Greetings! Welcome to Chapter 18 of MHM, I hope you enjoy your stay!
This is a work of fiction, and it doesn't intend to imply anything about the sexuality of anyone...blah, blah, blah...underage: don't read, etc.
Note: This chapter takes place about a month to five weeks in the past, so that's why Cameron is not yet in school. I am behind schedule, but the story should catch up to real time in a few chapters, when they spend some time apart.
On with the show...
Mile High Meeting-Chapter 18
The cool breeze swept over our bodies as we both began to wake up. I didn't know exactly what time it was, but it had to be quite early. I suddenly realized how cold I was, and I began to shiver. Nick was just becoming aware of his surroundings as well, and he quickly put his arms around me to warm me up.
"Cam, let's get you inside," Nick suggested. "It's pretty cold out here."
I just nodded, and both of us sat up. Nick wanted to go right to the vehicle, but I had to clean up and bring everything back to the house. Once I had everything packed up, we got in the Navigator, and I started it up. Nick immediately turned up the heat, but it wasn't going to be warm yet. I looked over at him and smiled, pleased that he was showing so much concern.
I started down the trail back toward the house, and warm air was finally starting to pump through the cabin. By the time we pulled up to the house, we were toasty warm, and I didn't want to get back out. However, a hot shower and a warm bed sounded awfully inviting, so we headed in the house. I wanted to get a bottle of water out of the fridge on the way upstairs, and I wanted to unload our supplies from last night, so that was our first destination.
When we walked into the kitchen, two pairs of eyes looked up at us. Mom and Dad stood there, smiling.
"Well, you boys are back early," my father commented.
"Did you guys have a nice time last night?" my mother asked.
"Actually, yes. Nick and I had a cookout up at the campfire. We were stargazing, and fell asleep, which probably was not a good idea since we weren't exactly prepared for the cold weather."
"I wouldn't think you would be. So, what are your plans for the day?" Dad asked.
"I think Nick and I are pretty tired, so we are going to go back to sleep for a couple hours since it is so early. We are going to leave tonight for Iowa City, so we will be around all day. What about you two?"
"Your father and I have some work we need to do, but we will be around the house all day. You two boys go get some rest, and we will see you when you wake up, and we will figure out something fun to do before you take off," Mom suggested.
I didn't have to be asked twice, and I took Nick's hand, leading him upstairs. As soon as I closed the door, Nick was stripping down to his boxer-briefs.
"I think getting out of these cold clothes will help," Nick observed.
"I know it's helping to warm me up," I said, admiring him. "However, I think a hot shower would really hit the spot. Care to join me?" I asked.
"You don't have to ask me twice," Nick said, shedding the last bit of clothing. He then walked over to me, to assist me in disrobing. He pulled my shirt over my head slowly, stopping to admire my abs and pecs. He snuck in for a kiss as he threw my shirt down. His chest was quite cold, and it shocked me a bit as he leaned in, but it was well worth it as he began rubbing my back with his hands.
I reached for my belt buckle, unfastening it, and eventually dropping my pants to the floor. My erection was growing, but I think we were both too tired to think about sex at the time. Instead, Nick broke the kiss, and slowly pushed my boxers down before standing back up, motioning to the shower.
I followed Nick in, and turned on the water. It only took a moment for it to get hot, and Nick stepped to the back of the shower, allowing me to get the majority of the hot water. He truly was a gentleman, and I gestured my appreciation by bowing my head slightly.
"No problem, ma'am," he said, tipping his imaginary hat.
"Excuse me?" I said, laughing.
"Well, you're not the only one to wear the pants in this family."
"Neither of us are wearing any pants at the moment, and I am not going to complain about it," I said, just realizing that Nick had said family. I didn't know if he had said it inadvertently or not, but I liked the sound of it.
The rest of the shower was fairly uneventful. It was your typical, I wash your back, you wash mine affair. We were much more interested in getting warm than anything else, and the hot water was doing the trick. I reached for two towels as I turned off the water, throwing one around Nick before putting one around my waist.
We walked back into my room, and I pulled back the comforter and sheets, shedding my towel as I settled under the covers. Nick joined me almost immediately, wrapping himself around me. We were both exhausted, and we fell asleep almost instantly.
I didn't set an alarm, but I figured we would only sleep a couple hours. In fact, it was almost noon when I felt Nick's breath tickling my chest, blowing gently on my chest hair. My eyes opened, seeing Nick's blonde hair on my chest, with the rest of his body sprawled out to the side.
I was tempted to go back to sleep, but one look at the alarm clock changed all that. Panicked, I quickly started to sit up, getting Nick's attention.
"What's wrong?" Nick asked groggily.
"It's almost noon, and I promised my parents that we would spend some time with them before we took off."
Nick groaned, and started to lie back down when a burst of energy finally hit him, raising him out of the bed quickly. I watched him as he began scrambling around, trying to find some clothes. Every time I saw him, I had to remind myself that this wasn't a dream, and that he was actually here with me. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to watch him, as I needed to get dressed as well.
Nick reached into his suitcase, and ended up throwing me one of my shirts, telling me to put it on.
"Why this shirt?" I asked, looking at it.
"Because you look sexy in it," Nick replied. "I like the way it clings to your muscles."
"Are you sure you will be able to control yourself if I do wear it?" I asked, laughing.
"I guess we'll find out," Nick replied, pulling on a pair of shorts.
I wasn't exactly comfortable with the concept of my boyfriend dressing me, but one look at his face was all I needed to convince myself that I could live with it. I was turning into a softie. I guess love can do strange things to a person.
When we finally were ready, we went downstairs, and into my mother's office.
"Hello?" I said sheepishly.
"Oh, are you two still here? I thought you two had just left without saying goodbye after all this time," she said with a serious look on her face, before a smile emerged.
"So we were a little more tired than I thought. Sue me," I responded.
"Wouldn't be worth the court costs," she replied nonchalantly, making Nick and I laugh.
"So, what are we going to do?" I asked.
"I thought the four of us would go out to lunch, and then spend some time in the Old Market," Mom suggested.
"Works for me. Where is Dad?" I inquired.
"I believe he is downstairs, playing pool. Why don't you go down there and play a game with him? You guys haven't done that in a long time."
"That sounds cool. We'll come up when we are finished, and then we can go," I said, leaving the office.
We walked downstairs, and sure enough, he was playing pool by himself. He was concentrating on his shot, and didn't even hear us come down the stairs. He drew back, and hit the eight ball into the side pocket with ease. He started to pump his fist when he saw the two of us standing there, smiling at him.
"Ahem...hello, boys. Ready to go eat?" Dad asked, slightly embarrassed.
"I thought I would challenge my old man to a game of pool."
"Think you're up to it?" he responded.
"I don't know about Nick, but I know I am up to it. Nick?"
"I'm not very good, but I will try," Nick answered. Dad and I both raised our eyebrows, sensing the opportunity to pummel Nick in the game.
We began playing, and I was the first to knock down a couple shots, one of Dad's and one of Nick's balls. Dad then followed by knocking down three, leaving Nick with two on the table, and me with four. Dad missed a relatively east shot, so Nick had his turn.
Nick walked up to the table casually, taking aim at my 9, knocking it down with ease. He then walked around the table, putting my 8 in the side pocket with a nifty shot, leaving the cue in perfect position to go after the 6 in the corner pocket. I quickly realized two things: that Nick was quite good at pool, and he was specifically targeting my balls (no pun intended). He quickly knocked down the 6, leaving only the 10, which was sitting against the rail on the opposite end and side of the table. He took a minute to aim, and then guided the cue toward my ball, tapping it gently. I watched in shock as the 10 slowly rolled parallel to the rail, gently falling into the pocket, taking me out of the game.
"That was a mistake," I said seriously.
"Well, Mr. Walker...now that he's out of the game, let's play some pool," Nick said, completely ignoring me.
Stunned, I slowly walked over to the leather couch against the far wall, dropping down into it in defeat.
It took them only a few minutes to end the game, and Nick was able to hold off my father for the victory.
"Nicely done," my dad said, shaking Nick's hand.
"Thanks, Mr. Walker."
"Nick, call me Richard. Anyone who beats me that soundly deserves that," my dad said, chuckling.
"Okay. Thanks, Richard. Should we tell Cameron that we are finished?" Nick said, looking over at me. I was in a daze, and had no idea that they had finished their game.
"Yeah, we should let him know."
"He looks pretty down," Nick commented. "I wonder why?"
"That's the easiest question I've been asked in quite some time. He hates to lose, ever. He is a fierce competitor, in everything he does. I figured that you would know that by now," my dad said, putting his hand on Nick's shoulder.
"I know he is a perfectionist, but I didn't think a game of pool was a big deal. I guess I will have to let him win more often," Nick suggested.
"No! The only thing worse than beating him is letting him win. He can smell that from a mile away, and it will drive him up the wall. You can't put anything past him, so don't bother trying. He can read people better than anyone I know. I wish I had his instinct. It would make me a far better salesperson."
"It looks like you are a pretty good salesperson to me," Nick said, looking around the room.
"He gets it from his mother. I guess I shouldn't say salesperson, because that term evokes such negative responses from people. We do get commission off the investments we recommend to our clients, but Cathy is much better at it than I. They have a lot of the same traits.
"If I may be so bold...you are a lucky guy to find your way into his heart. It isn't an easy path, and I am really delighted that you two are together. He is also very fortunate. Thank you for making Cam so happy."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me."
With that, Nick came over to me, trying to get my attention. They had no idea that I had heard their entire conversation, and it was hard not to smile, but I managed to appear as if I hadn't heard a thing.
"Hmm? Oh, are you guys finished?" I asked.
"Yeah, and your boyfriend cleaned my clock. I'd be practicing if I were you, or he will beat you every time," Dad suggested.
Nick just smiled, and sat down next to me. My dad took a few steps back, and leaned up against the pool table. Apparently, we weren't quite finished talking.
"So, have you guys thought about how you are going to handle being apart?" Dad asked. "I don't want to crash the party, but have you put any thought into it?"
Nick looked at me nervously, and I reached for his hand, trying to calm him down. Clearly, this question shook him, and me too for that matter. It's not like I hadn't thought about it some, but I think we subconsciously sidestepped the issue on several occasions. I looked back at my father, and I could see the disappointment begin to spread across his face as he realized that we hadn't.
"Dad, it isn't like we haven't thought about it, but we also haven't had a long conversation about it either. We've spent most of our time building a solid foundation for our relationship, instead of looking at the cracks in the pavement. You have always taught me to avoid short-term thinking, so I admit that I have fallen a bit short on this topic. However, I think that by building a strong bond with Nick, we may actually avoid some of the pitfalls that come with long distance relationships.
"We are both old enough and mature enough to know how difficult this will be, but I think I speak for both of us when I say that we are strong enough to overcome all the problems we will face, because I love Nick, and I know he loves me too," I said, realizing that I had just told my father that I loved Nick. Nick nodded his head in agreement when I said that he loved me too. Nick's grip on my hand loosened a bit, telling me that he had calmed down.
"I love Cameron, and I am not the first musician to have a long distance relationship. Everyone in the band has been through it, so I know what I am getting into. The other four members of the group are like brothers to me, and they will help get me through the tough times, because they have all been there," Nick added, to my surprise.
My father looked pleasantly surprised by Nick's words. "It sounds like you guys have really thought about this after all. Just so you two know, Cathy and I are here for you, and we are willing to do anything necessary to help you guys out. That goes for you too, Nick. If you ever need to talk, or need anything at all, you call us, day or night. Understand?"
"Thank you, Richard. That is very kind," Nick said, clearly touched by my father's offer. I was reminded once again why I loved my parents so much, and was so grateful that they had accepted Nick so easily.
"Well, we'd better get upstairs, or your mother will come down here, and this room is off-limits for her," he said, laughing.
Nick looked at me with a confused look on his face. "My parents have their own 'rooms' that they can call their own. That's all you need to know," I informed him, which seemed to satisfy his curiosity.
We went back upstairs, following my father into Mom's office. She had a questioning look on her face, and my dad just nodded. Right then I knew that they had planned the conversation that had just occurred. She appeared satisfied and stood up, walking around her desk, indicating that she was ready to go.
Nick and I followed my parents into the garage. Dad walked over to the Jag, opening the door for my mother before getting into the driver's seat. I then opened the rear door for Nick, making him blush slightly. He sat down, and I closed the door before walking over to the other side. Soon, we were out of the driveway, and cruising down the highway at a good clip.
We engaged in small talk, and before we knew it, we were exiting I-480, and driving through downtown Omaha. There were several construction projects going on downtown, so navigating through the area was difficult when there was a lot of traffic, but there weren't many people out at the time.
My parents decided on a restaurant atop the downtown Doubletree Hotel. We parked the car, and walked into the hotel. Pressing the button for the elevator, I silently hoped that we would get one of the glass elevators, and I got my wish. The restaurant is on the twentieth floor, which isn't very tall compared to buildings in many large cities, but you could still get a great view of downtown on the way up. Off in the distance was the Woodmen Tower, the tallest building in Omaha, at least for the time being. I pointed out a construction site a few blocks over where a new skyscraper was going up that would eclipse the Woodmen Tower by ten or twelve stories (40 or 42 stories tall). I have always been fascinated by architecture, and the design of the new building intrigued me.
The ride was too short, and soon we were entering the restaurant. Before we were seated, Nick and I walked around the area, showing him a 360-degree view of the city. I pointed out the site for the new arena and convention center that was being built near the river.
"Perhaps you will be playing there in a few years," I commented.
"Depends on how many seats there are. We don't play just anywhere, you know," Nick said, smiling.
"I think there will be 17 or 18 thousand seats, if I remember correctly," I offered.
"It will have to do then, I suppose," Nick said without emotion, looking down at the site before cracking a smile.
Just then, my father came around the corner. "Nick, Cam? Our table is ready."
I nodded, and grabbed Nick's arm, leading him over to the table. We enjoyed a nice, quiet lunch, talking about many various topics, none of them too serious.
After lunch, we decided to drive over to the Old Market to walk around.
It was a great part of Omaha. Many of the shops and restaurants were located in some of the oldest buildings in town, buildings that had been renovated without losing their original look. We spent a couple hours walking around, and I resisted the temptation to hold Nick's hand around my parents. I probably would have otherwise, but I also didn't want to draw attention to us. Nick had been successful in remaining anonymous over the past few weeks, and I didn't want to end the streak prematurely.
I had a lot of memories, both positive and negative in the Old Market, and I told Nick about most of them. I recalled my senior prom, where my girlfriend and I rode around downtown in a horse drawn carriage in formal wear, which at the time had been one of the greatest nights of my life.
I also remembered walking through the Old Market with one of my ex-girlfriends, and I could point out the exact spot in which I was standing when she told me that she was engaged to someone else. I was absolutely crushed at the time, because up until that point, I just assumed that we would be getting back together, and I knew that we were destined to be together for all time. When that happened, I went into a shell for a few months, and it was during that time that I began to question my sexuality.
"All I did for six months was think...about life, about my future, and about my relationships. I truly loved her, and I would have been happy to spend my life with her. However, I now see that it was a blessing in disguise," I said, looking at Nick. He had tears in his eyes.
"Why are you crying," I asked.
"Because it hurts me to hear how hard that was for you. The 'blessing in disguise' comment also has something to do with it," he noted.
All this time, my parents had been walking a few steps behind us, trying to give us some privacy. They had heard all of this before, so it wasn't any big secret to them, and they didn't want to influence the conversation.
"Let me tell you something," I said as I stopped walking, turning to face him. "It was worth every bit of pain and suffering I went through, because I have you now, and I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world."
My parents were standing several feet behind us at this point, and my mother began to tear up a bit at that comment. She had been hurting nearly as much as I had through the whole ordeal with my ex, and I think hearing what I had just said made it all worthwhile for her as well. Dad promptly put her arm around her and smiled at us.
I turned to my parents next. "Enough sappiness for now, guys. We should get going, as I would like to get on the road before it gets too late."
My parents agreed, and we walked back to the car, and drove back home in silence. Nick leaned up against me in the back seat of the car, and slept most of the way home. I was also tired, and I fell asleep, leaning against the window.
My mother gently shook me as my dad pulled into the garage, and in turn, I woke up Nick. We went upstairs, and began packing the few things that we had unpacked over the last couple days. When we were finished, we carried our bags down, sitting them down in the foyer before walking into the family room, where Mom and Dad were waiting for us.
"I'm really glad that you two could spend some time with us, albeit not enough time," Mom said as she pulled me in for a hug.
"I know, but I have to get back, since classes start next week, and Nick has to get to Chicago."
"Well, you two be careful driving, and call us when you get home," Mom added as she hugged Nick.
"We will," Nick responded.
My dad came over to me, giving me a quick hug. "He's a keeper," he whispered in my ear before walking over to Nick.
Nick began to hold out his hand, but Dad would have none of that, giving Nick a hug as well. "Good luck, you guys. We're pulling for you," Dad said to Nick.
We said our last goodbyes again, and Mom and Dad stood outside and waved as we headed out. It was a dreary, cloudy day, and I think that took the energy out of both of us, as we didn't talk much for the first couple hours of the trip. It was getting dark by the time we got to Des Moines, and we stopped at a gas station for a break.
Nick had been napping yet again, but woke up as I came to a stop after exiting the interstate. Driving through Iowa is certainly more interesting than driving through Nebraska, but it had been unable to keep Nick's attention. Iowa is actually quite hilly, and parts of the state are quite attractive (contrary to popular belief).
"Are we there?" Nick asked sleepily.
"No. We have a couple hours to go. I just wanted to stop to fill up the tank, and to stretch."
"Oh. That is a good idea."
Nick went inside while I pumped the gas, and came back out before I had even gone inside. He was carrying some snacks, and a small box that I couldn't make out until he got back to the Navigator. I laughed when I saw that it was a box of condoms.
"Is that supposed to be a hint?" I asked.
"Just wanted to be prepared, in case you didn't have any at your place."
"Good thinking, Nick. I do have some at home, but I am sure we will make use of those," I added with a wink.
I finished pumping gas, paid for it, and soon we were on our way. Nick stayed awake for the final 90 minutes of the trip, and we arrived in Iowa City at around 9:30. I pulled into the parking lot, noticing that neither of my roommates' vehicles was there.
"I guess the introductions will have to wait. I am pretty tired anyway, so that may not be all bad," I said as I turned off the engine.
"Good. I'd much rather meet them in the morning anyway."
We carried our bags in the apartment, and I immediately led Nick down the hall to my room, so we could drop our stuff off there.
"You really do like nice things, don't you?" Nick asked, looking around my apartment.
"Yeah, so?"
"Just an observation. I'm certainly not complaining."
"I'll show you the rest of the apartment later. Let's just go to bed for now," I said as I closed the bedroom door, locking it. Nick took one final look at his bags, and then started across the room when I stopped him.
"Don't forget to bring that little purchase you made at the gas station with you," I said, pointing to his pile of bags.
Nick just smiled, and brought the box with him as I turned off the light, and sat down on my bed.
That's it for chapter 18...I am sure you are tired of me apologizing for being so late, so I won't...LOL. I won't venture a guess as to when chapter 19 will be out, so I can't be held to it! I just hope to get it out soon, as writing this provides a nice break from the living hell that is my fall semester :)
Let me know what you think at glenwoodbronco@hotmail.com
Thanks for reading!