2. Tyler
Tyler
December
“Luke!”
Our teams competed in their last meet of the season a week ago, and my muscles were still sore from yesterday’s ass-shaping workout, but Christmas vacation was finally upon us. No kids for two weeks. All my finals were done. We would have the gym all to ourselves, and Luke was finally here.
“Hey, Ty,” he said, pulling me in for a hug.
I felt his body weight sag against me, so I squeezed extra tight. “You look good.”
“Shit, did you get taller? I feel so short.”
“Must be my new tennis shoes,” I said, pulling back. I splurged last week and bought some bright green ones.
“Trying to match your eyes?”
“More like trying to smother my loneliness.”
“So I came at the right time?”
“That’s what he said,” I countered. “Well, it's what he would say, if he were dating me.”
“Wow.” Luke stopped walking. “You’re really hung up on him. I would’ve thought easy breezy Ty would’ve just fucked ten strangers by now.”
Wow. “What do you think I am? A giant slut?”
We started walking again, exiting the airport and heading for my car.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“I know you didn’t, but maybe you can help. Quinn’s almost given up. I’m just not super comfortable with anyone I talk to. It’s like Declan noticed me, out of all the athletes there. I felt special. Here, I just feel like a piece of meat.”
“Well, you still look damn tasty.”
Inviting him here was the right decision; he was already sounding more like himself. I turned the key in the ignition and headed to the apartment.
“So, what’s the plan? We didn’t really make any. You mentioned the zoo. Or zoos, I guess.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on heading down to my parents until closer to Christmas, so we can hang at my place for now. If you want, we can head up to San Francisco too, but I’m down for whatever, bro.”
“I’m kind of tired for now.” Luke yawned, stretching his arms above his head in the car. “Mind if we get takeout tonight and just relax at your place?”
“No problemo.”
Quinn was giving us the apartment to ourselves for a night. I had asked her a few days ago. She understood. I wasn’t sure exactly what headspace Luke was in, but I knew he’d be more open with just me there.
We ordered Chinese delivery for dinner. Luke said he could wait another day for In-N-Out Burger.
While Luke showered, I relaxed on the couch. He said he loved traveling, but always felt dirty after flying. It was the same for me, so I played on my phone, trying not to open Declan's profile on Insta. I succeeded only because one of my favorite artists posted a new page from their erotic comic.
In addition to me liking real life male bodies, I recently discovered I also liked hand-drawn ones as well.
And some of the artists I followed drew some pretty kinky stuff.
Like, stuff I had never even imagined before.
My current obsession was an artist known for his superhero comics.
He couldn’t exactly copy Captain America or Thor, but the resemblance was clear enough.
And fuck if they didn’t make me hard and leaky every time.
“Whoa, that’s a huge cock.”
Shit. I threw my phone across the couch. “Didn’t hear you come in.”
“Well, I wasn’t quiet about it. Must’ve been a nice pic.” Luke jutted his chin at me as he sat on the other end of the couch.
“What?”
“Either that’s your hard dick, or you’ve got a really big pencil at an uncomfortable angle in your pants.”
I laughed a little as I shoved my hand down there to scoop everything in a less obvious direction. “That better?”
“Whoo.” He fanned himself. “Now, I can function again.”
My eyeroll was interrupted by a knock at the door.
After tipping the delivery guy, Luke and I loaded up our plates in the kitchen and headed back to the couch.
“What do you want to watch?”
“Something mindless.”
“Oh, I have the perfect thing. It’s a new reality show on Netflix.”
“A dating show?”
“Yup.”
“And all the guys are shirtless?”
“Of course, bro. It’s an island.”
The show was exactly what we needed. It seemed that way anyway. I got to ogle some muscle and a few of the girls were cute too, and Luke got his escape.
He was nestled into my side with his head just below my pec, his hair tickled my bare chest, but I let him do it. Honestly, it felt good to be this close to someone. It had been a few years since my last girlfriend, and Quinn and I had never been physical with each other.
“This is okay, right? You don’t mind?”
“For sure, Luke. It’s not like I’m tied down.”
“Well, I appreciate it.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “I didn’t know how much I needed this.”
“I’m surprised your parents let you come.” Not sure I should’ve said the P word.
“It’s Christmas. They’re busy with their friends. I said I wanted to see mine. And they know Cam’s in Florida. They’re still looking for a new coach for me anyway.”
“We can definitely get some workouts in if you want. Quinn and I pretty much have access to a private gym for two weeks now that school’s out.”
“That would be nice.”
“By the way, how’s school going?”
“It’s fine.”
“You talked to Woodward at all?”
“A little bit.”
He turned suddenly, burying his face between the couch and my side. His arm wrapped around my lap. I couldn’t hear any sobs, but his shoulders were heaving. I paused the show, dumped the remote, and started rubbing his back slowly with my free hand. After a minute or two, his breathing evened out.
He pulled back just a bit and brushed his hair away from his face. “It’s been really bad, Ty. I don’t know what to do.”
“I don’t really know either, but we can try to figure it out. You and me.”
“Okay.” He sniffled a little before pushing away from me to sit up.
“I’m gonna get ready for bed. Is it weird if I sleep with you tonight?”
I smiled. “Only if you make it weird.”
“Is it weird if I sleep naked? That’s how I’m most comfortable.”
Hmm. “I mean, I’ve seen you naked, so...no?” I stood up, taking his plate from the coffee table.
“You don’t have to get tha-”
“It’s fine. You go get ready for bed. I’ll be there in a minute.”
I headed into the kitchen, rinsed the plates, then shoved everything into the dishwasher.
You can do this. This isn’t weird. It’s just you and your best guy friend sleeping in the same bed. Naked.
Quinn and I had been friends for years and slept in the same bed a few times. Nothing had ever happened. This would be the same.
You weren’t both naked.
Well, there was that.
Wait. Why am I naked? I can just keep my briefs on.
But you always sleep naked.
Just wear shorts.
“I hope it's okay I used your toothpaste. I forgot mine.”
“Totally fine.”
“See you in a bit.”
Yeah, totally fine.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Can you turn the light next to you on?”
Luke leaned over to do that, so I could flick the overhead light off. “You want the ceiling fan on?”
“Either way.”
I turned the fan on too. I could feel butterflies in my stomach. I had no clue why. I’d had sleepovers before.
Because this is your first time in bed with a guy since you’ve discovered they’re bangable.
To be real, Luke was hot, but felt like a brother. I had a little kink in my system, but I didn’t think I’d ever go that far. I didn’t think Luke would either, but I had never seen him like this.
“You gonna watch me undress, bro?”
See, I could be casual.
“I’ve seen it before. I want your cuddling, not your body.”
“Oh, so we’re cuddling?” I asked, pulling my shirt off.
“I kinda figured if it was okay on the couch, it was okay in the bed.”
“Sounds like a bumper sticker.” I pulled down my shorts and kicked them towards the hamper. I checked my bulge to make sure it wasn’t obscene or anything, and readjusted my waistband. I gave myself a once over in the mirror, then turned to-
“Are you embarrassed?”
I froze. “What?”
“I don’t know. You paraded around the locker room in just your medal. I’ve seen your dick a hundred times.”
“I know! It’s just…different now.”
“How so?”
“That was all before…you know…when I was straight.”
He laughed. He actually laughed at me.
“Just because you’re turned on by Declan doesn’t change our relationship. We’re still bros. Right, bro?”
“You sound weird when you say that.”
“Sure I do. Get your ass in bed and cuddle the shit out of me. Why are we talking about your issues? I’m the one in crisis.”
He had a point. I was getting in my head. “Move over. At least give me the side of the bed I like.”
He smiled, then maneuvered over, pulling back the blankets for me. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet, handsome.”
His mouth went slack. The smile was gone. Like he had said something wrong.
“What’s wrong?” I slid next to him, hairy leg next to hairy leg. No biggie.
“That’s my nickname for Cam. It just slipped out.”
Before he could throw his head back on the pillow, I pulled him towards me in a half hug. He nestled into my armpit. “I’m so fucked. I feel like I’ll never get over him.”
“Well, I’m not an expert yet, but you should talk to one. We’ll see my brother Owen at Christmas.”
“The sex therapist?”
“Yeah. He might have some connections in New York. At the very least, he can point you in the right direction.”
“I’ll talk to him. I need to talk to somebody.”
“I’m here for that too, you know.”
“Not right now you’re not. Now, you’re for cuddling.”
“I can do that.”
This is fine. Everything’s fine.
Luke’s hard dick was pressed against my leg. I had woken up to it like that.
To my surprise, I did not find it arousing. I would’ve thought a hot guy with morning wood pressed against me would do just that based on all previous conversations about my sexuality, but I was starting to think I needed more than a hot guy. And I didn’t think of Luke that way.
This one time, I was stoked to be soft. My phone's alarm went off, causing Luke’s eyes to flutter open.
“Morning, champ,” I said.
He grumbled something unintelligible then asked, “You sleep okay?”
“Yup. You?”
“Yeah.” He seemed to realize his penile situation. “Sorry about that. Can’t be helped. It’s hard every morning.”
“Good dreams?”
“Something like that.”
“Wait. Are you like celibate now?”
Luke stayed quiet.
“Wow. I’m impressed. I can’t go two days without-”