The Barrier

By Wes Leigh

 

This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. Readers who would like to chat are encouraged to contact me at weston.leigh@protonmail.com.

This story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent.

If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/.

 

Chapter Nine

 

Breakfast the next morning was a quiet affair. His dad read a newspaper. His mom stared off into space. Jack ate his pancakes, silently asking himself if he was actually going to do what he'd decided to do the night before.

It had been so hard to convince his parents to allow him to date in the first place. Nothing had worked out the way he expected, and he knew his mother would find some way to say, `I told you so.' That would suck.

He cut off another bite of pancake and popped it in his mouth. As he chewed, he went over his decision one last time. He'd given it plenty of thought, so he washed down the bite with some milk and said, "Mom, Dad, I've decided something, and I want to tell you what it is."

His mother looked over, nervously anticipating another monumental revelation as earth-shattering as Jack's announcement three years ago that he was gay.

His father refused to meet Jack's eyes. Suddenly, the next page of the newspaper had something of vital importance to impart.

Jack cleared his throat and said, "I've decided to stop dating."

That pronouncement got their attention. His mother seemed immensely relieved. His father actually put the paper down and started listening.

"That's wonderful," his mother gushed. "You were much too young to be dating in the first place." She glanced at his father with an odd expression that made Jack wonder if the two of them hadn't been hoping for just this result.

His dad looked over at his mom with an I-told-you-it-would-work look, then turned to Jack. "What does that mean? You're going to stop going out to movies with your friends?"

"No, Dad. I'll still hang out with friends and do stuff with them."

His father pressed for more information. "I thought you said you needed to learn about relationships? And that dating was the way to learn?"

Jack nodded his head. "I still feel that way. But I'm not going to date. Not for a year or two. Instead, I'm going to work on having good friendships only."

His dad nodded and smiled, happy with that response. "That seems best, Jack." But Jack could see doubt in his father's eyes, probably because his dad was remembering what it was like to be a horny teenager and thinking Jack wouldn't be able to help himself. Well, Jack would show everyone that he could do this.

As for Jack's mom, she seemed deliriously happy with Jack's news. It was a victory, as far as she was concerned. Now, perhaps, she would have some success convincing Jack to leave behind this ridiculous notion that he was gay.

͠ ͠ ͠

The first step in Jack's plan was to shut down the account on the dating website. No more proposals from horny guys. No more middle-aged dudes perving on his young body. No more college guys trying to pull him into their wild orgies.

He was done with all that. He removed his account and uninstalled the dating software. Gone. Finished. Good riddance.

Then he pulled up ZipChat and called Micah.

Micah didn't answer, so Jack knew that meant he was probably out of the house, running errands. Jack sent a ZipNote to Micah's inbox.

E4.

It was short and simple and something Micah would recognize right away as an opening move in a game of chess. Jack positioned his chess board on his desk and placed all the pieces in their starting spots. Then he moved his king's pawn forward two squares to the E4 square on the chessboard.

Micah had taught him to play chess two years ago, and they often played against each other using ZipNote or ZipChat to exchange moves. While they played, they also carried on a conversation, chatting about anything and everything while thinking about their next move. It had been a while since they'd played a game, and now that Jack was no longer dating, a game of chess with Micah would take his mind off the frustrations of human relationships.

Jack left the chessboard in the middle of his desk, turned off his computer, and went to his closet to find something appropriate for a trip to the mall.

͠ ͠ ͠

Wandering up and down the main corridor in the mall, Jack didn't see any of his friends. It was still a little early, so they might show up later. He could waste time in the arcade. Or he could look for a new pair of shoes. Maybe have a drink in the food court.

His stomach took over the debate and decided on a slice of pizza and a soda.

As he took his plate to a table, he saw Ian McDonald walking by. Ian's hair was bright red today, as were his fingernails. Jack decided to say nothing as he slid into a chair and placed his food on the table.

Ian glanced over and saw Jack. He immediately changed direction and wriggled his way to Jack's table, taking a seat opposite Jack. "You've been a naughty, naughty boy," Ian said.

Jack took a bite of pizza and sipped his drink. "Really?"

"Yes. You blocked me. And you've been avoiding me at school."

Jack shook his head. "Haven't been avoiding you. Haven't had any reason to talk to you."

"What are you afraid of, Jack?"

"I'm not afraid, Ian. Just don't want to talk to you."

Ian laughed softly. "You probably think I'm going to jump you in the hallway or something. Well, I'm not that desperate."

"And I'm not interested," Jack said, taking another bite of pizza.

Ian sat back and studied Jack carefully. "Why did you even talk to me then?"

Jack sighed and explained, "I thought we could be friends. We've been going to the same school for years now, but we've never talked. I just wanted to get to know you."

"Because we're both gay?"

"That wasn't the only reason." Jack leaned forward and said, "Look, Ian, we both know how tough it can be when you're one of the only gay guys in school. I thought you would be someone I could chat with, someone who would understand. But you wanted to jump right past all that and start sending each other dick pics and sexting and all that other stuff. Well, you helped me to make an important decision in life. I'm not looking for a boyfriend. All I want right now is a friend. Nothing else. If you want to be my friend, that's cool. But there won't be any sex stuff between us."

Ian wrinkled his nose. "That sounds tremendously boring."

"That's the deal, Ian. Friends, yes. Sex, no. Take it or leave it."

Ian rolled his eyes and said, "Fine. We can be friends. But you do realize that friends talk about sex sometimes?"

Jack nodded. "Sure they do. Just not about having sex with each other." He held out his hand for Ian to shake. "That's what I'm offering, if you want it."

Ian thought for a moment, then reluctantly reached out to shake Jack's hand. "Does that mean you'll unblock me?"

"Yep. But don't send me any dick pics. Okay?"

"Okay. I heard you the first time." Ian shook Jack's hand. "Wanna catch a movie?"

"Sure. Let's go see what's showing."

͠ ͠ ͠

While they were watching the movie, Jack's phone was filling up with text messages from Brandon. Jack had his phone off during the movie, so he didn't see the messages until he exited the theater and turned his phone back on. The message alert beeped rapidly, causing Jack to blush and Ian to stare.

"Parents trying to reach you?" Ian asked.

Jack studied his phone. "No. Just a guy I know."

Ian laughed. "You better talk to him. He sounds more desperate than me!"

Jack chuckled. "You might be right about that. I'll see you at school, Ian."

"Yeah. See you around, Jack. The movie was fun. We should do it again."

Jack nodded. Ian had behaved himself during the movie, and that was all Jack wanted. "Definitely. Call me if there's one you want to catch."

"Will do." Ian waved and walked away, leaving Jack alone to read through all the messages from Brandon.

Hey, Jack, can we talk?

Jack, my man, come on. Talk to me!

Look, bro. Last night was a mistake. I was a little buzzed from drinking and went a little too far. You know how that is, right?

Jack, why you ignoring me, bro? I'm trying to apologize here.

Dude! Look, I get it. You're pissed. At least talk to me and say what you gotta say.

Bro, you really gotta stop acting like such a kid. You're the one who wanted to go on a date with me, and we had a good time. So things got a little crazy afterward. That's no reason to ghost me like this.

Cool. You wanna be that way. It's cool. Lots of guys would love to get a piece of this.

The next text had a picture of Brandon's naked upper body with his bulging biceps. Jack had to admit Brandon had a great chest. Too bad it was attached to an empty head.

Jack smiled as he replied to Brandon's texts: Just got out of the movies with a friend. My phone was turned off. My friend saw all your text messages. He thinks you must be desperate. I think he's right.

Jack waited for a reply. When it came, he laughed out loud.

Desperate? I can have any guy I want.

Jack replied: Not any guy.

Hah. Name one guy who wouldn't want a piece of this ...

Attached to the text was a full body view of Brandon, standing nude in front of a mirror, flexing his muscles with his thick cock hanging down over heavy, hairy balls.

Jack typed a simple reply: Me.

Then he blocked Brandon's number and slipped his phone into his pocket. Walking just ahead, Jack saw other friends from school. He yelled for them to wait up and ran to join them, telling them about the movie he'd just seen. They were planning to go later that night and didn't want him to spoil it for them, so he told them as little as possible before changing the subject.

͠ ͠ ͠

D5. Meeting friends for dinner tonight, so I won't be home.

Jack found Micah's reply in his ZipNote inbox. He smiled and moved the black queen's pawn forward two spaces. Jack could capture Micah's pawn with his own pawn or reinforce his position. He decided to move up a knight to protect his pawn.

Jack used ZipNote to send a reply: B1-C3. Enjoy your meal!

Not for the first time, Jack asked himself why he and Micah only talked to each other using ZipNote or ZipChat. They could have exchanged phone numbers by now, yet they continued using the encrypted program for all their communication. Sure, they sometimes talked about sex, and that was probably something most people wouldn't understand. What reason would a 48-year-old man have for talking to a teenage boy about sex? Jack could imagine all the gossip that would come from that piece of information. It would probably ruin Micah's life, and it would certainly make Jack miserable, so it was probably a good thing that all their chats were encrypted.

But sometimes, Jack wished they could talk. Just talk. Over the phone. It would be so much faster than typing every conversation. They'd probably still use ZipChat for chess. It was actually fun to type in your next move and be able to talk at the same time. They talked about anything and everything. Micah's next novel. Jack's classes at school. Movies. Music. It might be hard for others to understand why they were such good friends, but Jack knew there was absolutely nothing wrong with the relationship he had with Micah.

What did it matter that some tight-assed prudes would think it highly inappropriate? Micah was his friend and had never done anything to hurt him. In fact, it was just the opposite. There had been so many times when Jack needed someone to talk to, someone to listen to issues he was struggling with or confused about. And Micah had always been there for him, always understanding, always quick to provide simple explanations and encouragement. Micah had helped him through countless difficult situations.

And Jack liked to think he'd done the same for Micah. When Micah's husband Jacob had died, Jack had listened to hour after hour of stories Micah told about Jacob and the fun things they had done together, the monumental fights they'd had, and the glorious moments of making up and loving each other again. Jack didn't know who else Micah talked to about Jacob. Probably no one. He was a very quiet and private man, so Jack suspected there was no one else Micah could share his pain with. In a weird way, that made Jack feel proud and special.

No matter what anyone else said, Jack was determined to keep Micah as his friend, even if it meant only talking through ZipChat.

Jack moved his knight to C3 on the board, thinking about what Micah would do next. Probably bring his own knight out to protect his queen's pawn. That was what Jack would do, but Micah always had a way of surprising him...

... like the time Jack had heard the doorbell ring and had found a delivery guy dropping off a package addressed to him personally. He had carried the package into the house, dropped it on the couch, and opened it, finding a beautiful tournament chess set inside. The pieces were intricately carved and highly polished. When he turned on his laptop that night, he found a message from Micah in ZipNotes: E4, and Happy Birthday!

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It was evening now. Micah was probably out with his friends still, enjoying dinner. Jack had no one to talk to and didn't really feel like talking anyway. He opened his laptop and tried to write down his feelings, hoping that would lift his mood. Without putting much thought into it, he found himself writing a short poem.

Heart quivering.

Body shaking.

Frantic with desire.

Stop me please.

Keep me away

From Love's devouring fire.

 

He had to laugh. It seemed melodramatic, but it certainly expressed the way he felt. He continued writing.

Dare I risk it?

Reach and touch.

Hand pulled back in pain.

Sweetest agony,

Sears my soul then

Pulls me back again.

 

Burn me once.

I hesitate.

Cloak myself in night.

Hide away,

Keep away,

Veiled from your sight.

 

Not for me

Your foolish games

My heart demands much more.

Give me now

What I desire,

What my soul's longing for.

 

Burn me twice.

I freeze in fear,

Such mistakes I've made.

When will I learn?

How much pain by

Longing heart betrayed?

 

Stepping back,

Wondering now,

Is Love what I truly need?

When all along

Far better good

From Friendship I've received?

 

In the arms

Of my only Friend,

Seeking comfort and peace.

Held so tight,

Rocked and loved,

Frantic heart finds ease.

 

Love no more,

I tell my heart.

End this foolish game.

Not for me,

This agony,

That ends each time the same.

 

By the time he finished, the pain of the last few weeks seemed fresh again. Why had it been such a mess trying to find love? He thought about sending the poem to Micah, just to see what he thought, but then Jack chickened out, when he realized the poem got a bit personal at the end. Would Micah realize he was the only Friend in the poem? Would Micah think it strange that Jack wanted to be held in Micah's arms, finding comfort there?

Jack shook his head. He wasn't sending the poem. Not to Micah. Not to anyone. He added a password to the file and saved it. Then he pulled up a few of the newest music videos, mindlessly switching from one to another, looking for something interesting enough to watch for longer than fifteen seconds.

When that turned out to be marginally entertaining, he thought about pulling up some porn and jacking off, but he wasn't in the mood for a bunch of guys pretending to be having a good time while they moaned and said, `Fuck me,' over and over. Talk about fake. Talk about boring.

Instead, he opened his favorite erotic literature website: Nifty. Some of the stories there reminded him of the porn videos, with graphic action that was obviously designed for guys to maturbate to, but the stories he enjoyed the most were the ones where the characters fell in love and enjoyed a bit of romance before jumping into bed together. Sure, the sex scenes were hot and made him bone up, but it seemed even hotter when the characters were actually in love with each other. Then their sex meant something more than shooting cum everywhere.

Jack browsed for a bit and found a new chapter for a story he'd been reading faithfully. He opened the chapter and settled in to read. The two lovers started out in a hot and furious kiss that gave Jack an instant boner, but as the chapter continued, they began arguing over something stupid, all because one of them wouldn't tell the other what he was upset about. It was frustrating reading about their fight, because Jack could see what needed to happen. But the two of them were too angry, too caught up in the moment to stop arguing and make up.

The chapter ended with one guy walking out into a rainstorm, refusing to come back when his lover begged him to return.

Jack knew what he would do in that situation. He would run out into the rain and grab his lover and spin him around, shouting `I love you' as he pulled his lover in for a passionate kiss. But the guy who wrote this story was unpredictable, so Jack had no idea what to expect the next time a new chapter appeared.

Jack slid his hand into his pants and fondled his erection. Even though the story had ended in a fight, there had been some hot and heavy kissing before the fight started. Jack's cock had boned up and stayed hard, and now he could picture the two lovers ending their squabble by renewing their passionate kissing in the middle of the sidewalk, with rain pouring down on their heads.

Jack closed his eyes and pictured them locked together, tongues battling as they kissed. Then maybe one of the guys would slide his hands down to grab the other guy's cock. What would they do next? Would one of them fall to his knees, right there on the sidewalk, and pull the other guy's pants and underwear down to his knees? Then he would pull his lover's cock down and swallow it in one quick gulp, apologizing in the best way possible, with his lover's cock buried in his throat!

Jack slid his own pants and underwear down and started stroking his cock. He could see himself having an argument with his boyfriend one day and then making up to each other with a sloppy blowjob. Yeah, that would be good. Take it all the way down, lover. Tell me how much you love me. Show me that you didn't mean those horrible things you said.

The tingling sensations began to spread all through his groin. He grabbed his balls in his free hand and started massaging them. That was something else his lover would do to apologize ... suck on his balls. Yes, roll them around in your mouth. Now spit them out and lick me down there. What if his lover had a beard like Micah? Then his stubble would tickle Jack's inner thighs. That would be so good.

What would it be like if Micah was the one kneeling before him? Jack pictured Micah as he appeared in his ZipChat profile picture. Deep black eyes, so loving and gentle. Silver hair on the side of his head, dark black on the top. A friendly smile. A light layer of silver stubble on his chin and cheeks. Micah would be looking up with those calm, loving eyes as he nuzzled Jack's thighs.

Jack shivered at the thought.

Then Micah would move lower and his tongue would snake out and touch Jack's taint, teasing, wriggling about down there. Micah would move up and grin as he sucked on Jack's balls, first one, then the other.

Jack began panting.

Next, Micah would take Jack's cock in his hand and slowly lick it from the base all the way to the tip. Micah's tongue would tease its way under Jack's foreskin, adding a slippery layer of saliva to the precum oozing from Jack's slit.

Jack stroked his cock faster as his fantasy took hold.

Micah had years of experience making love, so he'd know how to make Jack tremble with pleasure, and Jack could picture Micah's mouth sliding up and down his throbbing, glistening cock, while Micah's hands gently caressed his thighs, his stomach, his chest.

Jack groaned and arched his back.

"Oh, Micah," he muttered, as his cock throbbed and squirted thick ropes of cum onto his belly. He looked down at the creamy splatters and blinked slowly.

As the thrill of masturbating slowly dissipated, Jack felt a wave of guilt building up in his gut and overwhelming him. How could he do that? How could he fantasize about Micah being his lover? Micah was his friend!

As bad as Jack felt about the fantasy, it was also very confusing. Why had thoughts of Micah made him harder than he'd ever been and cum more explosively than he could ever recall shooting off? Did he secretly have feelings for Micah?

Jack sat up and pulled tissue from the box on his desk. Then he wiped up the cum on his stomach and milked out the last few drops from his cock. As he tossed the tissues in the trash, he vowed Micah would never, never, NEVER find out what had just happened.

 

The end of THE BARRIER, Chapter Nine