Author's Note: This story forms part of the Kingswood Saga. While it can be read (and hopefully enjoyed) on its own, to get the full context of everything, please see the main series, 'Tales from Kingswood' which can be found here http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/tales-from-kingswood/ This series takes place between chapters 13 and 14.
If you like my writing and want to support my erotic endeavours, please consider supporting me on patreon, at https://www.patreon.com/matterotica
Nifty has been one of my favourite sites for many years and has been home to most of my writing. If you appreciate it as much as I do, please consider donating to its upkeep at https://www.nifty.org/nifty/support.html
Half-Term at Kingswood ----------------------
Day 4 -----
Tuesday 22 October 2019
It had been another fairly early, and loud, start to the day. In one of their rare moments of collaboration, Eric and Benji, who had awoken early, decided it was time to get revenge on Casey for the early wake-up call he had given the dorm on their first morning. Having crept across the dorm to Casey's bunk, they both jumped up to grab him on the top bunk while shouting at the top of their voices to shock him awake.
Casey awoke with a scream, sitting bolt upright, followed by Bran on the next bunk over who also let out a surprised yelp. While Eric and Benji were already in hysterics about scaring the eldest two in their dorm, it was what happened below Bran that really made them howl. The sudden noises had made Kyle jump, which in turn meant he had launched Chris out of his bunk, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
While not overly pleased with the prank, most of the boys were simply pleased to see Eric and Benji on the same side for a while. Bran, who was one of the few who had known the boys prior to their coupling and subsequent break-up, explained to the others that the two boys were notorious pranksters when they put their heads together.
Cautious of saying anything to tip the two teens back to their usual levels of disdain for each other, the boys headed to breakfast, which Gabe happily served up. As he worked, the more excitable boys eagerly chatted away to the young kitchen worker about the day they had planned. While a haircut, lunch and a movie may not have been world-shatteringly exciting, it was a break from Kingswood and they couldn't wait.
With breakfast out of the way, Owen led the boys out to the school's minibus. Casey and Bran immediately took the back row of seats, happily sitting in a way that made it clear nobody else would be filling the third seat. Chris and Kyle had taken the double-seat right behind Owen. That left the middle row, consisting of a double seat on one side with a slight gap before a single seat. Had it been anyone other than Dusty, they would have taken the single seat to force Eric and Benji to sit awkwardly together on the double, but being ever the peacekeeper, Dusty happily joined Benji, acting as a buffer between the two exes.
Although some of the previous day's tension lingered, the subject of hairstyles had united the boys in conversation. Having been at the school since late August, they were all looking fairly shaggy, but the prospect of a cut brought the conundrum of following the latest trends around the school and blending in or risking something different and standing out for either very good or very bad reasons.
"Whadda you think?" Chris asked, running his fingers through his mop of chocolate—brown hair.
"I think you'll look cute no matter what you choose!" Kyle said, smiling sweetly.
"Kyle!" Chris hissed, his eyes flicking to the teacher sat right in front of them.
"Don't worry, I didn't hear him call you cute," Owen said, without averting his gaze from the road ahead.
"That's a relief!" Chris said, then frowned and added, "Hey!" Both Kyle and Owen burst into laughter. "You guys suck," he pouted playfully. As the laughter went on, he rolled his eyes and waited, then ran his fingers through his hair again. "You know, I was thinking I could let it grow and..."
"No!" Owen said sternly.
Chris was a little taken aback by the abrupt refusal. "Well I don't HAVE to get it cut, I could..."
"No!" Owen repeated.
"But you don't..."
"No!"
"I could..."
"No!"
Kyle was in absolute hysterics watching Chris' ideas get shot down before he could even voice them.
Meanwhile, behind them the others were continuing discussing their own plans. "That doesn't surprise me!" Benji said, having heard Dusty's plan to have just a trim back into the same style he already had. "You strike me as the kinda guy who'll have the same hairstyle 'til he retires!"
As the boys behind them laughed, Dusty looked confused. "I don't get why that's a bad thing!"
"You see, some people actually like change!" Bran said, reaching forward and slapping Dusty on the back playfully.
"Yeah, freaks!" Dusty replied with a snigger.
"Hey, freak and proud!" Benji said happily.
"What about you, lil man?" Casey asked, leaning forward to casually drape an arm around Eric's shoulder. "What you going with?"
"Dunno, maybe just a trim too," Eric said, non-committally.
"You should go short," Benji replied, casually fiddling with his glasses as he wiped the lenses on his t-shirt. "High fade, maybe with a hard side part. I always thought you looked cute with shorter hair!"
"Yeah well what YOU think is cute doesn't really bother me now, does it?" Eric said back sharply.
"Fine. Be ugly!" Benji snapped back, putting his glasses back on and folding his arms moodily.
"No, I wouldn't wanna look like you!" Eric sniped.
"Couldn't, even on your best day!" Benji replied pointedly.
"Maybe I'll get a buzz cut!" Dusty suddenly called out. "I could pull that off, right?"
The comment dropped the minibus into silence for a moment, followed by laughter all round. Dusty blushed a little being the centre of the joke, but at least it had cut off the argument. He knew it had been appreciated when he felt Bran's hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
The group didn't so much walk into McDonalds, it was more like a swagger. With their morning haircuts complete, the boys were feeling confident.
Having made a list of what was wanted for lunch, Eric had gone with Owen to place the order while the others grabbed a couple of tables. They found two together and jumped into the seats without really giving a great deal of thought to it. Chris and Kyle, who suddenly seemed more inseparable than they had been before inevitably took seats side-by-side on one table, joined by Casey and Dusty. That left Bran and Benji sat at the other table, casually chatting about nothing in particular.
When Eric and Owen rejoined the group, everyone noticed right away the mistake in putting the two squabbling boys at the same table. However, it seemed like it would be okay, having Bran and Owen there to keep the peace.
Owen looked at the table before he sat. He had managed to effectively avoid Bran ever since their tryst, not wanting to create any visible awkwardness in front of the others. More than that, he had figured Bran might simply not want to be reminded of their night together. After all, Owen was finding it hard to forget about, so he could only imagine how the slightly-obsessed boy was feeling. He sat down beside Benji anyway, figuring a request to swap seats with someone would draw more attention.
"So how's football going?" Owen asked Eric across the table, eager to start conversation that would cover up his own awkwardness.
Eric shrugged and replied, "Quit the team!" He shot a brief glare at Benji.
"And the team's never been more successful!" Benji replied with a slight smirk.
Eric wanted to say something mean back, but what he was thinking would almost certainly have got him into trouble with Owen, so he just glared furiously.
Owen didn't know the full ins and outs of the two boys' relationship. He had been vaguely aware of them being together and the atmosphere between them had been frosty all week so far, so he suspected there was some bad blood. With Bran remaining silent and looking in any direction except at Owen, he knew he had to think of something.
"So, quadratic equations. You guys enjoying them?" he asked hopefully.
On the next table over, the four boys had maintained the pretense of conversation while eavesdropping on the the awkwardness they had accidentally inflicted on the others. It was with a fair bit of disappointment that they heard regular conversation catch on after a while so they stopped listening in, just as their food arrived.
"You know it's a shame the school's empty!" Chris said, shoving a McNugget in his mouth and immediately grabbing another one. "Apparently these things can get you all sorts of stuff back at school."
"Seriously?" Dusty asked, confused.
Chris nodded as he shoved the next one in and started talking but nearly choked. After swallowing, he explained, "Yeah seriously. Mikey from my dorm brought back a box of them after we came here for my birthday. The stuff he traded them for was crazy. I mean, I'd have been trading them in for sex stuff..."
"Cos you're a big old ho!" Kyle added playfully.
Chris shrugged and smiled, "But yeah, you come here during term time, word of advice, buy McNuggets!"
"Kingswood's not like other schools, is it!" Dusty said, shaking his head.
The others laughed as Casey asked, "Are you only just figuring that out now?" getting even more laughter from the two younger boys opposite.
"You ever dated anyone at the school?" Chris asked the two older boys, blushing a little. It was obvious to Kyle why he was asking and it felt a bit awkward, but it was on his mind and kind of popped out.
"Well I've got a boyfriend!" Dusty said casually, drenching a couple of fries in ketchup.
"You kept that quiet!" Casey said, giving the boy beside him a playful nudge.
Dusty shrugged. "Nobody asked," he said before sticking the fries in his mouth.
"Fair point," Kyle said with a nod. "But come on, who is it?"
Dusty swallowed and shrugged again. "It's no big secret or anything, and we're certainly not as dramatic as SOME people," he explained, nodding back towards the table with Eric and Benji, getting a snigger from the others. "It's Zach, from my dorm. We got together at the start of term!"
"And... what's it like?" Chris asked eagerly.
Dusty smiled sweetly as he thought about Zach. "We get to see each other every day, spend loads of time together and... ya know, it's Kingswood, so nobody cares that it's two boys!"
"Aren't you worried you'll end up like Mr and Mrs Squabbles over there?" Kyle asked, glancing over at Eric.
Dusty shrugged once more. "We might. Or we might stay together. Or we might break up and go back to being friends. Worrying about it won't change anything!"
Casey chuckled. "You're pretty wise for a kid, ya know!" sounding entirely sincere.
"Thank my mentor, he's amazing!" Dusty said modestly, never too keen to take a compliment.
"So how about you, big guy?" Chris asked the sixteen-year-old in front of him.
Casey sighed, harder than he intended to, as his mind went straight to Gabe. He shook his head though. "Nah, never dated." As the other boys looked at him in surprise he added, "I like to play the field! No point tying myself down to one guy and letting all this go to waste!" He waved a hand up and down, gesturing to himself with a grin.
As Kyle and Dusty both laughed and agreed, Chris just stared, eyes narrowing a little. "You're lying!" he said accusingly.
"What? Piss off!" Casey said dismissively.
"No, you are, I can tell!" Chris insisted.
Dusty and Kyle were now watching the other two curiously.
Casey squirmed a little, but looked staunch. "Don't know what you mean!"
"When you lie, you look off to the side!" Chris said, knowingly.
Casey sighed. It was definitely not the first time he had been picked up on having such an obvious tell, but it was a little annoying to have had the younger boy pick up on it so easily. "Fine, okay, but you're gonna think I'm really... I dunno, pessimistic or something!"
"I promise I won't!" Chris said honestly, then grinned and added, "But mainly cos I don't know what it means!"
"Fine, you'll think I'm a miserable git then!" Casey simplified it for the younger boy. When the other three just looked on, waiting he explained, "I think dating at Kingswood is a bad idea and I think dating at your age is an even worse one and I think all relationships at the school are doomed to fail!"
Dusty, Kyle and Chris exchanged slightly bemused looks. "Gee, why would we ever think that's pessimistic?" Dusty asked sarcastically.
Casey shrugged, shaking his head. This was why he hated talking about his views, it made him sound miserable at best and outright insane at worst. "Look, simple version, you either stay together while you're at Kingswood and have to break up when one of you leaves, or you both leave and go to different Universities, or you break up and you're stuck living with an ex and always miserable like those two!" he explained, gesturing to Eric and Benji.
"Wait, so you've really never dated anyone?" Dusty asked, shocked.
Casey shook his head. "When I leave Kingswood, I want it to be a happy thing. I don't want it to be a break-up! I'm not saying I don't have fun. I've been with plenty of guys, but... that's as far as I want it to go."
"Wow, I hadn't thought of it like that!" Dusty said, looking increasingly downhearted.
"Nobody ever does. They just get caught up in how wonderful the 'now' is and don't think about how awful then 'then' will be!" Casey explained. "It's the sensible way to look at it!"
"I guess it is," Dusty replied quietly. He had looked so happy, so alive when he spoke about Zach. The twinkle in his eye had faded as he took in Casey's thoughts.
Chris' face screwed up unhappily. "Yeah, well it's the wrong way to look at it!" he insisted. As Casey raised an eyebrow, Dusty looked at him hopefully. "Let's say you break up with Zach when you leave the school, that's what... nearly six years from now! That just means you get to leave with the happy memory of being with a guy you love for six years. Just cos something ends doesn't mean it wasn't good!"
Dusty smiled. "Yeah, I like that. Thanks!"
"And you," Chris said, looking to Casey. "I'm not telling you how to live your life, but ,aybe you need to re-think that! Who knows what you might be missing out on! The perfect guy could be right in front of you!" Chris felt a hand on his leg and shot Kyle a shy grin for just a moment.
"Ugh, kids!" Casey said patronisingly. "Enjoy what you've got, I'll happily skip it," he said, his eyes darting off to the side momentarily as his mind wandered back to Gabe.
It was quite a relief when the group headed out to go to the cinema, finally allowing Eric and Benji to separate as well as Owen and Bran. They were a little early, even with the time taken for the boys to decide what snacks to order and load themselves up with them.
Eric had been at the front of the queue, already knowing what he wanted before they got there. Eric had insisted he was just prepared, Benji had called him predictable and a whole new argument had broken out briefly over it. With a bag of popcorn in one hand and a giant coke in the other, he stood waiting patiently for the others.
As he glanced around the foyer, which was as busy as you would expect it to be at half-term, his eyes fell on another group of boys. They looked to be mostly around his age, maybe a little older. One in particular caught his eye, a devilishly handsome teen with a charming smile, piercing blue eyes and a perfectly styled blonde top-knot. He found himself staring a little, but it didn't take long until the eager looks were noticed.
Eric had looked away immediately. While he was confident around guys at Kingswood, that was an environment where he knew it was safe to be attracted to other boys. Out in the 'real' world, regardless of how progressive things were becoming, a look at the wrong guy or the wrong group was still an invitation for trouble and as sexy as the other guy was, he had 'wrong' written all over him.
As much as he tried to resist, Eric's eyes kept wandering back over. Telling himself to stop was actually making him do it more, only to look away again as soon as he saw the other boy even move. One more time he looked over and this time found the other boy staring straight back at him. Immediately he turned his head, pretending to be looking up at a screen showing a movie trailer, but as he turned his head back the other way, trying unsuccessfully to look casual, he was still looking.
Eric offered a nervous smile, he got a smile back. Even that was beyond anything he would normally have dared, but Benji's insult had got to him. Was he predictable? Maybe this was a chance to prove otherwise. "Fuck it!" he muttered to himself and slowly headed over towards the other group.
The other boy noticed Eric's subtle approach and broke away from the group, heading straight for him. "Hey," he said casually.
"Erm... hi," Eric said shyly, already blushing.
"Saw you looking," the other boy said. "Name's Blaze!"
"Eric," was all Eric could reply at first before a thought of Benji's teasing spurred him on. "And I saw you looking back!" he added, grinning.
"Not many cute guys round here, so ya kinda stood out!" Blaze said casually.
"There's definitely at least one cute guy!" Eric flirted back.
There was a shout from the group, making Blaze turn back for a moment before looking back to Eric. "Hey, erm... toilets near screen two, in twenty minutes. End cubicle. Knock twice then twice again. 'Kay?"
Eric's eyes widened. He had just intended to chat, maybe flirt a little, with the handsome boy, but actually hooking up? Could he really do that? He giggled awkwardly and nodded.
"Great, see you in twenty, Eric!" Blaze said, then shot him a quick wink before rejoining his friends.
Grinning, Eric turned to return to the group. While a few of them were still at the counter, Benji had finished and was looking straight at him. Had he seen the whole thing? Eric actually hoped he had. 'Who's predictable now?' he thought smugly as he sauntered back over.
It was ten minutes before they were let in to their screen and just short of ten minutes after that the adverts began to play. Eric had been obsessively watching the clock ever since he got the invite from Blaze, flipping back and forth in his head over whether he should even go. Once time was up, he had landed on the bolder side and stood up. "Need to pee," he said as Owen looked at him questioningly.
He made his way along the row, with the others pulling their feet out of his way before scurrying off down the steps and disappearing out of the screen.
Twenty minutes later, with the adverts finished and the trailers almost over, Owen was beginning to look a little worried. He was just on the verge of getting up to go look for the missing boy when Benji stood up.
"It's okay, Sir. I need the loo anyway. I'll find him while I'm out there!" Benji offered, already making his way out before the teacher could object about another boy disappearing on him.
Out in the corridor, there was no sign of anybody. Most of the screens now had movies playing so the people who had been milling about had all disappeared inside. He headed into the toilets, but they were deserted, all of the cubicles empty and nobody else around. As much as he disliked Eric most the time, Benji was beginning to feel increasingly worried about him.
Leaving the toilets, he looked round for where else he may have gone, wandering further down the corridor. There was another block of toilets, so he figured he may as well check them out too. He went in but again found the room empty and silent. He nearly headed straight back out, but quickly went to check the cubicles, just to be sure. Finding one of them locked, he tentatively called out, "Eric?"
He heard a sniffle from inside, but no other response.
"Eric, are you in there?" Benji asked again.
"Ben?" Eric's voice called back weakly, sniffing.
"Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?" Benji asked nervously.
"I..." he started, but stopped. "Get Casey. Or Bran!" Eric requested shakily.
"Sorry mate, it's me or nobody. Open the door!" Benji instructed, pushing on it gently to make sure it wasn't already unlocked.
"No! Get someone else!" Eric said, sounding a little more determined.
"Eric, just open the fucking door!" Benji snapped, more out of worry than annoyance. The lock clicked and the door opened a little, so Benji pushed it open all the way. As he looked inside, he found Eric standing there, completely naked, hands covering his modesty.
Feeling Benji's eyes on him, Eric burst into tears.
"What happened?" Benji asked as he dashed forwards, pushed the door closed behind him and held his former lover tightly. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm okay," Eric said through his tears, gripping onto the other teen. "There was... a guy... he... he took my clothes and just.... just left me here! I didn't know what to do!"
Benji held the naked boy for a minute, comforting him, then pulled away. "I need to go back before Mr Beecham comes looking for us!"
"You're leaving me?" Eric asked, looking terrified.
Benji shook his head and placed a hand on Eric's cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb. "I'll make an excuse and then I'll come back and get you out of this, I promise!"
Benji rushed out, hearing the cubicle lock again behind him, then headed back to the screen where the others were waiting.
Owen stood as he saw Benji walk in alone and rushed down to speak to him away from the other movie-goers. "You didn't find him?" he asked quietly, panicking.
"No, it's okay, I did!" Benji said reassuringly. "He's... being sick."
"Where is he?" Owen demanded.
"In the toilets," Benji said, glad to be able to be honest.
Owen glanced up at the others, then back to Benji. "We should go!" he said reluctantly.
"No, the movie's only just starting. He wouldn't wanna ruin it for everyone," Benji insisted. "And besides, you get between Dustin and a movie and he'll scratch your eyes out!"
Owen chuckled and nodded.
"Look, I can go and look after him. I've been round him before when he's sick, it's fine. And he probably won't want to come back in, so I can take him back to the minibus and we can wait for you there!" Benji offered. He could see Owen was reluctant, so he added, "I'll message when we go, I'll message when we get back to the minibus, you'll know where we are at all times. I promise!"
Owen sighed again but nodded. "Okay, but message me if you need ANYTHING!"
"Just the keys, and our coats!" Benji said, knowing the coats would be useful in smuggling Eric out of the cinema with some dignity intact.
Owen went up and retrieved the keys to the minibus along with the two boys' coats, then took them back down.
Benji hurried back, not wanting to leave Eric on his own for too long in such a vulnerable state. Once he got back, he tapped lightly on the cubicle door and was let in again.
Eric had stopped crying, but still looked understandably upset. "Thanks," he said awkwardly as he took his coat and put it on, zipping it right up to cover himself as much as possible. He was still naked from the waist down though.
"Here, take these," Benji said, yanking down his sweatpants and underwear, offering the boxer shorts to the other boy.
"Looks like I'm finally getting back into your pants!" Eric said, smiling weakly.
Benji chuckled, knowing that if Eric was joking, he was definitely feeling better. Once Eric had put on the underwear, Benji wrapped his own coat round the other boy's waits and tied it with the sleeves. He ended up mostly covered, except for the back, so they just agreed for Benji to walk closely behind him as they left.
As they headed out of the cinema, Benji sent a message to Owen as promised and within a few minutes they were out to the car park and Eric was safely inside the minibus, with nobody any the wiser of his predicament.
Once they had settled in, Eric sitting sideways on the back row and Benji in the same position on the row in front of him, an awkward silence crept in. It was Eric who finally broke it, offering a quiet, "Thanks... for... for helping me!"
"No problem," Benji replied with a dismissive shrug.
"You could've really used that to embarrass me!" Eric said, mostly just an observation, but sounding quite accusatory.
"You really think I'd do that?" Benji asked. He paused for a moment and grinned. "Actually, yeah, that's totally something I'd do, just.... not to you!"
Eric laughed but quickly went quiet again.
"So what happened? Was it... that guy you were talking to?" Benji asked, frowning a little.
"Oh, did you... see that?" Eric asked, trying to play innocent.
"You know I did!" Benji snapped. "You may as well have come and rubbed him in my face!"
"Sorry," Eric replied, looking down. "But... yeah, it was him." he said, stopping to take a few deep breaths. "We... well we started doing stuff, but then he... he said he wanted to see me naked, so I... got naked but then... as soon as I was, he shoved me over, called me a faggot, took my clothes and ran!"
Benji reached out to the side and placed a comforting hand on the other boy's shoulder. "That really sucks. Do you... want to report it, like, to the police or anything?"
"What, file a police report cos someone was mean to me?" Eric asked, scowling.
"Well he stole from you and I think what he did counts as a hate crime. You should report it!" Benji insisted.
"No!" Eric snapped. "I don't... want anyone else to know about it, ever. You understand?"
Benji wanted to argue back, not just because it was his default reaction, but because he felt it needed to be reported. It was Eric's problem though and his decision. Now really wasn't the time to argue, so he just nodded. A few moments later he asked, "Why did you even go? You're meant to be the smart one!"
"You mean the predictable one!" Eric said back pointedly.
Benji looked like he'd been stabbed in the chest. "This was... because of me. You went through this... because of something... I said?"
"No," Eric insisted. "This isn't on you. It was a stupid decision, but it was me that made it!" The silence between them crept back in once again, filling a few minutes of awkwardness before Eric sighed and said, "You're missing the movie. You coulda gone back you know!"
Benji shrugged. "Someone had to make sure you didn't do anything else stupid!"
Eric almost snapped an insult back, but part of him still felt indebted to the other boy for his help, so he held back, welcoming the silence back once more. "This wouldn't have even happened if you..." Eric started, but stopped, doubting himself.
"If I what?" Benji asked, wondering what insult was coming his way now.
Eric rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Forget it, you'll just laugh!"
"If I didn't laugh seeing you standing there all naked and pathetic like a total loser, why would I laugh at this?" Benji asked. Seeing Eric's hurt expression he huffed and added, "I'm sorry, that was... that was mean. I didn't mean it. But come on, tell me!"
"Fine!" Eric conceded. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd just noticed my hair!" he said pointing to his head. "I got the exact style you said would look cute on me and you didn't even mention it."
"So you hooked up with a stranger to get my attention because I didn't compliment your hair?" Benji asked, amazed.
"Well when you say it like that, of course I sound crazy!" Eric said defensively, then took a moment to think and said, "Okay, I admit it, it was like six types of crazy. Happy now?"
"Yes!" Benji said with a smirk. "Oh, and by the way... I did notice it and I was right... it does make you look cute!"
Both boys blushed as silence filled the minibus once again.
"Well that was... okay I suppose," Casey said as the group headed out into the corridor outside the screen. Kyle had run off to the toilet as soon as the credits started rolling, so now they were waiting for him to rejoin them.
"I thought it was fun!" Owen said casually.
"Oh, so it was just fun?" Bran asked sharply. "I guess now that you've seen it, you never need to see it again, right?"
Owen immediately caught on to Bran's not-so-subtle double meaning. "Well I think I was clear from the start that we were only... seeing one movie!"
"Some people see a movie once and realise they like it and want to see more movies!" Bran said, avoiding looking at the teacher directly as the others looked completely lost.
Owen frowned, trying not to make his frustration show to the others too much. "Well some movies have age limits, so some people can't see them!"
"Well I don't think that really matters if it's a film you really want to see!" Bran argued. "But I guess some people care more about the rules than the movies. Some people might only be willing to break the rules to try a movie out, but then decide to... to toss it aside once they've watched it because they don't give a fuck about the movie really!"
"Bran, come on!" Owen urged the teen, seeing he was getting upset, much to the confusion of Casey, Chris and Dusty. He reached out and placed a hand on Bran's shoulder.
"Fuck off!" Bran said, pulling away. Staring at the teacher for a few moments, the others watching in anticipation of whatever punishment was about to happen for his language and behaviour, Bran turned and marched for the door.
"BRAN!" Owen shouted, going to run after him, but holding back as he realised he needed to stay with the group.
"It's okay," Casey reassured him. "I'll make sure we all get back to the minibus. You go catch him!"
Owen sighed. He already had two of his students off on their own unsupervised, but he trusted Casey to look after the younger boys. "Okay, go back, wait there and don't move. Got it?"
"Got it!" Casey said, gesturing for the man to go.
Owen ran towards the door and got out into the main foyer just in time to see Bran disappear outside. "Fuck's sake," he muttered as he ran, almost knocking a small child over on the way. Once he got outside, he once again caught a glimpse of the upset teen rounding the corner. While Bran was moving fairly quickly, Owen ran towards him at full speed and was round the corner soon enough to get him back within earshot. "Bran, stop!"
"No, I told you, fuck off!" the petulant teen shouted back. Had he wanted to, he could have run properly and there was a chance Owen wouldn't have caught him, but the quick walk he was maintaining made it clear he didn't really want to get away.
Owen caught up to him and grabbed his shoulder. "Bran, I told you to stop!"
The two came to a halt, face-to-face, both breathing heavily.
"What?" Bran snapped.
"We have to talk!" Owen insisted.
"Oh now you wanna talk! Are you sure you don't want to just keep on ignoring me?" Bran asked accusingly.
"I wasn't ignoring you," Owen said, silently justifying in his mind that there was a clear difference between avoiding and ignoring. The look of absolute disgust on Bran's face made it clear he didn't agree with the difference. "Okay... okay I was a bit, but... so were you!" It was weak argument and as soon as it passed his lips he actually wished he'd just stuck with the lie.
"Of course I was!" Bran said furiously. "What else could I do?"
Owen looked round. There was a low wall running nearby, so he gestured to it and went over to sit down. "Please!" he said softly when he saw Bran standing stoic. "I don't want a shouting match, we can talk about this!"
Bran looked back at the man. He wanted to be angry, he should be, he had every right to be, but the sorrow and regret on Owen's face felt like a perfect reflection of his own. He sighed and tried to hold on to the fury he had felt moments earlier as he approached, but by the time he sat down next to Owen it was all but faded.
"Okay, Bran, I'm gonna... I'm gonna be honest with you here, completely honest. Sunday night shouldn't have happened," Owen started. As Bran went to respond, he held up a hand to quiet him and said, "Please, let me finish." Bran nodded so he went on. "It shouldn't have happened, but it did. Now I think we can both agree you... instigated it..."
Bran smirked momentarily, but forced himself to return to a straight face.
Owen had to suppress a grin himself as he saw the boy's reaction. "I still could have stopped it, but I didn't. Now we said a one-time only thing, or... I did, I forget, but that was still just me trying to justify doing something I knew was wrong."
"But it wasn't wrong!" Bran insisted. "I know I have, like, zero experience to compare it to, but I thought it was incredible and there's no way you can tell me you didn't enjoy it too!"
Owen took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Honesty is what he had promised, so he nodded. "I did and... I agree, it was... unforgettable. But after we were done, in the morning, the way you just kinda... skipped out, I thought you were okay. I thought, maybe, you'd finally got me and once was enough. You didn't seem bothered!"
"I was!" Bran said, staring down at his hands. "Bothered, I mean. D'you know what I did after I left your room?" He glanced round at the teacher.
Owen shook his head and shrugged. He already had a feeling he wasn't going to like this.
"I went and I had a shower and I cried," Bran explained. "I mean I properly cried, in a way I haven't done since I was a little kid, for, like, an hour!" He looked on the verge of tears again. "It just... I dunno... have you ever wanted something for so long you can't imagine ever not wanting it? And then when you get it, it's beyond what you ever hoped for? Now imagine that, but having it taken away before you've even had the chance to really enjoy it!"
Silence hung heavily between them for several seconds as Owen sat there, trying to get the image of Bran crying out of his head. He had done that. Maybe not intentionally, but his actions had left the boy in that state and it was the worst feeling he had ever felt in his life. "In the morning," he started, only just maintaining his composure, "Before you woke up, I just watched you sleep for a little while and it gave me time to think. And you know what the main thing was that I thought?" he asked.
Bran shook his head gently, his expression softened just a little.
"I didn't want you to leave. I didn't know what was going to happen when you woke up, because I... I just... couldn't even imagine asking you to leave," Owen explained.
Bran smiled at the revelation, but frowned a little as he asked, "So if I didn't want to go, and you didn't want me to go... what does that mean?" He looked at the man beside him with big, sad eyes.
"It means..." Owen started, nodding gently, "That we probably need to talk some more, and here probably isn't the best place for it!"
"Yeah, I guess," Bran agreed, looking around. The area was quiet, but there was a chance of people coming along at any moment. He stood as he said, "We should probably find the others!"
"Bran, wait," Owen said, gently grabbing the boy's wrist as he also stood. "I just wanted to say... sorry, for... how I handled all of this and for making you..."
"Cry like a little girl?" Bran offered, clearly able to laugh at himself as he chuckled.
Owen just nodded.
"That's okay," Bran said back, smiling sweetly. "Just don't do it again, 'kay?"
"I promise!" Owen said, smiling. "Now let's go find the others before I lose anyone else! But I promise, we'll talk later!"
"I hope Bran's okay," Kyle said, frowning a little as the small group made their way across the car park.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Casey reassured him.
"But what if he's not? What if he... I dunno, ran out into the street and got hit by a car or... or got snatched by someone!" Kyle whittled.
Casey chuckled. "Mate, he's not a lost puppy. He'll be fine!" He looked to Chris and added, "Right little worrier, isn't he!"
"Yeah," Chris said, grinning. He threw an arm round the other boy and added, "But I think it's cute!"
"Oh my God!" Dusty suddenly exclaimed in horror, pointing to the minibus as they approached. "I think they're killing each other!"
"What the..." Casey said, looking in alarm, but immediately grinned and grabbed Dusty who looked ready to dash towards the vehicle. "Yeaaaaah.... they're not fighting!"
"Then what are they..." Dusty began to question, then realised. "Oh!"
"I guess they made up then!" Chris said with a snigger.
"I guess so, but now we have a problem," Casey said seriously as they all edged to the side. The two boys in the vehicle appeared much too busy to notice them, but he still wanted to play it safe. "Do we give them privacy, or do we go and mess with them?"
"Mess with them!" Chris said instantly.
"Yeah, totally that!" Kyle agreed, sniggering.
"Oh yeah, let's give it to 'em!" Dusty said, nodding. The other three looked at the eternally obedient and ever-peacekeeping boy in shock. Seeing their expression, he shrugged and said, "I'm nice, but I'm not a frickin' saint."
"No, I guess you're not," Casey said, pleasantly surprised. "So, here's the plan!"
Benji grinned as he pulled his own boxers off of Eric. They were both hard already and with only the underwear to cover it, Eric's arousal was the most obvious.
"I've missed that!" Benji said, biting his lip as he tentatively reached down and caressed Eric's cock.
"I dunno, you seemed quite happy making do with Bran's at the weekend!" Eric said, attempting levity but just coming off bitchy. As he got a scowl back he realised and quickly added, "Sorry, just... trying to be funny!"
"No no no," Benji said, shaking his head as he placed a finger to Eric's lips. "You're the clever one, I'm the funny one, remember!"
Eric grinned and nodded, then added, "Okay, but could you also be the naked one?"
"After you!" Benji said, quickly unzipping Eric's coat, exposing the rest of his body. He let out a gentle, contented sigh as he looked down at the boy laying on the seat, his chest pale and smooth, nipples pert and tempting. He placed a hand on Eric's stomach and twirled his finger through the trail of soft, dark hair running down from his navel. "You got furry, it's so fucking cute!" he said dreamily. He quickly pulled off his own coat, then removed his t-shirt, tossing it aside.
It was Eric's turn to sigh happily at the sight of the other boy's body. He reached up and placed a hand on his cheek, then let the back of his fingers slide down Benji's neck and onto his chest. "Is it weird that I remember every one of these freckles?" he asked, blushing a little.
Benji giggled and shook his head. "You can't know all of them!" he exclaimed, then pointed to one next to his left nipple. "That's Dave. He's new!"
"Well hello Dave!" Eric said, smiling but almost in tears as he realised just how much he had missed Benji's stupid humour. He sat up and kissed the freckle Benji had pointed at, then let his lips slide slightly to the side and take the other boy's nipple in his mouth.
"Unnnh, yussss!" Benji hissed happily as he felt his ex-ex-lover's tongue teasing gently.
"Ben," Eric said softly, releasing the nipple and resting his forehead against the other boy's chest. "Should we talk about.... ya know... what happened..."
"We could," Benji said raising his hands to grasp Eric's face gently and tilt it upwards, "Or we could never mention it again and put our mouths to MUCH better use!"
Eric smiled, shaking slightly and a little teary, then nodded as he reached up and removed Benji's glasses. His eyes closed as Benji leaned down to kiss him. Their lips met, just for a moment before they pulled away and looked each other in the eye.
"I love you," Benji whispered.
"I love you too," Eric whispered back, the two holding each other gently. "Now fuck me senseless!" Eric demanded excitedly.
"With pleasure!" Benji said happily as he pulled away a little, grinning.
Suddenly, there was a loud shout from all around them and the minibus shook. Both boys virtually hit the ceiling as they jumped. Looking round in a panic they saw Casey, Chris, Kyle and Dusty surrounding the vehicle, all in absolute hysterics.
The drive home was serene, so much of the tension that had chilled the atmosphere that morning melted away into nothing. Bran had sat up front, ignoring both the complaints from the younger boys for not getting the opportunity and the knowing smirk from Casey, the only other person who had any idea about what was going on between Bran and Owen.
Chris and Kyle remained inseparable as ever, cuddling together right behind Owen while on the back row, Eric and Benji could barely keep their hands off of each other. Whether from a sensitivity to the difficult situation, or simply a fear of ruining the mood, none of the other boys even mentioned Eric's lack of his own clothing. Casey had even discretely given his own coat to the younger boy to help cover up better.
Gabe provided dinner for the group as usual on their return and much to Eric and Benji's annoyance, Dusty had spent the entire meal giving them a scene-by-scene re-telling of the movie they had missed out on.
After dinner, the group had considered doing something else together, but it soon became quite clear that most of them needed some time alone, or in most cases... almost alone! Chris and Kyle's plans had been innocently-intentioned, wanting to get some fresh air and going for a walk round the school grounds, though they had got as far as the ornamental gardens before stopping to make out and never really getting and further.
Eric and Benji had made no secret of their own intentions to go and have, as Benji had put it, 'so much make-up sex that Eric will be walking weird for a month'. Eric had been somewhat mortified at the declaration, but made no attempt to disagree with it. Dusty's plans were less overt, but still quite apparent to the others when he claimed to want some 'alone time' in his own dorm – he was clearly going for a wank!
Casey and Bran had announced they were going for a game of pool, much to Bran's disappointment. It was only when the younger boys had disappeared off that Casey explained, "Nah, I was just giving you cover. Figured you and Owen might want a bit of alone time too!"
Bran had thanked the older boy before rushing off to Owen's room. When he got there, he thought back to just two nights earlier, when he had stood in that exact spot, naked, psyching himself up to go in. After everything that had happened, he thought it best not to try a repeat performance and just knocked quietly.
"Hi," Owen said, smiling sincerely as he saw Bran standing there.
"I thought... now might be a good time to talk," Bran said softly.
They just stared at each other for several seconds before Owen saw the boy's lip quiver. He was on him instantly, arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly as Bran eagerly held him in return. Owen pulled him inside and pushed the door shut with his foot, then just stood holding the teen for several minutes.
"Come on," Owen urged the teen eventually, keeping an arm around his shoulder as they headed for the living area. He led Bran to the sofa and sat down beside him. "Okay, let's... just get all of this out, shall we?"
Bran nodded and remained silent.
"I handled things poorly," Owen started, pausing and taking a deep breath. "I've got my reasons, but really... they don't matter. I should have handled things better, I should have spoken to you about things yesterday rather than... giving you space, or whatever I thought I was doing, and I'm sorry."
Bran smiled meekly and nodded again, still not saying anything.
"Sunday night should not have happened, but it did and pretending it didn't doesn't help anyone. You do understand why it can't happen again though, don't you?" Owen asked softly.
Another nod from Bran.
"You know, it'd be really helpful if you could say something," Owen urged the boy, nudging him as he smiled.
"Sorry," Bran said softly, "I just... if I talk... I'll probably... cry again!" he was clearly fighting back tears.
"I never wanted to hurt you!" Owen said, his stomach churning with guilt over the distress he had caused the boy.
"You didn't!" Bran insisted. He closed his eyes for a second, took a few deep breaths and said, "You're right, I do know why we can't... be together. I've always known, but that never stopped me wanting it anyway."
"Well you ARE stubborn," Owen said with a wry grin.
"Yeah, I guess I am," Bran agreed. "But as much as this sucks, I'm still glad it happened. One night with you will always be better than no nights with you!"
Owen nodded, feeling the same but resisting the urge to say it.
"Just saying though, two nights are better than one..." Bran said playfully.
"Come on, Bran. Don't do that," the teacher urged him.
"Look, I'm just saying, I know it's against school rules, students and teachers doing stuff, but half-term has some rules too," Bran explained. "And the number one rule is what happens at half-term, stays at half-term!"
"Yeah, I can't see that defence holding up in court!" Owen said with a shake of his head.
"Why would it ever be in court? I'm not telling anyone, I doubt you are and if anyone did know, the rule covers it!" Bran insisted.
Owen sat back in his seat, primarily because leaning in so close to the boy, he remained tempted to touch him, not sexually, just a comforting hand or a playful nudge. He was being strong in his position and didn't want to give the wrong impression. "Come on, you know this place. Nothing stays secret here for long!"
Bran nodded, mirroring Owen's movement and sitting back into his own end of the sofa, but smiled and said, "True enough, but tell me this, February half-term last year, who got caught fucking in the middle of the football pitch?"
"I... don't know," Owen said, frowning. He hadn't heard anything about that and he thought he knew all the really juicy stories.
"Exactly. It happened at half-term, so it stays at half-term! The rule works!" Bran asserted.
Owen nodded. "Okay, so our secret's safe, that's good to know, I'm quite a fan of not being arrested!"
"Well there's still nearly four days left until people start getting back to the school, so there's time for us to do a lot more stuff that nobody needs to know about!" Bran said, smiling devilishly.
Owen tried to tell himself he wasn't tempted, but even in his own head he didn't believe it, but he had a bigger concern that took priority. He leaned forward and took Bran's hand, looking serious. "Okay, so let's say we did do stuff... and I'm not saying we will... but what then? You got..." he sighed and corrected himself, "WE got this messed up after just one night together. We spend the rest of the week together and what then? I.. probably shouldn't say this, but if I... had you again, I genuinely don't know if I could stop!" It felt terrifying to lay his own feelings bare to the boy like that, but hiding things was just no longer an option.
Bran shrugged. "Neither do I. I just know... one night wasn't enough, at least not for me," he said, squeezing Owen's hand. "Was it enough for you?"
Owen stared the teen straight in the eye. He didn't answer the question, he didn't need to, it was written all over his face.
"So... does this mean..." Bran started, looking immensely hopeful.
"Maybe, but... two things. One, nobody knows about any of this and two, it's for half-term only. On Saturday, we end this, no matter what, but we talk to each other about how we feel. Agreed?" Owen insisted.
Bran didn't even wait long enough to voice his agreement. He lunged at the older man, mounting his lap as he grabbed Owen's head with both hands and kissed him.
Owen reached up and grabbed Bran's head, pulling it back for a moment and asked, "Is that a yes?"
"It is. Now shut up and let me kiss you!" Bran said, grinning broadly as he looked into Owen's eyes. They kissed again, deeply and passionately, their hands slowly working their way down to casually hold each other as the kiss eased off into a more relaxed embrace. As Bran eventually pulled away, he looked a little flushed as he asked nervously, "I... have a request!"
"Oh, very formal. Yes, Brandon, what is your request?" Owen asked, sniggering at his slight mockery.
Bran looked down, casually fiddling with the buttons on Owen's shirts as he straddled the man's lap. "Well, the other night, we... well... you... you played with me down there but... I wasn't ready for... this," he said, reaching down into Owen's lap and grabbing his cock gently.
"Hnnh!" Owen grunted feeling the boy's hand on his cock. "Y... yeah, that's right!" The teen had never really engaged in any anal activity, only just managing to take a finger. As much as Owen had wanted to fuck the boy at the time, he had not attempted it for fear of hurting him.
"Well if we've got four days, I want you to... to get me ready. I really want you to be my first!" Bran said. While he looked embarrassed to be voicing the request, the longing look in his eye and the gentle weakness in his voice made his desire obvious.
"I..." Owen started, reaching up to caress the teen's cheek. "I'd be honoured!" he said, smiling sweetly.
"Good!" Bran said happily. "Now take off your clothes!"
Owen smirked. "You're not the boss of me!" he said petulantly. Bran just looked at him, brow furrowed but his expression stern, so he quickly added, "Oh, maybe you are. I think I'm okay with that!"
Bran climbed off the man, returning to his own side of the sofa as Owen stood and began unbuttoning his shirt. He deliberately took his time, seeing Bran's eyes fixated on every inch of skin that appeared as the next button popped open. He stopped as the last button released, letting the shirt hang open a little, a two-inch strip of skin showing from neck to waistband. "Should I... keep going?" Owen asked, grinning as he let his hand slide inside, caressing his own chest.
"Nah, that's enough for me," Bran said casually.
"Really?" Owen asked, looking thoroughly deflated.
"No, you fucktard, I was kidding!" Bran snapped, sniggering. "You're gonna keep going until you're naked and then you're gonna take my clothes off too!"
"Wait, so... the sooner I'm naked, the sooner you are too?" Owen asked gleefully.
Bran had barely finished nodding before Owen was naked, the shirt tossed aside and the trousers down to his ankles with his underwear. He virtually jumped onto the sofa, grabbing at Bran playfully, both of them giggling manically as the teen was quickly stripped too.
Moments later, their bare bodies were pressed together, Owen on top of the boy, holding himself up to avoid squishing him with one hand, the other delicately stroking through his hair.
"Are you... really sure about this?" Owen asked, already worrying about how it was all going to end.
"Completely!" Bran whispered back, then lifted his head to bring their lips together once again for just a moment.
Owen let his forehead rest against Bran's, their noses touching, eyes closed and remained there for several seconds, both simply enjoying an intimate moment of stillness. In that moment, there was nothing else, their thoughts, their worries, their world just faded away and they were all the existed, all that mattered.
Casey stood silently in the dining room. He hadn't turned on the light when he walked in, not wanting to alert Gabe to his presence just yet, so the only light coming in was through the two small windows on the doors into the kitchen and a narrow beam of light surrounding the doors. It was enough for him to see what he was doing as he removed his clothes, hanging them over the back of one of the dining chairs. The only thing he kept on was his glasses. While he wasn't keen on how he looked in them, he knew that bumping into things on the way to seduce Gabe was an even less sexy look!
It felt strange to be naked in the normally very-public room, one he had used with his half-term room-mates every day. He had rarely been naked outside of his own dorm and the showers before, not really a fan of the crazy naked adventures some of the boys seemed to enjoy and having never endured any of the school's humiliating nudity-based punishments.
Here he was though, naked and ready to head into the kitchen to surprise Gabe. It was not anything he would have usually considered, but Bran had done it. After years of lusting after Mr Beecham, this was the move Bran had used to finally get the older man, so it had to be worth a try.
'Be sexy. Be persistent. Don't take no for an answer!' he told himself a few times over in his head as he approached the doors. As he peered through the window, he could see Gabe leaning on a counter, doing his usual evening paperwork before knocking off for the night. This would be the third night Casey had surprised him and he wondered if the former student might actually be expecting him.
Quietly he pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, letting it swing back silently. He cautiously padded across the room. He had considered getting himself hard first, if only to seduce Gabe, but his nerves would likely make that impossible. Finally close enough, he assumed a pose that he felt really showed off his muscular body and said quietly, "Evening!"
As usual, Gabe jumped out of his skin at the sudden noise. "Fuck. Casey, you've gotta..." he started, turning to face the student and stopping mid-sentence as he saw him naked. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed. The view was far from unpleasant, Casey was undeniably an attractive young man with a body to die for.
"Like what you see?" Casey asked with a grin, though his legs were trembling.
"Casey, what are you doing?" Gabe asked, sounding more exasperated than aroused.
Casey felt suddenly awkward, but just for a moment before repeating, 'Be sexy. Be persistent. Don't take no for an answer!' in his head. "I'm showing you what's on offer!" he said with a smirk.
"Case, we've covered this. Me and you... not happening!" Gabe said, forcing himself to keep his eyes on Casey's face.
"You saying you're not tempted?" Casey asked, moving closer, casually running a hand over his abs.
Gabe chuckled. "Of course I'm tempted. You're hot, I've never denied that... I never could, but Case, no means no!"
"Well... I'm not leaving until it's a yes then!" Casey said, sternly.
Gabe tilted his head to the side, smirking a little as he looked the naked teen up and down. "Casey, you didn't actually expect this to work, did you?"
"Well... yeah," Casey replied, blushing a little and starting to feel a little foolish.
Gabe was clearly holding back laughter now. "Wow, I do admire the confidence, but... sorry bud, it's just not happening!"
"You wanna touch me, I can tell!" Casey said, still trying to commit to the tactic as he stepped closer.
Gabe couldn't hold back any more and burst into laughter.
"Stop it!" Casey snapped. "Stop laughing at me! You're doing it again!"
Gabe held back his laughing for a moment and managed to say, "Casey, you're naked, in my workplace, to try and seduce me! I know you don't like me teasing you, but... seriously.... look at yourself!"
"You... you're such a dick!" Casey said angrily, suddenly feeling the need to cover up.
Gabe tried to speak again, but the words were lost in his renewed laughter.
"I fucking hate you!" Casey snapped as he stormed out of the kitchen to the sound of laughter.
If you enjoy my writing, please support me on patreon at https://www.patreon.com/matterotica or check out my other stories on Nifty, links below
The Benny Saga (in reading order) Benny Takes Control - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/benny-takes-control/ The Dangers of Desire - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/the-dangers-of-desire/ Benny's House - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/bennys-house/
Other Series Possession - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/sf-fantasy/possession-series/ Jack Hamilton - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/jack-hamilton/ Phil's Naked Adventures - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/phils-naked-adventures/ Tales from Kingswood - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/tales-from-kingswood/
One-shots The Art of Seduction - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/the-art-of-seduction Jake's Exposure - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/jakes-exposure Becoming an Internet Master - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/becoming-an-internet-master Brian's Big Mistake - http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/brians-big-mistake And Then It Got Worse - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/masturbation/and-then-it-got-worse