Model Behaviour - 8. Chapter 8

Where am I?

It was the first thought that registered in Harry’s mind as he drifted towards semi-consciousness. The unfamiliar warmth was matched only by the unfamiliar texture of Alex’s chest.

“Hey.”

Harry opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly as if barely believing what he saw.

“Hey…”

Alex leaned in for a kiss, landing a couple of quick pecks before Harry turned away with a blush.

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to brush my teeth!”

They both giggled as Harry tried to hide beneath the covers.

“You didn’t brush your teeth last night.”

“I know. That’s why I need to now!”

They engaged in a brief wrestling match, which ended with Harry’s wrists pinned to the mattress and Alex hovering menacingly over him.

“Let me go.”

“No.”

Alex leaned in and kissed Harry again. He used his teeth to chew on Harry’s bottom lip, encouraging him to open up further and allow Alex’s tongue entry. Despite Harry’s misgivings, Alex thought he tasted like heaven.

“Alex…”

Harry tried to twist away once their kiss broke, but the movement left his neck exposed.

“Mmmmm…” Alex buried his face there and began nipping at Harry’s collar bone.

“Stop!”

“You really want me to?”

Alex leaned back and looked Harry in the eye. He saw a shade of embarrassment, but no fear.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like… that.”

Harry kept staring into Alex’s eyes, still not quite believing the position they were in. His underlying embarrassment eventually drew his eyes to the ceiling.

“Why do you keep looking away?

“Because I look hideous!”

“You look amazing.”

Alex punctuated the statement with another kiss.

“My hair’s all over the place…”

“It looks fine.”

Alex leaned in again and captured Harry’s lips. Their kiss slowly deepened as Alex pressed his hardness against Harry’s thigh.

“Can you feel that, Harry?”

“Yeah…”

“That’s what your messy hair does to me.”

He then dove back in, with zero intention of breaking their kiss until they’d both reached a satisfying climax. It didn’t take long for Harry to clutch at Alex’s shoulders, desperate for more friction as his erection lay trapped against Alex’s thigh. They continued moving together, with not a single ray of light visible between their bodies, until Harry tightened his embrace around Alex’s hips and took both boys over the brink in a symphony of squeaking springs and muffled cries.

…

…

Fuck.

Harry still clutched at Alex’s upper body, thanking every god that ever existed as both boys slowly came back to earth.

Even after all the words Alex had just spoken, and the intense physical connection they’d just shared, there was still a part of Harry that couldn’t quite believe Alex Fucking Wyatt was the boy drawing ragged breaths against his shoulder as they lay glued together in the morning light.

“We should probably get cleaned up.”

“Yeah…”

Alex placed a gentle kiss on Harry’s forehead, before rolling out of bed and standing up.

Harry’s subsequent train of thought was lost as his gaze trailed over Alex’s glistening abs, still painted with streaks of pearly white cum.

“Harry?”

“Huh?”

“Stop it. You’ll go blind.”

Harry looked confused for a moment, before Alex nodded to Harry’s crotch. He’d been fondling his still-hard cock without even realizing it.

“Sorry.”

The moment was interrupted as both boys heard footsteps in the hallway.

“Shit.”

Harry sprang from the bed and looked around frantically. He grabbed a wad of tissues from an all-too-convenient tissue box, before tossing the box in Alex’s direction. They both cleaned themselves up, then each pulled on yesterday’s outfit.

“Stay here.”

“What? I can’t.”

“Just for a few minutes.” Harry nodded toward the locked door. “I need to talk to my mum.”

Alex looked apprehensive, but quickly realized his chances of escaping without at least a passing hello were very slim.

“I’ll be quick, I promise.”

“Okay.”

Alex stopped Harry for one more quick kiss, before allowing him to push past and out the bedroom door.

* * * * *

“Hey.”

“Good morning.”

Jill looked up from her morning coffee, immediately recognizing Harry’s nerves.

“What’s wrong? What have you done?”

“Nothing…”

“You’re a terrible liar, Harrison. Spill.”

Harry stumbled, searching for an effective approach.

“Harry?”

“Okay. I’m gonna tell you something, and I need you to not be mad.”

“Okay…”

“Do you promise to not be mad?”

“I can’t promise anything until I hear what it is.”

Harry huffed. This wasn’t going according to plan.

“You have to promise.”

“What could possibly be so dramatic at 7.30 in the morning?” Jill shook her head, but eventually realized that Harry was deadly serious. “Okay, okay. I promise.”

Harry took a deep breath, then fired his next words at warp speed.

“Alex stayed over last night.”

Of all the answers Jill expected, this wasn’t on the list.

“You mean he’s here now?”

“Yes.”

“In your bedroom?”

“Yes.”

Wheels began turning in Jill’s mind.

“He showed up last night, after you went to bed.” Harry was now playing defense, knowing neither he nor Alex could afford to lose Jill’s goodwill. “I didn’t know he was coming. I promise.”

“Why is he here?”

Harry looked back towards the hallway door, unsure of how much Alex wanted him to reveal. He swallowed hard, then chose his next words very carefully.

“He’s… having problems at home.”

Jill took a long sip from her coffee mug, waiting to see if Harry would elaborate. No additional words were forthcoming.

“Does he need help with these ‘problems’?”

“I don’t know.”

Jill took another long sip, before standing abruptly. It was now clear that she wouldn’t get any more useful information out of Harry.

“Maybe you should bring Alex out here, see if he wants any breakfast.”

“Okay.”

Harry watched his mother move to the pantry, before laying out breakfast foods on the counter. It was a stark contrast to the reception he’d received at Alex’s house.

“Harry?”

“Huh?”

“Go get Alex.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

Jill shooed Harry out of the kitchen as she turned to the refrigerator with purpose.

* * * * *

“Just act cool.”

“Yes, Harry.”

“If she starts asking questions, say you need to leave.”

“Okay, Harry.”

“If she—”

Alex leaned in and cut Harry off with a peck on the lips.

“Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“Stop worrying.”

They exited Harry’s bedroom and made their way to the kitchen. From the moment they entered, Jill was on her game.

“Alex, hi!”

She leaned in and offered Alex a hug, causing Harry’s eyes to briefly widen.

“Hi, Mrs. Delaney.”

“Please, call me Jill.”

She directed Alex to the selection of breakfast cereals on the counter, before also offering a free choice of any items in the fridge. Alex ended up settling on a banana and a glass of orange juice.

“Harry tells me you arrived late last night?”

“Yes.”

If looks could kill, Harry would be on trial for Jill’s murder.

“You should have told me you were coming. I would have invited you for dinner.”

“I’ll remember that for next time.”

Alex ate his banana, while Harry continued to glare at his mother. He could see her next words coming a mile off, but felt absolutely powerless to stop them.

“Harry says you had some trouble at home?”

“Mom—”

“No, it’s okay.” Alex waved Harry off. “My mum and I had a bit of a disagreement, that’s all.”

“About what?”

“Mom!!”

“Just… a family matter.” Jill’s laser-like stare was surprisingly effective on a boy she was only meeting for the second time. “It’s been kinda dragging on all week.”

“Since last weekend, then?”

“Yeah.”

Jill looked towards Harry with a ‘Gotcha!’ expression.

“You should probably get home soon, Alex.” Harry’s sense of timing was very much ‘better late than never’. “Your mum’s probably wondering where you are.”

“Yeah.”

Alex turned to Jill, offering an apologetic look.

“Sorry I can’t stay, Mrs. Delaney.”

“No no, don’t worry about it.”

At that moment, Alex caught a whiff of his own body odor. A scent he hoped Jill was too old and single to remember.

“Is it okay if I use your shower first?”

“Go for it.”

Alex smiled again before rising from the dining table. Harry went to follow him, but Jill’s look pinned him to his seat.

“Towels are in the linen closet, just outside the bathroom door.”

“Thank you.”

Alex disappeared, leaving just mother and son sitting at the table.

Jill waited for the sound of the bathroom door closing, before turning to Harry with a raised eyebrow.

“You and I have a lot to talk about, kiddo.”

* * * * *

Alex remained beneath the hot spray for as long as he could stand it, passing the time with thoughts of Harry and how they could maneuver their bodies within the small cubicle.

Eventually the water turned from scalding to warm, inducing mild panic as Alex remembered his ‘guest’ status in the Delaney household.

“Shit.”

He shut off the water and stepped out, then began drying his muscular shoulders.

As he did, he could hear a muffled argument through the thin walls.

* * * * *

“You need to tell me what happened, Harry.”

“Nothing happened.”

“I know you’re lying.” Jill’s gaze bored into her son. “First you come home practically in tears, now Alex is running away from home in the middle of the night…”

Harry looked away, eyes locking onto a knot in the floorboards.

“I can’t help you if you won’t tell me.”

The silence dragged on, with Harry retreating further and further into himself. Jill decided that a much more direct approach was needed.

“Does it involve Alex’s parents?”

Harry flinched, but remained silent.

“Did Alex’s mother—”

“We need to tell her, Harry.”

Jill and Harry both whipped around, finding Alex standing in the doorway. His hair was still damp, and his clothes had clearly been thrown on with haste.

“I know you don’t want to, but we need to be honest.”

Harry remained paralyzed by fear as Alex sat down at the table. He looked to Harry for final confirmation of his consent, before taking a deep breath and speaking aloud words that could never be taken back.

“My mum caught us together.”

“Together how?” Realization dawned even as the words left Jill’s mouth. “Ohhhhh, you mean—”

“Yeah.”

Jill looked to her son, seeing that he was again on the verge of tears. She reached out and squeezed his hand, trying to impart strength.

“And that’s what you couldn’t tell me about, Harry?”

Harry nodded.

Alex reached out and rubbed his shoulder, before Jill went one better and pulled Harry into a hug.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Jill allowed Harry to cry on her shoulder, as a few tears of her own began to escape. She stroked her son’s soft hair as she gazed across the table, giving Alex her most grateful smile. The gesture somewhat lessened the awkwardness that Alex felt by being present in this private mother-son moment.

“You did the right thing by telling me, Alex.”

She continued to stroke Harry’s hair as the tears began to subside. Eventually Harry relaxed enough that Jill could hold him at arm’s length.

“You need to listen to me, Harry.” She looked into his glistening eyes, imparting all the love and strength she could possibly muster. “I don’t know why you were so scared to tell me, but I need you to know that I love you.” She reached out and wiped away a few more of Harry’s stray tears. “I love you today and I’ll still love you tomorrow. Nothing you say or do will change that.”

She then pulled him into another tight hug, before allowing him to resume his seat. Once there, Alex reached out and squeezed Harry’s hand again.

“I’m proud of you as well, Alex. What you did just then took a lot of bravery.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

They shared an appreciative nod, before Jill’s problem-solving instincts kicked in again.

“So I take it your mother didn’t react well to the news?”

“No.”

“She didn’t walk in on you two ‘together’, did she?”

“No. God no.” Alex at least had the good grace to blush. “We were just… sleeping.”

“In the same bed?”

“Yes.”

Jill processed this new information, fighting hard to keep her expression neutral. She wasn’t quite ready for her only son to grow up in this way.

Though she could already see the answer written on their faces, she asked her next question aloud anyway.

“Does this mean you two are boyfriends?”

Harry looked to Alex, apprehensive. They’d never actually put a label on what they were doing.

“Harry is my boyfriend, yes.”

A rush of pride shot through Harry’s system as Alex squeezed his hand again.

“Well I’m glad you two have found each other.”

It was now Jill’s turn to feel awkward about intruding on a private moment. She looked to Harry again, making sure he understood the sincerity of her words, before setting about problem-solving again.

“We need to talk about your parents, Alex.”

Alex broke eye contact, suddenly uncomfortable. “What about them?”

“They don’t know where you are right now, do they?”

“No.”

“Do you think they’ll be pleased when they wake up and find that you’re missing?”

“Shit.”

Realization slowly dawned on Alex’s face.

“They haven’t tried to call you, have they?”

“No.”

Alex started to panic, as the worried crease on Jill’s forehead deepened.

“My mum took my phone away, though. She has no way of contacting me.”

“You don’t think she’d call the police, do you?”

“I certainly hope not.”

Alex looked around frantically, as if anything in the room could help him out of his current predicament. The thought of his mother making a scene at the police station was almost more than he could stomach.

“Do you know your mother’s phone number?”

“No.”

“He doesn’t know mine either.” Harry’s mumble did nothing to help the situation.

“Maybe I should drive you home, then.” Jill stood and took her half-filled coffee cup to the sink. “How far away do you live?”

“He lives on the North Shore.”

Jill briefly raised an eyebrow at Harry’s answer, before emptying her coffee cup and rinsing it out.

“We should probably get going, then.”

Alex looked to Harry, as if to check that he’d be coming too. Harry’s offered a tight smile as confirmation.

“Okay, let’s do it.”

Both boys stood and made a beeline for Harry’s bedroom, sharing a nervous energy.

If Harry knew his mother at all, she’d be introducing herself to Jennifer Wyatt, and a very unpleasant conversation would be in both women’s near future.