Daniel and JD / The truth hurts
Daniel woke up early, feeling a humid breeze through the open window of the family room. He was on the floor, curled up with JD behind him, wrapped in blankets. His feet were cold, having slipped out of the covers, but he didn't want to move right away.
In his mind he lumped over the events of the night before, both savoring the memories, and scared of what he thought he was becoming. His parents would be so disappointed, he knew. This kind of thing just didn't happen. His father was very proud of him academically and with the swim team, and he knew the old man would be crushed if he knew.
The other problem was that Daniel didn't feel gay. The only male he had ever looked at naked and been excited was JD, and he wasn't sure what that meant. Girls were still attractive to him, but suddenly he didn't want to fantasize about them anymore. When he got horny he saw JD. That scared the hell out of him. And on the same line of thought, he knew that JD would never do anything to give away their secret. He knew JD loved him, and had for a long time.
JD stirred, and he turned to face his partner. Yes, that was a good word for how he felt, his partner. JD's eyes blinked open, and a slight smile appeared on his fox like face. "Morning." Daniel said, smoothing the hair out of the other's face.
"Hi." JD rolled onto his back and stretched hard, groaning. "Jesus, I slept like a rock." He rolled to his feet and trotted down the hall to the toilet. Daniel also stretched, but didn't feel the urge to get up yet. He was awed by the sight of JD walking back into the room naked, carrying two glasses of OJ. He marveled at JD's well-defined body in the early sunlight.
"I need to go to Riverside today," JD said, holding out one of the glasses. "My Dad needs a couple of bails of straw for his garden. Wanna go?"
"Sure."
They cleaned up the house and washed the blankets to get rid of evidence, then showered and dressed for the trip. JD was sorry that they had to put their clothes back on, having enjoyed the last fourteen hours in the nude. He groused about it the entire time they straightened the house up.
"All right!" Daniel shouted at last, grinning. "I promise we can come back here and play nudist colony! Just get the shit done and lets go, or we won't have much time left. Mom and Dad will be home tomorrow afternoon." He smacked JD on the ass to get him moving, then accepted a fast kiss as they passed in the kitchen. He shook his head, watching the other go into the laundry, then finished putting dishes in the washer.
Riverside was several miles outside of town, and was the center for livestock feed, seed, grain, etc., for the county they lived in. It was surrounded by pastures and fields, and made for a relaxing drive. They made sheep jokes, and honked at the cows, enjoying the late summer warmth.
Daniel was looking out the side window at a horse when he nearly hit the windshield. He grabbed the dash and whipped his head around as they pulled off the road. "What happened?"
"That semi that just went by almost hit a guy on a bike. He went in the ditch." JD shut of the Blazer and jumped out, running back the way they'd come. Daniel was right behind him. A hundred yards back they slowed down and found a slide pattern in the dirt at the side of the road. There was a little blood in it. And Daniel winced.
"Holy shit." JD mumbled, dropping into the ditch. It was dry, and in the bottom was a guy about their age, trying to extricate himself from a mangled ten speed bike. His neon yellow and black biking shirt and shorts were ripped and bloody, and his helmet had scrapes on the side. From the way the guy moved he seemed shaken, but not seriously hurt.
"Dude, are you all right?" Daniel asked, dropping into the ditch.
"Yeah," The boy said, allowing JD to help him up. "That asshole nearly got me. I don't know how he couldn't see me." He brushed at the gravel on his thigh and side and cringed.
"He wasn't looking." JD offered. "He was fumbling with something on the passenger seat. I saw it happen."
"Thanks for stopping." The boy held out his hand. "I'm Dane."
"You look kind of familiar," Daniel said, accepting the handshake. "You swim for River High, don't you?"
Dane smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I took your title in freestyle while you were messed up with the leg."
Daniel laughed. "Leave him here, JD, he's a jerk." They all laughed, and Daniel helped Dane up out of the ditch while JD pulled the bike up. It was pretty mangled.
"We can give you a lift home, man. That's my Blazer." JD pointed up the road. "I don't think you'll get far on this, and your walking kind of funny."
They loaded up the bike and set off, following Dane's directions. They came to a remote farm about three mile of the main road. The yard was well cared for, and several newer vehicles were parked in the driveway. They put the mangled bike in the garage and followed him into the house.
"If you have some alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, I'll give you a hand with your back." JD offered, getting a curious look from Daniel. They followed Dane into his room. It gave the appearance of Americana, with sports trophies on bookshelves, pennants on the walls, and everything in perfect order.
Dane's room opened onto a bathroom, and they watched as hey tried to peel the biking shirt off. His face screwed up with pain, and JD offered to help. "Dane. I think you better cut that thing off. Those scrapes are deep and full of rocks."
"Fuck!" Dane snarled. "I just bought these, too." He rummaged in the medicine cabinet and pulled out some scissors. "Just the shirt, ok? Not skin."
"Yeah, no skin. I got it." JD cut straight up the back of the shirt to the zipper, effectively splitting it in half. Daniel helped him peel it to the sides, moving very slowly when he heard Dane hiss with pain. The blood was running fairly free from the wounds, and he took a washcloth of the towel rack on the wall and wetted it.
As JD dabbed at the nasty scrapes, Daniel pulled the rest of the shirt off and handed it to Dane. "How shy are you, dude?" He asked, picking up another was cloth.
"Why?" Dane twisted to see where Daniel was looking.
"The majority of the blood is coming off your hip and ass, Dane. We can either take you into the emergency room, or we can help you finish cleaning up. What do you want done?"
After a short pause, Dane nodded his head. You've seen a lot of guys in the showers. I'm not worried."
Daniel caught JD's eye, and together they pulled the waistband of the shorts away in opposite directions. Dane braces himself on their shoulders, and carefully they pulled the shorts down and off. Dane wore a jock strap that was also torn on one side, and JD snipped the waistband in half and removed it.
If any of them were uncomfortable with Dane's nakedness, it didn't show. They cleaned wounds and removed small rocks, working their way from his side down his leg and around his ass. JD rinsed the wash cloth in cold water often, and soon the bleeding was slowing. They taped gauze pads over the wounds.
"I really appreciate the help." Dane said, limping back into his room.
Dane limped back into his room towards his dresser. Daniel couldn't help but notice that he had an all over tan, which was for some reason exciting. His eyes wandered over the boy's body, causing him to notice someone other than JD for the first time. The attention was not lost on JD or Dane.
"Who's this?" JD asked, picking up a picture of a pretty dark haired girl from the small desk.
Dane rummaged through a drawer in his dresser. "That's my cover girl." He answered, pulling out a pair of bikini briefs and pulling them on.
"What's a cover girl?" Daniel asked, watching the other dress without realizing he was doing so. He was fascinated with Dane's naked form, reminded of last night with JD. It was a real fight not to show any physical reaction.
Dane stopped in the act of pulling on a pair of sweat shorts and fixed Daniel with a knowing gaze. "She's a lesbian. I give her cover, pretending to be her boyfriend, and she returns the favor, pretending to be my girlfriend." He smiled lopsidedly and tilted his head. "I think you'll need one pretty soon."
"You're gay?" Daniel blurted. His palms were suddenly very sweaty, and his pulse started to race. He mentally reviewed the last few seconds of conversation and began to panic. He shot a glare at JD, noticing that he looked amazingly calm. That pissed Daniel off, and he started to formulate an escape plan.
"Relax, man." Dane went back to getting dressed. "You're among family. I have a regular guy that I've been seeing for over a year." He pulled on a sleeveless muscle shirt and turned to JD. "You guys haven't been out long have you?"
"What, are you psychic?" JD asked as he sat down in a small wooden chair. He was more amused by Dane's guesswork than anything else, but was worried about Daniel going ballistic. "What makes you think we're gay?"
"Your buddy's tightly controlled heartattach for one." Dane sat on the end of his bed and put his elbows on his knees, meeting JD's eyes. "Look, it's cool. Your secret is safe. Like I said, I've been seeing a guy for a long time." He motioned Daniel to another chair, bringing him into the conversation. "If you guys are interested in meeting a girl that will help you keep your cover, there's a party tonight."
"There's a lot of these `cover girls' available?" JD asked, intrigued by the idea. He didn't give much of a shit what people thought about him, but keeping Daniel safe was a priority.
"Not a lot, but there's more lesbians around here than you might think, and they want their privacy as much as we do." Dane lay back on his bed, propped on his elbows. "I don't promise anything, because people get along or they don't, but you guys don't act like fags, so odds are you could find someone that would help you out, and you could help them. It allows us to be `normal' as far as the rest of the world knows."
JD glanced at Daniel. He seemed pale, and was silent. There was fear all over his face. "I think it's a good idea, Danny. You said you were worried about what your parents would think. This seams like a way to get the bad man off you back."
Daniel felt exposed, and it took a few seconds to speak. "How many are going to be there," He whispered, "and how do we know they won't call the newspaper, or tell everyone they know?" He looked at JD, eyes pleading. "I think this is a bad idea, and I think we should go."
"No one will tell anyone anything." Dane responded emphatically. "There's about forty of us, and most of us would beat the piss out of anyone that said shit. There's some straight guys, too, that have friends in the group. They damned sure don't want anyone to know that their friends, some of them sports heroes, are gay."
"So you more or less all give each other alibis." JD nodded, satisfied with the idea. "Who thought this up?"
"I'm not sure who originally thought of it. We all bring people in and keep it going." Dane stood up and led them to the front door, still favoring his leg with the road rash. "You can come if you want." He handed JD a slip of paper. "This is my number. Call me if you want to go, and I'll ride with you so you can find it."
Several hours later, Daniel was still brooding. He sat in the back seat of the Blazer and listened to Dane and JD talking. The emotional roller coaster he was on had not settled down at all. In fact, it had gotten worse. It was impossible to get past the idea that he might really love JD, and that the reverse was almost as obvious. This did not mean that he wanted everyone and their dog to know this.
Everything in his mind told him that this was disaster waiting to happen, that he and JD would go down like the Titanic, and that their lives would be ruined. At the same time, his heart told him that he was finally with the person who mattered, who made a difference. Someone that he could love. God, he wished he could time travel back to that day when JDD first touched him, when he was unaware of JD's feelings and his own. When he thought that he was straight.
They arrived to find a large number of people at a private campground listening to loud music and drinking beer and sodas and such. Daniel debated staying in the truck, but was nearly yanked out of the seat by JD. In the near privacy of the side of the Blazer, JD kissed him and reassured him that everything was fine.
Dane led them through the throng of partiers, making introductions and pointing out people from their own school. Daniel was sick. There were two of the football players that he had known for years, and at least one wrestler. He was shocked at the number of female faces he recognized, many of them accompanied by other familiar female faces. He watched as two girls kissed and found it oddly exciting.
"Holy Shit." JD said, jaw dropping in awe. Daniel had been watching the ladies and crashed into his back, nearly knocking them both to the ground. "Looky here, Danny. I think you missed an opportunity a few weeks ago."
Daniel glanced where the other pointed then did a double take. Not far away, near a large tree, stood Stacy Randall. She was actively engaged in a very passionate kiss with a beautiful dark haired girl, seemingly unaware of her audience.
"I'll be fucked...." Daniel mumbled, absolutely stunned beyond words. There stood the woman he was unable to screw, unable to fantasize about, making out with another girl. He glanced at JD and noticed that the other was shaking. It took a minute to figure out that he was laughing, and that tears were rolling down his face.
"What?!" Daniel demanded. He waited for JD to catch his breath.
"Not by her, dude." JD gasped, then dissolved in to hysterics. Daniel shoved him, causing him to fall down, still unable to talk. Daniel started to chuckle, then to laugh. Suddenly all his frustration seemed meaning less, and he pulled JD up and brushed him off before hugging him and laughing too.
"You two are the last people I expected to see here." A familiar voice said, interrupting the moment. Daniel looked into JD's eyes for a second and patted his cheek, then turned towards the voice. "Hi, Stacy." He said, holding his arms out for a hug. "I'm a little shocked myself."
She looked at them both and smiled, accepting the hug. JD put his arms around both of them, still snickering. They made their way to a cooler and grabbed some cokes. JD headed into the crowd to mingle, leaving the former duo to themselves. They sat on a big rock to watch the party, and find out more about themselves.
Daniel became Stacy's cover guy, and a good friend. They made many public appearances, kissing often, and convincing most that knew them that they were the perfect couple. Stacy's partner, Micah, easily fit in with JD to round out the team. Double dates without angst were now the norm, and fear of their hidden selves dissipated rapidly.
Christmas held plans for a big party for the group, and in preparation the four of them were at a tanning salon owned by Micah's mother. They had free run of the place after six PM, and as a result, all sported perfectly browned bodies. Daniel felt the heat die as the timer went off and pushed up the top of the tanning bed. He stood up and went to the other bed in the room and reached in, grabbing JD's penis.
There was a muffled thunk followed by a curse. JD pushed up the top of his bed and rubbed his forehead as he sat up. "Couldn't you just turn it off?" He asked, standing up.
"Let's see if the girls are done." Daniel went to the door and opened it, revealing a dark hallway. Tip toeing, they went to the door across from theirs and listened. They could hear a radio, but no other sounds. JD turned the knob quietly and slipped in followed immediately by Daniel.
Just like them, the girls were nude on the beds, which at one time had seemed strange, but was no longer even considered. They all saw a lot of each other naked, to the point that it was almost the norm anymore. Daniel stepped to Stacy's booth and reached in, poking her in the belly button. Another muffled thunk followed by a curse. He couldn't help it, he started to laugh, spoiling JD's surprise attach on Micah.
"You two need to be beaten." Stacy groused as she got up. Daniel gave her a quick peck on the cheek and raced back to his room, barely escaping a smack on his ass. JD was not so lucky coming in right after, but baring a red hand print on his left buttock. He was laughing like a fool.
"Thanks for leaving me behind, asshole." He grinned and took Daniel in his arms. They kissed deeply, and Daniel felt a hand on his crotch, immediately causing a hardening. "Merry Christmas, Danny."
"Merry Christmas." Daniel put his hand on JD, running his fingers up the length of his shaft and back. Over the last couple of months, as he'd gotten more comfortable with his feelings, Daniel became more aggressive, often leading the sexual interlude where he had once required urging.
He pulled JD closer, rubbing their hardons together, pushing his tongue all the way into JD's mouth. As their breathing became more intense, JD turned towards the booth he'd been in and put his hands on the top, spreading his legs. He liked it when Daniel led, and he was eager to get it on with him before the party.
Daniel stopped to rub tanning lotion on his dick, the stepped behind JD, gently parting his cheeks before entering. He slid in slow, savoring the feel of being enveloped. As he got to the bottom, he reached around and pulled JD up standing, then began to pump JD's engorged member, controlling the rhythm, not letting it get to fast.
With his free hand, he rubbed JD's stomach and chest, as always completely mesmerized be the hard muscles beneath and the silky skin. He felt JD's stomach tighten, and quickened his pace while slowing JD's. They preferred to cum together, and it was a ritual now. He felt the power build in his abdomen, and sort of lost track of the rhythm. There came a point where it wasn't them in control anymore, and he moved in and out more rapidly, trying to bring JD off at the same time.
JD arched his back and groaned loudly, shooting all over his towel on the bed. He spasmed several times, nearly falling over in the process. He felt Daniel pumped hard against him and then shuddered as he achieved his own nirvana. They stood still with Daniel still inside him, head resting on his shoulder, and caught their breath. Carefully JD pulled away and turned to kiss.
"Uh, if you guys are done, we're gonna be late." Micah called through the door.
"Sorry!" Daniel called back. They used a small sink in the corner to clean up, and were out at the Blazer a few minutes later. There was a light snow falling as they drove to the party. It was being held in Dane's family's barn, which they had spent the afternoon helping to decorate.
They arrived early to help with the food despite Daniel and JD's interlude, and were soon swept up by the festivities. After several dances, both with Stacy and with JD, Daniel sat on a bail of hay to rest for a minute and drink something. He watched Micah and JD try to stay in synch while they gyrated and laughed, wondering how someone as awkward as JD was on land could swim as well as he did.
"Mind if I sit down?" Dane asked. Not really waiting for an answer. He put his arm around Daniel and hugged him. "Merry Christmas, Dan."
"Merry Christmas."
They watched the people and listened for awhile, chit chatting. Dane set his glass down and turned towards Daniel, putting his hands on his knees. "Can I ask you something?"
Daniel raised his eyebrows, surprised by the other's serious tone of voice. "Sure. What's up?"
"Do you ever tell JD how you feel about him? I mean how you really feel inside?"
Daniel glanced sideways at Dane, trying to read where this idea was going. "I don't think I know what you mean. Of course JD knows how I feel. I changed my whole life for him."
Dane put his hand on Daniel's knee. "Don't get upset. What I meant was do you tell him that you love him?"
"Not in as many words." Daniel mumbled, resenting the intrusion now. "Why the hell would you ask me that anyway? Isn't that a little too personal?"
"Since you guys joined us, we've gotten to be pretty good friends. I wasn't trying to butt in, I was just trying to help."
"Help me what?" Daniel demanded, loosing his patience.
Dane stood up and held his hands out, placating. "When JD was out here this morning, he saw me talking on the phone with Ricky. When I told him I loved him and would see him tonight, JD mentioned sort of wistfully that it must be nice to hear that from you." He shuffled his feet, looking at the floor. "I'm not trying to interfere, Daniel. I just thought that you would want to know."
Daniel's face was burning. "I need some air. You coming?" He led Dane to the massive barn door, pulling of his sweater as they went. Dane pushed the door open so they could walk through, and Daniel opened the top button on his shirt. The snow was still falling, but very lightly, and they both looked up into the night sky, letting the flakes fall on their faces.
"I am ninety nine point nine nine percent sure that I love JD." Daniel said quietly. "I am equally sure that I don't find any other males attractive in the slightest. That mind fucks me into thinking I'm not really gay, and that since I'm not gay, I can't really love JD. Does that make sense?"
"Yes."
"You're not gonna analyze that?"
"Do you want me to?" Dane pulled out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling into the still winter air.
"You started this, you little shit!" Daniel said harshly. "What the hell do I do?" He kicked the side of the barn in disgust, causing snow to flutter down from the roof. "I am so sick of this constant supply of shit through my head I could scream!"
"Do you love him?"
"I answered that!" Daniel shouted, balling up his fists.
"DO YOU LOVE HIM!" Dane shouted back, face also turning red now.
"YES!" Daniel was only inches from Dane's face, bellowing like an injured animal. His stomach knotted, and heartburn surged into his throat.
"THEN TELL HIM!"
The door creaked open and several faces peeked out showing various stages of concern. Daniel turned, angered by the interruption, and heard Dane snicker. He noticed the wide eyes staring back at him and got the joke. He laughed. God it felt good to laugh. He put his arm around Dane and led him back into the party.
Christmas Eve found Daniel still waiting for the right moment to say it. He stood in Andy's Pizzeria with JD and the girls, waiting to pay the check. They were going to exchange gifts with Micah and Stacy in the Blazer on the way home, then privately between themselves at JD'' house. Daniel couldn't wait to see JD in the bikini underwear he'd gotten him along with some other gifts.
"Go warm up the truck. I'll pay this and meet you outside." Daniel said, standing just right to goose JD without anyone seeing him. JD squawked and cleared his throat, shoot a death stare at Daniel. He held the door for the girls then caught Daniel's eye, running his tongue over his teeth while doing a wolf grin.
Daniel shook his head as they left and turned back to the clerk. The lady in front of him took forever, and finally he got to the counter and handed over a twenty. The cashier had just handed him his change when Stacy burst through the door.
"Danny! There's a fight!" She wailed, grabbing his arm. They ran out to the parking lot, and Daniel immediately spotted three guys in cowboy hats attacking JD. He pelted through the snowy lot and grabbed the closest guy, pulling him away. He ducked as the cowboy swung at him, and returned the missed blow with a strong right hook, knocking the boy onto the ground.
"Stay out of this, fag lover!" Another larger cowboy snarled, shoving Daniel. He fell against the Blazer and glanced at JD, noticing blood on his upper lip. JD head butted the third guy, knocking him temporarily out of the fight and turned on the one that pushed Daniel. His fist landed perfectly, spinning the bigger cowboy against the truck.
Daniel pulled himself up and then took a glancing blow from a baseball bat to the back of his head. He fell to his hands and knees, seeing nothing but sparks. JD jumped over him and grabbed the bat, swinging it to arc with the other's forehead. Daniel looked up and saw JD's out stretched hand and moved to take it.
JD Stiffened and his eyes went wide. He staggered forward before dropping to his knees. The big cowboy stood behind him, his face a mask of rage. Blood gurgled out of JD's mouth and he pitched forward, a knife grip sticking out of his back near the ribs. In the distance sirens were on their way. Daniel caught JD in disbelief, looking up into the murderous eyes of the cowboy that had stabbed him. The cowboy leered a grin at him, then turned and ran, leaving them in the snow.
"JD." Daniel whispered, reality setting in. He looked at the knife, then back into the face he loved, finally making the connection. "OH GOD, NO! JD!" His lover's eyes fluttered and briefly held his, then rolled up into his head. Daniel patted his face, feeling tears start falling. "Oh please, JD, don't leave me here." He pleaded. He looked up at the girls tear streaked faces. "Get some help. Please get some help." He sobbed, looking back down.
The police and ambulance arrived, but went unnoticed. Daniel held JD and wept. When the paramedics arrived, he heard them say that JD had a pulse, but got lost in the techno speak of medicine. They pulled JD's shirt off and wrapped him in bandages before putting him in the ambulance. Daniel went to climb in but was stopped by a well-meaning cop.
"You can't ride with him son." The man said gently with his hand on his shoulder.
"I'm getting in there." Daniel stated.
"They've been together since kindergarten." Stacy offered. "JD's parents are at a relative's house. Daniel is his only family right now."
"He can go." The paramedic called, waiting to pull the door shut. "Come on, Ace." Daniel climbed up and was pushed into a chair as the vehicle started moving. "Just hold his hand and stay out of the way, ok?" The medic said, working quickly over JD. Daniel nodded and took JD's hand, feeling fresh tears on his face.
In the lights of the ambulance, Daniel noticed for the first time that he was covered in blood. His pants stuck to his legs, and his once white shirt was an ugly ruby red. He nearly gagged, understanding were it came from. He closed his eyes tightly, touching JD's knuckles to his forehead.
At the hospital he was pulled out of the way by an enormous black male nurse. The wheeled JD through some doors, closing him out. "Let's see about your eye and the back of your head," The nurse said in a reassuring deep bass voice. He led Daniel to a room and made him lie down on the exam table.
He was given a shot that make him drowsy, and a different nurse put three stitches in above his right eyebrow and seven on the back of his head. He was numb, inside and out, and didn't even notice as he was worked on. His mind would only show him JD'' face with the blood bubbles on his lips. He saw the knife in the harsh lights of the parking lot, and the face of their attackers. He drifted off into darkness.
This story does continue if you've followed it at all. I wanted to get some of the feelings worked through and explore some ideas. I have a vague idea as to where "m headed, but would appreciate suggestions.
Dan.
rimshot@planetaccess.com