Eight o'clock found Theo standing on the landing outside Topher's door. It was a warm night, as it had been an unusually warm autumn. Theo leaned on the banister, staring at the door. He had already turned to leave twice -- the second time making it halfway down the stairs -- but each time he had turned back. Still, he couldn't bring himself to knock on the door.

He was just staring at it when it opened. Topher was inside, dressed in short cutoff sweats and an old once-white wife-beater. He was pumped and covered with a fine sheen of sweat.

"Hey!" he said cheerily, "I wasn't sure if you'd come. But I thought I saw you out there. C'mon in."

Theo walked in. The bedroom took up the entire second floor of the garage, except for a bathroom in the far corner. The room was clearly an architectural afterthought, added to the post and beam building as a servant's quarters years ago. Large roughhewn pillars held up the steeply sloped ceiling in four places. Along one wall was the bed, unmade and covered with clothes. A small table and two chairs were set up along the opposite wall. The third, farthest from the door, had a couch, TV and sound system. Along the wall closest to them was a bench and a set of weights.

Theo looked at the weights, then at Topher. "Sweet setup, huh?" Topher said, obviously self-satisfied.

"Yeah," Theo said. "It's big." The windows were wide open, and a fan was set up to blow air out the window closest to the workout area. Still, the room had a faint odor of musk. It smelled lived-in.

"The folks live over in the house, but I got pretty much everything I need right here. Where are your clothes?"

Theo looked down at his clothes and shrugged. He wore a green turtleneck and baggy corduroy pants. "You didn't bring clothes?" Topher asked. "That's okay. You can use some of mine."

He went to a bureau, opened one of the drawers and began fishing through it, throwing what he didn't want on the floor. At last he found what he was looking for -- a pair of tattered gym shorts. "These are a couple of years old," he said throwing them to Theo, "they should fit you." He continued searching through another drawer until he found a suitable T-shirt. "This too. Try 'em on."

Topher seemed to have a great deal of energy. As much energy, in fact, as Theo had discomfort. Topher continued his frenetic activity, kicking a large patch of floor clear of clothes, adjusting the angle of the fan, moving circular weights from one bar to another. Theo stood there holding the clothes without quite knowing what to do. Topher finally finished his preparation, sat down at the end of the bench and looked at Theo.

"Change," Topher said again.

"Here?"

"Yeah. Sure. Why not?"

Theo waited for Topher to turn around. He didn't. He continued to sit on the bench watching. So Theo turned around and reluctantly dropped his pants. Stepping into the shorts Topher had given him, he lifted them to find they were a couple of inches too large at the waist. Holding them up past his navel, he turned back around to Topher and let them go. They barely caught on his hips. Topher grinned.

Theo turned again and stripped off his shirt. Topher stopped grinning. "Wait a minute," he said before Theo could get the other shirt on. "Turn around again. Let me see what you look like."

Theo breathed deeply and realized he was trembling. Slowly and on unsteady legs, he turned to face Topher.

The kid had smooth olive skin, tan from a summer of play. He was thin, but not too thin. His chest muscles were high, tight, and just beginning to show. They were capped by quarter-sized red-brown nipples. His vertical abdominal muscles were long and slender. He crossed his arms and slouched. Topher realized the kid was uncomfortable.

"What's the matter?" Topher asked.

"Nothin'," Theo said in an unconvincing voice.

Accepting the answer at face value, Topher stood and walked over. He uncrossed Theo's arms and put them at his side. Theo allowed himself to be positioned. "See, we'll start on your arms first. Arms and chest. Build up some strength there so you can work on other parts." Topher tested the weight and thickness of Theo's muscles while he talked. His touch raised goose bumps on Theo's flesh.

"You cold?" he asked.

Theo shook his head.

"You got a good frame," Topher continued. "You should get some definition pretty quick." He was running his hands over Theo's chest, poking at the edges and center of his muscles. "I was smaller than you are when I was a sophomore. You'll see."

Topher kept talking lightly and excitedly about why working out was such a good idea, but Theo noticed that the quality of his manual explorations had changed. He wasn't feeling muscles anymore so much as he was feeling skin. One hand rested on Theo's shoulder, the other brushed back and forth between his nipples, sometimes dipping down to his stomach. For his part, Topher seemed unaware of the change, or of the effect the change was causing. He continued to effuse over the joys of lifting.

Theo closed his eyes, feeling the electricity in Topher's hands. The smell of the room was more pronounced with Topher right next to him. It was sweat and energy. Theo breathed in fully, causing a bit of a head rush. Topheromones. The thought made him smile. When he opened his eyes again, he realized Topher had stopped talking and rubbing him. He was just standing there looking at his face with his hand resting slightly above his navel. There was an awkward moment of silence as they looked into each other's eyes. Brown to blue and back.

Theo broke the spell by pulling away. As soon as he moved, Topher became animated again as if nothing had just happened. He walked to the rack of weights and got two twenty-pound dumbbells.

"Here," he said, "start with these." He handed them to Theo who, more than anything else, was aware of the fact that he still hadn't put a shirt on.

Theo looked at the weights in his hands, then at Topher. Topher laughed at the look on his face. "Do curls," he said. Getting no response, he mimed a few. Theo nodded and began swinging the weights up to his shoulders in great arcs. Topher laughed again.

"No, no," Topher said. "Look, here's the idea," he went to get two dumbbells for himself (forty pounders, Theo tried not to notice). "See, it's all about form. You want to keep really steady while you're doing them. Don't move your elbows. Pretend they're tied to your side." He demonstrated a few with each arm. Theo tried to imitate him. The cords in his neck pulled so tightly it caused him to frown involuntarily.

"Okay," Topher said, trying to be encouraging, "that's good 'cause you don't want to swing them the way you were, but you want to try to isolate the muscles you're working on. This is for your biceps and a little for your triceps. But you don't want to do anything else." Theo blinked at him. "Okay..." Topher said, trying to find another tack, "okay. Put them down." Theo complied happily. Topher put one of his weights down as well, keeping only one in his right hand. "Okay. Now watch me do a curl. See, I breathe in when I'm going up, and I breathe out when I'm going down..." he demonstrated. "See how the only muscles that are tight are my biceps and triceps?" Theo looked at Topher's arm, already bulking up after only a few of the motions.

"Feel right here," Topher said, indicating his right trapezius. "See how this is loose?" Theo put his hand on Topher's shoulder. The muscle, dense and round under the skin, was indeed pliable. Theo left his hand there. "Feel how loose it is?" Theo nodded. "Good, now feel my biceps." Theo ran his hand over Topher's shoulder and down his arm. The skin was cool and damp. He stopped where the biceps swelled. It was rock hard and curiously shaped. Theo had always thought that big arms were just kind of round. But on Topher's he felt dents and bulges where he didn't expect them. Topher watched Theo become engrossed in feeling his arm.

"Feel that?" Topher asked. The quality of his voice had changed. Again, Theo wondered if Topher himself was aware of the difference. Theo nodded.

"Good," Topher said. Theo, who had not been instructed to let go, left his hand on Topher's arm. Topher put down his weight slowly, letting Theo's fingers slide up past his shoulder as he descended. He picked up Theo's weights and handed them to him.

Topher walked around to stand directly behind Theo. His right hand cupped Theo's right elbow, his left held Theo's left trapezius. Theo could feel the dampness of Topher's chest against his shoulder blades and his breath on his ear.

"Okay," Topher said gently, patting Theo's right elbow, "first this one. Breathe in as it comes up...good...keep loose here..." his left hand massaged the base of Theo's neck a little, "good. And let it down. Breathe out. Good. You feel it here?" His right hand raised to cup Theo's biceps. Theo nodded. "Good. Now the other one..." he brought his left hand down to encircle Theo's left biceps. "good...and down...don't forget to breathe...good. And do the right one again...good."

Theo was on automatic. He had no idea whether or not he was lifting properly, or even if he was lifting at all. What he knew was that Mr. Yummy was holding him, stroking his arms, purring into his ear. Losing himself for a moment, he leaned backward and lost balance. Topher caught him.

"Too much? Doesn't matter. That was great!" Neither of them were quick to move. "You want to rest a minute?" Theo nodded, still not pulling out of Topher's arms. "Okay. I was doing bench presses before you came. You can spot me."

Another awkward moment while they both just stood there making contact. This time it was Topher who pulled back. "You can put those down now," he said. Theo put the weights on the floor.

"Okay," Topher said, walking over to his bench, whose bar was already set with weights, "I'm going to lie down on the bench like this, see? With my head at this end..." He lay back, planting his feet on either side of the bench, knees splayed wide. Theo willed himself not to check him out. "You come and stand here, right above my head." Theo moved around toward the top of the bench. "Good, but you have to get closer." Theo took a step closer. "No, right up to the bench," Topher said. He reached above his own head, grabbed the front of Theo's shorts, and pulled forward. When he let go, the waistband snapped Theo's belly and began to slide off his hips. Theo caught them just in time.

"Okay," Topher continued, "put your hands on the bar. Now, I'm going to do all the work. I'm going to lift it four times. By the fourth, it's going to be really hard. You just help me guide it back into the holder at the end, okay?" Theo nodded.

Topher lifted the bar and steadied it in his hands. Theo put his hands by his side, letting Topher have his space. "No," Topher said, "keep your hands on the bar. Follow me as I go down and up. Just don't help until the end."

"Okay," Theo said dubiously. He put his hands back on the bar.

Topher lowered the bar to his chest once, twice. Each time he lifted it, he did so with a great expulsion of air. By the third time, he was hissing air out through pursed lips. A little bit of spittle erupted, landing on the rug beside him. His chest, normally big and round, became granite. The difference was remarkable. Planes appeared where none had been before, striations arose at boundaries. Beads of sweat formed on the small patch of curly blond hair at the center of his chest and his face turned a deep, frighteningly bright shade of crimson. The fourth lift, as promised, was shaky. Topher fought the bar furiously. What had started as quick, fluid motion had turned into a battle for inches.

Theo became alarmed. What if Topher couldn't lift the bar? There was no way he was going to be able to keep it from crashing down on his neck. But the bar kept going up, helped on its way by a fierce growl. Topher's arms finally locked. He began to bring the bar back to the holder. Theo steered it into place.

Theo looked down wide-eyed. Topher smiled, sat up, and patted the bench beside him. Theo moved around the bar and sat down next to him. They both looked at Topher's chest.

"That was awesome," Theo said.

"Feel right here," Topher said, putting his own hand at a particular spot on his pectoral. Theo brought his hand up and placed it on Topher's chest. Topher flexed his muscles, causing his chest to pulse under Theo's fingers. Theo giggled.

"I'll never get like that," Theo said. "It doesn't matter how much I work-out."

"Sure you will," Topher said, bringing his hand up to the same place on Theo's chest as Theo held on his. The skin was warm and silky. Topher could feel Theo's heart beating. It was going fast.

Each was looking at the other's chest. They fell silent, and slowly, simultaneously, raised their gazes until they were looking into each other's eyes. This time neither of them broke free. The only sound was Topher's quiet breathing from his recent exertion and the autumn crickets outside.

Topher leaned forward, bringing his lips to Theo's. The kiss was tentative and tender. Theo marveled at the roughness of Topher's lips, Topher at the smoothness he found. Theo tasted like strawberries. They looked at each other for a long time after the kiss ended.

"I've never kissed a boy before," Topher said.

"Neither have I," said Theo.

Topher smiled. "Have you kissed girls?"

Theo shook his head. "Have you?" The question was obviously in fun.

Topher nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Lots."

"You like it?"

"Yeah," Topher said, "I think I do. You taste like strawberries."

"I was eating strawberries on the way over."

"I like strawberries."

"You want some more?" Theo asked.

Topher nodded. The second kiss was more insistent. Topher took Theo's face in his hands and pulled him to him. Theo reached over Topher's shoulder and took hold of his back, pulling the larger boy into himself as much as he was being drawn forward. Topher's tongue was everywhere, in Theo's mouth, on his mouth, licking his chin, his cheek, his ear.

Theo replied in kind, stroking Topher's back, his sides, his shoulders. He reached under his shirt to feel his skin with his fingertips, his palms, his forearms. The kiss was finally broken when Theo raised his hands, lifting the shirt off Topher entirely.

Panting, they surveyed each other, each allowing themselves to fully study the other for the first time in this new light. Theo was first to touch what he found interesting. He traced the valley between Theo's pectorals, ran his fingers around the hair on his chest, tested his deltoids by kneading them lightly. Topher was not far behind, stroking Theo's cheek, the nape of his neck, outlining his nipple, running his finger down Theo's side.

"That's nice," Topher said, feeling the hollow of Theo's stomach.

"I bet you say that to all your work out partners," Theo said.

Topher laughed heartily. "Yeah, right."

"You never kissed a boy before?" Theo asked. "Not even one?"

Topher shook his head again. "I've never done anything with a boy before."

"Seth and I used to practice kissing, but that doesn't count," Theo said.

"Oh, well, yeah," Topher said. "EJ and I used to jack off together when we were little, but that was different."

Theo nodded.

"So how do I rate against Seth?" Topher asked. Theo laughed. "He taught you pretty well."

"We taught each other," Theo corrected. "And that's not all we taught each other, either." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah?"

Theo nodded and smiled slyly. "'Course, you'd have to like boys."

"I like you," Topher said without guile. "Does that count?"

"That counts just fine," Theo said.

Topher kissed Theo on the nose playfully. Theo returned the favor. They both smiled.

"You want to go over there?" Topher asked, indicating the bed. Theo nodded. Topher stood and led Theo over by the hand. When they got there, he swept all the clothes onto the floor and pushed the piled blanket out of the way. Theo sat on the edge of the bed. Topher pushed Theo's knees apart with his own and stood between them.

At eye level, now, was the line of hair that ran from Topher's navel down to where it disappeared beneath his shorts. Theo reached out to feel it. It was coarse, like all of Topher's hair. The skin it covered was tan and cool. Below, Topher's erection tented his shorts.

With a hand under his chin, Topher lifted Theo's head, bent down, and kissed him again. This time the theme was entry and possession. Topher's tongue pushed into Theo's mouth and set up shop. It undulated and twisted, pulsing forward and back. Theo sucked at it, inviting it to explore and probe.

In a smooth, continuous move, Topher settled Theo back onto the bed and lay on top of him. The boy was small under him and Topher had no problem positioning him where he wanted. Theo lifted his knees and held onto Topher's hips with them. Topher liked that. He mashed their groins together. Interlocking his fingers with Theo's, he lifted his hands over his head. The boy was completely pinned. Topher broke the kiss and lifted his head to look at Theo's big brown eyes, so filled with desire for him. They were both panting, their only other movement Topher's rhythmic grinding of his hips into Theo's.

Topher was overwhelmingly heavy in a completely pleasing way. It was certainly different than kissing Seth. Topher had an agenda which seemed to be both the taking and giving of pleasure. Theo found the latter somewhat of a surprise. Topher moved Theo around at will, but the positions Theo found himself placed in were delightful. And the periodic sliding pressure on his dick was breathtaking. Topher was dry humping him now through their shorts in deliberate, forceful jabs. Their dicks were side by side so each thrust brought them equal pleasure. Theo found himself breathing in time with Topher's hip flexes. He wrapped his feet around Topher's butt and pulled in with his heels, encouraging Topher on.

Theo's eyes were wide and filled with hunger. Topher searched them for clues. They were urging him on, matching his lust and need with their own. When he found a spot that Theo particularly liked, they told him, and he stayed there. His own dick was straining for release. The friction between their bodies, of his sensitive head on the fabric of the shorts, of his foreskin sliding back and forth was bringing him close to the edge. He could tell the boy was close, too, from his breathing. It was shallow, sharp, and timed to his jabs. When Theo's eyes began to glaze and roll upward, Topher let himself pass the point of no return. His grip on Theo's fingers tightened as all his muscles tensed. Theo responded in kind, pulling against Topher's superior strength.

With one last thrust, Topher felt Theo's hips jerk. The spasm ran through his thighs to his feet wrapped tightly around Topher's butt. The sudden added pressure was all Topher needed. He mashed their dicks together and held as the waves shook him. Each twitch in one caused a sympathetic twitch in the other, and the orgasm passed back and forth freely from boy to boy. Topher never stopped watching. When Theo finally regained his sight, the blue eyes were still boring into him. Topher had a shit eating grin on his face.

"I spoojed your shorts," Theo said apologetically when he was finally able to catch his breath.

"That's okay," Topher said without moving or letting go of Theo's hands, "so did I." They both laughed a little giddily.

"You're really good," Theo said.

"Thanks," Topher answered, still staring down into Theo's eyes.

"No, I mean you're really good!"

Topher nodded.

"Like, all I want to do right now is nap."

Topher's eyes widened. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Sorry," Theo said. "It's just that that was so intense."

"No!" Topher exclaimed, his smile broadening from ear to ear. "That's great! Me too! All I ever want to do after I fuck is sleep. Sleep or sometimes eat a sandwich." He finally let go of Theo's hands and rolled off him. The two lay side by side face up on the bed. Without Topher on top of him, the sweat that had accumulated between them began to cool. Theo nestled closer for warmth. Topher adjusted so that Theo's head lay on his shoulder and absently stroked the boy's back.

"What?" Theo asked when Topher began to laugh for no reason.

"Nothing. Just that EJ was right."

"'Bout what?"

"When Lise and I broke up. He was getting over this relationship with the R-- with a kid named Rory, and so we were both single at the same time. He said I should find a boy, because boys were easier and we both deserved an easy time this time. And he was right. Like, you want to nap, too. Girls never want to nap after. They want me to talk to them and shit. It's pretty cool."

Theo broke out into hysterical laughter. Topher became alarmed. He sat up and looked at the boy as he writhed in giggles on the bed.

"What?" he asked, concerned that he had, again, said something wrong.

"No," Theo said gulping air, "it's not you. It's EJ!"

"What about EJ?"

"EJ wants something easy," Theo said through the tears of delight that were beginning to roll down his cheeks, "and of all people, he picked Seth. Now that's funny!"

*****

Seth stood before his mirror for his nightly self-assessment. "Tomorrow I'll start doing sit-ups," he told his belly button. He wondered what EJ saw in him. It was easy to be confident in front of other people -- harder to be so when alone. He wished he weren't so thin, or so smooth or so...yellow.

There was no question about what he saw in EJ. From the dark eyes constantly half-hidden by the cap past the strong, stubbly chin and the broad chest with its two square, rock-hard muscles to the Dick of Death he had explored with his hand and his toe (not to mention the small of his back), to the hairy shins, he was 100% pure, fresh-packed, babelicious Stud. EJ had the kind of looks that made people on the other side of the street stop and stare. Seth wanted to be on his arm when they did.

He knew they were going to fuck soon. The thought made him shiver with anticipation. He couldn't think of a better guy to lose his virginity to. Theo and he had discussed at length whether or not to practice fucking with each other like they did giving head and hand jobs. They decided not to -- more romantic that way when the time actually came. It was also a bit of a relief for Seth who didn't relish the idea of letting The Monster anywhere near his ass.

Lacking actual experience, he had done a fair bit of research on the subject. Too bad he couldn't finagle a way to get English credit out of it. He knew it would hurt a little, he knew to clean himself out in advance. He knew to lubricate and that he could exert a fair amount of pleasure-inducing pressure variation if he could figure out the right combination of muscles. He knew he could practice on various objects. He had. Some of those objects had been clandestinely appropriated from the refrigerator later earning his mother's serious, if perplexed reproach. "Why would you eat that? That was for dinner." He had neither the inclination nor the nerve to tell her he didn't eat it.

He also knew that guys who liked to fuck liked to feel like they were in control of things. Granted, he got this from watching sitcoms, but EJ seemed to fit the mold perfectly. Evidently they all really did need to think like it was they who were calling the shots. Seth knew it wasn't. Under everyone with a lever is someone pulling it. Being hot and strong and having a big old sword to wave has its advantages for sure. But being able to make a hot, strong guy who has a big old sword to wave curl his toes and talk in tongues was what real control was about.

While it was a fine line he was treading he felt he was playing EJ just right. It was a difficult balancing act -- showing you were interested at the same time you were making him come to you. But EJ had complied valiantly. So soon they would be hooking up.

It was just the right amount of time, too. Any shorter and he'd have seemed too eager and thus uninteresting. Any longer and he'd explode. Or EJ would. Poor EJ was beginning to get a look of desperation about his eye that Seth found flattering, seductive, and mildly alarming.

Seth's reflection smiled at him. He may not be able to see what EJ saw in him, but EJ did, and that's what counted.