14 comments/ 13146 views/ 30 favorites Different Sides of the Same Coin By: skankabouttown Max gets bullied every day for being who he is, but he is silently drawn to one of tormentors. Will he get to the truth behind the sad eyes of one of his unwitting bullies, and show him it's OK to be who you are? Niches: Snowballing, rimming, anal, M/M, oral, bareback ***** Different Sides of the Same Coin Chapter 1 The carefree smile, that made his eyes dance some would say, disappeared from Max's face as he and his two best friends approached his locker. His shoulders visibly sunk as they came to a standstill and all conversation died down. "Right, let's handle this quickly," Sheila said. Max's friend unlocked her locker, took out a can of generic metallic colored spray paint and started spraying across the letters painted over his locker. Embarrassed, Max tried to act nonchalant and shrug it off as he usually did. "You'd think after a few years they'd come up with something original," he said. "Never mind those goddamn bastards," she said as she capped the spray can and threw it back into her locker. "Bunch of closet case bottoms themselves," she said decisively and smiled at her friend's ashen face. Even though Max tried to act indifferent to the bullying he'd been experiencing for most of his school career, it still stung every time. "I'm serious Max," she said. "Don't even give it another thought." "It's just going to be back tomorrow morning," Joe said and slammed his locker shut. Both Max and Sheila turned to their cynical friend. "Joey, you're not helping," Sheila said. "At least you had a day off," Max joked and threw his arms around his friends' shoulders as they made their way to homeroom and to the start of another day at Waterfalls High. ***** "Don't you get sick of it?" Joe asked, throwing cold fries into his mouth. "You're supposed to pay for the food before you start devouring it," the canteen lady said as she scooped coleslaw into Joe and Max's bowls, then motioned them down the queue. "Pay for yesterday's heated fries?" Joe said. "You're lucky we're even queuing in line for this legalized poison," he said as they made their way down the line. "What kind of question is that?" Max said testily. "You think I like getting my locker sprayed ever day? Or beaten up or harassed all day long? Do you enjoy it?" "As it happens, I don't," Joe said, "and I don't just take it either. If you're sick of it, stick up for yourself!" "How's that working for you?" Max said loudly as he threw money down and made his way over to a table Sheila was guarding like a hawk. "At least I'm trying to give as good as I get," Joe called from behind. "Getting in their faces will not help," Sheila said as they took their seats. "You'll just be sinking to their level." Joe sighed and spooned a forkful of coleslaw before saying; "After you've endured what we have just for being born," he said, "you wouldn't be spouting your hippy bullshit so easily." "Hey you can't compare what you go through with those mindless jerks to what I face every day with the mean girls clique," she said. "If you have morals then you're nothing in this school." Max sat listening to his friends and felt the usual anger that came with feeling so helpless. They were each other's only lifeline at Waterfalls High and kept each other sane - on most days. "She's right, Joey," Max said. "Obviously, I know that," Joe said. "But her grin-and-bear-it attitude is just getting a bit hard to swallow these days." Max heaved a sigh and decided to change the course of the conversation abruptly and turned to his other friend "Do you really think there are closet cases in the jock squad?" "Why don't you ask Joe," Sheila said, "he's blowing half of them after school and the rest before homeroom every morning," she said and shoved her tray. "Always have to make a dramatic exit!" Joe called after their friend's retreating back and howled at the flip off sign she pulled as she walked away. "Are you happy now?" Max asked. "Having the time of my life," Joe said and left the table. ***** Chapter 2 The usual humdrum of the school day was already getting on his nerves, and it was only noon. Brian turned the page of his notebook and started scribbling nonsensical images on a fresh page as his mind drifted to the afternoon activities. He couldn't wait to hit the courts and dunk a few shots and just enjoy the best part of his day. His butt was actually itching to get off the chair and just change into his practice gear. As he mindlessly scribbled away and tried ever so hard to block out the persistent drawl of their ancient history teacher's first-person account of the arrival of the Mayflower in New England, his eyes focused on the page and he covered it with his hand. Brian's breathing became erratic as he cursed under his breath. He knew he should be more careful and not let his mind drift like this. Staring at the image he'd drawn in mid thought, he noticed the detail he'd put into the defined chest and slim abdomen area of his picture, and imagined trailing his tongue down the ridges of the hard, flat stomach of Max, making his way down the treasure trail. Instantly he felt guilt at what he was fantasizing - not for what he was thinking, but for his own cowardice. Even though he never actively participated in the taunting, the bullying and entirely unnecessary harassment of some of the easy targets, especially Max, he didn't stop it, either. He didn't want to rock the boat, and had himself to worry about. Again the feelings of guilt washed over Brian and he just sighed as it overcame him. He knew he was one of the lucky ones. His natural masculinity and talents on the court made it difficult to suspect him of being gay, and he knew most any of the victims of the daily and relentless haranguing would give anything to possess the same characteristics that would make them safe from it. Ripping the page silently from the notebook, he looked up to see the back of slumped shoulders deep in concentration three seats away from him. Something told Brian that the slump in those shoulders didn't just emanate from a deep concentration on texts on the table. He threw down his pen resolutely and sat back in his chair as he contemplated Maximilian in his chair. Was he really going to have the guts to go through with it? ***** "Getting rid of it won't change what you are," Mark shouted as he and a group of guys walked past Max's locker before breaking out in laughter. With as much dignity as he could muster he slammed his locker shut and adjusted his book bag before turning to leave the school grounds. He knew he shouldn't have, but he sneaked a look at the group of passing jerks and his eyes automatically searched out a specific blond boy's head. When he spotted him, the usual mix of dread mixed with repulse and longing hit his stomach. He saw the green eyes of the blond boy stay motionless and the fake smile not reach his eyes, and the same anomaly stared him in the face again that always did. While it seemed as though his blond crush never wanted to hang with the group of idiots, why did he always hang with them? Why did guys turn into idiots in a pack? He thought. He didn't ponder it too long before deciding to make his exit before they found him still standing there when they wanted to spray their next unoriginal hate message for the day. ***** "Hold up!" A sudden flutter sent Max's stomach into his mouth. He wouldn't have been able to move even if he wanted to, so he stood awkwardly and waited as the boy of many of his fantasies jogged up to him. "How's it going?" Brian said. Max looked at him suspiciously, waiting for someone to jump out from behind the cars in the rapidly clearing parking lot. "Fine, I suppose," he said. "Aren't you going to be late for practice?" Brian seemed perplexed by the question, and Max realized he probably wasn't supposed to let slip that he knew that much of Brian's schedule. "I skipped practice. Want to get out of here?" he said. With a surprised look of his own painting his face, Max nodded wordlessly and made his way to his car. "Let's take my ride," Brian said and smiled brilliantly. The boyishness of his crush nearly crushed his insides and all Max could do was to put one foot in front of the other. He'd always fantasized about what it would be like to cruise in a convertible, but never in his crush's. As they pulled out of the parking lot, it occurred to Max to find out where they're headed. "Just a drive," Brian said vaguely. It slowly dawned on Max that Brian might just have tried to get him away from the school so that they wouldn't be seen together, and he relaxed back into his seat with resignation. "I didn't want to get you away from school because of why you think," Brian said as they hit the open road. "I didn't say anything," Max said. "I could see it on your face," Brian said. A mixture of boldness and plain lust allowed Max the courage to outright study the features of his high school crush that he'd had since freshman year, and he decided to be daring. "Why did you want me to take a ride with you?" "We've never talked before," Brian said. "I think it strange, since we've been sharing classes for four years now." "Never bothered you before," he said. For a while talking was out of the question as the wind created a sound barrier between them, but it didn't stop Max from checking Brian out. He was also secretly thrilled to see Brian's stolen glances as he tried to focus on the road while sneaking looks at his tightly clad denim thighs. Perhaps Sheila was right about the closet case thing. The mere thought sent delicious shivers down his spine. After a short drive on the open road, they reached Mountain Point, an area famous in their town for the sprawling scenic vista of the entire city and neighboring cities on a clear day. Brian parked the car at a great lookout point and relaxed back into his seat. "Won't coach drill you over missing practice?" Max said eventually to break the silence. "Some things are more important than practice," Brian said and crossed his hands behind his head. Even in the fresh mountain top air, the musky smell of boyish sweat and manly cologne that emanated from Brian's armpit gave him a heady shot of pheromones that hit Max's nostrils and he had to adjust himself in his seat. "I know you're not like the rest of them," Max said bluntly. "I'm sorry for all the shit they put you through," Brian said. The sincerity in Brian's voice endeared the object of Max's lust for so many years to him even more, and he also picked up on definite sadness in his voice. "You probably don't believe me, but I am sorry for it." "I do believe you," Max said and tried to focus on the beautiful nature vista before them instead of the sweaty armpits of his crush next to him. "A bit of help would be nice sometimes, though, instead of just a lot of sympathetic looks. Just saying." "I know," Brian said. He sheepishly lowered his eyes and focused on the steering wheel. "I've always admired you," he said after a while. "Why?" Max asked, genuinely surprised. "You've always been proud of who you are, even despite some people's best attempts to make you ashamed of it." "Well," he said, "it's not always been easy. But there just comes a time you have to face who you are and either accept it or live in torment with yourself every day. It's just too much work to be miserable," Max laughed. Brian smiled a brilliant smile that hinted at the boyishness that was hidden behind the guilt, shame and self-loathing. "I don't blame you," Max said. He was surprised at the ease with which he was talking to his crush, a guy he'd admired and lusted after for so many years. "Blame me? For what?" "For not sticking up for us," Max said. "To be honest, if I was in your shoes, I'd probably also try and spare myself the daily torture." "I've never participated in the bullying of you or your friends," Brian said, "but not doing anything about it is just as bad," he said. "I've tried talking to Mark and them, but they shut me down immediately. And I don't want to rock the boat too much." Silence ensued a while as they sat watching the sunset over their town. "Like I said," said Max, "I don't blame you. I would probably have done the same thing." "No you wouldn't have," Brian said. "You're not that guy." "How do you know what kind of a guy I am?" "I know you're the good guy, you've always been." "I'm sure a few people would disagree with you on that," Max said. He stared into the eyes of his longtime crush and was crushed by the underlying sadness that framed them. "You know you're normal, don't you Brian?" he said, the first time he actually addressed Brian's gayness. He knew sometimes you just needed to hear it, like he once had, and he could see that it had had a profound impact on Brian. Brian looked shocked at the statement, and as he processed it, Max saw his eyes mist over. Brian nodded, but he couldn't look him in the eyes and just stared down at the steering wheel. "No one asked for it," Max said, "we're just the lucky ones," he smiled. Brian laughed and sniffed, then looked back at him with a sincerity that was palpable. ***** "I'm so sad we didn't connect earlier," Brian said. "All those years wasted." "What, don't you remember? You were my date on my 18th birthday," Max said. "Yeah?" "Yeah. We went to Seasons, and you took me ice skating afterwards," Max said. Brian put his arm around Max's shoulders and pulled his dark haired head into him. "I had too much guacamole," Max said, "and found that out a bit too late after trying to impress you on the rink." Brian smiled a genuine smile at the sweetness of this boy he found himself so drawn to. "Sure, I remember," Brian said. "You were such a gentleman," Max said and settled into Brian's embrace. "You bought me a Coke and shook out all the fizz and let me sip on it until the queasiness faded. It was the best date I ever had," he laughed. Max breathed into Brian's neck and the moist heat was both electrifying and comforting to him. "Sounds great," Brian said. "Maybe we can do it for real some time," he said. "I've already turned 18," Max said, "but we don't have to wait until my next birthday," he said optimistically. With the setting sun framing Max's face, Brian knew this the moment he'd been waiting for, and leaned into Max before his courage waned. He closed his eyes and kissed the first boy he'd ever kissed before. He forced himself to breathe through his nose and deepened the tentative kiss. Encouraged by Max's hot and willing tongue, he deepened the kiss and leaned into him more. He moved his hand to Max's crotch and felt hotness at his center, but backed away when Max broke their kiss. "Whoa," he said. "I really think you should buy me that dinner first," he said as he tried to get his breath back, but his eyes were playful. Brian couldn't speak through the hazy lust that clouded his head and just stared at Max's flustered face. "It was a great kiss though," Max said. "Damn straight," Brian finally said. "I think we should make that date happen sooner rather than later," he said and extracted his arm from behind Max's head and adjusted his jeans before starting the engine. ***** Chapter 3 "You won't believe how my evening ended," Max said as Sheila approached him at the entrance to the school. "Why are you so happy so early in the morning," she said and sipped on her coffee. "That stuff will fry your brain," Max said, pointing at her tall coffee. "It's the American breakfast," she said and loudly slurped up more caffeine in a cup. "Do tell," she continued. "Remember your theory about the closet cases on the jock squad?" he said. "Naturally," she said. "Funny thing," he said and filled his friend in on his amazing afternoon. "You realize you'll have to rehash every detail of this again to Joey?" she said seriously. "You've been crushing on this guy since the beginning of time." "I don't mind having to tell the story a hundred times. It might start sinking in then," Max said. "So did you guys set a time for the date?" "Not yet," he said as they approached their lockers. "Where is Joey anyway? He should have been here by now," Max said. "Late morning?" Sheila asked as Joe approached with dripping hair. He ignored them and walked straight to his locker, collecting his books for first period. He was visibly shaken and Max could see their friend was fighting back tears. "What happened Joey?" asked Max. "Goddamnit," Joe said. "Your face is bruising," Sheila said. "Who the fuck did this to you? What happened?" "That goddamn Mark flushed my head in the toilets before school this morning. I just took a shower in the gym," he said, embarrassed and allowing the tears to flow now. "Son of a goddamn bitch," Max said. "What brought this on?" "He was on at me again to suck him off before school this morning," Joe said. "I said I wasn't having it anymore with this bullshit. Getting punched in the halls for my efforts, but then risking getting the clap every morning from him. I said if he didn't leave me alone I'd tell everyone he was getting his rocks off with a guy every morning," he said. "I can actually believe it," Sheila said as she moved to hug her friend. "We have to report this right now." Joe slammed his locker loudly and wiped at his eyes in anger. "What the fuck is that going to do? Nobody's going to give a damn. It'll be my word against his and his entire posse's. I'm so sick of this," he said. "I'm just over it. I'm going to do my time here and come graduation I'm going to leave this place in the dust," he said resolute. "Come on," Max said, "we'll be late for homeroom above everything else." Max sighed as he threw his arms around his small friend's slumped shoulders and guided him down the hall, his own euphoria forgotten. It was difficult at times like these not to grow to hate the world and succumb to self-pity. But in the same vein it was times like these that he grew hopeful that his own children could someday know a different world. ***** The rest of the day went by slowly, and Sheila and he both tried to stay close as possible to Joey for moral support during the day. His only few bright spots were seeing glimpses of Brian in the hall or during periods, when they would exchange small smiles and private looks between them. Max didn't know where this was leading, and he knew things would need to change with the group Brian hung out with if there was ever to happen anything substantial between them. But he didn't want to dwell on heavy things now; he just wanted to see where this unexpected turn of events could lead. He'd been worried about leaving his friend alone for last period, as both Sheila and he had algebra and had to leave Joey to take his last class alone. He did feel better about his friend's emotional state, however. During the day the Joey they all know and love had reared his head again as much of the morning's mortification subsided. Exiting class, Max spotted a crazy head of brown curls making its way down the corridor to him and was about to greet his friend with an optimistic smile but instead was filled with dread at the look of panic in his friend's eyes. ***** "You did what?!" "I just wanted to give them a bit of their own medicine," a panicked Joe said. He looked so small in his terror, and Max could see he was really frightened. Different Sides of the Same Coin "How do they know it was you who sprayed Mark's locker?" "I told a few people who may have mentioned it to few others," he said. "Why would you do that?" Max snapped. "It's no use doing it if nobody knows it was you who did it, is it?" "What did you think the upshot would be, Joey?" "I was just pissed, OK? You can only take so much humiliation before reaching the tipping point," Joe said. His friend was on the verge of tears, as a mix of dread and anger spilling over. If anyone could understand, it was Max. But he had to concentrate on keeping his friend safe and avoid him receiving a sound ass whipping from a bunch testosterone overridden jocks. "Let's just get the hell out here," Max finally said and pushed his friend towards the gym's exit. "What are we going to do?" Joe said as they walked from the auditorium. His panic was rising, and it wasn't helping the situation. Luckily, Max's mind performs well under pressure and went into drive. "Let's just get you to your car and away from here," he said. As they reached the parking lot, he got his friend safely into his car and got him to start the car. "What about you?" Joe said through the open window, his foot already beating the ignition. "I'm going back to cover up the shit you wrote. Hopefully they won't be as mad in the morning if they see the stuff's gone. At most they won't have actual evidence to justify any beating they dole out," Max said. He knew he sounded severe, but he needed his to have his friend comprehend the potentially enormous consequences that his spur of the moment idiotic act committed in a spit of anger could have. "You just get out of here and I'll call you later," he said and was already making his way back to the school. Now that he had a potential killer posse on his trail, every corridor of the school suddenly seemed a lot eerier than it ever had before. Max decided to take a short cut through the gym auditorium to the locker area and make a quick job of getting rid of the crap his friend had misguidedly sprayed on the wrong people's lockers. As he made his way through the auditorium he heard a group of footsteps coming from the hall and stopped dead in his tracks. He made the instant decision to backtrack and just rather get the hell out of there but was too late. His heart sank as he saw buff shoulders followed by angry bobbing heads come to a standstill inside the gym's doors. He stood frozen in place as he noticed Mark, seemingly leading, with Brian in tow with two other brutes. Mark motioned to the rest of the angry gang to follow him, and smarmy smiles replaced collective scowls. "Well look here, it's only the friend of the pussy who got it all wrong," he said. Max knew he was in a corner. If he ran, they would have the satisfaction of seeing him scared and catch up to him anyway before beating him. If he stayed, he was probably getting a beating anyway, so he might as well take it with dignity. He made the decision to not just take it any longer, and puffed his chest out and waited for them to approach. "I don't think he got it so wrong from what I've been told," Max said as they approached. He could see his remark landed just the way he intended and flustered his foe before turning his opponent's face a dark red. He also noticed Brian standing in between the two other towering guys, looking more awkward than anything else. He decided to give as good as he got, and ignored him coldly. "Sonofabitch," Mark said in a threatening tone. It sounded as though he was more surprised than anything else at someone actually taking him on to his face. "What did you just say to me?" "You heard me, you goddamn sonofabitch," Max said. He knew he was signing up for a big ass whipping, and knew he was probably visibly shaking, but he was finally taking a stand against this pathetic and scared man, who was standing behind the door himself and couldn't face who he was. "I'm going to enjoy giving what's coming to you," Mark said and moved menacingly towards him. Max kept his ground and didn't move, maintaining eye contact with Mark all the time, challenging him in front of his friends and challenging him with the truth. They both knew he knew what he gets up to with Joey, forcing him to suck him off at regular intervals then beating him up for his effort. He saw the fist rise in poise to strike down on his nose and closed his eyes in anticipation, but the hit didn't come. He opened his eyes slightly to see Brian had grabbed Mark's arm from behind and stood frozen in time, Brian's face giving nothing away. "What the hell?" Mark asked. "Are you ready to get suspended or even expelled over this guy?" Brian asked reasonably. "No one's gonna care about a beat up pansy," Mark said. "Fuck you," Max said. He saw a flash of annoyance flit over Brian's face at his antagonistic outburst. "It's not worth it man, maintenance will clear it off your locker first thing in the morning." "It ain't even about that," Mark said, "it's about respect." "Why the fuck do we have to respect you?" Max said. "Will you shut the hell up?" Brian snapped. "Just leave it out, man," Brian said to Mark. "All the aggravation that will come down on us, it's just not worth it," he said. "Motherfucker," one of the other guys said as realization dawned on the group. "Oh my god," Mark said. "Don't tell me you're sweet on him?" The question was posed more as an accusation than a question, and Brian's emotions betrayed his face. "Of course not," Brian said. "I'm just looking out for myself. I want to get to college without a rap sheet," he said. Mark stared at Brian and back at Max then at Brian again. "You know Connolly, I knew there was something off about you when you first got here," Mark said. "Angela said you never got with her, and I knew then there was something up with you," he said. "Don't go making up stuff where there is none," Brian said threateningly. "The guy's a pansy if I ever saw one," Brute number one said to his right. "Shut the fuck," Brian warned. "Why do you care what the hell these sons of bitches think of you?" Max said. "That's it motherfucker," Mark said and raised his fist but was pushed to the floor by Brian before he could lower it on Max's face. Brian's eyes told Max in no uncertain terms to just keep his mouth shut, but he was finally on a roll. All the years of just taking it had made him blow his top finally. "What the fuck are you doing?" Mark said as one of the stunned brutes helped him off the ground. "What would beating up on him prove anyway? He wasn't the one who sprayed that stuff on your locker." Mark straightened himself up and smiled coolly. "If you aren't into him, prove it," Mark said. "What are you on about?" Brian said. Mark walked over to Max and swiftly punched him in the gut. As he crumpled to the ground, grabbing his abdomen in pain, Mark wrapped his hand in Max's hair and pulled his head back. Staring Brian down, he said; "Make him suck you off," he said. Brian's horror at what was happening was quite obviously displayed on his face. "That is fucked up," he said and walked over to where Max was sitting on his hunches breathing with difficulty. "This has gone way too far already," he said, trying to be the voice of reason. "You better drop your pants, Connolly," Mark warned. "If you don't then I'll fuck him in the ass and make you watch, then punch your teeth out," he said. Mark let go of Max's hair and let him crumple to the floor. "And don't look like you're enjoying it neither," he said. A sadistic smile spread over his face as he and the two brutes surrounded Max and Brian. Brian seemed to size up the group as Max was trying to regain his composure and catch his breath. He came to rest on his knees and stared at the encircling guys around them. He stared up at Brian as if to challenge him to do something, anything. He saw the indecision on his face, still trying to act tough to these worthless people. Why did he want to save face in front of them? Why did he feel the need to fit in with these brutes? It made him so angry, but what made him even more furious was that he still had feelings for the blond boy. "Don't keep us waiting all day," one of the brutes said impatiently. Mark moved menacingly closer, and Brian swallowed audibly. Max was tantalizingly close to Brian's crotch, the face-to-crotch level far more erotically charging than he could handle at the moment. He didn't want to embarrass the blond boy, and didn't want to get him beat up over Joey's misguided attempts at sticking up for himself and his friends. Making a quick decision he shot up his arm in a hook and shot it through Brian's legs and upward towards the sky. As Brian groaned from a deep place within and his eyes roll backward, he crumbled to the floor in obvious agony. Max made the best use of the element of surprise and shot up and sprinted for the door. The small head start coupled with his adrenaline spike was all the advantage he needed and he made his way out the gym door and to his car by the time any of the other guys could react. He started his ignition and burned rubber out of the parking lot, feeling a mix of guilt and anger at leaving Brian behind. He at least knew he'd given him a legitimate out and that they couldn't claim he'd tried to be soft on him, so he would be all right. Unlike himself, he thought as he realized tears were making its way down his face. ***** Chapter 4 After having soaked in a hot tub for about four hours, Max lay sprawled on his bed in his briefs. He'd decided not to tell Joe about the confrontation with Mark and the rest, and had phoned his friend to make sure he got home safe. Afterwards, he'd stripped and scrubbed himself clean from head to toe in the tub before soaking in pitch darkness as he allowed his thoughts to drift. He knew he had feelings for Brian, and he knew Brian felt something for him. But could he handle being involved with a severe closet case? He was not naïve in the least, and had known going into it that it would be difficult starting something with someone who was at a different place on his journey of self-acceptance than he was, but he didn't think Brian would just stand there and actually allow him to get beat up on. A very dominant piece of him wanted to believe that Brian wouldn't have demeaned him and forced him to suck him off in front of all of them, but a small piece of him wasn't sure what would've happened. He'd balled Brian as much for Brian's sake than his own, giving Brian a legit reason to back out and giving himself the chance to scram. No, he decided. Brian wouldn't have debased him like that. At the end of the day the boy was just a scared and confused teenager who wanted to fit in somehow. His blond and roughish looks made him seem more mature than his 18 years, but Max was reminded again that he too was just another impressionable teenager. He had to admit though that this justification sounded weak to even his own ears. Max shivered as a cool breeze blew through his French doors. Walking over to close the doors he noticed movement on his balcony. Frozen in place, he considered the possibility of one of the brutes or even Mark following him home and staking him out for a revenge attack. His mind raced and he decided to sprint to the doors and lock it shut as fast as he could then make a huge fucking commotion waking everyone in the neighborhood and exposing whoever was trying break into his room. Just as he'd made his way to the doors and was about to close it, he heard a grunt and a familiar voice voicing an expletive followed by a thud. "Brian?" he asked. "Goddamn brush," the voice said. "What the...? What are you doing?" Max sounded panicked to his own ears, but wasn't concerned with himself at the moment. He saw the hunched over form of Brian splayed out over his balcony floor and helped him up. "I was about to go all Real Housewives on you," he said as he helped Brian up. As the moonlight illuminated his face, Max saw the true extent of Brian's injuries. "Oh my god," Max said. "What happened?" Brian tried to speak but ended up coughing instead. Max decided to help him into his room and see what the real damage was. He fetched a warm cloth from his bathroom after settling Brian on his bed. "It looks worse than it is," Brian said through coughs. "I bet," Max said, having calmed down a bit. He tried to keep it down, lest he had to explain to his parents why he had a beat up boy in his room they didn't know about. "What time is it?" Brian asked. "A little past two probably by now," Max said. He put on his bedside lamp and winced at the sight of Brian's swollen face. It did seem to be superficial injuries, much of it anyway. He didn't want to push for details, and he suspected he knew what happened anyway. "Aren't you going to ask what happened?" Brian said eventually as Max was wiping the dried blood from his face. "I suppose I could guess the gist of it," Max said. "I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you today," Brian said eventually. "Didn't you?" "Well," Brian said, "only after the fact." "Still," Max said, and handed Brian a glass of water with some painkillers. "I think you'll need that soon," he said. "Want to tell me what happened?" "You mean after you incapacitated me and left my balls in my throat?" he winced and downed the painkillers. "I'm sorry about that," Max said. "I didn't mean to hit you that hard." "Yes you did," Brian said. "Maybe a little," he conceded and laughed as he saw Brian's Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. He couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to watch Brian's Adam's apple bob with his load tricking down his throat... "Lift your arms," Max commanded and pulled Brian's shirt over his head. "As soon as I got my bearings again, I tried to persuade Mark to let you go and not set out after you. He accused me of being sweet on you, and so I said I was, but I had the guts to fess up to it." "You never," Max said. He couldn't take his eyes off the toned chest and arms that was sitting on his bed, in his room, Brian seemingly oblivious to his stares. "He didn't like where it was headed, and wanted to shut me up. So he swung at me, but I anticipated it and avoided his swing." It sounded to Max as though Brian was playing it up a bit, but he enjoyed seeing the boyish bravado in his blond boy coming to the fore, and let him have his moment. "So I got in a good first blow at least," Brian said, becoming more animated with his gestures. "I wasn't having any of it, and was going to show him who the boss really is," he said. "But, you know," he said and hung his head. "Three against one and all." "It never was a fair fight," Max said. "'Specially not with my bruised nuts and all," Brian said. "Of course," Max smiled. He got up off the bed and moved over to the bed light. Wordlessly, he pulled the switch and bathed the room in soft light coming in from the street. He had the idea it would be easier for Brian to talk if he didn't have to make eye contact with him all the time. "I was just so pissed," Brian said as Max made his way over to the bed. "Now you know how we feel," Max said. He touched Brian's chest and ribcage and tentatively felt for sensitive areas. He was acutely aware of the lithe musculature his fingers were roaming over. "Do you think they bruised any ribs?" he asked. "I checked, I don't think so," Brian said. "Like I said, it's mostly superficial, not to mention the beating my ego took." Max motioned for Brian to lay back onto his bed and rest his head on the pillows. He settled in next to him and placed his hand over Brian's large hand and lay stock still. "Well at least you got one good shot in, didn't you?" Max said. "Hell yeah. Mark's going to have a proper shiner tomorrow," Brian said. Max laughed at the self-satisfied tone of his crush's voice, and his boyish smugness only endeared him to him more. "Thank you for sticking up for me," Max said eventually. "By the way," he said, "how'd you know where I lived? And what you doing climbing up someone's balcony middle of the night?" "I've been kind of following you home lately," Brian said. "Boy voicing it out loud doesn't sound half as sexy as it does in my mind," he said. "And I could hardly ring your doorbell looking the way I did, could I? What would I tell your parents?" "I never had anyone stalking me before," Max said eventually. "I feel so French." "You come up with the strangest metaphors," Brian said, seemingly confused. "The point is," Max said, "I'm happy you came." He trailed his fingers up Brian's arm and made his way to his toned chest. ***** Brian turned to look straight into eyes reflecting street lights, filled to the brim with compassion and passion. He bent his head down and tentatively placed a kiss on Max's soft lips. He smelled whiffs of citrus fruits coming from Max's hair and the fresh scent made him crave him even more. He took the lead and tried to deepen the kiss, but winced as his broken lip stretched. "Is it very painful?" a concerned Max asked. "Not that much," he said huskily and resumed the deep kiss, stealing Max's breath from his lungs. He broke the kiss out of sheer need for air, but knew at that point that all his self-control had left him by then. Max was lying submissively to his side, only clad in very thin boxers, and his own jeans were starting to strain as his erection grew. Getting up on his arm, he got up on top of Max and towered over his shorter, compact frame, and took in the view of his slim chest, beautiful collarbone, defined jawline and doe-eyed, large, trusting eyes. Oh how he'd waited for this moment. He was sure they were both fully aware of what was about to take place. Bending down, he started a soft trail of kisses starting from Max's tantalizing collarbone and making his way up his neck and chin and eventually coming to his sweet mouth and full lips. He'd found himself drawing Max's face countless times in his notebooks, on scraps of paper, in his diary. How he'd imagined the full lips locked around his cock, sucking his balls dry. His thoughts caused him to moan, which Max must've thought was due of discomfort or pain, and he wasn't entirely wrong. "Do you hurt?" Max asked concerned. "No, just need to get out of the jeans," he said and nearly jolted off the bed as Max's hands was already unbuttoning the jean and coming very close to his already erect penis. He recovered quickly and was soon sucking Max's tongue into his mouth as he kicked the jeans off his legs. The relief he felt as his six inch dick was free to expand was liberating and he was soon pulling his briefs down, along with Max's, exposing both of their furious cocks. Initial inspections told him Max was about an inch and a half smaller than him, which would make a quite snug fit in his mouth he thought as their sexes meshed together in precum as they continued exploring each other's mouths. Brian couldn't take it any longer and wanted to taste his lover. He trailed his way down Max's body with soft kisses, and came face to face with the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Immediately Brian was overwhelmed with the urge to swallow Max's sex and engulfed it in his mouth. The hot precum stuck to the back of his throat and he torturously slowly closed his lips around the shaft, letting the taste wash over his tongue. He hadn't ever done this before, but from what he'd read and the videos he watched online every night he had learned that the most important thing is to guard against brushing his teeth against the flesh. Somehow, though, he looked forward to learning the rest by trial and error with his Max. Different Sides of the Same Coin As he started bobbing his head up and down on the shaft, Max rhythmically lifted his hips to meet Brian's mouth thrusts. It made Brian smile, knowing that Max was really getting into it too, but he wasn't about to surrender control to him and placed his hands on Max's hips, pinning him down while taking his time working his shaft over. Max's moans grew louder and his dick was painfully erect and oozing precum into Brian's mouth, and he finally decided to relieve his lover and increased his sucking pressure suddenly. Max barely had time to tap his head to warn him before spewing his load into Brian's mouth. The furious jets of cum collected in his mouth and the tangy taste of it had Brian convinced that this wouldn't be the last time in his life he'd be going down on Max, of that he would definitely make sure. Forcing himself not to swallow the precious load in his mouth, he dropped Max's dick from between his lips and quickly made his way to come face level with his lover. Searching Max's eyes, he could see a mixture of desire, nervousness and relief, and it only spurred him on. He bent down and kissed him deeply. The accumulated cum in his mouth flowed freely between the two, spilling over and trickling down Max's face. He slurped up the spill and brought it back to Max's mouth and found his own dick was aching with the knowledge that he was feeding Max his own cum. Max was enthusiastically swallowing the load he was being fed and sucked his tongue clean, making delicious slurping sounds intermingled with soft moans. As he was sharing this intensely intimate act with a boy he was sure he was growing to love, Brian couldn't understand how something that felt so right, felt so pure, so natural could be wrong. He knew then at that moment, as he stared into the loving and trusting brown eyes of an amazing guy that he had truly come to accept himself, and not just tolerate a part of him. ***** As Max laid recovering from the orgasm, he tried to calm his breathing enough to give Brian as good as he got, but as he tried to move down, Brian smiled wickedly and prevented him from moving down. Instead, he got another kiss from his blond crush and shivered all the way as Brian made his way down his torso with butterfly kisses. When Brian reached his dick again, Max started worrying since his dick hadn't recovered enough yet for another round but soon found that Brian's attention wasn't pitted towards his dick this time. Instead, he felt Brian position himself a bit lower, and felt his strong hands hook itself under his knees and bring it up to his chest, exposing Max's ass completely. He was a bit self-conscious, seeing as he'd never had any back action there other than when he pleasured himself, but his growing dick was replacing his nerves with desire again and he just decided to let whatever happen, happen. He felt completely safe with Brian, and found it incredibly romantic that he would stand up to three guys and take an inevitable beating on his part, even after he balled him. Sudden wet warmth encircled his tender cheeks and he drew his breath as the cat licks became longer, tender strokes. Brian's boldness grew and Max could feel the tongue become more persistent as it was vying for entry into his core. He concentrated on relaxing his ass and felt the foreign invasion pushing past his opening. Brian was so enthusiastic with his tongue and was moving in deeper and deeper. Max's dick had flowed full of blood by this time and he was oozing precum all over his stomach as Brian continued his exploration. Brian's hands pushed his legs back farther, opening his ass for better access. A sudden retreat left a wet emptiness inside of Max but he soon came face to face again with his new lover. Brian lowered his face and deeply kissed Max, vying for dominance with his tongue. Max reciprocated the kiss in earnest and felt Brian's wet sex poke tantalizingly near his entrance. Brian's arms had slid to replace his hands and further push back his legs, lifting his back from the bed and placing his ass at a convenient angle in the air, ready to take its first dick ever. As the kiss grew deeper in intensity, Max couldn't take the anticipation anymore. Brian was sucking the air right out of him through his deep kissing, and he had to concentrate on breathing through his nose as Brian refused to break the kiss. He could still taste his own cum on Brian's tongue and it only made his desire for Brian stronger. Eventually Brian broke the kiss and stared into his eyes. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked. Max knew the level of self-restraint it must have taken from Brian not to just stuff him and rip him to shreds, and realized then that Brian must also care about him a lot. "I've been waiting for this for years," he said. "I've been cruising you for so long, imagining how your dick sways between your legs when you run to make all those dunks, or the sweaty underwear you pull off after each practice, your scent, your essence," Max said. He was finding it difficult to talk with the levels of desire and lust clouding his vision. "I've wanted you for years Brian, but never thought I'd have this moment. I'm ready, more than I've ever been." He hoped his sincerity came through in his words, along with his desire for this blond boy that's been dominating his fantasies for so many years. "I didn't bring protection," Brian said. An awkward moment of heavy breathing and anticipation passed. He kissed Brian again and said; "I haven't ever done this before." "Neither have I," he said. Brian's obvious nervousness, despite trying to seem like the masculine and experienced top that's completely in charge only further endured his blond athlete to him. Suddenly knowing that they'll both share this rite of passage together made him feel even closer to Brian, and he knew that despite what the future held, this moment would bind them together forever. They both knew then at that moment what was about to happen, and he couldn't wait. Maintaining eye contact the entire time, Brian wet two fingers and moved his hand down and encircled Max's opening to make sure it was still wet from his previous ministrations. Bringing his hand back to stretch the leg back again, Max felt the intense heat of Brian's sex position itself at his core and start to apply pressure. He concentrated on his breathing and keeping his ass relaxed and had inadvertently closed his eyes in intense concentration. "Look at me," Brian commanded. Max opened his eyes through an intensifying pain at his entrance and stared into loving eyes. He maintained eye contact as Brian slowly lowered himself into him, finding it impossible to look away. It felt to him like Brian was studying every flitter of an expression, every wince, every caught breath as though he was locking it into his mind forever. As the sex of his lover impaled him, he felt stuffed to the brim. Soon he felt Brian's balls lap at his ass and he realized he'd completely taken his full length. All those years of wondering and imagining what was hidden behind the workout trunks, the fashionable jeans, the breezy summer shorts, he finally knew what it was like being impaled under it. The sudden realization that he got to experience what it was like to have love reciprocated was an emotional punch to the gut and his eyes misted over. Brian must have thought it was because of discomfort caused by his dick and started to withdraw slowly as a mist clouded his features. "Don't," Max said. "It's not that," he said. "What's wrong then?" "I just can't believe this is happening," Max said. "I've thought about this moment so many times," he said. "So have I," Brian smiled. He bent down and kissed Max again deeply before sinking himself into him deeply. Breaking the kiss, Brian stared deeply into Max's eyes before slowly pulling out until only the head of his dick was still left in him. He slammed in harder, the collected precum now acting as more of a lube. Brian kept up with the pace and then increased it, slamming Max's virginity into oblivion. Brian started to beat Max's dick with his left hand and was flowing freely over his wetted cock, using his precum as lubrication. The persistent barrage on his ass was constant and unyielding, and soon the discomfort had given way to intense pleasure. Suddenly Brian's dick hit a spot inside his ass and Max's ass clenched up hard and his dick spasmed violently. His spasming ass didn't seem to deter Brian and he just kept plowing through it, marking his territory and letting Max know who exactly was in charge. As he continued to spasm through his orgasm, Brian leaned forward and kissed him deeply and dominantly until the spasms passed and he collapsed exhausted underneath him from his second orgasm. Brian kept on plowing him until Max could feel a swelling at the base of the dick and suddenly felt warm, liquid jets spurting deep inside of him. It was a strange sensation but he felt complete at home underneath his lover, and shivered with joy as he realized he'd be carrying the semen of his lover inside of him. Brian collapsed on top his chest, meshing his cum between their bodies and breathing heavily into his ear. He placed his arms around Brian and gently pulled him into him, the hug tightening as their bond solidified. As they laid there breathing in each other's presence, talking silently without any words, the sun started to rise. Moving his hands down to Brian's ass, he let it rest there as he pulled Brian's waist to settle deeper into him and he knew then he'd found his biggest reward in life. *****