I know, the afterwords are unusually early this time. This chapter is a sexy one, and I just wanted to point that out. If you're not certain that you are mature and open-minded enough to read about male-male sex, then please re-consider reading further. Well, that's said; glad to see you're all still here. ;) As always, thoughts and comments are welcome to winterimage@hotmail.com.

Smile Upon Me...
by Winter

Chapter 7:

I felt his tongue against my lips, probing gently, so I opened my mouth, letting him in. I met his tongue with my own, the touch making me shiver with its plain eroticism. No woman I had kissed ever conveyed such raw passion, such unbridled love, with just one, brief kiss. If I'd ever doubted our feelings for each other, that doubt just died. All too soon, Nate broke the kiss, smiling at my dissatisfied grunt. He ushered me inside the living room, and told me to sit down on the couch. Then he disappeared, but I could hear him rummaging through the kitchen. Before long, he returned, carrying a tray of hors d'œuvres, a bottle of wine and two glasses. I helped him put it all down, and he filled our glasses.

"It's non-alcoholic, hope you don't mind."

"Not at all." I tried some of it. "What is it? Tastes good."

"It's Czech, I think. I can't read the label."

"You don't know what you bought?"

"Actually, I asked the shop assistant for help, then forgot the name." He shrugged, blushing slightly. "I'm not too good at this."

"I know," I said, grinning evilly at his discomfiture. "But that doesn't matter, as long as it tastes fine."

"Fine wine," he giggled.

"Have you been in the drinks cabinet, Nate?" I mused, unable to suppress a laughter of my own. "Getting a head start?"

"No, Chris. I'm just babbling. I tend to get jittery in times like this."

"Times like this..." I nibbled on a little piece of something, I can't for my life remember what it was. "I've never been in times like this, Nate. Will you guide me?"

"Weeell," he mused. "The flower was a good start, and you are a sweet kisser. Just be with me tonight, Chris. No pressure, no demands, just be here. Anything else, let it come in time."

"I'm nervous."

"About sex?"

"Yes."

"Don't be, Chris! Like I said, in time. It's our first bloody date!" He laughed, a sound so crystal clear I couldn't help but join in. "I'm not going to jump your bones, love."

"Heh. Honestly, I don't know if I'm relieved or disappointed."

"Why not a bit of both?"

He leaned in to kiss my cheek, and I simply melted into the touch. Before I knew it, I was in his arms, feeling his hands run up and down my back. I tried to touch him back, but my hands just wouldn't move. It was all I could do to respond as his lips met mine again. I felt detached, as if this was happening to someone else, and I just happened to pass by and see it. Yet, at the same time, it felt wonderful. I opened my eyes, not even aware that I had closed them, and I met Nate's gaze for a brief second. I was blinded; it was like staring into the sun. So radiant, so... brilliant. If I didn't watch it, I could really lose myself in those deep, blue wells. He moved on, kissing his way down my chin, down my throat, down to tickle my collar bone; something that sent shivers down my spine. I let out a breath, not realising until then that my lungs were screaming for air. I gulped in fresh oxygen, and Nate took that as a gasp, a sign for him to move on. Before I knew it, my shirt was off, and he ran his hand through my chest hair, while I felt his wet, hot tongue against my nipple. This time the gasp was for real. Nobody had ever licked them before. As I leaned back, I happened to glance at the wall clock, which read half past eight. Almost an hour had passed. The table was empty, except for the glasses and the empty bottle. I hadn't even noticed when Nate removed the snack tray. No, wait, it was on the floor, right beside us. So I wasn't completely out of it, but just barely hanging on to reality. The thought made me laugh, and Nate looked up from his activities.

"What's the matter?"

"Do you know where the last hour went, Nate? I guess I was too busy to notice."

"Me too." He joined in my laughter, then kissed my lips again. "Wanna get off the couch?"

"Why not? Where are we going?"

"I think you know, Chris."

I did know. Nate's huge bed looked so soft and inviting that I just laid down on my back, sighing with contentment. The light inside the room was soft, and there was a patter of rain on the windowsill. If it hadn't been for the sight, meeting my eyes, I might have gone to sleep right then. Everything was so peaceful, and Nate made me feel so safe, so loved. He stood next to the bed, licking his lips in a way I found very seductive. Then he started undressing, removing garment after garment, his movements deliberately, enticingly slow. His shirt went first, the smooth, hairless chest almost glistening, covered by a thin film of sweat. He bent down to pull off his socks, then undid his belt buckle. As he slid his trousers down, I did the same, leaving us in our underwear. Nate was erect, straining against the fabric of his white boxers, and I realised I hadn't seen him naked, while he had seen all of me. I hurried to take off my briefs, thoroughly enjoying the way his eyes glazed over. Then he did the same. Like me, he wasn't circumcised, but still the head of his penis was peeking out of the foreskin. I had never thought another man looked sexy, but Nate did. Something about the way he looked made me want to drag him down on the bed, and kiss him all over. Whatever I had set my mind to weakened; I knew we would have sex that night. Nate got down onto the foot of the bed, and slowly crawled over to gather me up in his arms. I let myself move along, and we kissed again. The feeling of skin-against-skin, the warmth of his body against mine, made me purr, and I closed my eyes, letting Nate take control. After all, he was the expert, and I the beginner. He made sure to kiss every centimetre of my face, while his hand kept running through my chest hair, brushing against my nipples. I couldn't stop shivering, relishing in what he was doing to me. Then he grabbed my rigid erection, and suddenly it was as if someone had dropped a bucket of ice water over me. I froze, unable to move, and he sensed it, catching my gaze again. I had a wild panic within me, and it welled to the surface. As quickly as I could, I wormed my way out of his embrace, and sat up. The look of hurt on his face was like a stab to the heart, but there was nothing I could do. He touched me again, but I turned away. Tears welled up in my eyes, tears of shame. Tears of frustration. What the hell was wrong with me? This was what I wanted, so why couldn't I go through with it? Nate laid an arm around my shoulder, and this time I let him. As I fought against crying, he whispered into my ear.

"Chris, what's the matter? What happened? Did I...?"

"No!" I turned to face him. "No, Nate, it's not you. It's me! I... I don't know why this happened..."

"Do you want to stop? Is it too much, too fast?"

"I don't know..." I leaned into Nate's embrace. "I want this, it's just... I don't know what to do... I mean, I know what to do, but not how to do it. Oh hell, I'm not making any sense, am I?"

"Yes, Chris, you are." He kissed my cheek. "You're afraid it'll be awkward, right?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I want to go on, you know, having sex, but I'm scared, too."

"Don't be. I swear I won't hurt you."

"I'm sorry, Nate, I can't help it!" Tears were running down my cheeks now, but he was there to wipe them off. "I know you won't, it's just... I'm afraid to do wrong."

Nate held me for a while, and let me cry. I tried my best to sort out the chaotic tangle that was my mind, but the only thoughts I could manage were `I want this', and `Please don't let me fail'. The panic started to build again, and I would have fled the room if Nate hadn't grabbed my head, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"Chris, do you believe me when I say I love you?"

"I love you, too..."

"Please, just answer. Do you?"

"Yes, Nate, I do believe you love me."

"Do you trust me?"

"I trust you," I said without hesitating, without even thinking. "With my life."

"Then let me make love to you. Just lie back, don't think, don't do anything. Just enjoy it."

"Nate..." Those large, blue eyes... they did something to me. They soothed me, calmed me down. Seduced me. "All right. I'll trust you."

"Good." He smiled warmly. "Lie back. Close your eyes if you want to. Just take my love, as I give it to you."

Nodding, I leaned back, laying my head down on a soft pillow. To begin with, I kept my eyes open, as Nate moved in to kiss me, but as our tongues met, I closed them, focusing on the other senses, instead. I could taste him inside my mouth, as our tongues duelled, and I could, once more, feel his incredibly hot skin against me. I smelled our arousal, and I could hear soft moans escaping his lips, and mine as well. He went on, kissing and licking his way down my throat and my chest, until I finally felt his lips against my pubic hair. I knew what was to come, and the excitement was beginning to take its toll on me. I let out a groan, and just barely managed to keep from grabbing his head and steering him right. But this was Nate's show. I had said I would trust him, and I did. The next touch came as he kissed the insides of my thighs, then he moved up to let his tongue run over my scrotum, fondling my balls softly. Then he was gone again, but I kept my eyes closed, my entire body twitching with anticipation. I hadn't felt him move, so I knew he was still down there, teasing me by doing nothing. I cried out as he kissed the tip of my penis, his tongue finding its way in beneath the foreskin to play with the head. My back arched, and my fingers involuntarily grabbed a hold on the sheets. Nate let his lips enwrap me, moving down as he pulled my foreskin back. Covered by slick warmth, I heard myself groan as my breathing grew quicker. As he moved back up, he suckled lightly while his tongue played over the head. That was all it took, and I felt my orgasm approach rapidly. I think I shouted something unintelligible as I reached my peak, while Nate clamped his lips down over me. I came into him, feeling his throat muscles work around me as he swallowed. He let me stay there, as he guided me back down from the heights, stroking my stomach as my breath returned to somewhat normal. Then he was suddenly at my lips again, kissing me passionately. I hadn't felt him move, and it took me a couple of seconds before I managed to kiss him back. He tasted of me, a flavour stronger and saltier than I would have thought. I wanted to do something, anything, but he placed his hand over my heart, smiling as he felt its beat. I stayed where I was, as Nate sat up. I heard something open, and a soft rustle that spoke volumes. He laid back down beside me, and kissed my neck as he pulled my legs apart. There was a feeling of something cold between my buttocks, and then he was gently pushing a finger inside me, quickly followed by a second. He caressed my prostate, sending a new wave of warmth coursing through my body. Pulling out, Nate moved on top of me, and I wrapped my arms around him.

"Just relax, my love. Don't try to fight back."

I nodded, and buried my face in the nape of his neck as he pressed against me. There was a slight twinge of pain, but nothing like what I had feared, and then he was inside me. It was a remarkable feeling, and I could feel something shift inside my mind. It was as if my whole life had been nothing but a prelude, as if I'd been asleep all these years, but now I was woken up. Now my life began in earnest. I felt completed; I hadn't even realised how hollow my heart was until Nate filled it up, filling me up. Impatiently, I thrust back at him, and he understood the signal. We began a dance of movements, matching each other's pace as we sped towards a height I'd never imagined existed. I was hard again, rubbed between our stomachs with a friction that was a hair's-breadth from painful. We kissed as we made love, our mouths as eager as our bodies. I held Nate against me as I felt him getting tense. He was close, but so was I, and as I came for the second time that night, I could feel him speed up, until he groaned into our kiss, his penis jerking and jumping inside me. Spent, we just lay there, his head on my chest, my arms still around his back, his waning erection still inside me. Minutes ticked by as our heartbeats evened out, and then Nate rolled off me, pulling out. I felt a bit sore, and I knew I would have a hard time walking like a human being tomorrow. At the same time, I felt empty. What we had done had felt so right I hadn't thought it would end, and now that it was over, I found myself longing for the next time. Nate sat up, grinning at me as he tied up his condom, just barely missing the waste basket as he tossed it.

"So I'm not Michael Jordan. I'll pick it up tomorrow." He fell back down on the bed, meeting my eyes. "Hi, Chris. Feeling better?"

"Much. I don't know what came over me."

"Could've been me, but I was too busy to pull out."

"Dumb-arse." I swatted his shoulder. "Nate, that was magnificent! I had no idea it could be that good to receive."

"Giving is just as great, believe me. You have to try it some day."

"Watch out, or I'll take your word for it. Nate, I feel strange." I told him about the feeling I'd had, just as we got started. "At the same time, I don't feel any different."

"Maybe because you're not, Chris. You haven't changed. Deflowered, yes, but the person Chris should still be the same. At least mostly the same." He giggled, then reached over to kiss me. "Thanks for trusting me."

"You're welcome. Thanks for proving yourself trustworthy." I kissed him back. "Maybe I haven't changed, Nate. Maybe I'm just high on love."

"Or high on sex. Or maybe both."

"No, mixing stimuli is dangerous. Let's say it's love. I do love you Nate. If I had any doubts, they're gone now."

"I never had any. Chris, it's late. Do you want a shower before we go to sleep? I need to change the sheets."

He pulled up a corner of the sheet and wiped off his chest. I looked down on myself, and saw that I was all but covered with my own semen. Blushing, I followed his example, snarling inwardly at his teaseful grin. We didn't shower, but tucked ourselves in as soon as Nate had made the bed. That night, I slept like a rock, not remembering a single dream, until the alarm clock went off the next morning.

I woke up, still groggy from sleep, and started to reach for my alarm clock. For some reason, it wasn't where I'd expected it to be, and instead, I bumped into a bedside lamp, which crashed to the floor. The noise woke me up. I found and killed the abusive clock, before I realised that I wasn't in my own bed, but in Nate's. Slowly, the memories of the previous night returned, and I couldn't keep in a smile. Turning over to lie on my side, I saw Nate lying next to me, curled up in a half-fetal position. The calm morning light highlighted his features, and I marvelled at how beautiful he looked. The alarm hadn't budged him; he was still fast asleep, his eyes moving behind the lids as he dreamt. There was still plenty of time to get ready for work, so I decided to crawl back beneath the bedspread. I snuggled up to Nate, again wondering at his smooth, warm skin. Whatever he was dreaming, it must have been something good, because I suddenly felt his erection against my leg. My own reaction wasn't far away, and I thought about teasing him while he slept, but decided against it. Instead, I kissed him on the lips while I stroked his head, slowly bringing him back into the world. Soon, a big smile spread across his face, and he yawned.

"Mmm, that's one hell of a way to wake up." He ran his hand through my chest hair. "Good morning, Chris."

"Morning. Feel like breakfast?"

"Nope. Too tired."

"How about left-overs from last night's dinner?"

"We finished off the snacks, remember? Oh..." I grinned at him, and he actually blushed. "My god, what have I created?"

"I still have more than an hour before I have to be at the office."

"Chris, we did agree to take it slow."

"Not too slow, I need a shower before I go."

"Oh Chris, this is one of those days I really wish I hadn't started that damn company."

"Well, you did, and I have to get to mine, too." I sighed, and Nate joined in. "Work, work, work. I don't really feel like it, either. But it's still an hour away."

"Anything special in mind?"

"Actually, I think I'm ready to try and perform."

"Think? Try?" He winked at me. "There is no try."

"All right, I want to try it."

"Try what?"

"Damn you, Nate! Are you going to make me say it?" He nodded. "Suck your cock! Good enough?"

"Definitely!" He laughed, then pulled back the bedspread. "Be my guest."

He had a musky scent. Very male, and strangely arousing. I tried to mimic what he had done yesterday, and started by kissing and licking his pubic hair, then moving up his shaft, at the same time pulling back his foreskin. There was a faint taste of the condom he'd been wearing as we made love, but otherwise, the taste lacked description. The tip was moist, wet with his own fluids, and I smeared it around with my tongue, making him moan softly. Meanwhile, I caressed his sac, running my fingers lightly over his testicles. Then I took him in, all the way, applying suction as my nose reached his pubes, while I ran my tongue all over his length. As I'd seen earlier, he was shorter than me, but he made it up with girth, and I knew that my jaw muscles were going to be sore before long. So I started moving, playing with him to find the good spots to squeeze or kiss, and clearly I was doing something right, because he ran his hands through my hair, talking softly.

"Oooh yeah, that's good. Suck it baby, suck my cock, fuck me with your face. Suck me dry, make me cum down your throat."

All this made me so puzzled I forgot what I was doing, and after a little while longer of muttered obscenities, he opened his eyes and met my eyes, an irritable look on his face. I couldn't help it, but started laughing. A bubbling, half-hysterical laughter that I was totally unable to stop. I let go of his deflating member and rolled over to lie on my back. With a menacing scowl, he pinned me down, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"All right, guy, what's so funny? Don't tell me my dick looks comical, or I'll spank you!"

"No. No, it's not that," I finally managed to say, as my laughter slowly abated. "It's just... the way you kept talking! Like in some third rate porno movie. Just so... hilarious!"

"Oh." He blushed a deep crimson while I roared with laughter. "My last boyfriend liked that. He thought it was sexy."

"Heheh. Maybe. Whatever it was, it was... distracting!"

I was off again, and this time I didn't stop laughing, not even when my stomach started to cramp up. In the end, Nate had to kiss me deeply, almost shoving his tongue down my throat before I calmed down. He tried to look sour, but his eyes betrayed him. If anything, they looked amused.

"You could've warned me that you didn't like sexy talk."

"I had no idea you'd try something like that. Nate, it doesn't sound like you."

"I told you, Jens was into that. We always talked like that when we had sex. I guess the habit stayed longer than he did."

"I'm sorry, Nate. I didn't really mean to laugh at you. It was just so... out of the blue. So totally unexpected."

"Apology accepted. If you finish what you started."

"Fair enough."

I kissed him lightly, then moved back down his body, until his now flaccid penis lay in front of me. I kissed the tip, toying with the foreskin before I started stroking him in earnest. Soon he began to harden, and I took him in. As I kept on pleasing him, I felt a strange detachment. There was something else on my mind, something we had said, something that crowded out the excitement I had felt earlier. Then it struck me, just as Nate was getting into the treatment I was giving him. He shot me a frustrated glance as I sat up again, releasing him.

"I didn't say anything."

"I know, Nate, but I've got something to say. I've got a suggestion."

"Can't it wait?"

"No. This is something that could change our lives."