by Alice Layne
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t think you’re the type of person to ask me to get you hooked up with a chick, but I’m not into that shit either. I’m not a player. If you’re hoping that I can make you more popular or something, that’s not going to happen. If we’re going to be hanging out, it’s because there is a mutual interest. If I sound like too much of an ass, that’s fine, but I’m not going to have either of us feeling like we got manipulated,” he said.
I let out a soft sigh and mumbled, “It’s not like I’m looking to be in the spotlight. And you shouldn’t joke around about me being with a woman from school. As far as anyone knows, I don’t even have a penis.”
He looked at me with an arched eyebrow, “I’d hope you have one.”
“W-Wait, what?”
“Don’t take it like that, dude. I’m just meaning in general,” he said.
“Oh… I do,” I said and pulled out of my parking space. This conversation took a very strange turn, but there was a side to Hunter I didn’t know about and I wanted to explore it.
As I drove to my house, I couldn’t help but notice that Hunter kept stealing glances my way. As much as I enjoyed the thought that he might be checking me out, I asked, “Do I have something on my face or something?”
“No, why?”
I shrugged my shoulders, “No reason.”
I turned on my blinker and Hunter looked at the houses to our right. The three-bedroom two-bath, pale yellow modular homes were built quickly and sold even faster, but my parents bought one for me as a way of trying to set me up for the future. That, and they really wanted me out of the house as soon as they could get me out. Much like Hunter’s situation at home, it wasn’t because they didn’t love me. My parents wanted me to be able to start my life as best I could after college. Having a place that was my own would take one of the largest bills out of my hands and that was something I couldn’t thank them enough for. I was lucky to have them, but I was even luckier to have the privacy of my own home.
As I turned in, Hunter asked, “Are your roommates fine with me showing up?”
“I don’t have any roommates,” I said as I parked the car and turned it off.
He unbuckled and chuckled, “Rich kid, huh?”
“Me? No. My parents? Upper-middle-class.”
“What was it like for you growing up in that kind of home?” he asked.
“I really don’t want to tell you to stop prying, but I’m going to have to. Sorry, but right now, I’m starving and I’m sure you could use something to eat. And I’d really rather talk about you for a bit if that’s okay.”
Hunter nodded and opened the car door, “Just don’t think I’m going to forget to ask you again sometime, dude. I like hearing about experiences that are different from mine. The guys on the team that came from a wealthier family don’t really have much to say about it. Then again, they’re the guys that pay for their work to be done for them. So yeah, not the brightest bulbs.”
Before I could grab my laptop from the back seat, Hunter twisted around to grab it and got out. He was being nice. Too nice. I walked with him to the front door and mumbled, “Why do you act so much different around me, Hunter?”
“Shouldn’t a guy put his best foot forward when he’s trying to get to know someone?” he asked in return.
“I guess, but I don’t think that most guys would walk five miles to come say hello to someone they barely know at all. I don’t think that most guys would be caught dead coming to my house. I’m sure the rumors get around, Hunter,” I mumbled. If Ashley got asked about my sexuality from time to time, it was only rational to make the assumption that Hunter heard the same kind of rumors. Confrontation wasn’t my strong suit, but too many things weren’t adding up and I needed answers.
Hunter smiled at me and gestured to the door, “I’ve heard some, but not every rumor is true.”
I took a deep breath as I unlocked my door and whispered, “And what if they were true?”
“Then it would depend on which rumor you were talking about. There’s the one about you being the dean’s bitch to get great grades. There’s the one about how you are probably the smartest dude in school. There’s also the one about you being…”
“Gay,” I muttered.
“Yeah, that one.”
“And if it was true?” I asked.
A warm hand fell to my lower back and he rumbled softly, “Then you wouldn’t be the only one.”
Chapter Four
Levi should have pulled away from my touch. He should have told me to leave him alone. He should have done anything but utter the word, “Oh.”
If he at least pretended that he was shocked by what I said, that would have made my night so much easier. I didn’t know why I came out to him. I shouldn’t have said a damn thing. Being gay wasn’t something I was ashamed of, but it would make certain things about being on the team very uncomfortable. Like having Tommy ask me if I was checking him out all those times he stood around naked while we talked. I wasn’t, he wasn’t my type, but straight guys had a way of thinking that every gay guy was interested in them.
Levi opened the front door after what felt like forever, but he didn’t move a muscle afterward. I took my hand off his back and spoke quietly, “I’m sorry. That was probably too much. I’m not trying to make things weird, Levi. This is the first time I’ve told someone outside of my family and I probably fucked up by telling you.”
“W-Why are you here?” he stammered.
I already told him, but smart people tended to think too much. “To hang out with you. Maybe I’d get to try some of your cooking? I don’t know, man. I’m just trying to figure out if I should even be here right now.”
“I really don’t want you to go,” Levi said. He let out a quivering breath and took a few steps inside, “Please take your shoes off before we get too far, there is carpet in the living room and I don’t want to have to vacuum three times in a single week.”
I followed him in and shut the door behind me. After I took off my shoes, I called out, “You asked why I’m here, but I kind of want to know why you even let me come.”
Unlike at my house, everything looked meticulously placed and intentional. The pictures on the wall were all level with one another. No surfaces seemed to have dust buildup on them. Nothing seemed like it was overlooked. I had to give Levi credit, for a single guy living alone, he kept his place spotless and perfect. As fucked up as it was, the thought of coming home to this house with Levi wouldn’t leave my thoughts.
His dainty voice trailed out from deeper in the house, “Because I hoped that I’d get to see you shirtless.”
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to laugh or not. He was hard to read, sometimes he seemed like he was just joking around, but that might have been serious. If there was one thing I really didn’t mind, it was taking off my shirt. I was always too warm to begin with, so I’d play along for a little while. Besides, as many times as I checked his ass out in college, I owed him something.
It didn’t take long to figure out where his kitchen was. As soon as I stepped into the room, he turned to look at me and the most delicious moan fell from his lips. Levi’s hand came up faster than lightning to cover his mouth, but it was already too late.
I smiled playfully and flexed my pecs which made his cheeks flush a deeper shade of red. “I’m not putting the shirt back on, you know that, right?” I teased.
He just stared. And stared. And then his eyes dipped from my chest down to my stomach. Then a little further down. As comfortable with myself as I was, even I wouldn’t strip completely the first time we were truly alone together.
“Maybe I should?” I asked.
Levi seemed to snap out of his trance. He shook his head and cleared his throat before mumbling, “I-I wasn’t serious.”
“Don’t worry. You’re adorable as fuck when you’re embarrassed. Besides, I don’t usually wear a shirt when I’m relaxing in my room anyway. If you ever came over to my place
, you’d probably end up seeing this anyway,” I said and gestured to my core.
He bit his bottom lip as his eyes took in every inch of my abs. It might have been a little cocky of me, but I was proud of my body. I worked my ass off until there were literal puddles of sweat to get myself to this point. If I couldn’t be proud of my hard work, what was the point?
“Are you sure your parents would be okay with me coming over?” Levi asked.
I chuckled and nodded, “Yeah, man. They’re pretty chill people for the most part. We just don’t have much, so you can’t expect snacks and caviar. Maybe some off-brand soda and spaghetti or something.”
“And what would we tell them if they asked why I came over?” he asked.
“That depends on why you came over. The truth always works best. If we’re just hanging out, that’s fine,” I took a step towards him and put my hands on his shoulders. “But if something happens and we’re not just hanging out, I’m fine with telling them that we’re not just friends.”
Once again, he didn’t pull away, but he did mutter, “But we are just friends.”
“Levi, let’s be honest. You’re gay. I’m gay. So far, I’m enjoying hanging out with you and if we keep enjoying our time together, things might end up happening,” I said.
He sighed and shook his head, “I don’t think it’s going to be that simple. Sure, we have that thing in common, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to be magically attracted to one another.”
“Attraction is completely different than compatible. I’m very attracted to you. I’m willing to go out on a limb and say that you’re attracted to me as well, otherwise, that little moan you made earlier would be the most uncanny coincidence ever,” I said and let my hands slide down his arms.
“I-I’m not going to be some kind of booty call for you,” he whispered.
I shook my head and took a step back, “I wouldn’t ask you to be that. I’ve had plenty of chances to put my dick in places I’d regret. Dude, this conversation is getting much more serious than it has to be. Right now, we’re friends. That’s good enough. I’m just not going to pretend that I’m going to leave it at that. If we’re not compatible, fine, but I’m not going to hide that I’m interested in you. If we’re just friends, that’s fine. If you end up being something else to me, that’s also fine.”
“Uh, I’m going to get my console out of my room and hook it up to the living room TV so you can play a game or something while I cook,” he said.
“I’d rather stay and keep you company, Levi,” I said.
He shook his head, “I really need a minute to think, Hunter. I appreciate how open and forward you’re being, I’d much rather have that than you leading me on and lying to me, but this is still a lot to take.”
I didn’t argue with him further. He wasn’t asking me to leave, so I couldn’t have fucked things up too bad. Once the game was hooked up, I didn’t even bother changing the disc for something else. Whatever roleplaying game he had in was what I ended up playing. It wasn’t that interesting to me, but then again, I hated playing games without someone else. If he was playing with me, then maybe it would have been fun. The gear system was cool enough and would have been fun to grind for hours with him to get better stuff, but still. I’d have been much more entertained if I was in the kitchen watching him work his magic.
There wasn’t much I didn’t find attractive about him, but as the smell of his cooking grew more pervasive in the room, I could understand why he was already pushing me away. In the years that we’d gone to the same school, I never once spoke to him before last night. Even if I was trying to make sure he knew I wasn’t going to treat him like a disposable toy, he couldn’t be sure of that.
My smile faded as I paused the game and leaned back into his comfortable couch. This wasn’t fair to him. It was obvious that he thought I was hot, most people did. Guys wanted to be me, chicks wanted to be with me. Maybe I let that go to my head over the years. Levi wasn’t like them, though. He didn’t let my charm bring him under my spell. Without even realizing that I was doing it, I’d already treated him like every other guy I’d slept with. That wasn’t an extensive list, but none of those guys were still a part of my life. Levi was obviously not the right guy for me. I’d end up hurting him or making him feel like he was being used.
I let out a soft sigh and walked back to the entrance of his house. Putting my shirt back on felt strange. It was as if by putting the damn thing back on, I was conceding ground with him. If there was one thing I was known for, I didn’t back down from anyone or anything. But what was the play for me if I didn’t at least try to make him see that I was serious? I didn’t know where to draw the line. If it was anyone else, I’d have left. I wasn’t a stranger to walking anywhere I needed to go. But he wasn’t anyone else.
Levi was still the guy that dominated my fantasies. I wanted to feel his body against mine while I claimed him. His petite frame would be so damn easy to hold against a wall while I kissed him. His legs could easily wrap around my waist while I was inside him, making him moan my name while I showed him what pleasure really was.
I wanted to be angry with him for even making me second guess myself, but I couldn’t. The only person that I could be irritated with was myself. Levi was different from most guys, but so was I.
I walked back into the kitchen just as he was pulling a pan of what looked to be chicken casserole out of the oven. Once he put it down on the stove, I spoke softly, “Do you really think I’m doing all of this because I feel bad for you?”
Levi turned to look at me and sighed before turning back to the food, “I think that it’s a little strange that the star football player just happens to take interest in me after he gets kicked off the starting team.”
“So you think I want your help getting my grades up?” I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders and retrieved a spatula from a drawer and put it in the food. “I think you should get a plate of food and stop asking questions.”
“I think you should tell me why I can’t just be interested in you,” I shot back.
Levi turned around and glared at me, “Because you’re you. Hunter fucking George. You’re the star of the team, you’re a guy that doesn’t take no for an answer, and you’re probably just stringing me along because it’s some kind of prank to figure out if I was gay or not.”
I closed the distance between us in two steps and put a hand on the back of his head. My eyes met with his for just a second before I shut mine and leaned down to kiss him. His soft lips pressed against mine and his hands shot to my abs. For a tense moment, I thought he would push me away, but his hands relaxed and simply lingered on my stomach. My fingers curled through his short hair and I felt my cock stiffening in my shorts and press against his hip as I started to deepen the kiss. I wanted the kiss to last forever, but I pulled away and looked down at him with hungry eyes, “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Levi.”
Chapter Five
I didn’t chase after Hunter as he walked out of my house. I couldn’t. My legs wouldn’t work and I couldn’t get my breathing to calm down at all. All I could do was relive the surreal moment in my mind over and over. I thought I knew what I wanted from a man, but after feeling his chiseled core under my hands and his cock growing against my hip, I realized that I knew nothing. I thought I wanted things to be discussed beforehand. I thought I wanted to let my partner know what I wanted and ask him what he wanted from me.
But then Hunter happened. Everything that I thought I wanted flew out the window when he kissed me. As smart as I was, I knew that if he asked me what I wanted after that kiss, I wouldn’t have been able to speak. But in my heart, I would have wanted him to do anything so long as he didn’t stop. But he did stop and I wasn’t able to speak.
Of all the things I could have said to him after he told me he was gay, all I did was question him. All the intelligence that I could muster told me that something wasn’t right about how he seemed to open up to me so quickly, but it
felt so damn right when he was holding me against him. Would he have left if I told him that he was my first kiss? Would it even matter if he did?
I didn’t deserve his company tonight. Fuck, I’d be lucky if he ever spoke to me again. But that was my fault. I was the reason that he left. I couldn’t just listen to what he had to say, like always, I had to think that I knew better than someone else. As much as I hated being wrong, this time was different. I was proud that I was wrong about his intentions. At the very least, I knew he wasn’t just messing with me. But the problem was that I probably blew the chance I had with him.
Something warm trickled down my cheek and it was only when I wiped it away that I realized I was crying. That realization came with a flood of tears. I couldn’t rationalize why I was so upset, but me trying to rationalize things was what made this pain happen in the first place. Things could have been perfect tonight if I just let him sit on my couch and eat dinner with me. I’d have a shirtless Hunter George on my couch in my home, with me beside him. I could have had a night that most women in school would have killed to have. And I blew it.
I was wrong about Hunter. He wasn’t the blockhead I thought he was but was it too late to figure that out?
Ashley nudged me, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I muttered as I put my car in reverse. Last night went to shit and the rest of my night wasn’t much better. I couldn’t even bring myself to eat, but I had a plan to try to apologize to Hunter for my behavior. Maybe I wasn’t solely to blame for how things went, but I was man enough to take responsibility for my part in it.
“You don’t seem fine,” she said quietly. “Levi, you know you can talk to me if something is bothering you, right?”
“I don’t really want to talk about it.”
She sighed and dropped her makeup kit on her lap, “But you’re going to. How many times have you been there for me over the years, Levi? Do you really think that I’m going to let you weasel your way out of this?”
