Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 09:32:08 -0600 From: Boy Writer Subject: Walking and Thinking (4/?, High School, m/m) Disclaimer: This story is about teenage males in love. Or at least, it will be eventually. If this is something you find offensive, then please do not read it. If you are under the local legal age to read these stories, then go somewhere else. Please do not reproduce this story without the writer's written (or typed) permission. This story will eventually contain a romantic relationship between two high school boys. Note: Positive and constructive feedback is welcome and encouraged. Flames will be ignored. I did my best not to seem too eager as I answered the door. I hoped I wasn't showing more than I intended. Yes, I liked Jamie, but... it was much too early to give too many things away. I opened the door with a small smile. There was Jamie in all his glory. Well, glory's an overstatement. He was, after all, dressed similarly to myself in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. "Come on in." I chuckled, moving out of the way of the door so he could come in. He placed his backpack on the floor beside my own. He gave a half-smile as he crossed the threshold. I allowed my arm to swoop out and offer him the grand tour of the living room. "Welcome to Casa de Rand." "Here we have the grand entrance room... or living room as the rest of the family calls it. Behind there is the dining room and the kitchen. Somewhere in there, you'll find the dreaded maternal creature I refer to as... MOM!" So, I was being melodramatic. Sue me. I was having a good time, and that's what mattered to me. "I heard that!" Mom shouted, leaning her head into the entryway on the kitchen side of the dining room. Her arms were bent back towards the counter. I assumed she was washing dishes. "Hi, Jamie! I'm Rand's mother, Oma. You can call me Oma, or Mom, or whatever. Just don't call me Mrs. Davis. I hate that. I'd come out and shake your hand, but I'm afraid my hands are dripping with dishwater." "That's alright Mrs. ... I mean Oma." Jamie said, in his most polite voice. "I understand cleaning, especially if you have to clean up after this one." He gave me a slight wink. "Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not here! I can hear you both just fine." I mock-grumped, crossing my arms over my chest. Jamie gave me a grin. Mom laughed loudly. "Oooh, I like him, Rand. He'll fit in just fine around here." "Shush." I pouted my lips out, jokingly. Finally, I just let them win. "Alright, alright. So I'm not the best housekeeper in the world. Bite me." I started to uncross my arms before realizing who was around. "No, don't bite me. I don't trust you two." A chorus of laughter came from the two. At least they were both having a good time out of this, even if I was trying to keep myself from being the target of their laughter. I couldn't help but joining in, despite myself. The sound of water running down the sink signaled Mom's finishing with the dishes. I ushered Jamie over to the couch and offered him a seat. "So, anything in particular you want to do tonight?" "I'm game for whatever." Jamie responded, oh so helpfully. His shrug was lopsided, like most things he did. He leaned back into the couch, stretching slightly. I turned away, quickly, to keep myself from staring at him. Mom entered the room, carrying her purse. "Alright, boys. I left some money on the table for pizza. Order what you want, I won't be home until late. You two have a good night, and if your mother says its ok, Jamie, I don't mind your staying overnight." Clutching her purse, Mom strode to the door after planting a kiss on my forehead, despite my own protests. One can never completely refuse an affectionate mother, however. "We'll be fine. We're probably just gonna watch movies and use the hot tub." I told her. She nodded and headed out. As the door shut, Jamie turned towards me. "Hot tub?" He asked, blinking. "If we're gonna be in a hot tub... I'll have to borrow something. I don't have anything to wear in one." "That's ok. You can just go naked." I waited until his blush set in. I knew it was coming. Once it did, I giggled, unable to stop myself. "I'm kidding. I have extras. Though, I DO sometimes do that." The blush on Jamie's face continued to burn. I laughed and brushed a finger across his cheek. "You're cute when you blush." The redness deepened. "But seriously, I want to get into the hot tub later. It's a great relaxation device. But, do we want pizza first or later?" "Later. I'm not hungry, yet. That lunch from Al's is still in me." He grinned, reaching up to touch the hand that touched his face. "I... I wasn't sure, earlier. I mean, I wasn't sure if you'd mind. I mean... the holding hands thing. I didn't know if you'd really be... like me." The pauses in his speech were made more poignant by the redness of his face. I shook my head softly. "Don't worry. I don't mind. To be honest, though, I really don't know what it all means. I'd prefer not to think about it and just let life happen." I offered him the sweetest smile I could muster. After all, he was admitting to me that he did, indeed, feel something. Whatever that something might be was anyone's guess. I knew what I wanted, but I didn't understand much about it. I was new to the whole thing. "Alright, then. Hot tub now, pizza can be ordered later." I laughed, leading him up to my room to change. I pulled out a pair of trunks. I chose a pair of blue trunks for him and a pair of green for myself. I offered him the pair before going out of the room. "You can change in there. Ignore the video camera, please." I winked. I hoped he knew I was joking. In the bathroom, I changed quickly. My heart was beating a hundred miles an hour. I hoped he wouldn't notice. Leaving my shirt in the bathroom, I grabbed a pair of towels to match the shorts and walked back into the hall. "Done yet?" I asked. He opened the door, standing as I was, only without the towels on his shoulders. His bare chest was right there in my face. I did my best not to break into a sweat. "We keep it warm most of the time, just in case someone decides to use it. Let's go." I grinned, dragging him downstairs through the dining room and kitchen. Our backyard was quiet and rather private, with a tall fence on all sides. I pulled the cover off of the tub, laying it down on the side. I glanced to the CD player nearby and hit play. It was one of my random CD mixes. There's no telling what songs would play. Something soft and light started as I eased myself into the warm waters. I slid to the opposite side, giving Jamie plenty of room to get in. I smiled up at him as he made his way into the waters. "Is it too hot or too cold?" I asked him, tilting my head. I didn't want him to be uncomfortable. He simply shook his head. He ducked his head under the water and leaned back against a head rest. There was a tiny smile resting on his face. I could swear he was purring. He would probably deny this fact, but that was alright with me. "You from New York, you are so relevant. You reduce me to cosmic tears." Alanis sang from the stereo. My arms stretched as I began to groove to the music, in the warm water. It was one of my favorite songs. It described the things I wanted to a tee. I let myself go, allowing the music to take over. As the chorus hit, I could hear Jamie's voice along with Alanis's. "I love you when you dance, when you freestyle in trance. So pure, such an expression. I love you when you dance, when you freestyle in trance. So pure, such an expression." Despite the wording of the song, the better of our expressions was the one on his face. He seemed lost in rapture, watching me. At least, he was until I opened my eyes fully and looked at him. His blush returned with fervor. I shook my head with a grin. As the song came to a close, I rested back in the water. This time, however, I sat much closer to Jamie. Eventually, I looked over at him. It took a little effort, but I managed to place my hand atop his, with a small smile. The steam rising from the tub made him even more beautiful than before. I could see so much in his face. The little twitch of his eyes moving, the way his hair fell over his left eyebrow, the slight bend in his nose, it was all too much for me. I couldn't feel myself doing it, but both of our faces were moving closer together. I closed my eyes at the last moment. Our lips met. It was a very soft, very chaste kiss, but it made me hungry for more. "I should have known you'd be out here, Random. You never answer the door when you know I'm coming over... oops." Our first kiss was broken abruptly by the voice in the doorway. We both turned only to see Rene standing there, slack jawed. There was a pause in the music. Damn the stereo and its synch with my life. "Rene! I totally forgot you were coming over. Uhm... Oops?" I managed to stammer out after a few minutes of staring. My hand was still on Jamie's. "I, uhm, Jamie... help?" Jamie speaks up, looking towards Rene. "Uhm, we were just... just... just kissing." He looks down, unable to come up with anything better. Not only was he unable to, he didn't want to make it into anything else. I think he felt, like me, that it was amazing as it was and he didn't want to knock it down from what it was, one hell of a kiss. "DUH! I saw that. I'm just mad that you didn't TELL me!" Rene's voice was louder than it needed to be, but that was her way. "Is that what's been going on? How long have you liked boys? How long have you two been doing this?" "Rene, chill. It's not like that. It's not whether or not that I like boys, it's that I like Jamie." I ran a hand through my steam dampened hair. "How long? We had only just kissed when you came up." Jamie's blush was bright enough to shine in the slowly darkening back yard. I squeezed his hand, lightly, to assure him that I wasn't letting go. I felt a squeeze in return, reassured myself. "I only just found out." I finished. Rene laughed, removing her shirt. She had her bikini on beneath the clothes she wore. I had completely forgotten that we had plans tonight. After she got rid of her pants and shoes, she was in the tub with us. "Guys, it's cool. It's MORE than cool. I was just wondering if Random would ever find someone that would be nice to him. I just didn't know whether it would be a girl or a guy. Trust me, I'm fine with this." She said, cheerily. Jamie and I both breathed a sigh of relief. I stretched out. "Ok, I'll go order the pizzas now." I clambered out of the water. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes." I went into the house and called, ordering a couple of larges, one with meat and one without. I paused before heading back outside. Sodas were in order. I opened the fridge and grabbed a few. Steeling my nerves to face my best friend again, I made my way back into the backyard. There was an interesting look on Jamie's face, while there was a bright smile on Rene's. I knew that look. It was her plotting look. It was frightening. "Did I miss something, guys?" "Nothing, dear. Everything is fine." Rene smiled her vicious, pleasant smile at me. I was immediately worried for Jamie's sanity. When Rene smiled like that, she had done something that she knew I wouldn't approve of. I'd have to find out later. The three of us lounged for a while, my hand snaking back into Jamie's. It felt right there. It felt proper. Every time Rene noticed it, she made a sound of cuteness. It seemed as though she thought we were doing this for her. We weren't, of course, but we let her think so. She'd be much easier to deal with that way. Pizza came, and we went inside. We dried off and changed before sitting on the couch with a movie Rene and I loved. `Titan A.E.' was one of our favorites. More than anything, it was the music. Even if the movie was silly and, in some places, cheesy, it had meaning to us. That was all that mattered in our little world. Ten o'clock rolled around. Mom hadn't returned, but Rene made her excuse of having homework to work on and left us there. My hand was in Jamie's, of course. I could feel his thumb stroking softly across the top of my hand. "Would your mom mind if you stayed over?" I asked him. "I mean, I know mine is groovy with it. If you'd like to, I'd like you to stay." My voice was quiet, on the verge of silence. Jamie looked at me with a smile that made my heart melt all over again. He leaned towards me, planting a small kiss on my cheek. "I'll call her and ask." He did so. She didn't mind. In fact, she seemed to encourage it. We went upstairs, and I told him that he was getting the bed tonight, and I'd sleep on my futon couch. It was comfy. I turned on my computer and had it pick up a random collection of music. It started with some Ashley MacIsaac, a fabulous violinist/fiddler/whatever. We both began to relax. That was, until the second song came up. "Father, can you hear me? How have I let you down? I curse the day that I was born, and all the sorrow in this world." I heard a soft gasp from Jamie as Bad Religion began to sing `Sorrow'. I knew already that he and I had the same feelings when it came to music. That it was a necessity for life. As the song progressed, it seemed to weigh on him. The argument of a father and son that just couldn't see eye to eye must have meant something big. I knew he used to live with his dad and didn't anymore. That was when I heard the sobs begin. I got up out of my futon and crossed to the bed. "Are you alright?" I whispered, looking at him, curled on himself. He shook his head without responding. It only took looking at him to know that. I knew what I wanted to do, but I wasn't sure if it would be the right thing or not. Finally, I told my thoughts to shut the hell up. I lay across the bed, beside him. I stretched my arm out over him and pulled him tightly against my chest. His sobs weren't as hard, then, but they were still coming. "Shhh. S'alright." I said, not knowing what else to do. Once the song ended, Jamie's sobs began to wane. "Better?" I asked, softly. He nodded, rubbing his eyes on a corner of the blanket. "Want to tell me about it?" I asked him, giving him a squeeze with my arms. "That song made me think of my dad. That's all." Jamie whispered. His voice was hoarse and barely audible. He seemed to sink in against me. "S... Stay up here with me, tonight." How could I refuse? I mean, honestly. How often does a cute boy ask you to hold him in his sleep? When you're me, it doesn't happen very often. In fact, it had never happened at all. I nodded against him and chuckled. "Anything you want, babe." After a few moments, we pulled the covers over us and fell asleep. To be perfectly honest, I hadn't slept that well in a long time. It didn't take me any time at all to get adjusted to having another warm body in bed. The next morning, we woke to the sound of the door opening. My mother came in, carrying two trays of food. "You two were so cute there, that I didn't want to wake you up to eat. I hope you don't mind breakfast in bed. But... don't get used to it." My own awakening took a few moments. I blinked a few times before realizing just what had happened. My mother walked in on me asleep with Jamie. We were cuddled together. "M... Mom!" "Shh, dear. We'll talk about it later." There was humor in her voice. I guess it was alright with her, but I'd definitely have to have that talk with her eventually. Now that she had a clue, well... There wasn't much more to be done except to say it. Jamie was still snoozing, through the entire exchange. I nudged him softly, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "Breakfast, sweetness. Wake up and eat." His murmurs made me blush at their cuteness. "Izzit morning already?" His voice was still slurred by sleep. I snugged him quickly, pulling a tray into his lap when he sat up. I pulled the other into my own. It was a basic breakfast. An omelet, fresh fruit, and juice. It smelled wonderful. We ate in silence. Once breakfast was over, I figured it was time to ask Jamie a few things. "Jamie? I'll be honest with you. I've never been in a relationship of any kind. You've come into my life and changed my views on a lot of things. I hope you'll understand if I want to take things slowly. But, there is one thing I do know for sure. That is the fact that I really like you. I hope that's ok with you." Jamie only chuckled. "Rand, it's perfectly fine with me. We'll take it at your pace. If you do want a relationship with me, I mean." His eyes looked into mine and I could feel the emotion within. I knew the answer. "Definitely. So, what does it mean? Are we boyfriends? Close friends? Or are we anything at all." I honestly had no clue, being the least interested most of my life, in anything of the sort. "I think both of those are perfectly valid." Jamie snickered. "Rand, it's up to you. I adore you already. I'd like to be yours, but I know you want to take your time. You set the pace. If you want to claim me as a boyfriend, I'll gladly accept." "I think that'll do, then. For now, anyway." I laughed, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. I picked up our breakfast trays and took them downstairs. Mom was waiting in the kitchen. "He's cute, Randall. But before you say anything, I want you to know that I'll support you in anything. Your dad may be a little iffy about things, but I'm not. I love you. You're my son. If I get another son, rather than a daughter out of it, well... that's fine with me." Mom's smile lit her face. "And, I've rather thought you might be." My blush was obvious. "Mom, I really don't know what I am. I just know that I do like Jamie. He and I... well, we fit well together. Rene just found out last night." Mom nodded to me, before glancing at the stairway. "I think you have a guest waiting on you." She offered me a small smile. I took the hint and bolted back up the stairs. I opened the door, only to see Jamie snuggled up under the covers again. His eyes peeked out at the sound. I felt my heart flutter and crawled back into bed with him. He felt warm, pressing himself up against my chest. "So, are you feeling better?" "I feel great." He chuckled, turning over to face me. I reached up, pulling hair out of his face. I could feel his awakening desire, but didn't say anything. This was probably the best course of action with my mother downstairs. "She knows. She's fine with it." I told him, twisting that lock of ebony in my fingers. He nodded, pressing his cheek against and under my own. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly. "You know, if we stay like this, we'll never get anything done today." He chuckled, "S'fine with me. I'm happy." He made a tiny sound of contentment there. It was one of the cutest things I had ever heard. I leaned my head back to look at him. There was a small smile on his face. He seemed more like an angel, lying there. I leaned forward, rubbing my nose back and forth against his in what my grandparents would have called an Eskimo kiss. It only lasted a few seconds before I gave him a real kiss. It was soft at first, but then I felt his tongue pressing against my lips. I allowed him in, gladly. He tasted sweet, from the fruits he had just eaten and the juice that washed it down. I've always been a fan of fruit, but this was even better. I knew what I was feeling, but I couldn't say it, yet. We had only known each other for a few days. I know, in my heart of hearts, that it takes longer than that. "So, what do you want to do today?" I asked him, with a giggle. "We have the whole town at our disposal. We can do anything we want." "Whatever you want to do. As long as I'm with you, I'm perfectly content." I felt the fire in my cheeks again, once he said that. I knew it was true. "Do you think your mother will mind this? I mean... us... as a couple?" I bit my lip as I waited on his response. He only laughed. "My mother knows about me. She's fine as long as I'm not trying to make anyone into something they're not. I don't think I'm doing that to you, though. You seem to know as well as I do." "I wouldn't quite say that. I only figured it out when I met you." I couldn't help but laugh at myself. "Never had a clue. But, sometimes you just have to take what life gives you." "Why... don't we go to the place we met?" Jamie's lip twitched a bit. That would be good for me. And it would be a bit romantic.