"Oh, god." Panic stole my breath. My pounding heart lodged itself in my throat. I had to choke the words out. "Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not." He smiled, and I swear it lit up the whole damn room. "You were right. It was totally worth it."

Weak with relief, I leaned down and rested my forehead against his. We both spoke at the same time. The same words, with the same, emotionally charged voices. "I love you."

Daniel rolled me over and pinned me to the bed. "I love you more."

I laughed then reached down and palmed his growing dick. "Prove it."

"I don't know about you, but I don't think my ass is ready for round two." He rolled to the side then slid my condom off. He licked his lips, suggestively. "How about we take a shower and see what happens?"

We had plenty of challenges ahead of us, but as long as Daniel loved me, I could face anything.
Bonus Excerpt from His Undoing by Aria Grace:

"Shh, my roommate is sleeping so be quiet," Brett said as he opened the door. He walked in and pulled someone in behind him. When the door closed, Brett's body pressed the other guy into the door and he kissed him passionately. I could hear the wet sounds of their lips and tongues interlocking and there were moans from both bodies. I wanted to say something so he knew I was awake, but I couldn't move a muscle. The only movement was from my beating heart and my growing erection. I was harder than I'd ever been while actually making out with Maggie. Just as I reached into my pants to try to soothe the ache, Brett shifted so his back was against the door as I was looking at the back of his friend.

In the light of the moon, I could clearly see that the guy was about 5'9" and slim. He had brown hair that was a little shaggy. From behind, he looked just like...me. Maybe I was just projecting some indescribable obsession that I had with Brett but my hand wrapped around my shaft a little bit tighter when I let myself believe that maybe he chose this guy based on his similarity to me.

While I was trying to keep my breathing steady and quiet, Mini-me squatted down to his heels and unzipped Brett's pants. Before I could look away, he popped out of his boxer briefs and was attacked by his friend. Brett fisted his palm in the guy's hair and guided his mouth up and down his cock. It was so hot. I'd never seen anything like that and I couldn't look away.

I was working my own cock in the same rhythm and I imagined what it would feel like to have someone wrap their lips around me and slide up and down, leaving a glistening trail of heat behind. When the guy had his face pressed all the way into Brett's crotch, apparently deep throating him, I chanced a glance up at Brett's face. He was staring right at me.

Our eyes locked and I could see the passion in his gaze as he pushed even further into the guy's throat. Neither of us looked away as he pulled out and pushed back in one final time, while a full body shudder overtook him. "Uhh, Mike," he groaned. I knew that he was coming and it pushed me over the edge. I squeezed my legs together and pulled down hard onto my balls as I let myself go.

Based on the waves of ecstasy that washed over me, you'd think I had year's worth of pent up pressure in me. It had only been a day since I'd released but it was more intense than all of my previous orgasms put together. I couldn't even imagine what sex with another person was going to be like.

"You should probably get going." Getting back into the moment, I watched Brett zip up and give the guy a half hug. "I'll see you around," he said as he basically pushed him out the door. I knew he'd seen me but I was too embarrassed to speak up so I laid silently as he stripped out of all of his clothes and climbed into the bed.
If you liked this, consider More Than Friends (free)

M/M Romance books by Aria Grace:

More Than Friends (Free)*

Drunk in Love (More Than Friends #2)*

Choosing Happy (More Than Friends #3)

Just Stay (More Than Friends #4)*

Hands On (More Than Friends #5)

Best Chance (More Than Friends #6)

My Name is Luka (More Than Friends #7)

Finally Found (More Than Friends #8)

Looking For Home (More Than Friends #9)

Choosing Us (More Than Friends #10)

Corner Office (Real Answers Investigations #1)*

Soy Latte (Real Answers Investigations #2)

Cheers To That (Real Answers Investigations #3)

Escaping in Oz (College First Time)

His Undoing (Gay For You)*

Winter Chill (First Time Gay)*

When It's Right (Gay Dad)*

*Also available as an audiobook

If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Indie authors need all the support we can get. Thanks so much!

Learn more at www.AriaGraceBooks.com or join her mailing list for updates and free book opportunities.

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