A Different Love - 50. Chapter 50

We entered the flat through the front door and as Nathan closed it behind him, a sudden rush of nervousness swept over me. My heart pounded as I realised that this was the moment of truth. The moment I'd waited so long for. Within seconds Nathan grasped my shoulders and pushed me back against the door, immediately devouring my lips. I responded with equal gusto and the next few minutes were spent hungrily kissing each other, wherever our lips could reach. We slipped off our coats without losing contact and he immediately raised his arms so I could remove his tee shirt. His exquisite chest and tight washboard stomach that I'd dreamt about so many times before were suddenly revealed, and my mouth quickly found his nipples, hungrily sucking and licking at the firm protruding skin. He suddenly shifted back slightly and lifted my chin to face him. Whispering in a husky voice filled with aching desire, he nodded his head towards the door further up the hallway.

"Jason, let's go to the bedroom"

I needed no further encouragement, and he grasped my hand and led me down the hallway. As soon as we entered the room, he grabbed my t-shirt and pulled it over my head. As he kissed me passionately his fingers quickly found my belt buckle and before I knew it my trousers had snaked downwards towards the floor. Next, he grasped my shoulders and pushed me gently backwards onto his huge bed. Within seconds he was on top of me, straddling my legs with his body. He gazed at me provocatively and without further ado, slowly began to draw down my briefs. I lifted my body slightly to assist him and as they released my straining cock his eyes widened in awe.

"Jesus Christ Jason!! Hope my mouth's big enough"

"Only one way to find out!" I chuckled

As he bent towards me, I grasped the sides of his head, pulling him urgently towards my waiting cock. My back arched in breathless ecstasy as his tongue slowly curled around my cock, probing and licking the throbbing head. If it was possible, Nathan was even better at this than Aiden and my stomach lurched uncontrollably as he hungrily licked and sucked at the dripping, swollen head. Without warning he suddenly swallowed me whole and I could feel my cock pushing urgently against the back of his throat. My balls were squeezed against his chin and were suddenly released as he came up for air. He gazed upwards to catch my look of wide-eyed shock and smiled before devouring me whole again as he deep throated me once more. His head bobbed up and down relentlessly and after what seemed like no time at all, my limbs stiffened, and a feeling of all consuming pleasure forced a cry of wild animal desire to escape my lips from deep within. The sudden rush of climax thundered forwards like a speeding train and unable to speak, I desperately tightened my grip on his shoulders to warn him. He withdrew slightly but wouldn't let go and my release immediately flooded his mouth like an exploding geyser. It seemed as if I'd never come so much before, as wave after wave of warm semen gushed into his mouth. It didn't seem to faze him at all, and he swallowed hungrily, licking the remaining drops of liquid with several flicks of his tongue. The feelings of pure pleasure and gratification were out of this world and determined to return the favour, I quickly pulled him upwards and flipped him over onto his back.

"Your turn now" I whispered huskily, licking my lips for what was about to come "But let me enjoy the view first"

He smiled in agreement and lay spread- eagled on the bed beneath me and I gazed in awe at his naked chest. Nathan was truly beautiful, and I couldn't believe how lucky I was that it was me he wanted. I released his belt buckle with shaking fingers, quickly unfastening his trousers before pulling them off and discarding them somewhere behind me. A gasp of desire escaped my lips at the sight before me. Nathan was wearing the skimpiest orange briefs imaginable, gloriously outlining the shape of his huge erection. The thin trail of hair that snaked downwards from his belly button joined the neatly manicured thatch of blond pubic hair that spilled over the top of them. Despite what he’d said earlier, it was clear that Nathan was almost as big as me and I slowly and seductively drew down the thin material bit by bit, savouring every second with breathless anticipation. Nathan had a beautifully long, thick cock that slapped hard against his stomach when I finally released it. It had a cute way of flopping to one side, and he grinned at me in amusement when I couldn’t help gently pulling it towards me and letting it flop back towards his thigh several times. When I slowly bent over him, I was almost sick with desire as I ran my tongue down its entire length, finally sucking and licking his balls as his body stiffened and he gasped with pleasure. I quickly returned to work on the head, licking and sucking for all I was worth. Grasping his balls, I gently kneaded them in the palm of my hand as my head bobbed furiously up and down his long shaft. All I wanted to do was give him the best oral sex of his life and his writhing body and cries of pleasure were music to my ears. Without warning his body suddenly bucked violently and a stream of semen shot down my throat, causing me to cough and choke with surprise. He quickly withdrew and the final streams of his ejaculation sprayed across my face, before dripping slowly onto his stomach. His words tumbled out in an exasperated apology, filled with shock and surprise

"Jason, I'm so sorry!! That wasn't supposed to happen. It's just that I've never come so fast before!"

I quickly interrupted him with a kiss on his forehead "Nathan. Don't worry....."

"But I should have warned you" he broke in "I didn't mean to just..." I placed my finger on his lips to silence him

"Nathan shush!!” I whispered urgently “I want you inside me. Any way I can"

He gently drew the back of his fingers down my cheek and smiled at me lovingly "Jason Wright. You’re amazing!"

I licked my finger and ran it slowly down his chest "Speaking of you being inside me...."

He laughed and leant across me, fishing about in the draw of his bedside cabinet. With a shout of triumph, he held up a packet of condoms and a jar of lube, teasingly moving it further away as I made a grab for it.

"Easy tiger!"

A second grab was successful, and he moaned in pleasure as I rolled a condom over his swollen member and liberally coated it with a thick swathe of lube.

"Your turn now" I said, passing him the jar

I rolled over and spread my legs, jumping slightly as his finger began to prepare me with the lube. He slowly eased a second finger in a moment later and then a third, gently widening and relaxing me. When I was finally ready, he turned me over to face him and swung my legs over his shoulders.

"Ok Jase?"

"Yeah, go for it"

The head of his cock pushed against me before easing its way so far in. I gave a short gasp of discomfort and Nathan glanced at me questioningly, waiting for my permission to continue. I gave him a barely perceptible nod to let him know I was ready, and he slowly pushed himself all the way in, before moving backwards and forwards in a steady thrusting motion, gradually increasing his rhythm. He suddenly wrapped his hand around my cock and began pumping it in time with his thrusts, driving me wild with desire. Our bodies melded into one and we became locked together, lost in a rollercoaster of lust and desire. His chest glistened with sweat as he pounded away and I suddenly erupted into his hand, unable to hold out any longer. His thrusting continued in a wild frenzy of passion until he gave a sudden shout of triumph and collapsed on top of me, exhausted and spent. We lay there silently against each other as our chests heaved up and down, both basking in the afterglow of the best sex we'd ever experienced.

I woke up the following morning with my head in the crook of his shoulder. I could feel his heart beating steadily and I gazed at him through sleepy eyes, unable to resist running my fingers over his chest as it rose slowly up and down. He suddenly stirred and woke up and I leant across and kissed him.

"Hey"

He smiled and rubbed his eyes, before lovingly running a finger down my cheek "Hey" he whispered back.

"Last night was amazing Nathan, thank you"

"Middle of the night wasn't too bad either" he quipped in a sleepy voice.

The sunlight suddenly streamed across his face from a gap in the curtain and he winced and closed his eyes again. "What time is it anyway" he asked, yawning sleepily

"Sex o’clock!" I replied lustfully

Laughing softly, I slipped my hand under the covers and gently caressed his morning glory.

"You're obviously very good at telling the time Nathan!"

"Jason!” he cried “You're insatiable!"

It suddenly seemed as if we had all the time in the world and we made love slowly and sensually, each with an overwhelming desire to share our bodies. Time seemed to stand still, and I felt totally swept along by our gentle lovemaking. The movement of our naked bodies against each other satisfied our urgent need to be as close to each other as possible and I knew then without doubt that this was what love was supposed to feel like. After it was over, we lay there in each other’s arms, unwilling to break the dreamlike spell that surrounded us. My finger lazily stroked Nathan's cheek whilst he stroked my back, perfectly in unison with one another.

"I love you so much Nathan" I whispered in his ear "Thank god you came back. I don't know what I would've done without you"

"Nothing was ever really going to stop me" he admitted fiercely "I just needed to get my head together. My love for you means everything Jason! I couldn't go on without you"

His earnest expression confirmed he meant every word and my heart soared as I realised the same was true for me. We lay there in contented silence for a couple of minutes longer, safe in the knowledge that nothing would ever keep us apart again.

Nathan suddenly stirred beside me and glanced at the alarm clock "We'd better get up Jason, it's almost 10am"

He slipped out of bed and padded naked across the room "I desperately need a shower!"

"Why can't we stay here all day" I begged him hopefully, already knowing the answer.

He turned back towards me with a sigh "Come on lazy! Your mum and dad are waiting for us"

"I wasn't thinking of sleeping" I mumbled grumpily, half to myself.

He laughed and headed for the bathroom, calling out over his shoulder "You could always join me! There's plenty of room"

Almost before the words were out of his mouth I was scrambling out of bed, eagerly following him down the hallway.

Half an hour later Nathan was vigorously drying his hair with a towel when he turned towards me. His face was set with a wary, hesitant look, knowing what he was about to say might be something I wouldn’t want to hear.

"Jason. We need to talk about when we're going to tell your mum and dad about us"

It was a subject I knew would have to be faced sooner or later and my heart pounded as I gazed at him in resignation.

"I know Naith" I answered quietly, rubbing his arm "Look, why don't we tell them together after lunch!"

He was clearly taken aback at how readily I agreed, and his stuttered response couldn't hide his surprise.

"O-Oh...ok!"

I smiled inwardly at his reaction before continuing "I'm not willing to hide our relationship any longer Naith. They need to know....today!"

He face lit up with relief and he agreed wholeheartedly "Definitely Jase! How do you think they'll take it?"

It was something I'd thought about a thousand times before, but still didn't have a definitive answer to. I could only tell him what I’d always prayed would be true.

"I just hope they’re ok with it"

“Don’t worry Jase, they will be”

I gazed at him steadfastly, unsuccessfully attempting to hide my nervousness "I’m not sure about that Nathan, but it's definitely time to find out"

It was 11:45 when we pulled up outside mum and dads. We sat for a moment in the car, hands entwined, longing to kiss each other but afraid to do so in case someone saw us. I squeezed Nathan's hand firmly and with a sigh of resignation slid my fingers out of his grip. He gently caressed my knee to show he understood and seconds later I opened the door with a forced smile, ready to face my waiting parents. Mum opened the front door before we even got there.

"Boys! she beamed "Merry Christmas. Come on in! Dinners almost ready"

"Merry Christmas mum"

"Merry Christmas Mrs Wright" echoed Nathan behind me.

She stood back to let us in, and my stomach lurched with hunger as wonderful smells of cooking food filled my nostrils.

"Smells fantastic mum!" I exclaimed, giving her a peck on the cheek. We slipped off our coats and shoes and followed her into the kitchen.

"I've just got to make the finishing touches and it'll be ready to serve" she fussed, ushering us towards the lounge. "Go on through. Your dad wants to see you"

Something in the tone of her voice made my heart lurch and I glanced back at her sharply.

"Why? What...."

The momentum of Nathan following close behind kept me going and I was unable to finish my question. Dad was sitting in his usual chair by the fire, and he smiled at us as we both trooped in.

"Jason, Nathan" he greeted us warmly "Happy Christmas lads, come on in"

I glanced around the brightly lit room as if seeing it for the first time. As well as the Christmas tree and decorations that mum and I had put up, the table was covered with every festive item you could think of and I felt a sudden rush of pride that they'd obviously gone to so much trouble for Nathan. Dad's expression turned to one of concern as he addressed him.

"Had my usual call from your father this morning Nathan. Wishing us a Merry Christmas"

Nathan had gone pale and gave him a look of horror, before glancing at me nervously.

"He couldn’t believe it when I told him you were coming for Christmas. I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but he seemed to be furious! Is everything ok?"

He left the pointless question hanging in the air, trying in vain to read Nathan's now blank expression. I shook my head bitterly, unable to stop the rush of words that spilled forth, almost putting my arm around him in the process.

"He hasn’t been treating Nathan properly dad, he doesn't even think he should be....."

Nathan's glare of wide-eyed shock immediately silenced me, and I swallowed nervously, kicking myself for almost giving away the fact that his father had done all he could to keep us apart.

"We had a big fall out the last time I saw him Mr Wright" he tentatively began to explain "He doesn't approve of what he calls, 'my life choices'" explained Nathan, surrounding his words with air quotes.

"Mmm, I see" mused dad, rubbing his chin thoughtfully "He always was a bit stubborn Jim"

"A bit!" exclaimed Nathan, shaking his head in anger "He refuses to see my side at all!"

Dad had a thoughtful look on his face but thankfully, he didn’t ask what Nathan’s life choices were.

Thankfully, mum chose this moment to bring the first lot of food through from the kitchen and immediately interrupted us.

"Can you help dad to the table boys. Lunch is almost ready"

Further discussion on the subject was instantly avoided as we settled dad at the head of the table, and I went to help mum bring in the rest of the food. When I returned, I was relieved to see they were chatting happily about work and the rather tense atmosphere in the room had returned to normal. A wide smile was soon back on my face as glasses were raised and crackers were pulled, before we all tucked into a wonderful Christmas dinner. I looked on wistfully as mum and dad wished Nathan a happy new year, unable to stop myself from wondering if we would ever be accepted as a couple.

Finally, we were all so full of food we decided to have pudding later on, so we sat at the table for a while, laughing at the silly jokes from the crackers. Afterwards we relaxed in front of the fire for a while until Nathan turned towards mum.

"We'll do the washing up Mrs Wright" he said firmly

She was about to protest until I readily agreed with him "It's only fair mum. You did all the cooking! And it was the best Christmas dinner ever!"

Nathan nodded in agreement before standing up "It's true Mrs Wright. Thank you so much for inviting me"

"That's nice of you to say" she answered, puffing up with pride "I'm glad you enjoyed it. And you’re welcome here any time Nathan, you know that"

I couldn't help wondering just how welcome he'd be if they knew the truth, but we smiled our gratitude and practically ran into the kitchen. I couldn't wait to get Nathan alone again and as soon as the door closed, I pounced on him and pushed him against the work surface, hungrily attacking his lips. He pulled away sharply and shot me a look of alarm "Jason!" he hissed "Not here!"

I grasped his hand and quickly led him out of the kitchen to my bedroom, pushing him against the back of the door once we were inside "Better?"

"Yeah, definitely"

We kissed passionately for what seemed like ages, before finally resting our foreheads against each other.

"I love you so much Jason" he whispered "Promise you'll never leave me"

"Nathan!!" I replied vehemently "That’s never going to happen!"

He sighed heavily and a weak smile spread across his face. I brushed back his blond fringe and gazed at him worriedly "Hey, where has all this come from? You know I'd never leave you in a million years"

"Sorry Jase, I know that really. It's just with dad and everything....and your mum and dad are so nice to me. I bet they still would be if they knew about us"

My heart lurched and I swallowed nervously. Unfortunately, I didn't share his thoughts on that one and I wasn’t looking forward to telling them. We’d agreed to do it later though, and I was determined to make sure we did. I was incredibly proud of being Nathan’s boyfriend and now was definitely the right time to tell them. Although I was fairly sure they'd be a little more understanding than Nathan's father would be, I didn't know to what extent and wasn’t looking forward to finding out. I gently smoothed his hair and kissed him on the cheek.

"Come on, we'd better do that washing up or mum will wonder where we are"

Nathan's usual good mood seemed to have returned as we busily washed and dried the pots together.

"Fancy going for a walk" he smiled, nudging me suggestively "Plenty of quiet country lanes around here!"

"Nathan Brown!" I exclaimed in mock surprise "Are you trying to corrupt me?"

"Way too late for that!" he laughed, flicking my bottom with the tea towel.

Our playful banter continued as we worked our way through the pots, until finally we were done. I was just about to lean over and kiss him when mum came bustling in from the lounge and I stepped back sharply.

"I'm making a drink boys, and then it's time for presents"

I'd forgotten all about presents. When I was a child, they'd be placed in a neat pile on the sofa until I bounded down the stairs first thing on Christmas morning to excitedly open them. Nowadays it had become tradition to eat Christmas lunch first and then give each other our presents. I glanced across at Nathan for his reaction, hoping he wasn't too embarrassed. Presents had probably been the last thing on his mind as he wrestled with an impossible situation. He seemed happy enough though and quickly made his excuses, disappearing outside to his car. Within minutes he was back, clutching a carrier bag I hadn't even seen him put in the car. When we were once again settled in the lounge, mum reached under the tree and passed Nathan and I a present. Nathan's was fairly large and soft and as he hesitantly turned it over in his hands dad couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

"Go on lad, open it!" He said, smiling impatiently

"Give him a chance dad!" I exclaimed, laughing at his boyish enthusiasm

"You didn't have to get me anything at all" Nathan said, shaking his head

"Nonsense!" cut in mum "We couldn’t do that, you're like one of the family"

Her comment made my heart race and it made me realise just how much I wanted them to consider the man I loved to be part of the family.

Nathan finally opened the present and his face lit up as he slowly unfurled an expensive looking sweatshirt. I could tell at once he was over the moon with it and he quickly slipped it over his head. It fit him perfectly and as he thanked mum and dad profusely, it was obvious he was overcome with emotion.

"I don't know what to say" he said in a quiet voice "Thank you so much"

"You don't need to thank us Nathan" dad answered "It's our pleasure"

To hide his emotion, he quickly turned towards me "Open yours Jase" he urged, with an encouraging smile.

My present was small and flat, and I guessed at a couple of DVDs. After celebrating my 21st birthday a couple of weeks ago and receiving such an expensive present, I hoped they hadn't spent too much. I ripped open the paper and saw that I was right, it was a couple of DVDs and a book. I heaved a sigh of relief until I saw the envelope peeping out from between them. When I opened it, it was a gift voucher for a local sportswear shop and I immediately baulked at the amount.

"Mum, dad this is far too much! My twenty first was only a fortnight ago"

"That doesn't mean you can't have something nice for Christmas too son"

"But mum you can't..."

I stopped myself short. The last thing I wanted to do was embarrass them in front of Nathan, so I got up quickly and gave her a big kiss and a hug. "Thank you mum, thank you dad. You're amazing! I love you so much"

Next, we gave them our presents. Nathan had asked dad which perfume mum liked some time ago and he'd bought her some, along with a big box of chocolates. It was hard to buy for dad, but Nathan had obviously put a lot of thought into it. He'd raided his dad's photo collection and copied loads that included the two of them from years gone by. There were even some from when they'd worked together. He'd put them all into an album and when dad saw it, he was speechless. The sudden rush of love and sense of pride I felt for Nathan at that moment completely overwhelmed me as I saw how happy he'd made dad. All I wanted was to wrap my arms around him tightly and kiss him thank you, but I didn't dare.

Dad was still choked with emotion as he thanked Nathan profusely and thumbed happily through the pages. I guessed it was probably one of the best Christmas presents he'd ever had.

Mum had a real sweet tooth and I always bought her a big box of her favourite biscuits and some wine she liked. Dad loved an odd glass of malt whisky now and then that he shouldn't really have, but I always bought him some anyway and mum pretended not to notice.

Nathan nudged my arm and reaching into his pocket handed me a small blue jewellery box with a flourish. My cheeks flushed slightly, and like the night in the Chinese restaurant, I couldn't get the mad idea out of my head he was about to propose. He wasn't of course but when I opened the box there was a ring sitting on the blue velvet interior. It was a gold signet ring and my eyes widened in shock as I recognised it to be the one I'd admired a few times in a shop window in town. Nathan had obviously been quietly taking note and had bought it when I wasn't there. I immediately exploded with indignation and nudged his shoulder.

'Nathan!! You shouldn't have bought me this. It's far too much!"

He quickly reacted, shaking his head in dismissal "Nonsense! I know you liked it Jason. Can't I treat my best friend at Christmas?"

"Yeah course, but..."

"Well then" he quickly interrupted

"What do you think?" he said, addressing my parents before I could say anymore.

There was a second or two's awkward silence until mum smiled and hesitantly replied.

"I think it's lovely Nathan. Very thoughtful"

Dad didn't comment and for some reason I decided to avoid his gaze. Instead, I reached under the tree and handed Nathan an envelope. "For you"

"Thanks Jason"

"It's nowhere near as nice as your present but still..."

By now Nathan had opened the envelope and his face lit up with joy "Wow! That's brilliant Jason! Thank you so much"

Mum and dad were gazing at him questioningly, wondering what I'd bought him.

"Oh sorry" he said with a grin, realising they didn't know "Jason's bought me a year’s membership to his gym. That's awesome! Thank you so much"

He leant slightly forwards and I could tell he was dying to kiss me, but like me, didn’t dare. This time dad was obviously impressed, and he didn't waste any time showing his approval. It was a marked difference to his silent reaction to the ring.

“That's a wonderful present” he exclaimed, beaming at me "Very useful!"

"One more present Jason" indicated mum, pointing under the tree "From Jason's father"

An instant frown appeared on my face as I gazed at the brightly wrapped package. There was no way I was opening it in front of Nathan and decided under the circumstances I wasn't even going to accept it. "I don't want it mum" I growled irritably "Not after the way he's been treating Nathan!"

"It's ok Jason, honest. I don't mind"

"Well I do" I reacted angrily "He's got no right. I don't want anything from him. Why does he even send it anyway?”

"You know why Jason" cried mum, clearly upset "He's your godfather"

"Well I don't want him to be!' I replied, sounding like a petulant child "We're finished"

Mum and dad were visibly upset at my outburst, and Nathan just looked embarrassed. The three of them stared at me beseechingly but I meant every word and refused to back down. "It can go back. I don't want it"

"But Jason, you can't just......"

"I can mum" I replied, quickly interrupting "The next time he's here I'll give it back to him myself"

There was no way I wanted anything from someone who was treating the man I loved so badly. I stood up angrily and moved towards the door.

"Jason!" dad's voice rang out "Don't be like that. He thinks an awful lot about you"

By the time he'd finished I was halfway into the kitchen and a few seconds later a reassuring hand rested on my shoulder.

"There's no need for you to suffer Jason. Accept the present. I don't mind, really"

I took his hand and guided him into the hallway. Once out of sight I pulled him towards me and urgently kissed his lips. "There is no way on earth I'm accepting a present from someone who treats you so badly!" I repeated forcefully "I love you Nathan Brown and I won't stand by and see you hurt"

My vehement outburst had brought a lump to my throat and I visibly swallowed in a vain attempt to hide my emotion.

Nathan wasn't fooled though and gently stroked my cheek with the back of his hand "Hey, l know you do" he said softly "And thank you Jason, I really do appreciate the support"

I kissed him again and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him as close to me as possible. We stayed like that for a while until Nathan stood back and gazed at me with a slight frown on his face

"Do you think me giving you the ring was a bit too much for your mum and dad? They seemed a little uncomfortable with it"

"It's ok Nathan, don't worry. They're just a bit old fashioned. It's probably not the type of present they would’ve expected you to give me"

He chuckled slightly and gave a sigh of relief "Good job they didn't see what's on the inside of it then!"

"What do you mean?"

He took my hand and gently pulled the ring off my finger. The light caught the engraving on the back as he turned it towards me to read. The inscription made my heart skip a beat and tears welled up inside me.

'To Jason, my one true love. N xx'

Before I could say a word, he jumped in nervously "It's not too sappy is it Jase?"

"No, it's perfect. It means the world to me"

He smiled and sighed with relief, overjoyed at my reaction.

A second later his face took on a more serious look "Not sure I want to go back in there yet if I’m honest Jase. Why don't we go for that walk?

"Yeah, good idea. I'll just go tell them"

He followed me back to the lounge and stood beside me. "We're just going for a walk. Won't be long"

Mum smiled and nodded at us "Ok love, see you in a bit"

Dad waved from his armchair and I could tell from their responses that the awkwardness from earlier on had yet to disappear.

"I've really enjoyed myself today Jase, thanks for inviting me"

We were trudging past the snow laden village green, bound for the relative solitude of the old railway path at the far end of the village.

"I'm really glad you came. I thought it was just going to be the three of us for a while there"

"Yeah, sorry about that"

I decided to ignore his apology and wind him up a bit. "Course then it would've been, where is Mr Perfect? Why hasn't he come? What have you done with our second son?"

He laughed and nudged me in the ribs "Hey, you’d better watch your back Jason Wright, I'm planning to take over as first son as soon as I can!"

No doubt the harmless banter would have carried on had the current situation not been weighing heavily on our minds. In a subdued voice, Nathan was the first to voice it as he gave a rueful sigh. "I wouldn't be so perfect if they knew I was having sex with their number one son"

I winced slightly and stopped walking. Absent mindedly playing with a frozen spiders web that was strung between two branches, I rubbed his shoulder in agreement "I know Naith, but we can't live like this forever, sneaking around in secret. We love each other for God's sake. Why shouldn't we just be able to show it?"

It was unusual for Nathan to suddenly become so edgy, especially as he'd been the one to raise the subject at the flat. Perhaps the telephone calls and hearing about his father's anger from dad had suddenly unnerved him.

"We should just tell them Naith. We said we would!"

"I know that Jase and I do agree with you"

"But?...." I questioned him, still determined to tell them today.

"I don't know Jase, perhaps we should get your dad a bit more used to the idea first. He didn't seem to be particularly happy when I gave you the ring. Do you think it would help if you talked to your mum first?" Maybe if she talked to him, he might find it easier to accept.

By this time, we'd accessed the railway path down a short alleyway and as I hoped, the track ahead looked deserted. I took Nathan's hand as we walked between the trees and suddenly feeling uncharacteristically brave, leant across to kiss him.

"I thought at one time she might have had an idea" I mused, trying to allay his fears "When I was with Connor Dad went into hospital and he drove me there. He waited with me for ages and then took me home. I could tell mum thought it was a bit strange when I told her he was just a friend. She said I'd never mentioned him before, but fortunately she didn't say anymore"

"So she might have an inkling of the truth then" he said hopefully

"Not with us two though, she knows you've got Annie!"

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that"

I gazed at his worried faced and decided to try and ease the tension.

"I could start by dropping some subtle hints I suppose"

"What kind of hints?" he asked, squeezing my hand.

"I could say that you and me don't believe in having girlfriends" I laughed "They cost too much!"

I smiled to myself as he joined in with my laughter

"Or you could just say that Nathan has a body to die for and you can't keep your hands off it"

"Very subtle that one" I laughed "She'd never guess!"

"Seriously though Nathan, we have to tell them......today!"

He shook his head in resignation, before finally agreeing "Yeah you're right. It is ridiculous to wait any longer"

"I always promised myself that as soon as there was a good reason to tell them I would do" I said, leaning over to kiss him "And now I've found one!"

He smiled back at me warmly "Me too!" he agreed "Let's do it....when we get back"

We wandered a little further down the track laughing loudly as we discussed ever more ridiculous hints until Nathan glanced at his watch "We should be getting back Jase, it'll be dark soon"

We turned around and began walking slowly back towards the village, still hand in hand. As we approached the end of the track a dog suddenly barked as it bounded towards us and I quickly let go of Nathan's hand to stroke it.

A sharp voice immediately rang out from ahead

"BUSTER, GET BACK HERE!! NOW!!"

There was a yelp of submission as the dog's unsmiling owner drew level with us. His expression of disgust immediately told me that he'd seen us holding hands and as he passed by his whispered words of "fucking faggots" were deliberately loud enough for us to hear. I instinctively felt Nathan tense beside me and as he began to turn around, I grasped his wrist tightly.

"Leave it Naith!! Ignore him, he's not worth it"

I held my breath until I felt his arm slacken in my grip and I quickly pulled him into the alleyway. The last thing I wanted was for someone to get hurt and I was grateful he'd had the good sense to take notice. It didn't stop him being furious though and his anger immediately boiled over.

"I hate fucking dickheads like that! They've got no right to say those things"

"Course they don't Naith" I answered, trying to ease the tension "I just don't want to get into a fight like I did with Aiden"

He put his arm around me and pulled me close "I know, but I hate to see you treated that way. You don't deserve it"

"Don't worry I can take it, I'm a big boy now"

He gave a smutty laugh and slapped my bottom "Yeah, I can vouch for that"

His cheeky remark lifted the mood and the guy's nasty comment was soon forgotten as we wandered back through the village laughing and joking. Although we couldn't hold hands anymore it didn't stop us (innocently) touching each other as much as we could. As we drew nearer the bungalow Nathan suddenly stopped in his tracks and cursed loudly.

"FUCK!!!"

As I followed his line of vision an icy hand of fear gripped my heart and I visibly swallowed. When I turned towards Nathan his face had turned ashen and his words sent a bolt of panic racing through my veins.

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

His father's familiar black car was parked outside the bungalow and the only words I could muster seemed totally superfluous.

"Nathan. I've got a really bad feeling about this"

"You and me both!"

"I thought he was supposed to be on holiday"

"He is....was"

My voice shook with anxiety and worry as I posed the obvious question "So what is he doing here?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out"

The cold determination in his voice was belied only by an underlying tone of fear, completely unlike the Nathan I knew and loved. My heart sank as he turned towards me.

"C'mon Jase, let's face whatever this is together!"

He kissed me firmly on the lips right there in the street and intertwined his fingers with mine. In the back of my mind, I somehow knew in that instance that our lives were about to change forever. By the time we reached the front door my heart was pumping madly as I desperately tried to imagine a different scenario to the one that was about to come. Surely all three of them would be laughing and joking and Nathan's dad would ask me why I hadn't opened his present yet.

"Ready for this?" interrupted Nathan, bringing me crashing back to earth with a jolt.

My heart felt as if it was would burst out of my chest and every nerve end in my body tingled with fear as I nodded my head in confirmation.