Twice the Hands to Hold

Chapter 3: Friday-3

Brian

The music was blaring and far too loud to carry on a conversation. All his friends had coupled up with their girls and some with others’ girls. He had given Michelle a few dances and a couple of squeezes then ditched her early on in the evening, after she’d gotten much too clingy. Now she was dry humping some guy on the futon, which was fine with him. Another landmine avoided.

He scanned the room idly as he drifted from one corner to another. He avoided another annoyingly lingering gaze from some brunette from his senior class. He’d become an expert at rebuffing advances. When he wanted someone, they weren’t under any illusion. But he wasn’t in the mood for softness, not tonight anyway.

No beer at this party either. Seriously? Apparently the host’s dad was some judge or something and the guy didn’t want to take the chance. Why offer to host if you’re going to wimp out at the last minute and ruin what would have been a good night for the rest?

Some super enthusiastic guy shimmied up to him and started grinding against him. As if he didn’t have enough twink living in his house. The guy was cute, no doubt, in a shallow kind of way. He swayed non-committal until the song ended then moved on.

He lit up another cigarette and pocketed his lighter. As he continued scanning the room, trying not to give up on the whole party, his eyes locked with Oliver’s. The guy was dancing in a group of guys and girls, trying to look into it, but it was obvious he was checking Brian out on the down low. Brian smirked. He couldn’t blame the guy. Obviously he had seen the evidence of Oliver’s physical, albeit reluctant, attraction to him in the showers. But is that all that it was? He was well aware of his physical appeal to members of both sexes.

Matt had been nude around him plenty of times, and Brian was even guilty of admiring his brother’s body since they were identical in many regards. It was like admiring his own body, although Matt’s was a lot softer and less defined than his because of his brother’s annoying aversion to physical sports. It all culminated in convincing Brian that Oliver did have a lot to admire. Brian was able to get himself off in front of a full-length mirror. It wasn’t narcissism…to the tenth degree. He was hot and he didn’t apologize for it. He didn’t have to think hard about the fodder Oliver could come up with. He grinned at the thought. Oliver must have thought Brian was returning the vibes and scowled at him. Brian returned the scowl, making sure Oliver had no doubts that he wasn’t checking him out.

He stubbed the cigarette out in one of the countless ashtrays. He walked over to the drinks table to fetch a goddamn soda, becoming very aware again of the lack of alcohol. Brian was debating the merits between Coca Cola and Dr. Pepper when he fell forward over the drinks table as a mass pressed up against him from behind. He turned around to scowl the hell out of someone but let it die since it was a friend of Michelle’s who was currently love drunk with Oliver. Somehow the sight of Oliver wrapping his arms around the girl was more annoying to him than almost taking down the whole drinks table.

“Sorry,” Oliver said. He pulled the girl deeper into him and smiled at Brian over her shoulder. There are those damn dimples. Brain did a half nod then forced himself to turn back to the drinks table to decide what goddamn soda he would have, and then it happened. Silky black hair framed a masculine jawline, parted down the middle and flowed freely over thick eyebrows. The tall figure leaned lazily against the doorframe to the parlor, raising his hand to his mouth every now and again to take a drink. Was that a beer? Brian couldn’t tell from his vantage point seeing as the newcomer was surrounded by a fan club. It was difficult to make out his entire profile at that distance. The room was bathed in dim light, for obvious reasons. It seemed as though the guy’s entire group was hanging on his every word, even though he wasn’t saying much at all. Another pull on his drink. Another lazy flick of the hair. Another one word reply. The group then dispersed in a hundred directions. The guy made his way up the stairs and Brian noticed jean clad, thick thighs running into a tight, full bubble ass. His tongue wetted his bottom lip but he didn’t move. Just before the guy’s head would be out of sight, he turned around and looked directly at Brian. With a slight jerk of the head, a motion almost too minute to notice, he continued up the stairs.

Brian made his way to those stairs, tripping over other’s arms and legs sprawled around the floor. He caught sight of Oliver bobbing against a girl in the crowd, but Brian grinned at his prospect upstairs and left the high school jock downstairs.

As he reached the landing, a sea of people moved between Brian and the many rooms that lead onto the upstairs hall.

Goddammit.

He made his way through impatiently, shaking off pats on the back and well wishes from far too sober people. He would do a clean sweep of every room on this goddamn floor until he found his bubble butt. Then those tight jeans, those bulky thighs, and that perky butt appeared then disappeared into the farthest room down the hall. Hell if there would be anyone else in that room with the guy. As Brian reached the doorway, a flushed looking girl and pissed off guy made their exit, no doubt having been chased out.

The guy stood in the window, peering out at the moonlit night sky. He lazily lifted the beer bottle to his lips and then let it hang by his side again. Brian stood in the doorway and didn’t move. He just about wondered whether the guy was even aware of him, when, “Name’s Adam,” he said.

“Brian.”

Adam turned to look him up and down, then took another sip of beer, and stared out the window again. Brian stood awkwardly and began to sweat under his pits. Eventually Adam turned to look at him, again with humor in his eyes. He motioned to the single bed in the middle of the room.

Brian settled in the middle.

“Want some beer?”

“Sure.” Brian grabbed at the bottle eagerly.

Adam settled on the bed next to him.

“Move up,” he said and Brian did so while he tilted the bottle upside down over his mouth.

“Are you legal?”

“Are you?”

Adam grinned amusedly. “Can I have my beer back?”

“I don’t know,” Brian said. “Beer is kind of a hot commodity around here.”

Adam smiled at him before he made a grab for the beer. He pulled it free from Brian’s grip and took a huge swig but didn’t swallow. Instead he lifted his face and placed his mouth against Brian’s and opened his lips. Silky hair fell over Brian’s lids and beer dribbled down his chin, but he soon opened his mouth and swallowed the lukewarm liquid with a hint of tongue against his lips.

Adam settled back against Brian’s side and lifted the bottle to his mouth again.

“You wanna blow this party?”

“You got a car?”

* * * *

Matt

Matt lay quietly under his covers, looking out the window. His mind trailed back to the evening, and to getting to know James more. Early days, and all that, but he allowed his mind to drift to the possibility that he could really see himself going with James. He was sweet, some shyness there, but definitely knew how to go after what he wanted, Matt could tell. He pulled his arms from behind his head and shifted on his bed as he heard the front door open. Moments later soft footsteps down the hall alerted him to Jake’s presence in the home. His uncle peered in through his open door and Matt smiled at him.

“Kind of late for you to still be up?”

“Hey, Jakey,” Matt said, his eyes twinkling in the reflected moonlight. “I was waiting for an update.”

Jake moved into the room and made his way over to the bed sluggishly. “God help me, is it such a big deal when I have a date that you have to wait up?”

“Was that a rhetorical question?”

Jake sighed. He smiled, though; in a way Matt hadn’t seen in a long time.

“That good, huh?”

Jake laughed. “Matt.”

He looked at his uncle expectantly.

“I met an old friend tonight.”

“I’ve never seen an old friend make you smile like that. Is he the friend who you’ve been seeing for a while?”

“Yes.”

Matt laughed sleepily. “So are you seeing your old friend again?”

Jake sat quiet for a moment. His uncle looked at a spot on the bed, unseeing. Matt resisted reaching out, and let his uncle remember whatever it was he was seeing in his mind.

Jake’s voice came was serious when he next spoke. “Just be happy, okay? Live your life and don’t get weighed down by the bullshit.”

“Jakey?”

“Just promise me you won’t let the unimportant things weigh you down. Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“And take risks. You know, take chances. You only get your twenties once. It’s one of the best seasons of your life. Don’t let it pass you by because you’re scared of anything.”

“Okay.”

The sudden heaviness of the moment weighed on the room. Something weighed heavily on his uncle, but as usual it was impossible for Jake to share his burden with either of his nephews. It was nothing but parental instinct, to protect them, to let them be the children, but his uncle had carried more on his own than more people do in their lifetimes. He suddenly wished again for a partner for his uncle, someone to help him carry the heavy loads he had valiantly picked up and handled on how own for so many years without ever saying a thing about it.

“Is your brother in?” Jake asked eventually.

“I think he’s sleeping it off in his room.”

Jake narrowed his eyes at his nephew. “You’re a good brother for trying to cover for him. But his ass is mine.”

“I figured.” Matt said. “Jakey?”

“What’s up?” Jake stared down at Matt affectionately.

“I’m glad you had a good time. Please don’t be too hard on Brian.”