3 comments/ 10173 views/ 8 favorites The Fighter Ch. 02 By: JaycobMatthews *"But I do it for the kids, life threw the towel in on Every time you fall it's only making your chin strong And I'll be in your corner like Mick, baby, 'til the end Or when you hear a song from that big lady Until the referee rings the bell Until both your eyes start to swell Until the crowd goes home What we gonna do ya'll?"* Westley stood in front of the hospital the next weekend, reluctant to go into the cancer wing. Part of him wanted to go to visit his dad, and the other half didn't want to go into the hospital. He had bad memories of hospitals, and it always caused him to have bad dreams after a visit, just like the last time when he came to the hospital with his dad. He needed to be strong for his dad though, so he unwillingly started the trek to his dad's room. Of course it was all the way down the hall. As he was walking past the waiting room, he noticed a huge man sitting in a chair that looked way to small for him chatting with a child. Westley chuckled inside a bit, feeling sorry for the man. Westley was intrigued by the man, his skin a light mocha color, and he had shoulder length dreads. He shook his head and kept walking. His brain was probably self-consciously thinking if he stopped to talk to the man, he wouldn't have to go further into the hospital, and he wouldn't have to visit his dad... He continued down the hall, and finally found his dad's room. His mom was sitting in the chair next to the hospital bed, knitting. Westley couldn't remember the last time she'd knitted, she seemed to do it only when she was stressed. She nodded to Westley and then stood up. "Westley, good, I'm going to run and get a drink, maybe powder my nose. I didn't want to leave your father alone." "Ah, Westley, how have you been?" His dad asked. "Ok I guess. Went to visit a friend I met on my internship this weekend." "Hmm, the one from Wisconsin?" "Yeah... So dad, how do you feel?" "Oddly enough, okay. They confirmed its pancreatic cancer, but I guess it's not early but not late stage, so they're hopeful. I get to start chemo tomorrow." Westley nodded. "Son, you've always been a quiet guy, but I feel like there's a lot left unsaid between us. I'd like you to know, I may not always be here for you, but if you need to talk, I'm here." "I know dad. I know. I... well, once I've figured stuff out we may talk about it, but right now I don't think I have anything I need to talk about." "Okay." His dad yawned, and laid back. "I'll let you get back to napping. I should go study anyway, I have a test later this week." Westley quietly left, unsure if his dad was still awake or not. As he was leaving the hospital, he wasn't paying attention to where he was walking, and he ran into the behemoth of the man he saw in the waiting room. "Hey little dude, you okay?" He said with a deep voice. Westley was almost hypnotized by the man's beautiful hazel eyes. They twinkled with his smile. He shook his head. "Fine. Sorry about running into you." "No problem, you look deep in thought... Everything okay?" "Eh, my dad's in here." "Aw, man, that sucks. Hey, is he a football fan?" "Um, yeah he is, he likes the Packers for some reason, even though we're in Ohio." Westley laughed a bit. "Excellent. Which room is he in?" "Um... 211 down the hall." "Cool, see you later..." The man paused "Westley." "Westley," He seemed to roll it intimately across his tongue. "I'm Christian." He stuck out his hand. Westley shook it briefly, and then they parted ways. He couldn't shake the idea that Christian looked familiar but Westley couldn't place him. Christian watched as the small man walked down the hallway, leaving the oncology wing. He was really cute, Christian thought, and hopefully he'd run into him again. Since football was still in the off season, Christian liked to visit patients who were fans of the team, hopefully to brighten their days in between treatments. He was a big supporter of the 'Make a Wish' Foundation, and enjoyed visiting kids, but Westley's father would probably appreciate a visit as well. He made his way down the hallway and knocked on the door to 211. A middle age man was sleeping in the bed, and a woman sat near him, knitting. The woman stopped knitting and looked up. "Oh, hello..." The woman seemed slightly nervous. "Hey, I'm Christian Nolls. I play for the Packers. I was in the hospital visiting patients, and ran into Westley. He said his dad was a football fan." "Oh. I'm Marie. Well, let me wake him up... George... there's someone here to meet you." The man stirred, sleepily opening his eyes. "What... Nolls? Seriously? The outside linebacker?" "Yup... I ran into your son in the hallway, he said you were a Packers fan, even though you live in Ohio..." "Originally from Wisconsin." Westley's dad explained. "That explains it. I grew up near here. I live in Wisconsin now, to be close to the team, but come back to stay with the parents, visit the hospitals." "That's nice of you." "I try. Course I get a perverse pleasure out of being recognized and whatnot too." Christian said with a short laugh. Westley's dad nodded. Christian could tell Westley was their kid; he looked like a blended version of the two. They chatted for a few minutes about the upcoming season, but Christian noticed George looking tired. "Well, I let you get back to sleep. If you want, I'll be around for the next week or so, I may stop back in and chat." "I would like that. I can talk ears of my friends chatting about football. It'll be nice to discuss things with someone who knows what he's talking about." George laughed. "Good to meet you two, George... Marie... Have a good day." With a broad smile he left the room with a spring in his step. Now, if only he could catch Westley again. Westley sat at the hotel by himself. His mom would probably be by later, after the hospital kicked her out once it got too late. It was too difficult to sit by alone though, so even though he hated to go out by himself, he was going to have to. He always felt like such a loser even just eating by himself. He drove around aimlessly until he found an almost empty diner on the edge of town. Since there were only two other cars in the parking lot, maybe he wouldn't feel so weird sitting by himself. He wandered in, spotted to men sitting by themselves. One at the counter sitting on a stool and the other at a table with paperwork spread out. Westley picked a table off the opposite side from the other men. A waitress poked her head out from the kitchen. "Menus are on the counter there, I'll be out in a bit to take your order, okay?" "Sounds good." Westley said as he grabbed a menu and sat down. It was pretty much like he expected, mostly burgers and fries. Typical 'hole in the wall' diner fare. He spotted a chicken sandwich with ranch sauce on it that sounded good. He set the menu down and pulled out his phone to check his emails while he waited for the waitress. Christian pulled into one of his favorite haunts when he was growing up. His friend Nevaeh bought the place a few years ago, but kept everything the same. He'd only had a chance once a year to really stop in before this since he had left to go to college. He knew that Nevaeh worked every night though, so he wanted to stop in and break his strict diet for his favorite sandwich. The bells tinkled as he stepped through the door. He surveyed the patrons. He almost laughed aloud when he spotted the short blond from the hospital in the corner, playing on his phone. Christian considered his options but decided quickly to approach the shy man. He slid into the chair opposite Westley. Westley almost jumped when Christian sat down at his table, he was so engrossed in reading an email he'd gotten from Michael. "Hey Westley. Mind if I join you?" "Um. No, that's fine." Westley said. "I talked with your dad today, he seems like a nice guy." "He is. It's too bad he's going to die soon." "Dude, what?" "He has pancreatic cancer. They aren't too hopeful for a long prognosis." "Man. That sucks." "Yeah." Westley picked up the menu to distract himself. "Give you a tip... the swiss melt here is to die for." Christian leaned forward. "Okay." "Seriously. Even when I'm in the Cheese Capital of the world, I have yet to find a better one." "Christian! I thought I heard your golden voice out here!" Westley watched as the waitress came out from the kitchen, walking briskly up to the long haired man. Christian stood up and they embraced each other, but not excessively as if they were more than friends. At least that was the impression Westley got. "Wes, this is Nevaeh, Nevaeh this is Westley. We met at the hospital today." Nevaeh stuck her hand out and shook Westley's hand. "Christian and I grew up together out here." She explained. She turned to Christian, "So you want your normal diet buster?" "Yeah, and bring two, I think I'm going to get Westley addicted to your sandwiches." Nevaeh looked over at Westley to verify, and Westley nodded. "When in Rome I guess." He shrugged. "Alright boys. Want something besides water?" Both men shook their heads. "Okay, I'll be back shortly." She headed back to the kitchen. "So. Wes. What do you do for a living?" "I'm going to be graduating from vet school this spring." "Sweet. Well, you know what I do." Christian said. "Actually, no, you never did tell me..." Westley said. "Oh, geez. Sorry. I play football for the Packers." Westley let out a short laugh. "I bet that dad loved that." "We had a nice chat. I'm probably going to keep stopping in to talk with him." Nevaeh swung by the table and filled their glasses. "Are your parents out of town tonight?" She asked. "Yeah..." Christian wiggled his eyebrows at her. Westley felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He could have sworn the big man was gay, but the way he was teasing Nevaeh made him think twice. "Boy, quit while you're ahead. You know it would never work." She giggled as she walked away. "She's right. For more than a few reasons." Christian said. "Like what?" "Well, us being best friends and all. Me living in Wisconsin. She owns the diner here, so I wouldn't be able to convince her to move. She's got a baby daddy that is head over heels for her, but she has trust issues. At some point she'll fall and give in. Most of all though, she's not my type." Nevaeh came back with two plates full of steaming food. Each plate held a large sandwich and mountain of fries. "Forgot to ask if you wanted cheese for your fries too, but I figure if you don't eat it, Christian here will." She indicated the cup of nacho cheese on the plate. "I'll give it a try." Westley said with a little laugh. "Don't deny a Wisconsin convert his cheese." Christian said as he took a bite of his sandwich. He moaned in delight. Westley felt himself chub a bit hearing the carnal noise. He distracted himself with taking a bite out of his sandwich. He suddenly understood the sound Christian had made. The meat was cooked perfectly- nice and juicy. The swiss cheese melted on his tongue, while the sautéed onions added a tang. It was the best sandwich he'd ever had. "Wow." "See? Nevaeh has a way with food." "Boy, you know I got these recipes from Auntie May. I got nothing on her." "You sell yourself short girl." Christian shook his head. "Whatev. Eat your food. Call if you need anything." She walked back to the kitchen. The boys were quiet as they dug into the plates of food. Christian polished his entire plate off before Westley ate half of his sandwich and barely made a dent in his fries. "So where are you staying at?" Christian asked as he ate his last fry. "A hotel near the hospital. I'm sharing a room with my mom." "How long are you in town for?" "Until Monday. Then I have to go back to school." They chatted a bit longer and suddenly Westley realized it was pitch dark outside and the diner was empty. "Geez, how long have we been sitting here?" "A couple hours." Christian smiled. He looked over his shoulder but Nevaeh was back in the kitchen. He could hear water running and some clunking, which indicated she was probably washing dishes along side her cook. "Ooops. Hope the diner isn't supposed to be closed..." Westley said. "Well not that Nevaeh would care either." Westley thought about it, but it had been bugging him since Christian had said it. "What did you mean when you said she wasn't your type?" He asked tentatively, daring to hope. Christian cleared his throat and looked around the diner again. "Well, honestly, I'm not, nor can I really be out, but I'm gay." Westley let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Christian laughed. "Was that a good noise or an 'I'm shocked I've been chatting this nicely with a pervert this whole time' sigh?" "No that was a good noise. I guess." "You guess? You haven't felt the mutual attraction?" "I have. I just... well. I don't know." "Look, why don't we let Nevaeh close up the place, come over to my parent's house and let's talk a bit more." "Um. Okay." Westley said. Nevaeh poked her head out. "Have fun..." She said in a bit of a sing-song voice. They stepped outside. "Does she know?" "I think she suspects." "Hmm. Want me to follow you over to your place?" "Yeah, it's just around the corner really." They got into their cars, Westley following as Christian pulled out into the quiet street. He contemplated what would happen next. Sure, after his situation with Ryan he'd mostly come to terms with being gay, and had experimented a bit at school. In order to try to not pine over Michael he'd messed around with a few guys. Sure he'd want to settle down at some point, but he wasn't sure if he wanted that right now. And if Christian wasn't really out, he wasn't sure he wanted two of those hurdles in relationship. The Fighter Ch. 03 They pulled up to a quaint little 2 story house on the edge of town a few blocks from the diner. Christian motioned him to park on the street in front of the house. Westley parked his car and followed him into the house. It was obviously owned by his parents. There were pictures on every wall of Christian and a young girl. Westley pointed to what looked to be a more recent picture of him with an older couple, and the girl. He was holding up a Packer jersey. "Mom, Dad, sister Eve. This was when I was drafted." "You guys look happy." "It was like nothing I expected. There was some discussion I might get picked, but nobody knew who was really interested. There's always speculation... We grew up poor. We didn't have much in life, but we had each other. I had football. It was tough, but I was able to keep myself and Eve from falling into bad crowds. I worked hard, and this was my reward. I bought this house with my first paycheck so my parents would never have to worry about having a roof above their heads. I live in an apartment right now, to save money. It's not glamorous, but I'm so used to tight living spaces." Westley was quiet. "You're a quiet guy." "So everybody tells me." "It's not a bad thing." Christian replied. "Here, sit with me." Westley sat down on the couch next to the big man. "You aren't nervous are you?" "Not really. Wherever this leads to, I'm game. I just can't make any guarantees. I don't know where I will end up after graduation. And I'm not out to my parents. I have a few friends that know, but otherwise..." "So we're kind of in the same boat. I'll be heading back to Wisconsin in a few weeks, so who knows where this will go." Christian leaned in and brushed Westley's cheek with the back of his hand. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more. I think you're freaking cute and I'd love to have more than one night." "I feel the same..." "Awesome..." Christian said, leaning in for a kiss. Westley returned the kiss with vigor, as Christian laid Westley back on the couch. "Wes..." He whispered. Christian kissed his way down to Westley's neck and pulled his collar down a bit to nibble on his collar bone. Westley pushed his hips up into Christian's stomach. Christian was a foot taller then Westley, so they didn't line up great at first. Christian chuckled at Westley's exuberance. He moved his hips so they lined up with Westley's. Westley reached up and pulled Christian's shirt off. He froze in shock. Christian's muscles had been hidden well under his clothes. The man was completely ripped, down to a hint of an 8 pack, his pecs were so well defined, Westley could only drool in awe. "Like that, don't you?" "God yes... that's so freaking hot." Westley traced the ridges with gentle fingers. Christian shuddered and undulated against Westley's pelvis. He leaned down, and captured Westley's lips in another sensuous kiss as he continued to rock his hips in a steady rhythm. Westley eagerly returned the kiss, and wrapped his arms around Christian's shoulders, pulling him tighter. The men moved together naturally and after only a few minutes of rubbing together, even though they never got their jeans off, it became too much too quick. The boys froze together, lips barely touching as they both shot their loads. Christian let out a breathless laugh. "Wes...Holy... sorry about that, I guess it's been a while." He said after he caught his breath. Westley panted and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I came kinda fast too." "Hmm. Well, I'm going to go clean up, follow me." Christian said, lifting off of Westley. Westley followed Christian to a bedroom upstairs. The room was dwarfed by a huge bed. There was barely any room for the dresser that was at the foot of the bed. Christian opened a drawer and pulled out two pairs of boxers. He stripped his jeans and boxers off, showing off a tight butt to Westley. He couldn't help but stare at the bulging muscles as Christian pulled back on a pair of boxers. Christian flipped Westley the other pair. "They're small on me, hopefully they'll work for you. Or you can go commando..." "You'd like that too much." "You kidding? I'd like to see your tiny hips in my clothes..." Westley laughed and ducked into the bathroom across the hall to clean up. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. For once he looked happy. It probably was a bit premature to be thinking they'd have anything more than this one night, but it would be one that lingered in Westley's memory for a long time. "Hey, get out here, skinny minny." Christian said, knocking on the door. Westley opened it and stepped out wearing just the boxers Christian had given him. Christian whistled at the sight of the too large boxers sagging on Westley's boney hips. Westley pulled on his jeans. "So, my parents aren't going to be home until tomorrow afternoon, so if you want to stay the night..." Christian hinted. "I better let my mom know so she doesn't freak out." "Cool. I'll pick out a movie while you do that." Westley quickly called his mom, and lied to her a bit, implied and told her he had met up with a friend from college, had a bit too much to drink and was going to spend the night. His mom didn't sound worried and seemed to buy the story. He was grateful, he still wasn't sure how to broach the subject of his sexuality with his parents and this wasn't the way he wanted them to find out. Especially considering this was probably going to be a one night stand. Westley wandered out to the living room where Christian had popped in a movie. They settled down on the couch to watch it. "Hold the phone, did you really just put 'Ghost' in?" "Dude, call me a sucker, but I love this movie." "Ditto." Westley said. Christian laughed. "Well, it's good I found another fan. The last guy I dated had never seen it, and he hated it." "Humph. It's a classic." Westley found himself nodding off before Sam ends up convincing Oda May to go to the bank with him. The next thing he knew, he woke up and the couch he'd been laying on had been pulled out and Christian was spooned up behind him. He was snoring softly and Westley sighed. It felt so good to be held by someone. He wasn't sure how to get Christian to even consider seeing him again, but he'd have to think of a way. The next morning Christian stirred, feeling the lithe body in his arms stir a bit with him. Westley was too damn cute to let him get away. Christian felt like his first season went well with the teammates and he could possibly start to test the waters this year to see how the guys would react to finding out he was gay. He was tired of being alone. He was tired of having his teammates rib him for not having a girlfriend. They all said they understood him not having a girlfriend his first year, as he'd begged off being set up with anyone due to not wanting to get distracted. He'd wanted to make an impression his first year playing and it had paid off, with him scoring a starting position. And as long has his training camp went well this year, he could be looking at having a starting position all year. In just a few short weeks he'd have to report to camp and would be in Wisconsin full time. He probably wouldn't be able to hook up with Westley much since he'd be here in Ohio. Westley rolled over and saw Christian deep in thought. "Hey..." He said softly. "Sorry. Just drifted off a bit there." "About what?" "Wanting to see you again." He said nonchalantly. Westley was quiet, not wanting to read too much into what Christian was saying. "What about you? Would you want to see me again?" "Yeah I would. But I don't know how that will happen. I'm here until graduation, and then I was thinking about moving to Wisconsin. I have some friends up there... But in the mean time..." "It'll be hard, I know. But I can swing down here on my off days, and bye weeks. So it maybe only once a month if that, but we can try." "I guess." "You don't sound too enthusiastic." "I just am unsure how it will work. But it's not like I have any other prospects for a relationship anyway..." "Okay. So here, program your number in, and I'll text you quick so you have my number." Westley grabbed the phone and typed in his number. He wasn't sure how to react to Christian's forwardness, but he'd be lying if he wasn't slightly thrilled to have the big man interested in meeting up again. Westley had decided he'd take any crumbs thrown his way. Without thinking about it too much, Westley left the house, forgetting his pair of boxers and wearing Christian's home. Christian and Westley didn't see each other for while as the men had to get back into their lives. For Westley the occasional phone call was enough, but time flew. His dad seemed to be stable for the time being and he was able to concentrate on his studies. Christian was busy at first with preseason camps and work outs, meeting up with the rest of the linebacker core whenever he could. His previous season was pretty decent, but he wanted to step it up this year. He had great coaches and teammates to help him learn new techniques and hone his skills. He hardly remembered to call Westley more than a few times during the first few weeks of the season. The months flew past, and all of a sudden, it dawned on Christian that the team was going to be in Ohio playing the Bengals the next weekend. He'd normally have a curfew, but he chatted with the 'higher ups' and discussed about visiting and staying at his parents after the game, and begged off flying back with the team so he could possibly hook up with Westley too. After practice he talked with the people in charge. Once he got confirmation that he was going to be able to stay at his parent's place he called Westley right away. He hit the send button on his phone and patiently waited for Westley to pick up. He sat down on the bench in front of his locker. "Hello?" "Wes..." Christian savored saying his name, hopeful. "Christian! How have you been?" "Busy dude, busy. We're going to be in town next weekend..." "Geez, I lost track of time. I take it you're going to take some time to visit your parents?" "Actually yeah. And because we have a bye week after the Bengals game I begged off on flying home with the team so I get to stay a couple days." Westley was quiet. "That means I want to see you..." Christian said. "Oh, well I didn't want to read too much into that..." Christian sighed heavily. By this point he pretty much guessed Westley had some self esteem issues, but he wasn't sure how to handle it. Knowing he was gay from a young age, he never felt like he needed to learn about bolstering women with self esteem issues. And of course it wasn't like guys talked about it much either, so he was pretty much in the dark. He figured he'd just try to make sure Westley knew he wanted him and only him. "I want to see you. I want to hold your lean body in my arms and cuddle with you. I want to kiss you until you can't even see straight." Christian teased. Westley laughed. "Alright. I'll make some time for you. Are you going to be at your parent's place? Or am I going to have to make the drive to Cincinnati?" "Well, the night after the game I will be up there. But you're at school in Columbus, right?" "Well, Dad is going in for some rechecks and what not this weekend so I was actually going to be in Cleveland." "Oh, cool that works out. Well, I'll call you once I know more about my schedule, but plan on Monday afternoon for right now, I can probably get away from my parents for a bit." "Sounds good. Look forward to hearing from you." "Definitely. Sleep tight." Christian hung up and turned around to grab his bag from the floor behind him. Standing there was one of his defensive teammates, Mick. "Ah, Christian's got himself a girl back home huh? Finally man, we were getting worried about you." "What do you mean?" Christian asked. "Well, you didn't seem to ever have a girl, or even pick up a groupie while traveling. The other guys were starting to wonder about watching their backsides, if you know what I mean." Mick said. Christian barely held it together, but acted naïve. "Naw dude, I don't. Besides, I want to be the best, and couldn't handle a distraction before now." "Alright man. Whatever. Hook up with your little sweetie, hopefully it gets you into a better mood. You been crabby lately." On that note Mick walked away. Christian shook his head, upset that when the subject of sexuality was brought up this first time, the reaction was laced homophobia. He wasn't sure if the rest of the team felt that way or not. The Fighter Ch. 04 *"Give em hell, turn their heads Gonna live life 'til we're dead. Give me scars, give me pain Then they'll say to me, say to me, say to me There goes the fighter, there goes the fighter Here comes the fighter That's what they'll say to me, say to me, say to me, This one's a fighter"* Outside the stadium Christian was waiting for his taxi to arrive to take him to his parent's house for dinner. After that he'd would be meeting up with Westley. The rest of the team filed onto the bus to head back to the hotel where they would be spending the night. They were joking and messing around, spirits high after a good game and a great win. "See you at practice next week Christian." Mick called as he got on the bus. Christian waved distractedly. He'd been having some second thoughts about meeting up with Westley, but he couldn't bring himself to bail on the little dude. And he didn't want to either. Finally the taxi pulled up and drove him to his parents house. Unbeknownst to him, his Aunt and cousins had swung in for a visit, so he was technically without a bed. He texted Westley to meet him at Nevaeh's diner, and then called a local hotel to get a room. Sure he could have slept on the couch, but after a game he was always sore. Plus it was a good excuse to spend the night with Westley. Westley texted back after a few minutes that he'd meet him in a half hour, he was still stuck at the hospital for a while. Christian made small talk with his family and then begged off, explaining he was meeting a friend for dinner. His parents assumed he was talking about Nevaeh, and his sister jokingly asked when he was going to marry the poor girl and put them all out of their misery. Christian got into his car feeling miserable. He knew it would be hard to come out to them, much less the rest of the world, but if he couldn't even be out to his family, how could he even hope for a relationship at all? Westley sat in the diner chatting with Nevaeh while waiting for Christian to show up. Nevaeh was a very colorful individual and had a bunch of great stories to share about growing up with Christian. "So then, because he was so mad at me for not letting him ride my big wheel, I just kept doing circles around him laughing. Well, he threw his baseball mitt at me, which missed, of course, but landed in front of me. So when I hit it with my big wheel, it practically spun me out of control, sending me flying at Christian. I've never heard that boy scream so loud in my life." "It was a traumatic childhood experience. I'm terrified I'm going to be run over by a big wheel every day of my life now." Christian said as he sat down across from Westley. "That's hilarious." "Oh, next time you're here, when Christian isn't, I will have to tell you about the gum incident." Christian groaned. "Oh, yes I went there!" Nevaeh said walking away laughing. "Did you order food already?" "Yeah. I figured you'd eat what you had last time." "Yup. What are you getting?" "Chicken sandwich." "Those are second best to the swiss melt. Still good, just not as good." Christian paused. "How's dad?" "Doing alright. It's progressing the way this cancer usually does. So we still have a few months according to the specialist. He'll most likely get to see me graduate." "When's graduation?" "In 3 months basically." "Ah." The men were quiet for a bit, the seriousness setting the tone. "So, I had to get a hotel room for the night, my Aunt and cousins showed up at the parent's house." "Oh..." Westley said quietly. "So if you want to watch a movie or something..." "Sure. I'll let mom know I'll probably not be back tonight." "Sweet." Christian said. Nevaeh came back with their food, which the men ate with enthusiasm. This time though, once they were finished with the food, they paid their bill and left, rather than hold up Nevaeh as she started to close down the diner. She waved from the kitchen as they excused themselves. "Follow me?" Christian asked. "Sure." Westley got into his car and drove behind Christian as he weaved his way to the hotel. It turned out that Christian was staying across the street from the hotel Westley and his mom were staying at. Christian checked in while Westley called his mom and told her to not wait up for him. Christian unlocked the door to the hotel room. Westley was at first shocked, because the room was huge, but then remembered who Christian was. It was easy to forget that Christian was famous when he acted like such a normal person. The king sized bed took up the bulk of the room, but the door to the bathroom was open, showing off a huge stall shower, Westley figured it had one of those newer waterfall showerheads. Christian set his bag down next to the bed and shook his head. His dreads bounced vigorously. "I could use a swim." He said nonchalantly. He walked over to the phone and grabbed the laminated sheet. "The pool is open until 12. Want to go?" "Um. I'll walk with you, but I'll just hang out. I'm not big on swimming." "If you don't have a suit I have an extra one." "I don't know..." Westley was always afraid his scar would show when he went swimming. "Well, why don't you put it on, and then if you want to, you can join me. I just want to do a few laps before I crash for the night." "Like you didn't get enough exercise today?" Westley laughed as Christian chucked the swimsuit at him. "Never. I always am so pumped after a game. I hate the bus ride back, can never move around enough. And then we're always at a hotel, so I rarely get the chance to work out right after. Makes me restless." "Hmm." Westley murmured. "What?" "Just wondering what kind of work out you'd prefer..." "Ha! Well, like any warmblooded guy, yeah, I wouldn't mind a round in the sheets, but honestly, a swim and then a bit of extra curricular activities." Westley nodded and went into the bathroom to change. Christian chuckled at his modesty, and quickly changed while Westley hid in the bathroom. Westley turned around after tying the strings on the waist of the swimsuit. He looked at his thighs in the mirror, but as far as he could tell the scar didn't show under the baggy shorts. He sighed. At some point he'd have to show Christian, but Westley had a hard time telling people about the experience. It made him feel weak. Mostly it was due to the fact that he'd given up during the fight. Squaring his shoulders he stepped out of the bathroom. He wasn't prepared for the sight he greeted of Christian wearing a similar pair of swim trunks. It was hard for Westley to not drool, even though he'd seen him shirtless before, it still left him speechless. Christian chuckled. "I feel the same way little man. My mouth goes dry looking at your cute body." Christian tossed him a towel and grabbed the room key. They padded down to the pool. Westley found a table at the side of the pool and sat down in one of the lounge chairs. Christian set his towel down next to him and headed for the pool. He made his way down the stairs into the pool. He dipped his head under the water and then started swimming laps in the small pool. It didn't take long for him to reach the other side and turn around. Westley couldn't help but stare at the prime specimen of man as his muscles rippled under the water. A family walked into the pool area after Christian had done a few laps. Westley was surprised, mostly because it was after 10pm. The adults settled into hot tub, and the two kids jumped into the pool. Christian slipped out of the pool, shook his head attempt to dry his hair a bit. He walked over to where Westley was sitting and plopped into the chair next to him. "Now what?" Westley asked quietly. "Eh, lets see how long they stay. Or if you want to go into the hot tub?" "Not really. I'm not one for small talk with strangers." "Couldn't tell... shy man." Christian teased. They sat in silence for a while watching the children play. "Have you always been a shy kid, or just recently?" Christian asked. "Well. I was always a quiet kid, but had a incident within the last year that has made me retract into myself even more." "Not something you want to talk about I guess?" "Not really. Maybe some day." "Okay." After about a half hour the parents shooed the kids out of the pool and left. Christian resumed his swimming. Westley decided to get into the hot tub, now that Christian was busy and it was unlikely anyone else would be down to swim. Making sure his scar wasn't visible he made his way to the hot tub. Christian joined him once he'd finished an additional 10 laps. Christian sunk into the hot tub with a groan that went straight to Westley's cock. He squirmed a bit as Christian slid over on the ledge so he could sit next the small man. "Enjoying yourself over here?" "Eh, enough I guess." Christian sunk further into the water, so the water lapped at his chin. "God, this feels great. I'm kinda sore after today." "I think I saw you get sat on during the game..." "Yeah, some big ass lineman tripped on me, and then landed on me. I got a little squished. I also hit the quarterback at a bit of a weird angle for me- I got a bruise on my shoulder." he lifted out of the water slightly to show it off. "Hard to see." Westley said, brushing his hands on Christian's shoulder. The contrast between their skin colors became suddenly apparent to them as Westley slid his fingers across Christian's creamy chocolate colored skin. Christian leaned closer, but the door opening to the pool room startled them. "Hey guys, 10 minute warning- then I have to shut the place down." "Okay, thanks..." Christian said. He waited until the door shut again. "Well. Let's continue this back in the room, shall we?" He rose out of the bubbling water like a Greek god. Westley shook his head to clear the improper thoughts. He needed to get his boner under control in case they ran into anyone heading back to Christian's room. Christian was busy drying his hair the best he could, so Westley took the opportunity to get out of the tub quickly and wrap a towel around his waist. Luckily the towel hid his semi-hard cock, and his scar. Westley wondered when he would ever stop worrying about it. Every day he had to think about what to wear, and examined it in the mirror to see how noticeable it was. It bothered him that it was such a big deal to him, but he wasn't sure how to get past it. "Hey... you look a bit lost there" Christian said. "Just thinking about something." Westley said. "Well, obviously. Anything I can help with?" "Not really. Why don't we head back up if you're ready." "Yup." Christian gave him a bit of an odd look, almost confused but with a bit of pity. Westley sighed. "Seriously dude, the quiet brooding thing is cute, but if something I'm doing is bothering you..." "No, it's not you. Believe me." "Okay..." They walked quietly to the elevator and then to their room. Christian held the door open for him. "Shower?" Christian asked "Together?" Westley asked. "If you want. No pressure, and you can keep the shorts on if you want." "Um. Yeah." He said quietly. "Okay." Christian walked into the bathroom and started the shower. Sure enough, it had a waterfall head. As soon as the water warmed up, Christian stepped in to rinse down his body. Westley tentatively followed. Christian stepped to the side, so Westley could stand under the waterfall. He moaned quietly. "Damn, don't be making noises like that..." Christian leaned in and kissed Westley hard. A little shocked, it took Westley a bit to react. He slid his hands up Christian's muscular sides slowly. Christian trembled a bit, trying to hold back. He knew Westley was very shy, and he wasn't sure how much experience he truly had. After a bit of making out, Christian felt his neck cramp. He lifted his head and rolled his shoulders. But instead of stopping, he picked up Westley and set him against the wall. Westley gasped. "Um." "Sorry, neck was cramping. Also gives me an excuse to get closer..." He brushed his fingers up Westley's thighs, under his suit to the junction of his buttock. Westley squirmed. "Stop..." He whispered. Christian felt a ridge of something, and Westley stiffened. "What..." The next thing Christian knew, Westley was out of the shower and bathroom. "Westley... Stop... are you okay?" Christian caught him before he reached his bag across the room. "I'm fine." "Obviously not. Talk to me dude." "It's not you, it's me, okay. I'm not sure I can do this..." "Do this? Like 'gay stuff ', really?" "NO. Not the gay stuff. I'm not one of those guys that hasn't accepted himself yet. No this is something different and I'm not ready to tell anyone else about it yet." "Talk to me Westley, obviously it's something serious. I can maybe help." Westley stared at him. "Really." Westley turned around. Christian felt as though he'd lost this battle, but then Westley dropped his swimsuit down, just far enough to show his buttocks. Christian momentarily got distracted by his cute white butt, however during his perusal he spotted a slight blemish in the smooth skin. He reached out and brushed it gently. He felt it more than saw it, the slight pink blending into the skin. "It's had reduction on it. It still looks terrible." Westley said. "Terrible? What do you mean? I can feel the ridge, but it's blending in." "I hate it." Westley said with venom. "Can I look at it closer?" "I guess." Westley said. Christian guided him to the bed, laid down a towel and pushed Westley down on his stomach. He brushed the pink ridge gently. "What happened?" he whispered. Westley sighed heavily. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Christian said. "Well, basically my best friend found out I was gay. He wanted me branded as an abomination for life. I've had a lot of reduction therapy on it. Some surgery, some laser treatments, lots of creams." He sounded muffled. Christian looked up to see Westley's face buried into the pillow. "Hey... It's bad, but you're well on the way to getting rid of the visible scar." Westley scuffed. "Seriously. I mean obviously the mental scar is worse. This isn't something you just get over." "I don't know how you would understand." Christian barked out a short laugh. "Really? I mean I know we haven't seen each other much, and really this is the first time we've even been partially naked in front of each other, but don't assume anything, okay?" "What do you mean?" Westley pulled up his shorts and rolled over. Christian rolled his shorts up. There on his thigh was 4 small raised circles. "My biological dad did this to me when I was a young kid. It was the final straw for mom. It took a lot to trust after that. Including my mom." "Okay." "Yeah." Christian laid down next to Westley. "I get it. Everything you wear you make sure people can't see it. And when someone does see it, you want to make up a story about how you got them. I don't know, falling out of a tree, or something cooler, like being bit by a rare fish while swimming. But deep inside, you fear that people can see you're just a sad little kid whose been abused." He stared at the ceiling. "And then they pity you. And that's almost worse than the scars." "Yeah." Westley rolled onto his side to look at Christian. "I'm sorry I assumed that you didn't understand." "That's okay. Like I said, you learn how to hide it. It's there, but shoved deep down." he rolled to face Westley. Westley reached out and brushed some of Christian's dreads off his face. Christian leaned in and gently kissed Westley on the lips. Westley leaned in, caressing his hand down Christian's side before resting on his hip. He pulled the big man closer. Christian rolled on top of Westley, lining up their hips. Slowly, he started to rotate his hips into Westley's. The men rubbed on each other gently, building the tension in an almost lethargic manner. Christian, being quiet a bit taller than Westley had to lean down a bit to match their lips, but he continued to kiss him as he rocked his hips. Westley whimpered quietly. "Good?" "Little harder..." Westley said. Christian pushed at the end of each thrust, grinding their hard cocks together. Christian groaned as each drive shot a bolt of electricity to his balls. Westley dug his nails into Christian's back and cried out as he came. Hearing Westley cum was too much for Christian. He froze, threw his head back, trying to keep quiet as he shot his load into his swim shorts. Westley panted into Christian's shoulder. Christian leaned back down, and pulled Westley into a deep kiss. "Perfect..." He whispered as they broke apart to catch their breath. Westley was speechless. "Let's get out of these shorts." Christian said, helping Westley up. They changed, Westley still acting a bit shy towards Christian, facing away from him as he put on a pair of boxers to sleep in. Christian pulled back the covers on the bed and crawled in. He held the blanket up and motioned for Westley to join him. Exhausted after the mental and physical work out, Westley snuggled into Christian's arms, and fell asleep almost immediately. Christian spooned behind Westley, thinking he'd found someone more like him than he ever thought possible, and the fact that he would complement him so well? He wasn't sure what to do with that information. It scared him to think about a future with or without Westley, even this early in their relationship. The Fighter Ch. 05 * "And if I can last thirty roundsThere's no reason you should ever have your head downSix foot five, two hundred and twenty poundsHailing from rock bottom, loserville, nothing town"* * Light slipped through a gap in the blinds, waking Christian the next morning. Westley was spooned up behind him, so Christian was reluctant to move, but the light was right in his eyes. He groaned and rolled over. Westley stirred. "Sorry the light was in my eyes." Christian said. Westley made a whining moan and buried his face in Christian's neck. "What time is it?" He asked, muffled. "Um..." Christian leaned over, squishing Westley a bit as reached for his phone. "8:15" Westley huffed out a breath. Christian couldn't help his body's reaction as the breath of air flowed across his neck. "Still early... sort of." "Yeah I'm normally at school already." The men cuddled in companionable quiet for a few minutes, Christian not wanting to push Westley after the emotional night they'd had. "It was my best friend." Westley said. "What?" "Who left the scars. We'd been friends for so long. We met in undergrad, and were able to stick together with post graduate plans. We were roommates for 3 years. I never told him." "That you were gay?" "Right. Someone told him they thought I was. He confronted me, and I was tired of lying to everyone. I mean I still keep it hidden, but a lot of that has to do with how Ryan reacted." "He cut you." "He didn't just cut me. He carved 'queer'..." Westley stopped, and took a deep breath. "You can't tell anymore." Christian said quickly. "I can." "I know. But if anyone else saw it, they wouldn't know. I didn't, and I saw it up close." Westley nodded and pushed his head back into Christian's neck. Christian held him close, expecting Westley to cry, but he never did. The revolution of what happened should have made him overly emotional. After a few minutes, Westley raised his head. "What happened to this guy?" Christian asked. "I passed out. Well, actually I gave up, I didn't fight. He got so mad..." "And?" "Someone heard him yelling, and came into the room to make sure everything was okay. Obviously it wasn't, the cops were called. I was so scared, I had a hard time trusting anyone, but a cop convinced me to press charges. He said with how violent the attack was that he thought Ryan wouldn't leave me alone. Or that he might hurt someone else. I did it for that reason, I didn't care about myself anymore, but the thought he could do it to someone else...." He trailed off, pausing. "I saw him at the sentencing too. He apologized. I don't know if he meant it or not, but it was a bit of closure." "Good. So not to press or anything, but how out are you?" Westley chuckled. "Not very. You know, and my friend Michael knows. His boyfriend. Um..." "Not out to your parents?" "No. What about you? I know you said before you aren't really..." "I don't know if I ever can. You're the only one that knows right now. I had a few discrete hookups in college, but nobody who really knew who I was. I've heard some pretty bad comments in the locker rooms and stuff growing up, and it still happens on the professional level too. I would really like to be out. But... until I can't play anymore I don't think it will happen." he shook his head and sighed. "Understandable. You don't get too long to play, and it could be a problem with your teammates." "Yup. Hungry?" Christian asked. "Eh..." "Maybe it's inappropriate after the heavy conversation we just had, but we could fool around a bit..." Westley laughed. "Sure..." Christian rolled Westley under him, kissing him hard. He worked his way nuzzling and licking to his nipples. Westley's back bowed up involuntarily as Christian raked his teeth over one, then the other. His hands slipped under Westley and lifted him gently has he moved down to his flat abdomen. His hands slid further down, and tucked into the edge of Westley's boxers. Westley cried out quietly as Christian's mouth teased the front edge. He looked up questioningly, as he pulled gently down on the small man's underwear. Westley lifted his hips higher to allow Christian to slip off the boxers. He looked down into the striking hazel eyes, and watched as his cock was bared to them. He saw Christian's pupils dilate, almost hiding the color. Christian's tongue poked out, the pink slipping out from between his dark lips intrigued Westley. Every time they were together the contrast between their skin was apparent, but watching Christian as he started to lick up and down his cock, it was so unmistakable, and erotic. Westley couldn't hold his eyes open anymore once Christian had reached the top of his penis. He'd slipped his lips over the crown and the visual was too much. He was already so close to cumming, watching would just send him over. He laid his head back and dissolved into a puddle of desire, just absorbing the feelings as Christian worked him over. Christian looked up to see delight dancing across Westley's face, his eyes screwed shut. He was clearly enjoying the blow job, and Christian was unsure how far Westley would be willing to go, so he just doubled his efforts to get Westley to cum. He couldn't wait to taste the slim man's essence. He reached under Westley's cock to fondle his balls, and he too was entranced by the distinction between their skin. He'd never been in an interracial relationship before, so he never realized how significant the difference in color meant during sex acts. Before he could contemplate any further, Westley made a small noise, and his hips bucked. Christian pulled back, and covered the tip of Westley's cock and sucked vigorously. Westley came on a strangled quiet cry, and Christian gladly cleaned up the evidence of his orgasm. As soon as Westley caught his breath, he reached down to touch Christian. Christian stopped his hand on his abdomen. "Sorry... I, um... I came when you did..." He blushed. It was hard to see, but Westley could tell he was flushed. "That's okay, I just wish I could help you out..." "Next time little man, next time." Christian pulled himself up next to Westley and drew him close. They fell asleep in each others arms. * They woke a few hours later, when Christian's stomach rumbled loud enough it startled them both. "Oops..." Christian laughed. "We better get some food before your stomach eats itself I guess." "Well, it's only 10, the breakfast bar downstairs should still be open." "Sounds good." Westley said. They dressed and walked down to the lobby. The breakfast area was empty except for a few people grabbing small items as they left the hotel. "What time is check out?" "I'm here another day yet. I'm supposed to do dinner at my parents tonight." "Ah okay. I have to go visit dad at some point before I head back for classes." "No class on a Monday?" "Not this week for some reason." Christian grabbed some cornflakes an orange and a banana, while Westley perused the pastries before picking out a few. They both poured themselves some coffee before heading back to the room. * They parted ways an hour later, Westley heading to the hospital, and Christian to his parent's house. Westley walked into his dad's room, and quickly noticed his dad was napping. He hated to wake him up since he seemed tired all the time. He was just going to sit and watch TV until his dad woke up, when his mom wandered into the room. "Westley, nice of you to show up." She said. Westley was puzzled at the cool tone of his mom's voice but dismissed it, knowing he'd spent more time with Christian than he had with his dad. "Sorry. Don't get to see my friends very often, so I try to multitask. Doesn't always work like I planned." "I think you and I need to talk outside. I don't want to wake your dad." "What...?" He followed his mom outside. "Look, I had my suspicions when you were in college, and then with your mysterious injury this last year. But when Alice called me and told me your boyfriend was a surprise, obviously it became crystal clear." Westley was silent, he wasn't sure what to say. "Alice describes a big black man- and that she had no idea you were gay, but she was impressed with your willingness to be in an interracial relationship too. She praised me for having a son so open minded. I told her she needed to keep this to herself until I could talk with you." "Um..." "Westley." She sighed. "I know you were always different, but I just can't process this. I can't understand why you would want to do this to us. You realize that this could kill your dad if he found out?" "Mom, I..." "You end it. Right now. And if you weren't in school right now, I would be looking for a conversion therapy camp. As it is, once you graduate, I would still want you to go." "Mom! No." "I can't force you, but I can offer and encourage. But unless you stop your relationship with this.... abomination, I can stop you from seeing your father. I can't let the stress of knowing his son is... a.... I can't. It would kill him." Westley was shocked, but he knew what he had to do. "I won't see him again. And I won't say anything to dad either." "Good. But I still want to be in the room each time you visit, just in case." * Westley made it home after visiting with his dad for a short time. He was still trying to absorb the statements his mom had made. Not that he saw Christian that much, so if he still saw him occasionally he'd just have to make sure it wasn't anywhere where people that might know him would see them. At the same time though, maybe it wouldn't be bad to just give it up. He knew Christian couldn't be out, so even if they could have a relationship, it wouldn't be one that either of them could stand for the long term. Westley sighed and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know what he wanted either. If he was honest with himself though, he would be free after his dad died. He could see Christian secretly, play nice with his mom, until the end. And then he wouldn't speak to his mom ever again. Westley decided that he would tell his dad before he died he was gay, but not just yet. * Christian got a bit worried after a month and a half of Westley dodging requests to visit, and generally not replying to text messages and phone calls. Maybe it was for the best- he threw himself into the end of the season, playing hard, trying to forget the cute little man. * About a month before graduation, Westley had a few interviews for jobs throughout the area, but nothing more than nibbles. He spoke to Michael about his job search as well, and Michael assured him he had yet to get any solid leads either. He offered some job postings in the area, knowing Westley was interested in living closer to his one friend. Westley finally got a phone call back, from a small practice in Wisconsin, not to far from where Michael and Daniel were living. He jumped at the chance for an interview, especially when the clinic said they would pay for his traveling expenses. That usually meant the potential employer was impressed with the application, and were possibly serious about hiring. He called Michael and let him know he'd be in the area for the weekend. He was driving when his phone rang. Without looking he answered. "Hello?" "Oh, good you aren't dead." A bemused rich voice flowed over the line. "Christian." "How have you been?" "I've been better. But it's going." "Hmm. Well, I just wanted to touch base with you, our season ended, so I'm free this weekend if you wanted to meet up somewhere." "Well, I have an interview actually that I'm driving to right now. I'm not sure how much time I'll have this weekend." "Oh." Christian sounded disappointed. Westley was tempted, and if they met up in Wisconsin, nobody would know. "Um. Are you still in Wisconsin?" "Yeah, staying at the apartment until all the formal reviews and stuff following the end of the season are done. I can take the weekend to come down to Ohio though." "Well, my interview is in Wisconsin actually. I can call you once I know what is all going to happen." "That would be great. I miss you. You've been elusive recently." "Sorry. I don't know what to say." "Don't worry about it. Just call me so we can meet up, okay?" "Alright. I will." * Westley stopped at a gas station to fill up and look closer at the map on his GPS to try and figure out what would be the best way to see Michael and Daniel, drive to his interview and then possible meet up with Christian. As an introvert, Westley had never had to deal with such a situation. He rarely had ever had more than one friend at a time, and never had 3 social interactions scheduled in a weekend. He was going to be mentally drained by the end of everything. He realized in mapping out his drive, he could spend the night by Michael and Daniel, drive north to his interview, and then drive to Christian's without too much trouble. He called Michael to make sure it would be okay to stay there. "Hello?" Daniel answered. "Um, hey, it's Westley. I could've sworn I called Michael's phone..." "Yeah, he's in the shower, we answer each other's phones all the time." "Oh, okay. Well, I just figured out that if you guys were okay with it I could stay at your place tonight and leave tomorrow morning for the interview, otherwise I could get a hotel room too and we could do dinner." There was a pause at the other end and then he heard muffled talking and what sounded like static. "We would be more than happy to put you up tonight, don't even think about a hotel!!" He heard Michael yell in the background. Westley laughed. "I take it you heard that?" Daniel asked. "Yes. Do you guys want to go out for dinner, or do you want me to grab something before I get there?" "Um..." More muffled noises could be heard, and suddenly a 'Dammit Michael I'm on the phone!' Floated over the line. "I can call back?" Westley asked. "No, just hang on a second... STOP it for 30 seconds okay? What do you want for dinner?" Westley heard a sigh, and then Daniel responding. "I think we'll just order something, he can't make up his mind." "Alright." Westley was trying hard not to laugh, "I'll call you when I get close to the apartment then." "Okay, sounds good." Daniel replied. Just before he hung up, he heard Daniel start to yell at Michael. He chuckled, knowing Michael's bubbly personality that it would be hard for Daniel to stay mad at the man. * Once he was about 10 minutes from the apartment, he called Michael's phone again. This time Michael answered. "Hey dude, how far out are you?" "About 10 minutes." "Want subs or something for dinner? I was leaning towards Jimmy Johns." "Yeah that sounds good. I'd take a turkey sub." "Alright, I'll order now, and they might beat you here." "True. See you in a bit." "See ya." Westley pulled up outside the apartment and parked. He buzzed the door, and heard running footsteps down the stairs. Michael pulled open the door. "Hey! You beat the food. Come on up." As Westley walked past Michael he heard another car pull up. "Barely I guess." He said as he turned around and saw the delivery guy hopping out of his car. Michael paid for the food, and followed Westley up the stairs. "So do you have any other plans for the weekend? You're more than welcome to come back here after your interview." "I actually might be meeting up with another friend tomorrow." "Oh, okay." Michael sounded a bit disappointed. "Sorry. I haven't seen him for a while and he's in the state for right now, so we're hoping to meet up." "Oh, like a friend, or a 'Friend-friend?'" "What does that even mean?" Westley said as he they stepped inside the apartment. Daniel, setting out chips and beers for the men, answered, "Friends with benefits." He said nonchalantly "Oh, well. Yeah kinda." Westley replied. Both Daniel and Michael stopped what they were doing and stared at Westley. "What?" they said at the same time. "Well. I'm not sure what you would call it, but neither of us are 'out' and neither of us are really ready for anything else. I think this weekend might be time for us to call it off." "What?" Michael and Daniel both asked again. "This is unlike you..." Michael started. "How long has this been going on?" Daniel asked. "Um. A few months I guess. Mostly talking on the phone and texting. We've only been able to meet up a few times." "How did you meet him?" Micheal asked. "Well, I bumped into him at the hospital actually." "Will you tell us who he is?" Daniel asked. "No. I can't." "Okay. Huh." Micheal said. "I know, I still can't believe I'm doing it myself, but I just can't stop myself either." "I know that feeling..." Daniel laughed. "So, yeah, tomorrow might be the last hurrah. We'll see." The men dug into their food. Michael started a movie. "Ooo, Twister. Love it." Westley said. The Fighter Ch. 06 The interview went well, Westley thought. He'd researched the clinic before stepping foot in Wisconsin, so he hopefully knew what they were looking for. And he thought he was a good fit there as well. He hopped into his car and grabbed his phone from the console. He dialed Christian. "Hey little man. How'd the interview go?" "Good. I think. You want to give me directions to your place?" Westley jotted down the instructions as Christian described the area where he lived. "Okay, I think I got it. I'll call if I get lost, but otherwise I'll see you in a bit." "I think it should only take you about 15 minutes. Call when you get here, I'll buzz you in." "Alright." Christian's directions were pretty spot on, Westley found the apartment without too much trouble. The place was decent looking. Nothing too fancy, but not cheap or run down looking. He hit send on his phone, and waited for Christian to answer. Instead he saw a door open, and Christian waving enthusiastically. He chuckled and hung up the phone. It was moments like this that made him really wish that, well, things could be more. He grabbed his overnight bag and met Christian at the door. "Any trouble finding the place?" "Nope. Not exactly what I was expecting, but no trouble finding it." "Yeah I know most would expect a fancier place, or a better location, but I like living low key." "I get that." Westley said. Christian guided him into the apartment. Inside was tidy, without too much furniture, or decorations. Westley set his bag on the couch. "So, since it's still early afternoon, we can either go out for dinner later, or we can go shopping for something to make here." "I think shopping isn't a bad idea. If you are up for it." "Yeah." "You don't get recognized?" "Sometimes. Not often. I think people don't expect a pro ball player to go shopping for himself. And I think a lot of people around here are a bit more reserved when it comes to us. They may come up and ask for an autograph, but really don't get too excited about it or obnoxious." "Oh, okay." "Let's take my car." They drove in companionable quiet to the store. As they got out of the car, Christian turned to Westley. "Any idea what you want to have?" "I pretty much eat anything. Except seafood." "Ah, good. I'm not a fan of fish either. But I think maybe some chicken, potatoes and veggies?" "Sounds good." "Alright." They chatted a bit while picking out the food. They decided on lemon and rosemary marinated chicken, loaded baked potatoes and a cauliflower/broccoli mix. "I'm glad you like cauliflower, for some reason it always felt like nobody else I know likes it." Westley said. "Not a huge fan of it, but with broccoli next to it, I'm good. What time do you have to head home?" Westley blushed. "Technically not until tomorrow early afternoon." "Alright. What do you want for breakfast then?" Christian gave him a bit of a leer. "Doesn't matter to me, I usually just eat toast or, well nothing." "Alright little man, we'll get you a decent breakfast. I have most of that stuff at home, but I did need to get more coffee." They wandered into the coffee isle. Christian breathed deep, taking in the pleasure of the fresh scent of coffee beans. He grabbed a bag of beans, and reached for a bottle of something, but turned to Westley. "Strawberry or Raspberry?" He asked. "Both? I guess what's the context?" "Flavored coffee. I know that's a bit weird, but I like a splash of something sweet, and I don't like cream or straight suger." "Oh. Um. Either really." "Both?" Christian laughed as he grabbed the flavored syrup off the shelf. They made their way to the check out, and Christian paid for the groceries. The drive back to his apartment, he pointed out some of the landmarks of the area- a small pond and a playground mostly. "That's a small hospital there- I stop in once in a while to visit the kids there as well as visiting the Children's Hospital south of here." "That's cool. I bet they really like it." "Some do, some I think just like having someone else to talk to besides doctors. I feel bad for some of them at Children's. Every once in a while there's a kid there that was abused or something, and don't have anyone that visits them. It's so sad." "Ugh... I hate that. I mean it's bad enough that your mom or dad hurt you but then to have no one to visit?" "Yeah. I mean at least with me, I wasn't hospitalized long, just a day or two if I remember. But my mom and sister came. Even my grandparents came. It was nice to know someone was in my corner." They arrived back at the apartment and carried the groceries through the living room into the kitchen, Christian quickly prepared the chicken and set a timer. "So, want a tour while the chicken is cooking?" "Sure." Christian lead him though the kitchen back to the living room. Besides a couch and one recliner, the only other furniture was the TV and a bookshelf next to it holding DVDs. "So here's the living room. Nothing fancy." "Not a lot of furniture either..." "No, growing up the way we did, I'm used to modest living. So really, I don't need anything fancy. I'd rather save my money for important things. Like family." "Sure." "And here's the stairs to the bedrooms." Christian opened a door. "Geez, I didn't know the place was two floors." "Not very big, but they squeezed them in. I think the developers originally wanted to make these into condos, but I wonder if they didn't sell well, or were considered too small or something. So they rent them out." "Cool." Westley followed Christian up the stairs and around a corner to the second floor. There were three doors down the hallway. "Bathroom. There's a half bathroom downstairs off the living room too. Here's the guest room. And here's my room." He opened the door to a modest sized room, with a king sized bed, a dresser with a small TV on top. The bedding was a dark green. "Fits you." Westley said. "I'd like to think so. I know the green isn't imaginative, but it was always my favorite color." "I like it." "So. Now what do you want to do? We have a bit of time before we have to start working on dinner..." Westley laughed. "Doesn't matter to me." Christian picked Westley up and threw him onto the bed. He covered him with his big body, and leaned into kiss him. "I'm thinking we make out a bit... I haven't seen you in a while, I'm a bit eager to play." Westley stiffened a bit, but relaxed once Christian continued to kiss him. A few minutes later the timer going off in the kitchen penetrated their lust fogged brains. Christian pulled back a bit, resting his forehead on Westley's. "Damn, my sense of timing sucks..." Westley laughed softly, "We have time later." Christian reluctantly rolled off Westley and helped him off the bed. "Let's go cook." After their meal, the men sat down in the living room. Christian turned on the TV, flipping channels. Westley remained quiet. Christian was worried about how quiet the little man had been recently, but knowing that he didn't talk much to begin with he tried to dismiss it. "So. Anything specific you want to do now?" Christian asked. "Um. No, not really..." He trailed off as Christian pinned him to the couch. "Good, because I have an idea, and want to continue the shenanigans that got interrupted earlier." Westley chuckled. Christian started kissing his way down to Westley's abdomen, and slowly lifted his shirt. Westley assisted by arching his back so Christian could pull off it off. Christian marveled at the pale almost hairless skin that was left behind. He had a bit of a epiphany of something he wanted to try. "Stay right there, I'll be back." Christian rolled off Westley and jogged to the kitchen. He returned with the two bottles of flavored syrup. "I've always wanted to try this, especially with someone who you can see the syrup on." Christian grinned. "Um... Okay, a bit weird, but I'm game. Wait did you just call me pale?" "Yup." Christian said as he snapped the cap open. He drizzled a bit of the syrup across Westley's chest. He set the bottle down next to the couch, and pulled his shirt off. He bent down and caught a drip threatening to go over the edge with his tongue. Westley jumped a bit, causing Christian to chuckle. He continued to lick along the trail of raspberry syrup until he reached a nipple. He scooped up a bit, and smeared it around Westley's nipple, then promptly sucked it into his mouth. Westley cried out, his back bowing causing his pevis to press into Christian's stomach. "Hey... Now you got some on me. I think you need to clean that off." Christian pulled Westley up and rolled over, letting the small man rest on top. Westley rubbed his chest over Christian's then slide down to lick the sweet flavor off of the dark man. Westley reached the spot on Christian's abdomen where his muscles formed a shapely 'V' down to his member. He unbuttoned the jeans in his way, and yanked on them, pulling them out of the way. Christian's boxers followed with the jeans, exposing his cock. Westley was stunned by the size, even though he should have expected it with how he'd felt whenever they'd rubbed each other. He was fascinated by the foreskin as well, getting distracted from the syrup congealing into Christian's chest hair momentarily while he stroked up and down on his cock. He watched as the foreskin moved with each motion of his hand. "You keep playing, you'll be licking up more then the syrup." Christian said, putting his hand over Westley's. Westley grinned. "Sorry. Never seen an uncut cock before." "Really. Well then. Play away as long as you know what you're getting into." Westley kept his hand moving, but leaned down to lick more of the syrup off of Christian's chest. He switched to using his left hand on his cock, then reached over to grab the bottle. He sat back, opened the bottle and with an evil grin, trickled a generous amount of the sticky liquid onto Christian's cock. Christian squirmed a bit, feeling the nectar slick down his penis. Westley set the bottle back down, then wiggled down into a more comfortable position. He let the pink elixir roll down to the base of Christian's monster and slowly licked it back up to the top. Christian panted as Westley continued his slow torture of licking from base to tip. The succulent sweetness of the syrup combined with Christian's natural flavor pulled Westley in. He suckled on the tip, running his tongue under the foreskin to collect the warm drizzle that got trapped there. Christian's back bowed up tight. Westley backed off a bit, moving up to clean Christian's chest. He got up to Christian's nipples when he was pulled up further. Christian caught him in a searing kiss. "You interested in stepping this up a notch?" Christian asking while locking eyes with Westley. "Um, like what?" "Well, whatever you're comfortable with, but I wanted to get my mouth on you too." "I'm good with that, but I'd like to continue my exploration of you at the same time." "Ah, good choice." Christian picked up Westley and turning him around, nestling him on top of his body. He quickly stripped off Westley's pants and boxers. "Well, the height difference makes this a bit tricky. Hmm..." Christian hesitated a bit. Westley squirmed a bit, slipping his lower body up towards Christian a bit more. Christian nudged his hips up, and scooted to set his shoulders up onto the armrest of the couch. Westley shoved a decorative pillow under Christian's hips, it was a bit of a stretch, but both men were able to reach. Westley jumped a bit once he felt Christian's mouth touch his dick, but it spurred him to return to his ministrations. They worked each other over to the breaking point, Westley unable to contain his hips movements as Christian writhed under him. They came at the same moment, licking the remnants of the tart, sweet liquid from each other while enjoying the essence of each other's release. After using their tongues to clean up, the men rearranged to lay next to each other. Christian dozed off, as Westley snuggled in. Westley heard Christian start to snore softly, and started to wonder why he'd allowed things to go so far. He'd hoped to break things off over a civilized adult discussion on why things wouldn't work out between them. Well, really he'd hoped he could let things drift apart slowly so he wouldn't have to be part of a discussion, but obviously Christian wasn't letting him slip away that easy. Christian stirred a bit, snuffled and looked over at Westley. "Well, I think it would be more comfortable to move to the bedroom, what do you think?" Christian woke up, and reached over to cuddle closer to Westley. He felt around on the bed, but the side Westley had been sleeping on was empty. Christian sat up, and saw Westley perched on the edge of the bed staring off into space. He was dressed, his bag packed and by the bedroom door. "Hey, what's up?" Christian asked. Westley mumbled something but Christian couldn't hear it. "What?" "I'm thinking I should go." Westley said, still not looking back at Christian. Christian became a bit perturbed. They'd had an great day yesterday, an awesome night, but now something was bothering Westley, and he wasn't explaining it. He'd had a gut feeling when Westley set this visit up he was going to end things, but after what had all happened he didn't know what was coming now. "Would you please tell me what's going on?" Christian asked, his voice a bit hard. Westley was quiet. Christian couldn't hold it back anymore. "You know, the fucking brooding white guy act was cute at first now it's just fucking annoying. Would you just fucking tell me what the hell is going through that messed up brain of yours?" "How dare you!" Westley whispered with force. "If you would fucking talk once in a while then maybe I wouldn't have to. God forbid you talk about your feelings. Fucking grow a pair and tell me what's going on!" "You have no right to tell me what I should and shouldn't do." "We're in a relationship, I deserve some kind of information." "No, we're not in a fucking relationship. Neither of us can be out, and I can't deal with this. I was hoping to let this damn thing run it's course, but you wouldn't leave things alone." "Leave things alone?! Are you fucking kidding me?! I'm supposed to know that when you stop talking to me we're done?! Without a so much as a notification? A fucking text break up would be better than the passive crap you're throwing." "Passive is all I can do. Don't you get it?! I have no idea how to handle this sort of thing, and I can't explain how things are in my messed up head to myself, how the fuck can I explain it to anyone else?" Westley stood up. "I don't get it! How can anybody?" "All I can do to get through most days is to shove all these emotions into a box and ignore them. If I don't think about them, or talk about them, they don't exist. You have no idea what its like. So, you know, sorry that you find my coping mechanisms to be so fucking annoying. Whatever." He walked out the door. Christian slumped back on the pillows. This wasn't the way he wanted things to end, but he wasn't sure how to make it right either. "Hey, this is Westley, leave a message." Christian sighed. "Wes. Little man, please call me. Let's talk, okay? I can't leave it like this. Please." He set his phone down and rolled back into bed. It had only been a few hours since their argument but Christian realized they both had over reacted. And Westley only seemed to get really angry when Christian had called him 'messed up'. Replaying the conversation in his head, he also remembered Westley repeating it back to him in an almost sarcastic voice. He wasn't sure what it meant, but it was obvious it rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe they weren't ready for a real relationship, but maybe they could still be friends or something. "Wes. Little man, please call me. Let's talk, okay? I can't leave it like this. Please." Westley replayed the message one more time. He lost count how many times he'd listened to Christian's sultry voice pleading with him. He stared at the wall inside his hotel room. Too many times he'd done this, just staring at the wall, trying to ignore the voice inside telling him he was too dumb, too useless, nobody would ever want him they way he needed them to. The easy way out would be to ignore the phone call, not call Christian back, and to just let whatever this was fizzle out and die on it's own. Or he could 'grow a pair' and tell Christian everything, and explain why he wasn't good enough for Christian. Then he would break things off. He sighed, trying to ward off the tears that threatened to fall. He was 'messed up' and he didn't think things would get any better. Even after all the talking with counselors after the Ryan incident didn't help him get control of his depression. Nobody was willing to put him on any medication 'yet'. He wasn't sure what that meant completely, if it was due to the fact that they thought his depression was based on his friend cutting him, or if they thought he wasn't bad enough to need the chemical balancing. He had no idea why he felt the way he did, but he'd felt this way since middle school, way before Ryan cut him. He'd just been too much of a coward to do anything about it until he'd been hurt. It was just easier to not form relationships, and if he'd inadvertently become friends with someone, he let it run it's course, and never put too much effort into it. He know a lot of people got frustrated with him about it, and Ryan was the only one who'd stuck around. After that, he could hardly trust anyone. He was surprised that Micheal had put up with him so far. Now he'd just turned into a bitter, lonely, depressed idiot. And he didn't know how to fix it.