Good Guys Don't Date Bad Boys – Ch. 35
By Laura S. Fox
Copyright © 2022 Laura S. Fox
All Rights Reserved
Gay Erotica
Intended for Mature Audiences Only
This story will contain graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, strong
language and it is not meant for readers who are less than 18 years of age.
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Chapter Thirty-Five –
Shooting For The Stars
Jonathan pulled the
blanket around his body and shivered. "Why on earth did I agree to this?"
Rusty lay on his back,
hands behind his head, and sighed contentedly. "Because there's no better view
than this. You can't really see the sky like this from your window, right?"
They were on the roof,
and the temperature wasn't that conducive to admiration of the night sky, but
Rusty seemed happy to have someone to share this experience with, so a mild
cold seemed like a small price to pay. He should have grabbed his coat on their
way up, but Rusty had responded to that by throwing a blanket at him and ordering
him to stop playing the delicate flower.
"Indeed," Jonathan
replied and looked up. The snow had slowed to nothing and only a few clouds
obscured the stars now. It felt free to be there and gaze at the heavens in the
company of one of the most peculiar yet fascinating people he had met in a long
time.
"Hey, what're your plans
with Maddox?" Rusty asked the most serious
question of all suddenly.
"What do you mean?" It
took Jonathan an effort of will to turn his head and face Rusty.
"Are you in love with
him?"
Jonathan cleared his
throat. He hadn't been expecting such a direct question, so he postponed
answering by pretending to be enraptured with the night sky and avoiding
Rusty's stare.
"You should be," Rusty
continued, seemingly not annoyed by his silence. "Because Maddox is a really
great guy."
Jonathan nodded
pensively. "Can you keep a secret, Rusty?"
"Cross my heart," Rusty
replied. "After all, you're keeping mine. I'm all too willing for a trade."
Jonathan took a deep
breath. "I believe I am," he said quietly.
"You're what?" Rusty
teased.
"In love with him,"
Jonathan said quickly.
"With whom?"
"Dammit, Rusty, really?"
"Just say it. It's only
you and me here. And the stars," Rusty pointed out. "Look, don't say it to me,
if you find it weird or something. Imagine that you're alone, but say it out
loud."
Jonathan closed his eyes
and took a deep breath. "The things you make me do."
"I get that a lot."
"I don't doubt it for a
second."
"Come on, Hamilton, while
it's still today."
Jonathan opened his eyes
and stared at the sky above. "I'm in love," he said, the words drawn painfully
from his throat and vocal chords, "with Maddox Kingsley." His heart was in his
throat and he could feel the frantic pulse of his blood. Yet, at the same time,
a weight lifted from his chest, and he felt like laughing and crying simultaneously.
Maybe this was what it felt like when you were shooting for the stars.
All that came crashing to
a halt when Rusty surprised him by smacking his back in encouragement. "See?
That wasn't so hard, was it? There are much, much harder things in life, like
root canals, finals, and trying to rub your dick with a baseball mitt--"
Jonathan scoffed. "Jeez,
Rusty, way to ruin a grand moment." He hid his face in his palms and laughed,
nonetheless. "Baseball mitt, really?"
"We only live once,"
Rusty said matter-of-factly.
"I suppose you're right,"
Jonathan agreed.
"So, when are you going
to tell Maddox that you're in love with him?"
Jonathan looked down, at
his hands resting in his lap. "I'll have to think about it."
"Why? Don't dip your toe into
the water, just jump," Rusty suggested.
"That's easy for you to
say," Jonathan said with a snort.
"Maddox won't mind.
Actually, I think he's going to be uber happy to hear it."
How could he explain it to
Rusty, who, despite his kinky adventures, seemed to be such a pure soul? "I've
said the words before," he uttered with some difficulty. "I just want--"
He wanted what? To be
sure? If he were honest with himself, he had fallen in love with Maddox
probably at first sight, other knee-jerk reactions aside. More so, he wanted
the words to mean something, not just to be thrown out between studying and hot
lovemaking.
"It's all right. I won't
pester you. For now," Rusty warned him. "You're going to sleep here tonight,
right?"
"I should go back to my
place," Jonathan said immediately.
"Stay here," Rusty
insisted. "You can sleep in Maddox's room. What better opportunity to snoop
around and find his dirty secrets?"
"I have no intention of snooping,"
Jonathan protested. "And something tells me that Maddox is not the kind to have
dirty secrets."
"At least he must have
some dirty socks. Just in case you have that fetish."
Jonathan groaned. "Rusty
Parker, where do they make people like you?"
"Nowhere. I'm unique,"
Rusty said with satisfaction. "So, sorry if you wanted a piece of me," he
joked. "I belong to the entire horny population of Sunny Hill, while you, well,
you're one guy's dude."
"The entire horny
population of Sunny Hill?" Jonathan said slowly, willing to tease Rusty back a
little. "Not only the females?"
"I've never done a dude,"
Rusty said quickly.
"Really?" Jonathan
drawled. "Never, never? How could you miss on that huge opportunity to add to
your plethora of experimentations? I'm sure plenty of guys here, at Sunny Hill,
wouldn't mind at all if you asked."
Rusty growled like an
annoyed dog. "In case you don't want me to start my experimentation with your
gay ass, you better stop."
Jonathan laughed. "I
think I know you well enough now to not take your threats seriously."
"I haven't even
threatened you yet," Rusty protested.
"Exactly," Jonathan said
with satisfaction. "That's who you really are. All bark and no bite."
"I bite," Rusty said
promptly.
"Why am I not surprised?"
Jonathan murmured under his breath. "I should go, though."
"Nope, you're sleeping in
Maddox's room." Rusty grabbed his arm quickly. "Since you're a neat freak, I'm
sure you'll make it look like you weren't ever there at all, in case that's
what you're worrying about. Plus, do you think you can leave me here, alone
with the roasted turkey?"
"I suppose that's not a
risk I'm willing to take," Jonathan said, wanting to be convinced some more. He
was grinning despite himself.
"Good. Then it's settled.
And I promise you I'll turn a blind eye if I stumble upon you sniffing
something weird."
Jonathan offered his hand
to help Rusty to his feet, but then he promptly grabbed him by the scruff of
his neck and squeezed hard. He wasn't the type to touch strangers casually like
that, but he could hardly consider Rusty a stranger now, given his earlier
confessions.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch," Rusty
complained. "You have a mean streak in you, Hamilton, don't you?"
"Trust me, you haven't
seen anything. And I think I need to hide that turkey meat anyway."
"Aww, don't be like that.
I'm going to behave, cross my heart and hope to die."
"Something tells me that
I shouldn't take any chances with you," Jonathan said promptly. "But all right,
maybe I'll let you have a bite, just to see if it's any good. It's not like
I've cooked a turkey before."
"If you let me have some,
I promise I'll put in a good word for you with Maddox," Rusty promised.
"I'm afraid to count on
such recommendations. Maddox might find it pretty strange."
"I'm his bestie," Rusty
reminded him. "So he'll totally listen to me."
Jonathan snorted. "Okay,
bestie. Just don't go overboard and tell him that I like sniffing socks and
other strange things."
"Too bad, that was a big part
of my strategy for winning Maddox for you," Rusty said and grinned.
"Inside, now." Jonathan
guided him by holding the back of his neck. "You can have a sandwich, but then
you're going to sleep."
"But it's early. We
should hang out a little more," Rusty pleaded.
"No. I need my beauty
sleep," Jonathan said airily.
"Hmm," Rusty said, and
once in the hallway, he turned and stared at him. "I think I can see some dark
circles. Let's not ruin your pretty face."
Jonathan scowled. "Don't
you know guys don't like being called pretty?"
"What guys? I like being
called pretty."
Taking in Rusty's
muscular arms, Jonathan thought that probably no one ever thought `oh, how
pretty', looking at the guy. He just shook his head. "Should I push you down
the stairs now or later? Because you are sort of driving me nuts."
"No need." Rusty sat on
the handrail and slid with ease to the ground floor. He then waved at Jonathan,
his face split by a broad grin.
Jonathan could totally
understand why Maddox liked Rusty, and why they were close friends. Together,
they were probably making the world laugh.
***
There should have been
nothing strange about being inside Maddox's bedroom, since he had been there
plenty of times before, but it felt like something new and somewhat exciting.
Jonathan pushed himself off the bed and began looking at the books stacked in
neat rows on the shelves. He grabbed one and browsed through it, smiling at the
dog-eared pages. No one could accuse Maddox Kingsley of being nothing but a
pretty face, for sure. As he picked up the books one by one, he could tell that
Maddox had read them all. It had to be one of the reasons why they understood
each other so well. Like him, Maddox was competitive, and he loved an intellectual
challenge. He was hard working, intelligent, and kind-hearted.
And Jonathan couldn't
help being in love with him. He grinned as he reached the last book on the last
shelf to the right. On one of the first pages, Maddox had written one note on
the side.
I
really don't get all this bs.
Jonathan, slightly
amused, returned to the cover. The topic was pretty dry, and Maddox must have gotten
the book for an elective during his previous years of college. Somehow, he
hadn't gotten around to getting rid of the book, though, and that gave Jonathan
an idea. There were no dog-eared pages here.
He reached for a piece of
paper on the desk, carefully folded it and ripped a square from it. Then, he
sat down in the chair, and wrote five words, the most meaningful ever. While sticking
the note between the pages, he was still smiling.
***
"Why did you let me eat
so much?" Rusty patted his belly and groaned.
Jonathan snickered.
"Because I've never seen anyone capable of eating as much as you do, so fast.
You basically didn't give me a chance to shake off my shock."
"Yeah, right," Rusty said
with a scoff, but then he smiled. "You're an awesome cook, Hamilton. If the
chemistry thing doesn't work out, go turn yourself into a chef or something.
With your looks, you'll become a celebrity in no time."
"I'll bear that in mind,"
Jonathan said and smiled, as well. "Now, what would you like to do? I could endure
watching sports if that's your thing."
"In this house," Rusty
said solemnly, "we don't watch sports, we do them. Come on. Let's burn some of
that turkey off."
Jonathan felt like lazing
around for a bit after their meal, but it looked like Rusty wasn't the kind to
take `no' for an answer. "Who's going to do the dishes?"
Rusty groaned. "Live a
little, dude. We'll worry about that later, `kay?"
"We?" Jonathan quirked
his eyebrows and gave his newfound friend a pointed look.
"You'll do them," Rusty
said quickly and then tugged on his hand to make him get up from his chair.
Jonathan decided that
leaving dirty dishes behind was irksome, but not enough so to prevent him from
following Rusty and seeing what he had in mind as entertainment.
***
"This is so incredibly
unfair," Jonathan complained as Rusty stole the ball from him for the umpteenth
time and sent it through the hoop without even touching it. "And why are you so
good at two things at the same time?"
"You're one to talk, Hamilton,"
Rusty teased him by moving the ball from one hand to the other, right in front
of him as if he would give Jonathan a chance to snag it.
They had the whole campus
to themselves, and that gave them free reign over the entire school property.
However, Rusty had opted for a basketball court, and one outside, even.
Jonathan was thankful for the workout, even though he was overdressed for the
occasion. To see Rusty made so happy just by showing off his prowess on the
field was a reward in itself.
"Is this about my
cooking? It's nothing that special, trust me." He swallowed his words, as he
realized he had been about to bring up things from the past, things that really
didn't matter now.
"That's not what I'm
talking about. And you can tell me about the five Michelin-star dinners you have
had, `cause I don't mind."
"There is a maximum of
only three Michelin stars a restaurant can have," Jonathan corrected him.
"Underachievers," Rusty
said with a snort. "Whatever. I was talking about your special talent."
"What's my special
talent?" Jonathan decided that it was no use to try and outrun Rusty, so he
just lagged behind.
Rusty grinned at him as
he performed half a pirouette, jumped, dunked the ball and remained hanging
from the hoop for a few moments. "You flipped Mad Dawg," he drawled.
Jonathan rolled his eyes.
"Obviously, it was a one-time thing. I mean, I've never flipped anyone else."
Definitely not Drew, as much as he had tried at the time.
"You don't fool me, gay
boy." Rusty walked over to him and stopped a hairsbreadth away.
Jonathan didn't flinch as
Rusty stared him in the eyes. He was getting used to Rusty's
antics, achieving familiarity at a frightening speed.
"I bet that you made doe
eyes at him and told him, `Would you awfully mind if I flipped you, Mr.
Kingsley?'" Rusty said the last words nasally and made weird faces while at it.
Jonathan bit his lips
trying not to laugh. "I don't talk like that."
Rusty seemed caught up in
his impersonation game because he next assumed a relaxed stance and gave
Jonathan a long once-over that felt overly familiar. "And then he said, `Nah,
go ahead, my man.'"
Jonathan grinned and
waited. Rusty leaned close, without losing eye contact. "My man, get it?" He
snickered. "And then, you two smooched a lot." Rusty puckered his lips and made
kissing sounds.
Jonathan rolled his eyes.
"Did you play with dolls a lot while you were a kid?"
Rusty made a surprised
face. "How do you know that? Are you a wizard?"
That was his cue to smack
Rusty playfully upside the head. Just like that, his mischievous companion
pulled away, laughing.
Jonathan followed him.
"You know, Rusty, I didn't ask you. What are you grateful for today? It used to
be a valued tradition in my family," he added, "to tell one another what we are
thankful for."
Rusty turned to face him
and walked backwards. "Friends, mostly. Including new ones." He smiled warmly
at him.
Jonathan offered the same
smile in return.
"And that turkey, `cause
it was awesome. So, I guess I'm thankful you can cook. What about you?"
"Mainly, for getting to
know and like so many wonderful people here at Sunny Hill," Jonathan said
promptly. "Also, hearing you sing. Would you sing again? I'd like to listen in,
if that's all right with you."
"Sure, why not?" Rusty
slapped him on the shoulder. "But I'll have to blindfold you." He said the last
words in a subdued voice.
"We're not getting kinky
for your sake," Jonathan warned. "And stop trying to scandalize me because it won't
work."
"I'm not doing that,"
Rusty replied. "It's been a long time since anyone watched me while listening
to my singing, is all."
Jonathan was starting to figure
out when Rusty was telling the truth. His features softened, and his green
eyes, always up to no good, became slightly distant as if they no longer were looking
at what lay in front of them, but they turned inward in an effort to discover a
new world.
Jonathan took Rusty's
hand and squeezed it briefly. "Blindfold me, then. I won't mind."
The green eyes turned
toward him and smiled along with the rest of the boy's face. "Cool. But don't
go nitpicking about what kind of blindfold I'm going to use."
Jonathan decided that
rolling his eyes just wouldn't work. "All right. Use whatever you have. See
what sacrifices I'm willing to make only so that I can hear you sing once
more?"
Rusty clapped his hands
together in unhidden glee. "Let's go then. I know exactly what I'm going to
sing to you."
"Let's hope it's nothing
embarassing."
"They don't do BDSM opera
if that's what you're worrying about, Hamilton." Rusty could joke all he wanted,
but judging from the way his eyes shone, Jonathan could tell he was over the
moon with the prospect of having an audience, even if it was going to be just
one person.
***
Regrets weren't the kind of
thing Maddox was used to experiencing, especially when it came to important
things. Now, as he sat around the table with all his siblings and parents, just
sensing the slight tension in the air made him feel guilty. The last thing he
had expected when he was leaving Sunny Hill to come home had been to ruin
Thanksgiving for everyone. Now, his sisters were talking a bit too loudly, his
dad was praising his mom's cooking a bit too much, and furtive glances were
being cast in his direction, as if to check on him and see if he was the same.
He was the same. He was
pretty sure of that. Only now, after he had admitted to loving another guy and,
to his surprise, his family had reacted in a way that he had never expected,
things felt different than they had before. After thinking things through the
previous night while struggling to fall asleep, he began to understand their
reaction a little bit, although a part of him still wanted them to see him for
who he was, their son that they had known all their lives.
It wasn't like him to spend
a lot of time in introspection, either. That was a new feeling, as well, and as
uncomfortable as a new jacket that didn't quite fit. He had blurted out to his
family that he loved Jonathan, and why had that thought never occurred to him before?
Maybe, in a way, it had, because lately he had been with Jonathan more than he
had been with anyone else in his life. Kane teased him constantly that he was
taken now, Dex was always smirking and trading meaningful glances with his pal
whenever he thought Maddox wasn't looking, and Rusty... Well, Rusty had taken to
his relationship with Jonathan like it was the most natural thing in the world,
and there had never been a time when Maddox had been competing with him for the
attentions of the female population on campus.
It was late in the
evening when he got the chance to sit and talk to his parents again. All his
life, he had known that they loved him. They had always given him the longest
leash, too, always letting him get away with things his siblings weren't
allowed to even think about, so being their favorite had been something that
maybe, just maybe, he had taken for granted.
He sat at the table
across from them like he was about to face a firing squad. "I'm sorry I ruined
Thanksgiving," he blurted out and stared at his linked hands. He could argue
about loving Jonathan to the moon and back, and they really needed to meet him
to understand why he was insisting on this so much, which meant that, right
now, words would not be enough.
"You didn't ruin
anything, Maddox," his mom said in a weary voice. "You took us by surprise,
that's all."
Maddox looked up. "So,
you're fine with it?" he asked slowly.
His parents exchanged a
short, eloquent look. "We talked, and we realized that you're very young, and
that means that you're entitled to make your own mistakes."
Maddox clenched his jaw
so hard that a sharp pain shot through it. Were they really calling Jonathan a
mistake now? What the hell were they thinking? He wasn't supposed to be mad at
them, he had even promised that to himself, but right now, nothing felt like it
should.
"We believe that you'll
come to realize that in your own time," his dad added, seeing how he wasn't
saying anything. "If we contradict you, you'll only think you're right, and
we're wrong. Don't forget that we're your parents, Maddox. That means that
we've known you for longer than you've known yourself, and it will always be
like that."
He hadn't been expecting
a heart to heart talk from them, and definitely not one that was supposed to
put him in his place like this one seemed to be intended to do. "Maybe I'm
someone else now," he said quietly. He averted his face for a moment. He wasn't
the kind of person to fall prey to his emotions like that, either.
"That's what you think,"
his mom contradicted him, and his dad stopped her by putting an appeasing hand
on her shoulder. Maddox could tell she was keeping herself from saying more,
and with a lot of effort. As volcanic as his mom's temperament was, she always
said she was sorry later, when things cooled down a bit. But she had had the
entire night to think things through, and it looked like she had made up her
mind.
Maddox leaned back in his
chair, half-defeated. Then, he revolted, mostly on the inside, since the still
rational part of his brain told him that he needed to navigate this with
careful consideration and a bit of diplomacy. "Then I suppose I need to prove
to you that Jonathan and I are good for each other. It's my longest
relationship so far, and I don't see an end to it now, not sometime in the
future, and not ever."
The strength with which
he said those words seemed to have taken his parents aback a bit, because, for
a few moments, they looked at him like he was someone new, and maybe a grownup,
too.
His mom pursed her lips,
so his dad took over. "All right, Maddox. We're old enough to admit that we
might also be wrong sometimes. That is a piece of advice we want to give to
you, as well. When that moment comes, when you realize that you've been wrong,
come to us and admit it. We promise that we won't judge you for making a
mistake, and we will respect you for having the strength to tell us about it,
as well."
"I won't have anything to
admit," Maddox said, feeling some of his natural confidence coming back.
The suddenly peppy tone
of his voice triggered a half-smile from his dad. "If that's the case," he
replied, "one day, we'd like to meet Jonathan."
"We would?" His mom
looked up at his dad.
"Yes," his dad replied
firmly.
That was everything he
needed to hear.
***
How's
it hanging, Sunny Hill? Hopefully, that turkey and pie have already settled
because we're about to drop the bomb, with a capital B, literally, of the year,
and maybe the biggest in the entire history of yours truly, Xpress. We have
drama, mystery, romance... and what else? Oh, maybe a few drops of betrayal? Just
for flavor.
So...
Pumped
up for the news drop? Check with us on Monday. Remember; you always hear it
here first. Tootles!
TBC
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