Road Trip

Dad swaps my empty plate for a new box of condoms. I try not to. I fight to stave it off. I lose that fight. My forehead beads with sweat and I blush a crimson red. I do my best to recover while his back is to me, rinsing our dinner plates at the sink.

“Dad! It’s just us four guys. We’ll be beach bumming all day and sharing two double rooms in the hotel at night. Even if one of us actually meets someone, it’s not like we’ll have the privacy to actually…” I let the sentence hang there, unfinished.

This is not the first box of condoms Dad has given me. The first came almost five years ago when I was turning fourteen. That was the worst because that particular box of condoms was accompanied by a long talk. A long, awkward talk. Dad said things about love, respect and responsibility that he felt obligated to say and I sat there and listened to things about safety, diseases and pregnancy that I wished I could forget. He gave me another box when I turned sixteen, just in case I was running low, and another five months ago when I left for college. Tonight’s box makes four. I’m not sure if Dad spends time contemplating my usage rate but the sad truth, despite the fact that I turn nineteen next month, is that I now have four full, unopened boxes of condoms. Would he be disappointed if he knew that halfway through my first year of college I’m still a virgin? Unless masturbation counts. If that were the case then I’d be a veteran expert. Anyway, I could open my own store pretty soon. A secondary market for safe sex. Though it’s probably about time to check the expiration date on that first box, not that I see a path to ripping into one of those any time soon, but as Dad always says… Safety first.

He slots the rinsed plates into the dishwasher and turns back to me, “You never know.” He winks.

My flushed cheeks had begun to unflush, but now they flush all over again. He steps over and tousles my hair. He’s been doing that to me my whole life. I want to tell him I’m not a little boy anymore and that I hate it when he does that. The truth is that I don’t hate it at all. It’s how he tells me that he loves me and we both know it.

It’s been just the two of us since I was three years old. That’s when my mom left us. Or left me. Left him? Who knows? The note she wrote said, “I can’t do it anymore. I’m sorry.” Dad waited until I was eighteen to tell me that. He never wanted me to feel like it was because of me. I always felt that way anyway, but Dad always made me feel so loved that I hardly missed what I really never had. He was never afraid to show his affection; occasionally with words, but more frequently with a hug or a tousle of the hair.

He says, “Just take them with you and I’ll worry just a little less.”

Dad never sent me away to boarding school or even for a couple weeks to a summer camp. I started college five months ago and this has been our first separation. Ever. But home for holiday break, it feels like no time has passed at all. We just spent a whole week together but now I’m leaving tomorrow morning for a trip to the Keys. Dad is cool with it. Besides, I’ll have another week with him after the trip before I head back for second semester.

I say, “You shouldn’t worry at all. You’ve known Quinn, Sebastian and Jay for four years.”

The four of us have been friends since the ninth grade. We were never angels, but we’re basically good responsible kids. We never got into any real trouble.

“Sean, your friends are fine. I trust all four of you. Parents just worry. That’s what we do. Years from now you’ll be a thirty year old man worried about your own important people and I’ll still be worried about you.”

I slip the condom box into my back jeans pocket. Now that I’m a legal adult, I could buy my own condoms. That would be less fun for Dad though. I guess giving me money for condoms would be way less embarrassing for me than giving me the condoms themselves.

He says, “Make sure the house is locked up when you guys leave in the morning.”

The plan is that the guys are all sleeping over here tonight so we can get an early start. We’re driving and it will take the whole first day to get there. Dad has some sleepover plans of his own tonight. For the first time in my whole life, Dad is dating someone – Sheila. Since I left for college five months ago, he’s had the opportunity to focus on himself. Maybe he should have sent me away to summer camp as a kid. His own condom usage rate couldn’t have been too high for the last sixteen years. He might be making up for lost time now that I’m out of the house. I met Sheila at a dinner one night last week. She was sweet and I’m really happy for Dad.

As he slips into his coat I say, “Hey Dad. I’m way too old for a baby brother. Safety first.” I pull the condom box out of my pocket. It works. Ha! He blushes. Then he grins and grabs me in a hug.

“I’ve missed you!” He tousles my hair again. “You better text or call me at least once every day. If you don’t, I’ll drive down there and find you.”

Dad leaves and I wait for the guys. We all met in algebra class freshman year. Now we all go to different colleges in different states. Back home for break, this is the first time we’ve seen each other since August. Yeah, there’s social media and texting, but we’re guys. We’re pretty loose and chill about the whole thing. Since our respective spring breaks aren’t all lining up, we decided to plan a trip to Florida for New Year’s week. Jay was able to borrow his mom’s minivan and we’re all gonna split up the driving.

We’re all equally good friends, but over the course of last summer, after graduation, I feel more connected to Sebastian. It’s hard to explain. I’ve felt some kind of pull more toward him. I don’t know why. We always end up next to each other at the movies or on the same side of the booth at restaurants. It just seems to happen that way. Are Jay and Quinn better friends with each other than with Seb and I or is it all just a weird coincidence?

The last day we saw each other as the summer was winding down it was just the two of us. Jay and Quinn had already left for their schools a few days before us. The two of us spent a lazy summer day together. We were in my backyard mindlessly throwing a ball back and forth while we talked about the classes we were each registered for in our first semesters. The afternoon had gotten warm and Seb pulled his shirt off. I still don’t understand why, but I found myself gawking at him. I’d seen him shirtless before – changing for gym class, at the pool, on sleepovers… What was so different about that day? I was spellbound by his smooth olive skin. I found myself intentionally throwing the ball high or wide of where he stood. Every time I made him leap or lunge to catch it, the new way his skin would stretch and pull was a spectacle I couldn’t not look at. How many different shapes could his normally small round belly button take on? And his shoulders, his arms, his ribs, his spine…

I’ve filled a mental photo album of visual memories from that afternoon. I’m embarrassed to admit that I also filled my pants with a throbbing erection. Was it the emotion of knowing it would be months before I’d see my friend again? Was it something else?

Another weird thing happened that day. I needed to get my suitcase down from the storage attic to pack for school. Seb was standing there as I stepped onto the ladder in the upstairs hallway. The suitcase was shoved way back into a corner and I had to stretch to reach it. Seb said, “Don’t fall,” and suddenly his hands were gripping me. I didn’t think I was in any danger of falling, but his grip was tight. Since I was reaching, my shirt had ridden up a couple inches. His gripping hands were above my shorts and under my shirt – on my bare skin. He asked, “Are you ticklish?” And I scolded, “Don’t you dare!” but I was already laughing. He started squeezing and attacking my sides above the hips and I shrieked like a toddler. I finally managed to grab ahold of the suitcase and pull it down. When I stepped off the ladder, I looked at my grinning friend and said, “You’re so dead.”

He bolted down the stairs and I chased after him. Opening the screen door to the backyard slowed him down and I caught him in the middle of the lush green grass. I tackled him and tried to pin him down, but despite the fact that I’m one inch taller and a couple pounds heavier, somehow he was stronger. We tussled and rolled a few times before ultimately he ended up on top. We were both panting and breathing heavily. He had my arms pinned down, but that kept his arms occupied too. We were at a stalemate. There wasn’t much either of us could do. Our eyes locked and suddenly I had become very aware of how close together our noses were. And our mouths, our lips. The play fighting and rolling around had given me an erection again. Just as I was wondering if Seb could tell, I couldn’t help but notice the firm rod that he was stabbing my thigh with. We ultimately called a truce and the incident was over. Nothing like that had ever happened before. What was going on?

That was the last time I saw Seb but he’s on his way right now.

Jay is first to arrive. We all like to goof around with sports, but Jay is the only one of us who takes it seriously. He’s on the college baseball team. He is the fastest and strongest of the four of us by a lot. We like to joke that when we’re all together, he’s slumming it with the geeks. Jay is black but all the girls in high school had fawned all over him for as long as I can remember. The five months have not made him any less good looking. We’re catching up for just a few minutes when Quinn walks in. Quinn is your classic blond hair, blue eyed guy. The girls don’t swarm him like they do with Jay, but they certainly stare a lot. He's one of those people who turns all heads when he enters a room. When I enter the same room just moments after him, my average height and build, medium brown hair and green eyes turn no heads. But the fact that Jay and Quinn don’t seem to notice these things makes them even cooler. We’re still standing and talking by the door when Seb arrives. I step aside to let all three of them all the way in and let them park their suitcases and duffle bags along the wall.

With the final friend here, Seb pulls all three of us into one big hug. We don’t mind, but Seb is the only one of us who could instigate such an act. All he has to do is smile, open his arms and we all fall into place. As we break apart, Seb and I make eye contact. When we do, two things happen. 1) My knees almost give out. 2) My crotch stirs to life. Seb is Cuban. He has wavy brown hair – just a shade darker than my own – and big brown eyes that seem to have a power over me. I guess not much has changed in our five month separation. Why am I feeling the way I’m feeling?

I lead them down to the finished basement where the four of us have spent countless hours playing video games and streaming movies. We have one sofa and two recliners. Some way, somehow, not at all surprisingly, Jay and Quinn take the recliners and Seb and I end up side by side on the couch. We talk and laugh and mindlessly play video games for three hours. We all ate dinner with our respective families earlier, but were all eighteen and nineteen year old boys. By 10:00, we’re starving. I make a call and have pizza delivered.

It's like no time has passed. We all eat, talk and laugh. The plan is to be on the road by 7:00 AM tomorrow so while we could easily stay up all night talking, we really shouldn’t. We decide to put on a movie before going to sleep.

When I sit back down, Seb presses his shoulder into mine, gives me a big toothy grin and simply says, “Seany.”

My toes curl in my sneakers.

About ten minutes in, Seb makes a show of yawning. He leans back against his armrest and plops his feet right in my lap. He laces his fingers behind his head, grins again and wiggles his classic Adidas back and forth. He’s wearing sherpa fleece lounge pants that look cuddly and comfortable. His well-worn sneakers also look comfortable. I can’t stop staring at them. What is his goal here? The recliners that Jay and Quinn are occupying are a little closer to the TV. They would have to turn their heads awkwardly to see us. And since we can only see the backs of their heads, we can’t tell if they’re engrossed in the movie or if they’ve fallen asleep.

I find myself remembering the last day Seb and I were together. I never did get him back for tickling me. Yes, I caught him in the yard and tackled him, but revenge was never had. This moment right now is an opportunity. I tell him in a low voice, “If you want to stretch out and relax, that’s fine, but the dirty street shoes have gotta go.”

His grin widens, “Your closer than I am.” He wiggles his feet again.

Does he want me to seek revenge? Is he hoping I’ll tickle him? His sneakers are loosely laced and they slip right off his feet with untying needed. His white Nike crew socks are form fitting to every contour of Seb’s perfect 10’s. There is a humidity around his feet as his warm, moist socks cling snugly. I find myself enjoying the situation and I begin to stiffen again. My hands casually drop to his right foot and he flinches. I smile. I’m surprised that I’m finding his feet to be beautiful. Do I like feet? Is it a general thing or just Seb’s feet? I slide a finger gently up his arch and he rips both feet away from me, shoving and tucking them under my thigh.

He blinks his brown puppy dog eyes at me and whispers, “It’s cold in here and now my shoes are gone.”

“I can solve that problem.” There’s a blanket draped over the back of the couch. I pull and tug and cover us both. Not only is the cold no longer an excuse, but if Jay or Quinn happen to turn around, they won’t be able to see what’s going on underneath. I extricate his feet from under my leg and return them to my lap. The only problem is that I can no longer see those cute feet. But… Like a blind man I can examine them with my hands.

I hook a finger under his sock and slip it off his right foot. He doesn’t pull away. I use both hands to caress and explore every square inch. I glance at Seb and he’s smiling contentedly. My burgeoning erection is almost at full strength. I wonder if he can feel it pressing up against him? I glance his way again. The blanket is falling away at mid-thigh. I can’t help but notice his sherpa fleece pants are tented with his own erection. Full mast. Huge. His eyes are still closed in pure bliss. What are we doing?

After a thorough examination of each individual toe, I find my hands working their way up the inside of his fleecy pant leg. There’s plenty of room for me to massage my way up his calf and caress up and down his shin. He lets out a soft moan that I hope Jay and Quinn don’t notice. I take my time deliberately repeating the entire routine on his left foot. Seb is in complete vulnerable comfort. I grip his ankle suddenly with one hand and set my fingernails at his heel. His eyes widen in anticipatory fear. He knows if he thrashes or yells, Jay and Quinn will hear. I grin maniacally. I begin a slow drag up his sole and he grips the couch cushions for dear life. Once I feel like I’ve tortured him for as long as he tickled me on the ladder all those months ago, I stop. I’m nothing if not fair minded.

The movie that neither of us have been watching at all is approaching its conclusion. Seb pulls some blanket up over his shoulders. I slip off my own shoes and lie across the back of the couch behind Seb. I hug his feet to my chest, close my eyes and pretend to be asleep. The movie ends and if Jay and Quinn had been asleep, they’re awake now. I hear them rise up out of their recliners and step over toward us.

I guess Seb’s eye’s are closed too because Quinn says, “What are they doing? Are they asleep?”

Jay replies, “It looks like it.”

“Should we rip the blanket off them and wake them up?”

I try not to react visibly, but fear surges through me. They probably think it’s weird enough that we’re sleeping side by side on the couch. If they saw that under the cover of the blanket I was hugging Seb’s bare feet to my chest, what would they think? I’m the one doing it and I don’t know what to think.

Jay says, “No. Don’t wake them. They’re driving the first two shifts in the morning. Let them sleep.”

I sigh in relief as their footsteps fade up the stairs.

~~

I drive the first shift. Apparently Jay and Quinn stayed up late talking last night because they’re both sound asleep in the backseat. We had decided ahead of time that the radio would be driver’s choice. Out of respect for our sleeping companions, I keep it quiet. This gives Seb and I a chance to catch up one on one. While we do so, several times he reaches over and puts a hand on my shoulder or my thigh or my arm. Each time he does I feel a little jolt of electricity. I have to force myself to concentrate on my driving.

I drive a four hour shift before we gas up and have lunch. Seb drives a four hour shift and we stop in Atlanta at a Waffle House for an early dinner. It’s colder than I figured Atlanta to be so we’re all shivering in shorts and short sleeves as we wait for a table. It’s a  booth and, of course, Seb winds up next to me. Against me. Like, how small is this booth? But honestly, I’m still cold and I appreciate his warmth. I lean into him as inconspicuously as I can.

Back in the minivan it’s our turn for the backseat. This time of the day in December means it’s already fully dark outside. We’re still cold so we put the blanket I brought along to good use. Once we’re on the road and rolling, Seb bends down, picks up my left foot and pulls it into his lap. He works my shoelace and frees my foot from its leather Nike prison. I know this sounds weird, but no other person has ever touched my feet before this moment. Just maneuvering me into his desired position is giving me tingling sensations. Then he begins a massage – needless to say, the first of my life. I’m almost nineteen years old and until this very moment my feet were as virginous as the rest of me. He works me in all the right places and fortunately the other guys have the music pretty loud because I know I can’t stop myself from moaning in pleasure.

My shorts give Seb access to the full length of my legs, and he seizes the opportunity. He works my calves but he doesn’t stop at the knees. He works his kneading hands higher and soon he’s inside the leg of my shorts. As he works the upper inner thigh, I jerk and spasm because it tickles. Seb mouths, “I’m sorry,” but he’s grinning like a fool. Access to my upper thighs is made easier because my raging hard-on is pushing my shorts up. As Seb’s fingers glide up and down, each trip gets higher and higher up the leg until eventually, his fingertips graze my scrotum and I gasp and yelp. Seb laughs, but not mockingly.

He moves over me and it reminds me of when he had me pinned down in the grass that day in the summer. He lowers his face and for just a second, I think his lips will graze mine, but even though they’re close enough to feel the warmth, they just miss. Those lips make their way to my ear and he whispers with hot breath, “Seany, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

Goosebumps pop up all over my whole body and I shiver. He reaches a hand inside the blanket and grabs ahold of my erection through my shorts. My head rocks back and I almost blow a load right there. Seb smiles wider and adds, “It’s nice to have concrete evidence that you’ve missed me too. And I do mean concrete. Yowzah!” He lets go of my member just in time for me to be able to stave off an ill-timed orgasm.

I’ve never been so turned on in my short, sheltered, pathetic, virginal life. But why is Seb doing this with me? That’s what I don’t get. I can see why people would be attracted to Jay. He’s both athletic and outrageously good looking. I can see why people are attracted to Quinn. He has Ken Doll looks and he’s a sweet guy too. I personally have always felt a little pull toward Seb. The other two might be attractive, gorgeous, whatever… Seb is freaking cute. Ridiculously cute. But what am I? I am none of these things. I am objectively the least cute of our group. But in our group, that never mattered.

When our little physical encounters began right at the end of the summer, I just thought it was guys messing around. That it was nothing. And even if I could find a way to convince myself that last night on the couch was nothing too, how can I explain what Seb just said to me? Or the fact that he was squeezing my raging shaft while he said it. And it’s not one sided either because he has a nightstick of his own inside his shorts too.

Before I even realize it, he has my button undone and my zipper down. Neither of us can see what’s happening because the blanket is still covering his arms and my body. His fingers hook the waistband of my underwear and when he pulls them down, I spring back, slapping myself in the lower belly. I begin to protest, but his hands quickly find me and I have lost the ability to form words. My mouth drops open and it’s like I can’t breathe in enough air.

His hands are magic. Fireworks are exploding inside of my body. How can two hands feel so good? It’s not possible. I have masturbated a million times. I know what hands on my penis should feel like. It was never like this. Not even close. And I’m providing plenty of lubrication because precum is leaking out of me like a faucet. He makes a new move with his thumb up the underside and across the mushroom cap and I realize I need to stop this now. Should I be worried about how little stamina I have? Maybe, but that’s Future Sean’s problem. I grab Seb’s hands and remove them from their task. I look him in the eye and tell him, “All four of us are using this blanket on the trip. You are one and a half seconds away from making me make a terrible mess.”

He grins, “One and a half seconds? You did miss me!”

I blush, but it’s dark and he can’t tell.

He says, “I have the perfect way to contain that mess.”

He leans forward again, but I pull back and sit up. I take his hands again and say, “Can we save it for the hotel?” I indicate toward the front seat with my eyes.

He nods but seems a little disappointed. I put my lips to his ear and say, “I might not have realized it, but I’ve had a crush on you for a couple years now.”

His disappointment morphs into a smile. I reach between his legs and I’m both thrilled and relieved to find him to be as hard as I am. Another first – I’ve never touched another penis before, even if it is through layers of fabric. Then a thought occurs to me. I smile and ask Seb, “Do you trust me?”

He grins and nods.

“Lie back and relax.”

He does. Under the cover of the blanket I pull his shorts and underwear down to his knees. The blanket has a tentpole spiking it in the middle. My hands find him and I begin to rub him up like pine tar on a baseball bat. His whole body jerks and bounces. He says, “I’m quite capable of making a terrible mess too.”

“Right. Just tell me when you’re close. Remember, you’re trusting me.”

This is much more inconspicuous than a blowjob, but still, I keep one eye on the front seat. I try to replicate the same motions Seb was using on me and must be doing at least okay because it’s only another minute before he’s telling me that he’s getting close. I release him for a moment and he sighs in sweet relief. I pull something out of the back pocket of my shorts. It’s the box of condoms Dad gave me yesterday. I rip into one and clumsily roll it down the length of my friend (and an impressive length it is). Now strangled in latex, I resume my work on my new favorite penis. I work him relentlessly until he’s flopping around the backseat like a fish out of water. Once his orgasm starts, I don’t stop. I keep at him until he’s run dry and begging for mercy with his eyes. His cheeks are flushed and his body is covered in sweat, but the mess is contained. I smile to myself. After five years, I’ve finally used my first condom. It might not be exactly how Dad had envisioned it, but it’s loaded because of what I did.

My duffle bag is on the floor. I root around and pull out a sandwich baggie of cashews. I open it and pour half into Seb’s hands and half into my own. I tell him, “Eat this snack then use the baggie to seal up the thing containing your mess.” I also have wet wipes and distribute two to him and one for myself.

He grins at me again. I love his grin. He says, “You’re like a boy scout. You’re always prepared.”

~~

We’re checked in at the hotel by 10:00. We have two adjoining double rooms. The double part means each room has two double beds. The adjoining part means there is a connecting inner door. It’s still pretty early and Jay and Quinn ask if we want to watch a movie in their room. We beg off, claiming to be tired because they got to sleep in the car all morning and we didn’t. We say good night and lock the adjoining door on our side. Seb looks at me and smiles. Again, my knees weaken and I almost collapse.

He says nothing. He closes the distance between us and checks another item off my list of firsts. This one is my first kiss. And not just my first kiss with another boy, but my first kiss with any other person. The look in his eye as he approaches is hungry and eager but he surprises me by being gentle and soft. It’s like he’s wordlessly teaching me how to kiss him by kissing me. Like we’re dancing and he’s taking the lead.

I’m feeling Seb, I’m smelling Seb, I’m tasting Seb. All of it is somehow both exactly as I imagined it would be and better. His fingers make their may under my shirt and his fingertips graze my stomach. This makes me quiver and when he feels the goosebumps that he caused, he giggles. His fingers do a dance on my sensitive skin while the kissing intensifies and my shorts struggle to contain my erection. I’m pushed against the wall at this point and Seb gently bites my lower lip. I softly moan. He places one hand behind my head and laces his fingers in my hair. He has taken full control. He’s guiding me. Next he parts my lips with his tongue and my tongue meets his. Our kissing has just leveled up.

I realize that my own hands have been doing nothing. I work them under his shirt and explore the expanse of skin that I was so mesmerized by that day last summer. I’m not trying to tickle him but his soft giggles tell me that I do at least a little. I find his round belly button and circle my finger around the hole. I gently insert my finger about half an inch deep. This makes the kissing turn ravenous. Our tongues are wrestling with each other and our breathing intensifies. He slides away from my mouth and sucks on my earlobe. Next his tongue plunges into my ear and a new explosion of goosebumps covers my whole body.

His next target is my neck. The kissing and licking of my neck almost tickles and my goosebumps do not recede. The neck kissing continues and his hands are now working the buttons of my shirt very slowly and methodically. With each button that releases, his hands explore the new lower level of exposed skin. Once the final button is open, he nudges my shirt off my shoulders and it slides down my back and drops to the floor.

His tongue finally leaves my neck and he makes a slow trail down my sternum, sucking, licking and kissing the whole way. His fingers gently pinch my nipples as his wet, wild mouth descends toward my navel. Once there, his tongue plunges in and I’m overcome in yet another new sensation. He grabs me by the waistband of my shorts, but he doesn’t take them off yet. He pulls me over to the nearest bed and pushes me down on it. Is it his bed? My bed? Does it matter?

He says, “Reach up, grip the headboard with both hands and hold on for dear life. It’s about to be your turn.”

I do what he says. With my shirt off and my arms reaching high above my head, I’m all stretched out in front of him. He slowly takes every inch of me in with his eyes. I suddenly feel self-conscious but he seems to approve of what he sees. He trails his fingers down my sides and across my lower abdomen. It’s not an aggressive tickle, but still I quiver. He reaches for the fly of my shorts and while I don’t let go of the headboard, I do stop him with a question.

I say, “Seb, you’re probably the cutest guy in the whole state of Florida right now. You could have anybody you want. Why me?”

“Seany,” his eyes continue to roam over my body as he answers. “It’s everything. I know you don’t think you’re cute, which of course you are, but somehow that makes you even cuter. Your stunning green eyes turn my insides to jelly. There is not one square inch of your body that is not adorable. I want to suck your nose, your toes and everything in between. And I’m gonna. Plus, you’re the sweetest guy and the best friend. I’ve really, really, really missed you. Do you really not know that I’ve been crushing on you since the ninth grade?”

“I was preoccupied fantasizing about this very moment.”

“I spent all of last summer trying to get you out of your shirt as often as I could. I mean, come on. How many times could one person suggest the lame public pool?”

I laugh, “Maybe you wanted to see Jay and Quinn shirtless.”

His tone turns serious, “Sean, I love those guys. We’re four best friends. But that love and this love are very different things. Have you noticed when we’re all together that it’s you and I who are always paired up? At movies, in the car, at restaurants, in this hotel room? That doesn’t just happen on its own. It’s not just chance. I make it happen. Sometimes subtly, sometimes boldly… I always make sure it’s you and me. Because I freaking love you. I wasn’t sure if you felt the same or how far I could have pushed it last summer. On that last day when we were throwing the ball around, I took off my shirt hoping you would too, but you didn’t. Then, when you were reaching into the attic on that ladder, it was like you were teasing me with that exposed strip of skin as you stretched and reached. The half-moon where your shirt cut across your belly button was taunting me. The waistband of your Calvin Kleins an inch above the waistband of your shorts. Who could resist? I had no choice. I had to reach out and tickle you. That was the first and only time I touched you in an intentional way. Then you chased me down and tackled me in the yard. We seemed to have a moment.”

“But that ‘moment’ was right at the end of our last day together for five months,” I say.

“Right.” He stands from the bed, steps out of his shoes, slips my shoes off and resumes his position between my legs. “But now we have a whole week of ‘moments’ ahead of us.”

He grapples at the fly of my shorts and in one fluid motion, both my shorts and my Calvin’s are gone. I’m lying here, spreadeagle wearing nothing but a pair of socks. And if he really does want to suck my toes like he said, at some point I’ll lose those too.

Presently, my throbbing penis is fully erect and it bobs up and down in rhythm with my heartbeat. Seb is grinning again. “I am going to enjoy doing this as much as you are about to enjoy experiencing it.”

He takes me in one hand and begins a gentle stroking up and down. I lick my lips and push my head back into the pillow beneath it. He does that special thing with his thumb again that he did in the car earlier and I see skyrockets. I say, “Umm, Seb…”

He grins again, “I know. Sorry. That little trick is not fair. I’ll slow it down.”

And he does. He takes his time. He traces my contours with one finger. With two. He spends a decent amount of time stroking and sucking on my scrotum. Another first time sensation for me. After some time, he can sense that, despite still being rock-hard, I am no longer on the edge, so he gets more aggressive. I was expecting his hands to work their magic, but that’s not what happens. He repositions himself and for just a moment, his wavy hair is tickling my tummy. But then I don’t notice that anymore because I am aware of nothing else in the world beyond Seb’s mouth as he wraps it around my entire length. It’s soft and wet and warm and I can’t believe that I’m not dreaming. He sucks gently and slides his mouth up and down my shaft as my eyes roll back inside my head. I never knew anything could feel this good. That turns into him deep throating me all the way down to my base, then pulling off completely before taking me all the way in again. I hope the walls are soundproof because I’m now making some animal noises.

After a while of that he stops moving his head altogether and just holds me in his mouth, motionless. His head doesn’t move, but his tongue does. It begins to wiggle and slither all along my sensitive underside. This tactic is intense and he shows no sign of letting up. It seems like my whole body is dissolving into the bed beneath me. His tongue continues its relentless massaging of my iron rod and though I never want this race to end, I fear the finish line is now in sight. I try to think about food and garbage and puppies and wrinkly old ladies. Nothing works. Launch has been activated and the countdown has begun. I feel like I need to warn Seb so he can prepare by switching to his hands. He really should grab my shirt or at least pull off and use a sock. I’m about to violently expel the biggest load of my life. With absolutely zero cool I say, “Seb, I’m about to cum!”

But he doesn’t pull off. He doesn’t change tack at all. He keeps on doing what he’s doing and what he’s doing is about to deliver me to the biggest orgasm of my life. I release the headboard and my hands slap down on the bed. I squeeze and grip at the sheets. My mouth falls open and I begin to pant. I feel my load roll up my shaft and explode from my slit. Seb takes it all. He keeps me inside of him until I’ve dripped my last drop. He intuitively knows when to ease up before pleasure turns to pain. While I refrained from screaming – oh my god did I want to.

Seb finally releases me when my dick is as limp as a wet noodle. He grins and says, “Now we’re even.”

But that’s not even. No way. Clearly he enjoyed what I did to him in the back of the minivan with the condom and under the cover of the blanket, but this here was some next level stuff. I want to tell him all of that, but I physically can’t speak right now. Every five seconds or so, my whole body racks with post-orgasm spasms.

Seb lays down and spoons up behind and against me. I’m a skosh bigger than him, but right now, I’m the inner spoon. He wraps me in his protective arms and I feel warm and safe. He kisses the back of my neck and finger-draws a circular pattern on my arm. So small, gentle and tender. I’m a little surprised to find that I’m already coming back to life downtown.

I flip over so I’m facing Seb. I quickly remove his clothes and now we’re both just in socks. My hands go to work exploring his body while I kiss him slowly. I’m in no rush. We have all night. We kiss and kiss and kiss. Because we’re both naked and facing each other, our respective erections are stabbing each other. Sword fighting.

Eventually, I sit up and say, “It’s your turn.”

He shakes his head, “I had my turn earlier.”

“Seb, that wasn’t the same. This—”

He cuts me off, “Yes it was, Seany. It was literally a dream come true.”

I wrap my hand around his manhood and tease, “What? Do you want to go to sleep?” I attempt his thumb trick thing and he smiles.

“No. I have something else in mind.” He sits up too. “I had my turn, you had your turn, now we can have our turn.”

I cock an eyebrow.

As usual, Seb takes the lead. He orchestrates us so that we’re sitting up facing each other with my left leg under him and my right leg over him. We’re scissoring each other. We spend an hour like this kissing, hugging, hands in each other’s hair, fingers running down jawlines journeying toward destinations further south.

Seb tells me to lean back a little and I do. Our scrotums are pushed together. Our penises are pointing up together, his underside is lined up along mine. With one hand he wraps it around both of us. He begins to stroke up and down. Now I get it. It’s our turn. We’re still pressed together and as he strokes us both with the same motion, we both feel the same thing at the same time. Our bodies together are awe inspiring. His olive skin is darker than mine and even though I’m an inch taller, his length has me beat by half an inch, but really, it’s a close match. We’re a good fit. As he continues to work us both, our cocks get squeezed and massaged into each other’s. His precum mixes with mine providing just the right amount of lubrication. There is just enough friction that as his length slides against mine, it’s another new and incredible sensation. He feels it too. I see it in his eyes. There is something to be said for this same thing at the same time thing.

He continues to rub us against each other and we’re both getting close. He adds his other hand into the mix and begins a two-handed pump that raises the stakes. His pumping gets faster and so does our breathing. We both say, “Oh my god,” at the same time. And then, we both release simultaneously. Since this is the second load of the night for each of us, the mess is manageable. And totally worth it. This was only the second orgasm of my life (that wasn’t self-inflicted), but I realize that sharing it with my partner made it extra special. Climaxing with Seb, scissored and entangled together, we made love.

We didn’t get any sleep that night, but so what? The next day we just lounged and relaxed on the beach. And that’s how the whole week went. Four friends relaxing and bonding all day, and two friends connecting all night.

On our last night in Florida, Seb asked me, “Are you…? I mean, what would you…? How would you…? Do you like…?”

He was embarrassed and never cuter than he was right then. I told him, “I never really thought about it much. I imagined meeting someone someday and it being obvious to me that it was the right person. In my mind’s eye, this faceless, future person had no predetermined gender. I mean their gender wouldn’t matter. I would just know it was right. I would feel it. Like I always felt with you but I wasn’t sure you felt it back.”

“I did and I do,” he said.

“What about you?” I ask.

“Like you, I haven’t picked a label. I know it doesn’t need a label and really, there probably isn’t one that fits. Is there a label for being in love with only Sean Greene? It’s only ever been you and no one else matters.”

When the conversation was over, we finished off the box of condoms.

~~

On the morning we’re leaving, Seb and I are ready and waiting. Jay and Quinn are not coming out of their room. By the time fifteen minutes pass, Seb and I try the connecting door. It’s not locked and it swings right open. They’re both still asleep. Seb and I look at each other with the biggest, stupidest grins on our faces. The bed closest to us is made and completely undisturbed. Jay and Quinn are spooned up together in each other’s arms in the far bed. Seb clears his throat and the two of them shoot up, awake now.

Quinn begins to stammer out ridiculous excuses but Jay just smiles, places a calming hand on Quinn’s shoulder and matter-of-factly informs us, “Sean, Seb… Meet my boyfriend.”

The fluster falls from Quinn’s face and he kisses Jay on the lips. He turns to us and says, “You look surprised.”

Seb says, “Wouldn’t you be?”

Jay says, “No. We were afraid the way we always maneuver things to be next to each other and the way we always look at each other… We thought we were too obvious.”

Our eyes widen as the realization hits us.

Quinn says, “You know. The same way you two are ridiculously obvious.”

~~

It’s a little after 10:00 before I finally get home, lugging my suitcase behind me. Dad waited up. He greets me with a smile.

“You look refreshed. Was it just the Florida sunshine? What’s going on with you?”

I give him a hug and as we pull apart, he tousles my hair. I smile. I love him too. But I have to tell him something and I’m not sure how he’ll react.

I say, “We had a great time.”

“I knew you would. Sean, you picked some really good friends. I know college is just starting, but I predict the four of you will be friends for life.”

 I smile, “Dad?”

“Yeah Sean?”

“I… Umm…” I shift my weight between my feet, “I have a boyfriend.”

There is a frightening moment of silence before he asks, “How is Sebastian?”

I scoff, “You knew?”

“Sean, you’ve had a boyfriend for years. Ironically, you and your boyfriend were the last to realize it.”

Dad hugs me again. “It’s not my place to ask you or push you, but I’m glad two finally figured it out. I assume your trip was even better than you thought it might be?”

Relief floods me. “Yeah. It really was.”

He smiles again and I can tell he’s really happy too. He actually seems relieved. Like a weight has been lifted from him.

“Umm, Dad?” I’m blushing.

“Yeah Son?”

“I think I need more condoms,” I say sheepishly.

He laughs and tousles my hair again.