Daniel & Cody - Unspoken Gestures
by (and ©) Matthew Oswald
I'm a gay 28 year old male who had one major sexual fantasy growing up. This story is something how this fantasy would go, modernized to some extent. The narrator, Daniel, is based on who I was growing up. Cody, the "other boy" is loosely based on my best friend at the time. Names, of course, have been changed.
My name is Daniel Redman. I'm 13 years old, have blue eyes and I'm a Gemini. Okay, I suppose that's not really important, but my stepdad Joey always tells me to be thorough. To be thorough in everything I say and do. It's the only way to prevent being misunderstood.
Anyway, so yeah, thorough. I'm pretty small for my age. 5'4, and I weigh 120 pounds. My hair isn't short, but it's not down to my shoulders or anything. It's a very plain haircut for a very plain guy, I guess. When I look at myself in the mirror, I don't really like what I see. I have too many freckles, my nose is a bit too big, and my ears... well... they're just too big too.
I guess that paints a good picture of me. I'm not going to be staring on the cover of teen magazine, nor will I be taking home any girlfriends for mom and Joey to meet. I'm sure that has something to do with me not looking like Justin Bieber, but has a lot more to do with the fact I'm gay.
I found out what I was just one week ago - well, at least I think I did. I was having a sleep over with two friends - Cody and Kyle. Both were my age, give or take a few months. I was playing Soul Caliber 4 with Kyle after we had gotten home from the beach. The three of us have a lot in common: we are all junior divers. I was certified last year. That's how we spend a lot of our free time. Needless to say, none of us minded being wet. Cody is a bit different from me and Kyle though. He's not a huge fan of beaches and salt water. Don't get me wrong, he loves swimming in it and is easily the best swimmer out of all of us, but he feels he needs to take about three showers before it's all out. While we had all rinsed off upon getting home, Cody wasn't satisfied.
Kyle and I were fighting in the game, and Cody was taking another shower. I tend to whoop Kyle in these games - he's not all that good. Anyway, about halfway through our 10th match (I had won all of them), Cody entered the room with his towel around his waist. I had seen him shirtless before; we swam all the time last summer, several months ago. I guess I'd changed a little bit since then... as had he. His chest was firm and lean. His nipples were the size of dimes, very small and cute.
His brown hair, about as long as mine, was still wet and matted to his forehead. He had the kind of eyelashes that would make girls jealous.
Cody saw me looking at him then. At first, he looked at me and just seemed really puzzled. He must have thought there was something wrong, because he blushed and looked down at himself. Then, when he looked into my eyes, he relaxed just a bit. I could see him begin to smile. I had always loved Cody's smile. It was only the kind of expression someone who was truly happy could put on their face. He opened his mouth to say something. As he did, he adjusted his towel. Instead of sliding just a bit to the left, as he had obviously intended... it fell down right to his ankles. He must have thought it was wrapped better than it was.
The first thing I'd noticed is that he had grown pubes. I had seen him naked a few times, but not since we were very young. My eyes fixed to his pubes and followed them down his surprisingly lengthy shaft (he had just come out of a hot shower, I think that helped) and his balls, which sagged a bit below the head of his penis.
I had never felt this way before. It was as though a wave of hot water rushed over my face. The corners of my vision blurred and something roared in my ears. I realized it must have been the blood rushing out of my brain. It was something like my first kiss, but 10x stronger.
In a terrified scramble, Cody pulled his towel back up. Then, he was covered again. His face was beat red, but when he saw the look in my eyes, the color slowly returned to his cheeks.
"Finally!" Kyle yelled, the moment shattered.
I blinked, and looked back to the game. It showed an instant replay of his character giving mine a sound whooping while it just stood there, doing nothing.
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The whole exchange must have lasted 4, maybe 5 seconds tops. When I looked back to Cody, he was already slipping pajama bottoms up under his towel. But, he was looking at me, as though trying to get a read on me. I just shrugged, and smiled. At first, he seemed concerned... but gradually that concern melted away. He returned my smile. I couldn't shake this feeling that he knew what I was thinking... and how I had felt when I had seen him.
We never spoke of it though. Afterwards, we played video games and finally went to bed. Kyle was with us, so we didn't have a chance to talk about it... if there was even anything to say.
Anyway, that was a week ago. By the time I had gotten home, I was tempted to call him... but I wondered if it really was worth talking about. Had it been anything? Cody didn't call me. I figured it was just better to drop it.
The reason it's worth mentioning is because, just last night, Cody gave me a call. He was wondering if I'd like to go scuba diving with him. Now, don't get me wrong - this isn't exactly legal. The rules say we're supposed to be accompanied by an adult, at least until 15. But me and Cody are amazing swimmers, and ... I gotta admit, I really wanted to see him and didn't want him to think I was chicken or nothing.
"Sure, I'd love to go," I told Cody over the phone. "Maybe Joey can take us out on the boat?"
There was a bit of silence from Cody, before he replied in a voice that didn't sound very confident. "Nah man, let's just take the dinghy out and go by ourselves."
I felt the blood rushing to my face. Alone with Cody for an entire day. Why hadn't I thought of that? Oh yeah, because I'm retarded.
"All right," I agreed. "We'd have to swing by Joey's boat to pick up my gear though."
"Yeah, no prob. We'll borrow Joey's dinghy. Can you ride your bike to the marina by like 7 tomorrow?"
"7?" I asked. "Isn't that a bit early?"
Cody hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Ya, I'm going over my grandma's for her birthday at like noon. It's the only time we can do it."
"Oh, okay then," I told him. While I hated the idea of getting up that early, I would hate the idea of not going diving with Cody even more.
There was silence on the other end. Awkward silence. I tried to think of something to say that wouldn't sound too corny, but then Cody spoke.
"You wouldn't happen to know if Joey keeps another set on the boat?"
"Yeah. He always packs a spare tank and set." I responded. "Why?"
More silence, then I heard Cody's soft laugh. "Well... I can't exactly have mom drive me down with my SCUBA gear without asking questions, right? She finds out what we're up to, we're both in deep shit."
See. Told you I was retarded.
"We can probably sneak two sets off the boat," I agreed.
"Okay, so like, tell your folks you're going to the beach all day... and I'll do the same."
"All right."
More silence. More awkwardness.
"So, like... bye?"
"Right. See ya."
I hung up the phone, and leaned against the wall. I ran my hand through my hair. God, what was happening to me? All I had done was seen him naked for a flash of maybe 1-2 seconds. Now, a week later, the thought of it still made me lose my breath.
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I spent almost two hours tossing and turning in bed, reliving that 5 second window. The way he had looked at me. At first confused... then that smile while he still had on the towel. What had that smile said? "Take a picture it'll last longer?" maybe. Or, maybe. "Do you like what you see?"
I felt the blood rushing down from my head again. At once, I felt a tightening in my groin. I reached down and gave myself a tug through my boxers, feeling better at once.
Then, he had adjusted his towel. Why would he do that? Had he just had an itch? No, it had been deliberate. His eyes had never broken from mine. I think he wanted to give me a peek at him. Maybe just see his bulge or something.
My cock had tented out from my boxer shorts. I slid my boxers down to my ankles and allowed my penis to stand at full mast. I'm not that big. Five and a half inches from base to tip - I'd measured at least 15 times. My public hair had started growing in this winter, and I'd discovered jacking off when I was 10 thanks to a YouTube site that linked me somewhere I probably shouldn't have been.
I'd been able to shoot for nearly a year.
Anyway, Cody hadn't meant for the whole towel to fall off - that was obvious from his embarrassment. I had gotten a good look at him. I wondered how long he was when he had a boner.
I moaned softly to myself as I hastened my tugs from gentle fondling to solid pumping.
He had scrambled to put his towel back on, but then... even more curious... he looked at me after. It wasn't a look of apology, and his embarrassment had melted away so fast when he saw my expression. What was it he had seen? It had made his blush fade away, and his smile had returned quickly. This one was different though. It was a smile of... relief, maybe?
"You liked seeing me..." it said.
My breath became labored as I balled my feet together. I grasped my cock harshly and my body began to shutter. I didn't stop pumping for the life of me. A rope of pearly white cum shot from my near-purple head, striking me solid in the forehead and trickling down my face. The second rope hit me between my chin and my nipples. My third and forth shot on my stomach. The rest streamed down my cock and into my pubes.
I had never come so hard before. My body shook with fatigue. Sweat covered every part of me.
"Holy shit..." I whispered, running my hand through my sweaty red hair. I looked down upon my cum-stained body and the woefully inadequate sock in my right hand. I wiped what had landed on my face away, the stickiness on my fingers was ridiculously plentiful.
"I'm gonna need a bigger tube sock."
----------------
Fortunately, after that session, sleep came to me very fast. I woke up, and all but wolfed down my breakfast. When Joey and mom asked me where I was off to so early in the morning, I told them I was going to the beach, just like Cody told me to say.
Before they could even say good-bye, I was on my bike, all but racing down to the marina.
I must have gotten there 15 minutes early, but Cody was already by Joey's boat, waiting for me. I took a moment to take him in. He was wearing a sleeveless white shirt - a good choice, considering it was 80 degrees - and an orange bathing suit. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, and his mousy brown hair whipped in the coastal wind. He wore no shoes of any kind, one of his bare feet mounted on the ledge of Joey's boat, where he sat... the other firmly planted on the dock.
He looked insanely beautiful.
When he saw me, he took off his sunglasses, showing me his emerald green eyes. He smiled, the same smile I saw first during our little moment last week.
"Hey man," he said, making a fist.
"Sup," I managed. I met his fist with mine.
"So yeah, let's get the gear out of the boat," Cody said.
I nodded, mutely. He responded with a smile back.
We both stepped on Joey's boat. Joey's cabin was secured with a combination lock... which I happened to know was his birthday and Dan Marino's number. I plugged in a 10, a 23 and a 13 and the lock clicked open.
We found two sets of gear behind his life jackets and proceeded to load them into the dinghy at the end of the dock. After a quick fight over who got to drive us out (settled by determining Cody would drive us out, and I'd drive us back), we were heading out to sea.
Our destination, Cody informed me, was the Brugal Wreck. I thought over that one for a minute. It was one of the lesser challenging, lesser interesting dives. I was about to object, suggesting maybe we can hit the reef just a mile out, when I realized that lesser challenging, lesser interesting dive would almost guarantee our privacy. Not a high demand to see some sunk, crusty fishing boat on a sandbar, 25 feet deep... especially at 8 in the morning.
The motor was convenient in a way: it drowned out our ability to have a conversation. I'm glad for that, as I wouldn't even know where to begin. I had a feeling Cody was laying the groundwork for something... why all this secrecy? A dread sank into me... what if I had simply been misinterpreting the signs? What if Cody was as straight as a razor, and he wanted nothing more than to just hang out with a friend today?
I wanted to ask him flat-out, but what if it was just that... a big misunderstanding. I didn't want anyone to know I'm gay. I'd seen what happens to people who came out. Daily beatings were the least of their problems.
By the time we arrived to the sight, I was shaking.
"Are you all right?" Cody asked, his voice calm and soothing. He tossed the anchor overboard.
"Y-yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I said, forcing a stammer from my voice.
Cody cocked his head. Again, he gave me that smile. "Don't tell me you've got the jitters."
That made me laugh. The idea of me being nervous to swim or dive was ludicrous. I had been using scuba gear since I was six. "Oh no, it's not that... it's..." I froze up. My mouth was wide open, and I looked to Cody, as though for help.
His smile was so cocky, it almost made me a little angry.
"It's what?" Cody asked, as he began to check over the equipment.
To say it, or not to say it.
"Well, it's just..."
"Oh shit," Cody cursed, pressing his lips together. "SHIT."
"Wuh-what?" Now, I couldn't keep from stammering.
Cody thrust one of the tanks to me. The gauge read it was empty.
My chest suddenly sank.
"Oh no..." I said. "Goddam... we should have checked them at the dock."
Cody sighed. Suddenly, everything in the world became terrible at the same time. How could I have been so dumb? I was so caught up with the idea of enjoying today with Cody that I didn't even think to check the damn gauges. We could have easily had the tanks filled at the marina. Now, we were a long way away.
We'd never be able to get back to the marina, fill the tanks, return to the spot and have any time to dive before returning for Cody's grandma's party.
In short, we were screwed.
"How much air is in that one?" Cody asked, pointing to the one that was filled.
I knew this was Joey's professional set. It was loaded with all the best stuff, including a top of the line rebreather. Using the air in the full tank, and the rebreather, he could stay under for 3 hours, maybe even more.
"Enough for 3 hours," I said.
Cody nodded, and slowly took off his shirt, revealing his smooth, tanned chest. "Okay. We can share then."
I blinked. "Share?"
Cody smiled again. "Yeah. Just hand me the regulator every minute or so."
My breath became cold in my lungs as my face paled just a bit. I could feel the tightening of my bathing suit at the end. For some reason, this idea seemed... so good.
I was afraid to speak, lest I stutter, so I just nodded a few times and began to suit up. I began to put on my flippers and my diving mask, and secure the gear to my chest. Cody simply placed on two pair of flippers and signaled he was ready.
"Aren't you going to wear your mask?" I asked.
"Nah," he said. "I can open my eyes underwater. Plus, we gotta hand off the regulator, the mask might get in the way."
That was strange, but I didn't fight him on it. In a way, I suppose it made sense. This was certainly not the advised way to scuba, and was quite dangerous. Anything that could get in the way could be a hazard.
Besides, there wasn't much to see under there except a crusty boat and, if we were lucky, maybe a few fish.
"All right," I said, adjusting my mask. "Are you ready?"
"Yup," Cody said, as he sat onto the side of the dinghy.
I rolled out of the dinghy while Cody hopped in. The rush of warm water felt extremely good. The sun had begun to cook my tanned skin, and I was happy to be out of it, at least for awhile.
I had sunk about 10 feet when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I glanced over and saw Cody, a few bubbles trickling out of his nose. His eyes were wide open, obviously the salt water didn't bother him in the slightest. He pointed down and we began to swim.
I couldn't help but watch him as we descended. Cody was truly a phenomenal swimmer. He didn't so much as pull himself through the water, but glided. His chest and his legs seemed to work as counter balances, his arms occasionally parting the water in front of him.
He glanced over at me, as though noticing I was looking at him. He smiled and waved, a rogue bubble slipping between his teeth.
I nearly forgot to wave back, my face was so flushed. Hopefully he couldn't see me blushing through his naked, blurry vision, the regulator and mask.
We descended to the wreckage. It was a luxury boat, approximately 40 feet from bow to stern. It had sunk about five years ago, and a fair share of sea-life called it home, though given the shallow depth and the sandbar, it was not too overgrown.
Cody flipped onto his back and used his fins to propel him toward the vessel. A few bubbles escaped his nose. No doubt water must have flooded up there, but if it bothered him, he didn't show it. God, he was like a fish.
I followed after him. He swam down to the side of the boat, where a window had been knocked out in the shipwreck. He looked back at me, a mischievous grin on his face, as he beckoned me inside.
He then slipped in through the window, vanishing.
I knew we weren't supposed to go in, but damn... now I knew the power of those sirens I'd read about that had lured sailors into shipwrecks with their beautiful voices in English class.
This was a siren's call I couldn't refuse.
I swam in through the window. It was dim inside, but bright enough to see. At one time, it must have been a bedroom, though the sheets had long since deteriorated. A mattress was slightly eschewed from a barnacled colored frame, and a few other accessories remained, including a small wooden table and two wooden chairs.
Cody was sitting on one of the chairs. His legs under the table seemed to hold him down. He had folded his hands calmly on the table, his mouth puckered into a sly grin. He calmly reached under the table and removed his flippers. He then sat back, wrapping his hands around the chair, to keep from floating up, and put his feet on the table. He then tipped his head back and blew a bubble ring - a perfect one that expanded slowly as it rose to the ceiling.
It had been more than a minute since he had taken a breath, and I could tell he was starting to get uncomfortable. He swallowed a bit, but otherwise didn't seem to care.
Somewhere along the line my cock had gone from tingling to solid, pressing against my bathing suit.
I handed him my regulator, but he just smiled and shook his head. Instead, he took my hand in his. He blinked his eyes adorably. He squeezed gently. In that unspoken gesture and the way he looked at me, I suddenly knew I wasn't alone. He was asking me the very question I was too afraid to ask him.
My fears were for nothing.
He knew I was too chicken to do something like this myself. He wanted to make it as easy as possible for me. Cody had wanted to be alone with me, and he wanted to make himself vulnerable to me. How much more vulnerable could he be than trapped almost 30 feet underwater without breathing gear, and having gone almost a minute in a half without a breath?
It began to all make sense. It was so unlike Joey to not refill his tanks after every usage. Cody had managed to release the air from his on the way over. The motor of the dinghy had prevented conversation. It obviously covered any hissing I might have heard.
Cody had done all the work, taken all the risks... and had made it so easy for me. He was so much braver than me. All I had to do was say yes.
I squeezed back, and forced all my doubts to the side. I ran my other hand across his face. He took my hand in his and began to kiss it, his eyes never once leaving my mask. As much as the extended breath hold had to be hurting him now, he seemed so comfortable.
Cody had never once bragged about his ability to hold his breath before. How much longer could he?
Gently, Cody released my hands and took his bathing suit in his thumbs. He gently slid it down his legs. He was now completely naked underwater with me. Not even flippers and a bathing suit. His cock was so hard, it was touching his belly button. I remembered wondering how long it was erected. Now I knew, it was longer than mine. Maybe six, possibly seven inches. It was... huge.
He smirked, though his throat constricted, and he took his boner in his hand and began gently stroking himself.
I could only watch with morbid fascination as a few bubbles escaped his lips. He pushed the water above him, easing himself down into the bed. He wrapped his feet under the bed's crusty headboard, to keep himself down. I saw his chest contract, as the pangs from holding his breath got worse.
I swam down next to him, offering him my regulator. Again, he smiled, though it was strained, and shook his head. He instead took my hand again, only this time, he guided it down to his penis.
I nearly choked. He felt as hard as a rock in my hand. At first, I felt confused as my face began to explode from the heat. Then, I strengthened my grip and began to run my hand up and down his shaft.
He pushed his wavy, brown hair out of his eyes. His chest contracted again. He closed his eyes, but only for a moment. He opened them again and gently moaned, the sound muted by the water. Bubbles trickled from his mouth.
I was torn, so truly torn. I know he didn't want air. He continued smiling, the look on his face seemed completely blissful. Yet, I could see his chest - now bouncing up and down as his diaphragm contracted and released, trying to force him to breath.
Again, I pushed the regulator for him. Instead, he gently pushed it aside and winked. He reached over and fondled the bulge in front of my bathing suit. In a flash of heat, I got the message.
"Stop worrying about the little things and enjoy the moment."
While I worked his penis, he pulled down my bathing suit, exposing me. My cock jumped out at him. He looked up to my masked, gave me a 'thumbs up' and began to explore it with his own hand. He reminded me of a child who had found a diving stick, yet didn't wanna surface with it.
Before I knew it, I maneuvered myself so I was floating just above him, and sank. Cody watched me above him and grabbed my penis with both of his hands. He pulled me down on him, and wrapped his legs around mine.
Gently, he wrapped his hands around the back of my neck. He pulled my head toward his. He turned his head, and took the regulator from my mouth. He pulled me down on top of him, and our lips met. I exhaled, more out of shock than anything else, at first... then I exhaled all of it, pushing the pure oxygen in my lungs into his.
He took my air as his stale, all-but-spent first breath blew from his nose. He broke our kiss and gave me an 'ok' sign. He then slid beneath me, grinning, until his mouth was level with my crotch. He slid my bathing suit down my legs until it was free of my ankles
He wrapped his lips around my head and used his hands to guide me into his mouth.
Almost at once, I began to feel the tension mount as he gave me my first blowjob. In any other circumstance, it would have been amazing... but underwater with him, naked and totally at my mercy, it was impossible. He had so willingly put his life in my hands, just to show me I wasn't alone.
I fell in love with Cody right then and there.
I gently caressed his wavy hair as he went up and down on my shaft. The feeling continued to mount, the pressure building, until I could no longer take it. A torrent of bubbles flew from my mouth as my regulator slipped out.
The world went dark for a moment as an orgasm hit me that made the one last night look like a quick two-minute spank over year-old porn.
Sensing my climax, Cody deepthroated me. I don't know how much I spent, but it was a full 30 seconds before Cody slid up from my groin level. A wad of my jizz trickled from his lips. He gently brushed it off with a finger. He smiled brightly, and made a show of licking it off.
He then released me, and gently eased me to the side. He ran his hand under my chin, and put his lips to mine once more. I gave him what air I had, and again, that seemed to do.
He kicked upward, his cute little butt flexing with the effort, until he was resting against the ceiling. The air in his lungs pinned him there.
Licking his finger, he watched me the whole time as he ran his finger down to his nipple and grabbed himself in his other hand.
He ran his hand down his six-inch shaft, pumping down toward me furiously. His knees bent and the flat of his bare feet went to the ceiling. He blinked his eyes a few times, and a thin stream of bubbles leaked from his nose.
I watched him as he jerked off above me, my mind still hazy after my post-orgasm.
This went on for one minute... then two. In my own mind, I was counting the seconds. Somewhere after the second minute, his chest began to contract. I knew pure oxygen was far more sustaining than the breaths we take above land, but he hadn't had a real, 100% pure breath of air in what felt like an eternity.
He watched me, as he continued pumping fast. Three minutes had passed now, and I could see even his smile beginning to falter a bit as his chest pumping became almost as fast as his fist. I swam up to him, regulator in hand. He slapped it away with his free hand, and forced himself to smile and blink adorably.
Then, his eyes went wide in his skull and a stream of bubbles shot from his mouth. I heard his bubbly scream of delight as a white strand shot from his penis, draping itself on my suit beneath him. Strand after strand began pumping down on me. His lips were going blue by the time his orgasm slowed, a wide spud sticking to the end of his ample mushroom head.
I reached out my hand, gently brushing the wad of spunk off Cody's cock. I rubbed it with my fingers.
All poise lost, Cody scrambled down for my regulator, and I opened the valve, letting him suck as much air as he wished from it. It was nearly 30 seconds before he handed it back to me, a look of pure delight on his face.
He reached out and took my face in his. I expected yet another kiss, but instead, he just let me look into his eyes. He was no longer smiling. He spoke with his hands, as he gently touched my cheek. I knew it was my turn. It was time for an unspoken gesture of my own.
I removed my mask from my head. The world broke apart from crystal clear to fuzzy blurs as I blinked my eyes. The salt water stung at first, but only at first.
I then slipped my mask over Cody's head. We were both trained in how to clear a mask of water while under, and Cody wasted no time blowing silver bubbles from his nose, pushing the water out. Once the bubbles stopped, I knew he could see me as clearly as I had been able to see him.
I let him look into my own eyes. I wasn't afraid. I knew this would be a hard road for both of us. Forget explaining it to my parents, or his... if word ever got out.
Yet, I still wasn't afraid.
I removed my harness with a button, allowing my air tank and gear to fall to the ground below. I was now as naked as he had been, well, except for the flippers... but those would have been hard to remove while holding Cody.
I nodded my head and smiled.
That unspoken gesture was enough. Cody's head bobbed for mine, and his mouth found mine. Sharing what little air we had left. We kissed, for as long as both could stand not breathing. In the end, Cody broke off with me as the air in my lungs had become very thin.
I couldn't see his face clearly, not without a mask. He pushed my nose with his finger, and swam down to our air tank. We both took turns airing up, until Cody at last, helped me put the harness back on. We slipped back on our bathing suits and swam out the porthole.
We surfaced next to the dinghy.
I blinked the salt water from my eyes, and looked at Cody as he removed the diving mask.
I wanted to tell him I loved him. I wanted to thank him for sharing this with me. I wanted to say so much, but as I already said, I'm a coward. All I could do was tread water next to him.
Cody, seeming to understand, just laughed at me.
I laughed as well.
Once the laughing was over, he spoke in a calm, sexy-smooth voice. "Well, that was fun. We'll have to do this again sometime."
"Yeah," I agreed.
For a long time, neither of us spoke. Then, in a sudden shock of cold horror, I began to think... what if I suddenly opened my eyes and saw I was in bed, the last few minutes simply a delusion in my own mind.
Sensing my sudden fear, Cody swam up to me, blinking his long lashes. "You don't have to be afraid of what you are."
"I... I know. It's just..."
"Just what?" Cody asked me. He took the dinghy rope in one hand, and my hand in the other.
"I can't help it," I replied before thinking. To my shock, tears were running down my cheeks. "I'm just afraid I'll wake up... and realize this was all a dream."
Cody pulled me close, and held me. That was the last straw. I broke into gasping sobs and I began to cry for the first time since I was five. The floodgates unleashed a torrent of cries and words.
"I'm afraid that you are really only just my friend, and that I still have this huge secret, and that you don't really like me this way... and and... that I'm still alone! God damn it. I don't want to be alone anymore! I don't want to live in fear... in fear of everyone in my life rejecting me." By now, I was hysterical, sobbing and nearly screaming. "I need this to be real, damn it!"
For a long moment, Cody just held me. He squeezed my hand. Other than my sniffles and breaths, and the gentle bubbling of the calm ocean lapping against the dingy, there were no sounds.
At last, he spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Look at me," Cody whispered.
I did. I looked into his wide, emerald green eyes. I wiped the tears out of my own.
"You aren't alone."
Cody released the dinghy and held me with both hands. He rubbed the back of my head softly, as though I were a child half his age.
"You can feel me, can't you?" he whispered into my ear.
"Yeah, but..."
"Dude... Just stop. Don't talk... just feel me, all right?"
I found myself obeying him. I felt his gentle touch on my head. The feel of his chest against mine, breathing in rhythm with mine. I gently ran my hand through his hair. It was real. I put my nose to his mat and smelled him. I could still smell the familiar shampoo he used, though the salt water had neutralized most of it.
I slipped my hand to his heart. I could feel it beating... quickening even at my touch.
"It really is... real," I whispered.
"Duh," Cody said, his mischievous grin returning.
My last sob was cut off into a laugh. "So... what, what happens now?" I asked. "What do we do?"
"We do what we've always done," Cody explained. "We'll go home, and we do the old things we always loved doing... video games, diving, swimming..." He ran his hand down my cheek. "We just do them, and know we're not alone and will never be again. No matter what comes... we'll always have each other."
Jesus. Cody knew exactly what to tell me to make me feel better.
I hugged him again, tightly.
"Just tell me we'll occasionally try some new things?" I asked, somewhat hopefully. I gently lifted my knee and brushed the bulge between his legs with it.
Cody laughed at that.
"I thought that went without saying. "
Authors deserve your feedback. It's the only payment they get. If you go to the top of the page you will find the author's name. Click that and you can email the author easily.* Please take a few moments, if you liked the story, to say so.
[For those who use webmail, or whose regular email client opens when they want to use webmail instead: Please right click the author's name. A menu will open in which you can copy the email address (it goes directly to your clipboard without having the courtesy of mentioning that to you) to paste into your webmail system (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo etc). Each browser is subtly different, each Webmail system is different, or we'd give fuller instructions here. We trust you to know how to use your own system. Note: If the email address pastes or arrives with %40 in the middle, replace that weird set of characters with an @ sign.]
* Some browsers may require a right click instead
