New year’s eve 2005
Matthew sat quietly on his bed as the light from his mobile device lit up the otherwise dark room. The air in the room wrapped itself around his shirtless torso. He stared at the screen of unanswered text he had sent to Noah. He began to type a message, then quickly changed his mind.
Matthew let out a loud groan just as his bedroom door opened. A very handsome young man entered with a towel draped over his shoulder. The guy was of medium height with long braids and a dark chocolate complexion.
“Shower felt great,” the guy said.
Matthew smiled at him. His eyes quickly roamed over the tall, handsome stud’s muscled body.
“You think we can sneak a little session in without your folks hearing us?”
Matthew blushed.
“Cooper, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Cooper chuckled.
“Maybe. Maybe not. I thought when you invited me over to spend the night last night, it was so we could do things. You know the sexy kind.”
“I thought it would be cool to integrate you into my life as a friend since we’re dating, but I’m not ready to come out to my parents yet.”
Cooper dropped the towel onto the floor and began to move across the room. His hips swayed with every step as he approached Matthew.
Matthew shook his head.
“What are you doing?”
Cooper stood in front of him. His commanding presence hovered over Matthew. Cooper licked his bottom seductively. He wanted what he wanted, and what he wanted was Matthew.
“I can’t dominate you before we head out?” His voice was low and edgy.
“No,” Matthew laughed. “It’s too risky with my folks' home.”
Cooper groaned, completely disappointed in Matthew’s answer.
Matthew stood up, and Cooper quickly wrapped his arm around the man’s waist. They inched slightly closer. Their lips touched lightly. The first one was a gentle kiss followed by a more aggressive one.
Matthew pulled away with a kind smile on his face.
“I’m gonna go shower, and then we can head to the middle of town,” he told Cooper.
The wind blew gently through Noah’s curls as he stood at the edge of town in the darkness of the night. He had walked through the town with no direction and found himself facing the old wooden bridge where he and Matthew had met for the first time. The sound of the rushing river played like a drumbeat in his ears.
He pulled his phone out and quickly scrolled through the contacts. He stopped on Matthew’s name. His finger hovered over the call button. His heart ached to call the man, but his pride had other plans.
“It looks haunting.” The most intense voice ever said.
Noah quickly spun around, and the sight before his eyes enthralled him. There before him was this twenty-one-year-old attractive guy. He had that boy-next-door appeal. He was tall and slender, with dark hair and pale skin. He wore thick black glasses.
The guy looked like something from an early 2000’s WB sitcom. He was Clark Kent.
“Are you like Clark Kent?” Noah asked.
The guy laughed innocently.
“No. Name’s Blair. Blair Michael Sinclair. Who are you?”
“I’m Noah. Noah Anthony Montgomery.”
“Well, Noah Anthony Montgomery. I’m lost. Not from here. Visiting my cousins. They left me back at the house. I’m trying to find the town's New Year’s Eve festival.”
Noah nodded his head.
“Yeah, that’s at the center of town. You’re at the edge of town. You wanna go that way.”
Noah pointed South in the direction of the center of town.
“I’m shit with directions. Maybe you’d better walk with me.”
“Walk with you? You could be a serial killer.”
Blair took a step towards him. As he moved, Noah stared into his blue eyes.
“Then you’d be the perfect kill. No one around. Only sound coming from the flowing stream. Guess you’re lucky I’m not one.”
Blair backed away and began to laugh. His deep laugh was like a contagious virus because slowly Noah began to join in with him. The two laughed together for a moment.
“Okay, Clark Kent. Let’s go. I’ll show you the way. I have to go that way back home.”
“Home? You’re not gonna stay and celebrate the new year?”
“No. I’m kind of a loner. That’s my thing,” Noah told him as he began to head toward the center of town.
“Well, you have to change that. Starting tonight, Noah Anthony.”
Noah cut his eyes at Blair.
“Please don’t do that. You can just call me Noah.”
“Then you can’t call me Clark Kent.”
“But I like saying Clark Kent. It just rolls off my tongue.”
“I like saying, Noah Anthony.”
Noah rolled his eyes at Blair.
“I’m not phased by an eye roll, Noah Anthony,” the man said as he twisted his lips playfully.
Noah sighed as they continued to walk. The glow of the moon made them look like two immortal beings. Their steps blended in with the sound of the wind.
“So, a question for you. Why are you a loner?”
“Isn’t that a very personal question?”
“No. Maybe. Don’t care. I want an answer.”
Noah scoffed.
“Rude. I guess because I was never good at making friends. I always felt overwhelmed by the idea of trying to make conversations and connections. But I guess that’s to be expected when you get bullied a lot growing up.”
“Bullies…fuck ‘em. Right?”
Hesitant, Noah replies, “Sure.”
“No, say it. Fuck ‘em. Say it with your chest.”
“Why? It doesn’t change anything.”
“Maybe. It gives you a little bit of your power back.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“How would you know? You never said it before,” Blair challenged him.
Noah stopped walking. He turned and fully faced Blair. There was something about the guy that he just couldn’t put his finger on. It was like he was just the type of disturbance that quiet people needed in their lives.
Noah swallowed nervously.
“Fuck ‘em.”
Blair grinned.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, Noah Anthony. There’s still hope for you to be a social butterfly after all.”
“You’re a dick,” Noah said with a frown.
“A big one,” he corrected.
Noah gave a highly disgusted laugh. Blair glanced at him with a hidden delight that was clearly lost on Noah.
The town of Ashgrove sparkled with life. All the holiday season decorations hung throughout the town square. The townsfolk moved with glee and cheer. Holiday music filled the air. It was Southern living at its absolute finest.
“We don’t do anything like this back where I’m from,” Blair mumbled.
“And where is that exactly?”
He snapped his head toward Noah’s direction. “Nashville.”
“Well, welcome to Alabama. We’re a lot more Southern.”
“For a guy who doesn’t do well with people, you’re holding up quite well.”
Noah quickly looked away. He felt himself blush.
“Did I just make you blush?” Blair asked with a quick giggle.
Noah looked at him and twisted his face.
“No,” he quickly lied. “Don’t be gross.”
“Gross or honest, Noah Anthony?”
Noah opened his mouth to return a sassy comment, but he couldn’t. He paused. The twinkling lights that were strung above them reflected in Blair’s eyes. They made them sparkle, and in that sparkle, Noah lost himself for just a moment.
Blair held his gaze. He liked what he saw before him. He saw a curly-haired, grey-eyed, milk chocolate innocent beauty. Noah just effortlessly pulled him in with his quick wit and innocent nature.
“How people could not be friends with you is beyond me. A ten-minute walk and I already feel like I’ve known you my whole life,” Blair confessed.
Noah smiled. “See…serial killer.”
They both began to laugh.
“Not a serial killer. Just gay like you.” The words just flowed out of his mouth.
Noah stopped laughing. A million and one thoughts began to race through his mind.
Blair stood there ready to answer whatever questions Noah might have. He hadn’t planned on being so honest about his sexuality, but there was something undeniably safe about being around Noah. In a few short minutes, he felt like he’d just met someone really special.
“Monty?”
The sound of Matthew’s voice froze Noah’s laugh mid-escape. The warmth of his breath wrapped Noah in that familiar place he had come to love. A chill unlike anything Noah had ever felt before moved down his spine.
Blair instantly recognized the look in Noah’s eyes.
Noah slowly turned around. He came face-to-face with Matthew. Those grey eyes met Matthew’s olive eyes. The noise of the world faded into the background. Time slowed down, and the blackness of space vanished. They were the only two people in all of the universe.
“Eight days,” Matthew uttered. “You’ve been silent for eight days now.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized.
“I was worried about you. We don’t ignore each other. We talk, Monty.”
The sound of Cooper clearing his throat broke the spell that had been cast on the two. Suddenly, the sound of the world came rushing back in. The blackness of space returned, and time resumed its purpose.
Noah’s eyes shifted as Cooper raised his hand and placed it on Matthew’s shoulder. It was a small gesture that kept both Matthew and Cooper’s sexuality hidden, but it spoke volumes.
“You must be Noah. I’m Cooper,” he introduced himself.
Cooper held his hand out. Noah glared at the outstretched, thick hand. Part of him wanted to slap it out of the way. The other part knew he had to be the bigger and better person. Cooper was innocent. Noah did the southern thing. He took the man’s hand.
“Nice to meet you,” he said as he smiled politely.
“This guy bothering you?” Matthew asked. His eyes scanned Blair up and down. It was obvious to anyone paying attention that he was sizing Blair up.
“No. This is Blair. He was lost out by the old bridge,” Noah quickly answered.
Matthew snapped his head toward Noah.
“The old bridge? You were there together? I mean alone?”
“No. I was there alone, and Blair approached me. He was lost. I helped him find his way here.”
“Kinda hard to get lost. It’s a small town. In fact, I’ve never even seen you here before. It’s a very close-knit community.”
Blair smirked. “I’m visiting from Nashville, and lucky me, I found the perfect tour guide.”
Blair draped his arm across Noah’s shoulder and pulled him just a bit closer. Matthew’s nose fared and his cheeks turned a shade red. He couldn’t stomach the idea of the guy touching Noah.
Noah noticed Matthew’s body tense up the second Blair touched him. He couldn’t bear the idea of Matthew feeling anything negative. Noah also couldn’t risk anyone finding out he was gay just yet. He slid away from Blair.
It was just enough to not cause any attention, but enough to enforce the message that he wanted to send.
“So, is this who I think it is?” Noah asked.
Matthew didn’t speak. He stood frozen and afraid. He was terrified that his words could quite possibly hurt Noah. That was the absolute last thing he wanted to do.
“We’re all queer here,” Blair spoke. “I have excellent gay radar.”
“We met at the start of senior year,” Matthew began. “Been kissing ever since.”
“We’re a little on and off at times,” Cooper added. “Right now we’re on, and I’m happy about that.”
“Well, congrats to you both for finding something that lasts. A year and a half is no small feat. Also, you know what they say about New Year’s Eve. Make sure your lips are locked at midnight.”
Noah tried his hardest to sound chipper and upbeat, but Matthew knew better.
“Monty, can we please go somewhere and talk privately for a minute?" There was aching devastation in Matthew’s voice.
“Maybe later this week. I’ve really got to get home. Large crowds and all aren’t really my thing. Always the loner.”
Before any of them could object, Noah hurried into the crowd of people. The last thing he wanted was to be around Matthew and his boyfriend. Eventually, he’d move beyond his feelings, but until then, he’d allow himself to fall apart in the safety of his own isolation.
The dimly lit room was the perfect haven for Noah and his feelings. There was solace in being a loner despite the desire to be desired by others.
The knock at the bedroom door pulled him from his mental drive down lonely highway. He thought his parents had already left for the town square.
“Can you come back later? I’m feeling tired,” he yelled.
“Monty,” Matthew called out.
He instantly felt a shiver in his body at the sound of Matthew’s voice. He pulled himself from his bed and made his way to the bedroom door. Noah took a deep breath and then opened the door.
“Hey,” Matthew whispered.
“What are you doing here? How’d you get in?”
“Your parents. I showed up just as they were heading out. They let me in. Can we talk? I miss talking to you.”
“Do we have to? I know you want to explain your relationship, but you don’t have to. I’ll be okay.”
“But I won’t be okay. We’re in the river together. Remember?”
Noah sighed and stepped aside. Matthew moved past him and entered the bedroom. Noah closed the bedroom door and turned to face him.
Matthew stuttered.
“I..I..I didn’t handle things well on Christmas Eve. Cooper and I have been on this very on-and-off-again make-out shit since last year. When I met you on the bridge that night, we had just gone into our off-again season.”
“Is that why you were really on the bridge?”
“Part of it. Everything else I had told you prior was accurate, but I just left out Cooper.”
“Why?” Noah asked, confused.
Agitated, Matthew replied, “I don’t know. I guess shame. I mean, how does it look, the star wrestler that everyone loved was having a meltdown over some dude whom he didn’t even want to have sex with. I just didn’t want to be alone.”
“It would look pretty human.”
“It didn’t feel human. It felt shitty. Then I met you, and it was like I felt seen and understood, and it happened so fucking fast. In the blink of an eye, you were all I thought about.”
“I was all you thought about until Emmy saw us, and then you started acting differently with me.”
“You’re right. I did. My sister saw us nearly kiss. I told her I was into guys as well. She took it pretty well. That night we went out. Drove down to Birmingham, and I ran into Cooper. He wanted to try it out again, and I thought it was a sign.”
“Maybe it was. Maybe you needed to meet me so you’d live. So that you could be with him,” Noah argued.
Matthew ran his fingers through his hair. He felt himself becoming frustrated. It seemed as if Noah wasn’t truly trying to hear him out.
“Can you just listen to me? Stop trying to argue a case and just hear me out.”
“Why? I just saw you with the guy.”
“Damnit, Noah, just LISTEN!” He shouted with frustration.
Noah’s eyes widened, and he took a step back to allow Matthew space.
Matthew lowered his voice. “I’m sorry. I just need you to hear me out. The entire time, I couldn’t get you off my mind. Then we kissed, and I had to be honest with you because it changed everything. It confirmed everything. I was…I am drawn to you.”
“Drawn to me? I think you want me in your life, but you’re afraid that I can’t take the rejection and that I’ll just abandon our budding friendship. We trauma-bonded on that damn bridge.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t reduce us to just trauma.”
“It’s true. We kissed, and then we went our separate ways. He literally placed his hand on your shoulders as some macho act of possession. He’s clearly more dominant than me, so go be with him.”
“I don’t want someone to be dominant. I want an equal in all of this confusion. I’m eighteen, and I’m…” Matthew stopped. He couldn’t complete the sentence.
The words he wanted to convey were lost in translation. His mind felt clogged with words he couldn’t make out or let out. His eyes watered as he struggled to express himself.
“Matthew?”
Noah could see the panic in Matthew’s olive eyes.
Matthew quickly moved across the room. He pulled Noah close and kissed him.
It was messy.
It was hungry.
It was emotional.
It was desperate.
The kiss said, “Shut up. Stop talking. Don’t push me away. Let me show you.”
Noah opened his mouth and returned the kiss. He kissed him back with every part of him.
Matthew bit Noah’s bottom lip and pulled it. Just before it could turn painful, he released it, and then he kissed Noah again and again. Each kiss was more emotional than the last. His words had failed him, but his actions rewarded him.
They finally parted lips. If they never said another word, they had said plenty with their kiss.
Matthew whispered, “I want you. Only you. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I couldn’t take seeing someone else touch you. I wanted you the moment we went into the river.”
Noah took a step back. His chest rose and fell with passion. The blood in his veins moved like magic. His grey eyes turned darker. He looked at Matthew like he was the center of his universe.
Noah crossed his arms and pulled his shirt off. The air caused goosebumps to form along his bare chocolate skin. He undid his pants and dropped them to his ankles. His body trembled in anticipation of what was to come next.
Matthew swallowed hard.
“Monty, I’ve never…before,” he admitted awkwardly.
Noah smiled nervously.
“Me neither. We don’t have to do anything, but I want you to see all of me. I want you to know it’s…I’m all yours. I’m all yours when we’re ready for that step.”
He tugged his boxer briefs down. His naked chocolate body was on full display for Matthew to take in. His heart raced from nerves and excitement. He could feel his lower anatomy respond and expand.
Matthew’s eyes sparkled with life the moment they graced Noah’s face. His body tingled, his heart fluttered, and his lungs failed to take in oxygen. Noah literally stole his breath away.
“Mateo…breathe,” Noah said softly.
His lips slightly parted, and the air rushed inside. His lungs expanded. He could breathe again, and the air in his lungs felt so clean and fresh.
“You are so beautiful, Monty. Can I show you mine?”
“Please,” Noah gently whispered.
Matthew undressed with ease. It was like he had been born to be naked in front of Noah. He flung the shirt to the side, and then his shoes and pants dropped. His underwear slipped off his body.
Noah’s eyes slowly slid down the man’s body. He took his time and took in every magnificent detail of Matthew. His eyes slid along the man’s abs, then the trimmed dark bush of pubes, and then onto Matthew’s prize. The glorious sight made Noah smile and his mouth water.
“What do you think?” Matthew asked. “Am I decent?”
Noah locked eyes with him. He smiled.
“Perfect.”
Matthew held his hand out. Noah took hold of his hand. He pulled Matthew into a heated embrace. Their bodies touched explicitly. Their lips touched, and as they began to kiss once more, they fell back onto the bed. The night belonged to them.
Outside, the fireworks exploded in the air as the townsfolk rang in the new year.
TO BE CONTINUED
© Beckham G 2026. All rights reserved.
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