As the harsh morning light filtered pink through his eyelids, Scott woke from deep slumber and his brain ticked over, trying to clear the sleep-fog from its engine. Still laying on his side, he opened his eyes and stared at his pillow, struggling to focus through tired eyes. He hadn't slept much since every hour or so he had woken up to check on his guest. Shit! His guest! He'd almost forgotten!

    "Almost, but not quite," replied his brain as he became aware of an arm reaching over him, holding him close. Jamie's arm. It felt good, like he was being kept safe and warm. Scott breathed deeply and savoured a long-lost memory of being held by someone who cared. The last person to make him feel this way was Toby, on those nights when all they had was each other's body heat to keep out the chill of winter and loneliness.

    Something else too, something pressing into his lower back. Toby used to do that as well, it was no big deal - most guys woke up that way. But this felt different, not quite so ... platonic. Being the gentleman, Scott had left his jeans on all night, only stripping off his top when the night had got too humid. Jamie, on the other hand, was clad only in his trunks. Trunks that were becoming very tight indeed!

    Scott didn't want to wake the kid just yet - it might be a long time before this sort of thing happened again. Who knows what Jamie would think once he came back to reality, free from the persuasive powers of the drugs. Scott so desperately wanted everything to be OK, for there to be a chance at something more than friendship, but he didn't want to force the issue.

    The same old paranoia resurfaced and he wondered if he had taken things too far. Not with the ... sexual stuff, but with the conversation afterwards. Stupid of him to have pressed for an answer about something like feelings of love. Of course the kid couldn't love him, he barely knew him. That sort of thing took time, didn't it?

    So why did he feel so anxious? And why did it feel so right?

    Lost in his own thoughts, he was barely aware of Jamie's hand as it wandered lazily over his chest. Until his fingers reached Scott's nipple, a delicate and sesitive area, causing Scott to jerk slightly. In doing so, he inadvertently pressed back into Jamie's crotch and was met by a sudden grinding. Either Jamie was still asleep and not aware of what he was doing, or he was enjoying this kind of contact!

    A soft kiss on the back of his neck answered Scott's question and he turned to face his companion.

    "Morning Jamie. How's your head?"

    "Bit sore, feels like I got smacked around a bit. I didn't did I?"

    Scott laughed and stroked Jamie's cheek, smoothing out the creases left by a night's sound sleep on wrinkled pillows.

    "No, at least not physically. Seems like you had a few issues to deal with. You OK?"

    Jamie took time to consider this. It certainly had been one hell of a night! From the emotional battering he'd got from his supposed friend Sam, to the vague recollections of a party somewhere, to ... oh, yeah! Scott. Scott and his magic fingers! Jamie chuckled.

    "Erm yeah, I'm fine. I mean, wow! Did what I'm thinking about really happen, or did I have an incredible dream and not know it?"

    Scott struggled to follow Jamie's meaning. After all, a lot had happened last night. Jamie looked down to his rock-hard groin then back up at Scott, staring deep into his eyes as he caught the meaning.

    "Oh, right, that! Yeah, I suppose it did. I mean, it wasn't a dream. Dreamy, maybe, but definitely real!"

    Scott mentally slapped his own head. What the hell was he saying? Dreamy?? He sounded like a love-sick school girl! Bad Scott! But Jamie didn't seem to notice and was intent on gazing at Scott's features, taking in every detail of his gorgeous face.

    Lips that would have seemed thin and unappealing on anyone else spoke instead of silent pleasures; dimpled cheeks still flush with the energy of youth; but the eyes! Scott's piercing blue eyes told a different story. So much was hidden behind them, a lifetime of pain and hurt, a deep well of sorrow and regret. But that wasn't what captivated Jamie, although he longed to suck it all out and replace it with his own joy. No, what really fascinated him was a golden shaft of hope that beamed forth. A shining light that said no matter what he had been through, he was still willing to fight for what mattered.

    "And what does matter to you, Scott?" thought Jamie to himself. "You're such a mystery. I've never met anyone as ... selfless as you, so kind, so caring, and yet you won't let yourself go, will you? What is it you're afraid of?" In that moment, Jamie knew that he wanted to find out the answers, to be the person that would find the key and open the door to Scott's heart. But he couldn't rush things, just in case.

    "Look Scott, I ... we gotta sort something out," he began.

    Scott tensed up as if he felt something disastrous about to happen.

    "What is it, Jamie, did I do something wrong?"

    "No, nothing wrong. In fact, it was all good! But I gotta tell you, this is all a bit scary. I've never ... done anything like that before. OK, there was that thing with Sam..."

    Jamie shuddered at the recollection and struggled to carry on.

    "...but last night was different. Everything seemed so right. I've never been touched like that before. Hell, I've never been touched at all, unless you count my mum washing me when I was a baby and I don't! But I don't know if the feelings I had last night were for real or a result of that, whatever it was I was on. I guess what I'm saying is that I want to find out if we can really like each other like that. A lot. Without any other ... influences. Does that make sense?"

    "Sure it does. More sense than almost anything I've ever heard! I'm just glad you don't regret anything .. yet."

    Jamie pressed a finger against Scott's lips to silence him.

    "Sssh, no more doubts or fears, not right now. We've got time enough to figure that out."

    "OK, but..."

    "No buts, mister. Well, not that kind anyway! If you feel like checking out another kind then I probably wouldn't say no."

    Scott giggled at Jamie's forward behaviour. He really was a dark horse!

    "What do you mean `probably wouldn't say no'?" replied Scott.

    "Why don't you kiss me and find out?" came the excited reply.

    Scott leant in and gently pressed his warm lips against Jamie's. A soft moan issued from his lips as he felt Jamie respond in kind, all nervousness washed away in a crescendo of bliss and passion. Jamie slid his hands behind Scott's neck and held him fast, locked in a passionate embrace. If this is what being forward did for you, he'd definitely try it more often! Except this time, it wouldn't be over so soon...

*****************

    Over in Toby's kitchen, things weren't going so well. Amanda had surfaced with the usual comedown attitude. Toby used to think that if he'd spent more time with his girl when she was partying, then maybe she wouldn't be so harsh with him after the event. But that didn't seem to happen, so he usually stayed out of her way when she was out of it. She certainly seemed to have fun on her own anyway, laughing and maybe flirting with God-knows-who. Sure it hurt but he loved her didn't he? So he stayed with her, in the hope that things would get better.

    Now, however, there was no-one else to get in the way, so Toby had to deal with the full force of Amanda's temperament. At that moment, that involved a lot of shouting and stomping around.

    "...and another thing, why the hell were you talking to that slut Mel all night?" screamed Amanda.

    Toby desperately wanted to scream "because she's fucking sane, and understands me a lot more than you ever will, you bitch!" but he bit his tongue and kept quiet. Amanda never seemed to require an answer anyway. Best just to keep quiet and dodge any plates that might be thrown his way.

    "Never mind, fuck you Toby, fuck you and fuck your fucking friends!" and with that she stormed out, slamming their front door and causing the walls to shake slightly.

    Toby breathed a sigh of relief and reached into his pocket for his gear. Rolling always seemed to help him get over things and it was only when he took a deep drag that he felt better. Until the pain shot through his chest and he doubled over, coughing up a cloud of smoke.

    "That stuff'll kill ya, you know?" grinned Mel as she popped her head round the door.

    "Thanks mum!" spluttered Toby as he gestured to an empty chair and Mel sat down.

    "Sarcasm AND phlegm, aren't I the lucky girl? You should really lock your door sometime, sweetcheeks. You never know who might pop in."

    "Someone like you, you mean?"

    "Someone exactly like me," replied Mel, deadpanning.

    "In that case, I'll leave it open," smiled Toby, for the first time that day.

    "So, Madame Shouty left for the day then?" asked Mel with a hint of anger in her voice.

    "Guess so. Must have been something I didn't say."

    Toby took a fresh toke of his joint and offered it to Mel, who waved it away.

    "No ta, got enough to deal with in my own head without that stuff clouding the issue, thank you very much!"

    "You? Issues? Whatever for?" chuckled Toby as he pointedly gazed at Mel's outfit. As usual it shied away from any definition of normal. Today's offering was a red tartan skirt, knee-high patent leather boots, the obligatory fishnets and what looked suspiciously like a man's shirt barely covering her ample chest.

    "Tsk tsk, Toby my boy, that kind of narrow-minded, intolerant talking gets you nowhere, you strung-out stoner dropout, you!"

    The two friends laughed together, perfectly at ease in each other's company. Toby wondered for a moment why he couldn't have a girlfriend like Mel, one that he got on this well with. Obviously not Mel herself though, that would be too wrong. He thought of Mel as a kind of big sister and he knew the sibling feeling was mutual.

    Mel just looked at Toby through sad eyes. She could see that he was hurting but didn't know what else she could do to help but be there for him. She'd already tried the lecturing route and that only made him retreat further into himself. So she just made sure that she was there for him, ready to boost his cloudy days with some sunshine and laughter. Apparently it was the best medicine.

    "Penny for them?" she asked, interrupting Toby's thoughtful moment.

    "Eh? Oh, just thinking about Scott. Wondering if he's OK and all."

    "Him? Or that kid he was with?"

    "Both I guess. I know Scott wouldn't do anything to him. He's not like that. But it's what that kid could do. I mean, Scott might talk big but he's fragile, you know?"

    "Yeah I know. I know how you feel about him. But he's back in your life now, so there's no need to keep beating yourself up with that screwy girlfriend. Yeah, I know, I don't give her a chance and all, but you're not exactly Mr Optimistic now are you?"

    "What do you mean?" Toby was genuinely confused.

    "This kid Scott went home with last night, what exactly do you know about him?"

    "Nothing, nothing at all. And that's what worries me. He could just be taking advantage of Scott, leeching off his kindness, then throwing him aside..."

    "And he might also be the opposite, have you stopped to consider that? That he might actually be the one to get through to Scott, to help him to feel again, maybe even to love?"

    "You sure do know enough about him, don't ya?" queried Scott.

    "That's what I get for listening to you, and quite frankly you could never shut up about him! So yeah, I guess I know him pretty well, at least what you think you know about him. But I know one thing else too..."

    "Oh yeah, what's that?"

    "I know you, Toby Moreland, and I know what you're like. What's the point in looking after Scott if you can't even look after yourself. I know you've got this romantic idea of you two, best friends together and all that. But think for a moment. Don't you know that Scott probably feels the same way, and if he ever saw how you're suffering he'd drop everything and come to your rescue. Because I think he would. How would that be fair to him and his chance of being happy? And how fair is that to yours? You gotta start helping yourself, Toby, cos I can't keep doing it for you."

    Toby stared at Mel, who was looking at him sternly. He'd never really thought of it like that. Scott really deserved to be happy and he couldn't interfere with that, especially not with his own problems. What was he trying to prove? Everyone could see that his life had turned to shit without Scott around, he didn't need his friend to see that too. Maybe it was time to start thinking about his own well-being for a while. Maybe.

    Mel tutted and shook her head as Toby leaned back in his chair and inhaled some more potent smoke. Well, it was one way of dealing with things for now, but he couldn't keep hiding away forever. Things only came and found you, then bit you on the arse. Still, at least he always had Mel. His thoughts drifted back to Scott and he risked a smile as he thought of him with his new friend. Perhaps it would all work out. Stranger things and all that...

*****************

    Toby was right about one thing, Scott was holding Jamie's hand. However they were both laying face-to face on Scott's freshly-messed-up bed, dressed only in their underwear. Scott had slipped off to the bathroom before their trousers were off, returning to the bed clad in a snug-fitting pair of white briefs. Their free hands were supporting their heads as they stared stupidly at each other. After a half hour of frantic kissing, they had stopped for air, wanting to go further but not sure if they should.

    Jamie was feeling nervous, mainly because he'd never really got much further than this before. He wanted so desperately to keep going, to explore every part of his companion's body, to feel his warmth seep into every part of his body. But he could sense that Scott had done this sort of thing before, perhaps a lot. He didn't want to screw this up and had insisted that they take their time. That way he wouldn't blow his load too soon. Who could blame him, with this hot guy so close and yet so far.

    Scott, on the other hand, was trying to grasp things that had previously seemed the stuff of dreams. Sex to him had always been a duty, a way of making money. Sure there had been a few times when he'd almost felt something for whoever he'd been with, but it had always ended up with them screwing him over, as well as just screwing him. So as much as he'd wanted to equate sex with love, to bring those seemingly opposite worlds together and experience them as one, he'd always distanced himself during those moments of sweaty release.

    This was something different, something new. He felt a tingling in his stomach, like he was afraid and excited at the same time. He hoped that Jamie would be the one to finally show him what making love meant, to make it all worthwhile. Yet, he was acting like this was his first time. Maybe it was for both of them. Properly, that was.

    Jamie's initial behaviour, driven from nervous tension more than any boldness, had soon given way to just plain nerves and he shuddered slightly with the anticipation of what was about to happen. Scott noticed this and frowned.

    "You cold, Jamie? I can get the duvet if you want?"

    "No I'm fine, just ... well, I'm not sure what to do next..." he tailed off as embarassment pushed colour into his cheeks.

    Scott squeezed his hand and smiled encouragingly.

    "Well, if you're feeling anything like how I'm feeling, I think we should just jump straight in and go with it."

    Jamie nodded and leaned in for the kiss. Their mouths met and their already rock-hard packages strained against their restrictive underwear. Scott let go of Jamie's hand and pushed him back onto the bed, sliding his fingers down his lover's body, which writhed and shook under his touch.

    Jamie moaned softly and closed his eyes as Scott climbed on top of him, pushing his taut thighs apart and sliding in between them. Jamie wrapped his legs around Scott's butt and pulled him close, feeling their bulges rubbing together through the thin fabric that kept them prisoner.

    Scott bent over, raining tender kisses on Jamie's neck and chest, moving slowly down until he reached the little trail of hair that led up from the waistband of his trunks. Scott loved the small trace of hair that clung to Jamie's body, especially compared to his own growth which seemed more prominent in comparison. Even though there was a year or so betwen them, Scott showed more sign of development, marked by darker patches under the arms and around the top of his legs. Jamie was smoother, more pliant. Both boys were toned and their hard bodies rippled together in passion.

    "Be careful Scott, I don't want to ... you know," warned Jamie but Scott was taking his time, building up the pressure slowly.

    He leaned back and took in the full view of his lover's body, shuddering gently beneath him. Scott's heart melted once more and he hugged Jamie close, feeling his heart beat wildly against his chest. Still locked in his arms, Jamie slid his fingers into Scott's pants and over his firm behind, exploring every inch of what was contained within. He ran a finger along Scott's crack, feeling him tense up and moan as his most private place was probed.

    This was almost too much for Jamie but he managed to keep himself under control as he tugged Scott free of his cotton cage, revealing his cute butt to the room. Scott raised himself up so Jamie could completely strip him and soon he was completely naked, except for his white trainer socks. Jamie wanted him to keep them on, it just seemed sexier that way.

    "That's not fair," grinned Scott, "it's my turn!"

    Jamie beamed wildly as Scott leaned forward and gripped his trunks. Jamie took advantage of the position and glanced at Scott's swollen cock. It was just as he remembered it, still huge, at least to his inexperienced eye. He wondered if it would hurt but soon pushed that thought aside. There'd be time to find out soon enough.

    Scott had plans too. Once Jamie was de-briefed he could see what he wanted, having only caught a glimpse last night before it had exploded in his hand. Not bad, not bad at all. A little smaller than himself but so much cuter! For a start, Jamie had slightly more foreskin. He could see a small section of pinkish flesh poking out from the tip whereas his own had fully retracted, exposing his purple head to the world.

    Jamie giggled nervously as he waited for a reaction.

    "I know it ain't much but..."

    "Ssh, it's perfect. You're perfect. God, you're so cute!"

    Jamie sighed. Scott might never know how much that meant to him. He'd spent years working off his puppy fat and although he was pleased with how he looked, age-old insecurities still lurked within. Of course it helped to be praised by a supremely gorgeous guy! Jamie felt that he should maybe repay the compliment but found that he couldn't speak and only managed a gurgle instead.

    Scott took this as a sign of appreciation and lowered his head to Jamie's cock, which sprang to life beneath his waiting lips. Jamie moaned louder as Scott wrapped his lips around his shaft and began to gently massage it with his tongue. It felt so amazing! No amount of self-pleasure had ever compared to this and he felt like he could come right there and then. Instead he twisted his body round so he could grab hold of Scott's twitching dick.

    Not wishing to make him strain too much, Scott scooted round so that he was facing Jamie's feet, still with his cock inside his mouth. Placing his knees on either side of Jamie's head, Scott pushed his hips back, allowing his straining flesh to rest against Jamie's open lips. As he slipped inside, he felt warm fire spread throughout his body.

    For what seemed like an eternity, the two boys rocked together in a natural rhythm of passion, tasting each other's flesh and breathing in the aroma of teenage hormones mixed with sweet lust. Jamie was lost in a world of ecstatic delight and felt suddenly empty when Scott pulled out of his mouth. He frowned before Scott mumbled an apology, his throat still full of Jamie's meat.

    "Sorry Jamie, m close!"

    Jamie was too, but he still had one more thing he wanted to try. He figured that it was worth a shot since he'd seen it being done in some of those magazines that his ex-friend Sam had shown him. Apparently there was no feeling like it, well almost nothing like it! He leant his head back with a clear view of Scott's tensed butt-cheeks and reached around, pulling them gently apart.

    Scott's body shook as he felt Jamie's hand caress him. Man, the kid was hot! But that was nothing compared to what happened next as Jamie suddenly thrust his tongue into Scott's puckered hole. Hot coursing passion burst from his loins as Jamie lapped gently, sending him into overdrive.

    Jamie felt hot spurts fire onto his chest as Scott tensed around his tongue. He couldn't hold back any more and he sent his hot load gushing forth into Scott's mouth and pulsing down his throat. Two bodies released together, and all doubts about what they were doing melted away in one perfect moment. A series of tremors then the quake was over and Scott fell sideways onto the bed as Jamie's dripping cock popped out of his mouth.

    Jamie summoned the strength to turn himself around, snuggling against Scott's exhausted body and wrapping his arms around his still-convulsing belly. Scott calmed down sufficiently to fold his arm over Jamie and they clasped hands again, holding on to each other as if afraid that at any moment this would all fade away.

    "Whoa, that was just ... well ... I mean .." stuttered Scott, trying to form words to describe what he was feeling. But some things were beyond all words.

    "I know what you mean," Jamie sighed, "me too."

    All further attempts at speaking faded as their tired bodies floated away on a gentle tide of spent passion. This time was theirs, and nothing would ever take that away.

******* Whew! I was planning on a cliff-hanger ending but I just couldn't do it to the boys! So you'll have to wait til next time hehe! Hope you'll join me for the next chapter, and massive thanks to all those who have shown support. You know who you are ;) *******