A Different Love - 48. Chapter 48

When I got to work, I was pleased to discover that Julie had paired me up with Jacob, one of the new trainee staff. He would do any necessary lifting, whilst shadowing me to learn the ropes. He was a pleasant enough lad, quite easy on the eye and at least there would be the bonus of being able to watch him stretch and bend over as he lifted things for me.

As I’d expected, the store was extremely busy and it wasn’t until much later in the day that Tom managed to catch up with me in the staff room. He walked in to find me hunched over a cup of coffee in a world of my own and I jumped a mile when he greeted me cheerfully.

"Hey Jason!! How are you?"

"Hi Tom. I'm ok thanks. Glad to be back at work to be honest"

“I heard you were off” he said, immediately picking up on my less than enthusiastic response “You don’t sound ok”

He suddenly noticed my bandaged hand and before I could respond he nodded towards it “So what have you done to your hand?”

Without thinking I tried to flex my fingers underneath the bandage and a sharp stab of pain shot up my arm. I immediately tried to hide it from him but as my mouth curled into a grimace he couldn't fail to notice.

"Are you sure you're ok to be at work Jason?" he reiterated "That looked as if it really hurt"

"It's nothing Tom. Honest!"

He gazed at me doubtfully and shook his head in disagreement. Before he could comment any further, I rushed in to reassure him.

"The painkillers have made it bearable. As long as I don't lift anything, I'm fine"

Pre empting his next question, I quickly continued "Julie's put one of the new trainees with me to lift things. Jacob, I think she said his name was"

Tom laughed slyly and grinned at me "Ah, the good looking one! Just make sure you learn him something, instead of ogling him all day!"

I gazed at him innocently "Tom, as if I would!! You know me better than that"

He smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, that's exactly why I said it!" he answered with a wry smile.

I wisely changed the subject, hoping he wouldn’t ask how I’d damaged it again "I've got something to tell you anyway Tom"

"Sounds interesting! Go on"

"Aiden’s resigned! He's hoping to go live in Australia with his brothers"

Tom snorted triumphantly and clapped his hands. "Phew, I didn't expect that! Good riddance if you ask me. Sorry about his mother and everything, but I won't miss him one little bit"

I found it hard to look Tom in the eye as I unwisely decided to defend him "He's really not so bad once you get to know him properly"

I knew that Tom would instantly disagree with me and sure enough he gave an angry response. "Jason, he's an obnoxious low life! You should know that by now"

I couldn't help rushing to his defence again and surprised myself at just how angry I became.

"Look Tom, Aiden hasn't been in a very good place lately. Just give him a fucking break, ok?"

He immediately leant back in his chair and with a surprised expression on his face, raised his hands in submission.

"Ok Jason! Whatever you say! I just didn't think you were president of the Aiden Thompson fan club, that's all"

He stared at me, shocked at the intensity of my reaction and I found it difficult to meet his gaze. He clearly hadn't finished though, and couldn't stop himself from continuing.

"Jesus Christ Jason, I can't believe I'm hearing this! You're actually defending the guy, after all he's done to you. I knew you'd more or less forgiven him, but surely this is going way too far!"

I gave a deep sigh, angry with myself for sticking up for him so passionately in front of Tom. It was bound to make him suspicious, but it was too late now. Sure enough he frowned at me in puzzlement and shook his head.

"How exactly have you got to know him anyway?" he asked, with a puzzled frown. And why are you suddenly defending him? Thinking about it, how do you even know he's leaving?"

I sat there tight lipped, extremely reluctant to answer and he soon began to draw his own conclusions.

"I take it you've seen him then, since you know all the latest news"

His barely disguised scepticism shone through and when I didn't answer him he gazed at me steadily. Suddenly his eyes widened in amazement as if he couldn't believe what he was about to say "Oh my god Jason! You mean you've been to see him!!"

"It was mum's suggestion" I countered helplessly, struggling to explain "I just......Look, I don't know. I just thought he might need someone, that's all"

Tom's voice still couldn't hide his disdain as he quizzed me further "And did he? Need someone I mean"

"Yeah, I guess he did. He was really cut up about his mum Tom. And he's trying to deal with some other stuff too. I just felt really sorry for him"

I think it must have been the tone of caution in my voice that alerted him to the fact that something wasn't quite right. Within seconds his eyes narrowed and he responded suspiciously.

"Jason? Why do I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me here!"

There was a heavy silence in the room and when I didn't speak, Tom urged me on with a questioning glance "Jason......?"

I gave a deep sigh, realising he wasn't going to let it go. I had no idea how he was going to react to my admission and my heart raced as I struggled to find the right words "Look Tom.....there's no easy way to say this, but we erm......that is .....me and Aiden....we erm kind of had a thing together"

My voice lapsed into silence and I held my breath, dreading Tom's reaction. I knew he'd be shocked and probably angry by my revelation but at the end of the day it was my life and I had to live with the decisions I'd made.

His voice was full of puzzlement as he quizzed me further "What do you mean Jason........a thing?"

"Aiden's gay Tom! I answered him quietly "We.....erm got together. You know......we...erm......"

Tom immediately raised his hands in protest "Jason, I get the picture!! There’s no need to go into details"

I fully expected him to explode with anger and indignation, but instead he gasped incredulously

"Aiden's gay!! Are you sure?"

He gazed at the expression on my face before answering his own question "Sorry Jason, that was a stupid thing to say. It's just that I never would have guessed in a million years!"

"You and me both Tom. I couldn't believe it at first, but apparently he's always liked me"

"He's got a funny way of showing it" Tom remarked instantly "All the stuff he's done to you in the past!"

I immediately broke in "I know Tom. But that's what it is. In the past! I decided it was time to forgive him. There's no excuse for his behaviour and he knows that, but I still decided to accept his apologies for everything that's happened" I gave a thoughtful sigh before continuing "I suppose in a way I know what he must have been going through. It's not easy coming to terms with being gay. It's just that he went about it the wrong way, but that's Aiden for you!”

At that moment, Tom realised I meant every word and shook his head as if he couldn't believe it "Phew!!!! I never expected that Jason. You certainly know how to shock a guy, that's for certain" He pondered slightly and screwed up his nose "But still.....Aiden?"

"I know Tom, I can't explain it. But he's turned into this really sweet, friendly guy that seems to care about me an awful lot"

I gave a sly smile and laughed to myself as I prepared to rib him. "And to top it all Tom, he's got a body to die for and he's fucking awesome in b...."

He instantly stopped me as soon as he realised what I was about to say "JASON!!! I told you, way too much information!!"

His expression was somewhere between shock and embarrassment and when I collapsed with laughter he nudged me hard in the ribs, but still couldn't stop the smile from slowly spreading across his face.

I yelped in pain "Ouch Tom, that hurt!!!"

"You deserved it!" he cried, with a mock scowl on his face "You've given me an image that'll never go away now!!"

A few seconds later his face turned deadly serious again "But what does this mean for you and Nathan? I thought you loved him"

"I do fucking love him Tom! More than anything! I would never cheat on him if we were together, but I don’t even know if he’s ever coming back!"

"Well then? Isn't it a bit stupid fooling around with Aiden when it's Nathan you really want to be with? And what do you mean if he comes back? Where has he gone?"

"Look Tom, don't even get me started on Nathan! Besides, it's only a bit of fun with Aiden. Just sex! We're not together or anything. And in any case, he's flying to the other side of the world the day after tomorrow!"

Tom grimaced and I smiled inwardly. I could have said that he'd already been down under, but I didn't think Tom would have appreciated it.

He put his head on one side and smiled at me apologetically "Look Jason, I'm going to ask you anyway, so you might as well tell me now. What's the story with Nathan? There's obviously something going on or you wouldn't be fooling around with Aiden"

I gave a huge sigh and shook my head in despair "If you must know he kissed me!"

Tom exploded with excitement, eager to reiterate what he'd always thought "Jason, I told you!! I knew he was gay!"

"No, you don't understand Tom! It's not like that"

"So what is it like then? I thought you'd be over the moon!"

"Under normal circumstances I would be. It's all I ever wanted"

"So what's the problem?"

I took a deep breath and began to explain everything that had happened between us. When I finally finished telling him everything my voice was quivering with emotion and as tears pricked my eyes, I brushed them roughly aside.

“I think I’ve lost him forever Tom!”

“Nonsense Jason! I just don’t believe it”

“But how can you be so sure?”

“Jason, I was at the Chinese restaurant early on the night of the party. I saw the way he looked at you when he gave you the watch”

I gazed at him with a puzzled frown “What do you mean, the way he looked at me?”

He sighed, struggling earnestly to explain what he meant “It was the same way my wife and I look at each other Jason.......because we're in love!”

He quickly continued, shaking his head in exasperation “He may be denying his real feelings at the moment, but at some point he'll have to face them, and believe me, when he does, he won't be able to live without you. I've seen how the two of you are together Jason, he's so far into you he can see out the other side! Trust me, his love is far too strong for him to ignore. Mark my words, he'll be back!”

I wanted to believe him. I really did. Tom was extremely perceptive and usually spot on with everything he said, but this time I just couldn't bring myself to believe him. Nathan's love for Annie was incredibly strong too. He'd abandoned her once before. Would he really be prepared to do it again? I couldn't bring myself to believe he would. Then there was his past. Would he be far too ashamed to face me, knowing I was fully aware of what he’d done? It was all one big mass of pain, suffering, confusion and longing....the list was endless. How could something good ever come from the myriad of negative emotions that were gushing through me like a fast flowing river about to burst its banks?

He put his hand over the top of mine and gently squeezed it "Look Jason, promise me you won't give up on him! I've just got a feeling it'll all work out in the end and I don't want you to lose the chance to be happy"

“So what do I do now Tom?” I asked, peering at him helplessly.

He gazed at me sympathetically, before grabbing my shoulder to emphasise his words “Look Jason, just explain to him that you’ve spoken to his father and you know all about his past. Tell him that it doesn’t make any difference to you and you still want him back. Tell him you’re missing him like crazy and you desperately want him to be a part of your life. Forever!!! Lay it on thick. Make sure he knows how strongly you feel about him. That’s all you can do. The rest is up to him, but at least you’ll know you’ve done everything you can!”

I opened my mouth to question him “But what if......”

Tom raised his voice as he became more and more agitated “Never mind what if’s Jason! At the end of the day, you can’t force him to come back. You can only try your best!”

“But he already knows how I feel about him”

“So tell him again! Tell him a hundred times if that’s what it takes! This is the rest of your life we’re talking about!”

I smiled at him, thankful for his support. "Jesus Tom, I hope you're right. I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't come back"

He quickly reassured me "He will, you'll see!"

I sighed heavily "All you ever seem to do is listen to my problems"

"Because that's what friends are for!"

"Yeah and you're one of the best Tom!"

He reddened slightly and chuckled at my compliment. Before he had a chance to respond the door opened and in walked Jacob, the trainee member of staff. He immediately realised we were in the middle of something and stood there fidgeting nervously.

"I can come back if you like" he offered, smiling apologetically.

I glanced at my watch and realised I was due back in the store. Jacob had obviously come looking for me and I could tell he was anxious to be on time.

"No, it's ok Jacob. We're due back in the shop anyway"

He nodded with relief and I gave Tom a weak smile, silently mouthing the words 'Thank you' before clasping Jacob on the shoulder and leading him out of the door.

 

My shift was finished at long last and I was eager to ring Nathan again. Despite trying to contact him several times during my shift with no success, I was still desperate to try again. Each unanswered call was making me increasingly angry and frustrated and I forced myself to calm down, frightened that my temper would take over and I'd do or say something I couldn't retract. My heart began beating madly as I once again tapped the redial button and held my breath as the ringing tone began. After what seemed like an age, the voicemail kicked in, reminding me that it might be the last thing I would ever hear Nathan say.

Mindful of Tom’s advice, I had no intention of giving up yet though, and once again I composed a text to make sure he knew how I felt.

“Hi Nathan. No matter how many times you ignore me I still love you more than anything and desperately want you back. I don’t care about your past. I just want you to know that we can work this out together as a couple. Don’t waste the rest of your life being unhappy, because I know you love me too. Love J xxxxx

I wondered if he would even read it, and as I wandered aimlessly towards the railway station, a crushing blanket of devastation wrapped itself around me, and I couldn't remember ever feeling quite so lost and alone.

My mood slowly improved as the bus got nearer to Dryford. I was glad that Aiden had asked me to meet him there. At least he would be pleased to see me and hopefully it would ease the tension and anxiety of missing Nathan.

I was running slightly late and when I walked into the Crown he was sitting at a table opposite the bar, staring dejectedly at the door. His face lit up when he saw me and he waved me over enthusiastically.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come” he admitted, as I plumped myself down beside him.

“Of course I was coming” I exclaimed, as if it was the most ridiculous statement in the world “I wouldn’t miss the big send off!”

His involuntary look of relief was gone within seconds, quickly replaced by a wide smile

"Good day at work?" he asked

I sighed and shook my head wearily "Yeah, not too bad. I've had worse"

"Probably when I was there!"

"Aiden, I didn't mean it like that"

He smiled and nudged my shoulder "No, I know you didn't. You're far too nice to say it even if you did"

His smile turned into a grimace, the way he'd behaved clearly still playing on his mind. "Not like me eh, making you smash that computer"

"Aiden, I said forget about it! It's all in the past"

He sighed and shook his head "You see Jason, that's what I like about you......He paused, frowning slightly before struggling to continue "I'm no good with words, but it just means so much to be friends with you at long last"

"Yeah, it's good to be friends with you too Aiden!"

In reality I could hardly believe it. Who would have thought that a week ago we'd ever talk to each other again, let alone be friends! But he was right. It did mean a lot. For some reason I liked the thought that he'd always felt this way about me, but on the other hand it was sad that it had taken so long for a friendship to materialise between us.

He moved slightly nearer and I instinctively knew he was going to kiss me. I quickly moved away and his hand immediately flew to his mouth and he gasped with shock, quickly looking around the room.

“I’m so sorry Jason, I didn’t think!!”

“It’s ok Aiden” I whispered “It isn’t that I don’t want to kiss you. It’s just that mum and dad don’t know yet and you know, this is our village......”

Yeah, don’t worry Jason, I get it”

He smiled at me in understanding before asking me what I wanted to drink. As he disappeared towards the bar to buy them, I noticed his two brothers, Kyle and Sam, standing at the bar talking to three or four girls. I watched them closely, immediately thinking of bees around a honey pot and when he returned, Aiden gazed at me with interest, following my line of vision.

"I told them you know"

I gazed at him enquiringly, even though I had a good idea what he was talking about.

"About being gay I mean. I told them last night"

"Oh right! I said, slightly shocked “What did they say?"

He laughed softly to himself "I think it was the last thing they expected. They were a bit shocked at first"

"Yeah, I can understand that. So was I!"

He sighed with relief "They didn't seem to mind though"

"That's great Aiden. At least you don't have to hide anymore"

"I couldn't go all that way without telling them the truth. It wouldn't have been right"

Suddenly feeling reckless, I nudged him gently in the ribs and whispered in his ear. "You didn't mind going all the way with me though!"

He leant in towards me and with a wide grin on his face, whispered back "I'd go all the way and back again with you Jason. Several times! You're making me hard just sitting next to me!"

My stomach fluttered and within seconds I was becoming aroused myself. Before either of us could say anything more, Aiden's brother Kyle broke away from the girls and approached us.

Thankfully he leant over the table and spoke quietly to Aiden "This the boyfriend bro?"

I glanced around nervously, wondering if anyone had heard. After all, we were in Dryford and most people in here knew mum and dad. Aiden frowned at Kyle and shook his head.

"No, course not! This is Jason, my friend from work. You've met him before when he came to the house"

Kyle's face suddenly registered recognition and he greeted me with a knowing smile. "Ah, I remember now. It’s Jason isn’t it? Great to meet you again man!"

He shook my hand and winked lewdly at Aiden, obviously not convinced by his brother's explanation. He made his way back to the bar and I smiled gratefully at Aiden.

"Thanks for not spilling the beans, I appreciate that"

"Hey don't worry, there's no way I'm going to tell him anything about you and me"

He gave me a puzzled glance "If you don't mind me asking Jason, how come you haven't told your parents yet?"

I sighed heavily and blushed "To be quite honest Aiden, they're a bit old fashioned. I think my dad's still expecting me to meet some nice girl and settle down"

He struggled to hide a smile "Not much chance of that!"

"Yeah exactly! I'm just not sure how dad would take it. His health's pretty bad right now and I don't want to give him anything else to worry about"

He nodded his understanding. "What happens when you meet someone though?"

Almost as if he didn't want to say it, he continued hesitantly "Like Nathan for instance?"

I answered quickly, desperately trying to block out the fact that he'd kissed me "That would only be a problem if Nathan was gay Aiden!"

He was silent for a moment, obviously weighing up in his mind whether to say something or not. Finally he decided to go ahead and tentatively began.

"He seemed to care about you an awful lot that night at the restaurant!"

His words brought the sudden threat of tears to my eyes and I immediately hid behind a mask of annoyance. "Aiden!!!"

He quickly recoiled in horror "I'm really sorry Jason. I shouldn't have said that. It's none of my business"

I sighed heavily and gazed at him apologetically "Look, it's ok Aiden, I didn't mean to snap. It's just that Nathan claims to be straight, but then he kissed me....”

I didn’t mean to reveal all this to Aiden, but then I realised it would probably be much easier talking to someone about it who was gay “I love him so much, but now he’s disappeared.....if only he’d just talk to me" I added bitterly “We might be able to work it out”

"I'm really sorry Jason. I didn't realise there was anything wrong between you two”

"It's ok Aiden. I'm sure it'll sort itself out. I don’t want to dump everything on you"

"I really don’t mind Jason. And for what it's worth, I think he's crazy!"

He nudged me gently on the shoulder and gave me a wide grin "I mean where is he gonna find another guy as awesome as you?"

I blushed even more at his compliment and suddenly felt really hot under the collar. "Look Aiden, do you fancy getting out of here? I need some air"

"Yeah, of course. I've got some beer back at the house if you're interested?"

I nodded my ahead in agreement and after downing the remainder of my beer in one go, struggled into my coat. He stood up and headed towards the bar, calling back over his shoulder "I'll just tell Sam and Kyle we're going"

 

 

"SHIT!!!

The expletive erupted from my mouth before I could stop it. The can of beer I'd just opened exploded in the air like a bomb, spraying beer in all directions. Unfortunately, most of it landed on me and my white shirt and cream coloured trousers were drenched in the dark foamy liquid. Aiden was trying his best not to laugh at the shocked expression on my face as I wiped dripping beer off my chin.

"Fuck Aiden!! My trousers and shirt are wet through!"

"So take them off!" he grinned "I'll put them in front of the fire, they'll be dry in no time"

"Aiden this isn't funny! You’d better not have done this on purpose!"

I tried hard to read his deadpan expression, searching for even the smallest sign of guilt, but failed to detect any kind of confirmation that he'd meant to do it. He quickly protested his innocence.

"Of course I didn't do it on purpose! The can must have got bent or something"

I didn't believe his feeble excuse for a second, especially after his remark about taking my clothes off.

He stood up and shook his head, still trying to suppress a smirk "I'll get you something to dry yourself with"

"A fat lot of good that's going to do now I exclaimed, unsure whether to be amused or annoyed.

He disappeared into the kitchen and I shouted after him "Besides, I can't take them off! What if Sam and Kyle come back? They're bound to think...."

"So what if they do? he interrupted, returning from the kitchen. "We'll tell them exactly what happened and your clothes will be drying by the fire to prove it"

I couldn't fault his logic, but knew that I would still feel uncomfortable, sitting around his house in just my underwear. He passed me the cloth and I stood up and began mopping up the liquid as best I could, which by now had largely soaked into my clothes.

"Look Aiden, perhaps I'd better just go home"

"NO!!!" he shouted, making me jump.

The word shot out of his mouth faster than a speeding bullet, but the next time he spoke his voice had quietened considerably. His tone was almost pleading as he hurriedly continued.

"I'm mean please, don't do that. It's my last night and I'm gonna miss you enough as it is! Stay for a bit at least"

He gazed at me with sad, puppy dog eyes and I struggled to resist.

"Besides Jason" he added with a wink "Why on earth would I want to see you half naked?"

"Aiden!! You're hopeless"

Sporting a huge grin, he shrugged his shoulders, silently agreeing. In reality the last thing I wanted to do was go home, so I gave it one last try before succumbing to Aiden's suggestion

"What about your clothes, can't you lend me some?"

"I haven't got any spare ones here. Our luggage has gone on ahead"

I gave a deep sigh and finally accepting the inevitable, slowly began unbuttoning my shirt. His eyes eagerly followed my every move and I shook my head in embarrassment.

"Aiden, stop it! I feel like a goldfish in a bowl. Put your eyeballs back in!"

"Spoilsport!!" he retorted "You didn't seem to mind last time if I remember correctly!"

"If I recall, last time you were taking yours off too"

"Fair enough" he exclaimed excitedly "Wait for me!" His fingers flew to the top button of his shirt and as he began opening it I reached out and grasped his hand.

"Aiden, stop!! That wasn't an invitation"

He sank back on the sofa with a disappointed look on his face and I couldn't bring myself to reproach him as he watched me remove my trousers.

"Shit!! Look at that!"

Aiden didn't need to be told twice and I tutted with annoyance. The beer had soaked right through my trousers and the white material of my boxer briefs was now covered with damp brown stains. He opened his mouth to speak and I instinctively knew what he was going to say.

"Aiden, don't even think about it!!"

He smiled but didn't say anything, unable to stop himself from taking furtive glances at my underwear

"Look Jason, do you want to go into my bedroom? he asked tentatively, no doubt expecting a negative answer "We can talk in there and if the others come back, they won't even see you in your underwear"

He gathered up my shirt and trousers and placed them on a chair in front of the fire "Besides, they'll be dry in no time and you can put them back on again"

I gazed at him reluctantly and sighed, realising there was no other option if I wanted to stay.

"Yeah ok then. That's probably best"

His face lit up like a Christmas tree as he led me towards his bedroom. I followed behind, unable to stop myself from watching the way his cheeks moved enticingly against the tight denim material of his jeans.

Although I'd only been in his house twice before it looked strange with only the bare essentials left. We both sat down on the floor at the foot of his bed, resting our backs against the mattress. My feet were almost touching the wardrobe as I stretched out, self consciously adjusting my boxers in an attempt to hide the obvious bulge at the front. Aiden opened another couple of beers and passed me one carefully. His voice was hesitant as he posed a question.

"So what's the problem with Nathan?"

He gazed at my reluctant expression and immediately backtracked. "Sorry, you don't have to tell me. It's just that you seem so sad and I hate to see you this way"

He gave my shoulder a small nudge and smiled as he quickly went on "I really want to remember how you looked just after we'd made love together" he joked "But I'd settle for just a smile at the moment"

His question suddenly brought back all the pent up anger and sadness, and tears once again pricked my eyes. "I can't stop thinking he's not coming back Aiden"

He replied in a quiet, sympathetic voice with a simple question "So where did he go?"

I folded my knees up to my chin and encircling them with my arms, rocked slowly backwards and forwards. Instead of answering his question, I quietly revealed what had started it all. “Like I said Aiden......he kissed me..."

The three simple words opened the floodgates and in a voice loaded with pain and confusion, I explained to Aiden everything that had happened. The more I told him, the more upset I became and in the end he took me in his arms and held me close, letting me sob uncontrollably against his shoulder. His soothing hand rubbed slowly up and down my back and the sensuous movement against my bare skin gradually began to make me hard. I lifted my head and gently nuzzled his hair with my nose, allowing his wonderful scent to engulf me. Whispering seductively in his ear, my words made his body stiffen with desire.

"Aiden, will you make love to me please? I just need to be close to you right now!"

He broke away slightly to face me, sporting a concerned expression on his face. "Jason, are you sure? he warned "What about Nathan?"

“Aiden, I would never cheat on him if we were together, but I don’t know if he’s even coming back”

“But Jason, don’t you…..”

Right at that moment I just needed to feel that someone was there for me and before he could finish speaking I covered his lips with mine and entwined my tongue around his, kissing him with a frantic urgency. He didn't need any more encouragement and his hand slipped under the waist band of my underwear, encircling and rubbing my throbbing cock with his fingers. When he grasped the material to pull them down, I instinctively lifted myself up slightly, allowing him to quickly remove my underwear. Once released, my fully aroused cock slapped hard against my stomach and grabbing it firmly, he continued to slowly glide my foreskin up and down. Without letting go, he began sucking and gently biting my nipples, letting his tongue leave a trail of saliva down my stomach as he sank lower and lower. My body tensed as I felt his tongue dart teasingly across my cock head and his hot breath curled around my shaft as he began sucking my balls in his mouth. Suddenly my back arched with pleasure as I felt his lips slip over my cock and I grabbed his head as he tried to engulf my whole length down his throat. Within seconds he came up for air and then immediately went down again, continuing to thirstily suck and lick my cock like a tasty lollipop. His warm wet saliva and inquisitive probing tongue drove me wild with desire and before long I could feel myself getting ready to explode. I gently squeezed his shoulders to warn him

"Aiden! I'm gonna come!!"

He looked up at me and smiled, only increasing the frantic bobbing up and down movement of his head. I couldn't last any longer and within seconds my ball sac tightened and waves of thick creamy liquid shot down the back of his throat. He hungrily swallowed everything I gave him, gently gliding my foreskin up and down with his hand to gather the very last drops of milky semen. Our bodies relaxed as we held each other close and gently kissed and I could feel the salty tang of semen on my lips. After a while I whispered in his ear, repeating my earlier request.

"Can we lay on the bed together Aiden, I want you to fuck me. I need to feel you inside me"

He stared at me in surprise, eagerly nodding his head in agreement. A second later he frowned and gave a small sigh "The thing is Jason, I've got nothing to make it easy for you. You know, I don't want to hurt you"

It took me a second or two to realise what he meant but by then his face had lit up with an idea. "Just a sec" he chuckled "I've thought of something!"

He jumped up and rushed out of the room, triumphantly returning a short while later with a bottle of washing up liquid and a condom. "This should do the trick Jason!" he exclaimed with a grin “The boys had a condom!”

My eyes widened at his ingenuity and I pulled him close. "Please can I undress you Aiden?"

He smiled at my politeness and quickly held his arms wide. "Be my guest!"

I began by slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt, before sensually running my hands up and down his naked chest, squeezing and caressing his stiff nipples. His washboard stomach was firm yet pliable, incredibly warm and silky to the touch. I gently planted kisses all the way down to his waist, before popping the buttons of his tight fitting jeans. I tugged them down with some difficulty, hampered by the snug fit and huge erection that was straining to escape his briefs. My fingers stroked and caressed his rigid cock through the thin material, simultaneously squeezing his soft, heavy balls. The sound of his voice, moaning with pleasure, spurred me on and when I finally released his cock it sprung forwards, thick and swollen. Aiden's cock could only be described as beautiful. A good eight inches long, wide and thick, with a large purple head. A trail of pre come glistened in the light and my tongue instantly snaked out like a salamander to devour it. I tentatively licked and sucked him, continually swirling my tongue around the head in a way that almost drove him wild. His body tensed with pleasure and I hungrily swallowed his whole length, stretching his foreskin backwards and forwards as far as it would go. He tapped me urgently on the shoulder and his cock slipped out of my mouth as I gazed at him enquiringly.

"Jason! Hold off!" he exclaimed "I don't wanna come just yet"

I nodded and reluctantly left his cock alone leaving him spread eagled on the bed beside me. I grinned and quickly climbed on top of him, overwhelmed by the feeling of our naked bodies grinding against each other. For the next few minutes we kissed and caressed until our stomachs grew wet and sticky and I was almost ready to come again. I whispered to him urgently.

"Aiden!"

He immediately knew what I wanted and reaching for the condom quickly tore the packet open. "Can I put it on for you?" I asked him excitedly.

He simply nodded, passed me the condom and I reached for his cock, sliding the tight latex rubber down his shaft. We swapped positions and he laid me on my back, reaching for the bottle of washing up liquid. He chuckled as he poured some in my hand and wrapped it around his cock. "Time to do the dishes Jason, let's start with the rolling pin!"

I laughed and rubbed his shaft up and down several times, completely covering it with the slippery liquid. Next, he pulled my legs apart and I winced as he squirted some more inside me. After some gentle persuasion from his fingers I was finally ready and after the initial push, his cock slid effortlessly inside me. He began with a gentle rhythmic thrusting, slowly increasing in speed as he pumped away inside me. He grabbed my cock and slid my foreskin up and down in time with each of his thrusts. I lay there in complete ecstasy, transported to another level, a myriad of feelings and emotions rushing through me.

One minute I was staring at Aiden's face as he fiercely concentrated on the job in hand, then it slowly blurred and morphed into Nathan's. For a split second I imagined it was him thrusting away inside me and I instantly shot my load, resulting in one of the most powerful orgasm's I'd ever experienced. Streams of semen shot over my chest and neck, with even a drop or two landing on my face. Considering I'd already come not ten minutes before, it was some ejaculation, without a doubt spurred on by the thought of Nathan. I couldn't help feeling slightly guilty that in a way I was using Aiden as a substitute, the only saving grace being that this was obviously what he wanted too.

Meanwhile, his thrusting had reached a frenzy and from his moans and cries of ecstasy, I knew he was near to climax. The pleasure for both of us was incredibly intense and several seconds later he shot his load inside me, albeit contained within the condom. He pulled out and collapsed beside me, totally spent from his exertion. I lay my head on his heaving chest, kissing the light sheen of perspiration that clung to his skin like early morning mist on a window pane. His racing heart thumped madly in my ear, gradually slowing to a steady beat as he relaxed beside me.

Several moments later we both stiffened as the back door suddenly opened and slammed shut. Voices could immediately be heard in the kitchen and it was obvious that Kyle and Sam had returned from the pub. We instantly jumped off the bed and smoothing the bed sheets as best we could, quickly got dressed. Unfortunately for me, getting dressed meant only a pair of socks and boxer briefs as my shirt and trousers were still drying in front of the fire in the living room. There was a sudden knock on the door and within seconds Sam burst in, obviously slightly the worse for wear. All three of us froze with embarrassment.

"Hiya Ma....." He never finished the greeting as his mouth dropped open and he stared wide eyed at our flushed faces and my state of undress.

"Aw sorry mate!" he cried, addressing his brother with a horrified look "I didn't mean to....I mean I didn't know you were...."

He suddenly stopped talking, overwhelmed with confusion, his face rapidly turning the colour of beetroot. Kyle stumbled into the room behind him, equally inebriated, but not quite as embarrassed. He burped loudly and addressed his brother in a slightly slurred voice.

"Sam, leave them alone! They're trying to fuck each other for god's sake!"

Now it was my turn to cringe with embarrassment. I couldn't even manage a word when Aiden jumped in, making it even worse as he struggled to explain.

"Look we haven't.....I mean we didn't......”

"No mate, course you didn't!" Kyle repeated with a knowing smile, glancing at Jason "Guys always talk to each other half naked in their bedrooms!"

Aiden fell silent and his shoulders sagged in defeat, acknowledging the game was up. He quickly trotted out his original excuse, even though it now sounded pathetic and meaningless.

"Jason wet his clothes and had to take them off" he began, before his voice tailed off to a whisper "They're still drying off by the fire"

Kyle stepped in again, obviously the most forward of the two. "Mate, it doesn't matter! You can fuck each other's brains out as much as you like! We don't mind, do we bro?"

He looked towards his brother for confirmation and Sam gave a weak smile, clearly still embarrassed. I made a move towards the door, deciding it was time to leave

"Look Aiden, I'd better go"

He turned towards me, nodding his head reluctantly. "I'll come outside with you"

As Aiden had predicted, my clothes were bone dry and I hastily scrambled into them, feeling the eyes of all three Thompson brothers watching me. Kyle gave a sudden guffaw and I froze with embarrassment as he addressed Aiden

"Anyway mate. What's with the washing up liquid in your room?"

From the look in his eyes he obviously knew the answer and was just winding Aiden up.

"Oh, I erm spilt something"

By now both his brothers were laughing and Sam could hardly hold it together "Oh! I hope you gave it a good rub!"

Kyle quickly joined in, giving Aiden a good natured punch on the shoulder "Not too many bubbles I hope?"

We both dived out of the room as quickly as possible to the sound of their laughter, anxious to avoid any more embarrassing jokes. Aiden pulled the back door shut behind us and kissed me lightly on the cheek. "I’m really sorry Jason. That wasn't supposed to happen. I thought they'd be ages yet"

"It's fine, really” I quickly reassured him “At least they were ok with it. That's the main thing!"

He smiled at me gratefully, giving a nervous chuckle "Phew! Thanks Jason. I thought you might be angry. I've never been more embarrassed in my life!"

"Yeah, me too actually" I admitted, with a deep sigh. I kissed him on the forehead "But how can I be angry? It takes two to tango!"

He laughed slightly before his face slipped into a sad frown "So I guess this is it then?"

I pulled him into a tight hug as tears pricked my eyes "I guess it is"

We stood facing each other and I couldn't help seeing my tears mirrored in his eyes.

"You never know" I laughed jokingly "If Nathan doesn't come back, I might join you"

"You don't know how much I wish that was true Jason" he replied wistfully "But don't worry, he'll be back. You can bet your life on it!"

"How can you say that with so much confidence?" I exclaimed, screwing up my face in puzzlement.

When he replied there was an intensity in his voice that I hadn't heard before "Because he feels the same way about you as I do!"

I stared back at him with an expression of shock on my face

"Aiden. I don't....."

"Jason, why do you think I made the decision to go away?" he asked fiercely, struggling to hold back his emotions.

I had a feeling I knew what the answer was going to be but was unsure what to say. "Because you want a new start?" I answered weakly

His heated response shocked me and I stared at him open mouthed "No Jason!!! It's because I've fallen in love with you!!!"

There was an involuntary silence and his voice dropped considerably, afraid that his brothers would hear "And yeah, I know what you're gonna say, I've got a funny way of showing it"

"Aiden, I wasn't going to say that!"

He continued as if I hadn't spoken and with a faraway look in his eyes, laughed softly to himself. "I knew who you were straight away. As soon as I saw you in Julie's office, that first day you started at the store. My heart skipped a beat! I couldn't believe it! You'd grown even more good looking than you were at school"

I reddened slightly at his compliment but remained silent as he carried on.

"You're not gonna believe this Jason" he admitted with a shy smile "But I had the biggest crush on you all the way through school and now you were gonna be working at the same place as me!"

"Wait!!" I exclaimed incredulously, before he could go on "What do you mean, a crush. I thought you hated me!"

"Of course I didn't hate you, but with my usual dumb logic, I thought that fighting was the only way I could get near you. You were hardly going to notice me otherwise, were you?"

I sighed and shook my head, struggling to take in what he was saying "Aiden, you could've just tried being nice to me!"

"I know that now! I've grown up a bit since school. But back then I was totally screwed up, I hated all that gay stuff! Everyone said it was wrong to feel that way about another boy. But I couldn't help it! Half of me wanted to kiss you and the other half wanted to hit you!"

I gazed at the tormented look in his eyes and finally appreciated the massive struggle he'd gone through. I realised that I'd gone through exactly the same struggle, the only difference being that I'd dealt with it in a different way. Instead of hating anyone who I thought was gay, I'd tried to help them, inevitably leading to clashes with Aiden. I could hardly blame him though. It was an unbelievably heavy load for any teenager to bear and everyone reacted differently. My head was still spinning from his revelations, but I forced myself to concentrate as he carried on. He had a strange kind of expression on his face, almost a smile but tinged with a deep sadness.

"Anyway, I was willing Julie to put you with me. Praying even! I couldn’t believe my luck when she did!"

My mind wandered back to that first day in the office, never dreaming that such thoughts were going through his head. My own thoughts had been a mixture of anxiety and a fear that he hadn't changed one little bit since school.

He continued softly "I really enjoyed that time Jason, training you, being close to you at long last"

He laughed ironically and shook his head, obviously disgusted with himself. "And then just when I finally get it right, Mr tough guy, frightened to be gay, fucks it all up!!" He paused and shook his head....well, you know the rest"

He quickly continued before I could interrupt. "The thing is Jason, if I thought there was the slightest chance you could ever feel the same way about me, I'd change my plans in a heartbeat. You do know that, don't you?"

"Aiden, I....."

He immediately raised his hands. "It’s ok Jason! You don’t need to say anything. I realise how much you love Nathan. I can see it in your eyes every time his name’s mentioned"

We both fell silent, reflecting on what might have been. Aiden was the first to break the silence. "I saw everything that happened outside the restaurant you know"

I gazed at him in surprise, not realising that he'd watched the whole thing "I saw his face after you left" he added "Jason, it definitely wasn't the reaction of someone who might lose a friend!"

He struggled to put his feelings into words. "It was more than that, much more. He was devastated, I know he was!"

"So why hasn't he been in touch!" I cried, as the agony returned "Tell me that?"

"I don't know Jason, but it must be something pretty important that's stopping him. All I know is that he cares about you an awful lot and he’ll definitely be back!"

"I really hope you're right Aiden"

"Believe me Jason, I know real love when I see it"

His words of encouragement had the tears flowing once more and I held him in a tight bear hug, annoyed with myself for the state I was in. "For fucks sake Aiden, what's the matter with me?"

He held me close, stroking the back of my head. "You're in love and missing him like fuck, that's all"

As usual, Aiden's no nonsense, straight to the point answer was spot on and I wondered how we could ever have been such enemies. "I never thought I'd be saying this Aiden, but I'm gonna fucking miss you so much. You've turned into a real friend"

"That's all I ever wanted to be Jason" he said wistfully "Well until recently that is, but we won't go there again!"

I smiled at him, struggling to believe that he felt so strongly about me. Why did it have to happen like this? An incredibly hot sexy guy like Aiden was head over heels in love with me and here I was, unable to reciprocate because I was madly in love with someone else. I tried hard to make him realise how much he meant to me.

"Look Aiden, I just want to say a massive thank you for being here for me, I'll never forget you!"

He blushed shyly before responding and raised his eyebrows. "Thanks for letting me, you know, be with you again Jason. The sex was awesome!!"

I readily agreed with him "Yeah, it was pretty special! I’ll never forget you too"

We kissed on the lips again. This time, long and lingering, knowing there was a good chance we would never touch each other again. I pulled away and held him at arm’s length. "Have a great journey and you'd better let me know that you've arrived safely!"

He laughed lightly and kissed my lips "I will Jason. But you have to promise to let me know when Nathan comes back"

"If he comes back!"

He placed his finger over my mouth and raised his eyebrows "No Jason, when he comes back!" he said with finality.

We hugged and kissed one final time and with a sad smile and a heavy heart I left him standing there, for a split second hoping I hadn't made the biggest mistake of my life.