Author's Note – Thank you for reading my story and welcome to the FINAL CHAPTER of this, book three of The Kingswood Saga. Your support throughout this story has been wonderful and is always appreciated. Please see the note at the end for what's coming next...
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The Kingswood Effect
Chapter 43
Saturday 25 June 2022
The moments following the explosion were some of the most terrifying the large gathering of students would ever experience. Nobody knew what had happened. Actually that's not necessarily true. They knew what had happened, the Home Building had just exploded and now stood ablaze. What nobody knew was why. Why had it exploded? Were the other buildings at risk of doing the same? Was this an accident or deliberate? There were other priorities before that.
To their credit, the staff and faculty jumped into immediate action, attempting to calm and organise the massive crowd of terrified local and visiting students. Instructions were being shouted all over the place, adult voices competing to be heard as the group segregated out. The seven visiting schools gathered their students together in separate areas, while the Kingswood boys were urged to follow the instructions that had been drilled into them during their bi-annual fire drills.
Forming orderly lines organised by dorm, starting from Year 7 and up to Year 13, the Kingswood boys arranged themselves quickly, all scared and shaken but leaning on each other for support. As distressing as this was for the visitors, for the Kingswood boys it wasn't just a building on fire, it was their home!
Teachers assigned to each year began taking a register to make sure everybody was present who needed to be, while others had ventured off towards the fire to seek out any stragglers who had not been at the play at the time of the explosion, directing them to the assembly point.
Chris and Danny had taken a second longer than most to register what had happened. They had been on the stage at the time, mere centimetres away from what would have been their first kiss. The massive boom hadn't really even registered until they heard the screams and shouts from the terrified audience, shaking them back to a very unwelcome reality.
The dorm 1.09 boys had lined up quickly, Josh clinging to Rob, while Nicky had a tight grip on both Mikey and David as Danny and Chris stood together, staring in horror as the building in the distance burned. With dorm 1.10 lined up to their side, it took them a moment to realise what was happening just beyond their neighbours.
"Where's Adrian?" Those two words struck fear into the entire Year group. It was Tommy Lewis, Adrian's best friend, who had left the line of dorm 1.11 boys to try and look for the missing boy amongst the rest of Year 9.
"Where was he sitting?" "He didn't come?" "Good, he's not welcome!" "HE'S MISSING, YOU TWAT!" "Has anyone seen him?" The comments were loud and jumbled but the overall conversation seemed to remain vaguely audible.
"Okay, has anyone seen Adrian Rivera?" Mr Verity, who was assigned as the Year 9 fire warden, asked loudly over the panicked boys.
"Sir, he didn't want to be around anyone," Tommy said, looking distraught.
"He was here!" Danny said, turning all eyes to him. "Right before the show, he was here, I was talking to him!"
Mr Verity rushed towards Danny and asked firmly, "Did he say anything about where he was going? Or did you see where he went?" He tried to move Danny aside, keen to avoid involving the entire year and potentially causing more panic.
"Sir, he was heading back towards the school," Danny said shakily, then something came to him and his eyes widened. It was a horrible feeling, but something he wasn't sure he should say... though the circumstances overrode his trepidation as he explained, "He said something about... his problems not being... problems for long. It... might not mean anything!"
"Or it might!" Mr Verity said with a nod, patting Danny on the back. "Thank you Danny. You can rejoin the others!" The teacher looked to the group and said, "Okay everyone, please stay put and try to stay calm, I need to report this. I'll be right back!"
"Danny. Danny, what was it?" Kyle suddenly asked, pushing through the small crowd. "Where is he? Where's Adrian?"
"Oh, like you care!" Tommy spat angrily.
"YES I FUCKING CARE!" Kyle screamed back at him then turned to Danny again and asked frantically, "What did he say? Where is he, Danny?"
"I... I don't know," Danny replied, reaching out to put a hand on Kyle's shoulder. "I don't know, but... but they'll find him!"
"It's your fault he's not here!" Tommy said furiously, shoving Kyle.
Kyle shoved back and a slight kerfuffle started, though the boys were soon pulled apart by their friends and kept apart.
"Danny," Chris said softly, leaning in close, though there was no need as everyone's attention was still on the other two. "Y... yesterday, when... when Adrian spoke to me he said... he said something about us never talking again!"
"Yeah, he said something similar to me!" Danny said shakily, then suddenly looked haunted as he said, "He mentioned Josh too... and when he was in trouble!"
Chris stared back for a moment and asked shakily, "You don't think... he did this, do you?"
"No!" Danny said, shaking his head. "Even on his worst day... which... might actually BE today, he wouldn't risk hurting other people like this, but... fuck, I don't know. I'm scared!"
"Yeah, me too," Chris replied, pulling Danny into a hug. "Should we... go look for him?"
"Nuh-uh," Danny said, shaking his head. "I've... I've fucked up too much this year trying to sort things out myself. The teacher's know he's missing, they'll sort it, we're just gonna... do as we're told, stay here and stay safe!"
"Okay," Chris replied, giving Danny another squeeze before they moved back over to the others. "How you guys doing?" he asked the rest of the dorm.
"Really loving the special effects in your play, Chris. Your budget musta been huge!" Nicky joked.
"Nicky..." David said, shaking his head at the humour.
"Look, I'm either joking or I'm crying right now and believe me, nobody's night is being improved by seeing me ugly cry!" Nicky said, visibly upset.
"Yeah, if he starts, I probably will too," Chris agreed with a nod, and immediately felt Danny grasp his hand. He frowned a little as he looked at Nicky then nodded ahead of the group to where Mikey was standing alone, staring beyond the crowd of frantic teachers to where the building continued to burn.
"Hey, Mikey, you doing okay there?" Nicky called out.
Mikey didn't move.
"Mikey?" Nicky repeated, but when he got nothing, he let go of David, who instead gripped onto Danny. He stepped forward and moved to Mikey's side, peering round to look at his face.
Pale and trembling, Mikey was transfixed by the burning building, his expression somewhere between horrific dismay and abject confusion.
"Mikey, come on, talk to me," Nicky urged him softly as he placed his hand on his best friend's back.
"He... he's... laughing!" Mikey said, barely above a whisper. "It's all burning and... he's laughing!"
Nicky looked round in confusion. There was certainly a lot of noise around them, particularly as the sound of approaching sirens grew louder, adding to the cacophony, but none of it was laughter. "Mikey, nobody's laughing!" he said, shaking his head a little.
"You can't hear him. Nobody can hear him. Nobody but me, but he's laughing and he won't stop!" Mikey insisted. "It's all burning. All our stuff, our home... everything we've done and he thinks it's hilarious and he WON'T SHUT UP!" He shrieked the last few words, drawing attention from the already scared boys around them.
Nicky grabbed hold and pulled Mikey close. "It's okay, Mikey, it's okay!" he said softly, not sure what was happening, but knowing he needed to comfort his friend. "It's okay," he repeated, holding on tightly.
"HE'S HERE!" someone suddenly called out.
Everyone looked round at once to see Mr Verity returning with Adrian at his side. The teen cringed a little as he felt so many eyes on him. Already being the target of a whole range of hate and disdain for the past week, this was the last thing he needed.
"Adrian!" Kyle said shakily as he stepped forward. As the rest of the Year watched, Kyle charged forward and wrapped himself around Adrian, hugging him fervently.
"Thank fuck for that," Danny gasped to Chris, relieved to see his fears had been unfounded.
The area was suddenly bathed in flashing blue lights as a line of fire engines sped round the corner and passed the large assembly area, headed for the school.
"All students present and accounted for!" one of the teachers called out.
Blane suddenly appeared from the crowd and grabbed Chris, wrapping himself around his little brother. "And you!" he added, reaching out to pull Danny in to join them. "I'm so glad you're both okay!"
"Well fuck the rest of us, I guess!" Josh said with a smirk.
"Shut up!" Blane laughed as he let go of the other two and opened his arms out to take any of the other students who wanted him.
"What happened to `no touching my brothers'?" Danny asked with a smirk as he stood beside Chris.
Chris just shook his head, glad to see everyone was okay.
Eventually free from a very relieved Kyle as well as his dormmates, Adrian approached Danny and Chris sheepishly.
"I'm glad you're okay," Danny said honestly. "Did Mr Verity mention..."
"What I'd said?" Adrian finished the question, then nodded. "Yeah, he did!"
"Sorry, I... I hope that doesn't make things awkward for you. It was just me panicking over nothing!" Danny apologised.
"I panicked too!" Chris added, knowing he had misread some comments too.
"You... weren't panicking over nothing," Adrian said quietly, looking round, worried who might overhear. As he saw the coast was clear he went on, "Not entirely anyway!"
Chris and Danny looked at each other nervously.
"Don't worry. It passed!" Adrian said with a nod. "Yesterday, when I... I mentioned Josh!"
"Oh my god, you... you were... thinking of... hurting yourself?" Danny asked, looking horrified.
Adrian frowned and shook his head, but said, "No, well... it was like a brief two second thing but what you said kinda... snapped me out of it, but... it was there, just for a second and it scared me!"
"Fuck, it scares me too!" Chris said honestly. "Wait, then why did you say..."
"I'm leaving!" Adrian interjected quickly. "Or rather... I was! I mean, I was planning to. I realised that if being here was making me think that sort of thing, I probably shouldn't be here. That's where I was when the explosion happened, I was off talking to my parents about switching schools!"
"Don't!" Chris said firmly, reaching out to grab Adrian's shoulder. "I mean... not cos of... the ME stuff anyway. I... well... you're a cunt and I might... kick the shit out of you another time for it but... it's not worth hurting yourself over and not worth leaving for!"
"You... you sure?" Adrian asked shakily.
Chris sighed as both the others looked at him. "Very!" he said, with a meek smile. "I can't speak for Kyle..."
"He said he loves me!" Adrian said, finally venturing a slight smile. "When he hugged me just now, he said he loves me! I'm not saying we're good or we're gonna get back together, but... I dunno, I guess that," he gestured to the fire, "Kinda... puts things in perspective about what actually matters, doesn't it!"
Danny and Chris exchanged a momentary glance, both nodding briefly.
Sunday 26 June 2022
The firefighters had worked through the night to put out the various fires throughout the Home Building. The visitors from the other seven schools had gathered up their belongings quickly to clear out and head home, the last of the coaches leaving shortly after 10pm.
The Kingswood boys had taken temporary shelter in the Sports Complex, with the sprawling layout of the school grounds meaning it was quickly cleared of any significant risk of the fire spreading. Over the following few hours, as dorms were prepared for them in the guest building, the boys moved over to turn in for the night, starting with the youngest and eventually finishing with the Year 13s who got into bed at about 1am.
While none of the students or faculty had expected to get much rest, the shock, excitement and tragedy of the evening had exhausted most of them more than they realised and sleep had eventually taken most of them. In the dorm that Danny, Chris and their friends has been assigned, nobody had slept alone. Josh and Rob had paired up, Nicky had been sticking close to Mikey since his distressing moment earlier in the evening and had ended up sleeping with him too, Danny and Chris had adopted their usual sleeping arrangements and David had been joined by James, who snuck out of his own dorm to look after his boyfriend, though he seemed to need the company just as much.
They were all awoken early by the sound of a ringing phone. Each of them had been in contact with their parents late in the evening, so they were all aware of what was happening and had been advised to stand by for further updates from the school, so it seemed unlikely it was any of them. "It's me!" Chris said sleepily as he realised his was the offending device. "Hello?" he groaned, eyes too unfocused to even read the screen before he answered.
"Chris, it's me!" Mark replied as his face appeared on-screen.
"Mark! Oh my god! Hi!" Chris said, suddenly sitting up.
"What happened?" Mark demanded. "I was watching the play, then there was this loud bang and then David said he'd call me back!"
"Oh my god, I forgot to call Mark back!" David suddenly yelped from across the room, next to a disgruntled-looking James.
"Hold up a sec," Chris said, positioning the phone so Mark could see them all.
"Mark, I'm so sorry!" David called out. "I totally forgot!" He looked to Chris and explained, "I didn't want him to miss your performance, so I video called him to let him watch it!"
"Yeah, then... boom. What the fuck happened?" Mark demanded. "And... where are you?" he asked, leaning in to look more closely at his phone.
"Oh, we're in the Guest Building," David explained. "The Home Building kinda burned down!"
"Ha ha, very funny," Mark said flatly. "What happened?" As the others stared at him, straight-faced, his eyes widened and he gasped, "No! Shit, seriously? Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, all students, teachers and staff accounted for," David replied.
"It's a freaking miracle. The place really went up!" Chris said, shaking his head.
"Shit, man," Mark said in utter disbelief. "Any idea what happened?"
"Not yet," Danny replied as he sat up between the other two. "We should know more about what's happening later!"
Mark stared at the screen for a moment, then nodded as he looked a little withdrawn. "Okay," he said softly. "Chris, can we talk privately for a bit."
"Sure, one sec!" Chris said as he reached for the floor and grabbed a t-shirt. He pulled it on and grabbed the phone as he wandered out of the dorm.
"Well it's still standing!" Nicky said as he moved over to the window and opened the curtains to look at the damaged building across the school grounds.
"Yeah, not surprising," Rob replied. "The way that place is built, it'd take a freaking nuke to actually knock it down. I reckon even the fire won't have done that much damage, it's mostly made of stone!" Rob looked at the mix of confused and surprised comments. "I know buildings, okay!" he shrugged, unashamed of his architectural interests.
"Looks pretty damaged to me!" Nicky sighed. He glanced to Mikey who looked almost as shaken as he had the night before. He returned to the bed they had shared and sat down at his side as the others started chatting around the dorm. "Morning," he said softly, placing a hand on his leg. "You okay?"
Mikey went to answer, but no sound came out as his mouth moved, as if he couldn't figure out what to say. He scowled as he looked down at his fidgeting hands before his gaze flicked off to the side for the briefest moment before he forced himself to stop. "I... I don't know," he said shakily.
Nicky reached out and brushed the soft ginger hair away from Mikey's face, letting his hand slide round the side to cup his neck gently. "Mikey, please, tell me what's going on in there!" he pleaded quietly.
"I... can't," Mikey replied, shaking his head a little.
Nicky frowned back at him and asked, "Can't because you don't know how to explain it, or can't cos something's stopping you? Or... something else?"
Mikey raised his hand to wipe a single tear from the corner of his eye, then cleared his throat, trying to make out he wasn't crying as he said, "All of them, I think! I'm sorry!" He let Nicky hold him for a few moments then whispered shakily, "Nicky, I think something's wrong with me!"
"It's okay, bud. We'll figure it out, I promise!" Nicky whispered back, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"You ready for this?" David asked as he held up his phone.
"Yeah, do it!" Rose said, nodding back on screen.
David tapped a button and the call switched to the rear camera, giving Rose a view of the Home Building, its windows all blown out with large black smears emerging from many of them where flames and smoke had billowed out, painting the walls above with soot.
"Oh my god," Rose gasped. "That's horrible! I'm so glad you're all okay!"
"Yeah, us too," David replied as he switched the camera back and wandered on across the grounds, glancing over at James who was strolling along nearby. "Honestly I'm just glad something big happened and none of my dorm were involved for once!" he joked.
"Yeah, I know right," Rose chuckled in return. "So what are they gonna do?"
"We don't know," David replied. "The Guest Building's got room for us all and the School Building wasn't damaged, so I don't know if they might just have us stay where we are now and finish the term. James reckons they'll send us home."
Rose smiled slightly as she said cautiously, "I noticed you're using a lot of... we' and not I' lately!"
"Oh," David blushed a little. "You... did?"
"What can I say, I pay attention to pronouns!" Rose said with a grin. "My gran actually referred to me as `she' for the first time yesterday. It was... kinda cool!"
"Awesome!" David said happily, but the smile faded a little as he said, "Erm, but... yeah, I guess... `we' has been... coming up more!"
"Mmm-huh," Rose hummed, raising an eyebrow.
"You know, don't you?" David asked sheepishly.
Rose openly laughed now. "I may not still go to Kingswood, but I'm still linked in on the gossip network," she joked. "You really think I wouldn't find out my ex-boyfriend is dating someone?"
"Yeah, that's what James said would happen," David said awkwardly. "I'm... sorry I didn't tell you sooner!"
Rose shook her head as she replied, "It's okay, I get why you didn't, but... David... I'm happy for you!"
"Yeah?" David asked, venturing a slight smile.
"I love you, David," Rose said bluntly. "Maybe... not so much in the romantic way anymore, but I do and... you two are so perfect together!"
"We've only agreed to a year!" David blurted out, unsure why he felt the need.
Rose frowned at the comment and said, "You've... you've only..." She stopped, laughing for a moment before she said,. "Yeah, like I said, perfect together!"
"I miss you, ya know," David said shyly, "A lot!"
"Yeah, me too," Rose nodded. "But... you seem happy, ya know, aside from that whole disastrous fire thing, and I'm happy, so... yeah, I think as break-ups go, this one's about as successful as it gets!"
"Ha, a break-up with a happy ending. I gotta rub that one in James' face!" David said smugly, thinking back over their many conversations about relationships. "Never mind, private joke," he said to a confused Rose. "Anyway, gotta go... catch up again soon."
"Yeah, say his to everyone for me," Rose replied before blowing a kiss and hanging up.
"All good?" James asked as he approached.
David sighed as he peered once again at the damaged building, now barriered off to keep people at a safe distance. He let James loop an arm though his own and smiled as he thought about Rose. "Yeah," he said contentedly. "All good now!"
"Hey," Danny said as he approached Chris, having found him sitting round the back of the Guest Building. "They're serving breakfast," he said, gesturing in its general direction.
"Danny," Chris said, looking round at him, frowning a little. "Why did Brian break up with you?" he asked sternly.
Danny froze for a moment, then gave an unhappy look as he asked, "Do we really need to do this now?"
"Yes!" Chris said bluntly as he stood. "Yes we do, because my boyfriend just broke up with me and he seems pretty convinced that his reason for breaking up with me is the same as Brian's reason for breaking up with you!"
"What... was HIS reason?" Danny asked, a little taken aback by the revelation and question all in one.
"What was Brian's reason?" Chris retorted.
"What was Mark's?" Danny asked petulantly.
"Danny!" Chris snapped angrily.
"Come on, we..." Danny started, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. "We should go get breakfast. We can talk about this later!"
"No, we can talk about it now!" Chris said firmly, taking a step towards Danny.
"Look, I... I don't know what you want me to say!" Danny said evasively.
"The truth!" Chris demanded.
"The truth? You can't handle the truth!" Danny said back, then gave an awkward grin as he said, "No? Tom Cruise? It's a meme from an old movie. Not a fan?" Chris just stared, edging closer. "Maybe... if you want to know YOUR mentor's reasons, you should ask HIM!" he said, keen to avoid any further conversation.
"I'm asking YOU!" Chris said, another step closer. They were now within arm's reach of each other. "Danny... last night... before... well, just BEFORE, I... felt something!"
"Probably... a shockwave," Danny said, still deflecting.
"FUCK'S SAKE Danny!" Chris yelled. "Stop joking. Stop... avoiding, just... STOP!" They stared into each other for several moments. One more step closer. They were almost touching now. "Please!" he whispered.
"I..." Danny started, but the words caught in his mouth. He let his gaze drop, staring down at the ground through the small gap between them and said, "I can't!" He held for a moment, then turned as he said, "I'm sorry!" and ran back around the building.
Nicky sat down on the grass, then flopped back to lie down, arms spread out to his sides as he stared up into the perfect, cloudless sky above. He let out a sigh, somewhere between relief and contentment. He had spent the morning sticking close to Mikey but had now left him hanging out with Harley and Josh, the three boys seeming quite happy hanging out together, despite the slight cloud still looming heavily over Mikey.
"Hey Matt," Nicky started, pausing to smile as he pictured his twin, just as he always did when they `spoke' now. "Sorry it's been a while." He paused and frowned a little and said, "Actually... I'm not sorry. That's something Dr Arkwright said might happen and it's probably a good sign if it does. It's not like I'm forgetting you, that's... well, I couldn't ever, but... yeah, these talks have been a huge help, I just don't think I need quite so much... help as I used to!"
He took a moment to breathe in deeply. The air was fresh as a gentle breeze blew across the open area, but there was a slight smell of cut grass from the trim that had been done in preparation for the SCIPS weekend, mixed with the unmistakable hint of burning, left over from the fire. He let his fingers grasp slightly at the tickly grass beneath his fingers and listened to rustle of the wind through the nearby trees, broken by occasional shouts from the activities going off in the distance at the Sports Complex. It had become habit to do that sort of thing during his times alone – mindfulness techniques – a calming tool for anxiety he hadn't even KNOWN was anxiety until he started therapy.
"So it's kinda looking a bit like we may be cutting the year short, which isn't the worst thing as far as classes go, but... kinda sucks cos it'd mean a really long time without hanging out with everyone. Oh yeah, it's kinda because our home burned down last night. It was... hard to see. I was actually kinda surprised just how hard. I get why Mikey and Mark and maybe even Josh are so ridiculously attached to this place, because they think of it as their only REAL home, but... I'm not like that. Things with mum and dad are definitely different since you left, but not in a bad way. I love going home and I love mum and dad, but... I dunno." He paused to raise his head and glance at the Home Building. "It was painful to see the building burn and it still hurts just to look at and if you tell anyone I said that, I'll kick you in your ghostly balls... which I know won't hurt, but it's the principle of it. This place just means so much to me and it's helped me... become me!"
Nicky huffed as he shook his head. "I'm just kinda rambling now, sorry Matt. I know we've all changed since we came here, but... I really feel like I'm just a totally different person now. All the things that used to... kinda rule my life aren't really there anymore. I used to be happy on my own and now when I don't have anyone else around it just feels weird. Oh, I've even given up diving, which... actually feels good, in a strange way."
He rolled onto his stomach and pulled his hands in, crossing them to rest his chin on top as he stared away from the school and towards the woodlands. "Next year's gonna be so different. Not just cos the place burned down, but because... I dunno, it feels like we're levelling up. We move up to the second floor, we start our GCSEs, we start mentoring a year seven. It's all amazing stuff but I'm going into that as... ugh, I don't wanna say `the new me' as that sounds like something someone's mum'd put on a shitty facebook post with a picture of a Minion, but that's kinda how it feels. But... for once, I think about all that new stuff and I'm not scared of it, I'm excited!"
He turned his head to let his cheek rest on his crossed hands and closed his eyes as the wind fluttered across him for a moment. "It's not all good though. Angel told me recently he thinks Danny's being bullied, and the more I think about it, the more I think he's right, which... is horrible. Not just that it's happening, but that I'm right here and I didn't even see it." He paused to sigh again. "And then there's Mikey. Ugh, this morning he said... he thinks there's something wrong with him. I... I think he's right. He's always been quirky, I've told you that before, but I dunno, this feels a bit like the Danny thing, something that's right under my nose and I've just... not seen it! Is it me? Am I just oblivious to this stuff or... maybe... too caught up in myself."
Nicky shook his head and turned, sitting back up. "No. Nope. Not happening. Not going there. Dr Arkwright always says blame never achieves anything. If I didn't notice before now, oh well, can't change that, but now I'm aware I can try and help. If things are wrong... I'll help fix them. Yeah," he nodded firmly. "Yeah, channel my inner Angel and... start helping people. Ugh, he's so sweet. He just wants to help so much. I know he still feels guilty about last year, even after all this time. Working with him on the bullying thing was... well, it had its ups and downs and... I guess it kinda proves not everything's gonna go the way you expect it to, but if nothing else it's given me a new friend and helped me see the issue with Danny. Definite win in my book! Oh, and David and James FINALLY got together too and I swear they are so adorkably cute together."
Nicky frowned thoughtfully for a moment and said quietly, "I thought me and Mikey were gonna get back together, but... it kinda looks like that's off the table, which... isn't the worst thing in the world. I loved dating him, but I think I'll be happy just so long as he's in my life. Besides, now I get to send this `new me' out into the big, scary dating world of Kingswood. I'm sure that can only end well!"
"This year has been... I don't know. Oh, yes I do. I've told you before about my... umm... I guess you'd call it a theory or something – The Kingswood Effect. It's what this place does to you, it's how this place makes you feel, it's how we all fight and argue and fuck and love and look out for each other. I think that's what this year has been. We've just been... living out The Kingswood Effect. Is it good, is it bad? It's probably a bit of both. Anyway, I've rambled on WAAAAY longer than I meant to, so... bye for now. Love you bro!"
He flopped back down onto the grass, smiling contentedly as he enjoyed the beautiful day.
Meetings with mentors took place on a weekly basis for most students. While technically a requirement, most did it simply because they wanted to, rather than it being forced, enjoying the time to chat and catch up. Considering the events of the past 24 hours (and seeking a way to keep two hundred antsy teens occupied) meetings had been mandated for that afternoon. For most, it was welcome, for Danny... not so much!
Joseph stared at Danny's back. They had met on the back lawn, where various pairs were dotted about, partly to enjoy the pleasant weather (and check out the extent of the fire damage), but mostly because meeting places were somewhat restricted with the Home Building unavailable. Danny had not spoken a word since he arrived and wouldn't even look at his mentor.
"Is this... gonna go on for the whole time?" Joseph eventually asked.
Danny answered with motionless silence.
"I've told you this before, but I had nothing to do with Brian's decision!" Joseph insisted.
Still nothing.
"We don't even need to talk about that," Joseph said hopefully. "Last night was pretty rough on all of us. I'd really like to know how you're doing!"
Danny didn't respond at all.
Joseph took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm just gonna talk then and if you want to stop me, then... you'll just have to talk to me to do it!" he said provocatively. "Well... last night was... awful," he said, pausing to sniffle slightly. "I've lived in that building for almost six years!" he stopped again, taking a deep breath in that came back out in jarred shudders.
Danny moved slightly, almost turning but not quite.
"I've had the BEST days of my life in there as well as some of the worst," Joseph explained, sighing heartily. "I know it's JUST a building and the stuff in there is just... ya know, THINGS. Nobody died but I still feel like... like part of us did and even though I just know they're already planning to work their Kingswood magic and get it all fixed and shiny and new, it... fuck, it shouldn't be this hard. It's just a building!" He stopped, raising a hand to hold the bridge of his nose as he fought the constant urge to cry.
After taking a few moments to compose himself, Joseph wiped his eyes with the heels of his palms then opened them to find Danny sat facing him.
"It's not just a building," Danny said softly, "It's our home!"
Joseph nodded back silently.
"So are you together now?" Danny asked, staring accusingly. As Joseph stared back, Danny went on, "That was what you wanted, right? Us broken up so you could have him!"
"Okay, well, first of all, we're not together, secondly, I never wanted you to break up and thirdly... you..." Joseph hesitated for a moment. "You seem to be misremembering what I told you!"
"You're in love with my boyfriend!" Danny said accusingly, then pouted a little as he said, "My... EX boyfriend!"
"And you! I said I was in love with YOU too." Joseph said firmly. "You seem to keep forgetting that part, but have I started dating YOU since you broke up?"
Danny scowled, annoyed by the logic as he said, "No!" He held for a moment before he asked, "Did he... actually tell you why he dumped me?"
Joseph considered lying for a moment, but decided against it and nodded.
"It's... it's bullshit!" Danny insisted.
"Is it?" Joseph asked.
"Yes!" Danny snapped.
"Is it?"
"Yes!"
"Yeah but... really," Joseph continued, despite the obvious annoyance in Danny's tone, "Is it?"
"I swear, I'm gonna punch you!" Danny growled.
Joseph smirked, but it dropped quickly as he said, "He's hurting!" As he saw Danny go to react. "I know what you're gonna say, and this was HIS choice so he brought it on himself, but... you should know he's... he's hurting badly. I mean, it's Brian so nobody has a fucking clue cos that's just how well he hides stuff, but... it's bad! I'm not asking you to forgive him or feel sorry for him, but I thought it was important that you know this wasn't easy for him!"
Danny looked annoyed but remained silent.
"But if we're done talking about disasters and break-ups... it kinda looks like we're being sent home, which kinda means... year nine's basically over for you," Joseph explained. "How does THAT feel?"
"It's not exactly the ending I hoped for," Danny pouted a little.
"No, I can imagine not," Joseph said with a sympathetic head bob. "But... year ten... big change. I always got told you really feel your age when the boy you mentor BECOMES a mentor and I never really believed it, but now..."
"I know. Crazy, right?" Danny said, chuckling nervously. "I can think of about a million ways I'm not ready for it!" he admitted.
"That's okay, I can probably list TWO million ways you are," Joseph said back proudly.
"Thanks," Danny said meekly.
"Look," Joseph said, frowning a little. "I know... fuck, I was gonna say it's been a hard couple of weeks for you, but that's really understating it," he paused and got a nod from Danny, "And I know things between us... could be better." Another nod. "So... thank you, for talking to me, but maybe we leave it there for today. We can give it some time and assuming we do go home, maybe do a video call next week some time and really get into this whole year ten thing. Whadda you say?"
"That's... a pretty good idea," Danny said, beginning to feel a little bad for blanking his mentor since the break-up.
While they would usually hug when saying hello or goodbye, Joseph tentatively held out his fist. He got a meek smile back as Danny returned the fist bump.
"Where you heading now? Joseph asked, still a little concerned about where Danny's head was.
"I just... need to do some thinking," Danny replied, "I think I need to be alone!" He gave another meek smile and turned to walk away.
Dear Parents and Guardians of Kingswood
Following the terrible events last night, we have taken into consideration our Disaster Recovery Plan and, in consultation with the Parents Association have reached a decision about the remainder of the term.
While existing facilities do provide suitable accommodation and the School Building itself remains undamaged, the decision has been made to close the school early and release all students immediately. This is partly in consideration of the lack of suitable catering facilities, but also in anticipation of the major works we aim to get underway as soon as possible to repair the damage from the accident, in order to ensure the new school year can proceed unhindered.
GCSE and A-Level examinations have been fully completed, so no disruption will be caused to Year 11 and 13 students with that regard. Homework for all subjects will be assigned to cover the three-week period being missed and arrangements have been made to ensure students retain online access to their teachers for assistance up to the scheduled end of the school year.
We understand this may present an inconvenience to some families and arrangements have been made to provide a limited number of places for students unable to return home at this time. Should you wish to use this service, please contact our administrative team. Additionally, pro-rated boarding fees for the appropriate period will be reimbursed in due course.
Students will be available for collection immediately, but we request that you complete the online booking form found by clicking here to ensure we are aware of when to expect your arrival and ensure students are ready for collection.
In response to the questions we have already received with regard to the accident itself, while formal findings have not yet been published, initial indications show that the cause was a mechanical malfunction in our heating system, leading to a major gas incident. While it does not appear any human error is involved, please rest assured that the formal report will identify any faults or shortcomings. Further details to follow.
While we are truly fortunate to have experienced no serious injuries, we understand the fear and concern this incident has caused. Our administrative team are hard at work making individual contact with all parents and guardians to address any further questions you may have.
Thank you for your time and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Mr Trystan Everett Headmaster
"Wow, so... it's over!" Rob said before puffing out his cheeks to exhale slowly as he sat with some of the others in their temporary dorm. Only Danny and Chris were absent.
"Told ya!" James said with a shrug. It got him an elbow to the ribs from David, who he was currently wrapped around as they sat together on David's bunk. "What? I did!"
"Read the room!" David whispered back, looking round at the range of sad faces.
"Yeah, no," James said, shaking his head, much to David's annoyance. "You lot should be over the freaking moon!"
"Oh yeah. Yay. Our home burned down. Whoop-de-fucking-doo!" Josh said sarcastically, looking as annoyed as the others at the comment.
"Erm, correct me if I'm wrong," James started, then smirked and said, "Which I never am!" It got a collective eye roll. "But doesn't that mean you get to spend an extra three weeks at Jack's place... with the big brother you've been moping out losing soon!"
"Oh!" Josh said, smiling. "Yeah, I never thought of that!"
"And you're always bitching about `oh, I miss Milo so much', aren't you!" James said, shaking his head at Rob. "Well now you get to see him for an extra three weeks, and I already know you're planning on having however many of your boyfriends you've got now coming to see you!"
"It's only two!" Rob scowled, mostly annoyed that James had a point.
"And you two!" James said, looking at Nicky and Mikey. "You're positively splooging in your pants about spending the summer together, now it's just more time for that! So stop bloody moping!"
"Ya know, it's his delicate way with words I miss most since he left the dorm!" Nicky said sarcastically, getting laughs from the rest.
"A fun summer doesn't make up for the damage though! Think how much stuff we lost!" Mikey pouted.
"What, the explosion came from the kitchen area, so our side of the building probably didn't even take that big a hit. It's probably gonna be smoke damage at worst, and if you actually put your stuff away like you're supposed to, then it's probably not even got that!"
"So our stuff might be okay?" Mikey asked, suddenly perking up.
James shrugged. "Can't guarantee it, but it's definitely possible!"
David, who had looked annoyed at James at first, suddenly grinned at the rest of the group as he said, "My boyfriend's so smart!" He nuzzled up against the other boy.
"Ugh!" "Puke!" "Get a room!" the others groaned, with a pillow thrown their way at the same time.
Rob sat up and started, "Not to be a downer, but on the flip side of James'..." he paused to raise an eyebrow at the other boy, "...unusually optimistic perspective, I'll definitely miss wank time! Doing it in a silent room alone just seems... weird!" It got some nods and grunts of agreement.
"Yeah, you do like your crowds," James replied with a smirk. "Group wanks and throuples and all that!"
"You should try it. It's fun!" Rob said, grinning as he thought about his boyfriends.
"Oh my god, we should do it. I'll join you!" Josh said, jumping across the room to land heavily on top of David and James.
"Oh my god, how are you so small but still so heavy?" James grunted at the bottom of the pile.
"Yeah, I think that's mostly me!" David said with a snigger from the middle.
"Hardly!" James replied as he shoved a giggling Josh off the top of the pile and tried to sit back up. "You're, like, half the weight you were this time last year!"
"Yeah, and looking good with it too," Josh added, winking playfully before he suddenly looked worried and added, "Not that I didn't think you looked good before!"
"Nice save," David smirked, then looked to James and asked, "Can we keep him?"
"As a boyfriend, no. As a pet... sure, but you've got to walk him and clean up after him!" James joked.
"Aww, James doesn't want to share," Josh teased back. He grabbed David in a tight hug and said, "He wants widdle David ALL to himself!"
James raised a foot to slip in between the other two then shoved Josh away with it as he grabbed David and said, "Yes I do, and I'm not even remotely ashamed to admit it!"
"Can we wank?" Mikey asked abruptly. Everyone looked at him in stunned silence, so he added, "I know we're not all here and it's unlikely any of us will be gone by tonight, but... one last time, just in case? Even when we come back we won't all be in the same dorm anymore!"
"Should I... go?" James asked quietly.
"Nah, you may not be in the dorm anymore but you're still part of it!" Mikey said, looking round at the rest of group nostalgically.
"You wanna?" David asked, tilting his head back to look at James.
"Sure," James agreed. "It does seem kinda... right!"
"Great!" Josh said happily. He jumped back towards James and David, but this time pushed his way in between them.
"Erm, excuse me," James objected.
"What? Me and Davey always used to sit these things out. Now we're in, I wanna do it together too!" Josh insisted.
David chuckled and nodded, leaning against Josh as he said, "Yeah, in my case it wasn't always by choice!"
A few moments later, all six of the boys had their dicks out. Josh had pulled his shirt off too and tossed it aside, running a hand over his slender muscled torso as he winked playfully at David, who just giggled back.
"Jesus, I forgot about that!" James exclaimed as he stared over at Nicky and Mikey.
"Oh, yeah, he's really ginger, but you get used to it!" Nicky joked, giving Mikey a nudge, though he remained silent and just leaned more heavily against him in return.
"No," James frowned. "I meant your..."
"I knew what you meant," Nicky insisted. "And... thanks I guess!?"
"Put all our dicks together and yours would probably still be bigger," James commented, shaking his head. "Volume-wise, I mean, not collective length. That'd be more like..." he paused, looking round at everyone's dicks, now gripped in hands as they collectively stroked.
"Yeah, save it. We don't all find maths as sexy as you do!" Rob said with a wry grin.
"Speak for yourself!" David chimed in happily.
"Whatever. Just wank, okay!" Rob said back, happily looking across to the trio, then to the side at Nicky and Mikey. He sat stroking his own dick. The conversation had been a little nostalgic, and casting his mind back made him appreciate how much his dick had grown in the past couple of years. It seemed to have a spurt (of growth) back when puberty really kicked in, but had slowed down since. He was already above what he was repeatedly told was `average', but considering how quickly he seemed to be growing both upwards and outwards, he worried that it may begin to look a little small against his bulky frame.
Glancing over at Nicky's impressive cock, he couldn't help feeling quite jealous. He knew it had its disadvantages too. He already felt horrifically on show when they did swimming with his own modestly-sized package, so seeing Nicky's oversized tool stuffed into a speedo made him shudder from how embarrassing he would find it. But still, he would have loved to be equally endowed. Luke always seemed happy with what he had though, as did Jazz. He smiled again as he thought about them, wanking contentedly.
Josh sat masturbating casually, a hand occasionally raising up to play with a nipple, sniggering to himself as he thought about playing with Rob's and how much he knew it turned his best friend on... even when he didn't want to be turned on. Sitting between James and David felt nice, not just for the aforementioned bond to David, but also having James around again. They had hung out a lot in Year 8, when James had been helping tutor him, though that had stopped when he skipped ahead and Josh hadn't really noticed how much he missed him until he started hanging round with David again.
Wanking at a leisurely pace, his mind couldn't help wandering to his most frequent sexual partner... or former partner he should think of him now, Mr Rudd! He could still remember that first day he saw him, how he got a bizarre tingly feeling in his stomach at the sight of the burly man. It had started as curiosity, developed into attraction, grew into infatuation, blossomed into inappropriate affection and finally ended with an inexplicable but powerful paternal bond. He had agreed with the man that the sexual aspect of their time together was over and it actually felt nice to know that. He could wank with anyone, but he only had one `dad'!
As Nicky sat sliding his hand up and down the length of his meaty shaft, he couldn't help but appreciate the absence of self-consciousness. He still wouldn't do this out elsewhere in the school, but that was more about reasonable modesty and privacy than any kind of self-image issue. Yet doing it around his friends without feeling awkward, especially in actual daylight, it felt... liberating. A definite sign of how far he had come, which was rather fitting considering he was getting close to finding out how far he would cum!
To Nicky's side, Mikey sat held up tightly against him, wanking too and obviously enjoying it, but... quieter, not letting out his usual unashamed moans and groans.
James raised an arm and slipped it behind Josh, who leaned forward slightly to accommodate it. Getting a grin from the shirtless, wanking boy, James blushed and said, "I'm just... touching my boyfriend!" He grasped onto David's shoulder to try and emphasise the point.
"Mmm-huh, suuuure," Josh said with a snigger, but nestled against James, who didn't resist.
David could see the sweet moment but didn't say anything. Instead he just raised a hand to place on James' for a moment and smiled past Josh at him.
"Whoever cums first gets cum on by everyone else!" Josh suddenly called out.
"Nuh-uh!" "No way!" "No deal!" the other yelled out, but James and David exchanged knowing smiles.
"It's a deal!" James said. "You heard what he said. First to cum!" He suddenly stopped wanking and lopped the arm around Josh to pull him into a headlock as he grabbed an arm. On the other side, David grabbed his other one.
"Yessss!" Rob hissed excitedly as he realised the plan and jumped from his bunk, vaulting over to help hold down Josh's legs as he struggled.
"Awesome!" Mikey called out, suddenly looking more chipper as he and Nicky joined the others.
"You bastards. Geddoff!" Josh complained, though he was laughing as he said it, even as he felt his dick getting stroked.
"Is this okay?" James whispered in his ear.
He got a wink back from Josh who called out, "I hate you all!"
The whole group was laughing hysterically as David held a hand over Josh's mouth and Mikey frantically wanked him off.
"MMM! NNNNHH! KMMMM!" Josh groaned through the hand and a few moments later began to shoot, covering his tensing stomach and chest with a small but powerful series of spurts.
"Well, looks like Josh was first!" Rob said as he let go and resumed jerking himself off.
The other four released Josh too, leaving him lying on the bed red, sweaty and breathless, his hair messed up and his torso smeared with spunk. "I fucking... hate you... all!" he panted, scowling from one to the next before he gave a reluctant smirk and said, "But fine. I made the deal. Fucking get on with it!"
"Oh we are!" Mikey gasped happily, accentuating the point a moment later by cumming right in Josh's face.
"Ah come on. Right in the eye!" Josh complained, the eye shutting in response.
"Someone get the other one!" Mikey laughed.
"I'm on it!" David said as he knelt up and finished masturbating. As he grunted, cum dribbled from his cock, down over his hand and dripped down onto Josh's shoulder. "Aww, being a dribbler sucks!"
"Don't worry, I got ya!" James said, reaching out to pat his boyfriend on the arm. Overestimating how close he was, James had to stroke again for a good thirty seconds before he finally ejaculated. As promised, he got Josh in the other eye, getting more groans of complaint from the recipient, but cheers from the rest of the group.
"How about last one to cum licks him clean!" Nicky said, eyes flashing mischievously at Rob.
"Deal!" Rob said, his hand suddenly blurring from pumping away at his cock so fast. "Shit shit shit shit shit," he groaned as he saw Nicky kneel forwards and begin to shoot. Seeing the massive load spurt from Nicky's enormous todger pushed Rob over the edge too, albeit just a little too late.
The two sizeable loads together covered Josh, making audible splashing sounds as Josh just continued to grunt his non-appreciation. "Is that everyone?" Josh moaned when he heard the movement stop, his eyes pasted close with jizz. "Who won... or... lost, maybe..."
"Guess!" Rob said as he leaned down and started licking at Josh's smooth stomach.
"Oh no! No no no!" Josh complained as he started to giggle and squirm. "That tickles!"
"Fellas!" Rob said, looking at the others, who promptly held Josh down again.
Rob got to work licking up the collective load, deliberately teasing Josh as he did it, poking and probing at the bits that made him squawk and scream the most. Rob eventually reached the face and Josh complained but mostly without squirming so he was released, lying exhausted once again.
"All done!" Rob said happily as Josh's eyes opened a little. Just for the sheer entertainment of it, he leaned down and kissed his best friend on the lips, which opened slightly to allow a cum-flavoured tongue to briefly slip in.
Josh stared up at Rob as they parted, looking at him lovingly. "You..." he started, sighing contentedly before he smirked and said, "You are SUCH a cunt!"
"You're a bigger one!" Rob replied immediately, giving Josh a teasing peck on the lips before he jumped off. Josh immediately chased him.
"I... will never understand those two!" James said, shaking his head as the others giggled and nodded their agreement.
Rob and Josh were still grappling when the door opened and Chris peered inside, prompting a temporary truce.
"Hey, everything go okay with Brian?" Nicky asked as soon as he saw him. He knew things between Chris and his mentor were as tense as they had been with Danny and Joseph.
Chris frowned and the question and shook his head a little as he looked around and asked, "Anyone seen Danny?"
"Yeah," Rob said with a smirk as he raised his hand and continued, "He's about this tall, blonde hair, great butt... really fond of dick!"
Josh and the others laughed at the comment. Chris did not!
"I've been looking for him for ages. Message if you see him please," Chris requested, leaving before the others could ask any follow-up questions.
Danny was sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped around them as he stared down the steep slope ahead of him. He was completely lost in thought as he contemplated his break-up with Brian, the tension with Joseph, the awkwardness with Chris and the reasons Mark may have given for dumping him.
He had not intended to come to that particular location, having just been wandering aimlessly, but as he arrived he couldn't help wondering whether it was an attempt to find somewhere he could be truly alone or if something else had drawn him back there. Further back, he had passed the barriers and warning signs intended to keep students out, while down ahead of him there were signs of an ongoing excavation, on hold thanks to the incident back at the Home Building.
He could see the spot where he and Chris had fallen back in Year 8. He had meant to come back here when he returned to the school but never seemed to find the time. After they had been rescued, the area had been looked into in great depth... literally. Most people knew Kingswood was positively ancient, dating back just shy of a thousand years. It was a school full of secrets and even its current masters remained unaware of them all. The hole' Chris and Danny had fallen into had proven to be a tunnel, as Chris had suspected at the time, although more of it was collapsed than not. The two boys had just been fortunate' enough to find one of the few sections still standing.
Since then, the school had been working excavate the old ruins, unearthing their own past, though work had been slow. The section that had seen Danny receive his life-threatening injuries was in the process of being restored and could now be accessed as part of the works, but Danny had not ventured close enough to go inside, nor did he really want to.
With his mind racing about his issues, both distant past and recent, Danny didn't hear the approaching figure until he was alarmingly close. He jumped to his feet and span round to see Chris standing facing him. "What are you doing here?" Danny asked in shock.
"What are YOU doing here?" Chris asked back, shaking his head.
"Thinking!" Danny answered honestly. "How did you even find me?"
"Ingenuity, deduction, intelligence," Chris said, smiling confidently for a moment before he gestured to Danny's arm and the watch he wore as he finished, "And you're literally wearing a tracking device!"
"Oh, yeah!" Danny said, looking down at the watch. It had been a gift from Chris earlier in the year, right before the first camping trip. It had been more for Chris' peace-of-mind than Danny's safety, thanks to his crippling phobia of the woods. "Fuck!" he suddenly exclaimed, realising Chris wasn't just in the woods, he was now mere metres from the exact cause of his fear. "Are you okay?" he asked urgently.
"I don't know whether I'm gonna throw up, pass out or both," Chris said honestly, letting his eyes briefly flick to the slope behind Danny.
"We... we should get out of here!" Danny said, keen to get Chris back to somewhere he was more comfortable.
"No!" Chris said firmly. "We're gonna stay right here and we're going to talk!"
"No," Danny objected meekly. "We should..."
"I spoke to Brian!" Chris interjected. He saw Danny's eyes widen a little.
"What did he... say?" Danny asked nervously.
"He told me about the break-up," Chris said bluntly. "But mainly because I told him that if he didn't, I would literally never speak to him again and we'd be done for good!"
"Oh!" Danny said, lowering his gaze to the ground. Until that morning, a grand total of three people knew the reason for their break-up – himself, Brian and Joseph – and he had been more than happy to keep it that way. "So now you know," he said a little coldly. "Was it... the same reason Mark had for... for ending things with you?"
"More or less," Chris said with a slight nod.
"I'm sorry," Danny said, though he wasn't really sure why he was saying it.
"Yeah, Mark was already having doubts about us, but, well... he said even over a freaking video call, he could pick up on the vibe during the play!" Chris explained.
"What... vibe?" Danny asked evasively.
Chris huffed and shook his head, pacing anxiously back and forth. "I can't do this anymore, Danny!" he said, shaking his head as he took a step closer.
Danny stared back at him for a moment before he asked, "Do... what?"
"Pretend, Danny!" Chris said sadly. As Danny remained silent, shaking his head, Chris went on. "I can't keep pretending we're JUST friends. It's not just because it's... fucking up my relationships... AND yours! I can't do it because... it's killing me!"
"I... um... what are you saying?" Danny asked nervously.
Chris stared for a moment then took a deep breath as he wiped his cheek with his sleeve. "Ya know, I thought about this moment a lot," he confessed. "I remember you telling me about how Brian... wrote a message to you in the stars and thought how amazing it was that someone would do something so amazing for you and... and how I could do that too. I thought about... being on stage and picking the perfect song to dedicate to you that I could sing, just for you and then I'd... I'd come off the stage and you'd know how I feel. Or I thought about a perfect night by the lake... where I give YOU a... a perfect playlist like the ones you've made for me that tells you how I feel... or... fuck, I don't know, I've thought of a million different ways to say it or... or gimmicks to show it."
"You've... thought about it a lot?" Danny asked, trembling.
"I think about it every time I wake up beside you. Every time you sit next to me in a class. Every time we hang out somewhere. Every time I see you next to me in bed at night!" Chris explained, getting visibly distressed.
"That's... a lot of thinking about it!" Danny gulped.
"Yeah, and that's why it's killing me," Chris said, shaking his head as he got teary again, moving closer to Danny. He scowled a little, sounding almost angry as he explained, "Because every single second of every single day, I curse myself for three STUPID little words I chose that were WRONG!"
Danny took a step forward, reaching out to take Chris' hand without breaking eye contact, almost in tears himself as he asked, "What... three words?"
"It was..." Chris started, choking up a bit, almost unable to speak. He raised his free hand to his mouth for a brief second but shook his head as he forced himself on. "It was our first night... and it was... it..." he paused, barely holding himself together. "It was right after... I climbed over into your bunk... and I said..."
Danny nodded, silent tears trickling down his cheeks.
"I said... I'm claiming you..." Chris sniffled, "But that was wrong!" He raised his hand to stroke Danny's cheek, wiping away a tear that was immediately replaced by another. "I shouldn't have said I'm claiming you. I should have said... I love you... because I did... from the second we met... and I still do, Danny! I love you! I love you in ways I can't even express"
The look that passed between them lasted barely a moment, but it told them both all they needed to know. Grasping onto each other in passionate desperation, their lips finally met. An eager firmness at first, almost like disbelief, gripping tightly to each other as if easing off even a little would make them part and undo the embrace. As reality settled in around them, they relaxed as one, hands still grasping onto each other but more delicately as they pulled apart for the briefest of moments just to change position a little before allowing their mouths to open a touch.
Chris could feel Danny's hands on him, one on the small of his back, pulling him close as the other ran through his hair, holding his head in place as they kissed. He held Danny in much the same way, though the hand in his hair was enjoying the silky-smooth golden hair running between his fingers rather than holding his head. He was kissing Danny. Danny was kissing him! Him and Danny were kissing! He found it so unbelievable he wanted to stop and ask if it was even real, but didn't dare to let go. If this was a fantasy or an illusion, he never wanted to let it end.
Danny felt a tongue flick across his lip and almost pulled away as he stifled a chuckle. He had felt that tongue in so many places over his body, and so many times. He knew it well and yet to feel it there, to have Chris' lips against his own, it was like a dream... possibly even a wet dream!
Finally, when their lips parted they continued to hold on, faces close together as they stared into each other. They remained motionless, almost breathless, for several seconds.
"Have you ever... had something you've built up in your mind as this... absolutely amazing, incredible thing that you absolutely cannot wait to do, then when you've done it you realised it wasn't anywhere near as good as you expected?" Chris asked softly.
"Yeah," Danny said, nervous of where this was going.
Chris grinned as he replied, "This was totally the opposite of that!"
Danny grinned back as he asked, "What, you expected it to be shit but it turned out good?"
Chris scowled playfully and said, "God, I wish you were as funny as you think you are!" It earned him a gentle punch in the side. His grin softened into a serene smile as he said, "But that was... good, right?"
"Better than good!" Danny said as he grasped the back of Chris' neck, pulled him in for a brief kiss then pressed their foreheads together, noses touching. He let out a content sigh.
"I guess... we've still got a lot to talk about, right?" Chris asked softly.
"No," Danny disagreed. "You've said everything you need to say," he insisted as he pulled back a little, his hand casually stroking down Chris' arm until it reached his hand and gripped on tightly. He glanced round at the site of their accident then back to Chris and said, "Ya know, down there I thought I might die, and if I didn't die, I'd at least be paralysed for the rest of my life and they were both pretty scary, but there was just one thing the scared me more! Wanna guess what it was?"
Chris shrugged, smirked and suggested, "Girls?"
Danny snorted with laughter, then slapped Chris arm as he said, "Stop it! I'm trying to be serious!"
"Sorry," Chris said with a lop-sided grin.
Danny squeezed Chris' hand as he explained, "The only thing that scared me more than dying was the thought of... not getting to spend my life with you!" Chris stared back at him in stunned disbelief. "And you're right. It's... it's always been you, Chris! Always! I love you too!"
THE END (for real this time)
I hope you have enjoyed book three of The Kingswood Saga. I'd love to hear from you with any thoughts or constructive criticism. Remember, Nifty writers thrive on reader feedback!
Book Four is coming soon, but in the meantime, look out soon for the bonus story `Chris and Danny's Super Sexy Summer' posting on Nifty from January onwards (or sooner on Patreon at patreon.com/matterotica)
If you have any questions or comments, my email is always open at matterotica@hotmail.co.uk. Alternatively, I can be found on patreon where I also post my stories, along with bonus content and exclusives, at patreon.com/matterotica
If you wish to read any of my other stories, please see below for links
The Kingswood Saga
Tales from Kingswood (Book 1)– https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/tales-from-kingswood/
Half-Term at Kingswood (Book 1 bonus story) – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/half-term-at-kingswood/
The Kingswood Eight (Book 2) - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/the-kingswood-eight/
A Very Kingswood Easter (Book 2 bonus story) - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/a-very-kingswood-easter/
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/
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
Missed Opportunity – https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/missed-opportunity
There's a Naked Alfie in the Garden - https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/theres-a-naked-alfie-in-the-garden