Trouble Plus Trouble. - 7. Chapter 7

Double The Trouble.

Chapter 7.

"It's a pest, and dad's going to get it changed sometime. Do you want a shower? I always have a quick one so I feel fresh in bed."

Peter didn't really want one, but he had it anyway to fit in with the way Matthew did things. He soaped his head then used the suds to give a quick clean off for the rest of his body and was out in three or four minutes. It sounded like that was what Matthew meant. After drying himself he wrapped the towel round his middle, gathered his clothes in a bundle and went back to the room wondering what he'd wear to bed. At home he always wore old boxers that he called his sleep boxers. Maybe he'd end up in pjs if that was what Matthew wore. Matthew was sitting on the edge of his bed also wrapped in his towel and obviously waiting, so Peter was pleased he’d been quick.

"You didn't get burnt did you?"

"No, I did it like you said and it was good. What did your dad mean about sleeping on the floor Matthew? It wouldn’t worry me. I can sleep anywhere."

"No way. I've had a double bed for ages because I used to fall out of single ones all the time when I was younger. It was really weird because I kept having this dream I was falling out of a tree or off a cliff, and every time I'd wake up on the floor. Dad got me a double bed and set me to sleep in the middle, and it never happened again. He was just stirring because there’s plenty of room. …But I'll sleep on the floor if you like."

It was Peter's turn to say no way now.

"What do you wear? I've only really got jocks."

"Jocks is all right. I wear old boxers at home."

"I haven't got any. There's some pjs though."

"Pjs? The last time I wore them was about four years ago. I'd like jocks better."

Matthew pulled a drawer out and handed a light blue pair to Peter.

"Try these. I like this kind."

Peter dropped his towel and stepped into the jocks, feeling really pleased that Andy and Marty had got him so used to being nude. Matthew was watching, but that was nothing after the things Andy and Marty had done to him, and he didn't even feel self-conscious as he arranged himself comfortably. It was an interesting sensation. They were the briefest things he'd ever worn, a kind of bikini style with sides only as thick as his finger, and they felt snug and comfy.

"They're not too tight are they? You can try some others."

"No, they feel good."

"They look good too. I never wear anything else. Pick whichever side of the bed you like and I'll be back soon."

Peter wanted Matthew to have his normal side, but then he remembered he said he slept in the middle, so it was probably a nuisance which ever side he chose. He picked the side nearest the door to the balcony and had hardly slid under the sheet when Matthew returned. It was Peter's turn to do the watching now and he couldn't help admiring how fit Matthew looked. He hadn't dried his hair properly and Peter checked him out while his head was covered and being rubbed. His dick was kind of fat and just the right size as far as Peter was concerned, not a great dangly thing like his own. Matthew went to the drawer again and surprised Peter by picking out another pair of jocks the same color and style. He saw Peter's look and gave a grin.

"They’re my favorites actually. I like blue. It's my best color."

“Is that why you wear blue speedos?"

"Yes, but that was a fluke too, because they were my last club’s colors as well. I'll have to get the purple ones soon."

He slipped the jocks on and looked towards Peter.

"There. We’re twins again."

Again? Peter wondered what he meant by that but didn't ask because Matthew had just touched him on the shoulder.

"Come on. I want to show you something."

"Where are we going? Will I get dressed again?"

"No, you don't need to."

Quite mystified, Peter twisted his feet to the floor beside the bed then stood up, while Matthew went to the door and switched off the light. What was he doing? It was almost pitch black and Peter wondered if it was a game or trick or something. If it had been Andy, he'd probably be squished and mangled in the next few seconds. There was a little chuckle.

"Whoops, too dark. Hang on."

Matthew brushed past and Peter jumped at the unexpected touch. There was a scrape of curtain-runners and Matthew’s body was silhouetted dimly against the light from outside. The screen door slid open and Peter followed Matthew onto the balcony and then to the corner of the house where it ended.

"This is the best place of the house. I come and stand out here on warm nights and look at everything. See. The reserve is like a pool of black ink when the moon isn’t out and then the house lights start again on the other side. The sky’s the best though. I like watching for shooting stars. I bet we see one. I never did this before we came to this house. Do you ever look at the stars?"

"Sometimes. Mum and I would go for a walk along the beach in the dark and we'd lie on the sand and talk about them. She’d tell me stories about the Southern Cross and the Saucepan and the Milky Way."

"Your mum’s fantastic."

"So’s your dad."

"Will I tell you a secret?"

Peter was startled at first then he felt great. He’d never really had anyone want to tell him a secret.

"Yes. Sure."

"You might think I'm weird."

"No way."

"All right. When I come out here I pretend there's no one else round and the starlight or moonlight is special stuff that soaks into my body and makes me into a different person."

"That's not weird. I think it sounds great."

They stood close together, watching quietly and a feeling of companionship spread through Peter. His mum was right. There was something special about Matthew. Thoughts surged through Peter's mind, the quietness of the sky, the warmth of Matthew's arm where it rested lightly against his own, and the feeling that at the moment he also was a different person with starlight soaking into him, till a trail of light burst across the sky.

"Oh wow! Wasn't that something?"

It wasn't just something. For Peter it was a moment of pure wonder. It was like Matthew had organised it to happen and Peter's hair tried to stand on end with the awe of it.

"I told you we'd see one. You always do if you wait patiently."

Matthew’s hand grabbed Peter at the nape of his neck and for a few seconds another wave of tingles surged through him.

"Sorry, I hope you didn't mind."

"Of course I don't mind. I'll be in trouble if I did. Andy does that all the time, except he squeezes a lot harder and doesn't let go. Try it again and I'll tell you when you're pressing like he does."

Peter was hoping Matthew would. It felt good. He did, and increased the pressure till Peter tightened his neck muscles and half trapped Matthew's fingers by tilting his head back and holding them.

"It doesn't hurt does it?"

"No. Andy squeezes twice as hard as you. You wouldn't hurt me anyway."

"I might."

There was a touch of humor in Matthew's voice and his thumb dug into a muscle.

"Bully. I’ll do it to you if you don't let go."

The thumb kept grinding in a challenge, so Peter grabbed Matthew’s neck and started copying whatever he did.

"Now who’s the bully?"

"You are. You're stronger than me."

"I'll let go if you will."

"And I'll let go after you."

Peter gave little laughs when Matthew applied extra pressure and heard similar sounds when he did the same back.

"Copycat."

"Bully."

Peter wondered why he started boning whenever someone touched him. The jocks had started getting tight almost as soon as Matthew grabbed his neck, and now his free hand sneaked down to arrange himself sideways. Their soft comments continued for a while till somehow it was the right time to let go, and they were watching the sky again.

"Will we wait for another shooting star?"

"No, let's go in. That one was so good another one might spoil it."

Peter agreed and went first. He wasn't sure what Matthew would think if he knew he had a boner, so we slipped under the sheet and rested his left wrist on it, while Matthew felt his way round the end of the bed before climbing in the other side. They talked softly for a short while then went to sleep.

Peter woke next morning with a funny feeling in his side. His consciousness gradually surfaced enough to realise he was being tickled. He opened his eyes to see Matthew looking at him.

"Sleepyhead. It's time to get up."

"Mmm. Not yet."

"Yes, now or I'll make you. You said eight o'clock last night and it’s after that already. I've been awake for nearly half an hour."

"Another five minutes then."

Peter jumped a little when he got another tickle.

"Cut that out."

"Not till you wake up. I know how ticklish you are. Andy says it's the best way to control you."

Peter didn't move and promptly had another attack on his side, then before he knew it Matthew was sitting on him. Oh my God. Total embarrassment. Right on top of his morning boner and the only thing between them was the thin summer sheet. Matthews grin changed to a startled look of realisation and he rolled sideways to his own section of the bed.

"Sorry!"

His grin came back.

"Now I know why you wanted five minutes. I should have just tickled you shouldn’t I?"

"Tickling someone when they're just waking up is against the law and squishing them is worse."

This brought another tickle in that same spot on the side of his rib cage.

"Criminal."

"Don't move Peter. I'll be back in a few minutes. Do you like coffee? Or there's tea or drinking chocolate?"

Matthew was off the bed and heading for the door.

"Uh, chocolate thanks."

When he was gone, Peter gave, first his arms, and then the rest of his body, a luxurious morning stretch. Matthew turned up with the drink and Peter hitched himself to a sitting position while he finished it.

"Do you want some breakfast now?"

"Great, what do you have?"

"How about pancakes?"

"For breakfast? Sure."

"Come on then. You can help make them."

In a repeat of last night, Matthew grabbed Peter by the neck and holding his arm as well dragged him out of bed and towards the door.

"Aren't we going to get dressed?"

"What for? We'll have a shower after breakfast, so what's the point?"

The point was that Peter wasn’t used to wandering around someone's house in just a pair of jocks, especially when he was still in a very obvious morning state.

"What if your dad comes down?"

Matthew thought that was amusing.

"You'll surprise him then wont you? ......Big Boy."

Peter stalled and gave Matthew a dig in the ribs when he bumped into him.

"Giving cheek’s against the law too."

Pancakes for breakfast instead of cereal was a novel idea to Peter, and it was made even more interesting when Matthew used lemon juice and ice cream for the extras.

"That's weird Matthew."

"Too bad. I love it. Here, have a bite."

It wasn't too bad. The ice cream was a problem when it ran down your chin, and after cleaning his sticky fingers Peter decided on honey and jam for his filling. Matthew was halfway through his second pancake when his dad appeared.

"I hope there's enough mixture left for me to have one Matthew. That smell woke me up and dragged me out like a magnet."

He made himself a drink of coffee then relaxed at the serving bench while Peter fixed a pancake for him.

"Hello, we've got two blue boys with us this morning. Are you playing some sort of game Matthew?"

Matthew jumped up to put his plate in the sink and waited till Peter finished making Rob's pancake.

"I told you we were like twins dad."

"Oh yes? And that involves wearing identical clothes does it? Just humor him Peter. He's full of strange ideas."

He stood up to roll his own extras into his pancake and Peter couldn't help laughing.

"What have I done now?"

"Um, that's exactly what Matthew put on his pancake. It's like you're a twin."

"Hey! Three twins."

"Don't take any notice of him Peter. He'll wake up by this afternoon. Triplets Matthew. You can't have three twins."

Matthew flipped the pancake he was making for Peter and grinned at his dad.

"Yes you can. If you had two twins in a room and another twin from a different pair walked in that would be three twins."

"Hit him for me Peter. He sounds like a lawyer."

He paused for a moment.

"When am I driving Peter home?"

“Whenever you’re ready, and I'm going with him. He's going to show me how to make ginger beer and then we’re having a swim."

"Sounds like you'll be gone all day. Are we still going to the movies?"

"Oh, I forgot. Yes, they're good ones tonight."

"Well bring Peter with you. He might enjoy them."

On the way back to the bedroom Matthew explained about the movies.

"We go to the university theater whenever they're showing something good. It's great. It's cheaper than the cinemas and they always have two new movies each week.”

Peter wasn't used to seeing many movies and he was rapt with the idea. Matthew stripped his jocks off and wrapped himself in a towel so Peter did the same.

"Are you having a shower? Right. You go first and I'll have a shave."

Peter shaved, but only occasionally and he wondered how often Matthew did it.

"About every three weeks, but I'm a week over at the moment."

Peter made his shower quick and left the water running so Matthew didn't have to go through the process of getting the temperature adjusted correctly. By the time he’d dried himself and cleaned his teeth Matthew was turning the water off.

"I'm used to quick showers Peter. I have so many of them. It'll be three today because of going swimming."

In the bedroom he looked in his cupboard and started grinning as he handed a red pair of jocks to Peter.

"See if you can fit everything into these."

They did fit nicely and Peter decided to start wearing jocks more often. Matthew had another red pair and Peter thought they looked terrific on him. He wondered if he looked as good. By the time he was wearing socks, shorts and a t-shirt, all Matthew’s, he was feeling like a new person. His mum was going to stir him about this.

Sure enough. As soon as he’d had his hug after walking in, his mum stepped back and looked him over.

"Who's this you brought with you Matthew? He looks very smart. I'll have to send you with him when he goes to buy new clothes. Matthew liked the praise and his smile grew with the hug that went with it.

"You can keep them if you like Peter."

Beth gave him another hug.

"Duffer. You don't have to do anything like that, but if he gives you something of his own I'm happy with it."

The day was great. A whole bunch of extra ginger beer was made, they trained at the pool for over an hour, the calculus they didn't finish the night before took another hour, and for an hour and a half they both read, Matthew being eager to get into the books he'd selected, and Peter pleased he could finish Ender’s Game. At about five o'clock Matthew rang his dad to tell him to pick them up at 6:30 then surprised Beth by telling her she was coming with them.

"Matthew I'm not going to spoil your men’s night out."

"Yes you are.”

He laughed.

“I mean, yes you are coming. I've already told dad."

Beth couldn't really argue. After all when she’d heard what the movies were earlier in the day she'd said they were both ones she'd like to see.

"Matthew Peck. You get on that phone and tell your father to eat with us. I'd like to meet him before we go waltzing off to the movies where we won’t be able to talk."

Matthew returned with a message that his dad would be there in twenty or thirty minutes and was throwing out the steak he was halfway through cooking.

"Who's telling stories Peter? Matthew or his father?"

"I don't know mum. They look like each other, and talk like each other, and they even smile like each other."

Hmm. Sounds like we won't know which is which?"

"Yes we will. My dad is as old as the hills. He’s way over thirty."

Beth's eyes were sparkling with humor and Peter knew just how much she loved this kind of talk.

"Well I’ll go look for the spare walking stick again while you children organise the food. Matthew, you can make one of your salads. Peter, there are cheese and rolls and you can slice some cold meat from the fridge. If we have a heavy meal we’ll feel sleepy in the theater."

Rob arrived, and since they were pushed for time they rushed through the food.

The movies lived up to their reputation and they had quite a discussion about the first one during the interval. The second was very dramatic and at one sad section Peter was struggling to control a huge lump in his throat when he heard his mum using a tissue to blow her nose and a quiet sob from Matthew. Wow, he was a softy too. The trip home in the car went too quickly and everyone was fairly quiet after the strong emotions from the film till Beth and Rob started a bit of shoptalk about their jobs. Just before they were pulling up Peter couldn't hold back any longer and gave Matthew a nudge.

"Would you like to stay at my place tonight?"

"Yes please."

The answer came back so quickly it gave Peter a warm feeling. There was a laugh from Rob and a comment about the new taxi service he and Beth were running, but neither of them said anything against it. Before Rob drove off he jumped out of the car and gave Matthew a squeeze on the neck as his goodnight. So that was where Matthew got it from. In the house they had a drink while Beth worried about where Matthew would sleep.

"I've got it all worked out mum. I'll use a couple of cushions from the living-room sofa and he can have my bed."

"I suppose you're going to talk all night?"

"No, only till four o'clock."

"That's all right then. I’ll wake you up at six .....What are you laughing at? I'm serious."

"Rob said the same thing last night, even the same time."

She wasn’t serious. She’d never wake them unless she was asked. She expected Peter to be responsible for himself with things like that.

"He did? Well great minds think alike you know."

Peter collected the cushions from the sofa and they went up to the bedroom, Matthew arguing all the way that he should be the one to sleep on them. He wouldn't though. Peter could be stubborn when he wanted to. The cushions went on the floor next to the bed so it would be easy to talk, then they headed for the bathroom. Matthew had one of his lightning quick showers and was out by the time Peter cleaned his teeth and had a leak, so Peter made his shower almost as short and they went back to the bedroom together.

"I haven't got any jocks so do you want boxers or will you keep wearing your red ones?"

"Um. Boxers thanks."

Peter nearly gave Matthew a blue pair because that was his color, but instead decided it would be funnier if he played Matthew's trick, and got out two matching black pairs. They dropped their towels on the end of the bed and slipped into the boxers at the same time.

"Gee, they feel like you aren’t wearing anything."

Matthew helped Peter spread the sheets then dived on the two cushions saying he was just trying them out.

"No tricks. This is for me not you."

Peter dived on the cushions as well, got between Matthew and the bed and started pushing him off. Matthew promptly jumped up and did the same thing and it turned into a mixture of wrestling and pushing. It was great fun and they kept going till Peter gave a big shove, making Matthew roll off the cushions and land on his back. He had a funny look on his face.

"Sorry I can't seem to stop it happening."

Peter wondered what he was talking about then started grinning when he saw the bulge in Matthew's boxers.

"Sorry? I don't know what for. It happens to me all the time....... Big Boy."

He couldn't resist giving this little dig and it got a smile and a very quick comeback.

"It's a bigger problem for you."

"Very funny."

It was a good enough excuse for Peter to grab Matthew and put him in one of the holds he'd learnt from Marty. It really worked. Matthew was straining and trying hard but there was no way he could get out of it. For the first time Peter wasn't the one at the bottom of the heap. It didn't take long for Matthew to stop trying to free himself and rest with his body held tight against Peter’s. Gosh. He still had the boner and it looked way more prominent than before. Maybe it was the way his body arched out from the hold? Peter couldn't help wondering to himself what it really looked like.

"That's not fair. You're using tricks to beat me."

"Of course it's fair. You're stronger than me so I have to. Now, who's sleeping on the cushions?"

"You beat me in wrestling so that means you get the good bed."

"No it doesn't. It means that you do whatever I tell you."

"What if I don't?"

"Millions of things. I'm an expert because Andy does them to me all the time."

"Like what?"

"Have you ever had a nipple nauger? You don't say no when you're getting one of those."

"It sounds awful. Go on. Try it."

Peter gripped Matthew's nipple the way Andy had done to him so many times and gave a very gentle twist. It made him feel like he was breaking the rules or something.

"Yikes! That's murder. I see what you mean."

"So, you're sleeping on the bed aren't you?"

"No!"

Peter gave another twist and felt Matthew's whole body tighten against him.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

As soon as Peter let the pressure off Matthew said no again and the whole process repeated itself. He kept trying for a little while but had to stop because holding Matthew so close was starting his own boner.

"You're an idiot Matthew. Aren't you going to say no?"

"Yes."

"What? Yes you'll say no or yes is all you'll say?"

"Yes."

..."Hopeless."

Peter let Matthew free and rolled on his stomach on the cushions only to be tackled and held in his own restraint. It certainly hadn't taken Matthew long to learn that.

"Now who's hopeless. What do you want? The nipple thing or the tickle thing?"

There wasn't even time to answer as Matthew started tickling and Peter started laughing and wriggling. The busy fingers played havoc with his stomach and sides and in no time at all his boxers were also stretched and showing his condition. Matthew let him go then and they both turned on their stomachs in a mutual understanding. They talked for a while but Peter couldn't keep his eyes open. It had been a long and busy day.

In the morning they studied for nearly three hours after waking at nine, then after lunch Matthew was ferried home. Being by himself again in the afternoon almost felt strange after the busy time of the last week, and at teatime when he and his mum talked it was about how different this year seemed to be turning out.

It was good for his Mum to hear how happy he was because she'd worked so hard to make it happen.

The end of chapter 7.

Iarwain.