Percy

2014

After four years of living in Pennsylvania, I'd had enough and wanted to come home. I missed my sisters, and I even missed my parents. About to enter law school at Boston University, I got my own apartment off campus and on the outskirts of the city because I couldn't afford Boston rent and I didn't want to share an apartment with anyone. If it weren't for my parents, I wouldn't be able to afford anything.

Two weeks ago, I moved into my apartment and had yet to unpack. I hadn't done much, except bury myself in books and mind-numbing tasks—anything to avoid doing things I was supposed to do.

Upon entering my apartment, I realized something was off, like someone had been in my apartment. I swore I locked my door.

My heart stopped, my breathing growing faster as the toilet flushed. Standing by my door, I clutched my phone, ready to press 911.

And then he appeared, wearing one of my t-shirts and boxers. "Hi," Kevin said. "Wow... you look older, but it's not a bad thing. You're a good looking guy and—"

I cut him off with a stupid comment. "You're wearing my underwear," were the first words out of my mouth.

"Yeah, it's all I could find," he said, folding his arms across his chest. He anxiously shifted his weight from one foot to the other, unable to stand still.

"I don't think I can handle you being here," I said. "Why do you do this to me?"

"I'm sorry. It's not my fault. I go to sleep and—"

"Yeah yeah, you land somewhere in the past... blah blah blah... Do you live in a psych hospital and come out once in a while to torment me?"

But he didn't really torment me. His disappearances and reappearances tormented me.

"No," he said, approaching me. "I live in a shitty apartment like this one."

"My apartment's not shitty," I said, scanning the tiny room. I had one couch and a chair, and a nineteen inch TV on a stand I bought at Walmart. Neatly stacked boxes filled with books lined the wall. I owned two plates and a handful of silverware. "Okay. You're right. It's shitty."

"I'll leave if you want me to," he said.

"I don't know what I want. Wanna get something to eat?"

For someone I'd only met three times in my life, he felt like a best friend.

"I can't go out like this."

"Well, it's better than being naked," I said.

"I thought you like seeing me naked," he said with a flirtatious grin. My body burned, thinking about his body. His flirting both annoyed and amused me.

"I do. I have some clothes you can wear."

He borrowed both a pair of joggers and flip-flops that were a size too big for him. Even though I wasn't hungry, I accompanied him to a nearby cafe. His stomach growled, making me think he was starving. As if he hadn't eaten in days, he devoured a cheeseburger and fries. I shared some of his fries.

"What are you doing in Boston?" he asked with a mouthful of burger.

"I start law school tomorrow."

"Oh yeah? Where?"

"Boston University."

"Cool. Are you excited?"

"I guess. I like school. I love Boston. I never thought I'd miss my family."

"I don't know what it's like to have a family. I can't remember what I told you. My mother was an addict, in and out of rehabs and prison. I sometimes lived with her. I sometimes lived in a foster home. I had a few good foster parents, which is weird, right? My dad was a bad alcoholic and now he's in a nursing home with wet brain. He's totally fucked up."

"That's awful," I said.

He shrugged. "I love hanging out with you. I wish I could hang out with you every night."

"Yeah. Me too."

He caught me by surprise, leaning over the table and kissing me quickly on my cheek. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I bet you have a girlfriend or a boyfriend by now."

"No. Neither," I said.

"Why? You're a good looking, smart guy."

"I'm pretty busy with school."

"Whatever you say." He was such a flirt, he squeezed my knee under the table. He enjoyed teasing me and making me blush.

I thought I'd never see the day when I lost my virginity. I lost it to a girl in college the year after I made out with Kevin. When it happened, I was sad to discover sex wasn't all that great. I'd forgotten the girl's name, and I bet she couldn't remember mine. It was better the second time, but not nearly as incredible as it was with Kevin.

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking and walking along the Charles River. He loved his job as a graphic designer, but was always in fear of losing it because of his lack of adequate sleep. He lived in fear. I couldn't imagine living in so much fear. After a long walk, we returned to my disorganized apartment. I hadn't even had cable hooked up yet, so watching TV wasn't an option. I no longer played video games like other people my age still did. I lost interest years ago. Kevin mostly wanted to talk, anyway.

He removed the joggers because he was 'hot,' he said. I preferred to see him in boxers, anyway. "Back home, it's freezing," he said, plopping down on my couch. I sat on the opposite end. "Because it's February. We're in August right now, aren't we?"

"Yes. August twentieth."

"I'm gonna stay awake for as long as I can," he said, stretched out on the couch, resting his feet in my lap. I ran my hand up and down his bare leg, eventually circling my fingers around his knobby knee. "When I go to sleep tomorrow, I'm gonna think about you and maybe I'll come back to you."

"Could I come back with you?"

He sat up, scooting closer to me. "I would love it if you came back with me, but it's not possible. Maybe I'll get the balls to look you up some day, but why would someone like you want anything to do with someone like me?"

"What do you mean by that? I'm no better than you."

"Yes, you are. You're beautiful and smart and everything I'm not."

No one ever complimented me like Kevin did. Yeah, I was smart, but I never thought I was good looking. I was nothing more than average, certainly not 'beautiful.' I yanked his legs, pulling him into my lap. I admired his brown eyes that were slightly lighter than mine. He had these amazingly long eyelashes.

"You're so beautiful," I said, cupping his chin in my palms. He averted his eyes, shaking his head. "Yes, you are. I feel so lucky to know you."

"I feel lucky to know you."

I kissed each cheek. He swallowed hard, welcoming my lips on his. He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me, responding to my kiss. As our kisses grew more intense, heat radiated from his body as I slipped my hands under the back of his shirt.

Hopping off my lap, he grabbed my hand and led me into my bedroom, the only other room in the apartment besides the bathroom. He craved affection desperately, just like I did. We devoured each other in hungry kisses, our bodies entwined as we collapsed onto my bed. While I hesitated, he wasted no time in stripping off his shirt and boxers. He wouldn't let me refuse. "It's all right," he said, lifting my t-shirt over my head in between kisses.

"Can we go under the covers?" I asked, acting like a shy teenager instead of a twenty-two year old man. He didn't question me, bringing the covers over us. Under the covers, I wiggled out of my jeans and boxers. My body shuddered as he pressed his naked body against mine. He kissed me all over, planting kisses along my collarbone, down my chest, and all over my stomach, disappearing under the covers. I gasped as he kissed my cock.

"Is this okay?" he asked, stroking my thighs.

I nodded, peeking under the covers. There was no way in hell I'd say no. He smiled, taking the tip of my cock in his mouth. I'd never experienced anything so intense. Moaning, I hid my face in my hands as he took the rest of my cock in his mouth. I didn't want to come before I had a chance with him. I pushed him off me, tackling him onto his back, ready to please him like he pleased me. I did the best I could since I'd never done it before. He moaned like I did, holding my head, guiding me. I appreciated the guidance since I had no idea what the hell I was doing.

"You're doing so good," he assured me. He bit his bottom lip, muffling his moans. I liked hearing him because he made me think he was enjoying it, that I was doing something right. I enjoyed making him happy. Abruptly, he pushed me away, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face in the sheets.

I pressed my body against his backside and kissed his cheek, rubbing my cock against his ass. "Oh, fuck," he muttered. "I really want you to, but we can't," Kevin said.

"Why not?"

"Because we can't," he said in a teary voice. "Get off me, Percy... please."

Somewhat confused, I got off him, worried I did something wrong. On my back, I lay beside him while he remained on his stomach.

"You did nothing wrong," he said as if to read my mind. "I can't do this to you anymore. I'm sorry. I wanna stay with you so bad." He faced me, tears streaming down my cheeks. He attempted to wipe them away before I noticed, but he was unsuccessful. "I really, really like you."

"I really like you, too."

The room filled with an uncomfortable silence. He flinched as I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Can I help you unpack?" he asked.

"Sure. I could use the help."

Throughout the day, Kevin was by my side, diligently unpacking and organizing my apartment. The night slipped away as we shared stories. Kevin didn't want to go to sleep, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. I fell asleep in his arms, only to wake up in an empty bed, his scent still lingering in the air. A sense of emptiness and loneliness consumed me, something I never quite overcame.

***

2024

Jude's lips were familiar, his kisses reminding me of how much time I wasted on Lyndsay. The tension between us had been building for a while, but my fear of being alone kept me with her. In the heat of our passion-filled kisses, Jude's laptop tumbled to the floor. Jude winced as I guided him on his back. I forgot about the marks on his back.

"Sorry," I said, shifting onto my back, bringing him with me. I sighed against his mouth as he reached up my shirt.

"You're a great kisser," he said as I dug my fingers into his lower back. "I almost forgot."

To him, he'd been with me a month ago, but to me it'd been years.

"Can you spare an hour in your bedroom?" I usually wasn't this forward, but I felt like I'd known him forever and was strangely comfortable around him. I was never forward, always passive. I never made the first move. Earlier, while he was working, I flipped through his journals, searching for entries about me. They were very specific and detailed, making me remember things I'd pushed to the back of my mind.

He sat on his bed, leaning on the palms of his hands, watching me undress. "I think it would be unethical for you to be my therapist," he said as I kicked off my jeans. By now, I remembered a lot of things, but I couldn't recall if I'd ever been naked with him. I knew every inch of his body, but he didn't know mine. Because of my discomfort with my body, I probably insisted we fool around under the blankets or with the lights off. Placing his hands on my waist, he threw me on the bed and pounced on my lap. "What do you want to do?" he asked.

"What do you want to do?"

"You always want to please others, like others deserve to be happier than you. I'm gonna try to please you, okay?"

I didn't argue with him. In fact, I looked forward to it. He kissed my neck and shoulder, scooting down my lap. Kneeling between my legs, he planted kisses up and down my inner thighs. His tongue and lips teased me, driving me wild. He took pleasure in teasing me. It made it even more intense and pleasurable when his mouth made contact. I gasped, inhaling deeply.

I gripped the sheets, staring up at the ceiling as my back arched. No, no, no, I thought to myself as Jude released me. I wanted him to continue. "Alonzo," he said. "Look at me."

I did as he said, pushing my shyness to the side for a few minutes. "Right here," he said, pointing to his eyes. He resumed sucking, keeping his eyes on mine. Oh yeah, I remembered this. He was so much better at it than I was. He reached inside his night stand and removed a square wrapper and bottle. "Shit," he said. "This is the last one." He tore the condom wrapper open with his teeth and slid it on me. I was nervous as hell. I'd wanted to do this for so long. He squeezed some clear liquid on me before mounting me.

"I know you've been waiting a long time for this," he said. "You're gonna be great. Ssh... the walls are thin and my neighbors aren't exactly gay-friendly."

I hadn't realized I was making noise. He covered my mouth with his hand, muffling my sounds as he pushed down. Once I was all the way in him, he leaned over and kissed my lips, moving slowly. His smile grew wider as my moans filled his mouth. He reached for my hands and brought my arms over my head. He breathed heavily, clutching my hands tighter as he bounced up and down.

As he sat upright, he pulled me to him and hugged me, hooking his ankles behind my back. I clung to him, afraid to let him go. If I let him go, I worried he'd disappear like he disappeared all those other times. At least now when he disappeared, he came back. He rocked back and forth, faster and faster until I could no longer control myself. I bit down on his shoulder, breathing heavily, my heart beating out of my chest.

"I can feel your heart beating," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I'm great. Can we do it again?"

"You're gonna tire me out, and I don't have time to sleep. I promise we'll do it again. I gotta get to work."

"Fine," I sighed. "I gotta get to work, too. I gotta call your mother."

A/N If I had more time and/or if the word limit wasn't 40,000, I'd make Percy and Jude's encounters more frequent.

Words: 2491

Total words: 17107