Dark Star - Chapter 14

This is the final chapter. I hope you enjoy.

ARCH HUNTER

Dark Star

Chapter 14

The photo a newspaper published of us the next morning is going pretty viral. The picture appears on my Twitter timeline time after time. Rufus and I are standing on the porch, with Dad in the middle and his hands on our shoulders. Our smiles may be misgiving for someone who doesn't know what had happened only ten minutes before it was taken - and that is literally everyone in the world but the three of us and Mom. My obscene blackeye makes it even more abstract. While strong enough to knock me out, Dwight's second punch luckily left only a small bruise around my right eye. It could be worse. What matters is that thousands of people share the photo on social media with captions like "a die-hard local conservative politician shoots a teenager tormenting his LGBT son." Oh well. Just a week ago, I was too scared to even come out to my family or friends. Now I'm out to the entire country and abroad. I feel kinda relieved. I'll never have to come out to anyone again in my life.

The story is everywhere. I get so many phone calls that I'm forced to record a short busy message and turn off the device altogether. I keep reading the headlines and the articles. "A teenager beaten up in a homophobic attack. Assailant shot by the victim's father." "A father of an assaulted gay teen wounds the attacker in self-defense." I can't believe we've become famous overnight. To my relief, all the articles and most comments are very supportive. Some even express pity that Dwight wasn't sent straight to hell. I don't relate to these. Dad was right to aim at his leg and not at his skull. And it's not even about the fact that Dad might've not gotten away with it because Dwight was unarmed and didn't actually enter the house. I just don't believe Dwight's stupidity should cost him his life.

While Dad quickly becomes something of a national hero, I start seeing commenters from left and right involved in some heavy mental gymnastics. The liberal voices focus on the homophobic bully and how the fight for equal rights and tolerance is still an ongoing struggle, calling for decisive anti-bullying actions, especially at schools. The conservative ones celebrate the second amendment and talk about the "conservative father defending his family," not caring to mention the cumbersome details. I even saw a few edits of the photo with Rufus cropped out. Extreme individuals on both sides go for each other's throats, accusing of diminishing the relevant side of the story to support their respective agendas. But these are isolated cases. Most people are just happy that, once again, good triumphed over evil. It's encouraging to see people unite for once.

There's also this other group - unaffiliated and unpolitical - focusing on what a cute couple Rufus and I make. I've never seen so many comments asking for more photos of us two; some even ask for videos. I'm not sure what to think about it. I guess I'm flattered, Then Rufus shows me a very suggestive manga fanart, and I tell him I want to unsee it. He just laughs at me, wondering when I have become such a prude. But that's not it. I just don't want to become a teenage gay sex icon. Still, I enjoy these comments much more than the political ones.

Some graphics that emerge in the next couple of days are hilarious. Probably the most insane one is a drawing of Dad screaming and firing two assault rifles into the air while Rufus and I cower behind him, cuddling together in fear. Almost naked, too. In the background, there's an eagle and the national flag smoothly turning into rainbow colors.

"Do you think we can report it?" I ask Rufus when he shows it to me.

"I'm setting it as my phone background."

"No, you're not!"

Rufus gives me a smile and shakes his head. "I was kidding. I already have my new background picture. Look."

I take the phone from his hands and see myself sitting on my bed, wearing my briefs and a wifebeater. I have that silly, helpless grin because I was in a good mood - if a little sore. It was moments after I learned that Dwight was in the hospital and his life wasn't threatened. I watched enough movies to know that a damaged leg artery could kill you just as efficiently as a direct headshot, so it was a genuine relief.

It's funny that I don't hold a grudge towards Dwight, even though I spent two hours in the hospital getting scanned for possible fractures and internal damage. On our way home, I watched the video that Rufus had made. I felt proud when I saw myself dodging Dwight's first swing and downing him with a vicious fist to the chin. I cringed when I saw him hit me in the stomach and then knock me out with a punch. But I didn't feel any hate. I felt pity. The dude had destroyed his life because of his thick skull. Did I forget that he wanted to hurt me, Rufus, and maybe even my family? No, and I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him. But even in the best-case scenario, he's still fucked for life. The video leaves little doubt, if any. He called me slurs and continued being aggressive on our property even after Dad and I had warned him multiple times. No college will ever take him in, and he may never find a respectable job unless he changes his identity or moves out of the country. His weightlifting career is over, too, even if the leg wound leaves no long-term implications. Our school's principal, Mrs. Yates, released an urgent statement announcing Dwight's suspension, but everyone knows he will be expelled after all the evidence has been reviewed.

Last but not least, literally no one on the Internet or in real life seems to sympathize with him. Not even his friends. Clyde called me and said that the guy who had visited me with Dwight got arrested after the police saw Rufus's video. The whole weightlifting team is allegedly mad at Dwight for taking his grudge too far. And they might get even madder because Rufus said he would tell the cops about the mall incident. I can't blame him. This is going to be an earthquake.

I get a week off from school to heal my injuries. Not sure why. I don't feel too much pain anymore, and I'd rather go and face the outside world as soon as possible, but Mom and Dad wouldn't hear of it. Sunday passes, and Rufus goes to school as if nothing happened. I was skeptical about it but calmed down when Tim promised to escort him in his car. I know it's not likely, but I wouldn't like Dwight's revenge-seeking friends to gank him in a dark alley or whatever.

Still, I feel relieved when Rufus comes home after Monday's classes. He convinced his mom to let him stay with me for a few more days. I'm grateful because being locked up alone with Mom and Dad... I wouldn't survive. They bravely repel anyone trying to bother me, including news stations, nosy neighbors, but also all my friends. Rufus is the only one allowed from outside the family.

Dad gave a few interviews yesterday but didn't let anyone inside. He did them on the porch - I could see him talking to some reporters from my window. I'm surprised he wasn't wearing his gun holster. I'm not interested in what he had to say, but Rufus shoves it in front of my eyes after changing to home clothes.

"Watch it. It's gold," he says with excitement.

"I don't know about it..."

"Trust me, it's a good one. Just watch the few last questions," Rufus says and presses play on his phone. Dad stands there, his hair flowing in the wind, talking to a microphone with a logo of a major news station.

"Michael, people have been talking about live streams where you repeatedly bash LGBT. Were you aware that your son was gay?"

Not gay, girl, go and do your research.

"No, I wasn't aware of that," Dad says firmly.

"How does it relate to your views and the views of your party, which have been labeled by many as extremely conservative?"

"Kathy, I know what I said, and I don't back out on a single word. Do I believe that gays deserve equal rights? Yes. Do I believe it's not the most urgent matter our community faces? Also yes. This attack was not an attack on LGBT or any other political agenda. It was an attack on my son and my family. I won't hesitate to defend them if it ever happens again."

"And how did you react when you learned about your son's sexual orientation? There've been voices of concern for your son's well-being, considering your old remarks on the traditional family."

"Voices?" Dad asks and looks straight at the camera. "Let me state once and for all. I love my son, and I love his boyfriend. I haven't known Rufus for too long, but when I first saw him, I told Tyler - stick to this boy, son. Look, I said many things in my past, and yes, some of them were wrong. But this wasn't one of them. Rufus is a part of our family and will always be if I can help it."

"Michael, the assault happened just three days before the city council election. Do you think it will affect the vote results?"

"I don't know, Kathy. I suspended my campaign to take care of my family, and that's the only thing..."

This is where Rufus pauses the video. "So, what do you think?"

"He spoke from his heart," I nod. "But when she asked him about his reaction to us being boyfriends, I regret he didn't say all of it."

"How he cried happy tears and tried to squeeze the air out of our lungs for fifteen minutes?"

"Exactly."

"Maybe it's good. No one would've believed it."

"I still can't believe it myself. Did it really happen, Rufus?"

"My ribs still hurt," he says, winking at me.

So do mine. It was a wholesome moment because I hadn't seen Dad so happy in years. Mom stood there with her pursed lips, too ashamed to join us. We pulled her into a hug later when Dad was done with us, and more tears were shed.

Rufus sits on the bed next to me and rubs my shoulder. "So, how do you feel?"

"Good, actually. I wanna go back to school as soon as I can. How are things there?"

"Oof, tiring. First thing in the morning, Mrs. Yates herded us to the gym and briefed us on what had happened. She said everyone should stay quiet and not panic because the situation was under control."

"Did it work?"

"Not really. Everyone freaked out and made me repeat the story over and over. Thank god the school is closed tomorrow for election day."

"You're right," I say. "It means we can hole up here."

"Exactly. Now, turn around," Rufus says, tapping my hand.

"Uh, why?"

"You'll see."

I touch his chin gently and do what he says, lying on my belly. I feel Rufus straddle me and count my heartbeats when I feel his hands on my back. He's running them up and down until he goes up to my shoulders and squeezes gently.

"Uhh..." I moan.

Then he squeezes harder and starts kneading my upper body like dough. From time to time, he runs his index finger up and down my spine before resuming the massage.

"Uh..."

"How does it feel?"

"Great. I needed it. Keep going."

"I wasn't about to stop," Rufus says and leans in to kiss my neck. His smell is almost as comforting as his touch, and I feel like I'm dissolving, becoming one with my bed. "You were amazing back then," he whispers to my ear.

"You told me before," I say reluctantly. I've seen enough comments online calling me a hero, and I'm glad that Dad stole the show. Somehow, I still feel like it's all my fault, and none of this would happen if I hadn't pretended to be someone else all these years. I know it's irrational, but I can do nothing about it. Being called amazing feels undeserved.

"And I'll tell you again. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Rufus," I mumble, my face partially squished in my mattress.

"And since we're officially boyfriends..." he says, putting his whole body weight on top of me.

"Are we?"

"That's what everyone says. Anyway, since we're boyfriends, I've been getting ready for you. And I'm almost ready."

My brain feels numb, partially from the beating and partially from the backrub. It takes me a good while to understand what he's talking about. I finally do when Rufus presses his hips against my butt, and I sense something rigid even though he's still wearing his jeans.

"Are you sure, Rufus? You know there's no hurry, right?"

"I know. We're taking it slow," he says, kissing my neck again. I feel better than ever and fall asleep in bliss.

***

It's Tuesday. Election day is here. Dad canceled all his plans. He and Mom will go voting after their coffee, but other than that, we're spending all day at home.

"Why don't we invite Rufus's family for lunch?" I ask after we've finished breakfast.

Mom and Dad share glances, look at Rufus, and then back at each other.

"Honey?" Dad eventually asks Mom, suggesting it should be up to her.

"I don't hate the idea," she says.

"Yes, me neither. I'd love to meet them, as a matter of fact," Dad says, carefully testing the waters.

"I don't have anything special planned for today," Mom thinks about it, and she's on her way to the kitchen, where I can hear her opening the fridge. "Rufus, do your Mom and brother like lamb?"

"They're not picky, Mrs. Webb," Rufus calls back. "But they might have something else planned for today. I can call Mom and ask."

"No need. I had a good chat with Janice on Saturday. I'll call her myself. Tyler, clean up the house a little when we're gone."

"Okay, Mom." Thank god she can't see me rolling my eyes. I thought it was a brilliant idea until now.

Rufus's mom initially declines because of other plans, but just ten minutes later, she calls Mom back, saying she can make it after all. And Tim and Tess will be there, too.

"I didn't see that coming," I tell Rufus after the parents are gone voting, and the door is locked. "How do you feel about it?"

"I don't mind. This could get interesting."

"I kinda wanted to tell Mom that she should ask you for your opinion, but I didn't want to make her feel bad."

"It's fine, Tyler. I wanted it to happen, eventually," he adds, struggling to pull out a vacuum cleaner from the broom closet.

"What are you doing?"

"Your mom told us to clean up, right?"

I stand up, come to him and grab the cleaner's handle, but he doesn't let go. "She told me to clean up. You're a guest. Now go do your homework or whatever."

I say all that with a smirk, but suddenly Rufus is all confrontational and pulling the handle his way. "I'm not a guest. You heard your dad. Only the household members are allowed through that door. That makes me one. Now let go!"

He pulls the vacuum cleaner once more, and I'm so baffled by it that it slips from my hands.

"Fine with me, Mr. Household Member. I'll just do the dishes."

We work in silence for half an hour, and when we're happy with the results, we go upstairs to my... to our room.

Rufus sits on the bed and taps his knees somewhat nervously. A household member or not, he's still uneasy when he doesn't know what to do with himself. I walk to the little mirror on my desk and examine the bruise above my eye. It's gonna be there for a while. The red spot on the white of my eye also looks worrying, but the doctor said it's just a broken blood vessel and will dissolve over time.

"Is it healing?" Rufus asks from behind.

"Yeah... I think," I say and turn around to him. "Would you still like me if I stayed like that forever?"

"Stop saying that... and come here."

I take a few steps in his direction and sit next to him.

"Let's see..." he says thoughtfully and stretches out my eyelids with his fingers. He looks closely. So closely that I can see his hazel eyes in all detail, his intelligence sparking from them as he examines me. "You'll be fine. Aren't you happy about it?"

"About the bruise?"

He lets go of my eye. "Yes. You kept saying you deserve a punch."

I think about it for a second and comb his hair. "I thought it would make me feel better, yes. Now I feel like I helped fix a problem I had caused myself in the first place."

"Hey," he looks at me seriously. "It's not your fault Dwight is a jerk and homophobe."

"Maybe not, but I empowered him. Do you think I didn't know who he was? I did. I just rationalized all the bad stuff. I still hung out with him, pretended to be straight, and joined in when he teased you or others."

"Do you think he would change if you didn't?"

"No, but he would never overreact like this. It wasn't just about me liking boys. He thought I made a fool out of him. Did he care when you came out?" I ask. "Apart from his regular teasing, he would've left you alone."

"Regular teasing is just what made me hate going to school, you know?"

I look him in the eyes. He's right, as always. It's better to set the bomb off than to have it ticking next to your ear for the rest of your life. But deep down, I know there was a way to disarm it. If only I had the balls from the start...

"No more regular teasing, Rufus," I just say. "No more teasing at all. If anything good can come out of it, it should be that."

***

The dinner goes better than expected. Dad, Tim, and Tess are entertaining enough that I don't feel obligated to speak much. Especially since they don't even talk about the Saturday incident that much. Thankfully, the power crisis and gas prices outrage them even more. After we finish eating, I'm forced to tell the story again, including all the background of my friendship with Rufus and Dwight. I try not to whitewash myself, but I omit entirely the story of my failure to come out to Mom the other day. I wonder if we're ever going to talk about it. I won't insist.

Dad's in the middle of telling how his friends laughed at him for cleaning his guns every day when the lights go out, and the music stops. We're in complete darkness.

"... as I was saying," Dad says cynically as Mom stands up to light the candles. "Nothing new in this part of town. I was going to show you photos from my college trip to Africa, but it has to wait till the next time."

"We have to go anyway," Tim says, and he and his girlfriend stand up.

"Great food. Thank you for having us," Janice says. She's barely said a word all evening except for a few hushed exchanges with Mom. "Rufus?"

"I'd like to stay for a couple more days, Mom. Until Tyler gets better. I'm helping him with the classes he missed."

"You're in good hands, so no objections here. Just don't move out for good yet."

"I won't, Mom."

A few minutes later, they leave us in the candle-lit living room. Dad produces a deck of cards, and we play for a while before Rufus, and I retreat back upstairs.

"We'll be closing the door tonight," I tell Mom and Dad before we go. Nobody says anything, so I add, "you guys are making too much noise in the morning."

In the room, I light a lonely candle on my bed frame. It barely gives any light, but that's what I need. I feel a bit tired and don't want my headache to return.

I hug Rufus closely, relieved to be able to spend the rest of the day in our room.

"I stink," he says. "I need a shower."

"Should we shower together?" I suggest.

"Okay," he says shyly.

"You sure?"

"Yes," Rufus steps away and takes off his t-shirt. "I don't want to walk alone around the house in the darkness."

"Fair point," I say.

Without another word, we get ourselves down to our briefs. There's a separate bathroom upstairs, so we're not at risk of bumping into anyone.

"Hold my hand," I whisper and lead Rufus out of the room. It feels like a sneaking game, and despite the old battery radio playing downstairs, we instinctively walk on our toes before closing the bathroom door behind us. The small room has no windows, and I can't see his face even though I'm virtually holding him in my arms.

"It's so dark. We should've taken our phones," Rufus whispers to me.

"Don't worry, Rufus, I know this place as... Ouch!" I cry out when I hit the shower frame with my elbow.

"Be careful, dork," Rufus giggles.

"I'm not a dork," I say and take off my briefs. By the sound of it, Rufus does the same. A minute later, I get us under the shower and start the water.

"Little tight in here," Rufus notices.

I don't say anything. I just grab his hips and pull him closer to me.

"Oh god," I almost cry as I feel his naked body pressing against mine. His skin is so smooth and perfect, and his body so slim. I run my hands up and down his body. My grand prize. Do I deserve it? I don't know. It doesn't matter. He's mine now.

"I missed it so much," Rufus whispers and rubs my chest. I pull him into a kiss, and my dick goes from soft to rock hard in just a few heartbeats - and so does his. We grind our crotches together and make out in the darkness.

"Should we do it here or take it back to our room?" I breathe out and stroke his cute dick in my palm.

"Back to the room, definitely. But first, let's actually wash."

It's not easy. Rufus's naked presence is palpable even though I can't see my hand in front of my eyes. Each time we grind against each other and our erections touch, I have to fight the urge to escalate this here and now.

We wash and dry ourselves without serious injuries, although there are a few giggles when we bump into each other or other objects. We wrap ourselves with towels, and I quietly open the bathroom door to make sure the coast is clear.

"Come on," I whisper, and we quietly sneak through the corridor back to the safety of the bedroom.

"I don't remember you lighting so many candles," Rufus notices.

"Because I didn't."

I look around, and there are four more candles all over the room. Only one person could've left them here.

"She just has to stick her fingers in everything," I moan in resignation.

"Hey, Tyler, it's fine," Rufus says and takes my hand. "You look sexy in this light."

I look down at us, and damn, I have to agree. The room is dim but sufficient to cast light on every limb and body part. I want to snatch his towel away and jump on him, but I convince myself to take it slow.

"Fine. You don't look bad yourself. Hey Rufus... remember when I said I had a surprise for you?"

"Yeah... I think so. What was that again?" he asks, clearly confused.

"I was gonna show it to you on Saturday, but that asshole ruined our evening," I smirk.

"Okay," Rufus chuckles, "what is it then?"

"Just sit on the bed and close your eyes."

Rufus sits obediently, closes his eyes, and I kneel behind him. I take my headphones from the nightstand and connect them to my phone. Then, I put them on Rufus's head.

"Should I be scared?" he asks.

"Absolutely not," I whisper. "Just relax."

I tap on my phone for a few seconds and play an audio clip, making sure the volume is just fine.

"I know what it is," he smiles.

"Shh..." I shush him. "When we met, you mentioned that you're into ASMR."

"You remembered..."

While the ambience we recorded on the eclipse day plays in the headphones, I gently touch the skin on his neck. I barely graze his thin hair and the naked skin of his back. Rufus starts breathing deeply. I explore his skin with my fingertips and watch as it electrifies and gets covered in goosebumps. I take my time, trying to feel his most sensitive spots. Then I move to his ears and face, and a slight hum escapes his mouth.

"That tickles," he whispers.

I laugh and continue touching, exploring, feeling. I notice a bulge tenting the towel at his crotch. It's working. When I feel his breath shorten, I stop.

"Keep your eyes shut," I whisper.

I lean closer, and I start kissing his neck. My hand travels down and dives underneath his towel to find a hot, hard tool begging to be touched and played with.

"Oh god," Rufus moans.

I kiss his shoulder, and he arches his back. My hand strokes Rufus's cock slowly while I kiss and bite him. I reach behind his balls and stroke his shaft, teasing him with my fingers. I pop his testicles between two fingers and pinch them lightly, making him groan. After a minute, I let go of them and resume stroking his hard-on.

That's when Rufus takes off the headphones and throws them aside. He turns back and plants a passionate kiss on my lips, panting and whimpering as if trying to eat me alive.

While our tongues dance, I unwrap the towel from him and throw it on the floor. He does the same with mine. For a few minutes, we roll on the bed, groping, touching, and making out, completely lost in the heat of the moment. Then, Rufus wraps his fingers around my dick. I moan and push my hips to meet his hand.

"Do you like it when I do this?" Rufus asks breathlessly

"Yesss," I groan and push again. The motion feels as natural as if I've been doing it every day of my life.

"I want you too."

My brain goes crazy. The boy who just a few weeks ago struggled to find the courage to look me in the eyes when talking to me now is clawing at my back, letting me fuck his hand and asking for more.

"My bag, next to the bed," Rufus whispers impatiently. I grab it and find it empty except for a little plastic tube bottle. I sit up, towering over the boy who is now breathing hard, his eyes looking at me with pure desire from below a sweaty forehead. I apply a healthy glob of lotion to my dick and smear it all over. As on cue, Rufus spreads his legs and lifts his bum a little. I steal a look at his pink, hairless hole, and oh god, I want him so bad. The boy flinches when my lubricated finger touches his entrance. I try it a couple times, and to my surprise, it lets me in without much resistance, and his sphincter clenches around my fingertip.

Rufus tenses up and inhales abruptly but then slowly starts breathing, and I move my finger back and forth. "Mmm..." he moans and closes his eyes. Damn, and it's not even the real thing yet. When I feel he's pretty relaxed and loosened up, I take out my finger and spread his legs more.

"Hold your ankles like that, Rufus," I tell him, and I readjust myself to aim at him with my dick. It looks so large, threatening his small hole, but I don't care anymore. I support myself with my hands and press my dick head. Gently at first, then slowly increasing the pressure, waiting for him to let me in.

Rufus whimpers and jerks his legs to the sides. I wait until he relaxes and try again. I push forward a little harder this time, and Rufus cries out.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Ow, ow... yeah, fine. Don't stop, please."

I push a bit more, and Rufus hisses when I breach his sphincter.

"Oh god... it's good, don't stop," he directs me, out of breath.

I push another inch deeper, and Rufus yells out. I don't want to scare him, so I pull back a bit before increasing the speed. My dick slowly disappears inside him, and Rufus cries out, but not in pain. If anything, he sounds relieved. A few more thrusts and I'm as deep as I can be.

"I'm all in, Roof," I breathe out. "Good boy."

"I know... I feel," he grunts. I grab his hands and give him another minute to calm down.

"Can I go?" I ask.

Rufus nods, not wasting his breath on words, and I start fucking him. He moans and pushes his hips to meet my thrusts. He grabs my ass and squeezes it so hard it hurts, but it also feels incredibly sexy. The lotion lets me slide in and out with ease, and his ass feels fantastic. Even the sensation of being sucked pales in comparison. Every inch of my dick feels massaged by his insides, and I start moving faster and bolder.

"Mhmm... mhmm..." Rufus moans with every thrust, his eyes closed and mouth slightly open. "Oh wow, Tyler, that feels so good." I shove my dick in as deep as possible, and Rufus yelps loudly. The sound of his voice sends a shiver through my spine.

"Feeling good?" I ask, not slowing down.

"Mhmm... yeah... mhmm..."

His hand releases my ass and reaches for his erection, which I feel pressing against my thigh. Rufus strokes himself, and I grip his hip, encouraging him to keep going. He pumps his dick a few times before turning towards me.

"I want you to cum inside me," Rufus whispers and kisses me.

"So do I," I reply and pull out for a second, only to line up my cock head with his hole again.

"Do it, baby; I want it so bad."

I push forward, and Rufus grunts. His hole grips my shaft tightly, and I push in even further.

"Fuuuck! Ohh godddd," Rufus gasps and pulls on my left thigh. I start fucking him again, slow but steady. I need to be careful not to hurt him. I dare to press him down with all my weight and slowly increase the tempo. We quickly turn into a hot ball of sweat as I fuck him with all I got.

At times like this, I'm glad I can last long. But Rufus can't. He starts moaning uncontrollably, and I look down just in time to see him cum. His hot seed lands on my belly and then, when the shooting loses intensity, starts covering his pubic area.

"Don't stop," Rufus pants, coming down from his orgasm. "Cum in me."

I can feel his hole tighten around my dick as he begs me to fill him up. I grip his hips tight and plunge forward, burying myself to the hilt.

"Ahhh... Ahh... Mhmm..."

I push hard and hold it there. Rufus is panting heavily, thrusting his hips into mine, and trying to make me continue. I grab them with both hands and start pounding him with all I have. I can feel my balls tighten and my dick twitching inside.

"Here it comes," I pant and push in one last time. I hold my breath, and my dick starts spasming and shooting deep inside him. All my muscles relax against my will, and I collapse at Rufus. We're both panting, and our bodies are sweaty and sticky. I've never felt so good, and I doubt I ever will.

"That was incredible, Tyler," Rufus whispers.

We lie there for a moment, and then he nuzzles into my neck. I'm still buried inside him, realizing I'm not looking forward to disengaging.

We stay like that for a long time, listening to our slowly calming breaths and heartbeats. The feeling of the sweat cooling down on my body is so refreshing. I never expected sex to be such a workout. I reach down and pet his hair.

"This is nice, isn't it?" I say softly.

Rufus nods and sighs happily.

"I love you, Rufus."

"I love you too, Tyler."

We kiss again, and once more, I start moving inside him. Can hardly get enough of this feeling. But it's not like jerking off where I can just take a ten-minute breather and do it again. Despite the generous amount of lube we used, my cock skin feels sore, and I may need a day or two to fully regenerate. Not that we have to hurry. Looks like we have all the time in the world.

Eventually, I have to pull out. I lie next to Rufus, and he snuggles close to me. I stare at the ceiling, silently contemplating what we just did. I didn't imagine it happening for at least a few more weeks, maybe months. It doesn't matter. Even as I'm coming down from my high, the only thing I know is that I want to do it over and over again.

"Hey," I poke him after a while, "how do you feel?"

"Fantastic," he says. "Still feel you in me."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

I run my hand up and down his back.

"What about you, Tyler?" Rufus asks.

I smile and kiss him.

"I feel wonderful. You were amazing, Rufus."

"Thanks. You too."

We stay like this for a long time, basking in the comfort of being close and in love. Rufus massages my belly with his hand, and I feel like I could die right now. After some twenty minutes, Rufus starts stirring and purring like a cat, and I pull him closer with my arm.

"Are you sleepy?" I ask him.

"Not really. Why?"

"I want to do something, but I need to get up."

"No...."

"Rufus..."

"Just kidding. Do it if you must."

I get up from the bed and go to the window. The neighborhood looks weird with all the lights out like it's a zombie apocalypse or something. I can see a few dim lights in some windows. Candle manufacturers must be celebrating. What if it's all one big candle lobby conspiracy? Shit. I can't say a word to Dad... he'll completely believe it.

"What are you doing?" Rufus asks, standing up.

"I just got an idea. Get dressed. We're going on the roof, Roof."

"Don't call me that!" He laughs and comes next to me. "And why are we going to... oh, I see!"

We quickly clean ourselves up, get dressed, and leave the room. I open up the roof trap door and set up the ladder.

"What are you doing?" Mom calls me from downstairs, pointing at me with her phone flashlight.

"Taking the telescope to the roof!"

"Tyler, you can't..." I wait for her to finish, but she can't find words. "What if it falls and breaks?"

"We'll be really careful, Mom."

The telescope isn't big, but it's pretty heavy. I climb the ladder and wait for Rufus to pass it up. As carefully as I can, I pull it through the trap door and stabilize the stand on the roof. Rufus climbs right after me and looks around. Without the city lights, the sky is full of stars you won't ever see unless you drive into the wilderness for a long time.

"It's so beautiful," Rufus whispers quietly as if his voice could disturb something lurking in the dark.

"It looks like half of the town is out of power," I notice.

"How long do you think it's gonna last?"

"Hopefully, at least for another hour. This thing takes some time to set up."

Rufus comes closer and watches as I use the knobs to aim the telescope higher at the sky.

"Can I help?" he asks.

"Yes. Check online where the Andromeda Galaxy is right now."

"I don't have to," he says. "It should be right there, near Cassiopeia."

"Are you sure?" I give him an impressed look, but I'm not surprised.

"Yeah. I can try and find it if you tell me which knobs do what."

"Here," I say and step away from the telescope. "It's actually very easy. This knob makes it look up or down; this one moves it left and right. And this thing here..."

"It's for sharpness, right?" he finishes for me and starts manipulating the controls without wasting more time. I smile to myself. It's been a while since I saw him so focused and determined. Can't believe I made love to this beautiful creature less than fifteen minutes ago.

"Tyler, Tyler!" Rufus exclaims with excitement and beckons me, not taking his eye away from the eyepiece.

"What?"

"I have it! It's there! Just let me adjust a little bit... holy!"

"Do you like it?" I ask and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Do I?! It's so cool! I saw it in photos before, but it looks so close! And it's so far away..."

Just like you were when I first talked to you, I think to myself.

Rufus turns the knob and continues, "it sucks that it keeps escaping."

Just like you... I start forming another poetic analogy, but I chase it away.

"Yeah, because of the Earth's rotation," I just say.

"Duh, I know. But did you know that Andromeda and the Milky Way are on a collision course?"

"I did. Do you think we'll meet some sexy aliens?"

"Very funny."

I shut up for a second, letting Rufus enjoy the view of our closest galaxy.

"It's a shame," I say after a short pause, and Rufus looks away from the telescope.

"What's a shame?"

"That we didn't get to speak at that conference."

"Aww," he says and hugs me close. "I totally forgot about it."

"Yeah. It's this Thursday. Imagine us on the scene. Me with the blackeye."

"You look cute," he says and gives me a peck. "We could kiss in front of everyone during the eclipse part."

"Yeah... actually, I have a confession to make, Rufus."

"What is it?"

"Well, here it goes. I really wanted to kiss you when we presented for the class."

"No way!" he chuckles.

"Yes way. You looked so cute in your element. If you were standing closer to me, then... who knows."

"You can kiss me now."

I do just that. We break after a minute, and I pull his hand down. We lay on the roof and silently watch the stars for a while.

"I've never seen so many of them," Rufus says.

"Right? I see how people used to stare at the sky so much in the past."

"Yes. Now we barely ever look up anymore."

"We should move out one day and live in a shack in the wild." When I say it, I imagine us living in a trailer somewhere in the middle of the desert or in the mountains. I don't know how we'd make a living, but the vision is cozy.

"Tyler?"

"Yeah?"

"You never asked me about my dad. About what he did."

I look at Rufus, but his moist eyes are glued to the sky. I swear I can see every star reflecting in them.

"I didn't. There was never a good time. But it doesn't mean I didn't care. It's just that... I don't want to scratch your old wounds."

"It's fine, Tyler. I'll never forgive him for what he did, but I feel like I should remember everything about him, good or bad."

"Then tell me. If you have to live with it, I wanna live with it, too." I pause and add, "I think I saw the guy's family at the funeral."

"Yeah..." Rufus turns his head to me with a weak smile. "It's not a thrilling assassin story. And no, he didn't kill a bad guy to save our family. Like you saw, the guy left a wife and three kids."

"I don't need the details, Ruffles. Just give me the rough picture. And I want to hear about all the good stuff, too. Like, what you talked about when you visited him in prison and all."

"Stop it with the nicknames!" he chuckles. "Oh wait, I actually like that one."

"What, Ruffles?"

"Yeah. But don't call me that again."

"Hey, you said you liked it."

"I do, but I like my real name more."

"Okay, Rufus. I like it too."

I find his hand, and we lay there, just staring into the sky again, all other matters forgotten for the time being. I'll ask him another time.

Just then, the street lights come back to life. All stars disappear, and, for a second, the night seems almost as bright as day.

THE END

***

This was Dark Star. Thank you for reading. Thank you for your amazing emails. Thank you for expressing your thoughts and feelings across these 14 chapters. Writing makes me happy but it's not a full experience without the readers' feedback and what I got is more than I could ever hope for. Big thanks for all the shy readers, too. I hope you enjoyed : )

If this story didn't leave you indifferent, please consider sending me quick note to let me know what you thought. That would mean a lot to me archhunter420@gmail.com

And to all the Rufuses out there - stay strong! This story was for you.

Get Dark Star ebook here

JUMP! - a BL/Yaoi visual novel I'm working on with my friend Loek has a free demo now. It's short, cute, and a little NSFW. You can download it here