That night at dinner, Charlie couldn’t stop grinning. When he finished eating, he put his plate and glass in the dishwasher and went upstairs. In his room he took out his guitar. As he played he daydreamed about Ethan. There was a knock on his door. He opened it and there, once again, stood Joey.
The boys sat on Charlie’s bed and Joey said, “Okay. Spill it.”
“Spill what?” Charlie asked, although this time he knew what Joey was talking about.
“During dinner tonight you couldn’t stop grinning,” said his brother, “and your music tonight is happy. Our dads and I want to know what happened.”
Charlie thought. He wanted to keep Ethan a secret, but he was bursting to tell someone. At last he said, “Okay. What I’m going to tell you is secret. I haven’t told anybody else, including our dads, so if it gets out, I’ll know you told. Promise to keep the secret?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die,” responded Joey, making the appropriate gestures.
“I’m in love.”
Joey nodded. “Go on. Tell it all.”
Charlie proceeded to tell his brother about Ethan and their lunch together.
“Is that love or just a big crush?” Joey asked when Charlie finished. “After all, how can you love someone you don’t know anything about?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of love at first sight?”
“Yeah,” said Joey, “but I don’t believe in it. A crush? Sure. Love? No way until you get to know the person.”
Charlie thought about that and realized that his brother might be right. “Okay,” he said. “I have a huge crush which I hope will turn into love.”
Joey reached over and gave his brother a big hug. “I hope it all works out for you,” he said, “but if it doesn’t, don’t fall too hard, like you did when Jared dumped you.” With that, he returned to his room while Charlie continued to strum his guitar.
Although Charlie hadn’t really seen much of Ethan’s body and wouldn’t since they were in separate gym classes, he lay awake that night stroking himself and picturing what he fantasized Ethan looked like.
When he finished, he lay thinking for a long time. After a half hour or so, he realized he was growing hard again. Once more he felt the tensions rise and a satisfying wave swept over him as he came for the second time.
He slept very well that night.
In the weeks ahead, Ethan and Charlie had lunch together every day. Sometimes they were joined by others, sometimes not.
One day when they were eating alone together, Ethan looked at Charlie and asked, “So, how long have you known you were gay?”
Charlie was astounded, and he felt little prickles on his skin and up the back of his neck. “What makes you think I am?” he managed to ask at last.
“Well, after I met you that first day, I began to ask around about you. A couple of sophomores said that the person to ask was Jared. I knew Jared was gay because he made no secret of having a boyfriend. I got his phone number and called him. We talked about you for quite a while. When I asked him if you were gay, he said he thought so, but he wasn’t sure that you really knew it yet.
“As you and I kept eating together, I got the idea that you were interested in me, so I asked the question, which I’ll repeat. How long have you known you were gay?”
Oh, God, Charlie thought, as he once again felt his heart beating. He’s outing me to myself. But then he realized that he’d known he was gay, even though he’d never admitted it to himself. He knew that at his school it wouldn’t be a problem, and it certainly wouldn’t be one with his dads.
“Honestly? I don’t think I truly knew until that first day when I saw you. Are you gay too?”
“Of course,” Ethan responded. “Otherwise, why would I have been asking the questions?”
They talked so long they were nearly late for their next classes. Again, Charlie felt as though he was floating, and he took in very little of his afternoon lessons.
On the bus that afternoon, he said to Jared, “You rat!” But he said it with a smile and Jared knew he wasn’t angry.
“So, Ethan asked the question?”
“Yeah. At first I was surprised, but as we talked I was really glad that he’d gotten me to admit to myself that I’m gay. Jared, I think I’m in love.”
Jared was the only person, other than Joey, who had heard Charlie say those words.
“Isn’t love wonderful?” asked Jared.
“Oh yeah! I just hope I don’t do anything to screw it up.”
After he got his provisional license, Charlie had sometimes driven himself to school. His dads had bought him a used hybrid Toyota Prius which he loved even though it wasn’t the sexiest car in the world.
At dinner one night, Charlie mentioned that he had a friend in Eastham and wondered if he could visit his friend after school on Friday if he got home in time for supper.
His dads approved and Joey grinned.
He told Ethan the next day that he wanted to visit but he wasn’t cleared to drive other kids without an adult in the car.
“That’s fine,” Ethan said. “Just follow the bus and you’ll learn where I live.”
Friday afternoon found Charlie in a diesel haze following a rather smelly school bus. When Ethan got off the bus, he pointed down the street and Charlie followed behind. Stopping a few houses later, Ethan pointed to the house and Charlie pulled into the driveway.
Inside, Ethan introduced Charlie to his mother before they went into the kitchen to make snacks.
As they ate, Charlie asked Ethan if he was an only child.
“Nope, I have two older siblings, both of whom are in college, so I almost feel like an only child. I know about your fathers. Do you have any siblings?
Charlie told him about Joey, describing him as someone much wiser than his years. He talked about how Joey reacted when Jared had dumped him and what his brother had said when he told him about Ethan.
When they went into Ethan’s room, Charlie observed that judging by the three full bookshelves, Ethan was a reader. He sat on Ethan’s desk chair while Ethan sat on his double bed.
“Do your parents know about you?” Charlie asked.
“Oh, yes, and so do my brother and sister. They’re actually very supportive.”
“Have you told them about me?”
“I have, although I haven’t said that you were gay. I think they know, though.”
Charlie nodded. “I haven’t told my dads yet, but I suspect that they know too.”
Their discussion turned to how much sexual experience each one had had. Charlie said that he hadn’t done much with Jared except mutual masturbation.
“I guess I’ve more experience,” said Ethan. “I had a boyfriend in middle school, and we sucked each other. I’ve never done the ass thing though. When we first moved here in the summer, I really missed him, but I realized at last that we were just sex buddies and that nothing was ever going to develop.”
Even though he was the older of the two boys, Charlie felt as though he was the real novice. A little hesitantly, he asked, “Do you think something will develop with us?”
“That would make me very happy.”
Ethan motioned for Charlie to sit beside him on the bed. Then he reached over and removed his friend’s T-shirt. “I think it’s time you had a blow job,” he said quietly, turning Charlie’s head and with his luscious full lips which Charlie had admired, kissed him on the mouth. Charlie melted into the kiss, hugging Ethan who began to tongue him.
As Charlie responded he grew very hard.
Ethan stood and removed his own shirt, and at last Charlie could feast on the view of his well-developing chest. Then Ethan slid his trousers down and stood in only his tented-out boxers. In a bit of daze, Charlie followed suit. Soon they were lying on the bed, gently rubbing each other’s chests as they continued to kiss.
Ethan broke the kiss and began to kiss and lick Charlie’s chest, working his way south to the sacred trail leading to the boy’s privates. As he gently removed Charlie’s boxers, he said, “Hmmm. Nice bush,” before he took hold of the hard cock. Charlie moaned quietly as Ethan put his face down to his friend’s crotch and began licking the insides of his thighs.
Charlie was worried that he’d cum before Ethan finished, but the boy seemed to know what he was doing. He held Charlie’s rigid organ and began to lick it. At last he took it in his mouth and licked some more as he moved his mouth up and down.
Again, Charlie moaned, louder this time. Soon, he began to raise his hips, saying, “I’m gonna cum.” Almost immediately, he did, the sensation stronger than he’d ever had before.
As Charlie’s cock began to soften, Ethan leaned back and swallowed Charlie’s tasty juice.
They lay side by side while Charlie slowly descended from his high. Then he asked Ethan shyly, “Do you want me to do that for you?”
“Oh, yes,” said Ethan. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for weeks.”
Charlie grinned as he helped Ethan remove his boxers. Then he began gently touching and licking his friend’s chest, giving special attention to his nipples.
He imitated Ethan as he slowly moved down to his package, licking everything before taking him in his mouth.
When Ethan came in his mouth, Charlie savored the taste for a moment, enjoying it before swallowing.
Again they lay side by side. After a bit, Ethan asked, “Was that the first time you tasted cum?”
Charlie smiled and nodded.
Ethan grinned, saying, “I hadn’t intended to do that today, but once we got talking, I couldn’t stop.”
“I’m glad you couldn’t,” Charlie grinned back. Then, looking at his watch he announced, “I guess I’d better get home.”
Ethan cleaned them both off, although there was not a lot left to clean, and they both dressed.
Downstairs at the front door, Charlie turned, hugged Ethan, and kissed him gently. “Until next time,” he murmured.
Driving home, Charlie thought about the afternoon. Maybe we’re not in love, yet, he thought, but we’re certainly in deep ‘like’ territory.
At home, he said nothing about his afternoon with Ethan, although Joey grinned at him and he grinned back.
The music he played that night was certainly happy, and a lot of it was Spanish love songs. He was smiling as he played, reviewing again and again what had happened that afternoon.
When he was in bed that night, he no longer needed to fantasize about what a naked Ethan looked like. He knew. He found the release he sought and was soon fast asleep.