Always - 5. A Day of Firsts

It was 8:00 in the morning when David woke us up with the intercom. Damn! I think I just had the best full night of sleep I’ve ever had! Not a single dream being chased by bullies. Not a single dream about how shitty my day had been. But I sure do remember a lot of dreams about a totally cute red-haired boy! I sure do remember a lot of kissing that boy, too!

“Mornin’ Nick. Sleep good?”

I looked across the room, and Noah was stretching. Yeah, he’s still the hottest boy I’ve ever seen, but something’s different this morning. Oh yeah! I get it! He’s not Billy McCallister!

Fuck, I wonder if I need to stop thinking about Billy. My cock is raging hard. I need to think about something else. I can’t get out of bed like this! Oh! I guess Noah can, though.

Dude just crawls out of bed, full-on hard, and heads to the bathroom. “C’mon Nicko, no need to be shy. I’ve already seen your teeny peeny.”

“You little shit! I’ll show you teeny peeny!” I hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Noah stepped to the side of the toilet and made room for me. “If this is a teeny peeny, then you should be totally ashamed of that micro-dick!”

We finally got our pee flowing, despite our giggles. “We gotta hurry and get dressed. The dads are gonna want us out there for breakfast before Dad leaves for work.”

I went into my closet and put on one of my new pairs of underwear. Damn! Who knew underwear could feel so good?!? I put on my new jeans and a Dr. Pepper tee shirt. I was almost giddy. This was the first time in my life I had new clothes on—I mean, everything was new!

Noah and I went out to the kitchen, and David was scrambling eggs with chunks of ham, onion, and cheese. Andrew was pulling English muffins out of the toaster and buttering them up.

“Good morning, boys! Everyone sleep well?”

I just couldn’t stop smiling. “Yeah, it was the best night of sleep I think I’ve ever had! Noah’s snoring didn’t even bother me.”

“I don’t snore, dude!” David and Andrew looked at each other and started laughing. “What?? I don’t snore! Do I?”

I put my arm on Noah’s shoulder, “Dude, it’s really not bad. It’s kinda cute if you really wanna know. And I’m sorry I brought it up. I didn’t think your dads were gonna be brutal and laugh at you.”

“No worries, Nick. And just so you know, these guys will jump at any chance to humiliate me—and now you—bet your ass on that!”

“Language.” Both dads said in unison. But you know, I was still grinning. I’m getting to really love this new life that’s been dropped in my lap.

Andrew sipped his coffee and looked at me. “Nick, that smile sure looks good on you. It looks like things are starting to settle down for you a bit?”

“Yeah, definitely. I still can’t believe everything that’s happening, but it’s feeling good just to let it happen and stop worrying about it ending after two weeks.”

Noah then leaned in close and looked at my mouth. “Yep! I knew it! That smile has Billy McCallister written all over it!”

“Shut up!”

Noah took my face in his hands and planted a kiss on my forehead. “I will not shut up! Hey—my best friend and my new brother are hitting it off! That is so freakin’ cool!”

All I could do was add a blush to my smile as David put plates of scrambled eggs in front of us. Damn! It was soooo good! And then, out of nowhere—tears started falling from my eyes. Dammit!

Andrew was the first to notice. “Nick, you okay? Is something wrong?”

“No sir, nothing’s wrong. Actually—everything’s great. Better than I had ever thought it could be. Thank you for everything you’ve done. All of you—this—this is nothing like any foster home I’ve ever heard of.”

Andrew smiled at me and put his hand over mine. “Nick, I think I can speak for all of us when I say that you are so much more than some foster kid. I think this is a win-win for everyone.” He squeezed my hand and went back to his breakfast.

Everything was quiet while we were digging into our food. Did you know you could eat and smile at the same time? Who knew?

As we were finishing our food, David asked, “So what are your plans for the day?”

Noah took a swig of orange juice and told him, “Nick and I are going to hit the gym this morning, and on the way there, we need to stop and get him some workout clothes. We didn’t even think of that yesterday. Then we’ll come home for lunch. Billy’s coming by this afternoon, so we can practice the song before he takes Nick out.”

“Sounds like you have another full day planned. Andrew pulled out his wallet and gave Noah a credit card. Take care of the clothes with this.” He then pulled out three twenty-dollar bills and handed them to me.

“What’s this?”

“We give Noah $60 a week for allowance. This is your allowance.”

“But I haven’t done anything to earn an allowance. I haven’t done any chores or anything.”

“Noah, tell Nick about the chores in our house.”

“If the dads cook, we clean the dishes. If we cook, the dads will clean when they get back from the emergency room. Make the bed in the morning and pick your stuff up. That’s about it.”

“Wow, this definitely isn’t your typical foster home! I think I might just stick around for a while!”

David answered my comment, “Good thing, I don’t think we’d let you out of here any time soon! Oh! Why don’t you stop by Jimmy John’s and pick up some subs for lunch? I have to go grocery shopping and may not be here when you get back from the gym. Noah? Are you going to take Calvin with you?”

“I hadn’t planned on it. I was just going to take Nick.”

“Think about it. You and Calvin have been gym buddies for almost a year. You’ve always gone together. If you take Nick and not Calvin, then it just might make one of your friends resent Nick. What do you think you should do here?”

“Wow. I didn’t even think of that. I’ll text Cal and let him know I want to hit the gym up this morning. If he says yes, I’ll let him know Nick is gonna be with us. You okay with that, Nick?”

“Uh, sure. I’d rather meet your friends in small doses than all at once next week.”

“Well, time for me to head downtown! And by the way—Nick and Calvin are going to get along perfectly, don’t you think?”

Andrew got up and kissed David goodbye. He then went to Noah and placed a kiss on top of his head. Then—which I totally didn’t expect—Andrew came over to me and put one on my head. “In just a couple of days, you’ve added so much joy to our family. I love you, Nick. Have an awesome day. Okay, bud?”

Nope. Couldn’t speak a word! I just felt my breath catch, so I nodded my head. Thankfully, I held it together until Andrew walked out to the garage. Then I lost it.

“No! No! Nonononono! Nothing’s wrong!” I wiped my eyes with my napkin. “I know this is gonna sound stupid, but no one—not one single person has ever said ‘I love you’ to me until I came into this amazing house. And I get that it’s not something you just say here. But I know when you say it, you mean it. It just kinda blows me away, that’s all.”

Then Noah—stupid fucking Noah—leans over, wraps his arms around me, and tells me he loves me. And if that’s not enough, David joins in and tells me the same thing. Yeah—I lost it again—totally lost it.

When I finally got my shit together, I was still being hugged. Damn, it sure felt nice—I can definitely tell you that for sure. “I love you guys, too. Okay? I love you—but I can’t breathe right now.”

David walked around the island and got his iPad powered up. “Okay, while you boys clean the dishes, I’m going to put my grocery list together. Nick, are there any vegetables you don’t like? Any that you love?”

“Well, the only one I’ve come across that I didn’t care for was asparagus. It made me gag. The veggies I love are the strange ones—cauliflower, broccoli, and my all-time favorite is Brussel sprouts.”

“You’re going to fit right in. Andrew hates asparagus, and Noah can’t have enough meals with Brussel sprouts.”

“David, do you think I could text Andrew? I didn’t get to tell him I love him, too. And he’s the one who started it all!”

“Why don’t you wait for about thirty more minutes. That way, he’ll be in his office and can text you back.”

“Good idea.”

“Cal’s good to go. Said he can’t wait to meet you, Nick!”

“And he thinks I’m—”

“A friend of the family that’s staying with us for a while.”

“Does Billy work out? I mean, that’s kind of a dumb question—of course he works out. He’s built like a—”

“Yes, text him and tell him we’ll be at the gym at 9:30.”

“If he goes with you, just bring him back here. Just go ahead and pick up subs for Billy and Calvin, too.”

“Awesome!”

NICKOJACO: hey handsome. u up?

BILLYMAC: been thinking about you, of course i’m UP! <eg>

NICKOJACO: yup, still my bad boy!

BILLYMAC: ❤️ what’s up?

NICKOJACO: noah and I are heading to the gym with cal. u wanna?

BILLYMAC: yaaas! that’ll be great! what time?

“Hey, Noah—can we make the time 10:30 so we have time to do our shopping thing?”

“Good idea. Cal won’t mind. He loves shopping.”

“Cool!”

NICKOJACO: 10:30. and plan on coming back here after for lunch, k? you should bring your clothes for tonight, too.

BILLYMAC: sweet! i get to spend another day with a hot boy!

NICKOJACO: i’ll ask noah if he knows any so you won’t be disappointed LOL

BILLYMAC: shut up! u are all the hotness i’ll ever need. get used to it!

NICKOJACO: ok. ur gonna make me cry again. we gotta run and hit the store on the way to the gym. cya there! ❤️

BILLYMAC: ciao bello! ❤️

I ended the text with Billy so Noah and I could get the dishes done. We had everything cleaned and in the dishwasher in less than ten minutes, and we headed back to the bedroom to get ready to go. I pulled my hair up into a man-bun like I always do when I go out for a run. One of the advantages of having long hair, I guess.

So I had all these new clothes and had to put on my old sneakers. Kinda ruined the effect for me. Of course, Noah sees me and says we’ll get some new sneakers on our shopping trip. I just shook my head and smiled. I’ve learned not to argue when my new bro makes a decision—well, not too much anyway.

We hopped in Noah’s car. It’s so cute! It’s a convertible Fiat 500. He put the top down, and we headed to Cal’s house.

Cal lives only about ten minutes away. We pulled into the driveway, and Cal was waiting for us. I don’t know why I was surprised to see a black dude. I guess I was part of the people who thought only white people lived in this part of the city. I feel kind of ashamed for thinking that, especially since I’m probably half-black.

Noah popped the trunk, and Cal put his bag in. He just hopped over the side of the car and into the back seat. “Hey dude, you must be Nick! I’m Cal.”

“Nice to meet you, dude.” We did a little fist bump, and we were on our way. Noah put on the satellite radio, and sure enough, we had showtunes blaring out. I was wondering how Cal would react to our favorite station, but my concerns were for nothing. Hamilton’s “My Shot” was on, and damn! Cal knew every bit of the lyrics and had the phrasing down. I looked back and grinned. Cal grinned back.

“Cal’s in the musical theatre class, too. Cal! Wait till you see the number Nick, Billy, and I worked up! You’re gonna shit!”

We made it to Walmart in about ten minutes, and Cal decided to stay in the car and play games on his phone.

It was a total high-speed shopping trip. We got three tank tops, three compression tees, four workout shorts, a couple of jockstraps, new sneakers, white ankle socks, a bag, and an armband for my phone so I could listen to tunes while working out. Bam! We were done! I didn’t complain, cry, or have a panic attack!

We got out to the car, and Noah opened the trunk. We took the tags off of everything I was going to use—and I was good to go! We hopped back into the car and headed for the gym.

We closed up the car and headed into the gym. Billy was already there when we parked. The cute boy behind the counter said hi to my friends and figured out who I was. He handed me a clipboard with some paperwork.

“We only need your personal information. The computer filled out all the family stuff.”

I told the guys to go on without me—that I would catch up—but they said they would wait. Wow! So much niceness around me. I’m gonna get spoiled, for sure!

I finished filling out everything in just minutes, and I was handed a membership card and keyring thing. Everyone scanned their cards, and we headed to the locker room. As soon as we walked in, Noah got pissed because we forgot a lock for the lockers. He said he would share with me, so there we were—four hot boys—well, three anyway—stripping down and changing.

I could feel Billy’s eyes on me when I pulled off my underwear to put on my jockstrap. When I arranged my junk in the pouch, I’m pretty sure I heard Billy gasp. After pulling on my workout shorts, I sat down on the bench to put on my socks and shoes. I looked up and saw the cutest, whitest ass I’ve ever seen just as Billy pulled his shorts up.

Billy sat next to me on the bench and leaned in, whispering, “Holy fuck, Nick. You are the hottest boy I’ve ever seen—and seeing you naked almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Um, Billy—am I the first boy you’ve ever seen? Well, I mean in that way.”

“Good point. You know I’m hard right now. Thank god for jockstraps!”

“You’re still a bad boy. Can you walk out into the gym yet?”

“Are you going to put a shirt on? The gym doesn’t allow us to go shirtless.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot. I was looking at this hot ass in front of me, and I was distracted.”

“Now who’s being a bad boy?”

I got up and pulled on my tank top. Noah insisted I get one a size smaller than I wanted, said it would make me look hotter. I didn’t argue and went with it. On the way out to the gym, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I have to say, I looked pretty damned good!

We went up the stairs to the cardio section, and Noah asked me if I wanted to use the treadmill, the bikes, or the ellipticals. I told him I liked running, so he took me to the treadmills. He showed me how they worked and suggested I do a 20-minute pre-programmed cycle. He warned me that it would gradually speed up and slow down and that the angle would change, so it would be like running up and down hills.

Billy took the treadmill next to me and punched in the same program I was using, so we were off and running. We put in our earbuds, and I punched in Noah’s Spotify playlist—Broadway Showtunes, of course!

The program Noah punched in was tough as shit but still a lot of fun. It was nice that Billy and I were able to keep up with each other. Every now and then, we would just look at each other and smile.

We finished the cardio and went down to the machines and weights. Noah and Cal said it was chest and arms day, which only confused the fuck out of me. I looked at Billy and must have had a look of panic on my face.

“Why don’t we let them do their thing, and I’ll take you through the machine circuit. We can do it together. That way I can show you how they work, so you get yourself a good workout!”

“Thanks, Billy! That would be awesome!”

So we split up, and Billy took me to the area with all the machines.

“First time at a gym?”

“Yeah, most of the foster homes don’t have gyms. I would just run and do pushups, situps, that kind of thing. I love running. It’s a good way to clear your mind of all the bullshit.”

“I get that. I like running, too. Maybe we can run together sometime?”

“Billy, I think I would picking up dog shit if you were there with me.”

“Awwww! Ten bonus points for Nicky!”

I just grinned, and we started our workout. Holy shit! Billy Fucking McCallister was kind—but brutal! By the time we finished the circuit, we had worked every muscle I knew I had and plenty I didn’t even know existed. We headed back to the locker room.

“Shit! We forgot towels!”

I opened the locker, and there was a towel in my bag. I guess Noah put it in there for me.

“Okay, Nick. Strip down to your shorts and take your towel with you.”

“What are we doing now?"

"We’re gonna sit in the whirlpool and relax our muscles—then to the sauna to sweat out the toxins.”

“Okay, lead the way! I’ll be right behind you.” I leaned in and whispered, “and enjoying the fuck out of the view!”

“Yeah, Nicky. You’re just as bad as me! Love it!”

We made it out to the whirlpool. Damn! They also have a five-lane lap pool!

Noah and Cal were already chilling in the whirlpool, and Billy and I stepped in to join them. It was nice that the gym was kind of empty, and we had the pool to ourselves.

“Noah! You didn’t tell me they had a lap pool! Next time, we bring our speedos and do some swimming!”

“Hell yeah! Cal and Billy aren’t all that into swimming much. It’ll be great now that I have a swimming buddy!”

We didn’t talk much as we let the jets of water work their magic on our tired muscles. After about 20 minutes, Cal suggested we hit the heat. “Dry or steam?” Everyone voted for the dry sauna, so we headed in.

The heat felt great on my skin, but the thing I like best was the quiet. I think this must be the most peaceful place in the entire gym.

Of course, we talked, but we could keep our voices down, and we just spoke quietly to each other.

I started to get a little uncomfortable when Cal kept asking questions that got more and more personal. I hated lying. I was never good at it.

Noah noticed my lack of comfort and changed the subject, asking Cal about his summer plans. Thank you, Noah!!

While Cal was talking, Billy leaned into my ear and whispered, “You can be open with Cal—especially Cal. It’s not for me to tell his story, but I promise you have a comrade sitting across from you.”

And as if on cue, Cal asked me where my parents went and why they dropped me off at Noah’s. All I could do is take a deep breath and start talking.

“Cal. I have a confession to make—and an apology.”

Noah looked at me and smiled while slowly nodding his head. I knew at the very least, he and Billy had my back.

“What do you mean, Nick? What do you have to apologize for?”

“I’m not a visitor in the White’s house. I actually live there now. You see—and this is the confession part—David and Andrew have taken me in as a foster son. Noah is my foster brother. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you.”

I looked down at the floor, sweat dripping off my nose.

“Dude! No way! No need to apologize, and I totally get you not wanting everyone to know your business. So you see—I was a foster kid too. Four years ago, the Coopers took me in. Scared the shit outta me. I mean, why would this white couple want to take in a black kid? It took me over a year to finally get that they loved me for the kid I was. It was like they didn’t even notice the color of my skin. Freaked the shit outta me at first, too.”

“You were a foster kid? Oh my god! I had no idea! Noah! Billy! Why didn’t you let me know?”

“Hey bro, we’ve talked about a lot of shit the past few days. But it’s not my place to talk about Cal’s shit, or Billy’s, or anyone else’s.”

“You still a foster kid, Cal?”

“Nope! Two years ago, we went to family court, and I officially became Cal Cooper. Has a nice ring to it, don’tcha think?”

“Dad was their attorney, too. We had an awesome adoption party at the house that night.”

“So Cal—I’m really nervous about other people knowing my shit. Did people in school know you were a foster kid?”

“Not really. I mean, most kids don’t give a shit about your family stuff—unless they're your friends. Eventually, my friends knew, and it didn’t matter. It was never a big deal. But that doesn’t mean I’m telling you how to handle things. You gotta do what makes you feel comfortable. But I can tell you one thing—no matter what, I got your back, Nick.”

“Wow! Every day there’s another surprise that just rocks my world!”

“Really? What rocked your world yesterday?”

Billy and I looked at each other and blushed.

“No way?!? I guess I should’ve asked who rocked your world! But damn, you guys just rocked my world! Billy McCallister—I thought you were into chicks!”

“I was—until the perfect boy walked into Cali Pizza Kitchen with Noah. And it took about five minutes for me to realize a whole lotta shit about myself—and I was totally good with it, too.”

“So you’re gay, Nick?”

“Yeah, always have been.”

“Cool. Cool. I’m totally straight, but I’m down with my gay buds. I still gotcher back!”

Damn—the day just keeps getting better and better. I now have four friends who like me for—me! Who woulda ever thought that could happen?

We finally were done with the sauna. I don’t think I had another ounce of water to sweat out! Of course, that meant showers. I was not looking forward to being naked in a shower with my three best friends. I mean, it doesn’t matter if they see my junk, but with Billy in the shower with us, I would definitely be showing off hard junk. I don’t need that before our first date!

Thank you, God and the Universe! The shower area had eight private shower stalls! So we stripped down, wrapped our towels around our waists, and each took a stall. Another new thing I learned? There’s nothing better than a nice hot shower after an awesome workout.

Once I was clean and rinsed, I turned the temperature down and began to cool off. By the time it was cold, I felt great! The cold water tightens my pores and stops the sweating. I like how refreshing it is, too.

I reached out grabbed my towel just as Billy did in the shower across from me. Our eyes met, and we just stared at each other. Billy then opened his curtain all the way and saw the most beautiful body—even more so than Noah’s. I know my eyes bulged when I saw Billy naked. His eyes sure did when I pulled my curtain back.

We both watched each other dry off, and yes, our cocks started filling out. We finished drying and stepped out of the showers. When we were face-to-face, I whispered, “Now I know I’m the luckiest boy in the world.”

Billy blushed, and we walked out to the lockers to change back into our clothes. It didn’t take long for all four of us to dress and head out to the parking lot. Of course, I was going to ride to the sub shop with Billy. Yay! More time with my hot-as-fuck-almost-boyfriend. Yeah, I said it—‘cause I feel it—and dammit, this is my story!

We got into the car, and Billy reached for the radio. “Billy, could we not listen to music?”

“Something wrong?”

“No-no-no-no! I just want to be in here with you. No distractions.”

“Dammit, Nick—you’re making me fall harder and harder for you.”

“The falling is mutual, babe.”

Billy smiled and said, “I will forgive you for the goofy line, but only because you called me babe! Jesus, Nick. You’re making me the happiest I’ve ever been!”

Billy put the car in gear, and we were on our way. We really didn’t say much. But he took my hand, and we rested our arms on the console between the seats. Yeah, Billy Fucking McCallister is making me happier than I’ve ever been!

We picked up the subs, and Noah suggested we all get the same thing because it was the best one, of course! So we ended up getting the Italian Night Club and five bags of chips. We got back into our cars and headed home. Yes, I said home! Deal!

We got to the house, and Noah parked in the garage while Billy parked off to the side of the driveway. David’s SUV was there, so he must already be back from the grocery store. In fact, he was getting out of the car as we were pulling in. Billy grabbed my bag with his as well as a change of clothes for our date tonight. Cal took his and Noah’s bags along with the rest of my shopping from Walmart. That freed Noah and me to help David bring in the groceries.

Lunch was great. I have to say Noah was right because that was the best fucking sub I’ve ever had! When we finished lunch, the four of us cleaned up the kitchen, and Noah said we should meet him upstairs in the movie room. He went to get his laptop, and soon we were practicing our song—well, we were really performing for Cal. He was blown away, too!

“Miss Garner’s gonna eat that shit up!”

Noah went back to his laptop and told Cal it was his turn. “Still doing ‘All Good Gifts’?”

“Yep, same karaoke track, too.”

Holy shit! Cal’s voice was stunning! He had a beautiful high voice, and the riffing he added to the song was fucking brilliant! And then it happened—

Billy looked at me and said it was time. It was time for me to do my song. I knew I had to do it, but shit—I was nervous as fuck!

But I stood up in front of my friends. Noah found the karaoke I had been using, and I started singing “Waving Through a Window” from Dear Evan Hansen.

Now—this song is huge for me—not because it’s hard (which it is)—but because the song is me. It’s my life. So I’m gonna share the words with you—you’ll see what I mean.

I’ve learned to slam on the brake

Before I even turn the key,

Before I make the mistake,

Before I lead with the worst of me.

 

Give them no reason to stare.

No slipping up if you slip away.

So I got nothing to share.

No, I got nothing to say.

 

Step out, step out of the sun

If you keep getting burned.

Step out, step out of the sun

Because you’ve learned because you’ve learned—

 

On the outside, always looking in,

Will I ever be more than I’ve been?

‘Cause I’m tap, tap, tapping on the glass;

I’m waving through a window.

I try to speak, but nobody can hear

So I wait around for an answer to appear

While I’m watch, watch, watching people pass;

I’m waving through a window, oh

Can anybody see? Is anybody waving back at me?

 

We start with stars in our eyes.

We start believing that we belong.

But every sun doesn’t rise,

And no one tells you where you went wrong.

 

Step out, step out of the sun

If you keep getting burned.

Step out, step out of the sun

Because you’ve learned because you’ve learned—

 

On the outside, always looking in,

Will I ever be more than I’ve been?

‘Cause I’m tap, tap, tapping on the glass;

I’m waving through a window.

I try to speak, but nobody can hear

So I wait around for an answer to appear

While I’m watch, watch, watching people pass;

I’m waving through a window, oh

Can anybody see? Is anybody waving back at me?

 

When you’re falling in a forest and there’s nobody around

Do you ever really crash, or even make a sound?

When you’re falling in a forest and there’s nobody around

Do you ever really crash, or even make a sound?

When you’re falling in a forest and there’s nobody around

Do you ever really crash, or even make a sound?

When you’re falling in a forest and there’s nobody around

Do you ever really crash, or even make a sound?

Did I even make a sound?

Did I even make a sound?

It’s like I never made a sound.

Will I ever make a sound?

 

On the outside, always looking in,

Will I ever be more than I’ve been?

‘Cause I’m tap, tap, tapping on the glass;

I’m waving through a window.

I try to speak, but nobody can hear

So I wait around for an answer to appear

While I’m watch, watch, watching people pass;

I’m waving through a window, oh

Can anybody see? Is anybody waving back at me?

 

Is anybody waving?

Waving, waving—Whoa—

 

 

-from the musical Dear Evan Hansen, by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

 

So I just sang my ass off and finished the way I always finish this song—looking down to the floor with my eyes closed. Oh fuck me. Silence--dead silence. Did they hate it that much? Well, here goes nothing. I slowly open my eyes and lift my head.

What the—?? Noah had his head in his hands, and his shoulders sure looked like he was crying. Billy and Cal were staring at me with tears flowing. David had walked in, and he was dabbing his eyes with his handkerchief. “Guys, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

Cal spoke first. “Dude. That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard. I mean—you have a great voice, and those high notes are amazing. But what you put behind the words. For the first time, I really heard them. I get them. You are fucking amazing!”

“Language, Calvin!”

“Sorry, Dr. White—but you had to have heard it, too—right?”

“Yeah, I heard it. It was brilliant, Nick—just brilliant. You have an amazing gift.”

Billy walked up to me after wiping his eyes with the back of his arm. Well, he didn’t just walk up to me—he walked up to me and kissed me! In front of everybody! Then he put his hands on either side of my face. “Nick, Nick, Nick—look at me. No—really look at me—look in my eyes. I think I just fell completely in love with you. I’m not sure. I’ve never felt anything like this before. My heart feels like it’s going to burst right now.”

“Billy, don’t be silly. It was just a song.”

“No, it was so much more than that. You let us into your soul—your deepest feelings. I don’t know about the others, but I totally get you now. I understand your fears. I get why you’re so happy now. Damn—I’ve never heard a song sung with so much truth and passion.”

David asked Noah to join us on the sofa. He came over and hugged me first. “Thank you for singing that song. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. God, I’m so lucky to have you for my brother.”

David sat next to me and pulled me into his shoulder. Billy was holding my hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. Cal and Noah sat on either end of the sofa. I still don’t get what everyone was going off about. I just sang a song. Granted, it’s a good song, and it means a lot to me—but all this?

David asked me if I was still feeling the same way about the words now. “I mean, I just want those words to be meaningful to you when you think about your life before you came to us.”

“Oh! David. So many awesome things have happened since I came here. So yes, those words are more about my life last week. A lot less about my life now. But I still haven’t started school at Westlake. That still scares the sh—sorry—crap out of me.”

Cal looked over at me. “Nick—dude—you have a quarterback and one of the running backs—along with a wrestler boy who everyone thinks is still straight—we all have your back. Nobody’s gonna fu—sorry—screw with you. The three of us gotcha covered.”

“And Maddy. She totally loves you, too.”

“Okay, I get it. I’m just paranoid. I’m going to do my best to be positive about starting a new school. It’s not the first time I’ve done that. I’m going to trust that everything’s gonna be good.”

“Great! Well, I need to run into town for a couple of errands. Can I trust you boys not to destroy the house while I’m gone?”

I looked at David and smiled. “The gym busted my butt. I’m beat. I think I’m going to take a nap so I don’t fall asleep on my date tonight!”

“I’m gonna run Cal home.”

“I’m just gonna hang here if that’s okay.”

“That’s fine, Billy. And I know I can trust you and Nick. I think it’s too soon for you boys to—”

“Oh, God! No! We’ve talked about it. Neither one of us is ready for anything like that!”

David smiled at Billy. “Okay, Billy, you can relax. Nick?”

“Neither one of us has ever done anything like that before. I know I’m not ready to cross that line yet.”

“Okay, boys. I trust you both. Don’t let me down, okay?”

“No worries, Dr. White. Everything’s good.”

We all got up and went downstairs. David, Noah, and Cal all went to the garage. Billy went out to move his car out of the driveway. I went to the bedroom, stripped down to my new, sexy underwear, and crawled into bed.

I must have been super tired because I woke up to the sounds of Billy stripping down to his underwear. I smiled at him, okay—I smiled at the gorgeous view standing in front of me. “Would you like some company?”

“Billy, we promised David—”

“I don’t wanna fuck—well, I do—but not yet, ya know.”

I pushed up the blankets, and Billy crawled in. I put my arms around him and pulled him to me. We kissed. No—I mean, we really kissed! Hard! With moaning. Oh yeah, hard cocks were getting familiar, too. I pulled away a bit.

“Do you think this is a good idea? Because, if we keep up with that kind of kissing, I don’t know if I can be responsible for my actions.”

“I think you’re right. Here—let’s do this.”

Billy lay on his back and guided my head to his chest. He undid my man-bun and let my hair fall across his body. He left his fingers in my hair and gently rubbed my head. Oh wow! Just. Wow! It felt so good, and in about ten seconds, I was out. The sound of Billy’s heart was so soothing.

The next thing I knew, we were awakened by the flash on Noah’s camera. Really? I looked up at a grinning Noah and gave him a look of death.

“Really? Was that necessary?”

“Oh my God, Nick. You guys looked so cute! I had to take a pic. Check your phones—I already sent it to you. You’ll love having this—it’s your power nap before your first date!” Noah grinned and left us alone.

I looked down at Billy, and he was just giggling and shaking his head. “What? What’s so funny, BMac?”

“BMac?”

“I’m trying out different nicknames. And what’s so funny?”

“You do realize now that you have a brother, he will be our number one supporter—and tormentor.”

“Oh, fuck! We’re doomed!”

“Hey babe, I need to take a shower and get ready for tonight. I have a date with the hottest boy!”

“Oh yeah? Think I could meet him? Or are you gonna keep him all to yourself?”

“Oh, he’s definitely a keeper. And he’s mine—all mine and only mine!”

“Really? Are you sure? You really mean that?”

“Oh, Hell yeah! I told you I completely fell in love with you this afternoon. I meant that.”

“But—”

“That doesn’t mean you have to fall in love with me in return. I don’t think it works that way. But when you’re ready—I’m there. I love you, Nicky.”

Fucking tears!

“You must think I’m the biggest pussy the way I keep crying.”

“Not at all. I love that you are comfortable enough with me—with us—that you feel free to let your emotions show. I love that about you.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve such a perfect boy. And don’t worry, I promise you I’m falling in love with you. It’s just taking me a little longer. I’m still a little scared of all that’s been happening. But hey—I guess you should go upstairs and get ready for your date. Turns out I have one, too. I need to get ready.”

Billy kissed me and crawled out of bed. Damn, he looked good. He was throwing wood, too. Looks to be about seven inches and pretty thick!

“Hey! Not fair, you get to check out my junk while you stay in bed!”

Well, what the hell was I supposed to do? So I threw back the covers and let Billy check my junk—seven inches of hard cock that apparently was now his—all his—only his! Fine by me!

“Someday, Nicky! I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with that thing, but I promise you that we’re going to have a shitload of fun trying to figure it out!”

Billy wiggled his eyebrows and walked out of the room with his bag, clothes, and a shit-eating grin! I crawled out of the bed and into the bathroom. I shucked my boxer briefs and turned on the shower. I washed my hair with my new tea-tree oil shampoo and conditioner and then soaped up my body.

Ya know something? I’m kinda starting to feel like I’m rockin’ this body—especially after the workout today. My pecs are firm and full. I may not have a six-pack yet, but It’s almost like I can feel them starting to show. I get my shaving cream and razor, trim up my bush, and shave the trail. I know a lot of dudes like that treasure trail, but I like the look and feel of smooth.

My cock was still hard, so I carefully shaved the little bit of hair that liked to creep up the sides. While I was at it, I shaved my balls and ass. One thing about being on the swim team, you learn how to shave quickly and safely.

I left the hair on my legs. The only time I’ve ever shaved that was before a swim meet. I rinsed off and stood under the overhead rainforest showerhead. I closed my eyes as I wrapped my hands around my cock. I didn’t have to fantasize or imagine being with Billy. My memory of the kissing and grinding before our nap gave me plenty to think about.

I loved feeling his cock against mine. I love his moans as we kiss each other. I love his touch as his arms are around me. I love the feel of his bare skin against mine. Oh fuck! The feeling of his skin against mine—that’s what did it! I shot a humongous load all over the shower floor.

I rinsed off again and made sure all my spooge made its way down the drain. I dried off and wrapped a towel around my waist. I dried and styled my hair, trying to do it the way I was taught at the salon. I used the spray he used and scrunched it. Hey! Looks pretty damned good! As long as Billy likes it, right? I mean, he kind as this thing for my hair—freak! Hehe!

I went into the closet and tried to decide on an outfit. I picked the burgundy skinny jeans and a black v-neck tee. I tucked the tee into the jeans and added a black belt. I slipped on the new black and white checkered Vans and decided not to wear socks. It looked good, but I needed something else. I was lost.

I thought I would try the intercom thing and punched in the kitchen “Noah! Can you come in here, please?”

“Be right there!” Sweet! First try, too!

Noah walked into the room, and his eyes got huge. “Wow! Holy shit, Nick. You look amazing! Billy’s gonna cum in his pants the minute you walk out there!”

“Shut up! I need your help! The outfit needs something else. I don’t know.”

“I got it!” Noah went into the closet and came out with one of the dress shirts we got at the mall. It was gold with white pinstripes. He told me to wear it over the tee and let it hang down over the pants. Damn, it looked awesome. Semi-straight boy does know his clothes!

“There’s something else. You need something—I got it!”

He went into his dresser and pulled something out. He had me turn around, and he put on a black leather knotted necklace. It wasn’t tight like a choker, but just nice and loose. Then he had me hold out my arm, and he put on a matching bracelet. It was kinda cool. I might get something like that one of these days. He then grabbed a bottle of cologne, sprayed a couple of pumps in front of me, and told me to slowly walk through the mist. Damn! That was some nice smelling shit! Noah said it was his favorite—Giorgio.

He hugged me (I will always love Noah’s hugs) and held me out at arm’s length. “You know what’s funny? Billy McCallister thinks he fell in love with you this afternoon. He’s sitting in the kitchen with the dads. When you walk in there, he’s going to fall in love with you all over again.”

“Shut up! You’re on drugs!”

“No, Nick—you are a fucking wet dream on legs. It’s not the way you rock that hairstyle. It’s not the amazing clothes. It’s what’s happening inside of you. You have more confidence in yourself than I think you’ve ever had. That looks so fucking good on you! Now—you go out there and break Billy’s heart with your hotness.”

He gave me another hug and told me he loved me. God, I love him, too. Well—here goes nothing.

I walked into the kitchen, and Billy froze and just stared. David and Andrew smiled and kinda mouthed “wow” in my direction. Noah stood behind me and nudged me into the kitchen.

I looked at Billy, who looked soooo fucking amazing. My cock started to fill out my skinny jeans. Hey—I’m a gay, sixteen-year-old teenager. Anything that has anything to do with a hot boy is gonna chub up my junk—just sayin’.

Andrew had to do his parent thing and told us that I needed to be home by midnight since there was no school tomorrow. Luckily, Billy had the same curfew.

We walked out the door and to Billy’s car. We looked at each other and at the same time told our date how awesome they looked. He popped the locks, and we got in the car.

“Holy shit, Nick! I just fell in love with you all over again! How can someone fall in love twice in one day.”

I giggled. Really? That’s the best I could come up with?

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, really. Noah said you would say that. It’s really sweet of you to say that. I love how you make me feel, Billy.”

I leaned in and kissed him lightly. He smiled and announced our first date had officially begun. This time, he didn’t even try to turn on the radio. He remembered! We headed into the city, holding hands. Every now and then, one of us would pull the other’s hand to our lips and kiss it. Oh, God! Just made my stomach do flip-flops!

We got to the Alamo Drafthouse, and Billy parked in the covered garage. When he parked, he told me to wait. He walked around the car to my door, opened it, and held out his hand to help me out of the car. How sweet was that?!?

We walked into the theatre lobby, and Billy went to the counter and got our tickets. “I got us seats in the back row.”

“Really? Is this that kind of date?” I grinned at Billy as he blushed.

“No! I mean, I hope I can at least hold your hand, but the theatres are kinda small, and it’s better the further back.”

“Whatever you want, I’m there with you!”

We walked into the theatre, and I was totally blown away. I did everything I could to keep my cool, though. We found our seats and got settled in. The first thing Billy did was raise the armrest between us. Nice! We could kinda scootch closer together now!

We grabbed menus and couldn’t read a damned thing! Billy grabbed his phone and turned on the light on the back. “Show me how to do that?”

And he did. The best part? He just did it without making me feel stupid. Yep, it’s those little things that are making me fall—and fall hard.

We each ordered a pizza. Billy had an Italian Meat Pizza called the Carnivore. I had one that was made just for me—Brussels sprouts, bacon, and goat cheese. Wow! I’ve never had a pizza that tasted so perfect!

The movie was probably the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen! Love, Simon was about two totally sweet boys who find each other while trying to hide from everyone. The coolest part? One of the main characters—no spoiler alert here—totally cute mixed-race boy.

Billy said the school where this takes place is like Westlake in a lot of ways. But it was at the end of the movie when the two boys found each other and kissed on the Ferris wheel—and both of us cried like little girls. It was such a happy ending! Noah was right—it was the perfect movie for our first date!

On the way home, Billy took me to another new experience. We went to a place called Phonatic, and he ordered us this Vietnamese soup called Pho. I never ate soup with chopsticks before. Hell, I’ve never eaten anything with chopsticks before. And to be honest, I’ve still not eaten anything with chopsticks. I ended up using a spoon and fork. But it was good, not too filling and the perfect ending of the perfect date.

Okay—the perfect ending was when Billy walked me to the front door, I was glad the dads left the outside lights off. He took me in his arms and gave me the absolute sweetest kiss ever. There was nothing sexual about it—well, maybe the moans. But it was a sweet, tender kiss that showed how he felt about me.

After we finished the kiss, I ran my fingers along his cheek. “Thank you, Billy. I had the most wonderful time—and not just tonight. This morning, lunch, singing, napping, everything—I don’t think I’ll ever be able to let you know how amazing you make me feel. I almost feel like I can handle anything now. You are the reason that I’m so much better as a person now. And thank you for giving me so many firsts today!”

“I love you, Nicky. And I can’t wait to fall in love with you all over again—and again—and again. Always.”

Always.