All of the usual warnings apply. This work is not written for people under the age of 18, or other ages of majority. If it is illegal for you to access material of a sexual nature, then do not read this.
Copyright Ed. Piera 2002.
Please let me know what you think; sweet_stud_boy@yahoo.com.au please remember to give the title of the story.
Strippers at College.
I was just one month into my course, and could tell that the new life which I was enjoying would have to change, or probably would end. I had come away to college, and had quickly made friends, life was great, but when my credit card bill arrived I saw how expensive it was. I should have been fine, my parents were paying my tuition from a fund they started when I was born, and I had worked all summer, but I had partied all summer, my parents were away on business over half of the time and I was left alone spending money like there was no tomorrow; they thought I had pots of cash to get me through, I was in debt, and now I was partying hard at college it would be serious debt soon.
"Hey, Joe, you coming?" A friend from down the hall had put his head around my door. I looked up slowly, still in a daze at the bill for five hundred dollars in front of me. "Hey man, is there some problem?"
"No man, I'm just coming." I had promised that I would not go out for the rest of the week, but I had no will to resist.
"Hey Joe, I'm not being judgmental, but are you really going out dressed like that?" I had pulled on some old shorts and a t-shirt first thing in the morning, and had not changed. "Look man, you're brain's somewhere else you need to go out and forget whatever's eating you up; my roomie is screwing his girl like they're the only people left and are repopulating the planet so I need to go out, but sure as hell I'm going nowhere with you dressed like that." I nodded not really hearing him. "You need to get your brain inside your little head. I tell you what, you go get a shower and change, I'll wait here for you."
Nic (short for Nicodemus not Nicholas, as he would tell everybody) jumped onto the spare bed, the rooms where to share, but my roommate had left home-sick after the first week. I walked to the adjoining bathroom and started to shower myself, the water brought me back to the planet as Nic had said. I grabbed a towel and went to get dressed.
"I couldn't find your porn stash, so I had to content myself with Aristotle, politics is not quite the same." Nic looked up and laughed. He had become my closest friend, he was very gifted academically and had a great body but he was a real guy; we would switch from talking about the intricacies of state formation according to Greeks who died thousands of years ago, to whose ass at the bar was the best.
Nic was bi and was out, he had never made any secret of it, and people just took it in their stride; even I found his behaviour natural and I was having about eight sleepless nights per week about my sexuality. I had dated a few girls in high school and I started to get heavy a few times, but had always been disturbed by parents or a sudden reluctance on my part. In the first week, I had spent hours watching my room-mate, perhaps that made him home-sick, I had never been alone with another guy naked but he had always slept naked and usually wore boxers at the most around the room. I was confused.
I started to dry myself, Nic seemed to be engrossed in the book he had borrowed, Aristotle's The Politics written about 2300 years ago, and a set text for the politics course we were both taking.
"Have you seen this, he's talking about the size of a state, this paragraph is just hilarious;" Nic found most of such things hilarious, but I could rarely see the joke, his nose was buried in the book; " 'The first part of a state's equipment is a body of men, and we must consider both how many they ought to be and with what natural qualities.' " Nic looked up and stopped reading, "Wow and what natural qualities indeed." He was gazing at my body. "I think that you are more suited to the stories of Greek gods than philosophers."
I laughed, and grabbed some pants. I knew that I had a good body and I knew Nic wasn't being serious. He once said that he only flirts with people he doesn't want to sleep with, I asked about those he does want to sleep with, he said 'I grab their balls and drag them to a bed before screwing them, or if they are women, I buy them dinner and then screw them.' After that I had always been able to relax with his flirting which was fairly constant.
Soon I was dressed and ready to go. Nic stood up and looked at me. "Quite some improvement, I might even think about kissing you." I hit him playfully and we walked out.
After a few beers even the demand for payment sitting on my desk began to look less ominous. Nic was in a strange mood, he spent the entire time talking about various people around the bar, but never even making eye contact with them; he was very forward when he wanted to flirt, but he didn't buy anybody a drink, flutter his eyelids at anyone, or even pout slightly. He was well known for his large appetite, and suggested that we go and eat.
We were walking along the street and stopped outside quite an up-market restaurant.
"Does this look good?"
My mind went back to my dire financial situation immediately.
"Perhaps somewhere less expensive?"
"It's my treat, lets eat here."
Nic had always been more than willing to buy other people drinks, offer them food when they were in his room, but buying me dinner was in a different league. Before I could say anything, he was talking to the Maitre d' asking for a table for two. I followed him in. Conversation was getting slow over dinner, I could tell that something was on Nic's mind. When we had finished, good to his word, Nic paid the check, despite my protests; once we were outside I asked him about it.
"Hey man, you're buying me dinner, what's up, I thought that's how you seduce people."
"Only women, I'm more direct with guys. I'm just sitting on a nice big pay-check, and you sure as hell needed cheering up."
"You never said anything about a job, what's it doing?" I was asking almost as much out of curiosity as how I could get some more green colored notes.
"Ahhh, that would be telling." I glared at him, demanding an answer. "OK, I'm working on a little known military operation." I glared even more. "It's the truth, I'm doing some stuff in the Navy, but the rest is classified, and I can't tell you any more."
His refusal to tell me anything seemed like a breach of the trust between us, what was he doing that was so bad? The evening started to go downhill. We both started to drink quite heavily, and he started to chat up anything which showed a marginal interest in him; eventually leaving with a guy whose face looked as though a bus had just hit it. I somehow got home, and fell asleep fully clothed.
In the morning I still felt pissed off with Nic, and he noticed me spurning his company at breakfast; we both started to avoid each other for the next few days.
My sexuality was starting to get me more bothered, I still fancied girls, but kept looking at various men. I decided to explore further, and on Saturday morning I went to an adult book-store across town. I was browsing, trying to pluck up the courage to buy a gay porn mag to see my reaction, when I saw some flyers strewn around:
Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force.
Ever wondered what's under those uniforms?
The Hotest Guys show just whose defending America.
Crucible Theater
Monday - Saturday 8pm $10
Saturday matinee 2 pm $8
A group of gay strippers were in town. I knew the theater vaguely, it was well away from anywhere my friends would be, and inside it would be discrete. I thought that that would be easier than buying a magazine or a film here.
I arrived at the theater at about five minutes before 2, and paid my money; eventually I found a perfect seat, I was close to the stage, but shielded by a pillar from most other people there.
The house lights went down, and then some martial music started. A long line of men in 18th century army costumes walked onto the stage. A voice boomed out.
"George Washington lead his men in the battle for independence. These men are ready for action."
There was a short mock battle, then the beat of the music changed. The guys started to form up facing the audience. Gradually they pealed off their clothes: shirts were removed to show tanned chests with hard pecs and abs. The guys moved into pairs, and rubbed their hands over each other. The pair nearest to me were only 3 feet away, one of them had a pierced nipple, both had gorgeous bodies. My hand moved to my cock without even thinking about it, when I noticed that it was rock hard, I knew that I was definitely into guys, especially these ones.
Once they were dressed in tight g-strings and nothing else, the pairs started to pay attention to each others groins. One stood behind the other and pushed his bulging groin into the others ass, and started to rub his hands over the fabric covered cock of his partner, who responded by grabbing at his ass. After some time of this play the men formed a single line facing away from the audience, with perfect synchronisation they removed their g-strings; then they grabbed their ankles exposing a long row of ass holes, I had never really looked at a guy's ass but found it totally gripping. Suddenly they stood up straight, beginning on the far right of stage they turned round to face the audience, each one following the previous, their hands providing the last vestige of modesty. A short pause, the audience who had been practically screaming all the way through fell totally silent, then all the hands were raised together, twenty hard cocks were exposed, the whole crowd started to scream and clap wildly. The men walked slowly to the front of the stage, and knelt right at the edge, one guy was less than two feet away from me. A voice over the tanoy made the audience shut up.
"After that stunning show, lets make these guys know how much we appreciate them." The crowd started to applaud again, I noticed a few flowers being thrown, and then noticed that people at the front were going right up to the guys and some were sucking their cocks. The guy nearest to me smiled at me, his deep blue eyes gazing straight at me, he beckoned, following his invitation and the example of the other guys nearby, I walked up to him. I had never even touched a guy's cock before, but without thinking I started to suck, not knowing what to do. It was clear that we were not expected to suck them off, as they rose to more rapturous applause, and left the stage with the men crying for more.
The acts were all solo after that, each guy started dressed in a different military uniform, but ending up naked, and with his cock or ass groped by a member of the audience. I was having a wonderful time, now sure of my sexuality, I just enjoyed, my cock did not even think about shrinking from the hardest it had ever been. Each act was announced before not that the details meant that much, I realised how quickly time was getting on when the last act of the first half was announced.
"Now gentlemen we have the last act before the interval. A reminder that dancers who are not in the second half will be in the bar area for your personal pleasure, but before that, a bit of a newcomer, his first dance was last week, our newest sailor, who will make you all yearn for the sea."
The guy dressed as a Navy Officer walked out to rapturous applause; some had clearly seen him last week from their reaction. His hat shielded the spot-lights from his face, so I had no idea what he looked like, but shortly into his dance he grabbed it and threw it into the audience. Something looked familiar, at first I thought that he must have been on the advertising, or in the group at the beginning, but as he looked at me, I nearly screamed. It was Nic. Until three days ago, my closest friend, who had refused to tell me about his new job, I could tell why now. We made eye contact, and he recognised me, he seemed to stop for an age, but it must have been less than a second, as the crowd didn't stop screaming. He acted like a true professional, and continued dancing. As he wore less and less, I could see why the crowd loved him; I had never really looked at his body before, but could see that it was gorgeous. All of the guys had toned abs and pecs, with a tight ass, thighs and the rest, but Nic's skin had the strangest thing, it almost seemed to glow. Soon he, like the other guys before him was standing in a g-string and nothing else. Then standing in the very middle, that vanished too.
Like the other acts before him, Nic was keen on getting the audience involved. He walked around the front of the stage, and crouched down, the guys all responded by groping his ass, or his cock, a few even kissed his ass. He spent time approaching each guy who was at the front, he stepped off the stage onto the tables nearby. Gradually he was coming closer to me, I didn't know what to do, I had been avoiding him for three days, but we couldn't say anything about it now. He stopped in front of me, and crouched down, his ass was mere inches from me, all of the other guys had shown their appreciation, and I had certainly enjoyed his show. I shut out my thoughts about our argument, and just did what I felt was right without thinking; before I even knew it, my lips had planted a firm kiss on his left ass-cheek, followed by one on the right, and one where the g-string had been, right between the cheeks.
Eventually his act finished, the house lights came up, it was the interval. I decided that I needed a beer, so I walked to the bar. It was very long, and I soon realised why. The guys who had been stripping were walking along the top in tight military uniforms; as guys got their drinks, they kept beckoning dancers, who would walk back to their tables with them. I ordered a beer, and just admired the view, I knew that it would cost more for a private session. One of the guys spoke to me though.
"You look as though you enjoyed my act."
I looked up, it was Nic. I held out my hand and he climbed down from the bar, it looked just like the others were doing so the bouncers were not suspicious.
"Can we go and talk?"
"I can only leave the bar for a private show."
"How much do they cost?"
"There's an offer on now, if it's your first visit, then only five dollars for a short show, or thirty to get me for the whole second half."
"I've only got twenty on me, but I think we should talk."
"They only ask about their share, so it'll be ok." He smirked slightly and said, "You can owe me the rest."
I bought him a beer, and we walked back to my table. I sat down, expecting him to sit opposite me, but instead he climbed onto the table.
"I've gotta strip for you first."
He stripped slowly and sensuously, then totally butt-naked, he sat on my knee with his arms around my neck.
"What's a boring straight guy like you doing here?"
"Finding out that I'm not straight, that's what."
"I should've known, it just didn't occur to me, my reputation for gaydar is going to vanish now." He laughed, and then added, "welcome to the family." And kissed me briefly on the lips.
He pulled a spare chair round so that he was almost next to me, but so that I could still watch his body, clearly as he had been trained. We started to talk, as the second half of the show started, we didn't really notice. We talked about me mainly, I still fancied girls, but seemed to prefer boys; Nic was really understanding, he suggested that I might be bi, like him. He said that as he grew up, he found men very intriguing, but thought he was just being young until he was seduced by a fellow senior at high school. Then after a few more guys, and a couple of girls, he knew what was what. Then the grand finale started, Nic stopped talking and told me to watch it, it was another crowd, about twenty strippers, they started to get very heavily into each other, I thought that it would not be legal to do that on stage. As it progressed, I noticed that the hand which Nic had rested on my knee, had moved, and was gently massaging my cock; I started to reciprocate but he whispered in my ear that it was against the rules. Eventually the performers left the stage, and the house lights came back on.
"I'm not allowed to leave with audience members, but I guess you don't have your car with you. If you want a lift go to the Starbucks about three-hundred yards down the street, I'll come and meet you there." Then with out any great ceremony, he picked up his clothes and kissed my cheek. "I need ten bucks to pay their share of your private show." I passed him two fives out of my wallet, and he walked off without any ceremony. I noticed a couple of guys grope his ass as he walked off, he just turned and flirted back at them.
I was in the Starbucks about quarter of an hour, but then he bounded in, the stripper's body now dressed as he was for the rest of his life in smart good quality jeans, and a designer shirt. I offered him coffee, but he declined and we walked to his car. When we got back to the dorm, he followed me to my room, and I didn't notice him lock the door behind him.
"So what you think now?" He asked.
"'Bout what?"
"Your sexuality."
"I'm getting clearer, I think I may be bi, but preferring guys." I had sat in my chair, Nic was behind me and I didn't know where. Suddenly his arms embraced me, and I felt his mouth come close to my ears."
"I only really knew after a night of passion." Then he kissed my neck, and I felt more emotion flooding out than with any of my girl-friends.
He pulled me to my feet, before stripping both of us. He would remove a piece of my clothing, and then the same piece of his. Soon two naked guys were standing facing each other, cocks moving to full mast. He wrapped his arms around me, and pulled our heads together, our lips met and we started to kiss passionately. We made love for half of the night, I started the evening as an inexperienced virgin, and Nic changed that totally.
As I did not really know what to do, we soon found a simply way of working, Nic would do something to me, and then I would do it back to him. First he sucked my cock, working all the way down, and deep-throating me, at the same time he fingered my ass. This was not too difficult for me to copy on him, although deep-throating took some time. Then he rimmed my ass deeply, and for a long time; his tongue pushing hard inside me, massaging my prostate driving me insane. At first I was unsure about rimming back; I moved my head towards it slowly, then I smelt the odor of his manhood, and started to kiss all around his ass-hole, then my lips were replaced with my tongue, and I found myself darting in further and further, trying to reach right inside him. I was going wild, Nic was enjoying too, even though I was a total stranger to this, he was writhing and moaning with pleasure. Eventually he pushed me off.
"It's time to go for the jackpot."
I could tell that he wanted to fuck me, I was not really ready for this, he sensed my reticence.
"What's the matter Joe?"
"I've never had anyone fuck me..."
"I won't lie to you, it hurts your first time, but then you get used to it, and it is pure pleasure." I was still unconvinced, I knew that I was into men, I had loved the sex we were having, I knew that I would get fucked eventually, and I wanted it to be by Nic, but it was all too quick. My feelings must have been apparent. "You fuck me first then, see how much I enjoy it. Then decide if you want me to fuck you back." I nodded. "As you're clearly still a virgin, no need for a rubber. Here let me put some lube on you; my ass is already lubed from my great rim job."
He started to massage some K-Y, which had appeared from his jacket pocket, onto my cock, which had reached levels of hardness I had not even imagined before. Then he lay back on the bed and threw his legs into the air.
"Follow my directions, and we'll have one hell of a time."
I moved towards, and directed my cock to his ass-hole, it was well exposed by his position. When I felt resistance I stopped not wanting to hurt Nic.
"Push firmly, let my ass know you're there."
I did as instructed, and soon his sphincter granted me access; he had been right about the natural lube in his ass, and there was plenty on my cock, which made things easier, he had done this before as well. Soon I was burying myself inside him. I moved over his prostate, and he started to moan with pleasure; after a short while, there was no need for instructions. I was pushing right inside, and pulling back, long strokes; driving both of us crazy. As I started to get towards my climax, my speed increased, and I was ploughing into Nic with all of my energy.
"I'm gonna cum soon."
"Fill me up with your man juice."
Soon I was nearly screaming as my body was engulfed with the most powerful orgasm I could have imagined. Nic's reaction was very similar, he had been moaning for most of the time, but from the stimulation to his ass, and nothing else, his cock started to erupt all over his abs, the spasming of his ass muscles made my orgasm even stronger. I fell over on top of him, and we lay there embracing each other as our strength regained.
"I never knew it could be that good, way better than the jack-offs I've had so far."
"It sure is great."
Nic grabbed a nearby towel and cleaned us off.
"Do you want me to fuck you now you know what it's like?"
"Sure as hell, man."
Nic was as gentle as possible, he rimmed me first, then smothered my ass with a ton of lube, then I massaged even more into his cock, after putting a rubber on it. I lay back, and he pushed gently, as he had said, when he first got inside it hurt like nothing ever; but gradually the pain lessened; he took it less than half an inch at a time, seeming to take for ever, until finally I felt his pubes against my ass. Then he slowly pulled back, and then pushed inside me. Almost imperceptibly he moved into a rhythm, long slow strokes; all pain had vanished now, and was replaced by the pleasure from the prostate stimulation. I was moaning just as he had, infact probably even louder. He grabbed at my cock, and started to jack it, as he fucked; I knew he was getting closer from the sound of his groans, and the speed that he fucked me. Suddenly I spouted forth, my ass clamped down on his cock, which sent him over the edge. We both cried out.
We awoke later, Nic on top of me, and the condom still clinging to his cock, just.
"I love you Joe."
"And I love you Nic."
I saw that it was half six, there seemed no point in going back to sleep. We decided to shower, fortunately the showers were quite large and we could both fit in, it was tight though. We soaped each other up, and made sure that we were both clean, before lying on my bed, I had my bathrobe on, and Nic lay against me, with the robe encompassing him too.
"I'm sorry for being such a jerk."
"What about?"
"You're job, I was just pissed you didn't tell me; I didn't realise what it was."
"No problem man, I just didn't want people to know; it pays very well, and is just once a week, so it doesn't interfere with my classes or my social life."
I felt that we were reconciled again; we talked about nothing in particular until it was breakfast time. Nic slipped out of my room, I didn't really want to face coming out now; I left a couple of minutes later, we could easily sit together without anybody suspecting anything, we were good friends after all.
I walked into the canteen, there was never many people there for Sunday breakfast, but it was about half full. As I walked in a group of guys from the rooms near mine started to applaud. I had no idea what was going on. I got some food and started to walk towards the table where Nic was.
"Hey Joe." It was my neighbor Andre, we had been drinking together but were not the best of friends. "You sure were playing that girl last night. The noise of you was better than a porn flick."
We had been making so much noise they had heard our cries, and must have guessed what was happening; I went bright red.
"Hey man, no need to blush, with the sounds that were coming out of there you must be one hell of a lay. Who was the lucky girl." Fortunately they seemed to think that it was with a girl. I saw Nic, hearing their cries, he looked somewhat dejected; he had been my first lover, and now they were making him sound like a cheap tart. I walked up to his table, and sat down next to him; then with everybody looking, and asking who my 'girl' was; I leant over and kissed Nic long and deep. When we pulled apart, everybody's jaws were on the floor, apart from Nic who looked happier than I had ever seen him. I stood up.
"This is the 'girl' I was in bed with. Nic is the best lover a man could have."
I sat down again, and they look in stunned silence. After what seemed like an age, but had to be less than a few seconds, a couple of guys started to cheer; they were hard jocks, the last guys I thought would like a 'queer' in their hall; soon everbody joined in. Nic and I kissed again.
After breakfast we went for a walk, the gossip chain was working as several people congratulated me on coming out. I realised that Nic and I were not holding hands, so I grabbed his, now everybody who didn't know would do. We went back to my room, to talk, we decided that we wanted to be a couple, and that meant no other men, as for women, with the other's consent. Nic had some school work to do, so in the afternoon he went back to his room.
I spent a long time gazing at the ceiling in my room, elated at my new found status as a taken-man; and thinking about how wonderful Nic was, and how wonderful our relationship was going to be. Then I noticed a piece of paper on my desk, it was the credit card bill, I had paid a minimum and so had postponed until next month the inevitable day of judgement on my finances. All thought of Nic left my mind, I could think of nothing other than finding money which I did not have. Having had little sleep I dozed off thinking about it.
"Hey gorgeous." Nic had come into my room and was sitting next to me on the bed. My mind started to work properly again, and although my irrational thoughts of being put into prison for not paying my bills faded, they did not vanish totally.
"Hey Nic, lover." He kissed me.
"You looked so sweet lying there, I couldn't bring myself to wake you for a few minutes. What do you want to do for supper?"
"I was just going to stay here, after all the meals are covered in our term's rent."
"Sure baby, you look tired, partying round town probably wouldn't do you any good."
Nic moved to sit behind me, and I rested my head on his chest; he started to play with my hair, running his fingers through; we made small talk, it was mostly Nic saying how wonderful I was in just about every possible respect. Although I was enjoying his attention, I could not divorce my mind from the bill which would arrive soon for me, even larger than the last one. Suddenly Nic's hands stopped.
"What's up?"
"Sorry man?"
"Look Joe, you don't have to share all of your dark secrets with me, but if there is something wrong, something the matter, you can tell me."
"Nothing's wrong."
"I don't believe you. I have spent the last five minutes spouting nonsense, and you said nothing. I have just told you that Aristotle is a great advocate of democracy; I know you don't really like the politics, but surely even you know he calls democracy deviant. You've been distracted ever since I arrived, like you were still asleep."
"We didn't get much sleep last night, perhaps that's it. A cool shower and I'll be fine. You don't mind do you?"
"Not at all, anything to get my beloved boy-friend back. I'll just sit here."
I did actually have a shower, although I knew full well that still being drowsy from last night had nothing to do with it. I came back out, and lay on Nic again. I thought that everything would be better now, I would try to concentrate on him.
"What would you do if you found a wallet with loads of money in it?" At first I thought that this was one of Nic's occasion pseudo-morality pseudo-psychology tests; he liked to think that he could delve into people's minds.
"How much is loads of money? Does the wallet have twenty dollars in?" I usually tried to confuse the matter as a joke.
"No, I think that loads of money would be about six hundred and thirty eight dollars and eighty nine cents."
"What the fuck are you talking about."
"I told you, you find a wallet with six hundred and thirty eight dollars and eighty nine cents in it, what do you do?"
I was starting to get suspicious.
"Where does six hundred and whatever dollars come from?"
"I think you know." Suddenly I realised what had happened. "Look Joe, I'm your boy-friend, that means you can talk about anything you want with me, you can ask me about any problem you want. If you don't want to talk about something that's fine with me."
"What the fuck were you doing looking through my desk?" I was really pissed with Nic.
"Look man, I couldn't help but notice. I just want to help you..."
"Then fuck off. Look man, I don't need anybody fussing round me, reading my bills."
Nic just walked out looking like a kid whose pet dog has just been run over.
I threw myself on the bed and cried, eventually falling asleep sometime in the early hours. My alarm rang at seven, it was Monday and I had early lectures. I felt like shit, but I knew that I had to go. I dragged myself to the shower, and felt numb as the water flowed over me. I pulled on clothes at random, not caring what I looked like. I was about to leave when I noticed a note pushed under my door.
"Dear Joe,
"I would like to explain what happened yesterday. After you went into the shower, I wanted to read your Rousseau book, there were papers all over your desk, and a pile of books underneath; I was moving the papers, and noticed your credit card bill, I know that you don't have that sort of money, they way you got pissed when I bought you dinner made me think there was something wrong, and when I saw the bill I guessed what it was. I promise that I wasn't looking through your papers, it just caught my eye as it was on top of the pile. I was wrong to bring the subject up with you, and I can see why you are so pissed with me. If you don't want to see me again, then I have to accept that. I will stay away from class today so we don't have to meet, with my grades I'm sure I can move to another college, until then I'll try to avoid classes where we're together. I won't be able to stay in this town knowing that you are here, and that you don't want to see me.
"Before I finish, I have to say one last time that I love you, and I know that this will feel less bad after some time, but I doubt that I will stop loving you.
"Nicodemus J. Kellar."
I stumbled off to me classes with more tears in my eyes. I was still pissed at Nic, but I knew that I had fucked up badly. All through the morning I took nothing in from my classes, and at the lunch break I went back to my dorm. There was another note.
"Dear Joe,
"I managed to get a place at a college up-state; I start there next week and I'm going home until then.
"N.J.K."
I collapsed on my bed, I would have cried even more, but it seemed as though all of my tears were already spent. There was a knock at the door. I looked up, the sky was getting dark, I must have been lying there for hours. The knock again.
"Joe, it's Andre here, are you in there?"
"Yeah, come in, it's open."
Andre walked in, his eyes seemed to be full of concern.
"You missed class this afternoon; so did Nic, and now he says he's leaving." He paused. "I don't want to stick my nose in where it's not wanted, but, if you want to talk, or if there's a problem, then I'm here."
I knew that trying to pretend that everything was fine would be pointless, but I couldn't talk at that point.
"Can you give a couple of minutes?"
"Sure, you want a coffee?"
"Yeah."
Andre walked out, and I tried to pull myself together. My guts felt as though that had been put through a food mixer. Andre walked back in with two coffees, he gave one to me, and sat on the bed next to me.
"I hate to say it, but you look like shit man."
"I feel even worse." The coffee was strong, and started to have an effect on me straight away.
I started to tell Andre about what happened, the whole story of Nic and me, starting with my credit card bill, and him buying me dinner, and finishing with the two notes under my door. Andre merely made supportive sounding noises on occasions.
"I fucked up great this time didn't I?"
I noticed that Andre's arm was round my shoulders, not like a lover, but as a comforter; he was totally straight in fact he was engaged to marry his girl-friend of several years, and being secure with his sexuality didn't mind showing emotion to other men.
"Nothing is ever easy with human emotions."
"Yeah but this is fucking crap."
"Do you know the story of how I got engaged?"
"No."
"It's long and boring, but at one point both of us left the state, and Gemma was about to go to England. We had had the worst argument ever; then a friend asked me one question: 'do you love her?', I thought about it for two days solidly, then I went to Florida where she was staying. When she saw me we both started to cry, now we're going to get married."
"Yeah, but this is different."
"How?"
I paused, I knew that it was different, but I couldn't think of a good reason.
"Look, just because you're both guys it makes no difference. Just ask yourself one question: do you still love him?"
Andre then walked out. My mind went into a blur.
I woke up, everything looked wrong, it wasn't my room. The room was dark, but there was a light in the corner very dim; it was like my room, but the posters were different.
"Are you awake?" A voice, familiar, but whose?
"Where am I?"
"You're in my room; you came round in an even worse state, then fell asleep." I suddenly realised that it was Andre's room. "I hope you don't mind, but I took off your clothes to make you more comfortable. My room-mate has borrowed the spare bed in your room." I started to get up. "Hey, you're still tired; you need rest."
"No. I need to go. Where are my clothes."
Andre pointed, and I grabbed them and dressed. I walked down to my car, and started to drive, not really knowing where. It was dark outside, and the clock on the dash said it was half past four. Without realising I got onto the highway, and started to drive south in earnest. Eventually I realised that I didn't know where I was going. I pulled over and put my hand into my jacket pocket where my cell-phone was, I noticed a piece of paper, and got it out.
"Joe, I thought this might be useful for you, Andre. Nicodemus J. Kellar lives at 1154 Jefferson Drive..." I stopped reading, and said aloud. "You bastard." Andre had put Nic's address into my pocket, he knew that I would be going to find him. Now that I knew where I was going, I drove quickly, breaking the speed limit all the way. I arrived at the house at half past six, too early. I just slumped over the steering wheel and went to sleep.
I was awoken by the sound of two cars pulling away quickly; one had a man and a woman in it, I guessed they were Nic's parents, and the other had a young guy who looked very like Nic, probably his brother; the whole family must be alike, always running late. I looked around, and saw that the front door was open; then I saw a figure inside, he was dressed in a pair of boxer shorts, and a T-shirt. My eyes, still half asleep, started to focus; eventually I realised that it was Nic. Knowing that I had to do something, but not knowing what. I got out of the car, as I started to walk towards the house, he noticed me, and started to run towards me. We met and hugged each other not separating for at least ten minutes.
"I'm so sorry man. I was wrong to get pissed at you. I still love you, can we make it up?" I was just saying everything that came into my head. Nic simply said four words.
"I love you Joe."
The rest of the story is simple, we lived happily ever after, or rather we are living happily ever after. Nic came back with me to college, and he moved into my room for the rest of the year, then we shared an apartment with Andre for the rest of the course. Nic got me a job with the strippers' troupe, we did a double act, I managed to live a great life throughout college. Now, we work in the same office, we're both training as architects; we live together, and are happier than I could ever have imagined.