At the last recitation section of the semester, Gillian asked Dave if he could stay behind for a few minutes. "Gillian? Did I do something wrong?" She laughed "Oh, no no no Dave. If my tone gave that impression, I apologize. I had some information for you and some things to think about." "Ok, should I be sitting." "Let's sit, unless you have time for me to treat my favorite student to coffee." He blushed. "Coffee sounds good Gillian. I hope I don't get caught brown nosing." That made her laugh even more.
As they settled into a booth in one of the many cafes that surrounded the university, Gillian started. "First, Dave , let me tell you that if 1/3 of my students were as good as you, I could retire a happy woman." "Gee, thanks. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm grubbing, but you were a great TA. Are you doing second semester?" "No, they try to vary the students, so I'll be going off into dissertation land, but please keep in touch! Anyway, what I wanted to tell you - and I KNOW how you're going to answer this - Professor Grossfeder met with Gabe and I, looked over your quizzes, and the paper, and your other work, and you have two options: you can skip the final, and study for your other classes, and you'll get an A. If you take the final and do decent, you'll get an A+. " She was smiling. "So, Dave, it's up to you: how valuable is that "+?" I think I know the answer." "Gillian, I'm taking the exam. Not for the + either." "Ok. Can I ask why?" "I'm a student just like everyone else. I don't want the extra courtesies if no one else is going to get them." She smiled. "You know, my father was a career military man, Dave. It's EXACTLY the answer he would give. By the way, you'll have no problem with the final. Trust me." He smiled shyly. "Now, more to the point, Grossfeder spoke with Spelling, just after you signed up for second semester, and again, they , Gabe and I caucused. Dave, you have a flair for ancient history. I know you're a freshman, so you haven't declared a major yet. Have you considered this field?" Dave sighed "Well, I enjoyed this class much more than I thought I would. I hope second semester is as good. But I don't know about a major. I mean, I was talking with Gabe, and... "And he told you not to tell anyone that he's going to medical school because this field is dead." Dave looked up. "Why did he tell me not to tell anyone if everyone knows?" "Because Gabe is like that. It's sort of a mix of trying to be discrete, but also trying to get caught with his hand in the cookie jar. You see it in a lot of gay men his age. " "Gillian, how old is he?" "Hmmm. Good question. Now let me see if I can figure it out. He got a BA in biology, and then he worked for two years, and then he came back to get this PhD, and that was 8 years, so... hmmm Maybe 31? 32? "He's six years older than me. Do you know where he's from?" "Iowa." Dave laughed "Ok. Now it makes sense. I got it. " "You know, here's the thing Dave. Maybe you don't know this, but just about everyone here is on a "free ride" in grad school. We don't pay tuition, we get a living expense stipend - which sucks - and what we do in return is do things like lead discussion groups. " She paused. "At least do a major Dave. You're not getting engaged or anything. And you've got the military experience. You'll have a place to work. " "It's not too late, Gillian? I've never taken Latin or Greek before." She paused. "You know , for a Brit, we never think about it because we all have to take them both. I don't really know. What I DO know is that Grossfeder was so impressed by you, that if you decided to try it, I think he could find some money for you to study one of them this summer. It'll be hard, let me tell you. But if you do, you'll be up to speed with every other sophomore." One of Dave's shirt sleeves had unrolled and he adjusted it. "I will think about it Gillian. Thank you. Can I call you to tell you once I decide?" "OF COURSE. Now, though, you should speak to Professor Spelling - I'd like to have you speak to Grossfeder, but trust me, getting into his office these days is harder than getting invited to the inauguration.
If I could, can I ask you a question?" "Sure." "Dave, do you own more than one shirt and one pair of pants?" Dave began to laugh. "Oh, Gillian. I know where that question is coming from. The answer is yes. But they're all the same. It makes things easier. I just step out of bed, put on the next ones that are clean, and get on with my day." She shook her head. "You know, you guys have it so much easier than we birds do. It's the kind of thing that Gabe would find absolutely charming." Then she lowered her voice. "You know he has a crush on you, don't you?" "Uh, no, not really. We have a coffee date at the end of the semester" she shook her head "but I didn't know it was about that." "I'm really gossiping now, but here's the story, Dave. You know we all sit in the back, taking notes on stuff we already studied, so we spend a lot of time NOT paying attention. Gabe spotted you on the first day.
His words to me were something like "WHY does he have to be in a class that I TA?" "Because that put me off limits?" "EXACTLY." Dave stopped for a minute. "You know, I never looked at the back of the room too much, I was trying to follow Professor. But when I met Gabe that day over the paper, I thought he was really , REALLY hot, and probably WAY out of my league. I don't have much experience and, well, I'm just a soldier who took some classes." "OH STOP THAT DAVID KING! Putting aside how smart you are, which is considerable, you are INDEED , as Gave said 'one of the hottest men to walk on this planet.' And THAT's from a lesbian, so it means something." "Thanks Gillian. My ego can always use a boost, and you just gave me one. I wish we could talk more, but I have to get off to calculus." "UGH. The math requirement." "Now, now Gillian. I LIKE math. " "First term" "Uh, no. I had some in high school and took on line when I was in the mid east. I'm in fourth term." She wrinkled her nose. "too smart for all of us. " She gave him a kiss on the cheek. She whispered "By the way, Gabe thinks your white shirts make you look, in his words, 'fucking adorable'."
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So in the middle of a dreary December, the semester came to an end. Dave wrote his exams in history, calculus, English, chemistry, and political science. He would learn, later, that he had made the Dean's list with a 3.8 (he hated political science, and it showed). The day after his last final, Gabe called him "Hey Dave, Gabe here. How are ya?" "Oh, hey you . I thought you would have forgotten about me." "Forgotten about you? Geez, I was waiting for the semester to be over so we could go out and hang or something." "I'd like that. What do you feel like doing?" Gabe hesitated for a minute. "How about a quick dinner instead of the coffee we talked about? We can still call it a coffee date if we order coffee You know where." Dave laughed. "Of course I do. 6:30?" "Sounds good. Hey Dave... " "Uh huh? " "This might be pushy, but.. maybe you want to pack an overnight bag? You don't have to use it, but... well, I'd hate to have the evening end because you didn't have a toothbrush." He was waiting for Dave to laugh. He didn't. "Thank you Gabe. Now I don't have to ask the question." "Tonight, at 6:30? "See you there."
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Gabe looked, as Dave's mom would have put it "as nervous as a cat in a room of rocking chairs" . Dave felt that way, but he could be pretty stoic looking. He had put his black leather jacket on over his usual outfit, and his overnight, his old Army pack, was in his hand. "Hey. You order anything good yet, Gabe?" Gabe looked up from something he was reading, in Greek "DAVE. Damn. I'm so glad. So glad. Can I give ya a hug?" "Sure. Hugs are good." Gabe threw his arms around him and Dave felt his hand snake down to his butt. He didn't protest. "So, things ended well for you, Private King?" Dave laughed. "I think so. I hated poly sci, but it's done. Done, done done." The waitress came over. They both ordered burgers. "You know, I won't say this again, I promise, but since I got back, I can't get enough burgers." He felt Gabe's leg press against his, and again, he didn't move. "Say it all you want Dave. So, are you gonna give ancient a try?" "At least for undergrad. I'm talking to Spelling tomorrow. Gillian told me he might be able to swing me some scholarship money for the summer. It'll be an excuse not to go home. "I get that, stud. I haven't been home in about 7 years, and I don't miss it. Listen, a word of advice for talking to Spelling?" "Yeah, sure. " "Uh, there's a rule against 'fraternization' with students, but he's been known to 'bend it a little'. Try to get out early some lie like, oh, I don't know, you only top and you only top men of color or something like that. BEFORE he comes on to you. " "Hmmm." Dave pulled out his phone, and pulled up a photo of a friend from his platoon. "How about I show him a 'photo of my lover?" "PERFECT. " Just then their burgers came, and they made some small talk, and then Gabe spoke. His voice broke up a few times, and he sounded nervous "Dave, I just want to get this out in the air. I'm dying for you to come home with me because, well, apart from everything else, I think you're one of the most beautiful men I've ever seen, and I am dying to show you how good a kisser I am, but... I want to top you. Am I wasting my time?" "No." Gabe smiled "Then you're versatile?" "No. I'm a bottom. I let someone suck me in the army and I didn't like it. Can we talk more at your place? I don't want to have strangers hear my life story. And I want you to prove what you said tonight, and back in class." "Agreed. Let me get the check." "Next one is on me."
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Gabe's apartment was, well , a typical grad student apartment. His sofa was the standard futon on a frame, he had a small table, and then the bedroom with a TV propped on a dresser. There was maybe an inch of dust on it. He found a bottle of red wine, and poured them each a glass. "To friendship." "To friendship." "So, Dave, tell me that story. Tell me what happened in the Army." Dave took a deep breath and told him about his soldier friend, and the chaplain. Gabe was thinking "Chaplain, I don't know whether to thank you or curse you for taking his cherry." "So you don't have that much experience Dave?" "No, not really. There was a little you know, diddling when I was a boy, but nothing I could point to. I guess I had crushes, but nothing ever happened." Gabe moved in closer, and put his arm around Dave's shoulders. "I may have a crush on you handsome." He moved in and kissed Dave. And trust me, something IS going to happen tonight." Some very intense necking started. Dave teased Gabe. "You call that good kissing?" Gabe leaned in and got back to work, and Dave moaned. "MMMMM. You're right. This is excellent kissing, Gabe. But..." "But what?" "You talked about all the tricks you learned in your research. Wanna try one out on me?" Gabe smiled, and slid his hand behind Dave. He touched a spot on Dave's back with his thumb, and pushed. All of a sudden, Dave felt all the strength pour out of his body. "DAMN. You keep your thumb there, and you can take advantage of me all night?" "Do I have to keep it there?" Dave leaned in for another kiss. "Nope." They moved to Gabe's bed. More kissing, more feeling each other up, and then Gabe was squatting on Dave's chest as he opened his shirt. "Oh geez. You shave. DAMN that's even hotter." He moved his fingers to Dave's nips. "MMMMMMMM. I didn't know they were... OOOOOOOOOH." "Sensitive sweetpea? " "Yeah. Wicked sensitive." "How about this? " Gabe lay out flat and begin kissing Dave's ear. The combination of that, and his furry chest on Dave, was driving him mad. "OH please Gabe. Kiss me. Kiss me a lot." And he did. All over. Nipples. Belly button, Dave's crotch when he got his pants opened. And of course, his lips. His eyes. He whispered "those eyes. They remind me of what Homer wrote about Athena." "Don't get grad student nerdy on me Gabe. Get my legs in the air and fuck me. " "Ho ho. Not only are you a bottom, you're a PUSHY bottom." Still, Gabe did push up Dave's legs. He was much more gentle than the chaplain had been, and he moved almost tenderly as he took Dave. Dave bucked and howled. He wasn't hurting, but GOD this felt GOOD. "Gabe... I think I'm.. I'm AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Dave shot all over himself, and Gabe smiled. "Good boy. Good boy." He bent down and kissed Dave again. "Now, my turn. I didn't cover up, so..." He pulled out and shot all over Dave. Then he fell on him, and kissed Dave's face all over. When Dave could get his mouth away to speak, he said "Gabe, next time, could you rubber up? I want to feel you do that in me." "Sexy man, I'll do anything you want if you react the way you did. GEEZ. " They did have a second round that night, and then they fell asleep. Dave's head was cradled on Gabe's chest, and he snored gently. Gabe pulled him in closer and Dave purred. He woke up for a minute. "I feel like a kitten." Gabe smiled "I want you to feel like a tiger that's been tamed." Dave tried to make a cat noise, but he was way too tired, and fell asleep again. "I'm gonna miss you sweetpea," Gabe thought to himself. "I hope I don't hurt you too much when I disappear to St Louis. And I hope you'll remember me."