You're so Weird - 5. Chapter 5

There's a knock at the door, and she calls my name. Strange. She usually just barges into my room, shaking me awake or pulling the blanket off if I'm too slow.

“Just a minute!”

I stretch and yawn, feeling an unexpected muscle soreness, though I don't recall working out. It feels like I've only slept for five minutes. Someone must’ve superglued my eyelids while I slept.

And then it hits me.

This isn't my room. This isn't my house. That wasn't my mom.

I sit up, suddenly wide awake. I'm in Liam's bed, and mine is empty, clearly unused last night. I must've missed the alarm. Where's my phone? Damn, I've never felt this tired in the morning. I get up and follow my morning wood to the bathroom. I turn on the water, not too hot, to help wake me up. I hope Liam doesn't mind me peeing in his shower. At least it helps with my boner. That is, until I remember what we did on the couch.

“I’ll chop you off one day,” I threaten, giving my penis a lazy stroke.

What have we done? Sure, it was amazing, beyond what I could’ve hoped for. But it’s gonna be so awkward. No, not just awkward. Everything’s ruined. I’ll never be able to look Liam in the eyes again, let alone face Maggie, or my mom. What will she say when she finds out she sold the house only for me to seduce her best friend’s son, make him cheat on his girlfriend and do gay stuff with me? It’s just a matter of time before the whole school catches wind, and it’s deja vu all over again. Sure, Mom has more old friends that she’d call before putting me in foster care, but is this something she should be dealing with right now?

“No, no, no, no, no,” I groan, the lukewarm water bringing little comfort, as I fight the urge to jerk off thinking of Liam.

Maybe I’ll become a Catholic priest and make a vow of chastity. I think you need to be older, but maybe they’ll make an exception for a twinky gay boy. If the rumors are true, they’d have me with wide open arms.

I stick out my head to make sure the room is empty and proceed to dress up for school. It’s Friday. In any other situation, I’d be excited for the weekend. Now there’s hardly anything to look forward to. Everything is fucking scary!

Liam’s already finishing his french toasts. Somehow, his hair looks really shiny today, and so does his skin now that I think about it. I feel something boiling in my underbelly. He nods at me with his mouth full before going back to his food. I’m a bit relieved. I was expecting a mean smirk of someone who knows your deepest secret and is ready to spill it to everyone.

I don’t feel like eating so I pack my breakfast into a lunchbox and go outside. The sun hits my eyes right outside the door. How come it got so warm overnight? After considering it for a little, I go back inside to take off my hoodie and grab sunglasses on the way out.

“Looking cool,” Liam says when he sees me putting them on.

“Stop it,” I dismiss him.

“I’m serious. We need to get some tan soon so we don’t look like ghosts.”

I pull up my sleeve to show him my pale skin. “I don’t get tanned. My skin just goes red and spotty.”

“Then you need a better sunscreen. Just a few minutes a day and you’ll be ready for the summer. We can go behind the house, you know, so we don’t get tan lines.”

Luckily, Maggie rushes us to the car so I don’t have to answer. I don’t get the point of getting tanned. It only ruins your skin and just a few minutes after the summer is over it all… WAIT. Don’t get tan lines how???

I place my backpack on my lap as I sit next to Liam, watching Maggie start the car. I've got about ten minutes to lose my boner before we get to school. Liam sports a knowing smirk that's driving me nuts.

Halfway there, Maggie turns the radio down. "So, boys, it's Friday. Any plans?"

“We’re going to see the movies,” Liam says. “With Olivia and Abi.”

That's news to me. I give him a puzzled look.

“And you’re taking Mike with you, right?” Maggie asks, her eyes on the road.

“Duh,” Liam just says.

"Great! And here I was, worried you two wouldn't hit it off."

"Mike’s alright. But he snores like a trucker driving a freight train after a night of drinking," Liam jokes.

"Really?" Maggie seems surprised. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"That's because it's not true!" I protest.

“It’s okay, Mike, there’s nothing bad about snoring.”

“But…”

“Just be sure to have fun today, because tomorrow it’s my turn,” she says and I can see her smiling in the rear view mirror. “Michael and I are going to a sushi place and then get some drinks. I'm counting on you guys to keep the twins from tearing the house down.”

“When’s dad coming back?” Liam asks.

"Tomorrow morning, unless his flight gets canceled."

I’m still getting used to his dad’s name being Michael. Don’t know why, I always hated when someone called me Michael and now even hearing the word gives me chills.

Once again I find myself with Liam in the parking lot. Once again, he doesn’t ditch me, at least not right away.

“Aren’t you missing something?” he asks. There’s his funny smirk again.

“Uhhh.”

I have no idea what he’s talking about, but then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a phone. My phone.

“Found it under the pillow. Didn’t snoop through your pics or messages, promise.”

Taking it back, I'm a mix of grateful and suspicious. Right, I left it there last night when Liam had come downstairs…

“That explains the missed alarm,” I say.

“It sure woke me up. I thought the ringing was in my head for a moment. At least I woke up before Mom, saved me from explaining why I slept on the couch, hehe.”

“Cool,” I smile nervously.

“About the movie night, sorry I didn’t say anything. I was chatting with Olivia last night and never found the right moment to tell you…”

“Yeah…”

I look away. I wish my thick skull could come up with something clever to say, but there’s nothing but echo.

“You good?” he asks, stepping closer and I feel myself heating up again. I gather all my willpower to look him in the eyes again.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“You know what I mean. We’re okay, right?”

“Yes, we’re okay. Why wouldn’t we be?” I ask a little too defensively.

“I don’t know, just checking. I felt a little weird in the morning. I was worried that you…”

“No, all good,” I say and pray he just goes away and leaves me to my misery.

Liam looks a bit worried and takes a step back. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I’m heading inside. You coming with?”

“Uh, you go. I need to make a call,” I say, holding it up, as if my point wasn’t clear.

“Cool. See you later. Find me if you want to talk.”

Liam disappears inside the building and I just stand there, people passing me by, fighting the urge to slap myself in the face. Why can’t I just be normal, like other kids? How do I tell Liam that I enjoyed what we did without sounding like it was the best moment of my life, which by the way wouldn’t be that far from the truth? How do I tell him that I like him without sounding like I’m very gay and crushing on him really bad, which are all pure facts, by the way? I'm grateful he hasn't pieced it all together yet, though it wouldn't be surprising if he had.

I check my phone and of course, three missed calls from Mom. I didn’t get to press send on that text I was writing to her. The thought of calling her back fills me with dread. What if there’s bad news? Even worse, what if she can tell that I’ve been up to no good?

There’s almost ten minutes before the first class, so I decide it’s best to get it out of the way. I tap nervously with my foot as I listen to the tones.

“Hello?” she says when she picks up.

"Hey, Mom. Sorry for missing your calls. How's everything?"

“Don’t worry, it’s not like I have a lot to do here,” she says and there’s this complaint in her voice that I missed. She only acts like that when she has a good day. "My phone's battery is a joke, it lasts two hours max. And the charger’s socket is too far from my bed."

“That’s tough,” I say smiling, feeling a weight from my shoulders. “Maybe you should ask for a room change?”

“I already tried, four times. I must be gaining quite the reputation here. But trust me, I had really bad luck for roommates so far. Anyway, how are you?"

"Things are good here. Liam and Maggie are great. The twins, though..."

"I've heard stories. I'll chat with Maggie later; I hope she won’t complain about you too much."

"Of course not, Mom." I pause. "How are you really feeling?"

“Much better. Sorry for the radio silence. I had another round of chemo, soon after our last call. I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Oh.”

"But here’s something - the doctors say it was the last session."

“Really?” I ask, mindlessly walking in circles.

“Yes… I mean, for better or for worse. But I have a feeling like this time it’s going to work.”

My heart sinks as quickly as it soared a few seconds ago. So this is it. The last chance. And there's nothing more to it than chance. I lose focus as Mom moves on to her daily affairs. Are things really looking up, or is she just in denial? When she finishes, I tell her about our day at the mall.

"Make as many friends as you can, Mike. Most will ditch you the second you're in trouble, but the real ones, they will jump into the fire for you."

"I'll try to…" I say, trying to tame my emotions. "I need to go, class is starting."

"Call me tomorrow. Enjoy your day with your friends, love you."

"Thanks, Mom. Love you too."

It’s so damn hard to focus on what the science teacher is saying. At least I get the general relativity thing. Time drags on Fridays. Weekends? They’re just a blur. Then Mondays feel like sinking into quicksand. Einstein really was onto something. I turn invisible for the rest of the day. It’s a relief when I’m finally in the car with Maggie, Liam and the twins.

"Mooom, can we go to the movies with Liam and Mike?" one of the twins asks, possibly Brody, though it’s not much more than a guess.

"I'm afraid not, but you're welcome to have a movie night at home tomorrow while your dad and I are out."

“Yay!”

When we arrive, the weight of the day hangs over me. I throw myself on the bed in my clothes and lie there like a fish thrown onto the beach, drooling slightly out of the corner of my mouth. Damn hormones.

"What's wrong with you?" Liam asks, entering the room.

“Tired.” I mutter.

“Maybe you should take a nap now, so you don't doze off at the movies. They’ll kick us out if you start snoring.”

“I do not snore!”

“Yeah,” he chuckles and sits beside me on the bed. “Do you even want to go?”

I think about it. The idea of staying in bed all day is tempting, but I did promise my mom I'd make an effort to make friends...

“So?”

"I do. Just need a minute to rest my eyes."

“We have over two hours, so take your time. Just take off your clothes. You’ve been wearing them all day.”

“It’s fine, I’ll shower later.”

“Gross. Come on, I’ll help you.”

I mumble something in protest as Liam removes the blanket and rolls me onto my back, but my protests fade when he begins to unbuckle my pants. He accidentally touches my dick when dealing with the zipper and I’m getting dangerously excited.

"Liam..." I groan as he slides the pants off my legs. I have to grab my undies so they don’t go with them.

With minimal assistance from me, he removes my pants completely. "There, now the shirt, and you're all set."

“I’m not a baby.”

“Whatever you say. Hands up, Mikey.”

“Ughhhh.”

After a moment, the shirt is off and I’m left just in my briefs.

"There you go,” he says as he folds my shirt and puts it on the chair. “Get under a blanket so you don't catch a cold. Want a kiss on your forehead?"

“Go away, weirdo.”

“I will. Now, goodnap. I'll be in the garage working out, so call me if you have a nightmare.”

“Ughh!!!”

He leaves, and I let out a happy moan. I miss being tucked into bed, but I'm too proud to admit to Liam how much I enjoyed it. Fortunately, my protests only seem to make him more eager. I imagine Liam and Olivia happily married with me as their child, Liam tucking me into bed each night, giving me a gentle kiss on the forehead. I quickly dismiss this thought before the urge to jerk off to it grows too strong.

When I wake up, I'm still alone in the room. I check my phone and see Instagram notifications I didn’t notice earlier. Olivia and Abi added me. I go to Olivia’s profile and check her photos. She seems to be pretty popular. My heart beats faster when I see Liam tagged on some of them. Most of them are more silly than romantic, doing funny faces or weird poses next to road signs. He looks way less scary here. Maybe he only has scary moments. Today he’s been… nice.

I still feel too groggy to think, so I drag myself to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I put on my nicer clothes and spend some time trying to get my hair to look somewhat presentable. Heading downstairs, I see the twins playing outside. Maggie, seizing the moment of peace, is watching TV, her legs thrown over the backrest.

"Liam's in the main bathroom," she informs me. "He didn't want to wake you up."

"Thanks," I say, settling into a chair. The TV is tuned to a cooking show where a man with a groomed beard yells at some poor dude. After a moment, Maggie turns down the volume.

"Mike, about tomorrow. I don't expect you to babysit the twins. That's Liam's job. But he's not exactly reliable when it comes to keeping them entertained. They were thick as thieves a few years back, but now, he treats them like mosquitoes. Not that I can blame him. Maybe you'll have better luck; they seem to like you."

“Sure, I’ll think of something fun to do,” I say.

“You can’t get bored with them, but they sure can be a handful. I left you some bills on the counter, so have some extra fun today.”

“No need, really,” I say. “I didn’t spend anything yesterday, so I’m good. And the twins are alright,” I add, managing a weak smile. “Actually, there’s something else I wanted to ask. Did you talk to my mom, maybe?”

“Yes, she called me earlier. She’s such a strong girl.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Look, Mike. I always knew it might not be just two weeks. Michael and I had discussed it before you came. We’re prepared to host you for as long as needed. I was a bit concerned about how Liam would take it, but he seems to be warming up to you.”

“Yeah, he’s nice. I know he didn’t ask for it...”

“We may need to do some adjustments to make it work in the long run, only if necessary, of course. There’s a spare room that has served as a storage but frankly, most of the stuff there should be thrown away. It’s almost as big as Liam’s. But for now, worry about school and making friends. Your mom is going to kill me if you don’t. Anyway, what was that you were going to ask?”

I take a deep breath. I’m not good at asking for favors. I always feel like I’m exploiting people. “Uh, it’s related. I was checking flight prices and they’re actually pretty cheap. I was hoping, maybe, if you could lend me some money, I could visit Mom while she’s doing okay…”

“Say no more. This is an amazing idea!” Maggie exclaims and gets up to grab her planner from the table. “And I’m coming with you. It’s been too long since we last saw each other. I might need to reschedule a thing or two, but we’ll make it work.”

“I…” I start but my words choke in my throat and I get a hiccup.

“Mike…” Maggie says, and seeing me tear up, she comes over to hug me. “You’re already like family. Everything will be okay.”

***

I pull myself together just before Liam emerges from the main bathroom, his towel expertly wrapped around his waist.

“I’ll be right back,” he says and disappears upstairs.

Less than ten minutes later, we're on our way to the mall again. We walk slowly, not talking much. It was only a matter of time before he realized I'm a bore. No point in pretending otherwise. Also, I’m scared he’ll keep asking me if we’re good.

Just like yesterday, Olivia and Abi are late. Liam says they've never been on time for anything since he's known them. But after a while, it becomes suspicious. The movie starts in fifteen minutes. Without a word, Liam dials Olivia’s number on his phone.

“Where are you?” he asks off the bat.

Liam's expression changes as Olivia explains something to him, and I can tell from his look that it's not good news.

"You've got to be kidding me," Liam says, confirming my suspicions. "How did you manage to forget about your mom’s birthday party?"

A lengthy explanation follows, and Liam looks at me, shaking his head.

"Yeah. Sure. Right. You know what... I don't care," he interrupts her. "You think I don't know what you're doing? Anyway, wish her a happy birthday."

"She's always like this. Always," he says after ending the call. "And she thinks it's funny."

“What about Abi?” I ask without much hope.

"She's not coming either, you dummy," Liam sighs, staring into the distance for a moment. "I'm not in the mood for a movie anymore."

“Oh…” I say, the vision of the two of us holding hands in the cinema dissipating like fog at sunrise.

“I’m hungry, though. Let’s give hot wings another try?” he suggests.

“Sure, sounds good.”

The lines are huge - it’s Friday, after all - but this time, I manage to bring us the food without incident. Liam offers to carry it, but I insist. I can’t come off as someone who can't do a simple task without causing a disaster.

We eat in silence. Liam's still upset about the girls not showing up and is not very talkative. My mind is blank, so I just watch him eat, amazed by how attractive he is doing anything. I visualize him back on the sofa, naked, with his penis in my hand. How do I make it happen again without scaring him off? I wasn't supposed to fixate on hot straight guys in the first place. What if I'm only attracted to straight people? Suddenly, I realize I may never be in a normal relationship, just pining after impossible targets for the rest of my life.

“What?” he asks, snapping me out of my daydream.

“What, what?”

“You keep staring at me,” he says without humor.

“Sorry,” I reply and look away, hoping he can’t see my face flush red. I chew on the hot wing to occupy myself.

“Relax, I just thought you wanted to say something.”

Yes, there’s so much I’d like to say, but most of it I never will. But there’s one thing that I need to bring up, so I look back at him.

“Your mom mentioned she’s getting the spare room ready for me, in case… In case I have to stay a bit longer…”

“Yes, and?” he asks, unphased.

“Well, it’s probably a good idea,” I continue shyly. “I can tell you don’t like sharing a room. I’ve always had my own room, too, so I get it… But I’ve been thinking… If things… don’t go well… I mean, I’ve considered other options, even foster care.” I barely finish my sentence through a tight throat, but somehow it feels liberating to say it out loud for the first time.

Liam blinks a few times, digesting my words. “Bro, foster care?” He looks away for a moment, and his brows come together. Cool. I made him sad. Way to ruin the night. I almost think he’s done talking to me, but he then focuses again. “First off, your mom is going to be fine. And anyway, why foster care? You can stay with us, for now. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you…” I say, relieved. “But I mean, you didn’t sign up for this.”

He shrugs and dips a fry in BBQ sauce. “I didn’t sign up for a lot of things. Most of them turn out not to be that bad, even if they seem that way at first.”

“Thanks, I really mean it,” I say, trying not to cry for the second time on that day. “I just need to find a way to contribute somehow. I know you guys don’t need anything from someone like me, but it would make me feel less useless.”

“You can do my chores, no probs,” he says. “Also I liked how you helped me out yesterday,” he pauses and smiles like a tiger, making me feel even smaller. “With that tank top, of course.”

“Yeah, right…” I say, my heart sinking for a moment. I forgot about his tank top. It’s still under the bed, with my DNA on it. I hope nobody found it... “Anyway, changing the subject, what have you been saying about me to Olivia?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well… when I first met her, she said something like, ‘I’ve heard so much about you,’ and then, well, she knew about my mom. I was just wondering what you’ve been telling her behind my back so I can clear my name next time I see her.”

“I only say good things about you,” Liam replies with a straight face.

“Yeah, like with the snoring.”

Liam shrugs. “That was your idea. And you do have this cute little snore when you’re sleeping.”

“Hey! Stop listening to me when I sleep!”

“I can’t help it. You fall asleep so quickly.”

“Anyway…” I say, shifting the topic again, feeling a bit embarrassed. “How long have you guys been together?”

“Me and who?” Liam asks.

“What do you mean? You and Olivia…” I pause because Liam’s smirking and shaking his head. Maybe it's this, or maybe everything combined, but suddenly an epiphany hits me. Liam and Olivia in their silly photos. Liam helping Olivia pick out clothes. Olivia calling him ‘dude’. Olivia and Liam never kissing, or even holding hands. “Holy…” I whisper. “I am so dumb.”

“Yes, you are,” he says, still smirking, but he looks away and starts tapping the table with his fingers.

“So… so why did you tell me she was your girlfriend?”

“I guess I wanted to impress you. I didn’t think you’d ever actually meet her.”

“Impress me?” I ask, my mouth hanging open for a second. “How would that impress me?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t think too much about it. You ever had a girlfriend?”

I roll my eyes. “Are you kidding? Look at me.”

“What’s wrong with your looks?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t think girls dig that.”

“You’d be surprised,” he smiles. “Anyway, are you done with your food? I want to get out of here.”

We stand up and head for the exit. Relief is the only word to describe how I feel. Liam doesn’t want to get rid of me. Liam is single, which means I didn’t make him cheat on his girlfriend.

I check the time. It’s not too late yet, and I don’t feel like going back home just yet, so I gather the courage to take matters into my own hands. “Liam… you sure you don’t want to see a movie?” I ask, tensing up.

“I’m sure. Sorry.”

“Okay…” I try not to sound too disappointed, but I fail.

Before I know it, we’re back at home. We hang out for a bit with Maggie and the twins, but after an hour, I excuse myself to our room, and Liam follows shortly after.

“I’m going to take a quick shower. Then we can watch a movie on my laptop if you want,” he suggests.

“Uh, sure.” I find it a bit weird that he doesn’t have a TV in his room. There’s everything here, but no console, no TV. Just his laptop and a pair of nice speakers.

I sit on my bed waiting for him to finish showering, thinking of all the things I could say when he comes out naked. Nice cock. That’s what he said the first time he saw me. The sound of it still rings in my ears. Would it sound convincing if I said it? You know, casual compliments between bros. Nice dick. Cool balls. Fine bush. Juicy ass. Okay, I suck at being straight.

Liam spares me the dilemma by coming out wrapped in a towel. “Your turn,” he says and grabs his phone. “Olivia says she’s sorry for setting us up.”

“I’m not mad,” I say as I take a fresh pair of briefs and disappear into the bathroom. I already showered twice today, so I just wash myself in the sink and spend most of the time brushing my teeth. Should I bring up what we did yesterday? If I don’t, he’ll really think I didn’t like it. But how do I mention it without sounding gay? And what if… what if Liam lied about Olivia because he’s gay like me? I mean, he doesn’t act gay at all. It would be too good to be true. But he seems… open-minded about it. I need to send signals that I am too.

I don’t bother with a towel and come out of the bathroom wearing a fresh change of briefs. Liam is already in his bed, with a laptop on his knees. He scoots to the right when he sees me. So, we’re watching in his bed. Nice. He has a nice double bed, way more spacious than the couch, but I still move close to him so we can both see the screen. I watch him browse Netflix for a few seconds.

"Crap, crap, crap…" he mutters as he scrolls through the titles. "And yet another batch of generic crap. Got any suggestions?"

"Not really," I admit. "I'm not in the mood for anything deep. Just pick something light and fun."

"Okay. I don’t really watch many movies," he confesses. "What's short and fun?"

I shrug. “Comedies, some horrors. Porn.”

Liam pauses for a second, and I feel my cheeks burning. Why do I always have to say the dumbest things?

But then he just says, “Good idea. Got any favorite sites?”

Oh yes, I do, but he surely doesn't want to go there. "I don’t really watch porn all that much," I lie.

“Yeah, me neither,” he says. “Let’s see…”

My eyes go wide as he types "porn" into the search bar. Literally.

“P. O. R. N.” he says as he types. "There, first result. Looks like a porn site." He clicks on it. "It's asking if we’re over eighteen."

“Together we’re thirty.”

“Good point. I’ll click yes.”

"Awesome, but I wasn't actually being serious."

"I know," he says, glancing at me. "I thought… maybe we could fool around again. Only if you want."

This. Is. Happening. All I give is a noncommittal shrug. But then, remembering what I was supposed to do, I say, "Sure, let’s fool around." Not bad. It sounded like I was reading from a script, but the message got across.

"Okay," Liam says, returning to his laptop. "There's a girl sucking a guy on a boat. What do you think?"

“It looks nice,” I say.

He plays the video and switches it to full screen. It's well-produced, that’s all I can say. The guy isn't really my type but he has a nice body. The girl doesn't do anything for me. For a minute or two, we watch in silence, then Liam starts touching himself through his boxers and I follow his lead. I glance at him occasionally, and that’s what actually gives me a boner.

I don’t want to look like I don’t want to be here, so I bite my lip and slide my briefs down to my knees, then put my right hand behind my back and grasp my dick with the other. I try acting as casual as possible but in reality I’m shaking. I expected Liam to do the same, but he keeps his boxers on, now openly watching me.

“Is there a problem?” I ask, stopping my hand.

"No, no," he replies. "I just did something, and now I'm starting to regret it."

“What? It feels weird being the only one naked, so can we move on?” I’m not really angry and I like that he’s checking me out, but a part of me worries that he’s trying to make fun of me.

“That’s the problem,” Liam says, patting his boner. I wish he would just show it already.

“Stop talking riddles, dude.Tell me”

"Okay, okay." He hesitates, then lowers his boxers slightly, revealing his pubic hair, or rather, where it used to be.

“You… you shaved it. So that’s it?” I ask.

"Not shaved, just trimmed; there's still some left. Want to check?"

I'm tempted, but I decide to keep it cool. "I trust you. It's not a big deal, okay?"

"Doesn't it look weird?" he inquires, brushing over it with his fingertips.

“I don’t know. Lower them some more and I’ll tell you.”

“Fine, but don’t laugh. I’ve never done this before.”

Liam waits a few more seconds before removing his boxers. The light from his bedside lamp illuminates his erection in full detail. I instinctively resume stroking as he holds himself. "So?"

“It… it actually looks better,” I say, my voice shaking. “It doesn’t look weird.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Okay, I trust you.”

For a moment, our attention returns to the video, and I try to stay calm as we jerk off. But just after a minute, Liam stops and looks at me.

“Wanna do each other?” he asks, quieter now.

“Why not.”

In silence, we switch hands, and I’m glad to be holding his dick again. His hand feels great on mine, and I can’t believe my luck.

“Can we trade places?” I ask after a moment.

“Why?”

“I’m left-handed, remember?”

“Right, that makes sense,” he agrees and we switch places. “This laptop is in the way. Were you watching this?”

“Not really,” I admit.

“Me neither.”

We set the laptop on the floor and, somewhat awkwardly, I crawl to the other side of Liam, careful not to bump him with my knee. A moment later, we’re at it again. I can’t believe we’re really doing this. It feels amazing.

“That’s so much better,” Liam says, as if reading my mind.

“Yeah. Someone else’s hand just feels different.”

“My thoughts exactly, bro.”

We go back to jerking each other off in silence. I’m tempted to do something more, but I don’t know how to start without scaring him away. I slow down for a moment to take a better look at his dick. I slide his skin up and down, precum gathering on my fingers like morning dew.

“Feels good when you go slow like that,” Liam says and mimics me. It does feel good. “A little competition to see who can go slower?”

“It’s dumb.”

“I know, let’s try.”

Okay, maybe it’s dumb, but it feels awesome. We take almost a full minute to complete a full down stroke, and then we start coming up again, like swimmers in slow motion.

“This is so weird,” Liam giggles and slowly goes back to his normal tempo.

“Stop calling everything weird.” I say, but I sort of agree.

“Can we cum on you this time?” he asks innocently.

“Do you even hear yourself?” I ask, barely stopping myself from punching his balls. “Yes, we can. I guess.”

He gets on top of me in a blink. I like this new perspective, with his 6-incher casting a menacing shadow over me.

“Okay, stop for a moment. Put your hands behind your head,” he whispers.

“Like this?” I ask, not sure where this is going, except making me feel even more exposed.

“Yeah,” he says and starts jerking himself off, sticking out his tongue in focus. He goes faster and faster, always looking at me. I love it and hate it at the same time. Considering how far he can shoot, I should probably cover my face.

It doesn’t take long. Just like yesterday, he holds his breath for a little, then he points his dick at my chest and cums all over. He pants as if he’s just been running, warm sticky drops landing on my skin. It’s less than yesterday, I think, but still much more than I’ve ever made.

“Oh fuck, that was hot,” he says and sits on my legs, catching his breath.

“Yeah,” I breathe out, my brain completely overcome with horniness.

His lips form a smile. He looks like a tiger again and it scares me and turns me on at the same time.

“Do yourself now,” he whispers. “Want me to play with your nips?”

***

“You moan like a squirrel when you cum,” Liam says as he cleans me up with my briefs, whooping three minutes later.

“Dude, you keep embarrassing me,” I groan. “And anyway, how do you know how a squirrel moans?”

“It’s just a figure of speech. And I meant it as a compliment.”

“Very original,” I sit up and look around, trying to remember my name and what year it is.

“It’s almost 1 am. Are you sleepy?” Liam asks and plays with my hair.

“Mhmmmm.”

“Sooo cute when you make this sound.”

“Shut up. And do it stronger,” I whisper, closing my eyes. Shivers go down my spine as he clenches his fist, pulling on my scalp. If God exists, why would he make us so sensitive in such dumb places? Only if he wanted us to go kinky with each other. After all, it never feels so good when I do it to myself. I feel… I don’t know… pleased. Don’t want to say happy. Just pleased, numb, and comfortable. I almost forgot that we’re naked. I suddenly feel his lips on my forehead and open my eyes.

“Sorry, bro,” he says. “Listen, everything is going to be alright, okay?”

“Yeah…” I say looking down. I don’t want to think about everything. Not now.

“Want me to tuck you in?”

I look back up at him, probing his eyes. He doesn’t seem to be mocking me. Why is he acting like that? He looks at me like a little brother and I want to immerse myself in the comfort of this feeling, but I don’t know if I can trust it. If only he knew what he’s doing to me. I take in all of him, his blond hair, his smooth jawline, his full chest, his softening penis. I want to take it in my hand and ask him to tuck me in and sleep in the same bed together. I stop myself at the last moment.

“I’m fine,” I say standing up. My legs are weak. My briefs are all soaked and I’ll need to shower before putting on a fresh pair, so for now I go to my bed naked. “Don’t wake me up,” I say right before disabling the alarm on my phone.

“I won’t,” Liam says and turns off the lamp. “Goodnight Mike.”

“Goodnight.”