“Hi Dad,” he whispered.
“Hi son, hi Skyler,” Bill answered softly. “How’d Noah’s game go?”
“Awesome,” Cam replied in a hushed tone “We crushed Faith Academy! Noah scored four goals!”
“Really?” Bill whispered with pleasant surprise. “He’s doing really well, I bet he’ll make a great soccer player one day.”
“He already is,” Skyler said softly.
Bill smiled and nodded. “Very true. What’s SkyCam up to tonight? You boys gonna play some Halo?” SkyCam was Bill’s affectionate nickname for Skyler and Cam.
“Yup.”
“Okay, not too loud. Your mom and I will be heading to bed very soon. Skyler, don’t let him kick your butt too much tonight. Try to be in bed by twelve, okay?”
Skyler smiled and nodded.
“Yes, dad,” Cam answered. Bill reached out with his free hand and Cam gave him a half hug goodnight. He kept his arm extended and looked at Skyler, who also gave him a half-hug good night.
“God Bless, boys.”
“You too,” Skyler said.
“Let’s get some soda and some chips,” Cam suggested.
“Okay.” They boys tip-toed into the kitchen and Cam grabbed some Sprite from the fridge. Skyler grabbed a bag of potato chips from the counter and then he followed Cam downstairs to the game room.
* * *
Over time, Bill had helped Cam renovate the finished side of the basement into a movie and game room. They had setup a ceiling-mounted HD projector on one side of the room that projected a nine-foot wide by five-foot tall image on the opposite wall that had been painted with a special projector screen paint. A few months ago, they invested in a surround system that, when turned up, could shake the entire house with sound effects or music. But tonight, they kept the volume low.
Jen, Cam’s mother, saw the renovation as an opportunity to get new living room furniture. When Bill asked what was wrong with the current set up, she smiled and said, “Nothing, dear, but you need something comfortable downstairs in your man cave, right?”
“But it’s got flowers on it,” Cam objected.
“We can put a cover thing on it. No one will see it. Free couch for the man cave, son, free couch,” Bill explained.
Cam nodded in agreement. “Okay. But no man cave has a flowery couch. Just saying.”
“Trust me, son. When we’re finished, ours won’t either.”
And he was right. The blue couch cover hid the couch’s original flower pattern completely, and no one knew the difference. And to be honest, no one cared. All they cared about was the amazing theater-sized image of the movie they watched or the game they played.
* * *
Skyler watched Cam load one of the Halo game discs into the Xbox and closed the tray. The mechanisms inside whirred to life as Cam stepped back and sat down on the couch near Skyler. In the silence that came with the game’s loading, Cam looked over at Skyler and winked. Instinctually, they both checked behind them and looked toward the stairwell. It was empty. They leaned in and kissed. When the game music started, they stopped kissing and focused on the screen. Like clockwork, they logged in and set up their avatars.
Cam and Skyler sat near each other when they played video games, but they didn’t touch. The layout of the man cave allowed Bill or Jen to walk downstairs and sneak up behind them. It had happened before one night when they were so focused on the game they were playing. They never heard Bill come down the stairs. He had been watching them play, standing right behind the couch, for about ten minutes, he claimed. It was only when Cam swore out loud that Bill said something and startled them. So, they agreed never to take the risk of being close when they had their backs to the door.
Cam selected a map and set up the game parameters.
“Remember when we first did this?” Skyler asked. “I mean, first did…you know? When we played Strip Halo?”
Cam smiled and nodded. “How could I forget? I was so nervous that night.”
“You weren’t alone,” Skyler said, chuckling as he recalled how tense he was the night they fooled around for the first time.
* * *
For several months, they had repeatedly talked about showing each other their naked bodies simply to compare and make sure they were both normal, so that when they had sex with a girl for the first time there was no chance of her freaking out on either one of them. Skyler knew their logic was complete bullshit.
Skyler had figured out he was gay a few years earlier and had a pretty good idea of what that meant. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure if Cam was gay, but he suspected by the way Cam looked at him that they shared similar feelings even if they didn’t completely understand the complexity of their emotions. Skyler sensed stronger and more intimate desires grow within him toward his best friend. He began experiencing powerful new feelings of attraction toward Cam, and the idea of holding Cam in his arms thrilled him to no end. Given their strict Christian and super-churchy families, neither boy felt brave enough to ask the bold question. Instead, their sexually charged and innuendo-littered conversations left Skyler excited and in need of release.
Although they occasionally found themselves talking about having sex with girls because they were afraid to come out to one another, Skyler knew he was not attracted to girls and did not want to fool around with a girl…at all. Instead, he wanted to fool around with Cam and some of the other boys who had caught his eye at school. The locker room and showers after gym class and cycling practice had become a frustrating distraction for him, even though he thought he hid his attractions well. Skyler quickly learned how to relieve his sexual tensions when he got home and could get into the bathroom or his bedroom alone for a few minutes. After all, privacy was next to godliness, he learned, and he thoroughly enjoyed his privacy. He didn’t care that the Tinsdales—and the Church—considered masturbation a sin. It just needed to be done.
“I’ll find you, and when I do, I’ll pop you in the head with my sniper rifle,” Cam taunted.
“Doubtful, you couldn’t hit me if you…”
“Assassination,” the game’s announcer voice interrupted. “Tied for the lead.”
“Dammit,” Skyler said. Where the hell did you come from?
“You know what happens when you get cocky,” Cam said victoriously, grinning.
“Yeah, yeah.” Unfortunately for Skyler, if he started talking, he became distracted and lost his focus. To make matters worse, they were playing a new canyon map he wasn’t familiar with. Even though Skyler was ahead by one point, the new map gave Cam an advantage over him. The sounds of the video game filled the man cave as they hunted each other across the canyon map. It had a large, central fortress in it with plenty of places for them to hide. Skyler was ahead by one point, and his knee bounced with game-induced anxiety.
Cam’s parents had stepped out to run an errand that would take at least an hour, but probably two. This left them alone in the house with the Xbox and their raging hormones. “Wanna take it up a notch?” Cam asked, eyes glued to the screen.
“What do you mean?”
“The next person to die has to take off a piece of clothing.”
“Seriously?” he asked, glancing quickly at Cam. Of course I do!
“Yeah, why not? We’re both guys, what does it matter?”
Skyler quickly checked himself. Socks, pants, underwear, t-shirt—four things, five if socks count twice.
“Socks are one thing, and belts don’t count,” Cam said, laying down the rules.
Dammit.
Skyler scanned what Cam was wearing. He appeared to be wearing the same layers of clothing. “Fine.” He looked back at the screen and spotted Cam running across an open space in the game. He switched to rockets, aimed at the ground just in front of Cam, and fired.
Through months of practice with Cam at this video game, Skyler learned that attempting to hit a moving target with a rocket was very difficult because the rocket required a few seconds to travel toward the
target. If he missed, the rocket would fly right past the intended target and continue on its merry way until it hit a wall or the map’s boundary. But if he aimed and fired at the ground or a wall just in front of or near his target, the resulting explosion was deadly. So far, this tactic worked every time.
Skyler’s rocket traveled fast and true and exploded on the ground in front of Cam, sending his dead avatar flying.
“Revenge,” the announcer said.
“Shit,” Cam said, pulling off his socks quickly as his character spawned in a new location.
“Suicides don’t count either,” Skyler said. “And no screen looking.”
“Okay.”
Skyler ran through the fortress’ tunnels and corridors, looking for Cam. He resisted the temptation to screen look and check on Cam’s location. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway since he wasn’t familiar with the map.
Skyler thought he saw motion in front of him and he switched to the shotgun because a rocket explosion inside the narrow hallways would kill them both. Then he switched to plasma grenades so he could stick one to Cam’s avatar if he got the chance as well. Suddenly, Cam’s avatar crossed in front of him and Skyler fired. It wasn’t a fatal shot, so he fired again before Cam could turn around. This time he killed him.
“Shit,” Cam said again. He looked over at Skyler. “Hmmm.”
Pants or shirt? I’ll love what I see regardless.
Cam pulled off his shirt and smiled at Skyler, who smirked at Cam’s unspoken desire. Skyler had a hard time taking his eyes off the dirty-blond chest hair that had started growing on Cam’s chest. Wow, so we really are on the same page tonight, huh? The only thing keeping me from popping wood right now is the game. Oh, wait, maybe not. I am not going to be naked first. You are. Focus, Sky.
Skyler moved out of the fortress and picked up the sniper rifle, dropping the shotgun. Then he ran around and hid behind a large rock that afforded him a bird’s eye view of most of the map. If Cam tried to sneak up on him, his motion tracker would alert him. Except of course, the motion tracker wasn’t visible when he zoomed in with the sniper rifle. He zoomed in one level and searched for signs of motion in the fortress’ doorways and open spaces.
Nothing.
He zoomed out to check his motion tracker and saw no red dot. He zoomed back in and scanned what he could see again. Maybe he’s behind something, or on the other side. I’ll find you eventually. Wait, his screen isn’t moving. Oh shit.
It was too late. Cam’s avatar had snuck up behind Skyler and was watching him.
Ka-thwack. The game displayed a vivid animation of Cam’s avatar slicing through Skyler’s avatar with lethal precision.
“Assassination,” the announcer said. “Tied for the lead.”
“Again? Dammit!”
“Strip.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Skyler pulled off his socks before his avatar spawned. This is getting crazy intense, and I’m still clothed.
His screen blinked to life and he started running toward the rocket’s spawn location.
“Well, that’s convenient,” Cam said.
Blang!
“Dammit!”
Skyler’s character had spawned directly in front of wherever Cam was running. They exchanged gunfire but Skyler’s shields couldn’t recharge fast enough.
“Took the lead,” the announcer said as Skyler died. He watched his character’s dead body bounce down a hill.
“Argh,” Skyler moaned with mock frustration. He pulled his t-shirt off and smiled at Cam, who watched him with a mischievous smile.
I’m totally getting naked with you tonight. Been waiting for this for months.
Once again even, the boys searched for each other across the map for a few minutes. Skyler could feel the sexual tension between them electrify the air. It was something he had recently become more aware of between them but never had it been this intense. He felt the tension growing in his boxers as well.
He heard the familiar sound of the shotgun being picked up and armed—by Cam. Skyler ran across an open field and spun around to check his tail. Cam was not behind him. He ran over to one of the two shotgun spawn locations and found it there. This clued him in to Cam’s whereabouts. He picked up the shotgun and armed it. The barrel of the shotgun bobbed up and down as he ran into the fortress in pursuit of his best friend.
I am not taking my pants off first.
“Ah!” they yelled simultaneously. As he rounded the corner, he saw Cam’s avatar appear on his screen. Skyler tossed a plasma grenade and Cam fired his shotgun.
I got you! Time to take off your…oh wait, what the hell?
Skyler’s jaw dropped open as he lost control of his avatar and his half of the screen zoomed out, indicating he had been killed.
“Denied. I won that kill,” Cam said with delight.
“Wait for it,” Skyler said, smirking. The familiar sound of a charging plasma grenade filled their ears and then exploded, killing Cam instantly.
“You stuck me! Shit, I didn’t see that. Good throw,” Cam said. A moment of awkward silence filled the room.
Is he as aroused as I am? I don’t know if I want to take my pants off now. I didn’t expect…this.
“I guess we both have to take our pants off now?” Skyler asked hesitantly.
Cam nodded. When both characters spawned, he paused the game and set his controller down. “Together?”
“Yeah, sure, but I, uh, I have a boner,” Sky admitted. He tried to force the smile off his face, but it refused to go away.
Cam winked at him and smiled back. “Oh, good, I’m not the only one.”
They stood up, undid their belts, and then looked at each other. Skyler’s heart pounded in his chest with a ferocity he could feel in his groin. Wow, I can’t believe this is going to happen.
“Okay, on three?” Cam asked.
“Sure.”
Cam counted out loud, “One, two, three,” and together they both pulled their pants down. Skyler pulled his pants off, revealing his white, yellow, and blue plaid boxer shorts, his arousal obvious. Skyler looked over and watched Cam step out of his pants. Skyler smiled at the protrusion in the front of Cam’s solid red boxer shorts.
“Okay then. We are both tenting in our boxers,” Cam stated, kicking his pants aside.
“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Skyler said. “This is, it’s kinda, uh, fun, you know?” Wow, I can’t believe this. I almost don’t want him to lose. I love the anticipation.
“Yeah, totally. I get it.”
Cam picked up his controller and waited for Skyler to continue. Skyler took a good look at the front of Cam’s boxers again.
I want to touch it…I wonder if he will let me?
“You ready?” Cam asked, smiling mischievously.
“For what, the game, or something else?”
Cam smiled. “The game.” He looked at the television and resumed the game. Skyler grabbed his controller and started hunting for better weapons and Cam. There’s no way I’m gonna be naked first. You are going down, mister.
For the next minute or so, they ran around the map searching for one another and weapons. Out of the corner of his eye, Skyler kept tabs on the front of Cam’s boxers. Stay focused, Sky, or you will be the first one naked. He took a deep breath and searched the open field in front of his character for a sign of movement…a sign of victory.
“You nervous over there or something?” Cam asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.
“Ha,” Skyler answered. Then he saw something move on the left side of the screen. Bingo. I have you now. Shit, I have the wrong weapon for this. I need to get closer, or get something better. He tried to remember where the sniper rifle was, but he wasn’t certain if it was on this or the other side of the map, near Cam.
Bang.
Shit, it’s on his side.
The sound of a sniper rifle blast startled him and immediately his avatar’s shield and health status started beeping. The shot had taken out his shields, but it wasn’t fatal
. He ducked behind some cover.
“Dammit, I thought I had you,” Cam said.
“Not this time, Cammy-boy,” Skyler taunted. He ducked left and evaded another shot. His eyes widened when he saw the rocket launcher in front of him. He quickly picked it up and selected it while Cam reloaded the rifle. Now, armed with rockets full of desperation not to be the first one naked and a newfound desire for Cam, he ran down the other side of the map.
He assumed Cam was either holding position or moving toward him. Recognizing one of the main tunnels, he carefully moved through it. He paid extra attention to doorways and his motion tracker because he didn’t want Cam to catch him off-guard again. Finally, when the red dot appeared on the top of his motion tracker, he stopped moving and waited. In this game, the motion tracker identified enemy player motion around you. The red dot moved toward Skyler’s position because Cam was walking toward him. Skyler aimed his crosshairs at the ground near the hallway’s corner where he suspected Cam would appear.
Wait for it.
Seconds later, Cam’s avatar walked around the corner. Skyler squeezed his index finger against the trigger. The sound of a rocket launch made him smile.
“Got you!”
“Shit!”
Skyler watched Cam’s avatar back up in a feeble attempt to avoid disaster, but he was too late. An explosion filled the screen and sound system.
“Dammit.”
“Yes!” Skyler excitedly yelled. Heck yeah, I win.
“You always get me with the stupid rocket launcher. I don’t know how you’re so accurate with it.”
Skyler laughed. So, you haven’t figured out my strategy yet, huh? Good!
“I like rockets, what can I say.”
Cam put his controller down on the coffee table in front of them. “Well, I guess you get to see mine now.”
“Uh-huh. Hey it was your idea, remember?” Skyler tried to be nonchalant about it, even though he couldn’t peel his eyes off Cam’s body. Cam stood and stuck his thumbs in the waistband of his red boxers. “Well, here it is,” Cam announced as he bent over and lowered his underwear to his ankles. Then he straightened up and kicked his boxers away.
The Climb Page 4