The Boy on the Other Side

by Aki_kaze

  “H… how?” He cupped the other’s face with two hands. He wasn’t just imagining things.

  “I don’t know? Perhaps because we ki—?”

  Keith exacted the remaining words with his lips. He wanted to make sure that he was really touching the other.

  “E… easy.”

  The words managed a narrow escape from the blonde’s lips which Keith relentlessly savored.

  “Bedroom,” Keith said; it wasn’t a question. And Sam had no reason to refuse.

  They both hand in hand sprinted upstairs. But they were yet to make it to their room when they desperately sought each other again, as if they would cease to exist if they were apart for just one more minute.

  Keith locked the door as soon as they entered the bedroom. He removed his t-shirt then he threw himself onto Sam. He peppered the spirit with kisses on the lips, on the face, on the neck. He quickly helped the other out of his shirt before he was pushed down to lie on his back.

  Keith was gasping for air, and he saw that, so was the other. His body gave a reaction with just a gaze from the pair of blue eyes. Sam’s hands were all over his body, its touch leaving the burning sensation in its wake. Th two got rid of their clothes. Their feet met. Their legs rubbed against one another. Their belly left no space between them. Their lips locked. For the first time, they offered their bodies to each other with no restraint.

  “Have you ever?” Keith asked, heavily panting.

  Sam shook his head.

  “I have kissed, used my hand, used my mouth. But never what I’m doing with you right now.” Sam placed a kiss on the other’s forehead. “You… Are you fine with this? Can I really?”

  “Yes.” Keith replied verbally as well as nodded his head.

  “Wait for me.”

  The blonde got out of bed then headed to the bathroom. After a while, he returned and moved to the closet. Keith’s eyebrows were knitted in question.

  “Keith,” Sam called, “you got no lube?”

  The boy’s face reddened up as he come to understand the reason behind the other’s action.

  “In the top drawer, I think”

  “Found it.” Sam smiled broadly as he got what he wanted. He walked back to the bed, speaking to the boy in a serious tone, “Keith, don’t you do this with anyone else.”

  “Wh… what do you mean?”

  “You don’t have a condom. I don’t have a condom. Don’t you dare do this with anyone else, got it?”

  “A… are you really 15?”

  “I’m 17, actually. My body just didn’t change,” Sam said, “And I’m a cautious teenager.”

  “Cautious or horny.”

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No.”

  Keith sighed. What was that argument for? He looked at Sam who stared back at him intently. He didn’t know what expression he was wearing, but it definitely made the spirit worry.

  “You sure? You know we can stop here,” the blonde offered, “I know it must hurt a lot. But I’ll be gentle. Tell me if it’s too much.”

  “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

  Sam’s lips curved up before he planted them on the other’s. He solely focused on a single action. Gradually, anxiety started to fill Keith. It was not the only thing.

  “Keith, look at me,” Sam called, “I’ve never asked you this before, but what’s your favorite color?”

  “What?”

  “Look at me and answer it.”

  “Green.”

  Sam kissed his neck as a reward.

  “Which shade of green? Describe it.”

  “Green…!” The sensation made Keith shudder. Sam asked the question again and kissed his temple. “Green like leaf green. Like those leaves in the forest. What about… you?”

  “Deep blue. Like my jacket.” Sam brushed the boy’s cheek with his fingers. “You still okay?”

  “Okay with what?”

  The blonde’s eyes gestured him to the answer. Keith then realized what was going on. The new-found sensation flooded his body with heat and desire.

  Sam moved just a bit, and that made Keith cried out. The blonde stopped immediately.

  “You okay? Do you want me to stop?” he asked at once.

  But Keith shook his head. Sam’s finger wiped away the dripping beads of sweat on his forehead. The boy tried to take a breath.

  “You can move now…”

  He breathed through his mouth, his voice different than usual. He peered at Sam, noting every movement of the other. He didn’t know what to do. His body though responded as if it had its own mind. He allowed his body to take the rein. As a result, his heart beat faster, his breath became more erratic.

  Every sound around him became clearer. The sound of their body. The squeaky sound of the bed which followed Sam’s motion. The moaning from them. Everything fueled his desire.

  He knew the climax was drawing near. His. And Sam’s.

  “Sam… Sam…” Keith wondered if that was really his voice. But, at that moment, he felt no shame. The way he called the other’s name made Sam drive into him harder.

  “Sam… I’m…” He choked on his breath. “…I’m going to…”

  “Me too…”

  Keith’s eye snapped open, scanning the room to find out where he was. The noise from the TV hit his ear. He sat up straight and found out that he was in the living room. The sandwich plate remained on the table. He looked at his own hands and touched his own shoulder.

  It was a dream…

  “You awake?”

  The voice made him flinch. He then turned to look at the source and saw Sam moved over to seat himself next to him.

  “You fell asleep while watching TV. I went away so that I wouldn’t be disturbing you. But was that series that boring?”

  Keith didn’t answer it. He reached out a hand to Sam, and the other reached out to him in response. When his fingertip went through the other, a tear dropped.

  “Keith, what happened? You had a nightmare?”

  The boy still remained silent. All he could do was to bury his face in his hands and dissolved into tears, which sent Sam into panic.

  “Keith, what happened?! Don’t cry.”

  When he felt the cold presence upon his head, his crying grew worse.

  “It’s okay. It’s okay,” Sam consoled, “I’m here. Everything’s okay. It was just a nightmare.”

  Keith shook his head. That dream was the best dream he’d had in year. It was the reality that was the nightmare.

  Chapter Forty Two

  Pros and Cons

  Keith cuddled with Sam on the bed. Or, more precisely, he was lying in the spirit’s arm, but Sam didn’t mind. His hand stroked the boy’s head for comfort. Feeling lost, Keith simply lay still. His reddened orbs no longer shed tears. He felt a severe headache, yet he didn’t want to close his eyes.

  “Sam,” he called the other, his voice coarse. He took a gulp.

  “Hmm?” The reply was as gentle as his touch.

  “What’s your favorite color?”

  “Deep blue. Like my jacket. Why?”

  Keith bit his lips. Even in the reality the answer was the same. He perked up at the blonde and said,

  “Sam, touch me.”

  “I’m hugging you right now.” Sam smiled at him.

  “Not like this.” Keith’s serious voice wiped the playfulness off Sam’s face. “Touch me like you want me. Pleasure me.”

  “Keith.”

  The spirit’s expression showed unconcealed pain. He planted a kiss on Keith’s forehead, but the boy quickly turned away.

  “I don’t want a kiss like this. I don’t want this kind of touching.” He said before getting off the bed.

  “Where are you going?” Sam asked at once.

  “To pleasure myself!” Keith shot back. His face reddened but not from embarrassment. His heart beat fast but not in the way that Sam usually made it so. “Follow me if you want to watch. That’s all you can do anyway, right?!”

 
The boy slammed the door shut. He had no such intention of doing what he’d said. In fact, he walked to seat himself on the toilet, crying. He pulled his own hair, which hurt his right hand. But the more it did, the more strongly he pulled. He cursed at himself and continued crying.

  Sam walked past the door and crouched down before him. He placed a hand on the other’s head, unable to know how his touch felt.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Keith shook his head fervently. His body bent down; his head hung low.

  “You’re bothered because we can’t touch each other, right?” Sam asked, his voice soft.

  “No… No…” Keith replied in a pleading voice.

  “It’s okay. It’s normal that you’ll feel that way. We’re going out and, naturally, you must want to do it. I’m sorry I can’t do anything. If seeing me makes you feel pain…”

  “It’s not your fault,” Keith sobbed, “I’m sorry. I was being selfish. I’m sorry.”

  The spirit comforted him with his gentle voice.

  “It’s okay. If this makes you feel better, then it’s okay. The want is mutual. Every time I see you, my head’s wrapped around that kind of thing, too.”

  Keith stared at the other. Desire reflected in those blue eyes. He rose to his feet and pulled his shorts and his pants down onto the floor, exposing his lower body.

  Sam stood up as well, his eyes still trained on the young boy.

  “We always pretend we could touch each other,” Keith said, his hand wrapping around the hot member. “But this’s the truth, Sam. This is the truth. And I’m not scared of being seen by you. I want you to see it, and accept it. It was painful, yes, but it was nothing compared to all the good feelings you’ve been giving me. I’m fine… We’re… fine.”

  Sam took a step back as Keith moved forward, resting a hand on the wall. Their faces got close; their eyes locked. Keith’s breath echoed in the bathroom. He shuddered at the sudden feeling of coldness on his hand. But that didn’t stop him from continue moving it.

  The boy let out a shameless moan, toes curling onto the floor beneath. Panting heavily, he lay his body inclined against the wall. Sam’s presence permeated his whole body with a chilling sensation.

  “I love you,” he said when their bodies joined as one, when he could feel the coldness in his bones.

  “I love you, too.” Sam replied, embracing the other as tightly as a spirit like him could.

  ✽✽✽

  “Which is the correct answer, A or B?”

  Late morning of the next day, as Keith was doing his homework, Sam was holding his phone, using it as a microphone. The songs from the device made the room not too quiet. If someone came into his room right now, they would witness quite a spooky scene.

  “Sam!”

  He threw a ruler at the other who got so immersed in his lip-sync solo.

  “How can someone with only grade 9 degree like me know?”

  The spirit walked up to the desk. Keith’s hair on his nape stood up as the other approached him from behind, examining the homework.

  “Isn’t it C?”

  “How can it be C?” Keith asked, reviewing the question again. Perhaps he missed something.

  “I always go C when I take a wild guess.” Sam smiled widely.

  Keith eyerolled him and turned back to his notebook.

  “Then stop asking me the things you already know I don’t know,” the spirit complained.

  “Just in case.”

  Keith turned to look at Sam who walked towards the bed. The other threw the phone on it and then himself. Seeing the spirit’s behavior, Keith couldn’t help but asking,

  “You are bored, right?”

  Sam sprang up instantly.

  “Yes!” Then he dropped himself onto the bed again. “But what can I do about it?”

  “What did you do before I’ve moved in?”

  When the song ended, the room fell silent. Sam was still there, lying sprawled. Yet, Keith felt like he was alone in his room. He awaited the answer, but none he received.

  “That’s what I did.” Sam said out of nowhere.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Just like that.”

  Keith felt a sudden pang of pain in his chest and realized that his breathing was becoming uneven. He then tried to relax.

  “Don’t ask the question whose answer you don’t want to hear.”

  “I want to hear it,” Keith objected, “everything about you. Every of your concern. Share them with me. I’m not that weak that I can’t help shouldering them.”

  The spirit propped himself up, smiling wordlessly.

  Since yesterday, something between them had changed. The wall which divided them crumbled. There was nothing to conceal, no feeling to hide. They bared themselves to each other, their feelings true and profound.

  But something still bothered Keith. Something was off. He could tell but couldn’t place what it was exactly.

  “Staring at me won’t help with your homework. It ain’t gonna finish itself,” Sam joked.

  “I know.”

  Keith returned his attention to his homework.

  After 40 minutes of silence, a knock on the door occurred. Keith turned to see Diane coming in, her hand holding a plate of something.

  “What’s that?” He was suspicious.

  “Pumpkin cake. Don’t make that face yet,” Diane said, “it’s tasty. Try it.”

  Keith didn’t in all honesty want to. But his aunt brought it to his room herself, how could he deny? Perhaps Diane knew that, too.

  She put the plate down the desk.

  “I also made prune juice. But perhaps this cake will have hurt you enough.” She contained a smile as Keith gave a wobbly one.

  When her eyes fell on the notebook, she asked him,

  “Have you made up your mind about the college?”

  He shook his head.

  “I know what I don’t want to study. But I don’t know what I want to.”

  “Look up the pros and cons of each college then. It might help.” She gave a squeeze on his shoulders. “Try to eat all of it.”

  She said cheerily before leaving the room.