“Thank you, Mrs. Wallace.”
“Leif, darling, you can call me Shirley. And you can call Mr. Wallace David. You’re part of the family now—being my son’s boyfriend and about to go into the shower with him proves that.” Mum smiled knowingly.
Leif nodded, smiling back. “Okay, Shirley. And…thanks. Thanks for everything.”
I got so nervous, I began hiccupping. Leif tightened his grip in mine, his smile widening. His touch informed me that I should relax. I tried. Really, I did.
He whispered, “After today, we need some alone time. I need to be with you without anyone else around.”
“I completely understand.” I calmed, if only by a little bit.
Chapter Eight
The Investigation Takes an “Unexpected” Turn
I’d never been so anxious about taking off my clothing. Not because I never wanted to be naked in front of Leif, but because it was my first time. What would he think of me? Would he like what I had? I knew we were more than our boy bits, but seriously, when stripping down to nothing in front of him, how could I not think about that?
I really hoped he liked what I had, because I knew I’d like his. How could I not? I loved every part of him, from the long fringe that swept over one eye, to his big toes that seemed out of proportion with the rest of his feet.
But would he think the same about me?
Would he love my little differences as much as I loved his?
Leif had already gotten down to his underwear and I’d only taken off my black polo shirt. His underwear was sky blue. Of course, they were. Leif always matched his clothing, right down to his socks—which were also blue.
I noticed he had a little port wine birthmark on his left hipbone. That was way cute.
I swallowed.
What other treasure would be revealed when he slipped out of his underwear, aside from the obvious? My thoughts started to spiral, and I stalled. My thumbs wouldn’t move from the waistband of my jeans.
“Are you okay with this?” he asked, coming closer to me.
The shower hadn’t been turned on yet—Leif wanted to do that when we were both ready so we could save the hot water. “I’m just nervous, that’s all.”
He brought his arms around me, and it felt good to have them there. It was also good to have him close to me in only his underwear, his skin soft and smooth as I ran my hands over his back. There wasn’t any tension in his muscles.
“So am I,” he said as his hands found the small of my back; he massaged me there with just the right pressure to send shivers up my spine.
I groaned, smiling, loving the feeling of his attention in the right spot. “You a-are?” I stammered.
He nodded. “If you don’t want to do this, I’ll understand.”
“I do want to.” And that was true. As we touched each other and explored each other’s bare skin, I discovered that my worries began to melt and were replaced by a wanting, one I hadn’t realised how strong it was until now. I wanted to kiss him. “I really do.”
Leif came even closer. Our bare chests touched. It was awesome feeling having his body so close to mine. Then our lips brushed. I shuddered and closed my eyes, a silent invitation for him to deepen his kiss. He did. Oh, how he did. His warm lips, along with his tender, caring touch across my back, made me melt further.
I gulped.
We were kissing.
Really kissing.
There was no press of lips and an instant withdrawal that time. We were talking it slowly. Sure, it took a moment to adjust so our noses didn’t get in the way, but it was still amazing.
A true kiss.
More so when, without thought, I parted Leif’s lips with my tongue. The sensation was electric, so sensual and close and wonderful I couldn’t believe it. Nothing compared to it. Nothing.
I moaned when he let me into his mouth. After an eternal moment, our tongues connected.
It blew my mind.
My head went giddy and my knees weakened. He pulled me closer and became my support as I supported him. Before I knew it, our tongues were not only touching, they were the chorus of our connection.
My anxiety and my fears melted completely away. How could Leif not like what I had? He’d proven to me he wanted me with his kiss.
Correction.
With our kiss.
A kiss that was intimate and safe thanks to my parents letting us be who we were without judgement or conditions—not like Ben’s parents.
When we finally parted, my lips tingling from his attention, I gasped again. My whole body was on fire—my boy bits also ached to let me know how they liked the attention as well.
“I really needed that,” I said breathlessly.
“So did I.”
“I’m ready to have a shower with you.”
“Then let’s do it.”
I nodded. He patiently waited for me to get out of my jeans. When I was down to my underwear, together we revealed ourselves to each other.
To say Leif was beautiful was an understatement. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him. And despite how awkward I thought it would be, it didn’t feel like that at all.
It felt so right.
So natural.
“You’re so big,” Leif said, his misty-blue eyes filled with wonder as he studied me.
I giggled, my nervous energy of before manifesting itself into something quite obvious. He must have felt the same, because we were both hard. “So are you.”
“And I love how you’ve got that little spot on your penis, too.”
I let out a full-on laugh at that, I couldn’t help it. “Dick, Leif. It’s called a dick. No one except teachers call it a penis.”
So…he did love my little differences, as I loved his.
I loved that he loved that.
Seeing Leif naked was wonderful. It made me realise, even though it was the first time I’d seen another boy in real life in such a way, despite our differences, we were similar as well.
Really, now that the deed was done, I didn’t know why I’d got myself so worked up at all. I was relieved, to be honest.
We hugged each other. Feeling his skin press against mine again was fantastic, sending shivers all over every inch of me.
He blushed, whispering. “I’d like to kiss you some more, Lyle. Is that okay?”
“It’s more than okay. But let’s get into the shower, otherwise my Mum will be banging on the door for us to hurry up.”
He nodded, leaning over to turn on the taps.
After the most amazing shower ever, one that started with us washing one another but quickly led to more kissing and then more kissing after that, we were in my room.
I’d never felt so content in my life.
Leif and I had changed into our pyjamas. I had my cheque-patterned flannel-material pair on, and he wore the ones he’d packed earlier.
Leif’s cheeks were blotchy red from the attention I’d given him in the shower, as mine were from his, I’m sure. After our first major hurdles as a couple had been conquered, I couldn’t help but think about how I wanted to get him out of his pyjamas already—because, like me, he didn’t wear underwear under them.
I sat next to him and we held hands.
“I’ve been thinking,” he announced, shifting his weight so he could get as close to me as possible.
“Oh?” Where he was going with that statement, I had no idea.
“I don’t believe Lucy was telling the truth.”
“Ah.” Now I knew. “What makes you say that?”
“Remember when she said she didn’t like dogs?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I could hear a dog barking when we were at her house. And I know it was coming from her backyard, because on her front gate it had a sign that said: Beware of the Dog.”
I shrugged. “Just because her family has a dog doesn’t mean she likes it.”
“She was nervous, too.”
Leif was right about that; I c
ould still hear Lucy flicking her nails, the noise stuck uncomfortably in my head as I recalled it. I shivered. “What are you saying?”
“I don’t know, but I know she wasn’t telling the whole truth.”
“Did you want to question her again tomorrow?”
“I do.” Leif bought his other arm around me. “Because I really miss Mister Metaxas, Lyle. I need him back. By now he’d be sleeping in his basket at the foot of my bed. I even miss his snoring.”
“I know.” I hugged him back. That was all I could do, be there for him when he needed me. “I want him back, too.”
The next morning was only eventful because Leif was with me. Doing the simple things with him around made them more important somehow. Things like brushing my teeth and hair, washing up my breakfast bowl, and getting changed into my school uniform, became something we shared, our relationship growing because of it.
He also kissed me…heaps of times.
I kissed him back even more.
“You’re going to wear your lips out, you two,” Mum said with a giggle as she packed our lunches into our backpacks. I was only allowed to buy a canteen lunch two times a week. Today, being a Wednesday, wasn’t one of those days.
“We’re trying,” I retorted.
I noticed Jasper had left early for school.
What the hell was that about? He never did anything in a hurry, especially when it came to school. Something really weird was going on with him. And what were those bruises all over him about? My little brother was getting harder and harder to work out with each passing day, but I wanted to know who’d caused them. Jasper and I might not have seen eye to eye at the best of times, but he was still family.
If someone was hurting him, I wanted to know about it and help him if I could.
Before I knew it, because I was daydreaming again, Leif took my hand into his. It was warm and so welcome. We were walking out the door together in a blink of an eye after that.
“Have a good day, you two,” Mum called with a wave while standing in the doorway. “And be good.”
“We will,” I replied.
Leif chuckled quietly to himself.
“What’s so funny?”
He looked me in the eye. “I don’t want to be good. I want to be naughty with you like we were last night in the shower.”
I swallowed. “So do I.”
“Hey, guys!” a familiar voice rang out from behind us.
When that voice manifested itself into Edwin, he looked different.
First, he wasn’t wearing his glasses. Did he have contacts in? He had to have had, right? Otherwise, how would he see?
Second, he was sporting a fashionable new haircut, one that revealed his face even more. The boy was cute, with nice large brown eyes, plump lips, and a nose blanketed in freckles that sat perfectly on his face.
This morning, however, the biggest change wasn’t on Edwin at all. Ben had joined us in the walk to school.
Edwin and Ben were holding hands.
Leif was the first to react. “What happened? How come you two are out now?”
Ben answered, “Oh, that’s simple, buddy. You see, when you guys left yesterday, his mum came home unexpectedly and caught us in the act. His parents know about us, and so will everyone else now. We might as well take the bull by the horns and run with it.”
Aside from the mixed expression about the bulls, I was shocked. Already. It wasn’t even nine o’clock in the morning yet. Something told me today was going to be another day of “unexpected” surprises; and Ben and Edwin had certainly had their fair share of that as well.
I had to ask one question that surfaced, because the others were still buzzing around my head like bees in a jar as I processed Ben’s words. “When you say you were caught in the act, what do you mean exactly?”
Edwin blushed, his natural state of being lately. “We were naked and caught right at the moment when…when I’d got on top of Ben, if you know what I mean.”
Leif now blushed—it was contagious. “You mean…your mum saw you both actually…doing it?
“She sure did, Leif, buddy.”
“Weren’t you embarrassed?” I asked. “I would have died!”
Ben shrugged. “What could we do? She didn’t see much, anyway. I was on my back and Sparkles was kissing me. All she got was a good view of his cute butt.” He laughed and Edwin’s face went so red a fire engine would roll up at any moment and hose him down. Edwin’s eyes were misted with his emotions, too. They sure were an odd couple, even if adorable together.
To reinforce my words, they kissed.
Thankfully, they weren’t full-on pashing. It was only a peck of lips. But I couldn’t get the image out of my head of what Edwin’s mum must have seen. I was glad my mum allowed Leif and I some privacy.
I really would have died if she had walked in on us in the shower and saw us both giving each other the attention that didn’t require soap.
“And what about your parents, Ben?” Leif asked, bringing me back to the moment at hand—the second time today already, too. “What are they going to do when they find out about this?”
Edwin replied, “They already know. My mum phoned them and told them.”
“What the…?” I couldn’t help it; the words fell out of me. “What happened?
Ben smiled. “They called me a dirty, disgusting fag who disappointed them, that’s what happened. They then threw my clothes and everything they could carry of mine onto the front lawn. I’ve got until Friday to get my TV and PlayStation and the rest of my things before they throw them away or give them to charity.”
“How can you be happy about that?” Leif asked, incredulous. I knew he really couldn’t fathom why parents would ever do that to their son, no matter how he identified. I squeezed his hand to let him know he was loved; he returned it with equal intention.
“Because it now means I can be me.” Ben rested his head on Edwin’s shoulder. They really were in love. “And besides, I’m part of a better family now—since the arguments have stopped between his Mum and Dad that is. Ain’t that right, Sparkles?”
Edwin nodded. “You sure are, beautiful. And it turns out my folks were arguing about me. They’re now relieved I’m out because I hadn’t been myself lately and they were worried. Dad even asked me if I was on drugs!”
“You are on drugs,” Ben said.
“Yeah, a love drug for you, baby.”
They kissed some more.
It was hard not to watch, but I took that to mean Edwin’s parents were letting Ben stay with them. I wondered if they would be as accommodating and understanding as mine were despite what Edwin told us. I chose not to ask that question.
Everything had become overwhelming already.
Thank God I had my parents on my side. And Leif, of course.
Chapter Nine
The Pom Poms Do Explode
During lunch, and while sitting quietly together at one of the canteen’s tables by the large windows that overlooked the school’s grounds, holding hands, Leif leaned over to me and whispered, “They’ve been going at it for ages.”
He, of course, was referring to Ben and Edwin and their PDA that wasn’t abating any time soon. I imagined their lips would be sore. And their tongues. Most people were happy for them. Some even cheered, spurring them on so they really got into it. I could hear the kissing noises Ben and Edwin made from where we were sitting, and they were three tables away.
At the cool table, I might add.
Because, now that they were out and attached to each other more permanently, Edwin could sit there. I knew they were enjoying their freedom after a year of being each other’s secret. Good on them. Ben’s friends shouted out the biggest cheers every time they pashed, too. I loved how Edwin had been accepted by so many others.
Although, a few weren’t so happy about two gay boys kissing in public.
One of them was Owen.
“Do that someplace else, you disgustin’ fags,” he bellowed across the c
anteen like a bison belching across the rugged plains of North America to another bison of equal brain power. That other bison was his knuckle dragging friend, Joe. Or Woeful Joe as I referred to him. He was thinner than Owen, but no more evolved. He stunk of bad body odour—did the boy not know about deodorant? Or soap? Or even basic hygiene?
Woeful Joe laughed. “Good one, Owen.”
Before the two knuckle draggers left the canteen, many jeering at them for what they’d said about Ben and Edwin, Owen said, “Let’s get outta here. There’s a cross-dressing freak we have to go show who’s boss.”
“It’s freak huntin’ time!” Woeful Joe laughed again, rubbing his hands in twisted delight.
They left the canteen, determined in their new mission. Thank God they were gone. I was about to get up, take Leif somewhere more private where we could kiss and kiss some more, when a shadow came over us.
That shadow belonged to Britney.
“Where’s Lucy?” Leif asked right off the bat. I knew he wanted to question Lucy to establish whether or not she was lying yesterday.
Britney flicked her hair. “She’s sick.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”
“Yeah, she got a bug or something like that. I dunno. Whatever. Anyway, have either of you seen my pom poms? The ones I use for cheerleading?”
“Why would we have seen your pom poms?” I replied noncommittally. “It’s not like we’ve been looking for them.”
She blinked. “No. I mean…have you seen them?”
Leif turned to face her. “I don’t understand your question, Britney.”
“Someone sabotaged them.”
“Okay…” I offered cautiously. I didn’t really care about pom poms, sabotaged ones or not. I mean, how could you even sabotage pom poms? Were they even sabotageable to begin with? They were only batons with bits of team-coloured ribbon attached to them. Weren’t they?
Leif must have picked up on my thoughts. “How do you sabotage cheerleading batons with ribbon?”
I tried to suppress my laughter. He was so in tune with me it was scary. I squeezed his hand to tell him that, and he smiled.
The Fabulous Adventures of Leif & Lyle Page 6