Rhythm

by

John Terry Moore
 

CHAPTER 10

Lance, his tummy full and looking forward to the remainder of his Sunday, set off in the direction of his room.  A voice behind him disturbed his reverie.  “Long Tack!” the voice demanded.  “What’s the big rush?”  He turned and there was Angelo running after him. 

“Hey,” said Lance amiably, “what’s goin’ on?” 

“Well I offered you something wonderful and you’re walking away from it?” 

“Oh that,” grinned Lance, “didn’t think you were serious.”

“Of course I’m serious,” snapped Angelo.  “Look,” he said, “I’m gay, you’re straight, so what?  Sucking cocks is what I do.  Helping my fellow man out, a bit of enjoyment for both of us.  No one has to know.” 

“I think everyone knows already,” laughed Lance. 

“Yeah but no one cares, right?” was the rapier-like response.  He smiled a dazzling smile, looking up at Lance and ‘waited for the order!’  Lance responded but not in the way that he expected.  Because down below in the ‘engine room’ as he called it, there was an unaccountable and rather pleasant stirring.  And sharp little Angelo noticed and took the matter in hand!  Fortunately Darcy, Lance’s roomie, was away for the weekend, so at 10.45am on a Sunday morning, Lance had his version of church.  And was amazed!  Not because it was his first experience with a man so much, but his libido seemed suddenly to have a mind of its own and his cock followed!  So when Angelo got up to leave, a big hand covered his own.  “Is that all you gay guys can do?” asked Lance with a huge grin.  “Is that all there is?” 

“I’ve got to take my girlfriend to the concert,” said Angelo truthfully. 

“Why don’t you tell her you’ll be late?”Lance replied.  Angelo obediently dialled a number and spoke quickly, as a big hand snaked around and undid his belt buckle.  He couldn’t defend himself and talk at the same time, with the result that his pants dropped to the floor, allowing Lance to push his boxers down and reveal an amazingly well endowed Angelo.  ‘Little Fur Ball(s)’ was his nickname but there was nothing little about him in the ‘engine room’!  Lance was well-built himself but in proportion for one so tall at 6 feet 6 inches.  Angelo wasn’t short; he was 5 feet 8 inches, but he was dwarfed alongside the hugely tall and powerful Lance.  Yet Angelo was decidedly very ‘cute’, Lance noted, if that’s what the gay boys described themselves. 

“So what do you think you’re up to?” Angelo smiled. 

“Just checking out the merchandise,” replied Lance as he took another step toward his newly-kindled interest in man-sex and took Angelo in his mouth.  There was an immediate response from Angelo, who grew quickly to his full size, causing Lance to gag uncontrollably.  But with coaching from Angelo, Lance settled down into a natural rhythm, actually enjoying himself and pleasuring Angelo at the same time.  Angelo looked at Lance with astonishment ----- none of his straight guys had ever wanted to give him head; some of them wanted to be fucked, certainly, but this beautiful looking guy was showing natural aptitude!  And he turned him on like no one else!  He was the most stunning looking guy on the whole campus; a total hottie.  He felt himself nearing orgasm and yelled as Lance swallowed him down.  He lay back on Lance’s bed, exhausted.  Two huge twinkling eyes in a sea of honey coloured skin looked down and Lance laughed at him.  “You gay guys don’t have much staying power”! he said.  His hands moved leisurely but very deliberately and within seconds, Angelo found himself smothered in Lance’s love juice once again.  This couldn’t be happening!  This guy was easily the best sex he’d ever had with anyone!  A total turn-on!  He had a quick shower, apologised that he had to run.  Then he did something really stupid and kissed the guy!  And got kissed back!  He gave Lance a sickly grin and ran out the door. 

*****

They were in the same Pharmacy School stream at university, and next morning, in lectures, a big hand snaked around Angelo’s shoulder and a voice enquired, “Mind if I sit here, mister?”  It was him of course.  Angelo grew immediately hard under the bench as Lance sat down beside him.  “Miss me last night?” whispered Lance, his hand rubbing Angelo’s leg.  Angelo couldn’t talk; he lost all track of the lecture and his dick seemed to have a mind of its own.  He smiled his trademark weak grin at Lance and made a quick pass at the mound in Lance’s jeans.  Why was this guy so interested in him?  And yes, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him all night!  As the lecture finished, Lance got up and somehow, without anyone watching, stuck his index finger in his mouth!  “Now, how about some food to go in there, huh?  And no sausage, that’s for tonight.” 

Angelo nodded, still speechless.  They bought rolls and drank tea in the dining room.  Suddenly Angelo found his voice.  “I think I lost most of that lecture,” he grumbled, “you distracted me ----- again!” 

“Don’t worry, if you get behind, I’ll help you catch up ----- seriously,” Lance laughed.  He told Angelo that he was one of the fortunate students.  Considered a child prodigy no less, all he ever wanted to do was to wear a white coat and be a pharmacist, dispensing medicines and helping make people better.  One of his associated abilities was a photographic memory; and he could speed-read with an amazing level of comprehension. 

“We can study together because we’re on exactly the same stream and both do well as a result.”  Angelo looked at him and Lance grinned back. 

“Don’t worry, I still have to work hard at everything I do.  And I’ve got a family with high expectations of me.”  He explained how his father, a Sudanese man, unable to adjust to Australian life, and an Australian wife, left home when Lance was a baby and hadn’t been seen since.  An only child, his mother and he had been helped considerably by his grandparents.  Money was not a problem.  Consequently, Lance’s education was fully supported and he wanted to give his best in return.  But that was where it stopped.  Angelo listened, fascinated, as Lance told him how he had an independent mind, just like his mother, and how he had picked the best from his grandparents and discarded the remainder!  That he had told his grandparents as much as he loved and respected them, that he would not trade his university education for their views on social issues.  That he had done some counselling through Lifelink for Sudanese kids who were having social, cultural and educational issues as they adjusted to life in Australia.  “There were heaps of gay kids, too,” he said, “so I took them all home to meet Gran and Pa.  Guess what happened?” he smiled happily. “Gran and Pa’s attitudes changed!  I ‘grew’ them as well as the kids!” 

That evening they met in Angelo’s room; this time there was a familiarity with each other’s body; and a closeness that terrified Angelo.  He sat there, glumly, after the act, his head spinning, knowing what was happening to him, but fighting it all the way.  “Listen,” he said to Lance.  “I’m not a very nice kind of guy, you know.  This is just sex,” he proclaimed, “just getting our rocks off.” 

“So tell me why you’re not a nice person,” said Lance. 

“I just have sex with guys,” replied Angelo, “there’s absolutely nothing emotional in it, that’s it.  Love, it’s a bloody joke, people reckon they love ya, it’s bullshit.  I’ve got a girlfriend, and I’ll eventually marry her, produce kids and live happily ever after.  And have sex with blokes on the side.” 

“But isn’t that just using your girlfriend, what if you find out at some stage you want out of the marriage, what happens to her then,?” enquired Lance, with his eyebrows raised. 

“Told you I was a cunt.  I’d just walk away if I had to, wouldn’t worry me.  And yes, I go to the gay clubs and the dance parties, when I can get away from the little woman.  I do an E before I go, then maybe Tina or Gina, depending what’s around.  And then something lovely to pick me up in the mornings so I can either study my tits off here or train in the Eight.  By the way,” continued Angelo, “you wanna do a joint?  Got some real good stuff here.” 

Lance smiled and shook his head.  “Nah baby”, he smiled, carefully neither condemning nor encouraging him. 

A sadness overcame Lance who felt like a spectator at the Coliseum; watching another beautiful young man facing an uncertain future, at best, an ugly old age.  He shuddered at the thought of the number of crystal meth addicts he had pushed into rehab, and a similar number who had topped up their drinks with liquid ‘G’.  He was so young himself yet he had turned the lives of many Sudanese kids around in the past and most of them appeared to now be living normal productive lives.  Now he was allowing himself to be swept into Angelo’s life, because there was no doubt he was already in trouble, even if he didn’t fully realise it.  But this time the stakes were higher; ----- much higher.  For the first time ever, he was head over heels in love with the person he wanted to help.  And he knew if he told Angelo about his feelings he would simply drive him further into the mire of low self-esteem he was creating for himself.  But he knew he had to try, and over the following weeks, he just focussed on becoming Angelo’s friend, and earning his trust.  Oh, there was certainly plenty of sex, and he finally allowed Angelo to penetrate him and demonstrate all the positions. 

After a while, he noticed a change in Angelo; he seemed to soften his attitude towards him and they actually made love a few times, instead of just having sex.  It was always a logistical nightmare, working around their two roomies, but when they did get together, Angelo was more affectionate. 

One Friday night, when Darcy had gone home to the North Coast for the weekend, Angelo arrived early with a big smile and his overnight bag.  What he said next shocked Lance; that he had told Annie, his girlfriend, that he needed some time out this weekend, and that he was spending it with his buddy.  They had pizza and watched some television, and after a shower (together), rolled into Lance’s special bed, created for him because of his enormous height.  But there was extra width also and plenty of room for Angelo.  Angelo awoke the next morning, in his own words, “Surrounded by the most amazing feeling he had ever experienced.”  Because for the first time in his life, he felt safe.  Cuddled up within those massive arms, he felt that nothing could intrude on his moment of happiness before the world went pear-shaped again the next week.  He stirred slightly and Lance, still dozing, cuddled him even tighter!  Finally he needed to pee and he went to the toilet, followed by a sleepy Lance.  Lance made coffee in the room with his old percolator, a gift from Patrick when he cleaned his possessions out from his ex-boyfriend’s pad. 

“Okay, who hurt you baby, tell me,” said Lance, his eyes full of something that Angelo hadn’t seen there before; a mixture of concern, compassion, friendship and love.  The ‘L’ word didn’t frighten him quite as much now, he realised. 

“Don’t know watcha mean,” said Angelo, squirming on his seat with the pressure now firmly upon him. 

“Ange,” said Lance firmly, “do you trust me?”  The response was immediate. 

“Of course I do.”  The words were out of Angelo’s mouth before he knew it.  Lance lay back on the bed, and drew Angelo close to him again, with his arms around him.  “Who broke your heart, darlin’ and left you this way?  Right now, I’m the only person you trust in the world, and even that surprises you, doesn’t it?”  Angelo nodded, unable to speak, feeling very vulnerable.  “So you better start from the beginning,” said Lance patiently. 

“My parents were just cunts, both of them,” Angelo said.  He continued to explain that his dad was Italian, his mum Anglo-Saxon Australian.  His elder sister was always the apple of their eye; she married some real estate salesman/loser and they had two bratty kids. 

“So are you out to your family?” said Lance. 

“No, not really,” responded Angelo, are you?” 

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am,” smiled Lance. 

“But you’re straight,” Angelo said, looking a little in awe. 

“Ange, I told them I’m seeing a guy, that he’s a spunk and we’re very, very fond of each other, would you agree?”  Angelo nodded his head, aware that he was slowly but surely slipping towards what he had promised himself he would never, under any circumstances get involved in again.  A relationship.  Shit!  What was he thinking!  But Lance was his friend, and somehow that friendship had become the central part of his life over the last few months.  And he did trust Lance.  In all ways.  Even with his most private feelings. 

“And then about a year before I came to university, my fucking parents decided to split up,” grouched Angelo, looking morose. 

“So up until then it wasn’t too bad?” asked Lance. 

“Yeah, but the fucking arseholes have made my life a misery ever since.  And my old man, he’s just a typical, ignorant Italian prick.”  

“Wonder what his dad was like?” enquired Lance, almost to himself.

Angelo sprung quickly to his father’s defence.  “Old Grandpa was a real piece of work, that one.  Really conservative, disowned dad when he married a non-Italian, and especially when he left the Catholic faith.” 

“Must have taken a lot of guts to do that in those days,” replied Lance. 

Angelo looked at him, mystified.  He’d never quite thought about it that way, before ----- 

“So there’s more isn’t there?” smiled Lance, trying to encourage him to talk.  And now it seemed no effort for Angelo to unburden himself.  He opened up his most private feelings and fears, how after his parents’ separation, he felt he had to have two sets of feelings and values for each of them.  That neither of them were really interested in him.  ‘OK; classic feelings of rejection,’ thought Lance. 

And how through a succession of sexual partners, he had become so bored because they were only interested in sex, nothing else.  When they blew their load that was it; see ya later and they’d disappear quicker than ice on a barbeque.  And then, in his last year of high school he’d met this stunning bloke at one of the rave parties and had fallen totally in love with him.  Tony.  He was several years older; in his mid-twenties, an experienced lover and he swore everlasting love for Angelo.  Three months later, Angelo was reading the morning newspaper and saw an engagement announcement.  Funny thing was, the guy’s name was the same as Tony’s; Antonio, to be exact.  Which was unusual.  And of course it was him. 

“The lying prick!” screamed Angelo.  “He said he’d hoped I would understand, that he’d spend enough time with me for two or three fucks a week and the remainder of course, he’d have to spend with his wife.  What an arsehole!  So that’s when I hit the hooch, I was in chemical wonderland for about six months, tryin’ to get over him.  I forgot completely about havin’ friends,” he said, looking at Lance.  “I decided I could do the girlfriend/wife straight lifestyle as well, so here we are,” he said, looking expectantly at Lance. 

When Lance spoke, it shocked Angelo, who nearly jumped off the bed in anger.  “I want you to forgive him, Ange,” Lance said seriously. 

“Forgive the cunt!” roared Angelo. “Forgive someone who ruined my fuckin’ life; you’ve got to be joking!” 

“Angelo, I’m going to ask you the same question I asked you earlier; do you trust me?” 

“Yes, I do, I trust you completely.” 

“Then your life hasn’t been ruined, because that means you’ve already begun to recover from that nasty experience,” smiled Lance indulgently.  “But I want you to forgive Tony; that way you can grow yourself as an individual.” 

Angelo began to protest, but Lance held up his hand.  “How do you want the world to see yourself, Angelo?  Do you want to be just another sad, bitter queen who takes the easy way out and hides behind a nice girl’s skirts like Tony has?  You’ve gone into competition with him instead of rising above it all.  Get on the phone and tell him you’re sorry you parted in the way that you did, and that you simply want to continue through life as friends.” 

“I’ll think about it,” said Angelo, looking cornered but thoughtful. 

The following evening, Darcy just wouldn’t go.  He’d told Lance he was going out to play darts and have a few drinks, but he was still hanging around and Angelo was due any minute.  He reached for his phone to ring Angelo, and Darcy’s big hand covered his. 

“Don’t,” he said.  “Little Fur Ball should be here any minute, shouldn’t he?” 

Lance nodded, realising they had been sprung.  His heart filled with dread.  ‘Jesus,’ he thought, ‘this could put Ange back months, and he was going so well, too.’  The key scratched in the lock, and Angelo walked in. 

“Oh sorry Darcy, didn’t realise you were still here, I’ll come back later.” 

“Come in and close the door,” said Darcy, with a huge smile on his face.  “Sit on the bed next to your other half,” he said, motioning towards Lance.  Angelo’s mouth fell open as Lance shook his head and hastened to absolve himself of any responsibility. 

“You know,” said Darcy in a contemplative tone; “you two are the best thing to happen to this place since Adam and Patrick became a couple.” 

“You,” said Darcy, jabbing his finger at Angelo, “were a hopeless junkie, piss-head and cock sucker, and you,” he pointed at Lance, “with an amazing IQ and all your potential, had become the most useless waste of space ever created.   And look at you both now, after a coupla’ months of bein’ together!  You’ve both re-joined the human race!  You’re fuckin’ magnificent together and it shows!  Everyone has noticed.  Bloody women are walkin’ around cryin’ and blokes, too, wantin’ to get back into your pants!  And there you two are, completely monogamous, completely mended, completely fantastic!  So two of us decided that if we didn’t do something, whatever it is that you two have created will just go down the gurgler and be lost; just another university affair and that would be a shame.” 

Just then, there was a knock on the door.  Darcy grinned, “Ah, there’s me partner in crime.”  And it was Jacob, Angelo’s room-mate, carrying a very familiar overnight bag. 

“Now Ange baby, there are fresh jocks, socks, a nice clean shirt, a hanky, another set of jeans and your denim coat.”  Angelo’s mouth looked like it would never close again, and big Lance couldn’t wipe the grin from his face.  Darcy, the mad extrovert was actually a softie; almost approaching a romantic!!  And Jacob, the intellectual, was very much a caring individual also! 

Darcy held up his hand for silence again and continued.  “Guys, you’ve just got to live together to see if it works.  Give yourselves a chance.  Jake and I reckon you two have what it takes, but you’ll never know unless you have a go!  We think two weeks to see if you’re compatible.  Jake’s got enough clothes for you tonight, Ange, and I’ve got mine here,” he said, holding up his own little bag.  “Tomorrow we can change over most of our heavy gear, but in two weeks we can finish it off.  OK?” 

“You guys did this just for us, I can’t believe it,” said Angelo, looking a little emotional. 

“You’re only getting back what you’re now putting in, Angelo,” said Jacob.  “You both look healthier, your grades are better, you’re twice the oarsmen you were and people around you are starting to notice.  I just hope Darcy doesn’t bloody snore!”