That was the message Brady had received from the young boy. Three words. Nothing more, nothing less. Looking. Good. There. And a door to a whole new world had just opened.

Brady had known Ness a long time, ever since Brady met Coan - Ness' his big brother and Brady's best friend - seven years ago, back when both were twelve and Ness was but a kid of six. Ness had always been that: Coan's dumb little brother. Now, Brady had uploaded an almost naked picture of himself on his Instagram and had received a reply from his best friend's baby bro.

And so far that was it. Brady had been nervous the last hour trying to sound chill, and not too eager, while in reality anxiety was killing him. Ness hadn't been online in about fifteen minutes, according to Instagram, so Brady welcomed the pause.

Lazily, Brady finally set his phone aside and stood up from his bed. He adjusted his posture with a deliberate twist, making his neck crack, before putting on the dark green apron resting on his nightstand.

The cold air outside danced mercilessly, waving the tangerine, crimson leaves as they fell to the pavement. Brady peeked at the watch on his wrist; it was getting late. Walking with a fast-paced stride, he left his room, went down the wooden stairs, around the corner, and into The Little Cafe, a locale right below his one-bedroom apartment.

"So there he is!" A voice greeted from the kitchen.

"I thought you weren't coming today," another one added from behind the counter.

"And leaving you to man the ship by yourselves? Fat chance of that happening," a wide smile appeared on Brady's face as he took out a small notebook and pen from his apron. "Hello there, Mrs. O'Brien, can I interest you in ordering something else?"

College had been Brady's number one priority for more than a year now, but that didn't mean he was about to abandon everything else. Ever since he was a little kid, he'd loved his family's local coffee shop, The Little Cafe. In a world full of Starbucks, Instagram, and Walmarts, his family's café was exactly how he remembered it - wooden, warm, and cozy, no walls except for the windows and the tall shelves covered from floor to ceiling in old volumes and diaries, with his mother in the kitchen in the back, and his dad behind the register - exactly what he needed. So much so that when the time came for moving, Brady didn't move move; he just went from living in his parents' house to the small room above the coffee shop. It was closer to school, had a nice space for studying, and gave him the freedom he needed without completely leaving his family behind. Every once in a while, he went downstairs and helped out, waiting tables.

College had been nothing but lectures, essays, textbooks, and tons of research. Ever since the pandemic, Brady felt like he couldn't escape computers, technology; they were used for everything now. And while it had tons of benefits, it was also exhausting. So, the hard work at the café wasn't only a welcomed break; it relaxed him.

As Brady cleaned the table in the corner, his phone buzzed inside his apron. Careful, he took it out. It was Ness. He stared at the notification on the screen, half excited, half nervous. Brady had said can't wait, and now, Ness's reply read:

Brady was puzzled by those words. Of course I mean that, he texted back. A few seconds later, a reply came:

Brady gulped. He looked around the café; no one was paying special attention to him, yet he felt as if all eyes were on him. Several seconds went by when he suddenly found himself trying to think of ways to get out of the commitment. "Stop," he told himself. Going out with his best friend's brother was something new, different, weird, and exciting; there was no need to get nervous, nothing from the other world. Besides, it was Ness who was offering the invitation. Brady took a deep breath.

There was a pause.

Ness had sent the location of what seemed to be a spot a few houses down the road from his and Coan's place. Brady doubted for a second. Just like with the dating app, he was hungry to go but a little fearful and shy. He tried to remember Cowboy and how unafraid he was; Coan was also someone Brady would call brave, even Ness seemed to be fearless. Brady closed his eyes.

"Mom, dad!" Brady called out. "I need to do something for school real quick. I'll be back in an hour, maybe two."

He didn't wait for a response; he had already taken his apron off and replied:

***

Turns out the place Ness had chosen was a park bench down the street from his house. It was completely dark outside now, the wind blew cold while the yellow, orange, and crimson leaves of the trees behind gave the scene an air of mystery, of morbid peace. Brady felt like he was in the middle of an adventure.

Before Brady could sit on the bench he saw someone come out of one of the houses and walk towards him. He had been to that house many times, enough to -even at a distance- recognize it as his best friend's house, which meant that the person walking towards him was...

"Ness," Brady tried to smile but it came out a little forced. Texting was one thing but talking face to face was an entirely different one. "Hey."

"Hey," Ness said, smiling maybe a little too much, his voice a little too loud. "Brady!"

Taking a breath, Brady couldn't help but to feel how heavy the sudden silence between him and Ness felt. He tried to look away, he looked at the park and red trees behind him, at the houses in front, and the streetlights on the sides, anywhere that could take his mind away.

"So, tell me about that bet you lost," Ness yapped suddenly.

"The bet?" Brady shook his head. "Oh, that. It was just some stupid stuff me and a friend did," he said but quickly added: "but I'm glad I lost it, look where I am now. We had never talked before."

"We talked a little."

"What? We've never talked before," Brady insisted.

"Of course we did! Something like two or three Christmases ago, you came to my house and played games with my family. We played the one where one person acted out something and the other one had to guess what, you and I were on the same team. You did that weird duck impression," Ness quacked, imitating Brady's raspy, deep, guttural quacks. "You sounded like a dying duck."

"Oh yeah," Brady looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed. "You're right, that was fun, but it was different. We've never really talked before. Just the two of us, I mean."

"That's because you only come over to see my brother," said Ness, rolling his eyes and waving his arms. It didn't sound like a complaint but more like a duh explanation.

"Well, he is my best friend," Brady defended himself. "He's probably the thing you and I have the most in common. Although, it is true I've known you for almost as long as I've known him."

"Maybe as long but not as well," Ness challenged. "For example, do you know my full name?"

"Of course I know it."

"But can you spell it?"

"N-e-t-z-s... okay, I can't spell it," Brady admitted defeat. "But I can spell Coan's."

"Coan's is shorter: Coyoacan. Mine it's twice as long: Netzahualcoyotl."

"I've always told Coan your parents must like tongue twisters, well that and coyotes," Brady turned to his side. "Both of your names mean something about coyotes, I do remember that. Coan would kill me for not remembering the exact meaning. Where is he, by the way?"

Ness leaned back on the bench, his eyes fixed on the dark, starry sky. "At the gym. That or causing some trouble as usual."

Brady chuckled, "that sounds like him. Staying still is not a concept he gets." Coan had always been the most adventurous of the two, where Brady was a grounded ideas man, Coan was the let's-turn-those-ideas-into-reality man. "But he's pretty awesome. The coolest guy I know, by far."

"Yeah," Ness looked away. "He's cool, always doing something, never at home." Brady noticed a hint of discomfort, a bit of a pause, a silence, but before he could say anything, Ness spoke eagerly again. "What's your favorite food, Brady?"

Brady was caught off guard by the unexpected question. He furrowed his brows, "where does that question come from?"

Ness's eyes sparkled as he answered, "I want to know you better, what else?"

Brady wasn't entirely convinced but decided to answer, "Well, if you really want to know, it's lasagna. It always makes me feel better."

"Lasagna! That's cool." Ness replied, chuckling loudly. "Mine is sushi. I love it. Well, both sushi and coffee. Do you like coffee?" Ness waved his hands around.

Brady was almost impressed, Ness had been social, loud, and almost impatient the whole time, a complete extrovert. However, what Brady thought was Ness's confidence, he now realized was anxiety. That, for some reason, made him feel better. He wasn't the only one who was nervous about meeting the other.

"I love coffee too, a lot," Brady said, more confidently now. "Actually, I don't know if you know but my family owns a coffee shop nearby. I..." he stopped. Brady was about to invite Ness over but thought the better of it, he couldn't imagine explaining to his parents why he was hanging alone with Coan's baby brother. "I love the coffee there, obviously."

"That sounds great!" Ness replied. "I wish my..." but then, a metallic roar echoed through the street in the distance. Ness turned his head, panicked. "That's Coan's bike! I have to go!" He pushed himself away from the bench, but before he left, he hesitated and leaned in to plant a quick kiss on Brady's cheek. Brady was speechless.

"See you later!" Ness stammered, his face turning red, and then he ran off towards home.

Brady sat on the bench, stunned and elated. He touched the spot on his cheek where Ness's lips had touched and couldn't help but smile.

***

Brady's peaceful slumber was interrupted by the gentle chime of his phone. He reached for it on the bedside table, half-expecting to see a message from Ness, but it was Coan's name that illuminated the screen. He shook his head, surprised at how excited he had been when he thought it was Ness, was he really starting to fall that hard for the kid? Brady tried not to think about it. Still, he opened the message with curiosity.

Brady re-read the text. Costume? Brady looked at the calendar app, that thursday was October 31, Halloween. That explained it all. So he replied:

Next to the text there was a video. Brady tapped to play it, and there on the small screen, he saw Ness, asleep on his bed, covered by blankets and his head resting on a pillow. The camera got closer and Brady saw that Ness was sleeping with his mouth open, a small pool of saliva next to him. In the video, you could hear Coan laughing as he teased his baby brother, but Brady couldn't help but think Ness actually looked kind of adorable.

Suddenly, in the video, Ness woke up from Coan's laughter and, with an angry gesture, threw his pillow at his older brother and got up from the bed. Brady couldn't believe his eyes: Ness slept with nothing on except a pair of boxers. No, they weren't boxers, they were shorter. Ness ran after his brother, cursing at him, almost naked through the room when the video ended abruptly.

Brady's jaw was still open. Why had Coan sent him that? Did Coan...? No, there was no way. As he replayed the video, Brady couldn't help but wonder what Coan would think if he knew about his date with Ness the day before. He felt a pang of guilt but quickly pushed the thought aside.

Now he had a video of Ness almost naked. Unashamed, Brady jerked off as he watched again. Ness looked hot for a thirteen year old, smooth legs and chest, slender body, and that tiny piece of fabric covering him. Brady couldn't wait to see him fully nude.

With his morning jerk off done, Brady decided to get up and face the lazy morning. He had a full day ahead of him.

At college, Brady immersed himself in his studies, but the hours dragged on as he eagerly checked his phone for any sign of Ness. The day seemed endless, as Brady changed into his apron and headed to his family's coffee shop: The Little Café. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the murmur of conversations filled the air as he greeted customers and took orders. He put on his best smile, but inside, his thoughts kept drifting back to the little kid.

Just as he was wiping down a table, his phone buzzed. He hurriedly checked it. It was Ness:

Brady's pulse quickened, and he couldn't help but grin. He quickly replied:

With his shift at the café finished, Brady made his way to Ness's house. As he approached the familiar place, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

He had been to this house countless times, but it was always with Coan. Now, he was there to see his friend's younger brother.

Brady took a deep breath, walked to the front of the house and knocked.

Ness opened the door, and an unspoken tension hung in the air as Brady stepped inside, carrying a sense of anticipation. The absence of Coan's motorcycle in the driveway didn't go unnoticed, and Brady couldn't help but ask, "Where's your family?"

Ness grinned as he led Brady into the house. "They went to visit my aunt. We've got the place all to ourselves."

Brady thought they were going towards the living room but Ness kept walking. As they entered the kitchen, Brady was greeted by a spread of food that seemed excessive for just the two of them. Ness had cooked up a feast, "I tried to make lasagna, but it turned out to be harder than I thought, so I made these instead."

Brady smiled and sat down, taking in the array of dishes. "This all looks amazing, Ness. I didn't know you cooked."

Ness shrugged. "You didn't ask."

As they ate, Ness directed the conversation, eager and loud as before. He asked about Brady's favorites: his favorite color, sport, favorite class... Brady hadn't thought about half that stuff but it was funny how a 13 year old thought: that knowing people's preferences was the same as knowing them.

"My favorite color is blue, and I love swimming. As for classes, I guess I'm a bit old fashioned, so I'd say my favorite class is probably physics. What about you?"

Ness nodded, seeming genuinely interested. "I like black, and I'm in the track team, as for classes... It's cool that you like physics, you must be really smart, but I'm not really into school, I guess I like art class."

The conversation went on for a while. There was a lot to eat and while it wasn't precisely the best food Brady had tasted, it was impressive that a child had made it all. At Ness's age Brady barely knew how to cook an egg. In the end, they weren't able to finish it all.

As they finished putting the dishes away, Ness looked at Brady, then at the floor and said, "Well..." the kid moved his feet around. "Do you... do you, perhaps, would you like to see my room?"

Brady was speechless, stuttering through his words until he just nodded.

As they moved up the stairs, Brady felt a sudden rush of nervous excitement. He knew where things might be heading, but he wanted to savor the moment. When they entered Ness's room, instead of rushing, Brady decided to add a little something to the situation. "Sure, but how about we make it interesting? How about a game of poker but, you know, with a twist?"

Ness's eyes lit up with intrigue. "A twist? Okay, I'm in. What's the twist?"

Brady grinned, feeling a sense of control and playfulness. "It's an old classic: strip poker. But don't worry, it's all in good fun... plus, we'll have a happy ending."

Ness accepted the challenge with a mischievous smile. "You're on."

Taking the deck out of Coan's room, and sitting on Ness's bed, Brady shuffled it and the game began. The tension in the air was palpable, both Brady and Ness casted glances at each other. Ness was the first to deal the cards, his hands trembling slightly.

"Alright, let's do this. May the best man win," he said with a smile, attempting to mask his unease.

Brady chuckled nervously. "Deal 'em."

The first round began. Both of them examined their hands as the cards were dealt, their eyes flicking between the game and each other.

"Got any kings?" Brady asked with a sly grin, jokingly.

Ness pretended to contemplate his cards before responding, "Nope, you're out of luck."

As the play unfolded, tension hung in the air. They each took turns making bold moves, testing their luck and skill. After a series of back-and-forth, the cards were revealed, and it was clear that Brady's hand was no match for Ness's.

Brady reluctantly handed over his jacket. His bare arms were exposed as he tried to hide his discomfort, but he couldn't help but notice Ness's triumphant grin.

As the rounds continued, they played with increasing fervor. Brady secured a win in the second round with a flush, and Ness had to remove his sweater, revealing a crisp blue shirt. He looked a little flustered but determined.

The third round had Ness grinning widely as he won with a full house. Brady had to part with his shoes, and his socked feet shuffled next to the bed.

"Wait," Ness stopped him. "The socks too."

"The socks too? Why?"

"Socks and shoes are small so they count as one," Ness argued.

Brady didn't buy it but, why the hell would he argue? Especially then, especially with him. So, obedient, Brady took off his socks too.

Ness won again and this time, Brady was only left with two options: either his t-shirt or his black jeans. For some reason, he felt safer with the second choice so, a little self-conscious, he slid off his jeans and tossed them away.

He was aware of Ness's eyes staring at his groin, now Brady was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt. Luckily for him, he was wearing a pair of red ones that hugged his body nicely. Brady tried to control himself but there was no hiding the bulge on the front, now obvious to Ness's eyes.

Brady managed to secure a victory in the next round with a straight flush, and Ness removed his shoes and socks.

The anticipation in the room was palpable, you could almost taste the excitement. Ness grinned as he revealed a pair of aces, securing his win. Brady's face fell as he realized he had lost. Reluctantly, he removed his t-shirt, leaving him standing there in nothing but his boxer-briefs.

"You look..." Ness couldn't glance away from Brady's exposed body. "Better."

"Better?"

"Better than in the photo," Ness laughed nervously. "I... you... you look good."

Boldly, Brady dealt the cards. "And you haven't seen all of me... yet."

This time, Ness lost and the young kid removed his shirt, one button at a time. Brady had seen that exact frame on Coan's video but Ness was right: it looked better in person, a thousand times better. Where Brady had red hair and pale skin, Ness had pitch black hair and somewhat darker tone, and where Brady had a bit of chest hair, Ness was entirely smooth, his chest as soft as butter.

"Ready?" Ness's voice took Brady out of his focus.

"Ready," to his luck, Brady won again.

Ness shook his head before throwing his jeans on the floor and stepping out of them. To Brady's surprise, Ness was wearing the exact same underwear from the video: small, a shade of light purple, thin piece of fabric. The young boy looked incredible in them, almost hiding nothing, highlighting the growing bulge on the front. It had been years since Brady had seen a boy that age almost nude, he didn't remember but oh god he desired it.

"What?" Ness grinned, mischievous. "Like what you see?"

"Uh-huh," Brady couldn't even speak.

"Well, as someone once said, and you haven't even seen all of me... yet."

Brady hurriedly dealt the last pair of hands but before he could even look at them, the sudden sound of an engine interrupted them. Both of them froze, their eyes locked, as they shared a moment of silent panic.

Brady whispered, "Who's that?"

Ness' face paled as he rushed to the window to peek outside. "It's my family! They're home!"

They hurriedly gathered their clothes and dressed in a flash, their excitement turning into fear. Brady's heart started pounding rapidly in his chest, he couldn't help but feel the shame, and anxiety taking over his body when Ness' parents realized he was going out with his youngest son.

Fast, they both went downstairs.

Brady looked all around him. "Is there a way out from the back of the house? Or somewhere I can hide or..."

Ness quickly shook his head. "There isn't. Just... I don't know, just act casual."

They barely had time to compose themselves before Ness' parents entered the house with Coan behind them. They were greeted with the sight of their son and Brady sitting innocently in the living room, fully clothed. Ness managed to maintain a composed facade, though he kept shifting in his seat. Brady was still, too still.

Ness' mother stared at them confused, "Oh, Brady, I... didn't know you were here."

Brady opened his mouth but nothing came out. Paralyzed, he prayed Ness would intervene and make up an excuse but when the silence was broken, it wasn't Ness' voice that Brady heard, it was Coan's.

"I asked Brady to come, mom," Coan said, casual. "I didn't know at what time we were going to come back so I just asked him to wait here."

"Yeah, that's right," Brady added, stupidly.

Ness's father nodded, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. "Well, I hope you didn't have to wait long."

As both parents disappeared into the kitchen, a weight lifted from Brady's chest. Yet, an utter silence still hung heavy in the air. Ness was sitting there in mute contemplation, and it didn't take Brady long to discover why: Coan. He was still there, still at the door, a silent observer with a stern and knowing gaze that penetrated deep into their souls. In his face there was no expression; however, in Coan's eyes, a tempest of emotions swirled -- anger, disappointment, and a profound understanding of the truth.

Brady made up some excuse, apologized to Ness and his parents and left.

As he walked through the street, next to the bench on the edge of the park, a chilly autumn air flew past his red hair. He could still feel the intensity of his best friend's gaze.

It was then that Brady finally understood the obvious: Coan knew.