Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 36
Tutored Or Tutoring?

Thursday 4 September 2003

Joshua – If you show him your "big pen", maybe he'll tell you what he thinks, and perhaps he'll like to taste your ink...

"Enough, Aaron. Gimme your phone now!"

Ahah... Marek...

The cute little nerd sitting beside me at the round table in the library is so adorable. Even more so as he tries to play the big authoritative guy.

Ivan wasn't joking when he said he would hire a teacher and as promised, Marek has been tutoring me since Wednesday last week, and it's been nearly as good as I was expecting. The guy is super serious about this and he makes me work like a maniac, but I'm not complaining. One reason is that my significant progress pleases Ivan and consequently, he has been in a pretty good mood lately. And then, being tutored by such a cutie makes it more enjoyable.

"Or what?" I snort defiantly, not even rising my eyes from the screen of my phone.

"Or I'll have to inform Mr. Vargas as you know," Marek threatens, and this has me look up and squint at him.

Fuck! He's too adorable for his own sake.

Marek isn't one of those gorgeous models you see parading on a catwalk or in fashion magazines. No, even better, he is one of these guys with some sort of natural beauty and an incredible charm. I can't tell if his pale skin and blue eyes are specific traits of his Eastern Europe origins, but I really love both, just as much as his delicate features, his thin frame and his soft voice.

It's not his voice that just caught my attention; it doesn't hold a tenth of the command I would feel compelled to obey if it had been a certain someone else. However, a threat to rat out on my lack of seriousness had to make a hit. That would definitely get me in trouble and I don't want my guardian to confiscate my phone when I got it back only five days ago after a painfully long and excruciatingly boring week without chatting with my best friends.

Marek looks extremely serious in the way he scowls at me, and yet, I can't help dirty thoughts filling my head as I openly glower back at him, imagining how his plump lips would perfectly fit around my cock.

If only I could get there already...

Sadly, I haven't been able to figure him out so far because Marek is just too keen on doing his job. Whenever I try to start a conversation or ask personal questions, he simply calls me to order and dismisses any chitchat. He has been loosening up a bit in the last couple days though, and since my gaydar says he's gay, I might as well soon start my operation seduction.

"Oh, yeah?" I reply chirpily despite his increasing scowl. "Then I'll have to tell him about you using your phone too."

His cheeks gather a cute pink complexion, but his expression doesn't falter and still conveys the same self-assurance.

"I'm the tutor, you're the student," he replies casually, shrugging his shoulder. "I can totally check my phone while I'm waiting for you to finish an assignment whereas you have more relevant things to do than to check your phone."

Dammit, he has a point here. I decide against tempting fate and postpone the salty message I was going to send to Josh for later. That jerk has been making fun of my slow progress with Marek in the past few days, saying I was less daring than he thought and kind of a coward. No harm meant here. It's just his fair revenge after his own fiasco of two weeks ago when he was turned down and how I have been teasing his failing gaydar since Sunday.

When I got my phone back last weekend, the first person I called was Josh because my gossip self needed to find out what had happened with the guy he wanted to hook up with. The Allan guy. It turns out that Josh boldly flirted with him at the nightclub, throwing him teasing glances and explicit gestures, but when he tried to hump his hard-on against the other student's backside and to kiss his neck, Allan quickly put him off saying he was very gay-friendly but that Josh shouldn't keep his hopes too high because he was a hundred percent heterosexual.

That evening, Josh moved on and let some steam off with another guy he hooked up with, but stubborn as he is, he still wants to befriend Allan and see if there is any chance the guy could be bi-curious. Well, I can't wait to hear more about his adventures, but meanwhile, I'd better focus on the present and my own prey.

"That's just unfair," I retort with a childish sigh as I toss my phone over to him.

"That's just life," he replies with a grin, catching the device and resting it further away.

How I wish I could kiss this grin away from this face! Instead I return to my lessons and exercises and the next two hours occur in a very studious fashion.

I must admit that Marek's help has been precious so far. Having someone to explain lessons makes things much easier than when I had to learn by myself, and since I no longer waste time reading the same paragraphs several time to understand certain lessons, my progress is more significant.

From the little information I have managed to worm out of him, Marek is the ultimate nerd, a little genius. At barely 20, he has just finished a five-year cursus in the University of California. I may not be a mathematics prodigy, but I easily gathered that the numbers didn't add up, so Marek explained that he had skipped two years before he graduated high school and performed his college cursus within four years instead of five.

As an engineer graduate, he could step into the real adult life, but he says that he likes the university atmosphere and may want to pursue his studies. In fact, he would like to set for research and that would mean raising funds from sponsors and applying in several prestigious establishments.

"All good, Aaron. See? It wasn't that hard," Marek says as he checks the last math problems I solved. "Tomorrow morning, I want you to do all the exercises on this page, and don't you start ranting," he warns me when I open my mouth to protest. "They're very quick problems and all related to the lesson we worked on today. And you also need to finish that book so that we can start working on the literary analysis."

"You're killing me with all this work," I grunt playfully, watching him pack up his own documents and books now that it's nearly 6pm.

"I'm not trying to kill you," he snorts, rolling his eyes. "Don't you know that practice makes perfect?"

"Yeah, I heard that before."

"Then do all these exercises and you'll be perfect. It's all for your sake after all."

I know that too. And Ivan's sake as well. Isn't it weird that I am almost more eager to please him with my upcoming graduation than I truly care about my own success? Of course, if I pass the GED, there'll be a lot of self-satisfaction after all the hard work I have done, but deep down, I mostly want to impress Ivan and witness pride in his eyes. I want to fulfill his expectations and to prove him that I am capable. I simply feel like it would be a gratifying present for all his efforts supporting me.

That's why I have been on my best behavior since the nightclub incident two weeks ago, working really hard and taming a bit the rebel in me. Determined to show him I could be trustworthy, I haven't even tried to go out and meet other youths in the evening on weeknights since he lifted my grounding, though other reasons might be the cutie sitting beside me and my renewed liberty to use my phone as I wish to speak with the guys.

"True. And I must admit that you're helping a lot."

"That's what I'm being paid for," he retorts, and as he grabs his last notebook, a picture slips from his messenger bag and falls to the floor.

A picture that I obviously hurry to pick from the floor between our chairs and look at as I lean back up. The blond girl standing on the edge of a cliff, the wind shuffling her long hair to the left side, is really cute – I guess... – and I wonder who she is.

"Who's this?" I ask as I hand it back to a blushing Marek and shift on my chair to face him.

"Err... She... She's my ex-girlfriend..." he stutters as he quickly shoves the image back inside his bag.

Girlfriend? Did he say girlfriend? Has my gaydar failed me? I would have bet my ass that Marek was gay. He may have been discreet, shy and quite the introvert, I have noticed a few side glances in the last couple days. I had even begun to hope he was attracted to me!

"If she's your ex, why do you still carry a picture of her then? Do you still love her?" I ask in a somewhat drier tone, and I wish I could control that stupid acerbity.

"No... it's just..." he mumbles, shrugging his shoulders as a brief dark shadow casts his baby blues. "She was my first... affair and it lasted for almost two years until she broke up with me six months ago."

I don't comment on this and just stare at him, trying to read through the weird expression displaying on his face. There seems to be a certain bitterness, which I can understand if she was the one to put an end to their relationship, but there is no sadness, as if he didn't really care.

"What? Did you think that nerds only spend their time working hard? Did you think we can't enjoy ourselves like normal teenagers?" he blurts out dejectedly after a whole minute of silence. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this."

"No, Marek, I wasn't thinking that," I hurriedly reply, thinking about my nerdy friend Danny who was far from the innocent I thought he was.

"What were you thinking about then?"

"Err... I was thinking..." I trail off, pondering on whether I should go for honesty or breed lies, but it seems like Ivan's influence is rubbing off on me, so I go for the truth. "The fact that you had a girlfriend kind of shocked me, not because you're an intellectual, but because I thought you were batting for the other team."

My heart starts racing in my chest as Marek's eyes open widely, his eyebrows rising significantly, but what gets me on edge and even has my cock swelling is the mischievous glint suddenly brightening his blue eyes.

"Are you gay, Aaron?" he asks with a small smile.

"I am, but it's you we were talking about," I reply, poking my tongue out. "Now I'm kinda hoping you're bi," I add teasingly.

For a few more seconds, Marek and I remain silent, just staring at each other. He looks a bit embarrassed and yet, my last remark hasn't wiped his smile away. In the end, my gaydar might still be on point and somehow, it gives me the necessary confidence to push this conversation a little further.

"Have you ever tried kissing a boy, Marek?" I ask in a husky voice, slightly leaning toward him.

"No..."

"Are you attracted to males?"

"I... I... Err... I... don't know... Maybe... Perhaps... Probably... I've never tried anything with other guys," he stammers before he pushes his chair back and stands up to finish gathering his things.

"Why is that?" I ask in a whisper, but the only answer I get is a deeper blush on his face. "Are you scared of your potential bi-sexuality? Are you uncomfortable with your deepest desires? Are you scared of what you might feel while kissing a boy... or even more? Or is it because of what other people might think?"

"A bit of all that, I guess," he replies meekly.

"Being gay isn't a sickness, Marek."

"I never said it was. I'm just unsure... about what I truly feel... I did love Jenna, never had... problems around her if you see what I mean..."

"Perhaps you're just attracted to both sexes then," I reason, rising to my feet to stand a bit closer to him. "If you want to try guys, I'll gladly volunteer..." I offer mischievously.

"What? We can't! That would be wrong! I'm your tutor and we shouldn't even have that conversation!"

"Bullshit. And that blush says you might be attracted to me..."

Elated by a sudden and powerful feeling of self-confidence, I close the distance between us, effectively cornering him against the table, and carefully grab his hands to lace my fingers with his.

"Aaron... What are you doing?"

"Nothing... just showing you what it does to hold hands with another guy..." I whisper, staring down at him and smiling warmly.

My intention's not to scare him, so I stand still for a few more seconds before I begin to lean forward, ever so slowly, our eyes still locked, until there's only an inch between our faces.

"Aaron..." he finally says in a voice that almost sounds begging.

"Hmm?"

"We shouldn't..."

"We totally should."

"We can't..."

"Of course, we can... Look."

With that, I lean down a bit more and until our lips make contact. I am almost expecting him to shove me back and protest, but Marek doesn't even try to fight, so I let my lips softly brush against his. When my tongue eventually comes to lick the cleft of his lips, Marek gasps and I seize this opportunity to visit his mouth, timidly sweeping his own wet muscle.

"Ngh... Aaron..."

"Hmm? Doesn't it feel good?" I ask against his lips.

"It does..."

I don't need further encouragement to resume our kiss and take things a little further. Back in his mouth, I add a bit more pressure in my tongue's moves, swirling with his while my hands get a little more daring, first reaching for his hips, before they slide further up his chest and until they get to cup his face. Surprisingly, my little nerd quickly gains in confidence too, and as his arms wrap around my waist, my body naturally presses against his, allowing me to feel an unexpected hardness in his pants.

Ain't that promising?

My own crotch is rubbing against his lower belly and I am getting more and more aroused as our kiss deepens.

"We should stop... Aaron..."

"Why?"

"Because... I'm... your... tutor..." he pants as I gently nibble his lips.

"I could be your tutor too..." I tease as my lips roam away from his to brush along his jaw, his neck until my tongue gets to play with his Adam's apple. "I could teach you gay things... I could show you how good it feels to be touched by a man," I purr while my hands travel back down to cup his backside.

"Ngh..."

"D'you like this?"

"Mmm..."

"There's so much more I could teach you..." I trail off, murmuring in his ear, as if I was an expert. "Like... how great it feels to suck on a cock... or to come in another man's mouth... and even more..."

"I... I'm not sure... I'm ready to go that far..."

"Never said it has to be now... We've got plenty of time... How do you like this?" I ask as I lead one of his hands to my groin.

"Oh my God..." he breathes out, shyly rubbing his fingers over my hard-on. "It feels big..."

"But I know how to make it feel good... And how about this?"

Marek utters an adorable little squeak as my left hand goes to palm his own privates and since he fervently crashes his lips back against mine, obviously asking for more, I soon begin to fumble with his belt and the buttons of his jeans for a better access to his crotch. Believing that the wetness on his undies is a trustworthy evidence to his arousal, I get a little bolder and slowly slip my hand inside his briefs and carefully seize his warm – and very hard – member between my fingers, giving it a timid stroke.

"Oh God..." he moans, his body stiffening a bit. "Mr. Vargas would kill me if he knew..."

"Nah, he wouldn't."

"But he's paying me to teach you..."

"And you do that, but what happens outside of our working hours is none of his business," I groan against his lips, probably trying to convince myself as well.

I'm not sure Ivan would welcome the news, but I already have valid arguments all set in my head just in case. It's not the best time to think about this, so with rekindled determination to pleasure Marek, I deepen our kiss and slightly increase the pace of my hand stroking his cock, humping against his body to get more friction on my own erection.

"Ngh... Fuck..." Marek mumbles, and I think he's getting really close to come.

"One step at a time... Fuck will come later... when you're ready..." I tease, slipping my other hand inside my shorts and boxer briefs for more stimulation because I'm not far either.

"Ugh... Aaron... stop or I'm going to..."

"Just come, Marek... Don't be scared... Just enjoy and see how good it feels..."

Seconds later, I feel his body tense against mine, his thin hands gripping my tee-shirt as a thick substance fills my left hand. His squeal is so cute that it takes me over the edge, activating the fire in my balls, and there my other hand gets creamed with my own essence.

"Oh wow..." Marek stutters through his heavy breathing, all red in the face.

"Did you like it?" I ask as I retrieve my slick hands from our respective pants, and he shyly nods in answer. "I'll be right back."

Careful to avoid Anita who is in the kitchen, I quietly sneak out of the library, glad to see that she is at the main counter, facing away from me, and rush to the restrooms by the hall to wash my hands. Jeez! I am really happy with what just happened, and it was faster than I thought in the end. I don't know how our relationship will evolve, but I will make sure to take it slowly so as to avoid scaring him.

"Oh, here you are, Aaron," Anita says just as I walk out of the toilets, making me startle.

"Hmm... yeah... Are you leaving?" I ask when I notice that she has her cardigan on and her purse on her shoulder.

"Yes. Dinner is ready, sweetie. You'll just have to heat it up in the microwave oven. And I've done your room too. I left a basket of ironed clothes on your bed as well."

"Thanks a lot, Anita."

"You're welcome. Have a nice evening!"

"You too!"

As the old woman leaves, I hurry back to the library, relieved that she didn't hear anything, and find Marek patiently waiting where I left him.

"I should go home now," Marek whispers when I lean down to peck his lips.

"It's still early..."

"Perhaps I'll stay a bit later tomorrow after work, but I have to go now."

"Okay, then, I'll walk you back to the gate," I concede with a sigh. "Marek?" I call out as we head out and slowly walk along the alley, side by side.

"Hmm?"

"Would you accept to be my boyfriend?"

"Err... I'm not sure it's a great idea... Mr. Vargas might..."

"Let me deal with him," I reply with as much self-confidence as I can muster, wondering if Ivan needs to know at all.

Much determined to prove Marek how much I want him to accept, I gently cup his cute little face and lean down to kiss him, very chastely so this time, and feeling his lips move in accordance with mine has flutters of happiness and excitement burst in my chest.

"Let's give it a try," he eventually yields as he takes a step back, making me grin like a child. "Meanwhile, be serious and don't forget to do all the assignments I gave you. Being your boyfriend won't make me slack on my duties," he warns me more solemnly as we reach the gate.

"Will do!"

"Good, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Just as we exchange a last kiss on the sidewalk, the sound of a car engine has my heart lurch in my chest, causing us to instantly break off our embrace. It could be just any random car passing by, but of course, it had to be the big SUV I know all too well. What the fuck is Ivan doing here so early!? He's supposed to be at his club tonight!

"Aww crap... Is that..." Marek whines, and as I look down at him and see the fear in his expression, I try my best to reassure him.

"Just go, Marek, I'll deal with Ivan."

"We're going to be in trouble..."

"No, we're not. You don't have to worry about anything, I'll handle the situation. I'll text you later tonight to let you know what happened, okay?" I reply, hurrying him to go away as the car slows down and turns to pass through the gateway.

"You sure?"

"Positive. See you tomorrow!"

With that, I spin on my heels and head back inside the property, ready to face the devil's potential anger. As I approach the car, I see Anton pull out of the driver's seat and from the sternness on his face, I bet that his friend won't be in any better mood. However, when he opens the passenger door and cautiously helps Ivan out, my heart constricts in my chest for a totally different reason.

Despite the obvious anger displaying on my guardian's face, all I can notice is the pain contorting his gorgeous features and I can't tell if it's out of annoyance or if he is sick. His skin, usually so dark, looks very pale and his slouched frame worries me a lot.

"Ivan... Are you alright?" I breathe out when I reach them and hurry to help Anton supporting Ivan as we walk into the house.

"Been better..." he grumbles, and we have barely passed the door that he escapes from our hold and rushes to the restroom where I was just a few minutes ago.

"IVAN!!!" I call out, pounding on the locked door as I hear him emptying his stomach. "Anton! Do something!"

"Just leave him alone, he'll be better in a few minutes," the tall man sternly replies, grabbing my elbow to lead me away.

"He's sick!!!"

"Yeah, he's vomiting, and you know what? He's a big guy who doesn't need help to throw up, so give him a break. Why don't you fetch him a glass of water instead?"

Grumbling to myself, I yet abide by Anton's suggestion and when Ivan reopens the restroom's door two minutes later, I hand him the bottle so that he can rinse his mouth. Whereas I was expecting him to be feeble and faint, he has clearly regained strength and confidence, it seems, and if the darkness of his eyes is any indication, I won't get away from a lecture or whatever he has in mind. That's exactly why I anticipate and make the first move, speaking up first.

"You need an appointment with Marcus, you're sick."

"I'm just out of his practice actually."

"And what did he say? Is it serious?"

"No, probably just something that unsettled my stomach. I'm feeling much better now," he grunts before he walks out of the restroom and goes to meet his friend who had settled on the couch in the living room.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, much. Thanks for driving me back."

"No problem. You should stay home tonight," the other man advises, peeking at me in such a meaningful way that he earns a dark glower in answer.

"Yeah. Indeed. Will you handle the club with Ellie?"

"Of course!" Anton replies as he stands up and briefly hugs Ivan before he does the same with me, only a few seconds longer. "Good luck..." he whispers playfully in my ear before he draws back. "I'm taking the SUV, Ivan, I'll pick you up tomorrow after lunch."

"Sounds good. Thanks again, Anton."

I only have a few seconds to react before Ivan and I are alone again. Should I make a run for my bedroom and lock myself in? Should I act normally and perhaps go to the gym since that's what I should be doing now?

"You and I need to talk," Ivan says sternly before I have made a decision, though.

"About what?" I ask innocently, watching him sit at the center of the couch.

"Don't you play that game with me, Aaron. You know what I'm talking about," he growls, raising a threatening finger at me.

For once, he doesn't really impress me. One reason is that he doesn't look at the top of his form and the other is that I trust the legitimacy of my behavior with Marek. I feel in a superior position, and as much as I hate to see him in pain, knowing what he will certainly say, his unfairness has anger immediately rise within me.

"What? Is it about Marek?" I ask with a certain defiance.

"Exactly. When did this start? Anyway, he's fired, I'll get another tutor. I'm not paying him to get into your pants."

"Don't you dare, Ivan!" I shout, but another idea suddenly creeps inside my head. "Or do as you please, it won't prevent me from dating him."

"I WON'T LET YOU!"

What the fuck!?

Wrath has filled his eyes and a different kind of pain is now contorting his features. Or is it fear? I can't figure out what it is exactly, but after a few seconds of a silent glaring contest, a weird idea emerges in my head. No... that can't be it... Could Ivan be... jealous? Impossible. My attempt at kissing him less than two weeks ago didn't leave any form of embarrassment between us, we haven't mentioned it again, and he clearly stated that such a relationship couldn't exist between us, not only because of my minor status, but also for other reasons he didn't want to explain. Besides, he agreed when I said that I could date other guys my age.

So what?

What the fuck is his problem with Marek?

I hate how my own irritation is growing and with my arms crossed over my chest, my nails have already started to dig into the skin of my biceps. I won't let my emotions take control, though, I won't let my anger make me falter and breach the rules he established as far as self-harm is concerned.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly close the distance between us and kneel in front of his feet, willing myself to calm down as I stare at Ivan in a more indulgent way, but with all the resolve I am capable of.

"Ivan," I whisper, gently resting my hands on his knees, "you are going to let me."

In any other situation, I would probably cower away from the intense darkness of his eyes squinting at me, but not today. Today, I just intensify my own gaze and scoot even closer to him.

"Do you remember the conversation we had the other weekend?" I ask softly enough, at least avoiding to breach the rule about insolence and talking back. "Something about me needing to meet other people because I'm a teenager with... needs?"

Ivan doesn't answer. He simply shuts his eyes, trying to pace down his own heavy breathing, and when he reopens them, what I see in these beautiful brown orbs leaves me a bit perplexed. Their resolve is like relief because it means that Ivan knows I merit this, but their sadness... I just don't understand it.

"You agreed to this," I continue, though. "You said I could see other people outside my working hours and for as long as you deem them respectable. Marek is a serious young man. He doesn't do drugs or whatever, and you can't deny that he's been a positive influence on me. I've progressed a lot in the past two weeks, I like to work with him. Besides, we did work until 6. You wouldn't be fair if you interfered with that."

My legitimate arguments and my composed tone seem to make their way to his brain; I know that I am scoring points because Ivan remains speechless. Playing the card of honesty might actually achieve to make him flinch. My only hope is that he won't raise the problem of my minor status against Marek's age. I mean... I'm so close to 18 and it's only two years apart from him.

"And to answer your previous question, it only started today. We just... kissed... and... made out... a bit," I explain, only half-lying but he doesn't need all the details, right? "And to make things clear, he didn't get into my pants. I did... since I was the one who initiated the kiss..." I concluded, unable to contain a slight blush.

Well, that's all I have to say, so I remain silent, staring at my hands nervously brushing his knees, until he finally exhales a long sigh through his nose. As his hand suddenly reaches for my head, playfully ruffling my messy hair, before he reclines against the backrest of the couch, I allow myself a discreet sigh of relief. I believe I won that battle. However, his authoritative aura is back as he stares down at me, so I mentally cross my fingers to get his approval.

"You know I'll be double-checking your work and I swear I'd better not find your progress receding," he finally states in his deepest voice, the one that leaves no place for arguments. "You two can do whatever you want, but it'll have to be outside working hours, understood?"

"Yes, Sir!!" I exclaim with playful eagerness, grinning at the funny expression on his face.

"Good boy. And while we have dinner," he grunts as he rises to his feet with me in his wake, "you and I will have another conversation on STDs and safe sex..."

"Ugh come on, Ivan! We already had one... and even more than one!!" I protest as I follow him to the kitchen.

"You'll just get one more."

"But the last one was only ten days ago!!"

"Yeah, after I caught you blowing a perfect stranger's dick," he growls, scowling at me. "Safe sex is no joke, Aaron. No sex without condoms, is that clear?"

"Hmm..." I only grunt, preparing myself for a painful evening.

Facing away from him, I roll my eyes and get the big bowl of spaghetti bolognaise Anita cooked from the fridge. Damn! Did she think I was going to eat all this by myself? Ivan's arms suddenly winding around my waist have me startle and I nearly slop the dish on the counter.

"Hey... I only care about your safety and health, Menino," he whispers as he steadies the bowl with one hand.

"I know, Ivan, it's just... we don't need to have that talk again."

"And I think it won't be one too many times. Young people are often too careless until accidents happen."

"But I know that. Jayden...," I stammer with a pang to my heart as I think of my late friend, "he'd caught gonorrhea before he died..."

"You see, Aaron," Ivan whispers, making me face him to rest his hands on my shoulders, "that's one example. Gonorrhea is one sexually transmitted disease, one that is quite easily curable, but others are far more serious, uncurable and sometimes deadly. In fact, you should try and see my insistence in a different way. Some teenagers aren't lucky enough to have parents who drill that lesson in their heads. I get that unsafe sex is attractive, bareback feels so good, but are ten minutes of extreme bliss worth a lifetime of health problems?"

"No, you're right... and trust me, Ivan, I do know how lucky I am to have someone like you to... guide me in life."

"Good. So, you'll have to bear with my persistence because I will never ever stop rehashing that message, even once you get to understand it. Let's have dinner now."

While we finish setting the table, I can't help but worry a bit for Ivan who looks quite tired, though it doesn't prevent him from asking about how much work I achieved today while we eat a few minutes later. The details, which he will certainly check after dinner, brighten his mood and he doesn't fail to praise me on the significant progress I have made lately.

"If your stomach's unsettled, perhaps you should have gone for plain pasta... not bolognaise," I suggest when I notice that he has only been picking from his plate.

"I told you, I feel much better, my stomach's fine now."

"Hmm... What did Marcus say exactly?"

"Nothing, Aaron, that I must have eaten something I didn't really enjoy," he retorts with a little hint of annoyance.

"You still look tired," I insist.

"I always do look tired after I've been sick, but truly, I'm fine."

"If you were, you'd go to work tonight."

"Am I disturbing some plans you had?" he smirks, throwing me a meaningful look.

"Absolutely not. My plans for tonight include an hour at the gym and a bit of reading, so you're not disturbing me at all."

"All good then. Glad to hear I'm welcome to stay in my home."

"That's not even what I meant in the first place. And you haven't answered my question."

"Thursdays aren't that busy and I'm a bit tired from the stomachache I had earlier, so that's why I'm staying," he concedes in the end.

"And to give me a lecture..."

"That too. Oh, by the way, talking about Marcus, he and Sam will have dinner here on Monday evening," he adds as a second thought.

"Now that's cool news! I hope Sam won't be sick this time."

"He'll be good, no worries. He's been bugging Marcus to arrange another dinner so that he could meet you more properly."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm..." Ivan hums, shaking his head. "Sam can be quite... childish at times, so that's why I keep saying you too will get along."

"I'm not childish!"

"Of course, not," he replies in a tone that clearly states the contrary.

Just to prove him wrong, I ignore his teasing and avoid another useless argument. To be honest, I'm just too happy with today's events and can't wait for the moment I'll be able to tell the guys I now have a boyfriend, just as much as I am eager to see how things will go with Marek. True, he probably won't let me get into his pants as deep as I'd like to anytime soon since he is a novice in gay sex, but I well intend to at some point.

The only thing that leaves me a bit perplexed is that Ivan didn't raise the question of age here. He did use the fact that I am a minor to reject me when I flirted with him two weeks ago, so why didn't he protest about Marek being 20 and thus too old for me.

Not that I care because I will turn 18 in about a month from now.

Wow... My first birthday ever without my best friends...

My first birthday without our usual silly parties... Silly, but these parties are among my fondest memories.

Except for the last one, obviously.

This one was one of the most disastrous moments of my life, and not even because of what I endured that afternoon.

These bastards' perversion...

Cam squirming and crying, helplessly bound on the floor...

Mark and Josh fighting with those criminals...

You shouldn't go there, Ron. Don't bring back painful memories, they'll only yield more stress and pain.

Yeah, whatever. Those motherfuckers ruined what should have been another perfect afternoon with my best friends. I hate them so deeply. All I hope is that the guys will be alright for this first sad anniversary. Even if it hurts, I hope they'll meet up somewhere and celebrate their entrance in adulthood as they should. Even if that's without me.

Published on 11 March 2020

Here you go with a new chapter, hope you enjoyed :)

This time you got a more mature side of Aaron somehow, and once again, note that Marek is just another temporary character ;)

See ya in a week!