Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 43
Them

Saturday 8 November 2003

"I guess it's time to go..." I whisper anxiously as we reach the control gate.

I'm glad Ivan insisted to walk me to the furthest he was allowed to. This is my first time in an airport and other than the fact that I'm not familiar at all with how things work, the Los Angeles International Airport is a huge one, so big that I might have gotten lost. I have already checked in my luggage and gotten my boarding pass, now I just have to go through security check and find the right gate for my flight.

"Yeah, time to part ways, Menino," Ivan sighs, stopping us a few feet away from the control area.

My heart constricts in my chest at the somber expression on his face, even if it lasts for just a few seconds before he regains his usual self-confidence and that's when his phone goes off. His brows furrow deeply when he sees the caller ID on the screen, and he exhales a long sigh as he picks up.

"Hi, Pietro. You calling me so early doesn't bode any good. Has he fucked up again?"

Pietro is Ivan's third high school friend, the one who's not as close as Anton and Marcus but still one he regularly sees. He and his wife came home for dinner just about a week ago, and I remember that Pietro was complaining again about his magnet for trouble of a brother. I don't know why Pietro still has to take care of the young adult and I have no clue how Ivan helps him, but what I gathered is that my mentor's authority seems to usually work better than Pietro's.

".........."

"No, you're not waking me up, no worries. Go ahead, tell me what happened."

".........."

"Okay, listen, I'll call you back in... an hour and you'll give me details, but don't worry, I've got it. And if it helps, tell Connor that I'll personally deal with his case, alright? I'll talk to you later," he concludes dryly before he hangs up.

"A problem?" I cautiously ask.

"Nothing serious, don't worry. Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, don't you worry," I reply with a small grimace. "I've got a coat, some cash, my phone and... oops... I think I forgot my charger in my bedroom!!" I exclaim dramatically, earning a glare from Ivan. "Just kidding!! I'll be able to call and text you a thousand times a day as you asked."

"You little dumbass," he grunts, ruffling my hair. "You'd better keep me updated. And behave! No funny ideas and don't get yourself in trouble."

"I'll be a good boy," I smirk. "You know my friends are serious guys and we've mostly planned to stay at the hotel and just catch up."

"Yeah, right. Don't forget to use the rubber sheath if..."

"Ugh, Ivan... We won't need condoms. No one's going to fuck anyone."

"I was talking about if you guys decide to go out and meet other people. Anyway, you'd better go now, you don't want to miss your flight, do you?"

"Definitely not."

"C'mere, gimme a hug," he then whispers, pulling me close to his chest. "I'm going to miss you, Menino," he then adds with a strangled voice that nearly breaks my heart. "Don't forget to come back."

"I'll miss you too and don't worry, I will come back," I reply, fighting hard against the lump forming in my throat to recover a cheerful expression. "You're getting old and you'll need me to take care of your ol' bones!"

"Jerk! I'm not old!" he exclaims, playfully punching my stomach. "You should see what this old body can do."

I laugh as his joyfulness comes back and after a last tight hug, I'm on my way to the control gate. I'm asked to leave all my belongings on a conveyor belt so they can get through the X-ray machine and I myself walk through a metal detector. Once I have gathered my stuff back, the security guard shows me the way to the passenger lounge and with a last look and waving gesture to Ivan, I head away. The lounge is quite packed, but I'm lucky enough to find a free seat, which turns out well as it seems my flight is a bit delayed.

When they finally call UA 1423, over half an hour later, I'm quite excited as I process among the flow of other passengers, not only because this is the first time I'm taking the plane, but also because each minute will now bring me closer to reuniting with my best friends. Once settled in my coach seat, I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of space for my long legs; I almost regret having declined Ivan's offer to buy business class tickets, he warned me that it would be more comfortable, but the gift was already a lot and I didn't yield.

On the upside, I was able to get a window seat, so I'm going to enjoy the view. The next five hours and forty minutes are kind of a pain, though. The takeoff is fun, but once above the clouds, there's not much to see apart from those white cotton balls, and I quickly get bored. Having slept for barely five hours last night, I decide to rest and only seconds after I have shut my eyes, I fall into a deep slumber that the stewardess interrupts when we are about to land.

This is it!!

I'm about to meet the guys again!!

I was supposed to land first, but since my flight was a bit delayed, I guess that Josh and Mark must have arrived by now. Excitation is filling me, and I wish the other passengers wouldn't take their sweet time retrieving their bags from the overhead lockers. Once out of the plane, I rush along the corridors – sending a text to Ivan to let him know I arrived safely – and I'm first at the luggage carousel. Quite pointless, since by the time the first suitcases and bags show up, everyone has joined. Well, I don't care, I'm just too eager to go and meet my friends. As soon as I spot my duffle bag, I grab it and hurry toward the terminal.

And here they are, I can see them...

My heart actually lurches in my chest when I catch sight of the three tall guys, all dark-haired and – yes, I must admit – handsome as fuck. No wonder two girls are literally undressing them with lustful eyes.

It's useless, Ladies... These hunks are gay as hell and they'd rather suck dicks than your clits... They'd ram into a hairy ass than into your vaginas...

And these guys are my best friends, the ones I consider even closer than I would a brother, the ones whom I have missed so badly over the last twelve months that tears flood my eyes knowing they're only a yard from me.

Their eyes are scanning the flow of passengers, but Mark is the first to spot me, and I see him excitingly shake Cam and Josh, pointing a finger in my direction. The closer I get, the more I feel crushed under emotions I never thought could be so overwhelming, especially as I get to make out their watery eyes. The moment I reach the group, I am pulled into the tightest embrace I have ever experienced, and for a few seconds, the four of us look like a mess of half-laughing, half-sobbing bundle. I can feel the emotional vibes seeping from their bodies, just as much as they must feel stirring excitement emanating from mine.

The embrace soon turns into a loud and enthusiastic hug, with four men jumping around and cheerfully vociferating their utter joy to meet again. This earns us quite a few glares and grunts, but we couldn't care less. The four musketeers are together and there's nothing that could dampen our elation.

"Oh my God, Ron... It feels so good to see you," Mark whispers with a strangled voice.

"Same, Marky..."

"One fucking year... We've missed you too, Bro," Josh adds.

"Fuck! I've missed you all, guys!" Cam exclaims, pulling the four of us into another group hug. "Wow... look at you, Ron! All tanned!"

"That's just the Los Angeles effect," I chuckle, shrugging my shoulders.

"I hope you brought a jacket or a coat, though," Mark laughs out. "You can forget about the warm weather for a few days."

"Yeah, don't worry," I reply, pulling a brand-new warm coat from my duffle bag that I immediately put on. "Dang! I'm so happy to see you!!"

After more hugs and screams, we eventually decide to make our way out and we let Camden lead us to the subway that will take us to the city center.

In his great generosity, Ivan also booked us into a sumptuous hotel downtown. Cam had first offered for us to stay and crash in his bedroom on the campus of his school, but it would have gotten him into trouble if we weren't discreet enough and got caught, so the hotel was a more judicious option. That's how on this Saturday November 8th, at 7:30 pm, the four of us are walk into the Residence Inn carrying duffle bags. I honestly don't pay much attention to the beautiful entrance hall or the modern decoration and furniture, because at the end of the day, I could have been in the crappiest hotel of Boston, I wouldn't have cared. All that matters is that I'm around the three persons I love the most.

Well, three of the four persons I love the most, because Ivan is definitely one of them now; one who holds a special place in my heart. He's the father figure I always dreamt to have. The big brother I never had. The best friend I can confide in. The anchor I needed to steady my life. The guiding light that leads me toward a bright future. I'd rather not think about where I would be without him, probably six feet under, and I'm certain that our bond will even tighten in the months and years to come.

For now, as the guys and I catch up around some pizzas we got delivered to our two-bedroom suite, I just relish in the proximity I can enjoy while it lasts. It's not like the guys and I never speak or text, so there's not that much new to say, but we still keep blabbering on and on.

Joshua tells us about a new guy he has spotted in Yale since he recently broke up with his previous boyfriend because their tastes apparently diverged too much, but he mostly reports on how he and Allan have now befriended. Even if it sounds like Chinese to me, it seems like they have both developed a passion for the Stock Market and he says that they have similar projects to make big money while playing with shares of stock bonds.

Despite the distance, his relationship with his parents doesn't get any better, as his father keeps holding him accountable for every single thing he does. There was quite a tough fight when Josh said he was going to spend the weekend in Boston. My old man said he'd refuse to pay for my tickets, he chuckled bitterly over the phone two weeks ago, as if I cared! Even if Ivan wasn't paying for it, I'd have enough savings to buy them myself.

Mark has been quite busy between a heavy schedule at school and weekends working at his parents' restaurant whenever he goes back to New Jersey, but he has still been able to date a few guys in New York, though none led up to anything serious. He is enjoying his course a lot and working like a mad man to be given the opportunity to spend the next three years in France thanks to a partnership between his school and another one in Paris. Knowing him, I'm quite sure he will give his best and succeed. Mark is also the only one of my friends who keeps his parents updated on my situation – more or less, obviously – and they were more than happy about this reunion weekend.

"Oh, I've got something for you!" Mark cheers at some point, promptly rushing to his suitcase and pulling out a wrapped rectangular gift that he hands me. "Don't start grumbling, it's not from me, it's from my parents. They gave it to me last weekend when I was in Collingswood and said they'd made it for you. They also said I should give you a hug from them and asked me to say how much they're missing you, but that they're much less worried about your situation now that you're in good hands. They were super proud about your GED results, by the way."

"That's so sweet of them, thanks."

"Go ahead, check it out!"

"Wow..." I breathe out as I open the present and find a picture of the four of us, beautifully framed.

Tears are prickling my eyes as I recognize one of the last pictures Sophia took of us before I ran away, but the kind attention has the salty water brim over my lower eyelids. Some might say it's not much, but the gesture means a lot to me, especially coming from Paul and Sophia Murray. Mark's parents have always been so supportive and careful, and I miss them terribly.

"Thanks... You'll have to tell them thank you from me," I stutter as I disentangle from another group hug.

"Or you could call them... You know they wouldn't rat out on you," Mark suggests almost shyly.

"Even if they did, that wouldn't change a thing now since I'm 18. And like I told you, my parents know I'm in Los Angeles now."

"True. Have they tried to contact you again?"

"They can't, I refused to give contact details."

"I would have done the same," Cam grunts. "Those bastards."

"That's fine. I just don't want to have anything to do with them ever again. Anyway, I'll call your parents when I'm back in L.A., Mark.

"They'll be pleased to hear from you."

To lighten the mood, Cam goes on with telling us about the latest fucks he enjoyed, and damn! This guy is becoming a real beast! His affairs are plainly one-night stands, guys he meets in bars or pubs whenever he has a chance – and enough money – to go out. When he admits that he doesn't always use condoms, we all start lecturing him about how important safe sex is, but he complains about having no money to waste on rubbers – such a lame excuse... – and argues that bareback is much more fun as he absolutely adores leaving a guy with his seed oozing from his ass.

He doesn't linger too much on the subject, though, and then tells us about how much he's enjoying the medical school, spending most of his nights working hard to get the best grades, which is a mandatory condition if he wants to keep benefiting from his grants. The hardest part for him is that he misses Sony a lot. Each time they speak over the phone, hearing the little boy sob and say that he wants his Cammy back tears him apart, which only aggravates his inner rage.

Seeing his body tense further and further as he speaks, Josh, Mark and I simultaneously pull him into another group hug, whispering words of comfort.

"Cam, I can only guess how hard it is, but you've got to think about your future and Sony's," I say.

"Aaron's right," Josh concurs. "It's difficult, but you can still talk to him on a regular basis, and once you're done with your studies, you'll be able to take care of him more properly."

"I know, guys, I know... Speaking is nice, but I wish I could be around him and make sure that my mother behaves. Sony's still too young to really notice weird attitudes, though he knows when she gets drunk, and whenever I speak with her, she barely says anything, so I can't be sure everything's going well."

"Your mother's place is not far from my parents', so you should tell Sony that if anything ever happens, he should run to the restaurant for help, you know they'll welcome him with open arms," Mark suggests.

"That's an idea..." Cam replies with a small smile.

I have always loved that very discreet shy side of Cam, it's always such a contrast to the harsher traits of his personality. Our friend doesn't like people in general. He's just not social, like... he still hasn't made new friends in Boston. It seems like the only people who can reach his heart are Sony and us.

In any case, I deeply relish in this very simple and quiet evening with my best friends, catching up on little details of our lives. No matter how far we are from each other now, I'm certain that nothing will ever bruise our relationship. It's just too good to be around them for now and see how each of us has evolved, both mentally and physically speaking.

It's only been a year, but I can see how much they have physically changed too, at least for two of them. Joshua is pretty much the same; he may have grabbed half an inch, but he was already the tallest of us all, so we only just caught up with him – or almost; and since he works out quite a lot at Yale, he has maintained his nice muscles. Mark, who used to be smallest, has definitely sprung and has now reached us, literally outsizing me by an inch; he found himself a passion for running, so all the time he spends in parks has gotten him rid of the very little fat he had kept from his childhood and adolescence, turning him into a gorgeous young man with the beginning of nice muscles.

The most spectacular is Camden. I know that after I ran away from New Jersey, he started working out a lot as a result of the powerlessness he felt when I was aggressed. Taking the weightlifting class did serve him and it's a shock to see what the skinny teenager I used to know has become. I doubt that Cam will ever be one of those bulky men, but he's very proud of his taut biceps, his six-pack and his thicker thighs.

"Eheh... It's not only my biceps that I built up," Cam smirks. "My cock has also grown in thickness... Want another taste of it, Marky?"

"Not even in your wildest dreams, Cam. I'm not ever taking another cock up my ass," Mark grunts, flipping him the bird, and we all burst out laughing. "Not that I want to ruin the mood," he then trails off, turning to me, "but I think someone had things to tell us..."

Fuck! I had almost forgotten about the promise I made back in July when I settled down with Ivan. Way to ruin the mood, indeed. I had hoped that this moment of revelations would come later but seeing how Josh and Cam are now squinting at me, obviously concurring with Mark, I'm afraid I won't escape the long-awaited questioning.

"Okay..." I concede, because there's no use fighting against their eagerness to know. "There are a few things I'm not proud of that I need to confess, indeed, but you'll have to promise that you're going to keep in mind the situation I'm in today. At the end of the day, what matters is the present, and the future, and although certain events happened, it's part of the past."

"Now you're scaring me, Ron," Mark says warily.

"Nah, just remember that all is well now. Please..."

"Okay, just spill the beans then," Joshua grouses, his innate authoritative aura bursting out on his face.

Just make this quick, Aaron. The faster you pull it out, the sooner you'll be done with it...

"Alright... Long story short," I sigh before I blurt out the rest. "Jayden did exist, but he was never my boyfriend, more like a sex-buddy. He was a homeless, like I was, and for a couple of months, we stuck together in various places, until we met group of people at the LGBT center in LA and they welcomed us in their squat. There was never an apartment. Just the ruin of an old warehouse we used as a shelter. Jayden was also a junkie and I followed him in his vice..."

"What!?" Mark exclaims with wide-opened eyes.

"Let me finish, please... So, I was saying that I kind of followed Jayden on the drugs road, though never as far as he did... I just tried ecstasy once, but I was mostly smoking pot. A lot of pot... And then... then I... I...," I stammer, feeling the beginning of a blush cover my face. "I also had a phase of prostitution... renting my mouth for cash..."

Shame.

Pain.

These are the main emotions overwhelming me as I relate some of the darkest parts of my life and see my best friends' faces decompose. Remembering these shadowy months that I spent as a homeless is hard enough, but watching the pain on their faces is excruciating.

"You what..." Josh breathes out. "You prostituted yourself!? Holy fuck, Ron!!! Why didn't you ask for help!!?"

"How dare you, Ron!?" Cam concurs, angrily rising to his feet and pointing a threatening finger at me. "How could you let yourself so low!?"

"It wasn't easy, Cam!" I reply harshly, standing up too.

"Homeless, drugs, prostitution... How could you hide this from us!?" he insists, and before I know it, a fist lands on my jaw, pushing me back to the ground, and yet, all I can register in this moment is the extreme pain and sadness in his expression.

"CAM!!!" Josh yells as he jumps to his feet and tries to contain our friend, but the latter quickly escapes from his hold.

"Leave me alone! That's... That's... I can't believe you did that. FUCK! I'm outta here! I need some fresh air or else I might beat the crap out of you," he spits before he grabs his coat and rushes out, slamming the door.

Mark is already by my side and once he has sat me up, he takes a look at my face and bleeding lip.

"Fuck! It stings," I grumble.

"Nothing too bad, Ron. No broken tooth and the corner of your lips is just bleeding a bit. You should just do a mouthwash with cold water."

"Can't believe that fucker punched me! I'm going to kick his ass."

"No, you won't," Josh argues as he moves to kneel beside me. "You know Cam. He always reacts violently to such things, and he feels betrayed."

"That's no reason!"

"Josh didn't say it was any reason, Ron. We all know Cam. We know how he easily loses his self-control when he's upset. I'm sorry we weren't fast enough to hold him back. We should have anticipated his reaction," Mark sighs.

"It's okay, it's not that bad, I'll just go rinse my mouth," I reply as I get up and head to the kitchenette.

"Mark, you should try and call Cam," I hear Josh say apologetically. "Only you will manage to reason him."

"Yeah, I'll try," Mark responds before he fetches his phone and dials our friend's number.

It takes a few tries before Camden eventually answers.

"I get it that you're pissed, Cam, but come on, you just can't punch Aaron like you did and leave."

".........."

"We all feel the same, you're not the only one. All the same, you should give him a chance to explain."

"..........."

"Yeah, I know it's hard to hear, but put yourself in his shoes for a few minutes, Cam. Do you think it's any easier for him? Can't you see how difficult it seems to remember that part of his past? I think it's quite brave of Aaron to tell us now, and we should listen to what he has to say because his situation can't have been an easy one back then. For fuck's sake, we're best friends! We should stand for one another, so get your ass back," Mark growls before he hangs up.

My eyes are brimming with tears from his words. Mark has always been the most sensitive and perceptive of us all, so I'm not surprised he understands what I'm going through. As much as I usually am the one to reason Camden, I believe he was the best in this situation, and I hope his words will have reached his heart. Cam is a cold-hearted guy, but deep down, I know that there are a few people he sincerely cares for, like Sony for example, and Josh, Mark and I count as much. His reaction was foreseeable, so, like Mark said, we should have anticipated and on my side, I should have handled this with kids gloves instead of blurting out all at once.

The next fifteen minutes occur in a very comfortable silence while we wait. I can tell Josh and Mark are boiling with questions they would like to ask, but I also know they won't make me repeat the story twice, so they just grin and bear with it, so to say. When the door opens again, we all watch our friend walk in with a contrite expression and red-rimmed eyes, and I'm soon pulled into a tight hug that I return gratefully as Cam sobs with profuse apologies, soon joined by Josh and Mark.

"I'm so sorry, Bro... Can't believe I punched you... I'm sorry... I can only guess how hard it's been for you..."

"It's okay, Cam... I understand it's a shock," I reply as I disentangle from the group hug. "I'm sorry if you feel betrayed, guys, but I really couldn't tell you back then."

"We could have helped... or at least supported you in a better way, Ron," Mark sighs.

"True, why couldn't you tell us?" Josh asks as we all settle back down on the sofas.

"One reason is that I didn't want you to worry more than you already did," I explain. "Then, I guess there was a bit of shame... and pride... I wanted you to be proud of me. I wanted you to think I could manage on my own."

"Well, for sure there was nothing to be proud of," Josh grouses. "I mean, what you did back then, running away from home and trying to live a life of your own was super brave, but damn it, Ron, drugs and prostitution... that was pretty risky. How did you get this far?"

"It was just a vicious circle."

During the next hour, I provide them with many more details about what truly happened after I arrived in Los Angeles. January on my own, then my encounter with Jayden. The way he supported me. How we met the group of people at the LGBT center and our settling in their warehouse. How difficult and stressful it was to call my friends and how miserable I felt after each of our calls, which is how I actually started smoking pot. How things quickly escalated from there because getting high helped me feel a little better. And finally, how it turned into a vicious circle with prostitution being the only way I found to provide me with easy money.

Reliving all these memories is torturous because I feel anything but glorious about what I did back then. However, I owed this to my best friends. I promised I'd be honest, so I don't leave out any details.

"Now I'm curious... What happened with Jayden, do you still see him? And how did you really meet Ivan?" Camden asks with a frown once I've reached the part about my days of prostitution.

Jayden... I have such mixed feelings about him, and that's probably why I have been keeping his memory at the back of my head in the last few months. Of course, I am still grateful for all the nice moments we shared together, his gentleness and support when I was feeling down, but I think that I have never completely forgiven him for what he did to me too. There's still a certain guilt whenever I remember how I cowardly abandoned him to the dealers, and yet, knowing that he had hidden the drugs in my bag somehow soothes my bad conscience.

"Jayden... Jayden's dead..." I reply with a hoarse voice.

"No way..." Mark whispers, instantly grabbing my hand for comfort.

"Wait till I tell you the whole story," I grumble, still fighting with the mixed emotions. "Toward the end of June, he fucked up. He stole a bag full of drugs from a dealer and brought it back to the squat. When the other guys heard about that, they kicked him out for fear of retaliation."

"You bet! There were high chances the dealer would barge into the warehouse," Josh exclaims. "Did he get caught?"

"He did..."

"Thank goodness you weren't with him!!!" Cam screams, eyes wide open and horror displaying on his face. "It's sad for him, but damn... it could have been so dangerous for you."

Darn... Should I really tell them the whole story?

"You were with him when it happened, Ron, weren't you?" Mark asks softly, always the one to read my obvious discomfort.

"Oh, God, were you?" Josh breathes out.

"I... I couldn't let him go alone. He'd been there for me. In fact, I left the squat with him, but..." I trail off, unable to go on as a big lump forms in my throat.

"What happened, Ron?" Mark encourages me after a few minutes of silence.

And I blurt it all out. I relate how I had to hide in an alley to relieve myself and that's when Jayden was caught by the gang. How guilt tore me apart as I remained concealed while they were beating him up. How thinking of them made me see reason and flee.

I could have died that day, twice at that.

The guys comfort me, saying that I made the right decision, but as I tell them the rest of the story, they get really tense, almost panting from all the tension, especially as I tell them about the ambush I fell in later that day and how I was rescued by Ivan and some of his guys.

Cam is visibly struggling with his inner violence, his fists balled and tears brimming his eyes, but Josh and Mark are now surrounding him, soothing his tension with light squeezes on his thighs and arms. I am fully aware that they are aching as much as I am, but this had to be told. I just couldn't keep this dark part of my life from my best friends.

"It ended well, that's what you should keep in mind," I conclude. "Ivan pulled me from this mess, and as you can see, he's had a positive influence on me."

"Ivan's really a Godsend..." Mark murmurs at some point.

"Leave the supposedly Supreme Being where he is," I grunt. "It was just fate."

"Fate or not, Ivan was like a Good Samaritan," Josh retorts. "He truly saved your life in many ways."

"Yeah... I wish we'd been the ones to help you, but," Cam trails off with what sounds like a bit of jealousy before his eyes dreamily stray away to emptiness. "I'm quite in awe with what he did."

"You, guys did help me in a way. All these months, whenever I wanted to give up, I would just think of you and it made me go on. It's also your memory that saved me from that alley where Jayden was killed. And then, yeah, Ivan did the rest, and I'm just glad that good people exist," I comment with a warm smile as I think of all the happy months I have shared with my guardian.

"Right! I need to take a piss!" Camden suddenly exclaims, ever so elegant.

We all shake our heads and sigh as he gets up and walks away. I can't help a genuine smile as Mark and Josh move to sit beside me and wrap their arms around my shoulders, though. I'm glad it's over and above all, utter relief washes over me now that this heavy weight has flown off my chest. My friends deserved to know the truth, it's like a deliverance after all these months lying to them, and I'm so happy they don't seem to hate me or hold a grudge against me.

Ivan was right all the way. Honesty truly prevails in such a deep friendship.

"Holy fuck!!!" Cam shouts as he opens another door upon stepping out of the restroom. "Have you guys seen that bathroom!?"

"Hmm... not yet, why?" Mark asks.

"Come and see for yourself," Cam smirks, a sudden mischievous glint shining in his gray eyes as he retreats inside what seems to be a huge place.

The three of us immediately rise to our feet and join him, gasping at the wonderful bathroom. White-tiled walls and floor, a long counter with two sinks, a round bath that has a system of underwater jets, and the largest shower I have ever seen. One that could easily fit the four of us!

"Shower time?" Cam cheers, already taking off his clothes.

Well, it's not long before Josh, Mark and I follow suit, and two minutes later, there we are, cramming in the shower and relishing under the warm stream of water coming from the two showerheads. It's been a year since I last saw my best friends, and yet, we are still completely comfortable with each other's nakedness. Unsurprisingly, this gives rise to a lot of manly reflections and teasing about who's having the biggest muscles. And not only muscles.

We're still teenagers with a lot of stamina and hormones functioning at full capacity, so it comes as no surprise that barely five minutes into showering, penises start swelling and begging for some attention.

"Come on, guys, bend over so that I can treat your backsides with a good pounding," that oafish of Cam brags.

"Fuck you, Cam. Have you seen that rod!? I wouldn't want half of its thickness up my ass," Josh laughs out, stroking his own length which is definitely the longest among all our dicks.

"Once it's in, it only brings pleasure, Joshy... You should try..."

"Forget it, Cam, none of us will take a cock up our asses," I argue, yet smirking at them all. "However... using our mouths would do, what do you think, guys?"

"Count me in," Mark cheers. "I'm all up for a nice blowjob."

"Yeah, come and choke on my dick, Ron," Cam agrees.

"Been there," I chuckle, remembering the first time I gave him head. "I'll pass my turn, though. I'll suck Mark while Josh sucks you, and you guys will return the favor."

"Fine with me, Cam's dick doesn't scare me," Josh chuckles.

Once we have washed away all the shower gel from our bodies, Joshua and I kneel on the floor of the huge stall, pinning our friends' hips to the tiled wall, and start working our mouths around their thickness. Mark is more than well-endowed in the cock department and funnily enough, the same size as I am, that is longer than Cam's rod but shorter than Josh's, thicker than Josh's dick, but not as much as Cam's. Blowing my friend is extremely arousing and as I apply myself to pleasure him the best I can, using my tongue to tease his slit and the most sensitive areas of his manhood, I find myself hardening painfully.

Cam and Mark's grunts quickly get louder and louder, covering the sound of the water streaming above us, which doesn't fail to arouse me even further. My left hand is gently massaging Mark's balls and I keep bobbing back and forth, feeling his nuts tighten more and more.

"Fuck, Ron... I'm going to come," he pants after a few minutes like this, and the next second, his juices fill my mouth, just as delicious as they've ever been.

"Mmm..." I hear Josh moan beside me. "Your seed's less salty than it used to, Cam."

"Glad to hear," the latter pants, recovering from a blissful orgasm, it seems. "But didn't you say it had something to do with food too?"

"Yeah, I remember reading something about that."

"Well, I eat better on the campus, so I guess that's why. If it was that good, do you want another load?" Cam chuckles, jerking his semi-hard in front of Josh's face.

"See that one?" he replies, prompting his middle finger and rising to his feet as I also get up from the floor. "It'll end in your ass if you don't get to your knees and suck now," the future businessman growls, earning a roll of Cam's eyes.

"I think I should treat Ron with a blowjob, though, as an apology for punching him earlier," Camden suggests, seeking my forgiveness with begging eyes.

"That's fine, Cam... You're forgiven."

"I think it's a good idea, though," Mark interferes with a bright smile, already swapping places with Cam. "I'll take care of Josh."

With that, they both get down to their knees and Camden catches my attention by giving a couple of firm strokes on my shaft, making me hiss with content. Smirking and locking eyes with mine, he opens his mouth and leans forward, swallowing me whole right away. Holy fuck!! Hitting the back of his throat almost throws me over the edge, but thank goodness, my last release isn't that far ago, and I manage to control myself.

I eventually lean against the wall and shut my eyes for a while, relishing in Camden's improved skills at sucking. He's doing a great job with his tongue, titillating my glans while one of his hands goes to fondle my balls. Spreading my legs a bit further apart for a better stability, I will myself to refrain the fire building up in my lower belly, until a daring finger slides between my ass cheeks, causing them to naturally clench.

"The heck, Cam!!" I grunt, reopening my eyes and glaring down at him.

That creep sends me a lustful look as his index lightly pokes at my entrance and he briefly lets go of my cock.

"Shut up and relax, it's not going in," he replies before he closes his lips around my length again.

Even if my buttocks keep contracting from the intrusion, I must confess that the light pressure on my puckered hole is actually not that unpleasant, and although bad memories try to resurface as I recall the last time someone shoved himself in, I gather all my self-will to push them back, focusing on my friend's wanton eyes and the blissful sensations he provides me with.

After a few minutes, my body completely goes lax, but just as Camden gently begins to prod past the tight ring of muscles, my balls tighten and the fire erupts, making my cock pulse inside his mouth as several streams of semen spurt out.

My knees almost wobble as my body shivers from the intensity of my climax, an uncontrolled groan escaping from my mouth. Fuck! I can't tell if it's the tight bond uniting me and my friends, the relief of having unloaded a heavy burden off my chest, our reunion, or whatever else, but it has been a long time since I last had such a powerful orgasm.

So fucking good!!

So fucking good that I think the next three days will see many repeats of this little session. It's not like any of us is in a serious relationship at the moment, and it's not our first time enjoying naughty things together, so why not indulging in more sexual pleasure while we're all around? Sadly, there wouldn't be any anal sex, but do I care? Hand jobs and blowjobs with my best friends can totally do.

Yeah, the next three days will be a blast!

Published on 29 April 2020

Didn't it feel good to see these guys again? Even if it was a bit annoying to relive all these sad moments, it was necessary for Aaron to take it off his chest and for us to see the guys' reaction.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

And also, I wanted to say thank you to all of you who are bearing with the weekly updates. As some of you may know, Wattpad provides various statistics to those who publish books on here, and I'm glad to see that Eclipse of the Moon is taking off a bit. Last chapter had almost 1K different readers on its publishing day, of which 186 voted, so thank you for following Aaron's adventures. And another special thanks to those who left the 150 or so comments, I'm deeply grateful for this because you're the ones who make the promotion of books on this platform, and above all, because I truly enjoy the bit of interaction with you. Thank you for that.

Next week, it'll be time for Aaron to return to Los Angeles. See you then ;)