A Different Love - 34. Chapter 34

I woke up about 8am on Thursday morning, clutching yet another full-on erection. My stomach was tingling with excitement at the prospect of our trip to the swimming pool and I could hardly wait for Nathan to arrive. Such was my anticipation of what lay ahead that I couldn't help extracting every last drop from my throbbing cock, in yet more frenzied seconds of pleasure. This time my aim with the tissue was spot on and I jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed, mindful to dispose of it as quickly as possible.

A few minutes later as I stood in front of the open doors of my wardrobe, I could see the unmistakable blue material of my swim shorts, poking out from the top shelf. As though it was a reminder that I'd need them shortly, I stood on tip toes to reach them and gave the elasticated waistband a sharp tug. Unfortunately, some other clothes and a magazine stuffed underneath became dislodged and immediately came crashing down on top of my head. The photograph of a semi naked male model stared up at me from the page that had landed uppermost on the floor and I stooped down to pick it up. It was the gay magazine I purchased once a month in the city and usually disposed of a few days later, after repeatedly perusing the contents. For some reason that I couldn't remember, this one was still here, and I was curious to find out why. I sat on the bed and thumbed slowly through the pages, stopping every now and again as something caught my attention. As far as I could see there didn't appear to be any apparent reason for keeping it and I could only assume it had been forgotten. I'd almost reached the end and was just about to stuff it back where it came from when my eyes did a double take and my heart almost ceased to beat with shock. I couldn’t believe the provocative image that stared back at me from the last page of the magazine, and I sank down on the bed in amazement. It was a photograph of a young model with an incredible likeness to Nathan and unless he had an identical twin, I was virtually certain it was him. Obviously taken a few years ago, he stood in a provocative pose with his thumbs in the waistband of knee length denims. With the top button undone, they were worn low enough down to catch a tantalizing glance of white briefs, revealing a thin line of shaved pubic hair running along the top. It was set on a beach against a tropical backdrop and his perfectly tanned and muscled naked torso glistened with moisture in the blazing sunshine. His bleached blond hair fell over his ears in a style much longer that he wore it today and black designer sunglasses rested on top of his head. I sat on the bed in amazement, unable to tear my eyes away from the incredibly beautiful image that stared back at me. Nathan, if indeed it was Nathan, had a stunning body and I was completely intoxicated with desire just looking at the picture. The photograph was on the last page of the magazine, advertising a forthcoming issue and the caption underneath simply read……Coming next month!......I hastily looked on the front cover to check the date and as I feared, it was an old issue. Probably one of the first magazines I’d ever bought, it didn’t take a lot for me to work out that Nathan must have been around 18 years old when the photograph was taken. I was desperate to get hold of the next issue and eagerly searched the back cover for the name of the publisher, in the hope of being able to purchase a back copy. There was obviously a lot I didn’t know about Nathan, but I didn’t want to ask him about the picture directly. If it was him, he would immediately know where I’d seen it and my cover would be blown. I’d simply have to wait and see if he chose to tell me, but that didn’t stop me from doing a little prompting in the meantime. I quickly reached for a pen and scribbled down the address and telephone number of the publisher in case I needed it, before stuffing it hastily back under some clothes on the top shelf. I almost fired up my computer there and then in an attempt to order a back copy, but in the end, I couldn’t quite make up my mind. Is it slightly perverted to ogle semi-naked pictures of your best friend? Thinking about it, the question was pretty academic, since ogling him was all I’d ever really done since we first met.

I wrapped my swimming trunks up in a towel and headed to the kitchen.

Mum and dad were just starting breakfast when I walked into the lounge and I sat down at the table, greeting them happily.

“Morning mum, morning dad”

“Morning son” they both chorused together.

"Someone's chirpy this morning!" mum remarked, gazing at me quizzically.

Dad half smiled and frowned slightly “We don’t seem to have seen very much of you lately son. Is everything ok?””

I felt slightly guilty that I’d been spending so much time with Nathan over the last few days, but I couldn’t seem to tear myself away from him.

“Oh, sorry dad. Nathan doesn’t really know anyone else around here, so we’ve been spending quite a lot of time together”

“There’s no need to be sorry lad. I’m glad you’ve found someone to be friends with. Nathan’s a nice lad. You stick with him”

I smiled at him warily, grateful for his generous endorsement. He wouldn’t be so happy if he knew how I really felt about him.

“You could do a lot worse than be friends with someone like Nathan” agreed mum, pouring me a cup of tea. “He seems really nice, and his mum and dad are lovely people”

I wasn’t too sure Nathan would agree with that but decided not to comment. I poured myself some cereal into a dish and drenched it with milk, immediately attacking it with a spoon.

“He was telling me about his sister the other day” I remarked between mouthfuls.

“Oh, that was so sad!” answered mum “I don’t think they’ve ever really got over it”

"No, they were devastated" remarked dad

“I think Nathan felt particularly bad about it” mum continued “He was so young and there was nothing he could do”

“Such a tragedy” added dad “It’s a lot for a young lad to take in”

I thought back to how upset he’d become when he told me about it and how I could almost feel his pain “He was telling me about it the other day and he got really upset”

“Yes, I bet he did” commented mum, shaking her head sympathetically “Something like that stays with you forever”

“It’s a good few years ago now” said dad “Jim very rarely talks about personal matters but he was really cut up about that”

“I remember he was only about ten” mum said sadly “Becky was about six I think?”

“Nathan said she was only five” I explained “They were playing in the garden and he kicked the ball. It went through a hole in the hedge and the dog ran after it.”

“And Becky followed” said dad, completing the sequence of events.

“That’s right”

There was a brief silence as each of us thought about the terrible consequences that followed.

“At least he’s been able to talk to you about it” said mum, breaking the silence “I know he had a lot of trouble dealing with it at the time”

I felt incredibly sorry for Nathan at that moment but immensely proud that he’d chosen me to confide in. It must have been an unbelievably heavy load to bear for a distraught ten year old and I wondered if some of the problems with his father sub consciously or otherwise stemmed from that period in his life.

“So, what are you up to this morning” asked dad, changing the subject.

“We’re going swimming” I answered excitedly, looking at the clock “Nathan’s coming for me about nine”

“You’d better be getting yourself ready then” said mum, standing up to clear the pots “He’ll be here soon”

“I’ll just sit with dad for a while”

She disappeared into the kitchen to wash up and I sat down opposite dad by the fire. I’d always loved to sit and chat with him and today was no different. As a young boy, he would lift me onto his knee and tell me wonderful stories that came alive when he used different voices for all the characters. As I got older, his help with school homework was invaluable and my love of books and reading came directly from him. As the memories enveloped me, the sound of his voice broke through my thoughts.

“So, it’s your birthday tomorrow son” he was saying “How does it feel to be almost 21”

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders “No different really”

“I wish I was 21 again” he whispered sadly, half to himself “It’s unbelievable how quickly time passes you by”

A wistful smile crossed his face and he stared at the wall behind me with a faraway look in his eyes.

“It doesn’t seem five minutes ago since you were born” he went on, chuckling to himself. “A tiny little thing you were, too small for all the clothes we’d bought you. There was a time we thought you might not even make it”

There were tears in his eyes as he choked on the words and for a moment I felt cocooned in the warm blanket of love that mum and dad had always wrapped around me. Even though I was adopted they'd shown me nothing but love my whole life and it had always felt really special to know that they'd chosen me. I'd heard all his stories before of course, about how I'd nearly died, and although I never tired of hearing them, this time for some reason, my train of thought began to wander. Apparently, I'd been born far too early, and it had been touch and go whether I survived at all. Even though mum and dad weren't my real parents, and I was someone else's baby, it had always been apparent from the way they reacted and felt about me that their panic and anxiety must have been just as real, if not more so, than the person who had given me away. The exact circumstances surrounding my real parents and subsequent adoption had always been a little vague. All I knew was that mum and dad couldn't have children of their own and were older when they adopted me as a new-born baby. It had always been intimated that they didn't know who my birth mother was but for some reason, I had a feeling that they might. It was crystal clear they loved me as if I was their biological son and to question something that was merely a suspicion, somehow seemed wrong. Naturally though, questions remained that I would love to know the answers too.

“We were so grateful when we brought you home" dad was saying when I turned my attention back towards him "To lose you would have been devastating. It was one of those nightmares you try not to think about”

I shivered at the thought, and it made me painfully aware how Nathan’s parents must have felt when they lost Becky.

“Now look at you!” he exclaimed, with a mischievous grin on his face “A big strapping handsome young man....”

“Give over dad” I interrupted, gently chiding him “You always say that”

“That’s because it’s true” he said gently, rubbing my shoulder affectionately.

I expected him to mention a girlfriend at this point like he usually did but instead he carried on talking about the past and once he got into his stride, there was no stopping him. I’d heard most of it before of course, but I still loved to hear him reminisce about the past and a happy smile spread over my face as he continued.

“By the time I was your age, I’d married your mum. We struggled a bit with money at first mind, but it didn’t seem to matter back then. We had our whole lives ahead of us”

“You must have loved mum an awful lot” I remarked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

“I still do son” he said, smiling. “There’s nothing like falling in love with someone special to make you appreciate what's good in your life”

Nathan immediately sprung to mind at the mention of love and someone special, and a shiver ran up and down my spine. Butterflies immediately began dancing around crazily in my stomach and I turned away to hide my expression of guilt.

“What we always longed for was to have children though” he explained, with a smile “But the doctors told us it was virtually impossible”

'You must have been devastated!" I cut in; unsure how having children would work for me.

"It was hard to bear son, but we kept on trying. Unfortunately, it never happened, so in the end we decided to adopt"

I gave a laugh and gently tapped his shoulder "And then you got stuck with me!"

"Don't say that son, even in jest" he said, sporting an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face.

“We waited for ages and just when it seemed as though it was never going to happen, along you came!”

He smiled happily and was silent for a moment as he relived the events in his mind. "We couldn't believe it! You were so special" He paused before grinning broadly and continuing “Talk about the icing on the cake! What we’d hoped and dreamed of for so long had finally happened. We were the proudest parents in the world, I can tell you”

I choked slightly, suddenly overcome by his words. It was wonderful to know I was so loved and wanted, and it gave me a warm, contented feeling inside.

“You wait until it's your turn son, you’ll know exactly what I mean!”

I was extremely doubtful it ever would be and the expression on my face must have given away an indication of my true feelings.

“Don’t worry son” he said, looking directly at me “Whatever happens, we’ll always be proud of you”

My face coloured slightly, and I glanced across at him nervously. It was a strange thing for him to say and I wondered more than ever if he could possibly have an inkling of the truth. Was it finally time to say something? Just as I opened my mouth to speak, we were both disturbed by mum bustling into the room.

"Look who I found lurking at the front door" she laughed, ushering Nathan inside.

“Hi Jason, Hi Mr. Wright” he greeted us, nodding and smiling broadly.

“Hello Nathan” answered dad warmly “Looking forward to your swim?”

“Definitely!” he replied enthusiastically, "Can't wait"

Once again, the butterflies began dancing around inside my stomach and I couldn't wait to see him in his swim shorts.

“Oh, by the way Mr Wright” Nathan exclaimed “I’ve got some...erm good news...for you. Dad’s coming to visit next week”

I couldn’t fail to pick up on his slightly sarcastic tone of voice when he used the words ‘good news’, knowing full well that it wasn’t good news for him. I raised my eyebrows in surprise at dad’s response.

“Oh, I already know! He rang me last night”

That was decidedly odd, I thought to myself. I couldn’t remember the last time Mr Brown had let dad know he was coming to see him. His visits were always a lovely surprise that perked him up no end. I had to know more.

“Oh, that’s unusual dad! I thought his visits were always a surprise?”

Dad nodded his head slowly. “They are as a rule. Must be something important he wants to tell me!”

For some reason, a slightly uneasy feeling washed over me. When I turned around, Nathan had moved over towards the door and was pointing at his watch.

“We’d better get going Jase”

All of a sudden Nathan seemed to be in a rush and as we said our goodbyes, I followed him into the kitchen where mum was drying her hands on a tea towel.

“What are you going to do about your lunch Jason?” she asked me “Will you be back in time?”

I gazed at her doubtfully and was just about to respond when Nathan cut in.

“I can cook you some if you want Jase” he suggested “If that’s ok with you Mrs. Wright”

“Yes, of course it is Nathan”

He raised his eyebrows and gazed at me questioningly “Jason?” he asked

“If you’re sure it isn't too much trouble” I exclaimed, trying not to sound too eager "That'd be great"

He seemed genuinely pleased that I’d accepted his invitation and a grin spread over his face. “I can’t guarantee that I won’t poison you though” he said, laughing out loud.

“Oh, I think I’ll risk it. If it doesn’t taste nice, I can always throw it in the bin when you’re not looking”

Mum smiled to herself as she listened to our light hearted banter “Go on, the pair of you” she said, gently shooing us out “I’ve got some baking to do.”

We walked off down the path to the car, still laughing and joking with each other and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so alive.

The main road into Hamborough was much clearer than it had been the previous night. The snow plough had obviously paid an early morning visit and the results of its labour stood in great piles on both sides of the road. The branches of nearby trees strained under the weight of snow clinging on and ghostly white hedgerows seemed to hem us in on either side. Early morning drivers had helped to churn up the remaining snow and the tyres made a swishing sound as they continued to turn it to slush. Every time a car passed by the windscreen was instantly splattered with dirty water and melting ice and the wipers worked extra hard to keep it clear.

“It’s a lot better than it was last night” I remarked, as we entered the outskirts of Hamborough.

“Definitely!” Nathan agreed with an air of relief “It couldn’t be much worse, that’s for sure”

I shuddered to think of the dangerous driving conditions that he'd returned home in the previous evening and vowed to make sure it didn't happen again.

The swimming pool in Hamborough was located opposite the railway station down a narrow lane. It opened up into a small car park at the end and Nathan deftly reversed the car into one of the empty spaces. The building itself was at least fifty years old and like the gym, was due to be replaced by the new leisure centre in the spring. Nathan pointed to the sign and laughed out loud before shaking his head in mock doubt.

"Do you think we ought to go in Jase?"

I followed his line of vision and quickly joined in with his laughter. The sign attached to the wall read Hamborough Swimming Pool but the letter L at the end had fallen off.

"I don't really want to swim in poo, how about you?"

I grasped his shoulder and steered him towards the doors. "C'mon don't worry, I'll throw you in first.

We entered through the swing doors and paid our money to the bored looking girl sitting behind the counter. The familiar smell of chlorine filled my nostrils as we pushed our way through the turnstile and walked down the corridor towards the changing rooms. Nathan held the door open for me and the warm damp air immediately surrounded us as it slammed shut behind us. The large open plan changing room was empty, but I quickly turned towards the individual cubicles on the right, embarrassed to undress in front of Nathan. Locking the door behind me, I slipped off my clothes, folding them neatly on the bench in front of me. I could hear Nathan getting undressed in the next cubicle and felt a growing sense of excitement at the thought of seeing him almost naked. A growing erection began to thrust its way forward, but I desperately pushed it down inside my swim shorts, realising with dismay that it would be much more noticeable through the thin cotton material.

Nathan’s door opened with a squeak and I presumed he would be putting his clothes in a locker by now. Taking a deep breath, I scooped up my own clothes from the bench in front of me and opened the door. I jumped with surprise to find him standing just outside, patiently waiting for me to come out.

“I was beginning to wonder what you were doing in there” he remarked with a smile.

His comment completely passed me by as I stared in awe at the sight of his near naked body in front of me. His physique was extremely impressive to say the least. The rippling muscles in his stomach formed the perfect six pack and there wasn’t an ounce of excess fat on his taut, well-tanned body. A thin line of fuzzy blond hair started at his belly button and ran down his torso, finally disappearing inside the top of his tight-fitting speedos. My eyes flitted momentarily over the bulging material at the front of his trunks and an expression of amusement spread across his face as he noticed the way my eyes ran up and down his body. He pretended not to notice and gave me a questioning glance

"What?"

I nodded towards his chest and gave a low whistle. "Pretty impressive! You must work out an awful lot"

"Not really" he answered modestly "I just like to keep myself fit, that’s all"

You can say that again, I thought to myself, inwardly gulping with desire. He was fit beyond belief! There was no doubt in my mind that I was staring at the same body as the one in the photograph and I couldn’t help making a seemingly innocent comment.

“With that body you could have been a model Nathan” I casually remarked, closely studying his expression.

He stiffened slightly and the embarrassed look on his face immediately confirmed what I already suspected. He didn’t give an answer and instead, tapped me on the stomach with the back of his hand, smiling as his eyes swept up and down my own body.

“You can talk anyway!” he exclaimed “Have you looked in the mirror recently?”

I coloured up slightly at his compliment and turned away, wishing it was driven by a sense of desire rather than admiration. Pushing my clothes through the narrow door of a nearby locker I fumbled with a coin to lock the door and release the key, remembering to reach for my goggles before I shut the door. He did the same and started fiddling with the strap containing the locker key, unable to fasten it around his wrist. He sighed with frustration before holding his wrist out.

"Will you help me Jase? I always have a problem with these things!"

By now I'd successfully fastened mine and my heart beat faster as I grasped his arm, gently pulling it towards me. Within seconds I'd secured the plastic strap to his wrist and I reluctantly let go of his arm, giving an involuntary shiver at the unexpected opportunity to touch him. He gazed at my wrist as I held his arm and slowly exhaled.

“Are you sure you’ll be ok swimming with that wrist” he asked in a concerned voice.

“Yeah of course” I answered breezily, quickly dismissing his concern “It’ll be fine!”

I hoped that it would be, because there was no way I was giving up the chance to go swimming with him.

“Right! Are we ready to go then?” he exclaimed excitedly “Let’s do some swimming”

His enthusiasm was infectious, and I quickly followed him out of the changing rooms, marvelling at the breathtaking way his speedos perfectly moulded themselves around his rear. As Nathan had surmised, it was quiet this morning and there were only three other people in the water. The reflection from the lights above shimmered on the rippling surface as it gently lapped against the sides. The pool was three feet deep at the shallow end with a gradual descent to six feet. Towards the far end there was a sloping ledge with a sudden drop to ten feet and it was this part of the pool that Nathan dived into. He disappeared with hardly a splash and I quickly dived in after him, watching his movements closely as he slid effortlessly through the water to the bottom. It turned out that Nathan and I were both strong swimmers, gliding through the water with ease as we swam up and down the pool. After about twenty minutes of continuous swimming, Nathan stopped at the shallow end and crouched with his back against the edge.

“How many lengths is that?” he asked breathlessly

My chest heaved as I squatted down beside him and rubbed the water from my face. “About fifty I think”

“Most of the time I wish I didn’t smoke” he murmured regretfully “At one time I could do this without even getting out of breath”

“Yeah, I know what you mean” I agreed “We should give up smoking together”

“That’s a great idea Jase, we can help each other!”

I nodded in agreement and he smiled at me before moving into a crouched position, ready to continue swimming “About sixteen more lengths and we’ve done a mile” he said “Last one back buys the coffees”

He was off like a shot down the pool, and I set off after him, almost catching up on the first length. We swam steadily back and forth for the next ten minutes or so and by the time we started the last length I was beginning to tire. He’d pulled away again and as we raced to the end of the pool his feet were just in front of me. I suddenly decided to cheat and grabbing his foot, pulled him back from the approaching wall. Using the motion to thrust myself forward and touch the wall first caused him to flounder in the water before rising to the surface, coughing and spluttering. His face was a mixture of surprise and indignation, before quickly turning to laughter.

“I can’t believe you just did that!”

I stood against the edge of the pool, helpless with laughter. He suddenly rose up out of the water with a look of revenge in his eyes and I turned and quickly tried to climb out. His hands grabbed my upper legs as he attempted to pull me back into the water, but unfortunately all he managed to hang onto were my swim shorts and they slid downwards, revealing my naked bottom in all its glory. The attendant blew his whistle angrily and a nearby female swimmer burst out laughing. As Nathan turned towards the attendant and mouthed the word sorry, I hastily pulled them up again and red faced, slid back into the water to hide my embarrassment. By the time I surfaced again, Nathan had a sheepish look on his face, obviously unsure how I’d react.

“I’m really sorry Jase, that wasn’t supposed to happen” he apologised, desperately trying to hide a grin.

I frowned back at him, pretending to be annoyed and his face dropped a mile. “Nathan! What did you do that for, you idiot!”

“Jason don’t be like that, it was an accident. I didn’t mean to.....”

I turned away to stifle a laugh and my shoulders started to shake. I felt his hand on my arm and as he spun me round to apologise again, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. His face was a picture as he realised I’d been pretending to be angry all along and the grin quickly reappeared across his face.

“Right! This time you really are dead” he shouted and lunged towards me.

I backed away from him and tried to rush towards the ladder that was set into the wall of the pool. It was like trying to run through a sea of glue and as I failed to reach it, Nathan landed on top of me. As we floundered around in the water, my arm brushed against his groin and I was startled to realise that he had what felt like the beginnings of an erection. We eventually managed to untangle ourselves and I followed him through the water, watching closely as he pulled himself effortlessly out of the pool. As the water dripped off him, I couldn’t take my eyes off the wet silky material of his speedos as they clung to him like a second skin. As the water dripped away, they moulded themselves around his buttocks and the incredibly erotic vision left me gasping with desire. I longed to reach out and caress his soft sensuous curves, but quickly looked away as the pool attendant walked by with a frown on his face, obviously still upset about the swim shorts incident.

“I’ll go and get some shampoo for the shower” he called back to me and headed in the direction of the changing rooms.

There was a row of six communal showers near the pool and I tried them all to find out which one sprayed the hottest water. The far end seemed to be the best and I stood underneath it and closed my eyes, feeling totally relaxed as the water cascaded over me. By the time Nathan came back there were no signs of his recent erection and he handed me the bottle of shower gel.

“There you go Jase. You use it first if you want”

“Ok, thanks Naith”

I began slowly soaping myself down, all the while taking secret glances at him as he stood under the water with his eyes closed, smoothing back his hair. He looked absolutely stunning as glistening droplets of water ran down his body. My stares were interrupted by one of the girls that had been in the pool. She walked past the showers with a mischievous smile on her face and called out to me in a cheeky voice.

“Nice bum by the way!"

I was instantly reminded of Connor, who'd said much the same thing on the first night I'd gone to the gay bar in town where he worked. I cringed with embarrassment as Nathan unsuccessfully tried to hide a grin, but without saying a word he turned his back towards me and began soaping himself down. As the water began washing away the soap suds, a small heart shaped tattoo on his thigh with the letters, ‘N & J’ inscribed inside, was suddenly revealed. I couldn't help wondering who 'J' was and eventually curiosity got the better of me.

“I can’t believe you're in love with me already Nathan” I said to him flippantly “We’ve only just met!”

He quickly turned towards me and for a split second, a look of shock and confusion crossed his face, before he instantly regained his composure “What do you mean?” he asked sharply.

“The tattoo?” I explained, pointing to his thigh “N loves J!”

"Oh that!"

His frown instantly disappeared, replaced by a look of relief and comprehension as he instinctively twisted around to look. “That was my girlfriend’s initial.” he explained, with an air of resignation “Her name was Jemma”

The inevitable turmoil of mixed emotions immediately arose, and my heart began beating faster. It was always the same when he mentioned a girlfriend. I had to know everything I could, only to be filled with an enormous sense of disenchantment and jealousy when I found out. As usual though, I couldn’t stop myself from delving further and tentatively continued.

“It must have been serious then”

“I thought it was at the time. But you know what it’s like when you’re young......and stupid” he added as an afterthought.

“But to get a tattoo done!” I exclaimed “That’s pretty full on...and permanent”

“Yeah well. Let’s just say it was a moment of madness. Best left in the past”

He obviously didn’t want to talk about it and quickly changed the subject. “C’mon, let’s get dried and you can buy me that coffee you owe me”

He quickly scooped up the shower gel before I could say anymore and headed towards the changing rooms, leaving me to follow. I was quite happy to walk behind him admiring the view until we retrieved our clothes from the lockers and disappeared into the same cubicles that we’d used before. The faint swishing sound of what I imagined was Nathan stripping off his speedos gave me an instant erection. A few seconds later, as if to confirm my supposition, running water slowly seeped under the partition as he vigorously wrung them out. I took off my own shorts and continued to towel myself dry; hoping the throbbing erection between my legs would begin to subside. These days it seemed that whenever I thought of Nathan with even a hint of eroticism, up it would come, demanding my urgent and undivided attention. It was often granted its wish but now was not the time nor the place! The last thing I wanted was for Nathan to hear me furiously jerking off.

I heard the sound of his door suddenly open and wondered if he’d got dressed already. There was a sharp tap on my door, and he called out to me.

“Jase. Open up, I’ve forgotten my deodorant. Can I borrow yours?

“Nathan, I haven’t got anything on” I hissed urgently

“Oh, come on” he replied in an amused voice “You’re not shy are you? I’ve seen it all before remember”

Not like this you haven’t, I thought to myself in a panic. Thinking quickly, I pushed my swollen cock flat against my stomach and hastily wrapped the towel around me before reaching for the deodorant. Nathan seemed to be one of those people who could get ready in no time at all. When I opened the door, he was standing there almost fully dressed. His shirt was open at the chest waiting for the deodorant and his blond hair hung limply in wet strands, plastered to the sides of his head. I handed him the can and he sprayed it liberally inside his shirt.

“Thanks Jase" he said, handing it back with a wink "I'll let you get dressed now"

I closed the door firmly and he disappeared back inside his own cubicle, leaving me to get ready. By the time I came out he was combing his hair in the large wall mirror opposite, and I quickly did the same.

We left the changing rooms and climbed the stairs at the far end of the corridor to the small café on the first floor. A large expanse of glass panels overlooking the pool formed most of one wall and tables and chairs were arranged in front of them. There were several people sitting nearby, including the girl who’d made the comment about my naked bottom and we dumped our bags on the floor and sat down at one of the tables.

“I’ll get the coffees seeing as I cheated” I said, laughing out loud “Even though you did show the whole pool my bare arse”

“It could have been worse” he answered with a grin all over his face “Think about it”

“How could it have been any worse?” I asked him incredulously.

He laughed at the wide eyed expression on my face and continued with his explanation.

“You could've been facing the other way……”

“I could’ve been done for indecent exposure you mean! It didn’t look good”

At that moment the girl who’d made the earlier comment by the showers was just passing the table to leave and had obviously caught the tail end of our conversation. She laughed and bent over to give a loud whisper in my ear.

“Oh I don’t know, it looked pretty decent to me!”

My face turned bright red as she looked over her shoulder and winked at me. I gazed at Nathan’s mischievous expression and immediately shot him a warning glance.

“Don’t you dare say a thing!”

He smiled at me innocently and guessing what kind of comment was likely to follow, I threw my rolled up entry ticket across the table at him. Unfortunately, it spun off to one side and flew straight into his swim bag. He smiled and without saying a word, began to rummage in his bag to retrieve it. He obviously couldn’t find it straight away and began removing items one by one. First, his rolled up towel appeared on the table, followed by his goggles and hairbrush. I fully expected the bag to be empty by now, but recoiled in shock as he placed a can of deodorant on the table. My mind began spinning around in turmoil as I struggled to work out the reason why he’d asked to use mine in the changing room. A raft of questions began filling my head, demanding definitive answers. Did it mean he was trying to see me naked? What other reason could there be? Was Nathan gay and secretly wanted a relationship too?

There was no way I could let it go without comment and my heart raced as I laughed nervously “I thought you didn’t have any deodorant Nathan? Or did you just hope to see me naked?”

For a split second a look of panic crossed his face before his expression changed to one of absurdity.

“And why on earth would I want to see you naked Jason?” he asked, as if it was the most ridiculous thing in the world. Now that girl who just spoke to you......”

My face flushed slightly and in that instance I was glad I’d never said anything about my own sexuality. Our friendship was far too valuable to destroy and I didn’t want him to just drop me like a piece of hot coal if he found out, even though I didn’t think he would. It was definitely a conversation we would have to have at some point though, but now just didn’t feel like the right time. I tried to alleviate the slight atmosphere that had built up between us.

“Forget it Naith, I was only joking”

“Yeah, I know you were! I just thought I’d forgotten to bring it with me, that’s all”

Feeling a little uncomfortable, I got up and crossed the room towards the counter. By the time I returned with the coffees and set them down on the table the slight atmosphere between us had disappeared.

“I got some biscuits as well Naith, swimming always makes me feel so hungry”

“Yeah same here” he agreed “As soon as we’ve had these drinks, we’ll go back to the flat and I’ll cook us some lunch. How about omelettes Jase, do you like them?”

“Yeah, love em”

We were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Nathan’s phone and he reached into his pocket to answer it. He frowned as he saw who was calling him and I listened with interest to his one sided conversation, occasionally hearing what I thought sounded like a female voice on the other end.

“Hi..……What’s the matter now?........But that’s not fair, you said I could come …….well when can I see her then?........later on when?"

He stood up and began to pace around and an increasingly desperate tone crept into his voice. A sigh of frustration escaped his lips as his tone became almost pleading.

“But that’s ages away, I won’t see her before Christmas now……..And what about her presents……..I know it was but you can’t punish me forever…...you know the reason why!”

Nathan suddenly stopped talking and I realised that the person on the other end of the phone must have abruptly ended the call. The expression on his face as he put the phone away was heartbreaking, and the air of sad vulnerability that sometimes surrounded him was all too evident. I wasn’t quite sure what to say to him as he slumped back down in his chair.

“Are you ok Nathan?” I asked him tentatively

He stared into his coffee and didn’t seem to hear me at first. Just as I was about to repeat the question he replied in a quiet voice.

“I’ll survive thanks”

I moved my chair next to his and put my hand on his shoulder. “Look, is there anything I can do to help?”

“No Jase, but thanks for asking. You’re the best friend anyone could ever have”

His voice was loaded with emotion and I wondered briefly what had prompted him to respond in that way. The person he’d been speaking to was obviously preventing him from seeing someone he cared about very much, so perhaps he needed to feel that there was someone around who wouldn’t let him down. The bond that had grown between us was becoming stronger by the day and I felt fiercely protective of him. I hated to think that he was hurting and there was nothing I could do to help him.

There were a few more people in the pool by now and we watched them in silence, cautiously sipping our hot coffee. Nathan had drifted off into a world of his own and when I offered him a biscuit he didn’t even hear me. I wasn’t quite sure how he would react to my attempts at conversation and with a feeling of slight apprehension, I nudged him gently.

“If you need to talk about it Nathan, I’m a good listener you know”

He looked at me with a sad smile and shook his head. “It’s nothing, really. Don’t worry about it”

The problem was that I couldn't help worrying about it and I held my breath, afraid of the response, as I pressed him further, desperate to help.

“Nathan! There’s obviously something bothering you. I hate to see you like this. Please.....let me help you!”

At least he didn’t tell me to mind my own business, I thought to myself with relief. I could see the hesitation on his face as he wrestled with the decision to confide in me and I gently prompted him further.

“You know what they say Naith, a problem shared…..”

He was on the verge of beginning to speak when the sound of rattling cups disturbed us and I turned around to see the lady from behind the counter, starting to clear the table nearby. The moment was immediately lost and as Nathan stood up and put his coat on, I gave an inward curse.

“Aren’t you finishing your coffee Naith?”

He seemed to have forgotten all about it and reluctantly sat down again. I could tell by the look on his face that it would be no good continuing where we’d left off, so I hurriedly gulped down my coffee as fast as I could. Perhaps he would open up in the privacy of the flat where no one would interrupt us.